Yeah, I eat. Every day. Like a boss!

So when I first began "blogging" (if that's what we can call this) almost 2 yrs ago, I posted a lot about food, what I was eating, how I was training... Then I fairly quickly realized that there are SO many real food bloggers out there, and really VERY few people were reading this so... meh. all my food is pretty much the same anyway.... so it got boring pretty fast.


However, a friend mentioned recently that she wished I would post what I'm eating. I didn't even realize she read my blog :) BUT yo. I love it. I'll share whatever I can that might be helpful.

Zucchini, Squash, Onions and Eggs...
broccoli slaw is my staple breakfast 'veggie' though

An average day of Food

Breakfast = 3 eggs and some mix of veggies sauteed in Coconut Oil.
ALWAYS with coffee + canned coconut milk on the side.

*If I'm feeling a little spicy I may cut one of the eggs and throw in a diced Italian sausage.


Snack = follows breakfast by 2-3 hours.

I was out of blueberries... back up= mixed berries

Honestly this is my most frequent snack lately... frozen blueberries + a big scoop of Almond or Sunbutter + some shredded coconut + almond milk and maybe 1/2 scoop protein powder...

I have NO guilt over this when my training volume is heavy and high.

If I'm more relaxed in training... and more conscious of weight control,

a good snack is

1 Hardboiled Egg or Ounce-ish of Chicken + Cherry Tomatoes + a few almonds

OR just the berries with cinnamon and coconut shreds, without all the extra fatty goodness.


Midday Training is followed by 1.5 scoop Progenex. (I hate to love it).

Note: I did not make this salad.
A restaurant did. Mine is better.

Lunch is whatever I can throw together fast.
here are two samples:

Big bowl of spinach or greens. with about 1 cup of halved grape tomatoes. spoon of garlic, some kalamata olives, Sundried tomatoes in olive oils, maybe some nuts, and scallions if I have them around...

top it off with some chicken (3-5 oz) and balsamic vinegar and call it delicious!!

fresh cilantro makes it best.

OR if I've made it and it lasted this long I may have my favorite chicken Salad with home made mayo... mmm!

Go to "the clothes make the girl" for the mayo recipe. It's bomb.

Sometimes there's time and hunger for afternoon snack... It follows along with morning snack's options.

Evening training is followed by 1.5 scoop Progenex.

Confession: this was my lunch and
dinner yesterday. 

Dinner ... finally by 9-10pm... Dinner...

Almost always a hot plate of sorts.  Sauteed up veggies with pre cooked meat source tossed in with some spices.

Example: Spaghetti Squash with Ground Turkey, onions, and mini peppers.  Sauteed, with Sundried tomatoes tossed in for a little oil and extra flavor (I do this ALL the time in place of sauces).  This one has a little balsamic on it as well.... but if you're going for the asian flavor reach for the coconut aminos.

OR, maybe I'll have cooked a roast in the crock pot and serve it up with roasted veggies (tossed in EVOO, and baked for 30-40min at 400 degrees)

Finally, IF i'm not concerned at all about weight issues... I may or may not throw in dried mango, and dark chocolate, into my day at will.  I know myself.  I can tell when it's slowing me down, so that usually is enough to keep it in check. Fats give me energy, but extra sugars drain me,  so if I need to cut treats it comes from the mango and chocolate before the nut butters and almond or coconut milk.

And that's a day!

Disclaimer: Actually the beautiful simple thing is that any meal can be eaten at any time of day.  Foods don't have to be exclusively for one particular meal or another... so much flexablity.

Important Ingredient:  all of this is accompanied by a gallon of water a day... give or take a bit depending on heat and training volume. 

What's for Dinner? "Spaghetti"

You guys,
It has been a long time since I have enjoyed something so much that I ate what should have been 3 servings in one sitting and couldn't wait more than 2 days to make it again!  It all came from tossing together what I had on hand... with the addition of kelp noodles.

