Thursday, May 31, 2012

Green Juice - YUM!

Ok, I know it sounds weird, but I love green juice.  Its fresh and sweet, and gives me lots of nutrients.  I just feel GOOD when I have green juice handy.  When I make it, I make a pitcher of it.  Sometimes I just drink a glass a day, sometimes a quart.  A nice big lidded jar works well because sometimes you want to shake before drinking.  It lasts for about 5 days in the refrigerator.  Its also really good in smoothies with a banana, some honey, and ice.  Maybe a few frozen strawberries for added flavor.

Here's what you do:

Get a good juicer.  Don't buy a cheap one.  It will break.
Wash fruit and veggies, and cut into pieces that will fit into machine.
Push it through!  It's amazing how fast it works.
Depending on how much you are doing, you may need to clean out the internal mesh filter half way through.

Use more watery veg (cucumber, celery) than other veggies.
The more fruit you have, the sweeter it will be.


RECIPE:

Yeah ... anything green. Direct quote from Miss Katy.  Try the asian vegetable aisle - there is some cool stuff.

Some suggestions (put GREEN in front of everything on this list):

Apples
Pears
Grapes
Pineapple (ok, its not green, but close enough)

Cucumber
Celery
Romaine lettuce
Parsley (really good for you)
Kale
Escarole
Spinach
Sprouts - any kind (also really good for you)
Zucchini
Collard or Mustard greens

Herbs like basil, cilantro, or mint - but they can be overpowering


The difference between juicing and blending:  Juicing takes out the fiber.  Feel free to throw all of this in a really good blender (like a VitaMix), but it was a little bit too thick for me to drink.

DISCLAIMER: Katy Lurtz of Royal Oak, MI taught me everything I know about juicing