saturday june 2nd at whole foods west vancouver

1 year

Thanks for everyone from friends, family, fans and followers that have supported us every step of the way.  Looking forward to an awesome and fun-filled second year.  Hope to see you at the Farm today!

Juicy Suzy

juicy goodies

Don't forget, if you don't have any plans for Sunday May 27th, the Sheep Shearing Festival is happening at Maplewood Farm from 10 am - 4 pm and the Juice Caboose will be celebrating its 1st Year since opening at last years festival.  There are two prizes to be won.  The main prize is the Onyx Stainless Steel Popsicle Mold and Straw set with 2 Juice Caboose Drink Certificates and the other prize is the Mummy and Me Ruffled Apron Set from the Enchanted Chameleon.  (Ballots are handed out per purchase).

Also, Enchanted Chameleon is still hosting a giveaway for a couple of Juice Caboose drinks.  Just click here and comment.  Winner will be announced on Monday.

Have an awesome weekend!

Juicy Suzy

1 year celebration

Sunday May 27th is the 32nd Annual Maplewood Farm Sheep Shearing Festival AND the 1 Year Celebration of Juice Caboose.  

The farmer's are planning a fun-filled day with demonstrations of sheep shearing, sheep dog herding, wool crafts from Baaad Anna's, face painting, pony rides, vendors and JRFM Radio will be broadcasting live from the Farm.

Juice Caboose also plans to celebrate and add a little something extra special to the mix.  Every juicy or smoothie customer will receive a ballot to fill out for a chance to win a juicy gift basket from the Caboose.  The gift basket includes:  an ONYX Stainless Steel Popsicle Mold, ONYX Stainless Steel Straws, free drinks from the Caboose and some homemade goodies from the Enchanted Chameleon.

We're so proud to have made it to 1 year.  They say that the first 2 years of a small business are the hardest and I assure you 'they' don't lie!  1 year is a great achievement.  We are very much looking forward to year 2 in all it's glory.  Thanks to all our juicy customers, fans, friends, family and followers for helping us make it through our first milestone!

Can't make it to the event?  You can still win some free bevvies from the Enchanted Chameleon.  Just post what you love about the rain in her comments on this post.

Don't forget we open up the North Shore Green Markets Wednesday May 23rd and Thursday May 24th!  Check their site for details.

Juicy Suzy

juicy giveaway

Enchanted Chameleon is celebrating the 1 Year Reign of Juice Caboose over on her blog with a little giveaway of 2 - 16 oz juices or smoothies.  Go on over to her post and comment what you love about the rain for a chance to win.  Comments close on Sunday May 27th at 12 am PST.

north shore green markets

Hey Juicy Friends.  Hope you had an enjoyable long, holiday weekend to spite the rain.  We had some wishful drinkers at the opening of Kits Market on Sunday finding their sunshine in our cups instead of the sky.  We'll be continuing with our new market schedule this week with the opening of two North Shore Green Markets on Wednesday and Thursday.  These will also be a rotating schedule for the Caboose most of the summer, with alternate markets on Wednesday and Thursday starting in June.  You can always know our schedule via Facebook or the 2012 Schedule on our site.

Don't forget that we will be at the Maplewood Farm Sheep Festival this coming Sunday and we will be doing a giveaway to celebrate our 1 year anniversary of opening at the Festival last year.  Also check in on our 'Mama' Blog the Enchanted Chameleon for some juicy giveaways as well!

Wednesday May 23rd at the Civic Centre in North Vancouver 11 - 6 pm

Thursday May 24th at the North Vancouver District Library 11 - 6 pm

kitsilano farmer's market

Market season begins for the Juice Caboose this coming Sunday May 20th at our favourite Vancouver Market spot - Kits Market.  Lucky are those that have already been out to the Trout Lake Market this past weekend, it was an outrageously beautiful weekend to kick off the summer market season of 2012!!

Juice Caboose will be getting juicy at the Kits Market on mostly rotating Sunday's this summer.  The Kits Market hours are from 10 am to 2 pm on Sunday's at Larch and 10th in the Kitsilano Community Centre parking lot.  Always look for us next to the children's water park.  To confirm where we will be each day check back with our Schedule link on the blogsite or Like us on Facebook for the current list of events and markets that are booked for the season.

