Monday, February 14, 2011

Juice, From Scratch!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Any fun plans? Staying in to watch the Bachelor? Going out for a romantic dinner? Nick and I found a local place that is doing a 6 course Valentine's dinner, for a GREAT price! The menu sounded amazing, so I'm actually very excited.


In honor of my heart, I chose the salmon for tonight's dinner. Nick chose the steak...



Do you like juice? I've never been a fan of juice. Even when I was a child I really wasn't into juice. As I've learned more about nutrition and health, I have decided that my dislike for juice is actually quite a good thing, as I've counseled many individuals who seem to have a slight addiction to it's sweet and tangy taste. I prefer eating the actual fruit, personally, and that's also what I suggest to my clients.

About a month ago Nick mentioned he would love a juicer. Of course the first thing that came to my mind was, "yuck, no thanks!". But then I realized that in this day and age a "juicer" isn't just a large piece of equipment that extracts juice, but in fact today's modern juicer can turn the entire edible fruit/vegetable into juice! So really, buying a juicer wouldn't be such a bad idea. I convinced myself that we had enough room in our tiny kitchen for one more large piece of equipment. On Nick's birthday I presented him with this;


Three days later we purchased oranges....



read the simple instructions, peeled three oranges.....


and made America's favorite juice, orange juice!



I was expecting all of the pulp to be nicely mixed into the juice, however, to my horror, it was all saved in another compartment on the juicer.



Nick said, "perfect! No pulp!". I about cried. Do you know how many health benefits are in that pulp?! TONS! I insisted that he add at least half the pulp, so he did :) In total, the 3 oranges made about 1.75 cups of OJ.



I even saved some of the pulp and put it in the freezer. After about an hour it was slightly frozen and I added some Truvia for a sweet treat. Sound strange? Well, it was delicious!


The juice was also delicious and I can't wait to make other juice creations. In fact, I'm starting to think of creative ideas for summer popsicles!


Benefits of Juicing

- Depending on the produce, you may be able to eat the entire fruit/vegetable, even the fibrous core

- Minimal nutrient loss due to traveling, sitting on the shelf, and heat from pasteurization (it's basically a raw food)

- Amazing taste

-Ability to create your own juice mixes and to be creative with your juice

Question: Have you ever juiced? Give me some new ideas please!

I almost forgot, I also made tangelo + red grapefruit juice.

I added all of the pulp to this one, and once it was chilled, it was amazing.

23 comments :

  1. one of the blogs i read was talking about how they save the pulp and use it to make granola :)

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  2. I adore homemade juice! I haven't made any in a while but I am kind of a fan of lemonade (lemon juice/water/a bit of natural sweetener). Easy, refreshing, and oh so natural!

    (Happy Valentine's Day to you and Nick!)

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  3. oh I like that idea of freezing it - perfect for the summer!

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  4. I have a juicer and I use it for green juices mainly... which means minimal fruit and mostly veggies. However, I think juice is too cold/ying for winter time because whenever I drink it I feel cold afterwards, so I don't juice now and I'll wait until summer time. :)

    happy valentines!

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  5. I'm not a huge juice fan either, but I do admit I LOVE fresh juice. Homemade orange juice by far passes that stuff they sell in the store. I'm also a huge carrot juice fan. It's not for everyone, but it's probably my favorite. Sometimes I'll add a little ginger for a kick. Mmm.

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  6. Have a wonderful dinner tonight!

    Like you, I never really liked juice growing up. And I still don't really like orange juice, especially the pulp... Sorry... But I do make a lot of green juice. One of my favorite combos is Romaine lettuce, cucumber, some spinach, a lemon, and two apples. Hubby says my green juice tastes like grass but not in a bad way... He always drinks more than his fair share... I really enjoy it. And the toddler loves to make green juice.

    Happy juicing! :)

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  7. Ohhhhh, you have a juicer!! I'm so jealous, in the best possible way! :-) Aka, I'm super excited for you... :-) A juicer has been on our wish list for ages - it just seems like the coolest thing ever! Reading about your juicing adventures and looking at your gorgeous photos makes it seem even cooler! :-) Your idea of freezing the OJ pulp sounds delicious!!!

    Happy Valentines Day! :-) I can't wait to hear about the 6-course dinner! :-) We're staying in and cooking a candlelight dinner at home, which has been our V-Day tradition for a few years... :-) We still haven't decided on a menu yet, though! :-p

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  8. I grew up drinking a small glass of orange juice everyday, and I still enjoy it on occasion. I had carrot juice once, and it was surprisingly sweet. For some reason it made me think of pumpkin juice from Harry Potter.

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  9. I really should get a juicer. I feel like the possibilities for amazing drinks are endless! And, obviously, much better than buying juice at the store.

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  10. I love my juicer-- I use it to make a "lemonade" with greens, lemons, and apples-- it's so zesty and delicious!

    I love the idea of saving the pulp for a snack!

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  11. Nice juicer! I love the idea of juicing but I don't know where i would put a juicer..my kitchen is way too small!
    The tangelo and red grapefruit juice sounds excellent.
    Have fun at your dinner!! Happy Valentine's Day!

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  12. I love my juicer but don't use it enough because it is such a pain to clean.

    Beets make great juice - pineapple too!

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  13. I've never used a juicer before but I would really like to get one. However, I've heard they can be a pain to clean which would not be good for lazy me ;)

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  14. I like pulpy OJ too!
    I do like juice- when I make it myself haha. My usual juice consists of 3 carrots, 1-2 apples (red), and a small piece of fresh ginger. YUM and zippy! Beets also go really well in this combo!

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  15. I've actually been looking at juicers lately. Green juice has been calling at me!

    I would totally add the pulp back in too :)

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  16. Have a great time at your dinner tonight. Sounds like it will be a great meal.

    Nice juice...from scratch! Way healthier than our from scratch this weekend.

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  17. I've never been into juice myself but lately feel like I would like a juicer. I bet my hubby would use it more than me, though!

    Enjoy your dinner tonight!!

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  18. My juicer is my friend! I love a lemon cucumer juice combo! But my typical juice contains 1/2 lemon, 1 small piece ginger, 2 celery stalks, 4 carrots, 1 large bunch parsley, on cucumber,and one green apple.

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  19. I'm not big into juicing but I know a lot of people that love it! Especially my grandpa hehe. Enjoy your dinner!

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  20. My mom made some fresh squeezed OJ today! It was so good!

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  21. i feel like i would really like juicing but i don't have a juicer haha and i don't have money to get a juicer so unless i register for one when i get married i just won't be juicing

    haha on the marriage note i'm spending valentines day with peanut butter rice cakes and the bachelor!

    totally wishing i was at the eagle dinner ;) have fun!!!

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  22. That juice combo sounds really good! I don't juice, but always debate buying a juicer. Can't wait to see more of your recipes!

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  23. I want a juicer, but I'm not huge into juice at all. I have it maybe a few times a year when out to brunch. I think it would be a great way to get veggies into juice! I always imagined them being a bear to clean though...are they!? And I would've cried too at no pulp! That's the best part! Like you and Nick, we don't agree on that either!!! :) 3 oranges made a nice serving of juice, though...I'm surprised!

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