because life's not hard enough...

Get this!

2008-07-24T22:40:00.002-04:00

I just discovered a great new salad today: Edamame Salad. It's simple...edamame, red wine vinegar, fresh dill weed, red onion (chopped tiny tiny) and salt and pepper. Delicioso!

so fresh and clean clean

2008-07-21T12:44:00.004-04:00

Sol, SGM: esteemed colleagues and distinguished peers, you fought a good fight. i don't think your cleansing was in vain. you definitely figured out some things about the way you eat, what you're eating, what you need...right?

i cheated this weekend too. i had a glass of wine. brian and i finally had the beach house to ourselves {never happens} we were sitting on the porch, i knew it was soon going to be 'business time' and i had to imbibe.

i'm going to try to hold out for one more week.

i've definitely cheated on the gluten. i don't do well with things i don't understand.

will keep you updated. eat a whole fistfull of cheese for me. please.

Another one bites the dust

2008-07-19T16:05:00.002-04:00

I'm out, ladies. I don't eat much crap, but what I do eat is vital to my existence. It was sushi that broke me--the tuna roll (tuna's not crap, but you know what I mean). And then I bought fresh mozzarella today because of the perfect tomatoes at the farmer's market and the basil in my yard. Good luck to the rest of you; you are stronger than I!

I fell off the wagon

2008-07-18T13:22:00.002-04:00

I lasted one week. Then the cheating became irreverent. Now I'm sorry but:

I'm happily weaned from caffeine and will never go back to drinking coffee again.

I know gluten makes me fat so I will go on avoiding it as much as I can, and gluten free pasta is just fine. Bread, pizza and cake I will keep on avoiding because I want to loose weight!

The dairy, well. I missed my yogurt soooo much that I started having it again, and it caused a little stir in my intestines and it was not very funny. I will still avoid cheese and milk.

And for the alcohol well. I said goodbye to beer. And it's good.

Sorry to disappoint... It was nice (yeah right) while it lasted.

A few comments

2008-07-15T15:20:00.006-04:00

First: I am totally craving something American; pizza, hamburger, something really filling. I understand that this is a little about retraining myself to know what a comfortable full is (wow, that was a weight loss phrase wasn't it?), but i think the common denominator is cheese. I think I need cheese.

Second: I was reading Dooce's LAME excuse for quitting the cleanse when she did it. I know this is old news, and i am a little behind, but all she had was a sinus infection with major withdrawal from caffeine and/or sugar. It isn't like this cleanse is doing anything for you that would make you sick. I don't read Dooce regularly, but I now have not much respect for her. Come on...

Third: I had this for lunch: Quizno's Flatbread salad. However, I didn't want to say "Hi, can I have the black and bleu flatbread salad without meat, bleu cheese, or flatbread?" They would have looked at me like i was crazy. So, I bought it. How is it that normally when you buy these things, there are a few pieces of cheese and beef, but today, the day I was going to pick that stuff off in the privacy of my office back at work, it is LOADED? I swear, there was 1/2 pound of beef on that thing, and more bleu cheese than you could shake a stick at. Crap!

When I took all of the stuff off that I am cleansing, it looked like this, and I paid $8.11 for it!

lentil soup

2008-07-15T14:31:00.004-04:00

2 cups of green lentils (all colors work fine)
6-8 cups of liquid (half veggie broth and half water) (* i have used ALL water and it works fine)
1/4 cup of tamari/soy sauce (wheat free)
onion
carrot
1 can of stewed tomatoes
* can add any other veggies or spices (i like a bay leaf) you think are good

put water and soy sauce in a big soup pot and bring to a low boil
when boiling add lentils and reduce to soup simmer
simmer for about 45 minutes
while its simmering get one onion, one carrot, and one can of tomatos and cook them in a pan with a little oil (you can also just put them in the pot without cooking them first and its just fine!)
add the veggies and cook for 30 more minutes
add more liquid as needed and salt and pepper to taste
its done when the lentils are soft enough to eat

sometimes if i want more of a comfort food i add a dollop of toffuti sour cream!

it's pretty easy, and takes about an hour total to prep. super high in protein and low in calories and fat. filling and easy if you don't have alot of time during the week.

also lentils are good for you. from Nutritional Data:
This food is very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Protein, Iron, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Folate and Manganese.

eff-it moments

2008-07-14T08:49:00.002-04:00

I need a pep talk! I had so many "why I am doing this again?" moments this weekend. The biggest problem for me is not so much the food--because I've really been liking what I'm eating--but the social implications. What I'm eating is different from everyone else. We went out twice this weekend and I had to bring my own food, and I just felt "separate," not to mention fussy/high-maintenance. Food is such a social thing for me, and it's important for me to join the group in eating and say things like "oooooh, these ribs!" Plus, it's just a nice way to end the day with some Dairy Queen. I'm serious.

