Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
Filling Ingredients:
- 1 C. Coconut Milk or Almond Milk
- 1/4 C. Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Flour
- 1 Shallot Minced
- 2 Small Potatoes white sweet potatoes work too
- 1 C. Carrots diced
- 2 Celery Stalks diced
- 1/2 Tbsp. Sea Salt
- 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
- 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp. Onion Powder
- 1/4 tsp. Dried Parsley Flakes
- 1 Lb Boneless, skinless Chicken
- 2 Tbsp Vegetable Broth
Topping:
- 3 Cups Bob's Red Mill Paleo Flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
- 2 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1 C Coconut milk or Almond Milk
- 4 Tbsp. Grass-Fed butter or Coconut oil melted
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. Honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F
- Cook chicken thoroughly in a pan (I like to use a 9" cast iron skillet to cook the entire dish)
- Remove chicken and dice into bite sized chunks
- Dice carrots, celery, shallots and potatoes into small pieces
- Add Chicken, vegetables, spices and seasoning to the skillet
- Mix milk and paleo flour in a small bowl and whisk well.
- Add milk to skillet and stir ingredients together.
- Let the skillet sit on medium-low heat while you prepare the topping.
Topping:
- In a large bowl combine Paleo Flour, sea salt, and Baking Powder, mix until well combined.
- Melt Oil or butter and add it to the flour, stir well.
- Add Honey and Milk to the better and stir until batter is smooth and thick
- Remove skillet from heat and gently spread topping on the chicken mixture. Use a wooden spatula to spread the topping, don’t press it down too much.
- Bake 425 for 20 minutes or until the topping is a golden brown color. (if the breading doesn’t cover the whole chicken mixture, place a sheet pan on the bottom rack of your oven to catch any overflow)
- Let the Pot Pie rest 10 minutes before serving. The longer it rests, the thicker the filing will become.
Notes
I got to spend some time in the kitchen with my baby girl today. She wanted to peel bananas, so we opted for a Fall favorite, banana bread. It wouldn’t be a girls day without some chocolate.
Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 4 Tbsp. Honey Coconut sugar or Maple syrup replacement
- 4 Tbsp. Coconut Oil, Melted Or Grass Fed Butter
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 2 Brown Banana Mashed
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1 tsp. Cinnamon
- 1 1/2 Cups Almond Flour
- 2 Tbsp. Coconut Flour
- 1/4 Cup Almond Milk
- 1/4 Cup Chopped Walnuts Optional
- 1/2 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips Optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Combine all of the ingredients (except walnuts and chocolate chips) into a mixer or blender.
- Mix everything until smooth.
- Gently stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips
- Pour batter into a well greased loaf pan or muffin pan. Smooth batter evenly into the pan.
- Place pan in the oven for 40 minutes until a knife comes out clean. Let the bread cool completely and serve.
Notes
Epic Fish Tacos with Fresh Corn Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 Cucumber diced
- 2 Roma tomatoes diced
- 1 Corn, cut fresh off the cobb
- 1 tsp Chipotle mayonnaise Paleo Mayo (sir kensingtons or Primal Kitchen are my favorite)
- 1 tsp Mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the salmon:
- 2-4 Pieces Fresh Wild Caught Salmon Or fish of choice
- 2 Eggs Whisked
- 1 Cup Epic BBQ Pork Rinds
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/4 C. Coconut oil for frying
Instructions
Epic BBQ Crusted Fish
- Whisk one egg in a bowl
- Crush Epic BBQ pork rinds in a seperate bowl.
- Roll salmon through egg then pork rinds.
- In a pan, place enough coconut oil into the pan that the bottom is totally covered.
- Add three garlic cloves
- Once cloves begin to simmer, place salmon in and fry on both sides until it is light pink and flaky.
Fresh Corn Salsa
- Slice corn off the cobb and place in a large bowl
- Finely chop cucumber and place in a bowl
- Finely dice tomato and place in a bowl
- Add mayo, salt and pepper and stir gently until all vegetables are coated. Set aside in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat!
- I ate mine without a tortilla but I made tacos out of them for my family. (Just not enough shells for me to have a taco and that is okay!) I cut up the fish and put in a @mikeys Paleo wrap, top with fresh salsa and serve immediately.
Real Deal Paleo Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 c almond butter
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 c coconut sugar
- 1/2 c cacao powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp b soda
- 2 Tbsp oil
- Optional: 1/4 c chocolate chips and 1/4 Walnuts
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients (except chocolate chips) in a bowl. Blend until smooth. Batter will be like PB texture, not too dry but not too wet.
- Add chocolate chips or walnuts
- Mix well and scrape into an 8x8 pan. I use a silicone baking dish for easy removal and I don’t have to spray it with added oils.
- Bake 350 for 15 minutes.
- Let cool and enjoy warm. These are best warm but you can save for up to 3 days in an air tight container.
