Juicer, How I Love Thee!

Last week we received a big box in the mail. My mom opened it, not knowing what it was. Out came a big 'ol, snazzy juicer! We were both confused because neither of us remembered ordering one, even though I've wanted a juicer for quite a while now. I shot my dad a quick text seeing if he ordered it for us and he didn't. After coming to the conclusion that my mom may have accidentally bought it with the "one-click order" system through Amazon.com after her 3rd or 4th glass of wine, we opened that baby up!

After ignoring the instructions on how to assemble the juicer and taking twice as long to figure it out ourselves, we went straight for the fruit bowl. We tossed in everything we could find...apples, pears, cantaloupe, oranges, peaches, and we even debated on throwing a banana in (even though I eventually decided we shouldn't...do bananas even have juice? Just the thought of that mushy stuff incorporated into my fresh, drinkable juice did not sit well with me). It was delicious, and now I'm hooked!

This is the juicer I got. It's made by Hamilton Beach and around $50.
You can purchase this blender through Amazon.com by clicking on the picture.

I have mainly only been juicing fruits we have lying around the house and drinking that first thing in the morning for breakfast. I've even got my dad hooked on it (Yay! Healthy family). I've been juicing large quantities at a time so it'll last 3-4 days. The only downside of this juicer is that it is a pain in the butt to clean, so I'd prefer to wash it every few days versus every day when I want fresh juice. I need to branch out and try veggies soon. I have a weird texture complex (i.e. banana example above), so I don't know how I feel about drinking vegetables (other than tomato juice, which I love). I'll be sure to blog about the first time I try it out. 

There are many great benefits to juicing:
1. Juicing helps you absorb the nutrients from the fruits and vegetables
2. Juicing allows you to consume an optimal amount of fruits and vegetables in an efficient manner
3. You can add a wider variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet
4. When making juice, you can add fruits and vegetables that are about to spoil. That way, you don't waste produce (the food we waste the most money on each year).

I'd love if y'all would care to share some good juicing recipes you've tried out. Right now, I've just been wingin' it and throwing whatever fruit I can find in it...precise, I know. 

02/26/2013: Miles run - 149.25 of 1000. Miles remaining - 850.75 of 1000