Primal Journal (Judg) page 69

[Candy in Wonderland]

Avocado mayo? Sounds interesting, how do you make it?

[Judg]

Candy, I assume you know how to make mayo, but I'll give the complete instructions for the people who have never tried it.

I start out like any other mayo, with an egg, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp dry mustard in the blender. Blend, add 2 tbsp lime juice, wipe down the sides, blend again. Pour in some oil (preferably EVOO for this recipe) in a very, very fine trickle (that part is extremely important) until the blades are nicely covered. Then throw in your avocado, cut into chunks, (peeled, of course, duh) and at least one good-sized clove of garlic. A little hot sauce or cayenne can be added too, for those who like to spice things up. And cumin, if you want to give it a bit of a Mexican vibe. Blend thoroughly. You'll probably have to stop the blender pretty often to push things down toward the blades. Then continue slowly adding oil until it reaches the consistency you prefer: nice and thick for spreading or dipping, runnier for salad dressings. In the latter case, you might want to add some vinegar or extra lime/lemon juice too. I can't specify the exact amount, because avocados come in so many sizes. I had a huge one this time, so I didn't need a lot of extra oil. A useful trick I have found for adding oil gradually is to NOT fill the measuring cup. It is much easier to get a thread-thin stream out of a half-full cup, no matter what the size.

I was not fully awake when I made this and used the light olive oil, and it really wasn't as good. The avocado smooths out the taste of the extra-virgin olive oil, which tends to be overpowering in a straight mayo, but goes together really well with garlic and avocado. Anyway, so far so good. No sign of browning even after a couple of days.

***

Sometimes my body tricks me. Most of the time, I can really tell when I'm at or near a new low. Today I felt fat when I woke up, but the scale did not agree. I barely edged past the previous low, but there it was: 145 even. Hey, I'll take even a couple of ounces. Especially because yesterday I made "primal" pancakes (not entirely, because there is some tapioca flour in there to give them a smoother texture) and then ate a double helping... *sigh* So it was my only meal of the day, which was no hardship. I am absolutely astonished at how easy it is to go for hours without eating and not feel any negative effects. Mind you, I did have a bit of chocolate later in the day and it actually filled me up.

I'll have to be good for the rest of today, in anticipation of the restaurant outing. And all the opportunities for over-eating that the coming weekend holds. I think I am perfecting the art of moderate feasting...

[tomi]

Wow!!!! You're down to the last 10 pounds! I'm so happy for you! What an amazing accomplishment for you. I'm hugging you in spirit!

I'm going to write down that recipe and give it a try. Thanks.

You haven't said the exact date of your birthday............ so HAPPY BIRTHDAY whenever it is! Enjoy! Put on that favorite skirt and those new boots! Unless it isn't quite boot weather yet........... ???

And we will be expecting pictures of the birthday girl!

[Judg]

Brithday was last Saturday. Celebrations have been spread out over a week and a half, which is kind of hilarious. It's not THAT big a deal.

And yes, I've been wearing my boots. They are waterproof, so good to wear when it's wet. The heeled ones have gotten less play, seeing as I don't think doing any major walking in them is a good idea. Maybe tonight... We've rarely been getting up to room temperature for our highs, so boots are comfortable. This is something new to me, really. I only wore boots before in the snow.

Pictures will depend on other people's cameras. None have been taken so far, so you're out of luck... Or maybe in it.

And I haven't forgotten my promise to help you find veggie dishes, just moving slowly on it. No tomatoes cramps my style. If you absolutely want a touch of sweet, you could try adding a wee bit of stevia to that mayo recipe, or a lot of others for that matter. Please note, I haven't tested it. I grew to dislike sweet salad dressings many years ago. There are a couple of rare exceptions, but for the most part, I don't like them. Maybe try throwing some grapes, or raisins, or cranberries, or apple chunks into your salads for a healthier shot of sweet. MDA has a really great broccoli/red pepper salad you might try. I loved it and those are two superfood type vegetables. And the red peppers are very sweet too, at least they taste almost like candy to me now.

Now I'm going to go have a cup of bone broth, and figure out how to doctor it to make it more interesting. It was made with a great variety of bone types, so the flavour is a little... different.

