Two weeks into my Cleanse, we head to Fire for dinner to celebrate Rosie’s birthday. What does a temporary vegan not eating gluten, alcohol or caffiene do? Party! I started with an order of sauteed olives. This is a rare treat that I have only experienced at Fire. The warm olives are delicious, despite not being able to dip bread in the olive oil. I was not feeling or looking like a salad so I ordered a side of sauteed chard, delicious. Finishing with a large portion of the curried quinoa tower, pictured above, made the meal delicious. Yes, I destroyed the tower immediately. Yes, I think a swish of pesto should be on every plate. Yes, I regretted not being able to eat the cookies that came with the bill. Beyond all of the regret, I had a fabulous meal.
So, how is the cleanse going? Great! This has been shockingly easy. There is a ton of food I can eat and I have been cooking out of my comfort zone. It may help that I am doing this cleanse with a large group of people at Cleveland Yoga, but it is more likely because I have done a few really rough cleanses in the last year (Master Cleanse & a week long Green Cleanse). Giving up my ability to control what I am eating and drinking has been quite freeing. As I have gotten older, I have come to appreciate a few rules that enable my freedom. A great side result of this cleanse has been an increase in my ability to transition, I have been seeing options instead of obstacles. If you are thinking of trying a Cleanse this year, get together a group to do it with and try this one.
