Weekly Workouts and Meal Plans (Vol. 7)

Last week I competed in The Great Lakes Games- I was filling in for a friend who wasn't feeling well enough to compete-- although I am not mentally or physically where I would want to be to compete, I didn't want the other five members of the team to be screwed over by losing a person, nor did I want one of my best friends competing when it was probably not a good idea for her body's well-being. I like team competitions, and it was a fun day being down in Detroit. 

When I was flipping through the pictures the next day, I saw one that was similar to a picture taken around this same time last year- aside from my tan, the most distinct difference is my weight. Students always ask about what I eat, how I train, etc. and I always tell them I am not going for a "look," I am going for a feeling. I want to feel strong and healthy. Although if you asked me a year ago I probably would have said I felt good, I don't know if I have ever felt as good as I do now- some of my olympic lifts still lack confidence so those numbers aren't impressive- but overall, at the gym, I am happy, movements feel strong and I am relaxed and having fun- just what it is supposed to be like. I have always had a complex about the number on the scale, but I am finding these days I just don't care as long as I feel good in the gym and that confidence about my body and weight is a good feeling my friends. :) 

I am still writing workouts for friends... so this link will take you to them... I will be updating them on Sundays- feel free to follow along! 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HVm2PSCWl0NC9QFJBap6Jk2vcDam2Wi7bIQ0-NlyuEs/edit?usp=sharing

I am trying a new method of organization and utilizing my planner I got as a present from my friend Amber for Christmas. Writing my workouts in it, as well as my grocery lists and meal plans, and to-do lists so everything is in the same place. Easy! You can see my workouts this week at the bottom! 

Meal Plans

This week I am trying something new here too... I have grocery shopped and am ready to go for the week, but I am going to be cooking every night. I pulled 5 recipes from Cooking Light which take 25 minutes or less and use some of the same ingredients so shopping was easy. Friday night will be "leftover night." It takes me 15-20 minutes to get everything out and heated for the family anyway so maybe this will work just as quickly! For lunches, Matt and I are keeping it super easy- stir-fried frozen veggies from Costco, baked chicken and rice. Conveniently neither of us mind eating the same thing every day. :) We also could pack leftovers if there are any! 

These are mainly the Cooking Light Recipe, I just made some adjustments to ingredients so I didnt have to buy as many different things and measure so much! So what am I making? 

- Grilled Buffalo Chicken Tacos

(20 minutes)
Time Savers- On Sunday I shredded and washed the lettuce. While the chicken cooks I will make the bleu cheese and hot sauce mixtures. 
1 lb Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (about 2)
Salt and Pepper
2 Tbsp Frank's Hot Sauce
1 Tbsp Butter
1/2 tsp Red Pepper
2 Tbsp Buttermilk (I am using regular milk with a smidge of lemon juice)
2 Tbsp Mayonaise
1/4 Cup Bleu Cheese
1 Head Romain Lettuce, shredded
Tortillas

1. Cut the chicken in half to form "cutlets" This is like "buterflying" the chicken but cutting all the way through. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Heat a grill pan over medium high heat and cook the chicken about 2-3 minutes on each side until done. Remove and slice.
2. Combine the hot sauce, butter, and red pepper. Add it to the chicken and toss. 
3. Combine the mayo, buttermilk, bleu cheese and lettuce. Toss together. Fill each tortilla with chicken and lettuce and enjoy!

- Grilled Chicken Breasts with Satay Sauce

2 tsp Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Lime Zest
Pinch of Salt
4 Small, Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (about 1.5 lbs)
1/4 Cup Peanut Butter
1.5 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Water
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 tsp Siracha
1 tsp Fresh Ginger, grated
1 Garlic Clove, minced 

1. Combine sugar through salt and rub evenly over the chicken. Heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Spray with cooking spray and cook the chicken 5-7 minutes on each side until done. Remove from pan and let it rest.
2. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken. 

