Tilapia, Asparagus, and Purple Potatoes

I'm not sure what is going on, but the store has had terrible fresh salmon. This is very unfortunate for the McMillan household because it is one of James' favorite meals, and he hasn't had it since before the Philippines. Poor James. And poor Richard, he loves salmon.

Anyway, this meal is supposed to be made with salmon (I will post the recipe the next time we are successful at the store) but we improvised and used fresh tilapia. Now, it was no where near the same, but it also wasn't nearly as bad as I anticipated. I had plans to drench my plate with hot sauce (my go-to solution to undesirable food), but this time it wasn't necessary. I'll take it. 

Ingredients

2 lbs of fresh tilapia (this is enough for both of our dinners and lunches)

3 diced jalepeno

1 handful of chopped cilantro

1/8 cup of oil (your choice)

3 tbs chili powder

1/2 lbish Asparagus

11 Purple Potatoes

Directions

1. Add the chili powder, diced jalepeno, chopped cilantro, and oil to a large bowl. Mix together. 

2. Rinse fish and check for bones.

3. Add fish to the bowl and mix together (It helps if you use your hands - the goal is for each piece of fish to be coated)

4. Place on a cookie sheet or baking pan

5. Bake for 23ish minutes at 400 degrees

Asparagus and Purple Potatoes - James is the owner of these lovely dishes, but I think the directions are somewhere already on the blog. If not, I will add them later. 

Don't judge the dish off it's picture, I swear it's better than it looks. 

Ceviche and My Obsession with Mint

Hi! It's been a while since I've taken the time to write a post, and I now realize that I miss blogging and I miss the accountability from strangers searching for recipes on the Internet. I am a data freak and seriously enjoy watching the views climb each time I write a post. I have still been eating my normal Paleo diet and attending CrossFit classes, I just haven't talked about it.

Here are my two favorite recipes for the summer. They are both insanely delicious and I highly recommend them.

Ceviche (This recipe is from my dear friend, Carrie)
1 lb shrimp
1 lb white fish (tilapia)
4-5 tomatoes
2-3 jalepeno
1 white onion
5-6 limes

Directions
1. Devein your shrimp and sautee in desired oil on a skillet
2. Cut fish in chunks and add to the skillet (Note: if you want to be adventurous, you can allow the lime juice to cook your shrimp and fish. I prefer to cook them a little first, just to be safe).
3. Chop your tomato, jalepeno, and onion like you would for pico de gallo
4. Add the shrimp, fish, and vegetables to a large bowl
5. Squeeze lime juice into the bowl. I LOVE lime, so I have James do this so that he is able to still enjoy the snack...if it were up to me I would use way  more lime. My advice is to start slow and find what you like.
6. Stir, let sit in the fridge for a few hours, and enjoy! We serve ours with avocado oil potato chips, but you can use anything you want.


Mint Grapefruit Spritzer
3-4 mint leaves
2 slices of grapefruit (I've also used 3-5 raspberries instead)
Splash of organic limeade
Water
Ice

Directions
1. Muddle your mint leaves in the bottom of your glass
2. Add grapefruit (or muddled raspberries)
3. Pour in a shot or two of liquor (my favorites are Tito's or Bulleit Rye)

4. Add ice and top with a splash of limeade and water
5. Get ready for the most refreshing drink of your life. I've made this drink at every get together I've attended this summer, including a boat party and a hill country cookout.

Franklin Barbecue: Yes, It's Worth the Wait

On February 1st, James and I woke up early and were on a mission to finally try Franklin Barbecue. Considering the fact that James is from Texas, he understands and appreciates good bbq (especially brisket).  I, on the other hand, am a newbie to the smoked meat scene (in PA we considered hot dogs and hamburgers bqq. Sometimes, we even added chicken.). Now, if you know me at all, or read my blog, then you know eating a tray of meat isn't exactly my favorite thing to do...but this time, I loved it.

7:00 Woke up and got in a workout. I did a variation of Fight Gone Bad in the garage, and added a 400 to the end. Why? Because I'm a mfgbw. If you workout in our garage you'll learn what that means.

8:15 James drops me off at the Franklin Barbecue line and goes to a coffee shop nearby to grab caffeine and snacks. A man across the street was renting chairs to sit in, but we opted for Josh's army blanket that was still in the car. While I wait for James, I email Franklin to reserve a whole brisket for James' birthday weekend at the end of March. They are already sold out for February, but they start taking March orders on February 1st.

8:30ish James returns with caffeine and yummy snacks. The line is energetic and growing as a lady from Franklin comes around to take your predicted meat order. We order 2 pounds of brisket, a mammoth beef rib, and a sausage link. Our expected time to eat is 12:15.

This is all that stands between us and brisket. I'm assuming the line began forming around 7 :00. 

Between 8:15 and 8:45 the line became this long. Throughout the day people attempt to join the end, but leave hopeless once they hear they will most likely sell-out of meat by the time they make it inside. 

