weekend recap/gay pride

The gay pride parade was this weekend! I actually completely missed the parade :( For some reason I thought driving to Dupont Circle was a good idea. Turns out I drove around for an hour looking for parking, and I was already late for the parade. So I met up with these dudes and hung out/drank brews on the stoop in front of Hayter's house.

+ Hayter. Clearly they enjoyed they parade. Actually when I first met up with them they were hangin' out with this dude:

Although at that point he was actually in an upright position. This was taken when we walked by a couple hours later. His name was Shawn, and he enjoyed the parade a little too much.

We got some Italian food that I forgot to take a picture of, but I did take a blurry, dark picture of Timmy and I:

The rest of the night was pretty nuts. Went to Trio for brunch the next morning, and I rolled with my usual: eggs benedict (with smoked salmon)

Prettyyy awesome. Then discovered this on my car:

Prettyyy not awesome. And then, since I had no desire to cook that day,

AND

I actually have the Chipotle for lunch today. And I technically ate it for breakfast also. I got double meat, so this baby was gigantic.

I'm hoping this week is a breeze because I'm so stoked to go to a fundraiser for my farmer at West End Cinema. If you're interested in going, you can get info here.

'puter troubles

Pictures won't upload!! Trying to remedy this, stat!

Monsanto: Taking Over the World, One Seed At a Time

I'd like to do a review on a documentary I recently watched, The World According to Monsanto. First, a little info on Monsanto. Monsanto is a multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation. They are now the largest producer of genetically engineered seeds. They were not always in the seed business, they started out producing artificial sweeteners, rubbers, plastics (among many other things) and even produced Agent Orange and the bovine growth hormone, both known to cause cancer. Does it not strike anyone as alarming that they are now the largest distributor of seeds? It sure as shit is a cause of concern for me. Today Monsanto also makes Roundup, a non-biodegradable pesticide (keep in mind, most GE crops are sprayed with it).

"Most pesticides also contain inert ingredients that function as surfactants

which aid in the penetration of the herbicide to the plant cells. In the case of

glyphosate-based, Roundup, the inert surfactant is polyethyloxylated

three times as toxic as that of glyphosate. Symptoms associated with POEA

toxicity include gastrointestinal pain and vomiting, swelling of the lungs and

pneumonia, reduction of blood pressure, and red blood cell destruction.

Current research suggests a synergistic toxic effect of glyphosate with its

surfactant, POEA. At high dosages, inhalation of the combined product can

cause severe effects including lung hemorrhages, bloody noses, and

diarrhea. Deaths have resulted from accidental or intentional ingestion of

undiluted product."

Source

Do you really want these people producing and genetically engineering your food? These GE crops are so new to human civilization, they are taking a complete gamble with the long-term effects. What we do know is that these GE crops are toxic. A GE L-tryptophan (a naturally occurring amino acid) actually killed 37 people and affected 5,000 others before it was recalled by the FDA. In Britain, Dr. Arpad Pusztai discovered that GE potatoes were poisonous to rats, damaging vital organs and the immune system. He has since been fired, apparently for talking to the media. In '94 the FDA approved Monsanto's Bovine Growth Hormone, a hormone that makes cows produce more milk. It has since been proven that rBGH, or rather the active hormone it contains, Insulin-like Growth Factor I (IGF-1) literally causes cancer. According to the Cancer Prevention Coalition, women with higher levels of IGF-1 are seven times more likely to develop premenopausal breast cancer. Higher levels of IGF-1 have also been known to cause an increase in colon and prostate cancer. Next time you buy milk, I'd suggest looking for the rBGH free label. (Isn't it funny that despite all of this evidence, the FDA has been attacking my small scale Amish farmer for selling raw milk?). However, I'd suggest buying your milk from a small scale, local, organic farm (raw or not). I say this considering the the FDA approved unlabeled milk from cows that were treated with rBGH.

GE crops have been linked to higher rates of toxicity, allergies, resistance to antibiotics and a decreased nutritional value, among several other things. The four most genetically engineered crops are: soy, canola, corn and cotton (I won't get into it, but you can look up the mass suicides in India due to GE cotton seeds from Monsanto). It's funny that so many people consume more soy, corn and wheat products because they think it's more environmentally friendly, but these GE crops (so many of which are "Roundup resistant") are destroying the topsoil. Improper agriculture techniques are wreaking havoc on the earth and are an environmental hazard. Spraying Roundup on the soil will only destroy it.

