Day 9... The Citrus Blend

Today's recipe...

1 large grapefruit peeled and seeded

2 oranges peeled and seeded

1/4th of a pineapple peeled and cored

I shared this one with my oldest and we both chugged it... it was delicious and full of vitamin C

Day 7.... a Savory Juice

Today's juice consisted of the following...

2 carrots

4 tomatoes

2 celery stalks with leaves

1 large bunch of parsley

a bit of onion

This recipe made 2 cups of juice and Dan and I shared it.

Dan seems to be troubled that he can taste the fact that I have not been peeling the carrots even though they are organic and scrubbed thoroughly before use.  Next time I make one for him I will peel the carrots.  For me this was adequate.  I have to say that my sweet tooth prefers the fruit to the veggies but it was not bad.  I would love to find a blend that is more like a V8 juice because I do love V8.  :)

For day 6 I did the same juice as day five except I used grapefruit instead of oranges and it was still good but not as nice as day 5's blend.  

This next week I will be trying my hand at a combination of juicing and blending for some new tastes.

Day 5... BEETS

I do believe this is my favorite one so far!

Today's recipe

2 medium sized organic apples

1 orange peeled and seeded

1/2 an organic beet washed and peeled

Is anyone else juicing?  

Let me know your favorite recipe please and 

I would be delighted to try that and share it here... 

with credit to you of course!  :)

I am also four days out from completing that 21 day Daniel Fast.

Because my protein level was noticeably low I have had two days where I put a lean protein in to kick it back up.  When protein is low you will have several marked symptoms.  My hands and feet began to swell some and I was retaining a lot of water.  I was also feeling that "slumped over tired" fatigue feeling a little. I do not feel I could be a vegan but to be more vegetarian with eggs as an option might work for me more than the vegan diet.

I do love a bit of fish or fowl from time to time, too.  I can definitely tell you that my diet will be much different than it was before I began this journey.  I feel so much better.  My fibromyalgia has been getting better and better with lessened symptoms each week.  I know it is still there but it is so much more manageable on this new way of eating.

I have been tracking calories at SparkPeople.com to make sure I was getting enough each day.  It is hard to keep up calories eating only fruits, veggies and grains.  I am looking forward to that scrambled egg on Sunday morning with the kiddos.  There might be a cuppa hot tea, too.  ;-)

for more experimenting with beets in juice try this page!

Day 4... Juice for three

 Today was about a liquid diet for my girlie.  

She had a huge molar pulled and has not been able 

to eat yet so we went with Boost supplements, 

juices and broths all at room temperature.

Today's recipe was...

2 apples

2 pears

6 carrots

enough for three large juice glasses full.

Day 3... a smoothie

Today's Smoothie is my traditional with an extra pear added.  My standard is a blender full of spinach or kale and two bananas, one apple and 16 ounces of water.  To that I added an extra pear today.  It fills a Nalgene and then lasts me throughout the day when I get a hunger craving or just all at once for breakfast if I wake really hungry.  LOL

 Green goodness...

No dyes, chemicals or preservatives!

Straight up healthy and delicious!!!

Juicing Day 2...

Today's juice recipe...

1 pink grapefruit

1/4 of a pineapple

That is all... simple and delicious!

I am starting more simple to test combinations.

My understanding of juicing is that you are basically safe to use apple and carrot as your base for both fruit and veggie juices.

Here are some links I am considering as I go...

Juicing Tips

Juicing 101 Getting Started

Juicing for Beginners

30 Juice Recipes for 30 Days

More Juicing Tips and Recipes

30 Days of...

Day one 

started with a lovely simple juice...

6 carrots

2 Gala apples

1/2 of a pineapple

8 strawberries

We had this with breakfast and five of us  had a small glass of juice.

Over the next month I will be using the blender and the juicer to make a variety of fruit and vegetable concoctions.  I will try and remember to take a picture and share a recipe each day from what I did.  I will use some other resources some days and just experiment on other days.  The goal is to just add more fruits and veggies to the diet through this medium of preparation.

If you would like to join us or share a favorite smoothie or juice please feel free to leave me a comment and let me know you are joining or sharing.  

