Sesame Root Veggie Fries

February 20, 2012 By Laura

I can be really lame.

Saturday night I put the French station on Pandora and curled up in my PJs to finish my book for tonight’s book club, The Sharper the Knife, The Less You Cry. It’s my turn to host this week and I terrified everyone with promises of cleansing food. A flurry of emails volunteering meat, desserts, and wine followed. Whatever – I think my food is good! 😉

Anyhow… Saturday while reading I snacked on lavar and kombucha… and it was one of the most glorious nights ever. Cheers to fermented tea, PJs, and being lame.

Here’s what I thought of the book:

The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears at the World’s Most Famous Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a fun, easy read. The book is well-written; it isn’t going to be a classic, but if you love food you’ll enjoy it. It is an eye-opener for anyone who’s dreamed of going to Le Cordon Bleu. I don’t know that I could stomach some of the butchering they were required to do! The best part is that she includes recipes for some of her favorite dishes.

View all my reviews

That pretty much sums up my weekend. I worked out with 2 friends on Saturday morning (2 separate workouts – I was gassed!). The second work out was followed up with this Butternut-Cherry Bomb protein shake… I made one for my “normal” eating workout buddy too and she loved it ~~despite its color~~!!! It kind of made my day.

Other than that it was an anti-social, errand-running weekend. Perfectly punctuated with fries. ~~Surprise, I got a little too excited over dinner.~~

These baked Sesame Root Veggie Fries were better than the real thing to me! Disclaimer: I don’t actually like white potatoes.

The seasoning I came up with is one I’ll be repeating in other dishes – the sweet coconut oil combined with the nutty sesame seeds, a little cayenne heat, and a touch of cinnamon made my taste buds jump for joy. It was like some Thai-fry-fusion gloriousness.

Served with a side of dijon-spiked lentils.

I loved the parsnips. They were the most french fry-like of the mix, and their milder taste lets the seasoning shine.

The beets didn’t wow me. They weren’t bad, but their flavor overpowered the rub.

You know it’s good when the decision about which piece to save for the last bite is a tough one. The sweet potato ended up being the last bite – that added sweetness from the potato made it seem almost like dessert.

Recipe at bottom of post.

This week was killer for weights. I’m still “meh” on the cardio… I attempted to run again on Friday and had to give it up after 1.25 miles due to the pain. Saturday I was able to tag along with a friend to a spin class. It was awesome! Such a different workout for me. A different workout that meant I was so sore Sunday I didn’t do my final BodyRock fit test. That’s going to happen over a lunch workout today – I can’t wait to see the progress, and to start the February challenge!

I also checked out a new workout in this month’s Food & Wine. This is a routine I could get into. Who’s with me? 🙂

Workout Recap (2/13 – 2/19)

Monday – This Body Rock Day 1 Wk 4, Bike (intervals), 100 push-ups
Tuesday – This Body Rock Day 2 Wk 4, Tris/Chest, 100 push-ups
Wednesday – This Body Rock Day 3 Wk 4, Shoulders, Abs, 100 push-ups
Thursday – This Body Rock Day 4 Wk 4, 100 push-ups
Friday – 1.25 mile run, Biceps/Back, Abs
Saturday – Spin class, CrossFit-style workout, 6 min plank rotation
Sunday – 60 mins bike-elliptical-treadmill (intervals), 100 push-ups

Sesame Root Veggie Fries

Inspired by YumUniverse

1 medium beet
1 sweet potato
1 parsnip
2 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 – 1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp liquid coconut oil
S+P, to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place sesame seeds, cayenne, and cinnamon into a small food processor (I use my Magic Bullet) and blend until seeds are broken into tiny pieces (~20 secs).

Slice veggies into thin slices and spread evenly across a foil-lined baking sheet. Pour melted coconut oil over the veggies, sprinkle seed mixture over it, and toss until evenly combined.

Bake for 30-45 mins, tossing once halfway through.

Enjoy!

***

Sunday I was honored to make the FoodBuzz Top 9 for my Butternut Thyme Hummus. Thanks for the Buzz, friends! 🙂

What was the highlight of your weekend?

Is anyone else in a book club? What is the last book you read?

No Beans About It: Butternut Thyme Hummus

February 17, 2012 By Laura

Trivia question.

