Juicing It Up

Anyone who saw us over the holidays most likely already knows that we got a juicer for christmas. It was our big gift to each other, and has already paid itself back in sheer joy. Seriously. The thing is amazing... we got the Breville Ikon Multi-Speed Juice Fountain (using a 20% off coupon from BB&B).

When we got home from the Midwest we hit the grocery store and stocked our fridge with tons of fruits and veggies. We juiced A LOT the first week... making all kinds of delicious concoctions.

{Healthy. Happy. Life.}

Some of our favorite juice "recipes" include:

Basic Green Juice

1 green apple
1 inch knob ginger
5 large stalks celery
1 cucumber
1 large handful parsley
5 stalks kale

Sunrise Juice

1 grapefruit, peeled

1 apple

3-4 carrots

1 inch knob ginger, peeled

1/2 small lemon, peeled

Kale Pear Lime Ginger Juice

1 bunch kale

1 pear

1/2 lime, peeled

1 inch knob ginger, peeled

Spunky Green Juice

1 cup fresh pineapple, peeled

2 cups spinach

1/4 cup kale

1/2 lemon

1 green apple 

1/2 inch knob ginger, peeled

a bit of mint

Superfood Spotlight: Quinoa

Quinoa(pronounced keen-wa)is unquestionably one of the most super of all foods. Quinoa is actually a little seed, but acts and tastes a lot like a grain. It's delicious, a bit nutty and very versatile.

Nutritional benefits? Here we go:

Protein- Quinoa contains all 9 essential amino acids that are required by the body as building blocks for muscles, making it a complete protein.

Magnesium- Magnesium helps relax your muscles and blood vessels and effects blood pressure. Quinoa contains high levels of this vital nutrient.

Manganese and Copper- Quinoa is a good source of these minerals that act as antioxidants in your body to get rid of dangerous cancer and disease-causing substances.

Calcium-  A cup of cooked quinoa contains 30 mg of calcium. Calcium builds and maintains bones and teeth, helps regulate the contraction of the heart, and facilitates nerve and muscle function.

Iron- 1 cup of cooked quinoa offers 15 percent of the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance of iron, which helps to deliver oxygen to the blood, boosting energy and brain power.

Quinoa can act in place of rice or other grains in dishes like veggie stirfrys, burritos, pilaf, and paella. Quinoa is also great as a base for delicious salads or as a side with some salt and lemon.

Quinoa recipes to try:

Lemony Quinoa with Butternut Squash
Pumpkin, Lentils & Quinoa Salad
Quinoa Salad with Avo Radish and Lemon
Meatless Burrito
Quinoa Apple Cake
Quinoa Granola Bars
Tomato, White Bean and Quinoa Soup
Chocolate Multigrain Mini Loaf
More...

Superfood Spotlight: Blueberries

Chris swears by blueberries more than any other food. He simply loves them, adding them to cereal and smoothies or just eating them right out of the fridge. Blueberries are little rock stars. Here’s why:

Antioxidants- Blueberries are loaded with vitamin C, vitamin E, and phytochemicals. Antioxidants work to neutralize free radicals — unstable molecules linked to the development of cancer, cardiovascular disease and other age-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s.


Manganese- Manganese plays an important role in bone development and in converting the proteins, carbohydrates and fats in food into to energy.  The USDA reports that 8 oz. of wild blueberries provide 4.54 mg of manganese.


Folate- Blueberries are a very good source of folate, a B vitamin necessary for nerve function and protein metabolism.


Fiber- These guys provide a very good amount of fiber (nearly 4 grams per cup). Most low-GI foods with strong fiber content are foods we can count on to be helpful in blood sugar regulation.

Blueberries are not only super, but they are also delicious and great in baked goods.

Check out there recipes for some ideas:
Blueberry Acai Smoothie . Banana Blueberry Pancakes . Blueberry Muffins . Blueberry Corn Salad . Blueberry Fruit Salad

Superfood Spotlight: Kale

There are some foods that are so amazing, so packed with nutrients and so good for you that we have to call them SUPERfoods! My favorite of these superfoods is beautiful, leafy green kale.

So, why is kale so amazing you might ask? Here are some of the endless reasons:

Vitamin K- Kale provides a whopping dose of vitamin K (1327% of the RDA in 1 cup), which is necessary for strengthening our bones. Vitamin K also prevents nasty calcium build-up in our tissue.

Vitamin A- With over 192% of the RDA of vitamin A, 1 cup of kale is an effective antioxidant, boosts immunity, and maintains healthy bones and teeth.

Vitamin C- Vitamin C (over 88% of our RDA from 1 cup) is not only a powerful antioxidant, but also lowers blood pressure and ensures a healthy immune system.

Calcium- 1 cup of cooked kale provides nearly 10% of the RDA of calcium. The calcium in kale is more absorbable than the calcium in milk so it helps protect against osteoporosis, arthritis, and bone loss.

Fiber- 1 cup contains nearly 20% of the RDA of dietary fiber, which promotes regular digestion, prevents constipation, lowers blood sugar and curbs overeating.

To prepare kale: pull the leaves off the stems, wash and chop. You can steam kale, add kale to smoothies, toss kale into a stir-fry, make an amazing raw kale salad, bake some kale chips, or add kale to cooked pasta. The options are endless.

Kale recipes to try:

Kale Salad with Pine Nuts and Avocado . Cashew Kale and Chickpeas with Quinoa . Blueberry Banana Kale Smoothie . Massaged Kale Salad with Miso Dressing . Classic Kale Chips . Veggie Pasta Stew . Oven Roasted Kale . Kale Pizza