Bottling Strawberry/Aloe Juice

Today, I picked some Aloe while outside mowing the lawn and then made a lovely Strawberry/Aloe Juice!!! It wasn't sweet but still refreshing! Of course I could have added honey but preferred the red juice in its most natural state!

The plump, juicy strawberries I used were local and farm fresh from The Veggie Bin.

In "The Juiceman's Power of Juicing," Jay Kordich says: "Strawberries are high in potassium and iron, which is good for strengthening the blood. The sodium content makes them a valuable tonic for nerves and for keeping glands healthy, which explains why they are considered 'youth' food."

Strawberries are also know for their wonderful vitamin C content and "natural sugars that cleanse the system," Kordich explains.

What a perfect food for spring cleansing!

Why not sip on some Strawberry Juice?

Strawberry/Aloe Hugs,

Penny

Bottling Colorful Creations

I'm basking in the color of the contents of this week's The Veggie Bin items! Ahhh, color bliss! Like the last box, the strawberries are divine! I'm off to add them to some Swiss Chard, Mixed Greens, Cilantro, Water, Coconut Oil, and Honey in the blender...for the result of a healthy smoothie breakfast in about 24 seconds (the time my blender takes to whip it all up).

Colorful Hugs,

Penny

Bottling Tomato Soup-Smoothie

Yesterday, I experimented with making this Tomato Soup-Smoothie for a friend. It turned out well, so I'm planning to make it for my husband and I today. Plus, it's a quick way to use up some tomatoes I have here.

In blender, I put:

~ 3 Tomatoes from The Veggie Bin
~ a handful of Thyme from The Veggie Bin
~ Seasonings: To taste, Himalayan Sea Salt , Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Cayenne Pepper (tiny shake), an assorted Spicy Seasoning Blend I had on hand (just a little shake)
~ Juice from 1/2 a Lemon
~ 4 Dates (or, to taste)

I blended on the smoothie setting until the mixture was nice-n-smooth. The consistency, while fairly thick, was still easy enough to just drink.

About the soup-smoothie, my friend replied:

"Oh that Savory Smoothie was the BOMB!! I slurped it all down and sprinkled in a few kale chips."

What a nice way to get more tomatoes into our systems!

Tomato Hugs, :-)

Penny

"Slice of Blueberry Heaven"

I made this delicious raw-vegan blueberry pie today. My friend, Chloe, named it. "Shall we call it a 'slice of blueberry heaven'?" she asked me when she saw a picture of it on my Facebook page. So, Chloe, a "slice of blueberry heaven" it is! :-)

Chloe wanted to know what ingredients, in addition to the obvious blueberries, were used to create this 'cake-ish' pie. Let's see if I can get it all straight in my mind, because I was just winging it. :-)
For the crust, in the food processor, I fully processed (until it basically couldn't spin any longer):
~ Soaked raw almonds, approx. 2 cups
~ Medjool Dates, pitted, 6
~ Honey, approx. 1 tablespoon or to taste
~ Cinnamon, a good shake...a few times :-)
~ Nutmeg, a good shake...a few times :-)
~ Sea Salt, a pinch or two
~ Garden of Life's Coconut Oil, approx. 1 - 2 tablespoons

This basically made enough to create a crust for both the bottom and top of the pie. I made two "balls" with the crust (it was like Play-doh), and then I pressed the first one down on the plate to spread the crust.

For the sauce, in blender, I put:

~ blueberries, approx. 1 cup

~ more of the above mixture made in the food processor. But, the second time using the food processor, I used 5 Medjool dates (pitted) and a little less of the other ingredients, as well.

~ water, approx. 1 cup or so to get it to all mix in the blender.

After blending, I ended up with a thick-texture for the sauce, however, it was easy to pour over the whole blueberries I had spread on top of the bottom crust.

Next, I spread the other Play-doh-like crust on another plate (for size). Thankfully, I was able to lift it up off the plate with a spatula and then place it on top of the blueberries and sauce.

