Noted on a Friday

2014 is speeding on by - can you believe we're nearing April?! Crazy. This week felt quick and easy -- which is how I like 'em - and we're on the home stretch to Spring Break. Whaddup! I'm hoping time slows down this weekend so we can enjoy some leisurely fun. 

A few things I noted this week...

A couple surprise rainy days and brisk weather -- loved!

And this homemade kabocha squash soup with bacon and crema was really hitting the spot.

We watched a butterfly flutter by outside our window. (Photo by Flav)

And played in the park with this pretty lady.

Happy Friday! xo

Weekending, quick notes

Although there aren't photos to prove it, this was maybe the best weekend we've had lately. Last Thursday I was feeling anxious about having too much planned/being over-committed (I need downtime scheduled in, too), but from Friday - Sunday, we were on the move and in the end, we had a lot of fun and it made the weekend seem longer. Some highlights:

:: Some of my students were in a play, so it was fun to go see their talent and support them in their production of Balm In Gilead.

:: We pretended we were in Vietnam/France and went to Zion Market for their "Paris Baguette" pastries with friends. (Note to self: Friends report the coffee is amazing there. When we're back on the juice, I can't wait to try it. Pastries divine - like those we had in Paris.)

:: We partied at a BBQ on Saturday night.

:: I was a wee hungover Sunday and woke to the smell of bacon as Flav surprised me with breakfast - sweet!

:: We're sort of getting into Friday Night Lights and we binge-watched in pajamas Sunday morning - Flav is really into it - I'm sort of a fan. Reminds me of high school culture in El Centro.

:: We celebrated Jan's birthday with wine and delicious Thai food Sunday night.

Even though we were out late last night, I woke up this morning feeling oddly refreshed. Nothing got done at home this weekend, but who needs clean clothes, anyway?

{Sunday morning chef}

{paleo pancake breakfast a la Flav}

Noted on a Friday

Mercury was in retrograde recently, and I think that's why things felt off-kilter this week. Nothing terrible happened, I just felt grumpy and tired, which means I am welcoming the weekend with open arms. We're off to Korean BBQ tonight for a paleo feast with friends, and then we're excited for a visit from my cousin and her new baby tomorrow. It will be fun to do San Diego-y type things with out-of-towners. Flavio's been hinting about a very non-paleo mystery date on Sunday, so I'm also looking forward to that.  I hope you have a wonderful weekend. xo

Here are a few things that brightened my week...

Sunday night Oscars treats. Loooved the speeches, the gowns, and Ellen this year.

The best thing about teaching: the students. One of my best brought me Havainas and the sweetest note from her trip to Brazil. I was so touched.

Walks with this lady are my antidote to the mid-week blues.


Currently eating: this paleo chocolate chili. Totally hitting the spot on this cloudy Friday.

How Cooking Can Change Your Life

We're back on another 30 Days of Paleo - Something had to be done after we went to my parents' and I gorged on pizza and cheesecake more times than I'd like to admit. So, Flavio and a couple friends and I are challenging ourselves to get off the crack (carbs and sugar) for the next month. What I love about these paleo re-sets is all the cooking we do. Flavio and I turn on music, talk, and have fun in the kitchen, and then at mealtime we know exactly what we're putting into our bodies. All this home-cooking reminds me to follow my favorite healthy-eating trick, which I learned from food theorist Michael Pollan. In the fun little video below, Pollan reminds us that some foods (like french fries) are labor intensive and celebratory and thus not meant to be eaten daily. If we only cooked these foods at home, they'd be eaten with much less frequency and prepared in a very different way than if you were to buy them from a corporation. He says, "What predicted a healthy diet more than anything else was that it was being cooked by a human being (not by a corporation)...Eat anything you want, just cook it yourself."Simple and true.

