Lemon Basil Burgers

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while (hello, this is my fifth year!) you may have noticed that I sometimes go all over the map of eating; healthy, junk food, vegan, paleo, meat-centric, desserts, no dairy, why smoothies, etc. I’ve pretty much dabbled in every kind of “diet” on the planet. But there are certain things that have less to do with what I won’t eat and what I shouldn’t eat. As I’ve yet to ever take a food sensitivity test, I am not 100% sure on all the things I should avoid. I do know that most dairy bothers me, but I can eat yogurt, cream, butter, and whey (lactose free) with no difficulties. Throw me a bowl of ice cream covered in whipped cream and chocolate sauce and I’ll have a hard time saying no, but the consequences to myself…and my bed mate….would be dire.
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Dijon and Black Garlic Barbecued Lamb Leg

It’s not often I take the time on my personal blog to talk about appliances, but mostly that’s because the majority of the appliances in my life fall far short of my expectations (I have rather high expectations). I remember a couple of years ago I got a stick blender for the very first time…I can’t remember the brand. As you can see, it was forgettable, loud and did not do the job I had hoped it would.

As a blogger who sees a lot of other bloggers getting brand new free kitchens or vacations, and being the jealous type that I am, I went to Breville and asked them if I could review one of their Hemisphere blenders. I waited patiently for it to arrive, and when it did I got excited that it had a “smoothie” button. Like, holy wow! A button for the one thing I’m going to make in this bad boy! Yay! The very first time I used it, it disappointed me. Maybe I’m the only one on the planet that likes a nice thick milkshake-like smoothie, but I doubt it. This blender died within nine months, but I can say they have a very fair warranty! I got another one and decided I’d only use it occasionally. It also coincided with colder weather, so I stopped making ice-filled smoothies.
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How to Make Friends with Food

What does it mean to be “healthy”?

Health can be defined by a dictionary: “Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living organism. In humans, it is the general condition of a person‘s mind and body, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain (as in “good health” or “healthy“).” – Wikipedia

Or, in a broader sense, by the World Health Organization: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

So the conclusion we can come to, based on these two definitions, is that “healthy” generally means that one’s mind and body are free of disease, injury and pain. In a broader sense, healthy can mean many things to many people, so it is pretty tough to define, individually, what that means. Many people are living with chronic illness or injury and yet would still consider themselves to be “healthy”.

“A fit, healthy body—that is the best fashion statement” ― Jess C. Scott

For today, I want to focus in on just one aspect of the broader umbrella term, and zoom in on a major component of our lives, food. Do you have a healthy relationship with food?

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” ― Virginia Woolf
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Spread the Paleo-Primal Love

Today, I bring you a short guest post by Amelie Cartwright, who will help you introduce your curious friends and family to the Paleo or Primal diets through bribery…I mean gifts. I’ll be back in a couple of days with even more content. I’ve got big things in the books…BIG THINGS!

Got curious friends? Here’s the perfect gift!

Often, when people find out that we’re on specialized diets, be it paleo, gluten-free, or even vegan, the first thing that comes to mind is, “HOW do you survive?!” In fact, many people who undertake the diet often ask themselves the same question, wondering “What can I eat?”

It’s really not that unreasonable, because when we grow up eating whatever we want without really paying attention to what goes into the food we eat, and by the time we find ourselves having to watch what we’re eating, we’re left with very limited choices.

Or so they think.

Unbeknownst to many, paleo and primal diets still make way for delicious, nutritious food. Often, all it takes is a bit of a shift in perspective, and craftiness and creativity in the kitchen. Experimenting can do wonders for your paleo diets, and if you have friends who are still not convinced that people on specialized diets can have yummy treats and good food, maybe a gift basket of the yummiest, most delicious treats in the paleo arsenal could change their minds!

Although gift baskets are more popular in the Christmas season (and who doesn’t love getting a wicker basket of fresh fruit and wine?), they’ve also been used to promote awareness of everything from vegetarianism to local goods. A few years ago, the Belfast Telegraph gave lucky readers the chance to win eco-friendly hampers from Marks and Spencer, and Inside Vancouver gave away baskets of locally-made goods like jars of peanut butter and cookies made by local bakeshops.

It goes without saying that the only thing that hampers (pun intended) you from building these hampers is your own creativity. It’s all fairly simple, really – the next time you make a healthy GF or paleo-friendly dessert or snack, make a little extra and tuck it away into a nice wicker basket. In fact, any container will do, whether it’s one of those cookie tins or just an eco-bag. Fill it up with GF and paleo/primal-friendly treats, and surprise a friend with the basket.

Print off some pages from the Mark’s Daily Apple explaining the basics of your specialized diet, and let them know that all the tasty treats in those baskets aren’t just homemade and delicious, but also suitable for your diet. If that doesn’t convince them that going paleo/primal or GF is a breeze, we don’t know what will!

Disclaimer: This is a guest post by Amelie Cartwright. Statements may not necessary reflect those of Elizabeth Nyland or GuiltyKitchen.com

Moussaka

Hey guys!

Before we dig into this Moussaka, can we take a moment and make sure you’ve all entered to win the $300 Amazon gift card? Perfect.

I wanted to thank Kim Adamec (a fabulous Facebook Fan), who suggested Moussaka when I asked what I could make with my ground beef. Although I like to buy the ground beef, ’cause it’s cheap…and I’m cheap (perfect match!), I don’t always want to make burgers, meatballs or chili (which I made approximately 873 times this winter, just ask Adrian). Sometimes you need to feel uncomfortable in the kitchen to make amazing stuff. Believe me, I am the queen of uncomfortable in the kitchen.

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