A Day in New York

I had the privilege and pleasure to spend the day in NYC today.  I got up early, caught the bus and met some wonderful friends for brunch in Brooklyn at The Henry Public. We had superb Bloody Marys (though I believe they were called Bloody Henrys) and lovely, though not particularly adventurous breakfasts.

The reason I took the trip was to see the closing performance of The Front Page, starring Nathan Lane, John Slattery, John Goodman, Jefferson Mays, Holland Taylor, Robert Morse and Sherie Renee Scott (who is looking fantastic after a battle with cancer).  The Front Page is the play upon which the classic film His Girl Friday, with Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell is based.  You can (and should) watch the whole thing on YouTube. It's a wonder of dialogue delivery.

I spent more than I normally would for the ticket and I was really excited to go, and then this past week happened.  While riding the train in from Brooklyn to Midtown, I shared a car with a number of people headed to Battery Park to march in protest of the new immigration policy rolled out by Trump this week.  Part of me wanted to hop off with them, but my Midwestern frugality wouldn't let me waste the money I spent.  Somehow I have a feeling that I'll have plenty to march about in the coming weeks and months.

The play itself hasn't aged well.  It's a cast of white men (even the Rosalind Russell role is a man in the play), with some ladies thrown in as decoration (a girlfriend, a fiancee, a mother-in-law, and a cleaning lady).  Let's just say it doesn't pass the Bechdel Test, nor is there a person of color to be seen.  In all honesty, it seems like a bit of a waste.  All of these actors, at the top of their game given this play.  It's funny, it's fast-paced, but it doesn't have anything new to say.

There were three acts and it took Nathan Lane almost a full two acts to show up on the scene.  But once he did, he plucked the play from the hands of the other actors and proceeded to bring the house down single-handedly.  Everyone else could've packed up and left and I would have stayed to watch him say his lines alone on stage (and with a cast like this, that's saying something).

To sum up, I enjoyed myself, but this one won't have any staying power.  I don't think I'll be talking this one over in the days and weeks to come, which is too bad because this crew of actors is capable of anything and in our country at this moment, I want art to make a statement.

Whatcha Reading?

One of the most glorious things about being done with grad school is that I have more time to read for pleasure.  I've been reading up a storm this summer, and some of the books are not even embarrassing for me to share with you (some of them are...I'm no stranger to a cheesy bodice-ripper)!

Alexis Smith's Glaciers can be read in an afternoon. Clocking in at less than 200 pages, it tells the brief, but poignant story of Isabel, a girl enthralled with the past who is learning that time waits for no girl.

Sara Benincasa has one of my favorite Instagram feeds.  This book is about her battle with mental health issues and it's HI-LARIOUS!  She's about to blow up big time as a comedian, but you heard it here first!

Jessi Klein has already made it, but I'm pretty sure she doesn't feel that way. This book is about feeling awkward, out of place and like you don't know what the hell you're doing, but it's written by the Emmy Award-winning head writer of Inside Amy Schumer (whose new book I have checked out from the library right now).

It's Not a Diet

To be honest with you, I've been really resistant to "dieting" as an adult.  I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting when I was in junior high and I've been fat my whole life.  After years of dieting and exercising, with the only result being disappointment, I decided to stop counting calories and just listen to my body. I am a firm believer in the Health at Every Size Movement, because I believe that some of us just have bigger bodies and it's not because we're lazy or we secretly eat pounds of candy when no one is looking. 

So making a change like moving to a paleo lifestyle, even though it's not technically a diet plan, was a big decision for me.  Publicly pursuing weight loss brings back a lot of painful memories and it makes me feel like I have less agency over my own body.  I don't like people commenting on my weight loss, or offering advice.  I don't like people telling me how much better I look, because it makes me sensitive about how I looked before. It's one of those things where I desperately want people to notice a change, but I dread it at the same time.  It's complicated.

