I was craving a sweet dessert the other night when I remembered the “frozen banana trick“.  And then I remembered I had a 100% chocolate bar in the cabinet.  Combining the two resulted in a delicious frozen chocolate treat very close to the real deal — but without added sugar, making it Challenge friendly/Whole 30 compliant.

Chocolate Banana “Ice Cream”

Yield: 1 serving, but easily doubled

Ingredients & Tools:

• 1 banana, frozen
• 1 oz (2 squares) Ghirardelli Chocolate Baking Bar (100% Cacao Unsweetened Chocolate)
• Mini Food Processor (like this)

Notes:

I really like the Ghiradelli Baking Chocolate — it contains nothing but chocolate (no sugar, no soy lecithin) and has a better flavor than the grocery store Bakers Unsweetened Chocolate.  Another option is the Dagoba Organic Unsweetened Chocolate Bar, but it’s even more spendy.  Try and find these locally, otherwise you’ll pay double with shipping.   I’ve also made this before using unsweetened cocoa powder, but it was not nearly as satisfying.

You need a small food processor for this because the quantity is too small to use a larger processor. I haven’t tried it, but you might be able to use a stick blender or a smaller Magic Bullet container as well.

Directions:

Place chocolate squares in food processor and pulse until finely ground.

Peel frozen banana and cut into slices (thickness doesn’t really matter).  Add to the food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.

After just a few seconds, the texture should become creamy like ice cream.

Eat immediately and sigh with contentment.

Note: while this treat does not contain any added sugar, bananas are naturally high in sugar, so I wouldn’t recommend eating double servings of this every day.  But as an occasional treat to get you over the hump, this is a great choice!

Chocolate Banana “Ice Cream” (Paleo-rific) is a post from: The Meanest Momma

A friend shared this recipe when we first did a Paleo Challenge at the gym.  Allegedly, they are knock-off “Lara Bars”, although I’ve never had a Lara Bar so I couldn’t swear to that.  However, it is a great way to fight the afternoon munchies or to take on the trail.   Here is my version of the recipe.  Enjoy!

The Meanest Momma’s Paleo Bars

Adapted from http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1608249

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup almond butter
• ¼ cup coconut oil (melted)
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 cup almond flour
• 3 tbs honey
• 1 tsp saigon cinnamon

• 1 cup toasted whole almonds, chopped
• 1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
• ¼ cup toasted sunflower seeds
• ¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds
• ¼ cup toasted pistachios
• 1 cup dates, chopped (or other unsweetened, dried fruit)
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened

Directions:

I buy my nuts raw (best prices are at Costco), so the first thing is to toast the nuts and seeds.

Turn broiler onto low and place all the raw nuts and seeds on a rimmed baking sheet.  Broil for a minute or two until nuts start to brown — pay close attention, it doesn’t take much for them to burn and burnt nuts taste much worse than toasted nuts!

Set oven to 350F.

Combine the first seven ingredients in a large bowl or stand mixer.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir/mix until well combined.

Press mixture into a 9×13 baking dish (no need to grease).  Use a spatula to spread it around until even and flat.

Bake for 12 minutes at 350.  As soon as the edges begin to brown, it’s done.

Let cool and then slice.  Store in airtight container.

Yield: 24 pieces, approximately 2″x 2.5″ (4 columns by 6 rows).

The Meanest Paleo Bars is a post from: The Meanest Momma

Yesterday I shared my secret to keeping guacamole green, and then I realized I didn’t even have my guacamole recipe posted!  Guac is easy to make, and there are lots of variations out there.  Here is how I make mine.

Tip:  the best places I’ve found for buying avocados are:

• Trader Joe’s — typically a 4 pack is ~$3.50
• H-Mart (or other asian market) — they often have them for $1/ea or sometimes less
• Costco — I recently bought a 6 pack for $6

Simply Perfect Guacamole

Ingredients:

• 2 medium Hass avocados
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 medium jalapeno, seeded and chopped
  For more heat and flavor, try a habanero instead
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, cut up
• juice from half of a lime — or 1/8th tsp ascorbic acid
• 1/2 tsp sea salt (more or less to taste)

Steps:

Start with the avocados.  Slice them lengthwise and remove the pit.  Scoop them out with a spoon and lightly mash with a fork (a potato masher also works great).

Add the remaining ingredients — feel free to add more or less according to your taste.   Stir gently to combine.

If not serving right away, cover with plastic wrap — pressing it down into the guacamole to keep the air away.

If you eat Paleo, like me — serve with cut up veggies — bell peppers, celery, cucumbers and carrots all go great with guac.  If you are like the majority of America, serve with tortilla chips.

Yield:  this amount will feed my family of 5 (2 hungry adults, and 3 young kids with varying appetites).  If bringing to a larger gathering, I suggest doubling it.

Simply Perfect Guacamole is a post from: The Meanest Momma

I recently discovered a secret trick for keeping your guac looking fresh and green — ascorbic acid!

