WOW

WOW= Work Out Wednesday

I still have 2 spots available for personal training starting January - contact me for details! I can only take 5 clients at this special price.  

This weeks workout is inspired by one of my favorite workouts of all time... "Fran!"

In CrossFit some of our workouts have earned names.  I'll never forget the first time I did Fran, I chose this as my birthday workout and have done it on my birthday every year since.  (And many times in between as well!). This is the one workout that is guaranteed to give me butterflies EVERY single time I do it.

Fran

21-15-9 

Thrusters 95/65

Pull-ups

So what exactly does that mean?

A thruster is a full squat ending with a press overhead. You could use a barbell or dumbbells or a pvc pipe if that's what you have available.  

A pull-up is exactly as it sounds pulling your body from the hanging position all the way up until your chin is over the bar.  Don't panic, if you can't do a pull-up you could substitute many different pulling motions- you could row for calories, or you could do a sumo dead lift high pull, you could do a ring row or an assisted pull-up.

Once you've decided on what you will do then you execute- the Rep scheme is 21 thrusters, 21 pull-ups, 15 thrusters, 15 pull-ups, 9 thrusters, 9 pull-ups.  You should choose a weight that allows you  to finish this workout in less than 6 minutes!!! Yes, you read that right- an entire workout done in 6 minutes or less.  

Make sure to post your time in the comments, I can't wait to see what you think of Fran!

Time to prep for the 2017 open! 

Carole's workouts for the week of December 19-25:

12-19: 15 min AMRAP 4 Bar muscle ups, 6 Turkish get ups, 8 ring push ups.  I did 3 rounds + 10 reps. So excited to see I'll have my bar muscle up.

12-20:  5 Rep thruster - 115#, 20 min amrap 10 front squats, 15 toes to bar, 120' sled push.  I did 8 rounds + 11 reps.

12-21:  12 days of Christmas garage wod with Jim and Brooke. 

12-23: am CrossFit hero Blake 22:03, pm Santa Claus wod w. Partner at CFE.

This one simple exercise can make you better from the bottom up...

Grant held the bottom of the squat for 4:27.
In that time he watched TV, ate his grapes, and  poo'd!  

Have you ever watched a toddler play...often you will see them sitting in the bottom of the squat for what seems to you a very long time playing, eating, pottying!!

Flashback to me stretching you before a CrossFit class and you'll see that I am trying to get you in that very same position. Feet should be a little wider than shoulder width apart, knees out over the toes, chest tall with eyes looking forward.

WHY?!?

Believe it or not, it's a very natural position.  Many of us spend our days sitting at a desk in a chair, the chair is assisting your muscles to hold you up.  When sitting in the bottom of the squat, your body has to assist itself.

The bottom of the squat has so many benefits ranging from ankle, knee, hip flexibility to aiding in digestion to spinal decompression...

If you want to be a better athlete or simply better at life holding the bottom of the squat on a daily basis will do just that!

 CHALLENGE:

1. Get in the bottom of the squat and start the timer.  
2. Track your time each day holding 5-10 seconds longer.
3. Repeat for 1 week. 
4. Try to beat Grant's time of 4:27.

Workouts December 12-18 and yummy Chicken Salad Recipe

So I've really started to pick up steam in my workouts.  This week I was able to get to the gym 5x and felt really good about each of my WOD's.  Starting in January, I will be wodding Monday and Tuesday whiteboard WOD's, Wednesday active rest or weaknesses (think simple movements or endurance type wod's), Thursday I'll be training with Chelssie and Friday I'll be training with Nick (this makes for a long day!)  Saturday Team WOD + training.  Sunday will be my only rest day.

I am hoping with this amp and some training on my weaknesses in my "spare" time that I'll be ready for the open in February even though I haven't been prepping for it all year like I have in the past.  Sometimes less is more as my body is responding very well to the regimen I am on now.  I have little to no soreness but I am getting stronger and faster in all of my workouts.

I have also signed up for Lurong with CFE which will keep me accountable on my food.  This is so important coming into the open.  I know last year doing Lurong up until the open that I was lean and mean and ready to compete!!  So, we'll see what happens.

I've started to add some personal training clients to my schedule and it's nice to be coaching.  I love working with people and seeing their successes in the gym.  Between that and my classes at CFE and my bootcamps - I still get to work doing something I love and for that I am VERY grateful!!

Monday December 12th:  redid CF Open WOD 13.1  - I had no idea going into this what my previous score was...40 Burpees 45 pound Snatch, 30 reps 30 Burpees 75 pound Snatch, 30 reps 20 Burpees 100 pound Snatch, 30 reps 10 Burpees 120 pound Snatch, as many reps as possible...Today I was able to get to the 100# Snatch and get 11 reps - for a PR of 161 reps.  My score in the open was 155 reps.

