GMO's: What the heck are these things?!?!

Hey There!
This week I am doing something a little different, I don't have a recipe to share, mainly out of sheer laziness to take any pictures of any of my food. So I thought I would discuss a hot topic - GMOs.

**Warning** I'm about to share some low-down, dirty truth with you so if you like to live in bliss of the food we consume, this is not the post for you! OK I'm about to get FIRED UP!

As most of you know GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organisms or they are know as GE, genetically engineered. The technical definition is "the result of a laboratory process of taking genes from one species and inserting them into another in an attempt to obtain a desirable trait or characteristic." The most common application with food is by taking the DNA from the weed killer Round-up and inserting it into the DNA of soybeans (most common), corn and cotton, just to name a few, as well as a slew of other edible plants. The desirable outcome being a plant that is resistant to weeds and pests, has less grow time, can withstand droughts, and produces bigger and more of its fruit than an organic or ancestral plant would yield.  Scientist are also able to enrich the plants with nutrients and vitamins. (Wait, I thought vegetables were already high in those things) The idea being we can produce more food and solve hunger, and malnutrition!! Woo Hoo U-S-A, U-S-A. Too bad thats not what they are doing.

So what are they doing?

Using the GMO's as filler in processed foods, (literally almost all processed foods contain GMOs, I kid you not!)  and not just that, approximately 75% of non organic food is GM! And so you think only buying organic vegetables is safe enough? Think again because 98% of the soybean crops are used as feed for livestock. Cows eats the feed, you eat the cows, you are consuming GMOs.

So what's all the fuss about? Are GMO's safe?

Who the hell knows!

Genetic modification started in the 1980's with tobacco being the first plant to successfully have a transgenic characteristic; it was anti-biotic resistant. Then cotton, and then the herbicide- immune soybean and other seeds of plants we all consume today. This was only 1995 folks. The issue is there hasn't been any long-term health studies conducted to find out what happens when humans consume GMOs. This is relatively new stuff and the majority of it is being produced by one biotech company, Monsanto. I like to think of Monsanto's scientist like Ashton Kutcher in Butterfly Effect. You can't play God and you can't start mixing shit together that isn't suppose to be together or you'll end up blacking out, blowing up your neighbor's mailbox and next thing you know you're a quadriplegic, who doesn't get the girl and you'll just wish you never started fucking with stuff to begin with. Just let life do life, yo!

**A little background on Monsanto: for those of you that don't know too much about Monsanto this is the same company that produced Agent Orange in the Vietnam War and saccharine for Coke. Both of these chemicals have had major negative health impacts on the world. So we should definitely trust their research! (That's sarcasm folks) Sounds like the type of company that cares a whole lot about the health of US citizens and citizens of the world.

I know what you're thinking, "the government isn't going to let us just consume potentially health detrimental food. There's this organization that controls this stuff, maybe you've heard of them, they're called the FDA?"

Yes I have heard of them but here's just a little knowledge about the FDA. They believe that genetic engineering is just another kind of conventional breeding techniques that have been used by farmers forever. This isn't a donkey and a horse doing it and having a mule. This is a pig that's had jellyfish DNA inserted into it, making its nose glow. Or tomatoes with Arctic fish DNA inserted into it to withstand freezing temperature. It's not the same thing as cross breeding a green pepper with a red pepper and making a purple pepper.

The FDA scientists did, however, warn that GMOs can create hard-to-detect, unpredictable side effects such as allergens, toxins, diseases and nutritional problems. They wanted long term studies done before this stuff was released for public consumption but they were ignored. Instead the FDA decided to leave the safety determination of GMO's up to the biotech companies, even though they have been found guilty of hiding harmful effects of their chemical products in the past. And the mastermind FDA official whose bonehead idea this was, Michael Taylor, Monsanto's former attorney and later their vice president.

Later a Monsanto official quoted in the New York times saying that the corporation should not have to take the responsibility for the safety of its food products. "Monsanto should not have to vouchesafe the safety of biotech food." "Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring it's safety is the FDA's job."

Looks like everyone has dropped the ball on the safety of GMO's. In fact, the ball is like a scorching hot potato, no one wants it in there hands when the shit hits the fan.

