Black Bean, Chickpea & Avocado Salad

Um, amazing?! This salad recipe is a keeper. Both D and I couldn't stop eating it despite having very full bellies! It takes next to no time to prepare and is incredibly fresh & flavourful.

Black Bean, Chickpea & Avocado Salad

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 green onions, thinly sliced

2 plum or vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped

1 sweet yellow or red pepper, diced

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander

*The recipe doesn't call for it but I added about 1/2 cup of corn kernels. Definitely a great addition!

Dressing:

1 tsp grated lime rind

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

1 small clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp EACH salt & pepper

In large bowl, toss together black beans, chickpeas, onions, tomatoes, yellow or red pepper, avocado and coriander.

Whisk together lime rind and juice, oil, jalapeno, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour over bean mixture; toss to coat.

*If making the salad ahead of time, add avocado just before serving.

Black Bean, Chickpea & Avocado Salad. Canadian Living. The Vegetarian Collection. 2010. p. 23

Curried Lentil, Wild Rice and Orzo Salad

In my post-cleanse euphoric state, I decided to pull out some old & forgotten cookbooks in the hopes of re-energizing our weekly meal plan. I went waaay back to a cookbook my mum purchased (and I clearly "borrowed" permanently) in the late 90s. My dad was fairly young (early 40s) when he had a heart attack in 1990. This event rocked our family & our diet and gone were our traditional British dinners and replaced with healthy curries, stir fries & salads. After working with a dietician, my mum's cookbook collection was expanded to include those by the Heart & Stroke Foundation, Canadian Diabetes Association and the Canadian Medical Association.

This recipe is from Anne Lindsay's New Light Cooking and will definitely be added to our rotation. It makes a good sized portion and can be kept for up to 2 days.

Curried Lentil, Wild Rice and Orzo Salad

1/2 cup wild rice

2/3 cup green or brown lentils

1/2 cup orzo pasta

1/2 cup currants

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Dressing:

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

2 tbsp water

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp EACH granulated sugar, salt and ground coriander

1/4 tsp EACH turmeric, paprika, ground nutmeg and ground cardamom

Pinch EACH cinnamon, cloves and cayenne pepper

1/4 cup vegetable oil

In separate pots of boiling water, cook wild rice (35-40 minutes), lentils (25-30 minutes) and orzo (about 5 minutes) or until each is tender but not mushy. Drain well & transfer to a large bowl. Add currants and onion. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, water, cumin, mustard, sugar, salt, coriander, turmeric, paprika, nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and cayenne. Whisk in oil. Pour over rice mixture and toss gently. Let cool completely before covering & refrigerating for at least 4 hours.

Serve sprinkled with almonds.

*Raisins can be substituted for currants (this is what I used).

*Long grain converted rice can be substituted for orzo (cooked for about 20 minutes).

Lindsay, A. (1998). Curried Lentil, Wild Rice and Orzo Salad. Anne Lindsay's New Light Cooking. p. 50.

Cleanse: Day 12

And it's over... well, in some +/- 18 hours it will be over. Would I do it again? Absolutely. I've felt better than I have in a long time and I think this was a quick & relatively painless way to back back to healthy ways. I'm motivated to drink more water, eat better and in general, eat fresher.

I did the Wild Rose 12 Day Detox Cleanse. There are 4 different supplements you take while following a rather loose meal plan. The meal plan is comprised of 3 different categories of food, which are further broken down into encouraged, acceptable & to be avoided. It's easy to work with for grazing and incredibly easy to put actual meals together.

Laxaherb. Just warning you, one of the supplements is called Laxaherb. Interpret that as you see fit!

At the end of the 12 days, I lost 5.2lbs. I am down to 130lbs but more importantly, I feel awesome. The bloated feelings are gone and I feel less sluggish & tired. I'm sleeping better than I have in ages (which I still attribute to giving up caffeine) and I actually wake feeling rested & alert, a feeling typically hard to come by when the alarm goes off at 5:20am.

The cleanse is only supposed to be done once or twice a year. I will do it again in 6 months but I'm really hoping (and I feel quite motivated) to keep it up. I know there are some things I will need to add back into my diet but I will do so in moderation. I cannot live a life without cheese and I know it's not realistic to never eat carbs again. But, salad has appeared at every meal lately and that is a good thing. We're flying through apples each week and in general, just eating better.

Did I mention I'm down to 130lbs?!

Cleanse: Day 11

In 43 short minutes, I will officially be on day 12 and my last day of the cleanse. I will also be sleeping so really, it's not worth noting.