- Cheesy Chicken Cutlets with ham and jam

2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into cutlets (sliced in half width-wise)
Salt and Pepper
1/4 Cup Blackberry Jam
4 Slices Deli Ham (About 1/4 lb)
4 Slices Havarti Cheese (About 1/4lb)
Green Onion

1. Preheat the broiler and place the oven rack 6" from the heat. 
2. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat. Spray with olive oil cooking spray. Cook the chicken 3-4 minutes (flipping half way) until done. 
3. Top with jam, ham, scallions, and cheese. Place under the broiler 2-3 minutes until cheese browns.

- Steak and Mushroom Pizza-dillas

1/2 lb Flank Steak, thinly sliced (the original recipe is Top Sirloin)
1 Tbsp Butter
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
8-oz Cremini Mushrooms
1 Cup Cheese
Tortillas
Marinara Sauce

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak to pan; sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook 3 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Place steak in a medium bowl.

2. Add butter to pan; swirl until butter melts. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, garlic, and mushrooms; cook 6 minutes or until mushrooms brown and liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms to steak; toss to combine.

3. Wipe pan clean with paper towels. Reduce heat to medium. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons cheese evenly over half of each tortilla. Divide steak mixture evenly among tortillas; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Fold tortillas in half over filling. Carefully coat both sides of quesadillas with cooking spray. Place 2 quesadillas in pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned and cheese melts. Repeat with remaining quesadillas. Cut each into 4 wedges. Serve with marinara.

- Mongolian Beef and Vegetables with Sesame Noodles

1 lb Flank Steak 
1 Tbsp Arrowroot Powder (the original recipe uses corn starch)
3 Tbsp Brown Sugar
3 Tbsp Water
3 Tbsp Coconut Aminos (or soy sauce)
2 tsp Oil (I am using avocado oil)
2 tsp Sesame Oil
4 Cups Broccoli Florets
1 Small, Sweet Onion, thinly sliced
1/2 Cup Sliced Carrot
1 Cup Snap Peas, cut in half
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 tsp Fresh Grated Ginger

1. Place steak and cornstarch in a bowl; toss to coat. Combine sugar, 3 tablespoons water, and soy sauce in a bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth.
2. Heat a large skillet over high. Add 1 teaspoon canola oil and 1 teaspoon sesame oil; swirl to coat. Add steak to pan in a single layer; cook 5 minutes or until done, stirring occasionally. Remove steak from pan; keep warm.3. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add remaining 1 teaspoon canola oil and remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil to pan. Add broccoli, onion, and carrot; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add snow peas, garlic, and ginger; cook 1 minute. Add steak and soy sauce mixture to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Serve immediately.

Sesame Noodles

6 oz Soba Noodles (I don't have any so I am using whole wheat spaghetti)
1.5 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
2 tsp Sesame oil
2 tsp Hoisin Sauce
1/4 Cup Green Onion Slices

Cook the noodles and toss with the remaining ingredients. 

Weekly (home!) Workouts and Meal Prep (Vol. 6)- Baked Chicken, Mixed Berry Muffins, Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup, Roasted Mini Potatoes, Jambalaya, Stir-fry Veggies

Wow, I am blown away from the positivity and support I received from my last post. I am so glad I could relate, and put into words, what so many women are feeling. Keep killing it ladies! 

Speaking of hard working moms (and others) I am helping some of my friends with some workouts- all of which can be done at home- the only equipment being used so far is a kettlebell (I am working with what they have)- and the skill level is more that of the average fitness-er (is that a word? Lol. It is now.) I know they have dumb bells so those will be next- if you want to follow along, I can always connect you guys to compare scores! :) And as always, modifying movements is easy if you don't have something or can't do it yet. 

Workouts!

