Beet-Apple-Carrot Juice

This picture brings several thoughts to mind.  Here are a few of them:
-Wow, it looks like I'm drinking blood.  Do people think I'm a vampire?
-I can't believe I'm drinking something that has beets in it.  If only 15-year-old me could be here to witness it.
-What will my dad think when he sees this?
-Wow, this juice is surprisingly tasty.

Whatever this picture may make you think, I'll give the recipe below.  Try it out before judging; you may be a juicer at heart!

Beet Apple Carrot Juice
3 small beets, peeled (I used some from a pre-packaged, pre-cooked container)
1 green apple, peeled and chopped into thick cubes (I used granny smith)
4 carrots, peeled
Combine everything in a juicer.  Alternately, blend until smooth, then put through a fine-mesh sieve to get rid of excess pulp.
Serve with ice and a straw!

Lentil Sweet Potato Apple Soup

John Paul's out of town this week, visiting LA for work.  I miss him a whole, whole bunch, but I do love eating "bachelorette food" when I've got full control of the kitchen.  He's not the biggest fan of soups, so I figured this was a good time to test out a new recipe for the fall.  I got it from a DailyCandy e-mail, although it originates from Soupergirl.  If it was good enough, I could entice him to try out this vegan, vegetable-laden, healthy soup.

There isn't anything in this soup recipe I don't like.  There's even cumin sprinkled in there!  And paprika!  And it's all blended together in a tasty, puree of sweet potatoes, lentils and apples.

I only tweaked one thing: added some sliced celery to the sauteeing onions, more for the health benefits than taste.

You know what?  I think this is the perfect soup for John Paul.  It's got a kick to it from the chili, richness from the sweet potatoes, sweetness from the apples...it all blends together into a perfect soup to toast some bread with and enjoy by the fire.  I hope he likes it, because this makes 8 servings!

Plum-Apple pie

It must be fall; I'm getting cravings for warm apple desserts and vanilla ice cream.  When I saw this recipe on Smitten Kitchen, I knew I had to make it for my chill Saturday night in with my man.  As you may have heard from my last pie experiment, crusts are not my forte.  Luckily, this crust is supposed to break so the juices can bubble up through and fill the apartment with the sweet smell of fall fruit and pastry dough.
Take note: I used regular plums, not anything special, and squeezed some orange juice, not lemon juice, into the mix.  Check out the recipe at Smitten Kitchen.

Please don't scrimp on the crust, or use store-bought. It's sweetened with orange zest and sugar, then brushed with cream and some raw sugar. The taste is perfect with the tartness of the apples and plums, and it's especially heavenly with vanilla ice cream. I really can't say enough good things about this perfectly autumn dessert, and insist that you make it for you and someone you love as soon as possible.