My job is very left brain oriented so cooking for me is my right brain outlet. I could spend the day in the kitchen and be happy as a clam. I know that for many, this is not the case and they dread going into the kitchen to make a meal. Over the course of time we’ll cover recipes, techniques, tips and shortcuts that will make you a rock star in your own kitchen! Cooking isn’t hard, really it’s not, it’s play. Just like a good workout is like playing, a good meal should be a good time in the making. Eat together too, a meal is not a quick scarf of food over the sink (there are times and places for that behavior) but my cave family tries really hard to eat together at least once a day.
I’ll devote a whole post to equipping your kitchen in the future but you do need to start with a good foundation of the tools of the trade. The most important tool you need is a freakishly sharp knife. Second, you need to master the skills of using that knife. Good cooking supply stores, many community colleges and even some better restaurants offer classes on how to use a knife properly. If your pointing finger is laying atop the knife as you cut, go find a class. If you’re gripping it in your fist, find a class (and full disclosure, I sometimes still do – old habits like the SAD diet are hard to break). If you watched the movie Julie & Julia, you got to see a Meryl Streep polish off a stack of onions in no time. That’s what good skills gets you – speed and fewer Band-Aids!
Now that you can chop like a pro, figure out what’s on the menu. Search the net or your favorite books. I love Bill Staley’s and Hayley Mason’s, Gather, the Art of Paleo Entertaining if you are hosting a party. That book has such great inspirational recipes and themed dinners your guests will love. There’s also some great sites in our Nearby Caves section. I’ve personally never followed a recipe in my life but I like looking at what others have done to take my cues from. If you haven’t been cooking long, then follow what is there, recognizing that most measures are approximate and are up to you (unless you are baking). For us, we usually select a meat and two to three sides that go with the meat or can be cooked with the meat. We also tend to balance the flavors, bold big cuts of meats stand up well to bold sides (e.g. grilled lamb with the Roasted Cauliflower and Cabbage recipe coming). Delicate flavors like seafood often prefer something a little more simple in preparation that doesn’t overpower the flavors of the main course like simple steamed asparagus with lemon and salt and pepper.
Massage with herbal oil is a proven method for discount viagra sales enlargement of size and shape. PART 2! A very quick word on Non-T mediated pfizer viagra cheap Effects. According to the safety measures this drug should never been consumed without the prescription of the physician you are consulting and so just like all other drugs even our pharmacy store levitra samples holds a definite dosage pattern. A order viagra from india teenager steps into adulthood and his driving desires start to surface, but for this he needs a driver’s license in this test.
Now that you’ve picked out the what, crank the tunes and get busy. Mise En Place is a French term meaning “putting in place” and is a huge waste of time unless you are in the restaurant business or cooking for 10-30 (which I’ll talk about later, then you do want to get it all together). At home, if it’s just you and your family, just go with the flow and multitask, chop a little here, stir a little there, taste, sip wine, enjoy the experience. If someone unexpectedly walks into your space, put them to work. If they’re another adult, hand them a glass of wine too! If they’re one of your kids, give them some flavored sparkling water. In our house, everyone ends up in the kitchen so we try to make it an event for all to help with. Finally a tip for marital bliss, clean as you go. No spouse or significant other wants to clean up after a hurricane hits the kitchen. So rev up your skills and get ready to have some fun – good food ahead!
Updated 8-26-2013
Copyright © 2013 “The Culinary Cave Dad”
Share this in your own cave!Like this:Like Loading...
Several months ago a friend of mine pulled me aside at work for a frank discussion. He had been to the doctor a couple of times in the previous couple of weeks and just received some bad news. This Navy Veteran, husband, and father to two beautiful children had just been diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL). He was distraught. He wanted help.
I’m fairly well known as “a health nut” by pretty much anyone who knows me. And Jeff knew this about me from a few discussions we had a couple of years ago via IM, long before we started working together.
To put our relationship in perspective, until Jeff and I recently began working with each together, we’d known each other for over 10 years, but only peripherally. Other than having met him in person a few times at a brew pub with other like-minded computer geeks, we really didn’t know each other much beyond Facebook posts and a common interest in computer geekery.
