Almond Flour Pancakes

Just made some almond flour pancakes from Mark's Daily Apple and they turned out pretty good. Still need a few more attempts to perfect them, but not a bad showing for the first try. Very simple to make in terms of ingredients, but the flipping and heating temp is where i'll need some practice. Almond flour may have become my new favorite cooking ingredient.

While the pancakes were filling, I still had room for some bacon and eggs:)

Life

Life is an interesting road. It can be going as perfectly as expected one day and come crashing down the next. I was feeling pretty positive about life in terms of how things were shaping up for me; eating healthy, exercising with a purpose, starting to feel fit and preparing for the next step in my life with my fiance. Then a death in the family occurs and it makes you realize life is not perfect and can turn at any time.

Death is a part of life, but it still causes much pain and agony when it happens. I firmly believe there is a better place for all of us after this life ends, so that can help with the hurt. I also believe that a person can let the pain turn into a path of continued sorrow or a catalyst for better and brighter things to come. While there is always grieving involved in death, i'm determined to come out with an enhanced sense of wanting to live life to the fullest! (For M.K.)

Primal...I'm All In

Interesting how a viewpoint can change in the matter of two weeks. I was not completely sold on the 'Primal' lifestyle, although it was very intriging. Trying to break away from the conservative wisdom (CW) and years of so-called 'healthy' eating was difficult, but I did some research and tested the waters...as of today you can count me ALL IN!

Two weeks ago I had only started reading about primal/paleo eating and wasn't completely sure if it was for me or not. It wasn't the carbs I would need to give up or the bad food, but rather the potential cost of the food that worried me. In a recent post I noted how I haven't bought into organic foods, but with the primal diet it is a must! You really can't eat primal without consuming organic/grass fed/free range/hormone free/etc., vegetables, meats, and other foods. So, i've come to the realization that paying a little more for food now will save me in the long run.

I've started to feel somewhat better as far as my injured shoulder and knee as well, so i'm ready to get going in terms of working out and eating the primal way. Tonight I tried another recipe from Son of Grok, and another success! Tonight it was meatloaf with a couple minor tweaks (mainly some extra bacon on top) from the orginal recipe. Don't the pics look amazing?!

Until the next.

In Need of a Workout?

I'm a person who constantly gets injured or at the very least has minor nagging pains that seem to derail my focus on working out. These injuries started way back in junior high and continued through high school and college. So i've been accustomed to dealing with them, but it is frustrating when i'm trying to make gains in my lifting. That backstory leads me to the present where i'm dealing with a sore left shoulder, left elbow and right knee.

I've had to take a break from my P90X workouts over the last couple weeks because the pain in my shoulder and knee have affected me to the point where I have not been able to correctly finish certain exercises in the program. However, after having not really done much of anything over the last two weeks I was feeling the NEED AND WANT to get a workout in. So, I got home tonight and forced myself to make it through a workout. There were still certain parts I couldn't finish, but it was such a good feeling to finally get back to working out! Interesting how the body starts feeling the need to workout once a routine is in place.

Now, if only I could bottle up that need and want to use on the days when I really don't feel like working out. Oh well, push on I guess.

Pizza Recipe

As I mentioned in my last post, i'd be posting the recipe for the primal pizza I made recently. This might be more expensive than buying a cardboard pizza (frozen) from your local grocery store, but it's a heck of a lot healthier and packed with protein! Also, interesting how i've grown up to refer to frozen pizza from the grocery store as 'cardboard pizza', that is saying something I think. Both from a taste and nutritional standpoint it just doesn't stack up.

So, good luck and enjoy if you attempt this. I'm excited to try other new primal recipes that I find online and i'll be sure to pass them along too.

Primal Pizza (not an original recipe, check out http://www.sonofgrok.com/2008/12/recipe-sog-primal-pizza/)

Ingredients:

Crust:
2 Cups Almond Meal/Flour
2 Eggs
2 Tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tsp salt

Sauce:
1 Can Tomato Paste
1-2 Cups Water (To desired thickness)
1 Tsp Dried Oregano
1 Tsp Garlic

Toppings:
Whatever you want, we used mozzarella and garlic, but feel free to add veggies and other meats as well.

Instructions:

Crust:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. This should give you a ball of “dough”. If your dough is too “mushy”, continue to add almond flour until you get a good consistency.
3. Make a pizza sheet or baking tray non-stick. This is VERY important if you want your pizza slices to come off in one piece.
4. Press your dough on the sheet nice and even about 1/4 inch in the middle and 1/2 inch at the edges.
5. Put crust in the oven for 15 minutes. It should look slightly golden brown when you take it out.

Sauce:
1. In a saucepan, combine all ingredients. Use water to desired thickness. Feel free to add more spice if you want it, too.
2. Simmer on stove for approximately 15 minutes.

Toppings:
You will want to pre-cook any meat going on your pizza. Veggies can go on fresh and raw, or cooked depending on your preference. Your favorite cheese will do.

Put it all together:
1. After crust comes out of the oven, spread sauce evenly over crust.
2. Add your cheese and toppings evenly on top of sauce.
3. Put back in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15 more minutes. Cheese should be evenly melted.
4. Slice and enjoy!

Paleo/Primal Eating...is it legit?

Recently i've come across some different websites and reading material in my quest to find the right eating plan. I freely admit that I have not done enough background and research on the topic, but what I have read so far has definitely opened my eyes to other ways of eating outside the norm of what we have been told is the right way. The Paleo and Primal way of eating are very similar from what i've read, but slightly different in the way each looks at specific types of fat. Again, this is something I haven't researched enough to know the specific details, but so far they make a compelling argument for why the Paleo/Primal eating plan is the legit.

