2022 Wrap Up

I'll be celebrating with R.W. Knudsen Sparkling Crisp Apple Juice. Yep, 2022 was wild enough. Pic by M.C.
I’ll be celebrating with R.W. Knudsen Sparkling Crisp Apple Juice. Yep, 2022 was wild enough. There is a margarita recipe below if you want something stronger. Pic by M.C.

It looks like I started and ended 2022 with blogging about juicing. Recently, an insurance adjuster told me she loves juicing wheatgrass. I have to agree. That is one reason why I bought an Omega juicer. And there is a new juice bar opening in my town. Maybe juicing is gaining popularity.

Here are 2022s posts:

1. Post #159-Omega Juicers

2. Post #160-Smoothie Bowl

3. Post #161-Wheat and Barley Grass

4. Post #162-Colloidal Silver

5. Post #163-Berkey Water System

6. Post #164-Vegan Tom Kha Phak Soup

7. Post #165-Stranger Things 1 and Nature’s Path vegan and gluten free waffles

8. Post #166-Stranger Things 2 and a typical 80s salad

9. Post #167-Stranger Things 3 and peanut butter on celery

10. Post #168-Stranger Things 4 and cantaloupe

11. Post #169-Olivia Newton-John remembered

12. Post #170-GF Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

13. Post #171-Vegan Mexican Food

14. Post #172-Vegan Margarita

15. Post #173-Vegan Mexican Pinto Beans

16. Post #174-Vegan Spanish Rice

17. Post #175-Nopales

18. Post #176-9-11 Rogue Networks

19. Post #177-Salsa Verde

20. Post #178-Vegan Enchiladas

21. Post #179-Bob’s Red Mill Muffins

22. Post #180-Pomegranate Grape Juice

23. Here are the links to past wrap ups:
2021 Wrap Up
2020 Wrap Up

Thank you for visiting my blog this year. I really do appreciate it when there are so many other distractions. I do enjoy visiting your blogs too on health and the environment and the occasional fun posts about what we are all watching on Netflix.

Next year, I’m sure I will be talking about juicing again. I love soup on these cold days and will probably share a recipe and mostly post vegan recipes. I know I have some books I’d like to talk about—some fiction, some research. I might do a post on California fault lines and earthquakes since I just went through a scary earthquake. It all gets down to how it affects our health and how to make healthy decisions.

In the end, I’m always researching for the truth not the trend. I like to take all the information and set it aside until more information backs up what I have learned thus far. Or some of the information falls away. Someone asked me how I decide what is the truth regarding research. I said I listen to my intuition. She said someone else told her the same. Reading and listening to all sides helps too. I saw a Gloria Steinem quote on a magnet while Christmas shopping which is apparently the title of one of her more recent books. It goes a little like this:

The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off! ~Gloria Steinem

Happy Juicing, Happy Vegan, and Happy New Year!

From blog of melissacrismon.com

Copyright 2022 Melissa Crismon

Pomegranate Grape Juice

Pomegranate Grape Juice with some raindrops on the ferns. Pic by M.C.
Pomegranate Grape Juice with some raindrops on the ferns. Pic by M.C.

My grandparents had an old, glorious pomegranate tree in their backyard. As I recall my grandmother said her mom planted it. My dad rooted the fruit tree cuttings and made his own trees. He gave me one, but it died. Wah! Or should I say I killed it—on accident of course. I have always loved pomegranates, but the older I get I don’t want to deal with the mess.

So after making my own juice, I would recommend buying L&A 32 ounce bottle of pomegranate juice for only $5.99 and it tastes fresh. Of course, the fresher your food the more vitamins and minerals you will get.

According to The Ultimate Book of Modern Juicing by Mimi Kirk and UTSouthwestern Medical Center blog, pomegranates have high levels of flavonoids and polyphenols, which are antioxidants. Phytonutrients like flavonoids helps rid the body from free radicals. Flavonoids keep blood flowing, which prevents clots, strokes, and heart attacks. Polyphenols protect the body against cancer, coronary heart disease, inflammation, neurodegenerative disease, and diabetes, and lowers the LDL cholesterol, but boosts the HDL cholesterol. Author Mimi Kirk suggests cutting and taking the pomegranate apart in a pot of water in the kitchen sink to reduce the mess.

Grapes contain important minerals like potassium (lowers blood pressure), calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, and selenium. They are high in vitamins A, B, C, K, and folate. They also contain flavonoids.

I added a lime to cut the sweetness. Limes contain calcium and folate. Limes are higher in vitamin C than lemons. The citric acid in limes breaks down the crystalized calcium that causes kidney stones. Warm water and lime juice helps cystitis (inflammation of the bladder). The limonoids in the fruit are a detoxifier and antibiotic. I think I will switch to using limes rather than lemons in my juices for a while to get that extra vitamin C.

POMEGRANATE GRAPE JUICE
2 pomegranates, medium
30 purple grapes
1 lime

Yield: about 11 ounces

Directions:
Wash then prep fruit. Try to peel as much skin off the pomegranates to get rid of the bitter taste. Cut off the lime peel and cut in half. Feed the Omega juicer with pomegranate seeds, grapes, and lime pieces intermittently.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

Books make great gifts for the holidays! The MerSea series is about a conservationist, who becomes a mermaid, while fighting whalers in Antarctica. And, of course, there is a ship of vegans!

Happy Vegan!

Recipe from blog of melissacrismon.com

Copyright 2022 Melissa Crismon