Carrot Apple Ginger Juice + Pretty Bottles

I finally got to the juicing! Because it's a bit of a process that involves a lot of clean up, I tend to do a bunch of juice at once, and I bottle it in these lovely glass bottles that I save whenever I buy that fun sparkling Italian soda from Trader Joe's or the grocery store. And even though fresh juice starts to lose vitamins the longer it hits air after it's been made, I feel like day-old fresh juice has still gotta be great for you!

Check out the pictorial steps on how to make it below. Enjoy!

For just 1 serving, use 1 apple, 2 medium to large carrots and as much ginger as you like (i like it spicy & love ginger!) For this recipe I had 10 Red Delicious apples, a bag of organic carrots (1 lb, i think). I also used a large ginger knob.

I'm lucky enough to have a Jack LaLane Power juicer. All you have to do is remove the stems from apples, and as long as they fit in the juicer, you are set! Alternate apples, carrots and ginger (the apples wash out remnants of the other stuff since they have the most liquid).

I use a medium sized pot with pour spouts on the sides because it helps to catch all the juices as they splash out, and because it makes it really easy to pour into the tiny-necked bottles I'm about to put it in!

Here are the bottles that I use. I remembered an old trick that I learned in college for cleaning narrow-necked bottles (don't ask but you can guess), and I adapted it to clean these out since my bottle cleaner doesn't fit into these. I took some uncooked rice and mixed it with some soap, and closed the top. I shook it around like a rattle, and the rice helped to scrub off all the insides of the bottle! I felt like a bit of a genius for thinking of this plan of attack-i've tried dishwashing these bottles and they still keep gunk all up the insides, so now I have a new method of cleaning them!

Here's another great clean-up tip: save those small plastic bags that you use in the produce section of the market, and line the receptacle of your juicer with it. When you are done, just lift the bag out and trash it...at least it's just one less thing you have to clean in the end! 

All in all, a lovely, refreshing and healthy carrot, apple & ginger juice with lots to enjoy tonight and tomorrow for breakfast!

And it was Written in the Sand...(Day 1 Recap Coming!)

Working on a recap of day 1 (with lots of great beach and tide pool pics) now. Stay tuned! One tidbit: i didn't end up juicing. But i did eat healthy all day :)

peace, love and progress...

Prog Blog: Days 8 & 9 + Itinerary for Retreat Yourself Day 1!

carrots, apples & ginger. read on...

Even though I still have a ton of work to do tonight in preparation for being out of the office for 2 days (with NO access to email-I'm leaving the blackberry at home! ok, maybe not at home but definitely in the trunk of my car. only for emergencies. don't judge i can't help it. there's a reason they call it a crackberry.) I am SO very excited for RETREAT YOURSELF!! My 2 day mini-retreat kicks off tomorrow morning, and even though it's been cloudy and drizzly here in LA (which i normally LOVE) i'm still looking forward to hitting the great outdoors in Malibu for a workout, some meditation, journaling and general fun and relaxation tomorrow!

Prog Blog: Days 5, 6 & 7 (Donna Martin Graduates & Zumba)

yes, this is from THAT 90210 episode. yes, it's totally random. read the post below to see why...

Today marks exactly 1 week since i've decided to take back my personal well-being, and aside from being really sore, it feels great! (random tangent: for some reason, when i wrote "take back..." in that first sentence, the Beverly Hills 90210 episode where they have the "Take back the Night" rally popped into my head, and then for some reason it morphed into the "Donna Martin Graduates!" episode. Don't ask how/why. Sometimes, these are the things that go through my head!) Anyway...

Prog Blog: Days 1 & 2

The universe's "pillars of creation," as captured by the Hubble telescope.

soooo...i've been doing some legwork to prepare not only for Retreat Yourself days next week, but LIFEWORK to start making permanent changes in my life. And you know what? It's not all that bad...

Retreat Yourself.

Ok, so we all work hard. And everyone is stressed out about life, love, the environment, whatever it may be. Since most of us don't have the financial resources to go on a yoga or wellness retreat when we need a re-charge or a kick-start for some healthy new habits in our lives, sometimes we need to take matters into our own hands.