S.C. 1.7-2.3: Clean Cocktails, Quinoa Comfort Bowl, and...PARSNIPS!

Spring Cleaning Week 1: Stats in Review

1.  Yep, I succumbed to a distraction. One.  I don't regret it, I did it mindfully, and it didn't break me (as it did last time).  Technically -- a failure to some; physically, mentally, emotionally -- a success for me!

2. I lost 2.2 pounds.

3. I have been on my mat for 11 days straight.

[Days 1.7-2.2: I completed the "Reclined Warm-up" and "Relax" practices on the 101 Yoga app. Yesterday, I enjoyed a "Relaxation" podcast by frequent YJ contributor Jason Crandell.  I think I liked this even more than using the challenge series because I didn't feel compelled to look at the screen, which enabled me to focus more intently on my practice.  I'm anxious to try more of these podcasts which are available on the Yoga Journal website.

4. I came home with a loaf of my Grandma's homemade bread, and I put it right in the freezer.  It was warmed by the sun when I returned home.  I did not eat it. M.I.R.A.C.L.E.

5. I feel fantastic and inspired.

If you've cleansed any level or even one item, have tried any of the recipes, or have completed one of the yoga practices, I'd love to hear from you about your experience!
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Cleanse cuts of go-to pantry items have also prompted more mindfulness about dining diversity.  I feel a bit like I'm walking in my friend Em's shoes, as she (by choice) consumes a plant-based diet and (by necessity) abstains from gluten and soy.  I also have my "Revisionist" hat on for savory dishes (instead of the usual sweets...poor, neglected treat blog).  Instead of some of Carla's delicious rolls of same flavor, I've made polenta cakes.  On the "alcohol doesn't deserve a fancy glass, you do!" train, I've started to clean up some of favorite cocktails.  After a long trek home and a hard day's work at the farm, I added a few new twists to the Quinoa Comfort Bowl, and soon, I'll return to my roots (ba dum ching!)...because they are enjoying the hopefully ephemeral refrigeration of my front porch.

Caramelized Onion and Roasted Garlic Polenta 
with Spiced Aduki Beans and Brussels

I'm not sure we did the dish justice with this picture, but it will give you an idea of the set-up.  I made my Maple Brussels which add color along with some diced tomato.  Only three?  Not to worry, I ate way more brussels than pictured here, but as you may recall, Grandma can only have a few of this type of vegetable.  Here's what we did for the main course:

3 small onions
--> (thinly sliced and caramelized, i.e. heat a pan to medium with
      oil to coat; tan onions for about 30 min. (standard caramelizing instructions))

1 small head garlic, roasted
 -->(400 degrees for about 40 min.; remove papery outside as much
      as possible, cut top off to just reveal cloves (usually the middle cloves,
      but not surrounding), rub with a bit of olive oil (top and bulb itself), wrap
      in foil, roast (standard directions))

1 c. cornmeal (mine was finely ground...I would use a medium grind next time for better polenta texture)

Follow directions for cornmeal; stir garlic and onions in during final minutes of prep.  (We actually started broth/water with onions and garlic which made it difficult to discern water/time needed for polenta, thus ours was a bit wet.  I think the approach noted here will work better.)

Let polenta set for recommended time.

NOTE:  I would do this part of the polenta prep either in the morning on the day you plan to serve the meal or, preferably, the day before.  Here's why: the onions and garlic, though they can be done at the same time, take a bit of time (and hour or so from cutting to completion), and the polenta takes about 15-20 min. to cook; then, the polenta has to cool and set firmly.  Much of the time is inactive, but still, this part takes about an 1.5 hrs. of prep plus additional setting time which exceeds that needed to make the remainder of the dish.

Spiced Aduki Beans

1 15.5 oz. can aduki beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 t. each of cayenne and ground coriander
1/8 t. cinnamon

(adjust spice level to your taste)

In a small pot over med.-low heat, combine all ingredients.  Mash some of the beans ( about a quarter of the batch) and stir with other beans.  You want the mix to stick together but be mainly whole beans (Aduki work well for this type of need, because they are fairly soft to begin with -- much more so than black beans.)  Heat mix through.

