Cauliflower tortillas

Ingredients

• ¾ a head of cauliflower riced or 2 cups riced and packed
• 2 eggs
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. For these I actually rice my cauliflower slightly more fine that cauliflower rice. Toss ¾ a head of cauliflower cut up and most of the stem removed and pulse until you get a texture slightly finer than rice. (Once it’s riced measure it to make sure you have 2 cups packed.)
3. Place riced cauliflower in bowl and microwave for 2 minutes and stir, then another two minutes and stir again then place in a dish towel and squeeze excess water out as hard as you can. (You’re going to want to get out as much water as you can and be careful not to burn yourself because it’s going to be very hot.)
4. Place drained cauliflower back in bowl and add two eggs, salt and pepper and mix until well combined.
5. As a note it will be a little bit runny but shouldn’t be pure liquid either. Spread mixture onto a baking sheet into 6 small fairly flat circles.
6. Place in the oven for 10 minutes then pull out of the oven and carefully peel them off the parchment and flip them and place back in the oven for 5-7 more minutes.
7. Once they’re done place them on a wire rack to cool slightly.
8. Heat a medium sized pan over medium heat and place the tortillas into the pan pressing down slightly and brown them to your liking. (Don’t skip this step because it gives them slightly crispy on the edges and gives them a wonderfully nutty taste)

WLC week 8 workouts

Day 1
Repeat 3x:
1 min shuttle run (25 yards)
15 sec rest
1 min max 5 push ups, 10 squats
15 sec rest
1 min max sit ups
15 sec rest 

Day 2
Easy cardio/metabolic conditioning of your choice.  Minimum of 10 minutes.  Keep heart rate in recovery range.  Finish feeling good and fresh, not tired and wiped out. 

Day 3
2 min jumping Jacks
15 squats

10 push up

1 min run in place (high knees)
15 squats

10 push ups

1 min burpees
15 squats

10 push ups
2 min jumping jacks 

Day 4
Easy cardio/metabolic conditioning of your choice.  Minimum of 10 minutes.  Keep heart rate in recovery range.  Finish feeling good and fresh, not tired and wiped out 

Day 5
repeat 2x
2 min squat hold
2 min prone cobra hold
2 min plank hold

Sunday cooking

I cooked in two shifts on Sunday.  I knew we'd run out of no-oat oatmeal in a day so I made more before we headed out to Eckert's to pick Fuji apples.  When we got home, I made this apple cobbler with the apples we had from previous trips.  It's got almond meal, eggs and flour in the topping, so within paleo limits.  I think it's better with the peaches than apples though....

I was looking through old recipes and found this recipe for an oven omelet.  I thought it would be a nice change from the usual fare

I made another batch of Scotch eggs.  This time, I got some bacon apple-wurst from Eckerts and used it, it was really good.  We had beef bourguignon made in the crock pot for dinner and I'm planning on making salmon chowder with coconut milk for dinner tonight.  Definitely making some old recipes this week

WLC week 7 workouts

Week 7 Workouts 
Day 1
2 min warm up 
¼ mile run
1 min max squats
¼ mile run
1 min max push ups
¼ mile run
1 min max squats 
2 min cool down 

Day 2
Easy cardio/metabolic conditioning of your choice.  Minimum of 10 minutes.  Keep heart rate in recovery range.  Finish feeling good and fresh, not tired and wiped out. 

Day 3 
Repeat a total of 4 times:
30” sit ups
30” squats
30” push ups
30” rest 

Day 4
Easy cardio/metabolic conditioning of your choice.  Minimum of 10 minutes.  Keep heart rate in recovery range.  Finish feeling good and fresh, not tired and wiped out. 

Day 5
2 min warm up 
1 min sprint
2 min rest
1 min sprint
2 min rest
1 min sprint
2 min rest 
2 min cool down 

Day 6
For time:
100 sit ups
100 push ups
100 squats 
scale to 70, 80 or 90 as appropriate

Day 7 
Easy cardio/metabolic conditioning of your choice.  Minimum of 10 minutes.  Keep heart rate in recovery range.  Finish feeling good and fresh, not tired and wiped out.

Ivory Crockett run

First 4 miles I have done where I didn't stop running.  Pretty good time for me, especially with all those hills!!!!