Somewhere around 9:30: A nice man with painted fingernails starts selling beverages to The Line. We are reminded to be responsible and respect The Line...after all, there are about 3 hours until we eat. As I sip on my Pearl Snap, I take in the delicious fragrance of the smoker behind us and find it ironic that we are tailgating for our lunch. 

12:00 By this time Ryan has joined us and we've had a couple interactions with the nice man selling beverages. We're getting closer to the door, but are not yet inside. 

Sometime between 12 and 1: We are So. Close. Even though we've been here since 8:15, I'm not upset at all. In fact, the atmosphere inside of the restaurant is super chill and relaxed. The staff is extremely friendly and takes their time with each person. We are handed a sample from the tip of the brisket, which was divine. Absolutely, delicious. 

1:00ish, but who really cares: We have close to 4 pounds of barbecue, coleslaw, and pickles. Did we over order? Heck no. 

This is hands down the best barbecue I've ever had in my life. While La Barbecue and Salt Lick are amazing, they have nothing on Franklin. The only downfall is the wait, but in the end, I would say it makes the experience even better. Oh...I received a disappointing email that afternoon from Franklin. Unfortunately, they sold out of brisket for the month of March before they received my email at 8:20. Next time I will be more prepared and send the email at 12:01 am on the first of the month. Sorry, James. 

Breakfast: Sweet Potato/Jalapeno Hash

It is very accurate to say that Breakfast is, by far, my lease favorite meal of the day. Looking back, I didn't even eat breakfast until I met James, and there are several days that I still wouldn't eat it if it weren't for him. I've found it much easier to consume some gross breakfast than listen to him explain how terrible I am for skipping a meal. xoxo

Anyway, I am a creature of habit and routine. Monday through Friday I eat the same paleo banana bread breakfast and green apple smoothie afternoon snack. I make the bread every Sunday evening so that each morning I only have to slice it and pack it. This system has worked for over a year, but I decided  it was time for a change.

Because I usually work out in the mornings,  I decided it would be alright to try sweet potatoes smothered in hot sauce. Apparently, there are amazing benefits from consuming sweet potatoes post workout. So, last Sunday night instead of making my banana bread, I baked two large sweet potatoes. I didn't season them or do anything fancy. Instead, I poked a few holes in them and gave them a nice foil blanket. By Tuesday morning there was more hot sauce than baked sweet potato, so I decided to come up with something different. There was no way I was going to eat a boring baked sweet potato every single day. Good-bye banana bread, hello sweet potato jalapeno hash.

O EMMM GEEE. I forgot to mention the amazing addition to our family!  Teresa and Stokes blessed us with a beautiful garage gym. She came to us on Monday afternoon weighing in at a whopping 850 pounds. I apologize in advance for bombarding my Facebook and Instagram with pictures of us lifting. I seriously can't help it. #sorrynotsorry.

Sweet Potato/Jalapeno Hash

Ingredients
3 large sweet potatoes
1/2 yellow onion
2 garlic cloves
2 seeded jalapeno
Little bit of cinnamon
Little bit of salt/pepper
Little more of chili powder

Directions
1. Place garlic cloves in food processor and pulse until minced
2. Add onions/jalapeno to food processor and pulse until they reach the desired thickness
3. Put minced garlic, onion, and jalapeno into a pan with coconut oil. Heat until fragrant.
4. Change the blades on the food processor from chop to shred (the super cool attachment that hovers around the top).
5. Shred your sweet potatoes in the food processor (depending on the size you may have to quarter them first)
6. Add the shredded sweet potatoes to the skillet and cook. I like mine a little crispy, so I cooked them a little bit longer so that they would brown.
7. This amount was enough for three days of breakfast. I packed them in separate containers and added a splash of hot sauce.



*I will add a pic of the hash later.

Isn't she beautiful?

James' new buddy

I got to feed a giraffe! Thanks again, Josie and Ryan!

Turkey Stuffed Peppers

hi·a·tus
hīˈātəs/Submit
noun
1.
a pause or gap in a sequence, series, or process.
"there was a brief hiatus in the war with France"
synonyms: pause, break, gap, lacuna, interval, intermission, interlude, interruption, suspension, lull, respite, time out, time off, recess;


After a brief hiatus and several life changes, I'm back on the blogging grid. I don't think my updates will work in paragraph form due to the randomness of events, so I am going to list them in true Ali form. Get ready friends, I have a lot to share.

