Drink up!

I have a lot of strange quirks, but I've been told there's one that takes the cake. And it's definitely not carrot cake.

I don't eat any fruits or vegetables. Never have, and at age 35, it's probably safe to assume that I never will.

Each time this comes up in a conversation, people always ask a predictable round of questions. What about strawberries? Don't you at least like oranges? Grapes? How about green beans?

Nope, not a one.

When I was little, my mother took me to the doctor to ask how to resolve this problem. Not to worry; just keep putting the fruits and veggies on her plate and eventually she'll eat them, the doctor said.

Mom said not so long ago that she'd like to find that doctor now and ask him just when she should expect this ability to kick in.

For most of my life, this has bothered my parents a lot more than it has me. But I've paid it a little more mind in recent years and have been intent on finding a solution. After all, cancer probably isn't the most enjoyable way to go. So several months ago after watching an extra-persuasive infomercial, I bought a juicer.

Every morning, I juice up a mixture that's not too pretty but is probably a better option than my old standby of coffee and Chips Ahoy. This drink is definitely an acquired taste; it's made up of spinach, cucumber, celery, parsley, ginger root, apple and lemon. And it looks like...sludge? seaweed? pond scum? I don't know. You be the judge.

Lisa's green drink

Some have asked how I can stand to drink the stuff if I won't eat the ingredients in it. Beats me. I think it's more of a texture issue than anything else.

My juicer is really neat. It shoots the fruit and vegetable pulp into a separate compartment while the juice pours out of a spout. At first, I felt wasteful just throwing that pulp in the trash each time I made a drink - a Donaghue characteristic, I think. Eventually, I came up with another use for it: Dog food additive.

Augie and Tilly's dog food

I can't say my dogs are thrilled at the new ingredients I've incorporated into their meals, but their fur definitely looks better since they've been eating it. Sometimes, I mix in some mac & cheese or leftover meat to get them to polish it off. But it still seems like they give me a dirty look before they dig in.

"Man, not this stuff again," Augie says.