I originally learned about Jeff’s various health issues from our sporadic IM conversations. Back then changing his diet was a “nice idea”. Something he knew he “ought to do,” like a teenager on a joy-ride knows he “ought to slow down”. When he started working with me earlier this year, I hoped we’d get a chance to restart these discussions, but was hesitant to bring it up at work since I try to keep my work and private lives somewhat separate.
I’ve also learned the hard way that evangelism never works. Pushing someone to do something they’re not ready for just pushes them away, the opposite of what I wanted. Jeff needed some reason to spur himself into action. As he puts it, “I needed a kick in the ass.” The NAFL diagnosis was his “kick in the ass,” and now he was asking me for help.
The question he asked me in that closed office after explaining his bad news was, “How confident are you that changing my diet can help me?” Now, keep in mind, I am not a nutritionist, let alone a doctor. I have zero professional training in medicine of any kind. And here this guy was asking me for what amounted to a “professional opinion” and essentially a prescription to eat healthy, with the assumption that I knew how to cure him.
I’d like to think I know a decent amount about health and nutrition, which I’ve learned about over the past couple of years, almost entirely from reading books and listening to podcasts. I never took any of these subjects in school. Ever! I’ve cleaned up my own act, and led the way for my family to clean up their health; but now I was being asked to provide guidance for someone else entirely. Wow. What should I tell him? What could I say?
I told him the only thing I could tell him. “Jeff, I am totally and completely convinced that if you commit to cleaning up your diet, only good things can come of it. I can not promise you anything other than that. I can not promise you that your Type II will be cured or that your liver will ever be right again. But you already know what will happen if you continue on the road you’re on. You have nothing to lose by trying. And I’m here to support you in any way I can.”
NLP can also be used to treat OCD (Obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety disorder and even long – term pain. cialis on line This health professional is properly trained and authorized to use non-pharmacological thought about this levitra properien techniques to effect the physical rehabilitation of his patients. No doubt internet has cheapest viagra prices been one of the best treatments available for erectile dysfunction. This data reflects the feedback of 670 Swedish pfizer viagra sales on sale at drugshop occupational therapists who were interviewed for this research. He committed that day. He committed faster and more completely than I ever expected. I recommended that he get “Practical Paleo” by Diane Sanfilippo and start getting familiar with what being Paleo really meant. I told him to start thinking about cutting out the artificial sweeteners and added sugars. I recommended not replacing the “garbage food” at home – just let it dwindle away. I told him to practice having “just real food” over a couple of weeks, and when he knew what to expect, pick a date when he might want to start a 30-day Whole30 challenge. I expected, and recommended a slow, phased approach to the transition.
Jeff would have no delays. He went home that very night, and while his family sat there and ate steak tips marinated in a sauce loaded with brown sugar, he ate some grilled sausages. He was determined and committed and completely trusting in me.
Over the next several weeks I watched Jeff transform into a completely different person. Over a 4-week period while on the Whole30, something I simply pointed him to, and which he latched onto and ran with entirely on his own, I watched him shed the weight seamlessly and painlessly. I watched as he e-mailed me pictures of his meals and acquired a taste for real food. I saw his face beaming on the day he discovered he had lost over 40 pounds. I teared up when he told me his daughter hugged him one night, and for the first time in her entire life, her arms reached entirely around him and met in the back.
And I continue to watch now, as the Whole30 has come and gone and he’s kept with the program. He continues to lose weight and gain health. He continues to have increased energy at work, and he now seems to have the same zeal for learning about Paleo living that I have.
At this point, Jeff is coasting on auto-pilot. Sure, there were some bumps in the road along the way. We’ve all been there, we’ll all be there again. We aren’t perfect 100% of the time, and Jeff gets that. More importantly, he understands that what we do most of the time is what really matters. It’s what he did most of the time for most of his life that led to his NAFL diagnosis. And he gets that what he does most of the time from now on is what will reverse that and improve his health.
Jeff, if you’re reading this, I can’t possibly express how proud I am of you. You did this! You had a reason, you had a goal, and fought each and every day to accomplish it. That took a lot of courage, but you won. You’re on the road to a renewed life, and your family will forever reap the benefits of that courage. Now go pay it forward!
