cleanse 1/day 2

today began well. i actually got up earlier than i have in months (not that early mind you) but i have been wanting to start to rise a bit earlier to get more out of the morning hours. morning is SACRED to me and on top of it, i take a while to get going. probably as a result of staying up so late, but i always have been a night owl. i get so much done when i know the rest of the world is sleeping. it does gives me an unusually late start to things, at least in terms of our culture. although i don't see myself becoming a 5 am type gal, i would like to become a 7 am'er. that seems a bit more civilized and doable.

my mornings are comprised of:

get up
feed baxter and squeeker (my kitty companions)
make hot lemon water
sit (meditate)
sun salutation
prepare black tea with honey (up until yesterday it was black coffee with sugar, sigh)

this extra time each day would allow me to add a couple yoga classes to my week.
that is a main goal for this year. i'll let you know how it goes.

2 things about me i didn't mention:

i am a studio artist and my studio is at my little house. i don't even think of it as a house. i basically live in a studio and that is just fine by me!

i am a massage therapist and my office is a 10 minute drive or 40 min walk from my house. i love this. it's tucked away, but central to the neighborhood and it feels like a tree house (from the inside).

this morning i received a fantastic massage from a friend. we only just got acquainted and she is awesome, and among many other things, a massage therapist. lucky me! we set up a trade and viola! i feel like a million bucks. i'm so happy to have this trade. i traded for years with a good friend who moved away and i had not had any luck (read: made time) finding a new barter partner. massage is such an important part of self care and i tell all my clients this and i BELIEVE it and KNOW it to be true. so i'm super stoked that this is back on my books.

i made a delicious green smoothing when i got back from the massage:

cucumber

mixed greens

cilantro

pinch salt and pepper (i'm not sure if this is kosher for smoothies, but it was damn good)

it was like a liquid salad.

i had to add a little filtered water to get it going and i almost drank it all before i snapped this last pic.
btw, the gadget is a magic bullet blender and i have wanted one for a year. ever since i visited my friend allison in pittsburgh last year (you can check out her blog here). no, they are not that expensive, but i like to stay on my budget and other things kept taking priority. you know how it is! my sister gave me one for my birthday in january. bless her!

i had a request to post the recipe for the spring green soup from the first post and so, here it is.

SPRING GREEN SOUP

in a heavy bottom pot add:

a knob of coconut oil

1/2 onion, diced

1 leek, with the outer dark green removed, i used part of it though from the inside pieces. btw, leeks have a lot of sand and dirt so the easiest way to clean is to chop, then rinse in a bowl and then shake water out in a colander or spinner.

after the onion and leek have softened and started to caramelize (5-10 min), add:

1/2 a bunch (is celery a bunch?) celery, diced

cook about 5 min, then add:

2/3 bag of frozen peas

2/3 bag of frozen corn (i don't usually purchase fzn veg, i had this in my freezer and needed to use it)

2 medium yellow gold potatoes, diced. i don't know if that is the official name, but it's what they looked like:)

3 good sized handfuls of any greens you have on hand, copped

water or veggie broth to fill the pot

a good shake of black pepper and some salt to taste

all ingredients are ORGANIC and NON-GMO

that's it. after cooking it on low for about an hour, i let it cool a bit and then used my emersion blender to puree about 1/2-2/3s of it. it will have a slightly chunky creamy texture. the flavor was amazing and i admit i was a little surprised b/c i didn't add any herbs or spices (other than pepper). 

i make most of my soups with what's on hand. if you need to use up carrots or some other veggie or herbs, by all means, DO IT!

also, i often make too much and freeze soups. after freezing, the texture of a veggie soup is not always a delight. luckily, i prefer a blended soup, and the texture of these never disappoints!