We’re back! Yeah, I know it’s been over two months since our last podcast, but we think you’ll really dig this hour-long episode packed with juicy details about my favorite Hawaiian-inspired summer dish, our exciting new Ready or Not! cookbook, volunteering with the family at the food bank, and my favorite green powder: Matcha! Download the episode and take us along with you on your next road trip, mountain hike, or traffic-packed slog to work! For complete show notes, links, and recommendations, go to our podcast archive and read all about Episode 19. Please visit our sponsor, Thrive Market—if you’re a new user, you can get 25% off your entire purchase and free shipping on your order!

We’re back! Yeah, I know it’s been over two months since our last podcast, but we think you’ll really dig this hour-long episode packed with juicy details about my favorite Hawaiian-inspired summer dish, our exciting new <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/ready-or-not-our-new-cookbook" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ready or Not! cookbook</a>, volunteering with the family at the food bank, and my favorite green powder: Matcha! Download the episode and take us along with you on your next road trip, mountain hike, or traffic-packed slog to work! For complete show notes, links, and recommendations, go to our <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/podcastarchive" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcast archive</a> and read all about Episode 19. Please visit our sponsor, <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/thrive" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thrive Market</a>—if you’re a new user, you can get 25% off your entire purchase and free shipping on your order!

#19 Ready or Not!

At long last, our whole family is back with Season 2 of our podcast! Did you miss us? It’s been over a year(!) since we last released an episode of our podcast—and one of our voices now is unrecognizable! But we’ll try to make it up to you with this catch-up episode that’s crammed wall-to-wall with all our totally reasonable excuses for being radio silent. In this episode, we go over the trials and tribulations of developing a new recipe, Wonton Meatballs. Who knew that a seemingly innocuous ingredient would cause me so much agita? Also, we talk about everything that went down between episodes of our podcast—namely, our brand-spankin’ new cookbook, a wall calendar, a complete blog revamp, and moving to another state. Last but not least, I share two crushes of the week! For complete show notes, links, and recommendations, go to our podcast archive and read all about Episode 18. Please visit our sponsor, Thrive Market—if you’re a new user, you can get 25% off your entire purchase and free shipping on your order!

At long last, our whole family is back with Season 2 of our podcast! Did you miss us? It’s been over a year(!) since we last released an episode of our podcast—and one of our voices now is unrecognizable! But we’ll try to make it up to you with this catch-up episode that’s crammed wall-to-wall with all our totally reasonable excuses for being radio silent. In this episode, we go over the trials and tribulations of developing a new recipe, Wonton Meatballs. Who knew that a seemingly innocuous ingredient would cause me so much agita? Also, we talk about everything that went down between episodes of our podcast—namely, our brand-spankin’ new cookbook, a wall calendar, a complete blog revamp, and moving to another state. Last but not least, I share two crushes of the week! For complete show notes, links, and recommendations, go to our <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/podcastarchive" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcast archive</a> and read all about Episode 18. Please visit our sponsor, <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/thrive" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thrive Market</a>—if you’re a new user, you can get 25% off your entire purchase and free shipping on your order!

#18 Wonton Fever!

Did you miss the sound of our voices? We’re sorry that it’s been more than a month(!) since we last release an episode of our podcast—it’s been a bit crazy around these parts. But we’ll try to make up for our tardiness by presenting an extra-long episode that’s packed with juicy details about our bucket-list trip to Vietnam. Sound good? This episode is all about a whirlwind trip that Henry and I took to Vietnam together with a small group of awesome chefs and food writers. We traveled to Saigon and Phú Quốc Island to learn firsthand about Vietnamese cuisine and to visit the home of Red Boat Fish Sauce, where we got an up-close look at how my favorite fish sauce is made. We’ll also talk about our year-end crushes, tips for pantry prep in the New Year, and fill you in on the newest update to our Webby Award winning app. So if you’re sick of the cold and ready to be transported to Vietnam for a spell, stick with us for a very special Viet-nomtastic episode! For complete show notes, links, and recommendations, go to our podcast archive and read about Episode 17. Please visit our sponsor, Thrive Market, for 2 months free membership and 20% off your first order!

Did you miss the sound of our voices? We’re sorry that it’s been more than a month(!) since we last release an episode of our podcast—it’s been a bit crazy around these parts. But we’ll try to make up for our tardiness by presenting an extra-long episode that’s packed with juicy details about our bucket-list trip to Vietnam. Sound good? This episode is all about a whirlwind trip that Henry and I took to Vietnam together with a small group of awesome chefs and food writers. We traveled to Saigon and Phú Quốc Island to learn firsthand about Vietnamese cuisine and to visit the home of Red Boat Fish Sauce, where we got an up-close look at how my favorite fish sauce is made. We’ll also talk about our year-end crushes, tips for pantry prep in the New Year, and fill you in on the newest update to our Webby Award winning app. So if you’re sick of the cold and ready to be transported to Vietnam for a spell, stick with us for a very special Viet-nomtastic episode! For complete show notes, links, and recommendations, go to our <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/podcastarchive" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcast archive</a> and read about Episode 17. Please visit our sponsor, <a href="https://thrivemarket.com/partner/nomnomlisteners?ccode=nomnompaleogift&amp;utm_source=affiliate&amp;utm_campaign=ThriveMembership&amp;aff_id=2364&amp;t_id=1023835adc7565d0f665d062153331&amp;o_id=6&amp;utm_medium=Nom+Nom+Paleo+LLC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thrive Market</a>, for 2 months free membership and 20% off your first order!

Episode 17: VietNomNomPaleo!

We’re ba-aack! In this episode, our family chats about our favorite autumn produce, my time as a headmaster at Camp Nerd Fitness, our crushes of the week, and we answer a reader’s question about how to handle snack time at a non-Paleo preschool. For complete show notes, links, and recommendations, go to our podcast archive and read about Episode 16. That’s right—no need to take note, my fellow nerds! Please visit our sponsor, Thrive Market, for 2 months free membership and 20% off your first order!

We’re ba-aack! In this episode, our family chats about our favorite autumn produce, my time as a headmaster at <a href="https://camp.nerdfitness.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Camp Nerd Fitness</a>, our crushes of the week, and we answer a reader’s question about how to handle snack time at a non-Paleo preschool. For complete show notes, links, and recommendations, go to our <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/podcastarchive" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcast archive</a> and read about Episode 16. That’s right—no need to take note, my fellow nerds! Please visit our sponsor, <a href="https://thrivemarket.com/partner/nomnomlisteners?ccode=nomnompaleogift&amp;utm_source=affiliate&amp;utm_campaign=ThriveMembership&amp;aff_id=2364&amp;t_id=1023835adc7565d0f665d062153331&amp;o_id=6&amp;utm_medium=Nom+Nom+Paleo+LLC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thrive Market</a>, for 2 months free membership and 20% off your first order!

Episode 16: Camp Nerd Fitness

Have you missed listening to our voices? At long last, we’ve got another podcast episode for you!  In this episode, we’re departing from our usual format. Rather than sharing our crushes of the week or what we ate, this episode is all about YOU. Or more specifically, it’s all about answering your burning questions. Recently, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, I put out a call for questions from listeners of this podcast, and the floodgates opened. Given the volume of questions, we did two things:  We focused mostly on the food, cooking, and family questions. I got a ton of questions about health and weight loss, but despite my nutrition background, I’m not a medical expert by any means. And besides, the focus of my blog, podcast, and book is Paleo cooking rather than Paleo science.   We answer these questions in rapid fire succession, ’cause to be honest, we don’t have time or patience for a three-hour episode. Instead, we’re going to tackle 20 questions for today, in rapid-fire speed.  Ready for a whirlwind Q and A session? Here we go! For complete show notes, links, and recommendations, go to our podcast archive and read about Episode 15. Please visit our sponsor, Thrive Market, for 2 months free membership and 20% off your first order!

Have you missed listening to our voices? At long last, we’ve got another podcast episode for you!  In this episode, we’re departing from our usual format. Rather than sharing our crushes of the week or what we ate, this episode is all about YOU. Or more specifically, it’s all about answering your burning questions. Recently, on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nomnompaleo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/nomnompaleo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and <a href="https://instagram.com/nomnompaleo/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, I put out a call for questions from listeners of this podcast, and the floodgates opened. Given the volume of questions, we did two things: <ul> <li>We focused mostly on the food, cooking, and family questions. I got a ton of questions about health and weight loss, but despite my nutrition background, I’m not a medical expert by any means. And besides, the focus of my blog, podcast, and book is Paleo cooking rather than Paleo science.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>We answer these questions in rapid fire succession, ’cause to be honest, we don’t have time or patience for a three-hour episode. Instead, we’re going to tackle 20 questions for today, in rapid-fire speed.</li> </ul> Ready for a whirlwind Q and A session? Here we go! For complete show notes, links, and recommendations, go to our <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/podcastarchive" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcast archive</a> and read about Episode 15. Please visit our sponsor, <a href="https://thrivemarket.com/partner/nomnomlisteners?ccode=nomnompaleogift&amp;utm_source=affiliate&amp;utm_campaign=ThriveMembership&amp;aff_id=2364&amp;t_id=1023835adc7565d0f665d062153331&amp;o_id=6&amp;utm_medium=Nom+Nom+Paleo+LLC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thrive Market</a>, for 2 months free membership and 20% off your first order!

Episode 15: Twenty Questions!

I’m an adventurous cook in my own kitchen, and I know my way around all the wacky gadgets I stockpile to make cooking easier—from electric pressure cookers to sous vide water ovens and even my handy-dandy blowtorch. But strangely enough, the one cooking method that’s always struck fear in my heart is grilling food over coals. There was always something intimidating about making a fire and cooking outdoors—something that felt uncontrolled and wild. Whenever we grilled, it was always Henry’s job to do it. Well, that was the case until I spent the weekend at a women’s only meat camp at Belcampo Farm. Yes, you heard that right: MEAT. CAMP. What is this magical retreat I speak of? Well, listen in as I tell you all about the stuff I learned: including how to build my own fire, butcher small animals, and grill like a champ. ’Cause really: what’s more Paleo than throwing raw meat on an open flame? Plus, we chat about potatoes, soffritto, cancer risk of grilled meat, and packed lunches! For complete show notes, links, and recommendations, go to our podcast archive and read about Episode 14. Please visit our sponsor, Thrive Market, for 2 months free membership and 20% off your first order!

