Homemade Chicken Stock

Homemade chicken stock has SO many health benefits, and is even friendly to your pocket books! It's easy too! Sure it's convenient to go to the store and buy broth, but by making your own you gain so much more. Rather than spending 3-4 bucks on a box, make your own for near the same cost that is double or triple the supply, with a more flavorful and nutritious stock. To start here are just a few of the benefits you gain from homemade stock:
*Homemade stock helps speed up the recovery of those common colds, flus and viruses.
*Chicken broth is one of the most easily digestible foods, easy on the tummy and helps strengthen your gut.
*Other minerals from your homemade broth that may be lost in those boxed brands include: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, etc.
*The gelatin (the BEST ingredient) in homemade broth is what helps cure those sicknesses and diseases faster and is often lost in store bought broths!
So jump on board and spend a few minutes throwing chicken, veggies and herbs in a pot and let it simmer for the day! You won't be sorry.

Homemade chicken stock is super easy, you basically dump either a whole organic chicken (which is what I do), or leftover chicken carcass/bones in a pot with veggies and herbs! let it simmer all day and you are done! Your recipe can vary, but this is what I have done.

Ingredients:
1 whole organic chicken -bought mine at costco, also available at trader joes/whole foods
1 whole large onion chopped
1-2 celery stalks
1-2 peeled organic carrots
2-3 T raw apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic
parsley or 2 bay leaves
water

Directions:
The first time I made my stock I used a big stock pot and dumped all the ingredients in and covered my chicken with purified cold water (probably between 6-8 cups water). Then let it sit in the cool water for a half hour-hour. Then I brought it to a near boil, then let it simmer the day away... literally. Today, I'm trying my crockpot (set on low all day). Cook, I read anywhere from 6-24 hours. I personally thought 10-12 was perfect. Keep checking on it throughout the day and skim any of the nasty that surfaces... you'll know what i'm talking about. When you are done and content with the wonderful aroma, simply strain out the veggies and chicken parts and fill glass containers with the cups and cups of perfect broth you have made. It is probably easier to strain with a cheese cloth, but I didn't have one and worked just fine without.

The stock lasts a good week tightly sealed in the refrigerator, otherwise it freezes very well.  I use glass jars to freeze mine, and let it thaw when I'm ready to use in the fridge. GREAT for recipes and soups! The best part about using a whole chicken rather than just the bones... you can shred off the chicken and here you have cups of chicken for any recipe of your choosing! :) MOST COST EFFECTIVE WAY to make chicken and broth.

GOOD LUCK! :) Wishing you a happy, healthier stock filled day.

a NUTRIENT packed POPSICLE

Caleb has yet to really be introduced to the concept of "dessert". But when he does, I hope to have many more recipes in my back pocket, like these healthy homemade popsicles. My mom called me the other day and told me to turn on the Katie Couric show, Jessica Alba was on it talking about allergies, eating a clean diet, as well as reducing environmental pollutants in  your home. She was FULL of wonderful information, and I am very interested in learning more about her Honest product line. One thing I really enjoyed that she shared on the show, was learning how to introduce HEALTHY snacks to our children... as well as affordable and tasty. She shared two different popsicle ideas. Here they are!

First was a "Strawberry Lover's Ice Pop"

ingredients:

2 C. of strawberries (organic... strawberries are in the "dirty dozen" for pesticides, so if you can buy organic, i recommend it, otherwise wash wash wash)

2-3 TBLS honey (we use raw)

2 TBLS lemon juice

2 TBLS basil leaves chopped up

1 C. milk/water

directions: 

puree the strawberries, milk, lemon juice, honey and basil leaves together until desired consistency. Pour into ice cube molds, add popsicle sticks, and freeze! 

2nd recipe: "Go Green Ice Pop"

ingredients:

3 bananas

2 C. of fresh pineapple chunks

2 C. of fresh spinach

1 C. of 100% pineapple juice or milk 

directions:

blend spinach and liquid of choice. Add the pineapple chunks and puree. Then add the bananas and mix until smooth. Pour in popsicle molds and freeze! (usually freeze in a couple hours)

I love the concept of these. Your child still gets a yummy treat, but its made of whole fruits and vegetables. You can basically get creative and add whatever you want, but these are no fail recipes to try first. :) Can't wait to get my popsicle molds and try with caleb. I'll post a picture as soon as I do. :) Maybe once the snow melts here. 

the most DELICIOUS GF Chicken Enchiladas

As I was racking my brain on what to make for dinner Tuesday night... I knew I didn't feel like cooking any meat so I searched my freezer for leftovers. I had some leftover shredded chicken, 2 cups, from our burrito bowls last week (consisted of chicken/homemade broth/fresh salsa/black beans in crockpot), and about a half cup of leftover italian shredded chicken from a few weeks prior (consisted of chicken/homemade broth/homemade cream of chicken soup and cream cheese) . Hmmm... interesting combo, but why not try mixing the two together for enchiladas! 

