NEW Juice recipes, Smoothie recipes…time to get back to it!

I am literally having a hard time typing on my laptop. It’s ridiculous. Is it possible to be away from your laptop for so long that you have to reacquaint yourself with the keyboard? I guess it is because that’s what I’m experiencing right now. I have missed my blog, missed eating healthy (mostly low fat raw vegan or 80/10/10) all the time and definitely sorely missed feeling healthy and vibrant. I guess being pregnant (not having an easy time with it) and taking care of a newborn can really throw you off your game. Well, y’all, I’ve gotten back on the saddle, I’m thoroughly enjoying the process of taking care of myself again and now I want to get back to talking, or rather, typing about it.

My sins. I have many of them this year. I literally shoved anything and everything down my throat while I was pregnant. I couldn’t eat and satisfy myself fast enough. I had an insatiable appetite 24/7. All the time. All the darn time. I woke up thinking about food (unhealthy food) and went to bed thinking about what (unhealthy) breakfast I would have the next morning. It was horrible and pleasurable all at the same time. I am incredibly hungry all the time now thanks to being a breastfeeding mommy but at least this time I’m shoving bananas down my throat and waking up excited to make a green juice. I thank the heavens above that I literally did not pay for my sins by gaining excessive weight while pregnant but my hormones are definitely waaaay out of whack which I can’t balance with any herbs till I’m done breastfeeding. I gained 19lbs and lost all of it by the time I was 10 days postpartum. THANK YOU GOD. All that being said, I look forward to a healthful postpartum journey and I want to take you with me whether you’re happy with your weight, want to lose weight, want to feel energized by your meals, lower your cholesterol, control your blood sugar or just love to prepare and enjoy delicious new healthy recipes. I can guarantee it’ll be an interesting ride!

Here are a few juice and smoothie recipes that I have made in the last few weeks that have really gotten me excited! I mean…really excited!! 🙂

Blueberry Delight Smoothie Recipe

• Blueberries, 1 cup
• 1 banana
• 1 orange
• Handful of spinach
• 1tbsp of flaxseed meal

Simple Strawberry-Mango-Orange Smoothie Recipe

• 1 cup of strawberries
• 1 orange
• 1/2-1 cup of mango

Great Green Juice Recipe

• 3-4 stalks of celery
• 1 cucumber
• 2 apples
• 1 kiwi
• Handful of cilantro
• Handful of parsley
• 1 lemon
• knob of turmeric 

So there you have it folks! Those are 3 pretty good recipes worth making….right now 🙂 If you can’t wait 500 months for my next post, do check me out on IG (Instagram). I’ve been posting great recipes there pretty often the past few weeks. Do scrub those veggies really well and choose organic ones if available/affordable. I made my smoothies with the all-too-amazing Vitamix and juiced with the Omega J8006.

~Happy Juicing Y’all!~

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Make a Green Juice and Feel Better NOW

Do you desire greater health? YES! YES! YES!

Are you constantly making excuses? YES (It’s too cold, I’m too tired etc)

Is there always something seemingly more important to do in the moment? YES (fold the laundry, pay bills, clean the kitchen, buy groceries etc)

I figured I’d just answer the questions for myself. I’ve somehow put so many other things ahead of the list in my life when all I really wanted to do was just make and enjoy a homemade organic green juice. So while I stare at the pile of laundry next to me I’m sipping my green juice, blogging and feeling happy. Making and drinking green juice as I usually do, in the quiet of my home, early in the morning, has an extremely cathartic effect on me. I feel calm, refreshed and approach all the tasks of my day in a more relaxed manner. All the noise that was going on in my head about all the things that need to get done today that was truly making me feel overwhelmed is gone! All I did to make it stop the ‘noise’ was to do something I love that took less than 15 minutes from start to finish. So while I think everyone should make a green juice especially because it sets the tone to make healthier choices the rest of the day, the moral of the story is to just hit the PAUSE button as soon as your day begins and perform a task that is calming. For me, this morning, it was prayer and a green juice, what will it be for you?

