Juicing Mickey Mouse

I didn't mean to juice Mickey Mouse, it just happened. And it tasted so good!


Sometimes when I juice it just looks like a mess. Unfortunately, sometimes when trying a new recipe it also tastes like a mess.


This time what I saw in the bowl looked bright and inviting. Then Mickey jumped out, promising a fun and happy experience with bright and vibrant colors like that of an Arizona sunset. And then I tasted it and the flavors did a happy dance on my tongue and I knew immediately why Mickey was claiming this as his.


So, after all the faces people have seen in tree trunks and toast, I got the happiest face on earth in my juice and it tasted great!


Mickey Mouse Juice
1 Lemon
1 Lime
2 Pears
2 Green Apples
2 Wedges Purple Cabbage
2 Large Carrots


Enjoy!!

Favorite Juicing & Blending Recipes

A lot of you have asked for juice recipes to start with if you are new to juicing and blending. Here are three of my favorites. I typically make at least two of the three each day. Doug carries two bottles with him to work every day. I like to start my day with the Sweet Green Smoothie because of the high protein content. It is super high in 'green' nutrition yet tastes sweet like a smoothie because of the pineapple. I make it in my Vita-mix blender. The other two are juices and work well in either a centrifugal or masticating juicer.

Vita-mix (commercial strength) Blender:

Example of Centrifugal Juicer:

Example of Masticating Juicer:

A few tips for easy prep and great taste:

Green Smoothie: I prepare 6-8 baggies of fruit for Green Smoothies ahead of time with 1/2 ripe banana, 3 strawberries (frozen or fresh) and one large spear of (cut into chunks) pineapple. I keep a stash of baggies of fruit in the freezer so it easy to grab one when I want a smoothie. May substitute 1/2 cup of blueberries or other berries for strawberries)

Green Smoothie: It's important to put the water in first, then the supplements, then the greens, then the fruit on top. If you don't have a Vita-mix or other commercial strength blender, add the supplements into the water and blend. Then add the kale and blend. Then add the spinach and blend. Finally add the fruit and blend.

Ginger in Carrot/Apple/Ginger juice: I recommend starting with a very small chunk (1/4 inch or less) of ginger and add more each time if you want stronger flavor.

Apples: I have found that in most juices that call for apples, the best flavor comes from Granny Smith Apples. Unless the recipe specifically calls for a certain type of apple I use Granny Smith; the green apple, for those who are unfamiliar.

Beets: I have never liked eating beets, but they are great in juice. Be sure to use the greens (leaves and stems) as well.

On with the recipes:

SWEET GREEN SMOOTHIE (in Vita-mix)
20 oz Water
1 Tbsp Flax Seeds
1/2 Tbsp Hemp Seed
4 Tbsp Protein Powder (should be 1 scoop or 1/2 scoop depending on your brand of protein)
1 Cup fresh Kale (1 large kale leaf)
2 Cups fresh Spinach (roughly 4 good handfuls)
3 large frozen Strawberries (see above tip)
1/2 frozen ripe Banana (see above tip)
1 Lg spear frozen Pineapple (roughly 1/2 cup, see above tip)

Add in order, blend and drink. Makes approximately 40 oz of smoothie. Definitely a full meal or enough to share.

CARROT/APPLE/GINGER JUICE
I always make 32 oz of juice at a time, so my recipes will all reflect that.
1 Granny Smith Apple
1 small chunk (1/4 inch) FRESH Ginger (see above tip)
Carrots (approximately 12-14 large)

Juice the apple and ginger, then add carrots until you reach 32 ounces. The number of carrots depends on the size. Could be 16 if they are small, could be 10-11 if they are very large. That's why I add the carrots third, so I can just add them til I reach 32 ounces.

CARROT/BEET/CUCUMBER JUICE
1/2 Large Cucumber (2/3 of a small)
1 Small Beet including the green tops (1/2 medium beet or 1/3 large beet)
Carrots (approximately 10-12 large)

Juice the Cucumber and Beet first, then add Carrots until you reach 32 ounces.

What is your favorite juice recipe. I love to try new combinations, so please share. Are you finding it fairly easy to add one juice a day to your diet? If so, have you noticed a change in your energy level or alertness?

Down 9.5 lbs After Juicing For One Week

After one week of juicing I am down 9.5 lbs and Doug has lost 7.5 lbs.

Not bad. Especially considering the fact that we weren't very strict in sticking to juice only. I hate to admit it,  but after juicing for a couple of days I found myself wanting to bite into a burger, so we made a quick trip to 'Five Guy's' for dinner. One day Doug was craving a burrito. So we went to our favorite little Mexican place. This time we were quite motivated from the success we had seen so far, so we broke open the burrito's and ate the insides, leaving the tortilla.

The next couple of days we were real good about only juicing. But then came the day that I had a STRONG desire for, perhaps even a craving for, M&M's. I was working from home that day. I ate a handful of plain M&M's as I worked at my computer. One dropped on the floor. I looked down, but couldn't see it. I moved away from my chair and looked around; still couldn't see it. By now I was frustrated because it was too late for the "5-second rule", and I really didn't want to step on it and smash it into the carpet at a later time. I even got down on my knees, but could not locate that rogue M&M. "Oh well", I thought. "I'll find it when we vacuum." I went back to work. A few hours later when Doug came home I was still sitting at my computer working. He sat down in the chair next to me and proceeded to tell me about his day. As he was talking, he looked down at the carpet. I'll be darned if that brown M&M didn't jump right off the carpet at him!! BUSTED! "Look what I found", he said as he bent over and picked it up. I looked at him and didn't say a word. "Were you eating M&M's today when you were supposed to be only juicing?" he asked. I couldn't lie, but I didn't want to admit the truth, so I just kept my mouth shut. Well, I tried to keep my mouth shut. But he looked me in the eye and quietly waited, and waited, and waited, for my response. I finally burst. Boy did I feel horrible!!

But the point is, even though we didn't stick with juicing exclusively, we still had amazing results in how we felt and in weight loss. While juicing we feel lighter, more energetic and vibrant, never having a full, heavy stomach. Our thoughts are clear, as are our sinuses. Now we're in Vegas for a week where we won't have access to juicing and we have several big dinner events to attend. Even after two days of not juicing we can both feel the physical difference.

It has been a good little experiment. We have seen, in a big way, how beneficial juicing is to us and what a difference it makes in how we feel. We are having a great time in Vegas, and loving the fabulous meals we are experiencing. But I can honestly say that we are both looking forward to being able to juice the majority of our meals when we get home. We love the way it makes us feel, and we may need to lose some extra weight we brought home from Vegas!!

Have you tried juicing? How does it make you feel? Was the result enough to motivate you to juice regularly?