Summer Alcohol

I never thought I'd be a beer chick, but this summer has brought on a whole new level of consumption.

The man-candy and I have spent much of our summer together working around the house: building the veggie beds, rebuilding and staining our deck, and doing a second run through spring cleaning (involving lots of yard-selling, speaking of which, I have an excellent elliptical and 2 punching bags up for sale...).   

As the temps rise (relatively speaking: we've actually hit 90 this summer when we typically average about 78 degrees; and yes, this is noteworthy.), I notice I drink more beer than wine (and I LOVE my red wine.) Hell, I'm craving it more than water. 

I've never really been a beer person and started off with the lighter brews (Budweiser) but hated it and jumped to Heineken and Heffeweizen. In more recent years, I'm nuts over Firestone (Double IPA or Union Jack) and Sierra Nevada (Rockin' Rye or Torpedo) on a hot-sun-beating-on-my-back kind of day. White wine has never been my thing, lemon water just isn't cutting it, and I'm not really into soda pop or juices. 

But what's a woman to do when she loves a strong beer without the belly?!  Help me save my gut and share with me your summer choices; extra points if they're healthier options than beer and still have that strong, bitter taste. 

Lobster Stuffed Mushrooms...Oh Yum!

In the oven

Ok sooooo I found a recipe for Crab cakes and it looked really good but I thought to myself what if I stuffed some yummy mushrooms with this mixture and added Lobster (I actually cheated and used Imitation Lobster and seriously I couldn't tell the difference so that is a cheaper option) instead of Crab.....Yea it turned out amazing. I'm sure you can add any sea food meat of your choice to the base of this crab cake recipe and stuff any kind of Mushroom with it.
Here is the link to Allrecipes.com (thank you allrecipes for this amazing recipe)
 http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Paleo-Maryland-Crab-Cakes/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e11=paleo%20maryland%20crab%20cakes&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

Use whatever cooked seafood your heart desires and Stuff some mushrooms. Place in a baking dish with some olive oil and bake at 350 for about an half hour or so.....Until the mushrooms are cooked and the filling is popping out of the top of the mushroom.
Make a side salad, I made a spinach salad with toasted sesame dressing and cranberries to accompany this yummy dish. I hope you guys enjoy this one

Finished yummy meal

Paleo Chocolate Truffles

I made these over the weekend for a BBQ at my box.  They turned out pretty good!  I used coffee, orange, peppermint, vanilla and raspberry extract and I have to say my favorite was the coffee!  The orange one was pretty good too and tasted like the chocolate oranges that you get around Christmas.

The most difficult part of making these was forming them into the balls as it is very messy, especially if you roll them by hand.  I think the coconut oil gives them a lower melting point, so if you make them for a party, keep them in the fridge or freezer until it's time for dessert!

Ingredients

• 10oz 60%-100% dark chocolate
• 3 tablespoon coconut oil
• 3/4 cup coconut milk (skim from the top of a can of coconut milk)
• 1-3 tablespoons pure extract of your choice to taste 
• Coatings: 100% chocolate powder, unsweetened shredded coconut, chopped nuts or melted chocolate 

Instructions

• Place the chocolate in a microwave-proof bowl and melt using 30 second cycles.
• Melt the coconut oil in the microwave separately and add to the melted chocolate. Stir together.
• While the mixture is still warm, quickly add in the coconut milk (try to use milk that's at room temperature) and add extract. 
• Mix well.
• Place in freezer for 2 hours.
• Using a melon scoop or just using a spoon, scoop out small chunks of chocolate and form it into balls in your hands.
• Add the coating of your choice by rolling the chocolate ball through the coating or dipping in melted chocolate. 

T-Rex Arms

So typing right now isn't the easiest of things so this won't be a super long post.

On Saturday I had the WOD from hell and I'm still paying for it. 

"The 100's" - Partner WOD

100x Pull-ups

KB Rack and Hold

100x Wall Balls

KB Rack and Hold

100x Cal Row

KB Rack And Hold

100x Burpees

KB Rack and Hold

1 Mile Farmer carry

My partner and I divided everything in half and did sets of 10's.  While one person was doing their set, the other had to rack and hold 2 Kettle Bells. 

