8 Nights in Colombia: Part 2

Part 1 of our trip to Colombia can be found here.

Night 5: Cartagena

From Minca, we rode in a collectivo to a shopping mall where we ate lunch (at McDonald's, I'm sorry travel gods) and hit up the ATM and yet another Juan Valdez Cafe. From there it was just a short taxi ride to the bus station outside of Santa Marta, where we had been instructed by a friend to take the Brasilia bus to Cartagena as it was the only one that doesn't make stops. When we arrived, we were told that the Brasilia bus had already left and we should take the Flamingo bus because it is also direct. We knew they were lying to our faces and we got on anyway. Who knows? Maybe it would have taken just as long if we had waited for the next Brasilia bus. Either way, it took roughly 6 hours (with a bus change and bathroom stop in Barranquilla) instead of the 4 we were expecting. What's a few hours and a million stops between friends? 

Once we reached Cartagena, we were trapped in rush hour traffic for about 30 minutes before hearing/feeling a crashy/metal scrapey sound. Turns out someone tried to get into a taxi in the middle of the road and when our bus pulled away from the curb, it did so at the exact moment the taxi door was being opened and the bus bent the taxi door backwards....whoops!  Honestly, I'm surprised we weren't in at least 50 other accidents so this one wasn't all that bad. It did delay the bus though and we didn't want to stick around to find out how long it would take to get sorted. We hopped off and shared a taxi with a couple from Barcelona who had made the 6 hour journey with us. Fortunately they, being from Spain and all, spoke much better Spanish than we did and were able to translate that we could be dropped off either in the old walled city or in the neighborhood of Getsemani because we didn't have a place to stay just yet. They dropped us off at the wall and let us know where we could go to find lodging. 

After wandering a few blocks, a pre-teen leaning out of a small shop said to us "Viajero Hostel?" (well maybe he said other stuff but my Spanish comprehension is not where it needs to be yet) and I was like, "Hey, I have actually heard of that place and was even encouraged to stay there by someone at Casa Elemento". So I gave him my best "Are you effing with me?" look and he told us that it was just a few blocks away. Lucky for us, nobody seemed interested in messing with us or making our travel more difficult and the Viajero Hostel was exactly where he said it would be. They didn't have any private rooms but they did have an empty dorm room that we had all to ourselves. The only slight downside is that it was right by a kitchen/dining area/bar which was quiet from about 11 pm-4:30 am. On the bright side, they did have a cat. So that gives them about 5 stars in my book. They also had free WiFi, free breakfast, an air conditioned tv room and computers to use. They gave us a great recommendation for dinner, an inexpensive yet delicious place called Totupo, about 2 blocks away. 

Who needs luxury when you have cats?

 Nights 6 and 7: Playa Blanca

In the morning, we had breakfast and coffee in the courtyard outside our room which only a few hours ago had been a happening place. Of course at 7 am, it was quiet except for Sampy the cat, a few staff members and even fewer hostel guests. We sucked up the last of free WiFi and coffee, paid for a night in the quiet annex (private room!) of Viajero Hostel for Saturday night and made our way to the buses outside of the old walled city in search of a bus to Pasacaballo, gateway to Playa Blanca. 

The bus ride to Pasacaballo is a bit depressing as it takes you past several extremely dirty and poor places. It is a reminder that while some parts of Colombia are very developed, there is a huge gap between the extremely wealthy and the very poor. Now, this next bit is very important: there is now a bridge from Pasacaballo to Playa Blanca!! I repeat, bridge to Playa Blanca! It is new enough that it wasn't mentioned in our Lonely Planet guide, so I think we need to get the word out. You can still take the boat from Cartagena to Playa Blanca, but if you're looking to travel on the cheap, the bus and moto taxi option is the way to go.  

There was a brief moment when both Ryan and I thought I had been kidnapped (it was all in our heads) because Ryan's moto taxi was held up while mine took off. Obviously, this concern comes from a place of trying to be cautious while also being adventurers, but it is our impression that most people you encounter in Colombia are just happy to have travelers back. They have gone through a lot as a country and it seems they are ready and willing for tourism to pick up. When you are reliant on others for transportation, it can be a bit scary if you don't know the area or speak the language very well. Our experience has been that people are honest and look out for you because they want your business (or they're just good humans). Obviously, you still need to exercise caution and common sense but beyond that, there is only so much you can do. 

Once we stepped on to the white sands of Playa Blanca, we were immediately approached by a man trying to help us find lodging. Normally, this would irritate me, but I'm slowly starting to appreciate that everyone is looking to make a buck. The first place he directed us to wasn't our cup of tea, so he walked us further down the beach to Zion Cabanas, where we decided to stay. The woman who runs Zion is so sweet and when we asked if we should tip the guy who helped us, she said it was not necessary. My guess is maybe she gives him some money for the business but maybe not. 

Fresh coconut water

If you're looking to stay in a cabana, look for one as close to the water as possible. There is only electricity when the generator is running and even with paying a little extra ($5/night) to have it run all night to power a fan in your room (that sounds so spoiled after seeing how people on Playa Blanca live without electricity or running water), it is still hot and humid. 

Another must is a mosquito net. Make sure yours does not have holes (or that they can be closed with hair ties like I did to ours) before committing to staying the night. This is a touristy area, but it is still very basic and staying in the cabanas is more like camping than being in a hotel. Chances are, your "shower" will be a bucket with another bucket to dump fresh water over you as you bathe. If you're only staying a night or two, just rinse off in the ocean and save your shower for Cartagena. The toilets and hand washing sinks are operated by pouring water down them and you'll need your own toilet paper (can be purchased for a little over $1 from a local shop). 

