Vanilla Protein Waffles

Hope you have had a good couple of days and a great weekend! This weekend I went on a fun date night and saw the movie Savages, which was good but very violent. Also, I put my 2 weeks in at my current job because in less then 2 weeks time I will be moving up to Boise, ID (my hometown) for school! My dad is giving me a great opportunity to go back to school for Civil & Environmental Engineering and internship at his work which is a water & waste water treatment engineering firm. I am excited but extremely nervous at the same time.

First off, I would like to congratulate myself for completing my 30 days 100 miles challenge! I finished with 109 miles. I am so proud and thankful I took on this challenge. This week's goals are: 1) 4-6 miles cardio, 5 days this week, 2) drink more WATER, 3) keep gym workouts at highest intensity.

Also this weekend I purchased new supplements! Since I have been lifting hard at the gym I got BCAAs (Branched Chain Amino Acids, in fruit bunch flavor) and Glutacor (Glutamine). Both of these supplements are important in protein synthesis and muscle repair & recovery. I will take 1 scoop of each pre and post workout with my NanoVapor (PRE) and Pro7ein (Post).

I also purchased 2 Quest Protein bars! I got Cinnamon Roll and Strawberry cheesecake. I really like these protein bars because they are gluten free, low carb and HIGH in fiber. They are especially delicious if you put them int he microwave for 10 seconds before eating them! YUM

This weekend I was craving waffles! So I made a new recipe and used my Cuisinart Waffle Iron (Thanks Uncle Ken). They turned out good! I will be trying out different quantities to prefect them.

Vanilla Protein Waffles
(Makes 3 Waffles)

Dry Ingredients:
1/2 cup almond meal
1 1/2 scoop vanilla protein
1 tsp cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:
6 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp unsweetened coconut milk

Instructions:
1. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl and mix with a fork. Separately mix wet ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Combine wet ingredients into large bowl, continuously stirring to not make any clumps.
3. Set waffle maker to middle setting (mine was set 3, out of 6)
4. Cook until light golden browned on outside and cooked through.
5. Top with chopped walnuts, raw unsweetened coconut threads and organic fade B maple syrup!

Sunday I prepped about 4 servings of Tilapia and Sole for the week! I am so thankful I did this because I do not always eat enough lean white fish.

Baked Tilapia/Sole

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

2. Line baking sheet with tin foil, and lightly grease foil (I used coconut oil)

3. Lightly brush coconut oil over filet and season each filet with cayenne pepper, lemon pepper, and garlic powder, to your liking.

4. Cook for 15-17 minutes

Served with steamed broccoli & asparagus and when reheated splashed with fresh lemon juice to prevent drying!

Paleo Preworkout before AM Cardio: 1 Banana, 1 hardboiled egg, and raw acv + water

AM Cardio: 7.06 mi run, 1:02:09, 8:48 avg min/mi, 732 calories

Paleo Postworkout meal: sautéed veggies (kale, red cabbage, tomato, zucchini, garlic) in coconut oil, topped with 2 over easy eggs and 1/4 sliced avocado!

Also, I made an at home PROTEIN FRAPPUCCINO!! Who needs Starbucks! 

Vanilla Protein Frapp:

1 cup dark unsweetened coffee, cooled

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 scoop vanilla protein 

Ice

Blend

Beautiful morning on my patio!

Other Clean Eats:

Quarter-pound grass fed beef burger! I reheated the burger by brushing coconut oil on top to prevent dryness and microwaved, then wrapped in Tuscan kale, topped with avocado and tomato. The avocado "melted" on the warm burger and acted like cheese, it was delicious.

I read up more on the grass fed beef I purchased... Farmer's Market local beef! 100% Grass-Fed, Ranch Raised, Natural Lite Beef. This ranch is in Silverado Canyon which is 20 minutes from my house. The farmer raises his cattle in an entirely grass and forage fed way, while keeping the land in a sustainable natural state. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in his grass fed cows is a .16 to 1 ratio, while salmon is 3 to 1 and grain fed cows are 20 to 1. Support your local farmers market whenever you can!

Served with sweet potato fries! When I went shopping for the sweet potato fries, I was in a Ralphs grocery store that for the first time had correct nomenclature for sweet potatoes (and not calling them yams, read previous blog)

For the sweet potato fries, I cut them into steak fries and seasoned half with light coconut oil & cayenne pepper and the other half with coconut oil & agave nectar. Cooked in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes, turning and checking occasionally.

Raspberry-Chia-Vanilla #protein shake and a 3 egg white frittata with red cabbage, red kale, onion, tomato, & bell pepper, topped with red chili sauce, red pepper flakes and STEAK!

Chicken Kale Salad: shredded chicken thigh, Tuscan kale, red cabbage, carrots, English cucumber, tomato, hemp seeds, fresh chopped parsley, & 1/2 lemon for dressing!

