Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

Packed with natural sugars and healthy fats, these little cookies are my new favorite after- lunch sweet treat. I keep a batch in the freezer and have noticed that they dry out a bit when stored like this, but I think that makes them taste even more like a baked cookie (versus your typical raw energy ball).  Seriously, these cookies taste so much like the baked, less wholesome version that I'm surprised (in a good way) every time I bite into one.

Like many raw treats, this one has limited ingredients (PB, dates, almonds, salt) and comes together in a snap.  Head over to A House in the Hills for the recipe!

Note:  I added a bit more peanut butter than the recipe calls for.  Taste and adjust as you go.

UPDATE: I also made these with almond pulp instead of almonds and they turned out just fine! I'm always happy to find a recipe to use up the mountains of pulp I have in my freezer (from making homemade nut milk).  SCORE.

Thoughts on the New Year + Orange Immunity Booster Juice

Hello and happy first weekend of 2014!  Over the past week, I've done some reflection on the past year - accomplishments, big events, life changes- and a lot of thinking about the year to come.  I'm happy that, for the most part, I have posted on the blog fairly  regularly, and I intend to keep this up in 2014.  I do, however, have a few things I would like to work on (with the blog in particular).  I tend to post a lot of dessert recipes, because I love creating sweet treats to share, but I know many people are trying to reset after an indulgence holiday season, so I am going to try to post a more diverse set of recipes (think juices, salads, snacks, and more raw desserts - I make these all the time, I just don't write about them as much).  Also, I'm going to try to put in a bit more information about the ingredients I use and (what I know about) their health benefits, because I think it's super interesting and useful, again especially considering many peoples renewed commitment to health in the new year.  Finally, I'm going to continue to post about restaurants, events, travel, etc, since I think exploration of the world outside my kitchen is an important part of urban backpacking life.

Here's the first juice I made this year - inspired by this.  I bought fresh turmeric earlier this week and am so glad I finally tried juicing it; it really adds an interesting flavor to this juice, not to mention a load of health benefits.  Turmeric is an acquired taste, so start small and increase as you wish.  If you don't like turmeric, or can't find it fresh, feel free to substitute ginger - I'm sure it will turn out fabulous.

Orange Immunity Booster Juice:

1 orange
4 carrots
1/2 small apple
1/2 small beet
1 inch fresh turmeric

Wash, juice, and enjoy!  Makes enough for two small glasses, or one large glass. 

 

Why does this juice rock? 

- Turmeric - Mainly known for its powerful anti-inflammatory properties, this orange root is loaded with vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin K.  Turmeric also contains a substance which helps stimulate the immune system.  Additionally, it helps improve digestion and is a natural liver detoxifier (increases the production of vital enzymes).  
- Beet - One of richest dietary sources of antioxidants, beets also contain nitrates which improve blood flow throughout the body and a hefty dose of vitamin C.
- Orange - In addition to vitamin C, oranges are full of potassium, a mineral responsible for helping the heart function.  And although most people think of citrus fruits as acidic, they actually have an alkalizing effect on the body, which means they help the blood take in more oxygen.  Without proper oxygen in the blood, we get real sick (think cancer, heart disease, diabetes). 

Cheers to health and happiness in 2014!

4 medium organic carrots
1 small golden beet ( 2- 3 inches in diameter) scrubbed and cut in half (optional)
1 apple - cored
1 orange (peeled)
1 Tablespoon sliced fresh turmeric root ( peels are OK) more to taste. - See more at: http://www.feastingathome.com/2014/01/a-new-year-fresh-turmeric-tonic.html#sthash.RTRmb0Im.dpuf

4 medium organic carrots
1 small golden beet ( 2- 3 inches in diameter) scrubbed and cut in half (optional)
1 apple - cored
1 orange (peeled)
1 Tablespoon sliced fresh turmeric root ( peels are OK) more to taste. - See more at: http://www.feastingathome.com/2014/01/a-new-year-fresh-turmeric-tonic.html#sthash.RTRmb0Im.dpuf

IM BACK + Travel Snack Reviews

HELLO!  I am back in DC from my long bout of traveling, and boy does it feel good (although I'm still living out of a suitcase...more on that later) !  While I love to see the world/country, traveling definitely adds stress and can often mess with healthy eating and work out plans.