To serve:

1. Remove polenta from the fridge and cut into in 2" x 2" squares and then brown as directed on the stovetop (you can also use a broiler/bake method, but I like the pan crisp on these).
2. Topped browned polenta with 1/4-1/3 c. bean mix, some guacamole (I used doctored store-bought this time), and some fresh diced tomatoes.  Enjoy!

Mixed reviews:  Grandma and I thoroughly enjoyed this dish.  It then had a reprise at home with Matthew who wanted a bit more of "something."  He didn't have diced tomatoes...and I think that may have been the issue.  Although it seems like a small component, there were diced tomatoes in my doctored guac and sprinkled on dish; the acid boosts the flavor of beans and helps bring the dish together.


Clean Cocktails
Here are some great cocktails to gently start up that metabolism before dinner and celebrate the achievements of your day!

 

"Clean" Lemon Drop Martini

Grandma, eager to try her
"Clean" Lemon Drop Martini

"The Cleaner" Cocktail
Read this post by Vegan Epicurean
in which she explains the various health benefits of grapefruit

Lemon Drop:
agave
lemon zest (preferably from organic lemon)

Per glass
1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 T. lemon lime seltzer ( I like Adirondack)

One large lemon makes about 4 cocktails.

1. Microplane the entire lemon of zest, and then juice lemon.
2. Prepare glasses by squeezing some agave onto your finger and syruping the top edge of the glass about 1/2" around the top.  Squeeze more agave onto your finger as needed to complete glass. Press glass into accumulated zest to coat rim.
3. Carefully pour lemon juice into the glass and top with seltzer; add one ice cube to the center of the glass and serve.

"The Cleaner"
One grapefruit equals 4 drinks.

2 T. freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (preferably from organic pink/red grapefruit)
Seltzer
4 grapefruit pieces (use grapefruit spoon to take 2 sections from each half of the grapefruit).

1.  Rinse grapefruit; cut it in half and remove sections as directed.  Then, juice halves.
2.  Put one section in the bottom of each martini glass.  Then, add grapefruit juice and seltzer to about 1/2-1" below the top of the glass.  Enjoy!

Don't forget to toast yourself or your friends!

Quinoa Comfort Bowl
When I got home from my day at the farm on Wednesday, all I wanted was healthy comfort.  I didn't want much fuss and really just wanted a cleanse-friendly yumminess to appear before me.  No such luck -- however, the quinoa did call to me when I opened the fridge to try to figure out a plan.  The hub was gone at a work event, but I missed him so I switched up this dish to include one of his favorites -- the pistachio.

I never really liked pistachios prior to vacationing with the hub's family.  Spumoni? Ew.  Pink pods? No thank you.  However, the sweetness of roasted, unsalted pistachios has moved them up the nutty ladder for me.  I didn't add many here, so if you really like them, you might want to double or triple the amount that I've included (the hub didn't even know they were in there), but just remember, nuts have good, but plentiful, fat.

1 c. quinoa, cooked according to package directions in vegetable broth (use broth for water req.)
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 head of broccoli,  cleaned, thinly sliced, and chopped (about 1" thins)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced and diced
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 shelled pistachios, finely chopped
1/2 c. dried cranberries, finely chopped
1.5 T. white balsamic
garlic oil/ olive oil/water
salt and pepper


1. Prepared sweet potatoes like homefries (diced potatoes combined with 1 T. roasted garlic oil, rosemary, salt, pepper 400 degrees, cooked 40 min. shuffling around at mid-point). Prepare quinoa and set aside.  Do these steps first; prep vegetables during inactive wait time.

2. Add 1 T. olive oil to coat large saute pan and heat over med. heat.  Add onion; saute for 5 min. until they are softening.  Add garlic and broccoli; saute for another 5 min.  Add water as needed to keep veg. from sticking/burning (I used about 1/4 c. through the duration of this portion of the recipe).

3. Add cranberries and white balsamic.  Stir to combine, cook for a min.  Then add prepared sweet potatoes, pistachios, and quinoa (add by the spoonful -- mix should look fairly balanced between all ingredients).  Make sure all components are heated through (additional time here will depend on timing/holding approach to quinoa and sweet potatoes.  Mine stayed fairly warm, so I only needed about 3 min. to complete cooking).

