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Sunday, November 30, 2014

Leftovers - or - the beginning of the ten pound holiday gain

Thanksgiving was Thursday, and for two days we ate what we wanted when we wanted. Bowls of mashed potatoes and stuffing with gravy on top. Turkey sandwiches, scoops of casseroles, bean and sweet potatoe, and of course pie. Today is the last day of the holiday vacation, the last day of November, and the last day of splurging. We will NOT be gaining ten pounds this year between Thanksgiving and New Years.

Yesterday R made turkey stock and they had a wholesome turkey soup for dinner.  A nice way to transition back to more normal healthier eating while still enjoying the flavours of the feast; how we relished the aroma all day - so delightful. I still have some dressing to finish up, and there may be a piece of cherry pie with my name on it, but I'll go back to having meals today instead of indulging in an all day buffet.

My morning begins with the last of the kale juice, with coconut water added to curb the bitterness. Then tomorrow begins three weeks of better choices. I have a holiday party to attend on the 12th and while I won't lose fifty pounds before then, I can definitely feel better and lose the bloat by then. I imagine juicing each day, and supplementing with plants. No refined sugar, grains or oils; those are the challenges to meet. And this morning I feel up to it.

But today there are still movies to watch on a rainy day, and a few leftovers to finish up. God forbid we throw anything away. And as I said, meals, not endless snacking will be the order of the day; referencing the meal habits of Hobbits, I am off for 'second breakfast'!

Friday, November 28, 2014

Day of Rest

Sometimes I suffer from a common malady known as SMUG. Sometimes this is a front for insecurities, but mostly it's just an awful way to express how much better you are than someone else when in actuality there is no such thing. Seriously, we are each what we are and that's the end of it. I have been known to beat myself up because I...
      didn't join the peace corps
      didn't become a teacher
      don't volunteer as I should
      haven't lived up to my potential.

But I am still walking and breathing, have a home in which I can curl up fed and in warmth, and family to love. That being said, the ego is a horrible beast that can take over at a moments notice if one's integrity is threatened even the tiniest little bit, even if only by one's own stray thought.

Which is a long and round about way of noting I have done absolutely nothing today so some part of me needs to feel smug that I am not one of those out about on Black Friday. I don't need to feel that way, I worked fairly hard on and off for days getting ready for the holiday, and I shouldn't have to justify or explain away a day of rest.

A big part of me doesn't, it's the small little voice telling me how lazy I am that stirs up trouble. Now that it's down in writing I can smother that little beastie with a pillow and go back to left overs and movies - everything that today should be just now.

And I think I hear a turkey sandwich calling my name.

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Giving Thanks

I am so grateful to have had a day filled with hard work, that I am able to do this at my daughter's side in harmony, and that our efforts resulted in a table full of thanksgiving fare that was truly a wonderful feast. My sister and a friend of M's joined us for the festivities and the boys have just put a huge dent in the pecan pie.

They had disappeared while we put together a puzzle, played a game of bananas, and watched Maleficent.

Time for tea, feet up, and starting the dishwasher. I do wish Mom could have been here, but we all do what we can. Better go cover the pies....



Wednesday, November 26, 2014

The Wednesday before a feast

This morning A and I left the house early to find eggs, potatoe chips, and even a new sweater for me to wear to an upcoming holiday dinner that I was invited to by one of my clients at work. We also picked up a new play hoodie for A since she is growing by leaps and bounds. Bringing home Croods as incentive for her to curl up warm and rest, we spent a lovely time together snuggling and nibbling on our breakfast while we watched as they discovered the world outside their cave. I did not expect to like this, and I did not - I loved it!

Now it is time for her Dad to take over and I hear the beginnings of Star Wars as I mentally prepare to clean the bathroom and finish up the laundry. I have been putting this off for days; lord above I hate cleaning the bathroom floor, I always have, and I guess it goes without says, who doesn't? And we found a a new pumpkin spice candle to light and clear out the smell of cleansers once I am done in there. It will also stay lit tomorrow for festive purposes.

It will be time for a break - I will not overtax my back and hands but be sensible and rest them between endeavors.

Then I'll purge the kitchen of anything extraneous to the upcoming feast; I will make disappear all the bits and pieces that collect on the raised counter between kitchen and dining room: bottle caps, hair clips, coins, glue etc etc etc. Just baskets and bowls of fruit, a small jar of ginger candy, and a bowl of mixed nuts to graze on will be left by the time I am done.

