RIP Robin Williams

If a superstar like Robin Williams, who was by all accounts, intelligent, kind, inspirational, funny, rich, famous, and adored by fans the world over, couldn't just "get over" his depression. Maybe, just maybe, it was because he had a real disease that needed true medical attention and treatment... 

Mental illnesses such as major depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, PTSD, substance abuse, OCD, etc are "real" illnesses. They are diseases of the brain that often times have symptoms expressed as behaviors instead physical symptoms. Most people can usually empathize with physical symptoms such as a broken bone, or someone bleeding, or your stomach hurting. The symptoms of a mental illness are much harder to grasp if you are not the one suffering. A person suffering from a mental illness can not just get over it with some positive thinking. Just like a person with heart disease can't peep talk their way out of unclogging their arteries. In both examples, they are sick and need true medical help. But often times what happens is the individual suffering from a mental illness withdraws and feels the stigma from society, friends, family, and even the medical community. Combined with the atrocious mental health care system in the United States, it's a recipe for feelings of hopelessness and suicide.

I've seen posts from people that say, "if you are contemplating suicide get help." In most states, if you are admitted to the mental ward of the hospital, they will only keep you for 48 hrs if you are a danger to yourself or others. After which you'll be evaluated by a doctor, and if you have home and/or a family to stay with, you will more than likely be released to go home because the system is so broken; they can't keep you there any longer. Others are just released back into the streets and then more often than not, end up in jail or prison. We incarcerate people for being sick. That is the norm in this country. Getting help for diseases of the brain just isn't as easy as getting help for a broken bone... 

 

1 in 4 individuals is living with a mental illness. I hope to see the day where having a disease of your brain is given the same attention, empathy, and medical treatment as diseases that effect other organs of the body.

R.I.P. Robin Williams. You were one of the greats. One of my favorite memories growing up was going to the movies with my grandpa around Christmas time to see Mrs. Doubtfire. You helped make memories filled with laughter.

Lions, Cheetahs, Rhinos, and Elephants (oh my)

I refuse to repost any pictures or articles about the Texan girl, who interestingly enough is referenced in headlines as a "Texas teen cheerleader" instead of a better descriptor "Texas teen trophy hunter." But I digress... Instead of posting an emotion filled answer of why I personally believe it's morally wrong to kill these animals for sport or trophies; I will try to take this opportunity to educate you on some facts about these animals and where they stand as endangered species.

The Texas teen trophy hunter has pictures with four different dead animals: an African Lion, a Cheetah, a Rhino (I believe it's a White Rhino), and an Elephant (I'm assuming it's an African Elephant. I can't see the ear size in her photos). Below are some facts on how these magnificent animals are fading away from our planet at a rapid rate because of irresponsible human behavior (such as hers).

The African Lion

Only 32,000 Lions Remain out of 100,000 Roaming Africa in the 1960s.

The most comprehensive assessment of lion (Panthera leo) numbers to date determined that Africa’s once-thriving savannahs are undergoing massive land-use conversion and burgeoning human population growth. The decline has had a significant impact on the lions that make their home in these savannahs; their numbers have dropped to as low as 32,000, down from hundreds of thousands estimated just 50 years ago.

The study, funded in part by the National Geographic Big Cats Initiative, was published online in the journal Biodiversity and Conservation.

On the U.S. Endangered Spices Act List?

Currently under review. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announced a 90-day finding on a petition to list the African lion (Panthera leo leo) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Based on their review, they found that the petition presented substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing this subspecies may be warranted.

Source(s):

National Geographic

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2012/12/06/lion-numbers-plunge-as-african-wilderness-succumbs-to-human-pressure/

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=A0JZ

The White Rhino

The white rhino was once on the brink of extinction with only around 50 individuals left in the wild! The white rhino recovered from near extinction as a species thanks to intensive conservation efforts. The latest population estimate is 20,405; the vast majority live in a single country South Africa, which is currently experiencing a poaching crisis.

Although the Southern White Rhino is one of the more prevalent species, the Northern White Rhino is critically endangered. The sub-species was declared extinct in the wild in 2008, and there are only four individuals remaining in captivity in Garamba National Park.

On the U.S. Endangered Spices Act List?

Endangered for the Northern White Rhinos.

Source(s):

Save the Rhino

http://www.savetherhino.org/rhino_info/species_of_rhino

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=A025

The Cheetah

Most wild cheetahs are found in eastern and southwestern Africa. Perhaps only 7,000 to 10,000 of these big cats remain, and those are under pressure as the wide-open grasslands they favor are disappearing at the hands of human settlers.

On the U.S. Endangered Spices Act List?

Endangered where ever found.