Tuesday December 13th:  12 min EMOM of Push Press - I worked up to 105#, 10 min EMOM of Muscle Ups - I tried for 2 each round ended up getting a total of 15 reps.  Then 21-18-15-12-9-6-3 Situps, Push Press 65#:  time 5:50 RX

Wednesday December 14th:  5 Rep Front Squat - I got to 165#.  This was tough!!  Then the WOD was so so terrible!!  I'm not gonna lie I dreaded this one ALL day.  Step ups are a killer on my psyche!!  Time 15:11.
45 DB Step Overs 45/30# 24/20 inch
35 Toes to Bar
25 Thrusters 45/30#
25 DB Step Overs 45/30# 24/20 inch
20 Toes to Bar
15 DB Thrusters 45/30#

Thursday December 15th:  rest day

Friday December 16th:  So I figured out Friday's are Hero WOD's!!  Manuel was today.  5 Rounds of 3 Minute Rope Climb, 2 Min Squats, 2 Min Push-ups, 3 Min to run a 400 M:  I ended up getting 30 rope climbs, 269 Squats, 160 Pushups and squeaked in my runs for a total of 5.  THIS WAS SO MENTALLY MISERABLE!!  I honestly spent the entire 3rd round trying to find an excuse that I could give to Nick to get me out of there.  Nothing ever escaped my lips and I kept moving and working but the entire 3rd round was negative mind games...but in all honesty we all know I would NEVER EVER quit!!  For this workout I just kept telling myself - so what, you are hurting, this man gave his life for our country!!  Get over it!!  

Saturday December 17th:  CFE was hosting a Free Community WOD and I drug Jim out the door and into the gym for the first time since it wasn't "ours!"  I am SO glad we did this.  I needed it, Jim needed it and we had an awesome workout partner Matt Lundy as our 3rd victim for an awesome WOD with friends.  Love my community and the new community I am becoming a part of.  

My son came over on Saturday afternoon as we were supposed to travel to Fort Wayne for the Tuttle family Christmas party.  It was cancelled due to the weather...we spent the day eating yummy food, drinking beer and decorating sugar cookies.  One of our favorite traditions!  I found my dad's old cookie cutters in my cookie cutter box.  I love carrying on the traditions that my dad did with me...

Brandon picked up a couple chickens from Martins and we had an entire chicken leftover.  So, I decided to make some chicken salad.  It's always delicious.

Chicken Salad:

Ingredients:

Chicken

Avocado

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Grapes

Raisins

Slivered Almonds

(you could also use, colored peppers, apples, anything crunchy you have in your refrigerator!) 

I top with pepper and turmeric.  

Cut up the chicken, avocado and grapes. Add raisins and slivered almonds.  Stir in a little olive oil and sprinkle with pepper and turmeric.  You could eat this out of a bowl or make a bowl with a colored pepper and eat the bowl!!  

One of my favorite easy go -to's.  Works with tuna too!!

Workouts December 5- 10th and Bacon Wrapped Dates Recipe (Since I am late and can't remember what I ate!)

Tis the season...

What a great week of workouts I had this week and it all started with a WOD that completely destroyed me.  I haven't felt like that in a long long time...taking a little break and coming back full throttle for this particular WOD left me feeling like my first day of CrossFit.

I found out I am not a very pleasant sore person (I'm sure Jim already knew this) and I spent 3 days in complete misery.  So, I'll share with you some of the things I did to make this soreness go away.

1.  I used Epsom Soaks - 3 days in a row.
2.  I worked out again - strange as it seems this really does help.  Sitting on my duff and bitching however does not. (please note I did not give this particular tactic it's own #)
3.  I used the marc pro (on my quads) like an elf eats Christmas candy...CONSTANTLY!

I kept thinking I have a competition on Saturday and I'm never going to be able to feel my legs again...and just as quickly as the soreness appeared I woke up on Thursday and it was gone.  AHHHHH!!

Monday December 5th (THE WOD!!!) 12 Min emom PP - I got up to 95#.  12 Min AMRAP 30 Dub's, 20 Pistols Alternating, 10 OHS 65# - I did 5 rounds + some pistols (it's been too long) in an all out sprint.

Tuesday December 6th Strength - 5 rep front squat - I did 160#.  20 Min AMRAP 250 m row, 60' lunge, 20 goblet squats, 20 kb swings, 60' lunge.  I did 5 rounds...maybe?

Wednesday December 7th - rest day

Thursday December 8th - I SHOWED UP AT THE GYM ON GAME DAY!!!  I HAD TO PLAY A GAME WITH BALLS...5 rep bench press 125#.  10 min AMRAP 1 legless rope climb, 1 rope climb, 10 t2B, 10 swings 55#.  I got 4 rounds.

Friday December 9th - Hero TJ: 10 Bench Press, 10 Strict Pullup - AMAP to get to 100 Thrusters.  I had a competition coming on Saturday so I only did 95 on BP and 65 on Thrusters.  I only did 60 reps it took me about 15 minutes.  Would really like to do this one RX someday;0)

Saturday December 10th:  Cougar competition on the best team EVER - Grant's Mamaw and Dad!!
Wod #1,2 - I hit a 175 pound clean:0)
We also had some light work with pp, squat, hang clean and DL!
Wod #3,4,5 We kicked butt on the thruster,t2b wod but that cost us in our rowing;/
Snatches just hurt and I was so thankful when time was called.
Wod #6,7 So didn't want to move anymore...but 15 min cap allowed us to finish Karen as the bell tolled.

