Dandy Juice & Pulp Face Mask

THE JUICE

Just Fine and Dandy Juice:

One Cucumber

One Carrot

 Big chunk of Ginger

One fistful of Dandelion Greens

 THE MASK

Juicing isn't cheap. It has saved me a lot of money to make my green juice at home, but the thrifty girl inside me cringes every time I throw the leftover pulp in the garbage. I've found good recipes for cooking with the pulp and I'll try a couple of those soon. 

Today I wanted to get a little more creative. I was inspired by a line of skin care products I've been lucky enough to use once or twice. Eminence Organic Skincare is delightful if you can afford and find it. What I loved about it was how it felt pure, fresh and whole. A couple of the masks smelled good enough to eat.  I'm starting to learn that if I wouldn't consume it, I should probably think twice about putting it on my skin. I hope my recipe inspires you to create your own skin pampering treats.

Ingredients:

Cucumber Pulp

Carrot Pulp

Green Juice

Coconut Oil

Natural Bentonite Clay 

(I used Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay)

Instructions:

In a small bowl, blend about a tablespoon each of the carrot and cucumber pulp with a tablespoon of the oil and of the clay. Add the juice as necessary to get a thick consistency. You want the mixture to be moist enough to stay on your skin but not so wet that it falls right off. Play around with it until you're happy with how it feels. I left it on my face for about fifteen minutes.

Results:

My pores felt tighter as they always do when I use a clay mask but without feeling completely dried out. The oil and the cucumber especially helped with retaining the moisture. This mask felt great although it was a mess when I washed it off. I recommend wiping it off with a paper towel first to keep the food particles out of your drain and then rinsing with warm water.

Lost Words : Reward!

I don't know where my words are. It seems they've gone into hibernation since experiencing true winter weather. I do recognize that I have long periods where I almost can't contain the thoughts and words and feelings that want to flow out of me into the ear of whoever will listen. And then I fold into myself to recharge. Things are simmering in this head of mine. I'm reading more and listening to the world around me, but not finding the words yet.  

So what do I do when my words are missing? 

I'm growing sprouts (or is that sprouting sprouts?). 

Puzzling over puzzles.

Trying out new crochet projects.

Playing mad scientist with my juicer.

This one I call "The Hot Shot"

Well, there you have it. I've been staying in a lot recovering from a cold and apparently acting like a grandma (crocheting AND puzzles??).  If any of you see a big gang of words causing trouble and starting grammar wars, please send them back to me. I will crochet you a beanie as a reward!

And my beanie's are rather awesome...

Just Juice: Beginner Basics

Yesterday I was trying to explain to my sister and a couple friends the difference between green juice and smoothies. I'm still a beginner at the whole juicing thing. My Omega juicer is a baby (so shiny and pretty) but I've figured out the basics. My sister is a very (very) busy mom who's experience with juicing in the past was one of a lot more work and mess than it was really worth. 

It can seem overwhelming at first. How do you put the juicer together? How should you cut the produce? Is there a special order to put them in? Won't it be a pain to clean up? This afternoon I photographed my daily juice making session. Hopefully this shows how easy it can be!

Today's juice was very simple. I used Cucumber and Celery as my base. You want to use a larger amount of those because they give the most juice. Spinach, Carrot and Ginger were added. I figured out with my juicer that I have to save some pieces of Carrot or Celery to put through after the Spinach to get the last of the leaves through.  It's little things like this that you figure out pretty quickly. 

The pulp comes out the end into it's designated container and the juice fills the other container. These came with the juicer so you don't need anything extra other than a glass to drink the deliciousness out of.

                                       

Eventually I may get a dehydrator so I can make crackers out of the pulp. Don't laugh. Over at Choosing Raw I see the amazing things that can happen with the leftover pulp(Juice Pulp Crackers). I've found some recipes for vegeburgers that use the pulp as well depending on which vegetables were used. You probably don't want Ginger pulp in your burger. Or maybe you do...I won't judge.

I put the five parts into a bowl to soak in the sink while I drink my juice. The cleanup is really not time consuming at all. I admit I was worried about it after seeing the huge mess and cleanup from juicers in the past.

                                   

 I like to add my chlorella powder for extra green nutrition, lemon juice and a little stevia.

Everything is a little better out of a wine glass don't you think?

Lest you think I've got this all down to an art form: behold the big green spill! It can be tricky to pour from the plastic bowl into the drinking glass when it's nearly overflowing with juice.  

So there you have it! Juicing doesn't have to involve a ton of scary vegetables. It doesn't have to take up a huge portion of your day to make and clean up. If I wash and cut my ingredients ahead of time it's even faster. I've found a lot of resources online for juicing ideas and facts. Explore on your own or check out a few I've enjoyed:

Choosing Raw : Gena maintains a beautiful website full of recipes and nutritional advice. Check out her Recipage for lots of great ideas.

Kris Carr : You may have heard of her Crazy Sexy Cancer documentary or seen her book Crazy Sexy Diet. This is one energetic woman who took control of her health and now inspires others to do the same.

The Wellness Warrior : Jessica is another woman who leads by example and is a source of continual inspiration and advice. She too had a cancer diagnosis that turned her life around. 

The Juice Nut : This site is more informational about juicing in general. A good extra site to bookmark.

Do you have any good recipes or general juicing advice for me? I'm still such a beginner! I'd love other tips to help me on my way. Please share!

Grinch Juice

I've had my new Omega Juicer for a little over a week now and I'm starting to get a little more adventurous. Today was the first time I've opted for a green juice first thing in the morning. I craved something as green as green could be when I woke up.  The day before Christmas Eve can be one of the most stressful days in the year for so many people. Are you one of them? Are you at risk for turning into a Grinch today? Before you head out for those last minute gifts, get energized the right way with vital nutrients that your body will thank you for. 

Grinch Juice

Medium(ish) Cucumber

3-4(ish) Celery Stalks

2 Cups(ish) Spinach

1 Cup(ish) Kale

1 Cup(ish) Dandelion Greens

1/2(ish) Granny Smith Apple

1 inch cube(ish) Ginger Root

1 Packet Stevia 

1 Tsp. Spirulina Powder

(side effects may include smiling and heart growth)

You'll have to excuse all those "ish's". I'm learning that juicing is not something you can measure exactly and that you don't have to! You can make your own Grinch Juice even without things like Dandelion Greens or Spirulina Powder. Do you have a Cucumber, Spinach and a Green Apple? I'm sure that would be wonderful too and just as green.  

If juice isn't your thing (my lovely sister Leah says it tastes like death), do something else for yourself today. Christmas is all about giving but don't leave out the most important person in your life...YOU!