WRD

Another late-y mclaterson, argh.

Marathon Training Week 7
Miles Ran: 19
Long Run: 14 miles
Cross-training: Not so much.

Pros: That 14 miler is one of the best runs I've ever had. I even ran the first 13.2 faster than the Tinkerbell half back in January. And I didn't listen to a thing. This is really starting to freak me out, but hey - it's working!
Cons: We are not eating nearly as well as we should. Chips and salsa have been a constant snack. We've let paleo suffer for quick bites here and there. But I have a long holiday break coming up so I'm hoping to get us settled into a nice schedule of cooking, including our own paleo menu based on what we loved from the Paleo Plan and what else I come across as we go along.

Tunes: I continued Shiver on my short run and I've got the new P!nk album to try out.
Talkies: Thanks to political coverage and the like a lot of my shows have actually been off this week, thank goodness. But I am starting to spend more and more of my Sunday's actually watching Football. I am doing so well in my Fantasy League! As I should, since I have the best team name ever - The Honey Boo Boo Badgers.

Favorite Recipe: I think Week 6 of the Paleo Plan might just be the best week ever. We just loved the majority of everything we ate. But my absolute favorite had to be the Cocoa Nib Pork Chops with Butternut Squash. Remember how I said how amazing acorn squash was? Well, Butternut gives it a run for its' money!

Cacao Nib Pork Chops
Serves 2 for dinner, with leftovers for lunch. Approximate cooking time: 40 minutes.

Ingredients
4 (4-6 oz) boneless pork chops, trimmed of all fat
1/3 cup raw cacao nibs, chopped
butternut squash (about 1-1/2 lbs), peeled and diced
2 Tbs raw honey (optional)
3 tsp coconut oil, divided

Instructions
1) Pound both sides of each pork chop to tenderize the meat.
2) Whisk egg in a small bowl. Coat pork chops with egg mixture and season each side with 1 tsp chopped cacao nibs. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper if desired. Set aside.
3) Heat 2 tsp of coconut oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once hot, add diced butternut squash, stirring often.
4) After about 5 minutes, place 1 tsp coconut oil in a different pan over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, place coated pork chops in skillet and cook to desired temperature (145° recommended).
5) Meanwhile, add honey to the butternut squash as it cooks, and sprinkle with cinnamon. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper if desired.
6) When squash is tender, serve over a handful of spinach, and serve pork chops on the side.