I'd also recommend going as far away from the areas with the blue tents...it gets pretty crowded in that area because the boats bring in people during the day. Bring your bug spray and a willingness to relax and do nothing. One night would have probably been plenty here, but since we paid for 2, we decided to stick it out.  

Word of caution: the cabana owners are very concerned with security and for good reason. There are unbelievably poor neighborhoods not far from Playa Blanca with residents who perhaps do not directly benefit from tourism. If you are robbed in your cabana, the cabana owners have to pay a fine. These are people who do not have much, so this is a big deal to them but it is meant to prevent theft. A couple in the cabana next door had their backpack near the door and someone came in the night and went through it, taking some electronics and cash but leaving their passports thankfully. We slept with our important items (passports, money, nice camera) in a dry bag between us under the mosquito net but it seems that no one came in our room. It could be because it was harder to access (ladder rather than stairs to the top where the cabanas are). We also thought maybe it was someone with a grudge against their cabana owner who knew they'd be fined and their reputation tarnished. No one really knows but our cabana owner and theirs were both very upset by this event and took extra precautions the next night. Again, it is a reminder that this is still a developing area and you have to be careful. 

Recreating our photo from Cape Haze

 Night 8: Cartagena

Early, early on Saturday morning (5:30 am), we headed back to where the moto taxis dropped us off and arrived just as a brand new van was dropping off a few people and about to head back to Pasacaballo. The bus ride back to Cartagena was much more crowded than the way there and it was before 7 am! Viajero Hostel was lovely to us even though we were super early (check in is at 2 pm) and allowed us to shower and leave our bags at the front desk so we could wander around the city. 

Our goal for the day was to find something cute to wear to a semi-fancy anniversary dinner which is not superficial in any way! I had no luck finding a dress I liked but I did find an adorable scarf with a coral motif and Ryan purchased a handsome linen shirt. We bought a few souvenirs, had a touristy, overpriced lunch at Hard Rock Cafe (not worth it, the food is eh) and enjoyed the picturesque city. 

That evening, we were enchanted by the music and view of sunset from Cafe del Mar, on the wall of the old city. Drinks are about $10 and the "Cafe del Mar" drink (champagne and blue curcao) is absolutely disgusting, but you're not really paying for the drink, are you? From there, we made our way to La Cevicheria after going to our first choice for dinner and learning that the uniformed security guard wouldn't even let us in the door without a reservation. La Cevicheria was featured on Anthony Bourdain's show but was a little disappointing. The service was incredibly slow, the food so so but at least the limonada frappe was nice :) 

Wandering around Cartagena and being tourists for a day was a relaxing way to end a trip full of adventure and action packed days. We both loved Colombia and only wish we had more time to visit Medellin, Zipaquira and the Guajira Peninsula. It is more expensive than Honduras and Nicaragua, but is still more of a budget destination than the US. I hope these posts are helpful to you in planning your adventure to Colombia! 

8 Nights in Colombia: Part 1

Walking to Cerro Monserrate

Nights 1 and 2: Bogota

We arrived at El Dorado airport early Saturday afternoon and were quickly mortified when our debit card did not work in the first ATM's we went to because it does not have a microchip. "I didn't read about this anywhere on the Internet", I quietly panicked. Luckily, the 3rd ATM was just fine but I mention it here for those Americans who might suffer the same 15 second panic attack. From the ATM, we walked past the taxi line outside the airport to where others were waiting and caught a bus after asking a few bus drivers "La Candelaria?"....Spanish fluency is just around the corner. 

We got off the bus in La Candelaria near a Juan Valdez Cafe and stopped for a nice cafe con leche and WiFi while we figured out where the hell we needed to go. This was mostly a useless stop (other than the delicious coffee) because the usually logical street layout is slightly tricky near Swiss Hostal Martinik, where we were staying. After a kind pedestrian asked us if we needed help, we figured out where to go and checked in to the adorable hostel. For a private room, we paid about $25/night. It was clean, came with free breakfast, WiFi, and coffee/tea. They even had a movie night with popcorn on Sunday...not to mention a cute dog and friendly staff. 

Since we didn't have a lot of time in Bogota, we immediately set out to explore. The Museo del Oro is just a few blocks away from the hostel and surpassed our expectations. Entrance is about $1.50 and you can rent audioguides for about $3. I had a little museum jealousy (I work for a museum, fyi) but they are owned by a bank, so of course they have the funding to be absolutely gorgeous! 

That night, we dined at a Colombian chain, Crepes & Waffles, which reminded me of a nicer Panera and while kinda expensive, did offer awesome soups and a delicious waffle with ice cream and frutas de bosque (fruits of the forest) or as we might say, wild berries :) I wanted to eat at a more low key Colombian joint but from our hostel's recommendations, it was either Crepes & Waffles or a pizza place.

The building to purchase tickets for the funicular and board to go up Cerro Monserrate

The next day, we rose with the sun to walk to Cerro Monserrate. We took the funicular up the mountain and marveled at the beautiful gardens, church and view.  Since it was Sunday morning, we were serenaded by churchgoers as we sipped cafe tinto (black coffee) and perused the souvenir market where you can buy coca tea, chocolate covered coffee beans and countless tchotchkes. 

