01/28/2013 Training

Monday - Snatch intense + Clean and Jerk battery

A. Squat Snatch Cluster, 1.1 x 5 sets, 3 min

65/70/7075 (f 2nd )/70/75 (f 2nd)

B. Power Clean. Squat Clean. Split Jerk, 2.1.2 x 5 sets, 1:30 min b/t sets

65/75/85/90/95

A Noble Cowl

 

I made this over the Christmas holidays. Actually, I frantically tried to knit the entire thing on the drive to Kelowna which is about 7 hours. Turns out this cowl takes more than 7 hours to make! I think the total time including finishing was about 10 hours. That makes me sound like slow knitter. I would make this again, I really liked the lace pattern and the way it drapes. I agree with the author of the pattern that it would look really pretty with a broach. A friend of mine added buttons to hold a certain fold to hers and it also looks adorable. One thing I would suggest if anyone decides to make this, is to highlight sets of 2 or 3 stitches in each row. There are so many yarn overs and knit 1s that it was making me crosseyed, so I colour coded 2 stiches in each row so that my eye could focus on the green bit, the blue bit etc. instead of searching for which set of yarn overs I had just done. Oh and if you make a mistake in the lace pattern, don't worry! It's not that noticable :). That's the tough thing about lace - not much room for error since it will mess up all the rest of your rows!

 

The pattern I used is A Noble Cowl which is a free pattern on Ravelry.

 

I used Zen Yarn Garden, Serenity Worsted  which is 75% merino, 15% cashmere and 10% nylon, in Japanese Maple Red. This yarn is WONDERFUL and I wish I could afford to use it for more things. The yarn is incredibly soft (well duh, there's cashmere in it!), feels dense and drapes really well so it was a good choice for this project. Also, it did not split at all so it was nice for working in a lace pattern. 

Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

 

This makes a lot of chili. And it was just for me so I still have some in my freezer. Good thing its delicious and freezes well! Matt took this picture of course and spiced it all up because he is da bomb at creating tex mex/Mexican flavours.

 

You will need a 4QT crock pot to fit all of this.

 

Ingredients

yiels 6-8 dinner portions

 

1 yellow oninion, diced

1 16 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 8 oz can corn, drained and rinsed

1 16 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

2 fresh tomatoes, diced

3 serrano chilis, minced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

*1-2 cups chicken broth

2 chicken breasts, diced

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbs cayenne powder

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp red chili flakes

3-4 drops of chipotle tabasco hot sauce

salt and pepper to taste

1 avocado, diced (for garnish)

small bunch of cilantro, diced (for garnish)

lime wedges (for garnish)

cheese of choice (for garnish)

 

1. Put your crock pot on high to cook for 4 hours or low to cook for 8 hours.

2. Put everything into the crock pot except for the garnish, mix well and let cook according to the times above.

 

* I felt my chili was a bit dry, although I do love a really thick chili, so I added about a cup of chicken stock. If you like it more "soupy" and there's enough room in your pot, you can add more. The liquid does not evaporate much or at all with this recipe so your level of soupiness will stay the same.



01/25/2013 Training

Fri - Clean and Jerk intense + Snatch battery + DL based MAP

A. Push Jerk, build to a 1RM

100

B. Power Clean, build to a 1RM

105 110(F) - didn't turn over fast enough or aggressively enough

C. Squat Snatch @ 65lb, 30 reps for time - not a power snatch + ohs, it has to be received in a squat

still struggling to receive in the full squat position, a lot of these were at parallel. 10:07

D. 3 sets:

20 DL @ 100lb

500m Row @ 75%

2 min b/t sets

4:25/4:30/4:28

rowed at about 2:17/500m

01/23/2013 Training

Wed - Upper CP + Aerobic tester

A1. CGBP @ 20X1, 2-3 reps x 5 sets, 1 min

5 rep 65# / 3 rep 75 / 3 rep 80 / 3 rep 85

A2. One Arm DB Rows @ 20X0, 4-5 reps x 5 sets, 1 min (30 sec b/t arms)

5 rep 25# /5 rep 30 / 5 rep 35 / " / "

B. 3 rounds for time:

25 OHS @ 45lb

500m Row

15:05

01/21/2012 Training

Monday - Snatch intense + Clean and Jerk battery + FSq based MAP

A. Power Snatch, build to a 1RM

75

B. Squat Clean. Push Press. Split Jerk, 2.2.2 x 5 sets, 2 min

65/75/80/80/80

C. 3 sets:

45 sec touch n go Squat Clean @ 65lb

7/8/7

45 sec Lateral Barbell Burpees

12/13/12

45 sec Double Unders only had lifting shoes so skipped this :(

90 sec rest

section C made me feel out of shape. blarg.

01/14/2013 Training

When is January over? Seriously, there can't be that many people as crazy as I am to workout at 5 a.m. I have been proven wrong this month. This wod is too long...over an hour and I need to get to work so I cut out the clean cluster. When I repeat this in 2 weeks I'll switch it out for the squat bit. I'm surprised I could do 10 reps today. Go me!

