I NEED TO DETOX!!!!

We went to Hawaii for spring break. You all know this. I took you on a tour of Kauai and showed you where to take your kids and where to go eat. What I didn’t show you is how much we ate! I failed to highlight pictures of BBQ’ed pizzas poolside, or the daily basket of fries we had as an appetizer to our appetizer at dinner. I did show you hula pie at Duke’s.

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 I didn’t show you all the other desserts we indulged in. And when I got home, I nearly froze when I strode past the mirror in my bathing suit. Woah! Are there no mirrors in Hawaii? How did I not know my body had plumped! My abs are hiding beneath a warm winter layer IN SPRING and my gluteal fold… look! 20130506-210436.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It can hold a pencil. My ass could sign an autograph!! Hawaii sucks. I’m never going there again. Instead, I’m going to detox. Like how I say detox instead of diet. I don’t diet. I hate dieting. That means I can’t eat. I don’t believe in that route. I believe in changing my diet to eat healthier. That way I can still eat large amounts of food. The food just won’t be drizzled with chocolate! I’m going Paleo again. And tomorrow I’ll tell you why Paleo is right for us and why you might want to consider it as well.  My ass and I are now going to bed.

 

BEST EVER CORNED BEEF RECIPE

I’m not Irish, I’m Scottish! And damn proud of it. But when it comes to St. Patrick’s Day, I’m all about going green and eating Irish. Seriously though, what other day do you actually want to eat like an Irishman? Sorry my Irish friends (Emma McKeen), but food is not your forte!

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However, God bless the Irish, because apparently you all came up with the corned beef. I’ve been making this recipe for the past couple of years and it’s the best corned beef I’ve ever had. Honestly, it rules!  However the secret, like with any beef roast, is you have to make sure you cook it long enough. This recipe calls for 5 hours at 250 degrees for a 3 pound roast. Cook it longer if you have a few extra pounds. You should be able to shred it with a fork. That sentence makes my mouth water! I serve it with a dollop of Dijon mustard on the side… although it’s not necessary!

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I’m not sure where I got this recipe. Since it’s hand written, in my handwriting, I’m going to just call it my own. Feel free to file it under “Wendy’s Corned Beef!” HAPPY SAINT PATRICK’S DAY!!!

 

 

KID FRIENDLY DINNERS… WHEN THEY MAKE THEM

My phone rang at 4:45 pm. I rarely pick up at that hour since I have to be on set 5 minutes later. But I did today and heard Eva on the other end of the line.

“Hello Mom. This is Palm.”

“Hello Darling. How are you?”

You should know “Palm” is my daughter’s alter ego. She’s called herself this for about a year now. Oh ya, and she’s British. So now re-read the conversation using your best British accent.

“Hello Mum. This is Palm.”

“Hello Darling. How are you?”

“I’d like to know what’s for dinner. Because I certainly don’t want what happened last night to happen again tonight.”

WHOA!!!!!!!!! Back up 24 hours. I rushed home from work, went straight to the kitchen and made Szechuan Beef. I attempted Szechuan Beef!! And it actually tasted like Chinese food!! Darrin and I had extra helpings it was that good. The kids however, went into their typical rants I’ve heard the past 6 months.

“Is this Paleo???”

“Mom, you know we HATE Paleo!!!”

No you little bastards, IT’S CHINESE FOOD! So what if it happens to qualify as Paleo. So what if I tried to slip a Paleo dinner in under the guise of Chinese and got caught. So what if I never ever cook dinner again!

And then she said this:

“So since I don’t want what happened last night to happen again, I was thinking I could cook dinner tonight.” And she had dropped the British accent so I knew she was entirely serious.

Well, hell yes you can I thought to myself. “Absolutely Palm! Knock yourself out!”

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After work that night, I walked into the house and actually smelled food cooking. And I hadn’t even stepped in the kitchen!! This is Christmas morning for me. This is the greatest present of all to a working mom! Dinner ready the moment you walk in the door!

