My new favorite breakfast

I have a new obsession for breakfast. I have always liked smoothies - especially as a way to eat raw spinach - but this one is by far my favorite.

I saw this recipe on Pinterest that looked delicious and healthy. Then I realized it was from Paula Deen. I just couldn't handle something that seemed healthy from Paula Deen - and knew there had to be a fried stick of butter hiding somewhere in her recipe. So I spruced it up a little bit. 

This recipe makes two large smoothies - two completely full solo cups. Keep that in mind and maybe half or quarter the recipe, as needed.

Pina Colada Spinach Protein Smoothie
1 cup chopped pineapple (I use the core too)
1 cup coconut milk
1-2 cups spinach (I do 2 .. but you might want to ease into it)
1 scoop whey protein powder (about 1/4 cup)
2 tsp honey
2 T coconut oil
10 ice cubes
2 T chia seeds (optional)

Blend everything until pureed. You have protein, fiber, omega-3s, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables. 

Then, for kicks, I top the smoothie with this:

Trader Joe's coconut. Dan doesn't like the texture. But for me, its like having whipped cream on top -- something just a little sweet.

Keep in mind if you bring this to work, your coworkers will be grossed out by a green drink. Use this to your advantage.

Caprese Mini Burgers

Alright Pinterest. In typical you fashion, after spending some time together, you had me both hungry, and craving a label maker. This post is about the former. 

I see you, caprese stuffed burgers, and I am going to raise you, the much easier caprese topped mini burgers. 

Cook the burgers first, and place them on a cookie sheet. Add the toppings (mozzarella cheese, tomato and basil), and place in the broiler until the cheese just melts. 

Zach and Tricia got us hooked on using Hawaiian rolls as mini buns. 

Voila. So delicious.

Fat Tuesday

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Alright, I'm only on my second. But the day isn't over. And the first two were eaten at an embarrassingly early hour. 5:00 somewhere, right? Err, whatever.

Because I have another cupcake to get back to (ps thanks Landon!) pps. that wasn't a genuine thanks, it was a 'Im-going-to-have-to-do-so-much-ab-ripper-because-of-you thanks' - for the record I am merely going to leave you with two blogs that you should read today.

The first one, hysterical. Read here. Laugh. (If you are feeling inappropriate for a Tuesday - read this one - don't say you haven't been warned).

Second, my mom decided to take some pictures of the birds that visit her bird feeder. They were taken from inside, don't worry. That Southerner rarely ventures out into the frigid Georgia winters.

They look like this. 

CVanderbilt Photography 

They are awesome. My mom calls them 'low quality.' She's much pickier than I. 

Go here to see her post.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Fat Tuesday. I'm on to my next cupcake.

What is Koda? Part 2

Remember my post yesterday? Of course you do. You've been waiting all day for this, cursing Chris Harrison for hosting such a riviting show that pulled me away from finishing my post. 

Well .. maybe not. 

But alas, it's here.

As I was saying, based on the reviews, I expected some very vague results. We never sent in a picture, so they only had the swab to go off of. 

But instead, we received:

According to this DNA test - she is a mix between a full-blooded Parson Russell Terrier and a full-blooded Chow. From what I can gather, there isn't much difference between a Parson Russell Terrier and a Jack Russell Terrier -- so we will go with a Jack. 

She is half Wishbone:

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Half, what the Chinese refer to as "Puffy Lion Dog":

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Any of you guess that? 

What is Koda?

What breed is Koda? We get that question a lot. We ask ourselves that question a lot. 

The vet asks for their records? Uhhhh. Funny story. Put Spitz. That's all we've got. 

The dog sitter asks for their records? Uhh. Shiba Inu? That's what we are thinking this week. 

After countless hours google imaging breeds and mixed breeds, we figured she was a Heinz 57. 

Dan heard about these dog DNA tests, that simply involve a mouth swab. He asked for one for Christmas. Dan's mom happily wrapped that gift (let's be honest, she was a little interested too), and Dan couldn't wait to figure out Koda's breed.

Most of the reviews said that the test came back with a handful of breeds - some ancestors merely marked "mixed breed" -- with no more insight, but to take it with a grain of salt. I was definitely prepared for some vague answers.

We thought she had to be part Shiba Inu. 

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The Humane Society said Finnish Spitz.

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We even thought she could be part Eskimo Spitz.

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Pomeranian?

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Corgi?

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The answer was about to be F. None of the above. 

The mouth swab wasn't bad. Koda was about as comfortable with it as she is in this picture.

The 3 week wait for the results was the hardest part. 

So what is she? 

Crap. Bachelor is on. I'll tell you tomorrow.