Making Vegetable Juice & Anniversary Dinner

Good morning and happy Friday! I made another video for you, this time it shows how I make a batch of vegetable juice using my masticating juicer. You can see the previous video about assembling the juicer here.

I’m not sure if my videos are getting more or less silly, but I’m having fun with it and trying to learn the best techniques along the way. Here’s the newest one (click here if you don’t see it embedded below):

So yesterday was my 9-year wedding anniversary! Alan and I decided to head up to San Luis Obispo where they have a really fun Thursday evening farmers’ market.

We got there just as the rest of the county did:

We had planned to find one of the local vegan vendors to buy dinner from and eat on the street, but it turns out we didn’t find any of those restaurants at the market last night. So, instead we went to one of our old fave restaurants where they have plenty of healthy, vegan options.

I chose the large, farmers’ market plate that came with mashed potatoes and all kinds of cooked vegetables:

Alan had the Tagine served vegan-style with flatbread and harissa:

After dinner, we perused the market and I picked up some greens for the next several days, plus a new container of wheatgrass for the cats (it keeps them from chewing on our houseplants). I spotted these enormous grapefruit:

but I settled on some fresh nectarines and donut peaches to enjoy this weekend. After all that walking, Alan and I hit our other favorite vegan spot for dessert. We both decided on the raw strawberry pie, but we’ve been married long enough to know better than to share. Here was my piece and I have to admit, it wasn’t too big for me to enjoy on my own:

Alan suggested that I try using Gena’s raw almond cookies that I made for the 4th of July party and make a pie crust and fill it with fresh fruit. Brilliant! I am going to try that this weekend.

Lastly, I wanted to share this really special e-mail that I received from a reader named Pamela earlier this week in regards to the de-cluttering stuff we’ve been talking about. Pamela actually addressed the e-mail to Brooks, but she cc’d me and I’m so glad she did because it made me feel so good. Here’s what she wrote:

“I have a lot of clutter at my house, not hoarder level but it’s bad. Closets and drawers are filled with items that I don’t need or use and clothes and papers are everywhere. Most of the clothes are not worn, they just take up space and my mental energy. So after reading your facebook postings and blog I was inspired to do some of my own clutter busting.

On Monday instead of running out to the gym after work and then coming home exhausted, I decided to stay home and deal with the clothes clutter. It was not easy. After the first few items were put in the giveaway pile, whenever I picked something up that I wasn’t going to keep, I heard these words in my head: “You no longer serve me so I have to let you go.” For those items that I had for a long time and were treasured but no longer fit or look good, I heard: “You served me well. Please serve someone else now.”

My eyes teared, but I was able to let them go. Now, when I walk into the spare room, I see beautiful wood flooring instead of a mess of clothes.

It’s only the beginning, but I’m off to a great start thanks to you.

Like Carrie, I find myself shedding all kinds of things that no longer serve me: habits, attitudes, behaviors, people, food. I feel lighter than I’ve felt in a long time.

Many thanks.”

Are you as touched and inspired as I am? I really believe in the connection between getting rid of physical and emotional clutter as part of the journey to being optimally healthy. Great work, Pamela and to everyone else doing this hard work!

Have a great weekend and I’ll be back here on Monday with a new post.

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