Chocolate Chip Zucchini Mini-muffins

Wooohooo, look at me go with the pictures! Yay, much thanks to my trainer Mario, whom in return for me sharing my secret of creating my blog, gave me the inside scoop on how to manage it! Whew, let's be honest- you never would have seen a picture if it wasn't for the tech-savyness of those that love me.
So anywho, a recipe for you! This one I got from Elena's Pantry but I revamped it a bit and paleo-fied it (yes, I just created these words- it's my blog people I can do that)! By the way, it was amaaaaazing. Honestly so good! So here you are:
Paleo Chocolate Chip Zucchini Mini-muffins
1/4c coconut flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2c grated zucchini
1/2c enjoy life chocolate chips
In a medium bowl combine your flour, cinnamon, and baking soda. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs then add in your honey, vanilla, and zucchini until well combined. Add your dry ingredients to your wet, combine and then fold in your chocolate chips. Grease a mini-muffin pan and spoon about 1tbsp into each little cup. Bake at 350F for 20min. Let cool, then eat em' up!

So, back to the awesomeness of thursday fun day, I only had time to do 2 wods before work but I was smoked after them both so I was ok with it. I did:
1 squat clean @ 92% of my 1 rep max (110lbs) and 2 jumping muscle ups, every minute on the minute for 20 min.
Followed by:
100 burpee box jumps for time (15:09 was what I did it in I think)
It was soooo hot, 98F kind of hot! I also hadn't expected the squat cleans to take quite so much out of my legs... Those box jumps were rough! So much fun though!
Well, I suppose I should get back to being a nurse now. I'd tell you interesting stories from the nursing aspect of my life buuuut that might end up being a HIPPA violation. Bum deal, I know but better safe than sorry... I don't think blogging while in jail would be at the top of my priority list so it's in our best interest I keep my secrets to myself (really, I'm thinking of us both).

Strawberry Pico Summer Salad and Loving What You Do

Still no pictures, my apologies.  Unfortunately, you have chosen a blogger whom is not tech-savy and hasn't a clue how to load pictures from her phone.  Don't worry... I will figure it out eventually.  Until then, a recipe for you (void of an ascetically pleasing picture but hey use your imagination people- it's yummy, girl scouts honor).

Strawberry Pico Shrimp Summer Salad
- 2 quarts of diced and cleaned strawberries (I think they're quarts... you know the regular size stupid plastic container)
- 1 large container of pico from Meijer (sorry, it does have a bit of salt and preservatives in it so it's not strict paleo... but hey make your own then friend... I imagine it's about 2-3 cups of pico)
- Juice from 1 lime
- 1lb bag of cocktail shrimp, whatever size you'd like, tails removed and chopped into bite size pieces if necessary
- About 3 tablespoons EVOO
- 1/2c balsamic vinegar
- 3 English cucumbers, pealed and sliced (cut all your slices in half so they're more bite size)
- 1 tsp liquid or dry dill (I used tube/liquid dill)
In a small bowl add your lime juice, balsamic vinegar, EVOO, and dill- whisk and then, in a large mixing bowl, dump over all your other ingredients.  Toss and then chill for 30min or so until cool- devour!

Well, I finished all my massive amounts of cooking and it paid off because my customer texted me later; "this shit is f@cking awesome!!!".  He sounded super excited to try out all the delicious meals I had made him and this made it all worthwhile.  See, initially I was less than ecstatic about cooking for him because the response I got, when I asked him what he wanted, was pretty much, "Whatever.  I don't care as long as it's paleo.  If it's good for me I'll eat it."  Now what kind of response is that?! I want you to enjoy what you're eating, not merely stomach it simply because you think it will make you a better crossfitter... although it probably will but this is not the point!  It actually took quite a bit of sweet talking to even get me to agree to this... well, no I take it back.  It took my trainer, Mario, basically telling me I was a dumb ass if I didn't.  But all is well, because when I talked to him later he loved it and was all excited to try out the meals- it was awesome! See, now I'M excited to cook and make him new awesome recipes! I love what I do with my life- you should too... if you don't get on that asap.

Well it's off to bed now... tomorrow is "Thursday Fun-day" (aka the best day of the week), boom!  If you don't have a Thursday Fun-day at your gym you should change that stat; I guarantee it will make Thursday your favorite day of the week.  See Thursday's have traditionally been our make-up day where you made up a workout you had missed earlier in the week... but then it grew into something more.  What do you make-up when you were there Monday thru Wednesday? Your own WOD that's what! It started with a simple question by Mario, "What do you want to work on today?" But then we had so much fun collaborating the first WOD that it turned into another and then another... thus 8 hours and 6 WODs later, fun-day was born, and has been my favorite day ever since.  On that note- goodnight my little blogging community!

Cooking Extravaganza

I'm very sorry, I know I made promises yesterday but I'm about to break them because I have no pictures or recipes to post today.  I know, I know but I have been cooking all flippn' day! I had no idea that being someone's personal chef would be quite this labor intensive.  Sigh, I am straight beat and I still have MORE food to make! 2 weeks worth of meals... no problem! No, actually it is a problem!!! So much cooking! I have already made:

Paleo:
 - Lasagna
 - Chilli
 - Meatloaf
 - Cauliflower rice
 - Mashed sweet potatoes

and I still have Winter Green Bean soup to make as well as more rice.  Bum deal is that still puts me roughly 5 meals short! I promised to deliver 2 weeks worth at 2 meals a day, 28 meals... what was I thinking? Don't know.

