People turn their noses up at the word “cleanse.”
Yet they embrace the McDonald’s…
This cleanse is my favorite because you can eat. Don’t get me wrong, I do miss peanut butter and meat. However, judging from the way my body has responded, I needed the break. I’ll refrain from the TMI, but let’s just say I’m definitely cleaner!
The other awesome thing about this cleanse is the creativity it inspires. Check out of some the fun stuff I’ve made in the past few days!
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Rules can inspire creativity.
Translation: nobody puts baby in a corner!
One of my favorite things about this particular cleanse is that, while there are parameters, the rules are easy to work within.
For instance, one of the guidelines is to eat more raw veggies than cooked. I love raw vegetables, but sometimes that can get a bit boring. Raw soup, on the other hand… that’s interesting! Eating a soup raw may seem strange, but it really is good. And perfect for this warmer weather!
The cool thing about this chilled soup is the creaminess. The avocado and hemp seeds lend healthy fats and a smooth, cooling factor that is the perfect compliment to the jalapeño kick.
Red pepper and carrots add a natural sweetness. It’s still early in the season, so I added just a bit of stevia. I may or may not have added an extra jalapeño in my version… don’t worry, that’s not in the recipe as written below.
All you need is a blender to make this souper-easy soup. I used my Vitamix, but any high-speed blender would work. If you chop up the veggies a little more, I think you could even make it in a Magic Bullet!
How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week? The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family, and friends! Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.
Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂
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I always feel a little high after eating raw – is that just me?
What inspires (or forces) you to think outside the box in the kitchen?
Are you a raw food fan?
It is time I clean up my act.
Let’s be real – it’s beyond time.
It’s generally pretty easy for me to keep my diet in check during the week. The weekends… it’s another story. Since I’m not competing this year I haven’t been following any real nutrition plan. Of course, I took that to the extreme.
What I know about myself is that I love to indulge. I also know that when that starts happening too much, I feel like crap. It affects me physically and mentally. I’ve been struggling lately, and I know it’s time to reign it in.
For a few years now I’ve been doing my own version of a cleanse… it’s really more of a jump start though. Basically, it’s eating super clean and eliminating common allergens like eggs, dairy, nuts, and gluten. The first 10 days is meatless. The last 11 days include chicken and deep sea fish.
I’m only through Day 1, but here’s my first reactions:
This WIAW is my first on the 21 clean(se). I’m still working out the best foods to bring and when to time protein and carbs to get the energy I need.
Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog for everyone else’s delicious creations!
My morning cocktail had to be modified. The Aminos I usually use aren’t really clean, so I modified by using ACV and juice from half a lemon. It wasn’t too bad.
Cleanse meal #1 was chia pudding. It’s been a long time since I’ve made a chia pudding, but I used to eat them all the time. Today’s was a berry theme, with my favorite pea protein for added stay-power. I served myself in a martini glass… 2 cocktails in one morning! 😉
In a small bowl, mash berries until they are a chunky puree. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or at least 2-3 hours).
In the morning, uncover and stir. Add additional liquid or sweetener as needed.
This happened in two parts. My new pre-workout was dates stuffed with tahini. It was delicious, if not a little messy. It was slow to get going on my workout, but I felt better once I got into it.
Post-workout I made sure to get my protein and carbs in. Can’t lose my gains!
This is my Liquid Sweet Potato Pie made with a date instead of Stevia (Stevia is permitted, but I’m trying to limit it), no extract, and – knowing I have a lot of greens coming my way – I left out the spinach.
Salad of epic proportions and a creamy red pepper soup. See what I mean about the greens?
Roasted veggies from my trusty Tupperware. Brussels, shiitakes, broccoli, and eggplant with coconut oil, cumin, and cayenne. Coconut oil is a very, very good idea when roasting things. Why do I always forget to use it?
I was starving. Not gonna lie. I forgot my quinoa at home, so I missed my delicious, filling carbs. The better to fuel with when I got home!
Sautés are a quick and easy hanger cure. I tossed some red pepper in a pan to soften while I washed and chopped kale. Then, I added the kale and some pico de gallo to the pan, cooking until the leaves were just beginning to wilt. Lastly, I mixed in the pre-cooked quinoa and a bit of lime juice to warm. Toss it all in a bowl and top with avocado and freshly ground pepper.
Super clean, #strangebutgood dessert. I made protein ice cream by mashing together half a banana, some avocado, pea protein, cinnamon, and unsweetened coconut milk. I froze it for a couple of hours, then blended it in my Vitamix. Topped with cinnamon-honey coconut flour fluff and cacao nibs.
Color = questionable. Taste = good!
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Day 1 done. 20 to go.
Have you ever needed to clean up your act?
What is your favorite pre-workout? Do you keep it clean?
New kitchen methods fascinate me.
The stranger the learning, the better!
This week’s ingredients aren’t necessarily strange, but the way I cooked it was strange to me. It’s a quinoa casserole… but you don’t have to cook the quinoa first! Perfect for the lazy chef. Like me.
For some reason I have a mental block about cooking grains. It seems like SO much effort. I know this is totally irrational, and I make other things that take much longer. It is what it is. When I saw this recipe from Lee where she simply baked the quinoa uncooked, I knew I had to try it.
I used Mexican flavors here, but I’m excited to try the method with other flavor profiles (French is next on the list!). It’s one of those magical recipes that seems like it took a ton of effort, but is incredibly easy. It’s a one dish meal – I just tossed everything in a bowl to mix and transferred it to the dish.
