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

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

Snack Attack!!

Whew!  It’s cookin’ this week!  Typically I find that our appetites take a bit of a dip during these hot spells, but there must be something in the water because the princesses and hubs are keepin’ me on my toes in the kitchen! 

Maybe it’s all the time we’ve been spending here….

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And perhaps all the walking we’ve been doing here this summer…

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Zuma, Zuma Acrobats

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Getting a taste of Africa

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Or I just need to come to grips that my baby girls are growing! 

The hubs, on the other hand, he’s just hungry all the time!  And I’m pretty sure he’s done growing….taller, that is!

 

In any case, when they’re hungry, they’re hungry and I find comfort in knowing that by spending a little extra time in the kitchen my family will have more nutritious options to snack on.  This week I revamped one of our favorite snacks, Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars, for a little variety.

 Sweet Potato Granola Bars

Yields 12 bars

Ingredients:

1 cup gluten free rolled oats

1 cup Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice cereal

1/4 cup all-purpose gluten free flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)

1/4 cup almond meal

2 scoops vanilla protein powder

1/4 cup raw, unsalted sunflower seeds

1/4 cup raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup raw, sliced almonds

1/3 cup organic raisins

1/3 cup organic cranberries

1/4 cup chia seeds

2 “flax” eggs ( 2 Tbsp flax meal + 6 Tbsp warm water.  Let sit for about 5minutes.)

1/2 cup sweet potato puree (I made my own: 2 sweet potatoes washed, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubs.  Place into a medium saucepan, cover cubed potatoes with water and boil for about 25 minutes.  Let cool, then mash with a fork or puree in a blender.  Makes about 2 cups)

2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

3 Tbsp raw coconut crystals

1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)

 Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line an 8x8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper.  Set aside. 

Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

In a small bowl or large measuring cup, mix the sweet potato puree, flax eggs, applesauce, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and coconut crystals.

Add wet to dry ingredients and mix until just blended.  Mixture will be lumpy and slightly sticky.  Press mixture into prepared pan.

Bake for 25 minutes or until edges are slightly brown.  Remove from oven and set on a wire cooling rack to cool.  Once cool, cut into bars and enjoy!

So soft and chewy and full of yummy goodness!

  

I also found this recipe on the Attune Foods website that looked like a perfect snack for packing on our pool and beach trips.  I gave it my own twist and the fam gives it a thumbs up…so much so that I’ve been making a double batch every time!

An easy, portable snack with protein and healthy fats!  My changes:  1) double the recipe!; and 2) make it gluten free by using 1 1/2 cups Corn Chex cereal + 1 1/2 cups Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Cereal.

As an added bonus, this wholesome crunch is a good source of manganese, vitamin E, vitamin B6, tryptophan, copper, vitamin B2, selenium, and phosphorus.

Other homemade on-the-go snacks I like to keep on hand:

Sun Butter Banana Protein Bars

Granola

Carrot Breakfast Cookies

Here’s to a healthy snacking summer!!

 

Blessings,

J’lene

Summertime Cookies…

It’s never too hot to bake some good cookies!!  The temps have been a rising this week…today our thermometer said we topped out at 102.9!!  Definitely a pool day and I foresee the beach in our near future. 
Until then, I’ll take two of these and glass of cold milk water!
Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yields 2 dozen
(inspired by Karina @ Gluten Free Goddess)
Ingredients:
3/4 cup quinoa flakes
1/2 cup quinoa flour
1 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1 cup raw coconut crystals
1/2 cup organic brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthum gum
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup coconut oil
3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp flax meal + 6 Tbsp warm water, set aside)
1 cup dark chocolate chips
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (from quinoa flakes to cinnamon).
In a small bowl or large measuring cup, blend together coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients with a wooden spoon until you get a fairly thick, sticky batter.  Add the flax eggs to batter and combine well.  The dough will be thick and sticky.
If needed, add 3 to 4 Tbsp of warm water to achieve a cookie style dough that will stick together when you pinch it.
Stir in chocolate chips.  Chill dough for 30 to 60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll spoonfuls of dough between your palms and form into 24 balls about the size of a golf ball.  Place on baking sheet and press down slightly (not too much!).
Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until golden.  Allow to cool on pan for a couple of minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely (if you can wait that long!).

One of my favorite cookies…rich, caramel flavor with a chewy quinoa center and a chocolate chip in every bite!

And then there are these little gems, healthy enough for any meal in my book!

