FREE Gifts for You! Got Santa?

Did Santa bring you what you wanted this Christmas?  Was you stocking loaded with goodies or coal?  Or was that stocking just left empty?  Did Santa's GPS neglect to direct the sleigh full of gifts to your chimney?  Did you mail out 20 Holiday greeting cards and get only 4 in return?  Less than 4?  Not even an eCard?  Southwest Desert Blogger feels your pain.  But the holidays are about giving, not receiving.  So let me give you some things I hope you or someone you know can use.

First, let me give you a code for $5 off any purchase at www.iherb.com .  They sell nutritional supplements, raw supplements, raw and organic food such as tahini, coconut oils, energy bars, goji, etc., herbs, teas, organic and natural shampoos, conditioners, skin creams and lotions, cosmetics, dry skin brushes, Madre Labs acai and Cafeceps, soaps such as Dr. Bronner's Castile, raw cacao, organic chia seed, hemp seed, seaweed, nuts, seaweed noodles, oils, homeopathics, organic pet food, etc. --  All at discounts.  They ship free for orders of $20 or more.  They also ship internationally.  Just enter code WAL660 at check out.  WAL= We All Love the $5 discount.  Plus, there are helpful product reviews.   And more free:  iherb offers a variety of FREE PRODUCTS to sample, so be sure to select one with your order.  I think you will find iherb prices lower than your local store.  It is fun to browse www.iherb.com so check it out.

Get some FREE juice and smoothie recipes and free access to hundreds of short videos (scroll down to "blog" and "recipes") plus other info' on a variety of raw food and health topics at this site:
  http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344

You can also get info on a 10 Day Juice Fast (feast) and a 7 Day Raw Food Challenge at http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344  Just scroll down to check around the site.   I have done both the Juice Fast and Raw Food Challenge and recommend both.  The 7 Day Raw Food Challenge was my favorite.  See Southwest Desert Blogger posts from mid July 2011 and September 2011 for my notes on the Raw Food Challenge and the Juice Fast.

I trust you are now on your way to a healthy New Year.
Happy, prosperous 2012 to all, from
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011

Six Holiday Haiku for You

Holiday Lights in the Southwest Desert

I will create a
little haiku for you all:
Happy Holiday.

.   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .

Do you like my lights?
 wish you all were here tonight
to drink the eggnog.

.   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .


Be of good cheer dear
 blog friends all throughout the world.
Peaceful holidays.

.   .   .    .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .


No Omega Vert
 complaints or tales for you now.
Got vegan eggnog?  :)

*****************************
Enough haiku now.
May your holiday be bright
as Southwest night sky.

*************************************
***********************************
*  *  *  *  *       ^      *   *    *   *    *
*     *     *      ^^^^      *    *     *   *
    *     *      ^^^^^^^  *    *     *     *
  *    *     *       []     *    *      *   *
The Southwest Desert
stars will shine bright on the Christ-
mas eve new moon night.
 **********************************
All these haiku from
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011

Got a Sprouter?

I got a new 4 tier sprout tower.  I had been growing sprouts in a jar for years, but decided I would like the sprouts to grow straight up instead of in a cylinder the way they do in a jar.  I chose a 4 tier plastic model with cylinder shaped trays.  The trays are translucent plastic.  I just water the top tray and the water drips down into the trays below and finally into a fitted collection dish.  Just empty the collection dish before the next watering and the sprouts grow.  The four tray system produces a rotating crop of salad and soup sprouts.  I find the fine sprouts (salad sprouts such as alfalfa, broccoli, radish, clover) are easier to clean when they grow straight plus I prefer the aesthetics of the straight sprouts. 

Inverted sprout tray on top allows the sprouts to grow taller -- water collects in the bottom tray.

I enjoy using this vertical sprout growing system.  It saves counter space, looks good, works well and only requires watering twice a day.  I water the sprouts first thing in the morning and again about twelve hours later.  I soak the sprouting seeds about 8 hours.  The cool weather requires a longer sprouting and growing time than the summer.  I wrap a dish towel around the sprouter if the temperatures in the house are particularly cool.  The towel also creates a darker environment for the first few days of sprouting.  I rotate the sprouting trays so that the newest seeds are in the lower trays.  When the sprouts get as tall as the trays are deep, I just prop an empty tray, up side down, over the tall sprouts thus creating a higher ceiling.  That way the sprouts can grow a bit taller without being cramped.  If all four trays are in use, I  just prop a light plastic bowl over the top tier in lieu of the flat cover that comes with the sprouter.  See the photos.

Just one teaspoon of alfalfa, radish, broccoli sprouts produced the tray on the left.  I harvested some from the middle of the tray this morning. The extra tray is on the lower right of this photo.
:
:
:
The photo below shows mixed lentils, peas, and adzuki beans in two phases of growth. Discard any beans, lentils, or seeds that do not sprout or appear unhealthy in any way.
I like lentil, bean, and pea sprouts in miso or other soup.  They add a nice, chewy, alive quality.

A mere teaspoon of alfalfa, radish, and broccoli seed is soaking in the little glass bowl on the right of the above photo.  This evening I will drain and rinse these seeds in a fine strainer and they will be placed in the empty extra tray (stacked below the alfalfa tray in this photo) before I water the tower.

It is important to clean the sprout trays after harvest as well as cleaning the bottom water collection tray every few days.  This is as simple as just using a brush, sponge, or dish cloth with soap and hot water. Some sources say to clean the sprouter with a solution of bleach or something like that to kill any potentially harmful organisms that may be growing in the humid environment of the sprouter.  Some sources say to use vinegar to clean the sprouter.  Always rinse any cleaning products off the sprouter before you use it.  The tiny holes in the trays, that allow the water to flow through to the tray below, may get clogged with a tiny seed or root from time to time.  A tooth pick or pin can be used to clear these water drainage holes as needed.  Of course, with any food preparation area, the sprouter should be kept very clean.   This is not a hobby for the slothful or slovenly.

The only down-side to this and similar plastic sprouters is that they may not be dishwasher safe.  I have heard that some similar sprouters only tolerate 3 or 4 washings in the dishwasher.  I have not put mine in a dishwasher.  It only takes a minute or 2 to wash it by hand.

Watching seeds sprout in the winter,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011

Southwest Desert Weather Report and Salt Talk

I decided to quit complaining about my Omega VRT 350 HD vertical juicer (see 9 previous posts including 9/12/11).  Yes, it still has problems.  Today I pulled a 1.75 inch string out of my mouth after drinking some fresh vegetable juice -- do the young folks still use the word "gross" when referring to something very distasteful?  OOps, sounds like a complaint...

OK folks, now for the weather.  It has gotten chilly and wet here.  The temperatures will flirt with the freezing mark tonight and likely hit below freezing during the next few nights.  We have to be sure all the exterior pipes are covered or insulated.  We also cover all the plants that are not frost resistant.  These may consist of plants that are not indigenous that we have planted in the earth or in pots.

I harvested most of my basil a few days ago and made some pesto -- just grind the basil with olive oil, garlic (not too much!), and maybe a touch of fresh ground pepper and, if you like, some salt.  The salt I have been using is red sea salt.  I know Celtic Sea salt is all the rage, but until I finish the bag of red salt, I'm not buying any fancy, high priced salts.  Is that popular Himalayan salt really from the Himalayas?  Salt from Chili, Poland, Bolivia, Peru and other countries are being marketed as Himalayan or pink salt.

My salt is called Realsalt.  It is not bleached, kiln dried, heated or altered with chemicals or pollutants.  It has a full complement of over 50 beneficial trace minerals, including iodine, yet nothing added.  The 26 ounce package has lasted a few years and still has years to go.  The package says that millions of years ago this gourmet salt was part of a pristine sea that covered North America.  Over millions of years the water in the sea evaporated, leaving salt deposits.  During the Jurassic era volcanoes erupted around the ancient sea bed sealing the salt with layers of volcanic ash.  This protected the salt until humans near Redmond Utah extracted the salt from deep within the earth.  They market it without additives, chemicals, or heat processing of any kind.  So, why don't all the raw foodists jump on this?  It sounds like raw salt made in the USA.  It tastes great lightly sprinkled on a green salad drizzled with a bit of oil or as a compliment to any food that needs a little special something.

