Three Pillars for Your Best life

Slow Cooker Corn Chowder with Sauteed Shrimp – Cooking w/ the DeGroff’s #9

It’s amazing how versatile shrimp is, you can really use it in any dish. This slow cooker aka crockpot chowder was so good even in the summer time. As we were making this, I was thinking to myself, why are we making soup in the summer? The answer to that question I’ll never really know but one thing I do know was how good the chowder was. I’m not a clam chowder fan but this meal will be a staple in our recipes for a long time. To say it was easy to make, like most crockpot dishes, would be misleading. Making the corn mixture was time consuming but it was totally worth it in the end. If you want to know how we made this dish check out the instruction video here! This dish makes 10 servings so it’s a great dish to make on the weekend and have during the week or freeze it and save it for later. If you were going to save it for later I would recommend just freezing the chowder part and then cook fresh shrimp when you that it out.

What did the macros look like?

We found this recipe in Cooking Light and as usual modified things for what we had on hand and what we like. I never eat the serving size that is recommended so I doubled everything, that is if I were counting calories. So the overall calories were 384 k/cal which fits perfect for me. The carbohydrates came in at 38g, protein was 24g and fat was almost 17g. That’s fairly unbalanced for us but we know where the extra carbs came in. All that corn.

What did we like about this meal?

This meal hit the spot. Yes, it’s summer time but for some reason, we were craving soup/chowder and this seemed to be the perfect fit. The corn this summer has been great so might as well use it as a base. The chowder played well with the shrimp. It’s one of those dishes where you want a bite of shrimp and chowder for every bite. Are they good by themselves? Of course, but each bite is so much better when you have a little bit of everything.

What would we do differently?

Let’s let the cat out of the bag. This was totally a soup and not a chowder. In the video, we call it a chowder because that’s what it says in the magazine. When I asked what wifey thought of the dish she said it was great but wanted it to be more chunky. I know I followed the recipe to a T and that’s when I saw that really this is a soup, not a chowder. My recommendation is to only blend 2/3 of the corn mixture. Then that way this recipe is actually a chowder.

Check out the instruction video on YouTube!

We found this dish in Cooking Light magazine. This was a great dish to make over the weekend and then eat throughout the week. The chowder was more of soup but it was still awesome. It played perfectly with the sautéed shrimp and corn. This meal will be a staple for us for a long time. Enjoy!

Recipe:

7 ears yellow corn, shucked
4 cups unsalted chicken stock
1 tablespoon thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
8 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 3/4 inches pieces
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup unsalted butter, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and Deveined

1. Cut kernels from corn
2. Using the dull side of the knife scrape corn cobs juice into crockpot
3. Add corn cobs and 3 cups Colonels into crockpot
4. Stir in chicken stock, Thyme, 1 teaspoon of salt and potatoes
5. Cook on low for 7 hours and 30 minutes
6. Discard cobs. Stir and half-and-half and 2 tablespoons butter. Stir and add to blender in small portions.
7. Make sure you pull off the center cover of the blender top to allow steam to escape. Cover opening with a paper towel.
8. Blend remaining corn mixture***.
9. Pepper to taste.
10. Heat remaining butter in a sauté pan. Once hot, add shrimp and remaining corn kernels.
11. Cook four minutes or until the shrimp is pink. Then add cooked shrimp to the corn chowder.
*** next time we would only blend two-thirds of the corn mixture to make the chowder more chunky.

www.myrecipes.com/recipe/fresh-corn-potato-soup-sautéed-shrimp

My ideal morning…

It’s 4:30 in the morning and the alarm just went off. Time to wake up! When the alarm goes off it means we get to start a new day. For me, the morning has to start off with four things, and hitting snooze is not one of them. For most people, the alarm going off is a dreaded exercise that happens every morning. For some of us, though, it’s a blessing because it means the beginning of a new day. If you struggle in the morning here are four important habits that make walking up easier.

