It’s not just food they’re missing. Most cleanses are meant to be detoxifying as well. So, no alcohol or caffeine, either. The caffeine-deprivation grumples are the major culprit in the cranky cleanser. But most people I know have cleared their minds (and bodies) by day 2 and are generally pretty cool with day 3. Some start to miss chewing food and others do get hungry if they aren’t drinking enough water otherwise.

To be frank, though I’m a fan of juice, I’ve never been much interested in a cleanse. Until I went to Disney World. We gorged ourselves for five solid days (more details soon!) and by the time we got back to real life, I was ready for a change. With Memorial Day on the horizon, I decided to put it off just a bit, but then I was ready to go the Tuesday afterward.

Luckily, I have a ton of options around here for good, fresh juices. But even more luckily, the folks from Kaeng Raeng sent me a sample of The Beginner to try out, so I had it here ready to go.

The Kaeng Raeng versions are different from the programs of fresh juicers. These are packets of what is mostly dehydrated fruit plus essential nutrients, including lean protein and probiotics (full list PDF). You just add water, drink three a day and you’ve got all you need to keep your mind and body going. It’s all natural, vegan, gluten-free, and GMO-free. Also, it’s made in California from local produce and contains no artifical colors, flavors, or preservatives. It’s just pure, good stuff. Another thing to like about the Kaeng Raeng detox is that beginners can still supplement with eating raw fruits and vegetables, so if you get the urge to eat, you’re still on the track to detoxing.

Also different is that all the juices are fruit-based. Many fresh juice programs have at least one that’s beet or kale or spinach based. Something with some greens, that is. Which almost always requires a heaping dose of ginger to get it down (am I the only one who’s noticed the prominence of ginger in juices?).

It’s important to note here that this isn’t a weight loss plan. What a cleanse does for you is sort of hit a reset button on your body. Generally speaking, three days on this plan should help you to feel better and crave less junk food. And because the dehydrated fruits are fortified with protein and vitamins and other essential nutrients (in natural forms), you’re not depriving your body of anything. So it’s a lot healthier than fasting or following a DIY cleanse without guidance from a nutritionist.

So, when we got back from our trip, I prepared to detox. I bought fresh peaches and strawberries and made sure I had apples and baby carrots on hand, plus a carton of almond milk (just in case). Here’s how it went:

Day 1. I started off with the mango peach pineapple “Daybreak” blend. I poured it into a large jar and shook it vigorously with ice water, stuck a straw in it and started my breakfast. The flavor was pleasant-ish and not very strong, but the mix was a bit grainy. That’s because of the dehydrated ingredients. I stuck it out and finished over the course of an hour.

Mid-morning, I got my first craving for salt. And caffeine. I resisted.

For lunch, I prepared the strawberry raspberry pineapple “Joyful.” I’m not a huge fan of raspberries, so this one wasn’t as good to me. I drank it, alternating with baby carrots. Still, it took me a while to get through it because it’s a pretty substantial drink.

Mid-afternoon, I was sleepy. I gave in and had some green tea. But hey, it was organic.

For dinner, I mixed up the blueberry blackberry banana “Into the Blue.” It’s got a strong blueberry flavor and you can taste the chunks of banana. It’s actually pretty good. I also ate a bit of vinegar cole slaw for something to chew.

Day 2. Surprisingly, I didn’t wake up hungry! But I decided to go ahead and have some tea to start my day. I’m not a huge caffeine addict (I don’t drink coffee), but I need it to get out some of the cobwebs.

For the first juice of the day, I chose the Daybreak again, but this time, I put it in the blender with a few frozen mango chunks, half a fresh peach and about 30 ounces of water. I punched “liquefy” and let the blender work its magic. The result? A vast improvement. Actually, a delicious (not just tolerable) smoothie. I drank half around 8am and saved the other half for 10am.

For my lunch juice, I chose the Joyful again and added frozen strawberries and pineapple juice leftover from my failed Dole Whip and liquefied it in the blender again. Another big improvement, though the raspberry taste is still a little too strong for me. Next time around, maybe I’ll put some fresh ginger in it. Though what I would rather put in it is Domaine de Canton (a delicious, delicious ginger liqueur). Again, probably not what the Kaeng Raeng folks have in mind as a booster for their blends. And probably not the best use of the Domaine de Canton (which is best straight or with a little Jack Daniel’s Honey. Okay; I’m torturing myself thinking about it, so I’ll stop).

