Juice Cleanse: Preparation

It's time. I need a cleanse. I want to feel fresh (2014 word) and rejuvenated. My eating habits also need a little shake up. After talking with people I know who have done a juice cleanse, I 'm ready to tackle it myself. 

I have the dates set: February 15th through the 17th (3 days). I'm going back and forth about whether to do 5 days or not. I have heard that the first 3 days are the hardest, but once you get over the 3 days the extra 2 days feel amazing. Then again, it's another two days.... 

Next question: HOW?

I'm don't know whether to do the juice cleanse DIY style and as a result I would drink blended juices (yum) with a few booster shots, or if I should buy a cleansing package from a juicing co. 

PROS

1. I googled DIY juice cleanse on the interweb and found some good stuff. There is lots of variety and recipes out there for me to experiment with. Here are some examples: Avocado Smoothie and Honey Dew-Kiwi Smoothie. 
2. Blended is better. Liquids get so boring. Blended also equals fresher than bottled juices
3. Cheaper. The DIY cleanse will cost me no more than $50. Read Clean Eating on a Budget
4. Pride. I love making smoothies and there is some pride in the DIY aspect. 

+ Boosters I can buy affordable boosters for the "cleansing" effect and consume them with the smoothies.

CONS

1. It's easier to cheat. If I'm throwing stuff into a blender it would be pretty tempting to slip in some yogurt...or ice cream. 
2. Time. Making healthy smoothies will take a lot of time. It will also take time to pick recipes. 
3. Not very portable. It will be difficult making these smoothies travel-friendly. There is nooo way I'm staying in my apartment all weekend. 

PROS

1. Simple and Organized. The bottles are clearly labeled. They even tell me what time to drink the bottle. Who needs a brain?
2. Real. I think I'll feel more legit if I do a cleanse that comes from a company opposed to my blender. 
3. Reliable and liable. If I purchase a cleansing package I know that it will truly cleanse. If it doesn't they are somewhat liable and I can sue. :) Or at least write terrible reviews and maybe get my money back ???
4. Super Cool. New York has some sweet juicing shops. Here are the ones I am considering: The Squeeze, Urban Remedy, and Juice Press. 

CONS

1. Expensive. I can't find a 3 day cleanse that costs less than $150 total. So yeah...
2. Not completely fresh. The juices are bottled after all.
3. What if they all taste disgusting? I'll be stuck with the bottles. I know some of them have cayenne pepper. eeww. 

Now that this is published, there's no turning back. 

What cleanse should I do?

What cleanse would you do?

Would it be possible to combine both methods? 

Weekend Flavor.

This was a tasty weekend! I want to share glimpses of some of the yummy places I went to.

 

1. Doughnut Plant. Highly recommended. Popular and super cute. Ari and I split a Valrhona Chocolate Donut.
2. Starbucks. A link isn't needed for this one. They dominate NYC. We went here twice because they had a taste-testing thing going on which gave us $1 off each drink. Free samples and a discount?! score!
3. La Lalanterna Caffe. This was the cutest restaurant I have ever seen! It was right by Washington Square Park and their Italian food was superb.
4. Dylan's Candy Bar. A HUGE candy shop created by Dylan Lauren (Ralph Lauren's daughter). It was fun to explore, and the place smells amazing. Pure Sugar.
5. Big Gay Ice Cream. My roommate took me to this ice cream shop a few months ago and I was super excited to come back. I had a Monday Sundae (Nutella, salt, caramel, ice cream, chocolate) and Ari had the Salty Pimp.
6. New York Burger Co. I don't love burgers, but this place was cool. They have super yummy sauces (I had pesto+basil) and all their burgers were named after neighborhoods in New York City.

Have you been to any of these restaurants (excluding Starbucks :)? What looks good to you? 

A Sweet Place

Donuts!

I found a pretty sweet donut shop close to uptown in Minneapolis the other day. It's called GlamDoll Donuts. These donuts brought a smile to my family, and the shop has flare that can only be found in Minneapolis. Even though these donuts are pricey (I don't love paying $8+ for three fattening pastries), the shop is cute, and I'm all about supporting local and small businesses. If you are in Minneapolis I encourage you to try them! Or at least peak through their window. 

I cooked.

The other day I followed a recipe and made enchiladas! 14 enchiladas.  I went all out and even made enchilada sauce (at home we always buy enchilada sauce from a can). I didn't realize the sauce was made from tomatillos (pictured below). These were vegetarian enchiladas stuffed with peppers, jalapeños, onions, butternut squash, mushrooms, and spices. They were so good. The process took awhile, but I was proud of myself and the best part was making them (and eating them) with a friend! 

Here's the recipe I followed: 

Pinch of Yum: Enchiladas

Eating

City year is exhausting. I knew it would be a lot of work and it is. Would you like leaving for work at 6:30 am and coming home at 7 pm every day? I thought I would have no energy to spend time making food, but I do, and it's usually therapeutic. I say "make" because I probably wouldn't classify what I do as cooking. Mix might be a better word. I have accumulated a couple cookbooks that I like to look at for inspiration. From there I just mix away! Here are some photos of my concoctions :

This mixture made 7 breakfast burritos. Freezer! 

A salad with a lot of orange!

My salads usually look like this. Pom seeds <3

Eggplant dish. My boss encouraged me to cook with eggplant. 

Breakfast (weekend only)

Ramen noodles!!!!!

Pretty salad.

I also bought a blender with graduation money. Smoothies always hit the spot.