The website 4 Hour Body Zone has some awesome 4 Hour Body Recipes - perfect for all sorts of meals and for anyone following a slow carb diet or the paleo diet.
On the site you'll find Paleo Diet recipes and also 4 Hour Body Recipes - check it out today and see what's cooking!
Friday, August 26, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
"Easy" Weight Loss
In the book "The 4 Hour Body" by Tim Ferriss he goes into detail about a pretty easy way to lose "20 pounds in 30 days" eating what he calls a slow-carb diet.
Mainly you eat meats/proteins, avoid starchy "white" carbs, avoid fruit, eat basically the same meals over and over, you don't drink your calories - and one day a week, you don't follow rules and have a "cheat" day. It is amazingly simple.
Check out The 4 Hour Body Zone for info on slow carb diets, and 4 Hour Body Recipes and Paleo Diet Recipes.
Mainly you eat meats/proteins, avoid starchy "white" carbs, avoid fruit, eat basically the same meals over and over, you don't drink your calories - and one day a week, you don't follow rules and have a "cheat" day. It is amazingly simple.
Check out The 4 Hour Body Zone for info on slow carb diets, and 4 Hour Body Recipes and Paleo Diet Recipes.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Get Tinnitus Relief Now
I can't stop this damn incessant ringing in my ears - I have tinnitus I guess, and from what I've read some people have it to the point that they describe it as "catastrophic" - I'm nowhere near that bad, mine is more like a constant low ring that is going off in my ears. Supposedly there are no real cures, just treatments that help limit the ringing, but I want to get tinnitus relief now! If there was an easy way to get tinnitus relief, I'd be all over it! I hate when I'm sitting around chilling out, trying to relax and then I notice it...the noise! Then it's all I can focus on...well, that's my rant
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Pork Chile Verde
I love trying to cook, I emphasize “trying”. But, there is something wrong with me in that I find it nearly impossible to follow a recipe. I always feel like doing something different to it. I use the basic recipe of whatever I’m trying, but always have to add or subtract something…I don’t know why, but that’s how I am, and it probably contributes to why I have many more failures than successes when it comes to cooking. Oh well, I call it “experimenting”.
A little background might be in order: because I’m half Puerto Rican ancestry (the other half made up of German and Irish) – I have become interested in the cooking/food of Puerto Rico (or at least the Americanized versions that I have eaten from my family). My brother and I have been trying to cook PR food, and admittedly he has had MUCH MORE success with it. He also has been cooking it much more regularly than I have. He cooks at least one PR meal per week, whereas I try it every once in a while. I still haven’t been able to perfect simple yellow rice (although I’m very close!) Well, a traditional Christmas Eve meal is Pernil (roasted pork shoulder) – I figured out how to do this this past New Year’s Eve. It required marinating in vinegar, adobo (garlic, oregano spice blend), fresh garlic, and olive oil (what I call a pernil rub/paste) for about 2-3 days. After which, the refrigerator and surrounding area stunk to high heaven. I roasted it in a 375° oven for about 4.5 hours; I then bumped the oven up to 425° for the last 30 minutes or so. The result was an amazing pernil!
I found a recipe for Pork Chile Verde in the most recent Men’s Health magazine – and I decided I would like to try it. Although, as far as I know, it’s a traditional Mexican dish I’ve decided to try to give it a little Puerto Rican twist by prepping it like I would have for pernil. The following is my attempt.
• 1-2 green bell pepper cut into chunks
• Jar of salsa verde (this is Mexican green salsa made with chile and tomatillos)
• 1 cup chicken stock
• Potatoes (optional)
I then sautéed some diced yellow onion and green peppers in the skillet I used for browning the meat. I added the jar of Salsa Verde (green salsa) and let this heat up. I transferred all of this to the crock pot. I then added the 1 cup of Chicken stock. I let this cook on the high setting of the crock pot for about 6 hours. In the last hour I put in a couple cut up potatoes (I used fingerling because I have never tried them before and found them in a big-@$$ Wal-Mart around here and wanted to see what they were like!) They are optional though, so use them if you like, if not, don’t.
