egg white omelets are stupid and gross

Pastured pork ribs from the farm. Organic red wine. A salad with avocado, maters and raw cheese.

I don't eat pork that often, not for any particular reason, but I just don't really know how to cook it. I seared this in butter and balsalmic, and put it in the oven. It was pretty easy, and it was pretty awesome. I ate this meal with my hands (so much easier, and I do this a lot when I'm not dining with Scott).

I've written about this before but I think it's so interesting the bad rap pork gets. I've heard over and over again that Okinawans live so long because their diet is comprised of mainly fish and tofu. Blasphemy! They eat pork! All of it. Organs. Snout to tail, baby.



fried chicken skin

I finally understand Cartman and why he wanted to eat the chicken skin off all the chicken on South Park. That sh*t is good! I made my usual chicken legs last night, sauteed them in coconut oil and real beef stock (have ya'll cooked with real beef stock? It's amazing, oh my god) and peeled the skin off. I put the chickens in the oven, and fried the skin in the oil and stock.

I have no words.

Took the skin out, and in went the cauliflower. This sauce way amazing.

Chicken leg, chicken skin and cauliflower all in a beef broth coconut oil gravy. With an avocado, tomato and cilantro salad.

Tonight I get more raw milk! It's been so long. Like two weeks. I crave it so badly. I'm also getting pork spare ribs! So stoked to cook up some fatty meat and devour.



organs>booze

Pig head terrine, duck liver pate, I don't even know the third piece of meat.

Soft shell crab.

Scott's finally going to read The Vegetarian Myth!

I know some of my friends think I'm weird for some of the "gross" things I eat. Raw veggie juices, bone broths, liver and other organ meats, etc. The thing is, first of all, I don't find these foods to be gross. I actually really like my raw vegetable juice. I like my bone broth when I make it right (aka not accidentally dump a pound of salt in it like I did the other night) and I like my liver, tongue and heart when it's mixed in with my ground beef or prepared well. 

But sometimes, I don't like these things. Sometimes I just consume them because I know they're good for my body. And this is when I've gotten called weird, or more accurately, gross.

But if you think about it, most of us consume a lot of gross things for the end result. Particularly: booze. No one likes the taste of a shot. That's why chasers exist. That's why we make faces right after we take them. We take shots for the end result: getting tipsy, or drunk, or wasted. And that's okay. But I don't particularly think I'm gross for drinking my veggies or eating my organs so that my end result is health. People smoke cigarettes, and I actually am not sure why. I've never liked them. People smoke weed, which makes them cough and makes them smell weird. And people even do hard drugs for the end result. I'm just takin' my good old fermented cod liver pills!

So basically, a lot of things I advocate can seem gross at first, but I assure you they are not. It may take some getting used to, but if you can take a shot, you can drink some damn green juice and eat some damn liver. Don't be a pansy.

crock pot

I ate a potato last night. I boiled it, and then added it to all this butter.

With grass-fed filet mignon cooked in coconut oil and an avocado.

My crock pot came it! It was $28 on Amazon and is 6 quarts. Pretty cheap with good reviews. I put in two big bones, onions, carrot, garlic and filtered water.

Simmered on low overnight. It is so fatty and gelatinous and nourishing and healing.



Unfortunately, a lot of it spilled in my backpack on the way to work. I still have more at home though. I invested in the crock pot because I knew it'd allow me to more easily and efficiently make bone broths. And heal my stomach lining!

Scott goes to Sweden tomorrow to do stuff with Refused. Ya'll should listen to them. Anyway, so tonight we're going to Dino! We were going to to Taco Tuesday, but I dehydrated the wraps for too long. I am so excited to go here. They serve liver, pigs head, pate, etc and it's from grass-fed, organic and local farms! I love them already.

weekend

My weekend started out at home with some of this

and Scott and I ordered sushi. We kept it pretty low key because Scott hurt his neck at the gym.

The sushi was super good. Lots of tuna in the tuna rolls, good, oily salmon and a lot of avocado in the salmon rolls. Plus a masago roll, fish eggs are super nourishing and are a brain food. In traditional cultures, fish eggs are reserved for pregnant women and little kids.

On Saturday morning we headed to Eatonville. I got the shrimp bisque and the gumbo.

The shrimp bisque was very good, and while I want to love the gumbo, I just don't.

We also hit up Yes for groceries for the week. I got a Hail Merry raw vegan treat. It was like a dark chocolate almond butter cup, and it was pretty bomb.

