A Pop Quiz, the Unknown, and Tuscan Pot Pie

Hi there!

I am filled to the brim with girlish glee this morning! (I will bake cookies and send them to the first person who can tell me what that’s from WITHOUT using Google. Seriously, no cheating.)

I decided to go to the 5am crossfit class this morning instead of hitting the 5pm class per my normal schedule.

One – it’s HAWT and I wasn’t sure I wanted to be in a hot box at 5pm

and

Two – I just didn’t feel like dealing with a ton of people today.

It will probably end up being a small class now that I’ve done that but that’s okay. I’d rather give up an hour of sleep than deal with a potential crowd. Besides,

🙂

Plus, it’s a great boost for the rest of the day!

Anyway, Joe usually puts the WOD up on their Facebook page super early in the morning. I swear, the man does not sleep. So, I like to look and see what the WOD is. I don’t get intimidated by it – it helps me to get in the right mindset and decide if I should wear knee socks or not. Hey, deadlifts can be torture on my shins if the bar scrapes me up!

So this morning, Joe was vague about the WOD.

“Come enjoy the fun that Thursday has in store for you!”

Uh oh.

Skeered.

And then I got there and saw what we were doing.

And, I knew it was going to be a GREAT Thursday!

No, I didn’t run the sprints for the warm-up. I rowed those because I know I’m not ready for the explosive start and stop that’s required when sprinting. But, I was sure as H-E-double hockeysticks going to run that mile! WITH THE WEIGHT, EVEN!

I scaled it down to a 10 pound weighted ball instead of the 15 pound plate and I planned on taking it slow and easy

and

I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF THAT MILE!

So exhilarating! I didn’t feel any pain – it was more an awareness of my hip but no real discomfort. I stayed slow and steady and it was awesome! Came back in and finished up my last 25 wall ball shots (unbroken, thankyouverymuch!) and knocked out the WOD in 13:43.

YES!

Comfort Food – Day 4!

And, it’s not southwestern!

Not that there’s anything wrong with southwestern food.

It was just time for a change.

So, over to the Mediterranean we go!

Italian sausage, cannellini beans, tomato/pasta sauce, and crescent rolls for a delicious meal in less than 30 minutes? WIN!

Tuscan Pot Pie
serves 4-6

3/4 pound sweet or hot italian sausage
1 jar (26 to 28 ounces) prepared chunky vegetable or mushroom spaghetti sauce (or, just use your favorite)
1 can (19 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (I’ve never seen a 19 ounce can of beans so I used 15 ounce)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 package (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove sausage from casings. Brown sausage in medium ovenproof skillet, stirring to separate meat. Drain drippings.

2. Add spaghetti sace, beans and thyme to skillet. Simmer, uncovered, over medium heat 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cheese.

3. Unroll crescent dough; divide into triangles. Arrange spiral-fashion with points of dough towards center, covering sausage mixture completely or as much as you can. Bake 12 minutes or until crust is golden brown and meat mixture is bubbly.

4. Om nom nom!

– jennifer

Eliza. “Grace.” Mexican Chicken Bake.

Hello! Happy Tuesday!

Well, probably not so much a happy Tuesday for Eliza.

She’s going in to the vet for a day of “beauty.” Why the vet and not the groomer, you ask? Well, you see, Eliza doesn’t like to be brushed except for that cute spot right on the top of her head. And, her fur is really long and kind of powdery and very susceptible to matting. Plus, she’s pretty lazy and can’t really be bothered with extensive grooming. So, basically, she’s a mess. Like her namesake, Eliza Doolittle. 🙂

Thus, the trip to the vet.

Don’t feel bad for her, though. She’ll be stoked later and she’ll feel better with all of those mats gone.

Random cat picture!

Yesterday’s CrossFit workout was fun!

C & J stands for Clean and Jerk.

It’s a speed workout. The goal is to get 30 done as quickly as possible, like this:

I can’t jerk 95# – YET – so I scaled down to 65#. Finished in 3:43. Phew!

Comfort food – day 2!