Monday - Snatch intense + Clean and Jerk battery + FSq based MAP

A. Squat Snatch Cluster, 1.1 x 5 sets, 3 min

65/65/70/70(1F)/70

B. Power Clean. Squat Clean. Split Jerk, 2.1.2 x 5 sets, 1:30 min b/t sets

C. 5 sets:

10 Front Squat @ 95lbs

complete

120 sec Row @ 75%

440/442/435/430/427 m

120 sec rest

 

Turkey Taco Salad

This is one of Matt and my go-to meals. It is easy to make, fast, delicious and mostly healthy! When I was vegetarian, I would make this with dehydrated soy protein and add onions and all the spices the same as below. To be honest, you can't really tell the difference between the soy protein and any other kind of meat as long as you spice it generously. Even the texture is very similar. This is  a really good brand of soy protein that I always used.

 

Ingredients

yields 2 servings

 

300g ground turkey

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 Serrano chillies, minced

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

1 head of green leaf lettuce, cut into bite sized pieces

1 cup grated medium cheddar cheese

2 handfuls of tortilla chips, crushed

2 tomatoes, diced

salsa

guacamole

oil of choice

 

Instructions

1. Dice the onion and chillies. Preheat a frying pan on medium heat.

2. Oil the pan and add the chillies and onion. Fry onion until soft.

3. Add the ground turkey to the pan along with all of your spices. Combine well, and keep breaking up the turkey as it cooks.

4. While the turkey cooks, grate cheese, dice tomato and prepare lettuce for the salad.

5. Once the turkey is completely cooked through (15-20 minutes) in large bowls place 3/4 full of lettuce, top with tomato, then crushed tortilla chips, then cheese, then spoon the hot turkey on top of cheese.

6. Serve with salsa and guacamole. No other salad will make you this full :)



01/09/2013 Training

Tuesday - Upper CP + Aerobic tester

A1. Weighted Bar Dips @ 20X1, 2-3 reps x 5 sets, 1 min

10#/12.5/15/17.5/20 all 3 reps each

A2. Weighted Pronated Chin-ups @ 20X0, 2 reps x 5 sets, 1 min

5#/5/7.5/7.5/7.5 haven't done pronated in awhile = sucky

B. AMRAP in 10 minutes:

20 KBS - 16kg

15 Box Jumps - 18"

10 Burpees

4 rounds

01/08/2013 Training

Gyms in January are bonkers. I'm really tempted to slander all the new years resolutions go-getters...but alas, fitness is a good thing so I can't discourage it...even if it means the newbies take all the machines and space and screw up my workout!

I keep getting sick, so I am starting my new 6 week program a day late.

 

Monday - Snatch intense + Clean and Jerk battery + FSq based MAP

A. Squat Snatch Cluster, 1.1 x 5 sets, 3 min

65/70/65/70/70

B. Power Clean. Squat Clean. Split Jerk, 2.1.2 x 5 sets, 1:30 min b/t sets

75/80/85/90/90

C. 5 sets: here's when the gym got insane. No rack available and had to wait for rowers...so only had time for 3 sets and since I had to clean the 95# from the floor for the front squat and the fact that I haven't squat or cleaned anything in 2 weeks, only did 5 reps of squats and rowed 444m/435/440

10 Front Squat @ 95lbs

120 sec Row @ 75%

120 sec rest

1 Dish, 2 Meals - Roasted Sweet and Yellow Potato with Zucchini and Dill

 

 

Notice the small portion in the picture. This actually makes and entire pan, which I ate all by myself hehe.

Matt grilled a veggie meadly for me with our new veggie griller and then I made the leftovers for breakfast.

Grilled Sweet and Yellow Potato with Zucchini and Dill

Ingredients

1 sweet potato, fine sliced

1 big yellow potato, fine sliced

2 zucchinis, sliced into 2" medallions

1/4 red onion, sliced

1/2 lemon zest

small bunch of fresh dill, ripped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

 

Instructions

1. Preheat your BBQ to medium heat.

2. Slice your potatoes in half, then slice them into fine half medallions. I'm not going to lie - the sweet potato will be a b*tch to slice. Slice your zucchini into 2" medallions on an angle. This will allow all the veggies to cook at the same rate. Slice red onion

3. Add your lemon zest, dill, olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic to the veggie meadly and mix well. Take it to the BBQ on medium heat and pour into a veggie griller, and grill for 20 minutes, moving around the veggies every few minutes so that they do not burn.

