Be You

All the time, I catch people using the phrase "just believe in yourself!" It is such a simple, but hard phrase to truly follow. Since we are usually the hardest on ourselves, it is easy to doubt our abilities. We are all constantly pushed to be better and we are never satisfied with who we are. My amazing friend Tiffany defines success as doing your very best at that very moment. Meaning, we can't always be aiming for something higher. Each moment of each day is different and as long as we try our best in that moment...that is success.

Today I am going to focus on believing in myself. In order really do this, I have to let go of my baggage and just be me. Afterall, how can I believe in myself if I am working so hard to be someone else? To reach success, I have to believe and to believe I just have to be me.

Community

This past weekend, I was blessed to be around the most influential people in my life. I surrounded myself with tan, ripped, and spandex-wearing athletes from all around the world. I attended the 2011 Crossfit Games held in California!




If I had to chose one word to sum up my weekend….It would be EPIC! The crossfit games is comprised of the top 49 male and 49 female athletes from around the globe. They are put through 10 grueling work-outs to find the fittest man and woman on the planet. I was fortunate enough to have my very own coaches compete, Matt and Cherie Chan. In addition to cheering on the Chans all weekend, we had another Verve athlete, Jim, competing in the Masters competition. Crossfit Verve was represented to the upmost potential and I couldn’t have been prouder to be a part of it. Let me start by saying Cherie Chan is my idol. She is the true definition of a strong and beautiful woman. She put her heart out on the field and she had a smile on her face the whole time. Cherie finished 40th in the world! Jim was amazing! Every time I watch him compete, it gives me chills. He has a big heart and works so hard to make everyone proud. Jim at the age of 47 finished 7th in the world!! Last but not least….Chananimal (aka Matt Chan) was nothing less than spectacular to watch. He is extremely methodical and his capacity is amazing! Matt stayed very consistent throughout each work out and finished 1st in the strength portion. Overall, Matt finished 10th in the world!

I am always asked, why I love crossfit so much. It’s simple. I love it for the community. There is no other sport out there where you have the camaraderie that crossfit has. This past weekend, I watched competitors cheer each other on, help each other off of their feet, and stand by their side until they finished. Powerful stuff. There was one moment in particular that gave me goose bumps. During the final Team Event that would determine the Crossfit Games Champion something unbelievable took place. With only six teams in the final event, there were 6 stations that each member must compete. There was a 30 minute time cap to complete all the stations and winner took all. The stadium was completely filled! At the sound of “3, 2, 1…GO!”, the teams began. It was a race to the finish line and it was an EPIC battle for sure. When it was all said and done, I don’t remember the first place finisher. It was not something that stood out in my mind. What I do remember was all the other teams cheering on the team that got hung up at the first station. One team was not able to finish under the 30 minute cap because the first station took them about 20 minutes alone. Instead of walking off the field in defeat…the team kept going. Even though the clock had stopped, the judges had left, and the games crew started to pack away the stadium, the team kept going. Not to mention, all the other teams that had finished stayed and continued to cheer, count reps, and encourage the team to finish. It was amazing…not even one spectator left their seat. We all cheered just like we did for the other teams. We all stayed together until the end. This is community. No one left each other’s side until EVERYONE was done. It was an amazing moment that truly captured what crossfit is all about.

Throughout the whole weekend, I witnessed groups of crossfitters cheer on other gyms and individuals. I watched athletes complete their last rep and then immediately walked over to their competitor to cheer. They clapped. They yelled. They encouraged. No one was left out on the field alone. You see…today the world tells us winning is everything; the world says it is ok to celebrate and gloat in front of your competition; the world tells us to step on our competition and not to look back. The world is wrong and that’s why crossfit is going to change this world. Crossfit is passion, healthy competition and above all else Crossfit is community.


Above is Matt cheering on fellow competitor until he finishes!

As the sport continues to grow, so does our ability to share with the rest of the world what true competition should look like. So here is what I took away from this weekend. In essence, everyday is competition in one form or another. I am choosing to compete with a smile. I will encourage my competitors when I am done and I won’t let anyone stand on the field alone whether it is inside the gym or at home. I am going to compete everyday and help change this world one smile at a time.

Cherie Chan dominating the rope climbs!


Matt Chan during Ocean swim workout! He came in 1st for the swim:)

MEATLOAF

Alright, I know what you are thinking...Meatloaf? Yes, meatloaf is on the menu. This is by far the best meatloaf recipe I have ever found. This is my comfort food. Oh man this stuff is good! I made this recipe and had some squash noodles with it. This makes quite a bit, so it is perfect for taking with you to work for lunch. I actually have been eating this for breakfast too:)

MEATLOAF (Sweet Cheeks)

Ingrediants:
-1 teaspoon olive oil

-6 slices bacon, chopped

-1 medium red onion, chopped

-1 green bell pepper, chopped
-1 teaspoon crushed garlic
-3/4 cup almond meal

-1/2 cup coconut milk

-1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
-1 1/2 pounds ground beef (At least 93% lean)
-1 egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Cook 2 slices bacon, stirring, until almost crisp, about 4 minutes. Add onion and bell pepper, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook until vegetables are soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and add almond meal and coconut milk. Let cool.


Add ground meat and egg. Dive right in with those hands and mix it up! Transfer mixture to 2, 5-by-9-inch loaf pan and smooth top. Place remaining bacon slices over meatloaf. Bake until meatloaf is cooked through, about 1 hour. Let cool in pan 20 minutes before slicing. If you don't have the patience to let it cool and you cut into it right away like I did :) It will still be delicious, just a little crumbly.

