So, last night at CF, I made the mistake of saying my doctor suggested I not let my heart rate get over 140. BIG mistake! There are a couple of doctors that go to my gym, and well...they are trying to help. I know this! They are my friends! They are concerned for my safety and the safety of my baby. One of my friends that is currently in medical school - actually I think he's a resident - said "You should buy a heart rate monitor. If your doctor says 140, then you need to do what your doctor tells you!" I didn't have the heart to tell him that I think that most (NOT all!) doctors are motivated more by money than concern for my well-being. (Sorry doctor friends....just my opinion...not ALL doctors are like that.)
So I got to thinking this morning. And I started to doubt myself! I started to doubt everything I had read and everyone I had gotten advice from. Even after all of the other research I have done, it never crossed my mind to get to the bottom of this "heart rate not the exceed 140" stuff. The first time I ever even heard it, I thought it was crap. Why 140!? What happens if it gets to be 141? What about 145? I mean, heck, the last time I did Fran at max capacity, there is NO TELLING what my heart rate got up to. (Pre-pregnancy, mind you.) I mean, if I walk briskly through the mall, I could get to 140. And one time at the beginning of my pregnancy, in the middle of the night, my heartrate got over 120 - AND I WAS SLEEPING! (That is another story for another day)
But, as I said above, I got to thinking...and doubting...and I thought "well maybe he's right...." So I did a little research this morning, and like my gut told me, I am correct! There is absolutely no scientific evidence supporting the "fact" that pregnant women should not let their heart rate exceed 140 bpm, Here is an exerpt from a published article by ACOG, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology:
"Dr. Artal urged his colleagues to drop, once and for all, the notion that a pregnant woman's maximal heart rate should not go above 140 beats per minute. This widely circulated idea originally appeared in a 1984 ACOG-produced video developed by Dr. Artal and several other ob.gyns. interested in exercise. The ACOG guidelines of 1994 did not mention this idea.
" 'There is no science to support this,' he said, explaining that the idea came out of the fact that target heart rates were commonly used when speaking about exercise in nonpregnant women. 'We had to come up with a guideline in a short period of time. Nobody had data on pregnancy so we guesstimated.' "
See article below if you're interested in reading the entire version.
I really appreciate everyone's concern and suggestions. I really do. There are so many things to learn about being pregnant! It's all very overwhelming...but I sometimes feel judged, you know? I promise, I am not doing anything to harm my baby. I would never put crossfit or my fitness over the well-being of my child. And the thing is, my body will tell me what to do. So far, it hasn't failed me yet. I will continue listening...to my inner voice and to suggestions of my friends (I just might do a little research first). :)
Erik L. Goldman "ACOG releases new guidelines on exercise: 30 minutes per day in pregnancy". OB/GYN News. FindArticles.com. 31 Jan, 2009. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CYD/is_2_37/ai_82393730
Oh yeah....and an update from yesterday: I won the Paleo one-day challenge. Ha! I think I'm going to make it a 30 day challenge! Wonder what I can win after 30 days if I won a massage after the one day challenge.....hm....
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
another year to the crossfit games comes to an end....and the one-day paleo challenge?
well, another year of the crossfit games is over. sniff, sniff. i'm very sad b/c i love the preparation gearing up to the cf games! wow! how incredible were the athletes this year!? it was absolutely amazing! i'm truly grateful that i was able to compete in the sectionals and regionals this year, since i will definitely be "out" for next year. i felt so bad for rich froning on that last wod, bless his heart. crossfit will ALWAYS find your weaknesses. and michelle kinney did AWESOME! she is truly an amazing athlete.
so...this is week 12. i can feel my butt expanding as i sit here typing this blog post. sigh. for real, my intake of disgusting food has hit an ALERT status. we went to atlanta this weekend for a braves game and the nastiness i consumed was off the chart. last night, as i was laying on the couch with a nasty migraine (most likely from preservative, sugar, carb, and yellow number 5 overdose), i told dave i was going to be paleo starting first thing monday morning. he actually laughed at me!
