Renewal

I’ve had a lot of rattles in the old brain lately and have thought about starting up one of my blogs again.  But I struggled with which to turn to.

I briefly toyed with the idea of having a food blog a while back (http://pamspaleokitchen.wordpress.com/). While I still think I have some interesting and unique food creations to share, I don’t feel there’s enough there to sustain such a blog.  Plus, the rattles in the brain that need to be let out don’t really belong on a food blog.

Going back a bit further, I have the little weight loss blog I played with for a while (http://pamisaloser.wordpress.com/).  While getting a little closer to what I want to do, again I face the problem of not enough material to sustain that place.  It is a remarkable little time capsule of a period of my life that was kind of blurring by at the time, so I’m thankful that I’ve revisited that blog as a reflective reader.

Then there’s this one – my original.  A catch-all personal blog that reaches back over 4 years now and has languished almost 3 full years without a post.  Thematically this seems to be the best fit right now.  However, the life reflected in the old posts on this blog is one very far removed from the life I lead now, which is why I initially rejected the idea of coming back here.  I was determined to start anew with a fresh blog and a fresh start.  Besides, starting a new project is always the best part.

But that didn’t feel right either.  I had these three distinct small captures of my life over the past few years, yet none of them felt like the right home for me now.  I didn’t want to dwell too long in the past represented by any of these blogs, however ignoring them and turning off the lights isn’t the way to go.

In my current quest to step outside of my introverted comfort zone, I decided to stay right here where it all began and let it all hang out.  Okay, maybe not ALL all.  But I cannot ignore or hide from the Pam who was.   Hopefully I can find some way to migrate over the material posted on those other two blogs (surely there must be an easy way to do this?? Update: there was!  Old posts from the other two blogs now appear here).  I don’t want to lose those snapshots of my life, as they contributed to where I am now.

Here is where I hope I can let some of those rattles in the brain out and share some parts of me and my life.  I still don’t see this being anything more than a personal blog sharing snippets of a somewhat ordinary life.  The beauty of blogs like this, however, is that 99% of us lead somewhat ordinary lives and it can be so nice to find other somewhat ordinary people to connect with.  At the very least, it will give me the outlet I crave right now and will continue to catalog some snapshots of my life.

Keeping it simple.  I am Pam.  Warts and all, here I am.

Asian Broccoli Salad

The photo isn’t pretty, but the food was delicious!

I actually whipped this up fully expecting it to be blah (hence the lame photo).  I hardly paid attention to what I was adding.  So when I tasted it and loved it, I immediately scrambled to jot down what I thought I had added and recruited the husband to make another batch to verify.

The dressing is nice and creamy, thanks to the almond butter.  It reminds me a bit of an Asian coleslaw recipe that always seems to show up on potluck tables, only richer and less sweet.

I’m so glad I have that second batch of dressing ready to go in the fridge to make another salad in the next couple of days!

Asian Broccoli Salad

• 4 smallish heads of broccoli
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 2-3 tbsp sunflower seeds
• 2 cups snap peas, chopped in half

Dressing:

• 3 tbsp tamari
• 1/3 cup almond butter
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp chili flakes
• couple of dashes black pepper
• 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
• 1/2 tsp crushed ginger

Pork Chops with Maple Balsamic Pan Sauce

A while back an amazing specialty shop opened up in Edmonton.  Evoolution sells a wide variety of olive oils and balsamic vinegars and a few other complementary kitchen and food products.  Since they’ve opened, we’ve tried a few different flavour-infused olive oils and balsamic vinegars.  A quick search turned up results for stores like this all around North America (including many with online ordering).  If you can find one near you, stop and in check it out.

This recipe came together on a whim.  We stopped in to Evoolution to browse around on the day that we were waiting to meet our farmer to pick up our half pig.  One of the very first things that caught my eye when I walked in the store was a maple-infused balsamic.  Pork and maple?  It was destiny!

We’ve had these pork chops numerous times since then, finishing off the small bottle of maple balsamic just the other day making the recipe for this post.  The combo of the maple plus the amazing pastured pork makes it hard to resist!

Pork Chops with Maple Balsamic Pan Sauce

• 4 bone-in pork chops
• 2 tbsp lard (or other cooking fat of choice)
• Salt, pepper, and dried Greek herb blend to taste
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 2/3 cup broth (I used pork broth from the same pig!)
• 1/3 cup maple-infused balsamic vinegar*
• 1/4 tsp dried rosemary

Pre-heat your oven to 350F.  Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Season the pork chops with salt, pepper, and the Greek seasoning.  Melt 1 tbsp of lard in the skillet.

