Nākd Bars: A Healthy & Delicious Snack

I always struggle to find healthy snacks. Sure, nuts are tasty, but they're easy to overeat. You start with one almond and then the next thing you know you've consumed half of your caloric intake for the day in nuts. Fruit is good, but not very filling and sometimes tricky to transport. Beef jerky is one of my favorites, but the grocery store brands have tons of sodium and other ingredients I can't pronounce, and making jerky at home is a complicated process. 

Recently, I had the opportunity to sample Nākd healthy snacks, they're made by a British company devoted to increasing world happiness with yummy healthy snacks. Since I was competing in the Girls on Girls Partner Throwdown last weekend, I figured I'd share them with my fellow hungry athletes. Lots of folks in the CrossFit community try to eat paleo, and luckily Nākd bars are both gluten and dairy free and have no added sugars. Check out more photos and my full review below.

Eggs in Clouds Recipe with Bacon, Chives, and Pecorino

I love eggs with all of my heart. They are my go-to breakfast on the weekends because they're healthy and filling and the perfect companion to a plate full of bacon. Em I right?!? *virtual high five* 

I eat them all kinds of ways, over easy, hard boiled, scrambled, five minute eggs, etc. So when I stumbled across this recipe for Eggs in Clouds by Rachael Ray, I knew I had to have them. Four mornings in a row. They incorporate three of my favorite food groups; bacon, eggs, and cheese. Plus, I got to whip them up in my newish Kitchen Aid, so that was a bonus! They are surprisingly fast and easy to make as long as you've got a good mixer handy and aren't afraid of separating eggs. Also, it would be easy to change them up a bit by mixing in different ingredients. Next I might try a greek version with spinach and feta or a spicy version with chili powder and pepper jack cheese. But have no fear, I'll always keep the bacon in there, it's the pièce de résistance. Get the full recipe below. 

Paleo Shepard's Pie

Shepard's pie is the ultimate comfort food, but if you go with the full-fat, extra glutenous recipe, you might end up feeling like a blob when you're finished (and that's not so comforting). This paleo version swaps out the traditional mashed potato topping for a cauliflower mash that makes it healthier, but still keeps it comforting! Also, it's chock full of veggies so you're sure to get your daily intake with a serving or two of this. Feel free to play around with the vegetables included and use whatever you have lying around!

Paleo Chicken Chili

I mentioned last week that I won the chili cook-off at work. Go me! I also mentioned that I would be sharing that recipe with you... but I lied. This recipe is close, but it's the healthier version. I mean, lets be honest, you're not going to win a cooking contest if you scale back on the calories. Truth be told, I was craving that prize-winning chili so much that I decided to make a healthier batch this week and I think I actually like this one better! I added more vegetables, removed the corn and beans, and kicked up the spices a bit. It was flavorful, hearty and bowl-licking delicious. Try it out and let me know what you think! 

Sautéed peas with bacon and onion

Whenever I'm planning my meals for the week, I tend to think primarily about the main protein and how to mix that up, rather than side dishes to accompany it. I usually end up in a rut of just making a quick salad and a sweet potato to go along with it, but sometimes you just want something different! Peas sautéed in a little olive oil with crispy bacon and sweet onions, and then finished with a fresh squeeze of lemon is quick and easy, but a totally flavorful option -- and it works well with almost any protein! 

Cider glazed lamb chops

This is an oldie but a goodie. I'm not sure why I never posted these photos or this recipe but I think it's so delicious that you deserve to have it -- 10 months later... 

My sincere apologies for the photos taken in my old apartment with my crappy old point and shoot camera. I figured since fall is quickly approaching (I mean holy crappola, September is less than two weeks away..) and that's when you can find cider in the grocery stores, it is as good a time as any to share this recipe with you.

The most perfect Sunday ever

As I sat down on the couch at 8:59 p.m. with a glass of wine in hand, I put my feet up, looked at Bry and said, "this was like the most perfect day ever." And it was, so that's not even an exaggeration. After a few weekends of having jam packed weekend plans or traveling, it was nice to wake up, in the comfort of my own bed, with no agenda, and the sun shining. 

