Orange Blossom Haiku and Dental Implant Juice

Fragrant orange blossoms

Haiku

The heady fragrance
of many orange blossoms
clouds the orange tree.

 Blog Post:
The heady fragrance of orange blossoms clouds the old orange tree.  The bees create an audible hum as they pollinate.  People are getting cranky about their allergies -- springtime in the Southwest Desert.

I had some dental work done.  To keep the site clean, especially for the first 3 days following the dental implant, the instructions are "DO NOT have anything with little bits ... for the first 3 days...We do not want anything little to enter the surgery site."  Glad I no longer have the Omega VRT350 HD juicer because the pulp amounted to vegetable bits, especially carrot, and drinking that juice could have compromised the healing of the site.  Yes, I could strain the juice, but why go through the extra steps of straining, cleaning the strainer, a second container, and perhaps spilling some juice in the process?  I just used my old juicer and have a perfectly clean, pulp-free juice with no extra steps. 
Happily enjoying the smooth, pulp-free, string-free juice from my little16 year old juicer,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2012 

More Before You Buy a Juicer Tips and Cactus Flowers

Close up of "Old Father" cactus with flowers and buds

Springtime in the Southwest Desert:  Two column cacti in bloom -- agave in the background.  It has been dry.  Temperatures dipped into the upper 30s (Fahrenheit) last night, but I believe we are done with the 30s for the remainder of the spring.  There's talk of summer coming too soon.

Before you buy a juicer tip of the day:  Chew on this.  Before you buy a juicer know how many parts you need to wash after you juice.  General Rule:  The fewer parts, the better.  Fewer parts to clean means disassembling and reassembling the juicer will be faster, and there will be less work cleaning fewer parts.  Also consider how the parts are shaped.  Will there be tiny, difficult to access areas to clean?  Of course, the screen most juicers have is one part that must be cleaned well and you may need a brush to get this job done efficiently.  Are the parts dishwasher safe?  Do you plan to juice daily and do you use your dishwasher daily?  If not, you are the dishwasher.  Is just eating your fruits and veggies sounding better about now?

For more Before You Buy a Juicer Tips, see Southwest Desert Blogger post dated March 4, 2012 and the numerous posts describing my experience with the Omega VRT350HD juicer posted between 2/8/12 and  September 2011.  Happy shopping.  Choose well.

Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2012
  P.S.  To support this blog and get discounts on healthy products, use code WAL660 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. 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.

Got Snow?

Just wanted to let you know the temperatures in the Southwest Desert:
Predicted high temperature for today is over 80 degrees Fahrenheit.  The wild desert flowers are in bloom.  Tomorrow the temperature is expected to be lower, but still pleasant.  I spoke to someone in Maine last Friday.  It was snowing there. 

Scroll down to yesterday's post if you want to know what to look for, and look out for, before buying a vertical juicer.

Having a wonderful time,
Wish you were here,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c) 2012

Before You Buy an Omega VRT 350 HD Vertical Juicer

Thinking of buying a new juicer?  Looking at the vertical juicers?  Trying to decide which juicer will meet your needs?  Here are some things to consider:

Looking down into the juice collection container after pouring the juice into a jar:  You can see some of the foam the Omega VRT 350HD produced still clinging to the sides, and at the bottom you can see little chunks of carrot!  Scroll down to previous posts as far back as September 2011 to see other examples of strings, etc. found in the Omega VRT350HD juice.

1.  Size of the juicer - Will it fit under your cabinets, on your counter space, and allow enough vertical and horizontal space for comfortable juicing.  Don't forget that you need to allow horizontal space for the juice and pulp collection bins or jars.  This could be several inches of additional horizontal space on either side of the base of the juicer.  Some online sources do not list the actual dimensions.  If you have the dimensions of the juicer you are interested in, be sure the juice and pulp collection vessels are included.
     You also need to consider additional vertical space to comfortably input produce.  If there are shelves or cabinets above the place you plan to put your juicer, is there enough space above the juicer to add produce?
     I found that the cabinets above and behind the Omega VRT350HD got carrot juice drops splattered on them.  I am not sure how the drops of carrot juice shot up from the produce input chute, but I had to clean the cabinet door after almost every juicing.

2.  Weight of juicer -  The Omega VRT350HD juicer I had weighed over 18 pounds in the shipping box.  The actual juicer, without packing material, weighed a bit less, but it was heavier than I had expected.  It was somewhat cumbersome and awkward to move the unit as it had not grips or handle.  I had to move the juicer out from under the cabinets daily because the bottom of the cabinet above the counter was so close to the top of the juicer.  Then, as described above, the cabinet door got splatters of juice from the juicing.
    Back to the weight of the juicer:  If you buy online at one of the many online merchants, be sure you get free shipping.  And, that brings us to topic 3...

