Your Luxe Smoothie Shelf

I feel extremely accomplished when I can justify a purchase.

Like the pair of dressier-than-necessary black shorts I bought in January. What inspired me to buy shorts in the dead of winter? Well, they had all of the right answers to my typical shopping questions:

1) How much will I use this?

2) How can I get more use out of it?

3) What does it go with?

Paired with black tights during the winter, I answered my first question. Using the black belt as a headband was answer to the second question. And well, they are black, so in my mind, they go with everything. Score. 

I ran through the same line of questioning during a recent shopping spree trip to the supermarket.

After a rather sluggish couple of months, I was anxious to fill stock up on energy-boosting ingredients. While I did spend a little more than I was hoping to, these five superstars go way beyond the call of smoothie duty.

Here, some ideas for making your dollars stretchhhh:

CHIA SEEDS

Small, crunchy and relatively flavorless, I'd always assumed these were reserved for the homegrown chia pets. So wrong. Once mixed into a liquid (water or almond milk) these tiny seeds look like caviar and take on the consistency of tapioca. Perfect for a omega-packed breakfast with sliced strawberries or sprinkled over your salad.

PROBIOTIC GREENS

Made from greens grown in high-altitude volcanic rock (I kid you not), this powder is super high in probiotics which is a cure-all for those with digestion woes. Sunwarrior mixes theirs with peppermint and stevia, so surprisingly, it doesn't taste like you're drinking lawn clippings. Sneak a little into zucchini soup, sprinkle over your yogurt, bake funkadelic green cookies or dye your St. Patty's Day cupcakes. Go crazy. 

ALMOND BUTTER

Peanut butter, who? That's how much I love this stuff. Former PB addiction is stuff of the past--almond butter is where it's at, friends. I add this to oatmeal, slather it in between a halved banana with honey or take it over to the savory side with a raw thai almond sauce.

COCONUT OIL

Yes, I actually put a small teaspoon of this elixir in my smoothies. What sounds weird at first is actually great for your heart, boosts energy and aids in digestion. I also keep a separate jar on hand to use as moisturizer. No, it doesn't cause breakouts. Yes, it's the best 'lotion' I've ever used.

GOJI BERRIES

We've chatted up gojis before. My affinity for them lives on. Sprinked on top of quinoa with coconut and dried fruit, blended into chocolate mousse, or mixed into a breakfast muesli, these chewy little gems get along with everyone.

These super-healthy ingredients really do work overtime!

Do you have any creative ways to use your top-shelf ingredients?

Things that last.

I have this thing about first and last impressions. I'm really into them.

A first impression can never be changed; it's impossible to convince your brain to remember things differently than it did the first time around. Last impressions are (almost) inarguably more important.

I think about this so often that before buying a new book I read the first and last sentences. This bothers people.  But, if the first sentence doesn't whet your appetite and the last sentence doesn't inspire you to connect the dots in between, why bother?

An impression is defined as having a strong effect on feelings, intellect or conscience.

We're always faced with these seemingly small opportunities to leave a lasting mark. Whether it's positive or not is up to us as individuals. These little-but-powerful moments hold so much potential. You can win friends or make enemies. Get the job or lose one. Earn trust or disrespect. Inspire or tear down.

So many tiny chances add up to to big impressions.

This article, from The New York Times, cleverly dissects the connection between food and music. It's a subject that's been covered before, but this fresh take on it inspired me to remember how much the littlest things can matter.

Plus, the first and last sentences are deliciously enticing and satisfying.

Click here for the full article.