Loved the wod's and my partner with our 7th/36 place finish;0)

Sunday December 11th: As punishment for sucking in my row....I rowed a 5K today.  Time was 25:34.  I will be rowing at least 1 5k a week from now until the open;)

I know you are really here for the awesome recipe:

If you are looking for a sweet treat this one is SO simple to make and you get the yummy goodness of a sweet date along with some salty bacon and a crunch from the almond.  This is a win win for all peeps!!

Bacon Wrapped Dates

Ingredients:
Dates
Bacon
Almonds

Heat oven to 425.  Stuff the date with an almond.  Wrap date with bacon cut down to size.  Place on pan - repeat (make a lot, these are even good cold!) Bake until bacon is crispy 10-12 minutes!  ENJOY!!

Jim's snowy day Paleo Chili Recipe

We were in Chicago all day yesterday for a CF Competition and got home late last night.  I slept until 10:45 am when Jim walked in with a breakfast tray and woke me out of a deep slumber.  He does that a lot.  I never hear him get out of bed.  One of these days, I swear I'm going to be the one surprising him with breakfast in bed.

So after eating and laying around in bed even longer we finally feel ready to face the world...or should I say the kitchen and the mess of the breakfast rush.  He decided as he was finishing up the waffle batter that he wanted to get lunch over with and as he cleaned up from breakfast he started looking through the house for chili ingredients.  As he named them I would go to the freezer, refrigerator or cupboard and let him know if we had them...or if we had something close to them to get this chili underway.   The last thing I wanted to do was make a run to walmart in the freezing cold...and please, we all know I was still in my pajamas.

Please keep in mind when I post this recipe that there are SO many different options for making this. Just because you don't have every item on this list, doesn't mean you can't make this chili.  I'll tell you how we typically make it along with some subs you could use to make it your own.

Beanless Chili Recipe

3 pounds ground beef 
(we have used - ground chicken, turkey and sausage or a combo of all)
1 cup finely chopped onions 
(Jim doesn't like onions but he likes the flavor so we typically sub with minced onions- we were out of these today so we used onion powder)
5 cloves garlic chopped
(you could sub garlic powder)
1/4 cup oil
3 cups tomato puree
(today I took a large can of the stewed tomatoes and pureed them in the ninja)
1 1/2 tsp cumin 
1 tsp ground coriander 
2-3 jalapeno peppers chopped
2 colored peppers chopped
(If you don't have peppers - you could use chopped zucchini, sweet potato, butternut squash)
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp oregano
3 tbsp chili powder

Brown all meat and cut up peppers and onion.  I use 1/4 cup minced onion instead of fresh.
Pour the tomato puree in cooking pot with 2 cups water.  Add all spices and peppers to the puree.
Add meat and cover pot.  Heat on high until you get a boil.  Stir and reduce to simmer.  Simmer for 35 minutes stirring every 12-15 minutes.

As for me, I rowed my 5k as punishment for sucking at rowing in yesterday's CF competition and finally showered and put my Broncos shirt on to make my hubby love me even more!!  Time for this girl to go eat some chili;0)

 

50 Things About Me - Workouts 11/28-12/3

Have you ever sat down and tried to tell 50 different things about yourself?  Here goes my attempt to let you in on me:

1.  I love coffee.
2.  I love babies.
3.  I am afraid of spiders.
4.  I am a procrastinator.
5.  My favorite shoes are garden clogs from the Christmas Tree shop.
6.  Naps.  Enough said.
7.  I'm not good at answering my phone - I'd rather text.
8.  I'm super shy and more of an introvert than people think.
9.  I leave my Christmas tree up until the end of February.
10.  I peek at my Christmas presents.
11.  I never ate a potato until I was pregnant with Bri and I craved one...since then I love potatoes.
12.  I used to live on pop-tarts, candy and little debbies.
13.  I hate doing the dishes.
14.  I love doing laundry.
15.  I like chicken legs and chicken thighs.
16.  Jim puts my toothpaste on my toothbrush for me every night.
17.  He also puts my vitamins in a bowl or I forget to take them.
18.  I hate clutter.
19.  I like to have things organized and symmetrical.
20.  If they aren't I have to fix them (the boxes at the gym!)
21.  I love thrusters.
22.  I hate push-ups.
23.  I prefer chewy candy over chocolate.
24.  My favorite color is purple.
25.  I hate to read.
26.  I am daddy's baby girl.
27.  My nickname when I was little was Lovey.
28.  I have 4 older brothers and 4 older sisters.
29.  I am the youngest.
30.  When I was Brooke's age (20)  I was pregnant with Brandon, when I was Bri's age (24) I had 2 kids and when I was Brandon's age (26)  I had 3 kids.
31.  My kids are everything to me.
32.  I was raised Catholic.
33.  My first time in a Christian church I cried my eyes out and most times I still do.
34.  I love Jesus.
35.  I leave my manger up year round.
36.  I can't take cough medicine.  It's disgusting.
37.  I talk to my dogs...and sometimes answer for them.
38.  I have about 30 pairs of lulu run speed shorts size 6.  AMAZING.
39.  I never played sports.
40.  When I was 38 I started working out.
41.  CrossFit Competitions are so much fun.
42.  I talk to my daughters every day.
43.  I talk to my son when he answers me...every 3-4 days!!
44.  I talk to Jim constantly.  Sorry hon!
45.  I have a lot of opinions but keep most of them to myself.
46.  I care deeply about others.
47.  I refuse to get Alzheimer's!
48.  Or cancer, my brother died of cancer.
49.  I'm actually pretty lazy.
50.  I love the beach.

