Living Sober

1 year, 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes … all of it, living SOBER. No beer, no wine, no liquor. I could tell you more about how much money I’ve saved, how many pounds and inches I’ve kept off, and other quantifiable results of giving up a daily alcohol habit, but all of that pales in comparison to the intangibles of my experience living a sober life. The “numbers” are interesting, but the real benefits of sobriety aren’t measurable in numbers, and until you’ve experienced something similar for yourself, it’s difficult to understand. This is my very abbreviated story, and there is no judgement here for anyone who lives a life different from mine. My intent to share this is strictly as a means for you to know me a little better, since we’re pals on the interwebs. ;-)

When people ask me why I quit drinking, or I can see them wondering but too afraid to ask, I struggle with my reasons why. My instinctual and gut reaction is always to say “I’ve had enough.” That’s really it, in a nutshell. I’d simply had enough of it. I’ve spent the majority of my adult life and too much of my young adult life drinking, partying, justifying bad behavior, having close calls with the law, trying to prevent hangovers, nursing crippling hangovers, and joking about being a high functioning alcoholic, and I was just done. Don’t get me wrong. We had some great times, didn’t we, my friends?! I wish I could remember all of them, haha. But seriously...

October 24, 2016, I had my last glass of my favorite wine and poured the rest of the bottle down the drain. It was the end to an unhealthy cycle that I felt I’d been in for too long. A cycle of denying, minimizing, justifying, anticipating, enjoying, overindulging, regretting, shaming, resolving, forgetting, and right back to the beginning. I was in that cycle for years, and it became too heavy, too burdensome, and I needed it to change. I needed a change. I needed to change, for me.  

Living sober feels like the most valuable gift I’ve ever given myself. I feel more alive, stronger, more confident, more at ease, more connected, and more aware. I’m proud of myself for finding the courage to quit, and stay committed to this path. I feel better than I ever have in my life, physically, spiritually, and emotionally, and I intend to continue to live sober. I want to say “Thank you” to my children, my husband, my family and my friends who have supported, encouraged, and accepted me in my sobriety. I appreciate you, I love you. I am here for you, always.

I am living a life that I want to remember, with a clear head and all of my senses enabled. I am living a life that is never perfect, but it’s honest and authentic and I will not hide from the messy bits. I am living a life where I am holding myself accountable, empowering myself, trusting myself, and forgiving myself for the things I’d rather forget. I am living a sober life because I want to see everything and everyone through a clean lens and with a sharp focus. I am living a sober life because it’s right for me. ~ Sara

“You can't just decide to be happy, but you can let go of the habits that bring you down and prioritize the choices that feed your spirit.”

Sweet Potato & Kale Hash

I saw this recipe today on Food Matters Facebook page and instantly starting salivating. This is a simple, healthy and hearty meal for any time of the day. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 sweet potatoes, diced
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 bunch kale, washed, leaves removed, and roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 eggs
• Salt and pepper

Directions: Preheat oven to 375˚. Toss the diced sweet potato with the paprika and 1 tbsp of coconut oil in a large zip lock back until well covered. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or tin foil. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until soft and slightly crisp.  

Remove from oven and transfer sweet potatoes to a bowl. In a dutch oven or skillet over medium high heat, melt 1/2 tbsp of coconut oil. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, add the kale and sauté until just starting to wilt, 1-2 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes to the pan and toss to combine. Using a wooden spoon, make two wells in the pan. (I missed this put both eggs into one well.) Crack each egg into the well. Cover pan with a lid for 3-4 minutes, allowing the whites to set. Once the eggs are cooked to your liking, turn off heat, finish with a pinch of salt and pepper and serve. Next time I will use 3-4 eggs because I upped the amount of sweet potatoes (it called for 1 in the original recipe, but mine were small.)

Simple Protein Pancakes

After 3 failed attempts at making low sugar, no white flour pancakes - I finally found "3 Ingredient Simple Protein Pancakes" by PaleOMG (damned impressive blog, BTW.) 3 ingredients? Simple? Sign me up, that is my kind of recipe.

I left out the chocolate chips, but I smeared a little crunchy Natural PB on them in lieu of syrup. These are delicious and I finally got the golden brown "crisp" that I was missing in all of my other GF attempts.

I read some of the comments on the original blog post, and one reader suggested adding some spinach puree to the mixture. I'm definitely going to try this variation next time for a little added nutrition. As sweet as these are, I'm certain that you wouldn't even detect the flavor of the spinach if you aren't a spinach fan.

I thought 1 TBSP of butter in the pan is a bit too much to start. I would probably reduce it to 1/2 TBSP at first and add more after 3-4 pancakes.

I used this protein powder, but I also have a chocolate powder of a different brand that I might try next time.

PaleOMG will be on my reading list from now on!

Quick & Easy Paleo Dinner - Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Squash Gratin

I have added a new low-carb chicken dish to my rotation. My friend Ashley shared this recipe with me. As always, I had to modify based on what I had on hand. I think both the chicken "stuffing" and what you add to the gratin could be made very creative. Use what you & have fun creating new variations. 

