Horseradish Cream Sauce for Roast Beef

I love my roast beef.  It is cheap, easy, and a great protein source.  Cold or hot, it is just plain awesomeness, and the bloodier, the better.  But just plain, it can get a bit boring.  It is good with the juices from the mushrooms I had cooked previously, but I wanted something different.  So...there I was, at Cody's Cub Scout meeting (first year kids require parents to attend all meetings, due to their age).  To pass the time, I was reading The Joy of Cooking.  Yeah...I'm that kind of dork.  I was mostly reading it to find new ideas and what are good combos for herbs and spices.  The Joy of Cooking isn't all recipes, like so many other cook books, as it has many techniques and tips for cooks.  Hey...where can you get a recipe for a good flambé and how to skin and prep a rabbit in one book?

While flipping through the sauces, I found an easy recipe for a horseradish sauce.  I am a big fan of horseradish, but it is often mixed with mayonnaise for sauces in the US, which I do not like at all.  You also find it in a Tewkesbury Sauce, which is a combo of horseradish and mustard.  I'm a purist, and I like to actually taste the pungent root.

Easy Horseradish Cream Sauce

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream*
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar (I prefer the lemon juice)
2 Tbsp prepared Horseradish
1/4 Tsp salt
pinch of ground red pepper

Whip heavy cream in a bowl until it begins to form stiff peaks.  At this point, combine the other ingredients, and slowly introduce them into the cream, trying to get a uniform mix.  Take a little taste, and add a little more lemon or horseradish, depending how you like the taste.  Once you are satisfied, allow the sauce to chill out in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.  Mix prior to serving.

*OK...I will have to admit.  This recipe I found is not entirely paleo, and I'll explain.  The first step requires that you whip heavy cream into stiff peaks, then add the other ingredients.  When looking around, some people stated that coconut milk works just fine for doing this, so I tried that out.  So...after a good 5 minutes of manually whipping the coconut milk (the stuff from the carton, mind you), I gave up, and tried the hand mixer with a whisk attachment.  Gave that a few minutes...still nothing.  So...I figured it was maybe just the way they make that particular type of coconut milk.  So I go and buy a can of first press, unsweetened stuff (with a carton of heavy cream, just in case).  This coconut milk thickened a little, but did not stiffen into a whipped cream.  So I ended up having to use the heavy cream.  Oh well...I tried, at least.  Erin says it is good to have dairy once in a while anyway, so you do not lose your lactose tolerance (which we both have before, and it SUCKS).

Anyway, the sauce, once it rested a bit, came out phenomenal.  I just dolloped it onto my roast beef.  The tangy taste of the sauce complements the savory flavor of the roast beef perfectly.


For your gastronomical chemistry lesson for today, kiddies, I'll tell you why the horseradish and its asian cousin, wasabi, have a different type of "spice", than hot peppers like jalapeños.  Most of the hot peppers get their heat from a chemical called capsaicin.  This chemical compound, when it hits the mucous membranes, is what gives you the feeling of fire...both up above and down below, as you have mucous membranes on the way out, as well.  Dairy seems to be the best thing to combat the flames, for you spice n00bs. 

Horseradish, wasabi, and some purer mustards are given their piquance (another lovely gastro word) from a chemical called sinigrin, not capsaicin.  Unlike capsaicin, the sinigrin turns into mustard oil, which is extremely pungent and irritating to the sinuses and eyes.  This is why when you get a good amount of horseradish or wasabi in your mouth, it feels like someone punched you in the nose.  It also is really good for draining your sinuses, if you have a cold.  Because the spice does not stick around as long as capsaicin, I tend to like it more, as it doesn't kill your taste buds for as long.

Anyway, it is a classic sauce for roast beef, as I said, but it would go well with any cut of beef.  Maybe elk or venison as well, but I have yet to try that...    

Month 1 Weigh-In!

We've officially been on the Paleo diet for 4 weeks, so not only is it time for my Monday-morning weigh-in, but I also had to take my measurements again, for the first time since I started. I promised myself I wasn't going to obsess over numbers cause that would just make this a nightmare, but I do want to stay on top of things, so I've been weighing in every Monday, and will do measurements on every 4th Monday.

In my 4 weeks on the Paleo diet, I have lost 6 lbs. and 4 total inches!

And Chad has lost 8 lbs. in 4 weeks! (Chad's not doing measurements)

So despite the struggles and slip-ups, we're making progress!!!!! AND we've met our goal. When I started this blog, my goal was 28 days. But now I'm making a new goal: I'm going to try for 28 more!

Hold us accountable! And thanks so much for your support this far!

Cooking With Chad: Roast Beef and Mushrooms

'lo all!

Figured since my diet hasn't been exactly on the mark over the past week with all the craziness, I went simple tonight.  I just made some sautéed mushrooms and fried up some roast beef in a pan with some spices.

Sautéed Mushrooms

1 Tbsp Butter (I used organic, non-hormonal)
1 8oz package mushrooms, sliced (I used the standard white mushrooms this time, though Portobello are just as good!)
Spices as you like
1/4 cup water

Very easy...just melt the butter, and sauté the mushrooms in a medium pan at medium heat until browned, 2-3 minutes or so.  Be sure to stir or toss frequently, so they get evenly cooked.  I prefer to toss, as it coats better.  This would also be a good time to add any spices you would like.    When they start to look good, drop in your water, and let it simmer, until it reaches your desired tenderness.  I was wary doing this, as I had never tried this technique before, but I thought it made a noticeable difference from the last time I sautéed mushrooms, regarding texture uniformity and tenderness.

**A note on tossing: if you are bad at it...just stir.  Don't try to be Iron Chef America to impress your friends.  Be especially careful if you have liquids in the pan...they can easily spill.  If you are using oil or some other kind of flammable fat (yes...that includes butter), just don't if you aren't practiced.  No need for fires.  No matter what I am cooking, I usually both make sure no one is near the stove, and I turn away from the burner to toss, so, worst case, a little goes on the floor, versus dropping something onto the flame and it flaring up.**

Fried Roast Beef

Coconut oil spray
1/2 lb Italian Roast Beef, Thinly Sliced (I just got the local Shaw's brand)
Mélange (mix) of the following spices:

• Oregano
• Basil
• Marjoram
• Garlic Powdah
• Thyme
• Crushed Red Pepper

Yeah...that's right.  I said mélange.  Get yer highfalutin' cultured words here, kiddos.  Mix the spices together in a small bowl.  Put your mushrooms on a plate, and give your pan a quick rinse.  Spray your pan with coconut oil.  Shred or roughly chop up your roast beef into smaller bits, and toss into the pan over medium heat.  Let it get a-sizzlin, then give it some spice.  Don't over do it, and make sure the love is spread around.  You don't want to overpower the natural goodness that is roast beef.  If you got good beef, it should be red, at the very least, in the middle.  You don't need to cook it all that long, but I let it go until the red was almost gone...about 5 minutes.  If you overcook it, it can dry out, so that is how I can tell when it is done.