Week 1:

Day 1-

Warm Up- I would suggest air squats, push-ups into downward dog, things to warm up your shoulders and legs, even a short jog

Workout:

Part A- 7 minutes

1 Min Max Air Squats- aim for 45+

1 Min Rest

1 Min Mountain Climbers

1 Min Rest

1 Min Sit-ups

1 Min Rest

1 Min Hollow Hold- for total time- if you can only hold 20 second do 3 sets of :20 sec

3 min Rest into Part B

Part B- Hopefully 13-15 minutes

“Death by Burpees”….I set a timer and start when it reaches “1 minute” that way the number on the timer is always the number you need to do. Do 1 the first minute, 2 the second, 3 the third minute, etc. until failure to complete the reps in a minute. You should never end on a minute--- if you make it through 13 minutes, for example, you should at least do a few in the 14th minute so your score would be 13+ 7 or something. My best is over 19 minutes, the average is probably 12-13 minutes so aim high!

Cool down- maybe a jog?

Day 2-

Warm Up

Workout:

Double Tabata- you can download a special timer or look at a clock… :20 on/:10 off x 8

First 4 minutes- squat jumps

Second 4 minutes- plank hold

--- 3 min Rest –

EMOM (every minute on the minute) 9 minutes Total - when I did this one I subbed 9 Cal on the assault bike and that got spicy! I also did it 15 minutes! Give it a try!

Minute 1: 21 Kettlebell Swings

Minute 2: 15 Goblet Squats

Minute 3: 9 Burpees

Repeat 3x

Day 3-

Warm Up

Workout- your arms will hate you ☺

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Burpees

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Push-ups

First round would be 1 burpee, 10 pushups… then 2 burpees, 9 push-ups, etc.

Workout Part B- leg burner!

10 Rounds

20 Mt. Climber

20 Sit-ups

20 Air squat

20 Lunges

Day 4-

Warm Up

Workout-

7min AMRAP

10 Air squat

10 V-ups

10 Burpee

--- 3 Min rest ---

7min AMRAP

10 Lunges

10 Mt. Climber

10 Push ups

On the Menu!

Baked Chicken, Mixed Berry Muffins, Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup, Roasted Mini Potatoes, Jambalaya, Stir-fry Veggies
Also shown- leftovers from last week... Chop Suey and Crockpot Curry Beef with roasted broccoli

How I did it:

(less than two hours including packing it all away!)

First of all this was super cheap! I got out of the store under $100 and had to buy most of the ingredients aside from the spices, rice and stock. 

As so as I got home I got started getting my crockpot meal going- chopped all my veggies at once- I needed three onions today so I cut them all at the same time, same went for the garlic and peppers. No reason to cut the same vegetables more than once and it'll save time later. I put the onions and what not for other recipes in different bowls so I stayed organized. I also put the chicken in the oven the same time I added it to the crockpot. Done. Once that meal was going, I got to work on my jambalaya (recipe found here.) Since the onion and garlic were cut that was easy and the only thing left to do was the meat. When I added the rice to the pot I also added it to a separate pan just for meals this week- again- no point in getting something out or doing something twice. Next was the stir-fry veggies.... this week I chopped my own instead of the Costco frozen ones I use as my go-to. Always good to mix it up. :) Last, but not least, were muffins! Recipe found here. I subbed frozen mixed berries for the blueberries and reduced the butter and added more milk so I still used 1 cup of liquid. Seriously... if you didn't try these last time you should this time... they are HUGE hit with my friends and family and so easy!

Stir-Fry Veggies

- 1/2 Head Cabbage, chopped

- 1 Sweet Onion, cut in half then thin slices

- 3 Bell Peppers, cut in slices

- Green Beans (a few hand fulls?? Maybe 3 cups?)

- Zucchini and Squash (2 each, cut in slices- Charlie helped that's why they are uneven :)

- 1 Can Sliced Water Chestnuts

- 1 Can Bamboo Shoots

Everything was dumped into a wok over high heat with a drizzle of oil, seasoned with garlic salt and pepper. Tossing occasionally until firm, but tender. 

