Grokfeast in Beverly, Massachusetts

On September 8th I asked my readers to host picnics and to send me the results. The following is one of 27 amazing submissions, the best of which will win an entire cow, courtesy of US Wellness. Vote for your favorite on October 8.

To be honest I dreaded the coming of my 30th birthday. I wanted to celebrate, but I didn’t want to have a “normal” birthday party since Primal life I’d been living wasn’t really “normal” either. So why not host something that fits just a little bit better… like a Grokfeast with some Yard Game Olympics to keep things interesting.

Meat and veggies abounded as did the physical activity throughout the day. Our yard games included Washer Toss, Cornhole, Ladder Ball and Polish Horseshoes – all games which require the accuracy and skill of a seasoned Grok hunter.  Score was kept on a giant whiteboard and competition was intense. At the end of the night, prizes were awarded to those who successfully “out hunted” their opponents. And no birthday – well at least no birthday in my world – would be complete without birthday burpees… 30 to be exact. Nearly every person, Primal or not, who attended the party joined in the burpee mania.

The Feast

  • Steak Tips
  • Ginger Jalepeno sausages
  • Key Lime Chicken
  • Jameson Burgers
  • Bacon, broccoli & blueberry salad
  • Mango & Black Bean Salad
  • Kale Salad
  • Assorted raw veggies
  • Paleo Pumpkin Birthday Cupcake

Recipe: Paleo Pumpkin Birthday Cake (Originally posted on Ciocco)

Here’s a birthday take on the pumpkin almond butter dessert/bread frosted with Elana’s vegan chocolate frosting (instead of 1 teaspoon of vanilla, i used 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract & 1/2 teaspoon almond extract) & topped with shreds of coconut.

The Tribe

Kathryn Leibfried, Evan Bernier, Steve & Camilla Franson, Paul Kratka, Jen Nadeau, Nick Araza, Cas Green, Ryan Hewitt, Kendra Cecieta, Jared Schmidt, Alicia Gomes, Brent Miffitt,  Andrew & Liisa Hall, Danny Vadala, Paul Dalton, Andrea Dalton, Matt Cipolla, Terri & Peter Leibfried, Steve & Erin Picone, Steve & Sarah Enos, Alexis Girvan, Lauren Cecilia, Sarah Tyman, Matt & Chris Cerrigione, Jon Park, JP Wioncek, Adam & Samantha Ladak, Jenny Armenta, Jesse Davis, Bethany Glaser, etc.


About the Author

Mark Sisson is the founder of Mark’s Daily Apple, godfather to the Primal food and lifestyle movement, and the New York Times bestselling author of The Keto Reset Diet. His latest book is Keto for Life, where he discusses how he combines the keto diet with a Primal lifestyle for optimal health and longevity. Mark is the author of numerous other books as well, including The Primal Blueprint, which was credited with turbocharging the growth of the primal/paleo movement back in 2009. After spending three decades researching and educating folks on why food is the key component to achieving and maintaining optimal wellness, Mark launched Primal Kitchen, a real-food company that creates Primal/paleo, keto, and Whole30-friendly kitchen staples.

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