[DCarr10760]

I haven't really done the bone broth thing yet. Is it fundamentally different than making broth out of soupbones or chicken/turkey carcasses? I've always done that (when making soup). Seems to me I read something about cider-vinegar added to help leech out goodness from the bones.

I've started cutting meat off the bone and freezing the bones to make broth, but I don't know what magick goes into the "bone broth" that is universally admired hereabouts.

[Siobhan]

+1 on the bone broth. I haven't managed to achieve the nirvana of broth that everyone else has. I have tried. Alas, I have failed thus far. Must try again.

[Sabine]

I think the most important part to making good broth is to cook it FOREVER. Back in the day, I would let it simmer for four hours and call it good. Now, I let it go for two to three days.

[Coll]

Judg, congratulations on that weight inching down! How exciting that you are within 10 pounds of your goal weight!! I can't imagine being that close - got a long way to go yet. I do hope someone takes a pic of you so we can enjoy from a distance. Mongolian BBQ sounds really yummy! I think I shall have to look around and see what is available locally. Always racking my brains trying to come up with something that would be mostly primal without destroying the bank balance in the process!!

DCarr, the ACV does help to get the 'good stuff' out of the bones. I have a bunch of bones waiting for attention in the freezer. But they have not been cooked already - will probably roast them first and do more of a soup than a broth. Broth seems kind of boring to me... maybe I just don't know how...

[DCarr10760]

Thanks Coll,

I've contacted my Grass-Fed Beef supplier about marrow bones, hopefully I can get some and make a big thing of broth. I'm sort of at a loss for things to drink. I drink plenty of water, but want some variety. I like coffee but am trying to cut down, tea is okay...just have never been a real fan. I don't do juice or soda (didn't even in my fattest of days). So I'm thinking the broth might fill the void. I just don't buy a lot of roasts with big bones left over.

[Judg]

The broth was pretty good, although I found I liked it better with just a bit of salt. I don't know if I would call it nirvana, but any broth that turns to gelatin in the fridge is full of protein, and when you cook the bones for a long time, you get a good whack of minerals too. I didn't add the vinegar, maybe I should have. The only thing I did differently from before when I made broth was to simmer it for longer. I put it in the slow cooker and let it go for at least a day and a half. The plastic container I accumulated the bones in (it took weeks) was just the right size to fill the slow cooker, so that was convenient.

I do like to have some on hand, to make soup with, to drink straight in colder weather, and sometimes to add to sauces and gravies. If it does wonderful things for me, so much the better. If it doesn't, it's good enough.

David, I like to drink mineral water and/or club soda when I want something that isn't hot and isn't water. But I picked up the taste for mineral water years ago.

No pictures, I'm afraid. I still consider myself a good 12 pounds from my goal, seeing as this scale is probably flattering me by a couple. In any event, the precise end point is negotiable, depending on the situation on the ground when we get there. And I was a bad girl. One fortune cookie and lots of ice cream. Rolo ice cream, full of all kinds of horrible ingredients. My tummy grumbled a bit at the overload, for sure. I have not dared check the scales since then, LOL! On the other hand, the rest of the tub is sitting unmolested in my freezer. (I moved it to the big one, which freezes things so hard, impulse snitching is pretty well impossible. I have to pre-plan my cheating, and between my laziness and my virtue, I usually manage not to.) Translator Son and family stayed overnight, to avoid a late-night drive with wee ones, so I got to see the grandsons a bit more. At one point, the almost-three-year-old was curled up in the play tent (where he spend the night) and I was lying down with my head and arms in it, to help him settle down in the unfamiliar setting. I reached over and stroked his hair and face. So he reached out his little hand and did the same to me and said, "I love you." Definitely the high point of the day.

Other than that, I have another very busy weekend coming up, with one husband, two sons, and one girlfriend I have not yet met landing here over the next 24 hours, and yet more family festivities to come. It's Thanksgiving here, which explains the kerfuffle. And the fact that I will be absent for a few days from this forum.

My organic veggies arrived. They are beautiful. But I hadn't succeeded in emptying my veggie bins, so it's a good thing there are people coming to help me eat the abundance.