From NJ Paleo Girl, these are outstanding on the grill - simple, healthful ingredients!
I tripled this recipe for leftovers...
Don't get caught off guard without prepared food in the fridge! We buy our meat in bulk in the Spring and Fall (if you cannot do this, buy a bunch of meat and freeze what you don't need for the week). We plan all meals (at least the meat part) for the week. We take out what we need to thaw out for that entire week on Sunday. That adds up to roughly 20 - 25 lbs. of meat per week depending on what we are cooking (there are 4 of us - our kids are ages 10 and 12 so you may not need as much or more depending on mouths to feed). With this amount, there are leftovers each day so breakfast and lunch are easy to figure out. Twice per week I buy a variety of veggies so that we eat something different each night. Oasis World Market offers Fresh Fridays - fresh seafood (monster shrimp!!), fresh interesting veggies and local farm fresh eggs in case CFBB is closed. We shop there more and more since we can get quality oils, coconut milk and fresh items all at one stop. Whitney, the owner, is always willing to try to get what you are looking for. Stop in and check it out! We love those folks!
Directions:
Mix all the marinade ingredients together and coat the pork chops in oven safe dish.
Cover and refrigerate--- at least 2 hours to overnight
To Cook:
Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before cooking to allow to return to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 450degreesF and grill on medium high
Sear chops on grill on each side until golden brown (about 2-3 minutes)
Once seared, remove from grill and place back in marinade dish
Put dish in oven to cook, about 15-20 minutes.
Let rest 2-3 minutes after cooking to allow the juices to redistribute in the meat.
Why do we want you to get stronger? Why?!? Why not?
Increased muscle mass increases metabolism. After all, muscle is an organ which requires fuel (calories), whereas fat is for insulation and fuel. For most, activities of daily living are easier with an increase in strength - carrying the laundry up the steps, keeping up with your kids or grandkids, being able to help your buddy move some furniture. As we age, being stronger means less chance of falling, and continued independent living. Not strong enough to squat? Well then, you're not too far away from not being able to perform a basic bodily function without assistance. No thank you.
Remember that our goal is to make your life better, whatever that life is. Most of us will benefit from getting stronger. Period.
**THIS CHALLENGE IS OPEN TO EVERYONE**
The CHALLENGE: How FAST are you AND how much can you IMPROVE in 4 weeks?
Qualifying Day: Wed/Thurs January 25th/26th – All Classes Finals Day: Sat February 25th Entry Fee: $30 ($20 goes for prize money) Prize: Win the pot! Winner: Prizes for both most improvement and fastest times!
Prelims: Wed/Thurs January 25th/26th, All Classes Finals: Sat February 25th
Men’s Categories Women’s Categories Beg 15 pound barbell, 2x jumping Pullups Beg 15 pound barbell, 2x jumping Pullups Int 35 pound barbell, red band Pullups Int 25 pound barbell, blue band Pullups Adv 45 pound barbell, unassisted Pullups Adv 45 pound barbell, unassisted Pullups
“The Jackie”
How the Challenge Works
1. GET REGISTERED – get your name on the list and pay the $30 entry (remember, $20 goes back in the “kitty” for prize money).
2. SET YOUR BASELINE - Wednesday and Thursday January 25th and 26th are the prelims. Set your baseline “Jackie” time. This will be the time off of which we will calculate your improvement.
3. TRAIN – CrossFit for 4 weeks with the intention of improving your “Jackie” time.
4. SHOW UP for the FINALS – Saturday February 25th. Go for YOUR best “Jackie” time!
** PRIZES will be awarded for:
• Most improvement - 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in women’s and men’s divisions.
• Fastest times - 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in women’s and men’s advanced divisions.
Rules:
• You must choose the category you are going to compete in and STAY in that category for the finals
• Rankings for TIME:
o There will be one master list ranking participants based on time
o Your TIME rank will be based on your performance within your category.
o Categories will be listed in the order Advanced, Intermediate, Beginner. This means that all Advanced category finishers will be ranked above all the Intermediate category finishers, who will be ranked above all Beginner category finishers.
o For example, if you compete in the Intermediate category, the best ranking you can have is one below the lowest in the advanced category. So if there are 6 people in the advanced category, your ranking, if you are the fastest intermediate, is #7.
• Rankings for IMPROVEMENT:
o There will be one master list ranking participants on percentage improvement.
o This list is NOT categorized. Your category has no bearing on where you finish on this list.
o For example, if you compete in the Intermediate category, and you have the highest percentage of overall improvement, you would be ranked #1.
We're half way through the month of January, which means we're half way through Gluten-Free January. How are things going for you? Are you struggling? Are you feeling any different (better I would think)?
We've teamed up with Annie Kay's to provide you with some great gluten-free products. Annie Kay's has made up some special coupons just for us at CrossFit Blacksburg. These coupons are in the "window," and are available to everyone. The coupon is $5 off a purchase of $25 or more. Pick yours up before they're all gone! Thanks so much to Paula at Annie Kay's!!
We've installed some hooks for keys below the retail sign in sheet. We figured we needed some place for you to stash them since we rearranged the lounge. Also, take a look at the new House Rules in the lounge. My favorite is #12!! It makes me happy!
