Bison: A Girl's Best Friend

Contrary to what the women's "fitness" magazines will tell you, red meat is your friend. Lean ground beef is a great source of protein, but I'm about to introduce you to a better one: Bison. Also known as Buffalo, this delicious and adorable meat has been renowned not only for it's naturally lean tendencies, but also as a heightened protein source, especially for women.



On average, Bison contains about 30% more protein that your everyday ground beef, but that's not the kicker. Buffalo protein molecules have a slightly different shape than the protein molecules found in beef, so much so that they are actually easier for women's bodies to absorb. As a demographic that is notorious for protein deficiencies, this news makes me want to hop over the meat counter and hug the Whole Foods butcher (which I almost did). If you need any more justification for paying the few dollars more for bison, here are some more exciting nutritional highlights:

• Bison is high in iron, which women are more likely to be deficient in (you can thank your monthly gift).
• To be called "Bison" the buffalo must be raised hormone free (not so much can be said for their cow relatives).
• With less cholesterol than beef, even the boys could use a little buffalo on their plates.
• It tastes amazing!
  

Happy munching!

Mashed Cauliflower with Bacon

So maybe not the most glamorous side dish, but when you're having a serious jones-ing for some mashed potatoes, but don't want to induce the Thanksgiving-esque coma or food baby that goes with it, this does the trick.

Ingredients:
-1 head of cauliflower (about 6-7 cups of florets)
- 4 slices of bacon
-Salt & pepper

Yup, that's it.



1. Break down the cauliflower into bite size florets.
2. Fill a decent sized pot on the stove with water and bring it to a boil.
3. Dump the cauliflower into the boiling water and let it soften (about 10 minutes).
4. Cook up that bacon (I cut mine into smaller slices so they cooked faster) then place the crispy pieces on a paper towel to soak up the grease (but don't drain the pan quite yet).

5. Drain the cauliflower well, then toss it in a food processor and begin to pulverize it. While it's getting "mashed" slowly spoon in 2 tbs of the leftover bacon grease.
6. Crumble up your bacon slices and mix them into your mashed cauliflower.

Paleo Milkshake: Does it exist?

Kind of. So non-dairy cocoa powder and stevia may not have been readily accessible to our hunter gather ancestors, but I'd like to think that if they had a Whole Foods, they'd make the dietary exception as well!

Lazy sundays used to mean lots of chips, pizza and some ice cream to feed your football famine/hangover. However, now that I'm a grown up with a diet to maintain, I've decided to healthify my treats - no exceptions. Instead of of chips, we had jicama, ground beef instead of pizza and now for dessert. Modified from a Whole Foods recipe, I threw a few ingredients into a blender to create a sweet tooth satisfying dessert that wouldn't do too much damage to our diets.

Ingredients:

- 2 bananas
-1 cup light coconut milk
- 1.5 tbs non-dairy cocoa powder/carob powder
- .25 cup coconut flakes
- 1 packet stevia (I prefer Truvia)

Step 1: Slice and freeze the bananas. I used some good ol' wax paper and stuck them in the freezer for a few hours.
2. Once the naners are solid, throw them in the blender along with all the other ingredients. Blend slowly for a few seconds, turn off the motor and give the contents a stir every once in a while until you get a creamy texture. The coconut flakes will leave you with a few small chunks, so if that isn't your style, go ahead and leave them out.
3. Pour into two glasses (the recipe is meant for two, but no one will judge you for hogging it all) and serve.

For a little extra color, I topped mine with some raspberries, but I bet it would be delicious with some cherries, blueberries or any other fruit!