Eye-of-Round Roast... perfect for sandwiches!

Charlie and I went to the zoo today.... we live really close and usually go once a week. This year is so different than last year because she can walk more and knows the animals. Although going to the zoo meant no workout today I am attempting not to be jealous of my friends at the gym because we had a great morning together. We also got to eat these fantastic sandwiches for lunch... after smelling it cook all day yesterday I was excited to try it!

I am experimenting with different kinds of meat. Mainly just to mix things up and try out what works with what. Eye-of-Round is generally a little cheaper than a lot of steaks. This is probably because it is a tougher, really lean cut of meat probably due to where it comes from... hindquarters of the cow, lots of use back there when the cow exercising! Most of the time I have heard of people using it to make jerky but I also know that cooked under a really high temperature and then a little longer at a lower temperature creates a tender, tasty steak. I have read recipes where you literally cook it at a high temperature and then shut off the over and leave it for hours... that sounds awesome but I don't have that kind of time so I improvised. Cooking it this way leaves a crusty, delicious outside and a pink and tender inside... cut thinly it is so good on a sandwich. I ate mine on gluten-free bread with Annie's Organic horseradish mayo.

Eye-of-Round Roast 

(coffee rub)

(Printable Version)

- 2lbs Eye-of-Round Roast, fat trimmed off

- 1/2 Small Onion, grated 

- 2 Tbsp Instant Coffee

- 2 Tbsp Chili Powder

- 2 tsp Salt

- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper

- 1 tsp Paprika

- 3 Garlic Cloves, grated

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. 

1. Combine the onion, spices and garlic in a bowl, massage onto the meat and let it sit for 20-30 minutes so it can reach room temperature and marinate a bit. 

2. Place the roast in a roasting pan or dutch oven (or a rack over a cookie sheet like I did) and put it in the oven for 10 minutes, turn, and cook another 10 minutes.

3. Without taking the roast out, turn the over down to 300 degrees and cook 30 more minutes. No turning needed. 

4. Take the roast out and let it rest. If you are making sandwiches let it cool completely, wrap it in plastic wrap and tin foil and put it in the fridge for a few hours or over night... flavor is amazing. Cut the roast to your taste... thinner is better though :)

Cranberry-Almond-Coconut Granola

So this week is an off week working out... I hate that...boo. Working out is my time to do something I like and it makes me feel good about life in general. When it doesn't go well, weights feel heavy, failures happen it is just a major bummer. The only highlight this week was not dying during Tuesday's workout (running, ring dips on the high rings- aka including a muscle up, dead lifts, rope climbs in 90 degrees) and Friday night when I got to do "Heavy Grace" with Kelly. Her power cleans are so ridiculously better than mine... I have the bruise on my chest to prove that slow elbows are my thing... but we did a weight that is heavy for both of us and I have never clean and jerked it that many times. Go us!

Friday night was good for another reason... I ate a steak for the first time in over 10 years! From being vegetarian and then vegan I just haven't had a steak. I know I have eaten steak cut up on a skewer and in my beef and broccoli... but this was the first time actually eating a literal hunk of meat on a plate... a filet. I went on my first official date with Rudy to the Clawson Steakhouse which is fantastic because it hasn't changed inside or out since probably the 80s. We got a table right by the dance floor and the band was made of men all in their 70s playing Frank Sinatra and all of the other "crooner" classics. We danced, ate steak, and watched the older people of the restaurant still so in love twirl their sweethearts around the floor. Perfect way to end my week.

Granola is my new breakfast (although it would have killed my date from last night- nut allergy). It's getting hotter, I am getting sick of eggs... time for a change. I don't love it plain, but I love it with the thick sweet, taste of raw milk. My friend Carrie suggested this combination and I thought I would give it a try. Carrie's baby is going to be on the 2030 Regional team with my little one... hers comes to competitions, was at Regionals.... we are both starting them early and I can't say that I'm not thrilled that my daughter is seeing so many strong women, working, lifting weights, and having babies. :) Another friend I workout with found the green mason jars I have been looking for... score! My collection is complete. I decorate, store food, and drink from them... below is a picture of my built in shelves where I keep some of them when not in use.

Cranberry- Almond- Coconut Granola

- 3 Cups Sliced Almonds (try to find them in bulk... cheaper!)
- 1 Cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
- 1 Cup Unsweetened Cranberries (if you can't find unsweetened, read the ingredients at least)
- 2 Tbsp Almond Butter
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/3 Cup Grade A Maple Syrup

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until well combined.

2. Spread in a thin layer onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

3. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Stirring at the 10 minute mark. REALLY watch it after 15 minutes... it can go from perfect to burned quickly so stir often. It will be softer until it cools. Remove from the oven and cool completely before storing in air tight containers... or my favorite... mason jars.

