Moses' Roses

At the Portland Rose Garden, August 2013

I can touch both trees!

Down the garden path - ready to see (and smell!) more roses

Mmmmm....this one smells like a banana!

Tossing rose petals into the fountain

Wearing Mommy's hat!

Funny face!

Contemplating a rose found on the ground

Lentil Soup for the Soul

Okay, so this picture on its surface has nothing to do with lentil soup, except that it's me, yesterday, when I was feeling totally drained of all energy. It felt like someone had literally sucked all the life out of me. I don't know why I felt this way -- could be allergies, or just that I need more sleep, or maybe a deficiency of some sort, possibly zinc. I think extended breastfeeding can really take a lot out of a person, and there are just some days when I really feel out of it. Anyway, I've been craving a lot of nutrient-dense soups lately, and have been generally drawn to eating a bit lighter now that summer is here. I wanted to share a delicious recipe for lentil soup I recently made (and am still enjoying every day for breakfast while it lasts!). I made this soup with homemade bone broth made with beef marrow bones, simmered for 48 hours. When cooled, this broth is quite gelatinous so very rich and nutritious. Making soup with this broth is a great way to get a lot of nutrition in in a way that is easy on the digestion, good for people who are healing or depleted in some way.

Here's the recipe, modified slightly from Sally Fallon's wonderful book, Nourishing Traditions:

Roman Lentil Soup (this recipe left me plenty for leftovers to freeze).

Ingredients:

• 3 medium onions, peeled and sliced, or 3 leeks washed, trimmed and sliced (I used leeks!)
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 tbsp butter (I used ghee here)
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 quarts of homemade beef or chicken stock, or combo of filtered water and stock (I used all stock except for one cup)
• 2 cups red or brown lentils, rinsed and soaked for 7 hours (don't skip the soaking!)
• several sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp dried green peppercorns (I used mixed peppercorns)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• sea salt or fish sauce, and pepper
• creme fraiche (you can use good-quality sour cream if you can't find creme fraiche) 

In a large, stainless steel pot, cook onions or leeks and carrots gently for about 1/2 hour in butter and olive oil. When the vegetables are soft, add stock and lentils and bring to a boil. The lentils will produce some degree of foam -- be sure to skim this off. Reduce heat and add thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Simmer, covered, until the lentils are tender, about 1/2 hour. Remove the thyme and bay leaves.

Puree soup with a handheld blender (or a regular blender is fine too). If necessary (it wasn't for me), thin the soup to desired consistency with water or more stock. Reheat slightly and season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls, adding lemon juice and creme fraiche on top. Yum!!!

I am telling you people, this is an amazing soup recipe. The bay and thyme smell heavenly while the soup simmers. But you have to use homemade stock -- that is what makes it. Do not use store-bought stock or boullion cubes. It will not be good. Good stock is also what turns it into a meal, as opposed to an appetizer. The creme fraiche isn't imperative, but it definitely puts it over the top. You could also use yogurt, that would also be really good. Another option is to chop up some fresh herbs like parsley or chives, and mix in. To make stock is simple: put chicken (whole carcass) or beef marrow bones from organic (and preferably pastured) animals into a pot with some crushed garlic, peppercorns, and about 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar per 3 lbs bones. Add filtered water and simmer for 24 hours for chicken stock, and 48 for beef. It's good to use a slow cooker so you don't have to watch it or worry about the stove being on while you're out. You can also add some chopped carrot or leftover herbs, and/or onion (don't peel if organic), but it's not necessary.

So for the picture: I included it partly because I wanted to post and didn't have a pic of the soup to include. But also because I have been trying to figure out not only what to eat, but what to wear with this new Portland lifestyle I've got going on here. It's been challenging adapting to this climate (very wet for much of the year), and this lifestyle of biking everywhere. I have sold off to thrift stores I'd say probably 2/3 of the clothing I owned in New York. Not only did most of it not fit post-baby, but most of it was just stuff that is not compatible with being a stay-at-home, work-from-home mom and basically biking everywhere. Anyway, I liked this outfit - simple shades of grey (save the shoes!). I considered it a success relative to certain other days where I wake up and stare blankly into my closet. I think I have figured out how to dress here without completely abandoning some sense of style, and without looking like a walking advertisement for REI (nothing against REI - I love it, but there are people who walk around with this sort of gear on all the time).  It's a very tricky marriage of utility and comfort with style. Sometimes I wish I could just go back to M. Dumas and Sons in Charleston, where we used to shop as kids, and pick up some Dickies, Lee jeans, and some of those preppy leather mocs we always wore. On another note, WHEN did Dumas turn into a men's-only shop????

