Best raw soup ever - Carrot Ginger Soup

Last year, I got on a big raw food kick...I ate only vegan raw food for about a month...some things were really hard to make (and super time consuming), others were not...this is my absolute FAVORITE of any of them, and I'm telling you - it sounds so weird, but it is beyond delicious!

Anyway, this is vegan (no dairy) and raw - not cooked at all, so its more of a warm weather soup (but you can heat it a bit - I think it tastes better uncooked)...I found it for the first time at this raw food place called D'lish in Sedona, Arizona...it still tastes super creamy...

Ingredients:
-Avocado (this makes it creamy) - I use one whole one
-Carrot Juice (you can juice it yourself, but that takes forever - easiest is to just use Bolthouse Farms CJ - you can get it at big grocery stores, it is in the fruit section normally - cost $4, and you use about 1/4-1/2 of the bottle, so its not too expensive) - for 1 avocado, I'd use about 1/2-3/4 cup - depending on how big the avocado was

-Apple Juice (I use bottled natural AJ) - about 1/3 of the amount compared to the CJ
-Lime Juice (to taste) - I just get the squeeze bottle of this (it lasts forever)
-ginger (I used to use fresh ginger, but now I just use the powdered stuff cause it doesn't taste any different to me)

I use FLorida avocados (they are bigger than CA avocados - and cheaper)...avocados have fat in them, but it is such a good quality fat...you have to make sure they are ripe, cause when you get them at the grocery store, they are NOT ripe...for me, it takes about a week, I just leave them on the counter and squeeze them once a day...and then when they are ripe, they get a bit squooshy...

And basically, all you do is put it in the blender...
First put in the avocado (don't mix yet)...then put in the CJ/AJ **remember 3:1 ratio CJ to AJ - be sure not to add too much juice or else it will be too liquidy...then mix...finger taste...add the lime (I usually put in about 1-2 tablespoons) and a few sprinkles of ginger...mix a bit more - if you need to add a bit more juice, thats fine, but remember you dont want it too liquidy, and done! Takes 2 minutes to do:)

This picture does not do it justice...

Super healthy meal

Well, sometimes I have to go super healthy - to cleanse...or something...

I've felt that way the last few days...
First is salad, the recipe is straight from this awesome pizza place called SAtchel's which has the best pizza and salad in the world...because of that, I use Satchel's dressing - it might be hard for you to do that, but, its basically balsalmic vinegarette...for the salad:
-spinach (I like it better than mixed greens)
-apples (about 1/2 of one cut into little pieces) - this is so good on salads!
-shredded carrots
-walnuts
-romano cheese (or you can use shredded parmesan which is also really good)
-tomatoes (I LOVE tomatoes!)
-onions (not too much - I put way too much on this time, and it wasn't as good as it normally is because of that)



I get the cheese, onions and carrots pre-shredded, so the only thing I have to cut up are the apples and tomatoes...so, I keep under my 5 minute rule...

I also like to put it in a bowl and mix it up before eating it to make it more blended...

This is SO filling, you wont want to eat for a day - and as you can see, this is a HUGE bowl! The only thing sort of "bad" is the dressing...the dressing that I use has olive oil, balsalmic vinegar as the two main ingredients which is really good anyway...

Docotr's appointment

Well, I finally had my appointment (I'd only gone for pap smears previously), and basically, since we are older, and since we are already timing everything right (and literally checking EVERYTHING already - I brought my bloodwork from last month, all my FF charts, and a page full of questions with me, LOL!) - and my cycles are really long...she is completely ok with being very proactive about everything - so now I'm super excited!!
And, hey, I still have a chance this cycle - right:)

Ok, so this is the plan...
For Matt: Sperm Analysis (he's going to HATE this)
For me (after my period): Hysterosalpingogram (gaack!) - its where you check to make sure the tubes are clear - ohh, she said that my cervix was in a good place, slightly rotated back:)

Then, we are going to do another completely non-medicated cycle...but, I asked if it would be ok to do Soy on CD4-8 (I bought the soy at the store after my appointment - so I'm ready to go), and she said that wouild be fine, so I'm going to do that to try to speed up ovulation...

