THE CLEANSE UPDATE

I need to start this blog by thanking my dear friend Sabrina for sending me a lovely email last night saying that she still reads this blog...I know I haven't posted in a few days and it was the gentle reminder that I very badly needed in order to get back on track! THANKS SABS!!!

I have to say that I really loved the cleanse, I felt great after it was over and would definitely do the cooler cleanse again in the future. During the 2 day prep I had a hard time getting off caffeine, I felt tired and was getting headaches (hello withdrawal) but I did enjoy the "eating clean" aspect of the 2 day prep. I lost 1.2 pounds in that 48 hour period and I think that it really helped when it came time to starting the juices. I was mentally psyched to begin the next 3 days of juicing.
You are supposed to do 2 days of cleaning eating afterwards BUT I had forgotten that I plans to go to the city with my mother for dinner and a show... so that was a bust.
I had lost almost 5 pounds by the end of the 2 day prep and 3 day cleanse, I have not gotten back on the scale since, I know that it was mostly water weight and that I will see the scale go back up... which I am honestly not prepared to do yet.

I am back on Weight Watchers now and I will restart my dedication to keeping track of my points, which is really hard for me.

BUT on a better note I am going to share a delicious recipe that I found on Smitten Kitchen for Carrot soup! The soup comes out to 3 points per serving, the Tahini is about 2 or 3 (not sure if I calculated that correctly) and 1/8 of a cup of chickpeas in 1 point... I figured that tossing a couple of chickpeas as a garnish on the soup will cost me that 1 point.

ENJOY!!!!

Carrot Soup with Lemon, Tahini and Crisped Chickpeas

Serves 4, generously or 6, petitely




Soup
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
2 pounds (905 grams) carrots, peeled, diced or thinly sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 regular or 6 small garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon table salt, plus more if needed
Pinch of Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
4 cups (945 ml) vegetable broth

Crisped chickpeas
1 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 15-ounce (425-gram) can, drained, patted dry on paper towels
1 generous tablespoon (15 ml or so) olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Lemon-tahini dollop
3 tablespoons (25 grams) tahini paste
2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice
Pinch or two of salt
2 tablespoons (30 ml) water

Heat two tablespoons olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, garlic, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper flakes and sauté until they begin to brown, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat your oven to 425 degrees F. Toss chickpeas with one tablespoon olive oil, salt and cumin until they’re all coated. Spread them on a baking sheet or pan and roast them in the oven until they’re browned and crisp. This can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the size and firmness of your chickpeas. Toss them occasionally to make sure they’re toasting evenly.

Once vegetables have begun to brown, add broth, using it to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cover pot with lid and simmer until carrots are tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small dish, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, salt and water until smooth with a yogurt-like consistency. If more liquid is needed to thin it, you can add more lemon juice or water, a spoonful at a time, until you get your desired consistency.

Puree soup in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth. Ladle into bowls. Dollop each with lemon-tahini, sprinkle with crisped chickpeas and garnish with chopped parsley.