morsels & sauces

And here's how the Wellness Cleanse is going into week two.  Overall this cleanse has been easy-peasy: Day 8:  Breakfast:   Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie (with quite a few adjustments, such as one fewer banana and one fewer tablespoon peanut butter, add fennel, apple, chia seeds, and kale), Decaffeinated Chai Tea with Almond Milk. Lunch: 3 oranges Dinner:  Paparot (Spinach and Polenta Soup) Workout :  90 minutes yoga Back to work today after having last week off.  My usual breakfast in the past was yogurt and granola.  The smoothie is simple and really convenient.  I am pretty sure last weeks bumps were bug bites.  Phew. Day 9:  Breakfast:   Almond Banana Smoothie (1/2), Decaffeinated Chai Tea with Almond Milk. Lunch: Soba Noodles with Eggplant and Mango Snacks: popcorn Dinner: Paparot (Spinach and Polenta Soup) , Mary's Gone Crackers Herb Crackers , Date-Cashew-Chocolate Balls (minus the sugar), glass of rice mik. Workout :  75 minutes yoga, 60 min

Spinach and polenta soup? Yes, please. This rather hearty soup comes from the Fruili-Ve nezia Giulia re g ion of northeastern Italy , you know , the region where Hemingway spent a good deal of his time. Now, it is doubtful that he spent his time concerned with spinach and polenta soup ( no, he had cheese and spoiled wine to attend to*), but this soup would have been well worth it and would have provided plenty of hearty warmth on a cold winter's day. *Seriously, my favorite part of A Farewell to Arms is when the soldiers are on the run, and they stop in a shelled-out ruin to eat cheese and drink a little spoiled wine. Never was there cheese so well-eaten in such strange circumstances as when the shells explode around them. While this book is not my favorite Hemingway ( either For Whom the Bell Tolls or The Sun Also Rises takes that prize), I do love me this book. Cheese. It was good. Paparot in the dialect of Fruili means "pulsed" and so you can see whe

Another round of smoothies as part of this Wellness Cleanse .  I am learning that because of my sweet tooth, I like the fruit-based smoothies more than than the veggie-based ones.  However, it is still important for me to vary it up.  You'll also notice that the vessel of choice this week was jars.  I had to get them to work. Everything but the Kitchen Sink Veggie Smoothie 4 tomatoes 1 small carrot 2 stalks celery 5 leaves romaine lettuce 1 tablespoon flax seed meal 1 small red pepper 1/3 cup basil 1 pinch salt 1/4 bulb fennel 1/2 cup jicama 2 cups water 1 tablespoon lemon juice Hot sauce to taste Some notes: Oh, well, hello salad.  This literally is drinking your salad.  But quite yummy. Again, another monster smoothie.  But I think I am coming to understand that I like my smoothies a little on the thinner side, so I add more water.  You can add less, have less, and have a thicker smoothie. And seriously, I don't think it matters what veggies you p