First, hot lemon water is the precursor to everything else. This post is not about the benefits of lemon water because the verdict is still out. This post is more about how I like to start my morning. If you haven’t tried hot lemon water first thing in the morning you’re missing out. The lemon water is refreshing and it tastes really good. Other’s may recommend lemon water for other health benefits. I just like it and it’s a great way to drink more water first thing in the morning.

Second, this is not what you think it is. Most trainers start with coffee first. Most people do not even like to have a conversation with their spouse until after and only after a sip of coffee. Coffee comes later but it’s not second on the list. The second most important morning ritual is journaling for five minutes. Write about whatever you want but journaling is a great way to plan out the day. It’s also a great way to reflect on the previous days’ successes and/or complaints. Writing in your journal allows you to see insights about yourself from another angle. Even if you don’t believe in it. Try it before you knock it.

Third, this is exactly what you think it is. A sip of coffee. Yes, most times it’s just a sip of coffee before the hot shower melts away any left over sleepiness. It’s usually only a sip or two because that’s all that’s needed after the hot lemon water. Again, it sounds crazy but you should try it out.

Fourth, this is the way I really get rid of the mental cobwebs that are hard to shake early in the am. How do you get rid of those mental cobwebs? Ice cold water, so cold it makes Alaskans shiver. Taking a cold shower for as little as two minutes can change your outlook on your day. There is something to be said about ice cold water running over your body that brings out your inner primate. If you want more info on cold showers check out this blog post on cold showers…

That’s the perfect morning. If you struggle in the morning and do not do any of these then change it up and try one of them. All four are a great way to kick start your morning, but just try one!

Resistance – When your inner super power is working against you!

As the workout ended I said, “Great work today Sally, but you know what time it is!”

Sally responded like most clients do. “As you know Dusty, I just got back from a work trip and we drank every night.”

“And…?” I said with a smirk.

“I don’t think I should have to get on the scale today”, Sally said sheepishly.

“You know that we get on the scale every workout, no if’s, and’s, or buts'”. I said as Sally walked to the scale.

Resistance to getting on the scale is one of the most common complaints we get as trainers. I’m not here to argue if it’s the best tool to gauge progress but it is one of many that we choose to use. We get on the scale because it’s a great tool to learn your own weight fluctuations from day to day. Resistance rears its ugly face when you know you’ve had a bad week or weekend. Birthdays, holidays or vacations are all excuses people try to use against getting on the scale. We all know this. Why should we allow those excuses to alter our goals? Obviously, we shouldn’t let that happen, but at the end of the day, life happens.

When we ignore the little doses of resistance along the way it tends to build up and become much more powerful. So powerful that it limits us from doing simple goal check-ins such as weigh-ins or benchmark workouts. Think of it this way, each time we ignore the little battles against resistance, those little losses lead up to losing the war on resistance. If we want to win the war and conquer our goals we need to win those little battles.

Have I lost you yet? I’m sure you’re wondering what I’m talking about. I’ll give you a few examples. Let’s first describe what I mean when I write about resistance. You’ve all felt it before. In most cases, resistance is the feeling of your stomach in knots or as I like to call it butterflies. Most of the time you’ve heard of this when people talk about being nervous and anxious before they give a speech or competing in a sport. The butterflies or more accurately, the anxiousness you feel before getting on the scale is the resistance I’m talking about. We could discuss why you’re feeling anxious before getting on the scale, but you already know why. You felt little spurts of anxiety but most likely didn’t pay attention to them. Even worse you may have chosen to ignore those feelings. That’s the battle you need to win.

You may feel resistance right before you buy that donut. You most likely feel the resistance, the anxiousness, right before you bite into the donut you shouldn’t have even bought. Why are you anxious? You know that eating that donut, giving into the craving versus listening to the resistance will show up on the scale. Giving in can and will most likely sidetrack your results. It’s knowing that and ignoring that fact that causes your anxiousness before your weigh-in. Do you see how you can stop this feeling? All you have to do is not give into the craving. That’s the hard part. We blame the scale. The number on the scale is just a number but we tie so much emotion to that number. We overemphasize the number and it overshadows the precursor to getting on the scale. That’s the key. Curbing your cravings. How can we curb your cravings? That is the right question.

