12 June – Disappointment
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Round Two
Please go to the Rantingchef.com and vote for me under the Diced round 2 competition! VOTE HERE
Mind – Competitors know about the pre-game jitters. The excitement of the moment, the adrenaline, the fear of the unknown, all contribute to the butterflies dancing in your stomach. There have been many studies on how stress can actually improve performance up to a certain point. Stress and anticipation heightens senses and can focus energy. It can also be crippling. I am in constant awe when I read about what the greatest generation did during WW II. I had the opportunity of meeting a B-17 turret gunner who flew 117 missions and made it back alive. Statistically this was next to impossible from 1942-43 when Sergeant Roth started flying; the time before the allies still had not established air superiority. Tour length was established at 25 missions, but many didn’t make it that far. The thing that is amazing is the bravery it took to go on mission number 2, 3, 4 and so on. The first mission was fueled by bravado and curiosity, after that it was pure guts when reality set in and their friends didn’t return. I asked Sergeant Roth what kept him going, he said it was his sense duty and commitment to his brothers. Imagine what we could all accomplish with that kind of dedication.
Cheers
AJAX a.k.a. “The Raging Scotsman”
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Body – Strength, Leg Day
Wingman
5 minutes of jump ropes
5 minutes of 12-24” box jumps
4 rounds of
25 Air Squats
25 Walking Lunges
25 Standing Calf Raises
25 Burpees
Flight Leads
5 minutes of jump ropes
5 minutes of 12-24” box jumps
3 Sets Each of
25x 25 lbs. kettle bell swings
10x 95 lbs. squats
10x 45 lbs. lunges
10x Good Mornings
10x 45 lbs. straight leg deadlifts
10x 45 lbs. calf raises with shrug
Instructors
300 double unders
5 minutes AMRAP 24” box jumps
3 Sets Each of
25x 50 lbs. kettle bell swings
10x 225 lbs. squats
10x 95 lbs. lunges
10x 45lb good mornings
10x 135 lbs. straight leg deadlifts
10x 225 lbs. calf raises with shrug
Weapons Instructor Course
500 double unders
5 minutes AMRAP 36” box jumps
3 Sets Each of
25x 50 lbs. kettle bell swings
10x 315 lbs. squats
10x 135 lbs. lunges
10x 45lb good mornings
10x 225 lbs. straight leg deadlifts
10x 225 lbs. calf raises with shrug
Finish with 1000m all out row
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Recipe of the Day
Turkey Chili with Bacon and Ginger Snaps
Rachel Ray’s chili heavily modified by AJAX
Photo by AJAX
Serves – 8
Prep time – 36 (HARRRUMP) minutes active, 50 minutes total
Nutrition – 500 calories, 44 grams protein, 27 grams fat, 18 grams carbs
Ingredients
1.5 pounds ground turkey
6 slices super thick bacon, ½ inch strips
1 pound top sirloin steak, DICED!
1 large sweet yellow onion DICED!
1 fresh jalapeno, DICED!
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 15 ounce can of tomato sauce
4 Tablespoons of Pete’s hot sauce
2 Tablespoons of Worcestershire
1 teaspoon Tobasco
½ cup of brown sugar
8 ground ginger snaps, about ¾ cup
½ cup of chili powder
2 teaspoons of salt
1 Tablespoon of ground black pepper
¾ cup of beef stock
½ cup of sour cream
1 cup of plain Greek yogurt
Directions
Gather all the ingredients. Cut the sirloin into quarter to half inch cubes. Slice the bacon into half inch strips. Dice the onion, jalapeno, and crush the garlic. Chop the ginger snaps in a food processor until fine crumbs. Combine in a medium bowl the tomato sauce, Worcestershire, hot sauce, Tobasco, brown sugar, and crumbed ginger snaps. Combine in a separate bowl the yogurt and sour cream.
Cook the bacon in a large pot until the fat is rendered and starting to crisp, about 6 minutes. Add the turkey and the sirloin and cook on high heat until browned, about 10 more minutes. Add to the turkey, sirloin, salt, pepper, and chili powder, cooking for 1 more minute. Add the onion, jalapeno and garlic cooking until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the tomato, Worcestershire, hot sauce, gingersnap mixture, bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer. Add ½ cup of beef stock and simmer to desired consistency, about 10-15 minutes.
Serve with yogurt sour cream mixture and garnish with cilantro and saltine crackers.
MackNBee taste rating 3 out of 4
AJAX ease of prep rating 4 out of 4
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Spirit – Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
© 2013 by LIKEAFIGHTERPILOT. All rights reserved.
The views of LIKEAFIGHTERPILOT are those of the author alone and should not be considered any official DoD, Government, or USAF position.
