Edible

Living paycheck to paycheck...

2012-01-26T20:22:00.000-08:00

A few years ago in my hometown, some idiot (who shall remain nameless) put up a billboard with the following quote:

"Living paycheck to paycheck, why not blow it on some fun?"

My friends and I, who were actually living paycheck to paycheck thought this was the stupidest advertisement ever. Reason being, if you are living paycheck to paycheck you can't "blow it on some fun" because you are paying your rent with it. Or paying for food...

This little trip down memory lane is merely a segue to point out that I just took a look at my bank balance and need to clamp down on the spending...food costs money, and money I am a bit short on lately...However I wanted to share with those of you who love Whole Foods like me, that they have online coupons, and apparently Value Tours!

I'm trying to rotate Whole Foods back into my shopping plan so I can take advantage of the sales--it is hard to avoid grains though--seems like most of their sale stuff are things we primal types don't eat very often...

The Day The LOLcats Died...

2012-01-18T13:00:00.000-08:00

Another great post from Jan's Sushi Bar!

2012-01-13T10:25:00.000-08:00

As always, Jan says it better than I could:

Taking It All With A Grain Of…Grain

I just applied for my dream job!

2012-01-12T19:41:00.000-08:00

OK, so I admit I've been a little lax in the area of "New Year's Resolutions..." so far this year. But my goal this year is to just jump in...just do it. Try for whatever comes along that seems like it might be a good fit for me.

I don't know how many of you have heard of The Herb Farm but I have long dreamed to be a part of just such a place. For them, food is a creative art...I hope that this year I will find my niche. I love the academic world, but it is not as creative as I would like. I think that a future in the food or nutrition world might be something I should strive for. I grew up in the PNW on a farm and know the foods of this area intimately, and even more, have an abiding interest in food culture and nutrition--as you all can attest to. Anyway, I have applied for a position at The Herb Farm with the hope that it may be just what I need, and I may be just what they need! Wish me luck!

TEDxIowaCity - Dr. Terry Wahls - Minding Your Mitochondria

2011-12-09T10:23:00.000-08:00

I found this on Jan's (of Jan's Sushi Bar) blog this morning. It is making the rounds in the Paleoverse. To be honest, it's just what I needed. I have been struggling with so many different things lately that you may have noticed I have been neglecting my blog. I wish that I had all the time in the world to read and process all the nutrition information I am so interested in, but that would be a full time job, and I already have one of those! Please watch this TED talk if you haven't already. Dr Wahls is inspiring and convincing (not that I need convincing, I already believe). :)

A little perspective

2011-11-16T06:27:00.002-08:00

So you may have noticed I have been missing again. Once again, life just keeps getting in the way of my blogging...I have been keeping up on my blogroll though--lots of great Thanksgiving recipes out there! Today I thought I would link to a post by Mark Sisson regarding living a Paleo/Primal lifestyle. So many people have such strong opinions about what you need to do in order to follow a "Paleo" diet, whether is is for general health or weight loss, that I think the message sometimes gets lost. It is not about eating "perfect" 100% of the time. Obviously, it would be nice to be able to be perfect, if money and time were not an issue we would no doubt all be perfect... Just remember YOU are not failing this lifestyle if you are forced to buy conventional beef and vegetables rather than pastured, grass fed and organic all the way. Here is a little perspective, take it to heart.

Vote for Jan!!

2011-10-11T12:46:00.000-07:00

Our very own Jan, of Jan's Sushi Bar has been selected as one of Shape magazine's Best Healthy Eating Bloggers.
Jan is the only paleo/primal blogger to be selected. I think it would be great if she won! Please vote for her, because as she says:

"A vote for Jan’s Sushi Bar is a vote for paleo. It’s a vote for primal. It’s a vote for traditional. It’s a vote for real food."

Hello again!

2011-10-11T06:29:00.000-07:00

I realize I've been gone quite some time...I went to England for a few days toward the end of August, and when I came back life just sort of filled up with other things, and so I have neglected my blog. But I am back now!

As you know, I have been struggling with food since I went to the nutritionist and started the LEAP protocol. What I discovered on my trip was that it was well nigh impossible to follow the protocol while traveling and still manage to stay within my budget. I did my best, but ended up spending more than I felt comfortable with, and had to just let the rules go on some days. It would have been much easier to just eat "Paleo" but I was trying very hard to avoid foods I am reactive to. This means avoiding chicken and pork, shrimp and salmon, anything with yeast in it. Coffee, chocolate, and chilis. Pretty much everything on the plane and in the restaurants we visited had one of the above in it. I did go to the grocery store in the UK several times and found things I could eat and carry around with me for the day, but we had no refrigerator in our room, so it was a daily struggle to find foods I could eat.

Since I got back from my trip I have been trying with varying degrees of success to get back to where I was. I admit, over vacation some things snuck in that shouldn't have. Wine, coffee, grains, and chocolate. So I am back to the beginning. In addition, I am trying to eat a low glycemic diet as per my doctor's request, and I am leaving out certain things due to my level of reaction to them. As of yesterday, I came up with a menu for this week that while not completely paleo is certainly close and is low glycemic as well...

Breakfast this morning:

Lean beef hamburger patty, 1 organic sliced roma tomato.

Lunch will be lentil soup with Turkey sausage (can't seem to find beef sausage anywhere!) and I have snacks of pistachio nuts, and Greek olives. Dinner is going to be grilled steak with broccoli and mozzarella and tomato salad.

I am starting to rotate my foods tomorrow, so need to only eat certain food groups on certain days. I am avoiding fruit for at least the next couple of weeks, but will add in low glycemic ones after that. I am following the recommendations of the South Beach Diet for my low glycemic diet, but still sticking to Paleo as much as possible. I am eating some beans and legumes here and there for budgetary purposes (I don't appear to have a reaction to them, and always take an enzyme pill before I eat them as my nutritionist suggested.) So far, lentils seem to be OK, and certain kinds of hummus, and canellini beans. But still no grains, no other legumes, certainly no processed foods. I might try quinoa at some point later on as well and maybe wild rice, but I'm going to avoid white rice, potatoes, grains, and sweet potatoes.

Off to England...

2011-08-26T06:37:00.001-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted much lately--trying to get a grip on my LEAP protocol, and still following a paleoish diet has been difficult. It is complex and time comsuming to come up with menus. That's really what I need. Menus! So, I am working on them diligently and will share once I have them planned out...

In the meantime, I am taking a break and traveling to England for a few days and a much needed holiday.

Phase Two

2011-08-03T11:35:00.001-07:00

So the way phase two works is that you add in foods from your phase two list, one at a time. Each time you add one in, you wait to see if you have a reaction (typically 12-24 hours). If you have a reaction, you go back to your list of "safe" foods for three days, then try another food, moving the food you had a reaction to to your "unsafe" list of foods.

My testing schedule:

Garbanzo beans

Phase one: 10 days

2011-08-02T06:47:00.000-07:00

So for the past ten days, I have been following the LEAP plan that I briefly discussed in a previous post. My food choices have been pretty limited, and I have not been able to stick closely to Paleo eating during this time. I have so few choices I am adding rice and legumes into my diet for variety. I discovered a lot of things made out of just rice, or rice and other allowed ingredients that I can eat. There is rice pasta, rice cakes, rice cold cereal, hot rice cereal, as well as steamed rice, fried rice, and coconut rice. (The last couple of days I've gone a bit rice-crazy.) I also have eaten pinto beans and peanuts, which are both legumes, and which I haven't had in a few years...

So far, my progress is encouraging. I have begun to lose a little weight, and my skin is slowly clearing up. My LS seems a little better as well, but it is hard to tell if it is improving yet or if this is part of the normal cycle. Time will tell.

I have not been posting my menus because to be honest they are a little boring. I am having lamb or beef or pinto beans each day as my protein. I am pairing it with rice or sweet potato, or making a salad with broccoli slaw and cabbage. I throw in tomatoes and avocado regularly, and make a vinaigrette of olive oil and white distilled vinegar, a bit of dry mustard and salt and pepper--or I use mustard, honey, sesame oil and sesame seeds. I try to eat several different vegetables each day. Carrots, peas, and green beans are all on my list, so I have one of those with dinner. I usually have leftovers from dinner for lunch the next day. Snacks are pretty much fruit, or pistachios, or both. I have olives as a snack as well.

I ate clams once, but they are very expensive, so I am not incorporating them in too often. (Although, I may get some this coming weekend as a treat.) I am eating a lot of hamburger patties on top of salad, or marinated lamb or beef steak with green beans. I have become thoroughly addicted to coconut rice--which means I should really stop making it--I have been eating a lot of rice, by a lot I mean 1-2 cups a day. I have treated myself to several pinappletinis and a couple of very dry martini's with olives and extra ice. I miss my wine though. I think that as I add more foods in, I will try to concentrate on mostly paleo foods. My two big non-paleo foods so far are rice and beans. I will soon add corn to that list, and we shall see how it goes...

I will be posting some recipes (hopefully) this week and will try to update more often. Until then, I'll just carry on!

What I can eat for the next ten days

2011-07-23T10:06:00.000-07:00

The appointment with my nutritionist, Joy, yesterday was really interesting. The bad news is that I have to give up wine, shrimp, raspberries, chocolate and coffee. The good news is that most of those can probably be rotated back into my diet at some point depending on how I react to them later. Raspberries are actually one of the fruits that I had a low reaction to, but I react badly to Benzoic acid which is in raspberries, and so have to avoid them for the time being.

I have a high reaction to several grains, but surprizingly wheat is not one of them. Rice, wheat, and corn were pretty low on my test. Most of the grains I did react to are gluten grains, so Joy said that she wouldn't be surprised if I do have some level of gluten intolerance. I am extremely reactive to baker's yeast so bakery products are out. If I do include wheat in my diet it would have to be pasta or tortillas--she said we can test this out later to see how I feel when I try to eat wheat.

So for the first ten days, I need to keep strictly to foods I do not react to. Chicken, eggs and pork are out--I had a huge reaction to pork and chicken. Eggs were also bad.

The LEAP program occurs in phases, so for my first phase (10 days) Joy is having me combine the first two columns of my results so that I have a good variety of foods to choose from. Here is the list:

Clams
Lamb
Beef
Pinto Beans
Quinoa
Rice
Buckwheat
Sweet potato
Broccoli
Cabbage
Asparagus
String beans
Carrots
Sweet bell peppers, green, yellow, red, orange
Tomatoes (fresh only nothing canned)
Green Peas (fresh or frozen)
Avocado
Grapes
Cantaloupe and Watermelon (M is allergic to these)
Pineapple
Orange
Strawberry
Goat's milk (just the milk--no cheese, yogurt or sour cream yet)
Cow's milk (just the milk--no cheese, yogurt or sour cream yet)
Pistachio nuts
Peanuts (including peanut oil)
Sesame (including sesame oil)
Olives (including olive oil) But no pimento-stuffed olives.
Coconut (including coconut oil, milk, cocnut water and grated coconut meat)
Black pepper
Honey
Vanilla
Cumin
Mint (but not mint tea yet)
Lemon
Mustard
Sea salt
White distilled vinegar
High shelf gin and vodka

So far I have had:

Lamb chops (with sea salt & pepper, olive oil & a sprinkle of cumin)
roasted sweet potato
green beans

Beef steak (with sea salt & pepper)
Grapes
Coconut water

Menus ideas for the week:

Saturday:

Coleslaw with olive oil and white vinegar
Ground lamb patties (or clams?)
avocado and tomato
Orange

Gin and seltzer with honey and lemon

Sunday:

Breakfast: Strawberry and coconut milk smoothie

Sweet and sour Thai beef

I can make a sweet and sour sauce with vinegar, honey, tomato, sweet peppers, pineapple, peanut butter and coconut milk. Then add sauteed beef, and serve over rice.

Monday:

Chili
Pinto beans, beef bones, ground beef, diced fresh tomatoes, cumin, salt and pepper.

I'll come up with more menus later. I must shop!!

Crushed Pinappletini

2011-07-22T18:34:00.000-07:00

5 ounces fresh pineapple
1 jigger Tanqueray (or other high shelf gin)
1 handful ice cubes

YUM!

LEAP and Mediator Release Testing

2011-07-22T06:21:00.001-07:00

So today is my follow up appointment with my nutitionist to discuss the results of my test and to come up with a dietary plan! I'm really excited about this part. I will find out which foods I must avoid and come up with menus for the next few weeks. I will definitely have more informatiion later today. I can't help but feel good about this meeting--someone is finally recognizing that foods can affect the way I feel, and give me some specific advice regarding what to do. Following the paleo way is great, but it is a little like shooting in the dark since you don't know exactly what foods give you problems. For example some people can eat dairy with no problem, some people can eat nightshades with no problem. Some people lose weight without really trying once they switch to the healthier Paleo/Primal diet. For me, none of that has happened. There are moments when my LS symptoms get better--but I can't point at anything in particular that makes it better or worse. My acne seems to do what it wants completely independantly of what I am eating/drinking. Other issues I have come and go randomly. So this test will give me a baseline that I can build off of, and that is very exciting for me. Also part of the LEAP(Lifestyle Eating And Performance) program is learning how to rotate your foods so as to avoid food intolerance over time, and to heal "leaky gut."

I will post more on this over the weekend I imagine as I am trying ot figure out what I can eat...

I'm back!

2011-07-12T06:34:00.001-07:00

Hello all--I got my computer back last week, but then went on a family camping trip over the weekend, so today is really the first day I have had time to post in quite a while.

Last time I posted I was keeping you updated on my Whole30 experiences. After 30 days of being "perfect" Paleo, my results were disappointing. During the first three weeks, I gained a couple of pounds, and continued to break out. By week four I was unhappy and pretty miserable--but fortunately this happened to coincide with an appointment with my new doctor!

My new doctor is great! She is a naturopath with a background in clinical pharmacology. For our first appointment, she talked with me for over an hour and wrote out a very detailed medical history based on a series of questions that she asked me. She also recommended a nutritionist who specializes in patients with autoimmune and other difficult to treat diseases. My nutritionist uses the Mediator Release Test(MRT) to pinpoint my food sensitivities, and she will work with me and my doctor to figure out the best way to proceed. The MRT should tell me which foods affect my immune response. She seems very optimistic about this process helping me. I am also cautiously excited about it.

In the meantime, I am still eating very carefully. Other than a couple of camping incidents, I have been very good. As long as I keep my protein and calories low, and eat a lot of fruit and veggies, I seems to be able to lose weight. Percentage of fat really doesn't seem to have much impact on anything...

Technical difficulties

2011-06-25T08:09:00.000-07:00

Hello all--

Sorry for neglecting my blog lately--my laptop died a few days ago, and I won't get it back for at least two weeks. Whole 30 is drawing to an end--I will have lots to say when I get my computer back. Until then...

Whole30 Day 17

2011-06-17T06:20:00.001-07:00

So I dropped my protein down to about 30% and my fat down to about 33% and have cut my calories back by a couple of hundred, and I am actually losing weight for the first time since I started Whole30.

One thing I changed was the habit of using liberal fats to cook with. I steam veggies in water or saute in a little olive oil (as little as possible). And I stopped eating as much protein. I was using my minimum protein requirement as a starting point, and eating more if I felt hungry, and while that might work for some people, my satiety gauge is messed up. I kid you not when I say I can eat an entire chicken in one sitting--I don't have the ability to stop eating fat or protein when I have had a reasonable amount. So, I am trying to stick to under 115 grams which is one gram per pound of my lean body weight.

The interesting thing to me is that I have been eating a ton of fruit--raspberries, strawberries, plums, oranges, etc. I'm trying to keep it to low to medium glycemic fruits.

I gave up canned coconut milk because of the calories, and have started to drink "non dairy" coconut creamer (this is not ideal, as they put things in it that are not exactly natural). However, I need something for my coffee, and this is non-dairy and low calorie. I can't stomach it black just yet, but I'm getting there. If I re-introduce dairy after Whole 30, I will probably limit it to cream and butter, and occasional cheese.

Also, on that topic, Whole30 has done nothing (so far) to improve my acne. If anything it is worse. I'm trying to set up an appointment with a hormonal specialist to see what they might have to say about it. Apparently it can be a sign of thyroid problems, and 1 in 4 people who have LS have thyroid disease. I do seem to have most of the symptoms of a hypothyroid disorder...