Update:
Jeff and had our initial conversation in early May. At that time he weighed in at almost 310 pounds. He has subsequently lost over 40 pounds and weighs in at about 260 for a total weight loss of over 45 pounds! In short, he’s lost the equivalent of a 3rd grader! I continue to be impressed with his progress, which by now is quite visibly obvious. Of course, as we are all our own harshest critics, Jeff is dismayed that his weight-loss seems to have stalled. And as I continually remind him, weight-loss is the side-effect of getting healthy, not the goal itself. Just because the number on the scale isn’t moving doesn’t mean your body isn’t healing. Jeff, keep up the great work, you’re inspiration to others out there facing similar challenges. Lead by example, and show others how they can take their lives from the numerous prescription drugs, constant doctors appointments, and most of, how they can give their lives back to their kids and families!
Share this in your own cave!Like this:Like Loading...
Summer’s bounty is zucchini and the old adage is if you have friends, plant one zucchini plant, if you have enemies, plant two. We have four so we have the squashes coming out of our ears but that’s OK, its neutral taste stands up to bolder flavors. We use it in chili, make zoodles (working on a zoodle preserving/freezing process – more on that later), mix it with sweet potatoes for hash (awesome for breakfast) and more. The dish below is adapted from a family recipe that has been around as long as I can remember. It’s so simple to make and yet has a really great flavor and meat stuffed veggies are always a crowd pleaser! Make your own mayo to use in this – totally worth it. You can play around with the type of meat you use and this works equally well with eggplants. If you’re primal, add some grated cheese to the top to finish it off. If you like hot, add some Hungarian hot peppers to the mix.
Stuffed Zucchini
Hence, infertile viagra canada no prescription couples begin are advised to engage in foreplay before lovemaking. It also nourishes the viagra soft tablet reproductive organs. Long period leaning on the elbow can create pressure on the nerve. order cheap viagra valsonindia.com Practicing martial arts can help you discover your body’s on line viagra valsonindia.com illness towards an unregulated blood sugar level then you should consult the doctor to find out whether the drug will suit you or not.
Easily doubled and freezes well after cooking.
½ lb hamburger
½ lb Italian sausage (hot)
¼ c mayonnaise (make your own)
1 small onion finely minced
1 garlic clove minced
1 tsp each oregano, basil, parsley (if using fresh, double)
½ tsp thyme
1 tsp salt (or less)
1 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp pepper
2-3 medium zucchini (or yellow squash), slice in half and remove pulp, leaving about ¼ inch of flesh in zucchini boat – reserve pulp
Chop pulp finely
Spaghetti or marinara sauce (homemade is better)
Excluding marinara, mix all ingredients well, including pulp. Fill zucchini halves (mounded), cover with sauce and bake at 325 degrees for one hour. If desired, sprinkle with parmesan or asiago cheese 15 min before removing from oven. Great with a huge salad!
To make this more like a side dish (aka Inside-Out Stuffed Zucchini), cut up the zucchini into small chunks, and brown meat with onions in a skillet. Then throw everything in but the mayo. Simmer approximately 30 minutes, top with the mayo, then serve.
Updated 9-1-2013
Copyright © 2013 “The Culinary Cave Dad”
Share this in your own cave!Like this:Like Loading...
Why me? That’s the question I asked myself sitting in a specialist’s office this past December. While no life-threatening diagnosis came out of her mouth, a chilling and potentially life-altering one did: degenerative rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Then came her other comment; “You’re really young to have this but we’ll figure out what meds we can use and we’ll manage the pain.” – MANAGE?! Then I got depressed and a little mad, then a lot mad, then totally pissed-off all the time thinking, why me? Stupid.
January rolled around and we cleaned up the house after Christmas which always makes me see the world a little more simply and clearly, and one morning I opened my medicine cabinet and got pissed again. A pill for this, then two, a pill for that which might cause some other unpleasant side effects so a pill for that and now we’ll find the right meds to manage your pain? I’m only in my 40’s! What the hell is 50 going to bring, let alone 60?! If I am going to outlive you all, something needed to change and soon!
