Eat. Tri. Venture.

It’s been a bit of a hectic week the past few days Chez Mac.  Those darn work deadlines can be so pesky at times.  That being said, I thought I would share three super-fast, easy recipes which I made this past Sunday.

1.       Creamy tomato soup (GF, vegan)

I make this soup all of the time.  It’s fast, like five minutes fast.  It’s made with pantry ingredients.  It’s filling.  You get two vegetables in almost an instant.

Here’s the link:  http://www.averiecooks.com/2012/12/creamy-tomato-soup.html

Notes:  No worries if you don’t have stewed tomatoes.  I use cans of regular whole tomatoes.  Using baby carrots takes away all of the vegetable preparation.  I have used both cream and almond milk.  Both taste fine.  

2.      Citrus Orange Roughy

 I just found this one last week, courtesy of my local Heinen’s.  Makes 3-4 servings.

 Ingredients:

1 orange, sliced in half

1 lemon, sliced in half

1 lb. orange roughy

1 Tbl olive oil

½ tsp lemon pepper seasoning

Directions:  Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat.  Arrange fish in skillet.  Squeeze lemon and orange halves over the fish.  (Watch for rogue seeds popping out).  Sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning.  Cook for five minutes until the fish is easily flaked with a fork.  Voila!  Add a salad trough, some steamed or grilled veggies and dinner is served.

Notes:  I didn’t have any lemon pepper seasoning in the cupboard so I successfully substituted Pampered Chef’s citrus and basil rub.  This is supposed to be a four serving recipe but JMac and I only got three.  Maybe we were just hungry but if cooking for four, I would recommend picking up an extra fish fillet.

Bonus recipe:  Marsita’s Grilled Veggies

You can make delicious cooked vegetables in less than ten minutes.  Keep a stash of frozen veggies in your freezer.  My favorite vegetable to do this with is Trader Joe’s French green beans.  I don’t know why, but they are the best. 

Directions:  Dump your desired amount of veggies into a large 2-3” deep skillet with a lid.  Add enough water (1/2”?) to get them steaming and cover.  Cook on medium/high heat until they are just barely tender—you don’t want mushy veggies.  Pour out the water.  Crank up the heat to high.  Return the veggies to the stove, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook the veggies for a just a minute or two until they start to brown, turning them over so they don’t burn.  If you want to kick them up a notch, add a little Cajun or other spicy seasoning while they are cooking.

3.       Simple Bread

You too can be a hero in your home.  Make your own gluten free bread.  I like all of the bread recipes I have tried from this site but this one is my new favorite.  It only requires three eggs, which seems to be the magic number that I have on hand whenever I go to bake.  Don’t be intimidated that this is “bread.”  It’s more of a quick bread.  There is no yeast, no kneading and no worrying about it rising.  JMac was about to deliver our toaster to the same fate as our VCR, a lonely shelf in the basement, when I first baked this.  Simple bread saved the toaster.  Here’s the link:  http://www.elanaspantry.com/simple-bread/  You don't need a magic line loaf pan but you do need a smaller than normal but not mini loaf pan.  Since there isn't any yeast, these recipes don't fill your normal, larger bread pans.

Finally, did you catch this in the national media this week?  http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/03/31/295719579/rethinking-fat-the-case-for-adding-some-into-your-diet  Turns out you might want to add some (good) fat back in your diet and get off those processed carbohydrates.  What?  This sounds an awful lot like eat real food.  Hopefully, these recipes will give you a few more options.  Take care and have a great week.

Like the classic it’s named after, Barry-Roubaix (Killer Gravel Road Race) tests riders on rolling gravel roads (80%), pavement, one mile of rough two track, rocks, sand, mud, and possibly snow and ice, along with 2200 feet of climbing over its 36 mile loop.  This year’s event took place on Saturday, March 22^nd in Hastings, Michigan and offered race distances of 24, 36 and 62 miles.  While I did not see any snow or ice on the roads, there was plenty of rocks, sand and mud on the 24 mile course which I completed.  This was my first “gravel road race.”

With the exception of the mini blizzard we drove through in north central Ohio, the drive to Hastings, MI was pretty uneventful.  

