Pumpkin Sausage Soup

I was so in the mood for something with pumpkin tonight, so I hodge-podged a couple of paleo pumpkin soups together and got this. It's very hearty and savory - not sweet like you might expect. This one's definitely going into the rotation - delish!

Ingredients:

1lb Italian sausage, mild (casings removed)
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 can of pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
4 cups of low sodium chicken stock
1 Tbsp fresh oregano (can sub dried, but use less)
1 Tbsp fresh sage (can sub dried, but use less)
1 Tbsp fresh parsley (can sub dried, but use less)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
olive oil
coconut milk

Directions:
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a saute pan. Add onions and garlic, and saute until translucent. Transfer to soup pot.

Brown the Italian sausage in the saute pan. Drain grease and transfer to soup pot.

Put soup pot on medium heat. Add all spices and stir well. Add pumpkin, stir well. Add chicken stock, stir well.

Turn heat to medium/high and allow to cook until simmering. Turn heat down, and hit the soup with an immersion blender briefly. This will help the soup thicken a little bit, but it isn't critical to the success of the dish.

Top with a drizzle of coconut milk and fresh parsley. Enjoy!

Day 30: Stuffed Poblano Peppers

I adapted this recipe from one that I found in Food and Wine Magazine, and it was a huge success! Great way to wrap up our mini-paleo challenge.

Ingredients:

One 5-ounce bag of baby spinach

4 Tbsp almond flour

1/4 cup coconut milk

1 large egg

2 Tbsps pine nuts

2 Tbsps chopped red onion

1 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed

Salt and freshly ground pepper

4 large poblano peppers - halved, stemmed and seeds removed

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup canned tomato sauce

1 cup chicken broth

Directions:

1. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a very large skillet. Add spinach and cook until wilted (2-3 minutes). Remove spinach from skillet and set aside.

2. Add Italian sausage and red onion to the skillet and cook until the sausage is just browned. Drain the sausage/onion mixture, and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, knead the almond flour with the milk and egg to form a paste. Knead in the pine nuts, onion, sausage and spinach and season lightly with the salt and pepper.

4. Using lightly moistened hands, divide the mixture among the pepper halves and lightly pack in.

5. In the skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the stuffed peppers, filling side down, and cook over high heat until well browned, about 4 minutes. Turn the peppers and cook until the skins are browned and blistered, about 4 minutes longer.

6. Add the tomato sauce and chicken broth, cover and simmer until the peppers are tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to plates and serve right away.

Day 27: Acorn Squash

I decided to tackle acorn squash tonight. I grew up hating all kinds of squash - mostly because my parents hated it and prepared it half-heartedly. After discovering how amazing squash can be (hello, spaghetti squash?) last year, I'm determined to at least try several different varieties. I'm sure they won't all be successes, but this one was. The mashed acorn squash had a nice sweetness to it. The cinnamon flavor in the background makes it almost taste like oatmeal. Seriously, you could eat this for breakfast (I probably will tomorrow)!

Ingredients:
1 medium acorn squash
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 pinch of nutmeg
1 egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut acorn squash in half and remove seeds and "guts". Place squash cut-side down in a glass baking dish, in about 1/2 inch of water. Bake until tender (about an hour). Scoop squash into a bowl, add spices and egg. Mash. Return squash to an oven safe container and bake for another 20 minutes*. Enjoy!

*Optional: top with pecans before baking. Yum!

Day 22: The Theme is Purple

Stuffed purple bell peppers and beets for dinner tonight. I have never cooked a fresh beet, so I was a little nervous, but it turned out great (recipe is below). Also, we added a fried egg on top of the stuffed pepper. We would have previously topped it with cheese, but I found that the egg yolk helps replace a little of that ooey-gooeyness.

Ingredients:
1 large or 2 medium fresh beets
Olive oil
Salt
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Dice beets into approximately 1 inch square pieces. Place beets on top of a large piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and add the rosemary sprigs to the top. Fold foil up around the beet mixture and seal tightly. Bake on top of a baking sheet for approximately 1 hour, or until beets are tender. Remove rosemary and enjoy!

Day 19: Baked Bacon

I tried out the baked bacon recipe on the Cosmopolitan Primal Girl website and it was AMAZING! Truly the best bacon I've ever had and so simple. I mean look at the picture - awesome, right? I had to share it, but please know that it's like crossing a threshold. Once you've had baked bacon, no other preparation method will ever be good enough.

Ingredients:

Bacon

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

Place a wire rack (I used a cooling rack) on top of a foil lined baking sheet (the rack is key)

Place bacon on top of wire rack

Bake for 20 - 24 minutes (depending on how crispy you like it). Do NOT touch or turn it.

Enjoy!

