Meat Me in the Middle

I know, I know... long time, no post. I'm sure you understand that I've been running around like a crazy person trying to prepare for the holidays, teach some math, cook and eat lots of good food, and work out hard. Let's get caught up.

Sean and decided to invest in one eighth of a grass fed cow through Philly Cowshare.

a barren freezer

 

after 40 lbs of grass fed deliciousness

Plus, we discovered that our freezer holds an unexpectedly ridiculous amount of frozen foods, as the meat didn't take nearly up as much space as we thought it would. Last week I made the coconut milk/curry paste crock pot meat recipe with a ginormous chuck steak, and tonight I whipped up some of the ground beef into an amazing meal (with leftovers for days).

onion, garlic, zucchini, meat, diced tomatoes, and spices simmering away...

... and eaten with some spaghetti squash

In other news, my "holiday sandwich challenge" is just about finished. I've done very well, although not perfectly on plan like I was with the last 30-day challenge. I think blogging every day of the last challenge really helped me stay on track. Plus, this challenge I was surrounded by so many holiday season temptations which made it hard to be super strict around others who have no hesitations about indulging. As much as I'd like to say that my will-power is healed and I'm 100% in control of it again, that's not the case - I still have some work to do. I do plan on treating myself on Christmas day (it would be pretty much be sacrilegious to deny my mother's traditional once-a-year french toast), but I will jump back into "Paleo + alcohol once a week" right afterward.


I have some big plans for my week off of work:

1. Take some "me time". Aside from the "me time" I intend on spending cleaning and organizing, I need to spend time just relaxing and clearing my head. I aim to go for a 20-minute walk each day of break. If I find that it's too cold outside, maybe I'll just sit or lay down with no computer/TV... meditating maybe?
2. No more snacks after dinner, no matter how Paleo that tempting snack is. I don't need it.
3. Try a yoga class at CrossFit. I've been avoiding the world of yoga, but I know I need it. What's the worst that can happen? I leave feeling too stretched out and too relaxed?
4. Since I have no obligations over break, I want to try to get my sleep cycle aligned with the sun - fall asleep with the sunset and wake up with the sunrise. Weird I know, but I feel the need to try it out.
5. Make NONE of my usual recipes (you know, the crock pot meat, zucchini quiche, and my beloved brussels and bacon). I want to branch out and try something new - especially now that I have all these fun cuts of meat to play with. My goal is to cook at least 4 new recipes over break - perhaps from the Paleo Comfort Foods cookbook that's on my Christmas list ;)

At very least all of this should provide me with some fun blog material for the week ahead, so you should be hearing from me soon. I hope everyone has a fun and relaxing holiday with those you love the most!