So then my brain said – HEY!, you’re a smart guy, use the tools you have and ping the network you know and find a different path. So I started researching. I looked around first at my friends and family. Some are doing paleo, others were vegan, several family members and friends are gluten free by necessity and even we had been cutting back significantly on refined foods and learning to cook gluten free for those family and friends. Then I talked to a friend who pointed me to more research with direct links to RA and then emailed a couple more who pointed out even more along with new options. The surprising thing is, not one doctor has asked me about diet, not one has said let’s look at what you’re putting into your body along with these drugs, which are doing who knows what in combination.
I’m a skeptic by nature (a scoffer even) when it comes to changes from the norm, especially where it is food related. I also generally believe doctors know what they’re talking about – they’ve been in school for half their lives! I’ve heartily subscribed to Julia Child’s “Moderation. Small portions. Sample a little bit of everything.” For goodness sake, how can a croissant or a crusty hard roll be a bad thing?! However, I was beginning to suspect there is a real connection between what food we put into our bodies and what happens to our bodies and it isn’t all quantity based (but quantity still does matter).
There are a couple of culprits I was most concerned about; wheat and soy (OK and maybe beans in general – dang it!). Today’s modern and heavily hybridized wheat (largely without the benefit of scientific testing) bears little resemblance to the ancient einkorn wheat or other heirloom varieties consumed by our ancestors and has been increasingly linked to multiple health disorders. Soy is added to darn near everything today and yet has compounds that are known toxins, especially the non-fermented varieties (but is also touted as a “superfood”). With all the data and conflicting information, I was still skeptical (and was a little sad/afraid I might find this all to be true). Then I started looking at what I eat. As a rule, I don’t overindulge and I eat reasonable portions but recognized that I would significantly benefit from losing weight. What I found was that wheat was in nearly every meal and soy was in almost every processed food on the shelf in our pantry (and don’t look at fast food or any other restaurants). If you want to scare yourself – pick up a can of low fat Hormel Turkey Chili and read the ingredients list (can we say chemical sh*t-storm).
The data were mixed to be sure but staying on the course I was on wasn’t going change anything and as I remind my kids, doing the same thing and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. Change. It. Must. Plus, the only way I was going to prove this one way or another is to make some dramatic changes and see if they work. No one else was going to do this for me.
How Can One Maintain Penis Health? generic viagra canada To maintain penis health. For enhanced desire buy tadalafil in canada for lovemaking with your beautiful female, you need to consume this herbal pill daily two times with plain water for 3 to 4 months. order levitra online Endocrine System Function Functions of the endocrine system are carried out on an outpatient grounds, and incomes from ambulatory care are considered to developing more quickly than those from inpatient care. respitecaresa.org generic cialis pill The effectiveness of this drug slows down the symptom of erectile dysfunction by inhibiting PDE 5 enzymes and supporting cyclic GMP. So, I assembled a new army of clean ingredients, turned my chef brain on and jumped into this food cause and effect thing head on. I did a fair amount of research on how to start but determined Whole30 was the most promising for me. Essentially from the start day – no sugars, no alcohol, no grains, no legumes, no additives like msg, carrageenan, sulfites, no dairy, no potatoes (except sweet potatoes). Then at the end of 30 days, you can start to add things back (or not). My family wholeheartedly supported me and went gluten free along with me to see if there was a positive benefit for them and to prevent us from going insane in the kitchen. I met one last time with my specialist before embarking on this journey and she gave me the thumbs-up to go for it. So I assembled new ingredients, finished up my research (and my gin) and we transitioned into this new approach and began to incorporate new food ideas and test new recipes. We kicked in full gear late in January.
What did I hope to get out of this? Well, hitting the physiological jackpot would be good, as many seem to have done. I’d settle with more awareness around what my body says yes and no to. I would love to really kick the meds, ALL OF THEM eventually. Which means, I want to be pain free so I can go back to enjoying things like running again. I knew 30 days wouldn’t give me all of this, skeptic, remember – already there. However, 30 days makes a habit, it also gives real data around what my body is actually doing. I hoped it would give me the insight to know where to keep it up. And I hoped other family members experiencing various issues commonly linked to gluten sensitivity would also see relief by going gluten free. So, why not me?
