Talula

Welcome back!

(she mumbles to herself as the slack blogger plods her fingers down on the heavy keyboard) YAWN!

So, it's been a while since I've posted, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been eating. constantly. seriously. My body loves this mess of good food everywhere-eating 4 meals a day and snack in between. In the very beginning I would have these intense food cravings at 8pm, and finally I realized it was because my body was asking for more protein--a new one for me coming off of a vegan goal lifestyle. Yes, the changes have been monumental. Why the change you say? Well, legumes were the majority of my diet before, but I felt really bloated and weighted most of the time. Then my good friend, Meredith, started this Whole 30

and started to talk about all of the inflammitory nature of grains, legumes, & dairy (not to mention sugar). I also had a SEVERE addition to sugar, which doesn't help that I work with children and make ready to have candy on hand. Don't you start....

Here I am, twelve days into a meat, veggies, & fruits regimen and loving it! More food, more energy, more clarity.

Now, as to why I haven't been posting lately.

I'll claim my excuse is the regular ol' busyness. I did gain yet another challenge in all of my busyness though-traveling weekends on Paleo. Basically, I would cook like a mad women (not like I don't already) for a few days and stock pile a ton of food to carry in a cooler.

Breakfast Muffins (basically little quiches) with curry, eggs, spinach, red pepper, purple onion, & other spices...

.AND

BACON!!!

Folks, I can't really describe what it was, but when I started cooking up bacon for these muffins something came over me. NEVER in my life have I understood the folks who go crazy over bacon, until now. Say it's changing taste buds or the change in lifestyle ea

ting, but I am a changed woman. There is just something about the meaty crunch of a good bacon strip! Rawr!

Skillet Butternut Squash & Greens....just look at those greens!

It's so amazing how color food can be! Just look at the robust, vibrant red on the same plant as that deep tranquil green! Eye popping contrasts!

With the help of a few friends, I experienced a few gold mines in lil' Columbia, SC to enjoy a good meal out.

A good friend found out my new endeavor and sought me out to enjoy some good Indian food. Dehli Palace was great and offered an buffet. We met a few dancin' folk there and had a grand time. Though I did hear a rumor that there was a claimed "better" Indian place in Columbia. *scratchin' the scalp.*

Al-Amir

However, by far, I cannot recommend this next place enough! The best lamb I've feasted my taste buds on in a LONG time. My mouth is watering just thinking of it! Mediterranean here I come! The meal came with rice or pita, but I asked them to hold both. On the left are the grilled veggie...yellow squash, zucchini, and more! On the right, LAMB!

For yet another traveling meal plannin':

Paleo Tacos with Purple Cabbage Slaw

Chicken LOVEs Coconut (from shrimp recipe)

MORE Coconut talk to come!

Day Quatro

Ladies & gents, it's been a long day & I just got off the phone after having a long philosophical conversation. With that said, my daily word usage is about spent. So I have a few pictures from yesterday & today. They can (mostly) speak for themselves.

Dinner last night--Salmon cakes & sauteed spinach, onion, and bell pepper):

Breakfast: de smoothie

Lunch: Out at Wholefoods on a work engagement and got away for $5.12! That is a first! --Blackened Salmon, a bed LOADed with spring

greens & spinach,

and what my co-worker thought was liver pate. :) It was really their vegan chocolate mousse...and YES, I did allow myself a little wiggle room. Lay off!-- I lifted weights this

morning (cheesy grin).

