Dijon Chicken [Recipe}

Evan thought this was delicious dish. It was definitely different but I enjoyed it- especially the vegetable side considering I don't love veggies. 

I also used the left over chicken in a sandwich for Evan with a little extra dijon mustard and mayo. He was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed his lunch! 

Carrots & Zucchini 

Ingredients

Salt 

Pepper

Coconut Oil 

Garlic Powder 

Onion Powder 

Carrots 

Zucchini

Pre- heat oven to 400 degrees 

Cut your carrots & zucchini into 1/4 inch slices

put into the pan

add coconut oil over the vegetables 

then add salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powered (use how ever much you want)

  

cook for 1 hour until they are browned and soft

Dijon Chicken 

Ingredients 

2 lbs Chicken Tenders 
1/4 cup coconut oil 
2/3 cup dijon mustard 
3-4 T honey 
1-2 tsp ground ginger 
1 tsp sea salt


Directions

pre heat your oven to 350 degrees 
combine all ingredients into a large ziploc bag and allow to marinade for 2 hours 
put mixture into a glass baking dish and cook for 30 minutes 

ENJOY YOUR DINNER 

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 29: Better Food, Better Skin

Today is 29 days of the 30 day Paleo Challenge. There are days where its been easy and other days it has been a challenge. 

I've  enjoyed my occasional onion rings, fry sauce and even large bacon cheese burgers.The repercussions always show up on my face! Healthy eating has defiantly fixed this issue. On top of that these are my FAVORITE facial cleansers and products. They are available at your nearest drug store. For a long time I used the expensive stuff you could only find at the department stores or buy online. There wasn't drastic improvement. I found the key to success was what I put in my mouth in addition to clean and moisturized skin. 

I love the Olay Cleansing brush and ProX cleanser 

Exfoliation is as important as ever to rid your skins complexion of skin-dulling dead cells. Believe it or not, Evan has a brush too and he loves it! 

But I rotate facial washes morning and night! I seriously love these two. They remove all of my makeup so I don't have the raccoon eyes. Plus they provide a fragrant tingly feeling. 

Sunscreen EVERYDAY! Evan bought this one, and so far its the best one I've ever used! It's not greasy and doesn't make my skin feel oily, caky or extra shiny. 

Costco has great deals on Olay Regenerist Products. It's all about the moisture. I use this after the sunscreen! I don't have wrinkles yet, but my goal is to prevent as long as possible. Skin starts loosing its elasticity in your 30's. However if you moisturize in your 20's you're more likely to keep your skin looking healthy longer. 

 Speaking of Onion Rings Today I made 

healthy onion rings

Ingredients 
1 onion 
1 T onion powder 
1T garlic Powder
1/2 cup Bread Crumb or Almond Flour 
2 eggs

heat oven to 350 degrees 
cut onion into rings 
in a separate bowl whip your eggs 
dip onion rings into eggs 
on plate pour your dry mixture (crumbs, garlic powder & onion powder)
cover each ring with the dry mixture 
lay on a pan and cook in the oven for 40 minutes 


Chicken Nuggets 

2lbs chicken tenders
 1/2 cup almond flour 
1T onion powder 
1T garlic powder 

heat oven to 350 degrees 
cut chicken into small chunks
in a separate bowl whip your eggs 
dip chicken chunks into eggs 
on plate pour your dry mixture (crumbs, garlic powder & onion powder)
cover each chicken piece with the dry mixture 
lay on a pan and cook in the oven for 25 minutes 

Day 25: Run your guts out!

In 2009 I completely tore my left ACL, MLC, damaged my LCL, meniscus and patella playing a pickup game of soccer. The damage was so extensive the doctor said there was a chance I wouldn't be able to do everything again- unless I worked hard with Physical Therapy. Lots of pain, and a lot a tears but I was determined. In 2012 I ran 2 marathons and 2 half marathons and other races like 5K and 10Ks here and there. On average I ran 35 to 50 miles a week training (10+ miles a day), sometimes more, plus I did cross training (swimming, biking, insanity, and weight lifting). Running became an addiction. In fact when I played soccer in High School I hated running more than anything. I learned to love running...a lot!

I moved and worked a lot so my running was reduced to almost none. With a short 1 mile jog here and there, I'm now working my way back up and it feels good.

Cool, crisp mornings are perfect for runs. This morning I went for a 6.5 mile run unexpectedly. I just kept going!  I can't say there is a lot of fresh air, because there aren't parks or wide open spaces but I'll take what I can get.

Running Tips

1. Set a personal goal- what do you want to accomplish (time, distance, a race- you choose).
2. Download the Nike+ app. It's free and you can track your runs on your smart phone. I have the Nike+ gadget but it isn't as accurate as the app which uses GPS technology. 
3. Run Everyday (even if its short)
4. Plan your runs- Develop a schedule of what days you will train and how long (time/distance). 
5. Good music is a must! 
6. Eat. Eat healthy food. Just because you are working out doesn't mean you can load up on the cookies. 
7. Eat before you run: fruit, banana, protein shake... get something in your stomach. A car doesn't run on empty and neither should your body
8. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate. Water is good! You should drink more! 
9. Stretch. Enough said, a good stretch after your run is a must. 

