Coconut-Curry Chicken Soup

This is not vegan but it is delicious and healthy. Yumm. A fun start to the new year. I found this recipe by Tina Washburn in the December 2008 issue of Cooking Light. http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1860092 It was easy to make, short prep times and a tasty curry flavor. I didn't use as many chilies as called for and it was very good. Two thumbs up from the adults, thumbs down from the 5 year old and youngers.

Egg Rolls Home Made

These were tasty. I want to experiment with the filling for them. I have been eating meat recently but I miss how great I feel when I'm eating superhealthy. I miss how my body feels super clean and efficient. I'm looking forward to getting back to eating like this.

One Year Cleanse?

I have decided to carry out some of the major elements of the cleanse for a year in order to be as healthy as I can be. I'm sticking to no caffeine, no alcohol, no processed sugar, no meat and mostly no dairy products. I'll have some occasional cheese in small amounts. I'm not being too obsessive about it, just doing my best. If I do eat meat or dairy it will be from a source I know for sure did not use any questionable or harmful processing/feeding practices.

The meal above is my new favorite: quinoa with roasted asparagus, mushrooms, onions and tofu. Very tasty flavored with olive oil and a little fresh lemon juice.

Day 15: More Pictures

Polenta and Pinto Bean pie, with soy nacho cheese. (Not our favorite!)


Jasmine Rice Fantasy and African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew with figs and grapes.
Good Meal.

Day 14: Irony

Back in May we ordered a quarter of a cow. One of Patrick's coworkers raises cows and we thought we'd try getting our beef from a local, responsible source. On Day 14 we recieved the call that it was ready at the butchers. Sofia, Otis and I drove out to pick it up and I packed the freezer full with roasts, steaks, and ground beef that we're not going to be able to even think about trying for another week.

Day 15: Catching Up

We're two thirds of the way through our cleanse. While it has been less challenging than we expected, we are anticipating the return of certain currently forbidden foods. Patrick is looking forward to a good beer. I am excited about cutting up a nice freshly baked loaf of bread.

This week it has been a little harder to mix it up and keep the variety and flavors interesting. I had a day when I didn't want to cook so we bought some fairly vegan Thai food. We tried something new, a pumpkin curry. It was delicious. Patrick found himself wishing for it again the next day. Our favorite home cooked meal so far has been the spring rolls and rice with Spicy Peanut Sauce (above). Wow. We will definitely be adding it to our normal lineup. The spring rolls were fun to make.

Day Seven: Motivation

Both Patrick and I have noticed in the last day or so that we have been suddenly ready to take on old tasks that we have been procrastinating for a long time or tackling problems that have needed solving. This is an unexpected but good development. What would happen if everyone in the USA went off sugar, caffeine, alcohol, gluten and animal products for a week?