After my next cycle, if we dont conceive (at that point, it will have been 6 months since we started - even though only 4 cycles) - and everything checks out, then we will be referred to an infertility specialist, and can start medication to get the party started...

ANyway, she was super nice, and basically read my mind with everything I was thinking - I'm very numbers oriented, and wanted to get things checked out beforehand, and she was very accommodating with everything that I wanted...she thinks that I might be getting my period late because I am kinda underweight for my height...I am not ready to do much more than I have been about that...which is just to do less cardio...and eating tons of coconut oil and avocado:)

Legs feels better - musta been the cookies!

So, I don't usually have the ingredients to make cookies in my house, because if I do, I'll make them and eat all of them! Yesterday we made cookies with coconut oil - and they were incredible! I had 7 - yes, SEVEN! - yesterday, and then 7 more today...

I ummm, ate salad for dinner tonight as an apology to my body (I have pictures but am too lazy to get them up tonight)...and now, I'm eating chocolate chips...to punish my body more...I have been wanting cramps and a stomach ache, something to tell me that I might be pregnant, but I have nothing...even with all this junk I ate the last two days - nothing...how in the world can I not get a stomach ache from all that! FWIW, I took an HPT today (8DPO), negative - obviously...I'll keep taking them, cause I have 20 of them left...and, well, I feel like it...

On the good news front, my legs aren't hurting at all any more, so for the first time in a week, I'm able to sleep...I've been taking advantage of that, I slept for 9 hours last night, then took a 3 hour nap this afternoon...I really needed it, hadn't gotten more than 5 hours of sleep this whole week and it was driving me crazy!

Tomorrow is my dr appointment - YEAH!!

On Tuesday, I'm starting a new exercise plan...I have been such a blob about that recently...so, here's the plan:
Tuesday/Thursday - yoga at 6am
Monday - swimming at 5pm
Wednesday - swimming at 6am
Wednesday/Saturday/Sunday - walking for 3-5 miles with DH
That should be a good relaxing exercise schedule...

No symptoms continued...

Still nothing...not overly tired, not bloated, dont have to pee...no cramps...temps aren't going higher (when I look for charts like mine only like 10 % are pregnant!!)...ugh, nothing...

And, my leg hurts bad, and I have no idea what it is...I'm not old enough to have pains, so its really freaking me out...it goes all the way down the outside of my leg, and it has caused me to wake up in the middle of the night every night because it hurts so much...

Well, all that and its V-day...DH is making me cookies which is sweet, and we are heading to a movie and dinner now...

Pretty resigned at this point that its going to be on to next cycle soon...

6DPO

Ok, I take it back...I am now not being productive at all...
now that I'm at 6DPO, I'm obsessing about every little twinge...
Honestly, everything is identical to last month, and my temps are so low compared to most people's post-O temps that I might as well get ready for next month...

and, I was so sick also, not the end of the world, but it means I have to try again...

So, on Monday I'm testing even if I have no good reason to test, we dont have school, so I have the day off...I also have my dr appt. and I'm really going to hope that she can get me on SOMETHING so that I O sooner...if they do not give me something to get me to O sooner...then next cycle I'm going to take 150mg soy isoflavones on CD3-7:
http://www.twoweekwait.com/newsletter/2006-01/
Along with the Robitussin starting when I start to see signs of O, and the Instead cups (only for when I need to get up - not when I'm just laying there...I guess I'll keep up the OPKs, but I NEVER get + OPKS, so I think thats just a waste of money...oh, and I'll start BBT at CD14 as well...

At least I have a plan...am really hoping that I dont have to wait till CD31 to O again, its just too long, I cant handle that neverending wait...

In other news, I've been having trouble sleeping all week cause the muscles in my legs are really messed up, and they are still hurting, so sleeping hasn't been fun lately...I need to go do some yoga or something to help them, but I haven't yet...

I guess thats all for today...
Oh - HAPPY (early) VALENTINE'S DAY !!

I can focus now!!

For the last month, I've been obsessing about everything ovulation...every twinge, timing everything perfectly, not stressing out DH, not stressing out myself...

And now, its over, I've Oed, and at this point there is nothing more I can do...
And, I can finally focus on other things...since getting over being sick, I'm actually doing things that I should have done for the last month...

Here's to getting things done!!