Day 18: Chicken Florentine

I'm still looking for tasty chicken recipes. I tried this one out for lunch today in an attempt to use up some of our produce before it went bad. Good stuff! Kind of hits that chicken soup note, but without the noodles and small pieces of chicken and vegetables. It's a somewhat rustic dish, and I think it would be great on a cold night.

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2 cups chicken broth

1/3 lb fresh spinach (approximately - I just used whatever was left in our Costco 1 lb box)

2 dozen cherry tomatoes (approximately)

1 clove garlic, minced

salt and pepper

olive oil

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper - add to the pre-heated pan. Brown the chicken on both sides and add in the chicken broth and garlic. Bring to simmer. Add the spinach and cook for approximately 20 minutes (or until chicken is nearly cooked through). Add the tomatoes and cook for another 3-4 minutes, or until they burst. Enjoy!

Day 16: Tangy Chicken

Chicken is not a protein that I generally get excited for. I'd much rather sit down to a dinner of grassfed beef or wild caught fish, but in the interest of eating somewhat economical, we mix chicken into the rotation every now and then. With that said, I'm constantly looking for new ways to prepare chicken and infuse flavor. This recipe is a winner - the chicken tastes like it was barbequed (minus the sauce). Yum!

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken

1/2 Cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 Cup olive oil

1 Tbsp raw honey, melted (omit for a purely paleo recipe)

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Mix vinegar, olive oil, honey, garlic, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper in a large ziploc bag. Add chicken and marinate for approximately 4 hours or overnight. Remove chicken from the marinade and grill over medium high heat for approximately 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Enjoy!

Day 13: Honey Jalapeno Pork Chops

Zack and I had an amazing meal at Cafe 28 on Saturday night (honey jalapeno pork chops served with sweet potatoes). We attempted to recreate it tonight despite the fact that honey is not paleo. After some debate, we both conceded that the dish needed the sweetness from the honey. To make ourselves feel a little better, we used organic, raw honey and didn't put it on direct heat (in order to preserve as many nutrients as possible). Overall, I'd say our version was pretty successful - yum!

Pork Chops
Ingredients:
2 pork chops
1 cup chicken broth
1 jalapeno, minced
1/4 red bell pepper, minced
1 1/2 Tbsps raw honey
salt and pepper

Directions:
Heat chicken broth and peppers over medium heat until chicken broth is reduced. Remove from heat and slowly stir in honey. Set aside.

Meanwhile, season pork chops with salt and pepper. Grill for approximately 5 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature is about 155 degrees. Allow to rest. Spoon the jalapeno and honey mixture over the pork chops before serving.

Sweet Potatoes:
Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
Pinch of tumeric
Black pepper

Directions:
Boil sweet potatoes for approximately 20 minutes (until fork tender). Drain and mash with seasonings.

Day 12: Paleo Chili

Football season is finally here, so Zack and I made our version of paleo chili today. Don't let the large amount of ingredients scare you - once you get everything mixed together, you can forget about the chili for a few hours and focus on your fantasy team. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 lbs grassfed ground beef - browned and drained

2 sweet peppers, chopped

1 1/2 medium onions, chopped

4 jalapenos, chopped

6 cloves of garlic, minced

2 28oz cans of diced tomatoes

1 small can of green chilies

4 Tbsps chili powder

2 Tbsps cumin

1 Tbsp paprika

1 Tbsp sea salt

1 tsp dried oregano

1 pinch of cinnamon

1 pinch of tumeric

1 bay leaf

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a large slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Adjust seasonings as necessary. Serve with fresh chives and avocado (optional).

Day 8: Burger Showdown

Zack and I had a paleo burger showdown. I will admit that Zack's probably wins based on looks, but mine was super flavorful. Bottomline: as lame as it sounds, we couldn't decide on a winner. Tie.

My Burger - Green Chili Burger (shown on left)
Ingredients:
2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chiles
1 pound ground grassfed beef
½ Tbsp dried cilantro, (the original recipe calls for fresh cilantro, and I recommend using that if you have it on hand. Make sure to increase the amount.)
½ cup onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon grey sea salt

Directions:
In a medium sized bowl mix diced chiles with beef, cilantro, onion, cumin, chili powder and salt
Form into burgers and grill
Serve with guacamole or avocado slices

Zack's Burger - Garden Pepper Burger (shown on right)
Ingredients:
1 lb grassfed beef
2 cayenne peppers, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 pinch of salt

Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients
Form into burgers and grill
Serve with avocado, bacon, tomato (all optional)

Day 3: Pulled Pork

Meat slow-cooked in giardiniera is a popular dish in my hometown. Zack and I used a pork shoulder, but you could also use a beef roast or even chicken.

