Bonjour mes Amis!

I'm Alive! Whew, been gone far too long but my oh my what an adventure it has been. About a month after my last post I was offered a position to sing in a music festival in France. So I upped and quite my job, hopped on a plane and spent the summer overseas.

Now I'm home and trying to re-acclimate to life here. I've scrounged up a few PT jobs (thankfully they're both pretty fun ones) and am slowly getting back to my old schedule. I haven't returned to CrossFit since moving home and that's pooey. I thought I would be back in the box the week after I got back but the laziness generated by temporary unemployment and a pansy-a$$ fear of having to start all over with my body conditioning have kept me from rolling up and getting down to the 3...2...1... "Excuses are a heavier burden than any barbell."

Good News: I've convinced my family to go Paleo for 3o days!!!!! They are on day 4 and dealing with it ok. The finite rules seems to be escaping them and they certainly aren't gung-ho about this but I think that as time progresses they will see that the food going in truly affects not just the waistline but the whole body.

Need some motivation? These guys seem pretty enthusiastic about what you eat.

So now that I'm home and no longer under the regime of evil firewall land, I hope you'll join me in continuing to reach for healthy goals and cooking up delicious things.

Who has a Fall/Winter goal to achieve?

Is it Friday yet? YES!!!

Seems I've let the bulk of the week go by with no posts. Corporate updated our Firewall at work and now none of us can access any of the fun sites and that includes no Blogger.com

I was horrified.

My favorite co-worker and I are seeking a way to circumvent this Berlin Wall of web communication: freedom will come soon my friends.

It's been a good week. Not that life has been amazing but more that I've been reaping the fruits of my efforts. The scale has moved down by 2lbs which has refreshed my fervor to attain my ultimate goal. I've also been making it a priority to get more sleep. #killyourtv has been a contributing factor plus I've been avoiding the interwebs directly before bed time. Having averaged 7 hours a night it has been so much easier to get up for my 5am WODS and face the work day.

The office staff is going out for lunch today on the company dime so I picked a steakhouse. It may not be grass-fed but alteast I managed to divert them away from talk of Hooters. Now how tacky would it be to order the filet mignon?

All the best: Go conquer the day!

Weekend Wrap-Up

It didn’t rain on Saturday. The weather was actually quite lovely. My knee-jerk reaction was that I should go out and work in the yard or go ahead and clean my car but (with a little help from Jeffrey) I stayed true to the plan.

By early afternoon we set to the task of re-creating Mark Sisson’s primal take on Boeuf Bourguignon. The only diversion from Julia Child’s original recipe is to substitute almond flour. We were also sure to use unsalted Kerrygold butter and grass-fed stew meat. Since J is not a fan of traditional bacon I bought beef bacon. It seemed to be a good substitute, though the product is far leaner than it's porky counterpart. Mid-cooking we made the unlucky discovery that the mushrooms I’d bought the day before had gone quite bad. Everyone at home forbade me to run out to the store (probably because I was supposed to be taking it easy?) so I was only able to include one third of the recipe’s actual mushroom requirement. In the end we had a delicious meal (I'm enjoying the leftovers right now *yum*). I do think it would have benefitted from more shrooms and I’d definitely use a low sodium beef broth next time. Another idea from the taste testers was to use a bit more butter in the cooking process and perhaps serve the dish alongside smashed cauliflower. As is, our meal was full-bodied and very satisfying. It was a lengthy process but not difficult. During the in-oven cooking time we all sat outside and played card games. It was such a wonderful day, as indulgent as the dinner. After such a luxurious weekend I have decided to make this a priority in the future. I’m so much more rested and Monday doesn’t feel like a slap in the face. Plus, the opportunity to play with more complicated recipes is very attractive. How did you spend your weekend?

Is Jason Voorhees a fan of Paleo?

It’s Friday the 13^th I wonder if Freddy Keugel will haunt my dreams?

“I see SAD people.”

All bad Paleo joking aside, Happy Friday! We’ve made it to the weekend; two whole days to do with as we like. Personally, my weekends tend to be a whirlwind of chores, church and social events. I rarely score a full 8 hours of rest each night and tend to bluster in to Monday quite fulfilled from the good times but partly drained by my whirling dervish ways.

It’s vitally important to embrace rest. Our society loves to compare accomplishments by way of self-flagellation. Have you ever noticed that if you casually mention you were up late the night before working on a project then someone is all too quick to retort “I only slept 3 hours last night, was cleaning my whole house and writing the next great American novel!”