4. Salt and pepper to taste -- some extra pepper is nice in this dish.  Serve and enjoy!

I've posted a variation of this dish before (I think); there is no overwhelming flavor and that is the beauty of the bowl.  The flavors all complement each other but also maintain their individual taste.  It is all I can do not to eat all of this myself.

Serves 4-6

I've been listening to an "All Songs Considered" broadcast of "The Best of the 90s."  I don't want it to end.  It is hilarious.  Anyway, it has apparently, if unconsciously, evoked other childhood memories...including commercials.

This is a (HUGE) parsnip...

This is my (behatted and enclosed) brain...

This my brain...

                                                                 next to an incredibly HUGE parsnip!

Any questions?

Despite the insanity of this New England winter, parsnips survived and thrived through it all.  What shall I do with my freshly unearthed and inaugural treasure from the farm?

S.C. 1.4-6: A Post from "The Post"

I know you've all been in suspense, as you waited to hear whether or not the HONK continued.  Thankfully, I report to you that the exorcism seems to have worked -- my hub, the car exorcist.  Who knew that I would one day count this skill as one of the many reasons that he is stellar!  It's a good thing he worked his magic, since many travels were planned, both locally and out-of-state.  

I haven't been to yoga class since Thursday, but I find that I am developing a better groove in terms of home practice.  Friday, I did the Standing Warm Up Practice on my "101 Yoga Poses" iPhone app.  I have enjoyed this app for quite some time; 1) it can be downloaded for free or for $.99 to avoid the ads 2) It has a nice variety of practices already set up, as well as a timer that notifies you when to flow into the next pose and 3) it is very useful for travel and completing a guided yoga session wherever!  I also recently downloaded "YOGA free"; this app has more poses, but no set practices.  However, I am excited to try crafting my own asana series and setting it to my own music.  The Fri. session was a lovely stretching opportunity to prepare me for 6 wonderful hours at the farm.  Between Thurs. and Fri., my arms feel the burn for sure!  Yesterday, I ended my day with the "Relax" practice on the 101 app; I haven't tried practice at this time before, as I generally enjoy the energizing element of morning yoga.  I found that it soothed some soreness and peacefully closed a day filled with an enjoyable driving experience and the happiness of being with Grandma.  This morning, I plan to redefine hot yoga, i.e. yoga by the fire.  With the beginning of the forecasted 8-12" of snow, what a wonderful way to enjoy and invigorate myself this morning!

In terms of cleanse eats: Friday -- I enjoyed round 2 of the Magical Fruit Bowl and Mom G's Salad.  Quick note on the latter: the servings will depend on the size of your cabbage head; mine was pretty tiny, so we only got three main dish servings out of it.   Yesterday, I snacked on rice cakes with nut butter and fruits/veg. as I drove west; then, at Grandma's request, we had the mushroom burgers with sundried tomato spread and a salad for dinner.  Delicious.  

Grandma -- with our eats and a "distraction" --
Running Brook Vineyard's White Pinot Noir
(a local (to me), limited release wine)

Tonight, we are going to have a brown rice pasta smorgasbord.  I was curious to try both the tomato spread and the spinach artichoke dip as pasta dressing, so we will taste those, as well as Grandma's homemade pesto and another big green salad with Grandma's homemade raspberry vinaigrette.  To start our day, Grandma awoke to my sweet potato homefries in the oven; I enjoyed these over steamed swiss chard while Grandma had them straight up with a touch of ketchup.  Grandma can't have chard (among other things) because it interferes with one of her medication, and this inability perpetually irks me -- a food doesn't get much better for one's health than greens!  I understand that there is something about the Vitamin K that is an issue with the med, but given what the med. is supposed to be addressing, one might say that more greens would actually help remedy the issue!  We discussed this conundrum last night, but the only remedy is apparently upping the med. which doesn't sound like a great solution.  Sigh.  Back to happier things like what we CAN enjoy together: the barley soup is on the menu for lunch (same recipe that I posted the other week, as my aunt sent it to everyone, and of course, we all made it immediately and love it!).  Then, I predict that there will be much reading and merriment by the fire, as we "let it snow, let it snow, let it snow."  Grandma's daffodils better prepare themselves.

