Paleo Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers aren't rocket science, but I've never attempted them before. I took a dish I cook often and simply used it as the stuffing to make it easy on myself, but really, you can stuff them with anything.

The results were delicious, but I'm not convinced it's worth the extra cook time to stuff the pepper. My ravenous, gluttonous self typically wouldn't have the patience to execute this on a day that I'm not barricaded inside my apartment for protection from the sad, frozen tundra that is Chicago. Nevertheless, I had the time to try it, so here it went:

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of ground beef, grass fed, if you're going to be all snobby about it (like I was)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 jalapeños, only 1 seeded
• 1 large tomato
• 2 large sweet potatoes, diced into .5 cubes
• 1 T minced garlic
• 4 large green peppers, halve lengthwise and seeded
• Coconut oil
• Sea salt
• Seasoning salt
• Black pepper 

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In one large saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 T coconut oil, ground beef, onion, jalapeño, seasoning salt and pepper to taste (I probably used 1 T seasoning and 1/2 T pepper). Stir as beef browns.
• When beef is almost finished browning, add the diced tomato and cook an additional 3-5 min. 
• Drain pan when finished.
• Meanwhile in second large saucepan over medium heat combine 2 T coconut oil, sweet potatoes, garlic and sea salt and pepper to taste. Stir occassionally until potatoes are tender.
• In a large bowl or into one of the saucepans, if large enough, combine contents of both pans and stir well. **(see note at bottom for alternative)
• Place pepper halves in large microwave safe dish with approximately 1 cup of water. Cover and microwave on high for 3-5 minutes.
• Arranged pepper halves on cookie sheet and spoon stuffing mixture into each until brimming.
• Bake for 30-40 min.
• Allow to cool and serve with salsa, guacamole or your condiment of choice.

**Note: The "stuffing" by itself without the peppers makes a tastey, fairly quick dish that we've eaten many a night coming back from working out and ready to eat like we'd never eat again. For a twist, you can also add a can of tomato sauce into the final mixture and simmer covered for 10 min.

Enjoy!
Berka Crocker

White Bean Chicken Chili

Inspired by my favorite chili from Mezza Mediterranean Grill

During the Whole Life Challenge I made a LOT of chili, which can be a pretty versatile and filling meal if you're open to changing up the flavor palette. Mezza has this amazing white bean chicken chili that I eat at least once every two weeks for lunch. During the Whole Life Challenge, I had to ask the business for the ingredients list to know if I could eat it or not. Since it has a chicken stock base and uses canned ingredients preserved in citric acid or other WLC non-approved ingredients, I wasn't allowed to eat it. And, since I'm not into making my own chicken stock, I couldn't make it during the challenge either. If you want to be WLC compliant, you can make this with your own stock, use fresh ingredients instead of cans and ditch the corn starch. It's definitely possible. I'm not going to link you to any substitute resources, because I don't care enough. Google it.

Since they gave me the ingredients list, just not the proportions, I got to work as soon as the challenge ended. Believe it or not, I was able to find all the ingredients I needed at Aldi. While it didn't turn out identical to my Mezza favorite, it was a damn good and a recipe I'll likely be playing around a lot with in the future. Here it is:

Ingredients

• 2 cans of great northern beans, 1 with liquid
• 4oz can green chiles with juice
• 2 jalepenos, diced, with as many seeds as you desire for spice level–I used all the seeds and it had a nice kick
• 12oz jar roasted poblano peppers, drained
• 2 medium yellow onions, diced
• 6c shredded chicken
• 3.5c chicken stock
• 2T corn starch
• 1T black pepper
• 1t sea salt (or to taste)
• 1T cumin
• 1/2T chili powder

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in large crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours

Ground Lamb Curry

Yesterday, during our almost daily ritual of roaming hungry through Jewel scavenging for something fast to make for dinner at 8:00 at night that is Whole Life Challenge approved and that we're not bored to tears of, I decided to free-form my own Mediterranean dish after being inspired by a package of ground lamb.

It's reminiscent of a curry dish you'd find at an Indian or Mediterranean restaurant, and I also likened it to a Lamb Vindaloo dish that I love (though not nearly as spicy). It turned out great! I bought some of my fresh veggies pre-cut in steamer bags to cut down on prep time–I was so hungry I would have just as soon diced my left arm.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground lamb
• 1 small-to-medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves of pressed garlic
• 2 firm roma tomatos
• 1 bag of cubed, fresh butternut squash
• 1 bag of cut, fresh cauliflower
• a lot of curry powder
• a lot of cumin
• a moderate amount of chili powder
• a little bit of cayenne pepper powder
• a little bit of sea salt
• a little bit of pumpkin pie spice
• 1 T bacon fat

I never measure my spices, but this is a rough ratio. Use each to taste based on your desired flavor mix. Would also be good with some mint leaves.