But I am losing weight suddenly, so maybe I am just being a hypocondriac...

:)

Whole Foods Parking Lot

2011-06-14T06:48:00.000-07:00

I have to share this, because I find it pretty hilarious, and great comment on food culture here in the states. I'm not a Wholefoods junkie like some people on the eastside. Don't get me wrong though--I totally would be if I had the income...

:)

Dr. Cordain's Response to US "News" diet rating of Paleo Nutrition.

2011-06-09T12:42:00.000-07:00

I really liked Sarah Fragoso's blog post yesterday on how to deal with criticism of the Paleo diet. Here is an excerpt:

Stay positive, because the only way to truly make change is to start with yourself and to lead by example with a kind heart, gentle words, and a strong example. The reality is, paleo living is saving, changing, and vastly improving lives by simply keeping it simple and that fact outshines any contradictory article that might be backed by “health officials.”

That being said, I also really liked Professor Cordain's statement regarding the recent US "News" article...

US News "Best" Diets

Just remember people--news isn't about science or research, or facts--news is simply about money, and controversy sells...

Whole30 day 7!

2011-06-07T06:45:00.000-07:00

So I made it one whole week, and I haven't cheated or given up yet! Today I am eating jerky (about 2 ounces) sliced cucumber, and coffee with coconut milk for breakfast. Lunch is sauteed asparagus with mushrooms and leftover chicken thighs, and spinach.
I think dinner is going to be taco salad with some really nice ripe avocados I have.

I feel like I am coming down with a cold or something, so want to be sure to eat well and sleep well the next few days, and drink lots of liquids!!

Whole30 (Day 6!)

2011-06-06T06:52:00.001-07:00

I've been eating a lot of salads, and cooked vegetables with meat. Yesterday I had an afternoon snack of pickled vegetables and olives with about an ounce of all natural Italian dry salame ( nitrate, dairy, gluten and casein-free), followed by dinner of steak with zucchini with mushrooms cooked in coconut oil on the side.

Today I am having leftover steak and veggies with spinach, and for a snack I am having some beef jerky I made this weekend. (I added balsamic vinegar to the mix, and some Worcestershire sauce which I know has some sketchy ingredients (mainly sugar), but it needed something for flavor...Anyway, it turned out pretty well. next time I make it I will post the process with pictures.

Whole 30 day four

2011-06-04T10:05:00.000-07:00

I have been really good! I will post pictures of some of my meals later today so you can see what I have been eating.

OK back to the subject of Dogma...I think that Richard's post (the one I linked to earlier this week) makes a very good point. It is so easy to slip into the dogmatic approach when following any kind of "restrictive" lifestyle. I think that in general we tend to want to simplify things to the point where we have a lot of black and white "rules" to follow. But dogma is a trap. It is fine having personal rules that help you accomplish something--but when they become the basis for something more, it can get scary and out of hand. "Good" food does not equal good morality, nor does "bad" food equal bad morality. Vegans are not the Antichrist and there is not one "right" version of the Paleo diet--you may not even want to call it "the Paleo diet." I guess I prefer "Paleo-ish" but that doesn't exactly roll off the tongue...Anyway, I guess my point is that we are all doing this the best way we can--just keep in mind what is "right" for you, may not work for someone else. I strive to follow the Paleo diet mostly as Cordain and Robb Wolf have laid it out. BUT, I have been greatly influenced in the food choices I make by Stephan Guyenet, Chris Kresser, and the Weston Price foundation (as well as by a limited budget). I learn from other bloggers, and other books, and will continue to learn, craft and hone the perfect plan for me (and for M) based on all of this...

That being said, I do enjoy the challenge of the Whole 30 and will keep at it for the whole 30 days. So far it is great!

Whole 30 Day Two (No Dogma)

2011-06-02T20:46:00.000-07:00

If you haven't read Richard Nikoley's post today, take a look, if for no other reason than he's entertaining. I try not to get caught up in dogma...

With that note, I stuck very closely to Whole 30 today. Did very well: steak, chicken, veggies, avocado, fruit. yum!

Plant this movie!

2011-06-01T13:48:00.000-07:00

So my brother-in-law, Karney, is a documentary film maker...

His current project is on urban farming around the world. Here is a link to his trailer and a place to donate toward his project if you happen to have a few dollars available and need something to do with it.

K is living the dream, out there on the road, eating Paleo (most of the time) and traveling from place to place like a nomad. I'm really excited about his new project, and would love it if you all could help get the word out with your blogs and tweets as well...

Together we can help the idea of urban farming grow if not literally, at least virally. :)

Whole 30 Day 1 (autoimmune version)

2011-06-01T06:53:00.000-07:00

I am challenging myself to do Whole 30 for a little bit. Even with the walking and the eating pretty well, I am having a hard time losing any weight and I am having some serious issues with acne. I probably need to go to an endocrinologist, but to be honest, I am a procrastinator. So, for now, I am just going to eat "clean" low-glycemic paleo foods for the next thirty days and see what happens. If I get some positive response, then I can go to the doctor armed with my experiences. My LS is also flaring badly, so I am going to try harder to stick with the autoimmune version of the Paleo diet. No dairy, no grains, no legumes, no tomatoes, no potatoes, no peppers, no eggplant, no nuts, no eggs, and no alcohol. That is a lot of "no" and not very much "yum".

The hardest part for me is going to be the "no alcohol." I like my wine time--but lately, it seems like when I have a glass or two of wine that my LS gets worse--this could be a total coincidence, but it is worth looking at I guess.

Breakfast today:

Sliced turkey breast, strawberries, cucumber slices, coffee with coconut milk.

Recipe of the week: Aubergines Sans Fromage

2011-05-27T16:39:00.000-07:00

Aubergines Sans Fromage (Also known as M's Eggplant non Parmigana)

3 large eggplants
3 15 oz. cans of tomato sauce (I used organic with just tomatoes and sea salt)
1 pound of mushrooms
4 large garlic cloves
1 carrot.
2 T. dried oregano.
Salt to taste.

Take three large eggplants and slice into thin rounds. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper and lay the eggplant rounds on top of each sheet--it will probably be necessary to create two layers on each cookie sheet. Bake in the oven at about 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 hour--Keep an eye on them, you want them to dry out, not burn...when they are relatively dried out remove them from the oven and let cool.

While the eggplants are drying, take the mushrooms and slice them thinly, and crush and mince the garlic. Heat a skillet on top of the stove and add the garlic and mushrooms, and a couple of tablespoons of water. Saute the mushrooms and garlic for several minutes, adding water as necessary until the mushrooms are cooked, and the garlic has perfumed them thoroughly. Place mushroom and garlic mixture into a larger pot (I used my dutch oven) then add the three cans of sauce, one grated carrot, and the oregano. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour.

When the sauce is done (add salt to taste--mine didn't need much), take the dried eggplant slices and layer them in a casserole with the sauce--you want the sauce to cover the eggplant as much as possible. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

This would make a nice accompaniment to shrimp scampi, or grilled or steamed fish or chicken. I ate mine with poached eggs :)

I would prefer cheese with my Eggplant Parmigiana, but M is going through this really strict "if a chimpanzee couldn't eat it in the wild, I won't either" Paleo phase. So I am trying to accommodate him while still making yummy food. This wasn't bad, but it could have used some olive oil and Parmesan cheese...

Dinner!

2011-05-21T21:32:00.001-07:00

Scallop and Shrimp Coconut Curry:

Simplest recipe in the world.

Take 1 T butter & 1 T coconut oil, melt together in skillet. Add 2 T green Thai curry, let curry cook for a few seconds, stirring until it is fragrant and makes a sort of sauce. Add one finely chopped onion (I used red). Then add one thinly sliced red pepper and 5 thinly sliced mushrooms. Cooke over a medium heat for a couple of minutes, then pour into a soup pot (I used a large dutch oven). Add one large can of coconut milk, 1 pound of medium shrimp and one pound of large scallops. Bring to a rolling boil, then cover, and remove from the heat. Let sit covered for 20 minutes.
Eat and enjoy!!

Breakfast!

2011-05-21T10:42:00.000-07:00

Here is my yummy breakfast today:

Two Omega 3 eggs poached in 2 ounces heavy cream, with a large handful of cooked bay shrimp.

God this is boring!!

2011-05-20T20:41:00.001-07:00

OK, I can't post my menus and prices--it is just T E D I O U S...
Sorry loyal readers, all twenty-something of you. I think posting recipes is more fun--and I don't mean to imply that eating Paleo-ish is boring--it's just the mathematics of the whole thing that is dull.

I had a lovely steak with romaine salad and avocado for dinner--dressing was organic cultured sour cream with raw bleu cheese crumbles. I also walked about 5 miles and am exhausted...

Tuesday and Wednesday meals and budget

2011-05-17T14:05:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Breakfast: Two omega 3 eggs poached (50 cents)in 2 T. heavy cream (35 cents) Coffee (50 cents) with 2 T. cream (35 cents).

Tuesday lunch: Leftover beef stew $1.03

Tuesday Dinner: Taco salad with ground beef (1/3 pound .53 cents) sweet red pepper (.96 cents), 1 large onion (.20 cents), mushrooms 1/2 pound (.99 cents) romaine lettuce (.49 cents) tomatoes (.53 cents) avocado (1/2 large .59 cents) spices (.5 cents)

Shrimp appetizer (4 large shrimp $1.48) 1 glass red wine (.99 cents)

Butter .18 cents
Coconut oil .25 cents

Total: $10.42

Wednesday Breakfast: Two omega 3 eggs poached (50 cents)in 2 T. heavy cream (35 cents) Coffee (50 cents) with 2 T. cream (35 cents).

Wednesday Lunch: Taco salad with ground beef (1/3 pound .53 cents) sweet red pepper (.96 cents), 1 large onion (.20 cents), mushrooms 1/2 pound (.99 cents) Arugula 2 cups .60 cents, spices (.5 cents)

Wednesday Dinner: 8 small Shrimp $1.96, 6 scallops $2.35, 1 T. Madras curry blend .10 cents, arugula .30 cents, tomatoes .53 cents, mushrooms .99 cents.

Butter .18 cents
Coconut oil .25 cents

Total: $11.54

Budget Paleo-ish days 4 and 5

2011-05-16T06:29:00.000-07:00

Sunday didn't really count this week as far as showing how a Paleo budget can work...

I did not have breakfast, and went to an afternoon tea where I ate a very small portion of chicken salad along with coffee and cream (free!) and then had dinner at my cousin's house where we had olives, prosciutto, a little cheese, some tapenade, and artichoke and parmesan dip, an excellent bottle of wine, roast beef, potato cheese puffs, and berry pie with ice cream. It was sort of a belated birthday for M, and while not perfectly Paleo, it was completely free and delicious.

Today, I want to do better:

Breakfast: Coffee with cream $1.06

Lunch: Leftover beef stew from Saturday $1.03, and an orange .24 cents

Dinner: 7 ounces Tri-tip steak ($2.96), 1 small zucchini and 4 large mushrooms ($1.59), 1/2 avocado and 2 small tomatoes ($2.03)wine 1 glass .99 cents.

Total for day: $9.90

Saturday recap

2011-05-14T10:07:00.000-07:00

This week has not been a good example of "budget paleo" for several reasons. First, M came home, so I feel like "celebrating" a lot--every time he comes home we have sort of a "vacation" for a couple of days, and so we don't stick close to our budget, etc...

Also my afternoon snack has sort of transformed into a full meal of leftovers which means that I am consuming more meals--more of a variety of food which ends up being more expensive, just because I shop less effectively this way. I don't really consume more food, I just buy twice as much as I need/should because larger amounts are less expensive than smaller amounts...(I'm working on this, i don't like to waste food.)

And since I switched to beef and seafood instead of chicken or pork, it has been more expensive...

Anyway, on to the stats for today. Because we ate a semi-decadent meal yesterday, M and I decided to fast for most of today, so our consumption for Saturday was fairly small, and very cheap:

Afternoon snack: raw cheddar cheese (1.5 ounces--48 cents), 1 ounce green olives (24 cents), 2 glasses wine $1.01.

Dinner: Beef stew (1 pound beef, 2 pounds carrots, 1 pound baby red potatoes, two large onions--this made 8 large servings of which I had two)($1.03 per serving)

Total for day: $3.79

Budget Paleo-ish Days Three and Four

2011-05-13T12:28:00.000-07:00

Blogger was down last night when I went to update my food log, so today you get two menus at once!

Breakfast yesterday: Two omega 3 eggs poached (50 cents)in 2 T. heavy cream (35 cents) Coffee (50 cents) with 2 T. cream (35 cents).

Lunch yesterday: 1 small steak (4 ounces, $1.76) arugula ( 2 cup 66 cents),3 strawberry tomatoes (44 cents), 2 T. sour cream (24 cents) 1 T. raw bleu cheese (34 cents).

Dinner yesterday: Raw cheddar cheese (1.5 ounces--48 cents) 1 glass wine (99 cents) 1 small steak (4 ounces, 1.76) zucchini, (1/4 pound--25 cents) eggplant,(1/4 large, 25 cents), broccoli (one crown 25 cents) onion (1/2 large 10 cents) leftover sweet potato (large) and white potato(large)(1/4 of each, 40 cents) 1 T. madras curry blend (10 cents). 1 orange (50 cents)

Butter .18 cents
Coconut oil .25 cents
Total: $10.63

Breakfast today: Two omega 3 eggs poached (50 cents)in 2 T. heavy cream (35 cents) Starbucks coffee with a couple of glugs of half and half($2.50).

Lunch today: Cooked ground beef (1/2 pound--78 cents) zucchini, (1/4 pound--25 cents) eggplant,(1/4 large, 25 cents), broccoli (one crown 25 cents) onion (1/2 large 10 cents)leftover sweet potato (large) and white potato(large)(1/4 of each, 40 cents) 1 T. madras curry blend (10 cents).
Butter .18 cents
Coconut oil .25 cents

Dinner today: Dinner out at Applebees: 7 ounces steak, one tossed green salad with ranch dressing, three glasses wine (happy hour) and one mini chocolate mousse. (Around $26) sorry, lost the receipt must have been all the wine...:)

Total $31.91

Sorry, no nutrition info, and to be honest this is not a stellar week, although I have been sticking pretty close to sale items for my menus--there was really no excuse for Friday, except that it was happy hour and I was walking home with M and it seemed like a good idea at the time, I should get points for not losing control completely and eating all sorts of non-paleo food. I think a little chocolate mousse can be forgiven, especially when it fell toward the end of a 7 mile walk...

Budget Paleo-ish Day Two

2011-05-11T10:08:00.000-07:00

Surprisingly, I dropped a pound yesterday--(maybe it has something to do with logging my food!) Anyway, since I have been fighting the creep lately, I'm excited about it.

Brunch today (I am working the evening shift tonight, so my eating schedule will be a bit different):

1 cup coffee (71 cents) with cream (35 cents)

1 small zucchini (1/4 pound--25 cents)and 5 mushrooms (86 cents) fried in butter (.18 cents) and coconut oil (.25 cents) with about 2 ounces of leftover ground beef from last night (about 80 cents), and two poached omega-3 eggs (50 cents).

Dinner: Leftovers from last night. Cooked ground beef (1/4 pound--39 cents), sun dried tomatoes 1/4 cup (10 cents), fresh herbs (50 cents), garlic (5 cents), zucchini(1/4 pound--25 cents), mushrooms 2.5 large (43 cents) 1/2 sweet potato (.25 cents).

Snack: Sardines (Trader Joe's $1.99)

This should be it for today, but if I end up eating anything unexpected I will update.

Total for day: $8.31

Calories: 1,843
Fat: 125.4
Carbs: 64.8 (-15.3 fiber=49.5)
Protein: 119.2

Another budget Paleo month

2011-05-10T19:32:00.000-07:00

Even if Sean Abbott of Prague Stepchild hadn't challenged the Paleo/primal/"real food" movement to blog their food for a week with an eye to budget--I'd probably start doing it again out of sheer boredom. My blog has become increasingly boring lately (sorry), and I figure any budgetary advice I can give may be welcome. So, for the next week (if not longer) I will do my best to blog my food and budget while eating paleo-ish.

Today:

Breakfast: Two omega 3 eggs scrambled (50 cents), one small orange (20 cents), coffee (71 cents) with cream (35 cents).