Feeling great in terms of the cleanse...though I admit I haven't been perfect.  However, I think back to Camille Kingsolver's words about distraction awareness.  I chose my two distractions yesterday and in doing so, I actually feel that this cleanse is more successful than last time, because I have learned through those mindful distractions.  Thus, as I continue with the cleanse and with the process of establishing a cleaner diet post-cleanse, I have a better sense of how this lifestyle might work for me.  Keeping a food and exercise diary on my phone via the "Lose it" app (free and can be linked from phone and web) has also been helping with this process.  I've used this app before but inconsistently.  Although it is in no way the perfect nutritional/calorie burning measure, it provides a good sense of one's intake and output and one's calorie spread.  As the title makes clear, the intent of these entries is to facilitate weightloss, but it is also an easily accessible tool for keeping track of consumption/exercise that has worked much better for me than web-only based tools.  

I leave you with promises of spring on this snowy day -- both were taken at the farm.

 

S.C. 1.3: Mom G's Chinese Cabbage Salad "The Remix" and The "Magical Fruit" Bowl

Today started like this...and when I say started, I  mean literally at 12 a.m.:
HONK HONK HONK
(pause)
HONK HONK HONK
(pause)
HONK HONK HONK.

It continued like this:
choice words,
standing in the driveway,
more choice words,
back to sleep.

Today started again like this...at 3:45 a.m.:
HONK HONK HONK (quick end with remote in hand, sleeping with remote in hand)
HONK HONK HONK (repeat)
HONK HONK HONK (repeat)
Resigned choice words,
standing in the driveway again,
unhooking things and hoping for the best,
back to bed, remote in hand.

Today started again -- permanently -- at 6:30 a.m.

When you feel like your first call should be to a car exorcist, it is reasonable to think that today might be one of those days.

Thankfully...the day vastly improved.  The "hey let's unplug this" approach seemed to work, which is good because the car couldn't be seen today.  Perhaps, it can go in for a check-up next week.  Due to a lack of sleep, illness, and the car situation, the hub was actually home today; it was nice to see him, since I feel like I haven't really seen him with the hectic nature of this week.  He kindly drove me to yoga, just in case possession might resume (what kind of zen could be achieved when one is constantly worrying about HONK HONK HONK?), and took care of other car-related activities.

Yoga was wonderful as always and hard.  Let's just say that when you open with push-up like activity in slow-mo, you expect to be challenged.  Lots of sweat, but also achievement.  Here's one comment from my teacher that really struck me, as I thought about wanting to encourage people to do yoga: "Yoga is about quieting the thinking mind."  Though asanas (the physical postures) function as vehicles for yoga, it seems it is possible to do yoga without the postures and in any time and place.  Another teacher of mine always leaves us with a challenge that is "between us and universe."  In that spirit, I offer you a similar challenge (no reports...just between you and the universe): Make some time over the weekend for quieting the thinking mind, even if you quiet it for only 5 min.  It always amazes me what 5, 10, 15 minutes of this kind of quiet can do!

After yoga, I walked and played with puppies, ahem...I mean worked.  I feel especially lucky to have this job on gorgeously sunny, if crisp, days.  Then, I had tea with some friends in the neighborhood, caught up with a dear friend, made two meals, enjoyed some favorite shows with the hub, and am settled in to post to you with my usual cup of tea.

As long as HONK doesn't wake the neighborhood before 11:59, day 3 ended much better than it began!

Fri. lunch...and beyond: Mom G's Chinese Cabbage Salad "The Remix"
This is one of the first meals that I ever ate with the hub's family; aside from being delicious, it evokes happy times.  Even though I eat differently now than I did then, I love to keep family food traditions alive.  Here's my veganized, reduced fat, and cleanse-friendly version of this favorite:

Serves: 4-6

1 small head of green cabbage, cored and chopped
1/2 c. cashews, chopped
1 T. sesame seeds
1/4 of a yellow onion, thinly sliced into pieces no bigger than an inch in length
1 pkg. vegan ramen (I used Koyo Garlic Pepper Ramen), noodles smashed (careful -- bag often bursts on me!) and spice packet reserved

Mix all of the above ingredients together in a bowl.  Then, make the dressing.

