It’s Sunday in Palm Springs, 75 degrees out, beautiful mountain backdrop, happy friendly people and their pets are out enjoying the life…

And I feel like shit.

Why?

My first week eating only raw food was rough.  Imagine cutting yourself off cold-turkey from drinking over 100 adult beverages per week, abstaining from your morning cup of crack with the pretty mermaid on it, and suddenly refusing your body any access to pizzas and Mexican food…NOT a fun transition.

If you’ve seen New Moon, and watched Kristen Stewart’s “Bella” writhe and scream in her sleep over her lost Edward (who I still maintain looks an awful lot like Bert from Sesame Street), you have an inkling of what my first week raw felt like!

Weeks two and three were a different movie…I felt euphoric and “high” and ate up all the positive comments I was getting from friends and strangers.  EVERY SINGLE DAY I saw a thinner, sexier, happier, healthier, more in-tune version of me in the full-length mirror.

Having a cute young raw foods chef at a Santa Monica cafe ask me if I was “raw” the second I walked in the door surprised me.  When I answered yes, and she told me she “thought so, because my eyes were so clear and I really had a case of the glow” I was beyond flattered.

But here I am near the end of week four, a week of apathy and fatigue.  What’s up?  I feel like I’m doing this right…I’ve slowly been upping my intake of greens, I’m making sure I get natural fats like hemp oil, I’m still eating a lot of juicy organic fruits…

Also, I eat very little dehydrated raw foods (they make me feel as dry as they are) and most days just eat foods in their whole simple form without trying to “doll” them up.

I’m hoping that it’s just another cleansing level I’ve hit?  I would expect my recent toxic past to haunt me for awhile. Maybe it’s a little bit mental…one month is the longest I’ve ever gone before raw…? But Jesus do I hate the idea that some or all of the benefits of raw eating might just be in my head.

One interesting distinction I’d like to make: I’m not depressed.  I’ve spent much of my life in moderate to severely depressed states, this isn’t anything like that.  I’m clear about things–almost scary sober–but I don’t necessarily like how that feels…

Sometimes eating raw makes so much sense to me, and I see it as the answer to a lot of peoples problems both on a personal level and a collective one.  That’s how I mostly feel…at other times the whole thing seems ridiculous and absurd!  Not eat ANY cooked foods?  Not get drunk and stupid?  WHY?!?  What am I trying to prove? To whom?

As an example last night a guy at the bar wanted mashed potatoes.  We don’t have that on the menu, but Mike the Chef made some for him anyways, that’s the kind of old school cool we serve up.  When I bring him the potatoes I’m drooling.  When he adds a few dollops of real butter I’m butter.  So I try and remind myself that when I get home later I was actually going to make my own version of mashed “potatoes” which are made from soaked cashews and cauliflower blended up with salt & pepper.  They taste pretty good.  But they are NOT potatoes, and they are cold.  For some reason it just seemed stupid to me…am I too good for potatoes?

My intention with this blog is not necessarily to inspire anyone to do anything.  I simply want to reveal what eating raw is doing for me (now and in the future).  So please take what I say with a grain of pink Himalayan crystal salt.   I’m half-way through my trial and will continue to candidly share my peaks and valley floors with anyone interested…

Many years ago (1998), at Reed College, there was a group of friends who liked to cook and eat and didn’t plan to go home for Thanksgiving.
We decided it would be more fun (and less expensive) to prepare a feast together and have a relaxing day in Portland.
At that first Thanksgiving there were 10 of us at Owen and Rachel’s apartment. On our menu the first year was salmon, mashed potatoes, vegetables and Kahlua milkshakes. Several of us were vegetarians and we were college students, after all. Part of the fun that year was that earlier in the week four of us had driven up to Seattle for the day in Owen’s aging Volvo station wagon and purchased the salmon at Pike Place market. The result was a delicious meal, a cozy and crowded apartment and great company.
That particular group of people never fully repeated itself, but by the next year our future Thanksgivings began to take shape.

