Crock Pottery!!!

So I just bought a crock pot. This was my first bit of crock pottery. It. Was. Glorious!!!

Crock Pot Roast

 

Ingredients

• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 5 1/2 pounds pot roast

Directions

1. In a slow cooker, mix cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix and water. Place pot roast in slow cooker and coat with soup mixture.
2. Cook on High setting for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low setting for 8 to 9 hours. 

 

Tools Used

Crock Pot...seriously, that's it. 

 

Serves 12

426 Calories 

Bacon Brownies

Easiest recipe on earth

Bacon Brownies (not from scratch)

Brownie Mix

Bacon

Fry up bacon to just shy of crispy (I use the George Foreman because it makes things healthy!). Set aside on paper towels to let excess grease drip out. Make brownie batter like it says on box of mix. Pour half the batter into baking dish. Add bacon as a layer. Add rest of batter.

Bake.

Eat.

I'm not even going to attempt a calorie count, it'll just make me sad.

Mac and Cheese

This recipe my Frankenstein's monster of several mac and cheese recipes, bear with me. It's frakking divine!

Mac and Cheese

1/4 cup all purpose flour

4 oz prosciutto

1/2 lb asparagus

 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used FAR more, a whole tablespoon, it was VERY spicy)

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter

4 cups whole milk

8 cups of assorted cheeses that you enjoy (I used sharp cheddar, colby jack, and italian blend)

bread crumbs

1lb elbow macaroni

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook macaroni according to instructions on the box. Set aside. Chop prosciutto into small strips and asparagus into thirds (after removing the bottom portion of asparagus at its natural breaking point...it'll break there when bent, throw that part away...the bottom). Cook prosciutto over medium heat until fat is rendered away and the prosciutto is slightly crispy and majorly delicious (just pick a piece up and taste, you'll know). Set aside. Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Whisk flour and cayenne in small bowl. Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add flour mixture; stir 1 minute (do not brown). Gradually whisk in milk and bring to simmer. Cook until sauce thickens, 4 to 5 minutes. Whisk 6 cups assorted cheeses into sauce. Season generously with salt and pepper. Stir in pasta, prosciutto, and asparagus; remove from heat. Layer half of pasta mixture, then half of remaining cheese in baking dish; repeat. Sprinkle with breadcrumb topping. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until topping is golden, 10 to 12 minutes.

Calories over 850 per serving. Serves 8 easily.

Shepherd's Pie

•  4 large russet potatoes (2 1/2 pounds)
• 2 pounds (85% lean) ground sirloin
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large onions (1 pound total), chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, smashed, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato puree
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 cups frozen petit peas (half of a 1-pound bag), thawed
• 3/4 cup half-and-half
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup (packed) shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese (4 ounces)

1. Peel the potatoes, cut in half lengthwise, and then thinly slice; place in a large saucepan with cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

2. Right after you put the potatoes on to cook, begin the filling: Cook the ground beef in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon and turning frequently until the meat is nicely browned, about 7 minutes. Transfer the beef to a plate. Preheat the oven to 500°F.

3. Add 2 tablespoons oil to the same skillet. Add the onions and garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until golden and tender, about 6 minutes. Return the browned meat to the pan and stir in the tomato puree and cayenne. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the peas and cover to keep warm.

4. Drain the cooked potatoes well and return them to the pot. Mash well with a potato masher, and then stir in the half-and-half, salt, and pepper to taste. Spoon the warm meat mixture into a 2 1/2-to 3-quart baking dish and sprinkle the Cheddar on top. Spoon the potatoes on top of the cheese, spreading them over the meat, leaving a scant inch border around the edge.

5. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the top and then bake until the potatoes are golden, about 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Potato Crusted Blackened Tilapia

I invented this foolishness

Recipe used: Potato Crusted Blackened Tilapia. The side dish is the rainbow chard dish from one of my earlier posts. It's my first attempt at this recipe and the potatoes didn't want to cooperate and stay on the fish when I turned it, but it was still so very delicious.