Dressing:
2 T. agave
1/3 c. brown rice vinegar
1/2 t. dried tarragon
2 T. sesame oil
1/2 t. black pepper
2 T. soy sauce (or similar product, I used Bragg's Liquid Aminos)
1/2 spice packet

Mix dressing, pour over salad, and stir to combine.  Put in refrigerator for several hours, preferably overnight, and serve.

Certainly, this is not the most colorful dish, but the addition of some shredded carrots, red onion, or black sesame seeds would be easy options for a bit of pop.



Thurs./Fri. dinner: The "Magical Fruit" Bowl
As I was packing up the leftovers of this dish, I wondered if I could actually call this a bowl of magical fruit, because there was only one item in the bowl actually fit the nickname -- the black beans.  Then, I started thinking, which resulted in googling, which resulted in mental cheering at the title and my nerdtasticness.  Tomatoes -- fruit.  Corn kernels -- fruit (debated, but arguably true).  Chipotle chiles -- fruit.  Olives -- fruit.  Who knew?  And therefore...for the fond, but cautionary nickname and the  real, almost magical benefits of these various fruits, I present you with...the "Magical Fruit" Bowl.

Serves: 4

1 T. olive oil
1 small onion, diced (I used 3/4 of the onion left over from the previous recipe)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. chipotle chili powder *
1 15.5 oz. can no salt, diced tomatoes (DO NOT drain)
1 15.5 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 c. frozen corn kernels
2 c. cooked brown rice (yes, from yesterday -- always good to plan for multiple use!)
1 T. tomato paste
2 t. cilantro
Salt and pepper

*Tonight, I used 1 t. which I palm-measured;  we were a bit overwhelmed.  If you like heat, you may opt for the 1 t..   Otherwise, use the amount noted here (you will get a less four-alarm inducing smoky heat), then allow people to add heat as needed.

1. Heat oil to med./med. high heat in large frying pan.  Once hot, add garlic and onion; saute for 3 min.
2. Then, add chipotle
3. Add beans and corn; saute for 3 min.
4. Add rice to warm it and add tomato paste.  Stir to combine.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in cilantro and remove from heat.

The hub added some black olives to his bowl.  I made the Cashew Crema from Terry Hope Romero's Viva La Vegan and thawed the remainder of the pea/avocado guacamole discussed in a previous post; both added a lovely cooling contrast to the heat.

S.C.: Week 1 BEGINS!

Rejuvenation encompassed me today.  Despite beginning the day more tired than I would have liked and with an earlier start than usual, the hub and I did have more time than is normal in the morning.  Then, I got to enjoy some quality time with one of my favorite almost three year olds, G.  How can your morning not be brightened by wiki-stick fishing, puzzles, and bowling?  The day continued with some additional "work" in the afternoon, though I feel a bit guilty designating play with other people's puppies in the same category as other employment.  On the way to "work," this month's Yoga Journal was miraculously on the shelf (a sign!) at the library, when I went to return my books on time (another miracle!).   And all day...the sun was shining! I returned home to my own pups longing for a snuggle and a nap; they were (of course) ready to play.  Thankfully, they tired themselves out with some snow/slush/mud time in the backyard and thus allowed time for an hour of yoga and meditation, while they had a post-romp nap.  I did the "30-Minute Tension Release Side Bends with Jason Crandell" (thank you, D.H. Lawrence compilation, for serving as my block) and the "Yoga Breathing" awareness exercise as posted on the same page. ( I know, I know -- I'm not doing the exercises in order, but this time, my goal is to establish daily practice; I'll just be using the challenge practices as the need arises.)  Prior to prepping veggies for roasting and chatting with my mom, I even got to read a bit of the latest YJ and catch up with my friend, Helen.  What an energizing day on many levels -- perfect for the cleanse kick-off!

