So watcha been eatin' boo?

So watcha been eatin' boo?

Thanks so much guys for your sweet emails, tweets, and comments on my last post. As always, my readers are so supportive! I am quite literally flying by the seat of my pants here - I don't know how long I'm going to eat this way, how I'll feel in a week, a month or what - but making any kind of change to your diet, especially in a public matter, is always a little nervewracking. Thanks for stickin' by me!

So with that said, I'm sure there are a lot of questions about what I'm eating. Well, I'm not eating THAT differently to be honest - I'm still eating whole grains, nuts, and veggies that are organic whenever possible. But I've been eating maybe 1/2 cup to a 1 cup of homemade whole milk organic yogurt with some fruit and nuts. And I've been using butter and coconut oil for most of my cooking, with olive oil coming in third. The Earth Balance has been discarded (it was getting a little old anyway) so its been nice having buttered toast. I grate a little raw cheddar on my scrambled eggs or have cheesy toast now and then.

The biggest change has been adding in meat to at least one entree a day. And when I say meat, I mean grass-fed or pasture-raised, organic and local meat. I am so incredibly lucky to live in Davis in that we are within 100 miles of anything you could ever need to eat. I went to our Farmer's Market this weekend and got fresh pastured eggs and fresh homemade pork breakfast sausage. Then I went to the Co-op and bought amazing pasture-raised organic chickens raised 15 minutes from here at Soul Food Farms - which are the same chickens served at Chez Panisse - for 30% off! And incredible dungeness crab caught right off our coast 80 miles away for rock bottom prices ($5.50 for a whole crab. A WHOLE CRAB!)

The thing that has invigorated me about this weekend's shopping is how awesome it feels to eat locally and consciously (whether its meat or not). I am so incredibly lucky to live so close to my farmers, and yet I have to admit that with my busy schedule and with how great our Co-op is about sourcing its organic produce locally, its become automatic for me to just do most of my shopping there instead of going to the Farmer's Market. Boy, have I been missing out! It was refreshing to talk to the person who made my sausage, gathered my eggs and pulled my leeks from the ground the day before. Eating meat and dairy requires even more diligence and questioning than veggies (how are they raised? how differently do they taste? should I cook it differently?) so its forced me to strike up more conversations with my farmers and purveyors. And its been awesome! I got a free cut of meat this week from my butcher because he wanted me to try something new. And my pork farmer gave me his e-mail address because he didn't have something I was looking for. "E-mail or call me - I will get you anything you need." God bless him.

It goes without saying the quality of the food I've been eating has been unbelievable. I've always eaten well on veggies, but the meat, cheese and dairy I've gotten lately has made it feel like I'm eating in a fancy restaurant at every meal. (Which isn't a stretch since most of the fancy Bay Area restaurants get their meat and produce from the same people I buy mine from!) With stuff this high quality, you just don't want to let anything go to waste. So I've also been reaping the benefits of eating EVERYTHING from my meat - particularly broth. Who knew broth could be so amazing! Food waste in all areas of my life = DRASTICALLY down.

Well, enough babbling for now - here's a hit parade of what I've been eating!

My sourdough starter! Needs a few more days

Gravity defying homemade Greek yogurt

My first batch of homemade kimchi. My mom would be very proud.

Felt very much like a school kid, but was craving Salisbury steak!
With mushroom red wine reduction, mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts,
and peas and carrots of course!

Meet my pork farmer - Mr. Bledsoe! Isn't he cute?
Apparently he fired someone once for slapping and yelling at his pigs.

And here's the gang at Good Humus Farm
who I get amazing produce from!

Yup. A whole 2lb Pacific Dungeness Crab for $5.45.

Incredible organic, grass-fed beef from Eel River Farms!

My fat bitches!
Coconut oil, olive oil, avocado and homemade nut butter.
Butter and eggs are in the fridge!

Can't forget the chocolate.

Been drinking a lot of the mushroom water for digestion.
Divine Grape is my fav!

Savory strata with homemade wheat bread,
Green Darner Farms eggs, spinach, shitake mushrooms,
Strauss Family Farms organic cream, parmesan cheese.

That's not dye - that's just how RIDICULOUSLY yellow those yolks are!

Different colors, different sizes - just the way God made 'em!

Best. Eggs. Ever.

This made the most amazing roast chicken!
24 hour brine, slathered in herb butter
and then roasted in a dutch oven for 80 minutes
at 425F on a bed of root veggies.

Which is now the the most delicious chicken broth ever!

Joining the group of delicious beef stock I made last week.

But it hasn't been all health food...

...if chocolate FLAVORED chips are any indication.
But gimme a break - it was Valentine's Day!

Catch you guys later! Hope you're enjoying your day off!