A little background might be in order: because I’m half Puerto Rican ancestry (the other half made up of German and Irish) – I have become interested in the cooking/food of Puerto Rico (or at least the Americanized versions that I have eaten from my family). My brother and I have been trying to cook PR food, and admittedly he has had MUCH MORE success with it. He also has been cooking it much more regularly than I have. He cooks at least one PR meal per week, whereas I try it every once in a while. I still haven’t been able to perfect simple yellow rice (although I’m very close!) Well, a traditional Christmas Eve meal is Pernil (roasted pork shoulder) – I figured out how to do this this past New Year’s Eve. It required marinating in vinegar, adobo (garlic, oregano spice blend), fresh garlic, and olive oil (what I call a pernil rub/paste) for about 2-3 days. After which, the refrigerator and surrounding area stunk to high heaven. I roasted it in a 375° oven for about 4.5 hours; I then bumped the oven up to 425° for the last 30 minutes or so. The result was an amazing pernil!
I found a recipe for Pork Chile Verde in the most recent Men’s Health magazine – and I decided I would like to try it. Although, as far as I know, it’s a traditional Mexican dish I’ve decided to try to give it a little Puerto Rican twist by prepping it like I would have for pernil. The following is my attempt.
The ingredients (the bag is the marinating pork)
Pork Chile Verde, wannabe PR style:
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 + lb boneless pork shoulder
• Pernil/Adobo marinating paste (I don’t measure, just mix until it makes a paste that covers all the meat)
• Yellow onion, diced• 1-2 green bell pepper cut into chunks
• Jar of salsa verde (this is Mexican green salsa made with chile and tomatillos)
• 1 cup chicken stock
• Potatoes (optional)
I took a 2.5 lb boneless pork shoulder, cut it into ~2 inch chunks and marinated it in the pernil rub (vinegar, olive oil, adobo, and fresh garlic) for almost 2 days. I took the meat, in batches, and browned them in a skillet with about 1tbsp of olive oil. After each batch was browned, I transferred them to a crock pot.
onions and peppers
salsa verde added in (I used the Herdez brand)
everything into the crock pot (you'll notice I went to a larger pot from what I planned)
about 6 hours later and all done - looks good
I served it with yellow rice and pink beans (PR style).
The Results: (DRUMROLL PLEASE!)
all plated up, looks pretty good in pictures...but?
Well, it was not a success...but, it was also not a failure, so it was a semi-success. The problem I made (and I thought it might mess it up, but I wanted to try it - experimenting, see?) - was the marinating. Marinating it in the paste made it WAY TOO salty. Mixed with the rice (which, again came out sticky - not good either) cut the saltiness down a bit, but it was still too salty. I also did not expect it to have the spiciness that it had - although, that wasn't a bad thing. I just didn't realize that the salsa verde I put in had serrano peppers (I probably should have checked the ingredient list!). The spicy aspect though was pleasant, and was similar to a dish I've had a Mexican restaurant nearby - guiso de puerco (I'm thinking this is essentially the same dish). I will make this again, but next time I will not try to Puertoriqueño-nize it, I will go with the straight recipe. And I think I'll try it with plain white rice next time, too!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Tuesday - Food!
I love food, some people eat to live, I (somewhat unfortunately) live to eat. I love the Food Network and I really enjoy trying to cook - as tends to happen though my recipes/experiments tend to not come out as planned.
One thing that I usually have success with is simple Italian tomato sauce. Sauce (or gravy as my guindaloon friends back home would probably call what I make) is not hard at all, but I take a lot of pride in making it. This basic recipe is really simple and it was given to me by a great, straight from Italy friend that I knew from when he was a contractor at the ANG base I worked at. Fernando took great pride in explaining to me how to make his sauce, and with his thick Italian accent I was sure I wanted to try it his way. I don't always follow his specific method, but I basically do as he said. Here is the recipe as I follow it, and I should say, I don't measure things:
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Red pepper flakes
• .5 medium yellow onion diced (or up to a whole onion depending on your likes)
• Minced garlic (1 tbsp of the jarred stuff or 2-3 cloves fresh)
• 2-3 cans of GOOD TOMATOES (by this I mean the imported stuff – like Cento, whole peeled tomatoes or crushed)
• Sausage/meatballs (optional – I prefer mild turkey sausage, a little healthier than regular)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• Sugar (optional)
• Fresh basil
I made this yesterday (Monday Feb. 1) and while it was just starting to simmer we lost electricity – so I moved it to the grill out back and let it continue cooking that way…it was still great!
