Grass fed and humanely butchered meat is the mantra for most Paleo eaters. I do agree that we need to redesign the slaughter houses, but I don't think Grok (named by Mark Sisson) would have cared about the Mastedon's feelings when he himself was about to become extinct. I know we live in a different world, but really folks? I love my chickens but they are about the stupidest bird alive. No wonder the dinosaurs are compared to them and believe the roots can be traced back.
Anyway, I am gearing up for a week at camp with 35 boys and 4 other adults under my charge. We have discussed nutrition with the boys (many of whom believe a strawberry pop-tart is considered fruit) and with their parents. It will be interesting to see how well that is lived.
After perusing the menu for the week, I will need to supplement a lot of alternatives for my eating. Being gluten free has some advantages and hopefully, I can pull rank to acquire shelf space in the kitchen's pantry and fridge.
The meat comes from questionable origins, but it is still protein and I won't deny myself that satisfaction.
And there is that slimmest of chance that I can convert one or two over to the greener pastures.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Paleo for Foodies: Ira's Paleo Jambalaya
Paleo for Foodies: Ira's Paleo Jambalaya: " My Cajun husband, Ira, grew up with Louisiana favorites such as Jambalaya and Gumbo. As most of you are aware, food from this region isn't..." for the soft hearted!
Ok, now to get dinner going.
Ok, now to get dinner going.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
A few treats
When I was a toddler, my grandmother loved to tell the story of how I would always want 3 cookies. One for each hand and the other in my mouth. I am still that way today. I have a real hard time walking past a bakery and in our little town we have a couple of them.
These 2 recipes come from Elana Amsterdam of Elana's Pantry. I included her recipe and how I modified it.
Chocolate Chip Scones
Oven: 350
2 1/2 Cups Blanched almond flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 c grapeseed oil (coconut oil)
1/4 C agave nectar (subbed with 2 ripe bananas & 3 Tbsp honey)
2 lg eggs
1 C coarsely chopped dark chocolate (70% cacao w/espresso nibs!)
Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. I love my Pampered Chef Stoneware for this!
In lg bowl combine almond flour, salt & baking soda. In med. bowl, whisk together the oil, agave nectar (bananas & honey), and eggs. Stir the wet into the flour mixture and combine until moist. Add chocolate chunks. Drop batter, scant 1/4 cups at 2 inches apart.
Bake 12-17 minutes (mine took about 20 due to the bananas). Let cool.
Another one we absolutely love
Orange Cake
Oven: 375
2 oranges (washed)
4 eggs
3/4 C Agave syrup (honey)
2 C blanched Almond flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
Boil whole oranges for 1 hour 30 minutes.
Place the whole boiled oranges into food processor and pulsate until liquid - Yep, everything.
Add rest of ingredients and pulsate until mixed.
Pour into 9" greased round pan. Bake 45-50 minutes until center comes out dry.
Cool and enjoy.
The second time I made this, I added 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp nutmeg and served with locally made ginger ice cream (not paleo, but ooh so yummy!).
These 2 recipes come from Elana Amsterdam of Elana's Pantry. I included her recipe and how I modified it.
Chocolate Chip Scones
Oven: 350
2 1/2 Cups Blanched almond flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 c grapeseed oil (coconut oil)
1/4 C agave nectar (subbed with 2 ripe bananas & 3 Tbsp honey)
2 lg eggs
1 C coarsely chopped dark chocolate (70% cacao w/espresso nibs!)
Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. I love my Pampered Chef Stoneware for this!
In lg bowl combine almond flour, salt & baking soda. In med. bowl, whisk together the oil, agave nectar (bananas & honey), and eggs. Stir the wet into the flour mixture and combine until moist. Add chocolate chunks. Drop batter, scant 1/4 cups at 2 inches apart.
Bake 12-17 minutes (mine took about 20 due to the bananas). Let cool.
Another one we absolutely love
Orange Cake
Oven: 375
2 oranges (washed)
4 eggs
3/4 C Agave syrup (honey)
2 C blanched Almond flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
Boil whole oranges for 1 hour 30 minutes.
Place the whole boiled oranges into food processor and pulsate until liquid - Yep, everything.
Add rest of ingredients and pulsate until mixed.
Pour into 9" greased round pan. Bake 45-50 minutes until center comes out dry.
Cool and enjoy.
The second time I made this, I added 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp nutmeg and served with locally made ginger ice cream (not paleo, but ooh so yummy!).
Colonoscopies
I cannot encourage you enough to get a colonoscopy as soon you're of age or if Colon cancer runs in your family.
According to the CDC, it is the 3rd most common cancer for men and women in the United States but less than 60% of the population have had screening. It has hit our family hard and if we're freakish about it, well- you need to listen and Do It.
I had my first screening 3 years ago and they found a polyp. The doctor told me I had to do it again in 5 years since I was a young 40 y/o. My mom introduced me to her doctor and he said 5 years was too long and he wanted to see me right away. So, I made the appointment. The eve of the appointment it snowed and we were snowed in. 2 days later we were off to Hawaii. I rescheduled the appointment twice after that and the doctor rescheduled as well. Finally in June, I was able to endure the "pain and suffering". I woke up with good news, I was polyp free and he didn't want to see me for 5 years!!
