Fabulous Juice Recipes at Join the Reboot

It's no secret that we love our fresh juice around here! And while I typically stick with a basic green juice, I've started getting a little more adventurous. Last week, following a field trip to the citrus farm, I made Green O.J. (oranges and kale) for the kids, along with a grapefruit / sweet potato / golden beet combo.

Needless to say, I was thrilled to find an entire section of juice recipes while exploring Join the Reboot recently. I made the Gazpacho Juice (really good!) yesterday and will be stocking up on ingredients for several others (including the Cinnamon Apple & Butternut Squash Juice) this week. Whether you're new to juicing or just looking for new recipes to try, there is definitely something (or probably a dozen "somethings") for everyone there.

Ginger-Grapefruit Juice

This is probably the fruitiest juice I've made with hardly a veggie in sight. But, most of the ingredients are very cleansing and it makes for a tasty juice - the ginger and grapefruit definitely dominate - and the beets make it a gorgeous color. This makes enough for two small servings since I usually have it for a snack (not a meal).



Ginger-Grapefruit Juice

1 grapefruit
1 orange
2 apples
1 small (or 1/2 large) beet
1" chunk of ginger

Basic Green Juice

I've been experimenting with different juices more and more lately, and I'm going to start sharing some recipes here as I come up with good ones. But I wanted to start by sharing the basic green juice that I usually make, which is based on the recipe from Crazy Sexy Diet. This usually makes enough for one large juice, although I usually double it to have two mornings in a row.


1 large (or two small) cucumber
3 leaves romaine
2 cups loosely-packed kale (or other greens)
3 celery stalks
1 broccoli stem
1 apple
1 pear

I actually like this one "as is", but sometimes I'll add half a beet, a lemon or a small chunk of ginger.

Juice Heaven

Long time no talk, I know. As many of you know, out sister blog is devoted to homeschooling, so back-to-school season leaves me with little time to think about food. Or at least to blog about it.

But today, I'm wrapping up the last day of a 7-day juice fast and it's been an interesting week. First of all, it's the longest fast I've done and also the first time I've incorporated any type of fruit juices into my daily intake. In the past, I've done entirely green juice (kale, romaine, cucumber, broccoli stems, celery, apple and pear with an occasional addition of ginger, lemon or beet). But this time, since Jim was juicing with me for the first few days, I experimented with a little variety, adding one "fruity" type juice to the mix.

The theme for the week seemed to be orange, and I've juiced every possible combination of orange, grapefruit, mango, sweet potato, carrot, pineapple and golden beet. Gotta feel like I'm still getting some veggies in even for the sweet juices! The variety has been wonderful, and of course, the orange produce contains a different range of nutrients than the green (which I'm still drinking the rest of the day). Plus, it's been nice to have a little treat to look forward to each day!

My biggest excitement for the week, however, has been the arrival of my new juicer. After much research (and some trial and error), I have finally found the PERFECT juice for me. I can't even begin to express how much I love it and how easy it's made juicing for me.

The juicer I finally purchased is the Omega VRT350. It combines the low-speed, nutrient-saving properties of a masticating juicer (juice stays fresh for up to 72 hours) with the convenience and portability of a centrifugal juicer. Smaller and lighter than my Vitamix, I can easily see it traveling with us. It's self-feeding (just drop the produce in and it chews it up - no pushing!) and ejects the pulp into a separate container so you don't have to stop and take apart the machine when it fills up. The pulp coming out of the machine is incredibly dry with greens and most veggies and fruits, and clean-up is super easy!

I know there's no juicer that is perfect for every person and every use, but without a doubt, this one is perfect for me! I feel completely ridiculous being so worked up about a kitchen appliance, but this machine has made my life so much easier - especially this week during my fast. Since I normally have juice just once a day (for breakfast), I could easily spend just 20 minutes twice a week to have juicw ready for me each morning.

So even though tomorrow I'll be breaking my fast with some fruits and veggies, I'm looking forward to using this machine for a long time to come!

Great Green Lemonade

So for the past several months, the Sprouts have met the whole green juice thing with a lukewarm reception. Big Sprout will drink it, but I can tell he's not a huge fan. Little Sprout usually requires me to dangle a big carrot (or, in this case, cocoa-strawberry green smoothie) in order for her to drink it down. But today, I finally make a new recipe that they both loved, thanks in part to my new stevia plant. Sorry there's no picture - they drank it too fast!

Wanna make some green juice goodness your kids will love? Give this one a try:

Great Green Lemonade

Ingredients
1 head of Romaine hearts
2 cups loosely-packed greens (I used turnip greens, but spinach, kale, chard or collards would all work)
2 apples
1 lemon (more if you like it extra lemon-y or your lemons are small)
5 stevia leaves (more if you want it sweeter)

Preparation
Run all ingredients through a juicer. I like the strain my juice through a mesh back (bought in the produce section of Publix) to get out any pulp that makes it through the juicer. Enjoy!

Sprout Ratings
Big Sprout - 5 sprouts
Little Sprout - 5 sprouts
Mama Sprout - 5 sprouts