Snow has hit the northeast super early this year and I think many are already in full “Holiday Mode.” I’ve been busy working on the film and a few other exciting projects! In the meantime, I’m getting ready to do some serious cooking and excited to NOT travel for the next little while, so I can hang out with my kids and just be home on the farm, my favorite place to be!

Shameless plug for my film project:

Looking for an end-of-year gift? My crowdfunding campaign is in full force and any contribution is greatly appreciated! Claim some incredible perks from “better meat” companies, an exclusive Sacred Cow t-shirt, and a preorder to the book, Sacred Cow: The Case for (Better) Meat. We’ve uncovered some incredible stories and need more money to keep the project going. Please visit my donation page or feel free to contact me directly with any questions on how to get involved.

I’ve compiled my yearly list of picks below. Hopefully you’ll see a few unfamiliar gift ideas!

# 1 :  Cinder Grill

I love grass-fed, regenerative meat, but many folks don’t understand that better meat requires delicate cooking. They’ll cook it as they’re used to and end up with tough steaks and blame the meat. This is just another case where it’s not the COW, it’s the HOW.

Reverse-searing is the best way I’ve found to cook grass-fed meat. I used to use an oven to bring my steaks to an internal temperature of about 130F, checking the temperature many times over course of about an hour, then searing them off in a skillet prior to serving. It’s an intensive process that is cumbersome and can be easily done poorly.

Until I tried the Cinder Grill. I set the exact temperature I wanted my steak, walked away to prep the rest of my meal, took my steaks off to wipe down the warming plates, then finished them off in seconds. It made the BEST grass-fed steaks I’ve ever had!

This is my new go-to kitchen gadget and if you or your loved ones invest in grass-fed meat, you have to invest in the Cinder and say goodbye to dry, overcooked meat.

Check them out here and receive $50 off your purchase with the code SUSTAINABLEDISH at checkout.

# 2: Infrared Sauna

I have really felt so amazing since getting my SaunaSpace this summer that I feel the need to share about it as my #1 holiday pick. The price is far less than other infrared saunas, and it doesn’t take up too much room, is super easy to put together, and I use it daily. It looks sort of like a little fortune teller’s tent, and 20-minutes a day of red light therapy has shown documented benefits like:

• Wound healing and soft tissue repair
• Collagen growth
• Hair growth
• Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis
• Pain and inflammation for joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments
• Traumatic brain injury, spinal cord regeneration
• Increased circulation and formation of new capillaries

Not up for a full sauna? They also offer just the light kit so you can build your own in a bathroom, or you can also get the travel light, which is one bulb and lovely for seasonal light therapy. I’ll be releasing a podcast and a longer blog post about SaunaSpace soon. Check them out here, and when you use my code SUSTAINABLE, you can get 5% off your order!

# 3 :  Dry Farm Wines

I discovered Dry Farm Wines this spring and recorded a podcast with the owner plus wrote a longer blog post about it here. In my nutrition practice, I find that and many times when I prescribe a diet plan, it’s the abstinence from drinking that makes the biggest differences in how my clients feel. For women in particular, realizing that wine used to make them feel horrible is a real eye-opening experience. They sleep better, have less sinus congestion, lose weight, and generally just feel so much better.

Their wines are lab-tested to ensure low sugar, free of chemicals like glyphosate, free of added sulfites, and lower in alcohol than typical wines. This means you’re able to enjoy them without the side effects most people complain about. I’ve tried them for myself and am completely sold. I’ve been a dedicated customer of Dry Farm Wines for the last few months and have loved every bottle. It’s also great to have a few extra on hand for when I go to a friend’s house – and they always thank me the next day for feeling great after drinking it! They’re also offering one time and gift subscriptions for the holidays. Check them out here.

# 4:  Better Meat

I like to send food to my relatives that live far away, and lately I’ve been really loving the meat from Belcampo Meat Co., Blue Nest Beef, Butcher Box, Hickory Nut Gap, Joyce Farms, Polyface Farms, The Honest Bison, Thousand Hills, White Oak Pastures, and Farm Foods Market. I’m excited to see so many more choices available for better meat online, many more than I’m able to list here, but will highlight in future posts. Do your homework, though: some companies do not source from the US (even though they may lead you to believe this). If it’s unclear, reach out to the meat company – those that are sourcing honestly will be eager to be transparent with you. For you lamb lovers (I’m one for sure!) check out Central Grazing Company. They offer high quality, grass-fed lamb and amazing bags made from the hides, mentioned in my next holiday pick.

I’m also a huge fan of Vital Choice Seafood for wild caught, sustainable fish. I’m particularly in love with their sablefish — also known as butterfish or black cod — a superbly rich, silky delicacy. Sablefish provides far omega-3 fatty acids than most other fish, making it incredibly luscious and nutritious. Vital Choice also sells high quality beef, chicken, bison, pork and other proteins. Use code DRODGERSRD for 10% off your order.

# 5  Better Leather

Looking for a special handbag or laptop bag? Central Grazing Company offers beautiful handbags and wallets made from grass-fed lamb in a variety of colors. I’m also really loving Farrier Leather bags. I have a laptop bag and love all of the compartments for a water bottle, and all of the other necessities I want to have with me on the go.

# 6: Tickets to a Health Event:

Who wouldn’t want to attend Paleo(f)x, held in sunny Austin, Texas in April 2020? I’ll be there, so get your tickets today! I’ll also be speaking at the Meat-ing in Malmoe, Copenhagen in August. With so many events happening across the globe for this real food, better meat community, tickets to these type events will be a lasting gift of knowledge and connection!

 

Looking for more book ideas, kitchen gadgets, tools for better sleep and more? Check out my curated Amazon store!