Thursday

Lunch:

Leftover Red Curry w/Seafood and Vegetables

Snack:

Toasted Rosemary-Fig Nutty Bread

Banana

Dinner:

Heirloom Lettuce Wrapped Buffalo Burger

Sauteed Red Kale

 

CrossFit Workout:
Three Minutes of Jumprope
~and~

"Bear Complex" (75lb)
~and~

5x1 Deadlift:
165-175-185-195-210

The Pull Up Bar

I just thought that I would take a moment to show off my handiwork:

I built this pull up bar back in October, as a birthday surprise to Scott. He's pretty darn tall, so his toes hit the ground while kipping on standard pull up bars. So, in order to help him conquer "the butterfly" (which he now has!), I decided to build this one in our garage. I looked online for examples and inspiration, and finally just decided to draw up my own "plans". Once I decided what I wanted, I headed to the plumbing and building departments at our local Lowes for some help cutting my 2x4's and pipe. A few hours later and VOILA!

Paleo Curry w/Seafood and Vegetables

 

Red Curry w/Shrimp, Scallops, and Vegetables

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

1/2lb Jumbo Prawns

1/3lb Jumbo Scallops (about 3), quartered

3 Medium Zucchini, julienned

2 Italian Eggplant, cut into small cubes

1 Red Bell Pepper, julienned

1 T. Coconut Oil

3 T. Red Curry Paste (I found this brand at our local Whole Foods...if you can find it, use it)

1 T. Kaffir Lime Leaves (I love the flavor that these leaves add to the curry, and like these for their flavor and convenience...but, you can also check your local Asian market for the fresh version)

Julienne the zucchini and red bell peppers, and cut the Italian eggplant into small cubes:

 

Add 1 T. of coconut oil to a saute pan and melt, over medium heat. Add the eggplant and toss to coat. Cook until slightly browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini and bell peppers. Toss vegetables together and cook another 5-7 minutes. Add 2 heaping tablespoons of red curry paste and toss with vegetables, to coat. Add one 14oz can of coconut milk (full fat) and kaffir lime leaves, simmer for 5-7 minutes. Add seafood, toss to coat, cover, and continue to cook until seafood is cooked through.

If you decide to use a protein, other than seafood (i.e. chicken, beef, or pork), brown the meat, set it aside, and add it to the curry mixture at the same time you'd add the seafood.

Enjoy this curry as is, or serve atop cauliflower "couscous" or:

Spaghetti Squash

Place the whole squash in a large pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the squash can be easily pierced with a knife, about 45 minutes.

 

When the squash is done, drain and set aside until cool enough to handle. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds and discard. Using a fork or spoon, scrape the flesh free of the skin, carefully separating it into the spaghetti-like strands that it naturally forms.

 

Breakfast:
Fritatta w/Zucchini and Asparagus

Dinner:
Sushi at Steel

CrossFit Workout:
Day Off

Monday

Breakfast:
Two Poached Eggs
Slice of Rosemary-Fig Nutty Bread w/1/2 tsp. Raw Honey

Lunch:
A lot of Sushi
Seaweed Salad

Dinner:
Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
Two Eggs (cooked in Avocado Oil)
1/2 Apple

CrossFit Workout:
Five Minutes of Jumprope
~and~

"Angie"
100 Pull Ups (60 Bandless)
100 Push Ups
100 Sit Ups
100 Squats

24:47

I didn't do my "Daily 100", as my body was blasted after this WOD. My last 30-40 squats were really ugly and my hands are totally ripped up...I'm taking tomorrow off!

Goal:
We're doing this one again on January 29...so, my goal will be to do all of my pull ups bandless (I was able to physically do the pull ups, it was my torn hands that got me...so, I guess that means building up my calluses...cute!) and in less than 21 minutes. I think I can, I think I can...

Rosemary-Fig Nutty Bread (Paleo-Friendly)

 

This recipe is inspired by these delicious, though non-Paleo, crisps/crackers Scott and I enjoyed while in Portland. I'm working on a Paleo-friendly cracker to satisfy our cravings, but in the meantime I decided to modify this recipe, from Elana's Pantry. The flavor combination is amazing!