Monsanto is trying to dominate the food industry. They have a patent on their seeds, which allows them to sue and put farmers out of business when Monsanto seeds are blown by the wind from nearby farms onto their own. They can't do anything about it. From The World According to Monsanto, "If they control seed, they control food, they know it – it’s strategic. It’s more powerful than bombs. It’s more powerful than guns. This is the best way to control the populations of the world." At this point you might be asking yourself how Monsanto can get away with this (aside from their insane amount of money). The answer is known as a "revolving door." The first example is Michael Taylor, who worked as an attorney for Monsanto before being appointed the position of deputy commissioner of the FDA. It gets worse:

"Current members of the board of directors of Monsanto are: Frank V. AtLee III, the former President of American Cyanamid and former chairman of Cynamid International, John W. Bachmann, Hugh Grant, the chairman of Monsanto, Arthur H. Harper, Gwendolyn S. King, president of McDonald’s USA, Sharon R. Long, C. Steven McMillan, the former chairman and CEO of Sara Lee Corporation, William U. Parfet, George H. Poste, Robert J. Stevens, the current chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin Corporation.^[25]

Former Monsanto employees currently hold positions in US government agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), United States Environmental Protection Agency‎ (EPA) and the Supreme Court. These include Clarence Thomas, Michael R. Taylor, Ann Veneman, Linda Fisher, Michael Friedman, William D. Ruckelshaus, and Mickey Kantor.^[26] Linda Fisher has been back and forth between positions at Monsanto and the EPA.^"

Source

This post doesn't even begin to cover everything Monsanto has done and is doing. I encourage you to research them for yourself. And above all, I am begging you to not buy GM crops. Please give up soy, canola and corn. Please buy locally. You vote every. single. time. you buy food. Monsanto is destroying people's health and the environment. If we go on farming like this, there will be no land left to farm. The FDA obviously is not going to do anything about this, except endorse Monsanto and their bullshit claims. It is up to the public to make a difference and not give in to this system.

This post is part of Monday Mania!

clam stuffed mushrooms

So. I'm reading this book (among 12 others I can't seem to finish, particularly for school) called The Vegetarian Myth. I think I actually heard about it when I was a vegetarian and thought, "Ugh, I'm not reading that." I probably thought it would be some anti-vegetarian propaganda or an all out attack on vegetarians. I won't discuss the book until I'm actually finished reading it, but suffice it to say it is a very well written, researched and thought provoking book thus far. I truly encourage everyone to read it, especially vegetarians.

Anyway, last night I made somethin' sort of fancy. Clam stuffed mushrooms! To make the stuffing I used:

-1 can chopped clams (the can was the same size as a tuna can)

-half an onion

-handful of fresh spinach

-two large cloves garlic

-butter

-chicken stock

I sauteed all of the ingredients, adding the spinach, clams and garlic at the end, as to not overcook. I put some of the stuffing on the bottom of the pan, and stuffed the mushrooms with the rest.

 I topped it with raw cheddar and pecorino ramano and put it under the broiler.

I. Love. Cheese.

Mmmmmelt.

I served it with some broccoli and asparagus that I steamed in chicken stock.

After dinner I hung out on my roof with Kait while enjoying an orange blossom cream ale (new to me too). It was the perfect summer night, it was warm with a nice breeze and so calm. I really wish I lived someplace near the ocean that was summer year round. One day...

Some badly shot views from our roof. Either today or tomorrow I will be getting the iPhone 4, which has a WAY better camera. I know a lot of bloggers have super expensive cameras and take amazing shots of their food, which I think is great. But realistically, I can't afford a $500 camera and I think the importance of my blog relies much more on the health aspect of my food, not how good it looks. Hopefully you all agree.

This post is a part of Real Food Wednesday!

chicken, healthy living summit sold out

Dinner last night had to be quick. I got a haircut after work so by the time I made it home I was starving. I took some chicken out of the freezer yesterday morning to thaw, so I decided to do something with that. And I was craving cilantro.

-chopped chicken

-one medium onion

-butter

-chicken stock (I got REAL stock, from the farm!)

-spinach

-grape tomatoes

-cilantro

I sauteed all of the ingredients, adding the cilantro and spinach toward the end. I also made some sauteed mushrooms, considering I am addicted to them.

For some reason, I served myself these stupidly small portions! I have no idea why. I should have went with my usual decently sized meal, because I ended up snacking on a bunch of stuff and feeling gross, and not satiated! But the chicken was delicious.

The stock really lended a delicious flavor, and stock is so healing for the gut. I'm stoked that I have leftovers (and more mushrooms) for lunch.

