Grokfeast on the Shores of Lake Erie

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.

The Cleveland Groks got together on a rather chilly and windy Saturday afternoon for good food and some serious monkey business on the shore of Lake Erie. Our VIP guests included gorilla and squirrel, and although we were rather tempted to eat them, they made for good conversation and the girls got kind of attached to  squirrel, so their lives were spared. We had much better grassfed meat, anyway! MeatMe216 hit the drum while the flames seared the meat, and after all were fed, it was off to the field for a few rounds of Frisbee. Then – to the playground with gorilla! Squirrel decided to stay behind to guard the leftovers. We climbed, ran, balanced, and swung all over the elaborate playground at Lakewood park, which features a climbing wall, ropes, balance beams, tires, swings, and of course – monkey bars! Gorilla gave his share of Lifting Heavy Things by giving the kids of the playground some gorilla back rides. Then, batty chased gorilla into a tree, and we called it a day.

The Feast

  • Curried Cauliflower
  • Apple and Beet Salad
  • Grilled Zucchini
  • Grilled Whole Chicken
  • Grilled Steak of many, many cuts and sizes
  • Lamb Burgers

Recipe: Kale Salad

  • 1 bunch of kale – rough chop
  • 1 clove of garlic – minced
  • 1 cup sunflower seeds
  • 2 carrots – grated
  • 1/4 red onion – thinly sliced
  • 1 cup snowpea shoots
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 4 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp liquid aminos
  • Small piece of peeled ginger
  • 4-8 tbsp evoo

Coat baking sheet in coconut oil and roast sunflower seeds and garlic at 350 until golden.

Steam the kale.

Dressing – blend sesame oil, rice vinegar, liquid aminos, evoo and ginger. Combine and toss.

The Tribe

  • Forum member Shannon, her husband and 2 daughters
  • Forum member MeatMe216, 2 of his friends (in picture), then 4 more of his friends!
  • Forum member batty and her S.O.
  • VIP Guests: Gorilla and Squirrel

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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