Paleo Super Bowl

Hello Friends,

I am so excited to report our super bowl food! We did not have a party, just some family relaxing time. But you have to have a smorgasbord of food for a big football game! The Menu:

Stuffed Jalapenos Wrapped in Bacon
8 large jalapenos
8 slices of nitrate free bacon
1LB of ground meat 100% grass fed
1/2 cup of chopped
2 garlic cloves - minced
1TBL of Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp of cumin

Saute garlic and onions in coconut oil
add in meat and brown it until complete
add in spices

Slice the tip of the Jalapenos off, then cut the top of it off so you can remove the veins and seeds. Once complete stuff each jalapeno with the meat, wrap with a piece of bacon and place in a casserole dish. Bake them in the oven at 375 for 15-20 minutes, then broil them on the top shelf of the oven to make the bacon extra crispy. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn.

Guacamole and Crispy Kale Chips and diced Bell peppers
Layer Kale on a baking sheet
drizzle olive oil and garlic salt
Bake in oven at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes

Bacon Wrapped Dates
remove pit from 12 dates
stuff each one with an almond
wrap with a slice of bacon
Bake in the oven at 350 for 15-20 minutes

Hot Chicken Tenders
Bake Chicken in oven at 350 for 30 minutes

Sauce:
In a sauce pan add in 2 tbls of hot sauce
1/4 cup of pasture butter or butter ghee
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp of chilli powder
S&P to taste
Cook until sauce is mixed well
Pour over cooked chicken and bake for another 15 minutes

It was a bit of grazing for me while cooking and for my dinner plate I put the Kale chips down first, layered guacamole, chopped up bell peppers and the chicken and ate it like a salad :) I wanted a beer; however, I resisted the temptation! I totally cheated when I went to Yvette's house......her mom brought tamales. I had 2 and they were delicious. Cheers and Happy Monday to all!

Crossfit Trains you For Anything!

I meant to write this the other day and just have not found the time to do it. Many of you that know me well know that I set out with the intentions to train for a race, then I never get around to it! Due to the fact that I signed up, I am committed. The 3M 1/2 Marathon was on Sunday and the most I had run was 2 miles one day with Chris and the Friday before about 3.5 miles. Guess the excitement was not there to train. All that being said, I have been doing crossfit 3-4 times a week and our daily warm ups consist of a small 400 meter run. Some of our WODS have 800 meter runs in them....OH and one of them had us run 400 Meters holding a 35Lb weight.

So I guess you could say that Crossfit was my training. I was committed so I woke up at 5:20 Sunday morning and headed up North to 183 and Mopac.

Took off around 6:50am with my music blaring and focused. I did doubt myself for a split second, then I just took off and was determined. The first time I saw a sign I felt like I was at 3 miles (forgot to hit start on micoach app) and the sign said 5miles :) I thought wow almost half way there. I walked 30 seconds at the next water station then kept going. Finally got hot at 10miles and had to remove my jacket. That was quite the trek..... Had to stop to take off iPod, remove jacket and tie it around my waste and put iPod back on. Probably wasted a good 2 minutes on that project :). then ran the rest of the way in!!! Oh one more 30 sec water break. Overall I am happy with it because I did it. My phone rang at mile 10 and it was my husband telling me that he was there at the finish line with Grace. That gave me an extra push to get there fast and make them proud! I was surprised that during the run my endurance was good, the only thing that ever got tired were my feet. They hurt like hell!!! Overall I finished in 2:10, my goal was 2hours but I will take the 2:10 and be happy with that. Finished and felt great!

Also I got these compression socks and WOW from my ankles up to my knees, not one bit of soreness. Thighs and hamstrings were sore for a day.

Got up Monday and did Crossfit. Strength portion was dead lifts and I did up to 190lbs and then our WOD consisted of 12 min AMRAP (as many reps as possible)
4 hand stand push ups, 8 135lb dead lifts and 100m farmers walk with 60lbs. I finished 5 full rounds plus the hand stand push ups and dead lifts. All that to say, I'm pretty confident that Crossfit trains you for anything.