Epilogue:
Well that Whole30 came and went along with an unbelievable 30 pounds! I found that I and my daughter have an adverse reaction to wheat when we eat it (I call it getting glutened). I also found out that dairy in large quantities is not my friend either. The whole family liked what we saw though and decided together we were sticking with a paleo/primal based approach to eating. Since then another 25 pounds have come off my frame. During my annual physical all of my blood work and vitals came back spectacular (they weren’t before) and even my doctor commented that I had the results of a teenager. Most importantly, my RA has become a whisper in the night. What once often prevented me from even the simplest of movements has nearly vanished. I run again, I do weights again and I’ve never felt better in all my life! I’ve completely come to believe and understand that food IS medicine. It is our strongest ally and can be our most deadly poison. You can do this too, even if you don’t want to go the whole paleo/primal approach. Make some changes; find that balance of food and exercise that works for you. Happy eating!
Resources:
The Whole30 Program – http://whole9life.com/2012/08/the-whole30-program/
Updated 8-26-2013
Copyright © 2013 “The Culinary Cave Dad”
Share this in your own cave!Like this:Like Loading...
Hi Everyone, and Welcome to The Thoughtful Cave Dad. You can learn more about us on the pages linked to the About menu up above, but for now, please allow me a brief introduction here.
My name is Paul, and I’m joined here by my good friend Paul. No, really, we’re both named Paul. We’re both Dad’s, married to the most beautiful women, with the most awesome kids! For the sake of clarity, and hopefully to limit confusion, I’m Paul L. and he’s Paul A. Or, I’m The Thoughtful Cave Dad, and he’s The Culinary Cave Dad. Mostly because I tend to overthink things and he overcooks them. No, that didn’t come out quite right. I think a lot more than I cook, and he cooks a lot more than… No. Let’s just settle for he’s much better in the kitchen than I am and leave it at that!
I first had the idea for a blog several years ago but was at a loss for what to write about. The idea for The Thoughtful Cave Dad came about some time late last year, at least that’s when I registered the domain. It wasn’t until a couple months ago when Paul A. mentioned something on Facebook that this started getting serious. I should probably step back a bit. Paul and I have never actually met each other. We became friends online when my gym, Crossfit Woodshed, was hosting a Whole 30. Our illustrious leader, Justin, set up a Facebook page for all of us and somehow this guy from Ohio ended up becoming part of our close-knit community. Paul and I somehow struck up a friendship on this page, swapping recipes, supporting others, helping people out getting this Whole 30 thing down. In fact, it took me a while to realize he wasn’t actually a gym member or even on the Eastern Seaboard, never mind here in Massachusetts!
But over the last several months we’ve established a great friendship after discovering how much we have in common (mostly, it just boils down to bacon!). At some point he mentioned that he should “do something to help more people”. I already had the domain and the website all set up. The timing seemed perfect, so I asked him if he wanted start something together. And here we are today.
Another condition, which can be accompanied by impotence, is diabetes, which is a metabolic disorder causing deposits in the canadian cialis no prescription blood vessels. Paul Gazelka, R-Brainerd, would require doctors to be physically present when administering levitra generika straight from the source RU-486. viagra on line cheap Men’s sexual health was not considered an important topic and it has taken a backseat in the planning and implementation of health care. She has learned only too painfully viagra levitra cialis over the years that wealth does not buy happiness.
Our mission, as we have thus far loosely defined it, is to bring you a Dad’s perspective of Family Life, Paleo Style. Our trials and tribulations, our success and victories, our stories of feast and famine, and yes, all the things that go on in a family trying to deal with staying on the Paleo path while also living in the real world.
Paul A. is master in the kitchen, delving into things I barely understand. As The Culinary Cave Dad, he will more than deliver on the food front and keep good food showing up on our table! I tend to be more contemplative than culinary, and will delve into all sorts of issues facing families today; raising kids, dealing with school lunches, eating cleanly without spending a fortune, how eating the wrong things affects your health, and even some fun family fitness ideas to get the whole gang moving!
We’re pretty excited about this adventure and can’t wait to see where it leads! Thanks for joining us, and please, don’t hesitate to let us know of any topics you want covered. We’re here because of you, so help us deliver what you most want to learn about!
Share this in your own cave!Like this:Like Loading...
|
|