BUT... I will say that today was by far the hardest day yet. I had flashbacks to some nasty side effects from day 1 as well as insane cravings. I'm pretty sure I drooled all over my co-worker's delicious looking lunch from Chipotle and it took all my power to avoid eating any of the 3 dozen muffins I baked tonight. I managed to stay strong and fought through the urges! Sadly, a big glass of water doesn't really satiate cravings.

Last night was the first time in weeks that I ventured into a grocery store. We've made an effort the last few weekends to hit the St. Lawrence Market on a Saturday morning to pick up our meat, fruit & veggies for the week. I've got enough pantry stock going that I haven't needed to shop at a grocery store. However, I had to go last night to pick up a number of items needed for my office breakfast tomorrow and I realized just how much I am impacted by grocery store marketing & promotions. It's like any possible craving I may have ever had in the past immediately surfaces and I have insane 'have to have NOW' feelings. I walked down the snack aisle and stared longingly at chips, licorice & sours. I had to force myself to keep going. Things I never buy like crackers suddenly looked damn tasty. I'm lucky that I didn't buy anything I didn't need but speaking from experience, the ONLY reason is because I'm on the cleanse. As I left the store, I realized how much more I enjoy shopping at the Market. Besides, I love spending those mornings with D & M wandering around the Market.

Big day tomorrow! Final weigh-in and then it's time to come up with a plan to stick with it.

Cleanse: Day 9

So exhausted. First day back after 3 lazy days off was too much for my system! Heading to bed but checking in for a quick update.

Despite being so close to talking myself out of it, I talked myself into a quick 5km run. Totally worth it and my legs have that lovely & good sleepy feeling now. So, 10km for the week already!

Still going strong on the cleanse. I ate a huge dinner of field green salad with avocado in a simple dressing of olive oil, lemon, salt & pepper with a chicken breast stuffed with basil, spinach & roasted red peppers. Seriously, who knew you could eat so well on a cleanse?

And It's Over...

The 3-day weekend is over and it's back to reality tomorrow. Actually, back to reality tonight because minimal workday morning craziness is all down to evening preparation. This is the first May long weekend in years that we've spent at home but it was worth it.

First, I survived days 6, 7 & 8 on the cleanse. I made a quinoa salad this afternoon and the feta called to me but I successfully fought the urge. I did a teeny tiny cheat on Saturday when my salad at the restaurant came with a delicious maple-vidalia vinaigrette and I didn't balk but rather inhaled. I also ate my weight in roasted unsalted almonds but those are allowed! I can safely say that I am loving this cleanse now. I feel amazing and it's so worth it. I'm used to the little side effects (more on that as well as the name when it's over) and the day-to-day is simple.

Second, I ran! The lousy weather & the cleanse (due to said side effect) meant I've been sitting idle for about 10 days but I forced myself out this afternoon for a 5km loop. Dropping a lb here or there is great but at the end of the day, I actually have to do something to lose the pudge. And really, I can hardly use the "I just had a baby" excuse anymore when my 2+ year old is standing beside me.

Third, I tackled my 'to do' list and got a lot accomplished:

• Trip to the St. Lawrence Market to pick up meat, fruit & veggies for the week. Done!
• Weed front garden. Done!
• Sweep & tidy the front porch. Done!
• Finish tidying the backyard & gardens and get the patio furniture set up. Done!
• Make a trip to Value Village to drop off clothes & household items no longer needed. Done!
• Finalize the pattern of the photos of M in our upstairs hallway. Done!
• Continue working on purging/tidying the spare bedroom (read: dumping ground). It isn't complete but I made definite progress. Deadline is our trip to NYC in late June.
• Hang the Gary Taxali print ANYWHERE just to get it off our bedroom floor. Didn't happen.
• Bake a batch of muffins and do a bit of advance preparation for next week. Done!
• Finalize my menu for Friday breakfast at work. Done!

All in all, it was a great & productive weekend. We spent so much time outdoors with lots of trips to the park & playing out in the backyard. We visited with the grandparents and had D's dad over for dinner last night. We wandered the nursery today and picked up a new hydrangea plant (to replace sad & dead rhododendron lost by my black thumb) and a few other garden essentials. Tomorrow's dinner is already prepared and lunches are packed.

Life is good.

Orzo with Parmesan & Basil

This is definitely one of my favourite recipes for entertaining. It's quick, easy & delicious and often requested by D. We usually serve it along side steak but it's great with chicken or fish as well.