In November of 1999 Erin and Wil were living off-campus in Eastmoreland and as they lived in a tiny house complete with a yard (did I mention it was tiny?) the decision was made that Thanksgiving would take place there. Our menu expanded that year to include a turkey as the number of carnivores was growing steadily. 1999 was also the year that the famous Chris Chen cranberry sauce debuted, quite a watershed year! In addition to cranberry sauce and turkey the menu included salmon, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls and pie. We listened to music, drank wine and enjoyed a lovely afternoon and evening together, though by the end everyone was too full to do much beyond lounging on the scant furniture. Thanksgiving 1999 ended on a very sad note when we learned that Wil’s dear friend from high school had died of brain cancer. Soon Wil was on his way to Texas to say a final good-bye and the rest of us were feeling a little more subdued as we explored Portland and started the on-going tradition of our post-Thanksgiving brunch.

The fall of 2000 was possibly our least successful Thanksgiving as we veered from tradition too significantly and found ourselves in a bit of a mess. Thanksgiving was hosted by our friend and classmate and her boyfriend and quickly turned from a gathering of good friends to a gigantic extravaganza with well over 25 guests. Both Rachel’s and Erin’s little brothers were in attendance (the great meeting of the Jesses!) and chaos of every kind ensued. There was most certainly turkey (possibly as many as three) and also pie, as well as cake. One or two crazy Australians, several rounds of ‘Alice’s Restaurant’ and much too much booze made this Thanksgiving memorable, but not particularly good. Ever since this Thanksgiving there have been no instances of break-dancing and no trips to the ER involved in our celebrations, we’ve had an excellent safety record.

The fall of 2001 found all of us, as the rest of the country, in a more sedate state. The guest list had narrowed significantly and our college years were behind us. We continued the post-Thanksgiving brunch tradition, often followed by a movie and all in all had a pleasant weekend.
From 2002 onwards Thanksgiving has taken approximately the same form, each year the location alternates between Michael & Jennifer’s house and Erin & Wil’s house (with the exception of 2004 when we repeated a year at Mike & Jen’s because Erin & Wil had just moved into their new home). While the guest list has varied each year, the core has remained the same and we’ve enjoyed many festivities with our parents in attendance as well.

At some point, Wil and Mike became the experts in charge of the turkey and they’ve turned basting and smoking the turkey into an art form. Joined by Chris and Pat, these four are the kings of the drumstick (which is why our turkey always has four drumsticks) and the stars of www.turkeytracker.com, the brainchild of Michael Weinberg with Chris Chen’s excellent probe building skills. We each have our areas of expertise, Jen is incredible with appetizers and beautiful table decorations, Chris makes cranberry sauce that is truly in a class by itself, Robin has contributed greatly to Thanksgiving both with the game Curses and her delicious cheddar pepper rolls. Larry, always much in demand, still finds time to visit us in the late afternoon, often bearing a bottle of vino verde with him. Pat makes the morning coffee for the turkey crew and can be counted on to share some excellent beer, he also provides us with the most delicious pumpkin cheesecake and has made an excellent pie as well (and would have continued, but I’m very territorial about the pie and don’t like competition). Our mothers and fathers have contributed many sides over the years, not to mention plenty of patience with our repeated singing of Mike’s Thanksgiving anthem: “Thermonuclear War and… Sex”. As previously mentioned, I’m (Erin) in charge of dessert and revel in my domain. Each fall I brush up my pie crust making skills and test out a pie or two before the big day. Past years have included sweet potato, pumpkin, apple, caramel apple, apple pear tart, lemon, chocolate peanut butter and chocolate peppermint. As I’ve learned over the years, chocolate desserts after Thanksgiving dinner are often too heavy. This year I’ll be making pumpkin pie and apple pear tart, served with plenty of fresh, organic whipped cream.
We’re excited to have our friends Katie & Gordon join us for the full celebration for the first time this year, they’ll be contributing several vegetable side dishes and sharing their beer expertise. My parents will also be in attendance and will bring sweet potatoes and vegan/wheat-free dessert and last, but certainly not least, our dear friend Sarah will celebrate her final Thanksgiving as an Oregon resident with us and she”ll be bringing her parents and some fantastic appetizers. I’m certain we’re in for another wonderful celebration!

