Deconstructed Burger

This past weekend was a lot of fun. Saturday started out with a partner WOD and Adam and I partnered together. It was awesome getting to WOD with him because we don't get to do that much, anymore. We used to WOD at the same class time at the 280 location, but since the downtown location opened, I have started going there. I really miss having that time in the gym with him so Saturday was kind of special for me :) After the WOD, ITF offered a yoga class so I stuck around for that. We were pretty much all beginners and quite frankly it was humorous at times!  I think everyone that stayed really enjoyed it and I hope that ITF will begin to offer yoga more regularly. My friends and I were pretty hungry after all of that so we went and grabbed brunch at Another Broken Egg. I stayed paleo for that meal, ordering a grilled chicken breast, bacon, 1 egg, and some guacamole. However, I did enjoy a mimosa!! Saturday is usually my cheat day and after brunch, I totally indulged in some good cheats.
A group of us met up at Avondale Brewery and had several of their amazing beers followed by a no-way-was-it-even-close-to-paleo meal at Cocina Superior. I think the only thing that was remotely paleo in that meal was the veggies......that were smothered in cheese and wrapped in a tortilla. But man, was it good! I am all about an epic cheat meal every now and then!
On Sunday I was quickly reminded why I don't cheat (to this extent) very often, as I felt so bloated, groggy, sick, etc all day. In true fashion, the only thing I wanted to "help" cure the dreaded HO was a big burger!! I at least had sense enough to not drive to Milo's and instead made this amazing burger. It hit the spot and it was 100% paleo. I also baked some basil sweet potato fries that really completed the meal.
So, here is to sticking to paleo this week and being aware of what we consume!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs ground beef*
• 4 Portobello mushroom caps
• 2 toma tomatoes, sliced
• lettuce
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
• EVOO

Instructions:

1. Form 4 hamburger patties from ground beef. *Whole Foods actually had some pre-pattied in the butcher section so that's what I bought. 
2. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder
3. In a skillet over medium high heat, cook the burgers for approx 6 minutes on each side, or until done
4. Meanwhile in a separate skillet, eat a little bit of EVOO over medium heat. Once hot, add the portobello caps and diced onion and let cook until onions are soft. I let mine cook for about 8 minutes
5. Once burgers are done, put lettuce on plate, then top with a burger, onions, mushroom, and tomato.
6. Enjoy!!

Eating Paleo Out

A lot of people think that eating paleo out at a restaurant is difficult. I am here to tell you that it is NOT! The biggest thing that you should know is that it is OK to ask your server how the food is prepared. Part of their job is to know this information - and if you don't like how it is prepared, ask them to cook it differently. A lot of times, for instance, restaurants will cook their veggies in tons of butter.You can simply ask the server to have them cook the veggies without butter. Restaurants are used to taking special requests all day. I used to be afraid to ask for changes, but I quickly got over that once I realized that no one ever cared! Of course, the easiest modification are basic substitutions. You can always ask for a double serving of veggies, or extra cucumbers on your salad, etc. I like to get extra cucumbers instead of croutons on my salads because the cucumbers still give me the crunch that croutons provide.

Recently Adam and I went to DoDiYo's and I had no problem at all eating Paleo. I ordered the chicken kabobs and it came with a salad, and two sides. I asked that my salad have no cheese/croutons and for my dressing I asked for some EVOO. I also asked that I have two sides of the steamed veggies.

Some of my favorite places to eat Paleo around town are.....
In no particular order....

• Village Tavern: they have awesome spaghetti squash, with some modifications and a few good salads
• Whole Foods
• Taco Mama: they have an entire section on their menu for "The Tribe and Workout Warriors" that is paleo
• Vino: think sauteed crab claws, tuna skewers, fresh fish, etc
• Flip Burger: you can get the burger lettuce wrapped
• Urban Standard: specifically breakfast
• Chick-Fil-A: grilled chicken tenders/nuggets and fruit. Or for breakfast, a side of scrambled eggs, grilled chicken patty and fruit
• Another Broken Egg: grilled chicken breast, side of eggs, baked bacon and guacamole

Additionally if you find yourself at one of these places here is an idea of what you can order:

Steakhouse - steak and veggies. EASY.