Drop the roast beef right beside those mushrooms and have at them.  I will say that it was a tasty and filling meal.

On another note, I picked up some awesome tea today.  It is loose leaf, which allows for some great tea blends.  This particular one I got was a Crème de Earl Grey.  Earl Grey is one of my favorite teas.  Nice and mellow and a great tea to wake up to.  The blend adds a creaminess to it, with hints of vanilla, which go really well with it.  If it wasn't caffeinated, I would have another cup right now...but I would never sleep tonight if I did...

It's been a tough week, Tater.

It's been a tough week.  We have been doing a lot of "not at home stuff", including bringing the boys to a Fresh Beat Band concert and Cody's Blue and Gold banquet for Cub Scouts (we are so proud of you, Cody!).  So, needless to say, the menu options weren't always that great, and we sometimes had to opt for less-than-paleo options.

But I will highlight a couple things that were great and out of the ordinary, trying to stick with the diet as much as possible.

First, when looking for an acceptable dinner for the boys, I found Bison and Beef hotdogs.  These were in the meat section, and not with the usual hot dogs.  These were significantly larger than hot dogs (think sausage-size), and, looking at the ingredients, were not made of a bunch of crap.  Plus, it was cool to introduce Logan to a new type of meat, albeit one that doesn't really taste any different, in my opinion.  I had mine bunless, of course, and they tasted great.  They were really high quality...not the stuff you get from Oscar Meyer (no offense to them...).

Cody, however, didn't want to go for the hot dogs, so I convinced him to, at least, go for sausages.  I picked him up some italian-style chicken sausages, and he loved it.  Once Logan finished his hot dog, he ate one of the sausages, as well, and really liked it.  Again, this was a more wholesome type of sausage, not the generic stuff in the hot dog section.

To go with it, we all had some cucumber slices.  Logan and I had ours plain, while Cody had his with some dill sprinkled over it and bathing in vinegar, just the way he likes it.

Yesterday was a less than paleo day for me, having gone to Fuddruckers after the concert for a treat.  I went with a 1/2lb elk burger with sautéed mushrooms and bacon.  Yes...ELK.  They also have buffalo burgers.  This was a smaller one, as far as Fuddruckers goes, and other restaurants offer wild boar burgers, as well.  I've had boar before...not really a fan.  Then again, not a huge fan of pork, either.

I can really tell the difference between when I am eating paleo and when I am not.  Anytime I start eating heavier foods, like that greasy burger yesterday, or even just heavier paleo foods, I feel sluggish and like crap.  I feel really good when I am eating well.  It's just a matter of finding the foods that are healthy, tasty, and are good to fill your stomach up.  If your stomach is filled, you don't feel like you are dieting.  My biggest issue is finding paleo options when I am not at home, or have no access to a grocery store.

Cooking With Chad: Coconut Bay Scallops and Fried Plantains

Despite Logan being sick, dinner was still very good.  I made a fairly simple dinner of Coconut Bay Scallops and some fried plantains.  Very easy and tasted great, is all I have to say. The scallops were bought from Shaw's Supermarket pre-crusted with coconut, but it would be nothing to roll some fresh, medium-sized scallops in some toasted coconut after rinsing them in cold water.  They just go in the oven on a foiled and sprayed baking sheet at a preheated 450°F (232°C) for 12-14 minutes.  They taste fantastic!  The natural sweetness of the scallop accented by the coconut, cooked to the perfect scallop texture, which should be firm, but not tough.  If it is tough, you cooked it too long.

Regarding the plantains, it is harder to get them out of the peels than it is to cook.  Taste wise, they are a very viable alternative to french fries, as they are paleo (fruit fried in coconut oil), and a bit healthier than fries, though not by much, as fried is still fried, and isn't the healthiest way to cook.  As long as they eaten sparingly, you should be good.

To cook the plantains, just put a few dollops of solid coconut oil into a pan, and melt it over a medium-low heat.  Once the oil is hot (but not smoking), just drop in some slices of plantain.  I try to do a single layer, as they tend to stick together before they get a good coating of the oil, and are kind of hard to separate without digital manipulation.  Let them fry for about a minute on one side, or until golden brown on the bottom, then flip.  Just watch the grease...we don't need no cave fires up in here.  Once both sides are done to your liking, just put on a plate with some paper towels or some other absorbing medium to drain.  Cook in batches if needed.  One medium sized plaintain, cut into 1/4" slices (a typical banana slice), should be enough for one person.  They, like other fried foods, tend to fill you up.  They taste fantastic all by themselves, or if you want, throw a bit of honey on there for a sweet taste, or some may prefer some sea salt.  Alone, they taste almost exactly like a french fry, with a hint of banana in the aftertaste.  The texture, as well, is quite similar.

One warning, though.  If you have unfried leftovers of the plantains, I caution you not to just pop them in your mouth like you would a banana.  Although they look strikingly similar to bananas, save their size, they will not taste like one.  Think of them as the ugly, mean older cousin of bananas.  I did it once when I was a kid, and I have since always double checked what I was buying, before I just bit in.

On a side note, Cody and I noticed a new fruit at the market last night.  It is called a Uniq Fruit, and its an ugly bastard (see below).  It looked like a grapefruit whacked with an ugly stick.  We were wondering what was so unique about it, so we bought one.  We were pleasantly surprised!  Hideous little spud that it is, it peeled easily, like a mandarin orange.  Inside, it looked like a grapefruit gave birth to a Clementine.  We both peeled off a section, and had at it.  Inside, this citrus fruit has a mild, really sweet, really juicy messy greatness to it!  I would put the taste as a cross between an orange and a mild grapefruit, with a hint of tangerine.  Very good!  They are a bit expensive, though, so it may just be an occasional treat.  Ours cost $1.79.

Hideous to look at - It is lumpy, frumpy, and has a poor complexion.  But oh...so...good.

Going out: Steamed Haddock

Hello there!

So, we went out to dinner last night.  I just wanted to share what I had, because it is a really good idea, as far as a recipe goes.  Despite what Erin thinks, I actually chose my meal because it sounded really good, and it was!  The fact that it was heart-healthy and paleo was just a bonus!

Here is how it went:  They took a goodly slab of haddock, which looked to be about 3/4lb, and put it in aluminum foil.  They drizzled olive oil on it, then put slices of zucchini, lemon, and tomato on top.  They then sealed the foil, which resembled a fish, and proceeded to bake it, so it steams in the olive oil, veggies, and its own juices.  It came out heavenly!  The fish was light and flaky, not at all dried out, and the vegetables were tender, with the various flavors infused with each other.  Overall, a fantastic dish!

