Planet Box Sale!!!

PlanetBox Sale!!!  We know a lot of you have kids and take your own lunches to work! Here are some great lunchboxes!

Starting today (2/11-2/18), PlanetBox is offering $14 off a "PlanetBox Rover Complete Set with Rocket Red Carry Bag" with the code: RED14 This code only applies towards orders placed between Feb 11 and Feb 18, 2014 with a Rover Complete Set with a Rocket Red Carry Bag.

Check out https://www.facebook.com/OrganizedBites for more information!

 

Sweet Potato Soup with Bacon

Thought I would share a recipe that is a favorite in the Helmer House.  Yup, lotta cooking going on by Max and Rachel Helmer these days and this is one that I've heard about on many of occasions.  Gotta be good right!  Sweet potato and bacon.  Everything is good with bacon.  Enjoy.

Sweet Potato Soup with Bacon By The Clothes Make the Girl 

Ingredients:
6 slices sugar-free, nitrate-free bacon (like this from US Wellness Meats)
1 onion, finely diced
1 teaspoons Ras el Hanout
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
dash cayenne pepper
5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 pounds sweet potatoes (2-3 large), peeled, quartered lengthwise, and sliced thin
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
garnish: fresh or dried chives

Directions:

1. Cut bacon into 1/4-inch slices and place in a cold soup pot. Heat the pot over medium-high heat and cook the bacon until it’s crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate covered with paper towels and set aside to drain and crisp.

2. Keep 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pan and discard the rest. Re-heat the fat over medium-high heat, then add the onions, Ras el Hanout, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, about 5-7 minutes. Toss in the garlic and stir, cooking until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Add the sweet potatoes, broth, and water to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes.

4. Working in batches and being careful (please be careful, friends!), purée the soup in a food processor or blender until it’s smooth. Return to the pot, taste, and adjust seasonings. Ladle into bowls, then sprinkle with a little bacon and chives. Both the bacon and soup hold up well in the fridge for a few days.

Serving Ideas
I ate mine at breakfast, just like described above, but you might want to try a few of these:
— serve in a shallow bowl and top with fried eggs
— make it dinner by topping with cooked ground beef, shredded chicken, or pulled pork
— drizzle with a little melted ghee and extra Ras el Hanout
— sprinkle the top with some crushed Savory Paleo Granola

Paleo Sheperds Pie

Made this last week for my family and I have to say that all but one loved it.  That is a four out of five.  I consider that a success!  It was my boy who is not a cauliflower lover so he just ate the meat mixture.  But, don't let the cauliflower stop you if you too are not a lover of cauliflower.  Pureed with some butter and it is delicious!  

This was a dish I ate a lot growing up and I missed very much.  So glad to find this Paleo version. I'm sure it would also be delicious with mashed sweet potatoes on top.  Be sure to taste the recipe as you prepare it.  Because of the broth and tomato paste this can increase the salt content in a hurry.  So you have to be sure when adding the salt to do it slowly and taste at the same time.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 pkg frozen cauliflower, cooked and drained
• 2 tablespoons fat (lard, tallow, ghee, coconut oil, etc)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground beef, lamb, or pork
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons fat (lard, tallow, ghee, etc)
• OPTIONAL BUT NOT WHOLE 30 APPROVED - ½ cup shredded grass fed cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 2-3 quart casserole dish and set aside.
2. Cook frozen cauliflower according to package directions and drain.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of fat in a large skillet or saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic and cook until beginning to soften, around 5 minutes.
4. Add the ground meat to the pan and cook until browned. Add beef broth as necessary to keep the mixture wet. Add the tomato paste, parsley and season with salt and pepper. Let simmer while you prepare the cauliflower topping.
5. To make the topping, put the drained and cooked cauliflower into a blender or food processor.  Add two Tbl of fat and season with salt and pepper.  Puree with a stick blender until smooth.
6. To assemble, spread the meat mixture on the bottom of the dish. Top with the cauliflower mixture and smooth with a spoon. Cover with shredded cheese, if using.
7. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is brown and bubbly. Serve warm.

Adapted from Sheperds Pie with Cauliflower Topping

Paleo Weight Loss Mistakes

Over the years my Paleo diet has changed many times.  At the beginning I made many mistakes and from what I have read these are pretty common mistakes when your goal is weight loss.  Here are some of the most common.

1.  PALEO-IZING EVERYTHING!  Just because you can "make it Paleo".  Doesn't mean it is good or healthy for you.  Paleo pizza, Paleo cupcakes, Paleo cookies.  You can pretty much make all of your previous unhealthy foods Paleo with a google search.  Don't eat these.

2.  TOO MANY NUTS!  A lot of people think they need a snack.  Most of us don't and even if you do, nuts should be eaten sparingly.  They are super calorie rich food and so easy to overeat.  A scant handful at most, one time per day is plenty.

3.  NOT ENOUGH SLEEP!  We all know how important sleep is, but for so many reasons a lot of us are not getting enough of it.  When you deprive yourself of sleep this can make everything seem more difficult.  Two areas we as crossfitters care alot about is workout recovery and our diet for performance.  Both of these are hampered by lack of sleep.  When we are tired we are less likely to reach for those healthy foods or take the time to prepare our meals.  So shoot for a minimum of 8 hours of sleep per night.

