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So, we decided to make a change in our lives… and we went crazy at the market buying up tomatoes, english pickles, peppers, butternut squash, onions, sweet potatoes, yellow beans, etc. And once we  arrived home, we  started making these wonderful meals. At the wedding they served a roasted butternut squash soap, that I tried to emulate. It was great!!!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

2tbls extra virgin olive oil

1/2cup diced onions

1/4cup diced celery

1/4cup diced carrots

1 cinnamon stick

sea salt

4cups vegetable stock

1/2tsp coriander

1-1/2 cups roasted winter squash(put in oven to roast for 1-2 hours at 250 degrees)

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat until hot. Add the onion, celery, carrot and cinnamon stick and saute until soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Season with salt.

Add the vegetable stock and the coriander, and bring to boil. Simmer for several minutes. Stir in squash until smooth, then simmer gently to let the flavors meld, about 10 minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick.

Puree the soup in a blender until smooth. The soup can be made ahead of time, cooled, covered and refrigerated for several days. It will thicken as it cools and may need thinning with stock or water when reheating.

Recently, we went to my cousins wedding in Orangeville, Ontario. That’s about an hour of so outside of Toronto, and it was so beautiful. I have to admit, I’d never been to Orangeville. My family spent most of our time in the Welland, Ontario area… and traveled to Toronto and Montreal only on special occasions. But getting back to the wedding, there was more than enough beer and wine flowing, and the way my nerves were rattled from the ride up to the resort, I indulged in 1 or 2 extra glasses of wine than I should have.

When it came to dinner… I was so amazed at the service from the resort! We missed the R.S.V.P. time slot, so we weren’t able to check what kind of meal we wanted. As it turns out, that was not  a problem. The wait staff were so generous and kind in there knowledge that I was a vegetarian, that they literally bent over backwards getting me the vegetarian meals on the menu. That was very nice and thoughtful on the part of our individual server… she was really great!!!!

Then in August, we went to another wedding. This one was from Mikes side of the family and it so appreciative of my eating habits. We were able to R.S.V.P. well in advance, but there was no selection of vegetarian meal.  So, I selected the Salmon and it was a really good meal, except for the cream sauce it was served with.

And when you are hungry, your stomach and your eyes take over the fight and I pretty much lose the battle everytime.!

Even though I am working out…. walking and doing my pilates, I still have to be vigilant in what and when I eat. In an effort to not be starving, I have to remember to eat healthy snacks throughout the day, and be mindful of eating as much raw food as possible at a meal.!

Even as long as I’ve been eating raw, it’s unbelievable to me that my body still craves bad foods. Seeing fried foods, cheeses and other dairy foods are toxic to me the vegetarian as well as me the human. Because these foods really do a number on my system…. but I still feel compelled to eat them regardless of any aches, pains, and backups!

So, in an effort to do so I have continued to work out at Pilates Classes across the country. Mike and I hit the road on June 5th heading west to visit family and friends. On the road, I managed to still do my Barley Max 3x a day. In addition to that, I did make a resolution to continue eating fresh, raw foods in my diet. For the most part, that has been the case, but  I have also cheated with fried foods, fish, and sweets!!!! But overall, I did make a hit with family who I haven’t seen since last year. They were all amazed at how much weight I had lost, because honestly, since I’ve seen them I had lost 40lbs. But there are still about 15 to 20lbs to go.

In California, Mike and I traveled to Santa Barbara to recreate my birthday lunch. And here’s the picture….. I look great!!! From last year to this year. There’s a difference in weight

1 Year Later - Santa Barbara Birthday Lunch

Santa Barbara - Birthday Lunch '09

Breakfast 1tsp of Barley Max Powder mixed with 4-8oz of Distilled Water.

Mid Morning 8oz Juice Carrot, Celery.

After class, I was meeting Robin at the house for fruit smoothies and then out to do some quality girl bonding. We hit a couple of boutiques for shopping and then headed to the European Village for lunch. It’s a place Mike and I frequent a lot, but Robin’s never been there.

30 Minutes before Lunch 1tsp of Barley Max Powder mixed with 4-8oz of Distilled Water. At the European Village, we decided on eating at Mezzalluna Italian Restaurant for some Salad and Pizza. I cheated hard core with the Pizza, because it was a Cheese, White Dough Pizza. Plus we had a bottle of White Wine with lunch. Somehow, during our lunch, the waiter got wind of my birthday being Wednesday and we got a birthday song and Canoli.

Mid Afternoon 8oz Juice Carrot, Celery, Apple.

 30 Minutes before Dinner, 1tsp of Barley Max Powder mixed with 4-8oz of Distilled Water.

In continued early celebrations of my birthday, Mike made dinner made of Cucumber Salad and Grilled Potatoes with Onion.