If I were to guess, it would probably go in for 25-30 minutes at 350°F (177°C) to get that.

Cooking With Chad: Cheating (a little...)

I'll be the first to admit: as much as I wanted to, I haven't been 100%, no cheating, following the diet.  Nothing big, other than last Sunday's calzones (no one refuses Jimmy's cooking), but I have caved and gotten coffee a few times.  I know...tea has caffeine as well...but I can't get a turbo shot in tea, and mornings like the other morning, where I was up until 1am studying, and then up at 6am to make it out the door to take a test...I needed my coffee flavored caffeine.  I have been doing well though.  I am not doing anywhere as bad as I thought I would be doing.  I actively seek out paleo alternatives when I am peckish (say, dried fruit, nuts, or carrot sticks, instead of a bagel or something like that).  My biggest difficulty has been getting rid of pasta and rice.  I love them dearly, and I miss them so...

Bringing Logan out on a "date" tonight to Applebee's, since Cody gets to eat over Nana and Grampy's house, and I have already scouted out the menu for paleo-friendly meals.  Some of their salads and chicken dishes look really good, and they are served with portabella mushrooms instead of pasta or rice.

Have a great night all!

UPDATE: So we went to Applebee's.  Logan, as always, was a wicked flirt with the servers and even the manager, and drew them both pictures.  I ended up getting the Grilled Dijon Chicken with Portobello Mushrooms.  It came with sautéed veggies (really good) and potatoes, which I did not eat.  It did have a little cheese melted on top, which I failed to ask them not to do, but Erin says it is good to have a little dairy every once in a while, just so my body doesn't forget how to digest it. 

I've had lactose intolerance before, and it sucks! I had to gradually add lactose into my diet little by little to get my tolerance back again, and I had to deal with being uncomfortable and all the other...unfortunate...effects that come with lactose intolerance.

Paleo Chicken Marsala, Some Soul-Searching, And a Revamped Plan

I've been struggling. BAD. I've been eating a total Faileo diet the past few days. I think I was frustrated and discouraged. I'm a HUGE foodie (which is probably why I struggle with my weight) and I just haven't been enjoying ANYTHING I've been eating on this diet, which is hard for me. But with 711 views of this blog in just 10 days I felt that either you're all here because you genuinely want to see me succeed and I should get my shit together and do it as a thank you for your support, or that you all are waiting for me to fail horribly on this ridiculous-sounding diet and I need to get my shit together to prove you all wrong. Either way, I knew I needed to do some thinking and figure out a way to eat a Paleo diet while still enjoying my food so I can pull this off.

After a few days of thinking, I began to realize that it was dinnertime that was tainting my experience. All these Paleo recipes I've been finding online and using as a basis for what I've been cooking have been a HUGE disappointment. When I started this I used to look forward to cooking dinner, as I do every night. The past few nights I'm begging for any reason to go out to dinner somewhere just cause I can't stand the thought of tackling another recipe I'll be disappointed with in the end. And because of that bad attitude and discouragement surrounding dinner, I was growing frustrated with the whole diet, getting sick of my breakfasts and my lunchtime salads, because they were the only thing I looked forward to all day, and after 10 days it just wasn't enough.

I had a major Ah-ha! moment yesterday. I was going about this all wrong. Sure, Paleo recipe sites exist. Sure, they could be a HUGE help in figuring out what to eat. But now that I have all the concepts of Paleo down, and I know what I can and can't have, I don't NEED those sites. I can go through my cookbook of recipes I love and just tweak things here and there to have the meals I love, but in a way that follows the diet. I can be excited to eat dinner again! So I dug through my recipe book and pulled out my FAVORITE recipe; the first meal I ever mastered cooking, way back in high school. I cooked it every Friday night for almost 2 years, tweaking ingredients here and there, adding things, subtracting others, till it was PERFECT and exactly how I wanted it. The majority of what I know about cooking and creating recipes was learned while cooking this many many MANY times. It was the perfect thing to get me back in my groove.

I had some reservations about posting this recipe for you all. It's my secret recipe, and I just don't share it. But it's the Paleo version, so it's not my original to a T, so I'll let it slide this time.

ERIN'S PALEO CHICKEN MARSALA

Ingredients
4-6 chicken cutlets, trimmed of fat
1/4 c. coconut flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tsp. parsley
4 T. olive oil
4 T. butter*
3/4 c. Marsala wine*
1 jar garlic-stuffed olives (drained well)
1/3 lb. prosciutto ham, shredded

*I did use butter and Marsala cooking wine in this recipe, which depending on some sites is or is not Paleo. I've found more sites saying butter is OK than not, and I used all-natural butter, so I figured it was fine, and a lot of Paleo sites said that a glass of RED wine once in a while was OK as an indulgence, and since Marsala is a red wine, and I've had no wine since this started, I let it go. Getting myself back on board with this diet was more important than getting myself hung up on subtle disagreements between sites.

Combine flour, salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary and parsley and bled well. Heat the oil and butter in a skillet until bubbling lightly.

Dredge the chicken in the flour and shake off the excess. Cook the chicken on medium heat for about 2 mins on the first side, until lightly brown. As you turn the cutlets to the other side, add the olives and ham around the chicken pieces. Cook about 2 more minutes, until lightly browned on the second side. Stir the olives and ham. Add the wine around the pieces, cover the pan and simmer 10 minutes on medium-low heat.

I served this with fresh green beans, which I brought to a boil in a large pot for 5 minutes. Chad likes his plain, so I left his alone, but I'm weird and like to then saute them in butter and garlic and add salt, pepper and an obscene amount of onion powder. Yummy!

The Finished Product:


My Thoughts: I DID IT!!!!! I ENJOYED MY DINNER AND I ATE PALEO!!!!! This was exactly what I needed to get back on track. It tasted almost exactly how it always does. The coconut flour was fine as a substitute to my usual choice, and while it didn't allow the butter and wine to thicken into a nice sauce like the other flour I usually use, it did give the chicken a beautiful golden color once cooked that was much better than usual (which you can't see in the pic cause I plated it with the golden side down - *le sigh*). Love love love love LOVE!!!!!
As an aside, this recipe can be salty because of the olives and the ham. If you don't like a lot salt, you may want to just pick one for the recipe, and instead substitute mushrooms for the other like in a traditional Chicken Marsala (I had to find alternatives when I designed this recipe cause I hate mushrooms).