This week has been amazing and I feel great! 1/2 marathon, 4 days of Crossfit, selling real estate, cooking amazing food for my family and ensuring my kids are getting through all their activities, homework and family time!

I will leave you with my favorite recipe of this week:
Pork Tenderloin PB&J from my favorite Comfort Cook book. Side prosciutto wrapped asparagus.
Cut the tenderloin in half and pound out so it is flat
Make your stuffing:
Peel and Core 2 green apples
Place in food processor with: 1sp of cinnamon, 1tsp of lemon zest, 1 tbl spook of raw organic honey. Process until it is chunky like applesauce.
Spread the apple mixture on the pork tenderloin, roll it up and place it on a cooking sheet. Bake in the oven at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

While baking, place 1 1.2 cups of cashews and 1 cup of pecans in the food processor for 10 minutes. This will turn into a nice smooth nut butter. add in 1/2 cup of water, 3 garlic cloves, S&P to taste. Once complete and tenderloin is baked pour the nut butter sauce on top and enjoy!

Side Dish:
Simply wrap individual pieces of asparagus with a slice of prosciutto. Layer them on a cookie sheet, drizzle olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Once out of the oven, sprinkle balsamic vinegar over the asparagus and serve!

So Good, You Cant Believe it's ALL Good For You!

Okay friends and family, we love Mexican food and have major cravings for it. A couple staples I have implemented: Taco Salad (no shells of course), Kale Chips with Guacamole and now......Beef Enchiladas and Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice!!!!

Here is the enchilada recipe I made this evening, to die for!
Step one: Crispy Kale
While cooking the beef I layered Kale on a cookie sheet, basted with olive oil and topped with garlic salt. Bake in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes

1lb of sirloin steak for fajitas
1/2 Red Onions
1 Serrano Pepper
3 cloves of Garlic - chopped

Cut the steak into cubes and chop your veggies
Saute all the veggies in coconut oil for a few minutes then add in the beef and brown

Place the beef in a casserole dish
Layer the Kale on top of the beef
The smother with your sauce (recipe below)
Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes

Tomatillo sauce:
Boil 8-10 tomatillos
place tomatillos in the food processor and blend until smooth
Add in 1/2 cup of red onions
1TBL of garlic powder
1/2 cup of beef broth
1/4 cup of cilantro
1TBL of chilli powder
1TSP of Cumin
1/4 tsp of salt and pepper
1/2 avocado
Process all until smooth

Then for the side course I made the Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

You will need:
1 head of cauliflower
1 bunch of spinach
1/4 cup of cilantro
1 lime
1/2 cup of chicken or veggie broth
S&P to taste

Grate the cauliflower so it looks like rice
Cook the cauliflower in a pan with 1 TBL of coconut oil
Saute for about 5 minutes
Then add in enough sauce to make the cauliflower green!

Sauce:
Pour broth in food processor
add in spinach
Blend until smooth
add in cilantro
Blend until smooth
Add in lime and S&P

I hope that you all enjoy this recipe as much as we did! My husband was making the mmmmm this is good sound the entire time he ate it. I think it was a hit!

Husband is making Paleo

A short note to share how happy I am that my husband is doing this with me. The other day I had a little too much going on in the evening and just did not feel like cooking. Going out is not too exciting either because you cant get quality food like you can at home!

My husband stepped up for the challenge, gathered food from the fridge and made a delicious dinner.

Nitrate Free Sausage

Bell Peppers

Onions

Coconut oil

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Salt and Pepper

That is all he needed. He sauteed the bell peppers and onions in coconut oil, worked in the sliced sausage, added in the seasonings and done! So simple and delicious!

Thanks Honey!

Good Stuff!