I have purchased a variety of fruits and veggies to get started...

grapefruit

oranges

apples

pears

carrots

celery

pineapple

lemons

limes

greens

strawberries

blueberries

ginger root

Some things I will be getting as I go...

beets
grapes
melons

cucumber

tomatoes

cilantro

parsley

mint

and other things I discover along the way.

So, let's get started! 

*RAISES GLASS*  

Here's to our health!

Stay tuned for lots of yummy healthy blogging!  :)

End of week 2...

I have come to the end of the second week of the fast.  I am feeling good and the detox has passed.  I have been off all fibromyalgia meds for all 14 days, too.  The only thing I find physically challenging at this point is the lack of protein.  I do not eat soy and so tofu and soy options have not been something I can rely upon to fill the gap.  I have upped the bean, nut and seed intake but still find it very difficult to hit 60 grams per day.  I don't think I have hit it in the two weeks previous...

I am feeling the effects of it... puffiness and tiredness.  I am looking forward to eating some lean meat and eggs again but things will definitely be different when I go back to a regular diet.  I am thinking cheese will not be a regular anymore.  The sugar and caffeine will be very scarce, too.  I like the amount of fiber and the way the fresh fruits and veggies make me feel.  I started juicing this week some, too.  I got a free juicer from a friend who was willing to clear it out of their way.  It is magnificent!  It is a big Jack LaLanne juicer.  Praising God for the freebie!

Love that it comes with a book to do more than juice with it, too!

Winding up for week three!

Green Challenge again...

Starting August 17th there is another Green Smoothie Challenge and since my thyroid is pretty much in check I am getting back on it. There are some foods that cause goiters so I have been off the smoothies for a bit because almost all the greens in the green smoothie are what are called "goitergens". (can cause goiters) I have missed them and cannot wait to get back in the smoothie groove.

Some healthier ways...

I am trying to make wiser choices in food these days. This little cookbook I picked up a few years ago has some great information on healthy choices and it is packed with 24 days of meals to keep you on track.

This breakfast smoothie I made the other day has orange juice, banana, yogurt, a bit of honey and vanilla and I thinned it with some rice milk and added some crushed ice and blended until smooth. It was very delicious and the kids loved it, too.

I will be trying some more recipes from it this week and will share as I go...

Each Peach Pear Plum...

Yep, that is a children's book title (I adore children's books)
and a smoothie I made this week, too.
That is what you see in that blender below.

I started with two bananas
1 peach
1 pear
1 plum
2 cups water
as much kale as would fit
blend the heck out of it...

AND ENJOY!!!

I have also stepped up my intake from 16 ounces to 32 plus a day

I am actually craving fruits and veggies more now
and unhealthy foods turn my stomach!
How cool is that???
I have been drinking these since February 19th now...
That is 21 days... a habit has been formed! WOOT!!!

Not one ounce of sugar...

Today, in addition to my 34 ounce green smoothie for breakfast, I did my chocolate banana smoothie with...

2 very ripe bananas
2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
2 cups or enough to make it smooth and easy to blend of rice milk
1 heaping tablespoon cocoa powder (unsweetened)
lots of ice

It was just like drinking an ice cream shake!!! YUMMO!!!!!!!!

Oh, and this is what $3.50 worth of ripe bananas looks like...

Got Smoothie???

The Voyage Begins...

I actually started playing around with recipes last week once I found out about the Green Smoothie Challenge.

In the midst of this we have all had the flu in our house and I finally gave into it yesterday and went to bed. I have been offering the children smoothies to supplement their calorie and nutrient intake since they have been sick. The standard length of this particular flu thing is about 1.5 to 2 weeks. I have been astounded that the kids have been up and moving again in about 4-5 days. They are still weak somewhat but the fevers have broken and the worst of it has passed for them.

As the children were sick I was building my immunity with my standard echinacea/goldenseal tea once a day, green tea as I could drink it and the green smoothies (16-20 ounces a day). After only two days of being down I am feeling so much better today with no fever at all.

