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Meal Prep Monday

On April 17, 2013

I’ve talked before about how important and helpful I find meal planning and prep. These tools are one of the only reasons I even come close to sticking to both a budget and a lifestyle. N and I have been following the Primal Blueprint since the end of our month of Paleo in December. The Primal Blueprint is very similar to Paleo except more lenient in terms of dairy, rice, wine, and beer.

Veggies for the week

This month we’ve decided to do 30 days of Paleo while also cutting out drinking. Not only does it save us some money (no cheese, no alcohol!), but I also feel a lot better cutting these things out. What’s a month, anyway?

We honestly didn’t get off to the best start with this challenge, but we’re back on track now. Sometimes I find myself looking at others and thinking they never have setbacks. I know this isn’t true though so I don’t want to come across as one of those people who never falls short. I do. Frequently. But I try to keep it in perspective. There’s no point in dwelling on a few beers or a couple french fries you shouldn’t have eaten.

Cutting up colourful peppers for snacks

One of the best ways we’ve found to be successful in our day to day lives is to prepare snacks in advance. This doesn’t always happen Monday, but usually early in the week. (Meal Prep Monday just sounds better than Meal Prep Sunday or Tuesday). I find it easiest to do everything for the week at once, so I’ll cook up any bacon we plan to eat for breakfasts, cut up veggies for snacks, make egg bites, or bake muffins. I’m lazy so this works for me.

Breakfast for the week: Bacon Acorn Squash Patties

It’s so easy to get stuck in a rut so I’m more than grateful for websites like Civilized Caveman and PaleOMG and books like Practical Paleo. I would probably end up eating the same thing every week if it weren’t for these awesomely talented and creative people!

Bacon Beef Butternut Squash

Yup, we eat a lot of bacon.

All of these sources have inspired me to be more creative and taught me how delicious life can be, even without my beloved grains. We tried a ridiculously good pasta recipe with George’s Sweet Potato Pasta and our own sauce creation. I’ll try and get some decent pictures of that one next time since it’s one of my new favourites and it’s ridiculously simple!

March in Instagram

By whoalansi

On April 3, 2013

In Uncategorized

Spring seems to finally arrived in Calgary and I couldn’t be more excited. Of course, it’s supposed to snow tomorrow, but until then I will enjoy every last ounce of sunshine that I can! H & I went for a gorgeous run at lunch and N and I plan on meeting up at the delicious Village Ice Cream after work.

April is here and I hope she doesn’t have many showers for us! March was filled with CrossFit Open Work Outs (I bet you didn’t see that one coming), delicious Big Taste meals, fun nights with friends, and lots of Fitness! I’m trying out a different way of sharing this month’s photos, so we’ll see how I like this. Here’s what we got up to in March.

Follow me on Instagram @whoalansi

1. We started off the month with a pretty big snowstorm. Luckily it was on a Sunday so it didn’t bring the city to a grinding halt and I went out frolicking thanks to my AWD!

2. Fitness Fridays have continued. We’ve recruited a few more and have been keeping things interesting every week. I love seeing new faces come out!

3. D and I at Wurst for Z’s birthday. As always, it was a great time. Who doesn’t like 1L beers and beer hall style tables.

4. Big Taste is one of the best weeks for dining in Calgary. $35 set menu at 70 different restaurants in Calgary? Mom, Dad, N, and I went to Charcut this year. By far one of my favourite restaurants!

5. The girls at CrossFit Airdrie talked me into doing the Open and I’m so glad that they did. It’s been such a great experience. I’ve seen such improvement in my lifts and confidence and am so humbled by the amazing CrossFit athletes all around the world.

6. H, N, and I headed out to Lake Louise for once last day of skiing this season. Gorgeous snow and great company!

7. Saturday Coffee Dates are just the best!

8. It’s been warm enough for bare legs lately. I’ve been busting out the dresses and booties at every opportunity. I’m so ready for Spring!

9. Stars put on another great show last weekend. I’ve seen them four times and this was by far my favourite show. Thanks for the amazing night, Stars!

Tomorrow they announce the last CrossFit Open WOD. I’m both excited and sad for these weekly workouts to end. N very kindly came out to Airdrie with me on Sunday to take some photos, so I’ll hopefully be posting those soon. I make some pretty awesome faces when I work out!