Weekending, Hibernation

I have had a looong winter break and I am itching to get back to work, which is a good thing, right? I feel like I've been in hibernation since the New Year and I am realizing something about myself: I need hibernation, a complete disconnect every now and again. I think we all work differently, and I find that I like to operate at 110% capacity for about 85% of the time, surrounded by people, and then spend the remainder doing absolutely nothing by myself. Flavio seems to operate at a slightly lower intensity all of the time, and thus doesn't need to completely shut down every now and again. I think we get about the same amount of stuff done, so it all evens out.

I've spent most of the last week in hibernation mode. Some people might call it lazy but I'm rebranding it as hibernation. After a crazy semester and busy holiday season and generally being super-efficient for the last four months, I realized I was barely pushing through at the end - there was no more powering through - I was exhausted. And basically, I don't want to be just barely pushing through my life.

So, I am going to pay attention and give myself more permission to take breaks, including on the blog. When I started this blog last year, I had a self-imposed posting schedule and would try to get on here 5 days a week (which let's face it, barely ever happened).  I love writing here, but sometimes I am so tired that I cannot be asked to make decisions, about anything, including blog posts, so I need to allow myself to take sporadic breaks from blogging and from everything. I might lay in bed and read books and watch 3 rom-coms in a row and take a one hour hot bath if that's what's needed. And I refuse to feel guilty about it (see this post on the importance of calm and this one on the busy trap.) And always, after some time in hibernation, I suddenly find myself wanting to blog, cook, hang out with friends, and generally rejoin the living world, ramping back up to my 110% self. That's where I am right now - ramping up and recharged.

Does this seem crazy? I know this might sound like a dysfunctional cycle, but I'm realizing this is how I've always worked, I'm forever on a semester system, so I'm embracing it. Now that I'm all recharged, I'm ready to share my weekend with you, but alas, hibernation does not make for great posting. Here are the bits that I do have...

We've been mostly Paleo eating since the New Year but took a break Friday night to gorge on El Comal's heavenly Mexican food.

Saturday we did chores, went out to lunch, hit up the dog park, and came home for wine and cheese paired with the movie The Guilt Trip. People, Barbara Streisand in that movie IS my mother in law. It was so hilarious to us, only because we can relate so closely. Haha!

{Saturday night movie}

Sunday morning we cooked up a storm, went for a long family walk, and then Flavio went to a bar with his friend to watch the Charger's game, while Guiri and I snuggled on the couch to read books. I've been a gluttonous reader over this holiday break. In case you're looking for a few good reads, I loved The Dinner, The Tender Bar and A Spot of Bother. All three about families, but all three very different from the others and each very good.

It's a sunny Monday morning, I made us a paleo pancake breakfast, and now I'm off to walk Guiri in this unseasonably warm weather. No polar vortex for The Whale's Vagina. I hope you have a great day. xo

{sunny Monday morning}

My favorite winter lunch...

...is soup of course. Soup is like a hug in a bowl, so I put on a quick pot of butternut squash, topped it with a little bacon, wrapped myself in a soft blanket, and Guiri and I cuddled up to watch the drizzle outside.

Today is my favorite kind of day - rain, a twinkling Christmas tree, John Denver & the Muppets' Christmas album on iTunes, plans to bake cookies later, and absolutely nowhere to be. I have grading to do and a house to clean, but I can feel the semester wrapping up (last final tomorrow - whattup!), and am feeling beyond peaceful and happy. It's a magical time of year.

Paleo Challenge Wrap-Up / Recipes

I did a terrible job of updating my blog with progress reports as we worked through our 30-day Healthy Life Challenge with CrossFit Elysium, but we wrapped it all up yesterday and here's a re-cap.

Neither of us had a single cheat. We ate all paleo, for all 30 days. Plus, we tried to get 8 hours of sleep each night, did deep breathing to combat stress, and we kept up with our daily food journals and regular exercise routines. It was hard work and sometimes stressful, but worth it, we feel great, and I think these healthy habits will stick.

Weight loss: I lost about 5 pounds in 30 days with no real change in my workouts. Flavio, who has absolutely no weight to lose, lost about 5 pounds, too.

Decreased bloating: This was major for me. I felt noticeably less bloated while eating clean, my clothes fit more comfortably, and I saw a bit more definition in my arms and legs.

