Dress It Up!

Already three days into week three…wow, how time flies when you’re havin’ fun busy!  We’re still on the “paleo” bandwagon enjoying our meals and treats and not at all feeling like we’re missing out on anything or having the desire to “indulge.”  I have to admit, though, that this week I’ve run out of steam in the creativity department, so we’re having some repeat meals for pure convenience.  However, I did kick it up a notch in the “greens” department…dressin’ things up a little!

Everyone knows that I love me some green salad.  In fact, the more mixed greens I can get into one salad the more I love it!  The hubs, on the other hand, will eat the salad if it is already placed on his plate, but it isn’t typically the first thing he grabs for on the table.  He’s been even more hesitant to reach for some of the leafy greens since his beloved ranch dressing is no longer on the menu!  So this seemingly terrible situation promptly sent me out on a mission to create a paleo ranch-style dressing that would also pass the “good-taste” test.  After a few failed attempts, I think we’ve finally found our match!

Paleo Ranch Style Dressing

Yields about 2 cups

Ingredients:

1 cup olive oil

1 cup canned coconut milk

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (I like to use raw)

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp dill

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

2 Tbsp fresh chives

4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions:

Combine all ingredients into a blender or food processor and pulse until mixed well.

This dressing has become a universal condiment in our house…it goes on sandwiches, it’s a dip for raw veggies, and it definitely takes our salads to the next level! 

If you’re looking for something a little more on the sweeter side, this dressing really hits the spot.   Creamy Citrus Dressing

Yields about 2 cups

Ingredients:

1 cup canned coconut milk (you can use plain greek yogurt if you’re doing dairy)

1 small shallot, finely minced

1 tsp orange zest

2 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice

2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp tumeric

1/8 tsp smoked paprika

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

Directions:

Combine all dressing ingredients together and whisk until thoroughly combined.  Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

This is one my favorite dressings for kale salads…mix or “massage” it over all the kale leaves and let it sit in the fridge for about an hour before eating and it really softens up the kale!   If you’re a fan of kale, here’s another one of my favorites (this was pre-paleo, hence the added brown rice!).

I see I have a “creamy” trend going on here! 

Creamy  Avocado Dressing (click for recipe)

This dressing has got a lovely “tang” to it and is paired nicely with your favorite taco salad or  lettuce wrap.  It’s another one of those dressings you can literally use on just about anything…thick enough for a dip, spreadable enough for a sandwich and just right for any salad creation!

While I may have gotten into some sort of “paleo” rhythm and things have cooled off a bit in the kitchen, things are heating up at the gym this week.  We’re at the halfway point in the challenge and now it’s time to test what we’re really made of!!  I’m definitely ready to push myself and get my sweat on this week!

I decided to do a 2.5 mile morning run on Monday only to come home and find out Monday’s WOD…

“Nicole”

AMRAP in 20 minutes

400 Meter Run

Pull-ups Max

Time started with the run followed by as many pull-ups as you could do.  Every time you dropped from the bar or couldn’t complete a full pull-up you had to head out for another 400 M run!  I ended up running 4 times and did 75 banded pull-ups for my final time.

Tuesday my arms and legs were pretty worked, so I opted for a 2.5 mile walk instead of a run!  And as part of our challenge this week we are to start and/or end our day with 25 sit-ups, 25 squats and 25 push-ups….more sweat!!

Today’s WOD…

2 Rounds

100 Double Unders

50 lunges

25 push press

It was pretty cold at the gym this morning, so I didn’t actually break a sweat but it definitely got my heart rate pumping!  I completed my rounds of sit-ups, squats and push-ups and also decided to go for a 20 minute run at the softball fields while my Princess Makenna was practicing. 

Whew!  It’s been a good week so far and I’m looking forward to finishing it out strong!

Blessings,

J’lene

My morning in the kitchen…

I feel like “little miss homemaker” today!  All for a good cause, of course!  My brother-in-law and his crew have been working hard over the past couple of weeks at making our side yard into something much more pleasant to look at, not to mention more functional.  The guys arrived at the house bright and early this morning to pour the concrete, which forced me out of bed and got me moving out the door to do my run before it got too hot!  After arriving back home from a great run (compared to yesterday’s fail), I was feeling refreshed, so I thought I’d show my “thanks” to those hard working gentlemen with a little something sweet. 

 They gladly accepted “Almond Joy Bars” and a few slices of a “Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie” with open arms (and the hubs is wondering where his portion is!)

