Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes

Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes
Adapted from: Balanced Bites
Makes 8 small pancakes or 2 servings

 4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons butter  
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
10 drops liquid stevia
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch salt (omit if using salted butter)

Preheat griddle/skillet.  Whisk the eggs, canned pumpkin, and vanilla extract together.  Add in stevia if using. Add the pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and baking soda into the wet ingredients.

Brown 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, until foamy and brown bits form on the bottom (use this tutorial!).  Then, mix the butter into the batter.  Grease the skillet with coconut oil and spoon the batter into the skillet to make pancakes of your desired size (keep them smaller--like 3 inches diameter--to make it easier to turn). When a few bubbles appear, and edges are browned, flip the pancakes once to finish cooking.

Makes 8 small pancakes or 2 servings

You can add maple syrup as sweetener if you like, but the stevia worked great!  I don't think these really need any additional sweetness. 

As you can see, I served them to Sean with pumpkin butter and maple syrup.  I ate mine on the go, right off the griddle :)  They were delicious, and don't really need topping, but it certainly doesn't hurt!

I've been getting up to run before work about once a week.  I'll get another run in on a week night, and am trying for a long run on weekends/days off.  So far, so good!  The good thing about getting up early to run, means I apparently have tons of time to do other stuff in the morning.  Like make these pancakes.  Who doesn't like fresh pancakes before work?

I've found the key to getting out of bed on time is laying out my clothes to go running in.  Also my work clothes.  I never do this, but it really does save time, and definitely helps with motivation.  I also bought a jacket strictly for running, so it's warm enough for the chilly mornings, and I don't have to worry about overwashing/sweating/ruining my other sweatshirts.  And hopefully it'll help people see me in the dark with those obnoxious sleeves!

I left these two behind...

That FACE!

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Running has been going great.  We did a few miles after softball on Saturday and I was off work yesterday (thanks Columbus!) so I ran 5k after I got to sleep in for a bit.

Being fall and all, I got an acorn squash in our bi-weekly Suburban Organics shipment last week.  I never thought I'd cook with this, but now that I had it, I needed a recipe! 

I had looked over this recipe on my google reader a few weeks ago, but when I went back to search, it caught my attention.  Seemed pretty easy, and it could use up some (one) of my apples from apple picking!  Oh, plus it has kale hidden in there.  Bonus points!

Stuffed Acorn Squashes
Source: Cave Woman Cafe

2 acorn squash, cut in half and de-seeded
1 pound of ground sausage
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
1/2 onion chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 large apple, cubed
2-3 cups of fresh kale chopped
¼ cup of chopped pecans
2 eggs
2 tablespoons of milk or coconut milk
1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
shredded cheddar cheese to melt over top

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cut stems off squashes and a little off the bottom so they sit flat.  After halving, and scooping out the seeds, rub some coconut or EVOO on squash and bake cut side down in a baking pan for 20 to 30 minutes till a knife easily penetrates the skin.  (This will depend on the size of your squash--mine was good at 20 min)  Remove the pan and let the squash cool a little bit.  Flip them over so they're ready to be stuffed!  Set the oven temperature to 400 degrees.

While the acorns are cooking, heat up a skillet on medium high and brown the sausage, onion and garlic till the sausage is just done. Toss in the kale and apples and cook a few minutes till the kale wilts. Stir in the nuts and rosemary.

In a bowl, whip up the eggs and milk and stir into the sausage mixture. Stuff the squash with the sausage mix as full as you can get them. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.  In the last 2-3 minutes, add some cheese if you'd like.

Eat!
________________________________________________________________________________
This came out much better then I expected.  The acorn squash is kind of a mix between butternut and spaghetti squash.  Sweet like butternut, but texture is more a cross between that and spaghetti.  The sausage/apple/kale mixture is delicious.  Sean said this was something he would never have pictured himself eating and liking as a kid.  Look at me, broadening palates ;)

I got TONS of apples when we went apple picking last week, but they're almost all gone.  I might have an excuse to go back!  Here's my adorable niece I got to meet up with:

She kept taking a bite out of every apple she pulled off the trees!  too.damn.cute.

Early Morning Run - SUCCESS!

So, the new run plan started today.  5:00 the alarm went off, I rolled out of bed (much to my own surprise), and got dressed. 

Holy crap was it dark out.  It was super creepy.  Notgonnalie, I definitely looked over my shoulder a few times to make sure no one was following me.  And may or may not have side-eyed a few of the other early risers in the neighborhood.

It was also super disgusting and humid.  Just perfect weather to run in, right?!

I managed 2 full laps around the neighborhood in 25 minutes.  Naturally, my runkeeper app decided not to work correctly, so I don't know exactly how far I went or at what pace.   I'm going with 2-2.5 miles.  And hopefully slower then a 10 minute pace!  I kept making myself slow down when I'd pick up the speed. 

