I recently got a Hospital Fire and Life Safety certification for my part time photography job, which is photographing newborns. Turns out, a lot of what I thought I knew about fire safety was wrong. While doing this course, I learned quite a bit about how to respond appropriately to all types of fires, including grease fires. Knowing how to calming handle a fire is important for your own health, and the health of those around you.

Here are a few common sense tips about grease fires:

1. DON’T ADD WATER. This will create a bigger fire that splashes everywhere. Each of the droplets that splash will carry their own tiny fires and spread everywhere.

2. DON’T MOVE THE PAN. Even if you think you have great balance, don’t risk the burns. Don’t even move it to a different burner, and especially not to the sink. Don’t attempt to throw it outside over concrete. Liquid fire can easily spill, tip over, or splash you, which will hurt a lot, and probably make you spill and splash yourself even more.

3. DON’T USE THE EXTINGUISHER.  This can also cause splashing, which can send you to the hospital.

4. DON’T THROW STUFF OVER THE FIRE. Baking soda and flour are sometimes used to eliminate the oxygen, but they too can splash you. Especially, if the flour or baking soda has gotten clumpy.

5. DO TURN OFF THE HEAT. This seems stupidly simple, but if you get rid of the heat the fire will gradually reduce to nothing. It takes heat, oxygen, and fuel to make a fire. Without one of these elements, there will be no fire. The fire will also burn through the fuel (or grease), and then there will be no fire.

6 DO SLIDE ON A LID FROM THE SIDE. This will cut off oxygen from the fire, and if you slide it on carefully from the side, then you don’t trap a ton of oxygen in when you put the lid on.

7. DO CLOSE THE DOOR. If the fire starts getting out of control. Evacuate calmly and close the door on the way out. If you can’t reach your door, close as many doors between you and the fire and signal (yell or wave a sheet) to firefighters that you are inside. You have at least twenty minutes for a fire to get through a normal door, and an hour and a half for a fire door. Don’t unnecessarily injure (or kill) yourself by jumping (or unsuccessfully climbing) out of your building.

8. DO OPEN A WINDOW AFTER YOU CLOSE A DOOR. The smoke inhalation is usually quicker and deadlier than the fire. If you are unable to evacuate, close the door and open a window to help reduce smoke.

9. DO PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR SURROUNDINGS. Make a mental note of where the stairs and exits are in the areas you frequent. Pay attention to where you are specifically, such as the address, floor, how many doors down, etc. so in case of an emergency you can give clear instructions.

10. DON’T GET COMPLACENT OUTSIDE.  There maybe debris falling, and the busy streets and distracted drivers can be more dangerous to your health, than the fire.

Salt is an important ingredient that every cook relies on to bring out the flavors in a dish. But, it has a bad reputation as being an unhealthy ingredient, especially for heart health. Although I’m not a doctor, (and you should still consult a medical professional if you have a heart condition) I thought you guys might be interested in my thoughts on salt and the brands I use for difficult cooking applications.

In my recipes, I call for sea salt almost all the time. Usually I use Himalayan sea salt, because it’s unrefined and full of trace minerals. Consuming minerals, whether it’s from bone broth or from your salt is always a good idea. Mineral deficiencies can cause a ton of different health problems from heart disease to chronic pain. One of the main reasons the paleo community eliminates or reduces grains and beans is because of phytic acid found in these foods. This anti-nutrient binds to minerals in digestive tract before they can be absorbed or utilized. Another reason, we reduce grains and beans is to reduce sugar consumption. Now if you’re carefully monitoring your salt intake, and you still want your food to taste good, you’ll likely start consuming more sugar. Salt, fat, and sugar are the trifecta of deliciously addictive food. Likely, if you’re reducing salt, you were also told to reduce fat, which leaves you with sugar as the only option for making your food taste delicious. After reading Wheat Belly, which was written by cardiologist William Davis, MD, sugar is the last thing you should consume with a heart problem.

