Category Archives: Uncategorized

Adirondack Chairs

Well with summer coming around it means alot more outside time.  That means getting the garden going, pulling weeds and simply spending time outside.  This post is not Paleo related but I thought it was really cool for anyone that wanted to redo parts of their yard or even just create a nice sitting area outside.

 

For those of you who do not know what a Adirondack chair is, essentially its a classic outdoor oversized chair.  Here is a picture of one to help you visualize it

2014-05-07 09_14_05-DIY Adirondack chairs

 

That is a picture of a completed chair, I would seal it or what not to make it last longer but thats your choice.  Here are some simple plans to build it.  I pulled these from the website I used (ThisSortaOldLife).

In all this can be made for around 15$ a chair which is great and is huge savings over buying them prebuilt.

 

 

 

Upcoming items; new things to try

tilted fork iconWith all that has been going on I have not really had a chance to try new things so this week I have been using some of my favorite paleo eats.  This however does not mean that I will not be posting new items this week but I do want to take a moment to just update on what I plan on doing.

For starters I am going to try to start evening out the categories, the sides area seems to be neglected.  This is pretty challenging for me simply because I need to find a way to do it without having my next several posts targeted at one category.  I have a few ideas on how to achieve this but if you have any input feel free to chime in.

Next on my list of things I need to knock down are personal projects.  While I do work a full time job just like everyone else that is married you have that list of personal projects that needs to get done to maintain a good home/work life.  With changing my lifestyle in the way that I eat and exercise I really need to try to find a good balance of doing the projects at home that need to get done while still saving time to do more research.

Going with the theme above I need to do more research.  I am the type of person that believes that to much information does not exist.  I want to continue to research paleo life style and figure out ways in my own life that I can better balance that.  I think by doing that it will start to reflect in my cooking and by nature make the things that I am eating healthier.

I am also thinking about adding some more categories to this site to better define posts like this.  I am not sure what to call it yet maybe raves and rants but not to sure yet!  If you have ideas submit them 🙂

Those are really items I am going to try to start focusing on, next up on my immediate recipe list will be trying to make home made store bought items.  For example I use alot of coconut milk so one of the first things I will be trying is making my own coconut milk.  I found a pretty good resource on that and have ordered my cheesecloth to assist in the separation process.

Well that is just a summary of whats going on, sorry if this post was boring for ya 🙁

 

Paleo while traveling or dining out

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Well if you have read my previous posts you know that I do not do this professionally and this blog is really a way for me to keep myself honest on choices that I make. With that said I didn’t make a post last week because I have had work functions that did not allow me to eat a good home cooked meal. Normally for the blog I actually write items that I ate the night before or even that same night. I am not one that just randomly selects a recipe online and writes a fake review on it so that is why there was no post. Now I must say that I was having a talk with my good friend Miguel about this and just as any friend he inquires about my progress and how its going. He was a bit concerned about me eating out at restaurants while being on Paleo and I told him I was surprised at how easy it really was.

Before I explain all the details you must understand that I was not eating fast food I was at actually eating at sit down restaurants with a pretty good menu (avg meal price on the menu was about $15).

So like I said above I was doing work functions such as meeting with clients, vendors or work meetings. I initially went in thinking great its going to most likely be a plain green salad and grilled chicken breast but as I started going through the menu I realized I actually had some pretty good choices. What I want to get across on this post is not really the things I are however it was my approach. I find that most people may settle for just having an undressed salad but I really wanted to know what they actually had that I could eat. So here are some questions that I feel were helpful

1) When looking to order any type of beef, pork, chicken etc make sure you ask the waiter what is this marinated in?
You want to verify what it is marinated in because the marinade could be gluten based (think beer, it is often used in marinades)

2) If you are afraid of asking the waiter 101 questions about the food and you think they will brush you off simply tell them that you need to avoid all foods that contain Gluten, Grains and Soy if you just give them those 3 things they will come back with a selection of XYZ and then from there you can easily figure out which one you want to order. I am not telling you to say that you are allergic to those ingredients all though if you did they wouldn’t know the difference.

3) If you really want to have no contact with the waiter because obviously they are low hourly paid employees and the more questions you ask them the more they may be irritated ask the waiter to speak to a manager on duty because of your dietary restrictions. I found this one honestly to be the best approach because the waiters get to just get drinks and do their normal routine and the managers are usually far more versed in the menu contents than the waiters.