We rolled into town Friday afternoon and quickly picked up our packets from the well-organized and friendly volunteers.  We decided to drive the course and see how things were looking for a test ride.  We drove about half of the 24 mile loop before returning to town to get our cyclocross bikes ready to ride.  JMac and I had both brought two bikes each, mountain and cyclocross, with the intention of determining which bike to race on after taking a look at the course and conditions.  I pretty quickly determined that I wanted my mountain bike for two main reasons:  First, my mountain bike has a granny gear.  Although there aren’t any long climbs on the 24 mile loop, there is a lot of climbing.  I was working way too hard on my test ride with the gearing on my cross bike.  Second, my cross bike is relatively new.  While I had ridden it some this winter, I had not ridden it in the conditions which were presenting for the race (i.e. running water and peanut butter dirt on some of the climbs).  I knew I would be more confident on my trusty Kona 2+2.  JMac later opted for his mountain bike as well based on conditions advice from one of our JTree peeps.  Test ride complete, we packed back up and drove to Grand Rapids, about thirty-five minutes away, where we were staying for the weekend.

JMac found a great local brewery for dinner, Brewery Vivant (http://www.breweryvivant.com/).  Since it was a race night we only shared a few samples of their brews but I look forward to going back.  The Belgian/Euro food (with an emphasis on local agriculture and whole foods) and beer were excellent.  The building and seating had a very cool vibe as well.  (JT, I had the best olives since Paris, 1996).

After a good night’s sleep, breakfast consisted of oatmeal with slivered almonds and raisins and coffee, courtesy of the hotel breakfast bar.  I also brought a small container of roasted sunflower seeds and PB2 to add some more oomph to my oatmeal.  (Side note:  I have greatly reduced my intake of oatmeal since going NSNG.  But when traveling or not being able to cook myself, I can’t find a better breakfast option than oatmeal.  And since it was a race day, I wanted the extra glycemic load anyway).  I grabbed an apple and a banana for the road and we were off to Hastings.

We arrived early, as always.  (Old habits from triathlon die hard).  JMac added some air to my tires and rear shock and I locked out the front fork.  With the non-technical terrain, the Kona’s full suspension would be working against me to a certain degree.  I ate my banana and killed some more time in the car until it was time to hit the POPs and line up.  The 24 mile racers started between the 36 and 62 mile cyclists.  From what I can tell, the only seeding was by gender and age.  I wished JMac well and he lined up.  My wave was only two behind his.

As my wave lined up, the sun came out for a brief moment.  That made a huge difference in the temperature.  Otherwise, conditions were supposed to be low 30s and overcast.  I had added an extra base layer on top but was otherwise wearing the same combination of layers and kit as at Ice Man in November.  I lined up about 2/3 of the way back in my wave.  At Ice Man, I found myself pushed to the front while we were lining up and got spit out the back during the very fast start.  So I did not want a repeat of that.  Looking around, I did notice that most of my wave compatriots (all 24 mile females plus some youth categories) were on mountain bikes. The horn sounded and we were off.  Unfortunately, I had positioned myself poorly once again.  This time, it was like the last day of the Tour de France with everyone out for a leisurely group ride.  I suspect that about ten girls got off the front in a couple of packs and the rest of us were left behind in traffic. 

The course is on pavement for a couple of miles out of town then turns to dirt and a few climbs to get the heart and legs pumping.  I just stayed to the left and passed people.  All of the excruciating winter trainer sessions must have paid off because the climbs were doable.  I began to catch the waves in front of me.  Up and down we went.  It seemed like if I wasn’t climbing, I was descending.  But the course was fun.  The hardest part was navigating other racers and choosing the correct body to get behind on the longer, steeper, wetter climbs.  At one point on one of the longer climbs, I could hear the gentleman in front of me, grinding through his gears as we neared the top of a sloppy section.  I thought for sure he was going to drop a chain and in the process drop me in the mud.  But with some encouragement he ground it out to the top. 

The various distances split off and then rejoined.  The leaders of the 36 mile race passed me like I was standing still.  But the course was very well marked and I had no route finding issues.  My only frustration was being stopped at an intersection to allow car traffic to pass.  While I was stopped, several other ladies in my wave were able to catch up. 

