Which one do YOU want to look like?

Robb Wolf's "Paleo is Expensive" Article

As the days get shorter and the sun shows it's shining orb less and less, it's easy to get a little depressed this time of year. Don't get me wrong, I like Fall. I just wish it was warmer and that the sun stayed out longer.....kind of like Summer.....hmmmm. And as we find ourselves wearing more and more layers, it's easy to get off track and find any excuse we can to dive head first into a plate of comfort food like mac n cheese. The most common excuse (in my opinion) is that the Paleo/Primal way of eating is just too expensive. To that I cry bullshit! And if that isn't enough proof for you, check out this blogpost by Robb Wolf. I seriously had an "a-ha" moment after reading this. Yes, I wish everything could be grass-fed, pastured, local and organic. Then reality slaps me in the face and I realize that I have to do the best that I can at this particular moment. And I realize that it is ok, that I will survive and that it is ok not to be "perfect" every single second.

With that in mind, I've had to make some concessions this past month. And yea, I admit, maybe it's not as clean as I would like it but I've got two trips that I want to make in November and December so I'm willing to veer off the path a little. Notice I said "a little" and not "screw it all, pasta is cheaper!" I'm still staying Primal as you can see in the various pictures. But the pork chops above, came from the grocery store and not the farm. The sausage up top, same thing. On a positive note, the strawberries and tomatoes all came from my garden. Can't get any more local than that!

And this week, I tried Macadamia Nut oil....WOW! Who knew?!?! This stuff is A-MA-ZING! I don't even need balsamic with it, it is awesome alone on a salad. Over to the right is a big ass salad I made with spinach, roasted chicken, avocado, bacon, homegrown cherry tomatoes, diced apple (yes, it was organic...lol) and mac nut oil. I just can't say wow enough! Can't wait to get back to Hawaii so I can stock up.

So check out Robb's article and let us know what you are doing to stay on track.

Zaycon Chicken Event

Zaycon Foods is at it again, this time with their Chicken event. And now it's even better because it's coming to the entire continental US!! You can purchase a 40-pound box of boneless skinless chicken breasts for just $1.49/pound! Time to stock your freezers! I know, I know, these aren't organic free range, but sometimes, you have to do what you have to do.

Here's the link to check out Zaycon:
https://www.zayconfoods.com/refer/zf3277

Both times I've ordered from Zaycon, I've had a really great experience. If you've ordered from them before, let us know what you thought.

Living Primal: BACON!!!

Living Primal: BACON!!!https://www.zayconfoods.com/refer/zf3277

BACON!!!

Zaycon Foods is at it again! You've heard me talk about their boneless, skinless chicken breast sale before, and while it's probably not free-range, pastured, it is still damn tasty! And at that price, it helps to fill the freezer. And now, they are doing a BACON sale! I feel like the dog on the Beggin' Strips commerical....BACON! BACON! So the deal is for $89 you get 30 pounds of bacon. That is $2.97 a pound! I know, I know, it's not nitrate free, it's not from pastured pigs, I get that. But again, sometimes you just gotta fill your freezer and do the best you can. Don't worry, I'll still be buying the good stuff. But I am thinking I'll save the good stuff for when I am eating straight bacon, and use the other stuff in other meals, like adding to Sweet & Sour Cabbage, or using for making Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs. So if you love bacon and want a killer deal, check them out.

Freggies Organic Delivery

I recently purchased a Groupon for Freggies. For $24 I would receive $60 worth of organic produce delivered to my door. I had never heard of Freggies, and their delivery area is very limited but I thought, what the heck, they deliver here, I'll give them a try. Usually during the summer, I don't use the home delivery services as much, since there are a ton of Farmer's Markets going on and I'd rather support them. But my weekends have been so busy, I haven't had a chance to get to as many of them as I would like, and my fridge was getting a little sparse! So imagine my surprise when I came home and Friday and discovered this boatload of yumminess from Freggies! There was a little bit of everything, from portabellos and strawberries to avocados and zucchini. (There were also "bonuses" included in my delivery; a 4-pack of bagels and a voucher for a free cup of ice cream at a place in Seattle. I actually gave those both away to friends who came over later that night. Yeah me!) Wow! I just may have to keep ordering from them! Looks like the weekly charge is $39.99 or you can create your own delivery box. If any of you have tried them, please share your experience in the comments.

So with all that yumminess, here's one meal I made using the carrots and green beans. The carrots were cooked in homemade chicken stock for hours (dual purpose, flavor the stock AND become a yummy side dish!) and the green beans were steamed with bacon fat added. With these is a simple pork roast. Nothing fancy but packed full of flavor! All total, this meal cost about $2.13. Somebody remind me again why Primal is so expensive??

The Real Cost of Primal

Tuna Salad with 1/2 avocado = $1.01

Everyday Paleo's Butter Chicken with Broccoli = $1.97

Cheese, strawberries, bacon, hard boiled egg and pickled asparagus = $1.89

Coconut Chai Latte = $0.68 (1/2 can coconut milk with 2 Chai tea bags)

Total for the Day: $5.55

Cheaper than lunch at any fast food place!

Making a difference

This article makes me want to shout to the world "pull your head out of your ass people."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42956239/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/soda-drag-schools-may-ban-chocolate-milk/from/toolbar
I can't believe some of the asinine comments parents will make. One example:
"Deborah Bellholt, a South Los Angeles mother, said none of her six children ranging from pre-school to high school age will drink plain milk. "By allowing kids flavored milk, they still get the calcium they need," she said. "If not, they'd bypass it.""

