30 Day Photo Challenge

I started my 30 Day Photo Challenge today 9-16-2011.  I want to get out and take more pictures, and this will be a good way for me to do that.  I will use my Canon DSLR as much as possible, however I will also use my iPhone if needed.  I was driving home from the store and drove by this cemetery with all the flags still out from the 9-11 remembrance.  They have placed a flag for every person lost in the 9-11 attacks as well as a wall mural with their names.  I was strange to look at the wall and see my name twice on it.  I will post some of the pictures here off and on but all of them will be posted every day on facebook.   At the end I will put together a 30 Day Challenge Slideshow.  

Ground Beef and Sweet Potatoes

I hope to try to place some of the food recipes here that I have made.  Some are mine and some are ones that I found on the net.  Please let me know how you like them.

 

Ingredients:

1 Lb Ground Beef

1 Lb Ground Sausage

1 Sweet Potato diced small

1/2 Onion diced

1 Green Apple Diced

1 Red Bell Pepper Diced

1 Mango

1 Avocado

Spinach Leaves

Salt and Pepper

 

Directions:

Cook the ground beef and sausage and drain the excess fat.  I used a wok and put in a little coconut oil and heat it up.  I placed the onions, bell peppers, apples and sweet potatoes.  Cook for about 5 minutes until the onions and apples are soft.  Add a little water and cover to steam the potatoes.  Cook for about 10 minutes until the potatoes are soft.  Than mix in the ground beef and sausage and mix well.

I than place some spinach leafs on a plate, spoon some of the ground beef onto of the leafs.  I than place sliced avocados and mangoes around the plate.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper or season to taste.

I took a picture but the light was bad.  I will make it again and repost.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Desert Stand Up Paddling

I started a Meet-Up group a few weeks ago called Desert Stand Up Paddling.  I searched the meet up web sites and did not find a group here in Las Vegas.  I than learned later that here is on already started called Paddle to the Core.  I am familiar with Paddle to the Core, I met Kathy a while ago when I first tried SUP.  I went tout to Lake Las Vegas and did a rental with her.  She had a half hour lesson and than an hour paddle for $30 and it was worth it.  I have a blast and was hooked.  I have been back a few time to paddle with her.  She has lot of different types of paddles boards and I tried several of the to get an idea of what is the right board for me.  I ended up buying a SUP ATX from the dealer in San Diego.  I was out there in June for Kylie’s graduation form USD and did a demo whith them.  I loved the board and bought a SUP ATX LR-15 12′ board.  I got a great deal on it and it came with  a carbon fiber paddle and case for the board.

Since than I have been out a few time on the board.  I took it to Parker Arizona with us and did a few trips up the river on it.  You have to go out early in the morning there because the river gets busy around 9 am with boaters wake boarding and such.  than after that it is like riding a bike on the freeway.   Just too many boats to be safe.  Also the boat wakes get to be a pain and I have a hard time standing up after a few wakes.  Non the less I love it.  I got a chance to have my son Isaac try it and he did well.

So I hope that the meet up group gets going soon.  I have 22 members but I don’t think any of them own a board for their own.  I have set up a few meet ups at Lake Las Vegas so they can rent but so far it has just been me.  I had a great tiem today on the water.  I paddled about 5.7 miles up and down the small lake.  I did a little exploring around some of the million dollar homes on the lake.  I would be nice to roll out of bed walk to the back yard and jump on your board or sailboat.  Or at the end of a hard long day to sit in the kayak paddling with a cold beer.

If you get a chance check it out.

Desert Stand Up Paddling

Lake Mead Leadman Race

On Saturday I volunteered to help with the Leadman Triathlon Event at Lake Mead.  They need kayakers to lend assistance to the swimmers if needed.  So I got up at 3 am cooked a great primal breakfast and was off.  I was on the water as the sun was coming up. It was a awesome day on the water and well worth getting up early.  Just before the event started the photographer asked if he could ride with me so he can shoot close ups on the water.  My kayak has tramps between the kayak and out riggers, so they can lay down and shoot pictures.  I have attached some pictures I took with my iphone.

Happy Mother’s Day

Had a great day with the wife.  We went to breakfast this morning, we both had a great California Omelet with a side of bacon.  After breakfast we went to go get a food dehydrator from Bed Bath and Beyond.  We picked up the  Nesco FD-61 Snackmaster® Encore Food Dehydrator.  We also got some extra trays.

After a quick stop at the market for fresh fruit and veggies we were off to make some great snacks.  I was getting the slicer ready when the blade slipped and sliced the tip of my finger.  The wife had to convince me to go to the Urgent Care.  I just wanted a band-aid but I could not get it to stop bleeding.  I finally agreed to go.  The doctor said I needed stitches because the cut was too deep.  I think the 4 shots he gave me was the most painful thing I have ever gone through. The medicine burned so bad I wished he would have just cut the finger off.  Well 7 stitches later I was back home slicing veggies.

