juicy fun

For Mother's Day this year, my family bought me a juicer.  Mother's Day, and most holidays for that matter, are usually a pretty low-key affair in our house, with handmade cards and the like.  But I've been hankering for a heavy duty juicer for some time now, so they spoiled me.  Was it a good gift?  There's no way to sugar coat it-- I'm obsessed. 

The juicer has five speeds, so you can juice almost anything.  I can't even focus when I'm in the produce aisle or the farmer's market now.  My mind is just whirling with the juicing possibilities.  I have always loved to eat fresh fruits and veggies, but I like drinking them even more.  It feels like the nutrients are rushing into your system.  The kids enjoy the simpler juices (a pear, carrot, and apple blend, for example), but my favorites have kale and beets.  I also got a big, fat, colorful book called The Big Book of Juices by Natalie Savona, and we've been going through it juice by juice.  Each blend has a listing underneath telling how good the juice is for energy, detox, immunity, digestion, and skin. 

Here's one of my favorites:
3 carrots
1/2 apple
1/2 orange
1/4 beetroot
1 stick celery
2 large kale leaves

I always double everything because my husband and I each have a glass.  And I usually up the beets a smidge because beets are my favorite.  I really do feel better after I drink it! 

And if juicing for health isn't your bag, there's another incentive: fresh juices make amazing cocktails.