Juices on Instagram

To Follow me on Instagram, click the link that follows: http://instagram.com/gretzyy

I attempt to take photographs and videos of all of my juices, and if they are not put on my blog you can find them on my Instagram account!

A Smoothie a Day Keeps the Dr. Away

Here I tried to make a short video, just for fun, highlighting the different benefits that you would gain from drinking juices with a variety of fruits and vegetables in them. 

.. Reminder, just for fun.

Follow me on Twitter: @kristinagretz
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Juicing and Fitness

How can juicing help you meet your fitness goals?

Juicing is loaded with 3 major restorative factors that will help you succeed in reaching your fitness goals:

1. Antioxidants
They improve stamina and strength by preventing damage on a cellular level

2. Enzymes
Aid in the removal of toxins, optimal digestion and organ function

3. Phytonutrients
Help boost your immune system and fights inflammation


Check out these recipes to amplify the results you'll get while exercising!

Better than Salad
4 Parsley Sprugs
3 Tomatos
1/2 Bell Pepper
1 Cucumber
1 Scallion
1 Lemon

Original V-8
2 Parsley Sprigs
1 Tomato
3 Celery Stalks
2 Carrots
1/2 Green Bell Pepper
1/2 Cucumber
Pinch of Ginger

Iron Galore
1 Apple 
3 Carrots
3 Kale Leaves
1/2 Beet 
1/2 Cup of Broccoli

Pancreas Cleanse
5 Carrots
1/2 Beet
1 Apple
3 Celery Stalks
3 Kale Stalks
1 Lemon

Pineapple Delight 
1/4 Pineapple
1 Celery Stalk
Pinch of Ginger
Handful of Parsley

Follow me on Twitter: @kristinagretz

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All Y'all Cannot Compete

It's not your fault that anyone who's anyone loves Avocado.

Don't blame yourself for feeling less liked, Apple. Your nutritional value is unmatched.
And Pear, your unique shape gives you flair amongst other produce.
And hey, Pomegranate, over there being so pink. I like the color pink.


But if we are being realistic, Avocado is probably the greatest food on Earth. In all areas that are Food, Avocado delectably compliments any assortment of fine gourmet one might encounter. To go along with my Pesto Walnut sauce (posted below), I made an Avocado dressing for my salad. 

To make 2/3 Cup:
1/2 cup avocado flesh
1/4 cup coconut cream
5 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp agave nectar
2 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 tbsp fresh grapefruit juice
pinch of salt

I don't have a picture of my final master piece but it was ...

 || Arugula, Orange and Grapefruit slices, Pine Nuts topped with Roasted Red and Gold Beets, Coconut fried Tofu tossed in the Creamy Avocado Lime Dressing ||

Without a doubt, I will make this meal again & share with you, in all its glory, the finished product.

Follow me on Twitter: @kristinagretz

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You Say Pasta?

I say Pesto!

Basil, you say? 
Olive oil? A given
Parmesan, but of course!
Garlic. Wouldn't be as delicious without.

Walnuts? Hmm, Curious.

Yes, a traditional pesto will call for pine nuts, the ever-so-fancy nut that sells for much more than a college student should even think about spending on nuts. Walnuts add a similar flavor are honestly just as, if not more, delicious. They are a good source of Copper and Manganese, both of which have recommended daily requirements, according to the New York Times, at 900 mcg/day and 310 - 320 mgs/day, respectively. If these numbers don't interest you, let's move onto the good stuff. 

 Add the Parmesan and Walnuts

 And the Garlic

 Add Basil && Olive Oil

 And below is the beautiful outcome of Pesto Walnut

 (With a couple basil leaves for a centerpiece at dinner)

|| Lemon Chicken, Lemon Parsley Caper Garnish with Pesto Walnut Spaghetti ||

IT WAS SO GOOD.

Follow me on Twitter: @kristinagretz

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Beetle Juice

Beetle Juice Beetle Juice Beetle Juice!