me: "what? you think i can't do it?"
him, said very sarcastically: "oh babe, you can do it! i'm sure of it! (ha. ha. haaaa!)"
me: "that's not funny. i can to do it."
him: "ok...care to make it interesting then?"
me: "heck yeah! this is exactly what i need! a friendly competition to motivate me!" (i mean, i AM a crossfitter...just make something a competition and i'm game!)
him: "alright. let me think about what we'll bet."
me: "bring. it. on."
he took the trash out and when he came back in he suggested a back massage for him if i didn't stay paleo or a back massage for me if i do.
me: "how long do i have to stay paleo?"
him: "just for tomorrow." (does he really not have any faith in me at all!?)
me: "PIECE OF CAKE!" (no pun intended.)
so far today, i have remained paleo (it's only 8:19 a.m.), BUT if i have to PUKE my GUTS up from morning sickness, that is really afternoon sickness, then so be it. i am winning this competition. period. if i can get him to keep the betting up every day, then maybe i will finally get on a paleo pregnancy.
last week, i only made it to the gym twice. here are my wods.
monday - 10 pullups, 10 pushups, 10 situps, 10 squats, 10 rounds. my time was pitiful, but i'm not supposed to be worrying about that, daggumit! still, i completed the wod as rxd. it wrecked me for DAYS! on wednesday i could barely lift my arms, but it really felt great to be sore again! i think my diet had something to do with my nasty soreness.
friday - 7 min AMRAP of 7x65# power snatches, 7 pullups, rest 1 min, the 8 min AMRAP of 7x65# sdhp, 10 burpees. i got 4 rounds of each, as rxd! woot! ain't nothin' stopping this pregnant girl!
this week, i hope to make it to the gym 4 times. tonight's wod is disgusting. i think someone pissed off kyle. it's 50 thrusters 95/65#, but each time you stop, you must complete 5 knees to elbows before you start your thrusters again. i predict that i will be doing at least 25 k2e.
cravings: only paleo food items. (hahahaha...i'm trying to trick myself.)
i'll keep you posted on the one-day paleo challenge. i'm confident i will win. :)
so...this is week 12. i can feel my butt expanding as i sit here typing this blog post. sigh. for real, my intake of disgusting food has hit an ALERT status. we went to atlanta this weekend for a braves game and the nastiness i consumed was off the chart. last night, as i was laying on the couch with a nasty migraine (most likely from preservative, sugar, carb, and yellow number 5 overdose), i told dave i was going to be paleo starting first thing monday morning. he actually laughed at me!
me: "what? you think i can't do it?"
him, said very sarcastically: "oh babe, you can do it! i'm sure of it! (ha. ha. haaaa!)"
me: "that's not funny. i can to do it."
him: "ok...care to make it interesting then?"
me: "heck yeah! this is exactly what i need! a friendly competition to motivate me!" (i mean, i AM a crossfitter...just make something a competition and i'm game!)
him: "alright. let me think about what we'll bet."
me: "bring. it. on."
he took the trash out and when he came back in he suggested a back massage for him if i didn't stay paleo or a back massage for me if i do.
me: "how long do i have to stay paleo?"
him: "just for tomorrow." (does he really not have any faith in me at all!?)
me: "PIECE OF CAKE!" (no pun intended.)
so far today, i have remained paleo (it's only 8:19 a.m.), BUT if i have to PUKE my GUTS up from morning sickness, that is really afternoon sickness, then so be it. i am winning this competition. period. if i can get him to keep the betting up every day, then maybe i will finally get on a paleo pregnancy.
last week, i only made it to the gym twice. here are my wods.
monday - 10 pullups, 10 pushups, 10 situps, 10 squats, 10 rounds. my time was pitiful, but i'm not supposed to be worrying about that, daggumit! still, i completed the wod as rxd. it wrecked me for DAYS! on wednesday i could barely lift my arms, but it really felt great to be sore again! i think my diet had something to do with my nasty soreness.
