Boredom: What a dangerous thing

  Good Tuesday evening bloggies! As I sit down to write tonight's blog, I am so excited! I love new challenges and I also love new life lessons. Today, those things go hand in hand for me. I've been in a funk for a few days. Lots of different random things going on in the mind-o-Jen. I've learned a lot about myself and I've learned a lot about how I want to be.




 I feel like I haven't blogged in forever, so bare with me, this is going to be a long one. It is also going to be the last one for a few days, but we'll get to that in a minute. First, I love my friends. They are forever teaching me life lessons and forever helping me find things about myself that I didn't know were there. Maranda and I have had quite a few lengthy conversations this week. In those times, we found that self doubt is a nasty little thing, so is being a big bottle of suck. No one is going to improve us, we have to improve ourselves. Waking up and making the decision to renew ourselves and make today and all the days following better than they have been is all our decision. There is nothing stopping us, so we might as well do it now! Being a strong person and overcoming obstacles of our past is no easy feat, but we can do it. There is no better feeling than waking up with a renewed sense of being and knowing that life is just waiting for you and it's going to be great. So, I encourage you all to just sit down and think about where you want to be in life, and make it happen!

  Secondly, as this blog is titled, boredom is such a dangerous thing. I never really thought about it until Jeremy said it to me tonight. Being bored gets us all in trouble in some way. Whether it leads to overeating, not exercising, or being lazy, it doesn't matter what it is, they are all bad things! Don't let yourselves get bored. There are about a million and one different things that we can do in life rather than be bored. Tonight, Cale and I went for a looooooong ass walk in the heat and wind. Did it suck? Sure, at times it did. But ya know what? I did some really good thinking in that time, it got us out of the house, and it gave me some needed exercise. Then, when we got home, we went straight out back and hopped in the pool, which was also fun as hell and cooled us off! So, I challenge you to not allow yourselves to get "bored". Keep busy. Find a new hobby, go for a walk, go for a swim, something, anything!

  Thirdly, I want to talk about distractions. Phil posted something interesting on his facebook the other day. He posted a challenge to stay off of facebook for 48 hours. If you felt the urge to log on, read your bible, pray, anything to get closer to Him and further from facebook. I was inspired. I not only accept the challenge, I am going to add to it. I am going to stay off of the internet and not watch cable for 3 days. Starting tomorrow, the only time I am going to use the internet is to do my homework and sign up for my CrossFit classes, and I am not going to watch tv at all. It's funny that such a thing sounds "hard." I am 28 years old. I grew up without internet and limited cable. There is absolutely no reason I shouldn't be able to do it! I challenge and encourage you all to join me. If you feel yourself getting "bored", write in a journal, read a book, read The Bible, pray, go for a walk, spend time with your family, spend time with friends, set some goals for yourself. I think this is going to be a great thing and I'm so excited about it!!!
  As I said, this is a long blog with lots of words, SO, if you've all stuck with it and read this far, I thank you. I hope that some of you really enjoy this post and choose to join me. I truly believe this will be good for our souls, our faith, and our being. This last week of the paleo challenge is going to be a great one, I can feel it! Talk to ya Saturday! 3,2,1, GO!

Keep on Truckin'

  Happy Friday!!!! Ahhhh how I love weekends. Altho, I have to work tomorrow, which  makes for a short weekend. BOOOOOO! I'm feeling strong going into the weekend. We had an AWESOME wod today. And I ate an even awesomer, yes I just said awesomer, dinner!
  My words of wisdom are limited today. Basically, because I just ate soooooooo much food now I'm a bit slug like. BUT, I will give you a little tid-bit. The paleo challenge will be over ONE WEEK from Monday! How are we feeling? I, for one, have had several "eff paleo AND c.popp" moments this week. hahahaha However, I love paleo and Collin both. I am just to the point that being told I can't have something makes me want it more! BUT, we got this peeps! Only one more week! We've come far to far to fail now. Sooooo keep on truckin'. With recipes like the one I'm about to share, it should be easy, because it was SO good! Oh, and I have a new protein shake recipe tonight too!

Chicken Jicama Slaw

Ingredients:
3 cups cooked chicken, diced
2 cups broccoli slaw (I used Trader Joe's brand)
1/2 cup cucumber, diced
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1 cup diced jicama
1/2 cup paleo mayo
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
pinch of cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy! 

Paleo Mayo-
1 egg
1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
pinch of sea salt
few shakes of cayenne pepper
1 tsp yellow mustard
1 cup olive oil

Protein Shake-
1 1/2 cups strawberries
1 cup almond milk
1 cucumber
1 tbsp honey
1 scoop vanilla protein
Ice

  Alright, now that I've shared all these amazing goodies, go make em! You won't regret it, trust me! On to the weekend and healthy living!!!

Confidence, Belief, Hard Work

  In the words of my dear friend Maranda, Happy Hippity Hop Hump Day! hahaha oh yes. Half way thru the week. Do I hear a hallelujah? Amen! Okay, so the sun is shining... ish, it's half way thru the week, I get to workout today, Maranda is coming over for dinner, and I'm cooking something delish! WOOOOOO for happy days!
  Enough rambling. Good Lord. You guys should really stop me. Somehow. Thru the intraweb. WEBBYMAIL. Omg. I'm out of control today. I have GOT to get to my point. Okay. So confidence, belief, and hard work. Formula for success? I think yes. Have the confidence to change your life. Believe in yourself and your ability to change. And work your ass off to make it happen. These are not hard things. Everyone can do it, and you WILL do it. You're here aren't you? You already have the confidence. Now, just believe in yourself and make it happen. I think too often people don't believe in themselves and what they are truely capable of. You all just wait till I post pictures. Once I do, I don't want to hear any exuses of why you think you can't do this. I don't really have tolerance for excuses, because I've been there, and they are allllll LAME. So, let's do it biznitches!
  As you all know, I spend my days dreaming of food. Today is no exception. That being said, I have today's recipe ready for you! Today I trolled ThePaleoMom.com. Another goodie. And this is what I found!

