A Book Plug

Get the book, "Well Fed", by Melissa Joulwan. That's it.

Ok, more details: She is the author of the Paleo Blog, " theclothesmakethegirl.com". No idea what that is since I have not been there, but if it is anything like her Paleo recipe book then it must be good, too. All I know is that Karen came home with this book from the Paleo cooking conference last weekend, and we have been using it to make some really tasty stuff ever since.

You can get "Well Fed" on Amazon for $18.95 paperback, or $9.95 downloaded. The picture is a recipe called "Velvety Butternut Squash", but I used up all of those interesting squash bought on sale at Safeway last week. Yes, it is delicious.

Posted by Dave

Boo!

Start planning your costume and your recipe for the Halloween costume WOD and Pot Luck Recipe Contest...all of the fun will start at the 6pm WOD, of course, followed by the sampling of everyone's culinary delights at 7pm.  Plan your outfit with care---no wardrobe malfunctions mid-squat.

And the winner is.....

....Michelle!  She wins the recipe contest!  Thank you to Michelle, John, Paul, Sue, and Sheila for submitting entries and I will post each of them.  Stay tuned for our upcoming Pot-Luck Recipe Contest- coming soon.

Here is the winning recipe:

Spaghetti Squash Noodles with Thai “Peanut” Sauce

 Ingredients

• ·         4 cups cooked Spaghetti Squash
• ·         1/2 cup light unsweetened Coconut Milk
• ·         1/2 cup Almond Butter
• ·         1 tablespoon Thai Red Curry Paste
• ·         1 tablespoon Soy sauce or gluten free Tamari
• ·         2 tablespoon Fish Sauce
• ·         2 teaspoons toasted Sesame Oil
• ·         pinch of ground Ginger
• ·         pinch of ground Cinnamon
• ·         pinch of ground Black Pepper
• ·         a few drops of Honey to taste
• ·         1/2 cup chopped Green Onion
• ·         1/2 salted Cashews, chopped
• ·         Garnish options include: chopped fresh cilantro, shredded carrots, green onions, and unsweetened coconut flakes

Bake the squash in the oven or microwave

• Oven
  •  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F with the rack in the middle. Put whole squash in a baking dish and bake until you can easily insert a paring knife, about 40 minutes to one hour. Remove squash from oven and let cool about 10 minutes.
  • Cut it in half from tip to tip (long ways) and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Scrape the sides of the squash with a fork until you have removed all the stringy spaghetti.
• Microwave 
  • Pierce your squash about 6 times with a fork or knife (so the steam can release as it cooks) Microwave about 15 minutes, rotating every 5 minutes. Cook until you can easily cut into the squash.
• Sauce- Whisk together coconut milk, almond butter, spices, and honey in a large bowl.  Combine with cooked squash.  Toss with green onion and chopped cashews.  Serve hot, chilled or at room temp.  Garnish with cilantro, carrots, green onion and coconut flakes.

Day 30

30 Days---check.  You are a Paleo machine!  You have arrived at Day 30 of the Whole30 Challenge.  You rock!  So what now?  Bring on the pizza and beer?  Hmmmm.....probably not.  Remember your "why".  That does not change on Day 31.  Remember that this is not a quick fix diet.  It is a lifestyle choice.  Just like exercise.  Just like not smoking.  Your job is still the same---show up in your life every day and be the best possible version of yourself.

But really--now what?  Here is where the individual plans start kicking in.  You are a unique little science experiment with a test group of 1.  You and only you know what your body is sensitive to and what works for you.  I might be able to add some dairy back in, but dairy might make you feel like crap.  I highly suggest that if you are going to add elements back into the experiment to do it one at a time, to see how each one makes you feel. 

I saw this post on another blog, referencing finishing the Whole30 Challenge and I thought it was great:

    "Make your own rules (but stick to ‘em). There’s no full agreement in the Paleo community on what is and isn’t Paleo. Some eat quinoa, some don’t. Some eat white potatoes, other don’t. Some drink tequila, others limit all alcohol altogether. Heck, some eat high-quality butter. I chose to drink limited amounts of red wine, tequila and chocolate for my sanity. So feel free to fudge a few of the rules for what’s best for you, assuming, of course, that the main no-grains-legumes-dairy rule is followed. If you’re doing a 30-day Paleo challenge, stick to your rules for the full time so that you can really see how much different you feel. But if you’re not doing a set challenge, you might want to try going Paleo at just breakfast or lunch, and then adding on from there as you adjust. It’s your diet and life, so do what feels right for you.”

Come to the gym tomorrow night at 7:30pm to the Whole30 wrap-up session to discuss your successes, challenges, tips, etc.

Paleo Conference

The Paleo Conference in Estes Park this past Saturday was great!  http://www.ymcarockies.org/Paleo.htm.  It was fantastic to surround ourselves with like-minded Paleo peeps and hear from several of the leading bloggers/authors that give us support every day with new menu ideas, stories, etc.  While we all know the basic Paleo/Whole30 principles, it it refreshing to immerse yourself into an environment with other peeps that know your same challenges, struggles, as well as the sweet sense of accomplishment that come with this chosen lifestyle.

These ladies are full of energy, and it is contagious!  I highly recomend following their blogs, if you don't already.  Good stuff!

www.theclothesmakethegirl.com

www.nomnompaleo.com

www.hollywouldifshecould.net

www.paleomg.com(Juli was not a speaker at this event, but was in attendance)

Rock on Paleo Peeps.