Running is the best Anti-depressent. Get up. Get out. If you're looking for a good training schedule, 

Try this one FOR BEGINNERS

This is the Schedule I use. 

I love this schedule because it gives your body good rest, even though you're running everyday. Honestly in my head I feel like I should always be pushing hard. no need. 

I can't wait to get to Arizona and Race again. Evan has committed to a 5K with me. November I am doing the Ragnar Relay  in Las Vegas with some college friends! 

Every girl loves chocolate after a run. Here is an after run treat. 

Healthy Brownies... Really Healthy brownies. I may have eaten the whole pan. Evan made fun of me. I'm fat! but look at the ingredients. I couldn't help myself. 

Ingredients

3 small zucchini (run through the food processor)- 1 1/2 cups

2 eggs

1tsp cinnamon

1T vanilla

1/3 cup honey

1/2 cup dark chocolate morsels 

1T cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda 

run your zucchini through a food processor 

in a mixing bowl add eggs, cinnamon, vanilla, honey, cocoa power and baking soda. stir well

then add in your 1 1/2cups of zucchini

add chocolate chips

pour mixture into a 9x9 baking pan 

bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 35 minutes 

let cool and a few chocolate morsels to the top for fun. 

They are really gooey- 

I took a fork and just ate them out of the pan. 

ENJOY! 

Day 23 & 24: Chocolate Love

Tuesday and Wednesday Evan worked long hours. Poor guy. (No we didn't do any April Fools Pranks, No time for that) I definitely had enough to kept myself busy with camp stuff. We are T-minus 2 weeks and a few days away, so its crunch time and less time to blog! 

Good news, there are ONLY 6 days away to the end of this challenge.

We've been doing pretty good. 

On another note we've been eating loads of leftovers 

and I've been doing recipes I've already tried. 

Click here to see what I've been cooking 

On another note this will curb the sugar craving

Chocolate Pudding with Chia Seed

Ingredients 

8 oz Coconut Milk 

6 T Chia Seeds

2 T Pure Vanilla Extract 

1T cocoa powder 

2 T chocolate chips 

1 T shredded coconut 

In a pot over medium heat add the milk, cocoa powder,1T chocolate Chips  and vanilla extract 

after it is mixed add the chia seeds 

stir for 5 minutes 

pour into bowl and refrigerate until cool 

to garnish add coconut and the remaining chocolate chips 

Devour :) 

What's so great about Chia Seeds? 

well it's definitely not for everyone. They don't have a taste, but the texture can tend to be a little slimy/jelly for some. That's why its good for making puddings because it solidifies the milk. 

There are health benefits though believe it or not. 

I hate taking fish oil for the omega-3 benefits (who likes fishy burps?), chia seeds provide that good fat for your brain (brain food). 

It also won't spike your glucose. 

I'm pretty sure you won't get the green plant growing you see on infomercials growing in your stomach, but they are the same seed, and you should try this chocolate pudding recipe. It's sure to satisfy! 

Here's to another day. 

<3 

E & H 

Day 22: Paleo Flaw

I still really enjoy the healthy eating and there are still 8 days left of the 30 day challenge; I love the amount of vegetables, fruits, good fats, seeds, and most of all the elimination of refined sugars. I plan to continue this patter but in my personal opinion I strongly believe that there are some flaws with the paleo diet. I feel there are some issues with the elimination of certain foods that are a prevention of cancers, and diabetes. Legumes are a carbohydrate that don't spike glucose and do support longevity. Whole grains is the second thing I feel is a flaw to eliminate. I think when the paleo diet eliminates grains it is because many are processed and changed, but whole grains are good for you, if we are reading our labels and they are truly whole and pure then it is good to go. Obviously everything should be eaten in moderation but for the remainder of the challenge I will be incorporating some legumes and whole grains/seeds like oats and quinoa. 

Honestly I feel good but I feel like there has been elimination of foods that provide nutritional benefits. 

So tonight I made Quinoa & Beef Burritos

Ingredients 

2 c quinoa 
3 c vegetable broth 
1 green bell pepper 
1/2 yellow onion 
cilantro 
lime juice 
1 lb ground beef
2 cups black beans 
1 tsp cumin 
1T chili powder
1T garlic minced
whole wheat tortilla

dice onion and bell pepper 
in a pan with medium heat add the brown the ground beef, onion, bell peppers
Then add cumin, garlic, and chili powder
in a separate pot add quinoa use broth instead of water, and use normal cooking directions. 


When everything is completed combine the ingredients into the tortilla, then add chopped cilantro to taste!
This was delicious! Evan was raving about it! 

I personally loved the quinoa! It had a extra delicious taste to it, considering it was cooked in the broth. 

Evan worked until late, but really great news: 
This is the last week of MEDICINE ROTATION! WOO HOO! 

I think I'll have to make something special to celebrate the last day (Saturday). 

cheers, 

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 15: Shopping, Cookies, Happy

Mondays: The most productive day of the week. Seriously. We were up at 5:30am, Evan went to work, I went for a run, did laundry, cleaned the house, did a bunch of camp emails and got ready all before 9:30 am. If I were like this everyday, who knows what I could do. 