friday - 7 min AMRAP of 7x65# power snatches, 7 pullups, rest 1 min, the 8 min AMRAP of 7x65# sdhp, 10 burpees. i got 4 rounds of each, as rxd! woot! ain't nothin' stopping this pregnant girl!
this week, i hope to make it to the gym 4 times. tonight's wod is disgusting. i think someone pissed off kyle. it's 50 thrusters 95/65#, but each time you stop, you must complete 5 knees to elbows before you start your thrusters again. i predict that i will be doing at least 25 k2e.
cravings: only paleo food items. (hahahaha...i'm trying to trick myself.)
i'll keep you posted on the one-day paleo challenge. i'm confident i will win. :)
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
week 11
well i'm officially a fat cow. sigh. it's probably all of the non-paleo food i've been eating. my day starts off on a good paleo foot, and then nauseau sets in. did i say this on my last post? i probably did....this baby is sucking my brain out of my head. but yeah. that's my paleo update. not much to update.
my crossfit update is a little different, though! last week i ended the week on thursday with 150 x 1 pood kettlebell swings not for time (but i timed it anyway...and i'm not going to tell you my time b/c it was pathetic). on friday i did 21-15-9 of 55# thrusters and push presses, not for time but for time (ehem). I should've gone heavier, but it was day 4 in a row of woding and i coached all week - so i wimped out. i tried woding on saturday but only got in 2 rounds of 60x26# kb swings, 20 shoulder presses @ 45# and 40 situps due to a new person coming into the gym when i was mid-wod. not bad for "only 2 rounds."
i rested sunday, and i was back at it yesterday with a broken up angie type wod. ten rounds of 10 pullups, 10 pushups, 10 situps, 10 squats - 100% rxd. again, not for time...but for time. i should just stop with the time thing because it's seriously depressing. dave beat my time by half. HALF i tell ya! i used to whoop his butt. but he better watch out...i'll only be pregnant for 7 more months, and then i'll be baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!
now...if i could just get my diet reigned back in.....
cravings: cheese please! and ceaser salads have been a big thing this week.
my crossfit update is a little different, though! last week i ended the week on thursday with 150 x 1 pood kettlebell swings not for time (but i timed it anyway...and i'm not going to tell you my time b/c it was pathetic). on friday i did 21-15-9 of 55# thrusters and push presses, not for time but for time (ehem). I should've gone heavier, but it was day 4 in a row of woding and i coached all week - so i wimped out. i tried woding on saturday but only got in 2 rounds of 60x26# kb swings, 20 shoulder presses @ 45# and 40 situps due to a new person coming into the gym when i was mid-wod. not bad for "only 2 rounds."
i rested sunday, and i was back at it yesterday with a broken up angie type wod. ten rounds of 10 pullups, 10 pushups, 10 situps, 10 squats - 100% rxd. again, not for time...but for time. i should just stop with the time thing because it's seriously depressing. dave beat my time by half. HALF i tell ya! i used to whoop his butt. but he better watch out...i'll only be pregnant for 7 more months, and then i'll be baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!
now...if i could just get my diet reigned back in.....
cravings: cheese please! and ceaser salads have been a big thing this week.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Blog Name Change! And HUGE news....
So if you can't discern the big news from the blog name change, then I'm not sure we should be friends. :) Just kidding. Welcome to my new and improved blog! For those of you that are not in the immediate loop of my life, I got married a few weeks ago. Oh...and by the way, we're pregnant! 10 weeks pregnant in fact, give or take a few days. Now, modern medicine (aka my obgyn) has had me pretty freaked out about miscarriage, so I was trying my hardest to hold off on this announcement to the world until week 14...however I had a safety issue come up at CF the other day, and after discussing, Dave and I decided to go ahead and tell the world. So...SURPRISE!!! We know it's still early, but God is behind the wheel. He will give us what we need at the perfect point in time.
To go ahead and answer a few of your questions, here you go:
- We found out Sunday of Regionals.
- Yes, we were surprised....but thrilled!
- Due at the beginning of February.