Workouts!

Jul 12 Upper body
#1 x3: 15 tricep cable pull downs (30lb) + tricep cable pull over (30lb) + 15 ab cable wood chop high (each side 30lb)
#2 x3: 15 cable face pull (30lb) + 20 cable ab pull down (40lb)
#3 x3: 15 flat bench dumbell press (17.5lb DB) + 50 bench russian twists (10lb DB) + 15 each side 1 arm bench row (17.5lb DB) + 50 bench Russian twists (10lb DB)
#4 x3: 10 hang clean w squat & press (30lb bar) + 10 bench dips + 18 plank alt arm row (10lb DB)
#5 x3: 15 flat bench fly (10lb DB) +8 bicep curls (30lb bar) + 12 bench skull crusher (10lb DB) + 15 Barbell bent over row (30lb bar)
#6 x3: 10 jack knife w stab ball + 25 reverse crunch w stab ball + 25 crunch w legs raised

Jul 13 Lower body
#1 x3: 15 Leg press (90lb) + 25 side ab crunch (each side, 25lb plate)
#2 x3: 25 SL Deadlifts (40lb bar) + 50 Russian twists (10lb DB) + 20 Squat (40lb bar) + Bench brief cases (10lb DB)
#3 x3: 12 calf raises (40lb) + 20 forward alt lunges (30lb bar) + 50 fast ski side to side
#4 x3: 15 front squats (30 lb bar) + 20 back alt lunges (30lb bar) + 50 high knees
#5 x3: (fast no weight) 20 single leg squat (each side) + 20 straight calf raises + 12 low squat holds + 20 wide duck foot calf raises
#6 x2: 25 toe touches + 25 leg lifts + 25 crunches + 25 flutter kick
#7 x2: 25 Cable ab crunch (50lb) + 15 high cable woodchop (each side, 50lb)

Jul 14 upper body
#1: 15 Tricep cable pull down w bar (40lb) + 10 Reverse curl w cable bar (40lb)
#2: 20 Cable low row (40lb) + 20 Plank one arm row (12.5lb DB) + 50 Bench Russian twists (12.5lb DB)
#3: 10 hang clean w squat & press (30lb bar) + 12 flat bench press (12.5 DB) + 8 flat bench parallel tricep press (12.5 DB) + 12 bench leg lifts (12.5 DB)
#4: 15 Barbell row (30lb bar) + 10 bench dips

July 15 lower body
Warm Up: 10 min bike
#1 x3: 20 squats (30lb bar) + 10 one leg lunge (each side, 30lb bar) + 75 Bench russian twists (10lb DB)
#2 x3: 30 Back alt cross lunge (30lb bar) + 15 Calf raises (40lb) + 50 skier side to side
#3 x3: (fast no weight) 20 single leg squat (each side) + 20 alt back kicks + 20 straight calf raises + 15 low squat holds + 20 wide duck foot calf raises
#4 x2: 50 Toe touches + 25 leg lifts + 30 flutter kicks + 50 crunches

July 16 Upper body:
#1 x3: 20 Lat Pulldowns (40lb) + 20 Wide lat pulldowns (40lb) + 10 Pushups
#2 x3: 20 Cable row + 20 Plank one arm row (each side, 12.5lb DB) + 50 Russian twist (12.5 DB)
#3 x3: 15 Shoulder Press (12.5lb DB) + 10 Torso twists (12.5lb DB) + 10 Bicep curls (12.5lb DB) + 20 Twisting plank + 20 DB Tricep Extension (12.5lb DB)
#4: 20 Flat bench DB press (12.5lb DB) + 50 Fast punches (core tight!) + 10 Flat bench fly (10lb DB) + 10 Skull crushers (10lb DB)
#5 x2: 30 Toe touches + 30 sec High knees + 30 Butt raises + 30 sec Alt butt kicks + 30 Leg lifts
#6 x3: 50 crunches + 20 Frogger Under Swivel

Rib Eye With Mushroom & Red Wine Reduction

On Sunday evening, I cooked for my friend Robert. He has been wanting me to cook paleo and healthy for him for a long time now. He bought all the ingredients and I made the whole meal. I ended up making something new, with rib-eye, mushrooms (which I never eat, but I am trying to enjoy), red wine, and onions! It turned out great! If you try it, please let me know how you like it :)

Rib Eye with Mushroom Red Wine Reduction:
Serves 2
Served with garlic roasted asparagus, broccoli and potatoes

3 tbsp oil
2 Rib eye steaks
1 cup red wine
2 cups cremini mushrooms, chopped
Black pepper
Sea salt (Blush Cabernet is what I used)
1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

1. Take steaks out of refrigerator while you are prepping the vegetables. You want them to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. I do not recommend putting a cold steak on a hot pan.
2. Season steak with sea salt & pepper
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil over HIGH heat, add steaks, cook 3-4 min each side or to desired done
(I like mine to have a nice sear on the outside but medium rare on the inside)
4. Remove steaks, cover with aluminum foil, and let sit.
5. Lower heat (medium-low), add 1 tbsp more oil, add mushrooms & onions
6. Cook until mushrooms are tender, onions are sweating (5 minutes)
7. Add wine & thyme, bring to simmer for 5-8 min, until sauce has reduced sufficiently
8. Serve steaks and top with sauce

Roasted potatoes: quartered, combined with olive oil, pepper and fresh garlic
Cooked for 30-35 minutes at 400 degrees.