Did the paleo diet contribute to being polyp free? I would wager that it did. But that doesn't mean that there are 2 different camps out there. Before I was paleo and gluten free, I had a polyp. When I went paleo and gluten free, I had none. So, I'm 1 for 1. We'll see what happens in 5 years.
According to the CDC, it is the 3rd most common cancer for men and women in the United States but less than 60% of the population have had screening. It has hit our family hard and if we're freakish about it, well- you need to listen and Do It.
I had my first screening 3 years ago and they found a polyp. The doctor told me I had to do it again in 5 years since I was a young 40 y/o. My mom introduced me to her doctor and he said 5 years was too long and he wanted to see me right away. So, I made the appointment. The eve of the appointment it snowed and we were snowed in. 2 days later we were off to Hawaii. I rescheduled the appointment twice after that and the doctor rescheduled as well. Finally in June, I was able to endure the "pain and suffering". I woke up with good news, I was polyp free and he didn't want to see me for 5 years!!
Did the paleo diet contribute to being polyp free? I would wager that it did. But that doesn't mean that there are 2 different camps out there. Before I was paleo and gluten free, I had a polyp. When I went paleo and gluten free, I had none. So, I'm 1 for 1. We'll see what happens in 5 years.
Paleo Zombies
So, what happened? Not like I dropped of the face of the earth, although I sometimes thought so. I started working as a sub for the school district and got real busy. Just before Spring Break I was hired as the Assistant Boys Track Coach for the Middle School and became the Throwing Coach. I knew nothing of throwing and had 6 short days to learn how to do it. Talk about a miracle short of a shot put! Then summer break started and the boys & I hit the ground running.
Today is a rainy day (In Seattle? Really??) and so I hope to work on my blog a bit more. There is so much that I need to say and get out there. I'll break it down into categories since I'm never short on words, but always short on time!
Once I get the back ground out of the way, we can move forward. My goal is to add recipes. Some made up and others attributed to my favorite Paleo Chefs that I tweaked here and there. I am so into tweaking.
Right now, I need to awaken the Troops. There are paleo pancakes to make and eat!
Today is a rainy day (In Seattle? Really??) and so I hope to work on my blog a bit more. There is so much that I need to say and get out there. I'll break it down into categories since I'm never short on words, but always short on time!
Once I get the back ground out of the way, we can move forward. My goal is to add recipes. Some made up and others attributed to my favorite Paleo Chefs that I tweaked here and there. I am so into tweaking.
Right now, I need to awaken the Troops. There are paleo pancakes to make and eat!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Why I decided to go Paleo
Colon cancer runs in my family. My grandfather had his colon removed when he was in his early 20s and many other cousins have intestinal issues. My mom suffered since she was 7 with stomach ailments. The last 3 years she was in and out of the ER thinking she was having a heart attack. After a year and half of testing, a doctor finally concluded that she had a high intolerance to gluten.
Last year, during my annual exam, my doctor welcomed me to that magical age of mid-life and lactose intolerance. Whooppie! So, I did the two week test and eliminated all dairy from my diet and low and behold, I really did feel better. Some of the bloatedness I've dealt with for many years went away. But, I still had issues with not being able to walk ninja like down the hall or climbing and descending stairs or sitting down or standing up. Seemed like I had my very own personal announcement system internally built. How maddening! Especially when you didn't want anyone to know where you are or hiding at. I had enough!
I went to Amazon and ordered Mark Sisson's "The Primal Blue Print" and the accompanying cookbook. After the books entered the shopping cart, I got the "Here is what other people are ordering" box and they were introducing Robb Wolfe's new book "The Paleo Solution". I clicked on the pre-read and was hooked. He described an eerily similar story. That book went into the shopping cart as well. While waiting for the books to arrive, I decided to remove gluten from my diet. Within 3 days, my announcement system broke and the rest of the bloated feeling went away. LADIES! You know that pooch around the belly button that we attribute to childbearing and we feel that we need to do more sit ups to get rid of it? It isn't childbearing that gives us that rounded edge- it is the lactose and the gluten. My rounded edge was shaved. It was more of a plane in a downward dog kind of way. Reality hit when we had Chinese food for dinner about a week after no gluten. O-M-G did my belly hurt and my personal announcement system went haywire. It sure wasn't MSG.
One of the things Robb talks about in his book is being able to sleep better-without sleep aids. Really? I just bought a Costco sized bottle of Advil pm. Such luck. I waited until there was a week when I could test this theory. I slept like a baby. Then I had pizza and was wide awake at 1 am waiting for the world to come to life. That wasn't a good morning.
Last year, during my annual exam, my doctor welcomed me to that magical age of mid-life and lactose intolerance. Whooppie! So, I did the two week test and eliminated all dairy from my diet and low and behold, I really did feel better. Some of the bloatedness I've dealt with for many years went away. But, I still had issues with not being able to walk ninja like down the hall or climbing and descending stairs or sitting down or standing up. Seemed like I had my very own personal announcement system internally built. How maddening! Especially when you didn't want anyone to know where you are or hiding at. I had enough!
