Ever since my juice cleanse I’ve been tossing around the idea of making healthy juices and shakes at home. I started out by making one inspired by my favorite drink from One Lucky Duck, a vegan juice bar in Union Square and Chelsea Market. I thought it turned out pretty well. The cashew milk and frozen bananas lend it a nutty flavor and creamy texture that’s exactly like a milkshake without the milk. Here’s the recipe:

1 banana, sliced and frozen
3/4 cup cashew milk (This is, admittedly, the trickiest ingredient to track down. I found some at Whole Foods, but I might try it with almond milk in a pinch.)
1/2 tablespoon agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (but I like a LOT of cinnamon. Use less if you’re not a cinnamon fanatic.)
Vanilla bean (I added about 1/2 to 1 inch of a bean. Here’s a helpful site about how to use vanilla beans.)
Blend in a blender until creamy. This makes about 10 oz but it is pretty rich. You could use two bananas and double it for a bigger drink.

Lately it seems like I’ve been seeing “barrel-aged” slapped on everything. You can buy beer aged in apple brandy barrels, cider aged in bourbon barrels, and even your very own home cocktail aging kit. As soon as I heard about maple syrup aged in bourbon barrels though, I thought, “bingo.” That’s like hearing about someone just inventing adding milk to dry cereal. And it makes sense, too—of all the hard liquors out there bourbon seems like the most breakfasty. Elevenses, or the 11am whiskey break, was an American tradition, and bourbon’s smooth, full-bodied sweetness seems like it would compliment syrup perfectly.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to track down any Tuthilltown Bourbon Barrel Matured Maple Syrup, which would be worth owning for the awesome bottle design alone. But I did find some bourbon barrel maple syrup made by Blis at Sur La Table. The syrup is aged in 12-18 year old single barrel bourbon casks, which are “carefully agitated until the honey, charred oak, vanilla and spice notes are imparted into the maple syrup syrup for a pure, one-of-a-kind natural flavor.” Well, twist my arm. I plunked down $19 and started planning a pancake breakfast.

The pricetag was justified at first taste. The syrup had a smokey-sweet kick like the fumes off a tumbler of bourbon, but with a rich, buttery aftertaste. The flavor was so unsubtle that I’d feel bad serving this to kids, but that might just be because I want it all for myself. It spiced up my pancake stack nicely, but I could see pouring this over fruit, yogurt, ice cream, sweet potatoes, mixed drinks, and probably lots of other things. If Blis made a travel-sized version I’d probably bring it with me to brunch. Going back to regular maple syrup will be rough.

Sur La Table
75 Spring St. between Lafayette St. and Cleveland Pl.
Mon-Sat 9:30am-8pm, Sun 11am-7pm

The situation on the morning of day four was I had decided to extend my juice cleanse, I had no BluePrint Cleanse juice left, and I needed to be at work early for a meeting. So I cheated by having some fresh pineapple and a Vitamin Water. I also hit up One Lucky Duck in Chelsea Market (did I mention Chelsea Market is Snackish heaven??) for a fresh-pressed juice. The Thai green juice with greens, pineapple, cilantro and lime was amazingly delicious but it was—hold onto your seat—$10. I realized I couldn’t sustain this cleanse for much longer, not for hunger reasons, but for financial ones.

Later I located more BluePrint Cleanse drinks at Whole Foods in Tribeca. These seemed to be a different batch from the ones I had delivered. I really liked the addition of ginger to the green juice, and the thicker, shake-like consistency of the cashew milk. Since they were $9-$12 each, I bought just enough to get through 24 hours and decided to break the cleanse on the evening of day five.

Otherwise, I was doing pretty well. I felt more relaxed and energized than I had on days one through three, even though I was at work. My mood had lifted, my skin was clearer, and I had lost four and a half pounds. These effects were fairly subtle, and I think cutting out caffeine and alcohol, getting lots of rest, and starting up my exercise routine had something to do with it. What was more striking was that my body seemed mostly accustomed to its new super low-calorie diet, and when I did think about food, I was craving fruits and vegetables instead of carbs and fatty snacks. Overall, I’m happy I did it. If you’re thinking about doing a cleanse and have no health reason not to, I’d say give it a try and BluePrint Cleanse is a good place to start. Prepare for a rocky day or two, but it does get better.

For the next couple of days I’ll be easing back into eating with lots of vegetables, fresh fruit, and soup. I still have no desire to drink beer or coffee. Who knows how long that’ll last but I’ll stretch it out as long as I can. And now, while I enjoy the most exciting bowl of broccoli I’ve ever had in my life, I’ll be perusing Bon Appetit‘s amazing-looking Food Lover’s Cleanse from 2011 and 2012 for ways to keep the healthy eating going now that I’m back in the Wild West of solid food. Who’d have thought?