Put the canned tomatoes (I prefer the whole peeled kind, but crushed will do – but it is important to buy good stuff!). Let that cook until it’s bubbling (NOT BOILING). If using whole peeled tomatoes, crush the tomatoes at this point – be careful, they are full of liquid and will spit out if you get too ambitious! Add some pepper and the meat if you’re using it (if you add meat then technically this is a “gravy” and not simply a sauce – semantics) and lower the heat to medium low and let simmer for at least 2 hours – I tend to go 3 or 4 hours though. In the last hour or so, you can pull the sausage and slice it and put it back in or leave it whole. Also, add as much fresh basil (chopped) as you like. I don’t think you can add too much.
Here is a variation that Fernando offered (but I usually don’t do this because of time – so if you do this, start this sauce early): he would then turn the sauce off (after the few hours of cooking) taste it, season it (add salt, pepper, sugar if too acidic) and leave it off to come back to room temp. or fairly close. He essentially cooled it all the way down, then would turn the heat back on and recook it for another hour or so. He claimed this helped the flavors to fully mix. Sort of when you eat leftovers the next day and the flavors get more time to meld – the few times I’ve done this, the sauce has always tasted great – BUT, the sauce always tastes great anyway…so to avoid the time hassle, I rarely do this.
Boil up your spaghetti or whatever pasta you plan on eating it with, and when it’s al dente (firm but thoroughly cooked) serve with the sauce over it. It is especially good with grated parmesan melted over it! Delicious!!!
If you try it, let me know what you think or if you have any great recipes you like to share, let me know – I’m always looking for ideas and good meals!
One thing that I usually have success with is simple Italian tomato sauce. Sauce (or gravy as my guindaloon friends back home would probably call what I make) is not hard at all, but I take a lot of pride in making it. This basic recipe is really simple and it was given to me by a great, straight from Italy friend that I knew from when he was a contractor at the ANG base I worked at. Fernando took great pride in explaining to me how to make his sauce, and with his thick Italian accent I was sure I wanted to try it his way. I don't always follow his specific method, but I basically do as he said. Here is the recipe as I follow it, and I should say, I don't measure things:
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Red pepper flakes
• .5 medium yellow onion diced (or up to a whole onion depending on your likes)
• Minced garlic (1 tbsp of the jarred stuff or 2-3 cloves fresh)
• 2-3 cans of GOOD TOMATOES (by this I mean the imported stuff – like Cento, whole peeled tomatoes or crushed)
• Sausage/meatballs (optional – I prefer mild turkey sausage, a little healthier than regular)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• Sugar (optional)
• Fresh basil
I made this yesterday (Monday Feb. 1) and while it was just starting to simmer we lost electricity – so I moved it to the grill out back and let it continue cooking that way…it was still great!
I start with pouring the olive oil around the pot 3 or 4 times (I use a 4 or 5 qt. dutch oven) – this should be about 3 tbsp. of olive oil (maybe a little more). With the heat on medium, I put a handful of red pepper flakes in the oil while I chop the onion. Put the diced onion in the pot when the oil is heated, about 2 or 3 minutes. Let the onion cook until soft – probably close to 8 minutes or so, then put in the minced garlic. I then add a healthy pinch of salt and let all of that cook for a couple more minutes.
Put the canned tomatoes (I prefer the whole peeled kind, but crushed will do – but it is important to buy good stuff!). Let that cook until it’s bubbling (NOT BOILING). If using whole peeled tomatoes, crush the tomatoes at this point – be careful, they are full of liquid and will spit out if you get too ambitious! Add some pepper and the meat if you’re using it (if you add meat then technically this is a “gravy” and not simply a sauce – semantics) and lower the heat to medium low and let simmer for at least 2 hours – I tend to go 3 or 4 hours though. In the last hour or so, you can pull the sausage and slice it and put it back in or leave it whole. Also, add as much fresh basil (chopped) as you like. I don’t think you can add too much.