Potato Crusted Blackened Tilapia

2 Tilapia filets

1 potato, peeled, par-boiled (I'll explain)

Creole seasoning or blackening spice (I used Zatarain's creole seasoning, because I didn't have all of my blackening spice ingredients)

 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Ok, first peel the potato. If you can't peel a potato, you're not going to be making this dish. Next, parboil the potato. To parboil, you get a saucepan of water to a healthy boil. Put the potato in and boil for 6 to 7 minutes. You don't want a soft potato, you just want it less firm than a fully raw potato. Remove from water and let sit for a minute or two (so you don't burn the holy crap out of your fingers for the next part). 

Season the raw fish with the creole or blackening spice. Take the now cooled potato and, using a hand grater, grate the potato over the fish (I used the big holes on the grater). Make sure you spread the potato shavings over the fish so that it's all covered. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. 

Put a saucepan on the burner over medium heat. Add vegetable oil. Let it get hot. Add the now 10 minute refrigerated fish potato side down. Be careful. For one thing, there's some very hot oil in that pan AND you don't want the little potato pieces falling off of the fish. Cook on this side for about 4 minutes. Carefully turn the fish using a spatula and cook on the other side for 3 to 4 minutes. For thicker pieces of fish, this time will increase.

That's it! It's actually pretty simple, and with practice, I may even get the potatoes to hold on to the fish like I want them to. 

Calories: 564 (if you eat it all yourself, which I did)

Tools Used

Frying pan

Grater

Refrigerator

Navy Seal Workout Plan

As you may imagine, you have to be in pretty good shape to be one of these guys

These, my friends, are Navy SEALs. In order to qualify to become a SEAL, you are expected to be able to do the following:

-Swim 500 yards in 12:30 (though 8:00-9:00 is better)

*Rest 10 mins

-Max Push-Ups in 2 mins (42 is minimum, 90+ is better)

*Rest 2 mins

-Max Situps in 2 mins (52 is minimum, 90+ is better)

*Rest 2 mins

-Max Pullups - no time limit (8 is minimum, 15+ is better)

*Rest 10 mins

-1.5 mile run (11:30 is maximum, 9 mins or less is better) 

This is not an easy task for most untrained people. But there's a way to get there, oh beautiful people. There is a way!

But it ain't easy. 

Warning: Try these routines at your own risk! If you are out of shape or have any history of high blood pressure, heart disease, or any other illness, this kind of strenous exercise could lead to serious injury or death. Ask your doctor before starting any exercise program. This workout is provided here for reference purposes only.

The goal of the category I student is to work up to 16 miles per week of running. After you have achieved that goal then and only then should you continue on to the category II goal of 30 miles per week. Let me remind you that category I is a nine week buildup program. Follow the workout as best you can and you will be amazed at the progress you will make.

Week 1
Running	2 miles/day, 8:30 pace	Mon/Wed/Fri
Pushups*	4 sets of 15 pushups	Mon/Wed/Fri
Situps*	4 sets of 20 situps	Mon/Wed/Fri
Pullups*	3 sets of 3 pullups (chin bar)	Mon/Wed/Fri
Swimming**	Swim continuously for 15 min.	4-5 days/week

Week 2
Running	2 miles/day, 8:30 pace (6 mi/wk)	Mon/Wed/Fri
Pushups*	5 sets of 20 pushups	Mon/Wed/Fri
Situps*	5 sets of 20 situps	Mon/Wed/Fri
Pullups*	3 sets of 3 pullups	Mon/Wed/Fri
Swimming**	Swim continuously for 15 min.	4-5 days/week

Week 3
Running	None. High risk of stress fractures.	Mon/Wed/Fri
Pushups*	5 sets of 25 pushups	Mon/Wed/Fri
Situps*	5 sets of 25 situps	Mon/Wed/Fri
Pullups*	3 sets of 4 pullups	Mon/Wed/Fri
Swimming**	Swim continuously for 20 min.	4-5 days/week