(Update 1/19/12: A BPC rep reached out and said the juices sold at Whole Foods and those delivered at home are the same. I definitely noticed a slight taste difference in the two I mentioned above, after giving them an adequate shake, but that may not be the case for others. I thought both versions were pretty good, and picking up a juice at Whole Foods would give you a good idea of what you’d get if you order home delivery.)

<< Previously The cleanse reaches a turning point

On the morning of day three I felt… different. I was not thinking about my usual breakfast when I woke up, and in fact, the idea of eating solid food sounded heavy and overwhelming. I had slept well and was eager to start the day. I say “eager” with hesitance because I’m usually the opposite first thing in the morning, and I’m reluctant to think a juice cleanse has this much power. I felt lighter, and my skin looked better than it had in a while. This may be a pure coincidence, or maybe it’s a byproduct of being super hydrated, but it was noticeable. Physically, I didn’t have as much energy as my brain thought I had. I still felt off—more aggravated than usual in a crowded store, or more apt to throw in the towel when I realized something was farther away than I had thought. Still, I plowed through several tasks I had been putting off for some time and drank the last juice of the three-day supply with some regret.

Crap. I didn’t want to quit just when this was getting better, and I was curious to see whether the day was a fluke. I decided to extend the cleanse to five days and see if I could swing it while at my day job. But there was a problem—I was literally out of juice.

<< Previously Let the healing begin!

Next >> The healthy aftermath

A cappuccino and a bagel are usually the two things I’m thinking of when my eyes pop open on a weekend morning, and this morning was no exception. But with $200 worth of juice slowly spoiling in my fridge there was no question about what needed to happen. I poured myself a glass of BluePrint green juice. This was the juice whose taste I most feared, since it contains six pounds worth of romaine, celery, cucumber, apple, spinach, kale, parsley, and lemon. I could really taste the parsley and celery, both of which I’m not a huge fan of, but after sipping a while it mellowed out to more of a leafy green apple juice flavor. By the time I finished it, I was enjoying the fact that it’s not too sweet and is actually good for me. This drink, more than the others, made me want to buy a juicer and recreate the recipe.

You’re supposed to space your drinks out by a couple hours with lots of green tea and water in between, but I had errands to run in Manhattan and I knew I’d be hungry, so I drank the PAM juice right after. PAM has pineapple, apple, and mint, which I love, so this is the best-tasting of the juices, in my opinion. It tasted really sweet after the green juice though, and I wondered if all this sugar could be good for me.

I soon found out. I was gone longer than expected, and my body burned through all the juice, leaving me suddenly hungry and feeling like hell. I could have taken a juice with me, but had no way to keep it cold (I could have asked BluePrint to include a cooler bag, had I known about it). Or I could have broken the cleanse and found something healthy to eat, but the effort of thinking about that was bumming me out, and I figured I’d be home soon anyway, so why bother.

I felt better once I got back and had another green juice, but that experience alone made me glad I’d kept my calendar pretty clear of obligations. Besides the fact that the cleanse contains only 1100 (albeit nutrient dense) calories per day and the portions need to be carefully spaced, there was the issue that being around real food was making me feel deprived. As long as I stayed away from food I was ok, and by not having a distraction to focus on, I could motivate myself to exercise for the first time in weeks.  I’m not sure how people do this for ten days while carrying on their work and social lives. Maybe they get used to it?

The last juice of the day was the cashew milk, which had an unusual chalk-dust texture that stuck in my throat a little. But the vanilla taste was pleasant enough and sufficiently dessert-like, and it filled me up enough to sleep contentedly through the night. Still, I was feeling a little less pumped to start Day 2, when I’d actually have to do work—my body was ok, but would my brain function on nothing but juice?

<< Previously I sort of justify why the hell I’m doing this

Next >> The cleanse reaches a turning point

I didn’t think I’d be the type of person to buy into pricey juice cleanse. It sounded like the thrill of instant, temporary weight loss packaged with woo woo wording—particularly, that juice cleansing could normalize weight, boost immune systems, reduce signs of aging, increase energy, elevate mood, and sort out a plethora of health issues from allergies to PMS. If you ask me there hasn’t been a drink that could cure that many problems since they stopped making Coca-Cola with actual cocaine.