Orzo with Parmesan & Basil

3 tbsp. butter

1 1/2 cups orzo

3 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

6 tbsp. chopped fresh basil

Salt & pepper to taste

Melt butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add orzo and saute for 2-3 minutes until slightly browned. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Mix in parmesan & basil. Season with salt & pepper. Transfer to a shallow dish & serve.

Serves 6.

*Orzo with Parmesan & Basil, The Rest of the Best and More, The Best of Bridge, 2004.

Spice Muffins

I woke at 6:30am and threw in a batch of these muffins before showering. D & M really enjoyed them and D's only request was to add chocolate chips next time. If it means he'll eat them, no problem! I can't vouch for them as I didn't try them but they smelled delicious and were simple & quick to make.

Spice Muffins

1 1/4 cup flour (I used 3/4 white & 3/4 whole wheat this time)

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups All-Bran Buds cereal

1 1/4 cups boiling water

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/2 cup regular or golden raisins

Stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda & salt and set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together cereal & boiling water. Let sit for 2 minutes until water is absorbed.

Mix sugar into softened cereal until well combined. Stir in milk & vegetable oil and add egg & raisins. Beat well. Add flour and stir until just combined. Spoon batter evenly into greased muffin cups.

Bake at 400F for about 20 minutes or until tops of muffins are light golden brown and spring back when touched. Let muffins cool 5-7 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Long Weekend Goals

3 days off and a whole bunch of things I'd like to accomplish around the house. We're staying local this weekend and expecting some not-so-great weather for Sunday & Monday so hopefully that works as an incentive to follow through.

• Trip to the St. Lawrence Market to pick up meat, fruit & veggies for the week.
• Weed front garden.
• Sweep & tidy the front porch.
• Finish tidying the backyard & gardens and get the patio furniture set up.
• Make a trip to Value Village to drop off clothes & household items no longer needed.
• Finalize the pattern of the photos of M in our upstairs hallway.
• Continue working on purging/tidying the spare bedroom (read: dumping ground).
• Hang the Gary Taxali print ANYWHERE just to get it off our bedroom floor.
• Bake a batch of muffins and do a bit of advance preparation for next week.
• Finalize my menu for Friday breakfast at work.

The sun is shining and it's a gorgeous day out there so we'll be making the most of it as well. I think a day outside, trips to the park and maybe a visit to Ed's Real Scoop will be in order. I'll just stare & drool while the boys enjoy ice cream!

Cleanse: Day 5

I really wish I hadn't discovered that popcorn AND butter are both allowed on this cleanse. Big mistake. Regardless, I stuck to it and am feeling great. My skin is breaking out so I'm wondering if that's all the icky stuff making it's way to the surface.

Long weekend! Thank God. Lots of things I want to accomplish this weekend so I'm hoping to post a list to stay accountable... tomorrow.

We Have a Combiner on Our Hands!

M had a follow up assessment at the speech therapy clinic this morning and they were so pleased!

At our SLPs urging, we've skipped the current block of therapy that is one-on-one (well, two) between therapist & child/parent for a specialized course built by The Hanen Centre for parents only. It's based on a well known book called It Takes Two to Talk and the course basically breaks it down in detail and provides parents with the insight & skills to work with their toddler. On the one hand, it's been informative and very comforting to know there are lots of other slow-to-speak kids out there. On the other hand, it's pretty much been a repeat of what we learned (just without knowing or labeling it) during our one-on-one sessions.

Who cares!? It's working! M is a combiner!

There are four basic stages of early communication & language:

• Discovers - Reactionary but do not communicate with purpose.
• Communicators - Nonverbal in nature.
• First Word Users - Single word use.
• Combiners - Combine 2-3 words into sentences.

M is actually past the combiner stage because he will use 4-5 words in a sentence. The SLP was happy to note that he uses I and I'm and only uses "me" to refer to himself the odd time. She noticed how he was so much more engaged during play and looked for opportunities to chat, take turns and in general, communicate. Yay!

A lot of people have asked if I felt we started this process too early with M. I'm sure they wonder if we jumped the gun and went through all of this when it may not have been necessary. Truth be told, we'll never really know but I am so glad we listened to our doctor at his 1 year appointment when she said to get him on the waiting list. She saw that he wasn't talking or babbling at all and we were beginning to catch on to it, too. It was the one milestone he consistently wasn't hitting. We were lucky to start seeing an SLP when M was 18 months and at that time, he was a communicator. He's made a tonne of progress over the last 6 months and I'm positive it's because of all the great tips & tricks we received.