Even before I began, I ate more healthfully than most of the people I know, no fast food, limited desserts and alcohol, so when people start offering advice about things I already do (and probably more faithfully than them) it makes me crazy. I've known for years that the reason some people get fat and others don't had to be much more than a simple calories in/calories out breakdown. This paleo lifestyle is just proof.

Welcome back!

I have been away from this blog for a long time.  Since I left, I've been promoted, finished my master's degree and moved.  So it's been a little busy.  But I've refocused on a mostly paleo diet and hope to share some of my trials and errors with you on this site as well as on Instagram and Twitter.

Amanda

You can take the girl out of the Midwest, but you can't stop her from baking a hot dish! This is a #whole30 buffalo turkey casserole with spaghetti squash and cauliflower rice http://paleomg.com/sneak-peek-recipe-from-juli-bauers-paleo-cookbook-buffalo-chicken-casserole/

A photo posted by Amanda (@peckishadventurer) on Jun 4, 2016 at 7:07pm PDT

Salmon, it's what's for breakfast #paleo #whole30 #brunch #putaneggonit

A photo posted by Amanda (@peckishadventurer) on Jun 12, 2016 at 9:22am PDT

Fried Green Tomatoes - Towanda!

Do you like Fried Green Tomatoes?  I do, both the film and the food. I stumbled upon some of the last green tomatoes of the season at the farmer's market and decided it was time to try and make my own.  Be warned, I tried to be healthy and so they aren't quite the same greasy, fried tomatoes you may be used to, but they're delicious!

What you'll need:

• An oven pre-heated to 350
• 3 green tomatoes, sliced
• 1 egg and 1 cup milk whisked together (you can also use buttermilk for some tang)
• 2 cups cornmeal seasoned with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste.
• Cooking spray or an oil mister to grease the sheets and spray a fine sheen over the top

Dip the tomatoes in the egg/milk mixture and then coat in the cornmeal.  Place them on a greased cookie sheet (I ended up with 2 full sheets).  Place the tomatoes in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes and then flip them once the bottom begins to brown and bake for another 15-20 minutes.

When you're done, serve them up with the sauce of your choice, I dipped mine in some homemade marinara that was pretty great!

Enjoy and TOWANDA!

Insalata Caprese, or tomatoes and cheese if you want to keep it simple.

When I think of summer, garden tomatoes are what come to mind.  I got these beauties at the farmer's market and they were sooooo good. To make a good caprese salad, slice tomatoes and mozzarella to similar thicknesses, arrange them on a plate and then top with salt and pepper, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar to taste.  Enjoy on a patio with a dry glass of white wine.  Pretend you're in Italy. It's delightful!

Quick Dinner: Greek Burgers

A pound of ground beef.  That's how many of my meals as a kid started out.  Hamburger helper, meatloaf, goulash, Spanish rice, Chinese noodle casserole, lasagna, burgers... Aha!  Burgers!  I can have those!

When I came home to a defrosted pound of ground beef after work, I wasn't quite sure what to do, but a burger sounded like a great idea!

What you'll need:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 t dried dill
• 1 t dried oregano
• 1 t red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper 
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta (optional)
• 2 T ghee, divided (or cooking oil of your choice)
• 1 red onion, halved and sliced
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• Ketchup
• Smitten Kitchen's Easiest Fridge Dill Pickles 

Mix the beef, dill, oregano,  feta and salt and pepper together, incorporating the spices throughout. Form into 3 patties and set aside.  Bring your frying pan to medium heat and add your ghee and onion.  Once the onion is translucent, add your mushrooms.  Fry until they begin to carmelize (you can also add 1 T balsamic vinegar, if you'd like to help the carmelization process along).  Remove from the pan and add your second tablespoon of ghee and then place your burgers in the pan.  Leave them for about 4 minutes on each side, then take them out of the pan and let them rest while you prepare your plate (in this case, greens with faux ranch).  Plate your burger and top with ketchup and pickles and put the onions and mushrooms on the side.  Then enjoy! 