3.  Can you return the juicer?  Online merchants may not allow you to return the juicer.  In the case of the Omega VRT350HD,  there is a manufacturer's warranty on parts, but if you do not like the amount of pulp, etc,. if you do not like the strings in the juice, if you do not like the amount of foam, if there is anything you do not like that cannot be remedied by replacement parts or replacement juicer, you may be stuck with an expensive piece of equipment that does not meet your expectations.  The online merchant I purchased from had a no returns policy.  Getting replacement parts from Omega takes time and may not remedy the problem(s) one is experiencing.  Returning the juicer to Omega for replacement took me over 2 weeks of transit time.  That was time without the juicer.
     If you have to pay to return a juicer, insure it, etc. it could cost more or less $30 depending on how far you have to ship the juicer and whether you have retained the box and packing materials. If you have to purchase boxes and have it packed at the shipping store, the price could rapidly escalate.

4.  You can return whatever you want, but whether you will get your money refunded is another issue.  I suspect most consumers have neither the time, nor the tenacity to deal with online merchants with attitude.  I received what I can only describe as a nasty, threatening, over-reactive voice mail from the online merchant I purchased my Omega VRT350HD juicer from.  It was extremely worrisome and unsettling.  I have retained that recording.  I hope none of you have to go through that sort of drama. You may need to be highly persistent to get the outcome you desire with some online merchants.  Hint:  contact the Better Business Bureau (BBB) in their geographic area.  If there is a BBB online complaint form, your job may be easier. 

5.  Your first juicer?  If this is your first juicer, you may want to start cheaper and work your way up.  You may find that you do not like to juice your own juice.  You may not have the time to juice often.  You may not like to wash the juicer parts.  It may not be for you, so why plunk down the better part of $400.  Maybe you should just go to a big discount warehouse like the one I lovingly call "Costlo" and get a name brand juicer for under $100.  Costlo, and the others of its ilk, have easy return policies, so if you do not like the juicer, the juice, the process of juicing, you only want to juice once a month, or the juicer just doesn't "feel" right, you can return it for a hassle-free refund.
     Got friends with juicers?  Watch them juice and wash the juicer.  Taste the juice.  If you have never had any experience with a juicer, you may want a juicer that has better instructions than the Omega VRT350HD.  The Omega VRT350HD I purchased came with minimal instructions.  Even after decades of juicing, I wished for more info with the vertical juicer.  Additional information from the dealer and the company sources tended to conflict.
   
6.  Who can you trust?  When merchants steer you toward purchasing one juicer over another, is it because they make a greater profit on that item?  Do they genuinely like that juicer over another because of the potential profits?
     I wanted the juicer with the non-toxic plastic and was repeatedly told to get the Omega because of the warranty.  Every day I thought about that plastic.  Every day I disliked the Omega VRT350HD pulp and strings.  The juicer with the non-toxic plastic doesn't have a long warranty, but what is the use of a long warranty if you just don't like the juicer and the quality of the juice it produces? 

Strings and other matter in the Omega VRT 350 HD juice.

  After drinking most of the quart (liter) some of the pink foam remains at the bottom of the jar, above the red veg juice.  Measure in inches.

Sorry guys, I am over the buy a new juicer thing.  I am happily juicing with my 16 year old juicer and I purchased another used juicer of the same model as a back-up in the secondary (i.e., used) market, for significantly less than one-tenth the price of a discount Omega VRT350HD. 
     If you love your VRT, extol it's virtues on your own blog.  The above observations and opinions are based on my frustrating experience during months of juicing and efforts with the Omega vrt 350hd. 
I'm not here to sell you a juicer.

Hope you get what's best for you,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2012 
P.S.  I do not insert ads or ads with cookies on this site as so many bloggers do.  If you'd like to support this blog, check the health food and supplements, including raw and organics at www.iherb.com/info/benefits  or just copy and paste www.iherb.com and use discount code WAL660.  The iherb site also has super foods, vitamins, green powders (Hawaiian Spirulina, and others), homeopathics, organics, raw food http://www.iherb.com/Search?kw=raw+organic
and supplements such as raw chia seed, raw hemp seed, raw cacao, coconut oil, kelp noodles, healthy pet food, Dr. Bronners, organic shampoos and skin products, tea, loose herbs, sports supplements, essential oils, protein powders, all at discounts. There are helpful product reviews and quick shipping. The WAL660 code will get you $5 off a first time order and there is free shipping for US orders of $20 (there may be weight restrictions) or $40 or more (no US weight restrictions).  Just enter the code WAL660 in the shopping cart before final check-out.  Remember to add a "freebies" free product to your order.
iherb ships to over 180 countries.  Thanks for helping support this blog, and saving yourself some money by using the WAL660 discount code at iherb.com .

