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Quick Burn At Home Workout: 21-15-9


Looking for a quick workout to do at home? I just completed this little full body burner during Isabelle's nap and I feel good! The objective is to complete this as quickly as possible, completing 21 reps of each exercise, then 15 reps each, then 9 reps each. I finished in 2 mins and 40 seconds and I was sweating!

 If you want a little more, you could take a 1 minute break, and do it all over again and try to finish faster than your first round. I did take the time to complete a warm up (jumping jacks and mountain climbers) and finished up with some stretching. 

Give this quick burn workout a try and post your time in the comments. It should only take a few minutes - you could even do it while you're waiting for your lunch to warm up! 

XOXO, 
SMP
at home workouts, crossfit
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Balsamic Lime Roasted Chicken Recipe


"Hmm, I could really go for some Balsamic Chicken," I thought to myself one day as I quickly looked through my kitchen to see what ingredients I had on hand. I didn't have what I needed for my Pomegranate Balsamic Chicken but I had enough to hopefully make something delicious. I also only had a pack of bone-in split chicken breasts and drumsticks so I knew my typical method of cooking on the stove top wasn't going to work. Lo and behold, this recipe was born and it was so incredibly delicious. The fresh lime at the end adds a subtle zing that I loved. Isabelle, my almost 2 year old, also couldn't stop asking for more.

BALSAMIC LIME ROASTED CHICKEN

Recipe Ingredients 
About 4 lbs of bone-in chicken pieces (I used 2 split breasts and 4 drumsticks)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 TSP salt
1 TSP pepper
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, finely chopped 
1 lime, juiced 
Chopped fresh basil, to garnish

Recipe Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 
  2. Prepare marinade by whisking together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, and rosemary.
  3. In a large baking dish or roasting pan, add your chicken pieces. Pour marinade over chicken and toss to coat.
  4. Roast the chicken uncovered for about 45 minutes, until just cooked through.
  5. Carefully transfer the chicken to a clean plate and again, very carefully pour the remaining cooking liquid left in the pan into a small saucepan. If you have a lot of excess oil, you'll want to skim from the top. 
  6. Add in the juice from one lime and boil until the sauce reduces by about half and thickens to coat the back of a spoon. This can take about 6-8 minutes.
  7. Pour the balsamic lime reduction over the chicken and sprinkle with fresh basil.
Enjoy!

Until next time,
SMP

balsamic vinegar, chicken, clean eating,
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Creamy Beet Salad with Basil Mint Dressing


Gorgeous beets are in season right now and if you're thinking of a new way to enjoy these nutritious and colorful vegetables, then this recipe is for you. Beets are an excellent source of folate, and a good source of manganese, potassium, copper, fiber, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin C, iron, and vitamin B6. They are also a healthy dose of carbs, if you're looking to add some variety to your real food plate. So pick up a bundle or two during your next trip to the farmers market and bring this salad to your next summer cookout. Or eat it all yourself in the comfort of your home. Both options are totally acceptable.

Now this beet salad is super simple and the key is the creamy, flavorful dressing. The dressing is based on Planks, Love, and Guacamole's ranch dressing (which I LOVE and make every week!), but I add lots of fresh basil and mint for a unique flavor combination.

 Creamy Basil Mint Dressing
Based on Planks, Love, and Guacamole's "Best Ranch Dressing EVER"

Recipe Ingredients:
2/3 cup of light tasting olive oil
1 egg
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
handful of fresh basil
handful of fresh mint

Recipe Directions:
1. In a wide-mouth mason jar, add the egg and red wine vinegar. Let sit for 15-30 minutes to bring the egg to room temp.
2. Add spices and herbs to the jar and blend, using a stick immersion blender for about 30 seconds.
3. Measure out 2/3 cup of LIGHT TASTING olive oil and slowly add to the jar while you keep the immersion blender going. Within a couple of minutes, you should have a beautiful emulsion resulting in a creamy, delicious dressing. Taste test and add more herbs, if a stronger flavor is desired.