For nutrition, I sucked on Clif shot blocks with caffeine.  I had approximately sixty ounces of water on me in my Camelbak.  Ultimately, I drank about forty ounces, which may not have been enough.  Around mile 18, my quads started to cramp.  I wracked my brain trying to remember if cramps were a sign of low electrolytes or dehydration.  I shifted into an easier gear, ate another shot block, drank and kept going.  Shortly thereafter I turned on to the pavement, a final long climb and the road for the finish.  I tried to grab onto some 36 mile guys passing me on cross bikes but my quads cramped again and I backed off.  I did finish the climb feeling pretty strong and then tucked in for the final descent to town.  I enjoyed the finish as the course turned through town a few times before crossing the finish line .  A girl in my age group caught me near the end and we battled back and forth with me popping past her just before the finish.  I finished 14^th out of 48 in my age group.  JMac did very well, finishing 16th out of 74 in his.

I found JMac and we returned to the car to put away our bikes and change for the after party.  Founders Brewing is the title sponsor for Barry Roubaix and already had the good beer flowing.  We grabbed a couple of All Day IPA’s, some food and settled in with our peeps from JTree.  Thank you to the city of Hastings for hosting the event.  The center of town was shut down as an open air party, complete with fire pits, food, beer and cycling vendors.  All in all, it was a very good day and a great weekend away.  I am already looking forward to next year.

My hope is that you had a good weekend too.  Work hard, play harder and take care of yourself.  Thanks for stopping by.  Talk to you next week.

Several weeks ago JMac asked if I would make cupcakes.  And not just any cupcakes.  He specifically requested yellow cupcakes with homemade chocolate fudge frosting.  Now for the reader who has not had (from scratch) yellow cupcakes with chocolate fudge frosting, these cupcakes are quite a treat.  The cupcakes are light, moist and delicious on their own.  But the frosting takes them to a new level.  The frosting consists of dark chocolate, a little vanilla and milk, one stick of butter and a whole lot of sugar.  The sugary, buttery, rich goodness of it is absolutely mind-boggling.  I know more than one person who “doesn’t like chocolate,” JMac included, who can eat half a dozen of these tasty treats without blinking an eye.  Regardless, this request put me in a bit of a quandary regarding my own recent stance against both wheat flour and sugar.  But I agreed to make them for dessert when we had company over for dinner.  After all, JMac has been an innocent victim in the No Sugar No Grains battle, losing his beloved bread, cereal and after dinner cookies in my war against processed foods. 

For most of my life growing up my parents worked opposite shifts.  My mom worked the traditional business day and my dad worked nights.  Between sports and other after school activities, this meant a crazy juggling of the schedules with one parent often picking my brother and/or I up one place and the other parent picking us up an hour or two later.  With all of this hustle and bustle, I do not recall much time for traditional family dinners most days of the week.  What I do recall is my mom spending a few hours in the kitchen on Sunday’s, preparing meals for the upcoming week, making sure there was real food in the fridge for us to eat.

Today, the pace of my life is much the same, as it is for many people.  Work obligations, self-imposed training obligations, family and social events and well, life, keep us busy all throughout the week.  However, this does not mean that in our haste our diets have to suffer, that we have to rely on industrial science experiments for nourishment. 

As I mentioned in a previous post, I was rolling into a recovery week.  I took full advantage of the extra time on my hands on Sunday to make food for the upcoming week and for weeks when I will not have adequate time to cook. 

On Saturday, I took a few minutes to flip through my cookbooks for some inspiration.  I decided to go veggie and settled on Appetite for Reduction

	Appetite for Reduction: 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes ~ Matthew Ruscigno (author) More about this product List Price: $19.95 Price: $11.57 You Save: $8.38 (42%)

• Two loaves paleo bread http://www.elanaspantry.com/paleo-bread/ .  This is an excellent recipe, whether you are low carb, gluten free (GF) or not.  I doubled the recipe.  After cooling, I wrapped one and a half loaves in plastic wrap and then foil and froze them.  I kept the remaining half loaf out to be consumed the first few days of the week.  (And it was).  To defrost the frozen loaf, just take it out of the freezer in the morning and leave it on the counter (away from the dog) and by evening, it will be good to go.*
• One pan GF cornbread for JMac, which was inadvertently left out on the counter (not away from the dog) and later consumed by the dog (again).  Doh!
• Veggie Pot Pie Stew (6 servings) http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/3478411-Veggie-Potpie-Stew .**  After cooling, I separated the stew, 2/3 going in a large plastic container and being frozen for dinner/lunch later in the week.  The remaining 1/3 was put in a smaller container and also frozen with the intention of being emergency lunch some day in the future. 
• Lentil and Eggplant Chili Mole (6 servings) http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/01/lentil-and-eggplant-chili-mole-recipe.html .**  This was separated the same as above except that I left the large container in the refrigerator for dinner/lunch Monday/Tuesday.***
• Red Thai Tofu (4 servings) http://reductionproject.blogspot.com/2011/06/red-thai-tofu.html .  We ate about half for dinner on Sunday.  JMac had his over rice.  I had mine over half of a baked sweet potato.  The rest became lunch on Monday.^

