A svelt, pre McNugget eating Augie Johnson

...then and now!

Dear Augie,

‘You are strangely silent on the Paleo challenge. Do you have any words of inspirational wisdom? ‘

Starting in August, I can’t sleep, I get the shakes at inopportune moments and have wild nightmarish visions of giant marshmallows chasing me across a sea of McNuggets just at the thought that I am four months away from the next paleo challenge.

I will confess my terrible secret to my wonderful CrossFit friends that I eat badly and in vast quantities. In the three weeks prior to Paleo, I have hit for the cycle with a ‘supersize hamburger meal’ at Jack in the Box, Burger King, McDonalds, Wendy’s and topped it off with two triple patty In and Out’s and multiple equivalents from other chains salted up and down the 101. I wolf down hard, fatty, carbohydrate laden and preservative infused foods and quarts of cola in ridiculous amounts on a daily basis.  And that is just for lunch.

On weekends, our family devours huge mounds of whip cream and syrup drenched, flap jacks, eie Kuchen, Swedish crepes, waffles (both frozen and homemade), chocolate chip pancakes and French toast by the loaf followed by gallons (literally) of milk.

I offer no excuses because my diet (or lack thereof) is inexcusable. It is just what I have done since I was in high school and those gastronomic reflexes are truly hard to break. At the same time there is some precedence for my current blighted Paleo efforts.

Thirty years ago in college and for the Olympic trials, our six hour per day training regimen was such that we could not gain an ounce of weight no matter how much we ate. At the Olympic training camp, my body fat index was the lowest they had measured and below their minimum scale (Sub 3%). My college coaches were so concerned about my need to gain weight, they put me on a 12,000+ calorie per day diet (that included a chicken, two pizzas and 24 eggs per day) No weight gain. None in four years.

I stayed at 182 lbs from my Redshirt freshman to my senior year although I was on the dorm food plan for my early evening meal, ate a second meal at my fraternity, ate at third meal when finishing up the hashing at the sorority I worked for and then ate the basketball players leftover KFC chicken and the fan’s half eaten hot dogs (the uneaten ends) when I finished my chores as a night janitor after the UCLA basketball games at the Wooden center. (Note to self: even after polishing off a sixth half-a-dog in the empty stands, when you have worked up a powerful thirst, take an extra careful look at the full coca cola cup underneath the bleacher seat less you chug it in an attempt to slake your thirst only to find out it is actually wintergreen flavored chew spit)  Brrrr. To this day, wintergreen flavored gum is the only thing still banned from my menu.

Last week, a college teammate of mine visited me with his wife and four kids and we regaled everyone in our family to death with our former exploits. He then took out a picture of us when we were young and bullet proof. (age 21) After a second bottle of Cultivate wine, I thought that it would be a good idea to recreate the 30 year old picture much to the drop-jawed protests of our better half’s. The gross tally:…30 years and 120lbs of additional mass between the two of us!

Swallowing my pride through the sharing of that second picture with all of you is a small price to pay if it provides a cautionary and hopefully inspirational illumination of the insidious and slow creep of ages and the inherent need to begin a dietary discipline earlier rather than later in life!

So as you ponder the Paleo challenge and your relationship to food intake in general, think that life goes by in an instant…an eye blink and you are 30,40,50 and beyond. Absorb picture two in all its glory and with your imagination, ponder how you would like to be viewed (and feel) at a half century and beyond. Working at CrossFit is a damn good start. But it is only an entry point to a more difficult but ultimately more satisfying life of health through better eating. I am hopeful that I can find the courage to engage myself.

Warmest regards, and much encouragement, Augie

Today’s Workout:
Deadlifts 5-5-5-5-5

Followed by:
3 Rounds for Time of
20 Wallballs (20#/14#)
200 M Run

Today’s Paleo Deliciousness

Sweet Potato Pancakes

2 cups shredded sweet potatoes
2/3 cup almond flour
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 large eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to taste
grapeseed oil for pan

Directions: Mix all ingredients in bowl. Heat a small amount of grapeseed oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Scoop about 1/4 cup of mixture in already hot pan. Flaten to shape of pancake. Cook about 3 minutes per side. Serve with a poached egg and sauteed greens.