Winner gets a $25 bar tab. Kidding…

What is the most expensive drink at Starbucks? A $9 Grande Latte with a few fancy add-ins? $15 with some extra espresso shots?

According to this article from Eater, the most expensive drink you can order is $23.60! Lucky for him, the customer had a free drink coupon.

Source: eater.com

This monstrosity was a Trenta (I didn’t even know that was a size) Java Chip Frappuccino with 16 shots of espresso, a shot of soy milk, caramel flavoring, banana puree, strawberry puree, vanilla beans, Matcha powder, protein powder, and a drizzle of caramel and mocha.

It reportedly didn’t even taste good.

One of the hardest parts of being on this cleanse is not having hummus. Like any good blogger, hummus is a staple food for me. It has its own level on my personal food pyramid.

Remember this pic from Wednesday?

As I was roasting squash this weekend, I remembered a hummus I made last summer using butternut squash rather than chickpeas.

This is a new version of that, with thyme being the herb addition rather than rosemary. I don’t know which I like better!

My butternut was one of the sweetest I’ve ever had. Some of that is probably the squash itself, but I also roasted it longer than I usually do. ~~Truth: I kind of forgot it was in the oven.~~

The longer bake time resulted in a sweet glaze on the squash. When I lifted it off to the foil I baked it on, I noticed a caramel had formed on the bottom where the juices spilled over. I promptly ate that up.

Squash caramel aside, you should try this hummus. It’s wonderful with veggies and crackers. Thin it out with some apple cider vinegar and water for a salad dressing. Spread it on a sandwich.

Serve it as an appetizer with crudités and a yeasty sparkling wine (*drool*).

You really can’t go wrong.

Butternut Thyme Hummus

2 C butternut squash, roasted
2 cloves garlic
2 T fresh thyme
1 T tahini
1/4 tsp cayenne
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
S+P, to taste

Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth.

Adjust spices, salt, and pepper to your preference.

Makes 1.5 cups.

***

Tonight is another cleanse dinner. We lost one cleanse buddy, but my BFF and I are still going strong! I’m making root veggie fries to go with her homemade tomato soup… it’s our version of french fries and ketchup.

What are you doing this weekend? Any fun adventures planned?

What is your favorite hummus flavor?

Work it Out: Legs, Glutes, and Core

February 16, 2012 By Laura

It’s no secret that I love weights.

I’ve been doing a lot of great workouts, but have been slacking on sharing them with you all. I promise to do better!

To start, I want to share a Leg/Glute/Core routine I wrote last weekend.

Before you get started with any workout, do at least do 5-10 mins of light cardio to warm up. This is especially important if you workout first thing in the morning before your muscles have a chance to loosen up. It will go a long way in injury prevention! It can be anything from a jog to jumping jacks.

Since I did this first thing, I completed 20 mins of intervals on the elliptical. It was enough to get my heart rate up, loosen my muscles, and get me in the right mindset to tackle this workout.

Throughout this workout, concentrate on keeping your core tight, as if you are bracing to be punched in the stomach. This way you are protecting your back and getting some extra core work!

The Workout: Legs, Glutes, and Core

1. Goblet Squat

Source: fitbit.msn.com

Hold a dumbbell (or kettleball) to your chest, with your elbows pointed to the floor as pictured. Do a squat, lowering your butt as close to the ground as possible. Take care to ensure your knees stay over the center of your feet and your weight stays on your heels.

Pause, then return to the start position. Repeat 8-10 times for 4 sets, taking a short rest (30-60 secs) in between sets.

2. Elevated Back Foot Weighted Split Squat

Source: www.citygeisha.com

Holding a pair of dumbbells at arm’s length.* Stand in a staggered stance, with your back foot on a bench (the higher your foot is, the harder the exercise). Slowly lower your body as far as you can into a lunge squat. Pause for a second, then return to start position. Repeat 10-12 time for each leg, 2 sets each.

*If you are just starting out, try this move without weight first!

3. Single Leg Standing Calf Raise w/ Dumbbell

Source: menshealth.com

Stand on a step, or weight plate. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand and cross your left foot behind your right ankle. Your right heel will be hanging off a step or on the floor. Lift that heel as high as you can. Pause for 2 seconds, then lower and repeat. Do as many reps as you can with your right leg.

Transfer the dumbbell to your left hand, switch feet, and do the same number with your left.