So, in four hours I made sixteen meals^^ and enough “bread” to last more than two weeks.  If my math is correct, that’s a mere fifteen minutes per serving.  Add a salad trough and voila, dinner is served!  Real food in real time is really doable.  And your body will thank you for it.  Have a great week.

*Tip:  I substitute Trader Joe's gluten free flour for the coconut flour and the bread comes out fine.

**Tip:  Stews, soups and chilies are generally better the second day, after having a chance for the flavors to meld together.  Just a thought for meal planning.

***Yet Another Tip:  I passed on the agave and did not miss it in the final product.

^Last tip:  The author of this blog thought her sauce came out too thin.  I'm not sure what she did differently because my sauce came out both a good consistency and very tasty.  Also, to add more "Thai" flavor, I cooked the tofu in coconut oil as opposed to olive oil.

^^Ok, one more comment:  Any of these recipes could be doubled or tripled so that there would be more freezable leftovers for a larger family.  In particular, I like the recipes in this book because the serving size works out well for two people.

So where am I in my training cycle?  I am in the last week of my third block of training (i.e. yay, recovery time!).  This block has incorporated some lactate threshold work after two blocks of aerobic base building.  The third week of any block is generally my favorite.  I know what the workouts will be from the first two weeks but can push myself further and harder knowing a recovery week is around the corner.  And that's what happened last weekend.  My final workout on Sunday was a three hour zone 2/3 bike ride.  Well, I was tired.  The two hour trainer class on Saturday had been brutal, the workouts earlier in the week had me worn down and JMac and I had been engaged in a house renovation project, spending all of our free time painting the first floor of our house.  So when I woke up Sunday morning to more snow falling outside my windows, I had to consider my options.  I knew three hours on the trainer was not going to happen (Plan A).  Even if I eeked out two hours on the trainer, I knew I was not going to be able to muster an effort much beyond easy spinning (Plan B).  That's when I opted for Plan C.  I pulled out my mountain bike, geared up for nineteen degree weather, loaded the bike in the car and headed for the Bike and Hike, a local paved trail which runs from Summit to Cuyahoga county.  It had been too icy to ride the previous week but I thought with the fresh layer of snow, there would be enough cover on the ice to make it able to be ridden on.  Mmmm.  As I quickly discovered, there was snow but the ice underneath was much crunchier, thicker and more uneven than I was expecting.  After a few minutes out, I grew frustrated and turned around for the parking lot.  But then I remembered that a recovery week was on the way and if I could just do half the workout, that would probably be better quality than a weak effort on the trainer.  So I turned around again and headed north.  Riding on the snow and ice was alternately like riding through sand and really loose rock gardens.  I focused on my handling skills.  It was slow going and even though I fell twice, my effort was where it should have been.  The time started to slip away and I was out longer than anticipated.  Conditions could end up being very similar at Barry Roubaix in three weeks so I was glad for the experience.  And now I am on a recovery week.   

Completely unrelated on the food front, I finally made homemade mayonnaise.  It.  Is.  So.  Good.  And easy, at least if you have an immersion blender.  And I do, thanks to a Christmas gift from my sister-in-law (Triplet 1).  (For clarification, rankings are strictly based on birth order).  Here is the recipe that I followed.  Watch the video, it is seriously just this easy:  http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/10/the-food-lab-homemade-mayo-in-2-minutes-or-le.html.  For the oil, I used half canola oil and half olive oil.  I hear so many bad things about canola oil, I felt compelled to cut it down with the olive.  But that does give the mayonnaise a distinct olive-y oil taste.  I did not mind it but do keep that in mind.  The recipe makes quite a bit.  I used about half of it to make salmon salad (a couple of cans of Whole Paycheck wild caught salmon, mayo and my other sister-in-law's (Triplet 3) delicious homemade pepper relish, also a lovely gift).  JMac used the rest to make egg salad. Both were very, very tasty right out of the bowl but could also be served over lettuce.   

