Have you ever had that feeling that you must have done something to warrant all the bad luck you were having?

Well, I'm there.

After spending a week of my life "on the couch" with the flu and strept throat, I'm not fully recovered and have somehow sprained my hip. It's either that or something in my lower back and, based on symptoms, my doctor feels it's a hip sprain.

The issue...I can barely move. While the doc has given me some strong meds, I don't like to take medication. I prefer a more natural, holistic approach.

So today I'm sitting on the downstairs recliner/couch, fully propped up with pillows and a jug of water and my laptop (after all, there's only so much time a girl can spend lying down in bed). :-)

On the positive side, I was able to fully set up my smoothie/juicing station (my primary source of food during the warmer months) the other day so that everything is a quick turnaround and step from the fridge and sink.

While it sounds so obvious, it's amazing to me how people often make things more difficult for themselves by not setting up for success. I've noticed how I don't juice or blend as often when my glass (I use a huge crystal wine glass as a way of pampering myself), Jack LaLane power juicer (or Wolfgang Puck immersion blender), and room temperature (apples, oranges, cucumbers, green foods, hemp protein powder, etc.) ingredients aren't right at hand.

By creating a juicing/smoothie bar, I'm ready to go at any time.

Juicer Fiasco

I've been doing A LOT of juicing lately...my parents bought me a Jack LaLane juicer a few Christmas's ago and I finally tackled it about two weeks ago.

It's been a GREAT experience! My friend and client Lynn Rousseau of http://www.TheConsciousLeader.com recommended a great recipe (spinach, oranges and carrots) to which I've added apples.

As I was happily chopping away this morning, I learned a few things:

1. Even though they SAY you don't need to chop carrots down if you have a large (3 inch) feeding tube, they are WRONG!

2. When they say to always use the "food pusher", they are RIGHT!

3. Battle scarred and still finding bits of carrot pulp around my kitchen, the juice is still fantastic.

Be happy you weren't here...bits of carrot shooting everywhere, dogs barking (after all, they're getting pelted with carrot bits) and me insanely laughing as I tried to get to the OFF button.

and so begins a HAPPY FRIDAY!