Post-Cleanse Interview and Fave Recipes

As promised, here are the questions I asked Riley and his responses regarding the cleanse:

1. Are you glad you did it?
Yes.  It was a nice journey, and while it was hard at times, I think I really needed it.
 

2. If so, what tips would you offer to others who are considering it?
Plan a little more than we did… we decided to do it ‘tomorrow’ when we decided.  That’s all good, but I wish we’d thought through all the parties we had to attend and starve!  My grandmother did graciously provide us with a wonderful spread of things we could eat when she hosted some family for lunch.  Thanks Mimi!  You RAWK!
 

3. What was the best part about it?
Sitting on toilet this morning and looking down… ooh, gross… not into the pot- at my jelly roll that used to be my belly.  Now I look like the biggest loser jelly roller!  Now to keep with the healthy stuff and work out more often, maybe I can lose a few more pant sizes!
 

4. What did you hate?

The zucchini meal Joanna attempted.  I did my work and ate a helping, but that was the only real disappointment.  The rest of the meals were all pretty good!  It was also hard saying no to foods we KNOW are healthy, but not part of the plan.  Since when is it not ok to healthy stuff?!  But the reasons are just a little harder to tease out.  Just stick to the plan- it’s there for a reason.
 

[It was a zucchini soup recipe that I did not create myself, btw]

5. Did you make middle of the night trips to fast food joints while I was asleep?
Fast food?  No…. well, not while you were asleep…. But this one time… I snuck downstairs to eat … no, never.
 

6. Favorite new recipe(s)?
A bunch.  Coconut oil is the best!  And I only mildly like coconut.  Squash Apple Soup was good, and a ton of others!
 

7. What food did you miss the most?
Helado [ice cream]! And horchata when I had to make a run to the junk yard for a car part.  I usually get a 32 oz Horchata out there… I’m not big on soda, coffee, or any of that, but I was sure ready for a good waffle this morning!  Mmmm Bread!

8. How have you changed?

I had a bad experience when I tried to reintroduce meat.  I think my mindset about meat has changed a good deal, in part after watching Food, Inc.  As much as I enjoy some restaurants, I am much more wary about what I would consider eating at them.  I have a much greater appreciation for my wife’s cooking, and I think I could manage to eat meat free one week a month or something and still enjoy my diet.  Contemplating a gluten-free diet, and learned that the ‘stalk’ of cauliflower helps it not to smell and aids in digestion and allergies!! (ok, I learned that from a sales pitch on an unrelated matter, but still!)

9. When (if ever) would you want to do this again, or is there a different one you'd like to try next?

Sure.  Kinda expensive, so there is a level of commitment there… would like to continue not eating bread, etc after 4 pm as a general rule.

[I think he means cabbage, but it could be true for cauliflower as well].

Thanks Riley! You rock my socks off.

And now for some of our favorite new meals, snacks and shakes... 

* Holiday Harvest Soup at Souper!Salad! --iirc, it's got wild rice, mushrooms, celery, leeks, carrots, chicken, and parsley. I know it doesn't sound exciting, but it's really delicious. Not sure what they use for broth, so I'll play around with chicken/veggie/creamofsomething.

* Red Curried Lentils and Brown Rice

* Squash Apple Soup

* Dehydrated Sweet Potato Chips-- slice with mandoline on thinnest setting, drizzle with EVOO and sea salt, dehydrate for 6+ hours at 135.

* Chicken Broth made from scratch

* Dehydrated Cinnamon Pear Chips-- slice with mandoline on 2nd thinnest setting, sprinkle cinnamon on top, dehydrate for 4-6 hours at 135.

* Cleanse Cupcakes

* Asian Explosion-- inspiration here; 
 ~What I did was cook a 16oz pkg of brown rice spaghetti, topped with the following mixture sliced/chopped and sauteed in 1/4 c coconut oil:
1 roma tomato
3 leaves red chard
1 red bell pepper
6 radishes
1/2 red onion
2 carrots
1 yellow squash
1/2 bunch broccoli
4 cloves garlic
Add organic tamari to taste.

* Crockpot Lentil/Veggie Stew-- inspiration here;
~What I did differently was only used 1/2 onion, left out the rice, and just threw everything into the crock pot for I can't remember how long. But since there wasn't any meat, probably 2 hours on high.

* Brown Rice Rotini with Basil Pesto

* Brown Rice Spaghetti with Eggplant/Tomato Sauce
~I think I got this recipe from Dr. Cindy, but not 100% sure:
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1" cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes (I used grape tomatoes because that's all I could find)
3 cloves garlic, whole (I always double the garlic in any given recipe, so we used 6)
3 T EVOO
1 t salt
1 t pepper
1 t red pepper flakes (this is pretty hot, so we left it out)
1/4 c toasted pine nuts (we left this out during the cleanse)
1/4 c torn fresh basil
3 T EVOO
1/2 c grated Parmesan (omitted during cleanse)
- Preheat to 400. Combine 1st 7 ingredients in a bowl, spread onto baking sheet (with parchment paper or oil). Roast 35 min. If you want to toast the pine nuts, do so on another rack for 8 min. Save 1.5 c of the liquid from the pasta you cook. Transfer roasted veggies to food processor/blender. Add basil and EVOO. Transfer mixture to pasta bowl, add parmesan. Stir, adding cooking liquid 1/2 c at a time until pasta is saucy. Sprinkle pine nuts over the top and serve.

* Canyon Ranch Asparagus Guacamole

* Bare Naked Cinnamon Apple Chips (bought at Sprouts)

* Mango Lassi

* Peach Pie Smoothie

* Blueberry Cherry Smoothie- equal parts blueberries and cherries, one banana, 1/2 c coconut milk, powdered supplements.

* Citrus Berry Splash Shake

* Dr. Cindy's Smoothie

* "Gioanali" Original Smoothie

I'm feeling great as of 1 day post cleanse, and looking forward to the next few weeks as we settle into new eating habits! Surprisingly, I've been resisting things that are "permissible but not beneficial." I did make some zucchini oatmeal cookies that were (key word, were) scrumdiddlyumptious! And I've got a surprise homemade dessert waiting for Riley in the freezer. =) 

Tonight's dinner was Pumpkin Chili recommended by Kate Cole, recipe here (I used coconut oil instead of vegetable, doubled the garlic and instead of yellow bell pepper I just did a whole green one). I ate two bowls, then while I was putting Josiah to bed, Riley washed my dish (along with most of the others, thanks babe!) so I had to sit down with the big pot and ladle to eat some more. That's how good it was, even a little cold. Going backwards, for breakfast I made sweet potato waffles (from a mix), my signature easy cheesy eggs (Homestead Farms' eggs, scrambled with a big handful of shredded cheddar), and orange slices. We'll see what tomorrow holds!

Thank you so much for joining me in our journey, and I hope you'll stick around to read more (although I can't promise to blog every day from now on)!