I’m an adventurous cook in my own kitchen, and I know my way around all the wacky gadgets I stockpile to make cooking easier—from electric pressure cookers to sous vide water ovens and even my handy-dandy blowtorch. But strangely enough, the one cooking method that’s always struck fear in my heart is grilling food over coals. There was always something intimidating about making a fire and cooking outdoors—something that felt uncontrolled and wild. Whenever we grilled, it was always Henry’s job to do it. Well, that was the case until I spent the weekend at a women’s only meat camp at <a href="http://www.belcampo.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Belcampo Farm</a>. Yes, you heard that right: MEAT. CAMP. What is this magical retreat I speak of? Well, listen in as I tell you all about the stuff I learned: including how to build my own fire, butcher small animals, and grill like a champ. ’Cause really: what’s more Paleo than throwing raw meat on an open flame? Plus, we chat about potatoes, soffritto, cancer risk of grilled meat, and packed lunches! For complete show notes, links, and recommendations, go to our <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/podcastarchive" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcast archive</a> and read about Episode 14. Please visit our sponsor, <a href="https://thrivemarket.com/partner/nomnomlisteners?ccode=nomnompaleogift&amp;utm_source=affiliate&amp;utm_campaign=ThriveMembership&amp;aff_id=2364&amp;t_id=1023835adc7565d0f665d062153331&amp;o_id=6&amp;utm_medium=Nom+Nom+Paleo+LLC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thrive Market</a>, for 2 months free membership and 20% off your first order!

Episode 14: One Time At Meat Camp

Natural disasters can strike at any time, so don’t just cross your fingers and bury your head in the sand. Of course, we should all hope for the best, but we also need to prepare for the worst—I’m talking about fires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes—even Lil-O’s dreaded H.F.O.Z.s (a.k.a. House Full of Zombies)! If the point of Paleo is to optimize health, we’re not doing ourselves any favors if we’re caught in an emergency without food, water, and basic tools for survival. To be perfectly blunt, you can’t thrive if you’re not alive. So listen up as we teach you how to put together a Paleo-friendly emergency preparedness kit. Also, you won’t want to miss our rundown of our recent trip up to Portland for Chef Gregory Gourdet’s super-insane 40th birthday party! For complete show notes, links, and recommendations, go to our podcast archive and read about Episode 13. Please visit our sponsor, Thrive Market, for 2 months free membership and 20% off your first order!

Natural disasters can strike at any time, so don’t just cross your fingers and bury your head in the sand. Of course, we should all hope for the best, but we also need to prepare for the worst—I’m talking about fires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes—even Lil-O’s dreaded H.F.O.Z.s (a.k.a. House Full of Zombies)! If the point of Paleo is to optimize health, we’re not doing ourselves any favors if we’re caught in an emergency without food, water, and basic tools for survival. To be perfectly blunt, you can’t thrive if you’re not alive. So listen up as we teach you how to put together a Paleo-friendly emergency preparedness kit. Also, you won’t want to miss our rundown of our recent trip up to Portland for <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/117854854013/podcast-episode-3-top-chefs-gregory-gourdet" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chef Gregory Gourdet</a>’s super-insane 40th birthday party! For complete show notes, links, and recommendations, go to our <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/podcastarchive" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcast archive</a> and read about Episode 13. Please visit our sponsor, <a href="https://thrivemarket.com/partner/nomnomlisteners?ccode=nomnompaleogift&amp;utm_source=affiliate&amp;utm_campaign=ThriveMembership&amp;aff_id=2364&amp;t_id=1023835adc7565d0f665d062153331&amp;o_id=6&amp;utm_medium=Nom+Nom+Paleo+LLC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thrive Market</a>, for 2 months free membership and 20% off your first order!

Episode 13: In Case of Emergency

Is the term “Paleo dessert” an oxymoron? Are grain-free sweets the devil? Or are they a healthy bridge that helps people transition to a whole foods lifestyle? In this episode, we’ll dive head-first into this controversial subject, and decide together whether we should all just stuff our faces with grain-free cake! For complete show notes, links, and recommendations, go to our podcast archive and read about Episode 12. Please visit our sponsor, Thrive Market, for 2 months free membership and 20% off your first order!

Is the term “Paleo dessert” an oxymoron? Are grain-free sweets the devil? Or are they a healthy bridge that helps people transition to a whole foods lifestyle? In this episode, we’ll dive head-first into this controversial subject, and decide together whether we should all just stuff our faces with grain-free cake! For complete show notes, links, and recommendations, go to our <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/podcastarchive" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcast archive</a> and read about Episode 12. Please visit our sponsor, <a href="https://thrivemarket.com/partner/nomnomlisteners?ccode=nomnompaleogift&amp;utm_source=affiliate&amp;utm_campaign=ThriveMembership&amp;aff_id=2364&amp;t_id=1023835adc7565d0f665d062153331&amp;o_id=6&amp;utm_medium=Nom+Nom+Paleo+LLC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thrive Market</a>, for 2 months free membership and 20% off your first order!

Episode 12: Paleo Desserts!

I love big butts and I cannot lie. Specifically, I love pork butts—also known as pork butt roast, Boston shoulder, or Boston Butt. Why is this my favorite cut of pork? ‘Cause it’s inexpensive, flavorful, super versatile, and tough to mess up. Besides: despite its name, it’s not the part of the animal you’re thinking of. Ready to learn more about butts? Then listen in as I list the many ways butts reign supreme! If I have to pick a favorite cut of meat to cook at home, I will always choose a big pork butt roast. In the main course of this podcast, we’ll chat about why I love this cut, how it got its wacky, butt-tastic name, how to find it, and how to cook it. Also, Henry will share his favorite eats from his business trip to Dublin, Ireland and the kiddos chat about their crushes of the week! For complete show notes, links, and recommendations, go to our podcast archive and read about Episode 11. Please visit our sponsor, Thrive Market, for 2 months free membership and 20% off your first order!

I love big butts and I cannot lie. Specifically, I love pork butts—also known as pork butt roast, Boston shoulder, or Boston Butt. Why is this my favorite cut of pork? ‘Cause it’s inexpensive, flavorful, super versatile, and tough to mess up. Besides: despite its name, it’s not the part of the animal you’re thinking of. Ready to learn more about butts? Then listen in as I list the many ways butts reign supreme! If I have to pick a favorite cut of meat to cook at home, I will always choose a big pork butt roast. In the main course of this podcast, we’ll chat about why I love this cut, how it got its wacky, butt-tastic name, how to find it, and how to cook it. Also, Henry will share his favorite eats from his business trip to Dublin, Ireland and the kiddos chat about their crushes of the week! For complete show notes, links, and recommendations, go to our <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/podcastarchive" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcast archive</a> and read about Episode 11. Please visit our sponsor, <a href="https://thrivemarket.com/partner/nomnomlisteners?ccode=nomnompaleogift&amp;utm_source=affiliate&amp;utm_campaign=ThriveMembership&amp;aff_id=2364&amp;t_id=1023835adc7565d0f665d062153331&amp;o_id=6&amp;utm_medium=Nom+Nom+Paleo+LLC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thrive Market</a>, for 2 months free membership and 20% off your first order!

Episode 11: I Love Big Butts

Stocking up your kitchen for the very first time? Or maybe you’re just sick and tired of your cruddy old culinary tools, like that plastic spatula with that melted front edge. It’s time to level up! Having the right cooking implements on hand can mean the difference between having dinner ready in a flash and being frustrated and defeated in the kitchen. In this episode we’ll tell you all about our favorite tools. And don’t worry—we won’t recommend anything crazy expensive, or any one-trick ponies that’ll clutter your countertops. We won’t even suggest any items that require electricity. Listen in and we’ll let you know which kitchen tools we can’t live without! For complete show notes, links, and recommendations, go to our podcast archive and read about Episode 10. Please visit our sponsor, Thrive Market, for 2 months free membership and 20% off your first order!

Stocking up your kitchen for the very first time? Or maybe you’re just sick and tired of your cruddy old culinary tools, like that plastic spatula with that melted front edge. It’s time to level up! Having the right cooking implements on hand can mean the difference between having dinner ready in a flash and being frustrated and defeated in the kitchen. In this episode we’ll tell you all about our favorite tools. And don’t worry—we won’t recommend anything crazy expensive, or any one-trick ponies that’ll clutter your countertops. We won’t even suggest any items that require electricity. Listen in and we’ll let you know which kitchen tools we can’t live without! For complete show notes, links, and recommendations, go to our <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/podcastarchive" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcast archive</a> and read about Episode 10. Please visit our sponsor, <a href="https://thrivemarket.com/partner/nomnomlisteners?ccode=nomnompaleogift&amp;utm_source=affiliate&amp;utm_campaign=ThriveMembership&amp;aff_id=2364&amp;t_id=1023835adc7565d0f665d062153331&amp;o_id=6&amp;utm_medium=Nom+Nom+Paleo+LLC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thrive Market</a>, for 2 months free membership and 20% off your first order!

Episode 10: Essential Cooking Tools

I love Nom Nom Paleo food. This real podcast helps me feel supported as a mom and a person trying to feed my family a Real Food lifestyle. 

Thank you!!

Fun listen for a mom (or anyone)

This podcast makes me smile— love the kids and food!

Love it!

