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Paleo Meetup Groups – Have You Joined Yet?
Exciting news! There are now Paleo meet-up groups in every state in Australia! Wherever you live, you can now meet up with local people who eat the same way as you do.
The meet-up groups arrange local dinners, barbecues, picnics, talks – you can even suggest a meetup of your own to the group.
Meetups are a great way of meeting people and finding out about Paleo restaurants and suppliers in your area, so if you haven’t already – join your local Paleo Meetup!
There don’t seem to be any New Zealand Paleo meetup groups yet – why don’t you start one? If you're in the US, Canada or the UK there are lots of Paleo meetup groups, so find your nearest and join up – it's free!
With the exception of Sydney, Perth and Melbourne most of these groups are very new – so spread the word and help to increase the membership! If you live in Darwin, Canberra or Hobart there is also the opportunity to become a co-organiser.
Here are the Australian Paleo Meetup groups
NSW/ Sydney
Victoria/ Melbourne
WA/ Perth
SA/ Adelaide
Queensland/ Brisbane
NT/ Darwin
ACT/ Canberra
Tasmania/ Hobart
So sign up (it's free) get involved!
Have you been to a local Paleo meetup event yet?
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Make It Paleo
I was very excited to receive a copy of “Make it Paleo” yesterday. I met Bill & Hayley at the AHS and they really were just as lovely as they seem from their blog. I've used quite a few of their recipes, so have been immensely looking forward to receiving the book. I took the book down to the park this morning to have a read through, whilst topping up my Vitamin D levels in the sunshine.
Make It Paleo Arrives In Australia!
I hadn't realised how big the book was going to be! It's the size of my old Chemistry text book – but much more enjoyable to read. As with the Primal Palate site, the book is full of beautiful photos and well over two hundred recipes. You could cook something different everyday for months on end! There's a great introduction about Bill & Hayley and lots of information about Paleo; which ingredients are good to use, different cuts of meat, useful kitchen equipment and cooking tips. I think these sections will make the book a great Christmas present for friends who have expressed an interest in Paleo, but may be a bit hesitant about diving in.
Initially, I was a bit confused at first as to why the book had so many recipes for entrées – then I remembered; that is the American word for main course!
Tomorrow is the first beach Barbecue of the Sydney Paleo meet-up group, so I've decided to make up a few things from the book to take along with me. What better testers than more Paleo people? There are lots of dips and sauces that look really good in the book, so I'm going to make up a few to dip vegetables in, and to go with the meat. I'm also going to try the Fennel & Orange salad, which I hope will be as good as it looks, I'm very curious to try that one. I'll probably make up a few other side dishes, and possibly something from the treats/ cheat section too! I bought some beautiful organic grass fed steak to put on the barbecue, so it should be a good feast.
Most of the ingredients in the book are very abundant here in Australia. I did have to visit four shops to find the Fennel, despite it usually being easy to find. I also had lots of trouble locating Chipotle, which I eventually found out is in fact American for coriander leaves (at least, I hope it is, as that is what I'll be using!) There are a couple of other ingredients I've noticed in the recipes, that might be more challenging to find in Australia, such as Jicama (which appears to be a root vegetable) and spaghetti squash; but I'm sure these can be substituted – or perhaps if you've seen them over here, you can let me know where, in the comments below?
I usually try to make something different for dinner every evening, so it's great to have a new collection of recipes to try. I'm especially looking forward to trying the Chicken & Vegetable “lo mein”, as I rarely eat Chinese food anymore (I find it usually has very un-Paleo ingredients). I very rarely cook seafood at home too, so I will take the opportunity to cook a few dishes from the seafood section. Whilst it's not strict Paleo, it's great to have a chapter on cheats and treats! The natural, grain free ingredients are a million miles away from their conventional purchased and home-made equivalents – a far better alternative for birthdays and the odd special occasion.
The recipes look straight forward and well explained. I've chosen my dishes, gathered the ingredients – but not yet tested any of the recipes. So, I need to get cooking for the Paleo barbecue tomorrow… I'll post a write up and photos of the end results! Fingers crossed for sunshine!
Make it Paleo is released next week – If you only have room for one Paleo cookbook, I don't think you'd go wrong with this one. Amazon UK currently has free shipping to Australia with orders over £25 – a great deal for a book this big.
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Meeting Real, Local People – Who Lead a Paleo Lifestyle Too
Last night was the fourth meet up of the Sydney Paleo group – and the third I’ve had the pleasure of attending. We met at a Korean Barbeque restaurant, tucked away down a side street, in the city centre. A few of us had met before and there were some new faces to meet. The food couldn’t have got much more Paleo. We had all different types of meat, which we barbequed ourselves.
I’m becoming more and more obsessed with all things Paleo as time goes by. I always want to talk about an amazing new blog I’ve found, or find out what others think about the latest research. But I am aware that a lot of my non Paleo friends aren’t as interested in this as I am! To be able to meet up with a group of people on the same wavelength is amazing.
We were able to jump straight into topics such as Jack Kruse’s Leptin theories, Nora Gedgaudas’s Australian Primal Body Primal mind conference, the AHS and how we handle social events with our non-Paleo friends. We discussed our favourite blogs and books, how we do Paleo and local Paleo friendly suppliers & restaurants.
As much as I benefit from & value my online Paleo friends and the online community, there is nothing like meeting Paleo people in real life.
Next month we’ll be meeting again, only this time for an outdoor meet up. A barbeque by the beach, frisbee, slack line & lots of paleo talk – I can’t wait!
If you don’t know any Paleo folk in real life, I suggest you join your local meetup group – or if there isn’t one – create it yourself!