Remember Tim Burton's spooky Halloween classic, Beetlejuice? I certainly do. But I am not writing to you today with a movie review. Today, I decided to use up some of the veggies in our fridge; with the addition of Apples and fresh orange and lime juice for some natural sweetness.

|| Beets Apple Carrots Hint of Lime & Orange ||

Apple, Beet and Carrot Juice Liver Tonic

|| Credit Health Ambition ||

Drinking this liver tonic and detox juice a couple of days a week for a fortnight should have some noticeable effects on your mood and energy levels and start to improve the tone of your skin. You may end up liking it so much that you want to have it long-term and see just what it can do to improve your liver’s function and by association your appearance, general immunity and ultimately your overall health.


Follow me on Twitter: @kristinagretz
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OMFJ

Oh, My Fabulous Juice

...A late night snack for 549

|| Pineapple, Banana, Spinach, Ginger ||

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B.Y.O.P

Bring Your Own Pumpkin

|| Event name credit to Tay Siegs||

Ah, October. Oktober. Monstober.

I completely forgot how in the spirit I become every Halloween season. So.. prepare for many a jack o' lanterns, pumpkin cider martinis and a very first homemade actual pumpkin pie. Over pacing break I really took pumpkin crafting to another level and as we are heading back to Lehigh tonight and tomorrow to start class, I am MORE EXCITED THAN EVER to celebrate my last october and Halloween as an undergrad and with my pledge class. Click here to customize your own pumpkin carving template. 

Homemade Actual Pumpkin Pie

Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Sugar, Brown Sugar, Allspice, Cloves, Pumpkin Cuts, Evaporated Milk || All blended together

Carving all these pumpkins was tough. But so worth it in the end.

Threw all of my ingredients in the Vitamix, pumpkin guts included to make a delicious pie batter.

Coated my pie crust in cinnamon for extra flavor!

And voilà!

|| NonLibby Homemade Pumpkin Pie ||





Follow me on Twitter: @kristinagretz
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Let's Put It To A Vote

As promised, I will make my #socialndigitalLU marketing class a juice in the spirit of my blog.

 Tell me what your favorite fruits and vegetables are via this survey monkey link below. I will bring a juice within the next two weeks. I gave you the option to chose as many fruits and veggies as you like. Given the results, I will mix up something delicious that everyone will love!

Survey Monkey for Juice 

To my loyal Juicehead followers,

I want to hear your opinion too! What are your favorite fruits and veggies?! 

Yours truly, 

Krissy

Follow me on Twitter: @kristinagretz

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Why Do Watermelons Have Fancy Weddings?

Because they cantaloupe.

So, this week I attempted a Watermelon Juice Cleanse. Here is my process.

First, chopping is key. If you cut your watermelon right you are destined to have a scrumptious juice at the end of your hard labors. 

 Squish all of the watermelon into the juicer. All of it. Don't let the watermelon fool you, it is crushable.

Crank the mixing level up way high. And let it blend for 30 seconds.

Mint! How pretty? I couldn't resist the fancy garnish. 

Be sure to strain the juice, for a smooth finish. And you are done!

 || Watermelon Juice with Mint and Ginger Garnish ||

I know what you are thinking. How could I have possibly found such a perfectly pink watermelon?I will be honest. I used instagram filters. But hey, who doesn't these days?

Follow me on Twitter: kristinagretz@gmail.com

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An End to an Epic Summer

|| apples, pears, chia seeds, bananas, grapes ||

The Autumn Equinox - September 22, 2013

Before Fall officially begins, let's talk a little more about summer. 

As college seniors, we often feel that this past summer was our last. That next summer those beachy-biki filled days will have passed and will be turned into long hours at the office. 

NO!?!?!!?! no.

So lets think. What we can do to avoid this thought from crossing our minds? What else screams summer more than fresh juice in a cute mason jar, garnished with an apple, topped with a straw and photographed in front of a bouquet of pink daisies? 

I'm really not sure. 