I have been on a podcast-listening marathon recently.  I switch between Rich Roll, Vinnie Tortorich (Angriest Trainer), Jonathan Bailor (The Smarter Science of Slim) and the Fit, Fat, Fast podcast.  Although they each approach diet from different angles, there are two common themes: 

• Processed foods should be avoided. 

• Eat more vegetables. 

You never know what you're going to get for dinner at my house on a Friday.  If I picked up our CSA share on Thursday it could be something fresh, local and delicious.  If not, chances are it's something local and delicious but possibly a lot more random, like the leftovers from meals earlier in the week.  Today's post is something like that...random thoughts that have caught my eye over the last couple of weeks.

More than one member of my family has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in my lifetime.  As a result, I have started following research and news on the Alzheimer's front.  There is a growing body of evidence that Alzheimer's, along with other diseases such as Parkinson's and MS, have some correlations with diabetes, gluten and medium chain triglycerides.  For me, this presents even more reasons to kick the carbohydrate/grain/sugar habit.

http://jewishbusinessnews.com/2014/01/30/israeli-researcher-develops-molecules-to-reduce-diabetics-alzheimers-and-dementia-risk/

https://tulane.edu/news/releases/pr_10282013.cfm

There is also a great story on the potential of MCT oil in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease on an old episode of the Fit Fat Fast podcast.  Download it from Itunes or check it out online:

http://www.fitfatfast.com/ep-27-coconuts-ketones-and-proper-running/#more-507

NPR had a story last week regarding full fat dairy...

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/02/12/275376259/the-full-fat-paradox-whole-milk-may-keep-us-lean

Finally, one of my favorite vegan recipes is Upside Down Shepherd's Pie from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Appetite for Reduction.  (I first heard about the cookbook via No Meat Athlete http://www.nomeatathlete.com, a good blog for the plant-based runner or triathlete).  While you need to watch the carb count in some of the recipes, I have enjoyed virtually everything I have made from the book.  Plus, there are a lot of informative tips on tracking down vegan ingredients and recipe preparation.  The recipes are a great way to work more vegetables into your diet.  And whether you are vegan, vegetarian, vegicurious, paleo, low carb, NSNG, ASD (American Standard Diet), etc., I think everyone agrees the world would be a better place if we all just ate more vegetables.    

Anyway, I made Upside Down Shepherd's Pie again last week and it was delicious.  I like it because the mushroom/lentil combo makes it very filling.  I made mashed potatoes for JMac but served mine over caulibrocs.  Mashed caulibrocs or mashed broccoli or cauliflower has become my go to substitute for rice, quinoa or any other grain dish that might be served with Asian or Indian food.  To make caulibrocs, steam equal parts broccoli and cauliflower.  (I steam quite a bit and freeze any leftovers).  Once the vegetables are tender, pour out the water.  Mash the veggies with a potato masher.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste.  Voila!  Caulibrocs!  Here is a link to Isa's website, where she also has some free recipes from the cookbook:  http://www.theppk.com/books/appetite-for-reduction/

Happy Friday and have a wonderful weekend.  Don't forget, respect yourself, eat real food!

There has been an awful lot of bellyaching in the media recently regarding the extended cold snap of weather, also known as “winter,” which has settled over parts of the country.  While I understand why the folks down south might be upset by the recent onslaught of ice, snow and cold temperatures, I am continually astounded by the distaste for the season from the local northeast Ohio population.  After all, snow and cold means sledding, skiing, cross-country skiing, showshoeing, crunchy trail running, ice skating, ice fishing and for JMac and I, ice climbing. 

It has been a couple of years since we have a winter cold and consistent enough to freeze our local waterfalls solid enough to climb.  Since January, temperatures have remained cold enough for waterfalls from thirty to eighty feet to freeze.  We have taken every opportunity to get out on them, including a few evening runs after work in addition to climbs on the weekends. 

Temperatures are supposed to warm up this week so JMac and I headed out for our potentially last climb of the season on Saturday.  The sky was unbelievably clear, so much so that JMac referred to it as “Colorado blue sky.”  And it was.  There was little wind which made for outstanding conditions.  Both falls had filled in considerably since the prior week.  They were both super fat with multiple lines to climb.  Since it was just the two of us, we had packed in only one rope and decided to climb the more vertical flow on the left.  Here are some pictures so you can see the scale.

