Rich Froning "First"

I just finished Rich Froning's new book "First"

It was an awesome read! If you are not familiar with who Rich Froning is, he is the two time CrossFit champion and named to be the fittest man on earth. He won the CrossFit Games the past two years (2011 & 2012). He is not only an amazing athlete but he is a christian and has decided to share about who he is and how CrossFit has impacted his life not only physically but spiritually. I think it's amazing how he wants to use this peak of his life to glory God in any way possible. It is a constant prayer of mine as well, which is why I respect him as an athlete. I truly enjoyed this read as it was easy to relate to a lot of the things he talked about both as a CrossFitter and as a christian. I highly recommend this book- especially to CrossFitters! You will get pumped to read what was going through his head during the games and what kept him moving. You'll also find encouragement in his words about his faith in Christ and how that has shaped him to become a better man and athlete. 

Breakfast Acorn Squash

I got the idea from PALEOMG but just made it my own. I get a lot of people who ask me where I get my recipes. I used to follow recipes exactly for what they were but these days I kind of just get ideas and create them myself. It is a fun thing to do - especially when your creations come out delicious! 

Ingredients:

Acorn Squash (You would only use 1/2) 

1 Egg

2-3 slices of Bacon 

Cheese (optional) 

Method:

-Cut your acorn squash in half, remove the seeds and add a bit of olive oil. Bake face down on a baking sheet for about 45-60 minutes at 375 degrees. (I did this the night before so in the morning it would just need to reheat) 

-Cook your Bacon in a pan. Once it is cooked, add in the filling of the acorn squash and cook together. 

- Stuff the Acorn squash bowl with the bacon/squash filling. 

- Crack an egg over the top and add cheese if you would like. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the egg is cooked to your liking. 

Very tasty!! It's a different kind of breakfast which is nice sometimes :) 

Coconut Fried Paleo Chicken

I was craving fried chicken which doesn't happen often. I really do not crave fried food. Maybe fries but that is about it. I came across a paleo recipe for fried chicken using coconut flour and flakes. This is not the recipe I saw but I just winged it and did what I thought would work and be good using the ingredients in my pantry. It turned out awesome and the entire house smelt amazing!! 

Ingredients:
Chicken Breast
Coconut Flour
Coconut Milk
Coconut Flakes 
Coconut Oil 

Method:
- Melt some coconut oil in a pan 
- Dip your chicken in a bowl of coconut milk (just enough to get it moist) 
- Then dip it in a bowl of coconut flour (again just enough to cover it) 
- Dip the coconut flower covered chicken once more in the coconut milk
- Then dip the chicken in a bowl of coconut flakes for the crispy outer layer. 
- Fry on medium heat on your skillet 

**These ingredients are not the cheapest so I tried to conserve. Don't be frugal. A small amount goes a long way** 

Simple Paleo Pancakes!

I've tried a couple of different recipes this week. Lately I've been pretty basic with my food. I eat an omelet 1-2 times a day and I never get sick of it. I found this recipe online for paleo pancakes and it was so simple so I decided to give it a shot. The ingredients are so basic I can't believe how good these pancakes came out to be! I typically stay away from pancakes because they either 1) have almond meal and I do not do well with nuts or 2) have a ton of random ingredients that I don't normally have in my pantry when I get the craving for a pancake. 

Ingredients: (Makes 2 Pancakes) 
1 Egg
1 Banana 
Salt
Cinnamon
Vanilla 

Method:
- Mash banana with a fork
- Add egg and blend in a bit of salt, cinnamon and vanilla 
- Fry in a pan with grass fed butter 

** It cooks a bit differently than a normal pancake so just give it time before you flip it or it will turn into a mush pile* 

PR's Today!!

I hit two more PR's today! I still was not able to PR on my strict press though. I'm not sure what it is about that lift but I never seem to PR on that.. I'm going to make more of an effort to practice that lift on my own so in a couple months I can actually pass up my personal record! 

Dinner last night- PALEO Yummness... 

My Sweet Tooth Sherbet!

I was having a sweet tooth moment at work and instead of going for the candy jar I decided to use what I had in the freezer. I always have frozen bananas and strawberries for shakes. I took a half of a frozen banana and 3 frozen strawberries and stuck them in my magic bullet with a bit of water. I had to add more and more water to get the consistency right (very small amounts). It turned out awesome! I'm a girl who loves ice cream so this was a nice little treat and a healthy one! Plus it's under 100 calories.. :) 

Ingredients: 
1/2 Frozen Banana
3 Frozen Strawberries 
Water (adding in small increments) 

Method:
Stick it in a blender (I use a magic bullet) and pulse until it reaches an icy consistency. 

*Don't add too much water or it will ruin it- best to go in small amounts at a time to be safe- I added a bit about 3-4 times before I got the right consistency** 

Refreshing!! :)

Baked Salmon

I'm not a huge seafood fan but I know it is healthy and I have a feeling that if I just give it a shot I might like it. I tried Salmon the other night at blue sushi and I liked it so I decided to try cooking it at home. I got this recipe from a friend - it was so simple it was ridiculous.. 

