My husband and I just got back in town from a great anniversary trip in Utah. We had an absolute blast doing our favorite things together. I will say, though, this trip was a little different for us…well, for me. I don’t know if it’s the “forty” thing or hormones, or what, but I had a new sense of caution in me. And to be honest, I didn’t like, not one little bit. For the first time mountain biking, I was nervous. And this is coming from the girl who would fly down Northside Drive on her road bike, at 48 mph or mountain bike down a hill like rocks were pillows and trees were like big stems of broccoli. I even got nervous hiking on a high semi-narrow trail (not as narrow as I’d like to admit). What happened to me?? Has anyone else experienced a new found caution or nervousness in their lives. Maybe it’s a part of getting old. Or, maybe, just maybe, I’ve finally grown up. (Insert me stomping my foot here).
Please excuse the poor iphone quality of these photos but it was a lot easier to carry than that my big fancy camera! Anyway, I know I’m a total dork but look how cute my hubby is!
We hiked, and biked and biked and biked. I love mountain biking and so does Scott. But…see the last pic? Yes, it was the first day of biking but how pitiful is that? I saw (just past those short bushes on the left) a big drop off and well, kinda freaked out and then couldn’t unclip my pedals. That fall certainly didn’t add to my confidence for the rest of the ride. Fortunately confidence grew (a little) and the other rides were super fun, but I was still more cautious that ever before.
Sadly our trip had to end, and we had to get back to reality.
On the plane ride home, I noticed people getting their little complimentary bag of pretzels containing 5 pretzels at the most. They looked totally unsatisfied. I think they thought if they looked hard enough in their tiny pretzel bags, another pretzel just might show up. I didn’t blame them. 5 really? Anyway, I know they say clean eating or gluten/dairy free eating is tough, especially when traveling, but we were eating like kings (in comparison to others on our flight). I brought many snacks for our flights and daily excursions. I know it’s all packaged stuff, but for snacks on the road, these worked out well for us!
I actually included 4-5 bags of kale chips. I know it’s kind of a lot, but I always try to be prepared! While they are expensive and not something I do all the time, they are super delicious.
I did explore a local Utah grocery store (some girls go to fun shops when they travel…I go to grocery stores). Anyway, I love seeing what other stores have, especially any out West. I thought this quinoa treat called I heart Keenwah would be a nice little treat for my son’s lunch box, but it turns out, I love I heart Keenwah. It’s not something I would typically eat since I follow Paleo pretty strictly but again, it was vacation (that just made me sound so uptight, didn’t it?) and it had chocolate!!
Yes, this deserves it’s own picture. Or…I may have forgotten to put it in the picture above.
Oh and since we didn’t have any restaurant options for the flight home, we got black bean Beanitos with some guacamole we bought the day before at the local grocery store (fortunately we had a refrigerator in our room). I was nervous at the airport that guacamole might have counted as a “gel”, but we made it through security without any problems. The good news is many grocery stores have guacamole pre-made and while most aren’t organic (even Whole Foods), I didn’t worry about it since I don’t buy thick skinned fruits (like avocado and melons) organic anyway.
Happy fall break and safe travels if you’re on the road!
I know it has been a little while since I’ve posted but it’s that time of year again for Fall pictures. Got your holiday card picture yet?? I sure don’t! I can take other kids’ pictures all day long, but ask me to do my own, (well aside from a blog picture here and there) and forget it! Anyway, I made this Warm Buffalo Chicken Slaw meal the other day and feel in love. It was a pretty random group of things I threw together so before posting it, I wanted to test it out again, just to be sure it turned out the same and I still loved it. And the good news is I do still love it! And it was so simple to make (since I had cut my chicken ahead of time and used pre-cut cabbage) that I was able to make this before even leaving the house this morning at 9:00am.
Scott, Tate (nothing is too spicy for this kid, well, except maybe this), and I loved it. Alice thought it was too spicy. The good news is it is easy to adjust for yours or your family’s taste buds just by altering the Pete’s or whatever hot sauce you use. It’s good with. or without it! And, it’s very flavorful so you can cater the spice to your own liking. I hope you guys enjoy it!
