Almond Butter Balls

For the last two weeks, I’ve been dragging myself out of bed at 6 am and going to that thing we call a job. For the two months before that, I relished in that luxurious thing called sleep until I was tired of it, every morning.  That transition is quite challenging. It’s a hard time for teachers right now. If you see a teacher crying, it’s because they are mourning the loss of their seasonal romance and their love child, summer sleep. Give them a hug and remind them, it will all return …. some day.

Lucky for me, I am merely teaching summer school, which is easy compared to real school and ends at noon. By the time real school comes around I’ll be slightly ready. The transition was as gentle as it can be. Since I come home each day around 1, I try to use my afternoons to finish all the things I was supposed to do a month ago. But I’m struggling here. I made a flow chart to demonstrate my thought process. Sam said it would be funny, if it wasn’t so true.

(In front of my students, my handwriting is perfect)

In yesterday’s post-nap euphoria, I had a hankering for peanut butter chocolate treats. So I made these glorious almond butter balls. Is there anything better than almond butter (or any nut butter) and chocolate? I think not. Expect perhaps naps. We ate the whole batch while watching This is Forty. Now that I’ve been married for almost 10 years, I find this movie so hilarious. I roll with laughter at all the awkward dramatic parts. If you have not been married forever, you might find it depressing. But believe me, it’s funny. Especially when you’re enjoying almond butter balls.

Almond Butter Balls

1/4  Cup almond butter

2 Tablespoons coconut butter

2 Tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

2- 3 Tablespoons almond flour

1/2 Cup chocolate chips

1 Tablespoon coconut oil

waxed paper

Directions

- In a food processor, combine almond butter, coconut butter, honey, vanilla, & 2 T almond 

   flour thoroughly. If it seems way too soft add 1 more Tablespoon of almond flour.

- Roll the mixture into very little balls and pop them in the freezer for 10 minutes.

- Melt chocolate & coconut oil in a double boiler or microwave. My double boiler is a ceramic 

  bowl sitting in a pan with 1 inch of water on medium heat, stirring often.

- Dip the balls in melted chocolate and set on waxed paper. I used 2 toothpicks to keep 

  dipping clean and easy.

- Store in the fridge until ready to eat. If you want to eat them right way, put in the freezer for   

   5-10 minutes. 

Beet Cake Muffins

It's like carrot cake, but beets. My intention was cupcakes, but I think they're better as muffins. I frosted one with Coconut Cream frosting from Elana's Pantry(Which is very yummy), and I preferred it unfrosted. If I do try these as cupcakes again, I'll add coconut sugar. Sugar contributes to a fine cake-like crumb, at least that's what I read somewhere. I love beets and they are so nutritious. So I'm gonna go ahead and say that these are some seriously healthy muffins. Life giving energy muffins. Or cupcakes if that's what you want.

This recipe made 16 small muffins, not 12. Just deal with it. It's extra muffins. 

Beet Cake Muffins
Ingredients
2 large beets, roasted (about 1 1/2 cups finely grated)
3/4 cup coconut flour, sifted (or lumps broken up well)
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup loosely packed Dates (I fit 9 large Medjool Dates in a cup)
2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract
6 eggs
3/4 cup Coconut oil, melted










Directions
- Preheat oven to 325 and line 2 cupcake pans with 16 liners. 
- Roast the beets beforehand. Peel off the skin and shred with a fine grater.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a larger bowl: coconut flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, & salt
- In a food processor, pulse together the dates and maple syrup until it's a paste.
- In the food processor, add the eggs, vanilla and coconut oil and mix well.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix together.
- Add the grated beets and mix it all up.
- Scoop into muffin liners almost all the way to the top.
- Bake at 325 for about 35 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean and the tops look dry.

Share with your friends while watching National Geographic's Animal Odd Couple because it's beautiful. 