Ingredients:

3 Pounds of Salmon Fillets 

2 Tablespoons of Grass-Fed Butter

1/8 Cup Capers

1 Lemon Sliced 

Salt and Pepper to taste 

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse the salmon under cool water and pat dry. Poor melted butter over the fillets on the baking dish/pan. Sprinkle them with capers and place lemon slices on top. Salt and pepper the fillets and bake the salmon for 15 minutes per pound. Serve with fresh greens... :) 

Chicken Sausage && Veggies over Spaghetti Squash

New Recipe I just whipped together the other night. So tasty and so easy! 

Ingredients: 

(note: The ingredients are just estimates... just add or remove according to your liking)

Pack of organic chicken sausage

1 Green Pepper

1 Orange pepper

1/2 Onion 

1 Can of Diced Tomatoes 

2-3 Tablespoons of Pesto **KEY Ingredient**

1 Spaghetti Squash 

SPICES:

Minced Garlic

Chili Powder

Onion Powder

Oregano 

Salt/Pepper

Olive Oil

Method:

1- Heat Oven at 350 degrees, cut your spaghetti squash in half and bake for an hour or so... Take a fork and pit out the spaghetti squash (remove seeds as you do this) if it needs a bit more time just stick it back in for another 15 min or so... 

2- Cut up the sausage in chunks and heat over a skillet with olive oil. Cut up peppers and onions in strips and heat over olive oil and minced garlic in a separate pan. When the sausage has basically cooked through add the the cooked peppers and onions to that pan and also add a the can of diced tomatoes. Saute everything together and add spices. Cook on medium heat for a at least 20-30 minutes or until your spaghetti squash is ready. Add the pesto the last 3-5 minutes before serving. Serve over the cooked spaghetti squash. Wah lah! Easy Yumness... 

New PR's!

I hit two new personal records last night. I've only been lifting for a little over a year now and I wish I would have started a long time ago. I love weight training! A lot of women get discouraged or weirded out to lift but I'll be honest and say that I love being strong and I want to get stronger! 

Studyin Galatians

I'm going through Galatians slowly on my own and just studying it for what it is. I've never studied a book in the bible intricately on my own before. I have through sermons and studies with groups etc. I'm not a bible scholar. I've not gone to bible school for this so of course I'm sure I may be missing quite a few things but it's always awesome to see what the Lord opens my eyes to. 

Galatians Chapter 1 Versus 1 & 2

1- Paul, an apostle- sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead. 2- and all the brothers and sisters with me, To the churches in Galatia. 

Paul is identified as an apostle here which is a chosen follower of Christ. If you are not familiar with who Paul is and how he was chosen by God, you can find his transformation story in Acts Chapter 9. I love the fact that God chose Paul to be an apostle and used him drastically in the spreading of the news of Jesus Christ. Paul wrote almost half of the new testament (13 out of 27 books). Before he met Christ, he was nothing but a sinner in this world heading straight for eternal destruction. He was a murderer and of Christians for that matter. It still astonishes me that God used an unwilling man to further and better his kingdom. Just stopping for a second and thinking about that gives me the chills.. That is one of my favorite things about the Lord is he chooses to use us for his good even we are unwilling or even with little or no desire to be used. This is a great example of not only his power to be able to transform a heart instantly but also a direct reflection of his heart as he doesn't look upon us with hatred and worthlessness but with love and value to himself. He wants to rescue us and wants us to come to him and allow him to change our hearts. I do not believe that love ever stops. He loves his people in whom he created. He wants our attention and wants us to reach our full potential as his creation. Ephesians 1:4 says, "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight." Even though we are sinners God will continue to transform our hearts to be like his- which is how he created us to be. The next part says that he was not sent from men or by man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead. I think this is a good imagery of the trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). Since God the Father, raised Jesus Christ from the dead we are now able to have the Holy Spirit working in us as a transformer and mediator. The holy spirit is what works in and through us to guide and direct us as well as change us internally. In verse two he says "and all the brothers and sisters with me, to the churches in Galatia" he is speaking of all the men and women who share in the acceptance and joy of the gospel that is Jesus Christ. He is writing this book in particular to the churches in Galatia. 

Regarding the Churches of Galatia in this time:

"His readers knew the gospel. Yet they had willingly accepted a false gospel of human effort. So Paul looked in some detail at what the law can and cannot do. It cannot save. It cannot bring righteousness. It cannot provide any power at all, just a list of dos and don'ts. Only the Holy Spirit provides the power to keep the law." - quoted directly from my Zondervan bible. 

It's crazy to think how even as Christians we still struggle with this mind set at times. We don't always get it that it's by grace that we have been saved. There is absolutely nothing we can do to win God's favor. We just need to rest in the truth that it's by his love and grace alone that we are able to have a relationship with him and be a part of his eternal promise. I'm just humbled by the fact that God chooses to love me each day no matter how much of a sucky daughter I am. His love will never fail us.