Both recipes were adapted from “Mama Pea” over at Peas and Thank You.  I’ve made both of these treats many times before with variations of gluten free flours, but this time I went with Pamela’s Baking Mix just to make life easy on myself (and because I wanted the guys to enjoy their treats on their break, so I had to make it fast)!  For the Almond Joy Bars I subbed in Pamela’s Baking Mix for the whole wheat flour, which means I had to take out the baking soda.  I use gluten free rolled oats, used 1/4 cup raw sliced almonds instead of roasted and used crunchy almond butter with flax seeds instead of regular almond butter.  I also swapped out the organic sugar for a 1/2 cup of raw coconut crystals and I didn’t have coconut extract, so I just used vanilla.

For the cookie pie, I also used Pamela’s Baking Mix in place of the whole wheat flour and subbed in gluten free oat flour for the all-purpose.  If you use Pamela’s Baking Mix you need to take out the baking soda and powder because it’s already in the mix.  And again, I subbed in raw coconut crystals for the organic sugar.  I think the only thing missing was a cold glass of milk to go with their slice of ooey-gooey chocolatey goodness!

A beautiful work in progress…

   The hubs is most excited about the “fire pit”…he’s going to have to wait awhile to put it to good use because it’s way too hot right now!  I’m looking forward to planting plants in my flower boxes!

So now the house smells wonderfully delicious and the hubs walks in from graciously helping some friends of ours move all morning and I have nothing to offer him…oops!  No worries, nothing that a batch of Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies can’t smooth over!  I’m on it!

I wish I could bottle up this wonderful baked goods smell, it’s so warm and comforting…I would so use it as air freshener!

While the hubs is enjoying his freshly baked cookies, I’m loving the refreshing taste of “cucumber water” on this hot summer day! 

And what better to go with it than a cool, refreshing salad.  This is my new favorite, at least for this week!  There’s a lot to this salad, but it is so worth the effort and you’ll have A LOT to last you the entire week. Kale Power Salad (aka “detox salad”)

(inspired by Oh She Glows)

Yields 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

2 broccoli crowns

1 head cauliflower

1 medium carrot, grated

2 cups finely chopped kale ( I used curly kale)

1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup raw sliced almonds

1/2 cup dried organic cranberries

1/2 cup dried organic cherries, chopped

juice of one lemon

2 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp pure maple syrup

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash and rinse all vegetables, then cut the broccoli and cauliflower into florets.  In a food processor, process the broccoli and cauliflower until fine and add them to a large mixing bowl.  This made need to be done in batches depending on the size of your processor.

Add grated carrots, kale, parsley, sunflower seeds, almonds,  and dried fruit to the bowl.  Stir all ingredients to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, vinegar and maple syrup until well blended.  Pour dressing over all the ingredients in the bowl and toss well to combine.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and mix well again.  Enjoy and feel rejuvenated!

A perfect super food packed salad for those weeks where you need to get your body back on track.

 (source)

Praying that you are finding ways to feel refreshed this summer!

Blessings,

J’lene

This week’s meal roundup!

Oh boy!  This week whizzed by at top speed and here we are at Saturday!  The princesses and I kept ourselves busy this week with some new projects taking place over at Grammy and Papa’s (my mom and dad) house.  Two or three days a week we’ll be going over to take care of…

3 baby chicks (pictures to come)…and

Roxy (a little Welsh pony)…

Giving “Roxy” her first bath in her new home…

 And giving her lots and lots of lovin’! Just the right size for riding!

Feelin’ like a real cowgirl!

  My proud little princess cowgirl riding all by herself!

The hubs is getting in on the horse riding action!

On another note…Things have been a little hairy around the home front as the hubs and I deal with more church stuff.  Between the meetings, e-mails and phone calls I’ve found myself a bit anxious and out of sorts, but trying hard to rest in the Lord because I know He is in control.  I’ve been meditating on these verses in particular all week… “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7

Has this road been challenging? Yes!  Is it worth it? Yes, because what we are doing is all for God’s glory and not our own!  And amidst all the busyness it’s been important for us to not lose sight of our family time too, so we took a “family time out” yesterday.  We had a lovely brunch at the Fig Tree Cafe in Pacific Beach and then made our way to the San Diego Zoo for the rest of the day. 

View Full Album

 

View Full Album

 

Since things have been so hectic and because I have felt like I may be losing my mind at moments throughout the day, I threw together an easy week of meals.  Here are some highlights of our “good eats” this week!

