Paleo(ish) Banana Bread

We had three very ripe bananas in our produce basket, so of course, it was time to make some banana bread.  I adapted several recipes to come up with this one, and I like the way it turned out!

5/8 c coconut flour, sifted (I think you could get away with 3/4 c but I didn't want it to be too dense or dry)
1/8 c flax meal, sifted (pretty sure 1/4 c would work here too but again, see above)
1/2 tsp good quality cinnamon (we love Penzey's!)
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 c organic extra virgin coconut oil, melted
1/4 c organic pastured butter, melted (could do 1/2 c coconut oil but I like butter)
4 organic free range large eggs, beaten
1/4 c organic maple syrup (Grade A or B)
3/4 tsp good quality vanilla extract (we love Penzey's!)
2-3 ripe bananas, mashed (I used 3)
optional: cocoa nibs (or Enjoy Life chocolate chips), pecans, walnuts, raisins, cranberries, etc. (I used walnuts and chocolate chips, because I had them on hand)

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a loaf pan with butter or coconut oil.  In a medium bowl, mix dry ingredients.  In a small bowl, mix wet ingredients.  Once mixed, add mashed bananas.  Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix until incorporated.  Bake for 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (I find the baking time varies on paleo(ish) goodies... I baked mine closer to 60 mins). 

Tip - keep paleo(ish) breads like this in the fridge.  I think due to the amount of eggs, they get soggy if they sit on the counter.  The fridge seems to help that.  I warm the bread before serving, and I bet it would be amazing if you "toasted" it in a pan w/ a little butter over the stove.

P.S.  Of course, you don't have to use organic, but you know me.  ;)

Paleo Applesauce

I was getting ready to do my grocery shopping for the week, and I was looking for a good recipe for pork chops when I came across one for pork chops and applesauce (please tell me you read that with a Humphrey Bogart accent, a'la Peter Brady circa 1970 or something... or my family's dinner table any time pork chops and applesauce was on the menu).  Well, I opted for a different pork chop recipe, but I did all of a sudden really want some applesauce.  This is not something I normally crave (and no, unfortunately, I am not pregnant).

So, of course I adapted the recipe (as I do with 99% of what I make... recipes are just guidelines - unless you're baking) and it was delicious.

Paleo Applesauce
-3 lbs organic apples (I used Gala and Granny Smith)
-1/4 c water
-2 tbsp local honey
-1 tbsp agave nectar (and more to taste)
-1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
-1/4 tsp ground allspice
-1/8 tsp cinnamon

Peel, core and roughly chop the apples.  Put all of the ingredients into a pot and stir.  Bring to a simmer, stirring occassionally.  Reduce heat to low and cover for about 20 minutes.  When apples are falling apart when stirred, remove from heat and stir/mash with a fork to your desired consistency.  Add more agave as needed (depends on the acidity of your apples).  Serve warm or cold.  Eat, and feel like a kid again!

Back in the saddle

I have a confession.  I ate like crap for the last few months of the year.  I was still mostly paleo, but I cheated a lot... like A LOT A LOT.  And, I hadn't been to CrossFit since before Thanksgiving.  Oops.  But, it's a new year and I'm back in my routine.  Well, I guess it's not yet a routine but I'm working on it.  Got up and hit the box this morning (even after a later than normal bedtime due to the BCS title game) and I'm back to eating clean.  And, it's just so silly for me not to.  It's amazing the hold sugar can take on you.  That stuff is addicting (and I'm not even talking desserts necessarily... but those too).

The crazy part is here we are trying to have a baby, and I KNOW that diet affects fertility.  I guess I chalked it up to I was 100% strict paleo for six weeks early in the year and then still pretty hardcore for a while and it never happened.  And, I can definitely tell the effects sugar has on my mental state... I get down in the dumps easily when I'm eating crap (and not working out).  So sugar + unsuccessful babymaking + winter + not working out = not the happiest I've ever been, and it has nothing to do with outward appearances.

But speaking of outward appearances, my acne has also been pretty bad (or as I like to refer to it, backne).  My face isn't perfectly clear, but it's generally fine.  But man, my back gets these awful flare ups.  I'm hoping that cleaning up my diet will help with that, since my miracle drug is off the table (and I don't believe in taking Rx for most things, yet... if it clears my skin, hell yes... vanity wins).  I was perusing http://chriskresser.com/ this afternoon and found an interesting podcast on acne being related to gut issues.  I don't really have any gut issues, but I might and just not know it.  In any case, I'm not getting all crazy and eliminating FODMAPS (what would I eat!?), but hopefully some of the things he suggests will help.