From Monserrate, we made our way back to La Candelaria and joined Bogota Bike Tours for an amazing ride around the city that took us past graffiti art, through parks, to a coffee factory, to sample exotic fruits at the fruit market, past the red light district and to play tejo. It was an incredible day and if you have time for nothing else in Bogota, do the bike tour!

Graffiti art is everywhere in Bogota and while being very beautiful, it also usually has a message. This one is "Nobody wins" underneath a tic tac toe board of guns and targets.

Much of Colombia's good coffee is exported, leaving the lesser quality beans for Colombians

After the bike tour, we had time to visit the Botero Museum, which is free, before dinner. There is a tiny cafe in a plaza near Bogota Bike Tours that made us a delicious dinner with soup, a fried whole fish, avocados, rice, plantains, beans and a natural juice for about $3.50! From our little table we could watch performers in the plaza that drew a crowd for several hours. We didn't understand enough to enjoy the comedian, but the physical comedy of following performer was funny in every language....he also juggled fire and rode a tall unicycle. Movie night (and popcorn! We are addicts) at the hostel rounded out a jam packed, perfect day in Bogota.

Nights 3 and 4: Minca/Casa Elemento

Gorgeous view of the Sierra Nevada mountains

Early Monday morning, we packed our backpacks and I walked the hostel dog around a few blocks before heading back to El Dorado airport for our VivaColombia flight to Santa Marta. It's also possible to take a bus, but it costs more and takes over 20 hours....so the $50 flight was a no brainer. Minca, located in the Sierra Nevada mountains, is about an hour bus ride from Santa Marta, maybe less if you don't get off the bus too early in Rodadero (Ryan will never live this down).

By the time we reached Minca, it was dark and raining but we had a moto taxi ride further up the mountain before we arrived at our destination, Casa Elemento. The moto taxi ride was simultaneously thrilling and terrifying. It would have been significantly less scary without all the mud/rain/darkness and having to get off and walk when we got stuck, but it is an adventure I'll never forget! We arrived to friendly faces, a hot plateful of chicken curry and a roaring fire. Casa Elemento is a hostel owned by a group of friends, one of which we met in Utila, Honduras in 2010. It's always nice to reunite with travel friends and it was made even better by the fact that Casa Elemento is a slice of paradise.

"World's largest hammock"

Shower with a view

Our time at Casa Elemento was filled with jungle adventures, making new friends around the campfire, and relaxing in one of the most beautiful environments imaginable. It is a great place to get off the grid and enjoy simple pleasures usually forgotten by adulthood: exploring the forest, taking a nap in a hammock or discovering new bugs and animals. We saw leaf cutter ants, dogs, cats, pigs, chickens, goats, and many species of exotic birds. There are howler monkeys but we didn't see or hear any during our stay. I love animals and when it was finally time to make our trek back down the mountain, I was delighted to be escorted by the camp's dogs during the 3 hours it took us to get down to a taxi in Minca. The rest of our trip will be continued in Part 2.....

Casa Elemento has 2 dogs, Luna and Pantera

Packing for 8 days in Colombia/Avoiding Spirit's Carry on Fee

Ryan and I will be heading to Colombia in just a little over a week to celebrate the 5th anniversary of gettin' hitched! Woohoo!! We have a rule that for each anniversary, we have to travel somewhere we haven't been before. Year 1: Brunswick/Jekyll Island/St. Simon's Island, GA, Year 2: Cape Haze, FL, Year 3:Charleston and Beaufort, SC, Year 4: Nicaragua, Year 5: Colombia!

As a crazy person, the more excited I am about something, the more I obsessively plan it out. So, naturally, I began my mental packing list the day we bought our plane tickets (which was also super early, May). I purchased a new rain jacket, worried over finding waterproof boots that are cute yet functional for hiking (bought some Merrell Captiva boots but returned them when they came in the mail and were super bulky and stiff....the search continues) and have researched "what to pack for Colombia" for the last 5 months.

As noted here in last year's anniversary trip packing post, Ryan and I like to travel cheaply and lightly. While we could feasibly pay the carry on fee for Spirit (and for our Viva Colombia flight from Bogota to Santa Marta), we are firm believers that traveling light is not only possible but so much frickn' easier! Especially since we enjoy traveling on chicken buses, by foot and other generally non-roller bag friendly modes of transport. Not only are these transportation options usually much less expensive, you can learn a lot more about a country by traveling with local people than on an air-conditioned tourist bus (I'll step off my soap box now).

This year is a bit more challenging than last year's packing challenge because Colombia is known for having many different climates within its borders. If I had been smart, I would have planned our trip around one climate but I really wanted to go to Bogota....AND Cartagena....AND Minca. Dammit. So, we go from the chilly mountain city of Bogota, to the warmer and more humid climate in Santa Marta, Minca and Cartagena. And it's supposed to rain EVERY DAY THAT WE ARE THERE.

Challenge Accepted.

My packing list is almost exactly the same as the one for Nicaragua. I added a Marmot rain jacket that gets tiny, a water resistant backpack from North Face, and a curling wand/hairspray/mousse because I recently got a haircut I can't stand unless my hair is curled or in a ponytail...a bit high maintenance for a backpack journey but there ya go. You'll notice a lot of black and that is for mixing and matching and also because then you won't notice so much when I spill coffee/mustard/etc on myself :) The only thing I wish I had were some waterproof shoes/boots but I'm hoping I can get by without them. If not, maybe I can procure some sweet galoshes in Bogota!

