This slow cooker turkey chili is pretty mild and paleo friendly. It makes a ton of leftovers, which I love, plus it’s light and healthy, and made without beans or dairy. I wanted a diet friendly chili that was easy to make for Shameer, who is currently on a diet, and I’m really happy with the results. I can definitely see myself cooking this on a regular basis, which is high praise, since I try to create new recipes for you guys as often as possible.
This chicken and zoodle soup is made with homemade chicken bone broth. I normally make this dish without the zoodles, but there was extra zucchini in the fridge and I didn’t want it to go bad. The broth is the real star in the this dish, I roasted a whole grass fed chicken, that wasn’t pretty enough to make it to the blog, and threw the carcass in the slow cooker for two rounds of bone broth. Then, I stored the broth in the freezer, until Shameer and I wanted an easy meal for the week. I’m trying to do more recipes and prep work in the kitchen, that I easily store in the freezer and/or fridge, to make cooking during the week easier.
On a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil for easy cleanup, add olive oil to prevent sticking, then add chicken breast sprinkled with a pinch of sea salt.
Make a foil tent over chicken breast to capture steam, to keep chicken moist, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Peel carrots with a vegetable peeler, then chop about an inch thick.
Julienne zucchini with a julienne peeler, or use a spiralizer, to make zoodles.
In a large pot or dutch oven, add broth and carrots and cook until soft about 25-30 minutes.
Pull chicken out of the oven and shred with a fork. Then add shredded chicken to soup.
Throw in zucchini noodles at the end and let them cook in soup for ten to fifteen minutes before serving.
Taste test soup and see if it needs more sea salt. I under-salt my homemade broth to adjust easily for recipes.
Garnish with finely chopped parsley and fresh ground black pepper.
I used the marinara from my previous post to make zoodles and marinara. This meal is both paleo and vegan friendly. It makes great comfort food, so don’t be afraid to give yourself a crazy big portion. There is nothing in here, but healthy vegetables from the sauce to the noodles. You could easily add some protein either to the sauce or on top. Chicken, fish, or Italian sausage, would all taste delicious with this meal.
On a side note, I recently got an off-camera flash for my birthday that I’m currently loving! It lets me take pictures right after I’ve cooked dinner, which is great since my cooking and blogging schedule has always revolved around daylight. So everyone should look forward to more easy paleo dinners.
The marinara sauce is really simple and quick to make, as well as vegan friendly. It would also taste great on pizza. Make this sauce ahead and freeze, or jazz it up a bit with some Italian sausage and spinach, and throw it over zoodles, for an easy weeknight paleo dinner. I normally buy organic marinara all the time, because I’m really lazy, but this recipe was so easy, I doubt I will again. It only took a half hour to make, and I’m thrilled with the results.
Add peeled tomatoes to a blender to puree. Skip this step if you bought pureed tomatoes.
In a large saucepan or dutch oven, add finely chopped onion. Saute until soft for 2-5 minutes, then add garlic and chopped fresh basil.
Saute until it smells delicious for about another minute.
Then add pureed tomatoes, sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, and one bay leaf.
Bring to a simmer, and let sit simmering for 30 minutes, with the lid covering most of the top, leave lid a little to the side to let the steam escape.
I’ve wanted to do this post for long time, but it never felt right. I’ve struggled with adult acne for years, which is crazy considering that I never had it growing up. Since I was used to clear skin, the imperfections were intolerable. I usually acerbated the problem with my attempts at trying to get rid of them. I went through hundreds of dollars in products, until my wedding was months away before finally going to the dermatologist’s office. I saw a nurse practitioner who definitely knew a ton about adult acne. It took a few visits to finesse my skincare routine, since I have a sensitive, acne-prone, dry skin. Quite the combo, right?
I was put on a low dose of spironolactone to help with my hormonal acne, with good results. I was also prescribed Epiduo and Acuzone, which I continue to use today. They can be drying, so I like to use Acuzone in the morning and Epiduo at night. Sometimes I use them together, but they can be pretty strong and irritate my face. I also use a gel cleanser for oily, blemish-prone skin and skin recovery moisturizer for hypersensitive and irritable skin both from Avene. These products were recommended and purchased at the dermatologist’s office, but they can also be purchased at Dermstore.com. I’ve tried tons of products and they all cause breakouts, except this moisturizer. I put my skin through a lot trying to get rid of and prevent acne and it really does soothe the skin. I know these aren’t the greenest products available, but I personally feel better when I exercise more, which I do more often with clear skin. Plus, when your face looks like the walking dead, you get less picky. I know I don’t have before pictures for you guys, but there was no way I was letting a camera near my face when I had a bad case of acne. Seriously, I didn’t want to leave my apartment it got so bad at times.
Even with these products, I still had a bad habit of picking at my face. I feel like I’ve finally been able to overcome this bad habit I acquired. It’s been a month and a half and I haven’t picked my face! A while ago, I decided I needed a reward system that wasn’t too far into the future. Currently, I reward myself with a lipstick every week. Why this? I’ve tried other reward systems in the past that didn’t work. I’m convinced they failed because 1) I didn’t reward myself soon enough. You need to start enjoying your reward right away, and look forward to the next one in order to get emotionally invested. 2) Lipsticks are fun and something I don’t consider a makeup necessity, like foundation or concealer, which is mainly used to cover up imperfections like acne. Lipstick also comes in an infinite about of colors and variety, so you’ll stay motivated to get more. It is also a product that goes on your lips, not your face, which means you won’t have to worry about new makeup causing you acne. I’d love to be able to go out with just lipstick on and clear skin, and this reward reminds me of that. 3) There is a big variety is price. If your budget doesn’t allow expensive rewards, drugstore lipstick is can be found super cheap. There are also brands that are a little more expensive than drugstore makeup, and of course, luxury brands. Compared to the amount of money I used to spend on skincare products, even luxury lipstick less expensive.
As far as my diet is concerned, sugar makes my hormonal acne worse. That’s why I prefer low sugar diets, such as the paleo diet. I’m not trying to lose weight, and I am not strict about my diet, except when it comes to dairy. That will make me feel congested and sick. I usually cook paleo food and eat gluten and dairy free when I go out, but I don’t try to be perfect, just healthy … ish. This lets me maintain my weight, indulge in my cravings when they get out of control and still eat mostly healthy. But, everyone’s body has different needs and diets should be customized to your mental and physical well being. Just like skincare routines, what works for me might not work for you.
Disclaimer: I’m not being paid, nor have I received free products for anything mentioned in this post.
It’s been getting warmer here in LA, and I couldn’t be happier about it. There are so many beautiful locations for you to have a picnic, that it can be pretty overwhelming. There is a really great park, right by my old apartment called the Mar Vista Recreation Center that had a ton of picnic tables. I also like to keep it simple with a beach blanket, and head to the Santa Monica Pier.
Malibu Winery is another popular place to bring food, and have some of their delicious wine. If entertainment with your food is what you like, then I recommend the Hollywood Bowl. You can bring food and wine, and tickets can be cheap if you’re willing to sit in the nosebleed section.
I’m a big fan of UncommonGoods for awesome picnic gear. They also sell really amazing handmade, recycled, and organic products on their website. A lot of their products are sourced from artists and small manufacturers, and are really creatively designed and practical at the same time. Their products, especially their picnic gear, make great gifts for anniversaries and groomsmen. Check out this page for more anniversary gift ideas, and here for more groomsmen gifts. UncommonGoods also has a whole section dedicated to personalized gifts for friends and family. So you have everything you need, including a romantic gift, to make your picnic date perfect.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of UncommonGoods.