Lunch: Cooked ground beef (1/4 pound--39 cents) with spinach (2 cups, wilted--26 cents) zucchini, (1/4 pound--25 cents) mushrooms 5 large (87 cents).

Dinner: Raw cheddar cheese (1.5 ounces--48 cents) Cooked ground beef (1/4 pound--39 cents), sun dried tomatoes 1/4 cup (10 cents), fresh herbs (50 cents), garlic (5 cents), zucchini(1/4 pound--25 cents), mushrooms 2.5 large (43 cents), avocado (99 cents), arugula ( 1 cup 33 cents), 1 glass wine (99 cents).

Butter .18 cents
Coconut oil .25 cents

Total for day $8.48

Calories: 1,899
Fat: 133.6
Carbs: 60.3 (-23.9 fiber =36.4)
Protein: 100.1

Note: None of my meat is grassfed, and my veggies are a mixture of organic and non-organic local.

Breakfast on the run

2011-05-09T12:42:00.000-07:00

So for the last several weeks, I have been walking 7 miles 3-4 days a week. I have also been fasting for about 19-20 hours a day, and watching my calories and my carbs. I keep my calories between 1700-1800 per day, and I keep my carbs under 100 grams per day. Last week was extremely difficult however, and even though I did manage to keep my calories down to about 1800, I'm not sure that was the best idea. I was starving most of the week, and managed to gain three pounds. (?)

I admit, I did endulge in some non-paleo food--potato chips and peanut M&Ms (twice) and a couple of cookies that someone brought to work. Oh, and there was a scone at some point I think...Mostly this was the result of me starving and not having my car to hop over to the grocery store for some decent food. Ordinarily, I would have been able to IF with no problem, but I think the fact that I added a pretty serious walk to my day introduced an element that I wasn't fully prepared for.

It also could be that last week was a menses-influenced fluke--that's what I am hoping anyway. I have heard that women should eat a lot of fat during that week, that it helps stabilize their blood sugar, and reduces cravings for simple carbs--I may have to plan for that as well.

I have no problem generally with IF. I think it is a great strategy--I feel good when I do it for extended periods of time, but with the addition of my walk each day, I think I am going to re-introduce breakfast to my day, along with a snack in the afternoon until I can manage not to binge on whatever happens to be around.

In the meantime while I sort all this out, breakast will be Omega-three eggs with veggies cooked in a little grassfed butter and coconut oil. I think my snack will be sardines, or leftovers with fruit.

Marinated Tri-tip with Browned Butter Asparagus and Mushrooms

2011-05-01T08:56:00.000-07:00

So after a long week, we spent a couple of days house-hunting in Portland for M's mom, and came home very late on Friday. I haven't had much time to post over the last few days, so I thought I would share with you a meal that I made a couple of times this week. I have never really cooked Tri-tip steak except on the grill, but it is wonderful for pan-frying! I marinated a couple of pieces of steak in my default marinade: a drizzle of olive oil, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, a sprinkle of dried oregano, marjoram, powdered garlic, pepper, and sea salt. After about an hour (I turned the steaks partway through to ensure they were covered in the marinade) I heated up my cast iron skillet, browned the steaks for a couple of minutes on each side, then popped it in the oven for about 10 minutes. They turned out perfectly.

While they were in the oven, I browned some butter in another skillet and tossed in my asparagus. I let this sizzle for a while, then covered the skillet and steamed them a bit. When they were done, I removed them from the pan, and sauteed some mushrooms in the remaining butter (I added a bit more). The result was wonderful, and I had a nice glass of Columbia Crest Merlot-Cabernet blend alongside it.

Tuscan Bean Soup

2011-04-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

OK, so I know that beans are generally excluded in a paleo/primal diet, but it is Easter, and I decided to make a huge pot of Tuscan bean soup.
I have company). Beans are generally excluded from the Paleo diet because of the lectins they have. (If you want a more primal option, you can make this soup without the beans.) This is a sort of variation of pasta e fagioli. (Obviously no pasta.)

Note: My mom makes the best pasta e fagioli in the world, so this is a pale comparison, but still really good! You can also make it with white wine and chicken broth instead of red wine and beef broth. The ham bone imparts a lovely flavor, and I would recommend adding the salt and pepper last after the soup has simmered for several hours and after you add the cheese so that it does not become too salty.

Tuscan Bean Soup

1 cup cannellini beans soaked overnight or 2 (14-ounce) can store-bought beans, drained and rinsed.
2 (14-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 cup yellow onions or 1 leek
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery or celery root
1/2 pound diced pancetta, bacon, or ham
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 quarts beef stock
1 large ham bone.
2 sprigs rosemary (1/2 T. chopped
3 sprigs thyme (1 T. chopped)
1 sprig oregano (1 t. chopped)
2 bay leaves.
1 cup red wine.
1 bunch spinach
1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, or mixed italian cheeses, grated.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Place the onion, celery and carrot in a large, heavy-bottomed, soup pot. Add minced pancetta, bacon, or ham. Cook over a medium-low heat, or until the onion is translucent but not brown. Add spinach, garlic, herbs, and bay leaves and stir briefly to wilt. Add tomatoes, beans, and broth, and bring to a boil. Once the soup is boiling, add ham bone, and cover and turn down to low for 4-6 hours, keeping an eye on the liquid, and adding water as needed.

When ready, adjust the salt as needed, remove the ham bone, and stir in 1-2 cups shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve with crusty whole grain bread and large Paleo salad. If you are me, try to eat salad instead of bread... :)

Zucchini Beef Saute with Guacamole

2011-04-21T06:23:00.000-07:00

This is my default meal lately. I discovered it by throwing a bunch of leftovers in a pan with some mushrooms, and voilà--a new recipe is born! I love the way the flavors meld together, and the guacamole on top makes it rich and decadent. It is very simple. I take one zucchini and about 5 large mushrooms and dice them. Then I melt about 1 T. of pastured butter in my cast iron skillet and toss the vegetables in the pan with a touch of salt and pepper. I let it saute for 10 minutes (or longer even) on a low heat until the zucchini is cooked, and the mushrooms are nicely golden and then I toss in about 1/4 of a pound of previously cooked ground beef. I cover it and keep it on low for another 5 minutes or so, tossing and stirring the contents occasionally to meld the flavors. Then, I make the guacamole to top it off with.

For me, guacamole is very simple. I take one large ripe avocado, and mash it in a bowl with about a tablespoon of organic cultured sour cream. I add salt to taste, and that's it.

Very simple. This meal takes about 20 minutes, and it cost me about $3.64. Ground beef was on sale at QFC for $1.59/lb. Zucchini was on sale for 99 cents at Safeway, so the only regularly priced items were the butter, sour cream, mushrooms, and avocado--I buy mushrooms and avocados at Costco. (Avocados about 1.25 each for huge, nice avocados--Mushrooms about $2.40/lb.) I go to Trader Joe's for my grass-fed butter (Kerry Gold--$5.98/lb.) and my sour cream (Nancy's organic cultured sour cream--I think around $3).

I have eaten this same meal about 5 times in the last week. It is easy and quick, and after I walk home I want something easy and quick.

My walking is going well. I am taking today off, and haven't decided about tomorrow yet. My "schedule" is being disrupted this week a bit. M is coming home and bringing his mom for a few days. I'll probably make a pot of Tuscan bean soup over the weekend (not Paleo exactly, but really good traditional food, and I have a ham bone I have been saving for it...Soup is easy--I don't want to spend the whole weekend in the kitchen.)

Then of course there is Easter at my cousin's on Sunday which which be full of yummy food--including See's Candy "Scotchmallow" Easter eggs--which I love, crave and must have at least one of. But I am bringing roasted asparagus, and we are planning at least one good long walk this weekend--so it won't be a total write-off.

Next week I am going to up my walking to every day (I hope). I have to admit, the hills are killing me. By the time I get home, I am exhausted...(my glutes seriously hurt yesterday).

This week,, I am trying to take it easy on my ankle (did I mention I sprained it over my vacation, and the move?) Anyway, I have been cautious with my mileage because I'm still recovering, and I sort of pushed myself extra hard yesterday--so that by the time I got home, it was starting to hurt a bit (hence the day off). I'm waiting to see how it feels today before I decide if I am walking tomorrow. I may just put in a nice walk on Saturday, and skip Friday and Sunday.

I am excited that I am back into distance walking though. I like the feeling of accomplishment when I reach home in the early evening with my workout behind me, and the evening open to whatever I decide I want to do. And I truly love walking--it feels good, and it is so stress relieving!

OK, must go, work is calling me...

Walking to Work

2011-04-18T15:18:00.000-07:00

So it has been ages since I posted last, due to the move, and trying to re-adjust my time to fit what I want to accomplish each day…I promise I will do better now. I have been tweeting up a storm though, so I haven’t been completely idle.

It rains a lot in Seattle, (you may know this) especially in the Spring, which is why I have been putting off starting my “walking to work” program. I’ve been feeling guilty about not starting, I mean we moved to this apartment primarily so that I could walk to work. We’ve been here almost three weeks now, and it is weighing on me. I did two half days last week (or was it the week before?) which was easy, but I had to leave my car there overnight, and to be honest, I just worried about it the whole time. (Not that anyone really wants a slightly dented and worse-for-wear KIA, but if someone were to steal it for a joyride, or damage it in some way, it would be yet another thing that I wouldn’t have the money to deal with…)

So this morning, I took the proverbial bull by the horns and walked to work. The walk I have chosen is about 3.5 miles each way which gives me 7 miles to walk each day. There are several hills, and about 6 stoplights—and it takes about 1 hour and 25minutes. I could do it faster, but I don’t like to walk extremely fast. I enjoy walking, it isn’t about the destination for me, it’s about my surroundings. I fortunately found a nice route that is not too busy with morning commuters, and got to work about five minutes early—just enough time to switch into work clothes—it turned out perfectly!

My plan is to walk 3-4 times per week to start with, and eventually move to 5 days a week. I felt good as I walked this morning, although the hail and rain storm that struck a few hours later made me nervous about my trip home…it is sunny right now, I am crossing my fingers that the weather holds until I get home tonight.

In other news, I am (of course) still cooking and eating Paleo-ish. I have completely given up on the “no dairy” idea though—I eat grass-fed cheese, organic cultured sour cream, organic heavy cream, and grass-fed butter. I admit it, I am a dairy whore.

My diet has changed a bit however. The Paleo-ish/Primal diet/lifestyle(for lack of a better word/phrase)has been a learning experience, and one that I think will be continuous throughout my life. I began this journey several years ago, and I continuously learn new things.

For example, The Omega3-Omega6 ratio of my diet. I thought that I was doing pretty well by taking cod liver oil, cutting out grains and industrialized seed oils, and just focusing on vegetables, fruits, and meat. Turns out that even with all those steps I was still probably getting something like a 1 to 30 ratio because of all the chicken and pork I eat. There were several articles recently on just this topic, and so I have done my reading, and altered the meats that I eat, (even though it will mean a bit of a hit in the pocketbook).

We now eat beef. (And if we can find them for a decent price, we will also eat bison, lamb, goat, and venison). Chicken and pork will be an occasional treat. We eat sardines, oysters and canned salmon every day. And vegetables of course. Lately zucchini, asparagus and broccoli have been on sale--so lots of those cooked in pastured butter with an abundance of mushrooms. A few handfuls of mixed greens, tomatoes and avocados, and fruit, mostly oranges, strawberries, grapefuit and an occasional apple.

I think that we can make this work--chicken and pork were huge staples for us because they are always on sale for less than $2/lb. BUT--One chicken thigh with skin has 17 grams of Omega 6 in it, versus 1 gram in an entire pound of commercial grain-fed beef. With the sardines and cod liver oil, I have been keeping track of my O3/O6 ratio, and they are better now. Yesterday they were 3480/8907. (I love NutritionData!)So far I haven't gone wildly over budget either although it is hard to say how it will be in the long run...I'll keep you posted.

I am still IF-ing. For the most part I do a long fast of about 19-20 hours each day and eat a large meal for dinner--it usually includes an appetizer of fish or oysters, or grass-fed cheese, a glass of wine, a salad with avocado and tomato, and beef of some sort with two green vegetables. I'll share some of my new concoctions later this week. I have completely stopped eating mayonnaise (replaced it with cultured sour cream) and while I occasionally drizzle things with olive oil, I use pastured butter for cooking.

I do not have problems fasting--in fact, I really like it because I know that when I reach the end of my day I can have as much as I want for dinner--so far I have only ben able to eat about 1600 calories worth of food--so no worries that I will binge. With my distance walking, I was a little concerned that I would be crazy with hunger by the time I got home, but walking serves as a kind of appetite suppressant for me. I was fine.

I guess that is all for now, I will try to post more this week, with recipes and pics!! In the meantime, may all your food be truly edible...

Paleo 2.0 (a love story)

2011-04-04T19:09:00.000-07:00

So I was playing around with Xtranormal and making dinner when someone said "Cavemen didn't HAVE butter"...

Meals for this week

2011-03-08T06:27:00.001-08:00

I thought I would add a quick post about what I am eating this week--I bought a large pack of Tarantino Breakfast sausages at Costco--while this is a moderately processed food they don't add a bunch of junk to their sausages--no nitrates either and they are veridies gluten free, so no secret ingredients. Spices and salt are pretty much it. I don't worry too much about salt. I eat WAY less than the average American...

I also bought a dozen pastured eggs (for a small fortune) and some pastured butter, cream, and raw cheese. I know that is a lot of dairy, but I find that when I am stressed out, as in a move, it is much easier for me to relax and get through it when I have dairy to fall back on. And it is all pastured, good dairy--I am not going crazy with it, just have an ounce or two of cheese per day and some cream in my coffee.

Breakfasts this week are sausage and eggs, with salads for lunch, and dinner is meat with veggies cooked in butter. I still have a freezer full of meat, so it is very easy to throw something together--and I am still sticking to budget. I am not IFing this week--too stressed...

Lifting Heavy Things

2011-03-07T06:50:00.000-08:00

So my "cleanse" was a massive fail. Best not to do these sorts of things while moving--need good food and enough protein when lifting and carrying boxes and furniture! I suppose I shall have to try it again sometime when I have finished the move--right now, I am eating very primal, not so paleo as some dairy has crept back into my diet. (Grass fed, and raw dairy, but still...) I continue to pack things and move things and sort things. I finally got into the new apartment on Saturday, and now I am slowly sorting through everything in the big apartment and trying to figure out where to put it all in the new smaller apartment. I am a little sore from carrying furniture, and bending a squatting, but it is definitely a good paleo workout. My walking will be on hold for the next few weeks as I move things into the new space, and my blogging intermittant...I am SO looking forward to the new place--it is only 3.5 miles from work, so I should be able to walk back and forth if not every day, at least on the dry days!

Getting the word out about The Foodee Project

2011-03-03T06:48:00.000-08:00

I'm a little behind in my reading lately, but I wanted to share this link with those of you who may not yet have discovered it:

The Foodee Project. Created and developed by Matthew Lucas who co-owns and runs CrossFit Southwest, the Foodee Project "brings the best paleo-friendly meals and resources to one easy to use location. There are some incredible people spreading the good paleo word and we aim to bring as much attention to what they are doing as possible."

Although the site is in beta, it has an excellent database of recipes already, and plenty of room for more. I encourage you to join the project, and contribute your Paleo recipes, I plan to!

A few recipe links

2011-02-27T10:13:00.001-08:00

Since I have been so busy the last couple of weeks prepping for the move, it should't surprise me that I got the flu as well--isn't that always the way it works? So I haven't eaten much the last few days,I did drag myself out of bed last weekend to make "bone broth." It was about all I could keep down for a couple of days there. That and, oh toaster waffles which we won't get into...

I did have some time to catch up on my reading a bit, and so I want to share some recipes with you. The first one is Lacto-Fermented Mayonnaise courtesy of Cheeseslave. I make my own mayo anyway, but it only lasts a few days--this recipe uses probiotics as a preservative. I read Tara's post about her experiences with probiotics and bone broth (among other things) curing her ailments, and have been very motivated to add this element to my diet. It seems like the only probiotic you hear of regularly is yogurt, which is not generally a part of my diet--but there are loads of other pro-biotic things you can make/eat as well that may greatly add to your health. I went to PCC and shelled out some serious cash for two jars of lacto-fermented veggies ($8 for one, $6 for the other) and some good quality bones for broth ($2/lb).