My perfect Saturday morning in New Smyrna Beach

New Smyrna Beach is known for it's beautiful, clean, white sand beaches but there are other things to do on a beautiful Saturday morning before you head to the beach. We like to start by biking over the North Causeway Bridge (stopping at the SunTrust ATM on the way) to the Farmer's Market held each Saturday morning in downtown NSB. We bring our reusable coffee cups to KrazyCat Coffee for an iced coffee (for me) and a hot coffee (for Ryan)...we also buy our organic coffee beans from them... and then go to the tent next to them for a bagel, cinnamon bun, or whatever pastry they have available that day.

Sitting in the park next to the Farmer's Market while we eat our breakfast is an awesomely peaceful way to start the weekend. We usually make a few friends (4 legged and human) before moving on to the farmer's tents like Green Flamingo Organics and the Barefoot Farmer.

With all of the new businesses opening in downtown NSB, the morning is not yet over! Today we checked out the UCC Thrift Store on Washington, the new olive oil store The Galley, and the brand spanking new NSB Surfing Museum. You can taste the olive oils and balsamic vinegars at The Galley - I highly recommend the Tuscan Herb olive oil! On the way home we also stopped at the CorMeth Boutique Thrift Store and picked up some sweet cloth napkins and old fashioned champagne glasses for $8!

We noticed that Maloney's is now Yellow Dog Eats (they have a restaurant in Windermere too), there is a new beer place coming and the NSB Brewery is still going strong. With these new businesses downtown and all of the great new places on Flagler Ave, it is a great time to live in and visit NSB. We feel really lucky that we arrived just in time to participate in the sort of Renaissance period of NSB :)

5 Days of Whole Foods

Note: You'll notice a lot of repetition....it's just easier and creates less waste than something different every day.

Day 1

30 Clove Garlic Soup

Breakfast: Smoothie made from 1 cup unsweetened Almond Breeze almond milk, 1/2 cup frozen mixed organic berries, 1 frozen banana, 1 tbsp unsweetened peanut butter

Lunch: Arroz con pollo (1 cup cooked chicken, 2 cups rice, 1/2 cup lentils, onion, green onion, tomato, bell pepper and 4 cups of homemade chicken broth cooked together in a pan until liquid absorbed) topped with tomato, tomatillo, bell pepper and cubed avocado.

Snacks: Banana bread (made without dairy) with peanut butter, peach detox tea and an apple

Dinner: 30 Clove Garlic Soup, very yummy but the next time we eat this alone for dinner we'll probably add more potato

Day 2

Breakfast: Same smoothie as Day 1, added handful of spring mix lettuce

Lunch: Arroz con pollo

Snacks: Banana bread with peanut butter, apple, tea, fresh strawberries

Dinner: Cucumber Dill Soup

Day 3

Breakfast: Same as yesterday

Lunch: Same as yesterday

Snacks: Same as yesterday

Dinner: 30 Clove Garlic Soup

Day 4

Breakfast: Smoothie made with 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 cup frozen mixed berries, 2 handfuls spring mix lettuce, handful walnuts and a 1/2 teaspoon of honey 

Lunch: Same as yesterday! But, it's the last of it today so tomorrow will be something different, thank goodness

Snacks: Same as yesterday

Dinner: 30 Clove Garlic Soup...realized tonight that this soup may not be the best meal to eat 3 times during a 6 day healthy eating challenge! The garlic is super good for you and the potatoes aren't exactly bad for you but....it's essentially watered down garlic mashed potatoes :/ Live and learn!

Day 5

Breakfast: Smoothie made with 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, large handful of spring mix lettuce, 1 cup frozen mixed berries and a handful of walnuts

Lunch: Salad made with spring mix lettuce, roasted chicken, avocado, cucumber, tomato, and carrots

Snacks: Apple, banana bread and peach detox tea

Dinner: Edamame soup (pureed soybeans and spinach with almond milk and garlic)


We originally started this with the idea that we'd go for 7 days....the weekend is just too short to not enjoy a muffin and coffee in the park (see next post) so 5 days it is :) Still going to continue to buy healthy whole foods at the grocery store this week so it's not a total loss!

Happy Soup

I have been meaning to post this soup for ages and I keep forgetting! There is a soup out there...unlike any other soup you've ever tasted...I like to call it.....HAPPY SOUP. The reason? It makes me immensely happy and it's the perfect medicine for the odd cold or sore throat (according to Brandy, MD). Ryan made it for me one day when I was miserable and while I insisted that we only eat it when we're sick (so we don't get sick of it)...it's too damn good. Make this for anyone, sick or healthy, and they will be happy and love you forever. The flavors don't seem like they should taste delicious together but believe me when I say that they certainly do.

Recipe adapted from this one:

Happy Soup

Ingredients

1 bone-in chicken breast (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 medium carrots, sliced diagonally into 2-inch pieces
1 bay leaf Kosher salt
7 cups vegetable better than bouillon broth
2 tablespoons olive oil  or butter
1 large onion, very thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 cup jasmine or basmati rice
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 diced tomato
1 lemon, cut into wedges


Directions

Combine the chicken, carrots, bay leaf and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. 

Add 3 cups broth and bring to a boil; immediately reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the 

chicken is just firm, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the butter in another saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook 

until soft, 5 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook for 1 minute. Add the rice and the remaining 

4 cups broth. Increase the heat to medium, cover and simmer until the rice falls apart, 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken from its broth; discard the skin and shred the meat into pieces. Return the shredded chicken to the same broth.

