Our local dollar store is going out of business. Don't know if that should be taken as a sign of times getting worse, a sign of times getting better, or a sign that the people managing our local dollar store did not know what they were doing.

I don't think I'm going to find much good stuff at our farmers market until mid-June. There is a great baker that sells there. Last week I got a loaf of Lemon Mint White Chocolate bread. It was nummy. I resisted this week though. So far there is only one produce vendor.

Raspberries and cherries appeared today! I wish we had more non-produce vendors, though a few of the Wednesday people have finally started coming on Sunday.

During our summer hours I don't even have time to get there for that last bit.

I still haven't figured out the best time for the market, since going early means more stuff, but going late means more stuff for $1. And I'm always trying to coordinate with the library, which opens at noon.

Nutritionally, juice is way better than soda. and pretty much the same as fruit.( as long as we are talking pure fruit juice ) A serving of fruit juice - 4 to 6 ounces - so it is very easy to get lots of extra calories. and as every one said no fiber.

smoothies -- less fiber than whole fruit -- and once again they can be calorie bombs. But than again they are nutritional bombs too.

So if you don't like whole fruit , drink juice. But be aware of portion sizes if you need to watch calories or sugar.

In farmer-y news, our beet, thyme and some lettuce seeds have sprouted! Still waiting on any of the carrots. Gardening is AWESOME.

Okay. I make smoothies like this:

• 1 c soy milk
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• 1 or 2, if they are small, frozen banana
• Couple hands full of frozen mixed berries
• 1 scoop whey protein

It comes to about 20oz. Sometimes, I'll break it up into a couple of servings...but most often, it goes all at once.

How does that come out nutritionally?

powerhouse, bonny.

2 kinds of protien -- lots of vitimins.

and possibly as high as 6 servings of fruit ( 1/2 a banana is one serving -- 1/2 cup berries are one serving ) most likely 4 servings of fruit.

I'd very happily eat that smoothie after a workout - it's all real food stuff, from a mix of sources, plenty of protein, a decent amount of fiber, and not least importantly YUM.

not least importantly YUM.

Yeah, buddy! Woot. I DO love these smoothies but was afraid it might be overkill.

Learning to freeze bananas was a real turning point for me.

possibly as high as 6 servings of fruit

Why are bananas almost always an ingredient in smoothies? Is there a particular reason? Is it the "creaminess"? I'm not a huge fan of bananas.

I don't like smoothies with bananas, either. For some reason, it gives them a "medicine-y" taste.