Around 1pm, though, I got the sleepies again, despite a full night’s sleep. And a headache. I thought that having my regular tea in the morning would prevent it, but maybe it’s the flushing of the toxins at fault. Okay, that sounds a little hokey, but it’s still odd (turns out, this is fairly common and I should’ve had more water instead of tea!). And I find myself wanting some toast. Yeah, toast. I had some green tea instead.

Around mid-afternoon, the headache was still hanging around. Not a caffeine-deprivation headache. Perhaps too much sugar from the added fruits and juices. Or maybe I just needed some French fries. And toast.

For dinner, I needed to have something savory and green, so I had an arugula salad with a bit of olive oil, fleur de sel and raw pine nuts. It felt luxurious. I also had some sliced cucumbers and tomatoes.  And I followed that with the last smoothie of the day. I didn’t add anything to Into The Blue, but I did put it in the blender. Definitely the way to go.

Day 3. Same as yesterday’s breakfast, including the extra fruit because it needed it. I did, however, forget to drink my tea and didn’t suffer for it. That’s a win.

At lunch, I needed to have something savory and fatty, so I had an entire sliced avocado and a small tomato (from my own garden!). I’m not sure salted avocado and plain tomato slices ever tasted so good. I followed that up with my juice with just extra frozen strawberries added (I forgot the ginger!) and drank half and saved the other half for mid-afternoon.

Mid-afternoon, I got sleepy-ish again (I’m not a very active person, though). Not enough to have any tea (and no headache), so I just had the other half of the lunch portion.

Dinner—last one! Thank God, because I am tired of drinking. Which is pretty sad, considering it was only about 24 ounces more than I should be drinking in water each day. I haven’t been drinking as much water as I should (or as I did when I worked a desk job and a trip to the water dispenser was a welcome break from the screen). Anyway, I’m done. I made it! Yay!

Now, I have to be honest; I have made fun of people who’ve struggled through a three-day juice cleanse before. I mean, who couldn’t do something for just three days? But it was more difficult than I thought. And I wasn’t even hungry! I do think having a salad and some other non-sweet fruits helped, so definitely plan for that if you’re the kind of person who gets worn out on fruit fairly easily (and you probably are). I think the biggest challenge for me was having a cold breakfast. I’m accustomed to hot tea and toast, which I like year-round.

Overall, I think the Kaeng Raeng beginner program did what I wanted it to do. It got me out of my junk food addiction leftover from vacation so I can get back to eating my normal, healthy-ish diet. I do still seem to have a heavy dependence on gluten, though, which I’d love to break. Interestingly, it was bread I missed during the cleanse, not cheese! So, right out of the gate on Day 4, I celebrated with some toast. My stomach didn’t seem to be as happy with that decision as my mouth, though.

Tips

1. The juice smoothies taste much better cold, so use refrigerated water and/or ice. Frozen fruit helps, too but adds calories and sugar.
2. Because they’re better cold, it’s best to do the detox when it’s warm outside. Even in late May in the south, drinking the smoothies gave me the chills. I had to get out the space heater again!
3. Definitely prepare to need something not sweet between smoothies. Get some baby carrots, avocadoes, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables you like to eat raw or with salt. I found the avocado and tomato to be the most satisfying, but these add fat and calories, too (albeit good fat and calories).
4. When you finish the cleanse, take it easy. As I mentioned, I don’t think my stomach was too happy about those two pieces of toast I had for my celebratory breakfast.

Final note: it was worth it and I recommend it. But if you’re any kind of food addict, it’s not going to be easy. You won’t be hungry, but you’ll miss food, probably. But you’ll probably surprise yourself with how strong you can be. And if you typically crave sweet junk food, it’s likely that will be curbed after just three days. I am completely uninterested in anything sweet, including a lot of the chocolate that came back from Orlando with me. So this is definitely a great program for anyone who’s been curious and wanted to try it. It’s not as expensive as a lot of fresh drink programs and if you really hate it, you can just save the packets for an occasional meal replacement (or two, really).