Back to the freeze:  I think I will cover the young citrus trees and exotic non-native succulents.  I might even bring a few potted plants into the house.  Maybe this low pressure system bringing us cold and rain will bring some snow to the folks in ski country.  For us, it is welcome winter moisture, but challenging cold.

Staying cool, not by choice,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011  P.S.  Let me gift you a code for $5 off any purchase at www.iherb.com .  They sell Real Salt, natural sea salts, nutritional supplements, raw supplements, raw and organic food such as tahini, coconut oils, energy bars, goji, etc., herbs, teas, organic and natural shampoos, conditioners, skin creams and lotions, cosmetics, dry skin brushes, Madre Labs acai and Cafeceps, soaps such as Dr. Bronner's Castile, raw cacao, organic chia seed, hemp seed, seaweed, nuts, seaweed noodles, oils, homeopathics, organic pet food, etc. at discounts.  Currently, they ship free for orders of $20 or more.  They also ship internationally.  Just enter code WAL660 at check out.    Plus, there are helpful product reviews.   And more free:  iherb offers a variety of FREE PRODUCTS to sample, so be sure to select one with your order.  I think you will find iherb prices lower than your local store.  It is interesting to browse www.iherb.com so check it out.

Omega Vertical Juicer VRT 350 HD -- Post #9!

I have reviewed the Omega VRT350HD vertical juicer in 8 previous posts starting September 25, 2011.  The problems persist even though I have cut celery as small as one inch lengths -- then the carrot may jam the juicer and cause it to stop.  I suspect these stops and starts add to the pulp in the juice.  Even without the stops and restarts, the juice is still pulpy -- too pulpy for my taste.  And the pulp consists of strings, tiny chunks, and some very thin skin-like stuff.

One or the strings and other material found in the Omega VRT 350HD juice!

Can you see the fiber mass stuck in the exit port?  This is very hard to pull out -- I tried.  The cleaning tool that comes with the juicer does not fit or assist in this area.  Also notice the cylinder at the bottom of the photo is the juice exit port.  The red line in the middle is a piece of hard plastic hanging half-way down the exit port.  This is impossible to clean with the cleaning tool provided or any other dish cleaning tool I have and thus is not hygienic.  There is a very narrow area on all sides of the rectangle.  I cannot imagine the purpose of this hard plastic rectangle in the juice exit port. Earlier versions of the Omega VRT may not have it.

Another view of the fibrous mass.  See the fibers hanging down the exit port and up the inside of the juice bowl.  The bright orange is carrot pulp.

There was also a wad of wet fiber strings in the bottom center of the juice bowl.

The strings and fibers lodge in the exit port even when I juice only one stick of celery, cut into 2 or three inch lengths. I suspect the wheatgrass may be doing the same.  Anything fibrous seems to cause issues.

The fiber I tugged out of the exit port.

That same fiber pulled apart a bit.  Some of these strings end up in my juice!

This strainer is 3 inches in diameter and 1.25 inches deep.  It is sitting on the lid of a wide mouth pint mason jar.  The strainer is filled with pulp strained out of one pint (16 ounces, about 1/2 liter) of vegetable juice (carrot, beet, greens and a bit of apple) from my Omega VRT 350 HD juicer.

The Omega VRT350 is not the juicer to use for efficiency juicing carrots and root vegetables.  Overall it does not produce more yield for me, despite it's reputation of producing a dry pulp.  You have to remember that the juice has so much pulp, that when you strain it, you may get another ounce or two of pulp per pint of juice.  And this juicer produces quite a head of foam, especially when juicing greens.

The company has offered to send me yet another replacement juicer; however, this requires over two weeks of transit time from the time I ship the juicer to them until I receive the replacement.  I have also received several replacement parts to try to remedy issues.  Honestly, one should not have to get replacement parts for a new product!  The parts are mostly plastic and in my opinion poorly molded.  Some of the edges are sloppy, irregular, and thus difficult to clean.  If this were a cheap juicer, i.e., under $100, I would understand the sloppy molding, etc.  But, this is a machine that sells for nearly $400! (USD).  Is it possible that I have gotten 2 defective juicers from Omega?  How many VRT350HD juicers do I have to try to get one that is perfect? How many times do I have to sit on hold while trying to contact Omega?  There is no way I can get that time back.  Is this just as good as it gets with the VRT350 HD?

Before you purchase and Omega vertical juicer, I suggest you read my other 8 posts reviewing the 350HD.  Do I regret this purchase?  Yes.  This is the desert and money doesn't grow on trees.
Your Southwest Desert Blogger,
C. (c)2012
Thanks for reading Southwest Desert Blogger. If you want to learn more about the 10 day juice fast or the 7 day raw food challenge I did (previous posts), or just want a free eBook with vegan juice and smoothie recipes and informative blog /videos (recommended by Southwest Desert Blogger) link to:
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344
  P.S.  To support this blog, use discount code WAL660 for $5 off first purchase at www.iherb.com .  They sell nutritional supplements, raw supplements, raw and organic food such as tahini, coconut oils, energy bars, goji, etc., herbs, teas, organic and natural shampoos, conditioners, skin creams and lotions, cosmetics, dry skin brushes, Madre Labs acai and Cafeceps, soaps such as Dr. Bronner's, raw cacao, organic chia seed, white chia, hemp seed, seaweed, nuts, seaweed noodles, oils, homeopathics, organic pet food, etc. at discounts.  Currently, they ship free (US) for orders of $20 or more.  They also ship internationally.  Just enter code WAL660 at check out.    Plus, there are helpful product reviews.   And more free:  iherb offers a variety of FREE PRODUCTS to sample, so be sure to select one with your order.   www.iherb.com -- check it out.

More Omega VRT 350 HD Complaints

I made a vegetable juice today that was so pulpy I had to drink it through a straw.  I do not like the pulpy juice the Omega VRT 350HD juicer produces.  After sucking down the juice, I realized something was in my throat.  I pulled out a vegetable string that was over 2 inches long.  This never happened with my old juicer.  The amount of strings in my Omega VRT 350 HD juice is unacceptable and becoming a potential health hazard.  The strings also get jammed into the pulp exit port and are very hard to clean.  I have to try to dislodge a wad of strings and pulp from a very narrow space.  Nearly every other day the juice overflows onto the motor housing.  I suspect it is leaking into the motor housing because I can fit the corner of a paper towel into the places the rubber-like area meets the hard plastic.

Maybe I will add more to this post later.  There are more problems with the way the plastic parts are machined.  It is sloppy.  Enough pulp for now.

Get info on a 10 Day Juice Fast (feast) and a 7 Day Raw Food Challenge and a FREE eBook with juice and smoothie recipes at http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344  Scroll down to check around the site. It is full of informative "blog" videos, recipes, etc.   I have done both the Juice Fast and Raw Food Challenge and recommend both.  The 7 Day Raw Food Challenge was my favorite.  See Southwest Desert Blogger posts from mid July 2011 and September 2011 for my notes on the Raw Food Challenge and the Juice Fast.

Another juicy blog by
Southwest Desert Blogger
C (c)2011  P.S.  To support this blog, use discount code WAL660 for $5 off first purchase at www.iherb.com .  They sell nutritional supplements, raw supplements (Garden of Life), raw and organic food such as tahini, coconut oils, energy bars, goji, etc., herbs, teas, organic and natural shampoos, conditioners, skin creams and lotions, cosmetics, dry skin brushes, Madre Labs acai and Cafeceps, organic soaps, raw organic cacao, organic raw chia seed, hemp seed, seaweed, nuts, kelp noodles, oils, homeopathics, organic pet food, etc. at discounts.  Currently, they ship free for US orders of $20 or more.  They also ship internationally.  Just enter code WAL660 at check out.    Plus, there are helpful product reviews.   And more free:  iherb offers a variety of FREE PRODUCTS to sample, so be sure to select one with your order. www.iherb.com .