Add a tiny amount of ascorbic acid powder (also known as Vitamin C) to any dish that might turn brown (apples, avocados, etc.) and it will brighten up the color and help prevent the food from browning, or at least significantly slow it down.

Here is a bowl of guacamole I recently made.  Adding ~1/8 – 1/4 tsp ascorbic acid gave it a vibrant green color.

And here is the leftover guacamole 24 hours later.

You can see it is just beginning to take on a brownish hue, but it is way better than it would have been without the ascorbic acid.

More Tips for Keeping Guac Green:

Keep it tightly covered with plastic until ready to serve — this will keep the air out and reduce oxidation.

Keep the pit in the guac — this supposedly helps, but I haven’t had much luck with it.

Add lemon or lime juice to your guac — this works the same way as the ascorbic acid, but you get a much higher concentration of AA if you use the straight powder (and thus, it seems to work longer).

If you usually add lime juice and want to try the ascorbic acid, I would suggest leaving out the lemon/lime juice the first time.  The AA powder will impart a flavor similar to the juice and including both may be more flavor than you want.

Where to find Ascorbic Acid Powder

I had difficulty locating it until I went to a local vitamin shop (I struck out at Whole Foods, Wegmans, Trader Joe’s, and a specialty pharmacy).  I did find it a health food store, but the price was outrageous.

The best price I found locally was at the Vitamin Shoppe.  It was $10 for 8oz, which sounds like a lot, but a little bit will go a long way.

You can also find it online at Amazon and other retailers.

When shopping for ascorbic acid — make sure you get it in powder form with no added ingredients.

Find more tips at Works For Me Wednesday, hosted by We Are That Family.

Disclosure Statement: This post contains affiliate links. If you click and purchase, I receive a small referral fee at no cost to you.

WFMW: Keep Your Guacamole Green! is a post from: The Meanest Momma

Today I am the featured post on the Play Today DC blog and I would love it if you head over there to read all about it!

Read my Oxon Hill Review at Play Today DC!

Oxon Hill Farm (Oxon Hill, MD) is a post from: The Meanest Momma

Week two of Performance Nutrition Challenge is in effect!  These meals are all paleo/primal/Whole30 approved.

Monday –  Patio Daddio’s Souvlaki with Asian Inspired Slaw (skip the cashews)
Never made this last week, so it’s back on the menu this week.

Tuesday — Taco Tuesday with Primal Tex-Mex Tortillas & Tacos
I may or may not get around to making the coconut flour tortillas

Wednesday – High Pockets “Pasta”  (aka spaghetti squash)

Thursday — Beef with Broccoli over cauli rice

Friday — Cedar Plank Salmon with lemon and asparagus

Visit OrgJunkie.com for more menu planing inspiration.

Menu Plan Monday 5/7 is a post from: The Meanest Momma

The park is clearly designed for younger kids.  Here are some of the key features:

• completely fenced and enclosed
• small enough that it is easy to see across the whole park
• Very shady
• Large Sand Area

The focal point of the playground is a boat themed play structure, set in a large sand area filled with nice white sand.

A concrete blue “wave” carries out the nautical theme.  Kids had fun walking on it and driving their cars up and down the curves.

My four year old appeared to be the oldest child there, and the only one not content to stay on the ground.

Other park features include…

Two Baby Swings (in full sun)

A random “maze” type wall thing sitting at the far end of the park.

A concrete sidewalk encircles around the play area, making a nice flat loop for kids with ride-on toys.  There are also a couple of benches in the shade and two picnic tables in partial shade.

The only parking is on one side of one street, where a two hour stay is permitted; the rest of the streets are zoned for residents.

However, we were the only ones who drove to the park, everyone else was clearly from the neighborhood and arrived on foot (or in stroller).

It would be nice if the park had bathrooms or a water fountain, but it is obviously meant to serve the needs of local residents, and is a nice shady option for little kids in this area.

Looking for more places to play? Check out my reviews of other Playgrounds, Parks, and Play Areas in Arlington and the greater Metro DC area.

Nina Park (22202) is a post from: The Meanest Momma

Note:  I used to make this recipe with 1 lb of beef, but now that we are eating more protein and the kids’ appetites are growing, I’ve found 1lb is not enough for our party of five.  The recipe, as written below, yields a double batch, but can easily be cut in half.

Sloppy Grokky Joes

Adapted from Rachel Ray’s Super Sloppy Joes

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 lb Grassfed Ground Beef
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Montreal Steak Seasoning
• 1 1/2 cups Sweet Onion, chopped (or one very large onion)
• 1 1/2 cups Red Peppers, chopped (or one and half red onions)
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
• 28 oz can Tomato Sauce (make sure it contains no sugar)
• 4 Tbsp Tomatoes Paste

Directions

Add oil to a large pot (a skillet will do if halving the recipe) and turn heat to medium high.