Sine M is out of town for a few days, it is just me and the pocketbook (as my grandmother used to say) I have to admit, I haven't been sticking to budget--but as of today--I am and will be.

I am going to try a "cleanse" for a couple of days. I don't really like the term "cleanse" because it sounds sort of hippy-new-agey-vegan and I don't really see myself as the new-age hippy-type, I am more of a food traditionalist with a lot of paleo-enthusiasm. However, I do like the term "cleanse" better than "bowel flora protocol" (for the re-population and management of your own personal variety of bowel flora.)

A "cleanse" generally includes fasting and eating specific nutrients--like fresh vegetables, broths, and fermented foods. Most traditional cultures includes these things. Fermented foods are part of many hunter-gatherer societies, and traditional "healthy" foods often include teas and broths, and various types of fermented foods.

Tomorrow I am going to fast all day and Tuesday and Wednesday I will be consuming only fresh veggies (cooked in a little pastured butter), fermented veggies, avocado, various teas, grapefruit and bone broth (from pastured lamb bones). I imagine by Thursday I will be ready for a more substantial meal, but it shouldn't be so bad. I IF a lot of the time anyway...

Anyway, before I go here is another recipe I want to share this is from the Soaring Crane Clinic.

Still here--just taking a few days off...

2011-02-14T06:39:00.000-08:00

Hello blog friends! Happy Valentine's Day!

I am going to have to take a brief hiatus from my blog as I prepare to move to a new apartment over the course of the next 6 weeks or so...not enough time to keep up on my reading, and actually post much lately. I spent the last couple of weeks looking for a new apartment, and put a deposit down on one Saturday. M was home for a few days helping me look, but he is leaving again soon and I will be packing stuff up and sorting through everything we own for the next several weeks in preparation for moving day.

I like to move when I have lots of time like this--it is an adventure! For example we are downsizing to a studio apartment, and have to figure out how to fit everything in--Tetris comes to mind...

Also I can look forward to lots of good Paleo activities, carrying heavy stuff, bending, twisting, walking upstairs carrying heavy stuff. On the down side, I also have to figure out what to do with the excess, and where to put the kitty box...
:)

"Search. Experiment. Fail. Improve. Learn. Grow."

2011-02-08T06:52:00.000-08:00

I don't have time for a normal post today--this weekend was crazy--we are moving to a new apartment soon, and life is taking up more time than usual.

Anyway, I have two sites and a post to share with you all. Richard Nikoley had a guest poster this week, Julien Smith. Well worth the read. Don't be put off by the swearing--it adds to the character. Also check out Paleo Pepper and Paleo Erin. Both of them are fun to read, and have great experiences to share.

Must run, work calls...

Foods to avoid on an autoimmune focused Paleo Diet.

2011-01-29T12:34:00.000-08:00

I found an excellent post explaining in very simple terms what foods should be avoided and how to follow an elimination diet for autoimmune suffers. I'd like to recommend to anyone who is interested to check out this post. I think the advice to follow a strict form of the diet for 1-3 months is a good one. Then, after those three months, begin to add in the foods that you miss the most and keep a written record of how you feel each day, and whether your symptoms have improved.

On my post last week, I mentioned that most of Loren Cordain's recent research conclusions regarding nightshades have been discussed in the Raw Paleo Forum. While I am not a Raw Paleo follower, there is some good information there, and certainly interesting comments. In addition, I also discovered an excellent interviewwith Loren Cordain about the research that has been done regarding autoimmune disease and the dietary implications of that research.

Basically this is what I have distilled from what he has written in his books, mentioned in interviews and published in his research and newsletters, and what I have gleaned from other researchers and sites over the past couple of weeks:

It is probably a good idea when starting out to try a 1-3 month period of complete elimination. Completely avoid the following:

Grains of all kinds: Amaranth, barley, buckwheat, corn, (including whole cornmeal and popcorn), millet, oats (including oatmeal), quinoa, rice, (brown, white and wild), rye, sorghum, teff, triticale, and wheat (including varieties such as spelt, emmer, farro, einkorn, kamut, durum and forms such as bulgur, cracked wheat and wheatberries.)

Legumes: Including peas, beans, lentils, soy, and peanuts.

Nightshade vegetables: This would include potatoes (not sweet potatoes), tomatoes, green peppers, chili peppers, eggplants and tomatillos. Note that chili peppers include all varieties of peppers from the genus Capsicum, including sweet bell peppers, jalapenos, cayenne, habanero, Anaheim, Thai, Tabasco, cherry, pepperoncini and Serrano (among others). Chili peppers are also commonly consumed in dried powders such as paprika, chili powder and cayenne, and are nearly always found in hot sauces, Tabasco sauces, and salsas.

Dairy: All dairy products, including milk cream, cheese, etc., from cows, goats, sheep, etc.

All processed food: including cured meats (cured bacon too), sugar, pre-mixed seasonings and sauces, jarred mayonnaise, mustard, etc.

There is also some evidence that avoiding egg whites, nuts, and alcohol may help alleviate symptoms.

After the initial elimination phase--cautiously (one per week) begin to introduce items back in to your diet. Nuts, tomatoes, peppers, (foods that are still considered "paleo".) Carefully pay attention to how you feel when you consume them to see if they cause a flare-up. Sometimes you will find that you can eat tomatoes or peppers several times a week without repercussions.

Try to keep grains, potatoes and dairy out of your diet long term.

I tend to let things slip. I haven't been perfect. Far from it. I do drink wine once or twice a week or so, dairy slips in occasionally too, and last night I went out to dinner and had a slice and a half of pizza. I need to be more careful. I am currently having an LS flareup, and this week I have not been exactly strict with my diet, perhaps there is a correlation... :)

On the upside, I am continuing to lose weight, which is a good thing (I think that is due to the low-calorie nature of my diet now--I have been very faithfully IFing each day.)

I hope this information is helpful to some of you, and welcome comments.

Hors d'œuvres

2011-01-22T14:24:00.001-08:00

Hello blogfriends!

I managed to spend only $54 this week. We had Karney's Paleo stuff, Taco Salad, Steak with Shrimp and All Day Paleo Stew. We had asparagus, spinach, mushrooms tomatoes and romaine lettuce for our veggies. I bought a big bag of broccoli that we didn't get to yet, and we have four heads of romaine left so this weekend's shopping was even less than last week ($48) and that includes some dates and prosciutto that I bought to make hors d'œuvres for a little party tonight. We bought a huge bag of red potatoes(for M since I am not eating potatoes due to the saponin content) We still have meat left in the freezer, so no meat purchase this week--although I am tempted to go to Safeway because they have lean ground beef and chicken breasts for $1.79 a pound right now...But I am sticking to my plan not to spend anything extra, and we have perfectly good meat in the freezer that we need to use up.

I have a recipe to share with you as well. We go over to my cousin's a few times a month, and I try to bring something to contribute to the meal. Yesterday, she mentioned I could bring the hors d'œuvres, so I have been searching for a good snack type Paleo food that will be yummy and will go well with red wine and beef stew. I found a prosciutto wrapped dates appetizer idea over at Nutty Kitchen, which sounded delish, so I adapted it a bit by replacing the walnuts with toasted pecans. I got the prosciutto at Costco--a double package costs $13.89, which is very cheap for prosciutto, (hopefully it is not waxy and tasteless). Quality of food is just as important as cost. These are a little expensive though, so I probably won't make them too often...

Anyway, I will let you know how they taste, but I am expecting them to be particularly yum and am feeling astonishingly insouciant about our little dinner party tonight. :)

If anyone has a good (and inexpensive) recipe for paleo/primal hors d'œuvres that travel well, I am in desperate need of ideas. The Superbowl is coming up, and we have been invited to visit some friends and spend the afternoon with them. I cannot think of one thing that would be a good side dish or appetizer that is not expensive to make. (Marinated asparagus is my standby, or cold marinated vegetables--peppers mushrooms and eggplant, but they do get pretty spendy--around $20 for a platter). I'd really like something more in the $10 range. I'm sure I can come up with something, but my brain is a little tired lately...

Update and budget for the week

2011-01-15T12:38:00.001-08:00

So our meals have been pretty standard for the past two weeks. I went shopping at Costco and Safeway for lean on-sale meat a couple of weeks ago, and so I have a freezer full (and I do mean full) of bay shrimp, whole chickens, lean steak, lean pork loin, and lean ground beef.

I also have some ham and a ham-bone in there left over from Christmas--Typically I consider ham to be a processed food, and we rarely eat it, except on the rare occasion when it is 50 cents a pound. Ham is lean, but also salty, and not one of my favorite foods, but cut up and fried in a pan with veggies and sweet potato, I can live with it. You get the whole "sweet and salty" thing that way, which makes it almost worth it.

I have decided for the sake of our budget to eat our way through what we have in the freezer before I buy anything new. This means a lot of meals that I know we have ingredients for...

Karney's Paleo Stuff
Grilled Steak
All-Day Paleo Stew
Taco Salad
Shrimp Salad
Roast Chicken

For the past two weeks I have spent about $45 on vegetables and fruits, and about $20 on meat.
I buy yams or sweet potatoes, mushrooms, spinach, romaine lettuce, carrots, turnips, campari tomatoes, bell peppers, brussels sprouts, asparagus, and avocados. I also buy citrus fruits: oranges, tangelos, clementines, grapefruit...Soon it will be strawberry season and I will have berries as well. We eat yams a couple of times a week, no more than one per person. They are very good for stretching our meals out and filling us up, but I prefer to keep the carbohydrates down.

We do have a couple of strategies that help our budget. It makes it easier that we fast for about 20 hours each day. (We typically eat between 5pm and 9pm) With only one real meal to deal with, we can eat as much as we like at that one meal without feeling deprived, and 20 hours isn't so much that it seems impossible, or overwhelming, and it does cut down on the cost quite a bit.

Some people don't do well with intermittent fasting. I think ideally two meals a day would be about right--that seems to be what most of the Paleo literature suggests as well. One light meal, one heavy meal, or two moderate meals. We plan for a small snack if necessary, but tend to skip them most of the time. I do drink coffee in the morning with coconut milk which helps, I think the fat takes the edge off. I also drink Yerba Mate during the day at work, which I love the flavor of, (very herbal and nice) and it has the added benefit of dulling hunger a bit. I also find that fasting helps me concentrate in the afternoon better, and makes me stick to my afternoon workout. I find it much easier to cut back on calories when I fast like this.

If anyone is interested, I took a look at my nutrition statistics for the past two weeks (Since January 1st) on Fitday and here is the breakdown of what I am averaging each day:
Calories 1,643

Grams Calories %-Cals

Total Fat 99.9 880 54 %
Saturated 27.6 244 15 %
Polyunsaturated 18.2 159 10 %
Monounsaturated 45.2 398 24 %
Carbohydrate 88.2 329 20 %
Dietary Fiber 23.4
Protein 98.5 399 24 %
Alcohol 4.9 34 2 %

I am interested to see that my fat ratios are pretty much exactly as Cordain suggested our paleo ancestors' would have been, "the normal dietary intake of saturated fatty acids that conditioned our species genome likely fell between 10 to 15% of total energy." (Cordain)

I typically don't pay too much attention to my fat intake--I am eating primarily lean conventionally-raised meat, and occasionally having higher fat meat like roasted chicken a couple of times per week, so I figure it all balances out. I also am consistently losing weight at a rate of about 2.5 pounds per week since January 1st.

I walk for about one hour a day for stress relief. I look forward to walking--and take the day off if I need to. I don't pressure myself about exercise. Walking is a weight bearing exercise, so even though it is "cardio" it is also weight resistance. It is the perfect thing to do if you aren't ready for "weight lifting" and need something to get you started. If you want more of a challenge, and want to increase your resistance, walk in sand, or walk laps in a swimming pool. I do all of my walking indoors, barefoot, on a treadmill--mostly because it is convenient and I am less likely to talk myself out of it. I like to walk outdoors, but I don't like to walk in the rain, and in Seattle it rains regularly...Plus I believe in the benefits of walking barefoot, which is difficult to do outdoors unless you have a nice soft course somewhere, which I don't.

Well, there is my long-winded update.

I am still looking for autoimmune research that will help me determine which nightshade veggies I can eat, and which I need to avoid. I have been eating a little ripe tomato here and there, and some bell pepper, but not much--at the most two small campari tomatoes per day, and maybe 1/4 of a cooked bell pepper once a week. I am having an LS flare though, so maybe it is related. I am going to try to cut them out for a few days and see if anything changes.

I also hope to try out a new recipe this weekend and post it soon!

Intermission

2011-01-13T06:46:00.000-08:00

My laptop hard drive crashed on Tuesday, and I finally got her back last night. (Yes, you read that right, my laptop is a girl--Her name is Amelie in case you were wondering). I think I am thoroughly addicted to my blogger account. I have something like 79 blogs I follow, and even though I only missed about two days of posts, I feel like I am so behind. It's like the world moved on without me. Anyway, today is catchup day, and I will post again this weekend after I re-install all my programs. Food this week is exactly the same as last week, except that I am trying to get back to IF-ing more frequently, so we are eating a little less frequently, larger meals at dinner. Same menus as last week.

I'm glad to be back!

Sunday menus

2011-01-10T08:29:00.000-08:00

I only ate once yesterday, a nice meal of Karney's Paleo stuff with extra spinach and tomato with avocado. I drank about two liters of water yesterday and walked a few miles. I really like fasting until midday, I just have coffee with a little coconut milk for breakfast, then if I am starving, I will have a snack (like sardines)and I generally have dinner around 7pm followed by some fruit. Lately I have been eating some higher carb stuff, but am trying to focus on lower carb paleo. No more pears. Oranges and an occasional apple maybe, but low on the fruit, and fewer sweet potatoes...

Budget results for the week.

2011-01-09T19:12:00.000-08:00

I did not post my food for yesterday. To be honest I am already bored with it. Maybe I should just post pictures of new menus and recipes, otherwise you are going to end up seeing the same few meals over and over...I shall keep listing my menus though, as several people have mentioned that they are helpful.

My budget for the week went well. All told we spent about $64.

Yesterday, I Fasted most of the day. Then last night we were invited to a dinner party, and amazingly the food was very paleo-ish. Appetizers were crab cakes, smoked sausage wrapped in bacon, and spinach artichoke dip (with cheese). I had a little of everything. The main dish was prime rib with potatoes au gratin and stir-fried vegetables. I skipped the potatoes and asked for two servings of veggies. We had a side salad of mixed greens with cucumber, and a small creme brulee for dessert. I also had a couple of glasses of really nice red wine. All told I feel pretty good about what we ate, and how I did...and have had no repercussions so far. My LS seems to be doing well this week, and I have dropped a total of three pounds, which is a nice bonus. My averages for the week are 1500 calories a day, 86 grams of fat, 88 grams of carbohydrate, and 90 grams of protein.

Today so far, I have not eaten. Dinner is going to be Karney's paleo stuff with tomato (only one small one) and avocado. Maybe a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. I am walking every night, not a lot, just a few miles, I find it very stress-relieving. I take days off randomly--this week it was Wednesday and Friday.

I have requested through the library several of the articles Robb Wolf cites in his book in the hope that they will shed some light on the autoimmune implications of red tomatoes and eggplant. In the meantime I am not going crazy with tomato just in case it causes a problem for me, however, so far I seem to be OK.

A new week begins tomorrow, I'll try to come up with some interesting new recipes this week, so that I don't bore you to death... :)

Meals for Friday

2011-01-08T07:09:00.000-08:00

Mid-morning snack: Pecans and mint tea

Lunch: Leftover taco salad meat with romaine lettuce

Afternoon snack: Coffee with one slice of chocolate orange and a sliver of blackberry pie. (Birthday party at work)

Dinner: Roasted chicken thighs, sweet potato and steamed broccoli.

We had a birthday party at work today, need I say more?

Meals for Thursday

2011-01-07T06:17:00.001-08:00

Midmorning snack: Red clover tea, carrots and sunflower seeds.

Lunch: Leftover broccoli, brussels sprouts and shrimp! Dessert: A pear (not pictured)

Dinner: taco salad with lean ground beef (seasoned with 1 T cumin, 1 tsp powdered garlic, salt and pepper), bell pepper, mushrooms, onion, romaine lettuce, tomato and avocado. (This salad is also very good without tomatoes and peppers.)

