Cleansing: Is it for you?

Twice a year I usually try to cut out diary (mainly cheese), bread (and anything with gluten), sugar, and wine. On this diet plan I can eat all the fruit and veggies I like, organic meat and increase my fibre.  My current dilemma has been should I take supplements at the same time to encourage my body to rid it self of toxins.  I have done the Wild Rose Cleanse many times, but I find the supplements too harsh for my system.  I am currently trying Botanica's Restorative Cleanse, and so far I am very pleased!  There are only 2 supplements that you have to take per day for 2 weeks.  In particular there is one compound for skin.  Our skin can often be the last organ that our body treats.  It can become dry in the winter and is responsible for protecting us for the toxins from the air.

Why do I do it?
I find cleansing re-sets my clock and cycle.  When too many toxins build up I feel bloated and tired. There are times where I like to throw caution to the wind and eat and drink whatever I please. All of a sudden eating cheese and crackers between meals becomes a routine.  So, naturally a few pounds creep on. If 5 -10 pounds creep on every year in 3 years that could be 30 pounds. That is not a place I want to go to.

Each time I do a cleanse I feel great and I eat better after as well.  I am not craving as much bread and cheese. I can't say the same for wine; I always like my wine!

My ultimate goal is to maintain a balance and eat according to my cleanse Monday to Friday and treat my self on the weekends. This is a great way to maintain weight and have treats too!  However, over the holidays (and then some) my regular healthy diet crashed a bit.  Who wants to join me as I reset my diet?

I will outline my 14 day meal plan as I go along (maybe I will have the strength to go for 3 weeks):

Day 1
Water Plan: Cucumber infused water (if you had vegetables or fruit to your water it will be more enjoyable)
Breakfast: 2 poaches eggs, smoothie (1/2 banana*, water, berries and pineapple).

*some cleanses will say to stay away from tropical fruit.  You do have to be careful not to have too much because of the sugar content.

Lunch: Salad in a Mason Jar!!  It is so fancy that you have to love it!!  The night before we had roasted carrots and beets, so that started my salad! I added lettuce and tomato as well.  Dressing: lemon, olive oil, dill, salt and pepper.  I also found that Simply Natural's Organic Stone Ground Mustard doesn't have any sugar.  If you are avoiding vinegar than you have to say away from this one This salad lasted me 3 mini meals through out the day: 11am, 1pm and 5 pm snack. I am grazier and like to keep my energy levels up.

Dinner: Casey's Chicken Stew
Beverage: lemon infused water.

Plan ahead! I cut some apples and put them in a pot with lemon and cinnamon.  I cooked them until it looked like apple sauce without sugar.  This is a great topping for your oatmeal!

Day 2:
Breakfast: Oatmeal with my no sugar apple sauce that I made the night ahead.
Snack:1 hard boiled egg
Lunch: Casey's Chicken Stew
Snack: 3 handfuls of popcorn with pepper
Dinner: Salad: blueberries, avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, kale and cucumber
Beverage: 1 pomegranate squeezed into a large picture.

Day 3
I am going skiing today, so I need to fuel myself before I go.
Breakfast: Oatmeal with No sugar apple sauce.  Blueberry, banana and water smoothie.
Lunch: Ahhh lunch on the mountain.  I was planning for trouble here.  I ended up with a vegetarian and gluten free soup.  It was a spicy, yam, curry and lime soup.  I also got a side of edamame beans. Paired with 2 large glasses of water.
Snack: 1/2 bar Energy Bar from Nita lake Lodge (nuts, seeds, cranberries, raisins)  It was definitely a rich treat for an apres ski treat. I will be staying away from that one unless I exercise.
Snack: Sauted Kale with butter and salt and pepper
Dinner: Spaghetti Squash with a chicken, onion, tomato and rosemary.  This was pretty satisfying!
Water: infused with berries today.