Ingredients:

Pork shoulder (about 3 lbs)

1 pint of giardiniera (See recipe from yesterday's post. Also okay to use store-bought giardiniera, but most tend to be vegetable oil based, which means they're higher in Omega 6)

Directions:

Place pork shoulder in slow cooker and top with giardiniera. Cook on low for approximately 7-8 hours. Trim fat and shred. Enjoy!

You'll have a substantial amount of leftovers. The photo above is from breakfast the following morning. I topped the leftover pork with two poached eggs - delicious!

Day 2: Giardiniera Recipe

Zack recently tried his hand at homemade giardiniera, and the results were fantastic. This tastes so much fresher and crisper than store bought giardiniera - and it's super easy!

Ingredients

4 red cayenne peppers, diced

8 fresh jalapeno peppers, sliced

1 medium carrot, diced

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup fresh cauliflower florets

1/2 cup saltwater to cover

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup white vinegar

1 cup olive oil

Directions

Place into a bowl the cayenne peppers, jalapenos, carrots, onion, and cauliflower. Stir in salt, and fill with enough cold water to cover. Place plastic wrap or aluminum foil over the bowl, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, drain salty water, and rinse vegetables.

In a bowl, mix together garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Pour in vinegar and olive oil, and mix well. Combine with vegetable mixture, cover, and refrigerate for 2 days before using.

Mini Paleo Challenge: Day 1

Zack and I are doing a mini-paleo challenge during the month of September. I'm going to try to keep the blog updated with what we're eating and the corresponding recipes. Thankfully, we chose a short month!

The photo above is for Chicken Paprikash. I adapted this recipe from one that I found on the Cosmopolitan Primal Girl website, and it was a big hit!

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs – cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 medium yellow onion – sliced
2 red cayenne peppers – chopped
1 large garlic clove - chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
4 Tbsp coconut milk
1 Tbsp coconut flour
1 Cup chicken broth1 Tbsp fresh basil

Directions:
Heat 1/2 of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for about 5 minutes until there is no more pink. Then remove and set aside.

In the same skillet, add the rest of the olive oil. Add onions, garlic, paprika and chili powder. Cook for about 3-5 minutes until onions have softened.

Add coconut flour and broth. Stir it around and bring it to a simmer. Add the cayenne pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are softened. About 5 min.

Add back the chicken and coconut milk. Continue to cook and stir until chicken is fully cooked and sauce is creamy. About 2 minutes.

Top with fresh basil and serve

Double Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

These chocolate chip cookies are ooey-gooey and so yummy! They tend to fall apart a little bit, so I think I might try incorporating an egg or two next time.* The original recipe follows.

Ingredients:
2 ½ Cups almond flour
½ tsp sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ Cup coconut oil (melted)
½ Cup raw honey (melted)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
½ Cup dark chocolate chips
½ Cup chopped or sliced almonds

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients
In a medium bowl, combine wet ingredients
Stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, until thoroughly combined
Fold in chocolate chips and almonds
Spoon dough 1 heaping spoonful at a time on to a parchment lined baking sheet
Press the dough down with the palm of your hand to flatten
Bake for 10-12 minutes
Cool cookies for 20 minutes on the baking sheet, then serve

*Editor's Note: After allowing for sufficient cooling time, the cookies seemed to hold together just fine. What can I say, they looked amazing and I couldn't wait! No need to add the egg.

Ice Cream Social

When I began my paleo lifestyle earlier this year, my first inclination was to go crazy with my “cheats”. If I was having dessert, it was most likely going to involve some sort of brownie/ice cream/hot fudge catastrophe. Since then, I’ve realized that some “cheats” are better for you than others. Kerry Johnson got me hooked on coconut milk ice cream a while back, and I have to admit, it’s DELICIOUS!

The chocolate ice cream pictured above (topped with almonds and dark chocolate chips) is from Turtle Mountain’s Purely Decadent line of coconut milk “ice cream”. Yes, this tastes just like ice cream (even better since there’s a hint of coconut flavor) and its dairy and soy free! I wouldn’t recommend this for every day, but it is the perfect summer cheat/treat!

Deconstructed

Schedules have been a little hectic in our house lately, which means menu planning is not getting done. We’ve been having a lot of what I call “deconstructed” meals. Pick a protein (or two), grab whatever produce is on hand and try to get something balanced, filling and healthy on the plate. The amazing part is that when you cook with high quality meat and seasonal vegetables, you really can’t go wrong. Ingredients that appear not to go together can harmonize beautifully.

Lunch (pictured above) on Saturday was two types of chicken sausage (mild and spicy), large leaf spinach, sautéed bell pepper and onion, and a fried egg*. Seemingly random but delicious!