Source(s):

National Geographic

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/cheetah/

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=A00S

The African Elephant

There are only 300,000 African elephants in Southern African Heartlands and small herds in the mere hundreds throughout West Africa.

The large tusks on either side of the elephant’s face—used to forage for food and water—have long been desired by people. Poachers kill elephants for their ivory, which is then sold and made into anything from jewelry to religious objects. At current poaching rates, elephant populations may not survive 10 years in the wild.

Increased demand spurred by Beijing’s lax ivory laws has seen ivory prices rocket from $750 in 2010 to $2,100 in 2014, meaning the widespread slaughter of African elephants “shows little sign of abating,” according to Save the Elephants. The campaign group estimates 33,000 elephants were slaughtered annually between 2010 and 2012.

On the U.S. Endangered Spices Act List?

Threatened where ever found (if it's actually an Asian Elephant, those are classified as endangered where ever found).

Source(s):

African Wildlife Foundation

http://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/elephant

Time

http://time.com/2953056/african-elephant-poaching-soars-as-ivory-prices-triple-in-china/

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=A07U

Trophy hunting of these animals

And for those that would be interested to read an argument about using trophy hunting as a form on conservation, read this article:

"It's a complicated argument," admits Giraffe Conservation Foundation founder Dr. Julian Fennessey. ""There are lots of factors. The loss of habitat and breaking up of populations by man-made constructions are the main factors threatening their numbers. In the countries where you can hunt legally, the populations are increasing but across Africa the overall numbers are dropping alarmingly."

Source:

http://endangeredspecies.about.com/od/endangeredspeciesconflicts/a/Can-Hunting-Help-Save-Endangered-Species.htm

And because I like to use science as a backup, here's a scientific paper studying the sustainability of hunting endangered species.

"While it is true that species' extinction due to trophy hunting has never been reported, as stated in Mysterud's (2012) commentary, there are documented cases of unsustainable trophy hunting. Among the most topical examples is the decline of the lion (Panthera leo) and cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) populations because of trophy hunting (Whitman et al., 2004; Packer et al., 2009, 2011)."

Source:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-1795.2012.00521.x/full

So there you have it! A bunch of information for you to consume about these animals and trophy hunting. Whatever side you take in the issue, at least be aware that whatever we, humans, are doing now to help save these animals from extinction is not working. The numbers don't lie.

End of furlough

Back at work!! Woohoo! I'm so glad that the shutdown has ended. Although, part of me does feel that all the major issues have just been kicked down a road a bit. I wouldn't be shocked if this happened again in January...

But! I have pulled the together days 12 through 16. I made one last video this morning since technically I wasn't back at work until 10:00 am on day day 17.

I will admit, it was getting really difficult towards the end to think of up new songs! But thanks to all my friends (Teresa, Tommy, Tim, Michelle, Stefanie, Rich, Brittani, Lisa, Jay, and Dave) who supported my shenanigans and helped make my furlough not so bad. You guys are great friends, sponsors, supporters, singers, dancers and people. Love you :)

Furlough: Day 11

1.     fur·lough noun \ˈfər-(ˌ)lō\

a: a period of time when a soldier is allowed to leave the place where he or she is stationed

b: a period of time when an employee is told not to come to work and is not paid

c: a period of time when a prisoner is allowed to leave prison

2.     furlough transitive verb

a: to grant a furlough to (someone)

b: to put (a worker) on furlough

I am currently experiencing definition 1b. I haven't been to work since Monday, September 30th because of the government shutdown. I decided to use my first day off to bust out a bunch of errands and make a serious dent in my “to do” list. After spending way too much money on grain free dog and cat food, I was in the parking lot of Petsmart and I had the DAY-O BANANA BOAT song playing in my head. But instead of “DAY-O” I was singing “furlough” to myself. It made me laugh, so I figured it would give my friends a laugh as well. I recorded my 10 second rendition of DAY-O via snapchat and off it went. I remember thinking to myself, “Since this shutdown can’t possibly go on that long, it doesn’t hurt to keep it light and be funny about it.”

Then day two came with absolutely no resolution to the shutdown. I heard the PARTY ROCK ANTHEM on the radio and the inspiration was almost too easy: “Everyday I’m furloughing!” I snapchatted that genius and shared it for a laugh. Very shortly afterwards, I received a response from a friend that said, “You need to get a job” which was probably very true. But since Congress and the POTUS didn’t see NASA as essential personnel, I was furloughing it up.