Cilantro-Cauliflower "Rice" with Spiced Ground Beef and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

The title of this post speaks for itself. But a word of explanation on the "rice": I have completely stopped eating grains, after a lot of diet experimentation over the years, and after having done a lot of research on the effects of grains on health. It sounds like a radical, even crazy move, to a lot of people, but it's one of the best decisions I ever made regarding health and diet. Not everybody is like me, obviously, and some people will have a better tolerance for grains than me perhaps. But for me it has been a life changer and all for the positive. My naturopathic doctor once said to me that he believes giving up grains is one of the best things you can do for your health. From personal experience, I now believe that that statement was totally reasonable and correct.

I'm not going to say a lot about what the issues are with grains because that has been written about extensively already. But some of my influences are the Paleo style of eating, as well as something called GAPS, which is all about healing your gut as the root to other problems. The more I read about gut health the more I am convinced that it is at the root of a lot. Anyway, I also find Mark Sisson's blog, Mark's Daily Apple, to be a great resource, both for health and for recipe ideas. Oh, and I cannot forget the brilliant Gary Taubes, who is basically my hero, both journalistically and dietarily speaking. 

But just to say a few brief things about grains: the biggest issue is the carbohydrate load they represent in the diet. I have been tracking my carb intake using something called "fatsecret," a free online program (there are lots of these out there), and I was amazed to find out that 3 cups of sliced apples has the same amount of carbs as a cup of brown rice (I would have thought apples would have more). The point is carbs cause your insulin to spike, which sets off a whole host of bodily reactions, and this is something I am trying to minimize. I am very insulin-sensitive at this point, and have always been very sugar sensitive, so I REALLY FEEL it when I eat excess carbs. Not everybody does -- though I will say that I notice my reaction to sugars and excess carbs a lot more than I used to because being off of it makes you see it more. It's actually kind of scary - now I'm like, wow, was I really feeling that shitty all this time? Anyway, I think carb reduction/restriction is a good idea for most people, and essential if you are trying to lose weight. I am giving an extremely superficial discussion here about why grains are not great for you -- but check it out there is tons on this out there and it is really compelling.

I am going into all of this because as you will note I don't include grains in these recipes. And no dairy -- because I am too sensitive to it, as well as eggs. So you will find here recipes that include meats, fish, poultry, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and oils/fats. That is basically my diet. Anyway, it doesn't really matter because the recipes are all really good and family members have been asking me for them so....

This post is about something I recently cottoned to - of course it is once again an idea partly gleaned from Practical Paleo. I've seen several recipes for cilantro-cauliflower rice (there is one in the book) - it is a wonderful rice substitute -- better than rice in my mind. So in this dish you make up some CC rice and then saute some ground beef with a little onion and a spice blend. Practical Paleo has all these awesome spice blends you can make yourself for different dishes. I made this one with the curry spice blend - but I skipped the curry powder cause I thought it sounded good without. So it had cumin, cinnamon, onion powder I think - that was basically it. Then I roasted some cherry tomatoes in oven (yet another recipe from PP) -- and topped it off with these and it was DELICIOUS. There are endless variations on this, you could use ground lamb, or turkey, and instead of tomatoes put in some olives or parsley or avocado, or steamed carrots, or anything really! This is excellent if you want something fast and don't have any brilliant ideas. I love it because it's for some reason something I like to eat for breakfast - and breakfast can be a challenging meal if you don't eat eggs, grains, or dairy. Those are basically the ingredients that define the American breakfast. But I am super used to eating stuff people would normally eat for lunch or dinner for breakfast. If I roast some salmon one night, I will eat the rest of it for breakfast with whatever veggies are leftover, or with some berries or grapefruit. Yum!

The Most Delicious Dinner

Okay so I know the photo isn't that pretty (I'm no Susie!), but seriously folks this is one of the most delicious dinners I have ever had. It's lamb meatballs with a fig and balsamic compote, served with roasted cauliflower and steamed asparagus. It was freakin' amazing. I felt a little funny after I ate it but I think it was just because I am a little sensitive to balsamic - the compote was a little sweet for me, I guess. But it was amazing and I highly recommend it. It was, of course, from Practical Paleo, the book I am really into right now. I promise to move on to other stuff soon and to post more actual recipes, but for now I am just really into trying all the recipes in this book -- they are that good! One thing about the book that I love is that the recipes are all really pretty easy. So again I highly recommend. I would eat this for breakfast!!!

More soon! Happy eating!

Stuffed Sqash (Or Peppers)

I have been posting a lot of chicken recipes, so I am trying to be more varied. It's not that I eat so much chicken but that's just what I have had pictures of so....