I'm also not feeling any differently/better. I haven't read Quantum Wellness yet, so I need to run out and get that and really understand everything behind what we're doing. Why haven't I done that already? Well, because I like to complain.

Thank you for letting me complain.

Today's lunch and last night's dinner:

2008-07-12T15:23:00.003-04:00

So, last night we went to a birthday party, and I was a little nervous. However, they served Mexican food, so I could eat just like a normal person and no one noticed I didn't have any meat. There were corn shells, black beans, salsa, guac and lettuce for me. I also picked out some veggies from the steak fajitas and ate those too. The beans were so good, I had a second helping! They had fruit kabobs and brownies for desert, so that was easy too.

Instead of alcohol, I just had bottled water with a lime squeezed into it. It was really hot out yesterday so that was really refreshing anyhow. A friend of mine told me about her fav drink which is club soda, cranberry juice and a lime. I think I will have that as tonight's drink!

Lunch today was smashed avocado with quartered cherry tomatoes from my very own garden. I added a little garlic, yellow onion and lemon juice. That with corn chips was lunch. MMMMMmmmmm good!

It seems that Mexican food is really good for this cleanse. Most authentic stuff is corn, and there are lots of veggies always.

I must say that I feel great, and this is not nearly as hard as I thought it would be. Breaking my caffeine addiction was not awful, and neither is no meat (I was a vegetarian (at least no red meat) for many years). I love knowing what I am putting into my body, and mostly where it has come from.

If anyone else is getting into this, you should read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. It is a wonderful book, and is more like I see myself eating for the rest of my life.

Hope it is ok to eat corn chips...

French Fries = Yes you can... but...

2008-07-11T14:35:00.002-04:00

today jamie asked me if she could eat maple syrup, then french fries. at this point to some of you a big bowl of those together might sound great. but you CAN eat both of these. first i'll tackle the french fries..

basically while you are doing a cleanse you should try to avoid fried food

on this cleanse most of it is cut out because of gluten and sugar (which is in some french fries), also some french fries are cut out because they have beef tallow or lard or whatever in them... like at mcdonalds. but most french fries are totally vegan.. if you re going to get french fries try to avoid DOUBLE fried french fries.. like from some greek and middle eastern places.. you can make them yourself.. buy them at wild oats or whole foods... they have these giant ones that have sea salt and garlic.

If you are needing a potato fix. Try them with mustard instead of ketchup (which normally has sugar and a higher glycemic index). I love stone ground mustard with fries.

Eat with a veggie patty and lots of veggies! (Maybe skip that bun if you are eating french fries which have lots of carbs to have a more balanced meal). You can even make your own! However, remember what a serving is - probably 8-20 fries.

ps. sorry for the evil picture of fries.

day 4, 5 or maybe 3

2008-07-11T10:27:00.005-04:00

how's everyone doing? feeling?

i have to admit- i feel pretty good. i haven't had headaches, or problems sleeping, or really noticed any bad differences. i think eating a low carb diet in the past felt more restrictive and harder to follow than the cleanse.

wait- i take that back. pooping. that's a problem. coffee used to get things moving on the regular every morning. now - not so much. i'm just sort of... waiting.

i think its odd that heather from dooce wanted to die by day 4 and quit. maybe if you are super addicted to caffeine, i could see it.

my main problem is gluten. i've noticed in the book (some of you read i think) that she's not terribly clear on what gluten is - and her recipes in the back contain some types of gluten. i've had a whole wheat english muffin, and some whole wheat pita. i imagine these have some type of gluten in them, but oh well. i'm just not crystal clear on the whole gluten thing.

i like being conscience of what i'm eating -- what the ingredients are, where its from, how its made. i think that's the best part so far.

tell me your thoughts --

are you worried about the weekend? are there things you know you're going to have to do differently than usual - or avoid? going to any parties where you'll have to make decisions about being a weirdo or not?

nutrition data !

2008-07-10T23:33:00.003-04:00

today morgan (a cleanser via cohabitation) found this cool webpage called nutritiondata.com.
learn more than you wanted to about your favorite foods.

I confess

2008-07-10T15:15:00.003-04:00

I cheated.

The thing is...

today The Husband invited his cousin for lunch, and he brought CAKE.

now. wait.

I had my 2 real tortillas with avocado and a little brown rice salad. And grapes.

I never touched or even looked at the cake.

For dinner I made lebanese food, since it's really vegan friendly and because I'm half Lebanese.

So I made hummus, I made tabule with rice instead of burgul, some leftover falafels... and then, I made tzatziki. Or however you spell it.

Yes ladies, I had yogurt.