Balsamic Brussels & My Crossfit Anniversary

I can’t decide what to post about so I choose both. About a month ago was my Crossfit anniversary and I’m back up to the exact weight I was when I stated crossfit. But it no longer concerns me. The funny thing is, the whole reason I started crossfit was because of the number 122. I had never weighed more than 120lbs, usually hovering around 115. After my most stressful school year yet, I remember stepping on the scale and it said 122! I had recently read about this vomit-inducing crossfit thing on a climbing blog. I decided this is what I needed; my living room bootcamp and cardio kickboxing sessions weren’t cutting it. I was in pretty good shape when I started. Climbing, hiking and biking had made me fairly strong, but apparently not crossfit strong. The first three months kicked my butt. And my climbing seriously suffered because I was always sore. Always sore. But I loved it anyways. When I’m not loving it, I’m hating it with a passion. But I keep going back. Crossfit is addicting. It’s the endorphins, the challenge, personal growth and most of all, the community. It's like climbing with a great crew; No matter the grade, when someone is fighting at their limit, everyone is psyched for them.

 Initially, as expected, I lost weight. Right after going grain-free and kinda sugar-free, I dropped down to 114lbs in the winter. But recently, I stepped on the scale again and it read 122. This prompted me to do some measurements. I’ve gained 1” in my hips and ½” in each thigh. I wish I had measured my biceps and lats pre-crossfit. I’m stronger than I’ve ever been. I’m happy with the way I look. Despite the fact that I don’t have that ripped 6-pack I imagined I’d have by now. But that’s more about ice cream than crossfit. And I will not choose between the two. 

Here’s my list of what Crossfit has given me in a year:

• A healthy and confident body image
• Mental toughness- My crack climbing has improved because I can tolerate the pain   now.
• Physical toughness- I was so proud of my 9-minute mile because my last timed mile was 12 minutes in high school. I don’t like to run, but now I can.
• Super strong shoulders so I can pull hard, bouldery climbing moves.
• I can jump rope! I can even donkey kick my way through a few double unders before throwing my rope in fury. Here’s a video of me trying to jump rope early in crossfit.
• I'm a better teacher- I now have a real understanding of trying my hardest at something that is ridiculously hard for me. I expect my students to do this everyday. I can better support, motivate and appreciate their efforts.
•  Introduced me to a Paleo/Primal way of eating that has made my body feel great.         (I can't believe I used to count calories)

Perhaps one day I will be able to do double unders without stomping and flinging my heels back. Food! I love Brussels sprouts! My momma showed me this recipe and it’s my favorite way to make them. I think it's super weird that they are called brussels sprouts and not brussel sprouts.

Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Red Onion

Ingredients

2-3 cups or so of Brussels sprouts (I don’t really measure)

½ small red onion, thinly sliced

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 Tablespoons coconut oil

Sea salt

1.    Trim off the Brussels spout ends and cut into halves, thirds or quarters depending on the size (This way they’re all the same size and cook evenly) Let the outer leaves that fall off go.

2.    Heat 2 T coconut oil in a larger skillet on medium heat.

3.    Toss Brussels sprouts with oil and cover. Cooked, covered for 3-5 minutes to allow them to brown and sort of steam.

4.    Add thinly sliced red onion and cook, stirring for 3-4 minutes, until onion is translucent.

5.    Add balsamic vinegar and cook for 2 more minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Cheers!

Fennel Orange Salad with Barramundi

I feel like I've been doing nothing but homework for 4 days. On Sunday, we leave to Ten Sleep Canyon, WY to camp and climb for a week. So I need to get all my work for this and next week done plus packing and stuff. Sam's doing the Tough Mudder on Saturday before we go! After surviving the Spartan Race, I'm so glad I didn't sign up for that. Anyway, posting this is a nice break from schoolwork.

This salad is refreshing and full of flavor. I pan fried some Barramundi, a sustainable white fish, to go on top. Any white fish will do. The fennel bulb does not taste strong and savory like it's seed. It's very crisp and tastes like slightly spicy celery. Sort of like a radish, but not, 'cause I do not like radishes. It goes great with citrus. I wanted to add something red and sweet, like beets or strawberries. All I had was a plum, so I threw it in. Next time I make this I will add some sliced roasted (not steamed) beets. If you've got some, try it. Don't leave out the toasted almonds! They are one of the best parts of this dish. This may seem like a lot of steps, but it only took 30 minutes to make. 
You'll need 3 small oranges total. Or use 2 large oranges and just juice half of 1 or juice the whole thing and have less orange slices. 

Fennel Orange Salad with Pan Fried Barramundi - Makes 2 very large dinner salads


Salad Ingredients
Baby Spinach 
1/2 cucumber, sliced into thin matchsticks
1 carrot, shredded 
1 beet, roasted & cooled, sliced - optional
1 fennel bulb   --->
1/2 cup chopped raw almonds, dry toasted
2 small oranges, zested then cut in sections- Organic! You're using the peel.

