Chicken Roll-Ups

I wanted to blog this recipe because of how amazing it was when I made it the other night.  I received inspiration for this dish from Eat Like a Dinosaur and it is a total winner and I will be making this weekly.  It's also perfect when you have left over chicken.  When I made this dish, I followed this recipe but will have to double or triple this next time I make it as it only made enough for two people (and we both could have eaten more).

Ingredients:

2 cups of cooked chicken, shredded

2 carrots, shredded

1/4 cup dried cranberries

3 Tbsp mayo

4 slices of bacon, crumbled (although, you can always add more!)

1 Tbsp maple syrup

Romaine lettuce leaves

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in mixing bowl, except lettuce.  Scoop mixture onto romaine lettuce leaves.  Roll lettuce and enjoy!

Chicken Stock

So I've been a huge fan of cooking chicken lately.  Chicken legs, chicken thighs and whole chickens have been awesome...and SO easy!  I have never made homemade chicken stock ever in my life, but that changed as of last week.  I made my first batch of chicken stock and it was a winner!  What I usually do is bake a whole chicken in the oven with some melted butter brushed on and then sprinkling it with different spices and stuffing it with lemon, carrots and garlic.  We eat only the legs that first night.  I take off the wings for the hubby's lunch for the next day and refrigerate the rest.  In the morning, I pick off the rest of the meat until I'm left with the carcass and refrigerate the meat for later use.  In the post below, I will note how I make the chicken stock.  Making it again today for another soup, which is beyond easy!  If I have any meat left, then I will be making a chicken salad.  One chicken = three meals!  If the soup turns out well, I will post it later on.

Chicken Stock Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 chicken carcass

4 carrots, broken in half

4 celery sticks, broken in half

1 onion, quartered

2 bay leaves

Garlic

1 Tbsp whole peppercorn

1 Tbsp salt

1 tsp yellow mustard seeds

A splash of vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar as that's what I had on hand)

8 cups water (or enough to cover the chicken)

Directions:

Throw everything into crock pot and cook on low for 6-7 hours.  Strain.  Immediately use for soup or store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Picture is of the stock cooking.  The smell is heavenly.

Paleo/Gluten-Free

My husband and I both agreed about a month or so ago to get healthier and try the Paleo lifestyle again.  We had tried (half-heartedly) earlier last year but was a huge fail since not everyone was on board at the time and because I didn't have much recipes to work with.  So when we made the decision to try again, I immediately sought out friends who have been doing this for years for advice.  Many suggested a couple of cookbooks, which I immediately bought.  The two biggest books that they recommended was Eat Like a Dinosaur by The Paleo Parents.  It has so many great ideas for people who have young children and have found some keepers so far in that book.  The other one was Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo and she has a TON of recipes (huge book!).  Practical Paleo also has lists of foods to eat for whatever ails you, what to have in the pantry and a basic list of paleo-friendly foods and what to avoid.  I also bought Everyday Paleo by Sarah Fragoso and it also has some good recipes, but not as many as the first two.  Of course, we have only been doing this not even a week yet, so I haven't been able to cook everything in all the books, but have cooked quite a bit in the last 5 days.

The gist of the Paleo diet is to go as naturally and whole with food as possible.  Nothing boxed.  Nothing artificial.  No gluten, dairy, legumes, processed foods.  So what can you eat?  Meat - preferably organic, grass-fed meats, but since that can be pricey, I have just been buying bulk meat from Costco.  Eggs - also preferably organic, cage-free, but again I just buy regular eggs in bulk.  Fruits, vegetables and nuts (peanuts are not a nut but a kind of legume, so beware).

I find that we are not 100% paleo, but more gluten-free than anything.  The basic reasons we decided to try again is because our daughter has had eczema from the time she was an infant and it has only gotten worse.  We've tried every cream/prescription and nothing seems to work.  She scratches while she sleeps and constantly has scabs from itching it raw.  I also have asthma that has just gotten worse over the years, along with other health issues and my husband also has been experiencing health issues.  Since most of our research suggested taking gluten out of the diet to see if anything changes, that was our first step.  However, I have some friends who have gone Paleo and have seen so many positive changes in regards to health and have read that most health issues can be helped by going Paleo.  Makes sense, seeing as most of the foods that are okay to eat are whole, un-messed with foods.  So, we've decided to give this a 3-4 month trial and if we see any improvements, then we will stick with it.

So far, I have been feeling so much better.  I have more energy and have already lost 3 pounds in the last 5 days.  I've been craving more healthy foods instead of junk and as a result just feel a little more healthier.

I highly suggest getting these books regardless, because there are so many great recipes and most are very yummy to reheat for lunch the next day.  I may try to post some of the recipes later on and will let everyone know how everything turns out in a couple of months.