Stable blood sugar levels: Also an amazing change. Without the carbs and sugar, we both noticed pretty much immediately that we weren't experiencing any spikes and dips throughout the day and were no longer sluggish after meals. Overall, much more energy.

Decreased cravings for sugar, carbs and alcohol: I really think the challenge redefined our taste buds and helped eliminate unhealthy cravings. Example: We were eating baked sweet potato fries last night and I swear they tasted like pumpkin pie. Vegetables are so flavorful, fruit tastes really sweet and juicy, and salads with healthy fats and proteins are uber satisfying. I've missed wine with dinner and I really missed the ritual of baking, but I do not feel like I'm dying for non-paleo treats. In fact, we ate strictly paleo again today and I'm a little nervous to reintroduce carby/sugary foods into my diet.

What I learned about myself: The challenge helped me see that I am a better abstainer than moderator. The author of the book The Happiness Project (which I recommend) describes humans as "abstainers" or "moderators" with regards to their habits. Abstainers do best when temptations are eliminated completely (me). Moderators are most successful when they are able to indulge every now and again in an 80/20 model (Flavio). While I get panicky thinking I can never bake or eat pizza again (as a moderator would), I also now realize it's better for me to go cold turkey, re-set things mentally like we did during this challenge, and then set strict guidelines for myself post-challenge.

Where we go from here: Since Flav is a moderator and I am an abstainer, here's our plan. Eat paleo Monday - Thursday, allow some non-paleo indulgences on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays but overall still eat paleo all throughout the week. We really want to keep the clean eating going full-force because we both feel sooo much better, but we're also not ready to give up good pizza, wine, or baked goods forever. Plus, we like traveling, eating out with friends, etc. and food is very much part of those experiences. But we are absolute believers in the power of paleo and saw results in just 30 days - for us, paleo is the way to go long-term. When I'm tempted by non-paleo treats, I will weigh the consequences (bloating, insulin spikes, inflammation) and if it's not worth it, use this awesome strategy for saying no.

A few tips that made things easier: Overall, this is a really busy time of year for both of us, but the following helped keep us sane and on track - Choose 2 days/week as prep days (we cooked a lot on Sundays and some on Wednesday evenings); keep hard boiled eggs, cut up veggies, and lunch meat on hand for quick snacks; finally, cauliflower rice and sweet potato fries are the best things since sliced bread.

Some favorite recipes:

:: My favorite was this Butter Chicken with cauliflower rice (yum!)

:: Flavio's favorite was this Slow Cooker Kalua Pork (So good!)

:: We made our favorite meatloaf a couple times, but subbed the bread crumbs with almond meal

:: Totally enjoyed this stuffed zucchini

::  Cooked up my favorite chicken soup twice

::  Tonight we made this roast salmon with broccoli and it was fast/delicious, subbing rice vinegar w/ red wine vinegar

The best part is we ate a ton of veggies with most meals.

Final point: Cooking your own food is so important! I don't want to ever forget that, so I'm declaring it here and now.

It was a very meaningful 30 days. Cheers to healthy living and great food, no matter which path you choose!


PS: Day 1 of this Healthy Life Challenge.

Octoberfeast

Last fall, Flavio and I found ourselves eating out a lot. Once the semester gets going, things get distracted and rushed and we realized we were in a rut where we were dining to-go more often than not. We decided to give ourselves a challenge: for the month of October we would not eat out - not even once. ONLY homemade meals. And guess what? We had a blast. We found ourselves trying new wines, getting creative with recipes, cooking together after work, and mostly being mindful of our meals and our money. 

This year we're on our paleo challenge (more than half way through now, by the way) and because of the dietary restrictions on said challenge, we're not really able to eat out anyway. We debated not doing Octoberfeast this year (the paleo challenge has been tough and we're feeling a little challenged-out), but when we remembered how doable and enjoyable it was, we decided to go for it. So! The 2nd Annual Octoberfeast is on! All homemade, all the time. No eating out until October 31 (except for a friend's birthday party on October 18).