 Creamy Beet Salad with Basil Mint Dressing Recipe

Recipe Ingredients:
3 large beets
2 tbsp Creamy Basil Mint Dressing (see above)
water, for boiling
1/2 tbsp of fresh mint, chopped
1/2 tbsp of fresh basil, chopped
pinch of salt

Recipe Directions:
1. Chop off the beet greens and save for later*. Thoroughly wash beets, but you don't have to peel them yet.
2. In a large pot, boil the beets until fork tender. This could take anywhere from 45 - 75 minutes, depending on the size of the beets. I usually start testing at minute 45 and then every 15 minutes after that until cooked through.
3. Carefully transfer the beets to cold water to speed up the process of being able to handle them safely, without burning yourself.
4. Using a bunch of paper towels, carefully rub off the skin of the beets. The skin should easily come off and into the paper towels, without turning your hands bloody red.
5. Once peeled, dice up beets and place into a large bowl. Add about 2 tbsp of the Creamy Basil Mint Dressing and stir. Feel free to add more dressing, if you'd like.
6. Stir in the fresh herbs, saving a bit for garnish on top. Add a pinch or two of salt and you should be good to go!
7. Enjoy!

 *I will be posting a delicious recipe for sauteed beet greens soon. Think bacon and garlic! Yum!

XOXO,
SMP
basil, beets, clean eating,
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Paleo Sesame Chicken Recipe


I've always had a soft spot for Chinese takeout, but ever since we started following a Whole30/Paleo diet, we have limited our intake to very infrequent occasions. It would always taste great in the moment, but later on we would feel sick to our stomach and wonder why we ordered it to begin with. This recipe, however, is equally delicious and leaves you feeling great and ready to continue on your health journey with no interruptions, no tummyaches, and no guilt.

The last couple of weeks I've been experimenting with using Coconut Aminos to create a clean, guilt free sauce I could use for quick stir fry dinners. The taste reminded me of Chinese takeout so I started to research how to make "Chinese Style Chicken" recipes like sweet and sour, orange, and sesame chicken. I took a little bit from a couple of different recipes and landed with this deliciously clean, Paleo, and Whole30* approved version of what reminds me of Sesame Chicken. 

*If you have a serious obsession with Chinese takeout, this could be considered "swypo", as per the Whole30 guidelines. To me, it's just a healthier version of a popular dish and I would have no problem eating it during a Whole30 along side plenty of veggies or over some salad greens. Your call though.

The method to making this dish taste legit may sound a little labor intensive, but it's actually quite easy. I decided to show the steps in pictures, so you can get a good idea of what is happening along the way. Succinct instructions will follow at the end :)

Paleo Sesame Chicken Recipe - Step by Step!

1. Make your sauce: in a food processor or blender, combine coconut aminos (soy sauce substitute), orange juice, fresh garlic, and fresh ginger. Set aside.
Use a piece of fresh, peeled piece of ginger the size of about your thumb or 1 inch.

Coconut Aminos, garlic, ginger, and orange juice about to be blended up!

2. Prep Chicken: cut about 2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs into bite sized pieces and place into a large ziploc bag. I was able to cut each chicken thigh into about 6 pieces.

I know, raw chicken isn't pretty, but you get the idea.
3. Coat chicken: Add 1/2 cup of arrowroot flour/starch to the chicken pieces, zip up the bag, and shake what your mama gave ya until all pieces are well coated.

This is the kind of arrowroot flour I buy - it's relatively inexpensive compared to other flour substitutes and works perfectly for this recipe.

This is what your chicken pieces should look like after a good shake with the arrowroot flour.
4.  Heat up a bit of avocado oil (or other healthy oil of your choice) over medium to medium high heat in a large heavy pan. You want the oil pretty hot, but not burning.

5. Egg bath: While the oil is heating, in a shallow dish, beat 3 large eggs and toss the chicken pieces, in batches, to coat on all sides. Once each batch is coated with the egg, you'll want to proceed to step 6 and then back again to step 5 for each batch.
Coat each chicken piece in the egg on all sides, working in batches, and proceeding to the next step.

6. Once the oil is hot, fry each chicken piece until golden brown on each side, about 30 seconds a side. You are not trying to fully cook the chicken, just create a nice crust. Work in batches and repeat Step 5 & 6 until all pieces are fried.

You're looking for that nice golden brown, crispy but chewy crust.

