The Master Cleanse

Cooking with Amy

Have you heard of it? If not, check out TheMasterCleanse.org and it will explain everything.

Today is Ease In Day 2. You take 3 days to work your way into the cleanse. Yesterday I could only eat "living foods" and soups. Today is just soups. Tomorrow will just be fresh orange juice (to get your body used to not eating). Oh yea, did I mention you don't eat on this cleanse? It is pretty intense. Ten days of no food except for a lemonade-like concoction that gives you all the calories you need for the day and enough good sugars to stabilize energy.

This sounds insane. Sounds like a crazy diet trend. Really it's much more than that. Different people have different reasons why they do the cleanse, and mine is unique to me. I am doing it for a few reasons.

   1. To get rid of the caffeine in my system. I am a huge Coke addict. (no pun intended lol) I have been since I was pregnant with my first baby. It messes me up so bad. I can't go a day without one. I have already gone two days without one and my head is killing me. I no longer want to be held down because of a stupid drink.

   2. I want to start my journey to becoming vegan with a fresh start. I want to get rid of all the junk built up and just begin a new person-literally.

   3. Lastly, and probably most important-I am doing this for spiritual reasons. I have been pretty slack with my relationship with the Lord, and I want a fresh start with Him too. I want to get to know Him all over again, and what better way then to challenge my flesh to go without something that only He can replace.

I need this. I need to challenge myself. I need to physically, emotionally and spiritually get rid of all the crap that has been holding me back from being the best me that I can be. The idea of this is really not up for debate, so please-don't try to convince me not to do this. I have done my research. My thinking is, if Jesus can go 40 days without anything in the desert, then I can go 10 days in my comfortable house while still being able to sip on some lemonade.

Even vegans need to stay warm...

Oh yes indeed. The weather here in NC has been a bit nuts. The nights and mornings are super cold, while the afternoons are like a mild summer. Doesn't makes sense, and is not helping my allergies one bit. Because the hubs gets home a bit late, our dinner is late as well. So we need something to keep us a bit toasty for awhile. Insert a wonderful warm and rustic stew. We will call it a White Bean Stew. Oh yea, this baby is super hearty and really warms you up. Best part? It's made in the Crock-Pot! Whoo hoo! Easy meal alert! My inspiration for this meal came from Pinterest (of course) which led me to this pretty lady. She is so awesome! I love going to her for inspiration. Her recipes are really easy and super yummy-even for non-vegans! So here is my version of her recipe for Chickpea and Wild Rice Soup.


White Bean Stew

1 can chickpeas (rinsed)
1 can white beans (rinsed)
1 half red onion (chopped)
3 organic carrots (peeled and chopped)
1 half turnip (grated)
1 3/4 cup brown rice
2 cans vegetable broth (low sodium is best)
1 cup water
1 cup non-dairy milk (soy, almond or hemp would be best.) *non-vegans may use regular dairy milk
1 tbs non-dairy butter (Earth Balance or Smart Balance Lite) *non-vegans may use regular butter
1 tbs black pepper
1 tbs thyme
1 tbs sage
1 tbs cumin
4 garlic cloves (minced) *the more garlicky the better!
2 tbs nutritional yeast *optional
1 tbs tumari sauce
2 tbs flour
2 tbs flax meal

Throw everything into the Crock-Pot except milk. Cook on low for about 6-8 hours. The last two hours, add the milk.

That's all there is to it! Very rustic and warm. Great served with an artisan bread and a spread of Earth Balance. Love it! A wonderful hearty winter meal!


*This will not have the consistency as a soup-like The Domestic Vegan's. This is more stew like and very rich. If you want to more soup-like, than add about 2 cups more water.

World's Fastest Workout!

Found this video on Pinterest and got super excited! Apparently created by a Japanese scientist. What do you think? Think you can hold out the whole time?












[WORLD’S FASTEST WORKOUT] - Burns as many calories as a 40-60 minutes run. - Makes your body adapt and improve very quickly. - Increases metabolism for next 36 hrs - Takes only FOUR minutes, no excuses. 0:00 - Squat Thrust 0:20 - Rest 0:30 - Mountain Climbers 0:50 - Rest 1:00 - High knees 1:20 - Rest 1:30 - Jumping Jacks 1:50 - Rest 2:00 - Squat Thrust 2:20 - Rest 2:30 - Mountain Climbers 2:50 - Rest 3:00 - High Knees 3:20 - Rest 3:30 - Jumping Jacks 3:50 - Rest 4:00 - DONE ! 

Call me lazy...

Really, that is my excuse on why I haven't been on here in awhile. I thought I had got my writing bug back; apparently the bug ran away again. Nonetheless, here I am. With a totally new outlook. I have not been satisfied with this blog at all. I have been tweaking and tweaking like a mad woman. What the heck do I want to write about? I wanted to get away from random posts and really get down and dirty with something I could actually DESIRE to write about each day. So what is it? Yup, you guessed it-FOOD. Man, I love food. I love cooking it and learning how certain foods react to our bodies...you name it-I am researching it. I am fascinated with the world of holistic nutrition; I am actually going to be going to school for it soon! You have also read in previous posts that my family and I are transitioning into a vegan diet. I am also trying to loose weight, although up until now, my motivation levels have felt like a roller coaster ride. So here I am. Starting fresh for  the bazillionth time. I finally have my muse and that is the plate before me. I want to share my struggles and triumphs of trying out this brave new world. This isn't going to be easy, but I am totally stoked for the challenge.  

Just FYI, this week I am gearing up to begin the Master Cleanse, next Monday. Beyond frightened am I. I have never fasted more than a day in my life...but with all this crap in my body right now, I think its a great way to jump-start this lifestyle officially. Everyone who knows me personally knows I am a complete caffeine addict. I am hoping the detox will help with that. I am tired of being drained, unhealthy and unhappy with myself. I do not believe this is who God intended us to go on with out lives. I also know He did not intend for His temple to be trashed either. So please join me. I can't guarantee I won't go crazy, or I won't have random posts about my love for Doctor Who...but it will be a journey, nonetheless.