So I found a delicious gluten free recipe online and began to modify it to make it organic/soy free/gluten free, yet flavorful!
First off... I needed the base... enchilada sauce. I have never made my own before but why not, so easy and this way you can control the ingredients. :)

 Enchilada Sauce Recipe
~ingredients:
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 small onion- diced
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 28oz can organic crushed tomatoes
1 tsp sugar/stevia
1 splash of balsamic vinegar
2 tsp of dried cilantro

Directions: 
sautee the onion, chili powder and cumin for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, sugar, vinegar and cilantro and stir. Simmer for 15-20 mins. WAHLAH!

Now if you don't have leftover chicken for the enchiladas like I did, simply cube up and cook some organic chicken, then mix with 3/4 cup of sour cream, some chopped green chilies. 

You will also need:
olive oil
8-10 corn tortillas
Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Now the remaining RECIPE for the chicken enchiladas:
Directions:

~Spread some olive oil on a 9 x 13 glass dish and add a thin layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom. 
~Heat up each corn tortilla before you stuff it, with some olive/coconut oil in a pan. Then stuff with chicken, some shredded cheese, and a bit of sauce. Fold, set in dish, and cover with some more enchilada sauce and shredded cheddar cheese. Continue until you are out, and then cover the whole dish with the remaining enchilada sauce, top with a bit more cheese... and bake for 20 mins in the oven (350 degrees).

ENJOY! :) They were seriously the best enchiladas I've made to date. :)

a HEALTHY cookie?!

Since we began our health kick, I haven't attempted to bake a thing (except for gf banana bread in my bread maker and that was a disaster). I just figured cookies = sugar = unhealthy. WRONG! I found a cookie which is truly not bad for you, and if it didn't have peanut butter in it, i would even consider giving it to caleb! (caleb is a deprived little boy who's sugar content comes from fruit alone at this point, so a cookie would be AMAZING i'm sure!) ;)

There is no flour in this cookie, no added sugar... so what do you use? GARBANZO BEANS!!!! what?! I would have never in a million years even considered trying a garbanzo bean cookie, and definitely not bake my own! awhile back when i was just looking for gluten free dessert ideas my sister in law Sara had mentioned that her friend had an amazing chocolate cake made at a party and when they asked what made it sooooo good... the chef said, garbanzo beans! so I did some research and took a stab at these garbanzo bean dark chocolate chip cookies yesterday, and they were actually good! Adam and I each consumed at least 3 right out of the oven! Here is the recipe :)

Ingredients:

1 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

2 egg whites

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 c honey (i used raw honey)

1/4 c milk (also could use almond or coconut milk)

2-3 T All natural peanut butter (or almond butter)

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 c quick- cooking oats (certified gluten free, if you want the cookies gf)

1/2 c dark choc chips

Directions:

~Place the garbanzo beans, vanilla and milk in a food processor, pulse until the mixture forms into a smooth paste, then pour into a medium bowl

~Add your honey, peanut butter, egg whites, salt and baking powder to the batter and mix

~Add oats and grind until you have a flour like consistency

~Stir oats and chocolate chips

~Drop cookies by the tablespoon and flatten onto a cookie sheet (they do not spread so form them into cookie shape)

~Bake for 15 MINS @ 300 degrees, turning halfway @ 10 mins. WAHLAH!

yield: 28 cookies

We both truly enjoyed these cookies. Next time I think I will add a bit more peanut butter, maybe a few more dark choc chips... but overall a success.  Fills that sweet tooth  and you dont have to feel guilty about it! :) Hope you try this recipe and enjoy it as much as we have. 

PS. they are much better when eaten warm and gooey, so heat them up a bit each time to fully ENJOY! :)

Organized Kitchen?!

Organized Kitchen?! Who has one? not me. Now that i'm on this healthy food kick, we are not only eating out less... but eating in MORE, which means MORE food, MORE groceries, MORE stuff in the kitchen. Our cupboards were full, we had random items everywhere. and I'll be honest, i'm a clutter bug. So i'm looking for some help... any useful organization that has helped you in the kitchen.  I'll share just a few we have adapted this past year, in a large part thanks to my handy husband. :)

The first was our utensil drawer... it was exactly that, it held EVERY utensil we owned, which made it frustrating to dig your way around to find that potato peeler stuck in the back. My husband was at someones house when he noticed they simply had a cute basket on their counter that held their tall utensils... brilliant! it freed up so much space in our drawer and now make those utensils much easier to access when baking and cooking. 