I juiced.

On Saturday a bunch of us  went to see our friends play hockey. My girls

And we went to the bar after, where I consumed a lot of cabernet.

Sunday breakfast was bacon, eggs, avocado, cherry tomatoes and yogurt. I was hungover and hungry.

For lunch we went to Tackle Box, where I got clam soup

and grilled cod with broccoli.

And an oyster shooter, but I didn't drink the booze.

So it was a good weekend. The eats weren't too bad, excluding the booze on Saturday. Hope everyone has a great week!



beauty products

I used to spend a lot of money on beauty products. I worked at Aveda for a while, and while it's really a great company with amazing products and a wonderful committment to organic ingredients and the environment, it is expensive. Don't get me wrong, the products work really well, but now I realize spending over $10 on shampoo or a facewash is unecessary.

Our interal health reflects our external appearance.

Our skin is our largest organ, and if we are consuming too many toxins, or if the liver is experiencing a toxic overload, the toxins will release via the skin.

If we are not consuming enough healthy fats (butter, coconut oil, lard, etc) the skin will be dry, the hair will be brittle. Conversely, if we are consuming bad fats (corn, cotton, canola and soy oils) the body will reflect this with cellulite, and an overall toxic reaction (not to mention a myriad of diseases).

If we are consuming sugar or refined grains this will surely reflect in appearance. I recently heard someone say that a diet low in grains isn't just low carb, it's low toxin. This is so true. Grains are filled with toxic anti nutrients, phytate, lectin, and gluten. Sugar is addictive, suppresses your immune system, feeds cancer cells and has a host of other issues.

If we eat to support our bodies, our bodies will outwardly reflect this effort. I've always had troubled skin, and the only thing that has improved it is my diet. I still have problems and I am my eating is still not where it needs to be, but that's okay. It's a process and we've all gotta start somewhere. I will get better, and my skin will get better. But as a teen and into my early twenties, instead of realizing my skin and hair problems were related to being a vegetarian and eating a crap ton of grains, I bought expensive hair products, skin products and body lotions. I still bought organic and enviro friendly, so it's not like I made a huge switch in that aspect. I just found that using basic and simple ingredients are all that's really necessary, and thankfully it's a lot cheaper. So here are some products I use.

Dr. Bronner's Lavendar Soap

I love this soap. It just gets you clean and does its job. I wash my face with it because it's  great at removing makeup. It also has approximately eighteen thousand other uses.

Organic Tea Tree Mint Shampoo

Brazilian Keratin Conditioner

These still have ingredients I don't like, but are paraben and sulfate free. They smell really good, and are great on my hair. Plus, they're cheap.

COCONUT OIL

The most important, most used item in my beauty arsenal. I eat it. I use it as body lotion. I use it as face lotion. I put it on the ends of my hair as a split end mender, or all over for smoothing/shiny effect. Coconut oil is by far the most effective and used product I have. Miranda Kerr, that really hot Victoria's Secret supermodel eats four tablespoons a day to maintain her looks. Buy this!

Regular ol' face wash

The absolute best exfoliant to use is raw honey and course sea salt. I sometimes add almond oil to this and it acts as an intense moisturizer. My skin has never been softer than after I exfoliate with raw honey and sea salt. Even after a facial.

So these are some products I use everyday. Don't forget that your skin is your largest organ, and will absorb any and everything you put on it. And seriously, buy some coconut oil.

oyster fail

Dinner last night was not great. In fact, it was kind of gross. I had some boiled oysters and decided I'd try to do an oysters Rockefeller type deal. I started out by sauteing spinach in butter.

Topped with the oysters.

Topped with raw cheese and into the oven on 400.

With an avocado.

Unfortunately, they were completely mushy and tasted metallic. Since I stay at Scott's most nights and keep food there, my groceries were limited. I searched the kitchen after I ate this to find more food to make, but didn't come up with anything. And after waiting about ten minutes, I realized I wasn't really hungry anyway. Which is something I definitely suggest to people who crave after-dinner eats. Just wait a minute! Chances are you will not be hungry and the craving will have passed.

I keep thinking about what to do for dinner tonight. I'm thinking either I'll make Indian food, or Scott and I can hit up Chipotle. I love Chipotle so much.

if soy is so healthy why is it in junk food?

I have a question. If soy is good for you, why is it in so many junk foods?