We’re planning on cutting back on a few things this month, so cross your fingers for beautiful weather so we can spend out time outside and maintain some type of social life!

What did you get up to this month? Anything exciting planned for April?

Café

By whoalansi

On April 1, 2013

In Fashion

It’s no secret that I love coffee. A good cup of coffee is my favourite way to start the day. I have a stove top espresso maker and I love having time to make delicious coffee on the weekends. Even better though, is heading to a local coffee shop for a cappuccino or an americano. I’ve been drinking Fratello Coffee for a while at the Calgary Farmer’s Market and it’s what goes in our stove top espresso maker. Now they also have a great shop on 17th avenue called Analog Coffee and it is fast becoming my favourite.

When we did strict paleo, I made an effort to drink my coffee black more often and Fratello made this significantly easier. N has always drank his black, but I was a milk and raw sugar girl myself. Mostly, this is just a necessity due to the terrible coffee at work. I’ve come to enjoy my weekend coffee without any sugar, but I still love a delicious cappuccino from time to time.

Some days there’s nothing better than a delicious cappuccino, a pain au chocolat, and some blank journal pages. Fratello is such a great place to enjoy these simple joys. It takes me back to living in France. Journals are such a great way to keep track of travel, but I often forget how great it can be to do the same back home, when life is far more average.

Not only does Fratello have delicious coffee, but the cafe itself is really beautiful as well. My photos of it aren’t the greatest, sadly. (I was feeling a little self conscious trying to get them. I should work on that.) I guess you’ll all just have to check out for yourselves.

N and I were running low on coffee so we had to stop by again last weekend. Sometimes life is really tough.

I also convinced N to take some outfit photos after the pumpkin pancakes recipe photos. It was a gorgeous day; leather jacket weather is finally here! Most of the photos turned out pretty funny, but I got a couple that I like so here goes: first real outfit photos.

I’ve been wearing these little booties a lot since I got them. It wasn’t quite warm enough for bare legs last weekend, but I’ve worn them a few times since without tights. So exciting!

I find myself getting really excited for spring fashion every year around now. It’s probably the same with the start of other seasons, but all I’m thinking about is how satisfying it is to pull my leather jacket out of the back of my closet.

I already mentioned how much I love the inside of Analog Coffee but the exterior is just as great. I love this large, graphic A on the side as well as the A in the concrete at the threshold, the doors, and the large front windows.

I love slow-paced weekends sometimes. It’s so nice to sleep in, grab coffee together, and enjoy the gorgeous weather. We’re usually running from one thing to the next and before I know it it’s Monday already.

Coming out of the long weekend, I’m already wishing I could have one more day to relax. We had a great Easter weekend that seemed to last for much longer than three days, but I’m still not ready for work tomorrow morning. I guess that’s what happens after a great long weekend!

Happy Easter Everyone!

Pumpkin Pancakes

By whoalansi

On March 25, 2013

In Uncategorized

I love brunch. It’s one of my favourite things about weekends. We live down the street from 2 amazing brunch spots and a short drive from a handful of others, but most of the time we try to do brunch at home.

Pumpkin Pancakes are one of our favourite weekend treats. They are delicious, easy, and paleo. Triple threat brunch. Sounds good right?

I’ve instagrammed photos of these pancakes so many times that I figured it was about time I blogged about them. I even convinced N to photograph for me (believe me, not an easy feat!). And yes, I always look this put together on Saturday mornings. (I hope if you make these pancakes you enjoy them in your pyjamas too. No makeup necessary.)

I really wish I could take credit for this awesome recipe, but sadly I cannot. This is from what has quickly become my favourite cookbook, Practical Paleo. Follow the link to Diane’s recipe online or check out my very similar version below.

Pumpkin Pancakes
grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, nut-free, nightshade-free

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

* 4 eggs
* 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
* 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil (I use coconut oil)
* 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
* 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup (unless you’re going sugar free. You can also use honey.)
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (we don’t have this so I added a pinch of nutmeg)
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt (I’ve forgotten this many times.)

Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl.

Add the pumpkin puree, pure vanilla extract, and pure maple syrup. Whisk together. Sift the spices and baking soda into the wet ingredients. (I am usually too lazy for sifting, so I just add them and mix until everything is combined.)