Side note:  I threw the feta in, mostly because I wanted to see if I had any kind of reaction to the dairy.  It was good, but not necessary!  The burgers will still be delicious if you decide to omit it!

Spicy Red Lentil Soup

  

I'm a big fan of soups.  I love how the flavors come together to create something new, I love that they're usually good for several meals and I love that there's typically very few dishes when you're done cooking.  I hate dishes.  This is a great weeknight soup, it doesn't take forever to come together, especially because the red lentils cook faster than most of the other lentil varietals.

What you'll need:

• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 cup green chilies, diced (to taste for preferred spiciness)
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 ear of corn, kernels removed (about 1 cup)
• 1 T olive oil (or cooking oil of your choice)
• 1 cup red split lentils (tip: they're actually orange ;-)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups water (or stock if you have some on hand)
• Avocado, cotija cheese (or feta), cilantro, sour cream, etc. for garnish
• 1 t. dried basil
• 1 t. dried oregano
• 1 t. cumin
• 1 T chili powder (to taste and depending on how many fresh chilies you put in).

Heat your olive oil over medium-high heat, add your celery, onion and green chilies and saute until translucent.

Add your corn and lentils and saute until the lentils begin to soften (just a few minutes).

Add your tomatoes, spices and water.

Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the lentils are tender and the veggies are cooked through.  The soup will thicken quite a bit, so feel free to add more water if you want it a little "soupier."

Garnish with everything but the kitchen sink!  And then try not to eat the whole pot, this stuff just gets better when it sits in the fridge a bit!

Short on ribs, long on flavor!

 

I love short ribs.  I'm a real sucker for meat that falls off the bone, and then practically into my mouth.  I made these beautiful babies on a Sunday and could hardly wait to get to Sunday dinner!

What you'll need:

• 4 short ribs (or 2-3 per person)
• 1/4 cups corn starch
• 2 pieces of bacon, diced
• 1 T cooking oil 
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 shallots, diced
• 3 cups stock
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 1 t rosemary
• salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees. Pat your short ribs dry with a paper towel and season them generously with salt and pepper. Coat lightly with corn starch.

Over medium-high heat, brown your bacon pieces. Remove to a piece of paper towel.

If there's not enough bacon fat, add 1T of cooking oil to the pan and brown your short ribs. Once they are brown, remove from pan and set aside.

Chop your onion, carrots and shallots.  Then add to your pan once the short ribs are brown.

Cook vegetables until translucent, add salt and pepper to taste.

Add your wine, rosemary and your stock and bring to a simmer.

Add your ribs back to the pot.

Cover and place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours.  The meat will have pulled away from the bone once you're ready.

A lot of my liquid cooked away, but the flavors were divine! 

I mashed up a sweet potato, made a side salad and went to town.  This was a great meal!

A Whole30 Riff on Pork Saltimbocca

In Italian, saltimbocca translates to "jumps in the mouth," which could either mean flavorful, or really, really creepy.  I'm going to go with flavorful.

I was brainstorming at work today as to what to do with the pork chops I had defrosting in the fridge and I struck upon the idea of a pork chop saltimbocca.  Like so many ideas I have, the Internet was already way ahead of me.  I found a recipe from Michael Symon and then gave it my own twists to accommodate my diet and my laziness.  And it turned out to be AMAZINGLY delicious!

What you'll need:

• cling wrap
• 3 pork chops
• 3 slices of Prosciutto
• approximately 1 tsp. dried sage divided among the pork chops (or 1 fresh sage leaf per chop)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 T grapeseed oil (or cooking oil of your choice)
• 4 cups arugula, divided
• lemon slices for garnish

Dry the pork chops with a paper towel, then place on a piece of cling wrap.  Season the top of the chops with salt, pepper and sage.

 Then cover each chop with a piece of prosciutto.

Top the bunch with another piece of cling wrap and pound flat with your favorite utensil.  Me?  I used a rolling pin, because I don't have one of those fancy hammers. It works for me, especially on days when I need to relieve a little tension!

