Paleo Chili-Lime Drumsticks

I found this recipe on Jan's Sushi Bar Blog and loved it.  I just needed to make a few changes of ingredients, cooking methods, and measurements to make it work for me.  Her recipe was great, but I just made a few tweaks to fit my family's needs and likes.


Chili-Lime Drumsticks

2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken drumsticks (about 12 to 16)
2 medium lime, use juice and zest of both limes
2 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoon grain free Dijon mustard
3 to 4 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons olive oil

Whisk together all of the ingredients except for the chicken legs in a small mixing bowl. Roll each chicken leg in sauce and place into Ziploc bag (Note: I used two Ziploc bags).  Pour the remaining marinade over the chicken (half in each bag). Zip bags by squeezing out as much air as possible.

Refrigerate, turning the bag occasionally, for 2 hours or even overnight.
Preheat the oven to 375 F. I placed my chicken on a grill pan so that the juices are allow to dip down into the pan and the skin will crisp.

 

Bake the chicken for 45 to 50 minutes.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Paleo Cookie Dough Bites

Not my recipe, but it is pretty AMAZING! These are a must try!  Not an everyday food, but works great for a special treat! 

Chocolate Cookie Dough Bites from Fast Paleo! 

http://fastpaleo.com/chocolate-covered-cookie-dough-bites/

Ingredients being mixed!

All my ingredients mixed in the bowl!

 

At this point, put in the fridge and let get cold and harden a little.  Once the dough is firm, take out and roll into 1 inch balls.  Place onto Parchament paper lined tray and place into freezer until semi frozen.  Dip into melted chocolate and place back into fridge.  Sorry for the lack of pictures at this point, but spoons were scooping like crazy.  I had to fight to save the dough to roll and could not hold the camera!  LOL!  I will try to get some pictures the next batch I make.  Check out Fast Paleo link for the details.

Cajun Girl Crawfish Omelet

 

This is how we celebrate Mardi Gras, with a lil Cajun Girl Paleo Flair!

What better way to start the day than with this protein power punch breakfast!!

Cajun Girl Crawfish Omelet

" Laissez les bons temps rouler "

A.K.A.

Let the Good Times Roll!

Ingredients:



• 3 eggs
• 2 Tbsp. chopped trinity (onions, bell peppers, celery)
• 1 baby portabella mushroom, chopped or a few chopped slices of large one
• 2 to 3 Tbsp. crawfish tails
• 1 meatball size scoop of loose breakfast sausage (love U.S. Wellness Meats)
• 1 Tbsp. butter (I used KerryGold Grassfed butter)
• 2 strip bacon
• Cajun seasoning to taste (see recipe below)
• Sea salt to taste

Directions:
In a skillet, add butter and melt.  Add trinity and mushrooms.  Saute until onions are softened. 

 



Add sausage and brown. 

 

 

Add crawfish to mix and cook about 45 sec. to one minute, until crawfish are cooked. 

 



Scramble eggs with Cajun seasoning and sea salt.

 

 

Pour eggs over your meat and veggie mix in the skillet.

 

 



Cook omelet until firm or to your liking.  Serve with a side of bacon and ENJOY!

I use this recipe from Emeril for my Cajun Seasoning.  I make and keep in a shaker jar so I always have on hand.  Great way to have that Cajun kick without all the MSG and chemicals from the Cajun mixes sold in stores.

 

How to Make Your Own Cajun Seasoning (from Emeril):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• (Yields about 2/3 c.)

 

Crossfit Update...

I hear this often!!  I bet my trainer didn't even think I was listening!  LOL!  Back at ya, "G"!!  Let's just say there is a lot of weakness in this body.  I've been sore as hell, but some great things are happening when the soreness leaves!

It is amazing to me that I'm seeing and feeling results from Crossfit in just 5 sessions.  I'm really feeling my core tighten and become stronger.  I've noticed that I have the energy now to stand tall and sit up straight.  Best of all, I noticed my lower back muscles have strengthened and really feel aligned(has been out of whack since I became pregnant with my son 16 years ago).  In addition to this, I'm learning more about my own body awareness.  For example, I sit on my feet, my left hip, and never use core muscles when I'm "hanging out" at home.  I'm working on changing some of these bad habits and a few others!

Paleo eating has my body on a path of healing, but my weight plateaued in November.  After 5 sessions of Crossfit, I've lost one inch off my waist/hips and my weight is down 3 lbs.  Crossfit appears to be the missing link to my puzzle.  Don't worry, I'm not a scale jumper, but I do check the scale to make sure I'm still on the right path with my Paleo eating.  Even better, my scale is our Wii system and it gives me a running record of my journey!

