Juicing With Beetroot

We drink green juices several times a week. Sometimes we like to add a little red in the form of beetroots or orange in the form of carrots in our juice. It gives it a nice touch of color. It is amazing how red the beetroot is. The taste is a bit strong so we don't put in more than one beetroot for 4 cups of juice.

This concoction has broccoli, celery, chinese flowering cabbage (choy sum) and beetroot. I love the wonderful colors of nature in our juice. It is also a good thing to eat or in this case drink vegetables with different colors. 

You can check out some of the benefits of beetroot here.

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My First Time Drinking Wheat Grass Juice

Recently my husband bought 4 packets of wheatgrass from an organic store. We had been juicing celeries, broccoli and other greens for some time now and we found that it has improved our family health. 

Since it is my first time drinking wheat grass juice, I didn't know how much wheat grass to use. I decided to use two packets.

I didn't know how much juice the two packets would yield. I had read that if you are drinking wheat grass for the first time, you should go slow by taking a shot of 1 ounce of juice at first.

Our two packets of wheat grass was one big bowl after washing. We used our regular juicer to make the wheat grass. I didn't want to use my blender as I would have to sieve it afterwards. However, it did make my juicer rattle and shake! I removed some of the wheat grass that was stuck around the edges and then it was okay after that. Phew! I thought that I had damaged my juicer.

At last, our shot of wheat grass was ready. It came up to more than I had expected. Each cup had over 2 ounces of juice in them. The two packets of wheat grass or one big bowl yielded about 4-5 ounces of wheat grass juice.

I remembered that I was supposed to start slow by drinking 1 ounce first since it was my first time drinking the wheat grass juice but I didn't want to throw the extra away. This is expensive grass!

So I drank my 2 ounces of wheat grass and within 5 minutes I was burping. In 10 minutes I felt bloated and slightly uncomfortable. Within half and hour I felt nausea and threw up. I drank green juice but vomitted black material. Grouse! That was my trial and error first time drinking wheat grass juice. Next time, I'll try one packet instead of two. I'm very brave to think of trying again after throwing up don't you think but then, there are two more packets of expensive wheat grass in my fridge....

Oh, I almost forgot to mention. I didn't vomit because it tasted or smelt bad. In fact, it tasted rather sweet. The vomitting was an involuntary action completely.

Updated:

I've taken the wheatgrass juice two more times after this. In 1oz shots and sipped slowly without problems. I used my regular juicer to make the juice but since the wheatgrass is very thin, it keeps on getting stuck at the sites causing my juicer to jam, make a loud vibrating noise and dance around (it literally jumped around my kitchen counter). Since then, I've tried to add celery to the juice to push the wheatgrass down the juicer which worked a little better. I'm still hunting for a Manual Wheatgrass Juicer at the moment.

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Homemade Fruit Juice Ice Lollies

It is so hot these days. The weather is humid and uncomfortable. An iced coke would certainly be thirst quenching but that is unhealthy. So what can we do? We can make homemade Fruit Juice Ice Lollies, that's what. We've been making ice lollies using Ribena and Milo. This time the kids wanted something different.

So we went to the fridge and took out two oranges. Then we squeezed out the juice, added a little water and a bit of honey and poured them into our ice lolly mold or ice lolly maker. Put them into the freezer and in a few hours, we have our homemade fruit juice ice lollies.

Instead of fruit juices, you can use yoghurt too for a different texture and taste and to offer variety.

Homemade Fruit Juice Ice Lollies are Delicious and healthy! 

 Squeeze two oranges, add water and honey and pour into ice lolly container

 Delicious and healthy orange juice lollies served with grapes

The ice lolly is perfect for hot days or summer

Homemade Fruit Juice Lollies are perfect for hot summer days!

These cute looking ice lolly molds take my breath away. They will be great for kids summer parties. Kids will be lining up for these homemade ice lollies using these adorable molds! My kids enjoy making the ice lollies themselves. It is fun to pour the juice into the lolly maker and take them out from the freezer a few hours later in frozen form. It is also the best and most delicious way to teach kids about the science of liquid and matter. 

