Daniel Fast Food Journal... Day 2

Written last night before I headed to bed...

So, day two has been a little harder.  I started with some sinus pain and escalated into a full blown headache and achiness all over.  Detox is never truly easy.  I have cut caffeine of all kinds and sugar as well as breads and dairy and anything processed.   I know I will come out on the other side feeling great but it just takes a few days.  I have had a gallon of water today and a few cups of hot water with lemon to curb the hot beverage cravings.  My biggest craving... to my surprise... has been something creamy and comforting.  I could have gone for a big bowl of macaroni and cheese earlier in the day.  I opted for the following instead...

Breakfast was an Apple Pie Spice Oatmeal with little chunks of apple and pecans.

I had some green smoothie mid morning to fill the void.

For lunch I had a big bowl of rice with pineapple, cilantro and cashew nuts.

For dinner I made some lentils and rice (taco seasoning spices and herbs) on a whole wheat tortilla.

I am a bit hungry now as I head to bed but I am totally fine with that.

I will need a run for peanut butter and bananas tomorrow.  Smoothies are my friend!  ;)

I spent a lot of time reading today in between making laundry detergent, washing a few clothes, sitting in front of a lovely warm fireplace, nursing a headache and thinking through some menu ideas for clients.  I am reading a book on fasting by John Piper called Hunger for God.  I highly recommend anything by Piper.

The link between food and emotion is very strong and I have a feeling I am going to see more and more of that as I go through this.  The journey is not easy but so worth it already!

I am working slowly into tomorrow morning... I am hoping to get some menu planning done for the rest of the week and some food photos up at some point.  I am also hoping to do more reading on food and the Bible in coming days.

Daniel Fast Food Journal... Day 1

 

I started the eating changes Monday and had a pretty satisfying day.  

I started the day with a green smoothie instead of coffee 

and then snacked on carrots as I worked.

For lunch I had whole wheat pasta and a veggie packed marinara sauce.

The sauce was loaded with zucchini, carrots and tomatoes.

I sipped on hot water with a bit of lemon as I was preparing dinner.  I think I might add some ginger to that later in the week for a little tummy comfort since I am off my normal lemon ginger tea blend and all other teas right now.

I finished the day with a big bowl of quinoa tossed with avocado, broccoli, quartered cherry tomatoes and lime juice with a pinch of Kosher salt.  I will be eating that one again.  It was YUM!!!

I will be putting breakfast together before I go to bed so I can mix quickly and pop it in the oven.  

I am also hoping to make a few quick snack items like granola with no sugar and cutting up some fresh veggies.  

Check out some of Kristen's video blogging... she has some recipe demos here, too.

One more list of resources

New Habits...

 

I have a two fold goal in the coming weeks.  I am finally starting on that Daniel Fast and the first goal is to spend time with God each day in prayer and reading between now and Easter.  The second goal is to bring some healing to my body through healthier eating and getting back to some exercise routine.

 

I am not sure I have mentioned it before but I tore a tendon about a year and a half ago and have had to give up running.  I thought it was temporary but then I developed a very real case of fibromyalgia and have not been able to go back to the strain of running and do not think I will ever be able to again.  I have had to seek out alternative forms of exercise.  I recently found a Pilates program called Shaped by Faith and will be using that over the coming weeks along with restarting a walking program.  I need to do this for me.  I am a firm believer in caring for the body as part of my spiritual walk.

The recipes that I will be doing for the Daniel Fast are vegan in nature and will also exclude yeast breads, sugars, caffeine and preservatives and chemicals of all kinds.  I am hoping to share some recipes with  you here as I embark on this journey.

Because I believe that a fast is very personal I won't be sharing more than recipes here.  Some insights might show up on my personal blog but it will be limited to what I feel I should share as God leads.  

I recommend two books if you are interested in this journey, too.

 

I have read both and they give information on the fast, lots of recipes and menu planning for your 21 days and then a section that is devotional for each day of your journey.  You can get them in paperback or in an e-book version.  Check out their websites for more information, too... Susan and Kristen

a few other links...

Faith and Fitness (a recipe but take a look around their site)

a Quick Overview page

My Previous Post on Fasting

The Annual Irish Tradition...

In our home we make this cake every year.  We opted to do it for Sunday this year (the day after St. Pat's Day) for after our family Sunday Dinner.  We love Sunday dinners in our home and this cake was the perfect finish to the day.  The recipe comes from Nigella Lawson and can be found in her book called Feast.  I have posted it here for your convenience but I highly recommend the entire book. 

 

I want to be Nigella when I grow up!  ;)

Greeeeeeeen Veeeelvet...

*sings to the tune of Blue Velvet*

 Nigella Lawson's latest book has the most scrummy red velvet recipe!

(on page 247-248)

 Look at that lovely photography!  

So, I used it for our St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes.

Only... I used green!  ;)  

 I fancied them up with some gold cupcake papers.

 I used her butter/cream cheese recipe on the opposite page to top it.  

(pg. 249)

 I love the colored sugars... very fun to play with.... and the tiny shamrocks!

Irish Cookbooks

This is the stash from the little crate on my counter in the kitchen.  Not pictured is the official Ballymaloe Cookery Text Book from some years ago and a Seasonal Cooking book by Darina Allen.  I use these far more than many of my other books for things like scones, breads, stews and sweet biscuits.  I am a huge fan of this very simple cuisine.  It helps that I have an Irish heritage.  I highly recommend anything by Darina Allen.  She is a favorite chef of mine and someday I hope to visit and study at Ballymaloe Cookery School.  It is on the bucket list!  ;)

A good day for a Shepherd's Pie

 Shepherd's Pie is very simple to make.  

You may prefer to buy a prefab pie crust or you can make your own.  

The mixture above is beef, potatoes, carrots, onion and celery all sauteed with a bit of thyme, salt and pepper.

 Once you have that assembled you top it with mashed potatoes and then bake it. 

The potatoes I had leftover in the fridge was some Irish Colcannon (mashed potatoes with leeks and cabbage mixed in) from Monday's cooking day for a client.

Serve with a simple salad and a big glass of tea and you have a meal for six people.

It is a great way to use up some leftovers, too.  

Today There's Pie...

I have managed to make six of these babies this week!  

I prefer the crumble topping to the lattice topped ones but will do either upon request.

These are available year round as I am able to get Granny Smith apples all the time.  My favorite time of year to enjoy these is in the fall but anytime will do.  Remember us as we head into summer.  Nothing better than baseball, something cooked on the grill and apple pie to finish it off.