1. James and I live in South Austin and absolutely love it!
2. I now teach Algebra I and Geometry at KIPP Austin Collegiate. Over the past seven years my range of experience has grown from Kindergarten to 10th grade.
3. I started working out at Crossfit and Fearless on South Congress. My schedule doesn't align as nicely as it did with Strom, but I'm working on it. Sometimes you have to be creative and shower in the girl's locker room at school (don't worry, NO students are present that early in the morning. That would be awkward.)
4. I stopped using almond milk in my coffee and have switched to coconut milk. As you know, it takes me an entire day to drink my one cup of coffee and for some reason the almond milk starts to separate after hour one. It looks and tastes a little odd after that.
5. James is in a fantasy football league and his team name is Hot Ham Water. So gross.
6. Traffic in Austin is stupid. Really, stupid.
7. Traffic in Austin during ACL is even more stupid.
8. My favorite cheat meal so far has been at this amazing food truck called Potato A. I thought I had mastered the french fry during my time at Edinboro University, but this guy puts my fries to shame. They are freakishly delicious.
9. My bff Lisa got engaged to a very awesome, kind, hairy man. I can't wait for their wedding this July!
10. My bfff Michelle is going to have her baby within the next few weeks. It is so weird that she made it through an entire pregnancy without me seeing her baby bump. If only I had a private jet so that I could fly home to see my family and friends.
11. I want to plan a concert weekend very soon. Sh*$ Show and Shenanigan girls, let's work on that. Maybe over Christmas break??

Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients
2 lbs of ground turkey/lean beef
3 garlic cloves
6 bell peppers
4ish roma tomatoes
1/2 white onion
2 jalapenos (1 seeded, 1 whole)
1/2 C fresh cilantro
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Sprinkle garlic powder
Sprinkle onion powder
2 sprinkles of chili powder
Salt
Pepper

Directions
1. Sautee crushed garlic cloves in oil/fat of your choice. I usually use coconut oil (we don't have any bacon fat, but if we did I would definitely use it)
2. Add turkey meat to the pan and season with garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder. Cook thoroughly.
3. Make the salsa by combining the tomatoes, onion, jalepenos, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper in a food processor. I have roasted the veggies before, but lately I have been making fresh salsa instead.
4. Cut the tops off of your bell peppers and remove the seeds.
5. Turn off the heat on the meat and mix in the salsa with the meat.
6. Scoop the meat/salsa mixture into the peppers
7. Bake at 400 degrees until the peppers are at the desired squishiness. I like my peppers very squishy, so I cook them for 30-40 minutes.

Optional add-ins/toppings: 
1. Cheese
2. Cauliflower rice
3. Greek Yogurt: I swear to you it's just like topping your food with sour cream!

Only in Austin. 

I (Sometimes) Hate Meat

Paleolithic Diet

'Centered on commonly available modern foods, the contemporary "Paleolithic diet" consists mainly of fish, grass-fed pasture raised meats, eggs, vegetables, fruit, fungi, roots, and nuts, and excludes grains, legumes, dairy products, potatoes, refined salt, refined sugar, and processed oils.'


This post is not really intended to share a recipe or valuable information. On the contrary, I'm looking for support for any fellow cavepeople who sometimes hate meat. Eating paleo can be very challenging for me because I (sometimes) have a hard time eating fish, grass-fed pasture raised meats, eggs, and fungi. If you remove these items from the definition of paleolithic diet you are left with vegetables, fruit, roots, and nuts. To make matters worse I've been working on minimizing the amount of fruit I eat because of the glycemic levels. What does that leave me with? Select vegetables and nuts, which frankly isn't enough to live. Thankfully, the times that I hate meat are becoming fewer and farther between, but they still exist. Thankfully, I'm not as bad as I was between 2000-2006ish when I didn't eat any meat. I honestly would go through McDonald's and Taco Bell and order meatless hamburgers and tacos. #truestory.

So. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, especially for the times that even the largest amounts of hot sauce doesn't do it.

We're cute. 

Paleo Chocolate Almond Milk

scrump·tious  

/ˈskrəm(p)SHəs/

Adjective (of food) Extremely appetizing or delicious. (of a person) Very attractive.

Synonyms delicious - delightful - superb - luscious - delectable

I set one food goal for the summer and it was to make chocolate almond milk. The reason for this is because I found some at Randall's that was freakin' delish, but definitely not paleo. Does it really  matter? No, but when you have hours of nothing to do...it's worth trying. So, in between my morning and evening WOD I gave it a go, and the result was completely scrumptious.

Pros
1. Easy to make
2. Tastes very fresh
3. There aren't any added ingredients that I can't pronounce

Cons
1. It only stays in the fridge for about 4 days (Not really a con because of how delicious it is. I have no problem consuming it quickly).

Ingredients
1 cup of almonds
4 cups of water
Several squeezes of honey
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
Splash of vanilla extract

Directions
1. Soak 1 cup of almonds in water overnight. Add enough water to cover the almonds
2. Discard the water that the almonds were soaking in and place almonds into the Vitamix, or other powerful blender
3. Add 4 cups of water
4. Blend for 1-2 minutes
5. Use a cheese cloth to remove the almond residue from the milk (Ok, let's be real. I didn't see the point of buying a cheese cloth for this, so I used an old, but clean, t-shirt. It worked fine, but James convinced me to buy a cheese cloth for the next time.)
6. Quickly rinse out the Vitamix
7. Return the almond milk to the Vitamix
8. Add honey, cocoa powder, and vanilla
9. Blend for 30 seconds
10. Pour into a glass jar and put in fridge
11. I put the almond residue from cheese cloth (t-shirt) onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and baked it at 200 degrees for 30ish minutes. I then used the almond flour as the crust for my pumpkin pie bites.

