Tropical Bliss Smoothie

The produce stand is really coming through for me the past couple of days. I stocked up on some really flavorful fruit to get me through the next couple of days.

Tropical Bliss Smoothie
2-16 oz glasses 

1 champagne mango, skin on
1 large apricot
1 small carrot
1/2 cup coconut water
1/4 pineapple, cored
2 tbl chia seeds
3 ice cubes

 Blend and enjoy!

Coco Carrot & Peach Juice

A perfect, naturally sweet, creamy orange drink for any time of the day.

Coco Carrot & Peach Juice
2-20 oz glasses
1 peach, skin on
1 large apricot, skin on
1 large carrot, unpeeled
1/2 cup coconut water
1/2 cup chopped strawberries
1/4 cantaloupe
3 ice cubes

Blend until smooth and enjoy!

Just a note- I recently received the greatest gift of any serious cook or juicers dreams...a vitamix! I went big and got the professional series and man this thing does not joke around. Because of the serious horsepower, I don't have to peel any of my fruit (except with the obvious exceptions of bananas, pineapple etc.) thus I retain all of the rich vitamins that are stored in the skins. I also do not have to add very much liquid. You may have to adjust the recipes to fit your blenders power and your preference for thick or thin juices.

Spinberry Cherry Smoothie

Spinberry Cherry Smoothie
2-10oz glasses

1 cup packed baby spinach leaves
1 cup blueberries
1 black plum, skin on, pitted
1/2 cup pitted, fresh cherries
1 tbl chia seeds
3 ice cubes
1/2 cup water

Blend and enjoy!

Just a note- I recently received the greatest gift of any serious cook or juicers dreams...a vitamix! I went big and got the professional series and man this thing does not joke around. Because of the serious horsepower, I don't have to peel any of my fruit (except with the obvious exceptions of bananas, pineapple etc.) thus I retain all of the rich vitamins that are stored in the skins. I also do not have to add very much liquid. You may have to adjust the recipes to fit your blenders power and your preference for thick or thin juices.

 If you find smoothies with greens in them hard to get down, freeze all of the fruit before blending it. I find that the colder the smoothie, the better it tastes.

Kiwi Kale Green Smoothie

It has been so hard to stay away from this blog for an entire month. I have been keeping a running tab of ideas I want to make starting July 2nd. In the mean time, I thought I would sneak some smoothie/juice recipes on here since that is what I have been eating lately. People (myself included) are always looking for new juicing recipes to spice things up so here is my contribution.
Just a note- I recently received the greatest gift of any serious cook or juicers dreams...a vitamix! I went big and got the professional series and man this thing does not joke around. Because of the serious horsepower, I don't have to peel any of my fruit (except with the obvious exceptions of bananas, pineapple etc.) thus I retain all of the rich vitamins that are stored in the skins. I also do not have to add very much liquid. You may have to adjust the recipes to fit your blenders power and your preference for thick or thin juices.

Kiwi Kale Green Smoothie
2-10 oz glasses
2-3 lacinto kale leaves plus stems
1 banana
1 kiwi
1/2 avocado
1/2 large granny smith apple, unpeeled, cored
1 tbl ground flax seeds
2-3 ice cubes
1/2 cup water

Blend until smooth and enjoy
note- if you find smoothies with greens in them hard to get down, freeze all of the fruit before blending it. I find that the colder the smoothie, the better it tastes.

Master Cleansing My Way Through the Holidays

Please excuse my absence. If you follow my blog at all you probably notice that I post pretty regularly. Well first I got a bit lazy for a few days and did not make anything blog worthy then I decided to do a week long Master Cleanse which will end Friday morning.
Here's the recipe-

Master Cleanse
drink whenever you are thirsty or hungry, 6-12 a day.
10 oz water
2 tbl organic grade b maple syrup
2 tbl organic lemon juice
pinch of cayenne pepper

See you Friday!

Juice Detox Day 7 of 7

Last day! Glad it has come to an end because I can practically taste the mashed potatoes I've been wanting to eat all week. I feel good and I'm glad I finished successfully. Since I plan on making dinner tonight, I only needed three drinks today and they were just kind of a throw together of what I had left, so nothing went to waste.

Berry Good
2 cups frozen blueberries
2 cups frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen blackberries
1 frozen banana
1 tbl flax seeds

Orange Pucker
2 tangerines
2 nectarines
2 peaches
1/4th cantaloupe

Carrot Broth
4 carrots
3 celery stalks
2 sweet onions
2 tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
4 parsley sprigs
1 sweet potato

Juice Detox Day 6 of 7

Well day six, nothing new to report here. Feeling great. It's sort of a shame that tomorrow is the last day, because I feel like my body and mind finally got used to it and in the swing of things, and now it's over! Why not keep going? Well because I love food and I have exactly one million ideas of things I want to cook waiting for day seven to come and go so I can prepare them.

