I can't believe we made it!!!

Well we've made it. And I feel that I came through much improved. Maddie wrote an excellent summary of her experiences and now it's my turn.

These are my lovely anniversary flowers that I received yesterday. I love fresh flowers and wish I could have them in my house all the time. Unfortunately, that's kind of cost prohibitive.

This was my lunch today. Leftover vegan pad thai with baked tofu and extra vegetables. So yummy! Even the next day it was delicious.

Homemade raspberry and lemon iced tea sweetened with a bit of agave nectar. I've discovered the most refreshing summer beverage ever :)

Dinner was good and I held true to the promise I've made to myself; no longer gluten free but mostly caffeine and sugar free and of course, mostly vegan. Vegan is the goal but I'm willing to accept an occasional lapse into vegetarianism. The meal I ate reflected this perfectly. Local corn on the cob, tomatoes and cucumbers. A veggie dog with a vegan "cheese" slice on a normal bun. I made two potato salads. A normal one with eggs for the masses and in mine I added steamed green beans and diced red peppers to the potatoes. Of course, I substituted vegenaise instead of mayo in mine.

And finally...I made dessert to celebrate my newfound way of eating and making it through the 21 days. Chocolate brownies. Vegan with just a smidge of fat. A little evaporated cane juice to sweeten. Moist and oh, so chocolatey :)

I found the recipe here: http://littlehouseofveggies.blogspot.com/2010/07/chocolate-nutty-brownies-with-vanilla_19.html

Check her site out...every one of this woman's recipes sound great. This one sure is a keeper!!

I'm proud of myself for doing this. It may not seem that large but for me the sense of accomplishment is huge. For these 21 days I not only focused on getting the garbage out of my diet but also adding so many good things. And those good things aren't only related to food. Exercising (as I can) six days a week. Doing something that brings me joy, every day. Nurturing myself in ways I didn't take the time for before. And discovering how much I love to be creative in the kitchen! How important colour has become in my meals...

Even though my health has deteriorated in some ways, in others there has been some improvement. There has been improvement in my energy levels as well. I feel more in tune with myself, nature, spirit and the world. For all of this I am grateful. The journey has been so very worthwhile.

As we move on to another 21 day project, Maddie and I will each be taking aspects of the cleanse with us. I will occasionally still be posting about meals and food related discoveries.

I'll be back here on Thursday to announce our next project which will begin on August 23rd....

See you then!!

-Carolyn