Happy Friday, friends!
Remember this post? Lately, we’ve made a few small changes in our family. And for me anyway, it works to start small. I truly believe that lots of small changes anywhere in life, can add up to big results.
One of the changes, was that I started juicing.
But when I decide to try something, while it may be a small change, I tend to go all the way. I made the mistake of radically diving in. Sometimes, I spaz out and get really excited about something and I find myself retreating like a rejected puppy.
Surprise.
I saw this documentary that kind of rocked my world called Hungry for Change. And I was all, Yeah! Beets and kale and carrots and tomatoes and spinach and anything else remotely disgusting and green come and rock my world and lets blend it and drink it down! It’s like spring break, but for moms. With vegetables. And dirty diapers. Partay!
I actually have quite a versatile palate. I’ll try anything once. In short: it smelled like grass and I almost died. I dry heaved my way through the first juices and felt guilty for buying a lot of produce, because apparently juicing is for rich people and I went overboard. Don’t get me wrong. I’m a salad dork and I love veggies. The more the merrier (if I can have cheese + dressing – you have your food passions, I have mine). But through the help of some wonderful veteran friends a-la Instagram and a little experimenting of my own, I’ve seen the light, and wanted to share three easy peasy recipes that are actually super yummy to start with. For novices out there like me.
Why juice? I felt like if I could substitute, for instance, my sweet tea with vitamins and great nutrition, it would make a difference in how I felt. Just for a living better kinda thing. This whole simplification deal reaches past our home design and into our lifestyle as a whole. And just a side note on juicing vs. blending: I think I’ll give blending a go… while I do love smoothies, sometimes the idea of pulp freaks me out. I’m weird about textures in my food, so I tried juicing because this was a good starting place for me. Blending seems like a great way to get the whole food, so eventually I will try it. For me, for now, juicing was a great way to ease into the process. Small changes. {I’m gradually easing the fam in, too… and at least for now Jamin the co-junkfood junkie is definitely enjoying the benefits of fresh squeezed orange juice.}
Where to start? Apparently, the key is to start with more fruits and less veggies, and gradually whittle your way down. Not the hardcore beetsvillecarrotvom flavors I went with first.
How much? I should have stuck with my original plan, carried the theme of starting small all the way through. You don’t have to make a whole gallon of the stuff and scarf it down all at once. Baby steps.
When? Speaking of gallons, and how it applies once you find a flavor you love : something that works for me is juicing ‘sessions’, saved and ready to go in the fridge a few days later when I want it. I’m still trying to figure that out, but that seems to work better for me. Chilled and ready to go with a few cubes of ice can make everything better.
The more I played around, the more I realized a universal similarity for all of my taste preferences and the ingredients to make each one. And while it’s different for everyone, I thought I would share what I love.
First up: what I like to refer to as The Game Changer.
That’s this yellow guy on the left. I’d all but given up until Mcwhisky on Instagram graciously shared this fabulous concoction. 1 yellow pepper + chunks of pineapple + a dash of cilantro + 1/2 a jalapeño + kale (I revised it just a bit, and you can play with it to taste)
I make sure to throw in a little green with everything, to sneak in more vitamins. Tada!
Winning.
{This one may have a few… um… residual effects. Just know that they all do when you begin. You have been warned. Sometimes, those can be nice. No judging.}
Bananabandanna : via adt527 on instagram. I made that word up because it’s fun to say five times fast. This one was also a game changer in the world of tastes for me.
1 banana + chunks of pineapple + 1 cucumber + kale. Delicious. You can totally vary it all based on taste but the banana makes it very smoothie-ish. Another winner in my world.
This is a little something I made up myself, and I’m sure it exists elsewhere : I call it the Strawberry Soiree. ;}
I am a hardcore dork at heart with an incessant desire to name inanimate objects.
3 strawberries + 2 apples + pineapple + spinach – I told my kids it was strawberry juice – I even juiced in the green parts of the strawberries- and I can’t wait to experiment a little more with sneaking stuff into their diet! (Cue evil villain laugh)
Tada! 3 super simple recipes for all of us who have good intentions… but just aren’t sure where to start. Here’s some great flavors to disarm that delicate gag reflex.
So what are your fave recipes? Do you blend or juice? I’d love to hear more of your recipe ideas. I’m ready to press on! ;} See what I did there? {Cue pity laughs for bad juicing references}
Have an inspired day and a wonderful Friday, friends. We hope to see you at the great purge yard sale this weekend!
