New Age Negro

Because we needed to share our escapades in juicing and yogurt making somewhere.

[newagenegro]

3C Berry Green Juice

I just made a three citrus, berry & greens juice.  It is delish.  I <3 my masticating juicer!

Half a lime

1/4 inch thick pineapple round

3 mandarins

10 strawberries

a ton of arugula (I think I used 2 cups)

[newagenegro]

Hey Blog, Long time no Update

The yogurt girl found out she is getting a masticating juicer as a gift, so there should be some fresh updates soon.

[newagenegro]

Yogurt Cheese FTW!!

So, I bought some Erivan yogurt and used it as a starter (yay acidophilus!).  I decided to strain it... and sort of forgot about it.  So when I remembered a few hours after I meant to take it down, it had turned in to a nice yogurt cheese.  I had a decision to make... mix in some whey, or leave it.  I tasted it, and decided to keep it.  And then I was reminded of skyr.  Though this was a bit thicker and not quite as smooth as skyr, I thought I'd give it ago.  So, I took a scoop, put in some skim mile, come home made lilikoi butter a friend brought me from his mom in Hawaii, and added some berry granola... and I was in yogurt heaven. Really. If there is a yogurt heaven, this is it.  I've since had it for breakfast almost every day, and I've also threatened to fly to Hawaii to raid said friend's mom's freezer.

[newagenegro]

Some new things, some old things.

I'm on a constant quest for energy. Next month, alone, I travel and/or host someone every weekend of the month. And that's NORMAL. All things I have to do, too. So, I'm on an eternal quest for nutrition that can be mainlined and energy that doesn't involve doing lines. See what I did there?!!!

I've wanted to add some spirulina to my regular diet for awhile. To that end I purchased a mix from local juicing company rockstars, Arden's Garden. It has spirulina but it also has brewer's yeast and other good things said to help put some pep in one's step. Today's my first day trying it. I just stirred 4 spoonfuls in my green juice. It's pretty much tasteless. The only thing that bothers me is drinking the flax seeds. It's not a hindrance for normal people, I'm sure but I have a thing with swallowing things that should be chewed. Don't ask.

That's a new thing.

So, too, is the herbal energy extract. Look, there's a point where there's not enough coffee in the world to keep you awake while reading Wealth of Nations aloud to yourself. I am at that point. I'm giving this a shot. Today's the first day.

And, finally, raspberry leaf tea. It's a godsend for all manner of PMS/hormonal related issues. I invested in two boxes. My boocakes should thank me. :)

[newagenegro]

Outkast's Andre 3000 Gets His Kale On By MindBodyGreen Outkast MC, Andre 3000 shared his love for kale and his favorite kale recipe with Bon Apetit. He scribbled the following on the napkin below: "Being that I'm from the South, I've eaten collards, mustard and turnip greens all my life. I was introduced to kale a few years ago and fell in love with the way you can instantly stir fry or pan fry it. Kale is also nutritious, and by not boiling it to death like classic southern greens, most of that nutrition stays intact." Love it! And here's the napkin with Andre 3000's special kale recipe: (via Outkast's Andre 3000 Gets His Kale On)

Dre's fine ass could saute anything he wants. The end.

[newagenegro]

Kefir Part 2

Attempting to use my kefir from the starter as a starter for a new batch.  My understanding is that it can only be done up to 7 times, because the yeast dies out.  We'll find out if I used enough tomorrow afternoon!

[newagenegro]

Kefir/Cucumber/Mint drink with Protein Boost

6 oz kefir

2 inches cucumber

5 mint leaves

Chipotle Garlic Smoked Salt to taste (Yay Trader Joe's!)

1 serving dried egg white protein powder

dash of flax seed oil (so it doesn't whip up... the kefir is nonfat)

Throw it in the blender and blend! Blend! Blend!

[newagenegro]

KEFIR!!!

So, I was lazy and went and bought a kefir starter instead of starting with a kefir I liked. I made my first batch last night.  I will be making a kefir-cucumber-mint drink with a dash of smoked sea salt and maybe a dash of something spicy in the blender once it cools in the fridge for a bit.

Reason #1 why making Kefir is great:

It incubates at room temperature, leaving the yogurt maker for making other yogurt

[newagenegro]

Today I wanted, er, needed greens.

See, PMS is merely a suggestion for some women. For me it is an evolutionary leap from normal run-of-the-mill PMS into amazonian-wonder-woman-sized PMS. I find that live foods help tremendously (as does raspberry leaf tea, btw) so today I dragged myself from my woe is me bed to make this:

granny smith apples

gala apples

celery

cucumber

beet leaves and stalks

kiwi

spinach

broccoli

Shake, stir, sip, and wait it out.

