New Beginnings….

I’m back! I know it’s been awhile since my last post. Much has happened in the world of Kendra Peterson and unfortunately my blog was pushed aside while I tried toI get my head back on straight.  This is certainly the best re-introduction to the life of Kendra and Drizzle Kitchen.  So, thank you for your patience my fabulous friends and enjoy the post!
August has always been one of my favorite months.  Why you may ask? Well, my birthday happens to be August 9th.  And in celebration of my birthday I adopt what I lovingly call “birthday month.” This may seem insane to many, however  the purpose of “birthday month” is not to buy myself presents everyday or go out to dinner all 31 days.  Rather it is to celebrate being me.  I might take myself out for coffee one morning rather than make it at home or I might take a day off from working out and take a long walk with a girlfriend.  Just doing little things that I wouldn’t normally allow myself to do.
Well, this August is especially symbolic of me celebrating me.  I am newly single and it has been a long journey thus far to bring myself back to being and feeling like Kendra, post break-up.  It was a long relationship and we were living together.  So, life threw me one of those curveballs that you just can’t control, no matter how hard you try.  So instead I am controlling the outcome.  I am taking back my life and starting fresh.  So, what perfect timing for birthday month (I almost feel as if it should be capitalized, no? I mean, it is sort of a holiday?!).
So, to start off birthday month I am doing a cleanse of my life.  I am trying to purge all negative emotions, I am trying to allow myself to breathe and not feel stress as I have in the past few  months.  And within that realm I have also decided to do a 5 day detox.  To rid my body of any negative and harmful things the environment/food/alcohol have placed there (with my assistance, of course).  I am also taking myself on a 10 day trip to New York.  To visit friends that I haven’t seen in some time, to revisit some of my favorite NYC spots, to walk through Central Park on a lovely summer day and to just have time away from the busy-ness of my life.  So, the detox is also in preparation of enjoying some of my favorite places (and trying some new ones!) for food and perhaps a glass of wine or fourty.
Are you curious as to what I am consuming on this crazy detox of mine?  Well, between how busy I am and the fact that I cook for other people about 12 hours of the day its been an interesting start as to what I will be eating, how I will be getting it and how I’ll have any time to make it!  The basis for my detox is no caffeine, no alcohol and only raw/vegan foods.  That being said, I will tell you I am ever so grateful for Karyn’s Raw.  It’s a fabulous little spot on Halsted, just south of Armitage.  She has a fabulous juice bar, raw smoothie bar and a great selection of raw and organic ready prepared foods.  There is also a restaurant attached which is fantastic.
In addition to having karyn’s as an easy option, I decided to also get myself in gear and prepare some tasty raw/vegan delights.  Here is my menu for the day….
       ½ c. blueberries and ½ c. mango
       1 c. mango coconut yogurt
       1 banana/nut milk/coconut water/banana/flax shake from Karyn’s
       1 c. snap peas and 1/3 cup homemade guacamole
       ½ c. dehydrated kale chips, bbq flavor (definitely bought those at whole foods!)
       ¼ c. sprouted sunflower seeds
       biiiiiig salad made of: chopped romaine and spinach, strawberries, red pepper, soaked garbanzo beans, grape tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh corn and a raw ranch dressing (recipe courtesy oft my good friend Dawn Jackson Blatner!)
       not sure about dessert yet.  I know I’ll be craving something sweet.  Perhaps some homemade chocolate almond milk. Yum!
And lots and lots of water with lemon juice squeezed in.  tomorrow I plan on getting some fresh fruit juice from karyn’s (the stuff at the store is pasteurized b/c we’re paranoid in this country.  Through the process of pasteurization, the product is heated and therefore not raw anymore….many nutrients are lost).
So, I’ll keep you updated with my detox and what exactly I am eating and what exactly I am feeling……and come next week I’ll be posting about my adventures back in New York City!