Oreos:

Ingredients: SUGAR, ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE {VITAMIN B1}, RIBOFLAVIN {VITAMIN B2}, FOLIC ACID), HIGH OLEIC CANOLA OIL AND/OR PALM OIL AND/OR CANOLA OIL, AND/OR SOYBEAN OIL, COCOA (PROCESSED WITH ALKALI), HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CORNSTARCH, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA AND/OR CALCIUM PHOSPHATE), SALT, SOY LECITHIN (EMULSIFIER), VANILLIN - AN ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, CHOCOLATE. CONTAINS: WHEAT, SOY.

Pillsbury Frosting:

Sugar, Water, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and Cottonseed Oils, Corn Syrup, Cocoa Processed with Alkali, Corn Starch, Contains 2% or Less of: Salt, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Mono and Diglycerides, Polysorbate 60, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Modified Corn Starch, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate (Preservatives), Xanthan Gum, Artificial Color, Soy Lecithin.

Snickers:

Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate, Lactose, Skim Milk, Milkfat, Soy Lecithin, Artificial Flavor), Peanuts, Corn Syrup, Sugar, Milkfat, Skim Milk, Vegetable Oil (Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and/or Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil), Salt, Lactose, Egg Whites, Chocolate, Artificial Flavor.

Pringles:

Dried Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (Contains One or More of the Following: Corn Oil, Cottonseed Oil, Soybean Oil, and/or Sunflower Oil), Rice Flour, Wheat Starch, Maltodextrin, Salt and Dextrose.

Funfetti Cake Mix:

Sugar, Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Candy Bits (Sugar, Hydrogenated Cottonseed and Soybean Oil, Corn Starch, Modified Corn Starch, Confectioner's Glaze [Shellac, Corn Protein, Acetylated Monoglycerides], Colored with [Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1, Yellow 6], Soy Lecithin), Wheat Starch, Baking Powder (Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate, Dicalcium Phosphate), Contains 2% or Less of: Propylene Glycol Monoesters, Dextrose, Corn Starch, Salt, Cellulose, Mono and Diglycerides, Xanthan Gum, Artificial Flavor, Cellulose Gum, Polysorbate 60, Nonfat Milk, Soy Lecithin, TBHQ and Citric Acid (Antioxidants).

Don't forget that soy is also hiding in "healthy" eats too.

Kashi Granola Bar:

Rolled Grain Blend (Hard Red Wheat, Oats, Rye, Triticale, Barley), Roasted Salted Whole Almonds, Brown Rice Syrup, Soy Protein Isolate, Evaporated Cane Juice Crystals, Soy Grits, Chicory Root Fiber, Raisins, Sunflower Seeds, Evaporated Cane Juice Syrup, Cranberries, Vegetable Glycerin, Corn Flour, Honey, Rice Starch, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Oat Fiber, Evaporated Salt, Natural Flavors, Molasses, Kashi Seven Whole Grains & Sesame Flour (Whole: Oats, Hard Red Wheat, Rye, Brown Rice, Triticale, Barley, Buckwheat, Sesame Seeds), Cottonseed and/or Sunflower Oil, Soy Lecithin, Peanut Flour, Whey Protein Isolate.

Kashi Chicken Florentine:

Cooked Kashi Pilaf (Water, Whole: Oats, Long Grain Brown Rice, Rye, Hard Red Winter Wheat, Triticale [Hybrid of Wheat and Rye], Buckwheat, Dehulled Barley, Sesame Seeds), Cooked Chicken (Chicken Breast Meat with Rib Meat, Water, Rice Starch, Sea Salt, Dehydrated Garlic, Dehydrated Onion, Evaporated Cane Juice, Natural Flavor from Sunflower Oil), Water, Spinach, Cooked Orzo (Water, Orzo [Whole Durum Wheat Flour]), Red Peppers, Crimini Mushrooms, Heavy Cream, Garlic (Garlic, Water), Parmesan Cheese (Pasteurized Part-Skim Milk, Cheese Culture, Evaporated Salt, Enzymes), Chablis (White Wine), Rice Starch, Balsamic Vinegar with Natural Flavors, Garlic Powder, Salt, Canola Oil Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Onion Powder, Soy Flour, Egg White.

Kraft Low Fat Ranch:

Water, Corn Syrup, Soybean Oil, Vinegar, Egg Yolks, Salt, Sugar, Contains Less than 2% of Modified Food Starch, Garlic Juice, Sodium Lactate, Buttermilk, Monosodium Glutamate, Phosphoric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Artificial Color, Polysorbate 60, Spice, Dried Parsley, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Natural Flavor, Vitamin E, Lactic Acid, Natamycin (Natural Preservative).

