Weekend Recap…

Girls on The Go run weekend!  The hubs graciously drug himself out of bed at 4:30am Saturday morning with me…we let the princesses sleep in until 5:00 and then piled our tired little selves into the car.  First stop, Grammy and Papa’s for a princess drop-off!!  The hubs, my sister and I booked it down to Mission Bay because we had not picked up our race bibs yet and were not quite sure where we were headed.  Thankfully there was no traffic and we made good time because it was quite a trek just to get to the registration and race festivities area!  As soon as my sister and I got our bibs I made a b-line for the bathrooms, which I ended up waiting in line until just before it was time to take our spot for the race.  I left the hubs in charge of the camera and bless his heart for trying to capture some good pics (they’re a little on the blurry side)!! 

 Ready to run, but not quite awake yet…

Waiting amidst the sea of runners….I’m thinkin’ my sister is a little more than excited to get going!

And we’re off…with smiles on our faces (it sort of looks like I’m sticking out my tongue)!!

And we’re back….

Still have those smiles!  I was so proud of my sister for running her first race at under a 10 minute mile pace the entire way.  I swear the socks with the capes really helped…they almost made us fly!!

Our finisher’s medal…my first medal with a little “bling!”

There were lots of “freebies” being handed out and I snagged these, plus a water, to hydrate after the run.  My sister and I agreed that coconut water is somewhat of an acquired taste.  She’s not a fan and thinks it tastes a bit like dirty feet.  The hubs LOVES the stuff and I enjoy it occasionally, but it’s not my first choice for a drink.

My princesses made it down safely, sporting their “Wonder Woman” attire.

Stretching out and getting their “race faces” on…

Watch out for this one!  It’s just a “fun run” sweetie, no need to get aggressive!

My babies…so proud of them!

And they’re off…

They look like they’ve done this before!

And they’re back!

I think they’re hooked or they just want another pretty medal!  Either way, they both had a lot of fun and were so proud of themselves for running the whole way!

My biggest fan…My Superman!!

 

Enough with the running, let’s go eat!!  We met my parents at The Eggery near Mission Beach to fill our bellies and celebrate our victory as well as an early Mother’s Day.I opted for a spinach frittata with onions, tomatoes and mushrooms.  It was so good and just enough to fill me up without feeling stuffed.

Everyone enjoyed their meal and the service and atmosphere was fabulous!  Although parking was a bit of a hassle, I would definitely recommend this beach-front restaurant for breakfast!!

In the middle of her meal this little princess decided to lose her front tooth!  Just bit into a pancake and it popped right out onto the table!

I finished off the weekend feeling blessed and loved by my sweet little family!  The hubs preached a wonderful Mother’s Day message that left every mother in tears or at least tugging at their heart-strings.  After church the hubs and my princesses said the “day was mine,” so what better to do than shop…for none other than groceries and home improvement goodies!

Pinterest projects here we come!

I’m a regular…the “Ramona Gal” who shops here faithfully every Sunday. 

 Apparently the princesses had a couple other places in mind as well…

 Jamba Juice…to power through the shopping and because it was so blazin’ hot outside!

And because she wouldn’t hear of me cooking on Mother’s Day… My little Cailyn insisted that I have my favorite veggie tacos at Chipotle!  Two treats in one day, now that is simply unheard of!!

The hubs blessed me with a new “donut” pan (I’m thinking there’s a little hint behind that gift!) and an awesome Crossfit journal.  Now I can successfully live up to this (except it looks like I’ll be baking donuts this week!)…

And speaking of Crossfit, today’s WOD is a doozy!

Max double unders in 3 min.

400 M run

Max hand stand push-ups in 3 min.

400 M run

Max strict pull-ups in 3 min.

400 M run

Just thinking about it is making me sweat!  Have an awesome week!

Blessings,

J’lene

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

The Challenge Is On…

Okay, here we go!  This is the first week of our “Lifestyle Fitness Challenge” with our Neighborhood CrossFit family and we couldn’t be more excited!  There’s no doubt this is going to be hard…I may not be able to get a shower every day, but I sure as heck will go the mile to cook healthy meals for our family! 

This fabulous folder holds all the info we need for the challenge….and they mean business!