Nom Nom Paleo Podcast

Gregory Gourdet

Today’s episode is a special one, and not just because we taped most of it on a handheld recorder on location in our rental house in Austin, Texas. Listen in as we chat about our trip to Austin and interview our good friend and housemate, Chef Gregory Gourdet, the runner-up in this latest season of Top Chef on Bravo! We’ll also gab about some of our favorite eats of this trip, and my pal Dr. Emily Deans pops in to help answer the Question of the Week, too. So listen up, y’all – and you might just find out which Spice Girl Gregory identifies with!  Show Notes &amp; Links for Episode 3: What We Ate: While vacationing in Austin, I ate a lot of great barbecue and gluten-free, Paleo-friendly “fun stuff.” Specifically, I had a memorable meal at Picnik Austin, where I basically bought one of everything. To beat the heat while the rest of the house was at Paleo f(x), Henry and the kids enjoyed a movie and gluten-free eats in the dark at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.  You should definitely grab an iced butter coffee at Picnik Austin and lots of other yummy Paleo-friendly eats. If you’re looking to eat well at the movies, head to Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. When in San Francisco, eat at my place for favorite dinner and a movie, Foreign Cinema.  Main Course: The bulk of today’s episode is a dining room INTERROGATION of our friend Chef Gregory Gourdet. GG’s a fascinating fellow because under his humble exterior lurks a trendsetter, fashionista, Executive Chef, world traveler, ultra runner, hot yoga devotee, and CrossFitter too. And you can see his focus on health in his Portland restaurant, Departure, where guests have the option of delicious gluten-free, vegan, and Paleo menus, in addition to the nightly dinner menu. Plus, he’s won a slew of prestigious awards, including Portland’s Hottest Chef of 2012, Chef of the Year 2013 by the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Eater’s 2014 Chef of the Year, and a 2015 James Beard Award semi-finalist for Best Chef Northwest. This year, he became a bona fide celebrity chef when he placed second on the 12th season of Top Chef, Bravo TV’s award-winning cooking competition. But more importantly, GG’s a fiercely loyal friend, and we love spending time with him. This past weekend, we cornered him at the dining room table just minutes after he woke up (and well before he even had a chance to eat breakfast), and ambushed him with an interview for this episode. As rookie podcasters, we only had a handheld recorder with us, but hopefully, you won’t mind the extra ambient noise. (We keep it real, people.) Besides, GG’s an incredibly engaging and revealing interview subject. He’s honest about his path to professional cooking, his recovery from addiction, fantastic cooking tips, his flavor of Paleo, all things related to Top Chef, and how he keeps sane with a jam-packed plate. At the end of the interview, Big-O jumps in on the action and peppers GG with a list of rapid-fire questions that range from his last meal on earth to his favorite Spice Girl. We had a ton of fun recording this interview, and hope that you enjoy being a fly on the dining room wall during our laughter-filled conversation. Don’t forget to connect with Gregory via Instagram (@gg30000), Facebook, and Twitter. And if you find yourself in Portland, you must partake of his fabulous Asian-inspired creations at Departure Restaurant + Lounge. Crush of the Week: Big-O reveals that he’s crushing on BookPeople, one of the coolest (and largest) independent bookstores in Austin. Lil-O reveals that he doesn’t love books, but he digs his pack of DC Heroes &amp; Villains playing cards (affiliate link)—which he bought at BookPeople instead of, you know, a boring old book. Question of the Week: A reader, Natalee, shares in an email: I became Paleo because of a nine year HORRIBLE struggle with bipolar 1 disease. I was desperate to try anything to help with this…and under the care of a forward thinking amazing psychiatrist, I was able to come off all of my meds and remain stable through food and supplements. And I’m actually better than I’ve EVER been…I have my life and family and marriage back. All of this to say, I would LOVE to hear how food can help stabilize mental illness. I was literally told by doctors that I would always be on meds…and MANY mentally ill people believe that their lives will always have to be a certain way…because they can’t be fixed. My friend Dr. Emily Deans, a specialist in evolutionary psychiatry, was hanging out with us at our house in Austin, so I strong-armed her into helping me answer this question. You can find more of Emily’s articles about food, mood, and microbiome here. Ciao for now! Thanks for listening! If you have questions for future podcasts, please leave them in the comments below. Like what you heard? Subscribe to our podcast and leave us a review by clicking here!

Today’s episode is a special one, and not just because we taped most of it on a handheld recorder on location in our rental house in Austin, Texas. Listen in as we chat about our trip to Austin and interview our good friend and housemate, Chef Gregory Gourdet, the runner-up in this latest season of Top Chef on Bravo! We’ll also gab about some of our favorite eats of this trip, and my pal Dr. Emily Deans pops in to help answer the Question of the Week, too. So listen up, y’all – and you might just find out which Spice Girl Gregory identifies with! Show Notes &amp; Links for Episode 3: What We Ate: While vacationing in Austin, I ate a lot of great barbecue and gluten-free, Paleo-friendly “fun stuff.” Specifically, I had a memorable meal at Picnik Austin, where I basically bought one of everything. To beat the heat while the rest of the house was at Paleo f(x), Henry and the kids enjoyed a movie and gluten-free eats in the dark at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. <ul> <li>You should definitely grab an iced butter coffee at <a href="http://picnikaustin.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Picnik Austin</a> and lots of other yummy Paleo-friendly eats.</li> <li>If you’re looking to eat well at the movies, head to <a href="http://drafthouse.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alamo Drafthouse Cinema</a>.</li> <li>When in San Francisco, eat at my place for favorite dinner and a movie, <a href="http://www.foreigncinema.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Foreign Cinema</a>.</li> </ul> Main Course: The bulk of today’s episode is a dining room INTERROGATION of our friend Chef Gregory Gourdet. GG’s a fascinating fellow because under his humble exterior lurks a trendsetter, fashionista, Executive Chef, world traveler, ultra runner, hot yoga devotee, and CrossFitter too. And you can see his focus on health in his Portland restaurant, Departure, where guests have the option of delicious gluten-free, vegan, and Paleo menus, in addition to the nightly dinner menu. Plus, he’s won a slew of prestigious awards, including Portland’s Hottest Chef of 2012, Chef of the Year 2013 by the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Eater’s 2014 Chef of the Year, and a 2015 James Beard Award semi-finalist for Best Chef Northwest. This year, he became a bona fide celebrity chef when he placed second on the 12th season of Top Chef, Bravo TV’s award-winning cooking competition. But more importantly, GG’s a fiercely loyal friend, and we love spending time with him. This past weekend, we cornered him at the dining room table just minutes after he woke up (and well before he even had a chance to eat breakfast), and ambushed him with an interview for this episode. As rookie podcasters, we only had a handheld recorder with us, but hopefully, you won’t mind the extra ambient noise. (We keep it real, people.) Besides, GG’s an incredibly engaging and revealing interview subject. He’s honest about his path to professional cooking, his recovery from addiction, fantastic cooking tips, his flavor of Paleo, all things related to Top Chef, and how he keeps sane with a jam-packed plate. At the end of the interview, Big-O jumps in on the action and peppers GG with a list of rapid-fire questions that range from his last meal on earth to his favorite Spice Girl. We had a ton of fun recording this interview, and hope that you enjoy being a fly on the dining room wall during our laughter-filled conversation. Don’t forget to connect with Gregory via <a href="https://instagram.com/gg30000/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram (@gg30000)</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChefGregoryGourdet" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/GG30000" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. And if you find yourself in Portland, you must partake of his fabulous Asian-inspired creations at <a href="http://departureportland.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Departure Restaurant + Lounge</a>. Crush of the Week: Big-O reveals that he’s crushing on <a href="http://www.bookpeople.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BookPeople</a>, one of the coolest (and largest) independent bookstores in Austin. Lil-O reveals that he doesn’t love books, but he digs his pack of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E4H7LKM?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B00E4H7LKM&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">DC Heroes &amp; Villains playing cards</a> (affiliate link)—which he bought at BookPeople instead of, you know, a boring old book. Question of the Week: A reader, Natalee, shares in an email: I became Paleo because of a nine year HORRIBLE struggle with bipolar 1 disease. I was desperate to try anything to help with this…and under the care of a forward thinking amazing psychiatrist, I was able to come off all of my meds and remain stable through food and supplements. And I’m actually better than I’ve EVER been…I have my life and family and marriage back. All of this to say, I would LOVE to hear how food can help stabilize mental illness. I was literally told by doctors that I would always be on meds…and MANY mentally ill people believe that their lives will always have to be a certain way…because they can’t be fixed. My friend Dr. Emily Deans, a specialist in evolutionary psychiatry, was hanging out with us at our house in Austin, so I strong-armed her into helping me answer this question. You can find more of Emily’s articles about food, mood, and microbiome <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/experts/emily-deans-md" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. Ciao for now! Thanks for listening! If you have questions for future podcasts, please leave them in the comments below. Like what you heard? Subscribe to our podcast and leave us a review by clicking <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/nom-nom-paleo-podcast/id986653896" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>!

Episode 3: Top Chef’s Gregory Gourdet

It’s time for the next installment of the Nom Nom Paleo Podcast! Picture it: You finally get home after a long day at work, school, or just lying around the house, and you don’t feel like cooking dinner. I totally know where you’re coming from, because I feel the same way most days of the week. Luckily for my family, I’ve figured out how to get food on the table ASAP. In Episode 5 of our podcast, I’ll share my favorite tips and tricks to keep you well nourished—even when you’re totally unmotivated. No more falling face first into a bowl of cereal!  Show Notes &amp; Links for Episode 5: What We Ate: I reveal the blend of seasonings I love to sprinkle on my daily dose of crispy fried eggs. Big-O chats with his younger brother about his love of camarones al ajillo, Mexican-style garlic shrimp. And Lil-O throws Henry under the bus by revealing one of his regular non-Paleo indulgences. My fried crispy eggs recipe and video can be found here. I top my eggs with Jacobsen Sea Salt, Urashima All Natural furikake, and Rinaldo’s Organic Garlic Gold Nuggets. Main Course: The bulk of this episode is all about desperation dinners. In other words, how do you get food on the table when you don’t want to cook? I don’t know about you, but I like to eat way more than I like to cook. Whenever someone asks me “what’s your favorite dish?” I almost always answer, “a meal someone else cooks for me.” But in all seriousness, the only way to make a Paleo lifestyle sustainable is to get off your butt and get cooking—even when you don’t want to. Here’s what I stock in my pantry, fridge, and freezer for desperation dinners:  Eggs — raw &amp; hard-boiled Leftover roast chicken Canned fish — I keep a bunch of salmon and tuna tins in my pantry Refrigerated canned crab Paleo Mayonnaise — If you don’t make your own mayo, Primal Kitchen’s avocado oil mayo is a great alternative to homemade; Sir Kensington also makes a pretty good mayo Avocados or guacamole — I like Wholly Guacamole brand, but more often than not, I just ask Henry to whip up some homemade guacamole using his famous recipe Nori sheets and butter lettuce — Toasted seaweed and lettuce cups are my favorite alternative to tortillas Salad greens — Toss with oil and vinegar, and you’ve got an instant side dish! Frozen mixed vegetables Fresh herbs Spice blends Flavor-boosting acids — e.g. lemon, lime, assorted vinegars  Quick-Cook Dinners (15-20 minute meals):  Sunnyside Salad with Crispy Eggs Easy Paleo Frittata Sweet Potato Hash (topped with your favorite protein) Garbage Stir-Fry Garbage Soup  No-Cook Dinners (5-10 minute meals):  Lazy Devils (the recipe can be found in our cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food For Humans) Madras Chicken Salad Spicy Salmon Cucumber Bites Chilled Cream of Avocado Soup with Crab Watermelon and Tomato Gazpacho Crab + Avocado Temaki  For even more inspiration, check out my 10 Fast &amp; Easy No-Cook Paleo Meals post or my pal Charissa’s site, No Cook Paleo. Lastly, the kiddos reveal that their desperation snacks include fresh fruit and SeaSnax seaweed snacks. Crush of the Week: Big-O tells us about how he likes flipping through my old school, out-of-print Quick &amp; Easy Chinese cookbooks. Lil-O and our little buddy Matthew talk about their love of Cracklin’ Chicken—particularly when it’s doused with Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos Teriyaki Sauce. Question of the week: In my blog comments, Kadie asked: I would love for you to describe your greatest inspirations—are there particular people, places, or things that especially inspire your kitchen creations? In a nutshell, my travels, my sister, and my mom are my culinary inspirations. I even admit that I’m turning into my mother. *Gasp!* Thanks for listening! If you have questions for future podcasts, please leave them in the comments below. Like what you heard? Subscribe to our podcast and leave us a review by clicking here!