Today, is not the best day I've ever had. We're pretty  busy at work, I haven't found the time to eat my usual snack so I'm a little cranky. And on top of that, I found out that tickets to Healthy Living Summit in Philly are sold out. I'm super, super blown about this. I was so stoked to go to my first blogging community event, and Philly is just a short drive away from DC. I'm hoping I can get tickets to FoodBuzz in San Francisco. And I'm also hoping that someone can sell me their HLS ticket. Oh well though, there's always next year. I'm gonna keep my head up. Have a great day!

"healthy" eating

I forgot to mention in my last post, that my overwhelming grain consumption from this weekend has caused me to break out! I've always had skin issues, but my skin really improved when I gave up grains. This week I'm definitely going to get to my normal routine of eating, because I feel so much better when I eat things that are good for me, and avoid things that aren't. This ties into something I want to discuss today: individualized healthy eating. While I don't think eating a certain way is a one size fits all deal, I also don't think that there are certain ways of eating that are actually healthy for anyone. It's mind boggling to me that when people decide to make the change to eating healthy, they often start by a) giving up meat, b) going low fat, or c) eating "diet products." In reality people should a) switch to organic, clean meats, b) stay far away from anything low fat, and c) realize that "diet" items are processed crap, and make the switch to whole, nourishing foods. The less ingredients, the better.

Healthy eating is so simple, we don't need to complicate it. For example, for dinner tonight I'm planning on having herbed chicken, carrots cooked in raw butter from grass-fed cows, and maybe some asparagus or mushrooms cooked in butter also. Just three main staples, my protein, veggies and fat are covered. For breakfast today I had raw milk and coconut oil, and hard boiled eggs. For a snack I had raw carrots. For lunch I have a tomato, olive oil and raw cheese salad, sliced turkey and an avocado. Whole foods. What about fruit? Fruit isn't necessary. Especially if you're trying to lose weight. Not all fruits are created equal, berries are probably the best you can eat. But fruits are high carb, and also high sugar which can be a problem if you have yeast issues in your gut. I am by no means saying fruit is bad for you. I am saying it isn't necessary, should be limited if you're ridding yourself of candida or trying to lose weight. If you are trying to lose weight, read this post from Mark's Daily Apple to determine your daily carb intake to accelerate weight loss. (Actually, you should probably just read his entire site/buy his book because he's so informative and can really help you achieve fitness and/or weight loss goals.)  Another thing people do not realize about fruit is that it is meant to be eaten alone. Fruit digests differently, and therefore if eaten with other foods, it will ferment in the stomach. This causes gas, bloating and the fermented fruit will cause harmful toxins.

I think that people approach healthy eating as complicated, foreign world they have to navigate. In reality, there are three basics I like to stick with for every meal: protein, veggies, fat. This is what each of your meals should consist of. You will be healthier, stronger, happier and have more energy. Another question, that seems so basic, that I think people should ask themselves is, "Did my ancestors eat this way?" I think it's important to look at how our ancestors ate because our bodies have not evolved to eat in this radically new way that so many of us are. Our bodies are not meant to eat sugar, did our ancestors consume HFCS? Did they eat refined grains, breads, pastas and cereals? Were they down with low fat food, and soy? No way, bros. That shit was definitely not happening. They didn't search for diet products laden with soy and 50 ingredients (ever wondered why soy is in so much junk food? maybe because it's not actually a health food). I'm just saying to read your ingredients, and eat simply as much as possible. And be thankful for your food. I try to remember to be appreciative that I have this amazing, nourishing food. By no means do I eat perfectly, but I'm getting better. I'm so, so thankful that I have the ability to buy and prepare this food, not everyone is as lucky. And I'm happy to give my money to small, organic farms. Eating this way has really changed my life and I'm so much happier, hopefully I can spread some of that!

This post if part of Monday Mania!

weekend recap

Let me just tell you, I was a carbie barbie this weekend. When I got home on Friday, I just wanted to stuff my face with pasta. I got my stitches out earlier that day, and figured it'd be nice to relax and nosh out on some carbs.

-fettuccine noods

-chicken

-butter

-garlic

-parsley

-onions

-tomatoes

-pecorino romano

On Saturday I hung out with Caedus for a bit, and found this:

I don't normally like hoppy beers, but this was good. I'll definitely be buying it again.

On Saturday evening we headed off to FedEx Field for the concert! Kenny Chesney and Zack Brown Band were AMAZING.

That happened.

We had club level seats and we danced and sang our faces off.