Turkey Meat/Veg Loaf

feat
/fēt/
Noun
An achievement that requires great courage, skill, or strength.
Synonyms
exploit - deed - achievement - performance

When I got my first pull up in February/March, I was ecstatic. I thought of a pull up as a unicorn that I would never see. When I walked into Crossfit Strom for the first time I never thought I would be able to accomplish these skills so quickly.  On Monday, June 24th at approximately 5:45 pm, I got a bar muscle up. I'm not going to talk about how excited I am, because I feel very humbled by such a large accomplishment in only a few short months. It was ugly, and I almost knocked my tooth out, but I was able to do two. It never counts unless you do two.

This weekend the McMillans are going to Fredricksburg for a wine tasting weekend extravaganza. I'm super pumped to get away and spend time with the family. I'm sure I will be sporting a red stained smile the entire time, but I couldn't be happier. I've arranged for James and I to drop-in at a box on Saturday because there's no way I'll make it through the weekend without sweating out some of the booze. I really, seriously think that's the only way we made it through the weekend in Cleveland. It's going to be ugly, but will be worth it in the end.

Ingredients
2 lbs of lean ground turkey
1 yellow squash
1 zucchini
1/2 sweet onion
1 jalapeno
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Oregano
Ground Pepper
Parsley

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Dice vegetables to desired thickness. Ours were kinda small, but not super small. Maybe about 1/4 inch.
3. Season meat
4. Mix together
5. Place in a bread pan
5. Bake for about 45 minutes (or until completely cooked)

Note: I did not add egg or coconut flour to this recipe. I decided to try it without those binding ingredients and it turned out just fine. I also forgot to take a picture, but I'll see if I can get a good one of my leftovers. Exciting stuff, huh?

Muscle up #2. Notice how my tongue is out? I'm checking to see if my tooth is still intact. I also look like I just did a few wings (shout out to all my tappers out there). 

This is me being 'Merican. Lisa: just because I don't fish in Houston doesn't mean that I don't sport my fishin' hat. 

Sweet Summer Vacation

va·ca·tion

/vāˈkāSHən/

Noun An extended period of recreation, esp. one spent away from home or in traveling.

Verb Take a vacation: "I was vacationing in Europe with my family".

Synonyms noun. holiday - recess - leave - holidays verb. holiday

Hello, sweet summer vacation, I missed you.Of course it's not a traditional teacher vacation because I'm teaching summer school, but anyone who knows me knows that this is a good thing. I'm not a good relaxer for long periods of time. After a week or two I become extremely bored and an alcoholic (of course I use that term loosely... well, sorta). Let's be real, it only takes about two full days before I start to spiral out of control.

Anyway, I've decided to share with you my favorite summer time foods. Get excited.

Homemade Almost Pickles

Ingredients
1-2 cucumbers
3-5 onion slices
1 cubed or sliced tomato
1/2 cup of vinegar (last time I used apple cider, but I have used white and red wine)
3/4 cup of water
Salt
Pepper
Fresh dill (I only add this if I have some leftover from another recipe)

Directions
1. Slice vegetables to your desired thickness. I usually like mine about half an inch thick..
2. Place vegetables in a glass container or bowl (with lid)
3. Pour vinegar into the dish and add water. At this point you can decide how sour you like your not pickles. I personally like a lot of vinegar.
4. Place in fridge for a few hours
5. Enjoy as a snack

Iced Coffee

Ingredients
Dunkin' Donuts or Trader Joe's coffee
Unsweetened almond milk
Honey/agave
Vanilla extract
Ice cubes

Directions
1. Brew coffee (I usually make an entire pot and then keep it in a thermos in the fridge)
2. Place in refrigerator over night
3. Pour desired about of coffee into a cup
4. Add honey/agave, vanilla, almond milk
5. Pour over ice cubes (I add the ice cubes last because the sweetener doesn't dissolve as much when the coffee is ice could. Something about the solubility of the coffee at a colder temperature, right?

Sun Tea (I haven't made this since I was a kid, but it is one of my all-time fav summer drinks)

Ingredients
Gallon of water
Glass water container
Several Tea Bags
Honey/agave

Directions
1. Fill container with water and add several tea bags
2. Place outside in the sun for the day
3. Refrigerate overnight
4. Add sweetener and enjoy


I swear I had more amazing recipes to share with you, but they've since slipped my mind. Once I remember I'll totally share.

Oh, after several weeks I'm finally back to completing normal WOD's without any back/butt pain. I'm such a happier person when I work out, so this is a very good thing.