Roasted asparagus & broccoli: quartered, combined with olive oil, pepper and fresh garlic
Cooked for 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees, I added them to the same oven about 20 minutes into potato cooking time
(don't forget to trim your asparagus spears at the ends!)

Final product, it was like something I would buy from a restaurant:

Monday's PreWorkout Fruit & Veggie Shake:

1 cup carrot juice
1 cup fresh spinach
1 banana
1/4 cup fresh raspberries
1 tbsp flaxseeds
1/2 scoop vanilla protein
Ice
Blend

After my 8.11 mile run on Monday, post workout I had 1/2 scoop protein + 8 oz water and a 2 egg scramble with veggies + Steak + 1/4 Avocado. By the way I am at 85 miles for my 30 days, 100 miles challenge. I have until this Sunday, July 15 to finish! 

My dog Jack had a good post workout meal too, since he ran with me! I made homemade dog food for Jack; quinoa, brown rice, veggies (carrots, corn, peas, zucchini and spinach), olive oil, and chicken. Mixed half his kibble with half homemade dog food. He really seems to like it, which is good because he can be extremely picky with his food.

Tuesday's Power Breakfast Shake
1/2 avocado
1 peach
1 cup kale
1/4 cup raspberries
1 tbsp whole flaxseeds
1 scoop vanilla protein
1 cup coconut milk
Water + ice (optional, if wanted)
Blend until smoothi


Wednesday morning I had work and wanted to come up with a paleo breakfast taco, but instead it turned out to be a messy taco so I called it a breakfast bowl instead!

Wednesday's Paleo Mini Breakfast Bowls:
3 hard boiled egg whites
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 tbsp red onion chopped
1/2 tomato, chopped
1/2 avocado
1 tbsp fresh cilantro

Combine all ingredients in 2 small red cabbage leaves!
Top with fresh lemon juice or salsa.

Wednesday, July 11, Legs workout

Warm Up: 20 min stairs
LEGS:
#1 x3: 30 Squat (40lb bar) + 20 SL Deadlifts (40lb bar)
#2 x3: 30 Alt side lunge (no wt) + 20 Ab crunch (each side, 25lb plate)
#3 x3: 30 Back alt lunges (30lb bar) + 15 front squat (30 lb bar) + Back leg extension 15 each side
#4 x3: 14-10-12 Calf raises + 50 Jump ski side to sides
#5 x3: 15 Single leg bench lunge (30lb bar) + 15 Low sumo squat (30 lb bar)
Ab Superset x3:
25 straight leg crunch w 5lb plate
25 bent leg crunch w 5 lb plate
50 Russian twists w 5 lb plate
25 toe touches w 5 lb plate

Workouts and Fried Bananas

Thursday was a big day for me! I cooked a healthy, clean eats dinner for my whole family! I truly want me youngest cousin to change his eating habits; unfortunately I can honestly say I have only ever seen him eat a green vegetable (peas) on thanksgiving and Christmas, and he didn't enjoy it. With that in mind, I was determined to have one green vegetable he would like so I tried green beans! Unfortunately, that did not work but I still got him to eat some lean chicken breast, sweet potatoes, quinoa and brown rice instead of bologna sandwiches.

I made two varities of everything to try to please the different palats of my family! 

1. 2 types off chicken, one with garlic, onion, and lemon pepper; the second with italian seasoning and light pepper. 

2. Quinoa-brown rice: 1 with salt, pepper, and light lemon juice only, the other with light lemon juice, garlic, onion, fresh parsley, and lemon pepper.

3. Sweet potatoes: 1 with EVOO and agave nectar, the second with garlic, onion, lemon pepper and light Italian herbs.

4. Green beans: 1 steamed, and the second sauteed with onions and garlic.

5. Broccoli (My oldest cousin ate some with me! But mostly just me): 1 with EVOO and agave nectar, and one with onion, garlic, and lemon pepper.

Overall I would still rate the dinner a success! Even with my effort of having my youngest cousin enjoy green vegetables be a fail, I think he genuinely does not want to change in a healthier direction and that is the limiting factor in what he will and will not like. I am far from being done with this effort, I hope to cook for them again and try out other vegetables and lean meats! There were a lot of left overs, so I made little meals for the house. I am not sure if they were eaten, but at least I tried!

