Bacon Jam

This is a guest post from my friend, Lynn.  I'll be making this one later this evening but I wanted to get this recipe up asap.

Paleo Bacon Jam

I attended the Babes with Barbells competition at Crossfit Thunder, and expected to spend the day cheering on my CFC girls.  Well- I ended up pinky promising someone that I would compete next year-(clearly that was a loss of rational thought) and I discovered Bacon Jam.  I should have asked for the recipe, but I found one, and tweaked it paleo and made it mine. This is what I did:

1 lb. Uncured Bacon
2 T of reserved Bacon grease
1 Vidalia Onion
2 bunches green onions
3 T. Garlic - the kind in a jar or 4 cloves- chopped fine
1 tsp. Chili Powder
1/2 TSP. Smoked Paprika
1 c. Maple Syrup
1/4 c. Balsamic Vinegar

I cooked the bacon under the broiler until moderately crispy.  Drain off the rest of the grease using paper towels.
Using your food processor, chop up the onion and green onions.  In a frying pan (or the frying pan if that's how you did your bacon) combine the reserved grease and processed onions.  Cook on medium until they start to carmelize.  Add garlic and cook another minute or so.  Add the spices and syrup.  Cook another few minutes being sure to scrape the pan.  Add the vinegar.
Tear up the bacon into pea sized pieces and toss it into the pan.  Stir it up and cook for another few minutes. Turn off the stove top and drain if you have any standing grease.  Transfer to a container or jar and store in the refrigerator.

Heat up just the portion that you are using for a few seconds in the microwave.  Be creative.  This stuff is good on meats and veggies.  I think I could eat it by the spoonful.  :)

Butternut Squash with Cranberries and Pecans

We had such a BLAST in Charlotte this week for the NPGL Quarterfinals and Semifinals. Congratulations to all the teams - they played their hearts out. HUGE congratulations to the San Francisco Fire ( and GER!) for winning both their matches!  The finals are fast approaching.

I cut a medium sized butternut squash into large chunks - I think there were 9.  I scooped out the seeds with a spoon.  Then I placed them in a large pan, covered them with water, and put a lid on them to boil until tender when stuck with a fork, but not too mushy. I wanted them to hold their shape a little. 

Next, I poured off the hot water and covered them with cool water.  I took each chunk and easily cut way the skin with a paring knife. I cut the large chunks into bite-sized chunks and put them in a mixing bowl. 

I added:

 1/4 cup roasted pecans (10 minutes at 350 degrees)

1/4 cup sugar-free ( or reduced sugar) cranberries

2 TBSP butter

2 TBSP Cherry Balsamic Vinegar (Pampered Chef link has a great one. So does Flying Olive)

I stirred things up gently and shared it with a friend in the hospital. Delicious! 

Ground Pork and Bacon Meatballs with Bell Pepper and Zucchini over Spaghetti Squash and Sauce

This is a guest blog recipe from my dear friend Kim. She shared this recipe with me over the summer - those meatballs are so interesting. Don't just take my word for it - try it AND check out her Crossfit/clean-eating progress at the bottom of the post. Healthy choices can literally save lives. Love you, Kim!

Kim says:

Dinner tonight is Ground Pork and Bacon Meatballs with Bell Peppers, Zucchini over Spaghetti Squash with sauce. 

Meatballs - 
1 lbs ground pork
1 lbs ground bacon
Sea salt & Pepper to your taste w/ fresh diced garlic clove finely diced. Mix together and roll into balls. Place in skillet with coconut oil (just enough oil to cover bottom of skillet) and cook until light brown.
(grind bacon with a grinder or a food processor OR ask your butcher to do it for you)

Spaghetti Squash -
Cut S. Squash in half long ways and place cut side down on a cookie sheet with 1/4 inch water, place in oven at 325 for 30 mins or until skin is easily pierced with fork. After squash is cooked set aside to cool. 

Zucchini & Bell Peppers-
Cut zucchini in round disc and peppers into strips and place in skillet over meatballs and steam them until tender while meatballs finish cooking.

Sauce -

Make your favorite tomato sauce to pour on top.