Pan-fried Barramundi Ingredients
2 barramundi fillets
1/4 small onion, sliced
2 Tablespoons garlic
Sea Salt, pepper &Paprika, sprinkled
1 Tablespoon coconut oil

Dressing Ingredients
1 orange, juiced (plus zest from 2 oranges) 
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup packed cilantro, chopped
1/8 cup packed parsley, chopped
1 Tablespoon onion, diced (or shallot)
Sea salt and pepper

Prepare Dressing
 - Zest 2 oranges (don't over zest, you just want the top very-
   orange layer) with a microplane or fine grater.
- Combine the zest with the orange juice, olive oil, cilantro, parsley, diced onion and some 
   salt and pepper. Set aside.

Prepare Salad:
 - Combine baby spinach, carrot, cucumber and beet in salad bowls
 - Prepare the fennel by removing the bottom end and the first outer layer which probably 
   browned. Cut in half and remove the core. Slice up the rest and add it to the salad bowls. 
- Prepare oranges by slicing off the top and bottom peel with a parring knife. Then slice 
  the rest of the peel off in strips, like pictured. Cut out the orange sections and toss them in 
  the salad.            

Prepare Fish:

-  Heat coconut oil in a large pan on medium and add the onions. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the fish and garlic. Sprinkle the fillets with salt, pepper and paprika. Cook 3-5 for 
  minutes then flip. Sprinkle the other side with salt, pepper and paprika and cook 3-5 
  minutes more, until done. 
- Toast almonds: In a dry pan on medium-high heat toast the chopped almonds, stirring often. 
  Watch these very carefully. I burn mine all the time. Once they're fragrant, give them a few 
  quick tosses and they're done. (If I'm careful I can toast them while cooking the fish)

Finally: Top the salads with the fish and cooked onions and sprinkle with toasted almonds and dressing.

So Yummy!

When it's Hot

Make Popsicles and iced tea!

Strawberry Coconut Popsicles
1 can coconut milk
1 cup strawberries
3-5 Tablespoon honey (taste and go)

Options: add organic greek yogurt or any other fruit

Blend, pour, freeze and eat

Bengal Spice Tea is where it's at! You will be shocked how great it is iced, no sweetener necessary.
I use 2 jumbo regular black iced tea bags and 3-4 Bengal spice tea bags. All Bengal Spice is also great and caffeine free.

- Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Turn off and 
  immediately add tea bags. 
- Let steep 3-5 minutes, no longer or it'll be bitter.  
  Remove the black tea bags (again bitter). 
- Pour the concentrate you just made into a big 
  pitcher/jug. Add ice and cold water until full. 

Roasted Root Veggies and Broccoli with Goat Cheese

I bet you're wondering how the sugar detox is going. Well..... Some cookies happened. Not the grain-free, honey-sweetened hippie business I make. These were my mom's over-sized, fresh from the oven, double chocolate chip cookies. I had 9. Four at her house. 4 more in the car and 1 before bed. They were so sweet and chocolatey. I felt like I was on drugs. The sugar drug. I'm back on track, for now.

Crossfit was a beat down today. I no longer hate running, but I certainly don't like it. There was lots of running, plus heavy push jerks. My cleans today were so bad. Each time I cleaned the bar, I surprised myself with my miserable form. It was especially bitter since yesterday, my cleans were so lovely.
Enough whining.
I'm currently enjoying one of my summer luxuries, Ellen. I love Ellen! I'm trying not to think about the chocolate chips hidden in the cupboard. Brave is cute as ever and seems to have more energy lately. I've been thoroughly enjoying my baby niece, Selah back in Denver. I think I want one. I used the new vacuum this morning and now my house is super clean. By that I mean, 2 rooms are pretty clean. I see a nap in my very near future. And I'm back from my nap. I'm seriously considering quitting the sugar detox. I feel guilty just saying it, but I might.

Let's talk about roasted veggies. They are delicious. Not as delicious as chocolate cookies. But they also don't make you fell ill and jittery. Roasting brings out such a rich and sometimes sweet flavor. They maintain most of their nutrients that steaming and boiling can take away. Lately I've been roasting mixtures of veggies with goat cheese. I've found that it's best with a mix of sweetish root veggie (beets, sweet potato, carrots) and something like broccoli, cauliflower, or green beans. Both of these combinations below are great, though I think the beets are best.

