So, I've got this other blog that I update more regularly, it's here. Enjoy!
I talk more about knitting, gardening, and whatnot, but I do talk about cooking and stuff. :-)
Monday, May 14, 2012
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Carb-tastic
I have recently switched dieting strategies.
I have come full-circle, as it were (not only a pun because it's the CSA I subscribe to).
Back in high school, when I did gymnastics twice a week and had marching band practice, but was otherwise sedentary, I managed to lose about 20 or 30 lb one summer by doing the Zone diet. It's basic premise is that you have a low, sustained insulin response, and they encourage foods that do not promote an insulin burst (vegetables, fruits).
Since then, I've tried multiple things - heck, I even recently went through a few months of dicking around with some naturopaths who meant well, but proved useless to me (and wanted to stick me on some horrid-sounding "nutrtional shake elimination diet" thing based on rice flour. Horrors!)
At the advice of my trainer, I tried going ultra low-carb Paleo. The end result was it just made me angry if I sustained it for any period of time without "falling off the wagon". (A phrase which I think should really be "choosing to step off the wagon for a bit", because you are making a choice to ingest certain things). I was eating ~150 g of protein a day, and aiming for < 60 g carbs. Often, over 50% of my daily calories were from fat (nuts, oils, meat-fat). Interestingly, I didn't gain weight on this diet, but I didn't lose any, either. My acne was surprisingly clear (except when I went off the wagon).
Another trainer at the gym suggested "OK, maybe a little more carbs, and a little less fat", after I told her the low-carb thing was difficult to sustain. Tried that, and then it hit me that I was basically doing Paleo-Zone, but a little lower-carb.
I used this handy Zone block calculator to figure out how much I got to eat. According to them, at 155 lb, 30% body fat, and medium-to-hard activity 4-5x / week, I get 14 blocks.per day. A Zone 'block' has the following:
- 9 g carbohydrates
- 7 g protein
- 1.5 g fat (assuming a low-fat protein source)
That means I get to eat a total of 126 g of carb, 98 g of protein, and 21 g of fat per day.
To be honest, it was also very difficult for me to actually commit to ingesting 150 g of protein a day - at approximately 7 g protein per ounce of meat, that comes out to 21 oz, or 1.3 lb of meat per day! (Or more if you are eating certain seafood).
Time will tell if this new diet works; I think it will, as it has worked before on me. This isn't to say that low-carb doesn't work - it does! I've seen it work on several people, and I think with the right foods and attitude, it is sustainable. It is just a pain in the ass for me. (And I was noticing I was starting to get that acetone smell in my breath that tells you ketosis is acting... I have had a couple of friends with the most God-awful breath in the world, who were on Atkins and drank coffee... ech, makes me cringe just thinking about it!)
I have come full-circle, as it were (not only a pun because it's the CSA I subscribe to).
Back in high school, when I did gymnastics twice a week and had marching band practice, but was otherwise sedentary, I managed to lose about 20 or 30 lb one summer by doing the Zone diet. It's basic premise is that you have a low, sustained insulin response, and they encourage foods that do not promote an insulin burst (vegetables, fruits).
Since then, I've tried multiple things - heck, I even recently went through a few months of dicking around with some naturopaths who meant well, but proved useless to me (and wanted to stick me on some horrid-sounding "nutrtional shake elimination diet" thing based on rice flour. Horrors!)
At the advice of my trainer, I tried going ultra low-carb Paleo. The end result was it just made me angry if I sustained it for any period of time without "falling off the wagon". (A phrase which I think should really be "choosing to step off the wagon for a bit", because you are making a choice to ingest certain things). I was eating ~150 g of protein a day, and aiming for < 60 g carbs. Often, over 50% of my daily calories were from fat (nuts, oils, meat-fat). Interestingly, I didn't gain weight on this diet, but I didn't lose any, either. My acne was surprisingly clear (except when I went off the wagon).
Another trainer at the gym suggested "OK, maybe a little more carbs, and a little less fat", after I told her the low-carb thing was difficult to sustain. Tried that, and then it hit me that I was basically doing Paleo-Zone, but a little lower-carb.
I used this handy Zone block calculator to figure out how much I got to eat. According to them, at 155 lb, 30% body fat, and medium-to-hard activity 4-5x / week, I get 14 blocks.per day. A Zone 'block' has the following:
- 9 g carbohydrates
- 7 g protein
- 1.5 g fat (assuming a low-fat protein source)
That means I get to eat a total of 126 g of carb, 98 g of protein, and 21 g of fat per day.
To be honest, it was also very difficult for me to actually commit to ingesting 150 g of protein a day - at approximately 7 g protein per ounce of meat, that comes out to 21 oz, or 1.3 lb of meat per day! (Or more if you are eating certain seafood).
Time will tell if this new diet works; I think it will, as it has worked before on me. This isn't to say that low-carb doesn't work - it does! I've seen it work on several people, and I think with the right foods and attitude, it is sustainable. It is just a pain in the ass for me. (And I was noticing I was starting to get that acetone smell in my breath that tells you ketosis is acting... I have had a couple of friends with the most God-awful breath in the world, who were on Atkins and drank coffee... ech, makes me cringe just thinking about it!)
Friday, February 26, 2010
Starbucks
Starbucks has detailed nutrition information for all beverages and food items.
If you pick an item like caffe latte, for instance, you can choose from several types of milk, and then hit the "recalculate" button to find totals for calories, grams of fat, grams of sugars, etc.
This is where I found soymilk listed twice – once as "soymilk (US)" and once as "soymilk (CD)." When I compared the two calculations I found that the U.S. product has more calories, but fewer fat calories, compared to Canadian. U.S. soymilk also has less sodium, but way more carbohydrates and about TWICE as much sugar.
I imagine there are Starbucks customers who choose soymilk every day (believing the myth that soy = healthy), completely unaware that their 12 oz. caffe latte contains the equivalent of more than three tablespoons of sugars before they even ADD any sugar!
(ETA: I tried this again recently, and found that the Canadian soymilk was removed from the list of choices. Starbucks must have realized where my IP address was coming from, and accordingly filtered it's site).
If you pick an item like caffe latte, for instance, you can choose from several types of milk, and then hit the "recalculate" button to find totals for calories, grams of fat, grams of sugars, etc.
This is where I found soymilk listed twice – once as "soymilk (US)" and once as "soymilk (CD)." When I compared the two calculations I found that the U.S. product has more calories, but fewer fat calories, compared to Canadian. U.S. soymilk also has less sodium, but way more carbohydrates and about TWICE as much sugar.
I imagine there are Starbucks customers who choose soymilk every day (believing the myth that soy = healthy), completely unaware that their 12 oz. caffe latte contains the equivalent of more than three tablespoons of sugars before they even ADD any sugar!
