Smoothie overload, thinking bloggers

My smoothies almost always get the better of me. It could be that my WPC turns superthick in the blender, it could be that I can't stop adding stuff (today - papaya, mango, banana, WPC, xylitol, cocoa, yogurt) or it could be that I like to include a tsp of guar gum and then blend it until my blender sounds in danger of herniating a cog. I'm on my third blender and this one has been reinforced with fibreglass and superglue around the bit that kept breaking - it's the only plastic piece in an otherwise steel machine and is the cone that the blades are attached to. So far, so good. I believe this is called kiwi ingenuity. Let's just stick on a bit of fibreglass here then, she'll be right. Lucky it worked or we might have had to break out the chicken wire.

There are times when I can't finish my smoothie. I've discovered that if you dissolve 2 tsp of jello mix in a little boiling water and add it to the leftover smoothie and then refrigerate it sets into a fab dessert later. It's a good idea to stir it a few times during the day so that the jello doesn't just sink to the bottom.

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I've decided to dish out my thinking blogger awards to blogs that make an effort to be educational. It's easy to just blab on self-indulgently like I do. I am impressed with blogs that aren't too self-absorbed, like these ones:

1. SaraT's Health Nuts - great recipes, most with macronutrient profiles. SaraT has been a bit busy to add anything for a while, but I know she's a food loony and will get back to it.

2. Keks Good Food Blog. Makes you hungry just reading it.

3. Stephans Learn German blog - this blog has podcasts that help you learn German and also lots of pics and cultural info about Germany and Switzerland.

I know that's only 3 so far. Nearly all the blogs I read already have been nominated. Obviously I need to expand my personal blogosphere!

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Today I did my shopping and have started stocking up for my trip, which is now only 14 days away (eeeeek!). So far my pre-travel shopping has consisted of:

1 money belt

3 protein bars

Protein bars are a food (?) I generally don't eat. It's too easy to overeat them and I prefer to eat real food. In aeroplanes and airports I make an exception because I quite often can't face what is on offer (sticky muffin and transfat laden soggy cheese croissant? um.. that would be a noooooo thanks).

Also, as you know, I'm a hungry girl and my travel partners just don't need to eat as often as I do. Carrying some customs friendly emergency snacks is necessary for everyones sanity. There is just nothing worse than a hungry (and probably jetlagged, sleep deprived and whining) Sara.

Having lost my passport, credit cards and ticket home on my first overseas journey, I now carry everything essential in a money belt. Now all I must do to make my trip a success is to immediately stop watching those airline disaster programs that seem to run continuously on the documentary channel. If I freeze up on the boarding ramp and have to be sedated and carried into the plane drooling then Sky TV can pay my therapy bills.