It’d been ten years since my last visit, but the memory of their delicious food was still fresh in my mind. And we actually arrived in Atlanta around 11am, so we had to toodle around a bit waiting for the restaurant to open (note for next time: leave at 7am). But it was worth it. Very worth it.

Spring roll appetizer. Love the peanut sauce! Also, vegan!

Because we couldn’t decide on entrees, we decided to share some small plates.

Fried avocado tacos

Mock chicken nuggets (my favorite!)

I remembered the nuggets from my last trip and insisted on having them again. They are better than any other nugget I’ve had (meatless or not), hands down. I’m so glad they still have these on the menu.

Mini Eats enjoyed at cheese quesadilla (Daiya is available for dairy-free cheese) from the kids’ menu…and so did we. It was more than she was in the mood for, so we happily shared her chips and salsa. Their salsa is wonderful. Bright and fresh.

And though we were pretty full, we couldn’t resist dessert.

Mr. Eats can’t resist a chocolate cake

Gluten-free blueberry cobbler (special dessert of the day)

The chocolate cake was perfect. Not too rich and very moist. And though you wouldn’t think so, the gluten-free cobbler was fantastic. I’m not sure what flour they use, but it was delicious. Mini Eats enjoyed the side of ice cream that came with it (choice of dairy or non-dairy available!).

It’s just ice cream!

After a leisurely hour-and-a-half lunch, we hit the road headed south. By my prior calculations, that would put us around Gainesville for an early dinner. After poking around a few yelp-ish sites, I decided Bento Café was the way to go.

It was right off the interstate on Archer Road in a little center that also had a Chipotle, Hiro Asian Sandwiches, The Pita Pit and a couple of other fast-casual restaurant chains. Perfect for a road trip because you’re in and out quickly and the food is predictable (as in, usually good). Bento Café is a chain that’s local to Florida, so that’s what we opted for. We liked it so much, that we stopped there again for lunch on the trip back home! The food is excellent and the service is, too. Are all the University of Florida students this nice? Even the other college-age customers were polite and friendly. I’m taking a risk by asking this question in the heart of SEC country, aren’t I?

A ton of sushi, including the veggie delite roll with fried tofu

Orange tofu with stir-fried beans (minus the bell peppers) over noodles

General Tso’s tofu over rice

The other great things about Bento Café is that their dishes are all helpfully labeled as vegetarian, gluten-free and spicy, when applicable. There are a ton of options for any special diet. The menu is large. And for kids, it’s easy to get a bowl of stir fried noodles and beans.  If you’re traveling in Florida around mealtime, this is the perfect place.

As I mentioned, we stopped at Bento Café on the way back to Nashville, so that put us in Atlanta just before dinner time. As in, during rush hour. That was gruelling. Luckily, IKEA was just beyond the traffic jam.

It wasn’t until we’d already waited in line at the quick-service place that we found out about the café on the second floor. So instead of pizza, we had quite a dinner. I was a bit bummed about missing the crepe place in Epcot, but whaddyaknow, crepes in IKEA! Authentic, French savory crepes with cheese and mushrooms. I got two orders!

Savory organic cheese and mushroom crepes

Mr. Eats got a salmon lasagna…

…and another piece of chocolate cake

The crepes were actually pretty good. Not mind-blowing, but good, particularly for the price. Mini Eats had some French fries and a fruit cup instead of a kid’s meal because she’s not fond of mac and cheese (which breaks my heart, really). Everything, including two soft drinks was less than $20 (wow).

Because Mr. Eats was doing all the driving, he also treated himself to a Mountain Dew. Despite being the home to Coca-Cola, the Atlanta IKEA serves Pepsi products. Which I prefer, actually. Though I had a caffeine-free lingonberry soda, which was fantastic. That’s when Mr. Eats had the revelation to mix the lingonberry soda with his Mountain Dew. Y’all, that was delicious.

So we decided to visit the market and get some of the lingonberry soda syrup. Annnnd get some of the blueberry and elderflower drink syrups, too. This stuff is delicious. The blueberry concentrate mixed with lemon-lime seltzer water? You gotta try it.