So how do you avoid GMO's?

Its not easy folks, but it is doable.

Here's a statistic of some of the most GM crops...
soy (94%), cotton (90%), canola (90%), sugar beets (95%), corn (88%), Hawaiian papaya (more than 50%), zucchini and yellow squash (over 24,000 acres). It doesn't stop there. Avoid conventional, factory-raised meat, sugar and all processed foods. If you must have corn or soy, buy it organic. Check out the list on my post on shopping to find the dirty dozen top foods to buy organic. To sum it up:

• There's no way to know the exact effect GMO's will have on us in the long term, its only been around for less than 15 years. What we do know is more people are infertile or have infertility problems than ever. There are more cases of food allergies than ever. Short term studies are showing connections to birth defects, reproductive issues, cancer and infectious disease such as Mad Cow Disease. (Yup you can get that!)

• The FDA is a bunch of assholes working for Monsanto. Monsanto is a bunch of heartless pricks working for the FDA. You can't believe the shit either of them say. 

• 50 countries have banned or restricted GMOs. The U.S.A. doesn't even require labeling. 61 nations have 'right-to-know' laws of GMO labeling. The U.S.A does not. 

• 87% of American consumers want GMO labeling, yet somehow we still do not have this. But it's getting better. People are getting more educated and the more we demand our right-to-know, the closer we get to it. So keep signing those petitions passed around on Facebook, look for organic vegetables, grass-fed meats, and pastured chickens. If your store doesn't carry it, Demand it! Go to a Farmer's market, support your local farmer, or start your own garden, sign up with a CSA, or buy into a cow share.

I know a typical rant would probably have some links to some references, and honestly I should of done that but I didn't, my bad. If your curious as to where I got this info, take any topic you want and throw it in a search engine and I guarantee you will get more information than you bargained for. So I will just say I referenced a lot of Natural News sites and Dr. Google. 

Thanks for listening to my rant, sorry about the f-bombs or any other profane language! Remember to subscribe to the blog and get these super awesome posts delivered straight to your inbox! And subscribe today and get a free pair of Kitten Mittens. Act now and we'll send you a second pair free!!

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Sweet Potato Hash

Hi there!
I have a small obsession with sweet potatoes, even growing up my favorite dish for Thanksgiving was the sweet potato casserole. (Not sure if it was for the sweet potatoes or the mini marshmallows) The sweetness, bright orange color, it reminds me of family dinners. It's also super nutritious, so I encourage everyone to make sweet potatoes their go-to complex carb, especially if you are very active. On the days I go to Crossfit I always make sure to get some good carbs from my favorite source, sweet potatoes!

Whether you are having them before or after a grueling WOD, in the morning or at night, this recipe will become a hammer in your culinary toolbox, I guarantee it.
This week I'm sharing with you a really easy hash that makes a great hearty breakfast! Every time I make this hash I always get rave reviews and it only has a few basic ingredients as well as several add-in options. This is a sure-fire way to start your day, or any meal for that matter, off right!

Sweet Potato Hash:

Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes- peeled and diced
1 large red bell pepper- diced
1 med sweet onion- diced
2 tblsp Cinnamon
1 tsp. Cayenne pepper
2 tblsp grass-fed butter- or bacon fat, ghee, duck fat

Add-ins-
Cooked Sausage
Blueberries
Fried Egg

Preparation:
Heat 1 tblsp grass-fed butter in a large pot on med-high, add in sweet potatoes, cook for a about 5 mins, stirring occasionally (you want the sweet potato to start to soften)

Add in onion and pepper, stir to combine. Add in Cinnamon, Cayenne and 1 tblsp grass-fed butter and cook another 10 mins. Then turn down the heat to low, put the lid on the pot and let cook for another 20 mins. (This is the point where I add some cooked sausage link slices. I usually grill the sausage and slice it up before hand or you can get your super awesome significant other, friend or family member to cook them up while chopping the potatoes. The amount is up to you, but I usually use about 5 large links). By cooking slow and low, the sweet potato, onion and pepper will get soft but not mushy.

Scoop onto plate or bowl and enjoy!

