Dinner tonight was an old favorite...

since zucchini is in season we had Beef Stronganoff. Mmmmmm...yummy this is one of our very favorite dinners!  Most of you will need to halve the recipe though,  not only is it delicious, it's quite inexpensive to make.  And it tasted especially good tonight since it is so cold and stormy!

Bargains of the Week

My primary Grocery shopping this week was at Costco and the Grocery Outlet, with a quick stop at the Natural Food store for 4 items and Winco for a couple more things.  So this doesn't reflect what may be on special at the Co-Op or Natural Foods Store this week.

Eureka Grocery Outlet:

La Croix Sparkling Water Cran-Raspberry flavor- $4.99 for a 24 pack ( I don't know that this is such a great deal but a fun treat)


Gertie's Pickled Asparagus $3.99  (34.5 ounces)  This is really more of a treat too.


Prairie Grove Farms Andouille Sausage $2.99 (12 oz OR 4 links)  this is great sliced and sauteed with veggies ( I like to use, spinach onion, peppers and a warning it is a bit spicy)


I am SOOOOO excited about the veggie prices this week and what is in season again! Check this out:


Zucchini 2 for $1.00

Yellow Squash 2 for $1.00


Green Onions 2 for $1.00 (or Winco has them for .48 cents each)


Sliced Mushrooms $1.50 (8 oz)


Cabbage $1.50 for a HUGE head of cabbage (I bought 2 so look for some cabbage recipes this week!)


Kalamata Olives 1.99 (7.5 oz)

Gertie's Artichoke Tapenade  $3.99 (19.4 oz) this too, is more of a treat, I used it in a great chicken recipe I will hopefully be posting this week.

My Costco Shopping this week consisted of the following:

Organic Apple Sauce $8.99 for a 4 pack ($2.25 each  for 2 lbs 15.3 oz)

Mauna Loa Macadamia Nuts $13.99 (1 pound 8 oz, this is the best price I've found so far)


Asparagus $4.99 (2.25 pounds)


Bananas $1.47 (3 pounds)

Frozen Organic Free Range Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts $13.49 
(3.5 pounds, about 8 breasts in each pack individually packaged) OR it works out to about $3.85 per pound


Organic Omega 3 eggs $4.99 (18 pack)

Organic Spinach $2.99 (1 pound)


Sweet Potatoes $6.99 (10 pounds)


Oranges $7.99 (13 pounds)


Pico De Gallo $5.49 (3 pounds) great for eggs, and so many other dishes, we love Mexican!


Brussel Sprouts $3.49 (2 pounds)


Aidells Chicken Apple Sausage (no nitrates, no nitrites, additives, etc.) $13.59 (3 pounds or 15 links)


Whole fresh pineapple $2.99

Spring cleaning for you'r sanity

Spring is finally here and that means its time to dig yourself out from under the bed and dust yourself off. Lots of us realize as we start to peel the layers of winter clothing off that maybe there is some body composition goals that we haven't met yet. Swim suits are in stock at Target, cute summer dresses, flip flops and of course our thoughts turn to tanning and weekends at the lake. This can create a minor amount of anxiety for some, after all the way time flys summer will be here before you know it and maybe there isn't as much time as you think! OH NO! PANIC! The thought process is as follows..."That's it! No more treats, I'm going to work out twice a day and eat as little as possible and start tanning and I done care if I feel like shit as long as I look good on the boat in front of everyone...etc..." This is the beginning of the end people! All this is plan will get you is a spare tire around the middle ( great for floating on the lake!) and a borderline OCD/eating disorder that you will focus so much attention on counting calories and arguing with yourself over the last smore you will not have a good time and you will miss your summer. Please chillax. Your goals are achievable and sustainable if you stick to them and keep moving ahead. If you feel the need to ramp up your fat loss go out for a pre breakfast 15 minute walk, add a walk after dinner, or go play some basketball with your kids. Get to bed a little earlier, sleep will rejuvenate you, release you Human Growth Hormone to recover and build muscle which we know burns fat. Cut out the sweetie snacks you are in denial you are still hoovering. You will get there! Patience and a little focus, not a drastic and radical DEF-CON 5 colon cleanse is the answer. The days are getting longer so we can add more activity, not more WODS mind you, activity...also seasonal eating allows us to be able to consume a little more of those yummy fruits and veggies that during the winter aren't available without any excess worry about glucose storage in the form of fat. Stay the course, relax, take a B-Vitamin, get plenty of rest, avoid the gluten, and have yourself the best summer yet. Meredith

Yikes!