Instructions:

1. Brown lamb in pan with bacon fat, garlic and diced onion over medium-high heat
2. While lamb is cooking, steam squash and cauliflower in the microwave per the bag's instructions
3. Combine cooked vegetables and all spices into pan with meat and reduce heat to medium-low
4. Let simmer for 5 min, stirring frequently
5. Serve with Terra Original Vegetable Chips and Tribe Classic Hummus

Total prep/cook time: 10-15 min

Paleo Hot Chocolate

It's 9:00 on a cold weekday night. Following an awesome meal (I'll post that recipe next), I had the urge for hot chocolate. 

So I do what I always do. Throw shit that I have together and pray to Zeus it works. It did! 

Berka's Whole Life Hot Cocoa

• Microwave 6oz of pure almond milk in a mug for 2:45 on medium-high power. I used Califa Farms brand, found in the produce section of Jewel next to the Naked Juice.

• Slowly stir in roughly:

        - 1 T cocoa powder

        - 1 T cinnamon 

        - A pinch of stevia

        - A drop of organic vanilla extract

If you have come to this post looking for paleo recipes, surely you understand this is no Ghirardelli substitute. But it is a sweet, chocolatey beverage to warm a cool night.

 

Whole Life Challenge Days 42-43-44

Second to Last Weekend in Hell

1) What did you consume?

Scroll to bottom for recipe for
Berka's Baked Good Frenzy Pumpkin Bars

I ate clean all weekend except for dessert at a family BBQ on Saturday. It included one of my future mother-in-law's pumpkin cupcakes and 2 s'mores (you can't have just one, as anyone who's seen The Sandlot knows). I'm grouping this cheat together as a combo dessert for 1 point deduction. If I had gone to I restaurant and ordered some slice of 5-layer chocolate cake with ice cream or something, that would only be a point. I'm merely adjusting for scale.

As far as supplements, I took the usual fish oil on Friday, vitamin D on Sunday, and on Saturday...Zyrtec.

Sunday night after dinner I scavenged the fridge for a piece of fruit to no avail. In a calm fit of desperation, I pulled out my food processor and set out to make something sweet and delicious with only ingredients available in my meager kitchen. Unbelievably, it worked. Scroll to the bottom for the recipe.

2) Were you active and what did you do?

Not particularly. I worked out on Friday, but not Saturday or Sunday. I could have definitely found time either day, but I just didn't feel like it. I also didn't get mobility in on Sunday. Meh.

3) Did you complete the lifestyle challenge and how do you feel?

The new lifestyle challenge is to spend 10 minutes a day doing "something you love." How touching. Clearly this is a challenge, like every other aspect of this challenge, programmed for people who don't work demanding full time jobs in Chicago. I wake up, commute about 2 hours round trip, work 8+ hours, hit the gym, scramble to find food to cram in my face at 8:30 or 9:00 at night, sleep and repeat. The WLC wants me to what, knit from 10:00-10:10PM? Learn how to play guitar in all my spare time? I'm counting my blogging for this because I enjoy writing and I've no time to add anything else.

4) Did you cheat/lie?

I'm deducting 7 points for the weekend–4 for workouts missed, 2 for mobility missed, and 1 for dessert on Saturday. However, I did also have 3 Skittles, 3 chocolate chips and 1 dark chocolate Hershey's kiss. Meh.

Also, those of you who think an extra Zyrtec can't count as as a supplement, you obviously don't have allergies like I do. And if that's not good enough, then I will propose my blood pressure medication as an alternative. But you'll allow one of them, and you'll like it.

5) How do you feel?

It's getting even harder to follow the Whole Life Challenge as it's winding down. I'm feeling more defiant and even my fiancé pointed out my slippage. Which, for all the fiancés keeping track out there, does not earn you brownie points. Mostly because the brownies don't exist. There are no brownies.

But really, it was appropriate that we took a road trip to central Illinois both at the beginning and end of this challenge. It didn't get easier. There was still nothing sufficient to eat on the road except for fruit and nuts, which still annoyed me to the core.

Cumulative Deductions: 31

Berka's Baked Good Frenzy Pumpkin Bars

• 36 oz whole pitted dates
• ~ 1/2 c canned pumpkin 
• ~ 2 T pumpkin pie spice
• 3 eggs

1. Blend dates until they become as smooth as possible .
2. Slowly add in pumpkin and allow to blend with dates thoroughly.
3. Add eggs and pumpkin pie spice, blend thoroughly. Batter should feel like really soft cookie dough or really thick brownie.
4. Spread evenly across a 9 x 13 cookie sheet (I greased mine in coconut oil) and bake at 325 for 15-18 minutes
5. Allow to cool and cut in to desired sized bars

The final consistency is like a lemon bar - Thin, a little gooey, and delicious.