Here's James dominating Burpee Madness. I'm off to his very far right trying not to die at this point because this Yankee is not used to working out during Houston's summer months. It was bad. 

Here is the break down in case you ever want to experience this Thai Delight (this is how they posted it on the site so that people would still come. Sneaky, sneaky.)

Minute one: 10 Burpees Minute two: 20 Burpees Minute three: 5 Burpees Minute four: 11 Burpees Minute five: 2 Burpees Minute six: 18 Burpees Minute seven: 6 Burpees Minute eight: 15 Burpees Minute nine: 4 Burpees Minute ten: 8 Burpees Minute eleven: 17 Burpees Minute twelve: 3 Burpees Minute thirteen: 13 Burpees Minute fourteen: 9 Burpees Minute fifteen: 12 Burpees Minute sixteen: 14 Burpees Minute seventeen: 16 Burpees Minute eighteen: 7 Burpees Minute nineteen: 19 Burpees Minute twenty: 1 Burpee

If for any reason that you don't hit the specified # of burpees in the minute you must finish the remaining burpees on the next minute but you can not move on to the next set of burpees, you must wait until the next minute.

Corner Table/Pity Party

bliss  

/blis/

Noun Perfect happiness; great joy. Something providing such happiness.

Synonyms felicity - beatitude - blessedness - happiness

The past few weeks have been absolutely amazing and absolutely insane. James and I have traveled to Galveston, Cleveland, Findlay, Waterford, Austin, and Mandeville .My wardrobe has made its way from the washer to the dryer to the suitcase over and over again. When I complain about my social life lacking adventure, I will remind myself of the month of April. I am thankful for the time that we got to spend with our family and friends, but I would be lying if I didn't say I was excited to spend a weekend at home on my beautiful couch. I cannot wait to wake up early tomorrow morning and start napping in the living room. Guilt is a funny thing, and guilt is what I feel when I spend all morning in bed. For some reason I feel zero guilt while napping the day away on the couch. The living room is my napping oasis.

Teresa, Stokes, Will, Brit, James and I went out for dinner for my birthday and I was overwhelmed with the awesomeness of our experience. Because of the Internet and Yelp, I have become a restaurant seeking freak. James calls it obsessive, I call it thorough. While browsing Alison Cook's Top 100 Houston Restaurants I stumbled upon the gem, Corner Table. Now, the Corner Table was not on her list, but somehow I stumbled upon a blog that talked about paleo menus in Houston. I'm not going to lie, I was very skeptical of a paleo menu and was nervous about trying a restaurant that I heard wasn't too great from people at Strom. I decided to throw caution to the wind, and thank God I did. The experience was amazing and the food was divine.

Disclaimer: the food was not completely paleo, but it was pretty close. There was soy cheese and green beans, but who really cares. Also, the chef is a magician and managed to make coconut flour tortillas. After several personal failed attempts I was pissed to find someone who can actually make them, but whatevs. Maybe he cheated and added wheat. Maybe he added butter. It can't be that he is a better cook than me. Pssht. He definitely is a liar and a cheater and a creator of amazing paleo food. I highly recommend the Corner Table, but only if you have time for a glass of wine at the trendy wine bar next door.

Paleo Fried pickles and a very non-paleo-yet-delish cheese dip.

Chicken enchiladas with cheater tortillas and soy cheese. Note: I don't know that he cheated on the tortillas, but I am still going to make false accusations. 

Truly amazing turkey bolognese with spaghetti squash. 

Super stellar paleo fried chicken.

Ali's Self Pity Party 

If you don't want to hear about my self-thrown pity party, I would stop reading now. 

I started crossfit at the end January and have become completely addicted. I'm obsessed and totally love it. Each day I look forward to 5:30 because it means I'm at the box doing my favorite thing. I didn't think I would ever find anything that I love as much as dance, but it happened. That's a very, very bold statement, but I totally mean it. I think about it all day and dream about it at night (in my dreams I can do a muscle up...I'm obviously way cooler in my dreams than I am in real life). If it were up to me I would workout twice a day everyday. 

Here comes the party. 

Unfortunately, my brain is currently stronger than my lower back. Last week I did that weird twisty-cracky thing right before a WOD with heavy cleans, handstand push ups, and chin ups. Right away my fingers went numb and tingly and never really went away. Then, on Friday I did a WOD with clean and jerk, front squat, deadlifts and burpees. I didn't do as much weight as I normally would because something didn't feel quite "right". On Monday I ignored the discomfort I felt in my lower back while jogging and completed a WOD with deadlifts (140 lbs) sit-ups and burpees. As soon as I called time I knew I was screwed. My back was killing me and it was impossible to stand on my left leg without shooting pain. I was nervous so I stretched and rolled out for a while. 

Since Monday I have been skipping workouts and staying away from the box. I feel sorry for my husband because I have not been the happiest person this week. In fact, I've spiraled into a deep, dark depression. I want nothing more than to kick my own ass at the gym, but unfortunately, it's not going to happen any time soon. If anyone has any suggestions, please share them. I'm open for anything that could help and I'm sure James will be very appreciative of anyone that can help me out of this deep, dark depression. Last night I made him take a tub of funfetti frosting away from me. Yes, its that bad. 