We usually make our own mayo but with Sir Kensington’s simple, non-gmo ingredients and without added sugar (like most condiments), some might even consider this somewhat paleo (well, almonst). I got the mayo idea from Julie over at PaleOMG. I love that she thinks outside of the box sometimes. We can get too caught up on things like “Is it Paleo or not?” or other food “rules” when sometimes, all we really need to do it listen to our own bodies, and well, just obey that…
Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and chop your cabbage if you didn't take the lazy way out like I did get.
The heat large pan on high and add your butter or avocado oil and chicken. Cook until the chicken is brown and add your Pete's hot sauce (or whatever you prefer), salt, garlic powder, coconut palm sugar and paprika.
Then add the chopped cabbage and apple cider vinegar and stir well. Or just cook the cabbage with 2 tbsp of butter if using a rotisserie chicken.
Turn the heat down to medium and allow to cook for about 10-15 minutes (stirring fairly often so the cabbage can be cooked in well) or until your chicken in no longer pink in the middle.
Turn the stove off and allow it to cool for a few minutes.
Then add your Sir Kensington's Chipotle Mayo and 2 tbsp of avocado oil and stir well.
Many of us are starting to learn about the amazing health benefits of bone broth. As I mentioned awhile back (see post: benefits and how to make bone broth) not only does it help reduce cellulite and weight (sad I list this first??) and strengthen our bones and joints, but also it can heal our guts. And unless you never eat processed food, never took antibiotics and live a stress free life then we could all use some gut healing. 70-80% of our immune system is in our gut and if our gut isn’t working properly, chances are the rest of your body is feeling the effect.
The thing we miss a lot of times when it comes to gut health is that it doesn’t always just show up through indigestion or gastrointestinal issues. Did you know that the only symptom some celiacs suffer is migraines? When we wreak havoc on our guts (through foods, stress, etc) health issues can show up ANYWHERE in our body.
As the lovely Dr. Taz writes in her new amazing book The 21-Day Belly Fix, “Hippocrates famously said, ‘All disease begins in the gut,’ which is something that all systems of medicine knew 5000 years ago. But over time, we’ve forgotten the gut’s connection to health. Heal the gut, and more often than not, most of our maladies improve or are resolved entirely.” — Wise words from Dr. Taz (and Hippocrates). And, knowing now that we can control our own health is very exciting!! And, in her new book, along with an easy to follow plan to help get well and lose weight, Dr. Taz mentions starting with bone broth. Yay! I love this stuff!
By the way, if you haven’t check out Dr. Taz’s new book, you absolutely should! It is based on the latest research on how to heal your gut. And, it’s available Amazon and Barnes & Noble online or stores now!! It’s a fabulous book and a must read!
So what if you or your kids just don’t love the taste of bone broth or you just want another way to get the benefits? Not to worry, there is another way. You can actually use a good quality grass-fed gelatin (since the breakdown of collagen that is in the bone broths produces gelatin) to make some fun things like J-E-L-L-O (or fruit gummies)! But wait, not the artificial-colored, sugar-laden stuff you buy in the grocery store. No, this stuff is WAY better for us, and it is really very simple to make. You can get a 16 oz. can of gelatin online for around $18, which should last you a very long time.
Soooo…to celebrate Dr. Taz’s new book, Tate and I attempted to make a healthy jello. Unfortunately, all of the concoctions we tried were, well, gross — unappealing to both the eye and the pallette 🙁
Oh my gosh, he’s so dramatic!
Fortunately, I happen to have a fantastic treat up my sleeve. I wasn’t going to share it until my book comes out, but what the heck. One of the snacks in my book includes strawberry gummies and to be honest, they have A LOT more gelatin, and A LOT less sugar (than many of the healthy jello recipes out there including the one we tried above), and they taste A WHOLE LOT better, if I do say so myself! I hope you like them as much as we do! Oh and if you are looking to get a candy mold (they are fun!) you can get one here for under $8, or you can just use a pan and a pizza or cookie cutter.
Now, please go read the 21-Day Belly Fix and enjoy some fruit yummy strawberry fruit gummies!
Oh and by the way, be sure to use this gelatin. The green one will NOT work.
2½ cups (365 g) strawberries, fresh or frozen and thawed
½ cup (120 ml) fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons (40 g) raw honey
½ cup (72 g) grass-fed gelatin
Instructions
Place the berries, lemon juice, and honey in a small saucepan and heat on low-medium heat. Cook until the fruit starts to soften.