02 Tuesday Apr 2013
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Mind – “So Maverick and Goose, what exactly were you doing with the MIG up there?” “Communicating!” was Goose’s response to Charlie’s question. Let’s get one thing straight, flying inverted, three feet away, and directly above another fighter aircraft is completely ridiculous and not done, even by the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels.
When encountering aircraft with unknown intentions real fighter pilots are not going to put their aircraft in a position of disadvantage. Remember the Chinese J-8 that ran into the Navy P-3 on April 1, 2001, known as the Hainan Island incident? The Chinese pilot was killed in the collision and the P-3 crew is fortunate to be alive. I don’t know what the Chinese pilot was thinking, but when it comes to flying, running into things is generally frowned upon.
Real fighter pilots are extremely disciplined and adhere to procedures and rules that they apply in training and in combat. This is the one area that Viper got right when he was chewing out Maverick and Goose for their hard deck violations. Professionals apply discipline to all they do, while actors…are just acting. Real results are obtained through discipline and hard work.
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Body – Mobility and Flexibility
Wingman/Flight Leads/Instructors
30/60/90 minutes of yoga
Weapons Instructor Course
90 Minutes of hot Bikram yoga
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Recipe of the Day
Steak Picadillo Soft Tacos
Recipe from Bon Appétit
Photo by AJAX
Serves – 4
Prep time – 35 minutes active, 35 minutes total
Nutrition – 658 calories, 31 grams protein, 20 grams fat, 83 Carbs. Nutritional info is based on my calculations using the App Lose It. I have found the online info incorrect and usually low.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 12-ounce strip of skirt steak
1/2 cup 1/4-inch squares green bell pepper
3/4 cup canned diced tomatoes with green chiles
1/3 cup halved drained pimiento-stuffed green olives plus brine from jar
1/4 cup raisins
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
8 corn tortillas
Chopped fresh cilantro (for garnish)
Directions
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper. Add to skillet; sauté 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to plate. Add bell pepper to skillet. Sauté 2 minutes. Add tomatoes with green chiles,olives, raisins, tomato paste, cumin, and allspice. Simmer until sauce is thick, stirring often, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and olive brine.
Cut steak into 1/3-inch-thick slices on diagonal across grain. Add steak and any juices to sauce in skillet; toss to blend.
Char tortillas over gas flame or in broiler until blackened in spots, 15 to 20 seconds per side. Divide filling among tortillas. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Steak-Picadillo-Soft-Tacos-364552#ixzz2ONwNHTdD
MackNBee taste rating 1 out of 4. Nobody really liked it. I should have used fresh tomatoes, my own hatch chilies, better olives, and eliminated the raisins.
AJAX ease of prep rating 3 out of 4
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Spirit – 1 Corinthians 27-29 “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.”
© 2013 by LIKEAFIGHTERPILOT. All rights reserved.
The views of LIKEAFIGHTERPILOT are those of the author alone and should not be considered any official DoD, Government, or USAF position.
01 Monday Apr 2013
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Mind – April Fools’! What better way to celebrate the day and kick off the month than a week of Top Gun myth busting? This week is going to be a blast making fun of oiled up Navy dudes, big watches, sunglasses and all the other ridiculous stuff the movie Top Gun stereotyped fighter pilots with.
First an explanation of Top Gun, the school does exist at Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada. The course is 9 weeks long and teaches advanced air-to-air tactics to Navy and Marine Corp fighter pilots. The United States Air Force has a similar program located at Nellis Air Force base, also in Nevada, but is 6 months long. I am biased, but I think the USAF program is far more comprehensive.
Today’s myth I am going to bust, Charlie. The Navy and Marine Corps do things a little non-standard, but since I have flown in a few Top Gun events and graduated USAF Fighter Weapons School I can speak with some experience, to date I have yet to meet Charlie. Rather than hot women in high heels and tight skirts debriefing me on my missions, I had the likes of Max, Deets, Thirty, Spam, Magilla, Gripper, Nut, PeeWee, Whiskey, Bluto, and Big Bluto debriefing me on how poorly my Basic Fighter Maneuvering skills were progressing. Trust me, none of them looked Kelly McGillis, and unlike Charlie, these guys could fly a pretty mean jet and kick your ass. I learned a lot from those guys, besides teaching you how to employ your aircraft better than you ever thought possible, the real lesson I took away from these guys is how to never give up. The instructors made the program difficult, and as with all things in life, good things come via hard work.