Russians Reading Southwest Desert Blogger?

Who do so many Russians read Southwest Desert Blogger?  Is there a Russian fascination with the Southwest Desert or something else? 

As of the 2002 Russian Census over 142 million respondents claimed to be Russian citizens.  Dual citizenship was claimed by about 44,000 respondents.  Over a million respondents claimed to be foreign citizens and 400,000 claimed to be "stateless" persons.

Of a recorded resident population of over 145 million, there are nearly 10 million more women than men.  Seventy-three percent of the population is urban.  So, who is on the internet and why?

There are nearly 7 million English speakers in Russia.  They may also read and write English, but the level of competence is unknown.  Children are presumed to speak a language if their parents speak it, so that 7 million likely includes some kids.  Incidentally, 98.3 percent of Russian citizens claim to be competent in Russian.

The most recent Census in the United States of America was the 2010 Census.  The 2010 Census was our twenty-third US Census.  As mandated in our Constitution, we conduct a Census every 10 years.  The first US Census was in 1790.

As of National Census Day, April 1, 2010 (no joke), the population of the US was counted as 308,745,538.  The most populous state is California.  The city with the greatest population is New York City.

So why all the Southwest Desert Blogger readers from Russia?  Let me know.  Is it your interest in my Omega vertical VRT 350 juicer foibles? (see previous blogs) Is it a fascination with the wild west?  Is this blog featured on some site you frequent?  Where did you discover Southwest Desert Blogger?
(http://yandex.ru/yandsearch?text=southwestdesertblogger.blogspot.com , or domar.ru ) Are you messing with the system?  Trying to figure out whether my cookies are edible or not?  Trying to figure out whether driving out here is a hard drive?  Do we have to have a medical degree to have an operating system?  Are we wired or wireless?  Do I have a mouse or a rat's nest?  Do we speak Russian?  Da?  Niet?  You've got to figure we habla (hablamos) some Espanol because we are in the Southwest Desert.

Looking for answers without any clues,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011

Gettin' a Might Chilly

The nights and early mornings have been Southwest Desert cold.  It has been down to the low 40s (F.) lately.  Of course, the sun warms it up during the day, but at 7:00 am I am wearing a jacket, hat, and gloves to be comfortable.  That is not a complaint -- just the weather report.

We are all looking forward to the Thanksgiving Day holiday next Thursday.

For those of you outside the USA, Thanksgiving is a day of giving thanks for all we have.  Traditionally, we have a large meal consisting of turkey, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes or yams, maybe some white potatoes and gravy, and pumpkin pie for desert.  Most of these foods are native to the Americas.  Regions and families may have their additional traditional foods, but those are the basics.  I guess we will have to add a large salad for the raw food folks.  I have heard of vegetarians who prepare baked stuffed squash as their traditional Thanksgiving dinner.  That sounds good, too.

There are big Thanksgiving Day parades in several major cities.  I would judge the most grand of them all to be the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.  It features marching bands from all over the US, famous singers, the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes, brief scenes from Broadway musicals, floats, and giant balloons in the parade.  It is about 3 hours long.  There were some years the weather was New York cold for the parade.  In 1957 there was heavy rain.  The hat of the giant Popeye the Sailor  balloon filled with rain water and the balloon poured water on the crowd.  We are wishing all the parade participants, and the million or so who view the parade live, sunny and mild weather this Thanksgiving.

The Macy's parade, and a few others, are broadcast on network TV.  The first TV broadcast of the Macy's Day Parade (as it is now often called) was an experimental broadcast in 1939.  I look forward to seeing at least some of the Macy's parade on TV.  I always watch the beginning to see the Broadway musicals and Rockettes.

The idea of a Thanksgiving Day Parade is said to have originated in the 1920s.  Macy's store employees and professional entertainers marched in Manhattan along with live animals borrowed from the zoo, floats, and vivid costumes.  Large balloons replaced the live animals in 1927.  The first parade was a Christmas parade, with Santa Clause, then as now, as the finale.  The parade morphed into the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade over time and has continued every year except for 1942-1944. 

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  It is not as commercialized as Christmas, yet has the important component of remembering to give thanks.  What have you got to be grateful for?  A computer?  The use of someone else's computer?  Food, shelter, clothing?  A job?  Friends?  Relatives?  Skills, talents, abilities?  The senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, 6th sense, etc.)?  Make your list.  See how long you can make it.  Do you have some warm, cozy socks, slippers, robe?  A pet?  A juicer, blender, TV?  Don't forget to thank the farmers who grew the food, the truckers who transported it, the store that sold it to you.  Have gratitude for the inventors of the systems, tools, and vehicles we use, and even your blanket, pillow, and chair.  It is not trite to be grateful for the small things.  It has been said that gratitude is an invitation for more goodness to manifest in your life.  I trust it will be so. 

Gratefully,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011

Got Javalina?

"What in the heck is a Javalina?" you may be thinking.  It is a critter that looks like a feral pig or wild boar with coarse black, gray, and brown hair and a faint white collar in the winter coat, a pink snout, and hooves.  Take a look at this photo on the right.  I had wanted to get photos of Javalina for you, but they are predominately nocturnal creatures.  However, they do sometimes come out during the day, especially if the weather is cool.
Today the temperatures dropped into the mid 40s (Fahrenheit) and it rained this morning.  It is mighty cool -- the desert dwellers might even say it is downright cold.  When the sun came out after the rain, I looked out the window, and there were the Javalina.
They like to eat plants.  Prickly pear is said to be one of their favorites. This herd of Javalina was feeding on the yellow fruit of a barrel cactus.  See the next photos.

There are 5 Javalina in this photo, including the baby. Can you spot them all?

See that pink snout! 

The Javalina blend in with the background environment perfectly.  

                                           

An adult Javalina can weigh up to 60 pounds and stands 19 inches tall.  They can be aggressive and have been known to bite humans.  They will defend their territory, especially if they are eating or have young Javalina with them.

Years ago I saw a herd of Javalina eating some fancy flowers at night.  Their eyes glowed red in the headlights of my vehicle.  They would not leave those tender, store bought, hand watered flowers until they had their fill.

I have also seen Javalina eat bird seed blocks and knock over trash cans to feast on vegetable pulp from the juicer!  The only time they bothered to knock over my can to get the pulp was when I juiced some garlic in my vegetable juice.  They ate all the pulp, then left, but they would not leave until they had finished every morsel of pulp.  I could not get into my gate until they left.  The largest one defended the area in front of the gate while the others finished eating.  There were young ones, so I dared not cross until they left.

Javalina have a strong, musty smell.  Sometimes you can smell them after they have been in an area.  It is said they identify members of their herd by smell.  Their eyesight is poor.  Loud noise will startle them.  Here are two more photos:

This was the first of the herd to spot the yellow cactus fruit.

 I've got to get out and get some chores done now while there is still some sun.  The weather folks say it could get near freezing tonight. You Southwest Desert Blogger blog readers up in Russia and Latvia stayin' warm?

I AM stayin' warm as I can,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c) 2011

Got Sprouts?

I grew some red lentil sprouts in a jar.  I covered the open end of the jar with cheese cloth fastened around the jar's rim with a snug fitting rubber band.  First I soaked a few tablespoons of seeds overnight in a generous amount of water, drained them through the cheese cloth in the morning, rinsed and drained them again, and covered the jar with a dish towel to keep the seeds dark until they sprouted.  Rinse and drain well at least twice a day.  Within 3 days the jar is full of beautiful lentil sprouts.  Rinse before use and throw away any lentils that do not sprout.  Store well drained, unused lentils in the refrigerator.  Use them in a day or two.  Their taste is mild.  I sprinkle them over a salad.  If they start to get a bad smell or unusual consistency, throw them away!  I make small quantities and always use mine quickly enough to avoid waste. 