Transfer each batch to a plate and continue to repeat steps 5 and 6 until all pieces are fried.
7. Clean your pan: I'm a big fan of limiting the number of pans to wash, so I recommend you carefully wipe out the pan you were working in so that you can use the same pan for the rest of the recipe.
I use a pair of tongs and some paper towels to wipe out any excess oil left in the pan.
8. Combine everything: Over medium heat, pour in the sauce we created in Step 1. Let it come to a simmer and then nestle all of the fried chicken pieces back into the pan.

Fried chicken pieces simmering in the sauce.

9. Simmer and watch sauce reduce: Simmer chicken, uncovered, over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and sauce has reduced to the nice thick sauce you would expect from Chinese takeout. Then, liberally sprinkle sesame seeds over cooked chicken.

Here the chicken is completely cooked through and the sauce has reduced to a nice thick sauce. I then sprinkled the sesame seeds all over.
10. Spoon your Paleo Sesame Chicken into a bowl with roasted vegetables or on top of a salad for a complete meal. Garnish with fresh scallions and enjoy!


Paleo Sesame Chicken Recipe

Recipe Ingredients:
1.5 - 2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup of arrowroot flour
3 large eggs
Avocado oil, enough to coat a pan and fry all pieces

For the Sauce:
3/4-1 cup Coconut Aminos (Use the lesser if you have 1.5 lbs instead of 2 lbs of chicken, and/or you prefer things a little less salty)
1 cup orange juice, no sugar added, all natural 
4 garlic cloves
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled, about the size of your thumb

Garnish:
Sesame seeds
Chopped fresh scallions

Recipe Directions:

1. Make your sauce: in a food processor or blender, combine coconut aminos (soy sauce substitute), orange juice, fresh garlic, and fresh ginger. Set aside.

2. Prep chicken: cut about 2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs into bite sized pieces and place into a large ziploc bag. I was able to cut each chicken thigh into about 6 pieces.

 3. Coat chicken: Add 1/2 cup of arrowroot flour/starch to the chicken pieces, zip up the bag, and shake what your mama gave ya, until all pieces are well coated.

4.  Heat up a bit of avocado oil (or other healthy oil of your choice) over medium to medium high heat in a large heavy pan. You want the oil pretty hot, but not burning.

5. Egg bath: While the oil is heating, in a shallow dish beat 3 large eggs and toss the chicken pieces, in batches, to coat on all sides. Once each batch is coated with the egg, you'll want to proceed to step 6 and then back again to step 5 for each batch.

6. Once the oil is hot, fry each chicken piece until golden brown on each side, about 30 seconds a side. You are not trying to fully cook the chicken, just create a nice crust. Work in batches and repeat Step 5 & 6 until all pieces are fried.

7. Clean your pan: I'm a big fan of limiting the number of pans to wash, so I recommend you carefully wipe out the pan you were working in so that you can use the same pan for the rest of the recipe.

8. Combine everything: Over medium heat, pour in the sauce we created in Step 1 into the cleaned out pan. Let it come to a simmer and then nestle all of the fried chicken pieces back into the pan.

9. Simmer and watch sauce reduce: Simmer chicken, uncovered, over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and sauce has reduced to the nice thick sauce you would expect from Chinese takeout. Then, liberally sprinkle sesame seeds over cooked chicken.

10. Spoon your Paleo Sesame Chicken into a bowl with roasted vegetables or on top of a salad for a complete meal. Garnish with fresh scallions and enjoy!

Try this recipe and let me know what you think!

Until next time!

XOXO,
SMP
arrowroot flour, chinese take out, coconut aminos,
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100 Days of Whole30 - Results are In!

No cheats. No slips. No excuses. For 100 Days, I followed the Whole30 program and I couldn't be more thrilled by the results. Now, I'm not a newbie to the Whole30. My first adventure was in August 2012 and before this year's Whole100, I had completed 4 previous rounds. With every previous round, I would lose 5-6 pounds and then try to keep to 80/20 paleo.  Some weeks would be better than others and those 5-6 pounds would slowly creep back on - usually in the form of bloat. I decided at the end of 2014, that I wanted to REALLY make this a way of life. I REALLY wanted to change my habits for good. The last 100 days have done exactly that.

I would say the first 30 days were just like every previous round - I felt better, had clearer skin, lost 5 lbs, but I had a list of things I still craved and desired. Then around Day 40, I had another dose of the magic. Something I hadn't experienced previously. My cravings were really diminishing. I was feeling GREAT, and my body was really changing. I was actually quite surprised on Day 61 that I hadn't lost any more weight because my body looked so different. On that day, I decided to break up with the scale for good because it truly does not tell my story.