I poured more of the sauce on the top crust, smeared it around like icing, spread more blueberries on top, and then put in the the refrigerator to set. Actually, I first put it in the freezer for about 30 mins and then moved it to the fridge.

So, what did I do with the leftover sauce?

Made a smoothie but added ice to make it more smoothie-like!

So, as you can see, I've been to blueberry heaven today! :-)

Blueberry Hugs,

Penny

Bottling this Mountain Smoothie

Mountain Smoothie! :-) My teen asks for a smoothie, well, he gets a smoothie. LOL. No, he didn't drink ALL of this. We split it between the family...

Ingredients include: Spinach (a few handfuls), Strawberry (approx. 7), Blueberry (a few handfuls), Banana (2 -3), Water (approx. 2 cups), Honey (to taste).

Smiles,

Penny

A Cruciferous Veggie/Ginger Juice

Who would think all of these ingredients are in this juice: Carrot, Cauliflower, Bok Choy, Kohlrabi, Brussels Sprouts (1/2 of a whole stalk with sprouts), Parsley, and Ginger? You could end up with a little spicy after-taste, but popping a Barhi Date in the mouth so nicely counteracts that!

Cheers,

Penny

My Answers to the Cons of Juicing

Donna McGee, studio manager at Life's Journey Yoga & Wellness, shared this article with me: The Pros and Cons of Juicing by Jo Cavallo.

Below, I've quoted some of the cons that the writer lists followed by "my answers" to them!

Here goes...

Article: "However, there are some drawbacks to juicing. For one, the process of juicing eliminates fiber."

My answer: Because we would typically balance juicing with eating whole foods or making smoothies (in blender) that retain fiber, it wouldn't be as if we are completely eliminating fiber from our overall diet. The chance to nourish the body while eliminating the process of heavy digesting...giving the digestive system a well-needed break...is invaluable, I think.

Article: "One of the health benefits of eating more fruits and vegetables is to increase your source of heart- and digestive-healthy fiber."

My answer: It's all about balance: eat some, blend some (the smoothie made in blender keeps the fiber). Then, juice, too, for that instant-dose-of-nutrition opportunity! I think the optimum word here is "balance." Juicing doesn't have to take over the whole diet, unless one is juice fasting or such for a certain period of time.

Article: "Also keep in mind that unless you drink your home-squeezed juice right away, you run the risk of contamination by exposing it to air and pathogens."

My answer: I think this juice-and-immediately-consume-it process is a beautiful thing! Fresh juicing, fresh drinking! Why wouldn't we want to get the nutrients from the juice into the body as soon as we can? Isn't that far better than drinking juice that has sat on a store shelf for weeks? Plus, we don't need a huge glass of fresh juice to receive the nutritional benefits, so it shouldn't be tough at all to get the fresh juice consumed soon after juicing the produce.

Article: "And then there is the expense of buying a juicer and the time investment needed to prepare the fruits and vegetables you're using and the cleanup afterward."

My answer: There are juicers to fit varying budgets. For anyone who is a regular consumer of store-brought juice, well, before long or over time, they'll eventually end up paying the cost of a juicer for juices they've been purchasing. Plus, with juicing, there are no bottles or containers to dispose of after juicing, so it's easy to see why juicing would be an eco-friendly choice when it comes to consuming juices.

Regarding the time investment element, is it really that bad to take a little bit of time out to push some produce through a juicer and clean the equipment when we're done? Many people spend far more time cooking a full-course meal in front of the stove/oven...which often requires far more prep and cleaning time than the overall juicing process? And, by the way, quite often, that one fresh juice is far healthier than the full-course cooked meal. I think the "time investment" is something that can be viewed differently with a little shift in perspective.

