Cherry Chocolate Grizzly Treats

This recipe is 100% my very own original creation. If you choose to share it, give the credit due!

Cherry Chocolate Grizzly Treats (Paleo)
by Jacob Fisher

8 Tbsp Coconut Oil, melted but not hot
1/2 c. Raw Honey (or brown sugar = remember: this is a TREAT, not a meal)
1 1/4 c. Almonds, Roasted/Salted
1 c. Cashews, Raw
3/4 c. Walnuts, Raw
1 c. Sunflower Meats, Roasted/Salted
1 c. Coconut Meal -or- 2 c. Coconut Chips
1 1/2 c. Dried Cherries
1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract
3/4 c. Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Chips -or- Enjoy Life brand
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon (optional)

48-50 Mini Cupcake Papers

Melt coconut oil in a large bowl in the microwave (30 seconds should suffice). Add raw honey (or brown sugar) and stir to combine.

In a food processor, combine almonds, cashews, walnuts, sunflower meats, and coconut. Process until a fine meal is formed (should start to clump, but NOT near nut butter consistency). Add dried cherries to the food processor and process until well combined and cherries are chopped to half or quarter their original size.

Add the nut and cherry mixture from the food processor to the large bowl with the oil and honey. Also add vanilla, chocolate chips, and cinnamon (optional). Stir until well combined. (If you have a Danish dough whisk it will work brilliantly for this task.)

Make room in your freezer for a sheet pan to set level. Assemble mini cupcake papers on the sheet pan.

Drop by heaping teaspoon into the cupcake papers. Place Grizzly Treats in freezer for approximately 15 minutes or until hardened.

Remove treats from sheet pan and store in a Gladware container in the freezer. Eat directly from the freezer! Nom nom!

Makes 48-50 treats*

*I usually eat three (3) treats post workout on my drive home. This is part of my carb backloading regiment.

Nutritional Info:
    Serving of 3 = kCal 336  CHO 24g  Fib 6g  FAT 30g   PRO 9g
    Individually = kCal 113  CHO  8g  Fib 2g  FAT 10g   PRO 3g

Lunchables aren’t about lunch

 
(Salt + Fat / Satisfying Crunch) x Pleasing Mouth Feel = Food Designed to Addict

On the evening of April 8, 1999, a long line of Town Cars and taxis pulled up to the Minneapolis headquarters of Pillsbury and discharged 11 men who controlled America’s largest food companies. Nestlé was in attendance, as were Kraft and Nabisco, General Mills and Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and Mars. Rivals any other day, the C.E.O.’s and company presidents had come together for a rare, private meeting. On the agenda was one item: the emerging obesity epidemic and how to deal with it. While the atmosphere was cordial, the men assembled were hardly friends. Their stature was defined by their skill in fighting one another for what they called “stomach share” — the amount of digestive space that any one company’s brand can grab from the competition.

James Behnke, a 55-year-old executive at Pillsbury, greeted the men as they arrived. He was anxious but also hopeful about the plan that he and a few other food-company executives had devised to engage the C.E.O.’s on America’s growing weight problem. “We were very concerned, and rightfully so, that obesity was becoming a major issue,” Behnke recalled. “People were starting to talk about sugar taxes, and there was a lot of pressure on food companies.” Getting the company chiefs in the same room to talk about anything, much less a sensitive issue like this, was a tricky business, so Behnke and his fellow organizers had scripted the meeting carefully, honing the message to its barest essentials. “C.E.O.’s in the food industry are typically not technical guys, and they’re uncomfortable going to meetings where technical people talk in technical terms about technical things,” Behnke said. “They don’t want to be embarrassed. They don’t want to make commitments. They want to maintain their aloofness and autonomy.”

A chemist by training with a doctoral degree in food science, Behnke became Pillsbury’s chief technical officer in 1979 and was instrumental in creating a long line of hit products, including microwaveable popcorn. He deeply admired Pillsbury but in recent years had grown troubled by pictures of obese children suffering from diabetes and the earliest signs of hypertension and heart disease. In the months leading up to the C.E.O. meeting, he was engaged in conversation with a group of food-science experts who were painting an increasingly grim picture of the public’s ability to cope with the industry’s formulations — from the body’s fragile controls on overeating to the hidden power of some processed foods to make people feel hungrier still. It was time, he and a handful of others felt, to warn the C.E.O.’s that their companies may have gone too far in creating and marketing products that posed the greatest health concerns.