- Yes, I will continue doing Crossfit my entire pregnancy, God willing.
- And yes, I will try my hardest (and it is definitely hard) to maintain my Paleo lifestyle.
Now, I went from training my butt off for Regionals, to finding out I was pregnant. Yikes! I was scared to death of miscarriage, so I immediately emailed Andrea from Crossfit Mom. She was great in telling me what I should and should not do. It was easy enough to scale my wods when I went back to the gym after Regionals...I simply told my fellow gym members that I was scaling for recovery. (I was hoping they would forgive the little white lie after I told them the news.) But after scaling the wods and weights for a few weeks (I went from doing Fran rxd in sub 6 to an untimed Fran at 45#...sniff, sniff), I just didn't feel like I was putting in any effort at all. Now I know, I know. You're supposed to TAKE IT EASY...DON'T EXERT YOURSELF TOO MUCH....DON'T LIFT TOO MUCH WEIGHT....but I've realized that EVERYONE ELSE has been telling ME what my body should or should not be doing. Shouldn't I be the one listening to myself!? So last week, after reading a couple of other blogs by Crossfitting, Paleo Mommies-to-Be, I realized that I should start calling the shots. And last week, I went back to rxd wods, with a little less weight if it's heavy, and decreasing the intensity (aka not timing my wods). And man do I feel better!
For those of you wondering what this means, please understand that I am not doing anything to harm myself or especially my unborn baby. I am listening to my body. And I have prayed about this too. Here is an example:
Grace - 65# full squat cleans instead of 95# power cleans (next time I might go a little heavier) but I did not worry about my time.
100 burpee boxjumps - I did burpee step ups, 100. I didn't worry about time.
Run 400m, 50 Squats, 4 rounds - I rowed 500m instead of run and I did the 50 squats, not worrying about time.
Now, when I say "not worrying about time" I mean I timed it, but I didn't worry about how fast I was going. I worked out, but I made sure that I could talk while working out and I made sure that I didnt' get too hot. I achieved those things by stopping when I was out of breath and drinking lots of water throughout the wod.
And I am so glad to be woding again.
This blog is my attempt to put further information out there for other crossfitting, paleo, pregnant mommies-to-be. There isn't much out there, so I am going to post what I can about my experience. The only way to learn is from others that have laid a path before you.
Oh...and about Paleo...well, morning sickness (aka all day sickness) struck on Thursday, June 10th while in the back of a cab in Chicago, IL. Yep. That's right. I almost vomited in the back of a cab. And until the other day, I couldn't stomach anything other than pizza, mexican food, fried southern food, fast food and the like. I know, I know....it was a disgrace. And you honestly cannot possibly get any further from Paleo than what I was eating! But this past Saturday, I woke up feeling fabulous! And so far, I've been able to maintain Paleo MOST of the time since then....and when I say Paleo, I mean Paleo with a twist! I'm allowing dairy. The reason for this is, to be honest....I freaking can't eat enough cheese. It is so beautiful and delicious and I can't get enough of it. And well, it's my body and I'm saying it's ok! Now please don't get me wrong...I'm no Paleo angel, but hey...at least I'm trying! (I'm telling you, I can't get enough pizza...it's completely out of my control.)
I'll keep you posted on the Crossfitting wods and the Paleo foods. And if you have any questions, please feel free to email me or post. And if you disagree with what I'm doing, I will gladly read your comments. (But if you disagree, please share your reasons WHY you disagree however I must say that if you have never been pregnant and you have never done crossfit, I'm not really sure you should put in your opinion! That might sound a little harsh, but it's how I feel. Sorry.)
Tonight, the rxd wod at Crossfit Rebellion is deadlift max. Since I'm out of maxing out weights for now, I've decided to do 100 kettlebell swings at 26 or 35#...I haven't decided the weight just yet. The kb swings will maintain strong hamstrings, core and back. What a great ode to deadlifts!
And, in honor of my original purpose of this blog, here's a new recipe for ya. I made it this weekend and I can't get enough of it! It's dedicated to my craving for ITALIAN!