Nutrition Facts
Servings 6.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 456
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 36 g	55 %
Saturated Fat 10 g	50 %
Monounsaturated Fat 17 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 7 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg	0 %
Sodium 203 mg	8 %
Potassium 414 mg	12 %
Total Carbohydrate 29 g	10 %
Dietary Fiber 9 g	36 %
Sugars 16 g
Protein 12 g	24 %
Vitamin A	0 %
Vitamin C	4 %
Calcium	18 %
Iron	13 %
* 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.

Baked Sweet Potato and Sausage Brunch

I am trying to mix up my breakfast routine. I am getting bored. I still have a lot of the same ingredients I use for my breakfast hash though so I thought I would try cooking them a different way because I am not one to waste food. This is a little spicy with the chicken sausage I used, which is why I call it "brunch." If you use breakfast sausage or regular chicken sausage or are weird like me and put hot sauce on everything then by all means eat it at 5am.

Baked Sweet Potato and Sausage Brunch

- 5-6 Chicken Sausage links, halved and sliced (read labels! Lots of added "junk" in these sometimes) I used spicy chicken sausage

- 2 Large Sweet Potatoes, peeled and diced (~1/2" cubes)

- 2 Tbsp Oil, or any other kind of fat

- 1 tsp Salt

- 1/2 tsp Pepper

- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

- 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

- 1/2 tsp Paprika

- 8 eggs

- 2 cups Baby Spinach

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees (yep, hot)

1. Place the sweet potatoes, sausage, oil and spices in a 9"x11" baking dish that has been lightly oiled. Toss to coat.

2. Bake 30-45 min until potatoes are soft and starting to crisp. Stir half way to prevent burning.

3. Reduce heat to 400 degrees. Top the sweet potatoes and sausage with spinach and make "wells" for the eggs. If you don't like a runny yolk scramble the eggs before putting them in the dish. 

4. Crack one egg into each well and put the dish back into the oven for 10-15 minutes... whites will cook but the yolk will remain runny. If you are scrambling eggs cook for about the same amount of time, or until you wiggle the dish and the eggs are firm. 

The Purple Smoothie

I think I may finally be an adult again. I have a car, a house, a job, and a baby and they are all mine. I have been borrowing one of my parents' cars since the divorce while I was trying to get on my feet and a few days ago while I was driving the tire..excuse me... wheel ....literally broke off... I am not talking like the rubber tire, I mean literally the whole wheel bent under the car and the car fell onto its frame. I am sooooo incredibly thankful that Charlie was not in the car and I was not on the highway. Broken ball joints and axles... ugh. Since my parents are out of town I called the man I was supposed to be going on a date with that night to see if he would rescue me instead (Thanks Rudy!) Damsel in distress is usually not my thing but I had no choice. :) So to make things worse when I went to go pick the car the other car I borrowed wouldn't start because the battery was dead because I accidentally left the lights on... I seriously give up. I am now afraid to drive and went the very next day to get my own car. I am on a pretty tight budget, but ended up getting a Honda CRV... it is a small SUV within my price range so I am happy. What does one do when they get a car of their own? They mark it with their box.

It seems every time I go onto social media or watch the news people are talking about "juice diets" and "detoxing" and things of that nature. Now I am all about doing what you think is best for you, but instead of cramming your body full of sugar, liquids, and sitting on the toilet for a few days wouldn't it just be better for you to not put nasty shit in your body in the first place? I know we all have our days (weeks, months) but to get back on track I would just try to be strict with what I eat again...but that's me and you're you so whatever. :) I suppose this smoothie could be called a "detox" smoothie because it contains healthy fats, veggies, and fruit, but I am just going to call it a purple smoothie because that's what color it is... well kind of mauve but you get the idea. I gave Charlie some too because she is all about the smoothie.

PS- my new favorite non-alcholic drink is Berry La Croix and POM juice.

The Purple Smoothie 

- 1 Banana, frozen preferably (anytime a banana ripens beyond normal eating I throw it in the freezer)
- 1-2 Cups Baby Spinach (large handful)
- 1/2 Avocado
- 1/2 Cup Raw Milk (or any milk or water)
- 1/4 Cup Blueberries (about a handful)
- 1 lime, zest and juice

1. Put all ingredients in a high powered blender and blend until smooth, scraping sides as needed. It helps if you cut the banana into large pieces. Taste... add more juice once it is blended if you try it and think it needs more. The lime gives it such a better flavor.

Lettuce-Free Chopped Salad

After the winter we had I will not complain about the heat we are now having. I am just happy I have air conditioning in this house since through college and my previous house did not. I am cheap and have it set at 77 degrees but still. :)
This past weekend I competed in an event for Heroes: Supporting American Snipers. This is a picture of my team: Steve and KK and one of my sister and me... we rarely do the same competitions so it was great to be in the same event. We are partners for the battle of the sexes coming up so watch out!