It’s time for the next installment of the Nom Nom Paleo Podcast! Picture it: You finally get home after a long day at work, school, or just lying around the house, and you don’t feel like cooking dinner. I totally know where you’re coming from, because I feel the same way most days of the week. Luckily for my family, I’ve figured out how to get food on the table ASAP. In Episode 5 of our podcast, I’ll share my favorite tips and tricks to keep you well nourished—even when you’re totally unmotivated. No more falling face first into a bowl of cereal! Show Notes &amp; Links for Episode 5: What We Ate: I reveal the blend of seasonings I love to sprinkle on my daily dose of crispy fried eggs. Big-O chats with his younger brother about his love of camarones al ajillo, Mexican-style garlic shrimp. And Lil-O throws Henry under the bus by revealing one of his regular non-Paleo indulgences. My fried crispy eggs recipe and video can be found <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/104615214153/sunnyside-salad-crispy-fried-eggs-on-greens" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. I top my eggs with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VDNW2W?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B007VDNW2W&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jacobsen Sea Salt</a>, Urashima All Natural furikake, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004KU0LE6?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B004KU0LE6&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rinaldo’s Organic Garlic Gold Nuggets</a>. Main Course: The bulk of this episode is all about desperation dinners. In other words, how do you get food on the table when you don’t want to cook? I don’t know about you, but I like to eat way more than I like to cook. Whenever someone asks me “what’s your favorite dish?” I almost always answer, “a meal someone else cooks for me.” But in all seriousness, the only way to make a Paleo lifestyle sustainable is to get off your butt and get cooking—even when you don’t want to. Here’s what I stock in my pantry, fridge, and freezer for desperation dinners: <ul> <li>Eggs — raw &amp; <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/39561896332/whole30-day-3-perfect-hard-boiled-eggs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">hard-boiled</a></li> <li>Leftover <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/99591424823/weeknight-roast-chicken" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">roast chicken</a></li> <li>Canned fish — I keep a bunch of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004UB6FU4?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B004UB6FU4&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">salmon</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001SB8AZC?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B001SB8AZC&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">tuna</a> tins in my pantry</li> <li>Refrigerated canned crab</li> <li><a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/39474749548/whole30-day-2-paleo-mayonnaise" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paleo Mayonnaise</a> — If you don’t make your own mayo, <a href="http://thrv.me/nomnomavomayo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Primal Kitchen’s avocado oil mayo</a> is a great alternative to homemade; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LB99RL2?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B00LB99RL2&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sir Kensington</a> also makes a pretty good mayo</li> <li>Avocados or guacamole — I like Wholly Guacamole brand, but more often than not, I just ask Henry to whip up some homemade guacamole using <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/7758558628/guacamole" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">his famous recipe</a></li> <li>Nori sheets and butter lettuce — Toasted seaweed and lettuce cups are my favorite alternative to tortillas</li> <li>Salad greens — Toss with oil and vinegar, and you’ve got an instant side dish!</li> <li>Frozen mixed vegetables</li> <li>Fresh herbs</li> <li>Spice blends</li> <li>Flavor-boosting acids — e.g. lemon, lime, assorted vinegars</li> </ul> Quick-Cook Dinners (15-20 minute meals): <ul> <li><a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/104615214153/sunnyside-salad-crispy-fried-eggs-on-greens" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sunnyside Salad with Crispy Eggs</a></li> <li><a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/1983505174/easy-paleo-frittata" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Easy Paleo Frittata</a></li> <li><a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/19886925277/sweet-potato-hash-with-fried-eggs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sweet Potato Hash</a> (topped with your favorite protein)</li> <li><a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/41781593486/whole30-day-29-garbage-stir-fry-with-curried" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Garbage Stir-Fry</a></li> <li><a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/3615437715/garbage-soup" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Garbage Soup</a></li> </ul> No-Cook Dinners (5-10 minute meals): <ul> <li>Lazy Devils (the recipe can be found in our cookbook, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1449450334?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=1449450334&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nom Nom Paleo: Food For Humans</a>)</li> <li><a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/108235360133/whole30-day-16-madras-chicken-salad" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Madras Chicken Salad</a></li> <li><a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/48532229579/spicy-salmon-cucumber-bites" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spicy Salmon Cucumber Bites</a></li> <li><a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/13727361375/chilled-cream-of-avocado-soup-with-dungeness-crab" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chilled Cream of Avocado Soup with Crab</a></li> <li><a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/28229882380/watermelon-and-tomato-gazpacho" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Watermelon and Tomato Gazpacho</a></li> <li><a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/108518507738/whole30-day-19-crab-avocado-temaki" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Crab + Avocado Temaki</a></li> </ul> For even more inspiration, check out my <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/117624458238/10-fast-easy-no-cook-paleo-dishes" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">10 Fast &amp; Easy No-Cook Paleo Meals post</a> or my pal Charissa’s site, <a href="http://www.nocookpaleo.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">No Cook Paleo</a>. Lastly, the kiddos reveal that their desperation snacks include fresh fruit and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004UB6IFQ/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B004UB6IFQ&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=f05f-20&amp;linkId=6GTZDUPRWCLHQ4UI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SeaSnax seaweed snacks</a>. Crush of the Week: Big-O tells us about how he likes flipping through my old school, out-of-print <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/491524945X?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=491524945X&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Quick &amp; Easy Chinese cookbooks</a>. Lil-O and our little buddy Matthew talk about their love of <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/74180911762/cracklin-chicken" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cracklin’ Chicken</a>—particularly when it’s doused with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LF597J4?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B00LF597J4&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos Teriyaki Sauce</a>. Question of the week: In my blog comments, Kadie asked: I would love for you to describe your greatest inspirations—are there particular people, places, or things that especially inspire your kitchen creations? In a nutshell, my travels, my sister, and my mom are my culinary inspirations. I even admit that I’m turning into my mother. *Gasp!* Thanks for listening! If you have questions for future podcasts, please leave them in the comments below. Like what you heard? Subscribe to our podcast and leave us a review by clicking <a href="http://nom.gy/nnppod" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>!

Episode 5: Desperation Dinners!

Ready or not, we’re dishing up Episode 4 of the Nom Nom Paleo Podcast! In this installment, we dive into our love of vegetables and how to get more of it into our bellies. Despite what everyone outside of the Paleosphere may think, we don’t eat only meat. In fact, I eat more vegetables now than I did when I was a semi-vegetarian! Listen in as we chat about our favorite vegetables and how to buy, store, and cook them. You’ll be vegucated in no time!  Show Notes &amp; Links for Episode 4: What We Ate: Henry fills us in on how he hacks a rice-noodle-free salad bowl at Vietnamese restaurants, while I let everyone in on my favorite crunchy snack, Yucan Crunch. It’s a delicious cracker made with just one Paleo-friendly ingredient: yucca root. Toast the crackers, slather on a bunch of savory toppings, and you’re good to go! You can pick up Yucan Crunch at Mission Heirloom in Berkeley or order it via their online store. (I buy it through Good Eggs SF Bay Area.) Main Course: Surprise! In case you haven’t noticed, we don’t hoover meat down our throats 24/7. In fact, our plates are usually crammed with vegetables—so let’s talk about how I buy, store, and prep our favorite edible plants. I discuss the benefits of joining a CSA (community-sponsored agriculture), how to make the most of the veggies in our CSA box, and the best time to pick up a box at your neighborhood drop-off spot. If you don’t have access to farmers’ markets or CSAs, just do the best that you can. Refer to the Evironmental Working Group’s helpful lists to check which produce items are best bought organic and which ones have less pesticide. Once you stock up on healthy produce, I let you in our family’s favorite vegetable recipes and my inexpensive kitchen gadget picks to make the most of your vegetables. Plus, I share my favorite salad hacks, and the kids crack some vegetable jokes, too.  Click here to find a CSA near you. I was a member of Mariquita Farm’s CSA for many years. Starting in 2015, Mariquita now offers veggies through their Ladybug Buying Club. Caroline Randall Williams is one smart cookie, and her cookbook, Soul Food Love, is must-read. The Environmental Working Group’s Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen Plus lists can be found here. The Kitchn has a bookmark-worthy post on the best way to store your veggies. Click here to read it. Yotam Ottolenghi’s ourtrageously popular vegetable cookbook, Plenty More, is a constant source of inspiration for me. On most nights, I use my trusty toaster oven to roast the bulk of my veggies. My favorite inexpensive kitchen gadgets are a vegetable peeler and a reliable salad spinner. I learned how to simplify my vegetable cooking after spending a day at a Thai organic farm. You can read about our life-changing farm to table experience here.  Recipes referenced in this section:  Roasted Broccoli and Bacon Asian Cauliflower Fried “Rice” Zoodles and Meatballs Garbage Stir-Fry with Curried Cabbage Tonnato Sauce Spatchcocked Chicken over Vegetables  Crush of the Week: Big-O reveals that he’s crushing on asparagus, Lil-O tells us about how he loves broccoli even though he’s not sure how I cook it, and I let everyone in on the secret that I can’t live without frozen vegetables. Also, Henry and I fight over who loves April Bloomfield’s new vegetable cookbook, A Girl and Her Greens, more. I win.  Big-O’s favorite asparagus dish is Broiled Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus. Ollie asks me to make roasted broccoli and bacon several times a week. He like to douse it with Coconut Secret’s Teriyaki Sauce. I like to throw frozen vegetables into my Thai Chicken Curry. If you’re looking for a crazy-good vegetable cookbook, check out April Bloomfield’s A Girl and Her Greens. Visiting NYC? Go order the English Breakfast at The Breslin.  Question of the Week: Sandy asks via email: How do you get Big-O and Lil-O to eat vegetables? Instead of answering this question myself, I ask my kids how I do it. (Spoiler: The Double-Os reveal that they have no choice but to eat their mother’s cooking.) Ciao for now! Thanks for listening—and if you have questions for future podcasts, please leave them in the comments below. Like what you heard? Subscribe to our podcast and leave us a review by clicking here!