We set up the dehydrator with apples, sweet potatoes, zucchini, green beans, and carrots.  In the second dehydrator I have we made another batch of beef jerky.  Now all I have to do is wait for 6-8 hours and see how they turn out.

Now for dinner.  I made Salmon with shredded Brussels Sprouts with pine nuts and stir fry green beans, snap peas with bacon.   I grilled the salmon wrapped in foil.  On the fish I placed lime slices and a little lime juice, salt and pepper.  For the Brussels Sprouts I shredded them  and grilled them in a pan of coconut oil garlic and pine nuts.  The stir fry was done in the wok with the little bacon grease.  It turned out great.

The Best Chicken Fajitas Ever

I want to start to post some of the meals that I eat on my blog.  I love to search the net and read different blogs.  I have found several recipes on different sites.  If i have the location of where I found it I will post the link as well.  Please forgive me if I found your recipe and used it here.  Please send me a email so I can give you credit.

This is the first one I am going to post.  It is a great goto meal and it is the one that convinced my wife to get on board with me.  I have used chicken tenders from from Sam’s Club, chicken breast cut in strips or chunks.   What ever works for you.  I made up a bunch of the season mix and store it in a old empty spice bottle.   I saw this one on Whole 9 Life  and love it.  Let me know what you think.

The Best Chicken Fajitas Ever

Ingredients:

1.5 – 2 lbs. of “pastured” organic chicken breast

1 medium jicama (peeled and sliced into strips)

2-3 ripe mango (peeled and sliced into chunks)

2-3 ripe avocado (sliced into quarters)

1 red bell pepper (sliced into strips)

1 orange bell pepper (sliced into strips)

1 yellow bell pepper (sliced into strips)

1 large sweet onion (sliced into strips)

2 heads of Bibb or Butter lettuce

Cumin, chili powder, freshly ground black pepper (liberal amounts of each)

Sea salt to taste

1 bunch fresh cilantro (chopped)

Directions:

Trim and pound chicken with a meat tenderizer until all slices are a consistent thickness.

Heat 1-2 tbsp of coconut oil in a pan (medium-high heat).

Once the oil is hot, mix spices together and sprinkle half directly into the pan.

Throw chicken on top of the spices, and sprinkle the other half of the spice mixture on top of the chicken.

Allow each side to blacken and sear (about 1 minute) before flipping.

When chicken is done, remove from pan and transfer to cutting board to slice into strips.

In the same hot pan (with leftover spices), sauté the peppers and onions.

Use the spatula to scrape blackened spices off the bottom of the pan, stir them right in with the veggies.

When pepper and onion mixture is cooked to desired tenderness (3-5 minutes), remove from pan and transfer to serving dish.

Fill the bottom of your plate with large leafs of lettuce.  Pile hot peppers and onion on top, surround with jicama, avocado and mango.

Drop the chicken on top of the whole glorious pile, top with freshly chopped cilantro

USC Track Meet with a Paleo Caveman

I went to the USC vs UCLA Track and Field Meet today.  It was the anniversary  1961 and 1986 track teams..  I competed at USC from 1982 to 1987 in the 800 meters and 1500 meters.  I enjoyed the day with my wife and friends.  I got to see and talk to several fellow team members that I have not seen in a long time.  I was amazed at how much the campus has changed and all the new buildings.  I thought I would post a couple of pictures as well.

The great part was that I was able to make it a Paleo day.  It was a great day to sit in the sunshine and get a good dose of vitamin D.  My wife and I would sit n the sun for a bit than get up and walk around the stadium and hang out in the shade, than go back for more sun.  The lunch they served was not the best Paleo food.  They had lasagna, grilled chicken, and spinach salad.  I took the spinach and placed a couple chicken breast on top and light with the dressing.  They also had fruit and cupcakes.  I pulled out the blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and a little melon.  It made me feel good to know that I can make good decisions and find a way to eat Paleo.

Speaking of eating Paleo, we were invited by our friend to go to their friends house for a Pizza night.  They did not know that I was eating Paleo and my wife said that I am sure I can find something to eat.  I enjoy being part of the tribe and sitting down with old friends and new friends is very important.  James is a great cook and he made some amazing pizza on the grill.  It was like eating at California Pizza kitchen with your own twist.  I took a bite of the different creations and they were awesome.  Some of the pizzas I ate by pulling off the topping and eating it.  I tried to leave out as much cheese as I could.

They were also sampling different Belgian Beers.  I tried a shot of the three different types as well as a glass of wine and did not feel any effects from it. Overall I felt great the next day and did not have any issues.   Does this mean I can eat pizza again.  I don’t think so.  I found if I take it easy and not over do it I feel great.

I have a few pictures from the event to share.  The weather was great, in the mid 80’s clear and light wind.  It was so clear that you could see the downtown buildings and the mountains in the background with snow on top.

Here is a picture of my friends.  From left to right, Mike Gonzales my first roommate decathlete and my bobsled pilot, Jim Fisher ran the same event as me and we trained a lot together. Next to Jim is me and the big guy on the end is Rick Luiten.  Rick and I were roommates as well and have been friends for a long time.  Sitting down is Romney Mawhorter.  Romney is a distance runner and steeplechaser.  It was fun to see what they are all doing now.

