Shannon Says Paleo!

BBQ Chicken and Plantations

2012-01-25T17:29:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe off of http://masteringtheartofpaleocooking.com - the recipe is for ribs, which I didn't have so I used the chicken that I had on hand. I made this back in December. Even the kids liked it and I will be making it again tomorrow night.

Ingredients
1 Large, Ripe, Pomegranate
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
3/4 cup Water
1 Tablespoon Coconut Aminos
3 Tablespoons Organic Tomato Paste
4 Chicken Breasts OR Ribs
Salt and Pepper

In a small saucepan, combine the pomegranate seeds, balsamic vinegar, and water. Bring to a boil, then cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.

Then, add the coconut aminos and tomato paste, and stir until completely incorporated into the mixture.
Remove from heat and set aside for later use.

If using chicken instead of ribs, bake chicken 10 minutes and then cover with BBQ sauce, cover with cover or foil and continue baking 10-20 minutes depending on the size of the chicken breasts. Uncover and cook remaining time.

Cut the pork back ribs into sections of 4 ribs. Lightly salt and pepper the meaty side of the ribs, and place in a baking dish with enough water to cover the bottom of the dish about 1/2 inch deep. Cover tightly with foil.

Cook ribs at 250 for one hour. Turn ribs over, re-seal the foil, and bake another hour.
Remove the ribs from the oven, and turn the heat up to 450.
Pour off any liquid from the baking dish. Paint the meaty side of the ribs with half of the Pomegranate BBQ Sauce, and return to the oven uncovered for 30 minutes (meaty, saucy side of ribs facing up).
Serve ribs slathered with remaining BBQ sauce.

Yes, TURKEY SOUP

2011-11-29T08:29:00.001-08:00

Everybody does this right? Have that leftover turkey, you have had that awesome Thanksgiving dinner and then you have had your turkey sandwich or just all the leftovers because you can't make yourself go back to the days of white bread, mayo, turkey and stuffing sandwiches! Oh my goodness, did I ever really eat those? Something like it, I'm sure. So do you just pitch that turkey? What a waste. So I did just that... I dug through my fridge and my pantry and found that I had the following ingredients on hand, threw everything in the crock pot and came home thinking I had found a wife! The house smelled great! Don't you prefer it when someone else cooks for you? No comment on my "wife" comment.

So here is what I concocted, not all that original, put in whatever your heart desires but keep it somewhat paleo and nix the white potatoes.

TURKEY SOUP
Organic Chicken Broth (I had around 2 cups available)
Water, I felt I needed more "broth" so I added water maybe a cup or so
Leftover turkey (bones and all, it falls off the bone later and the bones are easy to pick out then)
Carrots (a cup or two)
Celery (couple stalks)
Onion (1/2 - 1 chopped as small - or big as you like)
Sweet Potato (1 -2)
Seasoning... I used garlic, garlic powder, oregano, basil, paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper... all "to taste" (don't you love the vagueness of the recipe?)

That's it! I put it in the crock pot on low from morning til night! House smelled good, everyone loved the soup, it was a hit! Okay, that is a lie. I made a salad and had soup and salad and turned around and made the kids a pork loin and sliced up apples for them. I know, call me a short-order cook. Of course my kids didn't want to eat what I was eating!

Tonight's dinner will look strangely similar to last nights.

2011-11-18T13:31:00.001-08:00

This recipe was also featured on The Foodee. There are so many recipes on this website http://paleoparents.com - love it... they feature foods that your kiddos can assist in making and really bring the "paleo" diet to the whole family!

The Bacon Chicken
with Insanely Delicious Bacon Flavored Cabbage

Ingredients
1 whole chicken
10 (or more, depending on size) strips of thick cut nitrate-free bacon, cut in half
1 lemon
1 onion
1 sprig of rosemary
6 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 Teaspoon pepper
1/2 head of cabbage (about 4 cups), sliced
Instructions

Halve the lemon and garlic cloves, quarter the onion (don’t worry about peeling)
♥ Pat the outside of the chicken dry with a towel
♥ Sprinkle salt and pepper inside the chicken cavity and over the skin
♥ Stuff cavity with the lemon, onion, garlic and rosemary
♥ Place bacon slices over entire exposed surface of chicken, wrapping evenly in a single layer – ensuring no chicken skin is left exposed (Kids LOVE doing this!) – if your bacon doesn’t stick then pat dry again and start over
♥ Spread sliced cabbage around bottom of a baking dish (no fat, no seasoning – trust us), set chicken on top of cabbage (a dutch oven or 12-14″ diameter cast iron pan works well)
Roast uncovered at 400 degrees for 90 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, shake pan to stir cabbage every 20 minutes to prevent burning

Pomegranate BBQ Sauce

2011-11-18T13:22:00.001-08:00

The following recipe was featured on the foodee as the meal of the day. I used the BBQ sauce on chicken instead of ribs and I have to say that this is definitely a recipe I will repeat. The flavor of the sauce is delicious. I made it with plantains and white sweet potatoes - a little heavy in the starch department but yummy all the same.
Check out:
http://masteringtheartofpaleocooking.com
Pomegranate BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
1 Large, Ripe, Pomegranate
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
3/4 cup Water
1 Tablespoon Coconut Aminos
3 Tablespoons Organic Tomato Paste
(Ribs or Chicken)
Salt and Pepper
In a small saucepan, combine the pomegranate seeds, balsamic vinegar, and water. Bring to a boil, then cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.
Then, add the coconut aminos and tomato paste, and stir until completely incorporated into the mixture.
Remove from heat and set aside for later use.

Yams, Sweet Potatoes, Kumara

2011-11-18T13:08:00.001-08:00

As I am looking for recipes for the upcoming holiday dinners, I was a little perplexed as to what Kumara is. So briefly here is what I have found...
* Yams are generally sweeter than sweet potatoes
* Yams contain more natural sugar than sweet potatoes and have a higher moisture content
* Kumara, in most countries are called sweet potatoes
* Kumara are one of the most popular vegetables in New Zealand and one of the healthiest you can eat*
* Kumara are available in red, gold and orange, each with a different color and taste
* Sweet Potatoes botanically very distinct from the other vegetable called a yam
* Sweet Potatoes are rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, beta carotene (a vitamin A equivalent nutrient), vitamin C, and vitamin B₆. Pink, yellow and green varieties are high in carotene, the precursor of vitamin A.

Apple Pancake Casserole

2011-10-31T10:17:00.000-07:00

I'm still looking for a replacement for my non-paleo breakfast casserole I make for the holiday's. I will try something similar but maybe nix the fruit for my kids and add some meat, maybe. Let me know if anyone has a kid friendly casserole.

Ingredients:
6 eggs
1 cup almond milk
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
2 tsp vanilla
3 tsp pure maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 apples, diced
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp raw organic honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
crushed walnuts

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In large bowl, whisk eggs, almond milk, coconut oil, vanilla and maple syrup

In small bowl, stir coconut flour and nutmeg

Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients and beat well to combine, set aside and prepare apples

In small frying pan, heat 2 tbsp coconut oil and raw organic honey

Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg and cook 1 minute

Add apples and saute until all apples are coated

Divide apples between 8 Ramekins or pour into an 8x8 pan greased with coconut oil and then evenly divide egg mixture (or pour all of it if using 8x8) on top of apples

Place on baking sheet and bake 20 minutes at 425 and then reduce heat to 375 and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes.

Chocolate Clusters

2011-10-25T13:55:00.000-07:00

So here it is, my sweet tooth in high gear! I vow to eat "paleo" and then need my sugar fix... yes, paleo is "no sugar" but there are better options than grabbing a snickers bar or bag of m&m's.
Here is my shot at it.

Chocolate Clusters
1 cup chocolate (high quality 70% and above)
1 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup sunflower seed kernals
1/4 cup dried blueberries

Melt chocolate in double pot with water lining bottom of pot and chocolate in smaller pan (or use a true double boiler)

After chocolate is melted mix in almonds, sunflower kernals and dried blueberries (you can use any combo of dried fruit and nuts, this is what I had on hand)

Now if I had liners or a decorative little cupcake pan, I would have used that but since I didn't, I dropped into teaspoon (some were tablespoon) sized candies onto parchment paper. Then sprinkled a couple extra pieces of fruit and nuts on top of the candies.

Place in fridge for 15 minutes and enjoy!

Paleo Chili served in Squash Bowl

2011-10-23T14:53:00.000-07:00

3 pounds chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound chili grind beef
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped - 1 yellow, 1 white
4 cloves of garlic, minced
One 6-ounce can of tomato paste
5 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon paprika
1 - 2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
3 - 4 cups water
Tabasco sauce, to serve on the side
Acorn squash
Coconut oil
Cinnamon
Sea Salt

Prepare acorn squash by cutting in half (I like to line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil because I don't like to have to spend a lot of time cleaning). Spread coconut oil on squash, sprinkle with cinnamon and sea salt. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes - depending on size of squash and desired softness.

Cook meat in olive oil, add onions and garlic. Add water, tomato paste, chili powder, oregano, paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper to crock pot. Add in meat after it is browned. Cook on low heat 8 - 9 hours or high heat 4 - 5 hours.

Scoop chili into squash bowls and serve. I like to add a little vinegar to my chili but I don't do that to everyone's since it is a personal preference. Try it!

COLD SESAME (cucumber) NOODLES

2011-07-20T18:47:00.000-07:00

The following recipe was found on The Foodee and originated at The Clothes Make the Girl. Sometimes my substitutions and lack of measuring pays off, sometimes it doesn't. I don't have the proper shredder and my cucumbers were too watery. I considered letting them sit on paper towel to soak up the water and decided against it... wrong move. They were not horrid but not the taste I was looking for. Also, I was absolutely sure that my cupboard was stocked with crushed red pepper flakes, another sub, which I am sure cost me flavor. Anyway, try it for yourself as it is written and let me know how things turn out!

I had some seared tuna with it on the side, I may mix my leftover tuna with the left over cucumbers and have that for lunch tomorrow... I need to throw a little more flavor in though... any suggestions?