And since I LOVE old people, we made friends this this guy:

I have such a soft spot in my heart for the elderly. I think society sometimes forgets/neglects the elderly and it breaks my heart. I want to befriend all of them...and get them on a damn meal plan that would make their aging years a lot better.

On Sunday we went to McGinty's for brunch. I rolled with the usual.

I then spent the rest of the day relaxing in bed watching Jersey Shore. Sometimes I feel really guilty just laying around in bed, but I reminded myself that I don't need to be doing something at all times. It's nice to just give myself a break and stay horizontal for a while. That evening I headed to Yes! Organic Market to grocery shop, which is seriously a hobby.

List:

-chicken

-mushrooms

-salmon

-lima beans

-avocados

-tomatoes

-organic white wine

-brown rice fettuccine

-broccoli

-turkey slices

-green pepper (the only type of organic pepper I could come by)

-chopped clams

-ketchup

-dijon mustard

After that I met up with my buddy Dale at Franklin's for a drink. We hung out for a bit and were joined by Jennifer and Joel who were getting dinner. I snacked on some mushroom papusas

And Jennifer had some pizza

And brussel sprouts that were apparently "subpar." I've never had brussel sprouts, but I'm going to make a note to buy some.

Now we've all just got to tackle this work week. I'm sleepy because I woke up at 4 am and had trouble getting back to sleep so hopefully this day won't be too long. Have a happy Mondayyyyyy.

burgers, burgers, burgers, kenny chesney

Yeah, yeah, I made burgers again for dinner last night.

-1 lb grass-fed beef

-1 pastured egg

-garlic powder

-worcestirshire sauce

-s&p

With my trusty staple of lima beans.

Topped with raw cheese! Please notice that I do not use Teflon pans. I will get more into that later, but I'm using regular ol' metal for the limas and a cast iron for the burgers. Sometimes I'll use Teflon, but if you have a choice-don't!

And I actually ate it on a bun. An Ezekiel, sprouted grain bun:

Lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup.



All together now:

I was super satisfied with this dinner. Maybe because it was gigantic.

On another note, I'm going to the sold out Kenny Chesney show tomorrow!! Jennifer, this girl...

(Picture taken in Atlantic City!!)

 

...got us tickets! I'm so stoked, I love country, and country shows are so, so fun. I hope everyone has an amazing weekend!

bad food, bad body

I have eaten terribly today. It's okay, I'm not going to beat myself up about it. My body is definitely doing that for me. I feel like crap. I'm dehydrated, my head hurts, my lymph node on my neck is swollen and hurts and I'm super tired. Just drained. For breakfast I had a croissant...there was jelly hiding in it! It wasn't advertised as a jelly croissant. I was sort of pissed. It wasn't even good jelly.

Since I went out last night, I didn't pack a lunch. So I got a salad with tuna on it, and some sushi. The salad went undressed because all the dressings that were offered had soybean oil. Bamma.

Tried to eat around the annoying croutons. The tuna wasn't straight tuna as I was expecting, it was probably mixed with mayo, which means it was mixed with soybean oil. The sushi wasn't so great either.

The healthiest part? This guy:

Thankfully the end of the day is approaching. After work I have to pick up our food from the farm, and then I'll be home to make dinner. And probably cupcakes for tomorrow since my coworker is switching offices. I'm going to hit up My Organic Market and see if they have any non sketchy cake mixes. I was going to make it from scratch but I'm just too tired. I hope all of you enjoy the rest of your day!

russia house, night on the town

So. Last night I went to the Russia House with this girl:

(Taken at 7:30 this morning in front of the Peruvian Embassy).

And these dudes:

Started off with these bad boys:

Love, love love Zaibo. It was tasty, 9.5% and from either Georgia or Maldova, I can't remember. Pictures courtesy of Kait's phone, since I have no flash and it was super dark in there. Kait snapped this photo of me:

I look crazy.

Kait loved the beer she got also.

Baltika!

We split some appetizers, smoked salmon with onions and bread, and peirogis. We didn't get pictures, but I stole this from their website:

The food was delicious. We were going to have the lobster kulebiaka for dinner, but we opted out. I think that 9.5% beer got to me.

After dinner we headed over to Townhouse Tavern. We basically paid for nothing. The owner was there, so we played pool with him and hung out, and he gave us free drinks. I really like Townhouse Tavern, it's pretty dive bar-ish, which is rare considering it's in Dupont Circle.

Sorry for the lack of food in this post! I'm probably making burgers again for dinner tonight. It's summer!



