Cherry Balsamic Blood Orange Chicken Tenders

I put 2 tsp coconut oil into a large skillet.

I added 1 package of organic chicken tenders.

I sprinkled them with:
smoked sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
smoked paprika
turmeric
basil
I cooked them on medium heat, turning them now and then. They took less than 15 minutes.

When they were done I drizzled about 1 tsp of Flying Olive Blood Orange Olive Oil and 1 TBSP Flying Olive Cherry Balsamic Vinegar.  (You can experiment here with other infused flavor combinations...)
I stirred and turned them over as these last two ingredients made a thickened bit of glaze on the chicken. 
It was heavenly.

Here's a selfie of me and Mikko. We love to watch all the action at the box, especially with only 3 weeks until Regionals 2015.

Sriracha Lime Roasted Cauliflower and Zucchini

I ordered salt from salttraders.com again recently for my favorite salt in the world, Cherry Wood Smoked Sea Salt. I also picked up a new one, Sriracha Lime Salt. As soon as I tasted it, I wanted to try this recipe. It was swallowed right up! Ger like that kick that this fine salt brings. (Salt Traders even sent me a jar of Guava Wood Smoked Sea Salt as a thank you for singing their praises - just another reason to love them!)

People who don't love cauliflower should roast it. Like most vegetables, roasting cauliflower in coconut oil brings out the carmelized richness, almost a sweetness to it. It's so good for you it's worth finding ways to love it.

 I preheated my oven to 425 degrees.
Next, I covered a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. I rubbed coconut oil on that.

I took a huge head of organic cauliflower and cut it up into bite-sized pieces. 
I cut 3 small zucchini into big bites.
I put all of this on the cookie sheet and added 1 heaping TBSP of melted coconut oil. I mixed this up with my hands and then spread the pieces out.

I sprinkled them with:

1  1/2 tsp Sriracha Lime Salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika 
  freshly ground black pepper.

I roasted them for 25 minutes. Perfection!

Honey Lime Shrimp

Shea agreed to share with us how she makes this incredibly easy shrimp. It's good!

"Ingredients:
1 bag of medium frozen raw shrimp
1/4 of medium white onion
1/4 cup of honey (raw or local)
1 large lime
Sea salt and garlic powder or fresh garlic to taste (I totally didn't measure)
Tiny bit of Olive oil or coconut oil

So this is the easiest, quickest thing ever. It's really light and could go on top of a salad or stand alone with a side. I had it with spaghetti squash au gratin.
I thawed the shrimp (in COLD water) and cut up the onion. Once it was thawed, I put a skillet on medium heat and put in just enough oil to cover the pan (I don't like my shrimp greasy) and added the honey so it would mix better. Once hot, I added the onion, shrimp, salt and garlic. I stirred it around and once the shrimp was pink on both sides, I squeezed both sides of the lime into the skillet. Cooked it a little longer (it only took like 7 minutes....if that, total). And that's it!!  Super simple and yummy."

I've been looking at Shea's photos on FB to pick one out to share with you here - hard to decide...a Crossfit pic? One where she looks amazing, with her husband, Josh? How about both?

     

That shrimp looks good on you, Shea.

Bacon Wrapped Banana with Dark Chocolate

I love feeding my kids. I always ask them what they'd like to have next time they eat a big meal because I see what they want again, what are becoming new favorites. Earlier this week when I'd told them I had beef short ribs to cook,  Ger had asked for kale chips, Cassie'd asked for sweet potato fires and mashed baby red potatoes, and Isaac? Well, he wanted my Bacon Wrapped Banana but he wanted them covered in dark chocolate. I thought all of these were great ideas! Here's how I made the Bacon Wrapped Banana with Dark Chocolate:

I cut a package of bacon in half with scissors.
I peeled and cut 4 organic bananas into pieces the size of a date. (maybe 5-6 pieces in a banana, depending on its size. It's usually 24 pieces of bacon so you could make 4 bananas into 8 pieces each, or 3 bananas into 8 pieces each - make it work)
I put parchment paper on a baking sheet.
I wrapped each banana piece in a half-piece of bacon and placed it on the baking sheet with the end of the bacon tucked under. (so they wouldn't unwrap... if yours are stubborn, use toothpicks)

I put them into a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes. Then, the bacon seemed to need 3 minutes under the broiler. (Yours might be ok. I think it would depend on the bacon... this was thick and right off the farm!)

