We DID IT!

It has been 21 days.. and the cleanse is officially over! YEAH! I stayed up until midnight and a couple of loaves of freshly baked bread came out of the oven at about 11:45 pm. And then I waited to partake! YUM! Freshly baked bread has never tasted so good. Although... it has NEVER filled me like it did last night. I had 1 1/2 pieces and didn't know if I could fall asleep feeling so completely full. I am happy that the cleanse is over...although now I need to decide the lessons I have learned from this experience and how it is going to help me in the future.

The Coast is Clear...

Yes we made it through the final weekend. Hopefully the majority of the temptations are in the past. I have never before realized how anything fun in life has a total and complete link to food, lots of it and lots of unhealthy versions of it! Yes my eyes are open to that very obvious fact. So with the last weekend (yes being that most fun- meaning food related activities- in life happens on weekend) the MAJOR temptations should be in the past. Except for the fact that we brought home a nice sized tupperware full of treats from Brandon's brothers farewell party and yes they are sitting on our kitchen counter at the moment.

Three days and counting.......

The Cleanse Continues

After a couple of rough days last week, sis and I almost called it quits on Thursday night. It seemed like a good time to throw in the towel... because we could then go crazy over the weekend. But we prevailed and have made it through the last weekend of the cleanse. Wh-hoo. Only 3 more days left. I seriously CAN NOT believe we have almost done it.

Here's what I ate today:
cantaloupe and grapes
TJ's fiber tortilla chips with green salsa
barley, rice, nut pilaf (uh, YUCK)
grilled squash, red onion, green pepper shishkabobs
more green salsa and chips
oat granola with rice milk

The ideas are definitely gone and I am existing on what is in my house that I can make into something edible. I have a bunch of soy yogurt, granola, rice cakes etc. that I will eat during the next couple of days, and then FREEDOM.

Sun Dried Tomato Artichoke Tofu

Sun Dried Tomato Artichoke Tofu

Ingredients:
Sliced tofu
2 T. olive oil
1 pkg dry French onion soup mix
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
1 jar (6oz) marinated artichoke hearts, undrained

Preheat oven to 350.
Place slices of tofu in large baking dish.
Combine remaining ingredients and pour over tofu.
Bake for 30 minutes.

Touch and go...

It had been touch and go for a while this weekend. So many temptations.... I didn't know if I was going to make...but I did. I am glad that I made it. Sunday was difficult as I made dinner for Mom, Dad, Ben, Danielle and family. I made Sun Dried Tomato Artichoke Chicken (with a slice of tofu for Brandon Mom & I), rice (for me), pasta & sauce for everyone else, garlic green beans, homemade wheat bread (difficult to resist), cantaloupe (delicious!), cookies and brownies.

I went to Trader Joe's on Monday to stock up on few new additions. For dinner on Monday we had Christie's tostadas. They were very good. But Monday night I went to bed feeling hungry with nothing to satisfy my sweet craving.

Today has been easier. Not as many temptations around. I had oatmeal with blueberries for breakfast. For lunch I tried some TJ vegetable tofu sushi but decided I am not a fan.

Dear Sister

You should know that if I was doing this cleanse alone, it would have ended about 11 days ago. Every time it occurs to me that I want to eat something on the CAN'T list, I think of you....and how you are suffering and abstaining as well. And then I walk away from the temptation. I honestly can't believe I'm still in this. But I'm so glad I am.

Disappointment

I bought what I thought were vegan wheat free blueberry waffles. As they popped out of the toaster this morning they smelled TOO good. I checked the ingredients list.... and then handed my precious waffles to my children for their consumption. Oatmeal again? Oh well.

Gazpacho

2 lb. ripe tomatoes, washed, peeled, and seeded
3 cloves of garlic
4 t. olive oil
1 t. salt
1/2 t. cayenne
2 t. lemon juice
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large red onion, diced
1 peeled, seeded, diced cucumber
1 green pepper, seeded and diced
3 c. tomato juice
1/2 c. parsley
1 c. water
1 c. diced cantaloupe or honeydew melon

Puree tomatoes, garlic, oil, salt, cayenne. Mix in remaining ingredients, except for melon. Chill overnight, serve garnished with melon and more parsley.

Alan has been asking for the last 10 years if I would make him gazpacho. Today was the day!

The AZ Update

Today was fast Sunday... by far one of the easiest fast Sundays I have ever had. I'm just not as starving as I usually would be when I'm not on the cleanse.
--We went to Alan's parents for dinner, they were having taco salad. Not that hard to resist. I ate chips with lettuce and tomato, and they had a great fruit salad, so I ate a ton of fruit. And drank a ton of water. I'm just glad to have another day finished.
--Other updates: The other night we had spaghetti and meatballs. We ate vegan meatballs from TJ's, sauce from fresh and easy that was all natural, and rice noodles with a big green salad. It was not very good. I don't love the rice pasta, it seems starchy and mushy to me. This was not so successful. The vegan meatballs were GROSS. But Alex loved them, and ate 5. Go figure.
--I had a tofu pad-thai bowl from TJ's that was divine, I highly recommend it.
--The soy yogurt from TJ's was delish. I had raspberry and stirred in some oat granola, it was a great snack.
--I picked up my Bountiful Baskets yesterday and it was full of the most beautiful organic strawberries (8 packages!), celery, assorted lettuces, and many other good veggies that I will use this week.
That's all. I'm tired and hungry and having strange BM's. Is that too much information? I think probably. Sorry.