4. Eat! Eat all the zucchini and reserve some of the potatoes for breakfast...

Sweet and Yellow Potato Omlete with Dill

Ingredients

Use the leftover sweet and yellow potatoes from the night before

4 eggs

1 tbsp milk

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp olive oil

 

Instructions

1. Preheat a medium sized frying pan on medium heat, drizzle with olive oil.

2. Place a single layer of sweet potato slices on the bottom, then a single layer of yellow potato slices on top.

3. While the potato layer is getting a head start, whisk your eggs, milk, salt and pepper together.

4. Pour eggs over top of the potatoes and cover the pan with a lid. Reduce the heat to medium-low.

5. Cook for about 10 minutes - until the eggs are cooked through and no longer runny. 

6. Cut into pizza-like slices and garnish with more fresh  dill.





Hot Hot Habanero Sausage Mac n' Cheese

If you have a cheat meal coming up, I highly suggest you give this a shot. We made ours really spicy, so feel free to tone down the heat to your preference. We put a total of 6 hot chillies in ours, but I think 3 would be a medium level of spice.

You'll also notice a link to the sausages we used. We order our groceries from Spud.com weekly and are so impressed with the quality, price and selection. Check it out!

Ingredients:

500g bow tie pasta
450g habanero chili sausages, remove casings
2 cups Havarti cheese, grated
2 cups jalapeno block cheese, grated
3/4 cup milk
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup flour
3 garlic cloves, fine sliced
3 hot chilies, fine diced (I suggest one of each: red chili, Serrano chili, jalapeno)
3/4 cup reserved pasta water
1/4 cup bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 F.
2. Boil the pasta according to the package directions. Make sure it is quite al dente since you will be baking the pasta. No one like soggy pasta! REMEMBER to reserve pasta water.
3. Chop the hot peppers, grate cheese, slice garlic, remove sausage from casing.
4. In a frying pan on medium heat, fry your sausage meat, breaking it up as it cooks. When it is almost done, add the diced chillies and mix well.
5. Time to make the roux! In a frying pan on medium heat, melt butter and add sliced garlic. Gradually add flour and whisk into butter until dissolved with a plastic whisk.
6. When the flour, butter and garlic make a paste, gradually add the milk, whisking all the time. Reduce heat to medium-low and NEVER stop whisking. You will burn the roux if you stop moving it around.
7. Reserve 1/2 cup of each cheese and combine the cooked pasta, roux, cheese* and sausage into a casserole pan. If the pasta mixture looks dry, add some pasta water. Spread the pasta flat, sprinkle with bread crumbs and top with the remaining cheese.
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly and crispy on top.
9. Try and eat it without feeling guilty ;-)

*feel free to adjust the cheesiness, this is a lot of cheese!

Yarn Bowls!

Look what I made!!!!
Apparently clay shrinks in the kiln A LOT. I didn't realize that. So I have 3 really tiny yarn bowls now. I was also thinking of using them as candle holders and put a tea light inside or something. Next pottery class I'll try round two of yarn bowl making and go big this time!

01/04/2013 Training

I took some time off from lifting over the holidays to recover and have just been doing runs and body weight stuff at home. Today was my first day back at the gym and was expecting the worst, but was pleasantly surprised. I've lost some grip strength, and weight overhead felt less stable but overall I think the break did my body good.

A1. Push Press @ 11x1 1 rep x 5 sets, 1:30 rest
70/75/85/85/90 - didn't push it too hard today, being the first day back
A2. AMRAP chest to bar pull-ups x 5 sets, 1:30 rest
5/5/4/4/4 - supinated
B1. HSPU to adjusted depth @ 20x0 2-3 reps x 4 sets 1:30 rest
3 with fat side of ab mat/the rest with skinny side: 3/3/2
B2. AM RAP kipping pull-ups x 4 sets, 1:30 rest
4/4/5/4 - grip was a majorrrrr issue gahhhhh not happy with this

Döppekuche - Sausage and Potato Casserole

We made this from a recipe found in Grandma's German Cookbook by Birgit Hamm and Linn Schmidt. It's basically shredded onion and potato with yogurt and sausages baked for 4 hours. It tastes like Germany so of course it's amazing. I find this meal really showcases the sort of tang that a lot of German food has.

Minty Thrummed Mittens

I made these for a Secret Santa that my family holds every year and my mom ended up winning them. Which is good for me so that I can steal them. I had a hard time giving them up! One thing about this pattern that I do not like is that the tips of the mitten are so pointy. This is the second time I've made this mittens and I swear its the pattern, and not me that makes them so pointy. Oh well, I guess it gives them an old school look. On the other hand, this pattern is extremely easy to follow so I will probably continue to use it for future thrummed mittens.

Thrummed mittens are great because the thrums create a nice heart pattern on the mitten as well as insulating the inside. After a couple months of wear, the inside thrums felt together to create an air tight barrier against the cold and wind. At first the mittens feel too fluffy and are kind of hard to get your hands into, but eventually they pack down and mould to your hands.

I used Red Neck Goat yarn which is 30% Wool and 70% Alpaca and hand died. I also used their fibre for the thrums. I really like the durability and weight of this yarn. As well as the colours. The labels do not indicate colours so I have dubbed this yarn "Minty".

Here is the pattern I used.