Crossfit Champs

T and I went to Houston this weekend so that he could get level one certified for crossfit. These guys worked really hard for this. They learned a lot about nutrition and training. I'm in awe of the work they put in for two intense days. Ya'll rock!

Garlic Ginger Steak

T had a birthday recently. One of his favorite meals is steak. So of course he will get a steak for his day. A steak smothered in caramelized onions and bacon, a large gorgeous salad, and roasted asparagus. Hungry?


I marinated the steak in fresh ginger, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. I finely diced about 2 tablespoons of each and poured enough vinegar to cover the bottom of a baking dish. The steaks marinated while I chopped and cooked everything else.


Chop 2 medium onions and half a package of bacon. In a frying pan on medium high heat cook the onions and bacon until the onions begin to soften about 5-7 minutes. Then bring the heat down to med low heat. Let the onions cook for 20 minutes so they are nice and caramelized. When you finish the steaks the onions go right on top. Delicious!


Roasting asparagus, or any vegetable, is one of my favorite ways to cook them. They come out tasting so much better than steaming them. Just chop off the bottom inch of the asparagus. drizzle a baking sheet in olive oil lay the asparagus on top drizzle some more olive oil and dash a little salt and pepper. Place in an oven heated to 350 for 20 minutes.


This salad picture is just to be gratuitous. It was so pretty I had to include it. Red pepper, mixed greens, avocado, tomato, and cucumber with more balsamic and olive oil.

Chicken Stock

Do not throw away chicken carcasses!

Any time you eat a whole chicken keep the skin and bones.

Last night we had two roasted chickens. I kept the seasoning simple just rosemary from the yard, garlic, salt, and pepper. When we were done eating dinner we picked the bones free of the meat. Tossed all the bones in a large pot. I don't like to eat the super fatty skin pieces, they are too squishy for me, so in the pot they went too. Fill the pot with water and two bay leaves. Simmer on low for 12-18 hours. If I have leftover celery tops or carrot pieces I'll toss them in towards the last few hours but they are not necessary.

Strain out the solids and let cool. I freeze all but one jar (if it's glass freeze it without a lid) and use it wherever chicken stock is called for. The long cooking time yields a super tasty soup base. The longer you cook it the thicker the liquid becomes. If it appears gelatinous when cooled don't fret. Just heat and add water. Think of it like goodness concentrated.

See the fat on top?

Many people tell you to skim the fat and throw it away. That's just silly! If there is a fat layer on top use it to cook your veggies in or in place of butter. Chicken fat has an amazing taste.

The only warning in using homemade chicken stock is to watch the salt. You salted the original chicken so your stock will have some salt in it. If you use the stock in a recipe test the saltiness of the dish before adding any more.

Lots of jars.

This is so easy and only requires minimal preparation time. One pot made all these jars. excuse the hodgepodge of jars. I keep everything that I can use again.

Guacamole Chicken Salad

What do you do with leftover chicken? Make chicken salad. I saw a way to make chicken salad without using mayonnaise and avocados instead. Since I now need to make up for lost time not eating avocados I felt it necessary to make it. I was inspired by this recipe here made by Food in My Beard. He is one of my favorite food bloggers and has some awesome stuff on his site. I changed it up a little using chicken and peppers and omitting the mayo and some veggies.

Guacamole Chicken Salad
2 cooked chicken breasts chopped
2 avocados
3tbs of finely diced onion
5 campari tomatoes roughly chopped (smaller spherical tomatoes)
1 red jalapeno pepper finely diced


In a large bowl smash avocados and tomatoes together.
Add onion, chicken, and pepper and stir together.
Add a dash of salt and pepper.


Let sit covered in a refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to allow the flavors to mix up. Avocados do brown when exposed to air but the taste will not change. this recipe is perfect for those avocados you forgot about in the fridge that are a little soft.


The avocados act like the creamy mayonnaise but add extra flavor. We eat it over a bed of spinach or mixed greens to boost the veggie power.

Breakfast Salad and My Paleo Life

I'm trying to eat more vegetables in each meal. The best way I know to do this is with a salad. T asked how I would do this for breakfast. Breakfast salad of course! I've had fried eggs on a salad for dinner before but I've never eaten salad for breakfast.

First I tried it cooked because a cold breakfast makes me a little sad. This, however, makes me think that I'm losing some of the valuable nutrients that I should be ingesting. So this morning I went more raw. This is a really quick way to change up a normal salad for breakfast or dinner.

I cooked two pieces of bacon till crispy and chopped them up small. Then I fried an egg in some leftover bacon grease with a dash of 'Slap Ya Mama'. In a bowl put a handful of spinach and some diced tomatoes. Sprinkle the bacon on top and then slide the egg over it. If you keep the yolk runny you don't even need dressing for this.

