If you read Friday's post, you may have heard about our battle with colic. It's been a heart wrenching, miserable 11 weeks but after holding my pediatrician hostage, we finally got a prescription for Zantac and I think it's helping. (Kidding about the hostage thing...)
So - I'm homeschooling my oldest, who turned 13 on January 1st by the way, ack - dealing with a toddler and a colicky baby and I haven't had a second to focus on crafting. BUT - we need to eat, right?
In my last post, I talked about the 21 Day Sugar detox. This is a detox I took part in last January, to reset my body, quit all that holiday sugar/junk cold turkey and to gain some energy. I had a great experience and successfully completed all 21 days. So when I was given the opportunity to receive a cookbook for review, I jumped at the chance. I'm still desperately trying to shed baby weight (so far to go, let's not discuss that) and I knew I would enjoy trying new recipes with this go around.
The cookbook arrived in the mail...
And I was pretty excited (gross understatement) to see a menu planning section. If you are new to a sugar detox, it can be so overwhelming to figure out what to eat. Seriously, sugar is in everything, and it's confusing at first. This menu section takes all the guesswork out of it. I couldn't wait to give it a shot.
For week one I followed the menu plan almost exactly. I spent about $150 to feed our family of 4 for a little over a week. I had to adjust for week 2 because it got a little too expensive, but there are plenty of recipes in this book and ways for you to mix and match.
There are some really helpful guides included in this book as well. Diane includes a guide to common food allergens, recommended products, 3 different levels of the detox plan, and even options for athletes and breastfeeding mamas.
Ok, enough babbling on my part. Buy this cookbook, you will not regret it. The photography is beautiful and enticing and the recipes are clear and easy to follow. Even if you aren't doing a sugar detox your entire family will enjoy these wholesome and delicious recipes. I promise! (There's even a recipe for coffee & cocoa rubbed ribs that the men in your life will enjoy!)
This is a recipe from the book that is quick, delicious and uses simple ingredients. We have tried probably a dozen recipes from the cookbook so far and every single one has been a home run. No one leaves the table hungry and we often have leftovers for lunch the next day. I LOVE that.
Carrot Ginger Soup
from The 21 Day Sugar Detox cookbook
Ingredients:
1 tblsp ghee or other cooking fat (coconut oil, etc)
1 celery stalk, diced (1/2 cup)
1/2 small yellow onion, diced (1/2 cup)
sea salt & black pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp - 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
6 extra large carrots, chopped (4 cups)
3 cups broth (bone, chicken, vegetable)
sprigs of dill for garnish (optional)
Directions:
In a large pot over medium heat, melt the ghee/coconut oil. Cook celery and onion with a dash of salt and pepper until they become tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the carrots and broth, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the carrots are soft all the way through, about 10 minutes.
Transfer to a blender in 3 small batches, removing the center 'valve' from the lid and covering the hole where the valve normally rests with a thick kitchen towel. Holding the lid in place with your hand, blend on low, then move to high speed after a few seconds. Note that blending hot liquids causes them to expand, so rushing to blend this all at once or in an overfilled blender is not safe and may cause hot soup to splatter everywhere. After blending all 3 batches, serve with a garnish of fresh dill, if using.
Prep Time: 10 mins - Cook Time: 15-20 mins - Servings: 4