45 Pound Bar vs. The Claw's Toes. Some days you're the pigeon, some days you're the statue...

There comes a point in the development of any new habit or skill where the transition from “have to” to “want to” hopefully happens. This is paramount if someone wants to truly be successful in the chosen activity and CrossFit, eating well, and being healthy are no exceptions. Let’s us CrossFit as an example.

When you’re in the “have to” camp, it actually takes energy to come to class. You may have to get yourself psyched up at home and tell yourself things like, “All I have to do is drive there, then if I want to I can turn around and come home.” This actually costs you energy because you have to come up with juice to get yourself into the building and moving.

The flip side of this is the “want to” camp. When you are in the “want to” camp, coming and training actually gives you energy as you:

1) No longer need to get yourself motivated and free up that juice.
2) Are actually being energized by the people and environment around you.
3) Are more than likely enjoying CrossFit a lot more than when you had to come.

Your CPC coaches obviously want you to want to be here.  We understand that starting anything new takes some gumption, as does returning to something that you’ve been away from. It happens to all of us, coaches included.

So what’s the best way to get from the “have to’s” to the “want to’s”?

Simple, keep coming. Keep showing up, keep immersing yourself in the community, in the sport, in the health habit, in what ever it is that you’re struggling with. Just keep showing up and the shift will begin to happen.

A great example of this is the following:

Most of us went into our first Paleo Challenge kicking and screaming, I know that I did. Now however, usually around mid December, we start hearing more and more people come lumbering into the gym saying, “I cannot wait until the next Paleo Challenge….”

Enough said.

Today’s Workout:

Skill Work: Box Pistols or Pistols

Split Squats:
5-5-5-5-5 (on each leg)
8 x 30 Second Row For Calories
60 Seconds Rest 

Mile High Energy Bars

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, olive oil, or butter (to grease the pan)
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)
• 3/4 cup finely shredded coconut (use unsweetened organic coconut)
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup lightly ground flax seeds (I pulse them a couple times in a small coffee grinder I use
• 1/4 cup honey or agave (agave isn’t as thick, which works better – but either one is okay)
• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 2 tablespoons cocoa nibs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

What you do

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with oil.
Mix chopped nuts, shredded coconut, sunflower seeds, and lightly ground flax seeds and spread out on rimmed cookie sheet. Put in the oven and set timer for 3 to 4 minutes. Watch carefully as this stuff can burn in no time. Stir and reset timer for another 3 minutes. This mixture should be a nice toasted golden color. Adjust according to what works best for your oven. Remove from oven and cool.

Combine honey (or agave), maple syrup, almond butter, vanilla, raisins, cinnamon, and salt in saucepan and bring to low boil over low to medium heat. Stir constantly and let boil for 3 or 4 minutes. You want this thick enough to hold the energy bar ingredients together, but not so thick it’s hard to work with.

Pour over the other mixture and stir well to mix it all together.

Spread into your prepared 9 x 13 inch pan, cover, and cool in the fridge before cutting into bar sizes. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. These make great treats for when you are on the run.

This is a reposting of a post from last year, but one that we think everyone should be reading at least once a year. I recently read of a woman at another CF gym who did 150 GHD sit ups in a workout….and got to spend a few days in the hospital because of it. This shit is no joke.

Let’s talk about Rhabdo folks.  This is CrossFit’s dirty little secret, something that you “hear about” happening to someone in another gym.  We joke about it on CrossFit t-shirts but if it happens to you, it won’t be that funny.

So what the heck is Rhabdo?  Per the NIH - Rhabdomyolysis is the breakdown of muscle fibers resulting in the release of muscle fiber contents (myoglobin) into the bloodstream. Some of these are harmful to the kidney and frequently result in kidney damage.

What we’re talking about here in regular language is tearing enough muscle fiber to overwhelm and ultimately damage your kidneys.  Your kidneys are one of your body’s main filtration systems and are responsible for separating waste out into your urine (among some other jobs).  Myglobin will breakdown into substances that will cause blockages in and therefore the possibility of tissue death within your kidney.  In otherwords, you don’t want this happening.   Your kidneys are your friends.

