My Health Challenge

So 5 months after another devastating knee injury and a gained 15lbs as a result, I have started a health challenge with friends and any other people foolish enough to take part.

So what is the challenge?

For the next 3 months including Christmas and New Years there will be no beer, no junk or processed foods. The goal is to lose the 15lbs and probably 6% body fat I gained by not being able to train.

I was asked by 20 different people why I would do something like this and especially this time of year. Well for someone who preaches good healthy food, I usually don't make that same good food for myself. So my diet has been notoriously horrible containing mostly of pastas and lacking in proper amounts of proteins and vegetables. The result is fatigue and the inability to concentrate. So after months of not being able to train I am getting back into it with the help of everyone that is taking part in the challenge.

So what is the result going to be?

Loss of weight, more energy, more strength and forcing myself to create more ideas that will end up under recipes on the site (http://www.niagaracatering.ca/).

So be creative, toss out all that crappy junk and processed food. Have some fun in the kitchen and create healthy meals that will save you a lot more in the end.

Good Luck!

3 months: end date Feb 28th, 2011

Limits: no beer, no junk food, no processed foods
Training: Minimum 30 minutes a day

The Power of Food

Last night I experienced something that I have not seen or been apart of in a long time. As I get older and my friends get married, have kids or just out right busy I realize that we only get together once in a blue moon. By the power of Twitter I was invited to a party called "Meatluck". Now I am sure that by the name of the event you can figure out what was going on..in short. A buffet of pork, duck, offal and vegetables.....even horse tenderloin. Yes that is right I said horse...Mr. Ed right there on a platter. You see what amazes me about food is not only its taste and endless possibilities but the conversation and friendship that it starts.

You see for years I would put on massive feasts for my friends to enjoy. We never needed the keg or rowdy party of our parents stolen liquor, just food and laughs. To walk into this room of 30+ people laughing drinking wine and sharing food reminds me why I love it so much.

I have started to learn the power of Twitter and how it can connect so many people with the same interests. In essence really it was like the eharmony of foodies last night. To put faces to the tags that I follow and people that follow me was interesting. It made for some great conversation.

If nothing else is that not what food is....a vehicle for conversation. A way to put us at ease and a way to welcome new people into our lives. My goal is to bring passion back to the table but maybe it can just be as simple as getting more like minded people together and hopefully others will catch on.

Happy eating, Slainte

Patience has run out

Well I originally wanted to wait until the new site www.niagaracatering.ca was able to connect all of my blog but I felt like starting to bring some of the stories and revelations that have been going on. I have waited very patiently for people to help out with the site and have cut ties with a few businesses and people that said they would help finish it off. I have contacted someone new so hopefully everything I want done to bring you the best culinary site dedicated to Niagara Cuisine will be completed soon.

So while I talk with this new business on completing this task I will start bringing you some of the food stories that have been worked on over the weeks. We have a lot going on and I am looking forward to bringing it to the community.

Slainte and keep cooking,

Shawn