Below are a few photos from 2012's 1st Annual Octoberfeast. There were plenty of nights with boring scrambled eggs, but these were some of our livelier dinners.

Paleo Pumpkin Spice Latte

Happy first day of fall! Actually, it was yesterday but I was under the weather so I'm celebrating today. Autumn is my absolute favorite time of year - rosy cheeks, crisp evenings, comfy sweaters - and I always treat myself to a pumpkin spice latte from Starbuck's to celebrate the first day of this fantastic season. But, our 30-day paleo challenge doesn't allow for the...wait for it... 49 GRAMS of SUGAR (yikes!) in a grande pumpkin spice latte. [Um, that is more than double the amount of sugar that you should have in a day, according to Dr. Oz. Kind of horrifying, no?] So I did a little recipe research and made my own paleo version in my slow cooker.

I'm not gonna lie - it was a creamy afternoon treat but definitely not the same. I guess it had to do with the fact that it was missing 49 grams of sugar.  However, pure pumpkin, coconut milk, and spices are all good for us, so I was happy to be welcoming autumn with this much healthier, more natural, and still very comforting version. Plus, it was really easy to whip up and made the house smell like pumpkin pie.

Here's how I did it.

Paleo Pumpkin Spice Lattes in the Slow Cooker
Adapted from here
Makes about 4

1 can Trader Joe's Coconut Cream (Extra Thick and Rich version)
1/3 cup canned pumpkin (no added sugar)
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 cup brewed Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice Coffee
If you are not strict paleo-ing, you might add a little raw honey or agave nectar to taste
Heavy cream for whipping

Pour all ingredients (except heavy cream) into slow cooker.  Whisk everything together well. Cook on high in slow cooker for an hour. Stir. Cook on high for another hour, for 2 hours total. Ladle into mugs. Whip heavy cream with a dash of vanilla and top lattes with whipped cream and spices. Enjoy!

The Best Chicken Soup...Ever.

Sorry I'm always blathering on about soup but this one is my all-time favorite, we made a bubbling cauldron last night, and I couldn't resist sharing. Chicken Soup with Loads of Vegetables has a few secret ingredients, transforming it from meh-just-whatever-chicken soup to Nectar-of-the-Gods-Yum-Chicken SOUP! Its first weapon, bone marrow, gives the broth a fat and a depth that I swear to you, dons the whole thing with magical healing powers. If you are sick, or tired, or cold, or are just in need of something soothing, this soup is your prescription. Also in its arsenal is a magnificent combination of lesser-used (at least in my kitchen), seemingly old-world vegetables including parsnip, rutabaga, kohlrabi, and turnip which work together to make the broth rich, fragrant, almost sweet. You can change up the ingredients as you like. On some occasions I've added leeks, cabbage, garlic, or eliminated one thing or another. We don't usually add noodles or matzah as I don't think it needs it.  Do what feels right. This recipe makes a lot of servings, so if you're just two, you might freeze half the batch for when Old Man Winter comes calling. You'll be glad you did.

Other soup recipes I love and have blogged about:

Italian Wedding Soup
Coconut Red-Lentil Curry
Cream of Tomato with Goat Cheese
Spanish Pea Soup
Greek Lemon - Avgolemeno

30-Day Challenge + Paleo Thoughts

And so it begins. The Healthy Life 30-Day Challenge put on by our CrossFit starts today and we are armed with meat, produce, and iron determination. I'm somewhat embarrassed to be announcing another challenge after the flop that was our Spring of Self-Improvement (aka Paleo-Faileo), but this time around feels different. We are committed. And it helps that our gym friends are in on this, too. If you care to see what the challenge involves you can read all about it here, but basically we need to exercise 5 days/week, eat paleo, avoid all alcohol and added sugars, keep a food log, de-stress, and get 8 hours of sleep every day.