Puree the rice mixture with an immersion blender until smooth (or use a regular blender, then return to the pan). 

Pour in the shredded chicken and broth, stirring gently to combine; bring to a simmer. Toss in the 

chopped herbs and tomato and serve the soup with lemon wedges.

Finding Balance: I'm a failure, and you can be too!

Tomatoes for everyone!

Remember when I said that Ryan and I would do a 7 day cleanse every 3 months so that we could end our last cleanse early? Yeah.....that didn't happen. We kept meaning to do it but I think subconsciously (ok and now consciously) we really hate the Clean Program. Here's our compromise: 7 days of whole, healthy foods....and, like the Clean Program, we're going to do liquid lunch and dinner (well...I might have some homemade flatbread with my liquid dinner...we'll see how much I can sneak by Ryan, the enforcer) with the 12 hour digestion period overnight. We're going to do no dairy, alcohol and limited gluten but as for yummy tomatoes, strawberries and oranges? Bring em on!

For someone doing the Clean Program for the first time, I agree that eliminating certain foods can be helpful in determining which foods your body doesn't agree with...but for us old pros, there is simply no point! My opinion is that the health benefits of these fruits and vegetables far outweigh any minor problems. We aren't going to have coffee this week but only because I can't drink coffee without nondairy delicious flavored creamer or half and half and Ryan wants to take a break and drink tea for the week. We are going to have maple syrup and honey instead of sugar but won't go crazy with either. 

Our hope is that the positive parts of the Clean Program (such as hitting "reset" and eating real food instead of frozen pizza and takeout every other day!) will still come through for us. Also, we're super simple creatures and doing 7 days of healthy eating seems a lot less daunting than forever and ever (what, no ice cream?!). Maybe, just maybe, the 7 days will turn into a lifetime of healthy eating choices but I'm not above the occasional greasy french fry or chocolate malt...that is just not realistic for me forever. In the end, we all have to make the choices that are best for us.

To start, I am currently cooking a whole (humane certified) chicken in a stock pot full of filtered water with some freshly ground pepper, sea salt and a few veggies I had lying around (thanks to our good friends TJ and Jen in Asheville, NC who graciously shared their garden's bounty with us when we visited last week) and a few I picked up today: parsley, zucchini, tomato, banana pepper, green pepper, onion, green onion, garlic, celery, and carrots. I'm going to use the meat and the broth for several of our meals this week and none of them are going to be made with processed food! 

So, here we go again! This time around for our "cleanse" we won't be hungry or cranky! I think this will be a whole lot more helpful to us than 21 days of deprivation and being hangry. I am hopeful that the lasting effects will be better too :)

What are your thoughts on the Clean Program and cleanses? How do you find balance for your health?

Chicken and Vegetable Curry Soup

I'm creating this post because I somehow created an awesome soup and I want to be able to Pin the recipe so I won't lose it forever :) After eating lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, Chucherias Hondurenas, I was inspired by their beef vegetable soup that had just a hint of curry. I decided to create my own version and I was so happy with the results, I think this will become part of our dinner repertoire!

Ingredients

4 red skin potatoes

Olive oil

1-2 Chicken breasts cut into small pieces (humane certified or local)

1 Small onion, chopped

2 Stalks celery, chopped

4-5 Cloves of garlic, finely minced or pressed

2 Carrots, chopped

Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

3-5 Small sweet peppers...it's prettier if you have multiple colors

2 tsp Better than Bouillon-Vegetable

5 cups filtered water

2 tsp Curry powder (or more if you like, I kept adding more and more to taste)

Smoked paprika

1 Bay leaf

3 Tomatoes 

Instructions

Quarter potatoes and boil until they are just starting to cook but aren't yet fork tender. Remove from hot water and set aside. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in soup pot over medium heat before adding onion and celery. Stir for 2 minutes, then add chicken, garlic, carrots, sea salt and pepper and saute until chicken is no longer pink. Add 2 tsp Better than Bouillon, water, potatoes, curry powder, paprika and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium low until potatoes are tender. Add tomatoes for the last 5 minutes of cooking and then ejnoy!

Disclaimer: Since this is made up, there is a good chance I added a bit more water, salt, whatever to suit my tastes. Feel free to play with this recipe until it's exactly what you want to eat for dinner :) 

We're going to Colombia!

After a few weeks of hemming and hawing, we finally purchased our planet tickets to Colombia for our 5th anniversary in October! We fly in to Bogota and out of Cartagena after 8 nights and I CAN.NOT.WAIT! I have been reading as much as I can about Colombia but there are only a few things we have nailed down:

1. We want to go to the Salt Cathedral in Zipaquira
2. We have to fly from Bogota to the north at some point (flights are cheaper than the bus! 2 hours and $47 or 24 hours and $60?)
3. I need to find some comfortable waterproof shoes and a rain jacket that works because we're going in the rainy season. Suggestions?

Why We're Ending Our Cleanse On Day 12

I convinced Ryan that we should stop the cleanse on Day 12! I joke a lot about wanting to quit to eat ice cream and because I'm a baby but here is the conclusion I've come to and what Ryan agreed to:

First of all, we had to consider our reason for doing this cleanse: 1. To remind ourselves to eat healthier throughout the rest of the year, 2. To eat whole, "clean" food for a period of time to reset and "rid ourselves of toxins"...I hate that phrase because it makes you sound insane but there it is, 3. To be healthier so that we can find adventure throughout our very long and happy lives!