Basically, these two base their eating values (lifestyle) on the way our ancestors (caveman) ate and lived. These are high in protein and also include lots of vegetables, good fats, nuts and fruits. They focus on natural sources of food rather than processed and other manufactured items. You'll notice I did not mention carbs; as it has been said before and most notably of late with many Atkins people, 'carbs are the enemy.' I'll be sure to link additional information about this once i've read more, because this is an extremely brief overview of the Primal eating plan.

I thought i'd try out a recipe that fits into primal eating (technically anyway) that I found online. Since i'm new to all of this I figured i'd work myself in easy, so why not start with pizza?! The image is what it looked like, not too bad as far as asthetics go in my opinion. And the taste was actually quite good too...even my fiance ageed! (I'll post the ingredients/recipe soon, but the crust had ZERO carbs included if you can believe it).

2010 Winter Olympics

The Winter Olympics started over the weekend and i've watched a few different events, but it just doesn't have the same impact on me or meaning that it used to when I was a child. I remember vividly watching some of the ice skating, speed skating and skiiing events years ago, but now it just seems like another sporting event. I still feel a little patriotic as I always find myself cheering on the the USA athletes, so I guess I haven't lost all my feelings towards the games. The only sport i'm excited to watch this year is hockey as I find it more interesting than the NHL, although that doesn't take much.

Regardless of my lack of excitement for the games I hope it goes well for all the athletes and that the USA comes out on top in the medal count!

U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!

Why does eating healthy have to be expensive?

Eating healthy is a great decision for anyone and oftentimes a difficult one, as it requires commitment and potentially a drastic change in lifestyle. This will vary for everyone, but it can be anything from not eating out everyday for lunch, to skipping dessert, or not having seconds at the dinner table. It is a personal choice and something each individual needs to make. My question is; why does it have to be so expensive to eat healthy?

I knew starting my new eating plan would make my usual trips to the grocery store more expensive, but it has been shocking how much more ‘healthy’ options cost. It can be seen in something as simple as buying a loaf of bread; 100% Whole Wheat is about $2 (or more depending on brand) and regular white bread is 0.99 cents. This type of comparison can be seen throughout a grocery store with even more of a cost difference between ‘organic’ options and regular. I have not yet bought into the ‘organic’ benefits of various foods outweighing the cost difference, but after reading article after article about the multiple pesticides and hormones used it’s making me think.

I feel like I’m doing a good job of keeping my food bills to a minimum as much as possible, but there are just certain foods you can not cut without hurting your nutritional intake. I shop at your usual grocery stores, but walk into a Whole Foods and you’ll see an even bigger change in your costs. Whole Foods prides themselves on buying quality products and therefore costs to them are higher which in turn go on to the consumer.

It is no wonder America has the terrible obesity epidemic it does right now when you see so many chips, treats, soda and other sugary and fatty loaded food items cost so much LESS than healthy foods…and that is just grocery stores! Look at your nearest fast-food joint and you’ll see a ‘dollar menu’ or something similar that is quick, convenient and cheap. These usually consist of fried foods, grease filled burgers/sandwiches and other unhealthy food selections.

Eating healthy in my opinion should not be a burden of cost, since people are trying to better themselves from a health standpoint. I understand that there are increased costs associated with organic production, but I hope we (government) can figure out a program or way to help the consumer find a way to eat healthy and still keep some coin in their pocket.

Super Sunday

It is Super Sunday and instead of the usual terrible for you food (pizza, wings, beer) we are having some pita chips, guac, and cheese slices. It isn't a perfect substitute, but it important when trying to stick to a positive nutritional plan. So far tha game has lived up to the hype, but at least it is competitive.

Starting tomorrow is the second set of P90X workouts (days 31-60) and we weighed in and took measurements today. Good results for the most part, lost 10 pounds and a couple inches off my waist! Need to keep it up!

I hope the end of the game finishes well. Go Colts...I guess.

Another Football Season Coming To An End

Football season is by far my favorite sports season of the year and it is unfortunately coming to an end as the Super Bowl is taking place this upcoming Sunday. This is also apparently the same view as the majority of sports fans across America as the tv ratings are off the charts for these events versus the other major sports year after year. I'm a fan of both college and NFL football and playing fantasy football on top of that only keeps me more intrigued as it makes watching terrible NFL games a little more palatable if I have a 'player' playing in the game.

It was a postive year for my hometown football teams (Green Bay Packers and Wisconsin Badgers) as they both had successful years in terms of records and some individual achievements as well. However, Brett Favre dominted my football focus in 2009/10 as well as the rest of the football world. He is a larger than life individual and the way he has played the game over the years as made him a person that people can not get enough of...both good and bad.

Favre has been in the middle of many debates i've had as well as numerous others in the state of Wisconsin and across the country. After having multiple discussions (arguments) concerning Favre and the way he has handled the end-part of his career, it appears you can either be 'Pro-Favre' or against him. There really doesn't seem to be a middle ground, so i've come to the realization that no one is changing their mind and that is just fine. Stats can easily be thrown around to support both sides of the Favre debate, so it is simply a matter of opinion. One thing can and should be agreed upon by everyone, Favre is good for the game of football.

So, thank you Football for another great year and i'm already ready for next season!

For the record, i'm Pro-Favre all the way.