Since I’ve been pregnant this time around, vegetables have been the last thing on my mind! I’ve gotten better lately, but before this week I was surviving off this Green Smoothie. It’s the only way I could sneak greens into my diet. Not only did it work for me, but Turner was a huge fan too! So I make a big one and split it between the two of us!

Another tasty concoction! Since Stew was diagnosed with cancer, we’ve been trying to eat as alkaline as possible. Cancer thrives in an acidic environment and feeds on glucose. We’re even drinking alkaline water, which has a higher pH than regular water. The thought process behind this diet is that it kills the food source for cancer cells. This juice recipe is very alkalinizing and also happens to be delicious! I hope you enjoy!

Sweet Tart Juice
Makes 2 servings

1 cup lettuce
1/2 bunch parsley
4 stalks celery
1 lemon
2 granny smith apples
1 cucumber

Wash all ingredients (I leave the peel on everything). Run through the juicer starting with lettuce and ending with cucumber. Enjoy!

Everyone needs a classic iced tea recipe. I finally have it down to a science. My strategy is to use one or two more tea bags than cups of water. That way, the tea only steeps for 5 minutes, but stays strong when you add ice! Steeping tea for too long makes it bitter, and nobody likes bitter tea! I also use mostly black tea and add a few flavored bags just for a hint of the flavor I want. In this case, I used tropical green. But I have also done this with other flavors like raspberry and peach. Throw in some lemon and mint, and you’ve got a classic iced tea for a warm summer day!

Tropical Green Tea
5 Tetley British Blend Tea Bags
2 Tropical Green Tea bags
6 cups water
Sliced lemon to garnish
Fresh mint to garnish

Boil 4 cups water. Steep all tea bags in the water for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and let cool slightly and pour into a pitcher. Add 2 more cups cold water to your pitcher. Refrigerate. Serve with a lemon wedge and fresh mint.

FYI My FeastUrEyes blog has been out of commission (if you haven’t noticed). I made the switch to this blog to simplify my life. So, if you were subscribed to FeastUrEyes, I lost you! So subscribe to this one 

I finally got a new Breville Juicer last weekend! I know, it’s a bit pricey. But Stew and I DON’T spend money! We plan our meals and go grocery shopping ONCE a week, we rarely go out to eat, and we don’t even have cable! Actually, Comcast gave us a free modem to watch local channels, but that’s not the point. Anyway, I digress. The reason I’m telling you this, is because I would rather buy less and buy quality (case in point my juicer and Vitamix) than spend money willy nilly!

So, this brings me back to my juicer. I’ve had the same old juicer for at least 8 years. It was one of those $25 juicers from Target. Which was FINE, at the time. I have become an avid everyday juicer, and that poor little guy was not up to the challenge. It had the smallest feed tube, so I had to chop all my fruits and veggies so tiny! It also leaked EVERYWHERE as I would juice. So, I finally made the switch to my big girl juicer. It yields much more juice, and it is quick and easy to clean up. I guess the juicing gods have learned a thing or two about making juicers over the past decade! So, as promised, here is another YUMMY juice for you to try. I hope you enjoy it!

Green Go Getter Juice
Makes 1 serving

2 cups spinach
3 kale leaves
1 banana, peeled
1 yellow beet
1/2 large grapefruit, peeled
1 orange, peeled

Run all ingredients through the juice in that order.

I promised I would put up a weekly juice recipe, but my FeastUrEyes blog has been out of commission (if you haven’t noticed). I made the switch to this blog to simplify my life. So, side note, if you were subscribed to FeastUrEyes, I lost you! So subscribe to this one :o)

A quick note about organic fruits and veggies– I’ve been asked several times about buying organic fruits and veggies. You should really try to buy organic as much as you can, especially when you’re juicing. But, the basic rule is, the thinner the skin, the more easily chemicals can penetrate (for instance, celery and bell peppers). The same goes for root veggies like potatoes and carrots. These get a double dose of chemicals, because they receive what is sprayed above them and what soaks into the ground. So DEFINITELY buy organic root veggies. A local farm share is always a great idea because you know where your produce is coming from and that the farmer takes great care of it.

Back to the juice. I actually picked up a juice similar to this one from a juice bar by my house. I was out of produce and I needed my juice!!! So, I caved and bought it. I liked it, but wanted to make some changes. So, I picked up the ingredients plus a few more to make it extra delicious! Hope you enjoy!

Hearth Throb
Serves 1

1/2 cup spinach
1 inch piece ginger, peeled
1/4 beet (about 1/4 cup)
2 carrots
1/4 red pepper
1 apple
2 celery stalks

Run all ingredients through the juicer in this order.

This whole baby thing means no drinking for me! But I can still have fun and make mocktails can’t I? This drink could be a meal in itself. It’s packed with flavor and it’s actually really filling. I say that it serves two because it’s rich, but you could probably drink it all if you were very hungry! Another fun thing I do is add a bit of avocado, which makes it reeeeally creamy! You can’t even taste the avocado. This drink is great for a hot summer afternoon, sitting on the porch, reading Southern Living (which is exactly what I just did while drinking it). As a side note, I used the canned coconut milk because I had it in the fridge and needed to use it up. But you could use any kind of coconut milk you like! A splash of coconut water would be nice too. Drink up!

Mango Piña Colada

Serves 2

1/2 c frozen mango

1 c frozen pineapple

1 1/2 limes juiced and zest

1 cup canned coconut milk

1 tsp agave nectar

Blend all ingredients until smooth. You can add a splash of coconut water or regular water to thin it out if needed.