St. Patrick’s Day is on the way, and the color green seems to be EVERYWHERE, including in your glass – and I’m not talking about Shamrock Shakes or Midori Sours! The green drink trend has arrived and is here to stay, and for good reason – these beverages are tasty and good for you. 
A friend recently asked me for some recipes because even her nutritionist suggested that she start drinking green drinks. I have been a long time aficionado of the green smoothie. Admittedly, I didn’t know anything about green drinks until I saw a photo collage in Us Weekly of beautiful and youthful celebrities all holding them and I thought – hmm, maybe I should try that! (And who can forget when Sheree tried to get Kim Zolciak to drink a kale shake on the Real Housewives of Atlanta?) 
I like to think my skin is going to glow like Reese Witherspoon’s or my hair is going to shine like Kim Kardashian’s when I am drinking my kale concoctions. Plus, green drinks are a wonderful way to incorporate vegetables into your diet. How else can you possible eat five servings a day? Or is it six now? I can’t keep up …
The first green drink recipe is from Daphne Oz, who I had the pleasure of interviewing last year. See Fairytale Feasts from Daphne Oz. She actually tweeted this recipe to me and I’ve been enjoying it ever since. 
I’ve also included a recipe from Jackie Warner, fitness trainer and Bravo reality television star. I love Jackie’s wholesome, non-judgmental approach to health and fitness. Reading her books doesn’t make me feel like someone is scolding me for being overweight or degrading me for not having the willpower to make the right decisions. The other green drink recipes are my own inventions that I made with things I had around the house. I promise, they’re all tasty.

Daphne Oz’s Fairytale Green Juice
(Serves 1-2)

Ingredients:
1 handful of spinach
1 handful of kale
1 stalk celery
1 apple, cored and peeled
Juice of a half lemon
1 tsp grated fresh ginger

Directions:
Add all of the ingredients to a blender. Pulse until chopped and well blended. Serve.

Jackie Warner’s Pre-Workout Protein Shake
(Serves 1)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup frozen mixed berries
1/2 cup frozen spinach
1 tablespoon of all-natural peanut butter
1 scoop vanilla whey protein isolate powder
1/4 cup dry oats
Water to taste

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients in a blender. Add water until you reach your desired consistency.

Fairytale Frozen Spinach Protein Smoothie
(Serves 1-2)

Ingredients:
2 handfuls of spinach
3/4 cup of almond milk
1 scoop of vanilla whey protein isolate powder (I like Precision from Vitamin World),
1 cup of ice (optional – but makes it cold and thicker)

Directions:
Place the spinach, almond milk and protein powder in a blender and pulse until blended. Add the ice and pulse until smooth and blended. Serve.

Fairytale Spinach and Banana Smoothie
(Serves 1-2)

Ingredients:
2 handfuls of spinach

3/4 cup of almond milk
1 medium banana
3/4 cup of non-fat Greek Yogurt (like Fage Total 0%)

Directions:
Place the spinach, almond milk and banana pieces in a blender and pulse until well blended. Add the yogurt and blend. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Another one of my favorite breakfast dishes is a Belgian Waffle. There’s nothing like a hot waffle with a crisp, buttery outside and moist, fluffy inside, with butter melting on top and maple syrup floating in the crevices. These waffles remind me of family vacations I used to take as a child to Rehoboth Beach in Delaware. I looked forward to the early morning walks past the Boardwalk Plaza Victorian Hotel to a little breakfast stand on the boardwalk. They made huge Belgian Waffles topped with strawberries and whipped cream. It was always a challenge to figure out how to get it back to the hotel room without being attacked by seagulls. I also used to look forward to ordering these fabulous waffles at the Woodlands old restaurant The Left Bank at Sunday Brunch after church.

While Belgian Waffles may be good for the soul, they’re not typically good for the waistline. Traditional Belgian Waffles can top 400 calories and easily wreck a diet once you pile on all of that whipped butter and sugary fruit. If you make them yourself at home, it’s much easier to control the fat and calories. Belgian style waffles are classically topped with strawberries and whipped cream, but I enjoy them with butter and syrup as well. To keep calories down, I prefer I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter (sticks) and Log Cabin Sugar Free Syrup. This recipe can also be used as a lighter edition for the base of a good Chicken and Waffles meal. (A Pennsylvania Dutch specialty – which I’ll have to make in the future.)

Here is my guiltless version of a Whole Grain Belgian Waffle. You need an electric waffle iron for this recipe, and if you don’t have one you should get one ASAP! It’s well worth the investment. Waffle irons can be electric or are designed for stove-top cooking. They have heating elements on both sides so that two sides of the waffle mix can cook evenly and at once. Most modern irons now have nonstick cooking surfaces so they’re much easier to clean. (I think that my waffle iron takes less time to clean than my panini grill.)
The bottom line is that once you have your own homemade Belgian waffle, you’ll never be able to eat those processed frozen ones again. Promise!

Fairytale Feasts Whole Wheat Belgian Waffles
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of Hodgson Mills Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancake Mix
1 cup Unsweetened Almond Breeze vanilla almond milk
1 large egg
1 tablespoon of canola oil
1/4 cup of applesauce

Directions:
Heat waffle iron according to it’s own specific directions. Place the pancake mix in a large bowl. Add the almond milk, egg, oil and applesauce. Stir with a wooden spoon until well blended. Add batter to your waffle iron in accordance with it’s own instructions.

When waffle is ready, remove it from the iron with a spatula and place on a wired rack to cool so the waffle retains its crispness. Serve the waffles immediately. Top with mixed berries, whipped cream, butter or powdered sugar – or all of the above – for a delicious, healthful breakfast.

Nutritional Information for one waffle (not including toppings): 219 cals, 7 grams of fat, 35 carbs, 7 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, 425 mg of sodium.



Enjoy!



I am always looking for simple lunch recipes that are convenient to brown bag so I can take them to work. This is no easy task as the flavors, consistencies and textures of certain brown bag lunches can easily lose their magic if you make them the night before and then transport them during your morning commute.

This simple egg salad recipe manages to retain its flavorful kick and will give you something to look forward to during your lunch. And it’s light on the calories, just in time for the new you in the new year! 🙂



Feisty Fairytale Egg Salad
Serves 2

4 hardboiled eggs
1 handful of Spanish green olives, chopped (10 queen size or 20 small)
1 tablespoon chopped yellow onion

2 tbs fat free Mayo
1 tsp of Franks Hot Sauce
Salt + Pepper to taste


Light Wasa Crackers
Mixed greens for garnish


Gently chop the hardboiled eggs and mix in olives, onions, and mayo. Add the Frank’s hot sauce to taste (I use at least 1 teaspoon but I am certain hot sauce lovers will want more.)  Pile desired amount onto light Wasa crackers. Top with mixed field greens as a garnish. Enjoy!