Iced Eggnog Cookies - FAIL

Nothing says Christmas more than Eggnog (and Brandy). When I saw this recipe, I knew it was meant for my making! Screeeeech to a halt here..... now, I consider myself a pretty good baker, never really had any "fails" if you will. Well I consider these to be an absolute FAIL. The cookies tasted fairly good*, eh not my favorite, but the formula is terrible. The cookies spread out and look like pancakes, they crumble apart whether you wait 1 minute for them to cool or 5. Let's just say these will be limited edition in our house and will be discontinued. I can say this is the only cookie I just threw the batter away before I finished. I really have no idea what happened with these cookies, needless to say, I don't even think they are worth trying again!

So as you can see, this isn't really a recipe blog post today, but a Merry Christmas Fail :) Thank goodness I made some BOMB Snickerdoodle Bread today too, or the whole day might have been a fail!

* In Stephen's professional cookie eating opinion, the cookies were actually really good. He loved the flavor of the "spice cookies" :) So eggnog maybe didn't come through as much, but they were Stephen approved.

DIY Christmas Tutu

For our Christmas pictures this year, I had really wanted to make a red skirt and put a bunch of bows all over it. Well that didn't really work out, so I opted to make my own tulle skirt! I think it turned out adorable, and although tedious, it was super easy!! I got the spools of tulle from Michael's (about $3.99 for glitter tulle and $2.99 for regular), and I purchased 3/4 inch no-roll elastic. I also had purchased enough elastic to perfectly measure around Stephen's neck, so I made him a bow tie! Here is how I did it...

1. Laid out all my supplies (tulle, elastic, thread to sew elastic, needles, measuring tape).
2. Measured my waist and subtracted 2 inches so it would fit snug
3. Measured how long I would want the skirt to go, I picked mid thigh. 
4. Measure out one piece of tulle (remember to double the measurement to your knee since you will be folding the tulle in half)
5. Cut all your pieces at once using your first piece as a guide
6. Fold tulle in half and loop around elastic and pull through. Make sure when you create the knots, they are all on the same side. 
7. Continue all the way around your elastic
8. Viola!! 

Here is a tutorial I found that has pictures for the step by step process :) 

Cranberry Brie Phyllo Cups

Stephen and I had our Christmas party this past weekend and among a bunch of other amazing dishes that were brought to the party, I made some Cranberry Brie cups as an appetizer. I found this recipe online (surprisingly not on Pinterest, but I can't even remember where). They were SO good! They had the potential to be a major fail, considering they were supposed to be in the oven about 6-8 minutes and I forgot about them and they ended up in there about 30 minutes, but even being in the oven WAY too long they were great!! These are probably the simplest appetizer I have EVER made. And they look kinda fancy :)

mini phyllo cups (I used 3 boxes of 15 each)

1 can whole cranberry sauce

1 cup pecans chopped

1 round of brie cheese

Directions: 

• Remove the peel from the brie cheese, careful not to waste too much (or any) of the delicious cheese underneath. 
• Chop pecans (you could also use walnuts, the original recipe called for them, but I thought pecans had a bit more flavor)
• Remove cranberry from can and stir to loosen it all up, add the pecans and stir. 
• Place the cups on a baking sheet
• Put a small piece of brie in each one, then put a dollop of the cranberry mix
• Cook in the oven about 6-10 minutes. Want the cheese to just start to melt and the cups (that are precooked) to warm and get crisp!
• Devour! 

Sweet Potato (or Yam) Casserole

Happy Thanksgiving!! I am a little late with this post, but had to get this awesome recipe up. Yams/Sweet Potato dishes are pretty much my favorite dish at Thanksgiving. This year, I wanted to make a recipe my friend Amber gave me. She made this at our last Christmas party and it was delicious. I definitely recommend this dish, I made a couple minor changes to quantity so I could serve the crowd I was feeding, but the idea is the same.  I will be making it again for our Christmas Eve dinner with Stephen's family :)

5-6 cups mashed sweet potatoes or yams (I prefer the orange color)

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 eggs

1 stick of butter, cut into small pieces

Topping:

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour (I used AP gluten free)

1/2 cup butter

2 cups pecans, chopped roughly

Directions:

• Peel and boil sweet potatoes. 
• Once drained, mash sweet potatoes and add all of the top ingredients and mix until smooth and creamy.
• Put in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. 
• Melt the butter for the topping and mix all of the topping ingredients together and put over the top of the sweet potatoes. 
• Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. 
• Remove the foil and bake another 30 minutes until everything is bubbling. 
• Serve up next to your favorite main dish!

