Friday Faves....

It is that time of the week again! Let's chat about the things that I am loving right now. Please sound off at the bottom of your joys for the week too! 
No surprises here...mine involves some coffee....

Thank you Katie for the link up!

Please forgive my lack of photography skills!

#1
I have had a long history of coffee. I have been drinking it for many years and many different ways. I took inventory of all of the ways that I have to brew coffee and it was fairly impressive...if I don't say so myself. 
-regular old coffee pot
-Keurig
-espresso machine
-french press
-cold brew (toddy)
-melitta (pour over)
an a
-ibrik

What is an ibrik? It is for making Turkish coffee. I forgot my love of this method until last weekend when I was down on the farm. It is made on the stove top (or in sand if you happen to have a ton of hot sand), and involves a process of boiling super find coffee grounds, water and a little sugar 3 times, then is served in tiny little espresso cups. I had only two servings last weekend, but it was servings last weekend, but it was so good! Did you know that they come in sizes up to 32 ounces? I think we are beyond espresso cups at that point. 


#2 This jam. It's my Jam. I picked this jam up from a farmers market and it is perfectly sweet. I don't tend to like most jam because it is usually made with high-fructose corn syrup and is just too sweet. This delightful jam has just persimmon, sugar, tangerines, lemon and pectin in it. Perfect on my gfdf bagels this morning!
Check out their website here --> http://www.mulberryorchard.com/ It is a little outdated, but I think the contact us link still works in case you want to buy some...which I recommend. 

#3
Weekends! Only one more clinic shift between me and the weekend, and I am looking forward to relaxing, shopping, and visiting the farmers market. I haven't been to my home town farmers market yet, we were out of town when the above mentioned jam was purchased. Mark got a job recently at Columbia Sportswear (woot woot), so I think we are going to be checking out the employee store for some new clothing. He has been sending me links to the things that he wants to buy. I am thinking about this dress. Thoughts?

#4
Books! I don't think any particular ones right now. My course load at school is dramatically lighter this quarter, so I have had a little more time to read - one of my favorite things to do. I have been making weekly trips to the library and probably have 6 books out on loan. I think I would love to be a professional student...If I never had to take another test or write another paper again. 217 days to go!

Questions for the day?
1. What is making your heart jump with excitement?

2. Do you have a favorite Columbia Sportswear item that I should try to find?

My Favorite (right now) Breakfast Smoothie

Morning!

Lately I have been doing the smoothie thing for breakfast, no that it isn't so cold outside. Having a smoothie on the wrong morning can leave me chilly all day and unable to get warm. My smoothies are usually a variation of the following ingredients - protein powder, coconut milk, PB2, instant coffee, kale, spinach, ice, frozen fruit and flax or chia seeds. 

Lately I have been drawn to the coffee focused smoothie. And lets be real....Coffee is the best. 

Smoothie Ingredients

1 C. So Delicious Unsweetened Vanilla
1 C. Ice Cubes 
1 Packet Via - or other instant coffee that you like
1 Scoop Plant Fusion Vanilla Protein Powder
1/4 C. Ground Flax Seed

Put all in blender and blend until smooth....
Pour into favorite cup or drink right out of the blender. I have done both. 

Tip: Rinse blender out as soon as you are done with it. If the ground flax seed dries it is stuck like glue. 

When looking at smoothies I like to know how much protein I am getting and how much fiber there is. Both protein and fiber take longer to digest than simple sugars, and will leave you feeling fuller for longer. When consuming liquid meals I tend to get hungry hangry a little sooner than if I had just eaten a plain old meal. 

Protein Content: 27 g
Fiber Content: 9 g

I like to include flax into my smoothies because of its awesome nutritional profile and the amazing benefits. Flax contains Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 FA have anti inflammatory properties and help to reduce inflammation all over the body. In addition to the the fats, flax also contains both soluble and insoluble fiber to aid in digestion.

Flax should always be stored in the fridge to keep it from going rancid. And if possible, it is always best to grind it yourself. I purchase already ground seed due to living so close to Bob's Red Mill, in addition to going through it so fast - 1/4 cup a day in a 16 ounce package is roughly 17 servings. 

Questions for the Day (or week - I still don't blog all that often!)

1. Do you prefer flax or chia seeds in smoothies?

2. What is your favorite protein powder?