So, that’s how you do a road trip to Orlando from Nashville. Leave Nashville around 7am, lunch in Atlanta, dinner in Gainesville. And to stretch our budget, we stayed at the Courtyard in Lake Buena Vista Marriott Village the first night, so that we could maximize our Disney time. It was very short drive from the Courtyard to the Grand Floridian resort, where we checked in quickly and headed toward Mickey.

We checked out around 10:30am the day we left, which put us in Gainesville right at lunch time and for early dinner in Atlanta. We spent way too much time shopping in IKEA, which meant getting home just before midnight, but it was certainly worth it. Not only did we eat and get soda concentrates, I got some cute towels and props for the blog.

Next up: the epic Disney food report.

The orange swirl Dole Whip from Aloha Isle in Adventureland. Conveniently located next to Tinkerbell!

But how to make soft serve pineapple sherbet at home? Yeah, that’s a really good question. So I consulted Google. But for a Dole Whip recipe, not soft serve pineapple sherbet. The first hit was this one, written by what seemed to be an expert (or, at least, a superfan).

So, I gave it a shot.

The verdict? Not a Dole Whip. It tastes…fine [UPDATE: no, it doesn't and it freezes hard as a rock!], but it is not quite tart enough and it is way too rich, particularly when you’re brain is prepared for sherbet. The heavy cream, though whipped (and it needs to be whipped to near butter to have enough air in it), is the culprit. You see, the Dole Whip is almost entirely non-dairy. As in, it’s not made with whipped cream. The big clue is in the original post that indicates the only dairy is sodium caseinate. Which happens to be what was, until recently, the only dairy ingredient in (wait for it) Cool Whip.

[cue the sounds of my heart breaking]

A couple of years ago, though, the makers of the Dole Whip updated the recipe so that it is now dairy-free. This is something I wish I’d known when I thought this would be a suitable dinner substitute for my daughter (what? Milk is good for you!). Anyway, here are the ingredients of the Dole Whip mix, according to the producer (Kent’s Precision Foods):

Sugar, Dextrose, Coconut Oil, Stabilizers (Cellulose Gum, Xanthan Gum, Locust Bean Gum, Karaya Gum, Pectin), Maltodextrin, Citric Acid, Natural & Artificial Flavor (contains Pineapple Juice), Modified Food Starch, Malic Acid, Beta Carotene (Color), Mono & Diglycerides, Less Than 2% Silicon Dioxide (Anticaking).

Note: water would be the first ingredient in the prepared mix.

Here are the ingredients of Cool Whip, according to various sources, NOT including the Kraft website:

Water, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Skim Milk, Light Cream. Contains less than 2% of Sodium Caseinate, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Xantham and Guar Gums, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Monostearate, Beta Carotene

Note: only recently did Cool Whip’s recipe change to include milk and cream.

So, it’s not quite the same. But there are many of the same principles at work here. That is, achieving a creamy consistency without cream. Because the cream did not work. Since it’s homemade, it doesn’t need the maltodextrin, which is what turns the recipe to powder or the colors or silicon dioxide. But it will need what they refer to as stabilizers to hold (gel) it together. So maybe the coconut oil (or coconut cream) is the trick. Plus starch and gelatin/agar agar powder, xantham gum and/or pectin. What about a pudding recipe or custard with added xantham gum? And then run it through the ice cream maker. Hrm. And more sugar, for sure. This recipe comes out of the freezer hard as a rock. Though one trick may have been to add confectioner’s sugar to the whipped cream.

Argh, I could experiment a hundred different ways and still not get it (but definitely go broke). Clearly, this is a job that’s beyond my skill and knowledge level. And beyond my kitchen’s ability as well. I need a test kitchen and Alton Brown’s staff and probably Wylie Dufresne as well.

Has anyone else tried making Dole Whip at home? I know the recipes that call for ice cream don’t work, but any other tips or tricks are appreciated. Or perhaps I should just leave it at Disney. Frankly, I actually liked the Violet Lemonade (available only during the Epcot® International Flower & Garden Festival) much better.