Roasted Marinated Chicken

No. Not my Pecan Pie. This Paleo Genius' :)
I can't wait to try it. In 6 days.

I love roasting chicken. It's so easy. I mean, like seriously easy. This time I got a little fancy and marinated it a few hours before roasting, but the roasting itself is easy as pie. Well, maybe not that easy. Ever try making a pecan pie? It can get soupppyyy. (I feel like I should copyright that. Progressive, please don't sue me ;)

2 FOR 1!!! Parm-less Gluten Free Chicken "Parm" AND Slow Cooker Tomato Sauce Recipe

Yes, I understand that Chicken Parm should insinuate that there is Parmesan cheese smothered all over the top of this dish. And had I not been on the 21 Day Sugar Detox, there may have been. But I am, so I nixed the cheese. No big. Add it on it you want. But I think it's delish either way.

CSA SEASON! And Simple Slow Cooker Chicken

 

CSA Season is upon us!! I had my first pick up this Tuesday. Have you signed on yet? If not, it may not be too late. If there are no CSA's around you, look for your local farmers market. They may only run a few days a week, so make sure you schedule them in when to your weekly routine. Oh, wait a minute, you don't know what a CSA is? Well, let me explain :)

Almond Crusted Pork Chops

I read a really good article today. Well, it wasn't really an article. More of a post about a guy who was "pissed". And I totally get it. I'm pissed to.

Read his spin here.

Read my spin here...

Country Style Pork Ribs

I've been on a pork kick lately. Pork loin, pulled pork, baby back ribs, bacon... Mmm mm delicious! Ironically enough I really don't care for pork chops, although if it's bone in and grilled, I might make an exception. Just so hard to keep it moist! And flavorful... ideas??

For You && Mashed Celeriac

Friday conversation:

Me: I won't be there tomorrow, I'm headed down to the shore for the weekend.

Friend: It's gonna be nasty and raining, though

Me: I'd rather be down at the shore house when it's nasty and raining then sitting in my house when it's nasty and raining.

Friend: Good point.

PIZZA!

What is the number one thing people seem to hate about giving up grains? You might think bread, pasta, cereal, sandwiches..... NO! Pizza. Everyone wants pizza. Well, I'm here to tell you, you DON'T have to give up pizza. You just have to give up "conventional" pizza. And trade it in for something much much tastier.

Coconut Chicken Strips

Groundhog's Day. Another way of saying winter is well under way and spring, more importantly, summer, is on its way. Now here in the North east, and many parts of the country, winter has barely reared its ugly head! Which is perfectly fine with me. Our box is not heated, which is usually great at the end of the workout when you're all hot and sweaty, sometimes it really stinks if it's cold out and my toes/fingers get crazy cold! So personally, I'm all about the mild weather.

Okra with Tomatoes and Bacon

What is motivation?

Is it when a speaker gets up in front of a crowd and tells them that they great, amazing people that are capable of doing anything they set their mind to? Is it when your employer offers a good health plan? Does it come from posters on the wall touting a one word description of a person who climbed a mountain as an "achievement"?

After that speaker, did you set out to do whatever you set your mind to? Did you work harder because of your health plan? Did you set out to achieve more because someone climbed a mountain*?

Immune Health & London Broil

Are you one of the hundreds of thousands of people suffering from a head cold this season? Or how about allergies in the spring? Or summer? Or fall? Or indoor in the winter...? I'm betting somewhere in here you'll end up saying yes. If not, congrats, you are either following a paleo diet or Bruce Willis in "Unbreakable". Okay, maybe not that extreme, but how often to you think about how your diet is effect your immune health?

Brussels Sprouts and Bacon

Long time no type! Lots of changes in my world over the past month; new job, new apartment (in less than 2 weeks!), new car, new phone, school semester finishing... It's been a little hectic! The new job has me in the car all day and traveling overnight one day a week. Getting ready to move and finishing the school semester has put quite a crunch on time. Shall I mention that I recently ran the Philadelphia Marathon?!? It was a lot of fun; good "bucket list" item to have crossed off :)

Paleo Portuguese Kale Soup

What is that?!? Celery, silly! No, I did not take this picture, but I like this one because it shows you the coolest component of our recipe today. Celeriac, aka celery root, is a super delicious vegetable that lent itself exceptionally well to this soup. Sometimes I think the gnarliest looking foods make for the best!

