I really like to think I am but I'm woman enough to admit that I'm not. At least not all the time. The other day I had to do top load deadlifts. I'm pretty sure I mentioned them. You start with the bar at your thigh and work down then back up twice. Touch and go. Do this 7 times at 190#. Well, 190 for me, based on percentage. Yeah, it's a lot and no I've never done them before. I may have also mentioned that I knew my form wasn't great at that weight and my back will pay the price, well, two days later here I am still paying the price. Sigh. I do feel much better today and actually got a nice little wod done including a few 400m runs since it is actually sunny and somewhat warmish today. Yesterdays mental health day really helped. Bud was at school all day and I did nothing which was as awesome as it sounds.
Well my little guy is sick again thanks to his little girlfriend at school. He came home the other day and say Jackie coughed all over me. Great. Just great. I'm keeping my fingers crossed patient X keeps his little booger fingers to himself and doesn't spread the sickness to the rest of us.
I'm proud to say that Bob and I are still sticking to the 'you'll eat what we eat for dinner' or at the very least, you'll try a piece. My daughter is making progress, she's at least not fighting me about it anymore and realized she actually likes pork. My son still refuses most nights and would rather not eat at all. He'll come around eventually once he realizes he has no choice anymore. Must. Stick. With. It. They do get their 'free meals' where they can pick. Only a few times and usually when Bob will be home late or if we are eating seafood. I'm giving them a pass on trying seafood for now. At least until they realize meat, pork and turkey are good for them and they shouldn't be afraid of it. I recently read an article on MDA about getting kids to eat primal, or healthier. They say get the kids involved in the whole process. Shopping, cooking etc. I've tried that and it didn't work for me. Maybe I'll try it again now that they are a little older.
Not much else going on. Going thru a little Dexter withdraw. Tends to happen when you watch 7 years worth of shows every day for the past 3 months. Now we're back to either watching previous seasons of Breaking Bad or hoping the evil red machine (Netflix) will decide to send us good movies.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Recipe: Crock Pot Chicken Stock
Lets be honest, it's not hard to make broth, but it is hard to make it taste good. Now that I've got the bone broth recipe down, I had an idea which made the hamster wheel start turning. Why wouldn't I use the same method to make chicken broth? Duh. In the past I've always just thrown the carcass in a huge stock pot, covered it with water added some salt and pepper and boiled it to death for a few hours. Sound familiar? This time I dragged my frozen carcass and leftover legs out, threw them in the crock along with some veggies and herbs and let it simmer for about 30 hours. Wow. What an unbelievable difference. And the color was almost as dark and rich as the beef broth. What a fool I've been not to do this sooner.
Crock Pot Chicken Stock
makes approx 11 cups
1 leftover roaster chicken (bones, fat, skin, meat)
*plus 6-7 leftover frozen chicken legs or other parts
1 medium carrot or handful of baby carrots
2 celery stalks, halved
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 large onion
1/2 tsp peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp dried thyme
2 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp kosher salt
Throw all ingredients together in a crock pot. Cover with water. Cook on low for at least 24 hours. Once finished strain and pour into jars or containers and refrigerate or freeze. Again as with the beef broth, I salt to taste as needed for use. Don't forget to let the broth cool for a day in the fridge then remove the fat layer BEFORE freezing.
You can see in the picture the fat that formed on top after a few days. Let it go until you need to open it. The fat keeps it 'sealed'.
Another note worth mentioning. The night I made the roaster, I picked it pretty clean of chicken for leftovers and put it in a ziploc bag, including the onion, parsley and rosemary sprigs and garlic that was still in the cavity. I did remove the lemon since I tried making stock with the lemon before and I wasn't too thrilled with the taste. The carcass ended up in the freezer for a few days until Ihad time err, remembered that it was in there. I also had a few leftover chicken leg bones in the freezer from a different recipe, Nom Nom's Phenomenal Green Chicken. Why am I saving half eaten food? Because MDA pointed it out. If you're a stock maker, always save bones in the freezer until you have enough. So I am. I'm a good little recycler. (that was one of my New Year's non resolutions) Although, if someone has scurvy while eating said chicken parts, I would feed them to the trash can.