I'm planning to do a post on how to stay healthy while traveling, but for now I will simply provide a few product reviews.  As mentioned previously, I'm not one to buy a lot of packaged foods, but being on the road had me trying out more items than usual, so I thought I would share some of my finds with you!

Perfect Fit Protein Powder

A co-worker gave me one of these single-serve packets and I loved it!  This protein power is raw, vegan, and gluten free - 15g for only 70 calories.  I especially appreciated that I knew all of the ingredients - organic sprouted brown rice protein, vanilla extract, guar gum, stevia, and sea salt.  As for the taste, its a mild vanilla with only a slightly chalky aftertaste (come on, what protein powder doesn't taste chalky?)  I absolutely prefer this to some of the stronger flavored proteins I have tried in the past (Vega, I'm looking at you!).  Best of all, the single-serve packets are perfect for travel.  Bottom line:  After trying this, I promptly ordered a whole box.  If you think your diet needs a raw, vegan protein boost, you should check out Perfect Fit!

Evolution Juices

While fresh veggie juice is becoming more and more popular, it is still not something you can find everywhere.  However, you can now find it at many Starbucks locations, thanks to Evolution juices!  I have tried a few of the green juice varieties, and have been pleasantly surprised (and we all know how picky I am when it comes to green juice).  Bottom line:  Moderately priced and conveniently located, I will be coming back for more!

GoPicnic Ready-to-Eat Meals

GoPicnic makes ready-to-eat meals that are vegan and allergy friendly and are sold at many airports across the US.  Basically these are the new-age Lunchables of the health conscious population.  I tried the Hummus & Crackers meal on a recent flight, and was pleasantly surprised.  I loved that the meal had a bunch of individually packed items - I ate half of it on the plane, and half another day for a snack.  While quite expensive when purchased at the airport, you can't beat the convenience of this nutritious item.  Bottom line:  Not an item I would regularly purchase, but I like the product and will probably buy again when in a pinch for quick, healthy meal while on the go.

Organic Raw One Flax Crackers

I found these raw crackers in a health food store in Orlando, FL and decided to give them a try since they were sorta local.  I tried the Golden Nori flavor and absolutely loved it - I am a sucker for crunchy & salty snacks, throw in superfoods like nori and healthy spices, and I'm sold. My only complaint was that the flax seed were whole, and from my understanding our bodies cannot absorb all the nutrients from whole flax seed (hence why it is usually ground before use).  Bottom line:  A healthy, tasty snack I would buy again.

That's all for now!  I promise to be back to regular posting again soon!

Review: Two Vegan Sistas - Memphis, TN

Two Vegan Sistas is a brand new mostly raw and 100% vegan food delivery service in Memphis, TN  (yes,  there are actually two sisters who run the show here).  Upon finding out about these ladies, I knew I had to try something while I was in the area.  You place your order by calling up the sisters and then you arrange for a delivery time.  There is a delivery charge, but it is very reasonable if you order multiple meals at once. 


The menu is pretty diverse - entrees ranging from raw sushi to raw BBQ "nutmeat,"  with lots of side choices and yummy sounding desserts.  I decided to go with the sampler platter ($10 for five items from the menu) so I could try a little bit of a bunch of different things.  I also ordered the PB Pie, the raw oreos, and a vanilla almond milk (to get a taste of the whole spectrum of offerings - "research" as I sometimes put it).

I had no idea what to expect as I have seen a pretty broad spectrum of raw food, from the refined One Lucky Duck and Pure Food and Wine in NYC, to the more comfort style eats of Khepra's in DC.  When my food arrived, I was shocked to see how little of it there actually was!  From the few pictures online, I envisioned much larger portions.  That being said, I reminded myself that raw food is generally more nutrient (and calorie) dense, so you feel full and satisfied with less.