I went to Amazon and ordered Mark Sisson's "The Primal Blue Print" and the accompanying cookbook. After the books entered the shopping cart, I got the "Here is what other people are ordering" box and they were introducing Robb Wolfe's new book "The Paleo Solution". I clicked on the pre-read and was hooked. He described an eerily similar story. That book went into the shopping cart as well. While waiting for the books to arrive, I decided to remove gluten from my diet. Within 3 days, my announcement system broke and the rest of the bloated feeling went away. LADIES! You know that pooch around the belly button that we attribute to childbearing and we feel that we need to do more sit ups to get rid of it? It isn't childbearing that gives us that rounded edge- it is the lactose and the gluten. My rounded edge was shaved. It was more of a plane in a downward dog kind of way. Reality hit when we had Chinese food for dinner about a week after no gluten. O-M-G did my belly hurt and my personal announcement system went haywire. It sure wasn't MSG.
One of the things Robb talks about in his book is being able to sleep better-without sleep aids. Really? I just bought a Costco sized bottle of Advil pm. Such luck. I waited until there was a week when I could test this theory. I slept like a baby. Then I had pizza and was wide awake at 1 am waiting for the world to come to life. That wasn't a good morning.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Day One
This is going to be a work in progress for awhile, so please bear with me.
First a little bit about me. I hit that mid 40 range last year and I am actually looking forward to 50. After that, I'm not so sure. I'll let you know after my 50th birthday. My goal is to complete the Kona Iron Man at that time. I figure I'll have a good shot at getting in at that point!
At 38, I joined a small town gym to not only exercise but to get rid of some major stress in my life. The biggest stress was tending to my ailing mother-in-law and new born baby while the 2 older boys ran rampant. On my exercise journey, I started running. Then I became a Personal Trainer and Aerobic Instructor. Always looking for another challenge, I competed in 3 triathlons and was hooked until my IT band had issues with me. Got that taken care of and raised money for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society and ran the Disney World Marathon. I was very creative in coming up with the $5000 needed for the event and one of my better ideas was to hold a 5K fun run. This November it will be in its 4th year. The Veteran's Day 5K. I'll keep you posted on that as well. I then learned I have a talent for this and next came a 5K fun run for my son's Boy Scout Troop. Our 2nd Annual fun run will be April 23, 2011.
I was still searching for something else that would challenge me when I found CrossFit. My little town of almost 7000 has a facility and it took me a few days to not only get the courage to call (after watching the videos on CrossFit it was quite daunting) but trying to schedule it in. I met with Dan the owner of Kitsap Crossfit and he put me through the paces. I knew I was not in the best shape at that time of my life, but I didn't realize just how bad it was!
It was ugly.
Then came the Paleo talk. And more paleo talk. And paleo posts on the box's website (you can't call it just a gym). And more paleo. So, I did my research and I found that it could work for me. If it could work for me, it should work for my family too. Ooh, how I love a challenge!
Being Catholic has many advantages. Mother's guilt is the best there is and I have learned not to abuse it. Now it works on so many levels! The family was home over Christmas Break (BTW, you will quickly learn that I am not politically correct. I'm a blue blooded Yankee) and I tried my hand at many dishes. My husband, who hails from the Irish section of Queens, was thrilled to learn that we would now be eating real meat with fat. He wasn't so keen on all those vegetables that didn't come out of a can nor was he happy to learn that he would have to give up his "daily bread" consumption. The second biggest hurdle was my middle son who considers sugar a main food group. By this time he was nearing 13 and starting a growth spurt. He decided to play along and discovered that vegetables are really not that bad and participated in the shopping excursions in the produce section. A miracle had just taken place under my nose! My oldest and youngest sons are sports nuts and really needed that nutrition. The oldest starting High School Swim Team as a Freshman and the youngest trying his hand at wrestling. They thrived on the diet.
All along, I kept telling them that we would- as a family- go strictly Paleo over Lent and the count down began. Fat Tuesday's dinner consisted of Chicken Alfredo and garlic bread. I kept to the chicken and broccoli!
There are 17 days left of Lent and the boys and I have done pretty good. My husband is the exception. He won't give up his Stouffer's lunch or his instant oatmeal for breakfast. My youngest is slowly coming around to not noticing the coconut milk in his real fruit smoothies and my middle son still gives me grief over strange looking combinations until he samples a bite. I'll fess up a bit. I have allowed myself the occasional Rudi's gluten free muffin and a gluten free pancake from a box but, the one thing I am guilty of is my love for a well crafted beer. I believe I consumed a few of them over Lent. So, while not 100% paleo, I don't believe I've fallen under the 80% that Mark Sisson from Mark's Daily Apple has applied. Oh, and those skinny jeans that I haven't been able to squeeze into for awhile- now sag. I have saggy jean butt disease!!
My next challenge? I am the newest Assistant Boy's Track Coach for the Middle School and I was so lucky to also be tapped as the throwing coach as well. I will now be learning how to throw my cattle prod!
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