Swedish Meatballs

Ingredients (meatballs):

1 lb lean ground beef (grass-fed is preferred for this recipe)

1 medium yellow onion, very finely diced

1 Tbsp tallow or coconut oil

2 eggs

1/8 tsp salt, to taste

¼ tsp pepper

½ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp allspice

 

 Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Add oil and onion and sauté until completely cooked, approximately 10 minutes.

     Preheat oven to 400F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

     Mix all ingredients in a bowl (I find it easiest to use my hands).  Form 1 ½” meatballs by hand and place on prepared baking sheet (you should get approximately 16 meatballs).

    Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until cooked through.

Ingredients (gravy):

1 cup low-sodium beef or chicken broth (homemade is great if you have it)

½ Tbsp grass-fed butter or tallow

1 Tbsp arrowroot powder

     Place broth and butter in the skillet that the onions were cooked in.  Stir in the arrowroot powder.  Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. 

   Stir frequently until thick, approximately 3-4 minutes.

Toss meatballs in gravy (including any juices from the baking sheet) and enjoy!

 

 

Now, I may by late on the reaction of posting pictures tonight because Maranda is coming over. And we are ridiculous. Soooooo, I'll probably be occupado all night in random laughing and conversation. But, we shall see. Make it a good hump day peeps!

Ugly Little Gremlin

  Happy windy Tuesday everyone! Due to the fact that I live in Nebraska, we are never ever short on wind. Today is a perfect example of such things. Good hair? Forget about it. Which, is especially tough for me since I can call myself a licensed cosmetologist. Altho, with hairdays like today, I probably wouldn't admit it to ANYONE.
  On to my point. Lately, I've become somewhat of a gremlin. Not cute and fuzzy and cuddly like Gizmo, because he's a mogwai. A gremlin. As in the ugly nasty little shits that you stupidly fed after midnight. What could possibly turn such a sunshiney person into such a thing you may ask? Lack of exercise. Lack of CrossFit. Blah. I couldn't go Sunday because they are closed (unheard of I KNOW!) and then Monday I couldn't go because my fabulous husband was working (which I love him for because it's a hard job that keeps him away from us yet he still does it to give us a good life). And today, he is working yet again, so my workout time is again being threatened! Being a gremlin is no good. The only solution I can come up with is to become a hippie and live in a van (or bus) down by the river so that I can just not work and spend all my time at CrossFit. I have friends willing to join in on the fun. Don't be jealous. We may let you join. IF you bring the proper amount of neon paint and rope lights.
  ANYWHO, what turns you into a gremlin? I'm currently working on another solution for myself. It involves drinking tequila. Ohhhh yes. First item on the list when this challenge is over. But until then, how about focusing on all the good? Like cooking a yummy good for you dinner! Once again, I got this from paleomg.com. I should really re-name my blog ieffinglovepaleomg.blogspot.com. Just sayin....


Paleo Sweet Lemon Pepper Chicken

Ingredients

• 1lb chicken tenders/breasts/thighs
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 apple, thinly sliced
• 2 lemons, halved
• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 2-3 tablespoons fat, I used olive oil

Instructions

1. Thinly slice your onions and apples and throw them into a fat greased skillet under medium-high heat.
2. Let the apples and onions cook down for a bit until they begin to become translucent. When they do, add 1/2 lemon (juice), 1 tbsp honey, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and 1/4 tsp white pepper, garlic and onion powder and mix thoroughly to help combine and let caramelize.
3. While the onions and apples cook away, pull out another large skillet, add some fat and heat up under medium-high heat. While the skillet heats up, salt and pepper your chicken and add them directly to the pan.
4. While the chicken begins to cook, add the rest of your ingredients including the spices, honey, and lemon on top of the chicken.
5. When the sides begin to turn white, flip the chicken over and add any extra honey and/or lemon on top, to taste.
6. Once the chicken has cooked through, layer some caramelized apples and onions on a plate, and top them off with some chicken. Garnish with a lemon.

  As you may have guessed, my stomach is now aching for dinner. Later, I will do the unthinkable, I'll post pictures. Contain your shock. Hopefully, it'll be after a nice CrossFit SNATCH workout. Until then peeps! Alright, I'm back. and I need to tell you all 2 things. First off, I snatch balanced 65 lbs today HOLLA! (Call me a wimp and I'll kick ur ass. We all start somewhere.) and second, this meal was sooooooooooo efffffffing gooooooooood! If you don't try it, your a bigger fool than the people who feed mogwai's after midnight. OH, and good news, I'm no longer a little gremlin. I'm happily a mogwai right now. YAY FOR CROSSFIT!

Work Thru the Funk

  Good Monday Morning bloggers! I hope you all had an amazing weekend. Mine was filled with food, friends, and fun. My three favorite f words. =) I'm so sorry that I didn't post a recipe on Friday. I was in a funk. Which, as you may guess, is where I get today's topic from!
  Everyone has off days. We are human for petesake! It's our right. I'm a happy person, but sometimes, I'm angry. Not very often mind you, but sometimes I am dammit! It would be so easy for us to justify skipping the gym because we are in a funk, but let me tell you something, sweating yourself out of the funk is the best solution possible! Going to the gym always makes me feel better anyway, but when I can work out my frustrations too, I'm like a whole new woman! Friday's workout kicked my ass. It was a toughie. HOWEVER, it also kicked my funk. Soooo it was a win-win! And so friends, I encourage you to just walk thru the door when you're having one of those days and do your damn workout. You'll feel soooo much better and be so glad you did!
  On to the daily recipe! Everyone loves tacos, right? We are in America. If you don't like tacos, get out! HA, I kid. You can stay, but you're on my list now. EVERYONE likes tacos... =) Enough rambling... and so I give you Paleo Tacos (courtesy of thepaleomom.com... another killer blog of course!)! Yesssssssssssss enjoy.

