- Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
- by amy
So, Neil's off making salsa from the abundance of tomatoes, peaches, and peppers we have. Are you putting anything "up" from the season's harvests? Salsa is super easy to make, and is a nice way to spice up almost anything ... our favorite is eggs. A few years ago I made some squash pickles, and they were super yummy! I'll definitely be making some apple sauce in about a month or so.
Remember that we're going to be getting together at the box on Friday, September 10th for a Paleo Pot Luck. Everyone needs to bring a paleo dish to share, the recipe for said recipe, and your own beverages. Kids are absolutely welcome, and we're definitely inviting our CrossFit Kids families! Before we start grubbing, we'll have a short synopsis of why it's good for you to eat the way we do. Promise, there's a reason! There will be a sign up sheet up in the box, that way we'll know how many people to expect.
- Monday, August 30th, 2010
- by amy
That is what the staff at Cabo Fish Taco were thinking when we strolled in yesterday evening. They were quite surprised when we took over the entire atrium and spilled out on to the patio. Maybe next time we go there, they'll pay attention to our warning that we will be invading!! It was a kid-friendly event, with our girls, the Bortz kids, Marc's son and Jose's daughter joining us. Thanks for everyone who joined us, and hopefully more can make it next time. We're planning on making this a regular event, so keep your eyes open for the next one.
And thanks to everyone who helped out on Friday at Gobbler Fest! We had a tremendous turnout, and the pull up bar was a big hit! People were definitely gawking at some of the feats performed by our athletes, and were interested in what we have to offer. Three people won a week membership for their pull up work (1 man, 1 woman, 1 kid), and we'll be raffling off a free month's membership from those who registered.
- Friday, August 27th, 2010
- by amy
I've been eating paleo now for almost 3 years. I thoroughly enjoy both the benefits that I've gleaned from this way of eating, and the way "clean" food tastes. There is no reason to think that eating clean is boring, or lacking in flavor. This recipe is a perfect example. And keep in mind that we have 2 young children (7 and 5), and we live with my mother-in-law. These 3 people in our house eat the way we cook, and they're enjoying it too! We're preparing food that is both tasty and vastly superior in nutrition (and lacking in junk) than most suppers served in North America. Our girls gobble up this recipe, ask for seconds, and want to take some to school for lunch the next day. This is a winner!!
This recipe only serves 2, so make sure you do your math before you head to the store!
Apple Glazed Turkey Cutlets
2 turkey breast cutlets, 4-6 oz. each
1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T fresh tarragon, minced
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
salt & pepper
extra virgin olive oil
arrowroot, if necessary
Wisk apple juice, broth, garlic, tarragon, and ginger in small bowl. Set aside.
Heat a heavy iron cast skillet over med/high heat. Add some extra virgin olive oil. Salt & pepper both sides of the cutlets, place in pan and sear on each side for 2 minutes. Remove to plate.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the sauce to the pan. Stir to loosen any bits from the bottom, and when the sauce comes to a boil add the turkey cutlets back to the pan. Cook for a few more minutes until the turkey is done through and the sauce has boiled down. If the sauce has boiled down too far, add a little more chicken stock. To tighten up a loose sauce, dissolve the arrowroot powder in 1T cold water, whisk into the sauce and simmer until thickened. I find it necessary to add the arrowroot ... we like a thicker sauce.
YUMMY!
- Thursday, August 26th, 2010
- by neil
On Monday, August 30th, several changes to the weekly class schedule will take effect. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday the early morning will change from 6AM to 5:30 & 6:30 AM. Tuesday and Thursday will remain 6AM only.
Friday's will now see its first evening class since we opened our doors! Get your weekend started off right with a 5:30 PM Friday WOD! There has been a lot of interest expressed in this time, so let's keep it full!
The schedule on the website will be updated over the wekend to reflect these changes. So if you show up on Monday at 6 AM, you are either doing a lot of burpees, or waiting around for 1/2 an hour!
It sounds like we will have a great turnout on Sunday for the first in our monthly happy hour series! 5 PM Sunday at Cabo Fish Taco - this is a kid friendly event, and we look forward to seeing you all there!
And lastly, please register for Fight Gone Bad! The event is on Saturday, September 25th - it's a great workout, it won't count against your weekly membership, and you're raising money for two great causes! Click on the link, click register, and choose CrossFit Blacksburg as you team. $150 in pledges will get you a cool t-shirt!
Girls just want to have fun...
- Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
- by neil
A couple of days ago we announced some upcoming events. Well, the first of those is coming up this Sunday at 5pm - at Cabo Fish Taco in downtown Blacksburg! EZ Ed, Cabo manager and fellow CrossFitter, has set up a paleo menu for us, and paleo Margaritas will be available! We are planning to make this a monthly event - so let's get it started with a bang. The weather this weekend is supposed to be nice, so join us in taking over the Cabo patio, eat some good food, and enjoy the company of your fellow CrossFitters! See you there!
3..2..1...
- Tuesday, August 24th, 2010
- by amy
Virginia Tech is back in session, and that means that the students are back. This means that many of our long-lost (not really) athletes are starting to show their smiling faces. Please, always introduce yourself if there's someone in the gym you don't know. That's part of our community, getting to know the person you're suffering, er, working out with. Just today we had the return of Kaja, Stephen, and Ben.