Flourless Crispy Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 Chicken, quartered
- salt and pepper for cooking seasoning
- 3-5 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 tbsp Paprika
- 1/2 tsp. Cayenne
- 1/2 tsp. Ground Cloves
- 1/2 tsp. celery seed
- 1 Tbsp. Coconut Sugar
- 1/2 tsp. Cumin
- 2 C. Ghee or oil of choice. I use a coconut and black seed oil combo at times
- 2 Tbsp. Bacon fat
Instructions
- Bring a large pan to medium-high heat. Add oil to the pan (should be about 2" of oil at the bottom). Throw the garlic into the oil and cook for 3 minutes longer.
- Quarter the chicken and remove the spine and guts. Pat dry the chicken and sprinkle with some salt and pepper.
- Use tongs to place the chicken in the hot oil. Cook for 5-6 minutes on each side, until cooked through. (No Pink)
- Toss the garlic and the bacon fat into the pan with the chicken and cook for 3 more minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, mix the spices in a separate bowl. (coconut sugar, paprika, cumin, celery seed, cayenne)
- Once chicken is removed from the oil, place in a large bowl and coat it evenly with the spices.
Notes
CBD Chocolate Bars
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Cacao Butter
- 1 Cup Cacao Powder
- 1/3 Cup Maple Syrup
- 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 1 mL. CBD Oil
Instructions
- Pour Cacao Butter in a saucepan and melt on low heat
- Remove from heat, add cacao powder and whisk until smooth
- Add syrup, Vanilla and CBD, whisk until well blended
- Pour chocolate into molds (or onto a parchment paper lined tray)
- Place chocolate into the fridge for 2+ hours
- Remove chocolates from the molds
- Eat a little chocolate when you are feeling anxious or need to relax and sleep.
Notes
Paleo Chicken and Broccoli with Shrimp
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Boneless chicken breasts
- 1 lb medium, deveined and shelled shrimp
- 2 Red bell peppers
- 2 Broccoli crowns
- 2 cups Vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp Coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp Rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp Sesame oil
- 3 tbsp. Coconut Aminos
- 1 tsp. Fish sauce
- 1/8 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
Instructions
- In a skillet add chicken and 1/2 C. Vegetable broth
- Cook chicken until cooked through
- Add shrimp and cook until shrimp turn pink
- In a sauce pan, combine vegetable broth, Coconut Aminos, Rice Vinegar, coconut sugar and sesame oil. Stir on medium heat until it gently boils
- Chop the broccoli florets of the stem and add them to the chicken and shrimp
- Slice the pepper into thin strips and add to the chicken and shrimp
- Pour sauce mixture into chicken and shrimp mixture, turn on high and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Reduce heat and serve with cauliflower rice.
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When you wake up craving cinnamon buns, but you didn’t spend hours prepping them the night before!
I did have 25 minutes to satisfy my craving though. Now I have these delicious cinnamon muffins and I didn’t have to put a ton of work and time into it. Such a win for my busy mom life.
Cinnamon Bun Muffins
Ingredients
Muffin Ingredients
- 2 c almond flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 c coconut sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 c almond milk
- 4 eggs
Topping Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil or Kerrygold Butter Melted
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp coconut sugar
Icing Ingredients
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp syrup
- 1/2 C Cold Coconut Cream From the Can
Instructions
Muffin Batter
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined
- Add Eggs one at a time and mix until completely blended.
- Pour the milk and vanilla into the batter and stir until mixed well.
- Line a muffin tray with baking cups (I prefer silicon baking cups)
- Scoop batter into cups, about 3/4 full, set aside and make topping.
Muffin topping
- Melt coconut oil (or butter) and add the cinnamon, sugar and walnuts, gently stir with a spoon until nuts are coated.
- Spoon about 1 tsp. of topping on each muffin.
- Place in the oven and bake for 18 minutes or until the top turns golden and the muffins are cooked through. (You can insert and remove a toothpick to see if batter is cooked)
Icing
- While the muffins are baking, make the icing.
- Get a can of cold coconut milk out of the refrigerator and open the lid. Scoop the top layer of thick cream off the top and place it in a bowl. (you can put the milk part back in the fridge and use it later)
- Add cinnamon and syrup to the cream and stir well with a spoon
Putting it all together
- Once muffins are finished, let them cool for a minute. Then remove them from the baking cups and place them on a large plate close together.
- Take your icing and start spooning it evenly over the muffins as evenly as you can. The icing will begin to melt over the warm muffins so use your spoon to make sure all the muffins get the desired amount of icing.
- ANNNNND Devour!
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]]>Don’t Put Your Faith In A Person, Put Your Faith In God
My parents are amazing and have guided me through many ups and downs in my life. I’ve become a very guarded person because of past relationships and encounters among people who claim to be something they are not. My mom often reminds me to be soft and kind.
From the time I was little my parents engrained in me, “Do not put your faith in a person, put your faith in God”. I didn’t fully grasp this until I lost the so- called Godly people I put my faith in.
When I was 16, my eyes were opened to the hypocritical side of religion and the church. After a terrible youth group experience and seeing my fair share of church splits, I began attending Sunday morning services because that is what I had to do. We went to church as a family, but I didn’t really care either way about God and a relationship with Him.