I'm so proud of my little guy! His vocabulary is growing and he wants to repeat. He actually wants to look at and talk to us! He's like this tiny little person attempting to have an intelligent conversation. It's amazing! Go M go!

Cleanse: Day 4

I felt like a bag of hammers all day long but I think it was more emotional than physical. Meh. Nothing new happening. Not sure if that's good or bad?

Also, you have to love a cleanse that allows you to eat popcorn with butter!

I would gnaw my left arm off if it meant I could have a burrito right now. Mmm... guacamole & cheese.

PS - Such a fitting "me" post for my 200th.

Cleanse: Day 3

I have a sore throat. According to my source (who just completed this cleanse), it's totally normal. By normal, it happened to her. Not too sure what exactly that or it means but I'm hoping it'll be gone tomorrow.

Also, not sure if it's in my head but I really do feel like I've got a bit more energy. I'm less bloated, too. Good signs? I'm definitely staying well hydrated and I'm hoping my skin will clear up a bit. I think the last few months of indulgence have taken their toll.

The weather has been miserable lately. We're on day 7 of rain and I think we've got another 2 days before we see a bit of sun. Of course, we'll get one sunny day and we're back to rain. That said, I haven't been for a true run since last Wednesday. I'm okay with it because I wanted to get into my groove with this cleanse as there are some less than wonderful side effects but I'm hoping to get out on Saturday.

Cleanse: Day 2

Again, not horrible. I had to suffer through mad temptations for pastries at meeting first thing but I resisted their call. I perhaps drooled just a little when serving a delicious homemade pasta back to the boys tonight but again, I resisted.

I should add that I'm by no means starving myself. I filled my belly with lots of fresh fruit & veggies throughout the day. Lunch was true oatmeal with a bit of rice milk and dinner was fried brown rice (just a bit of olive oil and no soy sauce) with chicken, celery & orange pepper.

The kicker? Herbal supplements. I'll save those details for later.

It'll be worth it, right?

Cleanse: Day 1

It wasn't horrible. I was expecting a long, drawn out & painful day but it really wasn't. I ate well and am going to bed comfortably full. There was maybe one or two fleeting moments of regret but I will admit that it's nice knowing that every.single.thing that went into my mouth today was pure & good.

One Week Later...

I'm holding steady at 135.2lbs. Ugh. I really don't get it BUT I'll push on and give it time (and diet & exercise). My goal is 130lbs by June 23rd, which is when we leave for NYC.

Desperate times call for desperate measures...

I'm starting a 12-day detox today in the hopes of feeling better. Since cutting out caffeine last week, I think I'm actually beginning to feel the benefits. I'm no longer dragging throughout the day, sleeping better at night and actually waking feeling refreshed. This detox is an extension of that and involves lots of fresh foods (no limits) and should give me freedom while doing something good for myself.

Updates to follow! I've heard the first few days are really difficult but I'm hoping it's worth it.

Rosie

I held a newborn baby this morning. I held her while she slept, fed her when she woke, burped her and stared at her. When it was time to go, I passed sweet little Rosie back to her mama. And know what? I was okay with it.

I love babies. I mean, who doesn't? New smell, tiny features, quiet cooing noises. I'd wondered if holding Rosie would stir up anything inside me. You know, that "must have another" feeling. It didn't. I loved every second of it and would do it again in a heartbeat but for now, I am okay with holding other people's babies.

Sometimes I think D & I are only meant to have M. I know that I feel like our family is complete and there isn't a missing little someone. I really don't want M to be an only child and often have moments when I *think* I know he needs a sibling. Firstly, D is an only child so no cousins on that side of the family. Secondly, my brother & his wife are childless so no cousins there. At some point, everything will stop at him. I hate to think of him being alone with no family years down the road. It makes me sad to think of him dealing with life after us all by himself. Yes, I can be melodramatic at times.

One of the best things I ever did after having M was to return to work. I love M with all my heart but as I have said before, I am a better parent because I am a working parent. It is what works for me. I also know that returning to work has stirred up those waiting feelings in me because I am so lucky to love what I do, who I work with and where my career is going.

I also know that I'm getting older and at some point, we'll have to make a decision on whether or not we want to try to expand. Right now, I am admittedly at that age where I can sit for another few years. I'm not in my twenties and I'm still a ways off from 40 but I'm there.

For now, I will savour the fun days with my toddler and nights filled with sleep. I'll enjoy my friend's babies and love reliving milestones through them. I will listen, share & talk and know that I am lucky to have my one and if that's all we are blessed with, it's okay. I am okay with it.

7.5km!