Perfecting the kale salad

The good old super food strikes again. I've had my fair share of kale in the past year, I've done the kale chips, sauteed kale, grilled kale, kale in soup, and the smoothie with kale (I was not impressed. I think I put in way too much, the whole thing tasted like dirt). But the one thing I kept hesitating to do was the kale salad. 

It was my theory that kale, being a similar texture to collard greens, really needed to be cooked down to be enjoyed. It just seemed way too tough and bitter to eat in the raw form. Well after some web surfing I quickly learned the "secret." 

Sweet Potato Soup with Chicken and Avocado

I heart sweet potatoes, and I heart soup. Therefore I just had to make this soup (per usual, it was inspired by a recipe found on Pinterest: Sweet Potato Soup)

It's very simple really and very very flavorful. 

Amazingly Fabulous and Utterly Delicious Carnitas

I used to dislike Mexican food when I was younger and now I just can't seem to get enough of it. When the weather is warm, I'm always craving fish tacos, but in the winter I usually just make them with chicken. Well, I wanted to spice things up a bit so I was on the lookout for something new to put in my tacos and stumbled upon a gem of a recipe. Surprise, surprise, I found it on Pinterest. I've adapted my recipe from the My Kitchen Escapades Blog - Pork Carnitas recipe but apparently, that recipe is an adaptation from Cooks Illustrated. 

Moist, Flavorful, and Simple Roast Chicken

When it comes to the roast chicken, simplicity is best. I make mine with a little butter, garlic, salt, pepper and rosemary. I stuff a lemon, onion and some garlic cloves into the cavity and voilà  a couple of hours later, you have a delicious, moist and fragrant dinner.

Okay, maybe it's not that simple, but it's pretty darn close. My first word of advice, buy a bird with a popper. There's nothing worse than not knowing if it's cooked through and jabbing that poor little guy with a thermometer twenty times just to find out that it's still not done. 

First, I cut up some onion, lemon and rosemary to put in the cavity. This time around I also put three whole garlic cloves in there as well. 

New Year, New Goals

I have mixed feelings about New Years resolutions. On the one hand, I don't think that I have to wait until the first day of a new year to decide that I'm going to make some changes in my life. On the other hand, I understand the  importance of the milestone, a new year means renewed focus. Now is as good a time as any to start making changes and setting some new goals. 

I'm a firm believer that you have to be held accountable for your goals, or you'll find excuses not to achieve them. So, here are mine, I'm laying it out there for you. Periodically, I'll check back in and update you on the status of my goals and accomplishments throughout 2013. 

2013 Goals/Resolutions for Marissa:

Career

• Take online workshops and courses to improve skills in graphic design and video editing 
• Bring a renewed energy to my current job, go in with a positive mental attitude and creative ideas

Personal & Relationship 

• Work on listening skills and making sure that my first reaction in a conflict is not to be defensive
• Do something nice for the hubbers on a daily basis

Toes to Bar

Health & Fitness

• Get to the gym three times per week
• Stick to the paleo diet Monday through Friday
• Be able to do pull ups (without resistance assistance band), toes to bar, and hand stand push ups 
• Compete in at least one CrossFit competition

Financial 

• Save money towards a down payment on a home (yes, I have an exact dollar goal, but I'm not sharing that with you nosy folks)
• Start a retirement savings account. (I can hear you now, *gasp* "You don't have a retirement account?!?" Well I did have one at a previous job, but when I started my new position in Philly a few years back I never set one up or moved my funds over from my previous account. So, I'll be doing that this year.)

Blog

• Set aside more time to focus on the blog and post at least twice a week. Lucky you, you'll be hearing from me more often.

