I did see a post about a Scotch Ostrich Egg (or, Scostrich egg, as I would call it), but I'm not sure if I could find good bulk ground pork or sausage. I'll have to check Whole Foods to see what's new in the fancy meats department. Definitely an option...

What about the worlds' largest deviled egg? Cheesy souffle'? Maybe I hurl it at the door of my enemy?

I thought about my mighty egg all day. Emu Frittata.

An emu egg looks like a hefty avocado, with a thick bumpy shell and sloshy innards. It comes from this animal:

After circling the egg a few times, I still couldn't figure out a way in. I looked it up on the all-knowing internets, who suggested using a hammer or saw. I thought a hammer would smash the shell and get bits all in the eggyness, and I don't have a saw... but I do have an EXTREMELY SHARP knife (as seen on TV). Take a look:

Emu, part 1 from Marianne Wilson on Vimeo.

Wow! What a yolk.

I scrambled it with Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. The texture was stickier than a chicken egg, lighter and creamy. I poured it over sauteed onions and chorizo. See?

Popped it in the oven to cook through, and voila! Dinner:

It was bumpier than I thought, and chewier. But good, and plentiful.


Emulicious.

They are hefty eggs, with a hefty price tag ($20/egg). But, I was hungry, and curious, and had an extra $40 tucked into my shoe. I have no idea what to do with my mighty eggs. I spoke to the produce guy, who said you can cook them just like any other egg. I asked how long it would take to hard-boil an ostrich egg. A few hours, he guessed.

Ostrich egg-drop soup?
Emu frittata?

Suggestions!

No more. We took the recycling out today, and I dug out my workout pants and sports bra for a HIIT session this afternoon, after a Paleo breakfast of uncured bacon and omega-3 eggs and a Primal lunch at Chipotle (peppers, onions, pork, tomato salsa, cheese and guacamole).

Why the sudden renewed inspiration? Yesterday, by chance, I met and hung out for a bit with urban caveman John Durant at a lecture series and cookout.

Here's John on The Colbert Report:

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
John Durant
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Fox News

Of course, I scrutinized everything that went on his plate (I was witness to two of his meals).Yes, I know it was a bit stalkerish, but I was curious what he could eat at a luncheon buffet consisting of sandwiches and cookies and soft drinks, and a cookout with hot dogs and hamburgers. (Answer: the contents of several sandwiches, minus the bread, and hot dogs and burgers, minus the bun. And maybe some ranch dressing?)

John is smart, kind, funny, articulate, and very knowledgeable about the Paleo diet (which is really a lifestyle, not just a diet). Spending just a little time with someone so enthusiastic and committed has reinvigorated me. My Primal Year is back on!

The diet has been the biggest issue for me, but I need to work on the lifestyle aspects too: exercise, play, sleep. These are fun things!

John has organized Primal Meetups in NYC. By nature, I'm not a joiner. I'm a wolf pack of one. But, I just joined the Primal Meetup in DC/NoVa, in hopes that occasionally getting together with other like-minded folks will keep my enthusiasm high.

Rowr!

This morning I dressed in my new hiking gear (mid-weight wool shirt, hiking pants, hiking socks, hiking boots, and new day pack) and went to REI, feeling like a tool b/c I was dressed in REI head-to-toe. There, I got a new waterproof/windproof/lightweight jacket shell, some sweat-wicking panties, and a soft-sided duffel bag. I will be REI head-to-toe, inside and out.

So far, most of my training has involved acquiring cool hiking gear, but today we hit the trails! Chris and I headed to Patapsco Valley, near Baltimore, and hiked a network of trails. The hike we took was supposed to be 5.7 miles, but we made a few wrong turns and double-backs, so I think it was easily 6 miles, and maybe more. It took us roughly 3 hours, including a short picnic break at the falls and a jaunt over a suspension bridge.

Some parts of the trail were very pleasant, but other sections were ass-kickers. These almost did me in, and somewhere between huffs and puffs I resolved to take this training seriously. I have no idea what to expect from the Machu Picchu hikes, but if they have long stretches of steep elevation, I'm doomed.

We're keeping a video chronicle of our training, so we can make a cheesy montage. I'll upload some videos when I figure out how. For now, a photo or two:

My favorite comment:

"I believe in you. I believe in your pound cake."

Unfortunately, this inspires me to bake again, to expand my repertoire of neverfail kickass treats. This does not bode well for my primal year diet.

This seems to have worked.

Also, I already cleaned the house (procrastination) and had nothing else to do. So, I suited up in my workout clothes, warmed up to a good song, and did:

3 sets squats
2 sets pushups
2 sets situps
Danced until exhaustion

Admittedly, it isn't much, but it's a start, and definitely got my heart rate up.

Now, I think I'll go for a walk and soak up some sunshine.

Vacation training has begun!

During the winter, I thought it was because it was cold and dreary. Now that it is a beautiful warm spring, I still have no motivation.

I listed to Robb Wolf's Paleolithic Solution podcasts, which often cover CrossFit questions and offer suggestions for improving performance. That doesn't do it for me either.

Chris and I just booked a vigorous hiking trip to Machu Picchu, and though I know I need to start training for vacation, even that doesn't motivate me. I'm in no shape to keep up on seven days of 5-7 hour daily hikes, and I don't want to be the straggler who can't keep up with the group. But, other than turning myself outside to enjoy a walk in the sunshine, I have no desire to work out.