I may bake off the sweet potatoes and brown up the rosemary sausage in preparation of two of  tomorrow's dishes depending on how the day goes.

We have another guest for tomorrow and everyone is looking forward to the holiday. I wish R could be home today too, but at least she will be off early and I believe we both have Friday off.

Full of decaf and ready to rock n roll with book on and socks off I am ready for my slaying of the jabberwocky - er - bathroom. Whatever. I'm ready.



Tuesday, November 25, 2014

A Day Closer

Thanksgiving looms and I will not think about it. I will concentrate on what will make me feel good today. A cleaner room, counter space in the  kitchen for all of the cooking that is about to take place, pretty flowers outside the dining room window. Let me digress here and visit a memory.

I am standing in my grandmother's living room, two chairs bookend the fireplace, angled in for visiting, The wall to the left behind the furthest chair has a window looking out onto the lanai - the enclosed back porch- and a table that is filled with plants, artifacts from Mexico, small treasures, rocks & shells. My grandfather was somewhat of a rock hound, and both A and I have inherited his inclinations towards this hobby. So I grew up next door, and was often at my grandparents, making it a second home and much beloved. When I first set the big wooden table outside my dining room window here at the first and only home of my own, I didn't realize that I was replicating a childhood familiarity. There was no place else to put it, and gradually it was covered with plants, rocks, shells, pine-cones, and eventually a small statue that had once been my grandfathers. I did realize along the way what I was doing, and it didn't hurt that it made our small dining room seem larger - bringing the outside in so to say. So the table is actually a bridge to my childhood and memories of love & warmth.

Back to the pretty flowers; the table needs to be swept clean and new flowers potted where the summer's fare has died away from lack of attention. The remaining live plants are a cactus brought home from mothers that may or may not have originated from LA and my grandparents, and a small marguerite daisy that is apparently a bit more hardy than I am neglectful.

Before heading out for Decaf and flowers I need to measure the lights in the kitchen that need replacing so we have  bright workspace on Weds. & Thurs. That will be the fun part. Not so fun will be wiping down the pool toys out back that are residing on the hot tub cover and then finding a place in the garage to house them for the winter. I am therefore understandably grateful for the sun streaming through my southern facing bedroom; this will make the outside chores not only bearable, but even enjoyable. I am hoping for a crisp sunny fall day for my chores, I need the air and movement and feeling of accomplishment today will bring.

Because - damn here is the pity party - Joey is missing another holiday, another chance to inhale a mound of buttery mashed potatoes, another chance to have his family love him and hug him and cherish him. Okay, I can do a minute of sad, but then I am going to go do the flower thing.

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Ginger Cookies

I did not need to know that Trader Joe's makes triple ginger cookies that are amazingly wonderful. Now all I want is to light the fire and cozy in with a book and the whole tub of cookies. While I did pick up an eco friendly fire log and have a bookshelf of friends I could visit, I know that if I do my back will be worthless later and I have a bathroom to clean. But having a few for a snack was awesome.

I was at the store with a fresh decaf gingerbread latte in hand at 5am this morning; I would rather play obstacle course with those wonderful people stocking shelves and their pallets of goodies than with a hundred other shopping carts. No bueno. Home by 6am and groceries put away, then back to bed and another episode of The Red Band Society.  R was ready to go and out the door at 8 for her trip across town to TJ's (hence the presence of the aforementioned ginger snaps) while A and I tore apart the beautiful lego set that we had just finished last night. AND I ruined one of my nails doing it. I don't often splurge but it is relaxing to have a manicure and while running errands yesterday I stopped and indulged myself. A turned down both breakfast options of pumpkin pancakes and egg on toast and instead requested a cinnamon apple. Good Girl. So I chopped a honey crisp apple, sprinkled cinnamon over the top, and nuked it covered in the microwave for a couple of minutes. She ate every piece. No I did not use plastic in the microwave.