In any case, I've said it before and I'll say it again, if you have any health issues at all, your diet may be a huge cause of them.  Almost all modern disease is a result of systemic inflammation, and while changing your diet is hard, it might be easier than you think.  You just have to do it.  And, I'll be your biggest cheerleader!

Food

This is what my shopping cart looked like when I checked out at YDFM on Saturday morning.  I'll let you guess what all that cost, but suffice it to say, I will not need to shop for groceries (or wine) for awhile thanks to all of this and my weekly CSA goodies.  I should mention that I pray my freezer doesn't go out, because it's storing an awful lot of meat.

I made six jars of cucumbers this weekend, and I STILL have cucumbers left!  Anyone want some?  I should be getting more today.  Here's my pickle recipe... I actually measured ingredients, so this should be pretty accurate.  Of course, you can just cut everything down if you don't have several pounds of cucumbers.

Kristin's Paleo Garlic Dill Pickles
(makes 6 Ball jars)

• 3-4 lbs cucumbers (organic)
• 3-1/2 c distilled white vinegar
• 3-1/2 c water
• 6 tbsp coarse kosher salt
• 1 tbsp agave nectar
• 1-1/2 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1/2 tbsp Chinese Szechuan peppercorns
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard (or 1 tsp dried mustard)
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• lots of fresh dill (organic)
• 8(ish) small cloves of garlic, sliced
• ~1/3 vidalia onion, sliced thinly

In a non-reactive pot, bring vinegar, water and remaining ingredients through dill to a boil until the salt dissolves (the mixture will be a little cloudy from the salt and mustard... that is okay).  Remove from heat and let cool.  Divide the garlic and onion evenly in each jar.  Put 1-2 (or more) sprigs of dill in each jar.  Slice cucumbers to desired thickness (I did 1/4"-1/3", you can also use small pickling cucumbers left whole, but they will require more time to pickle) and pack each jar full.  Once pickling liquid is cool (or at least luke warm), pour into jars.  Seal jars and refrigerate.  You should be able to enjoy yummy pickles within 24 hours!

Notes: I like a vinegar-y pickle with lots of dill flavor and a little spice.  Experiment and adjust accordingly.  I've read something about letting your cucumbers "rest" with salt for a few hours to remove some of the liquid... sounds like a good idea but I didn't do that and my pickles were still crunchy.

We had some nice bell peppers from the CSA, so I decided to make stuffed peppers last night.  I've never made them before, so I checked out a few recipes online just to see how you cook them and then made up my own recipe.  It was tasty, if I do say so myself (and, I do)!

Kristin's Paleo Stuffed Peppers
(serves 4+)

• 4 bell peppers (organic)
• 1 lb ground beef (grass fed)
• ~2/3 vidalia onion, finely diced (I just used what I had left from my pickles... you can use a whole one)
• garlic (to taste, 4+ large cloves), minced
• 15 oz can tomato sauce (organic)
• herbs of choice (I used dried basil, bouquet garni and red pepper flakes)
• 1 large zucchini, coarsley grated
• fresh parsley, coarsley chopped (organic)
• freshly grated parmesan (optional)

In a pot big enough to fit the bell peppers standing up (but not so big they fall over), heat EVOO over medium and add half of the garlic and onion.  Saute until tender.  Add tomato sauce, salt, pepper and herbs to taste (you're just making a quick marinara).  Reduce hit to low and let simmer.

Preheat oven to 400.  Meanwhile, cut tops off bell peppers and remove ribs and seeds from inside pepper.  Remove stems from the tops and dice what's left.  Heat a saute pan with EVOO over medium heat and saute onions, diced bell pepper and garlic until tender.  Remove from pan and add ground beef.  Cook until done and drain fat.  Add the sauteed veggies, zucchini, parsley, about 1/4-1/2 cup marinara, and parmesan (optional), salt and pepper to taste to meat and mix well.  Fill bell peppers with meat mixture and place upright in the pot with the remaining marinara.  Cover and cook until peppers are tender, about 20-30 minutes.  Serve with the marinara.  (I also served this with a Greek style cucumber and tomato salad.)

