Let's Do Lunch Community

Here is my favourite green smoothie. You simply put a peeled and sliced mango into a blender with a bunch of watercress and whizz. You can add a little water too, depending on how thick you want it. I don't usually add any. It looks green, but tastes of sweet yummy mango, and gives you lots of wonderful, healtny green veg vitamins. You can also use a good handful of tender baby spinach leaves instead of the watercress and you really don't taste these at all.

If you think this is just too green for you, start with a smaller amount of greens and gradually add more. Also, the better your blender (or food processor) the better this will be. It's nicest when the green veg are blended really, really fine, so you hardly notice them. I make it in my food processor and give it a good long whizz. I would dearly love a Vitamix, which is, I believe, the best blender you can buy, and reduces veg to a lovely smooth cream very easily.

Anyway, hope you enjoy this -- it's quite addictive once you get the taste for it, and i find it keeps me going from breakfast till lunch with no hunger pangs.

Rhea

Oh dear, I'm so sorry, Roger -- divided by a common language! 'Whizz' is rather a slangy way of saying 'blend' -- or some people say 'blitz'... just put it in your blender or food processor and press the button until it's all creamy and smooth!

Hope you like it ---

Rhea

WOW! This sounds great. Hope my Kitchen Aid can handle it.

Speaking of Mangoes, can anyone tell me how to tell if a Mango is ripe or not? I love them, but have been afraid to purchase them "raw", as I don't know how to tell if it is ripe enough or not.

I would appreciate any advice!

I have been away from the boards for a while -- so here I am saying 'hi' everyone again...

The way I choose a ripe mango is to feel it: it needs to 'give' a little as you press it gently, but not feel soggy. I generally buy them when they are quite firm and let them ripen up at room temperature -- it can take several days, but that way I can usually eat them when they're just right.

So glad you liked the smoothie, Little Mary!

Rhea

Thanks Rhea! (:

Rhea wrote:I have been away from the boards for a while -- so here I am saying 'hi' everyone again...
Rhea

  rhea...how lovely to hear from you......a few nights ago i meant to e-mail you and didn't get around to it.....i hope all is well with you......hope you resolve to keep in touch more......niki 

Ah, thank you all for your kind welcome...

I'm doing well but have had a period of being 'static' weight-wise. I haven't gained, but I haven't lost, either. The simple reason is that I have lapsed a bit with LDL over the winter holiday season. I don't know why, because I love eating this way but, you know how it is: once you take that one bite of a non-LDL food, one leads to another.

So now I've learnt that lesson, and now I'm being very vigilant again.

One of the things I love the most, and find the most helpful in keeping on track is your falafel, niki... I've been making up a big batch, forming them into burger-type shapes and baking them in the oven on a lightly-oiled cookie sheet. Then I freeze them so I can heat one or two for a minute or two in the microwave if I feel I need something really filling and 'bread-like'. They make a great substitute for a burger bun -- I just split them in half and fill with lots of lettuce, tomato and olives -- yum!

So, Little Mary, I believe you went from a US size 10 to a size 2 in a year: wonder whether I can go from a US size 8 to a size 2 in the same time? Yes, I know it depends on the natural size of one's body etc etc but it's a nice ideal to have!

Warmest wishes,

Rhea

i haven't made that falafel for a LONG time.....i'm going to do it again..but i didn't post that recipe.......i do wonder how the ones that you buy outside are made and why our recipe doesn't taste as good....maybe i didn't add enough salt and spices.....that's what i'll do different this time.....i also think i overcooked them.........well,if at first you don't succeed,try,try again...............niki

Or "If at first you don't fricasee, fry, fry a hen."

NJ...(shakes head) Where in the world do you come up with these??

Read it in a kid's book when I was ~10.

oh my gosh nj!!

that's from Caddie Woodlawn!!  i read it last month.  of course it's a childrens book but i have kept it from childhood as it was one of my favorites!!

how funny!

imkay wrote: "that's from Caddie Woodlawn!!"

HEY THANKS!
I remembered it as a book that I loved but I couldn't remember what the title was. I'll try to find it now!

NJ

I've gotta try this one... although I am not looking forward to winter produce prices. 

Hey Bookguy,
        Glad your back. I agree with you on produce prices.......they are horrible,but so is everything else lol.Luckily I can buy my beans bulk, it saves money that way (just have to remember to soak them.)Have a good day and don't be a stranger!
                    May G-d bless you
                        Kris