I’ve been living with a semi bad attitude about Christianity. I can’t say that I quit believing in God, but I never fully trusted in God or desired to have a deep meaningful relationship with Him. I was absolutely content living my life on the outskirts of religion and never really talked about having faith.
What Happens When Your Religious Foundation Is Rocked?
5 years ago, some of the people that modeled God for me, turned out to be the exact image of what I believed Christians were when I was 16. Hypocrites, prideful and unloving. My family went through a major split and my parents are the only loving spiritual influences I have left from my childhood.
Why would I want to serve a God that hates? Why would I want to be like those christians who openly admitted gossiping and hurting us on purpose?
I actually DIDN’T want to associate with people like that at all.
My foundation for Christianity was totally rocked because my faith wasn’t in God, it was in people.
It took me a few years to deal with the loss and the hurt of losing people I trusted. I remember telling my husband that I didn’t want to associate with Christians because time and time again, this unkindness is what I think of when people tell me they are Christians. I told him that while I still believed in God, I didn’t think church was for me.
Finding My Own Truth
A few weeks ago at church, our pastor said, “Church isn’t hypocritical, people are hypocritical.”
I honestly just sat there with my mouth open. I know people aren’t perfect and I know that church isn’t perfect. My parents words came flooding back to me, “Don’t put your faith in people”.
Why is it that when we are hurt by Christians or Churches, we begin to question God and our own faith?
If we get offended by the waitress at a restaurant, we don’t quit going to all restaurants and question our love for food.
We have been putting too much pressure on the people in our lives to be perfect.
Unfortunately, people aren’t perfect and people hurt us. We need to stop putting pastors, religious leaders, and our mentors on a spiritual pedestal. No human is worthy of that spot!
Our Spiritual Relationships Can’t Be Dependent On Others
(Repeat the about heading a few times! I really need that to sink in.)
When you are raised in a Christian home, you run the risk of becoming the, “I’m a christian because I was raised that way” type of Christian.
I was angry at church and angry at the people I trusted to teach me about God. Instead of trusting that God had a plan in all of the hurt and pain, I just pushed God to the side and moved on with no real deep faith to cling to.
If I want a relationship with God, I am going to have to have my own relationship with God. This was my 2017 revelation.
I’ve been spending the last year reading, learning, watching and researching what God is really all about. What I believed about God when I was younger, is no longer what I am discovering about God in my own personal life.
The God I choose to follow is kind and loving. The God I am learning to love, doesn’t hold hell over my head and threaten to drop me in if I use inappropriate language (Lord Thank YOU! I love Jesus, but I cuss a little! or a lot.)
Sometimes getting your foundation bulldozed out from under you is the best blessing you can ask for.
If I hadn’t questioned my faith and my understanding of what Christians are really like, I wouldn’t have needed to search for answers. I wouldn’t listen intently when someone is speaking about God and who they believe He is.
Last Sunday, I heard a message that again, spoke directly to my searching mind. My biggest take away from this message was, “Believing in God isn’t the same as Trusting in God.”
What Have I Taken Away From My Year Of Searching?
- God wants us to be happy, love others and live a life that is glorifying to Him.
- We cannot live life doing the same thing over and over again and expect to learn, grow and become a better person.
- If we aren’t learning who God is for ourselves, we are not developing a deep rooted relationship with Him.
- Sitting in church on Sunday isn’t enough for me. I have to take notes, research the stories and examples for myself. Then I have to be intentional about applying what I’ve learned to my own life.
- Having a group of people that you can talk to about real thoughts and opinions is more important than I ever realized. I don’t believe you have to go to church to be a Christian, I do believe you need people that you can learn from and grow with on your journey.
- Don’t put faith in people, put faith in God.
- Quit taking peoples word for things and start deciding what you really believe and why you believe it.
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Dragon Fruit Kombucha
Ingredients
- 3 Mint Tea, Tea Bags
- 3 Green Tea, Tea Bags
- 2 Black Tea, Tea Bags
- 2 Dragon Fruits
- 1 C. Organic Cane Sugar
- 12-13 C. Purified Water unchlorinated and Flouride Free
- 1 Scoby
- 2 C Starter Tea I use Komucha from the previous batch
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil and add sugar, stir until dissolved
- Turn off heat and add all the tea bags to the sugar water and let the water come to room temperature.
- Rinse your brewing jar (a spouted jar is ideal for pouring it our into jars later) in Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)
- Remove the tea bags once the tea is cooled. (I like to give them a good squeeze before pitching them)
- Add starter tea to the mixture
- Peel and dice the dragonfruit, add it gently to the tea mixture
- Add some room temperature clean water into the rest of the brewing jar until the jar is filled up *Optional and can vary on the jar you use. This will mute the flavors a bit, but my husband likes a smoother brew
- Rinse your hands in ACV and place the scoby very gently into the tea brew
- Cover the jar with a paper towel and rubber band or lid. (I find the paper towel method prevents smell and contamination).
- Let the brew ferment for 2 weeks and then pour into desired containers and enjoy.