To kick things off, we made a special Mexican Independence Day-inspired paleo dinner of slow-cooker carnitas and cauliflower rice with shredded cabbage, salsa, and avocado. It was a-ma-zing. I am stoked slow-cooker season is upon us; minimal effort, maximum flavor - I love throwing everything in before work and them coming home to heavenly smells.

{paleo dinner #1}

I'll be documenting some of our favorite paleo meals and overall progress throughout the month and look forward to living healthier. Game on!

Long but related ramble: I had a lively discussion with a co-worker about the paleo diet and came to realize it can be a polarizing topic. My colleague basically feels it's "the latest fad" and that it's unhealthy to eat so much meat. Here are my thoughts: Sure, the caveman thing is fad-ish - I don't buy into that part, it feels gimmicky. We are not cavemen/women, we do not hunt wild game and forage for berries, but that's not the point. The point is that paleo advocates filling your plate with tons of vegetables and nutrient-dense proteins, instead of processed foods. I am 100% sure eating natural, whole foods is essential for our natural human bodies and I find that when I am eating paleo, veggies take the place of processed foods on my plate. I'm no nutritionist, but filling my plate with vitamin-rich produce feels intuitively healthier than a side of bread/rice/pasta, which has little nutritional value and spikes insulin. (Of course, not to knock a slice of good bread every now and again. I love you, bread.)

As for the meat, I am a committed carnivore but totally respect people who are vegetarian for ethical reasons or otherwise. Except for a terribly unsuccessful year as a vegetarian in high school - a year that had me replacing the meat in my diet with some veggies but mostly with pre-packaged, manufactured, gluten/soy-filled, unsatisfying junk - I have always eaten meat. I find that I feel better with meat protein in my diet, so I have no problem eating other animals. Having said that, I do have a problem eating animals that aren't being treated humanely. Flavio and I make a point to eat grass-fed, pasture-raised, hormone-free, organic, and local whenever possible and though it's more expensive, I see it as voting with my dollars to keep more ethical operations in business.

Paleo is not for everyone and I'm definitely not hardcore (obviously, um, yesterday's post was on Funfetti cupcakes!), but I know there are some health lessons to be gained from trying to eat a minimally processed, natural foods, insulin-friendly diet like paleo. If you're interested in reading about 6 Health Lessons From The Paleo Diet, Huff-Po recently posted an article.

Eating is complicated - it's entwined with our social, cultural, and emotional selves, and there is so much conflicting information on what's healthy. I think most of us are just trying to do the best we can, and to each their own.

Summer Cold + Hot Pea Soup

I'm feeling a little under the weather today. A tickle in my throat. A run in my nose. An ache in my joints. But, I wanted to come by and say hello. I promise I won't breathe on you.

I blame this wacky San Diego weather (um, it's been raining  today!); and my students and their summer colds; and the fact that I've been operating at 110% capacity for about 80% of the time for the last couple weeks. I just need a quiet evening in...or three. I also need hot liquids poured down my gullet, stat. Normally, I'd ask Flavio to make his famous Magic Hot Toddy, or to pick me up a bowl of #18 pho, but he's working late, which means it's just Guiri and me. Just a couple of bitches and their Le Creuset. :)

The easiest soup recipe I know of (besides Maruchan Ramen Noodles) is this Spanish Pea Soup from my girl, Ina Garten. It is so quick and cozy. I add extra garlic and top it with Ina's no-fail roast bacon. Ah, I feel better already.

Us ladies are off to eat soup and watch Bridget Jones.

Back soon. xo

Summer Infused Water

I'm pretty sure I'm part camel. I don't drink enough water and I must be storing reserves of it somewhere in my body.  It has been crazy hot lately and I know I need to up my water intake, so this weekend, I decided to get creative with water.

I'm fussy about water. I can't have it too cold and I don't like it tepid, it has to be just right, and if it tastes good, I know I'll drink more of it. In an effort to get in my 8 glasses a day, I spent some time infusing water. I experimented with three different flavor versions (strawberry, citrus, and cucumber) infused them for a couple hours in the fridge and then strained and poured them into individual bottles for easy access. I'm enjoying them and feeling good; they help me pretend I'm at a spa. Infused water would also be a great addition to the table for summer entertaining. Bottoms up!