4) You can ask them if they have a Gluten free menu

5) If you really want to ask no one for anything go to the sandwich area and look for a grilled chicken sandwich and order it without the bun and no sauce.

Now those 5 tips above won’t give you the exact answer you want or if the place you are going has exclusive items on their menu but if you go with item #3 10 times out of 10 the manager will accommodate you because they want to earn your business. For example, lets say everything they have is marinated in beer and/or high sugar items. The manager and chef will have absolutely no issue just throwing a fresh piece of meat on the grill (or broiler) for you with just a little bit of salt and pepper.

It may not be the best meal you will ever eat but it will at least put something in your stomach and keep you on track.

The Paleo Whole30 Program

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Well this is another nonrecipe post, sorry :(.  I have been reading alot about the Whole30 program, I have to say it is very intense.  I know for certain I am not ready for that however I am making a commitment to myself that by the end of this year I will do it!  I am not sure how many of you are familiar with the Whole30 program but its a pretty rigid program that was created by Whole9.

I will give some basic guidelines about Whole30 in simple terms.  I have read a ton about it and alot of things online are pretty complex when they describe Whole30.  So here are some basic concepts.

What is Whole30?

Whole30 is a program that eliminates and cleanses your body of any toxins you may have.  It eliminates sugars and all processed foods.  Essentially its like shocking your system and kick starting your metabolism again.  With Whole30 you will have to strip out all foods which are not truly Paleo.  What does that mean, not truly Paleo?  Well there are alot of strict Paleo followers that classify nut flours, coconut flours/sugar etc as not truly being Paleo.  So the Whole30 program follows strict Paleo principles, so yep all types of desserts are out the window.

Basic Rules!

  • Eat meat, seafood, eggs, tons of vegetables, some fruit, and plenty of good fats from fruits, oils, nuts and seeds. Eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re totally natural and unprocessed.
  • Here are things you should not eat in any shape or form.
  • Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, coconut sugar, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc. Read your labels, because companies sneak sugar into products in ways you might not recognize.
  • Do not consume alcohol in any form, not even for cooking. (And it should go without saying, but no tobacco products of any sort, either.)
  • Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur, sorghum, amaranth, buckwheat, sprouted grains and all of those gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa. This also includes all the ways we add wheat, corn and rice into our foods in the form of bran, germ, starch and so on. Again, read your labels.
  • Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all kinds (black, red, pinto, navy, white, kidney, lima, fava, etc.), peas, chickpeas, lentils, and peanuts. No peanut butter, either. This also includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin).
  • Do not eat dairy. This includes cow, goat or sheep’s milk products such as cream, cheese (hard or soft), kefir, yogurt (even Greek), and sour cream… with the exception of clarified butter or ghee. (See below for details.)
  • Do not eat white potatoes. This is somewhat arbitrary, but if we are trying to change your habits (chips and fries) and improve the hormonal impact of your food choices, it’s best to leave white, red, purple, Yukon gold, and fingerling potatoes off your plate. Do not consume carrageenan, MSG or sulfites. If these ingredients appear in any form on the label of your processed food or beverage, it’s out for the Whole30.
  • No Paleo-ifying baked goods, desserts, or junk foods. Trying to shove your old, unhealthy diet into a shiny new Whole30 mold will ruin your program faster than you can say “Paleo Pop-Tarts.” This means no desserts or junk food made with “approved” ingredients—no banana-egg pancakes, almond-flour muffins, flourless brownies, or coconut milk ice cream. Don’t try to replicate junk food during your 30 days!

Clarification on Items you can eat!

  • Clarified Butter or Ghee. Clarified butter or ghee is the only source of dairy allowed during your Whole30. Plain old butter is NOT allowed, as the milk proteins found in non-clarified butter could impact the results of your program.
  • Fruit juice as a sweetener. Some products will use orange or apple juice as a sweetener. We have to draw the line somewhere, so we’re okay with a small amount of fruit juice as an added ingredient during your Whole30… but this doesn’t mean a cup of fruit juice is a healthy choice! Refer to your Shopping Guide for clarification.
  • Certain legumes. We’re fine with green beans, sugar snap peas and snow peas. While they’re technically a legume, these are far more “pod” than “bean,” and green plant matter is generally good for you.
  • Vinegar. Most forms of vinegar, including white, balsamic, apple cider, red wine, and rice, are allowed during your Whole30 program. The only exceptions are vinegars with added sugar, or malt vinegar, which generally contains gluten.

 

Essentially you will follow these strict rules for 30 days no exceptions not even one slip.  I took alot of this data directly from whole9 so you know it is factual and follows the Whole30 program down to a T.