Sweet potato hash for breakfast

Ingredients

• 6 ounces pancetta, diced (or regular bacon)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 large apple (or 2 small), cut into cubes that are no bigger than 1 inch
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil, butter, ghee, or other solid cooking fat (if needed)
• 1 large sweet potato (or 2-3 small), peeled and cut into cubes that are no bigger than 1 inch
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced (or 1 teaspoon dried)

Instructions

1. In a medium cast iron skillet over medium to medium-low heat, cook pancetta 3-5 minutes or until crispy and fat has rendered.
2. Remove pancetta with slotted spoon, leave fat in pan.
3. Add onion, apples, and cinnamon. Cook until soft, about 7 minutes.
4. Remove from pan and add to reserved pancetta. Set aside.
5. If pan is dry add 1-2 tablespoons fat and allow to melt. Add sweet potatoes to pan and allow to cook undisturbed for 2 minutes.
6. Stir, allow to cook for another 2 minutes undisturbed.
7. Continue cooking sweet potatoes, stirring as needed to insure all sides get browned and none burn, until soft (about 5-6 more minutes, about 10 minutes total).
8. Add reserved pancetta, onion, and apples back to pan. Add sage and stir to combine and warm throughout.

Two new chia pudding recipes

Ingredients

• ½ cup brewed coffee (chilled)
• ½ cup full fat canned coconut milk
• 1 heaping tablespoon almond butter (or other nut or seed butter)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ cup chia seeds

Instructions

1. Blend brewed coffee, coconut milk, almond butter, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and cocoa powder in a blender.
2. Place the blended mixture into a resealable large jar (or 2 smaller jars) then add chia seeds. Seal jar and shake.
3. Place in refrigerator overnight or for at least 3+ hours.
4. Eat up. Breakfast is served.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups almond milk
• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• 1 scoop Recovery Protein (30 grams)*
• 2 tablespoons almond butter (or other nut or seed butter)
• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• pinch of salt
• ¼ cup chia seeds
• extra almond milk for topping

Instructions

1. Blend all ingredients, except chia seeds, until smooth.
2. Place the blended mixture into a resealable large jar (or 2 smaller jars) then add chia seeds. Seal jar and shake.
3. Place in refrigerator overnight or for at least 3+ hours. I shook my jars once in between to make sure they didn’t become too gelatinous.
4. Pour some extra almond milk on top and eat up. Breakfast, snack or post workout recovery is served!

Notes

*Protein powder is optional. Recipe still works without it.

New recipe for plantain pancakes

3 large or 4 small yellow plantains, about 2-2.5 pounds before peeling *
1/3 cup egg whites (about 2 eggs worth)
3 tablespoons lard or coconut oil, melted (I highly recommend lard if you have it!)
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat your oven to 350.
2. Peel and chop your plantains and place in a food processor.
3. Puree until somewhat pureed, and then add the melted lard, egg whites, salt and lime juice.
4. Puree until smooth.
5. Drop about 2 tablespoons at a time onto a baking sheet lined with a lightly greased sheet of parchment paper, 4 per standard baking sheet (spaced as shown above)
6. Smooth into a circle with the bottom of a ladle, getting as thin as possible, switching to wet fingers once the ladle stops being efficient.
7. Bake for 15 minutes, until dry to the touch, and just starting to brown on the edges.

30 Paleo tips & tricks to live by

Found this on another blog.  Highlighted the ones I do.....

1. Plan out meals several days in advance. This is especially helpful when you are new.

2. Cook meat in bulk. The slow cooker is a great tool for this.

3. Dedicate time to prep your meals every week.

4. Prep meals in advance. Chop up ingredients. Pre-portion for the week.

5. Well stocked fridge is key! Keep hard-boiled eggs, smoked salmon and chicken salad on hand.

6. Eat homemade broth regularly to boost your immune system and give you strength. Use it as a base for soups and stews, or drink straight from a mug.

7. Remember: this is worth the initial adjustment period. It really is. 

8. Stick to your guns and you WILL be successful.

9. Don’t sacrifice better in the conquest of best.

10. Stop trying to be perfect. Instead be real about the journey.

11. Going paleo is not a ‘flip the switch’ decision for most. It takes time to adjust.

12. Take the time to remember why you are doing this, check in with yourself and be proud of the choices you have made.

13. Be proud, be passionate, and be prepared!

14. When you make dinner, make extra for lunch the next day.

15. Read labels.

16. Join Paleo facebook pages. The support and info on Facebook alone is amazing.

17. It all seems so overwhelming at first, but it is sooo worth it.

18. Take it one day at a time. It gets easier and it gets better.

19. Pick a new recipe or two, once a week to make for dinner. It helps avoid boredom at bay and keeps Paleo interesting.

20. Dinner leftovers for breakfast!

21. As far as substitutes go, do not look into how to substitute the food you once ate. No need to mourn the loss of food that makes you sick . Look forward to new horizons.