The days kept flying by and it became easier and easier to remain on plan. I turned down my mother's lasagna at a family gathering without a problem. I wasn't even tempted to eat pizza during a get together at my husband's Crossfit Box. Off plan foods just weren't even interesting anymore. I honestly craved my nutritious and delicious foods that I had made a habit of creating every day. I fell in love with red cabbage and if you're following me on Instagram you have noticed that I've eaten it almost every day since I've discovered that I loved it.

My Whole100 Results
  • I decided to not weigh myself today because for the first time in forever, I don't care what the scale says. Coming from a person who used to weigh herself multiple times a day, this is a huge victory for me. 
  • When I look at the progress photos above, I know that my body composition has changed. I'm less bloated and I'm down a dress/pants size. That tank top is an XL and I can now fit in a Medium sized shirt.
  • I lost 1 inch off my waist and 2.5 inches off my hips.
  • I've seen major progress in the gym - I've hit new PRs on my front squat and deadlift and I've been able to run during workouts without needing to take walking breaks. 
  • I've solidified these new healthy eating habits and choosing real food, all the time, is just my new normal.
People keep asking me what I'm going to do now. If I've ordered a pizza or stuffed my face with a cupcake yet. And the answer is I'm eating the same stuff I ate yesterday and the day before. It's delicious and makes me feel great - why would I go back? Sure, if someone had a delicious, freshly baked cupcake in front of my face right now, I would consider eating it. But the difference is that before, just the thought of a cupcake would trigger my cravings and I would be heading straight to the kitchen to satisfy my sweet tooth. Instead, I have no compelling feeling as I type this.

I  think I've finally taken control of my relationship with food.
It no longer controls me - I am in charge.
I am Whole30.

XOXO,
SMP
clean eating, crossfit, eat real food,
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Blackberry Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe


This Blackbery Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette recipe came about by accident. Or was it fate? My local grocery store had organic blackberries for 50% off because they were nearing their end of life. I scooped up two packages at $2.50 each and felt like I stole something.

I had seen somewhere about making a blackberry balsamic reduction so I started doing that with my half priced beauties. Once it was done, I thought it needed a little bit more life, so I started adding lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Yummy. Then I thought - I should totally make this into a dressing! So I pureed the reduction with light tasting olive oil until it was the consistency I was looking for.  It still needed a little something so I looked around my kitchen and my basil plant caught my eye - yes, this needed a fresh herb! So I threw in some basil leaves and pureed it again. Delicious. Next time, I will just chop the fresh basil and stir it in. I think seeing the green specks would be pretty!

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably noticed that yesterday, I topped my salad with the vinaigrette and this morning I topped my sweet potato hash and eggs with it. I think this would be delicious on meat, seafood, eggs, salad greens, veggies...anything really!


Side Note: Less than a week until I complete my Whole100! Woohoo!

Blackberry Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe

Recipe Ingredients: 

6 oz package of blackberries
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Zest of one lemon
Juice from 1/2 lemon
3/4 cup light tasting olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
8-10 fresh basil leaves

Recipe Directions:

1. Add blackberries and balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan. Smash the blackberries with a fork. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to simmer, and let simmer for about 8-10 minutes or until reduced by half.

2. Add blackberry balsamic reduction to a food processor or blender and add remaining ingredients on the list, except for the fresh basil. Blend until well combined.

3. Chop up the fresh basil and stir it in to the vinaigrette.

Enjoy!

XOXO,
SMP
balsamic vinegar, basil, blackberries,
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Coconut Marinara Chicken Recipe



If you follow me on Instagram, you would have seen me post a meal earlier this week where I added bits of coconut butter on top of a tomato sauce based dish. It looked like melted cheese and although the combo may sound weird, I couldn't believe how much I loved it. This spur of the moment decision got my wheels turning and this Coconut Marinara Chicken recipe was born.

This chicken recipe is really easy, as long as you have the right ingredients. You will want to find a clean marinara sauce (no added sugar or funky ingredients) or use your own recipe. I usually use this one from Wegmans or this one I found at Costco. 

