Days 4 and 5. Getting used to a new (green) paradigm

Just some of the bounty I brought home from the Temple Isaiah/CCJDS CSA.

Yes, those are yellow carrots!

My ever-enigmatic and non-Goomba-esque coach Allie (impressively, without breaking any limbs) convinced me that the key to feeling satisfied is to load up with lots of greens and other vegetables. I had a big ol' salad today for lunch with a homemade avocado dressing, onions, sugar plum tomatoes, corn and pumpkin seeds. My veggie experimentation is revving up and I'm starting to get back into the groove of cooking. Sick of steamed broccoli, I'm ready to embrace some new foods. Allie recommended (OK--she pretty much strong-armed me into joining) a CSA that a mutual friend is helping to run through the Temple Isaiah/Contra Costa Jewish Day School in Lafayette. The fruits and veggies are supplied through Ledesma Family Farms and Frog Hollow. The produce is organized Farmer's Market style and you get your choice of a few items in a category ( e.g. Cauliflower or broccoli? Arugula or spring mix?) so that you're not stuck with any one thing as per most CSAs. By the time I got to Temple Isaiah late this afternoon I was pretty well famished. Janna (our friend) led me through the CSA set-up and as she described the vegetables I could visualize the "sweet, rich golden" carrot interior and the roasted sunchokes that are like fingerling potatoes but better. The pea greens that represent the taste of the sugar snap pea in ONE WHOLE SALAD were irresistible. Even fresh pinto beans---yes, I'm going to try them (I am a bean-hater) because Janna assured me of their fresh goodness.

So, all vegetables aside (Mom will like that) some of the key observations I've made in the past two days are:

• I don't have to eat my six-year-old's (flax seed--ha ha--she doesn't know!) tortilla chips just because she wants them. I can give her a portion without tasting them.
• I don't have to taste my food all along the whole cooking process.
• I don't need to test pasta for doneness--in my mouth.
• When I want to snack, most of the time a beverage will quell the hunger.
• I can live with hunger. And sometimes I can even ignore it.
• There's a whole culinary world out there that I haven't fully explored yet. How exciting!
• The kids are fascinated by this whole process and eager to join in, help and learn about nutrition. They may even be my biggest cheerleaders and the ones who benefit the most from this in the long run--which makes me smile and tear up just a little. And yes, dammit, they have to have green stuff on their plate.

If you're interested in the CSA here's the link on the Temple Isaiah site: Temple Isaiah/CCJDS CSA

Cambiati---Day One. Why did I sign up for this MADNESS?

Guess what? I can have all of the tea I want. Yay Tea!

As I made my vegetable upon vegetable upon vegetable- comprised dinner this evening I was visualizing my next step after chopping---you guessed it--vegetables. Normally that step would have included a liberal dousing of oil to almost smoking point and a light browning of said vegetables. But no, according to Cambiati guidelines I am to sort of steam everything in the pan using broth. For me, no olive oil during food preparation is kind of like dry-humping, all of the motions and only some of the satisfaction.

Today was HARD. I literally wanted to gnaw off my toes. And curl up in a ball in the corner. With Ben and Jerry's. When my 3-year-old yelled argghahahahahahahah!" at the top of her lungs when she didn't get a grape lollipop I matched her in tone and tenacity. Which made her cry. "You scared me Mommy". Well, I scare a lot of people, kid. Get used to it.

With a light head I accidentally dialed Martinez Patch.com editor, Jim Caroompas looking for my coach. I knew I was losing it. But it gets worse. "Nicole, how ARE you???" asked Jim in a warm excited to hear me voice. "Great. Who IS this? I replied.

When I connected with her, Allie my coach basically said take it minute by minute. "Will you starve, literally starve, Nicole, if you don't eat that thing that you want the most in the world?" No, I answered her. But dammit, My kid's 20-minute old leftover Mac N' Cheese sure looks like the spread you get on the last night on death row to me. So tasty. And cheesy.

No Cheese. No dairy, wheat, sugar, alcohol, coffee or snacking. No snacking. OMG.

So. Yes, today I started this 28-day cleanse thingy---with my mom. It is super-vegetable focused and my mom will tell anyone who will listen, that she WILL. NOT. EAT. VEGETABLES. EVER! Or she will throw up. She ( I am so proud of her, by the way because this is a HUGE step) drank her greens today.

Now. I'm doing this thing because I have known for a while what I want to do (with my relationship with food) and I am not quite sure how to get there. All of these glowy happy people have emerged from the woodwork singing Cambiati's praises. Like a cult. But one that allows you to live with the "other" people who have not ascribed to the edicts you've embraced.

Also. I am a photographer who wants to focus primarily on weddings and I want to be gorgeous like Jasmine Star and woo my clients so that one day I can make $10,000 a wedding too. Part of becoming a signature photographer is working on the whole package. Part of all-day on-your-feet work is having a high endurance level and the ability to THROW yourself on the ground like you're a private in boot camp.

The name of my business is Sweetness and Light Photography

And I want to be lighter.