Sampler - Sandwich, sushi, chicken salad, falafel (hiding), and kale salad

Peanut Butter Chocolate "Pie"

Now for the taste (all items noted below are vegan AND raw, with the exception of the bread on the portabello sandwich, which was not raw):

- Sushi - Nori filled with avocado, some sort of spread, and crunchy veggies.  The nori was a bit soggy, but the roll itself was tasty.
- Chicken salad - Probably my favorite item.  This had good flavor, surprisingly sweet and savory at the same time.  The texture was a little sticky... in a good way if that makes any sense (versus grainy which can often be the case with nut and seed based mixtures).
- Falafel - This didn't remind me much of falafel, that is besides the shape.  The only flavor I could detect was cumin, which isn't what I normally think of when I think of falafel.
- Kale salad - Good, not great.  Kale, avocados, and sun dried tomatoes (I think). Tiny portion so I didn't have much to judge from.
- Portabello sandwich - This was "roasted" portabello mushrooms with pickles and onions on sprouted bread.  The mushrooms were good, but it wasn't really a solid sandwich if you ask me - it could have used some sort of  think sauce or hummus.
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie - Extremely sweet, too sweet for my taste buds (although I did eat the whole thing).  Still, quite yummy, although it was more of a pudding than a pie (it came in a cup).  Filling tasted of peanut butter and chocolate, crust was made of coconut and nuts.
- Oreos - The oreo "cookie" was similar in texture to a Larabar, with an interesting taste as the Sistas use carob instead of chocolate.  I wasn't the biggest fan of this "cookie," but I loved the inner "creme,"  and wished there had been more in each.
-Vanilla Almond Milk - This was also way too sweet for my taste buds.  And there was something a little off in the flavor (maybe it was the sweetener?)

I ate half the sampler plate and the PB pie for dinner one night, and the rest for lunch the next day.  I tried one oreo and shared the other two with co-workers.  If you don't include dessert (since I wouldn't order this for a normal meal),  that comes to just $5 per meal, exclusive of delivery charges.  This is an exceptionally good deal, as raw, vegan food can be obnoxiously expensive (I'm looking at you One Lucky Duck).

Overall, while I didn't love everything I tried, I do love the business concept and the prices are decent so I will probably order more of their food in the future. 

NYC Adventure - Part 1

This post will begin a series of travel posts.  I will be on the road for 6 of the next 7 weeks, with just one week at home to pack and move out of my apartment (more on that later).  I always try to make the most of my travel opportunities and I plan to share my favorite sights, activities, and eats here.

So NYC... Unlike so many people, I have never longed to live in the Big Apple.  Sure, I love Broadway shows and fashion and Sex and the City, but NYC always seemed too big, too loud, and too money driven.  This trip totally changed my thoughts on the city... I absolutely LOVED it!  Here is why...

I took the train up to NYC on Wednesday morning.  I had to be at the office shortly after arriving, but I found time to grab a fruit and spirulina smoothie from a cart across from my hotel.  Score 1 for for NYC:  Fruits, smoothies, and juices are easy to find and can be cheap! While the afternoon was spent working, I was able to meet up with my friend Kelly for dinner and a run in Central Park.  Central Park is incredible, especially for runners.  There were tons of people walking and running, even on such a hot evening.  Score for NYC:  Green space (i.e. space to RUN).

I had work stuff all day Thursday, but made an early morning stop at Organic Avenue, an NYC organic juice bar chain, to get some breakfast and stock up on snacks.  I got the Jalepiña juice, made with spinach, celery, cucumber, parsley, romaine, jalapeño, pineapple, and cilantro.  This green juice packed a punch and was great for some early morning energy.  Organic Avenue also sells raw food and snacks.  I grabbed a coconut yogurt and cinnamon raisin granola for my breakfast, both of which were really good.  As everything I got was so delicious, not to mention so healthy, I knew I would be back again. Score for NYC:  Organic Avenue. Period.

Coconut yogurt

After work on Thursday I hit up a yoga class at a studio recommended by two friends - Yoga to the People.  YTTP is donation based, which makes it an affordable way to practice while traveling (for comparison, other studios I looked at in NYC had drop in rates of $30 per class - crazy!).  The class was great and it was awesome to see that the studio was thriving.  Score for NYC:  Affordable yoga!

After yoga I stopped by One Lucky Duck - the takeaway raw food shop operated by the folks who own Pure Food and Wine (a super upscale raw food restaurant in NYC).  One Lucky Duck and Pure are known for their amazing desserts, so I splurged and got a 'Mallomar' along with a salad. First, the salad - greens, kale, and herbs topped with hemp seeds and pumpkin seed macadamia "parmesan" and a lemon pumpkin seed dressing.  This salad was everything I could want in a salad - it was huge, fresh, and delicious, filled with nutrient dense ingredients.  The salad could have easily been enough for two meals, but seeing as I was pretty hungry from the yoga class I devoured the whole thing.  The Mallomar was also delicious:  a crunchy, chocolate dipped cookie topped with a cloud of sweet cream.  Again, I knew I would be back to One Lucky Duck to taste more of their amazing raw goodies. Score for NYC:  Yummy and healthy raw food!