Spring will never come. My run this morning was 20 degrees, sunny and freezing. 

In the past 3 days I've managed to break our apple slicer, can opener and melt our spatula. 

It's Birthday Week so I decided to incorporate a little shopping into my day at TJMAXX. I love that place! I obviously was looking for a few new kitchen tools and well there were a few things I didn't have. Thanks to a few Wedding Gift Cards and their wonderful 50%-75% sale on Kitchen Aid this is what I came up with. Yep all the tools were $1.50-$5.00, and I love the colors!  

Beautiful right??

Costco was my next stop! They have some awesome cooking ingredients that are expensive at the local stores! 

Himalayan Pink Salt $3.98 at Costco, $12.99 at the local store for a 3oz bottle! 

What? INSANE. This salt is extremely flavorful and so pure. 

Agave 2 bottles at Costco for $5.98. A small little 12oz bottle at the local store was  $4 something 

Good Deals, Good Steals today! 

Evan requested Chocolate Chip Cookies... He thought they were so delicious, I was surprised how good they were. I ate some batter and 2 cookies. I forgot how allergic I am to Almonds so that made me super sick. But they were so good it was almost worth it... almost. I loved eating them in the moment. 

 PALEO CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES 

Ingredients 

3 cups sifted almond flour 

1 cup dark chocolate chips 

1/3 cup honey

1/2 T pure vanilla extract 

1/4 tsp pink salt, or sea salt

1/2 tsp baking powder 

1 egg

coconut oil 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a mixing bowl wisk egg and combine salt, vanilla extract, honey and baking powder

after ingredients are combined add the chocolate chips 

sift almond flour in and mix together

cover baking sheet with coconut oil 

use a small ice cream scoop to make cookies into small balls on the pan

bake for 15 minutes then allow to cool before taking them off the pan

Yes that's correct, we had dessert before dinner 

Lemon Honey Chicken

Ingredients 

2 lbs chicken tenderloins 

scallions 

1 T minced garlic

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 yellow onion

2 T honey 

4 T lemon juice

1/3 cup coconut flour 

1 egg

1 T coconut oil 

chop the chicken into small pieces 

whisk egg in a mixing bowl 

dip chicken pieces into egg 

drip excess egg and roll pieces into coconut flour 

melt coconut oil in a pan 

cook chicken pieces in the pan with medium heat until brown 

in a separate pan brown garlic and chopped onion 

combine broth , honey, lemon juice into the pan with garlic and onions and let simmer 

add browned chicken 

garnish dish with chopped scallions

He got off early and helped me do some cooking/tasting. 

This meal was Evan approved. 

On another note Almond makes my stomach feel like death 

I rubbed some DoTerra DigestZen  (which is a blend of Ginger, peppermint, tarragon, fennel, caraway, coriander and anise ) on my stomach and within the hour the pain and nausea was pretty much gone but holy cow I was feeling so much better. 

Good Day, Good Food, Good Fun

<3 

Love 

H & E

Day 7: One Week Down

It's been one week doing Paleo. I'm relatively surprised with how good the food is, and how much better I feel overall. I love fruit but I've always hated vegetables and rarely have color on my plate, unless its strawberries or whatever. I've noticed I don't mind adding the green colors to my plate.  

On Sundays I'm all about easy preparation. I tend to be tired after church and don't want to spend too much time cooking, there is nothing better than a slow cooked meal. I prepared it on Saturday night and threw it in the refrigerator and starting the cooking Sunday morning so it would be ready to enjoy after church 

I'm obviously new to paleo, 7 whole days in. I don't consider myself an expert, nor am I wealth of knowledge on this. However, I did do an adequate amount of reading and research prior to beginning the diet and still continue to read blogs, medical journals and research specific foods when I am unsure. 

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients 

2 pounds ground turkey

2 red bell peppers 

2 yellow bell peppers 

2 orange bell peppers

1 cup marinara sauce 

1 cup cauliflower (ground in food processor)

3 large chopped carrots

2 T oregano

1 finely chopped onion

1/2 c finely chopped spinach 

32 oz. vegetable stock 

salt and pepper to taste 

1. Cut the tops off of the bell peppers and clean out the seeds
2. in a bowl, mix ground turkey, marinara sauce, cauliflower,carrots, oregano, onions, spinach, salt and pepper.
3. stuff bell peppers with the ground turkey mixture
4. put stuffed bell peppers into slow cooker and put the pepper tops back on
5. pour vegetable stock around the bell peppers 
6. cook on low for 8-10 hours 

  

So colorful! Isn't it Pretty? 

* You may want to consider adding some extra salt - I like my food pretty bland, but this turned out to be a little more bland than I can stand* 

I cooked an egg and threw it on top for a little extra taste from the yoke. 

 Overall This meal definetly tastes healthy.

Not bad though. 

Paleo Fact of the day *Peanuts are not considered paleo. No peanuts, peanut butter, peanut oil... You get the drift*