Cravings happen all the time and there are many ways to curb them. At least, they sound good in theory. Some say eat half the donut or a quarter of the donut and that should cure the craving. Not sure if that works for you but it doesn’t for me. If I were to do that I’d end up eating the whole donut in quarters. So that technique wouldn’t work for me and it may not work for you. Another one is drinking a glass of water before you give into that craving. I’ve even said that before. The bodies mechanism for thirst and hunger feels the same to us. That one may get you to drink more water but most likely won’t curb your craving. I could keep going on about these different techniques and why they may or may not work for you. Truthfully, what needs to happen is you need to be aware of what you’re doing. You need to be in the moment. That’s the key. Most of us don’t live in the moment. We need to be aware of our actions and what those actions, good or bad, may lead to. That’s when you need to be most aware of resistance. You need to win that battle so you can win the war.

With that said, we will win some of those battles and lose some of those battles. The key is being aware of all the little doses of resistance and knowing what to do in the moment. Also, we need to be ok with the number we see on the scale because we know we did the best we could do. Each day try to win more battles than you lose. Each week try to do better than the week before. The more times you win, the more momentum you’ll gain against resistance. That momentum will carry to your goals. That’s how you win the war against resistance. From here on out be aware of each choice you make. Will this decision bring you closer or further from your goals? That choice is up to you but don’t blame the scale. The scale is just showing you a number. We are not defined by a number or cravings because we’re aware of our actions. Since we’re aware we can win the war.

Chipotle-Honey Chicken with Roasted beet spinach salad

We love our chicken our chicken thighs! I’ve raved on and on about why we love them more than chicken breasts, so I won’t bore you with that again. This was a recipe that my wife found and we pretty much winged it from there. The more meals we cook together the more I realize she gets inspiration from a dish and then makes up the recipe with the ingredients we have at home. It’s a great skill to have and one that I do not have. We knew we were going to have chicken thighs but we had no idea what to have on the side. So, after digging through our fridge we settled on a roasted beet and spinach salad. I often forget how great roasted beets are. The chicken was great but the salad may have stolen the show because of the beets. Being a meat-a-tarian, it’s rare for me to rave about a salad. We love corn on the cob and it’s not for the reason you would think. We love it because we can put corn on the cob in front of Carson and he’s in heaven. He’s like a pig in sh**. If you want to see how we made this meal check out the instruction video here!

What do the macros look like?

As usual, I didn’t look at the macros until after eating the meal. To be honest, I never knew that corn on the cob had that much sugar. That was the biggest surprise adding up the calories. Corn gets a bad rap for having so many sugar calories, which I’ve promoted in the past, but in my opinion eating corn on the cob isn’t a big deal. That being said, looking at the macros for this meal you would be wise to stay away from other carbohydrate sources with this meal. The honey marinade added some extra sugar as well so in the future I would stay away from this meal combo. The calories came in high because of the honey marinade and corn as our side (635 k/cal), which is the highest caloric meal we’ve had so far. It may have been a little higher due to the fact I included the honey in the marinade but 2 tbsp of honey for all the chicken isn’t all that much. As I mentioned, the carbohydrates came in a little high 54 grams, protein was right where I like it at 37 grams and finally fat was at 34 grams.

What did we like about the meal?

As we were adding the 6 tbsp of chipotle salt I was thinking to myself that it may be really salty. I do not love the taste of salt so I was nervous. That’s also why in the instruction video and corresponding recipe I say 4-6 tbsp. The chicken by itself may have been too salty but the salad and corn balanced out the meal. Sure, I could sit here and write about how that was planned, but it wasn’t. Sometimes dumb luck wins out and you create a great meal. This was one of those times. This meal just flowed together.

What would we change next time?

Most likely we would pair the corn on the cob with another meal. Maybe a steak or a bunless burger. Also, the chicken was too salty by itself. The next day I had it as leftovers and it was too salty for me but again I do not love salt. As a whole, this meal was a great success especially since we just emptied the refrigerator!