Let's take a minute and talk about my Lymphatic System!  I CAN FEEL better circulation in my legs and feet.  Note that the bottoms of my feet are no longer blue when I sit on the floor.  Additional fluid has gone from my neck, wrist, feet, and ankles.  This has been the change that I'm most excited about!!!  NOTHING I have done has had this kind of impact on my stagnant lymphatic system!  BIG SCORE!

April will be exciting this year!  I totally can't wait to see my natural doc and yearly blood work results!  I have talked with him a few times by phone, but he has no clue of all the changes!

 

Smokey Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs w/Sweet Potato Fries

Today's lunch was great!  Simple, fast, and delicious!  The chicken recipe was from the Practical Paleo cookbook.  The sweet potato fries were added for my two carb loving men who are going Paleo for a week with this Cajun Mama, who is off of work for the Mardi Gras holiday!

 

Practical Paleo has a great spice blend section in their cookbook!  I LOVE IT!  Several of the blends are so good that I mix them and store in a shaker spice jar with label.  Keeping them made and at hand allows me to use with ease and makes life a little easier.  For this recipe, I used the Smoky Spice Blend.

Smoky Spice Blend:

1 Tbsp. chipotle powder
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. sea salt
1/2 Tbsp. black pepper

Smokey Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs:
(I love leftovers and 4 chicken thighs will not feed these men twice in this house.  Sooo, this is how I altered the recipe.)

8-10 bone-in chicken thighs, with skin (book does without, but trust me)
16-20 slices of bacon
Smoky Spice Blend
Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 400.
I placed all my chicken thighs on a grill pan that allow the fat to dip off (Don't worry, you will still get plenty of those good fats.  This way this skin and bacon will crisp and not be a greasy mess.)  Next, I sprinkled each chicken thigh with Smokey Spice Blend and sea salt.  I seasoned each piece pretty well.  Next, I wrapped each thigh with two pieces of bacon (If thighs are small, you can just use one piece to cover).  Once all thighs are wrapped in bacon, give another sprinkle of Smokey Spice Blend on each piece.  Bake 45-60 mins. depending on size.  Enjoy!

 

Paleo Tarragon-Mustard Chicken

Paleo Tarragon-Mustard Chicken

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp grain-free Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp. garlic powder

1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp. dried tarragon

4-5 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness (or just have Whole Foods tenderize it for you when you buy it!)

sea salt to taste

1. In a zip lock bag, mix all ingredients well.  Add chicken and ensure all breast are coated.  Let sit from 10 mins. or even overnight in fridge.  If you are a person that is pressed for time during the work week, this is the time to double or even triple the recipe and freeze!  Freeze according to the size of your family.  This is a staple meal in my freezer and is easy to pull out in the morning to defrost and grills up in minutes when I get home.

 

2. Preheat grill to medium-high. Grill chicken, turning once, until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes total. Or you can use a grill like mine and grill both sides at once.

 

 

Serve hot with a few veggies or even a sweet potato.

 

GREAT ON A SALAD!  There is nothing like fresh lettuce/baby spinach mix topped with this chicken, sliced almonds, pecans, sunflower seeds, sliced boiled eggs, and BACON!  This is one of my hubby's favorite salads!

 

Oh, here is my favorite dressing if I don't feel like making my own!  There are just times when you can't do it all!  ;)

 

 

 

 

This dressing along with MANY OTHER GOODIES can be found at http://stevesoriginal.com/store.

 

I will be posting more of my favorite items in an upcoming blog post.  Steve's has many items that appear on that list!  

 

 

 

Wow, your skin is glowing!!

Since beginning Paleo over 10 months ago, I continue to hear, "Wow, your skin is just glowing!"  I always reply that it is a combination of a little coconut oil and a whole lot of Jesus!  Both have been great for me and filled me with what I need.  Note that Paleo has allowed my body to get the "FATS" that it needs on the inside and that reflects in my skin and hair.  I also like to add it from the outside too.  So, I was thinking that maybe I should put all my beauty and health tips in one place.  So here it is.  I will continue to add to this post too!

Facial Scrub:

• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil (I prefer 1/2 teaspoon)
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (I prefer 1/8)

Place in palm of hand and mix the two ingredients with your fingers.  The natural heat from your skin will help melt the coconut oil.  Use as a mild facial scrub.  Rinse with warm water.  It will feel a little greasy at first, but your skin will absorb the extra coconut oil shortly.  I use this every three days to once a week. 