So when, why and how do you get Rhabdo?  I have never had Rhabdo (remember, we’re not talking about a little bit of butt-arm, we’re talking full on Rhabdo) but do know people firsthand that have gotten it.  The most likely candidates to suffer the effects of this kind of one-shot overtraining are athletes.  It’s usually experienced CrossFitters, ex-military or other serious athletes – that (and this is the key) are coming off of a break.  The ideal candidate for Rhabdo is your CrossFitter, that after taking a month off for some reason, comes back and on his or her first day back decides to do Murph or Fran or any of the other extremely taxing workouts.  These athletes have the muscle memory to be able to perform the movements, the mindset to push themselves well beyond the healthy ranges of their physical comfort zones but a lack of current conditioning of the muscle for it to be able handle extremely high repetitions or heavy trauma.

My friend in L.A was a perfect example.  He had taken a few months off of CrossFit while traveling around the country and returned to do a workout with a high number of GHD Sit Ups.  GHD Sit Ups, Pull Ups (especially those with an emphasis on the negative) and Push Ups are the main three culprits in causing Rhabdo due to the location of the muscle used, and the movement’s inherent ability to inflict muscle trauma.

GHD Sit Ups are nasty as there is a high possibility of muscle tearing over a large muscle belly due to the stretching backwards in the movement.  Anytime that you have your bodyweight being supported through a movement by an ever fatiguing muscle through a workout, it’s going to cause damage.  We are all able to lower ourselves downward from the pull up bar long after we are unable to pull ourselves back up – it is this physiological ability that will allow us to continue to damage muscle tissue in one direction far more often than in the other.  This is why ecentric movements, like a negative (where you lower yourself downward slowly – think of slowly lowering yourself in a ring dip or from the top position in a pull up) are dangerous.

What are the symptoms of Rhabdo? The symptomology includes any of the following alone or in combination with each other:

• dark, red, or cola colored urine color (blood in your urine)

• severe muscle tenderness (not your daily soreness)
• weakness of the affected muscle(s)
• generalized weakness
• muscle stiffness or aching
• unintentional weight gain
• seizures
• joint pain
• fatigue

What do you do if you have the above symptoms and feel like you might have Rhabdo?  You immediately head to the emergency room.  Rhabdo will be confirmed or denied by detecting elevated muscle enzymes (CK) in your blood. The levels of these enzymes rise as the muscle is destroyed.  If you have it then you are going to be put on an IV of fluids and have your kidney function monitored.  This is all to prevent kidney failure and the possibility of a heart attack.

One other thing to note regarding Rhabdo that was recently brought to my attention is that it is more likely in people who are taking Statin drugs (cholesterol drugs).  As Lipitor is one of the highest prescribed drugs in this country and is a Statin, there are a lot of older male CrossFitters with a heightened risk of getting in trouble here.  If you’re on a Statin, please let us know and be slightly more vigilant in how you feel post workout.

Is this something that we should all be worried about?  Yes and no.  Eric, Jeff and I have personally done workouts that left us hobbled for days and haven’t had it.  I’ve known hundreds of CrossFitters that have trained to the point where they were too sore to move and they didn’t get it.  As a matter of fact, I only know 2 people personally, out of all of the CrossFitters that I do know that have gotten it, so the likelihood is rare.  That being said, it does happen and if it does, it’s serious so we should at least know the signs and symptoms as well as some preventative measures.

So folks.  If you are coming off of a long layoff and the workout is particularly nasty, scale yourself back.  I spent the last two weeks nursing a cold and neck injury and had to make the executive decision on Friday to jog around the block a few times and do some squats instead of the 240 reps at 135# that the master’s class was doing.  Did it suck to have to do something less fun?  Yes.  Was it the right call so that I’m not peeing blood this morning?  Yes again.

The way that we train in CrossFit is highly, highly effective.  Like any other high level training, it also needs to be respected.  Just because a workout is named after a brave ex-SEAL, doesn’t make it any less damaging to your muscle fibers.  At the end of the day, we’re all responsible for our own well-being.

Below are more good resources on Rhabdo.  If you have questions regarding this or anything that I’ve written above is unclear – please post them to comments and I’ll do my best to get them answered in a timely manner.

B MAC’S THOUGHTS

GLASSMAN’S THOUGHTS

ROBB WOLF’S THOUGHTS

Today’s Workout:
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Power Snatch (115#/80#)
1 Round of Cindy Between Each Set of PS’s.
Workout ends with a round of Cindy.
Cindy = 5 Pull Ups, 10 Push Ups, 15 Squats

Paleo Bread

Those of you who have been around long enough, have probably heard the rumors that at 9:30 on Saturday morning’s, people meet with me at the gym to put themselves into strange positions, sometimes with a partner and sometimes not, sometimes we use different toys and equipment and sometimes we use just our hands.

