Frying Pan Steak

I recently spent 24 hours in Omaha. 

Although the weather is never beautiful (seriously, who actually wants to live there?), the food was wonderful and overall it was a very successful trip. Not least of which because I read a thought/action provoking book on my flight out. I only made it through the first half (so expect more to come) but I am already in deep.

I like to use my travel time for things that I cannot do otherwise. Sometimes it is gloriously-ridiculous little things like napping with a cup of coffee in my hand (the fact that I have never spilled is proof I have a vigilant guardian angel). Sometimes it is more important things like education and self-reflection. Sitting quietly among strangers engulfed in white noise is like a deprivation chamber (or more accurately like the long hours I've spent in the pool swimming lap after lap, alone with my thoughts) providing the space and time to puzzle through my life.

Last December, I used the cumulative 18 hours out and back to Honolulu to process the entirety of my relationship with CaveBoy. Beginning. Middle. And end. And I spent a few hours on a recent flight home from Texas mulling over a particularly sticky friendship situation. Taking that time allowed me to give the right response (understanding) instead of my instinctive first response (fuck.off.) and my friendship is better for it (mostly in that it still exists).

On the Texas trip I also read a book about high achievers and how they accomplish so much more than everyone else on Earth. I haven't had a ton of time for professional development (I've instead been in fake-it-til-you-make-it mode, crashing down my mentors' doors when things got to be too much) so I was interested in what this book could offer. Unfortunately it wasn't as insightful as it could have been - the authors seemed to have rushed their theme development - but I did take away a few useful nuggets.

So I was hopeful but skeptical when I opened my next book. This one was about goal setting. But in a new way. Instead of developing actionable, measurable goals with deadlines (that then become yet another to do list), this book asks you to first determine how you want to feel and then set goals that will accomplish the desired feeling. I cannot wait to apply this strategy at work and at play! I told you, I am only halfway into it but I am into it.

That probably is surprising for anyone who has ever found themselves in my basement cubicle. I am highly critical when my colleagues "bring their feelings to work." But what I mean by that is they take things personally. I find that most work-based disagreements aren't personal. And the sooner people realize that and stop indulging their bruised egos, the sooner we can find a solution. And I am all about moving quickly to a solution.

The truth is, I bring all my feelings to work. Without that constant gut-check, how would I know if I am doing the right things? Without my empathy and humility, how could I build a productive team? Without my passionate excitement how could I find creative solutions to hard problems? How could I know who to trust? Or when it is time for me to leave?

Answering that last question is really why the Omaha trip was so successful (and the food, of course the food). I've been getting a ton of attention for some of my projects and people have started to ask what I am going to do next. And not just people people but important people with name plates on their office doors. And I started to panic that I should be working on setting up The Next Thing. But after some reflection it became clear that I still have a ton of passionate excitement for where those projects are going, and a few ideas for new projects to similarly birth in my basement cubicle. Which means there is no need to move on just yet.

I celebrated this realization with a bacon garnished bloody Mary.

Hey! I arrived on a Sunday within reasonable
brunch hours. This was totally legit.

And followed it up with a ribeye as big as my head once my partner arrived.

Beer for scale.

Both were delicious, but not enough to overcome the horrible weather (still never-ever going to live there). And still not as good as my homemade bloody Marys (although I will add a bacon twist to my garnish bar) or Kia's Frying Pan Steaks. 

Frying Pan Steaks

If you squint you can see it, buried under all that salad.
And I was too hungry to remember to point the asparagus tops out - amateur move!

Ingredients

1 steak per person (I prefer ribeyes)

1 teaspoon olive oil per steak

Montreal Steak Seasoning

Instructions

Coat steaks with olive oil and season with steak seasoning on both sides. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Place steak into the hot pan. Sear both sides then cook until desired temperature. About 7 minutes per side for medium.