Great parenting there Deborah....started the kids off right away with a sugar high...congrats!! Take it away and eventually the kids will start to drink regular milk. Or gee, maybe they could get their calcium from other sources, without all the sugar, like salmon (and other seafood), greens, cheese and plain yogurt.

Jamie Olivier's Food Revolution has been fighting this issue for some time. While I don't agree with all of Jamie's food theories (he still thinks pasta is healthy) I agree 100% with his overall concept of getting REAL food into our nation's school. Go to his website and join the revolution. We all need to do our part to get the change started.

Organic delivered to your door

Here's a last minute deal that you might want to check out:

Over at Moolala.com, you can get a $70 box of organic herbs and veggies delivered right to your door (nationwide) for just $19. I just ordered one and I'm really hoping it is worth it!

Everyday Paleo

If you haven't already, go check out Sarah's blog, Everyday Paleo. I love her recipes! This weekend I am going to make her Paleo Pancit and it looks delicious! She also has a book coming out (which you can pre-order on Amazon). I can't wait to get the book. Just received my copy of Mark Sisson's Quick & Easy Cookbook. Something tells me there is a lot of cooking in my near future!

Save on Nutiva Coconut Oil on Amazon

Just found a great deal on Nutiva Coconut Oil on Amazon.com. If you use the "subscribe & save" option, you will recieve a discounted price as well as free shipping. The "subscribe & save" feature is an automated shipment program. I signed up for delivery every 2 months and will receive a 2-pack of 15 oz jars of Coconut Oil for just $11.51 with no shipping charges and no tax. That's just 38-cents per ounce! They also have the 54 oz Twin Pack for $38.30, just 35-cents an ounce. I'm sure some of you know of better deals, but the smaller size works for my single person household. But please, share your finds with others so we can all get a good deal.

I haven't had Coconut Oil for a couple months, mainly because I keep forgetting to run out and buy some. But I saw this recipe yesterday over at the MDA forum, and I am dying to try it. I've been having major sweet cravings lately, for chocolate of course, so I think this will help. Or I can just do the usual and dip dark chocolate in the coconut oil for a yummy late night snack....ok, now I'm really craving chocolate!

How Expensive is Primal Eating?

Today there is a thread over on the MDA forum about the cost of eating primal. Overall, it seems people spend a good amount on primal foods and most are happy to do so. Common themes around the primal world are "pay the farmer, or pay the doctor" and as Joel Salatin says, "So you think clean eating is expensive? Have your priced cancer treatment lately?" And I agree that I am happy to spend the money on good, clean food. But it also got me thinking about what I am really spending. Sometimes, I feel like I am spending a lot, but that may be because I stock up on things for the freezer. And sometimes that is beneficial. For instance I stocked up last month on grass-fed beef so this month, I didn't need to buy any. The thread got me wondering what it actually costs per meal, per day. And I decided it's time I figure it out! So this week, I'm going to to start tracking and report back. And if I'm feeling super energetic, I'll even include pictures!! I'll be tracking EVERYTHING - tea, beverages, eating out, eating in, snacks, if it goes in my mouth, it's getting tracked. Since it's just me it should be fairly easy to do. I am also pretty proud of the fact that for the past several months, I've been adamant about only buying things on sale or with a coupon (granted a lot of that is household items and not food, but still, feeling pretty proud of myself for saving money!).
How much are you spending? Any tips for saving money on primal fare?

Primal Accelerated Success is coming to Seattle!

For you Groks and Grokettes in the Pacific Northwest, Mark's Primal Accelerated Success Seminar is coming to Seattle! Check out the details here. I know I'll be there!!

Food Porn

In case anyone is thinking that eating Primal is boring, here is some food porn to change your mind:

Just a simple meal of grilled skirt steak, black olives and a bit of sour cream.

Almost naked, hot wings made using pastured chicken wings. So simple! Bake in the oven about 40 minutes, brush with melted butter mixed with hot sauce. Then broil for a couple minutes to crisp them up. Brush again with butter and hot sauce.

This is what I am calling a "Bacon, Cheese and Egg Burger." I grilled up a grass-fed beef patty, mixed pastured bacon with cream cheese, added homemade pickles and sliced red onion, then topped it all off with a pastured egg, fried runny. OMG! It was delish! I've seen fried egg burgers on menus before, but never thought much of it. My mind has been changed!

Stocking Up

How can I tell I'm back on the Primal track? The amount of cooking I'm in the middle of doing! As I type this there is bacon cooking in the oven, homemade chicken broth in the crockpot, and boneless pork chops on the George Foreman. Made earlier was a scramble of eggs, sausage, bacon and spinach and a "hash" of ground beef, mushrooms, yellow squash and spinach. Who says Primal cooking is difficult?

Unstuffed Cabbage

I can't believe I haven't posted since October! I am so sorry about that! I guess time just kind of got away from me. Wow, as a blogger, I suck....LOL. With the holidays, I, like so many of us, got off the Primal track but I am back, fully committed and looking forward to an awesome year.

I made this amazing recipe today, courtesy of Life as a Dreger. Check out the blog and the recipe for some motivation to get you back on track in 2011.....unless you're one of THOSE people who actually stayed on track. If that is the case, I am totally jealous!