The Hardest Day.....

So yes today was difficult.... to say the least. We started out at my favorite breakfast spot. Cinnamon Roll French Toast would be my usual order but instead the ONLY thing I could find on the menu... hash browns and vegan sausage. Ugh. Yes I did eat... but not exactly a satisfactory meal.

Then we were off to Seattle's SeaFair. I thought I was prepared as we headed out the door with apples, bananas, rice cakes with peanut butter, almonds, etc..... but of course none of those options looked appetizing as I passed the booths full of fried food! More temptations. I ate my apple, almonds, couldn't find the rice cakes and peanut butter (still don't know where they went). I was still hungry and while my dad ordered a veggie hot dog I added one to the pot without the bun. Can I say yuck!?

For dinner we headed to this great seafood place right on the pier. Ohhh the salmon was calling my name. ( By the way by this point in the day Brandon was SO far off of the vegan cleanse it was beyond funny). I ordered a salad... there was nothing else on the menu that fit the guidelines. Mom suggested I order some rice and veggies and so I asked the server who followed through with my request. I actually asked for a second dinner salad I was so hungry! Thankfully the rice really filled me up. We headed off to a show after dinner and the treats at the front booth were calling my name.... AHHHH!

I can't believe we have only been doing the cleanse for 10 days. It seems like an eternity. Are we really only half way through!?!?

The Ultimate Test

Mom and Dad arrive today. I am a bit nervous about being on the cleanse while hosting my parents. First of all, I am planning on showing them all of my favorite Seattle eateries. It will take all of my willpower to not give in this weekend. Wish me luck!

Second of all, I can't exactly serve my parents vegan food while they are here. Which means I have to actually cook with meat, etc. and then not eat it. That should be interesting.

Brandon joined me on the cleanse upon my return back home. So at least he will be joining me in the temptation to splurge. This is going to be the ultimate test.

A few things that I have found to satisfy my little cravings. I got the TJ's Chunky Cinnamon Apple sauce. We have enjoyed that as a little sweet after dinner. Also, I have added TJ frozen blueberries to my oatmeal in the morning and it makes it SO much yummier!

Day #8 from AZ

I can't believe I made it through my first full day sans Sister. Here's what I ate:

-Oatmeal with rice milk and almonds

-huge salad made with romaine and tons of roasted veggies with lemon vinaigrette on the side (from a place called Pita Jungle... can you say divine? When my friends called me to go to lunch I was panicking, but this was the perfect place to go while cleansing... lots of vegan options)

-rice crackers with tofutti spread (this is seriously yum, from TJ's... also, tomorrow I am going to buy some scallions and herbs to stir in, which will make it even fancier)

-corn tostadas (corn tortillias cooked in a little olive oil to make them crispy, TJ's vegetarian salsa refried beans from a can, TJ's pico de gallo, TJ's guacamole, romaine lettuce). These were DIVINE. Alan and I decided we would happily eat this meal even when not cleansing... it was meat free, and delish.

Ideas for tomorrow, anyone? I can't believe I haven't eaten ice cream in 8 full days. That has to be a record for me, I am not kidding. Sometimes I miss it.... but other times I'm fine. How crazy is it that I miss a food as if it were my friend? That is the purpose of the cleanse- to have those realizations. I'm so glad I'm doing this!!

Day 7

So it is Day 7 and we are still going strong. I headed back to Seattle today. I was happy to be able to stop by Trader Joe's this afternoon and stock up on a few new things. I made Martha's Big Batch Vegetable Soup for dinner. Yummy!

Tomorrow I am planning on Oatmeal for breakfast with some frozen blueberries from TJ's & soy milk. For lunch I'll have some more veggie soup. For dinner I am planning on making Brown Rice Spaghetti with a big green veggie salad with the lettuce from the garden (it is HUGE now). For the sauce I am going to saute some onions, zucchini and yellow squash and then just add in some Marinara sauce from TJ's.

It's getting harder... and easier.

So this whole process really forces you to focus on what you eat, but the food is pretty much no fun so I find myself not thinking about food at all in between meals (unless I see someone eating ice cream, and that is VERY tempting to me). Does that make sense?

Tomorrow we go home. It's going to be so much harder with out Debbie... she has literally been my Vegan Chef. She is constantly planning and preparing the meals for us. I know once I get home I am going to be hungry and pretty much live on carrots. She has committed to posting what she is eating/making once she gets home, I hope she really will. I have had more week moments than her.... like when the Relief Society ladies presented the most beautiful baked goods ever, and I couldn't eat it.