This is yet another recipe from Practical Paelo - I am obviously getting a lot out of this book right now! The original recipe is for stuffed peppers, which I originally made (with red peppers), and it was delicious. But the recipe also suggests that you try using squash as a variation, which is what you see here. It's exactly the same filling just a different vegetable. The recipe calls for basil but I did not have any so I used fresh parsley instead (with the peppers), and with the squash I am pretty sure I used fresh thyme. So you can of course vary this with what you have around. I used acorn squash here, which is not in season (all the squashes here are from Mexico right now), but I usually try to avoid buying produce shipped from long distances. I made an exception in this case because this is such an easy and convenient (and delicious!) recipe, and I think I may be sensitive to peppers, so I am cutting them out for a month, and then I will try them again and see if I get the same reaction. Since I can't eat dairy or eggs, and since I am pretty sensitive to a bunch of different foods, I sometimes compromise on the seasonal thing just so I can get some variety. And squashes are one of my FAVORITE foods.

This is pretty much a regular standard recipe for me. And it is fabulous and delicious! So try it! There is a also a good-looking recipe for stuffed cabbage in the book that I want to try.

Until next time!

Simple and Delicious Standard Sunday Dinner

Hello everybody, well, just a short post to say that I usually roast a chicken once a week, and I have several favorite ways of doing this. Lately I've been doing the recipe from Practical Paleo, which is delicious and which is featured in this photo. It includes citrus (I used oranges but you can do lemons) stuffed into the chicken cavity, as well as carrots and onions in the pan (I used purple carrots here as you can see). I also stuffed some garlic into the cavity as well as some fresh thyme. Oh, and most important, put a tablespoon of butter (or ghee) under the skin of each breast. The roasted chicken recipe in the cookbook The 24-Hour Chef has a good illustration of how to do this - it's super easy. During the latter half of cooking I added some chicken broth to the pan just because I was experimenting with seeing if it made things less dry. It would have been fine without it but was a nice variation. My favorite roasted chicken recipes are, in no order:

• Practical Paleo recipe (above)
• Mark Sisson's apple-stuffed roasted chicken with sweet potato chips (and definitely use bacon fat for this one)
• Tim Ferris's Haeriller Chicken recipe in 24-Hour Chef - but a note on this one, I can't cook a chicken on such high heat because it sets off all my smoke alarms (he has you cook the whole chicken at 450F the whole time), so I will often take his basic prep ideas and then cook it according to Mark Sisson's instructions, which are my favorite. He does 30 minutes at 425F and then turns down to 375F for the remainder, which for me turns out a perfectly crisp but not too dry chicken. 

I have also taken tips from Mark Bittman's recipes (his have a lot in common with the above). I like the addition of carrots in the Practical Paleo recipe, it's very nice. Basically, though, I have made these different versions so many times that I now end up mixing and matching aspects of different recipes based on my mood and what I have around.

After you eat the chicken, save it for making a delicious bone broth later on!!! (Nourishing Traditions and Practical Paleo both have good recipes, and there are lots online).

Snack Food!

Hello all,

In my attempt to keep this blog going consistently, I wanted to do a quick post this morning about chicken liver pate (yes there should be an accent on the e, but I don't have time to put it there!). This is a recipe I made from the "Practical Paleo" book I wrote about in the last post, and while it takes some getting used to, it's delicious! And very nutritious. It's very good on cucumber slices, crackers, or, as pictured, endive leaves. I've been trying to make snack foods that are more filling and less sweet, since if I eat a sweeter snack in the afternoon especially, it can put me into a slump. So get the book and try this recipe! It is super easy to make and very old-fashioned, not to mention sort of French, which, in culinary terms, is never a bad thing!

Coming soon: stuffed peppers (and acorn squash!). Yum!

An Easy Go-To Baked Chicken Recipe

Okay people so another quick post on a cloudy, windy Sunday morning in Portland. Daddy took Momo to the children's museum so I am taking this moment of personal time to give you another delicious recipe idea!

First, I want to say that I just got a new cookbook that is just amazing - it's called Practical Paleo. I am totally head over heels in LOVE with this book. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It easily rivals any cookbook I have in my collection (and some of my other favorites are, by the way, Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, which I use constantly, and the GAPS recipe book I got from my nutritionist here in Portland that is not yet published. Susie has lots of those recipes already). Anyway, Susie, and everybody else, you must get Practical Paleo right now - the recipes are insanely delicious and I will be sharing lots of them on this blog, though I don't know that I should really be replicating the exact recipes here (I don't want to get sued!) and also, it would be time-consuming to do so - and I want to keep this blog going so I have to be realistic with time! AND, most importantly, I can't possibly replicate here all the AMAZING, mouth-watering photos the book contains, which are a huge part of the inspiration. So again, get the book!

