(as told by Holley)
I was sitting at work one fine winters day. I probably should have been working but instead I was texting with Raj. I have tried a number of “diets” and meal plans the last few years, He had been eating Paleo for a year, and was initiating a 30 day challenge. He CHALLENGED me to join him. Well… I'm not the type of girl to back down from a challenge. I agreed, Paleo it would be for 30 days. Those first couple weeks were tough, I am a sugar junkie, and I was ready to bare knuckle fight someone for cheese. I mean it, at the very least I would have wrestled someone to the ground and roughed them up. I suffered from what must have been a carb flu (I'm not making this up, carb flu, real thing- Google it if you don't believe me). I wanted to give up, I wanted whipped cream, covered in syrup. But his encouragement and the determination to not fail at a challenge pulled me thru. Then I started to feel better, which was incentive to keep on, keeping on. Plus I now had a cupboard full of grain free powders and potions to use up. Arrowroot for everyone!
We continued the challenge into a second month, with one change, Dairy. We eat “Lacto-Paleo” because as Raj says, “Life is better with cheese!” And it reduces the number of potential altercations for me if when I crave something “gouda,” I can just go get it. Don't worry any time we use cheese there will be a dairy-free version and very clear warning for the Paleo Purists and the lactose-intolerant. And I'll try to stay away from “cheesy” jokes. I said try.
Always a baker (it calms me, plus who can be cranky with the smell of fresh baked cookies in the air? Nobody.) I was drawn to websites like Brittany Angell, PaleOMG, Clean Eating With a Dirty Mind. I was ambitiously attempting a new array of Paleo baked goods every day, annoying friends with Facebook and Instagram pictures of my food. Making a huge mess at my house, tolerated by my roommate only because, hello, baked goods. I was even using my fancy camera to take brag worthy food pictures. Yep, I was that person. I was smitten with this Paleo lifestyle, it really is more than just a diet. I was spending the majority of my time when not at work, grocery shopping, cooking and baking. I didn't see my friends, go out, or go on any dates (Raj and I are not a couple if you were curious, we are both single. “When Harry met Sally” was wrong, men and women can be friends, at least they can if they are food blogging.)
I did some investigating, and started sending links, Paleo chef, personal chef, home meal delivery, being in Canada we just don't have the same options our neighbors to the south have, at least, not yet, and thinking business, was there a market for what we wanted to do?
What did we want to do? Take over the world! No, wait, that's not right, Change lives! Yes, then take over the world, I'm getting ahead of myself. We aspired to be a resource for new and veteran Paleo-phytes(?), gluten-free & lactose-intolerant, and yes, even non-Paleo people who just like delicious food.
We plan on bringing you successes and failures, because a) it's entertaining, and b) you can learn from our mistakes. We have some original Paleo adaptions, and always more in the works. Some are winners, and some… well… aren't. Misery likes company.
We are different. I bake. Raj doesn't. I use Macs. Raj likes to bitch about Macs. I tend to use every dish in the kitchen and cover every visible surface, including myself with spills and food (I've actually found cookie dough in my hair) and then clean the whole place when everything’s done. Raj likes to use as few dishes as possible “Crap! This doesn’t fit in here. Ah man! I need to dirty another one??!” And cleans as he goes. I have big boobs. Raj has chest hair. And although that is written in my section and from my point of view, he wrote that paragraph. There are two of us: and we are different in more than just the obvious, male/female social cues. We can bring you more ideas, more posts, more …more! (Between the two of us, we should've come up with a stronger finish to that one…)
In The Beginning…
(as told by Raj)
I got Holley to try the Paleo lifestyle, not that long ago it seems. One day she sent me a few websites for Paleo entrepreneurs, and the texts were something like, “We could do this,” “We should do this!!!” So we explored some options, cooking for other people, making convenient foods, restaurants, etc. It was exciting, but there was just something missing. We had discussed a bunch of side projects for whatever website we created, but then one day I realized: Paleo food blogging isn’t the side project, it’s the goal!!! We get to be more creative, constantly playing with new food and photos! YES! This fits!
The idea of creating something like this is exhilarating and all, but there are certain things that make it real and you cannot help but smile from ear to ear. The first for me was when we finally found a name. It was born of a text I’d sent about some chicken I had BBQ’d the night before, and a photo of me eating it:
The chicken was briefly marinated in onion, garlic, rosemary, coconut aminos, strawberries and blackberries. I also made a sauce from onions and garlic browned in ghee, coconut cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, chipotle pepper powder, garlic powder, ginger powder, a little coconut sugar, and diced green onions. Served with mashed sweet potatoes containing garlic, smoked salmon, coconut milk (forgot to add green onions), chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chipotle powder, and sprinkled with the deep-fried onions.
OH EM GEE! So glad I wore panties…
Yeah, good call.
Oh BBQ, how I love you…
God, just re-read and I'm drooling
Hehe (manly giggle)
The look on my face [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][in photo-not pictured] is deadly serious. Do. Not. F*. With. This. Man’s. Food.
Period.
Primal.
I was reading “The Alchemist” at the same time and hit the line “It was the language of enthusiasm, of things accomplished with love and purpose, and as part of a search for something believed in and desired”. Like the passage was describing: it was meant to happen. (Thank you C, for lending that book to me when you did- you were right, I was meant to read it then.)
After reading about that chicken, I need to eat something. Brb…
Phew! Conveniently I had some Chocolate (cocao) Chia Mousse in the fridge! (Good thing I’ve got that recipe typed up and posted for you to try!)
You know what? I really didn’t need to make you wait. I’m finished with this story. Read another one:
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