Here is a variation that Fernando offered (but I usually don’t do this because of time – so if you do this, start this sauce early): he would then turn the sauce off (after the few hours of cooking) taste it, season it (add salt, pepper, sugar if too acidic) and leave it off to come back to room temp. or fairly close. He essentially cooled it all the way down, then would turn the heat back on and recook it for another hour or so. He claimed this helped the flavors to fully mix. Sort of when you eat leftovers the next day and the flavors get more time to meld – the few times I’ve done this, the sauce has always tasted great – BUT, the sauce always tastes great anyway…so to avoid the time hassle, I rarely do this.
Boil up your spaghetti or whatever pasta you plan on eating it with, and when it’s al dente (firm but thoroughly cooked) serve with the sauce over it. It is especially good with grated parmesan melted over it! Delicious!!!
If you try it, let me know what you think or if you have any great recipes you like to share, let me know – I’m always looking for ideas and good meals!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Monday - Education thoughts...
I was reading an article over the weekend on ABC News online that detailed a report that States are struggling to keep top teachers - the study was conducted by the National Council on Teacher Quality, which describes how states are sticking with policies that protect "incompetent teachers" and that offer poor training programs. On the face of it, I find little to argue with. It's quite obvious that teaching and education, like any other career/industry/job will have it's share of good and exceptional quality people and poor, doing it for a paycheck people.
Of course, teacher's unions have come out against the report - assuming, primarily because it's intent is to be used as a basis for reform. The gist of the report from what I gather (and mind, I did not read the report - just the article) is that states hold firm to policies that do not give leeway in firing bad teachers - which in turn hurts the communities they are serving. I tend to agree with that view - I believe teachers should have to continuously earn their "Tenure" - there are many instances where a teacher has earned tenure after three years, and now they're in their 10th year and you can tell they just should not be doing this job. A system that provides for continuous review, with job protections, would be in the best interests of the local community and teaching community.
My problem though with the report is that it's being published just as the "Race To the Top" program is deadline is approaching. That program is a $4 Billion "lottery" of sorts for states to receive grants which requires states applying for those grants to show how they are strong in certain areas of education - such as openness to Charter schools to options for performance pay. This smells to me to be another way for business/business leaders to get their hands into the public funds geared for education. Education reform that entails these types of programs (i.e., Charters and performance pay) have been being pushed as the best way to challenge the local districts. But, from my experience in a Charter school, they are just a chance for local business people to get into the Education Business - receiving public funds for their "business". Making public-private collaborations is not necessarily a bad thing, but when controls and operations are moved from a not-for-profit model to those of a for-profit model (that is, private business model) I believe too many conflicts arise. Again, performance/merit pay, is another business model of "rewarding" workers. As a counselor, I'd like to know how this would work, would I get raises on the number of students I counsel? Or will I not be in the merit pay pool, because there isn't enough "data" to track to see how effective I'm being? Many states are looking to give performance pay to teachers based on student test scores - can you just envision where that will lead? It's not too crazy to picture the elaborate cheating that will occur when that happens.
I believe in the "Free Market" so-to-speak, but I believe in it in the strictly business sense. By that I mean, when individuals or companies engage in business for profit, they do so in a market that provides for the best chances of making a profit. But I don't believe you can take that model and overlay it on public entities and expect the same outcomes. Just because you're a successful businessperson doesn't mean you will be a successful public servant. This is my biggest issue with the way we look at education reform nowadays, instead of looking at ways to protect taxpayers interests and student's needs we (read: politicians) paint the picture as woefully inadequate and broken and have shifted it the private-sector to come up with ways to fix it. PUBLIC EDUCATION MUST REMAIN PUBLIC!
Of course, teacher's unions have come out against the report - assuming, primarily because it's intent is to be used as a basis for reform. The gist of the report from what I gather (and mind, I did not read the report - just the article) is that states hold firm to policies that do not give leeway in firing bad teachers - which in turn hurts the communities they are serving. I tend to agree with that view - I believe teachers should have to continuously earn their "Tenure" - there are many instances where a teacher has earned tenure after three years, and now they're in their 10th year and you can tell they just should not be doing this job. A system that provides for continuous review, with job protections, would be in the best interests of the local community and teaching community.
