I Discovered My Limit

Because Anna and I put off our Whole 30 paleo challenge until New Years, I have been eating horribly.  I have been choosing to stuff my face with anything that might possible be considered delicious.  Cookies, beer, chocolate, donuts, french fries, hamburgers, won tons, you name it.  Yesterday I woke up feeling like crap (surprise!).  I went to work and ate my breakfast a little late, my eggs with bacon.  Then probably an hour later I was bored so I ate the leftover half Kim Chee Burger from Big City Diner.  Then I ate the banana I brought.  Then I had the piece of candy that was in my lunch box.  At about 11:30 I got the reminder text that we were having a work meeting at the Golden Lion Chinese Restaurant at 12:30, which I had totally forgotten about.  So I left the school to meet my coworkers and have my second lunch.  I ate a whole bunch of Won Ton Mein.  I saved some of it for later, but ate that immediately upon my return home.  Then I had some chocolate.  And some more chocolate.

Second Lunch Eaten Here

This is how I felt

Luckily I had planned on going to Crossfit at 7pm, so that gave me a reason to stop stuffing my face.  I made some meat and rice stirfry for Nathan and then Keysa and I walked to the box.  My stomach hurt sooo bad.  I told her that I think I had reached my actual physical limit for food consumption and that any more and I might have exploded.  It effected how I worked out.  It made me slow and uncoordinated due to the discomfort.  So I decided last night that I will not be eating like that anymore.  It was truly awful.  I'm not sure exactly why I felt the need to eat so much.  It's strange. 

Pan Fried Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Parmesan Cheese

The finished product with a side of steak, Yummy!

My brussel sprouts recipe.  I love these and I've always wanted to give the run through on how to make them.

For this recipe you need:

Brussel sprouts- about 30

Anaheim pepper (can substitute any kind of pepper depending on what kind of spice you enjoy)

Bacon

Balsamic Vinegar

Parmesian Cheese

Large pan with lid.

Optional:

Garlic

Onion

Mushrooms

Dog

Pepper in Little Itty Bitty Pieces

Pepper

 First things first, cut up your veggies.  I only had a pepper, garlic and some brussel sprouts this time around.  When I make them I tend to get too excited and I get the pan hot before I'm ready with all the veggies.  That's what I did today.  Best idea is to cut all your veggies and have them ready. So, I cut up the the pepper first.  I cut the top off, cut it in half, then scooped out all of the seeds and the flesh.  That's where all the heat lies.  I was afraid that it was going to be too hot.  After tasting at the end I realized that I should have left some of the insides in for a little more heat.  But, we like it hot, if you don't, scoop it all out.  I proceeded to cut it up into little pieces.  Put it off to the side for later. 

Sprouts Ready for Cutting

Cut the end off

 Now for the brussel sprouts.  Get 'em ready.  Here's one on the left, in all of its ready to be cut and prepped glory.  Then cut off the end, where all of the leaves meet.  See what I mean in the picture to the right.  Try not to cut too high, you want the inside leaves to stay together.  If this is your first go, you'll probably want to cut a little bit off, then cut more off if you still need to.  The worst is when you cut off too much and the whole damn thing falls apart.

Pull off Outer Leaves

Cut into Quarters

Next, pull off the outside leaves.  I keep going until I am satisfied that all the leaves that have been exposed to the air are gone.  Sometimes you see brown spots.  I keep going until all of that stuff is gone.  You end up with much less brussel sprout than you started off with.  Discard the outside leaves.  As far as I know, they're no good.  Leave a comment below if you know differently.
After you are satisfied with your brussel size and color.  Now cut them into quarters.  I find that this is the best size for this particular recipe.

Garlic with Skin On

Squish it Hard

 Next, the garlic.  Here they are.  I used two, but if you want to have a stronger garlic flavor, go for more. The garlic flavor was not very noticeable with just the two, you get just a hint.

I first squish the garlic with my favorite big knife to loosen the skin on the outside.  It makes it easier to mess around with them.
Then I cut off the top where the clove was connected to the rest of the plant.

Garlic

Garlic.  In Pieces.

 I don't have a picture of it, but I assume you can figure this part out on  your own.  There is a skin on your garlic clove that is loose after squishing it.  Pull that off now.  Then cut it into small pieces.

