The Adventures of the Mini Donut Maker

Reason #13 - Not just donuts, mini donuts.

The adventures of the mini donut maker all started out of curiosity. I had never really thought of making donuts, let alone mini donuts. Not really sure why, but I still get surprised by the fact that there are so many ways to make these seemingly "poisonous" (in Marco's words) foods, not so poisonous. After I finally purchase the mini donut maker, I decide that it is my date for a Friday night. After a 9:00pm trip to HEB, I had all the ingredients to make the little mini drops of donuts.

They are very easy and worth it! Here are the links to the 2 recipes that I made -

Apple Cider Mini Donuts

Sugar Cookie Mini Donut

Apple Cider Mini Donuts: http://paleospirit.com/2012/apple-cider-paleo-donuts/
Sugar Cookie Donuts with Frosting: http://www.whatrunslori.com/2011/12/paleo-sugar-cookie-doughnuts/ (recipe calls for a bundt pan, but the donut maker works perfect!)
 

How bad do you want it?

Reason #12 - You have to want it.
Let's face it - change isn't always easy. However, it does get easier as you try harder and keep working to reach your goals, no matter what they are. Since January, I have moved back to Houston from Austin, started a new job, started a business and will be getting married in October. Talk about change! It has definitely been an adjustment, but I am getting through it because I know all of these are steps I needed to take in order to reach my goals and advance in my career and personal life. 

Guess what? Working out and eating healthy aren't things that should make you miserable. It DOES become enjoyable. No one is going to make you eat eggs in the morning over pancakes or make you keep running the last 200 meters at the end of the workout - it is all you! This is something you have to want to do! So, sit back, take a look at yourself and your goals and decide what exactly you want and GET AFTER IT! :)

Now here's a recipe courtesy of http://www.multiplydelicious.com/thefood/2012/05/carrot-zucchini-spiced-muffins/

Zucchini Carrot Spiced Muffins
Ingredients
1/2 cup ripe banana
4 organic mejool dates, pitted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 eggs
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup carrot, shredded
1/2 cup zucchini, shredded

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 12-cup pan with paper liners of grease with coconut oil.
In a microwave safe bowl place 4 dates and 1 tablespoon water and microwave on high for 30 seconds.  Remove from microwave and mash with a fork.  Add an additional 1 tablespoon water and microwave for another 30 seconds and mash.
Add date mixture along with banana, vanilla extract, and eggs in a bowl of a food processor.  Process until smooth.
In a small bowl whisk together dry ingredients (coconut flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt and baking soda).  Add dry ingredients into bowl of food processor with the wet ingredients and process until well combine.  Stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Remove blade in food processor and stir in shredded carrots and zucchini to the mixture as well as the melted coconut oil.  Stir until everything is incorporated.
Using a ice cream scoop evenly distribute the batter into the prepared muffin cups.  Sprinkle tops with additional zucchini and carrots and cinnamon.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden.

CFOT Goes Primal

Reason #11 - No Excuse Not To Succeed.
Last Saturday we kicked off our gym challenge and had a great turnout! We are excited to have the members on board for changing their eating habits and making the move to paleo/primal. When it all comes down to it, we are in this together. It doesn't matter if the person next to you has been CrossFitting and eating Paleo for 5 years and you only for 5 days - you are both living that lifestyle. The community is one of the great things about CrossFit and all of the jazz that goes along with it. We are all in it together, so there is no excuse not to succeed. If you have a goal - commit and don't let yourself fail! Reach out to your community and share ideas, recipes, shoot - share your feelings too :). Marco and I are really excited to have our members participating in the challenge to see your results! A big thanks to every CFOT member as well - we are continually growing and want to thank you all for your dedication and support.

Aside from the 5 minutes of Burpees on Saturday, I think the favorite part was the pot luck lunch. That just proves that paleo foods are delicious. Here is the recipe for the pork that Jennifer made - YUM!

Ingredients

• 1 lb of Italian pork (spicy or mild) 
• Chopped Onion
• All 3 color bell peppers
• Poblano Pepper
• Celery
• Mushrooms
• Spinach (large leaves shrink dramatically when sauteed with the meat)
• Salt and  pepper
• Soy- free soy sauce (Coconut Secret - Raw Coconut Aminos Soy-Free Seasoning Sauce - 8 oz. about $8 at Hubble&Hudson)

Instructions

Place all peppers and onions and celery with meat in large skillet or saucepan.  Simmer with juices from meat until thoroughly cooked.  Add the salt pepper and soy to taste. Add mushrooms and spinach and stir until the spinach has shrunk and the mushrooms are cooked.  Drain excess grease from meat and serve in lettuce wraps or by itself.

Prep Time- 15 minutes (lots of veggies to cut)

Cook time- ~12-15 minutes

Serves 4-6 people

Preparation is Key

Reason #10 - Everything seems easier when you are prepared.