By day three, I had enough of listening to the garbage politians were spewing on CSpan Radio. Listening to CSpan and reading the news did nothing but make me depressed about the furlough situation. So, I took a vacation to Austin for Austin City Limits (ACL). This trip had been planned months in advance and so the timing was purely coincidental but I called it my furloughcation. I decided to keep my head up about the situation. I thought it would be entertaining to make 10 second furlough videos and share with friends via snapchat. I would make one every day until I was called back to work.

I never imaged the shutdown would last this long and I’d make it through 11 songs! But it’s crazy how many songs there are that have lyrics where furlough can be substituted! The Cure and Lionel Richie both performed at ACL this year and I definitely used a couple of their songs as inspiration (which was kinda perfect). Around day eight or nine, I realized that I should probably just share all these funny videos on the Internet because the world needs some laughter, especially now. I went ahead and combined my first 11 songs into the video below. I am a terrible singer and have absolutely zero musical skills. But hopefully you’ll find them all entertaining and get a good laugh out of it.

Day 1: Day-O Banana Boat Song, Harry Belafonte

Day 2: Party Rock Anthem, LMFAO

Day 3: Firework, Katy Perry

Day 4: Friday I'm In Love, The Cure

Day 5: Hold On, Wilson Phillips

Day 6: Easy Like Sunday Morning, Lionel Richie

Day 7: Manic Monday, The Bangles

Day 8: I’m Different, 2 Chainz

Day 9: Low, Flo-Rida

Day 10: Blurred Lines, Robin Thick

Day 11: Creep, TLC

Looks like I’ll need at least 3 more songs to get me through the weekend. So if you have any requests or ideas, let me know!! And let's hope this shutdown mess comes to an end soon...

Special thanks to Stefanie for filming me during days 5-9 and to Dave for the inspiration on day 9 J

Beef Tacos Paleo Style

I had a craving all day for some old school ground beef tacos. Of course, almost everything about a traditional taco is anti-paleo so you have to get creative! Although there is no crispy outer shell or cheese or sour cream, I promise these tacos are SUPER tasty and bursting with rich flavors!

There is the extra step of making the taco seasoning. But I think it's worth it and you can store the extra and use the seasoning later for either more tacos or other Mexican type dishes. Plus when you make the seasoning, you actually know what's in it! The store bought stuff has god only knows what in it... I used the seasoning recipe from another blog and it was delicious!

Ingredients:

Taco Seasoning
1/2 cup dried minced onion, or onion powder
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup sea salt
1/8 cup garlic powder
1/8 cup ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Put all the ingredients in a pint mason jar, shaking to combine.

Meat Filling
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 lb grass fed ground beef
3 tbsp taco seasoning
Juice from 1 lime

1. In a large skillet, heat coconut oil using medium heat.
2. Saute onions and garlic until golden brown, 7-8 min.
3. Add green peppers until soft, 3-4 min.
4. Add ground beef. Be sure to let ground beef brown and caramelize first before moving around. This is the trick to successfully browning your ground beef.
5. Add taco seasoning and lime juice and thoroughly mix with ground beef and vegetables. Break up any larger pieces of meat.
6. Cook ground beef until pink is no longer visible, 5-7 min.
7. Remove meat from heat when done and let rest.

Taco construction
1 head bib lettuce
1/2 tomato chopped
handful of cilantro
1 avocado, sliced

1. Place 1 piece of lettuce on a place.
2. Fill with a large spoon full of meat filling.
3. Top with tomato, cilantro, and avocado.
4. Eat and enjoy!

Beef Tacos Paleo Style

A paleo friendly Filipino dish, pancit!

For those that may not know, I am half Filipino. I was born in the Philippines and that's where my mother is from. My father is basically a mix of German and Polish. So as you can imagine, I had a very wide range of dishes while growing up. But my mother's cooking was always my favorite and still is to this day. Filipino dishes give me that feeling of home. I can remember when I was a little girl she would make lumpia, pancit, fried rice, adobo and these little whole fishes that always made the entire house smell! It wasn't until I was in middle school that I realized these foods were not things that my friends had for dinner everyday! Now that  live away from home, I only get to experience my mom's cooking during the holidays. Her lumpia is one of the best parts of Christmas! I also loved her pancit. It is basically the equivalent of Filipino comfort food; you can eat pancit for any meal, any time of day and it's still awesome!

With all that said, Filipino food is not exactly paleo friendly. But I have had a craving for it lately. Pancit is a dish that is normally made with rice based noodles from the Philippines which is obviously a paleo no-no. So, I did a search for "paleo pancit" to see if anyone had figured it out yet and the folks at Everyday Paleo came pretty close. They used shredded cabbage as the noodle base and also suggested adding a sweet potato to get a starchy consistency. The combination worked perfectly. I also modified their recipe slightly to add vegetables that better reflected what I remembered my mother using. And I gotta say, it turned out pretty awesome! I found myself eating two very large bowls.