When we arrived at the falls we were greeted by a local photographer who was taking some pictures.  The hike in to our location on Saturday is about a half hour hike up a creek bed.  In more typical winters, the creek bed does not freeze solid and/or there is a lot of debris which has to be navigated around.  Between that and the sometimes treacherous canal crossing, we generally do not have a lot of company at “hidden falls.”  This year, however, with the deep freeze that has settled over northeast Ohio, we have come across several local hikers and photographers who have either heard about the picturesque falls and have come to check them out or just followed the footsteps up the completely frozen creek to see where they lead.  Imagine their surprise when they come across us, climbing the falls with crampons and ice axes.  The photographer on Saturday took some pictures of us climbing.  I’m hoping he forwards a couple of them as it is difficult to take good pictures with just the two of us. 

Part of the appeal of ice climbing is the ever changing conditions of the ice as well as the limited window of time to enjoy them.  So while I am very sad that the falls will most likely melt out later this week, I am very grateful for the climbs I was able to complete.  It has been a great season.

Last year I split my season into two with the first half being triathlon-focused (MusselMan Half Iron) and the second half focusing on mountain biking (IceMan).  That was a huge step outside my comfort zone because although I wanted to improve my mountain biking skills, I had never participated in a mountain bike race before.  The thought terrified me particularly since I had selected the largest mountain biking race in the country as my "A" mountain biking race.  But all is well that ends well.  I really enjoyed my mountain biking season, bumps, bruises and all.  IceMan was fantastic.  And I had a great time at the local races that I competed in.  So that brings me to 2014.  This year I am combining triathlon and mountain biking once again but this time into one season and one A race, Xterra Marquette Epic.  I love upstate Michigan and always look for an opportunity to head up north, as they say.  So here is the lineup:

So if I am not eating grains, potatoes, sugar, etc., what exactly am I eating?  A lot, actually.

• Vegetables.  Lots and lots of vegetables.  When I was in high school, I went through a phase of being a "vegetarian."  In all actuality I was much closer to the name my parents gave me, "pastatarian."  I lived on spaghetti, cereal and bread and occasionally ate iceberg lettuce.  But the days of the pastatarian are long gone.  Today I enjoy pretty much all vegetables.  Joining a local CSA (http://freshforkmarket.com/) has forced me to expand my vegetable horizon.  I eat a salad as a large portion of most lunches and dinners with whatever vegetables we have around as a side dish.  

• Protein.  I gave up conventional, factory-farmed meat a couple of years ago after reading Michael Pollan's life changing book, In Defense of Food (http://michaelpollan.com/books/in-defense-of-food/).  Instead, I turned to locally-raised, preferably organic meat.  Living in northeast Ohio, there are many sources for responsibly-raised chicken, beef and pork.  (Check out the year round farmer's market brought to you by The Countryside Conservancy http://www.cvcountryside.org/ for vendors).  Whole Foods and Trader Joe's also offer some options for organic meat.  However, loose food labeling laws allow for liberal use of the terms "grass fed" and "pasture raised."  Do your own research.  All of this being said, soy and legumes are significant sources of protein for me as well.  

• Fruit, in moderation.  Sometime between being a pastatarian in high school and whatever I am these days (there has to be a term better than NSNG'er), I became a fruitarian.  Not really, but I did eat a lot of fruit.  I love fruit, nature's candy.  These days I try to limit myself to one to two servings of lower glycemic fruits per day, as my sweet treat.

• Seeds, nuts and nut butters.  Right now I am digging on roasted almonds, raw walnuts, nut butters, sunflower and chia seeds.  Check out the huge selection at Trader Joe's for inspiration.  

• Dairy, in moderation.  Mmmm...Snowville Creamery products--grass-grazed and Ohio local.  Snowville's plain yogurt (full fat) with berries makes for a yummy dessert.  I avoid milk and reduced fat cheeses and yogurts and stick with full fat cottage cheese, plain yogurt and other artisan cheeses as my go to "fast food" when I need a quick snack.

• Other:

• Olives
• Coconut butter
• Raw coconut
• Eggs, local and pasture raised

For baking:

• Flax seed, almond and cashew meal (available through Bob's Red Mill, Trader Joe's or Whole Foods.  Or make your own if you have a powerful food processor or Vitamix).

For cooking:

Olive oil, coconut oil, butter and ghee.

Herbs and spices.