For dinner tonight I made chicken thighs in the crockpot. I bought the organic thighs at Costco.  I think there was 16 thighs and they were only $12 for the package.  I basically made up the recipe, but here is how it went: 1/2 cup of water, 3 chopped shallots, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper.  I cooked the thighs on low for about four hours.  Both of my daughter's ate them, including the picky one. 

I also steamed green beans, baked a squash, and blanched some dandelion greens for myself.  My kids like green beans and squash.  Overall, the entire dinner was probably less than $25, and I have leftover dandelions and chicken for lunch tomorrow.

Chicken thighs ...

Gluten allergies have become very common and the numbers of people who are allergic are expected to keep rising. The severely allergic to gluten are called celiacs. Some people get severe skin rashes from gluten allergies. Everybody seems to have some kind of an inflammatory response to gluten, and it the gluten free diet has become very popular as many health conditions improve once gluten is cut out of the diet.

Gluten is the protein part of wheat, spelt, rye, barley, most oats, and other related grains. Gluten intolerance is the inability to digest or break down gluten. This condition can range from a mild sensitivity to full blown celiac disease. The skin disorder called dermatitis herpetiformis, which causes a chronic itchy rash of bumps and blisters, is also linked to gluten allergies. The gluten-free diet must be strictly followed by sufferers of celiac disease and d ...

It's "Meatless Monday" again and I have found that my kids really enjoy having a theme night. Monday's are meatless, Tuesday's are crockpot night, Wednesday is for leftovers, and Thursday is taco night. We occasionally change these around, but kids like knowing what to expect and look forward to. Be sure to print off our free menu and meal planners to help create a schedule at your house. Here’s a great recipe for Meatless Monday.

White Bean & Swiss Chard Soup  Serves 6 to 8

What you’ll need: • 1tbsp. olive oil • 1 m ...

Popcorn is the perfect snack while watching a movie at home. Microwave popcorn packages can have unhealthy chemicals and ingredients, and is the cause of the dreaded "popcorn lung" disease. The best tasting, healthiest, and safest popcorn is when you make it the old fashioned way.

Things You'll Need: a popcorn popper, organic popcorn, butter, salt, bowls, and napkins

My kids love to make popcorn on the weekends. Popcorn is a whole grain and a great source of fiber. Our favorite popcorn popper is the kind you put oil in and a metal "arm" stirs the kernels until they pop. We use olive oil to get in some ...

Metabolic testing has become very popular by people who are looking to lose weight or figure out why they have low energy, digestive issues, or other health conditions. Functional metabolic tests can prevent illness and degenerative diseases because they address the causes of health problems and symptoms which have not yet caused illness or disease. Many health conditions develop over the course of years; exhibiting undiagnosed and seemingly unrelated symptoms. Functional metabolic tests look for imbalances which can potentially cause health problems down the road. Essentially, these tests are preventative, rather than being diagnostic for health issues which need curative measures.

The tests that I offer to my clients are a positive step towards keeping you healthy. These non-invasive tests help evaluate which nutritional, health and wellness changes should be focused on d ...

Parents ask me all the time about healthy meals that my kids like to eat.  I always say that my kids are normal kids, they don't always want to eat their broccoli and would love to have pizza every night.  And I am like other parents, I'm always on the lookout for healthy, delicious, and kid friendly meals. Oh, and these dream meals also have to be pretty quick to make on a busy weeknight.

One of our favorite meals is old~fashioned tacos.  I usually have the taco shells, salsa and seasoning on hand. (Look for organic corn taco shells to avoid GMO corn.)  All I have to pick up is about a pound of ground turkey, lettuce, tomato, and cheese, and sour cream.  I also will pick up an avocado if I don't already have a few at home. 

I happened to watch Detroit Fox 2 morning news show and I was impressed to see that they are starting a meatless Monday cooking feature.  Their guest chef was from Cuisine restaurant and he made some delicious looking vegetarian lasagna roll ups and squash ravioli.  I was disappointed to see how much butter he used, but that is another story.

American's consume way too much meat.  If you have ever traveled to Europe you most likely noticed that the portions of meat are usually drastically smaller in comparison.  Meat is viewed as being more of a condiment than the main focus of any meal. 

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