Week 4
Running	3 miles/day, 8:30 pace (9 mi/wk)	Mon/Wed/Fri
Pushups*	5 sets of 25 pushups	Mon/Wed/Fri
Situps*	5 sets of 25 situps	Mon/Wed/Fri
Pullups*	3 sets of 4 pullups	Mon/Wed/Fri
Swimming**	Swim continuously for 20 min.	4-5 days/week

Weeks 5-6
Running	2 / 3 / 4 / 2 miles (11 miles/week)	Mo/Tu/We/Fr
Pushups*	6 sets of 25 pushups	Mon/Wed/Fri
Situps*	6 sets of 25 situps	Mon/Wed/Fri
Pullups*	2 sets of 8 pullups	Mon/Wed/Fri
Swimming**	Swim continuously for 25 min.	4-5 days/week

Weeks 7-8
Running	4 / 4 / 5 / 3 miles (16 miles/week)	Mo/Tu/We/Fr
Pushups*	6 sets of 30 pushups	Mon/Wed/Fri
Situps*	6 sets of 30 situps	Mon/Wed/Fri
Pullups*	2 sets of 10 pullups	Mon/Wed/Fri
Swimming**	Swim continuously for 30 min.	4-5 days/week

Week 9
Running	4 / 4 / 5 / 3 miles (16 miles/week)	Mo/Tu/We/Fr
Pushups*	6 sets of 30 pushups	Mon/Wed/Fri
Situps*	6 sets of 30 situps	Mon/Wed/Fri
Pullups*	3 sets of 10 pullups	Mon/Wed/Fri
Swimming**	Swim continuously for 35 min.	4-5 days/week

*Note: For best results, alternate exercises. Do a set of pushups, then a set of sit-ups, followed by a set of pull-ups, immediately with no rest.

** Note: Swimming is a sidestroke with NO fins. Switch sides regularly as you want to develop your sidestroke on both the left and right side. Try to swim 50 meters in one minute or less. If you have no access to a pool, ride a bicycle for twice as long as you would swim. If you do have access to a pool, swim every day available. Four to five days a week and 200 meters in one session is your initial workup goal.

And for those for which that was easy I present to you:

Schedule, Category II

Category II is a more intense workout designed for those who have been involved with a routine PT schedule or those who have completed the requirements of category I. Do not attempt this workout schedule unless you can complete the week 9 level of Category I workouts.

Weeks 1-2
Running	3 / 5 / 4 / 5 / 2 miles (19 mi/wk)	Mo/Tu/We/Fr/Sa
Pushups	6 sets of 30 pushups	Mon/Wed/Fri
Situps	6 sets of 35 situps	Mon/Wed/Fri
Pullups	3 sets of 10 pullups	Mon/Wed/Fri
Dips	3 sets of 20 dips	Mon/Wed/Fri
Swimming*	Swim continuously for 35 min.	4-5 days/week

Weeks 3-4
Running	4 / 5 / 6 / 4 / 3 miles (22 mi/wk)	Mo/Tu/We/Fr/Sa
Pushups	10 sets of 20 pushups	Mon/Wed/Fri
Situps	10 sets of 25 situps	Mon/Wed/Fri
Pullups	4 sets of 10 pullups	Mon/Wed/Fri
Dips	10 sets of 15 dips	Mon/Wed/Fri
Swimming†	Swim continuously for 45 min.	4-5 days/week

Week 5
Running	5 / 5 / 6 / 4 / 4 miles (24 mi/wk)	Mo/Tu/We/Fr/Sa
Pushups	15 sets of 20 pushups	Mon/Wed/Fri
Situps	15 sets of 25 situps	Mon/Wed/Fri
Pullups	4 sets of 12 pullups	Mon/Wed/Fri
Dips	15 sets of 15 dips	Mon/Wed/Fri
Swimming†	Swim continuously for 60 min.	4-5 days/week

Week 6 and beyond
Running	5 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 4 miles (27 mi/wk)	Mo/Tu/We/Fr/Sa
Pushups	20 sets of 20 pushups	Mon/Wed/Fri
Situps	20 sets of 25 situps	Mon/Wed/Fri
Pullups	5 sets of 12 pullups	Mon/Wed/Fri
Dips	20 sets of 15 dips	Mon/Wed/Fri
Swimming†	Swim continuously for 75 min.	4-5 days/week

Note: For weeks 8-9 and beyond, it is not necessary to increase the distance of the runs; work on the speed of your 6 mile runs and try to get them down to 7:30 per mile or lower. If you wish to increase the distance of your runs, do it gradually: no more than one mile per day increase for every week beyond week 9.