This dish takes slightly longer than 30 minutes but definitely comes together easy on a busy weeknight. Saucy, slightly spicy, baked chicken and corn served over rice (or pasta or whatever). Add a seasonal vegetable (or two!) or a salad and dinner’s on the table! Yum!

So, I brought up the definition of comfort food with my sailor last night. It’s always interesting to get other perspectives on how people define food or, sometimes, how food defines people. He agrees with my thoughts that comfort food makes you feel happy, safe, and loved. He also added – reminds you of growing up or your childhood. I agree with that, too! So, how do you define comfort food? What are some of your favorite recipes from growing up? Do you think comfort food is driven by weather? Tell me! I want to know! 🙂

Mexican Chicken Bake
makes 4 servings

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into strips
2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
1 can (11 ounces) Mexican-style corn kernels, drained
1 1/3 cups French’s® Taste Toppers™ French Fried Onions, divided
2 tablespoons Frank’s® RedHot® sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine chicken, tomato sauce, corn, 2/3 cup Taste Toppers, RedHot sauce and seasonings in lightly greased 2-quart baking dish. Stir until chicken is well coated.

2. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and sauce is hot. Stir. Top with remaining 2/3 cup onions. Bake 5 minutes or until onions are golden. Serve with hot cooked rice, if desired.

3. Om nom nom!

– jennifer

An injury update, then Meatballs & Spaghetti Squash

Hello!

So, I’m presently sitting in the doctor’s office hoping to finally get started on finding out what my injury actually is.

I’ve been going to physical therapy for 4 weeks now with little improvement and I still can’t run. I know the recovery process is often slow but I still have pain and not knowing exactly what needs to be treated is a problem.

fast forward an hour

Okay, I just had xrays done. Since it’s been about 2 months, it’s possible a femoral stress fracture might show up. Either way, I’ve got a consult to see an orthopedic surgeon. Hopefully, I’ll get that call soon. *fingers crossed* If the xrays don’t show anything, the next step is an MRI. I just want to run. Running makes me happy. Running is me – I AM a runner.

Tee-hee. 🙂

Okay, seriously. Cross your fingers for speedy xray results and a sooner rather than later appointment with the orthopedist. I need all the good vibes I can get!

Question: Have you ever had spaghetti squash? It’s really easy to make and super delicious. And, it’s a perfect substitute for spaghetti if you’re eating Paleo or just trying to cut back on processed carbs. I’ll never forget the first time I made it – I couldn’t believe the flesh actually twirled out like spaghetti noodles! So cool!

Anyway, you can pair spaghetti squash with your favorite marinara or even some homemade meatballs! I definitely recommend these. Healthy, chock full of protein, delicious and easy to make. Start the meatballs first and then put the squash in the oven. This gives the meatballs more time to hang out in the sauce. Om nom nom!

Meatballs & Spaghetti Squash
*note: if you aren’t a fan of spaghetti squash, use spaghetti or whatever you prefer. 🙂

1 (2-3 pound) spaghetti squash
1/2 pound lean ground sirloin
1/2 pound ground pork
1 egg
1/2 cup minced onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup almond flour
2 tablespoons Mrs. Dash seasoning (I used spicy hot – use what you like!
FOR SAUCE
1 can (14.5 ounce) crushed tomatoes
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup Italian seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash squash exterior, then cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and place, cut side up, on baking sheet.

2. Place ground sirloin, ground pork, egg, onion, garlic, almond flour, and seasoning in a medium bowl. Using your hands, mix well. Shape into meatballs.

3. Put squash in oven and bake for 45 minutes.

4. In a medium saucepan, mix tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine & seasoning. Heat on medium-low.

5. Heat 1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and cook until brown on all sides. As meatballs finish cooking, add to the tomato sauce, stirring gently to incorporate. Don’t want them to fall apart!

6. When spaghetti squash is done, remove from oven and let cool slightly. Using a fork, remove flesh from the rind. You can either scrape or twirl – depending on how long you want the squash strands to be.

7. Top spaghetti squash with meatballs and sauce. Om nom nom!

– jennifer