Paleo Tacos

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef (I use grass-fed)

½ large yellow onion, finely chopped

2 crushed garlic cloves

1 Tbsp cooking fat (I use tallow but Refined Coconut Oil would work too, omit if you are using fairly fatty ground meat)

1 Tbsp Chili Powder

1 tsp Paprika

1½ tsp Ground Cumin Seed

1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper(optional)

¼ tsp Dried Oregano

½ tsp Salt(to taste)

½ tsp ground Pepper

    Heat cooking fat in a skillet over medium-high heat (cast iron works well here).  Add ground meat, garlic and onion.  Cook, stirring frequently to break up the meat, until fully cooked, about 7-8 minutes.

    Add spices to beef.  If you meat is really dry, you might want to add 1-2 Tbsp of water.  Stir to fully incorporate.

    Turn temperature down to medium and cook another 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it smells so delicious you just can’t wait another second!
    Serve on lettuce leaves with your favorite paleo-friendly taco toppings.  Enjoy!

      So, as per usual, I am now dreaming about food. Thanks a lot! I do this all for you people. Okay, well maybe not. But it sounded good anyway! More pics later! Make it a damn good paleo Monday people. We are OVER HALF WAY THERE! WOOOOOOO!!!!

You Are Worth More Than You Realize

  Okay, so. Today I have to have an enormous moment of joy sharing. I feel like I need to tell you all how happy I am, so bare with me. =) I'm so completely overjoyed and overwhelmed by all the support and feedback I've gotten from this blog. I truly feel like I am somewhat helping and inspiring people and I am actually shocked by how many readers I have. You all make my days happier. I'm absolutely lovin' life and you have all helped make that happen! God is good, and He has truly blessed me. I already had the foundation of a happy life; a wonderful, supportive husband, a crazy, fantastic kiddo, and the best friends and family someone could ask for... who knew that simply living a healthy life and sharing my journey would add so much! Moving to Lincoln has also given me a whole new group of friends that I absolutely love and adore, and I wouldn't have found them if I wasn't living a healthy life. You never know what opportunities are waiting for you behind a door you have yet to open. So, go, pursue all opportunities presented to you, you may just like what you find on the other side.
  Alright, so you may have learned that I don't do mushy for too long. On to the good stuff! Today I will be giving you a recipe that I will not be actually cooking tonight. I'll try it in the future and add a picture of it then. Tonight, my family is getting leftovers from last night (which is certainly nothing to complain about because it was paleomazing) because I am going to open gym and making up Murph because I missed it on Tuesday. FMCFL. My new acronym. F*ck My CrossFit Life. That's what I shall say on days such as today when the WOD is sure to kill me.
  My awesome cousin Kaylea sent me this recipe today, and it sounds amazing. I encourage you to try it and let me know all the goodness I'm missing out on!

Chicken with creamy sun-dried tomato sauce recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 whole chicken breasts, bone-less;
• 1 ½ cups Coconut Milk
• 4 fresh thyme sprigs;
• ½ cup homemade chicken stock;
• 10-12 sun-dried tomatoes, purred in a blender or food processor;
• ½ tsp fresh thyme leaves
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 375 F.
2. Season the chicken breasts all over with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Optionally, also season them with a good quality steak seasoning. Look in your local health food store for a brand that is gluten-free and doesn’t contain any vegetable seed oil.
3. Place them in a baking dish, place a sprig of fresh thyme on top of each and place in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, until the juices run clear.
4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over a medium-low heat, bring the cream or coconut milk and the two remaining thyme sprigs to a light boil.
5. Once boiling, lower heat and let simmer. Allow the cream or coconut milk to reduce by approximately 1/3 of its volume. This should take close to 10 minutes.
6. Remove the cream or coconut milk from the heat and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Do not  remove from skillet.
7. Remove the thyme sprigs and return to heat. Add the chicken stock and allow to simmer for another 5 minutes.
8. Add the purred sun-dried tomatoes, season with salt and pepper to taste and the fresh thyme leaves.
9. Pour on top of the cooked chicken breasts and enjoy!

  I'm sure this will be amazing and I'm a little sad I have to wait days to try it, BUT Murph awaits me, and my body needs it. 10 days strong into the challenge peeps, that's practically half way there! Remember, you are worth more than you realize, so... realize it! Happy Thursday!

Start Your Day Off Right

  Today, my super fantastic husband was nice enough to say that he would get the kiddo ready and off to daycare if I wanted to go to the 6am WOD. I feel like a rockstar. I LOVE starting the day with a workout. I love working out after work too, but doing it in the morning is just different. Workouts make me happy. Soooo it's only natural that working out first thing would make for a happy day! Now, don't get me wrong, getting up at 5am totally suuuuuuucks, BUT it's definitely worth it. I encourage everyone to bite the bullet one day and just do it. Get up early and get your workout in before you start your day. I can almost guarantee you'll like it... and have a better day. Go ahead, try it. I dare you!
  So, how is everyone feeling about the paleo challenge? I feel like I've successfully made it over the hump of wanting to cheat, and I hope you all have too. This morning at the group wod, Jeremy had an interesting point. When you cook a "paleo" meal, don't tell people who aren't "paleo friendly" that the meal is paleo. People who don't know how fantastic paleo is, or don't understand our way of living, tend to have a negative attitude toward it and convince themselves they dislike it before they even try it. So, instead of saying you want to cook paleo for them, just tell them you want to cook dinner for them instead! Sneaky we are, they'll never know that the delicious meal they are eating is healthy too! Yesssssssssss. And so, since I'm on the subject of yummy paleo nom nom goodness, I suppose I'll share my dinner plan. You should all call the chica from paleomg.com and thank her for being so effing amazing. You guessed it, this recipe came from her!