And then of course, you will need coconut butter. This is not coconut milk, cream, or oil. Just pureed coconut flesh. My favorite brand is Artisana's which I can usually find at TJMAXX. I also like Nutiva's brand, which I'm also able to find at my local Wegmans. 

Trust me - the combination of the marinara and the coconut butter is decadently delicious. While I used the coconut marinara to top chicken in this recipe, it goes amazingly over spaghetti squash or mixed in with ground beef  or pork. Try it and let me know what you think! 

Coconut Marinara Chicken Recipe 


Recipe Ingredients: 

For the Coconut Marinara Sauce
2 cups marinara sauce (no sugar added)
1/2 cup coconut butter 

For the Chicken 
1-1.5 pounds of boneless chicken thighs
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper 
Ghee, for frying 

Toppings:
More coconut butter (because, why not?)
Fresh cilantro 

Recipe Directions:

1. Warm a cast iron pan over medium heat.

2. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides.

3. Melt enough ghee to coat your pan and pan fry chicken thighs for about 5 minutes per side.

4. While your chicken thighs are frying up, in a small sauce pan warm up marinara sauce on medium low. Once warmed, add coconut butter and stir until melted and completely combined.

5. After the initial browning step of the chicken in step 3, lower heat to medium low, and cook an additional 10 mins or so, until chicken is fully cooked. (Juices run clear, internal temp of 165)

6. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from pan and let chicken rest for about 5 minutes on a plate. Spoon the creamy coconut marinara sauce over the chicken and top with more bits of coconut butter and fresh cilantro.

7. Enjoy!

XOXO,
SMP
chicken, clean eating, coconut,
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Faith Without Action is Dead


Faith is powerful, but it requires us to take action.

God's word says that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed, we could tell that mountain to move and it would move. So even if we have "enough" faith as the scripture says, we still have to TELL the mountain to move, in order for it to move. We can't just think it and believe it, we have to ACT on our faith.

These words apply to every area of our lives. When I think about my health journey, I know that I must not only have faith that I will see a change in my life, but I have to act on it. I have to ask God for wisdom every day to help me make the right decisions and then I must go and actually make those choices. We can't pray for God to help us lose weight, battle our addiction to food, and heal us of our medical conditions, if we are still binge eating on ice-cream and cookies. It's just not going to work.

So I pray today, that through this scripture you find motivation to step out of your comfort zone. To take a leap of faith. To take one action that leads you closer to your goals - whatever they may be. God promises to give you the strength to continue in this race, but you have to keep walking.

XOXO, 
SMP
action, Faith, Hope,
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Whole30 + Crossfit = A Year of Success!


I shared this post on my Instagram account yesterday, but thought I would share here on my blog as well. The difference a year can make, my friends! This time last year, I was sitting on the sidelines, 4 months postpartum, watching my husband compete in the 2014 Crossfit Games Open. I actually felt great that day: I remember the baby taking a nice long nap that afternoon and finally having the ability to take a shower, blow dry my hair and put on some makeup. I wanted to look pretty as I cheered on my very in shape husband and socialized with all of his gym friends. When I saw someone post this picture the next day on Facebook, I remember being embarrassed. Did I really look that big? I didn't feel that big. I've always been a very confident person and think I carry weight pretty well, but I still did not like the way I looked in this photo.

I also remember talking to my husband that day and I thought he was crazy when he told me, "Next year, you will be doing it too!" YEAH OKAY HONEY. I had already started to dabble in some Crossfit workouts, but with a new baby, and my husband's crazy work schedule, it was very hard to commit to a consistent program. Around the end of June, with the help of the Kid Care program at a new Crossfit Box that opened up locally, I was able to commit to Crossfit and workout 3-4 times a week. It was such a game changer and, lo and behold, here I am. One year later, with my Rogue and Reebok gear, head band and thumbs taped ready to take on the first workout in the 2015 Crossfit Games Open.

I have God, my husband, family, friends, Whole30, and Crossfit to thank for my transformation. There's still a long way to go but I'm rejoicing in this milestone.  Wherever you are in your journey, take a moment to pat yourself on the back for every good choice you've made. For getting up early to workout. For trying a new vegetable this week. For resting when your body needed rest. All of these good choices add up and you may not see a difference today or tomorrow, but you will. I'm a different person today than I was in that first picture and I couldn't feel more blessed.

XOXO,
SMP
crossfit, fitness, motivation,
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