Cold Sesame (Cucumber) Noodles

This takes about 10 minutes to make and creates 2 generous servings for dino-chow eaters or 4 side servings for regular people. You can also turn just one cucumber into noodles, use half the sauce, and save the other half of the sauce for tomorrow. Trust me! You’ll want to eat it again soon. Make this into a complete meal by shredding cold, cooked chicken on top or serve alongside grilled chicken or shrimp.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
2 cucumbers
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon organic sunbutter (sugar-free)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon coconut aminos
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (now Whole30-approved!)
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 scallion, dark green part only, thinly sliced

Directions:
1. Heat a small saute pan over medium heat, then toast the sesame seeds until light brown, about 2-3 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Peel the cucumbers, then turn them into noodles with a julienne peeler. Place in a large bowl.
3. In a small bowl, mix the tahini, sunbutter, oil, coconut aminos, vinegar, water, red pepper flakes, garlic, and ginger with a fork until smooth.
4. Pour the dressing over the cucumber noodles and toss gently with a rubber scraper until evenly coated. Mound on a plate and sprinkle with the sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds. Enjoy the first creamy, nutty bite, then ask yourself in wonder and glee, “Noodles! Who needs ‘em?!”
NOTE: Because this includes two kinds of seed butters, it’s higher on the omega-6 side of the world, so you don’t want to eat this as a primary fat source every day. However, as long as you’re getting your coconut oil and/or EVOO and fish oil the majority of the time, this kind of thing is OK occasionally. Enjoy it with a light heart!

LOADED TURKEY STUFFED TWICE BAKED POTATO

2011-07-11T06:47:00.000-07:00

This recipe was featured as a recipe of the day on The Foodee. The site it originated from is paleohmygoodness.blogspot.com
I will try these tonight but wanted to post them now in case you missed them on The Foodee...
One of the changes I want to try is using bacon fat and a few slices of bacon in the mixture, afterall, bacon makes everything taste better. Besides that I will have to let you know if any additional substitutions or additions come to mind.

What you need:

1 lb ground turkey
2 large sweet potatoes (I used the yellow kind)*
1/4 cup Red Hot hot sauce (or another kind you like)
1 tablespoon fat (I used duck fat)
1 yellow onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper, to taste
What you do:
1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut your sweet potatoes in half, lengthwise and put them face down on a cookie sheet. Put in the oven to cook for about 25-30 minutes depending how thick they are. You will know when they are done if they are easy to push on, on the skin side. If you pull them out early and the inside doesn't come out easily with a spoon, you'll need to cook them a bit longer.
3. While your sweet potatoes cook, put out a pot or skillet over medium-high heat. Add a bit of fat to the hot pan then add your garlic and onions to start cooking down.
4. Once the onions are translucent, add the ground turkey and use a large spoon to break it up to help cook it a bit quicker.
5. When the turkey is half way done cooking, add the spices. Let the turkey cook until no longer pink or until completely cooked through, take off heat.
6. Now pull your sweet potatoes out of the oven and use a large spoon to scoop out the insides. Be careful to not go totally to the skin or it may tear and be pointless to add meat to.
7. Put the insides of the sweet potatoes directly into your pan of turkey and mix thoroughly to combine.
8. Now scoop out the new mixture and put into your sweet potato skins. You can go as high as you want. Think of it as a loaded bake potato...load that sh*t on!!
9. Now put those loaded sweet potatoes back on the cookie sheet, face up, back into the oven and cook for 3-5 more minutes just to meld the flavors together and harden the top a bit
10. Now eat them. They are DAMN GOOD. I mean it. Like seriously. Really good.

5 Ways to See The Bright Side

2011-06-29T18:33:00.000-07:00

5 Ways to See The Bright Side (It Can Help You Lose Weight!)

By: Beth Donovan : 6/24/2011 10:00 AM 59 comments : 14,293 Views

Seeing the brighter side of things not only makes life more pleasant but can also help you lose weight. Emotional eating is one of the major causes of spinning out of control with food. If you could control your thoughts, maybe you could control what goes on afterward. Another thing about seeing the bright side of things is that it brings on far less stress. Stress causes the release of cortisol, a hormone known to hoard fat in the body, especially around the abdomen.

Here are 5 different ways that I use to try to look at the bright side of any situation and save myself a little stress.

Reframe the situation. Think about it like you are looking at it through rose tinted glasses. For example, if I was trying very hard to get a bunch of things done and the pressure was really on, I might have to eliminate something. I would do so as politely as possible and look at it as freeing up some space rather than failing. I am not Wonder Woman, after all.

Spend some time in the sun or under a special light that simulates sunlight. Many people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, me included. I have difficulties being in the sun, so I use a full spectrum light. Either will give you the mood boost that you need. Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder can be the blahs, depression, increased appetite, and lethargy. It’s hard to look on the bright side with all of that going on, so get in a little sunshine.

Be grateful. Many times we are so busy concentrating on what we don’t have. Try focusing the same energy on being grateful for what you do have at the moment. Sometimes, when I feel sorry for myself financially, I thank God that I can walk into my kitchen and get clean water to drink and I have a roof over my head. That really is more than some people have. So, really, I am very lucky.

Give. I try to pass on my blessings as well. Giving brings joy. You know the excitement you feel when you have a gift for someone and you can’t wait to see them open it? I love that feeling. Think of doing that on a small scale year round. It can be as simple as leaving a quarter in the shopping cart at Aldi for the next person to use, offering to buy a co-worker a beverage, or just offering a smile instead of averting your eyes as you walk.

Laugh. A lot. Rent a comedy movie, hang around your friends that can make you smile when there is nothing to smile about, find your best friend from 5th grade on Facebook and talk about your silly sleepovers. Do something totally goofy with your kids or set up a date from the early days with your hubby and laugh about old times.

The world is in a sad situation, but really, the only thing we can do to change it is to be happy and spread joy. So if you see nothing to laugh about or smile about, laugh in the face of what would be here to stay and smile it away. Your waistline will thank you for it as well.

Sauteed Coconut Thyme Shrimp Over Spaghetti Squash

2011-06-23T10:32:00.000-07:00

posted Monday June 20th, 2011 on www.thefoodee.com

I will be trying this dish the next time I get around to cooking! Let me know if you try it! Looks delish!

Sauteed Coconut Thyme Shrimp Over Spaghetti Squash

This dish tastes rich to me. It is one of my favorites so we have it about once a month. It is simple but not quick because you have to cook the spaghetti squash. I have cooked this dish two ways. 1) I cooked the shrimp first then added the other ingredients. 2) I added the shrimp in raw at the end and cooked it in the rest of the ingredients. I like the first way better so here it is.

Ingredients:
1 medium spaghetti squash or two smaller ones
1.5 to 2 lbs shrimp peeled and deveined tail OFF
1 can organic coconut milk, open and stir before using
EVOO
1/2 tsp dried thyme
sea salt
black pepper
1/4 cup sherry
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.Chop the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and place insides down in a shallow roasting pan with 1/2 inch of water. Bake about 40 minutes or until the squash is softer when poked from the outside with a fork. Let cool, or if I am in a hurry (always) I just use a silicon oven mitt to hold the hot squash and pick up the squash. Rake out the seeds with a fork and discard. Rake out the rest of the squash into a bowl. It should look like spaghetti. Set aside.
Pre-heat a large stainless skillet over medium heat. Drizzle with EVOO and add the shrimp.Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook about 3 minutes until pink and slightly curled.
Add the squash to the skillet, the coconut milk, the thyme and the sherry. Stir and simmer on low about 5 minutes. You can keep this covered on low until ready to serve.
Serve hot.

How much does a pound of muscle weigh?

2011-06-20T05:42:00.000-07:00

A POUND!

We hear this a lot (mostly from women)...

“Strength training will bulk me up.” 

First, let’s tackle the myth that a pound of muscle weighs more than a pound of fat. A pound is a pound is a pound—whether it’s made up of muscle or fat. That said, muscle is denser than fat and takes up less room, so two women who weigh the same can look much different if one has a higher ratio of lean muscle mass to fat, says Valentour. “Muscle weight is a good weight because you look firmer, smaller, and more fit. It’s also more metabolically active, so just having more muscle will boost metabolism throughout the day to help keep you leaner.”
It’s important to incorporate strength training into your routine so you burn calories at an optimal rate all day long—and using heavier weights could help maximize your efforts. Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that working out with heavy weights even for as few as 3 to 6 repetitions increased exercisers’ sleeping metabolic rate—the number of calories burned overnight—by nearly 8%. That’s enough to lose about 5 pounds in a year, even if you did nothing else!

What happens to your body after you drink a soda every day, for a long time

2011-06-16T20:30:00.000-07:00

You can reach this post's author, Briana Rognlin, via e-mail at briana@blisstree.com.
Sugar rushes and caffeine highs followed by a depressing energy crash are what happens to your body if you drink a soda right now, but plenty of Blisstree readers actually seem to be okay with that. Some of you think it’s alarmist to compare a caffeine and sugar rush to doing drugs, and some just don’t really care about the slump they’ll find themselves in after drinking 39 grams of sugar, but what makes us really worried about a soda-slurping habit is what happens over the long term.

Here’s a quick snapshot of you, in a few years, after drinking soda on a regular basis:

You’ll Be Fatter: According to research in the Nurse’s Health Study, which monitored the health of 90,000 women for eight years, drinking a single soda every day of the week added 10 pounds over a four-year period.

You’ll Probably Have Diabetes: In the Nurses’ Health Study, women who said they drank one or more servings a day of a sugar-sweetened soft drink or fruit punch were twice as likely to have developed type 2 diabetes during the study than those who rarely consumed these beverages.

You’re Much More Likely to Develop Heart Disease: According to a study published in 2007 in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association, subjects who drank a soda every day over a four-year period had a 25% chance of developing high blood sugar levels and a 32% greater chance of developing lower “good” cholesterol levels. The Nurses’ Health Study found that women who drank more than two sugary beverages per day had a 40% higher risk of heart attacks or death from heart disease than women who rarely drank sugary beverages.