As the turkeytracker.com site has grown and gained national attention, we had the idea to turn our Thanksgiving celebrations into something that would do more than fill our bellies and warm our hearts, this year we are collecting donations from our viewers and local businesses for the Oregon Food Bank and hope to do more and more each year.

omar

Meals

Obviously Thanksgiving is this week, so I’ll only be cooking regular meals on Monday and Tuesday.  While I do prep work on Wednesday, we’ll probably just munch on something really simple like sandwiches.

foil pack chicken

soup

November 30^th 2009 – December 4^th 2009

Monday – Rawon

Tuesday – Ayam bakar, spicy potatoes, sayur asem

Wednesday – Bak kut teh, cakwe

Thursday – Babi kecap, fried tofu, stir fry kangkung

Friday – Hainanese chicken rice, chicken, condiments (cucumber, chili sauce, cilantro)

So I started work and my feet are killing me so long cooking endeavors, like risotto, are not in my plans any time soon. In fact I’m thinking quick and easy for the week and leftovers after Thanksgiving.

Sunday – pot roast with veggies

Monday – pizza…I’m splurging and since it’s the start of my weekend I deserve it…lol!

Tuesday – chili mac and salad

Wednesday – soup, I may make borscht, I’m not sure yet

Thursday – Thanksgiving (check back later for the Thanksgiving menu)

Friday – leftovers

Saturday – leftovers

Here’s my prep list/schedule for Thanksgiving.   I hope it is helpful to you!

At least one week in advance {the earlier the better}, I start off by planning the menu and then look up all the recipes that I will need.  I hosted Thanksgiving last year, so I’m pretty much repeating that.  Once I have all of the recipes pulled, I survey what ingredients I have on hand and make my grocery list.  Then I decide what bowls, pans, etc I will need and make a list of them.  A couple of days before Thanksgiving, I pull out all of the dishes that will be used and wash them, set the table, label platters, etc…

We are hosting my parents and one set of my grandparents {6 people total}.  I’ll tell them to arrive anytime around/after 11:00.  We plan to eat at one o’clock.  Thankfully I have the day before Thanksgiving off of work. Unfortunately, I have to work the day after and on Saturday.  Kill.me.now.

Menu

turkey

stuffing/dressing {Will not be cooked inside the bird}

corn casserole

2nd vegetable dish – green bean casserole or whiskey glazed carrots

mashed potatoes

gravy

cranberry sauce

salad

dinner rolls

dessert – 2 homemade pies, one pumpkin and one pecan

apple cider punch and other beverages

appetizers

My Thanksgiving game plan:

• My Grandma is bringing a pecan pie. {EDIT:  this is up in the air now, she may bring the veggie tray and/or cranberry sauce.  If so, I will make the pecan pie.}

My Mom is bringing the following:

• dinner rolls

• corn casserole {picture and recipe might be posted later?}

• salad of some kind

• cranberry sauce {Edit: my grandma might make this?}

• possibly sweet potatoes?

• electric carving knife

I’m providing:

• beer, wine, and other assorted cold drinks

• coffee

• hot apple cider punch in crock pot {recipe will be posted later}

• ice – start stocking up from our ice maker about 4 days ahead.  Ice will be needed for storing turkey in the brine overnight in cooler as well as serving drinks.

• turkey – probably 15-20 lbs max.  Make brine 2 days ahead, cool and refrigerate until needed.  Place turkey in brine the night before {needs to brine at least 8 hours}.  Place slices of compound butter under skin right before roasting - make several days ahead and freeze.  {Method, directions, and pictures of turkey prep/cooking hopefully coming later}

• gravy

• mashed potatoes – I’ll probably scale back on the linked recipe.  Make 1 day ahead and refrigerate overnight, pull out of fridge approximately 2 hours before baking.

• small green bean casserole – We could do without this, but Tim loves it.  I plan to bake it in my toaster oven. {recipe will be posted later}  OR, if Tim can survive without green bean casserole, I will make whiskey glazed carrots.

• stuffing – Make cornbread 2 days ahead.  Cut into cubes and dry out cornbread and store-bought french bread 1 day before.  Chop onion and celery in the morning, place in Ziploc bag in fridge until needed.

• pumpkin pie - Make pie dough several days ahead and freeze.  Make pie 1 day ahead.