Get a saucepan.
Turn on to medium heat.  Reduce heat to low somewhere along the way according to your judgement.
Add Some coconut oil.
Chop up some Onions or Leeks (both are good)
Saute.
Add Mushrooms.
Start chopping baby sweet peppers. (multi-colored package)
Toss those into your sauce pan. Keep giving the veggies a stir.
Grab a package of Kelp Noodles... the weirdest thing, pretty much calorie less but nutrient dense?
Rinse the 'noodles' and chop.
Toss those into the saucepan. Stir.
Dice a zucchini. Add that to the mix.
Grab 2 spicy italian sausages. Chop them up and throw them in. Stir.
Add half jar of your favorite tomato sauce.  I used Classico herb and garlic.  (always hunting for the cleanest label - no dairy, no added sugar.)
Stir and Cover.  
Let simmer together for 10 minutes or so.
Enjoy!

I have tried kelp noodles before and thought they were disgusting, but they were really good here cooked in with everything and softened up.   It was really like eating spaghetti and so yummy.

New Challenges & Victories

Item 1:  Crossfit 760 will be at the Southern California Regional competition, and I am on the team :)
It is so exciting and humbling to be competing with such a great team.  The last few weeks we have begun training together and I'm stoked for the gifts and positive energy everyone brings to pull together and make one great unit.  Other than that. My body hurts. A lot.

Item 2:  Just for fun.  Let's compare once again to show how awesome she is.
(If I ever meet you Heather Bergeron, I will be embarrassed that I've blogged about it, but you are such an inspiration to me)

Item 3:  Crossfit Total.  I have never done it.  Two years of crossfitting and I've never done it. Until today. Mind boggling!
"The CrossFit Total reflects an athlete's functional strength capacity more accurately than any other test ... the sum of the best of three attempts at the squat, the press, and the dead lift.  

Anyone in a position to attempt a legitimate CrossFit Total should be familiar enough with their capabilities on the lifts to have a fairly good idea of just what might be possible for a one-rep max (1RM). This number is what you warm up intending to do. A meet situation will involve three attempts, and this is a good way to determine a true 1RM.  The first attempt would be a weight you know you can do for a heavy set of three. The second attempt would be a weight you know without any doubt that you could do for a single, having just done the first attempt. And the third attempt is the weight you want to do, based on your performance on the previous two attempts." - Thank you Crossfit Journal

My Total is: 200+90+220= 510

I will take it, and count it as a victory.  For the dead lift alone.  200 was my previous max AND I have a debilitating fear of dead lifts, considering them the nemesis that will destroy my back and ruin my life.  Today I crushed my PR by 20 lbs and my back feels fine! Miracles happen everyday, friends. 

Item 4:  The BEST paleo dessert ever invented.  CHEESECAKE.  with no cheese. Really, it tastes so good.   My only modifications were:

1) Use honey instead of Agave and cut the amount in 1/2

2) Add 1/4 c. coconut oil to the crust

3) For the topping I used boysenberries/blackberries.  Just heated on the stove with about 1/4 c water and 1tbs honey.  The tartness of the berries was a great contract with the sweetness of the rest.  

Warning: If you do not deem it in your best interest to enjoy the WHOLE thing yourself, be sure you Make it at a time you will be forced to share it.  It is just that good!

Missing the Zone

For a 'long time' before I decided to take a paleo challenge I was using the zone diet, as a guideline for my nutrition.  And honestly, I can't really say I eat paleo now.  But I do feel my diet has needed a makeover.

 So I'm making my own way for a while... the Kathy plan.  I want to stick with the good things I've learned  so far.  That means:

1)  Eat mostly real food:  Veggies, lean meats, eggs, fruits and some nuts
2)  Eat at set times, don't graze freely all day as a rule
3)  Eat meals in moderate portions - try to use Zone blocks as a guideline, but don't bother counting carb that come from green veggies, just try to keep the protein and fat in balance and not eat too much fruit.
4)  Drink LOTS of water
5)  Take fish oil daily
6)  go for the post workout protein drink  (this is on test run).