(ETA: I tried this again recently, and found that the Canadian soymilk was removed from the list of choices. Starbucks must have realized where my IP address was coming from, and accordingly filtered it's site).
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
PR's!
2/22/2010 - I PR'ed my deadlift, increasing by a whole kg: 72 kg x 5 reps
2/24/2010 - I PR'ed my 500 m row sprint - 2:12. No, I'm not super-fast by any means, but it's a great improvement for me! I think I have started to internalize the rowing method shown to us by our trainers: pushing more with your legs, doing a longer stroke, and keeping the strokes per minute < 34. Keep your gaze straight ahead and don't look around! Plus, a guy who rowed in college told me to basically smack my boobs with every stroke.... it's kind of annoying, but it works and I no longer create slack in the chain by changing it's angle relative to the pulley.
Damn right I'm proud. :)
2/24/2010 - I PR'ed my 500 m row sprint - 2:12. No, I'm not super-fast by any means, but it's a great improvement for me! I think I have started to internalize the rowing method shown to us by our trainers: pushing more with your legs, doing a longer stroke, and keeping the strokes per minute < 34. Keep your gaze straight ahead and don't look around! Plus, a guy who rowed in college told me to basically smack my boobs with every stroke.... it's kind of annoying, but it works and I no longer create slack in the chain by changing it's angle relative to the pulley.
Damn right I'm proud. :)
Paleo Chili
Since I've gone all super-low-carb, I thought I'd share my Paleo chili technique (since y'all know I'm not big on measured recipes... I tend to improvise as I go along).
What You'll Need:
- meat (preferably grass fed.. I used 1 lb ground beef from Skagit River Ranch, but stew chunks work, too)
- vegetables that you would cook in a stew
- large can of tomatoes (any style... I like the whole, fire roasted ones from Muir Glen Organics)
- aromatics like onions, garlic, shallots, etc. (I used 1 large whole garlic head and 1/2 a large red onion)
- salt
- chili spices (I used Penzey's Chili 9000)
- Dutch Oven or large pot
What You Do:
Heat up your dutch oven to medium-high heat, and drizzle in some olive oil.
Brown your onions, garlic, and whatever other aromatic vegetables you like. If the other vegetables you want to use could use some browning, throw them in. I usually wait.
Add your meat to the pot, and brown it. Season it liberally with salt and chili spices.
Add the other vegetables, and the can of tomatoes, including the juice. I like to take my mixing spoon and break up the whole tomatoes a little bit. (The reason I buy whole tomatoes is I feel they are potentially higher quality fruit than the cans of broken-down tomatoes. That may or may not be the case, but that is my opinion, and I'm sticking to it).
I suppose if you wanted, now would also be the time to add some wine or beer to the party. I added more chili spice.
Bring the pot to a simmer and cook it slowly till the mixture thickens up to the point that you like it. The vegetables should be cooked thoroughly by now....
How To Serve:
In a bowl. I add chopped avocado, maybe some chopped fresh onion and/or tomato .... and more chili spice.
Note: For those of you going super-low-carb, be aware that, despite their awesome fat content, a medium avocado contains ~15 g of carbohydrates. (ARGH!)
***
I just received a vegetable box from my CSA yesterday, so the next time I make this (very soon), I'll be adding zucchini and some other fun stuff. Stay tuned.
What You'll Need:
- meat (preferably grass fed.. I used 1 lb ground beef from Skagit River Ranch, but stew chunks work, too)
- vegetables that you would cook in a stew
- large can of tomatoes (any style... I like the whole, fire roasted ones from Muir Glen Organics)
- aromatics like onions, garlic, shallots, etc. (I used 1 large whole garlic head and 1/2 a large red onion)
- salt
- chili spices (I used Penzey's Chili 9000)
- Dutch Oven or large pot
What You Do:
Heat up your dutch oven to medium-high heat, and drizzle in some olive oil.
Brown your onions, garlic, and whatever other aromatic vegetables you like. If the other vegetables you want to use could use some browning, throw them in. I usually wait.
Add your meat to the pot, and brown it. Season it liberally with salt and chili spices.
Add the other vegetables, and the can of tomatoes, including the juice. I like to take my mixing spoon and break up the whole tomatoes a little bit. (The reason I buy whole tomatoes is I feel they are potentially higher quality fruit than the cans of broken-down tomatoes. That may or may not be the case, but that is my opinion, and I'm sticking to it).
I suppose if you wanted, now would also be the time to add some wine or beer to the party. I added more chili spice.
Bring the pot to a simmer and cook it slowly till the mixture thickens up to the point that you like it. The vegetables should be cooked thoroughly by now....
How To Serve:
In a bowl. I add chopped avocado, maybe some chopped fresh onion and/or tomato .... and more chili spice.
Note: For those of you going super-low-carb, be aware that, despite their awesome fat content, a medium avocado contains ~15 g of carbohydrates. (ARGH!)
***
I just received a vegetable box from my CSA yesterday, so the next time I make this (very soon), I'll be adding zucchini and some other fun stuff. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
I'm Back
Hello, World!
It's been a l-0-n-g time, but I decided to come back to this blog.
I thought I would steer it toward a little more personal vent, that being my health & fitness.
Late last year, my mom insisted that I go to a naturopath to try and work through some hormone imbalance issues. This had transpired out of her disbelief that I could be doing Crossfit 4x/week, Pilates on Sundays, and generally something outdoors-related on Saturdays (hiking, skiing, kayaking, whatever the season called for), and still be fat around my gut.
I ate Paleo. Nothing changed externally, although once I gave up grains, my stomach sure felt a lot better.
Naturopath #1 did about $1000 worth of ancillary tests - stool samples (ugh), blood, & saliva tests. These confirmed an elevated cortisol level, an elevated fasting glucose level, and high cholesterol. Awesome. They then wanted to start me on a 6 week "fasting" diet composed of these hideous medical shakes used for people with IBS, which cost about $150-200. The shakes are basically made of rice flour + a bunch of vitamins so you don't get malnutrition, and then you add fiber so you actually go to the bathroom. I looked at her fiber source and said, "I am allergic to flax seeds". This naturopath hadn't done her homework, since I had provided her with a complete dietary profile from a trusted food allergy testing company. Also, I am convinced that large amount of rice flour would not have done me any favors. In addition to the fasting, I would be required to visit their office weekly, to "assess progress", at $150 per office visit, plus the cost of any ancillary tests. Besides that, they were crappy at drawing blood from me. Did I mention none of this was covered by insurance? Yeah, out-of-pocket. All of it.
Naturopath #1 was out.