Sorry for the lapse in postings, I haven't been very prepared :). When making the change and deciding to eat Paleo, one of the hardest things to deal with is making sure that you have the right foods available to eat. What happens when you have had a long day and you get home at 8:30pm? One of the last things you want to do is cook a meal. Or - what if you know you have a long day ahead of you, but there won't be any good food available to eat? You will be just fine of you are prepared. It is a lot easier to stick with the plan if you keep the right foods around you to have them accessible at the right time. So, don't worry about what you are going to eat when, just be prepared.

What works for me is a food prep day on Sunday. It is literally a few hours of all out cooking. I cook meats, veggies, random snacks and then pack them up into tupperwares (I am slightly a Type A personality - obviously) so it is literally a grab and go out of the fridge. This is very similar to a My Fit Foods type of meal plan, but I get to pick everything I eat and it is a little more cost effective. At the end of the day, I am pretty set for the whole week of meals. Yes, this does not work for everyone and i understand that it may not be feasible to cook for a family of 5 for 5 days. If this is the case, maybe try and jsut plan your meals on paper. The point is that being prepared just helps you stick to eating the right foods and keeps the bad cravings down.

P-P-P Pancakes

Reason #9 -More Pancakes.
Yes, I have posted about pancakes before, but I love them so here goes. I am one of those people who can eat piles of pancakes and not get full. Imagine, making he change to a Paleo lifestyle  and giving up one of your favorite foods. It was awful - not going to lie. BUT as you can tell, there are ways around this, you just have to be willing to try different things! Because of my love for pancakes and Marco's need for a Sunday morning breakfast feast, we have found/created some pancake recipes that satisfy the craving. Every time we make them, they seem to taste more and more like "real" pancakes.

Just a couple of recipes to try -

Peanut Butter Protein Pancakes - mostly Paleo :)
Mix dry ingredients together then add all of the wet ingredients. Use 1/4 cup and drop into pan.

• 1C Almond Flour
• 1/2C Coconut Flour
• 1C Peanut Butter Protein (or any protein)
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 tsp almond milk
• 1/4C water
• 1 TBS oil
• dash of cinnamon
• 1tsp salt

Another Pancake Favorite:
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/breakfast1/r/lowcarbpancakes.htm

Instead of syrup, try some berries on the top of the pancakes!

Green Eggs and Ham?

Reason #8 - You can put ANYTHING in scrambled eggs.

Dr. Seuss has it right when it comes to eggs!

It may sound disgusting or incredibly odd, but you really can put any meat or vegetable in eggs and it is pretty darn good. All you do is make sure the meat and or veggies are cooked, then put them in the bowl with your eggs and egg whites and whip it together. Pour the mixture in the pan and you are all set.

 

Here are some of out favorites to put into egg concoctions: 

Veggies:

Green bell peppers

Yellow bell peppers

Red bell peppers

Onions

Avocado

Spinach

Squash

Zucchini

Tomatoes

Meats:

Turkey burger

Hamburger

Italian sausage

Salmon (with some garlic is good too!)

Bacon

Sausage

Chicken sausage

Shrimp - yes, shrimp

Ham Steak

Steak

Try these in any different combinations and you will not be disappointed. This is a great way to get in extra protein and extra servings of veggies!

Tis' the Season

Reason #7 - Fat lasts longer than flavor.
Tis' the season of holiday parties, eggnog, boxes of mysterious chocolates and a lot of other temptations. When I find myself in the middle of people eating all of the fats and foods that I used to eat like crazy at the holidays, I think about the long term consequences of eating the fatty food (for example, a jiggly back side, squishy middle, bad work outs, guilt, etc...). Why would I want to throw what I have worked so hard to get for a few seconds of flavor?

All of that being said, that does not mean I dont have a sweet tooth. That is why I find recipes that will work with my lifestyle and are not absolutely horrible for you - things like Paleo Pumpkin Cookies.

Ingredients
1 cup of almond meal
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts ( I didn't use additional nuts, and they still turned out good)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 egg
1 cup of cooked and mashed yam, pumpkin, or butternut squash
¼ cup coconut milk
2-4 tablespoons maple syrup

Cooking Instructions  
Preheat oven to 400. In a mixing bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients.  In another small mixing bowl whisk together the egg, coconut milk, and maple syrup.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.  Add the mashed yam, pumpkin, or squash to the dough and mix well. Grease a baking sheet with coconut oil or organic grass fed butter and scoop about one heaping tablespoon per cookie onto the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.  Makes approximately 15 cookies.
(Thanks again to Everyday Paleo: http://everydaypaleo.com/2010/11/23/one-final-thanksgiving-treat-recipe-and-being-thankful/)