22. One of the hardest things about eating Paleo is the social pressure to eat junk. Always have a  plan before going to social gatherings!

23. Eat a satisfying meal before you go to parties so you don’t get tempted by unhealthy choices.

24. If it is a pot luck bring plenty of your own dish because you might end up eating only from your own plate 

25. If you don’t already eat organ meats, I recommend starting. Even the organ meats from organic, pastured animals are super cheap. Offal is chock full of nutrients.

26. Follow chowstalker.com and Just Eat Real Food to get recipe ideas. Whenever I’m on this site, I don’t  miss non-Paleo foods.

27. Read and follow Paleo blogs and books regularly. The more paleo in your head, the easier it is to stick to the diet.

28. Use your crock-pot and always have leftovers on hand in the fridge or freezer.

29. Don’t forget your non-starchy veggies. Cook a bunch of green with some yummy fat like garlic ghee and then eat some each day along with your meals.

30. Remember to get lots of sleep, fresh air, exercise and down time!

Go! St. Louis 5K 2013

We all ran the Go! St. Louis this morning.  This was our "before" picture, we all look very happy for seeing we had to get up by 5:30 as the race started at 7:00 am-who thought that was a good idea???!!!

Sam ran the race on his own and did really well, although he said it was about 2 minutes slower than his fastest time but made it in 26:30
Ben, Maggie and I ran the race together.  I told Ben to take off and not wait for us when we got close to the end.  He managed to be over a minute quicker than us even with that short distance left, so he was done in 32:40.  Maggie and I were at 33:44, slower than we have done recently.
Sam and I still look pretty good after the race....

The kids look great too.  Everyone is smiling.  Ben was particularly happy because he got so much swag....

Saturday cooking

We had a really busy weekend and I am going out of town for two days this week, so I spent as much time as I could spare on Saturday cooking a bunch of food.  First of all, I made some chicken chunks because Sam likes to eat them as a snack and the kids will eat them too-a good source of protein.  Luckily, I had a bunch of cut up chicken breast in the freezer.

I boiled 18 eggs and took the shells off them.  The kids love to eat them.  I took 8 of them and made Scotch eggs-covered them in sausage-meat and rolled in almond flour, then cooked in coconut oil.  Sam really likes them

Here they are after they are cooked-yummy!!!!

I made a batch of sweet potato biscuits to go along with all the protein that I made.  They were a particularly good batch.

I made these meatballs for Sam (I suspect they are his favourite).  They are super-easy to make, just ground beef, sun dried tomatoes, basil and garlic.

I made a batch of chimichurri sauce to go with the meatballs-or anything else, for that matter

I also put together a beef stew that I cooked in the crockpot on Sunday and of course I had to make a batch of no-oat oatmeal before I skipped out of town.....

WLC Week 6 workouts

Workouts:
Day 1
2 min warm up - run, jumprope, jumping jacks 
3 rounds:
1 min squats
1 min burpees
1 min sit ups
1 min rest 
2 min cool down - run, jumprope, jumping jacks 

Day 2
Easy cardio/metabolic conditioning of your choice.  Minimum of 10 minutes.  Keep heart rate in recovery range.  Finish feeling good and fresh, not tired and wiped out. 

Day 3
3 rounds for time:
5 push ups
10 sit ups
15 squats
20 burpees
15 squats
10 sit ups
5 push ups 

Day 4
Easy cardio/metabolic conditioning of your choice.  Minimum of 10 minutes.  Keep heart rate in recovery range.  Finish feeling good and fresh, not tired and wiped out.

Day 5
1 min plank hold
1 min prone cobra
1 min plank hold
1 min prone cobra
2 min max lunges
2 min max squats
1 min plank hold
1 min prone cobra 

Day 6
Sprint 8's
Run, Row, Ride
8 rounds:
30" of max effort for distance
90" of easy recovery (not stop)
- Do as many of these as you can.  If you are supposed to be starting one, but you can't breathe, then simply take it off… recover the full 2 minutes and start on the next one. 