Skinny Gluten Free Banana Coconut Bread

Having a good friend over for brunch tomorrow and I wanted to make some homemade goodies that were still...eh sorta good for me? I decided to make some banana bread with some bananas I had on the counter and I found this recipe! I made a couple changes from the original, seriously, YUM. These are sugar free (besides honey), gluten free and packed with great stuff for you.  I love this bread!

3/4 cup coconut oil

1 cup honey

6 egg whites

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups mashed bananas

1 1/4 cup Gluten Free AP flour *

1 cup Gluten Free Oats (rolled oats), pulsed in food processor to make an oat flour

1/2 cup vanilla protein powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

• In a large bowl, cream the coconut oil and the honey. do not melt the coconut oil first, you want it to be solid so it acts like a butter mixing with the honey.
• Add the egg whites, vanilla and banana and mix completely. 
• Sift the flour, oats, protein powder, cinnamon, and baking soda. 
• Slowly add the flour mix, alternately with the coconut milk, to the banana mixture. Do not over mix. 
• Stir in the shredded coconut and chocolate chips by hand. Next time i make this recipe i will also add 1 cup chopped walnuts too!
• Divide the batter in the loaf pans and sprinkle with some additional mini chocolate chips.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. 
• Let cool in the pans before flipping out onto cooling racks. 
• Keep bread in sealed container for 5-7 days or freeze the loaves to have on hand later! Makes 4 mini loaves or 1 large loaf. 

* If you don't want to make it with Gluten Free flour, you can easily substitute 1-1 normal AP flour and rolled oats. 

Crock Pot Chicken Soup

I found this recipe on Pinterest of course, although why I didn't think of it before is beyond me. So easy. I put it together while I was cooking dinner last night, so it was perfect for a busy week night. Tasted pretty good too- comfort food without all the effort! Sorry, in all my haste to make it, I completely forgot to take pictures.

3 chicken breasts (or about 7 thighs)

1 cup carrots

1 cup onions, diced

1 cup celery, diced

1 large can of petite diced tomatoes

1, 32 oz container of chicken broth

Corn pasta

1 tablespoon oregano

2 teaspoons garlic powder

salt and pepper

1/4 cup basil, chopped

Directions: 

• Put all the veggies in the crock pot then put the chicken on top.
• Add all the seasonings, tomatoes and chicken broth, mix to incorporate. 
• Cook on low for 8 hours. 
• Options for the noodles: You are welcome to cook your noodles right in your soup, it always gives it extra flavor, BUT if you think you will have any left overs, I recommend against doing that. It will only make your noodles super soggy overnight. If you do want to cook them in the crock this is how you do it (otherwise, just boil the noodles how you normally would). 
• About 30-45 minutes before you want to eat, add your favorite noodles. I used corn penne noodles. Let cook about 30-45 minutes until al dente.
• Serve up and sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese and fresh basil!

Easy Crock Pot Turkey Breast

A friend posted a recipe for what looked like an amazing turkey breast recipe in the crock pot. Of course, when I went to make it, I couldn't find the recipe anywhere. I tried to remember everything that was in it and made this turkey recipe. Believe me, its seriously delicious! The turkey is so incredibly moist and the gravy that is makes is great - its like Thanksgiving Dinner all rolled into one.

