Green Juice

Green Juice

 I made this juice the other day and it was AMAZING! I even took a huge jar to work to share it with a couple of co-workers, who also thought it was delicious. I used the ingredients below plus about 5 apples.

1 bunch of lacinato Kale
2 celery stalks
half of a large cucumber
1 whole lemon
1 medium bunch of parsley
5 apples (I usually use braeburn)

Buckwheat breakfast porridge

BUCKWHEAT BREAKFAST PORRIDGE.

Just a few health benefits of Buckwheat Groats:

Helps lower cardiovascular disease
Better blood sugar control and a lowered risk of diabetes
High phytonutrients and lignans
Good source of fiber

Agave and chia seeds.

It tastes way better than it looks! Trust me!

Ingredients
1 cup of buckwheat groats (soaked overnight)
1 tbs chia seeds
1/2 cup almond milk
1 tbs agave nectar
cinnamon to taste

Toppings
banana and pecans with maple syrup
any kind of berries
I also put Udo's oil in mine sometimes
nut butters

Lemon Beet Juice.

IMMUNE BOOSTING JUICE

One glass for this morning and a jar to take to work. 

Those almost look like kidneys to me! Maybe it's a sign since lemons help detox the kidneys!!

 I rarely get sick, but in the past couple of days, I've picked up some kind of bug. Sore throat, cough, and some chest congestion. It's more annoying than anything, and I get tired of people pointing out that my voice sounds raspy. Yep, I can hear it people. I just ran a half marathon last weekend, so I'm sure my body is just taxed a bit. Anyway, I've been increasing my fresh juice consumption with items that help boost the immune system. I got up early before work today and made this lemon and beet juice mix. It was super good! I made enough that I can have several servings throughout the day. Today's mix was perfect since I have TONS of beets to use from my garden.

INGREDIENTS

5 small apples

small bunch of kale

small bunch of parsley

1 whole lemon

3-4 small beets with greens

HEALTH BENEFITS

BEETS

Here's a pretty good website to check out about the health benefits of beet juice. This specific web site, freeze dries the juice, so that it can be consumed easily with water and little hassle. It's raw, which is great. Check out all of the health benefits that they have listed though. There are resources listed under each health benefit as well.

http://www.ageless.co.za/herb-beetroot-juice.htm

LEMONS

Lemons were also a key ingredient in my morning immune boosting juice. I LOVE lemons and use them alot during the winter months.  They are great for the immune system for several reasons. They are very rich in vitamin C (ascorbic acid) , antioxidants, and citric acid. They help boost the immune system, detox the kidneys, they are a blood purifier, help fight off infection, and great for cough and colds, to name a few of their great qualities. Check out this website for more info. http://www.budwigcenter.com/blog/the-amazing-health-benefits-of-raw-lemon-juice/

PARSLEY

Here are a few paragraphs of info on parsley that were taken from http://www.greenmuze.com/blogs/natural-notes/1098-health-benefits-of-parsley.html

Parsley is an amazing medicinal herb, is delightful to the taste and agreeable to the stomach.  It is a very versatile plant to aid the body in regaining health. The root contains calcium, B-complex vitamins, and iron, all of which nourish the glands that help regulate the uptake of calcium. It is a source of both magnesium and calcium, and especially potassium.

Parsley is high in vitamin A, beta-carotene and vitamin C.  As a wholesome organic-food it is also a good choice for bone health with vitamin K (536 mg in an average serving).

Traditionally. parsley has been used for congestion and inflammation of the kidneys and bladder, gravel, stones, and urine retention. The root and leaves are excellent for the liver and spleen. It is also one of the best reliefs for edema, helping when other remedies have failed; parsley is a very reliable diuretic remedy often ignored today. Parsley root and seeds contain ingredients that help produce a pain relieving benefit to relax stiff joints. 

Many people use parsley root tea to make stiff and unmanageable fingers work again. Pour a quart of boiling water over a cup of firmly packed fresh parsley and steep for 15 minutes.  Strain and then refrigerate.

Parsley works on the gall bladder and will remove gallstones if used properly by taking a pint of the tea daily.  Parsley is a specific for the adrenal glands, is powerfully therapeutic for the optic nerves, the brain and the sympathetic nervous system.

Parsley juice is an excellent tonic for the blood vessels, particularly the capillaries and arterioles. But remember that raw parsley juice is a most potent juice and should never be taken alone in quantities of more than one or two ounces at a time unless it is mixed into a sufficient quantity of carrot or other juices.  Parsley can help with expelling watery poisons, excess mucus, flatulence (gas), and reducing swollen or enlarged glands.

Taken from http://www.greenmuze.com/blogs/natural-notes/1098-health-benefits-of-parsley.html

Hopefully my little fresh juice concoction will help get me up and running normally again!!

Raw Homemade Lemonade!

RAW HOMEMADE LEMONADE!!

