Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Juicing Like Crazy

We got a juicer a few weeks ago and have been going juicing crazy in our house and loving it.  The best part, we didn't pay a thing for the juicer!  That is what you get when you have a mom that buys anything and everything kitchen related on TV and she has to have it even if she doesn't use it.  Well, since my mom passed away about 5.5 years ago, items are slowly getting discovered in the house where my dad still lives.  Since my dad is not a cook at all, the kitchen items are up for grabs.  My husband found a juicing cookbook amongst a ton of other cookbooks and knew it came with a juicer, but where it was, was the big mystery.  After checking all the cabinets in the kitchen, I found it in the last one I looked tucked back in the corner.  To our surprise, it was so clean, we are almost positive it was never used.  We are now the proud owners of the Juiceman II Elite.  It might not be the fanciest or finest, but it does the job and we love it!

So far our favorite is apple, carrot and spinach.  I have to be honest, I am nervous to go the all green juice route, but know that is the best for you.  Will have to work up to that since I love sweet things, going all green will take some time.  My boys are loving it just as much and it is turning into another easy way for us to get them to eat their fair share of fruits and veggies which can be a challenge with a 2 and 5 year old.  The only downside is that we are making more trips to Costco to get bulk produce more than ever since we use it so much.

One thing I feel guilty about juicing is all the waste of the pulp spitting out the back into the bucket.  I have looked online for recipes on how to use the pulp, but everyone's comments are not positive and say as hard as it is, it is best to just throw it away or compost it.  If you happen to have a recipe that works for the pulp, I would love to hear about it and try it!  But other than this negative part, I am loving this juice thing and can't believe we have waited so long to try it!


2 comments:

  1. I know what you mean about the pulp. I've used it in soups- you just need to blend it really well and add lots of flavour. I've also baked with it (crackers, muffins etc) I guess it really depends what you've juiced and the texture you're left with. I think people have differing results because the moisture content of the pulp differs so much.
    I'm glad you're enjoying juicing- don't be scared of green juices though! You can always do a green juice with banana or apple or carrot to sweeten it up. Go on, give it a go!

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  2. Wow, now that's what I call a great find! I'm glad you're enjoying the juicer.
    I saw a recipe a while back where someone used the carrot pulp to make a carrot cake. I don't remember where I saw it though. I agree with Claire, just throw in an apple, pear, or carrot with your greens to make the juice sweet....Yummy!

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