Carrot Fries

I learned this recipe on a recent trip to Texas. I had the wonderful-amazing-fantastic opportunity to travel back to Texas A&M for work. And because my management loves me (this quarter) they let me travel out early and spend the weekend with the Texas branch of my family. How cool is that?!

I spent 3 1/2 years in Aggieland advancing my education. And although that was the second-shortest residency of my #32! years (after the year+ I lived in Europe), I've adopted Texas as my home state. I grew up in Michigan, but hardly have any roots left up there. I completed undergrad in a sleepy Florida beach town (I loved!) that recommends itself more as a retirement destination. And now I'm in my grown-up-got-a-job home (which automatically disqualifies it as a "home state.")

Even without the process of elimination, Texas is amazing! The people are friendly, the sky is enormous, and it is home to a large percentage of my favorite people on Earth. I was so excited to go, I woke up at 3:15 on the morning of my flight!

My oldest brother Dave lives near Texas A&M and welcomed me back to Aggieland with a weekend full of delicious food and quality time with family. Dave picked me up at the airport and conveyed me directly to Freebirds (so much better than Chipotle). There we discussed our plans for the weekend and then headed to his house.

After we let our food settle for a little bit, it was time for an afternoon workout. Dave is a police officer and one of the strongest and fittest people I know. My sister-in-law Nicki is practically paleo, and both my nephews play multiple sports (including football - of course). So unlike most work trips, I knew I wouldn't struggle to keep up with my fitness.

Dave programmed a high rep metcon followed by a combatives circuit. We pushed through lunges, planks, crunches, etc, rested a few minutes and then Dave set up two punching bags in the driveway. We did three rounds of kicks, punches with a follow-up half SPEAR, and a run. The runner set the time. By the middle of the second round, my knuckles were bruised and swelling (I go hard!) and I had to switch to palm strikes. During the third round I switched to a full SPEAR (got to keep converting that flinch!).

On our cool down jog, Dave and I discussed personal defense readiness and my experiences this year coaching seminars around the city. I described a time last summer where I had to improvise my escape from an attacker who was sitting on my chest and throwing punches - because it came up in a Q&A and I hadn't practiced the scenario with my training partner. It was meant to be an explanation for how great the PDR system is - the fact that I was able to escape easily with no prior practice makes it more likely that I will survive a real attack.

My brother, ever my protector, instead took it as a sign that I needed more training (and he's right - training never stops). So we spent the next hour on the garage floor working through escapes with an attacker choking me, punching me, and otherwise trying to kill me. I was bruised and battered in the end. But that much safer for the effort. I told you! These are my favorite people!

By the time we were cleaned up, Nicki was home from work, and it was time to start the weekend. Which meant it was time to eat.

Texas is far and away one of the easiest places to keep up with a CaveGirl diet. The cuisine is meat-centered in the best way possible. And I enjoyed every bite of it.

We started the weekend with carnitas and skinny margaritas at Casa Rod.

Styrofoam cup for scale.

Then on Saturday, Dave's good friends hosted a crawfish boil.

Pre-boil crawfish battle. Entertainment for all ages.

The first pour. Soooooo delicious!

And before I left town, I ordered the biggest pile of BBQ I could find.

The other passengers are lucky I didn't stuff a second helping into my carry-on!

The only so-so meal I had the whole 5 days was a gross salad from McDonalds during a quick break from work. But it was still a better choice than the free pizza my employer provided...

AND! On the second trip to Casa Rod (I love that place, what can I say?) the waitress checked my ID and said, "wow! you look so super young!" #32!

But don't let the restaurant pics fool you! We didn't eat out for every meal. Nicki is an excellent cook, and Dave is a master on the grill. So I also ate a ton of delicious CaveSafe foods at their house, including Nicki's carrot fries. It makes so much sense I can't believe I didn't think of it myself! This recipe is a combo of what I learned from Nicki and suggestions my brilliant friend Aurelia made when I described it to her (aka a masterpiece).

