Strawberry Salad with Feta

“Mom, do you want some of this pizza? Oh, wait. I forgot you’re on a diet,” Amaya said.

At this point, I’ve been on some eating restriction or another for so long, the fact that she doesn’t remember my constant complaining tells me she’s just trying to torture me. .

“I’m tired of your diet,” Jake said to me yesterday. “I want you to make some real cookies, not this kind of stuff.”

Oh yeah? Has it been hard for you? Really? Has it? Oh, here, let me console you while you eat your store bought Oreos which you did not bother hiding very well in the cupboard.

This is your thinking when you’re deprived. Suspicious, resentful, and hungry. You want to swipe your 6-year-old’s spoon out of her hand and scoop up the rest of her macaroni and cheese because orange powdered cheese seems like a total food group.

I’m sure everyone in the world is over hearing about my dieting, or whatever you want to call it, “Lifestyle eating”, if the word diet offends your ears. I’ll still be whispering the “d” word over here, because I’m not into eating lifestyles. I’m into eating food.

I like kale salad. I also like croissants and bacon. I like vegan banana ice cream. And Momofuku cookies. I like Lebanese chickpeas in olive oil and spices almost as much as I like natto with a raw egg. I don’t think there’s a well-made food out there that you can keep me away from.

Don’t put me in a box, is what I’m saying. So maybe it’s even more surprising that I would willingly choose to go through with Whole 30 for, namely, 30 days. I’ve been seeing the hashtag signs on the wall for a while now from fellow instagrammers and twitterers. Everyone says it’s a great thing to go through and you learn so much about yourself. Maybe I thought I would prove them wrong, but I needed a little challenge to get myself out of my box. I wanted to look at food from another angle.

What I learned:

A lot of store-bought food has ingredients you don’t actually want to eat. That’s why I’m now regularly making my own almond milk and loving it.

Coconut butter and sun butter are so under appreciated.

Paleo isn’t so much about eating meat, as it is about eating vegetables. You have to stuff your fridge so completely full of vegetables that you think, there is no way I will finish these, and then you do. You might die a little inside if you look at your grocery bill, but you are addicted to vegetables, and you’re not going to stop until you find a way to inject kale juice directly into your veins. Because it’s that good.

I liked how I felt after 30 days. I was able to stick to it even though I was working twelve hours at a time and stayed up way too late most nights, which usually floors me. I wasn’t too tired and I exercised every day and 200 squats seem easy now. Two “take everything and run” colds that came through my house just barely jostled me on their way out.

I won’t be eating this way as strictly the rest of my life, but I’m keeping the breakfasts, the vegetables, and the eating real food.

I’m on to some more fitness oriented goals, namely, doing a pull up. ONE.

I didn’t get tired of the food. I kept experimenting, as I always do. Mix it up. Put strawberries and chia seeds in your salad for goodness sakes. Buy some Meyer lemons. Crack that tropical pepper sea salt over it. Buy 5 kinds of salad greens and don’t blink an eye. Realize that everything in your salad sounds like poetry. Give yourself something to look forward to, like Feta, when you’re done with this ridiculous diet.

Feta, I’ve missed you. Stinky and all.

Strawberry and Feta Salad

• Baby Arugula
• Kale and perhaps, Cabbage, thinly sliced
• Radish Sprouts
• Strawberries, hulled and sliced
• Grape Tomatoes, halved
• Slivered Almonds
• Feta, the real stuff, because you deserve it
• Chia Seeds

For the Salad Dressing

• Dijon Mustard, the grainy expensive kind you could eat with a spoon
• Meyer Lemon, halved
• EVOO
• Salt and pepper, freshly ground, flavors optional

Put the salad ingredients in a bowl, use less of the descending ingredients, but you decide. It’s your salad. Maybe you want to eat the entire block of feta. I won’t judge you. Sprinkle on just a tablespoon or two of those chia seeds, unless you're trying to see what you can sprout out of the human body. Go ahead.