I absolutely love a glass of lemonade when the weather is warm, and it can't just be any ole lemonade!! This raw homemade version is super delicious!! Not sure if you've ever read the label on store bought lemonade, but it has a lot of ingredients in it. For example, here's the ingredient label on one store bought version that actually claims to have no artificial sweetners or flavors. 

Ingredients

Sugar, Fructose, Citric Acid, Contains Less than 2% of Maltodextrin, Natural Flavor, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Citrate, Magnesium Oxide, Calcium Fumarate, Soy Lecithin, Artificial Color, Yellow 5 Lake, Tocopherol (Preserves Freshness).

It's too bad they have to throw in artificial colors! So, skip the chemicals and try this super healthy 2 ingredient recipe!! 

INGREDIENTS
1 whole lemon unpeeled
3 apples (I used gala)

This was enough for 2 small glasses. (this will also depend on how much juice your juicer yields too) If you are serving a large group, just adjust the amounts above in the 1:3 ratio. If your taste buds prefer it a little different, play with the amounts and adjust it to your liking. This has just been my favorite ratio so far!!

 Here's my kid version! I added about 4 carrots to the recipe above just to add a little veggie, but without drastically changing the taste. Gabe loved it, and Eric drank the rest. He was surprised at how much it actually tasted like lemonade despite it's

 orange color!

Really Really Green Juice

I was trying to use up produce in the frig, while trying to make a really really green juice. Here's what I ended up with:

3 apples
1 bunch of cilantro
1 large cucumber
1/2 small lime
3-4 large handfuls of spinach
2 frozen squares of wheat grass (or fresh if you have it)

It actually tasted pretty mild from what I expected. I enjoyed it. Didn't take a picture of the finished product because it pretty much looks like every other green juice! This is an excellent way to start off your morning! Nice and alkalizing!

Swiss Chard Juice

2-3 stalks and leaves of swiss chard
1 large bunch of parsley
1 whole lime
1 medium sized knob of ginger
3-4 apples

This had a distinct taste to it, which was refreshing. It's always good when you add different greens and varieties of things. I didn't take a picture of the end product, but as you can imagine was a shade of green:-)

Beetiful morning!

I recently decided that our family was in a "juicing rut." That being said, I'll be posting some new juicing recipes we are incorporating into our days! Variety is so key, but the craziness of life can sometimes get in the way. So, if you are also stuck in a rut, or not, hopefully you can enjoy some new juicing recipes!

Today is a beetiful morning for this juice!

Nice electrical outlet eh? That's not really what you're supposed to be looking at, but I uploaded this pic from my iphone and it's pretty hard not to look at:)

INGREDIENTS

1 beet
4 small apples
Bunch of fresh wheat grass or frozen. Sometimes fresh wheatgrass is hard to find.you could always grow your own;)
Large bunch of grapes (I like red)
7-8 carrots

Juice all above ingredients and enjoy!

Here are some benefits of wheatgrass:
Boosts the immune system
Reduced high blood pressure
Regulates blood sugar
Appetite suppressant
Prevents graying of hair (I'm totally increasing my intake!) and removes dandruff
Helps treat acne
Antioxidant rich thereby repairing damaged cells
Improves digestion and metabolism
Helps purify the blood and cleanses kidney, liver, and urinary tract (add it to your detox regimen)
Provides energy
Increases red blood cells


Health benefits of beets:
Great for cardiovascular health
Helps slow growth of rumors in cancer
High in iron do helps with anemia
Great for pregnant women d/t high levels of folic acid
High in antioxidants
Anti-inflammatory properties
Helps detox process
Have been shown to lessen tumor cell growth

Not sure about you, but these are motivating health benefits for me! My body should be detoxing as I type!!

A glass for Eric and I and some left over for later in the day!

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Gabe liked it! Nice look my son!

Raw Vegetable Sushi Rolls.

RAW VEGETABLE SUSHI ROLLS

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 The two sides of the nori sheets look different. You want the more shiny side down (second pic below). If you have a rolling mat, it makes it much easier to get your rolls tighter. They are only a few bucks and can be found at Asian specialty stores or at most health food stores. I personally don't have one, but it's only because I keep forgetting to buy one. I think it would help the rolls to look nicer since they are more tightly rolled. I would make sure you like raw sushi before going out to buy a rolling mat.

Shiny side down.

If you decide to make a raw rice for the rolls, it will be pressed down right where my dressing is. Not quite halfway down the sheet.  Make sure you get the rice all the way to each corner of the sheet. You can make raw rice from parsnips if you want.

I had some left over dressing from making kale chips, so I spread some of it on my roll. 

Prepare all of your vegetables that you want to use. Here's what I chose to use:

cucumber, carrot, lentil mix sprouts, avocado, mixed greens, artichoke hearts, and the dressing The beauty of making raw sushi is that you can put anything you want in the roll. Marinated mushrooms, shaved ginger, peppers, sprout varieties, green onions, asparagus, etc are all great ideas!

