blog delay

I have a serious issue with forgetting to post on blogs. So today I will share a few recipes from the vault.

This is a fun little treat I love to have after dinner. Use a magic bullet or food processor, throw in some cashews until they are ground. Add some coconut oil and keep grinding until it's smooth. Scrape out the butter and add dark chocolate chips. It seriously tastes like cookie dough! I like to eat it with sliced fresh peaches. Side note: it's even better the next morning after spending the night in the fridge.

This dish was super easy and VERY yummy. Whole Foods has my favorite fish, Tilapia fresh as fresh can be. They also have a Cajun seasoning right in front of the Seafood section. For the fish I put some coconut oil in the pan, cover the fish in the cajun rub and cook it evenly on both sides. The green beans are tossed in lemon juice and salt. The last side is a personal fav and at least one meal a week. Cut up a sweet potato, add cinnamon and bake until tender. The perfect clean meal after any day!

What are some of your favorite meals? 

xoxo,

preppygator

bad days always get better

I've been home sick the last two days, bummer! But the upside (if there is one) is that I have had time to do some cooking. This has always been a passion of mine, whether it's following a recipe that's already created or making up a new one. Today I took an idea i've been wanting to make FOREVER but haven't been able to because I haven't had a food processor. Homemade cashew butter! Nommmmm!! It was super simple and not the highlight of this post so simply put, I threw the following into a processor: cashews, coconut oil, vanilla and honey. It was ridic amazing, definitely a treat!

Now for the main event my new Paleo Mash! I'm all for using left overs to create new ideas, it saves money and allows you to be creative. Hopefully you have an understanding spouse that will try all your crazy concoctions. Tonight I made a pork tenderloin, something The Gent LOVES! I wanted to make a fall-ish side to go with it and had half of a sweet potato in the fridge. What the HECK was I going to do with half a sweet potato as the sole side for two people? Well this was my bright idea: 

I mashed the already cooked sweet potato: 

Then I added 1/2 cup of 100% pumpkin, 2 tablespoons of coconut milk, 2 tablespoons of honey, 2 tablespoons of almond meal, a couple dashes of cinnamon and mixed and mashed with a fork. I spread it into a greased glass dish. 

I then baked it when I baked the pork, maybe about 30 minutes. You will easily be able to tell if it's getting burnt. Keep in mind this was only enough for 2 people, I would probably double the recipe if I was making it on a normal night. It was SO yummy and I could have gone for seconds or thirds! 

That is my made up recipe of the evening, I'll call it Paleo Mash for now. Whatever I call it, it was amazing! Try it out and let me know what you think. 

xoxo,

preppygator

What the heck is CrossFit?

That's the question I get most of the time I tell people what I do to workout. I'm from Florida originally and it's spread like wildfire down there, apparently not so much north of the mason dixon. This is the main website - crossfit.com - But from my perspective it's the only thing that has worked for me over the years. In short, it's usually a fairly short workout and uses a lot of muscles at once. Often known as "muscle confusion" this keeps your muscles guessing from day to day. Obviously this isn't a very technical explanation, but it's a simple (and probably girly) way of putting it. Both of the CrossFit gyms I have been a member of follow an OPT program as well. - optexperience.com - Check it out if you have never heard of it.

So what's the bottom line? CrossFit is something that works for me because I enjoy it and go 4-5 days a week. If you find something, anything, even if it's power walking that you can stick to 4-5 days a week.  DO IT!

Since I sliced my finger on my fun new knife, I have been limited on lifting. I want it to heal properly and quickly. So I changed my workout up a little.

WOD (workout of the day)

800m Run

40-30-20-10
Sit-ups with ab mat
Wall Balls with 14lb Ball

800m Run

Have you done CrossFit before? Like it? Don't like it? Share below.

xoxo,
preppygator

and the first recipe goes to...

EGGS!!! Something I eat everyday. Many different variations, for me it's scrambled all day, everyday. People often ask me, so what DO you eat? Like everyday meals. This is a very normal breakfast for me, super simple, very delicious and definitely filling! 

Ingredients:

- 3 eggs

- 1 t coconut oil

- 1/2 cup Pre-Cooked Turkey Sausage 

- 1/2 an avocado 

- 1/2 a banana

- salt and pepper to taste 

Directions: 

Super simple! Add coconut oil to a skillet over medium heat. Swirl around until completely covered. Add sausage, it's already cooked so you are just heating it up. Beat eggs in a separate bowl with a whisk. Add eggs over sausage and scramble. While thats cooking slice avocado and banana. All everything to your plate and enjoy! Super easy and very filling. 

What are some of your favorite breakfast items?

xoxo,
preppygator

Paleo Breakdown...

Here is my breakdown for what works for me for Paleo. The lifestyle is all about what works for you. Some people are 100% Paleo and some are 80/20, some even 50/50. It's all about finding what works for you and what you will stick to! We don't use the term lifestyle lightly, it's NOT a diet. It's NOT a short term thing. It a lifestyle change, so focus on what you CAN eat and not what you can't.

The following is a list of the most common foods I eat, don't forget they vary for everyone:

Proteins:
- eggs
- chicken
- beef
- fish
- pork
- limited bacon
- limited sausage

Veggies:
- broccoli
- green beans
- asparagus
- sweet potatoes

Fruits:
- strawberries
- grapes
- bananas
- apples
- peaches
- cherries
- raisins

Fats:
- avocado
- cashews
- almonds
- honey

Randoms:
- almond flour/meal
- coconut milk
- coconut butter
- coconut oil

You will see ingredients in my recipes that might not be listed here, just ask me about them! These are just staples for me.

What are some of your staples?

xoxo,

preppygator

Good evening ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Paleo Princess blog. I've blogged before in the past, but I'm looking forward to a place I can share my fun new recipes and talk about many things in life. Many of you may know me by my twitter, PreppyGator. This blog will focus on food but there will for sure be some PreppyGator love as well. Let me start by telling you a little bit about myself and my journey with the Paleo lifestyle.

I have been an athletic build pretty much my whole life, normally a little heavier than I would like. I have tried every diet you can think of and most workouts to go with them. I played all kinds of sports in high school and maintained an okay diet. When I go to college I realized that without working out with sports I needed to change my diet. I cut out certain things, like dairy and other things for small amounts of time, but nothing I could really stick to. My last semester of grad school I cut out milk, cheese and pasta. I had already stopped drinking soda a couple years prior. (I do let myself have one occasionally) So transitioning to the Paleo lifestyle wasn't as hard as it could have been.

I remember the first time I heard about Paleo was from my best friend's brother. All I knew was he ate grilled chicken, veggies and nuts. A LOT! I was so confused and turned off by such an idea and said no way! Who knew 3 years later I would be a full fledged Paleo Princess?

This blog will talk about a lot of things: Paleo food, working out, CrossFit, fashion, friends, love and life. Be prepared for my ADD personality and ask any questions you would like. I might not always have the answer, but we can figure it out together. I'm always excited for new suggestions!

twitter: preppygator
email: paleoprincessblog@gmail.com

xoxo,

preppygator aka paleoprincess