Paleo Kitchen: Avocado Egg Basket

Ask anybody... I am NOT partial to avocados. I usually skip the guac unless it is just filled with parsley, cilantro, tomatillos, and onions. Also, I need like 500 chips for an ounce of guac. And I just don't eat avocados. And that was just because I didn't know how to eat them.

Did you know that they taste good with eggs? I didn't. Good for you if you did. I stumbled upon a recipe where you crack an egg into the avocado and bake it. I tried that. It failed miserably. I won't even entertain you with pictures of the horrid attempt. So I scratched that and tried something else (because for some reason I was gung ho on eating an avocado.)

I scrambled the eggs and avocado together and it turned out PERFFFFFect.

This recipe is great for doing things on the run. Mix it, pop it in, go do something else, come back to it, and eat it.

 Avocado Egg Basket 

Ingredients (for 2 people)

• 1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp goat*, almond, or coconut milk
• Sea salt
• Parsley

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
• Scrape out the avocado meat (do we call it meat?) into a bowl. You don't have to fully scrape it out. I find that leaving a thin layer makes the dish very good.
• Mix in the eggs, milk, salt, and parsley (and whatever spices/meats you like!)
• Make sure the mixture is not too chunky (I usually use an electric blender)
• Then pour the mixture back into the avocado shell. You will notice that you have leftover... At this point, I usually transfer it to a tiny oven safe dish or a cupcake tinfoil (great way to make portable egg muffins!)
• I put the avocado in a bread loaf pan because it allows the avocado to stand up well without falling over. And then you can place the tinfoil in there too!
• Then I let it bake for 15-20 minutes.
• After removing it, I topped mine with shredded ham and shredded goat* cheese.
• Enjoy ;).

I'll usually take a shower in those 15-20 minutes and then come down and eat my breakfast. Yum. I say 2 people because 1 avocado basket and then part of the egg muffin with a glass of coconut milk and a side of fruits usually does the trick for me. Other times I just eat both baskets and give the extra eggs to my brother who eats it with his gluten-free bread and milk. It's up to you and your appetite!

I wonder what else I can bake my eggs in...

*Goat milk isn't paleo but it is primal and I use raw, organic, grass-fed goat milk. It has a strong taste but it complements eggs so wonderfully in my opinion! My brother drinks it regularly, but I'll only use it in my eggs. I found unflavored almond or coconut milk works well to give the eggs a good milky flavor :).

#TBT: The Time I Had Clubbing Withdrawals

I kind of miss the #TBT Thursday series, but I never updated them anyways, so definitely not worth it. If I can get enough #TBT posts, maybe I'll restart the tab :).

So this past weekend, I went to see The Maccabees in concert and then went to UltraBar with my friends.

It was "disgustingly fun." That is the word I've been using to describe my night to anybody who asked (or didn't ask. I like to keep people updated on my life whether they ask or not.)

First off, I was looking fleekish AS HELL (do you think people will still say on fleek, fleeky, fleekish, etc in the future? Probably not.)

Like, I was looking gooooddddd. Black short sleeve crop top from Wet Seal and white floral skort from Kohl's. Y'all didn't know me in my less toned days, but I came a long way from starting paleo and doing cardio at least 3 times a week a month ago! I fucked up my lashes when I first put them on (as evident in the left eye), but I fixed them and added some lipstick.

Like, I kinda look sweaty, but I still look 100%. That red lipstick is life. I wear it with everything. I call it my neutral lip. It's NARS Audacious Lipstick in Charlotte ($32.) I've never used a lipstick more lavish and amazing before in my life. End of story. If you get anything from this post, get the lipstick.

So my friend and I ventured out to DC to go see The Maccabee's, a British rock/alternative band. We left late but we caught half their set.

The bassist to the far right is super cute in a tall, dark, classic way. The drummer (not pictured, sorry baby) is also super cute in a blonde, blue-eyed, tall, preppy but I wear straight skinny jeans instead of khakis and chinos, way. They were goooooddd. But then the set ended at like 9:30.

We were in DC at 9:30 pm. The Pride Parade was going on that day so there were a bunch of people in the streets. We still had no idea what to do. So, I texted my friends who were in DC to see what they were up to. THEY WANTED TO GO CLUBBING #YES.