Add-in: I will usually make this and take it to work for breakfast. When I reheat it I like to add a few blueberries. When they heat up, they burst, adding a bit of tart sweetness to the hash.

Another idea is to place a fried egg on top of the hash, the yolk makes a great sauce and the egg adds a great source of protein.

Or why not go crazy and add all three, you really can't go wrong!

Thanks for reading and don't forget to subscribe and get the latest posts sent straight to your inbox!

**I Love Feedback!!! So please leave comments or questions and I will personally respond. I won't have someone pretending to be me answering questions or replying to your comments, so feel free to leave them. And when my blog is HUGE and I have to outsource someone in another country to respond to all the comments for me, you can say that you knew me back in the day when I was just a little fish in the big blog pond. (say that three times fast!)

Just kidding that will probably not happen, but leave a comment anyway!

And now a funny cat photo:

Haha! He's wearing a lemon on his head!

Oh Nuts! - Snacks

I had a request to post some good snack options and since I didn't plan any recipe this week, I thought now would be the perfect time to list some good snacks. Some of these snacks are good to put out for guests or bring to a dinner and some are just good to have around the house.

• Raw Nuts- Almonds, Walnuts, Cashews, Pecans, Macadamia, and Brazil: Grab a handful of these to snack on or put in a snack bag and bring with you. I usually bring a few individual servings with me when traveling or to work, or I may just carry some around with me in my purse. Try to get them raw, you can easily find a variety of different types at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. Serving size is about a handful or quarter cup. Don't go crazy with, they are high in fat and while we like fat in Paleo world, you still want to keep it to a moderate amount. Luckily the high fat and protein content should fill you up so you shouldn't still be hungry if you're getting enough calories during your meals.
• Along with the raw nuts you can make your own trail mix. Add in SOME dried fruit like raisins, blueberries, banana, apricots, etc. Really there's a huge variety of dried fruit. Best option would be to make your own in a dehydrator, but most grocery stores have some good options. Try to find unsweetened or with as little other ingredients as possible. The only ingredient should be the fruit but sometimes they add something to keep the fruit dry. Add in 1:3 fruit: nut ratio.
• Another ingredient to add to the trail mix or just eat on it's own are Raw Cacao Nibs, you can find these at Whole Foods and most Natural Food Stores. This is basically the part of the cocoa bean that gets separated when making chocolate. You can eat a small handful as a snack or add into the trail mix. This offers a little sweetness but be prepared, this has a more bitter flavor than the regular chocolate you're used to.

• Kale Chips: Super easy to make and taste just like potato chips! Ok, maybe not just like potato chips, but pretty darn close. Make them and I bet you will agree. Definitely takes on the role of that crunchy snack we all have cravings for.

Ingredients:
Kale Leaves
1-2 tbsp. Bacon Fat or Duck Fat or any other type of delicious fat
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
2 tbsp. Lemon Juice
Sea Salt

Preparation:
Wash kale leaves and pat dry, cut the thick stem from leaves and tear leaves into pieces.
Put the torn leaves into a mixing bowl. Season with a little garlic powder, and fresh squeezed lemon juice (this is to add a little flavor, you should not saturate the leaves). Depending on the amount of torn leaves you have will depend on the amount of seasoning, I used half a lemon for about 12 big leaves.
Melt 1 tablespoon of fat (again depending on how much you are making will depend on the amount of fat you need, you are trying to lightly coat the leaves to prevent from sticking to the baking pan, not saturate them)
Pour the fat over the leaves and gently toss to coat.
Lay leaves on a baking sheet and preheat over to 400 degrees. You can bunch up the leaves so they are close together but they shouldn't really overlap.
Cook in the oven for 8-10 mins until dry and crunchy. Sprinkle a little sea salt on top or Pink Himalayan Salt (yummmmm!)
Remove from baking sheet and enjoy!
These need to be eaten within a day or they go limp, haven't figured that mystery out yet, I will send out an update once I do.