Ready or not, we’re dishing up Episode 4 of the Nom Nom Paleo Podcast! In this installment, we dive into our love of vegetables and how to get more of it into our bellies. Despite what everyone outside of the Paleosphere may think, we don’t eat only meat. In fact, I eat more vegetables now than I did when I was a semi-vegetarian! Listen in as we chat about our favorite vegetables and how to buy, store, and cook them. You’ll be vegucated in no time! Show Notes &amp; Links for Episode 4: What We Ate: Henry fills us in on how he hacks a rice-noodle-free salad bowl at Vietnamese restaurants, while I let everyone in on my favorite crunchy snack, Yucan Crunch. It’s a delicious cracker made with just one Paleo-friendly ingredient: yucca root. Toast the crackers, slather on a bunch of savory toppings, and you’re good to go! You can pick up Yucan Crunch at Mission Heirloom in Berkeley or order it via <a href="http://m-h-counterbasics.myshopify.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">their online store</a>. (I buy it through <a href="https://www.goodeggs.com/missionheirloom" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Good Eggs SF Bay Area</a>.) Main Course: Surprise! In case you haven’t noticed, we don’t hoover meat down our throats 24/7. In fact, our plates are usually crammed with vegetables—so let’s talk about how I buy, store, and prep our favorite edible plants. I discuss the benefits of joining a CSA (community-sponsored agriculture), how to make the most of the veggies in our CSA box, and the best time to pick up a box at your neighborhood drop-off spot. If you don’t have access to farmers’ markets or CSAs, just do the best that you can. Refer to the Evironmental Working Group’s helpful lists to check which produce items are best bought organic and which ones have less pesticide. Once you stock up on healthy produce, I let you in our family’s favorite vegetable recipes and my inexpensive kitchen gadget picks to make the most of your vegetables. Plus, I share my favorite salad hacks, and the kids crack some vegetable jokes, too. <ul> <li>Click <a href="http://www.localharvest.org/csa/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> to find a CSA near you.</li> <li>I was a member of Mariquita Farm’s CSA for many years. Starting in 2015, Mariquita now offers veggies through their <a href="http://mariquita.com/events/BuyingClub.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ladybug Buying Club</a>.</li> <li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caroline_Randall_Williams" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Caroline Randall Williams</a> is one smart cookie, and her cookbook, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0804137935?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=0804137935&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Soul Food Love</a>, is must-read.</li> <li>The Environmental Working Group’s Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen Plus lists can be found <a href="http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.</li> <li>The Kitchn has a bookmark-worthy post on the best way to store your veggies. Click <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/the-kitchns-guide-to-storing-fruits-and-vegetables-tip-roundup-176308" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> to read it.</li> <li>Yotam Ottolenghi’s ourtrageously popular vegetable cookbook, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1607746212?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=1607746212&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Plenty More</a>, is a constant source of inspiration for me.</li> <li>On most nights, I use my trusty <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001L5TVGW?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B001L5TVGW&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">toaster oven</a> to roast the bulk of my veggies.</li> <li>My favorite inexpensive kitchen gadgets are a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004OCIP?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B00004OCIP&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">vegetable peeler</a> and a reliable <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L1RZU38?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B00L1RZU38&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">salad spinner</a>.</li> <li>I learned how to simplify my vegetable cooking after spending a day at a Thai organic farm. You can read about our life-changing farm to table experience <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/70205747504/farm-to-table-in-mae-tha-thailand" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.</li> </ul> Recipes referenced in this section: <ul> <li><a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/1626061164/roasted-broccoli-bacon-recipe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Roasted Broccoli and Bacon</a></li> <li><a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/3195098303/asian-cauliflower-fried-rice" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Asian Cauliflower Fried “Rice”</a></li> <li><a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/5695132949/zucchini-spaghetti-zoodles-meatballs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Zoodles and Meatballs</a></li> <li><a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/41781593486/whole30-day-29-garbage-stir-fry-with-curried" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Garbage Stir-Fry with Curried Cabbage</a></li> <li><a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/51555264490/tonnato-sauce" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tonnato Sauce</a></li> <li><a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/115099379963/breast-or-thigh" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spatchcocked Chicken over Vegetables</a></li> </ul> Crush of the Week: Big-O reveals that he’s crushing on asparagus, Lil-O tells us about how he loves broccoli even though he’s not sure how I cook it, and I let everyone in on the secret that I can’t live without frozen vegetables. Also, Henry and I fight over who loves April Bloomfield’s new vegetable cookbook, A Girl and Her Greens, more. I win. <ul> <li>Big-O’s favorite asparagus dish is <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/3159900635/broiled-prosciutto-wrapped-asparagus-spears" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Broiled Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus</a>.</li> <li>Ollie asks me to make roasted broccoli and bacon several times a week. He like to douse it with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LF597J4?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B00LF597J4&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Coconut Secret’s Teriyaki Sauce</a>.</li> <li>I like to throw frozen vegetables into my <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/50912676835/thai-curry-chicken" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thai Chicken Curry</a>.</li> <li>If you’re looking for a crazy-good vegetable cookbook, check out April Bloomfield’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/006222588X?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=006222588X&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Girl and Her Greens</a>. Visiting NYC? Go order the English Breakfast at <a href="http://www.thebreslin.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Breslin</a>.</li> </ul> Question of the Week: Sandy asks via email: How do you get Big-O and Lil-O to eat vegetables? Instead of answering this question myself, I ask my kids how I do it. (Spoiler: The Double-Os reveal that they have no choice but to eat their mother’s cooking.) Ciao for now! Thanks for listening—and if you have questions for future podcasts, please leave them in the comments below. Like what you heard? Subscribe to our podcast and leave us a review by clicking <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/nom-nom-paleo-podcast/id986653896" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>!

Episode 4: Viva Las Veggies!

Episode 7: Traveling While Paleo! Heading out of town with your cave clan? How do you fuel yourself on the road and when you finally arrive? We’ll fill you in on how we find food at an airport, fuel ourselves on the flight, and how we grab grub once we get to our destination. Pack your bags and listen to our Paleo travel tips!  What We Ate: Let’s face it: no matter how many costumed characters roam the Strip, Las Vegas ain’t the most kid-friendly vacation spot in the world. Still, our family decided to take a surprise weekend trip to Sin City to attend a “Weird Al” Yankovic concert. In this episode, the kids gleefully fill everyone in on what they ate and observed in Las Vegas.  Big-O loved the steak and eggs at Bouchon Bistro, as well as the seafood options at B &amp; B Ristorante. Lil-O enjoyed the beefy options at B &amp; B Ristorante and B &amp; B Burger and Beer. (But he did not have any beer.) Lil-O also reveals that I treated him to a couple of macarons at Bouchon Bakery. (We aren’t 100% Paleo when we travel, though we try to stay gluten-free.)  Main Course: Travelers: we’ve got tons of tips and tricks for you on how to stay Paleo on the road! In this episode, we tell you how we scope out Paleo eats when we’re out and about. What to Pack: The amount of food I pack in our carry-on luggage depends on the length of the flight. If it’s a short flight, I typically bring a small bag of non-perishable snacks (e.g., a packet of jerky, salami, dark chocolate, seaweed, snack bars, or nuts). For longer flights, I simply increase the amount of snacks in my bag—or I purchase something at the airport. I also bring some of my favorite condiments and seasoning, assuming our final destination has a kitchen. My go-to travel size condiments include:  Red Boat Fish Sauce (affiliate link) Red Boat Fish Salt (affiliate) Jacobsen Salt (affiliate) Magic Mushroom Powder  Airport Eats: When I’m taking a short flight, I usually don’t eat anything at the airport. On longer trips, or when I’m stuck at the airport on a layover, I’ll seek out airport grub by going online and searching Yelp or Trip Advisor for gluten-free options at the airport. Other great resources for top airport eats include this article in the Wall Street Journal, and this post in Thrillist which rank airports by their food and drink options. Choice eats at select airports include:  At San Francisco International Airport (SFO), opt for the takeout choices in Terminal 2. Some of my favorite options are Lark Creek Grill, The Plant Cafe Organic, Napa Farms Market. At Denver International Airport (DEN), check out the locally sourced gluten-free friendly eats at Root Down. At Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), chow down on a BBQ platter (hold the bread and beans) at The Salt Lick before boarding your flight.  Food &amp; Drinks on the Plane: I don’t always eat during flights, but I routinely request bottled still or sparkling water (with no ice!) as my beverage. The reason I leave out the ice is because the ice is often contaminated with harmful bacteria. If you’re hungry and didn’t pack any food, most airlines sell gluten-free snacks that can tide you over until you land. (For example, Virgin America offers gluten-free snack packs, Hail Merry nuts &amp; macaroons, and jerky.) I once made the mistake of ordering a gluten-free meal on an international flight and I was disappointed that all I got was a bunch of tasteless rice cakes. It turns out that most airlines will serve the same meal to anyone who requests a special meal due to a dietary restriction—which means a gluten-free meal will also be devoid of fat, salt, animal products, and, well…flavor. Stocking Your Fridge At Your Vacation Rental: Our drive from the airport normally includes a pit stop at a local grocery store before we reach our vacation rental. We usually stock up on breakfast items (e.g. eggs, sausage, butter, pre-cut fruit and produce, cold brew coffee) and grab-and-go snacks. Now that we travel with kids, we prefer staying at a vacation home or condo instead of a hotel room because we prefer getting more space at a reasonable price. Plus, we can start our day off right with a hearty homemade breakfast that doesn’t break the bank. If you’re staying at a hotel, you can still prepare some meals in your room. Simply call the front desk ahead of time and request an empty refrigerator to store your perishables. Also, you can evidently cook lots of different things with the appliances in a hotel room (though to be honest, I haven’t tried this—yet).  I use Yelp to find the closest grocery store between the airport and our vacation rental. We’ve had lots of luck with vacation rentals through Airbnb and VRBO. If you want to learn how to cook with hotel appliances, check out this article.  Dining Out :  I’ve always been a gastrotourist, and my prime objective when vacationing is to find and taste the best local cuisine. In this segment, I reveal how my research starts before we leave on our trip. I start by checking local newspapers and online magazine for the top places to eat in the past year. Next, I narrow my choices after reading the latest restaurant reviews. Finally, I ask my readers for Paleo-friendly restaurant recommendations via Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. After sifting through all the data, I curate a restaurant list for each city, and figure how to combine sightseeing with the restaurants on my list.  My favorite sites for restaurant research are Eater, Zagat, Time Out, and local newspapers. You can be the ultimate gastrotourist and dine at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Read the latest reviews and learn about gluten-free options via Yelp, Trip Advisor, gluten-free blogs, and gluten-free apps.  Crush of the Week: The Double-Os discuss how much they enjoyed the “Weird Al” Yankovic concert in Las Vegas and their favorite songs at the show. Afterwards, Big-O and I talk about how much we love cherries—specifically, Bing cherries.  Find a Weird Al show near you! I like to buy our cherries from CJ Olson’s in Sunnyvale because that’s where my mom used to buy them when I was a kid. Pro tip: store cherries the same way as strawberries. Listen to our first podcast episode to hear how I keep them fresh for up to two weeks. If you’ve got some extra cherries, make my Smashed Steak Skewers with Cherry Barbecue Sauce!  Question of the week: Rebecca asked via email: Is it possible to eat Paleo at a dim sum place? As a Chinese-American, that is the one meal/cuisine that I love more than anything else. Can you help me maneuver through the different choices? In all honesty, it’s really hard to eat gluten-free dim sum, let alone Paleo—though there is a restaurant in New York City called Nom Wah where certain dim sum items are labeled as gluten-free. I haven’t tried the restaurant because I don’t love dim sum, but it looks promising. That’s right—I’m not a dim sum fan. But if you are, and it’s worth it to treat yourself to a dim sum meal, don’t stress out about whether it’s Paleo or not. Just be mindful of your food choices, and once you’ve made the choice to take a delicious detour, be sure to savor every bite!