Whole Life Challenge Day 34

Thursday, October 10th

1) What did you consume?

Probably too much fruit? Two apples, a banana, and some strawberries. But you know what fruit's not? Pizza. So I've decided to care a little less about my fruit consumption. Also on the fruit front, I've gotten in the habit, when I am craving a dessert-like substance, of peeling and slicing up a peach, then microwaving it for 1 minute or so on the medium-high setting with a little stevia and a lot of cinnamon. It's like warm, gooey peach pie filling and it's delicious.

I also had two buffalo chicken egg muffins that we made a while ago and froze. Made for a good, fast lunch. We modified this recipe from Fast Paleo to include diced jalapenos and red peppers. We also didn't cook and shred our own chicken. Ain't nobody got time for that. We used the canned stuff from Sam's Club and it tasted great.

2) Were you active and what did you do?

Yes, I went to CrossFit and it was a great 7:30 group. The workout was 10 rounds of 10 overhead kettlebell swings, 15 situps and 20 double unders. The movements were definitely in my favor, but my superhero friend (that's you, Mac) murdered everyone. You couldn't even see the rope during her double unders.

3) Did you complete the lifestyle challenge and how did it feel?

I completed it to the dissatisfaction of all two of my loyal readers. I hope I am making up for it now.

4) Did you cheat/lie?

No. But I am cheating/lying as I am writing this, so tune in tomorrow.

5) How do you feel?

CHRISTMAS IS COMING! CHRISTMAS IS COMING!  That's obviously false but exactly represents how I feel about the upcoming wedding this weekend. Just like Christmas, I've made a list, checking it twice, for my day of gluttony. It sits on a whiteboard outside of my office cube as a reminder of what I can look forward to. Here it is:

Also like Christmas, I have to remind myself not to cheat this close to the epic cheat day. "Christy, you can't buy that Barbie now, because what if santa gets it for you for Christmas?" That was exactly the mentality of the fiancé and I at dinner this week when the waiter waved the saliva-inducing dessert tray in front of us.

Cumulative deductions: 13

Whole Life Challenge Day 31

Monday, October 7th

1) What did you consume?

A banana, meatloaf, 2.5 Larabars (fail), an apple, a handful of almonds and chili with some avocado.

I made some good free form chili in desperation to make a meal out of what was in my sparce kitchen without having to shop. It goes like this:

Berka's Hobo Chili of Desperation

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 package spicy chicken sausage from Trader Joes
• 1 can Cuban style black beans w/ liquid (regular black beans would probably be the same)
• 1 can pinto beans, drained
• 1/2 lb bacon
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1 red pepper
• 1 normal sized can tomato sauce
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 can diced tomatoes, with liquid
• 3 T chili powder
• 1 T garlic powder
• 1 T cumin
• 2-3 cloves crushed garlic 
• 1 t pumpkin pie spice
• 1 T black pepper
• 1 t sea salt

1. Cook ground beef in crushed garlic and separately cook bacon, drain both
2. Chop bacon, slice chicken sausage
3. Combine all meats, diced red pepper and diced yellow onion and cook for about 10 minutes until onions are translucent 
4. Add everything else 
5. Simmer for at least 2 hours over low heat

2) Were you active and what did you do?

It's the start of a crazy work week with a huge amount of deadlines rapidly approaching. As a result, I didn't leave the office until 8PM and over indulged on the aforementioned Larabars. It was the Larabars or my left arm.

I didn't make it to CrossFit, but I walked briskly during my commute (no I didn't) and stood on the train both ways--active rest, people! (that's a lie too).

3) Did you complete the lifestyle challenge?

Yep, this blog is coming out late because I didn't have time to even format and hit the send button at work. But here it is. Mission accomplished.

4) Did you cheat/lie?

Yes, I refuse to dock a workout point, so I'm counting the commute walk.

Also, I had 6 autumn Jelly Bellies. One of each seasonal flavor. Had to. Not negotiable. Did you know you're missing out on pumpkin pie and caramel apple Jellie Bellies? I didn't either. You're welcome. Now aren't you glad I cheated?

5) How do you feel?

Still emotionally borderline, despite feeling a bit better lately. The drain on time and energy really takes a perpetual toll.