Southwest Turkey Sliders over Spicy Avocado Slaw

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• For the burgers
• 1lb ground turkey
• 1/4 red onion, minced
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 poblano pepper, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon fat (I used bacon fat)
• For the slaw
• 1 small head of cabbage or bag of cabbage, chopped
• 2 avocados
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

First make your burgers

1. Add all your ingredients for your burgers in a large bowl.
2. Shape small burger patties.
3. Heat up a large skillet under medium heat with a bit of fat in it (I used bacon fat) and add your sliders. Flip after about 3-5 minutes or when you see the sides of your sliders begin to turn a white color (meaning they are cooking through).

Now make your slaw

1. Pull out your handy dandy food processor, add all your ingredients for the slaw other than the cabbage and pulse until smooth.
2. Pour your avocado “mayo” on the cabbage and mix. Top off with a bit of salt and pepper.
3. Place your cabbage on a plate and top off with your sliders!
4. Consume!

  Alright fellow Paleo lovers, if you like spicy, this is the dish for u! I love slaw, so this was an instant fav. But seriously, I have to stop myself from eating every last bit I make. SOOOOO GOOD! I beg you, try this goodie! 
  Ohhhhh yes. Do you all see what CrossFit and Paleo has done to me? I spend my days dreaming about the amazing dinner that I get to consume. Is that healthy? Eh, I don't care if it isn't... because the food IS healthy. And so, I'll daydream about it all day if I want, so THERE! =) More later! Make today better than yesterday peeps! Love ya!

Negativity = No Bueno

  Good morning peeps! It's a beautiful day. The sun is shining, birds are probably singing... altho I'm in a building and can't hear them... but I'm sure they are... somewhere. Anyway....... living a healthy, active life makes me a happy person. I'm sure that most people who live the same can agree. Positivity just oozes thru me on the days I get in a good workout and eat right.
  One thing I don't have time for is negativity. Negative people bring me down and eff with my mojo. We are trying to accomplish something here. Healthy, happy life. A good support system is the best way to be successful. That is one main reason I suggested having an account-abili-buddy. Having someone who understands your passions, goals, and successes is so extremely important. I, for one, know that the way I make it thru many workouts is having my fellow CrossFitters encouraging me to keep going. Imagine if they were all telling me I couldn't do it and that it was dumb and I should quit. Would I finish? Hell no. Positivity. I love it. I ooze it. Yes, my word of the day is ooze. And ya know what? I like it. Ooze. At some point, we all need to understand and see how negativity has this power to bring us down and get rid of it. So, friends, I encourage you all to do a little cleansing. We are already cleansing our bodies of toxins with this Paleo Challenge, so now, let's cleanse our lives of negativity. Go out and find positivity and suck it all in, surround yourself in it. Smile a little more today, make someone else smile, laugh a little louder. LOVE LIFE, I know I do. =)
  On to the recipe! Today's workout is k.i.l.l.e.r. I'm terrified. BUT, I'll feel like a rockstar afterwards! Go to crossfitlincoln.com to check it out. Ohhhh lawd. Anyway, recipe. Tonight's recipe had Maranda and I drooling at the thought of it... And soon, you will too. It comes courtesy of civilizedcavemancooking.com This is a new website that Maranda introduced me to. Another u'd be wise to check out! Here ya go!

Fire Roasted Bacon Meatloaf
Prep Time:  15 Minutes
Cook Time:  1 Hour

Ingredients:

• 1 Lb Grass Fed Ground Beef
• 1 Lb Bacon, minced
• 14 Ounce Can of Fire Roasted Tomatoes
• 1 Red Onion, minced
• 1 Bell Pepper, minced
• 3 Cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Cup Almond flour
• 2 Tbsp Oregano
• 1/2 Tbsp Sea Salt
• Pepper to taste

Process:

1. Preheat oven to 400 Degrees Farenheit
2. If you have a meat grinder, use it to grind your bacon and beef together, if not mince your bacon as fine as possible and combine in a mixing bowl with your beef
3. Add all remaining ingredients to the bowl, and using your hands mix well to ensure an even distribution of ingredients
4. You can now form it into a loaf and put it in a pyrex dish, put it in a loaf pan, or form into meatballs and put in the pan
5. Bake for an hour or until the meat is cooked through, internal temperature needs to be at least 165 Degrees F because of the bacon
6. Remove from oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving
7. Serve drizzled with some Beasty BBQ Sauce
8. Enjoy

 Of course I'll return later to post pics and share my amazing food experience. It's the best part of my day! Nom nom nom. Looooove me some foodage. =) Have a good paleo day peeps!!!
  Alright, So I completely suck at photographing food. BUT, I promise, despite the awful looking picture, this was by far one of the best paleo meals yet! Go.Cook.It.Now! Sooooo good! Until tomorrow peeps!

It isn't about being skinny, it's about being HEALTHY!

  Goooooooooood morning blog world! Oh how I've missed you. I was like a crazy person this weekend. No blog, no CrossFit. GAH! I about went nuts. How DID I do it? I don't know. I was having serious withdrawals. Sad? You betcha. Deal with it! =)
  This weekend I went home to Kansas. Ohhhh how I hate that drive. Four hours in a car with a toddler. FUN. I got to see my bestie, which was super uber fantastic! But, other than that, the weekend was filled with all kinds of temptations that I could have seriously done without. I was surrounded by sugar, fried foods, candy, and carbs. Sooooo sooooo bad when you're doing a paleo challenge! Actually, I'm glad I had the challenge. Because for that reason, I didn't cheat once! I'm going to win this thing, and I'd be damned if I let one weekend ruin it! So, I went to the grocery store and bought my own food to cook so that I could stay compliant.
  On to my point... one thing I get SO SICK AND TIRED of hearing from my family is that I'm "almost getting too skinny..." (which for one, is SO FAR from the truth. I'm not anywhere near being skinny...) or that "I don't need to lose anymore weight because I look just fine..." Anyway, I just want to scream. This isn't about being "skinny", it's about being healthy! I'm living a healthy life and in return I am losing weight. They go hand in hand. Live healthy, be slim. It's just how it works. In fact, I may have Brandi make me a new mantra cuff that says that. To me, when I think "skinny", I think of Victoria's Secret models. And, in the words of Brandi, "We don't want to look like Gisele, we want to look like we can kick Gisele's ass." That's damn right. We are fit, not skinny. Huge difference. So, here is to being FIT AND HEALTHY!
  Andddd *drumroll please* here is your daily yummy, courtesy of... wait for it... PaleOmg.com, to drool over all day! I'm, yet again, dreaming of dinner just so I can cook this! More later peeps!

