*New* Choco-Berry Green smoothie recipe

Tonight, I tried a new green smoothie! Here's what is in it:

- Spinach
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Berry blend
- Raw cacao powder
- Organic orange juice
- Organic coconut milk
- Water

This is a really nice, fresh blend of flavors. I put a lot of parsley in, because
I love the taste! :)
* The garnish is some fresh Genovese Basil from my herb garden

Magic Green Juice

So, today is day 2 for my juice extracting. Feeling great, and so happy I picked up
some fresh organic parsley and cilantro today to make this recipe!
This is what I made using:

- 3 apples
- 3 celery stalks
- Spinach
- Parsley
- Kale
- Cilantro
- Green superfood spirulina powder

First, put the apples and celery through the juicer (awesome blend even on it's own)
then add that with all the other green guys in the blender. Blend for at least a minute, so that
the spinach and kale really get chopped up well.  The taste of this juice is amazing, and
provides an instant boost of energy. Added a little lemon heart garnish for good measure!
I cannot say enough about green juice, it's the best thing to have every single day! :)

Juice Fast Day 1

 Hey guys! So, I'm on my first day of the juice fast. It was really quick and
easy to set up the juicer. I've started out with a combo of apples and celery.
I used 3 organic apples, and about 8 stalks of celery to get 2 large glasses of juice.
It tastes amazing!! I did feel a little boost of energy after 2 glasses of the juice.
It takes less than a minute to make. I love it!! I can tell already that I'm hooked.

Even though I expect there will be some upcoming challenges with the whole
not eating thing, I'm committed. My goal is to complete 5 days of juice fasting.
I'm going to blog everyday, and see how I feel as I go. Being well aware of the
health benefits makes it all worth it. I highly recommend this to everyone.
Next recipe: pineapple/ mango & ginger blend  :)

Hamilton Beach Juicer

Tonight, I finally picked up the new juicer. Super excited. Got the last one
@ London Drugs. It was $89.99, and in all my research, is the best of the inexpensive juice
extractors. The Beville's are like $350..... I don't know about you guys but that's certainly not
in my budget!

The Hamilton Beach Juice Extractor looks awesome. You can put in whole foods (like an apple)
so you don't have to waste time pre-cutting.and it's supposed to provide more juice than other brands.
The motor looks good @ 800 watts, pretty powerful. It can be washed in the dishwasher so that's a bonus! Comes with recipes, has a 5 year warranty, and won an award for best buy juicer.
So... having said that, time to put it to the test!!

Starting Day 1 of my juice fast tomorrow :)
Here's some recipes I'd like to try:
- Carrot/Apple/ Celery/ Ginger juice
- Mango/Banana/Kale juice
- Watermelon/ Parsley juice

I'll post some pics of my recipes for sure!! Super excited. Ever since the "fat, sick & nearly dead" movie, I've really been wanting to try a juice fast.  I'm hoping to do 5 days starting Tomorrow!!! :)  Will let you guys know how each day goes. I know the first couple days are the hardest, but so worth it. Great for recharging the whole body, providing energy, weight loss and detoxification.  The fibre from the fruit/ veggies goes into your body's cells in seconds!! That has got to be good  :)
Who wants to join me??

Triphala Powder

Found my latest discovery @ bulk barn of all places!! haha.
This is the first time I've ever even heard of this stuff. Basically,
it is a rejuvenating ayurvedic tonic that can be taken daily for gentle
detoxing. The more I learn about Ayurveda, the more I want to know!!

This is an organic blend of 3 fruits (hence the Tri in triphala). The fruits
are Amla, Haritaki & Bibhitaki.  I know, right?! Sounds crazy.

This specific combo is one of the most important herbal tonics in Ayurveda
for the purpose of whole body balancing and cleansing.

1 tsp to be taken daily. I insist it be mixed well with a strong juice flavor or
in a smoothie. There is quite a bitter taste with this potion!! haha

The health benefits are always worth it! Let me know if anyone tries this.
It was $10 for a 200 g bag, which is great since it's only a tsp per day.
Great deal for something organic, kosher & gluten free!  :)

Green SuperFood

Pretty impressive stuff! Amazing Grass Green SuperFood. This is the best
stuff to add into a green smoothie. I think it was about $30 @ Superstore
in the health supplement aisle. *Over 80% organic ingredients. This is what's in it:

- Green food (wheat grass, barley grass, alfalfa, spirulina, spinach, broccoli, chlorella)
- Fruit/ veggies ( acai, maca, carrot, beet, raspberry, rose hips, pineapple, goji berries, green
tea, acerola cherry)
- Fibre blend ( flax seed powder, apple pectin fibre)
- Digestive enzymes/ Active pre & probiotic blend

Add 1 scoop to juice or a smoothie in the morning. Really quick & easy, considering how much is in there!  Helps a lot in getting those 8- 10 servings of  fruit/ veggies daily

Garden Veggie Soup

Made a new soup tonight. Quick and easy to make

 Garden Veggie Soup
- crushed tomatoes/ juice
- chopped carrots
- chopped celery
- avocado
- sprout blend
- turmeric

*I love this served cold. For heating, simmer on low in order to retain more of the nutrients