You should try this sometime!  It's actually pretty tough to talk about yourself...but rather enlightening when you are done.

So, December 1 has come and gone and that was my ultimatum for deciding if I was going to compete in the 2017 CF Open or not.  I have decided that I will be doing the open and giving it my all, I don't know how to do it any other way.  So, with that said, I have been trying to get to the gym on a more regular basis.

My WOD's for last week:

Monday November 28:  5 min EMOM - 40 Dub's.  12 Min EMOM 3 PP - I worked up to 85#.  10 Min AMRAP 7 C2B, 7S2OH, 7 HRPU.

Note:  I haven't had a coach for a very long time...I am learning so much about myself and my movement patterns and some bad habits I've developed.  My focus is to change these bad habits to make me a better athlete.  In each and every class I have learned a new tip or new focus to make me a better me.

Tuesday November 29:  5 Rep Front Squat - I did 155#.  Partner WOD - 10 Cal ROW, 6 DB Box Steps, 4 Manmakers - partnered with Chelssie:  This was a great workout!

Tuesday November 29:  PM Wod with Timmy;0)  100 Pullups, 300 M Farmer, 100 Wall Ball, 300 M Farmer, 100 BBJ Overs, 300 M Farmer RX 21:55

Wednesday November 30:  1 rep snatch - I did 115#.  10 Min Emom - 1 Snatch 3-5 HSPU.  9 Min AMRAP - 3 Snatch, 6 Thrusters, 9 KB Swings.  I think I did like 6ish rounds I can't remember.

Saturday December 3:  In between heats at the 061 Bash:  Worked up to 5 rep max on Bench - 125#. Then did 5 rounds 5 body weight bench press, 5 body weight power cleans.

My food for Monday November 28th, 2016:

7:30 am coffee w. coconut cream
8:30 am 2 egg omelette with ham, pineapple and spinach and hashbrowns - both cooked in coconut oil! americano w. coconut cream
11:00 am salami, 3 date rolls and green juice
3:00 pm tuna salad w. raisins, almonds, avocado, oil, pepper and an orange
5:30 pm workout - post workout gelatin, maca, chia, creatin w. banana
8:30 pm 1 1/4 apple chicken sausage 3/4 sweet potato w. cinnamon and butter (vitamins)

Workouts for 11/21/16 - 11/27/16

The good news is I started working out again...the bad news is EVERYTHING hurts!!

So, it was time.  Last Monday I started back at the gym on a regular basis.  To say I was scared was an understatement.  Yes me, the girl who works out ALL THE TIME was scared to death to walk in the gym and get started...again...

But I did. And I survived.  And I am better for it.

I had dabbled with a workout here and there but for the last month there was nothing consistent.  I had to figure out how to not be a gym owner and I feel like I actually went through some sort of grieving process.  I suppose you could say the last month was life changing and I am finally feeling like myself again back on top of it.

I gave myself the deadline of December 1 on my actual goals in the gym.  So for last week and the beginning of this week it's just a matter of getting into the routine again.  Finding a time that works with my schedule and making myself SHOW UP!  Showing up is the hard part, once you are there you do what you have to to get it done.

BABY STEPS...I do believe that when you are trying to start something new that it takes all of those little steps to get you there...don't take a giant leap, you're more apt to fall back but a bunch of little steps in the right direction is what you need.

So, every Monday I am going to post last week's workouts along with 1 day of food - this will not only keep me accountable but will also allow you to just copy everything I do if you want to get started yourself!

4 Tips to combat muscle soreness:

1.  Make sure you take a post workout within 20 minutes of finishing.
2.  Epsom soaks.
3.  Make sure you are taking fish oil and Vitamin D (it's winter you need it)
4.  Foam rolling - stretching - voodoo floss - and lacrosse balls!

Monday November 21, 2016
WOD
5 Min Cap
3 Rounds:  12 Power Snatch, 12 Thrusters 75# (I did 2 rounds + 3 PS)
1 Min Rest
5 Min Cap
30 Burpees over Bar, 30 T2B, 20 OHS 75# ( I did 30 Burpees + 26 T2B)

5 Rep Front Squat - I did 145#

Tuesday November 22, 2016
WOD
1 Rep Clean and Jerk - I did 165#
6 Min AMRAP
25 G2OH, 30 lateral jumps, 20 G2OH, 30 lateral jumps, 15 G2OH, 30 lateral jumps, 10 G2OH, 30 lateral jumps, MAX G2OH
(This was a partner workout...we made it to 10/15 G2OH - the weight went up each round!)
2 Min 3 rep front squat - my partner did 125# 2 Min 3 rep hang clean - I did 155#

Wednesday November 23, 2016
WOD
50 Double Unders, 40 PC, 50 Pull-ups, 40 Box Jump, 50 S2OH, 40 DL, 50 Squat, 40 HRPU, 50 Wall Ball - Weights 95#, Box 20", Wall Ball 14# - RX 27:24