I next visited another naturopath, this one requiring me to travel to Portland, about 3 hours south of Seattle.
This naturopath looked at all my test results, my gym attendance record over the past year, looked at me, and said, "Have you ever considered that this is how you are supposed to look? Maybe take a look at your ancestors...". Honey, my ancestors were all skinny. Unacceptable! At least she told me I could tell her to go to hell and she wouldn't mind. :)
Fast-forward to Fran, my old trainer who recently opened up her own gym in south Seattle.
Her recommendations? Lower the Crossfit to 3x / week. Rest enough, eat strict Paleo, and go super-low carb. In preparation to meet with her, I'd eaten for two weeks at less than 100 g carbohydrate / day. I use Fitday (www.fitday.com) to track my diet.
Where I'm at now? Less than 60 g carbohydrates per day. This really restricts things, folks, but it is (surprisingly) feasible.
The secret? I eat lots and lots of meat and fat. Like, 50-60% of my calories come from fat. Good fats, though - not french fries or doughnuts. Fats like nuts, olive & nut oils, coconut oil & milk, and fat inherent in meats. I eat almost all grass-fed meat products. Organic vegetables & fruits. My sister was amazed to hear my diet. (And she's always been the skinny one!)
What am I avoiding? Dairy. Grains (for sure). Root vegetables, because they have an incredible amount of sugar in them. (Consider, after all, that root vegetables evolved as energy storage devices for plants).
What do I cheat with? Super high quality bourgeoisie dark chocolate. I actually drink a little more wine than I was drinking in the past 6 months; by "more" I mean I drink maybe 3 -4 glasses a week now, and enjoy it thoroughly. I do put 1 tsp of agave syrup into my morning coconut milk latte.
I bought myself a Sodastream water carbonator, and enjoy acting like I'm drinking something "fun" when it's really just carbonated water with a citrus slice in it, or some flavoring extract like vanilla or orange.
***
I'm going back to Fran in a month, so we'll see how things progress!
In the meantime, I've got some bacon I need to go heat up in the microwave...
It's been a l-0-n-g time, but I decided to come back to this blog.
I thought I would steer it toward a little more personal vent, that being my health & fitness.
Late last year, my mom insisted that I go to a naturopath to try and work through some hormone imbalance issues. This had transpired out of her disbelief that I could be doing Crossfit 4x/week, Pilates on Sundays, and generally something outdoors-related on Saturdays (hiking, skiing, kayaking, whatever the season called for), and still be fat around my gut.
I ate Paleo. Nothing changed externally, although once I gave up grains, my stomach sure felt a lot better.
Naturopath #1 did about $1000 worth of ancillary tests - stool samples (ugh), blood, & saliva tests. These confirmed an elevated cortisol level, an elevated fasting glucose level, and high cholesterol. Awesome. They then wanted to start me on a 6 week "fasting" diet composed of these hideous medical shakes used for people with IBS, which cost about $150-200. The shakes are basically made of rice flour + a bunch of vitamins so you don't get malnutrition, and then you add fiber so you actually go to the bathroom. I looked at her fiber source and said, "I am allergic to flax seeds". This naturopath hadn't done her homework, since I had provided her with a complete dietary profile from a trusted food allergy testing company. Also, I am convinced that large amount of rice flour would not have done me any favors. In addition to the fasting, I would be required to visit their office weekly, to "assess progress", at $150 per office visit, plus the cost of any ancillary tests. Besides that, they were crappy at drawing blood from me. Did I mention none of this was covered by insurance? Yeah, out-of-pocket. All of it.
Naturopath #1 was out.
I next visited another naturopath, this one requiring me to travel to Portland, about 3 hours south of Seattle.
This naturopath looked at all my test results, my gym attendance record over the past year, looked at me, and said, "Have you ever considered that this is how you are supposed to look? Maybe take a look at your ancestors...". Honey, my ancestors were all skinny. Unacceptable! At least she told me I could tell her to go to hell and she wouldn't mind. :)
Fast-forward to Fran, my old trainer who recently opened up her own gym in south Seattle.
Her recommendations? Lower the Crossfit to 3x / week. Rest enough, eat strict Paleo, and go super-low carb. In preparation to meet with her, I'd eaten for two weeks at less than 100 g carbohydrate / day. I use Fitday (www.fitday.com) to track my diet.
Where I'm at now? Less than 60 g carbohydrates per day. This really restricts things, folks, but it is (surprisingly) feasible.
The secret? I eat lots and lots of meat and fat. Like, 50-60% of my calories come from fat. Good fats, though - not french fries or doughnuts. Fats like nuts, olive & nut oils, coconut oil & milk, and fat inherent in meats. I eat almost all grass-fed meat products. Organic vegetables & fruits. My sister was amazed to hear my diet. (And she's always been the skinny one!)
What am I avoiding? Dairy. Grains (for sure). Root vegetables, because they have an incredible amount of sugar in them. (Consider, after all, that root vegetables evolved as energy storage devices for plants).
What do I cheat with? Super high quality bourgeoisie dark chocolate. I actually drink a little more wine than I was drinking in the past 6 months; by "more" I mean I drink maybe 3 -4 glasses a week now, and enjoy it thoroughly. I do put 1 tsp of agave syrup into my morning coconut milk latte.
I bought myself a Sodastream water carbonator, and enjoy acting like I'm drinking something "fun" when it's really just carbonated water with a citrus slice in it, or some flavoring extract like vanilla or orange.
***
I'm going back to Fran in a month, so we'll see how things progress!
In the meantime, I've got some bacon I need to go heat up in the microwave...
Sunday, January 3, 2010
A Little Humor
I got passed this via email, and thought it was pretty cute, so I am posting it here:
Dear Ma and Pa,
I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled.
I was restless at first because you get to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m. But I am getting so I like to sleep late. Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot, and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Practically nothing.
Men got to shave but it is not so bad, there's warm water. Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and other regular food, but tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee. Their food, plus yours, holds you until noon when you get fed again. It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much.
We go on 'route marches,' which the platoon sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it's not my place to tell him different. A 'route march' is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks.
This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don't move, and it ain't shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home.. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't even load your own cartridges They come in boxes.
Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys.. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It ain't like fighting with that old bull at home. I'm about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake . I only beat him once.. He joined up the same time as me, but I'm only 5'6' and 130 pounds and he's 6'8' and near 300 pounds dry.
Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding in.
Your loving daughter,
Alice
A letter from a "farm kid" in the Marines to their parents:
****
Dear Ma and Pa,
I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled.
I was restless at first because you get to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m. But I am getting so I like to sleep late. Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot, and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Practically nothing.
Men got to shave but it is not so bad, there's warm water. Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and other regular food, but tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee. Their food, plus yours, holds you until noon when you get fed again. It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much.
