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If you’ve ever consumed raw beet juice you’ve probably discovered that it can irritate your throat and esophagus. However, you can combine the beet juice with other ingredients for a smooth and healthy beverage. With our health-conscious society looking to find ways to lower cholesterol naturally, juicing your garden vegetables is a great way to begin a healthy lifestyle and have great taste at the same time.

If you’re using organic beet roots or greens, wash them thoroughly. If you have non-organic beets in your garden, spray or soak them with a biodegradable wash and then rinse them well.

Here are a couple of combinations you can try in your juicer:

1 beet, including top
2 sweet potatoes
2 apples, cut into chunks

1/2 beet, including top
3 carrots
2 celery stalks
2 Tbls. fresh parsley

You can try many other combinations too. Try adding some bell pepper, spinach, or other fresh garden vegetables to your liking.

Please let me know if you have a delicious juicing recipe to share.

Ingredients:
1 cup sliced peaches
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1/2 cup dry milk powder
1/2 cup club soda

Put peaches, yogurt and dry milk powder in a blender until smooth. Pour into three glasses and add club soda. Gently mix into peach mixture.

If you want to rim the glass, here are some good suggestions from chowhound.chow.com:

Idea #1. Use a sweet little orange, clementine, or mandarin…cut a tiny wedge, put a small, shallow slit in it, and rim the glass/plastic cup with it. I would suggest smushing/rolling the piece of fruit, prior to slicing so it give a bit more juice…just don’t make it super sloppy. As long as you’re not “mashing” your piece of fruit around the rim, it should be just fine.

Idea #2. I use two little plates, one with water in it (lime juice would be fine) and one with sugar in it, as he had. I dip the glass (upside down of course) straight into the liquid, then straight down into the sugar like he did, but then I give it a tiny twist because I like a lot of sugar on my glass, and that gets any extra spots.

Ingredients:
1 cup tomato juice
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 drop Tabasco sauce

Combine all ingredients. Serve over ice if desired. Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients:

1 small banana
1 cup apple juice
1 cup orange juice
5 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Top with whipped cream. Yield: 3 servings

Ingredients:

2 (10 oz) pkgs frozen red raspberries in syrup, thawed
1/3 cup lemon juice from concentrate
1/2 cup sugar
1 (750 ML) bottle red rose wine, chilled
1 qt. raspberry sherbet
1 (750 ML) bottle Asti Spumante champagne, chilled

Puree raspberries in food processor or blender. Combine pureed raspberries, lemon juice, sugar and wine in a large punch bowl; stir until sugar dissolves. Just before serving, scoop sherbet into punch bowl and add champagne. Stir gently. Yield: 3 quarts