Lentil Sprouts growing in a jar -- you can see some roots and tiny pale leaves

 lentil sprouts growing in a pint jar with cheese cloth fastened over the opening

The salad consists of a base of tender leaf lettuce, a small amount of thinly sliced cucumber, one half gala apple diced with skin, a sprinkle of lentil sprouts, a bit of oil (I use an unfiltered, highest lignan, organic flax seed oil -- use what you like) and a light sprinkle of pink salt.  Layer ingredients in the order listed.  Of course you can use any dressing and add vegetables you like.  Enjoy!

The Salad with Red Lentil Sprouts

As you have noticed, the red lentils are more of a pale orange color.  Nevertheless, they add interesting color, shape, and texture to a salad.
Lentil sprouts are also good sprinkled over soup or stew.  They are nice in a broth or miso soup.
Sprouts are said to have much more nutrition and are easier to digest than the un-sprouted seeds.

On another subject: today I saw the license plate "I AM" -- I had a fine day.
I AM
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011

Problems with the Omega VRT350HD Continue

This morning I tried straining the juice from the Omega VRT350HD vertical juicer.  The 2 ounces of kale juice produced so much foam it nearly covered most of the 5 inch strainer.  I chose to just juice 24 ounces of vegetable juice and strain the juice afterward.  The juice contained kale, carrots, celery, and a small amount of apple and cucumber.  Here are some photos of the results.
Notice the celery strings on the rim of the strainer.
These strings, and more, were in the juice!
There are many more strings in the pulp.

Close-up of pulp after I pushed out much of the juice with the back of a spoon.  Look closely and notice more celery strings throughout the pulp.  This pulp also contains carrot and apple.  The green kale material, which Omega says the 350HD does the best job of juicing, predominates this pulp although it was less than 10 percent of the total juice.

Select Celery Strings in the Omega 350HD juice:  Up to 2 inches long!

 Notice some celery strings from the juice in the photo on the right.  And yes Omega, I did cut the celery into quarters prior to juicing.  This celery was not the most stringy variety I have ever purchased.  It's strings were average.  This would have juiced very well in my 16 year old centrifugal juicer.  The old juicer produced a sweeter, pulp-free juice in less time, with no strings and fewer parts to wash.  Omega's answer to the problem of the large quantity (more than photographed) of strings in the juice:  it might be a defective auger.  This is the second auger!  I will try the third auger when it arrives and let you know whether things improve.  I am developing a new string theory.

So far, my experience with the Omega VRT350HD vertical juicer has been a strain.  And no, this is not pulp fiction.

With apologies for the puns,
Southwest Desert Blogger   P.S.  To support this blog, use discount code WAL660 for $5 off first purchase at www.iherb.com .  They sell nutritional supplements, raw supplements (Garden of Life), raw and organic food such as tahini, coconut oils, energy bars, goji, etc., herbs, teas, organic and natural shampoos, conditioners, skin creams and lotions, cosmetics, dry skin brushes, Madre Labs acai and Cafeceps, organic soaps, raw organic cacao, organic raw chia seed, hemp seed, seaweed, nuts, kelp noodles, oils, homeopathics, organic pet food, etc. at discounts.  Currently, they ship free for US orders of $20 or more.  They also ship internationally.  Just enter code WAL660 at check out.    Plus, there are helpful product reviews.   And more free:  iherb offers a variety of FREE PRODUCTS to sample, so be sure to select one with your order. www.iherb.com .  Thanks.

If you want to learn more about the 10 day juice fast (also see my September 2011 posts), the 7 day raw food challenge (see my July 2011 posts), or just want a free eBook with vegan juice and smoothie recipes and informative blog /videos link to:http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344
Be happy!
C. (c)2011

Omega VRT350HD Vertical Juicer - Replacement Juicer Update

As you remember, I am using the replacement Omega VRT350HD Vertical Juicer the company sent me.  I just juiced and feel the need to brush and floss because there is so much pulp in my mouth after drinking a pint of juice.  I want to show you how the juicer is juicing by way of the pulp produced via the pulp ejection port, i.e., the waste product of juicing. See photo.

Notice the whole skin of a wedge of apple on the right.  There are also 2 other pieces of undigested apple skin.  The largest in the photo is the full size of the piece of apple put into the juicer: 3 inches long x 1 inch at the widest part.  The white seeds are un-masticated cucumber seeds in the very wet cucumber pulp!  Of course, the orange material is carrot pulp.  Again today the Omega VRT350HD jammed because of a carrot that was a mere 1 inch in diameter.  I tried calling the customer service phone line, but they are too busy at this time.  They are experiencing "high call volume."  This has happened before.  I held for over 2 minutes and seem to have been disconnected.
I just wanted to give them an opportunity to explain why their juicer is not masticating produce fully and produces a wet cucumber pulp.  Actually, the carrots did not produce a particularly dry pulp either.
I am now on hold with Omega again.
Wait!  They answered the phone and told me all my problems are just normal for this juicer.  It gets less yield than a centrifugal juicer for carrots and other fruits and vegetables and only excels when juicing greens.  This is not what I was told prior to purchasing the Omega vert.  Yes, it will jam from a one inch diameter carrot, it may not masticate apple peel, difficult to remove the bowl from the base, etc. -- all normal!  They know all the issues and accept it.  If you get one, just be sure you can return it if it is not for you.

Going to brush and floss the Omega VRT350HD Vertical Juicer juice "pulp" out of my mouth,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011   
P.S.  To support this blog, use discount code WAL660 for $5 off first purchase at www.iherb.com .  They sell nutritional supplements, raw supplements (Garden of Life), raw and organic food such as tahini, coconut oils, energy bars, goji, etc., herbs, teas, organic and natural shampoos, conditioners, skin creams and lotions, cosmetics, dry skin brushes, Madre Labs acai and Cafeceps, organic soaps, raw organic cacao, organic raw chia seed, hemp seed, seaweed, nuts, kelp noodles, oils, homeopathics, organic pet food, etc. at discounts.  Currently, they ship free for US orders of $20 or more.  They also ship internationally.  Just enter code WAL660 at check out.    Plus, there are helpful product reviews.   And more free:  iherb offers a variety of FREE PRODUCTS to sample, so be sure to select one with your order. www.iherb.com .  Thanks.

If you want to learn more about the 10 day juice fast (also see my September 2011 posts), the 7 day raw food challenge (see my July 2011 posts), or just want a free eBook with vegan juice and smoothie recipes and informative blog /videos link to:http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344
Be happy!

Omega VRT350HD Vertical Juicer Update #4 - The Replacement Arrived

The replacement Omega VRT350HD vertical juicer finally arrived.  It has been over 2 weeks since I shipped the original juicer back to the company.  The replacement unit is better than the one I returned; however, it has a couple of features that trouble me.

First, the bowl that attaches to the base of the juicer is very difficult to remove for cleaning.  It is a major effort to rotate it and thus unhinge it from the base.  This is physically difficult to do as the base is smooth and has no grips.  The bowl fits too tightly.  The amount of effort needed to disassemble is unacceptable.

Second, the pulp produced after extracting the juice is, on average, one ounce heavier per 16 ounces of juice produced than my old juicer.  The old juicer, as you recall from previous posts, is 16 years old.  One of the reasons I purchased a new juicer with supposedly "dry" pulp was to get greater efficiency in juicing, i.e., extract more juice from the produce.  I am concerned about the consistently higher weight of the waste pulp as compared to my old juicer.  On average, the weight of the Omega VRT350HD pulp is over 6% more than that of my old juicer, and that does not include any pulp in the actual juice produced by the Omega.  My old juicer produced a juice that was virtually pulp-free.
Six percent may not seem like a lot, but over time, it adds up.  I had hoped the new juicer would be more efficient, not less efficient.  If you try this sort of comparison at home, be sure to include the pulp that remains around the auger and in the pulp ejection port, a very narrow rectangular space 2 inches x 1.25 inches x 1/2 inch.  The pulp tends to get stuck in this narrow space and is a challenge to clean.  The cleaning tool included with the juicer is like a toothbrush with a narrower part on the handle end.  However, the bristle head is too wide to fit into the pulp ejection port so it can only be rinsed with water, not brushed out.  The narrow handle end is not the right size for effective cleaning.  I may have to use a chop stick.