And now...the food.

Today, you only get pictures, and tomorrow I will load you up with the first three entree recipes from this week.  Forgive me, dear readers and fellow cleansers -- I'll try to be more timely with the recipes from here on out, but most recipe posting will occur (by necessity) after I make the dish.

Tempeh Thai Basil Wraps
(Inspired by our recent trip to Thai Elephant in NYC)

Roasted Veggies (inspired by the  "Scarlet Roasted Vegetables"
in Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet)

Spaghetti Squash Cake with Tomato and Roasted Veggie Sauce

 Bonus: My first dehydrator effort -- a success!

Raw Bars (Almond, Apple, Date and Hemp) from Jae Steele's Ripe from Around Here

Final thoughts:

Even though I did have peanut butter on my rice cake this morning (the horror, the horror), today feels good.  As yoga teacher Camille Kingsolver (yep, Barbara Kingsolver's daughter!) states in her March 2011 YJ article on local food consumption, "Choosing food is like practicing yoga.  Awareness is the key. ... As long as I'm aware of the choices I'm making, or the distractions I'm succumbing to, I know that I haven't lost my path." How relevant to the process we've begun today and what a thoughtful sentiment to carry with us.

Spring Cleaning -- Let's Get Physical...Mental and Spiritual!

Most yoga classes, texts, and websites laud the detoxifying properties of many yoga poses.  Whether I'm doing a dietary cleanse or not, my body has repeatedly felt these properties due to both the heat and the movements themselves.  Though there was a time I may have skeptically chuckled a bit at the idea of heightened awareness through yoga, I truly know that this feeling does happen through one's practice, particularly with more consistent practice.

I have done yoga formally in classes and less formally at home for about ten years.  Sometimes, my mat has disappeared into my closet behind suitcases and shoes; sometimes, it has been a lovely green, blue, and yellow oasis in the corner of a room.  However, it has never, until recently, been a place that I eagerly sought out and wanted to visit with increasing frequency.  I continue to strive to make time with the mat, and thus myself, a daily occurrence; therefore, this time in which I've decided to clean out the body by cleaning up my diet seems like the perfect time to renew my efforts at daily practice, as this commitment will facilitate both bodily and spiritual cleansing. 

Today's class was a great preface to the March 1 Spring Cleaning Kick-Off for several reasons.

1) The usual joy of a challenging workout and an instructor who always inspires the whole practitioner

2) Yogitoes skidless mat towel -- I've seen these used repeatedly by class frequenters at the studio I attend, but I kept thinking -- "what the heck, a towel is a towel, right? No way will I pay that price for one!"  Feeling more and more like I couldn't focus on my practice for fear of slipping and injuring myself, I finally purchased one of these towels from Amazon, as they were on sale (YAY!) and reading many, many reviews validated their cost.  I cannot believe the difference in my practice today.

3) Since my knowledge of poses and expectations of those poses has increased, I've started to tense up, when poses are called that I'm not quite able to achieve.  Obviously, this is completely counterproductive in so many ways to my practice in general and my ability to complete the poses.  My recent and continuous intention for class has been to just let things happen (hard for me, as many of you well know).  Today, I legitimately got a bit teary-eyed because finally...finally...finally, I was able to do Vasisthasana (one-armed side plank) on both the right and the left sides without knee modification.  Holding plank pose is hard; holding side plank is...really hard.  I continue to be amazed by practitioners who look so at peace while in this position or who are able to then extend the top leg into the air.  I just keep reminding myself that every day is different, every person is different, and hey...don't forget to breathe!

The hope and openness from practice facilitated a thoughtful and productive day including quite a bit of menu prep for this week.  I'll report on today's culinary activities tomorrow -- for now, I need to rest up for a busy Tuesday and the beginning of the revitalization process.

Spring Cleaning Week 1: Gearing Up with Groceries!

I love grocery shopping.  Love.  It.   However, I particularly enjoyed this week's trip because 1) we eliminated all but a very few processed foods (soy milk, brown rice pasta) in preparation for the cleanse, and 2) I surprised the hub by coming in under the weekly budget with even more produce than usual.  WOOHOO!