• appetizers – I’m not completely sure here, we won’t need much for the 2 hours between when guest arrive and dinner is served.  I’m afraid the meal may hit the table a little late though {it always does right? Right?!?}, so I want to have a few things on hand – cheese spread and crackers, assorted olives and pickles, fruit and veggie tray.  I also want to set the apps out again several hours after the meal {approx 5 or 6:00} if guest are still there and feel snacky for some lighter fare.

Things I need to wash/iron/set out/etc:

charge camera battery

cloth napkins & rings

tablecloth

wine glasses and other nice drinking glasses

corkscrew

formal silverware

large clear glass pitcher for ice water

coffee carafe

Heirloom china

butter dish

2 tier decorative pie holder

basket(s) for rolls

pie server/knife

serving bowls, platters, casserole dishes for stuffing and green bean casserole, divided appetizer dishes, cheese spreaders, appetizer forks

snack plates and matching cups for dessert {I have this set}

mugs for coffee, sugar bowl and cream pitcher set

crock pot for cider

extra chairs

put 2 leaves in table

ice bucket and tongs

bag to brine

containers to send leftovers home with guests

clean the house

Grocery list

meat thermometer

celery

parsley

apple cider – 2 gallons, one for brine and one for drinking

1 loaf of french bread for stuffing/dressing

assorted cheese for appetizer plate

3 cream cheese blocks, one for mashed potatoes and 1 or 2 for cheese spread or other appetizer dips

wine and beer

potatoes

turkey

carrots – only need if I decide to make whiskey glazed carrots

veggies and fruit for appetizer plate, definitely oranges to garnish punch and grapes

lemon for lemon juice in punch

Is anyone still reading this?

I already have on hand:

butter

chicken stock

ingredients for pumpkin pie and crust

canned green beans, condensed soup, and French’s fried onion rings for green bean casserole

appetizers – crackers, pickles and olives

dried spices and seasonings for everything that requires them {cider, pie, brine, stuffing}

ingredients for corn bread

That’s all folks!

Am I forgetting anything really obvious? ? ?

Today was the last day for the Western Wake Farmer’s Market. I purchased some beautiful produce today. I got baby carrots, cauliflower, and sweet potatoes from Redbud Farm. From Fickle Creek Farm I got a pork loin, eggs, and some kale. I also got some local honey from another farm. I’m going to miss my Saturday morning trips to the farmer’s market. They open back up early April.

Weekly Menu:

Saturday: 3 Sisters Stew

Sunday: Kelly’s famous pizza with goat cheese and sausage

Monday: Eggs with roasted potatoes and kale

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: Slow Cooker Tuscan Pork with roasted cauliflower and broccoli

Thursday: Roasted Brined Turkey, mashed potatoes with Reisling Gravy, ginger honey carrots, roasted brussel’s sprouts, baked winter squash, Classic Cranberry Sauce, Pumpkin Cheesecake

Friday: Spicy Turkey Soup

Posted by Lisa

Last week I posted a recipe for Pasta with Butternut Squash, Bacon, Onions, Three Cheeses and Pine Nuts.  I was dubious about this recipe because I generally roast my squash and serve it as a side or put is in a soup, but since the grumbling is near about the abundance of winter squash, I was looking for an unusual way to mask its presence.  Wow!  That pasta was delicious!  I’m still thinking about it, so we will certainly see it on our fall and winter menus again.  The only change I made was to use mozzarella in place of Gruyere, because that’s what I had on hand.

This week’s meal plan would typically include Thanksgiving as my meal plans cover Friday-Thursday, however, this year I won’t be responsible for Thanksgiving because we will be spending the holiday with family, for the first time in a long time.  My aunt and uncle are coming up from NM to spend time with my cousin, his wife and their new baby, so we will have a family holiday close to home.  I’m very excited.  I haven’t included the dishes I will take with us, either, because I hear rumblings that it will be a non-traditional Thanksgiving, so I will plan my contributions closer to Thanksgiving when I have more details.

