Food for thought

So I have been on this "Paleo-Diet" for about 8 weeks now, actually 7 since I didn't follow it the first two weeks of the Edge Revolution, and I feel good. I actually feel good, no complaints about not eating enough or not feeling hungry or what not, I feel good. I also have found that it is a good diet to experiment with different recipes. I love creating new recipes with the foods in my fridge (sometimes) and sometimes they come out GREAT and sometimes, well lets just say some hungry pigeons or seagulls somewhere in that great dump are getting a good meal. Anyways, so we have a farm share and during this farm share we get some veggies which are great when we first get them and then we say "what the hell am I going to do with this??" or "Cabbage??? AGAIN???" Or "really what else can we do with radishes besides salad." So I was making baked cabbage one time (which came out awesome) and decided that I wanted to try some kind of warm cabbage slaw or warm cabbage salad. So I did it. I like to do it on nights when I cook for myself since then I have no one to tell me its gross...or I can just dispose of the evidence of my horrible creation. So tonight I did, I made a warm cabbage salad, and it wasn't that bad this is the basic recipe, since by chance I had all the ingredients...By the way, I usually don't have fresh cranberries, I just happen to get them from a good friend who owns a cranberry bog.

Warm Cabbage Salad:
1/2 head of cabbage slice thin
2 carrots (match sticked)
1 whole gala apple (cored and sliced)
1 broccoli stalk (not the floret here)
1 cup of whole fresh cranberries
chicken stock (optional sub. for whatever yummy liquid you have)
apple cider (hard is what I had)
1 TBSP sesame oil
1 TBSP White wine vinegar


mix veggies together in a bowl and toss with sesame oil and vinegar
add cranberries to about a 1/4 cup of stock (they will boil and pop and sizzle) and cover for about 5 min or so then add the veggies and apple.
Cook down for a few min, add the cider and stir and cook and stir and cook until tender.

Drain that sucker (if there is left over liquid) and use the liquid with pork to make a nice little reduction.

I ate this with some yummy pock chops, it is good, the cranberries defiantly add some nice dimension to the taste.

Enjoy!

Disorderly Eating in the world

For the past 10 years or so and maybe as long as I can remember there has been talks of eating disorders. What we should eat what we shouldn't eat, who should eat what, what is healthy, what is not healthy and so on. The other day I heard about a new treatment for people who suffer from Anorexia Nervosa on NPR, a family approach (wow what a concept, involving the family in helping.) I have always thought about eating disorders and disorderly eating because I have always fought with food. I LOVE FOOD, I love the tastes and I love cooking and I love seeing other people eat the food I cook. I have never been a picky eater (except olives...yuck) and yet day in a day out I am told don't eat this, don't eat that. I hear it from one set of people who eat this way and they feel great, I hear from another set of people who say eat this way and you'll feel great, well guess what, there is a REASON people have eating disorders in this world, it is from all of this back and forth about what is good and what is not. I can easily see how someone can look at a strawberry and be told NO it has too much sugar, BUT it is a healthy food that is grown in the ground and comes from nature nothing added. What are we telling people?? Or let's look at meat? Lean meats are healthy, they come from cows, (watch Food Inc, and read Omnivores Dilemma and you won't want to eat regular beef anymore) but yet they are pumped full of hormones and fed grains which are not a normal diet for them rendering their meat horrible for you. It's a toss up. Eggs are they good are they not? Good protein, chickens are treated bad...you know what they are chickens...I don't care how they are treated, if they were humans then we wouldn't eat their eggs. I just don't know anymore, for someone trying to lose weight like myself I am given LOTS of mixed messages, eat whole grains, DON'T eat WHOLE GRAINS, Eat meat, DON'T EAT MEAT, Eat fruit, eat SOME fruit, eat eggs, but not the whole thing, this has caused disorderly eating on my part and on the part of everyone I am around, always explaining what I am eating and what I am not eating. I feel bad, like I am inconveniencing them or that I am running around trying this fad or that or that it is just a "phase." For anyone out there who deals with me reading this...I swear it is not a fad or a phase, I am trying to find the diet that works for me, the diet that gets me to a weight that I feel comfortable in and that makes me feel good, and look good. I apparently was not blessed with the best genes in terms of metabolism, so you know what like many others out there have to WORK for a body that feels and looks good. So for now I am still on my quest to find the best combination of foods that work for me.