My Trip to the North Pole

friend  

/frend/

Noun A person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically exclusive of sexual or family relations.

Verb Add (someone) to a list of contacts associated with a social networking Web site.

Synonyms pal - mate - chum - buddy - comrade - fellow - companion

I'm a little shocked to see that the action of making someone as your friend only counts with a social networking Web site. I have several friends that are not associated with a social networking Web site...does this mean that we aren't friends? I'm confused. I guess that means my husband, brother, and a few best friends no longer count as friends of mine because they are not on social networking. Crap.

This last weekend James McMillan and I traveled to to the North Pole for my cousin Adam's wedding. We had an amazing time and packed as much as possible into the trip. Unfortunately, I was unable to see everyone, but there was not a moment awake that we didn't spend catching up with family and 'friends'.

While I don't have a new recipe to share with you, I do have some tips for traveling with food. Over the years I have grown disgusted by the food at an airport. It is overpriced and always a little cold. There often isn't a way around it, especially when you're traveling during meal times. I am very aware that what I'm going to tell you will provoke lots of judging, but judge away. We beat the system and it tasted delicious.

Our Airport Food
1. Turkey, sliced provolone, sliced avocado, sliced tomatoes, banana peppers. We prepared the food the night before and placed them in small tupper ware containers. As long as the items are not liquid or gel then they are allowed. Yes, TSA scanned our backpack three separate times, but in the end we were allowed to take the food.
2. Preservative free bread taken out of the bag and placed into a tupperware container. Yes, this isn't paleo, but I don't care.
3. Organic granola bars made with coconut butter. James found these gems at Randalls and they're bangin'.

Now, our reasoning behind taking our lunch on the plane was purely because we prefer it and I wanted to experiment with the rules and regulations. It was a small hassle  but in the end we enjoyed our turkey sandwiches way more than the crap airport food. We haven't gone off the deep paleo deep end, we just like our food better. Of course this didn't help us on the way home, so we begrudgingly ate pizza and burritos. All in all, I would do it again.

Once we arrived in Cleveland we picked up the rental car and explored for a while. I really should be a vacation planner. We ended up renting a full size car for a total of $48. This is insanely good deal and made our vacation SO much better. I really hate relying on others to take me across the tri-state region everytime I come home. It's definitely not fair for either party. Anyway, we rocked the KIA Sportage in style and grace.

Our first destination was my friend, Bonnie's house. I haven't seen these girls since Nashville in June, so our reunion was obviously overdue. Bonnie took us to this amazing Mod Mexican place in downtown Cleveland. I was VERY weary of taking a native Texan for Mexican food in Cleveland, Ohio but was pleasantly surprised by the food and environment. James loved his duck confit and I really enjoyed my braised pork. If you're ever in the Cleveland area, you should go here. It's amazing and thankfully they didn't try to compete with traditional Mexican or Tex Mex. Oh, their cucumber margarita was super awesome as well.

James and I woke up for our flight at 4 am on Friday and didn't make it to bed until 2 am on Saturday. The reason this is important is so that you understand the insanity of making a WOD at Ctown Crossfit on Saturday morning at 9 am. I arranged for us to drop in for a class a week ago, not thinking we would actually make it. After waking up to snow on the ground, we pulled ourselves together and made it to the gym ten minutes late. If you arrive ten minutes late at our box, you're required to do 30 burpees. This is a totally fine consequence, but only if you weren't out until 2 am with your besties. Anyway, the stupid 25 mile an hour speed limit and old school drawbridge made us late. Thankfully, they were nice and didn't make us do burpees. I probably would have vomited everywhere. Sorry, but it's true.

The McMillan performance was despicable, but the point wasn't to set a PR. The purpose was to sweat out the beverages that we consumed the night before and it worked. At one point I recall stopping mid kipping pull up and laughing at James. We were both ridiculous but we still were able to finish before most of the people at the gym. (It's only fair to mention that their top athletes were at a competition in Erie that morning). Thankfully, the plan worked. We both made it to the wedding without any sign of the night before. Ali: 1 Cleveland: 0. I win.

My friend Lisa and I.

Kyle and I at Creekside. I love going to a place where the bartender knows you by name and asks how the family is doing. Good 'ol small towns. 

Kyle took this great picture of James. It pretty much sums up the remainder of Saturday night. My only regret is that I don't have a picture of James slapping the dance floor while he was dropping it like it was hot. 

Sunday morning James and I woke up to a homemade breakfast made by...CHAD. Yes, my brother Chad actually woke up early and made us breakfast. Perhaps I should take back some of the mean things I've said about him. Nah, not yet. 