This my friends was the first WOD that I've ever thrown up on, and the one that has left me with the most pain. I'm dealing with T-Rex arms!  I can't straighten either arm completely and my left is far worse than my right.  I believe in technical terms it is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) and will go away (hopefully) with some rest and ice.

This is the frustrating part of Exercising!  I want to go more frequently, but my body is rejecting the thought!  Hopefully I will get over this quickly so I can get back to my WOD's.

Have you ever suffered from T-Rex arms??  What is the best method to get the pain down and get back to exercising?

No surgery.....YET

So after seeing the podiatrist, he has decided to try every non surgical option to my bunionettes. YAY!!!!!

I will be turning into an old lady and wearing orthotics in my shoes to try and correct the issue. If that doesn't work, we will try physical therapy and cortisone shots. And last resort is surgery. 

I will be trying every bunion alleviation I can find. I found these little bunion gel cushions that I'm hoping will help when I WOD.

So now back to WODing on a more regular basis. Hopefully I can manage the pain and irritation and push through to be a better crossfitter. 

Pampering the Mind, Body and Spirit

My last day off was a TRUE day off! These types of days don't come around often. I literally did nothing (except a load of laundry and a load of dishes through the dishwasher). It was amazing! So, after a day of glorious nothingness, I decided to pamper myself a little (or a lot) before I went to bed. Here is what my "spa evening" consisted of:

* Relaxing Yoga
* Detox Bath
* Coconut Oil Hair Mask
* Exfoliating Facial
* Aroma Therapy

Jealous??? You should be. This would cost you like a billion dollars in a spa! Here's how the night when down.

6:15pm - 30 minute gentle yoga sesh with extra time at the end spent in Savasana (corpse pose). This is my favorite pose EVER! It's the easiest pose physically, you basically lay on the ground like a dead body, hence to name. But I think it's one of the tougher poses mentally. For me, anyway, it's hard to REALLY and HONESTLY clear my head. I've been able to do this more and more by practicing Savasana.

7:00pm - Mixed together my detox bath. The recipe for this was:

• 2 Cups Epsom Salts
• 1 Cup Baking Soda
• 2 Tablespoons Ground Ginger
• 25 Drops Lavender Essential Oil
• Lots of Hot Water

7:10pm - While my bath was filling, I applied my coconut oil hair mask. It is just as it sounds! Coconut oil, in a liquid state, slathered allllllll over my hair. I paid special attention to my ends. I dye my hair like crazy and have been since 8th grade (stop doing the math!!) so my hair just soaked up the oil. It was very thirsty. After it was applied everywhere and combed through, I wrapped my whole head with saran wrap. Don't laugh, I don't own a shower cap so I had to improvise. I let this sit in my hair throughout my whole bath.

7:20pm - My bath was ready! First, I lit some candles. Then I sloshed everything around, making sure it was nice and mixed. The recommendations for soaking was 40 minutes. This initially sounded like an eternity. Apparently the first 20 minutes is to detox and the second 20 minutes is for your body to really absorb all of the minerals. So, I turned Pandora on to a Meditation station and just sat. 40 minutes flew by! The Meditation station was amazing. I was able to return to my meditative (possibly vegetative) state. It was ineffable!  I've never been so clear minded. My only complaint was the very intrusive commercials on Pandora. That really killed the mood. Luckily I was able to slip back in quickly once they were over. 

The lavender oil was so yummy to my olfactory and relaxing to my soul. 

** Note to self - Next time,  pick something more appropriate to break out of meditation than the Marimba ring tone on your phone.

8:00pm - Times up! I slowly got out of my bath, hopped in the shower for a quick rinse off and washed the coconut oil out of my hair. 

8:10pm - Put on some super comfy clothes and did a little facial exfoliation. This one, you're going to love: baking soda and water. Yup, that's it! Nothing too fancy but it makes your skin feel so soft. You just use a tablespoon or two of baking soda and just enough water to make a thick paste. Lightly rub it on your face using circular motion and rinse off. So quick, so easy.

9:30pm - Sprayed my pillows with some Lemongrass and Cardamon pillow mist in preparation for a wonderful, peaceful sleep. I slept like a rock, FYI.

I wish this could be a nightly thing (yeah RIGHT) or even a weekly ritual, but alas, this isn't realistic in my world. But, I enjoy it immensely when I get to squeeze it in.

