Addicted to juicing

Yep.  I said it.  Im addicted to juicing.  Green juice rocks.  And today's pitcher includes carrot apple ginger juice.  Sooooo yummy.

Just a note - I encourage comments.  Hello?  Is anyone out there?

Veggie Week is OVER!

Veggie (2) Week is over.  What have a learned?  I've learned that chicken broth is in a lot of things.  But that brought up an interesting question.  How far should it be taken?  Is it fair to go to someone's house and they serve you stuffing, not realizing that the seasonings include a trace amount of chicken flavoring?

I have learned that there is not many options at restaurants for vegetarian options, but that a lot of dishes can probably made without the meat.  Italian and middle eastern are two culinary styles that lend well to vegetarianism.

I have also learned that although I was able to go 2 weeks without meat without much difficulty, it was only because I had a plethora of food on hand.  What's not to like about spinach artichoke ravioli with fresh sauteed tomatoes and basil?  Or fettucini primavera alfredo?  So basically, if I have meat on hand, that's what Im going to eat.  If I have veggies and pasta on hand, that's what I'm going to eat.

I will tell you that I really craved sushi.  I don't think I see the necessity in not eating fish as long as we are responsible about it.  Wild caught salmon, organic and free-range.  I have a pet psychic (it's ok if you don't believe me - but she's awesome) - I once had a few fish because she said Ash needed something to look after while I was gone to work all day.  I asked her what the fish were saying.  She said fish don't talk.  Their brains are not big enough to have thoughts.  They only have enough instincts to eat and live.  So I don't feel bad eating fish at all.

I don't eat much red meat, but when I do it is organic and from companies that have proven humane treatment.  I also buy organic and free-range chicken.  Those chickens live good lives, and I honor them.  And to this day Im not sure if we ate my pet chicken, Mary Ann (RIP) ... she may have been too skinny to have any meat.

Peace.  Love.  Serene.

Veg Week - Day 9 - & juicing

I had the flu.  The pukey flu.  The lay on the couch, not enough energy to read, need a nap after walking to the bathroom, kind of flu.  Im all better now, but my appetite hasn't come back.  I mean, I have not been hungry in 4 days.  My Mom knows this is unheard of.  I always eat.  Therefore, I have only eaten a bite or two in the last 2 days (first 2 days - forget it).

So Im still counting these 4 days in veggie week, even though technically, I haven't really eaten anything.


I also launched my business, Simply Breathe Concierge.  I've had a lot of responses, and a lot of people who want to help me out.  It's amazing!  I'm really excited to get started.  www.simplybreathemi.com

We had our bowling fundraiser.  It was a huge success, and it took soooo much energy out of me.  I felt like shit when I got there because I had to actually shower, get dressed, and drive somewhere.  I rested, and I had a glass of Katy's green juice (see below), and felt GREAT!  I was sent out to sell prize tickets and 50/50 tickets.  I used my natural-born salesman gene.  I kicked ass.  Then I had to rest again.  I was lucky enough to sleep a bunch last night, then I realized that I needed more of that juice!

On to juicing ... I realized I had an old second-hand juicer in the basement, and I asked Katy how to make green juice.  Celery, cucumber, spinach, parsley, lemon.  And she has no fructose in her diet right now, but I can add a green apple.  I also had a yellow pepper going soft, so I added a 1/4 of that.  I went off to the grocery store, and made my first official jar of green juice!  Im hoping it will really give me that extra kick of health and energy.  Its really not that bad if you don't drink it thinking its going to taste like a pop.


I need to keep a lot more veggies on hand!





I'll keep you updated through these last few days of veggie week.  I actually have a lot of food left from my original shopping, so although I am allowed to have meat on Saturday, I have a lot of non-meat meals left, so if I do have meat its probably going to be very little.

Im thinking of making fish cakes.

Peace.  Love.  Serene.

Veg Week - Day 4

So far so good!  I have several meals planned, and food available.  I don't have any prepared meat in the house, so I have found myself realizing that I am FORGETTING that I haven't eaten meat.  As long as there is good food - I haven't noticed.

I did go to a restaurant for the first time and tried to see it from that angle.  Luckily I wasn't super hungry so I wasn't looking at entrees.  There weren't really a lot of non-meat options.  But because I was just getting a snack, I found several options.  I was deciding between nachos - it had meat on it, but also black beans, so taking the meat off wouldn't be that big of a deal.  Or cheese quesadillas, or french onion soup.  I settled on the soup, and it more than filled me up.