Completed day 3 of my 4 day week Crossfit plan today! Feeling good! I tried a new recipe last night in honor of my amazing husband! Can I just say he is doing so great on paleo with me, I love it! In honor of his love for Mexican food.....I googled paleo enchiladas last night and came across a seafood enchilada on EveryDay Paleo.(apparently the site is down today) I opted for the seafood enchiladas and picked up some jumbo shrimp and lump crab. The key to this recipe is the sauce and it was good; however, I am going to play with it and make it my own. I am a fan of verde sauce versus ranchero!

So instead of seafood, I am going to go with the ground beef or steak add some spinach and make the sauce with tomatillos instead of tomatoes! It is really like a casserole since there are not tortillas. You can make coconut tortillas if you want out of coconut flour, egg whites and water. I have made them before and they are good.

Here is the enchilada recipe I have in mind:
2lbs Ground Beef or Grilled flank steak
Red Onions
Jalapenos
Garlic
(saute all the above - the beef in coconut oil, then add in the beef and brown)

Place the beef in a casserole dish
Chop up spinach for next layer
The smother with your sauce (recipe below)
Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes

Tomatillo sauce:
Boil 8-10 tomatillos
place tomatillos in the food processor and blend until smooth
Add in 1/2 cup of red onions
1TBL of garlic powder
1/2 cup of beef broth
1/4 cup of cilantro
1TBL of chilli powder
1TSP of Cumin
1/4 tsp of salt and pepper
Process all until smooth

Remember, I have not made this before; I just made up the recipe based off of what I liked and disliked about last nights dish. I will try it this weekend and let you know if it good :)

Part of the exercise regimen is eating right! Log your food peeps! Yesterday I logged my food with a shake in the morning, 2 egg&ham muffins for mid morning breakfast, apple for snack.....was running around all day in the car so I ended up eating a steves orginal paleo snack; beef jerky and some almonds as another 12:30 snack. Made it home by 1:45 and ate 2 more egg&ham muffins. Took kids to crossfit at 4:30, snacked on some more beef jerky and then home to make dinner! Enchiladas would have been great with a margarita.....GRRR after this challenge, I am having one!!!!

This morning I threw together, yet another Mexican food inspired breakfast:
Chorizo (all natural)
Onions
Jalapenos
Roma Tomoato
Eggs

Brown the chorizo, add in the veggies and then scramble in the eggs! Delish!

Rise and Shine

I had to share this photo of Grace! She loves to get dirty in the kitchen and although we don't use flour, I bought some the other day to make stress balls. Balloons filled with flour, easy!



It is my favorite thing to do, rise and shine at 5am. OK, not really.....getting up at 5am can be difficult; however, when you have a goal in mind you just do it!

I decided to kick it in to gear and do 4 days of Crossfit this week. Yesterday was a pretty tough work out with 15 HSPU, 15 Pull ups and 100'walking lunges; 12 HSPU, 12 Pull ups and 100'walking lunges; 9 HSPU, 9 Pull ups and 100'walking lunges..Time was 8:40 and I am now down to using a small band on my pull ups. I did attempt without and could only get 2.

I chose to get up this morning and do it all over again. What was I thinking? After strict press strength we went to the white board only to find a brutal chipping away WOD:

25 back squats 115# (RX was 155lbs, my max 1 rep is 145 so I opted for 115lbs)
50 box jumps
50 wall balls #14 (RX was 18)
25 burpee box jumps
rest for 2 minutes
Run 800 M for time
Time for WOD 12:14 Time for run 3:59
Proud of myself and thankful for the amazing coaches at The Combine

One of the things I am really working on is eating the right amount of food. I love paleo and I love cooking paleo and even more, I love sharing recipes. Last night I did not want to cook, thank God for Gracie, she never wants to go out to eat so she helps keep me/us accountable to eating at home. Headed for the kitchen with my su-chef, Grace Bodman-9 years old~

Pulled these ingredients out of the fridge
100% grassfed beef
mushrooms
onions
cauliflower
zucchini
1 egg(had to borrow from my neighbor....we go through eggs like crazy in this house)