We go on 'route marches,' which the platoon sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it's not my place to tell him different. A 'route march' is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks.
This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don't move, and it ain't shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home.. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't even load your own cartridges They come in boxes.
Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys.. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It ain't like fighting with that old bull at home. I'm about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake . I only beat him once.. He joined up the same time as me, but I'm only 5'6' and 130 pounds and he's 6'8' and near 300 pounds dry.
Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding in.
Your loving daughter,
Alice
Happy New Year!
Hello All!
Happy 2010! I hope everyone has managed to maintain the March of Good Health throughout the holidays.
I was lucky. I went to visit my parents, and for the most part, they eat Paleo, as I do. My parents do consume a lot less meat, and a lot more dairy, though. But avocados, coconut oil, and nuts are all prevalent foods at their home. So is high quality dark chocolate, which is great when consumed in small amounts.
I am proud to say that, while some meals were not Paleo, I did not gorge myself like a python, coming home with a giant lump of food in my belly. I did, however, eat too many sugary sweet things. Sigh.
But, it is a New Year, and I am back on it! Some grass-finished bacon is in the oven for my breakfast, along with some satsumas (tangerines) I picked up at the store last night, in addition to some chicken thighs for some chicken-veggie soup I'll make later today. In a couple of hours, I am off to the Farmer's Market in my neighborhood, to stock up on meats and local, organic greens.
I would like to mention something: I discovered a couple of months ago that I have a hormone imbalance. This might have been the lynchpin as to why I struggle so much with weight loss. I will admit, though - at 5'5" and 150 lb, I could look a lot worse than I do. A lot of that weight is muscle. Yet I hold fat around my upper body (belly, some in the back), and the layer of fat around my body prevents any actual muscle definition from showing through.
I go to a naturopathic doctor who specializes in bioidentical hormones on Tuesday, to see if they can help me! I'm pretty excited. This could also "miraculously" cure my monthly onset of cystic acne.
***
May Your New Year Be Filled With Light, Love, Health, and Fitness.
And May Your Deadlift PR Increase by 20%. :)
Happy 2010! I hope everyone has managed to maintain the March of Good Health throughout the holidays.
I was lucky. I went to visit my parents, and for the most part, they eat Paleo, as I do. My parents do consume a lot less meat, and a lot more dairy, though. But avocados, coconut oil, and nuts are all prevalent foods at their home. So is high quality dark chocolate, which is great when consumed in small amounts.
I am proud to say that, while some meals were not Paleo, I did not gorge myself like a python, coming home with a giant lump of food in my belly. I did, however, eat too many sugary sweet things. Sigh.
But, it is a New Year, and I am back on it! Some grass-finished bacon is in the oven for my breakfast, along with some satsumas (tangerines) I picked up at the store last night, in addition to some chicken thighs for some chicken-veggie soup I'll make later today. In a couple of hours, I am off to the Farmer's Market in my neighborhood, to stock up on meats and local, organic greens.
I would like to mention something: I discovered a couple of months ago that I have a hormone imbalance. This might have been the lynchpin as to why I struggle so much with weight loss. I will admit, though - at 5'5" and 150 lb, I could look a lot worse than I do. A lot of that weight is muscle. Yet I hold fat around my upper body (belly, some in the back), and the layer of fat around my body prevents any actual muscle definition from showing through.
I go to a naturopathic doctor who specializes in bioidentical hormones on Tuesday, to see if they can help me! I'm pretty excited. This could also "miraculously" cure my monthly onset of cystic acne.
***
May Your New Year Be Filled With Light, Love, Health, and Fitness.
And May Your Deadlift PR Increase by 20%. :)
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Sponsor a Soldier
First, the link:
http://www.urbangetsdiesel.com/2009/11/whole30-sponsor-soldier-program.html
The "Donate" button is at the bottom of her post. I threw them $20 just now.
Second, the explanation:
Our soldiers are working hard around the world to protect our freedoms. Most of them didn't choose to get sent out there, but dammit, they are doing their job like they were told to do. Some of them, like my friend Jeremy, come back after getting partially blown up by the opposition and have months of rehab ahead of them.
Unfortunately, military foodstuffs are not the greatest. My boyfriend and brother are both in the military, and I think they can attest to the less-than-ideal conditions of chow halls. It is possible to make good choices, but it gets even harder when you're out in your battle-rattle.
I highly support Melissa Urban's blog; she has pumped me up more times than I care to admit, and administers the tough love with regards to PR's, Crossfit, and now Paleo dieting. They are partnering to bring good Paleo-version MRE-style kits, along with some Crossfit training, to soldiers stationed out in the Middle East.
So, I'm asking for your support. A measly $5 donation to the Paypal button on her blog gets one Paleo kit sent out. $20 gets four kits, plus the guy who makes the kits will throw in another for free - so you get 5 kits total.
$5 is probably a good size Starbucks drink, less than their cheese & fruit plate (ask me how I know).
http://www.urbangetsdiesel.com/2009/11/whole30-sponsor-soldier-program.html
The "Donate" button is at the bottom of her post. I threw them $20 just now.
Second, the explanation:
Our soldiers are working hard around the world to protect our freedoms. Most of them didn't choose to get sent out there, but dammit, they are doing their job like they were told to do. Some of them, like my friend Jeremy, come back after getting partially blown up by the opposition and have months of rehab ahead of them.
Unfortunately, military foodstuffs are not the greatest. My boyfriend and brother are both in the military, and I think they can attest to the less-than-ideal conditions of chow halls. It is possible to make good choices, but it gets even harder when you're out in your battle-rattle.
I highly support Melissa Urban's blog; she has pumped me up more times than I care to admit, and administers the tough love with regards to PR's, Crossfit, and now Paleo dieting. They are partnering to bring good Paleo-version MRE-style kits, along with some Crossfit training, to soldiers stationed out in the Middle East.
So, I'm asking for your support. A measly $5 donation to the Paypal button on her blog gets one Paleo kit sent out. $20 gets four kits, plus the guy who makes the kits will throw in another for free - so you get 5 kits total.
$5 is probably a good size Starbucks drink, less than their cheese & fruit plate (ask me how I know).
*Thanks*
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Hot Links: Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Star Anise, Ginger & Lime
Sweet potatoes aren't bad for you, and they are tasty.
There's no additional sugar in here, just spices, salt & pepper, olive oil, and some lime. Yum!
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Star Anise, Ginger and Lime (courtesy of TheKitchn)
There's no additional sugar in here, just spices, salt & pepper, olive oil, and some lime. Yum!