So the brined turkey is in the fridge surrounded by lots of awesome ingredients and there is just the Costco run to make tomorrow at lunch. I love that they won't be opened on Thanksgiving - no one should have to work that day. Hmmm. Could we function if that happened? Lets see, we have self serve gas stations for those in need; dinner might not be perfect if someone forgot to pick up rolls or flowers or wine but it would still be wonderful - it's about the people remember - and everyone would be well rested for the craziness called Black Friday. While at Lowe's yesterday I noticed there was a small section largely labeled as Black Friday specials; marketing strikes again. I will admit to having browsed through their Christmas section, and was able to resist everything with the exception of one beautiful pink poinsettia. $7, couldn't pass it up.

Time to plug in my audio book and rotate another's day worth of dishes. I won't be cooking for the next four days, I picked up a jug of Kale Blazer by Naked to sip on throughout the day and there are veggies in the fridge to make fresh juice if I feel so inclined. After take out last night I am swollen and grumpy about it.

One last thought; we are excited about the sweet potatoes this year. Organic Garnet yams roasted and then blended with butter and a little brown sugar, then topped with a crumble of diced pecans, cranberries and TRIPLE GINGER COOKIES, then covered with mini marshmallows. Who needs pie after that? Well, we do and the pumpkin is already in the freezer.

Maybe one more cookie before doing the dishes...after all, I did not drive through to get breakfast this morning. Another Good Girl - Me this time!

Saturday, November 22, 2014

So much to do, so little motivation

I guess it's Saturday and I can take a nap if I want. Maybe when I get back up I'll feel like working around the house. It's been raining on and off for days, which no one in California is used to anymore, and it's put a damper on my enthusiasm. And of course no decaf this morning; I shouldn't have had any this week so my energy would be back, but no, I indulged.

I did make it to Lowes this morning for a lightbulb, a poinsettia and other odds and ends so I did accomplish a little bit. Oh, and loaded up the dishwasher and put away the dishes I had set to drain yesterday, putting the juicer back together so it's ready for the next go around. And I made more ginger water and infused some honey with cinnamon.

I suppose that if I feel the same way tomorrow I can have a cup just to make sure I get things done. Thanksgiving is just days away and there is so much to do. But no matter how much gets done, there will be a wonderful meal, a visit from my sister, and much to be thankful for, even if one of those things isn't a totally clean house. (Love & Light up to you Erma Bombeck for your words of wisdom.)

Later: After my nap the kids left for the movies and A and I worked on a new lego kit. Not a bad way  at all to spend a lazy afternoon. Now R is off picking up asian food for dinner; while chow mein is not necessarily my friend it is easy. I could do worse.

I almost forgot we threw together the grocery lists for Thanksgiving. Well, R did it while I threw out ingredients here and there. Tomorrow at o'dark thirty I'll hit Safeway for a Claim Jumper pumpkin pie, dressing mix (celery, onions & herbs) and herb packets. And potatoes and heavy cream. Oh, and gingersnaps for the sweet potato casserole. The brined turkey will come from Trader Joes along with sweet potatoes and I'll grab the cabbage\brussels sprouts salad mix from Costco on Monday.

Roast Turkey and homemade gravy
Sweet Potato Casserole
Mashed Potatoes
Boudin Sourdough dressing \ half with artichokes and sausage
Hawaiian Rolls
Cabbage salad w\ poppy dressing

Then homemade whipped cream on two kinds of pie, one homemade and purchased from Windmill Farms - probably boysenberry, maybe apple.

Dinner's here and now I'm hungry! Who says Thanksgiving isn't about the food. Okay okay. I know.




Wednesday, November 19, 2014

I got nothin'

Up this morning picking up where I left off last night; bed made, then stacked with everything I wanted up off the floor. Amazing how much stuff I have in here with me! Well, Kaylee's crate is part of it so I can  partially blame her too. One more thorough vacuum job, get the dogs settled out back, and greet the cleaners. Oh, and get ready for work.

Then off to work a half day. Home to check things out, then off to buy accent carpets and a new welcome mat so I can recycle the old one to outside the back slider. Hopefully the carpet will finish drying overnight and when I get home tomorrow I can begin re-assembling the house. Without the extraneous stuff.

I rotated the dishes in the kitchen and I'll prep veggies tonight for tomorrow's juice. We have some tart kiwi's that I need to use so that will change up the flavour a bit, and I'm out of lemon. I think I'll go out back in the morning and snag an orange off the tree for another splash of citrus.