Notes: This isn't a super quick meal, but it was maybe 30 minutes of hands on time and then 20-30 minutes in the oven.  You can obviously cook the peppers in a different pan if you don't have an oven proof pot, but I just like to use as few dishes as humanly possible to keep clean up at a minimum.
Enjoy!

Crockpot Curry Concoction

Or, perhaps more accurately, experiment.  It's not a total experiment, because I did base it on another recipe, but I will have to wait until tonight to judge.  I like to try to do at least one crockpot meal every week or two, because it just makes dinner a cinch (and provides leftovers).  So, last night, after I had my dinner of split chicken breasts roasting in the oven, and my CSA cucumber and tomato salad prepared and chilling, I chopped the veggies (all from CSA except sweet potatoes and organic carrots), mixed the spices and pulled out the other ingredients so that I could throw this together this morning.  It's sort of premature to post a recipe I haven't even tried, but honestly, even if it doesn't taste that good, the curry aroma is worth it.  I can still smell it on my hands and I don't even think I touched any of the spices.  So, if you happen to work in my office and walk by me sniffing my hands with a happy, closed eye grin on my face, you know why.  :)

(On an unrelated note, my pickles were delicious and I have a boatload of cucumbers, so once I get more jars, I will be making more pickles and will take notes on the recipe.  I just threw it together last time, so I don't know how much of what I put in them.  But, man, they're good if I do say so myself!)

Crockpot Beef Curry Concoction
-1.5 lb grass fed beef chuck roast
-2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into ~3/4" chunks
-1 c baby carrots
-1 green bell pepper, cored and diced
-1 small and 4 very small onions, diced
-1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
-~1/2" piece of fresh ginger, sliced
-2 cloves garlic, sliced
-1 tbsp coconut oil
-2 tbsp curry powder (I was almost out of curry, so I used the rest which was about 3/4 tbsp and probably closer to 1.5 tbsp garam masala... you could also use curry paste and maybe omit the other spices below)
-1 tsp chili powder
-1 tsp cumin
-1 can coconut milk
-2 tbsp coconut aminos (soy sauce alternative)
-1 tbsp fish sauce
-1-2 tbsp apple cider or apple juice or something fruity w/ a little acid

I chopped all veggies the night before and squeezed the juice of half a lemon over them since I had it sitting around.  I don't know why, I just did.  Covered the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight.  I mixed the spices in a small bowl, covered and set on the counter with the other ingredients that didn't need chilling.  This morning, I put the meat and veggies in the crockpot and seasoned with salt and pepper.  I melted the coconut oil in a small saucepan on the stove, added the spices to create a paste and release some flavor, then added the rest of the wet ingredients and mixed well.  I didn't let this cook for any amount of time, because I needed to get to work, but I just wanted everything to meld together.  Poured it over the  meat and veggies in the crockpot, set it for low and let it do its thing.  I hope it tastes good!  I will taste it when I get home and add more spices, as needed.  And update the blog accordingly.

Update: the "stew" was good.  It was really more like a curry stew than a traditional curry, but for 10 minutes of prep work, I'll take it.  Matt made rice for his, and in a moment of weakness, I added about 1/8 to 1/4 cup to mine.  Have I mentioned that I've been "falling off the wagon" too much lately?  Yeah, about to institute a 30-day hardcore paleo lockdown on myself.  But, that's another post for another day.

It's What's for Dinner

Meatloaf, that is.  Specifically, this recipe for turkey meatloaf with feta and sun dried tomatoes from Giada de Laurentiis.  I believe I saw it on a blog this week, but I don't remember where.  All I know is that when I saw it, I knew I had to make it.  Matt and I are both fans of the loaf of meat, and I have made many different recipes.  This one is my new favorite.  I was going to make it paleo by leaving out one egg, the milk (I used half and half) and the breadcrumbs (breadcrumbs and dairy being non-paleo, of course), but last time I attempted a paleo meatloaf, the texture was off (I totally made up the recipe), so I didn't want to mess this one up.  Also, 1/2 c of breadcrumbs to a pound of meat isn't going to kill me (shhhhh, don't tell the paleo nazis).  I used fresh basil in place of parsley, since I have a lot of it from the CSA this week, but I did add about 1 tbsp of dried parsley.  I also upped the garlic since I bought regular sun dried tomatoes. 