Chad's Thoughts: I love Chicken Marsala. Just sayin'. So suffice to say I might be a little tough on these types of recipes, especially when needed to be modified to paleo. That being said, I love Erin's recipe, both original and paleo. The paleo version didn't taste any different really, except for the lack of extra sauce (which she explained above). I loathe olives, so some of the saltiness was out for me. I am also particular on my prosciutto, as some brands are saltier than others. I believe the brand I got was Carando, which is less salty.
The coconut flour worked well for the coating, however, I recommended that Erin not try it for sauce thickening, as it is more absorbent than wheat-based flour, so I did not know a correct ratio.
Overall, fantastic and flavorful recipe.

Paleo Chicken Fajitas

Last night we had Paleo Chicken Fajitas for dinner, and they were pretty tasty. By far the best thing *I'VE* cooked since we started this (I know Chad has had more luck cooking Paleo than I have).

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients (all spices are to taste)
Chicken, cut into strips
Chili powder
Thyme
Red pepper flakes
Pizza seasoning
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Toss the chicken into a big pan with the olive oil, and season it to hell and back (well, that's my method anyway). Serve in romaine lettuce cups (I just bought Hearts of Romaine and cut appropriately-sized "wraps". The boy had theirs in tortillas though) I also served it with some summer squash and zucchini that I sauteed with minced garlic.

The Finished Product:


My Take: This came out really well, though the chicken was a little dry (I got distracted while I was cooking = FAIL) There was a lot more flavor in this than anything I've cooked so far, so I think I'm a fan. Chad did say he thought it would be good with a lime squeezed over it, and we didn't have a lime so I tried an orange wedge. That really rounded out the flavor nicely.

To Address Some Concerns....

I've recently had several friends bring concerns to be about my Paleo diet. I'd like to address them here for anyone else with similar concerns, with the help of FITBOMB.

Q: Didn't Cavemen die by age 40? Obviously it's cause their diet sucked.

A: Paleolithic humans had shorter average life spans, but what knocked down their average number of years of life? High infant mortality rates, a lack of medical care, living in the wild (that shit is tough), predators, accidents, trauma, etc. If 40 of every 100 prehistoric kidlets died before age 10, even if every survivor lived past age 60, the life expectancy of the group would still be under age 40, just because of basic math. Many studies have been done on the life expectancy of hunter-gatherer societies:

"In most hunter-gatherer populations today, approximately 10-20% of the population is 60 years of age or older. These elderly people have shown to be generally free of the signs of and symptoms of chronic disease (obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels) that universally afflict the elderly in western societies. When these people adopt western diets, their health declines and they begin to exhibit signs and symptoms of 'diseases of civilization'." -Loren Cordain

Q: What about my doctor? He told me low-fat diets are best.

A: Doctor's don't have to complete much coursework on nutrition in their training. A majority of medical schools still fail to meet the minimum requirement of nutritional instruction (a measly 25 hours). Absolutely hear what your doctor has to say on the matter, and then do your own research as well. I tend to be of the habit to never blindly take anyone's advice without doing my own digging as well, and weighing options and sources. And if you find anything conflicting or confusing, by all means ask your doctor about that as well.

Q: Humans need carbs to live! You can't work out without carbs.

A: The Paleo diet isn't carb free - you just get your carbs from vegetables and fruit instead of grains, legumes and added sugar.

Hope this clears a few things up, and if you have any questions, check out FITBOMB. They have an incredibly informative site.

The Ugly

I promised you all that I'd share the good, the bad, and the ugly of this diet. Well, here's the ugly:


Or, one of the uglies, rather.

Yes, I'm eating cookies and milk for breakfast. No, it is NOT on the Paleo diet AT ALL. But yes, it's still happening.

I've had a horrible morning, and these cookies were there, and it's my Nana's recipe, and I just NEEDED them to feel better. So I'm going to eat them, and then I'll be right back on track. I promise. Cause even while I eat them I know that nothing (even these cookies) tastes as good as skinny feels.

Cooking With Chad: Pancake FAIL

Last night I tried to make alternative pancakes, using coconut flour.  I will keep this post fairly brief: it failed.  Yes, they were technically edible, but just barely.  They failed to the point, where I won't even post the recipe, as I want to wait to get a decent pancake recipe to post for you guys. 

I would say everything went well until cooking time came.  The batter was quite thick, as to be expected from the highly absorbent coconut flour, so you would have to spoon it into the pan, and then spread it.  The issue was that was saying to cook for 2-3 mins on each side.  Whenever I have cooked pancakes before, I was lucky to get 30 seconds per side.  And it was exactly that: the pancakes would begin to burn before being ready to be flipped.  I even tried setting the heat lower for the second batch, but it did not make a difference.

The results were dry and mealy.  I had to put a goodly amount of honey on there just to choke them down.

Like I said, I will experiment more and find other recipes, and post one when I find one to appease the masses.

Cooking With Chad: An apple a day!

Hey folks!

It is kind of weird that Erin wrote that she was craving pancakes.  I didn't even see that post, yet that was what I was craving, too!  I attempted to do "breakfast for dinner", after I found a pancake recipe that uses either almond flour or coconut flour, but I could find neither in the store, so I prepared a back up plan.

Was looking for a chicken dish that would be amenable to the kids tonight, and I found some good ideas.  One that stuck out was Chicken Apple, which was adapted from the Paleo Plan website.  This one sounded like something that the kids would actually eat, so I figured that I would try it.  Keeping with the apple theme, I just fried up some apples to go with it as a side dish.

Chicken Apple

2Tbs Coconut Oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large apple, diced (I went with Red Delicious, as they hold their form better when frying)
Pepper to taste
Pumpkin Pie Spice to taste (alternatives: Cinnamon or Allspice)

Dice up the chicken into cubes.  Over medium high heat, melt the coconut oil, and toss in the chicken.  Grind some peppah onto it.  Cook the chicken until only a little pink remains (~150°F/65°C), then toss in the apples.  Add the pumpkin pie spice, making sure that everything has some, but not to excess.  Continue cooking until the chicken is done, and the apples are tender.  This was enough to feed all three of us, with a little left over.

Fried Cinnamon Apples

Coconut Oil Spray
3 Large Apples (again, Red Delicious was my choice)
Cinnamon to taste

These are wicked easy.  Spray a frying pan with coconut oil spray.  Peel and core the apples, then dice into large chunks.  Now is the time to introduce them to their burning doom, stirring occasionally.  Let them fry up a little bit, then drop some cinnamon on those bad boys.  Make sure they are coated well.  The trick is to stir often, as to not let them burn up, but not often enough so they get nicely browned.  Your goal:  They should look like pan fried potatoes.  I didn't use a recipe for this one, but I suppose that you could add some kind of butter alternative, if you want to fry it up with something.  But in my opinion, it doesn't need it.


Cody and Logan actually ate this one.  It is simple enough that their palates were not confused, and it wasn't overly fancy.  Man...Logan tore into those apples like they were candy.

