{Food & Entertaining}

Why I drink Green Juice + a Recipe

Why I drink Green Juice + a Recipe | www.thebudgetsocialite.com

I could wax poetic about the nutrients of greens or tell you about the dangers of processed food, but I’m not going to.  That gets boring quick doesn’t it? Want to know a secret? I drink green juice because every now and then, I think eating baked brie and an entire baguette for dinner is a good idea. I drink green juice because sometimes my co-worker brings in brownies and I find myself in the break room every half hour until all the brownies are gone. I drink green juice because occasionally, I get a little too happy at happy hour. I also drink green juice because it makes my skin glow.  And I drink green juice because it gives me a ton of energy. I drink it pretty much because it’s awesome.

Green Juice is like restarting your computer, except your computer is your body. You know that restart sound?  It’s the sound of sweet relief. It’s your body saying “OMG, it’s not another krispy kreme. Its nutrients! Now we are so happy we do the dance of joy!”

Yummy Green Juice | www.thebudgetsocialite.com

To juice or to blend?

The recipe below is for juice. You could easily add ½ a cup of coconut water, throw it in the blender and make it a smoothie. Pretty much the difference between juicing or blending is fiber. Juicing is great because it gives your body a break from digestion. You get all the nutrients already broken down so your body can use them quickly, but you don’t get any fiber.

With a smoothie your body does have to do some digesting, so you don’t use the nutrients right away. But it has fiber, which keeps you full longer + your body needs fiber.  It helps you do things. You know what things. Don’t make me say it.

You could have a juice WITH your breakfast, while you could have a smoothie AS your breakfast. It really just depends on how you wanna roll.  I mix and match, depending on my mood, the amount of time I have, and if I feel like cleaning my juicer that day. On to the recipe!

Green Juice Supplies | www.thebudgetsocialite.com

The Goods

  • 3 Celery ribs
  • ½  a Cucumber
  • 1 handful of Kale (Can also use spinach, collards, or dandelion greens)*
  • 1 handful of parsley (Can also use mint or cilantro)
  • 1 granny smith apple
  • 1 inch of cut ginger
  • ½ a lemon
  • Optional -1 tablespoon of Trader Joe’s Super Green Powder (or powder green of choice)

Let’s get cracking

  1. Juice the Greens, herbs and ginger first**
  2. Then juice the celery, cucumber and apple
  3. Squeeze the lemon into your juice
  4. Add a scoop of Trader Joe’s Mean Green and stir
  5. Add vodka Resist the urge to add vodka
  6. Enjoy

*Feel free to experiment but be careful with mustard greens. Those bad boys are spicy!

**The greens don’t yield a lot of juice, but if you juice them first, the other juices have to go through the pulp of the greens and catch more of the nutrients on the way down.

If you are blending, just throw it all in the blender. It’s that easy. Bottoms up!

So what do you think… Are you a green juice fan? Where do you stand on the smoothie vs juice debate?  Do you have a to-die-for recipe? Let us know in the comments.

tp_contributer_pic

Co-founder | Trinidad Pena
Trinidad Pena is a blogger, foodie, and design superhero bent on helping others kick-ass online, world domination and convincing the world that wine belongs in the fruit food group since it’s made from grapes.

{Food & Entertaining}

DIY Photobooth

DIY Photobooth

Let’s face it, photo booths are fun and you want one for your next party.1 You could rent one, but that might set you back a grand. Yep, A GRAND! And that’s on the cheap side. This would put a huge dent in anyone’s booze budget whose last name isn’t Kardashian. NO ONE wants that.

1- This claim is purely based on conjecture. But you if don’t agree, I’m going to assume you don’t like puppies and the sound of baby laughter because c’mon… having a photo booth at a party is hella fun!

You can make your own DIY photobooth for about $21-$51 depending on whether or not you already own a tripod. The bonus of buying a tripod is that you no longer have to take selfies in the bathroom mirror you can use it again.

Goods needed for your DIY Photobooth

  • Photos from my DIY photoboothAn iPad or iPhone
  • Photobooth app – Incredibooth
  • A tripod
  • A tripod mount for your iPad or iPhone
  • A stool or chair – not a must but it’s nice to give your guests some place to sit

The directions are as easy as you can get. You attach the mount to your device as per the mount’s instructions and screw the mount on to the tripod. That’s it. You’re done. Easiest. DIY. Ever.

Props, Optional but Awesome

Take your DIY photobooth to the next level by providing props. This is the perfect time to bust out accessories that you have from old Halloween costumes. You can also purchase a prop kit like this one or you can get creative with things you might already own like:

  • Hats
  • Boas
  • Masks
  • Sunglasses

Wait, I still have questions

I have a droid, can I still use the incredibooth app? Nope, but you can use this.

What about a tripod mount for my droid? Man, listen. Droids have way too many models for me to answer this question so just click here.

I have a blackberry, can I still use the incredibooth app?  I’m sorry, RIM is anti-fun. No DIY photobooth for you.

Which tripod should I get? I don’t like recommending things that I haven’t actually tried. The tripod I own is a manfrotto, which is probably more tripod than you need unless you are into photography. Amazon has a lot of great tripods. You can go for the cheapest option if you are using it with your phone, but get something a bit sturdier if you are using it with an iPad. You should be able to get a decent one for around $25. Be sure to read the reviews before you buy. Amazon reviewers know what’s up.

UPDATE: Hey party people! Since a few of you have asked about printing the photos, I figured I’d answer here and not just in the comments. You can use any wireless printer and print from your iphone or ipad. OR you could get a photo printer like the Vupoint that connects directly to your iphone or ipad.

So, there you have it. The world’s easiest DIY. We’d love to see your photobooth pics. Hit us up on twitter or facebook  with them. We can’t wait to check’em out!

tp_contributer_pic

Co-founder | Trinidad Pena
Trinidad Pena is a blogger, foodie, and design superhero bent on helping others kick-ass online, world domination and convincing the world that wine belongs in the fruit food group since it’s made from grapes.

{Food & Entertaining}

3 Bean Chili Soup


Today’s lunch is a 3 bean chili soup with ripe avocado on the side. Chili is one of my favorite dishes for the winter time. It’s nice and hearty and makes the perfect comfort food. As a vegetarian, I would substitute meat for protein crumblies. But, for this recipe – and smoothie lifestyle – I opted to not add the protein crumblies. Below, please find the recipe.

1 Can Garbanzo Beans
1 Can Seasoned Black Beans
1 Pack Pre-cooked Lentil Beans
1 Can RoTel tomatos
1 serving of baby food vegetables (left over from a business trip…more on that later)
4 tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
1 Chili Packet
Dried Onion & more Chili for taste

Add all the ingredients into the blender and pulse until smooth. This made about 5-6 servings and tastes best after a day to let all the flavors mix. Eat with a ripe avocado on the side.