Random story about my dish – it was just returned to me by a friend. She’d had it for 2 years from when I brought over these Mexican Black Bean Brownies to an Oscar party. LOL!
If you like heat, you’ll love this. If you don’t, I’d keep the paprika but leave out the cayenne. The smoked paprika is a must for me. I love that smokiness with the Mexican spices and the slight sweetness from the sweet potato.
Between the bean and the quinoa, this makes for a fantastic protein-rich vegan dish!
Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Place all ingredients into a large bowl and miix until everything is evenly combined. Pour into baking dish, spreading evenly to combine.
Cover with foil and bake for 75 mins, or until sweet potatoes are tender and quinoa is cooked.
Makes 9 servings.
How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week? The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends! Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.
Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂
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I’m so excited for this weekend – I’m going to see some of my old teammates at the Atlanta Rollergirls‘ Bout!
Do you have certain foods that seem like a lot of effort to cook?
What is your favorite quinoa dish?
Lately it seems all of my friends are moving to Colorado.
For reasons that are not hemp-related.
I want to move to Colorado too – not for the recent legalization, but for the healthy vibe people have and the amazing skiing. In the meantime, I’ll gladly enjoy my hemp down here in Georgia thanks to Onnit.
Onnit sent over an awesome package of their hemp-based products for me to try out via a FitFluential campaign. (FYI: hemp will not get you high and it won’t cause you to fail a drug test). I received Onnit’s Hemp FORCE in Cocoa-Maca and Vanilla-Acai, the Walnut Almond Cashew & Macadamia Cacao Cherry Nut Butters, and a canister of Earth Grown Nutrients.
I’d been lucky enough to meet a couple of the Onnit team members and try them out at the Blend Retreat last year. Their Walnut Almond Cashew Nut Butter left a lasting impression (I may have absconded with a jar).
Needless to say, I didn’t waste anytime devouring opening that jar. It was fabulous atop a #strangebutgood protein cake for breakfast! This creation was based on the protein loaf Debbie linked up.
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My favorite was the Coca Maca. I live for chocolate. I mean… it’s all about the health benefits! Cocoa in antioxidants and helps regulate blood sugar levels. It’s even thought to relax sore muscles. Many of you know about maca already; it helps boost the endocrine system and libido.
I’ve been using a scoop mixed with almond milk and a little cinnamon in healthy desserts. I mix it together in a teeny bowl and microwave it for 10-12 seconds to make a hot, fudg-y topping.
This one was particularly good – sweet potato cubes, a diced Arctic Zero ice cream bar, and the aforementioned hot fudge. Strange? Yes. Good? Most definitely.
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The Vanilla-Acai protein powder surprised me. I’m normally not a big fan of fruity-protein powders but this one had a fantastic taste – not fake or processed.
I couldn’t resist making a #strangebutgood combo with it (recipe at the bottom). It has tofu in it. Don’t freak out. If you’ve ever tried my Carrot Cake Batter Shake, you know that tofu makes for an amazingly thick ‘n creamy smoothie. Besides texture, I added it here for the extra protein. The only downside to this protein powder is that a serving is only 15g of protein.
Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender (I use a Vitamx) and blend until smooth.
Transfer to a cup or bowl, top as desired, and enjoy!
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How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week? The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends! Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.
Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂
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Don’t take my word for it – try it for yourself here using coupon code FitFood10 for 10% off any Onnit product!
Do you like hemp? (The protein. Don’t incriminate yourself. 😉 )
What’s the strangest thing you’ve eaten this week?
Red is an extreme color.
And I love extremes.
Red is typically used as either a color of danger or a color of love. Obviously, this season is of love.
I happen to love food. Desserts especially. Even better if it’s strange (but good). My contribution to the #strangebutgood linkup today is a round-up of red-themed healthy treats. Many are even one-serving for Singles Awareness Day. 😉
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I make this 4-5 times a week. Usually without the coffee – I rarely drink it so I don’t keep it around.
It’s been too long since I’ve made this. Happening again next week. For breakfast.
You guys know I’m a mugcake addict. I married this with my Marshmallow cake this week… there are no words.
I didn’t come up with these, but I wish I had. These were a guest post by Kammie. They taste as good as they look. I keep a batch in my freezer for a quick snack when I need a chocolate fix. Which is quite often.
No, I’m not going to try to tell you a tomato is dessert. Just in case you already have dessert plans I wanted to include a savory item for you. This is a complicated-looking, gorgeous dish. And it’s extremely easy.
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How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week? The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends! Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.
Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂
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Curious about the Fitmark giveaway? Click here to check to see the winner! Now, I must go get ready for my hot date.
What are you doing to celebrate VD? *snicker*
What’s your favorite red recipe? Link it up!
The fact that I’ve been drinking juice for 3 days is strange.
Not interesting though.
In lieu of a recipe this week, I want to highlight some strangeness others have braved. Some of them weren’t from the link up… but “normal” people think most of my food is strange so I’m counting it.
Robin shared her version of my Grilled Protein PB&J on Instagram. What’s so strange? The secret’s in the peanut butter…
Easy has been the name of the game lately.
Don’t worry, I have something more complex coming.
After a month of holiday party baking and creating, I’m appreciating the simple more and more. I was particularly glad when Heather brought back her Meatless Monday link up with the simplest of ingredients: oats. Simple doesn’t have to mean typical though!
Please ignore my janky nails.
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