Honey Balsamic Chicken [recipe]

I haven't completely fallen off of the Paleo band-wagon, more-or-less I've struggled being creative with my meals. Lately I have stuck to what I have already cooked because my biggest food critic has already given his input on what is acceptable and what is not. 

Here is a delicious recipe that is sure to make your taste buds tingle. It's Paleo friendly and even your non-paleo consumers will approve. It's so easy and has a lot of zing to it. A green salad with berries and vinaigrette is a great complement to the meal. You can also add the chicken to the salad to step your salad up to the next level. 

Ingredients

2 lbs Chicken Tenders 

2/3 cup honey

1 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar 

1 T minced garlic 

1 T coconut oil

1/2 cup fresh sliced strawberries 

Directions: 

In a large ziplock back combine the chicken, honey, balsamic vinegar and garlic. 

Refrigerate and allow to marinade for 2+ hours. (for a better marinade poke your meat with a fork so it can absorb the sauce)

In a pan with medium heat melt the coconut oil 

Add the chicken tenders and the extra sauce

Sauce will thicken and Cook chicken throughly

Add sliced strawberries for a little extra flavor and drizzle the sauce over the chicken and strawberries 

Enjoy

Day 20 & 21: Love Everyone Better

An uplifting weekend with the wise words of LDS Leaders. 

This was the beginning of the LDS General Conference session with the Women's Meeting on Saturday. 

There were 4 outstanding speakers reminding, not just women, but everyone to remember that we can learn from others no matter their age, there is no barrier. We are here to help each other keep covenants, have faith in Christ and understand repentance. Through loving others we must remember to help with a smile, forgive, comfort other despite differences. Though there are differences we should always seek to find what you have in common with others. President Henry B. Eyring said, "Daughters of God are more alike than they are different". 

More uplifting messages for you and your family April 5-6 

during the 184th Semi Annual General Conference 

Click here to watch 

Saturday I cooked in the crock pot so that cooking Sunday wasn't necessary. I had some meetings to attend for Girls Camp. 2 Weeks away!

Here are a few recipes to save you time! 

Crockpot Salsa Chicken 

3 lbs chicken 

1 bottle of 32oz organic salsa

1 chopped jalepeno 

3 diced fresh tomatoes 

1 cup fresh pineapple chunks 

combine all ingredients into a crockpot and cook on high for 6-8 hours 

Its the perfect paleo meal. We ate this for 2 meals. For Evan I put the chicken on bread and added some pepper jack chicken for a sandwich. The second meal I made him nachos. I added the chicken to a few black beans, multigrain chips and melted pepper jack cheese. 

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus 

Ingredients

Asparagus Spears

Turkey Bacon

Wrap each spear in a piece of bacon 

Cook in the oven at 350 Degrees for 45 minutes

For Dessert I made Fruit Roll Ups. 

The strawberries and mango I bought were starting to look old so I save them by making fruit roll ups. 

Ingredients 

2 cups Strawberries

1 cup mango 

3 T honey 

Combine the ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth.

Onto a silicon pan liner pour your mixture 

ensure that it is about 1/8 inch thick

cook for about 7 hours in the oven at 170 degrees 

We couldn't keep our hands off of this delicious treat. Evan was pleasantly surprised it was like the store bought stuff but not artificial tasting. 

For my birthday I got the Movie Saratov Approach!

It was absolutely incredible. Evan and I really enjoyed watching it. If you haven't seen it, SEE IT! It is now out on DVD. 

Here is were you can purchase the movie

* I have not been paid to indorse this movie, I simply just loved it and highly recommend it* 

Hope you enjoy this food and movie 

<3 

E & H 

Day 19: BIRTHDAY! MY Favorite Day!

Before I start out celebrating I'd like to take a moment to remember my Opa.

On my 8th birthday, 17 years ago today he passed away (March 28, 1997). 

To the man who let me play with his hair, eat his noodles, fix what I broke, took me with him to lock up the church at night, and wake him up from his naps to play. He lived through war as a prisoner, pain, cancer and  always put others needs first without complaining. He was an example of humility, patience and kindness. I miss his elbow wave and whistle!  