4.  TOO MANY CARBS!  Paleo is not a low carb diet.  But when weight loss is your goal you definitely have to be careful of your carbohydrate intake.  Stick with protein, green leafy vegetables, and a little healthy fat during meals.  Fruits and tubers should probably just be eaten around your workouts (pre and post WOD).  And for those of you who do Paleo with rice.  NO RICE when weight loss is your goal.  Rice has pretty much no nutritional value and converts to sugar very quickly.  Excess energy or sugar in our bodies turns to FAT.  

5.  BUT I'M PRIMAL, I CAN TOLERATE DAIRY!  Again another very calorie rich food and little nutritional value.  STAY AWAY FROM DAIRY when weight loss is the goal.

If you would like more information on common Paleo weight loss mistakes please check out the links below.

The Caveman's Fixes for 5 Paleo Mistakes

Top 5 Common Paleo Weight Loss Mistakes

17 Reasons You're Not Losing Weight

Everyday Paleo Mexican Beef Stew

For those of you who attended the Everyday Paleo Workshop you had a chance to sample this SUPER DELICIOUS and EASY recipe made my Sarah Fragoso.

Thank you to our South member Wendy Gilchrist for the photo.  She said it was delicious over a bed of spinach.

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs beef stew meat

1 small red onion, diced

1 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbl cumin

1/2 tsp chipotle powder

1 Tbl Oregano

2 tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

1- 4 oz diced green chiles

2 C beef broth

3/4 cup tomato sauce

DIRECTIONS

1.  Place beef, onion and garlic on bottom of slow cooker and turn on low.

2.  Add all spices and mix well.

3.  Add chiles, beef broth, and tomato sauce.  Mix well.

4.  Cook on low for 8 hours until beef is fall apart tender.

SEE!!!  SUPER EASY!

Balsamic Sirloin Tip Roast

I swear the clouds parted and the sun shone down on me when I ate this!  Enjoy!

Ingredients

 Approx 3 1/2 lbs of Sirloin Tri Tip Roast

3 Tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 1/2 Tbl Balsamic Vinegar

1 1/2 tsp dried Oregano

1 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1 1/2 Tbl fresh Rosemary, minced or 1 1/2 tsp dried, then crushed

3/4 tsp dried Thyme

1/3 tsp Black Pepper

3/4 tsp Sea Salt

Instructions

Place herbs and vinegar in a bowl.  Slowly pour olive oil in and whisk.  If you are doing this alone put a little olive oil in and a time and whisk.  If you have a partner have them pour and you whisk.  You want the oil and vinegar to blend well.

Set your roast on a platter or pan.  Brush the bottom and sides of the roast with marinade.  Pour the remaining marinade over the top.  Be sure to cover the roast completely with the marinade.  Let your roast sit on your counter top for one hour.  You want it to come to room temperature so that it cooks evenly.  If you are preparing this earlier in the day go ahead and put it in the fridge, just be sure to take it out as soon as you get home to give it some time to come closer to room temp.

Preheat your grill to 375 degrees.  Once you have the correct temperature on your grill go ahead and place  your roast in the middle of the grill.  Close lid and leave it alone for at least 40 minutes.  At 40 min mark go and check the roast's temperature.  You want it at 125 degrees for medium rare.  It can take up to an hour, be patient.  It is worth it.

Once it has reached your desired temperature be sure to let it rest on the cutting board for 5 to 10 minutes.  Cut into thin slices and serve.

We enjoyed it with some mashed cauliflower.

Kick Off Your Fit Challenge with a Pot of Everyday Paleo Scrumptious Slow Cooker Chicken

Today is the day!  First day of our New Year Fit Challenge!  Start your challenge off with a pot full of Everyday Paleo Scrumptious Slow Cooker Chicken.  Click the link to see the recipe.  It is quick, easy, and delicious.  You can even double the recipe for lunch leftovers or freeze half for later.  Remember if you have any questions or need any help during your Fit Challenge feel free to hit up a trainer or send us a message or comment on this blog.  A lot of times other members have the same questions and you would be helping out a whole host of people when you ask your question in the comments below.

Also, thank you to all who attended the Everyday Paleo Workshop on Saturday.  It was an amazing workshop.  We all learned that Paleo is way more than a diet.  It is a lifestyle.  You can have some success by following the "diet rules" of Paleo, but true success and health comes when you embrace all that goes into good health.  For those of you who did not attend here are a few things that are a must in your quest for optimal health.

1.  NUTRITION!!!  Paleo people!  Eat real whole food.  Eliminate grains, legumes, sugars, vegetable oils, and dairy.  Limit nuts, fruit, and booze.

2.  SLEEP!!!  Sleep people!  8 hours or more is optimal.  When you don't sleep, so much sucks.  Your workouts, your patience, your will power to handle cravings.  Get your sleep!

3.  STRESS!!!  Manage it, eliminate what you can, and don't sweat the small stuff.

4.  EXERCISE!!!  Do it responsibly and consistently.