My New Toy....

I'm so excited to blog about my new toy. This one is definitely a favorite and has a permanent home right on my counter top.

I recently purchased the Breville Dual Disc Juice Processor. Before I go any further, I'll say this baby cost a small fortune. I won't even quote what Micah said when I approached him with this. However, once I argued my case (complete with research) we were able to consider it a healthy investment. With careful budgeting, planning and small dash of patience, we made the purchase.

I've always been pretty good at giving my family fruits and veggies throughout the day. We belong to a produce co-op and get lots of variety at very low cost. However, in my opinion, no matter how well you do, you can always do better. I started reading about the fantastic world of juicing in yoga and health food resources. I finally decided that I would very likely enjoy juicing and would do well at incorporating it into our lifestyle.

I carefully researched juice extractors and decided on the Breville Dual Disc because it can pretty much do anything. I could not find one bad review of this machine and many people claimed that you get what you pay for in this circumstance. I've been on a juicing frenzy since bringing this home and I couldn't be happier!

I have been making all kinds of delightful drinks and have been surprised to learn you can juice just about anything. I was completely amazed at how much juice can be extracted from a single piece of green leaf lettuce or a stalk of celery......you can even juice most herbs! I can also puree soft fruits like bananas and berries which make instant baby food and smoothies. The machine couldn't be easier to operate or clean. All of the pieces pop in and out. I don't have to cut or peel most of the produce. They make it so easy that there are really no excuses for not using it. See the short video on the link above.

When you drink fresh juice, you're getting all of the vitamins and nutrients that you would get from eating the produce, but in juicing, you lose the fiber and cellulose. For this reason, juicing cannot substitute eating fruits and veggies, it can only compliment a well balanced diet. There are also some clever ways to use the pulp waste. You can mix it into casseroles, soups, sauces and baked goods. I also spread some tasty fruit pulp on the girls' waffles before adding the syrup. Even the dogs have enjoyed a little pulp. Anything left over can go straight into my worm composting bin.

My middle daughter loves juice and I have been in the habit of rationing her intake because I'm not too keen on store bought juices. Now I don't worry about it at all when she asks for another glass. I've also found that I love adding some sparkling seltzer water to mine for a refreshing soda-like drink. We'll be making popsicles in the next couple of days for a healthy treat. I can't wait to figure out what other fun things I can do with this!