4. Single Leg Bent Knee Calf Raise

Complete this exercise like the one above; however, do so with your knee bent as pictured above. Hold it that way throughout the exercise.

Do as many reps as you can with your right leg, then repeat with the left.

5. Single Leg Donkey Calf Raise

Source: healthxwellness.com

Place both hands on a wall or bar for support. Bend over at your hips so that your upper body is parallel with the floor. Be sure not to round your back!

Do as many reps as you can with your right leg, then repeat with the left.

6. Single Leg Hip Raise w/ Swiss Ball

Source: menshealth.com

Laying on your back, place your left heel on a Swiss ball and hold your right leg in the air.* Engage your glutes and push your hips upward until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees (like in the middle pic above). Keep your core TIGHT!

Roll the ball toward your arse, bending your left knee and pulling the ball with your heel. Return to the starting position, and repeat 12-15 times. Switch and repeat with left leg in the air. Complete 2 sets with each leg.

*If you’re just beginning, do this exercise with both feet on the Swiss-ball, or try it using a bench.

7. Plank

Source: www.mybodymyway.com

Planking is the single most effective this you can do for your abs – better than crunches!!!

With your elbows bent and weight resting on forearms, tighten your core and lift your butt so that your body forms a straight line from shoulders to ankles. Be sure not to let your hips sag, and that your elbows are directly under your shoulders.

Hold for 60 seconds, rest for 30, and repeat.*

*Too hard? Hold it for 30 seconds. Too easy? Try it with your feet elevated on a bench.

8. Swiss Ball Jack Knife

Begin in a push-up position with your toes on a Swiss ball and your arms in push-up position. Keeping your legs straight, raise your butt toward the ceiling while pulling the ball toward your chest with your feet. Take care not to round your back. Pause for 1-2 seconds, and lower your hips to roll back to the start position.

Do 2 sets of 15 reps.

9. Single Leg Side Plank w/ Knee Tuck

Source: oprah.com

Lie on your left side and position your body in a side plank, with your legs straight and your weight resting on your left forearm. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your ankles. Be sure to keep your elbow under your shoulder!

Place your right hand on your hip. Lift your bottom leg so that your foot is next to the inside of your right knee.* Be sure to keep your core tight without rounding your lower back.

Hold for 30-60 seconds, then repeat on the other side. Complete 2 sets on each side.

*Too hard? Keep both feet on the floor.

This whole routine (minus the warm up) took me about 30 minutes.

Printable version you can take to the gym:

Don’t forget your 20g of post-workout protein to aid in recovery and muscle building!*

*No, it won’t result in you looking like She-Man.

INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE?

I offer personalized online training and nutrition programs! Check out my philosophy here and fill out the from for more info.

Also, check out my free Macro Calculator, which helps time your meals to get the most out of your workouts!

***

I am not a trainer. I am not a certified anything. Don’t sue me if you hurt yourself, don’t like the workout, or fail to magically have a Kardashian ass after doing this. I don’t have any money anyway.

What is your favorite body part to work?

Where do you get motivation to work on your fitness? ~~Fergie?~~

Butternut Squash-Cherry Bomb +WIAW

February 15, 2012 By Laura

We’re half way there… whoaaaa, livin’ on a prayer…

Last Wednesday I shared with you all that 2 friends and I began the Standard Process Cleanse. Which means this is another super-clean What I Ate Wednesday (WIAW). And by Wednesday, I mean Tuesday. 🙂

10 days in to the cleanse (half way – woot!), I can honestly say that I haven’t been hungry one time. Veggies are really filling! Admittedly, eating and plant-based diet with no processed foods or breads is more time consuming. The key is to be sure you are prepared.

For instance, on Sunday I roasted beets, butternut squash, and spaghetti squash. Easy fixin’s for smoothies, salads, and “pastas.”

Don’t forget to check out Jenn’s blog to see what everyone else at this Wednesday during this veggie-centric month!

___________________________________________________________________________________

Breakfast:

Ice cream isn’t legal, but that didn’t stop me from a Neapolitan smoothie.

It didn’t stay so pretty after it was fully mixed… but these things happen when you mix green, red, and orange.