The run itself felt great!  I wore long sleeves, so I was a sweaty beast by the time I got back to the house.  Yum. 

I then showered, walked Yank, made breakfast, and walked out the door, EARLY for work! Whoop!  That never never happens.  And I got to rock out to Gangnum Style on the way to work.  Fist pumping before 7am is allowed, right?

It's going to be a good day.  :)  I think I could get used to this!

The New Running Plan

Contrary to the title of my blog, I don't love running.  I like it until everything hurts and then I just want to collapse, catch my breath, and give my jell-o legs a break.  However, I force myself to do it, because I want to like it, but I just can't get on the bandwagon.  I pretty much dread each run, and even though I feel awesome once it's over, it's frustrating that it's not getting any easier, and I'm not getting any better at it.

After some super official research (google, duh), I've determined that I am pushing myself too hard.  Trying to get less then 10:00 minute miles, keeping up with Sean, gasping to breathe at the end of each run isn't doing me any favors.

Sean's cousin ran with us last month and mentioned how my breathing got really bad towards the end of the 3 miles, which probably means my heart rate is out of control.  I should probably work on that. 

So!  I'm going to run slower.  Take it down a notch, try to enjoy the activity without being so competitive.  This is going to involve running by myself, before the sun rises, a few days a week.  I'm super stoked about the waking up early part...not.  I'll pair this with crossfit WODs in the evening and maybe use it to have some "me" time...or just try to get it done before my body wakes up and figures out wtf I'm doing to it! 

I plan to (eventually) increase my distance, as well as slowing down my pace.  I REALLY want to do a Tough Mudder next year, so it would be helpful if I was able to, you know, run the whole 10+ miles. 

Hopefully some road time to myself will help me focus on my breathing, perfect my form, and start enjoying myself, instead of counting down the minutes til it's over.

I'm going to try eating 1-2 scrambled eggs (fat + protein) before I go out, then have either a protein shake or some pumpkin protein pancakes (protein + carbs) afterwards.  I'm going to have to come up with a recipe for that one, so I'll make sure to post it once it's been perfected ;)

Wish me luck!  (and motivation to get out of bed when my alarm goes off!)

All those mocha lattes...

Chocolate PB Banana Microwave Muffin

Oops, guess it's been awhile since the last post (if anyone even reads my ramblings). 

Life has been pretty busy lately!  I'll catch you up with some pictures.

 Got my hairs cut!

 Another Suburban Organics delivery...I signed up to get deliveries bi-weekly now, YUM!

 Yank felt left out.

 It's that time again!  Looks like Pumking went mainstream!

 Walking with the snooches.

 Had to make some pumpkin choc chip cookies.  First batch of the (almost) season.

 Attended our annual Oktoberfest up the street last weekend.

 Kettlebells, finally!  (and they were free*)

Is this really necessary?

Pumpkin coffee from Dunkin.  Tasted fake though, yuck.

Mmmm Chocolate.  FYI, the $2.50 for 1oz of "bacon" bar was not worth it.

*We got the free kettlebells from the "Visa Rewards Program"  Yeah.  3 years, and $40k later, we finally had some rewards worth redeeming--$100 Amazon GC!  Shipping was free with Prime. Whoop!

 

How about a recipe?

This microwave protein muffin/cake was delicious, and a perfect snack that's super filling, is actually good for you, AND is totally clean. (Oh, and it's easy as hell to make). 

Chocolate PB Banana Microwave Muffin

1 small ripe banana, mashed  (SUB 1/3 cup pumpkin for a delicious fall alternative)

1 1/2 tbsp almond butter (or peanut butter!)

1 egg

2 tbsp cocoa powder (Hershey's special dark, what what!)

2 tsp sweetener (you don't really need this--the banana makes it sweet enough!)

Choc chips, nuts, fruit, whatever other mix ins you can think of

Mash all ingredients together until smooth.  Place in bowl/mug/ramekin (use the same one you used to mix!) and microwave for 2 1/2- 3 minutes until it's set.  Don't overcook!  I had to stick mine back in for 30 seconds after first 2 1/2.

Top with strawberries, more nut butter, coconut, honey, whatever your little heart desires.  Don't burn your face off, it's going to be hot!

Damn, this was delicious.

Winner-Winner!

I never win anything.  Okay, sometimes I do, but I'm not usually one of those "lucky" ones.  The most I've ever won on a scratchoff is like $20, my name/number never gets called for 50-50s, and usually when I do "win" something, it's just a meh prize.

After entering like a bagillion blog contests, via every social media outlet ever, I finally won one!  And even cooler, it's something I'll use!