You’re Probably Also Less Healthy In Other Ways: Several studies, including the 2007 study published in Circulation, suggest that diet sodas have some of the same effects on health as regular sodas, despite having none or very little of the sugar. Why? Drinking soda is typically part of an overall lifestyle that’s not very healthy: We know you don’t like us to compare drinking caffeine and sugar to substance abuse, but when it comes to your lifestyle, some think that soda is just like a gateway drug.

Paleo Pork Wrapped Asparagus with Bacon Infused Spaghetti Squash

2011-05-31T19:57:00.000-07:00

The following recipe is courtesy of:
http://paleohmygoodness.blogspot.com/2011/05/paleo-pork-wrapped-asparagus-with-bacon.html

This recipe was actually easier than it looks at first glance. Delicious! I did use the mustard mixture generously and for my taste I would go a little lighter on it. Others said it was fine. Also, I would have gone lighter on the generous amount of garlic I used. I do like garlic, I just don't like to taste it for days after the meal. Also, I used a larger spaghetti squash because I love turning it into hashbrowns for breakfast!

What you need:

1-1.5lb pork tenderloin
1 bundle of asparagus
1-1.5lb spaghetti squash
6-8 slices of uncured bacon
3 tablespoons ground mustard (no sugar added, duh)
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
2 garlic cloves, minced
pinch of salt and pepper
1-2 tablespoons of your choice of fat: olive oil, coconut oil, bacon fat, etc.
some butchers twine

What you do:
First, time to cook up that spaghetti squash:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Cut your spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise (don't cut your fingers off, these guys can get a bit dangerous) then scoop out the seeds and stringy mess that fill the inside.
Grab out a cookie sheet and place the spaghetti squash face down (inside towards the pan) on the sheet. You can line it with parchment paper if you want to have a quick clean up.
Let cook for about 35-45 minutes depending on the size. To know if your spaghetti squash is cooked through and ready to eat, poke at the outside of the skin with your finger. If the squash has some give to it (you'll dent it a bit) then it's ready to come out.
Once you have opened up your pork, cut the pork loin into 4 equal parts, width wise. The four equal parts will be stuffed with the asparagus and mustard spread!! Woot!
So let's get the mustard spread ready. Grab a small bowl and add your mustard, garlic and onion powders, and paprika and mix well. Then add a tablespoon or so of the mixture to the INSIDE of each pork tenderloin slab. Be as generous as you'd like!
Now we need to saute up the asparagus. Grab a large pan and put over medium-high heat, add your fat and minced garlic cloves (hello heavenly smell!!). Let the garlic cloves cook for less than a minute, then add your asparagus. Toss the asparagus around a bit to coat, then cover to let steam for 2-3 minutes. Once the asparagus is cooked just a bit, pull it out of the pan and set aside to put into your pork.
Now stuff that pork!! You've put down the mustard spread, so all you have to do is add 5-6 spears (less or more depending on the size and thickness of the pork) and wrap the pork around the spears. Use 5-6 inches of twine to wrap around the middle of your pork and tie it off tight! Do this to all 4 parts of the tenderloin!
After the pork is all bundled up, sprinkle with some salt and pepper on top then put the pork directly back into the hot large pan you cooked your asparagus in, and sear on all sides. The pork will become browned on the outside, but will obviously not be cooked through.
Once the pork is done searing on all sides, add the cute little suckers to a 9 x 11 pan (or whatever fits them all) and add to your hot oven that has been cooking your spaghetti squash. Cook for about 20-30 minutes or until the center of the pork tenderloin measures 140 degrees.

Ok you're almost done!! Just one more step for that fabulous bacon infused spaghetti squash:

In the same pan you've used multiple times at this point, add your bacon over medium-high heat. Let cook on both sides until crispy.
While the bacon is sizzling away, pull out your cooked spaghetti squash and use a fork to shred the crap out of that squash. Try pulling a pork the opposite way the strings run, they seem to come out a bit easier that way, at least for me. Add the strings to a large bowl.
Once your bacon is done cooking, cut the pieces up and add to your bowl of spaghetti squash. Then add a bit of the bacon fat to the spaghetti squash as well. Top off with a pinch of salt and mix together thoroughly.

WARM SPINACH AND SWEET POTATO SALAD

2011-05-30T20:05:00.000-07:00

I am behind on posting recipes and info but this salad recipe was requested after making it this weekend! I will be making this again. Enjoy!

Warm Spinach and Sweet Potato Salad

3 cups peeled and diced sweet potatoes
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 apple diced
8 strips of bacon, diced
2 leeks, thinly sliced
6 oz of fresh baby spinach
Handful of sliced almonds for garnish

Dressing

¼ cup olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp spicy brown mustard (from Trader Joe’s)
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 tbsp of dried basil
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Preheat your oven to 400. Toss the diced sweet potatoes with the coconut oil and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Bake in your preheated oven for 20 minutes. While the sweet potatoes are baking, cook the diced bacon in a large skillet. Once the bacon is crispy, add the sliced leeks in with the bacon and saute for another 4-5 minutes. Put your spinach in a large salad bowl and add the bacon and leek mixture. Toss well, letting the warm bacon wilt the spinach. Add the apples and sweet potatoes to the salad and toss together. In a separate bowl whisk together the salad dressing ingredients. Pour over the salad, mix well and garnish with the sliced almonds.

PALEO Diet - Robb Wolf

2011-05-22T19:34:00.001-07:00

To whatever degree “The Paleo Solution” has been helpful to people is actually just an outgrowth of how helpful many thousands of people have been in the process of writing the book, blogging and generating the podcast. My interaction with folks has allowed me to take the concept of Paleo nutrition and refine it’s application to nearly any situation: fat loss, muscle gain, disease reversal. It’s almost like this stuff works!

Well, it works, but only dependant upon some simple circumstances: If/when you choose do it. That’s what the Food Matrix is about, the doing of Paleo nutrition. I came upon this idea from an “inspiring” moment provided by one of our clients. We’ll call her “Lysa.” Lysa is a bright woman, quite successful in her chosen profession, but she was Hell-bent on failing at her training and nutrition. Lysa had an excuse for everything. Ironically however, this lack of flexibility on Lysa’s part became some of the best inspiration I have had and provided ideas that have helped tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of people.

Find more information at www.robbwolf.com

Dry-Rubbed Espresso Chili Slow Cooker Ribs

2011-05-11T09:02:00.000-07:00

Dry-Rubbed Espresso Chili Slow Cooker Ribs

Fall-off-the-bone tender, juicy ribs packed with a spicy, savory flavor that lingers in the mushroom and caramelized onion side you can pile up on your favorite burger or chicken breast long after the ribs have been devoured.

Prep Time: 10min or less

Cooking Time: 8 fuss-free hours on Low in the slow cooker

Ingredients:

full slab of pork ribs (I am sure beef would work fine too, but make sure you can cram them in your slow cooker)
onions (I used 1.5 reds and 1 huge white one)
mushrooms (I used two pre-sliced packages--the more, the merrier)
the spices*:

1T ground espresso
1T basil
1T chili powder
1T garlic powder
1/2 T kosher salt
1/2 T / 15 grinds or so of black pepper

*NOTE: any of these spices can be mixed and matched with any of your favorites--try whatever you like best!

Method:

This is so easy, it's hardly a recipe:

Food process your mushrooms and onions into slices (or slice by hand or buy pre-sliced) and add all of the onions and half of the mushrooms to the slow cooker pot. Combine the spices and rub them all over both sides and into every nook and cranny of the ribs. Add ribs on top of the bed of mushrooms and onions. Add the remaining mushrooms on top of the ribs. Lid, set to Low, and forget-about-it for 8hrs. Come home or wake up to a house that smells almost as delicious as your meal will be! The ribs should be fall-off-the-bone tender. Serve them with the mushrooms and onions (UPDATED 5/9/11: you can strain those from the meaty broth or leave in), if desired, or save those for kicking your chicken breast or burgers up to a whole 'nother level. You can also add another veg like Broiled Bacon Fat-Smeared Broccolini for a mouthwateringly delicious celebration of pork!

Simplest Explantion

2011-05-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

I get asked the question of what to eat, how to eat, how much to eat. Here it is... the shortest explanation I can come up with, this is directly from CrossFit's Training Guide...

Base your diet on garden vegetables, especially greens, lean meats, nuts and seeds, little starch, and no sugar.

How is this complicated? We all make choices and there are many days I "choose" to have a drink, sugar, a piece of bread... it isn't complicated, it is absolutely not confusing, and absolutely possible to eat like this EVEN "on the road". This is all within your control.

NOW, you want a little more info? Here you go...

Protein should be lean and varied and account for about 30% of your caloric load.

Carbohydrates should be predominantly low-glycemic and account for about 40% of your total caloric load.

Fat should be predominantly monounsaturated and account for about 30% of your caloric load.

Calories should be set at between .7 and 1.0 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass depending on your activity level. The .7 figure is for moderate daily workout loads and the 1.0 figure is for the hardcore athlete.

- courtesy of CrossFit

Generals Chicken

2011-05-03T07:54:00.001-07:00

GENERALS Chicken
Sauce
¾ cup Organic Free Range Chicken Broth (from Trader Joe’s)
2 tbsp arrowroot powder
3 tbsp raw organic honey
1/3 cup (plus a little more) Coconut Aminos (from Whole Foods)
½ tsp ginger
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 scallion, chopped

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, whisk thoroughly and set aside. Melt the honey in the microwave before adding so that it mixes fully with the rest of the ingredients.

Meat
Using a large pan or wok, put two tablespoons of olive or coconut oil in the pan and set it to medium heat. Cut the chicken breasts into small strips or cubes and place in the pan. Brown all sides of your meat. This should take a few minutes. Once the chicken is starting to brown, add the sauce and begin stirring everything together. The sauce will begin to thicken. Add broccoli and chopped carrots at this point and continue to stir everything together. Cook the chicken and veggies in the sauce for another five minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

Cauliflower Rice
If you have a potato ricer, boil a head of cauliflower until it starts to get soft and then chop it into chunks and put it through the ricer. If you do not have one of these handy gadgets, like I don't, chop up a head of cauliflower into little pieces and boil it in a pot until it starts to get soft. Taste it as you go. Whatever kind of texture you want out of your "rice" is up to you. If you want it crunchier, you won't have to boil it as long. Once you've gotten the cauliflower to your ideal texture, drain all of the water out of the pot and serve.