60 Day Challenge - Day 60!! You're finished!! Did you make it?!?
From our good friends, the Schwartz family...we miss you guys and we like your soup!
Chicken and Pumpkin Soup with Jalapeno pesto- 11 servings
Pesto:
1 c. fresh cilantro
1 c. fresh parsley
1/2 c. pine nuts, toasted
5 cloves garlic
4 jalapeno peppers
1 tsp. lime juice
1 lime zested
1/2-3/4 c. EVOO
Rough chop parsley and cilantro. Add all ingredients in blender, start wit 1/4 c. olive oil gradually adding as needed to reach pesto consistency.
Soup:
7.5 c chicken broth
1/4 c. finely chopped jalapeno (or more...)
1-16 oz can pumpkin (or butternut squash puree if in season)
1 can coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste
precooked rotisserie chicken, skinned and shredded
1. In large stockpot combine broth, onions and jalapenos. Cook about 5 mins until onion is soft.
2. Add pumpkin and chicken, mix well and simmer 5-10 minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients, DO NOT BOIL after coconut milk has been added.
4. Serve with corn tortilllas in bottom of bowl if desired and pesto on top. Delightful!
Our series of Supplemental training classes starts up again next week. We are changing the focus from the strength bias we did in the fall to a mix of Olympic lifting and CrossFit Endurance. There will again be four supplemental classes per week - two for Olympic lifting and two for the CFE.
The Olympic lifting classes will be heavily focused on improving your skill, which will in turn improve your PR for the clean & jerk and the snatch. There will also be some accessory work or a short workout to finish the class.
CrossFit Endurance is designed for athletes wanting to improve their overall endurance levels, and those training for marathons, triathalons and the like. CrossFit Endurance works in conjunction with your regular CrossFit workouts, so to get maximum benefit from the classes, you should be keeping up with your CrossFit WODs. Classes will focus on drilling proper running mechanics, rowing form and workouts ranging from intervals to time trials.
The schedule will be updated on the website for next week's classes. Tuesday 5:30 am & Saturday 8:00 am will be the Olympic classes; Thursday 5:30 pm & Friday noon are the CFE classes. Cost will vary by membership level. See one of your coaches. First class is free to try it out. These supplemental classes are also open to non-members, so if you have a friend who wants to improve their race results, or get better at the Oly lifts, send them our way!!
This is a great blog post from Phil Mancini of CrossFit Genesis in Roseville, CA.
Embarking on a new path can be intimidating, especially for the first time. A simple way to ease the fear is to remind yourself why you’re taking the journey in the first place, and to commit yourself to not getting lost along the way and winding up back at your starting point.
That’s not to say that there won’t be some scary moments. New paths offer new challenges and obstacles that we’ve never seen or experienced before. But that’s the point. Without overcoming obstacles and pushing ourselves, we’ll never progress and become our best self.
The good news is that the scary part of CrossFit lasts around 10 minutes. The workouts are short AND intense, and we’re uniquely designed to handle this type of physical activity. Being scared is fine, we all get butterflies from time to time. But that message is telling us that we’re about to CONQUER something scary, and the rewards of that can’t be measured by a workout time.
Last night we had a yummy meat loaf that was super easy to make, topped with a homemade tomato sauce. Add to it some steamed green beans that were sauteed in some fat with lime juice and cilantro, and some sliced orange sweet pepper, and you've got yourself a yummy meal! Of course I forgot to take a picture, but here's the one from the website where I found the meat loaf recipe.
I talked to two athletes today who have not only gone gluten free this month, but are going strict paleo. One has lost 10 pounds, and the other 5. WOW!! It's amazing what cleaning up and training hard will do for you! Don't be a hater or doubter, just join in on the fun and see great results!
We've been fielding a lot of questions lately about going gluten free, and how many people are feeling bad/week/lacking energy. While weight loss/gain/management isn't always influenced by calories in/calories out, you need to keep up your caloric intake to sustain your level of activity.
If you're cutting out a big portion of your diet (bread, pasta, tortillas, etc), you need to replace those calories. If you don't, you're not going to feel very good, and you'll perform even worse! What do you replace that gluten with? Why veggies, of course! You might also want to consider increasing your fat intake. Both fat and carbohydrates are fuel sources for your body. Keep up those levels to feel good and full of energy!
As a 39 year old soccer mom I was hesitant to join a gym. The minute I walked into CrossFit Blacksburg I knew that CrossFit was NOT just another gym. What I found were trainers who cared about my fitness and my success to becoming a better me, a sense of accomplishment every time I completed a workout, a class atmosphere that pushed me competitively, and gave me that sense of cameraderie as we "battled" together to challenge ourselves and work harder than we thought we could. I feel that during my year at CrossFit Blacksburg I have become stronger physically and mentally, more confident in my abilities as an athlete, and healthier. I now think that I am more up to the challenge of chasing 3 kids, working full time and turning 40! CrossFit kicks my butt every time I go and I always leave feeling like I have pushed myself to perform at a higher level than I ever thought I could! I am addicted!
“The Jackie”
