pear, parsnip and ginger juice

… we all have our comfort foods right?  Sausage and Mash… Mac n Cheese… and Bacon Buttie at 2am… well The Viking and I, like many of you i’m sure, have our comfort TV too.  This is the TV that we put on that makes us feel comfortable and relaxed… TV that we don’t have to think too hard about or concentrate on too much… it doesn’t even particularly have to be good, it just has to be reliable and a teeny bit addictive so that we can’t help but want to turn to it.  We switch this TV on usually late at night, often when we’re slightly drunk and usually when we’re alone because this kind of lack of concentration on something so unimportant takes focus.  The Viking’s comfort TV is the motorbike racing.  Moto GP, British Super Bikes or World Super Bikes… it must be the buzzing from the engines and the round and round racing that sends him into a relaxed slump.  Believe me.  If I need to force him to unwind I stick him down in-front of the motorbikes and like a baby watching the Tele-Tubbies, he’s away.

My comfort TV is something of a guilty pleasure too.  It’s QVC.  I actually have it on in the background now as I write.  It’s like Radio 4, there’s something about those voices talking too me that makes me feel relaxed… and it doesn’t really matter which subject they’re talking about either… fashion, homeware, jewellery, gardening… i’m hooked.  I rarely purchase, it’s more just having it there that feeds my soul.  Maybe it says something about growing up in the consumerism of the 80’s or maybe it’s that there’s something a little humorous in the presenting style… I have no idea what it is.  What I do know is that i’m drawn to it like a moth to the flame and i’m finally not ashamed to admit it!

pear, parsnip and ginger juice
on 27th September the Jason Vale Retro Juicer will launch on QVC UK… I am lucky enough to have been sent one to preview.  Of course I had to chose the lovely pale blue one which so beautifully matches my kitchen.  The thing is a bit of a beast and whilst I have concerns about the practicality of the thing I cannot deny how impressed I was by its performance.  Now there are a lot of juicers, blenders and whizzers out there on the market and they all have their place but I am genuinely delighted at easy this one was to use.  I tend to dislike machines that have lots of parts – there’s lots to wash and too many things to go wrong but in fact all the parts of this retro juicer are quite sturdy and too large to be fiddly… so that’s a win-win… and just watch the beast make pulp of fruit and veg.

What I love about this is that there’s no peeling and very little chopping or prep of the ingredients at all in fact and you can’t help but be a little blown away but the amount of pulp that snakes out of the machine…

QVC have teamed up with Jason Vale, the Master Juicer himself, to launch this slow-juicer.  Jason Vale is famous for his 28-Day Juice Plan which has transformed the lives of many people with issues with their health and weight.  I’ve yet to read the whole book, it’s quite a hefty tome after-all but with every juice I make with the machine I am more and more convinced I might give it a go although i’m not convinced i’d be able to survive without solid food for more that 48 hours!

these recipes are just a hint of what this machine can do and remember none of the fruit needs to be peeled and the only stones to come out is that of the apricot.

give pears a chance
3 pears
1 medium parsnip
1/2 lime
1 inch ginger root

simply cut the fruit and veg into large chunks and run through the retro juicer – serve over ice

walking on sunshine
2 carrots
2 apples
half an orange
1 inch ginger root
2 apricots

simply cut the fruit and veg into large chunks and run through the retro juicer – serve over ice

i’m entering both these juices into the AlphaBakes challenge for this month which has the letter J as the theme… AlphaBakes is hosted by Ros The More Than Occasional Baker and Caroline from Caroline Makes

drink and of course, enjoy!