With your serving spoon dip into the mustard and splatter it onto your salad like a person who doesn’t recognize Jackson Pollock’s genius. Use your eating fork and stab your lemon like the civilized caveman you are, squeeze, and get that juice everywhere. Either try to find the seeds that fall out of it or don’t. You probably won’t notice. Try to pour a teensy bit of olive oil from the jar directly on your salad, without bothering to use a spoon, because you can control it, oh but too bad, you probably poured too much. Who cares. That’s what you were trying to do anyway. Crack that salt and pepper over everything like you’re a waiter at a fancy restaurant. Toss it together, flipping turning folding until you have a mess. A beautiful, edible mess.

Eat it directly out of the serving bowl, because that’s how much salad you need to eat to feel full for at least fifteen minutes, and you’re not sharing.

Paleo Porridge

I think there should be more support groups.

"Dishwashing Deadbeats Anon" 
"Put the Clean Clothes Away Before the Next Laundry Day Self-Help" 
"Chocolate Addicts United"
"Stop Counting the Number of Essays You Have Left To Grade 12 Step Program"

Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a team of people in the same boat as you telling you about their journey and giving you tips and love for stuff you already know you should be doing?

 And let's face it, a little public view and peer pressure wouldn't hurt to keep us honest.

I've recently joined a support group of crazy called Whole 30, and a few friends and I have a facebook group page where we, yes, post pictures of every single thing we eat. And we argue about the finer stricter points of Whole 30 so that we can obsess, just like real addicts. It's pretty great.

After I finish my Whole 30 month, I think I'm going to need a sponsor.

Paleo Porridge (Print this!)
If you're doing Whole 30, don't use this in place of a meal, but I do like to keep a few jars of this around so I can have a snack to grab right after school or mid morning. Also, examine your almond milk and be shocked, like me, when it has all sorts of carcinogens, sugars, or gums. If you're lucky you'll have a store with an acceptable brand.

• 1 Cup almond milk (or 1/2 C coconut milk thinned with water)
• 1 to 2 Tbsp chia seeds (depends on how thick you like it)
• 1 Tbsp goji berries
• 1 Tbsp dried mulberries
• 1 Tbsp chopped almonds
• several slices of banana
• optional: other fruits such as kiwi, strawberry

1. Put the almond milk in a jar or bowl. Sprinkle the chia seeds on top. Add the goji berries, mulberries, almonds, and banana slices. 
2. Put the lid back on and shake the jar several times to distribute. If you're using a bowl, stir thoroughly. 
3. Keep the jar in the fridge until ready to eat, but soak at least 20 minutes. These can stay in the fridge for at least a day, maybe more (mine always get eaten sooner). Before eating, add some other chopped fruit, if desired. 

Paleo Shamrock Shake

Generally, this diet has definitely made me want the nasty processed stuff less than usual. But the thing that always gets me--

LIMITED EDITION HOLIDAY SPECIAL ONLY GOING TO BE AROUND WHILE YOUʻRE ON A DIET AND YOUʻLL ALWAYS WONDER IF ITʻS GOOD

in bold.

A while ago it was the Oreos in every possible new flavor... And I love Oreos. So that was killing me. I caved and ate the lemon, birthday cake, and berry ice cream flavors probably all in the same week.

I started seeing the Shamrock Shake pop up and I thought, oh no. Here it is. Another thing that Iʻm going to have to wait a year for. I adore holiday themed foods. Especially holidays like St. Patrickʻs Day which have very little meaning whatsoever. (Sorry, Irish peoples, if I just offended you.)

To try to talk myself out of it I looked at this: Whatʻs Really In That Shamrock Shake?

Ok, so maybe itʻs not such a good idea.

Iʻm sure even a homemade just pain olʻ icecream shake would be better than that.

So I made my Paleo Version. And Yes, itʻs healthy. I mean, spirulina is some seriously natural food coloring and freaking good for you too.