Fall vegetables are filling up our CSA share, though perhaps unbelievably, we are still pulling a random summer vegetable out of our untended garden area every now and then.  My daughter brought in two small eggplants, a green pepper and a summer squash yesterday.  I turned the eggplants into baba ganoush for an afternoon snack to accompany leftover pitas from our falafel meal.  The summer squash joins two larger ones that we brought in last week.  Part of one of the larger ones made a tasty double batch of Double Chocolate Zucchini Brownies.  We also still have some green tomatoes ripening in paper bags, so I’m able to pull a few of those out for dishes as they become ripe.  Our CSA share included:  autumn greens mix, collard greens, celery root, carrots, pie pumpkin, sweet potatoes,  onions and garlic.  Such bounty makes me feel blessed despite the financial hardships we have been facing all year.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

• Big Curry Noodle Pot (with the addition of some carrots and summer squash)
• Pasta Bake; Green Salad (mushrooms, green pepper, carrots, salad greens)
• Mushroom, Ham and Feta Quiche; Greek Greens and Rice (mushrooms, collard greens)
• Chipotle and Sweet Potato Soup; Summer Squash Gratin (sweet potatoes, carrots, summer squash)
• Pork Spare Ribs; Potato and Celery Root Gratin; Green Beans (with feta if I have some leftover) (celery root)
• Chicken, Carrots and Greens Stir-fry, Steamed Rice (carrots, autumn greens)

Μια βόλτα στα εμπορικά καταστήματα και να είστε σίγουροι
οτι θα πάρετε τη πρώτη γεύση απο τα φετεινά Χριστούγεννα!

ummm.. τι θα φάμε σήμερα;

- Κοτόπουλο με Πατάτες (στη γάστρα)
- Κεφτεδάκια της μαμάς (βουτηγμένα σε κόκκινη σάλτσα)
- Τσιπούρα στο Φούρνο (με πατάτες)
- Πατάτες Γιαχνί
- Μακαρονάκι Κοφτό (λαδερό)

- Μπρόκολο
- Παντζάρι
- Ρόκα με Παρμεζάνα
- Αγγουροτομάτα
- Χωριάτικη
- Φέτα

Ευχές για ένα όμορφο και ξεκούραστο ΣαββατοΚύριακο!

Click on Image to View PDF

Note: the email is incorrect. Please use – redgabled@gmail.com

Let’s pretend for a moment.  Suppose you were a kid locked in a candy store.  There were no parents around and you could eat whatever you wanted to.  What you didn’t know is that later that day you are probably going to have a tummy ache.  And what you didn’t know is that somewhere down the road you were probably going to end up in the dentist’s chair getting cavities filled.

Fast food restaurants are like candy stores.  You can eat to your heart’s content but have no idea of what the repercussions are.  It’s not hard to eat half of your daily calorie count in any McDonald’s value meal.  Wouldn’t it make things easier if you knew what you were going to eat before you ate it?  Nutritional labeling in restaurants can be the answer to give you that freedom.

Foods consumed away from the home is a problem because it has more calories and is oftentimes less nutritious.  A national standard will impact the health of America by providing customers with access to detailed information before purchasing their food.

According to the USDA 46% of Americans’ total food budget is being spent on food outside of their homes.  More women are relying on restaurants to do the cooking for their families and people are eating more fast food in this economy.  Consumers are less likely to know what is in the food because there are no labels on foods in restaurants  like there are in the supermarkets.  The US Surgeon General declared that America had an obesity problem and agreed that the problem could be helped if such labeling was available.  This in turn would promote better health, prevent obesity and chronic disease, and lower health costs.

Take Subway for example.  By having nutritional information on seven sandwiches under 6 grams of fat displayed on their napkins and Jared, their spokes model who has lost 245 pounds and continues to inspire people to practice portion size and exercise, Subway has proved that nutritional labeling can make a difference.

I understand that many restaurants do not think that having nutritional labeling will make a difference because people already have access to nutrition labeling on websites and pamphlets While this is true let me explain to you why having nutritional labeling on the face of menus will also make a difference.  The current information is available on websites that have to be looked at before getting to the restaurants.  By placing the nutrition information right on the menu would allow for the costumer to view the information before the decision is being made.

The reality is Americans support visible nutritional labeling.  A 2007 International Food Information Council survey showed that 2/3 of shoppers report using food labels in supermarkets and rank nutrition second only to taste as the reasons why they buy their food.