Meatza!

2011-04-07T20:24:00.000-07:00

2 lbs lean meat
1 egg
1/3 cup almond meal
pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce (sugar free or very low sugar)
veggies
cheese

Mix the lean meat with 1 egg and almond meal. Spread the meat in a pan with sides, very thin, just make sure there are not holes in it. I only used 1.25 lb of meat (not enough) and I probably could have spread it a little thinner. Cook at 375 degrees for approximately 10 minutes. Drain any grease or dab with paper towel. Spread with sauce and top with veggies. Next time I would use more veggies. I used very light cheese on my side and added more cheese on the kids side of the pizza. Bake for another 10 minutes. Then 3-5 minutes on high broil.

ENJOY!

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE II

2011-04-07T20:15:00.000-07:00

1 head cauliflower
1 lb sausage
4 slices bacon
1 bell pepper
1/2 large onion
1 bunch green onions
5 large eggs
5 eggwhites
1/2 cup almond milk

Coconut Oil

Grease 9x13 pan with coconut oil. Chop cauliflower into tiny pieces and spread in bottom of pan.

Brown bacon and sausage.

Cut up veggies and spread meat and veggies on top of cauliflower.

Bake at 375 degrees approximately 45 minutes.

Enjoy!

Back at it...

2011-04-04T09:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, several distractions... kids off for spring break, the start of the CrossFit games and life in general and boom, 2 weeks between posts. Yes, I was still cooking and baking (a little) but in typical woman fashion, I was making the same or slightly varied recipes that I already posted. If I re-posted, I figured you would wonder how many times I can fix veggies and eggs. My most recent though is to make the veggies with olive oil and sea salt (any veggies in the fridge), steam them and then throw in a couple eggs and/or egg whites... quick and easy protein and veggie meal. Would work well with adding left over chicken or other meat, too.

I was reading from one of Joel Osteen's books this morning and the reading applies to everywhere in our lives. The question asked "Are you willing to break free from your self-imposed limitations and start stretching to the next level?"

This falls in line with what I try to share with training, CrossFit, diet, etc. Every aspect of our lives. "The events of your past do not reduce your potential."

I have people ask me all the time if I am sick of their daily attempts at success and their failures. I LOVE it when I see people re-commit and re-dedicate their efforts. Defeat is not in the fall, it is in not getting up after the fall.

I was once asked what the first thing someone needs to do before coming to the gym? He didn't seem to like my answer of "get some comfortable clothes to workout in". The answer he was searching for was "get motivated".

motivation

1873, from motivate. Psychological use, "inner or social stimulus for an action," is from 1904.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source

I can try to motivate you in the gym. I can tell you what you need to do, how you need to eat, I can even try to reward you for your success but motivation, is first and foremost, an individual, inner desire to make a change.

Words are powerful. If you keep making excuses as to why you are overweight, why you cannot make it to the gym, why you don't eat the way you should, the changes that need to come about NEVER will!

Alright, tomorrow a recipe and less lecture.

Intermittent Fasting

2011-03-23T20:05:00.000-07:00

I was looking for a good segment on Intermittent Fasting with a lot of explanation and low and behold came across it on Mark's Daily Apple...

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/health-benefits-of-intermittent-fasting/

Fasting is one way to have your cake and eat it too. Beyond the already proven benefits of a Primal Blueprint low-carb lifestyle, fasting once in a while seems to offer many of the same benefits of calorie restriction – you know, stuff like increased longevity, neuroprotection, increased insulin sensitivity, stronger resistance to stress, some cool effects on endogenous hormone production, increased mental clarity, plus more - but without the active, agonizing restriction. You just eat Primally, focusing on meat and vegetables with plenty of animal fat, and skip meals on occasion.

Paleo Granola

2011-03-21T06:29:00.000-07:00

Paleo Granola!

Preheat oven to the lowest temp possible (mine's 170).  
5 medjool dates 
3/4 cup water 
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg 
1 lb unsalted walnuts 
1/2 lb unsalted toasted almond slices  

Put the water, dates, cinnamon and nutmeg into a blender and blend until you get a smooth paste.   

Add the walnuts and about 2/3 of the date paste to a food processor and pulse a few times until it has the consistency of granola.   
Pour the walnut mixture into a big baking pan. Add the almonds and the rest of the date paste and mix to coat.

Bake until crispy - in my oven at 170, this takes about 5 - 6 hrs. Stir every hour or so to break up the big chunks.  

1/4 cup of this paleo granola has 206 calories, 7.9 g carb and 5.8 g protein. I suggest adding dried, unsweetened blueberries or other dried, unsweetened fruits for a great pre-workout snack. This is also my breakfast of choice: 1/4 cup of paleo granola, 1 banana, 1/2 cup of almond milk. Yum!

WARNING: Very addictive! Easy to eat several servings in one sitting!

Pork-Fried Rice (well...cauliflower, actually)

2011-03-16T13:06:00.000-07:00

Maybe it has been so long since I had pork fried rice but this tastes like the real thing (actually better) to me! Definitely a recipe I will repeat, only thing I forgot was the extra coconut oil, I cannot imagine it making it any better. Love it!

Ingredients
Makes 2-4 Servings

2 lbs. Cauliflower, cored and cut/broken into florets
6 Slices Bacon, sliced into 1/2" pieces
1/2 Small Yellow Onion, finely minced
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 tsp. minced Fresh Ginger
1 Small Jalapeno, minced
3 Eggs
1 T. Coconut Aminos
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
1 T. thinly sliced (julienned) Fresh Cilantro (optional)
3 Green Onions, thinly sliced

Steam cauliflower until fork tender (don't let it get mushy). I used a pot and about 1" of water and cooked for about 10 minutes.

Drain water from cauliflower and transfer to a bowl (or back to drained pot). Mash with a fork or chop in a food processor (and then transfer to bowl), until it is rice-like in consistency.

Add onions, garlic, ginger, jalapeno, eggs, aminos, and sea salt to the cauliflower and mix to combine.
Add bacon to a hot saute pan and cook until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Do not drain.

Once the bacon is browned, add the cauliflower mixture and stir to coat with bacon*.
Continue to cook the "rice" mixture over medium-high without stirring for about 5 minutes, until browned.

Stir the mixture and then continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes, until browned.

When you're ready to serve, stir in green onions and garnish with cilantro.

Enjoy!

*You can add 1 T. coconut oil if you want a more crispy texture. The flavor is really good and will give you a more authentic texture.

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

2011-03-14T19:31:00.000-07:00

Found this muffin recipe the other day. Thought I would throw it together. It was a photo opportunity for www.bornmadd.com and a chance to make a paleo recipe. When I make them again, I would like to try them with about 1/4 cup coconut oil instead. I felt they were oily, although, I only had the smallest of bites myself, the non-paleo eaters who were around did try them and said they were good and good enough to repeat. So here you go... (oh and the pictures will be posted shortly)

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Ingredients
1/2 cup coconut flour 
1/2 tsp salt 
1/2 tsp baking soda
6 eggs 
1/2 cup raw honey 
1/2 cup coconut oil 
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. In a small bowl, mix coconut flour, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, beat eggs, honey, and coconut oil. After eggs, honey and oil are thoroughly mixed, add the dry ingredients and continue to mix. Carefully add blueberries. Scoop out batter and place in a paper lined muffin pan (I prefer to line them rather than grease with more oil). Place the pan in the oven and let it bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool, serve and enjoy!
Makes 12 muffins

Double Pork Stuffed Chicken

2011-03-11T14:33:00.000-08:00

The following is a recipe I found on thefoodee.com, not sure the original source anymore but it was delicious. I will mark my changes due to lack of ingredients or choice.

4 chicken breasts
3/4 pound ground pork (I used veal because it is leaner than pork and I was already using bacon)
1 shallot, finely chopped (did not use, forgot to get at store)
1/4 cup chopped parsley (I used dried parsley because I forgot this and I don't like the strong taste)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon celery salt (didn't have this so I used garlic)
1/2 teaspoon allspice (I used a variety of spices)
1 package of bacon
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a skillet over medium heat, sauté pork, shallot, parsley and half of spices for 6-8 minutes until pork is just cooked, but still slightly pink.

Use a knife to butterfly the breasts (slice lengthwise through one side of the breast creating a pocket).
Open up the breasts and pound briefly with a meat tenderizer to thin the meat out a bit.

Sprinkle the remaining spices evenly over the inside of the breasts.
Spoon equal amounts of ground pork on to one side of each breast, then fold the other side over the top.
Wrap bacon slices snugly around each breast, covering entirely.

Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, then put under the broiler for 3 minutes to crisp up bacon.
Can be eaten warm or cold.
For the veggie mixture I used carrots, red peppers, yellow peppers and asparagus, cooked in olive oil and sea salt and pepper.

Answers from Dr. Cordain and the Paleo Diet Team

2011-03-08T09:07:00.000-08:00

Find more information and answers to questions at www.thepaleodiet.com

Basics: Describing The Paleo Diet

Q: Describe how The Paleo Diet works.

A: With readily available modern foods, The Paleo Diet mimics the types of foods every single person on the planet ate prior to the Agricultural Revolution (a mere 500 generations ago). These foods (fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and seafood) are high in the beneficial nutrients (soluble fiber, antioxidant vitamins, phytochemicals, omega-3 and monounsaturated fats, and low-glycemic carbohydrates) that promote good health and are low in the foods and nutrients (refined sugars and grains, saturated and trans fats, salt, high-glycemic carbohydrates, and processed foods) that frequently may cause weight gain, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and numerous other health problems. The Paleo Diet encourages dieters to replace dairy and grain products with fresh fruits and vegetables -- foods that are more nutritious than whole grains or dairy products.