1 (5-6 pound) turkey breast

1/4 cup orange juice

1- 14 oz can whole cranberry sauce

1- 1 ounce package of Lipton Onion Soup Mix

For gravy
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons water

Directions:

• Let turkey breast thaw (I had mine in fridge 2 days before)
• Add turkey to the crock pot
• Mix all the other ingredients together and then pour over the turkey
• Cook on low for 8-9 hours. 
• Remove the turkey and shred or carve!
• If you want, make a BOMB gravy with the juice left in the crock pot. Simply put the juice in a pan on the stove and add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to 2 tablespoons water to make a slurry. 
• Bring the juices to a boil and slowly add the corn start mixture. Let it cook and it will begin to thicken. 
• This gravy is great because it has a tiny bit of sweetness from the cranberry. 

Gluten Free Pumpkin Cupcakes with Vanilla Maple Frosting & Maple Bacon Crumbles

Today I really felt like baking, just one of those days where Stephen was at football, I probably should have been working out, and just felt good :) I am trying not to eat wheat or gluten (as much as possible) so I made these gluten free! I am also not supposed to be eating white sugar, but we will keep this a secret right? AAANdddd because there is bacon on them, that makes them Paleo right? :) Honestly, the ingredients list below looks really long, but these cupcakes are super simple!

Cupcakes
1 cup Gluten Free AP flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large eggs at room temp
1 cup pumpkin puree 
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese at room temp
4 tablespoons butter at room tempvanilla beans removed from 2 pods

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used my homemade extract)
1/2 teaspoon imitation maple flavor (NOT maple syrup)
2 cups sifted powdered sugar

Topping
1/2 pound crumbled Maple Bacon

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line your cupcake tins with liners (This recipe makes approx 18 medium sized cupcakes)
• Into a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
• In a larger bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. Add the flour mixture and stir until combined.
• Divide the batter among the prepared tins and bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Set aside and cool.
• Before cooking, cut up bacon into small pieces then fry up. Set aside and cool completely
• Make the maple frosting by using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream cheese and butter on low speed until smooth. Stir in the maple flavoring and vanilla extract. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.

Adapted from Ina Garten

Ancho Chipotle Chicken Fajitas

Fajitas are a go-to meal for us. Low in carbs, great flavor and so easy. I found some pre-marinated Ancho chicken at Vons over the weekend and thought it would make perfect fajitas. I was right- so delicious. They came out a little watery with the marinade, but just drain before adding to your corn tortilla and it will be fine. I had a corn tortilla for one, but then just put the mix over fresh baby spinach. It was perfect!

1 package of Ancho Chipotle Chicken *

2 pasilla peppers

1 red pepper 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion

salt and pepper

Directions:

• In a dutch oven or normal pan, add olive oil and onions cut into thin long pieces and saute for about 4 minutes. 
• Add peppers and mix all together. Then add salt and pepper to your preference.
• Add chicken thighs and get them all mixed in with the veggies. 
• Cover the dutch oven and let cook about 15-20 minutes. 
• Remove the chicken and cut into strips, then add back to the veggies and stir. 
• Serve it up on your favorite warmed corn tortilla or over a bed of spinach!

* I am not sure if the chicken is only available and Vons and Safeway. If you don't have or can't find the pre-marinated chicken, from eating the chicken, I think the following would be a good substitute for the marinade. Mix 1 tablespoons ancho chili powder, 1/2 cup chili sauce, 5 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons coffee and the zest of 1 orange.

Taco Soup

Stephen requested this meal after he had it at one of the coaches houses after a game last week. Super easy, kind of like my Pantry Chili but a little more like a soup and less like a chili- if that makes sense? Stephen actually found all the ingredients for the Taco Soup and was going to make it for me... but I kind of took over. Sorry Stephen! It was really good - I give him all the credit :)

1 lb of ground turkey

2 cans of corn

1 can of black beans

1 can of white beans

1 medium size can of hominy

1 large yellow onion

1 can of green chilies

2 cans vegetable or chicken broth

1/2 cup jar jalapenos (we didn't have this but thought it would be a good addition)

Optional ingredients to add when you serve: 

cilantro

Green onion

more yellow onion

cheese 

Seasoning mix (or you can use store bought taco seasoning):

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

salt and pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

Directions: 

• In a large pot, cook turkey and add seasoning mix.
• Add onion and saute until it starts to get tender. 
• Add the vegetable broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to get all of the little bits off- that is all flavor! 
• Dump in all the other ingredients and let it cook about 20 minutes for all of the flavors to join together.
• Serve up and top with your favorite toppings!

