Watermelon-White Grape -Rose Petal Juice

WATERMELON-WHITE GRAPE-ROSE PETAL JUICE

4 Cups Watermelon Chunks (with seeds)
1 Cup Coconut Water
1 Cup White Grapes
2 teaspoons dried rosepetals

Mix watermelon, coconut water and grapes in vitamix. Pour through milk bag to get the juice. Stir in the rose petals.

I use flowers like lavender, hibiscus and roses all the time for culinary purposes. They are great used fresh in salads, dried in chocolates, raw puddings and raw jellies, great for rosewater for a face spray and many other uses. Light-color roses are more sweet in flavor. Darker roses have more aroma and flavor.

You can often find these dried flowers in the bulk spice section of health food stores or online. You can also make them right from your garden, which is what we do!

Here's how:

1. Harvest roses near the peak of their bloom. (make sure they are pesticide free)
2. Rinse petals only (get rid of white part underneath) in cool water.
3. Lay out on the mesh screens of your dehydrator.
4. Dehydrate at 105 overnight.
5. Store whole, or grind in your spice grinder.

Juice Recipe

The Green Green Juice of Health

Time for more juice: 32 ounces.

1 Whole Head of Celery
1 Large Cucumber
1 Large Green Apple
1/2 Lemon (with skin on)
2 Handfuls of Fresh Cilantro

Pineapple & Parsley Juice

18 ounces: Pineapple & Parsley

Saving Time with Smoothies

Here's a great time saving tip for smoothie lovers:

Mix up a batch of your favorite smoothie, divide mixture between 12 medium sized muffin cups, and place trays in freezer. Freeze about 4 hours until solid. Un-mold the smoothie cups, plac

e them in an airtight container, and return to the freezer until you're ready to use them. Perfect for busy mornings.

Note: If you don't have silicon muffin cups, and have trouble unmolding the frozen cups, place the bottom of the muffin tin in warm water for few seconds, but make sure not to thaw the contents.

When ready to drink your smoothie, place 1 cup coconut or regular water and 2 smoothie cups into a blender container and blend until smooth.

Here's a mango smoothie recipe to try out!
1 cup coconut water
2 ripe mangos, cubed
1/2 cup flaked dry coconut
1/2 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons sweetener (maple syrup tastes great)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Place all of the ingredients in a blender container in the order listed and blend until smooth.

Another Great Juice Idea

1 Green Zucchini
10 Ribs Celery
1 Ripe Pear

Yummy Juice

1 Large Tomato
5 Large Carrots
3 Ribs Celery
1/4 Large Onion
2 Handfuls Kale
1 Handful Arugula

Lemon a Day

Instead of getting a cup of coffee, why not replace it with a warm water lemon drink!? Below are the good factors to consider.

1. Boosts your immune system: Lemons are high in vitamin C, which is great for fighting colds. They’re high in potassium, which stimulates brain and nerve function. Potassium also helps control blood pressure.

2. Balances pH: Drink lemon water everyday and you’ll reduce your body’s overall acidity. Lemon is one of the most alkaline foods around. Yes, lemon has citric acid but it does not create acidity in the body once metabolized.

3. Helps with weight loss: Lemons are high in pectin fiber, which helps fight hunger cravings. It also has been shown that people who maintain a more alkaline diet lose weight faster.

4. Aids digestion: Lemon juice helps flush out unwanted materials. It encourages the liver to produce bile which is an acid that required for digestion. Efficient digestion reduces heartburn and constipation.

5. Is a diuretic: Lemons increase the rate of urination in the body, which helps purify it. Toxins are, therefore, released at a faster rate which helps keep your urinary tract healthy.

6. Clears skin: The vitamin C component helps decrease wrinkles and blemishes. Lemon water purges toxins from the blood which helps keep skin clear as well. It can actually be applied directly to scars to help reduce their appearance.

7. Freshens breath: Not only this, but it can help relieve tooth pain and gingivitis. The citric acid can erode tooth enamel, so you should monitor this.

8. Relieves respiratory problems: Warm lemon water helps get rid of chest infections and halt those pesky coughs. It’s thought to be helpful to people with asthma and allergies too.

9. Keeps you zen: Vitamin C is one of the first things depleted when you subject your mind and body to stress. As mentioned previously, lemons are chock full of vitamin C.

10. Helps kick the coffee habit: After taking a glass of warm lemon water, most people suggests of less craving for coffee in the morning.

Why it has to be warm water not cold? Cold water likely provides a shock or stress factor to the body. It takes energy for your body to process cold water.

The recipe is really simple - a cup of warm water (not hot) and the juice from half of a lemon.