My problem though with the report is that it's being published just as the "Race To the Top" program is deadline is approaching. That program is a $4 Billion "lottery" of sorts for states to receive grants which requires states applying for those grants to show how they are strong in certain areas of education - such as openness to Charter schools to options for performance pay. This smells to me to be another way for business/business leaders to get their hands into the public funds geared for education. Education reform that entails these types of programs (i.e., Charters and performance pay) have been being pushed as the best way to challenge the local districts. But, from my experience in a Charter school, they are just a chance for local business people to get into the Education Business - receiving public funds for their "business". Making public-private collaborations is not necessarily a bad thing, but when controls and operations are moved from a not-for-profit model to those of a for-profit model (that is, private business model) I believe too many conflicts arise. Again, performance/merit pay, is another business model of "rewarding" workers. As a counselor, I'd like to know how this would work, would I get raises on the number of students I counsel? Or will I not be in the merit pay pool, because there isn't enough "data" to track to see how effective I'm being? Many states are looking to give performance pay to teachers based on student test scores - can you just envision where that will lead? It's not too crazy to picture the elaborate cheating that will occur when that happens.
I believe in the "Free Market" so-to-speak, but I believe in it in the strictly business sense. By that I mean, when individuals or companies engage in business for profit, they do so in a market that provides for the best chances of making a profit. But I don't believe you can take that model and overlay it on public entities and expect the same outcomes. Just because you're a successful businessperson doesn't mean you will be a successful public servant. This is my biggest issue with the way we look at education reform nowadays, instead of looking at ways to protect taxpayers interests and student's needs we (read: politicians) paint the picture as woefully inadequate and broken and have shifted it the private-sector to come up with ways to fix it. PUBLIC EDUCATION MUST REMAIN PUBLIC!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
First Post
I'm attempting my hand at "blogging" for what seems like unknown reasons - but in reality I've thought about doing this for quite sometime (and have even opened other accounts before, without actually writing anything). I've often thought how great it would be to be an accomplished writer and truth is I find other people's blogs amazingly interesting. I find it amusing to read other people's "thoughts" and ideas, to me that is what blogging is - the thoughts and ideas people express on their site. I imagine anyone posting these have it in mind that they want other people to read it (why post if not for others to read?) but at the same time, this seems to be exactly like a personal journal. I've never kept a personal journal so in a sense this will be my personal public journal.
I'm a little leery of writing things on here, I tend to be somewhat guarded. I may be opinionated but usually only with things that are (to me, at least) harmless. Here though, I think I will try to venture into things that aren't so simple and benign.
I've contemplated a few things to write about, hopefully I'll do this regularly. I tend to be random with my thoughts and interests - so I thought writing about all different things that come to mind would be a good way to start this. I've also thought I would like to be fairly organized, I'm actually somewhat of an "organized mess" - if you've seen my desk at work you'll know what I mean, so I think it would be good to have regularly scheduled subjects to post about. Something like this is what I thought:
I hope you enjoy!
Brian
I'm a little leery of writing things on here, I tend to be somewhat guarded. I may be opinionated but usually only with things that are (to me, at least) harmless. Here though, I think I will try to venture into things that aren't so simple and benign.
I've contemplated a few things to write about, hopefully I'll do this regularly. I tend to be random with my thoughts and interests - so I thought writing about all different things that come to mind would be a good way to start this. I've also thought I would like to be fairly organized, I'm actually somewhat of an "organized mess" - if you've seen my desk at work you'll know what I mean, so I think it would be good to have regularly scheduled subjects to post about. Something like this is what I thought:
- Monday - Education (that is my chosen career field)
- Tuesday - Cooking (I enjoy trying this, but have yet to master anything)
- Wednesday - Reading/Books/Other Blogs
- Thursday - Health/Fitness
- Friday - Random Things
- Saturday/Sunday - Religion/Sports/Parenting/Politics
I hope you enjoy!
Brian
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