Mallomar from One Lucky Duck

Friday started super early, with a 7AM running tour of downtown NYC!  I had read about running tours, but this was my first time trying one, and it was a blast.  By running instead of walking you can cover a lot more territory in a shorter time period, and get a work out in!  Our guide, Karl, was super knowledgeable and friendly and carried water for us.  I would definitely recommend this type of tour to any traveling fitness enthusiasts.

Our guide pointing out some sights

Tall buildings!

Park with a view of the city hall

View of Freedom Tower from Tribeca

Me with the Charging Bull post run!

I then headed back to my hotel, stopping at Organic Avenue along the way to pick up some breakfast.  A mini Cafe Latte to counteract the early morning wake up, a Matcha Chai Glow smoothie, and a SHOT.  What?  A shot for breakfast?  Organic Avenue has all these different "booster shots" you can take - wheatgrass, chlorophyll, lemon, ginger, and other interesting blends, each with a specific health benefit.  I felt like I was coming down with a cold, so they recommended the 'Oregano Candida Cleanse' - garlic, oil of oregano, lemon, and alkaline water.  I was a little hesitant but was reassured that it tasted like pizza.  Sure enough, it did taste like pizza!  If you were to blend pizza up into a liquid... regardless, my head and throat felt much clearer the rest of the day, so I think that the shot helped.

After showering and wrapping up some work things, I packed up and checked out of my hotel.  I had plans to meet my friend Emily for lunch, but had a little time to explore until then.  I walked around the Union Square and Gramercy areas taking in the Friday morning sights, and stumbled upon a fairly large farmer's market.  Before too long, I headed to Murray Hill where I had my lunch date.  This area is affectionately known as 'Curry Hill' due to the large number of Indian restaurants.  That being said, Emily and I dined on some delicious (and cheap) Indian food at Chote Nawab. The lunch special at this place was incredible - for under $20, we each got a dish (palak paneer for Emily, okra for me), plus lentils, rice, and naan.  Also, when the waiter realized that I don't eat dairy (the lentils contain butter), he brought us out another lentil dish at no extra cost.  Score for NYC: Great ethnic food.  We hardly made a dent in all of it!  Besides the good food, it was awesome to catch up with another friend.  She had to get back to work, but we made plans to meet up again later in the weekend.

Stay tuned for Part 2 featuring a great art exhibit, more green juice, phenomenal vegan sushi, and a flea market adventure...

Superfood Energy Bites

While traveling in Thailand, I discovered a few different places selling raw energy balls with spirulina, which were absolutely delicious.  I have made my own energy bars with spirulina in the past, but was never happy with the taste.  Upon tasting versions that I loved during my travels, I knew I had to try making my own again.  Back in my kitchen and reunited with my food processor, I set out to replicate these tasty treats and the following deliciousness was born:

Super Food Energy Bites - Vegan, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Raw
Inspired by This Rawsome Vegan Life

1/2 cup raw nuts (I used half walnuts and half cashews)
3/4 cup raw seeds (I used equal parts chia, hemp, and sesame seeds)
3/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/3 cup ground flaxseed

2/3 cup raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup raisins
1 heaping cup dates
2-3 T spirulina
1 t turmeric
1/4 cup cacao nibs or chopped dark chocolate
Dash sea salt
1-3 T melted coconut oil
Additional sesame seeds for coating (optional)


Throw all ingredients except coconut oil in your food processor and process until well ground and combined.  Add coconut oil, as needed, until mixture begins to stick together.  Form into bite sized balls and roll in sesame seeds (if desired). Store in the fridge for up to one week, or freeze to keep longer. 

These don't taste exactly like my favorite ones from Thailand, but boy are they delicious - sweet gooey bites of chocolatey goodness.  I gave some to my mom who is not always a fan of my healthy desserts and she agreed that they taste like candy, and she could not believe that they were healthy. Chock full of super foods and healthy fats, a few of these bites make the perfect snack that will satisfy your sweet tooth and keep you full for hours.

