5.2.12
Fellow cheerleaders
Shara has been working hard at the Paleo lifestyle. She also documents her foodie habits on her blog.
The Whole 30
It's time for a new challenge; because I clearly need more than a new years resolution to motivate me.
Starting today, I am doing the "Whole 30" and updating this food log. The goal is to kick start & energize my Paleo lifestyle. I've been pretty good at maintaining since last spring, but I've become lazy and need a bit of a boost.
Thirty days of super clean pale eating will hopefully get me down to the 63kg category for weightlifting.
I'd like to live at 63-64kg, so that I can easily drop weight for competitions.
A few other flux ladies have agreed to take part in the challenge (also for Oly category reasons) and for the motivation factor.
We will be keeping each other in check and of course cheering each other on. There is nothing better than a personal cheerleader to keep you motivated!
February 5 - Day 1: weighed in for Oly class at 68.7kg. Using callipers and taking before photos tomorrow.
Late breakfast/ lunch: eggs, bacon, black coffee
Supper: avocado with steamed bok choy, brocoli, celery and roasted turnip, beet, onion (ate supper with a vegan...)
I have leftover veggies for 2 meals, now I just have to add meat!
Four pork chops thawing in the fridge.
Afternoon Front Squats: maxed out at 155lbs (70.5kg) (failed at 160lbs), down sets at 140lbs (63.6kg)
29 days until March 5.
Starting today, I am doing the "Whole 30" and updating this food log. The goal is to kick start & energize my Paleo lifestyle. I've been pretty good at maintaining since last spring, but I've become lazy and need a bit of a boost.
Thirty days of super clean pale eating will hopefully get me down to the 63kg category for weightlifting.
I'd like to live at 63-64kg, so that I can easily drop weight for competitions.
A few other flux ladies have agreed to take part in the challenge (also for Oly category reasons) and for the motivation factor.
We will be keeping each other in check and of course cheering each other on. There is nothing better than a personal cheerleader to keep you motivated!
February 5 - Day 1: weighed in for Oly class at 68.7kg. Using callipers and taking before photos tomorrow.
Late breakfast/ lunch: eggs, bacon, black coffee
Supper: avocado with steamed bok choy, brocoli, celery and roasted turnip, beet, onion (ate supper with a vegan...)
 |
| Super vegan start |
I have leftover veggies for 2 meals, now I just have to add meat!
Four pork chops thawing in the fridge.
Afternoon Front Squats: maxed out at 155lbs (70.5kg) (failed at 160lbs), down sets at 140lbs (63.6kg)
29 days until March 5.
1.2.12
Smokey Southwestern Apple and Squash Soup
Smokey Southwestern Apple and Squash Soup (found here)
If you want to keep this soup vegan, use vegetable oil instead of butter and skip the sour cream or use your favorite vegan version.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3/4 cup diced onion (about 1/4 of a large onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, minced
2 apples, cored, peeled and diced (I used Granny Smith)
2 cups butternut squash, diced (frozen is fine)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Mexican chili powder
1/4 rounded teaspoon chipotle powder
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
a few shots of your favorite hot sauce (optional)
2 tablespoons sour cream (low fat is fine)
Melt butter in a medium-large soup pot and add in the onions, garlic and jalapeno pepper. Saute over medium-high heat until soft and fragrant. Add in the apples, squash, salt, chili powder and chipotle powder. Stir and let everything reduce for a bit and get mushy, 10 minutes should be plenty, stirring occasionally.
Pour in stock making sure that everything is just covered. Put on lid and simmer over low heat for 20-30 minutes until the squash and apples are very soft. Use a hand blender to puree until everything is very smooth. Taste and add in some hot sauce if you want (I want!). Whisk in the sour cream until smooth. Top each bowl with additional sour cream, if desired. Makes 4 small servings or 2 giant ones.
If you want to keep this soup vegan, use vegetable oil instead of butter and skip the sour cream or use your favorite vegan version.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3/4 cup diced onion (about 1/4 of a large onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, minced
2 apples, cored, peeled and diced (I used Granny Smith)
2 cups butternut squash, diced (frozen is fine)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Mexican chili powder
1/4 rounded teaspoon chipotle powder
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
a few shots of your favorite hot sauce (optional)
2 tablespoons sour cream (low fat is fine)
Melt butter in a medium-large soup pot and add in the onions, garlic and jalapeno pepper. Saute over medium-high heat until soft and fragrant. Add in the apples, squash, salt, chili powder and chipotle powder. Stir and let everything reduce for a bit and get mushy, 10 minutes should be plenty, stirring occasionally.
Pour in stock making sure that everything is just covered. Put on lid and simmer over low heat for 20-30 minutes until the squash and apples are very soft. Use a hand blender to puree until everything is very smooth. Taste and add in some hot sauce if you want (I want!). Whisk in the sour cream until smooth. Top each bowl with additional sour cream, if desired. Makes 4 small servings or 2 giant ones.
