When we moved earlier this year, we parted with a lot of household and personal items so we could fit into our new space. Parting with stuff also helped us stage the house – less clutter and personal items translates into a more “showable” house and we had a lot of positive feedback from prospective buyers.
In this case below, we actually had to add furniture and things. It was previously an empty entryway if some of you recall.
The best way to de-clutter is to do it in waves. Normally, I’d say “just rip the bandage off in one quick motion”, but with de-cluttering there really is a mental shift that has to occur over time. We’d go through each room 3-5 times over the span of a few months. Each time, it got a bit easier to get rid of things, and then a bit easier still. It was a freeing experience to finally get rid of things we didn’t even know were weighing us down. I was concerned that I would regret giving some things away, but 4 months later, those items haven’t entered my mind. I actually can’t even remember what we gave away!! I guess that’s a good sign that they weren’t necessities.
Well, I did think about one donation actually – my juicer! Even though my juicer was looking busted from plenty of use, I still debated whether I would regret giving it away. And I’ll admit, a few times this summer it has longingly crossed my mind. Then I remember my kitchen storage situation – and I’m thankful I don’t have to find a place to cram it.
The one thing I do not want to ever part with is my blender. I use my Vitamix every.single.day. without fail, sometimes multiple times a day if I’m testing certain recipes. They are costly machines, but when I factor in how much I use it, the quality, and the 7 year warranty, it’s worth it for me. I even use it in the colder months – it’s great for blending soups and sauces (think Butternut Squash mac and cheeze) and I still like to get my smoothie fix in the winter, bundled up in a sweater of course.
Recently, I heard about making juices with a Vitamix. You blend vegetables in the Vitamix and then strain the liquid through an old pair of tights, nut milk bag, or cheesecloth. This strains out the fibre from the juice, much like a traditional juicer would (Ange has a great tutorial here).
The one thing I never liked about juicing was all the leftover pulp. I would sometimes use it in soups or my vegetable garden compost, but there were many times when I couldn’t find a use for it. I like the idea of using a Vitamix to juice, but to be honest, I can’t see myself patient enough to strain the juice each time and then find a use for the pulp. I decided to just try it without straining to see if it was decent enough to enjoy.
Surprisingly, it was decent! And I got hooked on adding all kinds of veggies into the blender. My vegetable consumption has gone way up by adding one of these drinks in a day and I love that I’m still getting all the fibre. It’s hotly debated right now whether smoothies or juices are better for the body, but I think both have their place in a healthy diet.
I wouldn’t recommend this recipe without a heavy duty blender, but if you do attempt it, I suggest blending it on the highest setting for at least a couple minutes. Keep in mind that even with my Vitamix, the texture is still thick (the best way to describe the texture is “foamy”) – keep in mind we’re blending whole veggies and fruit. If your blender can’t get the vegetables smooth, I suggest straining it through a cheesecloth.
I’ve been making all kinds of veggie combos, but here is an easy one to get started with. It’s lightly sweetened with an apple and has a kick of grapefruit in there for a little zing. The bright pink colour is so gorgeous it’s hard to believe it’s all from 1/2 a tiny beet.
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Neon Pink Smoothie Juice
Yield
2.5 cups
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Total time
I call this smoothie juice because it’s a cross between a smoothie and a veggie juice. The texture comes out thick and foamy, but you have the added benefits of the fibre in there to move the digestive track right along. These juices aren’t overly sweet or filling, so I enjoy them as an addition to a normal breakfast or simply as a refreshing drink on its own.
Ingredients
- 1/2 English cucumber, peeled & roughly chopped
- 1/2 small raw beet, peeled & roughly chopped
- 1 apple, cored & roughly chopped
- Fresh Grapefruit juice, to taste (I used 6 tbsp fresh grapefruit juice) or other citrus to taste
- 3-5 ice cubes
Directions
- In a high-speed blender, add the cucumber and blend on low speed to break it up. Now add the beet and apple. Blend, starting on a lower speed, and gradually increase the speed. I used my Vitamix plunger stick a lot to push it down and stir it as it was coming together. If needed, add a bit of water.
- Blend on highest speed for 1-2 minutes. Add in citrus juice to taste and about 4 ice cubes. Blend again until smooth.
- Serve immediately.
I also make green/brown ones using various things like kale, cucumbers, avocado, celery, carrots, oranges, apples, etc. I add in some water if needed to get it going. Sometimes I also throw in a tablespoon of chia seeds for extra nutrition.
They don’t always taste amazing, but they sure are quick and make me feel great.