Please absolve me. I didn't eat the cake.

insomnia anyone?

2008-07-09T19:29:00.001-04:00

sprouts

2008-07-09T16:18:00.003-04:00

eat them.

here's why:
http://www.oprah.com/presents/2005/young/life/life_sprouts.jhtml

here's how:
Add to tossed salads
Use in coleslaw (cabbage, clover, radish)
Try in wraps and roll-ups (alfalfa, sunflower, radish)
Stir-fry with other vegetables (alfalfa, clover, radish, mung bean, lentil)
Blend with vegetable juices (cabbage, mung bean, lentil)
Mix with soft cheeses, tofu, yogurt of kefir for a dip (mung bean, radish)
Stir into soups or stews when serving (mung bean, lentil)
Eat them fresh and uncooked in a sprout salad (salad mixes)
Top omelet or scrambled eggs (alfalfa, clover, radish)
Combine in oat, barley or buckwheat dishes (fenugreek, lentil, mung bean)
Add to sushi (radish, sunflower)
Sauté with onions (mung bean, clover, radish)
Puree with dried peas or beans (mung bean, lentil)
Add to baked beans (lentil)

check it out.

2008-07-09T16:05:00.001-04:00

i had acai juice for lunch. its delicious. not bitter like pom. juice.

http://www.oprah.com/presents/2005/young/life/life_acai.jhtml

Mochi!!!

2008-07-09T11:09:00.000-04:00

If you haven't tried it, you should try MOCHI!
Its a magical product that always makes me happy to cook. You can buy it at Whole Foods in the TOFU section usually. It is a compressed glutenous rice product. The gluten is RICE gluten not WHEAT gluten. All grains have natural proteins, we are cutting out wheat gluten only as this is what many people are allergic to.

Anyway. You slice it up, pop it in the oven for about 10 minutes and they puff up into big malformed puffs of ricey goodness. We dip them in soy sauce and sometimes I bite mine open and stuff them with whatever I am eating. Yum.

For a more lovely explanation check out the brand I buys' site, Grainaissance.

Jessie's Homemade Minestrone Soup

2008-07-09T08:38:00.001-04:00

Not my soup

Ok, Jamie asked me for this recipe yesterday, and I figured I might as well post it here to share with everyone.

Note: pretty much any of the vegetables used can be removed or substituted for another veggie that you prefer... just make sure that you pay attention to when you add them to the pot - that way you can be sure they have enough time to cook.

Also, I made this big huge batch for dinner on the first day, and only when we sat down to eat did I realize how hot it was in our house. Having a great big pot on the stove for nearly an hour does not do much for your air conditioning efforts. Tastes great, though!

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium onion
2 ribs of celery
2 medium carrots
2 tomatoes
1 large potato
2 tablespoons of salt
8 cups of water
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of garbanzo beans
1 zucchini
2 cups of uncooked gluten free noodles
1 cup of frozen corn
1 cup of frozen peas
fresh basil and thyme, to taste
3 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of pepper

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil. Add chopped onion, chopped celery, and sliced carrots. Cook about 10 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are tender, but not browned (they will start to look translucent). Add the diced and peeled tomatoes, the diced and peeled potato, salt and 8 cups of hot water from the tap. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add the two cans of beans (drained and rinsed), the chopped zucchini, the noodles, and the corn and peas. While you're waiting for the zucchini and pasta to become tender (just a few more minutes), add fresh chopped basil and thyme, minced garlic, pepper, and any other seasoning you'd like.

Voila! After my husband and I both ate a bowl, we poured the rest (there was a lot) into individually sized tupperware containers and froze a few and kept a few in the fridge for this week. Once the initial cooking time is over, it makes for a tasty, easy, and portable dish... cleanse friendly!

And the Crowd Roars!

2008-07-09T08:17:00.000-04:00

I successfully made a "normal" dinner for the whole family with ingredients on hand that was really healthy and tasty (husband said it was too dry, and kids complained since it wasn't chicken nuggets) and fits into our cleanse!

Here it is:

Stir-Fry veggies with Rice Noodles

I had rice noodles on hand as I do actually eat those regularly (and I like them way better that regular pasta anyhow)

flash frozen broccoli

frozen peas

sweet corn fresh from my backyard

stir-fry seasoning (the dry kind of just herbs)

left over 1 1/2 chicken breast from BBQ the other night (of course I picked out the Chx)

Yum! I wish I had one of those fake soy-sauces on hand as it was a little dry, but boy was it good. I even had seconds!

My head hurts like a mother

2008-07-08T18:27:00.000-04:00

Sugar withdrawal. Just thought you should know.

What is everyone doing about social engagements? We're going to a friend's for dinner on Saturday and I don't want to appear to be a jerk/snob/someone with food "issues."