Check out the video on YouTube!

Recipe:
1.5lbs of boneless chicken thighs
3-4 beets
4-5 ears of corn
Spinach salad mix
2 tbsp of Olive Oil
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp garlic powder
4-6 tbsp of chipotle salt
Juice 1 lime

1. Heat oven to 425*
2. Cover beets in tin foil with Olive Oil
3. Roast beets for 45mins
3a. Once beets are done roasting and cooled clean the skin off with a paper towel
3b. Chop cooled beets and add to spinach salad
4. Mix marinade ingredients in a bowl and pour over the chicken
4a. Grease casserole dish with cooking spray
5. Cook chicken for 25 minutes at 425* or until 165* internal temp
6. Wrap corn in plastic wrap with 1/2 tbsp of water on high for 4-6 minutes or until tender**
7. Enjoy!

**cooking hack for quick corn on the cob!

What are you craving Today?

Are you feeling deprived? Are you about to give into a craving? We fight an uphill battle every day dealing with cravings. Most of us are trying to change something in our lives to make life better. We’re trying to lose weight. We’re trying to be nicer to others. We’re trying to drink less. Whatever it might be we’re fighting cravings all day every day. You probably feel the weight of those cravings as you read these words. So, the real question is how do you fight those cravings? There are plenty of ways to fight cravings, but do they ever really work? How many times do you give into your craving? When we are trying to change for the better it seems like the universe is conspiring against us, doesn’t it?

When you’re trying to lose weight you cut out foods that are either high-calorie or unhealthy for you. There are all these rules about what you should or should not eat to lose weight. The problem is instead of focusing on the things that you can have you’re too focused on the things that you can’t have. It seems like the universe is conspiring against you but maybe it’s your own mind that’s plotting against you. Maybe it’s your mind that’s focusing on that thing you cannot have. Have you ever noticed when you buy a new car it seems like everyone else has that car now? That isn’t actually the case. What’s happening is your awareness is greater for that car because now you’re driving it. Same thing happens when you tell yourself you cannot have something. You’re focused on that thing. You crave that thing. In the end, you give in to that craving. Next time instead of thinking about the things you can’t have, think about the things you can have. Focus on the positive. If you focus on the things you can have then maybe you’ll start to crave those things.

Now, it is possible that by just reading this post your cravings are in full swing. Isn’t our mind crazy? While you’re reading this you may be telling yourself that this idea of focusing on the positive doesn’t work and is a waste of time. To be honest, there’s some truth to that. If you’re not one of those that can curb your cravings then may be the best thing for you is to focus on moderation. Don’t exclude any foods from your diet. Eat less of the foods you crave. For example, if you’re used to drinking 2-4 soda’s a day. Then you go cold turkey and have zero sodas, more than likely before you know it you’ll have already given into a soda craving. So the best way is to cut your current consumption in half. Then when you’re ready, cut the amount in half again. Before you know it the soda cravings will be gone. Then long term sustainable results will follow. Hopefully, these two techniques will help you curb your cravings and then you’ll be on your way to a healthier you!

Can the Muse inspire your workout routine?

A quick google search defines Muse roughly as a greek goddess who brings inspiration to your creative endeavours. Most people have heard of great writers referring to the Muse as just that, a blessing from some unseen source, that brings inspiration to their writing. Even now, as these words are typed the Muse could be in action. This post is not about using the Muse for writing but how it inspires personal trainers. Personal trainers would like you to believe that most sessions are preplanned and well thought out. If you’ve ever had a personal trainer you may question their session planning. Most times it seems like a bunch of madness but usually, there is a method to that madness. Although, that method may be hidden deep beneath the surface.

Great trainers have an idea of what they want to accomplish walking into the session, but the great ones are like composers in the room. Great trainers see the routine in real time like Mozart saw the notes in the air. Don’t get me wrong a well-planned routine is a key to getting results. The problem with living and dying by that routine is our clients lives periodized our programs because of sick kids, vacations, or whatever excuse that specific client is using today. As trainers, we have to think on our feet. The Muse provides the inspiration needed to push our clients to the limits. That’s when greatness happens. That’s when the best results happen. Let’s be honest we are artists. Our canvas just happens to be the human body.