My mother knows that I am eating differently now but I am curious if she'd like it. Might have to make it for the family next time I visit to possibly improve it with some secret mom tips. Now if only there was a paleo lumpia...

Enjoy!
*****

Paleo Filipino Pancit

Ingredients:
4 eggs (optional)

2 tablespoons coconut oil
3 teaspoons crushed garlic*
6 green onions, diced*
4 stalks celery, diced*
1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into small bite size pieces*
1 lb pork loin, cut into small bit size pieces*

2 tablespoons coconut oil
6 cups shredded green cabbage*
1 sweet potato, spiral sliced using a Spiral Vegetable Slicer*
5 carrots, diced*

1/4 cup coconut aminos
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons sugar free fish sauce
Juice from 1 lemon
Black pepper and Celtic sea salt to taste

*A tip for this recipe is to have all your prep done before you start cooking; the recipe comes together pretty quickly.

1. Boil your eggs. If you want to learn how to make the perfect hard boiled eggs, read this blog. Works every time!

2. In a large wok heat the first 2 tbsp coconut oil over medium to medium high heat.  When the wok is nice and hot, add the garlic, green onions, celery, chicken, and pork and saute for about 10 minutes or until the meat is done all the way through but still tender. Remove the meat from the wok and set aside.

3. In the same wok, heat the next 2 tbsp coconut oil over medium to medium high heat. Add the cabbage, sweet potato, and carrots to the wok and cook until the cabbage is tender, about 10 minutes.

4. Add the chicken and pork back to the veggies and pour in the coconut aminos, chicken broth, fish sauce, and lemon juice. Season with black pepper and salt to taste. Stir well and cook for another 5-7 minutes until well combined.

5. Slice hard boiled eggs and place on top of pancit. Serve in bowls with a lemon wedge.

Paleo Filipino Pancit

Paleo Veggie Stir Fry

You are going to love this recipe! I discovered something called coconut aminos which is a soy free substitute for soy sauce! It's all the flavor without the soy or high salt! Cooking with this stuff will change your life. I found coconut aminos at Whole Foods in the Asian food section but you can also order it through Amazon here. Coconut aminos is basically the “sap” of the coconut tree. The sap produced is loaded with amino acids, minerals, and is low on the glycemic index. You can read more about this amazing ingredient here.

Tonight, I decided to make a stir fry that was adapted from an Asian Style "Noodles" recipe. I had a bunch of vegetables that needed to be used, so a stir fry is always a good solution. The sauce for this recipe reminds me of a peanut sauce (but without the peanuts of course). It's VERY tasty and could probably be used on chicken as well. Hope you like it as much as I did!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large cooked spaghetti squash (you could use zucchini noodles as well)
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 large head of broccoli, florets cut off
3 carrots, sliced into matchsticks
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp almond butter
6 tbsp coconut aminos
2 tbsp Red Boat fish sauce (this is a sugar free brand)
Juice of 2 limes

Ingredients

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 deg.

2. Cut spaghetti squash in half and clean out seeds.

3. Place spaghetti squash in glass casserole dish filled with 1 inch of water, hollow side down.

4. Bake for 45 minutes, remove and let cool. Scope out squash and set aside.

5. While squash is cooking, heat 1 Tbsp of oil, in a large skillet, over medium high heat. Saute onions, 3-4 minutes.

6. Add the broccoli and carrots and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until mostly tender.

7. In a blender, mix together garlic, almond butter, coconut aminos, Red Boat fish sauce, and lime juice.

8. Add the sauce to the stir fry and mix thoroughly (you may not need to use all of the sauce).

9. Add the spaghetti squash to the stir fry or serve stir fry over spaghetti squash (see picture below).

Stir fry served over spaghetti squash

Shrimp and Tomato Sauté with Zucchini Spaghetti

So, my last entry was Shrimp and Tomato Sauté with Spaghetti Squash and I loved it so much! I wanted to try the same recipe using zucchini spaghetti. The recipes are very similar to each other, just basically served over a different vegetable. I also made some tweaks to the recipe for my own tastes. 

I just made this dish for dinner tonight and I must say, it's awesome! The zucchini had more flavor than the spaghetti squash and was closer to the consistency of al dente pasta. Might be my new favorite for the summer! To make the zucchini spaghetti you need to invest in a spiral slicer. I bought mine on Amazon and it works great!

