Juicing Art

Carrots offer mom some great health benefits as well as keep babies from experiencing colic. Just make some organic carrot juice fresh and mix with equal parts boiled filtered water. (about 1 oz total can be fed to baby). When nursing moms drink carrot juice, it also apparently helps to develop babies palate and develop a taste for our 2nd favorite vegetable in the USA.  Carrots as everyone knows, helps with eyesight as they are rich in Vitamin A. Here are some other carrot tidbits: Easy to grow, prevent cancer and heart disease, reduce stroke risk, nourish skin, beta carotene helps with anti aging, and lastly your dental health is improved due to their natural abrasive nature. So go out and pick up a 5lb bag today (or better yet pick them from your own garden). Note: I always peel my carrots, as I've found that it removes much of the bitterness. Additionally, I chop off the tips and about 1" below the top.  

This mix had 13 peeled carrots, 2 rings of a red onion, 1/3 bunch of parsley, 3 celery stalks (I peel the outside of each), 1 tomato, 1 peeled lemon, and a whole peeled cucumber. It tastes delicious and should be made often to keep you and your family/friends healthy.  Note: No babies were harmed in this juicing art production - though my newborn son did get the indirect health benefits of having mom drink a tall glass of the orange goodness!

Guacamole is a great tasty treat anytime of the day. I know it is not 'juice'. But being that avocado is technically a fruit, figured that I mine as well share the recipe which gives so much joy (and health benefits).  Most avacado are harvested from Mexico near the equator, so they are in season the entire year.

Roll a lime to get it softer, cut in half and squeeze into a sturdy wide bowl, scoop out two avocado (I choose ones that still have a medium amount of greenish hue, but are also a little brownish) too green or too brown dominant is not optimal. Add in a pinch of cumin and cayenne to taste - then a bit of sea salt (I use the grinder pictured). Mash it up a bit with a potato masher (or other tool) in the bowl, but not so much that it is mush. Add in finely diced clove of garlic and a 1/4 of a small sweet onion and a half of a tomato diced. Lastly, add in a good amount of sliced fresh cilantro. Fold it a couple of times and either eat right away with some tortilla chips, or store in the fridge.

Note: When storing Guacamole, use plastic wrap and press it flush with the top of the guac in the bowl, otherwise it will turn brown on top and not be as delicious looking.

Avocado has numerous health benefits including: anti cancer, anti inflammatory, cholesterol reducing, blood pressure regulating, eyesight bettering, and even prevent birth defects.

Important note: Never put an avocado into a Jack La Lanne juicer, it will clog up the machine and create a mess. If you are making a large qty of guacamole, using the juicer for the limes might be advisable.