Green Lemonade Perfected

As a kid I was lucky enough to live next door to one of my grandmas.   I remember being outside in my yard on warm summer nights, and I could hear my grandma sneeze as she was outside sitting in a swing.  I'd yell to her, "Bless you!"  and then you'd hear her say, "Thank You!"  I was lucky.  My grandma's house was the hub of all activity.  With cousins living on each side, grandma's house was where we'd meet, and begin our adventures for the day.  When the school year started all those cousins would meet at my grandma's house to catch the bus.  It seems we'd all get there 5-10 minutes or so before the bus, and the boys would jump out of the tree, holding onto the rope of a giant swing.  If it was cold we'd all huddle in my grandma's front room while my grandpa would look out a big window looking for the bus headlights.  Once he saw them, we'd all run out the door right to the bus.  Life was good living next door to a grandma.

I remember sitting in my grandma's kitchen while my mom would put pin curls in my grandma, and great grandma's hair.  One thing that was always present there in her kitchen was big glasses full of fresh juiced carrot-celery juice.  Everyday my grandparents would start their morning with this juice.  My grandma always said the carrots alone were too sweet, and celery alone was too bitter so she'd combine the two for the perfect morning juice.  So I guess you could say "juicing" is a family tradition.

Throughout the years my mom would always juice carrots for us in the mornings.  I didn't love it.  Sometimes I'd drink it, and other times I wouldn't.  My mom always had a nice orange hue about her from all the carrot juice she drank.  The palms of her hands were where you'd really see the color!  I've juiced a little here and there since I married, but the last 3 years we have really enjoyed juicing at home.

Maybe it's the fact that I have the JUICER OF ALL JUICERS!  I own a Hurom Slow Juicer and we love it!! But I have used cheaper juicers with great success as well.  I was just a sucker the day the kitchen store was demonstrating the Hurom:)  So every morning my kids have become addicted to their morning juice.  They demand and require a juice to get them through the day.  One thing I've found, is that if you add a quarter of a fresh pineapple to the nastiest tasting juice, it turns it into something delicious. Kind of like Mary Poppins and that Spoonful Of Sugar.

I think I've perfected this Green Lemonade.  It is loaded with good stuff and James and I each drink a quart of this almost every day.  Sometimes it is sipped through a straw and other time it is guzzled as fast as I can.  It's delicious by anyone's standard.  Don't let the color scare you.   In fact, rejoice in the fact that you are drinking something so incredibly good for you and that tastes so good too.  I've played around with different ingredients for my Green Lemonade and this is my favorite.  I've added cucumbers and they really add a distinct flavor.  I don't love it in my juice.  I've also tried kale in place of the spinach and I don't love the bitterness.  Kale is awesome in so many other things, but not my favorite in a juice.  You can add a nub of fresh ginger and that's yummy.  I have actually been known to add a pinch of salt to this juice a time or two.  Those are the days I savor each swallow:)  Enjoy!

Green Lemonade Perfected

Serving size is 64oz. It makes 2 quart sized Mason Jars.  Adjust according to how many servings you want.

1 bunch celery

3 BIG handfuls spinach

4 small green apples (or 2 large)

1 lemon peeled

1 lime peeled

1/4 fresh pineapple or 1 grapefruit peeled (the pineapple make the green juice into a sweeter juice and the grapefruit makes it a little more of a savory juice.  It just depends on how I'm feeling.)

1 bunch of fresh parsley (optional)

Send all the produce through a juicer.  I usually add a little water to make it 2 quarts exactly.  I like my juices room temp., but you can add ice if you prefer.

My Morning Lemonade

Last week I joined a friend and went on a "Spring Clean" juicing week.  For 7 days I did it!  The first few were hard.  The best way to describe how I felt was blue.  I wasn't really hungry, and I didn't really have horrible cravings, I just wanted to eat.  I had lost a favorite thing, and I missed it.  Eventually that went away, and I felt great!  Fantastic is a good word to describe it.  James kept looking at me and commenting on how I was glowing:)  He's just a nice guy, but really my skin did look so pretty.  To be honest I didn't loose any weight, but I would do it again in a heartbeat for how it felt.  You felt clean, and I was still able to keep running and do everything I usually do.  Thanks to my friend Kristie for challenging me, and many others.  Here's a link to her website.  (She actually just started a 30 day RAW challenge if you're interested.)

Every morning I started with this Lemonade.  Actually I still make it most mornings because I love it!  If you google benefits of Lemon Water there are a ton.   I'm no expert, so I won't tout any great benefits other than it's such a nice way to start the day.  Don't worry if you don't have a juicer.  Just do your best to squeeze all the love out of that lemon and orange and you'll be just fine.  I like to use warm water when I make this, but ice cold would be great too.

My Morning Juice

recipe courtesy The Belly Fit Club

1 orange peeled and juiced

1 lemon peeled and juiced

Place in quart sized Mason jar, and fill to the top with water.  I like warm water, but do what you like.  Add sweetener to taste.  I use a good squeeze of Stevia, but anything would work.  Sip and enjoy!