Rented Begin Again from Demand to put my feet up and relax which is hard to do in a house that currently has wall to wall damp carpet. But I made do with my office chair and one clear corner of my bed. And the movie was a nice diversion on a rainy prevening.

Tomorrow is another half day at work, the morning this time, and my hope is to clean off the back patio when I get home. Which works out well for the drought because murphy's law being what it is the forecast is for rain the rest of the week - don't cha know.

Dinner was Panda Express. Out of the blue. Don't even know how I ended up inside ordering food. One of those auto-movements that catch me by surprise. The minty taste of my tums a reminder of why chow mein is NOT a good choice despite my love of noodles. A serving would have been okay, but a whole bowl full is a bit  more than a serving. Sigh. But stayed busy most of the day and not beating myself up too bad.

One more rotation of letting the dogs out then washing & drying their paws one at a time as I let them back in. PITA!!! I just want the carpet to stay clean through the holidays. I don't want to have to do this again in December. Oh to have the funds to replace the flooring...and the roof...and the landscaping in the back yard...

I am looking forward to settling into bed, turning off the light once the window is open wide, and just listening to the rain while I dream and plan.


Tuesday, November 18, 2014

A clean house, stage one

Last night I prepped my produce for juicing and this morning I filled almost three 16.5 oz bottles. I still have half a bottle left for a snack later if I feel like it. But at the moment I am hot & sweaty and craving water. This is the first step in getting ready for the holidays. Tomorrow the carpet cleaner comes and there are then two days for it to dry before the house if full of people again.

I hope we can keep filling up the recycling bin each week and thinning out the house. A did a great job starting to go through art and homework from T-K and I finished up this evening. As we find odds and ends we can add them to the marked box that is now in the garage. I saved out my most favorite piece of art and eventually will add it to a book; a page for each school year.

God I'm tired. But not done yet for the evening. The kids are safe and have already purchased A her pink mickey mouse ears with her name stitched on it. I'm so happy for them, I hope it's as wonderful a trip as they anticipate.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Liquid Gold

I woke at 4am to Kaylee puking in her crate. Ugh. I let her out for water, stripped her bed, and let her cuddle under my covers when she came in cold and seeking warmth. I briefly woke sometime later but I just turned over and nestled back in. It was Monday, nothing urgent was on deck at work, and given the hours I put in no one was going to say anything if I was late for once in a blue moon.

Finally waking at 7 panic set in and I was up dressed and out of the house in 15 minutes flat. Yes I drove through for a Decaf and biscuit. Not having packed lunch I stopped by Sprouts for sourdough bread, hummus and cranberry sauce for an open faced vegan sandwich back at the office.

So far, no greens. My Bad. I stopped at Costco on the way home to grab a Mac N Cheese from the prepared foods cooler, plus a salad mix (with pecans, cranberries & feta) and a bag of baby romaine heads for the rest of the week's salads.

The Mac N Cheese was not as good as Trader Joes, plus once home with reading glasses in hand I read that they added artificial colour. Who knows what that means anymore, but at least there wasn't a number associated with the dreaded words; maybe it was red african beetles and not chemicals. One can only hope, but just in case A was not allowed any - she had the TJ's brand that we had in the freezer. Oh well, we won't be buying that from Costco again. But the kids are leaving for Disneyland tomorrow and a quick dinner was in order, so for tonight it was okay.

Interestingly enough, this evening I feel like I haven't really eaten any 'food'. Everything I had was processed or prepared by someone else. It's a strange feeling to have eaten three meals and not feel like any of it was really food. Live plants full of nutrients and energy from the sun; liquid gold. I really missed that today. Not just the vitality, but knowing I was doing something healthy for my body. So tonight I will have everything prepped and even if I oversleep again in the morning I will take the time to juice. At this point I am all about 'so what if I'm 20 minutes late', I need to do what I need to do, and juicing only takes ten minutes longer than driving through for fast food. Doh!

Tomorrow after work I will be getting ready for the carpet cleaners who are coming Weds. morning, and Thursday after work I will put the house back together. That will be my movement for those days! I am so looking forward to a clean house, a visit from my sister, and a thanksgiving feast. I am so grateful for those I love who love me back, for my warm bed and cuddly dog, for my job that keeps a roof over our heads. I have missed loving the holidays, and while I may stress next week about who is missing from the table, tonight I'm okay.