Black Bean Burgers

  The perfect topping for my Creamy Kale Salad

BLT Egg “Pie”

 The hubs and princesses love their “egg pies” so I was excited when I came across this version at And Love It Too!  The fam gave it two thumbs up and are already asking for it again!

I made a few adaptations to the original recipe…subbed extra virgin olive oil for the “bacon grease” (just couldn’t bring myself to do it!), used a combo of kale and spinach for the greens, only used 4 eggs + 1 cup milk, and used about 6 organic cherry tomatoes in place of the 1 large. 

Veggie Sloppy Joes

Kale Salad with Creamy Citrus Dressing

Creamy Citrus Dressing

Yields about 2 cups

Ingredients:

1 cup plain nonfat organic yogurt

1 small shallot, finely minced

1 tsp orange zest

2 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice

2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp tumeric

1/8 tsp smoked paprika

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

Directions:

Combine all dressing ingredients together and whisk until thoroughly combined.  Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

This dressing tastes so fresh and was especially delightful when massaged into some kale for a salad.  You could use it on any of your favorite summer salads!

Panini’s

I don’t have a Panini Press, but using our George Foreman Grill seems to get the job done (even leaves some grill marks on the bread)!

Now it’s time to fill up this week’s menu…getting there!  Excited to share some new recipes with you this week!  My Lara Bar “makeovers” are almost done.  Unfortunately I only have a mini food processor and the dates just work it, so I have to be careful and work in small batches.  I decided to give my processor a break and use the remainder of the dates in a fun little muffin! 

Blessings,

J’lene

Creamy Avocado Dressing

Did you know that an avocado is a fruit that can be as small as 8 ounces and as big as 3 pounds depending on the variety?  So, besides their amazing taste, what’s in this great green fruit?  Check out these delicious stats…

(source)

Nutrients in Avocado1.00 cup (146.00 grams)
Nutrient%Daily Value
fiber 39.1%    vitamin K 38.3%   folate 29.5%
vitamin C 24.3%    vitamin B 520.2%    potassium 20.2%
vitamin B6 19%    Calories (233)12%
Here’s another little known fact: (source)
No single category of nutrients in avocado is more impressive than carotenoids. Here's a list that summarizes key carotenoid antioxidants provided by avocado:

• alpha-carotene
• beta-carotene
• beta-cryptoxanthin
• chrysanthemaxanthin
• lutein
• neochrome
• neoxanthin
• violaxanthin
• zeaxanthin

Optimal absorption of these fat-soluble phytonutrients requires just the right amount and combination of dietary fats—and that is exactly the combination that is provided by avocado! Included within avocado are generous amounts of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid that makes it easier for the digestive tract to form transport molecules (chylomicrons) that can carry carotenoids up into the body.
Avocados often get a bad rap for their “high fat content”, but the fat it does contain actually provides some pretty amazing health benefits.  You can check out this article for more information on this topic.
While you can generally find avocados year round, they are at their best during the Spring and Summer months in California! 

 (source)

So how do you select a good avocado?  And what is the best way to store it?
1. Look for avocados that are somewhat soft, but contain no sunken spots or cracks.
2. An avocado with a slight neck on it was probably tree ripened and will have a better taste.
3. A firm avocado can be ripened in a brown paper bag or in a fruit basket left at room temperature.  The skin will turn darker as it ripens and should not be refrigerated until fully ripe.  Ripe avocados can be left in the fridge for up to a week!
 
I’ve always loved me some good homemade guacamole, but over the past few months I’ve really come to enjoy avocados just about anyway….sliced on my salad, diced in my tortilla soup and even blended in my favorite smoothies (makes them so creamy!).  Today I thought I’d try my hand at creating a dressing with this amazing little fruit!
 Creamy Avocado Dressing
Yields 1 1/2 cups
Ingredients:
1 clove garlic
2 tsp raw honey
1 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 ripe avocado
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
juice from 1 lime
2 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp sea salt
pepper to taste
Directions:
In a food processor, blend garlic, honey and cilantro.  Add avocado and puree.  Add in rice milk, lime juice and vinegar and pulse until smooth.  Add in salt and pepper and mix until creamy.  You can always add a little more milk if you want it to be more liquid. 

Creamy goodness in a jar!  And yes, I just may have taken a spoonful or two straight from the jar!

The uses for an avocado are endless….from a garnish to your black bean soup, sliced on a salad, mashed into your favorite guacamole, blended into a smoothie or drizzled as your favorite dressing! 

How do you like your avocado….are you a sliced, diced, creamed or mashed kind of person?
Blessings,
J’lene

This post is also shared at Allergy Free Wednesdays!