Paleo Hot Chocolate

Prep Time: 1 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 minutes
Serves: 1
Yield 1 serving

1/4 cup Coconut Milk
1 tbsp Hershey's Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 cup Tap Water
1 tsp Cinnamon, Ground

Paleo Banana Nut muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups Almond Meal

1/4 cup of ground Flax Seed

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Baking Powder

5 Ripe Banana’s (smashed)

2 tsp Honey

4 tsp Cinnamon

4 Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 cups Walnut Halves

2 Cups Blueberries

Directions:

- Heat oven to 375 degrees

- Use 2 bowls. 1 for the dry ingredients and 1 for the wet.

- Use a mixer if you have one or stir until combined (if you don’t use a mixer, be sure to really smash the bananas)

- Use Olive Oil as needed to grease the pan and/or muffin tray

- Makes 24 muffins (or) 12 muffins and a Banana Bread Loaf

- Bake the muffins for 22-24 minutes and the Banana Bread Loaf for 30 minutes

- Store in the refrigerator for longer lasting muffins

Banana Coconut Cupcakes

Ingredients: (makes 12 cupcakes)

Cake:

- 2 Tbsp coconut oil

- 4 Tbsp coconut milk

- 1/2 Cup coconut flour

- 2 Tbsp raw honey or maple syrup

- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

- 3 eggs

- 1 tsp aluminum free baking powder

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 2 whole mashed bananas (very ripe)

- 1/4 C toasted coconut shreds (for the garnish on the icing)

Icing:

- 1/4 Cup macadamia nut butter

- 1/4 Cup coconut milk

- 2 Tbsp coconut sugar (I found mine at The Big Carrot in Toronto). You could sub raw honey or maple syrup.

- 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice (or more)

- 1/4 Tbsp 100% vanilla extract

- 1/8 Cup coconut oil

Directions:

To make the icing:

Melt the macadamia nut butter (especially if you’ve had it in the fridge) so that it’s smooth and easy to mix. Melt the coconut oil with the coconut sugar.

Mix all of the icing ingredients together thoroughly. Refrigerate for a few hours until it’s texture is similar to icing.

For the cupcakes:

Pre-heat oven to 350

In a bowl, mix together coconut flour, salt, baking powder, coconut milk, vanilla extract, bananas and eggs

Melt the coconut oil and honey/maple syrup and then slowly add it to the mix.

Mix together thoroughly and pour into greased (use coconut oil or non-stick spray) muffin baking pan.

Bake for about 20-30 minutes – check after 20 minutes because you might have a better oven. You want to be able to stick a fork into the middle and have it come out dry.

Remove from oven and let it cool completely (otherwise the icing melts off)

To toast the coconut, spread it out on a baking sheet and pop it into the 350 oven for 5 minutes. Shake it around and put it back in for another 2 minutes or until it’s toasted.

Spread the icing on top of each and sprinkle with toasted coconut

Healthy Caramel Apples

This is one healthy Halloween treat you’ll want to share with your kids and their friends! Apples are a wonderful source of fiber, pectin, minerals, and complex carbs.

6 apples, medium
20 medjool dates, pitted
1/2 cup warm water
3 tablespoons raw almond butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
6 sticks
1/4 cup crushed nuts of your choice, optional

Soak the dates in the warm water for an hour. Drain off the soak water and set aside. Combine soaked dates, almond butter, cinnamon, sea salt and 3 tablespoons of the soak water in the food processor. Blend for several minutes to reach a very smooth consistency. Use a tablespoon to spread the mixture on the apple. Roll in crushed nuts. Click for complete nutritional info.

Poached Eggs, Prosciutto, Asparagus + Kohlrabi Rosti

Click here to find out how to make a yummy 3 Block Sunday Brunch!

Fit to Eat: Summer Menu

Miranda's Banana Pancakes (Paleo style)

Ingredients:
2 eggs
½ C of unsweetened applesauce
½ C of nut butter (I prefer sun butter)
½ tsp. of vanilla
½ tsp of raw honey or agave nectar (optional depending on your diet)
1 really, really ripe banana mashed

Seasonings, I just used a ½ tsp of cinnamon, but you could add nutmeg too

*makes about 8 pancakes*


Grease your fry pan, heat on medium low heat. Mix all ingredients together. Once the pan is warm spoon the batter into the pan and spread it out thin. The batter will be thick, but you have to use your spoon to thin it out and form the cakes. Let them cook for 2-3 minutes, once your bubbles appear flip and cook on the other side.

Serve with banana slices, raspberries or strawberries. You can make the batter ahead of time minus the egg, if you are short on time in the mornings.

Enjoy!

Pa-LE-o PotLuck

Click here for the Pa-LE-O Potluck Recipes

...from our First Paleo Potluck Party!