Off to prep veggies.

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Most delicious Butternut Squash Soup ever!

Yesterday I made butternut squash soup.

First there must be a pot roast cooked with an abundance of onions so that there are leftovers. In my daughter's pot roast this meant pearl onions left in the bottom of the container of left overs swimming in beef broth. Also of importance is the mushroom salt that she used to season her dish.

Second you must roast cubed butternut squash that has been carefully coated with olive oil and a little mushroom salt because you didn't realize the onions had already been seasoned with the same mixture. I think I have posted it before, but just in case here it is again. Magic Mushroom Powder.

Thirdly combine the onions and squash in blender batches, adding organic veggie broth each time to facilitate the blending. Add each batch to a sauce pan as it is blended until all have been processed.

Finally bring the soup slowly to heat until just under a boil. (In this instance everything had been cooked the day before and was cold from the fridge.)

Way too much salt, which is probably why it was so good. And not vegan, there was most likely beef fat bringing it's contribution to the party. And I was definitely swollen the next morning, but as a once it a while treat well worth it.

So the plan is that when I hear my daughter planning a pot roast for dinner I will remind her to add extra onions and I will pick up a carton of cubed butternut squash so I can replicate the recipe.

As previously noted, Most Delicious!

This morning I finished the juice from yesterday: cucumber, lemon, ginger, apple, luscious blackberries, carrots and celery.

Lunch was leftover pumpkin pancakes from the freezer with PB &J on top. Decadence! This afternoon I've been keeping full of hot lemon & ginger water. Time to check the fridge and make a grocery list so I am prepared for the week ahead.

But first some reading with A - nice.

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Better light than full

Years ago when I was focused on eating for nutrition and was steadily losing weight I discovered that I would much rather eat a large bowl of delicious homemade vegetable stoup and feel good than to eat badly and feel stuffed and miserable. I could eat vegetables until my urge to eat was satisfied without feeling like I had a rock in my stomach.

I also know the feeling of eating so badly that I enter a comatose state that lets me drift off into sleep to escape feeling anything at all. That moment of lethargy just before passing out was like a drug used to enter oblivion instead of bliss.

This past week I experienced something new and very likeable. To juice most of the day and eat a small meal or snack just to shut up my perverse nature to cheat left me feeling light and clean. This struck me most forcibly when I went to lunch with the office yesterday and ate a plate of Indian food. Yes it was good, but I hated the way I felt afterwards. Feeling a heaviness inside me that was irritating. I didn't want to go back to work, I wanted to go home and nap so I could wake up feeling better. And in that moment I remembered how I had felt all week and I missed it.

So this bright and lovely weekend morning I did not get up and cook pancakes, or make a bowl of oatmeal with nuts and fruit and maple syrup. Instead I juiced enough for breakfast and dinner, and plan on making something wonderful for lunch; stoup or chopped salad or a smoothie.

My salami sandwich the other evening reminded me that if I want my respiratory faculties to be free of phlegm I cannot indulge in sugar, wheat or dairy. It's no wonder I have had so many problems over the years. Why did no doctor every guide me away from those foods? Why is nutrition avoided as a valuable tool to use in gaining health?  There are many answers to that but the bottom line is the ever present Money is the root of all Evil. Here I will not rant about corporations, bottom lines and pharmaceutical companies fueled by the standard american diet that is killing us yet subsidized by we the people. Talk about a suicidal death dance - we take the cake. Literally.

Instead it's time to start cleaning up - we have a holiday to prepare for and the clutter has to go. Arrangements for cleaning the carpet must be made, and the dog messes disposed of before it rains. Sounds like a busy day, I wonder how my energy will hold up while juicing. I was tired often this week, but it was probably the lack of my decaf coffee combined with detoxing from my sausage biscuits. Hopefully I have once again kicked the fast food monkey from my back; it was starting to itch anyway.

Friday, November 14, 2014

Five Day Juice Fast: Results

Down almost four pounds this morning, which was nice to see. Especially after last night's cheat. When am I going to learn to put me first? It is not in my nature to do so, and if we all did that all the time we would be in an even worse mess than we are now. But on a personal level, I need to somehow embrace the notion that my needs are as important as anyone else s in the home.