I planned and purchased with these eliminations from the cleanse list in mind (see last post for cleanse guidelines and further details):

* All Level 1 eliminations: processed sugar, alcohol, yeasted products, white flour products

* Level 2 eliminations: White potatoes, white rice, peanuts, strawberries,  fruit juice, jams (animal products, of course!)

* Reduced processed soy products ( I will have soy milk and tempeh this week (mostly because I have them to use up))

*Reduced wheat/gluten (as in...only one dish and only because I just now realized that the ramen has wheat/gluten in it --argh!  See -- before I even begin, I have a good reminder to be gentle with myself in this process.)

Thus, I plan to operate at Cleanse Level 2 this week, as I am not eliminating all items from the second section in the guidelines.  To help you with your planning, I've included grocery item needs to the best of my knowledge and ability at this time.

Cleanse Purchase Overview:
(As always, buy what works for your needs and budget.)

2 heads of baby bok choy
1 bunch red Swiss Chard
1 pkg. celery hearts
1 spaghetti squash
1 fennel bulb
1 orange beet
2 broccoli heads
3 parsnips
2 Portabello mushrooms
1 head Boston lettuce
1 head green cabbage
2 sweet potatoes
bananas
apples
pears
romaine lettuce (two 3 pks.)
red/yellow onions
garlic
1 can black beans
1 bag unsalted brown rice cakes
1 vegan garlic pepper ramen
almond butter
tea/coffee/seltzer

Anticipated Items of Use from Pantry/Refrigerator/Freezer :
soy milk
bouillon
lentils
Canned tomatoes
Frozen homemade tomato sauce
garlic
shallots (4)
herbs
tomato paste
agave-sweetened ketchup
olive oil, tamari, rice/red wine/balsamic vinegar
stone-ground mustard
maple syrup
agave
dates
hemp seeds
almonds
white bean dip
brown rice
frozen fruit
mushrooms
kale
carrots
frozen corn
bean sprouts
tempeh
Frozen leftover pea and avocado guac

Menu Plan (beginning Sun. 2/27- Fri. 3/4)

Breakfasts: 
alternate between fruit/veg. smoothies, rice cakes with almond butter and fruit side, sweet potatoes and greens, and Steele's Raw Bars (my first dehydrator experiment -- finally!)

Lunch/Dinner Dishes:
*TONIGHT* Lentil Soup over Greens:
How nice that someone already posted Deborah Madison's recipe for the Lentil Soup from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone!  Yes, I think I've actually talked about this recipe before, but it is a fantastic healthy recipe so...revival, revival, revival -- wooooo!

My notes: I used 2 T. dried parsley, 3 carrots, 3 stalks of celery, 1.5 onions, and 6 c. water + 2 t. bouillon.  I don't do the garlic/salt pre-blend shenanigan.  I just add garlic with veg. and then add salt as needed.  I use my beloved immersion blender for a bit at the end (after removing the bay leaves) to smooth the deliciousness a bit, but it is still chunky!  If you like thinner soup, go with the 8 c. of stock/water+bouillon combination.  I sauteed rinsed kale (with water droplets still clinging) in a one t. oiled pan over med. heat  -- wilt to your liking.  Serve soup over greens.

Spicy Thai Basil Lettuce Wraps (inspired by this weekend's NYC trip)
Spaghetti Squash with Homemade Tomato and Roasted Root Sauce
Bok 'n Broc Stir Fry (clearly I will have to play a little ACDC with this one)
Mom G.'s Cabbage Salad (Veganized!)
The "Magical Fruit" Bowl

Snacks: raw bars, salads, white bean dip with veggies, fruit

Bevs: LOTS of water (Steele suggests starting with warm lemon water each morning), tea -- I got both the White Orchard and the Detox Infusion (Yay for Mighty Leaf sale!) to bring a bit of variety to my chamomile standard, and hazelnut coffee (I've taken the cocktails off of the table, so I'm allowing the minimal morning cup... for now).