Paleo Candy Bars:

3-4 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup carob or cocoa powder
1/2 cups ground nuts (i used almonds and walnuts)
3/4 cups dried shredded coconut-unsweetened
1tbsp or more to taste honey (optional but I used raw unfiltered honey)

Melt oil and honey in saucepan on med heat
Add carob powder, nuts and coconut
Melt together

Form into square by dumping into a s baking sheet abd refrigerate or freeze until hard. Then cut into squares.

Broccoli and Pine Nut Soup from Jaime and JZ

1 onion, diced
1 tbs oil (I used coconut)
3 cups broccoli
3 cups chicken or vegatable stock
1/4 pine nuts

Fry onion in large pan with oil on medium heat until slightly browned

Add broccoli and stock and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until broccoli soft (you can also just steam it)

Cool slightly before placing in food processor or blender until smooth texture

Add salt/pepper as needed

Donkey's special surprise...


* 3 avocados (you want them ripe...if you press them they "give" but aren't totally mush)
* 1 cup pure maple syrup (not that aunt jemima crap...you want the stuff straight from the tree or agave)
* 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. cocoa
* 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
* water if needed to thin the mix (i never need this...i choose ripe, almost soft avocados and i never need water)

1. Process all of the ingredients except the water in a food processor. Add water to thin to desired consistency.

2. Great served with sliced strawberries or raspberries.

3. Can be frozen for a delicious gelato type dessert

Lisa Barbara's Coconut Milk Ice Cream

1 Can Coconut Milk *
2 Cups Frozen Mixed Berries (Costco)
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1-2 tsp Agave Nectar (to taste)

Lisa says..."Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into 4 small dishes. I used coffee cups. Freeze for 1-2 hours until firm. Enjoy. Although you definitely don't need to, I added chopped almonds and it was sooo good".

*Be sure to read the label when you buy your coconut milk, some brands add water, don't buy those.

FUDGE BABIES

Okay, you've gone Paleo, Primal or Zone...but you still have a little sweet tooth lingering in the back. Right? Or...do you need to attend a function with sugary treats and your "friends" expect you to bring something to accompany the foundation of all social functions...(the evil) SUGAR...what will you bring to help them...and you? Jen S. inspired these little fudge babies and brought them to my attention. We all know my time is limited, so I don't do well with recipes that require more than 5 ingredients. Well get ready, these bad boys require 4...yep, I said it, 4. Dates, Walnuts, Cocoa Powder and Vanilla Extract. Curious???? Have a few minutes and food processor? Here it goes...

Gather...

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup Dates
1 cup Walnuts
4 Tbs Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Vanilla

Dump into a food processor, hit the big button that say ON. Process the food...roll with fingers into little "balls" also known as Fudge Babies...chill and serve. I'm a believer are YOU?

Almond Butter on the Cheap

Get your ice cold vegetables!
What kind of brave soul would open a year-round farmer's market in Philadelphia in the dead of winter?
A forward-thinking one. Just ask Kyle Perry, who's running one for developer Bart Blatstein at the Piazza at Schmidts in Northern Liberties.
"This is when we can get the better vendors," said Perry, who hopes to keep as many as he can once the weather breaks.

The piazza's configuration of buildings minimizes westerly winds, and the vendors will bring their own plug-in space heaters.

Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., expect hot beverages sold by Joe Coffee as well as:

Highland Orchards (organic fruit/vegetables, baked goods, crabcakes, eggs)
Shellbark Hollow Farm (goat cheese, yogurt, kefir)
Griggstown Quail Farm (chicken, duck, pheasant, poussin, pot pies)
Birchrun Hills Farm (artisan cheeses, "humanely raised" veal and pastured pork)
M&B Farview Farm (grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, natural pork, lamb, natural cold cuts and jerky)
Natural Meadows Farm (venison, heritage breed free-range chicken eggs, rabbit, goat cheese)
Culton Organics (organic vegetables)

Savoie Organic Farm (organic vegetables)
Penn Herb (herbs and remedies)
Wild Flour Bakery (beads and baked goods)
Big Sky Bread (ditto)
Just Dogs Gourmet (natural dog treats)
Summers Salsa (all-natural salsa)
Market Day Caneles (caneles)
Livengood Family Farm (organic vegetables)
Ha Ha Hot Sauce (hot sauces and BBQ sauce)
Otolith Sustainable Seafood (sustainable seafood from Alaska)
La Baguette Bakery (French-style breads and pastries)
Others are on the way, Perry says:
Landisdale Farm (organic vegetables) starting 1/23
Becks Cajun Cafe (Cajun prepared foods) starting 1/23
Weavers Way Farm (organic vegetables) early to mid February
Whimsical Farm (organic vegetables, pickles, preserves, wool) starting in February
Olive Oil Shoppe (extra-virgin olive oil, infused oils and balsamic vinegar) starting in late February/early March

The piazza is at Second Street and Germantown Avenue, and there's free parking on site.