 Soft Banana Quinoa Cookies
Yields 12 cookies
Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup raw coconut crystals
2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1/2 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
1 Tbsp coconut flour
2 Tbsp flax meal
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw almonds, sliced
1/2 cup quinoa flakes
1 tsp cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup dried fruit or chocolate chips (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine mashed bananas, coconut crystals, oil and flax.  Stir well.
Add in remaining ingredients and stir until thoroughly incorporated.
Drop by 2 tablespoon full onto prepared baking sheet and flatten to about 1/2 inch thick.
Bake for 12-14 minutes, rotating halfway through.  Cool on baking sheet a few minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
Yes, they do have a “green” tint to them and yes, they are still edible and delicious!  Here’s the culprit…all plants contain chlorogenic acid, mostly in the stems and leaves, but sunflowers also have it in the seeds, which is why they turn a lovely shade of green as they cool!!  It is my understanding that if you try reducing the baking powder or baking soda by half they should not turn green. 

Now let’s keep all this “sweet” in check with a little “sweat”…

(source)

It seems that I typically catch the “running bug” right after we run a good race.  So, while I’ve got the itch I decided to shoot for another goal and start training for a 10K! 
I signed up with Power Bar Active Trainer to log and share my workouts.  The plan has me running 4 days a week and strength training 2 days, so we’ll see how it goes! 
Here’s what I logged for today’s “running workout.”  The goal for today was to complete an “easy” 20 minute run, but I’m an over-achiever and ended up at 30 minutes!

Latest Training Plan

• Logged this Week
• 1 workouts
• 0 goals
• 3.5 miles
• 419 calories

I just completed Day 1 of the Beginner 10k Training Plan.
Workout Stats
Running (3.5 mi)

Lifetime Stats

• Total Distance 3.5 mi
• Farthest Distance 3.5 mi
• Total Duration 00:51:14
• Longest Workout 00:31:14
• Calories Burned 419
• Workouts Completed 1
• High Fives Given 0
• High Fives Received 0

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And if running is not your thing, get your sweat on in the comfort of your own home with this workout!  This should get your heart pumping…remember to hydrate and always treat yourself with something a little sweet!
Have a fabulous week!
Blessings,
J’lene

Blueberry Oatmeal Bars and a Happy 4th!…

Rise and shine…it’s running time!!  The hubs and I started our 4th of July with the Independence Day Run in Coronado…and we crossed the finish line hand in hand!  I got off to a great start and felt good the entire race, but was so bummed that I didn’t PR because there was so much bottle-necking on the course.  There were so many people that there was just no way to move ahead.  I tried to pick up my pace once we made it to the sidewalks, but at that point there was no way to make up the time I had lost.  I guess this means I need to sign up for another race! 

God Bless America!  Parking was a bear because of all the 4th of July festivities going on, so we ended up huffing it about 2 miles just to get to the registration area for the race!  We made it with about 20 minutes until start time….just enough time for me to make a quick potty trip, stash our bags and put on our bibs.

Everyone kept raving about the overcast weather and how perfect it was for running, but here I am bouncing up and down trying to keep warm before the start of the race!  Our picture tradition after a race…the hubs was still a bit out of breath and I was certain he was going to drop me, hence the grabbing of his hand!  Not my favorite picture, but it works!

 

Not much else is planned for our 4th of July, although a 4th of July nap sounds good right about now!  The princesses are pretty much begging to watch the fireworks this year, so we’re heading off to our church BBQ later this evening.  I thought I would stick with the “Blue” in the “Red, White and Blue” as I have a few blueberries left from our berry picking adventure. 

They’re just so sweet… not to mention so plump and juicy…. and full of healthy antioxidants!

Blueberry Oatmeal Bars

(inspired by Go Dairy Free)

Yields 12 bars

Ingredients:

Base and Topping:

1 1/2 cups gluten free rolled oats

1/2 cup almond flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup raw coconut crystals

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of sea salt

6 Tbsp Earth Balance, melted

Filling:

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

3 Tbsp raw coconut crystals

2 tsp arrowroot starch

1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray an 8x8 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, coconut crystals, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  Add the melted Earth Balance and mix with a fork until fully incorporated (it will be crumbly).  Reserve 1/2 of mixture for the topping.  Press the remaining crumb mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.

Bake for 12 minutes to set the crust.

In a small saucepan, stir in the berries, coconut crystals, arrowroot starch and lemon juice over medium heat until it comes to a simmer.  Stir occasionally until the juices are no longer cloudy, about 2-3 minutes.  Spread the filling over the crust.

Crumble the reserved mixture over the top.

Bake for 30 minutes.  Let cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.  Enjoy!

A perfect treat for a summer picnic or BBQ!

Have a blessed and safe 4th of July!

Blessings,

J’lene

This post is also shared on Allergy Free Wednesdays!