Episode 7: Traveling While Paleo! Heading out of town with your cave clan? How do you fuel yourself on the road and when you finally arrive? We’ll fill you in on how we find food at an airport, fuel ourselves on the flight, and how we grab grub once we get to our destination. Pack your bags and listen to our Paleo travel tips! What We Ate: Let’s face it: no matter how many costumed characters roam the Strip, Las Vegas ain’t the most kid-friendly vacation spot in the world. Still, our family decided to take a surprise weekend trip to Sin City to attend a “<a href="http://weirdal.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Weird Al” Yankovic concert</a>. In this episode, the kids gleefully fill everyone in on what they ate and observed in Las Vegas. <ul> <li>Big-O loved the steak and eggs at <a href="http://www.venetian.com/restaurants/french/bouchon.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bouchon Bistro</a>, as well as the seafood options at <a href="http://bandbristorante.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">B &amp; B Ristorante</a>.</li> <li>Lil-O enjoyed the beefy options at <a href="http://bandbristorante.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">B &amp; B Ristorante</a> and <a href="http://bandbburgerandbeer.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">B &amp; B Burger and Beer</a>. (But he did not have any beer.)</li> <li>Lil-O also reveals that I treated him to a couple of macarons at <a href="http://www.thomaskeller.com/las-vegas-nevada/bouchon-bakery" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bouchon Bakery</a>. (We aren’t 100% Paleo when we travel, though we try to stay gluten-free.)</li> </ul> Main Course: Travelers: we’ve got tons of tips and tricks for you on how to stay Paleo on the road! In this episode, we tell you how we scope out Paleo eats when we’re out and about. What to Pack: The amount of food I pack in our carry-on luggage depends on the length of the flight. If it’s a short flight, I typically bring a <a href="https://instagram.com/p/zkwl90A_7u/?taken-by=nomnompaleo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">small bag of non-perishable snacks</a> (e.g., a packet of jerky, salami, dark chocolate, seaweed, snack bars, or nuts). For longer flights, I simply increase the amount of snacks in my bag—or I purchase something at the airport. I also bring some of my favorite condiments and seasoning, assuming our final destination has a kitchen. My go-to travel size condiments include: <ul> <li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VWAD53Q?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B00VWAD53Q&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Red Boat Fish Sauce</a> (affiliate link)</li> <li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VWALA3I?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B00VWALA3I&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Red Boat Fish Salt</a> (affiliate)</li> <li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H9XL0ZK?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B00H9XL0ZK&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jacobsen Salt</a> (affiliate)</li> <li><a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/105333542218/magic-mushroom-powder-diy-holiday-gift" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Magic Mushroom Powder</a></li> </ul> Airport Eats: When I’m taking a short flight, I usually don’t eat anything at the airport. On longer trips, or when I’m stuck at the airport on a layover, I’ll seek out airport grub by going online and searching <a href="http://www.yelp.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Yelp</a> or <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Trip Advisor</a> for gluten-free options at the airport. Other great resources for top airport eats include <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303465004579322690270418718" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this article</a> in the Wall Street Journal, and <a href="http://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/best-airports-for-food-and-drink-best-american-airports-for-eating" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this post in Thrillist</a> which rank airports by their food and drink options. Choice eats at select airports include: <ul> <li>At San Francisco International Airport (SFO), opt for the takeout choices in Terminal 2. Some of my favorite options are <a href="http://www.larkcreekgrill.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lark Creek Grill</a>, <a href="http://www.theplantcafe.com/location/sfo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Plant Cafe Organic</a>, <a href="http://napafarmsmarket.com/napafarms/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Napa Farms Market</a>.</li> <li>At Denver International Airport (DEN), check out the locally sourced gluten-free friendly eats at <a href="http://www.flydenver.com/enjoy_relax/dine/root-down" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Root Down</a>.</li> <li>At Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), chow down on a BBQ platter (hold the bread and beans) at <a href="http://www.saltlickbbq.com/pages/airport.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Salt Lick</a> before boarding your flight.</li> </ul> Food &amp; Drinks on the Plane: I don’t always eat during flights, but I routinely request bottled still or sparkling water (with no ice!) as my beverage. The reason I leave out the ice is because <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/12/22/bt.germs.breed.on.plane/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the ice is often contaminated with harmful bacteria</a>. If you’re hungry and didn’t pack any food, most airlines sell gluten-free snacks that can tide you over until you land. (For example, Virgin America offers gluten-free snack packs, Hail Merry nuts &amp; macaroons, and jerky.) I once made the mistake of ordering a gluten-free meal on an international flight and I was disappointed that all I got was a bunch of tasteless rice cakes. It turns out that most airlines will serve the same meal to anyone who requests a special meal due to a dietary restriction—which means a gluten-free meal will also be devoid of fat, salt, animal products, and, well…flavor. Stocking Your Fridge At Your Vacation Rental: Our drive from the airport normally includes a pit stop at a local grocery store before we reach our vacation rental. We usually stock up on breakfast items (e.g. eggs, sausage, butter, pre-cut fruit and produce, cold brew coffee) and grab-and-go snacks. Now that we travel with kids, we prefer staying at a vacation home or condo instead of a hotel room because we prefer getting more space at a reasonable price. Plus, we can start our day off right with a hearty homemade breakfast that doesn’t break the bank. If you’re staying at a hotel, you can still prepare some meals in your room. Simply call the front desk ahead of time and request an empty refrigerator to store your perishables. Also, you can evidently cook lots of different things with the appliances in a hotel room (though to be honest, I haven’t tried this—yet). <ul> <li>I use <a href="http://www.yelp.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Yelp</a> to find the closest grocery store between the airport and our vacation rental.</li> <li>We’ve had lots of luck with vacation rentals through <a href="https://www.airbnb.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Airbnb</a> and <a href="http://www.vrbo.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">VRBO</a>.</li> <li>If you want to learn how to cook with hotel appliances, check out <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Cook-Food-in-a-Hotel-Room" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this article</a>.</li> </ul> Dining Out : I’ve always been a gastrotourist, and my prime objective when vacationing is to find and taste the best local cuisine. In this segment, I reveal how my research starts before we leave on our trip. I start by checking local newspapers and online magazine for the top places to eat in the past year. Next, I narrow my choices after reading the latest restaurant reviews. Finally, I ask my readers for Paleo-friendly restaurant recommendations via Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. After sifting through all the data, I curate a restaurant list for each city, and figure how to combine sightseeing with the restaurants on my list. <ul> <li>My favorite sites for restaurant research are <a href="http://www.eater.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eater</a>, <a href="https://www.zagat.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Zagat</a>, <a href="http://www.timeout.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Time Out</a>, and local newspapers.</li> <li>You can be the ultimate gastrotourist and dine at the <a href="http://www.theworlds50best.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">World’s 50 Best Restaurants</a>.</li> <li>Read the latest reviews and learn about gluten-free options via <a href="http://www.yelp.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Yelp</a>, <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Trip Advisor</a>, gluten-free blogs, and <a href="http://www.findmeglutenfree.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">gluten-free apps</a>.</li> </ul> Crush of the Week: The Double-Os discuss how much they enjoyed the “Weird Al” Yankovic concert in Las Vegas and their favorite songs at the show. Afterwards, Big-O and I talk about how much we love cherries—specifically, Bing cherries. <ul> <li>Find a <a href="http://weirdal.com/tour/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Weird Al show near you</a>!</li> <li>I like to buy our cherries from <a href="http://www.cjolsoncherries.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CJ Olson’s</a> in Sunnyvale because that’s where my mom used to buy them when I was a kid.</li> <li>Pro tip: store cherries the same way as strawberries. Listen to <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/116671695813/podcast-episode-1-the-saga-begins" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">our first podcast episode</a> to hear how I keep them fresh for up to two weeks.</li> <li>If you’ve got some extra cherries, make my <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/44473388426/smashed-steak-skewers-with-cherry-barbecue-sauce" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Smashed Steak Skewers with Cherry Barbecue Sauce</a>!</li> </ul> Question of the week: Rebecca asked via email: Is it possible to eat Paleo at a dim sum place? As a Chinese-American, that is the one meal/cuisine that I love more than anything else. Can you help me maneuver through the different choices? In all honesty, it’s really hard to eat gluten-free dim sum, let alone Paleo—though there is a restaurant in New York City called Nom Wah where certain dim sum items are labeled as gluten-free. I haven’t tried the restaurant because I don’t love dim sum, but it looks promising. That’s right—I’m not a dim sum fan. But if you are, and it’s worth it to treat yourself to a dim sum meal, don’t stress out about whether it’s Paleo or not. Just be mindful of your food choices, and once you’ve made the choice to take a delicious detour, be sure to savor every bite!