Trust me, it tasted better than it looks here:

Butternut Squash-Cherry Bomb Smoothie

1 C spinach
1/2 C butternut squash, roasted
1/2 C black cherries
1/2 C unsweetened vanilla coconut milk (a la So Delicious)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
5-6 drops vanilla stevia
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp guar gum (optional)
Shake of allspice
Shake of salt

Looks bad, taste good. 🙂

Lunch:

The deliciousness below is brought to you by a new (to me) blog: The Vegetable Centric Kitchen.

Rande makes some delicious-looking, vegetarian dishes. This is her Zucchini Pasta with Lemon Tahini Sauce and Roasted Crimini Mushrooms.

Since I don’t have a spiralizer, I used the nifty orange tool picture below to peel my zucchini. I’m not sure what it’s called other than a peeler with razor teeth, but thanks to OXO from gift from the FoodBuzz Festival!

My tweaks:

Used a mix of crimini, oyster, and shiitake mushrooms
Sautéed my mushrooms and onions in coconut oil
Edited the sauce: 2 T tahini, 1/2 lemon juiced, 1 garlic clove (pressed), heaping 1/4 tsp sriracha, S+P, and a bit of water to thin it out.

I’ll be making this on the regular – especially that sauce. It’s going to be making an appearance as a sauce for broccolini tomorrow night! Thanks, Rande!

Snacks:

More veggies! (Try to hide your surprise.)

This dip was ah-mazing with my celery and flax cracker (flax seeds are cleanse-legal!). Recipe to come! 🙂

Pre-dinner snack was another shake – this time with avocado! Nothing earth-shattering in this one…banana, avocado, protein powder, almond extract, cinnamon, vanilla stevia, water, and ice. You’ve seen it all before… I’m scared my shakes are going to bore you! 🙂

Dinner:

I mentioned yesterday that I had some super-cool Valentine’s Day plans cleanse dinner with by best friend! And her baby boy. And her mom. These are some of my favorite people in the world, so it was actually a really nice way to spend Valentine’s Day.

This un-photogenic brown soup was my contribution. It’s a Sweet Potato-Pineapple-Eggplant Curry soup served over wild rice. I’d had it pinned to try for a while, but it was just ok. I’d try again to tweak it to my liking… but honestly it was so time-consuming I don’t think it’s worth it. That takes A LOT for me to say.

More delicious was the raw French green bean salad Mallory made. She tossed them with olive oil, lots of lemon, dill, and a few other herbs. It was fantastically light and the dill was wonderful.

Note to self: use dill more often!

Lastly, I received the nicest surprise – Mallory’s mom brought us both flowers! I was the lucky Valentine’s recipient of a gorgeous bouquet of white tulips.

Overall, it was a nice V-Day. ~~Even if it was chocolate-free.~~

***

I’m driving to AL for a client meeting with my boss. It’s my first one to lead in this role… nervous!!!

What was the best Valentine’s treat/dish you had yesterday?

Do you prep food for week on Sundays?

Drinking My Valentine

February 14, 2012 By Laura

No candy hearts here.

This Valentine’s Day marks the first one I’ve ever celebrated candy-free. It doesn’t seem like a big deal… maybe it’s because Valentine’s Day is a a Tuesday and I’m spending the entire day holed up in a conference room with my boss prepping for a meeting tomorrow? ~~Or it could be because I’ve been single for 2 years.~~

In lieu of silly things like candy and flowers, I’m drinking my holiday spirit…. and for once it doesn’t involve red wine. Today I bring you the best new smoothie I’ve made lately: Roasted Beet and Orange.

You know you make a lot of green smoothies when you get excited that the beets overpowered the spinach to make a red smoothie.

I have never liked beets. The dirt flavor was off-putting and I didn’t like how they stain everything they touch (I also never ate chicken wings because they are too messy… and the bone grosses me out).

Recently, I discovered how delicious they are with citrus – orange and grapefruit in particular. When we started the cleanse, I decided to take the plunge and roast them myself. This has only made me fall completely in love with them! ~~Just in time for Valentine’s Day.~~

Freshly roasted, the flavor turns more earthy than straight-up dirt. I find that the sweetness in these beets came forward more as well.

Source: tasteinspired.wordpress.com

After using the first beet in last week’s red cabbage lentil salad, I started on beet #2. It’s fairly common to see beets listed in juices, why not smoothies?

This post-workout, protein-loaded breakfast smoothie turned out better than I’d hoped! The orange flavor was quite prevalent, and the almond extract was an amazing compliment. Both of these are what I credit for hiding the beet “funk” I was sensitive to.