After breakfast we took the Sportage to see Kyle and Anna in Findlay, Ohio. It took around four hours to drive there, but the drive was easy and there was zero traffic. We got to see their new house and play with the puppies. They took us to a really good dinner at a local Italian restaurant that has a stellar gluten-free menu. It was nice to see them and catch up. The best part about having such a great family is that you don't have to see each other all the time to remain close. Thankfully, I get to see Kyle next weekend in Austin! This made the good-byes much easier. 

All-in-all we had a great trip. We didn't eat paleo at all, but we did enjoy some delicious food. I'm not sure the next time I'll venture to the North Pole again, but I can guarantee one thing. It will snow and I will eat buffalo wings with cheap beer. 

Recipe Wish List

wish  

/wiSH/

Verb Feel or express a strong desire or hope for something that is not easily attainable; want something that cannot or probably will not happen.

Noun A desire or hope for something to happen.

Synonyms verb.   want - desire - will - like - choose noun.   desire - will - want - request - longing - aspiration

Wow, I haven't blogged in a while. There are several things I want to share, but not many any new recipes. Our schedule for the next two months is packed with awesome adventures, but that leaves little time to try new things. So. Instead of giving you a new recipe, I've decided to give you a list of things I wish I could try. I'm sure I won't get a chance to make them any time soon, so I will express my strong desire and hope for these not easily attainable recipes in the form of a Recipe Wish List.

Before I reveal the Recipe Wish List, I want to tell you about some of our random adventures.

April 5th - 7th 
The McMillan family spent the weekend together at a beach house in Galveston. My only complaint about the entire weekend was that it was too short. And that the Iron Man competition backed up traffic on the way to James' not-birthday lunch. And the fact that I ate Digiorno pizza for the first time in 2013 (I know...It was a moment of weakness...but the weakness did not stay in my body for long. Too much info? Probably. My bad.).

On Saturday morning Will, James, and I joined approximately 25 other crazy people in a WOD at Crossfit Galveston. We had a terribly great time and were able to finish the group WOD in 30ish minutes. My favorite part of  the WOD was flipping my first tire and my least favorite part was running to the sea wall with sand on my back. Believe it or not, the large breeze from the ocean was not making me feel better, it was making the run that much more difficult. Damn you ocean breeze.

This face is priceless. Pure desperation. 

April 10th 
Not even close to an adventure, but I hit a new PR with my mile run. Pre-Crossfit my fastest mile was just over 8 minutes. On April 10th I was able to run a 7:30 minute mile. I know I'm not fast, but I'm  pumped about taking greater than, or equal to, 30 seconds off my mile.

April 19th - 22nd
James and I are going to Pennsylvania for the first time in a year. I'm hoping that my mom has my snowsuit in storage somewhere, because I'm going to freeze.

April 26th - 28th
My favorite brother is coming to Austin!!!! (I can write this because I'm sure Chad doesn't read my blog.)

April 29th 
MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

May 3rd - 5th
We are going to Mandeville, LA for the Baker wedding. The only thing I want to take away from this experience is a shrimp or crawfish po'boy. We can do anything else, but I will eat one of those disgustingly delicious sandwiches.


Recipe Wish List

Pizza Margherita

Peppermint Patties

Vanilla Almond Butter

Biscuits and Gravy: I have already made the biscuits and they turned out amazing.

Turkey Sliders with Spicy Slaw

Cumin Chicken and Kale

kale
/kāl/

Noun

1. A hardy cabbage of a variety that produces erect stems with large leaves and no compact head.
2. Money.

Synonyms
kail - cole - cabbage

Haha. I like definition #2 the best. (See Random Thought #5)

Wow, I really, really wanted to write Cale instead of Kale so that my title could have all started with all c's. I guess I'll have to settle with an alliteration. I haven't blogged in a while because I didn't have anything stellar to share in terms of new recipes. My last post about the pumpkin bites was probably my favorite recipe of all time. If you haven't tried them yet, you should. They're stupid good.

Random Thoughts:
1. I am freakishly excited for this weekend. I'll be spending the weekend at the beach with the McMillan family. Bring on the margaritas and cheese soup!
2. My favorite thing to do on a Saturday off is wake up early so that I can nap on the couch. I feel guilty staying in bed past 7 am, but my guilt disappears when I'm napping on the couch.
3. My new crossfit unicorn is a muscle up. I have high hopes that I will get one sooner than later, but I'm very aware of how difficult they are. Right now I just need to work on getting ring dips without viscously bruising my left arm. It seriously looks like I was in a violent car accident the day after each ring dip WOD.
4. James and I had so much fun spending Easter with Brit's family. Her mother is insanely adorable and hid Easter eggs for us and her dad made a delicious meal with the best lamb I've ever eaten. One time I tried to make lamb, but it was offensively disgusting.
5. You know it's a long day when you laugh at things that aren't even remotely funny. This week is the beginning of STAAR testing and I am beyond exhausted. For some reason doing nothing all day makes me sleepy.