Tomato Cream Chicken Sausage "Pasta"

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized spaghetti squash
• 2 chicken sausages, diced
• 1/2 cup canned full fat coconut milk
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 bundle of spinach, stems removed
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut your spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scrap out the excess seeds and threads.
3. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and cook for 20-25 minutes or until spaghetti squash “gives” when you poke at it.
4. Once your spaghetti squash is done cooking, take out of the oven to cool.
5. Heat up a large skillet under medium heat, add the coconut milk and tomato sauce and mix together. Let simmer for about 3-4 minutes.
6. Now add your diced chicken sausages and spices.
7. Let the chicken sausages simmer for a couple minutes, then add your spinach to the sauce and simmer for another 3-4 minutes or until chicken sausage is cooked through.
8. Then use a fork to thread your spaghetti squash and add directly to your chicken sausage sauce mixture.
9. Mix together then plate!

  Okay, so mine was more of a soup than a pasta, due to the fact that I didn't have time to go buy spaghetti squash, I just used regular squash. HOWEVER, it was still amazing! Everything happens for a reason, and I believe I didn't have the spaghetti squash so I could taste how amazing it was with regular! =) 
  I've always read that when you start a new way of eating, days 7-9 are the hardest. So, to that I say, stay strong people! I know right now it may seem like this is going to be impossible, but WE CAN DO IT!!! Keep up the good work! On to the rest of the week!!!

"But I'm not at 'Crossfit' level yet..."

  I'm heading out of town for the weekend, and so, this will be my last blog until Monday. I wanted to make sure it was important and gave you all something to think about over the weekend. Last night Maranda came over for dinner and we talked. and talked. and talked. If you know either of us, you understand how such a thing could happen. On to my point... one of the many things we talked about was the frustration we have when people say that they "aren't at a Crossfit level yet" and so that is the excuse they use not to join. WELL, lemme tell ya peeps something... the ONLY time you aren't "at Crossfit level" is when you haven't yet joined. You know how you get to "Crossfit level"? You walk through the door and join. CONGRATS! You are officially at "Crossfit level"! Pretty tough, huh?
  Allow me to explain, I was actually pretty terrified of walking through that door because I was not in shape and had NO muscle mass. I'm telling you... none. Ask Jeremy. NONE. But, none of that matters at Crossfit. We ALL start somewhere. Every single person in the gym started somewhere. No one walks in the door ready to compete at the Crossfit Games on their first day. You are talking to the girl who did squats and thrusters and sumo deadlift high pulls WITH A PVC PIPE. Yes, that is correct, with a piece of plastic. Now, tell me again how you aren't at "Crossfit level" and that's why you can't join? Everyone scales everything to their own ability, no two people are the same. That's what's so great about Crossfit! We all push eachother to do our very best, but none of us are the same. I am by far the weakest one in all the classes, but I don't care because I know I am getting better everyday and eventually I WILL be one of the strongest! =) And, the only way to get there is to attend the classes and build myself up! So, now that you know this, what are you waiting for? Go join and BE at "Crossfit level"... cause ya know, we're badass and stuff.
  Today, I don't have a yummy dinner recipe to share with you because I will be munching on a leftover avocado stuffed grilled burger while I'm driving the loooooooooong 4 hours back to Kansas. BUT, I feel as though I would fail you all on this beautiful Day 5 if I didn't leave you with something for the evening. And so, I will share with you one of my favorite dishes that I cooked in the past before the challenge. All paleo, all delicious. From paleomg. Contain your shock, I know! So... here ya go! It is soooo yummy! My 2.5 year old son ate the shit outta this.

Tex-Mex Hash Casserole

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1lb Grass fed Ground Beef
• 2 sweet potatoes, shredded
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 6 eggs, whisked
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon bacon fat (or other fat)
• 1 (14oz) can of El Pato Enchilada Sauce or homemade
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Pull out a large skillet or oven proof cooking dish. (aka cast iron skillet, etc)
3. Place skillet over medium heat, add a tablespoon of fat then add your minced garlic and diced onion.
4. When onion just begins to soften, add your ground beef and use a spoon or spatula to break it up and combine with onion.
5. Now use your shredding attachment on your food processor to shred you sweet potatoes. If you don’t have a food processor, just use a grater then go to the store and buy a food processor for next time. Life will be better with one.
6. When your meat is almost cook through, add all your spices to the meat and onions and mix to combine the flavors.
7. Now pour your shredded sweet potatoes on top of the meat and pat down then add your enchilada sauce on top.
8. Cover and let simmer for around 8-10 minutes.
9. Once sweet potato begins to soften, remove from heat, add your whisked eggs and stir to combine it all together.
10. Place in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until eggs are cooked through.
11. Let cool, this b*tch is gonna be hot!! The enjoy! For breakfast, lunch or dinner!!

  I didn't use a cast iron skillet, I just transferred it to a casserole dish when I put it in the oven. Oh, and I wanted to let you all know that there has been some interest expressed in what I used to look like and what I look like now. SO, I will share my secret with you... I have before weight loss pics and before Crossfit and Paleo pics. As soon as this 30 day challenge is over, I plan on posting the two sets of "before" pics and an "after 2 months of crossfit and a 30 day paleo challenge" pic. Then, I may continue to document my body transformation with pics... if you're lucky... HA!
  I hope you all have an amazing paleo-rific weekend. Don't miss me too much, and KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

Looking Good Nekkid...