Episode 7: Traveling While Paleo!

Episode 8: A Day In The Life In this episode of the Nom Nom Paleo Podcast, we’re gonna shake things up a little bit. Instead of the usual format (which involves sitting around our dining room table and marching through different segments), we thought we’d drag you through a typical day in our lives—from the time we get up in the morning to when we collapse in bed at night. It’s not that we think we’re super-interesting people. The opposite is true, actually. But when we asked you, our listeners, about what you’d like for us to cover on this podcast, one idea that came up more than once was going through a day in the life. For our cookbook, Henry drew me a comic about a day in the life of a zombie drug dealer – in other words, me, or at least me a year ago. That’s because at that time, I was working as a full-time night shift hospital pharmacist. In other words, I was a professional drug dealer. However, ever since I quit my night job about a year ago, our lives have changed a lot—and it’s about time we provided an update to reflect what our life looks like now that I’m a full-time mom, cookbook author, blogger, home cook, app creator, podcaster, and whatever else it is I do. (Spoiler: We reveal that our lives are totally ordinary, and that we’re not much different from most busy families.)  Zombie Drug Dealer No More For those of you who didn’t know, in my former life, I worked as a night shift pharmacist (a.k.a. zombie drug dealer) for 12 years. Even though I thought I’d hacked shift work—check out my post on Surviving The Night Shift—I eventually realized that working graveyards wasn’t sustainable. After I was interviewed for an article about night shift work in Psychology Today, I thought seriously about the sacrifices required of long-term shift workers: family time, sleep hygiene, health. A month later, I quit my job and wrote about my decision in a blog post entitled Independence Day. The Early Birds Get the Coffee Henry wakes up at 4:20 am three days a week to attend the 5 am class at CrossFit Palo Alto. (Yes, he knows I think it’s crazy of him to wake up that early to exercise.) He starts his morning off with a freshly brewed cup of coffee, which we both agree is fine if you’re healthy and well rested. My new morning routine starts two hours later, and is loosely based on the one described in Hal Elrod’s bestselling book, The Miracle Morning. My modified routine involves chugging a large glass of water, meditating, and exercising before the kids wake up at 7 am. Truth be told: most mornings I only have time to drink some water and stretch out my creaky joints before Big-O bursts out of his bedroom. (Not Lil-O, though. He doesn’t get up until and unless we awaken him.) While Henry makes breakfast for the kids, I pack their school lunches. Afterwards, when Henry drives off to work, I herd the kiddos to school.  Our favorite (and quietest) coffee maker is an Aeropress (affiliate link). We even take it with us when we travel. We both agree that coffee can be a healthy part of your morning routine—here’s a good article that summarizes the benefits.   Hal Elrod’s book, The Miracle Morning, has helped tons of folks boost their productivity and happiness by teaching them how to implement a daily morning routine.   Like a good techie, I use the Brain Wave app on my iPhone to help me meditate.   You can see how Henry has outfitted our garage gym here, here, and here.   The standard breakfast Henry prepares for the kids: Thai-style omelets, a recipe in our cookbook.   We always pack our kids lunches in LunchBots stainless steel containers. We usually include eggs for Lil-O, leftovers or deli meat (Applegate Organics or Belcampo Meat Co.) for Big-O, fresh fruit, SeaSnax seaweed snacks (affiliate link), and an occasional gluten-free treat. Looking for inspiration for packing Paleo lunches? Check out this roundup.  The Business of Nom Nom Paleo My daily routine is never the same, but I always work on Nom Nom Paleo business while the kids are in school. Before I tackle my tasks for the day, I scarf down a quick breakfast and catch up on social media posts and emails (yes, I even read my hate mail!) from the night before. Next, I power walk to a WiFi-enabled café, public library, or co-working space and do my best to squeeze in as many meetings and calls as possible. Content creation can mean recipes, blog posts, podcast outlines, or projects with business partners. But it’s not all fun stuff; I also ship Nom Nom Paleo action figures and socks, meet with our app developer, and book events and travel. Throughout the day, I personally respond to our readers on all my social media channels; after all, I’m a one-woman show while Henry’s at work. And then, at around 1 pm, I walk home and make myself lunch before I pick up the kids from school.  Sometimes I change up my breakfast by eating leftovers, but I usually make a couple of crispy fried eggs. The way I cook and season the eggs is described in Episode 2 and Episode 5 of the podcast.   When I’m walking to my workspace for the day, I listen to my favorite podcasts, including The Tim Ferriss Show, Start Up, Reply All, and America’s Test Kitchen.   We’re working on an iPhone version of our Webby-award winning Nom Nom Paleo app with the fine folks at Y Media Labs.   If you want your very own Mini Michelle action figure, go buy one here!   I read everything sent to me via email and social media, but I don’t always have time to respond. But here’s a secret: your best bet for a speedy and brief response from me is to tweet at me (@nomnompaleo).   I use the productivity app Trello to track my ever-growing to-do list.   My typical weekday lunch consists of leftovers, salad, garbage stir fry, or a simple frittata. Other quick and easy lunch ideas were discussed in podcast Episode 5: Desperation Dinners!  Afternoon Delights At 2 pm, I put away my computer and rush to pick up the kids from school. Lil-O gets out of school before Big-O does, so during the 45 minutes between pick-ups, I socialize with the other parents waiting for the bell to ring. After school, I help the kids with their homework and/or shuttle them to their activities—and if I have time, I’ll work on recipe development, which also doubles as dinner. The kids aren’t allowed screen time on school nights, so when they’re done with homework, they read or play together while I cook. And believe it or not, these days, I don’t photograph the food as I’m making it. If I’m developing a new recipe, I’ll diligently write down my steps and notes, but time is of the essence—my goal is to just get food on the table quickly so the kids can eat and go to bed. I might take a shot or two of my dinner plate to post on Instagram, but nowadays, we only shoot recipes for the blog or cookbook on weekends, when Henry and I are both home.  An example of one recipe that I tweaked over and over again until the flavors were just right is my Carrot + Cardamom Soup. Frankly, after an intense week of testing it meal after meal, I’m sick of it—though many people tell me it’s their favorite recipe from our cookbook.   House rules dictate that tablets, computers, and TV are prohibited on weekdays, so the boys make do by building with Keva blocks (affiliate link), drawing superheroes and villains, sculpting sad faces with clay, or playing  Bacon’s Big Adventure (affiliate link).   Follow me on Instagram to check out my latest meals and recipe testing.  Evening Ritual On weeknights, our family dinner is served at 7 pm, and Henry does his best to join us before we finish eating. Invariably, Lil-O’s still eating when my husband gets home. Despite eating the least amount by volume, my seven-year-old is the slowest eater in our family—he almost always finishes close to 8 pm. By the time he’s done with dinner and the dishes are cleared, it’s time for the kids to hit the sack. The kids brush and floss their teeth, and then – if they don’t dawdle, they’ll get a bedtime story. Lately, they’ve been demanding that Henry tell them a funny story. And by “funny,” they just mean gross. It doesn’t even have to be witty or smart. They just want Henry to replace certain words in their books with words like POO or PEE or FART. But, hey—whatever makes them go to bed. After the kids are in bed, we spend the last few hours of the day cleaning up the kitchen and working on our computers. I don a pair of amber goggles and write my Nom Nom Paleo posts or edit recipes. Henry, on the other hand, helps with editing, photography, illustration, web design, and book layouts. Lately, though, all of his free time is consumed with editing our podcast. (He makes it look easy, but it isn’t.) Because I don’t want to end up a widow, we’ve decided to take a break from our weekly podcast schedule next week and see how it goes.  Lil-O will eat super slowly, unless I serve Cracklin’ Chicken and Roasted Broccoli and Bacon.   I wear these super cheap amber-colored goggles to block out the blue light that emanates from all the screens we use, and from the lights in our house.   I also installed f.lux on our Macs to automatically dim the screens on our laptops. The blue light suppresses melatonin production, and this hormone is important to induce sleep at night.   We keep our bedroom pitch-black with an Indow Window blackout insert, and we don’t allow any electronic devices in our room. We also throw a shirt on top of our alarm clock to block the light. I do like to unwind in bed with a book, so our reading lights are fitted with orange party bulbs. Yes, I know all of this makes me sound like a weirdo—but I’m a weirdo who sleeps well, thankyouverymuch.  No, really: thanks for listening! If you like our podcast, go subscribe and rate it in iTunes!