For the side dish, I threw together a zucchini saute, again with CSA goodies.  This was inspired by a trip to Bonefish this weekend down in Florida, as they served a zucchini and tomato side that was quite tasty.

Zucchini and Tomato Saute
3-4 zucchini, quartered long ways and diced to 1/3-1/2" chunks
1 small Vidalia onion
2-3 cloves of garlic, sliced
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
~1/4 c fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

In a saute pan, bring EVOO to heat over a medium to medium-high burner.  Add onion and zucchini and saute until amost tender.  Add garlic and cook for another minute or two.  Add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Serve with freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano.  Mangia!

On the foodagenda for the rest of the week (which now runs from Tuesday dinner - Tuesday lunch since I pick up my CSA bounty on Tuesdays after work)...

-my hacked version of Zoe's coleslaw (thanks to that beautiful cabbage and leftover scallions from last week, plus feta leftover from the meatloaf)
-roasted beet and herbed goat cheese salad (die over the deliciousness of this, beets and lettuce from CSA)
-cucumber and tomato salad with dill (all from CSA)
-basil pesto (will freeze and use on chicken, fish and/or grilled veggies when needed)
-turnip puree
-homemade pickles
-zucchini "hummus"

I don't think we'll be eating out but once this weekend.  Can't waste all that fresh, local, organic deliciousness I've got in my fridge and on my counter.  I've also been blanching and freezing my hardier greens (collards, kale, spinach, etc) to save for later, since we typically cannot get through a whole week's worth of veggies unless we are eating at home 5-6 nights per week and bringing lunches that include said veggies a few times per week.  I typically bring leftovers for lunch, but Matt tends to be more of a sandwich guy.  Speaking of, I'm absolutely stuffed after eating last night's leftovers and I wish there was more!

CSA

I have been wanting to be part of a CSA for the last few years, but with Matt working out of town, it really didn't make sense for us.  Now that he's back, I knew this would be the year.  We bought a full share from Serenbe Farms, and so far, we're I'm loving it (I don't think Matt could give two hoots).  We are on week three of thirty, and the bounty so far has been full of greens, onions, turnips, radishes, various herbs and this week, carrots!  I knew we wouldn't get through all of the greens, so I blanched several servings of kale, spinach and collards to freeze for later.  Even though we're eating out on Friday night and will be at a wedding on Saturday night, I'm pretty sure we'll get through all of this week's share before I pick up next week's.

Last night, I made mustard dill salmon (fresh dill this week... yummmmmmy) and sauteed bok choi and spinach.  It makes for a great, healthy weeknight meal because it's so quick and easy (well under 30 minutes from start to finish).

Mustard Dill Salmon
-2 fillets salmon (adjust serving size accordingly), about 1" thick, skin on
-Dijon mustard
-fresh dill
-EVOO

Rinse and pat salmon dry.  Grease baking pan/dish with EVOO (or whatever you want) and place salmon skin side down on dish.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Squirt or spoon Dijon directly on salmon and "brush" with the back of a spoon to evenly coat.  Tear dill with hands and apply liberally to top of salmon.  Broil about 4" from burner for 8-10 minutes or until done.

Sauteed Greens
-greens of choice (again, amount depends on # of servings)
-minced garlic (again, to your taste/# of servings)
-EVOO
-red pepper flakes

Wash and dry greens thoroughly.  Rough chop if larger greens like bok choi, collards, etc.  Bring saute pan with about 1 tbsp EVOO to heat over a medium burner.  Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds to release flavor (be careful not to burn).  Add greens and "toss" until they begin to wilt.  Add red pepper flakes (1/8-1/4 tsp for 2 servings is enough for most palates) and salt to taste.

So easy and yummy, especially with fresh, local, organic produce.  On tonight's menu is a roasted chicken (will probably make an herb and garlic rub and roast it with some onions from the CSA), sauteed dill carrots and mashed turnips.  I didn't even know I liked turnips, but mashed turnips are an amazing replacement for mashed potatoes.  I've got some gorgeous Swiss chard I plan to use in some omelets or sauteed with eggs and bacon this weekend (I really like sauteed greens with eggs for breakfast) and some Chinese cabbage and sugar snap peas that I will make on Sunday with some sort of TBD Asian inspired dish.