Raw Bacon in Pan

Okay, so now you're ready for the cooking part.  If you're a really quick veggie chopper you can do this step earlier, but if you're new to this, (or if you have been drinking) do all your veggies first before putting your bacon in the pan.  I usually put the bacon in a cool pan, then turn it to medium.
There's only two slices of bacon in the pan in the picture, but I would go for three or even up to five.  Honestly, the more bacon the better.  If you don't need any bacon for breakfast in the morning, go ahead and put in the whole package.  When the bacon is mostly cooked to your liking, pull it out and leave just enough bacon grease in the pan to saute your veggies in.  That's only a few tablespoons.  If you've taken my advice and put in the whole package of bacon, pour your bacon grease into a small cup and put it in the fridge and cook your eggs in there in the morning.  Yum!

Keep a dog in the Kitchen.

Go ahead and throw in your brussel sprouts and your hot peppers.  **Careful!! It will sizzle at you!!  Make sure when you put them in, your face is nowhere near your pan.  My advice is to wield the lid of your pan like a medieval shield and throw your veggies in gently while covering your face.  I do not have a picture of this.**

Grate the cheese!

If you have decided to put anything else in there that might want to cook longer, like carrots, you'll want to add those now, too.  This is when my dog, Gizmo, usually rushes into the kitchen, because he smells the bacon cooking.  He stands next to the stove and licks the floor where any of the grease has escaped.  Cover your pan and set your timer for 3 minutes.  While you wait you can cut up your bacon into smaller chunks.  Don't worry, the bacon will go back in later.  This is also a good time to start slicing and dicing your Parmesan cheese.  Have your balsamic vinegar nearby.

Balsamic Vinegar

Bacon in Yummy Pieces

When your timer goes off, either do that fancy thing that chefs do: with the lid on whip your pan through the air and flip over your brussel sprouts.  If you don't know how to do this and are not ready to try, just get a spatula, open the lid and flip everything over.  Toss in anything that you just want to cook a little bit.  In this case, the garlic and the bacon.  Close the lid and set the timer for another 2-3 minutes.

Cheese on veggies.

Add Bacon

When the timer goes off again, open the lid, move stuff around, put the heat on low and then pour the balsamic vinegar into the pan.  This is called deglazing your pan.  You have now just learned an awesome word.  Go show off to your friends.  I don't know how much vinegar.  Maybe two tablespoons?  I just pour enough that it goes all over my goodies, and also covers the entire pan bottom.  Again, keep your face away from the pan, this time because the vinegar will release it's vinegar vapors into the air and although I love the taste of vinegar, it is horrible when a whole boatload of the steam it releases goes directly into your nostrils.  Leave this for a minute, and give your doggie pieces of cheese as you wait.  Then add the Parmesan cheese.  I pushed all the veggies to the side of my pan so I could concentrate the cheese on the veggies.  Cover your pan and leave it be.  Peak at it until your cheese is perfectly melted.  You are done and can now eat your delicious dish!

Cheese is Melted, Yum!

I added some Cheddar on one Side at the End

Scrape it out with Spatula and Serve

Put all Pots and Pans in the Sink and Wait for Someone Else to do Them

Add Meat to Your Plate.  Meat is Delicious.

Pre-surgery

Nathan's at the Dr. possibly getting his eyelid operated on.

Paleo Challenge Fail

Glorious Beach Walking Weather

Beer

Donuts

Anna and I got home from our beach walk and there was a shit ton of beer in there. Nathan says, "you can drink when you're paleo, right?" Oh boy. I told Anna that we would have to start the challenge later. She was so freaking excited. She went straight for the donuts. Hilarious.

Another Paleo Challenge

Anna and I officially started our Whole 30 challenge yesterday.  The plan was to start on Friday, I was all set, and then got to my training at a Waikiki Beach Hotel in Waikiki.  All was going well, I ate my eggs and went to lunch with some coworkers.  Unfortunately, even though I ordered my burger with no bun, there was no getting away from all of the fried stuff.  I just texted Anna that we would start the next day instead.  To me it's a relief to be back on a "challenge."  I have poor impulse control, so when the brownies are sitting on the counter, I eat one.  Sometimes two.  And sometimes I have a difficult time stopping myself from eating way more than is socially acceptable.  With paleo I always start off wanting to snack a bunch, but I actually remember the healthy snacks that I have available.

