Tag: lifestyle

Italian Style Chicken with Cauliflower Rice

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I am all about easy of preparation. So one pot meals are a lovely thing in our house.

And this chicken is no exception. It packs major flavor thanks to the roasted garlic sauce from Thrive Market and the bone-in, skin-on chicken hindquarters from my favorite farmers market. 

What I love about this dish is how easy it is. It’s the easiest, fancy-looking thing I made during our recent Whole30. Brad was so impressed by it, and it literally had 3-4 ingredients.

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What you need:

  • Two chicken hindquarters (that’s the thigh and leg together), bone-in and skin-on
  • Coconut Oil
  • Whole30 compliant marinara sauce (I used this one from Thrive Market.)
  • A combo of Italian Seasoning, Garlic Powder, Sea Salt and Pepper
  • A bag of cauliflower rice

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

In an oven safe pot with a lid, heat up the coconut oil to medium high heat. Season the chicken with the combo of seasonings listed above.

Please chicken pieces skin side down so it gets golden brown and full of flavor. Don’t move the chicken for at least five minutes. Turn the chicken and sear the other side for 2-3 minutes.

Add tomato sauce to the hot pan. Watch out for splatters. Make sure the chicken is covered in the sauce. Add a pinch of Italian seasoning over the top.

Cover the chicken with a lid, and put the chicken in the oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the lid and cook the chicken an additional 30 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked.

While the chicken cooks, throw your bag of frozen cauliflower rice into a skillet on the stove. Cook on medium heat until it is defrosted, about 5-7 minutes, and all the water has cooked out. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Keep warm until chicken is fully cooked.

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Serve chicken with sauce over the bed of cauliflower rice, and enjoy.

Cultivating Gratitude

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I’ve started keeping a gratitude journal to help keep me focused on the goodness in every day.

Sometimes it is hard to think past all the things going wrong, and focus on all the things going right. The downward mental spiral can be difficult to turn off.

But this little journal has turned things around for me. Every morning and every evening  I sit down and focus on what I’m thankful for or what good has come my way.

The journal has prompts to help you get your thoughts in order. And it doesn’t take up much time at all. IMG_4960

It looks like this. You complete the top section every morning, and the gray section every evening. There is a quote at the top of every day to get you in the right frame of mind. And I’ve come to love this little ritual. It’s something I look forward to every day.

So if you are looking for a way to cultivate gratitude, I highly suggest this. If you have a stressful job, I highly suggest this. If you are naturally more gloomy, I highly suggest this. You won’t believe how much good you can come up with until you are forced to focus on it. Get your Five Minute Journal here. 

Disclaimer: This is not an ad. I was not paid to write this. I just really love this product, and think everyone needs one. 

September Whole30 Complete

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Hello October.

Not only is October my favorite month, but we successfully completed the September Whole30 reset. And we absolutely feel fantastic.

So what’s next?

As of this morning, I’ve been re-reading the major points of Melissa Hartwig’s Food Freedom Forever to get a handle on how to do life after the Whole30.

For me, after Whole30 is over is the hardest part. I’m always nervous about reintroducing foods I know will have a negative affect on me, and I don’t want to lose all of the wonderful good feelings I’ve cultivated over the last 30 days.

But we have a lot of be thankful after this season of Whole30.

Here are some of our NSV (Non-Scale Victories):

  • Long-lasting, sustainable energy
  • Less digestive issues
  • Complete mental clarity
  • No brain fog
  • Zero bloating
  • Less headaches
  • Mindfulness of the meal prep stages
  • The ability to say “no thank you” in certain situations
  • Sharper sight (colors look brighter, richer)
  • Lack of cravings
  • Less snacking, if at all
  • More exercise
  • Better quality sleep
  • Ability to tackle hard tasks or challenging things after a long day
  • More motivation in the morning
  • Clear skin
  • More creative recipes and flavor profiles
  • Zero joint pain or aches

And I’m sure there are others I’ve left out.

Since this was our third time to complete the Whole30, I did notice the hangover phase lasted considerably less time than round one and round two. It took me 12 days to feel better during round one. It took eight days in round two.

But this time, it only took four (excruciatingly hungover) days to feel awesome. That to me was the biggest win of all. The mental clarity part of Whole30 is what I crave. The sustainable energy is also a big one.

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It feels good to finish something so rewarding.

Check back tomorrow to see how we celebrated our completed Whole30.

Something New and Safe

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When I started down the road of cleaner and safer, my focus was food related.

But I quickly realized to live my best life I had to think about what I was putting on my body.

Never once did I bat an eyelash at the thought of my disposable makeup removing cloths weren’t safe for my skin and eyes.

Enter Beautycounter.

I’m so excited to have a safer, high performing formula to remove my eye makeup. It works perfect for waterproof and long-wearing mascara and eye shadows. But it’s free of silicones and mineral oils.

It uses the power of coconut and macadamia oils to break down pigments and cornflower extract to soothe delicate skin. Safe for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers, too

This is an easy way to introduce yourself to Beautycounter and its mission without giving up all the things you currently love. Safer beauty starts with a choice. And I can’t think of a better one than this one.

Start small with our Instant Eye Makeup Remover. Then add in a Charcoal Cleansing Bar to try out a best seller and a favorite of mine for skin care. Then try our new Volumizing Mascara.

One piece at a time. Safer beauty with each step.

Friday Favorites

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We’ve made it to Friday.

It’s day 29 of Whole30.

I’m almost there. The end of the clean eating road. Though I don’t think much will change. I’ve been feeling so good and clear-headed. Don’t really want to lose that.

So what are my favorites today?

Share some of your favorites.