Cumulative Deductions: 13

Whole Life Challenge Day 27

Thursday, October 3rd

1) What did you consume?

For breakfast I had a veggie and bacon omelet. Lunch was a banana and a handful of almonds followed by an afternoon Larabar snack. I made a really baller meatloaf for dinner. I followed this recipe with the following modifications:

• Sub chicken broth for olive oil & vinegar salad dressing
• Sub Worcestershire sauce for Franks hot sauce
• Sub 1 of the onions for 2 diced green peppers
• Baked in a mini loaf pan for easier portioning and faster cooking time (35 min)

It was absolutely delicious and yielded a lot of food for the time to prepare and cook. We'll definitely be eating this again.

2) Were you active and what did you do?

Yes, I went to CrossFit where we got to back squat. I love back squats. They're my favorite. What I love significantly less is overhead squats, which were programmed in the workout. Despite the expletives muttered during the workout (you'd been forewarned, people), I actually felt good about tackling a metcon that forced me to work on my weaknesses.

I did some mobility as part of the warmup for the workout, but I probably should have done more. It's an easy thing to brush off and rationalize.

3) Did you complete the lifestyle challenge?

Yes.

4) Did you cheat/lie?

The bacon in the omelet was probably not legal, since most bacon is cured in sugar or other illegal substances. Frankly, however, I don't give a damn. I eat it so infrequently and in such small quantities that I'm letting it fly without deducting a point. It adds so much flavor to my veggie omelets that I can otherwise get pretty bored with. Before you tell me that there are so many other WLC approved things I can do to add flavor to my omelet, know that I get the thing made from the cafeteria in my building and am beholden to those available ingredients. So, I'm doing my best to work with it.

5) How to you feel?

Another good day, thank god. Although I was exhausted taking the time to prepare the meatloaf after a 12+ hour day and we had to eat late (like 10:00 PM or so), it was totally worth it. This time, anyway.

Cumulative Deductions: Still -12

Whole Life Challenge Day 9

Sunday, September 15th

1) What did you consume?

I ate eggs and a small fruit bowl for breakfast and pollo ranchero with guacamole and beans for lunch (so good it felt like cheating). On the 4 hour drive home from central Illinois (thanks IDOT for the I-55 road work), I ate nuts (too many), a Larabar and a banana. But really all I wanted was some of the chips, popcorn, donuts, candy or otherwise tantalizing gas station food. When we got home, I made an awesome avocado chicken salad from this recipe, amping up the spice with cayenne pepper powder and red pepper flakes. Fast and delicious, this will be a regular menu item.

2) We're you active and what did you do?

It was a CrossFit off-day and a travel day, so the fiancé and I ran the mile or so home from the rental car place after dropping it off. I then had very good intentions of mobility, but Dexter and Breaking Bad were on and, if you watch either of these thrilling shows that are wrapping up final seasons, you understand that they required my full attention. I pretty much touched my toes once before I went to bed and called it a mobility point. Meh.

3) Did you complete the lifestyle objective an how did it feel?

Yes I think so. I've stopped monitoring so closely because I consistently drink more water than required anyway. At this point, I just assume I'm doing it unless there is an obvious departure from the new norm.

4) Did you cheat/lie?

Yep. Chewed gum and counted a very questionable mobility point. 

5) How do you feel?

It was a challenging weekend overall. The only thing that would have remedied my bouts of grumpiness while roaming like hungry wolves through grocery stores or driving through construction eating bird food was a Snickers bar, or maybe a KitKat. And probably donuts. Definitely white cheddar popcorn. Oh, and Chex Mix! Bold Chex Mix! Excuse me while I go wipe drool off my face before this client meeting.

Whole Life Challenge Day 8

Saturday, September 14th

1) What did you consume?

Chicken, eggs, mixed nuts, an apple, a Larabar and banana pancakes. The pancakes were pretty good and an emergency cure for a sweet tooth.

2) were you active and what did you do?

Yes, did the morning workout and mobility before driving to central

Illinois for the weekend to visit the fiancé's family.

3) Did you complete the lifestyle challenge and how did you feel?

Sure did. All good.

4) Did you cheat/lie?

No, I had to take a point off for forgetting the supplement while traveling. Makeup point 2/11 for the day not recorded.

5) How do you feel? 

Weekends are tough. We ate out, which has now become more of a challenging adventure at normal restaurants than a pleasurable social experience. I'm already sick of snacking on meat and we roamed around two grocery stores in central Illinois for two hours on a Saturday night just looking for things we could eat. This was after the fiancé's brother put this in front of us and said "Let's see who breaks first":

I thought I was going to dive bomb the table and inhale all of the cinnamon roles in less that 10 seconds. But it's at least refreshing that the beer wasn't my priority...I think?