Frequently the room is filled with the sounds of moaning, cries of pain/pleasure and the tantalizing utterances of new discoveries. Often they experience feelings and emotions that open up whole new worlds to them and their bodies feel liberated from the shackles of conformity placed upon them by some puritanical sense of shame about their own natural god-like form. That’s right folks, this is mobility class.

In an ever expanding crusade to save your tissues from the destructive forces you heap upon them on a daily, if not hourly basis, I offer my services up to you every week, and sometimes after hours, in an attempt to make your hips supple, your hamstrings svelte, your deltoids limber, your back lissome and your thighs agile.

This may sound like a mountainous task of unending proportions but I assure you I’m up for the challenge. I refuse to let your bodies go by the wayside when they could be so much more, for you, the person or persons lying next to you and for Crossfit. I’ll be writing a series of blog posts, each more tantalizing then the last, to encourage you to lay aside your inhibitions but for now I want to share a testimonial from one of our own.

Some of you already know Eric Campbell…and some of you have seen his overhead squat. Prior to meeting with me, Eric’s overhead squat was about as impressive as luke warm salmon without the bagel or the cream cheese. All was not lost though, seeing Eric, and his frustration due to his inability to overhead squat weight equivalent to his Crossfit enhanced physique, I gave Eric a number of stretches and mobility exercises to do on his own. With the right amount of time, determination and attention from me, Eric was soon upping his OHS numbers in leaps and bounds. I’ll now turn this blog over to Eric, so that he can tell you, in his own words, how awesome mobility is.

“Like most athletes, when I first joined CPC, I was presented with a number of new athletic movements which I would need to practice and hopefully in the future begin to perfect. Of those movements there was one above all the rest that haunted me like a monster in the closet, the overhead squat. What kept me from facing this monster was the simple fact I was unable to do a squat with anything more than a PVC pipe above my head. For more than six months I ran, hid, dodged and scurried away from any WOD with OHS; only prolonging the inevitable truth, that to be a true crossfiter I must be proficient in all of the basic movements.

When I finally made the decision to face my monster, I was not alone. Coach Jeff Baker made it a personal goal to assist me in my journey of taming the Over Head Squat and increased mobility. My personal lack of mobility with the OHS was a bit different than most athletes and required a unique stretching regiment prescribed by Coach Baker. I still remember the first day we began, Coach Baker had me use the lacrosse ball on my chest between sets of OHS and by the end of class I did my first rep with the bar, a monumental personal feat at the time. Since that day I have completed OHS exercises including, 100 reps of 95 lbs and multiple rep bodyweight sets.

I do not believe the mobility journey ever ends but it does not have to be traveled alone. We have amazing coaches at CPC and if you have your own mobility monster, don’t hesitate to ask Coach Baker for some expert advice and if possible some one on one training.”

-Campbell

Today’s Workout:
Overhead Squats:
3-3-3-3
Followed by:
3 Rounds for Time of
10 x 1o M Shuttle Runs
10 Push Press (95#/65#)
10 Lateral Burpees Over Your Barbell
*Forward/Backward = 1

Today’s Paleo Deliciousness

Beef Stew

1 lb. beef sirloin, cubed and fat removed
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 TBSP. sesame oil
6-8 cups beef broth
1 bag kale or 1 bunch (stems removed, and cut into small bite size pieces)
lime
salt and pepper to taste

In stock pot, over medium heat add sesame oil. Brown beef, then add garlic until lightly brown as well. Add kale and stock to soup. Simmer until kale is tender about 45 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze fresh lime into soup when serving.

Let’s hear it folks, how’s everybody faring after the first week?  Jot down any thoughts that you have so far, what’s worked, what you’re having issues with, what resources you’ve found valuable (this is big), and any support that you’d like us to add in.

The value of everyone sharing here is immense since we’re all in this together.  This is truly one of the great benefits of being a part of a community.  Your issue is most likely the same as someone else’s issue, so don’t think that you have a “stupid” question or comment.

For us, the first week is always a bit of an adaptation period. Since Ali and I eat mostly Paleo most of the time, I really don’t start missing things like chips and salsa until week two or three – but parting ways with beer and wine is slightly more problematic – and always enlightening.