Iʻve also seen a couple of versions using avocado, which is a fantastic idea. Thatʻs what Iʻm going to try next. Maybe just frozen bananas and avocado and there will be no need for ice cubes. I also like coconut milk but I wasnʻt so sure about coconut milk and mint together.

I really like dates. So good.

This is all it is. Blend it together. Really well. The straw is optional. Be careful with that mint. I prefer not to drink toothpaste.

What is Paleo? and 10 Reasons to Try Eating Paleo

I once read that if you take a break from blogging, you should never mention the absence, excuse it, or apologize for it.
Here I am, ready to do all three.

1) Hi. Nice to see you again.
2) Iʻve been on a diet and I kind of hate it.
3) Iʻm sorry.

If I didnʻt do those things, Iʻd be that douchey guy in the movie that knocks on the door, sits on the couch like its owner, like heʻd never left, when really he walked out on her three months ago without explanation. And if she said, "Hey, whereʻve you been?" heʻd roll his eyes like caring made her weak. (Yeah. Iʻve seen lots of terrible movies.)

Well, caring is what brings me back. Thank you for caring.

If you follow me on instagram then you probably know allllll about what Iʻve been eating, since thatʻs my record keeper these days. Please let me know if you have an account-- Iʻm all about seeing what youʻre eating too. I have friends that roll their eyes about this (caring about every day food makes you weak) but I really do want to see what deliciousness you had for dinner, even though Iʻd probably tear it out of your hands if you had it in front of me.

I get asked a lot, "What is Paleo?" and I always feel a little silly answering that question, because it sounds kind of crazy.

Basically, itʻs...

Protein (meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds)
A lot of vegetables
Some fruit

And thatʻs it.

I donʻt exactly buy all of the caveman theory behind it, so I wonʻt get into that, but here are my reasons for paleo.

The 10 Reasons You Should Try Paleo

1) You will probably lose weight. (I say probably, because if you eat ten pieces of bacon every day Iʻm sure you wonʻt, but in general, youʻll probably lose weight.)

2) You wonʻt be eating sugar.

3) Your normal cravings will slow down. You will probably still be hungry, but the "I need to eat this whole box of doughnuts to fill this void" kind of craving will slow down significantly.

4) You will be eating whole, real foods, which means youʻll feel better that youʻre not eating processed crap and chemicals. Thereʻs a big emphasis on organic as well.

5) You wonʻt feel full and sluggish after meals. I have this problem, where I eat until I am past full. When Iʻm eating Paleo, I NEVER feel that way. When you cheat and have a meal where you eat 4 pieces of pizza, something you didnʻt even think about before, you feel totally sick and you want to never eat pizza again (you will, of course, want to eat pizza again by the next day).

6) Bacon.

7) You will eat so many more vegetables.  I feel really happy with myself when I am eating tons of veggies. It just feels right.

8) Your eating will become more mindful. No more of this "Iʻll just grab a few chips..." only to eat the whole bag. Snacking is pretty much gone.

9) Less joint pains. Iʻve read a lot of accounts of paleo dieters claiming that their fibromyalgia and other significant diseases are cured. I even read one account that claimed her plaque was gone. Iʻm not about to believe all of that, but I have been dealing with achy joints for my whole life, and they always seem to flare up when I donʻt drink enough water and when I eat a lot of carbs or sugar. When Iʻm doing well with my Paleo diet, I donʻt have achy joints. Zip. At first I thought it was coincidental, but I canʻt deny it any longer.

10) Youʻre eating and youʻre eating good for you food. I am very wary of diets that just make me feel hungry and sick and I have to count calories all day long and youʻre still allowed to eat all of the boxed jello you want. Iʻm still hungry. Just not sick.

