Green Monster Smoothie

This has helped me to increase my daily servings of 

fruits and vegetables at the same time

Plus, as much as I hate to admit it, 

it helps my energy more than coffee. 

If you like your smoothies more creamy, add a little yogurt to the mix.

Plus you can always mix and match whatever fruits you have on hand.

Just know if you add strawberries, like I did, it will be an ugly brownish color.

still pretty tasty though!

What You'll Need:

1/2 banana (frozen or not)
1/2 cup chopped frozen pineapple
1/2 large apple, peeled and coarsely chopped
3/4 cups orange juice

1 1/4 cups baby spinach leaves, rinsed and dried
1-2 tbsp. honey (optional)

What To Do:
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until completely smooth.  Taste and adjust sweetness with additional honey, if desired.  Serve immediately.

From Annie's Eats and Confections of a Food Bride,

 originally from Une-Deux Senses

Yeah, so I've made this a few times this week...

it's just that good, and good for ya!

Gypsy Picnic Festival

This past Saturday the Hey Cupcake! gang got to participate in the second annual Gypsy Picnic Festival at Auditorium Shores.

I didn't attend the festival last year (sadly) but this year I made sure to get there about an hour before my shift started so I could check out all the awesome food trailers!

There were over thirty five food trailers as well as live music, different activity booths and people picnicking with family and friends and pets all over. The weather was glorious- sunny but not too hot, breezy and clear. The wind did pick up the dust quite a bit... but since I was under a tent most of the time, it didn't phase me!

Some of my favorites were there (Torchy's Tacos, Gourdough's, Bananarchy, Holy Cacoa) and LOTS of trailers I haven't tried yet

There was TONS of great food there, but I stopped at Be More Pacific to try some Filipino-American cuisine. Really, it was the bacon fried rice that got me. I had to try it. 

I grabbed a Taco Libre- chicken adobo with Filipino sauce, elote corn, cilantro and lime- and chili powder?

It was very tasty- spicy from the adobo and chili and sweet from the corn.

and Bacon Fried Rice- rice with bacon, scrambled egg, yellow onion and green onion. So good. 

I had a really great time working at the Hey Cupcake booth- even though we always had a line, we kept it moving quickly!  We had a great team working the event.  Even when we were all disgustingly dirty and our feet were on fire, everyone kept a smile on their face the whole night. 

(photo by Seth Nyers)

And we won best dessert for the Pumpkinator! 

My dinner came from Mambo Berry- the Mango Madness Smoothie. It was a little pricey at $6 but I'd come prepared to shell out some cash to sample lots of food, so I was okay with it.  They also had a Strawberry Basil Smoothie, which won best drink... but I'm not totally sure I like basil. So I got mango.

The flavor was INTENSE, but delicious. It tasted very fresh and it was a treat I felt good about.

Overall, Gypsy Picnic was super fun.

Things I wish I'd tried:

86 This- Multi Tasker

Chi'Lantro- Korean Beef Burrito

The Peached Tortilla- Bahn Mi Sandwich

East Side King's Poor Qui's Bun

Tenderland's Battered Pork Tenderloin Sandwich

Cool Haus Ice Cream Sandwich- these looked so good while we were working up a sweat!

Looks like I will have to make it a point to try these soon!