Green Juice...
We've been making our green blend almost daily since 2004 after reading about the benefits of drinking fresh vegetable juice.
The first few years we used a juicer, but in 2007 we switched to using a high-speed blender, the Blendtec Total blender.
Unlike the juicer, it doesn't waste any of the vegetable pulp (although it makes the juice thicker and more like a smoothie), and dramatically improves the daily cleanup time.
Once a week I buy all of the vegetables and supplies needed, and then make the juice for six days out of the week.
These measurements make enough for our family (two adults and two kids), and this is what I toss in the blender each day...
- Spicy V8 Juice: 1 cup
- Water: 1 cup
- Swiss Chard: 1-2 stalks
- Green or Purple Kale: 1-2 stalks
- Celery: 2 stalks
- Carrots: 3 minis or 1/2 a regular carrot
- Parsley: 1/6 bunch
- Cilantro: 1/6 bunch
- Ginger Root: about 1" length, peeled
- Spinach Leaves: a handful, about 1 cup
- Broccoli Tops: about 1/2 cup
- Purple Cabbage: about 1/2 cup
Blend 30 seconds (cycle 4). This makes 4 - 4.5 cups of green sludge, and you can dump extra now if you have too much before adding the remaining ingredients.
Then add the following stuff, which does not need to be blended as vigorously as the vegetables.
Pulse briefly to blend, pour mixture into glasses, and serve.
When the kids were younger, I also needed to mix in a bit of apple juice so they would drink it, but since age 9 they haven't needed it.
Cleanup is a snap, as you just rinse the blender, add some hot water and soap, pulse in the blender 5 seconds, rinse again and you're done.
e-mail to carl@griceland.com