Add another 7.5km to this week's running total and I'm up to 18.5km already. I won't be running tomorrow night but definitely on Friday. Ideally, I'd like to do a minimum 10km run one day each weekend and gradually increase the distance over time.

Yay!

Wordless Wednesday

This sweet little face greets me each morning. Love.

Tuesday, May 10th

135.2lbs

Rock Bottom

I'm stuck in that awkward place where I'm so uncomfortable in my own body but also so proud of what it can do.

I feel like I've hit body image rock bottom. Yes, once again I am feeling this way. The last few months of emotional eating, lack of exercise & general laziness with all things food have taken their toll. My jeans feel snug, there are rolls in places there shouldn't be, I may have even grown another chin or two... I just feel uncomfortable. I'm *that* girl who is constantly pulling at my clothes -- up, down, stretch, pull -- and nothing is making me feel like I fit. I feel awkward in all situations and I'm at the point where my insecurities are shining through all areas of my life.

So, it's time to make some changes. I realize I sound like a broken record and come out with this sort of stuff every few months. But, it's what gets me through and motivates me.

I'm making a conscious effort to think before I eat. I'm asking myself if I really need it or just want it and pushing myself to think of the greater goal. By no means do I deprive myself but let's face it, nobody needs to empty the candy dish in the office boardroom during a one hour meeting. A little shame can go a long way! I need to do the basics once again and drink more water, eat more fresh fruits/veggies and scale back on snacking. Sounds pretty simple, right? We'll see...

Running that 10km a week or so ago was supposed to kick start my season. I'm an April/May to October/November runner. The winter thing has never been my gig and despite numerous tries over the years, I never stick with it. I got into a great groove last year and was running 30km/week and that's exactly where I want to be this summer. I'll track my runs on a Sunday-Saturday schedule and am pretty pleased that at only Monday, I'm already sitting at 11km for the week. I said in a previous post that I'm giving myself until June to hit the 30km/week mark so if I can get to 20km this week, I'll be content.

I constantly feel like I let my body down. I don't really buy into that whole 'my body is my temple' thing but this is my only body and it's got to see me through many years. I used to always say that I'd never let myself get to a certain weight or size and well, it happened. I happily snacked & drank my way into those pants or that hoodie that hides all.

As I get older, I try to respect my body more and more and do right by it. I genuinely want to to be healthy. It isn't so much about being fit or thin but I want to be & feel healthy. This body has lasted me 34 years and gave me a perfect and healthy baby. It's all I can do, really, is to give it a bit of love & care in return. I am proud of what my body has accomplished and what I know it can do. I am excited and eager to get back to my routines and hoping my body gives back a little of that confidence I'm lacking.

Apple Fennel Celery Salad

We had this for dinner on Monday night with a side of cold (pulled) roast chicken and it was really great. We added a handful of crumbled applewood smoked cheddar but it's just as good without.

Apple Fennel Celery Salad

1 cup thinly sliced fennel

1 cup sliced celery

1 cup red seedless grapes, halved

2 Red Delicious apples, peeled & chopped

1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Poppy Seed Dressing

1/2 cup Balkan-style plain yogurt

2 tbsp liquid honey

4 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp poppy seeds

Pinch salt

Pinch paprika

In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, honey, lemon juice, mustard, poppy sees, salt and paprika until smooth.

Add fennel, celery, grapes, and apple. Toss to coat. Serve sprinkled with walnuts.

*Canadian Living's The Vegetarian Cookbook (p. 155)

Meal Plan for the Week of May 2nd

In no particular order, here is our menu for the week! Continuing our efforts to eat less meat or rather, focus less on meat as our main protein source at dinner, only one meal (so far) is planned to have meat as a side.

• Stuffed Ricotta Shells w/ an Arugula Salad
• Roasted Red Pepper & Sweet Potato Soup w/ Green Onion & Cheddar Scones
• Spanish Tortilla w/ Salad
• Apple, Fennel & Celery Salad w/ Roasted Chicken

All recipes are courtesy of Canadian Living's Vegetarian Collection. Reviews to follow as I've never made any of these before.

Sporting Life 10km

I did it! I'm pooched & sore but so glad I did it. I didn't do horribly and considering it was only my 2nd run of the season, I think I did an okay job. I didn't come in under an hour but managed a respectable 1:03:18. I've got a few months to lose that 3:18 plus another 5-10 minutes.

And now with that run under my belt and the official start of my running season, I'm giving myself a month to get back into the 30km/week pattern that I maintained last summer.

Off for a lazy Sunday walk with my boys! Must.keep.moving.