Narrow chance of Success

Today is going to be a good day. Today will be the day I will set a new personal best for back squat. Today I’m going to crush that goal I’ve been working towards for a long time. Have you told yourself that? When you wake up in the morning do you tell yourself today is the day I will win? These are the narrow differences between completing your goals and not completing them. What’s the narrow difference between completing that max lift and not? It’s your focus. This idea jumped into my head as I watch countless clients and trainers fail while trying to set new personal bests. The other reason this is on the forefront of my mind is because the Olympics start this week. The Olympics are a perfect example of the narrow differences between winning a gold medal or not. These athletes have been training for the last four years to compete on the world’s stage. To show the world how hard they’ve been training. To show the world their personal best. The narrowest of differences matter for these athletes. These athletes are using every tool they have available to them. Get your head out of the gutter! I’m writing this with the assumption that these athletes are clean. When I talk about every available tool I’m talking about training protocols and sports psychology.

More specifically, these athletes need to have their visualization and focus down pat. Sure there are training protocols that can make a difference from athlete to athlete, but in general, the narrow margins are not made up in the weight room. They’re made up on game day. Those differences are made up by mental preparation. You can only take so many actual reps for a one rep max. You can only run the 400 meters so many times before the body breaks down. That’s where the visualization and mental reps make up the difference. Don’t believe me? Try it out for yourself. Next time you need a mental edge go through the motions first in your mind. Did you do better that you thought you’d do? If you still don’t believe me? Then watch the Olympics for the next two weeks. Watch the athletes who take home medals were they in the zone prior to the event. If you can catch them before the starting blocks then you’ll catch them visualizing. You’ll see them mentally preparing for the event ahead. That’s what makes up the narrow difference between taking home a medal, sports psychology.

Find your inner Super Powers – Focus and Determination

Sports and superstitions go hand in hand, just ask any former or current athlete. They’ll all tell you they have a favorite pair of socks. They’ll explain how a certain song or type of music get’s their head in the game. For me, it was the order I would put my hockey pads on. It’s the number that was on the back of my jersey. Now it’s the socks and shoes that I wear while working out. Or the Eminem song playing loudly over the speakers. These are the types of things that get me fired up. As I write this I’m getting excited to go workout. A mind is a powerful tool, that when harnessed can do great things. Can shoes or socks really bring out your inner superpower? Your inner drive and competitiveness? Is there really something to the idea, look good play good? At the studio, all the trainers are always talking about their walkout songs. What’s a walkout song? These are the songs that athletes choose to play over the stadiums’ loudspeakers while they enter the ring before a fight or walk up to the plate in baseball. How can you harness this inner super power? Is it possible for a few words from a Metallica song can help you hit a max effort lift?

What got me thinking about this is? Watching the Crossfit Games this year and seeing all the athletes in Reebok gear. It’s cool that all these athletes get hooked up with a ton of gear. Especially since some of them are not getting paid like a pro athlete. What about the athletes that are sponsored by other companies besides Reebok? They train all year in other shoes, other socks, and even different clothing. I know you’re thinking what I’m thinking. This must throw them off their game, right? Their performance must suffer because of their superstitions. That’s what you would think but watching the CrossFit games shows you that their performance isn’t suffering. They’re able to find their inner superpower, intense focus, and determination, without any of their “gear”. I get it. You can’t have it both ways. Or can you?

I’ve seen some incredible things happen when an athlete is trying a max lift and you put on their favorite song. It’s like a light switch. Before the song, you see a soft focus. After the song starts the focus is much more intense and unbroken. Most times the athlete or trainer smash the lift or the workout. Was it really because of the song? Yes and no. Yes, because it got the athlete focused on the lift. No, because sometimes it doesn’t matter what shoes you have on or what song is playing. Sometimes even your intense focus doesn’t help.