Tania @ Run To Radiance says
What kind of juicer did you all get? I’ve been wanting to do it too since I saw Fat, Sick & Nearly Dying!
ashley @ the handmade home says
Hey! It’s a Dash. Probably not the best you can buy but I need to feed my kids more than just juice… and it works. ;}
kat says
Great post – thanks for being real and not all “oh the raw kale is so good it doesn’t even need sugar! It’s like dessert!” That sort of kills me. Those are the same people that said, “breastfeeding should not hurt at all. If it does, you’re doing it wrong.” HA! Well it hurts like hell for the first 3 weeks or so, until you’ve lost all feeling…
Back to the subject at hand, my friends are into juicing. And one uses all the pulp to make muffins. And they’re good. She uses a carrot cake-like recipe and throws in the pulp. I had one yesterday. They really are good. But she has craploads of muffins. Craploads.
I am waiting on the juicer. I am not investing in a new appliance just yet…
š
ashley @ the handmade home says
HAHAHAHA! Your comment had me rolling. AMEN to the breastfeeding. I kept wondering what on earth I was doing “wrong” with my second and third! I was a “veteran” and I think it’s just different with every kid… no matter what you do. I have horror stories. Toe curling HORROR stories, I tell you. ;} Interesting take on the pulp! I bet they’re yummy!
Crista says
I love juicing! It is tasty. We like our Norwalk juicer.
Aubrey says
I jsut finished a 5 day juice cleanse after watching Hungry for Change and Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. My husband was starving and grumpy, but I felt great! And lost some of my food baby!
Anyway, I have my 2 FAVOURITE juice recipes on my blog – check it out – you will DIE for the pineapple-orange-grapefruit! So good!!!
http://theecohousewives.wordpress.com/2013/05/14/juice-monkeys-the-fruit-and-veggie-kind/
Alima says
Glad you like the bananabandana. Haha! Love the name!
Tania luna says
I have been doing this for my kids long enough that they come home and ask for smoothies- the best part is I sneak spinach and kale and other healthies in there and I therefore get bragging rights that my four kids eat their veggies every day!!:)
kateann says
We juice every day and I’m addicted. It gives you so much energy. The base of what we do is always kale or spiach (or both). Then an apple, strawberries, blueberries, lemon, carrots whatever we have goes in. If you like to pre-juice, add banana, it keeps the juice bined.
Rita Joy says
Ashley, I just loved this post! I, too, dove in head first to the whole “juicing” idea…and bought an entire cart full of veggies!! Oh, my stars and garters!! I did manage to consume ALL of those veggies in 5 days, but it was quite the experience. The breakfast smoothie with romaine lettuce was the most traumatic of all drinks for me… Anyway, thanks for sharing your top 3. My favorite is equal number of carrots and apples with a lemon. Delish! (especially after one of those dark, dark, green kale and beets ones!!)
Cristina says
Ooo, they sound delish! I’m hoping someone can help me out though and post some tried & true favorites that don’t contain pineapple…my three-year-old is allergic to it (weird, right?). That was a *super-fun* way to spend last Easter Sunday š ha!
Maryann C says
When it comes to juicing greens or making a green smoothie, always rely on pineapple and kiwi to make it palatable. Do not mix oranges/orange juice in there with greens. Sooo nasty!
Rika Susan says
Yes, Maryann, pineapple and kiwi does wonders in green juices. Love it! I also use lime or lemon to improve flavor and taste. It is a case of experimenting until you get combo’s that suit your palate.
Superb post, Ashley, with wonderful pics! After almost 20 years of juicing, I see a juicer as one of the best family health tools available. Nutrient deficiencies seem to disappear so quickly once you start juicing. It simply is the best way to increase our intake of fruits and veggies. Juice on!
Denise walsh says
Have to ask, how was the backsplash done in the background???
Robert Austin Fitch says
These recipes look fantastic! Can’t wait to give em’ a go… Cheers, Rob
Angie in the Thick of It says
HI. It’s me. The girl who is eating ice cream out of the carton for lunch while reading this post about juicing. I have a serious question that NEEDS an answer from one of you smartie-pants ladies. What’s the difference between “juicing” and “blending”. I have fancy blender. I thought I was “juicing” when I threw stuff in it and it all turned to liquid. Correct me! Shanks.
ashley @ the handmade home says
From one ice cream eater to another… welcome Angie. ;} Seriously, I’m an all things in moderation gal and I LOVE LOVE LOVE my food but I thought this would be fun to try. ;} With a blender, clearly, you get the whole food. With a juicer, there is a lot of discard and just the juice. I’m weird about my textures, so I thought this was a good way for me, personally, to ease into this. Blenders give you the fiber, and a Juicer gives you just the juice. I started a cleanse today, and apparently this is better, because it allows your colon to discard the rest of the food that’s sitting there. Gross. I’m also grossly uneducated and just trying it for kicks. For me, it’s small changes I can make. ;} I hope that helps.