If you have the time and leftover random chicken bones, I would definitely use this stock to make the Escarole soup. I would hate for the soup to turn out just OK because of tasteless store bought broth.
makes approx 11 cups
1 leftover roaster chicken (bones, fat, skin, meat)
*plus 6-7 leftover frozen chicken legs or other parts
1 medium carrot or handful of baby carrots
2 celery stalks, halved
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 large onion
1/2 tsp peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp dried thyme
2 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp kosher salt
Throw all ingredients together in a crock pot. Cover with water. Cook on low for at least 24 hours. Once finished strain and pour into jars or containers and refrigerate or freeze. Again as with the beef broth, I salt to taste as needed for use. Don't forget to let the broth cool for a day in the fridge then remove the fat layer BEFORE freezing.
You can see in the picture the fat that formed on top after a few days. Let it go until you need to open it. The fat keeps it 'sealed'.
Another note worth mentioning. The night I made the roaster, I picked it pretty clean of chicken for leftovers and put it in a ziploc bag, including the onion, parsley and rosemary sprigs and garlic that was still in the cavity. I did remove the lemon since I tried making stock with the lemon before and I wasn't too thrilled with the taste. The carcass ended up in the freezer for a few days until I
If you have the time and leftover random chicken bones, I would definitely use this stock to make the Escarole soup. I would hate for the soup to turn out just OK because of tasteless store bought broth.
Recipe: Escarole Soup
Coming from an Italian family, escarole soup or Italian Wedding Soup was one of my favorites growing up. Well, to be honest, I only ate the meatballs and drank the broth. Floating eggs and green stuff? No way. But as I got older I learned to appreciate it and now come to think of it as one of my many Sunday dinner comfort foods my grandmother used to make.
Traditional escarole soup is chicken broth base, escarole greens, mini beef/pork/lamb meatballs and eggs mixed with parmesan. There are tons of other versions that include orzo, white beans and even shredded chicken. None of them compare, but to each his own. For our purposes, we will leave out the evil grains and beans. And for those of you who are strict paleo, leave out the parmesan if you must. I wouldn't but I'm a recovering cheese addict therefore my opinion is a tad bias. Also, if you don't have ground pork and lamb, plain ground beef or turkey will work just as well.
Escarole Soup
For the meatballs
1 1/2 lbs beef/pork/lamb mix
1/2 large onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan (leave out if your paleo strict)
1 egg, beaten
Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl and shape into mini meatballs. Very mini, no wider than a quarter. Place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Bake for about 15 minutes. (I actually made about 30 mini meatballs then made about 10 extra regular size to keep in the fridge as protein snacks)
For the soup
1 head escarole, rinsed and chopped into bite size pieces
8 cups chicken stock*
2 eggs beaten
salt & pepper to taste
In a large pot boil the escarole in salted (just a shake or two) water for 15 minutes. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the water. (this will kill some of the bitter taste) If you don't mind it or don't have time, it's ok to skip that part. In same pot fill with chicken stock, reserved water, escarole and cooked meatballs. Bring to a rolling boil then slowly pour in the beaten eggs in a circle. Let the eggs rise to the top then gently break up large clumps with a spoon. Don't mash them to death, just break them up. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. The longer you let it sit the better. So if you say, have a wod to do and it ends up being 45 minutes, (poor you) it's ok to let the soup lightly simmer.
In the glory days I would have served it with a nice heaping piece of crusty baguette but, times have changed. For most of us Crossfitters, it probably won't be enough to eat alone as a main meal unless you're looking to go light that particular day. I mean, what soup is that filling that doesn't have cream or cheese or potatoes in it? So I would probably serve it as a side or starter along with a nice lean piece of meat or seafood.
