Chicken!

We are now home from vacation and we're ready to embark on a new journey! Without too much being said, we are entering a time of life in which we need to start minding our financial "Ps and Qs" even more.

I am quickly finding just how much growing boys can eat. With a husband, three growing boys and God-willing more in the future, I really need to learn how to stretch our food budget all the while trying to obtain good nourishment!

This week I am going to issue a challenge for myself. I have a family pack of split chicken breasts that has been in the freezer for a while. I am going to challenge myself to make as many nutritious meals out of that chicken as possible.

Photo Credit

Now I know that some would say, "Cook it and refreeze it so you won't get burnt out on chicken." but I'm not one of those types. If it goes in the deep freeze, it stays until we clean it out. As hard as I try, I just cannot keep up with what I have in that big ol' thing.

Enter...

Operation 5 1/4 lbs. Chicken Breast Challenge

I used to just bake the chicken with some seasonings and call it dinner, however I need to learn how to stretch it further and bring more vegetables onto our plates.

I will begin the challenge Sunday night. I will be putting chicken into a slow cooker with vegetables and allow the chicken to slow cook - I will be saving the vegetables to make bone broth.

Monday: 2 cups chopped chicken - no broth
Chicken Enchiladas  - with re fried beans and salsa

Tuesday: 4 cups chopped chicken - 4 cups of broth or broth from cooking chicken
White Chicken Chili - with salad and bread (This while make enough for several lunches and LOs)

Wednesday: 1/2 cup chopped chicken - no broth
Chicken Alfredo - with salad

*I will be making the chicken stock out of the bones and vegetables for other meals*

Thursday: 2 cups chopped chicken - 4 cups of chicken stock
Chicken Gnocchi sou- with garlic bread and salad

Friday: 1 cup of chopped chicken - no stock
BBQ Chicken Pizza - fruit and veggie tray

Saturday: 1 cup of chopped chicken - no stock
Chicken Quesadillas - with Spanish rice and chips and salsa

Sunday: 2 quarts chicken stock
CP Baked Potato Soup - with sandwiches

Monday: 1 cup shredded chicken and remaining chicken stock
Chicken and Noodles  - with green beans and mashed potatoes

Tuesday: 1 cup of shredded chicken
Buffalo Chicken Dip - with tortillas, chips and salsa

As I look through these meals, it's really going to be a stretch to get all these meals out of 5.36 lbs of chicken but we're going to give it a whirl! :) If I get all of these meals out of that chicken, I will be stretching one chicken into NINE meals!

Wanna take the challenge with me? Go ahead, try it! :)

A Rant on Food

Ok... As you read this, please keep in mind that I am NOT losing my mind, I am just a bit overwhelmed with life and please, please, please don't throw tomatoes at me or stop reading my blog. PLEASE. Also, if you haven't had a chance, take a look and please take part in my 300th giveaway!

Here I go... I am very interested in all the things and opinions on food and nutrition. I have really taken to the whole foods, traditional foods, Weston A. Price, Nourishing Traditions type philosophy about food.

There are so many awesome resources and ideas and blogs out there that deal with foods. Now I have got to be honest, I am struggling when it comes to whole foods the whole time.

I get very overwhelmed if I am busy that morning, look up at the clock and it is lunch time. What am I going to feed my kids?! I know most of you might be saying.. "Peanut butter and jelly, you idiot!" but it's just not that easy for me. My kids have different food allergies and honestly, I get overwhelmed and I shut down. The "simple" answer is often lost to me.

Therefore, I get into this horrible pattern. It goes a little something like this... (This is the conversation in my mind..) "I have NO idea what I am going to make the kids for lunch. It's already past lunch time!" --> "I live a block from 14 different resteraunts, let's just go grab something quick." --> "Tomorrow will be different. I will figure something out tomorrow." I get home, get the kids sat down and we eat the food. I hate how it tastes, but at this point I am so emotionally, metally and physically tired that I just sit in blessed "I didn't have to make lunch" solitude. After a while, it hits me. It hits me that I took part in the dreaded what it takes out and puts in cycle. I took valuable money OUT of my purse and spent our valuable money on putting IN crappy foods in our body. I then begin mentally beating myself down. Do I not care about my heath, my family's health, my wanting a baby? Do I care more about not cooking and being tired more than my family?