The bell pepper and campari tomato are currently in my autoimmune grey zone--bell pepper has very low levels of capsaicin which is supposedly the reason we avoid peppers. However there may be more to it than that. Dr. Cordain mentions avoiding green tomatoes but not red tomatoes, and if I find I should be avoiding peppers and red tomatoes as well, I am certainly willing to give both of them up if I can find a statement that thoroughly explains it--or I suppose I could do it the old fashioned way and exclude all of them for a month and then add them back in one at a time and see what happens. (That might be the best approach actually.) I am reading though Robb Wolfe's resources right now, because he suggests that for autoimmune disease you should avoid all nightshades and lists tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant as things to avoid. There must be a paper I can site that will go into it more thoroughly. When I find it I will let you know.

More food porn...and notes about food and autoimmune disease.

2011-01-06T06:36:00.000-08:00

I keep forgetting to take a picture of my lunch lately--I get distracted and end up eating it too quickly to realize that my camera is sitting right there for a reason...
So again. I only have snacks and dinner to show you:

Snack: Red Clover Tea with sunflower seeds and an apple.

Dinner: Grilled steak (4oz), sauteed brussels sprouts with olive oil and walnuts, steamed broccoli, romaine salad with avocado, tomato and a few bay shrimp, dressed in olive oil and lemon.

I had a pear for dessert:

So, I have been reading up on the foods that affect autoimmune diseases. I know that I should avoid grains and legumes because of the effects of lectins. I know that I should avoid potatoes and green tomatoes because of their saponin content, dairy, because it is implicated in autoimmune disease based on the current research, and chili peppers because they are high in capsaicin. I take this to mean that I can eat red tomatoes, eggplant, and sweet peppers in moderation because they are not big sources of any of the compounds I should be avoiding. However, I keep running across articles that suggest I should be avoiding all nightshades if I have an autoimmune disease. My question is why? Am I supposed to be avoiding other compounds that i don't knkow about? Is it just easier to say "avoid nightshades" rather than to explain which nightshades and why? As I continue to research this, I will post what I find. Right now, I am going to continue with the tomato. I can rationalize pretty much anything when it comes to food... :)

Yesterday's meals

2011-01-05T06:14:00.001-08:00

Morning snack: Handful of pecans. Small pile of baby carrots. Water, the elixir of life.

I forgot to take a picture of lunch, I got distracted and before I realized it, I had eaten it all...Imagine, if you will a tossed salad with romaine lettuce, cucumbers, chicken a small tomato and a simple dressing of olive oil and balsamic vinegar with lemon...

Dinner: leftover chicken tossed in a pan with broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms and little olive oil. I served it with 1/2 a cubed cooked yam, 2 small tomatoes, and 1/2 of an avocado.

Dessert was a fresh juicy pear.

Meals for today

2011-01-03T20:07:00.000-08:00

This week is pretty typical as far as my meals go.
I went back to work after a week off, so my lazy vacation brunches are now replaced with a snack around 10 or 11, then lunch at about 1pm. I get home, walk for an hour or so, (usually while something is roasting in the oven) and have dinner around 7pm. Dessert, if I have it is a piece of fruit. Last night I had part of a grapefruit, tonight, I predict part of an orange... :)

Morning snack: 1 large handful sunflower seeds, small pile of baby carrots, cup of yerba mate.

Lunch: 1 serving of leftover stew from last night.

Dinner: Roast chicken (1 huge thigh), steamed broccoli, tossed salad with romaine lettuce, cucumber, 1 small tomato, 1/2 an avocado, 1 T. olive oil with lemon, salt and pepper.

Brunch today!

2011-01-02T13:10:00.001-08:00

Brunch today was leftovers from last night. Karney's Paleo Stuff. I tossed a few fresh mushrooms in a pan, along with the leftovers, and a chopped up sweet potato, and voila!

We usually only have "meals" twice per day. We have breakfast when we get hungry around 10:30 or 11am, then we have maybe a snack around 2 or 3, and dinner around 6 or 7. This helps with our budget. (When I am at work, I usually have a snack around 10:30, lunch about 1pm, and dinner at 6 or 7). Our snacks are usually fresh vegetables, and a handful of nuts, and possibly some fruit. We eat a lot of organic carrots because they are very cheap at Costco, and they taste great with walnuts, almonds, or pecans.

Update:

Dinner today was All Day Paleo Stew. (I had three bowls--for some reason I was just starving this afternoon.) No snack today though...

Happy New Year!!

2011-01-01T09:55:00.000-08:00

I love new beginnings. I always feel so hopeful and good at the start of the new year. I wish each of you good fortune and happiness in this coming year!

I also want to welcome my new readers. I have had several new comments lately and am excited to have new friends to share my blog with. There is a large and growing paleosphere out there. Ordinary people like me, who blog about their goals and experiences. Doctors, researchers and nutritionists who blog about the current research, and their own take on the paleo diet. Athletes, former athletes, and Crossfitters who advocate the paleo diet as part of a healthy lifestyle. We are part of a growing movement that realizes that the food we eat makes a big difference in our health. I am happy to be able to share with you what I do, and I hope that some of my experiences may help you in your journey toward good health.

At the beginning of the new year I always like to review where I am and what I am dong to clarify it in my mind, and to put it out there for anyone who might be interested.

I follow an autoimmune version of the paleo diet, as suggested by Loren Cordain. For Christmas, my husband bought me the new Paleo Diet Cookbook, which has Dr. Cordian's updated suggestions on what to eat. and he has dedicated several pages to recommendations for the autoimmune sufferer.

This is the Paleo diet as outlined in his book: Avoid dairy, cereal grains, legumes, potatoes, salt-containing foods, fatty meats, soft drinks, fruit juices, and sweets.
On top of that, as an autoimmune sufferer, I should avoid alcohol, NSAIDS, oral contraceptives, antacids, capaicin-containing chili peppers, certain saponin or glycoalkaloid containing foods and certain lectin containing foods.

The good news for me is that while Dr. Cordain cautions against green tomatoes, and potatoes for their saponin content, and peppers for their capsaicin content, he does not suggest that people suffering from autoimmune disease should avoid other nightshade vegetables. I love tomatoes, and eggplant. I have been avoiding them because of the idea that nightshade vegetables may make my symptoms worse, but as of now, I am including them back in my diet on a limited basis.

My diet is fairly simple:

I can eat any lean meat, fresh vegetable (that is not a grain or legume, or those mentioned above) or fresh fruit. I can eat eggs in moderation (4-7 per week).

Since I am also trying to lose weight, I should eat sparingly of high sugar fruits, and limit my sweet potatoes and yams to no more than one per day. For my "open meals" which I have mentioned before (I have 1-3 per week)I simply eat the fattier cuts of meat that I deny myself most of the time, and have higher-sugar fruits and some limited honey and maple sugar.

Then, there is the budget...
We are limited to about $70 per week for the two of us. The last couple of weeks, with Christmas and all, we overspent. Now that we are back on track, we must re-double our efforts to make up for it.

My New Year's resolutions are:

#1 To post my budget--how much I have spent each week at the end of the week.
#2 To take pictures of my food for each day and post them.
#3 To write down everything I eat each day and enter it into Fitday so I can keep track of nutrients, calories, and ratios.

So, to start with, here is what I ate today as a sort of brunch:

Warmed up leftover lean steak, (3 oz.) with leftover brussels sprouts (1/2 cup),5 asparagus spears, 1/4 cup of leftover green beans (We do not typically eat legumes), and about a tablespoon of chopped walnuts all warmed up and tossed with a little olive oil. Served with an orange.

Then dinner:

Tossed salad (about 1 cup romaine, and 1/4 cup chopped cucumber) with one small sliced campari tomato, and 1/2 an avocado. Drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice along with pepper and a little salt. (I typically don't add much salt to my meals, but I don't cut it out completely either). Then, 1 serving of Karney's Paleo Stuff: 1/4 pound lean ground beef, 2 sliced mushrooms, 1/8th of an onion, chopped, 2 cups fresh spinach, 1/4 of a sweet potato. Dessert was another orange.

I will keep this up each day for as long as I can to give you an idea of what we eat each day. Life tends to get in the way sometimes. :)

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-27T09:24:00.000-08:00

I've been busy the last few days baking, cooking, and celebrating Christmas with M and my mom-in-law and my family here in the Seattle area. The one time of year I don't worry too much about being perfectly paleo is Christmas...I drink eggnog, I bake and enjoy one or two traditional Slovak pastries, our Christmas Eve Lentil Soup, and M's favorite Medieval Pie. This time I also made a couple of paleo treats.

Spiced Pecans:

2 cups pecans
1-2 T. butter or coconut oil (I started off with one T, then added a bit more).
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp coriander

Toast nuts in butter/coconut oil for about 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring frequently. (I did this on top of the stove in my cast iron pan which worked perfectly.) When toasted, place nuts in paper bag, sprinkle seasoning over the top, then shake until all nuts are well coated. Let nuts drain and dry out a bit on paper towels.

I did two other variations of this:

Curry Spiced Pecans
2 cups pecans
1-2 T. butter or coconut oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. curry (I used a yummy sweet curry from Penzey's)

Christmas Spiced Pecans
2 cups pecans
1-2 T. butter or coconut oil
2 T. real maple sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg

They all turned out really well, and everyone loved them!

Best Recipes

2010-12-13T06:51:00.001-08:00

Oh, where to begin?

I love food. Food is a great pleasure and great food is a pleasure to share. This time of year especially, I seek out recipes that will not only be delicious, but also a bit festive. Following the autoimmune version of the paleo diet can be challenging, however, as many of the best recipes include nightshade vegetables or eggs. And many of sites out there are more primal than paleo, allowing cheese from time to time as well. Not that there isn't some room for flexibility in most diets, but when you are trying to eat paleo for autoimmune reasons, it can be hard to find a recipe that meets your needs.

So I have decided to put together a small guide to get you through those first critical couple of weeks. The paleo diet for autoimmune suffers is not about losing weight. Some blogs about the paleo diet recommend that you eat a very low carb diet, or focus more on weight loss than on autoimmune health. But for me, the paleo diet is about cutting out things that increase or cause my inflammation. I try to focus on eating whole foods and getting anywhere from 30-100 grams of carbohydrates per day. I just don't worry about whether or not I am gaining or losing weight right now. I am just trying to focus on eating a pretty restrictive version of the paleo diet, and doing it in an affordable way.

I focus on finding recipes I like and adapting them to fit my needs. After a while, it will become easy and second nature, and I won't feel like I am missing out. I find the best approach is to take recipes I like and change the ingredients to match my needs.

I have several favorite websites that I go to for recipes:

For delicious entrees and baked goods, I like Elana's Pantry and The Spunky Coconut.

While not as strict as autoimmune-paleo, both sites feature wonderful baked good recipes, and a flair a for creative cooking with limited ingredients. Elana also follows the paleo diet and has many yummy recipes on her site for main dishes, vegetables, side dishes, and is currently doing a series on home-made Christmas gifts.

Another one of my favorite paleo recipe sites is CFSCC Presents: Eat this! Moderated by Kelly Greco, this has dozens of really excellent Paleo recipes. Many of them feature tomatoes and peppers, but I just leave them out...

Megan's Menu is another site I like to visit. Megan has many great paleo versions of comfort foods like pizza and chicken soup, and is not afraid to experiment!

One of the best sites out there right now, in my opinion is the Paleo Diet Lifestyle. It is a great resource for recipes, and even though it does often use nightshade vegetables, and sometimes dairy, I either leave those items out, or substitute them when possible.

So these are only a few of the sites I look to regularly for inspiration, and I hope that you find them useful as as a place to begin.

Recipe of the Week: Crackers with Crunch!

2010-12-10T12:21:00.000-08:00

I have finally mastered a cracker recipe that is crunchy and yummy. I have made these with just straight almond flour, and with a mixture, and I prefer the mixture because it adds a depth of flavor that I appreciate. I have also made them with and without the garlic and herbs. I prefer them without, but M prefers them with. So if you choose to try them , I encourage you to experiment. This is an adaptation of a recipe from Elana's Pantry, and they are wonderful with pate and homemade three-olive tapenade.

Crackers with Crunch

1.5 cups almond flour
1/2 cup golden flaxseed meal
¾ teaspoon salt
1/2 t. garlic or minced fresh herbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons water

In a large bowl, combine almond flour, golden flaxseed meal, salt and garlic or herbs (or both if you like--it is good with rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme, etc.) In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and water. Stir wet ingredients into almond flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Form the dough into a ball. and between 2 sheets of parchment paper roll to about 1/8 inch thickness. Cut individual crackers (about 2 inches square is a good size), and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes, until lightly golden
Let crackers cool on baking sheet for 20-30 minutes, then serve with pate, tapenade, or your favorite topping!

New look (again)!

2010-12-08T06:49:00.001-08:00

Yes, I'm a little fickle with my blog look lately. I just found this new background, and think it applies really well to me, since I work in libraries, and since I spend a lot of time reading about the Paleo Diet...I also changed my blog pic to a newer, less stylized one. What do you think?

Shopping on a Paleo Budget

2010-12-06T06:04:00.000-08:00

I thought I would share some of my shopping tips for paleo on a budget. If you are trying to do this with a very limited budget, like me ($70 per week for 2). The first thing you need to do is let go of the guilt. There are always people saying "think of grassfed meat as an investment in your health" and while they have a point, it doesn't do any good to add guilt to the list of things you have to worry about if you are trying to make ends meet and simply can't afford it.

I shop at Costco for meat because buying in bulk saves money. If you have a small freezer and can afford it, I recommend it. You can get lots of meat cuts for under $3, several under $2, and chicken is usually .99 cents a pound. They have excellent deals on sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, avocados, tomatoes, eggs, spinach, salad greens, mushrooms, and nuts. And coconut milk when they have it.

If you are unable to buy in bulk due to income restraints, try to look at your shopping list in terms of protein sources, carbohydrate sources, and fat sources.

Rule of thumb: For protein eat the cheapest meats and fish you can afford. If you can only afford chicken for .99 cents a pound, then eat that rather than beans and cheese. Chicken is almost always cheaper if you buy the whole bird rather than parts. (learn to cut up a chicken--it is worth the time if you want to re-package it and freeze it). Hamburger is sometimes on sale for .99 cents a pound. Pork is almost always available for under $2 a pound. Eat canned tuna, salmon, or sardines a couple of times a week. Make sure they are canned in water or olive oil. Avoid soybean oil.

For vegetables and fruits, eat whatever is on sale that week. Right now, we have zucchini, asparagus, tomatoes, grapes, apples, and oranges on sale in this area. If you can't shop at Costco, I recommend Safeway, and Fred Meyer. Both have very good weekly deals. Also, don't forget to check frozen vegetables. Frozen spinach is often cheaper than fresh, same goes for many other veggies--compare when you can, and buy frozen if it is cheaper. Bags of apples and oranges are cheaper than single apples and oranges--so when they have 5 pounds of clementines on sale for $4.99, stock up and store them in the refrigerator so they last longer. If you have a little money to spare, or can afford it, I recommend using the Environmental Working Groups list of Dirty Dozen/Clean Fifteen vegetables. They update this list every year to verify which are the safest vegetables and fruits, and which have the most pesticides. If you can't afford to do this, invest in a good vegetable wash, or make your own to wash your fruits and vegetables well before eating them.

Fats are easy. Buy bacon. Save the drippings from your ground beef. Buy a jar of refined (or unrefined) coconut oil, and if you do dairy, buy grassfed butter. (Kerry Gold is pretty cheap at Trader Joe's). For salad dressing use olive oil and vinegar. Avoid all other refined oils. Eat nuts in moderation. If you can afford it, take a cod liver oil supplement. If you can't make sure you eat your fish a couple of times a week.

This is what we do. I'm sure there are gaps in our nutrition, but we are doing the best we can, and most importantly, making ends meet. :)

Paleo in an economic crisis.

2010-12-02T11:59:00.000-08:00

I'm back from my Thanksgiving "vacation". It wasn't really much of a vacation to be honest--it was stressful...We drove across Washington through snow, fog, and ice to get there, and again to get back. Then, while over there I contracted a cold. Normally a cold for me starts out bad and is pretty much over in three days, but this time it is hanging on...I keep hearing that people who eat Paleo don't get sick very often--ever since I moved back to the states, I have been sick for a couple of weeks each year. I think I am just re-adjusting to the bugs over here versus the bugs in Europe. Chances are, I'm going to make it through about another year of this and be exceptionally healthy for the rest of my life!