The discussion took place in Pillsbury’s auditorium. The first speaker was a vice president of Kraft named Michael Mudd. “I very much appreciate this opportunity to talk to you about childhood obesity and the growing challenge it presents for us all,” Mudd began. “Let me say right at the start, this is not an easy subject. There are no easy answers — for what the public health community must do to bring this problem under control or for what the industry should do as others seek to hold it accountable for what has happened. But this much is clear: For those of us who’ve looked hard at this issue, whether they’re public health professionals or staff specialists in your own companies, we feel sure that the one thing we shouldn’t do is nothing.”

As he spoke, Mudd clicked through a deck of slides — 114 in all — projected on a large screen behind him. The figures were staggering. More than half of American adults were now considered overweight, with nearly one-quarter of the adult population — 40 million people — clinically defined as obese. Among children, the rates had more than doubled since 1980, and the number of kids considered obese had shot past 12 million. (This was still only 1999; the nation’s obesity rates would climb much higher.) Food manufacturers were now being blamed for the problem from all sides — academia, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society. The secretary of agriculture, over whom the industry had long held sway, had recently called obesity a “national epidemic.”

Did I pique your interest?! If so, and you want to read more of this fascinating article, it can be found here: NYT Magazine.

This article is adapted from “Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us,” which will be published by Random House this month.

Michael Moss is an investigative reporter for The Times. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 2010 for his reporting on the meat industry.

bread&cup, now serving seafood

bread&cup – simple food and drink that’s locally sourced and sustainable

I have an absolute love/hate relationship with the astonishment of finding those individuals who don’t know about the most beautiful restaurant in Lincoln, Nebraska. bread&cup is located in at 8th & S Streets (across from the Post Office / next door to the new Marriott) in the Haymarket downtown. The restaurant has been there for over five years, so I am always amazed when Lincolnites and self-proclaimed foodies have never heard of it (or haven't eaten there yet). The owner and executive chef, Kevin Shinn, locally sources sustainable ingredients. Kevin and his outstanding staff prepares every menu item in-house from their open-style kitchen.

On Friday night I saw a photo come through my newsfeed that piqued my senses—it was proclaiming scallops and mussels had arrived and were being served in exquisite ways at bread&cup. I was having a “solo dude” night on Friday and the foodie in me needed tending. I popped into bread&cup and was greeted by a bustling full house and a couple in que for a table. I made my way to the bar as I love sitting there in Kevin’s house. From the bar, my meal experience is always heightened as I enjoy watching the “back of the house” as they craft their masterpieces.

I started my evening affair with attentive service from the bartender, Jake—which is another perk of dining at the bar. Jake is a Master of his craft and is accomplished at taking care of his patrons. He promptly took my starting order: House chips and bleu. These are hand-cut, house-made potato chips which are served with a bleu cheese aioli. The chips were light, crispy and crunchy—as they should be—and not too oily. The combination with the bleu is sheer perfection and a great way to tease my palate for the main course.

Chef Kevin Shinn graced me with his presence as I was making my way through the crunchy conversation of chips and dip. He checked in to see which seafood dish brought me out—the mussels, of course! There were scallops being served as well, but everyone does scallops... And they’re a safe bet for a non-adventurous eater which isn’t me! Plus, the simplistic bivalve, the mussel, can be exceptionally unforgiving if over-cooked or paired too sharply against a loud sauce.

After giving Kevin my order, I asked Jake the Bartender for the most epic local brew—one that has recently risen in Lincoln like the Phoenix from the fire—Zipline’s Copper Alt. It’s on tap at bread&cup! I would describe this beer as EPIC, delicious, and EXTREMELY drinkable. There’s a huge preponderance of subtle nuances: chocolate, hops, hazelnut, pilsner, IPA, caramel notes, more hops (but not crazy hops). Think of it as a stellar mix of the best red and IPA you’ve ever drank, combined.