If our reason for doing this cleanse was to prove to ourselves that we could do it, well, we have done it! 3 years in a row! I'm not saying this is right for everyone but when we took the time to think about what is important to us we realized that our biggest take away from the cleanse each year is to achieve a better balance in our normal lives.

So, here is what we're going to do: Every three months, we are going to do a 7 day "Clean Program" cleanse. We hope that this will serve as a better reminder throughout the year to improve our health and eating habits. Let's face it....3 weeks of clean eating at the beginning of the year meant 49 weeks of progressively worse eating throughout the year for us. 7 days is a lot easier to achieve and won't leave us feeling deprived and terrible (which is how we felt on Day 12 and led to this decision).

As always, I did pick up a few more good habits from the cleanse this year: we are going to continue our morning protein powder shakes for breakfast (and only have other breakfasts as a treat on the weekends or when family is in town), we are continuing our vitamins and probiotics, we are still going to make that awesome lentil soup in our regular lives, we are going to do our best to maintain the 12 hour fasting window between dinner and breakfast and...very exciting: Ryan is replacing his morning coffee with tea and only drinking coffee as a treat! Instead of his life blood!

This is what we think will work for us and we challenge you to find what works for you in your quest for a healthier existence :)

Clean Gut Cleanse: Week 2

Day 8
Today is Dr.  Martin Luther King, Jr. day! Thank you Dr. King for all that you stood for and your tireless efforts towards equality!

Ryan and I both have the day off work in honor of Dr. King and it just happens to be a gorgeous day full of sunshine and...BrandGrump. Man, I don't mean to be this whiny and complainy. Lack of sugar and bread is tough on me and I don't have Ryan's stoicism! The chicken and slaw lunch that tasted so wonderful yesterday was maddening today. The cabbage gets more of a cabbage-y smell after sitting in the fridge over night and I get sick of food so quickly (unless it's taco soup, I could eat that every day). We went on a nice long bike ride, ate some strawberries, carrots and zucchini in the park and it was as close to the cup of coffee/glass of wine/sandwiches in the park that we really wanted that we were happy! For dinner we had creamy lentil soup and it is phenomenal. It has lemon and cilantro in it and while the recipe seems like a weird combo of flavors, it is so good. Ryan made homemade mayonaise with olive oil and holy crap, homemade mayo is the bee's knees. We used this mayo to make chicken salad to eat out of cucumber cups for lunches this week and it is also delicious.

I kept trying to convince Ryan to cheat with me today but he was having none of it. If he had agreed to order a pizza with me, I would have put aside my self control in a heartbeat. It's not fun cheating by yourself though so I behaved.

Chicken, homemade mayo, celery, green olives, dill, black pepper and onion

Day 9
Ryan has been experimenting with our morning shakes lately and I don't like it. Avocado and cucumber need to mind their own business and stay out of shakes. If I'm going to have a glassful of bland each morning, I don't need the additional weird flavors! It is much easier than making my own shakes in the am though, so I'm just going to shut up now and be grateful :)
The cucumber cups with chicken salad were pretty good, so I'm feeling pretty happy. This cleanse always reminds me how dependent my happiness is on food. Maybe I should work on that....

(Side note: just got the most romantic text from Ryan that said: "I bit the bullet and took the remaining cashew chicken for lunch today". You may be wondering, "Not the cashew chicken from last week that they ate for 7 days straight???!"....yes, that damned, cursed chicken: I LOVE THIS MAN!)


Day 10
Forgot my morning shake at home this morning...been sipping tea and eating almonds to substitute but lunch cannot come soon enough! Last night we had a delightful salad and some roasted brussel sprouts...I needed something to replace our almost nightly popcorn snack...brussel sprouts are a good alternative! That is, if you don't cook them until they're mushy :( At least we ate some of the crispy leaves that were beginning to brown before the sprouts were done...and then I went to eat my salad and forgot about the poor lil guys in the oven. I think lack of bread is damaging my brain...think that will convince Ryan to cheat with me? Maybe if I just started leaving croissants hidden in his clothes drawers or in his car?


Day 11
OMG I HATE THIS CLEANSE! Broke down and had a piece of toast today...and it felt awesome! I should probably feel shame or guilt (according to Ryan) but all I feel is satisfaction remembering that delicious, whole grained piece of heaven underneath a "sunny side up" egg. Kinda defeats the purpose of cleansing my body and resetting for the year, but we all knew I'd have at least one cheat...it is inevitable because my will to eat delicious things outweighs my will to not die of diabetes. At least I didn't eat the Doritos I really wanted for a midafternoon snack or some delicious candy bar! Instead, I had some asparagus soup and pretended it was the same.

Day 12
Planning what I will eat after the cleanse. If you haven't already noticed, I'm probably not someone to look to for inspiration when you're ready to crack but you may be able to relate to how frickn hard it is to completely change your eating habits. I'm in deep denial that cheating is wrong and I figure that 80-90% cleansing is better than no cleansing and if you fall down, you have to get right back up!

Day 13
LORD WHEN WILL IT BE OVER?! I've reached the realization today that 2 weeks of cleansing is better than not cleansing at all...right? RIGHT? AAAH I want blueberry biscuits and coffee! Ryan's surfing right now, but I am going to try to convince him that maybe this last week will be a half and half week. Half clean gut foods and half straight up bread. Even 80/20 would suffice. He's a tough egg to crack so I don't think it will work but I am at least going to change our menu again. I chose way too many cold foods and it has been between 30-60 degrees for the past week...I need warm, nourishing soups and chicken stew over mashed potatoes. Here's my compromise: chicken stew one day, clean lentil soup the next....I think it's a great idea....

