peskypippi.comBecause I have a lot to say…

Think polka music is only for Oktoberfest? Or for The Lawrence Welk show? Or Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania?

Think again.

You know those mornings when your kids are sluggish at breakfast, barely able to scoop their eggs in their mouths?

Turn on Beer Barrel Polka radio on Pandora.

It will instantly change the morning mood. Your kids will laugh and scoop their eggs faster. And if you dance along, pretending you’re wearing lederhosen, your kids will think Mom is crazy. What’s new?

Sleepy-eyed, slow-walking, nearly-staggering.

That’s my teen son in the early morning, before school.

He mumbles good morning and greets me with a hug. I whip up breakfast. Bacon and eggs. An English muffin. Sometimes hot chocolate. Sometimes oatmeal. Sometimes fruit.

Whatever it is, he eats with enthusiasm.

My son is certainly old enough to make his own breakfast.

A pro, in fact. He has mastered scrambled eggs. And microwave burritos.

Instead, I could use this morning time to log on and get some work done. Or start a work out.

But no.

It’s our 10 minutes of together-time.

My breakfast buddy. It’s a good morning.

Who knew that Bob Marley and my grandmother were actually alike?

At first glance, they were nearly opposite.

• He wore his hair in long dreadlocks. She wore her hair in short, rollered curls.
• He smoked weed. She pulled weeds.
• He was born in Jamaica in 1945. She was born in Iowa in 1906.
• He played Reggae on steel drums. She played church hymns on the piano.

My grandmother always reassured me, “Don’t worry, Honey. Everything will be all right.”

Much like Bob Marley’s song Three Little Birds, “Don’t worry about a thing. ‘Cause every little thing gonna be all right.”

A good message to hear when I am feeling down and need a boost. And in a way, the song is as uplifting as a hymn.

When my husband and I were dating in college, he made me a mix tape (yeah, it was a cassette tape) with that song. Every time I hear Three Little Birds now, I smile and think about my husband and my sweet grandmother, who made me Cream of Wheat for breakfast with a smiley face. And I am reassured.

Sometimes you gotta play with your food.

And make some smiles.

Is that spinach in your smoothie, or are you happy to see me?

I wrote about the ease and nutrition of protein breakfast smoothies awhile back. Check that here. My newest ingredient? Spinach. Yeah, you heard me. They are officially renamed to Pippi’s Peppy Popeye Smoothies. These nutrition-packed suckers are perfect for when I am running late. Getting the kids out the door for school. And oops, I forgot one of my earrings. And my navy tights don’t match my black outfit. And where is my phone and where are my keys? Time to go. NOW.

But wait! Don’t forget to eat your salad for breakfast! (Seriously, you can’t even taste it. It just looks a teensy bit gaggy.) You, too, can buzz up the smoothie while yelling “Hurry! Time to go! Finish your breakfast! Brush your teeth! Shoes on! Jackets! Backpacks!”

Just talk to my friend Sara, who also sneaks in vegetables. She’s on Twitter @Sar_Wah and her blog is http://www.tisthelife.com/. She’s a super healthy Mum who tries to eat right and have a fulfilling life. Go Sara!

Pippi’s Peppy Popeye Smoothies

• a blender
• a cup or so of nonfat milk
• a banana
• big scoop or 2 Tbs. protein powder (preferably plain)
• handful of frozen blueberries
• two ginormous handfuls of washed, fresh spinach

Check out the jumbo bag of spinach. I don’t know whether to eat it. Or sleep on it.

Breakfast is important. Partake! And maybe, with the added spinach, you can kick some ass today.

Uh, no, today it’s a blueberry. I drink protein-packed blueberry smoothies for breakfast, ya know. Recipe here.

So how about those pesky food particles that get stuck in your teeth? Blueberry skins, black beans, broccoli, spinach… Are you rocking the hillbilly look?

Take my friend Jen (@buriedwithkids and http://www.buriedwithchildren.com/) and her recent Tweet:

Nothing like walking around for a couple hours with a big black bean skin in your teeth. #classy #thanksguys

Common courtesy, y’all. Tell a woman (even a stranger) if she has something in her teeth.

Or if her dress is tucked into her tights, exposing her butt.

Or if her lipstick is smudged or her mascara is smeared.

Or if her hair is sticking straight up, giving her that crazed look. (Whoopsidaisy. Maybe that’s just me.)

But for goodness sake, just don’t tell a woman that she looks tired. Chances are, this, she knows.

Time for a recipe. Don’t hold your breath because I’m not much of a cook. I know how to make about five things really well: turkey chili, chicken-barley soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, tofu stir-fry, and chocolate chip cookies. Oh yeah, and gravy. Don’t expect a food blog out of me. I defer to my friend for that in her amazing foodie blog where she cooks with her children:

http://dashandbella.blogspot.com/

Three of my friends, just this week, said “I didn’t have time to eat breakfast.” No time? We mothers need to nourish our bodies with energy-fueling foods to help kick off our marathon days. Surely you can take just 2 minutes to make Pippi’s Peppy Pick-Me-Up Smoothie. (Trust me, they’re good enough.)

I make my power smoothie in the last, hurried minutes while the kids are grabbing backpacks and loading into the car for school. Multitasking, I buzz up the smoothie while yelling “Hurry! Time to go! Finish your milk! Brush your teeth! Shoes on! Jackets! Backpacks!”

Here’s what you need:

• a blender
• a cup or so of nonfat milk
• a banana (you can do 1/2 banana if you’re counting calories)
• big scoop or 2 Tbs. protein powder (preferably plain because I think vanilla is pretty gaggy and stay away from chocolate)
• handful of frozen blueberries (frozen strawberries work too but they aren’t as tasty)

Seriously. It takes 2 minutes to make. This has about 28 grams of protein, antioxidants, and keeps you full until lunch. And it’s portable. Except, crap, in my haste, I have spilled one on the living room carpet, one on the floor of the car, and one on the garage floor. So that’s three. But maybe you’re not as clumsy as me.

Caution: check your teeth for sticky, pesky blueberry skins, making for an unsightly smile.