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Star Anise, Ginger and Lime (courtesy of TheKitchn)
Monday, November 16, 2009
Hot Links: Double-Under Tutorial
This was posted by a friend on Facebook, as a great tutorial on achieving "double-unders", or the skill of passing the jump rope twice under your feet in one jump. It's hard! I plan on studying this closely and seeing how to improve my skill.
http://www.againfaster.com/the-micd-instructor/2009/1/26/double-unders.html
Other goals for me include a 90 kg deadlift, and getting to a dead-hang pullup. Onward!
http://www.againfaster.com/the-micd-instructor/2009/1/26/double-unders.html
Other goals for me include a 90 kg deadlift, and getting to a dead-hang pullup. Onward!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Sunday Batch Cookery
No pictures today, unfortunately.
Sunday is usually a day when I get a batch of cooking done to at least let me coast through the first couple of weekdays ahead.
Today was no different, although there wasn't as much cooking as usual.
I made a pound of bacon in the oven, which I purchased from Jensen's Smoked Meats in Seattle. While they do not use grass-fed animals, they do smoke only wild-caught salmon, and provide fabulous customer service (and tasty jerkies). If you go visit them soon, they just came out with a new batch of smoked savory King salmon that is very tasty, indeed.
I also hard-boiled six eggs for later use. I start my eggs in cold salted water on the stove, and once the water boils vigorously, I cook them for 10 minutes.
That was it. Apart from that, I assembled my breakfast and lunch for tomorrow, breakfast consisting of some of the cooked bacon, and a bowl of roasted pumpkin with some hazelnut oil, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice. I really prefer butter, but was out, and hazelnut oil is healthier, anyway! Lunch is a bowl of leftover chicken soup. I also threw in some fresh carrots and an apple from the farmer's market, and a satsuma I bought a couple of days ago at Whole Foods. I need to pack some additional beef jerky or sausages for snacks.
Hopefully one day after work this week I will cook up that chicken curry soup!
Sunday is usually a day when I get a batch of cooking done to at least let me coast through the first couple of weekdays ahead.
Today was no different, although there wasn't as much cooking as usual.
I made a pound of bacon in the oven, which I purchased from Jensen's Smoked Meats in Seattle. While they do not use grass-fed animals, they do smoke only wild-caught salmon, and provide fabulous customer service (and tasty jerkies). If you go visit them soon, they just came out with a new batch of smoked savory King salmon that is very tasty, indeed.
I also hard-boiled six eggs for later use. I start my eggs in cold salted water on the stove, and once the water boils vigorously, I cook them for 10 minutes.
That was it. Apart from that, I assembled my breakfast and lunch for tomorrow, breakfast consisting of some of the cooked bacon, and a bowl of roasted pumpkin with some hazelnut oil, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice. I really prefer butter, but was out, and hazelnut oil is healthier, anyway! Lunch is a bowl of leftover chicken soup. I also threw in some fresh carrots and an apple from the farmer's market, and a satsuma I bought a couple of days ago at Whole Foods. I need to pack some additional beef jerky or sausages for snacks.
Hopefully one day after work this week I will cook up that chicken curry soup!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Hot Links: Curried Squash & Chicken Soup
My mom is kind enough to forward me emails containing recipes she thinks I'd like.
I found this one in a list of chicken soups. And it's Paleo! Yeah!
Curried Squash & Chicken Soup, courtesy of Cooking.com.
A few notes:
- I suspect you could use a canned pumpkin, or just roast your own squash if you are so inclined (I usually am so inclined for dishes like soups. If I make a pumpkin pie, I use canned pumpkin because most people can't tell the difference).
- I would use dark chicken meat. I have never had great success keeping white chicken meat from becoming tough in a soup-type application. Plus, the dark meat is where the flavor is! You can probably find some boneless thighs in a decent grocery's meat section.
- I would eliminate the brown sugar in the recipe. Two teaspoons won't make any difference in such a large soup, and if you use a fresh-roasted squash, I bet it'll be sweet enough! Might as well not get your body in a fuss over such a small amount of sugar, anyway.
- You could easily substitute Swiss or Rainbow chard for the spinach in this recipe. Whole Foods often has them even pre-cut in the produce section (at least, the Whole Foods in the Roosevelt neighborhood in Seattle does). But spinach also has plenty of vitamins, so I wouldn't worry too much.
This recipe intrigues me; I think I'll have to try it on Sunday (my traditional day to cook up food for the week).
***
As some brief life-happens notes... I came down with a cold last Saturday evening. It began as a sore throat, and went from there. I definitely credit doing Crossfit regularly with reducing the severity of the cold. What used to happen with me was when I got sick, I invariably got a respiratory infection of some sort, and went on antibiotics regularly.
I haven't been to the gym since last Thursday, and I am really anxious to get back. I knew that going would delay my return to wellness, so the only exercise I really got last week was meandering around my neighborhood after work. And I worked from home, too, after taking a sick day on Monday. I am grateful that my job allows for that (both sick days and telecommuting), and that my coworkers weren't subjected to watching me use piles of Kleenex and taking a nap during lunchtime.
Other mitigating steps I took to keep the viruses and bacteria at bay were taking tons of natural supplements:
- daily multivitamin
- 2 x 1000 mg vitamin C pills (you just pee it out, so I take one in the morning and one in the evening until the cold is gone, then I revert back to a daily 1000 mg)
- echinacea tincture (1 tsp, twice a day)
- oregano oil (2 drops, twice a day)
- cat's claw tincture (1 tsp, twice a day)
- twice-daily nasal wash using X-Clear nasal wash (saline + xylitol)
Apart from that, I drank tons of fluids - mostly iced herbal tea, hot herbal tea, and unsweetened flavored fizzy water. I tried to eat well, and last Sunday I made a chicken soup using ginger, lemongrass, and plenty of garlic. I also added sriracha sauce (an Asian hot pepper sauce) to help clear out any remaining sinus gunk. I avoided dairy because milk thickens mucous. (Another point in favor of So Delicious coconut milk!)
However, I had a couple of relapses... when I'm sick, I admit - my willpower goes to hell. I had a few sweets.. *sigh*.
Oh well. Back on the wagon!!! Nobody said it was easy, but I hope my blog at least helps make it more palatable.
I found this one in a list of chicken soups. And it's Paleo! Yeah!
Curried Squash & Chicken Soup, courtesy of Cooking.com.
A few notes:
- I suspect you could use a canned pumpkin, or just roast your own squash if you are so inclined (I usually am so inclined for dishes like soups. If I make a pumpkin pie, I use canned pumpkin because most people can't tell the difference).
- I would use dark chicken meat. I have never had great success keeping white chicken meat from becoming tough in a soup-type application. Plus, the dark meat is where the flavor is! You can probably find some boneless thighs in a decent grocery's meat section.
