Juiced Up

Now that there are a variety of fruits in the supermarket , it's time to start thinking about juicing them. After all, there's nothing like freshly squeezed glass of orange juice or apricot nectar. They re' also what the Obamas demand in this new era of healthy eating and drinking. The best part is that fresh squeezed juice won't be laden with anything artificial or packed with sugar. Everything is all natural and good for you.

The first step is finding the right juicer. There are several different types such as the masticator (Or chewer- It brings memories of a line from "The Glass Menagerie" when the mother tells her kids to masticate their food). This is great for pulping bananas if you want smoothies. The best bet for any novice juicer is a centrifugal type where the machine grinds fruits as well as vegetables and puts them through a strainer (similar to your washing machine on spin cycle) You get more juice and less pulp. Another option is the triturating or twin gear juicer. This type of juicer first crushes the fruit and then presses it. You get more fiber and trace minerals. Also look for juicers that can easily eliminate the pulp. This allows for less mess and less clean up.

Once you have your juicer the sky's the limit. You can make fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit juice for breakfast. A hot day can be alleviated with just made lemonade or limeade. You can also infuse teas with juices for a different taste. Blend different juices for a maximum intake of vitamins and minerals. Anything is possible and you can create some tasty flavor combinations such as cherry orange or raspberry lemon.


Juicing is a great way of getting more good stuff into your system. It's also a great way of introducing your family to real fruit juice, not that sugary store bought kind. Juicing should be one of the stepping stones to a better diet and a better you.

Vending Machines - A Foodie's Dream

Vending machines have always had a special allure to foodies of the modern age. Myself I've always fascinated by them. Pick what you want , pop in the change and out comes a treat. They're like those claw machines you see at carnivals or on the Boardwalk.

Nowadays they're more upscale. Years ago a basic coffee vending machine could only give you black or mixed coffee along with hot cocoa. Now you can not only pick out coffee but cappuccino, caffe latte along with cafe mocha. It's pre sweetened and prefoamed to your liking. The soda machines have also gone upscale. You can buy not only Coke, Mountain Dew and Pepsi but also power waters and spring waters as well.


Thank heavens that the snack machines are basically the same. You can get the same small bag of pretzels chips, or popcorn. They still have Pop Tarts along with Pepperidge Farm cookies.

OK foodies, now let's here from you. What's your favorite food or drink from a vending machine?