Also, as always, I didn't think to take pictures during the prep process. I never know how things will turn out and if they'll even be "picture worthy" and this was one of those days.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Ingredients:
3 large chicken breasts
8 oz. fresh baby spinach
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup shredded cheese of your choice (I used an Italian Blend)
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions:
Clean & chop up the spinach. Heat olive oil to medium in a saute pan. Add the garlic and baby spinach and cook on low-med until spinach is wilted and garlic is aromatic. Remove from heat & transfer to a bowl. Strain any extra liquid left from the cooking process. Add your cheese or choice of stuffing (you could add diced ham, bacon, etc.)  

Using a small, sharp knife, carefully cut a deep slit through the side of each chicken breast (stopping about 1/2" from the opposite side) to create your stuffing pocket. Place 2-3 TBSP. of the spinach/cheese mixture to the chicken breast pocket. Secure with toothpicks. Salt & pepper the outside of your breasts to taste. 

Grill your chicken on medium heat, turning once after surface has browned. Grill your chicken until the internal temp reaches 165 degrees. Remove toothpicks before serving.

Squash Gratin (original recipe can be found here)
Ingredients:
4 TBSP butter
2 large zucchini, shredded - water pressed out using cheesecloth 
2 medium yellow squash, shredded - water pressed out
2 cups cooked spaghetti squash (if don't have all 3 kinds of squash, just make up the difference with what you do have)
2 tsp. fresh garlic, minced
4 medium shallots, mined (or onion if you prefer stronger flavor)
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (or pepper jack might be a good choice, again, use what you have)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. oregano
Salt & Pepper to taste
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
Green onions, sliced, for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F. 

Heat a large, deep pot to medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter melts, saute the shallots and garlic until the shallots are translucent (a minute or two.)

Add the zucchini, squash, heavy cream, salt, pepper, oregano, and Parmesan cheese. Let teh mixture cook on the stovetop for 8-10 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly. Be careful not to get this too hot or it will scorch the cream & stir constantly. 

Transfer your squash/cream/cheese mixture to a greased 2 quart baking dish. Mix in most of the cheddar cheese. Sprinkle the rest of the cheddar on top. 

Bake for 10-14 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Garnish with green onions if desired. 

Spartan Training - Burpee Blender

If you haven't been living under a rock, you know that burpees are one of the most all inclusive body-weight movements you can do to improve your fitness. Jeremiah and I recently attended a free Spartan Workout at a Lincoln, NE Crossfit box. The burpee blender was just one component of the 2 hour workout. A tough one! I had a hard time remembering all of their variations, so I added one of my own to complete a burpee blender with 10 variations. 

What's the correct burpee movement? According to Andi who lead the workout, the standard "Spartan" style burpee is an 8 count burpee.

Start in a standing position, squat down and place hands down, jump back to plank, complete 1 pushup (chaturanga alignment - elbows close to the body, shoulders over fingertips), jump the feet back up towards your hands, then come back to standing and add a JUMP to finish (optional clap over the head!)

Today's Burpee Blender looked like this:

JP's time: 15:20

Sara's time: 18:46 (with only 1 or 2 modified pushups using my knees!!)

Regular (Spartan) Burpees – Full push up & jump up x 10

Burpee with Switch-Lunge Jump x 10

Burpee with 3 Jacks x 10

Burpee with Squat Hold then jump up x 10

Burpee with Tuck Jump x 10

Burpee with Hell Raisers (Push-up/Forearm Plank to Plank) x 10

Burpee with Plank Knee to Opp. Elbow Twist x 10

Burpee with Plank opp. Heel Taps x 10

Burpee with 3x Frog Hops x 10

Regular Burpees x 10

Give it a try and let me know how it goes!

Yoga to the Core Day 22

#yogatothecore Day 22 is Chaturanga Dandasana. The hosts offered a few different suggestions for how to work on this challenge pose. Kino blew me away with her Chaturanga or crocodile "jumps" - I did try them and they are super difficult! I went with downdog split, to one-leg chaturanga push ups. A few sets of these and my triceps are shaking! I am a bit sore today, which means I need to do more of these :-) I love chaturanga and feel like I've come a long way with my upper body strength since I've started practicing more regularly. The first several months, I was modifying this pose and vinyasa with the knees down. Good alignment is important in chaturanga. Make sure you shift your shoulders slightly over your wrists and keep your elbows tucked into the ribs - your arms should graze the rib cage as you lower. This isn't a regular push up! Keep the shoulders down and back don't "sink" in between the shoulder blades. Keep the chest expanded and derive the power in this pose from the core. If you are using the knees, be sure your knees are quite a ways behind your hips.

Yoga to the Core Day 21

Day 21 #yogatothecore was urdhva navasana variation. This is essentially a "lower" and harder version of navasana or boat pose. I did a little block relay here to prepare. This is challenging but I can definitely feel how effective it is! Here's a 15 second video showing a sped-up version of this practice. I think 3 sets of 10 would be a good start.