Ingredients:
10 roma tomatoes
turbinado sugar
1 large zucchini
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
coarse celtic sea salt and ground pepper
3 garlic cloves
pinch of red-pepper flakes
handful of fresh basil
juice from 1 lemon
fresh parsley for garnish

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cut plum tomatoes in half and arrange cut side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

3. Sprinkle tomatoes with turbinado sugar.

4. Bake for an hour, remove and let cool.

5. Cut ends of zucchini and place in spiral slicer. Slice the entire zucchini using the smallest blade setting.

Zucchini spaghetti coming out of spiral slicer.

Plate full of beautiful zucchini spaghetti.

6. In a large skillet, heat extra-virgin olive oil over high. Saute zucchini spaghetti for 7-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

Saute zucchini spaghetti.

7. In another large skillet, heat extra-virgin olive oil over high.

8. Season shrimp with coarse salt and ground pepper. Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 4 minutes. 

Cook shrimp until opaque.

9. Place garlic cloves, red-pepper flakes, fresh basil, and fresh lemon juice in a food processor and mix.

10. Add mixture to skillet and cook for 4-6 minutes; toss to coat.

Toss to coat.

11. Stir in tomatoes and cook until tomatoes being to break down, 4 to 6 minutes. Season with salt. 

12. In a large dish, mix shrimp and tomato sauté with zucchini spaghetti. Top with fresh parsley for garnish.

Yum yum!

Enjoy!

Shrimp and Tomato Sauté with Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:
6 plum tomatoes
turbinado sugar
1 spaghetti squash
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
coarse salt and ground pepper
5 garlic cloves
pinch of red-pepper flakes
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh basil
juice from 2 lemons

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cut plum tomatoes in half and arrange cut side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

3. Sprinkle tomatoes with turbinado sugar.

4. Bake for an hour, remove and let cool.

5. Cut spaghetti squash in half and clean out seeds.

6. Place spaghetti squash in glass casserole dish filled with 1 inch of water, hollow side down.

7. Bake for 45 minutes, remove and let cool. Scope out squash and set aside.

8. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat extra-virgin olive oil over high.

9. Season shrimp with coarse salt and ground pepper. Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 4 minutes.

10. Place garlic cloves, red-pepper flakes, fresh parsley, fresh basil, and fresh lemon juice in a food processor and mix.

11. Add mixture to skillet and cook for 4-6 minutes; toss to coat.

12. Stir in tomatoes and cook until tomatoes being to break down, 4 to 6 minutes. Season with salt.

13. Serve over spaghetti squash.

Quinoa Mango Salad and Skirt Steak

Totally yummy salad!

INGREDIENTS

Quinoa
1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups water

Orange vinaigrette
14 mint leaves, minced
1 tablespoon capers, minced
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad
1 mango, peeled and diced into 1/4-inch chunks
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeds removed, and chopped
1/2 cup roasted red peppers
1 cup packed greens (spinach, arugula, mixed lettuces), chopped

Steak

3 lbs of skirt steak2 tbsp Coriander seeds
2 tbsp Fennel seeds
2 tbsp Turbinado Sugar
1 Jalapeno, seeds removed and minced
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro leaves
coarse sea salt
fresh cracked pepper

SALAD DIRECTIONS

1.    Place the quinoa and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan, and cook until all the liquid is absorbed, about 10 to 12 minutes.

2.    While the quinoa cooks, make the vinaigrette: in a large bowl, whisk together the mint, capers, orange juice, and olive oil. Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper. When the quinoa is cooked, fluff with a fork and transfer to the bowl with the vinaigrette. Stir well to combine.

3.    Add the mango, red peppers, jalapeño, and greens. Stir until the vegetables are incorporated into the quinoa. Chill until ready to serve.

STEAK DIRECTIONS

4.    In a food processor, combine coriander and fennel and grind. Put in small bowl and mix with sugar. Add jalapeno, garlic and cilantro.

5.    Rub spice mixture all over steak. Season with smoked salt and pepper.

6.    Heat grill pan to medium high heat. Lightly oil grill pan with olive oil. Cook steaks 9 minutes per side for medium rare. Remove steak and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

This recipe made enough for a large dinner serving and two extra dishes to pack for leftover lunches.

Salad recipe adapted from http://www.yumsugar.com/Recipe-Vegan-Quinoa-Salad-18794510

Steak recipe adapted from Tom Colicchio 

Chocolate Almond Butter Squares

If you like reese's peanut butter cups but want the healthier sugar free and legume free version, make these bad boys! So yummy :)

Crust
1 cup almond flour (sifted)
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp honey
pinch of celtic sea salt

Filling
1 cup almond butter
3 tbsp coconut oil
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tbsp honey

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 3 x 7 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl combine the ingredients for the crust. Evenly press the dough into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes. The crust is done when it is lightly brown and firm to the touch. Let the crust cool COMPLETELY before spreading the filling.