- I would eliminate the brown sugar in the recipe. Two teaspoons won't make any difference in such a large soup, and if you use a fresh-roasted squash, I bet it'll be sweet enough! Might as well not get your body in a fuss over such a small amount of sugar, anyway.
- You could easily substitute Swiss or Rainbow chard for the spinach in this recipe. Whole Foods often has them even pre-cut in the produce section (at least, the Whole Foods in the Roosevelt neighborhood in Seattle does). But spinach also has plenty of vitamins, so I wouldn't worry too much.
This recipe intrigues me; I think I'll have to try it on Sunday (my traditional day to cook up food for the week).
***
As some brief life-happens notes... I came down with a cold last Saturday evening. It began as a sore throat, and went from there. I definitely credit doing Crossfit regularly with reducing the severity of the cold. What used to happen with me was when I got sick, I invariably got a respiratory infection of some sort, and went on antibiotics regularly.
I haven't been to the gym since last Thursday, and I am really anxious to get back. I knew that going would delay my return to wellness, so the only exercise I really got last week was meandering around my neighborhood after work. And I worked from home, too, after taking a sick day on Monday. I am grateful that my job allows for that (both sick days and telecommuting), and that my coworkers weren't subjected to watching me use piles of Kleenex and taking a nap during lunchtime.
Other mitigating steps I took to keep the viruses and bacteria at bay were taking tons of natural supplements:
- daily multivitamin
- 2 x 1000 mg vitamin C pills (you just pee it out, so I take one in the morning and one in the evening until the cold is gone, then I revert back to a daily 1000 mg)
- echinacea tincture (1 tsp, twice a day)
- oregano oil (2 drops, twice a day)
- cat's claw tincture (1 tsp, twice a day)
- twice-daily nasal wash using X-Clear nasal wash (saline + xylitol)
Apart from that, I drank tons of fluids - mostly iced herbal tea, hot herbal tea, and unsweetened flavored fizzy water. I tried to eat well, and last Sunday I made a chicken soup using ginger, lemongrass, and plenty of garlic. I also added sriracha sauce (an Asian hot pepper sauce) to help clear out any remaining sinus gunk. I avoided dairy because milk thickens mucous. (Another point in favor of So Delicious coconut milk!)
However, I had a couple of relapses... when I'm sick, I admit - my willpower goes to hell. I had a few sweets.. *sigh*.
Oh well. Back on the wagon!!! Nobody said it was easy, but I hope my blog at least helps make it more palatable.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Back to Basics
I've gotten off track as of late.
Licking the frosting off a cupcake once a month turned into once every two weeks, then once a week, then "Oh I'll just have a bite" and "one glass of wine, please..."
'Twas a downward spiral, full of sugary profanity.
So I decided to be proactive and get back on the Paleo horse (woolly mammoth?), and commit to another 30 Days of Strict Paleo.
I am Tweeting my eating; you can follow me on Twitter as "@dhshippie".
Now, if you go back, you'll see that last night (end of Day 5), I fell off the horse. I had a glass of champagne at a clothing sale, followed by an appetizer of calamari, and a reasonable dinner of chicken pho (Vietnamese soup) without noodles, then a half-scoop of frozen custard. The custard was probably the worst thing, since it was dairy + sugar, but you know what? I'm back on the horse today.
And I think that is what it's all about - life happens (in this case, a friend's birthday), you try and mitigate ( I threw away the custard after eating half, because otherwise I would have eaten it all), and then you clean up your act and move on.
And you know what happened today? I was shopping and kept coming upon bakery after bakery after candy store. And I bit my tongue until it hurt and tried to walk faster past those places even though I desperately wanted to go in and order Four Cupcakes To Eat Right Now, Please. Yes Actually Just The Frosting, Just Inject The Sugar Into My Bloodstream. Thanks!!
And then I came home and ate tomato soup and steak for dinner. And lots of flavored (unsweetened) herbal tea.
And I may have bought a skein of sock yarn. :-)
Licking the frosting off a cupcake once a month turned into once every two weeks, then once a week, then "Oh I'll just have a bite" and "one glass of wine, please..."
'Twas a downward spiral, full of sugary profanity.
So I decided to be proactive and get back on the Paleo horse (woolly mammoth?), and commit to another 30 Days of Strict Paleo.
I am Tweeting my eating; you can follow me on Twitter as "@dhshippie".
Now, if you go back, you'll see that last night (end of Day 5), I fell off the horse. I had a glass of champagne at a clothing sale, followed by an appetizer of calamari, and a reasonable dinner of chicken pho (Vietnamese soup) without noodles, then a half-scoop of frozen custard. The custard was probably the worst thing, since it was dairy + sugar, but you know what? I'm back on the horse today.
And I think that is what it's all about - life happens (in this case, a friend's birthday), you try and mitigate ( I threw away the custard after eating half, because otherwise I would have eaten it all), and then you clean up your act and move on.
And you know what happened today? I was shopping and kept coming upon bakery after bakery after candy store. And I bit my tongue until it hurt and tried to walk faster past those places even though I desperately wanted to go in and order Four Cupcakes To Eat Right Now, Please. Yes Actually Just The Frosting, Just Inject The Sugar Into My Bloodstream. Thanks!!
And then I came home and ate tomato soup and steak for dinner. And lots of flavored (unsweetened) herbal tea.
And I may have bought a skein of sock yarn. :-)
Coconut Milk Latte
Here's an easy way to Paleo-ify yourself - try coconut milk in your coffee instead of cow's milk!
Paleo people have their reasons for not eating dairy. For me, I discovered I was lactose intolerant at an early age... that is, until I stopped eating grains! It was just shy of miraculous that I could eat dairy products again. However, now that I am paying more attention to my diet, I have decided that I can live without milk (maybe not the occasional ooey-gooey slice of Brie or a nice Roquefort or California ripe chevre, but most of the time, yes).
So, if you're not eating dairy and you still want something creamy in your coffee, what do you do?
Well, for Paleo folks, bean-milk (soy) is out. So is rice and oat milk (grains!). Hemp milk would probably be OK, because it's a seed, but I have noticed that most of these milk-substitute products that come in Tetra-Paks also have added sweeteners (bleh), and sometimes weird ingredients in them, to boot!
Hence the coconut milk.
Now, I did experiment - I tried first using full-fat, canned coconut milk in my coffee one morning. It turned to a syrupy sludge (all the fat in the milk, I suspect). It would be amazing poured over a snow-cone, but not for me as a morning beverage. Seriously. I could have scooped it out of my mug with a spoon.