Weight Watchers Meatloaf and Potatoes:

Mashed Red Potatoes (Diced Red Potatoes, Water, Fat Free Sour Cream [Cultured Skim Milk and Cream, Food Starch-Modified {Corn}, Dextrose, Mono and Diglycerides, Artificial Color, Gelatin, Sodium Phosphate, Potassium Sorbate to Preserve Freshness, Agar, Xanthan Gum, Locust Bean Gum, Vitamin A Palmitate], Butter [Cream, Salt], Light Cream, Granulated Garlic, Salt, Modified Food Starch), Meatloaf (Beef, Water, Onions, Peeled Chopped Tomatoes [Vine-Ripened Fresh Peeled Tomatoes, Light Tomato Puree, Salt, Calcium Chloride and Citric Acid], Oatmeal, Chicory Extract, Organic Cornstarch, Sea Salt, Natural Flavoring), Beef Gravy (Water, Modified Food Starch, Beef Base [Cooked Beef with Natural Juices, Salt, Hydrolyzed Corn Soy Wheat Gluten Protein, Hydrolyzed Corn Soy Protein, Sugar, Beef Flavoring {Hydrolyzed Corn Soy Wheat Gluten Protein, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Dextrose, Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed and Soybean Oils}, Maltodextrin, Onion Powder, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein with Disodium Inosinate and Disodium Guanylate, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Caramel Color, Natural Flavorings] Flour, Caramel Color, Salt).

Seriously, if any soy supporters out there can answer how soy is good for you if it's most processed foods, I'd love to hear it.

Soy is not a food. It has only been introduced to our food system very recently. These companies play off of people's ignorance and sell them junk, because it costs next to nothing to produce. It's genius if you think about it. We had an overabundance of soy, and it was extremely cheap to produce. So the American public was told it was a healthier option, and into our food system it went. Soy oil is extracted and put into most foods as a filler. The leftover protein, that's been processed beyond recognition, is what so many "healthy" vegetarians and health conscious people are eating. Get real, people. Soy is bullshit.

This post is a part of Real Food Wednesday.
This post is a part of Monday Mania.

weekend

I made a lot of food this weekend. Exhibit A:

But I'll start with brunch on Saturday. I went to Eatonville with these dudes:

It was so gorgeous out! Scott suggested I get the salad with fried oysters, which was genius. When I was asking about what they were fried in, Scott even ask if I could have them not fried. I love that dude! So they grilled them for me.

I didn't take a picture of the salad because I didn't like it. It was actually a pretty salad, but so sweet! I hate sweet dressings. Oysters were awesome though, and full of zinc!

Later in the day we took the cats on a walk. You read that right.

Saturday night we went to Parthenon, obviously a Greek restaurant. They had a giant patio for outdoor seating so I was very stoked on that. The pictures below are really dark, I'm aware, but the food was so insanely good that I'm going to share them anyway. We split the stuffed mushrooms (they used real butter).

They were literally the best stuffed mushrooms I've ever had. Stuffed with spinach and feta and topped in some sort of sauce (it ain't cheddar cheese, even though it kind of looks like that). I had the lamb and veggies:

Scott got a Greek salad.

On Sunday night I made a crap top of food. I made some sort of protein bar, that turned into primal grain-free granola because it was too dry. It's for Scott when he gets back from the gym or needs a snack, it's super high protein and low in carbs. I used a half cup of protein powder, two eggs, 1 cup sugar-free cranberries, 1 cup shredded/unsweetened coconut, some cinnamon, 1 cup almonds and 1 cup Brazil nuts. Baked at 325 for 20 minutes.

I fried chicken in coconut oil, then pulled all the skin off and put the bones in filtered water with carrots, garlic and celery seed to make a quick stock.

And I soaked a ton of French lentils, garbanzo beans and black beans for Scott.

I put them all in the freezer, and it amounted to this:

For dinner we bought a grain-free pizza. We've had gluten-free pizza all over the city, and not only is it full of nutrient depleted, high carb, high phytic acid flour, it just ain't that good. We sometimes buy this grain-free pizza from Yes, which is made with tapioca. The ingredients aren't the most nutrient dense, but it's a whole hell of a lot better than other pizza options. I made a salad with organic lettuce leaves, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli and dressed it with a Seeds of Change red pepper dressing. I highly recommend it, it's delicious and soy/canola oil free! And organic! I had one piece of pizza and topped my salad with the coconut oil chicken.