Lately, I’ve started using Real Salt by Redmond Trading Company. It’s unrefined salt from Utah that’s full of minerals, and without chemicals or anti-caking agents. I love the packaging, because it’s already roughly ground up and comes in a pourable and resealable pouch, which makes it easier for me to measure out amounts when I create or follow recipes. I also use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt that I buy in bulk from Costco, when I want to bake something on top of salt (such as garlic or sweet potatoes) or brine or dry rub a large piece of meat. Salt baking is a great way to cook food without wrapping it in aluminum foil. Although, I do cover the baking dish in foil to keep in moisture. The salt helps absorb some of the moisture, making it a ideal environment for baking certain types of food. Plus, I like to check on my food, and if it’s tightly wrapped in foil, I can’t tell how brown it’s getting, and using less aluminum is also good for your health. This salt is also the salt recommended in All About Roasting by Molly Stevens. Since her recipes are on the more advanced side, (at least if you consider cooking a large piece of meat or fish advanced) I like to follow her recipes as precisely as I can. (This is super rare for me since I always switch out ingredients and change up amounts) I tried out her turkey recipe on Thanksgiving (with no trial run) and it came out great!

I do think salt can be harmful, especially in the large amounts found in processed food. There is usually a lot of other harmful ingredients in processed food as well, so cooking food yourself and from scratch should be more important than worrying about salt intake. If you are still concerned about salt, season the food when you’re finished cooking, so you can monitor it yourself and only add the smallest amount necessary. Organic kelp granuales, which are usually found near the seaweed section of the grocery store, can be a great salt alternative. Although I use it more as a seasoning that’s a little salty, rather than a replacement for salt.

Sources

1. Living with Phytic Acid – westonaprice.org
2. No Benefit Seen on Sharp Limits on Salt in Diet – nytimes.com

Thank you for making 2014 such a great year! This year has been really busy for my blog, which is actually pretty new. I started it Blogger in 2013 as a way for me to keep track of my recipes, and have been trying to improve it ever since. This year, I moved it from Blogger to WordPress, and from taking pictures with a camera phone to a DSLR. I’ve redesigned my site myself, and learned a lot in the process … including how to cook 🙂

I wanted to share with you my popular recipes of 2014. The Pesto Zucchini Pasta was a favorite on Pinterest as well, so I’d like to do more veggie noodle pastas for 2015 …

1. Pesto  Zucchini Pasta

2. Slow Cooker Oxtail Soup

3. Steamed Apples with Cinnamon

4. Broccoli and Breakfast Sausage Quiche

5. Chicken and Avocado Salad

Here are a few tips, when traveling with whole food supplements to stay healthy away from your kitchen. This holiday, I will be taking my Perfect Supplements sample pack, which I was lucky enough to get sent for free to try.

1. Include Probiotics.

In the past, I’ve used Orac-Engery Greens, which I really like mixed into smoothies or coconut water, but the probiotics found in the Orac-Energy Greens are a supplement, not a fermented whole food. That’s why I was really excited to try the fermented kale powder. There are a lot of benefits to choosing fermented food over a supplement. This includes getting a more diverse range of healthy bacteria. The fermentation process also helps predigest the food, making it more bioavailable. So you will be getting even more benefits from consuming this kale! Plus, eating fermented kale isn’t fun. I’ve actually made it once, and since kale is bitter, and fermenting food sours it, the combo of bitter and sour doesn’t taste good. If you want to consume fermented kale, I recommend sticking with the whole food powder by Perfect Supplements.

2. Get Some Seaweed.

I’ve brought sheets of nori on trips before, and the Orac-Energy Greens has a nice mix of spirulina and chlorella. I wanted to take with me on my trip some ocean greens, to combine with my fermented kale greens to make my own green powder mix. I love chlorella. I have an article about Chlorella and Pain Relief that talks about how helpful the detox benefits are for a person in chronic pain. Perfect Supplements sells a broken cell wall chlorella supplement that is organic, vegan, fairly traded, and contains no added fillers or additives.