Happy Juicing! :-)

Penny

The Very Berry Spinach Smoothie

What happens when fresh, local strawberries and spinach from The Veggie Bin meet frozen blueberries picked from Jacksonville's Cardui Organic Farms? Well, here's one possible result:

"It tastes like ice cream," my husband said upon taking his first sip. Moments later, I heard all the slurping going on. Good to the last drop! My teen drank his out of a 12oz mason jar that was filled to the top, so this was one of those treats enjoyed by the whole family!

In blender, put:

~ strawberries, approx. 7 (I leave the green stems on for the iron. Once everything blends up, you can never tell they were even there. If you're using this week's strawberries from The Veggie Bin, do save some to eat whole. Mmm, they are fresh and yummy! I really considered not blending them because of how delicious they taste as is!)

~ frozen blueberries, approx. 1 cup

~ spinach, a couple handfuls (I used the The Veggie Bin's spinach and gathered a nice size handful from the bigger bunch.)

~ water, 1 1/2 - 2 cups depending on the consistency you want

~ honey, to taste (I used The Veggie Bin's local honey.)

~ optional: ice

Blend well. Perhaps pop a straw in your glass, and enjoy your very berry spinach smoothie with honey!

Yummy!

Smiles,

Penny

What's in this Green Smoothie?

This morning, on Facebook, a friend asked: "Penny, what are in the amazing Green Smoothies you made me? My mornings are all smiles and energy the last 2 days. Plus they are DELISHIOUS. :)"

Here's the recipe. (I also posted it on Saturday along with some other raw food creations I made that day.)

For the smoothie, in the blender, put:

~Kale, about 4 - 5 (or more) of your kale leaves from your this week's veggie bin. Simply break in half or thirds to get the leaves to fit in your blender container.

~ Parsley, small handful. A little parsley will go a long way.

~ Banana, 3 - 4...depends on the sweetness and smoothie consistency you want. (If you use bananas you've frozen, this can serve as your "ice" if you want a cold smoothie.

~ Lemon Juice..from 1/2 of a lemon

~ Coconut Oil, approx. 1 tablespoon. Again, I use this brand. Delicious!

~ Water, approx. 2 cups

~ Optional ~ Honey, approx. 1 tablespoon. The honey serves to provide a tad more sweetness if you desire it. (I used local honey supplied by The Veggie Bin.)

In blender, add all ingredients above and blend well. You should end up with a very smooth, somewhat thick consistency. Use fewer bananas or more water if you want a thinner consistency.

Enjoy...

Penny

HoneyBell Oranges Galore

Heaven rained Honeybell Oranges down on my family!!! Thank you! Thank you! xoxo

"And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat." Genesis 1:29 KJV

Five of the oranges in the above bin filled up this glass...with a little left over.

Learn about these tasty oranges at http://www.honeybelloranges.net/.

"...You can’t hear or go through something about FL citrus without noticing the phrase Honeybell oranges. They are the sweetest, juiciest, and merely the very best..." ~Honeybell Oranges

Raw Food Creations from The Veggie Bin Stash

In yesterday's post, I talked about the amazingly tasty orange juice I juiced from The Veggie Bin. Today, I've been creating raw food for a friend who sent her bin home with me on Thursday. It has felt like art fun at my dining room table, and the bin from the Veggie Bin housed my "art supplies". :-)

So far, for this friend, I've created:

"Kohlrabi/Cauliflower Pâtés"...that can be turned into:

"Kohlrabi/Cauliflower Pâtés Boats" or "Stuffed Kale Leaves"
What's needed?

~ Kohlrabi. (I used approx. 3/4 of a whole kohlrabi in my veggie bin. Cut up and then drop chunks into food processor.)

~ Cauliflower, approx. half of a full head. Put chunks in food processor.

~ Parsley, a full handful

~ Green Onion, 1 leaf

~ Medjool Dates, approx. 6 or to taste (Be sure to remove the seed from each.)

~ Coconut Oil, approx. 1 1/2 tablespoons. I use this brand from Garden of Life.