I am trying to stay strong on the gallon-a-day challenge! It is hard to finish a full gallon some days, but I can usually get 3/4 of it finished. I still recommend to try it out for a week! It is a great way to flush your system. Also, every morning I have been doing the Raw ACV + 8oz water and I think it tastes kinda good too! (My previous post tells you about the benefits)

This week at the farmer's market, I finally got grass fed beef! I talked with the owner for about 10 minutes about the differences between grass fed beef, store bought beef, and the different cuts. It was very informative! The thing I love about farmers markets is the farmer's love to teach about their crops.

Another thing I got from the farmer's market was 1/2 pound of 100% raw trail mix. It includes raw almonds, raw walnuts, and raw raisins with no sulfates. The lady had a premixed trail mix that had raisins with sulfates, and with paleo you want to eliminate all preservatives, etc. I simply asked her if she had any raisins with no sulfates, she did, and she was willing to make me a fresh batch! Like I said above, the farmer's are willing to help you out and give you what you want. They will even pick the best produce for you. 

I tried this recipe idea from powercakes.net (check out her blog! She is awesome, and I hope to get to her level some day). This is a great paleo pre or post workout omelet! 

Chia Omelet with Fried Bananas

3 egg whites, whisked with 1 tbsp coconut milk

1 tbsp chia seeds

1/2 cup berries (I used fresh raspberries, and fresh chopped strawberries)

Put about 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil in a small skillet, heat over medium heat, add egg mixture and put on the lid. Let cook about 3 minutes, then check to make sure the bottom is fully cooked. Once it is, carefully flip the eggs, add 1/2 of berries to one half of the omelet. Lower heat to lowest setting, put lid back on, and cook for 1 additional minute. Flip empty side of omelet on top of berries, turn off heat completely, put lid back on and let steam the berries for 1 minute. Then serve on plate with fresh berries on top!

1 banana, thickly sliced

1 tablespoon coconut oil

cinnamon, as desired

In a small bowl, mix banana slices and cinnamon; try to coat each one with a small amount of cinnamon.

Heat coconut oil over high to medium-high heat. 

Add banana slices and cook until browned, about 2 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.

I put mine on a paper towel to drain some of the excess oil, then served!

I still am amazed HOW AMAZING these fried bananas were. I was in heaven..

Another paleo recipe I came up with was almond and parsley crusted beef shoulder! I was inspired to make this recipe because my best friend and her mom are trying the paleo lifestyle out and her mom made flank steak and breaded it with almond meal! I really liked it, so decided to try it out. Beef shoulder was on sale at the market so I went with that!

Almond & Parsley Crusted Beef Shoulder:
(2 servings)

.5 lb cross rib beef shoulder (flank steak would be great also)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup almond meal
2 tbsp fresh parsley
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 paper plates

In one paper plate, add egg, in other paper plate combine almond meal, parsley, lemon pepper and garlic.
The paper plates worked perfect for me, if you have a side rim bowl that will work also!

First put meat in egg and cover both sides completely.
Transfer from egg mixture to almond meal mixture and make sure to coat completely!

Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in large skillet over high heat. Once the oil is hot add steak and cook 1st side 3 minutes, and 2nd side about 2 minutes. My steak was on the thinner side so it needed little cooking time, you can cook your steak to whatever you prefer.

With the other half of the steak, I served it over a steamed kale salad!
I steamed about 2-3 cups of purple kale and 1/2 green apple chopped in a steam basket for about 2 minutes. Plated this mixture, tossed with 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, topped with hemp seeds and the other half of the steak! It was very delicious, and my first time steaming kale.

Some other clean eats!

Chicken thighs were on sale and I got 4lbs for $5! They are bone-in, skin-on, which may not be the best for everyday chicken, but it is paleo and it is DELICIOUS! The chicken below, I seasoned with garlic, onion, italian herbs, black pepper, and red pepper flakes; seared it on both sides (about 9 minutes per side) and BAM! Spicy and delicious. Served with roasted vegetable medley.

A delicious snack I had was 1 mango sliced, with 1/2 cup of my raw trail mix! Mangoes were on sale 3 for $1! Always check the newspaper for good deals, I learned this from my uncle! :)

Pre workout fuel: 2 egg omelet with veggies (red onion, garlic, spinach, thinly sliced zucchini and red bell pepper), with a splash of coconut milk in the eggs which made them so fluffy! I made the plan omelet in coconut oil, flipped it, put the fresh veggies on one half of the omelet, put the lid on and lowered the heat for ~1-2 minutes. Flipped the other half over the veggies, turned off the heat and let them steam for 1 minute longer. Then served! with 1/4 avocado on top and 1 nectarine sliced up! The reason I did the veggies like this was because I am trying to not over cook my vegetables which makes them lose nutritional value. So yes the vegetables inside this omelet may not be extremely tender but they are warmed and slightly wilted and PACKED with nutrients! :)

Post workout lunch at my best friend's house! Almond crusted flank steak, turkey with olives and tomatoes, roasted egg plant, and zucchini egg scramble.