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter (or coconut oil) in a large skillet over medium heat. Then, mix the butter into the batter. (I let it cool for a bit so it doesn’t cook the egg.)

Continue to whisk the batter and butter until they are completely combined.

Grease the skillet and spoon the batter into the skillet to make pancakes of your desired size. When bubbles appear, flip the pancakes once to finish cooking.

Serve with butter, cinnamon or bananas. Personally, we usually go with extra maple syrup and nice cup of fresh coffee.

Enjoy!

13.2

By whoalansi

On March 19, 2013

In Uncategorized

I tried to take a little break from the fitness talk, but with the 13.3 announcement coming up tomorrow at 5 pm PST I figured it was time for a little update.

We didn’t go skiing the Sunday of 13.1 so I redid the workout. I’m so happy I did because the snatches that had been nearly impossible that Thursday were suddenly so much easier. I went from 107 reps to 120 reps, which was a goal I didn’t expect to attain.

My ranking after 13.1
Canada West vs The World

My first thoughts when they announced 13.2 on Wednesday night were, “It looks simple. That definitely means it’s going to hurt a lot.”. That was a pretty accurate assessment.

Workout 13.2
AMRAP 10 min
5 shoulder to overhead (115#/75#)
10 deadlifts (115#/75#)
15 box jumps (24″/20″)

This was one of those workouts that forces you to question any thoughts you may have had about how strong your cardio is. I’ve always done well at cardio-based CrossFit WODs and this one destroyed me. After ten minutes, I was literally sprawled on the floor wondering why I’d put myself through that. One of the coaches came over to high five me and said something about how he guessed I’d be re-doing it Sunday. I didn’t understand what he meant at first since I had no idea about the number of reps that I’d done.

It turns out that I’d done 197 reps. Obviously I was going to have a hard time accepting that as my final score.

We went skiing on Saturday at Lake Louise, so I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel on Sunday. I put on my compression socks though and hoped my legs wouldn’t be too sore. N and I both knew I was going to try for 200 reps.

I went in the second heat this time and watching the others do this WOD again made me wonder what was wrong with me. The look of pain of their faces had me second guessing my decision to do it over. What if I didn’t get a better score? What if I did the whole WOD over again and nothing changed? I had to try anyway. At least I’d know I’d be getting a good work out in.

I beat my score by 12 reps. It hurt just as much and I ended the workout flat on my back again, but at least I got over that 200 mark. I know I would have been really disappointed if I hadn’t redone it.

The best part of this whole story is probably the fact that I almost didn’t end up submitting my score. I watched one of my coaches do it (297 reps! Insane!) and then had to run home to shower and get ready to head to N’s parents’ for dinner. It was only once I got there and was showing him the video of my coach doing part of it that I realized I hadn’t actually submitted my new score.

I added my score to the website from my iPhone with 38 minutes to spare. Fewf!

Tomorrow they announce 13.3 and I’m excited to watch the showdown and see what’s in store for me this week. I’m betting on pull ups. There’s got to be some pull ups coming up somewhere.

Until then, I’ve been having some fun on the Reebok and CrossFit websites. You can customize your own CrossFit shoe! I was bored the other day so this is what I came up with.

Snow Day

By whoalansi

On March 18, 2013

In Uncategorized

As the rest of the world is preparing for Spring, we’re just hoping Winter doesn’t last too much longer. Spring in Calgary is always a roller coaster of ridiculous weather. Last week the temperature literally changed by 30 degrees. Wednesday it was 12 above; Thursday it was 20 below. Yes, you read that right: 30 degree temperature change in 24 hours. March is one of our snowiest months, but I still go into it thinking “Hey, Spring is almost here!” Fool.

A few weekends ago, we started the weekend in the teens and finished with a full blown snow storm. It was classic Calgary. Luckily, the storm hit on a Sunday so most people could just stay in, wrapped in blankets, watching movies.

I, however, decided to venture out for a few provisions: namely fresh sourdough bread and artisan coffee. I figure that I drive a Subaru for just such occasions. Nothing gets in the way of me and food or coffee. Seriously. Don’t try.

I also decided that I’d make good on my promise to myself to use my SLR more often and take some photos. Our street is pretty gorgeous year round, but there’s just something about fresh snow that I love.