Green Lemonade

Here's another favorite juice that we make at the Clawson home.  We call it the Green Lemonade.  One trick I've found when juicing is that a lemon will make any concoction taste better.  Let's be honest here, I've had my fair share of juices that I've had to plug my nose, and just swig.  Sometimes the gag reflex kicks in, and it's all I can do to keep that juice down.  But a lemon or a lime can brighten and mask a lot of "not so tasty" ingredients.  If you've got a pear, or apple that will help any "veggie juice" as well too.  Mary Poppins always says, "A spoonful of sugar, helps the medicine go down."  Well I say a lemon will always make the juice go down:)

I really like my morning juice.  Lots of fresh oranges, and carrots, but sometimes I need something that isn't fruit based.  This Green Lemonade hits the spot.  We juice a lot through the winter months.  I buy oranges, and apples by the 40 lb. case, and 25 lb. bags of carrots almost weekly.  My kids seemed to tolerate the juices at first, but they are actually starting to crave them now.  My Red Head asks for them almost every morning before he catches the bus.  Here's a great little something we've noticed around here lately that we attribute to the juices.  Our complexions are pretty fantastic right now.  James' skin is so good looking!  The three older kids have had beautiful skin.  The acne that usually follows teenagers has been held at bay.   There's a healthy something going on, and they say that your skin and hair are the first things to show if you are healthy or unhealthy.  It's a great side effect of juicing I've decided:)

Give this juice a try.  Add an extra apple, or pear for more sweetness if you like.  I love the addition of fresh parsley.  It makes the juice the most beautiful green color.  Spinach alone makes a muddy green, but the parsley really brightens the juice.  It's great for fresh breath too:)

*I've had a few people ask what kind of juicer I use.  Well let me tell you, I just happened to be at the local kitchen store one day right as they were demonstrating the Hurom juicer from Sweden.  I was amazed and smitten instantly.  So much, that even the price tag didn't keep me from taking one of the shiny Hurom's home.  It's a wonderful juicer.  It's a slow, press juicer that is quiet, and just smashes the fruit, veggies and even nuts.  I love it, BUT.........I'm not convinced it's the only way to go.  I've used the cheaper juicers from Costco, and been pretty happy with those too.  So get the juicer that fits your budget, and start getting healthy!

Green Lemonade

1/2 bunch of celery
1 lemon or lime peeled
1 asian pear (a regular pear or apple works great)
2 big handfuls of spinach
1/2 big bunch of fresh parsley
1 orange
1/2 cucumber

You can always add whatever you've got in your fruit bowl.  This is just a suggestion, but I love it!!  You can substitute kale, or other greens for the spinach, but for me I like spinach.  It doesn't have a strong flavor like kale, and is easy for me to drink.  I love kale cooked or in a soup, but I actually don't love it juiced.  It's a little bitter for me.  Good luck and let me know of any great concoctions you come up with!

Good Morning Juice

I juice a lot this time of year.  Something about all the beautiful citrus available, and my need to have a healthy family.  They go hand in hand you know:)  Each morning as my children are just about to head out the door for the bus, they each get a big glass of Carrot Orange Juice.  I usually sneak an apple or two in as well, and I really try to up their carrot consumption.  Some of the kids love it, and others tolerate it, but they all drink it.

I'm turning into my mom actually.  As a kid she juiced all the time.  In fact I remember the skin on the palms of her hands being a lovely shade of orange most of my growing up years because of her carrot juice habit.  I believe my mom came by it naturally though.  Her parents were big juicers.  I used to  run over to my Grandma B's house on a summer morning, bust through their door without knocking, and walk into the kitchen to say hi, just as my grandma and grandpa were drinking down their Carrot Celery Juice.  My grandma told me the carrot helped the celery not taste too bitter and the celery helped the carrot not taste so sweet.  They drank a cup of this concoction everyday I'm sure.  If you walked through their door early enough in the morning, you could always have a sip if you wanted.

There's so much out there about juicing.  It's the "buzz" word right now.  But you know, it's tasty most of the time, and dang good for you so why not drink up.   Mary Poppins always said a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.  Well an apple or a pear makes kale go down too:)  I'll share a few of my favorite juices over the next few days and share what I like, and what I don't.  So to start here's the juice that James and I have almost every day.  Good Morning Juice.  Feel free to add what you have on hand.  I love it with some pineapple, and James doesn't particularly love the grapefruit in his, but beggars can't be choosers.  And remember, the recipe is a "guideline", not an exact recipe.  Mix it up, and see what you like.

Good Morning Juice

Ingredients

• 1 Grapefruit
• 3 Oranges
• 1 Pear
• 6-7 Carrots
• 1 Apple

Cooking Directions

1. Wash carrots, apples and pears. Peel oranges and grapefruit. I cut all my fruit into quarters to fit in my juicer, but depending on your juicer, you may not have to. This amount of fruit makes approx. 32 oz. of fresh juice.