Chicken & Sweet Potato Hash

Had some chicken in the fridge I needed to use and some sweet potatoes that were definitely in need of preparing since they had been sitting on the counter forever. This was a great dish that was super filling and satisfying... not to mention SUPER easy! This is a perfect dish for dinner, but could also be served up for breakfast too. This dish could easily serve 4 people, or 2 with some leftovers.

2 chicken breasts

2 sweet potatoes

1 yellow onion

3 cloves of garlic

1/2 tablespoon olive oil 

4 eggs (2 eggs per person)

salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon curry powder

garlic powder

oregano

Isn't the prettiest dish, but sure tastes amazing!

Directions: 

• Dice up the chicken into small cubes. 
• Dice up the sweet potatoes into cubes, about the same size as the chicken (1/2 inch pieces roughly)
• Dice up the onion and garlic. 
• Start by sauteing the onion in oil for about 2-3 minutes. 
• Then add garlic and sweet potatoes and cook about 5-8 minutes. The sweet potatoes will just start to get tender. Season with a little salt and pepper and garlic powder. 
• Season the chicken with some salt and pepper, oregano and garlic powder. Then add to the pans!
• Add the curry powder to the hash and cook until the chicken is browned and cooked all the way through and the sweet potatoes are tender but still have some firmness (you can also substitute whatever you favorite seasonings are here, but the curry surprisingly added something great)
• In a separate pan, fry up an egg (however you like it - I recommend over-easy)
• Place your cooked hash on a plate and serve the egg over the top! 

Stuffed Acorn Squash Bowls

Went to Avila Barn today with my friend and her 3 &4 year old and my mom. Had a great time on the tractor ride and seeing all the goodies Avila always has to offer. I decided the acorn squash looked so cute, couldn't resist making something with them. This is what I came up with! This dish could also be made into a vegetarian/vegan dish by omitting the chicken and just do all water or veggie stock!

2 Acorn squash *

3 medium shallots

5 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon cilantro

2 green onions

1/2 cup craisins

1 rotisserie chicken **

juice of 1/2 a fresh lemon

1 cup quinoa

3/2 cup water

1 can chicken broth

1/4 cup roasted and chopped almonds

olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Cut acorn squash in half and remove seeds
• Place in a baking dish and brush olive oil all over the inside and outside, season with salt and pepper. 
• Roast for approximately 30 minutes until you can easily pierce the squash with a fork.
• Chop 
• While squash is cooking, in a pan on the stove add 1 tablespoon olive oil and saute shallots and garlic. 
• Add rotisserie chicken (chopped) and cook for 3 min just to get warm. Add quinoa and let cook for about 2 minutes just to toast the grain. 
• Add 1 can chicken broth and 3/4 cups water. 
• Cover and let cook, stir occasionally with a fork. 
• When quinoa is cooked remove pan from the heat, add 3 cups fresh spinach, cilantro, craisins and green onions. 
• Juice the lemon and mix everything together. 
• Put the quinoa mix in the acorn squash bowls and put the squash bowls back into the oven and cook about 10 more minutes. 
• Remove and sprinkle with almonds.
• Serve!

* This could serve 4 people. Stephen and I each ate 1/2 of an acorn squash.
** You can substitute the chicken for sausage if you want too!

Crock Pot Spaghetti Squash

I love this meal for its simplicity. It is so easy and always tastes delicious. This is a perfect weeknight meal (don't mind my extremely messy picture below)! This meal served Steve and I, as well as left us with tons of left overs!