  I've had quite the slew of funny texts this week. One of them saying this... "I don't exercise to be healthy. I exercise to look sexy as f*ck naked." I laughed. out loud. However, we all know that we DO exercise to be healthy... but looking sexy nekkid is an added bonus. Robyn and I decided that crossfit's motto should be "Crossfit. We look better naked." HA! I'm not quite there yet, but I must say, I like my reflection more and more every day. mwahahahaha Why shouldn't we enjoy our reflection? We work our booties off to earn that right damnit.
  I hope everyone is still trucking away with the paleo challenge. I am pretty stinking proud of myself. I have been completely paleo-esk since we started. NO CHEATS PEOPLE! I'm watching you. Remember that the next time a snickers looks good... just sayin. Tonight is open gym, so no wod to speak of. I'll just be doing the baseline workout for the challenge. 50 40 30 20 squats situps pushups pullups, row 500m. Not too shabby. Although, I'm sure my abs will let me know differently tomorrow.
  On to today's paleo fan freaking tastic meal. Maranda found this goodie. We will be making it tonight. And, for some reason, I am overly excited about this one. Basically because it makes me hungry just thinking about it. Soooo here ya go!

Avocado Stuffed Burger

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs grass fed ground beef
• 2 avocados
• 1 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped no oil!
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat your grill to medium-medium high heat
2. Put your ground beef in a large mixing bowl with your black pepper, 1 Tbsp of your sea salt, and your zest of one lemon
3. Mix well and then using your hands form into thin patties all the same size, you need them thin because you will be using two of them to make one patty
4. In another mixing bowl combine your avocados, sun dried tomatoes, lemon juice, and the remaining tbsp of sea salt and mash and mix well to get as smooth as you like
5. Place your avocado mixture on the bottoms of half of the burgers ensuring you leave room to seal the burgers without it leaking out
6. Put your other patty over the top of your mixture and pinch the edges of your burgers together to seal all the way around
7. Now go out and grill to your liking.  I normally do about 6-8 Minutes per side on my grill but yours may be different.  Ensure you cook evenly on both sides of the burger or you will end up with an undercooked and an overcooked side
8. While grilling, I drizzle my burgers with bacon grease and it adds an amazing flavor
9. When done grilling, allow your burgers to rest for 10 minutes and then serve.  You can use the rest of your avocado mixture to top your burgers with and go to town
10. Enjoy

  Tonight's dinner was an amazing mix of crazy good food and crazy good company. Maranda came over to enjoy this delish meal. Andddd... well... we pretty much owned it. SOOOOO good! AND we also had the awesomely fantabulous pumpkin protein shakes. Food. Orgasm. Yep. That good. Cheers to day 4! We got this peeps. 

Be Better Today Than Yesterday

  My new mantra ( I even have a super sweet cuff to prove it...). Be better today than yesterday. We can all do that. We don't ever have to be better than anyone else, that is just silly. However, we should all strive to better ourselves. If we always strive to make each day better than the day before, naturally positive vibes are sure to come! Personally, I always strive to make my workouts better than the day before. It's the only way to improve myself! I strive to do better each day with my paleo diet, I strive to be a better person each day, the list can go on and on!
  Alright, is that enough sappy motivation for the day?! =) Today's WOD is all about rowing and push presses. Sooo, I will have some fantastic clavicle bruises tomorrow. Yessssss. I'm not entirely positive what I will be making for dinner tonight, but it's sure to be afreakingmazing, I do know that. I'll figure it out on my lunch break and share it with u. Don't worry your pretty little heads off. =) Oh, and by the way... the mantra cuff's... super awesome Crossfit trainer Brandi makes them. Custom orders even! Hop on over to her facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/welcometobeboutique, and check em out. You'll have your very own arm party in no time, I'm sure of it! More later peeps!

Alright, I'm back. WOOOO! Lucky you. I do come baring a gift though, DINNER RECIPE! WOOOOO AGAIN! So, tonight's recipe comes courtesy of.... drumroll please.... YOU GUESSED IT! Paleomg.com =) I will again post pics tonight after I've eaten it alllllll up. I hope you enjoy it as much as I know I will!

Blackberry Glazed Grilled Pork Chops

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 14 mins

Total time: 24 mins

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• 1-2lbs US Wellness Meats Pork Chops
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 12 ounces fresh blackberries
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons water
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Turn your grill on!! If you don’t know how to light it, I can’t help you.
2. Place pork chops on a plate and cover your pork chops in some cinnamon, thyme, salt and pepper on both side and press into the pork chop.
3. While your grill heats up, place a small saucepan over medium heat on your stove top and add your blackberries, balsamic vinegar, water, and a pinch of salt.
4. Let the sauce begin to mix together, stirring frequently to make sure it doesn’t burn on the bottom.
5. Turn heat to low and let the sauce simmer for about 3-5 minutes.
6. Then pour half of the sauce into a bowl (you can leave the blackberries in the saucepan because you’ll just use them to top your chops off later).
7. Use a glazing brush to glaze one side of your pork chop then place that glazed side down onto your grill.
8. Then glaze the other side, cover grill and let cook for 5-7 minutes per side. I glazed each side of my pork chop probably 3-4 times to make sure as much blackberry sauce as possible could be soaked up by the chop. Make sure your chop is cooked on both sides and cook completely through before removing from grill. (took me about 12-14 minutes total).
9. Once your pork chops are all done cooking, add to plate and top with your leftover blackberry sauce that has been simmering and thickening up.

