A ‘Night Out’
Good Morning! Michael and I are up bright and early this Sunday morning to get ready for CrossFit at 9:30am. Waking up at 7:00am to eat breakfast wasn’t my favorite thing, but I’m sure I’ll be glad we did it after our workout. The numerous glasses of wine I had last night would like to argue that last statement, but I’m hanging in there.
I planned for yesterday to be a day full of running errands, cleaning, and eating Mickey Mouse shaped Paleo pancakes. It started out with good intentions, we even got our grocery shopping done, but that cleaning idea never got off the ground. Instead we perused online wedding invitation designs, ate some delicious chicken sausages from 4505 meats, and fell asleep on the couch for an hour around 3. When we woke up from our lazy afternoon siesta, it was already time to get ready to meet Marian and her boyfriend, Andrew, downtown for some sushi and card games. Eating food that I didn’t have to cook was kind of ridiculously amazing. It was so good that I forgot to snap a pic – sorry!
We had a great time last night just chatting about nonsense and playing cards. It’s funny how your description of a ‘night out’ changes as you get older and more boring. Five years ago we would have headed to a bar after playing a few games, but instead we headed straight home and went to sleep. I much prefer the latter.
Alright, moving on to some food related topics. We have a couple of short cooking weeks coming up because of some Labor Day vacation activities. We’ll be heading out for a 5 day weekend to visit my family back in the muggy Midwest on Friday morning. I’m so excited! Not only do I get to spend some much needed time with my fam, but we also get to take another break from the kitchen. Two of my favorite things. 🙂
Here’s our shortened menu for the week:
Sunday
B: Bacon, Sausage, and Veggie Omelette
L: Turkey Club Wraps
D: Plantain Tacos
Monday
L: Orange-Sesame Chicken
D: Amber Out / Michael Wing it
Tuesday
L: Leftover Plantain Tacos
D: Sauteed Flounder with Asparagus
Wednesday
L: Leftover Orange-Sesame Chicken
D: Ground Pork and Veggie Stir-Fry
Thursday
L: Leftover Stir-Fry
D: Whatever-is-left-in-the-fridge
Friday
Vacation
Saturday
Vacation
Was it worth it?
Hey guys! If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, then I’m sure you already know that our 21 Day Sugar Detox ended last Wednesday. Now that it’s over, people keep asking me “Was it worth it? Do you feel great?”. Well… here’s the thing. I would love to mirror some of the other bloggers out there who experienced miraculous turn-arounds in their skin health, lost weight, and trained harder, but I just can’t. Maybe it’s because Michael and I eat pretty strictly regardless, I’d say we’d fall somewhere between 85% – 90% Whole30 compliant with our diets, so the sugar detox just wasn’t that different for us. I can’t say it was a total failure, I ended up losing about 3 pounds and a slept like a baby for those 3 weeks, but that’s it. I actually had less energy for exercise and became sick several times from eating lunch after CrossFit. By sick, I mean super queasy and bloated, two of my least favorite things. It’s so strange to me how different this made me feel versus doing a Whole30. I guess the complete elimination of fruit and really starchy veggies impacted me more than I ever thought it would.
Here’s a quick recap of our dinners from the last few days of the detox:
Cauliflower Pizza Bake (This was YUM)
Cashew Encrusted Broiled Flounder with Sauteed Kale
Even though the detox wasn’t mind blowing, I’m glad we saw it through to the end. It’s always a nice feeling to set a goal and see it accomplished. I didn’t mind having a glass of wine and beef filet to celebrate last night either.
Now that the detox is over, I’m going to loosen up the reins a little bit and just try to focus on more exercise instead of restricting our food so intensely. Doing these types of eating clean stretches is a great way to reset your cravings and health priorities, but man is it good when they end. Yay for not cooking tonight!
P.S. We made Mickey shaped pancakes this morning and it’s true what they say – everything tastes better when it’s got Mickey ears. Have an amazing Saturday everyone!
Play Gambling and Exotic Meat
Well… tomorrow marks that start of another work week. My my how the time flies. Michael and I have had a lazy, yet productive, end to the week. I’ve been a little off balance with my days – on Thursday our employer threw an end of fiscal year party, so it kind of felt like the weekend began that afternoon. It definitely made it hard to get work done during the day on Friday. Have I mentioned how much Michael and I love our company? Not only has our little software company given us jobs that we enjoy, but it’s also brought some awesome people into our lives. One of which is my long lost best friend who I can’t imagine life in San Fran without, so much so, that I’ve asked her to be a bridesmaid in my wedding. Hey Marian!
Anyways, the afternoon consisted of a trolley sightseeing tour through SF and a couple of hours ‘play’ gambling on a boat in the bay. Michael was in heaven, any excuse to play poker makes him happy.
