Italian Chicken

2 T olive oil 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 2 T Italian herb seasoning 1 cup Nature Sweet Cherubs tomatoes 1 cup Cara Mia marinated artichoke hearts 1 lb. organic baby spinach 1 elephant garlic clove (or 3 garlic cloves) Heat 1 T olive oil in a skillet. Slice chicken breasts lengthwise and coat with Italian herb seasoning. Cook over medium-high heat for two minutes and then turn. Cook two more minutes, and then flip to third side. After two minutes, add tomatoes and artichoke hearts, cover with lid, and turn heat to low. Meanwhile, heat one Tablespoon olive oil in a large frypan. Finely dice one section of elephant garlic and toss in. Cook two minutes, stirring once or twice, and add baby spinach. Cover with a lid and cook two more minutes. Add sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir. Cook two more minutes, or until all the leaves are wilted. If you are a multi-tasker, this meal can be on the table in under fifteen minutes. Put the spinach on the plate first, stack two pieces of chicken on top, and ring with tomatoes and artichokes. It looks fancy and is really easy. And inexpensive. And healthy. I almost feel like I cheated somehow. Hey honey, I just saved us forty dollars and a twenty minute wait for a table. Can I go get a pedicure?

Paleo Pioneer Woman

It's no secret that I'm a fan of Ree, The Pioneer Woman. Almost three years ago, my dear friend Tiffany told me about this blog I HAD to check out. Her writing captured my attention and cooking her recipes kept me busy in the kitchen. At one point, I even contemplated a Ree and Jenn Marie Project where I cooked through all her recipes. HA! Anyone who knows how frequently she posts and how sporadically I do knows that is a mathematical impossibility. Anyhoo, I have cooked several of her recipes, taken awfully composed pictures of many, had my husband take better pictures recently, and still only a pitiful few made it into posts. What is it they say is paved with good intentions? Yes, so last week we started fully embracing the Paleo lifestyle, and I'm trying to incorporate some of our favorite dishes. Last night, I cooked her Chicken with Olives, making some modifications, and was pleased with the result. And as I scarfed the leftovers at lunch today, I remembered there was no photo, so I whipped out my Android and took a quick photo. Can someone please inject me with good photography skills so I don't have to think about it? I start reading posts about it, and then I see a link to recipes on the right, and I'm off on a rabbit trail, and I "save" the article for later. Squirrel!

The following changes Paleoized this recipe. Use coconut oil instead of butter. Remove the skin from the chicken thighs. Use coconut milk instead of cream, and increase to 1/2 cup. Serve over spaghetti squash instead of pasta. Last night, I forgot the olives. Ten minutes before I'm supposed to pull dinner from the oven, as I'm prepping other food for later this week and feeling pleased as punch with myself that I'm so with it on a Monday night, it struck me...I'm making Chicken with Olives and forgot the olives. So, I threw them in real quick like and then announced to hubby how duncelike I felt. Can you imagine if we had people over? Yes, I'm a great cook, I forgot the main ingredient. Oops. If you happen to have any leftovers, this dish tastes even better the next day. This is the fourth time I've made this dish, and it is now being elevated to "Showcase Dish." There are certain meals I cook for company, South American, Greek, Thai, Meatloaf, Pot Roast, and now this will be added to the list. Guess I need to evaluate and Paleoize the others. And post before and afters so that I preserve the recipes for posterity and friends.

Spaghetti

Image from BigChuy Last night, in the throws of carb craving that is imminent when embarking on a new healthy eating plan, I created this dish. I know I am not the first to come up with this, but the hubby liked this version and asked me to make it again. Spaghetti Squash Marinara 1 spaghetti squash, halved, seeds removed 1 lb. ground sirloin 1 T oregano 1 t basil 1/2 t garlic powder 1/4 t rosemary 1 jar sugarless marinara with olives and mushrooms Bake squash face-down at 400 for 25 minutes. Remove and let cool down, so you don't burn your fingers. Brown the sirloin, adding dried spices just before finished and rubbing between your fingers to activate the oils. Or use fresh if you have a green thumb. Add the jar of marinara, making sure it has no ingredients that aren't grown in dirt. Turn down the heat and simmer. Meanwhile, with a fork, scrape the innards from the squash skin and be amazed at the noodle-ness of it all.* Combine and serve to happy family. *Note: If the squash is going to sit for any amount of time, it is best to serve or store in a steamer insert over a saucepan, as it will accumulate lots of liquid. Almost half an inch of liquid drained out during dinner. Seriously, this guy the Paleo pasta lover's friend.