Here are 2 green juice recipes that hopefully inspire you to take time for yourself each morning so you can feel better NOW 🙂

• Cucumber (1)
• Celery (2-3 stalks)
• Apple (2 apples)
• Lemon (1)
• Romaine Lettuce (1 head/heart)

Green juice recipes don’t get easier than this…

• Celery (3-4 stalks)
• Apple (2-3 apples)
• Lemon (1)
• Spinach (2 large handfuls)

 

~Make and enjoy a green juice for a better start to your day!~

Orange, Apple, Pineapple and Lemon Juice

I really enjoy my super green juices but sometimes there’s nothing more satisfying than a sweet juice, especially for breakfast. I was a little bored with my usual orange juice so I came up with this blend and added 1/4 lemon to make it tart and not overly sweet. This juice is loaded with Vitamin C and will give you energy to get (and keep) you going all day! This juice is also a crowd pleaser so feel free to make and share this juice with your family and friends. Use all organic ingredients if possible 🙂

• 3 oranges
• 1/4 pineapple
• 2 apples
• 1/4 lemon

~Juice&Enjoy!~

Maple Avenue Juice Recipe Index

Grapefruit and Apple Juice

Sweet Potato and Orange Juice

Celery, Kale, Cilantro, Lemon and Apple Juice

Celery, Cucumber, Kale and Apple Juice

Carrot and Ginger Juice

Orange Juice

Apple, Beet, Carrot and Ginger Juice

Cucumber, Kale, Spinach, Celery, Apple and Lemon Juice

Apple and Lemon Juice

Beets, Grapefruit, Apple and Carrot Juice

Celery, Carrot, Orange and Lemon Juice

Tropical Bliss

My ‘Everything’ Juice

My ‘Everything’ Green Juice

Romaine, Apple, Broccoli and Lemon

Bright Orange Goodness

Thanksgiving Juice

Not-so-green Juice

Lean Green Juice

Green to-go Juice

Three Greens Juice

Joyful Juice (2 recipes)

Cucumber, Romaine, Pineapple and Orange Juice

Orange Glow

Saturday Morning Green Juice

Keeps-the-doctor-away Juice

Juice Recipes from China! (9 recipes)

Amazing Mint Green Juice

Romaine, Celery, Apple, Spinach, Lemon and Mint Green Juice

This green juice is AMAZING. It is award-worthy, dream-of-it-in-your-sleep AMAZING. I’ve never had a green juice like it and I can’t help but get incredibly excited when the ‘magic’ happens in my kitchen. I live for these moments. If all else (material possessions) fades away, I only need my juicer and my greens to remain. Life has felt especially busy these last few weeks and I feel like I’m constantly playing catch up. I revel in simplicity, quiet and consistency in my life. I have a stay-cation coming up and I look forward to catching up mentally, emotionally and physically with myself. It sounds awfully strange but I’m sure someone out there gets it! This past Saturday morning I had one of these beautiful moments and this recipe was the outcome. I made this in my Omega J8006.

• 1 romaine Heart
• 4-5 celery stalks
• 1 green apple
• 2-3 cups of spinach
• 1/2 lemon
• 4-5 mint leaves

Perfectly green, perfectly organic, perfectly sweet, perfectly refreshing, just perfect in every way.

~Juice, juice, juice & don’t stop juicing!~

5 Juice Recipes for Weight Loss

Many of us have a few (or more) extra pounds that we have and just can’t seem to get rid of. It’s annoying. We want to look and feel our best so why not take a chance and add 2-4 glasses of fresh fruit and vegetable juice to your daily diet and see what happens! I highly recommend starting your day with these juices. It sets the tone for the rest of the day which makes it more likely for you to make healthier choices throughout the day.

Here are 5 Juice Recipes for Weight Loss you will want to make to help you become the most healthful version of yourself you can be. These recipes yield 2-4 glasses.

1. Apple and Grapefruit Juice

Grapefruits are available year round, have lots of potassium, vitamin C and aid in digestion. The combination of grapefruit juice’s sour and tart taste with the sweetness of apple juice is fantastic. I make this juice for family and friends and it’s always a hit.

-2 apples
-2 grapefruit

2. Celery, Romaine and Apple Juice

This is one of the most simple and tasty green juices you can make. Almost any green juice I make will have celery because it is a powerful diuretic which means it’ll get rid of excess water you may be retaining and help you look leaner in no time! Go celery!