Grilled salmon, seasoned with garlic, onion, lemon pepper and seared in coconut oil on HIGH heat (2-3 minutes per side) to get the outside really crispy, served with roasted vegetable medley. 

Now this may not look as appetizing as my other pictures, but it was good! I was at a friends house and it was getting late and I was getting hungry! I searched his whole kitchen to find paleo food, and I came across grilled chicken, steamed broccoli and natural salsa. So I mixed them all together, heated, and surprisingly turned out great! 

My best friend just signed up at the 24 Hour fitness by my house and she got me a guest pass for 1 week free but the manager ended up giving me 3 weeks free until I leave to move to Boise for school! I am so excited to have a gym to work out in again. I love working out at home, but I miss the heavier lifting and the more versatile workouts I can do. Here are my most recent workouts I have done:

July 5, 2012 Lower Body Workout
Warm up: 10 minute walk/jog
Leg Suspect #1 x3 (40lb bar): 20 deadlifts + 20 sumo dead lifts
Leg Superset #2 x3 (40 lb bar): 20 alt forward lunges + 20 squats
Leg Superset #3 x3 (40 lb bar): 15 Calf raises + 20 Alt back lunges + 15 back leg extensions (each side)
Leg Superset #4: 15 box jumps (9 high) + 20 squat side walk (10 each side)
Ab Superset #1: 20 standing side crunch (15 lb) + 20 twisting plank
Ab Superset #2: 20 butt lifts + 50 Russian twists (10lb)
Ab Superset #3: 50 Crunches + 45 sec plank
Cool down:10 minutes bike

July 6, 2012 Upper Body Workout
Warm up: 5 min stretch + 15 min bike
Superset #1 x3: 20 Narrow lat pull downs (50lb) + 20 Wide lat pull downs (50lb)
Superset #2 x3: Tricep pull downs w/ rope (20lb) + Tricep pull overs w/ rope (20lb)
Superset #3 x3: 20 Seated row (40lb) + 20 Ab pull down w/ rope (50lb)
Superset #4 x3: 30 Press to Curl (10lb) + 15 Bent over two arm row (10lb)
Superset #5 x3: 20 Tricep extension w/ bridge up (10lb) + 10 Jack knife w/ stab. ball
Superset #6 x2: 25 Toe touches-25 Butt raises + 50 Reverse crunch w/ stab. ball
Superset #7 x3: 20 Crunches + 30 Russian twists
Cool down down: 5 min stretch

July 7, 2012 Lower Body workout:
Warm up: 5 min stretch + 15 minute bike
Superset #1 x3: 20 Body squat w/ leg lift + 30 sec quad stretch
Superset #2 x4: 20 Alt cross back lunge (40lb bar) + 15 Good mornings (40lb) + 50 Low-wide-side-side
Superset #3 x3: 10 Narrow squats + 10 mid squat + 10 sumo squats (all- 40lb bar)
Superset #4 x3: 15 Sumo deadlifts (40 lb bar) + 20 Alt. side lunges + 50 High knees
Superset #5 x3: 15 Calf Raises (40lb) + 15 Single leg squat
Superset #6 x3: 20 Alt jump lunges + 20 Side ab crunch (each side, 25lb plate) + 20 Ab twists (10lb plate)
Superset #7 x3: 10 Plank pike up w/ stab ball + 40 Reverse crunch with stability ball
Superset #8 x3: 10 Ab crunch stab. ball pass off + 40 Russian twists
Superset #9 x1: 1 min plank + 50 regular crunches
Superset #10 x1: 30 sec straight arm plank + 50 straight leg crunches

July 8, 2012 Upper Body Workout
Warm up: 10 min stairs
#1 x3: 20 Reverse sit up + 20 Right side reverse sit up + 20 Left side reverse sit up
#2 x3: 20 Bicep cable curls w/ bar (20lb) + 20 Lat pull downs (50lb) + 20 Wide lat pull downs (50lb)
#3 x2: 20 Plank-dumbbell alt one arm row (10lb) + 20 Dumbbell rotational press (10lb)
#4 x3: 20 Dumbbell flat bench press (15 lb) + 20 Hang clean (w/ 30lb bar)
#5 x3: 20 Flat bench dumbbell fly (10lb) + 10 Push up w/ twisting plank
#6 x3: 20 Kneeling cable crunch (40lb) + 20 Cable face pull w rope (30lb)
#7 x2: 25 Toe touches + 25 Butt lifts + 50 Reverse crunch w stab. Ball
Warm Down: Stretch 5 min

Lastly, let me leave you with two informational pictures I came across. The first is how to distinguish the differences in your produce aisles, and the second is food lingo translations.

