Hello! Friday dance!
No post last night because I was doing this:
And ended up with these!
These precious duck and personalized cookies are destined for a baby shower this weekend. I sure hope they like them!
It’s for a little girl – hence the pink. I just love the combination of pink and yellow. It is so sweet 
While I was working on the cookies, Ben went and got us dinner – one of my faves – Chipotle!
I just love the fresh toppings, hormone-free chicken and zesty cilantro-lime rice.
Hey! Remember my homemade chipotle rice kick!? I need to get back on that train ASAP!
So it has been scorching hot here lately, so I have definitely been craving cooler meals. I stuck with it this morning and made a Blue-Green Monster.
Now, I have been getting harassed – harassed – to include yogurt in my Green Monster by a friend who insists that it’s the best thing that ever happened to the GM. Today I finally caved and added a Blueberry Cheesecake Yogo in place of my usual almond butter!
Mmmmmmmm – I must give credit where credit is due. My friend is a genius! Every time I have a GM I talk about how smooth and creamy it is…well THIS was soooooth and creeeeamy. Oh my!
Plus the extra flavor of sweet, blueberry cheesecake was just to-die-for. Good call, friend – you rock! 
Today for lunch, I re-purposed my Chipotle leftovers from last night. I put them over a bed of spinach and added some perfect, cherry tomatoes.
Not sure what kind of dressing I’m going to pack for this…perhaps a dallop of good old ranch?
Ok, not going to lie – the addition of the yogurt really makes the Green Monster fill-ing. I am STUFFED! Going to roll myself out the door now…
Ugh, I just remembered that I have to go to the DOT over lunch today. My license is expired…eep!
Have an awesome Friday, all!
~~~~~
What’s your favorite Green Monster or other smoothie mix-in? Do you every use protein powders
or mix-ins?
Yogurt was definitely bomb – but that mango from the other day was insanely good!
Strawberry/banana/Dark Chocolate Dreams PB (by The Peanut Butter Company….MY FAVORITE GREEN MONSTER!!
I do not add any protein powders or supplements to my GM. I eat tons of fruits and veg, and plenty of protein so I do not need supplements.
I use Greek Yoghurt, ALWAYS. Makes it nice and creamy and filling with all the protein, without a ton of added sugar. Peaches are AWESOME in smoothies and the peaches have been INCREDIBLE this season, so lots of peachy yumminess!!!
those cookies are awesome!! they look declious! what is the frosting? it looks so perfect!! what is the recipe
Those cookies are sooo cute! You’re really talented
I love the little duckies, and your handwriting is so neat. The dinner looks fab, too 
Cute cookies, I am sure everyone will love them! Are you allowed to have a home bakery where you live? I wanted to decorate cakes out of my house but the health dept squashed that idea. Maybe someday…
I will need to try the yogurt in the green monster soon!
OMG – I love those cookies! And the name Peyton. And not just because I adore Peyton Manning.
Your handwriting is so cute!
I’ve tried vanilla yogurt with GMs (YUM!), but never flavored. What a great idea! I’ve also tried the “Chocolate Amazing Grass.” It was okay, but I don’t like the banana/chocolate combo. I like bananas and love chocolate (obvi), but just not together!
Those cookies are adorable!! You have fabulous icing handwriting!
I love peach in my GMs but only if the peach is super ripe… yummy!
OMG… those cookies are gorgeous- your skills are amazing!
I want chipotle rice so badly now, yum yum
Thank you:)
My fave is Key Lime pie yogurt mix in!
LOVE the cookies. Might have you do some for my sister’s baby when it FINALLY comes…sheesh!
those cookies are so cute!
i love the flavor of almond butter in smoothies – so good!
I usually put a good handful of frozen blueberries in my green monster and lemon yogurt (just not a huge fan of the p. butter in the smoothie) and with the frozen blueberries I don’t need ice – lemon and blueberries equals deeeeeelish!
Your cookies are amazing! And great job with the frosting! Do you use a piping bag the whole time when applying the frosting? The pink and yellow coats are so even and smooth.
Every day I read about the green monsters. My next trip to the store, I’m going to get everything and try these finally!
Oh my gosh Kristin! The cookies are ADORABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even better than I was anticipating! I absolutely can’t wait until tomorrow.
They were so gosh darn cute I included a little tip on your check. Not much, but just a little thank you from me. What a breeze working with you too! I also love your cookie stand. I’ll take good care of it and give it back to your mom on Monday. Be prepared….Hannah has another friend having a baby. In a few months I’ll be hiring you again! Oh also….I LOVE how you did the verse on the ones in the bags. So so so so cute. I can’t say it enough. HIRE her people! You won’t be sorry!