Then use an immersion blender (or allow to cool slightly before using a traditional blender) to purée the fruit. Whisk in the gelatin a little at a time (so it won’t clump up).
Once you've stirred in all of the gelatin, pour the liquid into candy or ice silicon molds or into a 9 ✕ 3-inch (23 ✕ 33-cm) baking dish lined with parchment paper.
Place gummies in the fridge for about 2 hours, until they congeal.
Once done, pull them from the molds or slice them using a cookie cutter, pizza cutter, or knife. Store them in an airtight container either in the fridge or at room temperature.
They will last 3 to 4 days at room temperature and a couple of weeks in the fridge.
Julie-Landria, I completely agree with everything you said about the healing properties of bone broth and make bone stock once a week for our meals. So funny you posted the strawberry tummies; I am about to post strawberry ginger fruit roll ups with honey as the sweetener but they do not have the gelatin in them. I will have to try your recipe too. Thanks for sharing.ReplyCancel
Cindy -I purchased my book copy yesterday and have to admit I was discouraged over the whole broth making process, so you have given me much hope! I can do this! Thank you!ReplyCancel
landriav -Ha, thank you Cindy! You CAN do it!!! It just take a little time. 🙂ReplyCancel
Mariel L. -Landria,
I missed this past event you did on the leaky gut, is there anywhere I can get notes from the event or more info? ThanksReplyCancel
Amanda -Just wanted to join the newsletterReplyCancel
landriav -Hey Kimberley! You can def use another fruit. As for the honey, you could use maple or even coconut nectar. To be honest, we love it best with maple lately!!ReplyCancel
I know! It’s a big statement, isn’t it? But really, so far this Thai Basil Coconut Chicken Pasta is my favorite dish of the year. And honestly I’m not even a huge fan of Thai food, but this extremely flavorful, wonderful little meal is so amazing.
I got the idea from one of my favorite blogs, Food Renegade. Kristen not only shares wonderful recipes, but also her site is also very educational. You should check it out if you haven’t before!
I ate so much my stomach hurt—like really hurt! But I am just so happy that we have a new staple. If you ever thought about buying a spiralizer, this recipe is enough reason to get one!!
Alice and I started taking pictures of the meal in the pan, and then we sampled, and then sampled, and then…..well now you see why my tummy ached! Alice and I actually felt really bad we didn’t save more for the guys, but we couldn’t stop ourselves. Alice started sipping the leftover sauce, and that’s when we discovered this also makes an excellent soup. We actually sauteed mushrooms the next day and used the rest of the sauce to make a soup. And with really healthy ingredients like coconut milk, turmeric, ginger and garlic, this really is a super soup.
I hope y’all like this as much as we did!
And I bet you thought just my kitchen was a mess….
Oh, and I’m using a new recipe format (see below). Do y’all like it, or do you prefer the one I was already using? Would love to hear from you!
1 can coconut milk (we used light because it was what we had)
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger (or fresh)
2 tsp turmeric
2 1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp garlic powder (or fresh)
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 (for kids)-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
3 tbsp coconut palm sugar
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
Start by cutting your chicken into bite sized pieces. I did really small because my bite-sized pieces so you get more flavor with each bite! Set aside.
Now make your zuchinni noodles with your spiralizer.
Then, in a large sauce pan, on high heat, add about 2 tbsp coconut oil and add your chicken. Cook until it's no longer pink on the outside. Then add the zucchini noodles.
Next, add your spices on the chicken and zucchini (this part is important rather than adding the spices to the coconut milk. It just won't have as much flavor).
Stir everything together.
Then pour the can of coconut milk over everything, add the apple cider vinegar, and stir again.
Allow to cook on medium low for another 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle, and devour!!
Notes
I did increase the amount of ingredients (from the first time we made it) so there would definitely be enough to feed 4 people.