1 large spaghetti squash

6 cups favorite spaghetti sauce

1 - 2 pounds ground turkey (or your favorite ground meat)

You are all thinking it.... booooobs

Directions: 

• Cut spaghetti squash in half (hamburger style)
• For the spaghetti sauce, I always make tons of extra meat sauce when I make spaghetti so I can freeze it and use it at times like this. If you don't have a pre-made sauce, put 3 -4 jars of your favorite store bought marinara sauce in the crock pot and then add 1 - 2 pounds (depending on how meaty you like it) to the crock pot. Break up the meat a little in the crock pot and stir it into the sauce. Don't worry about cooking it first. You want the sauce to go up the spaghetti squash an inch or 2 in the crock pot. 
• Then add your halved spaghetti squash, cut side down, to the crock pot. 
• Cover and cook on low for 7 hours 
• Shred the squash right into the spaghetti sauce and stir. 
• Serve it up!

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

I wanted to bake today and Stephen requested I make something "healthy" (apparently my Snickerdoodle Bread last week wasn't his version of healthy :))  - something we could take easily for breakfasts. So after scouring the internet, I ended up making my own version of an oatmeal breakfast bar. It turned out pretty good. Not super sweet, great texture, and cut easily into perfect breakfast portions. They are also packed with fiber and protein and have NO added sugar. Since there is no sugar, like I mentioned they are not very sweet (which I really like), but you could add some agave to the wet ingredients to add some sweetness. I also think that next time I make these I will add some unsweetened shredded coconut too.  I will definitely be making this again!

3 cups Coaches Oats (can get this at Costco)*

1/2 cup craisins

1/2 cup chopped apricots

1 cup chopped dates

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

2 tablespoons flax seeds

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/2 cups pistachios, chopped

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups skim milk (can also use almond, rice, or coconut milk)

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Mix dry ingredients together
• Mix wet ingredients together
• Combine both together and mix well. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish that has been lined with parchment paper. 
• Bake for 40 minutes. The top will be browned and the bars will be set, yet still have some bounce when you touch them. 
• let them sit at least 15 minutes before cutting (30-45 min is best)
• Cut into bars. 
• I think these would actually do well in the freezer too if you are able to make a bunch in advance!

* note- a quick cook steel cut oats or oatmeal would work too :)

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

Thanks to "Just a Taste" blog for this recipe. It is awesome! Perfect Monday dinner to come home to after a long day. Many times "Asian" type chicken dishes in the crock pot lack flavor. This one was packed with flavor. I did add A LOT more garlic and onions to the recipe, I highly recommend it. This dish was also really good with some sriracha lightly drizzled over :) I served ours over brown Jasmine rice (even though it looks white in the picture), but it is definitely not necessary.

3 large chicken breasts, skinless

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup blackberry jam

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

7 cloves garlic minced

1 diced onion

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon cornstarch

scallions & sesame seeds for garnish

Directions:

• Put chicken in the slow cooker
• In a small bowl, mix together hone, soy, jam, hoisin, olive oil, garlic, onion and crushed red peppers. Then pour the sauce over the chicken
• Cover and cook the chicken on low for 5 hours until the chicken is fully cooked. 
• Remove the chicken and shred, then put in a large bowl.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water to make a slurry.
• Transfer liquids from slow cooker into a small saucepan and set over medium-high heat and whisk. Add the cornstarch slurry.
• Bring the sauce to a boil and cook until it reduces and has thickened slightly - 3-5 minutes. 
• Pour the sauce over the chicken and toss. 
• Serve the chicken topped with scallions and sesame seeds. 

.

Chicken Ravioli with Kale and Peppers

Here is what my schedule regularly looks like: Wake up at 4:30 am, get to the gym by 4:50 to set up and workout from 5:15 -6:15 am, run to work and be working by 7:00 am, work until 4:00 pm, rush home, change and get back to the gym by 5:30 pm (trying to get some sort of dinner prepped before I go to the gym), work at the gym until 8 - 8:30 pm! Long day! So when Stephen and I get home at 8 - 8:30 we are starving and I am always looking for something quick to make. This is a dish I will regularly go to. DELICIOUS and uber simple!

