“There is something about pancakes for me that is incredibly comforting. In fact, one of the last times I ate them was after a particularly trying car ride with my 2 1/2 year old where I truly felt that nothing but drowning myself in carbohydrate would set the world right again. Unfortunately, consuming such large quantities of gluten combined with my oh-so-paleo lifestyle results in a hangover of epic proportions. Not so friendly when one is looking to stuff one’s face with comfort food. Enter these Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Pancakes. They are the perfect cure-all for those frustrating days or simply as an accompaniment for your ‘brinner’ nights. And they are toddler and non-gluten-eater approved! Trust me – try it, you’ll like it!”

Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Pancakes

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Ingredients

2 large eggs
1 large extra ripe banana
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp coconut extract
1/3 C water
1 C almond flour
1/4 C coconut flakes – unsweetened
1/4 C flaxseed meal
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 C bittersweet chocolate chips (ghirardelli has 60% dark chocolate chips – not 100% paleo, but so easy to find now and so yummy in a pinch!)

Directions

1. Heat a griddle over medium high heat and grease with oil (yes, bacon grease is wonderful for this…)
2. In a blender (yes, a blender), combine eggs, banana, vanilla, water, and coconut extract for about 1 minute until smooth.
3. Add almond flour, coconut flakes, flax seed, salt, and baking soda and blend until thoroughly combined.
4. Add chocolate chips and fold in with a spatula.
5. Pour pancake mix onto griddle and spread as needed. Cook until bubbles begin to open, or until the top of the pancake is no longer glossy.

You can put individually sliced bananas on each pancake if you wish (see picture above), but that’s really just for aesthetics – they still taste great without the extra step.

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We serve them with bacon and eggs… there really isn’t a need for butter or maple syrup on these, either, unless you are in need for a real carbohydrate overload!

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Scale / sub as needed.  Post total time to comments.

On Memorial Day, we remember with sincere respect those who
paid the ultimate price for protecting and preserving our freedoms...

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We need to never let them be forgotten.

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The gym will have modified hours on Saturday (5/26) – open 9-12

The gym will be closed Monday for Memorial Day (5/28)

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See you back here on Tuesday with the regular schedule!

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Scale / sub as needed.  Post total time to comments.

Scale / sub as needed.  Post total time to comments.

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If you’ve been around CFE for a year or more, you might remember Matt Murdock as the ‘eye candy’ that use to work out in the front window where the squat racks use to be, bringing in the foot traffic from Hewitt as those who saw him running through his lifting routine from our front window, wondered if this is what CrossFit was all about – and if they worked out here – could they get to look like him? or maybe just to find out if he was single!

Besides being a USAW Sports Performance Level I certified coach, Matt serves in the United States Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer and his assignment, we’re sad to say, is taking him away from us for at least a year – and there’s a possibility that after that, he might not be re-assigned to Everett. We want to wish him well – and to let him know that we’ll always keep a front window open for his workouts!

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The reason I like this one so much is that you make the salad dressing from avocado … which has its ups (it’s quick & tasty and can be used on any salad really) and it’s downs (because it’s avocado, it does brown a bit, so you should make what you plan to use vs. store leftovers). With strawberries and asparagus so plentiful in the stores at this time of year, give a though to giving it a try!

Spring Salad with Strawberries and Creamy Orange-Avocado Dressing 

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Photo from Whole Foods web site

Ingredients

3 green onions, roughly chopped
1/2 avocado, peeled and pitted
1/2 cup orange juice
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 ounces spring greens or mesclun mix
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and sliced into strips with a vegetable peeler

Directions

Puree green onions, avocado, juice, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor until smooth to make a dressing.

In a large bowl, toss greens, strawberries and asparagus together. Transfer to plates, drizzle with half the dressing and serve.

Extra dressing will keep one day refrigerated.

And now for the Fourth Weeks Paleo Challenge:

Work on a weakness for 15 minutes at a time, 3 x this week.

• Pick a physical weakness and tell Jesse or Randy what it is
  
• You may practice any skill that you want to get better at. Work on that weakness for 15 minutes at a time x 3 times this week on your own time (it’s not part of warm-up or WOD time)
• You’ll need to work around classes to get the 15 min x 3 times in around the gym so Jesse or Randy can give feedback if necessary.
• Record your workout time & dates on your food log
• Turn it in by high noon next Saturday in order to be eligible for the prize drawing!

We’ll share the winner on next weeks web post along with Week 5′s Challenge!

Now for this past week’s challenge winner – the names of everyone who completed 3 WODS this past week were ‘tossed into the hat’ and … drum roll please … Matt Suthern – you’re the winner in the third weekly Paleo Challenge! You can pick up your goodie pack any time after 4:30 pm on Monday.

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Keep it going strong everyone, the half way point is behind us, you’re in the home stretch!

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