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The sun knows no mercy

Summer in Alabama! Woohoo!

Not really.

Here is the workout. It was great. I stink at wall balls. Especially when my hands sweat and I’m too tired to go find the chalk bucket. Me and the bucket are like peas n’ carrots. I’m never too far away from the chalk bucket when I’m lifting a bar. But anything else, I just deal with sweaty hands.

july 7

I’m getting back into the groove of cooking food that is good for me. It will be another year before I get to go back to Colorado but it’s just a few weeks until I go back to school and I know I have to be on my game to keep all plates spinning. I tend to let ALL.THE.THINGS get lost in the mad rush to start the first day of school. And each year, I promise myself that I’m going to do it better and not let school consume me. This year, I’m a little wiser. I know I’m going to let school consume me, so I’m just going to have plenty of freezer meals, crockpot meals, and embrace Stephen’s off-work days and let him cook (grill) or go out. If I have a ton of lunches frozen for me, I’ll be fine.

This crockpot meal is a good choice.

Roast and carrots.

roast3

  • 1 (3-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cups (2-inch) diagonally cut parsnips (about 1 pound)
  • 2 cups onions, peeled and quartered (I used frozen pearl onions)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • 4 thyme sprigs
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • Thyme sprigs (optional)
  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add beef; sauté 10 minutes, turning to brown on all sides.
  2. Add parsnips  and onions to crock.  Transfer beef to slow cooker.
  3. Add tomato paste to skillet; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in wine and broth; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 1 minute,
  4. Place peppercorns and next 4 ingredients (through parsley) on a double layer of cheesecloth. Gather edges of cheesecloth together; secure with twine.
  5. Add cheesecloth bundle to slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours or until beef and vegetables are tender.
  6. Discard cheesecloth bundle. Remove roast from slow cooker; slice. Serve with vegetable mixture and cooking liquid. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired. stirring constantly. Pour broth mixture into slow cooker.