Amy Johnson -This dish was amazing as expected!!!! Loved all of the flavors together. Where was I supposed to add the apple cider vinegar? I just added it with the rest of the spices and it seemed to taste just fine. I also like your new format! It is much easier to shop for ingredients this way! Will keep following your amazing website. Thanks for keeping us healthy and eating delicious Landria!ReplyCancel
landriav -Aw thanks so much Amy! So great to hear!!! So sorry, I forgot to add the ACV in the directions. I just added it. Thanks for your sweet input!ReplyCancel
Leilani -It was so delicious! I forgot to add the vinegar–it was good anyway!ReplyCancel
landriav -Great to hear Leilani!!! Sorry about the acv. I just added it. Thanks for the comment!!ReplyCancel
Michelle-Landria, just wanted to let you know I tried this recipe last night and it is AMAZING! It’s definitely going to become a regular for my family. Thank you!ReplyCancel
Rachael -Oh my! I made this last night for supper, and it is truly one of the BEST. Unfortunately, there were no left overs due to a hungry husband. So so good.ReplyCancel
landriav -SOoo great to hear Rachael!!!ReplyCancel
Fiona -Could you freeze this for lunches or would the zucchini go too soft and make the sauce watery? Just wondering if you’ve tried this before I go ahead. Thanks!ReplyCancel
landriav -I am not sure Fiona to be honest. I have frozen many meals, but not this one in particular.ReplyCancel
Sharon -This dish is amazing! Everyone in my family loves it!! Thank you for sharing 🙂ReplyCancel
CJ -How many ounces or cups of cocont milk? They have different sized cans in the store.ReplyCancel
landriav -13.5 or so oz. Hope this helps!ReplyCancel
Sarah -I made this last night and it was fantastic. Very quick to put together. The coconut milk and spices make a sauce that hits just the right notes–little spicy, savory, tiny bit of sweetness. Served with steamed green beans.ReplyCancel
Windsor -OMG! I bought a spiralizer after reading this recipe and had the opportunity to make it tonight. First, this is the perfect meal to make ahead of time too! Do all the prep ahead (cutting and spiralizing), mix all the dry ingredients into a small bowl, and then when you’re ready, 15 minutes later… yummy perfection! My husband and I went back for seconds but had to forcefully stop ourselves from going back for thirds! Absolutely delicious… this would be one of my favorites if I found it on a restaurant menu, and it’s THAT good! I did substitute fresh garlic (2 large cloves) and I didn’t have coconut sugar so I used 2TBS of light brown sugar and it still kicked butt on the taste buds. Bravo! Thanks for adding such an awesome staple to my “go-to” meals! Slurp Slurp!ReplyCancel
landriav -Ha, so awesome to hear!!! Glad you love it as much as we do. In fact, I’m also making it this week. 🙂 Thanks for your post!! 🙂ReplyCancel
Betsy Nameth -Hey L- this looks divine. My husband is not a coconut fan however (boo) so what would you suggest in place of? Love your recipes girl!!!ReplyCancel
landriav -Hey! Hmm, even if it weren’t a paleo type dish, the recipe would still call for coconut. But you could try a heavy cream or half and half maybe? Thanks so much Betsy!! 🙂ReplyCancel
Yep, chocolate AND protein! These Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins are a great breakfast, snack (especially since they are nut-free (if for school)), treat…you name! We made about 16 or so muffins on Sunday and put them in the freezer so the kids, oh okay, so we ALL would have some good little treats around this week and next but I have to say, they are going quick. It’s Thursday now and we only have a couple left. Hmm….
While the pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are pretty popular, I know everyone doesn’t love pumpkin (and especially kids some times). But…who doesn’t love chocolate!? I mean, really. Anyway, these things are aaaawwesome!! And again, they are high protein, low glycemic and have lots of good healthy fats. I hope y’all love these as much as we do! Feel free to let me know if you love them, or even if you don’t. I think my comments section is finally back up and working again. Sorry for that long delay!!
Preheat your oven to 350. Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix the wet ingredients (except for the coconut oil) in a small to medium bowl. Now mix all (but the chocolate chips and coconut oil) ingredients together until blended well. Now stir in the melted coconut oil. Then, fold in the dark chocolate chips. Now fill your silicon muffins cups or paper muffin cups and fill ¾ of the way full. Cook for 21-24 minutes (until butter knife comes out clean) and eat while the chocolate is still melting! Freeze the rest once cool and you'll have a snack ready for the week. Just take it out the night before, throw it into a lunch bag and put in the fridge. They should be thawed by lunchtime!
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.jpg "My favorite meal of the year!")
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.jpg "Calling all chocolate lovers wanting more protein!")
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Susan - Landria – I eat one of those Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Kind Bars EVERY day and have for months. I’m totally addicted. 🙂
Landria - Ha, me too Susan!! Have you tried the chocolate cinnamon pecan one? That one is really good too!!