In case you were wondering, beet sunflower pesto* also eliminates the funk. 🙂

*That post also explains why you should buy ’em even if you don’t like ’em.

Oh yeah…

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Roasted Beet and Orange Smoothie

1 C spinach
1/3 C beet, roasted
1/2 a medium orange
1scoop vanilla protein powder
1 cap full of almond extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp guar gum (optional)
7-8 vanilla stevia drops
1/2 C unsweetened coconut milk
Water and ice, to taste
Ground flax seed, to top

Put it all in the blender/Magic Bullet and let the magic happen!

***

I’m seriously thinking of taking up online dating.

Do you feel like it’s V-Day today? Or just another Tuesday?

What is your favorite Valentine’s candy/chocolate/treat? I love those Reese’s hearts.

High 5 for Monday

February 13, 2012 By Laura

So many new things to talk about!

This weekend has been the most low key I’ve had in a while, but it was much needed. I hit the ultimate level of productivity: not only did I wash the sheets, but I also washed the mattress cover and flipped the mattress. Be honest: when was the last time you washed you mattress cover?

As much as I know you all are riveted by my cleaning accomplishments, here are 5 other announcements that might be more interesting to you ~~(I know my mattress is riveting)~~.

1. I am excited to announce that I am a Recipe Guru @ Around the Plate.

You can just call me “Guru” if you wish. 😉

There’s a new button on my side bar for easy access to the site. If you click on it, go to “thePlate Community” tab and click on Recipe Gurus. I’m the second from the bottom.

I am excited about the chance to share fun food ideas with more people… and the added motivation to keep it clean. 🙂

2. My Recipage is live!

This is really exciting because it will be MUCH easier to search recipes, ingredients, etc on Sprint 2 the Table. I’m done with Breakfasts and Mains. All new recipes will be added on Recipage from now on. Check it out on the top menu bar!

It’s a slow process, but I thought I’d go ahead and unveil it… which will force me to speed it up. 😉

3. The Blend Retreat is May 4-6th in Boulder, CO.

Blend was named from the combo of two things: Blogger + Friend = Blend! It’s designed to be “relaxed, laid back retreat for healthy living, food and fitness bloggers across North America!! Instead of focusing on seminars and speakers, the focus will be on FELLOWSHIP and having a weekend away to get to know one another in real life!”

I’m going and you should too! Tickets are just $75 and there are some great sponsors and activities planned (dinners, hikes, bootcamp class, etc). Seriously – for this price I was shocked to see how much is included. Click here for the schedule and here for the list of attendees.

4. The dinner with my cleanse buddies was a win.

We had so much fun. One friend brought a delicious avocado-red pepper soup and the other brought an awesome fruit blend covered in cinnamon for dessert.

I brought back another old cleanse recipe – Mamma’s Italian Stir-Fry. It was just as good the second time around! This is a great recipe for using what you have. I used portobello mushrooms rather than shiitake, used 1 huge eggplant, added a red pepper, and tossed in some apple cider vinegar and ground oregano.

We ate dinner (sans wine for the first time ever), enjoyed fruit for dessert out of martini glasses, talked about the random smoothies we’ve been making (no one likes what blueberries do texture-wise when blended), and then enjoyed a rousing game of Clue. Old school and awesome. ~~Until I lost.~~

5. I ate some ugli.

Ugli fruit, that is. Have you guys ever seen these? They are indeed ugly on the outside, but taste like an orange-y grapefruit. Not quite as sweet as an orange, but it lacked the bitterness of a grapefruit. I loved it as part of my breakfast!

According to Wikipedia, the Ugli fruit was discovered growing in the wild and is a hybrid of a grapefruit, orange, and tangerine.

____________________________________________________________________________

This week was a good one for weights… a little lacking on cardio. I get to try running again on Wednesday and I think my body know that and is subsequently rebelling against the elliptical. I hate that thing!

Most exciting is my BodyRock progress. This week’s first video included a progress check – we were to re-do the fit test from Day 1. I honestly didn’t think I’d improve that much. For 50 seconds you do as many of each exercise below, take 10 seconds of rest, and then move on to the the next.

