Introducing Dick’s Kitchen

Posted on May 5, 2012 by admin

Last night I got takeout for my boyfriend and I from Dick’s Kitchen.

 

As their website says, they welcome all eaters and provide happiness on a plate for vegan, low carb, low salt/sugar, high-protein and gluten-free folks. Restaurant heaven for someone like me!

I’ve never had so much fun while waiting for takeout. Ok, I ordered a cocktail with Blenheim Ginger ale to sip while I sat at the bar, but what a fun atmosphere! It’s busy, but chill and the staff seem genuinely happy to be there.

 

They even have house-made kimchee which I’ve been craving for weeks now!

I got the French Onion “Zizou” burger with a side order of “Not-fries” and chipotle ketchup for J and the Elk burger on a gluten-free bun with a side order of Yam “Not-Fries” and barbeque sauce for me. Driving home with all of that food made my mouth literally water and it was all I could do to not eat all of the french fries–I did sneak a couple to take my mind off being stuck in traffic.

The fries were good, but a little soggy and slimy by the time I got home and got to eat the rest of them. J said his burger was good, but a little heavy on the onions. My burger was a bit gamey and a bit heavy on the charcoal, but the bun was nice and thin and stayed together really well. I definitely want to try more items on the menu and would like to stay and eat it fresh from the kitchen in the restaurant next time.

 

Categories: gluten-free living, restaurant review | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

My Fifteen Minutes of Fame

Posted on May 1, 2012 by admin

I was recently fortunate enough to be featured in an article about eating gluten free in the local newspaper, The Columbian. So fun!

 

When my boyfriend let me know the reporter had tweeted that she was looking for people in Clark County who are eating gluten-free, I replied and we made plans for her to come over with a photographer so they could take pictures of me making a gluten-free meal.

I did some prep work before they got there, so the muffins were in the oven and deviled eggs were pretty much done, and it was cleaning day so the kitchen was spic and span, thankfully.

I really enjoyed meeting Marissa Harshman and Troy Wayrynen and after being behind the scenes for so many articles  it was fun to see myself in print.

Categories: gluten-free living | Leave a comment

Why Jim Gaffigan is my favorite comedian

Posted on April 23, 2012 by admin

I saw an interview with Jim Gaffigan on Attack of the Show earlier this week and was reminded how much I like him.

Why? He’s found a hilarious way to expose how unhealthy processed food is!

My favorite sketch of his is the one about Hot Pockets in this below  clip from his special and DVD, “Beyond the Pale”:

Whether he’s willing to admit it or not, I think he’s a food revolutionary. When Kevin Pereira asked him about using food in his comedy, Gaffigan states that fast food like McDonald’s and Starbucks is a guilty pleasure. While he condones McDonald’s and the Kardashian’s in moderation, he does admit that they are pop garbage. So he’s clearly not an extremist, but I think that’s ok. It makes him approachable so he can reach a larger audience.

Gaffigan has created a new comedy show called Mr. Universe which he is selling on his website www.jimgaffigan.com for only $5 and $1 of each purchase goes to a charity that supports veterans. I’m downloading my copy now and can’t wait to watch it. I had a crazy week and could really use the giggles. Laughter is the best medicine.

Wishing you some hearty belly laughs.

Categories: stress management, wellness warriors | Leave a comment

Calling all food revolutionaries!

Posted on April 17, 2012 by admin

If you don’t count French fries, ketchup or pizza as vegetables, more than half of Americans eat no vegetables at all. It’s time for a food revolution! Check out the Food Revolution Summit for cutting edge insights from the top food visionaries in the world.

Bestselling author John Robbins is personally interviewing 21 people who are leaders in movements for healthy, sustainable, humane and delicious food. From April 28-May 6, there will be three interviews broadcast daily, and you can listen in – for free. You’ll get cutting edge disease-beating, health-activating, age-reversing information. These tools can help you and your family to thrive and to make a difference in the world.

Get more info on the summit speakers, and register today, at: www.foodrevolution.org.

This summit offers up-to-date, highly useful information from an amazing array of inspiring voices and, including expert doctors and acclaimed researchers such as Dean Ornish, MD (Preventive Medicine Research Institute) and T. Colin Cambell, Ph.D (The China Study); NY Times best-selling authors Marianne Williamson (Spiritual Principles for Weight Loss) and Kathy Freston (Quantum Wellness); Culture-changers and icons such as Morgan Spurlock (Supersize Me) and Rory Freedman (Skinny Bitch); Natural health pioneers such as Joseph Mercola (Mercola.com) and David Wolfe (Radiant Health Now); Food system innovators such as Vandana Shiva (How to Stop Big Ag) and Ronnie Cummins (Organic Consumers Association), and many more inspiring visionaries.

The Summit offers training, inspiration and practical know-how from modern day heroes of health and sustainability. Participants are promised answers to burning questions, tools for dealing with family and peers, and practically useful insights, ideas, motivation and tips, all from the comfort and convenience of your phone and computer.

The summit will include focus on the latest thinking on preventing and reversing heart disease, cancer and diabetes; the truth about GMOs, soy, raw foods, and grass-fed beef; the social, ethical and environmental impact of what you eat; and how to inspire your family to join you in making healthy choices.