Eggplant Ragu
1 eggplant
2# grass fed ground beef
2 jars marinara (trader joes has a good brand, no sugar)
1 white onion
1 pack mushrooms
garlic
rosemary
red pepper flakes
olive oil
Combine ground beef, diced onion, diced mushrooms, 2 tbsp garlic, 2 tbsp rosemary, 2 tbsp red pepper flakes and a dash of olive oil. Mush it all up and brown the ground beef. While that is browning, dice the eggplant and spread it on the bottom of a large, deep baking pan. After the ground beef is browned, drain off fat. Pour the ground beef mixture over the eggplant and spread evenly. Pour the 2 jars of marinara over the eggplant and groundbeef. Put in a preheated over at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes and voila! It's DELICIOUSNESS! (I, of course, sprinkled...ok more like I poured fresh mozzarello over the top, but you can leave that out.)
To go ahead and answer a few of your questions, here you go:
- We found out Sunday of Regionals.
- Yes, we were surprised....but thrilled!
- Due at the beginning of February.
- Yes, I will continue doing Crossfit my entire pregnancy, God willing.
- And yes, I will try my hardest (and it is definitely hard) to maintain my Paleo lifestyle.
Now, I went from training my butt off for Regionals, to finding out I was pregnant. Yikes! I was scared to death of miscarriage, so I immediately emailed Andrea from Crossfit Mom. She was great in telling me what I should and should not do. It was easy enough to scale my wods when I went back to the gym after Regionals...I simply told my fellow gym members that I was scaling for recovery. (I was hoping they would forgive the little white lie after I told them the news.) But after scaling the wods and weights for a few weeks (I went from doing Fran rxd in sub 6 to an untimed Fran at 45#...sniff, sniff), I just didn't feel like I was putting in any effort at all. Now I know, I know. You're supposed to TAKE IT EASY...DON'T EXERT YOURSELF TOO MUCH....DON'T LIFT TOO MUCH WEIGHT....but I've realized that EVERYONE ELSE has been telling ME what my body should or should not be doing. Shouldn't I be the one listening to myself!? So last week, after reading a couple of other blogs by Crossfitting, Paleo Mommies-to-Be, I realized that I should start calling the shots. And last week, I went back to rxd wods, with a little less weight if it's heavy, and decreasing the intensity (aka not timing my wods). And man do I feel better!
For those of you wondering what this means, please understand that I am not doing anything to harm myself or especially my unborn baby. I am listening to my body. And I have prayed about this too. Here is an example:
Grace - 65# full squat cleans instead of 95# power cleans (next time I might go a little heavier) but I did not worry about my time.
100 burpee boxjumps - I did burpee step ups, 100. I didn't worry about time.
Run 400m, 50 Squats, 4 rounds - I rowed 500m instead of run and I did the 50 squats, not worrying about time.
Now, when I say "not worrying about time" I mean I timed it, but I didn't worry about how fast I was going. I worked out, but I made sure that I could talk while working out and I made sure that I didnt' get too hot. I achieved those things by stopping when I was out of breath and drinking lots of water throughout the wod.
And I am so glad to be woding again.
This blog is my attempt to put further information out there for other crossfitting, paleo, pregnant mommies-to-be. There isn't much out there, so I am going to post what I can about my experience. The only way to learn is from others that have laid a path before you.
Oh...and about Paleo...well, morning sickness (aka all day sickness) struck on Thursday, June 10th while in the back of a cab in Chicago, IL. Yep. That's right. I almost vomited in the back of a cab. And until the other day, I couldn't stomach anything other than pizza, mexican food, fried southern food, fast food and the like. I know, I know....it was a disgrace. And you honestly cannot possibly get any further from Paleo than what I was eating! But this past Saturday, I woke up feeling fabulous! And so far, I've been able to maintain Paleo MOST of the time since then....and when I say Paleo, I mean Paleo with a twist! I'm allowing dairy. The reason for this is, to be honest....I freaking can't eat enough cheese. It is so beautiful and delicious and I can't get enough of it. And well, it's my body and I'm saying it's ok! Now please don't get me wrong...I'm no Paleo angel, but hey...at least I'm trying! (I'm telling you, I can't get enough pizza...it's completely out of my control.)