In two batches, sear the pork chops for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until a nice golden brown colour develops.  Remove from the skillet and add to a baking dish or pan.  When all your chops are seared, place in the oven for about 20 minutes (depends on the thickness of your chops).

While the chops are in the oven, add the remaining 1 tbsp of lard to the skillet (note: depending on how much fat cooked off your pork chops, you may not need to add more to the skillet at this point).  Add diced onion and sautee until soft and translucent (about 6-8 minutes).  Add the crushed garlic and sautee for another minute.

Combine the broth, vinegar and rosemary.  Pour the liquids into the hot skillet.  Watch out for the blast of vinegar vapour…keep your nose back from the skillet when adding the liquid.  Using a wooden spoon, scrape up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.  Let the sauce simmer for 10-15 minutes.  It will reduce significantly, becoming thick and syrupy.  The sauce is done when you drag your spoon through the sauce and the trails remain (see photo below).

Remove the chops from the oven and put them on a plate.  Spoon the sauce over the chops and dig in!  Enjoy your delicious meat candy!

*If you don’t have access to a source of the maple-infused vinegar try a combo of plain balsamic and maple syrup. I would start with 1 tbsp of maple syrup and 1/3 cup of balsamic and then tweak to your tastes from there.

Simple Chili with Butternut Squash

Ah, chili.  Is there anything more warming than a hot bowl of chili on a frosty day?  I love it.

Lately I’ve been throwing butternut squash cubes into my chili.  I’ve found that this adds a bit of thickening, as the squash cooks down and incorporates into the chili, as well as adding a nice velvety texture to the chili.

The list of ingredients may look long, but it’s mostly spices.  This dish comes together quite easily and quickly.  It also makes a nice big batch so you’ll have leftovers for a couple of meals.

My favourite way to serve chili is with a big ol’ green salad.  The one pictured above featured pomegranate seeds and a pomegranate vinaigrette.  Maybe I’ll post that recipe soon, if I don’t forget about this blog again…

For slight flavour variations, try out different combos of chili powders – hot, mild, ancho, chipotle.  Or try tossing in some fresh chopped chili peppers too!

Chili with Butternut Squash (Oh Yeah, Bacon Too!)

• 1/2 lb bacon*, chopped
• 2 lbs ground meat (beef or bison is best)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 large (or 2 medium) onion, diced
• 8 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed
• 1 tbsp ancho chili powder
• 1 tbsp mild chili powder
• 1 tbsp hot chili powder (for less heat, make this a second tbsp of mild instead)
• 1 tsp cayenne powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• About 10-12 twists of the pepper mill (or shakes of the shaker)
• 1 tbsp Mexican oregano (regular oregano would also work)
• 20 oz can of diced tomatoes**, drained
• 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes**
• 14 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes** (or fire roasted tomato salsa for more kick)
• 3 cups frozen butternut squash cubes (or fresh, but frozen is super convenient)

Heat your soup pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the chopped bacon and cook until crispy.  Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon from the pot, leaving the bacon grease behind.  Set the cooked bacon aside and try not to eat it all while you carry out the next few steps.

Add the ground meat to the pot and season with salt and pepper.  While the meat is cooking, measure out all the spices into a small bowl so they’re ready to add later.  Go ahead and open up your cans while you wait for the meat to cook so they’re ready for duty later too.

When the meat is mostly cooked through, add the onions and garlic and continue cooking for about 3-6 minutes.  (I like my onions on the crunchy side for chili, so I usually only cook for 3 minutes.)

Add all the spices plus the cooked bacon, stir it in really well and let that all hang out for about a minute.

Add the three cans of tomatoes plus the squash cubes to the pot and mix it all up.  Bring it up to a nice simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and let the chili simmer for at least an hour or up to two hours (more simmering time equals more deliciousness when it comes to chili), stirring regularly.  Don’t forget to taste your chili to check on the spice/seasoning.  If it’s not spicy enough for you, add some more chili powder or cayenne and keep simmering.

*For the cleanest eats, get some pastured bacon and skip the conventionally produced stuff, especially since we’re keeping the bacon fat in the dish.

**Always check your labels on canned goods!  It is possible to find clean canned goods free of the creepy preservatives or added sugar (yes, added sugar in canned tomatoes).  I’ve had the best luck with organic canned goods, though “organic” doesn’t automatically mean “crap free”.  Do your homework!