Thursday November 24, 2016 (Happy Thanksgiving)
WOD
30 Burpees, 30 DL, 30 Burp, 30 Clean, 30 Burp, 30 Press, 30 Burp, 30 PJ, 30 Burp, 30 Swings, 30 Burp, 30 SDLHP, 30 Burp, 30 DB Snatch L, 30 Burp, 30 DB Snatch R - (This was a partner workout in the garage...started as partners with Brooke and Brandy ended as partner with Jim)

Friday - Rest Day

Saturday November 26, 2016
4 - 6 Min AMRAPs - 1.  50 Wall Ball, 50 Box Jump 2.  50 GHD, 10 Rope Climbs  3.  50 Pullups, 50 Ball Slams  4.  50 PC 105#, 50 KB Swings - end with each athlete OH Static hold (Another partner wod...there were 3 of us;0)

Sunday - Rest Day

Wednesday - FOOD IS FUEL

5:00 am coffee w. coconut cream

7:30 am post workout (maca, chia, gelatin and creatin) and banana

8:30 am RX Bar

9:30 am Americano w. heavy whip

11:00 am 2 eggs scrambled w. spinach, pineapple and salami - hashbrowns

2:00 pm 2 chicken legs and an orange

7:00 pm paleo pizza w. spinach, pepperoni, sausage, bacon, pineapple

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Waffles

Last Friday I had to go shopping for the pizza ingredients so I could get them made over the weekend...and of course so our family could enjoy Friday night pizza night!

Jim assured me he had the babies under control as I ventured out on my own on a Friday afternoon...I had many stops to make and I was going to try to keep it under an hour in case Jim needed my help.

Because of the variety of ingredients I have to buy I have priced shopped and label read in every store from here to forever...with that being said I needed things from Fresh Thyme, Aldi and Garden Patch on this particular trip out.  It's no biggy to me... I have already read all the labels so in and out in each of these stores was my plan.


UNTIL THE ATTACK OF THE CHOCOLATE MONSTER HAPPENED!!!
When I got home from shopping...1.75 hours later, the babies were both snuggled tight in their beds so Jim helped me unload the car and unload my bags.  He began to notice a pattern that hasn't happened in our house in a looooooong time.  At every store, I purchased some type of chocolate...yep, me the I don't really like chocolate girl had bags of different chocolate.  2 -70% cocoa bars, 5 bags of enjoy life chocolate chips (they were on sale), 2 ocho bars...and a stop at Starbucks had landed me a grande americano with 1/2 pump mocha in it!!  There was chocolate everywhere!

So, being the most awesome hubby in the whole entire world (and maybe some prompting by me saying I wanted chocolate waffles) he searched high and low for this chocolate waffle recipe he made like 5 years ago.  I told you it was a looooooong time!

Enjoy these - but not every weekend!  Click here for A Girl Worth Saving Blog :  HERE

   

Chai Tea Latte

In meeting with a client the other day she asked me if she could have a chai tea latte!  She had planned on making her own and not getting it at Starbucks...

So, I decided to do a side by side comparison of what she would be consuming in calories and sugar if she ordered a Starbucks Chai Tea Latte or if she made her own:


Starbucks Chai Tea Latte (Grande - 16 oz)

Calories in a 16oz chai from Starbucks:  270 

Sugars in a 16 0z chai from Starbucks:  42

Now, knowing that there are 4 grams of sugar in every teaspoon imagine lining up 10.5 teaspoons and adding them to your drink...

In comparison:

Homemade Chai Tea Latte (16 oz)

We'll need to do a little math for this one:

Calories in 16 oz of unsweetened coconut milk:  45 in 1 cup x 2 = 90 calories
Sugar in 16 oz of unsweetened coconut milk:  <1 x 2 = 1 gram of sugar
So, 1/4 of a tsp of sugar added to your drink.

Looks the same to me!  And let's go a little deeper and see what the cost difference is!  

Box of Chai Tea (20 tea bags) = $3.28 (this would make 10 chai's)

Box of Coconut Milk 8 cups or 4 chai's = $3.38 x 2 = $6.76 (this would make 8 chai's)

8 homemade chai tea latte's = $10.04 

Starbucks Grande Chai Tea Latte:  $4.44 x 8 = $35.52

Cost difference:  $25.48 for every 8 drinks you get at Starbucks, benefits to your health: priceless!

Chai Tea Latte

Ingredients:

Chai Tea Bags

Unsweetened Milk (Coconut, Almond, Cashew)  

Cinnamon

Steep tea in small amount of water.  Warm milk in pan and use immersion blender, whisk or blender to create a frothy milk.  Add to steeped tea.  Sprinkle with cinnamon,

If you use 8 oz of milk - only use one teabag = 45 calories.

If you use 16 oz of milk - (amount used for comparison) - 2 teabags = 90 calories.

Primal Thanksgiving Stuffing

I will never ever forget...


The night before Thanksgiving, it was my job to help dad break up loaves and loaves of white
bread; there were pans sitting all over the kitchen, on top of the refrigerator, everywhere you looked you would see bread crumbs drying for dad's famous Thanksgiving stuffing.

