green juice {in a blender}

Currently, this green juice is one of my favorite things. Don't let the color scare you, the taste makes up for the color (kinda?). You would never know this juice was packed with kale because it tastes like freshly squeezed green apple juice, lemon and a hint of cucumber. I got curious about green juice after hearing so much about juice cleanses. I've never attempted a juice cleanse but for how much I enjoy this green juice, I can't say I'd hate it. I love drinking all of those fruit/veggie juices they sell in grocery stores, like Naked juices, because they make me feel like I'm getting a decent serving of veggies (and yes, lots of sugar). And because I'm always looking for ways to eat more veggies, I decided to give homemade juice a try.

So this is where I tell you, I don't have a juicer. Obviously, I would love a juicer one day but they are so expensive! After a little research, I decided to try making green juice in my Vitamix and it worked surprisingly well. By using a blender, I have to take an extra step and strain the mixture to get the juice but I tell myself that a blender is much easier to clean than a juicer so it's a fair trade off.

Just a few notes:

If you want to drink the juice immediately than use cold fruits and veggies, your juice will taste so much better!

Also, this juice can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours, making it a perfect grab and go breakfast.

And you will have about a cup of pulp leftover which I save and add to my smoothies during the week.

Now go make and love green juice, you can't use the 'I don't have a juicer' excuse anymore.

Green Juice {in a blender}
makes 1 serving

6 kale leaves, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
1 green apple, diced
1 cucumber, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1/2 lemon, peeled

Add cucumber, celery, kale, apples and lemon to the blender (in that order) and blend until very smooth (takes about 2 minutes on high with Vitamix). You will need to use a tamper or spoon to get it moving at first.

Strain mixture with a strainer or a cheese cloth. If you don't want any pulp in your juice, strain mixture through twice.