Nectarine and Prosciutto Salad

I wanted a salad that would taste like summer and pop with flavour in every bite.  This one really fit the bill!  It combines salty and sweet, juicy and crunchy, zesty and a wee bit of richness.  I loved the contrasts in texture and in flavour, especially the tangy dressing and the sweet nectarines.

Nectarine and Prosciutto Salad

Makes two hearty servings

• romaine or green leaf lettuce (I used some of each)
• 1/4 cup toasted walnuts
• 3 slices of prosciutto made into “porkitos” (e.g. crisped up in the oven)
• 2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
• 2 nectarines, grilled and chopped, still warm (see below)

For the dressing:

• 3 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp chopped parsley
• a couple of big pinches of oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

Cut the nectarines in half and remove the stone.  Brush with olive oil and grill for about 5-7 minutes.  Toss all the salad ingredients in one or two bowls and drizzle with the dressing.

I served this salad with Greek-spiced grilled pork chops.  The feta could be skipped or substituted if you don’t do dairy.  I might try it with peaches or even melon in the future.

Fun tasting note – as we were eating my husband remarked that the flavours of this salad reminded him of a Hawaiian pizza.  As soon as he said it, I could taste the hints too.  It’s that magic salty/sweet combo.

 

Crap in a Pan – Sausage and Peppers

Yes, that’s what it is called.  No, it’s not elegant.  But it is delicious!

Crap in a pan is one of my standby meal templates.  Cook some meat.  Add some veggies and some seasoning.  Cook it together.  Eat.  Who said paleo cooking needs to be complicated??  There are endless combinations and I plan to share some of my favourites with you here.

This version of crap in a pan is made with spicy Italian sausages, bell peppers and red onions.

I put a little twist on this crap in pan – my husband grilled the sausages while I chopped and sauteed the veggies.  After grilling, the sausages were sliced and added to the pan for everything to hang out together for a while.  The flavours from the sausages added seasoning to the whole pan which is why I kept the added seasonings light when cooking the vegetables.

Crap In A Pan – Sausage and Peppers

• 6 Italian sausages, cooked
• 3 bell peppers, chopped in large pieces
• 1 large red onion, sliced
• 1 tbsp beef tallow (or your fat of choice)
• Salt and pepper

Melt the fat over medium heat.  Add the peppers and onions.  Salt and pepper to taste.  When the veggies are about half way to your desired level of doneness, stir in the sliced sausages and their spicy flavoury juices.  Keep cooking until the veggies are perfect for you!

Bacon Relish

A couple of weeks ago I had the idea of creating different relishes to serve with meats and salads.  Now, I may not be actually meeting a textbook definition of relish but to me a relish is a chunky mixture of contrasting but balanced flavours.

Tonight I made a bacon and onion relish to serve on a grilled chicken salad.  It was dead simple and very delicious.

• 2 lbs bacon, cooked crispy and chopped or crumbled
• 2 onions, diced
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tsp rosemary
• black pepper
• a dash of red chili flakes

Chop the raw bacon and cook in a large pan until it is nice and crispy and dark. (Note: this is not nice and crispy and dark yet!)

 

Using a slotted spoon, pull the cooked bacon out of the pan.  Pour off all but 2 tbsp of the rendered bacon fat.  Add the chopped onions and cook until soft.

Once the onions are cooked, add the remaining ingredients plus the cooked bacon.  I started out by adding some of the juice first to deglaze the bacony goodness from the bottom of the pan before adding everything else.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20-30 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated or thickened up.

The finished relish is tangy with a bit of sweetness from the apple juice and smokiness from the bacon.  We had this over romaine lettuce with fresh tomatoes and grilled chicken tonight (like a kicked up BLT!).  I’m planning on serving it on burgers with homemade BBQ sauce tomorrow.

 

Nice to meet you!

Hi!  I’m Pam.  I live a Paleo lifestyle.  I love cooking and want to share some of my kitchen creations with other food lovers.

new things!

While I was off work recovering from surgery, I spent a great deal of time watching movies.  One movie that I watched during this time caused me to radically re-evaluate conventional nutritional wisdom and the way I was eating.

I watched “Fat Head” after seeing a discussion about the movie online.  I thought it would be interesting to see a response to “Supersize Me”, a documentary that I thought was sensationalistic and over-simplified.  “Fat Head” was witty, engaging and thought-provoking.  After watching, I immediately texted my husband that he needed to watch this too.