*The chicken stock was homemade in this case. I suggest either making your own or buying a brand that can really stand up to the mug test. If you can't heat broth up in a mug and drink it alone, you shouldn't be cooking with it. And certainly not making soup with it. I'll post the chicken stock recipe later today or tomorrow if I get a chance.
Traditional escarole soup is chicken broth base, escarole greens, mini beef/pork/lamb meatballs and eggs mixed with parmesan. There are tons of other versions that include orzo, white beans and even shredded chicken. None of them compare, but to each his own. For our purposes, we will leave out the evil grains and beans. And for those of you who are strict paleo, leave out the parmesan if you must. I wouldn't but I'm a recovering cheese addict therefore my opinion is a tad bias. Also, if you don't have ground pork and lamb, plain ground beef or turkey will work just as well.
Escarole Soup
For the meatballs
1 1/2 lbs beef/pork/lamb mix
1/2 large onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan (leave out if your paleo strict)
1 egg, beaten
Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl and shape into mini meatballs. Very mini, no wider than a quarter. Place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Bake for about 15 minutes. (I actually made about 30 mini meatballs then made about 10 extra regular size to keep in the fridge as protein snacks)
For the soup
1 head escarole, rinsed and chopped into bite size pieces
8 cups chicken stock*
2 eggs beaten
salt & pepper to taste
In a large pot boil the escarole in salted (just a shake or two) water for 15 minutes. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the water. (this will kill some of the bitter taste) If you don't mind it or don't have time, it's ok to skip that part. In same pot fill with chicken stock, reserved water, escarole and cooked meatballs. Bring to a rolling boil then slowly pour in the beaten eggs in a circle. Let the eggs rise to the top then gently break up large clumps with a spoon. Don't mash them to death, just break them up. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. The longer you let it sit the better. So if you say, have a wod to do and it ends up being 45 minutes, (poor you) it's ok to let the soup lightly simmer.
In the glory days I would have served it with a nice heaping piece of crusty baguette but, times have changed. For most of us Crossfitters, it probably won't be enough to eat alone as a main meal unless you're looking to go light that particular day. I mean, what soup is that filling that doesn't have cream or cheese or potatoes in it? So I would probably serve it as a side or starter along with a nice lean piece of meat or seafood.
*The chicken stock was homemade in this case. I suggest either making your own or buying a brand that can really stand up to the mug test. If you can't heat broth up in a mug and drink it alone, you shouldn't be cooking with it. And certainly not making soup with it. I'll post the chicken stock recipe later today or tomorrow if I get a chance.
Monday, February 25, 2013
OK winter, I'm done with you
I need warm sunshine to get me out of this funk. It has to be the weather right? Seasonal affective disorder? What is the cure for that anyway? Oh right, summer.
Yesterday was a chilly 45 degrees and my rest day. Bob took the girl on a muddy 10 mile bike riding adventure in the woods and my son was doing his usual, playing Legos and making pretend You Tube videos. OK, yard work here I come. And while I only put a minor dent in the yard, I noticed the tulips are starting to bud. So between that and The Masters and NCAA tournament talk ramping up, it's a good sign spring is finally on the way.
Workouts have been ok. Seems like I ended up in a deload week last week. Not by design but I guess my body needed it. I did put my fair share of work in 5 days out of 7 but I didn't bust my ass doing strength and a metcon each day. Not sure why, like I said, I'm in a funk. Today's wod was a suck fest for me. Top load deadlifts and 7/2 min amrap of double unders, pull ups and burpees. Yeah, like I said, suck fest. The deadlifts were hard at 190# and my back was paying the price with the weak form. I've never tried 2 rep touch and go with that much weight let alone starting from the top and dropping down. Tough on the grip. I managed 3 out of 7 then lowered to 155# to practice more on form. My back wasn't very happy with me this morning as it was but now it's angry. My cash out will be sitting on the heating pad for a bit.