On the flip side, we've lost Travis to the military. He's been commissioned, and it's time for him to go back to "school." Best of luck Travis!! Keep us posted on your progress.
Thanks for being part of our community Travis
Check out this instructional video on the butterfly pullup. For those of working on it, I highly suggest that you keep working on it, and stick with it. I know that your numbers will go down, for the short term. But there's only one way to gain proficiency with the butterfly, and it's just to do it!! Accept the temporary decline, and your numbers will increase in short order! Pay attention to the point about "bottoming out." Whether you're kipping or doing a butterfly, it's crucial that you not bottom out. Bottoming out is very hard on your shoulders, and you have to learn how to make a smooth transition to ease the stress on that joint.
Butterfly Pullups from Patrick Cummings on Vimeo.
- Monday, August 23rd, 2010
- by neil
Last week we announced the Olympic Lifting Seminar on October 3rd with Coach Wilkes from CrossFit Chesapeake. There has been a lot of interest in attending already, and space will be somewhat limited. You may now officially sign up for the seminar here. Cost is $140, and is worth every penny! Ask any of the Coaches if you have any questions - and get ready to dial in your form and set some PR's!!
And, on Friday Sept. 10th, save the evening for a happy hour at the box. We will have a brief discussion on food and diet. Bring a Paleo dish to share. Let's see those cooking skills, and enjoy the company of your fellow CrossFitters.
And speaking of food, we will be hosting a full blown nutrition seminar the end of January. Full details will come soon, but this will be an event not to miss! We are also working to set up a once a month happy hour at one of our local restaurants. And yes - we will be setting the menu!
Finally - don't forget to sign up for Fight Gone Bad 5. Click register, and sign up for the CrossFit Blacksburg team. This is a nationwide CrossFit Fund raiser for the Wounded Warrior Foundation and Livestrong. Join us on Saturday September 25th for a great workout for 2 great causes. The workout will not count against your weekly visits, so sign up, raise some money, and get ready to sweat!
Welcome back Mark! Nothing like running 400m with a kettlebell to get you going again!
- Friday, August 20th, 2010
- by Carol
This fantastic recipe was provided to us by our friend and local foodie, Cindy Cook and I believe it came from Eating Well magazine. I tailored it to suit our paleo palettes...WARNING: these babies are addictive, protein-packed and just plain delicious...not to mention, easy as paleo pie to make and they contain that super-awesome ingredient: coconut milk...We made 6 lbs. of these at the beach for family and they were gobbled up mighty quick...Bon appetit!
Lion’s Head Meatballs:
1 cup coconut milk
2 1/2 tablespoons wheat-free soy sauce
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 pound lean ground pork, or beef (use pork - much moister!!)
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup minced leek, white and pale green part only
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
2 teaspoons seeded and minced fresh chile pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium head Boston or iceberg lettuce
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, or Thai basil
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
PREPARATION
1.Combine coconut milk, soy sauce and curry powder in a large saucepan. Set aside.
2.Place pork (or beef), scallions, leek, sesame oil, ginger, chile, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Knead by hand until thoroughly combined and the mixture becomes sticky. Divide into 10 equal portions, about 1/4 cup each. Roll each portion into a ball.
3.Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, swirling to coat the sides. Add the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. I bake mine at 350 degress for 40 minutes or so...
4.Bring the coconut-milk mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs; cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 8 minutes.
5.Line a serving bowl with lettuce leaves. Arrange the meatballs on top. Garnish with basil and lemon zest. Serve hot with the coconut-milk sauce drizzled over the top or on the side for dipping.
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The beginings of serious scrumptiousness...
- Thursday, August 19th, 2010
- by neil
Effective Monday, August 30th, we will be changing the morning schedule. Currently there is only a 6 AM class. We will be adding an additional morning class, with the new times being 5:30 AM & 6:30 AM on MWF. Tues/Thursday will remain 6 AM. We hope this doesn't cause any conflict for our current "sexy sixers", but we should be able to accommodate more members with the change. We will also post the change on the whiteboards.
Here's another event to put on your calendar - Fight Gone Bad V! This is an annual nationwide CrossFit Fundraiser, which is of course based on a workout - Fight Gone Bad. We will be holding the event September 25th in the gym at Beeks Elementary School for more space. Visit the website, click register, enter CrossFit Blacksburg as the team, and you're set to go. You will have your own fundraising page, it's linked to Facebook - you just need to let your contact base know what you're doing! And, if you raise $150, you'll receive a really cool t-shirt! We will continue to post about this, so sign up and get going!
Nice squats ladies!
- Wednesday, August 18th, 2010
- by neil
As CrossFitters, we are more likely in general to buck the "conventional wisdom" on a host of issues. From the way we work out to the way we eat, most of us are "outliers". But the conventional wisdom on a host of issues seems to be changing. Read this article from The People's Pharmacy that addresses calcium consumption and low fat diets. People are starting to come around!
Now for some sad news - bacon is getting more expensive! Apparently we've all been eating more of it, and there's a shortage of pork bellies! Time to master curing bacon at home - good thing we have a lot of uncured bacon to practice on!
Girls vs the boys - CrossFit Dodgeball!!