Julienne cut vegetables makes it much easier to fit the veggies in the roll.  If you don't have a julienne slicer, just use a vegetable peeler. 

 Allow some of the prettier veggies to hang over each side. It will just make for a prettier presentation after you're done rolling!

 With moderate pressure, you just start rolling towards the other end of the sheet. If you have a mat, you will stop once your veggies are rolled and pull back to tighten the roll. Once rolled, wet the last edge of the sheet and it should stick to itself.

 You don't have to follow the little lines on the sheet for cutting. You can cut them to the size you prefer. Make sure you are using a very sharp knife. Dip the knife in water prior to cutting, and use a sawing type motion. I topped my rolls with white and black sesame seeds and a little sprinkle of kelp.

If you decide that you don't like the taste of the nori sheets, you can always use a large zucchini sheet (sliced with a vegetable peeler) to wrap your veggies in.

I don't do a fabulous job at this by any means, but they are still good! Happy sushi rolling!

Apple chips

Dehydrated apple chips

These little apple chips are one of my favorite dehydrated snacks. They have such a great flavor. Here's what you will need:

apples (I prefer more sour apples)

raw agave nectar

cinnamon

I core my apple and then run it through the food processor to get even cuts supper fast. This helps them to dry evenly. I dried mine on 90 degrees for about 4 hours. 

 Drizzle agave nectar over sliced apples and then sprinkle on some cinnamon. Mix them all up and place onto dehydrator sheets.

As I mentioned on Monday, I started a new job this week! I left the emergency department to take a job doing pediatric critical care transports. We pick up sick children from birth to 18ish and transport them back to a hospital where they can get a higher level of care. I never thought I would I would specialize in pediatric critical care, but I absolutely love it! It's an amazing feeling to help an innocent little child. Such a difference between kids and adults! Anyway, on Monday we did back to back calls that lasted from 1015 until about 6pm. No time for lunch breaks when you are rushing to and from hospitals trying to get a kid stabilized and in a place where they can get the best care possible. So, these apple chips, along with the snack bars that I shared with you yesterday were shoved in my pockets for snacking in between transports. Life savers for me, so I can help be a life saver for a little one:)

Delicious!

"What's in your frig" wraps.

 If you ever have a day where you're looking to clean out the veggie bins in your frig, be creative and make something like these:

Possible Ingredients:

romaine lettuce leaves or Swiss chard as bread
carrots
bell peppers
red cabbage
broccoli sprouts
avocado
cucumber

Cut and shape the veggies anyway that you like and layer into a romaine or Swiss chard leaf. I really love balsamic vinegar, but d/t to the fact that it's more acidic than apple cider vinegar, I try to add just a touch of my favorite oil, a squeeze of lemon, and a little spritz of apple cider vinegar. You could be creative with a dressing too. Cilantro always adds a great flavor to a dressing!

Simple, but rawfully (awfully) delicious!

Tomato Basil Soup

Tomato Basil Soup

Do you ever open the frig and just stare? Then try to remind yourself of what you were looking for in the first place? I did that today. I was trying to decide what I could throw together for a quick lunch using some alfalfa spouts, and then got stuck in a black abyss. What I was actually going in there for in the first place, (the alfalfa sprouts) was not what I ended up with. I found some tomatoes and basil that according to my memory, which is not very good, had taken up residence in our frig for longer than they should have. Now, I'm not saying that they were spoiled or anything, just ready to be evicted! So, thanks to the black abyss, here's a little version of Tomato Basil Soup that I came up with. And it's good:) Even with the jalapenos, my son loved it too!

Tomato Basil Soup

4 large tomatoes, (fresh heirloom if in season)

1 cup fresh basil leaves (don't pack)

1 large garlic clove

1 avocado

2 green onions

3 slices jalapeno pepper

1/2 cup water

1/2-1 teaspoon Himalayan salt

pepper to taste

Blend everything together in a food processor and consume!

Although that might be the worst picture of a bowl of soup I've ever seen, it really is good. Don't forget that I'm not a photographer!!

Cilantro Tomato Salad

Ingredients  Makes two small bowls of salad or one large bowl.


1 roma tomato
7 (roughly) grape tomatoes cut in half
1 celery stalk cut into small slices
several small slices of fennel
1/2 of an avocado
1 small bunch of cilantro
several small slices of zucchini (cut into small pieces)
juice from 1/2 a lime
2-3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
1-2 tablespoons olive oil or sunflower oil
Himalayan salt and pepper to taste

It was my son's 2nd birthday last Monday, and the request for dinner was home made pizza.  Cooked of course! It's what we ate the night he was born. Isn't that just cute! I wanted to make a raw pizza too, but it calls for several hours of prep time d/t the making of the crust. I was just not prepared for that. I ended up throwing this salad together for myself, and it turned out quite tasty. I've made it a couple of times since because it's so easy and good! And no, it doesn't have any leafy greens in it!