I know, what am I blathering about. Some background. Most of the time one of these three scenarios plays out at the end of each work day.

1. On my way home from work I pick up A from daycare if it's raining, freezing or burning hot.
2. Her father walks over (just around the corner)(Ha!)(nod to Ryan & Hanks) and picks her up.
3. Her mother picks her up an hour later on her way home from work and
     a. brings her home
     b. takes her to run an errand before heading home
     c. has her father in tow, they grab some dinner & maybe run an errand before heading home

What does this mean for me and what I had for dinner? Well, let me elucidate. I arrived home at 4:30 and rushed about straightening up because a friend was stopping by on her way home from work to visit. We had hot gingerbread spice tea and each did a quick recap of our lives since it had been over a year since our last visit. She left about 5:30 at which point I decided to wait to do my juicing so I wouldn't be in the kitchen when the kids (yes they are in their 30's) arrived home to make dinner. But unbeknownst to me scenario b. from above was being enacted and when they did arrive home it was to put a pizza in the oven. So now I am hungry and smelling pepperoni pizza. If I had just started juicing when my friend left I would have had my juice and could have done the clean up later. But no, I had waited and there I was. At that point I was not interested in juicing, but neither did I want frozen pizza. So I popped a potato in the  microwave and after a sprinkling of salt and a grind of fresh pepper I drizzled a little organic ketchup (more salt & sugar to boot) over the fluffy steaming cubes of hot potato and headed to my room and away from the pizza that was about to come out of the oven.

I haven't gotten to the bad part yet.

Hours later I am watching TV in my room and my stomach grumbles. And I am thinking about the pepperoni. Luckily for me it was all gone, but not so lucky for me a fresh loaf of soft white bread (organic, not wonder) sitting on the counter and my brain immediately flashed on the salami I knew was in the fridge. So there I was at about 10:30pm making a salami sandwich. Only 4 slices of salami, and 2 slices of the thin sliced cheddar from Sargento and a light smear of mayo - but it felt like blasphemy! And tasted like heaven.

Here is the worst of it. I overslept this morning, forgot my hot cuppa tea on the kitchen counter and never juiced. I made it half way to work before giving in to the little devil that resides on my left shoulder and stopped for a small decaf (1 cream, 5 sugars) and a sausage biscuit.  I figure at this point I am having a reset day and will start juicing either tonight or tomorrow morning when I am not rushed.

All of this could have been avoided if I had juiced last night instead of giving up my kitchen time - which was ridiculous and only in my head. Thinking back I wonder if it was a subconscious sabotage. I have a nasty habit of undermining successful efforts. Feeling thinner = permission to eat. Why I don't know. I could make some therapeutic guesses, but it's all crap. It's just me being weak.

God I am rambling, and on company time too! I'll call it part of my lunch. But I am determined to go to Sprouts for some more Kale Naked juice blend and coconut water for lunch despite my perverse nature screaming for a Mr. Pickles BLT.

Heaven help me.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Five Day Juice Fast: Day Five

Rushed for time this morning I blended up a smoothie rather than juicing, and I will juice for dinner.

Smoothie: Coconut water, kale, pineapple, turmeric root

Not the luscious smoothie I had anticipated as I am picking up the coconut  milk at lunch and didn't have any this morning. I was also so rushed I didn't look up the recipe and just quickly threw it together from memory. The taste is nice with a pineapple finish, but my blender doesn't grind the kale enough so it's full of bits - which I don't enjoy so much.

But here I am in the  middle of day five with only a few minor slips - spectacular performance for me! My plan is to keep juicing for a couple of meals each day and having a smoothie, soup or salad for the third meal, keeping it flexible depending on my time, how tired my back is at that particular moment and what I have available to use.

Off to shop, I see a chocolate, mint & coconut shake in my future. The Shape Shake from Orenda's CBS plan will be an awesome addition to this plan. Pea protein rocks!

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Five Day Juice Fast: Day Four

This morning I finished the last bottle of juice from the fridge on my way to work. Not juicing anything fresh meant I would have to figure out lunch. I was dreading spending $8 on a green juice from Jamba Juice, but that is what I thought would happen. Instead I stopped in Sprouts (local grocery store) to see what they had and viola! A new Kale blend from Naked  on sale for $2.99 so I bought two and then added two cans of their coconut water. The ingredients matched almost exactly what I would have juiced plus the kale, which was a puree so there was texture to the drink.