Add meat and Steak Seasoning to the pan, stirring until meat is browned/cooked through.

Add onions, peppers, garlic to the pan, allow to cook for ~ 5minutes.

Add remaining ingredients (vinegar, tomato sauce, paste) and stir to combine.   Allow to simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve warm — we no longer use buns and just eat it plain, but you could also use a lettuce wrap.

Sloppy Grokky Joes is a post from: The Meanest Momma

Today marks the beginning of another Performance Nutrition Challenge at my gym, Crossfit Rubicon!  This means I’ll be back to eating strictly clean without all those yummy cheat days I’ve been enjoying of late.  If you want to be amazed at yourself and what the “Paleo”/”Primal” diet can do for you — you ought to join us.  It’s not too late to sign-up!

All meals are paleo/primal or paleo adaptable.

Monday – Red Wine Marinated London Broil with Salad and broccoli

Tuesday — Sloppy Joes (minus the bun) + Roasted Asparagus + Sauteed Mushrooms
I like this Rachel Ray version, tho I skip the brown sugar and Worcestershire.  Here’s another Paleo version.  I’ll probably do a blend of the two recipes.

Wednesday – Jalapeño Dijon Grilled Chicken + Sweet Potato Fries + Salad

Thursday – Shrimp Tacos + Guacamole
Skip the sour cream sauce and sub a lettuce wrap for the tortilla

Friday – TBD Kabobs + TBD Slaw Salad
I will be making Patio Daddio’s Souvlaki, if I can confirm that using white wine is challenge approved.  If not, I’ll do another kabob recipe, like this or this.

Paleo Snacks

Now that I need to make sure I don’t cheat during the day, I will make sure to have some of this food on hand:

* My Favorite Salsa — awesome on scrambled eggs, or as a snack with cut up veggies

* Paleo Bars

* Sweet Potato Chips — I haven’t made these yet but hope to soon.

* Almonds — a handful of raw almonds will stave off the munchies

Visit OrgJunkie.com for more menu planing inspiration.

Menu Plan Monday 4/30 is a post from: The Meanest Momma

Are you happy with how you look?  How you feel?  Your overall fitness?

Back in November I wasn’t.  I was sorely out of shape and overweight.  I finally decided enough was enough and decided to try this Crossfit thing my hubby had been hooked on for several years.   The initial workouts were some of the hardest things I have ever done, but once I picked myself up off the floor, I was hooked. I knew if anything would get me in shape, this would.   The workouts are still insanely hard but I love fighting through them and I love how I feel afterwards.

In January, I decided to join my gym’s Performance Nutrition Challenge.   Basically, I learned you can’t out train a bad diet, and if you start giving your body the right foods, it will respond.  The PNC espouses a food plan that is commonly called “Paleo” (Pale-E-oh) and it basically means:  lots of meats and veggies, some fruit and nuts, but no dairy, grains, legumes, or sugar.

I really had my doubts about giving up those foods that I L.O.V.E. but was willing to try for the short haul.  If it didn’t work, I would be gobbling up my bagels and ice cream again in no time. But guess what, it works.  And my results were incredible (to me, anyway).

Adjusting to a new style of eating was much easier than I expected, and I give the challenge a lot of credit.  Doing it with a group helps keep you accountable.   We shared recipes, we cheered each other on and celebrated successes.   Having “paid to participate” also helped.

I share all of this because my gym, Crossfit Rubicon is about to start another “Performance Nutrition Challenge” next week.

If you have thought about changing but hesitated, now is the time.   I encourage you to check out Rubicon and try a 3 month commitment.  Just think — in two months time, the pool season will just be getting way — are you ready for swimsuit season?  It’s not too late and if you are willing to show up and do the work, you will be amazed at how you look and feel.

I am so thankful to Rubicon, and to it’s coaches (my hubby being one of them) — especially to owner David “Chef” Wallach.  My experiences there have truly changed my life and I have to give them mad props for helping me get where I wanted to go.

If you live in Northern Virginia and have considered making a change — now is the time!  Check out Rubicon — located in Tysons Corner and sign up for our challenge!  It takes me about 15 minutes to reach Rubicon from North Arlington and we have members at our box from McLean, Falls Church, Vienna, Fairfax, even Reston and beyond.

I realize this post sounds like an infomercial, but full disclosure:  I am not being compensated in any way for this post.  I simply have had a wonderful experience and want others to experience the same thing.  I would be happy to talk to you individually or offline about Rubicon and my experiences, just use the Contact form on my blog (or feel free to leave a comment).

If you don’t live near me and are interested in making a change, there are a ton of Paleo resources on the web.  Whole 9 Life has a 30 day challenge which is a great place to start.  If you are interested in learning more about “Paleo”, Robb Wolf has a book, The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet, which also has a 30 day plan and is another great resource.

Are you happy with how you look?  How you feel?  What are you doing about it?

Wanna Look Good Naked? is a post from: The Meanest Momma