This post is part of the William-Sonoma Juice Week.
It is time to come clean about something, I’m a morning person. To be honest I’m an obnoxious, smily, jump around morning person. This has caused issues in my life with my older sister, college roommates and now my hubby. From the time my feet hit the floor I’m ready to go! I have learned that 99.8% of the world is not like me. Many people need snooze buttons and coffee to get them going in the morning. I have learned to leave my hubby and my son alone when they first wake up, they need their space. So while the men in our house are slow to wake up the three of us girls are dancing and playing by 6:30am.
This is why breakfast is my favorite meal. It helps me fuel up for the day’s adventures. I have a ton of breakfast recipes that you can check out. If you aren’t a morning person there are a few make ahead options too like overnight oats and french toast casserole that would help you.
When I have the extra 5 minutes and the house is already up I will make a smoothie or fresh juice in the mornings. Here are two of my favorite recipes that have a fun kick to help get you going.
Green Pucker Smoothie
What you Need:
1 cup of liquid (water, coconut milk, almond milk etc)
1 large handful of spinach
1 banana
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1 tsp chia seeds
a few slices of pickles
How to Make it:
Layer the ingredients in your high powered blender in the order listed. Press the smoothie button and watch the magic happen. Then enjoy!
The pickles add just enough pucker to help you wake up and the vinegar helps your body heal (if you believe the Old Wives Tales).
Orange Bite Juice
What you Need:
2 Granny Smith Apples
2 handfuls of baby carrots
1 inch of peeled ginger
How to Make it:
Feed the items listed through your high powered juicer. Then enjoy!
The ginger adds a kick that will clear your sinuses and help with your digestion. I also like this juice after a run!
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When it comes to kitchen appliances I have two that I love to help me achieve tasty smoothies and juices.
For smoothies I use my Blentec Designer Series. For real – I love this thing! I went on vacation last month without it and had smoothie withdraws. I’m taking it next time!
For juices I use my Breville Juice Fountain Plus. It is a great machine for making daily juices.
There are plenty of other brands of juicers and blenders available. To learn about more juicers check out William Sonoma’s page here, to learn more about different blenders go here.
For real my life has been changed by adding these two kitchen appliances to our house. I eat way more fruit and veggies than I ever did before. I also LOVE that our kids enjoy the smoothies and juices too!
It has gotten to the point where I will make a double portion of my morning smoothie or the two year old twins will eat mine! Below is Little B’s green smoothie mustache from a smoothie this past weekend!
Needless to say we love smoothies and juices in our house!
How do you incorporate smoothies and juices into your diet?
Ha! Thanks for coming out of the closet about being a morning person! I’m a weird breed—a musician who’s a morning person. Yup—actually had to leave a band because we kept getting all these night gigs. Have plenty of night rehearsals each week, and I can handle those, as long as they don’t go too late! But of the two weekly church services I do, for sure I like the 8:30 am one best! Glad to hear there’s someone else who jumps around and smiles at 6:30 in the morning!
Thanks for your thoughts on your blog……..we’re a family with celiac and Crohn’s, both also linked genetically. I can relate to your feelings of gene guilt, as my son’s Crohn’s was diagnosed years before my celiac….so I found out after the fact that I was ‘to blame’. Well, it’s not like we chose to pass that on….and we’re also ‘to blame’ for loving and staying and all that mom-stuff, too, and that we do choose.