Pork and Sweet Potato Burrito Soup #8 in the 12 Burritos of Christmas!

OK, better late than never :-) I have committed to finishing my 12 Burritos of Christmas THIS year but I also am now sticking to a mostly paleo/primal diet. Soooo, that means some unwrapped (or non-carbed wrapped) concoctions. I hope you enjoy them! Today's recipe is based on the Pork Burrito Soup recipe from Pots & Plots but I made a several tweaks. Both versions are equally awesome imo!

Pork and Sweet Potato Burrito Soup

1 2-3 lb. boneless pork roast
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 pinch of sea salt
3-4 slices of uncured bacon, uncooked and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, smashed or minced
1 splash of tequila (optional and you can determine the definition of "splash")
1 jar (about 2 cups) salsa. I used Trader Joe's low sodium chipotle
4 cups of chicken broth, water or combo of both
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 cups of green beans or other favorite veggies, frozen or uncooked NOT canned

Combine cumin, paprika, chili powder and salt in a small dish. Rub all over pork roast.

Heat bacon over medium-high heat until it just starts to cook and gives off a little fat. Add roast to the pan and brown lightly on each side. (about 2-3 minutes per side)

Add onions and garlic to the pan and saute until onions start to brown and soften, about 3-5 minutes. Add the tequila splash and deglaze the pan by scarping up ant browned bits that may have gotten stuck.

Add the salsa and 1/2 broth and/or water to the pot and bring to a simmer. Cover the pan and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until pork is tender.

Remove pork from pot and shred or cut up meat into bite-sized chunks. Return to pot and add sweet potato chunks and vegetables. Simmer over a low - medium heat, uncovered, for another 30-45 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender.

If desired  you can garnish with plain yogurt, cilantro, diced spicy peppers, avocado and tomatoes.

Enjoy! :-)

The Power of Doing Something Scary That (Probably) Won't Kill You

I always love it when my workouts act as life lessons that I can carry over into my other 22-23 hours a day. Today did not disappoint! I'm in one of my most favorite places in the world, Joshua Tree, CA and today I went for one of my not so favorite but really is one of my favorite hikes to Ryan Mountain. Translation~ It is a great workout but scares the crap out of me! I'm really fine with steep treks but not when a good portion is on a narrow, rocky path on the outside of the hill. You may have guessed that I'm scared of heights :-) The way UP is generally OK but coming down and seeing just how far I could tumble if I lose my footing freaks me WAY out. Did I mention I'm accident prone? I've actually resorted to butt scooting my way down particularly steep hills. I guess my rationale is that I can not fall on my ass if I'm already on it.

So why do I voluntarily do stuff like this when I know it will make me feel super uncomfortable? Because I also know that it will make me a little bit better each time I stare fear down and do it anyway. It will make the next, even scarier, mountain possible to climb. If I push myself to be better I will be better! So how did I make it down the mountain in one piece and feeling pretty freakin fantastic about myself? One step at a time and by focusing on the climb down, moment by moment. This is where the life lesson part comes in. If you have a BIG, scary thing you need or want to get done (ie a goal you keep putting off because you think it's not possible) take it one bit at a time and  don't let yourself get overwhelmed by the big picture. Chip away at it, small task by small task, and the next thing you know it's DONE. (and you feel pretty amazing!)

I swear it was even scarier in person!

Are you in or are you in?

xoxo

Coni

Resolutions Shmezolutions!

Hey Hey Boys & Girls!

It's that time of year again and many of you us are *starting* to think about what we want to accomplish in the New Year. A list of goals & dreams that we RESOLVE to make a reality in 2012. Now you know I love goals, and you know I love people to push themselves, but I have a question for you. Why must we wait until an arbitrary date on the calendar to take action toward what we REALLY want? Why not start NOW?

Did you know the number one broken resolution is to lose weight and get fit? Is that something you backslid on last year? It can be sooooo tempting, with the Holidays right around the corner, to set you sights on 1/1/12 as THE day you will get it all together fitness and nutrition wise. It's also super easy to give yourself a hall pass for the rest of the year when it comes to over indulging in not so great food and drinks. What can it hurt, right? You will be hitting it HARD and eating SUPER clean all year long starting 1/1, right? Um, more than likely, NO. The reason is because fitness and healthy nutrition is a lifestyle, not a yearly ideal you strive to meet. I've said it before and I will say it again, every choice counts. Make the best ones you can, all year long.

OK, now that that's out there, who wants a little help making those good choices all year long? If you answered ME!! please join on my facebook page where you can get a daily dose of motivation, yummy recipes, random funny things and daily fitness challenges! I was going to start the last one on the 1st but after reading this blog I figure, WHY WAIT??? :-)

Love and light friends!

xoxo

Coni

How Does P90X Compare to P90X2?

I'm so glad you asked ;) Here's a quick video from the creator, Tony Horton, on the major differences. Shipping started TODAY so if you want in (and want you copy before December 25th!) you need to order now. FREE shipping has been extended unto December 7th so head on over to www.beachbodycoach.com/ConiConstantine to get yours!

What Do Running and Wine Have in Common?

Me :) Some people have a couple glasses of wine and start drunk dialing old friends. I sign up for races. I feel that it's a healthy mix. All the great benefits of resveratrol AND committing to heart healthy cardio to boot ;) In all seriousness though, after some awesome Cab the other night, I signed up for not one, but three 5K's before the end of December. After a 29:59 time at the Burbank YMCA Turkey Trot last week I decided to dive into improving my speed in short runs and give up on long distance running. The boring truth is I get bored running more than an hour so this is perfect for me!

First up is the Pasadena Tiger Run this Saturday! I've only been training for a week but I feel like I will get closer to my ultimate goal for the month which is to get my 5K time under 28 minutes. I hope you will join me (and my blog) for the journey! I promise to report back with all the race details :)

You know it is against my nature to end a blog post without a call to action to you, Dear Reader, so here it is~ even with the busyness of the holiday season surrounding us, make it a point to create a personal fitness goal for the end of the year. Don't be in the majority and wait until January 1st to commit to a goal, DO IT NOW and message me on facebook or at Coni@ConiFitness.com if you want to share :)

Here's to ENJOYING LIFE!!

Until next time...

xoxo

Coni