I would be the first one awake on Thanksgiving morning, I simply couldn't wait to see what jobs dad had for me to do.  I always awoke to the aroma of that turkey already cooking, I always wondered if I got up this early what the heck time did he wake up to get all this started before me.  I remember seeing the "turkey guts" cooking in a pan.  I knew dad added all the good stuff to the stuffing, liver and gizzards and the famous turkey neck...he cooked them up, ground them and we ate every single part of that turkey.

When it was my turn to start cooking Thanksgiving for my family, I was never gifted enough to take everything from scratch and come up with that awesome stuffing my dad made every year.  So, my kids got Stove Top or Pepperidge Farm...whatever was on sale.  Maybe, it wasn't because I wasn't gifted - maybe I was a product of my environment and did what seemed to be the simplest way to get everything done.

Then, one day...not necessarily out of the blue.  I changed the way I ate.  And I changed the way I cooked for my family.  All of a sudden, my food creations would get better and better.  I was able to throw things together and create recipes.  I was able to add a little bit of this and a little bit of that and my kids were happy and they ate it!  Which made me happy!  I have this natural tendency to want to feed people, I think I get it from my dad.  And when I feed people, and they are happy, then I am happy to!


So, a few years back I desperately sought out a stuffing recipe that was grain free, gluten free all of the above...this was THE LAST thing I changed about our Thanksgiving dinner.  I would always say, "It's Thanksgiving, a little gluten won't hurt!"

So, when I found this recipe- they had me make bread and break it into little pieces to dry the night before Thanksgiving.  Please try to understand what happened to me at that moment.  Every flood of emotion, every Thanksgiving I spent "helping" my father, every smell, taste, sound, feel...came back to me and punched me square in the face.  I've never cried so hard breaking bread and setting it on trays to dry like I did that day.  I remember the first time I made it, sobbing out loud and telling my daddy, "I know you'd be proud of me now!"

You see, food is emotional.  There is always something attached.  That night, it came full circle.  I was able to carry on this tradition for my family that my dad loved so dearly.  That was obviously engrained in my soul.  I want my kids to remember someday, what I did from my daddy, and pass that on to their kids...a legacy!

SO without any further commentary:

Primal Thanksgiving Stuffing

Bread needs to be baked at least a day before so that you can set it out to dry overnight:

Ingredients

Bread

2 cups almond flour
3 tbsp coconut flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp real salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp coconut sugar (or 1 tsp honey)
2 large eggs
8 tbsp unsalted butter (or ghee)
1 cup sour cream (or plain, whole coconut yogurt)

Preheat oven to 425.  Butter an 8x8 baking pan.  Mix dry ingredients together in bowl.  In a separate bowl, mix together wet ingredients.  Pour mixtures together.  Pour batter in pan.  Bake for 30-35 min.

Stuffing

1 pound pork sausage
(bag of insides of turkey - boil and add to sausage)
2 tbsp unsalted butter (or ghee)
1 large onion (chopped)
2 large celery sticks (chopped)
10 fresh sage leaves (chopped)
1/4 cup parsley (chopped)
1/2 tsp real salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 grain free bread (cut into cubes and left out overnight to dry)
1 cup chicken stock (homemade;0)
3 large eggs

Cook sausage and turkey insides.  Drain and set aside...return drained grease to pan...add butter or ghee along with onion and celery to cook on medium heat (about 5 minutes.)  Stir in sage, parsley, salt and pepper.  Add mixture into pork mixture.  Add in dried and cubed bread.  In a separate bowl whisk chicken broth and eggs - pour this over all ingredients and gently mix until everything is wet. Pour into 8.5 x 11 baking dish and cook for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Butternut Squash/Carrot/Pumpkin Soup

I made the best soup EVER last night...

Fall is officially here.  Our weather keeps switching back and forth.  I have turned the heat on twice only to turn it off after a few hours because it was too warm in the house.  It's that time of year you aren't sure if you should be wearing pants a coat and a scarf or shorts and a tank top!!

Dress in layers and be prepared for anything is how it goes right now!

So,  I am in the process of trying to figure out my "new schedule!"  I have to be honest, I haven't worked out in FOREVER!! Well, at least for me.  I am not sure when, or how, or even what to do or what I want.  As soon as I figure that out and make a game plan I'll be working out again.  In the meantime, I have been eating super super healthy!  I have given myself an ultimatum - by December 1 (I know seems like a long time away!)  I have to make a decision on what my future CrossFitter self is going to do.  Do I go for it in this years open?  Or, do I just do the workouts and enjoy it for a change?  Can I even allow myself to do that after going for it the last two years?  So many decisions to make, I am hoping that they just come to me ...like a message...Dear Carole, DO THIS!!  I'll keep ya'll updated on my nonsense.  (Please tell me I am not the only crazy person out there who talks like this to herself!)

So, with that said...eating super healthy.  With some of my extra free time I have been hanging out in the kitchen.  Good news is we don't have to eat dinner at 9:30 pm anymore...on our first night home dinner was ready at 7:00.  By 9:30 pm I was starving again.  I will find balance.  That night the dogs ate so early they were in bed by the time we had our dinner on the table.  Everyone is adjusting around here!  LOL

The recipe Carole the recipe:

I made some little tweaks to my butternut squash soup last night and I have decided that this is how I will make this recipe from now on.

