Regular exercise was my first foray into my natural preventative health passion. Before I knew or understood anything about eating well for health, I learned to love exercise. I could tell by the way I would feel during and afterward, that my body loves to move, and therefore I would keep moving!
I confess: I am an exercise junkie. Continue reading
This is one of the most convenient and versatile proteins to have on hand, one of the easiest things to cook, and, yet, I have just recently begun making roasted chicken. Shame on me! It took me a while to try because I was intimidated and there was still some remnant of my past, college-aged, disgust with handling raw chicken. I think this is common, or I’ve at least known a few people who say the same thing. Continue reading
There are many recipes for Paleo wraps, tortillas, crepes, whatever you want to call them. This week, I made the Wrap recipe from Against All Grain Meals Made Simple. I like these because unlike my own, which I adopted from a Stupid Easy Paleo recipe for Paleo Tortillas they are a little more fluid and easier to spread thinly on your pan. The recipe said a yield of 12 pcs (8 inch wraps), and the best I could do was 11 with 2 of them quite smaller than the others. In any case, I used store bought almond milk and the one I had in the home was the unsweetened vanilla, so these go very well with sweet applications. They are actually ok with what I made them for, which is the Breakfast Burrito recipe from the same book; ok, but definitely a lil off due to the slight hint of vanilla. Continue reading
Starting in October, I have been recommitting to following my dietary guidelines more strictly. My trajectory is toward reducing sugar (as dessert) intake. As simple as that sounds, cold turkey has not been known to work for me in the past; I rebound hard, falling off the wagon tragically. I haven’t had permanent success yet; what can I say, I have a major sweet tooth. Additionally, the holidays always trip me up. So, I’m starting anew again, before any of this season’s holidays. I am doing a gradual method of lessening intake. I started very simply with eliminating desserts in the home. I am cooking up a storm lately; trying all kinds of recipes that are in the many Paleo books I have and creating my own. Continue reading
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”
– Socrates
I’m hoping that this day brings for all of us at least one moment where we can shift our focus toward positive change in our lives. Have a great day!
Eggs! Eggs! Eggs! I adore eggs! It will not be the last time I will say this, haha. I just love ’em! This is a simple recipe for egg salad served on heirloom tomato slices. In late summer, Costco had beautiful organic heirlooms and I was inspired to make this simple dish for dinner one evening. Continue reading
Health Heroes: A series of posts where I am honoring people who have touched my life & left lasting good impressions on my journey toward living a healthy lifestyle.
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“I am losing precious days. I am degenerating into a machine for making money. I am learning nothing in this trivial world of men. I must break away and get out into the mountains to learn the news.” – John Muir
When I marvel at the beauty I have the fortune of dwelling in, here in the great American west, I am grateful to John Muir. Continue reading
This is a super easy recipe that works with any variety if chicken you’d like. Easily works with beef as well. Yum!
I’ve been developing this one to my taste for a while now and finally have it where I really like it. I learned this from a patient of mine when I first got my slow cooker (gift from bf).
I had purchased a slow cooker cookbook expecting all these super simple throw it in the pot and see it ready after work or the next morning recipes. That is, after all, what all the busy working women, moms and working moms would rave about that made me want to get a slow cooker in the first place. What the book actually had were a ton of great recipes that were complicated by at least 30-60 min prep, then the place this in the slow cooker part; sometimes with an after part too! If I wanted to cook an elaborate meal, I wouldn’t have enlisted the slow cooker. I wanted convenience. I wanted a truly “fix it and forget it” dish.
I am grateful to the patient I spoke to about this one day because she had some great suggestions, one of which was throw meat or chicken in and douse it in salsa. Voila! She’d make a huge batch for her large family and use it throughout the week in tacos, sandwich wraps, salads, you name it.
I always made it with chicken breast and salsa and never seemed to get through the 1-2 lbs before it spoiling. For me, something was missing. I recently had the aha moment where I realized it needs fat and seasonings! That is a simple enough requirement for it to still pass the effortlessly easy, in a rush, out of time nature I intended my slow cooker to fill the bill for.
So here is what I’ve come up with:
1- 1.5 lbs chicken (I have it frozen and throw it right in that way – no thawing needed)
Season the chicken before pouring on the salsa.
1-2 t Cumin
1/2 -1 Turmeric
1 t Granulated Onion
1-2 t Cilantro or Parsley (dried, or top it off with fresh at the end, if you are so inclined. I like keeping with the fast theme and just sprinkling it on; no wash , dry & snip steps required)
1/2 t Garlic powder or 1-2 cloves garlic minced
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Top it off with your favorite salsa, enough to mostly cover the chicken, about 1 c
Set on high for 3-4 hrs or low 4-5 hrs. Or more depending what is convenient for your day.
Shred with a fork and serve or store for later use.
PS: I love cooking more than baking bc it’s so not precise and still turns out great (most of the time)!
Meal ideas:
It’s no secret: I love eggs, so adding this to any egg dinner for a protein boost is always a good option. Eggs, this chicken, sweet potatoes, cabbage salad (recipe link).
Make soft tacos or enchiladas with Paleo safe tortillas (recipe link).
Lettuce wraps! Add a bunch of chopped, julienned or shredded veggies and some oil and vinegar or avocado, and/or hot sauce (if your digestion can tolerate that).
Thanks to my friend Marian, this simply delicious salad has become a staple in my home. It is a great vegetable side that can accompany any meal. Delicious on the first day and also keeps well in the refrigerator for at least a week. In my family of two, it’s a highly regarded dish that is typically gone within a few days. I can pretty much guarantee that you will feel the same way about this amazing salad.
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