I'll keep you posted on the Crossfitting wods and the Paleo foods. And if you have any questions, please feel free to email me or post. And if you disagree with what I'm doing, I will gladly read your comments. (But if you disagree, please share your reasons WHY you disagree however I must say that if you have never been pregnant and you have never done crossfit, I'm not really sure you should put in your opinion! That might sound a little harsh, but it's how I feel. Sorry.)
Tonight, the rxd wod at Crossfit Rebellion is deadlift max. Since I'm out of maxing out weights for now, I've decided to do 100 kettlebell swings at 26 or 35#...I haven't decided the weight just yet. The kb swings will maintain strong hamstrings, core and back. What a great ode to deadlifts!
And, in honor of my original purpose of this blog, here's a new recipe for ya. I made it this weekend and I can't get enough of it! It's dedicated to my craving for ITALIAN!
Eggplant Ragu
1 eggplant
2# grass fed ground beef
2 jars marinara (trader joes has a good brand, no sugar)
1 white onion
1 pack mushrooms
garlic
rosemary
red pepper flakes
olive oil
Combine ground beef, diced onion, diced mushrooms, 2 tbsp garlic, 2 tbsp rosemary, 2 tbsp red pepper flakes and a dash of olive oil. Mush it all up and brown the ground beef. While that is browning, dice the eggplant and spread it on the bottom of a large, deep baking pan. After the ground beef is browned, drain off fat. Pour the ground beef mixture over the eggplant and spread evenly. Pour the 2 jars of marinara over the eggplant and groundbeef. Put in a preheated over at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes and voila! It's DELICIOUSNESS! (I, of course, sprinkled...ok more like I poured fresh mozzarello over the top, but you can leave that out.)
Friday, July 2, 2010
Back on the Paleo Train
Well, I'm back on the Paleo Train. I've been on a Paleo hiatus for the past three weeks. I finished the last regional event in Jacksonville on May 30th, and within three hours I was eating at the closest Cracker Barrell! I got back on the wagon the next day, stayed on it for a couple of weeks, and then life started a-happenin'...and Paleo went down the tubes. And because I wasn't training (ha, ha, no pun intended) for anything specifically, it was easy to fall of the wagon once again. There were a few days of hit or miss Paleo, but for me, it's all or nothing...
Today has been a good day so far. It's 2 p.m., and due to my Paleo diet (for today and hopefully more), I have not crashed and burned like the past few afternoons. That was the first thing about Paleo that I ever loved....I didn't crash in the afternoon after the carb-fest lunch I'd consumed. The second thing I loved - my cravings for sweet things and for sugar completely disappeared. Don't ingest it = don't want it for this sugar-holic. And the third thing I loved about Paleo is my wods didn't hurt as much.
I think going off Paleo for a minute is a good thing for me. It reminds me of how BAD I feel when I'm not eating Paleo. I have such a huge power of denial, that when I'm Paleo, it's easy to convince myself that I didn't feel THAT bad when I was eating a bunch of crap! I need these little reminders! As long as I eventually get back on that train....sooner rather than later...that's all that matters I guess. Progress IS perfection in my world. Plus it really sucks when your pants start feeling a little snug. I'm thinking I shouldn't have had that last piece of pizza last night.
Today has been a good day so far. It's 2 p.m., and due to my Paleo diet (for today and hopefully more), I have not crashed and burned like the past few afternoons. That was the first thing about Paleo that I ever loved....I didn't crash in the afternoon after the carb-fest lunch I'd consumed. The second thing I loved - my cravings for sweet things and for sugar completely disappeared. Don't ingest it = don't want it for this sugar-holic. And the third thing I loved about Paleo is my wods didn't hurt as much.