My thoughts:  First, I'll talk about the side dish.  Three words in that regard: warm apple pie. Now, now...hold your American Pie jokes.  These were holy crap good, and would make for a cheap, healthy side dish or even a snack for whenever.

As for the main dish, I overcooked the chicken.  But that is my own fault.  Failure to get a full mise en place, and not checking the gauge of my shredder.  The original recipe asked for you to grate the apple into the pan with the chicken, but the grater I got did not have large enough holes, and the apple looked less like shredded cheese (for lack of a better comparison), and more like applesauce.  So I quickly diced it up small, and tossed it into the pan.  But that extra time cooked the chicken for an extra minute or two, so it ended up a touch dry for my taste.  This was also my first time using solidified coconut oil to cook.  I could feel it coating the chicken.  It wasn't a bad taste...in fact, it didn't taste like anything.  But it was just that the coating was something I am not used to...something like when you eat really rich Southern foods.  Maybe I'll cut down the amount of oil the next time I cook it.

But, overall, I liked the dish, and I was quite full by the time I was done.

Day 5 = CRAVING DAY!!!!

I'd been surprised until now at the lack of cravings I was suffering on this diet, especially since everything I've read has said to expect them. Well, turns out I wasn't just lucky - today they are rearing their ugly heads. I will keep a running list here of all the things I'd chew my right arm off to have:

• pancakes with syrup
• salad with honey mustard dressing
• Worms & Dirt pie
• Yoplait yogurt (I don't even like yogurt)
• Pasta Alfredo
  

Eat Like a Predator, Not Like Prey

I found a link to a fantastic page, Eat Like a Predator, Not Like Prey: Paleo In 6 Easy Steps, A Motivational Guide. The way it was written really broke things down and made the hows and whys of the Paleo diet easy to understand. I've added it to the Helpful Links section to the right, but wanted to share some of it's better gems here for you all.

Step 1: Eat Meat, Not Birdseed

• Eat more meat. If it's not meat, it's not a meal. Favor animals that eat grass and leaves.
• Eat more fish and shellfish. Favor oily fish like mackerel, sardines and wild salmon, but watch your methylmercury content. ***I will not be eating any fish because of my seafood allergy, but Chad will.
  
• Do not eat anything made with "flour". No bread, no pasta, no cereal, no crackers, no cookies, no donuts or danishes. Period.
• Do not drink your food. No soda (even diet soda), no sports drinks, no milk, no soy milk, no smoothies, no fruit juice, no yogurt or vegetable drinks. ***I've been drinking a Naked Juice here and there, and I know Chad has been too. It's 100% fruit and vegetable juice with no additives, so if you feel like you need a little boost of vitamins, this is probably your best bet, not counting taking an actual vitamin.
  
• Do not eat table sugar, or it's equivalents.
  
• Get your carbohydrates (sugars) from plants, not their seeds. Prefer foods that are high in glucose, low in fructose. If you must eat birdseed, white rice is the "least bad" of the grains.

You're a predator: Eat like one!

Step 2: Eat Food, Not Diesel Fuel

• Buy fatty cuts of meat, cook with their included fat.
  
• Cook with butter, coconut oil and beef tallow. ***I've read in other sites that butter is not OK, so we're forgoing it and using coconut oil instead because there's no dispute between sites I've read as to whether or not coconut oil is OK.
• Cook with eggs, and always eat the yolks. Egg whites are just protein, the nutrition is all in the yolk. ***Chad can do this all he wants. I hate eggs, so I'll be skipping this piece of advice.
• Do not eat "vegetable oils". The term itself is a lie. Extra virgin olive oil, cheese, avocado and nuts are OK in moderation - just think of them as condiments, not ingredients. If you need to eat a can of nuts or a brick of cheese, you didn't eat enough meat. Heavy cream, sour cream, full-fat yogurt and whipped cream make delicious sauces, condiments and desserts when used in moderation. But remember that fatty meat should always be your main source of calories. ***Dairy has also been in debate on the sites I've read - some say it's OK, some say it's not, so we're just steering clear as a general rule.

You are becoming less tasty and more dangerous each day!

Step 3: Supplements For An Imperfect World

• Consider vitamin D3 supplements. Our bodies produce D3 from sun exposure, but Paleolithic humans didn't live and work indoors. 2000-4000 IU per day is a good start for most adults on days they don't get good sun exposure. ***I'll skip this for the time being. Most sites I've read state you don't need extra supplements. I plan to get a blood workup once my diet is more established and I'll deal with supplements then if it's indicated that I need them.
  
• Consider EPA and DHA supplements. 1g/day of EPA and .5g/day of DHA can be helpful if you haven't eaten any fatty fish that day. ***This might be worth considering, at least for me, since I never eat fish.
  
• Flaxseed oil (ALA) is not an acceptable substitute. It's real name is linseed oil. That's furniture polish, and furniture polish is not food.

Step 4: Play Like A Predator

• Play hard, work hard, challenge yourself, then rest. Lift heavy objects, sprint until you're out of breath, climb trees and jump up and down, kick balls, shoot baskets. Shovel snow, dig dirt, split firewood. Practice agility as well as strength and endurance. The world is your playground! ***I think this is common practice when you have kids, so I think I'm doing good here.
  
• Don't "exercise", don't "do cardio". The only way to improve is to push your limits. You'll lose more weight and gain more strength from periodic bursts of short, intense exercise than from hours of "cardio". You're a human, not a hamster; get off the treadmill! Imagine this: every time you get hungry, you and your six closest friends have to chase down an antelope or spear a mammoth - and if you don't, none of you get to eat. That is the required intensity.
• If you must "work out", do bodyweight exercises, and get some dumbbells or kettlebells.
  
• Stop trying to "save energy". Make physical effort part of your life. Don't waste time looking for the closest parking space; just park and walk. Take the stairs. Shovel your own snow, split your own firewood.

Your body is finally - perhaps for the first time - beginning to function as it should.

Step 5: Optimization

• Remove any remaining grains from your diet.
  
• Remove any remaining legumes (beans) from your diet.
  
• Remove all remaining junk from your diet. If it has more than one layer of packaging, contains any ingredient you don't understand, claims any health benefits on the label, or is a fake version of something else, it's not food.
• Experiment with removing dairy from your diet. ***Already done.

Step 6: Never Stop Hunting

• Push yourself harder and in new ways. Explore someplace new. Learn a skill you're bad at. Throw and catch with your "off" hand. Try a team sport if you're a soloist, or a solo sport if you're a team player. Set goals you're not already sure you can achieve.
• If you're going to cheat, cheat with something delicious and portion-limited, or too expensive to eat often. Eat a Reese's or drink a Coke before you eat pasta or bread, cause they're individually packaged. Once you open that bag of Goldfish crackers, they're all going down the hatch, and we all know it.
  