I tried increasing my daily caloric intake, thinking that an energy deficiency may be causing my lethargy. Still, nothing.

What is it going to take to get me fired up to get in shape? Why am I so lazy?

Not long after the last post, I had a sudden and swift energy depletion. Felt like crap. Next morning, I woke up early and made bacon to eat on my way to work. I had 2 pieces (my commute is really short) and had a grumbly tummy by lunchtime. I took the new girl out to lunch at a cheery French bistro down the street, and we had crepes. Buckwheat crepe with Black Forest ham, melted leeks, tomatoes and gobs of cheese. It was delicious, but not the "meat, topped with meat" meal I had hoped for.

I felt fantastic after lunch. It is difficult for me to get enough calories on a meat-only diet, because meat is so darn filling that I rarely felt like eating. Today was better, but not by much: bacon for breakfast again, handful of pecans for a snack, a ThinkThin protein bar, and a southwest turkey soup for dinner, with some raisins and walnuts and almonds for dessert. I should probably have done without the after-dinner snack, but I was hungry and couldn't face the thought of a meaty dessert.

I've been a terrible sleeper this week, and I don't know if it is because of my diet, the time change, stress, something else, or a combination of all of the above. I'm exhausted by the time my head hits the pillow, and just as I'm about to fall deeply asleep... bam! I'm alert, fidgety, and thinking of to do lists in my head.

"Write a blog entry" can now be crossed off my list.

Back on track!

Derailed by my birthday/Valentine's Day/Scotch tasting dinner/work stress/road trip to Tennessee, the last month has been a delightful exercise in gluttony, with only a smattering of guilt. Just about every cheat was worth it, except for the dark night I found myself eating a stale Kit Kat. It was gross, but I ate it anyway. I also ate at least a dozen peanut butter cookies that weren't that good, and a slice of chocolate-peanut butter pie that was sadly lacking in both chocolate and peanut butter flavor. I gained 4 pounds.

Now that I'm back home, with just ordinary amounts of stress, I'm gung-ho to climb back on top of this diet. I'm kicking off my return to primal eating with Meat Week! All meat, all week.

I started yesterday.

Saturday breakfast:
Bacon and eggs

Saturday lunch:
2 grass fed uncured hot dogs (no bun or condiments)

Saturday dinner:
Dry aged porterhouse

Sunday brunch:
Sausage and egg scramble

Sunday snack:
2 bites of pemmican

Sunday dinner:
Leftover porterhouse

I'm trying to kickstart my fat-burning by eating really low carb for at least 48-hours. (Achieved). I think I had ~30 g. carbs on Saturday (mainly from drinks - a bottle of kombucha (2 servings @ 7 g. carbs/serving) and a glass of red wine with dinner). Even fewer carbs today.

I'm trying for a whole week of only meat, but I'm not sure that that is possible, or even reasonable. It will be much more difficult to find meat-only options for lunch when I'm not working from home anymore.

I know that there is no real reason for a meat-only diet. The benefits come from eating low carb (under 50 grams), which easily can be achieved on a meat-and-vegetable rich Paleo diet. I just really like eating meat, and think a week of steak, chicken, bacon, eggs, turkey, pork, etc. would be awesome. Plus, I need to break this sugar craving.

My husband isn't so keen on Meat Week, though he also delights in carnivory. (I know carnivory was not a real word. I made it up, and now it exists). He eats what I prepare, but also supplements with condiments and vegetables.

But... chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast!

We celebrated my birthday with a fancy meat dinner: charcuterie, meatball clouds, steak and, yes, desserts. Plural. Chocolate mousse profiteroles and moist toffee pudding cake. All portion sizes were reasonable, except the charcuterie platter. That was a meal in itself (two, actually. We ate the leftovers for lunch the next day).

Valentine dinner is deliciously primal, though: Lavender-and-Thyme Roast Duck with Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale Chips.

The bread was more breadlike than I anticipated, but was sweet and tasted of coconut flour (which is a different flavor than coconut). I don't know that the bread would be good for sandwiches, but it's great for... French toast!

I sliced the bread, dipped in an egg/coconut milk/vanilla/touch of honey mixture, and pan-fried in bacon grease (left in the pan after I cooked up a package of bacon). Voila! Breakfast dinner:


Coconut French toast, bacon, soft-boiled eggs. And the stuff on top of the French toast? Leftover toast batter.

Yum!

The grocery store wasn't much help (we came home with a tin of anchovies, dried apricots, a dark chocolate candy bar and some diet soft drinks. You know, the essentials). We did pass a restaurant that was open (!) and stopped in to thaw a bit and savor a pizza and beer.

I know, I know. What did I just say? Just yesterday, I was so grumpy because I can't get control of my diet, and here I am eating pizza and beer. Ah, well. They were both spectacular.

I made my favorite pound cake during the last snow storm (in December, before My Paleo Year began). I feel a strong urge to get it the kitchen and bake delicious non-Paleo treats. I'm really not sure how to spend my snow weekend, if I can't spend it baking delicious treats...

I did make another batch of the Sweet & Salty Granola today. (That's what the dried apricots from the grocery store were for). And we're having Primal coconut pancakes with bacon and eggs for dinner tonight.

I've been cruising the paleo/primal recipe sites for the last hour or so, and have a stack of recipes that may satisfy my desire to bake and keep within the limitations of the diet. Fingers crossed!