Finish Strong

Well ladies....BAM, 7 weeks whizzzzed by! Time for the Trojan finale tomorrow...are you ready?!

This has been a great 7 weeks for me. I feel like I did really well with my Paleo Diet, I did the AdvoCare Cleanse, my body comp results were good, I've had some great PR's in class, I feel more comfortable with kettle bell these days & overall I feel STRONG & HEALTHY and have had a ton of FUN! Woo hoo! Sounds like success to me.

Unfortunately I am facing the final challenge with an upper respiratory & sinus infection...have had a nasty little bugger of a cough torturing me for over a week & am really trying to will it away, especially by Saturday. I'm hoping it won't slow me down! But with or without a cough, I still feel great and am proud of myself and all of my fellow Trojans for staying committed and having fun with this challenge. Good luck to you all tomorrow, let's ROCK IT!

Thanks for being a great support system!

Ready to Rumble!

Okay ladies... I am ready to rumble this week... there's no dress rehersal.. it's all or nothin'... i just finished the Garage Gym Throwdown yesterday and of ALL the triathalons, challenges and races I've been thru I think THAT one has been the most challenging.. Why? well it was the "workout of the unknown"... I've not done tire presses, jumps, sand bags, etc.. It pushed me mentally and physically .. that is why I'm sitting on my couch with an ice pak writing this blog ... EVERYONE needs to give it your all Saturday! You have six days to gear up and "get it done"... you have to be mentally and physically prepared... just like Crystal and Lauren always tell us... so... get ready to rumble ladies cuz Saturday is the REAL THING! GIVE IT your 200%! cuz I am!

Italian Sausage Meatballs

I was looking through my recipes last night and came across one of my favorite Primal recipes to this day.  It is from Mark's Daily Apple and you can find the recipe (with pictures) HERE

This is truly one of the most phenomenal dishes because you get to cook them in bacon grease.  Yep, that's right ladies-- bacon.  =)  Freeze them and save them for a rainy day.  Serve them with marinara sauce and over spaghetti squash and you are set!



My other favorite snack right now is Carrots and Guacamole.  There isn't really a recipe for this, but I thought I would share it in case you are looking for a summery crunch for a snack! 

Recipe time

I have been so behind on keeping up with this blog. I don't get too much computer time due to my busy little almost 2 year old and by the time I do in the evening, I'm too tired...wah wah wah!

I do however want to share a couple delicious Paleo recipes with you that will maybe help spice things up a bit for you to get thru the last few weeks of our challenge. I hope you enjoy them...

Paleo Salmon Croquettes

Mix together...

1 can of salmon (and the juice)

2 eggs

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Then add...

1 tsp pepper

1/2 med onion (chopped) - I used purple onion

I just added enough almond flour to make it stick together. Recipe called for 1 whole package of crushed saltines, but i just eyed it with the almond flour.

Mix it all up. Make patties & let them rest for 5 min. Heat up a 1/2 inch of oil in a pan (don't skimp on the oil, you need it for frying properly). I used grapeseed oil. Add the paties to the oil & let them cook 3-4 minutes on each side. Once you put them in the oil don't touch them until it's time to flip or they'll fall apart. They should be nice & brown and crispy.

Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the finished product! Deeeelish! These are great served over a salad with lemon juice or for breakfast too!

PALEO COCONUT WAFFLES (THE BEST THING IN THE PALEO WORLD!)

It's a Primal Blueprint recipe from Adam Kayce if you ever wanna look it up.

1 can Coconut Milk

3 eggs

1 c of unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 c of almond flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Cook in a waffle iron for approx 8 minutes (yes longer than regular waffles, long after the steam subsides). They will be fragile to remove, but so yummy in your tummy! I usually eat them with berries and/or strawberries & bananas with maple syrup.

NOTE: this batter can also be used to make pancakes. They cook about 3 minutes on each side.

Enjoy!

Paleo Pancakes

In a blender combine...

1/2 c almond butter

1/2 c apple sauce

2 eggs

cinnomon

vanilla

cook in a skillet like pancakes & enjoy with maple syrup & fresh fruit!

Tuna and Veggies

I really like to cook. I have been doing a lot more cooking lately because of my change of diet which is something that I am thankful for because I really enjoy it!

This past weekend, I made tuna and veggies. I bought a fresh tuna steak from Sprouts (it was on sell!). I put some EVOO in the skillet and heated it up. Once the skillet was hot, I seared the tuna on both sides. Maybe a minute on each side. Cook longer if you do not like the middle raw.

I made a foil basket filled with a lot of veggies (peppers, squash, zuchini, onions, mushrooms, etc..). I put the foil basket into the oven and cooked them until they were soft.

You can also cook the tuna and veggies on the grill, which I think is better but my grill was not working at the time. Really easy and really delicious. I am still trying to get the picture uploaded...I am bad with technology!

Breakfast of Champions

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS

I am not a "recipe kinda gal" but i do like breakfast so I thought I'd share my breakfast of champions with you...Ingredients for Trojans1 egg1 eggwhite1 tbs. olive oil2 oz. chicken or salmon (left overs)1 c. spinach1 c. zuchini and squash1 tbs. salsaPut 1 tbs. olive oil in sauce pan. Mix in Protein (chicken or salmon) and mix in spinach, zuchini, squash till lightly brown. Mix in eggs and scramble.. Once ready, place on plate and add 1 tbs. of salsa... DIG IN!

ENJOY TROJANS!

Lemon Dill Salmon, Asparagus & Avocado/Hearts of Palm Salad

This is one of my favorites and I don't get to make it very often since my husband isn't much of a fish eater....

Also, I cook a lot and am not great with following recipes verbatim, but these are very easy!

Lemon Dill Salmon:

Fillet of fresh Salmon (your preferred amount)

Fresh Dill

2-3 Large Lemons

1 Bunch Scallions

1 tbsp EVOO

Marinate salmon fillet in evoo, squeezed lemon juice, chopped scallions, and pinched dill all day. Put in Broiler for 10-15 minutes uncovered for medium rare salmon....or cook to desired temp.

Steamed Asparagus

Avocado/Hearts of Palm Salad: --this is one of my favorites! (especially in the summer!)

Chop 2-3 avocados, chop 4-5 hearts of palm stalks, mix together and add 2 squeezed limes' juices, a dash of "jane's mixed up salt", and 1 tsp balsamic vinegar. Mix all ingredients together and serve on a slice of Romaine lettuce and add 2-3 sliced grape tomatoes for color.

Enjoy!!