~ Kale, as many leaves as "boats" you care to make

~ Optional ~ Sea Salt, to taste

~ Optional ~ Black Pepper, to taste

In food processor, chop-up kohlrabi and cauliflower. Add, parsley, green onion leaf, coconut oil, Medjool dates, sea salt and black pepper, if desired, and process again in food processor. The mixture will now take on more of a wet consistency that can be a dip, a spread, etc.

Fill your big kale leaves with your pâtés, and enjoy!

Green Smoothie

In blender, put:

~Kale, about 4 - 5 of your kale leaves from your this week's veggie bin. Simply break in half or thirds to get the leaves to fit in your blender container.

~ Parsley, small handful. A little parsley will go a long way.

~ Banana, 3 - 4...depends on the sweetness and smoothie consistency you want. (If you use bananas you've frozen, this can serve as your "ice" if you want a cold smoothie.

~ Lemon Juice..from 1/2 of a lemon

~ Coconut Oil, approx. 1 tablespoon. Again, I use this brand. Delicious!

~ Water, approx. 2 cups

~ Optional ~ Honey, approx. 1 tablespoon. The honey serves to provide a tad more sweetness if you desire it. (I used local honey supplied by The Veggie Bin.)

In blender, add all ingredients above and blend well. You should end up with a very smooth, somewhat thick consistency. Use fewer bananas or more water if you want a thinner consistency.

Cheers to your raw-food art!

Coming next: Kohlrabi/Cauliflower Tabouli

Juicing Fresh, Local Oranges from The Veggie Bin

Jan. 27, 2011

Cheers to week two of receiving my bin of local, seasonal, farm-fresh produce from The Veggie Bin in Jacksonville, FL. Now that I've picked up my bin that was delivered to Life's Journey Yoga & Wellness, well, all that's left to do is nourish myself and my family with the varied produce. One simple way to do that is to JUICE some of it, starting with the oranges tucked away in the bin of the day.

For this juicing adventure, all I have to do is peel the oranges...leaving as much as the white pith on them as possible...and then feed them through my juicer. In seconds, voilà, I'll have a glass of tasty orange juice up to my mouth!

"...By law, orange juice sold in cartons and bottles in the supermarket is pasteurized, a process that kills life-giving enzymes. .....because most of the vitamin C dissipates shortly after juice is made, many manufacturers add synthetic vitamin C to bolster the content. Still others add sugar for sweetening. None of this is necessary if you juice your own oranges.....What emerges is a thick, foamy drink with a heavenly creamy color." ~Jay Kordich in "The Juiceman's Power of Juicing"

By the way, if the orange juice doesn't turn out to be as sweet as you would like it to be, perhaps add the fresh juice of an apple or two to it (one of my son's favorites). Or, just stir in a little local honey or cinnamon in place of the apple. Smile at the life-giving enzymes you'll be feeding your body!

Happy Orange Juicin'...

Penny

Update: Jan. 28, 2011

To a friend of mine who also gets a bin from The Veggie Bin delivered to Life's Journey each week, I texted this note: "Just juiced oranges from bin. Only oranges....peel and juice...delicious! Wow! Took everything in me to share." LOL

Yes, the flavor of these juiced oranges was incredible. Seriously! Of course, the flavor can vary from orange to orange, but the orange juice from the oranges in my bin were certainly tasty.

In The Juiceman's Power of Juicing, Jay Kordich talks about how his mother used to squeeze fresh oranges, but he says it wasn't really juicing, because "she simply rotated the halved oranges on a reamer and pressed them in a squeezer." He explains that was simply "rubbing tissues against membranes and creating" what he calls "orange water. It may taste healthy," he says, "but has few of the health benefits of orange juice made in the juicer."

So just what is in orange juice other than the obvious vitamin C? Kordich's list also includes: "B complex, bioflavonoids, potassium, zinc and phosphorous. Orange juice "contains almost all of the oranges' food value," he writes. "Consumed pure, it is a perfect balance of nutrients."

Note: The orange juice I made (pictured above) was actually a little brighter in color than the picture shows.