But December and early January really knocked me off course. The keys to eating all kinds of tasty food and not feeling gross are having good habits about portion control, variety in diet, and exercise; I dropped all of that. There were reasons: holidays, traveling, a sore back that made exercise highly avoidable, and working days AND nights. Not to mention the new job in Chelsea Market, which contains a gauntlet of five amazing-smelling bakeries that I must walk through on my way to the office. (There’s an Anthropologie! An indie bookstore! A Ninth Street Espresso! Yes, I work in Snackish heaven). So let’s just say I’d fallen into bad habits, gained weight, and was feeling sorta crap. It’s all too easy to put off starting a new routine, but I knew if I invested money up front I’d actually follow through. Plus I was busy and it seemed more doable if someone else was doing all the thinking and preparation, at least to start.

And that’s how I ended up splurging on a $195 three-day BluePrint renovation cleanse. You can cleanse for up to ten days, but since the juices are made fresh and must be consumed within three days, they’ll only deliver three days’ worth at a time, and I was already daunted by the cost. I chose the renovation because it’s their entry level cleanse, meaning it contains the most calories and least amount of vegetable juice. I should add now if you’re diabetic or have blood sugar issues, this is probably a really bad idea and you should talk to your doctor first.

I had a 7-9:30pm delivery window, and a box of cold, ice-packed juice arrived at my door at 7:10. I was pleased with the delivery process and the packaging. Each juice is clearly labeled with the order in which it should be consumed and its ingredients. I put the bottles in the fridge straight away, as I’d been advised in the welcome e-mail. This e-mail also advised that you spend the days leading up to the cleanse weeding out heavy foods, caffeine, and alcohol from your diet. My ramp-up period got crammed into a single day though. I dutifully cut back to oatmeal, soup, lots of salad, and a single cup of coffee. Then I caved and got a slice of pizza and a beer. Hey, for me on a Friday that’s not bad!

I went to bed early, psyched to begin Day 1.

Next >> A rocky start

Nothing sends me to Hangoverland like apple brandy, but beer aged in apple brandy barrels is pure, liquid AWESOME. Golden Delicious is a dry-hopped American-style triple ale, with an appley aroma, sweet bourbon-like notes, and a tart, dry finish. It’s super smooth for 10% ABV, with plenty of carbonation. The boozy punch makes it most definitely worth $14 for a 750 mL bottle. Grab it at the always-inspirational Whole Foods Beer Room.

Have you ever walked into a situation where there was so much good stuff to eat that you felt panicky from realizing that you could not have it all? This was the state of Snackish when faced with Smorgasburg, the Saturday-only food fest on the Williamsburg waterfront that features 100+ vendors. I mean, I knew what I was in for—I’d even prepared by wearing an elastic-waist skirt, a dual-purpose headband/sweatband, and an old t-shirt that could take some food dribbles without causing major upset. Even though I was attired for serious gluttony and chugging a large bottle of water, I was soon overcome by the 90 degree heat and relentless sun. After a quick stroll around the premises to survey my options, I double-fisted some snacks and made my escape. Here’s the rundown:

Cinnamon Sugar Donut from Dough ($2). My longstanding doughnut love, Doughnut Plant, has a rival now! This doughnut was incredible—light, airy, and chewy, with a freshly fried outer layer dusted with crunchy sugar. I also got one topped with hibiscus icing, which tasted like tart berries and flowers. OK, writing this is making me yearn for more of these donuts. Moving on.

The Sydney from Asiadog, a beef frank with Thai mango relish, red onion, cucumber, cilantro, and crushed peanuts ($4). I loved the relish on this, and the dog was decent, although maybe not up to Crif Dogs’ (bacon-wrapped) standard.

Basil Raspberry popsicle from People’s Pops ($3.50). This was fine if you’re cool with raspberry seeds in your popsicle, but I would not recommend getting this at Smorgasburg. It seemed like a good idea on a hot day, but it ties up one valuable hand and quickly starts to melt on everything. It dribbled sticky raspberry rivers on my hands, the ground, and the nice man who offered to throw it in the unreachable trash can for me. Once freed from this albatross I could get back to eating.

A Switzel, with organic blackstrap molasses, ginger, lemon, and honey ($3.75). I’m a little obsessed with ginger at the moment, so this was a refreshing twist on standard summer beverages like iced tea and lemonade. It’s a bit sweet from the honey and blackstrap molasses, which is apparently a good source of iron and calcium. I bet this would be amazing with bourbon in it.

Chicarron Papusa from Solber Papusas, a grilled corn patty stuffed with pork and cheese, topped with picked onion, cabbage, sour cream and a spicy pickle ($4). You can tell I’m winding down here because I’m getting sloppy with the photography and have moved into the shade. I never understood why people raved so much about papusas, but now I get it—all the papusas I had before this one were lousy.

That was all I managed today but I shall return with back-up next time.

Smorgasburg is open on Saturdays from 9am-5pm
Williamsburg Waterfront at North 6th St. and Kent Ave.