Dinner: Sweetheart Scallops (but more on those tomorrow)

Oh and here's a picture of the brand of coconut oil I ventured out for--whole & extra virgin. ;)

Lime in de CoCoNUT

Day 3:

Okay, today I'm going to mix it up a bit. Shake or stir is no matter, but just mix. Following what was consumed today, I have some thoughts and research on Coconut Oil. :)

BUT FIRST, breakfast...on Day 3:

Scrambled eggs (added seasonings), Fruit Smoothie (strawberries, blueberries, banana, a dash of almond milk & orange juice), & a rather large cup of Matte (because it's Tuesday)

Lunch lent another opportunity to enjoy the very filling Sweet Potato Enchiladas & Collards. No visual needed. But for those interested in the recipe, here she is:

• 2 Lg sweet potatoes (rinse& bake in the oven for aprox 2 hrs. at 425 before proceeding)
• 1 TB of olive oil
• 1 Lg garlic clove, minced
• 1 sm, fresh HOT chile, seeded and minced
• 1 LB of ground beef goodness
• 1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 TB of chili powder
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups of salsa
• 8 tortillas
• 1/4 cup of finely chopped red onions

I usually cook the sweet potatoes day before or morning of due to my impulsive kitchen manners. (I'm not a very patient person.) You could also peel and dice the sweet potatoes and stirring them in the oven for about 20 minutes instead of waiting 2 hrs, but I do like the consistency of the 2 hr version.

Preheat Oven to 350f.

Skillet garlic & chile (I chose to add most of the onion here too) until fragrant, then add cooked MEAT, tomatoes, chili powder, and salt & pepper to taste in a large skillet. Stir in sweet potatoes, simmer for 5 minutes, and set aside.

Spread a thin layer of salsa over the bottom of a lightly oiled 9x13 in pan.

Pull out the tortillas and drop a significant amount of Sweet Po mixture. Usually have enough for 5-6 tortillas. Choose your size and stick with it. And for those local folks, Earth Fare has an amazing spinach tortilla...found in the deli section. At the moment, I don't remember the brand, but they are 12 to a pack and HUGE, dense, and flavorful. I didn't really ever enjoy bought tortillas until I had theirs. But beware; they have NO preservatives, so be sure to store it in the fridge ASAP!

Place your rolls of Sweet Po in the pan & line the top with salsa and onions. Cover and bake until bubbly (love that word!), about 20 minutes.

Honestly, folks, I'm not quite sure what it was about the 3rd day, but it was a dogfight not to head for the closet of sugar. OH my! I'm not going to go there quite yet- another day, perhaps, but not today. I was STARVING when I finally got home and jumped to the pre-made meal helps.

Thank you Trader Joes!

So tonight was my first exposure to using COCONUT oil as a replacement of Vegetable, Canola, or even Olive Oil! I've begun to see a viscous pattern in the hard-core Paleo's diet.

Coconut is seemingly everywhere. So, after finding some salmon cakes from Trader Joe's, the pan warmed with a tablespoon of coconut oil, dinner was served!

However, I'm still astonished that after two years of being a vegan, I had never heard of coconut oil as a replacement...rather than soy replacements! Amber, a gal on staff for Robb Wolfe, had some great insight from other Paleo eaters, such as:

Diane Sanfilippo, a Certified Nutrition Educator, C.H.E.K. Holistic Lifestyle Coach, of Balanced Bites explains why coconut oil is superior for cooking in this post:

The chemical structure of unsaturated fats is VERY delicate. When something in their environment isn’t perfect, their structure is changed easily, causing them to oxidize. This is one reason why we say that olive oil shouldn’t be heated or only on very low temperatures- so that it’s chemical structure can remain in tact. Once these structures are changed, the body can’t use them as intended.

Coconut and other saturated fats are far more STABLE and do no chemically change when heat is applied (at least not as easily, it will take much higher heat for longer periods of time), so when they enter our bodies, they’re in-tact and our bodies recognize them as what they are from nature. Oxidized or rancid oils in the body enter and cannot be biochemically understood as food. They enter and are more like a PLASTIC in the body, or a toxin. Our body does not metabolize toxins but rather STORES them – in our fat cells. This leads to inflammation. Inflammation is a key player in many chronic diseases, weight gain, weight loss resistance, general feeling of fatigue, pain and lethargy, joint pain, etc. (end quote)

Also, here are some great ideas of various uses for coconut oil from Amber & Robb Wolfe. Just click on their names and read over all the comments...very interesting. Coconut is the new peanut! :)

Put the Lime in with Coconut with Harry Nilsson. It will make you feel better... ;)

Dessert: Bedtime Blueberries from Everyday Paleo: blueberries, coconut, almonds, & OJ!