• Be suspicious of all diet advice. Observational studies don't necessarily tell you whether something is healthy to eat: they tell you whether the healthy people in that study at that food.
  
• Listen to your body. Once you're functioning at a high enough level to tell the difference, you'll understand what's helping you and what's hurting you - not what's feeding your addictions.
  
• Your life and health are your own.

I would like to reiterate - I DID NOT WRITE THIS. I added a few comments here and there, but this piece was found here. I just wanted to share it with you all, as it cleared up a lot of questions for me.

Cooking with Chad: Paleo Mushroom Frittata

Ok, so tonight, I totally winged it (wanged? wung?). Erin wasn’t home, Logan was going out for a “date” with my parents, and Cody grabbed some McD’s on the way home from his Cub Scout meeting. So, being that she wasn’t home, I figured I would eat forbidden fruits, as they were. Wanted something with egg, so I went with some kind of frittata (basically, quiche without the crust). My father suggested something with mushrooms, so I went with that. Picked up some baby bellas at the store on the way home, and went to work. I looked at a couple recipes, but nothing really looked like something I wanted, so I just created as I went along. No recipe…just what I felt like throwing into a pan.

Ingredients
6 eggs
8 oz. pkg. of mushrooms (whatever type you would like, I went with baby portabella mushrooms)
1 T. thyme
Splash of coconut milk
Spash of hot sauce (optional, I used sriracha)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Spray an 8 inch oven safe frying pan with cooking spray. We use a coconut oil based spray that works extremely well. Fry up your chosen mushrooms until browned over medium high heat, which should take about 8 minutes or so. While they are sizzling away, combine your six eggs, the thyme, coconut milk, and hot sauce, if so desired. Whisk it up like you’ve maybe whisked before.

Regarding the coconut milk: 1) I used the liquid, refrigerated kind, but I can’t see why you couldn’t use the shelf-stable stuff, and 2) I didn’t put an amount, because it is all in how light or dark you like it. I like mine in the middle to the lighter side, so I added until I got the color I wanted.

As your mushrooms finish up, transfer them to a plate, and set them aside.

Spray your pan again, and introduce your mushrooms to the egg mixture, then the mixture to its fiery doom in the pan at medium heat. Cover and let cook until the bottom sets and browns, shaking the pan to get the excess egg to settle. This should take 3-5 minutes, or until a good portion of the top liquid has begun to solidify. Then transfer to the oven, uncovered. Let it finish cooking the top for another 3-5 minutes, or until there is no more liquid on top. If you want to want to brown it a little on top, flip it up to broil for a minute or two to get that effect.

Take it out, let it cool, enjoy!

NOTE: You need to have an oven safe pan. If you can’t find one, and you have one with a rubber handle (usually those ergonomic thingies), wrap the handle in tin foil to protect it.

The finished product:

So what did I think? I think it turned out pretty well. It is a fairly easy recipe with not a lot to go in it, and it can be made for just a couple people, or just you, if you are really hungry. Mine overcooked a little bit, because I got distracted talking to Cody, but it did not affect the flavor at all. As far as taste, I liked it. The thyme, as always, goes great with the mushrooms. Using coconut milk instead of regular milk or half and half didn’t change the flavor at all, in my opinion. The hot sauce is what really made it for me. The mushrooms were great and everything, but I put in just enough sriracha to give it that red pepper flavor and a pleasant, warming tingle on my tongue. It is a simple recipe, and there are a lot of things that could be done with it, but I was trying to do this while getting the kids ready for bed.

I sense some of you may look for a skinny/less cholesterol option (cholesterol ohmnomnomnom!). This is easy: Just use 3 egg whites and 2 whole eggs. Yields a little less, egg wise, but would be technically better for you.

But why would I want to do that?

Cooking With Chad: Paleo Lemon Dill Baked Haddock

Last night was a night without Erin, as she had an event come up at work. So I decided that this would be a good time to try out some new fish recipes. Since Cody would be home, I started fairly basic. Last night's menu was Lemon Dill Haddock and Honey Baked Carrots.

Both of these recipes are pretty darn basic. Since they both bake at the same temperature (350 degrees F), with only a 10 min difference in time, they can go in the oven at the same time.

Lemon Dill Baked Haddock

Ingredients (serves 2)
3/4 lb. fresh haddock
1 med. sized lemon
Dill to taste
Pepper to taste (optional)

Rinse the haddock in cold water, then place on a greased baking sheet (I did foil and coconut oil spray). Sprinkle dill all over your lovely slab of protein, but don't overdo it. Cut your lemon into thin slices and place right on top of the fish. Bake it in a preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until it flakes easily with a fork.

Honey Baked Carrots

Ingredients
4 carrots, washed and peeled (I just used a goodly handful of baby carrots)
Olive oil
Honey
Pepper to taste

Wash and peel your carrots, if you're using the big variety, and cut into pieces. Put carrots in a bowl, and put in enough olive oil to coat the carrots, then do the same with the honey. Put some pepper on it, if you would like, and give it a god final toss around. Put on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes to an hour, getting to the tenderness that you desire.



These recipes were incredibly simple to make, taking only a few minutes of prep time each. The fish came out white and flakey, and not at all dried out, at 30 minutes. Since I only laid the lemons on the fish, there was only a slight taste of lemon, which went well with the dill. If you do not use the dill, however, I recommend maybe squeezing juice on it as well, before and/or after, to get the best effect. The carrots came out still fairly crispy (I hate soggy carrots), and they were sweet like candy. They remind me of holiday get-togethers, where glazed carrots were often a feature. I am very happy with how this came out. Who said diets had to be flavorless food?

Day 3 - You Asked! (FAQ)

I've had several people post in various places on Facebook asking about this journey so I wanted to address those questions here in case someone else had similar questions.

Where did you find this diet?
Erin: I'd heard people talking about the Paleo diet in passing a lot in the past 6-8 months, but always assumed it was the same as eating raw. It's not. Everything is cooked (unless you live and breathe for veggie sticks, like Chad). Everything I've learned has just been searching for "Paleo diet" or "Paleo lifestyle" on Google. I will continue to share my favorite sites for info and recipes in the column to the right. So far there's only one, but I'll be updating and adding more in the next day or so, so check back for that.

How do you feel now that you've changed your eating habits?
Erin: I'm still only in Day 3, but I do feel less bloated. When I smack my tummy I only feel hard fat, not jiggly water-fat, so that's improvement (though not flattering to write about myself). The first day I kind of felt like I had a belly full of cardboard. I've read all the articles saying that carbs are hard for your stomach to digest, but I've gotta say, I seem to be having a harder time digesting all the fruits/veggies/meat I'm eating. That said, I'm not exhausted anymore halfway through the day (that doesn't hit till about 9 pm now). And I did cheat just a little bit yesterday (I took my friend Julia out to lunch for her birthday, so there was Tollhouse Pie involved) and I felt like crap after. So after only 3 days my body is clearly loving the non-processed diet, and really showing the effects of eating junk.
Chad: Regarding energy, I am a little more tired than usual in the middle of the day, most likely due to the lack of the 3-5 (large) cups of coffee I drink. This morning I felt pretty good, energy wise. I'm still an ornery bastard when I wake up, but I didn't feel like a slug this morning.