Thanks to the resources put together by Tom Naughton on the website for “Fat Head” I was able to find a plethora of articles, studies and reports about saturated fat, cholesterol, fructose, etc.  These were all topics that I had been curious about and meaning to learn more about.

All of this information, combined with a read through of The Paleo Diet by Dr. Loren Cordain and various first-hand experiences I had already seen finally convinced me that it was time to give a Paleo-style diet a shot.

In short, the Paleo style of eating eliminates all grains (wheat, oats, rice, etc.), legumes, sugars, dairy and starchy vegetables from your diet.  There are actually varied approaches around the Paleo/Primal community with respect to including limited types and quantities of sugars, dairy and starchy vegetables, but the elimination of grains and legumes seems to be consistent.

I was already limiting the grains that I was eating.  I discovered a number of months ago that my eczema was made significantly worse when I was eating lots of wheat products.  At the worst point of my eating, I was eating massive quantities of those foods and thus had continuous bad eczema flare ups. Before going Paleo, I was eating only sprouted whole grain bread (which has a lower gluten content than bread made with flour) and limiting the consumption of pasta to maybe once or twice per week.  I wasn’t limiting rice and rice products, as those seemed to have no ill effects on my skin.

I didn’t want to delay starting this new way of eating, but I also don’t want to waste a bunch of the food that I had just stocked my fridge with.  So my version of Paleo thus far has included Greek yogurt and some cheese.  I figured that I would finish up the supplies of what I had in the fridge and then not restock down the line.  I have also not given up coffee.  Coffee, even though it is brewed from a legume, seems to be accepted as a part of many Paleo diets, provided it’s consumed in moderation and is having no other detrimental health effects.

The immediate difference that I noticed in the first few days of eating Paleo was my appetite.  For as long as I can remember, I have been a hungry, hungry hippo in the mid-afternoon.  I could seriously eat everything in sight and still feel like I needed more.  This feeling was gone in the first few days of Paleo.  Since I wasn’t loading up on carbs during breakfast, but rather eating satisfying protein and fat, my body wasn’t crashing from the carb and sugar induced insulin spike.  At the same time, I observed that I need to ensure that I consume a quantity of fat early in the day as well as limit carbs and sugar, otherwise that same afternoon hunger reared its ugly head.

Connected to the lack of afternoon hunger was a maintained energy level throughout the day.  I’m sure we’ve all experienced that 3 o’clock wall, where your energy dips and you need some sort of boost to carry you through the rest of your day.  Rather than having a peak of energy in the morning and a crash in the afternoon, my energy level has been more or less consistent throughout my entire day.

I also know that my body has changed pretty rapidly over the past couple of weeks.  Between August 20 and September 1, my measurements changed pretty dramatically for that period of time.  I lost 1″ from each of the following measurements: hips, waist, chest, thigh and bicep.

I’ve had some mental hang-ups along the way that I’m still working through.  One of the biggest criticisms of the Paleo-style diet is that it’s “just another fad diet”.  This style of eating absolutely fits into my philosophy and approach of making a “lifestyle change” that I can live with for the rest of my life.  This is not Atkins or South Beach or The Zone.  This is a way of eating focused on health and overall well-being, not weight loss…though weight loss can certainly be a benefit of the diet applied appropriately.

Thus far I haven’t missed anything that I can’t eat at all.  It helps that I had already worked through the major carb addition I had over a year ago.  Actually, earlier this week I was missing the texture of crispy/crunchy like you would get from a potato chip (not that I ate many potato chips recently….)  Luckily, pork rinds are 100% Paleo, super crispy and actually quite delicious.  Crisis averted!

Last night we were even at a concert in the park and I was surrounded by all kinds of tempting foods: popcorn, fresh potato chips, elephant ears, mini-doughnuts, chocolate, fresh lemonade, hot dogs, etc.  Only this time they weren’t even tempting, not even when the guy beside me was practically waving his elephant ear in my face.  I was totally satisfied by my packed snack of dried apple rings with no added sugar and mixed nuts and didn’t even consider a trip to the concession stands.

Overall, I just feel amazing eating this way.  It’s tough to describe all the small details, but my entire body feels good, my head feels clear and alert, and I feel strong and energetic.  After just 2 weeks, my husband and I were both feeling so good we decided to fully buy in.  We did a major cleaning of our pantry and cupboards to get all of the non-Paleo foods out.  We had lots of unopened packages and containers, so those won’t go to waste because they can be donated to the food bank.