Clean Gut Cleanse: Week 1

Day 1
Felt great in the morning...but I think I still had some delicious sugar and garbage in my system because by the end of the work day, I was hungry and had a headache. Went to bed early because of the headache.

Day 2
Still have frickn' headache! Starting to feel grumpy and hungry. Tried listening to binaural beats to help with headache since we're not supposed to take ibuprofen or aspirin. Helped a bit but it's still lingering and even though I just ate my lunch (the cashew chicken smells phenom...taste is pretty bland....might have to alter it for other days) I still feel grumpy and unsatisfied. Was it this bad last year??? Sugar withdrawal maybe? I want chocolate cake with chocolate icing...well, if I really think about it, I don't want that but I do want something to make me feel better about feeling deprived. Breakthrough!

Day 3
Broke down last night and took a single ibuprofen...and another one this morning. I'm not sure if this headache is related to the cleanse because I have a history of headaches/migraines but I do know that if I didn't do something, I wasn't going to get any work done! Unfortunately, getting work done is key to remaining employed so get over it Cleanse!

Dinner was pretty good last night...had the roasted tomato soup and a salad with a hardboiled egg and dressing made from avocado, lemon juice, garlic powder and a little sea salt. Pretty satisfying for me but Ryan was hungry by dinner time. I need to remember to feed him more...
Tonight is our second body bootcamp for this 10 week Mayor's Fitness Challenge...just getting over being sore from the one on Saturday so I'm a lil scared. Made some quinoa today to eat with lunch along with some extra tamari. Figured the extra food would be a good idea to get rid of cravings and prepare me for the workout. Spent entirely too much time on Google yesterday trying to find snack options...going to try to make chocolate covered coconut macaroons this weekend...without any sugar. Wish me luck!

Day 4

Discovered yesterday afternoon that if I mix my strawberries with coconut flakes and raw cacao nibs, it is delicious and much more satisfying than eating them separately!

Last night's bootcamp was not that bad and I can't be sure if it's because I took it easy or I'm getting stronger (probably not yet) or they just made it easier. My headache finally broke yesterday and I have been in a much better mood ever since. I still get really hungry near the end of the workday but I think if I bring an extra shake or snack, that should take care of the problem.

Reviewed the menu for this weekend and next week and I am changing a few things up: can't imagine eating another bland zucchini dish so "Zucchini Wrapped Cod" is probably changing to "Turkey Bacon Wrapped Cod". I have no idea how turkey bacon is allowed on a cleanse but I'm not going to argue with Dr. Junger because that sounds really delicious and it will be a nice weekend treat. Found a fabulous recipe for coconut flour pancakes that I can't wait to try...maybe that will be dinner tonight? Also decided to switch up the "Unpeanut Noodle" thing because I need a break from "Asian" inspired foods. This stupid cashew chicken is really getting on my nerves and I made too much so it's been cashew chicken alllll week. Also, we switched up our shakes today: instead of the usual we used lite coconut milk (the kind in the can), blueberries, lemon juice, kale and it tasted almost exactly the same as the other shake. Oh well, I tried.

Day 5
Made the coconut flour pancakes last night and they were so good. Maybe not regular food good, but for Clean Gut? I was in heaven! I left out the sweetener and added apple pie spice (which is basically just cinnamon, I think maybe nutmeg and something else). To top it off, I used almond butter and frozen raspberries. I heated them up in the microwave and mixed them together but if I made it again, I'd probably keep them separate. If you're craving bread/sweets, this is a great cleanse hack to beat the craving with "Clean" food.

I also made these chocolate dipped raspberry macaroons but I used unsweetened coconut flakes, no sugar, no salt, unsweetened/dairy free baking chocolate, frozen raspberries instead of fresh and 3 egg whites and a 1/4 cup of coconut oil to make up for the sugar being absent. I have to admit, the first few bites are tough. Chocolate without sugar is bitter (duh), but after a few bites, you start to appreciate the flavors without the sugar. I could have added a Cleanse approved sweetener (ugh stupid nasty Stevia) but for me, I'm trying to train my tastebuds to like less sweetness. I took a crappy picture with my phone but you can still see how beautiful these suckers turned out.

Toasted coconut is gorgeous and delicious

If you're unsure about the bitterness of the chocolate, you could eat these without the chocolate covering and it is slightly sweet naturally from the coconut. 

I think I'm going to make a roasted chicken this weekend because it sounds awesome. Feeling a lot better than I did earlier in the week! 