Beef Medley

Let me start of with yes, I know white starchy potatoes don't have much of a place in Paleo cooking. However, I keep getting these gorgeous new potatoes from my CSA every pick up for the last month, and I can't throw them out (and I bet sweet potatoes would be a super sweet substitute :) So we finally got our first cold snap this afternoon (Fall is so close I can smell it!) and this recipe just seemed so fitting. Besides, for someone who's working out pretty intensely on a weekly basis would totally benefit from a protein-carb-fat dense meal such as this!

Beef Medley

Grass Fed Beef Heaven

So have we covered all the basics? Eat only food our earliest ancestors had access to; check. Walk around a lot; check. Sprint sometimes; check. Lift heavy things; check. Spend most of your time outdoors; check. Sleep long nights; check. Fabulous. Knowledge is power, people, and with a stronger understanding of why and how we can better ourselves we are more likely to do it. Who has cleaned up their diet? Who has taken a stroll outdoors? Who has made a commitment to 8 hours? I bet all of you have taken at least one step towards betterment. And It's okay if you haven't taken the plunge into all of them yet. Baby steps. We gotta crawl before we can walk.

Zzzzzsleep... Fennel & Cabbage Slaw

**YAWN** Sleep. Who doesn't love it? Remember when we were kids and we could sleep for hourssss?!? Or when we were in college and took naps like they were going out of style? So why is it that now, as adults, we are so deprived of sleep? We typically spend less than 7 hours sleeping at night, when we really should be getting 8 hours or more. Why? Well, where should I start? "Muscle repair, memory consolidation and release of hormones regulating growth and appetite" are the major phases the body goes through during sleep. But that's just the tip of the iceberg, my friends. It can help improve your mood and reduce stress, which is something more people in this world need.

Outdoors If You Do & Sauteed Mushrooms with Onions and Garlic

August is the time of year that reminds me of why I love the great outdoors so much. The temperatures are starting to give way in the morning and evening while remaining bright, sunny, and warm in the middle of the day. Fall crops are really taking hold and coming to the peak of their season. School is just a few weeks away and fall sports are starting, if not well into, their pre-seasons. So, fellow healthy-living enthusiast, stand up from your desks and couches, back away from your keyboards and remotes, turn off that AC and STEP OUTSIDE!

London Broil with Seared Swiss Chard

Perfect topic for tonight seeing as I just got off the phone with my brother and one of our discussions was about lifting. Being female, I apparently am not allowed to carry heavy boxes, move large shelving units, or slug bags of stone into customers vehicles. Well let me tell ya something, sweetheart, I lift weights as a hobby. Why? For starters, I enjoy the fact that I'm not helpless. If something is in my way, chances are, I can move it. If someone faints in front of me and they need to be picked up, I can move them. If I have children I will be able to pick them up and carry them whether they skin their knee or are being chased by a monster. And, on a final note, my physique is rather enviable (oops, is that a bit forward ;).

Time for You & Mexican Style Ground Turkey



When was the last time you did something for yourself? I mean really put everything aside, took some time out, and did something you enjoy doing, just for you? Today I took 2 hours out of my afternoon and laid on the hammock and read my book. Sure, I had other things I could have been doing such as bill paying, practicing my presentation for class, house cleaning, or even writing a post. But what does it all matter if you are so go-go-go all the time you can never stop to smell the flowers?

Stuffed Chicken with Savory Coconut Cauliflower

On the flip side of "can't" to "won't" to "will try", sometimes "can't" is okay. However, it's more of a "can't" to "shouldn't" to "can do this instead". Example? I ran a 5k this weekend. I started at the pace I usually do and quickly realized I was not going to be able to keep that pace. In a panic I almost stopped at about 1/2 a mile in. I could barely catch my breathe and my legs felt like rubber. However, not finishing was not an option for me. 

Maple Glazed Grilled Chicken with Grilled Sweet Potatoes and Zucchini

 For some of you CrossFit FiveStar followers, this post may look similar to one Shawn posted a little while back. It's about the word "can't". The word can't, otherwise known as cannot, is a just word, right? WRONG! It's a dirty word in disguise. It's an evil word masked behind a seemingly innocent word.