Butter Nut Squash/Pumpkin/Carrot Soup

Ingredients:

*1 butternut squash
*6 large organic carrots (this is an item I buy organic - I am eating the skin!)
*2 cups pumpkin puree (I made my own you could always use a can here)
*coconut milk
*1- 1.5 cups chicken broth (I made my own you can find good broth to add here)
*thai curry paste (if you don't have this chili powder works too)
*cinnamon

Heat oven to 425.
1.  Cut butternut squash in half and dig out the seeds.  Fill each seed compartment with coconut milk and 1 tsp of thai curry paste.  Sprinkle cinnamon on the rest of the squash.  Put on pan.
2.  Cut carrots in half and lay on pan.
3.  Cook for 45 minutes then take the carrots out and put in your blender.
4.  Cook squash additional 15 minutes.
5.  Add pumpkin to blender w. carrots.
6.  Scrape out the butternut squash and add to blender.
7.  Add chicken broth to blender.
8.  Blend. Taste.  Add spices as needed...I typically need to add another tsp curry paste and 1-2 tsps of cinnamon.  It makes a nice spicy/sweet blend.

Scrambled eggs with salami, pineapple and SUPER spices

If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change...

It's Tuesday morning, you roll out of bed and are ready to start your day. You get ready quickly and head to the kitchen, make a cup of coffee and remember you were supposed to eat breakfast as well. You scramble a couple of eggs in coconut oil, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, grab an apple and head out the door.  There that's good.   I am eating a balanced breakfast just like I am supposed to...

But, what if I told you that adding a few simple ingredients, that you've probably got in your cupboard, to your scrambled eggs would help you in ways you could never imagine.

I want you to start thinking about "cooking with purpose!"

Next time you make your eggs...think about opening that spice cabinet and adding these simple ingredients:

1.  Thyme

a.  Thyme is packed with vitamins C and A, therefore it can boost your immunity.
b.  Thyme has been know to treat acne and high blood pressure.
c.  Thyme is commonly take for bronchitis, whooping cough, sore throat and upset stomach.

2.  Sage

a.  Sage can help increase concentration and focus - use it as a brain booster.
b.  Sage contains many anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds beneficial to health.
c.  Sage is packed with Vitamin K, used to develop bone strength.

3.  Turmeric

a.  Turmeric supports healthy brain cells and overall cognitive function.
b.  Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory for your heart, your muscles and anywhere the body is fighting inflammation.
c.  Turmeric promotes healthy mood balance and soft smooth skin.

4.  Cilantro

a.  Cilantro helps relieve anxiety and reduce the effects of stress.
b.  Cilantro is a natural anti-inflammatory, reducing heart disease, autoimmune disorders and alleviating arthritis and joint pain.
c.  Cilantro helps control diabetes by controlling your blood sugar.

Fighting disease doesn't start with a diagnosis from the doctor and a prescription of Januvia, hydrochlorothiazide, Lipitor or Aricept to control your diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol or prevention of Alzheimer's.  Fighting disease starts with what you put on your plate each day.  What foods go in your belly.

Knowing that natural herbs and spices pack a punch that fights all of these diseases makes me want to sprinkle them on everything I eat.  Instead of being quick to pop that pill to fix your latest ailment be intentional and head to your spice cabinet and see what nature has to offer to help you out.


What's in my breakfast?

I typically have scrambled eggs or an omelet with pineapple, nitrate free salami, spinach, thyme, sage, turmeric, cilantro AND leave that pepper on there, pepper increases the body's ability to absorb the turmeric! Cook in coconut oil and grab that apple...and now your breakfast is not only balanced it's chocked full of disease preventing power!

When God gives you a new beginning, it starts with an ending.

Two weeks from today I will wake up on a Tuesday morning no longer the proud owner of CrossFit Michiana.

The gym that I know and love, my passion, my place of refuge, my comfort and my happy place - will have the same four walls and it will be filled with the same awesome people but it will no longer belong to us... and I want everyone to know that I am truly OK with that.

For some time now, I have felt this tugging and pulling at my heart.  I didn't know what it was and I pushed it aside.  One thing I've learned in my 47 years on this earth is that if God is determined it doesn't matter how far you push it aside, it will keep rising to the top until you deal with it.  So, one day out of the blue, I presented my concerns to Jim.  What I learned that day, is he was being tugged as well.

CrossFit Michiana was our everything.  We poured every ounce of ourselves into making people better through our gym.  We have been blessed with opportunity after opportunity with our corporate bootcamps Elkhart General Hospital, Inova Federal Credit Union, Penn and MoRyde.  We have also worked with Penn Rugby Clubs - both boys and girls, we started a FitClub at Schmucker Middle School.  We have had thousands of people walk through our lives and through the gym doors - our mission was to change one person at a time and hope that one person went on to help one person change as well.  We wanted to start the ball rolling and teach people about healthy habits, nutrition and exercise.

In the meantime, we created a family.  People that always had our backs and we had theirs as well. It didn't matter where we went we would always run into someone that knew us through CrossFit or bootcamps and know that our lives are better because of each and every one of you.