Carrot Fries

Why, yes. That is a kale and bacon egg yolk scramble. Thank you for noticing!

Ingredients

1 lb carrots

1 egg white (or 1 tablespoon olive oil for vegan option)

2 teaspoons seasoning of choice

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Coconut oil spray

Salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash the carrots but do not peel them (it's annoying and besides most of the nutrients are in or just below the skin). Then cut them into thin fries.

In a large bowl, whisk egg white until it becomes frothy then stir in vinegar and 1 teaspoon seasoning (Nicki used cayenne pepper, I prefer BBQ seasoning, whatever floats your boat). Toss carrot fries in egg white mixture until they are evenly coated. Spray a large baking sheet with coconut oil. Arrange fries in an even layer. Sprinkle remaining seasoning over top. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn carrot fries and return to oven for another 15 minutes. Turn fries and return to oven until they reach desired doneness and crispiness (I put mine back in for 10 minutes and called good enough good enough). Makes 2 servings.

Sausage and Sauerkraut

I've been MIA. I know. And I don't have anything to say for myself.

That's a lie...

I started my SillyLittle blog as a creative outlet. A place to share what I've been cookin' and describe the mostly-harmless-and-often-truly-boring "adventures" I made for myself in and out of the CrossFit box. I had my pleasant little life. And I was happy enough. And everything was going along the way it is supposed to go along. And I convinced myself that it was everything I could hope for and more than I deserved.

But when it all came to a halt - and every plan I'd made from now until next forever instantly disappeared - I was shocked to realize that I didn't miss a single one of those lost plans. Not. One.

I had spent the better part of a decade concealing my potential, containing my spirit, convincing myself that I was less than, that I was simple, that I was scared of this big world. That I preferred my tidy, neat routine. That I was OK being city-stuck and working hard and playing little. And my future plans were a reflection of that false life.

(And maybe that's the risk of being truly happy, from the inside. Unless you take the time to consider your life, you'll go along as if what you're doing is actually living. Because you don't have any of the sadness or disappointment that would normally force you to reevaluate your existence... And I was - and still am - truly happy.)

So instead it took losing my entire future in one swift swoop to force me to do the work that needed to be done. To reach way way back and way down deep to find the girl I was before I had to hide the girl I am. It took me a little while to find her. But I did.

And you know what?

I love that silly little girl. I'm in awe of the girl who refused to apply for college and moved to Europe at 18 (on a whim and a prayer) to live with a family she'd never met and care for three children under age 5 who spoke no English. I adore the girl who delayed graduation to work in the space program. Who walked away from a PhD, over the violent objections of her father. Who followed her true calling and landed her dream job - even though it ultimately led to the demise of her marriage.

That girl is brave! And decisive. And would never ever settle for a tidy little routine life.

So now that I've rediscovered the SillyLittleCaveGirl that always was and should have been, I'm expending all of my energy building a new (infinitely better) life and making new (sometimes terrifying) plans. And it has been a ton of (beautiful) work. And it has required every ounce of my creativity and every molecule of my courage. And I'm nowhere near done yet.

In fact. I don't think I'll ever be done.

So what does that mean for SillyLittleCaveGirl the blog? First. It means I'm back, but in a new way. You'll probably notice that I don't really spend that much time in the kitchen anymore. This post should be your case in point. But I promise I haven't gone soft on nutrition. I'm still a CaveGirl through and through. I'm just expending my creative energy elsewhere.

So expect to see a few more plugs for other paleo websites. But I also promise to fortify you with all-new content from brilliant guest bloggers. And even from me when the spirit moves. And of course I will continue to share silly stories about my hopefully-much-less-boring-and-no-longer-in-quotation-marks adventures. It should be interesting - to me least - and equally delicious.

Thanks for sticking with me! And please enjoy the simplest recipe you've ever made:

Sausage and Sauerkraut

Not the prettiest picture I've ever taken. But then again, not the worst.