This bread should defintiely be toasted, and can be enjoyed in a number of ways:

-with a light spread of raw honey

-with goat cheese and more thinly sliced figs (if you're eating dairy)

-with a thin layer of almond butter and a thinly sliced and fanned apple

-create an even more flavorful version of this turkey sandwich

Rosemary-Fig Nutty Bread

1 ½ cups blanched almond flour

¾  cup arrowroot powder (I use ½ cup, so that the bread is not so dense)

¼ cup flax seed meal

½ teaspoon  sea salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

4 eggs
¼ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
¼ cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
½ cup pistachios, coarsely chopped
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup sesame seeds

1 T. chopped fresh romsemary

10 dried figs, chopped (as finely or as coarsely as you like...I chopped some fine and some more coarse) 

1. In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, arrowroot, flax meal, salt and baking soda
2. In a larger bowl, blend eggs 3-5 minutes until frothy
3. Mix dry ingredients into the eggs, then add nuts, seeds, rosemary, and figs
   
4. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan (between 7"x3" and 8.5"x4.5", so that the loaf isn't too flat)
   
5. Bake at 350º for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean
6. Cool and serve

Sunday

Morning Workout:
Two Mile Walk (my friend, Julie, is rehabbing a pulled hamstring so we walk our two mile route this morning)
100 Push Ups
100 Sit Ups
100 Squats

Breakfast:
Three Egg Omelet w/Spinach

After this morning's two mile jaunt, Scott and I went to breakfast at IHOP with our friends, Keith and Julie. I ordered an omelet (request just eggs...otherwise you will get their omelet "mixture" which contains a small amount of pancake batter, used to "fluff up" the omelet...yes, strange) with spinach only and a bowl of fruit, instead of the standard side of pancakes. The waitress looked around the table in a sort of disgust and said, "Anyone want to order "real" food!?"...hmmm...I thought that was what I did. Oh well...maybe one day she'll experience the joys of Paleo.

Dinner:
Heirloom Lettuce w/Seared Scallops, Roasted Beets, Celery, and Lemon-Avocado Oil Vinaigrette

Tip: This has been my go-to meal lately. I pretty much always have scallops in my freezer (I just take them out in the morning or the night before I want to eat them and then put them in a bowl, covered with saran wrap, to thaw in the fridge). The lettuce, I clean, spin, wrap in a clean dishtowel, and store in a tupperware container for easy use. And, the beets were roasted (toss whole, cleaned beets with EVOO, a little sea salt, and pepper, wrap in foil, and roast at 400F for about an hour), peeled, and sliced in advance for snacking or tossing in a salad.

Lemon-Avocado Oil Vinaigrette:
Serves 1

1 T. Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1 T. Avocado Oil
1/2 T. EVOO
Pinch of Fresh Dill (or any other fresh herb), chopped
Sea Salt
Black Pepper

Whisk ingredients in the bottom of your salad bowl. Toss with lettuce and any other vegetables you wish to add to your salad.

CrossFit Workout:
Tabata-Style New Years Workout (courtesy of TheClothesMakeTheGirl)

Six Rounds (20 Seconds on/10 Seconds off) Each of:
Sumo Deadlift High Pull (53lb Kettlebell): 11/7
Sit Ups: 11/10
Knees to Elbows: 7/5
Kettlebell Swings (35lb): 9
Squats: 14/13

Here's how this workout went down:
We wrote down our favorite and least favorite movements (fifteen total) and then mixed them up in a bowl. We decided to pick five movements, as opposed to four, and did each movement six times for a total of thirty rounds, as opposed to eight times for a total of thirty two. Doing five movements made me feel like I could increase my odds of getting at least one of my favorites...plus, I like odd numbers.

*And, since we were doing a Tabata workout...I downloaded this totally cool timer to my iPhone. Love it!

When all was said and done, I got a good mix...I LOVE kettlebell swings (thanks to a visit from Melissa Urban and Dallas of Whole9, back in August, I not only love kettlebells...I can swing way more weight and am feeling it in all the right places!), I found that I don't mind sumo deadlift high pulls when using a kettlebell, and the other movements I don't love, but don't really mind. Scott, on the other hand, got thrusters and push ups...I HATE them both! Note to self...work on thrusters and push ups. Push ups...a work in progress! 

This was a great 15 minute WOD! Thank you Melissa!

Paleo Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

(I stacked two slices of lasagna for this photo)

Paleo Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
2 Large Zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/2" slices
2 Italian Eggplant or 1 Standard Eggplant, sliced lengthwise into 1/2" slices
1 Red Bell Pepper, quartered and seeded
12 Asparagus Spears, trimmed
10 Thyme Sprigs
1 T. Fresh Rosemary
2 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Coarse Sea Salt and Black Pepper, to taste

Sauce*:
1 Small Yellow Onion, thinly sliced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 T. EVOO
1 T. Tomato Paste
1/2 T. Dried Oregano
Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
14oz Can of Whole Plum Tomatoes (I like these)

*Add 1lb of browned ground meat (I like a 50/50 of ground pork and beef, but you could also use buffalo or another favorite) for a meatier/heartier sauce.

