Paleo Mocha

Good morning! I made a creamy paleo mocha to go with breakfast. It was inspired by the Cafe Mole at the Java Bean Cafe in west Seattle. Once I’ve perfected the spicy version of the Cafe Mole, I will update this post.

Ingredients
coffee
1 tsp pumpkin
1 tsp cacao
1 tsp almond butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 scoop super greens+ (optional)
homemade recipe
honey to taste

Brew your favorite coffee, then while it’s brewing gather the ingredients. Add all of the ingredients to the single serve cup of your blender if you are making one serving, multiply the recipe if you are making more than one serving and use your blending pitcher. Add the coffee, then blend until the honey is incorporated and the coffee is frothy. Enjoy!

If you make this coffee, let me know what you think and any variations on the recipe in the comments.

Losing Weight the Easy Way

Selfie
949 calories burned – leg/booty + stairs
135 of the 949 above was from cardio, the rest from weights
GREEN JUICE RECIPE: coenzyme q10, scoop of super greens+, 1 cup baby spinach, 4 baby carrots, half a peach, 1 cup aloe water, then fill the rest with water
BREAKFAST: Kale sauteed in coconut oil, cracked pepper, sea salt and onion powder. Then topped with 2 over medium eggs. I sprayed a glass bowl with olive oil, then cracked the 2 eggs in and microwaved for 20 seconds at a time until it was done how I liked it
BODY PIC – 167 in this photo: Feeling slimmer after eating more veggies/proteins and limiting simple carbs.

The last year has been a blessing and a curse. I met the love of my life and our mutual love of yummy food resulted in a 20 pound weight gain. I hit my heaviest this summer and when I couldn’t shake the feelings of insecurity, I knew I had to make a change. I hated that I weighed more than when I was pregnant with my kids. I lost my sparkle, passion for life and ability to have fun because I was so uncomfortable in my body. I didn’t want to hide the extra pounds, I wanted to get rid of them for good! I knew it was time to get consistent with my workout and change my eating habits.

Anyway, I started looking at the Paleo and fitness hashtags on Instagram and Pinterest for inspiration on what to cook when I started seeing before and after pictures of regular people losing weight by EATING. This inspired me to change the way I ate and to workout when Mark goes to work at o’dark 30 in the morning. I also watched Forks Over Knives and Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead on Netflix when I decided to put my weight loss plan into action.

I started posting what I’ve cooked on Instagram and then decided to include them in my blog in case anyone else was feeling the same way and needed motivation or inspiration. You’ll see some of the recipes I’ve tried from the Well Fed cookbook or some of the Paleo blogs. I am happy to report I’ve lost 7 lbs since I started my weight loss journey in August. I could have lost more weight if I eliminated alcohol completely or didn’t indulge in the occasional burger. However, this is a lifestyle change and moderation is the key for long term success.

Here is my current progress:
Starting weight 8/11/2013: 174 lbs
Current weight 9/11/2013: 167 lbs
Goal weight: 130 lbs

Yes, I am super embarrassed to share that I weighed 174 lbs a month ago, even more embarrassed to share my progress photos (coming soon). While I am losing weight, I know the scale might not budge as much as I want because my focus is to replace fat with muscle. I want to get stronger and since muscle is heavy, I told myself I wouldn’t freakout if I gain some weight in the beginning as long as my clothes continue to get looser. I’m heading into the gym tomorrow to have them take my measurements, my only wish that I had my measurements taken a month ago.

You can email me at fitgirl at cherylmarquez.com if you are interested in joining me for a 90 day fitness challenge or in having me become your virtual coach. Follow me on Instagram as I post workout stats and what I eat daily, my blog will eventually contain all of the recipes and fitness tools I’m using. Feel free to add me on MyFitnessPal: bombchel

Mark’s kids were craving shrimp tacos so we headed to the store to grab what we needed to make them. As much as I love shrimp tacos, I was thinking about how to eat them so I got the flavor without the carbs. What I ended up doing was using the slaw as the base, scooped the shrimp over the slaw, then drizzled the homemade Baja sauce over it. I had a side of fish from Mark’s fish tacos and veggies (not pictured). It was pretty yummy!

Fajita Shrimp
2 lbs of frozen shrimp, thaw and remove the tails
1 package of Rick Bayless’s Chipotle & Lime Fajita mix
1 package of coleslaw
1 onion (diced)
1 tbsp coconut oil

I took the tails off the frozen shrimp. Then add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to the pan, after it melts, add the diced onion and sautee until translucent. Next add the thawed shrimp and pour the entire package of the fajita mix to the shrimp. Let the shrimp simmer in the sauce for about 10 minutes to absorb the flavor. While it’s doing that make the Baja sauce.