Ahhhhh, sigh.  Well here's what I've been eating today:

Breakfast at noon: 2 eggs with pineapple guac and salsa, and all natural fruit rope by archer farms, and about half an apple I attempted to salvage but it was pretty overripe.

Snacked on a dried fruit and nut trail mix while shopping.

Lunch at 330: beef jerky, a carrot, and a grapefruit.

Bad, bad, bad- I cheated today and paid for it.  While cleaning out the freezer I stumbled across the last of some frozen yogurt I'd bought last week when I'd been craving it and meijer was out of coconut milk ice cream.  It was only about half a cup, and in my defense I have no a/c so the apt was about 90.  Then I did todays WOD, a light high rep:

3 rounds of:

30 wall balls w/ 14lbs
30 low hang snatches w/ 45 lbs

I can't remember my time, 20 something, but it was awful.  My intestines felt like they were trying to escape my stomach via my bellybutton! Ick, but ya know what, I like it when I cheat and feel like shit because it reminds me of why I don't cheat.

Then dinner consisted of a piece of paleo lasagna followed by a small apple just now for desert.  Oh, and of course I've been snacking on little bits of things here and there while cooking.  Sigh, well I suppose if I ever want to finish I should probably get started cooking/cleaning again...

Pineapple Guacamole and the day's recap

Pineapple Guacamole
2 Large avocados or 3 small ones
1 regular size (16oz?) can crushed pineapple in its own juice
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp cinamon (or a little more if you love cinnamon)
juice from half a lime

Cut your avocado in half and use a spoon to pop out the pit.  **Helpful hint, a ripe avocado should give a little when you press on it but not be mushy.  Press your finger to your forehead (don't you feel silly), this is about how it should feel if it's ripe but not overripe.**  Now use the spoon to scoop your avocado away from the rind (this should be fairly easy).  Once all your avocados are pitted in a bowl use a potato masher to mash them up.  Drain your can of pineapple and add it, the juice from your lime, and your spices to the bowl.  Mix well and put on everything!

So the day is over and I did well today! I always feel so much better about myself when I don't overeat, it makes me wonder why I overeat in the first place!  But I digress... food is just so tempting sometimes!

Breakfast at 130ish (I worked last night): 2 eggs with my amazing pineapple guacamole and pico

Then awesome WOD today by my friend Laykyn who has lost 170lbs!!! Wowzas, go girl!
Lunch 530: Tropical Smoothies Health Nut with whey protein and no sugar.

Dinner 800: Cooked cocktail shrimp with pico and diced strawberries topped with a little more pineapple guacamole.

Snack at the movies: beef jerky I snuck in

I didn't eat often enough today by any means but I didn't eat bad so I was pleased.

Ken (that's the boyfriend) and I went to see Men in Black 3 tonight with some friends from the gym.  It was much fun.  I love to laugh, and it was the kind of laughter that makes you throw your head back and comes all the way from the pit of your stomach.  Good times.

Now dishes to top off the night and I promise to post some pictures and recipes that I make tomorrow.  Yes, I said dishes (I'm a night shifter and the night is young)!

Getting Started

I created this blog to basically serve as an online food journal/venting outlet.... therefore, if I already lost you feel free to graze on to another blog.  Well, to begin in the generally accepted fashion, let me tell you a little about myself (or at least the pertinent things):

1. I love food.  I eat paleo and my main issue is I love to eat way too much for my 5'5" frame.  This leads into why I created this blog: to keep myself accountable.  I figured journaling is great but an online journal is one I can take anywhere and with the possibility of others witnessing my gluttony maybe I'll actually stick to it.

2. I eat paleo and I love cooking. (Duh, paleo spoon).  I'm pretty good at it too, which leads back to my issues with #1 but the good news is I'm starting to get paid for what I do- paid to cook= fun!

3. I do Crossfit out of a local gym started with some friends about 2 years ago.  I've seen it grow from the ground up and I love what we do there.  Crossfit is a killer workout and keeps me in shape (even when I eat 1/2 a jar of almond butter in one sitting...booo).

4. I'm a nurse.  I just graduated with my BSN in December and have been working in the medical ICU at a local hospital where I live.  Yesterday was my first night off orientation, and I survived- yay!

So, I promise not to just food journal but also to throw in some of my own pictures/recipes as well as direct you to some awesome paleo sites from some of my favs.  Also, you get to hear all my humiliating stories about when I biff this big time and end up eating far too much! If nothing else this blog may be a confidence booster for you!

So to start this off, if you don't know what this "Paleo" jazz is all about check it out here: http://robbwolf.com/what-is-the-paleo-diet/
I do a lot of education and presentations at the gym on Paleo but Robb Wolf knows his stuff.  You can also just google Paleo and find a ton of info... come on, come join the cool kids, get on the bandwagon and try something good for you! Alright now that this is out of the way, more slightly more interesting posts to come later.