Now if you know me, you know I frequent Shooters a lot. If you don't know me, you have no idea what I just said. I like to go to Shooters, a Western style club/bar. It's "disgustingly fun." I'm telling you, this is a great adjective to use all the time. Now, I like to say that I dislike Shooters, but deep down, there's a place in my heart for it. One thing I knew to be true, I need to get my fix of dancing and sweating with friends and guys trying to buy me drinks. I never realized I missed it until I missed it.

SOOOO We went clubbing #YOLO.

Look, my girls and I are fleekish. ALSO LET'S TAKE THIS TIME TO LOOK AT MY BODY. IT's shaping up and I am so happy *tear face happy face*. I am wearing a CROP TOP because my abs are on 90%. They aren't 100 yet, but they look good in a crop top, so that's all that matters now. Plus, my boobs are looking 100. Like I don't know what happened but they're kinda very awesome.

I used my fake to get in (even though I wasn't going to buy drinks.) The amount of guys who have asked to buy me drinks and dance with me. Dude, I felt so hot. These weren't ugly guys too. They reeked of desperation, but they weren't ugly. But I just wanted to dance with my fleeky girls and have fun. I let guys dance on me for the heck of it, but wasn't feeling dancing with them.

At one point, one of my friends and I got onto a bar to start dancing. Ah... Just like Shooters <3.

There was this one guy who was actually like "WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR YOU TO DANCE WITH ME? YOU'RE SO BEAUTIFUL!" And I was like "No." And he was like "What do you want? A bottle of champagne? I'll buy you one!" And I was like "Naaahhhh." But he never understood what "NO!" meant. I felt a bit stalked on the dance floor because he was ALWAYS THERE. At one point, he was making out with a girl, made eye contact with me, and then left her to try to talk to me again.

Bruh. Nah.

The worst part is... As I'm trying to escape him, there are even cuter and hotter guys who are making eye contact with me and we smile across the dance floor. I SHIT YOU NOT THIS HAPPENS IN REAL LIFE. But because of the creep, they'd smile and then they'd walk away. Is there anyway to send a distress signal without crying?

I had to convince myself that it was OKAY that I was MISSING OUT ON HOT GUYS because I just wanted to dance with my friends. I'm still trying to convince myself. I'll get over it soon, maybe.

Overall, it was "disgustingly fun." Fun but hella sweaty :).

Well, that was a super fun Saturday night <3.

Paleo Kitchen: Chardonnay Shrimp Scampi

There are actually no words to describe my love of shrimp scampi and Chardonnay. So, I decided to put them together because why not? It's paleo... right? (Maybe not 100% the wine, but... it's wine. Isn't it essential to life? I think Cavemen and cavewomen alike would make multiple exceptions.)

Can I just complain for a quick second? I LOVE SHRIMP! WHY DO THEY HAVE TO BE CALORIE FILLED? Damn things. I mean like... 6 large/extra large pieces for 140 calories. I can low-key easily eat like 18 pieces of shrimp soooooooo.... Stackin' up them caloriessssss. I try to only eat shrimp like 4 times a month (aka every other week and then the next day for leftovers, yum.)

Also... It is just SO TEMPTING to snack on the shrimp as you're making them. The best chef always tastes her own food from time to time ;). But these tasty little morsels are just... Well, gotta taste them all, right?

JUST LOOK AT HOW APPETIZING THEY ARE #YUM.

Okay, let me give y'all the recipe because that's why you're probably reading this hahaha.

Chardonnay Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of thawed, raw, unshelled shrimp (any size shrimp works, but I personally love the large/extra large ones)
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tbsp garlic oil
• 1/2 diced tomato
• 6 ounces of Chardonnay (cheap is fine, the world will continue. I use Oak Leaf. They're like $3-5/bottle!!!)
• 3 tbsp coconut oil (or ghee, but the coconut oil is just as good)
• 1 diced jalapeno
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp parsley (I love parsley, so I'm never parse on it, hehe)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice or the juice from 1 lemon
• Lemon zest from 1 lemon

Instructions 

• Heat up the olive oil in a large sauce pan on medium heat.
• Throw in the garlic and jalapenos for 3-4 minutes (If the smell of jalapenos bother you, then wait to throw them in!)
• Throw in the tomatoes. (Then throw in the jalapenos if you didn't put them initially!)
• Add the coconut oil (or ghee)
• Throw in the shrimp and cook for about 1-2 minutes.
• Add the salt and parsley.
• Add the lemon juice.
• Throw in the Chardonnay. Then cover and let sit for 4-5 minutes.
• Uncover and then add the lemon zest. Mix.
• Lower the heat until it simmers and let it simmer for about 10 minutes with the cover half on.