These workouts are designed for long-distance muscle endurance. Muscle fatigue will gradually take a longer and longer time to develop doing high repetition workouts. For best results, alternate exercises each set, in order to rest that muscle group for a short time.

† Note: Final swimming sessions are with fins. At first, to reduce initial stress on your foot muscles when starting with fins, alternate swimming 1000 meters with fins and 1000 meters without them. Your goal should be to swim 50 meters in 45 seconds or less.

Stretching

Since Mon/Wed/Fri are devoted to Physical Training (PT), it is wise to devote at least 20 minutes on Tue/Thu/Sat to Stretching. You should always stretch for at least 15 minutes before any workout; however, just stretching the previously worked muscles will make you more flexible and less likely to get injured. A good way to start stretching is to start at the top and go to the bottom. Stretch to tightness, not to pain; hold for 10- 15 seconds. DO NOT BOUNCE. Stretch every muscle in your body from the neck to the calves, concentrating on your thighs, hamstrings, chest, back, and shoulders.

Nutrition

Proper nutrition is extremely important now and especially when you arrive at BUD/S. You must make sure you receive the necessary nutrients to obtain maximum performance output during exercise and to promote muscle/tissue growth and repair. The proper diet provides all the nutrients for the body's needs and supplies energy for exercise. It also promotes growth and repair of tissue and regulates the body processes. The best source of complex carbohydrates are potatoes, pasta, rice, fruits, vegetables. These types of foods are your best sources of energy.

Carbohydrates, protein, and fat are the three energy nutrients. All three can provide energy, but carbohydrate is the preferred source of energy for physical activity. It takes at least 20 hours after exhaustive exercise to completely restore muscle energy, provided 600 grams of carbohydrates are consumed per day. During successive days of heavy training, like you will experience at BUD/S, energy stores prior to each training session become progressively lower. This is a situation in which a high carbohydrate diet can help maintain your energy.

The majority of carbohydrates should come from complex carbohydrate foods that include bread, crackers, cereal, beans, peas, starchy vegetables, and other whole grain or enriched grain products. Fruits are also loaded with carbohydrates. During training, more than four servings of these food groups should be consumed daily.

Water intake is vital; stay hydrated. You should be consuming up to four quarts of water daily. Drink water before you get thirsty!!! Substances such as alcohol, caffeine and tobacco increase your body's need for water. Too much of these substances will definitely harm your body and hinder your performance. Supplemental intake of vitamins, as well, has not been proven to be beneficial. If you are eating a well balance diet, there is no need to take vitamins.

Nutritional Balance
Carbohydrates	50-70% of calories
Protein	10-15% of calories
Fats	20-30% of calories

Vealboigah!!!

Recipes used: Veal boigah and balsamic asparagus salad. Recipe submitted by Nicole Bryan Romero.

Veal Boigah

1lb ground veal

.5 cup kalamata olives

.5 cup artichoke hearts

.5 cup raw baby spinach leaves

.5 cup mushrooms

1 egg

Mix all of the veggies in a food processor to make a tapenade. ,

Mix resulting product in with the veal and 1 egg for binder.

Cook like a regular burger. 

Balsamic Asparagus Salad

Asparagus

Mushrooms

Minced Garlic

Zuchini

Yellow Squash

Tomatoes

Chop all ingredients and mix together.

Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar .

Tools Used

Manual food processor

Knife

As always, all items can be found at Pampered Chef. Since Nicole came up with the recipes, it would be awesome if you frequented her store for kitchen products that you may need.