Mexican - salad with steak/chicken/shrimp or fajitas and ask them to hold the tortillas

Italian - grilled chicken breast, grilled onions and veggies

Burger joint - bunless burger with all the toppings. Guacamole or avocado if they have it!

The point of this is that eating Paleo is not difficult even when you are away from home. 

Preparation and a breakfast recipe

In my opinion, preparation is the key to cooking. Before I began eating paleo, I rarely cooked. And when I did, it was a grilled cheese & Campbell's soup, or a box of noodles & jar of Ragu. I wouldn't even season the meat. When I first began cooking I would tend to get stressed as it always took a lot longer to prepare and I was not good with my time management skills. I would start cooking at 6:00 and by the time I measured ingredients, preheated the oven/stove, made the dish and side's, we were eating at 8:00. Over the months, I have learned that preparation is key. ANYTHING that you can do the night before, or even a couple of hours before, will help tremendously when it is actually time to cook. For the recipe below, I chopped the sweet potato, onion, and bell pepper the night before and stored it in tuperware in the fridge over night. I also patty'd (is that a word?) the sausage the night before. This way, in the morning while getting ready for work, all I had to do was throw the sweet potato, onion, and bell pepper in a pan with a little oil and saute it, put the sausage in another skillet to cook, and then fry my egg. The ONLY reason I was able to eat this full, nutritious breakfast was because I had prepared. Cooking paleo is not difficult, it is easy really because you are working with whole foods, but it does require time, planning, and preparation!

Breakfast Hash

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb bulk breakfast sausage
• 1 sweet potato
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1-2 eggs; or however many you want

Instructions:

1. Patty the sausage to your preferred size. I made them roughly the size of sliders
2. Peel and chop sweet potato into bite sized pieces
3. Chop yellow onion and bell pepper
4. In a skillet over medium heat, add the sausage patties and cook until done. Then remove patties
5. In a separate skillet over medium- high heat, melt a little bit of coconut oil then add the bell pepper, onion, and sweet potato. Saute until sweet potato is soft and can be easily pierced with a fork
6. In the same skillet that you cooked the sausage fry an egg, or two. I like my eggs sunny-side up and to do this, I turn the skillet to medium- low (about 3 on my stove) and crack the egg. Then I just let it sit until the white part of the egg is cooked through. 
7. When everything is done, plate some of the sweet potato mixture, then add the sausage patty(s) on top, and then finally your egg! Enjoy!
8. 
   

IronTribe is awesome

The past couple months I have felt like I wasn't really progressing that much in my workouts at IronTribe. For the most part, that didn't really bother me. I had become complacent, but still proud, of what I was doing in the gym. I was still getting my butt kicked 4-5 times a week and pushing myself, to some degree. You see, I have a confidence issue. I have huge blinders on when it comes to looking at myself - I don't see my progress, yet others around me say I have progressed greatly in my year of IronTribe and eating Paleo.  Adam is my biggest advocate and I am so thankful that I have a constant voice of approval, motivation, and encouragement. He sings my praises; however, it is still hard sometimes when I don't necessarily SEE those improvements. Sometimes I just need something dramatic to get my attention for me to really see progress. And starting last week, that's exactly what I received. It was like the LORD had to shout at me - "are you kidding me??? You have been doing so great and I need you to be confident in who I have made you to be - let me show you."

Last week I accomplished something HUGE! I got my first handstand push-up!!!!!! I had never even attempted one because I "knew" there was no way I could do it. The only people that can do handstand push-ups are those rockstars at IronTribe - and I am far from that (notice my confidence issue). For whatever reason, I decided to flip up against the wall and give it a shot, totally expecting to fail. To my great surprise, I did it!!!!! Not only did I do one, I did handstand push-ups for the entire workout! That totaled about 25! That was one of my proudest moments so far at ITF. I still have some work to do on them but I gained confidence that day and I'm not stopping until I can do them with out any ab-mats under me (notice I have 2 in the picture).

