Paleo Challenge: Day 2

Breakfast

I was pleasantly surprised to wake up to the smell of BACON! Josh had gone to the gym early, and cleaned the kitchen and cooked breakfast while C and I were still snoozing. I had brewed a cup of coffee the night before, mixed in a packet of stevia, and stuck it in the fridge. I had iced coffee with some almond milk mixed in for my breakfast. Next time I'll only use half the packet of stevia - that stuff is super sweet!

 

The bacon was super crispy... some of it was close to pork rinds! Ha! We ate it all, though... so it must not have been too bad!

After breakfast I got in the kitchen and started food prep for the week. While I was cooking these two were playing and watching the final heats of the CrossFit Regional events that were going on this weekend.

Fruit Salad
This fruit salad is so easy and delicious. Our friend Savanna makes it for our family get-togethers and I figured it would keep well through the first part of the week - if it lasts that long! Pick berries and fruits you like, mix them in a large bowl with the juice of one lime and a couple tablespoons of honey! Easy!

 

Veggies
I cut up some veggies to have for snacks throughout the week. Celery, cucumbers, and baby carrots are ready to go in the fridge to top salads or snack on!

 

Fudge Babies

Fudge Babies are like Larabar balls. They're really easy in terms of low ingredients, but be ready to get your hands dirty!

Chicken Salad & Paleo Mayo

I got tired of the chicken salad I normally make with balsamic, honey, grapes, and walnuts, and opted for this Curry Chicken Salad instead. I modified mine - recipe below!

Curry Chicken Salad
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets (boiled, drained, and torn into small pieces)
Paleo mayo (I used the majority of the recipe below, but had a little leftover, depends on how creamy you like it! Recipe I used below)
Raw cashews (chopped, I used about half a cup)
Raisins (small handful)
Celery (diced, about half a cup)
2 Tbsp curry powder
1/2 Tsp ground ginger
1/4 Tsp garlic powder
Salt & pepper to taste
Mix it all together and enjoy!

Paleo Mayo
1 large egg (bring to room temperature)
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/4 cup light tasting olive oil
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt

Bring egg to room temperature. In blender or food processor blend egg, 1/4 cup of oil, lemon juice, mustard, and salt until combined. Then, very slowly drizzle the remaining cup of oil in. Should take 2-3 minutes. If you go too fast it won't combine properly. Mayo expires when your eggs expire - so make a note!

Egg Muffins

These go quickly in my house... that guy I live with likes them a lot. I made 20 muffins this time, and they are just plain - egg, sausage, salt, pepper, and a little cayenne. No frills!

After I finshed my food prep, we went to the gym. Josh was doing this workout and I decided to join him:

1 mile run

60 pull-ups

1 mile run

I ran my mile in 9:15. At about my 20th pull-up (on the red band) I felt a really weird pull in my lower abdomen. Really awkward area to strain when doing an upper body intensive movement... so I can't figure out if it's muscle or something else. Mandy said it could have been from holding my breath.... which I tend to do on pull-ups. I finished 30 pull-ups so I'd have completed at least half of the workout, and by then it was so bad that I couldn't stand up straight and it was making me dizzy. We shall see how I feel tomorrow.

Dinner
Mom cooked us dinner, like she normally does on Sundays. I had thrown a pack of chicken tenderloins in some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and oregano before we headed over there so my dad could put them on the grill with the other chicken.We had grilled chicken breasts, and a ton of grilled veggies: cabbage, banana peppers, squash, and scallion. Everything but the cabbage was fresh from their garden and it was delicious! I snagged some jalapenos she'd picked for a recipe I'm making Tuesday. BONUS - she sent me home with some watermelon and leftovers from dinner!!!