**Our schedule may change throughout the season so please always check back for updates**


Super excited to kick off the season this Sunday.  Hope to be juicing for you at a market somewhere near you!

XO
Juicy Suzy

rose water & mango

One thing I'm really loving lately is rose water.  My son and I discovered rose water in our smoothies a while back at Buddha-Full in North Vancouver, and C especially liked it.  We had some rose water in the house but he quickly drank it up.  I was inspired to get some again recently with all the talk of flowers, spring and mothers day and I've been mixing it into various concoctions.  My favourites are whipped topping with rose water and berries and the smoothie above, a Vegan Rose Water Lassi.  This one is sooo delicious!  I just had to share, maybe some special moms might get one on their special day this Sunday!

Vegan Rose Water Lassi

::  1 mango

::  1 T hemp seeds

::  1 cup water

::  3-4 large ice cubes

::  2 T of agave

::  2 t of Rose Water

::  1/4 t of ground cardamom - MOM!

::  pinch of cinnomon

::  rose petals for garnish (felt rose found here)

Pour all ingredients into a blender pitcher and blend until smooth.  Serves 2.  ENJOY!

Interested in the healing benefits of roses?  Roses and variations of roses be it, in tea, rose water, on skin etc. are pretty incredibly nutritional and healing.  I was surprised to see how much roses can heal and wondered why we don't use them more often.  Check it out here.

Juicy Suzy

cinco de mayo :: raw vegan horchata

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  Interested in celebrating today with a delicious, tasty and dare I say healthy option!  Check out Annemarie and Kevin from The Renegade Health Show's take on a raw vegan version of the creamy sweet Horchata drink.  Click here to check it out!  It's so yum.  Of course, prepping it is a little time consuming like a lot of raw vegan recipes but then how often does Cinco de Mayo happen.  That's a rhetorical question!

Today we'll be celebrating with a few virgin cocktails and some Fresh Tomatillo Salsa.  I first tried tomatillo's last summer, fresh from the farmer at the Kitsilano Farmer's Market.  What a delight!  Just on it's own, so beautiful, wrapped in it's little paper husk.  Tomatillo's are a real treat.

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Another great and original salsa recipe that I discovered recently was by Emma at the Food Coma Blog.  She dabbles here and there into vegan and gluten free recipes but mostly her passion for food and experimenting with recipes is inspiring to me.  I love to frequent that space.  Here is her delicious Strawberry Salsa recipe that she posted recently if you are looking for a little something different!  Strawberry and cilantro together = YUM!  Gives me an idea for a new smoothie recipe....  

Hope you have a festive day.

Juicy Suzy

artichoke

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Artichokes weren't something that I had tried up until a few years ago.  They are something that I'm still learning about.  My absolute favourite thing about artichokes are the ones still on their stems.  I just want to have a bunch mixed with flowers on my table.  They are so beautiful!

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What parts of the artichoke are edible?

The stem, the heart and the leaves.  The choke, or the 'furry' part in the middle is inedible.  Here is a great breakdown on Simply Recipes on how to prep, cook and eat an artichoke.  Click here.  The pictures are perfect for distinguishing the 'furry' part that is inedible. 

What is the growing season for artichokes?

Peak harvest is spring with another peak period in mid-autumn.  They are still also available in the summer.  Certain artichokes will produce a limited harvest after the first growing season however most will need to have the flowerhead removed after the first season in order to produce a head in the second season.  One artichoke can produce up to 12 edible heads.  Click here for the basics of growing artichokes. 

The classic green globe variety is the type of artichoke that is commonly available in North America.  These are typically grown in California.  Artichokes originated in Southern Europe with its origin unknown.  The name artichoke comes from an Arabic term that means 'ground thorny'.  

What are methods for cooking artichokes?

Artichokes can be steamed or boiled.  In case you are wondering though, not only can artichokes be eaten raw, they have even been juiced!  I have yet to try, but I imagine they would blend well with some sweet fruits.  

Great uses for the artichoke heart are salads, dips and soups.  

What is the nutritional content of an artichoke?

One medium artichoke is an excellent source of fiber, Vitamin C and K.  It is  also a good source of folate, magnesium, potassium, copper and manganese.  Artichokes are a natural source of antioxidants.  Also found in artichokes are Niacin, B6, Iron and Phosphorus.  

Anyone have a favourite uses for artichokes?

Please share!

Juicy Suzy