Paleo Nut-butter Blondies

Ok I will now admit a few things... first, I hate wall balls. I seriously hate them. I want to give up after like 4, not even kidding. Secondly, I am in love with Lululemon. We all have our weaknesses and that is mine. At least I workout in the clothes, right? Current obsession, studio pants. I wore them to work today and fell in love. I also got them for my babysitter because they are seriously awesome. My mom has them in every color...see where I get it? Lastly, this is my first time baking without using another paleo recipe as a major base. I had to do some research to figure out what conversions are possible and what you need to do when baking paleo so it doesn't fall apart and turn into dry crumbles. I will now share with you some important pointers... :) you're welcome.

When substituting coconut or almond flour for all purpose use the general ratio of 1/3 cup Coconut/Almond flour for 1 cup All-purpose flour. Coconut flour especially is incredibly absorbent and needs a lot of liquid. Use about equal amounts of liquid for flour. For example, I used 1/3 cup of Coconut Flour in this recipe so I used 1/4 cup of melted butter plus 2 Tbsp of milk. You must also use eggs... makes the dish more moist and is important for binding everything. Learn something? Good. Now make your favorite recipes paleo. :)

Paleo Nut-Butter Blondies

(Printable Version)

- 1/3 Cup Coconut (or Almond) Flour

- 2/3 Cup Coconut Sugar

- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

- 1/4 tsp Salt

- 1tsp Vanilla

- 1/4 Cup melted butter, fat-solids removed, or use ghee
- 1/3 Cup Nut-butter (I used sunbutter)

- 2 eggs, beaten

- 2 Tbsp Almond Milk
- 1/4 Cup Non-dairy Chocolate Chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

1. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together.
2. Add the vanilla, butter, eggs, nutbutter and milk. Mix by hand again until well combined.

3. Stir in the chocolate chips.

4. Pour batter into a greased 8"x8" baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes (on the longer end for glass) until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool and cut.

Honey Chipotle Chicken with Grilled Sweet Potato Pouches

Charlie and I went to a dog and cat adoption event yesterday. It completely killed me not to get a dog. I realize that now is not the time for me to have one, I get it, doesn't mean I didn't really want one. Maybe in a year we will adopt... sigh. I will forever fail to understand people that hurt animals though and wish I could save them all.

Ahhh Sunday.... watching Food Network and typing this. The last Sunday until September that I will spend hours cooking so I don't have to cook during the week. It isn't that I don't like cooking, obviously, I just usually don't have the time. I also realize it is impractical for most people to spend hours cooking unless you have a support system to watch babies for you, no babies, or older babies who are off doing their own thing. I always feel like you should do what works for you and everyone will be different. If eating clean is your goal than spending the time to prep and cook food, spending a little more on your grocery bill should be a priority and you'll make it happen. Anyone can make excuses. I love the people that pin a bunch of workouts on Pinterest followed by a million dessert recipes... stop pinning and start doing! Well not all the desserts, but maybe the workouts :)

All my meat marinating and ready to go... plus my toes :)

Two different recipes today... I was grilling a lot and wanted to use chicken because steak gets expensive and I wanted to mix it up. The sweet potatoes don't necessarily go with the chicken, but they don't necessarily not go either.

Honey Chipotle Chicken

- 3-4 Chicken Breasts (1.5-2lbs)

- 1/4 Cup Oil (I used grapeseed)

- 1-2 Chipotles in Adobe, chopping... careful- these are hot!

- 2 Tbsp Raw Honey

- 2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

- 2 Garlic Cloves, chopped

- 2 Tbsp Lime Juice

- 1/4 tsp Salt and Pepper

1. Whisk all of the ingredients besides the chicken. Marinate the chicken at least a few hours or overnight. 

2. Place on a grill pre-heated to Medium-High heat. 3-5 Minutes per side.

Grilled Sweet Potato Pouches

- 2 Large Sweet Potatoes, peeled, diced in 1/2-1 inch cubes
- 1 medium sweet Onion, halved and roughly chopped
- 4 Tbsp Butter
- 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper

1. Put half a sweet potato, 1/4 of the total, on a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil. Mix with 1/4 of the onion and top with a tablespoon of butter, 1/8 tsp Cayenne, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper. Roll up tightly and repeat with the rest of the ingredients. (Makes 4)

2. Place pouches on a grill over Medium- High heat for 20-30 minutes.

Loaded Sweet Potato Casserole

A day in the life of me... and I will preface this by saying I am a morning person and by 9pm I do nothing: get up at 4am, get ready for work, breakfast, prep dinner, make Charlie's breakfast, pack for the gym, 6am get Charlie up, fed, head to daycare... arrive at work at 7:10am, teach all day with no time to pee when I want or sit down or breathe, pick up Charlie at 3pm, chiropractor, gym, home by 5:30 for dinner, play, bed and bath by 7:30pm, clean up dinner, pack lunches, do laundry, grade papers, fall over....10 more days until school is out... 10 more days. I can do it :)
Things I am looking forward to this summer: the zoo (we go at least once a week), farmer's markets, sleeping in past 4am, and spending more time with my little one.