5.1.12
Mini Chai Tea Muffins
Mini Chai Tea Muffins - makes 48 mini muffins (found here)
1/4 cup cane sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup apple butter or applesauce, unsweetened
1 cup gluten free all-purpose flour
1/2 cup almond meal
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
2 tablespoons unsweetened powdered cocoa
1/2 cup wheat free oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chai tea mixture - steep 4 chai tea teabags in 1/2 cup hot milk. Allow to cool.
1/2 cup diced apple
Preheat oven to 350f/180c. Line a 24 cup mini muffin tin with paper liners and set aside. Heat milk and steep 4 chai tea teabags, and set aside to cool.
Beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Stir in apple butter and honey until well combined. Stir in the flour, almond meal, flax seed, cocoa, oats, baking powder and baking soda, while slowly pouring in the chai tea mix. Stir batter until smooth. Fold in the diced apples.
Fill muffin tins about 3/4 full and bake for about 10-12 minutes or until a skewer, inserted in centre, comes out clean.
1/4 cup cane sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup apple butter or applesauce, unsweetened
1 cup gluten free all-purpose flour
1/2 cup almond meal
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
2 tablespoons unsweetened powdered cocoa
1/2 cup wheat free oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chai tea mixture - steep 4 chai tea teabags in 1/2 cup hot milk. Allow to cool.
1/2 cup diced apple
Preheat oven to 350f/180c. Line a 24 cup mini muffin tin with paper liners and set aside. Heat milk and steep 4 chai tea teabags, and set aside to cool.
Beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Stir in apple butter and honey until well combined. Stir in the flour, almond meal, flax seed, cocoa, oats, baking powder and baking soda, while slowly pouring in the chai tea mix. Stir batter until smooth. Fold in the diced apples.
Fill muffin tins about 3/4 full and bake for about 10-12 minutes or until a skewer, inserted in centre, comes out clean.
28.12.11
Mayonnaise
Homemade Mayonnaise
Adapted from Jamie Oliver
Have all ingredients at room temperature.
•1 large egg yolk
•1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
•1 Tablespoon lemon juice
•1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
•1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
•1 cup grape-seed oil or peanut oil
•Salt and pepper (to taste)
1. In a blender or food processor, add egg yolk, Dijon, lemon juice and vinegar. Blend to combine.
2. With the blender running, slowly add the olive oil into the mixture, drop by drop at first, then slowly in a thin, steady stream.
3. Continue until the mixture is thick and emulsified, and both oils are fully incorporated. Mixture should be creamy and the consistency of sour cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Transfer to a clean jar with a lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Adapted from Jamie Oliver
Have all ingredients at room temperature.
•1 large egg yolk
•1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
•1 Tablespoon lemon juice
•1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
•1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
•1 cup grape-seed oil or peanut oil
•Salt and pepper (to taste)
1. In a blender or food processor, add egg yolk, Dijon, lemon juice and vinegar. Blend to combine.
2. With the blender running, slowly add the olive oil into the mixture, drop by drop at first, then slowly in a thin, steady stream.
3. Continue until the mixture is thick and emulsified, and both oils are fully incorporated. Mixture should be creamy and the consistency of sour cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Transfer to a clean jar with a lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
27.12.11
End of year depression
I've fallen off the wagon - big time.
The 12 week challenge last spring was a life changer. I've always cared about my food sources, cooking, meal planning, but tracking all of these things really kept me going during the challenge and well after if was done. Summer flew by and I was still a "hard-core" paleo eater.
And then fall came. I quit my job. I got a new job. A job that requires a commute, car-pooling, packing a lunch, and waking up at 6:30 every day.
All these things are actually good when it comes to a paleo lifestyle. (For me) it helps to be scheduled & organized. I cook on the weekend and pack meal-sized containers that can last for a few days. That way I always have something to grab from the fridge when I'm heading out the door at 7:30. I'm not very good at cooking a lunch and feeding myself at the start of the day. It's also great to have prepared meals on nights that I coach at the gym. I get cranky and moody and feel faint if I don't eat and it's usually too late to start a "project" once I get home.
So all that is good. Then corporate Christmas happened. WTF? I've never seen so many gift baskets filled with mediocre quality chocolate and candy in my life. Right outside my office door!
I pretty much feel sick all the time. Sugar highs (and lows), drowsy, not sleeping well, sick, sniffly, and to top it all off, no time to go to the gym (not really because of the gift baskets...)
I have a headache and pockets full of snotty kleenex as I type this. It's depressing!
So. New Year's goal. Weightloss is probably the most typical resolution that people set when the year rolls around. I've done it before. Never works!
So my goal is to start blogging again. Because if I want to blog, I have to cook, I have to plan, and I have to have stuff to write about! And if I'm busy typing during my breaks at work, my fingers will be too busy to eat the crappy snacks that are so readily available here.
