Mandarin Juice

“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.”

— Henry David Thoreau

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Mandarin Orange Juice

Let's be healthy and Drink Juice.

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 Let's be healthy and get up early.

 I have always wanted to be a morning person.  Thus far it hasn't happened.  I think my Grandpa who is 90 years old this month isn't even a morning person so I kind of wonder if there is hope.😉  

And just to clarify by morning person I am not referring to getting up at 7 am to an alarm clock and rolling out of bed because you have no choice, you have an appointment at 8 that you made because you thought you could force yourself into being a morning person.  

Rather I was making reference to those whom morning is a natural thing.  The alarm⏰ probably doesn't even need to go off they will wake up.

 I on the other hand would miss a flight, sleeping straight through until some sub conscious part of me dreamed of missing a flight.

I'm  talking about those who get up and head to the gym 🏃 for the 6 am class and arrive 15 minutes early.  My body barely moves at those moments.  I keep having dreams of swimming 🏊with the masters at 6 but alas it just doesn't happen....  

My go to however when people ask are you a morning or night person is to say: "neither. I'm 10-2. And you?" I usually get a chuckle taking the pressure off of being that early bird who catches the worm or the night owl who writes novels.

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Magnuson Park Bird

Don't get me wrong, I do like it when I rise early.  The house is quiet, no one is stirring.  My cup of coffee calls and in the winter my fireplace🔥 is on (yeah it's electric).

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But I also like to have that sweet taste of sunrise.🌄  I love to wake up with the birds outside and watch them rise in the air with me.

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Magnuson Park Birds

 I love to go out and walk at the park when the sun is coming up and grab the first light for photos. 📷 These moments happen a little more in the PNW during the winter as the weather permits because the sun⛅️ takes a little longer to come up. I think it likes to sleep in as much as I do. 🌞  So if I wake up early by chance and have had my cup o' joe ☕️and went out on a jaunt I love coming back to some fresh squeezed juice. 🍊 Not just plain ol' orange juice although as a kid I lived on that before coffee (existed in my world).

 Something different, something with a little kick and that says:

"Good job. You are part of the morning crew. You made it."

That is what this juice is for.

 If it is already made upon your return home, even better.  If not it's quick and yummy straight out of the juicer.  No need to refrigerate it prior to drinking cause, after all, you just went out for a walk in the cold early in the morning, didn't you? 😉

Ingredients

• 7-9 mandarins peeled

• 1/4 inch peeled ginger

• 1 lemon peeled

Instructions:

Step 1

Place mandarins then ginger then lemon into juicer.  

Drink up!

Tips:

• Satsuma mandarins make the best juice and they are in season from early winter to early spring depending upon where you live

• Good news one mandarin gives you about half of your vitamin C for the day and 2 grams of fiber

• Clementines aka "cuties" although good are not the same as satsuma mandarins and do not have the same juice ratio as mandarins are more similar to oranges in this regard.

• Little known facts: Mandarins originated in China, Clementines are a grafted fruit from a guy in Algeria.

Homemade Iced Coffee

It is frequent in life that we hear the term "emotional rollercoaster" but often I wonder what exactly does that mean? I associate rollercoasters with fun and excitement from my childhood but that term isn't supposed to convey that, is it?

 I think a better example of emotional pain should be described as climbing Mount Everest. It seems to go on and on and you think to yourself this is the toughest thing I've ever done. However, you know if you keep going and work through the sore legs, the lack of oxygen, the heavy pack, the pain will go away and you will come out a better person, learn from your experience, and work through it. One could even say that you will come out on top.

 I have never climbed Mount Everest but I imagine that must be what keeps people going through the pain, and the hardships and perhaps even loss on the mountain.  Sometimes though emotional hardship there is an underlying murky darkness.  It is a submerged feeling like a submarine driver in a blackened sea. Sometimes our reality is that getting out of bed to go make the coffee can be our Mount Everest for the day or our submarine of darkness. It's a choice to be made every day.  Will I keep going up, keep climbing? Or will I let my emotional pain submerge me into darkness.  

Each morning I decide. Each morning I know I will take one more step up the mountain and not go down under the sea. Sometimes it feels like you can't breathe but that's okay, it  means: go a little slower or grab that mask of O2 and keep on trekking or perhaps it's time to turn to your climbing buddies and signal, I need a little help.  They can't carry your pack of pain but they can whisper in your ear it will be okay, just keep going.

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 Today I am your mountain buddy.  Today I am whispering in your ear.  Today is the day to just keep Trekking.  The Coffee is ready let's drink together so we can keep going. Let me know how the climb goes for you?  I want to hear so I can whisper in your ear: Keep Going, You've Got this We're in this together.

Ingredients

• 1 & 3/4 cup ground coffee

• 96 oz water or 12 cups

• Coffee Syrup (Make at home or buy at Trader Joe's)

• Unsweetened Coconut Milk

Instructions

Step 1

In a drip coffee maker add water and ground coffee.  You will notice this is stronger coffee than you might usually brew.  Fill Two ice cube trays with coffee and place in freezer.

Step 2

In a pitcher place room temperature coffee and place in refrigerator. Place in  refrigerator until chilled.  Once cooled add coffee syrup to taste.

Step 3

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Place frozen coffee ice cubes in cup and pour cold coffee over the top leaving room for coconut milk.  Pour coconut milk into cold brew and enjoy.

Tips

• Cold Brew vs Iced Coffee- Cold Brew coffee is coffee grinds steeped in room temperature water for 24 hours instead of brewed hot. This is also good and makes a smooth coffee taste.

• Ice Cube Trays have so many uses besides making coffee ice cubes you can use them for fresh herbs with olive oil to add to stews and soups, make broth cubes for making sauces, or make pesto and have it ready with ice cubes and let's not forget for Making great Cocktails!