Have you lost or gained any weight?
Erin: We're only 3 days in, and I promised myself I wasn't going to watch the scale. I was only going to check my weight weekly. But Chad stepped on the scale this morning and has already lost 6 lbs. so I couldn't stand not knowing when he's already had such a drastic loss - I've already lost 4 lbs.! I wouldn't attribute this to the diet 100%, I think a lot of it is all the water we've been drinking, but some of it is probably the diet too. I'll be more excited at the end of the first 4 weeks when I check my measurements to see if there's a difference there.

Are you always hungry? Are you snacking all day?
Erin: The first day was tough for me, but I think that's cause I missed lunch. But as a general rule, on this diet I'm much more content to eat my 3 meals a day and have that be it. I'm not sure if that's because I'm sated or if it's because it's such a hassle to find snacks cause my usual go-tos are usually of the boxed or bagged variety, but either way, there's much less snacking. I'm not always hungry at all. I do THINK about food a lot, but I think that's more because I want all the stuff I can't have.
Chad: The urge to snack depends on what I eat. If I am eating more vegetables, I tend to want more food. If I get a good fill of protein, I feel more full. Either way, I don't mind, because I can snack as much as I want, as long as it is healthy stuff (viva la carrot sticks!).

Do you have to make something different for the kids?
Erin: Cody and Logan completely rejected my Paleo Spaghetti nightmare. I don't blame them. I was tempted to reject it myself. The Goulash was alright - Cody ate it, and Logan ate it after we told him he wasn't getting anything else. Logan is a VERY picky eater, so it's hard to judge how much of his complaints are because he actually doesn't like something, or because we're not serving him Chef Boyardee. We've still been giving them cereal for breakfast, and Cody eats lunch at school and Logan usually has something Chef Boyardee (boy loves his meatballs), but to even that out our goal is for them to eat what we're eating at dinner, whether we're on the Paleo diet or not.

Are you having issues with portion size?
Erin: YES! So far that's my biggest battle. I think the problem is the lack of starch. Last night I kept looking at my plate (Paleo Hungarian Goulash) and thinking "my plate isn't full. How will this fill me up?" I think I'm going to have to try harder to compensate for the missing starch with double portions of veggies. Of course, another bunch of asparagus costs more than a box of rice or a potato, so that may be a little straining financially, but we'll see how it goes.

Are you having any problems yet?
Erin: I haven't had any real problems, just a few minor difficulties. The first is cost. Produce is expensive, and as I touched on above, having to replace starch (which runs pretty cheap) with more produce, it's adding a little bit to our grocery spending. The other issue is just a personal thing - I have several allergies (nuts, fish, shellfish). Many meal plans I've found include recipes for fish, or require you to cook with nut oils. So there's obviously a whole chunk of recipes I'm missing out on, so that makes it hard for me to find things to cook since I'm limited by both the diet AND my food restrictions.

How are you doing with coffee withdrawals?
Chad: Ugh...the coffee withdrawal has been tough. I've had bad headaches the past couple days, but it is not that bad today. I am drinking tea to supplement caffeine, but I miss the taste of coffee more than anything.

Are you using My Fitness Pal?
Erin: I had issues getting that app to run on my phone, so I use something different but very similar: My Net Diary. It tracks your calories (includes a barcode scanner!), exercise, weight, water intake, and measurements. It's a free app for iPhones (not sure about Androids) and I highly recommend it.

If you have any more questions, please post in the comments! I'd love to address them in a later post.

Paleo Hungarian Beef Goulash

I was super excited about this one. After reading the recipe I decided that it would be real food.

Ingredients
1 lb. stewing beef, cut into cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T. paprika
3 tsp. caraway seeds
2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes (juice only)
3 c. beef stock

1. Brown the beef cubes in a skillet. Put the beef aside, and brown and saute the garlic on medium heat.

2. Transfer beef and garlic to Crock Pot and add spices, tomato juice and stock. Put lid on Crock Pot, and cook on Low for 2 hours.

I served this with asparagus, boiled for 1 minute than sauteed briefly with oil, salt and pepper.

THE FINISHED PRODUCT:


Erin: The asparagus was my favorite part. I'd been SO excited for the Goulash, and it was basically little beef cubes. They were overcooked (the recipe I was adapting this from said to cook it for 2-1/2 hours. I have for this reason shortened mine to 2 hours only). And the caraway was the most powerful flavor in the dish - not the paprika. Honestly, I'd leave it out next time IF I made this again (and I won't). Hopefully tonight's dinner is better, but after the past 2 nights I'm feeling a little discouraged.

Chad: I am a big fan of paprika, so I was pretty excited when Erin said she was cooking something Hungarian. I really liked the taste of the beef, though I think it would go better over rice or something like it (verboten, I know, but it would get more of the sauce into my belleh!). The asparagus was crisp and peppery, just the way I like it. I plopped some carrot sticks onto my plate, as I knew it wouldn't be enough, just the beef and asparagus. Good compliment, and I was full by the end of the meal. I really like this diet: I don't feel like I'm starving myself.

Paleo Spaghetti

Our first Paleo dinner! Here's the recipe, followed by a quick review:

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)
1 lb. ground turkey
3 T. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 T. tomato paste
1 bay leaf
2 (28 oz.) cans whole, meaty tomatoes
2 spaghetti squashes

1. Cook the ground turkey in a large pot until no longer pink. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2. Use the same pot to cook the garlic, carrots, celery and oregano in the olive oil over medium heat, until just tender. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, ground turkey and bay leaf. Break up the tomatoes with a spoon. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 45 mins.

3. In the meantime, heat your oven to 350 degrees F.

4. Cut spaghetti squashes in half length-wise. Remove and discard the seeds. Put the halves cut-side down on a baking sheet, and bake for 28-35 mins, checking after 25. Do not overcook or they'll be too mushy. It should easy break into strands with a fork to make pasta-like strings.

5. Serve with sauce over spaghetti squash.

THE FINISHED PRODUCT:


Erin's Opinion: It wasn't bad, exactly. But it wasn't really good either. There was nothing wrong with it. It actually tasted almost exactly like my grandmother's cabbage soup, which is only helped by the cabbage-like texture of the spaghetti squash (did I do it right?). So apparently some people (like my grandmother, my mother, my grandfather, etc.) LIKE that flavor, so I must not have done too badly. It's just rotten luck for me that it was never one of my faves. So this dinner wasn't a great kick-off to our new diet. I ate it, but I'm not in a rush to ever make it again.