Go-To Smoothie

Southern California seems to be in a juicing craze; I'm pretty sure everyone and their grandma has a NutriBullet. And I totally understand the trend. Juicing is quick, tasty, slimming and healthy. But for me, a good old fashioned smoothie-in-the-blender is all those same things, and it keeps me full. I have a few smoothie recipes I like, but here's my basic go-to:

Summer Breakfast Smoothie

1 cup cold almond milk
1 frozen banana, pre-sliced into chunks
1 small handful fresh coconut meat (I buy the little containers at Whole Foods)
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 tablespoon honey (optional, but better with it)

Combine in a blender until smooth. Summer breakfast is served.

You could dress this baby up with berries, cocoa powder, flax seeds, etc. but I like it just like this.

{Photo via}

Pity Party - May 1 - You're Invited

So, it's May 1st. On April 1st I promised to return today with tales of inches melted and pounds lost after a month of paleo eating, CrossFit, and general self-improvement. If you've been following along, you know that paleo eating never really caught on in April. Paleo-faileo - carbs for the win. I cordially invited you to today's pity party, thrown by me, in honor of me, to discuss the following bad thoughts from April:

:: Using work stress as an excuse to drink every night.

:: Telling yourself time (not diet and exercise) will make your ass smaller.

:: Telling yourself your body needs an extra hour of sleep more than it needs CrossFit at 5:30am.

:: Telling yourself that your husband is eating pizza, and it would be rude to let him eat it alone.

:: Telling yourself that gaining weight this month must mean you've gained muscle. (Highly unlikely.)

Not meeting goals makes me feel really blue. This morning I did my measurements and weighed myself and then the train was parked in Mopetown, USA. I'll spare you the measurement and scale details, but I did actually gain weight this month. Woops.

Serendipitously though, I am currently reading French Women Don't Get Fat {Damn those carb eating Frenchies and their hot bods! See photo above.} Have you read it? I love it. In it, the French, baguette-eating author shares their skinny secrets and writes:

"French women do stray [from keeping a balance in their lifestyle], but they always come back, believing there are only detours and no dead ends."

So I may have had a detour this month.  The train took many a trip to Carbville, parked in Bluestown today, but is now back on its way to Healthifornia, USA.

As the French seem to know, self improvement is a journey, not a destination, and I'm looking forward to continuing CrossFit, eating better and staying on track going forward. I can honestly say that although I wasn't as healthy as I could have been, I feel better today than I did April 1.

Pity party cancelled. But the fit-y party is on!

{Photo via Pinterest}

Paleo Cereal

Breakfast can abolish all sins. Sins like vodka cocktails, too much wine, pizza, and other general gastronomic debauchery. Yes breakfast, Monday breakfast, is the re-start!  A chance for clarity and conscious eating for the last 2 days of a month of paleo and self-improvement that has been fun but well.. disastrous. It's okay, it's a new week. We've got delicious penitence in a bowl. Let's start things off right with Paleo Cereal.

Great for breakfast or an afternoon snack, paleo cereal is quick to make, gets in all your nut/fruit requirements for the day, and is delish! Here's what you need:

For Paleo Cereal, you need a little bit of each of the following:

Banana
Strawberries
Blueberries
Blackberries
Goji berries (these are key and really make it taste like cereal)
Almonds or Walnuts
Shredded Coconut (unsweetened)
Cinnamon (a dash)
Vanilla extract (a dash)
Coconut or Almond milk (unsweetened)


Slice up the fruit, dump everything in a bowl, add milk and voila! Healthy fuel.

PS. It's a good idea to add a little protein to this breakfast, otherwise you might be starving in an hour. A hard boiled egg on the side rounds things out.