  As promised, this too, was a freaking mazing. I have come to the conclusion that if Paleo didn't forbid wine and margaritas, I would be more than happy to be completely 100% paleo forever and ever and ever. BUT, a girl needs her drinks damnit! So, I will comply for this 30 challenge, but after it is done... I am going to order the biggest most tequila filled margarita I can find. Hell, I'll probably order 10 of them. Okay, not 10, but maybe... I hope everyone had a great day 3! Tomorrow, my bruised clavicles will hate me, but my awesomer looking muscles will love me... soooooooo on to DAY 4!!!

Account-abili-Buddy

  As you may have guessed, today, I touch on what I think it one of the most important aspects to being successful in the quest for a new lifestyle. Everyone needs a partner in crime, a confidant, an account-abili-buddy! There is no better way to keep on track than having someone to report to. I, for one, needed this. I always wanted to be able to report to my friends and tell them how good I was doing. I never wanted to tell them "oh yeah, I ate a snickers today, and drank a soda, and didn't exercise. It was a GREAT day..." Hell no. I wanted to always be able to say that I ate fantastically and had an awesome workout. It made me feel good about myself and my ability to have some self control. Everything is always more fun with a friend anyway. Don't get me wrong though, if you are attempting to go at this alone, I'm not saying you'll fail. I'm simply saying that having someone to go through it with you will help! Not only will you have someone to keep you accountable, but you will also have someone who knows exactly what you are going through!
  I love having this blog. It helps keep my accountable too! I want to be able to blog honestly everyday and encourage you all through my accomplishments! So congrats, YOU are my account-abili-buddy! Along with Maranda, who I WILL defeat in this paleo challenge, and Robyn, who sits close enough to me at work to monitor what goes in my pie hole, and all of my crossfit family who are there to push me at my workouts! So, go find yourself an account-ibili-buddy, or two or ten. The more the merrier! Now, onto the good stuff... FOOD! nom nom nom
  Today for lunch, I get to scarf down my leftovers from last night. Ohhhhh I can hardly wait! I will go ahead and post tonight's dinner recipe in case you want to cook it for yourself. I'll update you on how amazing it was and add a picture to go with it later after I'm done consuming every last bite!

Pesto Zucchini "Spaghetti"

Total Time: about 30 minutes

Ingredients:

4 medium zucchini, julienned thinly (mandoline slicers are great for this)
generous pinch of salt
6 slices of uncooked bacon
1/2 cup green onions, sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 cups broccoli florets
2-3 T prepared basil pesto
Directions:

Place zucchini strips in a colander over a bowl or in the sink. Sprinkle zucchini with salt and toss to combine. Let the zucchini sit for 15 minutes while the salt extracts the moisture. Drain excess water, squeezing zucchini, if necessary.
Meanwhile, cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, turning frequently. Remove bacon to a stack of paper towels to drain. Crumble bacon. Remove all but 2 T of bacon drippings from the pan.
Return the pan to medium heat. Add the green onions and broccoli, stirring frequently for about 3-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add zucchini and 2 T of pesto, tossing to combine all ingredients. Taste and add more pesto, if needed. The mixture only needs to warm up, so 2-3 minutes of cooking ought to do it.
Serve with bacon crumbles

My Paleo-Friendly Basil Pesto Recipe-

2/3 cups almonds
1 1/4 cups basil
3/4 cups olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Throw your almonds in the food processor. Turn on until you get a mealy powder.
Add your bail leaves and turn the food processor back on.
After those two ingredients are mixed together, with the food processor still running, drop in the garlic cloves then slowly begin to add your olive oil until combined.
Then add your lemon juice and cayenne pepper.

BAM! My mouth is now watering just thinking about making this scrumptious meal for dinner tonight. Alright, so the meal has been cooked and devoured. Andddd, as promised, it was SOOOOO good! The recipe calls for only 2 tbsp of pesto, but I mixed in the whole batch. One can never have too much pesto, especially when it's paleo friendly pesto! And so, I have a feeling you are all doing really great at this challenge. Sooooo I have an unexpected gift for you all. A BONUS protein shake recipe. This one comes courtesy of Maranda. She's a smart cookie too. Too bad I'm going to kick her azz in this paleo challenge! So, Here is the recipe!

4 Dates
1 Scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
As much cinnamon as you'd like
1 cup almond milk
1 cup ice

Blend it all together and BAM, more goodness! This one is just as good as the pumpkin one. I promise!

Cheers to Paleo Challenge Day 2! We ARE doing this!

Effing Puppy Chow

  The title of this particular entry may seem weird. BUT, let me explain, as I sit here and write this blog about how FANTASTIC Paleo is, and as I'm getting ready to encourage you all to keep trucking with this challenge, my co-worker is sitting next to me munching on absolutely amazing looking puppy chow. SO, with that being said, we will stay in this together. I blog to keep my filthy little mitts away from that delicious puppy chow! The reason that I am only remotely not chomping at the bit to eat some is because I'm proud of the reason it's sitting next to me. My OTHER, fantastic, Paleo friendly, Crossfit loving co-worker Robyn cleaned out her cabinets due to participating in this paleo challenge. SO, for that reason I am super proud of her and I will allow Konna (the non paleo lover... freak...) to munch on the nasty disgusting sickening puppy chow. There, I think I've convinced myself that I don't need it. HA!
  Okay, now that my little puppy chow rant is over, on to the good stuff! Day 1 of the next 30 days of our lives is up and running. How are you guys doing? I, for one, can actually say I'm doing pretty dang good! Breakfast was scrambled eggs and salsa. If you haven't yet tried that delicious mixture, you should. Breakfast heaven on a plate. I had some almonds for a mid morning snack, and for lunch I had tuna, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and salsa. Common theme? Salsa! It's loaded with veggies and it can make almost anything taste amazing! My mid afternoon pre-workout snack will be cucumbers. And, well, my dinner is going to be amazing as well. I'll be posting that recipe and pictures after I'm done devouring it.
  Today's workout is double unders (which I have yet to master) and snatches. Go ahead, giggle. I do. I considered naming this blog "wanna see my snatch?" Yep. Crossfit. The gift that keeps on giving. You should ask Maranda about snatches. You'll graduate from a giggle to a full on laugh. So, needless to say, today's workout will present some challenges for me... which I'm up for. Bring it on. Remember my motto? I love challenges, because I win. More in a while... =)
  I'm back, and SO excited to share these recipes with u! I just had the most amazing paleo food experience ever. I'm hoping for lunch to come soon tomorrow so I can enjoy the leftovers! For dinner, I made yet another recipe from paleomg.com. The woman is genius.