I think going off Paleo for a minute is a good thing for me. It reminds me of how BAD I feel when I'm not eating Paleo. I have such a huge power of denial, that when I'm Paleo, it's easy to convince myself that I didn't feel THAT bad when I was eating a bunch of crap! I need these little reminders! As long as I eventually get back on that train....sooner rather than later...that's all that matters I guess. Progress IS perfection in my world. Plus it really sucks when your pants start feeling a little snug. I'm thinking I shouldn't have had that last piece of pizza last night.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Paleo....?brownies?
Shane from CFR has a fab girlfriend. He is Paleo, she is not. HOWEVER, she IS a Paleo-FRIENDLY girlfriend that researches fun new recipes to satisfy his sweet tooth! She found a paleo brownie recipe, in which I was skeptical at first especially since I've found loads of paleo brownie, cakes, cookies, pies, etc "recipes" only to be disappointed when I got down to the ingredient "agave nectar." The recipe that she found has agave nectar in it, BUT it is in the ICING. :) I don't need icing for my brownies!!!
Anyway, it's basically a Lara Bar, but who cares! It tastes like an ooey gooey brownie! And if we're splitting hairs here, it probably isn't technically paleo either....is powdered unsweetened cocoa TRULY paleo? Probably not, but, today...for me...it is!
Enjoy everyone! These are the easiest brownies you will EVER make!
Paleo Brownies
1 cup pitted dates
1 cup walnuts
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
Put ingredients in a food processor and blend until finely chopped. Pour mixture into a small baking dish. Press down the mixture until formed into the dish. Put in freezer at least 30 minutes. Cut and ENJOY!
Anyway, it's basically a Lara Bar, but who cares! It tastes like an ooey gooey brownie! And if we're splitting hairs here, it probably isn't technically paleo either....is powdered unsweetened cocoa TRULY paleo? Probably not, but, today...for me...it is!
Enjoy everyone! These are the easiest brownies you will EVER make!
Paleo Brownies
1 cup pitted dates
1 cup walnuts
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
Put ingredients in a food processor and blend until finely chopped. Pour mixture into a small baking dish. Press down the mixture until formed into the dish. Put in freezer at least 30 minutes. Cut and ENJOY!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
This diva's been not so diva-like...
SO one of my friends from Georgia told I needed to update my blog. Sorry I've been such a slacker! That isn't very diva-like, but hey....a diva sometimes falls off the diva wagon.
I've been so busy with work (gasp!), training for sectionals, and cooking Paleo food on a regular basis that my blog has had to take a back seat. But no worries, people, I'm back with a fab new recipe and a couple of personal Paleo updates. So...here's the news:
- Since I've been at this Paleo life-style since September, I've gone to a one cheat meal a week plan for the past month or so. This has been enough to keep me sane, and I've found that it hasn't really interrupted my training progress nor has it been hard to "get back on the Paleo train" after the cheat. I typically reserve it for Saturday night (date night!), and I always, always have dessert. What's a cheat meal without dessert?! I was worried at first that I would have a hard time on Sundays and Mondays, but it hasn't seemed to affect me at all.
- We started a 90 day Paleo challenge at the gym about 30 days ago. One of my gym buddies is thinking about letting me post her before and after pics...so definitely stay tuned! She is super dedicated to Paleo and to her wods, so I'm sure we'll see a HUGE difference. She's totally a paleo diva.
- Sectionals, sectional, sectionals....GA sectionals this weekend, AL sectionals the next, and FL sectionals the next. SO exciting to see the outcomes!!! I'll post results of anyone I know qualifying for Regionals here as they are announced.
- And finally, a new recipe is listed below courtesy of Robyn. She's also a fab paleo diva! Thanks Robyn!!!
Diva on, peeps, diva on....
Shepard's Pie
1lb. Ground whatever! (I use beef, feel free to use turkey or something else!)
1 good sized head of cauliflower
1 can tomato sauce
2ish cups of any vegetable you'd like! (I use sliced zucchini & yellow squash!!)