I found this one extremely interesting and will research this on my next grocery store visit!

I am not sure how truthful this one is, but it makes a lot of sense! So think about it next time you are at the grocery store.

Eat More Kale!

Kale is a nutrient dense vegetable and is a great source of vitamin A, C, E & K. It is also a great source of minerals like iron, calcium, potassium, manganese, magnesium & copper. It's an antioxidant rich food with anti-inflammatory properties, while being high in fiber & omega-3 fatty acids! The list goes on...ummm so why not eat this vegetable! Add it to shakes, salads, sauté it, or steam it! Here are two salad recipes I adapted and two smoothie recipes.

There are different varietals of kale also! At my local market there are three different kinds: Curly kale, Tuscan kale (flatter leaves), and Red kale (purple + green color). I tried the red kale for the first time! I loved the color it added to my salad. Next  time I will be trying the Tuscan kale.

Massaged Kale Salad
(1 full size serving or 2 side salad servings)
Recipe adapted from Vegans Daily Companion by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

1/2 bunch curly kale, roughly chopped (about 5 cups)
1/4 cup hemp hearts
1/4 white onion, thinly sliced
1/2 medium carrot, peeled and grated
1/4-1/2 avocado, cubed
1/2 Roma tomato, chopped or 1/4 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp lime or lemon juice
1 teaspoon mustard (Spicy brown or Dijon)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Lemon pepper (to your preference)

1. Add kale, hemp hearts, onion, carrot, tomato, and avocado to a large salad bowl.
2. Add ACV, lime juice, mustard, garlic powder, and lemon pepper.
3. Gently massage all ingredients together until the avocado chunks have completely mixed in. Since this is an oil free recipe, the avocado is acting like the oil. The acidity from the vinegar and lemon juice help tenderize the kale.
4. Serve & Enjoy!

Oil free, wheat free. Soy free!

The original recipe used quinoa instead of hemp hearts. I used hemp hearts/seeds to make this recipe a paleo salad. The reason I used hemp hearts is because they have similar size and texture to quinoa and are a great source of protein.

Spicy Brown Mustard:

 

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar:

  

Purple Kale, Red Cabbage & Carrot Slaw
(1 large serving or 2 side salad servings)

Recipe adapted from: http://www.wholeliving.com/151383/kale-slaw-carrots-and-peppers



Dressing:
1/2 tbsp EVOO
1 tbsp Spicy Brown Mustard
1/2 tbsp Raw ACV
Garlic powder, sprinkle, to taste
Lemon pepper, sprinkle, to taste

1. Combine ingredients and whisk together with a fork

Salad:
1 cup purple kale, roughly chopped
1 cup red cabbage, roughly chopped
1/2 large carrot, julienned (thinly sliced length-wise)
1 tbsp red onion, diced
1 tbsp raw sunflower seeds
1 tbsp raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 tbsp raw hemp shelled seeds (hemp hearts)

1. Mix above ingredients in large bowl
2. Pour, mix & saturate salad with dressing
3. Serve!

Bolthouse Farms Carrot Juice
Only ingredient: 100% carrot juice, no added sugars, no preservatives and no artificial ingredients.
Carrot juice a great source of vitamin A which is important for tissue growth & vision, and is a good source of potassium which important for electrolyte balance in your cells and muscle movement. It's also relatively low in calories 8oz is 70 calories.

I made a fruit & veggie breakfast smoothie with it!

Carrot Juice Breakfast Smoothie:
7 Strawberries
1 Banana
1 cup Kale
1/2 bottle carrot juice (~1 cup)

Blend!

I liked the carrot juice as a replacement for coconut milk or water in my smoothie.

Greenie Smoothie:
1 cup Kale
1 Green Apple (Granny Smith)
1 Banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

Blend!

Clean Eats, New Challenges and My First Publication!

It has been a week since my last post! I have even very busy with work and this weekend was my long time best friends birthday! We celebrated in San Diego and in Newport Beach, it was so fun! This is going to be a long blog since it has been a week so I am going to try not to wait this long again.

Something exciting that happened for me, the omelet recipe I posted on my previous blog got published online in Tasty25 magazine! It is my first publication of any sort and I could not be more proud of myself. Cooking, clean eating, and fitness are my passions and to have something like this happen for me is a big deal! :) I also want to thank everyone that has been giving me such positive feed back, it has been inspiring, motivating and helpful!

Mid week I did a small store run! I have found that mid week there can be some great deals going on. I was able to get a dozen eggs for .88 cents each, raspberries for .99 cents each, and from Sprouts I got each chicken breast for about $2 each and the New York steak for about $3. The Lara bars were on sale for $1.50 each, and I was recommended to try these for a good paleo snack bar!