-4 celery stalks
-2 apples
-1 romaine heart

3. Celery, Cucumber, Kale and Apple Juice

Green juices are the most powerful juices you can make if weight loss is your primary goal. Greens pack a ton of nutrients, are low in calories and are very filling so they can help you get in shape. Juice those greens away. I highly recommend a masticating juicer like an Omega J8006 if you want to get the most out of your greens.
-4 celery stalks
-1 cucumber
-2 kale leaves
-1 apple

4. Apple, Beet and Carrot Juice

It just wouldn’t be right if this juice recipe wasn’t on the list. I make it so incredibly often (like today!) and I have happily released a few pounds in the past few weeks. It’s filling, it satisfies the craving for something sweet so well and it’s loaded with vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, potassium and a slew of other nutrients.
-1 apple
-2 beets
-5/6 carrots
-feel free to add a 1/2 inch of ginger for an extra kick!

5. Cucumber, Romaine, Pineapple and Orange Juice

To round out this list I just have to add yet another green juice recipe. They are that amazing. Greens rock! Get creative in the kitchen and don’t be afraid to throw in a few extra greens or fruits. Many a recipe posted on this website were highly experimental. You might just create a masterpiece. Here is juice recipe #5.

-1 cucumber
-1 head of romaine lettuce
-1/2 pineapple
-1 orange

 

If you’re ready to start juicing but don’t have a juicer yet please read Types of Juicers to figure out which one will work best for you.

Do you have a juice recipe you really enjoy and seem to make over and over? Has juicing improved your health? Kindly share…

9 New Juice Recipes from my vacation in China

I spent last week on vacation in China. Yup! I said China. My beloved cousin/sister-from-another-mother/BFF/maid-of-honor/ok… I think y’all get it, lives there. There is simply no other reason I would go to China. Don’t get me wrong, I love to travel, but my preference is almost always to go to a place with sun, white sand, clear blue waters and cute English-speaking beach boys. That aside, I had THE time of my life! I thoroughly enjoyed my stay there (Shanghai and Nanjing) and took time to really soak in all the sights and sounds. China is a beautiful country, with a fascinating history and is quite the experience when it comes to food. As it pertains to this blog, I am so excited to share with you the incredibly delicious juices I enjoyed during my 6 day adventure there.

I did not look for all the great juice bars my cousin and I came across. They were simply everywhere. Everywhere. In malls, train stations, the airport and were street shops on busy roads. It was such an incredibly exciting find for a juice-lover like me. All the juices were affordable and ranged in price from $2-$4.

As soon as I arrived in Nanjing from Shanghai, with luggage in hand at the train station we came across this juice bar. My excitement was palpable. I thought I’d died and gone to juice heaven. He had what looked like an Omega VERT 350 and a Vitamix. Some of the juice recipes were combos of fruits juiced and then blended in the Vitamix i.e. my first juice was apple and mango. He juiced the apples and then blended the juice in the Vitamix with the mango. I hardly ever do this at home because I only want to clean one appliance but this juice was such a delicious treat and I appreciated his effort to make my first juice in China!

LEFT: Apple and Mango 

RIGHT: Orange, Pear and Lemon

Our second juice bar encounter was in Fashion Lady Shopping Center. We got our juices much faster at this juice bar because they had everything prepped and sitting in many different stainless steel bins waiting to be juiced/blended. They were both super tasty!

LEFT: Papaya and Orange (the oranges were juiced and then blended with the papaya)

RIGHT: Watermelon and Strawberry (this was just blended)

Our third juice bar experience was in a mall. I got to finally enjoy a green juice, I noticed that almost all the juice bars had recipes with just fruit which is ok because it’s better than no juice but I was craving something green and was thrilled to find cucumber on the menu. We enjoyed…

LEFT: Apple and Grapefruit

RIGHT: Carrot, Apple and Pear

BELOW (green juice): 2 Cucumbers and 1 Lemon, I actually paid attention to the proportions when they were making this one:-)

It was nice to see that they used my first and one of my favorite juicers, a Breville Juice Fountain Plus.