On and on it goes... Let me tell you my friends... I am done. I am done with this  vicious cycle of being stressed and overwhelmed about our foods.

I. am. done.!

 I am not going to stress over wheat gluten or not being able to get pregnant due to eating bread (which I was this morning! stressing, totally stressing like crazy over it!).

I am not going to stress over whether my children can eat a peice of cake made from a box for their birthday.

I am not going to stress over feeding them chicken nuggets from a bag or hot dogs once in  a great while (it's got to better than running to a resteraunt for Pete's sake!).

I am not stressing over this anymore. I am going to continue to put the best foods and most natural, whole and nutritional foods into my family but I am not stressing anymore.

I can tell you one thing... If this keeps up, my husband won't have to worry about what he and the kids are eating, he's going to have to worry about finding another wife because I tell you, I am going to have a stroke from high blood pressure due to worrying about what we are eating!

Ok. I am done. Please don't hate me and please don't send hate mail and hate comments. I hope y'all still love me and my crazy psychoness! :)

More ideas of what works for more sane people than me.. click here!

Mason Jars and Sourdough

I love jars. I know you remember just how much I love jars.  I love that you can use them for almost anything.

One new way we have been using jars around our house is by putting leftovers in them. They secure and keep your food fresh while being clear so you can see what is in them.. Isn't that just too cool?!

It never ceases to amaze me that good products, such as Mason jars, have been around for so long.

Generations and generations of my family have used Mason jars. I have made it my personal conquest to find the oldest jars possible. Look at the ones above-aren't those just so beautiful? Yeah, they need cleaned up again but do you know how many uses there are for these babies?

Well the reason for my talking yet again about how much I love jars is that I began to make my own sourdough this week. I used Laura's recipe and instructions. These instructions are GREAT but I have to tell you, they should make a book called "Sourdough for Dummies". I was so worried about beginning this adventure. Therefore, I decided to document my days of sourdough making for you!

Now I have to warn you, this was one of the few days that I have been in a good mood of late... Be warned... I am a goober... :)

The Birth of My Sourdough: Day 1 

(If you are interested in step one of making

sourdough here is Laura's Day 1)

Most people feel like this when starting sourdough. I know I did. My friends told me how hard it was and I totally went for it. Now y'all I have proclaimed honesty and openness on this blog and this might turn out to be a total flop but we will see together, won't we?

But "Put a Smile on Your Face and Make the World a better place..." Okay, back to semi-seriousness. This is me after I decided to take the the dough dive! (I told you I was a goober. I even think my own jokes are funny!) Isn't Dylan just a great photographer?!?

Here are the ingredients you will need: 1 cup whole wheat or rye flour, jar or bowl, one cup water, stirring spoon, rubber band or tie, and Laura says cheese cloth, I didn't have cheese cloth so I used a cloth napkin.

Pour in flour and by pour in flour, I mean actually IN the jar....

 

Okay that's better..... :) Now while you're on roll add the water to the flour and stir.

Last step put on the cloth on over rim of jar and tightly secure with the rubber band. Now I had the thought of doing sourdough with cheese cloth nativities for Christmas next year? Think that thoughts a winner? Just kidding...

Come back tomorrow for The Birth of My Sourdough: Day 2!

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*This post is linked to Things I Love Thursday!

Gonna Give 'em a Try

One of my New Year's resolutions is to contrast more in my cooking... Broaden my domestic-goodness divine culinary skills... :)

Therefore, after sitting on the couch most of the day, I have gone through my cookbooks and I have composed a list. (I am not just being lazy... I am the only person in my family without the flu, therefore there are people needing things constantly and lying on me...) This will make trying new recipes a lot easier. Once I try them, I will cross them off and if it taste good, I will give you the information and recipe!