Lazy Lunch, Lazy Dinner

Yesterday, I forgot/didn't have time/was too lazy to pack my own lunch, so this happened:

Picked most of the rice off. And this also happened:

I took these pictures when I was already half way through both. But it was a salmon avocado roll and I hit up the salad bar at work and ate tomatoes, onions, organic lettuce, carrots, jalapenos, cucumber and feta. Feta makes any salad instantly better.

Dinner last night happened later than usual, I had to get my computer fixed. When I got home I threw some random ingredients in a baking-safe dish. In the mix went:

-chicken

-broccoli

-spinach

-chicken stock

-some water

-garlic

-1 small box organic condensed mushroom soup

Tossed it in the oven on 400 for about 20-30 minutes.

Haha, probably the least appetizing picture I've ever taken. But it tasted pretty good, was quick and I have leftovers for lunch today.

If you're short on time, don't have a lot of ingredients, are feeling lazy or generally just don't feel like cooking, this is a good recipe to make. You can alter or adjust it, but it's so easy to throw whatever veggies need to be used together with some protein and spices or sauce and toss it in the oven.

Tonight I'm using my Groupon for The Russia House. Unfortunately, since the Groupon expires tomorrow there are no reservations till 10. But I figure we can hangout at the lounge/bar and order food there. At least I hope...



toof removed, food and fun

I got my tooth out! Thank god. It was seriously painful, and having an unhealthy mouth can actually leech toxins into the rest of your body and bloodstream. No bueno, friends. I went to NIHA, a holistic medical center in Friendship Heights. They were amazing. Having a numb face really freaked me out at first, and I felt like I was going to swallow my tongue. The assistant/hygienist (not really sure of her title) sat down and talked to me until my panic passed. They even got me a blanket and tucked me in! The doctor, Dr. McClure was also great. Everyone was super friendly and the procedure wasn't painful (thanks to Novocaine). They also did not prescribe me antibiotics, but alternative homeopathic medicines to ensure I don't get infected, or bruise/swell too badly. They are working. I've also noticed that the lymph node on the left side of my neck (the side my tooth was on) that has been swollen for years, is becoming much less swollen. I absolutely recommend this place. Here is a picture of my stupid, swollen face:

I'm icing my swollen jowls. Not the happiest of campers.

After the procedure I was feeling pretty out of it, so I spent the rest of the day in bed. My buddy Mike brought me organic chicken noodle and butternut squash soup which was super nice of him. I made sure to drink lots of raw milk and dominate some raw yogurt and raw honey. When I was feeling well enough to chew, I was seriously craving pasta. I hadn't had any in a little while so I figured I'd make some. It was delicious.

-noods of choice

-onions

-butter

-garlic

-parsley

-tomatoes

-paprika

-cayenne

-pecorino romano

Saute the onions, garlic and tomatoes in butter. Lots of butter. Of course. At the end, add the parsley, paprika, cayenne and pecorino. Toss with the pasta.

Legitimately one of the best pastas I've ever made.

So, so good. And super simple. Simple food is the best food.

On Saturday we had a cookout and I went grocery shopping at Yes! Organic Market. I found the best deals, I was so stoked. Look at this!

3 avocados and jalapenos and an onion for 78 cents!

Peppers and tomaters for 51 cents!

More avocados, tomatoes and jalapenos. I must've bought like, 5 of these bags. I got so much produce. I chopped up all the veggies and threw 'em on the grill later that day. I made guac with all of the avocados.

The next morning I made breakfast for Ali, Mike and myself. Steak and eggs! Except Ali is weird and didn't want filet mignon. Not sure how anyone could pass that up.

Mike's plate:

My plate:

I cannot eat squash, but I did make some for him and Ali. I have no idea why, but is destroys my stomach. It just gives me awful stomach cramps. Like, terrible. It's weird.

On Sunday I went to Beaver Dam! Beaver Dam is a quarry that was filled. There are diving boards, jumps, and a huge rope swing. Super fun, and despite my several applications of sunblock, I of course got burned.

Quick breakfast Monday morning was eggs smothered in mushroom brie, and mushrooms on the side.

Been dominating mushrooms lately.

On Sunday Ali, Sara, Kait and I were supposed to see Bridesmaids, but since the theater was insanely crowded, we went to Mcginty's instead.

Sara.

Kait.

Ali. And her Mediterranean platter:

I had such a great weekend but I'm bummed that Ali heads back to Kentucky tomorrow. I'm glad I got to see her though and I'm stoked to be making her a meal plan. Anyway, have a great week and happy summertime!