Marian and I on the trolley
Our work family
The Golden Gate Bridge
Me with the bridge in the background
I have to admit that it was really horrible not being able to eat or drink any of the food on the boat. I’m really proud of Michael and I for sticking to the sugar detox (4 more days!), but it did put a damper on my mood watching everyone else eat cookies and sip wine. Sometimes I feel like the social aspect of eating so strictly is definitely the worst part. Cravings come and go, but holding on to your will power while everyone around you is having fun just kind of sucks. At least we didn’t feel like poo the next day.
Moving on to some of our eats – I kept our streak of amazing dinners alive up until last night. We’ve recently joined a meat CSA (4505 Meats) and decided to try one of the more exotic items that came in our box – goat leg. That’s right, we ate goat leg. I wasn’t really impressed, it sort of reminded me of dark turkey meat. The mental aspect also sort of got to me, something about eating goat grossed me out.
Here’s a recap for the past couple of days:
Mustard Glazed Chicken Thighs with Tomato Salad and Roasted Broccoli
Beef Sirloin with Mushroom Sauce and Green Beans
Roasted Goat Leg with Pureed Parsnips
Alright, time to wrap this baby up – I can’t post on a Sunday without including our meal plan for the week, so check it out:
Sunday
B: Pumpkin Pancakes with Bacon
L: Leftovers
D: Cauliflower Pizza Bake with Caesar Salad
Monday
L: Turkey Club Lettuce Wraps
D: Paleo Bang Bang Shrimp
Tuesday
L: Leftover Pizza Bake with Salad
D: Paleo Phad Thai
Wednesday(End of Sugar Detox!!)
L: Leftover Paleo Phad Thai
D: Cashew Encrusted Broiled Flounder with Sauteed Kale
Thursday
L: Leftover Pizza Bake with Salad
D: Chicken Burgers with Potato Chips and Green Beans
Friday
L: Chicken Mango Avocado Salad
D: Beef Filets with Mashed Sweet Potato and Asparagus
Saturday
B: Eggs with Bacon
L: TBD
D: TBD
Keep the streak alive!
As you know, Michael and I are currently doing a 21 day sugar detox. Things have been going really well so far – I’m actually really proud of us. It’s the end of day 14 which means we only have 7 more days to go. We’re totally going to get this done and I love it! Although I’m seriously proud of our continuous block of clean eating, that’s not the streak I’m referring to in the post title. I’m actually talking about my 4 day streak of cooking some absolutely amazingly delicious dinners these past nights. I mean some of the best Paleo food I’ve ever made – and it happened during a detox no less! Before we get to the pictures, I just have to say that you must pick up Danielle Walkers’s new cookbook Against All Grain: Delectable Paleo Recipes to Eat Well & Feel Great. The short ribs and Paleo lasagna recipes are both from her book – YUM!
Sunday: Curried Short Ribs with Mashed Cauliflower and Sauteed Asparagus. The short ribs were cooked in a crock-pot for 8 hours on low, easy peasy!
Monday: Paleo Lasagna with Caesar Salad (Homemade Dressing). This recipe took a bit of work, but nothing that couldn’t be tamed by doing a bit of preparation on Sunday. All I had to do Monday night was assemble the lasagna and devour. P.S. Cashew Cheese is hella good, I mean whoa!
Tuesday: Hamburgers with Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Tomato Salad. Simple, fast, and always delicious.
Wednesday: Baked White Fish with Sauteed Kale and Tomato Salad. De-thaw fish, season with Old Bay, and throw it in the oven. Can’t get much easier than that, but oh so tasty.
And that’s all for now! Let’s hope tomorrow’s chicken thighs will be just as amazing. Keep the streak alive!
Weekly Menu and an Update
Well hello there! It’s been a while since I’ve updated on my goings-on, and my has there been a lot. Michael and I have been hella busy lately with work, wedding planning, CrossFit, and oh so many other things. I’ve been a bad blogger recently but I’m here to make amends! I’ve missed you all very much. 🙂
Right now we’re in the middle of doing our very first 21 Day Sugar Detox, day 11 to be exact. We decided to try it out after completely binging on gluten, sugar, and oh so many other amazing things during our Vegas trip at the end of July. We went for a short weekend to meet up with my two closest friends, Tiffany and Jackie, and their significant others. The trip was one crazy blur, but it was a ton of fun.
Our little weekend getaway holds especially strong meaning because I doubt we’ll ever get a chance to do something like that ever again. We’re all at that stage in your life right before you really catapult into actual adulthood. I see plenty of weddings, kids, and houses in our futures so I’m thankful we got the chance to make this happen.
Okay, so back to the detox, it’s actually been going really well. The first week was a bit rough with sugar withdrawal symptoms, but I’m feeling pretty good now. It’s amazing how you can see physical differences in your body after such a short time of eating clean. My stomach lays flatter and my skin looks so much healthier. The hardest thing for me so far has been avoiding fruit and, like usual, not being able to eat out. Just having the option taken away of being able to go buy some quick restaurant food makes me feel so burdened with having to cook. Oh well.. we’re over half way there so I’m not giving up now!