Also, this quinoa recipe is super-yummy.

steak tartare (well sort of)

2008-07-08T14:32:00.001-04:00

Here's a delicious vegan recipe I invented back in my chef days.
It's a steak tartare, but made of ox heart tomatoes.

Serves 1.
You'll need:
1 ox heart tomato, ripe and beautiful, chopped
chopped coriander to taste
chopped onion to taste
5 caper fruits, sliced
sliced almonds, toasted
tabasco
olive oil
lime juice
salt

Mix all ingredients, top with 2 dates, sliced and fried. Serve with salad and more caper fruits.

Are thses Things OK?

2008-07-08T13:58:00.000-04:00

So, here in the middle of nowhere where I live, there is no Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, or even a Farmer's Mrket (except from 8-11 on Saturday mornings). I have been reading a lot of food labels, and have a few questions to pose to anyone out there who cares to answer...can we eat these things?:

Original Terra Chips (if they're ok, they're a great munchy snack)

Plain old corn tortilla chips from the grocery store

IZZE Sparkling Soda (has citic acid in it, is that a sugar?)

Balsamic Vinegar

I am all about the fruit this time of the year, and have been trying to buy as much organic product as possible. There is no way I can go to the tore with my kids, though. I have to be by myself with an hour or 2 to linger and read all the labels.

I recommend getting Skinny Bitch and Quantum Wellness both as resources.

hypnotizing the cravings away.

2008-07-08T13:17:00.000-04:00

Here's a little technique to try that'll help you overcome
cravings... the next time you start to think you can't live
a moment longer if you don't guzzle a soft drink or chomp
down some unhealthy food choice, take a deep breath, pause
for a moment, and then relax and slowly exhale. As you
exhale, visualize the craving leaving your body with your
breath. Repeat at least three times.

Then take another deep breath and if you still feel like
eating something, have a healthy snack.

things to stock up on

2008-07-08T13:15:00.000-04:00

its going to be a long 21 days

1. fresh fruits and veggies (try new ones!)
2. soy, rice, nut milks
3. soy sauce (wheat free) and tamari
4. vegeterian stock (if you are going to make soup or use stocks often)
5. Earth Balance (butter substitute)
6. high quality oils to cook with (safflower, olive, flax, coconut- high heat)
7. TOFUTTI SOUR CREAM (I have no idea what is in it but I could eat an entire container.. watch out its got tons of calories and fat).
8. agave nectar, stevia, brown-rice syrup (can be used as a sugar replacer in recipes) NOTE NO splenda or sugar substitutes that are crazy are allowed ont his.. like sweet and low, equal, etc as they are gnarly chemicals
9. nutritional yeast (can make cheesy sauces, help with breading, dressings, and onsoups and tastes good sprinkled on sandwiches or pasta)
10. arrow root, cornstarch, or kudzu - use as a thickener in soups, stews, and sauces
11. canned tomato sauce and jarred pasta sauce (look for added sugar in cheaper brands)
12. the staples - canned beans, rice, quinoa, frozen veggies, fresh ginger/garlic
13. soy mayonnaise - yumum
14. dried and canned beans - kidney, chickpeas, lentils, pintos (redundant but get TONS of these, esp if you like beans- can be used for many things!)
15. silken tofu (i like firm), tempeh, seitan
16. pasta and noodles: italian pasta, rice sticks, buckwheat soba
17. whole grain cereals (check sugar content)
18. canned veggies (roasted red peppers, artichokes, hearts of palm, etc)
19. dried fruit - blueberries, figs, apricots, apples, prunes, etc
20. egg replacer (like Ener-G Egg Replacer)
21. condiments - check yours - for dairy, gluten, sugar, etc- replace your favoriteswith hippy brands
22. convenience foods : vegan veggie burgers, soy hot dogs, burger crumbles, vegan sausage, frozen vegan meals, amys vegan (dairy free) burritos
23. grains : rice,millet, barley, bulgur, couscous, rolled oats, quinoa
24. bread products: whole grain bread, raw or flax crackers, tortillas, pita bread, bagels
25. nutbutters : almond, peanut, tahini, cashey
26. nondairy ice cream, sugarfree(have this at whole foods)
27. nuts and seeds (macadamia, almonds, cashews, walnuts, brazil, pumpkin, sunflower)
28. lemon and limes

jamie eats lunch

2008-07-08T13:11:00.000-04:00

lunch was a success.

faux chicken nuggets
fruit w/ granola
salad with balsamic v. and beets

didn't feel vomitous one bit.

i picked up some pasta from the whole foods salad bar for dinner - its whole wheat w/ lemon, garlic olive oil and tomatoes. looks delicious