Apparently I wasn’t feeling the burpees (I was really sore… ~~also, I hate them~~), but I was really blown away at the improvement in tuck jumps! All of this without buying any of their equipment. It can be done with free weights and a bench (or couch).

I can’t wait to see what the final 2 weeks of the BodyRock 30 Day Challenge brings!

Workout Recap (2/6 – 2/12)

Monday -P90X Tris/Chest
Tuesday – This Body Rock Day 1 Wk 3 + fit test, Bike (intervals)
Wednesday – Elliptical (intervals), Shoulders, 6 min plank rotation, This Body Rock Day 2 Wk 3
Thursday – Legs, Bike (intervals), 100 push-ups
Friday – This Body Rock Day 5 Wk 3, Biceps/Back, P90X Ab Ripper X
Saturday – P90X Cardio, This Body Rock Day 4 Wk 3, 100 push-ups
Sunday – Elliptical (intervals), Legs/Glutes, Core, 100 push-ups

***

Added benefit of the cleanse: I spent about $350 less this week than I normally do. Holy cost savings.

What did you do this weekend?

Did it suddenly become arctic where you live? I actually saw snow flurries!

Sweet Potato Pie Chia Pudding

February 10, 2012 By Laura

We’re on Day 5 of a successful cleanse!

16 to go.

Honestly, it hasn’t been hard. It’s been so great having the friend support, and seeing them feel good makes me even more determined.

Results come quickly! My friend sent me the following message yesterday morning:

I have an inordinate amount of energy. This from a girl who consumed no less than 6 servings a day of caffeine… I’m like, let me clean the whole house, do laundry, and work all day with my kid on my hip. WOO!

I’m so proud of my best friend!!!

The daily breakfast smoothies continue. I do love smoothies. With all of the random things I throw in them, I rarely end up with the same concoctions (except my favorite Liquid Sweet Potato Pie).

Atlanta is finally getting cold(er) this week and the thought of a cold drink for breakfast was too much to handle. Then I remembered – seeds are allowed on the cleanse… that makes chia pudding legal!

I typically make fruit-based chia puddings like this peach cobbler chia or this banana cashew… but there was a giant sweet potato staring at me. With my favorite smoothie in mind, I decided to try it as a chia pudding.

Sweet Potato ~~Pie~~ Chia Pudding. Sweet chia, it was good.

Nuts aren’t allowed, so that ruled out adding my usual nut butters… again, seeds are legal… sesame… tahini!

Turned out to be a genius mix-in. The nutty, toasty flavor came through subtly, adding a cool dimension.

The martini glass certainly added something as well. 🙂

Sweet Potato Pie Chia Pudding

1/4 large sweet potato, baked
1 T chia seeds
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 C unsweetened vanilla coconut milk (or other liquid of choice)
2 tsp tahini
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ginger
2-3 drops vanilla stevia
Shake of salt
Pinch cloves

In a bowl, mash up the sweet potato until smooth. Mix in all other ingredients and refrigerate at least 1 hour (or overnight). If it looks too thick, add more milk or water as needed.

Stir and enjoy!

***

Weekends are always my clean-eating weakness, so I’m really excited to have a dinner and game night with my cleanse buddies!

Have you made chia pudding before?

Are you celebrating Valentine’s Day this weekend? Share your plans – let me live vicariously!

Clean(se) Eating + WIAW

February 8, 2012 By Laura

My friends and I went crazy.

Monday we kicked off a cleanse.

21 days of veggies, fruits, and protein shakes. We also get a serving of lentils or wild rice per day, and on day 11 we can add 1 (4 oz) serving of deep sea fish or chicken (I’ll be adding tempeh). Yep – I’m bringing back the Standard Process Cleanse ~~and taking my friends down with me~~.

We have been exchanging smoothie pics (mine are the greenest – bwhahaha!), sending desperate emails inspired by caffeine-withdraw… MMSing refrigerator pics…

Mallory’s fridge, post-WF trip

We are also planning cleansing group dinners. Friday is group dinner #1 and game night. In lieu of wine, I suggested we make grape smoothies. If we ferment the grapes ourselves, is it cleanse-approved?

Needless to say, this is going to be the cleanest What I Ate Wednesday I’ve posted in a loooong while. 🙂

AND Jenn read my mind because she’s encouraging everyone to post a veggie-centric WIAW. Check out Jenn’s blog to see what everyone else at this Wednesday!