Baja Sauce
1/3 cup mayo
2/3 cup crema Mexicana (it’s like sour cream but more liquid)
Juice of 1 or 2 limes
Sea Salt
Cracked Pepper

Add the mayo, crema Mexicana or sour cream, the lime juice, sea salt and cracked pepper to a bowl and whisk it together. Start with the juice of half a lime, whisk, then taste. We liked ours with a strong lime flavor so I used 2 limes.

Next, you can just add the slaw to the plate, scoop your shrimp over it with some of the fajita sauce, then drizzle with a little bit of the Baja sauce. Yummy!

Ad Hoc Fried Chicken Recipe – 1st Attempt

Fried Chicken, Broccoli & Mashed Potatoes

After a long silence, I’ve decided it’s time to get my thoughts out. While it seems my blog is “all over the place” the focus is on my many passions: food, fashion, fitness, technology, gadgets, marketing…and of course makeup. You’ll see some stories about my adventures on the weekends, posts about the conferences I’ve been to, recipes my boyfriend and I attempt, the places we eat and our desire to get to a healthier lifestyle. The recipe below is not adapted to be a healthier version of fried chicken, it’s fried chicken made to be as yummy as we could make it.

Over the long weekend, my boyfriend was craving fried chicken from the Ad Hoc restaurant in Yountville, California. Instead of making the long drive and spending a ton of money, we looked for a recipe and found one from Food and Wine, then adapted it.

We bought 8 lbs of thighs and drumsticks, then doubled the brine recipe since we had more chicken than the original. The original proportions for the brine recipe is below, you can adjust it based on the amount of chicken you are frying. For extra yumminess, you should let the chicken sit in the brine at least 8 – 12 hours, overnight if possible. For the record, when I say “we” I mean, my boyfriend made the brine, then battered the chicken and his sister fried the chicken. All I did was zest the lemon and squeeze it into the pot and we call this teamwork. Love him! 🙂 While I’m far from being a domestic goddess, I did make red velvet cupcakes for dessert (pictures and recipe to come). I’m also great at taking food photos and documenting every step of the recipe, see below. For more food pics, you can follow me on Foodspotting.

The Verdict
After dinner, we decided it was a good first attempt. The skin was crispy and both the skin and meat was flavorful. We also put it in the oven for about 10 – 15 minutes to make sure the inside of the chicken was cooked without burning the skin. I brought it to work and one of my friends LOVED it! My next mission is to find another recipe so we can perfect this at home. If you make this recipe, let me know how it came out and if you made any modifications in the comments. Enjoy!

Cost: $40.05 versus $52 per person at Ad Hoc

Technology:
Started this post by copying the Food and Wine recipe into Evernote on the iPhone. Then added checkboxes to the note so when we make the recipe again, so it will be easy for me to check off what we have and what is on our shopping list. I continued to add pictures from within the note on the iPhone. Finally, I made edits on my PC and finished the post from my Mac.

Cheryl’s note Ad Hoc Fried Chicken Recipe feel free to copy this into your own Evernote notebooks.

Step 1: Lemon Brine

Lemon Brine
[ ] 1 gallon cold water
[ ] 1 cup plus 2 tsp kosher salt
[ ] 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
[ ] 12 bay leaves
[ ] 1 head of garlic, smashed but not peeled
[ ] 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
[ ] 3 large rosemary sprigs
[ ] 1 small bunch of thyme
[ ] 1 small bunch of parsley
[ ] Finely grated zest & juice of 2 lemons
[ ] Two 3-pound chickens (we bought 8 lbs of thighs and drumsticks or 3 picnic paks instead)

Batter
[ ] 3 cups all-purpose flour
[ ] 2 tablespoons garlic powder
[ ] 2 tablespoons onion powder
[ ] 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
[ ] 2 cups buttermilk
[ ] Vegetable oil, for frying (we used peanut oil)
[ ] Rosemary and thyme sprigs, for garnish

Spices for the brine and the batter

In a very large pot, combine 1 quart of the water with 1 cup of the salt and the honey, bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme and parsley. Add the lemon zest and juice and the lemon halves and bring to a simmer over moderate heat, stirring until the salt is dissolved. Let cool completely, then stir in the remaining 3 quarts of cold water. Add the chickens, being sure they’re completely submerged, and refrigerate overnight.
Drain the chicken and pat dry. Scrape off any herbs or peppercorns stuck to the skin and cut each bird into 8 pieces, keeping the breast meat on the bone. Since we bought thighs an drumsticks, we didn’t have to chop the bird into pieces.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne and the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt. Put the buttermilk in a large, shallow bowl. Working with a few pieces at a time, dip the chicken in the buttermilk, then dredge in the flour mixture, pressing so it adheres all over. Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet lined with wax paper.
In a very large, deep skillet, heat 1 inch of vegetable oil to 330°. Fry the chicken in 2 or 3 batches over moderate heat, turning once, until golden and crunchy and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of each piece registers 160°, about 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to paper towels to drain, and keep warm in a low oven while you fry the remaining chicken pieces. Transfer the fried chicken to a platter, garnish with the herb sprigs and serve hot or at room temperature.