Little did I know that another goal of mine would be coming to fruition just a couple days later. It has been my goal since I started IronTribe to get an unassisted pull-up by the time I had been doing Crossfit for a year. That year mark is at the end of August. Side note: The lovely thing about IronTribe is that EVERY MOVEMENT is scale-able. That means that if you cannot do a pull-up, then you get a box and do jumping pull-ups. The next step is to get a band (think really big rubber band) and use it to help you. There are various sizes of bands that offer various resistance. A couple months ago I advanced to the thinnest band which provided me with the least amount of help. Ever since then I have been trying every chance I get to get just one silly pull-up, to no avail. I was close, but still a couple inches away from getting my chin over the bar. I was beginning to think I wouldn't meet my goal of 1 pull-up by the end of summer. I was also beginning to get frustrated, and jealous! I mean, I was just looking for ONE pull-up. Not 5 or 10 - just one!! A couple of my other girl friends recently got their first pull-up and I was SO proud of them, yet jealous because I wanted to do it too!!! Then, last week, I was just "playing around" and I GOT IT!!!! I got my very first pull-up! I was thrilled - like a small child on Christmas Day. This was the moment I had been waiting on and looking forward to for almost an entire year! My coach, Zechariah, was also so excited for me and I loved that he was there to celebrate with me! He had been pushing me so hard and he believed in me the whole time. As badly as I wanted the pull-up, I know that it was my confidence getting in the way of my progress. After that first one, he ran and got the video camera and recorded me doing another one. And to my surprise, I did THREE!!!!! IN A ROW!!!! This time, I really couldn't believe it. Whoa! My confidence got a huge boost and now I can't wait for the next WOD that includes pull-ups! Again, I have some work to do to be able to do more in a row - but now I believe in myself (that was a lot of "to do"'s!)

And, my progress doesn't stop there.....this week I have RX'd two WODs! These have not been my first RX's, but both were really heavy days. The first one I had to over head squat 65# 75 times with some 400 meter runs thrown in there. Had it not been for my coach Luan and friend Chris, I don't know that I would have been able to keep the 65# going the entire time. They encouraged me the whole time and on my last set, were in my face cheering me on. I was the last one done, but I finished!!! This morning was another heavy day. We had to deadlift 155# 12 times, do 12 burpees, and run 400 meters....4 times!! That is 48 deadlifts, 48 burpees, and 1600 meters (a mile)! Once again, I didn't think I would be able to deadlift 155#, 48 times, but Zechariah believed in me and encouraged me the whole time - and I did it!!!

The human body is amazing. We are built to be pushed and that is what IronTribe does. You are pushed further than you ever think is possible (with great coaching along the way). It truly does work. And it doesn't just work for me. It can work for anyone. It does take time (obviously) and it does take commitment, but I believe it is the greatest gym ever. It changes your life and touches every aspect of your life. I am so thankful for what IronTribe has done for me and the relationships I have built because of it. Now, here is a picture and video for your enjoyment :)

(Shameless plug - if you are interested in IronTribe, leave a comment or message me on facebook. I would love to talk to you more about it. On June 30 from 9-10:30 there is a Bring A Friend Day that I would love for you to come to. It's a warm-up and workout that will give you a little taste of IronTribe. It is a ton of fun, and a FREE workout! No excuses.)

*I can't get my video to display.....I'm working on it*

No Bake Sticky Apple Bars

It is Friday and we all know what that means......FUN FOOD FRIDAY!!!!!!

What a week it has been! And by that, I mean, what a GREAT week it has been. It seemed that each day was a bit sweeter than the previous. I struggled in my WOD on Monday (I have no doubt it was the alcohol from the weekend before) but I worked hard and even Rx'ed it. I have felt stronger as the week progressed and even set a PR on my 5x back squats - 155 pounds!!!! After the max, I also Rx'ed the WOD (YES, that is TWICE in a week!)!  It really is amazing how a clean diet and consistent WOD's  make you stronger faster. I must give tons of credit to my coaches and fellow athletes for pushing me hard. I would not have been able to complete the WODs without them. This week I got to attend a food tasting and talk food with some really inspiring people (thanks again Chef Sean and Coach Luan!), cook some good meals, and experimented with different meats and cuisine (I was missing you, Chinese food!).