So now, the official voyage starts today. I will drink at least a 16 ounces smoothie each day and every couple of days I will report on how this whole/raw food change is changing me. I will share my favorite recipes along the way, too. Two of them are already up from last week. Banana/Strawberry/Kale and Apple/Peach/Romaine/Kale combo

Obviously I am not starting my exercise regime today because I am still recovering but as soon as I am back on my feet fully that begins, too. Oh, and I start reading Green for Life today, too.

This is still my foodie blog so you will see some more "spring" things coming and some more culinary school stuff, too.

Today's recipe...

Today's smoothie is so much like drinking applesauce/peach flavored smoothie. I used...

1 medium sized banana
2 small organic gala apples cored but not peeled
1 large peach pitted but not peeled
1 Tbsp orange juice concentrate
1/2 cup apple juice
2 Romaine lettuce leaves
1 cluster of Kale leaves
About 4 ice cubes

OH.MY.GOODNESS...

Green Smoothie Challenge...

There is a challenge starting on February 25th over at Sara's place (Happy Foody)

I made my first green smoothie today just to see if I was going to be able to make it through a month of this stuff. It was DELICIOUS!!!!! I mean, like, sorbet delicious!!!!! I added...

2 bananas
5 large strawberries
1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate
5 ice cubes
about 2/3 cup water
and 1 giant leaf of Kale

I am HOOKED!!! :)

A few recipes for your February...

I am a contributor to a newsletter online for the recipe column. These are two recipes I shared this month and I thought you might enjoy them, too.

Something pink for Valentine’s Day…

Strawberry/Banana Smoothie

* 6 to 8 strawberries, hulled
* one banana cut into pieces
* 1/2 cup skim milk
* 1/2 cup plain yogurt
* 2 tablespoons honey
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 6 cubes ice, crushed

In a blender combine strawberries, banana, milk, yogurt, honey and vanilla. Toss in the ice. Blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into glasses and serve.

Something Chocolate to stir up a little romance…

I picked this recipe up from a Country Woman Magazine back in 1995. It is THE BEST brownie recipe I have EVER had!!!

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter or margarine melted and slightly cooled but still liquid
1/4 cup shortening, melted
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts, optional

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla until well mixed. Add butter and shortening. Combine flour, cocoa and salt; stir into egg mixture and mix well. Add nuts if desired. Line a 13-inch x 9-inch x 2-inch baking pan wiht foil and grease the foil. If you prefer not to use foil you can just use a non-stick spray and cover the corners well so it won’t stick. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until brownies test done with a wooden toothpick. Cool in pan. Turn the brownies out of pan onto a cookie sheet (this is the reason for the foil) and remove the foil. Place a wire rack over brownies; turn over and remove cookie sheet. Cut with a heart shape or into bars for a scrumptious Valentine’s Day treat. Yields about 3 dozen brownies.

Enjoy!!!

You can read the complete newsletter here.

My New Comfort Food...

Let's just say I had a really bad afternoon and leave it at that, shall we? That being spoken out loud I really really REALLY deserve that Blue Bell Cookies and Cream ice cream in my freezer but, being the good girl that I am, I had a smoothie instead. I will often have a banana, peanut butter, and cocoa smoothie blended with yogurt and rice milk but today I shook things up a bit and put a new concoction together. Shall we say it was yummy? Well, it was and here is the recipe...

Power Packed Smoothie

1 cup rice milk
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
2 Tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate (right out of the freezer can and dumped right in)
1 whole banana
1/2 cup goat's milk yogurt (plain natural unsweetened)

I just chunked it all right in the blender and blended together nicely. Pour in glass and there you have the quickest and healthiest thing you can imagine right there in your glass in 30 seconds or less. The orange juice was the perfect compliment to the blueberry and the banana added sweetness without having to add honey or sugar. SCRUMMY!!!

Banana, Peanut Butter, Cocoa Shake

(I use this as a quick pick-me-up mornings and afternoons)

1 banana

1 heaping Tbsp cocoa powder (unsweetened)

1 heaping Tbsp peanut butter

a few cubes of ice

8 to 10 ounces of milk

Throw it all in a blender and mix well. Pour into glass and enjoy. It is quite sweet without sweetening it and it is very filling. I will multiply this recipe to serve my kiddos, too so we get several servings out of it. Play with the recipe to get the taste and amount you want.