Preheat your pan to medium high, add your oil and your pork chops, prosciutto side down.  Season the other side with salt and pepper once it's in the pan.

Cook each side for about 3-4 minutes, and then removed the chops to a paper towel lined plate.

Add half your arugula to the hot pan and wilt (about 30 seconds).  Toss the wilted arugula with the raw arugula.

  Garnish with sliced lemon and enjoy!

Whole30 Reflections and Non-Scale Victories

I got my labs back this week from the end of my Whole30 and I am happy to report that they look great!

• My triglycerides are down 152 points from my labs in March (not a typo)!
• My overall cholesterol is down 38 points!
• My HDL went down a little, so I need to make sure I'm sticking with the healthy fats and get it back up.
• My LDL is exactly the same, still a little high, but I'm going to keep working on it.
• Also, I feel like my hair has been growing faster.  Could that be?  I'm not sure. 

These factors, along with a weight loss of about 14 pounds, I would call my Whole30 a success.  I don't know that I ever got the "tiger blood" feeling that others talk about. I still don't bound out of bed every morning to greet the day, but I never have, so 30 days is probably not enough time to change my entire personality. 

When you make a change like this to your life, it's hard not to ask for the moon.  In 30 days you want to be thinner, healthier, happier, better looking and also negotiate world peace!  

I think the lesson I came away with is that it doesn't happen that way.  Put away the scale (except for maybe once a month), and focus on how you feel.  I've learned a lot about how I use food as a coping mechanism and a social crutch.  I find it hard to plan events and socialize without food and drinks, this is still something I'm learning how to do.

I grew up in a family that feeds you out of love.  "You're sick?  What can I make you to eat?"  "You won the spelling bee?  You're getting a special dinner, young lady!"  "You're sad?  How about an ice cream?"  I'm pretty sure that's in my DNA, and it probably won't ever change, so I need to focus on offering up healthy and whole foods to my loved ones, rather than, you know, carbs and cheese mixed together in some format.  I think being aware of my tendency to use food (and cocktails) as a reward is also a big step forward for me.

Since finishing the Whole30, I've remained (mostly) faithful to the plan.  I have added back a little cheese from time to time, I've had about a glass of wine a week, out with friends and I've stopped worrying quite so much about small amounts of sugar in my sausage and bacon.  I also haven't been as strict when eating out, I don't make the chef come out and tell me exactly what's in the vinaigrette or whether they make their mayonnaise in-house. Oh, and I've had 1 Blizzard.  Frankly, it was disappointing.

Almost Whole30 Banana Whip

The Internet has been very interested in a 1 ingredient ice cream these past couple of weeks.  Sillies, all you need to make creamy and delicious ice cream is one ingredient: a banana.  Someone recommended banana whip to me when I was dreaming about Blizzards on my Whole30.  I decided not to indulge because it felt a little like SWYPO to me.  But now that I've begun reintroducing some of the things that weren't on my Whole30, I decided to give it a shot, but I wanted to use 3 ingredients.

What you'll need:

• 1 banana (frozen)
• 1 oz. square of dark chocolate
• 1/4 cup coconut (toasted)
• food processor

The first thing I did was toast my coconut over low heat in a dry pan.  It actually toasts pretty quickly, so keep an eye on it!

Once your coconut is toasty, set it aside and let it cool.

Meanwhile, peel your banana and put it into your food processor.  Turn it on and let it go, it actually needed to go for longer than I thought it would. You can also pre-slice your bananas and put them in the freezer already peeled if you're freezing bananas specifically for this recipe.  Me?  I've got half a dozen bananas just waiting for inspiration to strike in my freezer.

Once your "ice cream" is smooth and fluffy, add any additional ingredients you'd like.

In this case, I added dark chocolate and coconut, the chocolate was pre-chipped before I added it (something I had to learn the hard way).

I threw my mix back in freezer for about 10-15 minutes and stirred it a couple times.  Then I scooped it up and ate it ALL!

No guilt here!