For nutrition nerds like me, here's some fun facts on a few of the superfoods that make these bites so healthy:


- Chia seeds: An excellent source of fiber (which helps you feel full longer). Full of protein, packed with antioxidants, loaded with vitamins and minerals, and are the richest known plant source of omega-3 fatty acids.
- Raw cacao: Raw cacao is the number one source of magnesium of any food on the planet, contains 314% of the US RDA of iron per serving, and contains the highest concentration of antioxidants of any food in the world.
- Coconut oil: Coconut oil is a raw saturated fat containing mostly medium-chain fatty acids that the body can metabolize efficiently and convert to energy quickly, which helps ease digestion and the absorption of vitamins. Coconut oil is also considered to be anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial.
-Spirulina: Spirulina consists of 65-71% protein, the highest concentration of protein found in any food. Each gram of spirulina protein is four times more absorbable than the same gram of protein in beef.  It is considered a complete protein source - contains all eight essential amino acids, and eighteen amino acids in total, as well as lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.  
- Turmeric - In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric was considered a whole body cleansing herb and has been used for centuries to reduce inflammation. 
- Flax seeds - An excellent source of both soluble and insoluble fiber, flax seed also contains Omega-3 essential fatty acids, "good" fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects. 
- Hemp seeds - Also known as hemp hearts, hemp seeds are another complete protein source, and are easily digestible.

 Source of nutritional info (besides what I have collected in my brain over the years): David Wolfe's Longevity Warehouse. 

Banana Bread Soft Serve

Bananas are my favorite fruit, hands down.  They are so versatile, delicious, and healthy -  what is not to love?  I joke that I don't feel comfortable if I don't have a bunch (or three) on my counter at all times.  Except I'm actually pretty serious...

I was out of town this past weekend and I came home to a bunch of very ripe bananas.  Since I am leaving for my MONTH long trip (more on that later) this coming weekend, I needed to use up these bananas ASAP.  I usually use ripe bananas as an excuse to make banana bread, but I didn't feel like turning the oven on.  I also sometimes use extra bananas to make banana soft serve, so I came up with the ingenious idea to blend these two recipes and make BANANA BREAD SOFT SERVE.

Step 1: Make Your Banana Bread - Since I didn't want to go through the trouble of actually baking banana bread, I decided to use homemade banana bread Larabars instead.  Per usual, I didn't follow a recipe when making my Larabars... but there are plenty out there to follow:  Oh She Glows has a recipe that I'm sure would work for this.  You could also just buy a few Larabars.  You will want to use the equivalent of about 3 bars, so if your recipe makes more, save the extras for another time (or eat separately).

Step 2:  Make Your Banana Soft Serve - Slice and freeze 3-5 bananas (or more if you want more soft serve).  Once frozen, add to your food processor with a few tablespoons of non dairy milk (just enough to get the mix going) and blend until smooth.  I also added about two teaspoons of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.

Step 3:  Combine and Consume - Crumble your "banana bread" into your soft serve and pulse until well combined.  Consume immediately!  This is best and most like soft serve when eaten immediately.  You could also stick the mix back in the freezer, but you will want to let it defrost a bit before eating.

This concoction turned out worlds better than I could have imagined.  The larabar gave the soft serve some texture and chew, and the ripe bananas provided sweetness without any added sugars.  Delicious, but healthy enough to have for breakfast (which I did two days in a row).

I know not everyone is as much of a banana lover as I am.  For those of you who are not bananas for bananas, I recommend the following substitutions:

- Use a different homemade Larabar flavor.  I'm definitely going to try this with chocolate and/or peanut butter bars next time.  Chocolate Covered Katie has a whole slew of recipes you can choose from.
- Use less ripe bananas in your banana soft serve.  Green or yellow bananas will still give you a great soft serve consistency but will have less banana flavor than spotted or brown bananas.  Less ripe bananas will also be less sweet, so you may need to add sweetener such as agave or maple syrup depending on your taste buds.
- Get creative with add-ins!  Mix in mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts, nut butter, banana chips... the possibilities are endless!

What do you do with overripe bananas?  Have you ever tried banana soft serve?