This weekend my friends and I enjoyed a cool and refreshing gloss (yes, gloss. It is the clossy (classy) way to say glass. Obviously referencing The Parent Trap) of #apple #pear #banana #grapes #chiaseed deliciousness. 

So, to sum up. 

What is better than enjoying a cutely presented delicious tasting fruit filled mason jar? How about your best friends taking up your favorite hobby of creating fruity concoctions. 

Meet Curious Meg. Meg for short. I love juicing. She loves juicing. The Vitamix is our oyster. 

|| kale, peaches, pears, almonds, chia seeds ||

Follow me on Twitter: @kristinagretz
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A morning-cocktails bloody-mary kind of morning

Saturday, September 7

It is 8:00Am. We are wide awake and the six of us are rummaging through our costume closet looking for the most absurd outfits we can put together.

Now it is 8:15Am and we are making Bloody Mary's with the only ingredients were could find. V8 Vegetable Juice and Bankers Vodka. Yuck... But with lots of ice...Yum!

|| 549 Rooftop Vitamix Bloody's Pre-MOCOs ||

Later in the day a bunch of us came back to hang out in our yard. I put my Vitamix to work again and made a Fireball-type of drank - main ingredient Fireball Whiskey... Accompanied by Strawberry, Grapefruit and Pineapple. 

As if we hadn't had enough to drink already... Alcoholic or not.




Follow me on Twitter: @kristinagretz
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The Calm Before the Storm

Friday, September 6

Three of my girlfriends received job offers at the end of this summer from Ernst and Young, PWC and Prudential. So, we obviously had to celebrate. Blue Moon kegs, American Flag Tiki torches, Jeremy Bailey's Barbecue and good company were big hits at our first-of-the-year back yard rager.

I thought Gin would compliment pineapple, orange and strawberries famously in a juice, for dessert. #Aggressive. I was right though. And it was gooooooood.

|| Pineapple, Oranges, Strawberries, Tanqueray Gin, Mason Jars ||



Follow me on Twitter: @kristinagretz
@juicy
@blendfriendly
@vitamixcreations
@socialndigitalLU

That One Time My Friend Had His First Juice

In the midst of chopping and gathering our fruits one afternoon, my friend Blake said: I can tell already that this is going to knock my socks off, isn't it?



I let the juice speak for itself...

||Mango, Dried Cranberries, Peaches, Bananas, Greek Yogurt||

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And....Juicing Has Changed My Life

Welcome to my blog!

My name is Kristina. I am a juice head. No, not the kind you've heard of before on MTV's reality show the Jersey Shore. No, I am not an italian man with big muscles with daily hobbies consisting of GTL.

Rather, I just love to juice.

My grandparents recently gifted me with a lovely high powered blender called a Vitamix, meant to aid me through any and all kitchen struggles I would face as an off campus senior. I was inspired this summer 'to juice' by my coworkers. Every morning I would come in for breakfast and find a "green drink" placed on my desk. In the afternoon, a few of us would create "pink juice" (made with papaya, oranges... and a few other secret ingredients I will touch on later) and lay out on the balcony to catch some rays to go along with our refreshing refreshments. When it was 5 o'clock somewhere, we would add tequila for tang... And because it was happy hour...

So, naturally when I left at the end of the summer to go back to Lehigh, juicing was all I could think about.

The day came last Monday, August 26, 2013, when my Papa told me I should be receiving a package today. VITAMIX! It was here. I could only think about how many different creations I wanted to try all at once!

I have 5 roommates now. And I obviously want them to be just as addicted as I am to this juicer. On our first night together (and by our first night together I mean, me, my roommates and the blender juicer) we threw together a bunch of ingredients we thought might, maybe, taste good together? Oh well. We were too excited! Everything went in. It turned out green. And we loved it.

|| Banana, Apple, Grapefruit, Plum, Kale, Mango, Melon ||

Follow me on Twitter @kristinagretz
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#juicy
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