I know there are plenty of mixed reviews on heat vs ice for sore muscles but for me, the heating pad works best for lower back pain. It's not only comforting, but it keeps me loose so I can roll it out. Ice does or did help my shoulder pain so I get the pros and cons of both. Honestly though, you can tell me until you're blue in the face heat is bad and causes inflammation, I still won't stop using the heating pad. I'm stubborn and always right. At least in my head.
Got a new recipe in the works for Wednesday. Well, not a new one per se. But an old recipe I haven't made in a very long time that is primal friendly. I won't say paleo since it's best served with parm, although you can remove it. Anyway, an old Italian comfort food will be coming your way.
Speaking of recipes I tried The Domestic Man's russian beef patty thing last week. Now, the picture look less than appealing and hell, the idea of it is even less than less than appealing BUT it tastes great. It's relatively easy to make and most people probably have all the ingredients already. Hence the reason I even made it. That and the fact that Bob suggested it. He's been right on the money so far. Anyway, if you can get past the words 'beef cutlet' then go for it. It was a nice surprise.
Yesterday was a chilly 45 degrees and my rest day. Bob took the girl on a muddy 10 mile bike riding adventure in the woods and my son was doing his usual, playing Legos and making pretend You Tube videos. OK, yard work here I come. And while I only put a minor dent in the yard, I noticed the tulips are starting to bud. So between that and The Masters and NCAA tournament talk ramping up, it's a good sign spring is finally on the way.
Workouts have been ok. Seems like I ended up in a deload week last week. Not by design but I guess my body needed it. I did put my fair share of work in 5 days out of 7 but I didn't bust my ass doing strength and a metcon each day. Not sure why, like I said, I'm in a funk. Today's wod was a suck fest for me. Top load deadlifts and 7/2 min amrap of double unders, pull ups and burpees. Yeah, like I said, suck fest. The deadlifts were hard at 190# and my back was paying the price with the weak form. I've never tried 2 rep touch and go with that much weight let alone starting from the top and dropping down. Tough on the grip. I managed 3 out of 7 then lowered to 155# to practice more on form. My back wasn't very happy with me this morning as it was but now it's angry. My cash out will be sitting on the heating pad for a bit.
I know there are plenty of mixed reviews on heat vs ice for sore muscles but for me, the heating pad works best for lower back pain. It's not only comforting, but it keeps me loose so I can roll it out. Ice does or did help my shoulder pain so I get the pros and cons of both. Honestly though, you can tell me until you're blue in the face heat is bad and causes inflammation, I still won't stop using the heating pad. I'm stubborn and always right. At least in my head.
Got a new recipe in the works for Wednesday. Well, not a new one per se. But an old recipe I haven't made in a very long time that is primal friendly. I won't say paleo since it's best served with parm, although you can remove it. Anyway, an old Italian comfort food will be coming your way.
Speaking of recipes I tried The Domestic Man's russian beef patty thing last week. Now, the picture look less than appealing and hell, the idea of it is even less than less than appealing BUT it tastes great. It's relatively easy to make and most people probably have all the ingredients already. Hence the reason I even made it. That and the fact that Bob suggested it. He's been right on the money so far. Anyway, if you can get past the words 'beef cutlet' then go for it. It was a nice surprise.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Recipe: Beef Bone Broth
If you don't have mason jars, go to the store and buy a case of them. They are cheap and will come in handy more than you think. Otherwise, start saving your salsa and pickle jars people.
Beef Bone Broth
makes 1 batch or approx. 3- 24oz mason jars
2 marrow bones, approx 2-3lbs
1 yellow onion, cut in half with skin on
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 celery stalks, with leaves, chopped in half
2 medium carrots, cut in half
2 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1 tbsp dried)
2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tbsp dried)
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp peppercorns
1 tbsp kosher salt
Throw everything in the crock and fill to the top with water. To make it easier on yourself, don't worry about peeling the onion, garlic or carrot. I would however rinse off the celery. Everything will be strained out later anyway.
Keep crock on high until it starts to boil then reduce heat to low. If you're doing this before work or you won't be home later, just set it to low. Let it cook a minimum of 24 hours. I've made about 8 batches now and the longer it cooks, the better. I usually keep it going for at least 36 hours.