Carla and Danielle, we need your ideas!! Once you guys start, let us know and post what you eat so we can get some fresh ideas. I'm starting to think that maybe I can do the whole 21 days afterall. We'll see.

Day 4

So we have made it to day four without a hitch. I have actually somewhat enjoyed this cleanse. I am definitely gaining a new perspective on food.

The hardest part of the cleanse is planning/preparing what we are going to eat. It has been a little difficult as we have been on the go a lot with the family. The Belnap's came into town on Friday night and we all headed to Lagoon. Christie and I had brought soy yogurt, granola and blueberries for dinner.

Saturday morning we had Tofu scramble, veggie breakfast patties, cantaloupe and oj. It was so very flavorful and yummy!

For lunch we were heading to Mirror Lake for a picnic so we had to make something for on the go. We decided on Spicy Thai noodles. It turned out to be a great lunch for the picnic.

Saturday night we went to Nephi for a Martin Handcart company pageant. We had a little taco soup before we left. We also picked up a Jamba Juice (just fruit jamba) along the way. It was the perfect cool treat!

A Couple of good finds....

Christie and I headed to Whole Foods last night. We found a couple of things that we have instantly fallen in love with.

First, Fiona's All Natural Granola- Cinnamon Almond. YUM YUM! You might be wondering.... if we forgot the part of the cleanse that states NO WHEAT Gluten but this little box has none in it! Try it for sure!

Second, Van's Wheat Free, Dairy Free Waffles- Blueberry flavored. We had those for breakfast this morning with Brown Rice Syrup. A nice little treat.

Day 2 has gone by just fine. The hardest part about doing the cleanse right now is figuring out meals on the go. But we are making due just fine.

Day #2 Menu

Breakfast: Oatmeal with raspberries and soy/rice milk (don't worry, we have other ideas for later)
Snack: Rice cakes with natural peanut butter
Lunch: Roasted Tomato Soup w/seasame rice crackers
Snack: Mango salsa/tortilla chips
Dinner: Thai Peanut Noodles

Recipes:
Roasted tomato Soup:
40 oz. red ripe tomatoes, cored and halved
4 T. olive oil
1 large onion, cut in quarters
6 cloves of garlic
2 c. vegetable stock
vegan sour cream to taste
salt and pepper to taste
4 T. shredded fresh basil

Heat oven to 400. Place tomatoes cut side down, along with onions and garlic
(skin still on) on a greased roasting pan. Then drizzel the remaining oil on top. Raost until tomatoe skins start to darken (about 30 min) and allow to cool. Remove skins from garlic and onion and then purree them with tomatoes until smooth. To be continued...

Humble Apologies...

So day one didn't quite start for the Nate/Carla family yet. Although, I have convinced Nate to atleast try doing the diet... not for 21 days... but he's going to atleast try. We've both decided that we need "THE MEAL" before we become vegan fanatics. We're going to pound the meat, dairy, and breads for one more day and then we will be on board! Good luck girls! Let me know how the first day goes.

ps. the recipes sound delish!

Last Minute Start

Sorry about the last minute start, Danielle and Carla!!! We were planning on Aug. 1st but decided to move up the start date since we are in PC together. Debbie is great, she has agreed to become our vegan chef. She is so great at meal planning so I am counting on her to get me through week #1. We found a few things at Albertsons that look promising and we'll sure to post what works and what doesn't. We are headed to Whole Foods tomorrow, and we'll let you know what we find that is great there. Hope you guys are in!

Recipes for Day 1

Mango Salsa
~Christie Curtis

You’ll find this salsa surprisingly delicious, good for you & beautiful in color, not to mention totally addicting.

2 large mangos (fresh & ripe)
3 T. white onion, grated
1 medium green bell pepper, finely diced
1 medium red bell pepper, finely diced
3 T. olive oil
3 T. rice vinegar
1 T. green onion tops, finely diced
1 large avocado, diced
salt & pepper to taste

Mix everything together folding in avocado last. Tastes even better the next day. Serve with tortilla chips.

Cowboy Cavier
~Judi Rowley

1 c. frozen corn
1 c. tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c. green onions, chopped
2 T. cilantro, chopped
3 T. olive oil
2 T. fresh lime juice
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 (15.5 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
2 serrano chile peppers, seeded and minced

In medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well. Cover; refrigerate several hours or overnight to blend flavors. 4 cups

The Cleanse has Begun

Tomorrow's Menu:

B-fast: Oatmeal with soy/rice milk and raspberries

Snack: apples/nut butter

Lunch: Salad made with romaine lettuce, tomatoes and cowboy caviar

Snack: Mango Salsa/tostidos

Dinner: Taco soup (made with soy crumbles- meat substitute) with fritos

The RULES

NO DAIRY
NO MEAT
NO EGGS
NO SUGAR
NO CAFFEINE
NO GLUTEN
NO ALCOHOL (that means YOU Nate)