Skin Brushing:

Items needed:

• Dry skin brush with long handle.  They can be found and purchased at most health food stores.  You want to ensure you use a brush made of natural vegetable fibers.  Synthetic fibers can irritate the skin. 

Skin Brushing has really improved my circulation and rid my legs of dried skin.  The following are also some added benefits of skin brushing. 

• helps to shed dead skin cells
• increases circulation to skin, encouraging your body’s discharge of metabolic wastes, which greatly aids the lymphatic drainage of the entire body
• helps to tighten the skin and lessen the appearance of cellulite
• helps your skin to absorb nutrients by eliminating clogged pores
• helps with muscle tone and more even distribution of fat deposits

Here is how to skin brush:
Right before entering the shower, while skin is still DRY, grab your brush and begin with your feet (don't forget the soles of both feet).  Use gentle one-stroke movements covering the feet, then move up to the knee, then thigh (all the way around each leg).  Always move from the extremities (hands and feet) to the heart.  So, brush from feet to abdomen, then from hands up your arms and towards your heart.  Brush across your upper back and down the front and back of your torso.  Cover the entire surface of you skin only once.  Your skin should not be red, if so you are pressing too hard.  If done right, you should experience a lite tingling of the skin when you get into a warm shower or bath. 


Two kinds of Body Scrub:

1. Coconut Lavender Magnesium Scrub

• 1 to 2 Tbsp. Coconut oil
• 1 to 2 Tbsp. Epsom Salt (I used the lavender kind)
• Essential oil (If your salts are not already scented.)

Add salts.

 

Add coconut oil.

 

Mix the above ingredients in small cup or bowl.  I mix a little at a time with my hands.  Your natural body heat will melt coconut oil.  I use small about and start scrubbing in a circular motion from feet, up legs, and toward the heart.  Next, from your hands, up arms, then torso.  If you have an awesome spouse, this is the perfect time to get your back done too!  ;)  The Epsom Salt makes a little more course scrub.  I always use this scrub in combination with the Lavender Epsom Salt Bath.  It takes 20 minutes for your body to soak up the magnesium from this bath/scrub.  Since magnesium helps to relax sore muscles and prevents muscle cramps, I use this scrub on days when Crossfit has left every muscle in my body sore!!  ;)

2. Coconut Baking Soda Scrub

• 1 to 2 Tbsp. Coconut Oil
• 1 to 2 Tbsp. Baking Soda

Just like the facial scrub, but this time you can add essential oils.  Place in palm of hand and mix the two ingredients with your fingers. The natural heat from your skin will help melt the coconut oil. Use as a mild body scrub. Rinse with warm water. It will feel a little greasy at first, but your skin will absorb the extra coconut oil shortly.  You skin will feel baby soft!  Not that some people may like more baking soda for more exfoliation.


Lavender Epsom Salt Bath (great Magnesium source):

I keep this jar on the side of my tub.  I add about two cups to a tub of warm/hot bath water.  Soak for at least 20 minutes to absorb all the benefits of the magnesium.  ENJOY AND RELAX!

 

 

Magnesium Info:
Researchers and physicians suggest these health benefits from proper magnesium and sulfate levels, as listed on the web site of the Epsom Salt Industry Council:

• Improved heart and circulatory health, reducing irregular heartbeats, preventing hardening of the arteries, reducing blood clots and lowering blood pressure.
• Improved ability for the body to use insulin, reducing the incidence or severity of diabetes.
• Flushed toxins and heavy metals from the cells, easing muscle pain and helping the body to eliminate harmful substances.
• Improved nerve function by electrolyte regulation. Also, calcium is the main conductor for electrical current in the body, and magnesium is necessary to maintain proper calcium levels in the blood.
• Relieved stress. Excess adrenaline and stress are believed to drain magnesium, a natural stress reliever, from the body. Magnesium is necessary for the body to bind adequate amounts of serotonin, a mood-elevating chemical within the brain that creates a feeling of well being and relaxation.
• Reduced inflammation to relieve pain and muscle cramps.
• Improved oxygen use.
• Improved absorption of nutrients.
• Prevention or easing of migraine headaches.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/health-benefits-of-epsom-salt-baths.html#ixzz2JCQ8v2px


Moisturizer:
Don't forget to add a little extra coconut oil as a moisturizer.  I use a lot at night and a little in the morning under my make-up.  My face LOVES it!