Sunday 28 October 2012

Juicing Day 29

Today is Day 29. I'm still juicing. It's hard to believe that I've gone almost a month without eating solid food. Drinking juice is starting to feel normal, although I am very much looking forward to eating solid food again. I've lost almost 20 pounds on this fast so far, which is almost 2/3 of the way to my goal of losing 30.

The ironic thing is that even though I'm not eating, I've been spending a HUGE amount of time in the kitchen - at least 2 hours on most days! Juicing itself takes a good amount of time, at least an hour every other day. The produce has to be washed and cut before being juiced, then there's the cleanup afterwards. We've discovered that the leafy greens have to be juiced slowly and in very small pieces (salad sized) otherwise the juicer will get clogged up; so they take FOREVER to juice.  Yesterday, we all had a treat-we juiced pomegranates, navel oranges, and red grapes that were all on sale at Walmart. Yummy goodness :) I think I was most impressed by the grape juice - it was INCREDIBLY sweet and smooth.



In addition to juicing, I've been cooked and prepping a lot of food for the freezer. I've made a lot of soup recently. Also, we've been finding great deals on a lot of produce that I prep and put in the freezer. Recently I have cooked and cubed or pureed a 25 pound pumpkin that we got for $4; seeded and chopped almost 20 jalapenos that were 50% off; chopped 3 pounds of white onions that were $1; and chopped and cooked bags and bags and bags of mushrooms that were 50% off.

I've also been making vegetable broth to drink on the fast. It's not strictly a part of the fast, but it's still healthy and really helps with the craving for warm, savory comfort food in the cold weather. It's super simple to make-I just throw some onion, carrot, celery, and mushrooms in a big pot of water with whatever seasonings I want, simmer it for an hour or two, and at the end, I strain out the vegetables and add a spoonfull of miso. I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed the broth. Yum! :)
 
Mom mentioned yesterday that we had a squash in the pantry if I felt like cooking today. (When do I NOT feel like cooking? LOL) I originally thought about making a simple pureed soup with roasted garlic, onion, and squash. However, I started getting more ideas, and made a hearty southwestern-flavored soup with lentils, black beans, salsa, and corn. I tried the broth and it was DELICIOUS! Can't wait to eat it!




Southwestern Squash and Black Bean Soup
1/2 cup dry brown lentils
1 medium white onion, chopped
2 small carrots, diced
1 no-salt added vegetable bouillion cube
9 cups water
5 cloves roasted garlic, mashed*
1/4 cup chopped jalapeno (about 2 peppers)
3 cups cooked cubed squash
1 (15oz) can black beans
1 cup prepared salsa**
1 (8oz) can corn

Combine lentils, onion, carrots, bouillion cube, and water in a pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, and cook for 15 minutes. Add garlic and jalapenos and continue to boil on medium heat for another 10 minutes. Add squash, black beans, salsa, and corn. Simmer for at least 10 minutes, preferably more to allow the flavors to meld. Serve with a dollop of vegan sour cream and sprinkle with vegan cheddar. Enjoy!

*If using unroasted garlic, used 2 very finely chopped cloves
**used mild, medium, or hot based on your preference


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