Step 2: Pat the chicken dry

Step 3a: Dredge the chicken in buttermilk

Step 4: Fry in 330 degrees

Ad Hoc Fried Chicken – 1st Attempt

Recipe Source: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/lemon-brined-fried-chicken

One Night in Havana

Do you know what it feels like to PLAN to go a club, realize you haven’t been in forever and have no idea what to wear or how to be? Let’s take this scenario and make it more retarded by being on a business trip and not having “club clothes” packed. I know what to wear if I’m going to Vegas. It’s a cocktail dress, fab heels/boots – whichever is fine as long as they are sky high and of course bring your A+ game. Ladies, this is your “A” game, sprinkled with hair and body glitter. Men, this is your best outfit, haircut, fresh shave with a heaping helping of swag…did I spell that right?

What if you’re in Seattle? I spent 4 months in Seattle earlier this year but I went to maybe one dance club the entire time to meet up with my friend White Pacman from the bay area. He picked some club that played 80’s + 90’s music and the people dressed kinda drab, to be expected since it’s soggy about 85% of the time. I thought that can’t possibly be all Seattle has to offer, it’s got to have some sort of vibrant nightlife.

I was excited to go to Capitol Hill on Friday night because I’m told that’s where the nightlife is. I went to Havana with my biz partner and my DJ friend. It was sort of surreal, the girls are dressed in club gear (short dresses and high heels) and guys looked sloppy. Maybe irons are outlawed because they might get electrocuted from the dampness. What a let down! Poor girls, this is your selection? How will they ever mate? I even went outside to check out the scenery thinking maybe the hot guys haven’t been admitted yet…nope more of the same. I really went outside because I was burning up in the club, they had one fan and it was impossible to dance in that sort of heat. The best place in the club was sitting and chatting with the bouncer because he was elevated near a door that was open to let the cool outside air in. Plus it’s always good to be friends with the bouncers.

When I came back, I saw one cute guy who was with the tall, blond chick my DJ friend was hitting on. He was tall, had dark hair, looked like he worked out and kept fit just not to juice head status. I later find out Mr. Hottie was a reserve Seattle Sounder (ummm what?) So that means he’s a player for the soccer team. Well no wonder he’s on reserve, if he was a starter he wouldn’t be out at the club the night before a match…just saying.

That concluded my night at Havana. A few years ago, I would have been dying to go out every weekend, now not so much. I had fun dancing and watching my friends interact with the locals. I just didn’t want anyone trying to talk me, I couldn’t hear anything but the beat and I can only do so much smiling and nodding…I’m getting OLD!

Trying on Clothes, Time to Run

I have two emotions, super-excited or not interested. Anything that falls in between registers in my subconscious and I might devote brain power to it or do my best to ignore it so it goes away.

I am super-excited for the New Kids on the Block and Back Street Boys concert. So excited that my friend Sonia & I devoted a shopping expedition to find a new outfit for our groupie night out. I’m fully aware I have a closet full of clothes, shoes, and accessories. I also understand being new in town, no one will point out that I wore a particular outfit to an event before. My justification is without the ritual of buying something new for a special event, the event then diminishes to something ordinary.

Shopping
I found a great pair of dark jeans and a deep plum top to wear with my super cute red knee-high boots at the first store…so lucky! The second stop was at Arden B since they were having a ridiculous sale. I found a pair of distressed jeans with rips going down the thigh for $5, they fit great when I first put them on. Then I did the sit down test and half my bootie popped out so I couldn’t get them. I know $5 is the cost of a latte but no amount is worth having a wardrobe malfunction. I’m not a kid anymore.

Mental Note: Start Running
The image I saw in the mirror was a bit horrifying and I decided to add running to my workout. It was easier to shop for Vegas dresses [pictured] than skinny jeans. The last few weeks have been crazy and I haven’t been as diligent with my diet. I realized, my metabolism isn’t what it used to be and running should fix things. The problem is the last time I ran was in Seattle and that was only enjoyable because I was staying 3 blocks from the beach and it was awesome to run in cold weather right next to the water.

The Goal
I’m not a fan of running, in fact I hate it, it falls in the completely not interested in this activity category. Yet training for a 10k and half marathon has shown me that it really works to shed pounds and develop discipline. The goal is to add running 3x a week to my yoga, zumba, and weights program. I am also going back to following the 4 hour body diet and only having the cheat day once a week. I still love food.

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