I Just Want to Chew Something-

So I know this is a food blog (which I haven't been very good keeping up with) but I wanted to document my experience with the Dr. Oz 3-day cleanse because before deciding to do the cleanse, I read many other blogs about it.

First, let me apologize for not blogging since the beginning. Quite frankly, I was too tired after working all day on Days 1 and 2 to put a complete sentence together. That said, there have been a lot of positives, and a few negatives thus far. As I am writing this, I am 1/3 of the way through Day 3. I will save my overall feelings about the cleanse until tomorrow when I actually get to chew my food again.

I decided to do this cleanse after seeing it on the Dr. Oz show a few months ago and researching it further. I've been doing Weight Watchers for several months with success so weight loss was not my goal (but will be a bonus). I've been feeling somewhat bloated recently and since December, I've been battling congestion and sinus pain. I've tried the Neti Pot, several decongestants, steroids and 3 rounds of antibiotics, yet still the sinus issues have persisted. I have known allergy issues, but the recent round of issues is worse and has continued longer than I ever remember. So that's why I chose the cleanse. I heard it can help with inflammation of all sorts. It also helped that Charles decided to do it with me this time because nothing is worse than detoxing while someone else is eating a juicy cheeseburger. Speaking of watching others eat, I've learned that pretty much my entire life and TV selections (minus baseball) revolve around food (I write this as I watch the Rachael Ray Show and she is making steak and mushroom sandwiches).

I had done Dr. Oz's 2-day cleanse about eight months ago so I was familiar with how I was going to feel. With that being said, I decided that I would schedule the third day of the cleanse around my day off from work. Surprisingly, today I feel the best...much different than my previous experience. Before you start the cleanse, you have to buy the ingredients listed and decide if you are going to prep ahead of time or make the smoothies fresh. Because I had to go to work, I pre-made my smoothies on Days 1 and 2 and made them fresh on Day 3. The fresh smoothies definitely taste better but if you don't have that option, you'll have to make them ahead like I did. Also, this detox is not cheap. Even my thrifty self spent about $80 for both Of us to do the 3 Day Cleanse.

Prepping the drinks for the next day

Day 1 was the hardest but I didn't really notice it until about halfway through the day. No coffee is allowed on the detox but green tea with lemon and stevia is on the list. I like green tea so this change was fine...until the caffeine withdraw headache kicked in. I later learned that it probably wasn't just the lack of caffeine but also the lack of sugars that added to my pain. By far, the worst part of this cleanse for me were the headaches. I caved and took some Advil. You are supposed to cut out as many unnecessary meds as possible on this cleanse (minus the recommended daily vitamin, probiotic and omega-3 supplement), but if I was going to get through my day, this was a necessity.

I wasn't hungry throughout the day. The smoothies really kept me full. The biggest thing I noticed was how lethargic I was at the end of the day. I read how people worked out during this cleanse and my hat is off to them. I just came home and sat in a vegetative state, which is very unlike me. I'm glad I planned it on a week that I had nothing to do. I am not usually a bath person, but I did enjoy the nighttime detox Epsom Salt and Lavender bath that is part of the cleanse. That is something I may have to do more often.

The breakfast smoothie is by far the best. Charles and I both chose that as our snack shake every day and said we will continue to make it after the cleanse. Lunch is by far the worst. The chunky texture allowed me to chew something but not the way in which I wanted to. The dinner was just ok. I'm not sure if I'd drink it off of the cleanse but it was manageable. The key here, if possible, is to make the smoothies when you want to drink them and make sure everything is COLD. I used frozen raspberries and blueberries in the breakfast and dinner shake. I also added some additional almond milk to the lunch shake and that made it more edible.

Breakfast smoothie being made. I'd show lunch but I don't want to scare you.

Final breakfast product. I wish it was Sam Adams instead

Dinner Drink. I found straws made it easier to get down.

I'll be sure to give the final results tomorrow!!

Walking Through Memphis

Memphis is in my top 5 favorite places I've traveled to. When the others include Colorado, Alaska, Hawaii and Spain, that's saying a lot. For me traveling is not just about the sights, it's about the food. I can't think of anything more delicious than Memphis BBQ so I try to replicate it whenever I can.

This weekend was a hectic one so it was the perfect time to break out the crock pot and make slow-cooked pulled pork. Served up the first night with Mac and cheese and collard greens, it brought me back to Elvis Week in Memphis 2006. Leftovers included pulled pork sandwiches and homemade sweet potato fries. Not as good as Interstate BBQ but it will have to do for now.

The Quartet

One of the greatest quartets ever is not a musical group from England or New Jersey. It is, in fact, fig, prosciutto, goat cheese, and arugula. This fabulous foursome tastes great in a sandwich, on a pizza or any other medium you want to use to enjoy its deliciousness!

Sláinte!