A little background... Sean's been getting these companies to "sponsor" him as a Fitness Director and Certified Personal Trainer.  Basically, they give him this awesome discount to wear their clothes.  So far he's sponsored by New Balance, Jaqo, and Hylete.  (We're working on lululemon ;))

So I checked out the Hylete brand, followed them on facebook and twitter to see what they were all about.  Sean immediately ordered two tshirts from them, and I'm pretty sure he would live in them if he could.  They're pretty awesome.  I wish he got a discount on women's clothes!

Last week (and apparently every week), they run a contest to give away an item of clothing if you like and retweet them.  Last week was socks.  $40 socks.  $40 compression socks.  In black/lime green.  And guess who won?!?

That's right, this girl.  :D

My free socks came yesterday (along with a bunch of other swag): 

 How cool are these????

of course yankee had to get in there.

Too bad we don't have a crossfit box to show them off in...but we are playing fall ball in a few weeks!  Totally wearing them for that :)

Yes, you can stop making fun of me now for being excited about SOCKS. (but you have to admit, they are pretty sweet)

Here's the rest of the goodies we got from Amazon (love Prime shipping!):

Sean's new golf glove (apparently he lost the old one), Atkins baking mix (1g of sugar and 20g of protein!!!), coconut flour, and stevia (never tried it before)

What else we've been up to:

Some delicious pork roll, egg, and cheese after a 5k run on the boardwalk last weekend

How I found our dog when I went to go to bed.  Don't worry, I don't need any room to sleep or anything.

That can't be comfortable.

So fresh and so clean!

It's that time again...pumpkin donuts!

Helping me draft for my fantasy football team (or just looking cute)

I'm also pretty irrationally excited for fall.  Football started last night (Giants LOST!!!), and I just emailed my mom to set up a date to go apple picking.  Four cans of pumpkin are in my pantry.  And I cannot wait until this freaking humidity goes away.  Ugh, gross.

What are you excited about?  Have you won anything lately?

WOD updates & Cauliflower Mashed Taters

Thrust, Walk, Sit...then don't walk for a few days
(this is no joke.  I was still walking funny 3 days later.)

5 rounds
10 thrusters (I did 55#)
20 overhead walking lunges 20#
30 sit ups

 Yeah. Finished this in 17:40. We were going to make it an AMRAP workout of like 10-12 minutes...that would've been a better idea!

Still feeling the effects of it for Sunday's WOD...

8 min AMRAP
8 pushups
8 wall balls (13#)
8 med ball slams (15#)
Got in 8 rounds and 8 pushups, whoop!


Then Monday was:

EMOTM (every minute on the minute) for 12 minutes
7 knees to elbows
1 front squat (85#)

Wow--Looks easy right?  Trust me, it's not.  I couldn't grip the bar to hang clean it up to the front squat position for the last two rounds, Sean had to help me get it up [that's what she said].  The squat was no problem, but my hands were just done lol.  I gotta work on my cleans.

Anyhow, what you're really here for...the food!

I've been hesitant to try the cauliflower substitution for mashed potatoes, since I've heard mixed reviews.  I don't know wtf I waited so long, they're freaking delicious!  I used the recipe from NomNomPaleo here, and holy shit.  Sean said they tasted better then actual mashed potatoes.  I might agree with him.  Next time I'm going to try roasting the garlic first... NOM!

Aren't they beautiful?

It definitely reheats well, too.  This was only one head of cauliflower and made 4 ginormous servings.  We took the leftovers for lunch the next day. 

Paleo Zucchini Muffins

Would you believe me if I told you I made muffins with no flour (of ANY kind), no sugar, no artificial (or "natural") sweeteners, AND it had vegetables?

No? 

I don't blame you.  I was skeptical as well, but holy crap, what a surprise when I opened the oven and saw these beautiful muffins staring back at me. 

 

 They even rose perfectly!  And taste like actual muffins.  No soggy, falling apart mess here! AND they're delicious.  Whodathought? Check out the ingredients:

2 cups almond butter
3 eggs
2 cups shredded zucchini, strained or squeezed (a LOT--you want to get as much moisture out as you can.  Measure 2 cups out AFTER you have strained it)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. cinnamon
Any other spices you desire--pumpkin spice would probably be awesome for fall

Add almond butter to mixing bowl.  I used a hand mixer to get mine nice and smooth.  Add eggs and mix.  Mix in zucchini and the rest of ingredients and stir well.  Pour into paper lined muffin tins, filling about 2/3 of the way.  I used 1/4 measuring cup for mine.  Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes until passes toothpick test.  Makes 12 muffins.


Source: Life as A Plate

I had some with my breakfasts last week, and froze the rest.  They are really good reheated!  Just defrost in the microwave and stick in the toaster oven.  Mmmmm.