While they were cooking I melted  1/2 tsp coconut oil, a dash of sea salt, and 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips in a small bowl that I sat in a skillet of water, warming it until the chocolate melted while being stirred. You could use the microwave, but I never do. 
When the bacon wrapped banana came out from under the broiler, I let them cool. Then I poured the melted chocolate over them. 
Great idea, Isaac!

Crock Pot Beef Short Ribs Paleo

Ger and Cassie ate a massive dinner last night. These grass fed beef short ribs were my first from Tropical Traditions and they turned out next level delicious. I hope you try this great way to appreciate prepping your Crock Pot.

I rubbed the inside of my slow cooker with coconut oil.
I diced a large white onion and put it in the bottom of the slow cooker.
I laid out 4+ lbs of beef short ribs and sprinkled them with:
    1/4 tsp red pepper
    1 tsp Garlic Gold nuggets
    1 tsp smoked paprika
    1 tsp smoked sea salt (Salt Traders)
    1/2 tsp basil    1/2 tsp turmeric
    freshly ground black pepper

Next, I placed the ribs onto the layer of onion. It was a couple of layers.

In a medium bowl, I stirred up:
1 15 oz can of organic tomatoes
1 6 oz can of tomato paste (read your labels - you don't want hidden sugar in these cans!)
2 TBSP balsamic vinegar 
1/4 cup raw or local honey

I poured this sauce over the ribs and put on the lid. I cooked it on low for 9 hours.

Mikko loved the bones.  

Artichoke Grass Fed Skillet

While I PRed my 5k row on Saturday (26:20, not bad for this old gal!) I watched the Crossfit Countdown beasts do some banded dead lifts and then dead lifts off the blocks. It was something to behold - the way they encouraged each other, laughed, and worked so hard. They encourage me in ways they don't even know about.

I put these ingredients into a skillet over medium heat:

1 small yellow onion, diced
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced thin
1 TBSP coconut oil

I cooked this until soft.
I added 2  lbs of grass fed burger to the skillet and browned that. (If you don't feed as many hungry Crossfit bodies as I do, this recipe works fine with 1 lb)

When the burger was browned, I simply added:

1 jar pasta sauce (one with no sugar - read labels!)
2 small jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained (glass jars retain a better texture than cans)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup organic raisins (yes, raisins)
1 TBSP Garlic Gold nuggets (if you'd rather use fresh minced garlic, throw it with the carrots and onion at the beginning)
1/2 tsp basil1 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

This cooked over medium heat until everything was warmed. 

When Fight Gone Bad Went Bad

My first Fight Gone Bad went…..bad. Really bad. I think my score was maybe 17.  I fell backwards off a box jump and put my hands back. It was a concrete floor, no mats - it was before Crossfit Countdown opened.  I broke BOTH bones in BOTH wrists and my tailbone. My elbows were only bruised and my head missed a kettle bell by inches. 

As I realized Fight Gone Bad was still going on around me, I brought my wrists into my body…automatically. Not a good idea. That was the worst part. I…flapped…an inch and a half above my wrists. 

Needless to say, I messed up a lot of people’s workouts that day and while I waited for the EMTs, I kept crying and saying, “I’m sorry, Ger. I’m so sorry.” He must have thought I was crazy but I thought for sure no one would want to be coached by him ever again. I’m so glad that wasn’t the case.

That was over 3 years ago and I learned some things from the experience:

1. I was exhausted. I wasn’t listening to my body. (I was supposed to fly to Florida the next morning and wasn’t packed but I wanted to get one more WOD in before I left.)
2. I wasn’t paying attention. I wasn’t focused on the WOD even though I knew I should leave any stresses or worries at the bay door.
3. I shouldn’t have tried to go from an 18 inch box jump to a 20 right before Fight Gone Bad.
4. I learned to focus more on, and eventually love, endurance WODs.

Hindsight is 20/20. Take my advice:

 Listen.

 Pay attention.

 Leave your stress at the door. 

Also, when your OTs tell you to go home and sit down because you have osteoporosis and are breakable, go back to Crossfit ASAP. You might progress farther than you could imagine.  I know I did. (My left wrist is weird-looking and one bone is too long, but I get by)

Thanks, Ger. 

Love, 

mom