Most people might agree that the hardest part about any restrictive diet is maintaining willpower in social settings, when opportunities to “cheat” are non-stop. Usually I reserve these situations to let my guard down and enjoy myself, but during a challenge, as my wife keeps reminding me, this is not allowed. However, the end of the challenge is in sight! I’m looking forward to relaxing just a bit. I’m pretty sure I’m in this for life, so I gotta roll with the punches.
Here are some tips I’ve been using to keep on the straight and narrow.
1. Out of sight, out of mind. Dr. Wansink (Mindless Eating) has done tons of experiments showing how opportunistic we tend to be when it comes to overeating on sweets and refined carbs. Basically, I try not to sit in front of the bowl of chips, and I keep my back to the table of snacks.
2. Keep the mouth busy. While gum probably isn’t Paleo, gnawing on sorbitol is better than bagels. I also keep a water bottle or coffee around to sip on. The same thing applies for drinking – I grab my club soda and lime to ward off the urge to crack open a beer.
3. Bring something safe to share. A big flavorful salad sure beats the pants off the plain vegetable tray featuring the island of soy-based dipping sauce. Doesn’t matter if you’re eating Paleo or not. Or, bring along a crockpot with Primal chili (recipe coming soon) or meatballs for something hot.
4. Fill up on the main dish! The protein and veggies are there, so enjoy them! The less hungry you are the easier it is to turn down the noncompliant foods.
Any other ideas? Feel free to share.
On to the recipe – chicken stock is a critical ingredient to keep on hand. While not a recipe, it deserves its own post. I collect chicken parts in the freezer. I do this by buying whole chickens or bone-in split breasts and trimming myself for skinless/boneless recipes. When I can fill about 2 gallon ziptop bags with chicken bones, cartlidge, and otherwise scraps, its time to make stock.
Here’s what you need: a large stockpot or pressure cooker (~7 qt range). One very large bowl, 2 medium bowls, a fine mesh strainer, a fat separator, and 3-4 quart size storage containers or jars.
I use a pressure cooker because it cuts the process to about 1/4 the time. Fill your pot with frozen chicken and cover with water. Apply high heat and skim the foam and floaters that rise to the top. Be aware of the height of the water, as the pressure cooker has an upper limit to avoid blowouts. I tend to skim out a lot using a ladle to help clarify the end product, and it’s easy to add more water as needed. I do this 2 or 3 times as the liquid comes to a boil
Skim the scum
Once its mostly clear, cover and lock down for one hour. If you’re going old school and applying no extra pressure, keep it at a simmer, and add water as needed for about 5-6 hours.
What an extra 15 psi does in an hour.
I kill the heat at about 50 minutes so that the pressure cooker unlocks on its own without having to release steam or anything. Not the most appetizing looking result but that liquid is precious. Full of goodness from the melted cartlidge and bone marrow, I can’t think of anything that is more nourishing. But we’re not done yet.
Using tongs, I remove as much solids as possible to one medium bowl and set aside to cool. Then I set up a double strainer over the extra large bowl and strain the remaining particles.
I need a bigger fine mesh strainer, but this works.
Now that the solids are gone, we need to cut the fat from all the rendered skin. This is why fat separators exist (sometimes called gravy separators). I’ve tried, and I’ve found no good replacement for a fat separator.
"It cuts the fat!"
I do this part in batches to fill up my quart containers. Final yield was 3 quarts. Don’t hastily throw this stuff in your fridge because it’s still piping hot. Let it cool to avoid making the refrigerator work overtime. Keep it covered and it won’t be susceptible to bacteria. I then threw the 2 extras in the freezer to keep until needed. Once cool, you’ll notice these become solid like jello (from the gelatin, ie melted cartlidge). You WON’T see storebought stock have this effect, which is why it’s inferior.
Now, back to that pile of skin, bones, and meat… We’re not throwing it all away. Set up the 3 bowls – one for the unsorted chicken (full), one for the meat, and one for the garbage. With clean hands start picking – the meat will fall off the bones, and the fat and gristle will easily be felt out. In 7 minutes you can have 1.5 lbs of shredded chicken, that is relatively flavorless, but still a good source of protein that you can flavor for chicken salad, tacos, or omlettes.
Peters On Paleo 
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