If you haven't already jumped on the CSA bandwagon, I highly recommend.  It's important to me to eat locally and organic whenever possible, and at $27 per week, I think this is a great deal.  I do have to supplement some things here and there (right now, fruit), but I don't think I have bought any vegetables at the store over the last three weeks.  I'm pretty sure I couldn't go to Publix, Whole Foods or Trader Joe's and get the same amount of organic produce, let alone local, for that price.  I also love that it's making me try things I might not otherwise and think out of the box with my menus.

Paleo Cake?

Yes, you can make a "paleo" version of cake.  Since my birthday is tomorrow and we had dinner guests last night, I decided to try a cake for dessert, knowing I'd have leftovers to eat on my birthday (and for breakfast and a snack until it is gone).  I went to one of my favorite paleo/primal websites, The Food Lovers Primal Palate, and found this lovely recipe for a dark chocolate coconut cake with dark chocolate ganache.  I do not miss grains or sugar eating this cake.  It was so good, even my guests had seconds and they are not paleo freaks like me!  You honestly would not know that this cake doesn't have grains or sugar (well, technically there is sugar in the chocolate chips, but not compared to conventional).

Some comments on the recipe:
-I used almond butter instead of hazelnuts in the middle.  I thought the directions were a bit weird in that it had you refrigerate the frosting, but I did it anyway.  I'm guessing you're only supposed to refrigerate it long enough to thicken it a bit, but I ended up having to melt it again over a double broiler.  Next time, I'd just go ahead and let it cool a bit on the counter then frost my layers.  It's still "slick", so you could hold the layers together with toothpicks and refrigerate the cake for a little bit to harden the frosting.
-This cake would be great if you added fruit to the middle... like strawberries.  Yum.
-The ganache didn't harden very quickly for me, so I refrigerated the cake for a little bit to harden it.
-I added halved strawberries to the top of the cake.  Very good.  And pretty.  But, I don't have a picture.  I will take one when I have a slice after dinner and post.  :)

Do yourselves a favor and check out their blog.  Lots of delicious recipes!

ETA: the pic... not a great one (or a perfect piece of cake) but delicious... that's organic whipped heavy cream on there, you know, because it needed a little something extra.  ;)

Food is Love

I love food.  I think most of you know this about me.  Like really love, will eat almost anything and try pretty much anything once, love.  So, it goes without saying that it is also how I express love.  And, I wasn't going to let a little thing like paleo get in the way of a kick butt Valentine's Day dinner (if you notice, I haven't let it do so at all over the past five weeks).  But, this wasn't just a normal Monday night dinner (not at $23/lb for fresh, large sea scallops).  And, oh my... it was good.  I probably moaned (TMI? told you I love food) every single time I cut into one of those big, juicy scallops and put the succulent, soft, buttery bite in my mouth.  I looooooove a good scallop.  And, my friends, these were divine.  But, the recipe is being saved for debut on the new blog (hopefully to be unveiled in the next week or two), so I will instead leave you with photos.

 Oh, and who could forget dessert?  Just a paleo version of key lime pie, found here.  It was a little too tart for our tastes (likely a result of using regular limes... key limes are sweeter), so I sprinkled a little bit of palm sugar on the top and it was perfect.  If you eat dairy, I think it would be amazing with some fresh whipped heavy cream.  Yummmmmm.  I even went crazy and had a glass of wine with dinner.  Watch out.  P.S.  Is it bad if I felt a little dizzy from one glass of wine?  I think so.  My tolerance has left the building.

Locking it down into week 3

Today marks the start of week three of the lockdown.  So far, so good.  Save a few tiny (and I do mean tiny) sips of Matt's beer or wine, no cheats.  I feel good, albeit tired.  I feel like my diet is good, so I'm not sure if the sleepiness is just my body adjusting to the lack of sugar or what.  It's actually worse on days I don't work out, oddly enough (today being one of them).  I tore my hand up but good doing Monday's WOD (CrossFit acronym: Workout of the Day), which included a lot of pullups, so I am NOT looking forward to tomorrow's workout consisting of a lot of olympic lifting.  Note to self: wear gloves and not care when people make fun of me... I'll just show them the nice, raw rip right in the middle of my left hand.