3. Include some Protein.

I know protein is a sensitive and controversial topic for a lot of people. So I’m going to give your some options. If you’re vegan take a high quality protein powder. When I was vegan I used Opti-Cleanse GHI by Xymogen. It tastes awful, but was recommended to me by an Integrative Doctor after blood work. It doesn’t contain, gluten, corn, yeast, soy, animal or dairy products, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, artificial colors, artificial sweeteners or preservatives. Judging by taste, I’m not sure there are natural sweeteners either, but the supplements used are of a really high quality. For my paleo people, you can take some Collagen Hydrolysate or Gelatin from Great Lakes, or you can take some grass-fed Desiccated Liver from Perfect Supplements. Or take both with you for even more health benefits.

Have a safe and healthy trip! 🙂

My husband and I go through eggs quickly in our kitchen. We love to snack on hard boiled eggs, have breakfast for dinner, and make paleo baked goods – which require a lot of eggs. Whenever we run out of farmer’s market eggs, or are unable to get to the farmer’s market, we go to Wholefoods for Vital Farm Eggs. The first time we went to Whole Foods for eggs (instead of the farmer’s market) I must have stared at the different eggs, reading labels for fifteen minutes. Luckily, a helpful customer recommended these to us. She mentioned how much she loved the eggs, put two dozen in her cart, and said the yolks were orange. (Which means more nutrition!) Not only that but they are organic, pastured, and non-gmo. I’ve even eaten them raw in homemade coconut oil mayonnaise. These can be pretty pricey, which is why Vital Farms is introducing their Alfresco Eggs brand to over 200 Ralphs and over 60 Vons stores in the Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego areas. The reason these eggs are more affordable is due to cheaper feed. They are still pastured on pesticide and herbicide free land, but  are given conventional feed instead of organic. Check out this link for a coupon. It went live yesterday and will be up for two weeks.

The Vital Farms expansion comes on the eve of the implementation of California Proposition 2, the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act. This Act goes into effect January 1, 2015 and will only increases the cage size for confined birds raised in California. Vital Farms works with multi-generational family farms across the United States, including several in Southern California that operate with a well-defined set of organic agriculture practices that includes the humane treatment of farm animals as a central tenet. Their eggs are the first pasture-raised eggs to earn the 3rd party Certified Humane® label, which means each hen has access to at least 108 square feet of pasture on which to roam and forage. For the most commonly purchased egg, free range, by comparison, hens only get about 2 square feet per bird, and limited outdoor access.

The pastures at Vital farms contain no pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals and are rotated frequently to ensure fresh nutrition for the hens, which also gives the land time to rest and recover naturally. These efforts are reflected in the company’s three pillars: humane treatment of farm animals, superior taste, and exceptional nutrition. In comparison to a conventional egg, pasture-raised eggs contain two thirds more Vitamin A, three times more Vitamin E and seven times more beta carotene. They are also naturally high in Omegs-3s.

Disclaimer: I’m not being compensated to promote this product. This is an unbiased review.

I wanted to let everyone know about this cool running event coming up on Sunday, Oct 19th, for a good cause. Between 15-20% of proceeds from the event will go toward SMMEF (Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation), and for those who can’t attend, you can still donate separately to https://www.crowdrise.com/2014runfest, which supports Santa Monica and Malibu schools sports programs and athletes.

Participants can join the 5K or 10K timed races for both competitive and non-competitive runners, as well as the fun Retro Run, where runners are encouraged to dress in the spirit of their favorite decade (think 70s, 80s, and 90s) and have a great time with no pressure. This is a non-timed course for those just looking to have a some fun. Plus, with Halloween right around the corner, any excuse to dress up sounds like a good time.

Details: Participants can register at http://santamonicarunfest.com/  The RunFEST starting location is south of the intersection of Barnard Way and Ocean Park Blvd in Santa Monica. Parking is located just south of Pico Blvd. and can only be entered going south on Barnard Way.

FYI, Skechers Performance is supporting Santa Monica RunFEST by giving a free Skechers cinch sack to all participants, so you can also look forward to some swag. If running is your thing, why not support a good cause and your health too?