Other than that, just be moderate. (That is the hard part!!)

here's some of the day's good eats, practicing balancing...

eggs and whites, apple, and a few nuts., with Peppermint tea and almond milk

Very Blue protein shake with a Very Green pesto & spinach salad

Crock pot pork loin with tomato veggies and steamed young broccoli
Thank you Vista Farmer's Market

Eggcakes

This is in no way original, but it was a nice diversion from the norm!  

I got it from Rob Wolf's Paleo Solution.  He calls them pancakes but they do taste a little eggy.

2 eggs

1/4c cashew butter

1/4c applesauce

1/4tsp vanilla

cinnamon

cook in a pan with some coconut oil... top with your choice of yummies.  I went for warmed blueberries with applesauce. 

To be honest, besides being a little high on the fat side, this is a pretty balanced meal :)

Food Explorations of Late

Frazier Farms sells a knock off vegan 'cheese'.
I gave into curiosity and decided to try it.
DON'T DO IT!!
We are not surprised.
It's vegan, and it calls itself cheese,
how could it possibly be anything good?

What you see here friends is an interesting exploration in something like pizza... oh and a delicious salad.
Why don't I eat more salad??

So the "pizza" crust was made from eggs and cashew butter mostly, and it was okay.  A little weird but I ate the whole thing (no surprises there!)

I topped it with a marinara sauce and lots of delicious veggies:
peppers, mushrooms, spinach, onions.
And that weird excuse for cheese.
Mea culpa, Mea culpa.

Next up:  Greens and Beets and Curry, oh my!

I've never cooked collard greens, but know it would benefit me to eat more leafy greens... always.
Simultaneously, I made an adventurous purchase of beets.

So what to do?

Saute them up with mushrooms, onions, and top with Trader Joe's Panang Curry Tuna??

Ok. so that's what we did. (Notice we, means me, but you get it now).

Not bad, really.  It was colorful, and curry makes everything delicious.




So a few things I can definitely recommend from the last month:

1) Trader Joes' stir fry veggies and their curry tuna!  So good for a fast meal.
2) Cold leftover roasted veggies and chicken for breakfast.... Don't Judge me. It's been surprisingly delish
3) Kale Salads - so so good you guys.  The trick is to mix it up with a citrus/oil dressing and let it marinade for a hour or more before eating.  Absolutely can not go wrong with raisins, fresh squeezed orange and, Evvo.  yummy.
4) Home made granola!  I used this as a guideline.  Seriously can not make it again for a while.  I have pushed past common sense on the amounts of food I have been eating, and this maddening thrill for my munchies doesn't help me keep my intake to reasonable levels.
5)  Apple Cinnamon muffins and cake, oh my!!  This was my go by-ish.

Tomorrow begins lent, and my body is SOOOO ready to get back to being fed real food and in moderation.
Mardi Gras has been my excuse for treats that made my heart happy while my head ached and my body has been on break down.  I really couldn't take another day of the junk - but getting off the crack is not going to come easily.

Oven Cookin'

This was by far the best thing I've cooked in a long time... so so tasty that it deserves to be large! I'm not even a big broccoli fan, but my enthusiasm is renewed.

So what is it?  Trout (pretty much from Robb Wolf's Paleo Solution) and Broccoli (from Cordain's Paleo Diet cook book).

Set oven at 350
coat a small pan with coconut oil
Add fish, skin down
Add a layer of Dijon Mustard to the fish
Sprinkle with chopped nuts (pecans... mmm)
Bake 12 ish min.

Turn oven up to Broil.
In a bowl toss chopped broccoli with EVOO and pepper.
Squeeze in the juice of one orange, toss to coat.
Arrange on baking sheet.
Broil 10 min or till bright green.
(At 12 min mine were singed a bit, though still delicious, not preferrable)
Optional toss with walnut oil before serving.