*Note: I’ve found that a fried or poached egg goes well on just about anything. I often put an egg on top of my greens and use the yoke as “dressing”. Yum!

Late Night = Light Dinner

I got home late last night and despite going too light on the WOD, I was completely exhausted. Sidenote: I woke up this morning and it feels like my arms are going to fall off (damn Sumos), so maybe it wasn’t as light as I initially thought. Anyway, I got home and wanted something quick and easy for dinner. I ended up making a batch of sesame almond crackers, which I topped with smoked salmon* and dill. Yum! The crackers are a variation on a recipe that Erin O’ posted during the paleo challenge. I am a big fan of these – they really taste like crackers!

Sesame Almond Crackers
Ingredients:
1 ½ Cups almond flour
½ Cup sesame seeds
1 egg
4 Tbsps olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp black pepper

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Pour mixture onto the middle of a baking sheet (I lined mine with a silicone mat, since this gets really sticky). Place a piece of parchment paper over the mixture and roll out with a rolling pin. When finished the almond mixture should cover almost the entire baking sheet and be about ¼ inch thick. Score with a pizza cutter into 2 inch squares. Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until golden brown.

*Note: We try to only eat wild caught fish, even if that fish is canned or smoked. Zack is writing a post on farm-raised fish vs. wild caught. Hopefully I’ll have that up over the next couple of days.

Hockey Food!

This may be more of a Detroit thing (chills), but when I think hockey food, I think octopus. Calamari in this case. This is a great non-fried version with lots of flavor and so easy - perfect for game night tomorrow!

Broiled Calamari
Ingredients:
1 lb fresh calamari (will feed 4-5 people)
3 Tbsps Olive oil
Juice from ½ lemon
1 clove minced garlic
½ tsp dried oregano (if using fresh, go with a full teaspoon)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp red pepper flakes

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and let marinate in the fridge for approximately 1 hour. Lay flat on broiler pan (you’ll want to line it with release foil, or grease it lightly) and broil for about 2 minutes.

Note: if your calamari filets are large, cut them in half before marinating/cooking.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

Thank you to Donna Chung for pointing me in this direction. The crumble is perfect for this time of year given that there's lots of fresh strawberries and rhubarb at the farmers' markets.


Ingredients:
2 cups strawberries, halved or quartered
5 stalks rhubarb, chopped
The zest of 1 lemon
The juice of 1/2 lemon
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
Coconut cream (optional)


Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
Add strawberries and rhubarb to a 9x9 baking dish. Mix the fruit with the lemon zest and lemon juice.
In a separate bowl, mix the chopped pecans with the shredded coconut and coconut oil.
Top the fruit with the pecan/coconut mixture.
Bake for 35-40 minutes (depending on your oven). Topping should be slightly browned.
Serve warm - top with a dollop of coconut cream.

It Feels Good to be Back

After a long hiatus, I've decided to start the blog up again. I think it's a really great way to share recipes and paleo cooking ideas and also keep me on the right track. I'll probably keep the format a little looser and not necessarily log everything I eat EVERY day, like I was before. We'll see how it evolves...

Sunday Night Dinner (pictured above)

Grilled chicken:

Marinated in rosemary and olive oil. Grilled slowly over low heat and finished with fresh lemon juice - delicious!

"BBQ" Cabbage (adapted from a recipe by the Neelys on FoodNetwork):

Ingredients:

1 head red cabbage, chopped

3-4 strips bacon* chopped

1 red onion, sliced

2-3 Granny Smith apples (depending on size), peeled, de-cored and sliced

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

salt and pepper

Directions:

Heat bacon over medium heat to render the fat. Do NOT allow it to get crispy. Add the apples and red onion with a pinch of salt and pepper. Continue cooking until soft. Add the cabbage and cook for approximately 5 minutes before adding in the chicken broth and vinegar. Again, add a pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer over medium-low heat for 45 minutes. Enjoy!

Note*: The original recipe calls for BBQ sauce, which is omitted here. Because of this it's really important to use good quality bacon. We found good quality bacon ends at Treasure Island for cheap. Make sure that whatever you use is thick and smoky. No turkey bacon here!

Rip x 6

Wednesday's WOD was pretty awful from a muscle fatigue and hand condition standpoint. I have 6 separate rips that Zack made me douse with alcohol and vinegar last night. Not a good feeling. Still in pretty rough shape this morning, so Zack also had to wash my hair. Needless to say, I'm not looking my best...but thank you anyway to a great husband!

WOD: 90-75-60-45-30-15 seconds of HSPUs and CTB Pull-ups. 53 reps. Wasn't even close to getting a rep on the HSPUs during my first attempt, so I focused solely on Pull-ups after that. Thank you Megan for counting and all of the encouragement.