“This challenge will be scored in four categories with a weight or percentage value given to each of the following areas.  Health Base Line (weight, LBM, resting heart rate, blood pressure) = 30%; Fitness (Bench Mark WOD’s) = 30%; Nutritional/Fitness Plan (logs – weekly WOD’s) = 30%; Understanding (written test on materials in packet) = 10%.”

This first week is to be considered our prep week where we will decide on the nutritional, spiritual and physical plans/regimen we want to take on during this 30 day period.  The hubs and I had already decided on challenging ourselves to a 30 day Paleo diet and since I had already prepared this week’s menu accordingly, Monday became our start date!  Spiritually, the hubs and I are going through the “Love Dare” together to not only strengthen ourselves as loving spouses to one another, but to prayerfully strengthen our bond as husband and wife.  And there will no doubt be tons of prayer, not only for ourselves, but for the others who are taking on this challenge as well!  Physically, we have committed ourselves to a minimum of 3 WODS a week at the CrossFit gym and will continue to keep Sunday as our rest day.  The hubs will continue his hard lifting at the gym and I plan to keep up my running on the off days. The “homework” part of the challenge includes keeping a log of our meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks) and WOD’s, as well as reading the material provided for us in the packet.  I am looking forward to reading through the articles on the Paleo lifestyle and gaining more knowledge about CrossFit.

Lot’s of good food resources that are a huge help when planning meals and going shopping! And speaking of food, here’s a little taste of one of our first meals!  I decided to start with something I know we all enjoy and that is a “breakfast dinner.”  However, it was time to step it up a notch and make it a bit more hearty and healthy.Cinnamon Bread by Paleo ParentsLoved the flavor and the hardiness of this bread, however I think I baked it a bit long on my first go around.  I like a soft/moist bread through and through, and this one got a bit crunchy on the outside.  A little less time in the oven would surely do the trick!

And the main dish… Butternut Squash and Sausage Breakfast Hash

Ingredients:

1lb breakfast sausage or sweet sausage (I used Trader Joe’s Chicken Apple Sausage)

1 Tbsp olive oil + extra for roasting the butternut squash

1 butternut squash, chopped and roasted

1 organic yellow squash, chopped

5 large organic eggs, beaten (I added a couple tablespoons of almond milk to the eggs)

Sea salt and fresh cracked paper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly coat with cooking spray.  Peel and chop the butternut squash in half lengthwise.  Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and guts of each half.  Chop each half into1-inch bite size pieces and place in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet.  Drizzle olive over the pieces and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.  Place in oven and bake 35-40 minutes or until squash is tender and begins to brown.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil.  Add sausage and cook until browned and no longer pink. 

Add  yellow squash to the skillet and saute until veggies are tender.  Add the roasted butternut squash.

Pour in the eggs and cook until eggs are nice and fluffy!  Serve immediately.A very simple, but filling and delicious meal!  Though we had some green veggies on the side, I think next time I may add a little spinach to the hash as well.  And as an added bonus, there were leftovers (minus the eggs) for lunch the next day!  The hubs enjoyed the veggies and sausage straight up warmed, while I had mine straight from the fridge atop a nice green salad.

As we come to the end of this week, I think I have discovered that the cooking part of eating a Paleo diet isn’t going to be terribly hard, it’s the planning and prep that has to happen beforehand that is going to be the challenge for me.  I’m pretty used to planning our dinner meals, but with having to log our meals for this challenge I’m going to be planning breakfast and lunch meals as well. 

So, whether we win this challenge or not… “whatever progress we make toward honoring God with our bodies will bring direct benefit into our lives.  Our self-esteem will increase, along with our physical and mental energy, and our relationship with God will be enhanced.  It’s a win-win deal.”  - Bill Hybels

Have a blessed weekend!

Blessings,

J’lene

Ready to Run…

The wind finally died down and the mornings haven’t been so frigid, so I rolled myself out of bed to go on a much needed run!  Came home to grab my princess Makenna and went on a short jog-about with her.  It was such a sweet time, just her and I in the early morning sunshine!  And then it was home to drink  me up a little more sunshine…

 Something about this “green juice” that just brightens my day a little bit more!  And the fun part is, the more I experiment with different fruits and veggies, the more it becomes a mystery as to how it’s going to taste.  Sometimes you just have to walk on the wild side a bit!

