Challenges, Diets, Cleanses, and So On

I'm not a big fan of the cleanses or detoxifying diets or anything too faddish and regimented. I don't really need to go into the whys though because I think I'm kind of doing one. I do realize that the title of this post is therefore a bit misleading.

Technically, it's a "challenge." My sister is running it to collect data, and I want to help her out, so I ordered this book. It isn't here yet, but my sister sent me a priming email. It looks like I've signed up to drink a half gallon of smoothie a day, and to eat a mammoth salad for lunches and dinners. Not bad things at all.

My sister is way more health conscious than I am. When she started experimenting with raw foods, it wasn't for the cupcakes. I, on the other hand have more dessert cookbooks than meal ones. She knows a lot and the one thing she's always chiding me for is my love of sugar ... the white death.



(Well she gives me a hard time about coffee too, but I think those days are over).

This love of health and of helping others has led her to breaking into the health and nutrition career arena, and this challenge is part of that. The plan isn't necessarily vegan, but it's so heavily emphatic about plant consumption that it may as well be. As such, I decided that a challenge would be good blog fodder. We start Monday! So I have to lock up my Cool Mint Oreos, and finish up the bread pudding that's currently baking. Ten days without sugar will be a Vegan Showdown (Hey! That's the name of the blog!) if I've encountered one.




OK seriously Blogger? Do I really have to add hard returns manually now, or am I totally missing something here? Also, the alignment on that video sucks and I'm not really interested in messing around with it right now because my dog wants to go on a walk. Why would you want to delay that?

Substitutions that Work

If you're out of tomato paste, substitute bloody Mary mix. Granted, the consistencies are different, but a little extra cooking time has always solved that problem for me. Also it helps to not complain needlessly when otherwise delicious food is just a little imperfect.