Now, it wouldnʻt be fair if I didnʻt list some cons. The biggest one is that eating is a very social thing, and Iʻm often feeling left out, even at home with my family. 50% of the time Iʻm making something no one else wants to eat and the other 50% of the time Iʻm jealous of what everyone else is eating. Itʻs very difficult to find a balance with that. Then thereʻs all the food I have to say No to, and it really makes it very clear just how much food is part of your social life. Mostly everyone thinks youʻre a bit weird and obsessed. Unfortunately, if youʻre on a diet, you kind of have to be. That can be dangerous too. Thereʻs dieting cross over into lifestyle cross over into eating disorder.

Another big con is that youʻre eating a lot of meat. I used to eat vegetarian and vegan most of the time. Iʻm still struggling with that. I donʻt really like that Iʻm eating so much meat, but I feel very weak and tired if I donʻt. I also donʻt believe that a lot of meat is good for you for the long run. Iʻm definitely going to add back in whole grains when I reach my target weight.

There are other cons, namely dairy, beans, peanut butter, and sugar. Those are huge. And boy, does that suck.

Iʻm not at 100% Paleo. Iʻve been kind of dancing around it because the cons are big ones and especially when I like to cook and bake, itʻs hard. Iʻve been eating about 85% Paleo which means I mess up for about 3 meals a week. I also exercise every day, and I think if you go Paleo you have to do that because youʻre eating so much protein it really needs to go somewhere. I donʻt think this is a sedentary lifestyle kind of diet.

If you are looking for a diet to reverse some of your bad habit eating and are trying to lose weight in a way that isnʻt about crash-dieting, I suggest you try Paleo. Try it for thirty days and see if you think itʻs worth all the hype. And then write to me and mourn all of the things we love to eat that we canʻt.

For now Iʻm all about eating whatever I can thatʻs delicious.

Paleo Fried Rice (serves 2)

·      2 tsp coconut oil

·      1 Cup Cauliflower stalk and leaves

·      1 red or yellow bell pepper

·      1 small onion

·      1 small carrot, peeled

·      3 cloves garlic

·      1/2 C ham (not deli meat—from a slice of whole ham)

·      3 slices bacon

·      1 ½ tsp coconut aminos (very similar to soy sauce)

·      ½ tsp sesame oil

·      salt and pepper to taste

·      1 medium zucchini, grated

·      2 eggs, lightly beaten

1.     Chop the cauliflower stalk, bell pepper, onion, and carrot into very small dice, about ¼”. Heat the coconut oil in a wok over high heat. Toss all of the vegetables in at once and stir fry, tossing around vegetables quickly with a wooden spoon. After a few minutes, the onion should start to become translucent and the vegetables start sweating.

2.     Mince the garlic and chop the ham and bacon in very small dice as well. Add the garlic and meats to the pan and keep tossing together. Keep frying until the veggies seem mostly dry, a couple of minutes more.

3.     Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Stir and then make a little pocket on the side of the pan for the eggs. Pour in the eggs and stir them around to cook like scrambled eggs. Once the eggs are cooked add the zucchini. Toss until the zucchini is just tender. This goes from fresh and light to soggy, quickly. Serve while still hot. 

Donʻt worry, Iʻm not going to become an exclusively Paleo blogger. Youʻll just be seeing a lot more Paleo for a while.

Sunshine Paleo Muffins

  Happy New Year to you!

I suppose this means we have to eat healthy again, don’t we?

Sigh.

Gulp.

Slumped shoulders.

I’ve been living up my Christmas Break baking extravaganza (I won’t even tell you how many Lilikoi pies I’ve made and how many cinnamon rolls I’ve eaten) and maybe I’m just trying to make myself so sick that I’ll be happy as a clam to give up all good food  really not good for you food for… a month. At least.

But I can’t just give up baking completely.

These are normally called “Morning Glory” muffins. There are a million versions on the internet. I kind of like mine the best because I’m not super into chunky nuts, but I like raisins in the right proportions.