It's the little DISCIPLines

Inspiration. It's burned a hole in my pocket and at this point, I'm not quite sure

where it's going place me. However, let's just say I've eased my way into these past few days of Paleo.

Sunday: Day 1:

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day? Ah, I still can't bring myself to pig out on veggies just yet that early in the day. So, inste

ad, I started with a blueberry & strawberry smoothie and two eggs scrambled. No pictures here, so just imagine...mmm.

The Paleo purists say that potatoes are the gateway carbohydrates. :) That sounds like a perfect place to start for me! Though rebellion or an easy transition was not the goal of my first few meals, I did have it in the fridge and I wasn't about to let a good thing go to waste (especially if it already was technically in the veggie party). Roasted Chicken with rosemary & sage cooked in white wine sauce with steamed spinach.

"So, how's the eating like a cave man goin'?"--My brother has CLEARLY meditated on how to

demoralize my squeaky clean goals (cough). "Woman. Yeah, that's cave WOMAN to you, bro." Thankfully a very generous gardner friend was filtering through his garden and giving away his abundance. In a crinkly grocery bag, I found gems of deep blue green! Collards!

OH, how I luve me some collards!

These were probably the most beautiful, healthy alkaline greens I have ever laid my eyes on. The texture, the color, the shape

...just nature's allure.

So, I cooked those suckers down with some onion & garlic...fascinating shades of green. They will be a perfect side dish! I'm so grateful for good, local produce and from such a dear friend!

Dinner was made of the collards and enchiladas. The recipe for the enchiladas was adapted from one of my vegan recipe books. The adapation is far better than the original. Spinach for the "tortilla" and a filling made up of jalapeno, sweet potatoes, chili pepper, onion, tomatoes & free range ground beef. Salsa for garnish &

baking! Scrumptious! It made for a fantastic lunch today (day 2) as well...

This evening, I went out with some dear friends. I hadn't really thought about eating out with Paleo yet, so I might have gone beyond some purist lines again...but I am learning and learning is a PROCESS. Geeze, conscience or legalism, get off my back!

Ruby Tuesday's does offer an AWESOME salad bar selection...baby green, green pepper, carrots, olives, a splash of sunflower seeds with a bit of balsamic vinegar and oil. Grapes were for a little sweet ending.

I also had a turkey burger with avocado (minus fries, bread, mayo--who needs that stuff anyways! It was fantastic as is). The picture was really blurry. :)

So that's it! The journey hasn't been too difficult thus far, but I am beginning to get the little cravings for something sweet now and again. Natural sugars should do the trick! It's the little disciplines that we find ourselves in that makes up the whole, right?

Prep TIME!

Folks,

I'm not much of a blogger, but a few days ago I took a challenge. A challenge to actually go a whole 30 days on the new nutrition fad: the Paleo Solution. This new string is not really new that it's based on the "ancients" supposed diets--veggies, fruits, & meats. For those of you hard core Paleo's, I know it's much more than just that, but I'm just starting out so don't cannibalize me yet. Now, naturally I'm not much of a competitive person, but being determined to actually go through with this, accountability is a big part of success in the life of a Creech! HA!

Tomorrow, February 20, 2011, I will begin my 30 day journey of the Paleo Solution (along with my dear friend, Meredith, who has already trekked this journey once and love it!) Under inspiration of a new dance friend, I'll be taking pictures of what I eat each day, sharing the recipes, and sharing the thoughts and struggles. Note, this is also my first attempt at blogging so it will be a neophyte cloud for the first few days. I hope you all might join me! It's going to be an interesting ride!

OH, and some thoughts behind the blog name are thus. Paleolithic means "prehistoric/stone" in greek..."lithos" :) Stone Challenge!

For now, here are some sites that define Paleo:

http://everydaypaleo.com/faq/

http://robbwolf.com/faq/#overview

http://paleodiet.com/

http://whole9life.com/2010/12/whole30-2011/