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

- 2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

- 1 14.5-oz Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes

- 4 Cups Chicken Stock

- 1 Small, Sweet Onion, diced

- 1 Bell Pepper, diced

- 1 Jalapeno, finely chopped (seeds removed for less heat)

- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced

- 2 Tbsp Chili Powder

- 2 tsp Cumin

- 1 tsp Paprika

- 1 15-oz Cans Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed

- 1 Cup Frozen Corn

- 2 Tbsp Lime Juice

Pepper and Salt to taste

Toppings- green onion, tortilla chips, avocado, plain greek yogurt (or sour cream), lime wedges

1. Place chopped onion, peppers, and garlic in a skillet over medium heat. Saute 3-5 minutes until soft. While they are cooking, add the chicken, stock, tomatoes, and beans to a slow cooker. 

2. Add the spices to the vegetables. Turn off the heat and add them to the slow cooker. Cook 2-3 hours on low, take the chicken out and shred it (put the lid back on while you are doing this.) Add the chicken back and cook an additional 3 hours.

3. With one hour remaining, add the corn and lime juice. Cook the remaining hour. Serve immediately or this can be frozen or stored for later!

Crockpot Curry Beef

- 2lbs Lean (90%+) Ground Beef

- 4 Garlic Cloves, minced

- 1 tsp Fresh Ginger, grated

- 1 Large (or 2 small) Leeks, thinly sliced and rinsed

- 1 lime, zested and juiced

- 1/4 Cup Red Curry Paste (more can be added per your taste)

- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce (or coconut aminos)

- 2 15-oz Cans Tomato Sauce

- 1 Cup Light Coconut Milk

1. Brown the ground beef over medium heat in a skillet. Drain.

2. Add the beef and everything else except the coconut milk and lime juice (add the zest!) to a slow cooker. 

Cook on low 4-5 hours. Add the coconut milk and lime juice, stir. Let it go another 30 minutes. I ate mine over rice with roasted broccoli... yum!

Chop Suey

This is my Grandma's recipe- which I didn't know until this week- and of course she never wrote anything down so I am going off what I remember and what my mom told me! I ate it a lot growing up so it is comforting to me. You can use chicken or pork. I used pork this week :) 

- 1-2lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, or pork shoulder, cut into bite-sized pieces

- 1 Onion, chopped

- 2 Cloves Garlic, minced

- 1 tsp Fresh Ginger, grated

- 2 Cans Bean Sprouts (or fresh), about 3 cups??

- 1 Can Sliced Water Chestnuts

- 1 Can Bamboo Shoots

- 2 Jars Chicken Gravy- instead of making my own I found a good quality one 

- 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce

1. In a large pan, saute the onion and garlic and ginger until soft. Add the chicken and cook until cooked through. 

2. Add the gravy and soy sauce and stir. Let it simmer 15-20 minutes. Add the bean sprouts, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts. Let it go another 10 minutes. Serve over rice, topped with chow mien noodles (crunchy little brown things!)

An Open Letter to My Fellow CrossFit Moms

I love the people I have met through CrossFit. They are my best friends- we drive our significant others nuts with our constant group chat about diets, fitness, and general savagery towards people on social media. I am the only one in the group, however, married with a child and trying for more. Although my friends support me and I support them, they are not ready for that part of their lives yet, and it therefore differentiates me from them as I take a step back from competing, and they still have the drive to keep pushing forward. It’s not a secret that it’s been an internal struggle for me over the years to take the time to train after work and keep up with my best friends when I have been away from my child all day. The other day I was talking to some fellow moms at the gym- one who went to CrossFit Regionals as an individual, but after almost two years and three kids later, has lost a lot of her strength and has just returned to work on getting it back; and one who was there with her college-aged daughter working on benching just more than the bar. As I was driving home, in between the constant, “Mom?” “Yes, Charlie” … can’t think of something to say pause...“I love you” “I love you too, peanut” from the back seat; I reflected on my conversations, goals moving forward, and the positivity they shared about my situation (struggling to stay competitive while working full-time and having a four year-old, having a still birth and moving on from that, etc). I was thinking it’s funny the cliches of classes at the box- although both groups train together daily and push each other, the 5 and 6pm *usually* has the most “competitive athletes”- the ones that have that drive it takes to compete at a high level, do mobility, train for hours, etc...and then 9am CrossFit class- typically known as the “mom class.” It’s almost entirely women, a lot bring their children with them and therefore will be in and out within the hour. Most of my friends are at the later evening classes, but the “mom class” is one of my favorite groups to train with, they are so positive and inspirational even if they are not at the top of the leader board- so I wanted to write an open letter to them- my fellow CrossFitting moms. 

