An Autumn Love Affair

I am having an affair. I could not resist, and, truthfully, I have let it get out of hand. I really do feel guilty cheating on my boyfriend like this. I have written poems about and drawn pictures of my new love. I am obsessed, infatuated. But, really, I cannot be held entirely accountable. My new object of desire is irresistible – brown skin, smooth curves, sweet taste. I am in love with Bosc pears. Maybe it is the Autumn air. Maybe the golden leaves falling from the trees. I do not know exactly how I fell into this situation.

Then again, I am not exactly sure how I had not discovered pears before? This is the first year I have actually tried pears. Love at first bite. So guess how excited I was when I learned Magic Potion was getting Bosc pears in! Oh geez, you must be excited, too. Bosc pears have a natural sweetness and characteristic taste. Try a juice of pear, apple, and ginger…..oh, my mouth is watering!  

Hot Apple Cider is Almost Here!

I went apple-picking recently, which got me wondering about all the varieties of apples available. Here at Magic Potion Juice Bar we usually use ‘Gala’ for our juices and smoothies. ‘Gala’ has been around for a while now, having been introduced in 1960.

A lot of varieties have been developed from crosses of older varieties. Producers and breeders select from among the offspring for traits like taste, firmness, and storage ability. ‘Gala,’ for instance, was selected from a cross of ‘Kidd’s Orange’ and ‘Golden Delicious.’ ‘Fuji,’ another variety we sometimes use at the juice bar, was selected from a cross between ‘Ralls Janet’ and ‘Red Delicious.’

All this reading must have you thirsty! Come on in for a juice or warm spiced apple cider (beginning Saturday, October 13) and let us know what your favorite apple is!

 

 

Go Bananas!

Going Bananas

Bananas form the backbones of many of our smoothies. The frozen fruit provides a thick, creamy texture and natural sweetness.

Bananas originated in Southeast Asia and are key ingredients in many Southeast Asian dishes. Bananas are also key players in the cuisines of Caribbean and Latin American cultures (I think I could go for some sweet plantains right now).  Bananas grow not on woody trees but on large herbaceous plants. There are numerous varieties of bananas (and plantains, which are closely related), but we mostly see the yellow ‘Cavendish’ banana in the supermarket. ‘Gros Michel’ preceded ‘Cavendish’ as the most popular variety in the continental United States. However, it succumbed to a devastating disease called Panama Disease. Unfortunately for us, ‘Gros Michel’ purportedly tastes better than the ‘Cavendish’ sold today.

When I visited Puerto Rico a few summers ago, I was fortunate enough to visit the USDA’s collection of bananas and plantains. I was amazed by the number of different varieties. There were big plants and small plants and bananas of different colors. There were even little pink bananas! These were only decorative but still pretty darn cool!

With regards to nutrition, the banana is a good source of fiber and potassium. So, go bananas! Cheers to your health and this fantastic fruit!

Fall Favorites

Wednesday morning rain had me worried. The chorus of drops on my windowpane was not exactly the noise I wanted to wake up to. Still, I got myself out of bed (though the blankets were warm and my puppy wanted to snuggle) and made myself somewhat presentable. The sky was gray, and I had little hope.
But, October did not fail me! The gray skies cleared to a brilliant blue, and golden leaves shone in the Autumn sunlight. There was a chill in the air, but it was nt bitterly cold and the wind was calm. Crisp Autumn weather. Perfect. Days like these I crave those fall favorites: homemade apple crisp, pecan pie, pumpkin anything.
Magic Potion Juice Bar has introduced my newest fall favorite. All the best things of the season blended together - literally. Pumpkin pie smoothie. Pumpkin puree, your choice of non-dairy milk (we are a vegan juice bar), a handful of pecans, some maple syrup, and cinnamon. I love pecans and have heard that my dad makes a  MEAN pecan pie. Maple syrup sweetens the deal. Cinnamon makes everything taste amazing. Really, you can't go wrong. Please come in and give our newest smoothie a try. Who knows? It could become your new fall favorite!