The decision to end our commitment to CrossFit Michiana was not made lightly but we knew it was time for a change.

So what is in our future?  Where do we go from here?

We hadn't even announced that we were closing the gym when I saw a door that was hanging wide open for me (sometimes God has to make is super obvious for us humans!)  Angela and I were texting back and forth one day and out of the blue figured out that she needed someone to help her in her business and I was looking for a life changing opportunity.  Everything happens for a reason, I know in my heart and will always believe that.  In meeting with Angela I was presented with an opportunity to be her wellness coach in her lifestyle change through functional medicine program that she runs with her patients.
Click here for Dr. Angela Lucterhand info.

I wanted to scream from the rooftops, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  Because, this is exactly what I wanted to do.  I wanted to take my knowledge of health, life and spirituality and help people be better!  Plain and simple.

So where do we go from here?  What are my goals?

So this is where I am right now,  I am first a wife and my goal is to help and support Jim in what he wants to do next.  He has a passion for seniors and their caregivers and I can't wait to see what the future unfolds for him.

I am also a mother...of a police officer so I pray a lot...of a daughter that lives too far away...so I have a pang in my heart...and my Brookie is getting married - so we are planning a wedding!  I love being a mom of 3 adults that I can be so proud of where they are and where they are going!  I loved them as babies but my role as the mother of adults is so much more engaging!

I am also a step-mom.  This is a tough job for anyone that's been in this position.  I work daily to let Gage and Gabby know that I love and support the decisions that their dad and moms are making for them.

I am also an athlete.  To be honest.  I am a little lost in this part of me right now.  For the first time in many years, I have no goals as an athlete.  It's scary.  But I know this is a phase that I need to go through and I will come out a better person on the other side.

And last but not least, I am a now a new business owner.  I can't wait to see what unfolds.  I have so many ideas in my head I want to burst.  I want to continue to touch lives, one at a time so that person can touch a life and make a change as well.  Knowing that I have the support of the thousands of people that I met along the journey of CrossFit Michiana's existence is what keeps my feet moving every day.

Thank you to each and every one of you for being in my life.  I am a better person for knowing you.

XOXO  Carole

I refuse to let you defeat me...

I never look ahead at the workouts...
but for some reason on Tuesday evening when I was looking for my WOD I let myself "peek" at the WOD for Wednesday and Thursday...

Well.  I shouldn't have done that.

There they are first thing Thursday morning...FIRST THING...Muscle ups. It was an EMOM - 2-5 muscle ups + 30 double unders in minute 1! You've got to be kidding me.

Doesn't Jami know that I can't do muscle ups at 6:15 am?  And then it started.  Not on purpose.  Not all the time.  But for the next day and a half I had little moments of panic...I had to do muscle ups first thing in the morning.

In the gym on Wednesday I would randomly look at the rings and think to myself how am I going to do this?

My success rate on morning muscle ups averages 40-50%.  This isn't the first time I've had to deal with these same emotions.  I've had to do morning muscle ups before.  And for some reason I can't explain, they just don't come out to play that early.

Wednesday was very nicely a complete rest day.  So, I did exactly as I was told.  Nothing.  I ate food, good food, every 2-3 hours.  I didn't move a muscle.  I didn't jump rope.  I didn't enter in any handstand walking races.  I didn't stretch or move.  I rested.

It's 5:13 am Thursday:  I walk into the gym and I can feel their presence.  I am alone and I actually speak out loud, "Hi rings, I know you're there, I can't see you, but I can feel you, and you will not defeat me today!"  As I flip the switches to turn the gym lights on I glance over at the Rogue Rig and they are hanging there waiting.  Just like they do everyday!

I get the 5:15 class started and as they warm up my mind starts to wander.  I think about the rings and the muscles ups that have to happen in about an hour.  In my mind I once again "speak" to the rings, "Hi rings!, I can see you now and I will not let you get the best of me today.  We are a team.  We are a unit.  I need you to be successful.  I will not let you defeat me."

I had a plan and a goal.

My plan was to do 2 reps for each of the 7 times this came around in the EMOM.  I also wanted those reps to be consecutive.  No more one at a time, I am better than that and there is no reason I can't get two in a row.

During warm up and stretch I was quiet and withdrawn...luckily my workout partner knows me well enough that he knows when to just leave me be.  During my entire warm-up I had to push the trash from my head and just kept speaking to the rings!  "You will not defeat me!"  "We are in this together!"  "Today is the day I get past this!"

Now, you may think this is a little crazy and I agree it was an extreme measure but we are 28 days from the open.  And I have got to gain the confidence in my head and just let my body do what it wants to do and knows how to do.  I am willing to take whatever measure it takes to get there...even if it means sitting in a dark room talking to an inanimate object when I am all by myself.

Today I beat the rings.

2,2,1,2,2,2,1= 12 MU in the WOD.
My goal was 14.
So when the WOD was over, I did 2 more.

In all of my 7 attempts at my muscle ups I strung two together - failing in round 3 to get the second rep and in round 7.  My grade on morning muscle ups went from a top score of 50% to 87.5%!!!

Good morning rings, I will not let you defeat me...