Healthy Living - First Thoughts on Juicing

Ok, so I got the juicer and I am super excited {can you tell?}!

I cannot say that after making 3 juices that I feel like 1000 bucks or anything, but I know I am providing my body with extra vitamins and nutrients that I would not ordinarily have in my diet. I mean, kale - who just eats kale? Not this girl. I do eat a lot of veggies, but it can be rather sporadic. This is a way to incorporate extra veggies in my diet {and my family's diet once they get used to the juices or I find a recipe they love} that doesn't depend on my mood or what "sounds good" for dinner.

One thing I am noticing is the amount of "waste" that is put off when juicing. It is a lot. So this has me thinking about reusing these pulps and skins in soups and such. That will mean a little more prep time and strategically juicing in a specific order {I don't really want apple peels in my veggie soup}, but I think it will be worth the effort.

I also think we will start composting. This would be an excellent source of nutrients for our garden!

Speaking of gardening...I cannot wait for spring to arrive {I know, it is only January} so that I can start planting veggies in our own garden that we can juice. No more wasted tomatoes!!!! We will juice {and can} all the extras {Lord willing}! I think we will grow a lot more dark green and leafy veggies {kale, spinach, broccoli}. I think we may also plant a small herb garden to add even more flavor to our juices!

I told you I was excited!!

Here are the recipes I have tried thus far:



Green Drink

3 stalks kale
2 handfuls of spinach leaves
3 carrots {leaves removed}
1 apple

Add all veggies and fruit to juicer and enjoy!

Orange Dreamsicle

4 oranges, peeled
2 carrots
1 banana

Juice the oranges and carrots. Then whip the juice and bananas in a blender for a creamy smoothie. Add a few ice cubes if you like to cool it down.

I cannot wait to try something else!

Do you have a juicer? What are your favorite recipes? I'd love to try them out!