Haiku 2

juice this!  write more haiku . . .

Haiku 1:

The sun comes up late.

I juice my juice each morning,

Then the moon rises. 

Haiku 2:

I write Haiku. What?

What do you do with your day?

Do you read my blog?
         .    .    .
Howdy to the Aussies from
Southwest Desert Blogger
C.(c)2012

Got Shaun White Pants?

Did anyone see the pants Shaun White wore when he scored the perfect 100 on the half-pipe at the 2012 X Games?  It was quite a divergence from the usual snowboarder uniform that is more of a Sponge Bob Square Pants look.  What ever happened to the old, baggy, asexual snowboarder look?  Has the old Flying Tomato morphed into a Hot Tomato in his tight, black and white jungle print pants?  Are these pants for a snowboarder or an aerobic yoga babe at the health club?  Did the inspiration come form the housewives of Pitkin county?  Would those tight jungle animal print pants look better with 5 inch stilettos than snowboarder boots?  What's going on?  Is it mere fashion or superior aerodynamics?

As you can tell, it took me a almost a month to decide to write this post.  I was surprised to learn that Shaun picked out the material for the black and white jungle print pants.  I was equally surprised to learn that Shaun also redesigned his jacket by adding denim to the front.  This humble blogger does not want snowboarders turning into metro-sexual fashionistas.  Come on guys.  Man up!  I don't want to see you guys going shopping together after the games.  I don't want to find out you paint your nails with sparkle polish and get botox injections.  I don't want to learn that any snowboarder wears more makeup than Mick Jagger at a Stones concert.  How about adding some duct tape to your look?  A jacket that looks like an XXL gas station attendant wore it?  Remember the olden days?

I phoned my first generation snowboarder / skater contact who told me that skaters, i.e., skateboarders are wearing tight pants.  Really tight!  Is the whole world going to hell in a handbasket?  Will next season's new half pipe trick be the Double McQuiche 1260?  Is there no turning back?  Will there be a line of snowboarder clothes designed by Shaun?  Does this already exist, but folks in the Southwest Desert just don't know about it?  Hey Shaun, how about calling your clothes line (pun?) "White Clothes"?  And here's some hot cloth for your next pair of pants: 

This will show up better against the pipe, assuming no yellow snow...

Maybe the Olympic team would look good in this cloth.  It is actually two pieces -- jungle and dots.  Would the dots make a good jacket?  Headband? Hoodie? Gloves? Or would they both be pants in (on?) the White Clothes Line?
 
Anyway, congrat's on the perfect 100, let that ankle heal (it always takes too long), and if you ever need more fashion feedback, just call me,
Southwest Desert Blogger

P.S. The only back to back double cork I do is if I've got 2 bottles of wine that have to breathe.
Southwest Desert Blogger
                                                                                              C. (c.)2012

New Moon in Pisces

Today the Sun and Moon are both in the astrological sign of Pisces -- the fish.  It is new moon this afternoon in the Southwest Desert and the night sky will be without the illumination of the moon tonight.  As is always the case during the new moon time, both the Sun and Moon are in the same sign.  Today both are in Pisces.

Neptune is also in Pisces.  The planet Neptune, ruler of the sea and the deep, has not been in Pisces for nearly 165 years.  Neptune is the eighth* and farthest planet from the sun.  Note thatPluto's orbit is so eccentric, it sometimes crosses the orbit of Neptune making Neptune the most distant planet from the Sun for a few years Pluto's orbit is eccentric; thus, it sometimes crosses the orbit of Neptune making Neptune the furthest from the sun for  the years 1979 to 1999.  What were you doing in those years?  Were you incarnate then?  *Back then Pluto was a planet -- the ninth planet.  In 2006 Pluto was demoted to the status of "dwarf planet" or minor planet.  And now we have *eight.


Neptune has 3 large rings and 13 known moons.  Neptune has winds believed to be the fastest in our solar system at up to 2100 km/hour.  It also has a magnetic field.  It's magnetic field is thought to be generated by water or other conductive material(s) in its middle layer.  Some sources argue that Neptune has a more uniform composition as opposed to layering, thus debunking the middle layer theory.  The magnetic field is off center and at a 47 degree angle to its rotational axis.  It's axis is tilted at 28.3 degrees, similar the the Earth's 23 degree tilt.  Thus it is believed Neptune experiences seasons.