I also just bought a VitaMix (thanks mom) - its like the granddaddy, top dog, head honcho, queen bee, big boss of blenders.  You can throw everything in there - skins, seeds - and it will pulverize.  So when it comes in I can use up all of those extra veggies that are going bad because I was a little bit overzealous at the grocery store.

mmm nachos.

Veg Week - Day 1

It's official - Veggie week has started.  So far so good.  Kashi cereal for breakfast.  Pasta primavera alfredo for lunch.  Guacamole for my midnight snack.  Lots of water.  This really isn't so tough.

2 weeks of only veggies.  But I can have sugar, and dairy, and cheese, and all of the other things hard-core cleanse people aren't allowed to have.  My friend Katy is having ONLY JUICE for a week!  That's just crazy.

Sorry, Sony, I reserve the right to eat meat for Sea's birthday dinner.  It's just not fair to make me miserable. : )

I. Heart. Guacamole.

So I was buying this packet of powder that was a guacamole mix - just add 2 avocados.  Um ok.  Isn't that what guacamole consists of anyway?  But it was reallllyyyy good.  But recently I read the ingredients - and I can't pronounce all of them.  So now I am making my own, and it is just as good!

2 avocados - scooped out (use a spoon), chopped, throw in a bowl, use a fork to mash so its still chunky.
1/2 lime, juiced - squeeze in
1/4 onion, chopped - optional.  I hate raw onion so I don't use it
1 small clove of garlic, chopped - or just use a small grater and grate it in
fresh cilantro, chopped small - use as much as you like to taste
fresh ground pepper
salt, fresh ground is best, and lots of it!  : )
1 roma tomato (or regular tomato but squeeze to get rid of most seeds), chopped - mix in


Use this yummy concoction with tortilla chips, veggie sticks, instead of mayo on a sandwich, on a baked potato (I had it today - yum!), spread on pita and add chopped veggies for a fresh pizza, mix with egg yolks in deviled eggs.

Fresh Tomato Sauce

Here is a great recipe - you won't even know that you're missing meat.  Chop up several tomatoes - it doesn't really matter what kind.  Big beefsteak, Roma, throw in some heirloom - get crazy!  I happened to have 4 medium sized plain old tomatoes getting rotten on my countertop, and they needed to be used up.

So chop them up, and throw them in a big skillet over med-high heat with a good helping of olive oil (or EVOO if you want - but really, EVOO doesn't hold the same great flavor once it is cooked).  If you want, you can add a chopped small onion before the tomatoes - let it cook down, them add the toms.  Grab 2 cloves of garlic, chop them or just use a small grater to grate them into the pan.  Add a bunch of pepper - fresh ground is best, but whatever you have on hand.  Let all of the cook for maybe 5 minutes until the tomatoes look a little cooked.

THEN pour in a bunch of white wine.  Not the cooking wine - that's crap.  Use real wine, and drink the rest of the bottle with this meal.  It will be really soupy - you'll use probably a cup or so.  Then let it cook off until you get them resemblance of a thin sauce.  Add some salt (taste as you go so you don't add too much), and then the kicker - add some fresh chopped basil.  That's the best, but if you don't have fresh, add frozen basil or pesto.  Don't use dried.  Its just not as good.

Make some angel hair or fettuchini and mix.  Add some parmesan cheese on top.  MMMMMM
Make a green salad, and toast some french bread (or whatever) - rub the toast with a raw garlic glove, and then butter it.

That, my friends, is a good meal.  Sony, you CAN make this meal.

Vegetarian Week

My little sister Sony asked for Christmas that we would all be vegetarians for a week or two.  I think I was the only one who said I would do it.  I really don't think it will be that hard - I don't eat much red meat, and while chicken is a pretty solid staple in my diet, I eat a lot of veggies and pasta too.  So I said I would for a week, and I am going to start on Friday (or maybe Thursday but I have a steak dinner planned for Wednesday - what if there are leftovers??).  I looked at my calendar to see what I have coming up, and Sea's birthday is next week.  I will commit to TWO WHOLE WEEKS if I can make his birthday dinner the exception.  I'm pretty sure Granny will be buying dinner, and Im pretty sure Im going to want a nice filet mignon.  SOOOO That's my plan.

Tonight - step 1 complete - Grocery shopping
Tomorrow & Wednesday - Food Prep
Thursday or Friday - VEGGIE 2 WEEKS BEGINS

duh duh duhhhhh .... updates to continue.