In a bowl, combine the almond butter, coconut oil, honey. Mix and reserve about ¼ of the mixture for the chocolate topping. Spread the almond butter filling onto the cooled crust. Place the bars in the freezer for 1 hour to firm up before spreading the chocolate mixture on top of the almond filling.

To make the chocolate topping add unsweetened cocoa powder to the reserved almond butter filling and sweeten with additional honey to taste.

Spread on top of the semi-frozen bars. Place in the freezer to firm over night. Cut 9 slices and then cut each slice in half to make 18 squares. Store the squares in the freezer.

Enjoy!

Adapted recipe from Indulge 70 Grain Free Desserts

Day of Remembrance -- Feb. 1, 2013

It's been 10 years since the Space Shuttle Columbia accident. I was not yet working for the space program. I was living in Miami, FL and I remember when I found out about the news. It was a Saturday morning and I was out on my porch enjoying a sunny Florida day. I received a text message from a friend of mine saying something along the lines that he was sorry to hear about the accident (he knew I was a big NASA fan). I had to ask him, "what are you talking about?" And then I remember turning on the news and just went into a state of shock. I can only imagine what the heartbreak would have felt like if I had been working at the space center...

Every year the NASA administrator sends out a  note on this day of remembrance. I wanted to share it with you all today.

Day of Remembrance -- Feb. 1, 2013

NASA's Day of Remembrance inspires thoughtful reflection and gratitude on behalf of the entire NASA Family, the nation and, indeed, the world.

This year, we recognize the decade that has passed since we lost 7 brave men and women aboard STS-107 Columbia, who were our friends, colleagues, and family members.

We will never forget these astronauts nor all those who have lost their lives carrying out our missions of exploration – the STS-51L Challenger crew; the Apollo 1 crew; Mike Adams, the first in-flight fatality of the space program as he piloted the X-15 No. 3 on a research flight.

These explorers, and their families, have our deepest respect.  We work every day to honor and build on their legacy and create the best space program in the world -- to infuse it with the life and vitality that they worked so hard to achieve.

After the tragedy of Columbia, we not only returned to flight, we established policies and procedures to make our human spaceflight program safer than ever.  Exploration will never be without risk, but we continue to work to ensure that when humans travel to space, nothing has been left undone to make them as safe as possible.

In the years after we returned the shuttles to flight, we completed an engineering marvel.  The International Space Station now soars above us, an unparalleled and unique orbiting laboratory that is our foothold to the rest of the solar system.  We are in a new era of exploration, where the work and sacrifice of those who have gone before will help us once again launch American astronauts from American soil and send them farther into deep space than we have ever gone.

So while the Day of Remembrance is in part a time of sadness, it is also a time of contemplation and thankfulness.  It is a time to be thankful that these great men and women shared their lives with us; that they helped advance our nation and made life better on Earth; and that they are still united with us in that shared pursuit.

Today, I laid wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery for these fallen heroes, and at the Kennedy Space Center, wreaths were laid at the Space Mirror Memorial.  Across the country, all flags at NASA Headquarters and the NASA centers will be flown at half-mast in memory of our colleagues lost in the cause of exploration.

And while those gestures will signify to the nation and the world that we have not forgotten, as we look to the future, we will each remember in our own personal way our colleagues and friends, and what their work meant to us.  Together we will carry them with us in our hearts as we propel ourselves to the next big horizon and make their dreams reality.

President Obama has also made a statement about the Day of Remembrance. To read the President's statement, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/history/features/Obama_dor2013.html

Charlie B.

Apollo 1 Crew

STS-51L Challenger Crew

STS-107 Columbia Crew

Paleo fish tacos

I've come to the realization that writing in a blog everyday was probably not realistic for me given the fact that I have a full time job and other activities in my so called life! I figure a blog is supposed to be fun, so I don't want to make it another line item on my things to do list. Daily blogging probably isn't going to happen but I can do a few times a week :)

As far as the action plan goes, I made it 6 entire days. On day 7, I happen to have plans to go to Tampa for their annual Gasparilla festival. And well... pirates and detox don't mix well. The ironic part is that by the morning of day 7, I was feeling great! And then throughout the festival I consumed all sorts of food and drink that were not allowed on the action plan: processed foods, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, gluten, and dairy. The next day I had a food and booze hangover. I'm pretty sure that I have a gluten intolerance because the next few days I had digestive issues and a reoccurrence of Keratosis Pilaris, (also known as ‘chicken skin’ on the back of your arms) which had cleared up dramatically when I was on detox. I found this article that lists 10 signs of a gluten intolerance and sure enough, the top two apply to me. There’s no doubt about it, my body is not a fan of processed foods, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, gluten, and dairy.

