Yes, monsoons seems to have started and while I appreciate the afternoon cloud cover, the lack of consistent rain has kept me h-o-t HOT! So, in addition to my morning smoothie, I've started to add on an afternoon "pick me up". It is also a great way to beat those afternoon sugar urges AND a fun thing to do with your kids. Although the blender scares her a bit Lily is a super fan of "moothies" Here are a few of our favorites:

Banana Rama

- 1 banana
- 1 tbl(ish) of peanut butter
- 1 dash of unsweetened cocoa powder
- some ice

Blend & Enjoy!

Oprah's Favorite Smoothie (I stole this from Oprah when I was pregnant- SO yummy)

- Chocolate Soy milk
- Strawberries (I use frozen- only b/c I buy in bulk when they are on sale)
- Banana

Blend & YUM!!!

As some of you Stroller Strides moms may know, I have a weakness for reality tv. I also have a weakness for sweets. One of the 'stars' of the Real Housewives of NYC has a whole-foods baking company and if you watched the show, you got to see her standing around at various festivals & grocery stores promoting her products. My interest was definitely peaked when I saw her with cookies- so I did a little research & found this recipe at Health.com. Looks good to me! She also has a low-cal mojito and 'skinny girl margarita' that sound amazing! Check it out!





Ingredients

• 1 cup oat flour
• 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup raw sugar
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup plain soy milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 ripe banana, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or other favorite nut
• 1/3 cup semisweet vegan chocolate chips (such as Tropical Source)

In between our awesome day sponsorship spots on KNAU today I heard this story about a new study released on the relationship between eating a lot of red meat and an increase in the likelihood in dying of heart disease and cancer. Yikes! Now being the scientist that I was trained to be I found a few thing important in the study

- the use of AARP members (generally healthier than the 'average' population)
- the subjects were asked to remember what they ate the last year

Even with those two 'quirks', the findings are still significant- especially in people who eat a lot of red meat (like every night)- by finding a red meat replacement once or twice a week (chicken, fish, beans are good alternatives) you can not only save some $$ but also decrease your chances of dying from cancer or heart disease.

Look at this stat from the study: