Watermelon Ginger Juice

It is HOT here in the Midwest.  We have been enjoying temperatures in the upper 90's & 100's.
I am about to make some Watermelon Ginger Juice and thought you might enjoy making some of your own.
This juice will help to keep you hydrated and the ginger helps with inflammation & digestion.


A few weeks ago I  messed up the plug in for my memory card on the computer so I have not been able to post any pictures of the great recipes I have been making with the produce from my CSA.
I hope to get back to posting some of my own pictures again soon....until then I'll re-post some old pic's and some helpful video's.

Being Prepared, Wheatgrass, Watermelon juice & Green powders

1st thing this morning I drank 8 oz of watermelon juice

After watching a youtube this morning I was inspired to have some
wheatgrass/coconut water juice~this juice is alkalizing, hydrating and cleansing... for the benefits of wheatgrass check out this site http://www.hippocratesinst.org/Wheatgrass/Benefits-of-Wheatgrass.aspx
for the benfits of coconut water go to here http://www.knowledgebase-script.com/demo/export.php?ID=320&type=PDF

noon~bowl of pineapple, banana, raspberry, blueberries, blackberries, sprinkled with sesame seeds and coconut flakes (unsweetened)

8 oz of watermelon juice(prior to my walk)
MSM~ 3 capsules

Snack before dinner
1 red bell pepper, 1 red hot sweet pepper~didn't know it was hot til I started chewing!!!
handful of fresh strawberries

dinner~Big Salad with mixed greens~leaf lettuces, collards, parsley, celery tops, grated carrots & cabbage, cherry tomatoes, pressed garlic, 1/2 avocado diced, squeeze of lemon
Salad Dressing~ small tomato, 1/2 red bell pepper, clove of garlic, 1/2 avocado, 1/2 of a lime squeezed and blended in vitamix
I added a light sprinkle of nutritional yeast for some added flavor
My salad was too big I couldn't finish it.....

My daughter and I went on a 3 mile walk in the 90 degree weather today....we had a good sweat!

Today I was not prepared so I did not drink the amount of juice that I usually drink...I really enjoy my green lemonade and always feel energized and super hydrated during the day.
Being prepared is essential to this lifestyle. Watermelon juice is an easy one to make quickly.
Just throw some chunks into a blender and strain or pour into a glass and watch the pulp come to the top. Drink the juice and toss the pulp into your compost pile, unless you have blood sugar issues. You may want to drink it with the pulp as a smoothie or skip the watermelon juice. It can be too sweet for some people and spike the blood sugar. They digest so quickly that they will cause digestive distress for most people. I find it is best to have them first thing in the morning and then wait for at least 30-60 mins before I have anything else.

Sometimes I use green powders. They are very convenient for when I don't have time to make my juice. You add the powder to water or juice, it can also be added to smoothies. Powders are not the best choice but it is better than doing without. Always make sure that the powder is dehydrated at a low temperature and organic. This will preserve most of the valuable enzymes.

Another way to be prepared is to always have fresh fruit and veggies around the house and take some with you when you go out. That way if your errands take longer than planned you'll have something to eat and not be tempted to indulge in something that is not good for you. I like to take a cooler bag with an ice pack and some juice and fruits and/or veggies. If I don't have time to cut them up I will try to clean them and pack a knife if needed. You could also take some seed crackers~ I usually keep a box in my car. Raw nuts, raw trail mix are a couple other choices. Just don't over indulge. Nuts are fatty and remember to drink plenty of water with your dehydrated fruits. Beware some people have trouble digesting nuts and fruits. It is always best to practice proper food combining. (You can find food combining charts on the web for free)
If the ideas shared are not feasible there is always a grocery store. They have fresh fruits and veggies. Just go to your produce department, get some bottled water to clean them up and there you go. You can usually find produce chopped up and ready to eat. Just read the label to make sure it is preservative free.
Also, keep a paring knife in your vehicle for times like these.

If you are really ambitious ~after your purchases you can clean and cut up some of your produce and have it ready to throw together a quick meal or take along. Usually one day a week I will try to spend several hours in the kitchen making 2 to 3 salads and other dishes that are ready to consume for my busy scheduled days. This is extremely helpful.

I have many other ideas I will share as I go along but for now that should get you started.

Now I have to go and make my green lemonade!!
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I just finished with my kitchen duty for this evening and am sitting down with my raw milk cheese some peppers and seed crackers...I made almost one gallon of green lemonade, 3 pints of smoothies, watermelon juice ( I cut up a watermelon for my hubby to take to work & with the white edges and some red parts I made my juice~he doesn't like the white parts, which are good for you, so I let nothing go to waste)

almost 1 gallon of GREEN LEMONADE

4 bunches of celery
8 rainbow chard leaves
1 large zuchinni
1 large cucumber
1 beet
5 lemons
1 large piece of ginger
6 squirts of liquid stevia

It looks kinda dirty but taste delish...cannot wait to devour some in the a.m.

I also made some smoothies

MANGO/BANANA/KIWI SMOOTHIE
2 mangos
3 bananas
2 kiwi
spinach to the top of the vitamix
1 c. of water

blend and fill 3 pint jars

Community Supported Agriculture, Banana Split Ice cream smoothie & Raw Cheese Quesadilla

We are having a hot and humid 90 degree day with sunshine!!! Lot's of Vitamin D available today.
Wednesday's are my pick up day for CSA (community supported agriculture). If you are not familiar with them..here is a website to learn about them.. http://www.localharvest.org/csa/ Each week I get a share of my local farmer's crop that feeds a family of four that consumes a primarily plant based diet. Prior to the planting season I make arrangements to pay for the seasons harvest, which is 26 weeks. I have been doing this for 5 years and we love the fresh variety of produce and we get to support our local farmer's. We have been working with our farmer for about 7 years and he uses only sustainable & organic farming methods..Our portion today consisted of a bunch of kale, bok choy, mixed salad greens, (Yah!! for greens) 4 red peppers, a couple of tomatoes, a bunch of carrots, butternut squash, basil, okra, chives and
2nd peppers (2nd's are not choice but they will throw those in as freebies)so...with all of this plus yesterday's produce I purchased at the Farmer's Market our family should be set with more than enough and with the overflow I will dehydrate what I cannot use.

The family that host the CSA also has access to raw milk cheese, raw milk, organic meats, bakery goods, homemade soaps and other items as well as ordering wholesale from the warehouse to purchase organic and other healthy foodstuffs and personal items. I also network with another group that purchases wholesale organic produce from a distributor locally, which we order monthly. This is really great in the winter months. This is community support in action as we all work together ~some providing, some helping, distributing and delivering to one another when needed. Each of us is needed and mutually blessed~

This morning I had 1 quart of watermelon juice
2~16 oz bottles of green lemonade
bowl of banana, pineapple, blueberries topped with walnuts

mid afternoon~ romaine lettuce, 1 heaping T. of black beans & corn, 1/3 c. pico de gallo, grilled zuchinni & peppers,small amount of guacamole, non-raw chipotle dressing & about 6 corn chips

After this meal I couldn't hardly stay awake... Live enzymes are where it is at...
I went out to eat with my youngest daughter to have some special alone time with her and by the end of our time I felt like a zombie...we went for a walk and I could barely keep my eyes focused.. :(

So when we got home I prepared a banana split ice cream/smoothie & I ate 1 cup & sprinkled more cacao nibs on it. I am awake now :):):)

BANANA SPLIT ICE CREAM/SMOOTHIE

In this order put into a Vitamix: 12 oz of coconut milk, 4 bananas, raw cacao nibs, frozen strawberries, raw honey and vanilla, blend and add enough ice to make it super thick..what we didn't eat I froze for later. You could also use frozen bananas instead of ice.

RAW CHEESE QUESADILLA

late night snack...which I need to give up...raw cheese quesadilla~red bullhorn pepper sliced lengthwise and filled with pressed garlic & gouda raw milk cheese..

This afternoon I jumped on the trampoline for 10 mins. and did a 55 min cardio sculpt workout and this evening I walked for 3 miles

I would also like to say that every day I drink lots of water...this will go without saying(posting) from now on :)