A movement is building.  All over the world, people are standing up for healthy, sustainable, humane and delicious food. I can’t wait! Learn more and register for free at: www.foodrevolution.org.

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The New Happy Hour

Posted on April 15, 2012 by admin

Living paleo makes sense for me, but means giving up a lot of foods that I used to love. Saying good-bye to most processed foods has been pretty easy, but I am still working on cutting out grains and sugar–two of the main ingredients in beer. The nice thing about paleo is that there’s room to “cheat” occasionally, but it’s best to stay away from gluten 100% of the time.

While I’ve enjoyed my fair share of ale festivals in the past, I usually stick to wine these days. Occasionally, I want to be able to drink a pint or two, but the risk of consuming that much gluten just isn’t worth it. So, I was pleasantly surprised when we went to Deschutes Brewery Portland Public House and discovered their Gluten-Free Northwest Pale Ale.

Mine has a special band on it so I can tell it apart from the regular gluten-filled beers.

The reviews of the beer were a bit mixed, but I liked it. It reminded me of a hearty Belgian with a bit of spice. Good for colder weather. Hopefully they will come up with a lager or something lighter for summer.

They also have a tasty gluten-friendly menu which had a lot of great options to choose from for me. We had the NW Steamer Clams for an appetizer and I went with the Yellow Belly Burger for dinner. Yummers! I was so hungry I forgot to take a picture to share. The other people at the table weren’t as impressed with the bun as I was, but I was amazed that it was moist and stayed together. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any gluten-friendly desserts so I had coffee with cream and a couple bites of the fruity part of the cobbler on the regular menu.

Good thing we went for a nice long walk with the dogs before dinner!

 

Categories: fitness, gluten-free living | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

What is the single best thing we can do for our health?

Posted on April 8, 2012 by admin

With all the information circulating about how to be healthy it can be a little overwhelming to figure out where to start. Should you be employing high interval training, counting calories or eating more spirulina? In this fun video  Dr. Mike Evans breaks it down to the single best thing you can do to improve your health and it only takes you 3o minutes a day, leaving you with the other 23 and a half hours to do whatever you want. Enjoy!

 

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Is your grocery store still selling ‘pink slime’?

Posted on April 1, 2012 by admin

As much as I love Whole Foods, New Seasons and Trader Joe’s, we do most of our grocery shopping at the Fred Meyer by our house due to convenience, so I was happy to hear that they will be joining the growing list of store chains that will no longer sell beef that includes an additive with the unappetizing moniker “pink slime.”

According to a recent article on Katu.com, “The low-cost ingredient is made from fatty bits of meat left over from other cuts. The bits are heated to about 100 degrees Fahrenheit and spun to remove most of the fat. The lean mix then is compressed into blocks for use in ground meat. The product is exposed to ammonium hydroxide gas to kill bacteria, such as E. coli and salmonella.” Eww, right?!

But this story is also interesting from a PR perspective. Shortly, after the Kroger and Stop & Shop announcement, Beef Products Inc. released a statement saying it would shut down three out of four plants in Texas, Kansas and Iowa and would “continue to pay its workers for 60 days as it launches a public relations program designed to restore confidence in its product.”

It looks like they’re already drumming up support “from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the governors of five states, who argue it has been unfairly labeled and is actually a safe, low-cost way to make ground beef leaner,” but I’m not convinced. I hope they take this opportunity to not just spin what they do, but also clean up any practices that are not in the best interest of the health of their customers.

What do you think? Are you willing to eat meat with pink slime?

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Hungry For Change

Posted on March 31, 2012 by admin

I just finished watching the premiere of Hungry for Change and it’s jam packed with all sorts of great information and inspirational wellness warriors like Jamie Oliver, Christine Northrup, Kris Carr and more. If you believe that changing the way you eat can change the quality of life or you’ve heard people say that and are curious to learn more, check it out! The free premiere is available for another 11 hours. Here’s the trailer:

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Bananas vs. Cookies: Which is the better snack?

Posted on March 27, 2012 by admin

Turns out neither one, according to the satiety index that researchers from the University of Sydney produced for foods across six food categories. Lifehacker did a great job of summarizing the research. Here’s a fabulous infographic based on the index:

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2012 Better Living Show

Posted on March 25, 2012 by admin

My boyfriend and I went to the Better Living Show at the Portland Expo Center yesterday afternoon. What a treat! There was a smorgasbord of natural foods, green energy solutions, eco fashion and sustainable building materials on display.

The most popular booth was The Great Unbaked with their amazing Karma Katcher Chocolates, which are raw, dairy free, gluten free and truly delicious! I can’t wait until they’re available at stores here in Portland.

Dr. Lucy’s gluten free cookies were also a big hit. Even my boyfriend liked them!

Brad’s Raw Foods was also there. I didn’t get to try their chips but I did grab a button. I love their marketing campaign! Check this out:

There were a couple of bee related booths too! I tried the Bee Shea Lime and Coconut Pure Shea Butter, which smelled fantastic and felt amazing on my always dry hands.

I’m not in a position to be a bee keeper, but I had to take a picture of this booth and share it with you:

The show is still open today and admission is free, so stop by and check it out for yourself. Then let me know what you find.

 

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