The main course (above photo): Steamed Mussels with Lucky Bucket Wheat (beer) and Butter. It was obvious that the mussels were treated with much care, not only in the kitchen, but also in their transport from the Atlantic ocean to Lincoln, Nebraska. And I know this because of how fresh they tasted—not fishy, but with that delicate “ocean kiss” of freshness. I know from experience—Having ate freshly self-harvested wild mussels when I lived on a Appledore Island off the coast of Maine (I was there doing undergraduate field research in Marine Biology/Ecology with Cornell University).

The mussels were not over-cooked; they were tender and amazing. A playful smokiness danced lightly throughout the dish. Inquiring Chef Kevin Shinn later in the evening revealed his playful creativeness—he had clarified the butter in their smoker. This immeasurably small touch of smoke gave the dish such a superb depth of flavor that after the mussels were gone I found myself using half of a shell to slurp the beer butter broth from the bowl. And if it were not for all those in attendance, I would’ve held the bowl aloft and tilted my head back, pouring the remnants down my gullet.

I finished my evening with a two finger pour of Landy Cognac paired with a handmade dark chocolate truffle. The floral and orange notes of the cognac mingled nicely with the deep, rich chocolate. An intelligent pairing. And to add to my experience, Kevin Shinn himself took respite in the seat next to mine; joining me for a drink and wistful foodie exchanges.

The perfect pairings of simple food and drink— Along with the occasional surprises of Kevin’s playful creativity— Plus, the conversations that flow so eloquently in the rich, sustaining, and thoughtful community of bread&cup— All of these things married, simmered, and finished with service without exception— That’s what keeps me coming back!

Guide to Understanding The Introvert

Pinot Grigio Braised Venison Tenderloin

3-5 lbs Venison Tenderloin (Back-strap)
1-2 Tbsp Coconut oil
1-2 Tbsp Onion powder
1-2 Tbsp Garlic powder
1-2 Tbsp Black Pepper
1 large Red Onion, halfed, 1/4” slices
4-6 cloves Garlic
8 oz Mushrooms, sliced
2 1/2 c Pinot Grigio
2 c Beef stock
9-12 Red-skinned “New” Potatoes, medium (B) size
1 lb Baby Carrots
Sea Salt, to taste

Heat coconut oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Cut venison tenderloin into 2” thick sections (think: Filet mignon). Season medallions with onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and a little sea salt. Massage spices into the meat to ensure equal coating and adherence.

Once the Dutch oven is heated and oil is hot, sear up to half of the venison tenderloin. DO NOT CROWD the meat in the Dutch oven. Allow the meat to sear undisturbed for approximately 2-3 minutes on each side (top & bottom only). The meat should have a nice seared dark brown caramelized “crust” on each side of the meat and the center should be red and raw. Remove meat after searing, place on a plate and set aside.

Add onions to the Dutch oven and caramelize, stirring frequently to loosen any brown bits left by the searing meat. As onions become translucent add mushrooms to the Dutch oven and brown. Continue to stir frequently.

 

After mushrooms have began softening and gaining color from cooking, deglaze the Dutch oven with the Pinot Grigio. During the deglazing process, stir frequently and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Allow the mushrooms, onions and wine to begin boiling. Then add the beef stock and return to boiling.

Once a boil begins, return the venison to the Dutch oven and add the potatoes and carrots.

Bring the braising meat and vegetables back to a boil. Then cover Dutch oven and reduce heat to a simmer (very, very gentle boil/bubble). Usually the lowest or second lowest setting on your stovetop will suffice for the simmer.

Allow to braise/simmer undisturbed for 2-4 hrs; until meat easily falls apart with the twist of a fork.

Season with sea salt and black pepper to your liking upon serving.

* This recipe could also be used for a beef roast or other game meats.

Dude, What’s up with your eyes?!

This is often an extremely sensitive subject with me and with good reason—I’ve been ridiculed my whole life because of my eyes.

Tonight, I thought I would write about this very thing that people notice first about me. And often the appearance of my eyes is likely a person’s first impression of me. Therefore, I am almost always immediately categorized as “weird” or “abnormal” or something that my physical appearance misleads. This happened again tonight at CrossFit Lincoln—-I was asked this very question by one of my fellow comrades while I was suffering in the middle of my workout. And when I was inquired upon blazes of red flashed through my mind. The bull was ready to charge and lash-out, but thankfully the Spirit of Grace rang loud in my ears and I told the person inquiring I would enlighten them after my workout.

