Our Go-To Green Juice - Kale, Cucumber and Lemon

I am so inspired by simplistic style. Honestly, I am inspired by style, period. Whether it be different packaging, natural materials, a perfect color palette, a beautiful antique rich with history, food served in a unique way, or a different sort of get together. Things done with style slay me everytime. This week I had the honor of attending a "Poetry Night" that my friend hosted for a group of really cool women. You could say it was a night filled with style, from the soft music playing upon entry, long, white candles flickering, and the guest of honor, Amy, an award winning poet from Hawaii (born and raised) sharing her work. Other attendees brought along their favorite poems and shared as well. I brought food. Go-figure. Our host, organized the night beautifully with food and drink to start and guided the night along asking different people to share at different times and asking what we thought at the end. She gave us guidelines on how to listen to poetry which helped me a lot. She advised to just listen  without trying to analyze what it means. Poetry will speak to you in different ways and evoke feelings and meanings, or it won't. I've found that sometimes you just don't "get it" like any art form. But when you do? It's magic. It was different and unique and I'll remember it forever. I came not knowing much about poetry. I left with an aware ear and a new appreciation for the craft.

This juice has more cucumber and is made with lighter colored kale. Note the difference from the first and last pictures.



My favorite part of the evening came with the last poem. It was one that Amy had written when she was stargazing one night at 16 years old. She talked of slipping Jupiter's rings around her fingers, and shoving piles of silvery moon dust in her pockets which tasted of peppermint and felt like January on her skin. Upon spying the beautiful sister constellations, she pondered whether she would ever feel beautiful? What was she here for? It was honest and memorable. I listened eagerly as I ate cookies made by the lovely and deep Mrs. Julie Howard, and crostini tapenade brought by my sweet, pregnant hairdresser, Emily. I also devoured a mushroom cheese tart made by Amy. The crust was sweet like you might make for a dessert, but the filling was savory and rich. I loved it.

The rest of the week? I needed a food reboot.

Ah, but it was heaven that night.

First thing this afternoon though, I'm making our families go-to green juice. We drink this two-three times a week. It's tart and refreshing and the vibrant green color makes me happy as I visualize all the health and wellness it brings to my body. Green juice will give you energy like no other, glowing skin, and cleanse your liver. The type of kale you purchase will determine how strong the flavor is. We use dark lactino or dinosaur kale, but if you're just starting out, you may want to try the lighter, ruffly leaves type. We've also used purple kale which make for a rather ugly color but is surprisingly mild. Sometimes, you just get a grassier tasting bunch no matter which type you buy so don't stress about it. Just add another cucumber if you'd like. I do like the taste of the lactino kale best though, and you can always cut down on the amount of greens used to make a milder juice. You can also substitute spinach here, which is always mild.



I suggest after the heavy St. Patricks Day food (fish and chips anyone?) and Guinness, that this be the first thing you make the day after to help you get back on track. Plus, this juice is Kelly Green, which is so stylish right now, wouldn't you say?

Our Go-To Green Juice - Kale, Cucumber and Lemon
serves 2-4

We like to really taste the lemon in our juice. You can always add more or less depending on your preference.

1 big head of kale
3-4 cucumbers (if they are very large, three will do it. We usually need four)
1 lemon

Wash kale leaves throughly and slice the skin and peel of the lemon off. Juice everything together and drink fresh over ice.