I topped Scott's salad with the soaked beans.

Overall, lots of cooking and a successful weekend.



the FDA shuts down another safe, small farm

Recently my farm, Rainbow Valley was forced to shut down due to the fact that they lost their battle with the FDA. This was deeply upsetting to me on so many levels. My first thought was: what are they going to do now? Rainbow Valley is not a giant farm, they're a small, family-operated farm, and that farm was their livelihood. They were shut down not because they were unsafe, unsanitary or any of the reasons a farm should be shut down. They were shut down because they were a small, grass-fed farm that provided customers with raw milk. These farms jeopardize factory farms, the more there are of them, the more money the corporate farms lose, and therefore the more money the FDA loses.

It is no secret that the FDA is supported by big agriculture as well as big pharmaceutical companies. This is how they are allowed to pump our food system full of meat from animals that are abused, and meat that is treated with ammonia. This is how pharmaceutical companies are allowed to put dangerous drugs on the market. Vioxx was attributed to more than 100,000 deaths. ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND. And my farmer gets shut down for never having had even one incident of contamination? The FDA allows pink slime, a meat byproduct treated with ammonia to be served in cafeterias and put into grocery store meat without being labeled, but I can't drink nutrient dense raw milk? And even if raw milk was an unhealthy and dangerous food, shouldn't I have that option? I have the option to get wasted and potentially kill myself with alcohol, but not to drink milk.

There are factory farms that routinely produce contaminated meat, eggs and pasteurized milk due to their unsanitary and unnatural conditions. But because they have the money to pay off the FDA, they remain untouched. Ever heard of Kevin's Law? A little boy died from eating contaminated meat. The meat was a product of a subsidiary of one of America's largest agribusinesses. This company had routinely failed safety standards, and yet they were still not shut down. They were able to kill a little boy, and get away with it. The truth is that the FDA, USDA and CDC inflate, exaggerate and fabricate food borne illnesses from raw milk. I agree, raw milk would not be healthy if consumed from grain-fed cows on feed lots. This is now how cows are supposed to be raised. Cows are meant to be grass-fed, and grass-fed cows offer little in the way of money, they also offer little in the way of food borne illness.

Every time you buy food, you are voting. You can either support giant corporations that abuse their animals, workers and the environment, or you can support your local farmers. You can buy ingredients that are healthy for you and your family, ingredients that can be trusted, or you can buy products that will kill you. Because even if you're fortunate enough to not contract E. Coli, eating these inferior foods will chip away at your health slowly. It may cost more money, but you're protecting yourself and your family. In the long run, you will spend less because you won't need frequent trips to the doctor, you won't get sick as often, you will spend less on your health care. I assure you, this is a small step that won't only better yourself and your family, it will better our environment and it will make our world a better place.

This post is a part of Monday Mania.

dani lately

I've neglected updating because I've been super busy lately. I have to finish two human resources classes (but just got an extension on one!!) and also am still doing the clinical nutrition schoolwork, and I had a lot of stuff to do at work. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. It's life, I just didn't have time to update. It feels awesome to have gotten the extension and to have finished a lot of stuff at work. Anyway, so here are some recent eats. I made almond bread (from the Gut and Psychology Syndrome book). I topped one piece with mustard, safflower mayo (not ideal, I admit), red onion and organic turkey, and the other with butter and an egg. Fermented sauerkraut on the side. It's so important to eat fermented foods! Gotta get that gut flora in check!

Not the best pictures.

Here's a dude on the side of the road playing guitar.

I made my tomato bisque recently. I cut in half and deseeded about 10 tomatoes, put them in the oven on 400 for about 10 minutes. They then looked like this:

I pureed this in the blender with carrot and onion I had cooked down in butter. I added basil, a little bit of spaghetti sauce and raw cream.

On the side was white rice bread with gouda and avocado, as well as mushrooms I had marinated in liquid smoke and worcestershire.

I cooked the mushrooms on 400 for about ten minutes also. Scott said they might've been the best he's ever had.

I also juiced a lot. I've gotten back into this because it's so essential! It's really detoxifying for the body.

Scott and I have been getting up early to go to a 9 AM brunch at Founding Farmers. I got salad with organic eggs and bacon, which is really an ideal breakfast. This was so good, and I was happy that their side salad wasn't skimpin' on veggies. It even had avocado.

So that's the food as of late. I'll post more later.