From the home office of Fitness & Spice, here are 10 ways to go lean and green for St. Patrick’s Day….

1. Get fresh. Buy local produce.

2. Remember to skip the paper or plastic and bring your canvas bags to the grocery store.

3. Journal in a fitbook, printed on recycled paper.

4. Recycle old iPods. (I have a drawer full. Don’t judge.)

5. Shop for environmentally-friendly gym clothes! How cute is this organic cross-back tank from Gaiam?

6. Bring your own mug to Starbucks. Not only will you save paper, you’ll save some coin, too. Starbucks will knock off $.10 every time you bring your own cup, you do-gooder, you!

7. Make a trip to Goodwill to hand over some clothes that no longer fit, skinny.

8. Toss your fitness and cooking magazines into the recycle bin.

9. Snack on Sabra Hummus which, according to the label, now comes in Earth Friendlier Packaging.

10. Drink a lot of water from your favorite reusable water bottle like my personal favorite, a KOR ONE Water Vessel.

Speaking of KOR ONE, this could be your lucky day!

Want to WIN a green KOR ONE Water Vessel? Then tell us one GREEN THING you are going to do this St. Patrick’s Day!

The contest will close on Thursday, March 18th and the winner will be announced on Friday.

Now I really must go try Dublin my water intake and subtractin’ my carbon footprint.

I’m pretty sure I have a head cold coming on. Poor me!

I spent yesterday complaining, drinking a ton of water, and drinking two tons of tea.

Speaking of tea, have you tried the new full leaf teas by TAZO? If you’re a tea fan, you might really enjoy them, too. Not only is the packaging of the tea itself fabulous, the flavor is like tea on steroids…big and bold! So far I’ve had the Chai Tea and the Vanilla Rooibos. However, according to the tin, rooibos is not technically a tea, it’s the needles of an African Bush. Who knew?

Anyway, I was going to pick up one of the other flavors of these full leaf teas but when I asked the barista for her recommendation she said, “I don’t drink caffeine.” SAY WHAT?

There are two things wrong with this:

1. I think it should be mandatory that all baristas be caffeinated, or at the very least, the entire morning shift.

2. After doing some light reading (right on the package) I learned they do carry some decaffeinated options (like Vanilla Rooibos, for example). My barista must have slept through that meeting.

Now I really must go freshen up and then put a few ideas in the coffee-house suggestion box. Coming up with helpful hints is my special-tea.

I drink about 3 cups of hot tea a day. I up that to about 4 cups a day in the winter because that’s the only time Tazo brings me Joy.

Joy tea is a blend of black, green, and oolong teas that is only available around the holidays. I covet this tea. When Starbucks starts taking down their Christmas displays every year I panic and then I alert my friends around the globe to buy every last box on the shelf and send it to me.

Dr. John Berardi from Precision Nutrition has (all of) this to say about the benefits of drinking tea:

“Tea offers a host of health benefits including cancer prevention, improved blood sugar, fat loss, and improved circulation.”

Some of the benefits attributed to regular tea consumption include:

• Increased 24-hour energy expenditure and fat oxidation
• Decreased waist circumference
• Decreased lipid oxidation
• Improved blood vessel function
• Reduced risk of heart disease and stroke
• Decreased serum cholesterol and triglycerides
• Prevention of atherosclerosis
• Reduced risk of developing high blood pressure
• Inhibition of oxidative damage
• Decreased growth of abnormal cells
• Enhanced immune function
• Prevention of prostate cancer
• Reduced risk of skin cancer
• Regression of oral cancer
• Decreased ovarian cancer risk
• Natural resistance to microbial infection
• Decreased plaque and oral bacteria
• Lower risk of developing kidney stones
• Reduced risk of Parkinson disease

I am not a doctor, and to be honest, some of the words included in this long list of tea-drinking benefits read like a foreign language textbook to me. But I do know what “fat loss and decreased waist circumference” is and that brings me Joy.

Now I’m off to write Starbucks a little love note and tell them that we need Joy all oolong!

Have you read the book If You Give A Mouse a Cookie? It’s one of my favorite children’s books of all time. It’s a sweet tale about a mouse who is given a cookie and then wants a glass of milk to go with it. The mouse makes other requests along the way, but I don’t want to give away the ending. Anyway, the mouse and I have a lot in common because…

If You Give Joanna a Cookie she’ll probably want a latte to go with it.

When I was shopping at Whole Foods a few weeks ago I stumbled upon Country Choice Organic soft baked cookies. After reading the nutritional facts, I decided this was a cookie I could sink my teeth into without feeling guilty. So far I’ve tried their oatmeal chocolate chip and double fudge brownie cookies and I’ve savored every bite of the 100 calorie treats.

Sometimes I enjoy these cookies with a Whole Latte Protein and other times I spice things up with a …

Pumpkin & Spice Protein Latte

• 1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
• 1 packet Starbucks VIA instant coffee
• 2 T pumpkin puree
• 1/8 t pumpkin pie spice
• 3/4 cup water

Blend ingredients together in your Magic Bullet or shaker. Pour into a coffee cup and microwave for 45-60 seconds. Top with cinnamon or nutmeg.

What would happen if I gave you a cookie? Well, you just might find out if you are the lucky winner of 3 boxes of Country Choice Organic cookies (or any 3 Country Choice products you pick). To enter the drawing tell us the name of your favorite children’s book of all time in the comments section below. The contest will close on Sunday, November 15th at 10:00 P.M. and the winner will be announced on Monday.

Now, I better run, I have to see what happens If You Give A Pig A Pancake.

What do you get when you cross Starbucks and Joanna in the kitchen?

PUMPkin Coffee Cake!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup vanilla protein powder
• 2 packets Starbucks VIA Ready Brew instant coffee
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup  Splenda for Baking
• 2 eggs
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an (8-inch) square baking pan with oil and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together protein powder, instant coffee, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, Splenda, eggs, pumpkin and vanilla. Whisk dry mixture into pumpkin mixture until well combined then transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. Set aside to let cool then cut into squares and dust with powdered sugar, if you like.

A couple of comments:

• In all honesty, you really cannot taste the pumpkin or the coffee in this cake. The pumpkin adds moisture as well as a healthy dose of fiber and Vitamin A, while the coffee enhances the chocolate flavor, a latte.
• Starbucks VIA instant coffee is microground, in my opinion, it blends better than other instant coffees for baking purposes.
• Pairing suggestions? A Whole Latte Protein

As if this chocolate cake recipe didn’t give us enough grounds to celebrate, here’s another reason…HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!