Dear CrossFitting Mom,

You impress me. You are amazing. You are strong as hell even if you are not labeled “strong” by weightlifting standards...even if you don’t like working out necessarily... I am still talking to you! There are so many easier things you could have chosen for fitness, but you come into the gym and challenge yourself to do more pull-ups, run harder, lift heavier…seriously, how many other moms do you know that weight lift at all? I know how hard it is for you to make it to the gym some days. Sometimes its been a long night and sometimes its already been a long day at 9am. I know how frustrating it is when your child is being a little shit after you got them and you ready, drove all the way to the gym and you need just 30 f-ing minutes of time to warm-up, do a workout, and put your stuff away. I get it, I’ve been there. It’s not always easy, but that’s what makes you more impressive. 

I know it can be frustrating. It has probably happened that you have lost some strength or endurance or skill you worked so hard to get. Maybe you had another child and pregnancy took its toll so you selflessly had to begin again. Maybe life got busy or someone got sick and you had to take more days off than you wanted. Maybe you want to be as good as you know you can be, but you can’t justify the hours it takes to train with the guilt of not seeing your family. You want to stay another hour and work on weaknesses, but someone at home or in the locker room needs you. I understand. I have (and I hate to admit it) cried after workouts at the gym because, despite my best effort, I’m frustrated that I didn’t preform the way I expected myself to, especially after all it took to make it to the gym. 

I know it’s sometimes hard to come train in a place where people are running around with their asses hanging out in just shorts and a sports bra and your body holds the markings of carrying a child. Maybe you don’t look like you used to, maybe you are dying to take your shirt off or wear shorts, but you’re embarrassed, I understand. I have changed my clothes before the gym and kept my shirt on even when I am sweating profusely... but one day I truly hope you say to hell with it, I am 30 or 40-whatever years old and I look the way I look and I’m proud of what it took to get here, therefore I’m going to workout in whatever I feel comfortable in! 

You might not be at the top of the leader board… like ever… you might PR your clean at a weight someone else just power snatched... for reps… but I want you to know that I get you, I am so proud of you. You who may scale the workout, who doesn’t cheat reps just for a better score, you who cheers on everyone, looking like a hotmess, rushing in and out carrying a kid(s) without a warm-up/cool down/moment to stretch. YOU are my inspiration. Keep on pushing yourself momma… you know those little eyes are watching! (because you see them mimicking what they see in the gym making it all worth it. :) XOXO

A fellow CrossFitting Mom

Weekly Workouts and Meal Prep (Vol. 5) Baked Chicken, Blueberry Muffins, Oven Fajitas, Stew Beef and Chorizo Chili, Crockpot Deconstructed Cabbage Roll Soup, Hard boiled eggs, Veggies, Rice, Roasted Red Skin Potatoes