Q: How does The Paleo Diet differ from the glut of diet books constantly bombarding the public?

A: The Paleo Diet is the unique diet to which our species is genetically adapted. This program of eating was not designed by diet doctors, faddists, or nutritionists, but rather by Mother Nature's wisdom acting through evolution and natural selection. The Paleo Diet is based upon extensive scientific research examining the types and quantities of foods our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate. This nutritional plan is totally unlike those irresponsible, low-carbohydrate, high-fat, fad diets that allow unlimited consumption of artery-clogging cheeses, bacon, butter, and fatty meats. Rather, the foundation of The Paleo Diet is lean meat, seafood, and unlimited consumption of fresh fruits and veggies.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN CASSEROLE RECIPE

2011-03-07T05:45:00.000-08:00

1 head cauliflower 
2-3 pounds of chicken 
2 tablespoons butter 
1 onion, finely chopped 
2 tablespoons ginger root, finely chopped or grated 
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 teaspoons cumin 
1 teaspoon paprika 
1 teaspoon coriander 
1/2 teaspoon turmeric 
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
1/4 tsp cayenne (optional – the other spices will already add a bit of spiciness to the dish, so only add the cayenne if you want a really spicy dish) 
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips 
28-ounce can of diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1/2 cup minced parsley or cilantro 
2 tsp salt 
1 lemon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.
The base of the casserole is cauliflower grated into a rice-like texture. Chop the head of cauliflower into small pieces. Push the pieces through a food processor using the grating blade. Spread the grated cauliflower out in a 9×13 rectangular baking pan.

Salt and pepper the chicken. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a deep pan over high heat. Add the chicken, browning well, about 3-5 minutes a side.

Remove the chicken from the hot pan and set aside. Turn heat down to medium and add onion, ginger, garlic and carrots. Cook until the onions are soft. Add remaining tablespoon of butter and all spices. Stir well.

Add red pepper, the can of tomatoes, minced parsley or cilantro and salt. Return the chicken to the pot and simmer for 3-5 minutes.

Pour the chicken mixture over the cauliflower and mix really well, so the cauliflower is completely covered by the sauce. Slice a lemon into thin slices and lay on top of the casserole. Cover the pan with tin foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the tinfoil and cook for 25 minutes more.

Garnish with more fresh parsley or cilantro before serving.

Taco Chicken Wings with Guac Dip

2011-03-04T04:47:00.000-08:00

New Years Eve, Chris and Shara brought over wings from a local restaurant, they were so good, I have been craving wings since then. This recipe popped up on thefoodee.com recently and I have had it in mind to make as soon as I had the opportunity. WELL WORTH IT!!!! Definitely a recipe to repeat!

Ingredients
3 lbs chicken wings
F.O.C. (fat of choice)
2 t garlic powder
2 t chili powder
1 1/2 t salt
1 t smoked paprika
1 t regular paprika
1/4 t cayenne pepper

For the Guac Dip
2 avocados
1 lime, juiced
1 handful cilantro, chopped
chili garlic sauce, to taste
salt

Method
Move the oven rack to the upper-middle part of the oven. Place the oven on broil. Now, let’s go to wing school and learn how to prep the wings:

Save the wings tips for a quick chicken stock.

Mix the spices together. Coat the wings in the spice mix along with a few tablespoons of your F.O.C (melted - I used a little coconut oil). (I put all my spices in a bowl, then transferred the spice mixture to a ziplock bag and tossed the wings around in the mixture, I had actually purchased 5 lbs of wings and ended up doubling my measurements on the spices to accommodate) Place the wings, skin side down, on a baking sheet. Broil for about 12 minutes on this side, until crispy. Use a pair of tongs to flip over the wings to skin-side up. Continue to broil for about 20 minutes, until the skin is super crispy.

For the Guac Dip
Blend all ingredients together in a food processor, or just use a fork to smash everything together.
r-middle part of the oven. Place the oven on broil.

Now, let’s go to wing school and learn how to prep the wings:
This is the gross part (at least I thought so) take the wing and brake it into 3 pieces and chop it apart, I actually did not save the wing tips for the chicken stock, I didn't want to take the time to make any and I didn't want that chicken in my fridge. Next time, I will be more conservative.
It was a light workout chopping the chicken pieces up but when all was finished, I felt I truly accomplished something!

Unfortunately, I was bad about picture taking last night, so I failed to capture this step by step.

Wings plus a salad with asparagus, cucumbers, eggplant, squash and sliced almonds!

Beef Filet with Red Wine Mushroom Sauce

2011-03-03T07:32:00.000-08:00

I really need to try this one. Thanks Dave for sharing another great recipe! This one was found on gavanmurphy.com

RECIPE:
Serves 4

2 lbs Organic/grass fed beef fillet
2 tbsp olive oil
drizzle grape seed or olive oil (for searing beef)
12 oz baby bella mushrooms
2 lg shallots – thinly sliced
2 tbsp fresh tarragon
1/2 cup red wine (whatever you’re drinking will work)
2 cups organic beef broth
S&P

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 420°F

Preheat saute pan for 1 minute on medium heat. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and saute mushrooms & shallots for 4 mins to soften. Add red wine and reduce heat to simmer. Reduce wine by half (2 minutes) and add broth and tarragon. Simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and season with S&P.

Preheat another skillet on high for 1 minute. Season fillet on all sides with S&P. Add drizzle grape seed (excellent for cooking on high temps) or olive oil in hot pan and sear fillet on all sides until browned, 2 minutes each side approx.

Once fillet is seared remove to a foiled oven tray. Pop in oven for 8-10 minutes for medium rare.
Let rest for 10 minutes when cooked to let the juices redistribute back into the meat.

Spoon sauce over sliced steak and Bob’s your uncle!

Paleo Lettuce Wraps

2011-03-02T15:13:00.000-08:00

Here is a recipe from Health-Bent, tried and recommended by Dave from Mile High CrossFit. Thanks for you input, Dave, keep 'em comin'!

These take literally less than 30 minutes to make. The leftovers are awesome cold and would be great for lunch. Only drawback, they’re a little messy. Well, Brandon is usually the messy eater and didn’t have a problem, but myself, the neat one, had the sauce dripping down my hands. Nothing I couldn’t lick up though…hehe.

Ingredients

3 T oil of your choice
1 lb. chicken breasts or ground chicken
4 oz. shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1/2 onion diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, finely chopped
handful of cilantro, chopped
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 c wheat free soy sauce
1 t chili garlic sauce
1 t sesame oil
iceberg or bibb lettuce
1 avocado, sliced

Method

Heat a saute pan with 2 T oil. Cut the chicken into the smallest pieces possible and add the pan. Don’t worry about overcrowding the pan, the chicken doesn’t need to brown, just cook it until it’s done all the way through.
While the chicken is cooking, add the lemon juice, chili sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, green onions and cilantro into a serving bowl.
Once the chicken is done, add it the bowl.
Add a few more glugs of oil to the saute pan and toss in the mushrooms, onion and garlic. Saute until golden, about 10 minutes. Add to the bowl. Toss everything around to coat.
Remove the stem of your lettuce head with a knife (if you’re using iceberg, slice the head in 1/2, lengthwise). Peel the lettuce into individual “cups” and wash.
Pile the chicken into your lettuce cups and top with avocado.

Breakfast Casserole

2011-03-01T07:55:00.000-08:00

Every holiday, I make a breakfast casserole for the kids. They love it, they request it and consider it a treat. My casserole consists of bread, sausage, eggs, milk and salt and pepper... as Easter approaches I am considering my revamping options but still need them to like it... I know THIS version will NOT be my kid version but I will try my thoughts on that soon.

I decided to use my sushi mixture from last night, I mixed up 2 eggs + 4 egg whites + 1/4 cup coconut milk + sea salt and pepper

then I decided to add 2 pieces of cooked bacon

Poured my egg mixture on top

And there you have it... breakfast at home or on the go.
I just tried it and I think as long as I leave the asparagus out... and maybe the shrimp, both my kids may actually eat it! I will let you know!

Rice-Free Sushi

2011-02-28T20:20:00.000-08:00

Got a little busy and hadn't made anything and I didn't have much time for posts...

I posted Sushi last week and I am sure if I had looked at the recipe, mine would have turned out differently... I have never made sushi before and the first one turned out too big, so my advice is don't over stuff!

2 pieces Pacific Sushi Nori Paper
1/2 Avocado
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 head Cauliflower
15-20 Shrimp
1 bunch Asparagus

Not too bad, this is the second roll I wrapped.

Cook asparagus - steam or cook with olive oil and sea salt

Onions, avocado, shrimp

Cauliflower grated, with a little water for steam, I covered it and put it in the microwave for 5 minutes. Be careful not to grate your thumb while grating the cauliflower. Just a word to the wise.

To build the roll, I first laid the paper on a paper towel, then lined it with cauliflower, then the veggies and shrimp. Because I didn't feel like building a bunch of rolls after my experiment, I just threw all the left overs in a bowl for easy eating tomorrow. I may add some scrambled eggs to the mixture or just have an easy on the go lunch available.

Have fun! Send me some pics if you try your hand at it.

Chocolate Covered Bacon

2011-02-23T20:17:00.000-08:00

Yes, I did go there... chocolate covered bacon... I found this recipe today, I thought on health-bent but then couldn't find it again... but this is what I did, very easy...

8 slices bacon
1 bar 70% chocolate
coconut

Chocolate melting in double-boiler (water in bottom pan as to not have chocolate directly on heat, which can cause the chocolate to burn)

These are chocolate covered blueberries, I made these with the left over chocolate, I couldn't eat all of it off the spoon and didn't want to waste it so I decided to use the chocolate more wisely.

After covering bacon in chocolate, I sprinkled with coconut and put in the fridge for about 1 hour for the chocolate to harden.

