Post-Cleanse Eats

It’s been about a week and a half since I completed my first juice cleanse, and I’m happy to report that I’m still very much on track. I went out frequently while my parents were visiting last weekend, but I made every effort to order better options and to have snacks between meals to prevent over-eating.

I feel great, and have continued to eat raw foods for breakfast and lunch all this week. It can be challenging – salads can get boring quickly! – so I decided to share some of what I’ve been eating with you, in case you need some inspiration. Continue reading

Mom’s Famous Spinach and Tortellini Soup

Growing up, my mom made this soup for us often, and it was always delicious and filling. Trying this recipe for the first time the other night, I realized it’s also pretty easy.  The bf loved it, and we had enough for leftovers for another dinner and for lunch. This soup is great on its own, but could also be served as a side dish to a meat entree like roasted chicken or steak. Yum! Continue reading

How I Survived My First Juice Cleanse

We’ve started a “Summer Slim Down/Fitness Challenge” here at work and I decided to participate. Like many others, weight and fitness are a constant struggle for me and while I find that I do a great job at avoiding fast food and casual dining chain restaurants, I’ve really struggled with portion control and overall cleaner eating on a daily basis.

With the help and advice of a colleague who’s transformed her life through healthy habits, I decided to join the “competition” with plans to make long-term changes of my own. I started this week, at her suggestion, with a two-day cleanse from Arden’s Gardens. Two whole days without eating – could I survive? Continue reading

Planned Obsolescence: What it is, Why You Should Care, and How to Avoid it

This is a guest post by Jesse Andrews, a person I’ve known since elementary school and with whom I’ve gotten reacquainted over the last couple of years as we’ve shared thinking around politics, economics, military, modern lifestyles, global warming, etc. You can read more about his lifestyle projects/improvements and general observations on his website, The Ripening. He brings a positive perspective to all his thinking, and his research of and knowledge around planned obsolescence is a great addition to my recent posts on reducing, reusing and reorganizing.  Continue reading

Pineapple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

My mom made this cake often when I was growing up and it’s perfect for just about any occasion – birthdays, holidays or just for a nice dessert after a meal. I will admit – it doesn’t really taste much like pineapple. Weird, I know. Instead, the pineapple acts in place of butter or oil in this recipe and makes the cake very dense and moist – more like carrot cake in texture. It’s very easy to make, as is the frosting! Continue reading

Less Bling, More Style

My beautiful jewelry armoir – stuffed to the brim with old necklaces, bracelets, extra watchbands and links, small jewelry boxes saved for gifting but still unused…basically a catch-all space for anything in this category.

Essentially, it’s a mess – and even worse, most of the contents I never even wear! Parting with jewelry was an odd and difficult task, but I did it and in doing so reaffirmed my own personal style.  Continue reading