Day 4
Today I am filled with positivity and feeling great!  So far I am really enjoying this cleanse.  My skin looks great and my energy levels are up.  The scale is going in the right direction at a good pace.  My belief that healthy weight loss should be 1-2 pounds per week.
Breakfast: Omelette 2 eggs and mushrooms.  For some reason the mushrooms tasted so rich and I didn't have or want any cheese.
Green Tea
Lunch: Spaghetti Squash with a chicken, onion, tomato and rosemary.
Snack: Lightly panfried kale
Dinner: Stirfry

Day 5:
Water infusion: MINT It is so refreshing and I am drinking a lot of it!
Breakfast: blueberry and banana smoothie
Lunch: Left over Stirfry spilt into 2 meals: 11am and 2pm
Dinner: Ashley and Matt's creation

Day 6:
Breakfast: Eggs

Casey's Gluten Free Chicken Stew

This is a creamy tasting stew without the cream or flour or gluten!

Ingredients for chicken stock:
chicken bones
1 onion
2-3 celery stocks
3 carrots
1 head of garlic
a bunch of rosemary
salt and pepper


Directions to make stock:

1. Get an entire chicken and cut apart the legs and breasts.  Store in fridge for later

2. Now you need to make chicken stock.  Chop carrots, onions, celery, garlic, rosemary, kosher salt and pepper. Brown the veggies until they sweat for about 10 minutes.  Add the chicken bones. Add water (about 8 litres).  Bring to a boil and then simmer for a few hours.  Drain the lumps out and put back on the stove and reduce for an hour or so.

Ingredients for stew:
1 Tbsp butter
2 chicken legs (chopped bite size)
1 onion (chopped bite size)
2-3 carrots (chopped bite size)
3 celery stocks (chopped bite size)
2 bay leaves
1 Parsnip (chopped bite size)
10 button mushrooms (chopped)
1-2 tbsp Rosemary

Roux
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp Quinoa flour

Directions for stew:
1. In a heavy bottom pot add some butter, add chopped chicken legs and caramelize.  Remove the chicken and then add one large onion, 2-3  carrots, 3 celery stocks.  Cook for 5-10 minutes until they start to sweat.

2. Add enough chicken stock to cover the veggies and then 1 litre of water. Add 2 bay leaves. Add chopped parsnip.

3. Add mushrooms, rosemary and add the cooked chicken back.

4. Making a gluten free Roux.  Melt butter in a saucepan and quinoa flour.  The ratio should be 1:1.  You may need to make more if you want a thicker stew.

Casey likes to eat this with bread, butter and red wine.  I would too, but I am on a cleanse!

Thai (sans fish) Coconut Curry Soup

My boyfriend is allergic to fish, so my version of Thai soup does not have and fish.  Typically a lot of Thai food has fish sauce.

Ingredients for soup base:
Below are the ingredients that I use for many soups.  You can create a tofu, chicken or vegetable soup. Get creative.  If you like curries this is a really neat base for a soup.
1 can of coconut milk
2 tsps of curry paste (mine is spicy so that is all I need. If you have a milder version add cayenne too!)
1/2 onion finely chopped
handful of cilantro
2 fresh squeezed limes

minced ginger

*4-5 limes leaves 

*1 stick of lemongrass 

2-3 cups of chicken or veggie stock
* you can find these with the fresh herbs

Here are the vegetables I decided to add this time:
2 carrots chopped
1 large yam chopped
1 large sweet potato chopped
a handful of vermicelli noodles (add at the very end)


Directions:
1. Scoop the hard part of the coconut milk and put in a saucepan on med heat.  Melt the coconut milk and add the curry paste.
2. Add onion and sauté for 5- 10 minutes.  Add cilantro, ginger, lime leaves and lemongrass.
3. Add carrots, yams, sweet potatoes and and heat for about 10 minutes.
4. Add rest of coconut milk, stock and lime juice.  Bring to boil.
5. After it boils turn to low heat and simmer for about 45 mins.  At this point you can turn it to really low and leave for as long as you like.
6. 5 minutes before serving add your vermicelli noodles.  They are really yummy in this soup.

Enjoy!!

