This morning I started my day with a walk on the beach. Jealous? Don't be...it was so windy that by the time we got back to our condo my cheeks were bright red from being sandblasted and my eyes were pouring tears. Other than that, it was quite nice! I love the smell of ocean air...fresh, clean, and a little bit salty.
I'm attending a a 3-day conference at the coast. Jeff and I were worried about how we would stay on the Daniel Fast while not being able to cook for ourselves other than our breakfasts, but it has been amazingly easy! We have a kitchen, so I was able to make oatmeal this morning. I pre-measured everything at home, so it was easy to microwave the oatmeal and add the cinnamon, nuts and dried fruit. In the break time between sessions, we were served food. I figured it would be the usual muffins and fruit, so I knew I would be okay with the fruit. But I was surprised to find a table full of hummus and veggies, fresh fruit, nuts and whole-grain/seed crackers. Delicious! Then at lunch another pleasant surprise...chili and whole-grain corn chips. By omitting the cheddar cheese and sour cream topping and discreetly leaving behind the chunks of hamburger, I had another acceptable Daniel Fast meal. Our next break was at Starbucks...uh-oh. But I still did okay by compromising just a little and having a matcha green tea soy latte, without the syrup. Then dinner, which I was pretty sure would be difficult to work around. But another surprise! Two salads, one Greek and one green with mandarin oranges and walnuts, two pastas, one white and the other whole-grain, and then two sauces, one chicken alfredo and the other meatless marinara. How nice to have lots of salad, whole-grain pasta and meatless marinara sauce! So yummy, and so nice that I didn't have to break my fast! Then back in our room for the evening, Jeff and I settled in by starting a fire in the woodstove, making plain popcorn and curling up on the couch with our laptops while we listened to the wind howl over the stormy sea. While I am on the fast I'm also not watching movies or reading secular books. Fasting should include both natural food and spiritual food. While we are eliminating rich, sweet and "pleasant" foods, so should we be eliminating rich, sweet and "pleasant" activities. And while we are feeding our bodies wholesome foods, so should we be feeding our spirits wholesome foods...which is why we combine fasting with prayer, Bible reading and worship. Enjoy this season of wholeness---body, soul and spirit. Your sleep should be more restful, your energy levels up, your body feeling light and healthy, and your attitude improved. I pray you have been reaping these benefits while on this fast!
So back to your menu...I haven't forgotten to feed you!
BREAKFAST: ABB Sandwich, fresh fruit
LUNCH: Santa Fe Salad
This was my favorite salad at the restaurant Earls. I have modified the recipe to make it Daniel Fast-Friendly, and it's still so good and 100 times better for you!
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| This is what is looks like at Earls... it comes with chicken and a fattening dressing |
| This is the nutrition information Can you believe it has 900 calories and 46 grams of fat! I am horrified I ever ate this! |
Start with a bed of romaine lettuce and then top it with black beans, kernel corn (use frozen rather than canned for a fresher, sweeter flavor), dates (sounds odd, but it really is delicious!), green onion, cilantro and avocado. Now whip up this flavorful dressing: 1/4 peanut olive (or olive oil if you don't want to buy peanut oil), 1/4 c. lime juice, 1 T. natural peanut butter, 1 tsp. soy sauce, 1 garlic clove, minced. Mix everything together and then top it with some crunched up corn tortilla chips.
DINNER: Carrot-Ginger Soup and Whole-Grain Crackers
This is the recipe from the delicious soup I had the night we had the soup fellowship at our church. I think you'll like it too! It only takes about 30 min. from beginning to end.
Carrot-Ginger Soup
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 lb. bag of baby carrots
1/2 c. fresh, unsweetened orange juice
1 T. minced ginger (you should still have some ginger root left over from the oriental salad)
1/2 T. curry powder
1/4 t. nutmeg
2 c. vegetable broth
3/4 c. soy/rice/almond milk (whatever you prefer)
1. Saute onions and celery in a soup pot. Add remaining ingredients except milk. Simmer 20 min. until vegetables are tender.
2. Blend soup with an immersion blender or puree in a blender by batches (be sure to let soup cool before putting in a blender or you will have a hot-soup explosion!).
3. Return to pot on low heat and stir in milk. Season with salt and pepper.
This soup actually is better if allowed to stand for a couple hours at room temperature, then re-heat when you are ready to eat. Serve with some good whole-grain crackers. I like "Mary's Gone Crackers" brand. They are organic, gluten and dairy free.
I also want to share with you a drink my daughter's friend told me about. It's called Kombucha, which I drink often and really enjoy, but this particular brand doesn't have any sugar and it comes in Multi-Green flavor (algae, spirulina and chlorella). It is a raw drink, brimming with enzymes and probiotics, so good for detoxifying, energizing and balancing your digestive system...especially good if you've been feeling some unpleasant effects from your new high-fiber diet! It's fizzy and has a refreshing bite. Try it!
And now I'm going to crawl into my bed and fall asleep listening to the wind and waves of an Oregon coast winter storm.
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