A Little Setback and a Photo

Last Thursday, I wrote about my plans for preparing for pregnancy, and as I mentioned in that post, my first goal is holistic cleansing.  I have completed Step A of this process (preparing for the cleanse) and would be thrilled to proceed to the next phase if only my body would cooperate.  It’s fighting off some kind of cold-like illness right now, and while I’m not exactly sick, I’m not well either.  I’m not surprised, considering my stress level the past few weeks as the school term wound to a close.  I am a bit disappointed, though.

I seriously considered forging ahead anyway, but I’ve decided to give my body a couple more days to fully defend itself.  The next cleansing phase is a juice fast, which means I won’t be able to take supplements, and I think my body needs the extra support right now.  Until I get over this hump, I’m eating nothing but raw fruits and vegetables to promote an alkaline environment.  I’m also using my neti pot twice per day, putting garlic drops in my ears, and taking copious amounts of powdered vitamin C (ascorbate), garlic, and liquid echinacea (sooooo nasty!).  I hope I’ll be over this in no time flat.  As soon as I feel great again, which will hopefully be within a day or two, I’ll start the next phase of my cleanse.

One thing has been lovely about this setback.  Since I’m trying to eat lots of raw vegetables, I made that gorgeous carrot salad  again.  And this time I took pictures.  Want to see it?

I love how pretty it is! 

I also love how I ate the entire recipe–all by myself.  Oops.  I’m sure my husband didn’t want any anyway. 

Seriously, how could I resist?

Have a good weekend!

 

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Another Dinner Hit: A Non-Sweet Carrot Salad

Among our standard household fare on the dinner table tonight (Homemade Turkey Breakfast Sausage, roasted broccoli, and spinach salad with apple cider vinegar dressing), we delved into a new recipe: Savory Carrot Salad by Kimi Harris of The Nourishing Gourmet blog, one of my new favorite spots on the web. 

Oh.

My.

Goodness.

It was all I could do not to eat the whole thing before J even got home from work!  I LOVED this recipe.  I could eat it every day.  Really, I could.  But I won’t, because then I’d get tired of it, and I’d never forgive myself for that.  

This salad is beautiful to look at, beautiful to taste, and beautiful for the body.  Aside from all of its vitamin, fiber, and antioxidant content (go here for more health info), it’s a great way to increase your intake of raw vegetables without getting bored.

As usual, I altered the recipe a bit, so check it out below to see what made me swoon.    

 

Carrot Salad in Basil Vinaigrette

4 large carrots, shredded (I used a food processor–quick and easy)
2 tablespoons raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar (alkaline-forming and full of valuable probiotics)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chiffonaded (or if that’s too snotty for you, simply chopped)
2 pinches sea salt
a few generous grinds of fresh black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients except the carrots.  Once emulsified, pour over the shredded carrots and combine well.  Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. 

This dish is yummy right away or after refrigeration.  FYI, although we didn’t have the chance to find out, the original recipe’s author says that the carrots become soft after long refrigeration.

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