Nutrition:

Breakfast: 2 eggs sunny side up and coffee with coconut milk.

Lunch: 1 turkey burger over spinach with 1 avocado.

Snack: 1 apple pie larabar.

Dinner: Paleo "fried rice". Used finely chopped cauliflower as the rice part. Mixed with ground bison, green onion, egg and garlic.

This is Bananas

Trying to recover before tomorrow's WOD. My legs and back are killing me, but I won't need them too much tomorrow, so I think I'm good.

Nutrition Today:

Breakfast: 1 banana, coffee with coconut milk

Lunch: Pulled pork over spinach. 1 avocado

Snack: 2 pieces of deli meat turkey

Dinner: 1 "breakfast burger" (turkey burger with two bacon strips and a fried egg). Sauteed swiss chard.

Snack: 1 fried banana (shown above). Coated the banana in a mixture of egg, coconut flour, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Fried in coconut oil. YUM! This is one recipe that the paleo and non-paleo crowd will enjoy.

Big Smile

Considering that I had never even attempted an 85# thruster, I was pretty nervous about Monday's WOD to say the least. After receiving Bryce's e-mail with the line-up for the next two weeks, I was not feeling confident at all, but I'm making a promise to myself to go into each WOD with a positive mentality and give them everything I've got.

I'm also tweaking my nutrition just a little bit by going into WODs with less food in my stomach. I felt less lethargic today and seemed to focus better. We'll see how this plays out over the next two weeks though...

Overall, I am really proud of my effort for WOD #1. I didn't even know if I would finish it, so to drop a 7:57 is totally unexpected and feels really good. I know that it doesn't put me on the same elite level as Alison, Emily, etc., but there are still seven WODs to go and I'm happy to have this one out of the way.

Nutriton Breakdown:
Breakfast: 1 banana, hand full of walnuts, coffee with coconut milk.
Lunch: 1 pork chop over spinach. 1/2 avocado.
Snack: 1 piece of paleo pineapple upside down cake.
Dinner: 1 salmon fillet with brussel sprouts.

Deceptively Difficult

Paleo "Taco"

I feel kind of ridiculous titling my post "Deceptively Difficult" because most of our WODs tend to be that way, but the WOD today was unexpectedly BRUTAL. I really thought that thrusters with a 45# bar wouldn't be that bad. Wrong. Really glad that I did this one as my Double under performance in the Snatch/DU WOD a few weeks ago was awful. I am feeling much, much better about today's effort. Thank you to Adam for sharing your rope!

Back Squat: 88-103-114(7). Lost my balance on the 7th and fell. I'm pretty sure I could have done more, just not sure what happened.

Metcon: AMRAP in 15 minutes of 30 double unders and 10 thrusters (45# bar). 7 rounds plus 20 double unders.

Deadhang PUs: 2-3-2 Very difficult post-WOD, but they are getting a little better.

Nutrition:

Breakfast: banana, coffee with coconut milk, hand full of walnuts

Lunch: Sauteed shrimp over spinach with avocado. 3 pieces of deli meat turkey and 3 tomato slices leftover from my boss' meeting.

Snack: 1 piece of paleo pineapple upside down cake

Post-WOD snack: 1 coconut creme larabar (my new favorite!)

Dinner: Paleo tacos (shown above). We used radicchio as the tortilla. Filling was a mix of pork and broiled sirloin, tomatoes, onions and avocado. Delicious!

More slacking on keeping this blog updated. This is doubly not good because aside from everyone thinking that I've completely fallen off the paleo wagon (not true for the most part), I'm also not capturing my training milestones. Quick summation of this weeks WODS:

Tuesday - Max snatch was 75#. Wanted to continue working heavier, but was told to move on to C&J. Thanks to Rudy for the tip on widening my grip. Much, much better! C&J max was 95#. Tried 105# and failed twice on the jerk. Will revisit this because I think I'm close....
Then, 30 snatches at 55# - 3:59

Thursday - Press, 3-3-3. Amateur hour as far as figuring out my weights in advance, then couldn't find the calculator at the box so I estimated a little (will give myself a break since it was 6am). 45-55-65(4)
Then, 4 rounds of 500m row and 10 burpees: 12:21. Super frustrating because the rower died on me right before I got on, then it wasn't set up in the correct units. I feel like I lost at least 30 seconds straightening that mess out. Plus, I was rowing the entire time, so probably rowed an extra 100m. Again, it was 6am, I had no idea what I was doing. Totally my fault though (read: stop listening to Zack when he tells me the rower is "all set").

Nutrition today (so far):
Breakfast, 1 banana, coffee with coconut milk
Lunch: 1 piece of paleo mushroom quiche, 1 avocado, 1 minneola (tangerine/grapefruit hybrid)
Dinner: Restaurant week menu at Naha tonight. I surveyed and think I can keep it pretty paleo, aside form dessert of course. Can't wait!

