Weekend Links #39

Weekend Links is a way of sharing all the engrossing things I see around the internet. I publish Weekend Links approximately every month. As usual, I welcome your ideas and feedback.

food reading links:

--This pictorial guide to mushrooms (from Oh My Veggies) takes you through the main types, storage, and preparation.
--A guide to recipe copyright by Paleo Living Magazine. An in-depth look at recipe copyright from all angles.
--I'm still trying to find healthy milk to drink - and the latest wandering step is A2 Milk.

recipe links:

--I find wine too hard to navigate so I think I will try to learn something about whiskey instead. Here is a list of the best affordable bottles (from Serious Eats). And here's an extremely simple cocktail made with whiskey called The Presbyterian (from Martha Stewart). There's also the hot toddy, of course (from The Guardian's wonderful How to Make the Perfect [weekly recipe] column by Felicity Cloake).
--German mulled wine (from Rachel Cotterill). Even though I live in the tropics I am still desiring this warming Christmassy winter drink.
--I'm going to be making some veggie "risotto" soon and I plan to use this recipe as a guide: turnip "risotto" with spinach and rosemary (from Inspiralized).

books I'm reading:

--I just finished Man's Search for Meaning by Victor E Frankl, a classic which argues that we can all make choices and our life's meaning is found in making them.
--The Signal and the Noise: The Art and Science of Prediction by Nate Silver. It's about separating out the "signal" in data to help make predictions. He covers many fields such as weather, earthquakes, elections, sports, and health. Fascinating.

Weekend Links #37

Weekend Links is a way of sharing all the engrossing things I see around the internet. I publish Weekend Links approximately every month. As usual, I welcome your ideas and feedback.

food reading links:
--A long article I have been reading about fueling a marathon while eating paleo (from Ben Greenfield Fitness). And here's another take from Mark's Daily Apple.
--While we're on the topic of sports nutrition, I was reading about a couple who are rowing from California to Hawaii without sugar or "junk carbohydrates" (from Diet Doctor).
--A great post from A Veggie Venture that answers the question, "What is a tomatillo?" plus everything you need to know about them.
--Just before our three weeks away from home I was freezing everything left in the fridge and discovered you can even freeze quiche and tortilla chips (from The Kitchn).

recipe links:
--Macaroni and cheese made with Guinness, heavy cream, lots of cheese, and some crunchy barley (from Mutineer Magazine). What a combination!
--Ginger and chocolate ice cream (from Blogging Over Thyme). I love everything ginger, and pairing it with dark chocolate is perfect.
--I was investigating grain-free Yorkshire pudding recently and found a recipe (from The Saffron Girl) that looks like it is worth trying.
--The flaxseed crust on these mini quiches is a useful recipe to have on standby (from The Kitchn). Plus, mini quiches are good for breakfasts.

Weekend Links #36

Weekend Links is a way of sharing all the engrossing things I see around the internet. I publish Weekend Links approximately every month. As usual, I welcome your ideas and feedback.

food reading links:
--Saveur's Best Food Blogs Awards highlight some incredible blogs. There are plenty of new-to-me reads here as well as many old favourites.

recipe links:
--How ingenious is this? A porridge recipe that has a blended egg whisked in during cooking. That sounds like a great way to add protein to your breakfast (from Natural Kitchen Adventures).
--I like the idea of a corn and parmesan cheese creme brûlée (from Tasty Kitchen).
--You can make your own electrolyte energy cubes for endurance sports like long distance running (from Healthful Pursuit).
--My friend at work made fermented ginger ale (from Wellness Mama). I want to make some too. I also really want to buy some nice flip-top bottles; hee hee!
--Also on my list of fermented foods to make: easy peasy probiotic pickles (from Sarah Ramsden).
--And finally, I should go back to making yogurt at home (pictured above).

books I'm reading:
--Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H Pink
--A History of the World in Six Glasses by Tom Standage

Weekend Links #35

Weekend Links is a way of sharing all the engrossing things I see around the internet. I publish Weekend Links approximately every two weeks. As usual, I welcome your ideas and feedback.

food reading links:
--About food advertising and branding partnerships that target children (from Adventures in Local Food). Did you know that McDonald's recently had a computer game that to play you needed codes from Happy Meals? And it increased McDonald's overall American sales by 18%?
--"Are there really foods that we don’t like, or just foods that we haven’t liked yet?" A piece from the New York Times about coming to like foods you previously hated.

recipe links:
--Creamy and cheesy Brussels sprouts and shallot dip--an adaption of the classic spinach and artichoke pairing (from Minimalist Baker). A much improved adaption, in my mind.
--Noodles made from peelings of celeriac (from Mark's Daily Apple).
--Roasted cauliflower and parsnip hummus (from Summer Tomato). It's bean-free but includes miso and tahini.
--A grilled cheese sandwich, made with banana bread, brie, and chocolate squares (How Sweet It Is). Wowzers.
--I just leaned that it's cleaner (for your kitchen) to fry bacon with a little bit of water (from The Kitchn).

Weekend Links #33

Weekend Links is a way of sharing all the engrossing things I see around the internet. I publish Weekend Links approximately every two weeks. As usual, I welcome your ideas and feedback.

food reading links:
--Looking back on Elizabeth David's legacy (from the Observer Food Monthly). She has been described as the UK's "first lady of food" thanks to her 1950s cookbooks lauding fresh, mediterranean ingredients.
--Eating healthfully is easier when you have a bigger reason to do it than for yourself. Enter a Christian reason to serve God with your diet (from The Atlantic). The article also compares the church to Weight Watchers.
--The comments in this short article from The Kitchn elaborate on what "clean as you go" really means for a messy cook.

image source: My New Roots

Cucumber Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette

All last school year, every Monday I went to a group personal training session. A trainer came to work and a small group of us pushed ourselves through a punishing number of of press ups, burpees, TRX rows, and the like. I did this every Monday. Every Monday, that is, except one.

2013 Health Goals: Quarter One Check-Up

I'm using a little red diary to track my health goals this year. I've been food journalling and recording my exercise. Each day I use checkmarks to see if I've been successful with four goals:

• exercise each day
• eat no sugar
• eat no wheat
• eat no grains

Now that the first three months (one quarter!) of the year are past, I thought I should check and see how I am doing with each of these goals.

Exercise every day.
December was a bad month for exercise as I had a knee injury - as a result my marathon plans for January were scuppered. Then I had foot surgery on 9 February, and for two weeks after that I couldn't walk, let alone exercise. I had a pretty large scar that was healing and I only exercised two times (in quarter 1) since then. I went for my first run since then on 7 April and I am looking forward to a lot more exercise in the quarter ahead. Maybe I shall make my marathon debut in the summer.
Success rate: 19% (17 out of 90 days)
Success rate until 8 February: 38% (15 out of 39)

Weekend Links #28

Weekend Links is a way of sharing all the engrossing things I see around the internet. I publish Weekend Links approximately every two weeks. As usual, I welcome your ideas and feedback.

food reading links:
--This lengthy and thorough article (from the New York Times) examines why junk food is so addictive and how it is marketed. Eye-opening.
--Twelve best food movies (chosen by Serious Eats). Which ones have you seen? (The comments on this post are brimming with controversy about which films should have been included.)
--The Guardian explains that sales of horsemeat in restaurants and butchers in the UK has risen dramatically. It's healthy and tasty, too.
--Can you train yourself to love healthy food? The Guardian gives thoughts.