I love that first photo, the juice looks beautiful against the dark wood! The recipe sounds so healthy and refreshing, I’d really like to try it but I fear my immersion blender wouldn’t be up to the task. I’ve tried making apple and carrot juice like this before but it remained chunky and not good at all. But I’ll give it another try!
I love my juicer but I only have time to use it on weekends. I make pulp muffins with my leftover pulp and I’m totally addicted. I’m hoping to post a recipe at some point.
Ah! Another reason I NEED a Vitamix! I have a cheap blender, but that’s all I can afford right now… :(
Maybe they will send you one to review? :)
Beautiful color! I don’t have a vitamix, but my old LeQuip blender is right up there in power… I’ve never tried throwing whole veggies into it, though – I’ll have to give it a try! I’ve often longed for a juicer, but have the same space problem and wouldn’t know where to put it half the time… it would probably end up living on my counter, getting in my way. Oh, wait, that’s what all my other appliances are doing… :P
Yum, that looks amazing! We love juicing. Don’t have a Vitamix (yet!!), but we have a juicer and we throw in what we have around. Our staples are: kale and/or spinach, carrots, a lemon, a couple of apples, then some of what we’ve got on hand: part of a beet, red cabbage (this is pretty new for me), parsley, cucumber, an orange, etc. To date, I still haven’t used the pulp, though I’ve heard it’s great in pasta sauce, salsa, muffins, etc. Maybe someday…
What a great “unofficial” Healthy Living Thirsty Thursday recipe :) I too feel bad sometimes wasting all the pulp when juicing. But what I love about the juice only versions is how thin and smooth they are. I’m not a big fan of any foaminess. I am dying for a Vitamix though. And you’re making it sound totally worth the $$!! Now if I can just sell the idea to my hubby :)
What a beautiful smoothie! I made a beet smoothie a few weeks ago and it was a little strong for my taste…..maybe I added a bit too much beet. I sooooo would like to have a vitamix. I should consider putting it on my Christmas list. ;)
I just ordered a reconditioned Vitamix (you can order them from the company, cheapest option), and I am so excited! Our food processor died, and I realized that 80% of what I use it for could work in a Vitamix, and needs a strong motor, so we are going to try to simplify to just that plus knives and mandoline for now, and eliminate our old blender also. If it turns out down the road that we can’t live without a food processor, I can pick up a yard sale one and not worry about killing the motor on the tougher stuff like nut butters.
Awesome recipe! I just got my first juicer…it is a hand-me-down and I can’t wait to give it a try. A hot pink smoothie seems to be the way to go!
The color is amazing!
So healthy! This is such a great treat!
I need a better blender! I just cannot quite make a good drink with mine. Good for most things — but not that! I do it anyway, but they’re never quite as smooth as I wish they were!
I like that you acknowledge that they don’t always taste great. I feel like a lot of bloggers rave about the taste of drinks like this — and I just don’t always love mine. I was thinking it was me — but I’m glad you seem to be on the same page. They make me feel so great that I don’t really care either way, though!
hah I’ve definitely made some bad ones, but like you, drink them anyways because I know how great I feel and don’t want to waste. I will pretty much drink anything when it comes down to it. I’ve been known to mix wheatgrass powder and maca powder in water and drink it straight (not good!)
I hope you will include some of these recipes in your cookbook! They look sooo healing :)
Angela,
I use my vitamix for the doing the samething. What I have found is that if you add 2 cups of water to your mixture it turns out really well! Also if it seems a little green a banana will always do the trick. I would never thought I would say this but my husband loves his green juice smoothies! I think our favorite so far was banana, mango grape and kale :)
Hi Angela!
That smoothie juice looks awesome!
I’m currently researching purchasing a vitamix or a blendtec. Just wondering if you had tried the blendtec or had any recommendations?
Thanks!
That pink is looks stunning, I wish I was having one of those for breakfast. Not sure if my blender could handle it but we will soon find out.
My husband and I just watched a documentary on juicing and thought about buying one, but like you, our kitchen just doesn’t have the bandwidth.
Luckily, I have a Vitamix. Can’t wait to try this combination, especially since I just read about how Olympic athletes are drinking beet juice for a natural performance boost.
I love adding beets for the colour. Its so satisfying to have a gorgeous coloured drink with no horrible additives in it….all natural! Well done with your de-cluttering also. I have moved internationally twice and it was so hard to part with things. There were tears on my first voyage! After you rid yourself of all that junk you don’t need it is soooo liberating. Oh and also an excuse to but shiny new kitchen gadgets!
I love how all natural ingredients can create the most unreal colors in things! I’m jealous of the vitamix, I love my immersion blender like nothin else but it doesn’t handle ice…
I tend to loathe beets, but that smoothie is such a pretty color that I really want one anyway! Love your new blog design, by the way :)