There are few things in this world I love more than chips and salsa and one that comes close is cheese and crackers. I eat "strong" cheese because then I eat less and I also buy raw milk cheese so I feel a little better about it. It is definitely a treat for me. This is a hearty and comforting dish... make it ahead, pack it in lunches, take it as an app to a party. It's amazing with or without the cheese.

Note on raw dairy: followers of a "primal" diet often eat raw dairy and other countries have been taking note of the benefits for years. It has become more and more trendy in the United States to not consume pasteurized dairy... why? None of the nutrients (calcium, protein, etc.) are harmed by pasteurization. For some it comes down to the treatment of the cows, usually cow milk coming from a raw dairy farm are treated better with the use of hormones and chemicals being rare. Another major benefit is the link to a decrease in allergies and asthma when raw d immuno airy is consumed. Will it make you sick? Maybe, but most likely not. The "good" bacteria found in milk far outweighs the harmful bacteria not giving it a chance to multiply... these probiotics help regulate the digestive tract and keep things on the inside running smoothly. If your child or you is already-compromised than I would suggest steering clear. Otherwise, most people say it even tastes better. I found my cheese at a large chain grocery store, next to the fancy cheeses and grated it myself.

Loaded Sweet Potato Casserole 

(Printable Version) 

- 2-3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced about 1/2" cubes

- 1lb (2-3) Chicken breasts, cubed

- 1/4 Cup Oil (I used coconut)

- 3 Tbsp Hot Sauce (I used Frank's)

- 2 tsp Garlic Powder

- 1 tsp Salt

- 1 tsp Pepper

- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper (omit if you don't like spicy)

- 2 tsp Paprika 

- 3 Tbsp Chives (or 1-2 green onions)

- 5 Slices of Bacon, cooked until crispy and chopped

- 1/4 cup Raw Cheddar Cheese (optional)

Preheat the Oven to 500 degrees... no I am not kidding.

1. Whisk the oil, hot sauce, and spices and toss with the sweet potatoes. Pour into a greased 13x9" baking dish reserving what sauce you can in the bowl.

2. Bake for 45min-1hr tossing every 10-15 minutes until crispy. While they are cooking toss the chicken into the sauce and let sit. Prepare the bacon and onions.

3. Top the potatoes with the raw chicken followed by the topping. Lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees and bake another 10-15minutes until bubbly.

6 ingredient Blender Muffins

On a personal level I'll make it short... When people told me the grass isn't always greener on the other side last year about this exact time when I was pondering my future I listened and then did my own thing per usual. You know what? Grass is fabulous over here.... I'm honestly so happy and feel so much more like myself or at least who I want to be.

These muffins are sugar free, dairy free, nut free and gluten free... Does that maybe make them guilty free? Hehehe. If you don't have baking powder and you use baking soda your muffins will be a dark green color... The combination of baking soda and sunbutter does that. They taste awesome still just don't be scared. Baking powder and Sunbutter will give a slight green tint but not even close to as bad. I didn't use any other nut butters so maybe it won't happen with them- be a mad scientist and find out!

6 Ingredient Blender Muffins

(Printable Version)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees 

- 2 very ripe bananas

- 2 eggs

- 1 tsp vanilla

- 2 tsp baking powder (or 1/2 tsp baking soda)

- 1 cup Sunbutter (or any other nut butter) 

- 1/4 cup non-dairy mini chocolate chips

1. Put all ingredients except chocolate in a blender and blend until smooth. Stir in chips by hand. 

2. Grease a muffin pan (makes 9-10 normal muffins, 20ish minis) and fill 2/3 full.

3. Bake 8-10min. Let cool in the pan and store in the fridge. 

Iced Coffee

I just read an article about how CrossFit is incredibly dangerous and people flail about with bad form and you should never do that many reps, etc. I was laughing. I have never been in better shape in my life, I know my coaches would never let me continue with form that where I would hurt myself, and hitting fitness goals is definitely a confidence boost. Will everyone like it? No. Will people get hurt? Yes. But that's true with anything... I used to run marathons and so did my parents and both of them have had knee surgeries due to running. Apparently we should sit around and do nothing in fear of working too hard and testing our bodies limits because we "might" get hurt. You know what I would like to see in an article hating on CrossFit? Just say, "I tried it, I didn't like it, it wasn't for me. It wasn't the atmosphere I want to work out in or the activities I want to do." You don't have to go on to ridicule everything and use cliche CrossFit bashing terms about it being a "cult" and "kipping" not being a real movement, etc. Yes, I am aware that there are boxes that are sub-par... I have been to some...but like anything you should try a few out to give CrossFit a legit shot if that's what you want to do. Seems like a waste of time to write long articles about something you hate... there's enough hate in the world- try to be more positive. I really don't like soccer but I am not going to dedicate a whole blog post to it... I just won't play/watch soccer. Duh.