Ingredients

German sausage or bratwurst

Sauerkraut

German mustard

Instructions

This thing is so simple it totally doesn't count as a recipe. But it tastes amazing and is sure to please a crowd. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Strain the sauerkraut and spread it in an even layer in a baking dish. Lay the raw sausages on top. Bake at 400 degrees until the sausages are fully cooked. About 20 minutes. Makes as many servings as you make sausages. Enjoy!

Tangy Turkey Meatballs

I had the kind of week that proves The Universe has a sense of humor.

I knew something had to be coming because last Friday was almost too good. And you can't sit at a peak-of-life forever.

I've been working on a project that has the potential to change the course of my career. It's my baby. I carried the idea inside me for months and struggled through a long and painful labor to get it into the world. And now that it's here and has had time to mature, it's exceeding my expectations, and I couldn't me more proud.

But back to Friday.

Last Friday, I left work drunk-with-joy over Baby achieving its next major milestone (we're way past first steps now, more like taking the training wheels off Baby's bicycle). I transitioned quickly from work to play and met a few of my #1 Loves from grad school at a concert. Shortly after arriving, I added drunk-with-alcohol to my joy and carried my bliss through the night. The concert was great. The company was as-always-amazing. And the night ended unexpectedly late after an over-the-top good time.

See what I mean? Peak-of-life.

Then. This week. I was knocked out hard by an allergic reaction. I've cried to you before about my weird list of allergies and annoyingly sensitive skin. But this time was bad! Emergency-appointment-at-the-dermatologist-skin-biopsy-two-stitches-blood-work bad. Thankfully my dermatologist is Grade A and she hooked me up with some aggressive medicine. And double-thankfully it was just an allergic reaction and not something much more serious (that blood work was well worth the lab fees!).

But it still took me all week to get myself under control. And it's not like I could hang out at home and suffer in peace. That basement cubicle isn't going to sit in itself!

And that is where The Universe and its devilish sense of humor comes in... Last week, Baby started doing even better than great: popping wheelies and riding with no hands (wearing a helmet, of course). I'm starting to gain the respect of people I thought would forever see me as That Little Girl. And a few long-suffering science projects are proving they were worth the effort. Basically, all the work is still working at work. And not only is it working, it's thriving and changing (my little) world.

I see what you did there, Universe. Thanks for keeping me humble!



There's no easy way to transition into describing this recipe. So I'll just plough forward. Turkey and sweet potatoes were a special request by TDH for this week's lunches. And because I think turkey tastes best when it tastes like Thanksgiving, I thought this would be a delicious twist. As always, I was right (that humility didn't last long, did it?). Enjoy!

Tangy Turkey Meatballs

I also served them with green beans, to get a little bit more nutrition into our lunch boxes.

Ingredients

2 lb ground turkey

2 eggs

3 celery stalks, diced

2 garlic cloves, diced

1 yellow onion, diced

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 tablespoon herbs de provence

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper

Instructions

Place a skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and diced onion and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté veggies over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they become soft and start to brown. Add garlic and continue sautéing until everything is caramelized (and your whole house smells amazing).

Meanwhile, run a knife through the dried cranberries to break them into about 25%-size pieces (this will help more evenly distribute the tang throughout the meatballs).

Once the veggies are caramelized, add the cranberries and herbs de provence and mix until fully combined. Remove from heat and let cool so you don't scald yourself in the next step.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, eggs, and cooled veggie mixture. Roll mixture into evenly-sized meatballs.* My rule of thumb is to take the amount of meat I can fit balled between my two hands and quarter it. Then roll that quartered amount into a ball and place it in the baking dish (does that make any sense? If not, just go with your gut). 

Bake meatballs at 400 degrees until fully cooked. Mine took about 20 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

*Note: This also would be delicious as a meatloaf if you're too lazy to roll it into meatballs.

Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Bars

I spent last weekend with DrLindsey, my primary care physician / best friend / paleo-supportive-all-around-amazing-woman-to-know. We staged a mini-college reunion with another one of our good friends from back in the day. We drank a flood of cosmos (that's proof these are friends from waaaaayyy back), got all dolled up, ate amazing food, and laughed like lunatics.

Thankfully DrLindsey's husband was available to chaperone and shepherd our drunk-asses around town. We re-payed him by pretending he wasn't there during college-level girl-talk (good thing he knows us well, or he might still be in shock...).

It had been maybe 10 months since I last visited this crew. But we didn't skip a beat. Even though my new life is 180 degrees out of phase with DrLindsey's beautiful little family, I still mesh into their world as perfectly as ever. It's gratifying to know that our deep admiration for each other isn't situationally dependent. We've known each other since before we became the people we are today. We've loved each other like sisters through all the growing up that life requires. And we're still supporting each other 100% even though we're walking different paths.

DrLindsey and her husband have my back as I try to figure out my new single-girl life. They check on me often and squash any insecurities before they have a chance to bubble all the way up to the surface. For my part, I'm sharing every ounce of the health and fitness information I've pulled together during these two-and-a-half wildly successful years. That's friendship!

After the cosmo-fueled night (that still ended early because we're old. #32!), we did a little shopping, got our eyebrows threaded (just what I needed: a new beauty obsession to add on to shellac), and had a delicious family dinner with DrLindsey's parents, aunt, uncle, and sister. Lindsey's mom, ever the impeccable hostess, went easy on the grains in support of my lifestyle and served fillet with squash and pear soup. 

That evening, we watched a little Dora, put the baby to bed, and started playing in the kitchen. DrLindsey was on the hunt for easy paleo snacks to pack for her long days at the office, so she asked if I'd work some of my SillyLittle magic in her kitchen. I love to play with recipes, so I was excited to see what I could do with the paleo-friendly ingredients she had on hand.

We created this Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Bar recipe on the fly. It's basically a two-step version of my Pecan Bacon Maple Bars with a little less fuss (because DrLindsey didn't have a food processor). I think I shocked my sous chefs by how spontaneous my process is in the kitchen. Don't have a food processor? Let's use the hazelnut meal! Ran out of baking powder? Baking soda will be fine! What's the worst that can happen? It's still delicious paleo food. Just eat it and try something different next time!

Luckily these bars turned out tasty. But they still were slightly-less-than-perfect. The bar wasn't quite sweet enough to stand up to the bitterness of the chocolate. So for this post I've doubled the honey and reduced the amount of chocolate. If you're a super-duper-chocolate-lover, by all means double it back up. It's your kitchen! 

Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Bars

That cell phone sure takes a pretty picture!

Ingredients

1 egg, beaten

1 cup hazelnut meal (we used Bob's Red Mill)

3/4 cup almond meal

1/4 cup coconut oil

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

Coconut oil spray

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (we used Enjoy Life)

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

Pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 1/4 cup coconut oil and honey together. In a medium bowl, mix together hazelnut meal, almond meal, baking soda, and salt. Add coconut oil-honey mixture, vanilla, and egg. Mix thoroughly to combine. Spray a loaf pan with coconut oil spray. Pour mixture into loaf pan and smooth into an even layer. Bake at 375 degrees until it passes the toothpick test. About 20 minutes. 

While the bars are baking, combine chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons coconut oil, vanilla, and pinch of salt in a small sauce pan. Place over low-to-medium heat. Stir continuously until the chocolate melts. Remove from heat and set aside.

Once the bars are baked, remove them from the oven and let cool for a few minutes so that the heat from the loaf pan doesn't burn your chocolate. Then spread the chocolate onto the bars in an even layer. Let cool to room temperature (so the chocolate firms up a bit). Cut into bars and enjoy. Makes 8 servings.