Sound good? SOUNDS YUMMY!

BC MSM (This is where the recipe is located so I remember where I saw it. Just a note for me):

• Oven-Fried Chicken
• Home-Style Chicken Dinner
• Zesty Roasted Chicken and Potatoes
• Chicken Tortilla Casserole
• Crunch Garlic Chicken
• Parmesan-Dijon Chicken (tried it check out what I thought here!)
• Chicken Milano
• Grilled Taco-Barbecue Chicken
• Chicken-Rice Skillet
• Chicken and Noodles Skillet
• Chicken Sesame Stir-Fry
• Balsamic-Garlic Marinated Steak
• Grilled Steak Potato Salad
• Cheesey Scalloped Potatoes with Ham
• Super-Easy Chicken Manicotti
• Chicken Alfredo
• Bow Ties with Chicken and Asparagus
• Overnight Rotini Bake
• French Dip Sandwiches
• Italian Steak Sandwiches
• Italian Chicken Noodle Soup
• Cheddar Cheese and Broccoli Soup
• Teriyaki BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
• Herbed Turkey Breast
• Herbed Roast Beef
• Beef and Potato Stew
• Beef and Bean Chili
• Pizza Biscuit Bake
• Oven-Bake Chicken
• Mustardy Chicken and Dumplings
• Italian Chicken Fingers
• Easy Chicken Pot Pie
• Italian Beef Bake
• Cowboy Casserole

Family Cookbook:

• Broccoli, Chicken and Rice Casserole
• Caribbean Pork 'n Rice
• Boston Market Style Chicken
• Chicken Divine
• Travis' All Time Favorite Chicken Stir Fry
• Chipotle Restaurant Chicken at Home
• Crock-Pot Brown Sugar "Candy" Chicken (Tried this and it was so delicious. It's under recipes.)

I know it sounds kind of crazy but I am going to try a new recipe a week. I am going to at least try a few recipe every other week.

How about you? Any good recipes I should try? Any new recipes you would like to try this year? Go ahead, get creative in the kitchen!

Kefir

It has been brought to my attention that many people in my area are not educated in nutrition and a lot of people are just plain not interested. Therefore, I am embracing the journey into whole foods and nutrition in hopes that those around me read my blog and also become interested and embrace it also.

I have been reading a lot about kefir and I have found more information than I ever hoped and dreamed or even wanted to know. But here are my findings.

Kefir is a much needed, very healthy product that should be introduced into your diet. Kefir is a cultured, enzyme rich food that is filled with much needed micro-organisms that help balance your body. It is more nutritious and helpful than yogurt. It's packed with complete proteins, essential minerals, and jammed full Vitamin B. Which interestingly is very important for women to balance hormones and help with the reproductive system. Kefir contains beneficial yeast as well as probiotics. If consumed regularly, Kefir can get your body in optimum health.

Kefir is made from yellowish or white "grains". This makes kefir unique, as no other milk culture forms grains. These grains contain the bacteria/yeast mixture clumped together with casein (milk proteins) and complex sugars. Kefir is often said to look like a head of cauliflower. The milking is fermented when the Kefir adds its organisms to the culture. The grains are strained before consuming and then added to another batch of milk continuing the process.

Kefir has a tart taste. Some people can just drink kefir straight, though many people add other ingredients. These other ingredients consist of honey, syrup, nuts, fruits, and perhaps vanilla. Adding these ingredients give it almost a "smoothie" effect.

There are many health benefits of Kefir. There are many different health benefits to kefir a few include tumor growth reduction, immune system enhancement, and pleasing benefits of the digestive tract. There was also a study done by Ohio State University stating that consuming kefir on a regular basis can aid in lactose intolerance in lactose intolerant people. (Click here for study.)

As you can see there are many positives for adding kefir into your daily eating. As I look further into kefir, more information and more resources will be coming your way!