For Eric, the situation is similar. He eats more cleanly than I do most of the time (he has an It’s It issue though), bringing spaghetti squash and meatballs into the office for lunch a lot. After dinner Eric usually has a hankering for something sweet and says that is the most noticeable aspect of the first week.

If you are not sure how your body is reacting this week, start paying more attention. Just the simple act of realizing that there is an unconscious habit such as grabbing something after dinner is a great sign as it’s one more bit of insight for you to have about your relationship to food.

Great job to everyone this past week, we know that this challenge isn’t easy, especially if it’s your first go around with it.  Forge ahead fellow CPC’ers, you can do it!

Today’s Workout:
AMRAP 20
4 Ring dips
8 Kettlebell Swings (1.5/1)
16 Situps

ADVANCED:

“Nate”
- AMRAP 20
2 Muscle Ups
4 HSPU
8 Kettlebell Swings (2pd)
”

Sauteed Kale

1 bag Kale or about 2 bunches (stems removed, and cut into small bite size pieces)
1 small onion, diced
2 slices thick cut bacon
3 cloves garlic
red pepper flakes
Cook bacon, remove from pan. Save 1-2 TBSP. of the bacon drippings. saute onion and garlic until tender. About 10 minutes. Add kale to pan a little at a time, until it is all wilted. Add bacon back to pan. Season with red pepper flakes and sea salt and black pepper.

Fruit Smoothie:

1 banana
1/2 cup mixed berries, frozen
1/2 cup coconut milk

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

Indian Chicken Kabobs

1 lb. Chicken thighs, boneless with skin removed  (Cut into Cubes)
1/2 tsp   Fresh ground garlic
1/2 tsp   Fresh ground ginger
1 tsp  Ground coriander
1/2  tsp Chili powder
1/2 tsp Garam masala
1 tsp     Fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp  Salt
2 TBSP. Olive Oil
8-10 wooden skewers

Mix all the above ingredients and marinate it in the fridge for an
hour or two. Soak about 8 to 10 wooden skewers in warm water for an
hour. Mix all the below ingredients in a separate bowl and marinate for an
hour or two:

1 Large Green Pepper (Cubed)
1 Medium Onion (Cubed)
1/2 tsp Salt
1  TBS Olive Oil

Thread chicken alternately with green peppers and onions on the soaked
skewers. Line a broil safe cookie sheet or broiler pan with heavy duty
foil paper. Oil the foil with very little oil. Arrange the threaded
skewers on the cookie sheet so they do not touch each other. Broil in
preheated oven for about 8 minutes than turn them over and broil
another 6-7 minutes making sure they are not burning.

*You can also cook the kebobs on the grill outside. (like a boss)

 
Ladies, grab your questions and your malice and bring both in to CPC on Saturday the 28th so we can teach you how best to channel it. After the success of the last two, Miguel and I are back at it again and will be holding another Women’s Self Defense seminar from 1pm to 5pm that Saturday afternoon.

We’ll be covering a lot about situational awareness, avoiding problematic encounters and of course, the physical responses needed both on your feet, and on the ground if one should arise. If you have four hours to spare, this is a great way to reorient yourself with your physical surroundings as well as your innate human weapon system. Everyone who attends also get’s a free copy of the Gift of Fear, by my old boss Gavin de Becker.

This class is open to non gym members as well, so if you know of any women that you think could benefit from a course like ours, please pass the information on. We got a ton of great testimonials from the last two classes and made some changes to make this round even more effective.

We will continue to hold the once-a-month follow up classes for anyone that’s taken the course before, most likely Thursday the 26th in the evening again. Stay tuned for a specific time/date.

If I could have it my way, no one would graduate from high school without having to take a course like this – male or female. There are very effective ways to both keep and get yourself out of trouble that we all should be walking around with a working knowledge of. Please pass the word!

Today’s Workout:
Bench Press:
8-8-8-8-8

Followed by AMRAP 6:
5 Push Ups/5 Sit Ups
10 Push Ups/10 Sit Ups
15 Push Ups/15 Sit Ups
…all the way up to A MILLION!
 