Since the festival though, I’m still making smart food choices. This week I’ve introduced fish and eggs back into my diet. And tonight I made paleo fish tacos. Super yummy! Recipe below, enjoy J

Salsa (makes a big batch)

6 Roma tomatoes
1 handful of cilantro
½ white or red onion
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno pepper
1 clove garlic
Fresh ground pepper

Hand chop tomatoes, cilantro, onion, jalapeno, and garlic. Mix in a bowl with lime juice and ground pepper.

Fish

2 large oranges
1 lime
2 Tbsp olive oil (more for skillet)
1 tsp ground cumin
pinch sea salt
2 tilapia fillets, cut into large chunks

Taco Wraps

4 large green cabbage leaves
1 avocado, sliced

Using a juicer, juice oranges and lime. Mix juice with olive oil, cumin, and salt in bowl. Add tilapia chunks to the marinade. Marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

When ready to cook, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, add fish chunks in a single layer. Pour remaining marinade over the fish and let simmer, approximately 4 minutes on each side. Do not turn the fish more than once because the fish chunks will break up into small pieces.

To serve: Layer 2 green cabbage leaves on top of each another to make one large taco wrap. For each taco wrap, add fish chunks and top with salsa and avocado slices. Finish each wrap with a squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of kosher flake salt (if desired).

My allergies

During the fall of 2011, I started experiencing the worst sinus congestion, sneezing fits, post nasal drip, runny nose, and watery eyes. This went on for a couple months. At first I thought it was an annoying cold. Then after a few weeks, I thought maybe it was just seasonal allergies, too much pollen in the air. I was popping Claritin tablets all the time. On days I would forget to take them, I would sit at work just constantly sniffling my nose, hoping that snot wouldn’t come out during meetings. It was no fun and it was starting the drive me crazy! I think what was more bizarre is that everyone I talked to would just say things like, “Yeah, allergies usually kick in around your thirties.” Or “Yeah, I have allergies too.” Everyone just seemed to be okay with the fact that allergies were now a way of life for them. I couldn’t stand it!

It wasn’t until after a series of trips to cities around the country (Seattle, Buffalo, Cleveland, Houston) that I realized there is no way these symptoms are from seasonal pollen in Orlando. I had the same symptoms happening no matter what kind of air or climate I was in. So it was at that point that I decided to go see the fine folks at the Florida Otolaryngology Group. I spoke with my doctor and told him all my problems. He examined the inside of my sinus area just to make sure there wasn’t anything wrong in there. And then suggested that I come in for a full up allergy test to figure out exactly what was causing me to sneeze all the time.

An allergy test has two phases. Phase 1 is the skin test. They use this thing called a “stamp” which is basically a square piece of plastic with 8 prongs on it. At the tip of each prong is a specific allergen. They stamp your skin with the allergen by rocking back and forth gently until all the allergens are evenly distributed on the skin. It doesn’t hurt but can be uncomfortable. You get five stamps along both your forearms. The allergens are left on your skin 15-20 minutes and then the size of the reaction is recorded. The size of your reaction determines the amount of hell you endure during phase 2…

Phase 2 is an intradermal test. As in, they stick you with needles that contain a different allergen. If you had a sizable reaction to an allergen in phase 1, they will stick you with that allergen in phase 2. Lucky for me, I had probably about 30 shots up and down my biceps. It was HORRIBLE. Once they’re done sticking you, they wait 10 minutes to measure the size of your reaction. This is the point when then the allergist pulled up a chair next to me and said, “Oh dear, you poor thing.”

Turns out, I’m allergic to the world. They use a scale of 1 through 6 to measure the degree of your allergic reaction to an allergen. 6 and 5 are severely allergic. 4 is moderately allergic. And 3 and below is mildly allergic. These were my scores:

Trees
3 Oak
5 Pine
6 Maple
3 Sycamore
4 Cedar
0 Cypress
0 Birch
4 Bayberry

Weeds
6 Ragweed
4 English Plantain
4 Marsh Elder
0 Cocklebur
0 Lambs Quarter
3 Mugwort
3 Pigweed

Grasses
6 Timothy
4 Bermuda
0 Bahia

Molds
0 Alternaria
6 Aspergillus
5 Hormodendrum
3 Candida
0 Pullularia
0 Fusarium
3 Helminthosporium
3 Mucor
4 Penicillium (not the antibiotic)

Indoor
6 House dust
4 Cockroach
6 Mite F
0 Mite P
6 Cat
6 Dog
3 Horses
3 Feathers