Vegan who eats...meat?

I did it for 9 weeks, I held out that long, I have read the articles and heard people speak, but I hit my plateau, what next. Well I have decided if I want some muscle on these bones and not just body fat I am hitting the dark side. I am now officially as of 6pm Oct 3rd, 2010...eating meat. I am not going to be eating dairy because of the whole downstairs issues, and eggs I am still on the fence about. I have read and I have listened, I need some more protein and I am just not getting enough to build my muscles. Today I ate Salmon, it was good. I am really going to go back to the fish/seafood (how I was before). So now which ever one of my siblings said I was going back to "normal eating" you win!

Diet/Excersise...week 9

So it has been a while since posting about how my Veganism and Exercise routine have changed my life so completely, not really but in a way it has. I must say first about 5 years or so ago I did Weight Watchers with a group of teachers I worked with and I did enjoy it. I pretty much ate what I wanted to and watched my points. The only thing after I lost my 10% and then maybe a few more pounds, I plateaued got frustrated and slowly gained that 25 pounds back, so I was hovering around 226 for the past few years, I took some off but it always came back. So this year when I went to see my doc she told me straight I needed to lose weight, I needed to get my cholesterol in check and I needed to become healthier, so I did. In about 6 weeks being Vegan I drop my cholesterol 100 totals points, dropped my triglycerides 100 points also and the best part I went from a moderate risk to a low risk in the heart disease field HUZZAH! Also since working out I have dropped about 23 pounds or so, I am currently at 203 which is the lowest I have been in well 4 years. While on weight watchers I was working out a little, running a little and just trying to get some daily exercise, nothing to vigorous. When I told me sister I had an easier time doing weight watchers she was like, well you are older and its harder to loose the weight since now I am at the gym 6 times a week (at least) for at least an hour each time. I am noticing a difference, but I guess I need to keep my patience. My other problem I have been having lately is the plateauing issue AGAIN! So I am doing to a program at the gym called the EDGE REVOLUTION. You compete for who looks the best after 8 weeks, you get a personal training session, a pilaties session and also nutrition coaching. My worry about nutrition coaching is that some people think being a Vegan is bad because you aren't getting enough protein and other nutrients from the meat, well, I am doing fine and my doc said I was doing fine on my diet with my numbers, just need to up my "healthy cholesterol." The program is pretty much all based on looks...awesome. At least we are broken into age groups and for the first time I have registered for something I am in the 30-39 group, yay. Well we shall see!

Keep your religion out of my politics

When I was a school boy I learned about government in school. I learned that we elected people to different positions in government and these people made the laws so that the everyone's life would be better. The laws were to help people live better lives, raise good children and grow up to be good adults who would elect more people and do it all over again. We were taught religion in church and taught about government in school. We NEVER EVER taught were TAUGHT about religion in school except that different people around the world practiced different religions. I remember in school that America was founded on principles of freedom of religion. You can practice whatever religion you want, but the government cannot force you to practice a religion and no one can force you to practice a religion. I am sure this has always been happening but the only thing that I have heard is how much of a nut-job these people are or how these people form cults and bring people in and brainwash them. Let think about this for a second, nut-jobs, cults, brainwash. Sound familiar? Sound like something I have heard over the years. Over those years I went to church, a catholic church, and from what I remember a pretty liberal one. I think one of my more religious great uncles said "oh yeah, that is one of those "progressive" catholic churches." When I was 10 I had no clue what that meant. I was taught to always remember the golden rule which I believe goes something like this "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." As far as I know that should apply in everyday situations and in politics alike. I mean seriously, if the big headed nut jobs on the TV and the political machine alike just follow the golden rule, I believe the world would be a better place. If people would just stop and THINK before they talk and blabber on about this that and the other thing then people would love each other. I really think that, and it may sound like a simple idea, a simple plan, a plan for world peace. I believe that in every Bible out there, in any written "word" there is something somewhere written down about treating each other as we would want to be treated. No matter what religion, no matter who is practicing what, don't tell people what to think, what to believe, tell people they are good, they are great and they deserve to be treated well. If we think about what is going on these days with the poor president, he is just trying to do his job. People seem to be making this difficult by trying to bring religion into the picture. Just because one president was very forward about his religion this DOES NOT mean every other president has to be. I mean come on, let the guy do his job, he is trying to be an inspiring leader and can't do his job if everyone else does not do their job. If we look at the Gettysburg address - "and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth" we need to stop and think. It seems that America would better be served by a few people for those few people, not the masses. Come on people, love one another, be good to each other, we are ALL created equal, no matter what, no matter who, now let's start acting that way!!!