Sweet

After a long day at work, I came home to find my sweet husband had cooked dinner. Grilled 1015 onions, chicken, mixed vegetables, and strawberries for dessert. Dinner was delicious, healthy, and very appreciated. Later, he was wishing for something pastry-like, so I pulled out a Pecan Pie Larabar, and it satisfied his sweet tooth. Sweet surprise, sweet onions, sweet berries, sweet treat.

Everything But the Boombox

A few weeks ago, I had a discussion with a colleague about our recent move and the tremendous thinning of stuff that took place beforehand. He talked about how he had been feeling the need to get rid of excess junk in his life lately.
Today, he came by my office to tell me he shredded eighteen bags of paper over the weekend. Then he went through his electronics and kept only his boombox. It was sentimental, and the radio can be used in case of hurricanes.
How exciting to see others breaking free from the stuff that so easily entangles us! Guess I'll be going through my bookcase this week, and maybe picking up some D cell batteries.

The Johnny Mop

This will revolutionize the cleaning of the porcelain throne.

Spray every surface with cleaner including handle and base and let dwell at least one minute. Wipe down top to bottom with a tube cloth or an old kitchen towel with short ends sewn together to create a tube.

Use the Johnny Mop to push the water out of the bowl. This allows the cleaner to remain concentrated and be more effective.

Pour an ounce or so of Safety Foam on the Johnny Mop and swipe all around and under the edges. Let sit five minutes. Spray sinks, clean mirrors, and wipe sinks while you are waiting. Swipe once more and flush, swishing while the water circles. Push cover over fluffy part and squeeze excess water out. Store upright and admire your work.

A sparkling clean bathroom in less than fifteen minutes. If you need inspiration, or are just a compulsive cleaner, you'll love this video.

Strawberry S'mores

Tonight, I was berry inspired. It's been cold weather, and it's about time for a trip to HEB. As I stood in front of the nearly empty snack cabinet, I decided to freshen up a time-tested recipe. Isn't the current fad to gourmandize common foods?

Here's what you need: Strawberry Marshmallows, Ghirardelli Strawberry Chocolate bar, Ricanela graham crackers

Break a graham cracker in half and cover with chocolate square and marshmallow.

Microwave 10 seconds at 50% power (I did it for 20 because my microwave lacks in the power department).

Gasp in dismay that some of the luscious strawberry puree has gushed out. Put the other graham cracker on top and decide another must be made to get it right.

Nuke just the marshmallow and graham cracker this time. Open the door and say, "It's so fluffy, I'm gonna diiiiieeeee!", and then add the chocolate and other graham cracker. Give to your daughter and wait for her reaction. When she says it's good, make her stop mid-bite so you can take a picture. Bribe her by mentioning that her crackle nails will be online.

Strawberry S'mores...pink, fluffy, chocolatey, crunchy, and berry sweet.

Salmon Success

Dinner tonight was salmon, broccoli, brown rice, and baked pears with raspberry preserves. And I enjoyed it.

All my childhood, I hated fish. The smell of seafood made me nauseous. But my tastebuds have been changing, so I figured I'd give salmon another chance. I bought a big ol' slab of wild Alaskan salmon and let it thaw in the fridge.

Then I wimpered, because I've always been scared of cooking fish. I can whip up a full South American meal like nobody's business, but put a little sea creature in the pan, and I'm calling for takeout.

But I recently saw this video by the great Pam Anderson and felt brave. I put foil down for easy cleanup, laid the fish skin side down, sprinkled sea salt, and ground some fresh pepper. And then I panicked and forgot the temperature and how long to bake, and all I can remember is Sharon putting the pan in the oven saying, "Even I can get behind that."

I think it was fifteen minutes, but salmon is thicker, so should it cook longer?

I started at 450 and then remembered that is for roasting root vegetables, so I knocked it back down to 400. At fifteen minutes, the thickest part didn't look quite finished, so I let it go five minutes more, all the while trying to find the link. I should have pinned it.

I ended up cooking the fish twenty minutes. After squeezing a lemon wedge, a took a tentative bite and was pleasantly suprised. It was good. And my husband loved it. Score!

After dinner, I searched around for the video and finally found it. Yay! So I posted the link just in case I forget again, and then I have it in print.