Aloha, my friends!
Did you miss me? We’ve been away on vacation this week, but our time on Maui is winding down, so we’re going to try to make time pass as slooooowly as possible ’til we have to head back to the mainland. In the meantime, let’s get to those weekend links!
Fear The Fish?
Because fresh fish is so plentiful and fresh in Hawaii, I’ve been ordering it every time I see it on a menu. That’s why I was so relieved to read that concerns over mercury levels in fish may be unfounded. After all, I love me some fresh seafood!
It’s Time To Celebrate with Decorative Gourds!
I love Maui, but part of me is looking forward to getting back to the San Francisco Bay Area where the weather will be crisp and cool. I tell ya, there is no better way to start the season than covering the table with decorative gourds. (WARNING! The preceding link is to an incredibly funny but definitely NSFW article on McSweeney’s.)
Fall Produce is More Than Pumpkins, People
I know everyone’s obsessed with pumpkin everything this time of year, but there are many fall vegetables and fruit that I love even more—from Brussels sprouts to kabocha squash. Henry’s super stoked that Fuyu persimmons will be showing up at the Farmers’ Market any day now.
Not sure what’s in season in the autumn? Steph over at Stupid Easy Paleo’s got you covered with a free PDF that you can print out and take with you to the market. Go grab a copy!
Things That Make You Go Hmmmm
Everyone knows that 100% grass fed beef is best for health, but did you know that grass fed doesn’t always mean local or sustainable? In fact, most of the grass fed stuff you get at the supermarket is shipped from thousands of miles away. Check out this fascinating NPR story about why most of the grass fed beef in U.S. stores is sourced from Australia or Uruguay.
That’s why I try my best to stick with small, local farms (or at least ones that are based in the U.S.!) like Tendergrass Farms, U.S. Wellness Meats, and Brandon Natural Beef. (The Shopping Guide section of my site lists some of my other favorite resources, too!)
Not Into Beef? How About Bugs?
I know everyone is squeamish about eating bugs, but get over it. Bugs may be the most sustainable protein on the planet and I, for one, am willing to give it a go. I’ve eaten worms in Mexico (with Big-O!) and ordered cricket flour protein bars—and I’m willing to go Fear Factor-style when we travel to Asia this winter. Ready to jump on board the bug-eating bandwagon? Face it: sooner or later, you’re going to be munching on bugs, so get a head start by reading up on the 7 Insects You’ll Be Eating in the Future.
Eggs Make Everything Better!
Why, look! Buzzfeed included my recipe for Sweet Potato Hash with Fried Eggs on its listicle of 19 Foods That Are Better With An Egg!
I snorted coffee out of my nose when I read that my recipe “was good for vegheads,” though.
Blah, Blah, Blah…
I’m doing a good amount of yammering these days.
On this week’s Balanced Bites podcast, I made a return appearance as the featured guest. I spent an hour shooting the breeze with host (and my pal) Liz Wolfe of CaveGirl Eats about our favorite “Real Housewives” series, shift work, feeding kids, and cooking tips. Give the podcast a listen, and it’ll be clear to you how much I enjoyed our conversation. (And if you missed the first time I was on the podcast, you can check it out here.)
And if you can’t get enough of the sound of my voice, don’t fret: I’m also one of the featured talking heads in Nerd Fitness Academy: Rebel Women, which launched this week.
I’ve long been a big fan of Nerd Fitness, so when Steve Kamb asked if I’d like to contribute to his new course which teaches women how to “level up” their health, I jumped at the opportunity. I offered up a few of my favorite recipes, and sat (stood, actually) for a lively video interview with Steve about how to make Paleo work for busy gals.
(And just so you know: Although Nerd Fitness’s Rebel Women course requires a paid subscription, I’m neither seeking nor receiving any compensation for supporting it with my efforts. I just think it’s a great course—and in fact, I’m doing it myself ‘cause I’ve been too busy to get to the gym lately, and need to stay on course with my fitness goals—chief among them: to finally conquer the dead-hang pull-up.)
Tasty Recipes From Around the Interwebs:
Last but certainly not least, recipes!
- J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s Butter-Basted Bison Ribeye Steak with Crispy Potatoes sounds absolutely divine. (Yes, I eat potatoes and butter. Sue me.) My only modifications to this recipe would be to sear the steak in animal fat (e.g. ghee, tallow, or lard) instead of vegetable oil, and I’d probably pressure-steam the taters to save time.
- The super-talented Russ Crandall of The Domestic Man shows you that it’s never too early to start thinking about Thanksgiving with his Perfect Smoked Turkey recipe.
- Elise Bauer of Simply Recipes shares a new twist on pork chops with applesauce with her recipe for Pork Chops with GInger Pear Sauce. I bet you $5 she’s a big fan of the Brady Bunch.
- And to finish with something sweet, Vanessa Barajas of Clean Eating With a Dirty Mind has a sinfully delicious recipe for Paleo Boston Cream Pie Cupcake Bites. Yowza.