Every year my Oma makes herself a birthday cake. My cousin and I most definitely have taken after her. We always love to make our own birthday cakes. I usually make the Schwarzwälder-Kirsch-Torte, and by all means it is one of my favorite cakes, that and Oma's hazelnut cake, but I am trying something new this year. Paleo birthday cake

PALEO CHEESECAKE 

Crust 

1 cup pitted dates

1 cup pecans

1 cup coconut shreds 

Filling 

3 cups unsalted cashews 

1/3 cup lemon juice 

1/2 cup agave 

1/2 cup coconut oil 

1 T vanilla extract 

Soak your cashews for 24 hours in water so they become soft and are able to blend smoothly. After soaking they will look very plump. 

I probably should have used a spring pan, but thats in a box somewhere in storage, so I'm using what I have. 

To make the crust add the ingredients into a food processor and blend until it is kind of sticky and you can form it

Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan

In the food process mix the cashews, lemon juice, agave, vanilla and coconut oil. 

Blend until it is smooth, no chunks. You want to it be like Cheesecake. 

Cover and put into the freezer. Allow 20 minutes to thaw before eating. YUM

IT WAS PRETTY GOOD. I was surprised the texture was very much like a real cheesecake. 

I started my day out with a 5 mile run. It was 40 degrees this morning with overcast, but no rain and no wind. I wanted to keep running but I ran out of places to run. There aren't many parks around here and you can only go so far before you hit the dangerous areas. 

Then I got a pedicure. The little chinese girl did awesome. Holy wonderful leg massage and neck massage while my toes were drying. This place was cheap and GOOD! I will definitely go back....

 Evan took me to the Cheesecake Factory in Garden City, New York. 

We both ordered the Hibachi Steak. His brother turned us onto this dish back in December. You can't go wrong with this delicious, tender, succulent steak. I substituted the mashed potatoes for sweet potato fries to keep myself as paleo as possible. Hard to do because I LOVE Mashed Potatoes, but the waitress said they were loaded with milk, butter, cream and other dairy. :(  

 I'd like to note that those fries are NOT mine :) 

Evan did order a strawberry cheesecake since we were there . I had a small small taste, and it was really good. My paleo/vegan cheesecake doesn't stack up to the real thing. The waitress did bring it out with a little candle  and "happy birthday" written in chocolate:) You can't go wrong with that. 

I wanted to play and have fun- after all I did turn 25 so I asked Evan to take me to Chuck -E-Cheese. We didn't go to there but we did go to Dave & Busters for games. It was a blast. I found a coupon on my "snip snap" app for $10 in free games.  We loved the Mario Kart Racing game. We definitely hogged it and played several games there. This machine too your picture and added it to the characters face. hahah Since I was little I would be Yoshi and I kept true to that. 

 I got many cards,e-cards, gifts, phone calls, and texts from family and friends. I love talking to and hearing from family so much <3

It was such a good day! Thank you all. Here's to another year- one year older, and wiser too! 

Cheers, 

E & H 

Day 16: When life gets in the way- Plan, Prepare, EAT

I can't decide what's more difficult, Eating Paleo OR blogging about it. 

Evan has become a pro and tasting and grading with all of this "never been done before food". The real issues is having time to do anything. 

Two weeks ago they called me to be the Stake Girls Camp Director. Sounds fun right? Well considering I have 2 weeks until camp, I AM BUSY.

What is Girls Camp??? CLICK HERE
Girls are able to attend Young Womens Camp. There are a number of outdoor skills they learn and activities they are able to participate in and complete Camp Certification  from- hiking, learning to use a compass, outdoor cooking, tying knots and other things. They learn leadership skills, are able to participate in service and develop friendships. In addition there is a spiritual aspect to camp- They are able to experience Heavenly Father's creations and the blessings that surround us in nature. Young Women can attend camp from the ages of 12-18.
I remember camp was always a positive/fun experience. I loved my leaders and I loved the girls I went to camp with. I was lucky enough to have my cousin at camp, my aunt who was a leader and my uncle came as a priesthood holder. 