** You may have to do a couple batches in the oven, or use multiple baking sheets.**

• Veggies w/ Paleo hummus- Your typical veggie platter assortment with a Tahini hummus

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Sesame Tahini- found in most grocery stores. Some carry it in the organic section with the nut butters.
4 cups Zucchini-peeled and chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves- peeled
Juice of 4 Lemons
1 tbsp. cumin
2 tsp sea salt
Paprika- for garnish

Preparation:
Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender except paprika and process until all ingredients are smooth and consistent (almost paste-like).
Pour into a bowl and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a little paprika.
Serve with sliced vegetables.

• Ants on a Log- remember this childhood classic- here it is with a Paleo twist

Ingredients:
Celery Sticks
Sun butter or Almond Butter
Raisins

Preparation:
Cut celery into sticks, fill middle with nut butter and top with a few raisins.

-Or-

You can be lazy about it like me and 1. Just eat a couple spoonfuls of nut butter or 2. Dip celery into nut butter jar and sprinkle a couple raisins on top.
The first option is best if company is coming over.
Again, just like with the raw nuts, don't get too carried away with nut butters, these are still pretty high in fat.

• Hard boiled eggs with salt and Stone Ground Mustard- I know you think I'm crazy but it actually makes sense. Think about deviled eggs, those usually have mustard in the ingredients. Just top your egg with a little salt and a dollop of some good quality mustard. Do we know how to make hard boiled eggs? I hope so but if not

Bring a pot of water to boil, carefully drop eggs in. Turn off heat and cover for 18 mins. Remove eggs and let cool (you may want to put them in an ice bath to hurry up this step) Peel and enjoy!

• Jerky!! Who doesn't love some dehydrated meat, we know Randy Savage is a huge fan. Recipe will be coming soon in order to give you all a chance to go out and buy a dehydrator or you can be like me and put it on your wedding registry :) In the meantime, these are probably the next best option:Paleokits. You really want this stuff to have as few ingredients as possible with the exception being spices. No, teriyaki is not a spice and always contains sugar, unless its Paleo Teriyaki. Which, if its in a Big Box store, its not Paleo. Sorry, maybe one day. 

The possibilities are endless when it comes to snacks.

Now, lets talk a little about snacks and mindless eating. It's really important to be mindful with snacking so you don't end up over indulging. A really good way to prevent this is by making a single serving of a snack and putting the rest away. With nuts it can be really easy to go to town on a bag of cashews or trail mix which is really high in fat and calories. While we love fat in Paleo world, it should not make up the majority of your calories. Plus, its damn expensive buying multiple bags of raw nuts. Make them last, grab a handful and put the rest back. If you're still hungry go for something a little lower in fat content like the usual carrots sticks or even a quarter cup of berries. But be conscious of what you're putting in your mouth. Think about it and before you go back for another handful of nuts or spoonful of almond butter ask yourself "Am I still hungry?" It's really easy to relax, watch some TV and consume a whole bar of dark chocolate when all you need is a couple squares to satisfy you.

That's all for this post!

Now here's a picture of a dinner party I hosted last weekend and cooked an amazing menu from Gather. Once again, I swear these people do not pay me to advertise their book but its simply amazing and delicious and I highly recommend it if you like to entertain or just love cookbooks with great recipes and amazing photography. This dinner was taken from the menu for Chinese Takeout. It included Spring Rolls, Fried Rice with Shrimp, Stir-fry Vegetables and General Tso's Chicken.

And here's a picture of a sea lion and Walker, can you tell which one is which? Obviously separated at birth!

Remember if you're finding these recipes and rants useful AND think I'm HILARIOUS, please subscribe to get these post sent right to your inbox! And don't forget, I love your questions and comments so leave them below!

Thanks!

Scotch Eggs- Power Protein Meal

"I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch. Here it goes down, down into my belly..."-  Ron Burgundy

Scotch Eggs are a recipe that I've been thinking about making for a while. Its not nearly as hard as it looks, basically its a hard boiled egg stuffed inside a sausage burger. Traditionally, a scotch egg is breaded and baked but at an attempt to keep it Paleo I decided to skip the breading. I highly suggest this as a new breakfast or lunch (or dinner or snack) with some veggies on the side, maybe add some sort of Paleo dipping sauce like salsa or Paleo ketchup. This recipe is packed full of protein so just make sure you are using a grass-fed beef, lamb or pastured pork, really any type of ground meat you like, but make sure to keep it organic and humane.