So anyway, I am back, and going over the expenses from the trip I realize that we are mostly breaking even. Of course this means that something like a new battery ($98) or a trip home ($347) puts us behind quite a bit, which is not good. Our efforts to economize must be redoubled. Food is key. According to this article, the average american spends about 13% of their income on food. The average paleo follower probably spends a lot more. Jen Cereghino is doing it for about $150 a week for her and her husband--who she points out eats a lot more than the average person so it would possibly serve three less hungry people. She is doing it with grassfed and organic ingredients. In order for us to make our budget of $10/day, ($70 a week) we must eat industrially raised meat. We cannot afford meat that costs more than $2/pound. In fact, other than mushrooms, avocados and salad vegetables, most of what we buy is less than $2/pound. Fish is pretty much out, although sometimes shrimp is on sale and we will buy it. Also, sardines are an option if they are on sale and not canned in soybean oil--I look for olive oil, water, and tomato sauce. We eat a lot of carrots, and sweet potatoes and onions. Also broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower and spinach...

This week we have spent $74.07 so far, and this will last until Sunday. This is what we have had this week:

Monday & Tuesday: Three eggs each with two slices bacon. Then, All-day Paleo Stew (8 servings, so we ate this for two days) I also made us baked apples with cinnamon, honey, raisins and walnuts.

Wednesday: Sweet Potato Hash (minus the ground beef) with eggs (two for me, three for M), then Karney's Paleo Stuff and mandarin oranges (one for me, two for M)

Today we are having leftovers with eggs, and trying to have just one meal, if necessary, I can stretch it to two meals with three eggs each per meal.

Tomorrow I am roasting a chicken we got for .99 a pound, and we are having zucchini and mushrooms with it. That should last us through Saturday. Then on Sunday I will probably make Karney's Paleo Stuff again, or something similar. We are drinking water (lots!) and coffee and tea with coconut milk.

For the average American, like me, who makes enough money to be above poverty level, but not enough to put anything aside, this is possible, provided nothing changes. As we struggle with this each week, I hope that we will learn from our experience and manage to save even more money--but most importantly find a healthy way to live and eat without going broke in the process...

Thanksgiving Recipes

2010-11-18T06:43:00.001-08:00

I was going to post Paleo Thanksgiving recipes this week, but Sébastien, over at Paleo Diet Lifestyle beat me to it, and why reproduce what he has already done so well?

All of the recipes sound delicious and are perfectly Paleo!

Right now, turkey is on sale pretty much everywhere. I saw it for 29 cents per pound at QFC, and it is probably even less at Safeway. I am thinking about buying one just because of the price and roasting it for just the two of us. Maybe I could get the butcher to saw it in half for me...

For the actual holiday I will be going home to the farm. I haven't been back for Thanksgiving there for several years--2003 I think was the last time. I hope this will be a fun and Paleo trip. I leave on Sunday for a week, and will try to update while I am over there--hopefully with pictures!

Paleo diet for the autoimmune sufferer and budget resources for the Paleo eater...

2010-11-08T06:52:00.000-08:00

The autoimmune version of the paleo diet is particularly restrictive. In fact, it's very close to some versions of an elimination diet. Like all paleo diets, it limits what you eat by not allowing dairy, grains, beans, processed foods and oils, and alcohol. On top of that, it eschews nightshade vegetables and some people suggest avoiding eggs as well...
I have to admit, that I have not been very good at following the autoimmune restrictions (or even the paleo restrictions) to the letter. I have an off again on again love relationship with dairy, and I have wine several times a week. And I love my nightshade vegetables. However, I am to a point where I need to take it more seriously if I want my LS symptoms to respond, and Megan, over at Megan's Menu has inspired me to shape up. So, I am making a pact to cut out those things which are not beneficial to an autoimmune version of this diet.
I suppose that one good thing about all this is the money savings. Some of my favorite nightshade vegetables tend to be a bit spendy in the fall and winter, and to be honest, there really aren't very good tomatoes this time of year unless you are willing to spend an arm and a leg. And I can easily overspend on wine.

Thanksgiving is approaching, which thankfully is a festival generally marked by large amounts of turkey, baked sweet potatoes (and often bacon green beans) in my family. I can live with that. All I have to do is avoid the pies and cakes and I should be all right.
As for Christmas, we will be here (probably snowed in) in Seattle. I just hope that we have an internet connection, and that our local grocery store does not run out of food (or wood for that matter) like it did last time we had a "snowstorm". Luckily, I am also within a couple of miles of a Trader Joe's, a Safeway, and a PCC, so worst case scenario I won't have to eat junk food from the gas station, and I will get some exercise. Of course, since I am prepared for the worst, it will probably not happen, but all the farmers say this year will be a snow year! I guess we shall see.

So now, after that introduction, back to the crux of it all. What to eat, on a budget this week...

Instead of posting a boring old menu this week, I thought I would give you a selection of places to go for budget ideas from the comfort of your own computer.

First, be sure to check out John Durant's recent post on How to Eat Wild on the Cheap.
Then, stop by Jen Cerino's blog to see how she is doing with her budget menus for the month. She has excellent recipes as I have mentioned before. Her budget may be a bit less tight than ours, (I think she is aiming for $150 a week) but she has some good ideas and she sticks to the grass-fed pastured for the most part, so if you have a little more room in the budget, she has some great menus.

Last, be sure to check out Balanced Bites, a great site run by a Diane Sanfilippo, a Nutritionist from San Francisco.

I am trying not to go shopping this week, and just live off of what we have in the freezer and fridge. So far we have had Karney's Paleo Stuff with eggs twice, and pork roast with veggies. I am supposed to avoid eggs due to autoimmune issues, BUT they are inexpensive and filling. I need to work on that. I have been very good avoiding dairy and nightshades however.

So there you have it, I'm still here, and will keep posting and practicing and trying to do the best I can with what I have. Oh, one more quick note. I wrote to Loren Cordain's graduate assistant the other day to volunteer for a study they are doing on autoimmune disease and the paleo diet, and was accepted! Being a part of a paleo study will hopefully give me the motivation I need to make it through the holidays without cheating excessively. Last year I backslid quite a bit around the holidays. It is just so easy to slip into bad eating habits this time of year. (Sure, I'll have another glass of champagne...chocolate is not evil...I get one open meal per week...) Next thing you know, you are eating holiday food every day for several weeks straight, and your open meals stretch out to be one per day, and you have completely de-railed yourself. More on that later. I am planning a post on yummy paleo holiday foods.

Site of the Week: Paleo Diet Lifestyle

2010-11-03T06:32:00.000-07:00

I've been struggling to keep things together this week. I haven't posted my budget yet, mostly because I am having difficulty making time for it...

So I thought I would procrastinate even more and give you a new site to look at. I am always searching for new sites, new ideas, new recipes, and new budget tips. I found Sébastien's site a little while ago, and really like it. He even has a page dedicated to Paleo on a budget. I am guessing with his name Sébastien Noël he is French, and many of the recipes are very French as well. I tried out the boeuf bourguignon recipe this past weekend, and it was melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

So, take a look at Sébastien's blog if you get the chance, and Bon Apetit!

Menu for the week

2010-10-31T22:38:00.001-07:00

Sunday: Beef Bourguignon
Monday: Taco salad with guacamole.
Tuesday: Leftover taco meat with poached eggs and avocado.
Wednesday: Free (dinner out)
Thursday: Pork marinara, zucchini and mushrooms.
Friday: Roast chicken
Saturday: Thai easy chicken curry

Snacks are leftovers carrots, apples, pears, and walnuts.

(I altered this menu to reflect what we are actually eating--sometimes life throws little unexpected things at you which force you to modify your plans...)

:)

Recipe of the Week: All-day Paleo Stew

2010-10-28T17:40:00.000-07:00

All-day Paleo Stew

There is something about fall weather that makes me want to curl up with a good book, or good movie and just stay indoors. Maybe it is the torrential rain we have in Seattle this time of year, or the penetrating chill of cooler days, or my natural urge to hibernate once the days get shorter. Whatever it is, another element of the perfect cozy indoor afternoon is a pot of something warm, comforting, and filling on the stove. This past weekend, it rained pretty much most of the time, and so I decided to make a stew. I let it cook all day, which was not required, but really turned the meal into something special. The longer you cook a stew, the better it is. I took a recipe from Kelly over at Eat This, and modified it to fit what I had on hand.

Ingredients:

Four large carrots
1 turnip
2 large onions
2 large pork shoulder roasts (ideally, the meat should be lean meat for a closer-to-Paleo fat profile, but this was on sale, and for an occasional meal, it's not going to kill you--by occasional I mean no more than once per week. You probably should stick to lean most of the time if you are eating budget Paleo like me, here's why.)
1 cup wine.
3 T. mixed thyme, rosemary, and marjoram.
2 bay leaves.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Chop roasts into manageable chunks. (Mine were about 2 inches.) Brown in a dutch oven or large stew pot in batches. (My stew pot is a fairly large dutch oven, and with all the ingredients it was filled to the brim.) I browned the meat about a forth at a time so there was plenty of room, and the meat really browned , then I removed it to a large platter until it was all done. Next, chop the vegetables into large chunks. Mine were about 1 inch. Let vegetables brown for around 5 minutes, then add meat, herbs, salt and pepper, meat, and wine. Stir thoroughly, then cover and place in 350 degree oven for 2-3 hours. Every hour or so, check on the stew and stir it up a bit. After about 3 hours, remove the stew to the top of the stove, place it over a medium heat and remove the lid. You should have quite a lot of juice in the pot, and the idea here is to let it cook down. Let it simmer on medium, boiling all the excess liquid away for another three hours. Keep an eye on it so that it doesn't burn--I pretty much let it boil for about two hours, stirring it every once in a while, then turned it to medium low for another hour, then low for another two hours. By the time we ate it, the meat was tender and falling apart, the onions, carrots and turnip had melded into a sweetness that truly complimented the meat and the stew was a tender delight. This is a low maintenance meal--something you can put on the stove and pretty much forget about. I give it four thumbs up on the yum factor! Especially edible.

Menu and budget for the week

2010-10-25T14:10:00.000-07:00

Sunday--baked pork chops and spinach with baked sweet potatoes
Monday--slow cooked pork stew with parsnip,onion and carrots--(made huge vat) served with pear and bleu cheese salad
Tuesday--Free dinner at Cathleen's
Wednesday--Taco salad with guacamole
Thursday--pumpkin soup with apple, sun-dried tomato and bleu cheese salad.
Friday--Grilled steak with green beans and mushrooms
Saturday--Grilled pork chops with sauteed apples and tossed green salad.

Snacks this week are apples, carrots, and left-over stew.
I am still mostly avoiding dairy and nightshades, but am allowing myself a little organic pastured bleu cheese and some sun-dried tomatoes this week.

Pork chops $2.99 (2 large chops)
Pork for stew: $9.84 (two huge roasts)
Avocados: $1.28 (2 medium)
Mushrooms: $4.29 (2 lbs.)
Artisan lettuce $1.99 (3 small heads)
Oranges: $3.79 (1 lb.)
Onions: $0.92 (4 large)
Organic baby carrots: $2.30 (2.5 lbs)
Yams: $2.33 (4 large)
Steak $2.99 (1 lb.)
Coconut milk $3.50(3 cans)
Pears $1.17 (3 large pears)
Apples $5.99 (5 lbs. mixed apples)
Green beans $2.99 (2 lbs, organic, frozen)
Butter: 3.99 (organic valley pastured butter)
Sun-dried tomatoes: $1.50 (1/4 cup finely chopped)
Pumpkin $2.33 (1 large can)
Ground Beef $2.75 (1 lb.)

Total: $56.94

Recipe of the Week: Paleo Pumpkin Bisque

2010-10-22T06:42:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite (and easiest) recipes is this one. When the weather turns cool and here in the PNW a bit clammy, I really crave warm filling soups. A traditional bisque is made with cream and shellfish, but this version is made with coconut milk and pumpkin. This one is not only warm and filling, but it is fairly inexpensive to make.

Paleo Pumpkin Bisque

Ingredients:

Thai red chili paste
1 can coconut milk
1 large can pureed pumpkin (I used Libby's from Costco)
2 cups water
1 T. clarified butter
2 pressed or minced cloves of garlic
1-2 cups leftover chicken, chopped (or if you have it, shrimp or crab)
salt and pepper.

Add garlic, Thai chili paste and butter to large soup pot, and turn heat up to medium. Add pumpkin, two cups water, and coconut milk, (and salt and pepper to taste). Bring soup up to a boil, add leftover chicken or shellfish, cover and turn heat off. Let sit for 10 minutes allowing meat or seafood to warm through, and serve with a salad on the side. (We had tossed artisan lettuce with red onion and julienned pear, in a balsamic vinaigrette.) Makes 4 large servings.

Site of the Week: Food, Flora and Felines.

2010-10-20T19:37:00.000-07:00

I had a visitor the other day from Ireland, and as a result discovered this wonderful site:

Food, flora and felines.

The pictures are vibrant, and gorgeous, and it is always nice to discover a new friend, especially one who is a newly christened nutritional scientist, and following the mostly-paleo code like many of us, (on a budget to boot!)

So, there you have it--check out FFF! Enjoy her yummy recipes, gaze at her lovely pics and spread the word!

Budget for the week

2010-10-19T06:12:00.000-07:00

Pork: $2.22 (two large lean pork chops)
Chicken: $5.24 (1 large chicken for roasting)
Avocados: $5.99 (5 large)
Campari Tomatoes: $3.99 (2 lbs.) (These are for M, I am skipping tomatoes)
Mushrooms: $4.29 (2 lbs.)
Artisan lettuce $3.99 (6 small heads)
Oranges: $3.79 (1 lb.)
Asparagus: $5.99 (2 lb)
Onions: $0.69 (3 large)
Organic baby carrots: $2.30 (2.5 lbs)
Sweet potatoes: $2.33 (3.3 lbs)
Steak $2.99 (1 lb.)
Eggs $.99 (1 dozen)
Coconut milk $3.50(3 cans)
Pumpkin $2.33 (1 large can)
Pears $1.17 (3 large pears)
Apples $4.99 (6 large honey crisp apples)

$56.79

Menu for the week

2010-10-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

I am doing things a bit differently this week. We are still following our budget successfully, but I am changing what I eat a little bit to leave out nightshade vegetables and a limit nuts and eggs. I am also being really good about not having any dairy...Nightshades are not a problem for everyone, and I love them, so it will be hard, but there is significant research that suggests that people with autoimmune disorders should avoid grains, dairy, beans and nightshade veggies in order to best combat the inflammation that is prevalent.

Sunday: Grilled pork chops, apple and walnut tossed salad with vinaigrette, green beans.

Monday: Roast chicken, sautéed asparagus with mushrooms, sweet potato.

Tuesday: Pumpkin bisque with leftover chicken, pear and walnut salad, asparagus and mushrooms.

Wednesday: Slow cooked Paleo stewed pork with parsnips, carrots and onions

Thursday: Taco salad with lots of guacamole

Friday: Free night (dinner with Cathleen)

Saturday: Steak with apple walnut salad and asparagus

I will try to post the cost later this week when I have more time...

Recipe of the Week: Sweet Potato Hash

2010-10-14T06:43:00.001-07:00

This recipe is the result of a serious craving for something sweet and salty, but the knowledge that if I ate what I really wanted (at least a full pound of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups) I would regret it...While this recipe has no chocolate (or peanut butter for that matter) it is very satisfying in an almost decadent way. Probably you wouldn't want to eat this every day, but once in a while, maybe on a Sunday, for brunch, it makes a wonderful addition to eggs and fruit. We had it with poached eggs and fresh tomatoes.

Ingredients:

Two previously baked sweet potatoes
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced into rings
Clarified butter (I used about 2 T.)
2 ounces of diced lardon (or bacon)
1 pound ground beef.
salt and pepper.

Brown the pound of hamburger in a large skillet, adding salt and pepper as desired. In a separate skillet, brown the onion in 1/2 of the butter until it begins to carmelize. Add the lardon or bacon, and add to the onions with the remaining butter, let it continue to cook on a medium heat until the bacon is cooked and the onions are carmelized. Dice the sweet potatoes,and add to the mixture. Stir in the browned hamburger, and mix thoroughly. Turn the heat to low, and let the mixture heat through, stirring frequently. YUM!