I’m excited about food and cooking again!  I’m challenging myself with new vegetables and dishes, finding alternatives to old stand-by recipes or products, and discovering that there are a whole lot of delicious foods I’ve been ignoring.  Like pork rinds!  I’ve been reading books and blogs, and listening to podcasts in an attempt to take in as much information as I can.

The increased energy and motivation I have has been amazing.  We’re getting so many projects done around the house.  I just can’t bring myself to sit around on the couch all day and not move.  I need to be up, walking, doing, accomplishing things.  I love this new feeling.

Will I continue to eat this way?  Absolutely, perhaps with some tweaks in the future as I find what works best for me.  Will I always eat this way?  Only time can tell.  For now, I’m feeling great about this decision.

Lots of links!

Robb Wolf

Everyday Paleo

Paleo Diet Infographic

Paleo Plan recipes

Hunt Gather Love

Paleo Hacks

Updated: Eating More to Weigh Less

I originally blogged about my approach to weight loss and eating here.  I considered updating that post, but instead chose to create a new post with my expanded furnace analogy and some links and information to get you started if you want to try eating more to weigh less.

Here’s the metabolism as a furnace analogy…..to understand, picture a big ol’ wood fired furnace. The kind that your great-grandparents would have been familiar with.

To work most efficiently, this furnace needs to be fueled properly. If you don’t put enough fuel in the furnace, the fire will die out completely. You’re going to be constantly working to re-start the fire and you’re not going to get any heat out of the furnace. If you put too much fuel on the fire in one shot, you’re going to smother the fire completely. But if you spread out when and how much fuel you put into the furnace, you’re going to have a nice fire burning all day long which will allow the furnace to work most efficiently. You’re not going to have to work as hard to keep the furnace working.

The same goes for your body’s metabolism. It needs fuel (FOOD) to work most efficiently. When you don’t eat enough or you eat too much all at once (i.e. one big meal per day), your metabolic systems are not going to be working to help burn fat and lose weight. Fuel your fire correctly and your metabolic systems are going to be switched on to helping you lose weight.

Don’t forget that the TYPE OF FUEL you use is just as important as the amount of fuel. If you throw green and wet wood on a fire, you’re not going to get that fire burning well. But if you use dry and seasoned wood, your fire will burn clean and hot. If you fuel your body with crap, your fire isn’t going to burn well. But if you use clean, natural, whole foods as fuel, your fire will be burning beautifully!

The other important ingredient that shouldn’t be ignored is activity.  I’m going to keep expanding the analogy to include exercise.

Fires need fuel AND air to burn properly. Those wood stoves and furnaces have all kinds of dampers to help control the air supply to the fire. If you cut off the air supply to a fire, it will die out. If you leave all the dampers wide open and have your fire drawing lots of air then you’re going to burn through more fuel. The fire will burn hotter and faster and you’re going to need to add more fuel regularly. The more air a fire draws, the more fuel it will go through.

The air in this analogy is your exercise/activity. If you’re totally sedentary, you’re cutting off the air supply to your fire. If you’re highly active but don’t put more fuel into your body, your fire is going to run out of fuel and die out. You need to find that sweet spot with the fuel and air supply to keep your fire burning and burning well.

This has really helped me understand how my body works and WHY I want to eat the way I do and keep myself active (even if I’m not working out hard). You WANT to get your metabolic systems working in your favor because it makes it easier to lose fat and achieve your goals. And hey, who doesn’t want an easier way to lose weight??

To put this into use, here’s what I do.  On my least active days I eat around 1600 calories.  On my most active days (the majority of the week), I eat closer to 1800-1900.  I aim for a daily caloric deficit of 500-1000 calories.  I keep the days of 1000 calorie deficits to a minimum, perhaps twice a week.  [To calculate caloric deficit: (maintenance caloric intake for current weight – calories consumed in a day) + calories burned through exercise. MyNetDiary does this calculation for me.]

I’m eating a diet that is comprised of nutritious, natural, healthy foods.  I eat plenty of food in my day and eat around 6 times per day, making some people question if I’m really “on a diet” or not.  And I’m still losing weight.  Since January 1 of this year, I have averaged a loss of 2 lbs per week, a healthy and sustainable rate that I am more than pleased with.

Using this approach to weight loss I have made one big lifestyle change.  Now I can continue eating and living happily like this for the rest of my life.  There is no “off plan” food or cheating.  There are no “phases” or “cycles”.  There is just food, exercise, and knowledge.

Resources:

Fat2Fit Radio

Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels

BMR Calculator

MyNetDiary – my favorite food tracker