Reflecting on Last Week and Recipe Posts

This past week I was trying to focus on my Lymphatic System and I think I did a pretty good job with it.  I was able to try almost everything on my list from last week.  However...I didn't get around to the Plantains, Echinacea, and didn't do as much Yoga as I had hoped.  I made it about 90% or more with RAW FOODS last week, too! 

 It's been extremely cold over the past week - or month for that matter!  We've been seeing temperature anywhere between -18 and -29 and YES that is BELOW ZERO!  Brrr!

Because I am having some discomfort in certain areas of my body (and I am chalking it up to what time of month it is) I will be trying to focus on these things this week.  Most of the suggestions I have found online I already do with my diet.  So I think I will be upping my herbs and essential oils - as well as my green juices and smoothies.  I think I would be more excited about juicing again if I had a different juicer.  I'm still tossing the idea around of getting a new one.  Right now I am HOT on both a Breville and an Omega NC900.

In other news - I have been concentrating on Recipes over at The Raw Food World News Site and I will continue to but I will now be contributing articles again.  More on that down the road.

As for the recipes - I will include some quick links and sort descriptions throughout this week!  First up...Raw Tomato Garlic Herb Bread that I made in my dehydrator a while back...it strayed from the version just a little bit that I posted previously on my blog.  Brazil Nut Pesto was another recipe that was featured this past month.  You know I LOVE my Pesto's!  And the last preview for today is the Ginger Wasabi Noodle Bowl.  I did this a while back using a Wildtree Product but have since made it from scratch and enjoy it just as much!

Work has been going real well.  Incase I didn't mention it before I've been switched over to sales and I have already met my goals for the first two months of this year and I am really happy about it.  I'm still keeping a few of my responsibilities from before, too, so I won't solely be doing sales eventho that is my main priority from now on.

Furkids Update: Riley has been showing his age a bit and I think he is either getting random muscle pains or spasms or arthritis.  Paco has another appointment today for his ITP and they will be doing another full blood work up to check his levels.  We have been going about every other month since his levels have been coming back better the last few times, however, I have been getting meds for him every month.  Charlie seems to be doing as well as he has been since his tail amputation...so that is good!

Hubby has been on and switching meds for his Crohns and doing fairly well with it, however, our insurance changed over the last few months and things are NOT working to our benefit with the changes and his prescriptions.

As far as my love of Pop Culture as of late...I was able to watch the 40th SNL Anniversary Special and LOVED it!  We are back into The Walking Dead and will watch Sunday's Episode tonight.  Nothing, really, in the way of movies, lately, and my ears have been enjoying a split of Reggae and New Wave, it seems.

What about you!?  Do tell!

Eats this week - Salads, Fruit, and a Cashew Dip Treat!

Since I am doing a mostly raw week while focusing on my Lymphatic System I thought I would show a few things I have eaten over the last few days.  I'm also thinking about extending this adventure into next week.  Time will tell.

First up a MASSIVE Salad.  I wish you could see how big this bowl was!  The salad turned out awesome!  It has 5 different kinds of lettuce in there, mini cucumbers, raw walnuts, 2 different colors of sweet bell peppers, and I topped it with a Braggs Dressing that had Ginger and a few other things in there.  Also on top is Garlicky Green Vegan Parm.

Yesterday for lunch I had 6 Kiwi Fruit.  I've also been gnawing on Kale Chips a lot this week.

I was able to find a few different kinds of Apples yesterday - including Grapples that are NOT pictured.  Cantaloupe - YAY - I hope to make a smoothie or at the very least Cantaloupe Milk with it.  A few oranges - hopefully I will make some dressings with those.  And MORE kiwi fruit!

Later in the day I bought 3 bananas and will be freezing them either today or tomorrow after they have ripened a bit more. (Frozen and in smoothies are the only way I can stomach Bananas!)

The Salad was amazing and I can't wait to have another one!

I had some Spirulina Chips left from a while back and wanted to get rid of them.  The reason I bought them was because they were Spirulina based but when I got them and tried one I knew right away they had a good amount of banana in them. Oye.

Well, last night I attempted to make a Cashew Dip and OMG it turned out AWESOME.  I dipped the Go Raw Spirulina Chips in it and PROBLEM SOLVED it was an AWESOME Combo!  I am going to be doing a recipe for The Raw Food World NEWS Site but I will tell you NOW that I used Cashew Butter, Lemon Juice, Coconut Oil, and Coconut Aminos in this recipe and now I'm kind of addicted to it!

Focusing on My Lymphatic System

For the next 3 days - minimum - I will be doing a detox of sorts - while focusing on my Lymphatic System.  

There are a few things that I want to heal with my body and I feel the Lymphatic System is the perfect place to start.  I have 2 confessions to make up front.  ONE - I've never done this before so it's a learning process - so it's rather fitting that I am posting it here on my blog - My Blissful Journey.  And TWO - as much as I try and do things to improve my life and situation - it doesn't mean I don't have bad habits.  To get a little personal here - the older I get the less comfortable I feel about going undergarment-free (if you know what I mean) and I know that is BAD...I really have to change that.  It's suggested that women go at least 12 hours every day without that kind of support.  Because I have felt physically uncomfortable doing so I haven't for quite some time...so one of the things I will be forcing myself to do during this time is wear a camisole when I get home at the end of the day.  This might sound like a 'small thing' but it's going to be a challenge for me.  

Having said that...some of the other things I will be focusing on over the next 3 days (which will probably turn into all of this week) will be hot and cold compresses on problem areas, hot and cold showers, deep breathing, yoga, walking, and natural deodorants.  Some of these things I do on a daily basis such as wear a natural (non-aluminum) deodorant.  I rarely (close to if ever) wear make-up and I don't even use lotion, etc.  If need be I will be using Grapeseed Oil and/or Coconut Oil.  Another thing I will be doing more of this week is Oil Pulling and I tend to do that with Coconut Oil.

Now...on to what I HOPE to consume...of course this is all based on whether or not I can find these items in my area which has been a complete challenge as of late.

Plantains - altho - not RAW - I do have some in my freezer that I intend to bake.

Leafy Greens - you will see me doing a LOT of salads this week - so that means - I will most likely be posting those with my home-made dressings!

Cranberries - I really doubt I can find fresh ones right now but I do have a stash of dried that I have from my shipments from The Raw Food World.

Raw/Soaked Nuts & Seeds

Coconut, Avocado - Again, our fresh coconut situation here is grim so I'm unsure how this will come into play but I have been rather Avocado-Happy, lately!

Echinacea - as well as other herbal tonics and tisanes

Garlic/Ginger/Turmeric - I eat these in some form almost every day but during this time I hope to incorporate them into other ways, too!

Seaweeds, Spirulina, Chorella

Citrus - whole, juice, in dressings - you name it!

Consume more fruit on empty stomach - such as more fruit based mono meals

Cantaloupe - if possible I would like to make some Cantaloupe Juice and/or Milk

Apple Cider Vinegar (mixed with water and possibly garlic, Agave)

LOTS of Water and Water with Lemon!

I will probably be doing some juicing and smoothies this week, too!  At least that is my goal.  One I would like to try was from an old Dan McDonald Video - 2 Apples, handful of Grapes, 1 Lemon, and a chunk of Ginger.

These are just some of this things I would like to work toward this week.  I'm challenging myself with many of them to try and stay consistent but also try and do some healing.  Please drop by with encouragement this week!  I would appreciate it!