Cucumber Salad:

Ingredients:

3Cucumbers

2 Tomatoes

1Cup Tarragon

1/2 Red Onions

2 Garlic Cloves, Sliced

1/2 Cup Lime Juice

Celtic Salt

2Tbsp Olive Oil

Directions: Wash, Cut, Slice vegetables and mix into bowl with lime juice, olive oil and seasonings.

Grilled Potatoes & Onions:

Ingredients:

4 Yellow Potatoes

4 Sweet Potatoes

1 Yellow Onion

Olive Oil

Directions: Peel, slice and mix with olive oil and grill for 20 minutes in the Coleman Outdoor Cassarole Grill.

Nearing the last days of my Raw to Lose 40 challenge… I was hoping my results would be drastic from this weekend. Otherwise, I was not going to make my goal weight of 144lbs. I was still stuck at 164lbs.

30 Minutes before Lunch 1tsp of Barley Max Powder mixed with 4-8oz of Distilled Water.

In Orlando, we stopped at Mike’s favorite restaurant Bahama Breeze and I had my usual Breeze Salad and Vegetable Quesadillas with no Cheese. 

Then in Daytona Beach, we stopped into a Smoothie King for a Banana, Berry, Peach smoothie. 

30 Minutes before Dinner 1tsp of Barley Max Powder mixed with 4-8oz of Distilled Water. 

I made a Vegetable Salad with some leftover Veggies going bad.

Ingredients:

1 Red Bell Pepper

1 Orange Bell Pepper

3 Cucumbers

2 Green Onions

Dried Onions

Paprika

Celtic Salt

Olive Oil

White Wine Vinegar

Directions: Wash and cut, Chop Vegetables and mix into bowl. Add Olive Oil and Vinegar dDressing and seasonings.

After dinner, I decided to get on my bike and take a ride around the neighborhood to see how things were shile we weere gone…. and it was a nice 45 minut bike ride.

Needless to say, I was moving in super slow motion. My entire body was aching and I was still feeling ill. Mike got dressed and I finally did so as well. Frankly, I was afraid to take my breakfast 1tsp of Barley Max Powder mixed with 4-8oz Distilled Water because I wasn’t sure how it would make me feel.

So I put my recovery into Mikes. He suggested the best advise was to go downstairs to the hotels restaurant for breakfast. He actually ordered me a Hot Water for Tea and Honey and some Toast with honey as well. Notice the common denominator here.? Yes it’s the honey and it’s the best thing to help an upset stomach. And I have to admit, it did help me feel better. I also snacked on a small plate of Pineapples and berries and then we left for the Marina.

It was  really a great day to be out on the water… my only regret was that I felt the way I did. When we actually set out for our Dolphin sighting tour, I perked up as soon as we saw our first sighting. Which was minutes after we set out through the waterway.

Our guide helped us identify the dolphins in the area, by pointing out there dorsal fins. Each dolphin has unique markings that identify them. We ended up finding several regulars along with their baby dolphins. 

We also got a bit of bird watching in and saw some nesting Osprey’s before we headed to an island for some sea shell picking.

I tried to stay under as much shade on the boat as I could, but it was impossible. By the time we got off the boat I was feeling like I would bring breakfast back up. Was not feeling my best at all!!!!

We stopped at Olive Garden Restaurant, because Mike was hungary and I just wanted to feel better out of the sun and heat. I ordered for myself a Minestrone Soup, but didn’t eat much of the soup because I was just not in the mood. But I did eat a Bread Stick dipped in the soup.  

On the way back to the hotel, Mike suggested something to drink. I thought of having a coffee type drink from Starbucks to help my stomach. So I had my oldy, but goody Mocha Frappechino with an extra shot of coffee… and it was good.

Back at the hotel, I showered and quickly made it into the bed and slept for a while before out dinner reservations. I started feeling better and so heading out to dinner wasn’t too bad. I had made reservations at The Turtle Club, a popular local hang out with dining on the beach. Of course we had to sit on the beach and be served there. But as we were sitting there, drinking a cocktail and sharing our Walnut and Pear Green Salad the sun again was getting the best of us. It was so hot, that it was making us feel ill, so we asked to be seated in the back of the patio with less sun coverage. I ordered the special Shrimp and Scampi meal with Rice.. Mike ended up eating half of it and needless to say we returned to the hotel to go to bed.

Breakfast was 1tsp of Barley Max Powder mixed with 4-8oz of Distilled Water.

No Mid Morning 8oz Juice…

After our Kayaking… I was hot, hungry and thirsty!!! So we ended up finding a Whole Foods Grocery Store, where they actually Juiced Vegetables. For my Mid Afternoon 8oz Juice Carrot, Celery, Cucumber.

