Italian Beef Paleo Casserole

Italian Beef and Green Bean Casserole


2 pounds ground beef, preferably grass-fed
2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped or 2 teaspoons dried
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped or 2 teaspoons
dried
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 small squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in half

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Heat a large, heavy, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat; add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula, until it’s almost browned and much of the fat and liquid has been released. Season with the salt and pepper and add the onion. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the onion has softened. Add the garlic to the pan, stir and cook for another minute or until the ground beef is completely cooked through.
Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, herbs and red pepper flakes, if using. Add the squash and green beans; cover and place in the oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the squash is fork tender and the green beans are tender-crisp. Serve topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese, if desired.

Dirty Girl Race

I blame it all on pollen, I'm not intentionally lazy...it's the pollen's fault. Yeah that's it....that's the ticket ;)

I need to play catch up on some of the recent races I've been to and on life in general.  Fell off the Paleo train for a couple of weeks, but we seem to be getting back on track again. Ran another half marathon and a couple of other fun races, and have Warrior Dash coming up in a couple of weeks.  Suzy is home for the summer so maybe she will kick my training up a notch.

All is good, just been either really busy or insanely exhausted.  I think I'm getting my balance back again, and will try to reignite this fun habit.

Without further adieu, I give you the Dirty Girl Race....

 This was a women's only obstacle race on the grounds of Lakewood Amphitheater, here in Atlanta.  One of my Crossfit friends wanted to do it, so I decided to tag along with my friend Maylene.

 It was fun and enjoyed watching my two friends do their first obstacle course.  I've been spoiled by warrior dash though, and this was nothing like warrior. It was in the parking lot of a venue, and the water obstacle were nothing more than vinyl pools with mud in them. I prefer the mud of the north Georgia mountains.!

The best part was being with my friends, it was a nice day to get DIRTY!