Sometimes you fail. People don’t like to fail. Most people see failure as the end and all the training or practice wasn’t worth it. In reality, failure is the beginning. Great athletes know this. They are undeterred when they fail. They look at the failure as a way to grow. A way to get better. Think back to your life, to a time when you failed, was life over? Was your career over? Most likely not. You persevered through that failure and got better. You learned how to do it better next time. Does wearing the right or wrong pair of shoes really affect your perseverance? Does listening to the perfect song affect your determination? If you answered yes, then we have some work to do.

Don’t get me wrong. Having those special socks or a special song that gets you in the zone is great. That’s the easy way to get in the zone. The problem is, what happens when you’re not able to use those special items to bring out your inner super powers? That’s when you need to be able to harness those inner powers without a crutch. You should be able to just tap into the zone when you need to for as long as you need it. You want the ability to perform at your highest level in the worst case scenario. How do you do that? You need to find your inner lucky number. You need to find your inner lucky socks. This may be a mantra that you say to yourself before you go play the game or go for that max lift. It could be as simple as a quick saying “you got this”. If simple doesn’t work for you the next best way to get in the zone is visualization. To see some great examples of this watch ski racers right before they get in the starting blocks before a race. You can see their eyes closed and their head moving just ever so slightly. They’re running the course in their mind so that when they’re actually on the course they’re already in the zone because they’ve done so many mental reps. Or look at golfers who visualize the shot before they actually make a swing. You can see this in all sports. Visualization is a great way to get in the zone, to bring out our your inner superpower, and crush whatever is in front of you.

Don’t believe me? Try it out. The next time you’re about to do a workout or swing a golf club. Visualize the movement or shot before hand and see what happens. I bet you’ll notice how much more determined and focused you were. All great athletes use visualization. They just might not use it in those terms. You hear it all the time when the quarterback hits his wide receiver for the game-winning touchdown. They say “I saw myself doing that since I was a young kid!”. Most pro athletes also use their crutches, their special gear, they get to choose to do that. It’s a perfect world for most pro athletes. This comes back to how great the CrossFit games athletes truly are. You can see it right before the event starts. These athletes are so focused you can feel their focus burning through the tv. They don’t get to use the excuse that they don’t have their special gear because they don’t. All games athletes are required to wear sponsored gear. Not to mention how many other curve balls that are thrown at them throughout the weekend. This is the ultimate test of bringing out their inner super powers. This event is not only meant to test their physical fitness but also the psychological fitness. Watching them compete makes me believe we all have inner super powers of intense focus and determination. It makes me believe that we all can master this with practice.

If you’re still with me then you get it. Your homework is to try this today. Try visualizing a difficult task that you may face today. Completing these mental reps will help you find that intense focus. That undying and unbreakable determination to get that task done. This doesn’t have to apply to only physical endeavors. Another example is this blog post. What’s my crutch for writing? A good cup of coffee and ear buds playing some kind of techno or bluegrass music. Yes, that’s what works for me when I’m writing. It quiets the mind’s resistance to writing for me. Today is different. Today I have both boys. I’m writing this with cartoons playing in the background. No music today. No crutches for this one. Our only limits are the ones we set for ourselves. Find your mantra. Find your zone. Break free of your crutches and allow your inner superpower to shine through.

Crockpot Sweet Barbacoa

Crockpot meals make life so much easier when it comes to cooking dinner. It’s that set it and forget it mentality. Where you can prepare the crockpot before work and come home and dinner is ready to go. Don’t get me wrong, this seems very easy, but there are some techniques that come with crockpotting. We tried many times to perfect shredded pork in the crockpot and to put it lightly failed miserably. The pork would be good the night you cook it but then be terrible for leftovers. Or the pork would be too salty because the marinade cooked down too much. After many trials and tribulations, we figured it out. Check out the instruction video here. The key is all about timing. Isn’t everything in life about timing? What’s the key to great shredded pork? Seven hours in the crockpot with plenty of liquid. Then you do an additional hour after you pull the pork apart. We’ve made this sweet barbacoa three or four times now and we have it down to a science. The other key besides timing is the amount of liquid you put in at the beginning and then what you add to the shredded pork for the final hour. This recipe is called sweet barbacoa for a reason. The marinade has brown sugar and cola. That’s it. I know the sugar police are sounding the unhealthy alarm as you read this. That’s ok. Why is it ok? Most of that liquid is poured out before the final hour of cooking. Also, this is key so pay attention, you can modify the liquid portion of this recipe however you want.