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Body – Strength, Leg Day
Wingman
5 minutes of jump ropes
5 minutes of 12-24” box jumps
4 rounds of
25 Air Squats
25 Walking Lunges
25 Standing Calf Raises
25 Burpees
Flight Leads
5 minutes of jump ropes
5 minutes of 12-24” box jumps
3 Sets Each of
25x 25 lb kettlebell swings
10x 95 lb squats
10x 45 lb lunges
10x Good Mornings
10x 45 lb straight leg deadlifts
10x 45 lb calf raises with shrug
Instructors
300 double unders
5 minutes AMRAP 24” box jumps
3 Sets Each of
25x 50 lb kettlebell swings
10x 225 lb squats
10x 95 lb lunges
10x 45lb good mornings
10x 135 lb straight leg deadlifts
10x 225 lb calf raises with shrug
Weapons Instructor Course
500 double unders
5 minutes AMRAP 36” box jumps
3 Sets Each of
25x 50 lb kettlebell swings
10x 315 lb squats
10x 135 lb lunges
10x 45lb good mornings
10x 225 lb straight leg deadlifts
10x 225 lb calf raises with shrug
Finish with 1000m all out row
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Recipe of the Day
Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Chickpeas and Feta
Recipe from Bon Appétit, December 2011, modified by AJAX
Photo by Lisa Hubbard
Serves – 4
Prep time – 30 minutes active, 35 minutes total
Nutrition – 533 calories with Pita, 470 without, 9 grams protein, 29 grams fat, 25 grams carbs
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 Hatch Chiles grilled, peeled, seaded, finely chopped
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand, juices reserved
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup coarsely crumbled feta
8 large eggs
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Warm pita bread
Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and chiles; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 8 minutes. Add black beans, paprika, and cumin and cook for 2 minutes longer.
Add crushed tomatoes and their juices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle feta evenly over sauce. Crack eggs one at a time and place over sauce, spacing evenly apart. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until whites are just set but yolks are still runny, 5–8 minutes. Garnish with parsley and cilantro. Serve with pita for dipping.
MackNBee taste rating 4 out of 4
AJAX ease of prep rating 4 out of 4, this meal was awesome, kids were whining that I wouldn’t make it again
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Spirit – Acts 1:3-5 “After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
© 2013 by LIKEAFIGHTERPILOT. All rights reserved.
The views of LIKEAFIGHTERPILOT are those of the author alone and should not be considered any official DoD, Government, or USAF position.
20 Wednesday Mar 2013
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Mind – Poacher’s poopy suit story must be told. We were about to deploy for our very first time which meant flying across the Atlantic. Crossing the pond requires wearing bulky and uncomfortable anti-exposure suits previously described in the Poopy Suit post. The front access zipper is known as the jaws of death because of its rigidity and sharpness of the teeth located in close proximity to the groin. For the most part the zipper is useless, especially when flying in fingertip formation through the weather at night…standard conditions for crossing the pond. In order to overcome this limitation some genius came up with a “Texas Catheter”, which is nothing more than a hose and collection bag hooked up via a condom with glue on the inside. I won’t even discuss the removal since it is too horrific. Once fully dressed with the all the gear required, the Michelin man looks down right anorexic compared to most pilots, especially Poacher, a big twelve sandwich eating Norwegian from Minnesota. Not more than 20 minutes into the flight Poacher decided to try out his new-fangled device connected to his Anthony Weiner. Imagine being in total darkness, dense fog, and 3-6 feet away from the wingtip of another airplane in flight when you hear a loud cry of despair. Poacher had just discovered the principle of siphoning, or lack thereof. Being a guy that does everything with vigor Poacher decided let the dam break, and unfortunately for him the feedback he needed was a little late. Instead of filling up the collection bag, he filled up the inside of his suit…with 12 hours remaining until we landed. What’s the lesson? Execute with vigor, but if given the time and luxury, caution is sometimes warranted.
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Body – Sports Day
Wingman/Flight Leads/Instructors/Weapons Instructor Course
Squash, Racquetball, Tennis
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Recipe of the Day
Lisa’s Chicken Enchiladas
3 cups cooked chicken
8oz of cream cheese
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
4oz can of chilies (if you have roasted hatch chilies use these)
1/4 cup of milk
1 tsp of cumin
1/4 cup of chopped yellow onion
8 flour tortillas
12 oz Monterey Jack cheese
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix chicken and cream cheese. In a separate bowl combine cream of chicken soup, chilies, milk, cumin and onions, mix well. Fill tortilla with 1/8 of chicken and cream cheese mixture, then drizzle soup mixture in and sprinkle with cheese. Fold tortilla together, lay into a greased pan. Once all the tortillas are in the pan, pour the rest of the soup mixture and cheese over the top of enchiladas. Bake covered for 20 minutes, uncover for another 20 until slightly toasted on the top.
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Spirit – Psalm 139:23 “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.”
© 2013 by LIKEAFIGHTERPILOT. All rights reserved.
01 Friday Mar 2013
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Ali, Boxing, cooking, cross fit, fighter pilots, Fitness, Robin Olds, spiritual