Our fourth and last juice bar encounter was on my second to last day in China. It was the perfect breakfast!

LEFT: Orange and Mango

RIGHT: Watermelon and Mango

Anyone travel to a city/country with lots of juice bars? Kindly share… 

~Juice, Travel & Be Merry!~

A green juice (recipe #33) a day keeps the doctor away

It’s midnight and I should be fast asleep but I just had to put up this green juice recipe. It was a superb tasting green juice and I would definitely make it for any first timer. I’m seriously drowsy 🙂 so without further ado here’s the recipe…

• 3 large organic celery stalks
• 1/2 head of organic romaine lettuce
• 2 pears
• 1 large handful of cilantro
• 3 cups of organic baby spinach
• 1 organic lemon

~A green juice a day keeps the doctor away!~

Feel free to follow me on Instagram (@mapleavenuejuice) for these and other recipes. I’m new to it and it’s a fun place to connect with so many other like-minded individuals. There’s so much creativity, talent and inspiration out there!

 

Green Juice Recipe (#32) and 3 Easy Healthy Habits

I love healthy habits and I love them even more when they just happen naturally. It’s not fun to always have to work at creating them but when you’re finally there, at that effortless space where it just happens, it’s magic, it’s fun and you enjoy the benefits. I realized this past Saturday that anytime I’m off on a Saturday (I work some weekends), I make a huge batch of green juice, sit on the couch (or in bed) in complete silence preferably and savor every last drop of my juice while doing absolutely nothing else. It’s meditative and I enjoy every second of it. I juice several times a week but for some reason I really look forward to my next Saturday morning juice feast. I’ve worked annoyingly hard to create other healthy habits, many of which haven’t stuck, so it was fun to realize I had incidentally created this one. So since healthy habits don’t always happen effortlessly for me or many others I thought I’d come up with a list of 3 other healthy habits I’d like to practice. Feel free to join me.

1. Going to bed and waking up at the same time. I love sleep, who doesn’t? My problem, like many of you probably, is that on my days off I tend to stay up late, not being very productive, and wake up late. When I wake up later in the day, by the time I’m dressed and ready to conquer my day I’m annoyed with myself because I feel like half my day is gone. If I made an effort to sleep at the same time, wake up at the same time and physically get out of bed I’m sure I’d feel a million times better. Although, truth be told, there’s nothing like having a day once in a while spent in bed 🙂

2. Exercise at least 3 times per week. I know y’all saw this coming. I have serious working out issues. I go through phases where I live and breath my workouts and then it all comes to a screeching halt when I have a break in my schedule like a 3 day holiday out of town or heavens knows what! It’s sad, it’s pathetic and I want to be in the space where working out at least thrice a week just happens, like going to work, like juicing, like taking out the trash. Aaaaaarrrgghhh, can I just be there already?

3. Have (more of) an attitude of gratitude. I used to be a master at this. This used to be my constant state of being and then my job happened, more bills happened and more, more, more nonsense. They’re all excuses really. When you consistently practice having an attitude of gratitude no matter what happens in your day, you are happy, you are calm, you feel abundant, blessed and only more wonderful things/experiences come your way. It’s a fact. It’s really simple and I intend to practice it more. You can make a list every morning of what you’re grateful for, you can do it at the dinner table with your family or you can do it in the car while sitting in traffic. Anytime is the perfect time to have an attitude of gratitude for any or every thing in your life.

So here’s the juice I made this past Saturday morning. It was lightly sweet, it was a gorgeous green and I was grateful for every last drop of it.

Saturday Morning Green Juice

• 2 very large organic European cucumbers
• 4 organic apples
• 1 organic lemon, peeled
• 3 cups of organic baby spinach

I used my Omega J8006 to make this green juice and it juiced my spinach so well. All the pulp was bone dry! Unlike the Breville though, it works better if you peel the lemon which is fine because it only takes an extra 15 seconds. Check out Types of Juicers if you still haven’t decided what juicer you think would work best for you.

 

What healthy habits do you have that you appreciate? or would like to start? Kindly share…

~Juice & Start A New Healthy Habit Today!~

Liebster Blog Award and Juice Recipes

Dear Amelia of Frolics & Fitness,

You Rock! Thanks for the nomination and passing on the fun courtesy of the Liebster Blog Award. I appreciate it.