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Flu Season?

It used to be the flu season all year round for us but this is the first time this year that we're all sick. Hopefully, all that juicing and supplementing and trying to get more exercise and eat more fruits and vegetables is starting to work its magic.

Whatever it is, we will keep this up for now.

• At the moment, we are all taking a multivitamin each a day accept weekends.
• We take fresh vegetable juices on Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. That is 4 times a week. We try to take it on an empty stomach, half an hour before food.
• We don't get enough exercise but we try to take the kids to the park at least once a week. Hubby plays badminton once a week and works out at the gym during lunch once or twice a week. I do my home workouts 2-3 times a week. 

Hopefully, this keeps us healthy. It is end of April now. I think this is the first time we have not fallen sick for close to 4 months. That is certainly a record when you have a home with young kids. Young kids always fall sick from germs in daycare and school and pass that along to parents and this happens rather frequently.

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Adding Bitter Gourd Or Bitter Melon To My Vegetable Juice

Recently, I've started adding Bitter Gourd or Bitter Melon to my Vegetable Juices. I had thought that it would make my Vegetable Juice bitter and unpalatable. I hate eating Bitter Gourd by the way. To my surprise, it does not taste bitter in juice. It just taste sort of spicy tangy. Anyway, I add just a very small amount. Just one or two slices compared to a whole big bowlful of vegetables so you can hardly taste it.

I use the small variety, a mini bitter gourd. I don't know what is the difference between the big ones and the little ones, I just use the small ones to prevent wastage.

Here is my bitter gourd. I use the mini ones to prevent wastage.

I add just one or two slices to this huge bowlful of vegetables including celery, brocolli, choy sum and some apples. I don't know how to call choy sum in English. If you don't know what choy sum is, just take a look at these images of choy sum.The apples are for the kids to make the vegetable juice more palatable for them. It's my way of getting the kids to drink their vegetable juice. My kids drink the juice neat (without adding any water or ice) like us. They are 8 and 10  years old, old enough not to upset their tummies drinking neat vegetable juice.

All the vegetables go into a Juicer. Vroom. Vroom.

That big bowl of vegetables yields four cups of vegetable juice neat with no water added.

Vegetable juices help my kids 'eat' more vegetables. We do not drink the juice in place of our vegetables but rather in addition to the vegetables that we eat. I don't think it is a good idea to drink vegetable juices as a replacement for vegetables, otherwise you lose all that good fiber so drink them in addition to your vegetable intake.

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Should I get a Food Detoxifier

The other day when I was at the Mall, I stopped by a counter selling a Food Detoxifier. I was intrigued because I do a lot of juicing so we eat a lot of raw fruits. My worry is accidentally eating contaminated fruits and vegetables since we don’t cook them. My kids drink the fruit and vegetable juices too so it makes me even more conscious about the cleanliness of the vegetables.

The guy manning the booth showed us how the Food Detoxifier turns water into an oxygen-rich environment for cleaning food. He also demonstrated how food coloring is removed by going through this food detoxifier water cycle.

I am quite interested to find out more about this Food Detoxifier. However, I will not purchase it just yet. It is expensive but price aside, I must first research the safety of its use. I wish someone who has it will leave a comment to tell me more about it because recently the water in my house smells funny.

I think the chlorine in it is high. I can smell it even after the water is boiled and even when I make a hot chocolate to drink. Even all my little guppy fishes died. That is why I am concerned and looking on ways to improve the water in my house. In fact, today, the water filter man is coming to change my filter. The other day he came to check my water and bought us a small bottle of liquid for checking the level of chlorine in the water. I didn’t know there was such a thing.

I hope that the water will improve after today.

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Fruit and Vegetable Juice Recipe for my Kids

My husband loves to drink vegetable juices and has been asking me to make some vegetable juices for the kids. However, I find that vegetable juices are a bit harder on the palate then fruit juices so I am starting them on fruit juices first... mixed with just one or two vegetables. That is more appealing for kids.