It is important for the restaurants to know that nutritional labeling would not limit the choices they have on their menus but would merely offer information for them.  This would provide a level playing field in a highly competitive industry.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture even admitted in 1999 that “Despite nutritional gains at home, American will find it difficult to improve their diets because they purchase so many meals outside the home.” Americans are relying more on restaurants to feed them but the current voluntary system of offering nutritional information is not doing anything for America’s obesity problem.

So what is being done to help this problem?  In March of this year Congress introduced the LEAN Act bill and just recently this bill has compromised with the MEAL Act bill that combine key elements to make all sides happy.  These menu-labeling bills would provide calories in written form on menus that has to be visible for the consumer at the time of ordering.  Fat, sodium, cholesterol, and carb content has to be provided upon request.  In addition this Act would affect only food chains that have 20 or more establishments and would not apply to “specials” that are not usually on the menu.

I completely share your concern about personal freedoms of the restaurant owners having flexibility and not having to worry about lawsuits.  This legislation would provide for restaurants to display this information any way they see fit for their restaurant and the standardized format would protect the restaurants from getting sued.

Customers have the right to have consistent information and currently state and local laws for labeling are not consistent.  Customers who shop in supermarkets see the same nutritional data on packaged goods and the restaurant goers should get afforded that same standard.

The Nation’s Restaurant Newspaper reported in March that California is only 1 of 5 states who have set statewide menu labeling.  Although 8 other states are currently considering measures there are still many states that need to get on board.

This task is not easy but I think it’s time we consider a national law for nutritional labeling in restaurants.

In support for this legislation I have started a petition online.  If you feel like I do and want to show support for legislation to pass a national standard on nutritional labeling in restaurants, please sign it:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/see-what-I-eat/

At last the menu for December is here. Please let us know which items are of interest to you and pass it on to anyone who is looking to Simplify their lives. Thanks so much!

Dec 7th -

Butter Chicken
Chili
Middle Eastern Chicken

Dec 14th -

Proscuitto wrapped Chicken
Salmon with Lemon Spinach
Braised Beef with Star Anise
Dec 21st -

Thai Coconut Curry
Moroccan Chicken
Maple Glazed Pork
Dec 28th – NO SERVICE

Jan 4th -

Pulled Pork
Italian Wedding Soup
Chicken Stir-Fry
Jan 11th –

Hazelnut & Fig glazed Pork
Lemon Caper Chicken
Lasagna

As you can see this time we included all 3 meals available for the week. Feel free order more than one of items that are your favorites!

Bon Appetite!

• Pollo Asado
• Estofado de Carne
• Bistec de pollo apanado

I didn’t do very good at planning menus this past week, but have been utilizing some of the freezer cooking I’d prepared earlier.  Twice we had reheated and fried leftover meatloaf slices.  I was so amazed with how good they were that way, even better than regular meatloaf. 

I’ve noticed my daughter is trying to go more meat-free in her diet, so I’m making more of an effort to include lots of veggies and fruits, even more than usual.  She’s not a total vegetarian, but I think she would be if only bacon didn’t taste so wonderful.   I need to look up more ways to make sure she gets protein in her diet, and I wouldn’t mind adopting some totally meat-free meals for the entire family for that matter. 

My goal for next week then will be to try to do one meat-free day for the whole family, need to research some new recipes.   I have become so accustomed to adding meat to every meal, even if it’s just broth in soups that it will be hard to not feel something is missing I’m afraid.  I’ll post the recipes and reviews of whatever we decide to make.

If there’s one thing I’m learning from my 52 weeks, 52 chickens experiment, it’s how to dispose of leftover chicken (and turkey!) in a variety of ways. Here are the leftover chicken recipes I’ve come up with so far – they should all work well with leftover turkey, too!

If you’ve just popped in for a visit, I hope you’ll stick around!

• Hot and numbing chicken
• Hoisin chicken buns
• Chilli chicken salad
• Miso-chicken ramen
• Bang Bang chicken
• Roast chicken risotto
• Chicken egg fu young
• Potato and savoy cabbage soup with chicken and bacon
• Red Thai curry