My favorite green juice, Russell James, “Smoothment” giveaway

***THIS POST’S GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ENTERED!***
The winner is Ashley of Southern Purple Vegan!
Please email your mailing info to
almostveganchef AT gmail DOT com
within 48 hours. CONGRATS!

Happy new year! Thank you all so much for the kind comments on my year in review post. You know I couldn’t have come this far without you, right?

I hope you all had a great weekend! I’m probably not alone in feeling like I should open the year with a fresh, healthy new start. To that end, I’m sharing my favorite green juice recipe with you today. (For those of you who wonder what type of juicer I have, it’s an Omega/Hurom slow juicer, and I love it!) I’ve also got a fun video to share from my former chef instructor Russell James and some information on Navitas Naturals’ new Smoothment campaign (including a giveaway!). In other words, I’ve got all kinds of good stuff today to help you start your new year out on the right foot!

My Favorite Green Juice

1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped, leaves torn into pieces
1 large cucumber, chopped
4 to 6 stalks celery, chopped
1 to 2 green apples or pears, cored and chopped
1 lemon, peeled and chopped
1 small chunk fresh ginger

Run all items through a juicer, alternating the tough pieces (kale stems, celery stalks) with softer pieces (apple, cucumber). Dilute with filtered water if desired. Drink immediately.

Yield: 3 servings (3 to 4 cups)
Per serving: 143 calories, 1.7g fat (trace sat), 33g carbs, 1g fiber, 7.3g protein

You’re probably already familiar with “The Raw Chef” Russell James. Russell was my instructor for Level I at the Matthew Kenney Academy in 2010.

If you’ve ever met Russell, checked out his ebooks, watched his online videos, or enjoyed his “How To Be Your Own Raw Food Chef…And Still Have Time To Eat!” DVD course, I’m sure you adore him as much as I do. And if you haven’t checked those things out, I highly recommend you do! For those of you for whom formal chef school just isn’t an option, you can get a comparable culinary education from Russell himself right in the comfort of your own home.

Russell even has an ALL-DESSERTS course. It’s enormous; I still haven’t worked my way through the whole thing! It’s an incredible value.

In just over a week, Russell is debuting the newest version of his raw food chef homestudy course – which you can take advantage of via DVDs or as an online program – and in the days leading up to the launch, he’s releasing a series of his customarily awesome and informative videos online. CLICK HERE to see the first video of the series and check out more of Russell’s incredible work.

Finally, right on the heels of my review and giveaway just a couple weeks ago, Navitas Naturals just announced their new “Smoothment” campaign.

The Smoothment is a motivating initiative to help people get a healthy and energized start to the New Year via the blender. This week-long program features easy and delicious 60-second smoothie video recipes and exclusive tips for filling your smoothies with functional, health-promoting superfoods. Whether enjoyed in place of breakfast, lunch or snack, smoothies are a simple, ideal tool for nutritional change. Upgrade the nutrition of just one meal per day and experience a revitalizing jumpstart towards long-lasting health and vitality.

Navitas is offering 30% off all their raw, organic, gluten-free superfood smoothie ingredients for the full duration of the Smoothment (ending 1/9/2012)! That’s 30% off any 4 oz., 8 oz., or 16 oz. bag of Maqui Powder, Goji Powder, Cashews, Goji Berries, Antioxidant Blend, Lucuma Powder, Wheatgrass Powder, Hemp Seeds, Chia Seeds, Cacao Powder, Hemp Powder, Maca Powder, Palm Sugar, Cacao Nibs, Acai Powder, Camu Powder or Mulberries.

Submit your email address here and get daily links to exclusive videos featuring delicious smoothies made by Superfood Cuisine author Julie Morris. Smoothment members also gain access to smoothie secrets designed to assist with detoxification, anti-aging, optimal protein, energy boosts, antioxidants, weight management and longevity. As an extra reward for your resolve, you can enter each day to win a bag of Navitas Naturals premium superfoods! It’s a win-win situation.

Navitas Naturals Giveaway!

The winner of this giveaway will receive a Navitas Naturals prize pack mailed directly to your home, including:
– 1 bag of açaí powder
– 1 tube of cacao lip balm

There are five ways to win (please leave a separate comment below for each entry):

1) REQUIRED ENTRY: Go to the Smoothment site and sign up for the email list (it takes 10 seconds!), then comment below confirming you’ve done so.
***You must do this first! Your signup to the email list will be verified before we can select you as a winner.

2) “Like” Almost Vegan on Facebook AND Navitas Naturals on Facebook and comment below confirming you’ve done so. (Bonus: “like” my FB post about the giveaway.)

3) Follow Almost Vegan on Twitter AND Navitas Naturals on Twitter and comment below confirming you’ve done so (include your handle).

4) Tweet the following message and comment below confirming you’ve done so:

I entered to win a @NavitasNaturals prize pack from @AlmostVeganChef ! #Giveaway here: http://wp.me/pYLdq-12t

5) Subscribe to my blog by email (at the top of the right-hand sidebar), RSS feed, or Google reader and comment below confirming you’ve done so (or already are a subscriber).

This giveaway is open to the U.S. AND Canada!
The deadline for entries is Friday morning, January 6th, 2011, at 10:00am CST.
I’ll be choosing the winner at random. Good luck!

3 years ago…
Tofu makhani curry
2 years ago…
Almost Vegan in Europe: the wrap-up
1 year ago…
Matthew Kenney Academy: Level II graduation