Day 7
Easy cardio/metabolic conditioning of your choice.  Minimum of 10 minutes.  Keep heart rate in recovery range.  Finish feeling good and fresh, not tired and wiped out.

WLC Day 7

Are we obsessed???!!!!  I can remember when Sam was eating paleo and working out regularly and I hadn't started doing it.  I was good about cooking paleo foods for him, but I would still eat many foods that he wouldn't.  I certainly didn't exercise anything like he did (and I still don't).  I would even be somewhat irritated when I wanted to do something and Sam was exercising or eating before we left.  He has always been good about carving out time to work out and has always stayed pretty much on the paleo plan.  Although I'm still not as hard core as Sam, I'm now much more mindful of what I am doing every day.  The WLC calls for 10 minutes of exercising and mobility each day, but walking can count and I certainly walk plenty every day.  I have started stretching during the 3 minutes that it takes me to microwave water to make tea.  I have continued to drink decaffeinated tea rather than coffee so I have cut down considerably on coffee.

I feel like I have come a long way and doing the Whole30 or WLC with other people really gets me back on track and makes me remember why I am trying to exclude certain things from my diet.  So, to get back to the obsession question.  It's hard not to talk about nutrition and exercise with people in a way that doesn't sound like you are preaching or "I am right and you are wrong".  Just the other night, a neighbor made the comment "and beans are so healthy for you" and I immediately launched into my spiel about how beans have been shown to be anti-nutrient and inflammatory.  I should have just stayed quiet, but at the same time she mentioned having arthritis and said she would check out ISWF.  So, maybe I shouldn't shut up after all.....

WLC Day 6

I'm five weeks in and feeling great.  I swing between feeling like I'm doing great and can continue eating well indefinitely and then feeling like I can't wait for this to be over so I can stick my head in a pizza!!!  I miss eating my pizza more than anything.  I threw away almost half  a pizza last night.  I made it on Sunday and only Sam and Maggie ate it.  What a shame.  

After this challenge, I'm going to try to reintroduce foods right.  You are supposed to eat one thing at a time and see how you feel.  That's hard to do when you crave pizza-it's cheese and gluten at the same time!!!  I really don't think that the "off foods" affect me adversely, but I really don't know that for sure.  I know some people say that eating paleo revolutionizes their life-they feel so much better, aches and pains go away, etc.  That doesn't work for me, or so I think.  Yes, I do lose some weight and definitely inches, but I can't say that overall I feel so much better.  Maybe it's just something that has evolved slowly and I don't notice any more.  After all, I have been doing paleo on and off for almost two years now and I really can't remember how I felt when I was "carbo queen".  I do know that I'd like to stay on a healthy diet if I can.

Apart from pizza, there are several things in the back of my mind that I'd like to eat.  There's those Trader Joes chocolate peppermint patties in the fridge, they should be fine, they are just chocolate, honey and peppermint.  Then I could eat a zucchini muffin that I made this week.  Then I could make honey muffins on the weekend.....It's easy to see how you can just end up back where you started.  Hopefully I won't do that.

WLC Day 5

Turns out that the WLC mindfulness aspect will change after a week and next week I will have to read something mindfulness for a week.  That should be really easy to accomplish because I'm always reading articles on health, exercise and nutrition.  We'll see how easy it is.

Sam and I were talking last night about how much we talk about what we eat and what exercise we are doing.  It seems to be our major focus right now and something that we have in common.  I can remember when I thought he was completely obsessed about exercising and what he ate.  It is a major priority in his life and he still operates on a higher level than I do, certainly when it comes to exercise.  My major focus is the challenge to cook nutritious dinners that we will all eat.  I made some zucchini muffins this week and Caroline took one to work.  She told me they were very filling and she could only eat half at a time.  It was a great test to prove that eating nutrition dense food is different to regular food even if it's disguised as muffins.

Sam made chili last night, it was fabulous and even more so since I didn't have to cook for a change.  Even better, it's paleo without changing anything.....

Cooking on a Saturday night

I made pizza for Sam and Maggie on Saturday night, but I still can't eat any of it. It is painful to see it in its perfection and know I can't eat it

I made Maggie a chicken clafouti

and I made this cherry clafouti for me to eat, not as good as pizza, but OK

I have had major problems with making mayo recently and the last three batches have been a disaster.  Of course, I was never going to give up until I got it right and attempt #4 worked.  All is right with the world....