I tend to saute everything, because it's fast right?  And I am most often on hungry overload by the time I start cooking, but I love using the oven because while the food is in there I don't have to stand over it stirring and checking.  This is valuable time to get my food mess under control or put in a load of laundry.  Every little bit helps!  My kitchen ends cleaner this way :)  Do you have tips for keeping up with the food mess while you are cooking, to minimize clean up later?

Lunch Art

Fast and Easy Lunch:

Broccoli Slaw
EVOO
Curry Powder
Cumin
Lemon Juice
Harboiled Eggs for protein
Raisins for my sugar addiction

Fusion of Flavors...

Zesty and Delightful

I love salads and yet I am soooo lazy to make them.  Maybe this deliciousness will help motivate me to prepare them more often.

Mixed greens

A few grape tomatoes halved
Raisins
Pine nuts
Meat source (I used spicy chicken sausage)
1-2 tbs Evoo
1/2 grapefruit squeezed
1 garlic clove pressed
Salt pepper
Italian seasoning

Cover and Shake.
Let sit and marinate together for 20 minutes or so to let the flavors blend.

Veggie Eggies

a rainbow of produce = mas nutrients = bueno

coconut oil
zucchini
red cabbage
onion
2 eggs
dill

added to heat in a frying pan and that = breakfast

Re-purposed Turkey Burgers

Don't judge the looks...


Turkey veggie burger
1/2 cucumber skinned/sliced
Avocado
Homemade Mayo
(Balsamic vinegar?)


Fast, tasty lunch

Death by Coconut Flour

Today I can admit that I am no gourmand.  But I was thinking, "I should post some meal every other day."  (Not that my meals are original or novel - well, the good ones usually aren't anyway.)
But mostly as an accountability factor for me; sharing something different every other day for a month, would be a good way to make sure I'm not ALWAYS eating the same things all the time.

Variety = good.  Monotony = bad.

My dearest friend Annie sacrificially sent me a great Turkey burger recipe via text message to try, and I KNOW these are delicious so what a great one to document!

The preparation and execution were going great - except I made one nearly catastrophic substitution : Coconut flour in place of Bread crumbs.  
She specified using ample bread crumbs to 'soak up the moisture' and I thought, "No bread! No problem! Coconut flour will suck the moisture out of ANY Thing!"  How deadly right I was.

The burgers were delicious, except they seemed almost designed to suck all the moisture from one's mouth as well.  Eaten just a little too quickly they may cause one to require emergency Heimlich maneuvering.  Yes, yes,  I survived, but if you have enemies you may just invite them over and serve this.  (Just kidding, even though I can destroy an easy recipe, I am confident YOU will make them perfect!)

1 lb Turkey, 1-2 eggs
Chopped veggies of your choice
I chose this time: zucchini, orange pepper, onion, and chopped spinach.

Heat EVOO in a skillet
Add veggies and saute til 'nice and sweaty'
Combine turkey, egg, and some breadcrumbs or VERY little coconut flour in a bowl mix. 

let veggies cool once done
Add to turkey mixture with some coconut aminos and/or seasonings of your choice
form loose patty and place back in the skillet.
Cook each side about 3-7 minutes as need until cooked through.
If your burgers have juices (mine did not) Clear = Done :)

Thanks, Annie! It was delicious as suggested on a bead of baby spinach with a touch of balsamic and oil ever so lightly drizzled.

Something New

Day 3

 Recipe at Nicole's Blog

Vented to the whole 30 community about my raisin munching addiction and my boredom with cooking. They are great.

I'm going to start using the resources I can find to keep eating clean and paleo fun, while keeping any ideas of deprivation at bay...

Tonight:
Salmon with coconut tomato sauce and steamed brussell sprouts.
Not a salmon fan in general but the sauce = so good!

And yes, I did swear off brussell sprouts for ever, but they are tasty and healthy and in moderation may not be such an enemy.