Here’s what we have planned for the menu this week:
Sunday
B: Egg Scramble
L: Leftovers
D: Curried Short Ribs with Mashed Cauliflower and Asparagus
Monday
L: Leftover Short Ribs
D: Spinach Sausage Lasagna with Caesar Salad
Tuesday
L: Leftover Lasagna and Salad
D: Hamburgers with Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Leeks
Wednesday
L: Leftover Hamburgers
D: Baked White Fish (w/Homemade Tarter Sauce) and Sauteed Kale w/Bacon
Thursday
L: Leftover Lasagna
D: Mustard Chicken Thighs with Roasted Broccoli
Friday
L: Leftover Chicken Thighs with Side Salads
D: Sirloin Steaks with Mushroom Sauce and Roasted Green Beans
Saturday
B: Egg Scramble
L: TBD
D: TBD
Bright and Early
Good morning all! Lately, Michael and I have been waking up earlier to head into work before all the traffic in SF gets wild and crazy. It’s been kind of amazing getting there at 7:00 and heading home shortly after 4:00. Gaining a whole hour in the evenings at home is ridiculously amazing – I can’t express how nice it is to be done cooking dinner by 6:00 or 6:30. I guess it’s the little things in life that really count…
A part of waking up earlier is that I can’t sleep-in quite as late on the weekends. This morning I woke up with the knowledge that it absolutely must be 8:00 or so. Imagine my shock when my iPhone displayed the numbers 6:33 back at me. Are you kidding me?! No one is supposed to see 6:33 AM on one of the two days extra sleep is allowed. Once I ruled out the possibility of falling back to sleep – silly sunny windows – I decided to force Michael into my woken misery and head to the Farmer’s Market. Summertime in San Francisco not only means delicious fresh produce, but also hoards of tourists vying to get a peak at all the market goodies the locals take for granted. Getting there early this morning to beat the crowds was wonderful – we could walk without bumping into strangers and actually get a coffee without standing in line for 45 minutes. We were even able to squeeze in some delicious chilaquiles for breakfast:
I’m hoping the rest of our Saturday is as low key and relaxing as our early morning adventure. Plans include some sun time by the hot tub, wedding planning, running a few errands, and maybe a bit of cuddling with the cutest dog ever:
Getting groomed is definitely not Tessie’s favorite thing, but who can deny the adorableness of that ribbon…
Have a great Saturday everyone!
Time to Clean!
Happy Sunday all! Like always, I’m sad to see the weekend be over. We did a lot of relaxing sprinkled with a bit of CrossFit, cleaning, and a ton of eating – the best kind of weekend if you ask me. Saturday’s CrossFit class was kind of awesome, I’m really loving the circuit WODs where you do a couple of rounds of movements while trying to keep the same pace for each round. Yesterday’s WOD was called “CrossFit for Hope” and consisted of the following:
CrossFit for Hope
3 rounds of 1 min amrap at each station:
burpees
power snatch (75/55)
box jumps (24/20)
thrusters (75/55)
CTB pull-ups
1 minute rest between rounds
I got 51 reps during the first round, which helped me set the pace for the next two. I think I like this style so much because there’s a bit of strategy involved. I knew the snatches were going to be the hardest movement for me, so I pushed myself on the box jumps, pull-ups, and burpees to make up for lost snatch reps. I ended up improving by 1 rep each round with a total of 156 reps. Not too shabby!
CrossFit for Hope Group
Alright, time to get started on my Sunday chores. I’m feeling the need to deep clean our apartment so I better get going. Although it’s a ton of work I love how he apartment feels after it’s been dusted, mopped, scrubbed, and vacummed. I’m going to earn my couch / wedding planning time tonight!
And with that, I leave you with our menu for the week. Notice the recipe from this morning’s breakfast – I found it on Pinterest the other day and holy cow, amazing! You must try it now!
Grain Free Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake
Sunday
B: Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake with Eggs and Bacon
L: Hot Dogs with Raw Veggies and Guacamole
D: Baby Back Ribs with Smashed Plantains and Roasted Green Beans
Monday
L: Turkey, Avocado, Tomato Roll-ups with Leftover Plantains
D: Asian Chicken Thighs with Cauliflower Rice
Tuesday
L: Leftover Ribs
D: Pork Chops with Roasted Asparagus and Baked Sweet Potatoes
Wednesday
L: Leftover Asian Chicken
D: Sauteed Shrimp with Roasted Root Veggies
Thursday
L: Leftover Pork Chops and Sweet Potatoes
D: Grilled Chicken Salad with Plums and Pine Nuts
Friday
L: Leftover Chicken Salad
D: Out
Saturday
B: Egg Scramble
L: TBD
D: TBD
Paleo Kitchen Sync 