Serendipity and the Sailor: Going Green

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Given my heritage and love for all things Irish, this used to be a big day in my world. Today the extent of the celebration will be wearing some green and maybe, just maybe, indulging in a Shamrock Shake that I've desperately wanted for a couple of weeks now. I'm probably better off skipping all the sugar and "bad stuff" (anyone read the HuffPo article- yikes?) in favor of making my own at home.

Here are seven healthier recipes. I think I'm going to give Chocolate Covered Katie's a try since it has things we already have stocked in the 'fridge, and I'm a huge fan of frozen bananas as an ice cream substitute.

Healthy Shamrock Shakes via Chocolate Covered Katie

1 frozen large banana, as ripe as possible
cacao nibs or chocolate chips
1/8 tsp to 1/4 tsp pure peppermint extract (I like 1/4 tsp)
2/3 cup to 1 cup milk of choice (For a super-rich shake, try full-fat canned coconut milk.)
optional: 1/4 cup frozen spinach (If you can’t get on board with the greens-in-smoothies thing, you can opt for green food coloring or just drink a white mint shake. Or add a pinch of spirulina!)

Blend in a blender until smooth.

Speaking of green, I mentioned here that we're redoing the last room in our house to get a makeover. It's currently "marsala"-- yep, Pantone Color of the Year, and we painted over it. How's that for being on top of design trends? Anyway, we're stuck with a brown couch and we're planning to just buy some accent chairs, tables and decorative accessories.I thought the best way to brighten up the room would be to bring in some potted plants since the room gets tons of bright sunlight throughout the day (...if the sun ever comes out again!) and use emerald green accents (the 2013 Pantone Color of the Year).

Here's some inspiration...