Episode 8: A Day In The Life In this episode of the Nom Nom Paleo Podcast, we’re gonna shake things up a little bit. Instead of the usual format (which involves sitting around our dining room table and marching through different segments), we thought we’d drag you through a typical day in our lives—from the time we get up in the morning to when we collapse in bed at night. It’s not that we think we’re super-interesting people. The opposite is true, actually. But when we asked you, our listeners, about what you’d like for us to cover on this podcast, one idea that came up more than once was going through a day in the life. For our cookbook, Henry drew me a comic about a day in the life of a zombie drug dealer – in other words, me, or at least me a year ago. That’s because at that time, I was working as a full-time night shift hospital pharmacist. In other words, I was a professional drug dealer. However, ever since I quit my night job about a year ago, our lives have changed a lot—and it’s about time we provided an update to reflect what our life looks like now that I’m a full-time mom, cookbook author, blogger, home cook, app creator, podcaster, and whatever else it is I do. (Spoiler: We reveal that our lives are totally ordinary, and that we’re not much different from most busy families.) Zombie Drug Dealer No More For those of you who didn’t know, in my former life, I worked as a night shift pharmacist (a.k.a. zombie drug dealer) for 12 years. Even though I thought I’d hacked shift work—check out my post on <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/55156756199/surviving-the-night-shift" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Surviving The Night Shift</a>—I eventually realized that working graveyards wasn’t sustainable. After I <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201404/the-night-shift" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">was interviewed for an article about night shift work in Psychology Today</a>, I thought seriously about the sacrifices required of long-term shift workers: family time, sleep hygiene, health. A month later, I quit my job and wrote about my decision in a blog post entitled <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/90787208973/independence-day" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Independence Day</a>. The Early Birds Get the Coffee Henry wakes up at 4:20 am three days a week to attend the 5 am class at <a href="http://www.crossfitpaloalto.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CrossFit Palo Alto</a>. (Yes, he knows I think it’s crazy of him to wake up that early to exercise.) He starts his morning off with a freshly brewed cup of coffee, which we both agree is fine if you’re healthy and well rested. My new morning routine starts two hours later, and is loosely based on the one described in Hal Elrod’s bestselling book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0979019710/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0979019710&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=f05f-20&amp;linkId=DW3QV6566AQE5OOZ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Miracle Morning</a>. My modified routine involves chugging a large glass of water, meditating, and exercising before the kids wake up at 7 am. Truth be told: most mornings I only have time to drink some water and stretch out my creaky joints before Big-O bursts out of his bedroom. (Not Lil-O, though. He doesn’t get up until and unless we awaken him.) While Henry makes breakfast for the kids, I pack their school lunches. Afterwards, when Henry drives off to work, I herd the kiddos to school. <ul> <li>Our favorite (and quietest) coffee maker is an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0047BIWSK?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B0047BIWSK&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Aeropress</a> (affiliate link). We even take it with us when we travel. We both agree that coffee can be a healthy part of your morning routine—<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/12/upshot/more-consensus-on-coffees-benefits-than-you-might-think.html?_r=0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here’s a good article that summarizes the benefits</a>.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Hal Elrod’s book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0979019710?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=0979019710&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Miracle Morning</a>, has helped tons of folks boost their productivity and happiness by teaching them how to implement a daily morning routine.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Like a good techie, I use the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/brain-wave-32-advanced-binaural/id307219387?mt=8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brain Wave app</a> on my iPhone to help me meditate.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>You can see how Henry has outfitted our garage gym <a href="http://www.fitbomb.com/2010/07/stocking-up.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://www.fitbomb.com/2010/12/new-toys-for-my-home-gym.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>, and <a href="http://www.fitbomb.com/2012/07/home-sweet-home-gym.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>The standard breakfast Henry prepares for the kids: Thai-style omelets, a recipe in our <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1449450334?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=1449450334&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">cookbook</a>.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>We always pack our kids lunches in <a href="http://www.lunchbots.com/cmd.php?af=1519194" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LunchBots</a> stainless steel containers. We usually include eggs for Lil-O, leftovers or deli meat (Applegate Organics or <a href="http://www.belcampomeatco.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Belcampo Meat Co.</a>) for Big-O, fresh fruit, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004UB6IFQ?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B004UB6IFQ&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SeaSnax seaweed snacks</a> (affiliate link), and an occasional gluten-free treat. Looking for inspiration for packing Paleo lunches? Check out <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/59118514268/paleo-lunchbox-roundup" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this roundup</a>.</li> </ul> The Business of Nom Nom Paleo My daily routine is never the same, but I always work on Nom Nom Paleo business while the kids are in school. Before I tackle my tasks for the day, I scarf down a quick breakfast and catch up on social media posts and emails (yes, I even read my hate mail!) from the night before. Next, I power walk to a WiFi-enabled café, public library, or co-working space and do my best to squeeze in as many meetings and calls as possible. Content creation can mean recipes, blog posts, podcast outlines, or projects with business partners. But it’s not all fun stuff; I also ship Nom Nom Paleo action figures and socks, meet with our app developer, and book events and travel. Throughout the day, I personally respond to our readers on all my social media channels; after all, I’m a one-woman show while Henry’s at work. And then, at around 1 pm, I walk home and make myself lunch before I pick up the kids from school. <ul> <li>Sometimes I change up my breakfast by eating leftovers, but I usually make a couple of <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/104615214153/sunnyside-salad-crispy-fried-eggs-on-greens" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">crispy fried eggs</a>. The way I cook and season the eggs is described in <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/117191428798/podcast-episode-2-oooh-mommy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 2</a> and <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/119025836158/podcast-episode-5-desperation-dinners" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 5</a> of the podcast.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>When I’m walking to my workspace for the day, I listen to my favorite podcasts, including <a href="http://fourhourworkweek.com/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Tim Ferriss Show</a>, <a href="http://gimletmedia.com/show/startup/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Start Up</a>, <a href="http://gimletmedia.com/show/reply-all/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Reply All</a>, and <a href="https://www.americastestkitchen.com/radio/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">America’s Test Kitchen</a>.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>We’re working on an iPhone version of our Webby-award winning <a href="http://app.nomnompaleo.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nom Nom Paleo app</a> with the fine folks at <a href="http://www.ymedialabs.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Y Media Labs</a>.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>If you want your very own Mini Michelle action figure, go buy one <a href="http://nomnompaleo.biz/products/limited-edition-nom-nom-paleo-vinyl-figure" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>!</li> </ul> <ul> <li>I read everything sent to me via email and social media, but I don’t always have time to respond. But here’s a secret: your best bet for a speedy and brief response from me is to tweet at me <a href="https://twitter.com/nomnompaleo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">(@nomnompaleo</a>).</li> </ul> <ul> <li>I use the productivity app <a href="https://trello.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Trello</a> to track my ever-growing to-do list.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>My typical weekday lunch consists of leftovers, salad, <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/41781593486/whole30-day-29-garbage-stir-fry-with-curried" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">garbage stir fry,</a> or a <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/1983505174/easy-paleo-frittata" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">simple frittata</a>. Other quick and easy lunch ideas were discussed in podcast <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/119025836158/podcast-episode-5-desperation-dinners" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 5: Desperation Dinners!</a></li> </ul> Afternoon Delights At 2 pm, I put away my computer and rush to pick up the kids from school. Lil-O gets out of school before Big-O does, so during the 45 minutes between pick-ups, I socialize with the other parents waiting for the bell to ring. After school, I help the kids with their homework and/or shuttle them to their activities—and if I have time, I’ll work on recipe development, which also doubles as dinner. The kids aren’t allowed screen time on school nights, so when they’re done with homework, they read or play together while I cook. And believe it or not, these days, I don’t photograph the food as I’m making it. If I’m developing a new recipe, I’ll diligently write down my steps and notes, but time is of the essence—my goal is to just get food on the table quickly so the kids can eat and go to bed. I might take a shot or two of my dinner plate to post on <a href="http://instagram.com/nomnompaleo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, but nowadays, we only shoot recipes for the blog or cookbook on weekends, when Henry and I are both home. <ul> <li>An example of one recipe that I tweaked over and over again until the flavors were just right is my <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/82763611373/carrot-cardamom-soup" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Carrot + Cardamom Soup</a>. Frankly, after an intense week of testing it meal after meal, I’m sick of it—though many people tell me it’s their favorite recipe from our cookbook.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>House rules dictate that tablets, computers, and TV are prohibited on weekdays, so the boys make do by building with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BM9BFLQ?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B00BM9BFLQ&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Keva blocks</a> (affiliate link), drawing superheroes and villains, sculpting sad faces with clay, or playing <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002NIPE6C?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B002NIPE6C&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Bacon’s Big Adventure</a> (affiliate link).</li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="https://instagram.com/nomnompaleo/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Follow me on Instagram</a> to check out my latest meals and recipe testing.</li> </ul> Evening Ritual On weeknights, our family dinner is served at 7 pm, and Henry does his best to join us before we finish eating. Invariably, Lil-O’s still eating when my husband gets home. Despite eating the least amount by volume, my seven-year-old is the slowest eater in our family—he almost always finishes close to 8 pm. By the time he’s done with dinner and the dishes are cleared, it’s time for the kids to hit the sack. The kids brush and floss their teeth, and then – if they don’t dawdle, they’ll get a bedtime story. Lately, they’ve been demanding that Henry tell them a funny story. And by “funny,” they just mean gross. It doesn’t even have to be witty or smart. They just want Henry to replace certain words in their books with words like POO or PEE or FART. But, hey—whatever makes them go to bed. After the kids are in bed, we spend the last few hours of the day cleaning up the kitchen and working on our computers. I don a pair of amber goggles and write my Nom Nom Paleo posts or edit recipes. Henry, on the other hand, helps with editing, photography, illustration, web design, and book layouts. Lately, though, all of his free time is consumed with editing our podcast. (He makes it look easy, but it isn’t.) Because I don’t want to end up a widow, we’ve decided to take a break from our weekly podcast schedule next week and see how it goes. <ul> <li>Lil-O will eat super slowly, unless I serve <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/74180911762/cracklin-chicken" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cracklin’ Chicken</a> and <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/1626061164/roasted-broccoli-bacon-recipe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Roasted Broccoli and Bacon</a>.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>I wear these super cheap <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LWJCJW?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B000LWJCJW&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">amber-colored goggles</a> to block out the blue light that emanates from all the screens we use, and from the lights in our house.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>I also installed <a href="https://justgetflux.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">f.lux</a> on our Macs to automatically dim the screens on our laptops. The blue light suppresses melatonin production, and this hormone is important to induce sleep at night.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>We keep our bedroom pitch-black with an <a href="http://www.indowwindows.com/portfolio/blackout-panels/?utm_source=Affiliate-nomnompaleo&amp;utm_medium=Affiliate-Link&amp;utm_campaign=Affiliate" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Indow Window blackout insert</a>, and we don’t allow any electronic devices in our room. We also throw a shirt on top of our alarm clock to block the light. I do like to unwind in bed with a book, so our reading lights are fitted with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LWIQ1C?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B000LWIQ1C&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">orange party bulbs</a>. Yes, I know all of this makes me sound like a weirdo—but I’m a weirdo who sleeps well, thankyouverymuch.</li> </ul> No, really: thanks for listening! If you like our podcast, <a href="http://nom.gy/nnppod" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">go subscribe and rate it in iTunes</a>!

Episode 8: A Day In The Life

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