Menu for the week:

2010-10-11T06:55:00.003-07:00

So, I didn't manage to go shopping this weekend, but made do with what we had in the house for yesterday's food. I will try to post my sweet potato hash for the "recipe of the week" this week. It turned out really good, and was an excellent compliment to eggs. That being said, I need to eat fewer sweet potatoes. They are too starchy and sweet to be a part of my regular diet...

Shopping list for this week:

Pork: $2.22 (two large pork chops)
Chicken: $6.48 (6 large chicken thighs)
Ground beef: $2.75 (1 pound)
Avocados: $5.99 (5 large)
Campari Tomatoes: $3.99 (2 lbs.)
Mushrooms: $4.29 (2 lbs.)
Romaine lettuce (organic) $1.99 (1 head)
Oranges: $3.79 (1 lb.)
Asparagus: $5.99 (2 lb)
Zucchini: $2.99 (5 medium)
Onions: $2.99 (3 large)
Organic baby carrots: $2.30 (2.5 lbs)
Sweet potatoes: $2.33 (3.3 lbs)
Champagne $5.99
Steak $2.99 (1 lb.)
Eggs $.99 (1 dozen)

Total $55.08

Menu:

SUN--Sweet potato hash & fried eggs
MON--Grilled pork chops, asparagus and mushrooms, sliced tomato and avocado salad.
TUE--Free night (my lovely cousin usually feeds us).
WED--Champagne chicken with green beans and baked sweet potato
THUR--Spaghetti and meatballs with zucchini noodles.
FRI--Thai green curry with pork and vegetables
SAT--Grilled steak and apple walnut salad--Grilled

Site of the Week: Jen's Gone Paleo

2010-10-09T08:57:00.000-07:00

Jen Cereghino of Jen's Gone Paleo is going to blog four weeks of Paleo menus that are budget friendly. She is asking for comments, so I thought I would share. Jen always has yummy recipes, so I am really looking forward to what she comes up with. Here is my comment to her blog:

I am currently eating paleo with my husband for about $70 a week. Unfortunately we can't seem to do this and eat pastured meat/eggs, etc. We are instead eating the leanest meat we can afford and supplementing with sardines, and clarified grass fed butter...and lots of veggies. Like Cheryl, I am contemplating adding back in soaked beans, as it does stretch the budget. We also occasionally add in a white potato just for variety. We also IF pretty regularly to make our meals stretch. On average we have one meal and one snack per day. Not ideal, I am still working on the details and trying to get a handle on everything. After this month I am going to try to switch to grass fed beef at least and see what I can do. We don't have a freezer--just the small fridge-sized one, and live in an apartment, so no hope of getting a side of pastured beef, or pork or lamb...All the farmer's markets are shutting down about now, so I need to find organic veggies where I can. I use the EWG list of vegetables and fruits so that I can avoid buying high-pesticide crops. As for the rest I buy what's on sale...

Recipe of the Week: Balsamic Glazed Chicken

2010-10-08T06:39:00.000-07:00

One of the easiest meals I make is baked chicken. This one is very simple, only requires a few ingredients, and is wonderful paired with salad and veggies. We had it with asparagus and mushrooms, some green beans, and a nice avocado-tomato salad over field greens.

Balsamic Glazed Chicken

8 chicken thighs
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
fresh garlic paste to taste (or powdered garlic if you don't have fresh)
dried thyme, marjoram, basil and oregano to taste(1 T. of each)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste.

Mix the herbs and garlic, then add in just enough olive oil to make it a paste. Place the mixture in a glass bowl, and toss the thighs to coat them with the herbs and garlic. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar over them, and toss again. On a lined baking sheet, place the thighs skin side up with enough room to breathe. Bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes at 350 F. (The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the thighs you have).

To make this more perfectly paleo, you could use apple cider vinegar and skip the salt.

Sitopia

2010-10-04T10:04:00.000-07:00

I just had the opportunity to watch Carolyn Steel's TED talk. I'm home from work today because I am recovering from a painful pulled muscle in my shoulder--and even though I am exhausted, I can't sleep, so I am surfing the internet while trying not to move my arm very much, (harder than it sounds).

Craig from Year of Plenty posted this talk on his blog, as part of a series he wants to post regarding food, etc. and being a huge fan of TED I had to watch it. If you aren't familiar with TED, I highly recommend you check them out.

Anyway, due to the whole shoulder issue, I am not typing much today. I owe you a good post--M and I have started our $70 a week challenge, and my goal is to cook (a lot!) of vegetables each day, and serve it with (a little!) meat. We had to give up on the grass-fed/pastured meat and eggs idea for now. Enough for both of us for one week would have taken pretty much our entire budget. The cheapest pastured chicken I could find was $18.00! That is almost a third of our budget--so we purchased domestic meat from Costco lean pork chops, lean beef, and chicken thighs. ($37.10) Which will last us the entire month if I work carefully with it.

Here are my planned menus for the week:

SUN--Grilled pork chops with avocado and tomato tossed salad, zucchini, mushrooms, and asparagus, and 1/2 sweet potato.
MON--Left over pork chop stirfry with zucchini, mushrooms, asparagus, red onion.
TUE--Free night (my lovely cousin usually feeds us).
WED--Taco salad with 1/2 pound mushrooms, yellow onions, peppers, lettuce, tomato, & avocado.
THUR--Karney's paleo stuff with 1/2 pound ground beef mushrooms, spinach, red onion, sweet potato.
FRI--Roasted chicken thighs with apple and walnut salad and buttered green beans.
SAT--Grilled pork chops with vegetable medley and steamed spinach.

Snacks are going to be leftover pork chop, walnuts, oranges, baby carrots and boiled eggs.

Planned total for this week:

Pork: $5.55 (five large pork chops)
Chicken: $6.48 (6 large chicken thighs)
Ground beef: $2.75 (1 pound)
Avocados: $5.99 (5 large)
Campari Tomatoes: $3.99 (2 lbs.)
Mushrooms: $4.29 (2 lbs.)
Organic Mixed field greens: $3.99 (1 lb.)
Organic baby spinach: $3.79 (1 lb.)
Asparagus: $5.99 (1 lb)
Zucchini: $1.99 (2 large)
Onions: $2.99 (3 large)
Organic baby carrots: $2.30 (2.5 lbs)
Sweet potatoes: $2.33 (3.3 lbs)

Total $52.43

October first Budget--the math

2010-10-01T06:37:00.000-07:00

Now that M is home, we are living off of my salary for a while as he looks for a job. This can be pretty difficult, as I work for a non-profit and my income is not exactly adequate for the area I live in. Half of my income is taken up by rent, which leaves us about $1,000 a month to pay for everything else, including food. So, we worked up a budget which gives us $10.00 a day for food.

My autoimmune disease has been flaring up quite a lot the last week or so, and I really find that eating extremely "clean" helps, so I will be budgeting quite strenuously and buying all grass-fed/pastured meat and eggs. The vegetables will probably be mixed organic and domestic, and a lot more vegetables than meat per meal, we will also be eating a lot of fruit. My first step is to come up with 10 meals that are filling and seasonable, and make it in under budget.

In addition, I have found that IF-ing and eating at my cousin's once a week really helps with the finances. I plan to continue to IF a couple of times a week, and M likes to do that as well. The rest of the time, we will be eating small breakfasts and lunches, and large dinners. Evening is when I have the most time and can be creative in the kitchen. I find cooking to be very stress relieving...

I am going shopping tomorrow, and will update with a picture of my grocery booty!

Previews of coming attractions...

2010-09-28T12:34:00.001-07:00

OK. so M is back, and I am going to change by budget a bit to include him in my monthly food expenses and continue to seek out budget paleo food. Starting on Friday I want to change a few things around and try to come up with a menu for the week, a recipe for the week, and maybe (ack) a workout of the week. More later... :)

Home is the sailor, home from the sea, and the hunter home from the hill...

2010-09-21T18:26:00.000-07:00

Soon, my little Paleocave will once more be warm and homey and my family will be intact. M is coming home from the other side of the state to be with me and eschew his evil mistress, "continuing education." I am very happy. I spent my entire day's budget on chocolate cake and wine...

How to Cook Like a Buccaneer

2010-09-19T10:57:00.000-07:00

Ahoy, me Hearties! In honor of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, I thought I would make something appropriate. This chicken and vegetable dish is a perfectly primal recipe, (and is also excellent for using up vegetables you may have lying around in your kitchen.) I used a free range chicken that I got on sale some time back for $7.00, and so this ended up being a fairly budget-friendly meal. I served it with my Apple Mustard Slaw. According to my calculations, the entire meal (4 servings) was about $4.87 per serving. Of course I didn't have to buy the alcohol since I had about 1/2 cup leftover rum from about a year ago still in my pantry...but it could also be made with apple cider or apple juice for a less expensive option. I hope you enjoy it, and just for fun, I translated it into Piratespeak. Savvy?

Applejack Chicken (or Chicken Bumbo)

1 whole chicken, cut up fer fry'in
salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 lb sweet potatoes, scrubbed
2 large carrots, scrubbed
4 ounces green beans
1 large onion, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
3 coconut oil, divided
1/4 cup Applejack or 1/4 cup Bumbo
1 cup grass fed cream

Cut scrubbed sweet potatoes into 1 1/2" cubes; cut carrots in half, cut each half into thirds; trim beans an' cut into 1 1/2" lengths; cut onion into 1 1/2" cubes; cut zucchini in half lengthwise, then cut each half into quarters.

Sprinkle chicken wi' salt an' pepper; heat 2 T coconut oil in large skillet o'er medium heat; add chicken skin side down an' cook 10 minutes until browned on one side.

Place all vegetables 'ceptin' zucchini in salted water an' brin' t' a boil; boil 1 minute an' drain.
When chicken be browned on one side, turn an' cook another 5 minutes.

In another skillet, heat remainin' 1 T coconut oil an' add drained vegetables an' zucchini; add salt an' pepper t' taste, stir gently an' cook about 5 minutes; vegetables ortin' ta still be crisp.

Add Applejack or Bumbo t' chicken; co'er an' simmer 10 minutes; unco'er an' add cream an' vegetables; brin' t' a boil, adjust seasoning; cover, reduce heat, an' simmer 10 minutes more; Serve.

Autumn pantry

2010-09-18T11:57:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of: http://www.sxc.hu

After a grueling drive back from Portland yesterday, I am so glad to be home and enveloped in the comfort of my apartment. It took me several hours to get home yesterday. The drive typically takes 3-4 hours depending on traffic, but our timing for the drive back was pretty awful and we spent quite a lot of the trip stuck in traffic in various places along the route. Add to that the torrential downpour that struck the Seattle area last night, and you can imagine my relief at finally arriving home late last night. My pantry is a bit bare, but I still have zucchini, mushrooms and pork chops, as well as some sausage and eggs, so I think I will stay in today and recuperate. I may walk over to the local grocery for some fruit and wine before dinner, and I do need to stretch my legs today for sure, as the conference was all sitting for three days.

That being said, I did really well on the food front this trip, although most of my meals were way over the $5 a day limit, at least I ate mostly primal. On Wednesday I fasted until lunch. We drove down to Portland that morning, and stopped partway at a Starbucks. I had one of the snack packages for my lunch which included an egg, about 1/2 an ounce of white cheddar cheese, two large apple slices, and about 6 grapes. There was also some peanut butter with honey and a whole grain flatbread with raisins, but I skipped those, and stuck to pretty good primal food choices. It was enough to tide me over until dinner.

We had dinner at Journeys in Multnomah Village. I was hoping to stop there at least once, it is a very cute neighborhood bar with excellent food. They don't have a large menu, but their food is excellent quality and not too expensive. They also have a nice selection of beer and wine and a great atmosphere. I encourage you if you are ever in the Beaverton/Tigard area to check it out. I had a mixed greens salad with a homemade honey mustard dressing, chopped hazelnuts, bleu cheese and cranberries topped with chicken for about $8. It was huge salad and served with Italian bread that I didn't eat. I did have half of the "grilled cheese bites" appetizer that we ordered. It was pesto and mozzarella on Italian bread--very thin crispy slices--and truly awesome. They didn't really have anything that looked pure paleo or primal, but I could have been better than I was and I am sure they would have catered to my needs. Like I said, great place. Really love it. Hope to go there every year, at least once...

The food at the conference was equally edible and absolutely above par for an event like that. They have huge fruit platters for breakfast, coffee, tea, and yogurt along side pastries and bagels. I had fruit and skipped the rest. Then lunch the first day has been the same for the last three years, grilled chicken skewers, Mediterranean salad (cucumbers, onion, tomato and olives in a Greek marinade)a Vegan rice dish, an orzo and vegetable dish, hummus, pita bread and tzatziki. I had the chicken and salad with a huge pile of tzatziki, and skipped the rest. It was really good. YUM. That night we went to dinner at the Alba Osteria in Multinomah Village, after a couple of glasses of wine and snacks at Journeys first.

We shared a bottle of wine among four of us, and I had chicken cacciatore and some beets cooked in cream for dinner. Along with some of the salumi we got for an appetizer. The chicken was very non-traditional, but excellent. The wine was awesome, and the beets in cream were interesting and very nice. I just ignored the polenta that was served with the chicken. I don't like polenta, and as it is a grain, I just skipped it.

The next day at the conference they had an Asian style menu with stir-fried veggies and tofu, a Vegan rice dish, a noodle dish, and Asian barbecued chicken. I had just the veggies and chicken, although some tofu snuck in as well, and I ate it since I didn't want to stop for lunch on the way home, and I figured the extra protein would be nice.

So, as you see, not too bad. I spent about $100 on food and wine, which was sort of typical for an event like that.

Today, now that I am back, I am ready to go with the Autumn menus. I have some excellent salads and stews that I want to try, so tomorrow I am going to re-stock my pantry as much as possible with some Autumn foods, like apples, squash, turnips, sweet potatoes, pears, etc. The gardens are winding down, and days are getting shorter, so I'm interested to see what will be available for the Paleo/primal budget.

I also purchased a book on my trip that I am going to be blogging about over the next few weeks. I know many of you have probably read Michael Pollan's books. "The Omnivore's Dilemma", "In Defense of Food", etc. I have been dying to read his "Food Rules" for a while now, and finally just broke down and bought a copy ($11 paperback). It is chock-full of practical advice, and takes about 20 minutes to read. This is the advice many of our old-world grandmothers or great-grandmothers most likely would have given us. A lot of this is the advice my father and mother certainly passed on to my siblings and to me. It is an excellent book, and I highly recommend it.

Roadtrip!

2010-09-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

Picture courtesy of Photos8.

I'm feeling better. I haven't eaten for two days, but I am having a nice taco salad for dinner tonight with some of my grass fed meat and organic salad greens, and a lot of guacamole and tomatoes. $4.17

I'm going to a conference tomorrow in Portland. And I will not be following the $5 a day challenge there. Going out to dinner is definitely part of the plan, and while most of my food is paid for by the conference fee, there will be meals that are not, and none of it is going to be cheap. I can however assure you that it will be yummy! There are some excellent restaurants in Portland, and lots of good Paleo choices as well. I'm also looking forward to the traditional martini, and hopefully a stop by the wine bar in Multnomah Village. :)

Not feeling good :(

2010-09-13T10:52:00.000-07:00

No food so far today, as my stomach is really upset for some reason. If I eat anything later I will edit this post to include it.

Yesterday's meals: $3.87

Breakfast/brunch:
coffee with half and half .52
duck eggs 2 $3.00
nectarine .45

Dinner: Free

seafood gratin
green salad with avocado and tomato

Yesterday's meals

2010-09-12T11:37:00.000-07:00

I had two of my duck eggs with a huge ripe nectarine for brunch yesterday. Then for dinner I had the last of my Primal Hash and a couple of glasses of wine. Food was low on calories yesterday (about 1500) but filling enough. My costs were a little higher than normal (duck eggs are expensive):

duck eggs 2 $3.00
nectarine .45
primal hash $2.76
wine $1.50

Total $7.71

Makeover

2010-09-11T16:46:00.000-07:00

Don't be startled. I've just done a bit of a makeover today. What do you think? I like the burgundy color--reminds me of wine... :)

Budget friendly paleo/primal recipes--Primal Hash

2010-09-11T13:48:00.000-07:00

Picture courtesy of Photos8.com

So lately, due to the fact that I have been focusing on saving money rather than posting recipes, my food has gotten a bit boring. To be honest, I could eat grilled pork chops pretty much every night quite happily, but variety is the spice of life, and an important part of a balanced diet.