Working out in the last two months has definitely had its ups and downs. I cried at the gym out of frustration, I dealt with hormones going back down, skills gone MIA in just the short time I took off... then the strength coming back even better than before, the skills back to normal and the emotions more on par with how I am used to feeling. With some of the movements I have a bittersweet feeling- like bar muscle ups- they were the only movement I had stopped while pregnant and what inspired me to write the post about the humbling of being pregnant. Looking back I would take any complication, lose any skill, gain any amount of weight or lost any amount of strength to successfully carry a child, but that's not how this works, is it? It isn't fair, easily explained, or in your control. It's been just over two months now and as those bar muscle ups have returned to their normal success rate, my body has recovered and Matt and I are discussing with our doctors how to move forward and try again, it all feels like a bad dream. Aside from the literal loss, the hardest part of all of this for me was the feeling of failure- I failed to carry a child to term, I failed to give Matt a son, I feel like I failed as a woman. Coupled with my most successful coping mechanism (working out) taking a hit also, it was very mentally trying. Losing a baby and then losing the skills and strength I worked so hard for was like getting hit when you're already down. I know some people don't get it, it's just CrossFit, but it means something to me. It is and was important for me to be a good athlete. I understand with having a baby I was willing to take what came physically, but to take the hit and then not even have the baby is incredibly tough. I have been trying to stay positive moving forward- it's great we have been cleared to try again- but I am still bitter I even have to be trying again. I am supposed to be in my third trimester, not trying again! But just like anything, I am only in control of me, so just like any failure you get up and try again if you really want it. When you fail a lift, hit your shin on a box jump, etc. you don't give up. Maybe it's not that day or that week, but when you're ready mentally you try again. Same in my situation, as much as I am afraid of losing another baby that doesn't mean I won't try. Looking forward into this year I am hopeful I will have my "rainbow baby" and still plan on training through my pregnancy, with the ok from my doctors, and just being more wise when I know my body needs a break. :)

Although I want a rainbow baby, this is "Rainbow" - ironically the name of our group chat that our boyfriends/husbands don't understand and don't want to. These girls are my people, my support, my best friends, and my teammates. 

Workouts! 

Super fast and efficient this week- got the lungs working and the heart pumping. My legs took a beating!!

Workout 1 (<30 min)
WOD:
40 Wall Balls
8 Full Sntaches @135/93
30 WB
6 Snatches
20 WB
4 Sntaches
10 WB
2 Snatches

Workout 2 (20 minutes)
WOD:
7 Min AMRAP
21 Thrusters @75/53
12 Toes to Bar

Workout 3 (1 Hour)
Strength: 
Hatch Squat Program Week 7 Day 1
Backsquat- 1x5 @70%, 1x5 @80%, 1x2 @85%, 1x3 @90%, 1x1 @100%
Frontsquat- 1x5 @65%, 1x4 @75%, 1x4 @80%, 1x4 @85%

WOD:
Death by Full Cleans @123# (1 the first minute, 2 the second, etc. until failure)

Workout 4 (45 minutes)
WOD:
5 Minute AMRAP
40 OHS @95/63
40 Hand-stand Push-ups

WOD 2:
5 Bear Complexes @135/93
10 OTB Burpees
15 Toes to Bar
20 Push-ups
25 Cal Assault Bike

Workout 5 (1 Hour)
Strength: 
Hatch Squat Program Week 7 Day 2
Backsquat- 1x4 @70%, 1x4 @75%, 1x4 @80%, 1x4 @85%

Frontsquat- 1x5 @60%, 1x5 @65%, 2x5 @70%

WOD:
5 RFT
12 Deadlifts
9 OTB Burpees
6 Front Squats @135/93 (same bar as deadlifts)
10 Cal Assault Bike

Extra:
100 Sit-ups
50 Push-ups

On the Menu!

Baked Chicken, Blueberry Muffins, Oven Fajitas, Stew Beef and Chorizo Chili, Crockpot Deconstructed Cabbage Roll Soup, Hard boiled eggs, Veggies, Rice, Roasted Red Skin Potatoes

How I did it:

(less than two hours!)

Muffins were made in the morning for breakfast, with Charlie. :) In the afternoon, I put the chicken in the oven to bake with just garlic salt and pepper. Then I browned the pork and beef for the crockpot and chopped the veggies needed for the recipe (see below.) I added everything to the crockpot and got that going. For the chili I added the beef stew to a large dutch oven and browned it. I chopped the onion while I waited. Added the onion and chorizo next, browned it quickly and added the stew beef back and all of the other chili ingredients- set to simmer 1 hour. I chopped everything for the fajitas and got those in the oven (recipe below.) Then everything else was setting water to boil for the rice and eggs and sauteing the veggies real quick- I am still on my stir fry frozen mix- I am telling you it is a huge time saver!