Nothing major to report except that living this lifestyle really isn't that hard IF you plan ahead and don't mind cooking.  I'm learning about all kinds of things like coconut flour and almond meal and other ways to make foods that would normally contain grains.  I have not had any "desserts" yet, so that is something I will be doing more research on as far as finding paleo friendly desserts.  I did see one the other day that involved heating blueberries sprinkled with cinnamon, then topping with cold coconut milk (the thick part of the milk... don't shake the can).  Sounds soooo good.  And, I have everything I need to make it, so one of these days, I'll get on that.

Also, one thing that I've really taken away by being on a "restricted" diet is that the beer or wine or cookie or (insert your own vice here) may be tempting and hard to resist, but once you replace it with something good for you or just get over it, you don't care.  If I were to eat a cookie, I wouldn't care five minutes after eating it... the satisfaction would be over and then I might be mad at myself.  Like I said before, I will certainly cheat after the six weeks is up, but I hope I will do so in moderation.  Having a non-paleo dessert once a week isn't going to hurt me, but constantly barraging my body with things it doesn't need will.  Matt and I went out to eat last Thursday night and hit up our local Yoforia after dinner.  Sure, I would have loved to partake, but I didn't even sweat it... I knew it wasn't going to do anything for me after I was done eating it, so I just didn't.

Last night, I made chicken tortilla soup, minus the tortilla, so I thought I'd share the recipe (courtesy of Momma Kath).

Chicken Tortilla Soup
3-4 chicken breast halves, sprinkled liberally w/ cumin and chili powder
EVOO
1 medium onion, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 c (a hand full) fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 can Rotel (this is Matt's addition to the recipe)
6 small flour or corn tortillas, cut into 1" pieces
6-8 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp chili powder
1-1/2 tbsp cumin
3 bay leaves
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
salt to taste
garnish with avocado (sour cream and shredded cheese are also good, but I'm not eating those right now)


In a soup pot, saute chicken in a little bit of EVOO over medium-medium high heat long enough to sear both sides.  Reduce heat to low and cover until chicken is cooked through, flipping it about half way through.  When done, remove chicken to cool and increase heat back to medium-medium high.  Add enough EVOO so that you have enoguh liquid to saute onion.  Add onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cilantro and saute for another few minutes.  Add tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil.  Add chicken broth, chili powder, and cumin and bring to a boil.  Add chicken (which you should shred or dice), bay leaves, cayenne pepper and salt to taste.  Reduce heat to low and cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes.  (If you wanted the non-paleo version, add the tortillas.)  Garnish with avocado (and cheese or sour cream, if you wish).  Enjoy!

Self Control = A+

I made it through a girls weekend with no meaningful cheats.  I say meaningful, because I did have a tiny sip of Jenn's elderflower gimlet and a tiny sip of her wine, and about 1-2oz of champagne.  Also, I was pretty limited on my food choices for lunch, and there were chickpeas in my Everything Veggie soup from Souper Jenny.  BUT, I took the bread and cheese off my turkey sandwich.  So, let's call it even.  :)  It wasn't easy, and I reeeaaaaaaaallllllllllly wanted a glass of wine (and a cookie), but I made it and I can definitely say that the accomplishment I feel now heavily outweighs the momentary high I would have gotten from the wine or cookies.  This blog may be mostly paleo talk for the next five weeks (almost done with week 1!), so you'll just have to forgive me in advance.

Some things I learned this weekend:

• San Pellegrino with lemons and limes is the way to go when everyone else has fun cocktails.  I went out and bought a few bottles to have at home, so I can have a sparkly "fun" drink every now and then (besides plain water, black coffee, and tea).
• Most restaurants, especially nicer ones, are more than willing to accommodate your dietary needs.  I was able to order three delicious paleo friendly small plates from one of my favorite restaurants, Ecco.  They held the cheese in one, and the others were paleo friendly on their own - braised short ribs stuffed in piquillo peppers, grilled octopus with olives, some spicy peppers and some other veggies, and sauteed broccoli with cheese sauce (but obviously, without the cheese).  Sure, the girls' fried goat cheese balls and pizzas looked divine, but whatever.
• Choose restaurants that have these options... it makes dining out a much more pleasant experience.
• Pretend you're pregnant when everyone else orders alcohol (save one truly pregnant friend), and it makes you feel a little better.  :)
• It's super easy to eat breakfast out.  BLT minus the bread with 2 fried eggs and a side of fruit was a delicious breakfast out with friends yesterday morning.
• I feel good.