They don’t taste like normal muffins. I won’t lie to you. They’ll do in a pinch, and especially if you are the kind of person who normally eats nine muffins in a sitting and are trying to be the kind of person that only eats one.

Ok, two.

FINNNNNNNE, I’ll have another one, but only if you stop looking at me like that.

Bake a bunch, save a few. They’re great for snacks when you need something to grab.

Sunshine Paleo Muffins

makes 11 muffins

• 1 Cup sweet potato, cooked and mashed
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 C honey
• 1/4 Cup applesauce
• 2/3 Cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
• 2/3 Cup shredded carrot
• 1/2 Cup raisins or cranberries or dried cherries or none at all, if you prefer
• 1 1/2 Cups almond flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• a pinch of nutmeg
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• coconut oil, for greasing the muffin cups only

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Wipe the inside of a 12 muffin tin with coconut oil.
2. Whisk together the sweet potato, eggs, and honey in a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir together until combined.
3. Scoop the batter into the muffin tin cups with a standard sized ice cream scoop (about 1/4 C per muffin).
4. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from tin and serve.    

Open Faced Breakfast Sandwich

I only had eyes for Christina at the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival in September. 

Oh, yes, we’re totally on a first name basis. And I told her she was my rock star.

She is as gracious in person as she is in her book.

I lurked around her table. I barged in on people at a nearby table and pretended to look around. I was the most obvious stalker possible. She was a total professional. A few of the slow poached eggs broke before they could be served and she sent them back to be redone. I haven’t figured out how to make these eggs—I’ve tried twice—but this is the second time I’ve gotten to eat them and they are even lovelier than I remember.

I’m a girl that’s squeamish about uncooked egg white but slow poached eggs, done in the shell and then broken and slid out right before consuming, are creamy, even though they appear underdone. The yolk is the perfect temperature and bursts like a little sun. I’ve said before that she’s a genius with salt in her recipes. I watched that genius in action. She’s not afraid of salt; she pinched it up and made it rain.

My heart sang, “Let me wash dishes for free in your kitchen. You don’t have to share your secrets, I just want to eat your crumbs. I will never leave if you teach me how to sprinkle salt.” It’s a miracle I came home that afternoon.

I accidentally took a swig of her coffee milk. I thought it was chocolate, but it wasn’t.

(oopsitwastasty)

Did I say there was onion pineapple marmalade and bacon? There was. Sorry to torture you like this.

Too bad I can’t kidnap her and make her be my personal chef. I’m sure if I did that she would still be super nice to me, as she was to everyone. I can’t say the same for all the famous people that were there.

Not to mention that I would be the fattest person alive, at which point she could escape.

I went with the 59th best thing and made myself a breakfast sandwich, with one half of a multigrain English muffin.

It’s about 300 calories. Was completely compliant with my diet. You could probably even put some turkey bacon on it.

Nowhere near as good as Christina’s, but I still have a memory.

A dream.

An inspiration.

Hello Musubi!

A couple of days ago I got a package.
Look what was in it.   (ok, so the towel is already wrinkly, because I don’t know how to use kitchen towels properly, but it’s perfect in real life.)
You’re jealous. I know. I’m lucky enough to have Shar as an “pen” pal and she sends me the best packages (noodles from Chinatown, curry leaves, and even lemons and limes from her garden). These are her new designs for this season. Do you see how ingenious this is? Rice kitty, nori wrap on the onigiri shaped body… Crazy Cute.
Shar, the creator of shirts, towels, and all things kawaii, will be at Moanalua High School this Saturday from 9-2, and there are free shuttles from Aliamanu middle school. She says that this is a huge show with over 200 vendors.
If you miss her there, the last show is at Moanalua Middle school...from 9-2. Mahiole street in Moanalua Gardens on December 15th.
If you’re not lucky enough to be in Hawaii and want to order, email me and maybe she’ll be willing to ship to you. But poor you, not living in Hawaii. You miss out on all the fun.