Once it's finished, pull out the bones, you can and should reuse them one more time. Strain broth thru a fine mesh strainer and throw away all cooked veggies and herbs. At this point I usually taste but do NOT adjust for salt. It's easier to adjust the salt (if needed) on demand say per cup, or within a recipe. I don't like to risk over salting, because once you do, there's no going back. Don't ruin 2 days worth of work.
Pour broth into mason jars leaving a little room at the top. Keep the lid off and let them cool for a few hours before putting them in the fridge. Do not skim the fat, this will 'seal' it for refrigeration. You can store the jars in the fridge for a few weeks unopened. Once opened, I would use within the week. And when you open them for use, poke a hole in the fat and pour thru a strainer again. MDA says to save the solid fat to cook with. I've used it once and wasn't terribly crazy about it, but you may like it. I store mine in a jar in the fridge as backup just in case.
If you plan on freezing, pour the broth into plastic containers. If you're like me and have leftover large ricotta or wonton soup containers from the good ole days, they work fine. Again, fill and let cool. This time I would recommend letting them cool in the fridge until the fat solidifies on top, then carefully remove it before freezing. It will save you a lot of messy fatty hassle when you reheat later.
*If you're reusing the bones, and you should, just add fresh veggies and herbs. The second batch is just as good and less fatty.
I found not only is drinking the broth good for you, it's awesome for days you want to IF and need to take the edge off the hunger. Trust me, some days I can go without eating and not even think about it, but other days I can't get thru a few hours and the broth is nice to have at that point.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
No, that was no fun
I'm still scared of 24" box jumps. I can't get over it. I had to do burpee box jumps today and I could not get them properly with any consistency. They were more of a jumping step up... most of them anyway. I thought about just taking it down to 20" but I was almost finished at that point and said to myself just suck it up you big sissy! Sigh. It seems like I have to start over again at 20" to get my confidence back. The brain is a tricky little muscle and sometimes works against me.
The rest of the wod was pretty crappy as well. It was only like, 1 minute on 30 second rest, 1:30 minute on 30 second rest, 2 min etc... for 3 rounds which seems doable and really, not that terrible. You'de think I would know by now. It was a sneaky little wod. Heavy kbs, burpee box jumps and double unders. Gassers all of them, even in short bursts, and 30 second rest? Please. Yeah, it's better than nothing, but not by much. Anyway, I also did high bar back squats which felt great today. My legs felt great. (check in with me again tomorrow) The sore spot was the bar resting on my shoulders/traps at first but I guess the weight worked out the knots I had there because they actually felt better once I was finished the set.
Yesterday's wod was a good one too. Power cleans, t2b and wall balls in 12 minutes. And I'm happy to say my metcon power clean weight is about 85 now. I've been stuck at the 'safe' 65-70lb range since I knew I could do it. Guess I am still making progress on Outlaw after 9 months. I think once I hit a full year of his programming I'll move on to The Way's programming. Longer wods and more intense but by summer I should have the time to invest into it without worrying about the kids schedules. Unless I chicken out. There's always that.
Well I should have a recipe for tomorrow but my Pages application, where all my stuff is saved, is acting up so if I have time to redo it, I will.
The rest of the wod was pretty crappy as well. It was only like, 1 minute on 30 second rest, 1:30 minute on 30 second rest, 2 min etc... for 3 rounds which seems doable and really, not that terrible. You'de think I would know by now. It was a sneaky little wod. Heavy kbs, burpee box jumps and double unders. Gassers all of them, even in short bursts, and 30 second rest? Please. Yeah, it's better than nothing, but not by much. Anyway, I also did high bar back squats which felt great today. My legs felt great. (check in with me again tomorrow) The sore spot was the bar resting on my shoulders/traps at first but I guess the weight worked out the knots I had there because they actually felt better once I was finished the set.