So the next day, after work, I stopped in at Whole Foods and bought a half gallon of So Delicious Unsweetened coconut milk (in the refrigerated case). It ain't cheap - here in Seattle, it set me back $4.69, but I think that is on par with some of the more exotic milk-substitutes (or raw milk, which is highly delicious, lasts about 3 days before curdling, and runs about $5-6 a quart in these parts).
The flavor is... great! It's a very subtle coconut flavor that is just barely noticeable, which I suspect that the manufacturer's removed some of the coconut's natural fat and replaced it with some stabilizers. I don't entirely agree with that, but they did maintain a pretty good profile of fats in this product. They also added a bunch of vitamins, which... whatever. I'm neutral on that.
The texture is slightly viscous, and it gives a mouth feel of having used half-and-half. I am sure the Original or Vanilla flavors are much more tasty, since they both have added cane sugar, but I am pretty happy with the Unsweetened. Plus, the Unsweetened has the best (i.e. no sugar!) nutritional profile out of the three (check the website for yourself).
I have a Starbucks Barista espresso machine in my condo, and I steamed the coconut milk in preparation for a latte a couple of days ago, and it was great! I took the coconut milk to 150 deg F, my standard temp for cow's milk, and nothing happened - it didn't curdle or separate or do anything weird.
So now I can enjoy my latte and be Paleo, too!
* I even went so far as to dump the remaining quart of organic, pasture-fed cow's milk down the drain... that is saying something!
Paleo people have their reasons for not eating dairy. For me, I discovered I was lactose intolerant at an early age... that is, until I stopped eating grains! It was just shy of miraculous that I could eat dairy products again. However, now that I am paying more attention to my diet, I have decided that I can live without milk (maybe not the occasional ooey-gooey slice of Brie or a nice Roquefort or California ripe chevre, but most of the time, yes).
So, if you're not eating dairy and you still want something creamy in your coffee, what do you do?
Well, for Paleo folks, bean-milk (soy) is out. So is rice and oat milk (grains!). Hemp milk would probably be OK, because it's a seed, but I have noticed that most of these milk-substitute products that come in Tetra-Paks also have added sweeteners (bleh), and sometimes weird ingredients in them, to boot!
Hence the coconut milk.
Now, I did experiment - I tried first using full-fat, canned coconut milk in my coffee one morning. It turned to a syrupy sludge (all the fat in the milk, I suspect). It would be amazing poured over a snow-cone, but not for me as a morning beverage. Seriously. I could have scooped it out of my mug with a spoon.
So the next day, after work, I stopped in at Whole Foods and bought a half gallon of So Delicious Unsweetened coconut milk (in the refrigerated case). It ain't cheap - here in Seattle, it set me back $4.69, but I think that is on par with some of the more exotic milk-substitutes (or raw milk, which is highly delicious, lasts about 3 days before curdling, and runs about $5-6 a quart in these parts).
The flavor is... great! It's a very subtle coconut flavor that is just barely noticeable, which I suspect that the manufacturer's removed some of the coconut's natural fat and replaced it with some stabilizers. I don't entirely agree with that, but they did maintain a pretty good profile of fats in this product. They also added a bunch of vitamins, which... whatever. I'm neutral on that.
The texture is slightly viscous, and it gives a mouth feel of having used half-and-half. I am sure the Original or Vanilla flavors are much more tasty, since they both have added cane sugar, but I am pretty happy with the Unsweetened. Plus, the Unsweetened has the best (i.e. no sugar!) nutritional profile out of the three (check the website for yourself).
I have a Starbucks Barista espresso machine in my condo, and I steamed the coconut milk in preparation for a latte a couple of days ago, and it was great! I took the coconut milk to 150 deg F, my standard temp for cow's milk, and nothing happened - it didn't curdle or separate or do anything weird.
So now I can enjoy my latte and be Paleo, too!
* I even went so far as to dump the remaining quart of organic, pasture-fed cow's milk down the drain... that is saying something!
Useful Stuff: Thermos
I have this problem. Or, rather, I used to have this problem: I would go to the trouble to make a latte before I left the house, then I would get to Crossfit, and then drive to work, and by the time I got into the office and settled down to drink the coffee, it would be sorrowfully cold.
Clearly, I needed assistance.
Enter Coffeegeek.com, a heady resource for all things coffee related. Well, I entered "thermos reviews", and came across the Thermos Nissan backpack bottle. Reasonably priced, and it appeared to be well constructed.
I love it. It keeps my coffee pretty much at the temperature I finish making it (roughly 150 deg F), until I am ready for it.
It doesn't leak, at least not if you screw on the lid correctly. That is an important note - make sure you do it right! There is a little metal loop that lets you hitch it over the top part of the lid and it keeps the leakproof lid shut even if the spring-release button gets pushed inside your bag.
Conclusion? $30 well spent.
Clearly, I needed assistance.
Enter Coffeegeek.com, a heady resource for all things coffee related. Well, I entered "thermos reviews", and came across the Thermos Nissan backpack bottle. Reasonably priced, and it appeared to be well constructed.
I love it. It keeps my coffee pretty much at the temperature I finish making it (roughly 150 deg F), until I am ready for it.
It doesn't leak, at least not if you screw on the lid correctly. That is an important note - make sure you do it right! There is a little metal loop that lets you hitch it over the top part of the lid and it keeps the leakproof lid shut even if the spring-release button gets pushed inside your bag.
Conclusion? $30 well spent.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Hot Links: Baked Jalapeno Poppers
Check this out!
http://coconutlime.blogspot.com/2009/10/smoked-gouda-ham-jalapeno-poppers.html
Soooo I was thinking about this person's recipe, and I think I will try it, but not bread the peppers, because, well, I can't eat bread! :)
The cheese in the filling is not strict Paleo, but if you take these to a party and don't eat them all yourself, I think you'll be fine. Moderation, right?
http://coconutlime.blogspot.com/2009/10/smoked-gouda-ham-jalapeno-poppers.html
Soooo I was thinking about this person's recipe, and I think I will try it, but not bread the peppers, because, well, I can't eat bread! :)
The cheese in the filling is not strict Paleo, but if you take these to a party and don't eat them all yourself, I think you'll be fine. Moderation, right?
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Teavana
I love tea. If you know me at all, you know this!
I wanted to let people know that Teavana will be unveiling a lot of new teas on October 15.
I personally love Teavana's blends, and regularly come away getting the 1 lb discount without even trying!!
I also really love that their yerba mate is unsmoked. Probably the most prevalent brand of yerba mate outside of Teavana I've seen is by Guayaki, and I have never seen an unsmoked mate from them that is in loose leaf form (it is sold in teabags).
Hey, as long as you don't fill your cup with sugar or milk, then tea is just as calorie-free as black coffee! (But it is good to be mindful of the caffeine you consume).