Additionally, there are several parts that are difficult or impossible to clean due to their trapping bits of pulp or becoming stained with juice pigment after each juicing.  The main exit port for the juice, the juice spout, is like a cylindrical pipe.  Normally, one could clean a cylinder large enough for a finger, sponge, or wash cloth.  But, this cylinder has a hard plastic wall dividing the cylinder like a radius dropping down from the top of the cylinder.  This little radius-like wall within the cylinder makes thorough cleaning difficult and cleaning the little "wall" is almost impossible as it is acts as a pigment and particle magnet over time and the diameter of the pipe is not large enough to use the cleaning tool bristles.  It is impossible to easily and effectively clean the narrow space around this small, yet hard to access "wall" using any tool or technique I have tried.  Bad design.  [See post dated 2/8/12]

If the function of the bad design wall is to break down the foam the juicer produces, it is not working in my opinion.  If the bad design wall has any other function, I cannot figure out what it is.  Bottom line:  it is impossible to quickly or effectively clean the juice exit port because of this bad design wall, thus there will be additional particle and pigment build up.  Is this healthy?

Is the Omega VRT350HD vertical juicer worth the money?  This is a highly subjective question.  Personally, I expect better design and function for the price.  After all, it is just plastic parts with a motor.  Also, there are other parts that are difficult to efficiently clean due to particles getting caught in poorly engineered fittings such as the auto cleaning brush fitting.  The auto cleaning "brushes" are just rubber-like windshield wipers that wipe the pulp strainer baskets.  Good idea, but the wiper material stains after the first use juicing pigmented vegetables such as carrot, and will stain after each such use. Juice material including pulp gets lodged in the crevices where the "brushes" are attached to the plastic.  This organic juice matter builds up over time and the cleaning tool does not dislodge it effectively.  There are no instructions for use of a special cleaning product except "Do not use metal sponge . . ." and "Do not use dishwasher to clean."  I use a biodegradable liquid soap.  It does not remove all the pigment stains but does lessen the pigment deposits on the juice bowl.  Note I said reduce, not totally remove the pigment stains.  Thus, they will build up over time and form a patina.  There are too many little places that produce material gets lodged and stuck, and no tool can clean.

The replacement Omega VRT350HD juicer produces less pulp in the juice than the Omega VRT350HD I returned.  It produces a juice that is like the most pulpy orange juice, but with some, how to describe it, chunkier style pulp -- little chunks of carrot, etc.  Today I got a string of celery in my juice that was nearly an inch long.  This was not pleasing.  And as I have described in previous posts, the strings of celery or wheatgrass tend to get packed into the pulp ejection port area and can be time consuming to dislodge.  Note that I cut my celery into lengths half as long as Omega recommended to me (although their suggestions have varied from person to person), put all produce into the juicer slowly, and almost never use the pusher.  I have been using the smallest carrots I can find.  Although they are not baby carrots, the largest carrot diameter, at its widest, is 1/2 inch.  Nevertheless, the Omega 350HD jammed and had to be put into reverse to clear the jam.  Come on Omega, a one-half inch diameter carrot!  What's the problem with your product?

Am I totally satisfied with the Omega VRT350HD juicer?  In a word, no.

Added Dec. 17, 2011:  photos of sample of strings, etc. from today's baby spinach and carrot juice.  I have had strings as long as 2 inches in the Omega VRT350HD juice since the original post!  Not pleasant to fish a 2 inch string out of one's throat! 

This gives you the size of the strings in inches.  The photo on the left has added material from the juice.  This is just a small sample and does not include the chunks of "pulp" which are ever present in Omega VRT350HD juice.  There are several other reviews of this juicer in my blog.

Thinking of a way to grow and juice enough wheatgrass to make the Omega VRT350HD worth it,  but juicing the wheatgrass just produces too much foam!
I AM
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011   P.S. Support this blog by using discount code WAL660 for $5 off first purchase at www.iherb.com .  They sell nutritional supplements, raw supplements, raw and organic food such as tahini, coconut oils, energy bars, goji, etc., herbs, teas, organic and natural shampoos, conditioners, skin creams and lotions, cosmetics, dry skin brushes, Madre Labs acai and Cafeceps, soaps such as Dr. Bronner's, raw cacao, organic chia seed, hemp seed, seaweed, nuts, kelp noodles, oils, homeopathics, organic pet food, etc. at discounts.  Currently, they ship free for US orders of $20 or more.  They also ship internationally.  Just enter code WAL660 at check out.    Plus, there are helpful product reviews.   And more free:  iherb offers a variety of FREE PRODUCTS to sample, so be sure to select one with your order.  www.iherb.com .  Thanks.
 Also: a free eBook with vegan juice and smoothie recipes and informative blog /videos (recommended by Southwest Desert Blogger) at this link:
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344

Got Tarantula? and Updates

My Halloween Tarantula -- Trick or Treat?

We are getting a taste of cool Southwest Desert weather.  The temperature dipped into the high 40s (F) last night and is projected to only reach the mid 70s (F) today.  The temperatures will be warmer after today-- back into the 80s (F) during the days and into the 50s at night.

Yesterday I found a tarantula outside my gate.  It showed up to scare me for Halloween!  I have only seen a few tarantula's in the wild. This is a small one.  There are about 850 different species of tarantula in the world. Only about 48 species of tarantula are found in the United States.  Their colors vary from black, to reddish brown, to tan.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with the tarantula, it is a hairy spider.  The one I found is about 2 inches long.  See the photos.  Tarantulas have 8 legs and 8 eyes set in two groups.  Below the eyes is the mouth.  Tarantulas have fangs and I am told their bite can be painful.  They also have barbed and irritating hairs on their abdomens.  It is said that the females sometimes kill the males after they mate, like a black widow spider.

Some cultures eat tarantulas.  I imagine they are crunchy as they are exoskeletal creatures.  Tarantulas shed their exoskeleton.  Some folks keep tarantulas as pets.  I think keeping the exoskeleton would be more trouble-free.

Update 1:  As you read in previous blogs, I AM still waiting for the arrival of my replacement Omega VRT350HD vertical juicer.  I shipped it back to the company over 2 weeks ago.  Since then, I have been perfectly happy with my old, 16 year old juicer with which I make my daily quart of mixed vegetable juice.  It does not clog, is fast enough to clean, juices quickly, and does well with celery, which the Omega 350HD did not. 
Update 2:  As you read in a previous blog, Jeweler who did not pay me the correct amount for the "scrap" gold he bought has finally sent me a check to make up the difference.  He told me some more fabricated facts in an effort to save face.  Old saying:  A person who steals would lie.  It is sad when professionals have to invent stories to cover for their misbehavior.   What a pathetic person!  I hope he does business in a more ethical way in the future.

Thank you for reading my posts.  Check out my previous posts and the Southwest Desert slide show at the bottom of the blog.  If you like to make smoothies or juices, get this free eBook and check out the site for other good, nutritional info.  You may need to cup and paste the link that follows:
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344

Be well and happy,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011

Sold Gold?

Have you sold any of your old gold lately?  Thinking of selling some of your unused, broken, or unloved gold jewelry?  As you may have read in a previous post, I sold some gold to a jeweler who seems to have had trouble reading the weight of some of the items on his scale; i.e., items weighed less at his store based on the fact that he paid more per gram of 14K (carat) gold, yet gave me less for some items than another shop I had visited.  If you have good reason to believe a business has some scale issues, here is what you can do:

Call your state Department of Weights and Measures and your local Better Business Bureau.  If you were the victim of a scale that did not seem to weigh items correctly, these two sources can steer you in the right direction.