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I sat at the dinner table and Eva  and Domi proudly served me their meal. Chicken breasts, asparagus and edamame. Yep, two greens and a protein! I couldn’t have been prouder. Maybe underneath all their surly talk about how my dinners suck, the kids are learning a few things about good nutrition. And may I point out that, minus the edamame, this dinner IS TOTALLY PALEO!!

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ROBB WOLF

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I’ve interviewed a lot of nutrition gurus in my career. And every time I talk to one of them, I’m sold on their ideas. For example, after interviewing Mark Sisson (Primal Blueprint) I started eating like a caveman and working out in short spurts and stressing less. I loved it. I felt great. But in this stressfully hectic world, I couldn’t sustain it. Cortisol once again started racing through my veins. So when I learned Robb Wolf (The Paleo Solution) moved to Reno, I thought, “Ok, I’m going to give this Paleo lifestyle another shot!” I first met Robb during an interview at my TV station. I then invited him back to do a live segment with me. And each time, he convinced me eating Paleo really is better. He’s living proof. As a former Californai State Powerlifting champion and amateur Thai boxer, he was horribly sick with ulcerative colitis, high blood pressure and a host of other health problems. After switching to Paleo, he’s better… much better. In fact, he rarely deviates from this lifestyle after 15 years! But when he does “cheat” it’s with some corn tortillas, ice cream and dark chocolate. And what about alcohol? Can we indulge without undoing all the good we’re trying to do with our diet? I love Robb’s answer to this! Drink dry wines, the NorCal Margaraita (tequila, lime juice and soda water) and drink enough to optimize your sex life, not so much that you damage performance.

I believe in living life to the fullest… and trust me! I’m not going to miss out on Sunday night pizza during the game just because I’m “Paleo.” But I do believe sticking to a healthy diet (whatever diet that is for you) most of the time is essential. Plus, it makes those indulgences taste that much better! On the other hand, the more I cook Paleo, the more I like it and the less I want breads, pasta and dairy. So, if you’re tempted to try it out, Robb says the number one thing to take out of your diet is gluten. That means no wheat, oats, rye, etc.

Good luck on your journey to better health! To learn more about Robb Wolf go to www.robbwolf.com And click on the link below to see my 2 minute interview with him.

http://www.ktvn.com/story/20189534/paleo-lifestyle#.ULf3sN22ics.email

 

 

BRUSSEL SPROUTS

I hate to say this but my Mom ruined me for brussel sprouts. She used to steam them whole and then mix them with hard boiled eggs, mayonnaise and lemon. It must have been a 60′s thing. Well, the other day, I was in Trader Joes and 20121023-215824.jpgsaw my friend, Bryce, walk in. From across the apple isle I yelled, “Hey Loser, I’m sick of all of my side dishes. What’s your current favorite?” His reply? “Brussel sprouts dumb ass.” He and I have that kind of relationship. But as you can imagine, I was less than thrilled with his suggestion. He went on to say, “Drizzle them with olive oil, add some crushed garlic and salt, and roast at 425 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes.” What the hell, I thought. No mayonnaise, no eggs, I’m in. Plus, I found a bag of brussel sprout leaves which I thought would make my reintroduction to them even easier. And can you say hello to my new favorite side?? Wow these babies are good. So good, I even tried the recipe with small grape and cherry tomatoes and the same result. Delicious! And totally Paleo if you’re into that.

 

Scallops and Aspargus

Good grub tonight!!!!

Scallops and asparagus (and sweet potatoes, sorry sweet potato haters) with white wine Dijon sauce. Wow! Get the recipe at cavegirlcuisine.net

Scallops and Aspargus for dinner

 

To Die For Sweet Potato Pancakes

“To die for!” said my son.

“Mom I just don’t like pancakes no matter what they’re made of,” said my daughter. So I guess you win some and lose some. But as far as I’m concerned, these sweet potato pancakes are GREAT and the batter made enough so I’ll have leftovers later this week… Or maybe even as a snack at work.

Eating Paleo is a fascinating adventure! For the recipe visit cavegirlcuisine.net

Sweet Potato Pancakes