Truth be told...with the pre-Oscar spread courtesy of our neighborhood gathering, I'm not quite on the cleanse train yet, but I am ready to go for tomorrow, and hey! -- that still makes me ahead of the game by a day!  Not quite ready?  Don't worry -- Perhaps you can do your grocery shopping tomorrow, and join me on Tuesday!  What about the exact ingredients?  Again, no stress -- buy what works for you this week and/or what adheres to your desired level of the cleanse, and we'll go from there!  I'll post the recipes for the dishes as I make them, and you can make substitutions to the posted recipe as needed, make your own cleanse-friendly dish, or make the recipe another time when cleansing is right for you.

What about yoga?  I'm starting with a hot Power Yoga session tomorrow morning, but you can start with Day 1 of the "21-Day Yoga Journal Challenge" or another yoga program/workout!  Even though I'll be doing my own Day 1, I do plan to complete one of the guided meditation sessions (as posted in conjunction with the Week 1 of the YJ challenge) after my class.

I'm excited about beginning a new month with this revitalizing process; I hope you'll post if you plan to join me in any capacity!

Spring Cleaning for the Body

This past fall, I did a system cleanse for the first time, as part of the "Ripe for Sugar-Relief" group run by Jae Steele.  Steele is a registered holistic nutritionist, blogger of Domestic Affair and writer of two vegan cookbooks, Get It Ripe and Ripe from Around Here.  The former includes a section on cleansing in addition to vegan cooking and lifestyle basics, and the latter offers substantial discussion and guidance about local food; both offer delicious and diverse recipes that mindfully consider other dietary concerns and source availability. I encourage you to click on the embedded links for a more detailed description of her work.


Although my cleansing process was in no way perfect the first time, I quickly and noticeably saw changes in my body and my body's behavior.  As per Steele's suggested timeline and, more importantly, my own need  to do some bodily "housekeeping,"  I'm going to do a two-week cleanse beginning on March 1.  Some people with whom I've discussed this process have had an interest in this more natural way to cleanse the body, as opposed to packaged, artificial materials or the oft-stereotyped cayenne water, semi-starvation approach.  I admit that I have not tried either of these other options, but as always, I think the more natural the effort to heal and help the body, the better.  Certainly, I am no medical expert and am not posting this information here as medical advice; I simply thought I'd share with you (with Ms. Steele's permission) the dietary guidelines she posted for our group effort.  The basic idea is to consume a plant-based, whole food diet with no/low sugar to help one's body clean itself up.

Ripe for Sugar-Relief Guidelines (as posted by Steele)
"I propose a 2 category system. EVERYONE will get rid of:
* Sugar (including white sugar, brown sugar, glucose-fructose, corn syrup, etc.)
* All alcohol (wine, beer, liquor, whatev)
* Any yeasted products (breads, etc)
* All white flour products

If this is where you're comfortable, you're a *1*.
If you want to go deeper, you'll get rid of as many of the following as you can:

* "Whole" sugars : molasses, barley malt, rice syrup, agave, maple syrup, honey
* White potatoes, white rice
* Peanuts, strawberries
* cow/dairy [really, no animal products of any kind -- most in the group were already vegan/vegetarian, so this really went without saying for us]
* Soymilk, tofu, processed soy products (faux meats, etc)
* Dried fruit (dates, raisins, apricots, etc)
* Wheat
* All gluten (incl. spelt, kamut, rye, etc)
* Corn, cornmeal
* Coffee, black tea
* Fruit juice, jams

This makes you a *2*. 
However, if you cut ALL of the above items, you're a *3*."


This time around, I aim to be a consistent "2" for two weeks and redo Yoga Journal's "21-Day Yoga Challenge" to help with the cleansing (and just because consistent practice, like a conscientious diet, has done wonders for my overall sense of well-being).  My plan is to post daily about my yoga/cleanse progress in addition to the usual recipe posting. I hope that during this process, you might be encouraged to give either one or both of these activities a try -- even 1-2 days a week can make an impact!  If you want to join me for the full period, I would certainly enjoy the company.

As always, please feel free to forward the blog to anyone you think might be interested in its regularly scheduled programming or health special a la March Madness (elimination...elimination?  It works, right?).  Stay tuned for "Week 1: Gearing up with Groceries!"