Previously I used to make diluted fruit juices for them but now they can take it straight. So far I have used two fruit and vegetable juice recipes. Having said that, it is however better for kids to drink diluted fruit juice because drinking it straight is too sweet for growing teeth and you also want to avoid and pesticide poisoning.

Fruit and Vegetable Juice Recipe for Kids - Recipe 1

• 1 Pear
• 2 Apples
• 3 Oranges
• 4 Stalks of Celery (Halved) 

This yields 2 cups. It is sweet and tangy. It is easy to remember as well. I have a rather bad memory. So I came up with this 1, 2, 3, 4 fruits and vegetables to help me remember. It is actually two stalks of celery halved to make the number 4. 

One day, we ran out of celery and pears and our second fruit juice and vegetable recipe for the kids were discovered quite by accident. I just went to the refrigerator to find what was available and came up with this recipe.

Fruits and Vegetable Recipe for Kids - No 2

• 1 Apple
• 3 Oranges
• 1/2 a Carrot
• 1 tomato

This yields 2 cups. The Carrot and Tomato changed the color of the juice for yellow green for Recipe No 1 to orange red for Recipe No 2. The kids liked this colour. The sour taste of the tomato and oranges were masked by the apple and carrot making it tasty yet nutritious.

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Vegetable Juice Recipes

Yesterday, I shared this vegetable juice recipe:

Vegetable Juice with spinach.
I used:

1. Cucumber
2. Celery
3. Spinach
4. Apple

Vegetable Juice with tomato

Sometimes, I add a tomato to the above vegetable juice recipe to give it an extra tangy taste. So I use...

1. Cucumber
2. Celery
3. Spinach
4. Apple
5. Tomato

Vegetable Juice with broccoli

At other times, I replace the spinach and cucumber with broccoli like this..

1. Broccoli
2. Celery
3. Apple
4. Choy Sum (Chinese Flowering Cabbage)

It is very easy to make your own vegetable juice recipe. You can try any combination you like by adding or replacing vegetables like this. Once, I tried ginger but I didn't like it. I think it should only be used sparingly because the taste of ginger is so strong.

I almost always add only one fruit, that is apple to my vegetable juices. Apple is sweet so I try not to have too much of it. Usually, just one apple to whatever vegetables that I am juicing to give it a sweeter taste. I like celery too. It too has a strong taste but it makes the juice taste more interesting. The Chinese Cabbage has an almost bitter taste but it is dark green and leaf so I like it in my juice but I do not use too much of it.

If you want to know more about Chinese Cabbage and other Asian Vegetables, read this interesting article on the Sydney Morning Herald "Can't tell pak choy from buk choy? Demystifying Asian Greens."

I always peel off the skin of my vegetables and fruits before juicing. Yes, it is a pity because I will lose most of the vitamins that way but I have no choice really. I prefer not to take the risk of taking something with loads of vitamins but laden with wax or pesticides. So I peel the skin, always. 

Happy Juicing!

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Juicing Vegetables

Today I will share one of my vegetable juice recipes in pictures. My vegetable juice recipe is not precise as I will not mention how many stalks or leaves of vegetables I used. I think it depends on the amount you wish to make as well as your personal taste and preference.

Here are the ingredients I used in my Vegetable Juice.

1. Apple

2. Cucumber

3. Spinach

4. Celery

That is my vegetable juice, all done. :)

All the green vegetables you see in the first picture above yields two cups of fresh and pure vegetable juice. I do not mix with any water or ice.

Here is another closer look at my pure green vegetable juice. Does it look healthy or yuckky to you? It tastes quite nice actually, once you get used to the taste. Vegetable juice is an acquired taste just like any other foods or drinks.

Finally, here are the vegetable leftovers from the juicing. A bit of a pity isn't it? All that lovely greens and fibre. Anyway, I couldn't eat that much of vegetables in one sitting. 

Most importantly, I don't just drink my vegetables, I eat them as well. I drink vegetable juices in addition to eating my greens. They are not meant to be a replacement but rather to increase my intake of vegetables especially raw vegetables. 

  

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