So, what IS up with my eyes?!

It’s called bilateral blepharoptosis. What?! The medical-to-layman’s translation: An abnormal low-lying upper eyelid margin with the eye in primary gaze. Normally, the upper lid covers 1.5 mm of the superior part of the cornea. But the ptotic (droopy) eyelid(s) often cover a greater portion of the cornea in an affected person. In my case, I have “bilateral” ptosis meaning it affects both eyelids.

My blepharoptosis was congenital (born with) and I will have it my entire life; and it will get worse as I age (and it has). My eyelids get markedly droopy as the day/night progresses and as I grow tired. This is caused by increased dysgenesis in the levator palpebrae superioris—that’s the muscle that raises and lowers the eyelid. It grows weaker as I grow more tired. This often affects my vision which in turn can cause mild headaches while under stress (and sometimes when not under stress).

Most people acquire blepharoptosis as they reach their elderly years. But you can also acquire the abnormality while you’re young—-all you have to do is hit the bong a few too many times. Are you smokin’ what I’m rollin’? Thought so.

Although humorous, the previous paragraph is what gets under my skin and hurts the most when used against me. Let it be known that I have NEVER even dabbled once with marijuana. My mother was a heavy user of pot as well as other drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol; and she lacked concern for my health as she carried me in her womb—she had only her pleasantries in mind. Doctors say that if this is the worse that I got from being a “crack baby” of sorts, then I am truly blessed. But those meeting me for the first time don’t see it that way.

Even at my current age of 30 (nearly 31), I still have derogatory and ignorant comments hurled in my direction. And these are not only by immature youth, but also adults. Just last week while grocery shopping in south Lincoln I had two gentlemen in their early 40s quip about how much weed I must’ve been smoking before my quest for munchies. And just a few years ago, while working at a public jobsite, one of the customers (a middle-aged woman) asked me how I could live with myself ... When I asked her what she was talking about she informed me that she would’ve killed herself years ago if she was “as ugly-and-Goonie-ish” as I am ... She even went so far as to ask me why I hadn’t! I was emotionally damaged for weeks after that interaction.

It was hard for me to believe that the cruelty of my childhood; my junior high and high school life of being called “Yoda” or “Goonie” (among other names) would follow me into adulthood. A few years ago, when I attended York College in York, NE (a Christian school) I was hazed by a social club and given a “pledge” name of “Scrawny-Squinty Eyes”—-that’s what everyone was suppose to call me in the social club I was joining (I never joined). And even in my current career as a bio-analyst, I’ve had a co-worker refer to me as “chinkie-eyed.” I’m finding the savagery will never end.

I have even heard off-colored remarks made about me by people I consider my brothers and sisters at CrossFit. Some of my closest friends at the gym have mentioned to me that people have asked them about my use of pot. And it hurts to know that these people wouldn’t talk to me because they assess an outside appearance to be that of a stoner ... until after a few weeks of seeing that I always look the same. This may seem hard to believe, but it’s a true story. And even though I laughed when this person told me this was their earliest impression of me—-it still scratched old wounds.

So what can I do about my blepharoptosis? Well, I’ve tried to do as my friend JT told me, “You shouldn’t worry about the thing that you’re bullied over the most. It’s what makes you unique!” I don’t think a human can be so ugly they’re cute—-I don’t think it works that way for us. So my other option is blepharoplasty (plastic surgery). This is something that I’ve considered most of my life. I was told while growing up that I could have the surgery in my early twenties after my “formative years” have passed. The surgery is expensive (approx $1800/eyelid) and is often not covered by insurance because it’s considered cosmetic. If the eyelid increasingly obstructs vision—-as in my case—-then insurance will cover a portion. But, I don’t have insurance, so chock that one up as another point for Team Suffrage.

If I take a philosophical and spiritual point of view, I guess what I’m being taught from the constant ridicule is a lesson in grace and compassion ... And Jesus is probably allowing a touch of patience as well! I found tonight, that in the moment of wanting to lash-out it wouldn’t have spoken well of my character-model of Christ; especially to another Christian—-and a Christian who was genuinely interested in taking a cautious approach to asking me about my eyes.