Onto the recipe! I like iced coffee a lot. In the summer since I don't run my AC a lot it is hard to want to sip on a hot beverage when you are blow-drying your hair. Problem with iced coffee is that it needs to be made in advance so it is actually cold and not just watered down from ice. Here is my recipe... it makes 4 servings and I of course make them in my mason jars and put the lids on to store until I am ready.

Iced Coffee
- 32 oz. Strong Coffee
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 18 oz Almond Milk
- 1 Tbsp Stevia (optional)

1. Brew the coffee. Add the sugar while it is still hot, stir. Add the milk and vanilla. Stir again. Pour into containers or just keep it in the fridge.... at least 2 hours!

Chocolate Covered Frozen Bananas

There's something incredibly special about having a twin sister. Ours names don't match, we were encouraged to try things apart from either other and we weren't dressed alike... We are definitely our own versions of the same genetic information but I would say the best way to describe us is perfect compliments of each other. Before college we had never been apart more than a week in our lives. She went to Albion College and I went to Michigan State University... That lasted a grand total of one semester before she transferred to be with me. We have always said that any man who dates us is lucky to just be second because she will always be my number one. More stories about Mara in the future I'm sure!

 

She was my babysitter today so I could get a workout in... 4 RFT: 400m run, 6 muscle ups. All of our words have a 20 min time cap and I was just shy of finishing my muscle ups at the time cap. Since I just started stringing them together I'm not too upset... Just happy I did it! Mara and Charlotte (she won't call her Charlie) played outside because it was finally nice out and I decided to make her one of her favorite foods before she was paleo only this was the paleo version and had pecans instead of peanuts. I keep frozen bananas in my fridge so I used those, but this works with non-frozen bananas as well.

Chocolate Covered Frozen Bananas 
- 1/2 banana per person
- non- dairy chocolate chips (amount depends on number of bananas- I used half a 12oz bag for 2)
- Chopped pecans

1. Put bananas on skewers and into a freezer bag. Freeze for a few hours or many days.

2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Pull the bananas out right before dipping them in the chocolate. Roll them in the chocolate and sprinkle on pecans immediately. Place on a cookie sheet with parchment paper and freeze an hour or overnight.

Asian Marinated Steak Kabobs

I had a great time at Central East Regionals this past weekend. We had a team and two individuals competing... it was also impressive to see the people I have been following compete in person. They are incredible. Our box's own Mikki Nuccio placed 8th overall... so proud of her! This weekend showed me even more how badly I want to go and compete next year. Wanting something isn't good enough though, I have to be prepared to work really hard and have no regrets when the open comes next year that I didn't do everything I could- failure after not trying hard enough is so much worse than trying hard and failing- I have to take away excuses, worry about what I can control, and give it my all.

It was also Charlie's birthday and I am sad that I wasn't with her. How did I cope? I had it set in my mind that it wasn't her birthday, I am doing a mini-party with my parents and sister this weekend so I am pretending it is then. I get that she doesn't know it is her birthday yet, but it is still heart-wrenching because she's my little girl. I also laid off the alcohol this weekend so as not to become an emotional, blubbering mess. :)

For Mother's Day my incredible parents bought me a grill. Now that Michigan has finally decided it can be summer I tried grilling by myself for the first time in my life. I know I didn't get a charcoal grill, but let's be honest, I would use a charcoal grill so much less that one that lights with the push of a button!

I realize that steak prices are increasing it seems lately, so feel free to choose a different cut of meat. I just love flank steak... skirt steak is a good alternate though. I set up my prep station outside so I could watch Charlie in her new sand/water table!

Asian Marinated Steak Kabobs

(Printable Version)

- 1.5 lbs Flank Steak

- 2 Tbsp Sesame Oil (plus more for grill)

- 2 Tbsp Gluten-free Soy Sauce (or coconut aminos)

- 1 Tbsp Fish Sauce

- 1 Tbsp Lime Juice

- 1 tsp Ginger, minced

- 1 Garlic clove, minced

- 1 Pineapple, cored and chunked

- 1/2 Onion, sliced in quarters

- 1 Jalapeno, seeded and sliced

1. Whisk oil through garlic and rub, toss the steak in it. Cover and place in the fridge 6 hours or overnight.

2. Slice the steak into cubes. Alternate onion, jalapeno, pineapple and steak on a skewer... in using wood skewers soak over night! This makes 8-10 kabobs.

3. Rub with a little more oil so they don't stick. Grill over Medium to Medium-high heat 5 minutes on the first side, flip and grill another 3min... I like my steak a little more done than most... must be the vegetarian still in me!