Just because I'm also thinking these things, I will write them down:
-lose The Gut
-under 63 kg (138lbs)
-wear a singlet
-back squat over 200lbs
-clean out kitchen cupboards
These are my "secondary resolutions"; things that I know can happen if I stick to my actual resolution and maintain my blog.
This probably seems like a convoluted and round-about way to get back on the healthy track, but as everyone at flux knows, I have mental issues, and "tricking" myself might just be the only way to do this!
The 12 week challenge last spring was a life changer. I've always cared about my food sources, cooking, meal planning, but tracking all of these things really kept me going during the challenge and well after if was done. Summer flew by and I was still a "hard-core" paleo eater.
And then fall came. I quit my job. I got a new job. A job that requires a commute, car-pooling, packing a lunch, and waking up at 6:30 every day.
All these things are actually good when it comes to a paleo lifestyle. (For me) it helps to be scheduled & organized. I cook on the weekend and pack meal-sized containers that can last for a few days. That way I always have something to grab from the fridge when I'm heading out the door at 7:30. I'm not very good at cooking a lunch and feeding myself at the start of the day. It's also great to have prepared meals on nights that I coach at the gym. I get cranky and moody and feel faint if I don't eat and it's usually too late to start a "project" once I get home.
So all that is good. Then corporate Christmas happened. WTF? I've never seen so many gift baskets filled with mediocre quality chocolate and candy in my life. Right outside my office door!
I pretty much feel sick all the time. Sugar highs (and lows), drowsy, not sleeping well, sick, sniffly, and to top it all off, no time to go to the gym (not really because of the gift baskets...)
I have a headache and pockets full of snotty kleenex as I type this. It's depressing!
So. New Year's goal. Weightloss is probably the most typical resolution that people set when the year rolls around. I've done it before. Never works!
So my goal is to start blogging again. Because if I want to blog, I have to cook, I have to plan, and I have to have stuff to write about! And if I'm busy typing during my breaks at work, my fingers will be too busy to eat the crappy snacks that are so readily available here.
Just because I'm also thinking these things, I will write them down:
-lose The Gut
-under 63 kg (138lbs)
-wear a singlet
-back squat over 200lbs
-clean out kitchen cupboards
These are my "secondary resolutions"; things that I know can happen if I stick to my actual resolution and maintain my blog.
This probably seems like a convoluted and round-about way to get back on the healthy track, but as everyone at flux knows, I have mental issues, and "tricking" myself might just be the only way to do this!
13.12.11
Chewy Paleo Brownie
Chewy Paleo Brownie Recipe (from here)
1 1/4 cup raw light agave syrup, gently heated (or raw honey)
3/4 cup natural cocoa powder
1 1/4 cup almond butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp chocolate extract
(optional)
1 tsp instant espresso powder
(optional)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1. Heat agave syrup gently over stove until warm (do not allow to boil). Stir in cocoa powder over low heat until smooth. Cocoa burns easily, so keep the heat on very very low.
2. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients except salt until thoroughly mixed.
3. Sprinkle batter with salt, and fold batter to mix it in.
4. Pour into foil-lined or parchment paper-lined 8x8 baking pan (or, grease the pan with coconut oil or your preferred oil)
5. Bake at 325F for 40-50 min. Use toothpick inserted in center to determine done-ness. (I baked mine in a glass pan at 325F for 45 minutes, and it seemed perfect). Let cool completely before cutting. Store in a plastic ziplock bag to preserve moisture.
The recipe can accommodate an egg. It will make the brownies more tender and moist, and a little less chewy. To include an egg:
Reduce almond butter to 1 cup. Mix egg with vanilla extract, chocolate extract, espresso powder, and baking powder before combining with agave-cocoa-almond butter mixture.
3/4 cup natural cocoa powder
1 1/4 cup almond butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp chocolate extract
(optional)1 tsp instant espresso powder
(optional)1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1. Heat agave syrup gently over stove until warm (do not allow to boil). Stir in cocoa powder over low heat until smooth. Cocoa burns easily, so keep the heat on very very low.
2. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients except salt until thoroughly mixed.
3. Sprinkle batter with salt, and fold batter to mix it in.
4. Pour into foil-lined or parchment paper-lined 8x8 baking pan (or, grease the pan with coconut oil or your preferred oil)
5. Bake at 325F for 40-50 min. Use toothpick inserted in center to determine done-ness. (I baked mine in a glass pan at 325F for 45 minutes, and it seemed perfect). Let cool completely before cutting. Store in a plastic ziplock bag to preserve moisture.
The recipe can accommodate an egg. It will make the brownies more tender and moist, and a little less chewy. To include an egg:
Reduce almond butter to 1 cup. Mix egg with vanilla extract, chocolate extract, espresso powder, and baking powder before combining with agave-cocoa-almond butter mixture.
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