Pineapple Glazed Chicken Kabobs

This past weekend I judged a competition designed for "rookie" crossfitters. The teams of two were either rookie-rookie or pro-rookie. We had three teams from our box competing which always makes watching/judging better when you know people. So great seeing people compete for the first time and push themselves. As a judge I know you are supposed to be impartial, but it was hard to not cheer for my friends (or actually anyone) when they wanted to slow down or stop- really proud of how far a lot of the people I watched have come.. Just like teaching or coaching, I feel like judging just gives another view of the sport that can make you a better athlete. 

I haven't had the best of weeks, just feeling defeated and struggling with some personal things...my friends have been the best- even when I am frustrated with the decisions people make, and things out of my control, they are there to remind to keep my head up and things will workout how they are supposed to. I am attempting to take what is bothering me, let it go because I can't control it anyway, and focus on the positives- easier said than done. :) but the weather is getting warmer and that always helps moral!! I know people grill in the winter, I am just not of them, so it is nice to get back out there and not stand in a hot kitchen for all of my meal prep. I ate these with rice for my lunch all week...there's something about grilled fruit that is perfect! 

Pineapple Glazed Chicken Kabobs 

(makes 8-10 skewers)

- 3/4 cup pineapple juice (6 oz)
- 1 Tbsp Lime Juice (about 1/2 small lime)
- 1 Jalapeno, finely chopped (de-veined and seeded if you want)
- 2 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2+  pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut in 1 inch cubes
- 2 Bell Peppers, seeded and cut in 1 inch pieces
- 1/2 Sweet Onion, 1 inch pieces
- 1/2 Pineapple, cored and cut into 1 inch pieces
- Olive Oil

1. In a sauce pan over high heat, add the juice through garlic. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 5-10 minutes until the sauce has reduced and is thicker. Stir every few minutes so it doesn't burn. Strain out the jalapeno if you don't want it too hot.

2. Thread the vegetables and chicken on skewers.

Brush with oil and then the glaze, or pour it over the top. Let it sit 30 minutes if you have time, or cook right away. 

3. On a grill over medium-high heat, cook the skewers, turning once, until chicken is cooked though (about 8-10 minutes depending on your grill and size of your chicken pieces) *** If you can't or don't want to grill, you can put them under an oven broiler for 5-7 minutes ***

Make-it-Your-Own Breakfast Bake

Here we go again... back to having strength in the schedule. Every week we do a 20 rep backsquat- I am doing this 3x a week because I am terrible at them and, as noted with the open posts, I need to get stronger, badly. I have gone up 20lbs in 1 week- it is completely mental. My friend Amber and I were discussing that it seems to suck about the same as you go up in weight so we might as well go up. She is currently 20 repping my pr... I think that means I need a higher pr. :) I also pr'd my jerk this week- I don't jerk from a rack or block very often, but as you can see from my smile there's a really good feeling that comes from hitting a lift. Like really good. My jerk is not high compared to a lot of people, but as my sister reminds me, "up is up" and as long as it is going up I really can't complain! 

The before and after. 

 This dish was inspired by my frittata few weeks ago combined with something my mom made for Easter- one of those sit-overnight type of egg dishes. Hers was made with the frozen or refrigerated hash browns, I decided to make mine myself. I wanted something that could last me through the week. I can cut this into six, large pieces and it is perfect to heat up and go. I have made two different versions so far- hence "make it your own" but they all start the same way. Enjoy!

HINT! The sweet potato hash browns can be thrown in a pan with a little oil to be crisped up and they become like restaurant hash browns... delish!

Make-it-Your-Own Breakfast Hash

- 12 Eggs, whisked
- 1 Cup Milk (any kind)
- 1/2 Sweet Onion, finely chopped
- 2 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and grated
- Salt and Pepper
Toppings of your choice! 

Ham and Egg

- 12-16oz Cooked or Honey Baked Ham diced

Artichoke and Spinach

- 10 oz Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed and drained
- 14 oz Can Artichoke Hearts, chopped
- Feta (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
1. Put the grated sweet potato in a greased, 9x11" glass dish. Bake 15 minutes. 

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

2. While the potatoes are cooking, saute the onion in a skillet over medium heat until translucent, 7-10 minutes. Set aside.

3. Whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper, onions, and your toppings together. Pour over the potatoes. At this point it can be put in the fridge overnight until you are ready to bake it, or can be baked immediately. 

4. Bake 45 minutes-1 hour until the eggs are set. If you are baking from overnight it will take closer to an hour. 

Creamy Curry Broccoli Salad

New week, positive attitude...go!  :) This morning I went to the gym at 6am because I couldn't sleep and was prepared for work already. I usually go into work early on Mondays because Charlie is with her dad, but I figured since I wasn't sleeping anyway, getting a workout in when I normally wouldn't, even that early, was better than none. I usually workout after work when I have eaten several times, hydrated and been on my feet all day, being that I am not used to lifting at 6am, when I do it's harder than normal- weights feel heavy, snatching seems impossible. I didn't have a bad workout, just wasn't great either, but it was definitely more effective than not at all and a positive way to begin a new week! Hardest step is the one out of bed.

This weekend we went to MSU's Small Animals Day. They have all the baby animals out and you can feed them and pet them, milk the cows, hold a baby chick, etc. 