We can totally work with this! Made a meatloaf, mashed cauliflower and sauteed zucchini!!
Chop up mushrooms and onions and saute in coconut oil
Mix beef with your favorite seasonings, I chose 1TBL garlic powder, 1TBL onion powder, 1TBL oregano, 1/4 tsp of each salt and pepper
Add in egg and sauteed veggies.
Once you have it all mixed then place in a pan and bake at 350 for 15 minutes

Then we made homemade paleo ketchup:
INGREDIENTS: Whisk all together
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste;
• 2 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice;
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard;
• 1/3 cup water;
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon;
• 1/4 tsp salt;
• 1 pinch ground cloves;
• 1 pinch ground allspice;
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, optional;

Whisk all this together, then mix 1cup of ketchup, 1 tbl Worcestershire sauce and 1tbl of raw organic honey to add a bit of flavor!

Layer the sauce over the meatloaf and bake for another 15-25 minutes, depending on how deep your pan is. I used a smaller baking pan versus the standard meatloaf pan and only baked for an additional 15 minutes!

The entire family loved it :)

Final recipe for you breakfast lovers out there. Inspired by my Paleo comfort food cookbook and a special thanks to Sarah Scholwinski for reminding me of this recipe!

After that intense work out, you need to EAT!
INGREDIENTS:
6 slices Sliced Ham - quality meat, no nitrates
6 slices sliced salami
1/2 cup of diced shallot
1 diced red bell pepper
6 eggs
Saute the shallots and peppers in coconut oil

Grease muffin pans with coconut oil
Layer the ingredients in the pan as such: ham, salami, Sauteed veggies, diced tomatoes
Then Crack and egg on top of each

Bake in the oven at 350 for 15 minutes and top with hot sauce, s&p

That's all for now, gotta go sell some properties :)

Time to write

It has been some time since I have written. It is crazy to think that I can post on this daily. At least I am here now and I can share a few stories. Thanksgiving was amazing with lots of family and fun and food of course. It started with our 3rd annual Fairway Estates Turkey Trot. This is where all the kids and adults in the neighborhood meet in the culdesac at 9am and we do a bike, run for the kids. Then the adults take off on a bike, run and a walk for those that prefer to walk. We also donate money to a charity each year! What a blast and what a way to begin Tday!

My dad is a farmer so he likes his meet and potatoes so non stuffing was not an option. It was a great spread with the normal TDay food and then a few of my paleo additions found off one of my favorite sites Paleo Plan.

This recipe came verbatim from Everyday Paleo. It serves 5-8 adults. Thanks, Sarah!

1 lb mild Italian pork or chicken sausage, casing removed (Sarah used chicken sausages from her local butcher)
4 ½ cups mushrooms, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
6 celery stalks, diced
4 carrots, diced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon diced fresh sage
½ tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
½ cup dried cherries, finely chopped
½ cup slivered almonds
½ tablespoon garlic powder
4 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. In a large soup pot, sauté onions in olive oil until translucent. Add the sausage and brown. Add the carrots, celery, mushrooms, chicken broth, cherries, almonds, sage, thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix well, bring to a simmer, and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the veggies begin to absorb the chicken broth. Transfer to a large glass baking dish, cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

We ate, we played, kids swam, we chilled and we watched some football!

Since Thanksgiving, we have continued our Crossfit regimen and even have the kids doing CF Tuesdays and Thursday. They love the way it makes them feel and that makes me happy!

We also celebrated Hayley turning 7, can't believe my youngest is 7 already. Just some soccer fun times with her friends at soccer zone South!

I am looking forward to after the Holidays because it is just too easy to cheat. I do my best and cook a lot and my new favorite is Spaghetti Squash. Who knew! Yesterday I made a Pesto Spaghetti Squash and it was delish, from my Paleo Comfort Food Cook book. I also found a Gumbo recipe. I am brigning it to the in-laws and I am in hopes that Dad will cook it with me! He makes the most amazing Gumbo, which I will have.....but I would really like to try this one too. The best part is the Cauliflower rice, yes it is easy and delish! JBOD, you will love it.

That's all for know! Happy Cooking, working out and Family time to you and yours!