"Paleo" friendly dessert!

www.sparkpeople.com

2011-02-22T08:20:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite sites for tracking calories (if you want to see what you are consuming with the choices you are making on your paleo/zone diet) is www.sparkpeople.com

There are many others out there, this one is free. There are other free sites and some you pay a monthly or annual subscription fee to. Check it out!

Zucchini Bread

2011-02-20T15:42:00.000-08:00

PALEO ZUCCHINI BREAD

4 large eggs, room temp & separated
2 medium zucchini, grated
1/2 cup almond butter
1 cup almond meal
1 tsp salt
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 325°

Grease a loaf pan, line the sides of the pan with parchment paper and grease that too ( I used foil, fresh out of parchment paper!)

Beat the egg yolks until they have lightened to a lemony-yellow color (about 2 minutes). Add zucchini, almond butter, almond meal, salt, honey, spices & baking powder, mix until well blended.

In a separate, clean bowl with clean beaters whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. This works best with a metal bowl, room temperature egg whites.

Take a big spoonful of the beaten egg whites and mix well into the zucchini mixture. Fold the zucchini mixture into the egg whites until no more streaks of white appear.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 45-50 minutes until browned and puffy on top and firm in the center. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing from pan to cool on a wire rack.

This turned out VERY moist, took mine a little longer to bake, and I will make it again... this time measuring more accurately, I usually just eyeball my measurements and I do want to see if the flavor is stronger with more accurate measuring. I didn't have pumpkin pie spice so I threw in a little nutmeg.

Rice-Free Sushi

2011-02-20T15:31:00.000-08:00

Although, I have not tried this, yet, I wanted to post it... I have been thinking about alternatives to building a sushi roll and found this post via The Food Lovers' Primal Palate. I will post comments and picture when I make it but if you make it first, let me know!

Ingredients:

Wild caught lump blue crab meat
One head of cauliflower
Nori Seaweed
One cucumber
One avocado
Natural wasabi powder (Sushi Chef brand)
Coconut aminos

Process:

Rinse cauliflower, and grate with a cheese grater. Discard stems.
Saute cauliflower in 1/2 a tablespoon coconut or olive oil for 5-7 minutes on medium heat. Let cool
Thinly slice cucumber and avocado.
Place a sheet of seaweed onto a cutting board, and cover 2/3 with a thin layer of cauliflower.
1/2 inch from the top edge of the seaweed, place a row of cucumber, avocado, and crab meat.
Carefully roll sushi until you have an inch of seaweed left. Wet the sea weed with water to seal the roll.
Slice sushi roll into 1 inch slices.
Mix equal parts natural wasabi powder with water, and let sit for 10 minutes.
Serve sushi with wasabi and coconut aminos for dipping.

FRENCH TOAST

2011-02-16T12:34:00.000-08:00

Paleo French Toast
Elana's Scrumptious Sandwich Bread, cut into 1.5"-2" slices
4 Dates
2 Eggs
1/4 Coconut Milk
1/2 T. Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 T. Cinnamon

1 T. Canola Oil, for grilling

Mix all of the ingredients (except for oil) in a blender, until smooth. Pour wet mixture into a large bowl of shallow baking dish. Soak bread in the mixture for approximately five minute and then flip. Soak on the second side for another 10 minutes of so...to really get the custard absorbed.

*Heat the canola oil on a griddle or heavy-bottom pan over medium heat. Cook on first side for 5-7 minutes and then flip. Cook for another 7-10 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
I put a lid on my french toast as I cooked the second side.

*You can also bake this french toast at 350F, for 20-25 minutes.

1 pc paleo french toast
1/2 tsp almond butter
3 strawberries
2 egg whites

SCRUMPTIOUS SANDWICH BREAD

2011-02-16T12:21:00.000-08:00

Scrumptious Sandwich Bread
Makes 1 loaf or 6 two-slice servings

Coconut oil, for greasing pan
Almond flour for dusting pan

3/4 cup creamy roasted almond butter, at room temperature
4 large eggs
1/4 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground flax meal

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 7-by-3-inch loaf pan with *grapeseed oil and dust with almond flour.

In a large bowl, mix the almond butter with a handheld mixer until smooth, then blend with the eggs.
In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, arrowroot powder, salt, baking soda and flax meal. Blend the almond flour mixture into the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes on the bottom rack of the oven, until a knife inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan for 1 hour, then serve.

Celery Root and Turkey Meatloaf

2011-02-14T21:00:00.000-08:00

1 large celery root
1 cup chicken stock
2 slices bacon
1 tbsp coconut oil or bacon grease
1/2 cup cheese

Cut the ends off the celery roots and slice the skin off. Slice the root into 1/3′s, then rotate and slice into thick sticks, then slice into rough squares.

Toss the roots into a pot of salted water and boil until softened, about 10 minutes.

Get out your blender and place the roots inside, along with the stock, cheese and 1 T of bacon fat or coconut oil. Pulse until you reach a smooth consistency. Stir it around and/or add more stock if the mixture isn’t cooperating. S&P to your liking.

I actually added the cheese just before serving and mixed it in the finished product.

Turkey Meatloaf

2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chiles
2 pound ground turkey
1 cup cilantro, finely chopped - I actually used 1/2 cup parsley because I accidently bought parsley instead of cilantro
1 onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
In a medium sized bowl mix diced chiles with turkey, cilantro, onion, cumin, chili powder and salt
Form into loaf in a 9x13 baking dish.
Bake at 375 degrees F. for 1 hour (until fully cooked)
Serve

My turkey meat had been frozen, I don't think it looked so great coming out of the oven but it tasted great!

The Zone Diet Explained

2011-02-11T07:02:00.000-08:00

QUESTION: If the food graph is showing measurements for 1 block, does that mean I need 30 cups of romaine lettuce for my meal?

ANSWER: Yes, technically, but I trust you can be more creative. When planning your meals, you do not need to pick one food and multiply it by the number of blocks for your meal; choose to mix and match foods instead. As a woman consuming a 2 block meal, I have no issue with eating 2 1/2 cups of broccoli, but if I do want to "mix it up" a little, I will have 1 1/4 cup broccoli and 1 1/4 cup cauliflower. If I were consuming a 5 block meal, I would have an awesome mix of broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, yellow squash and asparagus steamed with some sea salt and a little olive oil. Top that with a few seeds or nuts and add a serving of mahi mahi and I'm in heaven! Why can't I be a 5 blocker?

If you wanted to have a salad, have one serving of romaine lettuce or spinach and mix in other veggies and protein to make a delectable meal.

Feel free to post more questions! Or I would be happy to elaborate more!

Diet and Weight Loss Tutorial

2011-02-09T12:05:00.000-08:00

Diet and Weight Loss Tutorial

If you are eating PALEO, this info is less applicable to you but still good to know. If you are trying to convert to a paleo diet but still go back to your old ways keep this in mind.

When we eat, our body converts digestible carbohydrates into blood sugar (glucose), our main source of energy. Our blood sugar level can affect how hungry and how energetic we feel, both important factors when we are watching how we eat and exercise. It also determines whether we burn fat or store it.

Our pancreas creates a hormone called insulin that transports blood sugar into our body's cells where it is used for energy. When we eat refined grains that have had most of their fiber stripped away, sugar, or other carbohydrate-rich foods that are quickly processed into blood sugar, the pancreas goes into overtime to produce the insulin necessary for all this blood sugar to be used for energy. This insulin surge tells our body that plenty of energy is readily available and that it should stop burning fat and start storing it.

However, the greater concern with the insulin surge is not that it tells our body to start storing fat. Whatever we eat and don't burn up eventually gets turned into fat anyway.
The greater concern is that the insulin surge causes too much blood sugar to be transported out of our blood and this results in our blood sugar and insulin levels dropping below normal. This leaves us feeling tired and hungry and wanting to eat more. The unfortunate result of this scenario is that it makes us want to eat something else with a high sugar content. When we do, we start the cycle all over again.

What to Watch For

Simple Carbohydrates: Because of their small molecular size, simple carbohydrates can be metabolized quickly and are therefore most likely to cause an insulin surge.
Simple carbohydrates include the various forms of sugar, such as sucrose (table sugar), fructose (fruit sugar), lactose (dairy sugar), and glucose (blood sugar). Watch for the "-ose" ending.

Hidden Sugar in Processed Foods: Watch for "hidden" sugar in processed foods like bread, ketchup, salad dressing, canned fruit, applesauce, peanut butter, and soups.

Sugar in Beverages: Be aware of the amount of sugar in beverages, especially coffee and soda pop. It can add up quickly, and most such drinks aren't filling.

Fat-Free Products: Sugar is often used to replace the flavor that is lost when the fat is removed. And as if that's not bad enough, without any fat to slow it down the sugar is absorbed into your blood faster.

Cereal Box Claims of Less Sugar: Many newer cereals do contain less sugar, but the calories, carbohydrates, fat, fiber and other nutrients are almost identical to the full-sugar cereals. The manufacturers have simply replaced sugar with other refined, simple carbohydrates.

No Sugar Added: It doesn't mean that the product doesn't naturally contain a lot of sugar. 100% fruit products often contain concentrated fruit juice, still another form of fructose or sugar.

Table sugar (sucrose) is often said to provide "empty calories" because it has no nutritional value other than providing fuel for energy. Honey and other more natural sugars, on the other hand, are often considered to be healthier because of the trace vitamins and minerals they provide. Still, for weight loss purposes, all of these sweeteners can simply be treated as sugar.

Chocolate Nut Clusters

2011-02-08T13:37:00.000-08:00

I would have gone with a higher grade chocolate but this was the best I could find at the store... okay, the best I could find that I cared to pay for. You can find better chocolate down the candy aisle versus the baking aisle.

As we have entered our Paleo challenge at Mile High CrossFit, I continually get asked how I go without my sweets. Often I don't, I try to modify recipes and find better alternatives to the things I have grown to like.

1 cup Almonds
1/2 cup Walnuts
1/2 cup Sunflower Seeds
1/3 cup Dried Cranberries
1 cup Dark Chocolate (70% is preferred)

Melt Chocolate in double boiler, if you don't have one, then make one out of two pots, in the larger pot on the bottom fill with a bit of water, then place the smaller pot inside it with the chocolate. This helps the chocolate melt smoother and not burn as it does when directly over a flame or heat.