Roasted Beets and Broccoli or Sweets and Broccoli

Ingredients
2-3 beets (or 1 big sweet potato-don't peel), peeled and chopped into small pieces
1 large head broccoli, broken into small pieces (include some chopped stalk)
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
sea salt and fresh pepper
2 oz. goat cheese (half the usual package) or use all 4 oz. Why not?

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt coconut oil on a baking sheet lined with foil.
2. Toss chopped beets and broccoli in coconut oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes on the middle rack. Toss once, half way through to ensure even cooking.
3. Sprinkle with goat cheese and turn to low broil. Bake for 3-5 minutes more, until cheese is slightly melted and browned.

Thai Green Curry with Shrimp and Butternut Squash

All I want to do is eat a face full of chocolate chips right now.

The sugar detox is not going so well today. Instead of chocolate chips, I've had an entire bag of sweet potato chips, a box of kale chips and some banana with lots and lost of almond butter. All of these items are acceptable within my plan, but not in these quantities. Just trying to get my fix somehow. Plus, 120 sit-ups and my weird crooked, broken tail bone created some serious road rash in an unmentionable place (though I clearly just mentioned it). I hate crossfit right now. 

That was last night. 
This morning, I just wanna sleep/read/watch movies all day. It's this weather. But when Sam comes home from his muddy work day and asks "What'd you do today?", I need a better answer today. Yesterday, I actually took the vacuum out of the box and put it together. I should use it. And do some grad homework. Let's change the subject. Great news, I found my cellphone in the dirt parking lot up at Staunton state park. We went climbing there on Sunday. I put it on my tailgate at the end of the day and that was my last memory of it. I went back Tuesday, and there it was waiting for me. It's broken, I probably ran it over. Though I can't see anything, I can answer it if it rings. 
Here's one triumph recently, Thai Green Curry. It's slightly spicy and uniquely tasty. It's packed full of great-for-you ingredients, like spinach, coconut milk and you get the idea. Just make it.

I love the Whole Foods fish mongers. They are always so patient and helpful. Try to buy responsible seafood: Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Guide

Recipe Variations: I make this with whatever veggies I have on hand. Butternut squash can be subbed for sweet potato. You can use 2 bell peppers or zucchinis, yellow squash, green beans or broccoli. I just try to get a variety of color. The fresh ginger is optional, but so much better with. Finally, you can easily skip roasting the squash/sweet potato. Just add it raw with the coconut milk and simmer for 15-20 minutes. I think roasting it adds a much richer flavor. Plus, I can roast it while I work on everything else, so it's actually faster. Vegans, sub grilled or fried tofu for the shrimp. Cook up some quinoa or wild rice to pair it with. 

Thai Green Curry with Shrimp and Butternut Squash Recipe
Serves 2-4, depending on how much you eat

Ingredients
1 small butternut squash or large sweet potato, peeled and chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 small onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, any color, chopped
1 small zucchini squash, chopped
2 large carrots, diced
1 13.5 oz. can coconut milk
3 Tablespoons Green Curry Paste
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon minced ginger (I use a fine grater)
2 Tablespoons coconut oil, divided
1/2 cup packed cilantro
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves (the whole 2/3 oz. package)
3 cups packed spinach
1 very small jalapeño, or 1 in. x 2 in. chunk (seeds removed)
1/4 cup water (Use the coconut can
1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined 
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees along with a baking sheet and 1 Tablespoon coconut oil to melt it. Toss chopped butternut squash/sweet potato with melted coconut oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast on the middle rack for 10-15 minutes. 
2. In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil on medium. Add onion, bell pepper, zucchini and carrots. Sauté for 5-7 minutes. 
3. Stir in garlic, ginger and green curry paste and cook 1 minute. Add coconut milk and roasted squash and let simmer on low for 5 minutes. 
4. While that' simmering, use a food processor (or a quality blender) to puree spinach, cilantro, basil, jalapeño and water.
5. Add green puree and shrimp to the large pot and let simmer until all the flavors blend and shrimp are cooked, about 3-5 minutes. 
Enjoy alone or with cooked quinoa or wild rice.