The Biggest chunk of camp has been planned, now its just a matter of details. I am a detail LOVER- so I for sure want to make sure nothing is over looked. 

Departure Planned

T-shirts ordered

Schedule Complete 

Secret Sisters Assigned 

Camp Cabin Assignments Made

Packing List done

Meals Done!!!  I don't have to worry about food - minus food for myself. (the 30 day challenge will be over by camp, but I will keep eating this way so I don't die of hives Pack the Snacks galore), and yes I have my travel kit of DoTerra Oils packed in case. I'm prepared(allergies, cold, congestion, skin/ ear issues)! 

Activities Done

Welcome Baggies are in progress

I need a nap. 

Now I need SKIT ideas (Seriously if you have good skit ideas HELP!) and time for putting everything together and organizing it, where is my committee? I need one...... Saving that for later. 

We also need 4 Priesthood holders to come to camp. Ask me how many I have! If you guessed ZERO you are right! I've made phone calls, sent emails and even offered to fly my dad out to come camp. He laughed at me by the way. I can only be so annoying and bug people so much. Can't blame anyone- its Monday- Thursday... It's not that easy to get work off. 

 That is the cause of my headache right now. 

On another note I made these for all the girls, and I am rather proud of them. It took a little time but they are finally complete. Yes, you are correct Rose Earrings! I love them, and I totally wish I could keep them all to myself. 

Evan came home early again which was awesome- we sat and brainstormed Skits for over an hour... but I had to do some explaining what Girls Camp Skits were. He was very confused. Welcome to the world of Women! Poor Guy. The house if full of papers, handouts, and girls camp stuff. 

Last night I made Orange Chicken and it was good. 

Evan said he would be absolutely fine if I made it again. 

Evan gave it a solid 7.5-8 score. 

Orange Chicken 

2 lbs Chicken Tenders 

1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice 

1/3 cup coconut milk 

1/3 cup honey

2 T tomato paste 

3T toasted sesame oil 

1T minced garlic 

3/4 tsp Himalayan Pink Salt 

1/4 tsp black pepper

Chopped Scallions *optional* 

In a large mixing bowl combine orange juice, coconut milk, honey, tomato paste, sesame oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Begin cooking your chicken tenders in a pan on medium heat

When chicken tenders are mostly done, add sauce

simmer for 10 minutes 

add scallions and then enjoy

I added a mixed salad with balsamic vinegar to accompany my chicken. I do occasionally love a giant  bowl of the boring greens.

Bless the soul of my patient husband who is okay with healthy paleo food. It has helped me a lot. I haven't been getting sick after every meal. HAPPINESS. 

<3 

E & H 

You know Heidi and Evan = HEAVEN 

Day 11: It's ALL good

We have made it to Day 11. 

Things are going well, I'm actually enjoying healthy eating a lot. I feel really really good. I have a lot of energy and I sleep really well. 

There has been a lot of experimental food the last 11 days. 

There is healthy tasting food, and then there is really delicious healthy tasting food. :) I think this may be the most successful paleo recipe I've made so far. It had a lot of flavor to it, and didn't taste like a pure vegetables, which was a serious plus. Evan really enjoyed this a lot!

Slow Cooked Chicken Enchilada 

Ingredients

2 lbs Chicken 

1 large diced yellow onion 

1 large green bell pepper

3 chopped jalepenos

1 4oz can green chilies 

3 fresh diced tomatoes 

1 8oz can tomato sauce 

3 diced garlic cloves

1T cumin

1T chili powder

2 tsp dried oregano 

salt & pepper to taste

Garnish: 

cilantro 

avocado

fresh lime 

1. combine all the ingredients into a large crock pot

2. cook for 4 hours on high and 2 hours on low

3. add your garnish and enjoy 

DoTerra Oils 

I love them. Evan was sick the other day with a sore throat and a cough. 