So from what I hear corned beef and cabbage is an Irish American tradition has nothing to do with real Irish traditions. Oh well, I'm Polish and Italian so even an attempt at Irish food has to count for something.

Thanks to a little St. Patty's day food poisoning, this dish was consumed on the 18th. Looking forward to the corned beef sandwiches on the 19th even more!

ROLLing Along

Below is my first attempt at sushi. Not too bad. I'm not easily intimidated in the kitchen unless you say the "b" word (bake) but I have to admit sushi is something I thought I'd prefer as take out until a few nights ago.

As a Valentine's gift for my Dad (a fellow sushi lover), I bought him (and me) a sushi cooking lesson. The chef easily admitted that sushi isn't his specialty either and that made me even more nervous. However, after a little practice and some team work I rolled my first sushi roll.

Trust me, it needs work...less rice, tighter roll etc but I'm excited that I took on this new culinary adventure. I even went to the Asian Food mart yesterday to buy more sushi making supplies. Last night I began by making my own spicy mayo. And the adventure continues...

It must be Spring!

Meals like this make me think Spring must be close by. The weather was warm yesterday, a summery drink was in hand and hot dogs were on the menu. These are my jalapeño popper dogs with "fried" okra. Happy Spring!

Meat and Potatoes

While I like exotic dishes, some times there's nothing like a good meat and potatoes dish. Tonight it was a crock-pot pot roast with a red wine and sun-dried tomato au jus. Accompanied by a side of mashed sweet potatoes and green beans.

Hint: Add a little Laughing Cow cheese to the green beans for a tasty, creamy sauce!

Why I Heart Trader Joes

In last week's episode of Smash, Leo said this about his mom's cooking skills, "she thinks cooking is heating up a bunch of stuff from Trader Joe's."

And sometimes Leo, that's ok. Some nights you don't have to reinvent the wheel in the kitchen. It's ok to take some things from the store and make them your own.

On this night, I took some veggie egg rolls and chicken gyoza from Trader Joe's, made my own dipping sauce and violá as Rachael Ray would say MYOTO (make your own take out for non fans.)

To top it off, I even made my own vegetable fried rice with the help of quick cooking brown rice, an egg, a frozen Asian veggie blend and some spices. And dinner is served...

The Real Meaning of Comfort Food

Sometimes a home cooked meal can be the best medicine. Tonight, Dana, Charles and I cooked a nice meal for the families staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Camden. These families are facing some tough times ahead with their children receiving treatment at Cooper and CHOP but hopefully the meal we made them tonight made their day just a little brighter. On the menu: pasta fagioli, fresh rolls and butter, garden salad, iced tea and cookies.

Night off

Sometimes the best food is that made by others. My hubby gave me a night off tonight and made a yummy buffalo chicken sausage, peppers, and onions with brown rice. Delish!

Lenten Season = Vegetarian Light

Lenten season means the otherwise meat-loving Catholics must go vegetarian at least once a week (twice during the first week with Ash Wednesday). So to start it off, I made "nature's burger," portobellos. This version included sun-dried tomato aioli, blue cheese and arugula. Paired nicely with spicy fries and a blueberry beer. It made that run I did earlier worth it!

Soooo Behind

Ok so I am so behind on this food blog thing. It's been a crazy 6 months...I've taken on additional radio shows, I'm training for a 60 mile walk, and "the boys of summer"  have swept me off my feet. But I'm back and promise to post again soon.

A Love Affair from the Start

I decided to start this blog so I could combine two of my favorite things...Writing and Food! Am I modeling "Julie and Julia" a bit...sure, but this blog is not so much just about cooking but,  the love of food in general. Just not what I create but what others create as well. It also allows me to write creatively which I have not really been able to do since my Rowan Journalism degree in '03. Ah....a  food writer,  one of my dream jobs.

I am not really sure when my love affair with food began, but I believe it was at an early age. When most toddlers were eating chicken fingers and french fries, I was eating veal parmesan. My grandmother said it was "brain food" and it was she who first introduced me to really good food. She has been gone for 9.5 years and to this day I miss her food almost as I miss her. She was an amazing cook. She was 100% Italian, but she did not only made great Italian food. She made the best fried chicken and matzo ball soup I ever had. Not really, Italian, right? Well, she learned the recipes from her neighbors that came from different backgrounds, cultures and religions and made them her own. If people around the world shared more food, maybe there would be less war. Who knows? All I know is that it was GOOD.

My grandmother was very territorial in her kitchen, but it was her domain, who could blame her? I was one of the few that was allowed to exist in her sacred space. I recall being a very small child and helping her shell lentils for her famous lentil soup.  In fact, many of my memories of her involve food and for that, I am eternally grateful. If I can someday be half of the cook she was then I will consider myself a success in the kitchen.

Who knows where this blog will go, but I look forward to sharing my love of food with you. Eat up!