Salad 

Okay, this was boring, but it photographs so beautifully. I only used romaine lettuce, carrots (which I peeled to make small ribbons), and raw onions. Then I used the sauce from the shrimp as my dressing. And then topped it off with shrimp (and extra parsley!) 

The whole thing was yummy! Not all too filling, so make sure to add a side of veggies! I had baby carrots and green beans on the side that were tossed in the sauce :).

So, these instructions and ingredients might not work for you, but that's fine. I'm not one to stick to recipes and neither should you. Cooking is so much more fun when you are inspired by something and then free hand the rest! I don't even actually use measuring utensils, so everything listed is a rough estimate, hehehe. I hope you enjoy it though :D!

Friday Reflections: 6/15/15

Yes yes, I know today is not Friday but let's ignore that for now and let's pretend today is Friday.

Once again, another uneventful and peaceful week. So let's rewind back to last week's "Looking Ahead":

Looking ahead: Italy and the cruise (read places where I cannot escape pasta and grains) is in T minus 16 days. We leave on Sunday the 21st. On the 20th, I'll be doing Fitness Fest hopefully and getting a much deserved mani-pedi and threading for my face. On the 19th, I have a photoshoot as part of my internship! How cool is that? So in these next two weeks, I will be all about the fitness and the health and the toning and the running.

And let's see...

LEAVING FOR ITALY ON SUNDAY YAYAYAYAYAYA! I'm still waiting on my dad to prescribe me some Xanax so that I cannot have a freaking cardiac arrest on the plane.

I will NOT be doing Fitness Fest on Saturday, but I think I'll be doing Jazz in the Gardens :).

Mani-Pedi and threading will be Thursday instead of Saturday.

And photoshoot is still on, I believe :).

I unfortunately worked out 0 times this past week. I started working out this Saturday. Let's remember this: I did 2 miles in 28 minutes. My goal is 3 miles in 35 minutes by the end of summer.

Let's see what else...

I hung out with some Chi O friends this weekend. We went to UltraBar and it was disgustingly entertaining. Sweaty people and pushy guys, but I still had fun and I enjoyed the music :).

ANDDDD I asked a Tinder guy out to hang out with me in the Gardens on Friday. So we will see how that goes. I'll definitely do a "Friday Reflection" on that same day ;).

So, Looking ahead: Definitely working out everyday until Sunday. That will happen. I will make it happen. Packing light (for me that is 2 outfits a day instead of 3.) And hopefully going out to the Gardens on Friday and hanging out with Tinder guy.

I want to start a Tinder tab of all my Tinder adventures, but I don't have any soooooooo. Oh well. Maybe if this goes well, I'll adventure some more.

#cool cool

Music Monday

So to expand my own Music Monday music tastes, I've been browsing Spotify for 2-3 playlists a week and picking out my favorite songs. Unfortunately, I liked all the songs I've been favoriting and it was so hard to pick out my top 15, let alone my top 3. And then I had to rank them by how much I listen to them! So this week, there is no order to my list.

"Bombtastic" Bonnie McKee

I'm feeling bombtastic AF.

"Where Are Ü Now" Jack Ü

I've never been a big Beiber fan but this song is the Bieb's knees.

"OctaHate" Ryn Weaver

#preach.

Aaaaannnndddd, check out the full list on the Music Monday tab and check out this month's full Music Monday list on Spotify :).

Paleo Kitchen: Energizing Milkshake

Easy peasy, lemon-squeezy. I was reading something somewhere that said that raw eggs (hormone free, organic, free range) are good for you. Way better than cooked eggs. When you cook the eggs, the protein structure gets messed up and that's why people have egg allergies. So I started having raw eggs. 

Newsflash: they're not tasty. Yuck.

So I started drinking them with coconut milk!

Tasty but then if you don't mix the eggs well, then you caste feel it going down your throat. Appealing, right?