On a related note I've been trying to keep more paleo this year. I've lost weight consistently each week. About 1-2 pounds each week. If you know me personally I'm not a big exerciser. I like to take walks with the dogs or play a few wii games. But, as far as running or jumping? ich! T loves to exercise and has lost a ton of weight and looks amazing with the same diet. (since I do most of the cooking he eats what I do just in larger portions) I feel healthier and happier than I have in a long time. On cheat days I go carb crazy and end up feeling sad, bloated, and my heart would race. To me this is enough of a testament to the paleo way. I know this is not for everyone. I'm not here to try and convince you to change your lifestyles. All I want to do is share with you my successes with only one little change.

I've eaten this way on and off for about a year. Not very faithfully. As a teacher we get all kinds of carb heavy treats at work from the staff or kids. It's so easy to say I'm just going to have a little right now. A New Years resolution I made is eating a lot more strictly. I still love my chocolate but I try to keep it down to once a day and dark chocolate only. I've noticed that not only do I feel healthier but my cravings have changed.

I don't crave sweets and bread like I used to. I still love bread. I think I always will. What I crave now are dark leafy greens. Hence, salad for breakfast. Or red meat, or berries. I attribute this to what my body needs at that moment not, what my brain wants.

I'm far from the model paleo diet. I still eat sweets. I have my off days where stress gets the better of me and I eat a package of cheezits. But, I'm getting better. And, even with these cheats here and there I'm still losing weight by not doing anything. I'm not hungry, I'm not hitting the gym and I'm not eating some crazy diet that is hard and expensive to follow, I'm not counting every calorie and tracking every item I eat.

I'm eating vegetables, meat, some fruit.
I'm not eating grains, high sugar foods, or legumes.

Easy?
I think so.

Baked Hot Legs

Since straying away from the more Standard American Diet I've come to love chicken in it's entirety. Not just the bland and often dry breast that every "diet" says is the best source of protein. I also have found that the rest of the chicken is much cheaper than buying boneless, skinless, breasts. You can find chicken thighs or legs for a fraction of the price of the other stuff. These pieces are the darker, richer, more flavorful parts. And, they all come with SKIN! Nothing tastes better to me than some hot, crispy, chicken skin.

I really like to eat hot wings and legs in the tradition bar food way, breaded and fried. However, no one's nutritional plan advocates eating that way. These legs have all the flavor of the hot wings you get at the bar (thanks to some special seasoning) without any of the bad stuff. You can use wings or legs for this. T likes the legs so that's what I buy. They are always cheaper than wings. Which is an added bonus.

Baked Hot Legs (or wings)
Chicken pieces
Slap ya mama seasoning (This is some of the best stuff out there. Get the hot.)

Yeah, that's it.


On a baking rack, line your chicken pieces out.
Sprinkle with the seasoning evenly all over.


Bake at 350 for 30ish minutes making sure to turn them half way through to get all sides crispy.

These are very spicy and delicious! The juice and extra fat drips down during cooking so that the skin gets crispy without frying. Try this and you won't miss bar wings!

Thai Inspired Curry

I love curries. They are fresh and delicious. Last night I made this Curry almost on accident. I had no plan going in just started pulling things out that looked and smelled good together. When it was done it tasted better than I had planned. I'm sad I only made enough for dinner and lunch. I'd say it's Thai inspired because it has some elements of Thai cuisine and if I were to plan ahead on this next time, I'd get some cilantro to sprinkle on top.

Thai Curry
4 thick pork cutlets
2 bell peppers sliced in large pieces
1 small onion sliced in large pieces
1 jalapeno with seeds
1" of ginger
1.5 tsp of coriander
1.5 tsp of cardamon
1.5 tsp of garlic powder
can of coconut milk
2 tbs of coconut oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor blend the jalapeno, ginger, and spices (I added spices as I went until it smelled right so I'm estimating on the measurements)In deep pan brown the pork cutlets in some coconut oil on high.Take out the cutlets and place them to the side for later.
Add ground up spices to the oil and toast the spices for 2-3 minutes.

This smells so good.

Add the vegetables to the spices and oil and bring the temperature down to medium.
Saute the vegetables until the onions start to get soft.


Add the coconut milk and stir until combined.


Place the cutlets back in the pan and turn once to coat in milk.


Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the pork is cooked through.



This was amazing curry! I was so pleased with the way it came out without following a recipe. If you are paleo serve this over some cauliflower rice, or regular rice if you are not. We just ate it as it was with some big salads.