Yesterday's wod was a good one too. Power cleans, t2b and wall balls in 12 minutes. And I'm happy to say my metcon power clean weight is about 85 now. I've been stuck at the 'safe' 65-70lb range since I knew I could do it. Guess I am still making progress on Outlaw after 9 months. I think once I hit a full year of his programming I'll move on to The Way's programming. Longer wods and more intense but by summer I should have the time to invest into it without worrying about the kids schedules. Unless I chicken out. There's always that.
Well I should have a recipe for tomorrow but my Pages application, where all my stuff is saved, is acting up so if I have time to redo it, I will.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Crappy Valentine's
Being a "Master" sometimes sucks. Sure I feel great and really, age is just a number but sometimes we just can't seem to catch a break in this house. Bob has been laid up the past 2-3 days with back spasms and I had a freaken bladder infection. Without going into detail, it was uncomfortable and kept me up most of the night Wednesday and I was feeling pretty crappy Thursday but thanks to Urgent Care, I got some meds and problem solved. Needless to say Valentine's Day was a bust, not that we had any particular plans but I'm sure we'll make up for it this weekend with a nice dinner and some sea salt caramel ice cream. OH MY.
Did Isabel the other day for the first time. Not sure why I haven't done it before, probably because it's 30 snatches and I've been fighting bad shoulders for so long. But, I did it and did better than I thought. 65lbs in 5 min. Not too bad since the snatch isn't my best lift. Today wasn't too bad with push press strength and ME double unders and pull ups. I did manage to PR my push press by 10lbs since November coming in with 115#. I may have gotten 120# all the way up if my traps weren't so sore from Isabel but it is what it is. Next time. Still happy with the progress. My unbroken double unders and pull ups were pathetic to say the least. I mean, 10 double unders? Really? WTF. You only get 3 chances, my highest was 20. Gah. Oh well. Wasn't in the mood to bust my ass today anyway.
I think I'm going to try do all the ladies this year. Yeah, quiet down you pervs you know what I mean. There are quite a few I've never done. Not sure why, but hopefully I'll be able take care of them no matter how bitchy they are.
Been busy in the kitchen testing some new recipes, got a few good ones in the works including loaded sweet potato pancakes and my homemade tomato sauce. There is no excuse, you should not be eating tomato sauce from a jar I don't care what the ingredients say.
Not much else happening. My laptop gave me fits yesterday and I almost cried. I could live without my Iphone for aday few hours if I had to, but not my laptop. I'm an addict. All is well and only because I had my trusty Iphone to look up how to fix my laptop. Shit, what did we used to do before all this technology? I can't even remember. Other than that, Bob and I are catching up on some early Breaking Bad episodes and finishing up season 7 of Dexter. Great great television between the two. Dexter has been fantastic and it will be sad to watch the final season this year.
Did Isabel the other day for the first time. Not sure why I haven't done it before, probably because it's 30 snatches and I've been fighting bad shoulders for so long. But, I did it and did better than I thought. 65lbs in 5 min. Not too bad since the snatch isn't my best lift. Today wasn't too bad with push press strength and ME double unders and pull ups. I did manage to PR my push press by 10lbs since November coming in with 115#. I may have gotten 120# all the way up if my traps weren't so sore from Isabel but it is what it is. Next time. Still happy with the progress. My unbroken double unders and pull ups were pathetic to say the least. I mean, 10 double unders? Really? WTF. You only get 3 chances, my highest was 20. Gah. Oh well. Wasn't in the mood to bust my ass today anyway.
I think I'm going to try do all the ladies this year. Yeah, quiet down you pervs you know what I mean. There are quite a few I've never done. Not sure why, but hopefully I'll be able take care of them no matter how bitchy they are.
Been busy in the kitchen testing some new recipes, got a few good ones in the works including loaded sweet potato pancakes and my homemade tomato sauce. There is no excuse, you should not be eating tomato sauce from a jar I don't care what the ingredients say.
Not much else happening. My laptop gave me fits yesterday and I almost cried. I could live without my Iphone for a
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