Smoothies & Juice

Spring is finally here! Actually I think it's almost summer, technically, but it's JUST NOW starting to feel like spring in Seattle... which means berries and fruit are growing and I am eating my weight in cherries & strawberries (so far). I'm also trying to use my blender more, even though it kind of sucks. I have horrible luck with blenders. If I weren't moving out of the country in 3 and a half months I would give in and spend a pretty penny for good one, but for now I guess I'll just have to make do.

Here are some things I've been putting in my smoothies lately:

frozen bananas

spinach

rolled oats

flax oil

strawberries

blueberries

almond milk

Bananas, spinach, almond milk, oats and a dash of flax oil are especially good. I made a really yummy one, and it looked totally gross because when I added blueberries it kind of turned grey, but I got past the color and it was perfect.

And now a word on juicing... I have mixed feelings about this. Casey lent me her Jack LeLanne juicer and it works really well and the juice I've made is absolutely delectable. But juicing can be really wasteful, when you see how much pulp comes out of the back of the machine. An entire apple (core and all) only yields a few ounces of juice, and think of all great nutrients being lost in that pulp. Most of the vitamins in fruit and veggies are in the skins, and when you extract the juice I feel like a lot of that value is lost. On the other hand, juicing can be the opposite of wasteful, like when you use wilty greens and browning/bruised apples that you were just going to throw away. So I decided to try to make juice with mainly what I have that's going bad or would be wasted. That way you get the best of both worlds! My absolute favorite juice to make is apple, carrot, ginger & kale. So spicy and healthy tasting, with just a little sweetness from the apple.

This gorgeous juice came from the Vortex Cafe on Lopez Island. Best enjoyed on a sunny patio with someone you love :)