Gluten Free Sweet and Sour Chicken

I am a cooking rule breaker.  I don't really follow directions well which is why I am better cook than baker.  Tonight I did a bit of exploring with a favorite dish of my families. 

1 lb of chicken breast
3 tbls ketchup
2 tbls gluten free soy sauce
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 tbls honey
1 cup cornstarch
salt, pepper, garlic to taste

 I chopped the chicken into bite size pieces and then sauteed it in a little butter with the salt, pepper and garlic in my wok.  (a frying pan would work just as well)  While that was cooking I mixed the ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar and honey into a sauce.  Once the chicken was cooked through, I mixed in the cornstarch and then poured the sauce over it.  I baked it on 350degrees for 30 minutes.   I think next time I may add sesame seeds.  We ate it over rice, but it would be good over veggies too. 
My five year old son proclaimed this the best dinner I ever made and considering he is my picky eater, I take this as the highest complement.  Enjoy!!

Corned Beef Cabbage Rolls

Looking for something to do with your leftover corned beef?  Or maybe just a change from the regular boiled dinner?  I found a recipes for cabbage rolls made with rice and hamburger and they looked really good, so I decided to give it a try with my corned beef.  It was so easy and really good.
I baked my corned beef in my deep dish baker I got from Amanda Henderson, my good friend and Pampered Chef consultant.  I then cut the meat into small chunks. I boiled my entire head of cabbage (whole) for about three minutes.  When it cooled enough to touch I peeled the cabbage and rolled up my corned beef  in each leaf and placed them in a well sprayed slow cooker.  I added some tomato sauce, seasoned with garlic, salt and pepper on top and cooked them on low for about four hours.  They were soooooo good!  Enjoy!

What you'll need:

1 head of cabbage
1 corned beef brisket
2 small cans tomato sauce
season to taste


(my pictures are not cooperating, but hopefully they show you the process a bit)



Day before payday pasta

Today was payday, tomorrow is shopping day. As I opened up my cupboards I realized mother Hubards cupboards were bare. I wracked my brain for what I could make for dinner. Then I remembered this dish my dad used to make when I was growing up. I thought my kids would really love it and I had everything. At least I think so. I never really made it before so I just sort of went on memory from watching my dad. He got it from his dad. I made up the name. I really have no idea what it's called. Here it is:

Boil 1 lb spaghetti noodles
While they are boiling mix together 5 eggs, a splash of olive oil, a couple shakes of Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper.
Rinse the noodles with extremely hot water and immediately return them to the pot. Quickly add the egg mixture and stir it around to coat the noodles. Put the lid on for a few minutes.
I have an electric stove so it stays hot, but if you are cooking on gas you may want to put it on low. You want the eggs to be cooked. That's it, super easy and my kids and husband LOVED it! As I side I cut up the last of my cucumbers and peppers. I really need to go shopping soon, but it's nice to know we have a winner!

Slow cooker "Baked" sweet potatoes.

I can't believe it, three posts in one week!  I am on a role!  I want to share my new favorite way to eat sweet potatoes. I placed 4 medium sized sweet potatoes in my slow cooker, I drizzled a little olive oil on top. (next time I may try coconut oil) I then shook a few very generous shakes of pumpkin pie spice on top. They cooked on low for 4 hours to absolute perfection. Now, when we eat sweet potatoes for the holidays, my husband usually bakes them with brown sugar, cinnamon, syrup, coconut and loads of butter. They are amazing, but not healthy at all. I did want a healthy alternative to putting butter on them.  I decided to take 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, two tablespoons of honey and a couple of healthy shakes of that pumpkin pie spice and blended it all together. We put it on the potatoes and it was amazing!  I also plan to keep the coconut oil mixture in the fridge for many other goodies to come. I hope you all enjoy my new favorite Paleo side dish.

Honey Mustard Slow Cooker Chicken

I am a huge fan of my slow cooker. I use it a few times a week. It is so convenient to throw something in while the babies are napping and have it perfectly done when the hubby gets home. I don't usually follow recipe directions, I tend to take an idea and just go with it. I love honey mustard chicken so I went ahead and made my own. This recipe can easily be converted to Paleo by making your own mustard. ( I plan on doing that very soon with this recipe here)

My plan was to make it ahead of time and cool it so we could eat it over salad. We did do this and it was very good, but I couldn't stop tasting it right out of the slow cooker. I was afraid we weren't going to have enough. Next time I'm going to double the batch. Here is what I did.

3 tbsp sweet hot mustard
3 tbsp regular mustard

1 tbsp honey

1 garlic clove 

1lb of chicken breast

I blended the ingredients together and poured them over the chicken. I cooked it for six hours on low because I wanted it to fall apart, but 4 hours would be sufficient. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!  Next time I will take a picture too!

The Power of Ginger... and a few other tips

If you have a cold (or even if you don't) Ginger can be a lifesaver (maybe even literally) Ginger has many health benefits and it's so tasty too! These benefits include: Anti-inflammatory, Immunity boosting, Antiemetic (anti-nausea, morning sickness and motion sickness) Migraine relief, (pain killer) Arthritis relief, (anti-inflammatory) Menstrual cramp relief, Relieve nasal congestion, Slows growth of coli rectal and ovarian cancer, Protects against Alzheimer's disease. Ginger is so easy to add into your diet. Try using it not only in baked goods but stir-fry, marinade, curry and oatmeal. Also as Melissa pointed out you can peel and freeze ginger and then just grate it as needed straight from frozen. When I feel like I'm coming down with something (congestion or stomach) I make up a batch of this ginger honey tea: 4 cups water 4 tbsp. raw honey or more to taste 3-4 tbsp. lemon juice 1 in piece of fresh ginger Thin slice ginger and simmer in the water about 10 mins. Add lemon juice and honey. Strain and enjoy :) I also highly recommend adding an Echinacea/goldenseal supplement, vitamin C and garlic into your daily routine if you feel like you’re coming down with something or are already sick. Goldenseal should only be taken a week at a time and Eucalyptus oil is great for congestion. Remember hand washing is your biggest defense when it comes to protecting yourself during cold and flu season (well anytime really). also it is always a good idea to wash down doorknobs, light switches and faucets with an antibacterial cleaner (my favorite is a bleach/water solution, you can use one part bleach to ten parts water or one tablespoon bleach to one gallon water.) remember to wash your sheets, stuffed animals your kiddos sleep with, and toss or disinfect tooth brushes. I hope this post helps you all through the cold and flu season! Love, Annette :) Ps. all of this information is based on personal research and does not replace professional care.