Breakfast: 1 banana, coffee with coconut milk

Lunch: leftover corned beef and cabbage, 1 piece of paleo pineapple upside down cake

Snack: 2 pieces of deli meat

Dinner: Broiled striped bass with tumeric roasted cauliflower. 1 piece of dark chocolate.

Lunch

Dinner

After a restaurant marathon this weekend, Zack and I managed to eat all three meals at home today.

Breakfast: 1/2 cup pineapple, coffee with coconut milk.

Lunch: 1 piece of mushroom and shallot quiche (shown above).

Snack: 2 pieces of deli meat ham, 1 piece of paleo pineapple cake.

Dinner: Corned beef and cabbage (shown above). 1 glass of red wine.

Zack's in Cincinnati with my camera, so no pictures today. I will say that I tried Erin O's spicy shrimp and it was delicious! Thanks for another winner Erin!!!

Breakfast: 1/4 cup walnuts with a sliced banana in light coconut milk. Coffee with coconut milk.
Snack: 1 "Coconut Creme" Larabar
Lunch: Salad from Corner Bakery: mixed greens with chicken, bacon, tomato, avocado and green onions. Served with house vinaigrette.
Dinner: Erin O's spicy shrimp. Substituted watercress for the spinach. Two pieces of dark chocolate.

Dinner Tonight

Press: 46-54-61(7)
Metcon: 5 rounds of 15 Push Press(45#) and 15 20" box jump - 6:05

Nutrition:
Breakfast: 1/4 cup walnuts with a sliced banana in coconut milk. Coffee with coconut milk.
Lunch: leftover paleo lasagna and 1 grilled chicken wing
Snack: 1 small piece of paleo blueberry bread
Post WOD snack: 1 banana, hand full of pitted prunes
Dinner: Soup (shown above) made with chicken broth, chicken, bratwurst, spinach, onion and bell pepper.

Valentine's Day

I've been slacking lately in terms of blogging. I figure that I'll start this week off right by posting our Valentine's Day dinner. Not entirely paleo, but also not too bad. Everything is shown above, details below.

1st Course: Sliced radishes with herbed butter and sea salt. Escarole topped with sauteed shrimp and poached octopus (also sauteed in lemon and olive oil to finish).

2nd Course: Grilled ribeye with roasted brussel sprouts and parsnip/celery root puree.

3rd Course: Dark chocolate fondue (made with 70% cacao chocolate, grass fed whipping cream and unsalted butter). Bananas, strawberries and pear as dippers. YUM!

Dinner Tonight

Nutrition Today:

Breakfast: 1/4 cup walnuts and a sliced banana in coconut milk. Coffee with coconut milk.

Lunch: leftover spaghetti squash with ground turkey and marinara. 7 strawberries.

Snack: deli meat ham and low sodium deli meat turkey

Dinner: (shown above) grass fed beef strip steak, cauliflower, sauteed mushrooms

Snack: 1 slice of semi-paleo blueberry bread

Fran

My first time doing Fran completely Rx'd, and it was ROUGH. Finished in 8:57. Worked on Muscle-ups before Fran and also a little on butterfly pull-ups.

Nutrition: 1/4cup walnuts with a sliced banana in coconut milk. Coffee with coconut milk.

Lunch: 2 chicken breasts over fresh spinach with tomatos, cucumber and vinegar.

Snack: 1 "Cinnamon Roll" Larabar

Snack: 2 pieces of deli meat ham, 1 piece of low sodium deli meat turkey

Dinner: Spaghetti squash with leftover red cabbage slaw. Ground turkey and marinara sauce (shown above).

Breakthrough!

Salmon and Slaw

So I had a minor breakthrough related to the dress that I wore on Saturday night (shown above). I literally could not squeeze myself into it 6 weeks ago. I tried it on two weeks ago and it fit perfectly. I wore it Saturday night and it was slightly loose! Also saw a bunch of people that I haven't seen in a while and got a chance to really talk up CrossFit. I ran into a girl that is a personal trainer and SHE was asking ME what I do to stay in shape. Good feeling. :)

Nutrition Today:

Breakfast: 1/4cup walnuts and a sliced banana in coconut milk. Coffee with coconut milk.

Snack: 1 Larabar

Lunch: 2 chicken breasts over fresh spinach with cucumber, tomato and vinegar. 1/2 cup of mixed fresh fruit

Snack: 2 pieces of deli meat ham, 1 hand full of dark chocolate chips

Dinner: 1 salmon fillet and red cabbage slaw (shown above)

Frustration

The WOD was mentally tough today. Could NOT figure out double-unders (couldn't get a rhythm going, frustrated with the rope, shoe came untied twice, but no excuses!) and ended up with a big fat DNF. Not happy.