I filed a brief complaint with my local Better Business Bureau and the Department of Weights and Measures.  Weights and Measures was most interested in scales that were incorrect.  I told them the scale could be correct and it is the jeweler "reading" it incorrectly or "adjusting" the weight in his favor.  Nevertheless, they sent someone to the jewelery shop to inspect the scale.

It seems the jeweler has four scales!  None are licensed with the state.  That is bad.  He could be fined from $300 to $500 per scale!  Bad jeweler!  Thank you Department of Weights and Measures.

It seems the jeweler did not want to hassle with the Better Business Bureau, so he said he will be sending a check in the mail to cover the amount that I was shorted.  Have I heard that one before?  The old, "Check is in the mail" routing.  We'll see.

Waiting by the old mailbox,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011

Omega VRT350HD Vertical Juicer Update #3

It has been a full week since I sent my "defective" Omega Vert back to Omega for a replacement.  Today I phoned Omega, and they were busy.  Problems?  I asked when I should expect to receive my replacement juicer.  I was told 5 business days from today.  That means I will have gone two full weeks without my new juicer!

Luckily I have my old juicer which works well.  Otherwise, I would be high and dry without fresh juice for two weeks.  Today I juiced a small sweet potato with my usual carrot, celery, spinach, and apple.  The sweet potato was a wonderful addition.  It gave the juice a rich quality and creamier texture.  I will get another little sweet potato and have that juice again.  It is a smooth, tasty, drink.

Still waiting for an Omega that works well,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011   P.S.  To support this blog, use discount code WAL660 for $5 off first purchase at www.iherb.com .  They sell nutritional supplements, raw supplements (Garden of Life), raw and organic food such as tahini, coconut oils, energy bars, goji, etc., herbs, teas, organic and natural shampoos, conditioners, skin creams and lotions, cosmetics, dry skin brushes, Madre Labs acai and Cafeceps, organic soaps, raw organic cacao, organic raw chia seed, hemp seed, seaweed, nuts, kelp noodles, oils, homeopathics, organic pet food, etc. at discounts.  Currently, they ship free for US orders of $20 or more.  They also ship internationally.  Just enter code WAL660 at check out.    Plus, there are helpful product reviews.   And more free:  iherb offers a variety of FREE PRODUCTS to sample, so be sure to select one with your order. www.iherb.com .  Thanks.

Having Fun With My Old Juicer

Still waiting for the replacement Omega VRT350HD vertical juicer to arrive.  In the meantime, I am juicing better than ever with my 16 year old juicer.  This is an older compact juicer.  It is small but does a good job.  It is centrifugal and fast.  It does greens if you put them through slowly and roll the large leaf greens such as kale and chard like cigars.  I first fold the leaf stem over the leaf so that it is in the center of the leaf, then roll the leaf like a cigar with the stem as the core.  Sometimes I need to push it all the way into the juicer with a carrot.  I have gotten an ounce or two with two very large chard leaves put through the juicer this way.  Parsley can be less productive though the juicer instruction book says to bunch it up in a ball and push it through.  The quality of the juice is smooth and pulp-free!  Heaven.

The old Juicer is eating up the celery.  I just cut the stalks in half lengthwise and out comes the juice -- no strings, no jams, nor errors.  The juicer produces a fine celery juice stalk after stalk.  I do not have to rotate the produce I insert.  I can juice all carrots (seems to produce more juice, certainly quicker than the Omega VRT350 HD), then switch to beets, celery, and a couple of handfuls of spinach.  The problem with the verbal Omega instruction to rotate the produce, i.e., juice one carrot, a 1/3 length of celery stalk, a piece of beet, a  piece of apple, then another carrot, celery, etc., is that one cannot measure the ounces of juice produced by a particular type produce.  How will I know when I have juiced one ounce of green juice or 4 ounces of carrot juice?  I think knowing how much green juice has been produced is important because I do not want to overpower the juice with too much green, yet want to get at least one or 2 ounces of green juice per pint.

I am currently growing a 12 inch diameter pot of wheatgrass.  I expect to test my new, replacement Omega VRT350HD with a handful of wheatgrass.  I am wondering whether I can replace some of the pricey greens with home grown wheatgrass.  I will have to experiment and see how much wheatgrass it takes to produce an ounce of juice.  From videos I have seen, it should be an economical trade off. [It did not go as expected as future posts reveal. The replacement juicer was a saddening disappointment.] Where will I grow a rotating crop of wheatgrass? 

Free Stuff for you: While we wait for the replacement VRT350HD juicer to arrive, let me give you a code for $5 off first purchase at www.iherb.com .  They sell nutritional supplements, raw supplements, raw and organic food such as tahini, coconut oils, energy bars, goji, etc., herbs, teas, organic and natural shampoos, conditioners, skin creams and lotions, cosmetics, dry skin brushes, Madre Labs acai and Cafeceps, soaps such as Dr. Bronner's, raw cacao, organic chia seed, hemp seed, seaweed, nuts, kelp noodles, oils, homeopathics, organic pet food, etc. at discounts.  They ship free for US orders of $20 or more.  They also ship internationally.  Just enter code WAL660 at check out.    Plus, there are helpful product reviews.   And more free:  iherb offers a variety of FREE PRODUCTS to sample, so be sure to select one with your order. www.iherb.com -- check it out.
Also download a FREE Juice and Smoothie Recipe eBook, and view hundreds of short videos on a variety of raw food and health topics on this site: http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344

Just watching my wheatgrass grow,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011

Selling Your Old Gold?

With the price of gold currently at $1680 (USD) some sources say it is a bargain, down from the early September highs around $1900 (USD) per ounce.  Others are selling their old, unused, or broken gold items.  The old caveat "buyer beware" should be your mantra if you venture out to sell your gold.

I took several items, some with stones, some 14K (carat), 18K, and 10K, and some with mixed metals.  I priced the items at two jewelers that were in business for many years and advertised on radio.  I also priced one of the items that had a stone, and both 14K and 18K components at an additional third source that sells both jewelry and coins.  All three sources quoted a different price!  I had 9 items priced by the two jewelers.  All items were priced differently at the two different shops.  One shop was not higher across the board.  Both were higher on some items, and lower on others.  Interestingly, one paid three dollars more per gram of 14K gold, yet still priced some of the items over 10% lower than the other shop!  This means that either the scale was wrong or the jeweler was doing some questionable weighing if you know what I mean.

None of the three shops had the scale located so that I could see the weight.  I assume all these scales are digital.  Interestingly, even though the price of some items varied as much as $50, the total price of all the items at either jeweler was very close, so I elected to sell all to one jeweler.  This was, in retrospective, a poor decision.  I could have made much more had I sold only the higher priced items to the jeweler who offered more.  Lessons:  1.  Do not do this if your are tired or in a hurry.  2.  Do not be afraid to walk away and think it through.  3.  Get the offers in writing.

The jeweler I sold to said he would pay the 14K gold price for watch fob pieces.  He said they weighed a total of 5.3 grams.  I accepted.  This would have been $129.00.  However, he only added $50 to the total of the other items sold, not the $129 he led me to believe he would pay.  The itemized list with prices and weight was not given to me with the check.  The check total seemed a bit low.  This bothered me.  After I returned home, I phoned the jeweler and requested the adding machine tape he had used to calculate the prices.  I was told it was in the waste paper basket, but again requested it.  I drove 30 miles to get it. 

The adding machine tape proved I had been shorted!  When I phoned the jeweler to explain this, he offered me $50!  When I persisted, explaining I was due the full $79,  the jeweler accused me of harassing and said I would get nothing.  This did not set well with me.  After sleeping on it and losing sleep on it for the better part of a week, I phoned the police, the county, the state, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB). 

