by LT MarathonGirl | Feb 19, 2014 | Uncategorized
“Instead of being oppressed by the Tyranny of the OR, highly visionary companies liberate themselves with the Genius of the AND – the ability to embrace both extremes of a number of dimensions at the same time. Instead of choosing between A or B, they figure out a way to have both A AND B.” Success Built to Last, Jim Collins
Having posted a lot of smoothie recipes I get asked what type of juicer I own and my answer is, it depends on what you want to do and what your tastes are. In my case, I like delicious fruit smoothies (and these are an easier sell to the 9 year old boy) AND I like smooth fresh vegetable juice. To have both you need different equipment. If you want to choose between brands, like Vitamix OR Ninja then the Tyranny of the OR applies. You do not need two machines that do the same thing. On a side note, spend the money and get the Vitamix. If you want smoothies AND smooth juices without pulp then Embrace the Genius of the AND and purchase both a blender and a juicer.
VITAMIX OR AND BREVILLE
Vitamix
Creates smooth, thick, recipes that depending on the ingredients, may be chewy
Best uses: soft fruit such as:
bananas
mangoes
citrus
berries
greens
recipes that add ice or liquid
recipes that add a liquid sweetener such as agave
Not the best for: hard fruit and vegetables such as:
carrots
apples
beets
ginger
The powerful motor in the Vitamix will certainly handle the above items, but it makes a chewy juice that will be a difficult sell to young ones.
Breville Juicer
Creates pulp free smooth juices
Best uses: hard fruits and vegetables such as:
apples
carrots
celery
ginger
greens
Not the best for: soft fruit and vegetables such as:
bananas
mangoes
juice that adds ice to the recipe
juice that adds sweetener to the recipe
When shopping for a machine remember that you do get what you pay for. I highly recommend both the Vitamix (I have the 6300) and Breville (I own the Juice Fountain Elite). The quality of juice and smoothies is not only better, care and maintenance are much easier with these machines. This is super important for saving time and enjoying the experience.
by LT MarathonGirl | Jan 19, 2014 | Uncategorized
Smoothies are an excellent way for hiding veggies from 9 year old boys who won’t eat them any
other way. The trick is keeping your smoothie recipe from turning sludgie yucky brown and looking like swamp water. Here’s a recipe that stays purple (ish) keeping the mass amounts of spinach in it your secret.
1/2 c water
1/2 c ice
2 cups red grapes
1 c fresh blueberries
1 peeled orange
1 slice lemon peel on
2 large handfuls baby spinach (about 4 cups)
1 squeeze agave
by LT MarathonGirl | Dec 13, 2013 | Uncategorized
I am blessed to have an artist for a husband whose creativity carries over into the kitchen. He whipped up this amazing smoothie for us this morning. The color was not very attractive, but if you close your eyes it’s extremely yummy. Our 9 year old won’t eat most vegetables without a fight. This recipe is great for kids, like him, who won’t eat their veggies. Even the pickiest eaters won’t detect that the spinach is in there.
1/2 c water
1 banana
1 1/2 slice pineapple
1 lime peeled
1 orange peeled
1 handful baby spinach
1 handful frozen cherries (they make it the beautiful brown sludgie color)
1 c ice
1 super generous squeeze agave (gotta tame the lime)
by LT MarathonGirl | Dec 8, 2013 | Uncategorized
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| Our kids in the ocean with a shark, Jamaica |
Spring break to Jamaica was one of my family’s favorite vacations. The weather – perfect; the pool –
perfect; the beach – rocky, but perfect; the food – amazing; swimming with the dolphins – unforgettable! Our all inclusive resort had fresh fruit at every meal. Dinner had a fruit carving station.
Pineapple, mango, and native fruits we have never had before, and don’t know the names of, were plentiful in supply. No mango will ever compare to the super fresh ones we tasted on this trip. And now, every time we have really fresh fruit my daughter says “this reminds me of Jamaica” and smiles.
This smoothie recipe we prepared in our Vitamix blender and will make you feel like you are somewhere tropical.
Printable Version
1 cup water
2 inch slice of pineapple
1 banana
1 orange peeled
1/2 small lime with 1/2 of the peel removed
1 small cucumber (they call them “cute cucumbers” at Costco or 1/3 cup cucumber)
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley (hence the turf)
1 cup ice
by LT MarathonGirl | Dec 4, 2013 | Uncategorized
This morning we decided to create a new concoction in our Vitamix mixer. I had the last bit of a pineapple to use, but I wanted to try something different than Kermit Juice. I asked my 9 year old what color should it end up. Begin with the end in mind, right? He shouted out “red”. OK, red it is.
1 c water
1 1/2 slice of pineapple, skin removed
1 c purple grapes
10 strawberries
1/2 apple
1 c baby carrots
1/4 c sweet pickled beets
1 generous squeeze agave
1 c ice
Printable Version