I wanted to let people know that Teavana will be unveiling a lot of new teas on October 15.
I personally love Teavana's blends, and regularly come away getting the 1 lb discount without even trying!!
I also really love that their yerba mate is unsmoked. Probably the most prevalent brand of yerba mate outside of Teavana I've seen is by Guayaki, and I have never seen an unsmoked mate from them that is in loose leaf form (it is sold in teabags).
Hey, as long as you don't fill your cup with sugar or milk, then tea is just as calorie-free as black coffee! (But it is good to be mindful of the caffeine you consume).
Un-Paleo: Pumpkin Curry Cupcakes
I attended a Canadian Thanksgiving potluck party this past Sunday (for those who care about Such Things, Canadian Thanksgiving was officially October 12). I took a side of baked acorn squash, cooked down slightly in butter, spiced apple cider, and some pumpkin pie spice, to which I had added a finely chopped apple.
I also took some cupcakes. Pumpkin Curry Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache, to be exact.
I give all credit for the recipe to Vanilla Garlic, a great food blog I've thoroughly enjoyed following for a while now. Here's his post and recipe for this bit of cupcake goodness. The only thing I changed was that I added a dash more curry to my recipe, and made a larger portion of chocolate ganache (using an entire Pound Plus of dark chocolate from Trader Joe's).
Full Disclosure: I did NOT eat any of these cupcakes. I saved four from the batch and took them to the gym on Monday, since a friend of mine wanted some. Since she didn't show up, I distributed them at work. Temptation Problem Averted! To also help me not eat them all, I individually wrapped the cupcakes that I took to the gym / work in wax paper + foil. I currently have the extra ganache, but I am going to use it to make truffles and distribute those, or at least be able to eat them a lot more slowly and not feel icky because I scarfed a cup of chocolate ganache all at once. Besides, dark chocolate sans cream, butter, and extra sugar is a lot more healthy. ;)
Here's my batter:
Mmm BUTTER...nom nom nom....
Here's the chocolate ganache, once I had mixed in the cream, sugar / milk combo, and butter. It is "resting"...
Lazy Ganache, never had to work for anything.
Here is the final result: 16 large cupcakes with chocolate ganache atop them, and about 3-4 cups extra ganache.
A great recipe, perfect for fall!
I also took some cupcakes. Pumpkin Curry Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache, to be exact.
I give all credit for the recipe to Vanilla Garlic, a great food blog I've thoroughly enjoyed following for a while now. Here's his post and recipe for this bit of cupcake goodness. The only thing I changed was that I added a dash more curry to my recipe, and made a larger portion of chocolate ganache (using an entire Pound Plus of dark chocolate from Trader Joe's).
Full Disclosure: I did NOT eat any of these cupcakes. I saved four from the batch and took them to the gym on Monday, since a friend of mine wanted some. Since she didn't show up, I distributed them at work. Temptation Problem Averted! To also help me not eat them all, I individually wrapped the cupcakes that I took to the gym / work in wax paper + foil. I currently have the extra ganache, but I am going to use it to make truffles and distribute those, or at least be able to eat them a lot more slowly and not feel icky because I scarfed a cup of chocolate ganache all at once. Besides, dark chocolate sans cream, butter, and extra sugar is a lot more healthy. ;)
Here's my batter:
Mmm BUTTER...nom nom nom....
Lazy Ganache, never had to work for anything.Here is the final result: 16 large cupcakes with chocolate ganache atop them, and about 3-4 cups extra ganache.
A great recipe, perfect for fall!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Chili
My original plan today was to grill some meat this morning. As I was preparing to preheat my gas grill, I received a call from a person whose bike I was interested in buying off Craigslist, so instead of cooking, I hightailed it out of my house to meet them.
The bike was a bust, but I was wonderfully exposed to the fall weather. Glad I had brought a wool hat and fingerless gloves, in addition to dressing in a thermal shirt, t-shirt, and vest, I wandered about in the sunny, brisk morning.
After arriving back home this afternoon, I flipped on PBS, and watched someone cooking a pot of chili. He used two varieties of canned beans - red kidneys and refried beans.
I recalled that I had not only some ground beef that needed cooking, but I also possessed a can of black beans and a can of refried beans in my cupboard. Canned Gold!
I threw my ground beef (grass-finished, thankyouverymuch) into my cute yellow Dutch oven, to brown and sizzle away while I prepared other ingredients.
I opened the cans of beans, and retrieved several items out of my spice cabinet:
After the meat was almost completely cooked, I added the two cans of beans to the pot, as well as kosher salt, molasses, a good squirt of tomato paste, half of a leftover beer, and a couple of tablespoons' worth of Mole Ole! seasoning that I had freshly ground in my blade coffee grinder.
I also added several crushed cloves of garlic...
... and a whole small onion, chopped.
Then I set it to a low simmer:
I left it a little too long, ,because there was a layer of burned-on beans at the bottom when I went to retrieve the chili off the stove, but it smells amazing and I am looking forward to a few bowls of hearty warming chili!
NOTE: No, this is Not Paleo; according to the tenets of the Paleo diet, beans are not an encouraged food (not to mention the beer!) There's also not a ton of vegetables in this, so you definitely want to augment it to balance out your food choices. :)
The bike was a bust, but I was wonderfully exposed to the fall weather. Glad I had brought a wool hat and fingerless gloves, in addition to dressing in a thermal shirt, t-shirt, and vest, I wandered about in the sunny, brisk morning.
After arriving back home this afternoon, I flipped on PBS, and watched someone cooking a pot of chili. He used two varieties of canned beans - red kidneys and refried beans.
I recalled that I had not only some ground beef that needed cooking, but I also possessed a can of black beans and a can of refried beans in my cupboard. Canned Gold!
I threw my ground beef (grass-finished, thankyouverymuch) into my cute yellow Dutch oven, to brown and sizzle away while I prepared other ingredients.
I opened the cans of beans, and retrieved several items out of my spice cabinet:
After the meat was almost completely cooked, I added the two cans of beans to the pot, as well as kosher salt, molasses, a good squirt of tomato paste, half of a leftover beer, and a couple of tablespoons' worth of Mole Ole! seasoning that I had freshly ground in my blade coffee grinder.
I also added several crushed cloves of garlic...
... and a whole small onion, chopped.
Then I set it to a low simmer:
I left it a little too long, ,because there was a layer of burned-on beans at the bottom when I went to retrieve the chili off the stove, but it smells amazing and I am looking forward to a few bowls of hearty warming chili!
NOTE: No, this is Not Paleo; according to the tenets of the Paleo diet, beans are not an encouraged food (not to mention the beer!) There's also not a ton of vegetables in this, so you definitely want to augment it to balance out your food choices. :)
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