Post WOD Nutrition
-by Chris Plentus

So you're hooked. "Tabata," "AMRAP" and "Fran" all mean something to you and you can thank (or blame) it on CrossFit. You live for refreshing your internet browser at 10pm just so you can see the WOD for the next day. You are a CrossFit addict. Hopefully a CrossFit KoP addict.

So how do you make the most of your time and energy so you can PR like crazy (as a newbie) or reach a new plateau (as a veteran). One of the many (overlooked) ways is paying attention to post workout nutrition.

The body has several energy systems it uses to get work done. I won't get nerdy on you, but basically there are three:
1. Creatine phosphate/ATP - think 1 rep max effor lifts, like a deadlift. You are using explosive energy for less than a second.
2. Anaerobic/glycolysis - think metcon. Most would take anywhere from 5-20 minutes and you are burning muscle glycogen while doing it.

3. Aerobic/oxidative - think endurance athlete. They can burn energy at low efforts for hours on end. If I asked you to run for 2 hours straight, you would hate me, but you could most likely do it.

Your body will generally use these energy systems in this order, often overlapping. For example, on a 400 meter run, you will generally use your ATP first, then kick into glycolysis once the ATP is used up, then over to oxidative around the 250-300m range. If you've ever felt a "wall" during a wod, it is probably because you are at the crossover of one of these stages.


All pathways are hit in CrossFit, but the second is an important one and let's be honest, most popular. How many times do you find yourself in a love/hate relationship with the WOD? Think Fran, Helen, Elizabeth, and all of those other fun girls. Anyway, this is the one where we want to refuel as soon as we can after a WOD. Why? To replace that muscle glycogen that was burned during the WOD. Your body is screaming for fuel and you do NOT want to piss off the angry glycogen gods. By feeding your muscles what they want, they will get stronger and recover QUICKER. Who wants to be sore for days on end? I know I don't. I want to get back in that box and kill those WODs. Quicker recovery means more consistent training which means being stronger and faster.

So what should you be eating? The simple (and frustrating) answer is that it depends on the person! You need to assess your goals and figure out what is going to work best for you. Do you want to lean out? Do you want to gain mass? What kind of WOD was it? You also need to look at other factors such as lifestyle, cost, and transport. Will you have time to create a post wod shake or will you have to buy something from Wawa? How much are you willing to spend? Are you able to keep things refrigerated? Below are some very general guidelines to help you figure things out.

TYPE OF WOD
Post WOD fuel is most useful after a metcon. Strength days are fine to have some protein, but not completely necessary, especially if you are having a regular meal afterwards. It's after that sweaty metcon where you are panting and lying on the floor that you want to get something in your system ASAP. (think 45 minutes at the most) If it's Fran and it took you 4 minutes, your stores of glycogen get depleted faster than someone who does it in 15 minutes. In other words, intensity matters! The harder you go, the quicker your ATP and then glycogen stores get used up. It's possible to go into an aerobic/oxidative state if the first two stages are hit hard. If, however, you use the example of the 400m run, you can imagine that jogging will not hit your ATP and glycogen that hard, therefore, not requiring as much refueling.

BODY COMPOSITION
Those looking to lean out should have less carbohydrates post WOD. Those looking to maintain leanness or gain mass should have higher amounts of carbohydrates. Also consider how long the WOD was or how hard you worked. Harder, sweater work = more carbohydates.

RATIOS
Protein and carbohydrates, maybe a little fat. Typically fat slows down the digestion process, but here you WANT fast digestion. Shakes and liquid food are not the best during a regular meal because they have more surface area and thus get absorbed quicker. Post WOD a shake or liquid is perfect to get that in your system as fast as possible. More protein is needed if you lifted weights or used more muscles in a WOD. More carbs are needed the longer or harder you go in a WOD.
EXAMPLES
-For someone looking to lean out, they might have about 10-30g protein/10-20g carbs post WOD
-For someone looking to gain mass, or a lean person looking to maintain glycogen stores, they might have 10-30g protein/30-50g carbs post WOD
James "OPT" Fitzgerald actually suggests ratios based off body fat for specific WODs on his blog here. He's a numbers guy and I've learned a lot about Crossfit and post WOD fueling from this guy. Check out his FAQs for really great info.

Robb Wolf is another great resource for all things nutrition. Seriously, download his podcasts and listen to them in the car on the way to work. The guy knows an incredible amount of information. He recommends that you get about 50% of your carbs in during the post WOD nutrition. Why? Because your body can "sneak" these carbs in without causing a big insulin response. After about an hour though, you're back to pretty much normal.