Then we went through the buffet line at WholeFoods where I ate a Spinach Salad with Red Onions, Lentils, Chick Peas, and Oil and Vinegar Dressing. Then I tested some of the Guacamole and Salsa and some Orzo. It was really filling. I think I may have eaten too much!!!!

Back at the hotel, we showered and relaxed watching T.V. and snacking on Pistachio Nuts,. Not really interested in dressing up for dinner, we hit the Complimentary Bar on the 4th floor. I ended up snacking on some Carrots, Broccoli and crackers. I had a glass of White Wine. 

Unfortunately, during the night I got viciously sick and spent most of the night in the restroom. Not a good thing for our early morning Dolphin Experience Sunday.!

Mike and I think the Pistachios might have been the culprit here… because he got sick too!!!

I made sure I packed up my Barley Max…Juiced for both Mid Morning and Mid Afternoon and brought some lunch and other snacks.

Before we left,  I had breakfast of  1tsp of Barley Max Powder mixed with 4-8oz Distilled Water.

Then I made my 8oz Juice for Mid Morning of Carrot, Celery, Spinach, Cucumber

Shortly after that, we hit the road to the west coast…. while we were driving through Orlando, I got hungry.

So, 30 Minutes before lunch I mixed 1tsp of Barley Max Powder with 4-8oz of Distilled Water

Lunch was just outside of Disney where I ate Apples on the road until I was satisfied (2)

Then we stopped off at Applebee’s Restaurant because Mike was Hungry. We were literally 10 miles outside of Tampa when we stopped for lunch. I really couldn’t say no to more food, because I was also hungry. I ordered a Oriental Chicken Salad with no Chicken and some Onion Rings before hand. Mike and I ordered off the 2 meals under $20 bucks. And that was the best I could get

Basically, this is what my appetite has been like for say, the last 2-3 weeks. I eat my apples or other fruit, but I am still so hungry. I don’t know what to do about this. Plus, it’s not hard when I don’t have any self control around Mike. Unfortunately he’s not on the same eating plan, so I have to be really careful.

We hit the road after lunch and got past Tampa, Sarasota, and were driving around Fort Myers, but were not impressed.!

I drank my Mid Afternoon 8oz Juice of Carrot, Celery, Spinach, Cucumbers while we were driving around Fort Myers.

Then we decided to go further south to Naples, which was only 20 miles away… and guess what? We loved it!!!

We found a hotel and changed for dinner and 30 Minutes before Dinner I mixed 1tsp of Barley Max Powder with 4-8oz of Distilled Water.

For dinner we actually consulted with some hotel staff… the concierge wasn’t available then. So we went to a place called M Waterfront Restaurant at The Villages Complex. It was a beautiful dinner of Steamed Vegetables and a Bombay Sapphire and Tonic.

I made my Mid Morning 8oz Juice of Carrot, Celery, Cucumbers and then headed off to the shower. Again this morning I had some appointments in Daytona to attend to in the morning. Then my afternoon was open to work from home.

Wednesday 8 Wendy's Salad & Apple

For Lunch I remembered that Wendy’s had a nice Garden Salad, so on my way home, I stopped in and got at Garden Salad. I took it home and proceeded to eat the salad on a pile of papers in my office and grabbed an Apple to enjoy as well.

Then I hit the Walmart, to do a more extensive shopping adventure.

Mid Afternoon 8oz Juice of Carrot, Celery, Spinach

I finally got my Barley Max shipment in the mail…

Barley Max

30 Minutes before Dinner 1Tsp Barley Max Powder mixed with 4-8oz Distilled Water.

Dinner was a medley of green goodness…

Wednesday 8 Green Beans, Spinach Salad, Veggie Sandwich

Green Bean Delight:

Ingredients:

1/2lb of Green Beans

1Tsp Olive Oil

Dried Onion Flakes

Paprika

Celctic Salt

Directions: Clean and Cut ends of Green Beans. Pour them into boiling water and blanch for about 2-4 minutes.  Remove from heat, strain and add olive oil and seasonings

Spinach Salad:

Ingredients:

Handful of Spinach Leaves

2Raddish

2Green Onions

Dried Organic Cranberries

Seedless Sunflower Seeds

Directions: Wash spinach leaves, slice raddish, and green onions and mix into bowl with cranberries and sunflower seeds. Add dressing of your choice. I picked something out of the refrigerator.. a Wish Bone Italian Dressing.

Hummas Veggie Sandwich:

Ingredients:

Hummas

Whole Wheat Bread, 2 slices

1 Yellow Bell Pepper, Seeded and Sliced

1 Cucumber, Sliced

Directions: Sliced Whole Wheat Bread, apply Hummus to the bread and layer with sliced vegetables.

And it was time to watch the season finale of Dancing With The Stars… Nicole’s sure to win it!!!