Sunday, March 3, 2013

P90X

I am a P90X graduate. Having said that, it's not on my business card and I don't go around talking about it. For anyone that hasn't done it, it is very difficult unless you are pretty fit already. The program has you workout 6 or 7 days a week for 3 months. Each workout is about 60 minutes with some warmup and cool down in either side. The workouts themselves range from upper body, core, cardio, and a combination of everything.

After doing the program two years ago I took a pretty long break from seriously working out for about 18 months which took its toll on my fitness and my body. I have decided to try another round now that summer is approaching and my gym membership has expired (it's tough to justify $60 a month when I have everything I need at home for free).

I plan on posting about the various aspects of the program over be next few weeks such as: workouts, diet plan, burn out, P90X and Paleo coexisting, overall achievement of fitness goals.

Have you tried P90X before? What do you do to stay fit?

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Chili Cook-Off Results

So I got up at 6 am today to make my chili, chopping and mixing to make the perfect combination of spices and flavor (honestly I just threw in the usual ingredients and then hung out with my amazing family).  

I did realize that I was short on a few spices this morning so the flavor was a little different then I was expecting (not enough cumin, and I substituted missing chili power with paprika). When I finally tasted the chili around 10:15 I was satisfied and ready for the scrutiny of the public. 

K, J and I drove to the Winter Carnival which was hosting the Chili Contest and dropped off the potential winner...

To go off on a tangent, I had no idea what the prize was for winning the contest but I was really hoping it was a medal or trophy of some kind. There were two other people at my office that entered the contest (out of 6 total) so winning was mostly about bragging rights...

Now what you have all been waiting for...Unfortunately I did not place in the top three (meaning I was in the bottom half) and a co-worker won (Congrats Nicole). There wasn't any feedback and I actually don't care that much because I love my chili and really don't care if others do or don't.

Have you tried the recipe?  Any thoughts on it?  What did you change?

Friday, March 1, 2013

Chili Cook-Off

Tomorrow I am entering my first chili cook off.  I have been making chili once a week for over a year now, mostly the same kind with a few tweaks to the recipe here and there. When I was first looking for a good primal based chili to make I was inundated by so many recipes my head was spinning. I finally settled on a basic chili (unfortunately I can't cite the source as it was a long time ago) and started making my own modifications. I am lucky enough to have a dad that is a great cook and some of his skills have made their way over to me. Not only have some of my dad's cooking skills been passed on to my but I also really enjoying the cooking process, it lets my mind wander. Chopping veggies and trimming meat gives me a chance to zone out (don't zone out too much or you might end up with shorter fingers) and is some of my best thinking time. I have made my chili so many times I know the recipe by heart and pretty much make it out of habit now. 

Below is my "go to" recipe, enjoy.


Here are the ingredients:

  • 2 lbs meat (I usually use 85% Ground Beef but a mix of beef, veal, and bison is great)
  • One red onion-diced
  • Two bell peppers, diced.- red and yellow if available (for visual reasons, they taste the same). I usually avoid green bells because they are less sweet.
  • A few carrots, peeled and diced.
  • A few celery stalks, diced.
  • A poblano pepper, diced.
  • One jar of salsa, check the label and grab one that doesn't have added sugar.
  • Two small cans of diced green chilies (the spicy kind).
  • 14.5 once can of fire roasted diced tomatoes. Again, make sure no added sugar.
  • 14.5 ounce can of beef broth.
  • Two Jalapenos. Check heat beforehand and remove seeds and membranes if they are too hot. 
  • 2 tbs grass fed butter.

Now for the spices:
  • 2 tbsp of chili powder (I recently tried chipotle chili powder and loved it).
  • 1 tsp granulated garlic.
  • 1 tsp cumin.
  • 1.5 tsp thyme.
  • 1 tsp black pepper.
  • 1 tsp salt.
  • a pinch or two of cayenne powder.
  • Quick Tip: Buying spices in bulk at a health food store saves tons of money. 

The recipe:

  • Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat and add two tablespoons of grass fed butter.  When the butter is melted add the veggies. 
  • Let them cook down for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add a little salt.
  • Add the can of beef broth and let it reduce by half, about 5-7 more minutes.
  • Add the meat and spices.  Combine and let cook for about 7 minutes.
  • Add everything else.  The chili will be thick but don't worry, it will loosen up as time goes.
  • Bring to a simmer and cook for about 2 hours.  I know it's a long time but it's worth it. Stir every 10 of 15 minutes.

The chili is best served with sliced avocado and a little full fat sour cream (if you eat dairy). It keeps for about 4 days in the fridge and reheats really well. 

Let me know what you think.  I will update tomorrow afternoon when the results are in.  Wish me luck.