The back squats were better: 5x3x1+. 98-110-123 (8). These felt really great. My max is 145 and I did 8 reps at 123 so I'm looking forward to seeing what my new max is when we do CFT next month.

Nutrition:
Breakfast: 1 sliced banana and 1/4cup walnuts in coconut milk. 1 cup coffee with coconut milk.
Lunch: 1 grass fed ground beef burger over spinach, with 1/2 avocado. 1 chocolate banana nut muffin.
Snack: 1 "Cherry Pie" Larabar
Dinner: 1 salmon fillet with brussel sprouts (cooked with bacon). Another chocolate banana nut muffin.

This weekend will be a challenge for me. Zack and I are going to a fundraiser tomorrow night, and I'm guessing that the dinner will involve potatoes and bread. I promise to exercise my willpower muscle there. Sunday could be a different story. My parents are doing a huge Superbowl spread with very few paleo options. I promised my Mom that I would eat something (she's still very concerned about us, ha!). I'm going to pencil in a cheat meal, but I'll try to keep it reasonable.

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

Freddy's Revenge!

Loved the WOD tonight. Felt pretty strong and fast...must be my new lululemon pants! Will probably wear them at least twice a week now.

Power Cleans: 5x3x1 - 74-84-94(3)

Metcon: Freddy's Revenge - 5 rounds of 5 shoulder to overhead and 10 burpees. Worked with 85#. 7:42

Nutrition:

Breakfast: 1/4cup walnuts and a sliced banana in coconut milk. Coffee with coconut milk.

Lunch: leftover spaghetti squash with ground turkey and marinara. 1/2 avocado.

Pre-WOD snack: 1 "Apple Pie" Larabar

Post-WOD snack: 1 flax seed pizza cracker (thanks Karen!) 1 hand full of dark chocolate chips.

Dinner: Skate wing and brussel sprouts (shown above). Didn't know what to think about the fish, but it was outstanding! A very buttery flavor. Zack called it a "poor man's lobster". Yum. 1 chocolate banana nut muffin.

Nutrition:

Breakfast: 1/4cup walnuts with a sliced banana in coconut milk. Coffee with coconut milk.

Lunch: leftover leg of lamb roast over spinach.

Snack: 1 "Key Lime Pie" Larabar

Dinner: Erin O's spaghetti squash with ground turkey and marinara. 1/2 avocado.

Also made the delicious dark chocolate banana nut muffins shown above. Have not tried them yet as I'm waiting for Zack to get home, and I'm working out my willpower muscle. :)

*Editor's Note:

The chocolate banana nut muffins were a little too "banana-y". I did not re-create Alison and Randy's recipe. Damn. Back to the drawing board.

Turbot with Kale Chips

Paleo Blueberry Bread

Press: Can't remember my weights, except for my last one which was at 64# (5). This felt better than my previous press attempts. I believe I only got 2 reps on my last set, last time.

Metcon: 21-15-9 of 24" box jumps, 35# KBs and 65# SDHPs. 7:19

Big thank you to Bryce for working with me after the Metcon on my sumos. Form was terrible, but I'm feeling better now. Need to keep my chest up at the bottom in order to maximize the power from my legs and hips.

Nutrition:

Breakfast: sliced banana and walnuts in coconut milk, coffee with coconut milk.

Lunch: leftover leg of lamb roast over spinach. 1 piece of blueberry bread (shown above, recipe is below).

Snack: 1 "Cherry Pie" Larabar

Post-Wod Snack: 1/2 banana, handful of non-sweetened coconut flakes

Dinner: Turbot seasoned with Ol' Bay, Kale chips (thank you Erin O'!), steamed broccoli. Glass of red wine. 1/2 piece of blueberry bread. Yum.

Blueberry Bread Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp coconut oil

4 Tbsp coconut milk

1/2 cup coconut flour

2 Tbsp raw honey (yes, this is the only pseudo-paleo part)

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

3 eggs

1 tsp baking powder (ok, Zack says this isn't really paleo either)

1/2 tsp salt

2 whole mashed bananas

1 carton of blueberries

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Mix together coconut flour, salt, baking powder, coconut milk, vanilla extract, bananas and eggs

Melt coconut oil and raw honey in microwave, then slowly add to mix

Stir in blueberries

Pour into loaf pan (or shallow baking dish) and bake for 45 minutes

Remove from oven, let cool and enjoy!

Squat, Squat, Squat (Repeat)

Dinner

Worked on finding my front squat 1 rep max. 125 didn't feel too bad, but then failed horribly at 135. My max back squat is 145, so I feel like there's still some room for improvement.

