42. Sexy Smoothies

The woman shall periodically experiment with the vegetable, fruit, and herbal blends that delight her smoothie palette.

For years, I've blended frozen fruit and orange juice every morning.  I love that it usually takes 2 minutes, due in part to my colorfully and nutritionally well-stocked refrigerator.  I've since experimented with new blends, and it's a fantastic way to get a good portion of nutritional value under my belt for the day. 

Also, I'm not huge on cooking full meals daily (it's tough for a single working gal!), but my smoothies ensure that I get my leafy green treats every day.

Here are a few ideas on smoothie prep - if you have any, send 'em my way!

1.  Switch up the juice base - I used to use orange juice, and then I saw how much sugar I was consuming!  I switched to using V8 blends (usually the Light version).  That always offers some variety in taste, and I feel less guilty.
2.  Adjust the color - Usually my smoothies are a pretty orange, but I 've decided to totally vegetize my smoothies lately.  I'm making blends of spinach, kale, pineapple, and mint (thanks to Jamie from Winnipeg!), which results in a dark green concoction.
3.  Freeze smoothie ingredients immediately - Fresh vegetables are always arranged for family-size consumption, and while I guess I could go through an entire bundle of kale in two days, chances are I won't.  So, as soon as I buy fresh greens, I wash, cut, and freeze half of the portion.  That way, they'll be smoothie-ready!  I also use fresh pineapple and papaya, and I do the exact same thing.  Sidebar - to prevent the chunks from sticking together in the freezer (like cement sometimes!!!!), I re-use freezer bags and pack the fruit so that the bags are very flat.  That makes the fruit much easier to separate when you're ready to make your smoothie.
4.  Don't go nuts on spending - I've got a $150 juicer sitting in the box; I'll use it someday - I promise!  I found that it was simply too complicated to use and clean daily. I use the $10 individual smoothie maker that I bought at a neighborhood drugstore.  It's perfect because it makes just what I need for my single smoothie, and I can remove it from its base and take it with me to enjoy during the morning commute.


Hope these are helpful!

41. Tip Drills

The woman shall know the correct tip appropriation for her drinks, dining, or treating a highly evolved gentleman to either of the two.

After wrapping up a great meal with a Prosecco, tiramisu, or coffee with Baileys, we know that great conversation will eventually conclude and the bill will be requested.  When we're rolling solo (or with a gentleman that we want to treat), boldly ask for the bill, and already have in your mind the correct percentage for the tip - and always leave a tip.  There's no bigger turn-off than lingering over the math calculations when the bill is presented - and it doesn't matter if you're a guy or gal.

My rule of thumb is that a tip should be the greater of $5 (which would cover a few beers) or 20% (a VERY quick calculation).

Say the bill is $20 at a favorite bar.  Leave a $5 tip for good measure - you'll probably come back!

For bigger bills, employ the 10% twice rule, and adjust accordingly.  Say you're at a fancy schmancy restaurant where your bill is $75- don't DARE pull out a tip card!  10% is $7.50.  Double that to 20%, which will bring you to a $15 tip.  The official woman will know how to do this math in her head.  If there is doubt, round up.

Do the math in your head and sign the check.  Boldly.  You're worth it.

Side note - If you're on a date where the gentleman treats, and the man asks you to calculate the tip, he probably wants you to acknowledge the cost of the meal.  In that case, tip twice as much.  The official man would never allow the bill to even come up in conversation with the official woman.  Plus, the official man knows the value of his own dollar.

This law comes courtesy of Renee (New York, NY).

36. Dinner Parties

The woman shall periodically host dinner (or dessert, or perhaps even wine) parties to enjoy the company of her great friends, embrace the opportunity to meet new people, and to become familiar with the best culinary joints in her town.

Work has me moving every 2-3 months or so, and it's really tough to meet good folks in that short amount of time.   So....to advance building my social life (and to maintain my sanity!), I've gotten hip to organizing the kind of events that I'd like to attend.  These low maintenance get-togethers at area restaurants are always casual, and they are designed with the intention of bringing new folks into the fold.

Our first get-together back in November was at a local wine bar, and right after, we had an awesome dinner (to which we invited progressive and highly evolved gentemen). Depending on what's going on, we'll organize them once or maybe twice a month.  Each time, friends bring friends, and we get to connect with new and interesting people. 

Here are some incredibly helpful tools that we use to plan our monthly dinners:

1. www.Restaurant.com - Best website to help you find the ideal cuisine (and cost!) in your town. 
2. www.Evite.com - I love these templates!  They make planning dinner parties sooooo easy.  All you do is design the invite, load in some e-mail addys, and make reservations at a favorite restaurant. Done!
3. www.Meet-up.com - This is a great way to meet ladies in your town who have similar interests.  Lots of times, Meet-up groups will convene around dinner, drinks, or coffee.  Take a look at what you can find.

Quick tip - Try to organize your dinner parties on Tuesdays or Thursdays.  That gives folks something to look forward to on otherwise commonly open evenings.  Also, I send a Save-The-Date a few weeks ahead just so it's on the calendar.

Forget cocktail hour - give me good food and good friends anytime!

25. Pretty Refrigerators

The woman shall maintain a beautifully stocked refrigerator full of her favorite items from the lean and green food groups.

Our work, demands of the home, and unexpected to-do's don't make healthy eating very easy.  Whether you live alone or share a household, it's really important to make healthy foods available to yourself at all times.  You'll eat healthier if healthier food options are readily available.

Eating well can be more manageable once you equip yourself (and your fridge) with purposeful intent. If calculating the nutritional value of foods is too mind boggling (like it is for me!), focus on making your refrigerator as pretty and colorful as possible with natural foods.  Seriously - feng shui your fridge!

A few tips towards that end:

1. Shop the periphery of the grocery store.  This keeps you in the sections full of fruits and veggies, meats, poultry, and all things natural (and good for you!). Shop for boxed products only when you absolutely must.
2. Keep healthy snacks both at home and at work.  Almonds, raisins, and yogurt are some of my favorites.
3. Commit to grocery shopping on a specific day of the week, and on a full stomach.

15. Home cooked meals

The woman shall know how to prepare a meal fit for a queen.

By no means am I aiming to send us back 50 years, but every woman should master at least one meal and be able to present it well - even if it's a fancy salad. 

Not for anyone else - simply for yourself. 

13. Signature Drinks

The woman shall not be stuck at the bar without a clue.

If you're out and about with the girls, on a date with that special gentleman, or at a company function (where you've ensured that your colleagues and supervisor have already ordered tasty spirits), know what you like and how to order it.

Don't just ask for a glass of white wine.

Don't mispronounce Cabernet.

Don't have what he's having.

Do your homework, and order something that's tasty,and try to order something more original than a cosmo, too!  For me, St. Germaine's with a splash of Smirnoff's and club soda does the trick everytime!