When in Rome (or at Home)... Eat Carbonara

I need to provide a little background. If you've ever been around anyone that does CrossFit, you will have probably heard the term "Paleo" come up. The paleo diet basically refers to eating like a caveman, and consists of primarily eating wild plants and animals. For the most part, we try to follow the paleo diet Monday through Friday and then on the weekends we relax a bit and let ourselves indulge in some carbs and non-paleo alcohol.

Well, long story short, this blog post is not about being paleo. My point is, this post is the exact opposite of paleo! On our honeymoon in Italy this past September, we knew that paleo eating would be a thing of the past. I mean seriously, who goes to Italy and doesn't plan to eat enough pasta and bread to fill a small bus? Basically, we fell in love with pasta and pizza all over again in Rome (maybe because we had been depriving ourselves). 

Well, we've been craving some of those classic carb-loaded dishes ever since we returned. The one I've been thinking about most, spaghetti alla carbonara (although, cacio e pepe is arguably it's equally tasty, yet simpler, relative).

The BEST pizza I've ever put in my pizza-pie-hole. From Bonci's Pizzarium 

Spaghetti alla carbonara is like a staple in Rome (think perfectly al dente spaghetti coated in a cheesy/eggy sauce with small chunks of crispy and chewy ham throughout). However, it surprisingly hard to find in Italian restaurants in the States (well, good carbonara is). So, last Friday, I'm taking a little stroll through DiBruno Bros mini-market on my lunch break and I stumble upon this big hunk of pancetta. Ding ding ding! I get the bright idea to try and make some spaghetti alla carbonara at home that very evening. I call up the hubby, ask him to pick up a few essentials at the market and rush home, eagerly anticipating the moment when I'll get to shovel pounds of that pasta in my mouth.

A Favorite Activity With the Hubs (Yes, It’s G-Rated)

You might know that I like to cook based on my previous posts, but did you know that BryGuy is a serious grill master? I really love when we get home from work on a summer day and deciding that it’s a grilling night;: burgers, steak, chicken, you name it, we grill it. That means he starts preparing the charcoal and the meat and I come up with some veggies to accompany it. This works wonderfully for us because we each have our own domains (I’m not so good about people hovering around the kitchen while I’m cooking). 

BryGuy’s been itching to grill some steaks that he bought but the weather wasn’t cooperating so he decided to do a cast-iron skillet grill session instead. While he “grilled” away at the stove, I whipped up a sweet potato puree and simple garden salad with homemade dressing. While I’m sad that the summer and “official” grilling season is over, I’m looking forward to more evenings where we share the kitchen and prepare a nice meal together. 

Get recipes for the salad dressing and sweet potato purée after the jump.

The 30 second egg breakfast

I fibbed a bit. It takes about 15 minutes to put the egg “casserole” together and about 45 minutes to bake it. BUT in the morning when I’m running out the door (always late), I grab the little baggie with my egg in it. I get to work, make my coffee and pop the cutie little egg square in the microwave for 30 seconds and voilà, a protein-filled breakfast that holds me over until lunch time. 

I used to make this in a muffin tin but that proved to be extremely problematic to clean. I decided to try it in a casserole dish lined with the pancetta for easy removal. I found this method much easier. 

You could switch up the recipe and omit the cheese and/or bacon, add some veggies (however, I don't believe in eating vegetables for breakfast). Play around with it, make it your own!

Bacon wrapped water chestnuts

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
Makes approximately 50 appetizer bites

Ingredients
2 lbs bacon
3 cans whole water chestnuts (8 oz. cans)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons (approximately) soy sauce 
2 tablespoons (approximately) Worchestershire sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Take a water chestnut (or cut them in half if they are big) and roll them in half of a piece of raw bacon. Stick the roll with a toothpick
3. Line up your bacon rolls in a casserole dish with the toothpicks pointing up
4. Sprinkle liberally with brown sugar
5. Shake soy sauce and Worchestershire sauce over the top of the bundles. (Give a quick sprinkle over the top making sure that each little roll gets hit with a dash of soy and Worchestershire)
6. Bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes or until browned and cooked through (this might take a little longer if you use thick cut bacon)