 

I hope this helps.

Paleo Cookie Crisp Cereal

Paleo Cookie Crisp Cereal. (Gluten_Grain_Dairy Free)

It has been an awesome 2 weeks researching and planning out my next set of foods.  I know people think I am crazy but I say it’s awesome because I am amazed at how much information is out there.  A little background on my and my last 2-3 years will hopefully explain this.

Back in 2012 I was hospitalized for severe stomach pains after many tests the doctors stated that I should have my gallbladder removed (I did not have stones or anything they just said it wasn’t working).  So I had my gallbladder removed and since I work in Healthcare IT I really wanted a copy of my medical record just so I can go through it all.  I was excited to read the Operative Note since I wanted to see how the surgery actually went.  Then I read the words that changed my life:

The patient is a morbidly obese male.

Wow I knew I was over weight (5’10 270lbs back in 2012) but I had no idea, those words still haunt me to this day.  It was that statement that motivated me for the following year.  Through proper eating and exercise I was able to get myself down to 230lbs by the end of 2012.  I was happy with that progress but then work became overwhelming and I stopped.  It was single handily one of the worst decisions I have made in my life.  Not only did I stop eating correctly but I also stopped exercising .  This continued and then I had another really bad stomach attack in March of 2013.  I ended up in the hospital again for another week and this time the doctor told me he believed I had  SOD dysfunction (I talk about that more here).  At the time I went and got a second opinion and it was pretty much confirmed but I did not want the surgery that the doctor told me I should have.  During this time of not exercising and not eating clean I gained back some of the weight I lost, it was demotivating to me at the time and I just let it continue.  Fast forward to 2014, I still was not exercising and I cleaned up some of my eating habits but most of them were still poor.  Between January and February I had 2 minor stomach attacks and 1 major one.  It was at that last one that I was just sick and tired of being lazy and letting everything pass me by.  My son had just started Teeball and I am really enjoying sharing the coaching experience with him and I decided that if I want to be here to watch him graduate or my daughter get married I needed to change some big things in my life.  Hence I started reading and researching the best lifestyle changes for my stomach disorder and this is what led me to Paleo.  The more I read and research the stronger I believe that I am capable of doing this.  With people supporting me through this process I truly feel that I can succeed, in the end though the decision for failure or success will always be on my shoulders and no one else’s.

-Norm

Today I am using a recipe that I found on Brittany Angell’s blog for a paleo friendly homemade cereal.  If you have not ever seen her blog I would highly recommend it she has some amazing things!

The link to the original recipe can be found here but to keep things simple I have copied it here.

 

Paleo Cookie Crisp Cereal

Ingredients

  • 1 packed cup of blanched almond flour
  • 1 cup tapioca starch
  • 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon baking power (I use double acting)
  • 1 teaspoon oil or melted butter
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • Mini chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life brand)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Mix together the cookie dough ingredients, leaving out the chocolate chips.
  3. Put the cookie dough into a piping bag. Squeeze rows of tiny "candy dots" sized cookies (about an 1/8 of a teaspoon) onto the cookie sheet, leaving a little space between each cookie. (Not much space though, as they will only spread a tiny bit!)
  4. Stick 1-2 chocolate chips into each mini cookie.
  5. Bake 6-7 minutes until firm and lightly golden.
  6. Repeat with two more trays (3 trays total).
http://www.tiltedfork.com/2014/02/paleo-cookie-crisp-cereal/

Just getting started

I am just getting started here and this will be a place that I can attempt to hold myself accountable for my choices.  You may be wondering why the name Tilted Fork well its simple if you piece it together with my title you get

Tilted Fork – I hope you weren’t planning on eating that

It runs together, if your fork is tilted chances are your food is going to fall off.  Ok that sounds like a lame explanation the truth is I just like it!

I am working on building this place up to be a place to publish things that I enjoy for friends and family to be able to see.  I plan on using a pretty strong support system backed by my wife and one of my sisters.  My wife is joining me on this journey of going to a paleo or paleo-ish life style.  My sister has been in and out of pretty good nutrition guidelines for some time and has some incredible recipes that she is going to share with me.  She has also been living a paleo life style in her own way I would say 80/20 or 90/10.

If you stick around and check back often I promise you will read some amazing recipes and see the challenges that a normal person goes through.

As of 2/17/2014 I am starting my journey  to a healthier me.  If you want to know why please read the about me section

-Norm