Week 6: The End is Near

I am a little behind in my recording of the LuRong Challenge. I ended up getting the office crud the beginning of the week and wasn't able to catch a break! Also, last weekend (pre sickness) I was able to do my gym's Barbells for Boobs Partner WOD (Helen meets Grace). It was a lot of fun and also my first time participating in the cause. I will definitely be there next year!

Back to the LuRong Challenge, I only have one week and two days left!!! I have decided that after the challenge is over, I will continue the strict Paleo principles for a while longer, with cheat meals once or twice a week. The only things that I really miss are beer, chicken wings and quinoa. If I can limit those things to only once or twice a week, I think I'll be doing good. I really thought that I would miss dairy more. But that ended up not even being a big deal, other than having to ask for it to be withheld every time that I ate out. Cheese comes on everything... or so it seems.

Last week my box completed the 7th WOD for the LuRong Living Paleo Challenge and I tried out some more new recipes.

LuRong Challenge WOD #7
Uphill Finisher - 20 min. time cap
Level II- #65 front squat and push press, 2 #35 kettle bells

3, 5, 7, 9, 11 burpess, front squat, push press with 100m farmer carry in between each round + 13 burpee pull-up finisher

• Completed in 19:35
• This was a really grueling workout, to say the least. I thought that the farmers carries wouldn't be bad, but my shoulders were shot by the time I got to those. Then having to do the 13 burpee pull-ups afterwards... Crazy I tell ya! #digdeep

Favorite Recipe of the Week:  Jalapeño & Mushroom Bison Burgers with a Sweet Potato and Broccolini. 

Ingredients:

• Coconut oil
• 1 jalapeno, chopped. Leave the seeds in if you like a little heat.
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 1 lb. ground bison
• 2 sweet potatoes
• Cinnamon
• 1 bunch broccolini
• Lawry's Black Pepper Season Salt (or other seasoning of your choice for burgers)
• 2 cloves of garlic

Instructions:

First, add coconut oil to a hot skillet on medium heat. Add the meat, jalepeno, mushrooms and garlic to a large bowl and combine the ingredients with your hands. Form the patties (should create 4), using your thumb to indent a small spot in the center of each patty- I learned this from a cooking show, it's supposed to help them to cook more evenly. Then season the burgers on both sides with the seasoning of your choice and add them to the pan, turning when needed. 

For the broccolini and sweet potatoes, I use steamer bags that can be popped in the microwave. The only place that I have been able to purchase these bags in my area is at Harris Teeter. I steam the broccolini and sweet potatoes separately, timing it out so that they are completed with about 5 minutes left on the burgers.

Lastly, plate the burgers (I like to add avocado to the top of mine!), cut your sweet potatoes down the middle and add half of the broccolini to each plate. I like to add coconut oil and cinnamon to my potato, and leave the broccolini plain. To each their own :)

I loved the simplicity of this meal and that it only took me about 25 minutes from start to finish and I only had to wash the frying pan. Also, in a perfect world this would have been great for leftovers. However, with my boyfriend there were none lol. I think that next time I will get 2 lbs. of meat so that I can enjoy these for lunch again the next day, at least!

I hope everyone had a fangtabulous Halloween and that you're weekend is great, too!