Vera says
Hi Ahley, can you give me some feedback about the cleanse? How did it go? I really need some motivation to start! :))
Lynn Bruce says
My Top Five Discoveries in Juicing:
1. Ice cold pears can turn many oddfellows into amiable pals in the blender. Magic binder, and slushy to boot.
2. You can sneak in a stalk of broccoli IF you add a whole lemon. Really.
3. Mint, mint, mint. Grow some in a pot under your hydrant. BOOM goes everything.
4. Almond butter = pleasantly surprising and awesome for the bod. Plays well with banana, coconut milk, honey, maybe a plop of cocoa powder if you’re feeling like a really good girl.
5. Mango + avocado + kale + lemon/lime+ a scoop of ice. Just Do It, you’ll see. Add mint if you’re ready to be awesome.
Jessica Boyce says
These recipes look great and simple! I’m on a budget but want to start juicing…and not gagging. So I will definitely be trying these recipes. I too want to delve into blending once I can afford a Vitamix. Thanks!!
Katrina B says
Thanks for the tips. Can’t wait to try your recipes. I also tried juicing a few months ago and made all the same mistakes. I ended up throwing out $60 worth of gross liquid produce! I’m having a hard time with the concept of juicing though. I HATE veggies and rarely eat them. Do you have any tips for me or other recipes that hide the veggies well?
ashley @ the handmade home says
Ha! I am with you, so not really. I’m still struggling with doing it. I think I’d rather do fruit juices and eat salads or cooked veggies. ;} I’m not much help. I even tried a juice fast, and almost died. I’m useless!
Tammy says
Thank you for your wonderful and honest blog. My daughter and I just purchased a juicer and are excited about juicing ourselves to better health. Like you I want to dive in and shout it from the rooftops, right, but I really appreciate how you put it all into a realistic perspective. Thank you for these recipes and I look forward to trying them out.
HAPPY JUICING!!
ashley @ the handmade home says
Thank you, Tammy! Enjoy!
Norma Jean says
My daughter and I started juicing for 30 days. We are on our first 1wk. We have bought an assortment of fruits and veggies. It’s been hit and miss w/ the tastes of our juices. We made some really nasty juices lol! We were told to do 20% fruit 80% veggies. We made this metabolizing beet juice omg! I felt like I drank 3 red bulls and couldn’t sleep that whole night. We tried another called Pearberry that was really good. 2 ripe pears 2 cups blueberry 2 c spinach. I was told not to put bananas in my juicer (not sure why) We are going to half price books to go and get a jucicing book. Good luck juicing…
Anne Bodee-Galivan says
While fiber is important (obviously) the point of juicing is to get the concentrated nutrients without your body having to process the actual foods. I started juicing (again) a few months ago. I won’t even go into all my health issues, but my new health care person (someone I found who actually takes me seriously!) who specializes in functional medicine is very pro-juicing.
I can tolerate more than most. I had never juiced kale before and found it rather bitter, but it doesn’t bother me at all anymore. I start with kale (I’d use spinach more but it takes forever to wash) and then I add things like cucumber, some lemon, either carrots or apple or both. Romaine is good, but lately the lettuce has been really not-so-nice, so I haven’t had that as much as I’d like. You can add a little parsley or cilantro, but they have strong detoxifying effects, so go easy. Celery works too. I should point out that some things will give more juice than others. I start with kale, juice until I get a couple of ounces, then start adding other ingredients. Carrots, celery, apples, and cukes make a lot of juice. I actually don’t like sweet juices as much. If you do, apples are great. Very good for you.
I’m planning on trying more of a variety of veggies in my juicing. Maybe beets, radishes, peppers…we’ll see. In any case, the reason for juicing is to improve your health long-term. It’s not a quick fix. Your palette will change over time. So keep trying.
Erica says
I’m new to this. What “residual effects” are you talking about? Sorry I just hate surprises lol!
ashley @ the handmade home says
Juices will clean you out. ;}
Traci Quinton says
I really love your descriptions! I’ll hit my 30 day mark on juucing and I am a self proclaimed veggie hater. So this has been a major step for me. I love it so far and really enjoy all the benefits. Not to mention this has been kinda fyn! So thank you for adding the humor to this! Ionly thought once or twice about trying to juice a streak or some Mexican food! Can’t wait to try these! Thanks again
ashley @ the handmade home says
Yay so glad! I’m about to get back into it! #slackerpants ;}
Jenni says
Thanks for posting this. I too saw the movie Hungry for Change which made me want to try juicing. It’s rather daunting, but I’m going to give it a shot. I appreciate these recipes š Gives me a great place to start. Thanks!