Last night, I was at a loss as to what to eat--I had some leftover pork roast, a ripe avocado, one and a half cooked sweet potatoes, and some onions and peppers. I decided to make "hash" for dinner with guacamole on the side. For those of you who may not have had the opportunity to eat hash growing up, it is basically a dish made with leftover meats and vegetables fried together in a skillet. It is sort of the stereotypical "poor man's" meal. In the 19th century, cheap restaurants were called "hash houses" and during the Great Depression hash became an American restaurant staple. Today if you find hash in a restaurant it will most likely be corned beef hash. According to Wikipedia, Corned beef hash has a history in Northern England dating back to WWII when canned corned beef was sometimes the only meat you get.

My version was made with leftover pork loin roast and other handy veggies. It turned out really well, so I am going to recommend it as a good way to use up leftovers without spending a lot of money...

Sorry, no pictures:

Paleo Hash (Makes two large servings)

Leftover pork roast (or any kind of meat) in small dice.
1 large onion, in small dice
2 peppers, in small dice (I used red and orange sweet bell peppers)
1 1/2 sweet potatoes (precooked and chopped in small dice) I baked mine a couple of days ago, so they were easy to cut up.
Grass fed butter
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper
Marjoram, oregano, thyme. (1 tsp. each)

Melt butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and peppers, and fry until beginning to caramelize. Add meat, herbs, salt, pepper, and sweet potato. Cook until thoroughly warmed and the flavors have melded. Serve with guacamole on the side and fresh tomatoes if you have them. Cost: $5.52 ($2.76 per serving)

Duck eggs

2010-09-09T06:40:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of Photos8.com

OK, so I am going to count my Primal Challenge starting from Sept. 1st, but for record keeping, today is day four, and this week is the first real week of the challenge.

Starting this week, I have eaten pretty well. Not counting the ice cream and Potato gratin from last night, I have been eating perfectly in fact...

Challenge #1 eat lots of plants and animals:

Check!

This morning I had a scrambled farmer's market duck egg cooked in butter. It tastes a great deal like duck. I don't really think of chicken eggs tasting like chicken, but I'm going to have to think about that next time I have one. Growing up on the farm, we ate duck eggs and chicken eggs pretty regularly, but now that I am grown and foraging for my own food, it just seems a lot more interesting...

Meals for today:
Breakfast:
1 duck egg cooked in butter .66
2 Italian plums .32

Lunch:
1 apple .32
2 oz. walnuts .52

Dinner:
Zucchini and mushrooms sautéed in butter .70
10 oz. lean pork loin roast $1.25
1 avocado $1.19
1 tomato .41
Wine $1.24

Total $5.37

Day 7 Total for week $30.90!!

2010-09-08T06:36:00.000-07:00

So I made it in under budget a bit. Of course I did get a lot of free meals this week, but I honestly think I could make a pretty good vegetable and chicken stew for about $5 that would be good for three meals. I think I may try to do that next week to keep my costs down.

I'm not sure how realistic my plans are for most people. I have been fasting most of the day several days a week, and eating at my cousin's a lot. Starting next week, I will try to be more conscientious of what I am making. With other primal/paleo followers in mind.

Two things I have learned so far: It is nice to have family that will feed you, and it is comforting to have meat in the freezer. I pretty much have lived off of two packages of meat I got on sale at Safeway. Three servings of steak (8oz each) for $8.14, and a huge thing of pork chops for $8.63 (9 pork chops about 8-10oz each). So far none of these have been pastured or grass-fed. I did buy 3 pounds of grass-fed ground beef at Whole foods on Friday, which will last me for a bit--but I probably won't start eating that until this weekend.

I will continue to keep track of how much money I consume in food each day.

So far today:

Coffee with half and half .52
Apple .32 (QFC, organic)
Walnuts (2 oz.) .52 (Costco, 3 lb. bag, 11.99)

On another related note, I am taking up the Primal Blueprint Challenge over at Mark's Daily Apple. I already follow a plan greatly influenced by what Mark writes about. No reason not to join the group of other primal/paleo followers and enjoy a little solidarity...

Update:

The rest of my food for the day was free. Wednesdays I go over to my cousin's for dinner. We had fairly primal stuff--meatloaf, brussels sprouts, and a potato gratin, followed by a little ice cream for dessert. And some yummy wine.

Day 6 $26.14 and counting

2010-09-06T16:09:00.000-07:00

Today, I woke up hungry and 198.8 and pretty excited about losing 5 pounds in one week!
Breakfast was a celebratory shrimp omelet made with one of the duck eggs I got on Saturday at the farmer's market.

Breakfast:
Shrimp $1.14 (about 1 cup bay shrimp)
Tomato (one medium farmer's market garden tomato, YUM!) .41
Chevre (one ounce) .62
Duck egg $1.11
Coffee with half and half .52

This was an excellent omelet, and a wonderful start to the day.
I skipped lunch in favor of shopping for work clothes, and had a nice afternoon of trying on jackets and blouses, and looking longingly at shoes and housewares.

Since I didn't really have much in the way of veggies with my omelet this morning--just the one tomato, I am opting to have several with dinner.

Dinner is:

Poached salmon with lemon butter sauce $3.20
sautéed zucchini and mushrooms .70
1/2 sweet potato fried in butter .64
Raspberries $3.00

Total for the day: $11.34 (over budget, but I have some flexibility since I have had several free meals this week.) AND I only have one day left in this week...

In fact, I may have a glass of wine tonight. (I doubt I am going to eat $8.86 worth of food tomorrow.)

Day 5 $14.80 and counting

2010-09-06T10:24:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I got up, had a cup of coffee with half and half, spent all day doing necessary computer stuff and house cleaning, and then went to my cousin's for a nice (free) dinner of swiss steak, salad, baked potatoes, and wonderful berry pie with vanilla ice cream for dessert. I didn't have time to walk yesterday, and knowing that dinner was not going to be perfectly paleo, I opted for a day of fasting, only having coffee with half and half in the morning, and drinking water all day instead of eating. Before bed, I had a glass of wine.

Sometimes I tend to worry about these sorts of meals de-railing my weight loss progress...I don't worry so much about it being "bad" for me, since I am allowed three meals per week that are "open" after all...But if I make a habit out of eating badly on any sort of regular schedule, I worry that it will become just that--a habit, and I will lose some of my control and slowly spiral away from my goal which is to eat a healthy paleo/primal diet and hopefully to lose some weight along the way. The cool thing is that I have had a really, really good experience starting September 1st.

I am going to lay it all out here. If you aren't interested in my boring weight loss statistics, just go now. Run. While you can. OK, here goes...

I weighed 203.8 lbs. on Wednesday, Sept. 1st (gasp).

That is almost an all time high for me. I just had a birthday a few days ago, and I was feeling pretty low about the fact that my weight seems to just do its own thing--regardless of how much I eat, or how far I walk, or whether I lift weights...So this week, I've been keeping track of my calories, and walking most days for 4 miles. Yesterday I took the day off from walking and I didn't walk Wednesday either. Both of those days I fasted all day and had dinner at my cousin's which was very yummy, free and not quite paleo...but it was largely unprocessed really good food. (My cousin is an excellent cook and wonderful hostess).

So today, with some trepidation I stepped on the scale, expecting some weight gain due to the carby nature of my dinner, and the fact that I hadn't exercised at all yesterday. Instead I was greeted with the surprising weight of 198.8. I have been averaging about 104 grams of carbohydrates per day this month so far--all fruit or starchy veggies--except for dessert at my cousin's. I have been fasting quite a lot, or eating very light meals early in the day, and one big meal late in the day. I have averaged 1848 calories per day (over the past 5 days), and averaged 2.4 miles per day. The interesting thing here for me is that I was following a much stricter low carb Paleo diet than this for months with no success--and suddenly the weight is just dropping off. How weird is that?

Day 4: $12.09 and counting

2010-09-04T17:19:00.000-07:00

Photo Courtesy of Photos8

So today was the farmer's market in Redmond, and I went to replenish my vegetables.

I still have two eggplants from last week, and two small zucchini that I am having for dinner tonight with my leftover mushrooms. I also have three golden beets and some beet greens that I need to use up soon. I've never had golden beets before, but I am thinking of making Karney's Paleo Stuff and trying it with a mixture of sweet potato and golden beets this time to see what it is like.

This time I got three nice medium sized zucchini for $2.00. A bundle of fresh basil for $2.00 (Can't grow my own here, it keeps dying) Three large tomatoes for $1.23, six pastured, organic (enormous) duck eggs for $4, some chinese spinach for $2.00,(I must post a picture of that, it is really pretty!) and a 1/2 pint of raspberries for $3.00 (picked last night). Last week someone was selling their zucchini for .80 a pound, but this week prices were higher. Maybe I should have gone later in the day, but I wanted to see if the Golden Glen Creamery stand had half and half--which they didn't because they weren't there this week...

After that I went to Top foods and picked up a bottle of half and half from the Twin Brook Creamery in Lynden, Washington for $2.99. (Their cows are grass-fed, and their farm has been in their family since 1910.) I also bought some plums and nectarines for $5.17, and a bottle of red wine for $10.99. For a total of $33.38. I am going to get some avocados and mushrooms from Costco as well this week which brings my total up to $43.86. I purchased three pounds of grass fed beef at Whole foods yesterday for $3.99 each, but I still have quite a lot of meat in my freezer from last week (at least three porkchops and two steaks).

I have some more expensive stuff in there as well that I need to eat, but I am trying to even it out a bit so that the days I eat things like Salmon, I fast most of the day and eat it with less expensive things like beet greens and plums. So far I seem to be doing OK with my daily expenditures. I need to be careful not to buy too much produce--because I need to use it up within a week or so.
Here is my menu for today:

Breakfast:
10am Coffee with organic half and half .52 (new less expensive coffee)
1/4 Pork chop .24
1 1/2 cup strawberries .74

Lunch:
Cobb Salad free (Thanks to my sweet cousin for taking me out to lunch!)

Dinner:

Zucchini and mushrooms sautéed in butter .70
3/4 pork chop .70
1/2 sweet potato with butter and 1 ounce grass-fed chevre $1.06
Wine $1.24

Total: $5.20

Day 3: $6.89 and counting...

2010-09-03T06:05:00.000-07:00

So far all is going well. I have managed to not go over budget very much, and if you average out the free meal Wednesday with the meals I had yesterday, I might be OK.

I am looking forward to visiting the farmer's market again tomorrow and getting more veggies, but not too many because even though today is Friday, I still have vegetables left from last week. I am running low on fruit though...

Today is the grass fed beef sale at Whole Foods--$3.99!! We may be having hamburger soon!

I have lost two pounds since Wednesday, not really sure why since I am not doing anything drastically different than I was before, but hey, I'm not looking the gift horse in the mouth here, I'm just pleased for whatever reason the gods of the scale have chosen to smile on me.

:)

Menu for today:

6am Coffee with organic half and half .82
11am one hardboiled free range omega3 eggs (.34) and four fresh plums (.50)
7:30pm Grilled pork chop (.94), steamed broccoli with butter (.40), sliced avocado (1.19), Fresh sliced tomatoes ($1.00).

Day 2: .82 cents and counting

2010-09-02T06:36:00.001-07:00

OK, I admit, yesterday was a little bit of a cheat since I did save a lot of money by not eating, and then filling up at my cousin's. However, we are talking real life here, and this is the kind of thing you do when you have a small budget for food. You take advantage of opportunities to eat good wholesome food for free whenever possible.

Today will be more normal since I am cooking my own food.

Menu for today:

6am Coffee with organic half and half .82
11am Two hardboiled free range omega3 eggs (.68) and three fresh figs (.74)
7:30pm Grilled pork chop (.94), stir-fried zucchini and mushrooms (.70), guacamole (1.19), Fresh sliced tomatoes ($1.00).

The pork chops are non-organic or free range, but they are very lean, so the fat profile while not ideal is not going to affect me too much. I am going to sauté the vegetables in grass-fed butter (high omega3 and CLA) and I am having eggs today which are also high in Omega 3, so my ratios should be good, and more importantly, my meal will be wonderful!

Day 1 of my $5 a day challenge

2010-09-01T06:09:00.000-07:00

Or $50.00 a week, depending on how it turns out.
I find it best when starting a challenge of any kind to review the rules:

I will be eating moderately strict Paleo for the next 30 days. Moderately strict means that I will have a tablespoon of organic half and half in my coffee each morning, and I will be cooking with butter and olive oil. It also means that three times a week, I will have "open" meals which may or may not be Paleo. I take the idea of the open meals from Loren Cordain's book, The Paleo Diet.

Rule number 1: Try not to spend over $5 per day on food
Rule number 2: Eat organic and grass fed or free range as much as is possible
Rule number 3: Keep track of nutritional elements (like protein, calories, etc.) and log them each day.

That's it. Just three rules. More than that would be complicated.

:)

Here is what I ate today:

Coffee with cream .82

My cousin invited me for dinner, so I skipped breakfast and lunch. I find it helpful to IF on days I visit relatives so that I can eat what they offer me without too much concern of consuming too many calories...as it was, I filled up on pork roast, mushroom gravy with lots of mushrooms in it, spinach with butter and baked potato. And a martini. My entire meal was about 1800 calories, so not too bad. It was pretty good paleo fare. I will eat potatoes on occasion, and I do use butter regularly. The martini was pure decadence. :)

The best part is, it was all free!

Pre-challenge musings

2010-08-31T06:05:00.000-07:00

So I discovered that it was really hard to keep my weekly budget to $35 as I was trying to shop, and decided that what I need here is baby steps...this week is going to be $50, if I make it in under that great!! If not, then I will try to cut back a bit more next week.

Also I have decided that this experiment will officially begin Sept. 1. As much as I can I will stick to the guidelines (which I will outline later today). In the meantime, here is what I have learned so far...

Yesterday I ate:

1.5 chicken breasts ($1.68)
1 cup carrots (.50)
1/2 pint raspberries ($3.00)
Coffee with cream (.82)
Steak 8oz. ($2.12)
Avocado ($1.19)
Tomato (.20)
Zucchini and mushrooms (.57)
Nectarine (.45)
olive oil (0.05)
butter (0.09)

Total = $10.67

So about twice what I budgeted...and the bad news is that all of the meat was conventionally raised. I did price the grass fed and pastured meat. The chicken breasts are about $10 a pound. I can get drumsticks for less, about $4 for a package of 5 organic free range chicken legs from Trader Joe's. The steak--extremely lean sirloin was $4.49 a pound on sale. The grass fed version was $10.99 a pound.

All of the fruits and vegetables (except for the avocado and mushrooms) were from the farmer's market. The zucchini were $2.00 a pound, after I bought them, I discovered another vendor selling them for .80 a pound--it pays to walk all the way through the market before buying...

Right now, I have a mix of things I bought before the experiment and things I purchased after, so it is a bit complicated figuring out how much I actually spent on things. The raspberries were a special treat--they were $3.00 (farmer's market) for half a pint for organic, which is about $2.00 cheaper than the grocery store. (and so much better!)

The avocado and mushrooms are Costco--you can't really beat their price--especially on avocados--an avocado that size would go for about $3.00 in the grocery store. Organic ones are $4-6 each--and not very good quality. (although I haven't priced Trader Joe's yet--I'll have to do that this weekend.

So it looks like hamburger (grass fed, organic TJ's $5.99/lb.) and chicken legs are fairly cheap sources of protein, most of my veggies can be purchased at the farmer's market for another couple of months, and I can fill in the cracks by getting Costco veggies.

I am going to try to lower my costs for today by not eating as much, ie., intermittent fasting. I am just having coffee and half and half for breakfast (.82) and will have leftover steak and more avocado, tomato, zucchini, etc for dinner.
I'll probably still go over my budget for the week, but that is just a sign that you can't eat steak, raspberries and avocado everyday and expect to save money...

On the upside, the wild blackberries that are everywhere here are finally ripe, so I can go out and pick as many as I want along the Sammamish River trail for free!!