I finished the 2nd kale drink on the way home and half of the 2nd coconut water. Signing on to check the Fit For Life plan I saw that I could have soup for dinner so I opted for an easy dish and opened a can of Amy's organic vegan lentil soup for dinner.  And now I am sleepy! Must be the solid food.

Tomorrow I will juice enough in the morning for my first two meals, having picked up the cucumbers I lacked today at the produce market during lunch, and then for dinner it's finally time for the kale, coconut, turmeric, mango smoothie. I hope it's as good as it looked in the video!

I think my face looks a little different; not so puffy nor as full as usual. This is a good thing, right? It's so easy to avoid mirrors and pretend I don't care what I look like, but checking my blog pic against one taken last weekend, it's obvious I have aged greatly in the last 7 years. My Bad.

But I have been in a rare mood this past week, and part of me is beginning to believe that perhaps my psyche is finally on the mend.

Here's to another good day tomorrow, may the gods be with me.


Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Five Day Juice Fast: Day Three

Today's juice: ginger, lemon, green apple, cucumbers, carrots, celery, a small beet & some black seedless grapes. So very delicious. The grapes added just a touch of depth and sweetness to balance the earthiness of the beet.

Busy day at work, home to clean the juicer that I only rinsed this morning before rushing out of the house, and later this evening after the kids are done in the kitchen I'll prep for tomorrow's juice. I need to go look, I think I get a smoothie tomorrow! Can hardly wait to try the turmeric root and mango together with the coconut. I have fresh alligator kale to blend with them too - hope it's as good as i anticipate.

This was my first day without taking any cold meds since becoming sick last week. My only lingering symptom a random rough cough. I am notorious for coughing for six weeks once I have a cold in allergy season so I am grateful for this. I'm using my daily standards from Orenda, the Immune and O'Tropin, and I've added the Alfalfa complex and Nutriferon from Shaklee since my daughter brings them home at her discount, plus their Defend and Resist Complex. What a handful twice a day! I know that as soon as I bring my weight under control the Orenda will once again be sufficient unto my needs. But an extra 80 pounds is tough on the immune system and I'm using all the help I can get my hands on right now.

I glanced at the two remaining glazed donuts as I grabbed my last bottle of juice to drink on the way home. They looked like they wanted to jump into my open arms so I left quickly!

R is in the kitchen brewing up some pot roast - ah the smells! I'm not interested in the roast, but potatoes and gravy...I imagine that I do not need to elaborate, who would not like to jump into a bowl of that particular heaven.

Time to rescue my Red Rooibos tea bag from drowning and finally sit for a short rest before the next part of my day begins.


Monday, November 10, 2014

Fit For Life Five Day Juice Fast: Day Two point two

And then our neighbor came over with a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. And not just any cookies, chocolate chip cookies made using her mother's special recipe. My neighbor and I sort of bonded over our loses; she had just lost her Mother and I was still raw from losing Joey when they moved in next door. How could I say no to one of her mother's cookies? I couldn't. But I did only eat half of one. Followed by a small handful of seedless black grapes that I had washed in preparation for tomorrow's juice. Wow they were sweet! Now I'm really looking forward to juicing some; not too many, just a handful to add all the wonderful micronutrients they offer. Click the link and scroll down past the macronutrients to the antioxidants, vitamins & minerals. And these are only the ones that have been identified.

To continue the Day Two saga, the kids went to pick up the items ordered through A's fundraising efforts a month or so ago and now the freezer is full of cookie dough. Adding insult to injury they stopped on the way home and picked up dinner from Der Wienerschnitzel - if you can call that food. I'm still in a good place, although I will confess my mouth is watering for a mini corn dog as I type. Rotten fast food! Or to be more precise, rotten fast food products! My brain is gagging as my mouth salivates for the crap.

After sorting the fundraising items between R and myself for transport to our respective places of work tomorrow, I headed here to my room - my current safe spot away from temptation. I am not hungry, I am working on the last cup of my juice for the day, and will have a final mug of ginger lemon tea before bed tonight. I am good.

I had a busy day at work, mindful of changing positions often, stopping to stretch when my reminder popped up, and doing some distance gazing out the window to flex my stagnant computer locked eye muscles. To quote Katy Bowman, we are not meant to be static.