Spring Cleaning - Part 2

This post continues my juice cleanse journey through the last two days of my Urban Remedy cleanse.

Day two:  I woke up a little groggy but my head cleared as soon as I had my first juice. Energy was decent throughout the morning and early afternoon - I went to a yoga class and did some cleaning around my apartment.  During yoga I was slightly tired, but I also felt very light.  I made the mistake of going to the farmer's market (I needed to get some produce for the rest of the week).  After that, all I wanted to do was toss my greens in some olive oil and dig in with a fork!

 "Young Love" chia juice with a spoon!

Later in the afternoon I had a light headache, but it did not last long.  I met up with some friends early in the evening.  I think I was pretty out of it.  By the time I got home at 8PM I was ready for bed.  I had my last juice and read for a bit, but passed out very early.

Day three:  Slept for 11 hours but woke up feeling energized.  I had to go to work so I packed all my juices and set off into the rainy weather.  I had some coconut water along with my first (all green) juice.  Felt good all day, but was a little anxious to be done with the cleanse and eat already!  No headaches today - does this mean I have kicked my coffee addiction?

Post cleanse:  As it is recommended to ease into a cleanse, it is also suggested to gradually make your way back to eating again.  Although I wanted to devour all the foods I had been missing immediately, I knew I should take things slowly so that my body would be able to adjust and continue to detox.   On the few days following the cleanse, I had smoothies with banana and homemade almond milk for breakfast.  I made a huge salad with raw veggies and hemp seeds for lunch and dinner, and snacked on green juices and raw nuts.  I did have a cup of coffee on the second day following the cleanse, and did not feel any ill effects.

Post cleanse salad

I definitely felt lighter after the cleanse, and my digestion seems to be improved as well.  I also feel like my mind is clearer and more focused.  My energy levels have been pretty high post-cleanse, despite the lack of caffeine.  As I mentioned above, I did drink coffee a few days after the cleanse (and I probably will continue to), so I will be interested to see if this has any effect on my energy, focus, etc.  While the cleanse itself was both a physical and mental challenge, I'm glad I took the time to do this and will for sure do another in the future.


Would I do this cleanse again?  While I liked most of the Urban Remedy juice blends, there were a few that were not so palatable to me.  The "After Party," which contained beet, carrot, apple, and ginger, was good but I could not drink the whole juice at once.  Same thing with the "Beam," which was carrots, jewel yams, burdock root, and dandelion greens and I ended up throwing out most of one of these.   But overall I really appreciated the complexity and unique-ness of the juices.  For example, the juices with chia seeds were more like smoothies and made the cleanse a lot easier.  I am working on re-creating these recipes because I enjoyed these so much.  Finally, I loved that the juices were based off of Traditional Chinese Medicine principals.  Each juice had a "factoid" on the juice bottle telling you something about the healing properties of the ingredients.  Although the price of a purchased juice cleanse is pretty high, the ease and convenience of it is awesome.  All things considered, I can confidently say that I would choose Urban Remedy again in the future.

Have you ever done a juice cleanse or other detox?  What was your experience like? 

Spring Cleaning - Part 1

The next few months are going to be a whirlwind of activity and travel.  This weekend being my last "calm" weekend at home, I decided to take the time to do some spring cleaning.  While I do also plan to clean out my apartment, my main effort is to detox my mind and body, so I am doing a three day juice cleanse.

I own a juicer and have done juice cleanses before, but this time I chose to do a delivered cleanse.  There are tons of options out there!  After some research, I decided on the Urban Remedy cleanse for the main reason that their juices are very low in sugar.  An added bonus that all the blends looked absolutely delicious.

Urban Remedy offers three different levels of cleanses: Signature, Purify, and Super Green.  I will be doing one day of the Signature cleanse and two days of the Purify cleanse.  The Urban Remedy site offers guidance on choosing a cleanse length and level, but in the end you can pick any combination and duration you like.

Prepping for the cleanse:  The Urban Remedy website provides a detailed list of foods you should limit in preparing for your cleanse. I normally eat a pretty clean diet (no meat, dairy, eggs, or other animal products, and limited processed foods), but in the days before the cleanse I made an effort to drink less coffee and more green juices and smoothies.   The one item I did eat from the "limit" list was bananas.  As this was the only fruit on the list, I would be interested to know why it was included.