After chocolate is melted, mix in additional ingredients until all coated, then drop into clusters onto wax paper. This batch yielded 30 Nut Clusters.

I left on the counter to cool and for the chocolate to harden, approximately 2 hours.

Paleo/Zone Challenge - 6 weeks - DAY 1

2011-02-05T21:57:00.000-08:00

Technically, today is the first day of our Paleo/Zone Challenge at Mile High CrossFit. I say "technically" because I think everyone is waiting until after Super Bowl Sunday! So check back here for progress and more info for guidance in eating clean and balanced!

Choose your level of the challenge:

Beginner: eliminate sugar and grains; 1 cheat day a week.
Intermediate: eliminate sugar and grains; no cheat days.
Advanced: eliminate sugar, grains and dairy; no cheat days.
Expert: eliminate sugar, grains, dairy, legumes and alcohol; no cheat days.

You get a Paleo Day on the challenge if:

1.     Each of your daily meals is balanced: it has protein, fat and carbohydrates.
2.     You did not have any sugar or grains.
3.     Three alcoholic drinks a week – tops.

Ever wonder what the benefits of taking fish oil are?

Inflammation
Omega-3 fatty acids are not only good for the heart; they also help to reduce inflammation. This is perhaps one of the most valuable benefits of the Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil, as inflammation is associated with many serious diseases. Heart disease, cancer, autoimmune diseases, psoriasis, and Alzheimer's, for example, are characterized by increased levels of pro-inflammatory markers. Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil reduce inflammation by preventing production of pro-inflammatory signaling molecules. This may help to prevent serious illness associated with inflammation.

Find out more on the benefits of taking FISH OIL on a daily basis by visiting www.fishoilbenefit.net

Italian Sausage Bison Meatballs

2011-02-04T08:58:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine made these and said they were delicious. I will try them soon. If you try them, send me some pics and your opinion of them.

Italian Sausage Bison Meatballs
1 lb ground beef (or bison)
1 lb sweet Italian sausage ( didn't have sweet so just used the boulder company ones (not hot) they were spicy enough
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 sprig fresh rosemary, minced (used dry)
3 sprigs fresh thyme, minced (used dry)
1 long sprig fresh oregano, minced (used dry)
1/4 cup roughly chopped flat leaf parsley (didn't use)
1/2 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
1/2 cup almond meal
2 eggs, whisked
1 tsp red pepper flakes
A few grinds black pepper

www.robbwolf.com

2011-02-04T08:37:00.000-08:00

The following is a QUICK START GUIDE for the Paleo Diet

1. Clean out the Pantry
2. Go shopping
3. Cook!
4. Go for a walk
5. Sleep!

1. Clean out the Pantry

We do not have self-control. PLAN AHEAD! Don’t have tempting foods in the house. Remove the bread, rice, pasta, cookies, crackers, puddings, ice cream, waffles, juice, sodas, cereals, oatmeal, artificial sweeteners, yogurt, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, canned soups, apple sauce, noodles...all refined, packaged foods. Bag it all up, take it to a food bank or homeless shelter. No, the kids do NOT need crackers and Goldfish. They might actually be healthier if YOU are healthier!

2. Go shopping

Now it’s time to fill your cupboards with food worth eating.
Protein.
Ideally these options are grass fed or wild caught. If you cannot find those should you eat a bagel? No! Conventional options are fine. Beans and rice do NOT count.
Land: Pork, beef, lamb. Sea: Trout, salmon, shrimp, crab. You know...fishy type stuff! Air: Chicken, turkey, duck, ostrich. I know, ostrich is flightless don’t get cheeky.
Round things out with some good quality bacon, omega-3 enriched eggs and some items like chicken- apple sausage to help you with breakfast on busy days.
Veggies.
Ideally these are local and organic, but again, this should not be a deal breaker. Our local mega-food chain actually has the best produce outside of the farmers market, and at an amazing price. Shop with the season, which typically means what is on sale. Mix up the colors.
Fruit.
Limit fruit to 1 serving per day if fat loss is your goal. A serving is not a whole watermelon. If you want to screw things up and not make progress, eat all the fruit you want, it’s your nickel, ride the ride as you like. In order of preference: Berries, melons, citrus, apples, pears. Bananas, papayas and mangoes are great for athletes post workout but dodgy for folks who want to lose weight.
Fats.
Olive oil (extra virgin) coconut, avocado (oil and whole), macadamia (whole and oil), almonds, walnuts. If fat loss is a goal limit nuts to 1-2 oz. per day.
Odds & Ends.
Marinara sauce, herbs, spices-curry powder, garlic, ginger, cilantro, garam massala, chili powder, black pepper, lemon zest, allspice, cinnamon, cumin, oregano, and basil. Get at least 20 herbs and spices to keep your cooking lively. Stock up on espresso, teas and mineral water as these are your beverages of choice.

3. Cook!
The majority of your meals look something like this:
•    4-8 oz of lean protein such as chicken, lean beef, turkey, pork loin or seafood.
•    Several servings of vegetables, either raw, steamed, or lightly cooked.
•    Finally, round out the meal with good fats from Avocado, olive oil or a handful of un-salted nuts
such as almonds, pecans, macadamias or walnuts.
Keypoints:
•    Protein every meal
•    3-4 meals per day
•    Limit fruit to 1 serving if fat loss is a goal
•    Limit nuts to 1-2 oz if fat loss is a goal
•    Beverages are coffee, tea, minearal water. Unsweetened, this includes stevia.

4. Go for a Walk!
Get outside and move. Gauge your fitness level and act accordingly. If you need help, find a trainer or coach.

5. Sleep!
Black out your room. No, REALLY black out your room. No LED lights from alarm clocks, fire alarms, TV’s etc. Do not watch TV or check email for at least 1 hour before bed. Go to bed early, get at least 8- 9 hrs of sleep. You should wake up without an alarm, feeling refreshed.

Questions? Confused?
If you are curious about these recommendations read The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf. Or just follow this guide, reap all the benefits and don’t bother with the details. That’s up to you.

Paleo Fudgie Brownies

2011-02-04T08:32:00.000-08:00

Paleo Fudgie Brownies

1 c almond butter
1/2 c canned coconut milk
2 eggs
2 t vanilla extract
1/4 t salt
1/3 c cocoa powder
1/3 c chocolate chips (use the highest % cocoa you can find, around 70% is good)
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
1/8 c agave nectar (a little at a time to taste)

Method

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 x 8 baking dish.

In a bowl whisk together the almond butter, coconut milk, eggs, vanilla extract and salt. Then add the cocoa powder, chocolate chips and applesauce.

Pour into the prepared baking dish and top with chopped nuts.

Bake for approx. 18 minutes.

I am in the process of trying these. I chose to NOT add the agave nectar and I think that may have been a mistake. The original recipe said it may not be needed so I didn't bother but... will let you know.

I liked the first batch of paleo brownies better...

Paleo Waffles Revamped

2011-02-01T14:30:00.000-08:00

Of course, I knew I could do the first batch better, so here is what I did...

1 1/2 c almonds ground in blender (you can buy almond meal if you prefer but it will end up the same)
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

Mix almonds first, then add all other ingredients and blend into a smooth consistency. Make waffles. Top as desired. Next time I might add a banana to the mix to flavor the waffles even more.

PALEO WAFFLES

2011-02-01T06:59:00.000-08:00

Kids are out of school for a cold/snow day, so it was a great opportunity to try the paleo waffle recipe I was interested in. I will say, although I thought they had an element of goodness, Jack came downstairs saying it smelled like our cats food. With that said...

PALEO WAFFLES (I adapted this recipe from several different recipes I found)
2 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups almond meal (recipe calls for almond flour, I used ground almonds, which I only ground as a "meal" consistency)
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pure vanilla

Preheat the waffle iron.
Mix egg yolks and water until frothy.
Add remaining ingredients and combine until smooth.
Whisk egg whites until they form light, frothy peaks. Fold into batter.
Scoop batter onto preheated waffle iron and cook until golden brown.

Egg yolk and water mixture

Full mixture.

Cooked waffle.

Tried different things, blueberries, microwaved and mushed would give it more flavor and keep it more "pure", I added some melted almond butter on top of this but still not quite what I was looking for. Then I tried a little raspberry preserves on top and better but it added a sugar content I didn't really want. I think I would just eat like bread with a little almond butter and banana slices next time or go for the splurge and add syrup.

Even Samantha thought they were great! Okay, that is not quite true... she was giving the thumbs up for her own traditional bisquick waffle with real butter and syrup. I know, I know, I try with them but...

CANDY

2011-02-01T06:43:00.000-08:00

This weekend, I had cheat days on Saturday and Sunday. Since I re-introduced sugar to my diet with my dessert Saturday night, I have now been craving the "drug"! So here are some things I played around with... as close to paleo as you can get with forbidden paleo foods, hmmm, how's that work?

Each cluster consists of 1 walnut, 1 or 2 almonds, 1 or 2 dried cranberries and melted dark chocolate to hold it all together and add that sugar hit I was craving.

Later in the day, I grabbed some dried apricots, dipped half in melted dark chocolate and then dipped in crushed pistachios and almonds. I never said I was perfect! But yum!

PALEO PANCAKES

2011-01-30T19:59:00.000-08:00

Paleo Pancakes (courtesy of Chris and Shara)

For one serving the ingredients are 1 banana (or 8oz apple sauce), 1 egg and 1 heaping tablespoon of Almond Butter.

We make extra to use for breakfasts during the week so this is 3 servings of the paleo pancakes. Mash up 2 bananas and 8oz. of natural no added sugar apple sauce, then add 3 eggs and stir. Finally add the almond butter and stir til it mixes well. We add cinnamon and sometimes crushed walnuts or blueberries for added flavor.

Almond Butter added to mix.

Make silver dollar size pancakes and cook on medium.

They can be difficult to flip so keep em small.

ENJOY!!!