Omelette making for Dummies

Are you afraid to make an omelette?  Does it turn out to be fancy scramble eggs? I usually don't even try to make an omelette because I lack patience.  Fear no more because I have figured out the way to make a clean looking omelette. I was inspired by the consistency of a crepe.  I like a nice thin egg for my omelette.  If it is too thick it is hard to cook. It may take some practice, but you can do it too!  This meal is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner, so do not miss out!

Tip:  Be patient with this one!

Ingredients:
Yield 1:
3 good quality eggs (I believe this makes a difference for omelette making)
1 Tablespoon milk
1/4 cheese
2 pieces of cooked bacon
salt and pepper
a dollop of butter (1/2 tablespoon
a dash of oil (1tsp)

Optional:
1/4 cooked spinach 1/4 red pepper.

Instructions:
1. In a bowl whisk 3 eggs and add milk. Add salt and pepper.  Set aside.
2. If you need to cook your bacon get it going now.
3. Grate your cheese and have it ready to go.
4. Cook some spinach and red pepper. Set aside.
5. You can start once all of our ingredients are prepped.  Your omelette needs all of your attention.
6. Pre- heat you pan to med-low (I set mine to 4 out of 9).  Add butter and oil.  Once the butter is melted gently add your egg.  You may not need to use all of the egg.  You want just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. You want the butter/oil to stay on the pan evenly so the omelette doesn't stick.  Let it cook for about 2 minutes.
7. Gently with a spatula release the edges from the pan.  Lift the pan and move the egg around that hasn't cooked.
8. Once the egg isn't moving around it is now time for the trickiest part.  Now your mission is to release the egg form the pan, so if you shake the pan the egg will move independently.   Turn down the heat to low. Gently with your spatula release the egg straitly with the outer edge.  Once the edge is released stick the spatula under the egg gently. Wiggle the egg until it release from the pan.  Now if you shake the pan the egg should gently move around like a thin pancake.
8.  Now add cheese, bacon and spinach.  Once the cheese starts to melt flip the omelette in half.
9. Now eat! Yummy!!!

Fresh Pasta Dough made with Tipo 00 flour with tomato basil sauce

For New Years Eve we like to stay in and make something new and fancy.  I just got a kitchen aid mixer with a pasta attachment, so I decided to make pasta for the first time. If you do not have a mixer you can still make this recipe. You can make this recipe with all purpose flour, but you will get better results with Tipo 00.  It has a higher gluten content.  I tried another recipe with whole eggs and this one with just egg yolks was so much better!  It was also nice dealing with a small batch.  This is the perfect recipe for date night.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup Italian flour (Tipo 00)
1/2 tsp salt
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4- 1/2 cup of water

Sauce:
1/2 white onion finely diced
4 tomatoes
2 handfuls of fresh basil
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
2-4 garlic cloves minced.
parmesan cheese (as much as you like)
salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: 2 large portions

Directions if you have a mixer:
(if you do not have a mixer I highly recommend this recipe and please go here for technique instructions.)
1.With the kitchen aid mixer this is super easy!  Mix the salt and flour so it is well blended and put into mixer.  Mix wet ingredients together and put into mixer.
2. Use the flat beater on setting 2 for about1 minute.  The mixture should stick together, but it should not be wet to touch.  Does it need more water or flour?  You may need to play a bit until you get the right dough texture.  Basically it should be just wet enough to stick together and not fall apart.
3.  Make it into a ball and put into fridge for about 45 minutes.
4.  Follow your pasta attachment directions for rolling out pasta.
Tip: Once the pasta is cut I recommend spreading it out on a pasta hanger or a clothing hanger for 10 minutes before cooking.  This will make it so it doesn't stick together. While your pasta is drying start your sauce.
5. Cook pasta for about 2-3 minutes.
Tip: Once the pasta is cooked put olive oil on the noodles to prevent sticking and pour sauce on.

Sauce:
1. Heat up sauce pan with olive oil and put in onions.  Cook for 10 minutes to soften at med heat.  Stir often.
2. Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes (for bonus points marinate the chopped tomatoes in vodka for 10 minutes before). cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Add basil, parmesan, salt and pepper to taste.

Please ask if you need more instructions!