Slice the vegetables:

Brush vegetables with EVOO and sprinkle with sea salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme sprigs. Roast zucchini, eggplant, and bell pepper at 400F for  20-25 minutes, until soft and slightly caramelized. Remove zucchini and eggplant and set aside. Add asparagus to the roasting pan and continue to roast with the bell peppers for another 10-12 minutes:

 

While the vegetables are roasting, make the sauce. Sweat onions and garlic in EVOO, over medium heat, for 5 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and dried oregano. Stir to coat and saute another 2-3 minutes:

 

Add tomato paste and stir to coat:

 

Crush whole tomatoes into the sauce and add all of the juices to the pan:

 

Simmer, on low, for 15-20 minutes:

 

While the sauce is simmering, chiffonade the basil:

 

Once your vegetables are roasted and your sauce is prepared, begin the layering process. To a 1.5 qt. (mine is a 9"x7" pyrex with a lid) baking dish, add a thin layer of sauce and 3/4 of the roasted zucchini:

 

Add the next layer, 3/4 of the eggplant:

 

Spread half of the remaining sauce, half of the basil, the remaining zucchini and eggplant, and all of the asparagus (I cut mine into 1.5" pieces, for easy eating) and bell peppers (thinly sliced after roasting): 

 

Finish the layering with the remaining sauce and basil:

 

Cover the baking dish with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake at 375F for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook another 30 minutes. Let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes before cutting. Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy!

Happy New Year!

This is my new daily routine to add to my regular CrossFit workouts:
Jog Two Miles
~and~

100 Push Ups
100 Squats
100 Sit Ups

My WOD weakness continues to be running, so I'm taking it on...I WILL improve my "Helen" time and will hopefully one day enjoy running (if not enjoy, possibly not dread). In the meantime, I will follow my routine each morning and continue to CrossFit at night. I will also be setting monthly goals for myself...as I feel it will be more realistic for me, than a bunch of goals set for the entire year.

My February 1st Goal:
Run a 5K in under 25 Minutes

Brunch:
Poached Eggs (One Egg and Two Egg Whites)

Dinner:
Spaghetti Squash w/Tomato and Basil

Spaghetti Squash w/San Marzano Tomatoes and Basil

This was my first time using spaghetti squash. I usually approach food with an open mind, but was a little skeptical of the idea that spaghetti squash would taste even remotely like pasta...I was proven wrong. While it does not mimic the tender homemade noodles that I make myself, I will say that it could easily replace boxed spaghetti, given the right sauce. So, here's what I did:

I put the spaghetti squash in a pot and covered it with cold water. I then covered it with a lid and boiled it for about 45 minutes, until fork tender. I took it out of the pot, cut it in half lengthwise, removed the seeds, and then scooped out all of the noodle-like squash strands. There are other ways that the squash can be cooked; this is just the way I chose to do it. The picture below is just to show what the squash looks like:

 (Picture from Williams-Sonoma.com)

*The nice thing about this squash is that it can be cooked in advance and reheats really nicely. It has a really neutral flavor and can be used for most spaghetti/pasta recipes or as a base for curries, as well.

CrossFit Workout:
Jog Two Miles
~and~

100 Push Ups
100 Sit Ups
100 Squats

New Year's Eve

The tradition in our family is to eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day...a tradition that sort of peaked my interest and got me thinking about other "Lucky Foods" we might add to our good luck arsenal. I've been a Martha Stewart fan for a lot of years and knew she could help me out. Here's what I found.

*Warning: The meals you are about to view are not Paleo!

And, this is what I made:

Brined Pork Tenderloin with Apple Chutney and Sour Mash Sauce

w/ Sweet Potato Gratin

(Scott's Meal)

 Heirloom Lettuce w/Roasted Beets, Seared Scallops, Goat Cheese, and Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette

 (My meal)

 

 Apple Tart Tatin

Twelve Grapes at Midnight

So, to break it down...Scott ate pork (because of its fat, it is served to bring a New Year rich with happiness), I had scallops (I'm not sure if this will prove to offer me any extra luck, but this site says that fish is lucky...and regardless of their luck-inspiring powers, they taste really great), I ate the beet greens leftover from my roasted beets (their green leaves look like folded money, and are thus symbolic of economic fortune), and we both ate our twelve grapes at the stroke of midnight...I'm pretty sure I chowed mine down within the first twelve seconds! As for the Apple Tart Tatin...it may be far-fetched, but apples are circular...right!? And finally, for New Year's Day...we will be eating black-eyed peas. Not Paleo, but I'll only be eating enough to get the good luck flowing...because January 1, I'm back on track! Hopefully, all of this eating will bring us good luck in the New Year! :)