Sample Paleo/Zone Day - 11 blocks

2011-01-27T10:21:00.000-08:00

With so much talk about Paleo diets and Zone diets, I thought I would provide a snapshot of a Paleo/Zone day and what it truly looks like for those who think it would be impossible to eat this way. Looks pretty do-able doesn't it.

Sample Paleo/Zone Day (courtesy of CFSCC)

11 Block Day

Breakfast

Coffee

½ C egg beaters (scrambled)

1 ½ C blueberries & raspberries

12 almonds

Snack

½ apple

1 tsp almond butter

1 oz. sliced deli turkey

Lunch

2 oz. grilled chicken breast

Salad… 1 C lettuce, 1 tomato, 4 Tbsp. avocado,

½ C mushrooms, ½ C celery & splash lemon juice

Snack

1 hardboiled egg

1 peach

2 macadamia nuts

Dinner

4 oz. grilled salmon

12 grilled asparagus spears

Salad… 1 C lettuce, 1 tomato, 2 T avocado,

& lemon juice

Dessert

1 C blueberries

¼ C lite coconut milk with 1 egg white whipped & topped with cinnamon

SHEPHERDS PIE (PALEO)

2011-01-27T08:07:00.000-08:00

I was going for a PALEO SHEPHERDS PIE type of dish... since I was experimenting I didn't take pictures during the preparation. But will make some changes the next time around anyway.

1 Zucchini
1 bunch Asparagus
1 head of Broccoli
1/2 yellow Onion
1 Yellow Squash
1 - 2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil (otherwise known as EVOO)
Sea Salt
Pepper
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Parsley
1 tsp Thyme
1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb sausage
8 slices of Muenster Cheese

CRUST
Ingredients:

2 cups of Almond Meal
2 large eggs
1 tsp olive oil
½ tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together to form the dough.

Roll out onto a non-stick pan as thin as possible.

Bake tortilla at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes until slightly browned.

Prepare the veggies with EVOO, sea salt and pepper. Brown the meat, adding in the additional seasonings. Prepare the crust in the bottom of a 9x13 pan (greased with coconut oil)... after baking crust as instructed, evenly distribute meat and then layer with veggies, top layer is NOT paleo but I covered the casserole with slices of Muenster cheese. If you want more moisture and don't mind the splurge of the cheese, add a layer of cheese between the meet and the veggies. I think that would make a huge difference.

DAY 2 - I topped my leftover bowl of this casserole with a fried egg.
Later in the day, since I was rushed and lacking originality I had another bowl of casserole, this time topping it with salsa. Both options were delicious and added the moisture needed.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH

2011-01-25T07:03:00.000-08:00

We all have good days and bad days, yesterday, I consumed 4 paleo muffins, I ate animal crackers (because it was all I had in the car after my workout and needed something... poor planning on my part) and in the morning I had cleaned up the kids cereal! Okay, today is a day for better planning.

As I work on getting out the door, I have butternut squash in the oven because later I plan on mixing it in with my veggie mix... I love having a bunch of veggies cooked with a little EVOO and sea salt and pepper. I will make a big batch and add them to fish or meat for a quick and easy on-the-go meal. Or add some eggs in and it is a well balanced breakfast.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH microwaved for 4 minutes for easy cutting, sliced, a little coconut oil spread on, sprinkled with sea salt and cinnamon. Baking for 45 minutes, turned with squash side down on baking sheet.

PALEO MUFFINS

2011-01-24T09:44:00.000-08:00

Here is the recipe I decided to try today. Oh my goodness!!!! YUM! I just ate 2 and I wasn't hungry!!! IF you don't like them as much as I do, it may be that you are still regularly consuming sugar! I think they are heavenly, especially right out of the oven... honestly, I haven't tried them any other way... yet.

PALEO MUFFINS - courtesy of www.thefoodee.com

Ingredients
3 bananas
3 eggs (cage free hens, anyone?)
1 cup pitted dates
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup coconut oil

2 cups almond meal
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 cup nuts (walnuts used in this recipe)

Blend the bananas, eggs, dates, apple cider vinegar and coconut oil in a food processor or blender.
Fold the dry ingredients into the blended mixture and add the shredded carrots and nuts.
Pour mixture into muffin pan and bake for 25 minutes @ 350 degrees! Experiment with your own tweaks and enjoy!

Here is the liquid mixture. I did not tweak anything on this recipe, this time around.

Before they went in the oven. After I mixed my shredded carrots, I realized it would have been a good idea to chop the slices a bit so before putting the mixture in the pan I grabbed a pair of scissors and cut through the mixture. Next time I will chop up the shredded carrots before mixing.

Since by the close of the day, I consumed 4 muffins (2 fresh from the oven and 2 in a rush out the door getting kids to CrossFit Kids) I decided to see just what I consumed in sugar and calories...

Nutrition Facts
20 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories		183.4

Total Fat		13.2 g

	Saturated Fat	3.4 g

	Polyunsaturated Fat	3.0 g

	Monounsaturated Fat	1.0 g

Cholesterol		31.9 mg

Sodium		15.6 mg

Potassium		190.4 mg

Total Carbohydrate		14.9 g

	Dietary Fiber	3.0 g

	Sugars	8.8 g

Protein		4.7 g

EGGS WITH HASH BROWNS

2011-01-24T09:24:00.000-08:00

EGGS WITH HASH BROWNS

I was craving a good side dish for my eggs, and decided spaghetti squash looks a lot like hash brown.

3 Egg Whites
1 Egg
1 Slice Bacon
1 cup spinach
1/8 - 1/4 cup onions
1/4 cup mushrooms

I typically make my eggs with whatever I have on hand, zucchini, left over squash, broccoli, green peppers, red peppers, yellow peppers, turkey, chicken etc. Point being... mix in what you like or what you have on hand.

Spaghetti Squash

I made this the night before by slicing it in half length-wise. Placing foil on my baking sheet for easy clean-up... I scooped out the seeds, then put a little coconut oil on each half, sprinkled with sea salt and cinnamon, flipped it upside down and baked it at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.

Take the squash out the oven, let it cool slightly and start scraping out the squash with a fork. I chose to put it in tupperware and store it in the fridge for on the go consumption.

In the morning, I used a frying pan, drizzled minimal extra virgin olive oil in the pan, placed about a cup or two of squash, sprinkled with pepper and sea salt and cooked it until it was warm and browned. Delicious!

STUFFED SQUASH

2011-01-18T18:25:00.000-08:00

I haven't linked this blog to our site, yet, so I have not been diligent in keeping up on posts. I have tried several new recipes and per usual, I have yet to follow a recipe but instead take the ideas from the recipes.

Stuffed Squash taken from our link with www.foodee.com (their source is blog site "jengoespaleo")

1 acorn squash
2 strips bacon
1/2 yellow onion
1 zucchini squash
1 bunch broccoli
1 eggplant
1 lb ground sausage
1 lb ground beef (buffalo)
EVOO
Cinnamon

Prepare the acorn squash, by cutting in half lengthwise, drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and sprinkle with cinnamon, bake at 400 degrees F. 40 minutes.

Prepare the stuffing mixture as follows:

Brown meat, chop onion, add to meat, cook until no longer pink. Remove from heat, set aside. Drizzle EVOO in skillet, add desired veggies, sea salt and pepper with 1/4 cup water. I put the lid on for about 5 minutes to steam veggies until water dissipates. Add meat mixture to veggie mixture, allow to cook another 5 minutes or so, remove from heat.

When acorn squash is finished, remove from oven, fill as high as possible with the meat mixture, cut up bacon and place over the mixture. Return to oven and bake for another 30-40 minutes. Watch bacon for desired done-ness.

Season with parsley, as desired. Serve. There will be plenty of left over meat mixture. I enjoy mine as a side to my eggs in the am or I mix it all together with my eggs for a quick on the go meal. OR you can also have a brand new meal on day 2 and make stuffed peppers.

STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

on this day, I used cauliflower, broccoli, celery, red bell pepper and onions in my mix.

Just as delicious as the stuffed squash!

January 11th, 2011

2011-01-11T12:55:00.000-08:00

I had a few bad days. I promised a friend we would go have an awesome dessert and we did but even though it made me sick, it jump started my sweet tooth and all the work I did making it to day 3 of paleo! Since Sunday, I have been on a fast. I needed to get everything out of my system and go back to square one.

I will let you know what recipes have worked for me but on our site www.milehighcrossfit.com we have a link for the meal of the day off the foodee website. If you click on the picture, the link will take you to the foodee website and from there if you click on the meal you want more information on, it will then link to the site that originally posted the food! The resource are fun and limitless. There are so many awesome recipes at our fingertips! Some recipes I make up myself, others I just alter others ideas.

Have fun with it!

January 5th, 2011

2011-01-05T07:42:00.000-08:00

I am starting this blog to help my gym members with their diets. I repeat myself often and do not remember which bit of information I have shared with each and every person. In addition, handouts or menus or diet suggestions or informational sheets get costly and get lost. So here I am entering an arena which I am only loosely familiar, so forgive me if I mis-post something or type a bunch of stuff then hit the back button and lose everything... not saying I just did that or anything.

Bottom line, I am not any different from anyone else, I like to eat, I crave sugar, I cheat on my diet, my face is breaking out terribly, I have gained 15 lbs over the past 3 years and I am nearing the next decade of my life.

Over the past year, my diet when from very clean to making loose attempts at zone and paleo and just a general clean eating diet. Over the past 2 months (holidays) I have lost track of cheat days versus clean days.

I find for myself and for others that day 3 of eating right (NO SUGAR, NO DAIRY, NO LEGUMES, NO BEANS, NO GRAINS) is the most difficult.

So let's start our journey together... and today is DAY 3 for me. Yes, I have already noticed an improvement (not yet where I want to be) in my complexion and feeling of "bloat".

I KNOW these things, I KNOW this is the way to go, I KNOW how to lose weight, become lean, become stronger, have a better complexion... I honestly do. I have let myself slide. I vow to practice what I preach and I hope that you all see the results and it just motivates you to do the same.