Purple Smoothie
2 cups red grapes
2 cups frozen blackberries
3 black plums
2 cups ice

Melon Mango
1 cantaloupe
1 mango
2 cups strawberries

Summer Broth
4 corn on the cob
3 zucchini
1 jalapeno
1 orange bell pepper
1 rutabega

Fresh Anise Stock
1 head of fennel plus frawns
1 bunch of asparagus
1 bunch of scallions
1 sweet onion
2 yukon gold potatoes

Juice Detox Day 5 of 7

Day 5! I've been able to keep with my workout routine while on this fast so that should tell you how much energy I have. I feel great and I've been sleeping like a rock. I still crave solid foods, but it doesn't help that I work in a kitchen. I imagine if I had a desk job and didn't want so much Food Network, I probably wouldn't crave it so bad. Oh well, discipline makes you stronger. The end is near and I am already planning delicious, light meals to eat once it comes.

Citrus Zinger
2 grapefruits
1 lemon
1 lime
2 tangelos

Tomato Broth
3 hot house tomatoes
1 cucumber
2 carrots
2 celery
2 onions
4 garlic clove
1 sprig parsley
1/4" ginger

Coarsely chop, add in a large pot, fill with water just to cover. Boil for 90 minutes, puree and strain.

Mixed Vegetable Stock
1 head purple kale
1 sweet potato
1 sweet onion
2 garlic cloves
10 brussel sprouts
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
parsley stems

Easy Cherry Sorbet
8 oz dark pitted sweet cherries, frozen
juice from one lime

Blend the frozen cherries up in a food processor with the lime juice. Add a little water if needed to get the blade going. Blend until completely smooth like sorbet.

Juice Detox Day 4 of 7

Things are getting easier as the days go on, my energy is raising by the hour and I have significantly less hunger pangs. I was getting some bad leg cramps yesterday after working out which was solved after getting a quart or so of water in me. I have to keep reminding myself to drink more water. More more more! Recently I have done some research and discovered that homemade stock is allowed in a juice fast. I wasn't sure it would be, because of the cooking, but damn am I glad because I was definitely craving something warm. I also find it easier to get in my vegetables through a stock than a vegetable juice.

Sweet Red
2 mangos
2 kiwis
Juice of 2 blood oranges
1 red bell pepper

Green Juice
1/2 pineapple
2 apples
1 kiwi
1 cup broccoli florets
2 cups spinach

Tropical Punch
1 pineapple
1 papaya
1 banana
1 tangerine

Mushroom Stock
3 cups mushrooms (I used cremini and shiitake)
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
2 cups broccoli florets
1 head spinach
1 onion
3 garlic cloves

Keep all the skins and peels on the vegetables and roughly chop. Add in a large pot and cover with water just to the top of the vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce to low boil and cook for 90 minutes. Add more water if it gets too low. Strain.

Juice Detox Day 3 of 7

Day Three! Things are getting rough, but that means it's working. The fasting process begins after day three when the body goes into autolysis, the process where the body is digesting its own dead and dying cells. Naturally, it selectively decomposes those cells and tissues that are in excess, diseased, damaged, aged, or dead. This allows for an improved ratio of healthy cells in the body and a beginning to start feeling great!

Orange Burst
1 canteloupe
1 carrot
1 red apple
1 tbl flax
1 cup water

Green Lifter
1 cup spinach
1/2 cucumber
2 celery
3 carrots
1/2 apple

Citrus Bite
1/2 red cabbage
3 celery stalks
4 kale leaves
1 lemon
1 lime
1 apple
1/2" piece ginger

Sorbet Fake Out
3 frozen bananas
1/2 honeydew
1 papaya, peeled and seeded

Juice Detox Day 2 of 7

Day 2 of detoxing and feeling great, which is surprising because the first three days are usually the worst as your body goes into survival mode. I am looking forward to reaping all the benefits of this detox by merely eating fresh fruits and vegetables for a week. Not much of a sacrifice in my opinion.

Morning Riser
1 Banana
1 1/2 cups strawberries
1 mango
1 avocado
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup ice

Cool Apple
2 1/2 apples
1 cucumber
1/2" piece ginger

Blueberry Punch
1 pint blueberries
1 lime
1 pomegranate
1 cup water

Green Drink
1/2 bunch spinach
2 kale leaves
1/4 cup fresh OJ
1 banana
1 kiwi

Juice Detox Day 1

Today starts my week long juice fast to cleanse myself of any bad and toxic cells that might be creeping around inside me. I have convinced my husband to go along with this as well, so it's nothing but juice in this house for the next week!
Everyday consists of 4 vegetable and fruit blends that I make myself plus a whole lot of water to help with flushing.
Since i don't have a juicer, a blender and a good strainer will have to do.

Berry Pineapple
2 cups of water
1 lb strawberries
1 whole pineapple
1 banana
1 tbl flax seeds

Red Kiwi
2 cups water
2 kiwis
1 medium sized beet, peeled plus beet greens
1/2 green cabbage

Orange Mango
1 mango, peeled, cored
2 bananas
2 carrots
8 strawberries
2 cups ice cubes

Green Smoothie
6 kale leaves
1 whole leek
2 plum tomatoes
1/2 bunch cilantro
3 carrots
1" piece ginger