BBQ Chicken & Grilled Zucchini

Day 9 of Whole30 today, and still sticking to the plan!  Pretty impressed with myself, made it through the weekend (and beer/wine and waffles) with no cheats!  I've also made 100% of my meals so far.  :)  Even if that just includes scrambled eggs or throwing together a salad.

I had a strawberry yesterday--and don't usually like strawberries unless they're covered in chocolate or chopped up in a salad/wrap.  But it was delicious.  I then went out and bought a whole carton of them.  This no sugar thing has apparently changed my tastebuds (and wallet- organic strawberries are not cheap!)! 

I'm feeling pretty good.  Had about zero energy for the first week, while my body was I guess going through sugar withdrawls and being forced to rely on fat for energy, but seem to be getting it back this week.  Thank God.

Since I can't use honey like I usually do in BBQ sauce, I substituted with mango for sweetener.  It actually came out pretty damn good in this recipe, I was impressed.  Also, LOVED grilled zucchini this way.  I could have eaten the whole ginormous foot long squash by myself.  [TWSS? No?]  But I didn't.  I shared.  I can't believe I've been making it wrong all this time!


Bacon Mango BBQ Sauce

2-3 slices bacon
1 tsp coconut oil
1 mango--chopped
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Fry bacon on stove until crispy, remove and rest on paper towels. Eat a piece, if you wish.  Add coconut oil to bacon fat and fry chopped mango in fat for 5-8 minutes, until soft.  Add tomato paste, water, apple cider vinegar and spices- bring to a simmer.  Break bacon up into pieces and mix back into sauce.  Simmer for 10 minutes or so until everything is incorporated.  (you can simmer for longer on low heat if you'd like, but I didn't have time)  Dump sauce into food processor and puree until smooth.

I used my sauce on some grilled chicken breasts.  Just brushed the sauce on them while they were grilling.  Delicious!  You could probably marinate them too, if you'd like.

For the grilled zucchini:
1 large zucchini (or 2-3 small ones)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup EVOO
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp assorted spices (oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, or a combination)--I used rosemary, basil and oregano

Slice zucchini into spears equal in thickness and put into a large bowl.  In smaller bowl, mix vinegar, oil, garlic powder and spices.  Pour mixture over zucchini and mix well.  Let marinate for 30 minutes.  When grill is hot, grill on each side for 5-7 minutes, until slightly charred.  Eat!

so.good.

 

Whole30 - Day 1

I ordered and read "It Starts with Food" last month.  Awesome book.  I cannot recommend it enough.  I learned so much about how our bodies work, why we should eat paleo, and the effect overcarbsumption has on our hormones/psyche/waistline/health. 

I also took it up a few notches, and had to re-read a bunch and explain 80% of the book to Sean, because he "doesn't read."   He also wanted to know about energy sources and ATP (which isn't referenced in the book).  I just gave myself a biology lesson.  Thanks Wikipedia!

Anyway, moving on.

The authors offer a plan to break free from conventional eating (the Standard American Diet-appropriately abbreviated SAD) called the Whole30.  It's 30 days of whole, real, food.  Nothing processed, no alcohol, no sugar, no grains, lots of (healthy) fat.  The point is to eliminate everything that doesn't meet the Good Food criteria from your diet for 30 days in order to let your body heal from all the crap you've been feeding it.  Then, you introduce the foods back in to see how you react--and how often (if at all) you should continue eating them

I have already been eating pretty clean, and was somewhat "paleo" but would still splurge. Often.  Ice cream and sugar (and beer...) was consumed way too much.  And 2 "cups" of coffee a day?  Even with just cream. It's a bit excessive.

So, yesterday started my Whole30.

And, so far so good!

Breakfast was 3 scrambled eggs in coconut oil, with a handful of sauteed kale, and 2 pieces of bacon.  Would have taken a picture, but was already late for work! (naturally) 

Lunch (made the night before)

Chicken breast, broccoli + 1/2 avocado

Dinner

Citrus chicken cooked in coconut oil, sweet potatoes and green beans

Snack was a handful of macadamia nuts while cooking dinner

I gave up coffee as well, even though you can have it black (or with coconut milk-from the can) on the "rules" of the plan.  No headaches today, and while I was super sleepy this morning, it wasn't so bad.  And I've been chugging water all day, so that's a good thing, right?

In addition to giving up coffee, I'm making it my personal goal to get more green leafy veggies into my (our) meals. (sorry babe!) I've had an aversion to them my entire childhood, and once able to cook for myself, just avoided them completely.  I know this is not good.

I have a feeling I'm going to be best friends with sweet potatoes and coconut butter this month....


In case you want more info on the Whole30 Program:
http://whole9life.com/2012/08/the-whole30-program/