So, the Liebster Blog Award is actually not an award, but rather a good way to build community, connect with other bloggers and generate attention for newer bloggers. Here are the rules:

▪   Acknowledge the nominating blogger
▪   Answer 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you
▪   11 random facts about yourself
▪   List some bloggers with fewer than 200 followers that you really feel deserve a little blogging love!
▪   Let all of the bloggers know you have nominated them. You cannot nominate the blogger that nominated you!
▪   Post 11 questions for the bloggers you have nominated to answer

What made you start blogging? I love juicing and found myself having fun creating lots of recipes in my kitchen. I decided to start a blog to share my recipes with the world and selfishly use my own blog as a reference/catalog of all my creations. It is hands down one of the most fun and exciting things I have done. One of my favorite hobbies for sure!

If you had a superpower, what would it be? To make fruits and vegetables free and available for all. I know it’s corny but I’d love to be Ms. Freggie (fruit+veggie) Claus and somehow shove bags filled with a variety of fruits and veggies down all ‘chimneys’ every night in every home.

Name one thing you miss about being a kid? Not having any bills 😦

Who is the funniest person you know (of), and why? Me! I crack myself up all the time. I’m clumsy, I dance alone (a lot)…like, seriously boogie, I can remember an old joke very easily and laugh endlessly. I mean, no one can entertain me like I can.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? I live there already. I only want to live where my family is, many of my immediate family members anyway, as most of my extended family is back in Kenya. Home is where my heart is and my heart is my family for sure.

What is your main goal for 2014? To get fabulously healthier one fruit and veggie at a time.

Who is your favorite fictional character?  Nancy Drew. She rocks. Point. Blank. Period.

How do you nurture your creative side?  Read. Dance. Juice. Sing. Workout. Pray. Clean. Blog. Walk. Meditate.

What was the last book you read? 80/10/10 by Douglas Graham. Great read! The current reads are Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Becoming Raw by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina.

What do you do to unwind? I clean and I juice. I know, the juicing thing is cliche but nothing makes me happier than sipping something green in a spotlessly clean house.

11 Random Facts About Me

1. My initials are A.A. and I think it’s pretty cool
2. I used to have a ginormous Afro for a few years
3. I LOOOOOOOVE Fruits & Vegetables
4. I was born and raised in Kenya but moved to the US as a teenager with my family.
5. I am pretty obsessive about cleaning, organizing and de-cluttering.
6. I have a terrible habit of biting the skin around my nails, gross… right?
7. I have a really good memory of sequences of numbers and/or letters.
8. Talking about myself (especially trying to come up with not 1 but 11 random facts about ME) makes me really uncomfortable, feels egotistical somehow.
9. My favorite season is Autumn and I love that word… Autumn.
10. I have one sibling, a younger brother, and he lives a million miles away (in Kenya) and it makes me sad.
11. I used to be very diligent about making a list of 5 things I’m grateful for every morning and it’s the best habit I had 🙂 Starting it back up again today and it feels great.

Blogs I Nominate

• Freedom Food Journal
• Gianna’s Kitchen
• Eat to Inspire
• I Heart Beets
• Baby Steps to Better Me
• Leafy Beans

11 Questions for the Nominees

1. What was the last meal you had?
2. What are 2 or 3 your favorite non-fiction health/wellness books?
3. What is a post on your blog that you are really proud of?
4. Who/What inspires you most on your ‘healthy living’ journey?
5. What is your favorite kitchen appliance?
6. Name your top 5 favorite fruits and/or vegetables?
7. Where do you feel the most relaxed/still/at ease?
8. What is your favorite holiday and why?
9. What is the most funny/silly/embarrassing thing you’ve said or done?
10. What is your favorite workout/physical activity/exercise routine?
11. What is your main ‘healthy living’ goal for 2014?

So I can’t leave without sharing a new pic to an old green juice recipe that is definitely one of my favorites. This was 48oz of pure love and deliciousness, is that a word? Deliciousness…

and I made this too… the oh so simple ABC juice recipe. 

~Gotta LOVE Juicing!~