Roasted Delightfulness

Peel and dice:
1 Butternut squash
1-2 Sweet potatoes


(I never chopped a butternut squash, I don't know why I was surprised to see it look like this inside...)





Toss pieces with EVOO or oil of choice.
Lay out on a baking sheet.

Bake on 400 about 25 min.
(Next time I'm trying 350 for 35-40min)

Mmm... Enjoy!

Pumpkin/Butternut Cookies & Muffins

Nobody bakes like Mama's.  Today is the feast of the Immaculate Conception, so in honor of my Mama Mary, I decided to bake a paleo treat!   The verdict is out... no one bakes like mamas and I obviously am not a mama.
Ah well.  This is what I did.

At 400 for 15 min.
1 1/2c Pumpkin (I used a pie pumpkin. I just baked it like any other squash, then Pulled out the flesh and mashed it up)
3 tbs agave nectar
1 egg
2 egg whites
1 c. coconut milk
1 c. chopped walnuts

1 c coconut flour
1/2c almond flour
1 tsp baking powder.
2tsp Pumpkin Pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon

They were ok, just dry.  Coconut flour is still hard for me to cook with.  It sucks up all the moisture so I find that I have to double or triple the amount of liquid ingredient to try to make it balance. Almond flour seems much better for baking to me, but it is more expensive.  I've thought about grinding my own, but haven't taken that step yet.

This is what I did the last time that came out so much better, as Muffins actually
1 1/2c  butternut squash
3 tbs agave nectar
2 eggs

1/4 c. coconut milk
3/4 c. chopped walnuts
1c almond flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie spice
1 tbs cinnamon
Inspired from Everyday Paleo

Stuffed Squash

Great Fall Meal

Preheat oven to 350

Cut squash in half (acorn or other)

Pull out the insides.

Place flat side down on baking sheet with water.

Bake 40 mins.

Flip over and stuff with cut apples coated in cinnamon

and ground turkey or breakfast sausage

Bake 20 min longer.

Enjoy!



Salad Variation

This is one of my FAVORITE go to's:

Tomatoes, Cucumbers, EVOO, Crushed black pepper

easy peasy!

Add grilled chicken breast = balanced and delightful meal.

World Market sells the best tomato basil flavored oil... mmm.



snuck a few raisins and almonds in this one because let's face it, I'm an addict.

Dinner!

Chicken breast, spinach, mashed sweet potato

Delicious Spinach!

In a skillet:
Carmelize Onions in EVOO
On low heat,
Toss in some sundried tomatoes
Add about 1/8 c Chicken broth
Add a few handfuls Spinach
cover and steam for a few minutes
Top with some crushed walnuts.

Grateful Day 1 - Curry

I didn't think I would post about food this week, because I decided that I should only post about things from a positive, grateful place.  I have had nothing nice to say about my cooking or food in general lately, so I thought I would skip it... however, tonight my curry was tasty.  I am grateful my curry was tasty.  Tip for next time - spinach was  good choice, use more spinach and skip the bell pepper.

3/4 can coconut milk
1 c water
1 sweet potato (skinned and microwaved 3 min)
1/4 chopped onion
1 chicken breast (pre cooked and chopped)
2 big hand fulls of spinach
1/2 jar of green curry paste
few shakes of yellow curry powder
1 slice bell pepper (DON'T do it!)
cook over medium heat, stirring until veggies are your choice consistency... mmmm!

Thank you, Lord, that I have fresh food to eat and water to drink.  Thank you that I have a warm place to sleep, and a kitchen to cook in.  Thank you that I have been met with warmth and love by so many beautiful people along my way.
As I pilgrim I have to say... Thank you Lord for clean clothes, a shower, and rest for my feet!

A few weekend meals

Turkey Breast on Coconut Milk Rhubarb, Parsnip, Rutabega Bake

Turkey Burger on a Portabella Bun

Carob coated Almonds

Home made Mayo for Chicken Salad

Chicken Salad in a bell pepper cup :)