If you decide to try this detox bath, or any detox bath for that matter, please remember to drink LOTS of cold water. And if you start feeling too hot, let some cold water run into the bath. The last thing I want is any of you passing out.

Also, try not to get your hair in the water. The salts are very drying.

Now go pamper yourself!

Leg Day...who needs it?

Some of you may know that this summer I've taken on several projects.  After finishing the veggie bed two weeks ago, the man-candy & I jumped right into the next (& much longer project) of re-doing our ENTIRE deck.

We spent all of last week staining & Monday & Tuesday of this week placing boards just on the front leg of our deck.  My ass & thighs are insanely sore from bending, stooping & squatting.

Instead of just bending at the waist, I thought I'd work my legs & ass by engaging those muscles, as well as tightening my core, when needing to rip out old screws (which believe it or not is the HARDEST part given that the screws are old, sunk, & stuck in 30 year old swollen boards), set in new boards, & screw those in place.   The result is the most productive ass & leg work out I'd ever imagined.

The problem of course lies in the lack of range of leg & ass exercises (since it's mostly squats, dead lifts, & the skip-a-step lunges on the stairs since the deck is on the second floor).  BUT since I'm using real life scenarios (muscles being engaged all over the body), I don't feel entirely lacking just yet. 

It made me think about how I sometimes would carry my groceries from the car into the house in one trip while lifting them like dumbbells, how I would walking lunges while vacuuming, or ass & thigh clenches during my crazy long commute in grad school.  How do you incorporate "exercise" into your daily routine?  Share your tips below!

My Starbucks Favorite Healthy Drink

Hi everyone :)

I apologize I have totally neglected my Tuesday blog here at MMM...but like Connie said we have been having some FUN this summer. So just a quick post for you all since I had one of these yummy drinks today visiting with some amazing friends at our local Starbucks...and yes you can order something healthy there....so here it is. Go get one and LOVE IT!

Ok so when your order this is what you get:

Grande Green Tea Frappchino Non-fat

2 scoops of Chocolate Chips

2 Scoops of Protein Powder

2 Pumps of Mint

NO Whip (whip is very very bad lol)

Seriously you will have an amazing healthy antioxidant filled drink that tastes like mint chocolate chip ice cream...no need to thank me....just ENJOY 

Happy Feet?

Are your feet happy?  Mine, not so much...

First off I have to say, I love shoes!  I'm a shoe-aholic and have a closet dedicated to them.. Gorgeous heels, cowboy boots, Converse, Vans and my Nanos for my WOD's.  My closet is insanely organized and it is depressing as I hardly get to wear all of the shoes that I love.

The issue that I have (although only self diagnosed at the moment) is called a tailors bunion or a bunionette.  This is basically a bunion but on the outside of the foot by the pinky toe. Lately these little bunionettes (oh yeah I have them on both feet) have been causing me lots of pain.  Usually it's discomfort while wearing heels, but now it's pain and inflammation while WODing.

These are shots of my little piggy's. I know I need a pedi! As you can see the area on both my feet just below my pinky toe bulges out a bit.  The left foot is worse than the right. Ehhh!

I had X-rays taken last week and have an appointment with a podiatrist on Wednesday to see what the verdict is.  I'm hoping there are some non-surgical methods of reducing the pain and/or reversing the condition if it isn't too far advanced (fingers crossed!!) BUT, after doing a ton of research online and finding normal x-rays compared to my f'd up feet, I think I may be in for a long road of ...dare I say it...Surgery?!?!?

The x-rays above show my lovely feet.  In technical terms there is prominence of the 5th metatarsal head (yellow arrows) and increased angulation between the 4th and 5th metatarsals (black arrows). There is also slight lateral bowing of the shaft of the 5th metatarsal (red arrows).  
Basically the long bone (metatarsal) that is attached to my pinky toe is bowing, creating a gap between the next metatarsal, causing the pinking toe to point in towards the rest of my foot, resulting in a bulge called a bunionette.  Make sense??

This my friends is a normal foot.  As you can see, the 5th metatarsal is in perfect alignment with the rest of the bones.
No Gap.
No Bowing.
No Bunionette.

Do you deal with any foot pain or issues?  Tell me the plight of your feet!