[newagenegro]

The results of the previous yogurt experiment were a success! It came out super thick and creamy, as you can see in the image. The bacteria didn't kill each other.  The yogurt is not nearly as tart.  I used part of this batch and a bit more fage as a starter for another batch of yogurt, and the results were entirely too sweet for me. There is almost no tartness. It will be perfect for the children though.  They'll get all the good bacteria, and lots of natural milky sweetness coupled with some reduced sugar fruit preserves.  I, on the other hand, will be making a new batch with my probiotic starter.

[newagenegro]

Fresh Yogurt Fried Chicken...

is better than Buttermilk Fried Chicken.

[newagenegro]

Ok Kris, get to it, which way is best – juicing or blending? Here’s my bottom line: I do both but I juice WAY more than I blend. Why? Well, by removing the fiber through the process of squeezing the pulp, we instantly lighten the load on our digestion. Nutrients pass directly into the bloodstream, and within minutes our bodies receive optimum fuel to feed our cells and help restore our immune systems. This doesn’t mean we don’t eat sprouted and certain cooked grains, salads, and other intestinal brooms—we do. If you’re following the CSL diet you are definitely getting enough fiber. Yet, we give our taxed bodies a much-needed rest by solely consuming liquid. When our bodies spend less energy on digestion they will spend more on repair. Think about this too, a glass of juice has more nutritious veggies than a smoothie does. How many cukes do you put in a juice? Bunches of kale? Sweet pea sprouts? We could never eat all that in a smoothie. Smoothies fill us up a lot faster.

Juicing vs. Blending: What’s a Girl to Do?

I’ve never blended at home but I have bought blended juices. This debate has popped up a great deal lately and I like her take on it. In the end debating between juicing and blending is, to me, a lot like debating between Harvard and Yale: as long as you’re not eating McDonald’s (or going to Trump University) you’re winning.

-T

(via newagenegro)

On the other side, I have been known to feast (feast is the term used for eating green smoothies only) for a week a year.  I even bought a fancy expensive commercial grade blender to ensure my green smoothies weren't chunky.  It works better for me than fasting, and my body craves it, which I'm thinking has to do with needing more vitamin k.  Overall though, I think the health benefits of both are probably just as good... and, maybe a bit TMI, but with how long the stuff stays in your body, I'm pretty sure it isn't taxing your system...

-J

[newagenegro]

Ok Kris, get to it, which way is best – juicing or blending? Here’s my bottom line: I do both but I juice WAY more than I blend. Why? Well, by removing the fiber through the process of squeezing the pulp, we instantly lighten the load on our digestion. Nutrients pass directly into the bloodstream, and within minutes our bodies receive optimum fuel to feed our cells and help restore our immune systems. This doesn’t mean we don’t eat sprouted and certain cooked grains, salads, and other intestinal brooms—we do. If you’re following the CSL diet you are definitely getting enough fiber. Yet, we give our taxed bodies a much-needed rest by solely consuming liquid. When our bodies spend less energy on digestion they will spend more on repair. Think about this too, a glass of juice has more nutritious veggies than a smoothie does. How many cukes do you put in a juice? Bunches of kale? Sweet pea sprouts? We could never eat all that in a smoothie. Smoothies fill us up a lot faster.

Juicing vs. Blending: What's a Girl to Do?

I've never blended at home but I have bought blended juices. This debate has popped up a great deal lately and I like her take on it. In the end debating between juicing and blending is, to me, a lot like debating between Harvard and Yale: as long as you're not eating McDonald's (or going to Trump University) you're winning.

[newagenegro]

First yogurt experiment: yogurt made with half yogourmet and half fage as a starter.  Will the bacteria fight it out and fail, or will I create something magical? I will find out tomorrow...

[newagenegro]

(via Amazon.com: Hurom HU-100 Slow Juicer, Snow White: Kitchen & Dining)

I met this beautiful machine in The Cook's Warehouse this weekend. Le. Sigh.

If you've ever professed to love me or if you owe me money please consider putting five on this. Thanks.

[newagenegro]

A standby today with a little "clean out the fridge" thrown in. I had some leftover cranberry juice purchased from Arden's Garden this week. Word to the wise: cranberries are bitter, bitter, bitter! So we were unable to drink the shooters straight. I added about a quarter cup to my leftover mix of beets, granny smiths, carrots, and ginger and I love it! It's a nice crisp finish followed by the warmth of the ginger. Yum!

[newagenegro]

My favorite juice recipe:

2 beets

3 carrots

two apples (I really prefer pink ladies and granny smiths but try them all! That's part of the fun)

As much ginger as you can stand (I can stand a lot, almost half a root; they don't produce much juice)

Stir, drink chilled...and be forewarned: beets look the same going in as they do going out. :)