How About a Nightcap: Carrot Orange Juice with a Twist

I have an irrational fear of juice boxes.

I hate them.

And their wasteful packaging.

This hatred dates way back to elementary school snack time when there were two options: 1) watch as everyone pulled out their cutesy little juice boxes and their nicely packaged animal crackers or 2) accept a carton of milk from the cafeteria delivery tray. I seem to remember that less than a dollar a week got you milk delivery M-F.

The problem with both of these options was my hatred of juice boxes and my hatred of milk.

Perhaps in a cosmic twist of foreshadowing, I despised milk. To my young taste buds, the watery substance tasted like what I imagine muddy river water might taste like. And also, milk ruined cereal. Yes, I liked to scarf down bowls of Cinnamon Toast Crunch without milk. Why anyone would want soggy cereal is beyond me.

Bottom line? I lived in fear of snack time. And to some extent, I still do. Mention apple juice and I literally go into panic mode. Now that I’m an “adult,” I suppose no one can force me to drink the sugary sweet poison, but as a “kid” it was much harder to say no. Because why, for the love of whatever you believe in, would a kid know better than a parent about what constituted a healthy snack? At an infamous sleepover, when I wanted water with dinner instead of milk, my friend’s evil parents said I had to finish my milk. When I refused, they covered the glass with saran wrap and kept it in the fridge for me to finish “in the morning.”

Thanks to them I soon developed an irrational fear of juice boxes, milk, and sleepovers.

You’re probably beginning to see why I’m such a weirdo.

Now that I’m vegan, with one foot in the raw food world (despite the fact that this blog is currently dominated by manfood pasta recipes!), juice is a staple of healthy living. But I gotta say that it’s just not my favorite. I know it’s super healthy, and I know I should start my morning with green juice instead of strong coffee. It’s just that I’m stubborn, and I’m not going to force myself to drink something I hate just because it’s supposedly going to save my life.

That said, I’m willing to make more of an effort to be friends with juice. This was my first attempt, and I have to say it’s not bad! In fact, there was no need to save it ’til breakfast.

Nightcap Carrot Orange Juice

(raw, vegan)

(serves 1)

Ingredients:

• 6 carrots
• 3 oranges
• 3/4-inch piece of ginger
• 1/4 t cayenne
• 1/4 t cinnamon

1. Juice carrots, oranges, and ginger. Add cayenne and cinnamon and stir or shake well. Drink!

If you’re a classy gal like me, feel free to add ice cubes. Did I mention I despise warm liquids unless it’s piping hot coffee?

Tell me: Anyone else hate juice as much as me? Any juice lovers?