Papa Sprout's Super Sweet and Simple Juice

Carrots are health food superstars. They are packed with beta-carotene, antioxidants, and potassium, along with many other nutrients, making them a bargain at the grocery store! Carrots improve eyesight, promote healthy skin growth, and protect against cancer. Those are just some of the many jobs this small orange vegetable performs. 

Beets are amazingly healthy too. They improve memory, lower blood pressure, and improve liver function. I still have not brought myself to eat a beet in its purest form and I know I am not alone. By juicing beets you can still retain all of the benefits of the solid vegetable without the tough texture.

Together, beets and carrots create Papa Sprout’s Super Sweet and Simple Juice! The recipe for this juice is simpler than Papa Sprout’s Garden Green Ginger Juice, but still packed with nutrition. The next time you are ready to juice, but short on time, try this simple recipe that will keep you going for the whole day.

Papa Sprout’s Super Sweet and Simple Juice

Ingredients:

3 whole carrots peeled

2 beets peeled

*A Yankee cup was used in this post in honor of opening day. Go Yanks!

The Benefits of Homemade Iced Tea

Recently I wrote about all of the health benefits of tea.

Tea is always delicious, but with this gorgeous weather we have been so lucky to be enjoying, who wants hot tea? Iced tea is delicious and refreshing! The only problem? If you go to Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, or any other beverage store it can cost up to $3 for this treat. If you are ordering iced tea out it also tends to have additives like sugars and syrup.

Since the price is sky-high at these beverage centers you would expect that an iced tea maker is expensive AND time consuming. Nothing could be further from the truth!

I snagged my Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker off of Amazon for $20! In the morning I fill the base with water, add ice and tea to the pitcher and press a button. Within 5 minutes I have delicious and pure iced tea! You can add some sliced lemon to spice it up. 

Because it is so easy to use and iced tea is a great break from the regular hot beverages, I have found myself drinking multiple cups a day. It keeps you hydrated, delivers an antioxidant kick to your system, and tastes great! I do not like to have extra appliances around in the kitchen, but an iced tea maker is an essential tool! You will find yourself saving money and enjoying a healthy beverage everyday.

Earthworm Drain Cleaner

I love a clean home, but I do not love all the hazardous products that go into making a home clean.

I am always on the lookout for organic cleaning products that have the same power as their chemically composed counterparts. I want effective AND safe agents to aid me in the fight against dirt, grime, and dust. 

Unfortunately, when it comes to drain cleaners, I was very disappointed by Earthworm Drain Cleaner. My bathtub has been clogged for over a week. The Earthworm container looked promising and the smell was pleasant (fresh citrus and sage). The outcome was awful. I bought two 32 oz containers. A few days later and more than $10 poorer, I have learned my lesson, the organic community has yet to make a great drain cleaner. There was miniscule progress. After using two containers full (each container has 2 "treatments") I am ready to literally stop pouring money down the drain. 

My search will continue. For now, I will stick to what works: Drano. 

Earthworm Drain Cleaner: 1.5/ 5

Quinoa: The Miracle Seed

For a while quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) mystified me. What was this strange ingredient that kept popping up in restaurants and on cooking shows? It’s not a grain, but cooked like one? It’s a seed?! Luckily, one of my friends is a great cook and offered to make a meal using quinoa for me. My life was forever changed and I have been enjoying the health benefits of this super seed ever since. Her recipe follows below.

The Benefits:

-very high in complete protein (this aids in tissue repair and growth)

-high in magnesium (magnesium is a mineral that helps to relax blood vessels)

-no sodium (sodium is NOT your friend)

-faster and easier to make than rice (replace rice with quinoa)

-high in fiber (keeps you full and aids in digestion)

-contains iron and calcium

-complex carbohydrate 

-contains Vitamin B

Inayat's Progressive Indian-style Quinoa

 Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil OR grapeseed oil

1 cup quinoa

¾ cup water

1 head of organic broccoli, chopped

1 head of organic cauliflower, chopped

2 large organic carrots, chopped

4 cloves organic garlic, minced

2 teaspoons mustard seed and to taste

1 teaspoon pepper and to taste

salt (if you must) to taste

Directions:

1. In a saucepan bring the water to a boil. Add quinoa and reduce to a simmer. It will take between 15-30 minutes for the quinoa to be ready. Keep stirring every few minutes. When the water is soaked up by the quinoa it is ready. Add mustard seed and pepper once quinoa is fully cooked. Do not be shy with the spices! They add a delicious and unique flavor.

2. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, heat the oil and add the minced garlic. Cook for 30 seconds.

3. Add mustard seed and pepper and stir. Add the broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots to the pan. Cook until tender.

4. Combine veggies and quinoa. Add more mustard seed and pepper to taste. 

5. Enjoy!

This recipe lends itself to great variation. Add different vegetables and try different spices!

Papa Sprout's Garden Green Ginger Juice

I have recently become interested in juicing. I have heard a lot of positive and negative things about juicing fruits and vegetables. We will delve more into that debate at a later date. Fruits and vegetables carry so many vital nutrients that drinking one juice is great for your health. You would become too full before you could finish eating all the fruits and vegetables in just one juice. Juicing helps you to get a wide range of nutrients in one compact glass.

My BF’s father who I refer to as Papa Sprout (he works in the produce business) began drinking two juices daily this year. He shared with me his Garden Green Ginger Juice recipe. Papa Sprout now has increased energy and looks great!

Papa Sprout’s Garden Green Ginger Juice*
Ingredients: 

1 organic granny smith apple

½ a bunch of organic kale

½ bunch of organic spinach

1 bunch organic celery

1 organic lemon OR 2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated organic ginger

pinch of organic basil

pinch of organic parsley

*due to the way produce is sold all measures are approximate

Directions:

1.    Beginning with the kale, add all ingredients except the ginger and lemon into the juicer.

2.  Once everything has been juiced squeeze lemon juice into glass.

3.  Grate ginger over top of juice.

4.  Stir and drink up!

I am still not crazy about the taste of juiced vegetable drinks, but the herbs and ginger in this recipe boost the flavor and kill the bitter kale taste.  

Samuel Smith's Organic Handcrafted Raspberry Fruit Ale

Making an organic choice is now available over the weekend too!

Samuel Smith’s Brewery is Yorkshire’s oldest brewery. Their raspberry fruit ale is brewed in England and then imported into the United States. Samuel Smith's works in partnership with the Melbourn Bros. Brewery to bring you this delicious treat! It is labeled USDA organic.

I prefer very strong ales, but this ale was scrumptious! It was incredibly smooth and tasted almost like fruit juice, which is both awesome and dangerous. I have had many fruit, vegetable, and wild ales as they tend to be sweet and flavorful. The raspberry fruit ale was less sweet and more tart than a lambic beer, which made it more palatable. Also lambic is usually more expensive and has an ABV of 2-3%. Samuel Smith’s is a 5.10% AVB ale and cost $5.99 for 1 pint 2.7 fl oz. 

Samuel Smith carries many organic beers including: cherry fruit ale, oatmeal stout, cider, and lager. Their products are more expensive than a Bud Light, but your body and mouth will thank you!

Please enjoy responsibly!