But then I started getting hungry like an hour after having it! Which really is no surprise. It's protein and 60 calories worth of milk. But I wanted a way to stay full longer. And for the eggs to blend better. So I created the milkshake! YUM. Tastes like vanilla ice cream, so I feel as if I'm treating myself :D! Low calorie too :).

You don't need much.

Energizing milkshake 

Ingredients

6 oz unsweetened vanilla coconut milk (it has a crapton of Vitamin D and Vitamin B12)

6 oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk (crapton of Calcium and Vitamin E)

2 raw organic eggs

1 tbsp organic raw honey (if you want it sweet!)

6 - 8 oz of cubed ice

Instructions

Put everything in a blender. Blend. Add more ice if you want to thicker. 

What you have now is a low calorie milkshake with a lot of nutrients which gives you a lot of energy and makes you feel full and refreshed :)! Plus in my opinion, tastes like the Starbucks vanilla frappé.

So, enjoy!

Music Monday

Look at this... Two times in a row. #Wowza. This past week I've been pretty much on an uplifting/EDM/dance party mood.

So I give you my top 3 songs from this past week:

1. "Want To Want Me" Jason DeRulo

I know this was featured at #4 last week, but oh, my God, it is just SO CATCHY.

2. "Bad Girls" MKTO

3. "Beautiful Now" Zedd

As always, check out the rest of my list on the Music Monday tab :). Happy listening!

Friday Reflections: 6/5/15

Ah. Today marks the end of the first week in June and the end of my first full week at work! I've been pretty much at peace with myself lately. I intern at The DC Ladies and hopefully I'll be volunteering at the American Cancer Society!

I'm just happy. No reason whatsoever. Maybe it's the paleo: I feel lighter and healthier and happier. I cheated and ate some wheat, but I still felt so freakin' good. So there's that :).

I haven't been to the gym lately, but I should probably get back to that... The weather has been disgusting and after running outside in the nice, fresh air, the gym has got me feeling a little claustrophobic when I use the treadmill. Maybe I'll search the site and see what group fitness classes they have on my free days and then go for a run on the days I have work.

Looking ahead: Italy and the cruise (read places where I cannot escape pasta and grains) is in T minus 16 days. We leave on Sunday the 21st. On the 20th, I'll be doing Fitness Fest hopefully and getting a much deserved mani-pedi and threading for my face. On the 19th, I have a photoshoot as part of my internship! How cool is that? So in these next two weeks, I will be all about the fitness and the health and the toning and the running.

Would it be beneficial for me to make a tab so that I can keep myself accountable? I'm not sure if it will be... I've been counting calories, but is it worth it in paleo? I stopped a couple days ago and I noticed that my food habits haven't really changed, except now I don't feel guilty when I eat an ounce of cashews or almonds when I'm hungry!

Hmm.

Well. I probably won't do the fitness tab but I'll still continue the paleo tab :). Today, I'm making cauliflower rice to eat with leftover ground beef. I'd add that but I don't find that important enough to add to my list of recipes since they're both basic but great staples!

I don't have any weekend plans except cleaning my room, yay...

OH. I forgot to add: my dog has a stupid yeast infection in her ear. Ugh that's so sad and annoying. And her right kneecap keeps popping, but the Doctor said as long as she's not limping, she's good.

Well, I should end on a positive note...

I'm trying to actually write a novel and I'm halfway through chapter 2! I want to finish it this summer. We will see what happens! Ah!

Paleo Kitchen: Pizza + Truffles

Ah! Today's my first installment of my favorite paleo recipes that you need to try out! I'm going above and beyond the basic paleo staples and give you a meal.

I was craving, and I mean craving, some pizza and a nice decadent chocolate dessert. So guess what I did? Made some :). I was so close to running (like actually running, sprinting) to the Pizza Hut behind my house to get some pizza. I keep getting bombarded with Pizza Hut's latest pizza and the resistance has been great until the craving began.

So today I will tell you what I made and how I made it, starting first with the pizza (obvi!)

Goat Cheese Pizza (12 inches)

Guys, I really hope you can eat goat cheese. It is the weirdest best thing I have ever eaten. It's strong and a bit bitter but it grows on you. Plus, it makes a GREAT pizza topping if you can't or won't eat dairy products from cows. I bought goat milk cheese from a local certified farm that lets its animals roam free, pasture-raised, healthy eating... You know, all the good things. So, without further ado...

