Joy in Juicing

In my quest for better health, I've removed many foods, or rather toxins, from my life the past year.  For the most part, I haven't felt deprived but rather revived, as I can feel myself healing from the inside out.  The saying is so true - you really are what you eat!

For as many items as I've taken away, it's been a joy finding and trying new foods to delight in.  My pantry contains ingredients that I'd never even heard of a year ago.  Things like dulse, chia seeds, flax, xanthan gum, coconut flour/sugar, and ghee.  And I'm a regular connoisseur of kimchi, fresh cilantro, sriracha, coconut milk/water, and cauliflower rice. 

It's been fun to recreate favorites that were not so healthy with alternative ingredients.  And even better that -for the most part- my guys enjoy the swaps.  Noah regularly requests my buffalo cauliflower casserole; and Tim has learned to love more veggies than mashed potatoes and corn, even if he still turns his nose up at asparagus.  Their support through this transition has really meant the world to me.

Yesterday was another first, with my newest adventure - juicing!  Following the wisdom of Anthony William, also known as the "Medical Medium," I drank my first of many glasses of fresh celery juice. 

From MM, "The more alkaline your body is, the less chance you have of being afflicted by disease. This is because disease thrives off things like mucus and acid.  Celery is a major alkaline food. This means it has an extremely high toxin removal rate.  It purges the body of acid and poisons, and cleanses the liver and bloodstream like nothing else."

Thanks to a fellow health foodie, armed with organic celery and a milk nut bag, I attempted my first batch with a blender.  Youtube makes things look so easy.  Unfortunately, my ancient chopper made more of a salsa-like consistency instead of juice.  As she was upgrading her juicer, I was able to score a deal and get a new-to-me contraption ready to squeeze the liquid gold, err green, right out of those stalks. 

Maybe it was my imagination but I felt a surge of energy and could smell celery the rest of the day.  I can't wait to see how it helps over time. 

Do you juice?  Share your favorite recipe or success story below. 

Cheers...

Simple {Easter} Sunday

Holidays change as kids grow.  Long gone are the days of dressing my boys up in cute Easter rompers and bow ties.  Baskets have evolved from stuffed with toys and furry animals, to pastel grass and candy-filled, to baseball caps stocked with teenage faves.  This year, after Noah mentioning wanting peanut butter, Tim brought home a pack of Reese eggs.  And this morning, because everything is now half off, he put two sacks on the table for our towering guy to later engulf.

Yesterday was our first Easter that Noah didn't accompany us to church.  He worked 12-hour shifts this weekend, at his new job, though we did drive by to say hello after service.  Seeing him in his element, so happy and fulfilled, took away any longing for him to be by our side in the pew (at least a bit!) 

New joys were having what family attended the sunrise service come back to our house for breakfast.  We lingered over omelet muffins, fruit salad, coffee and other yummy snacks before returning to church for early service. 

We were home before 10 am with the rest of the day free, other than Tim having to sleep in preparation for his night shift. Between our crack-of-dawn alarm and not feeling well, neither of us had any difficulty in taking naps!  Hubby slept much longer, but I welcomed the quiet time it gave me to rest, reflect on the meaning of the day, and cook a small dinner for the three of us. 

The three of us ate at the table, watched a few comedies and retired early. 

To the outside, it might seem we didn't even observe the holiday.  Just a typical Sunday but anything other than simple when I humbly dwell the reason for the day.  Sometimes celebrations aren't festive or elaborate but rather quiet and intimate.  Without all the fanfare it allowed me to pause in worship for the gift that Easter truly is. 

Prayers your Easter was gentle and filled with JOY!