Cumin Chicken and Kale Recipe

Awesome website Ashley shared with me

I let the kale cook down a little more before we ate it. Don't be shy with the cumin...it really makes the dish. 

I have to share this pic because I love it. The deceiving part is that it wasn't hard at all, it just looks like it is. 

Pumpkin Pie Bites

pump·kin  

/ˈpəm(p)kən/

Noun A large rounded orange-yellow fruit with a thick rind, edible flesh, and many seeds. The flesh of this fruit, esp. used as food.

Synonyms squash - gourd

This will be t.h.e. most delish edible flesh you've ever eaten. My inspiration for this treat came from our love of pumpkin and the amount of cans we had in our pantry. I wasn't in the mood to be a recipe thief  so I created my own. Get excited, it's a good one.

Random Rant: I HATE it when my iphone Blogger and my desktop Blogger mess each other up. This is the second/third time I've had to write this blog because they were not in sync. haha N'sync. I loved them.


Crust
2 cups almonds
1/4 cup walnuts
2 tbsp coconut flour
2 tbsp honey

1. Combine all ingredients in Vitamix and blend until they are a flourish consistancy. Do not blend too long, or it will turn into almond/walnut butter.

Filling
1/4 cup of sweetener (I used agave, but you could use honey or pure maple syrup)
1 cup organic pumpkin
2 cups coconut milk
2 eggs
1tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1. Place all ingredients in Vitamix and blend until smooth. This will be a little runny, but that's ok.


Topping
1 can of coconut cream (heavy)
2 squeezes of honey
1 splash of vanilla

1. Place the coconut cream in the fridge overnight.
2. Remove coconut cream from the can and put in blender.
3. Add honey and vanilla
4. Blend until smooth


Directions
1. Create the crust and press into the bottom of your cupcake liners.
2. Pour the filling on top of your mini crusts.
3. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350 and continue to bake until the edges are brown, approximately 25 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and cool completely. I let mine sit overnight in the fridge.
5. Add coconut whipped cream just before you serve. I prefer to eat mine with a cup of Sleepy Time Tea, but I am also a weird hot-tea drinker.

1. Texas makes me happy because it is warm. 

2. I love Sunday Fundays by the pool with James.

3. This new recipe makes me excited, much like this picture. 

Experimental Stuffed Meatcakes

"Meatcake, or meatloaf cake, is a cake or other dessert look-alike that is made with meat in a meatloaf style, and not a pastry..."

This concoction is definitely not a pastry as it is all meat. I've mastered creating a menu of items to cook throughout the weekdays, but the weekend is usually a free for all. Sundays is the most inconsistent day, which is totally fine...until you run out of options. James worked this particular Sunday and accidentally took the car keys that I needed with him. Now, you already know that I am the queen of creating a meal from random ingredients, so I wasn't too concerned. 

I have a secret hatred for meatloaf, most likely because I was a vegetarian for several years and was scared to death of a loaf made of pure meat. So, instead of making meatloaf I decided to make meatcakes in a muffin tin. I looked through the pantry and fridge and came up with three different things to stuff the little meatcakes with. 

1. Jalapeno - diced
2. Sun-dried tomatoes - diced
3. Roasted red pepper/spinach pesto (not as flavorful as I anticipated, but it was still good)

All I did was season the beef and then create a little patty at the bottom of each tin. From there, I sprinkled the above ingredients into the tin (separately, of course). I then added a little patty on top of the filling. I really didn't want to turn this into a meatcake surprise, so I topped each little cake with some of the filling so that we could tell them apart. 

All in all, these were pretty good. Not bad, considering it was thrown together out of desperation. I will make these again, but plan ahead with the ingredients so that they are a little more jazzed up. 

Random Thoughts
1. I spent Thursday-Saturday in Austin with Ashley, Josh, and the kids. The boys and I had a great time wii dancing. I accidentally forgot to let them win, but I will remember to next time. I can't help it, I was a competitive dancer for years.  Ashley: thanks for sending James the video, it is actually quite hilarious. 
2. I haven't been to Crossfit since Wednesday, which sucks. However, the 10 calluses I ripped open are finally starting to heal.
3. Have you heard about the snow in the north?! I am SO happy that I am not there now. 
4. James and I fly to Cleveland in less than four weeks!!!!!!!!!!!! 
5. If I could be anywhere in the world right now, I would be at Los Tres with my North Carolina peeps. 
6. Does anyone have a pillow brand that they recommend? I want new pillows but never know which ones to buy. 
7. I love Pink's new song "Just Give Me a Reason"
8. I got my Toms wedges in the mail from Teresa. They're the most adorable little wedges ever. 
9. I think I forgot to give my new phone number to a lot of my friends and family at home. My b. If you're one of those people, please email me so I can give it to you. 

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
1 large roasted red pepper
1/8 cup coconut milk
1 handful spinach
1/8 onion, sauteed
1 tbsp coconut flour
Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in Vitamix
2. Be disappointed that you added spinach. It would have been better without.