 It was a fun day and I finally did muscle ups in a competition. I have been able to do them for a while but for various reasons haven't done one in a competition or the CrossFit Open. I even strung 2 and 3 together a few times. I realize for some people it isn't a big deal, but it's a proud moment for me since I have been wanting to do them since I started CrossFit and saw people up there on the rings.

This is a salad I have been making for years... a lot during college actually. My roommate Alicia used to do something similar so I took the idea form her. Lettuce in college was another expense and often it would go bad and get wilty before I could use it all... solution? Make a salad with no lettuce. You can add whatever you want, but this is my original version. I would think grilled chicken would make this fantastic... maybe tomorrow. Super refreshing and light after a really hot workout involving multiple rounds of running, deadlifts, rope climbs, and muscle-ups+ring dips after which I did not stop sweating for probably a month... or at least a few hours even after a shower.

Lettuce-Free Chopped Salad

- 1/3 Large English Cucumber, peeled, quartered and chopped
- 1 Roma or Vine-Tomato, seeded and chopped
- 1 small or 1/2 large Carrot, peeled and chopped
- Red Onion, as much as you want... I use just a few "rings" chopped
- 1/4 cup (or less) Chopped Pecans
- Handful of Unsweetened dried cranberries (I like to be exact when measuring :)
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar (or apple cider)
- 3 Tbsp Feta (optional)
- Handful of gluten-free croutons or pita chips (optional)

1. Mix everything together and enjoy. :)

Blackened Salmon

It's that time of the year!!! Costco is carrying wild caught salmon... woohoo! I usually pay upwards of $19.99/lb at Whole Foods and it is only $12.99/lb at the Costco near my house.... $14.99/lb at the one near my parents... ha! Stock up people, it doesn't last long.

My child actually has eaten fish since she started eating real food. I give her what I eat and if she decides she doesn't like it that night than she can eat her veggies and fruit or nothing. I know it kind of sounds mean but I don't want her being a picky eater and liking something one day and not liking it the next is just mind-blowingly frustrating. I am also not going to cook two different meals for us and she always has the option of peanut butter and jelly, which I think she would love to take any day of the week anyway.
I know that blackened salmon is traditionally done in a skillet, but I just took my blackened salmon spice mix and put it on top of my salmon on a plank because I wanted to grill. It is way too nice of a day to be standing over a stove cooking. If you are going to do this in a skillet, start with from ghee or clarified butter in a pan and put the salmon skin side down to make it crispy. Flip it and cook until blackened... 3-5 minutes on each side over medium-medium high heat. On a grill, soak the plank (I got mine at Williams Sonoma) for at least an hour. Place the seasoned salmon skin side down on the plank then on the grill. Close the lid- cook 15-20 minutes until firm... but not TOO firm... when you press on it. I am eating mine over a left over caesar salad. :)

Blackened Salmon Seasoning 

- 1-1.5 lb Wild Caught Salmon

- 2 tsp Paprika

- 1/2-3/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper (depending on how spicy you want it)

- 1 tsp Salt

- 1/2 Garlic Powder

- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper

- 1 lemon

1. Mix the spices in a bowl. Squeeze the lemon over the salmon and sprinkle with the spices. Cook your preferred way... directions for grilling vs. skillet are in the last paragraph above. 

Bleu Cheese Burgers

School is out for summer! Yay! It never really hits me until Monday morning when I don't have to get up... well not before 5am anyway. I am ready to be at home with my little girl. I know, I get it, teachers have it easy, we only work until 3pm (hahahaha!), we get summers off, etc. My response to that is always "you could have been a teacher." To which I get things like "they don't make enough" "I could never work with kids""Ugh, no"... ok then don't have your summers off and don't complain to me. :)

Tonight while I was grilling Charlie and Henry (my sister's dog) went for a swim... ahhh summer!

Still on my grilling kick, I took inspiration from a WildTree party my sister, mom, and pretty much all the women I work out with went to except me. They made bleu cheese burgers so I decided I could make something similar on my own. You could easily use a different cheese, but I think the bleu cheese holds up well to grilling and the cheese on the outside has a different texture than the cheese on the inside so good! I ate mine on top of lettuce from my garden pots... I have quite the harvest for my first time cutting the lettuce.

 Bleu Cheese Burgers

- 1 lb Grass-fed Ground Beef

- 1/4 Cup Bleu Cheese- read the label- look for milk that isn't pasteurized- it shouldn't be 

- 1 tsp Fish Sauce 

- 1/2 tsp Pepper

- 1 Tbsp Oil

1. Mix everything together until well combined. Don't overmix- it will toughen the meat. Form four patties, flatten and indent the middle so it creates a flat burger when cooked.

2. Preheat the grill and cook 5-10 minutes (ish) on each side depending on how you like your burgers cooked and how hot your grill is. 

3. For the zucchini, I just cut it in half, tossed it in oil, salt and pepper and cooked it on the grill for a few minutes on each side.