1/2 container of Costco Chicken & Mozzarella Ravioli

Italian Meatballs (mine had mozzarella in them)

1 orange pepper, diced

1 yellow pepper. diced

1 cup of Kale, diced

2 cups fresh spinach

salt and pepper

garlic powder

pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Meatballs

Directions:

• Boil your water and cook the ravioli according to the instructions, drain and set aside - reserve about 1/4 cup of hot cooking liquid
• Cook meatballs in a pan until they are browned
• Add Peppers, kale, and spinach and cook about 5 minutes, until everything is softer. You still want everything to taste fresh and have some crispness. 
• Season the vegetables
• Add the ravioli to the veggies and meatballs - add a little bit of the pasta cooking water to the pan and stir, careful not to add to much (only need about 3 tablespoons). 
• Devour! 

WODtoberfest 2013

I competed in my second CrossFit competition this past Saturday!! Although I had really hoped I would place higher, I am super proud of my 8th place finish- TOP 10!! woo hoo!! I had so much fun and I really feel so blessed to be part of such an awesome team. Obsidian CrossFit had such a strong presence at the event and it was so fun to cheer on every single athlete. I can't wait for next year. Below is a pic of our crew- although we were missing a couple of key people when we took the picture (my parents, Stephens mom and some of our other awesome cheerleaders!)

Check out our website!

www.CoastlineSC.com

Teriyaki Chicken Sliders

This was a quick dinner idea last week. Had some chicken... was craving Kings Hawaiian Rolls.. and had some teriyaki glaze.. Done. These were delicious!! I might cut the strips of chicken a little differently the next time I do it, so they fit better on the rolls, but if you are ok with a little bit of mess, just dig in with these! I served it up with an Chinese chicken salad on the side.

1 jar of Teriyaki glaze

1 tablespoon coconut oil

chicken breasts or thighs

1 orange pepper, diced

1 teaspoon garlic poweder

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

Kings Hawaiian Rolls

Chinese chicken salad (or your other fav salad)

Directions:

• Dice up your chicken and add it to a bowl. Add all of the seasonings and mix. 
• If you have time, let it marinate in the fridge for at least an hour - up to overnight. 
• In a large pan, saute the pepper in the coconut oil.
• Add chicken and cook all the way through. 
• Serve on your rolls! 

First Day of School!

Today marks Stephen's first day of school - first day with his own classroom, his own rules, his own chair, and his own lesson plans. I am so incredibly proud of him, I could burst! Unfortunately this morning I was out the door before he was dressed and ready so I didn't get to take that "first day picture" that everyone seems to get. Maybe tonight :) I can't believe how incredibly lucky I am to have married this stud! Below is a pic I was able to snap of him last week when we were getting his classroom ready. Stephen - you are doing the job God has asked you to do, nothing but amazing things are coming for you!

CrossFit Level 1 Training

Melissa, Teresa and I attended the Level 1 CrossFit Training class last weekend (Aug 17-18). I learned SO much and took away so many awesome tips for how to improve not only my training, but others. Lets hope I passed the test! Our trainers were Russel Berger, Michelle (her last name escapes me) and Neal Maddox (he was #9 in the 2013 CrossFit Games). So awesome to spend some time with Melissa and Teresa, see where the CrossFit Games started (CrossFit Ranch, Aromas, CA), and do something I love.

Grand Opening

Saturday was the GRAND OPENING for our new gym, Coastline Strength & Conditioning, Home of Obsidian CrossFit! IT was a huge success. We had so many wonderful family members and friends show up to support us, it was amazing. Here are a couple of my favorite pictures :)

The ultimate photo bomb!! (Sara Dechance photo)

A day of photo bombs :)

 (Sara Dechance photo)

Our New Amazing Adventure!

Wow- I can't believe my last blog post was in MAY! I am slacking! Well, there is a reason for that. Stephen and I have embarked on a new adventure with a group of amazing friends. We are going to be opening a gym! Coastline Strength & Conditioning! We will have strength & conditioning classes, CrossFit (as soon as our affiliation process is complete), kids classes, sport specific camps, seminars and more.

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I wanted to be a business owner, let alone be one. The thing that we are most excited about with the opening of the new gym is the role we all wish to play in the community. I love the community I live in- and I want to leave a lasting impression on every single person that sets foot in our gym. The gym is more than just working out- its going to give people a sense of belonging and family.