Squash Noodles

There are so many nights that I get home from a long day at work and usually a hard work out at Verve, and the last thing I want to do is cook. BUT this is one of my "go to" veggie dishes that is simple and quick. I can make a lot of this at once and it goes perfect with any main dish.

I use Squash Noodles to replace pasta and it works like a charm! With the right sauce, these noodles are amazing!

Ingrediants:
- 2 yellow squash
- 2 Zuchini
- 1 T. EVOO
- 2 cloves garlic
-Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
- Heat EVOO in skillet over medium heat.
- Cut squash and zuchini into long noodle-like pieces. I usually cut the squash in half and then cut noodles from there.
- Place noodles and garlic in skillet and cook about 6-10 minutes over medium heat until noodles are tender




Here is my FAVORITE pasta sauce of all time! It is soooo good. Trust me. Buy this! No added sugar with all natural ingrediants. Simply amazing!

Cleaning out the Fridge Salad

I have put off going to the grocery store lately and that usually results in random things left in the fridge. I decided to put together a quick salad with what I had left. It actually turned out pretty good. With just a few ingrediants, I have come up with my "cleaning out the fridge salad."

Cleaning out the Fridge Salad:

Ingrediants:
-4 large boneless chicken breasts
-2 cups baby carrots
-3 stalks celery
-2 T. olive oil
-Chili Powder
-Salt
-Pepper

Directions:-Since it is summer and I am in a grilling mood, I grilled the chicken breasts on the grill for 10 minutes on each side on low-medium heat.
-Let chicken cool completely
-I cannot stand raw carrots, so I always roast mine. (But feel free to use raw carrots if your heart desires.) Turn oven on broil and place carrots on baking sheet. Sprinkle olive oil on top and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and chili powder to taste. (I love chili powder, so I used about 1 T.) Place baking sheet in middle of oven and cook for 10 minutes. Stir carrots and cook for additional 10 minutes till carrots are tender.
-Let carrots cool.
-Cut celery, carrots and chicken into small pieces and place in bowl.
-Pour over dressing (recipe below)and add salt and pepper to taste.
-Chill in fridge or serve warm in lettuce wraps:)

Dressing Recipe:

Ingrediants:
-2 T. Olive Oil
-4 T. balsamic
-1 egg yolk
-salt and pepper
-2 T. mustard

Directions:
This is a recipe that I literally just made up. I didn't measure anything, so the above measurements are a guesstimate. Please add more or less if you find necessary.
-Whisk olive oil and balsamic vineger together. Mix in mustard and egg yolk. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Thats it! Yes, it's a simple dressing to give the salad a little extra kick. I am not really a fan of ranch, blue cheese or anything like that anymore, so it is fun to experiment to find new healthy dressings. Oh and don't be afraid to add anything else to this salad that you happen to have hanging out in the fridge:)

Enjoy!

BBQ Beef

This is a new recipe that I tried today and fell in love with...Crockpot BBQ Beef! It was easy and absolutely amazing! With summer in full swing, I have been craving some good BBQ, BUT most of the BBQ sauce you buy in the store is crap. About 99% of store bought BBQ sauces use high fructose corn syrup as their main ingrediant. Awful. So today, I swept the internet for a healthy, but tasty BBQ sauce and I found it! Courtesey of Civilized Caveman. You will notice this has no sugar! This is a great recipe to make and then take to lunch during the week. Enjoy!

Crock Pot BBQ Beef:

Ingredients:3-5 Lb Boneless Chuck Roast
1 Large White Onion
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Orange Bell Pepper
2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tsp Dried Basil (I didn't use because I didn't have it)
1 Tsp Dried Oregano
1 Tsp Paprika
1 Tsp Chili Powder
1 Tsp Black Pepper
1 Tsp Sea Salt
1/4 Cup Beef Broth

Directions:
-Mix all of your dry spices together in a mixing bowl and set aside
-Cut up your onions into large chunks and cut your peppers into long slices
-Toss all of your cuts of meat in the seasoning mixture and ensure you coat all sides of every piece of meat
-Using half of your vegetables, line the bottom of your crock pot and then place half of your meat on those vegetables
-Put the other half of your vegetables in your crock pot and then put in the rest of your meat
-Pour in your beef stock, cover and cook on low for 8 hours
-When the meat is done, remove all the meat pieces and vegetables and drain the crock pot
-Place all the meat back in and shred with two forks
-Pour in a whole batch of BBQ Sauce (recipe below) and mix well
-Cover and place on low for 30 minutes to let all the flavors mold together

BBQ Sauce Recipe:

Ingredients:3 Tomatoes, Diced
1 White Onion, Diced
4 Cloves of garlic, Diced
1 6 Ounce can of Tomato Paste
1 Cup Beef Stock
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Sweet Paprika
1 Tsp Sea Salt
1 Tsp Cayenne

Directions:
-Combine all ingredients above in a sauce pan and place on stove over medium heat stirring frequently
-Once your sauce starts to boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 60 minutes
-Once your sauce has simmered, turn off the heat and pour your sauce into a blender or food processor and run until you get a nice smooth sauce consistency. (This is completely optional. I did not do this because I am lazy and it still tasted amazing.)
-Return to the pan to keep warm or place on the food of your choice
-Store in the refrigerator