Day 6

Another body bootcamp this morning on the beach in balmy 45 degree weather. Had our shakes before we went and it kept us satiated throughout the workout...nice. Went to the farmer's market afterwards and there was also a street "home and business expo" so we had to walk past kettle korn, a food truck, and the smell of bacon coming from somewhere in addition to the usual delicious fresh baked goods, coffee and cheese of the farmer's market. THEN, we made the mistake of going grocery shopping after all this temptation and about 4 hours away from our last meal...psychological torture is going past the bakery and buy 1 get 1 massive bags of candy and not being able to eat either! It was a rough morning. At least we had a delicious lunch to look forward to..oh wait, no, we didn't. Somehow we still have leftover cashew chicken. We have eaten it every day this cleanse except for the first day when we ate the 3 taste noodle variation. And guess what? There is plenty for lunch tomorrow! I know it's very bratty to complain about having more than enough food to eat but I think we're well past that. This throws off my original food plan but it works out because Cleansing is damn expensive and it helps to not have to purchase grass-fed (and humane certified) stew beef. Since I'm not making that anymore, I have some cauliflower that is no longer needed later this week. Popped it in the oven at 400 degrees with some olive oil, sea salt and pepper and I'm waiting to find out if it will be awesome or an utter disappointment. I am such a complainer but hopefully, if you're reading this and doing the cleanse too, you know exactly what I mean. *Update: cauliflower "poppers" are awesome

Autumn Slaw

Day 7

Made a roasted chicken today because it sounded like a good idea. Ate it with autumn slaw (made with carrot instead of apple) and it was pretty good...especially with some savory roasted nuts sprinkled over slaw. Was feeling super grumpy again that afternoon, so we made coconut flour pancakes again for dinner and afterwards I felt like a superhero! I had energy again and I didn't want to curl up in a ball and cry anymore. I had so much energy and happiness that I even started creating our food for the week! Asparagus Truffle Oil Soup? Done! The best lentil soup I've ever eaten? Done! Chopped strawberries portioned into containers? Shazam! I'm finding that my biggest cravings aren't for sweets anymore, nope, straight up BREAD! Croissants, baguettes, texas toast, health nut bread with peanut butter...drool...Onwards to Week 2!

Clean Gut Starts Today!

Food for week 1

Oh man, here we go again! Yesterday was exhausting but we are now ready for week 1 of the Clean Gut program! As I discussed here, this year we not only decided to switch from the Clean Program to Clean Gut for our annual cleanse, but I also pre-planned our menu for the entire 21 days. It took a while but it definitely makes it easier. We did our grocery shopping yesterday and prepared our food for the week (minus the weekend) in about 4 hours. We make our shakes in the morning but everything else is pre-portioned and ready to go! Also, I stated before that I didn't know which supplements we would take but we have decided on magnesium, a B complex and a probiotic.

The only slight adjustment from the calendar I posted is that the "three tastes noodles" are now made with tuna instead of anchovies (oops) and I used lemon juice, tomatoes and garlic instead of the seasonings in the recipe available on the Clean Program website. I don't know if I'll like it but the taste test wasn't too bad. I'm really excited about the Zucchini Mushroom Cashew Chicken though, which just smells and tastes amazing. We're having it for lunch 3 times this week, so hopefully I will think it's amazing after day 3 :)
Ryan made the split pea soup, roasted tomato soup and veggie hummus (although our food processor sucks and it didn't turn out like the picture!).

For our shakes, we use 1 scoop of Garden of Life raw vegan protein powder (unflavored, the flavored versions are made with Stevia and I hate Stevia) with 8 oz of unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 cup of mixed berries, some frozen kale, unsweetened coconut flakes and cocoa powder. I made sure to blend the protein powder with the almond milk first after reading Amazon reviews that said it might be "chalky" otherwise. After reading those reviews, I was really scared to try this powder b/c the bad reviews went from "tastes like vomit" to "the worst thing I've ever eaten". It really wasn't bad. Still kinda chalky and bland but definitely drinkable. The only thing I would suggest is to make sure you blend the chunks away...it's somehow unsettling to chew kale or coconut in a drink.

We began the Mayor's Fitness Challenge last week so I'm a little concerned how our cleanse will work with the added exercise. From what I've gathered on the Clean Gut forums, it is important to make sure we get enough food and protein. Ryan and I have decided to bring our dinner soups with us to work to consume right before we leave so that we have something in our tummies before going directly to our weeknight workouts. We will eat our salads after the workouts and hopefully that will be enough. I'm thinking we could add some eggs or something if we're really hungry and we'll still be able to maintain the 12 hour fasting window.

So there you have it! I'm feeling very optimistic and ready for 21 days of cleansing! It's easy to be cheerful and optimistic when you've only been cleansing for 3 hours though :)

Clean Program: Clean Gut Monthly Meal Plan

I'm feeling pretty smug about this...yes, I realize I'm not the first person to discover meal planning but this is a revelation for me! It took some time, but I have completely planned out our 21 day cleanse! If this picture makes it look like I created this calendar with 1993 Word, it's only because I have a child's understanding of creating jpg's. You should be able to get the gist of it though. I have pinned pretty much every recipe that I'll need here and the rest are from the Clean Program's website. For breakfast, I simply put "shake" in each slot...I just purchased Garden of Life raw protein powder (in chocolate) and I think each day will be some variation of that with berries, kale, almond milk, coconut milk, chia, almond butter, cashews, lemon or lime juice etc. According to the reviews on Amazon, this protein powder tastes awful but it's supposed to be really good for you so I can gag it down. Update: Made the mistake of reading some of the 1 star reviews...all I can do is pray that the giant container of protein powder I purchased doesn't: taste like vomit, taste like rancid coconut oil, cause vomiting or some other problem that has yet to be discovered. 

I'm sure changes will be made as the month progresses, but this at least mentally prepares me and will (hopefully) take the stress out of grocery shopping this month. I'm also hoping that it will help me avoid cheating but I have a history of cheating on this cleanse every year so we'll see how that goes!

I am feeling very powerful right now...and strangely clairvoyant...