WHAT TO EAT/DRINK
-Some people are huge fans of chocolate milk! It has a great ratio of protein/carbs and even though it has a little fat, it also has other great nutrients for muscle recovery and growth. Plus, it's so easy to obtain and keep. No preparation, just need to keep it refrigerated (and even then some folks are ok with warm milk)
-Sweet potato/whey protein - Most folks would recommend something like this. I add applesauce in the mix and it's delicious. The recipe is at the bottom. OPT is a fan of whey potein from pastured cows. I personally just get the whey protein from Costco.
-some fruit* with deli meat or jerky.
-applesauce and a cheese stick

-ready-made drinks like MuscleMilk or bars like Power Bars

*some folks are against having fruit post WOD. The reason is that the fructose in fruit will replace liver (hepatic) glycogen first, not the muscle glycogen you are looking to replace. Personally I don't think it's a terrible choice especially for the ease of having fruit on hand, but if you have the freedom, go with the sweet potato or milk option.

All in all, you need to find what works for you and your lifestyle. If you can carry around a cup of sweet potato/protein mix, good for you. If you need to stop at the Wawa on the way home from the box to have some chocolate milk, that's ok too. It's going to depend. But make sure you are refueling after those sweaty (sexy) metcons!

Chris P.'s Post WOD fuel

4 cups sweet potato, peeled and sliced*
1 cup apple sauce*
~120g whey protein*
1 Tbsp. cinnamon (if unflavored protein. I have chocolate protein so I don't need cinnamon for taste)
*this is a lot of protein as a personal preference. This recipe will make about 4 cups of mixture and for someone my size (150 lbs., ~13% bf) I personally want 30g protein/50-60g carbs per mixture. You can play around with the numbers assuming that 1 cup sweet potato or applesauce has about 60g carbs.

1. After peeling and cutting the sweet potatoes, put them in a microwaveable container and add about 1 Tbsp. water. Cover (allowing venting) and put in microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes. This will soften the sweet potato.
2. Add sweet potato, apple sauce, protein, and cinnamon in blender or food processor.
3. Blend until desired consistency.
4. Store in refrigerator. I've kept containers for a couple of weeks at a time without the mix going bad, but try to eat it sooner than later.

There's a new smoothie in town...

What You Need:

1/4 cup Brazil nuts
2 Medjool dates, pitted, or 1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 tablespoon raw cacao nibs or powder
1 cup filtered water

What You Do:

In a blender, combine all ingredients until smooth.

Plentus's Pumpkin Muffins (made with coconut flour)

These turned out very small, about 1.5 inches thick, kind of flat, but moist. Be sure to refrigerate ones you don't eat right away.

Ingredients:

Six eggs
1/2 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup coconut flour
4 Tablespoon coconut oil, melted (or butter)
3 Tablespoon honey (I used a dark, multi-floral one)
3 Tablespoon agave nectar (could double either honey or agave if you don't have this)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
Spices (we usually use some nutmeg and cinnamon, but if we had cloves and ginger we'd use the same amounts as for a recipe for pumpkin pie)
Non-stick spray

Instructions:

Mix together eggs, pumpkin, oil, honey, agave, vanilla, and spices. Mix baking powder with flour, and add slowly to the egg mixture, mixing until lumps are gone. Spray muffin pans with non-stick stuff. Divide between 12 muffins, about 2Tbs. of batter in each one. Cook at 400F (205C) for 15 - 20 minutes.

(Use 4Tbs. batter for a normal sized muffin, and double the info below.)

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 146
Protein: 5g
Carbs: 9g - 4g fiber = 5g usable carbs
Fat: 9g

Recipe of the day from Evan's Kitchen:
"Egg Hunt"

2 dozen quail eggs (look in the oriental grocery!!)
1 to 1.5 lbs. grass fed ground beef
1 large egg (omega 3 enriched if possible!)

Options for the ground meat: Its up to you!
chopped up sun dried tomatoes
garlic
rosemary
any other spices you may like or combination

Directions:
Hard boil the quail eggs
Place them in a pot a water with enough to cover them. Bring water to boil for 3 minutes. Cool eggs immediatley.
Peel all the eggs and set aside.
Mix the ground meet and the Omega 3 egg and any spices you like.
Take a small amount of meat and 1 quail egg.
Form a small patty with the meat and place the quail egg in the center.
Wrap the meat around the egg until its completely encased.
Should look like a nice size meat ball.
Place the meat balls on a baking sheet (use a silicone sheet, parchment paper, ect..)
Bake in the oven for 30 min at 350 deg F.

You can eat these warm or cold, dip them in whatever. Serve with a big ass salad.

Check out this link Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative.