Home Made Baby Food

Getting the second generation of a sassy veggie can be a little harder than it might seem. I've got the 3 very different boys to prove it! However, starting early can be your best ally. Thus, homemade baby food is born.

Apple Cider Vinegar Cleanse

I recently started taking Apple Cider Vinegar after months of hearing about how great it is and how many health benefits it has. Its definitely taking some commitment on my part because I am not a fan of the taste. It reminds me of my mom's kombucha tea she started drinking when I was a kid and still drinks it to this day. I have noticed the ACV has helped with the cravings after I stopped consuming caffeine. So that benefit alone is well worth it to me!

Simple Rule

Energy Beet Juice

Summer has officially begun! The temps are rising (much to my dismay), farmer's markets are bursting with ripe fruits and veggies and I am looking for refreshing, yummy and healthy drinks.

This energizing beet juice hit the spot for me this morning. I even got to enjoy it outside on the porch for some peace and quiet...short lived, but appreciated all the same!

ENERGY BEET JUICE:

1 large beet (stalks and all)
1 cucumber
4 large carrots

Carrot Cookies

Juicer Pulp Carrot Cookies

I found a recipe for juicer pulp bread and tweaked it a little bit for cookies. They are pretty tasty and feel free to comment with any suggestions!

1/2 C sugar or sugar substitute (I used Raw Stevia)
1/4 C milk
2 eggs or equal amount egg subst.
1 mashed banana
2 tbsp honey
1tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/3C flour (I used 1C whole wheat and 1/3C white flour)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2C juicer pulp (I used the carrot pulp from the multiple carrot juices I consumed. Also, the pulp should be used within a day.)

1. Preheat Oven to 350. Spray cookie sheet with no stick cooking spray.
2. Mix together sugar or sugar substitute, egg or egg substitute, milk (I used Soy), mashed banana, honey, vanilla and cinnamon.
3. In separate bowl mix flour, powder, soda and salt.
4. Combine the two mixtures and add pulp. Stir until mixed well.
5. Drop by tablespoon full onto prepped cookie sheet.
5. Bake for about 10 mins.

Day 3 Juice 1 & 2

Colorful Carrots

These recipes served well for a busy day 3 (and I am a day late posting them, oops!)

Pink Carrot Juice

4 large carrots
1 large beet

Green Carrot Juice

6 carrots
1/2 cucumber
2 kale stalks
1/2 lime (or lime juice)

Day 3 is awesome!

I must admit that I totally thought that I would have a hard time doing a "reboot".  Not only restricting my calories, but resisting the temptation of eating unhealthy food. I guess I shouldn't be surprised but I feel AMAZING. Just after three days of doing this! My stomach doesn't feel bloated, I have more energy than I have in...um, forever and I feel like my brain even feels better. This might sound cheesy or like I am trying to sell something, but it is the honest-to-God truth. I wish everyone could feel this way!

That being said, here are a few pointers for juicing:

1. Invest in a good juicer...
You will get your moneys worth for sure if you have a machine that works properly and gets all the pulp out of your juice. www.amazon.com has some good deals on mutiple brands.  We got our Power Juicer Classic at www.powerjuicer.com and we love it!

2. Wash the yuck away...
Obviously buying organic is going to be ideal, but not always practical location wise and/or budget wise. So be sure to wash your fruits and veggies thoroughly. Not only will this get the pesticides and fingerprints off your food, but will taste better. Even if you go organic, they need to be washed as well. And I find it a lot easier to wash and prepare my day's worth of veggies before hand in the morning so I'm not scrambling to get it all done and juiced at the same time.  Especially with 3 boys running around!

3. Waste not, want not...
All that pulp you collect in the waste basket of your juicer is money down the drain if you throw it out! You can make muffins, chips, fruit leather, etc with all the pulp. I have found a couple websites with some good recipes:

www.choosingraw.com

www.happyjuicer.com

DAY 2 JUICE 1

Day 2 Juice 1:Power packed Punch

1 apple

1C raw spinach  

1/2C blueberries  

 1 stalk celery  

1 carrot 

1/2 cucumber

1C kale

This recipe had the most ingredients in it and definitely packed a punch! I felt like I could run a marathon after I finished it. 

DAY 1 JUICE 2

Day 1 Juice 2: Kick-A Carrot Juice

6 carrots

2 apples

This one was easy to make and tasted delicious. I was in a hurry to make it so I didn't add a ton of ingredients, but it still gave me some major energy and filled me up!

DAY 1, JUICE 1

DAY ONE, JUICE 1

Super Cleanse Beet Juice:

1 large beet

2 carrots

1 red apple

1/2 a lemon

1 piece of ginger

This was my very first juicer experience. I had no idea how to use the juicer (which is super cool, by the way) as I had just watched my husband while he was making his juice and would occasionally try a sip of his. So I was pretty pleased with myself having figured out how to use it and making a yummy juice.

This recipe aids in cleaning out any toxins in your body. And the apple makes it somewhat sweet, thus making it a good one to start on for a beginner like me.

...And Veggies, too!

Starting a blog with three children, including a 6 week old baby, isn't going to be the easiest thing to do, but I am up for the challenge!

This will be my medium for support, information and sharing yummy recipes. I started a "Reboot" yesterday...replacing two meals a day with juice and the rest of the time only eating clean foods (NO processing, refined sugar/flour or animal products).