Chad's Opinion: The change from spaghetti to "spaghetti" was interesting to say the least, and a little crunchy (in a vegetable sort of way), but I liked the way it had been cooked. It could serve as a viable replacement for pasta, if someone wanted to drop carbs. The sauce...loved it! And she is right...it tasted like Nana's cabbage soup. I, apparently, liked the dish more than anyone else...had two bowls worth, and a little of our son Cody's, after he rejected it. I'd have it again, if it were served to me, but, a little like Erin, I wouldn't actively go seeking it out.

Day 1 - Wish Us Luck! (by Erin)

I've been hearing about the Paleo diet for several months now, and figured it was just another fad along the same lines as eating raw foods. But the more I heard about it, the more I liked, so I did some research of my own, and here I am, at the beginning of my journey. And I'm dragging my husband, Chad, with me. Partially because he also wants to be healthy, but partially because I'm usually the one who cooks dinner so he's gotta comply at least one meal a day anyway.

Since I started out with basically 0 in the knowledge department when it comes to the Paleo diet, I think maybe I should assume you don't know anything either (no offense). So I think I'd like to start with the 15 Rules of the Paleo Diet, a helpful list I found at Paleo Diet Lifestyle (and a few of my own notes tossed in).

1. The Paleo diet should be high in fat, moderate in animal protein, and low to moderate in carbs. Calorie counting is not encouraged, and neither is portion control.
(I will be calorie counting just because I'm interested in how many calories this diet takes in, exactly)

2. Eat unlimited amounts of saturated fats like coconut oil. Beef tallow, lard and duck fat are also good, but only if they come from healthy and well-treated animals. Beef or lamb tallow is a better choice than lamb or duck fat. Olive, avocado and macadamia oil are also good fats to use in salads and to drizzle over food.

3. Eat generous amounts of animal protein. This includes red meat, pork, poultry, eggs, organs, wild-caught fish and shellfish. Don't be scared to eat the fatty cuts, and all meals with protein should contain fat as well. Learn to cook with bones in the form of stocks and broths.
(There will be no organ-eating here)

4. Eat good amounts of fresh or frozen vegetables, either cooked or raw, and served with fat.
(Not sure if I'll "serve with fat". I tend to prefer my veggies au natural")

5. Eat low to moderate amounts of fruits and nuts. Try to eat mostly fruits low in sugar and high in antioxidants, like berries, and nuts high in Omega-3, low in Omega-6, and low in total polyunsaturated fat, like macadamia nuts. Consider cutting off fruits and nuts altogether if you have an autoimmune disease, digestive problem, or trying to lose weight faster.
(While I'd love to lose weight faster, I think I'll keep the fruits in there for now, just because I don't want to restrict too much too quick and set myself up for failure. If this goes well, I'll make giving up fruits Phase II. Also, Chad will be eating nuts, but I will not - I have an allergy)

6. Preferably choose pasture-raised and grass-fed meat coming from a local, environmentally conscious farm. If that's not possible, try lean cuts of meat and supplement your fat with coconut oil. Also, preferably choose organic, local and/or seasonal fruits and vegetables.
(I'm poor, so I'm shopping at the grocery store. That's the best you're getting out of me. At least I'm eating healthier, even if I'm not eating expensive)

7. Cut out all cereal, grains and legumes from your diet. This includes, but is not limited to, wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, brown rice, soy, peanuts, kidney beans, pinto beans, navy beans and black eyed peas.
(I've had many people ask why no legumes. It's because legumes generally are not consumed without preparation the likes of which our Paleo ancestors would not have done)

8. Cut out all vegetable, hydrogenated, and partially-hydrogenated oils, including, but not limited to, margarine, soybean oil, corn oil, Crisco, peanut oil, canola oil, safflower oil and sunflower oil. Olive oil and avocado oil are fine.
(I'm hoping this doesn't extend to the Sunbutter I just bought last night at the grocery store, but I kind of think it does. Damn)

9. Eliminate sugar, soft drinks and all packaged products and juices (including fruit juices). As a rule of thumb, if it's in a box, don't eat it. At the grocery store, visit only the meat, fish and produce sections.
(Within reason - for example, breakfast this morning was berries with coconut milk. Coconut milk is in a box. Stuff like that will have to be a judgement call)

10. Eliminate dairy products. You don't need dairy.
(I'm 50/50 on this. I may have a small glass of milk every other day, just because I've learned the hard way in the past that if you don't use your lactase enzymes you stop producing them, and lactose intolerance just isn't fun)

11. Eat when you're hungry, and don't stress if you skip a meal or even two. You don't have to eat three square meals a day, do what feels natural.

12. Eliminate the most sources of external stress that you can, and sleep the most you can. Try to wake up without an alarm, and go to bed when it's dark.
(Ha! Clearly whoever wrote this has never met my children)

13. Don't over-exercise - keep your training sessions short and intense and do them only a few times per week. Take some extra time off if you feel tired. Consider short and intense sprinting sessions instead of very long cardio sessions.

14. Consider supplementing with Vitamin D and probiotics. Levels of magnesium, iodine and vitamin K2 should also be optimized. Iodine can be obtained from seaweeds. You probably don't need a multivitamin or other supplements.
(I'm just gonna take a multivitamin)

15. Play in the sun, have fun, laugh, smile, relax, discover, travel, learn and enjoy life like a daring adventure.
(Suddenly my diet sounds like a commercial for herpes medication...)

Now let's talk goals. I'm currently weighing in at the same weight I was when I delivered both of my sons. Yuck. I'm lucky, in that I am 5'7", so I've been told I don't look my weight. Or maybe they're being nice. Let's pretend they're being truthful, cause it makes me feel better. According to my BMI, I am obese. According to the BMI scale, I should be between 118 and 159 lbs to be in the "normal weight" category. That's a HUGE range. I've also seen myself at 118, and I looked skeletal, so that's all sorts of not happening. If I can get down to 159, I think I'd be ecstatic. But I think I'll feel and look my best between 135 and 150. So that is my current goal. HOWEVER, the purpose of the Paleo diet is not so much to lose weight (though you may do that, depending on how much crap your normally eat that you have to cut out), but to eat healthy. And that is my BIGGEST goal. I'm of the mind that I'm not going to stress over a number on the scale as long as I'm eating healthy and I'm happy with the way I look.

If you've stuck it out through this whole post, I hope you've learned something! And I hope you'll come back to share in our journey. And I hope Chad will maybe post something at some point too, but we'll see. I've already taken away his coffee, so that may be asking too much.