Charlie loves animals so it was a great day for us. Plus I need to start brainwashing her to go to MSU. :)

The idea for this dish came from the abundance of broccoli in my fridge- I buy the big bag at Costco in the produce section. I went with the warmer Thai flavor yellow curry because I wanted something different and personally like curry... if you don't, then add whatever seasoning you like to the mayo... or try a bit first before wasting all of your ingredients on something you don't care for. I bought my yellow curry powder, but you can make it using turmeric (hence the yellow color), cumin, coriander, mustard seed, chili flakes, and ginger (sometimes a pinch of clove)- recipes are all over the internet. It is mild as far as the heat of curry spices go, but makes this dish more unique than typical mayo-dressed broccoli salads. The raisins are also something I distinctly remember from my time overseas in South East Asia, so I added those for some sweetness. I tend to cook nut-free, but salted cashews instead of the sunflower seeds would be yummy in this. 

Creamy Curry Broccoli Salad

(Printable Version)

- 5 Cups Broccoli Florets, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 2 Heads)

- 1/3 Cup Raisins (or cranberries)

- 1/3 Cup Raw or Dry-Roasted Sunflower Seeds

- 1 Shallot, finely chopped (or 1/4 cup Red Onion)

Curry Mayo-

- 2/3 Cup Avocado Oil (or Olive Oil)

- 1 Egg

- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard

- 2 tsp + 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice (divided)

- 3 tsp Yellow Curry Powder

- 1-2 tsp Raw Honey

- Salt and Pepper

1. Cut the broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Add the broccoli, raisins, sunflower seeds, and shallots to a large bowl.

2. Make the Mayo- either in a bowl, or a mason jar, combine the oil, mustard, egg and 2 tsp lemon juice. 

Whisking vigorously or using an immersion blender, whisk or blend until a light yellow mayo is formed. 

Add the curry, honey, 1 Tbsp lemon juice and salt and pepper and mix again.

3. Add the mayo to the broccoli, toss to combine. Taste or salt. Serve immediately or chill and serve later.

Servings 5.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 345
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 31 g	47 %
Saturated Fat 3 g	17 %
Monounsaturated Fat 20 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 4 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 37 mg	12 %
Sodium 127 mg	5 %
Potassium 397 mg	11 %
Total Carbohydrate 18 g	6 %
Dietary Fiber 3 g	13 %
Sugars 10 g
Protein 5 g	9 %
Vitamin A	13 %
Vitamin C	133 %
Calcium	6 %
Iron	11 %
* 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.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Mug Cake

Coming off of spring break most teachers can see the end in sight... 9 more weeks... we can do it! It is almost a tease to spend a week at home with my daughter only to have to go back for a couple more months of work. I know, I am lucky I am a teacher and I get that time... anyone could have been a teacher so if you chose not to be then don't complain... I'm kidding. :) My spring break was fairly uneventful- time spent at the gym and at the pool with Charlie girl. My last weekend of the break, however, changed things. After my divorce I was at peace with reality that I could possibly not have any more children and I may spend a lot of time single- but last summer I dated someone and was truly happy- crazy to think I could meet someone sooner than expected. In the winter things with Rudy went south for various reasons, and we decided take a break. We had our ups and downs, still saw each other at the gym, hung out weekly, talked and whatnot, but that is now decidedly done, something had to change. I am now faced with the reality of picking myself back up again- It is over a year later, I am 30, Charlie is almost 3, and I may be single for a while meaning possibly no more children. I know- chances are I will eventually meet someone and if I only have one healthy child I should be grateful- I am. I just think it is harder this time because it was my first relationship since my marriage and as she is older the thought of having kids far apart and starting over is just not easy to grasp. I can say it- this is for the best, I do not want to have another child with the wrong man again, but that doesn't mean it isn't hard and doesn't hurt. Any time you have to start over with a job, new city, relationship it isn't always easy - but every time there's a major change I seem to learn more about myself. Obviously I do not know what my future will be, I am fortunate to be surrounded by a lot of really good friends who understand, want the best for me and have my back. So for now I will be focusing on Charlie girl, spending time with my friends, trying to be positive, and lifting heavy shit. Squats on squats... we squat 8 days a week. :) 

After coming up with so many mug cakes that are popular with so many people I feel like I need to test these in a ramekin in the oven for my friends that don't use a microwave! I am thinking something high heat and not long because the microwave simulates that. Stay tuned anti-microwave friends! 

I am one of those people who struggles eating when I am sad. I just lose my appetite... what is worse than losing my relationship is losing my gains so I need to eat. These little cakes are always appealing to me and I ate mine with ice cream! 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Mug Cake

(Printable Version)

- 2 Tbsp Nutbutter, Sunbutter, Peanutbutter... whatever you want
- 1 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 Tbsp Raw Honey (or a little less)
- 5 Tbsp Milk (1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp )
- 1 (heaping) Tbsp Coconut Flour
- Pinch of Salt

1. Mix everything in a microwave safe- greased if you want- (large) mug until smooth. 

2. Microwave 90 seconds to 2 minutes. The cake will pull away from the sides when it is done. Careful! These babies are hot!!

Nutrition Facts
Servings 1.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 325
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 19 g	30 %
Saturated Fat 3 g	17 %
Monounsaturated Fat 11 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 4 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 6 mg	2 %
Sodium 836 mg	35 %
Potassium 207 mg	6 %
Total Carbohydrate 34 g	11 %
Dietary Fiber 8 g	33 %
Sugars 24 g
Protein 12 g	23 %
Vitamin A	3 %
Vitamin C	0 %
Calcium	18 %
Iron	18 %
* 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.