I never knew how much CrossFit would change my life when I stepped in for my first class on February 25, 2013. Never before had I felt so vulnerable- and yet willing to change.  Less 2 weeks after I started my first CrossFit class, I signed up for my first competition. What I originally thought would be something just to keep me motivated to work out, turned into something I was so passionate about. See my picture below- less than 4 months after starting CrossFit, I took 16th place overall in the competition. What might seem like a pretty low standing, was a huge accomplishment for me. I actually took 2nd overall in the Clean Ladder workout out of 54 other women! It took a lot of courage (and an incredible family support system) to participate in my first competition, overcoming that fear of failing was huge.

Now every day provides me with a new challenge and new experience. I am loving every step to becoming a better, healthier, more confident me.I only hope I can share a part of my new found love with others. Let other people (especially women) see that CrossFit and weight lifting isn't only for elite athletes. Look at me! It is for everyone, all shapes, sizes, athletic abilities, genders, and ages.

A book I am reading right now (The Power of Community by Dr. Allison Wenglin Belger) states it perfectly:

" When significant physical and emotional demands are present, group interactions are intensified. Vulnerability is uncomfortable. Taking risks is uncomfortable. Pushing our bodies to physical extremes is uncomfortable. Being emotionally engaged is sometimes uncomfortable. And yet, these experiences allow us to gain insight and greater appreciation for those who have helped us along the way. The fact that those around us are going through similar physical, mental and emotional challenges, supporting us as we support them, allows us to push ourselves in new ways. The more we engage with others, the more we are open to others, the more likely we are to preserve and success in times of duress. Communities can do wonders for people, and these affinity groups don't need to be formal or structured- they simply need to provide support, ongoing contact and shared experiences."

I am so excited to share my journey with you!

                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

My mom and I went to a birthday party a few weeks ago and my friend Alyssa had made some really yummy lemon blueberry cupcakes with a lemon curd. It inspired me to make these lemon meringue cupcakes for my brother. He LOVES anything lemon and for his birthday BBQ I knew I had to make something special. These cupcakes are truly delicious! Although there appears to be several steps, they really are fairly easy and definitely worth the time- and to make the cupcakes a little bit easier on myself, I took some help from a boxed cake mix for the cupcake part!

Lemon Curd ( I doubled this recipe)

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup lemon juice

zest of 2 lemons

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon corn starch

pinch of salt

6 large egg yolks

Cupcakes

1 box of your favorite white vanilla cake mix

2-3 vanilla pods, beans removed

Meringue Frosting

6 egg whites

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter

Directions: 

• Bake the cupcakes according to the box instructions, and add extra ingredients listed. 
• Remove from oven and let cool completely
• I recommend even doing these the night before so they are set up nicely and cooled completely

Lemon Curd:

• Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice and zest. 
• Mix together the sugar, salt and cornstarch and add it to the pan.
• Whisk in the egg yolks until smooth and return to the heat.
• Cook over medium-low heat for roughly 10 minutes until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a spoon. 
• No not allow the mixture to boil.
• Once thickened, strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. 
• Allow to chill in the refrigerator completely before using. 
• When cooled- using a Bismarck tip and piping bag, push the Bismarck tip approximately 3/4 of the way into the cupcake and slowly pull up, this will fill the center of the cupcakes with the lemon curd. 
• If any of the curd comes out, just lightly spread it over the top of the cupcake to give it some extra lemony-goodness!

Frosting Directions:

• Beat egg whites until frothy then gradually add sugar, and then cream of tarter, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Make sure you don't rust this process- you want the meringue to be stiff. 
• Add vanilla. 
• Pipe onto cupcakes and using a small pastry torch, cook the topping until peaks are nicely browned.

NOTE: I ended up doubling the meringue recipe (oops) and ended up with a crap load of meringue. Not wanting to waste it- I ended up making a lemon meringue pie (found some vanilla wafer cookies at my moms house and mixed that with butter for the crust) and then some meringue cookies! The pie was GOOD! The cookies, eh. I liked them, not no one else loved them- I think its a texture thing. You either love or hate meringues. Stephen is still confused over what they were- he thinks they would be good- on TOP of a normal cookie :)