I think I can safely say that I'm over my cravings (that was quick), and hopefully, it's all downhill from here.  That's not to say I might not cry if I have to go to a Mexican restaurant and abstain from chips and salsa (a weakness of mine), but otherwise, I'm loving this.

On the menu this week:

• Finishing off the leftovers of my "spaghetti" and meatballs for lunch (recipe below).
• Paleo pad thai
• Pecan crusted catfish and steamed broccoli with lemon
• Paleo potluck at the gym Friday... not sure yet what I am bringing... thinking of some sort of fish/crab cakes with paleo tartar sauce (basically, homemade mayo with herbs/spices)

Also, there are 40-someodd people participating in the lockdown, and at $20 a piece, the pot is high.  I am determined to win this thing.  Lucky for me, I sandbagged my starting stats (that's my excuse anyway), and I fully plan on getting the max points for the other areas measured (turning in food log, workouts and bloodwork).  I can already tell I've leaned out.  It's amazing what a week of no grains or sugars does to your body.  Now, I'm sure it's water/inflammation, but to see and feel results after a week is encouraging.  I am also ordering my fish oil today and am looking forward to starting that.  I'm going with a pretty high quality liquid fish oil, so it's not cheap ($60 for a month and a half supply), but I don't want to risk putting anything bad into my body and since the fish oil industry is not government regulated (not that that always matters... have you seen Food Inc?), I'm making sure what I buy has been tested against and exceeds other governments' standards.  I'm going with Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega Liquid.  I'm doing a liquid, because according to Robb Wolf's fish oil calculator, I need 6.5 grams of fish oil for my current state of health.  That's about 2 tsps versus 5 pills since this stuff is more concentrated.

Since this entry is long enough, I'll save discussions about fish oil for another day.  In the meantime, Robb Wolf's website is a great place to start learning more about this crazy, makessomuchsense lifestyle.

Paleo "spaghetti" and meatballs
Note: This is a somewhat time consuming meal (about 1.5 hours total), so either prepare it on the weekend, ahead of time, or if you're home from work earlier.  There's a good bit of handsoff time, but would still be tough to pull together during the week.  I can confirm that it reheats well, as I'm going on serving #4 for lunch today.  :)

-1-2 spaghetti squash
-EVOO
-1-1/2 sweet onions, diced and divided
-many cloves of garlic, minced (by hand, garlic presses take a lot of flavor from the garlic, but I'm a garlic snob)
-a few organic carrots, peeled and chopped (adds sweetness w/o using sugar)
-1 small can organic tomato paste
-2 big cans organic San Marzano tomatoes
-1 15 oz can organic tomato sauce
-herbs of choice (parsley, basil and some bouquet garni) for marinara
-about 3 oz prosciutto, diced
-2 lbs grass fed sirloin
-herbs of choice (parsley, basil, red pepper flakes and fennel seeds)
-salt and pepper
-1 egg

Preheat oven to 400.  In a nonstick pan, "saute" diced prosciutto on medium heat until somewhat crisp.  Remove from pan to cool in a mixing bowl (large enough to mix your meatballs).  Add EVOO to pan and saute about 3/4 c onions and several cloves of minced garlic until tender and add to bowl.  Meanwhile, cut spaghetti squash in half, scoop out seeds and junk, drizzle with EVOO, and place cut side down on a jelly roll pan (something with an edge so EVOO doesn't drip out).  This will cook for 40-45 minutes, so I'd put it in the oven once you get everything into your marinara.  In a large pot (enamel cast iron if you have it), saute the remaining onions and garlic and carrots in EVOO on medium heat until tender.  Add tomato paste and mix to thin, then add tomatoes (use kitchen shears to cut into pieces) and tomato sauce.  Add herbs, salt and pepper to taste.  Put squash in oven if you haven't already.  Once marinara begins to bubble, turn heat down to low and cover, stir occasionally.  By this time, your prosciutto, onions and garlic should be cool enough so add your meat, herbs (just eye ball it... I like a little fennel flavor but not a lot, so I used probably 1/2 -3/4 tsp and at least a tablespoon of parsley and basil... probably 1-2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper).  Add your egg as binder, and mix well.  Form into meatballs and place in a baking dish.  This will go in the oven for about 25-35 minutes, depending on size, with your squash.  When the squash is done, you'll use a fork to remove the innards, which will come out like noodles.  Top with your meatballs and sauce, and enjoy a grain and sugar free take on spaghetti and meatballs!