The Fruits of Summer

I feel tremendously blessed to be able to enjoy the fruits of summer. We've stocked up on so many fruits and veggies, we've run out of room. The cases of grapefruits and oranges are stored in the basement. Greens fill the refrigerator, and the produce drawers are filled to bursting. I love it!

We do spend more than the average American family does on groceries, (especially while I'm juicing) but I'd guess we spend much less on health care, including doctor's visits, health insurance, prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, and missed work due to illness.

In my juicing world, things are starting to get contagious.

Raw Food Today

Breakfast: Marinated Collard Greens topped with avocado, onion, pecans (non-raw), and dried cranberries

Waaaaaay too much white tea

I have a habit of sipping tea while I write or read, and this was a day for writing and reading.

Lunch: 2 pieces garlic-onion bread topped with sauerkraut and mustard

I didn't have raw mustard, so I used my organic, gluten-free version. This is soooo tasty! I haven't had a hot dog in so many years, but this combination is like getting all the flavors in a healthy package. Thanks to whoever recommended it on Raw Food Rehab!

Dinner: Beet/beet greens/apple/spinach/ginger/lemon juice

Super-delish! The lovely boyfriend did the farmer's market run without me for the very first time. I created a list, and we stayed in touch by phone, but he did a fabulous job of filling our fridge with organic greens, fruits, and veggies. Thank you, LB! We hadn't bought red beets for a while, so I was glad to see he got these. We both loved this juice, and it was cool to have this blood red concoction, since we're usually sipping something grassy-green. I'm thrilled Avery's falling in love with juices, much more so than he ever has with the blended soups.

Before bed: 1 cup chamomile tea (planned for later)

Usually I would have a few pieces of fruit as snacks on a day like this, but even though I worked out, I wasn't hungry for more food. Warm weather, lots of flavor, and plenty of nutrients can do that for a girl.

Loving life and giving thanks!

Raw Food Today

Breakfast: Sliced apple, raisins, and homemade Raw cereal topped with pumpkin seed milk

Snack: 3/4 cantaloupe

Lunch: Blender soup (mixed lettuce, tomato, onion, garlic, jalapeno, and cayenne)

Snack: Apple/celery juice

I haven't been doing many juices lately, but the weather has been so bright and warm, the day seemed to demand a fresh juice. This was so refreshing, I can see I'll need to stock up on my favorite juice ingredients as we go into summer. I blended the apple, celery and 1/2 cup water in my Vita-mix, and strained it all through a nutmilk bag. I dehydrated the pulp--can't stand the thought of wasting it.

Dinner: Celery, carrots, and broccoli dipped in fresh guac

Simple, quick, and delicious!

Brand New Taste Buds

Back before I turned my attention to Raw Foods, I'd occasionally go down to the local Mother's Market and buy a fresh juice drink. Usually this would follow a night (or several nights, maybe even weeks) of overindulgence. I'd indulge in fatty foods--you don't want to know what some of these were--alcohol, coffee, infrequent soda, and other highly processed crap. I always ate my fruits and veggies, whatever I could fit in around the party food.

I'd stride into the market, study the menu board for a few minutes and order the same thing every time: The Detox Shock. You see, this was meant to purge my body of all the toxins I was well aware of taking in. Unless I was feeling particularly polluted, I'd order the smallest size (8 ounces). This I would drink over the course of a couple of hours, taking tiny sips . The taste sort of grew on me, but I never enjoyed it.

Cut to today. I'm ordering the same juice blend of wheat grass, lemon, ginger and apple. But I can't get enough of it. Eating clean, natural, living foods has, for whatever reason, helped me to develop a taste for this refreshing combination. I now order the 32 ounce cup of Detox Shock. Unfortunately, it's $8.50 for that big serving of yummy deliciousness. Looks like it's time to start shopping for a juicer--in the thrift stores!