Of course, I started with some obligatory outfit photos. Flannel, Canada toques, leggings, and pink socks. I know, I’m such a fashionista.

By the time I was done taking photos of snow covered Rula and our street, I was covered in snow and I hadn’t even actually brushed any of it off my car. It’s a good thing N was at football; he’d never have put up with my taking pictures of my car instead of actually doing something about the snow covering it.

Rulala

Our pretty street

Sorels are the best!

Driving was a bit of an adventure, but nothing too ridiculous. I slid around a fair bit heading to my destinations, but by the time I left Analog Coffee things are cleared up significantly and I had no trouble making it back home.

Mission Accmplished: Artisan Sourdough

All in all, it was a pretty great Sunday. As much as I’d love to be enjoying patio beers and gearing up for Spring, sometimes a Winter snowstorm is just what you need to reboot. There’s something so relaxing and peaceful about watching the snow fall as you enjoy a delicious cup of coffee.

Thanks for keeping me safe, Ru!

Forging Elite Fitness

By whoalansi

On March 1, 2013

In Uncategorized

I’ve been doing CrossFit workouts sporadically for the last year and half. I used to just go to the website, write down the Workout of the Day (WOD), and do it at the YMCA after work. Sometimes I’d do it with friends, but it was never really more than once a week.

This summer I started going to a friend’s gym in his garage. I still was mostly running and only going about once a week, but I really loved it. Sadly, CrossFit is really expensive, so I went back to running for most of the fall.

You might be asking yourself what is CrossFit ?

“CrossFit is an effective way to get fit. Anyone can do it. It is a fitness program that combines a wide variety of functional movements into a timed or scored workout. We do pull-ups, squats, push-ups, weightlifting, gymnastics, running, rowing, and a host of other movements. Always varied, always changing, and always producing results. Kids, cops, firefighters, soccer moms, Navy SEALS, and grandmas all do CrossFit.” (CrossFit.com)

Last month, I got the opportunity to try out Airdrie CrossFit Edge for six months. I’ve been trying to go three times a week and so far it’s been great. I love the competitive nature of it and the fact that I always feel like I’ve worked hard. I used to waste a lot of time at the gym. I’d spend longer working out, but wasn’t as effective so I wasn’t getting anywhere.

Anyway, the CrossFit games are coming up. I watched a lot of the Games last year and they’re so inspiring. These athletes are incredible! I just love Camile Leblanc-Bazinet. Seriously, check her out. She just blows through that WOD after three days of intense work outs; it’s so beautiful! (Plus she’s French Canadian, adorable, and gorgeous – love her!)

In order to get to the games, you have to qualify. The process starts with the CrossFit Games Open, which anyone can enter. A lot of people at my box are doing it and they tried to convince me to sign up yesterday. If I go next Thursday, I’ll be doing the WOD anyway. Their argument is that if I register for the open, I’ll get to see how I compare to everyone else who does it. It costs $20 to register. I’m sure I won’t make it very far, but it might be interesting to see where I stand. I’m still undecided, however.

What do you think, blogger world? Should I register?

Worky

By whoalansi

On February 13, 2013

In Uncategorized

Exciting news for me in the job world! Ok, so this isn’t exactly news since I started a week and a half ago, but I forgot to share. I’ve been with geoLOGIC Systems as a Customer Solutions Specialist for the last 8 months. Basically, my job was to answer phone calls about how to use our software and troubleshoot client issues.

In January, a position for Instructional Designer came up and I applied. We’re redesigning our training courses and the manuals that go with them. Turns out I got the job! I started the first week of February and it’s been great so far. The job itself is great. I get to edit and write as well as be a bit creative since it’s a redesign. Not only that, but there are so many little things about this job that are great. I no longer have a strictly set lunch hour. I’m also no longer tied to my desk and don’t have to check who is available before using the washroom or getting water. The freedom is unreal!

It took a couple days to transition out of solutions but I’m now moved into my new desk and mostly only working on stuff for my new position.

Paleo Challenge

By whoalansi

On January 20, 2013

In Uncategorized

Making Olive Tapenade

I’ve been hearing about the Palaeolithic Diet for a while now. When you do CrossFit, it’s only a matter of time until a Paleo Challenge comes up so I’d been reading and thinking quite a bit about it for a while.