View of Waimanalo from the Pillboxes

Yesterday started off fine, Anna made some bacon and eggs.  I went off to hike the Pillboxes with Keysa and Ananda and while I was gone she left for work.  She only took two bananas and two eggs, so I went to the store and got her some roast, some salad, cashews and coconut water.  It was nice to bring her her lunch at work.  We talked for a little bit at the bar, had some cashews,  and I headed home for my own lunch.  I'll definitely stop by there again one of these days when she's working there.  Bars are so different when they are empty during the day.  I had ahi tuna for lunch when I got home.
Dinner was steak, okinawan sweet potato and asparagus.  I am a damn good cook sometimes.  It was really tasty.  It was also a big dinner, so I didn't feel like I needed to snack on anything during the usual "dessert" time of the night.  We watched TV and made plans to run the beach and watch the sunrise.  Well, she's been working hard and hopefully she's finally having a good night's sleep.  It's 7am and she's not up yet.  Surprisingly, the sound of the dogs and I moving around out here didn't wake her up.  Hopefully she's still passed out pretty good.  There will be other mornings for sunrise beach walks.
I love this kind of morning.  I've got Gizmo on my lap, and Titus is on the couch all cozy, but keeping his eye on me.  I can hear the birds chirping outside, the usual air conditioner noise from the bedrooms and our neighbors, and the fishtank gurgling away.  Not too shabby.  I'm gonna make some coffee, then I haven't decided yet whether I will turn on the TV, read, or write in my journal.  I think I will just relax and take this day as it unfolds.

Fattening Up and Gluten Loading

So Anna and I have decided that our official date to start our Whole 30 Paleo Challenge will be December 16th.  I will get paid on the 15th, so I can start to replenish the cabinets, fridge and freezer with good for me treats.  Also on this day we shall take before pics so you can be enthralled by our transformations.  To plan I am printing up some Paleo food posters for the fridge and only buying paleo (except for Kefir and Yogurt, I need my good bacteria and can't afford the supplements) from now until the end of the challenge.  In preparation I am eating as much glutenous, sugary, processed food and beer as I can fit down my throat and into my bloated belly.
The plan this time is not to finish the whole 30 with a sugar buffet, but this time to stick with it within reason.  I plan on being super strong and fit for the Warrior Dash in March, so that is my goal.  I am hoping too that Crossfit and Paleo will help me get my knee back in shape in time to run the Great Aloha Run.
Yesterday I had the best time ever, being a part of Keysa Hale's Marathon Pit Crew.  She has been training for months to prepare to run the Honolulu Marathon and only asked that we meet her at some point to hand her some coconut water and grapes.  Instead we created an elaborate plan to meet her at mile 17, hand her the goods, and then run with her relay style until the finish.  I took the first 3 miles.  We chatted about her weekend from mile 17 to 20.  It was awesome running in the marathon.  I got to experience all of the cheering and hullabaloo without actually putting in too much effort.  I did my best to stay out of everyone's way and to enhance Keysa's marathon experience.  At mile 20 I bowed out, called the crew driving nearby and hopped into the car at a bus stop.  We kept driving and when we spotted her and her friend again, Anna jumped out and joined her.  Then Joanna, Ananda and I found them at mile 24 and Ananda and Anna finished the last two miles with her before leaving the track near the finish.  Keysa finished on her own and we celebrated with pictures, oatmeal cookies, and the pool at her hotel.  It was so much fun.  It made Anna and Ananda want to train for a marathon.  It solidified my knowledge that I do not ever want to run 26.2 miles.  I still like shorter distances.

Busy or Tired

Recently I've been pretty busy and in my down time I've been extremely tired.  Like right now.  Droopy eyelids.  On Tuesday I really didn't want to go to TKD class.  I was just so exhausted.  I went anyway, and it wasn't the pick me up that exercise usually is when I'm tired.  This feels different.  Tonight I have TKD again and I just don't feel like going again.  I only have 3 more classes left, so I should go.  I would rather take a nap.