They are ADORABLE! I am helping my mom with the shower and she called to tell me how cute they were and I thought maybe you had posted a picture, so I got on to check! I love them! Great job!!!!!!
your icing is awesome! you should share your recipe
Choc Amazing Grass Superfood, frozen bans. and peaches, cinnamon, stevia, spinach…..yum!
Your cookies are SO cute……and I want two please…lol!! (gluten free though…lol!)
http://www.alovefornewrecipes.blogspot.com
Try canned pumpkin sometime…talk about creamy!!
I will have to try the yogurt mix-in! Sounds great, and I always buy way more than I need for a week when it is on sale. I’ve tried peanut butter but didn’t care for it. For some reason p.b. and I just don’t mix in the morning. I love it any other time though.
Hi – I love the GM but I am having a texture problem with it. When i mix in the old fashioned oats I am constanlty drinking the chunky oats and I don’t like it…do you have any suggestions!!
So how do you make homemade chipotle? I need to know because I LOVE that place!
You are one talented cookie decorater; seriously! Those cookies are absolutely adorable…I’m sure they will love them!
Your cookies are beautiful!! What type of icing do you use? Looks like Royal Icing. I haven’t found an icing recipe that I love yet…so you should share yours so we can all try it.
I’m still afraid to try a green monster. I just can’t wrap my mind around the fact that everyone says it doesn’t taste like spinach. I don’t see how that is possible. I guess I may just have to bite the bullet and try it. But I’m afraid of wasting food.
Your cookies are adorable – bet they’ll just love them! I don’t do smoothies so I’m afraid I am useless on that one!
However, your chipotle dinner looks off the frickin chains! I haven’t eaten there in over a year and I think I need to do something about that!
Awesomely cute cookies!!!
I never add oats to my GM’s, that’s a new one to me! But I usually do add whey protein unless I’m having eggs & meat for brunch in a few hours. Today I had chocolate whey powder with banana & strawberries–it was GREAT! 
Mango is always a good addition, but every day I put a scoop of vanilla protien powder and a tablespoon of a various nut butter in it. Cashew butter is especially good! Using only 3/4c almond milk and about 10 big ice cubes makes it nice and cold and smooth, just how I like it!
Those cookies are adorable! You’re very good at decorating them so neatly.
I was so for you putting the yogurt into the GM this morning until I saw the flavour! I’m a huge fan of anything cheesecake and I think I would have rather eaten it on it’s own and added a vanilla instead. But that’s just me.
K
your duckie cookies are so adorable. They look so professional and definitely perfect for a baby shower!
all of your food looks so yummy!! i adore those cookies! oh my gosh! so cute!!
Your cookies are so cute. You are a pro!
oh my gosh those cookies are amazing, how do get so talented at something like that!!
Love the cookies! Plus that’s my favorite little girl’s name, Peyton:) So sweet! I have tried yogurt in my GM too and thought it was anawesome add in!! Never tried protein powder in a GM!
I just added blueberry kefir today – holy yum!!! I will add in protein only if I am low on it for the day. And mango is my favorite to add in. So good!
Of course, I still can’t believe the spinach is tasteless! Crazy!
Went to the shower today and LOVED your cookies. So cute and so tasty. Incredible!
those cookies are gorg! you have deco talent
-muffy
There are directions here, http://iowagirleats.wordpress.com/2009/06/02/running-with-forest-ninjas/, near the end of the post. SOOO good!
Kristin @ Iowa Girl Eats http://iowagirleats.wordpress.com http://twitter.com/iowagirleats
I would say do 1 or both of the following:
1. Put all your ingredients in the blender the night before. If you follow my recipe, start by pouring in your oatmeal then your milk, then almond/peanut butter and put your spinach on top. This allows the oats to soften in the milk overnight.
2. Make sure to blend the heck out of the mixture before you add your ice and frozen banana. Even up to a whole minute. I have a “liquify” button on my blender, which breaks down the oatmeal completely – but if you don’t have that option, I would just blend for a little bit longer to make sure everything is broken up.
If these still don’t do it for you – you can always leave the oatmeal out! Hope this helps!!
Kristin @ Iowa Girl Eats http://iowagirleats.wordpress.com http://twitter.com/iowagirleats
If you’re still unsure, I would try just making a half batch!
Kristin @ Iowa Girl Eats http://iowagirleats.wordpress.com http://twitter.com/iowagirleats