crossfit one comes to austin

reebok crossfit one is in austin today and held open WODs at luke's locker. the weather says its only 85 outside but i don't believe it for a second... IT WAS HOT! (i count working out in extreme heat as 2 workouts). we went over the basics for the people that haven't ever done crossfit and then broke into teams and did 2 rounds of 1 min AMRAP pullups, box jumps, kettlebell swings and squats. that is the main thing i LOVE about crossfit... i technically only worked-out for 8 minutes! but was completely exhausted.

i am back in my routine of doing crossfit on tuesday and thursday mornings at 7am and have convinced my roommate to sign up. hopefully this will help keep us both motivated! we are working on cooking at home everynight and eating as close to paleo as we can (having a yogurt store in my apartment building is making this really difficult).

after getting my first body comp done this week, i am more motivated than ever to get in shape! i am bordering on the "ideal/fitness" and "average" line but really would like to get down to the lower end of "fitness" or into "lean" which will require me losing about 4% body fat... UGH!

peanut butter banana smoothie

i recently got a vitamix blender and i am COMPLETELY obsessed! i have been trying out tons of different smoothie/shake recipes. this is one of my favorites... it seriously tastes like a milkshake!

3/4 cup coconut/almond milk
1 scoop protein powder
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 banana
2 spoons peanut butter
spinach

TIP- if you don't have a good blender, freeze your banana and you won't have to use ice!

don't be afraid of the GREENness! i promise you can't even taste the spinach!

coconut chocolate chip cookies

sweets are definitely my weakness so i have been wanting to try out some paleo cookie recipes. this recipe was ridiculously easy... only 5 ingredients!

1 cup almond meal
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/8 cup honey
2 tablespoons ghee or butter
1/8 cup cocoa nibs

1. preheat oven to 350
2. mix all ingredients together
3. chill the dough in the fridge while oven is heating
4. roll dough into small balls and place on lined cookie sheet
5. bake for 10 minutes. take out and smoosh them down a little.

6. bake for another 3-5 minutes, until golden brown.

7. let the cookies cool for a few minutes and enoy!

side note- i would put these in the "treat" category rather than "cookie". they might be more a cookie if i would have smooshed them flatter in the beginning. they tasted great though! crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. similar texture to a macaroon.

maple roasted brussels sprouts and kohlrabi

i hate to admit it... but i have never had brussels sprouts. or even heard of kohlrabi. so when both were in my veggie box this week, i decided it was time to try!

i am pretty sure that maple syrup isn't considered paleo, but it is a start to eating foreign veggies for me. i had seen a recipe in a magazine for maple glazed brussels sprouts so went with that and added the kohlrabi.

1 cup brussels sprouts
2 kohlrabi
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons parsley
salt and pepper

1. cut brussels sprouts in half and peel and cube kohlrabi

2. toss brussels sprouts and kohlrabi with syrup, lemon juice and parsley
3. season with salt and pepper

spread out ingredients on baking sheet and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes

kale chips

kale leaves - washed and dried
olive oil
your choice of seasonings



1. remove stems from kale.
2. toss kale in olive oil. use just enough to coat all of your kale.
3. place leaves on baking sheet and your seasoning. i used sea salt, garlic salt, pepper and cayenne pepper.



4. bake at 350 for 15 minutes, or until crisp.



store in an air-tight container, layering the leaves with paper towels to keep them crunchy.

johnson's backyard garden

i visited HOPE farmers market last weekend and discovered johnson's backyard garden. i signed up for their home delivery program and got my first box today. i can't wait to try new recipes with all of the veggies, most of which i have never tried!

this week's box had green onion, beets, broccoli, lettuce mix, carrots, fennel, kohlrabi, parsley, spinach, brussels sprouts and chard.

omelet muffins

this is the easiest and best recipe i have come across yet! i make a batch on sunday and eat them for breakfast all week. the beauty of this recipe is that you can really add anything you want!

6 eggs
8 slices of bacon
1 green bell pepper
1 bunch green onions
1 zucchini

1. crack eggs into large bowl and whisk.
2. cook bacon and chop in food processor. add to eggs.
3. chop bell pepper, onion and zucchini in food processor and add to eggs.

4. fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full. make sure you grease/spray the cups really good or the eggs will stick.

bake at 350 for 15 - 20 minutes.

i flip the egg omelets out of the pan onto the counter as soon as i take them out of the oven to prevent sticking.

heat in the microwave for about 20 seconds for a quick, tasty breakfast!

paleo chicken salad

i LOVE chicken salad. this takes a little time to make, but will make enough for lunch all week.

3 chicken breasts
1 apple
1/2 red onion
1.5 cups celery
1 cup grapes - quartered
2 tablespoons mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup paleo mayo
1/4 cup pineapple juice
salt and pepper

1. cook chicken and cut/shread into small pieces.
2. dice apple, onion and celery and combine with chicken and grapes.
3. add pineapple juice, mustard and just enough mayo to hold together. (less is best)
4. add salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste.

paleo mayo

i am definitely not a mayo fan, but made this to go in my chicken salad. the recipe calls for regular olive oil, but since i didn't have any, i used extra virgin olive oil. not so good... tasted pretty much like evoo with seasoning. the consistancy came out great though. i ended up using about a 1/2 cup to bind my chicken salad and it worked great. can't really taste it at all.

2 eggs

1 teaspoon mustard powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup coconut oil
salt and pepper

1. blend eggs, mustard powder, cayenne pepper and lemon juice in food processor.

2. SLOWLY add in oil mixture while mixing. if you put in too much at once, it will mess it up.

3. add salt and pepper to taste.

4. store in refrigerator.

apple walnut muffins

these are the perfect snack to keep around to satisfy my sweet tooth. i keep them in a ziploc container and they stay moist for over a week!

i divided the recipe in half and it made 9 muffins.

2 cups almond flour
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 eggs
2 apples - cooked and pureed (you could sub applesauce)
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup almond milk

1. preheat oven to 325
2. cut apples into small cubes. cook on stove top with a little cinnamon until soft (medium heat, about 15 minutes). puree in food processor.
3. combine almond flour, walnuts, cinnamon, baking powder and salt
4. in separate bowl, mix eggs, apple puree, oil and milk. add to dry mixture.
5. fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full.

6. bake for 20 minutes.

enjoy!

coconut flour tortillas

on my quest to eat paleo, one of the most difficult things i have come across is a way to eat a "sandwich". wrapping ingredients in lettuce is always an option, but is too messy for my liking. when i came across this recipe for tortillas made from coconut flour, i was anxious to try!

they turned out to be something between a crepe and and pancake, but got the job done! they do have a slight coconut taste. i can't wait to try to make these again!

1/4 cup coconut flour
8 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup water

1. whisk all ingredients together
2. heat skillet to medium heat. use 1 teaspoon of coconut oil to coat the pan.
3. put 3 tablespoons of batter into the skillet and swirl around to get a thin layer
4. once edges are golden brown, flip over and cook for 30 more seconds

i cut the recipe in half and it made 3 medium sized tortillas