This is really easy, you are going to want to get the cauliflower boiling first. Cut into florets, get it into a saucepan of water and simmer on medium.
At the same time you want to brown your ground meet and season however you'd like, some Italian seasonings work great in this recipe. Once browned, drain your meet and place it in the bottom of a round (or square I suppose!) casserole dish, but not one of those long rectangle ones. You want something with about an 8" diameter and 6ish" high sides.
Next, layer your vegetable of choice on top of the ground meat. If it is a thicker/tougher veggie like broccoli or carrots, you may want to steam them first!
Once softened, remove your cauliflower to a few sheets of paper towel and allow some of the water to be absorbed. You can squeeze them if you'd like, but they will be hot!! I then place the cauliflower in a separate bowl and mash with a fork. If you have one, it would be ok to use a blender or food processor. Spread your mashed cauliflower on top of your meat/veggies and pop it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes to warm through. You can also try to put it on broil for a minute at the end to brown the cauliflower but this has never worked for me.
While baking, I warm the tomato sauce in a saucepan. Once everything is done, I plate the Shepard's Pie and use the tomato sauce like a gravy. This recipe is so simple and delicious, I usually make myself sick eating every last bite because it is so good! I hope you enjoy it!
I've been so busy with work (gasp!), training for sectionals, and cooking Paleo food on a regular basis that my blog has had to take a back seat. But no worries, people, I'm back with a fab new recipe and a couple of personal Paleo updates. So...here's the news:
- Since I've been at this Paleo life-style since September, I've gone to a one cheat meal a week plan for the past month or so. This has been enough to keep me sane, and I've found that it hasn't really interrupted my training progress nor has it been hard to "get back on the Paleo train" after the cheat. I typically reserve it for Saturday night (date night!), and I always, always have dessert. What's a cheat meal without dessert?! I was worried at first that I would have a hard time on Sundays and Mondays, but it hasn't seemed to affect me at all.
- We started a 90 day Paleo challenge at the gym about 30 days ago. One of my gym buddies is thinking about letting me post her before and after pics...so definitely stay tuned! She is super dedicated to Paleo and to her wods, so I'm sure we'll see a HUGE difference. She's totally a paleo diva.
- Sectionals, sectional, sectionals....GA sectionals this weekend, AL sectionals the next, and FL sectionals the next. SO exciting to see the outcomes!!! I'll post results of anyone I know qualifying for Regionals here as they are announced.
- And finally, a new recipe is listed below courtesy of Robyn. She's also a fab paleo diva! Thanks Robyn!!!
Diva on, peeps, diva on....
Shepard's Pie
1lb. Ground whatever! (I use beef, feel free to use turkey or something else!)
1 good sized head of cauliflower
1 can tomato sauce
2ish cups of any vegetable you'd like! (I use sliced zucchini & yellow squash!!)
This is really easy, you are going to want to get the cauliflower boiling first. Cut into florets, get it into a saucepan of water and simmer on medium.
At the same time you want to brown your ground meet and season however you'd like, some Italian seasonings work great in this recipe. Once browned, drain your meet and place it in the bottom of a round (or square I suppose!) casserole dish, but not one of those long rectangle ones. You want something with about an 8" diameter and 6ish" high sides.
Next, layer your vegetable of choice on top of the ground meat. If it is a thicker/tougher veggie like broccoli or carrots, you may want to steam them first!
Once softened, remove your cauliflower to a few sheets of paper towel and allow some of the water to be absorbed. You can squeeze them if you'd like, but they will be hot!! I then place the cauliflower in a separate bowl and mash with a fork. If you have one, it would be ok to use a blender or food processor. Spread your mashed cauliflower on top of your meat/veggies and pop it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes to warm through. You can also try to put it on broil for a minute at the end to brown the cauliflower but this has never worked for me.
While baking, I warm the tomato sauce in a saucepan. Once everything is done, I plate the Shepard's Pie and use the tomato sauce like a gravy. This recipe is so simple and delicious, I usually make myself sick eating every last bite because it is so good! I hope you enjoy it!
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