Spring: the perfect time for juicing!

Yes, it's that time of year. Time to dust off the juicer and drink to spring. Leafy greens and other veggies are good for the liver which, according to my acupuncturist, is really the organ to concentrate on this time of year.

Do I have a favorite juicer? Of course I do! The Jack LaLanne Power Juicer™ was a purchase I made about two years ago and have loved ever since. What other appliance can you throw a whole tomato into? That's why it's awesome!

The funny thing about juicing is that I'm still surprised at the veggie-to-juice ratio. A big ole apple might only make a quarter cup of juice which always seems like less than whatever I imagined.

Here's a quick recipe that I've perfected over the years that's not too exotic. You can play with the exact amounts to taste but here's my favorite spring and summer veggie juice combo:

1 large tomato (3 small tomatoes will suffice)
1 medium apple
2 - 3 celery stalks
2 - 3 carrots

It's important in juicing to add a sweet fruit or veggie (apple, beet, carrot) to keep your juice from tasting like dirt.

Have fun juicing and knowing that you're doing something really good for your body. Enjoy!


For more info, check out: www.powerjuicer.com.

Irish Oats: the Easy Way

As you probably already know, steel-cut oats are a much healthier, better source of nutrition versus your old-fashioned type with the Quaker guy on the package. I love the Irish variety but always found it so high maintenance to make. Not anymore!

Yes, dear readers, my handy dandy Rival® Crock-Pot® sure came to the rescue on this one! McCann's® Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal has an overnight method and, when I hear "overnight," I think Crock-Pot®.

The recipe calls for 4 cups of boiling water and 1 cup of oats. Put those together with about a half cup of brown sugar and set to "low" for the night. When you wake up, you'll be thrilled to have a hot, healthy breakfast all ready to go.

Enjoy!

Girl Scout Cookie Time Again!

Yes, indeed, ladies and gents. Three of my favorite things about March are St. Patrick's Day, March Madness, and Girl Scout Cookies! Those little ladies are quite the marketing geniuses and who can blame them with a product like that?

I read an article in Yahoo bringing up the fact that they're now $4 a box and, to that I say, so? They were $3 a box for forever (and worth every penny) but times is tough and I'm fine with paying an extra dollar for the delicious goodness that is Thin Mints.

I've never tried to bake anything that's remotely close to a Girl Scout cookie -- you know why? Because sometimes you have to leave certain things to the experts. Tandoori chicken, King Cake, and Girl Scout cookies shouldn't be attempted at home. Other than those 3, have at it!

I'm definitely a Thin Mint fanatic so that's the flavor I order ever year, along with the ever divine Samoas® (now known by their more PC name, Caramel deLites®). This year I decided to branch out and order some of Lemon Chalet Cremes™ and, trust me, they do not disappoint. I did notice some envy when I saw one of my co-workers with boxes of Trefoils, aka "shortbread cookies." Luckily I can order a few more before the season is over and you can bet Trefoils are on the list.

I'm all about supporting Girl Power and what better way is there to encourage young, female entrepreneurs?

Support the home team & check them out for yourself:

Meet the Cookies

A Dollar (plus tax) and A Dream

On a whim, I bought a yellow cake mix from the 99 Cents Only store (Country Value Premium Moist) and I'm really happy with the results. The recipe called for soy bean oil which I was plum out of so I substituted olive oil.

The mix was really thick and made more like 15 cupcakes vs. the 12 the box promised. I probably could have made 20 because they rise nearly twice the size I thought they would. Two tablespoons of the wet mix will yield a normal-sized cupcake.

I was pretty impressed by this mix and would highly recommend it ("cost effective" and "delicious" are 3 of the best words in the English language). I hope your cupcakes come out just as well.

Happy baking...