Paleo Avocado Cilantro Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 1lb chicken, cooked and diced
• 2 avocados, pitted
• 1 bundle cilantro, stems removed
• 3-4 long carrots, shredded
• 3-4 stems celery, diced
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1 handful sliced almonds
• juice of 1 lemon
• juice 1/2 lime
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. So you need to start off cooking your chicken however you’d like. If you want a more “grilly” flavor, grill it. Duh. I just boiled my chicken because I didn’t have a ton of time so boiling the chicken was the quickest option. Have you ever seen boiled chicken? It looks disgusting. Just a warning.
2. While your chicken cooks, make your dressing. Pull out your wonderful food processor. Mine has been smoking lately. Making almond butter does a number on the engine…oops.
3. Add your avocados, cilantro, lemon, lime, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to the food processor. Mix thoroughly until the avocado becomes a paste. This will take about 1-2 minutes or so.
4. Once your avocado creamy sauce/paste is tasting delish, add it to your diced chicken. If you haven’t already shredded your carrots or diced your other veggies, do that. I just the shredding attachment on my food processor to shred my carrots.
5. Mix veggies into your chicken salad and add a handful of sliced almonds.
6. Top with salt and pepper for a little extra flavor and a little leftover cilantro.

 Now, I know it looks nasty, BUT it was SOOOOOO good! I can't wait for the leftovers for lunch tomorrow! Now, I have one more little morsel of goodness for you tonight. A bonus recipe, if you will. I got this one from Emily's blog (baconandskinnyjeans.blogspot.com) This is an after workout protein shake. I strongly agree with her when she says if everyone tasted this, there would be a shortage of canned pumpkin in the world.

BLEND TOGETHER:

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tbsp honey

1-2 carrots, chopped (for some extra orange goodness)

1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder (I use Jay Robb's 100% whey)

1.5 cups water

lots of cinnamon (the more, the merrier)

ice as needed

POW. Pumpkin paradise.

Seriously, soooooooooooo good! Alright peeps, I hope everyone had a successful first all paleo day! On to day 2. I'm feeling pretty confident. We WILL do this!!!

Paleo Challenge! WOOOOO!!!

  Happy Sunday everyone! I hope this finds all of you as well as it finds me. What a wonderful weekend and what a GREAT time to kick off a month with a PALEO CHALLENGE! I love summer, and I love challenges, basically because I plan on winning them. I am one stubborn b!tch. I think that's a good thing. Hell, if it wasn't, I probably wouldn't have had the will to keep going with my new life and I'd still be f.a.t. SO, I say being stubborn is good. Challenge me if you will, you'll lose. ;-)
  Anyway, enough rambling, on to the point. We are doing a 30 day paleo challenge at Crossfit. It is exactly as it sounds, 30 days, all paleo. Nothing else. Winner takes all. Well, all the prizes anyway. They have put together quite the little pot of gold for us to win too! So, tomorrow we start this challenge, and I encourage you to start it with us! Wherever you are, challenge me. I dare you! Take before pictures tonight and weigh yourself. Then, stay off the scale for 30 days only after this challenge weigh yourself again and take after pictures. Challenge yourself. Prove to you and everyone else that you can do it. Our bodies can always use a nice little detox. To help everyone keep on track, I plan to post a daily recipe so you know what I'm cooking and then you have something to cook as well. Don't be a wimp, commit to this! It'll be fun!!! If you have any questions, ask me. Or refer to Collin's blog http://findyourline.tumblr.com/. Also, here are his tips for a successful run at this...

1. Focus on eating a large breakfast--especially one with protein and fat.  This will keep you full!
2. Eat a vegetable (or two...or five) at every meal.
3. Eat every 2-3 hours.
4. Still Hungry? Eat more Protein and Fat--it will help you feel satiated.  Goods fats from olive oil, avocados, walnuts, coconut oil are encouraged just don't go overboard with them.
5. Focus on whole foods
6. Eat no later than 2 hrs before bed.
7. Cook for others--helps save money, and you can show off your Paleo culinary skills.

  Lastly, here is my recipe for the night. I will be making here in a couple hours and it's.effing.amazing! This one comes courtesy of everydaypaleo.com. Yet another website you'd be wise to check out!


Pecan Crusted Chicken
4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup organic spicy brown mustard
2 tbsp raw organic honey
1 cup pecans
sea salt
Pre heat oven to 350. In a medium sized mixing bowl blend together the mustard and honey.  Toss the pecans in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely chopped.  Pour the chopped pecans either on a plate or in a pie pan if you have one.  Using a paper towel, remove any excess moisture from the outside of your chicken breasts.  Taking one chicken breast at a time, first place the chicken into the mustard/honey mixture and coat on both sides.  Transfer chicken to the chopped pecans and again cover both sides.  Place coated chicken into a greased glass baking dish (I used a little olive oil spray to cover the bottom of the dish) and sprinkle each chicken breast with just a little sea salt.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear.
Enjoy!

  I will be adding a nice little bed of chopped butternut squash for my little chickens to lay on. Nom Nom Nom. If you haven't figured it out yet, I love recipes that require a food processor. Sooooo go buy one, your life will suck so  much less at meal time. 
  Alright peeps, LET'S DO THIS! I KNOW we all can!!! 30 days....... andddddddd GO!