Whole Life Challenge Day 6

Thursday, September 12th

What did you consume?

The banana, a barbacoa salad from Chipotle, a handful of almonds, a handful of grapes, a handful of cashews (Shut up–I have small hands!) and, for dinner, delicious hot wings and a sweet potato with butter and cinnamon.

Were you active and what did you do?

It was an off-day for CrossFit so I walked extra briskly during my commute. It's roughly a 2 mile round trip and is definitely more than 10 minutes. I also rolled out my back on our new rumble roller (ouch!) and did a little PT for my jaw/neck/shoulder. I'm learning that a benefit of forcing myself to do mobility is that I wind up doing the PT I'm supposed to do everyday, which dramatically reduces my chronic pain, but I'm such a lazy, worthless human that I usually skip the PT and just grin and bear it.

Did you complete the weekly lifestyle challenge and how does it feel?

Yes - I'm on autopilot for the water and it seems like my body has adjusted to monsoon season.

Did you cheat/lie?

I can't remember if I chewed gum, so let's just assume I didn't. The chicken that I bought for dinner from Aldi, which was probably definitely horse meat anyway (slow clap for Aldi), had a label that read "minimally processed" and "natural flavors." And I was like "Hell no, self. You've got to be better than than that. Walk over to that farm next door and get the grass-fed good stuff." Then, I remembered that I live in Chicago, there is no farm next door and I was hungry urgently, so I picked up the chicken and b-lined to the checkout. No points deducted because, come on.

How do you feel?

Office Torture, Part Zwei

Some more office fun today. Our Creative Director sent out an invite for our office to lunch at the Berghoff's Oktoberfest across the street, which is always delicious and festive. He included fun body copy in the invite, but it didn't phase me nearly as much as the cookies. I think the mid-week panic I felt is subsiding and I'm feeling pretty good overall.

Whole Life Challenge Day 4

Tuesday, September 10th

Before I start complaining and moaning about how sad my life is now that I'm trying to eat well, I want to first acknowledge this day in history that marked unprecedented national pain and suffering of the real variety.

What did you consume?

The banana, Adobo Bacon Chicken (delicious, except that the sauce took about 10 times as long to make as the dish itself), a reasonable amount of cashews (FTW), a Larabar, and a burger with a fried egg and guacamole.

Were you active and what did you do?

Did the daily CrossFit workout, which was beastly. And also did mobility for my neck/shoulder/jaw and hip (thanks for the stretches, Maas).

Did you accomplish the weekly lifestyle objective and how did it feel?

Yes - Lots of water. Feels super.

Did you cheat/lie?

More gum. Sorry, I'm not sorry.

How do you feel?

I didn't eat excessively today and hopefully am starting to get used to the change in diet in terms of the decrease in sheer volume of food. However, I am seriously craving sugar. It's only day 4 and feel like I would punch a hobo for a cookie or literally steal candy from a baby. This is weird, because I don't usually consider myself a sugar-fiend. I guess since it's literally in almost every packaged food, I'm just as addicted as everyone else. Seems like a pretty cruel thing for the food industry to do. Why don't they just put nicotine in everything next. Or booze. I vote booze.

Whole Life Challenge Day 3

Monday, September 9th

1) What did you consume?

Photo, Robb Wolf - Swear I didn't use
sour cream. Stop judging me.

Cashews. A Larabar, also with cashews. Some chili from a Robb Wolfe recipe. More cashews. And some more cashews (see a trend?). A delicious chicken kabob with mixed greens and a black bean salad from Bountiful Eatery (Thanks for the tip, Stachel). Also, another Larabar and fish oil.

2) Were you active and what did you do?

A terrible couplet workout with wallballs and toes-to-bar – My two worst movements ever, probably. A hippopautamus on the bar would have beat me. Also, 5 x 3 back squats way lighter than I wanted to because I'm having hip mobility issues. Not a great way to get back into the swing

3) Did you complete your lifestyle objective and how did it feel?

Total ounces of water (3 days): ~210
Trips to the bathroom: ~200,004

Water: 3, Christy: 0

4) Did you cheat/lie?

Nope!

5) How do you feel?

Like this:

I know I'm eating too many nuts as filler but I'm just so hungry. I felt guilty for eating that last Larabar before bed, but I gave into my growling stomach/sweet tooth. Will need to just make the decision to starve myself out and kick the habit. I also feel grateful for the community of people joining me in this Hell...er...challenge. I needed an ASAP restaurant recommendation for dinner with a friend and the group came through when I sounded on Facebook with some good recommendations quickly.