Green Juice in a Jar

Hi friends!

I hope you’re having a lovely day.  I always love days that feel like Mondays but are really Wednesdays

I started mine off with this nutrient filled delight:

For Christmas this year Colin and I bought a juicer.  We usually don’t exchange gifts but pick something bigger that we both want (or in this case, something I really want and he is tired of hearing me talk about ).    When I saw a great brand on sale for a great deal, I couldn’t resist.  Ironically, I think he’s used it more than me over the past few weeks!

Anyway, we’ve been enjoying a variation of this green juice most mornings of the week and both notice a increase in our energy levels (placebo effect?!).  Real or fake, I do love starting the day off knowing I’ve already had a few servings of green veggies!  If you don’t have a juicer, next time you’re at a place that serves fresh juices, you should definitely try one…the greener the better.  And then let me know how you feel!

If you do buy one, or already have one, you MUST try this recipe.  Its really delicious.

Basic Green Juice
makes two 12-oz. servings
•1/2 large bunch of kale
•2 large stalks of celery
•1/2 large cucumber
•1 small green apple
•1/2 bunch parsley

Wash all vegetables.  Starting with the kale and parsley, run through a juicer.  Add celery, then apple, then cucumber.  Serve immediately over ice.

There’s some controversy surround juicing.  Proponents say that there’s no way you can eat the amount of vegetables that you can juice, so you get an enormous nutrient load in that small glass.  Opponents believe that the lack of fiber minimizes the health benefits.  I see both sides and think that if you get plenty of dietary fiber from other healthy sources throughout the day, fresh juices can boost your nutrient intake.  On the flip side, if someone thinks they can drink a green juice in the morning then eat big macs all day and be healthy, I would say…”Duh!  You have to eat your veggies!”

***

Initially I planned on going on a run this morning but I woke up SO sore.  Like the sorest I’ve been in a long time.  It definitely made me miss my lifting buddy   I knew my body needed a break, so took the dog on a long walk instead.  It was freezing (I much prefer running than walking in 9° temps!) but we ended up venturing out for a little over an hour.  It felt really good to get the blood flowing.

Post-walk, I grabbed a quick bite, cleaned up, and headed into work.  It was a busy day and time sure flew by!

Before I knew it I was headed to another recreation center to get ready for Boot Camp assessments.  Our next session starts on Saturday and I’m thrilled that I retained 100% of boot campers from the last session.  Plus we added a few new participants. For the next 12-weeks, I’ll be working them out on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings and I have a feeling it will be a blast!

***

I planned a quick and easy dinner for tonight since I figured I’d be home late, and it turned out really well.  Easy, cheap, and fast.  Um, HELLO!

I simply topped corn tortillas with some black beans, scrambled eggs, a sprinkling of cheese and salsa.  On the side we had leftover roasted broccoli and cauliflower (roasted @ 450° for 30-minutes with a drizzle of olive oil and seasoned with salt/garlic powder).

The stars of the meal were the tortillas.  These are incredible.  Seriously.

***

Before I sign off to get ready for tomorrow, I want to show you my “Parker Plant”.

My good friend, Jami, gave these out as favors at her baby shower last year and Colin and I joked about how long we thought I could keep it alive (I don’t have the best track record with houseplants).  Well,  here it is…thriving!  Whoop

Have a fantastic evening and I’ll talk to you tomorrow!

*TIP TIME*
Keep corn, brown rice, and/or whole-wheat tortillas in the freezer for a head start on breakfast,  lunch, or dinner.  You can easily whip up burritos, quesadillas, or even pizzas in no time at all by pulling them out of the freezer 15-minutes before you want to eat!