I'm looking forward to making it through day two with minimal damage, and excited about heading into day three tomorrow.

Black Seedless Grapes. Yum.

Fit For Life Five Day Juice Fast: Day Two point one

I sniffed, I inhaled deeply, and I walked away. Awhile later I had to cruise past the kitchen again (I was at work) and this time took my phone to photograph the source of my temptation.


I lusted but did not succumb.  Hopefully posting this will reinforce my determination to stay clean this evening.

One more day of juicing and then I add a smoothie to my day. I will do this as we do everything else in life, one moment at a time. For this moment I am strong and dreaming of success.

And remembering I have beets, kale and apples in the car that need fetching.

Fit For Life: Five Day Juice Fast: Day Two

Day One recap:  a couple of small slips; six small pretzel sticks and a small side of rice and beans. Other than that, all juice, water and tea all day.

Today's Juice
Ginger, lemon, cucumber, apple, celery & carrots. No beets today, I need to pick some more up at lunch and see what else looks good for some variety tomorrow.

Last  night I prepped my veggies and apples and sealed them up in containers in the fridge. This morning it took me half an hour from start to finish to juice and clean up. I brought three 16oz bottles of juice with me to work, drinking one on the way. I also have a thermos of lemon, ginger water to drink during the day. Re-purposing the glass bottles from the Synergy my daughter buys works perfectly for this, and the bottles fit nicely into my insulated lunch bag. I'ts 1pm and I'm half way through the 2nd bottle.

Off to buy beets!

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Fit For Life: Five Day Juice Fast: Day One

Really? Another attempt? Well, yes actually! I may go down more often than not but I will always come up fighting. Always.

I awoke sore and aching this morning, the aftermath from helping prep for what had to have been the best ever 6th birthday party. Frozen visited Livermore via the special efforts of my daughter, Tri Valley Ice Rink, and Pinterest. The cake even had a castle on it - need I say more? Yes. The sight of her classmates, friends and assorted extras all skating with blue flannel scarves and the help of buckets to lean on (it was the first time for many of them) was absolutely awesome. Especially "A" who was resplendent as Elsa; her gown was blue and flowing and sparkly, her blond hair in a braid, and her flashing blue eyes just brilliant in her happy flushed face. Yes daughter dear, it was a hit!

Back to me. Yesterday I joined Fit For Life and printed out the juice recipes. Not surprisingly, I found many of the ingredients I was already using to juice. Again, not surprising, few of them were to be found in the fridge this morning. So off to the market in stretchy pants to buy a basket of veggies and a bag of green apples. I was pleased to see they now have turmeric root in stock and picked up a root of that as well for day four when I get a smoothie.

So yes, I will be juicing for three days. Not as a supplement, but in totality. Plus water and herbal tea. When I mentioned to my daughter that "I don't know if I will be able to do it" she stopped me cold. "Yes you can! You have to go into it knowing you will do it!"  So she will be in charge of eating up the bags of salad I was worrying about going to waste, and will help me prep my bags of veggies and fruit so that juicing in the morning will go smoothly. She is awesome.

Why am I doing this? Um...for my health? For my waist? To be out of pain? Yes, for all of these reasons and more, but mostly for my mental sanity. I cannot go through this Autumn coughing from allergies, I will go crazy if that happens one more time in my lifetime. Juicing will load me up on anti inflammatories, antioxidants, micronutrients etc ad nauseum. So goodby Phlegm, and hello Hope.

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Fit For Life

This morning's juice:
Beet, celery, ginger, lemon, cucumber, red grapes, pear, apple. The fruits were minimal; half an apple, one small old pear, a handful of grapes. This is a red juice, earthy and spicy - the ginger and beet are perfect partners dancing on my tongue.

Later today there will be pizza and cake at Alanna's ice skating birthday party (think Frozen) so the rest of the day needs to be stellar nutrition wise. I am sad that my achilles tendon is keeping me from skating, but it will be awesome to watch all the bucket skaters in their scarves and gloves.

Iminent juicing goal - shake the last of this cold, reduce inflammation, prep for blood work a week from Monday; or in other words, lets try to pretend my health is closer to life than death.

Towards that end I joined Fit For Life to see if I can't find some inspiration from a motivational coach!