Serving Size: 6 

Ingredients:
6 organic free-range eggs
2lbs ground meat- you can do a combo 1lb pork, 1lb lamb or 1lb beef. Just make sure if you are using a 1lb of a leaner meat (chicken or turkey) that you use a lb. of fattier meat (pork or beef) this will keep the meat moist and tasty.
1/2 onion chopped
1 egg- to bind
1/2 tblsp. Nutmeg
1 tblsp. Allspice
1 tblsp. Fennel seeds
1/2 tblsp. Sage
Salt and Pepper to taste
(these are the basic spices found in sausage so essentially you are making your own ground sausage) 
**Or you can skip all of the spices and just get 2lbs. ground sausage meat, just be sure there isn't any added sugar. 
Butter, bacon fat, duck fat, coconut oil- any of these fats will work.

Preparation:
Bring a medium sauce pot to a boil and add eggs. Turn off burner and cover. Let sit for about 12 mins. to hard boil eggs. Remove eggs from pot and put into ice bath and let cool in the refrigerator.

Saute chopped onions in one of the fats listed above until soft, about 5 mins. Let cool.

Combine meat, spices, cooled onions and eggs.

Carefully peel hard boiled eggs. Divide meat mixture into 6 even patties, flattened on a plate. Put hard boiled egg in the middle of the meat patty and fold meat over to form a ball with egg inside. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Place in a shallow baking dish. 
** You may end up taking some of the meat off to keep the ball from being too large. I ended up having some left over, I probably could of made another scotch egg with it but instead just cooked it to eat later. 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and place backing dish into oven for about 35 mins. You want the internal temp to be about 165 degrees. I pulled mine out at 158 degrees knowing that I would be reheating in the microwave at work. 

** On a side note, mine came out a little bland so you may want to add a little extra salt before eating. I also only had ground beef on hand so mine did not come out as moist as I would have liked, this is why I suggest using a combo of different ground meats. Other than that, its a really tasty dish.

Enjoy with a side of veggies for breakfast lunch or dinner!

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Perfectly Poached Eggs

One of my favorite condiments (if you will) is the deliciousness of a perfectly poached egg. The runny egg yolk makes a great dressing for a salad, topper for your burger or Paleo pizza. Its great on top of crab cakes, or makes a mouthwatering breakfast paired with bacon, tomato and avocado. I'm pretty much obsessed with that ooey gooey yummy-ness and try to eat one as much as possible. Of course a sunny side up egg works just as well but there's something about getting a poached egg thats like a culinary Christmas. A little white package with an explosion of flavorful, yellow yum inside. [insert Homer Simpson drooling here]

So here's an early Christmas present as I give you the how-to for poaching a perfect egg!

1.Bring a medium pot of water to a simmer, meaning just a few little bubbles. If the water starts to boil turn the temperature down. You should fill the pot about 2/3rd of the way.

2.Add a little vinegar, maybe a teaspoon or two. I usually use white vinegar because its the least likely to add any flavor to the egg but it doesn't really matter, its not a lot of vinegar. This keeps the egg and yolk from separating.

3.Crack an egg into a small bowl or ramekin or even a ladle will work. This way, if some shell falls in you can remove them. It also helps prevent the yolk from breaking. (Which would be tragic!)

4.Put the ramekin or small cup or bowl close to the water and gently pour the egg into the pot of water, the whites will kinda spread out a little and look like an egg jellyfish. No worries, just take a spoon and fold the whites back over the yolk.

**One trick to make the eggs stay somewhat contained is to take a ring from a mason jar and place it in the pan. Drop the egg over the mason jar ring and let it settle in the ring, then turn off the heat and cover.

5.Let the egg cook for 3 mins. and carefully remove with a slotted spoon.
You should do only one egg at a time to keep them from sticking together but if you want to try more than one, use a bigger pot and gently pour eggs in at 10-15 second intervals and be sure to take out in the same order dropping in.

Add a little salt and pepper and dig in!! Merry Christmas!

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