On to today's recipe: Practical Paleo has a wonderful recipe for "Mustard-Glazed Chicken Thighs." It's really easy - just get some cut up chicken parts (I just take a whole pastured chicken and cut it into pieces -- Mark Bittman has a good primer on how to do this in "How to Cook Everything" -- another essential book). I try to use pastured chickens when I can because they are more nutritious (again, this meat thing gets complicated but the basic issue is pastured birds can run around and eat a variety of things, like grubs and such, whereas anything that is not specifically pastured will be relatively confined, and eating only grains, probably soy and corn. There is a big difference in the nutritional profiles of birds raised in these different ways, and also there are ethical issues to consider). Pastured chickens are more expensive, though, so you have to weigh that with everything else. I buy nearly zero processed food -- just meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and fats/oils like butter, lard, and olive oil. And occasionally certain other things (nut flours, spices) but the former make up the vast bulk of my grocery shopping so to some extent I spend what I save by avoiding expensive pre-packaged foods on better-quality meats. They can also be hard to find, you have to do web searches on it and find what farms are producing them. I often deal directly with the farmers and get good discounts (wholesale prices if I buy 10 lbs or more of a certain cut) - but Portland is surrounded by farms so it is a lot easier. But a lot of places are starting to have good meat available so look around! I am saying all of this partly because I recently discovered that it is very hard to get pastured chicken PARTS. You almost always have to buy whole chickens and then cut them up yourself. So it's another step...Anyway, just a little FYI while I am at it.

The other point I am trying to make is that this dish can be made with any chicken parts, breasts, legs, whatever - but thighs are really really good. So here is what to do: Preheat the oven to 425 F. Put the chicken pieces in an ovenproof baking dish (pyrex, enameled iron casserole dish) and then make the mustard glaze: take 1/4 cup butter or coconut oil (I often use ghee), and melt it in a saucepan gently. Whisk in 2 tbsp mustard (gluten-free), and 1 teaspoon of Sage Salt (recipe for sage salt is in the book, but you can also just take 1/2 tsp salt and mix with 1/2 tsp dried sage and then stir this mixture into the sauce. I use mom's sage from her garden - we have some dried in a bag here - and mix it with coarse celtic salt. salt is a whole other topic in and of itself - suffice it to say that if you haven't tried coarse ground sea salt, or celtic or himalayan salt, you should! It is better for you than regular table salt). Anyway...I am digressing too much! So you mix up the fat, mustard, and sage salt and then add some black pepper. Brush evenly over the chicken pieces and stick the casserole dish into the oven (once it has reached temperature). Bake for 45 minutes and you've got a quick and delicious meal. This could not be easier and is definitely one of my go-to recipes. It is delicious served with sauteed spinach or steamed asparagus (if they are in season), and roasted sweet potato (with lots of coconut oil mashed in!). You could also do it with a green salad -- any combo of vegetables works but these are some of my favorites.

Enjoy!

The Daily Momo Revived - And Now With Recipe Ideas!

 Hello fans of the Daily Momo. I'm sorry I have not posted in so long. I had the idea recently of trying to do more postings about food, since everyone in the family (especially Susie!) is always asking me for recipes. Fixing food is a huge focus of my life, so that I can eat healthy and also feed my family well. Do I sound like a 1950s housewife? Well, that's by choice! Which makes me NOT exactly a 1950s housewife, but that's another conversation.

One of the great things I did recently is make GHEE, and I would like to share that process with you. I cannot tolerate dairy products (says

an immunological test I took awhile back). Ghee is an excellent substance -- dairy-intolerant or not. I actually prefer it to butter. I decided to make my own because I am trying to eat all pastured foods (which for butter means grassfed, basically, as opposed to grain-fed cattle). But you can't get pastured ghee in the store. But you CAN get pastured butter, at least here in Portland, so I decided to make ghee myself so that it would be from a pastured source. If you want to know why pastured animal products are better for you, I can't go into that in detail here, but there are a number of resources out there that explain this (just google around about it). Not to mention countless books. Anyway, so the first time I made ghee it was a disaster - I ended up with a pot of black sludge. Clearly the instructions I'd been given were not working. So I did some online research and found this recipe, which worked brilliantly:

What I realized from this recipe is that the key is you have to STIR the ghee. I did not do this before and that seems to be why I didn't succeed. Anyway, check it out and give it a try, family. I fully buy into the healing properties of ghee (Ayurvedic medicine has a lot to say about this, and this is where I first learned about and started loving ghee - long before I knew I had an issue with dairy). It's a lot of fun when you get it right, and the results are absolutely sublime. But follow the instructions carefully! You will end up with a beautiful, heavenly-smelling pot of golden creamy dreamy ghee. YUM! I even put it in my creamy coconut-turneric tea every evening - recipe here (and by the way Mark's Daily Apple is awesome!)

Enjoy!