This weekend is going to follow suit as well - I am running a 5k saturday morning, eating lunch with my parents then going to the AWODS (a red-carpet awards ceremony hosted by IronTribe). On Sunday I am looking forward to church then planning my meals for the next week and cooking!!

I hope you have had a great week and have an ever greater weekend. So I will leave you with a treat that hopefully makes your weekend that much sweeter!

Ingredients:
Crust-

• 12 medjool dates, pits removed
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/4 cup Raw Honey
• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup coconut manna, melted
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of salt

For the topping-

• 3 apples, cored and thinly sliced
• 3 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 2 Tbsp coconut manna
• pinch of cinnamon
• pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. First, make the crust. Add all ingredients for the crust to a food processor until consistency of crust is reached.
2. Press crust down in an 8x8 glass baking dish until crust is evenly distributed
3. Heat large skillet under medium heat. Add in coconut oil, then the sliced apples
4. Once the apples begin to get soft, add walnuts. Stir continuously so the apples and walnuts don't burn
5. Once apples are wilted, add honey and coconut manna along with cinnamon and salt
6. When all ingredients are incorporated, pour mixture on top of crust and press flat. Put in the fridge to harden for 30-45 minutes
7. Cut into squares and serve!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!

This recipe came from the ever-amazing Juli at paleomg.com. I have said it, and I will say it again, visit her site!! You will forever thank her. 

Passion

Last night I had the privilege of attending a food tasting that was provided by Food Studio B and hosted by IronTribe. I knew it would be a great event...I mean, I already knew that the food was going to be good. InnerFire Grill is a branch of Food Studio B that prepares whole-food, paleo meals and treats for IronTribe, and the little I have tried has been nothing short of awesome. So, I was confident that the food last night was going to be great, as well. To my surprise, I really underestimated the greatness of the food... I was blown away. Like I mentioned, I had only sampled a few things and those items were typically breakfast and the treats - not the dinner or lunch options. Last night, I sampled ate (way too much of :)) the best pulled pork, salsa verde chicken, grainless granola, mixed veggies, applesauce reduction greens (or something like that), and chocolate chip bread I have ever had! YES!! Chocolate Chip bread. Oh my gosh I stuffed my face. I know that I ate way too much, but I'm totally okay with that. It was too good to turn down. I got excited all over again to prepare healthy meals that I couldn't help but try and recreate these recipes in my head . I know it is true, but it is so good to be tastefully reminded that your food does not need added 'crap' for it to be delicious.

What I did not expect, was how inspired I would feel afterwards. Food Studio B, and specifically Chef Sean, are truly an inspiration. Chef Sean took something that directly impacted his life - gluten, a passion for cooking, and created something life changing. Now, Chef Sean is changing many more lives with FOOD around the city! The amazing thing is that I realized something about myself, as well. For the first time in my life I have a passion. And it is cooking. Never in a million years would I have thought I could develop a passion for cooking. I didn't grow up in a household where cooking was highlighted, or even care to cook until I joined IronTribe and decided that paleo was a route I wanted to take. My love for cooking grows more everyday and, although I am 100% self taught and I do not know much at all, I love learning about it. And even though my audience is very few, and I am usually just cooking for 2, I still hope to be a positive influence. It has taken me a long time to realize this new passion, but it is burning bright. I am really going to dig in- I want to learn more about technique, ingredients, and the biology of it all. I am excited to see where this journey takes me and I cannot wait to get in the kitchen tonight. Can I take of work for the rest of the week?!?

If you have stayed with me this far, I thank you! Thanks for listening to me ramble - it probably made no sense and I would be lucky to receive a C+ in Language Arts. Cheers to passion and finding it!