The BBB has a local website.  There is a simple BBB online complaint process or you can mail in your complaint.  The complaint must contain certain information, so if you go this route, please contact your BBB to be sure you have all the information required.  It is a simple process and the folks at the BBB are very helpful.  In fact everyone I spoke to in the various government offices was helpful.  No one wants to see bad business practices in the community.  None of the folks I spoke to wanted to see the jeweler get away with it.  And neither do I.

The BBB also recommended I file a complaint with the State Attorney General -- the top cop in the state.  This is easy to do if you have already completed a complaint with the BBB.  I was also referred to the Department of Weights and Measures.  They are very interested in checking the jeweler's scales.  However, even if the scales are accurate, I believe that the jeweler used what I will politely call "discretionary weight."  Clearly, if he is paying nearly 20% more than the other jewelry store per gram of 14K gold, yet after weighing an object, offers 10% less, there is something questionable going on.

So, I feel better and sleep better knowing I have taken action.  Hopefully, you will be more careful than I was.  Hopefully, I will get the $79 that is owed.  Hopefully, the jeweler will not try to short customers in the future.  I have gone on record, and should another complaint be filed against jeweler in the future, there is a pattern for authorities to take into consideration.  We have to take a stand against flimflam.

Ironically, when I took my complaint to the BBB, I was in the neighborhood of one of the most ethical businessmen I know.  I told him the story of jeweler, adding that I don't usually drop names, but the behavior of jeweler was so unacceptable to me that I mentioned his name and the name of his shop.  The ethical businessman said that he and jeweler belong to the same exclusive golf club.  He told me how jeweler cleverly cheats at golf.  Another lesson:  Don't do business with folks who cheat at golf.

May your business dealings be righteous,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011

Omega VRT350HD Vertical Juicer Update #2

My father had a saying: "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all."  If I were to adhere to his advice, this would be a mighty short post.

As you may have read in previous posts, I am displeased with my new Omega VRT350HD vertical juicer.  I have seen dozens of videos of happy people using their VRTs on youTube.  Rarely does one jam or overflow.  Rarely does anyone mention the pulp content.  I have even seen folks juice several whole stalks of celery, whole bunches of kale, bunches of chard, parsley, medium size carrots, and wheatgrass.  I, on the other hand, have been cutting my celery into bite size pieces, slimming my carrots so as not to jam the machine, and cut my leafy greens into 2 inch lengths.  If the juicer jams, and I put it into reverse to clear the jam, huge amounts of pulp come out of the juice port.  I finally tried placing a metal strainer over the juice collection container and the strainer clogged because the "juice" was so thick!  I finally resorted to taking the smallest strainer I had, about 2 inches diameter, and repeatedly skimmed the juice for pulp.  Then I mashed the pulp in the strainer to extract all the juice I could, and although this system is far from perfect, I extracted a few ounces of pulp this way, and the juice was still pulpy.  There were strings of celery, up to 2.5 inches in length in the juice!  Unacceptable.

I finally phoned Omega and told them I needed a replacement juicer.  Cleaning the overflow juice off the motor cover, straining huge quantities of pulp, and drinking celery strings was not making me happy.  They agreed and sent UPS to pick up the juicer.  Luckily, I still had the shipping box.  I packed the juicer, instruction manual, and all, and it is on it's way to Omega.

I juice daily.  I weighed the pulp extracted from the Omega on my last day of juicing.  I generally juice 2 pints of mixed vegetable juice daily.  The pulp weighed, conservatively, 12 ounces.  Now, while my Omega is on it's way to headquarters, I am again using my trusty, 16 year old Juiceman Jr.  It is louder, but it does a good job.  I have figured out how to juice greens with it.  It juices much more quickly than the Omega.  I had hoped to get higher yield from the Omega.  The Omega boasts its pulp is dry.

I weighed the pulp from 2 pints of my old juicer's juice.  There was considerably less waste than the Omega; plus, 16 year old juicer porduces a smooth, pulp-free juice with no leaks, no drips, no jams, and no strings in the juice.  The old juicer has less parts to clean.  Clean up does not take any longer than the Omega VRT.  Assuming the Omega replacement juicer works well, with a tolerable amount of pulp in the juice, the only 2 reasons I can come up with to keep the Omega are: 1.  it is quieter, and 2.  supposedly the juice has more nutritional value because it is a slow juicer, thus less oxidation takes place.

Again, this is a pricey juicer and the fact that it performs worse, so far, than a 16 year old centrifugal juicer is disappointing.  I told Omega I want to be happy with this juicer.  Lots of folks are happy with it.  We are assuming my first Omega had a factory defect or two.  But honestly, I am enjoying the pulp free juice from my old juicer so much that I am not sure I want to spend big bucks for anything less than perfection from Omega.  Stay tuned for the arrival of the replacement Omega Vert.

Thanks for reading this post.   To support this blog, use discount code WAL660 for $5 off first purchase at www.iherb.com .  They sell nutritional supplements, raw supplements (Garden of Life), raw and organic food such as tahini, coconut oils, energy bars, goji, etc., herbs, teas, organic and natural shampoos, conditioners, skin creams and lotions, cosmetics, dry skin brushes, Madre Labs acai and Cafeceps, organic soaps, raw organic cacao, organic raw chia seed, hemp seed, seaweed, nuts, kelp noodles, oils, homeopathics, organic pet food, etc. at discounts.  Currently, they ship free for US orders of $20 or more.  They also ship internationally.  Just enter code WAL660 at check out.    Plus, there are helpful product reviews.   And more free:  iherb offers a variety of FREE PRODUCTS to sample, so be sure to select one with your order. www.iherb.com .  Thanks.

You can also download a FREE Juice and Smoothie Recipe eBook, and view hundreds of short videos and other info' on a variety of raw food and health topics on this site:
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344

May all your juice be sweet,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011
P.S.  Howdy to the blog readers from Russia.  Do you juice?

Omega VRT350HD Vertical Juicer Update

After my last post I phoned the Omega company.  They were helpful.  I continued using the juicer and noticed huge amounts of pulp such that I have to brush and floss after drinking the vegetable juice.  The amount of pulp seemed to be increasing!  Also, carrots of a mere one inch diameter jam and stop the juicer.  I then put the juicer into reverse mode, and juicing can generally continue.

Finally I noticed that the little rubber-like flap that covers the pulp ejection spout becomes dislodged during juicing.  A huge amount of pulp and stringy material from celery and other vegetables ends up in the juice and clogs the pulp ejection port.  The pulp is really jammed into this area and difficult to clean because the area is very small -- to small to stick an adult finger into.  One has to try to pry out the impacted pulp with the special cleaning tool.  The tool is like a toothbrush with a narrower point at the end of the handle.  The pulp ejection port is a mere 1/2 inch high and 1.25 inches wide.  The tool is awkward to work with due to its dimensions.  I have to work the pulp out of this narrow chute by working from both ends.  It is difficult to clean and the tool's brush end will not fit into this area!  So Omega, what's the deal with the cleaning brush?

Omega said my overabundance of pulp is probably due to a defective flap.  They offered to send a replacement flap.  However, the flap is attached with a small phillips screw, and I may not have that size screwdriver.  Furthermore, I do not want to start disassembling a new juicer!  So, Omega will send the plastic part the flap is attached to -- ready to use.

I am packing the Omega in a box and using my old centrifugal juicer until the part arrives.

Sad and disappointed in this pricey juicer,
Southwest Desert Blogger
P.S.  To support this blog, use discount code WAL660 for $5 off first purchase at www.iherb.com .  They sell nutritional supplements, raw supplements (Garden of Life), raw and organic food such as tahini, coconut oils, energy bars, goji, etc., herbs, teas, organic and natural shampoos, conditioners, skin creams and lotions, cosmetics, dry skin brushes, Madre Labs acai and Cafeceps, organic soaps, raw organic cacao, organic raw chia seed, hemp seed, seaweed, nuts, kelp noodles, oils, homeopathics, organic pet food, etc. at discounts.  Currently, they ship free for US orders of $20 or more.  They also ship internationally.  Just enter code WAL660 at check out.    Plus, there are helpful product reviews.   And more free:  iherb offers a variety of FREE PRODUCTS to sample, so be sure to select one with your order. www.iherb.com .  Thanks.