Accomplishment is a wonderful thing. What are we here for if not to produce a product; be it a family or mastery of one’s chosen career? Every day I try to move forward, to improve my body, my mind and my relationships. I wasted too many years losing the days in a whirlwind of mindless television and binge eating. Today, I’m not perfect, but I am ever improving and having the most wonderful time. Each day is vital, a chance to evolve, and I keep that as encouragement not to lose momentum. Conversely, we can take that zeal too far.

Rest is essential. Our bodies require sleep to function at optimum levels. But beyond that, our brains need down time too. 8 hours in bed and 16 hours of cooking, cleaning, working, exercising, hand shaking, party hopping, baby wrangling…..it’s taxing! And day after day of this, even with RX’d sleep, will render you exhausted in many facets. Eventually we must be honest with ourselves. Productivity feels great but machines we are not. Be willing to say no. Admit that you need to skip a party to pull on your pj’s and read a book instead. Realize that a missed workout is not a terrible thing if it’s occasional. Allow yourself to be fragile at times.

Tomorrow in my region thunderstorms are predicted. Initially I furrowed my brow and pondered how it would affect my day’s flurry of planned activities. Now, I have resolved to rest. I’m ignoring my planner and instead it will be a day of slow movement and slow cooking. Yes, there are chores that need to be done and my car requires some serious cleaning out but so does my brain. It’s going to be a day of good music and quality time with the people in my life.

Whatever is on the books for you this weekend I hope you’ll grant yourself a few moments of stillness, then go conquer the world. Enjoy~*

And the winner is

ERIN!

Congratulations, you're the winner of FIVE packs of Grass-fed Paleo Stix from Steve's Original.

Thank you to everyone who entered and for your very kind comments, I hope you'll all feel welcome to keep chiming in feedback whenever you pop by.




Erin, please disclose your mailing address to me and your goodies will be on their way! operaismyopium@hotmail.com

Last Chance

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

I hope the weather is as gorgeously sunny where you are as it is for us. I ache to be outside 24/7 with these warm, breezy days. Never has the unnatural circumstance of a chair and fluorescent lights been more evident to me.


This is just a reminder that there is ONE DAY left to enter the FREE GIVEAWAY for Steve's Original Grassfed Paleo Stix. Just comment here and tomorrow I'll announce the lucky winner. No gimmicks, no mandatory blog following, just a thank you for popping by and a reminder that Girl Meats Paleo is now hanging about on Twitter.


Make this day a great one. Express gratitude to the people in your life, hug somebody, move your limbs and eat whole foods. Enjoy it~*

Chicken Tostadas

Still can't get the awesomeness of Jeffrey's Cinco de Mayo dinner off my mind. It was so delicious and satisfying. If you're craving a meal that is muy delicioso try this one out. There are a few steps but it's really worth the effort when the craving for a Mexi night comes along.


Tortillas (per tortilla, J prepared three):
2 heaping tablespoons/3 tablespoons of almond meal
2 egg whites
Olive oil

Combine almond flour and egg whites, slowly adding water and whisk until mixture is less than lumpy and not quite runny.
Pour a capful (J's favorite measuring implement) of oil into your skillet to lightly coat the surface
Once pan is warm add mixture and use a spatula to spread it thinly
After 1 minute on high heat, flip tortilla to other side
When golden brown on each side place on paper towel to cool
*these are heartier and will only become so thin, expect it to be more like a pancake's thickness which makes them perfect for those hearty toppings

The Yummy:
Whole chicken
1/2 white onion, julienned
1/2 each of a red, yellow and green bell pepper
8 0z (half carton) of sliced mushrooms, try button or baby bella
Red pepper flakes
Chili powder
Paprika
Fresh cilantro

Bake chicken, or grab a quick a rotisserie bird at the local store, then strip the meat excluding the breasts (save these for another meal)
In skillet, saute bell pepper medley, onions, and mushrooms until softened.
Add red pepper flakes, chili powder, paprika, and cilantro . These amounts are unspecified, cater them to your tastes. Now finish cooking the veggies before incorporating chicken meat for a final stir.

Assembly:
1/3 lb sliced Habanero cheddar cheese
fresh chives

Place tortillas on a baking sheet and top with half of the cheese
Pile on the chicken&veggie mixture then top with remaining cheese slices
Add a few long strands of chives and place in oven at 350 for 15 minutes or until cheese is well melted on top.

This recipe serves 3. We plated it along with a refreshing guacamole salad. The third tostada made for an excellent lunch the next day at work, it warmed-up fabulously. Enjoy~*