 

Speaking of experiments, I’ve been playing around with some different recipes as we near Thanksgiving.  I started with breakfast because who says you have to wait until dinner to enjoy the yummy goodness that this holiday brings? 

 Sweet apples and cinnamon, what’s not to love?

Cinnamon Apple Coffee Cake (Grain Free)

(inspired by Against All Grain)

Yields 1 8-inch round cake

Ingredients:

1 cup blanched almond flour

1 1/2 cups almond meal

pinch of sea salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cardamom

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup raw honey, melted

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

3 large eggs, room temperature (cold eggs will harden the coconut oil!)

2 organic Fuji apples (peeled, cored and roughly chopped)

1 Tbsp lemon juice

For the Cinnamon Swirl

1/2 Tbsp cinnamon

1 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted

2 Tbsp pure maple syrup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly oil all sides of an 8-inch round cake pan with coconut oil.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, toss together the apples and lemon juice.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom and salt.  In another small bowl, combine the coconut oil, eggs, honey, maple syrup and vanilla.  Incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry.

Fold in the apple mixture and then spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan.  Spread into an even layer (it will be thick).

Mix the “Cinnamon Swirl” ingredients in a small bowl, then drizzle on top of batter.  Use a toothpick or knife to swirl the mixture into the batter.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack, then use a knife to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan.  Invert the cake onto the rack and continue to cool.  Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.

Tastes just like a cinnamon roll on Christmas morning!

I think the hubs could eat these sweet treats on any holiday, or any meal for that matter!  But I need him to keep fueling up with the “healthy” stuff and lay off the sweet tooth as we get ready for our first “Mud Run” this weekend.  It’s been way too long since I’ve done a race.  Although I run throughout the week, it’s just not the same rush, and I am so looking forward to this 5K obstacle run!  I’m praying that these past few months of Cross Fit will come in handy for climbing up the ropes and scaling the walls!  If nothing else, it will be a fun day getting dirty with the hubs and some great friends!

(source)

Have a fabulous weekend!

Blessings,

J’lene

Few Words for Monday…

Ahhhh!  Simply amazing!

This was what I walked outside to for this morning’s run…how MIGHTY is our God!!  I forgot about the fact that my legs felt like lead and I wanted to quit before I even began, I forgot about the fact that I have SO MUCH to do this week and can’t seem to sleep at night, and turned my eyes to the sky to focus on Him who gave me this new day!  Twenty-nine minutes later I was done with my 5K run and ready to face the rest of the day!  Thank you Lord for giving me a new perspective!

 

I’ve said it a million times, but I’ll say it again…”Life is crazy busy!”  My days have new meaning now that school is in full swing and new activities are well underway. 

Some things new for us this year…

a completed and almost ready to use (just need to set up the outside furniture)  side yard!

Class Days…

Ready for Kindergarten…

and 3rd grade!

By the looks of things they are probably thinking, “Seriously Mom, another picture!”

The hubs and I sharing in our homeschooling journey together!

Princess Makenna is so excited for an “American Girl History”, a “Chronicles of Narnia” literature class, and “Arts and Crafts.”

Princess Cailyn couldn’t be more excited about her  “For God So Loved the World” geography class, “Phonics Museum”, and “Arts and Crafts.”

That’s my girl,  loving on old friends and making new ones!

Cross Fit…getting fit as a family at Neighborhood Crossfit!

This is what I tell myself before every WOD!

 (source)

These are some of our new friends…box jumps, dead lifts, cleans, jerks, burpees, rope climbs, knees to bars, kipping pull-ups and double-unders!  More on our cross-fit adventure later! 

Our first family vacation…

We’re counting down the days until we get to play at Disney World!!

9 days and we’ll be cruisin’ Disney style… aboard the Disney Wonder!

and being treated like royalty at the “Happiest Place on Earth!”…

9 days is seriously too long for this mommy to wait!  I’m so ready to pack my bags and head off to Never, Never Land right now!

Not much excitement going on in my kitchen right now, but I’ll have some more grain free goodies to share with you tomorrow!

Blessings,

J’lene