17 different allergens were in the moderate to severe range! Including cats and dogs of which I have one of each. How did this happen? And what can I do about it? Turns out from the doctor’s perspective, there is no cure. Just several different things I could do to help alleviate my symptoms. First, I started to take a 24 hour allergy pill daily, along with the use of a steroid nasal spray. I also started immunotherapy drops which I had to take in the morning and before bed. I purchased a fancy air filter for my bed room. I replaced all my pillow covers and bed with special allergy/dust covers. I stopped letting my pets into my bedroom. I went on full attack to try and get a hold of these stupid allergies. And for the most part, it worked. I saw improvement and my sinuses were no longer driving me nuts. But the amount of money it took to get to that end point was a lot. And not to mention, it’s not a cure, it's an expensive bandaid. I have to purchase the allergy pills every month and the immunotherapy drops every three months.

So, yes, I finally got my allergies under control. It’s been about a year now since I went through all of that. But what has bugged me the most is the why? Why all of a sudden did my immune system decided to fight the world I live in? Why is it so confused? I’ve had dogs and cats my entire life but now I’m allergic to them. It just didn't make any sense. And no one seemed to have an answer to that question until I started reading the book Clean by Alejandro Junger, M.D. He describes allergies in his book:

“Wheat is a classic trigger of allergic responses. So are dairy products and refined sugars. They irritate and erode the intestinal walls, resulting in a “leaky gut,” the origin of inadequate allergic responses.”

Leaky gut? It just sounds so gross. You can picture your gut leaking… But he goes one with more good stuff.

“Allergies are one of the most common symptoms of toxicity. But detecting the cause isn’t as easy as staying away from the things that make you sneeze. Allergic responses to food don’t necessarily play out in an obvious cause and effect way, like drinking milk and immediately getting hives or a stomach cramp.”

Okay, so if I eat bad stuff, it can cause a leaky gut situation but doesn't mean I'll feel it in my gut…

“The true cause of his problem was the irritating foods and toxic chemicals that caused a leaky gut and kept his immune system on heightened alert mode throughout the year, not simply the pollen he breathed in the change of season which tipped his system into crisis.”

“The body picks up the message that invaders have arrived and initiates a defense response, forming mucus and calling your attention through itchiness.” 

Wow! Who would have thought?

I wrote this blog because I know lots of people suffer from allergies. But I point out the writings of Dr. Junger because I have not taken an allergy pill since I started the action plan and I have been symptom free the last 6 days. I’ve had interactions with my dog and cat and no sneezing or runny nose! This action plan has removed all wheat, gluten, sugar, and processed foods. So I can’t help but be convinced that there’s a connection to the foods I eat and my allergy symptoms. I think Dr. Junger is on to something.

The Action Plan: Day 5 and 6

Happy Friday beautiful people (a throw back to my Song peeps)!

So I missed blogging yesterday but I did not fall off the cleanse! I'm proud to say, I have made it all the way to day 6 of this action plan cleanse! I'm really glad I decided to do it. The best analogy I can come up with is that it’s like spring cleaning your house. When you first start cleaning, everything is kicked up while dusting and sweeping, you're moving things around, trying to organize your messes, getting rid of clutter; it seems to almost get dirtier and messier in the process. But then you hit a turning point where you see progress! Your house looks cleaner, you've cleared out the clutter, things are organized and in their place, and it just feels good to sit in your clean house. That's how I would describe the last 6 days on this cleanse.

To be complete, I’ll back track on what my meal plan was the last couple days.

Day 4:

• Cucumber pear juice
• Cashew trail mix
• Leftover creamy broccoli soup
• Leftover French lentil salad
• Orange
• Mango pops
• These obviously fall under the snack category. The recipe says to use slightly thawed frozen mango. I would suggest going with completely thawed because I almost broke my blender trying to blend everything. But this is a great snack! I didn't make pops though. I just ended up filling up a plastic container and used an ice cream scooper to make a smaller serving size.

Day 5

• Pineapple spinach juice
• Not my favorite juice out of the bunch so far...
• Leftover cauliflower rice stir fry
• Cashew trail mix
• Mango pops
• Vanilla Rooibos Tea
• Herbal Tea
• Red lentil and sweet potato stew
• This stew is the boom dot com and will fill your house with the most fragrant aromas. Remember to ferment your lentils the night before!

I've read ahead to see what week 2 entails in Whole Livings Action Plan and I may have to deviate from some of their suggestions. I will definitely be adding fish back into the mix. I need to up my protein in take. I was doing a workout yesterday and had to dig pretty deep for energy during some strength training exercises. But Week 2 also introduces some foods that are not really paleo approved. So I might have to think through my own meal plan for the week... more to come!