Here’s how I started this post, I think it intelligently and concisely summates what I’ve been saying without any attached emotion:

Whether an individual lacks competence in logical reasoning, emotional intelligence, social & interpersonal abilities or humor, the person still tends to rate his or her skills in the area in question as being above average. We often find it intrinsically difficult to get a sense of what we don't know.

And people at the bottom still think they're outperforming other people.

Ignorance is bliss? Not in every case.

Hopes & Ambitions for 2013

Well, we are now a full month into 2013. I guess it’s time for me to post something about the New Year and my hopes and ambitions for 2013—both as an XTERRA triathlete and a CrossFit Endurance Coach/Athlete.

I’ve been playing with the idea of retiring from XTERRA for a couple years and focusing on coaching endurance athletes and increasing my involvement with CrossFit & CrossFit Endurance. I’m not sure what direction God would have me go in, but I know my passion for competing in XTERRA hasn’t subsided any—even with the past two years full of struggles with bike sponsors and perspective sponsors—the desire and drive is still there. I love my XTERRA community! And then there’s also my desire to start working on my Masters Degree in Biological Oceanography—completely unrelated to the majority of this post. Ha!

There are no updates on bike procurement. I still have no alignment with a bike company; there were talks in mid-2012 with Titus Cycles but they fell silent after their representatives prompted me for some details and specifics.

This might go without saying, but I have no bike to race on. That means I am open to sponsorship! And I would truly love to race for Titus—they are still a small enough bike company that I would consider them a boutique bike—but an EXCELLENT one at that. Their mountain bikes are highly economical with superior craftsmanship and a quality bike with outstanding attention to details especially with regard to superior branded parts. And the weight and durability of their mountain bikes is icing on the cake. If you’ve never heard of them, I would strongly recommend checking out Titus!

The bike situation is the only thing holding me back from having an epic XTERRA race season. My Plan B is to buy a racing bike with my tax return—if it’s sizeable enough.

I am also looking to endorse a Paleo or CrossFit-specific supplement/nutrition company. I have my eye on Evolve Foods, SFH, MusclePharm or Advanced Muscle Science—the latter makes the best pre-workout I’ve ever used. I dropped BSN last year—too much “crap” and “filler” in their protein and pre-workout; too many artificial sweetners and artificial colors and artificial flavors (read: chemical shit-storm!). I started feeling so much better post-training after I cleaned up my pre-workout supplement and my post-workout nutrition. Grass-fed protein is key post-workout—and mostly from whole foods, but quality whey isolate or hydrolysate can be used as well—just don’t make it a staple.

I also had a meeting today with one of the owners (and my endurance brother) at CrossFit Lincoln. We talked about introducing a CrossFit Endurance program with the focus in the beginning being for teaching running as a skill for a handful of athletes. Today was a good brainstorming session and we hashed out some great plans—it’ll be awesome to start coaching and helping athletes develop their running skills and maybe even have them fall in love with running. Running should be painless and injury-free and I hope to show people how to make this happen, all while helping them to develop/hone their “POSE.” That should be starting in late February or early March.

And lastly (probably the most exciting if you’re a CrossFitter or follow a Paleo Diet), I’ve been communicating a lot with a CrossFitting Paleo-Chef, Nick Massie aka: Paleo Nick. I shared with him a couple of my personal recipes—including my TOP SECRET Double Dark Chocolate Paleo Brownies. The recipe I won’t share with anyone. Nick is the only person who has this recipe besides me. It’s 100% my own creation; and Nick is the only person with a written copy (otherwise it’s only in my head). I even made Nick swear on many things that he would not share the recipe and it goes with him to his grave. In light of all of this, Nick has asked me to become part of his team. I don’t know what that means at this point but I’m excited to be involved and serve in whatever capacity might arise.

As 2013 marches on, I’ll do my best to keep you informed with any updates to the happenings above, or any races I decide to do. I haven’t really planned out my season yet as it’s still a little early for the XTERRA U.S. Points Series (and, of course, I don’t have a bike to race on)—but as soon as anything exciting arises, I’ll share it!

Live MORE and Run FREE!