I’ve never believed in diets. I don’t believe they work. I’ve always thought eating well and exercise were the only way to go. While I still believe this, what eating well means to me has changed significantly this year.

Cooking my first whole chicken

This summer, a friend recommended the book Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo. I was looking for a new cookbook with some good recipes and Diane’s book seemed great so I ordered it online. N and I had been making an effort to eat better and I’d already been introducing some paleo recipes to our meal plan. (Yes, we’re big nerds and do a weekly meal plan. It helps with budgeting.) Diane’s book is great. The recipes are beautiful and she does a great job of explaining a lot of the science behind paleo. Between her book and Mark’s Daily Apple, a lot of what I was reading was starting to make sense. I still wasn’t sold on the idea though. I’ll be the first to tell you, I love bread and cheese. Part of why I loved living in France so much was the food. I love everything about good food. The more I read though, the more I wanted to try 30 days of paleo. I just wasn’t sure if I could convince Nathan to give up his cereal in the morning. By the same token, he thought I’d never give up cheese.

One of our easy go-to recipes:
Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Two weeks into November, my friend told me her and her boyfriend were doing a 30 day paleo challenge. This was just the motivation I needed to propose it to N. He agreed and we ate through what we could of our grains and legumes before Nov 15. It wasn’t the best time to be doing a paleo challenge (we had Christmas and Birthday Parties and were training for a half marathon) but I figured there would always be a reason why now wasn’t the time. So we decided to cut grains, legumes, dairy products, potatoes, refined salt, refined sugar, and processed oils from our diet as much as possible. We knew that most weekends would probably involve a “cheat” meal of some sort, but during the week we stuck to paleo as much as possible.

One of N’s favourite foods is pizza, so I kick started our month with a paleo pizza. It turned out pretty well for a pizza without grains or cheese and it was definitely a fun experiment. We made a cauliflower crust and then topped it with some delicious tomato sauce, meat, mushrooms and asparagus. N still says it’s not really a pizza, but he enjoyed it anyway.

Paleo Pizza

We finished our paleo challenge Dec 15, just in time for my Christmas Party. I really enjoyed our month of paleo and it has definitely changed the way I think about the food I put in my mouth. We’ve since added back in a few things, namely dairy, but are mostly still excluding everything else. I found after the month was over, I didn’t want to go back to eating grains.

Feeling awesome!

I would never say I’m gluten intolerant or that I’ll never eat gluten (we still love to go out for dinner!), but I’m definitely more aware of the effect both have on my body. A lot of people are horrified that we eat bacon every morning and cook with bacon fat and butter, but I honestly feel great eating this way. One of the biggest changes I noticed was the sluggish feeling I used to get after my lunchtime sandwich was gone.

I didn’t go into this thinking I was going to lose a ton of weight. I don’t really weigh myself that often anymore anyways, but I did take note of my weight at the beginning and then again at the end. I lost about 10 pounds, which was a wonderful side effect. I’m mostly just happy to feel like I look better. I’ve gotten a lot of compliments which also makes me feel amazing.

I really have nothing but great things to say about the experience. I know it’s not for everyone and I know a lot of paleo enthusiasts can get kind of preachy, so my goal is to stay far away from that. At the end of the day, I think everyone should do what makes them feel good.

So I’ll leave you with this: Try new recipes. Eat bacon. Experiment with food.

Eat, drink, be merry.

Here’s a few favourites for our month-long challenge. Check out Diane’s book for the actual recipes.

Chinese Five Spice Lettuce Wraps

Spaghetti Squash Bolognese

First delicious attempt at lamb chops with olive tapenade

Butternut Squash Sage Soup

Shrimp and Pesto Zucchini Fettuccine

Lemon Artichoke Chicken

Typical Breakfast: Rutabaga Egg Nests with Avocado and Bacon

December in Instagram

By whoalansi

On January 3, 2013

In Uncategorized

Welcome to 2013! I say this every year, but I can’t believe it’s a new year already. The whole year flew by and December was no exception. So much happened this month that it was hard to choose just 9 photos to represent 30 days! (I obviously have a photo problem.)

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and enjoyed the New Years Festivities! 2012 was great! Here’s to another great year in 2013! xoxo