Starting to feel a bit stressed about my upcoming CrossFit Cert!  Just started reading the material and think I should have picked it up a long time ago!  I have a crazy busy schedule right now, but somehow I am going to have to find the time to pick it up and read it.  Not just that but a quiet time when I can comprehend what I am reading.  Living in a busy household of 9 that can be a challenge in and of itself!  Praying I am able to do well on this, would hate to waste the time, money and suffer the disappointment.  Thankfully my husband has to take the written test too, so hopefully he can find time to help me study.  All that to say, I won't have much time on here for a while until I am done with all that.  At least until after the 21st of April, so please be patient with me. Meredith will be really busy too, taking up the slack in the business we will create by being gone, so she may not have time to post either. 

I did do grocery shopping today, we have to eat after all right?!  It is an all day process for me, starting at about 10:30 and ending around 2:30 today.  Then it takes about 20 minutes to unload it all, with help from my little ones of course.  Then comes finding places for it all and putting it away, that takes 1-2 hours generally (interrupted of course, because all the kids are home from school by then and needing attention).  So...I am hoping that if my schedule works out....tomorrow I may be able to post my Weekly Bargains post for you all.  I didn't have time to shop around at the Natural Foods nor Co-Op today so won't really be able to pass on any savings tips on them this week.  If any of you know of any great bargains they are offering this week please post them for others.  Thank you for your patience.

A New Web Site I Really Like....

be sure to check this out:  http://paleogirls.com/

Fig and Date Stuffed Pork Roast with Apples

Sorry for such a bad picture, the color is way off and doesn't do it justice!  I taste really good!

1/2 cup pecans
1 cup dates chopped
1/2 cup dried black mission figs
1 tsp Saigon cinnamon


2 baking apples, sliced
Chicken stock


Large Pork Sirloin Tip Roast (about 3 pounds)


Place pecans, dates, figs and cinnamon in a food processor with the blade and pulse until it is a smooth paste like texture, or until it all clings to itself and forms a ball.  Put that aside, rinse and pat dry your roast, place it on a cutting board and slice around it thinly if you want to roll it up (it's very hard for me to explain this technique so I would suggest just butterflying it for ease).  Or as I mentioned you may just butterfly it in half through the middle.  Either way taste delicious, the rolled effect just makes for a nicer presentation.  I did mine both ways.  Then take your fruit paste and flatten it, placing it on your roast (depending on the size of roast you may have a bit extra).  Then salt and pepper your roast before rolling it up. then place it in your roasting pan or glass baking dish.  Sprinkle with a bit of ground sage, smoked paprika, and more salt and pepper. Place the apple slices around it and pour broth to just barely cover the apples.  Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.  Decrease heat to 325 degrees, uncover and bake for about 45-1 hour depending on the size of your roast and the temperature of your oven.  You may test it with a meat thermometer if you would like to be sure it is done.  Remove from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes, slice and serve with the apples from the pan, and of course some vegetable side dish(es) of your choice.

Ready to go into the oven.

Wow...it's been a busy week!

Attended the Funeral of an old friend today...and  the Celebration of Our NEW LOCATION for our CrossFit Box!  Been a hectic couple of days preparing for both...shopping making sure all the kids had the appropriate clothing.  Making final preparations at the box including a good cleaning!  So, although I have some recipes to post I haven't gotten to it.  Sorry.  This month is shaping up to be a bit hectic, this week is another crazy busy week with multiple events and my husband and I are leaving in 1 1/2 weeks for sunny Arizona to spend a week together on a much needed break.  And to get my Level 1 Cert!  I am starting to get a bit nervous about the test part of it!  Gotta get through the reading...thankfully Dan will be taking the test too, so we can study together!  He took his level 1 several years ago, before they had the test so is required to take it now.  Wish us luck!