You can also download a FREE Juice and Smoothie Recipe eBook, and view hundreds of short videos on a variety of raw food and health topics on the site:http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344

C. (c)2011

Review #1 of the Omega VRT350HD Vertical Juicer

After weeks of intensive research I finally purchased a new juicer.  My 16 year old centrifugal juicer worked pretty well but was very loud and the pulp was a bit juicy.  With the price of organic produce I had hoped for a drier pulp and better yield, especially when juicing leafy greens, as well as a quiet juicer that does a good job juicing both fruits and vegetables.

A few years ago the Huron vertical juicer was the new rage.  It is quiet, has the new style vertical (tall) design, and is a "slow" juicer.  The slow juicers generally use an old style auger design like your grandmother's old clamp-to-the-counter, metal, meat grinder.  This style meat grinder is still for sale in gourmet and cook's supply sites and shops.  They are generally reasonably priced and some folks have used them as a cheap wheatgrass juicer.

Back to the Huron:  It was the rage among those who had about $400 (USD) or more to spend on a newfangled juicer.  As time passed, the new guys on the block came out with their new and improved vertical juicers.  There was the Omega VRT330, 330HD and 350HD among others.  The newest versions generally have harder materials in critical parts such as the screen and auger.  This addresses rumors that there were screen problems with earlier vertical juicers.  There is even another brand that boasts their plastic doesn't leach a certain chemical.  That is very seductive when trying to select among very similar juicers.  Two juicer dealers do not recommend that non-leaching brand but prefer the Omega Vert Juicer.  Consequently, I purchased an Omega VRT 350 HD vertical juicer.  Shop around as prices vary a bit.   If you buy online, you should get free shipping. 

This is not a cheap purchase.  One hopes it will give a decade or more of service, but be sure your dealer has a favorable return policy.  The juicer could weigh over 18 pounds boxed, and if you have to pay return shipping, it could get costly -- that is if you are allowed to return it!

The juicer arrived in good condition.  The instruction manual is minimal.  Too minimal.  The base unit, the motor, is heavier than I expected.  In my opinion it is awkward to move the juicer as it has a sleek smooth base and no grips.  In my opinion, it is difficult to disassemble, after juicing, to clean it.  But, I get ahead of myself.

The instructions give basic safety tips, show you how to put the parts together and take it apart for cleaning, and give some trouble shooting tips.  That's all folks.  The problem is, this is not your old centrifugal juicer or Champion style juicer.  It is a persnickety machine.  It is self-feeding for the most part, but you need to cut the produce into small pieces (opinions vary here) and add the pieces slowly to keep the unit from jamming, flooding, backing up, or getting tangled in fiber.  Yes, it is sometimes called a "slow juicer" but that's only part of the story.  It is a picky eater.  Even after partially de-stringing celery, and cutting the celery into 1 inch pieces, cutting the chard into 2 inch pieces and the chard stems into 1 inch pieces, strings got tangled in the pulp ejection spout area.  This is the hardest part to clean.  The pulp gets mashed into a near solid mass and I have to use the special cleaning tool to wedge and push it out after pulling at the strings as best I can.  This can be frustrating.

The juice is VERY pulpy.  Is the V in VRT for very pulpy?  Think of the pulpiest orange juice you can get commercially and then add some more pulp.  I was warned of this and tried straining the juice.  I filled a 2.5 inch diameter x 1 inch deep metal mesh strainer to the brim with thick pulp after juicing one cup of carrot, chard, celery, beet, ginger juice.  This is the blend I have been making daily for years.  With my old centrifugal juicer, the juice is a cleaner, much lower pulp, juice.  In the old juicer I do not have to cut the chard stems or leaves -- I just roll it up like a cigar and push it in;  I cut the celery once so that the length is 5 inches.  I only use a small piece of ginger -- one inch at most.  So, the prep time is greater for the Omega VRT because all stringy produce must be cut into small pieces that will not jam the machine.  Worst of all, I have gotten pieces of celery string, up to 3/4 inch, in the VRT juice! in addition to the thick pulp.  [see future posts for longer strings! and photos of the "string of the day"]

Overall, the cleanup is nearly the same as my previous centrifugal juicer -- that is if there are no plugged ports or spillovers to clean.  My old juicer had less parts to clean, so it is quicker and easier for me to clean.  The actual juicing time is longer than a centrifugal juicer.  The yield does not appear to be significantly greater even though the ejected pulp seems a bit drier.  The Omega VRT350 HD waste pulp is generally heavier that the waste from my 16 year old juicer for the same amount of juice produced by each.  One wishes the pulp  extracted into the juice of the VRT350HD was sifted and ejected into the trash by the juicer.  Note that I am using the fine strainer that comes with the juicer, and all reported results in this post are using the fine strainer!  [See strainer post in 2012] This pulpy juice is a real turn off for me.  As a seasoned juicer, I judge the juice unpleasantly pulpy.

My opinion:  I would rate this juicer disappointing.  There is a lot of online and video hype which makes me wonder whether this juicer gives a big mark-up to the on-line sales people.  In my opinion, the Omega VRT 350HD is a heavy, awkward to move, awkward to completely disassemble and clean, product that delivers an unpleasantly pulpy juice.  It sometimes makes a loud squeaking sound when juicing green leafy produce.  It does not handle stringy produce well.  It requires more prep time and more juicing time than my old centrifugal juicer.  It weighs more than my old juicer.  It does not deliver noticeably more juice although the juice contains, after draining the hand strainer of liquid, about two solid tablespoons of pulp per 8 ounce cup of vegetable juice.  This is unacceptable in my opinion.  I feel like I have to brush and floss after drinking this juice.  After I put a pint of the mixed vegetable juice in a clear glass pint jar in the refrigerator for 2.5 hours, there are 3 distinct layers:  a 1 inch pulp layer on the bottom, a 1 inch particle and foam layer on the top, and the 2 inches of good-looking juice in the middle of the mason jar. 

Furthermore, the instruction manual gives no guidance on how to prep the produce for juicing except "rinse everything thoroughly" and "cut or split any hard materials such as carrots into thin slices..."; minimal instruction on how best to clean the parts, no guidance on how to avoid or remove vegetable juice stains on parts, etc.  And there will be carrot and greens stains after just one juicing.  The parts are not to be washed in a dishwasher.  Did someone forget to tell them this is the twenty-first century?  Help me out here Omega! 

Quote from the Instruction Manual VRT350.  "Troubleshooting ...  The machine shakes.  This shaking is perfectly normal.  It is a sign of the motor working properly."  What?!

I will phone the company on Monday.  They are closed today.  Why do people love this machine?  Why all the hype?  Someone, please tell me.

Perplexed and pulpy,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011  P.S.  To support this blog, use discount code WAL660 for $5 off first purchase at www.iherb.com .  They sell nutritional supplements, raw supplements (Garden of Life), raw and organic food such as tahini, coconut oils, energy bars, goji, etc., herbs, teas, organic and natural shampoos, conditioners, skin creams and lotions, cosmetics, dry skin brushes, Madre Labs acai and Cafeceps, organic soaps, raw organic cacao, organic raw chia seed, hemp seed, seaweed, nuts, kelp noodles, oils, homeopathics, organic pet food, etc. at discounts.  Currently, they ship free for US orders of $20 or more.  They also ship internationally.  Just enter code WAL660 at check out.    Plus, there are helpful product reviews.   And more free:  iherb offers a variety of FREE PRODUCTS to sample, so be sure to select one with your order. www.iherb.com .  Thanks.