He took some Lemon for his throat and Oregano in a veggie cap to help his immune system 2xs a day. 24 hours later he was golden. 

Lucky me ended up with the same thing last night... So far the sore throat is already GONE. 

My newest order just arrived in the mail! Lemon, Lavender, OnGuard and fractioned coconut oil (Stays in liquid form even when it is cool). Hallelujah!

If you want to save 25% with wholesale prices on your DoTerra Oils/products 

CLICK HERE 

ENROLLER ID: 776284

SPONSOR ID: 776284

CLICK HERE to Order 

*essential oils do not cure, prevent or treat, but they do help support the body in its self healing process* 

1 drop of an essential oil is like 28 cups of tea

Day 10: Paleo, a Protein Rich Diet. Is it good for you?

My entire life my mom ensured that I didn't eat too many eggs in a week in fear of increasing my cholesterol. I've steered away from the yokes and for a while I even bought the boxed egg whites. Most of my life I also tried not to eat too much red meat. Then I found paleo where you eat a lot of eggs and red meats as long as they are organic/ ground fed. But this still goes against everything I've ever known. It's very confusing and hard to know what is true and what is not.

The only thing to do is some digging and find out what research has been done. 

What does Doctor Oz have to say, and his "protein prescription". 

Protein protects agains 3 things: Heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. 1/3 of people are protein deficient. (WHAT?!) Our bodies are made up of protein: skin, bone, organs, blood, hormones, tendons, and of course muscles. When we are not feeding these things with proteins than obviously our bodies do not function the way they are meant to be. 

5-6 servings of protein are necessary everyday. We should be eating every 2-3 hours to get this. If we eat it all at once, our bodies cannot process the protein at the same time. Add a protein to every snack you have in the day. 

• Serving size is about the size of the palm of your hand. Animal proteins are the very closest to the proteins in the human body; eggs, turkey, wild caught salmon. 

• Nuts are an excellent source of FIBER (Peanuts are not a nut they are a legume), and I love Cashew butter! The calories in protein are not the same as a calorie in a carbohydrate. Our bodies will spend a little extra when we have protein, so its like a discount! I love discounts! 

• Beans/legumes (these are not in the paleo diet, but here is what Dr. Oz says): beans are a great source of protein and fiber all in one.

• Dairy (also not in the paleo diet, and I'm allergic): Plain Greek Yogurt is a great source of protein as long as sugar has not been added. 

So overall EVERYTHING IN MODERATION. You can eat 4 eggs in a day, but don't eat them all at once. Make sure you are eating those 5-6 servings a day! SNACK ATTACK! Don't starve yourself eat throughout the day every 2 hours or so. 

Obviously it is important to ensure fruit and vegetables are incorporated into your diet.

For dinner I made The Chicken Alfredo Impostor. A creamy sauce over Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients 

Spaghetti Squash 

2 lbs cooked chicken

2 avocados 

4 T coconut milk 

1T apple cider vinegar 

salt and pepper to taste

2 slices of crunchy turkey bacon (optional) 

4 fresh basil leaves

• Preheat oven to 350 Degrees 
• Cook spaghetti squash in the oven for 30 minutes 
• combine avocados, coconut milk, cider vinegar, basil, salt/ pepper to a food processor and blend until smooth 
• Add cooked chicken pieces and crunchy turkey bacon pieces in to a pan with medium heat. Then add the avocado mixture. 

• Delicious! I can't complain. 
• For dessert I had a fruit smoothie 

Ingredients 

6 fresh strawberries

1 cup of Coconut milk 

ice 

Blend together!

We had mutual which involved fitness night. We did ZUMBA! It was super fun! One of the girls took my phone and snapped a sweaty picture of me.

I love being in Young Womens. They are a bunch of energetic kiddos. They are hilarious and definitely like having fun.  Love doing activities with them. I am so excited for camp!! 3 WEEKS! 

After Young Womens on Sunday

Learning to Sew. 

Hilarious girls- entertaining the little kids. 

My Pre Zumba Selfie

Zumba it up!