This is a shot of the start finish line from the grandstand.  I have run a lot of laps on this track and there are a lot of memories.

Friday Windy Hike

A view of the Park

Today I decided to get out of bed early and make my wife a good Paleo breakfast.  I made her an omelet with peppers, onions, mushrooms (yuk) and it little cheese than added a few sliced avocado.  Of course no Paleo breakfast would be complete with out bacon.  I did the same for me, no fungus, and no cheese but I did it scrambled.  I had opened a can of coconut milk last night for the Salisbury Steak  I made for dinner.  I added some of the milk to the scrambled eggs and it helps keep the eggs fluffy.

So, after breakfast my wife left for work and I headed up to Lone Mountain for a hike.  This week I did something to my back and I have been really sore and tight.  I have had a long history with back problems and had surgery in 1984.  I was running track and field at USC and ended up watching the Olympic Games in Los Angeles from the hospital bed.  I knew that I need to get out and do some type of exercise and it will make me feel better.  I went to Lone Mountain for a hike.  I was thinking of going to Lake Las Vegas to  paddle board but the 30+ mile an hour winds killed that idea.

Lone Mountain is a small isolated mountain that is surrounded by homes and a new beltway.  It is really not a mountain but a large hill.  The summit is about 600 feet above the surrounding area and has a few routes to use for the hike.  I started from the parking lot at the City of Las Vegas Lone Mountain Park.  I started with a slight easy jog up the dirt road that leads to the mountain.  I was not able to jog the whole way but I am getting better and stronger.  Some day I will run the entire hike.  I started the climb from the North trail and worked my way up along the ridge line.  The wind caused this to be a little difficult and I really had to work hard to keep my balance.  According to my Garmin 305 my heart rate was around 160 bpm in the jog and down to 153 bpm for the hike up.

I made it to the summit and enjoyed the views for a little bit.  The wind made this difficult and it was hard to stand still.  I have noticed that I am getting a lot better with balance.  I am able to walk over rocks and keep a good strong balance.   After the hike I did a little work out in the park.  I found a good strong tree and did some pull ups.  When I started this Paleo-Journey I could only do 2-3 pull ups.  Now I can do 3 sets of ten.  At the park I did pull ups, push ups, and squats.  I feel great and my back is also feeling better.  It does a body good to get out and move.  By the way during the entire hike I enjoyed listening to the Latest in Paleo Podcast by  Angelo Coppola.  I can’t think of a better way to listen to the podcast.  Thanks Angelo.

"Top of the World" kind of

Welcome to the Primal Desert

Welcome.  I am glad that you were able to find me here on the web.  I am new to Blogging as well as to the Primal Lifestyle.  I have done some web design and blogging on the Mac using iWeb, but it just did not seem to work out so well.I did some searching online for Primal/Paleo blogs and found a lot of them were done on Blogger.  So I started this blog to have a place to write about my adventures and lifestyle.

First let me give you a little history about me.  I am currently 47 years old, 6’3″ tall and weigh 210 lbs.  I was an athlete in college and since then have been active off and on.  I really do not want to get back in to competing, I just want to keep in good healthy shape.  I was a Track and Field athlete competing in the half mile and mile.  I earned a scolarship to the University of Southern California where I graduated with a degree and Exercise Science Sports Medicine.  I competed in the 2002 Winter Olympics in the 2-Man Bobsled Event for Puerto Rico.  I was born there and lived on the island for about 3 years.  It was a wonderful experience and I will post pictures and a blog about that soon.

I currently live in Las Vegas Nevada and work for the Las Vegas Water District as an inspector.  I am married to my wife Kim and we have 4 wonderful children.  The two oldest are hers and the younger ones are mine.  Together we enjoy riding the ATV’s, camping on our toy hauler and playing on the river at Parker AZ.

I decided in January of 2011 that I was not going to be out of shape and die at a young age.  My wife talked me into trying to do the Atkins thing and we started that on 1-17-11.  I weighed in at 237 lbs when I started.  I liked the idea that I can eat eggs and bacon, as well as hamburgers just no bun or carbs.  I did the induction thing for the first two weeks and felt fine.  I lost a few pounds but not a lot.  I was not doing any exercise at this time just not eating carbs.  After the first three weeks I was doing a google search for Stand Up Paddle Boards and came across Marks Daily Apple.

Since than I have been trying to eat like a cave man and have not had any processed foods.  I feel great and have lost 27 lbs to date.  I started to ride my bike a lot more as well as exercising like Grok.  I work out when I can and do as much as I can.  The best part is that I started to get out and Play a lot more.  I get on my Kayak, started to do SUP and working on running in a 5K race at the end of the month.

I have found lots of ideas for foods and recipes and will share them here.  I will write about my work outs as wells as my adventures.  Stay tuned and sign up for the updates.