Party of One

When Flavio's out of town for work, I transform into Single Sarah. I'm left to my own devices and my habits change immediately and drastically, especially my eating habits. When he's gone, I often find myself having "breakfast for dinner" - maybe french toast, or perhaps a bowl of cereal while standing in the kitchen. But most times I just have dessert and wine. Or popcorn, and dessert, and a cocktail...woops. He's out of town for work, and we're Paleo dieting, so I had to make a legit dinner. I settled on a big salad, a nice glass of wine and a good book (I'm finally reading Kitchen Confidential). I felt so grown up.

Related: This book has been on my radar for years. It features essays by famous folks describing what they eat when they're eating alone.  Nora Ephron, Amanda Hesser and others share the "secret meals they relish when no one else is looking." I am so tempted to order it right now. Apparently, the closing sentiment of the book reads, "Eating alone is special time. You should do it up right and pay some attention to YOU! Set the table with china and cloth. Treat yourself!" Just the encouragement I needed. Tomorrow, fancy dinner for one.

I'm also dying to read Julia Child's My Life in France. I hear it's really good. Clearly, I'm in a major foodie book phase.

Coconut Whipped Cream & Berries

If having dessert is wrong, then I don't want to be right. But Paleo doesn't allow dairy or sugar. I had to get crafty. I was really craving strawberry shortcake, so I decided to make a Paleo version. We can call it strawberry short, since there's no cake.

The coconut whipped cream is surprisingly refreshing and tropical, and proves dessert can be low-sugar, dairy-free and still totally delish.

We haven't been very strict with Paleo this time around. :( We went out for Indian food and gorged on naan last week. There was lots of boozing last weekend. Paleo faileo. But it's never too late to get back on track, right? This dessert is a decadent and healthy step in the right direction.

Strawberry Short / Coconut Whipped Cream & Berries
It literally takes 10 minutes to pull this together.

You need:
1 can of full-fat coconut milk
Vanilla extract
Berries, sliced
My quick raspberry sauce (optional)

Make the coconut whipped cream:

:: Chill the can of coconut milk in the fridge for 24 hours.

:: Remove the chilled can and flip it upside down so the coconut water will be on top.

:: Open the can and drink the coco water on top, or save it for a smoothie. You'll be left with the hardened coconut cream.

:: Whip the cream using a hand mixer or food processor (as I did) until fluffy.

:: Add in vanilla extract and whip for a few more seconds. If you're not adding the raspberry sauce, I recommend you put a touch of sugar in the cream.

:: Dollop on your berries and pour a bit of the quick raspberry sauce over the top.

Enjoy! You won't believe how amazing this (vegan, healthy) whipped cream is.

Hunger Anger

Ha! This reminds me of my husband and my best friend, but who hasn't been a hunger grouch. :)

Related: I forgot how ravenous the Paleo diet makes me; I'm hungry like the wolf about an hour after eating.

I'm making this Paleo chili colorado right now. It's smelling spicy delicious. I am so ready to eat, but chili at 10am seems wrong. . .

Update: The chili is delish, for Paleo and non-Paleo eaters alike! I recommend this recipe.

From Cupcakes to CrossFit

Out of Shape Woman Does CrossFit, Likes It

This just in: I went back to CrossFit this morning. It was a beating. And I liked it.

I got up at the crack of dawn to pay some buffster coach to force me to lift weights, do lunges, lift weights while doing lunges, run 800 meters, do more lunges, and do an unjustified amount of air squats. There were 4 of us in the session, and I was by far the worst. I don't care. CrossFit workouts make me feel like I'm going to puke, which makes me feel weak, but that barf-y feeling also makes me feel empowered. For the rest of the day I felt like if I could survive the morning, I could do anything. To prove it, I climbed a mountain. Okay, so maybe I didn't climb the whole mountain - my legs were tired.

{Cowles Mountain, San Diego}

Current Stats:
Weight: 143.6 lbs.
Body Mass Index: 22.5% (I used this calculator, not sure how accurate it is.)
Waist: 31.0 inches
Hip: 40.5 inches

I'll report back May 1st with new stats. In the meantime, mainly Paleo/Primal diet (with some alcohol, date night exceptions), and CrossFit 3xs a week. Yay for A Spring of Self-Improvement!