Me a vegan? Realy?

So I went to the doctors and recommended to stop eating/devouring dairy products. What can I say, I love cheese, and butter...and ice cream. Like I have said in the past, I love food. I just love it pretty much no matter what it is I will eat it, except olives, like I have said before. So I have been a "vegaquariam" for about 6 months now and decided, well why not take the next step. I will stop eating the seafood, cheese, butter, eggs, and become...duh da duh...a VEGAN. Yup I said it, meat and potatoes sauteed in bacon bits with a side of mayo Andy became a Vegan. Which means no butter, no eggs, no sauteed in bacon bits and NO mayo...Veganaisse just doesn't cut it. Easy I thought, I love veggies, fruits, whole grains, I can do this. Piece of cake. Now I need to worry if I am eating enough calories, or getting the right nutrients I need. I also need to worry about what is for dinner. Gone are the "lets through some chicken or fish on the grill and eat it with rice or whatever. Now its what veggies can I grill with Tofu, Can I grill Tofu, what is Tempeh? do I have a suitable substitution for chicken? To all these questions I say YES I CAN/DO! Protein is easy now that I have discovered Lentils, Tofu, Garden Protein, Tempeh (cooked right,) and some other suitable proteins. I have found delicious vegan chocolate and have made dessert with it! Soy Yogurt instead of real yogurt, granola in the morning and lots of fresh fruit. Like I said I love food, it works for me, and I am good cook so win win. Jeremy can still have his meat, but I will keep my potatoes...sauteed in EVOO or water...

The Garden in three parts.

Part 1: The Good:
I love my garden, it is a little small but perfect for what I need, it gives me fruit and I can eat everything that comes out of it. So far this season I have harvested my tomatoes, tiny heads of broccoli, some herbs, 5 beans, some lettuce, and well that is it so far. I am glad I endeavored on this journey and have learned a little about planting, next year I will have one additional bed and space the plants a little more. I will also not be as impatient and plants according to charts and what not. Even though it is hot doesn't mean I should plant. Anyways I got a load of tomatoes, enough to make a salad and some salsa, and to have as part of a dinner and it made me rethink my Subway sandwich for the time I was eating it. I looked at the pink tasteless ones on my sandwich removed them and put on the juicy red ones from my garden. The colors of summer truly came out but soon I would find out, some colors you do not want in your garden.

Part 2: The Bad:
This is broccoli, this is about how big it got, broccoli likes cold, broccoli does not like HOT. The temperature has reached just about 101 for a few days, poor broccoli. This is the unpredictable weather I have been dealing with. Of course I rushed and planted everything together. I could rip them up and plant new ones, then I would get some nice heads in early September. Maybe I will. This is the bad I have been dealing with, but just remember there is always next year so we shall see what next year brings, I will be armed with the knowledge of the weather and will plant a little better next time. Of course I will have some nice compost also which I started this summer. One thing I was not prepared for (but of course was warned against) was a not so nice little creature who haunts my nightmares and is the reason I don't sleep at night.

Part 3: The Ugly:
Why me I ask, why when I look at this critter do I convulse with fear and cringe in anguish. Why am I so afraid of one little 5 inch worm. Why would this little critter bring a 200 pound man to his knees crying and wanting to throw up. This critter is gross, give me spiders, snakes, creepy crawly gross hissing cockroaches any day, but this caterpillar or Tomato Hornworm grosses me out and makes me sick. This thing I realize is a living being and this thing I realize needs nourishment itself, but it looks like a fantasy creature out of the likeness of Dr. Who or Star Trek. It ATE of my plants, one of my plants of course being 4 feet tall and full of small cherry tomatoes, I caught it before it could do more damage BUT STILL!! I saw it screamed a little on the inside, took a picture of it and proceeded to find the longest stick and put it in a bowl of soapy water, it's demise was the spoils of war but you know what...IT ATE MY PLANTS! Damn little thing I don't need humongoid moths flying around my house, YUCK. Lesson learned, I just need parasidic wasps to get rid of them, good.