I got three different flavors, each one was delicious in my eyes, and the ingredients were:

1. Apple Pie: dates, almonds, unsweetened apples, walnuts, raisins, cinnamon

2. Banana Bread: almonds, dates, unsweetened bananas

3. Coconut Cream Pie: dates, unsweetened coconut, almonds, cashews, extra virgin coconut oil

These flavors sound dangerous but in fact they are all clean paleo eats!

Good news! This is week 2 of my 30 days 100 miles challenge and my Map My Run App tells me I am at a little over 60! I want to start strong this week and even run on the 4th.

I wasn't as successful with my gallon of water a day challenge, BUT I can say for sure that even challenging myself I have been increasing the amount of water I intake which is still a positive. I am still carrying around the big gallon jug and refilling it every night!

My new challenge for this week is 500 Abs-A-Day! I got a belated birthday present of a big stability ball and so I am hoping I can get in some good at home ab workouts with it! I will try to write and take pictures of some of the different ab work I do.

As you can see, I have two ongoing "challenges" and one new challenge this week. I have been having success with making new daily challenges at the beginning of each week. It's important, at least for me, to set these challenges and goals for success because it is motivating on a daily basis once you complete your goal!

My uncle got me some great groceries this week! 3 lbs of strawberries, blueberries, spinach, bananas, walnuts & cottage cheese! He also surprised me with a new book! It's called "Vegan's Daily Companion" by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. It's 365 days of inspiration for cooking, eating and living compassionately. I am on page 40 and I like it a lot! The first page was on Kale and the benefits of eating this super food! One recipe idea I really thought sounded delicious was steamed kale with chopped apples, balsamic vinegar, and chopped walnuts! Also there was a recipe for a massaged kale salad with avocado, onions, and more! I plan on making it this week, and I will substitute hemp seeds for quinoa in order to make it paleo; i will post the recipe this week for everyone! I am so excited to keep reading and learning more about food and animals.

I am sure many of you have the general idea of how to make roasted veggies (if not I have a previous blog with a bunch of roasted veggie recipes!) This week I did a mixture of everything I had in my kitchen! And it turned out so good.

Rosemary Roasted Veggie Mix!
(Large side dish serving of 2-3):

Ingredients:
• 2 small red potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes (sometimes I cut smaller, you want them to cook evenly with other veggies)
• 1/2 large zucchini or 1 whole small zucchini, quartered length wise, then chopped into 1 inch cubes
• 1 small head broccoli, broccoli florets cut off stem into large bite size pieces
• 1/2 onion, quartered
• 5 asparagus spears, cut into 1 inch pieces

• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 1-2 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary
• 1 tbsp dried marjoram
• Fresh ground lemon pepper
• 2 finely chopped garlic cloves or 1 tbsp garlic powder

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven 400 deg F
2. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and make sure to saturate all veggies with seasonings and oil.
3. Put all vegetables on a large baking sheet
4. Roast in oven for 15-20 minutes, until all veggies are cooked evenly & browning.
5. Serve & Enjoy!

Today, July 2, was an all liquid day along with my gallon of water. Here are my shakes I made! I made sure to include healthy fat (nuts & seeds), carbs (vegetables & fruit), and protein (nuts, seeds & protein powder) in each one! Along with calcium from the almond milk.

Meal 1:
Strawberry-Mango-Spinach Shake:
7 Large strawberries, stems removed
1 mango, peeled & chopped
1 cup spinach
1 tbsp chia seeds (plus extra for topping)
1 scoop vanilla protein
1 cup almond milk
*Blend and top with extra chia seeds

Meal 2:
Antioxidant Madness!
1 apple, chopped
1/2 cup blueberries
1 cup kale
1/4 cup walnuts (extra for topping)
1/2 scoop vanilla protein
1 cup almond milk
* Blend and top with extra chopped walnuts

Meal 3:
Green Mean Fighting Machine!
1 Kiwi, keep skin on and slice
1 cup spinach
1/4 cup cucumber
1 tbsp flaxseeds (plus extra for toppig)
1/2 scoop vanilla protein
1 cup almond milk
Ice
*Blend and top with extra flaxseeds!
(My first time adding cucumber to a smoothie! This could be dangerous, I may start adding anything! Haha)

Basic Paleo Meal Plan for this week 7/3-7/8:

*Every morning when I wake up: 8oz water + 1 TBSP Raw apple cider vinegar

Meal 1: 3 egg white vegetable omelet + 1/2 cup avocado+ 1/2 cup fruit
(Chocolate protein pancakes may be on the menu one of these days! A mid week clean healthy treat is a must!)