Metcon: Jeremy - 21-15-9 Overhead Squats and Burpees

53# bar - finished at 7:11. Was shooting for under 7 minutes, so slightly disappointed, but I do recognize that overhead squats are a very weak movement for me and these felt better than usual tonight (still not good, but better), so I'm pleased with that.

Nutrition:

Breakfast: 1/4 cup walnuts with a sliced banana and coconut milk. Coffee with coconut milk.

Snack: 2 pieces of dark chocolate

Lunch: Italian beef over fresh spinach, mushrooms, hard boiled egg and bacon. Topped with giardinera (sp?)

Pre-WOD snack: 1 "Apple Pie" Larabar

Dinner: (shown above) 1 bison burger topped with a fried egg. Celery root and cauliflower puree on the side. 1/2 avocado. 2 glasses of red wine (Zack wouldn't help me finish the bottle, so I will blame that on him).

Paleo Blueberry Muffins

Nutrition Today

Breakfast: 1/4 cup walnuts with coconut milk, banana, coffee with coconut milk

Lunch: ground beef (with onions and bell pepper) over fresh spinach. 1/2 avocado. 1 paleo blueberry muffin.

Snack: 3 pieces of deli ham

Dinner: 1 pork chop, broccoli, 1 piece of dark chocolate, 1 glass of red wine.

Dinner

Snatch work with the 33# bar today. Snatches are high on my suck list, so it was good to go back to basics on these. Still need a lot of work.

Metcon: 4 rounds of 300m row, 15 33# thrusters, 10 PUs - 12:51 this one was rough, very rough.

Nutrition:

Breakfast: 1/4cup walnuts with coconut milk, banana, coffee with coconut milk.

Lunch: 1 large piece of leftover paleo lasagna. 1 paleo blueberry muffin (side note: I made these over the weekend and they're pretty light and moist, but the flavor profile is off. I'll re-work and hopefully have a recipe to post soon). 1 piece of dark chocolate.

Snack: 3 pieces of deli ham.

Dinner: Tilapia with mango salsa (mangos, onion, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice), brussel sprouts and avocado. Shown above.

Zack's Paleo Lasagna

Weekend laziness and a work related trip to Detroit (yes, I'm sure you're all surprised that it wasn't a recreational trip) led me to slack on my blogging. Back in the saddle.

Deadlift: 123-140-158(10) Bryce watched my form and made me feel a lot better. I had been under the impression that my butt was lifting before the rest of my body. Turns out that it looks like I'm just starting with it too low, so raising it to get into ready position. I obviously still need to work on this, as that's pretty inefficient...but I feel better nonetheless.

Metcon: 6:15 (I think?) with 65#

Nutrition:

Breakfast: 2 eggs over easy with sausage links, orange juice and coffee (at hotel)

Snack: 1 "Cherry Pie" Larabar

Lunch: Pecan crusted chicken breast over romaine with mandarin oranges, cranberries and celery. Balsamic vinaigrette (Fridays at the airport)

Pre-WOD snack: 3 pieces of deli ham

Dinner: Zack's paleo lasagna (shown above). Made with zucchini for the noodles. Filling was grass fed ground beef, onions, mushrooms, avocado, spinach, and marinara sauce. This was a big hit! Brown the beef and lightly saute the mushrooms and onions as well as the zucchini "noodles." Assemble and bake in oven at 350 for 20 minutes or so.

Bacon Soup!

Dinner Tonight

Breakfast: 1/4 cup walnuts, 1/2 blood orange, 1 cup coffee with coconut milk

Lunch: leftover spaghetti squash with ground turkey and marinara, sauteed spinach with garlic and tomato

Snack: 3 pieces of deli ham, 1 piece of dark chocolate

Dinner: Bacon soup. Yes, BACON Soup. I know that it's a little naughty, but it's Friday night, so what the heck. This was very delicious and even better than I imagined. Zack was skeptical, but ended up eating three bowls...recipe is as follows:

Ingredients

6 slices of bacon

One bunch of watercress (wash and separate leaves from stems, chop stems finely)

1/2 large red onion, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

4 cups of beef stock

Inner stalks of celery (with the leaves)

1 cup of sliced mushrooms

Avocado (optional)

Directions

Fry the bacon in a large, deep frying pan. Then remove the bacon, chop it up and set aside.

Use the bacon grease to saute the onion and garlic. When soft and slightly brown, add finely chopped watercress stems, beef stock and celery leaves.

Simmer for at least 30 minutes with a lid on.

Add watercress leaves, mushrooms and crumbled bacon.

Simmer for another 10 minutes.

Pluck out celery leaves and top with avocado. Enjoy!