A Winter Remedy: The Green Chocolate Smoothie

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.”– Henry Ford

I start today's blog post with this cool quote by Henry Ford as an ode to the lugubrious state of affairs that currently surround my life. As of late, the wind against me has seemed far too strong to take off.

Though I don't tend to view myself as an airplane or any distant relative of such a contraption for that matter, I like the idea. Airplanes, as taken for granted as they are nowadays, magnificently overcome the most powerful force on Earth- gravity. They are the product of painstaking design, engineering, and craftsmanship. They are, with out a doubt, the product of thoughtful and intelligent artists. Aircraft are, in their simplest definition, important. 

So maybe being compared to an airplane isn't half bad. As far as obscure compliments go (remember when William/Ulrich adorably compared Jocelyn to the Bible?) a likeness to the airplane is beautifully understandable. 

Though taking the quote completely out of context, Mr. Ford seemed to want to convey that we must all remember the possibility of finding the good out of the bad, or the warmth out of the cold. 

I don't really know what this all has to do with smoothies, but it has to do with me, and I guess it relates because I made this smoothie. I call it Green Chocolate. 

In the winter, (I'm starting to remember why I decided on the melancholy introductory paragraph) my happiness dims like the short living sun. I cling to warmth by the fireplace and snuggle with those I love for compensation of the great flames of the forgotten summer sky. Smoothies--a cold, refreshing, energizing drink--are the epitome of what summer stands for, which is maybe why I engage in such a love affair with them. It seems in the gray and windy season of Winter, there is not much room for my favorite fuel. 

I wondered, how can this change?

The answer? It's simple: chocolate and mugs. 

Green Chocolate Smoothie

Ingredients:

- 7 oz (approx) spinach/kale/swiss chard

- 1/2 - 3/4 cup almond milk 

- small handful of frozen cherries

- 1 banana

- 1 packet Amazing Meal Cafe Mocha blend

As always, blend these ingredients together in your VitaMix. Serves 1. 

I want to talk about mugs. Mugs have a psychological effect on my eating habits that force me to slow down on my drinking. Parrallel to the high-stress, always-on-the-go lifestyle I can never seem to escape, my eating habits have quickened pace as well. When dining with friends, I often find myself the first to finish my meal, and the nagging feeling of not enjoying the dinning experience to the full. A mug, for me, tells me it is time to relax, as I feel when I'm happily sipping my morning coffee or night-time hot tea. 

A mug means you are in your happy place.

I decided the best way to enjoy this smoothie to pour my drink into a mug, sit by the fire, and enjoy every sip. I topped my drink with organic hemp seed and relaxed in the warmth of the red before me. I felt the summer inside myself smiling, thankful that I had found joy in the season of sad. 

Despite the heavy winds, I know we can take off. Maybe we aren't even airplanes, who delay their flights in stormy weather, we are birds, who endure even in a storm. I hope that my readers (all three of you) realize their "happy place" and the essential props accompanying such contentment. For me, all that is needed is some chocolate, a mug, a blanket of warmth surrounding me. 

xx

Chocolate, a mug, and a blanket of warmth surrounding me (:

I am here, Istanbul

My family and I arrived to Istanbul around 5 o'clock in the afternoon yesterday. We were immediately greeted by our kind driver Sayit, and several boisterous outdoor speakers calling us to evening prayer. As we loaded our luggage into the back of Sayit's van, I had a brief premonition of becoming the next inspiration for Taken 3, but it all ended up just fine, as we arrived safe and sound at The Ritz Carlton Istanbul only 40 minutes later.
Dirty and nauseously jet-lagged, the family decided dinner was a good idea. We ate at a restaurant here in the hotel. In typical Ritz fashion, it was a fabulous meal, in fact the most fabulous meal I had enjoyed in quite sometime. I happily spent my first evening in Istanbul chowing down on fresh bread, dipped in coarse salt and extra virgin olive oil, a fresh mixed green salad, an array of traditional Turkish hummuses, and curried vegetables and rice. A girl can only take so many smoothies, after some time, you must delight yourself to the real foodie pleasures in life.
Regressing to bed was more challenging than I had imagined. Jet lag is very real. I fell asleep around 11 PM here ( 3 PM central time), and woke up about 2 AM (6 PM CT). After an hour of unproductive tossing and turning in my bed, which I must say was extremely comfortable, I decided I might as well wake up for good. So, I reached for my Nikes and headed to the gym at 3 in the morning. I am already breaking new grounds here in Istanbul. I think that just shows how monumental this trip is preparing to be.
Now, it is 8:30 in the morning, and I am still the only one awake from my party. Single, I am drinking coffee and munching on a croissant and fruit awaiting the day's promising beginning. Though alone, I find myself relaxed and at ease. It is trips like these that remind me of the beauty found in simpler things. Like admiring a view from breakfast, though it is of mostly construction of a football stadium, there behind it a mosque with gold pointed pillars peeks at me. I am in love with this slow easiness and am inspired to find this feeling again come tomorrow morning, 8:30.