Snack: 1 green apple sliced

Meal 2: Large kale salad/ Kale slaw/ Tomato-cucumber salad/ Rustic vegetable salad

Snack: 1 green bell pepper or homemade zucchini chips

Meal 3: 5oz meat (chicken breast, turkey breast, tilapia, shrimp, salmon, lean pork chops, lean steak) + 2 cups vegetables (steamed, roasted, or sauteed in light oil)


Pre Workout: 1/2 scoop nano vapor + 8 oz water

Post Workout: Protein Shake + supplements (fish oil omega 3s + glucosamine + spirulina)

I need to get a good multivitamin to take as well! Nature's Fuel is a powdered multi vitamin that you can add to juice, or shakes, or even just with water! I was recommended this as a good multi vitamin source since powders can be more quickly and easily digestible by our bodies then capsule form.

On Apple Cider Vinegar...
Drinking splash of raw apple cider vinegar with your water is suppose to be a natural remedy for healing the body. I found that drinking RAW apple cider vinegar is a natural remedy for heartburn, help removes toxins from your body, helps lower the rise in glucose levels in the blood (good for diabetes), and can is alkaline so can aid in the pH level of your blood. A recipe I found for a good apple cider vinegar drink is 1 gallon of water, 2 TBSP raw apple cider vinegar, and agave nectar (to suit your taste), and powercakes.net has a great apple cider vinegar drink, add to a  water bottle: 1 tbsp ACV, 1 tsp cinnamon and 10-20 drops of stevia. I may try adding this to my gallon of water a day! Check out these two websites for more information Global Healing Center and WebMD.


Other Clean Eats of the Week:

3 egg white omelet loaded with spinach, green onion, tomato and garlic, topped with homemade guacamole (1/2 avocado, chopped red onion, chopped cilantro, lime juice, lemon pepper and garlic power) with one sliced banana and a cup of Yerba Mate tea. This is a great way to start any day, healthy, clean and satisfying.

Lunch: Spinach salad with 3 cups fresh spinach, 1 large kiwi chopped, 1 tbsp chopped red onion, and dressing (1 TBSP lemon juice, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon organic agave) and I also had my Brazil nut paleo bar.

3 egg white frittata with zucchini, tomato, green onion, white onion, spinach and garlic topped with fresh green onions and a side of homemade guacamole.

Grilled chicken, seasoned with lemon pepper and garlic with a huge side serving of roasted mix veggies (recipe above)

                           

Post workout meal: After a long 8 mile run, I was so HUNGRY and ready to REFUEL with chocolate almond protein pancakes topped with raw coconut butter, raspberries, hemp seeds, and unsweetened coconut threads (full recipe on previous blog), AND a 3 egg white frittata with squash, tomato, onion, garlic and kale, AND a fruit salad with banana, kiwi, and nectarine.

Yes I was HUNGRY!! :)

                              

Dinner: Spinach salad topped with 1/2 cup raspberries, 1 chopped peach, 1 tbsp flax seeds, and 5 oz. grilled Tilapia (seasoned with lemon pepper, garlic, & fresh oregano). For dressing, I used 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil and 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar. Tilapia is a great source of protein while being low in fat and low in carbohydrates! It is a great protein source if you are trying to get lean muscle.

                              

Spicy Omelet: I use to never like spicy food, and I mean NEVER, but since I have been trying to cut out salt from my diet, spicy food seems to be my new addiction. It is a great substitute to salt if you ask me, I add red pepper flakes on top of my eggs, cayenne pepper on top of my roasted veggies and black pepper to anything! This omelet has 3 egg whites with steamed spinach and tomato, topped with red pepper flakes and Trader Joe's chili sauce (no preservatives, no additives) and a nectarine! With my gallon of water at the table too :)

Paleo Snack: RAW Revolution Bar, coconut delight. These bars are all organic, gluten free, peanut free, kosher and vegan with no preservatives, no artificial ingredients, no refined sugars or proteins. The ingredients consist of cashews, dates, sunflower seeds, agave, coconut, almonds, and sprouted flax seeds.

Chocolate dessert anyone?! One that is RAW and PALEO?! Almond Butter Cacao Truffle. And it only has 3 ingredients: cacao, almonds, and salt. These little truffles are gluten free, wheat free, dairy free, no preservatives, no additives, and no artificial ingredients. It tasted great while satisfying my chocolate craving.

Mothers Market Brunch Date:

Fruit Salad with blueberries, grapes, mango, pear, black berries and strawberries

Kale salad with olive oil, lemon juice, pepper, raisins, and sliced almonds

Raw tomato and cucumber salad with olive oil, raw apple cider vinegar, pepper, fresh dill and fresh parsley

Something to brighten your day:

I made this picture here for the background of my phone and I thought to share it! The beautiful pink roses are from a house behind my work and the quote of from the other book I am reading called "Bright Side Up" by Amy Spencer. This book has been very beneficial to me and I am not even half way done! I highlight motivating quotes so I can look back and reread these whenever I am down or need a little boost. I believe self motivating yourself is a key to success and I am working hard on this.

I hope this makes you smile, 

and remember it throughout your day! :)