Jalapeno Biscuits

2.5 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
2 tsp. honey
2 large eggs
2 TBSP. jalapenos, chopped finely
1 TBSP. chives, chopped finely

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In large bowl, combine dry ingredients. In seperate bowl, whisk wet ingredients together. Add to dry mix. Fold in jalapenos and chives. Take about 1/4 cup of mixture and drop on baking sheet. Place in oven 15-20 minutes. Makes 8 biscuits. Allow biscuits to cool. Slice in half and place sloppy joe mixture in middle or serve open-faced and with a fork. Enjoy!

Watch and learn all ye hand rippers!

Today’s Workout:
“Kelly” (you’re welcome Claw)
5 Rounds for Time
400 M Run
30 Box Jumps (24″/20″)
30 Wall Balls (20#/14#)
Sloppy Joes  
“Have some more sloppy joes. I made them extra sloppy.”

Sloppy Joes
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 ribs of celery diced
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes with basil and garlic added
1 tsp. mustard
¼ water
5 TBSP. tomato paste
½ tsp. oregano
½ tsp. basil
1 pinch thyme
1 TBSP. chili powder
½ tsp. cumin
½ tsp. crushed red pepper

Saute onion, garlic and celery until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the meat and brown. Add tomatoes (with the juice) and all other ingredients and simmer for about 10 minutes until flavors come together.

Micheal Stanwyck, my nemesis!

Do you have a nemesis here at CPC? Do you have one in another gym? You should.

As CrossFitters, we are no strangers to healthy competition, it drives us further than most recreational athletes will ever push themselves, forces us to consume endless amounts of Youtube videos and way over analyze just about all of our workouts (and the rest of our lives).

Michael Stanwyck was my CFLA nemesis back in the day. He’d been CrossFitting a lot longer than I had, but had also suffered a pretty hearty back injury, which brought him back to just above my level.

Stanwyck, who is still to this day a great coach and friend, was the one person that I could never manage to beat. If I did 40 pull ups, Mike did 41. If I deadlifted 355, Mike would deadlift 356 (just to piss me off) and then would hit 360. He was better than me in every aspect of the game, has hair and knows how to cook, all of which made me want to work that much harder.

I’m sure that Stanwyck had a nemesis of his own, someone that just edged him out time and time again as well. The purpose of such a relationship is that it makes both of you better. I know for a fact that if I’m working out next to Eric or Fielding, I’m going to push that extra little bit harder because I hate losing to those guys and know that it’s pretty much a crapshoot anytime that we decide to go after it together.

Find someone in the gym that’s just a little bit better than you are and start getting after his or her scores. Watch how they train, how they eat and how they rest and start to “borrow” ideas from them that will work for you too.

It’s healthy and natural to want to outwork people in here, just make sure that it’s all hugs and high fives at the end of the hour.

Today’s Workout:
3 Rounds for Time:
50 Air Squats
20 Pull Ups
10 Hang Power Cleans (135#/95#)

Advanced:
”Nasty Girls”
3 Rounds for Time:
50 Air Squats
7 Muscle Ups
10 Hang Power Cleans (135#/95#)

“Spaghetti and Meatballs”

1 lb. grass-fed lean ground beef
1 large egg
1/2 cup almond flour
2 TBSP. fresh parlsey, chopped
2 TBSP. garlic, finely chopped
1/4 small onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

“Noodles”
1 lb. small green zucchini
extra virgin olive oil for pan

Spaghetti Sauce
homemade or 1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 lb. mushrooms
1 can artichoke hearts, drained.
3/4 small onion, chopped
olive oil for pan

For the meatballs: Combine all ingredients. Mix well. Roll into 1″ inch balls. Add to pan, carefully brown on all sides. The meatballs tend to fall apart, so flip carefully!

For the sauce: I used jarred sauce to cut back on prep time, but homemade sauce is delicious! If using a jar sauce, saute mushrooms and onions in a little olive oil over medium high heat until cooked about 10-15 minutes. Add sauce, meatballs and artichokes to pan. Bring to slow boil and then reduce heat to low, cooking 30 minutes or so until flavors come together and meatballs are cooked thoroughly. My meatballs tended to fall apart some, but the sauce was still delicious!

For the “noodles”:  While sauce is simmering, cut 1lb. zucchini into thin strips. Add olive oil to pan and saute in pan over medium high heat 15 minutes or so until zucchinis are cooked but still al dente (when cooked, zucchinis will still be slightly firm but will bend some, like spagetti noodles).  Mix into sauce and serve.