Ingredients

• 6 oz Tapioca Flour/Starch + 4 oz (separated)
• 2.5 oz Coconut Flour + 2 oz (separated)
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup warm-hot water
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 whisked egg
• 6-8 oz Pizza Sauce (I have a bomb-ass recipe for my homemade pizza sauce. I'll share it in the next couple of days, but more or less I used diced tomatoes, onions, jalapeno, chives, oregano, basil, cilantro, salt all blended in a blender, then simmered for 12-15 minutes, then added 3 ounces of tomato paste and simmered for another 10 minutes.)
• 3/4 cup mushrooms, diced bell peppers, and onions cooked in coconut oil, drained
• 1 cup diced chicken, cooked (I sautéed mine in some rum!)
• 1 oz raw onions, diced
• 1/2 cup shredded goat cheese
• 1 tbsp melted ghee (organic, clarified butter)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• In a medium-large bowl, mix the 6 oz of tapioca flour, 2.5 oz of coconut flour, and salt.
• Add the olive oil and warm water. Mix.
• Add the whisked egg. Mix.
• Slowly add the rest of the coconut flour until it is easily formable into a ball of dough.
• Sprinkle an ounce of tapioca flour on a cutting board and then knead about 2 ounces of tapioca flour into the ball of dough.
• Sprinkle a little bit of tapioca flour onto parchment paper (and then place that parchment paper on top of a pizza pan, if you have one), and sprinkle the rest of the flour on your rolling pin.
• Roll out your dough on the parchment paper to a 12 inch circle, making sure the dough is even (because we do not want the edges to crisp)
• Bake for about 10 minutes.
• Make sure your ingredients/toppings are warm.
• Remove from oven. Lower heat to 350 degrees.
• Apply 2 ounces of pizza sauce.
• Then add the mushroom/peppers/onions.
• Then add the rest of the pizza sauce (depending on how saucy you want it!)
• Add the chicken.
• Add the raw onions.
• Sprinkle the cheese.
• Brush the ghee on the crust area.
• Place back in oven. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese starts slightly browning.
• Enjoy!

Coconut Date Truffles

Healthy, not overly sweet, customizable, and just all around amazing. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups of dates, pitted, diced (try to use fresh ones as opposed to pre-packaged ones_
• 1/2 cup of coconut flakes, broken
• 100% cacao powder
• 1 oz cacao chips
• 2 cups of strongly brewed warm coffee
• 1 tbsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp nutmeg powder

Instructions

• Let the dates sit in the coffee for about 5 minutes. 
• Drain.
• Using a wooden spoon, mash and mix the dates with the cacao chips, cinnamon, and nutmeg until the dates have a paste-like consistency. 
• Mix in the coconut flakes.
• Form the paste into round 1 inch balls and then roll them in the cacao powder until it is all coated. 
• Place in fridge to harden for at least 30 minutes. Leave refrigerated until use.
• Enjoy with a nice glass of wine ;). Pictured is a "wine" made out of plums! It works perfectly for both red and white dishes.  

I made these for my family and they loved it! Being paleo has been a bit tough, especially we are a huge rice-eater family. I miss rice, ugh. But from time to time, they let me cook for the family, which has definitely made my life so much easier because then they're doing it with me. I love cooking and baking and I can't wait to discover more recipes and find out what works and doesn't work so that I can share them with you guys! Let me know if you have good recipes I need to try out :).

Voilá! Bon appetite, mon cheri. 

Music Monday

I wasn't going to do one this week, but then what better way to whip myself into shape by actually starting fresh at the beginning of the month? So, here's this week's Music Monday (or "Has Elodie Been Listening To Anything Else except for Mumford & Sons?")

1. "The Wolf" Mumford & Sons

Need a good running song? This. Need a good song, period? THIS.

2. "Little Lion Man" Mumford & Sons

I just love to sing aloud this song. It's perfect (for me) for everything.

3.  "St. Walker" Young the Giant

It's chill.

As per ushe... Check out the full list on the Music Monday tab or my Spotify Playlist! Sorry I don't have any stories for these! I just really like these songs and they're just awesome.