I place peeled tomatoes, pure tomato paste, onions, & carrots, sea salt & garlic clove, in a blender until smooth and thick then heat in sauce pan.

Place cooked Spaghetti Squash on plate spoon meatballs, zucchini, peppers and sauce on top. 
ENJOY!!

Kim started at Crossfit Countdown in May of 2012.  Do you think Kim has made amazing progress? We all do!

Paleo Blueberry Dutch Baby

I've been developing and tweaking this recipe for months and this morning it seems JUST RIGHT. #worththewait  #gersgonnalovethisone
 This is a paleo version of a German pancake, also called a Dutch Baby, or a Dutch Puff. Mine doesn't "puff" as much as the ones I used to make but hey, I'm not using sugar and flour here, right? I'm using organic maple syrup and recovery protein and fresh eggs and that's BETTER. I think Ger will love this one when me or Cassie make it for him. (She's such a good cook.)

I heated up the oven to 425 degrees.

I put 2 TBSP grass fed butter into my cast iron skillet and set it into the oven for a few minutes as the oven was heating, just to warm the skillet up and melt the butter.  I took the skillet out and tilted it until the butter had covered the bottom of the skillet.

I poured 2 cups frozen organic blueberries into the skillet and spread them out and let this wait while I quickly whisked up the batter.

I whisked these ingredients together in a small mixing bowl:

2 eggs
1/2 cup coconut milk (from a can)
1/3 cup recovery protein (I used TEN Institute, I've also used SFH and Progenex in this recipe)
3 TBSP organic maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla
1 TBSP cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch of sea salt

I poured the batter over the blueberries in the skillet and slid it into the oven.

I baked it for 20 minutes and then took it out and let it sit for 5 minutes before cutting it. It was puffed up some and then deflated a little and curled away from the edge of the skillet - this is a good thing!

It was just amazing with bacon and coffee with coconut oil and butter.
Let me know what you think. I want to make an apple one soon with thin slices of apple laid around the skillet........

Pineapple Turmeric Smoothie

Anti inflammatory. Pain reducing. Bromelain-containing. This smoothie is one of my recipes that tries to get some healthy nutrients together in a delicious way. I make this smoothie now with SFH protein so that I have the most muscle-soreness fighting concoction I can come up with all in one glass. But use whatever protein you like. I've had my SFH for 3 days so it's early for me to tell.... and Dr. Michael Brock says they are awesome.

I buy fresh pineapple and cut it into chunks. I bag the chunks in 1/4 cup servings and put in the freezer. That way I am ready to make a smoothie any time.

I put the following items into the blender (or a large food processor):

1/4 cup fresh pineapple, frozen
1/4 cup coconut milk (I use organic from a can, but chilled in the fridge)
1/4 cup coconut water (I use plain; flavored will give you more flavor in your smoothie)
1 scoop protein (FSH vanilla or TEN Institute)
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 ice cubes (optional)

So, if you are feeling your recent dead lift PR, or your squat cycle, or all those snatches, roll out, and fuel up!

Pumpkin Raisin Haystacks

I made my Paleo Haystacks this morning and bagged up some for people at CFC. It made me think about doing a new version - I wanted a Haystack that was full of fall fabulosity with pumpkin, cinnamon, and raisins.
They are so good and I hope you try them and love them, too! You'll love how fast they are to whip up.


I put in a medium saucepan on the stove:

 1/3 cup Tropical Traditions gold label coconut oil, (tropicaltraditions.com)
1/3 cup raw honey, (or local honey, or agave nectar)
 1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup organic pumpkin
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

I turned it on medium heat and stirred until it boiled, then made sure to stir and boil it for another minute.
I took it off the heat and added:

 1/3 cup organic peanut butter
1 tsp real vanilla.

I stirred until it was mixed well.

I added and stirred:
 2 cups Unsweetened Organic Coconut Chips (nuts.com)
1/3 cup organic raisins


I used a cookie scoop from Pampered Chef to quickly put the "haystacks" out onto wax paper that was  on a cookie sheet. Then I popped them into the refrigerator.
Delicious!

Lisbeth caught the San Francisco Fire's first GRID match and sent me this awesome photo of her and Ger.