Smoothie of the Day (plus more America's Got Talent ramble and chia seeds) - August 26, 2010

Isn't this smoothie pretty?

I'm not doing things in the order I usually do this morning. I had to stop watching America's Got Talent last night to take care of something, so I missed the final decision on the final person. I couldn't wait, so I made my smoothie and just finished watching. I'll do the 30-Day Shred in a minute. (Day four!) The smoothie is almond milk, chia seeds (more on them in a second), fresh strawberries, lots of frozen berries, and a big handful of fresh kale. It's OK - a bit tart - but look at that gorgeous color!

Chia seeds are weird! Yesterday I experimented with them a bit. I ate them plain - fine, crunchy, no major flavor. Then I put a large spoonful in a glass of water and let it sit. I knew they developed a gel from absorbing liquid, but I didn't realize exactly how that would manifest itself. The glass was full of suspended seeds - it looked really cool but I didn't get a chance to take a picture. Maybe I'll recreate it in the future. I couldn't manage to drink it though - a few sips were all I could take before the texture got to me. So I'm going to stick with putting them in smoothies and perhaps working my way up to a smaller amount in juice.

And as for America's Got Talent, I'm really disappointed in the results from last night. Confession: I didn't vote. But I suspect that in this case, my votes wouldn't have changed much. I was rooting for Anna and Patryk and Prince Poppycock, as you know. But I am not happy with the other three finalists - people voted with their hearts, which is lovely and beautiful (and I am a big sap, don't get me wrong!) but the acts that I thought had the most potential to put on a great show were the ones who got cut. I just can't see someone paying big bucks to see any of the singers that got through. And next week I like about seven of the finalists. Seriously, I love this show because, as Howie Mandel said last night, it's a true variety show. And also I'm a dork.

Finally, this morning, my daughter not only didn't cry when we dropped her off at preschool, but she actually smiled, said "Yeah! Yeah!" a few times, and waved bye bye to us. Yes! This afternoon we have a six-month follow-up appointment with the neurologist; I doubt we'll learn anything new, but it is good to have people keeping an eye on her progress, I suppose.