What did the macro’s nutrients?

The pork is pretty simple because it’s just protein. As you can tell, there is a ton of carbohydrates for it being just pork. Again, look at your whole diet and more than likely this meal still fits in your macros. What matters is the delivery method for the pork. On a cheat day we’ve used this pork for sliders, but during the week we shoot for lower carb. That’s why in the instruction video you can see me eating the pork using lettuce wraps as my delivery method. Don’t knock it until you try it. The lettuce wrap/taco works great. The macro’s break down into 405 k/cal but most of the payoff comes in 52 grams of protein. Since we went with lettuce the 23 grams of carbohydrates is pretty reasonable. If you’re looking for a low-fat meal this one fit’s that bill perfectly with only 13 grams of fat.

What did we like about the meal?

One thing that I forgot to add in the video was avocado, which would have taken this meal to another level. The barbacoa came out perfect. It was super tender and juicy. I had a hard time not snacking on it while I was putting it in the Tupperware. Like I mentioned before, our favorite part of this crockpot dish is its versatility. It’s so good that you could just eat it by itself. We’ve had it on mini buns as sliders. If you don’t like to get messy, the lettuce tacos are a little messy, then you could have an awesome salad with the barbacoa on top.

What would we change next time?

I’ve raved enough about this dish that I would be lying if I said we wouldn’t want to change anything. The one thing, that was already mentioned, is you could change the amount of sugar in this dish. That’s about it.

From YouTube!

The Recipe:

This meal is super easy because it’s done in the crockpot! We’d recommend starting it before work and then finish it when you get home. Or do it as meal prep before the week starts. It gets better day after day! This Sweet Barbacoa is great for sliders, tacos or anything else you can imagine.

Ingredients:
2 pork tenderloins
12-20 ounces of Cola
1 1/4 Cups Brown Sugar (split into 1/2 & 3/4 cups)
8 ounce can green chilies
12 ounce can red enchilada sauce
Delivery method of your choice (we used lettuce!)

Recipe:
1. Add tenderloins, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 12-20 ounces cola to a plastic bag
2. Mix up ingredients and refrigerate 2+ hours, longer the better!
3. Cook on low 7 hours
4. Drain liquid and add shredded pork back to the crockpot
5. Add green chilies, enchilada sauce, and 3/4 cup brown sugar
6. Mix and cook 1 more hour, stirring occasionally
7. Enjoy or refrigerate until needed!

Unstoppable or Competitiveness?

Unstoppable is a great way to describe my mentality. Most people who know me see my desire to win as competitiveness but I see it differently. The way I see it being extra competitive is about beating an opponent. What happens when that opponent is you? Is it still competitiveness? Or some deep drive, a deep genetic desire that always drives you to be better? The way to be unstoppable is to never let your monkey mind win. What’s the monkey mind? It’s that voice in the back of your mind that’s always telling you that what you’re currently doing is inadequate. It’s that voice that tells you to quit. It’s the voice that tells you to stop. I’m sure that you’ve heard that voice and listened to it. Other times you’ve told it to shut up. I’ve done both. I’ve been there. What is the key to being unstoppable? Well, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is you have the control over your monkey mind. Ultimately, you have the ability to forge ahead. To push through your current obstacle. You have that power. The bad news is sometimes the fight may not feel worth the effort. Sometimes it seems like all the cards are stacked against you. That there’s no way out. You know what that is? It’s the monkey mind doubling down on its bet. There’s always a way out. There’s always a solution. That’s the way to be unstoppable.