Tag: homemade

Asian Chicken Soup

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This soup is a serious nod to Nom Nom Paleo’s Chinese Chicken and Bok Choy Soup in the Whole30 cookbook.

Sometimes I stand in my kitchen and look aimlessly around the room and hope I generate a delicious idea. And sometimes I need a nudge in some direction.

This nudge came from her Asian inspired soup.

It’s cooling down here. And it happened to be a little rainy the evening I made it. But all the stars aligned to create this goodness.

So thank you Nom Nom Paleo for the inspiration.

What you need:

  • Four chicken breasts
  • Garlic powder
  • Ginger powder
  • One carrot, cut in half moons
  • 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 packet of baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 cup bok choy, roughly chopped
  • 6 cups chicken bone broth
  • 1 big spoonful of Red Boat’s Fish Sauce
  • 1 big spoonful coconut aminos
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat a skillet in the stove to medium heat to cook the chicken. Season the chicken liberally with ginger and garlic powder. Sauté until chicken is cooked completely. Set aside.

Heat a large pot on medium high heat. Add coconut oil with the carrot and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Let cook until onions start turning translucent, about 7 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and season with a little more salt and pepper. Cook about 3 minutes. Pour in chicken broth (I used broth made from my big fancy dinner chicken)and add bok choy, coconut aminos and fish sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.

Right before serving, dice up the chicken and add to the pot. Cook 5 more minutes to combine all the flavors.

Serve and enjoy.

This soup is definitely a favorite of ours. And I’ll have to make it again and again. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Chili Dogs

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Who says Whole30 has to be filled with boring dinners?

Not me.

I’m all in for flavor and healthy.

So how does chili dogs apply to that?

One big and flavor packed way.

Applegate makes Whole30 compliant hot dogs. I happened to be at Whole Foods (shopping for Amazon discounts) when I spotted them.

Then, it hit me.

Chili dogs.

So I made the classic chili recipe from the Whole30 book, and Whole30 chili dogs were born.

And we weren’t sad about it.

Only thing not pictured in the photo was a squiggle of mustard.

It was a favorite of ours.

And it will happen again soon.

How to Do Fancy Dinners on Whole30

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Whole30 is a fantastic program. Until there is something to celebrate.

Holidays. Birthdays. Weddings. Babies. Good days.

In my world, celebrating anything is about the food. What are we going to eat?

September had three things we had to combat: Labor Day and Brad’s mom’s birthday and our anniversary.

Since Ladonna’s birthday fell during the middle of the week, I promised her a big fancy family dinner.

So I spent the week preparing the menu and getting everything together so I could make her a birthday celebration.

What was on the menu?

Herb Roasted Chicken from the Farm at Barefoot Bend

Balsamic Dijon Roasted Root Vegetables

Sautéed Zephyr Squash

Paleo Apple Crumble

It was a dinner of firsts.

First time to roast a whole chicken. First time to make a Paleo dessert that was Whole30 approved. First time to make homemade chicken stock.

But the best part was we are well. We celebrated a special lady’s birthday. We were 100 percent Whole30 compliant, even if some of the items were considered a Paleo treat (or as the Whole30 creator calls it sex with your pants on foods).

We ranted and raved about how good a truly free range farm chicken tastes. It was a delightful experience I was happy to create and center around good food.

What are your favorite ways to celebrate something when you are trying to maintain a healthy, balanced lifestyle?

A Taste of Fall

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I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I love coffee. Lattes, especially.

They are so creamy and warm. And just….perfect.

When I shared my post about Whole30 Lattes, I was just messing around trying to make creamy, delicious coffee.

But as I got to searching on the Internet and Pinterest, I ran across Against All Grain’s Pumpkin Spiced Latte.

And I can honestly say it is a dream come true.

Warm and frothy with a light pumpkin flavor. It is heaven in a coffee mug.

I added a little MCT oil to my mixture and left out the maple syrup for now because of Whole30.

But it is a decadent treat. And I will be keeping a the pumpkin base mixture in the fridge and add it to my coffee to welcome the cooler fall weather.

What are your favorite ways to enjoy pumpkin?

My Favorite Farmers Market

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Since we moved to the country, I’ve struggled with grocery shopping. The nearest grocery store is 20-25 minutes away.

Thankfully early this spring, I stumbled across Me and McGee Market off Highway 70 in North Little Rock.

Via

It is a gorgeous little farm stand full of pretty flowers, fruits, veggies, local cheeses, jams and jellies, pickles, salsa, homemade breads and grassfed meats.

As a foodie, it is my happy place. I visit the market every Saturday morning. I have grown to adore the Me and McGee Family, and I look forward to seeing them every weekend.

Neva, the owner, takes care of me. While we’ve been on Whole30, she’s held back dozens of eggs for me. She knows me. Remembers my name. Ask me about my week. She and her daughter, son, mom and husband are what make this little market so magical.

They are real people. They are my kind of people. They value good food, real food. They value community. They are invested in our little rural community. Constantly trying to make it better. Bringing people together.

It’s a truly beautiful sight.

We need more Me and McGee’s in this world. Little mom and pop shops and markets geared towards getting people better foods. It’s important. And I’m passionate about sharing what Neva and her family is doing because it will change the world for the better.

If you are in the Central Arkansas area, I highly suggest you visit Me and McGee Market. You will fall in love with it.

Find the nearest farmers market near you.

What are your Saturday morning traditions?