Neptune has an internal heat source.  Despite the fact that it is so far from the sun, it radiates more than twice as much energy as it receives from the sun.  This planet has only been visited once by Earth vehicle Voyager 2 in a 1989 flyby.  Neptune's spots tend to move and disappear, others appear.  There is only theory as to what is going on there.  Like the depths of out minds and souls, there is speculation, theory, and mystery about Neptune.
 Neptune's magnetic field is off center and at a large angle to its rotation axis

Because Neptune, God of the Sea and E. Indian God of Rain, has not been in Pisces for nearly 165 years, this is a planetary position we have not felt in this earth life.  What will this mean for us?  My research does not give me any clear, optimistic conclusion of how the visibly blue planet, Neptune, which many consider the ruler of Pisces (can an astrological sign be ruled by a planet?  Is this fishy?  Deep stuff? Should I water it down for you?) will impact us.  I hope it will be a positive indicator as we are water bodies on a blue planet, with seasons and a magnetic field, too.

So for the next day or two, we have the Piscean trifecta -- sun, moon, and Neptune in Pisces.  Some astrologers say to pay attention to dreams for the 2 days /nights after this new moon.  The dream state and psychic senses will be activated.  

Sweet dreams to all,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2012

Omega Vertical Juicer VRT 350 HD String of the Day Post #3

Today I juiced carrots, one apple, a handful of alfalfa sprouts, and organic spring mix, which is fresh, tender, little baby lettuce and greens -- you know, the type you can buy in bulk or purchase in a one pound recyclable plastic box.   And now Southwest Desert Blogger presents . . . the Omega VRT 350HD string of the day photo:

Measure in inches. 

 This is the last in the "string of the day" series.  I do not enjoy this stringy material in my Omega VRT 350 HD juice.  In my opinion, juice should not have strings in it.  The sound of the VRT350HD juicer squeaking has grown old. I will no longer try to invent ways to clean places that their cleaning brush does not fit.

VRT 350HD juicer spout with solid plastic piece in the middle:  the space between the solid rectangular piece hanging down in the middle of the spout and the wall of the spout  is less than one-half inch.  You can see the sort of material that gets caught there.  In one of my many posts reviewing the VRT 350HD I tried to guess the purpose of this rectangular piece. [see post dated Oct. 29, 2011, et al.] 

I am getting rid of this Omega.  Good riddance.  Adios.  Bon Voyage.  Bye-bye.  Cheerio.  Sayonara.  Adieu.  Arrivederci.  Au revoir.  Auf wiedersehen.  Ciao babe. My 16 year old juicer can juice stringy  vegetables such as celery and chard stems without a single string in the juice.  It can juice root vegetables, greens, ginger, fruits, and anything else I have put through it without strings or particulate pulp. The old juicer produces a juice that is smooth and clean.  I find it produces a sweeter carrot juice than the VRT350HD.  I cannot explain why.  It has less parts to clean and actually cleans faster than the VRT350HD!  Finally, I don't have to get the grit out from between my teeth after drinking my old juicer's juice.  With the VRT350HD there was the need to brush and floss the solid material in the juice out of my teeth!  No mas!

May all your juice be smooth and sweet,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2012  P.S.  Support this blog by using 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 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.   www.iherb.com -- check it out.

Omega Vertical Juicer VRT 350 HD String of the Day Post #2

I could do the string of the day daily, but thought it too trite.  However, today I juiced 3 carrots, 3 sweet potatoes, one peeled cucumber, a couple of handfuls of tender baby salad greens, and several handfuls of baby spinach.  FYI all were organic except for the cucumber.  And now Southwest Desert Blogger presents . . . the Omega VRT 350HD string of the day photo:

The ruler measures inches.  What is this material I found in my Omega VRT 350 HD juice?

  One picture = 1000 words.

Omega Vertical Juicer VRT 350 HD Strainer Question

Try not to strain yourself:

Solid yellow strainer photo 1.  Notice the red dot on the right side of the strainer rim.  It is used to position the strainer in the bowl correctly.  However, it wears out over time.  After a few months of regular use, it is barely visible in my "clear yellow" everyday strainer that Omega refers to as the "-less pulp" (?!) strainer.  See photo 2.

Got an Omega VRT 350HD juicer?  If you do, please tell me what you do with this second strainer (solid yellow).  Folks at Omega have told me not to bother with it.  If that is the case, why does it come with the Omega VRT 350HD?

This is photo 2 of the solid yellow strainer.  In the Omega VRT350 Instruction Manual it is simply noted as "Strainer (solid yellow) -more pulp" as opposed to the "clear yellow" strainer which is "-less pulp" --  Is that clear?  As I have stated in previous posts, I get too much pulp for my taste using the "less pulp" strainer.  I certainly do not want more pulp.     

 Southwest Desert Blogger                

 C. (c)2012    P.S.  Support this blog and get healthy products 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 soap, 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.  Orders of $20 or more ship free in US.  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. 

  All you cowboys, cowgirls, city slickers, surfers, skiers, board-riders, bus riders, hikers, bikers, and coffee house posers -- I AM waiting fer yer answers.
 As ever, 
your Southwest Desert Blogger  
C. (c)2012