Blueberry Muffins*

*Changed as of 1/20/2017*

(makes 12 muffins)

- 1 3/4 Cups All-purpose (or gluten free) Flour

- 3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

- 2 tsp Baking Powder

- Pinch of Salt

- 4 Tbsp Butter, melted

- 1 Egg

- 1/2-3/4 Cup Milk

- 1.5 tsp Vanilla

- 1 Cup Blueberries, or any berry, fresh or frozen

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
2. In a measuring cup, melt the butter. Add the egg and fill until you reach 1 cup total liquid. Whisk. Add this wet mixture to the dry and gently stir until combined. Add the blueberries and mix gently again. (The consistency is not wet, it is "scoopable" but wetter than a dough would be- if it is not, add a touch more milk)
3. Fill 12, greased, muffin wells 1/2-3/4 full. Sprinkle each with a little more sugar. Bake 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool slightly before removing and eating!

Nutrition Facts
Servings 12.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 167
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 5 g	7 %
Saturated Fat 3 g	13 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 27 mg	9 %
Sodium 64 mg	3 %
Potassium 35 mg	1 %
Total Carbohydrate 28 g	9 %
Dietary Fiber 1 g	4 %
Sugars 14 g
Protein 3 g	6 %
Vitamin A	4 %
Vitamin C	2 %
Calcium	2 %
Iron	1 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

Crockpot Deconstructed Cabbage Roll Soup

(makes 12 2-cup Servings, very generous servings... it just barely fits in my big crockpot so if you have a small, round one you may want to cut the recipe in half! It freezes well though!)

- 1.5 lb Ground Pork
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 1 Sweet Onion, finely chopped
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 Cabbage Head, chopped
- 3/4 Cup Rice
- 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 8 Cups Chicken Stock (or beef), divided
- 4-6 Carrots, chopped
- 4 Cups Trimmed Green Beans (or frozen)
- 1 Can Diced Tomatoes (I use fire roasted)
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Dried Basil
- 1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 2 tsp Salt+ (taste after cooking)

Brown the pork and beef, drain. Add everything to the crockpot, using only 4 CUPS of stock. Cook on High 5 hours, I stirred mine half way through. When it is finished add the other 4 cups of stock and taste for salt.

Nutrition Facts
Servings 12.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 346
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 16 g	25 %
Saturated Fat 6 g	30 %
Monounsaturated Fat 5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 64 mg	21 %
Sodium 750 mg	31 %
Potassium 759 mg	22 %
Total Carbohydrate 28 g	9 %
Dietary Fiber 6 g	25 %
Sugars 9 g
Protein 23 g	45 %
Vitamin A	98 %
Vitamin C	44 %
Calcium	10 %
Iron	25 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

Oven Chicken Fajitas

- Two Flank Steaks (about 3 lbs total) Marinated overnight in olive oil, soy sauce, lime juice
- 1 lb Chicken (about 2 breasts), cut into thin strips and then in half

- 6 Bell Peppers, cut into thin strips

- 1 Sweet Onion, cut into thin strips

- 1-3 Jalapenos, finely chopped

- 2 Tbsp Oil

- 2 Tbsp Chili Powder

- 1 tsp Paprika

- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

- 1 tsp Cumin

- 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

- 1 tsp Salt

- 2 tsp Arrowroot Powder

- 1 Lime+

- Cilantro (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

1. Add all of the spices and arrowroot powder to a 9x13 inch baking dish. Whisk.

2. Add the vegetables, chicken, and oil. Mix with your hands until everything is coated evenly. 

3. Cut the lime in half and squeeze half over the dish. Nestle the other half in with the vegetables.

4. Bake for 30-35 minutes stirring once half way through. When you pull the dish out of the oven, squeeze the other half of the lime over the mixture and toss. Sprinkle with cilantro (optional).

** I grilled my steak outdoors then added it at this point and tossed everything together ***