I should also note that in deciding when to start the cleanse, I considered when I would be able to make the time to really relax and reflect, and enjoy the full benefits of the cleanse.  As I mentioned, the next few months of my schedule are jam-packed so this weekend seemed like the perfect time to take a break.

Day one:  The down side of selecting the Urban Remedy cleanse is that it is based in California, and therefore the juices had a long way to travel before arriving on my doorstep in DC.  I wake up very early naturally, so I had some blueberries and tea to tide me over until my juices arrived at around 10:45AM.  I also did some gentle yoga.  My energy was very low until I got the first two juices in me, and then I felt fine.  I went for a walk outside and did notice that my senses seemed a bit more heightened than normal.  I also will admit that I went for an easy jog - most cleanses do not recommend vigorous exercise while cleansing, but I the runner in me could not let such a beautiful day pass without at least a short jog.  I definitely felt heavier in my legs and slower than usual, which is probably due to the complete lack of coffee and caffeine in my system.   Later in the afternoon and evening I had a bit of headache, which is to be expected and some say is a sign of detox.  I enjoyed the last two juices of the day while relaxing at home.

Overall, the juices were very tasty.  The first juice was the greenest (the "Brainiac") as it contained no fruit)and I preferred this over the other green juice ("Flush") which contained apple.  For some reason, my taste buds dislike the combination of apple and ginger in green juices, although Urban Remedy's blend also contained mint which made this juice more palatable to me.  The "Time Machine" with acai, lemon, and cayenne was very refreshing, although it was not very substantial.  Since I received my juices late and was behind the suggested schedule, I decided to skip the fourth juice (the "After Party").  Okay, reality check, I skipped the fourth juice because my body was craving something sweet and the next juice ("Warrior" with raspberries and chia seeds) sounded amazing.  This juice was fantastic and was more like a smoothie due to the chia seeds.  My only criticism is that it contained stevia, which I did not think was completely necessary.  The final juice of the day ("Relax") was a cashew nut milk with cinnamon.  Again, this juice was more like a smoothie and was a great end to the day.  I was surprised to see that this juice did not contain any sugar or stevia (the "nut milk" juice of most juice cleanses is usually sweetened).

After my final juice I had some hot tea and was ready for bed.  Sleep was glorious.  I woke up a bunch of times to go to the bathroom (all that juice and tea!) but I slept for almost 12 hours which is crazy abnormal for me!  Guess my body needed it.  Well this was a longer post than I intended, but I hope it will be helpful for anyone interested in doing a cleanse.  I will post more thoughts and feedback after days 2 and 3.

Back Again

Good morning!

Yes, it has been awhile.  Almost a year to be exact.  Perhaps I'm not cut out to be a serial blogger, but I'm going to keep trying.  No chit chat today- I want to get straight to the point and share a recipe that I have been loving on hard for the past few weeks:  Brazil Nut Milk.

 
Most of you have probably heard of Almond Milk, maybe you have even tried it a few times.  Some of you may be familiar with Cashew Milk, made popular by the Blue Print Cleanse.  But Brazil Nut Milk - anyone??  Probably not.  But let me tell you, this stuff is fantastic.  Like knock your taste buds off good.  It is incredible creamy, like cashew milk, but also fabulously nutty.  It's great in coffee and absolutely delicious in smoothies or atop some fresh granola.

Since Brazil nuts are soft, you do not have to soak so you can decide to make the milk and be done in a little over 10 minutes.  I have found I can get Brazil nuts for cheap compared to some other nuts - just $6.99 per pound at Trader Joe's (which will last you for at least 4 batches of nut milk).

To make the milk you will need a high powered blender and either a nut milk bag (which you can find on Amazon for as little as $5.99) or a cheesecloth.  A nut milk bag is a fine mesh bag that can be used again and again, and is a great investment if you like to make your own nut milks. 

Besides Brazil nuts, you will also need filtered water and whatever flavorings you want to add.  I like to add 2-3 Medjool dates, vanilla extract, a touch of salt and some cinnamon, but feel free to play with ingredients based on your personal preferences.   Other flavors I have been wanting to try include maple syrup and nutmeg.

Go check out the basic recipe at Choosing Raw and make some today!