The next mini project my  husband took on was to add some shelves to our kitchen. We were running out of space for our bowls/appliances/food, especially now that we have Caleb and the daycare kiddos, i needed space for their cups/snacks/and such. So rather than cluttering up our counters even more, Adam added these... super easy to put up and fit in a tight corner of the kitchen.

 They arent' the most beautiful to the eye, but boy did they make a HUGE difference in counter space! :)
Ok that's all for now, if anyone has any helpful hints on organizing their kitchen... please share!
Also link up to my sister in law's blog, her "Tuesday Tidbits" are helpful 

You are what you EAT :)

These words have never rung so true for our family, until now. Through the journey of Adam's food allergies and celiac disease, we slowly began researching more and more about the food we put into our bodies. But it wasn't until Caleb was fully on solid foods, reached a year old, and we were still having health problems with our little guy... that we really dug deep.

In December we went to visit a holistic doctor recommended by our cousin, for Caleb. (We had already tried multiple docs/allergy testing/so on before this point without any answers).
We knew it would be a good chunk of change, an investment of time and a change in our diets... but we never figured we'd turn into "those people"... those "heathy/clean eating goofballs" as we have often titled others while we munched on our chocolate bars and made weekly fast food visits. :)
I'll post more later about our experiences with this doctor and the changes caleb and adam have made, later... but if we have gotten ANYTHING out of this whole experience, its been such great knowledge about food and what we should & should not be putting in our bodies... and opened our eyes to the importance of what we feed our children. What we start feeding our children now, while they are young, can MAJORLY impact their lives.

For those of you who know me know i have a deep love for mcdonalds french fries and even 5 years ago could barely mix up a boxed batch of mac and cheese. Times have significantly changed. I am far from an expert now and far from a cook... but the more i learn, the more i try, and the more i want to become one.

So many americans are just mislead as to what is considered "healthy". Before, eating healthy to me meant simply lower the amount of candy and chips you eat, pick low fat items, and try not to eat out as much. Boy was I off! Now the words "eating healthy" mean far, far more. I've learned the dangers of all the pesticides, and genetically modified and processed junk that fill our grocery stores. I've learned the amount of ingredients in a food item does matter... the more the ingredients, usually the more fillers. I've learned that by simply terming an item "natural" makes it FAR from natural... those chicken nuggets and beef patties most likely came from animals that were fed antibiotics and junk that can effect the way your body functions. I've learned the benefits of making your own food, from scratch... so you know exactly what you are putting into your body. I've learned the benefits of foods i've never had in my kitchen before such as kefir, stevia, homemade stock, broth, and veggies galore. My eyes have been opened to significant health problems that are caused by simply what we are eating. And it's scarey.

Now, that being said, I will tell you I still eat my chips and dip on occasion, and have yet to give up my daily chocolate/latte consumption. I'm taking one step at a time. But as a family we are taking STRIDES towards eating healthier. For example, we have always been known to have a FULL stock of any soda-pop in our home... we LOVE pop. But we have now switched to drinking Zevia instead... which has no sugar or calories and is sweetened with stevia, instead of sugar, aspertame and sucralose which can be super damaging to your bodies. We drink a lot more water, and save calories this way. You won't believe how many calories you intake by liquids in a day. Another baby step we are making is eating out WAY less, its probably been a month or two since we've gone to a fast food restaurant, and we are making wholesome, clean and healthy meals at least 4x a week. heck, I... Katie Wallschlaeger, made my own chicken stock with a full organic chicken and chicken feet... UGH! i still shudder at the thought, but the benefits you get from making your own broth are outstanding. Check out this blog http://kellythekitchenkop.com/ and search chicken broth if you want to learn more about it.

Eating organic, and finding foods that are free of antibiotics and pesticides can get expensive. We aren't in a place where we can afford buying all organic, but we do where we can. We are still learning and are enjoying the process along the way. :) We aren't just making this change for ourselves, I'd say my main motivation is Caleb and finding ways to improve his quality of life. And let me tell you, since we've taken out soy from his diet, and any foods that are processed... and put him on a clean diet... we've seen improvements in his sleep, energy, and temperament.
To give you an idea, here is a sample of what we feed Caleb on a given day:

BREAKFAST -whole milk (organic)
-scrambled eggs (cage-free/organic), with cheddar cheese, spinach, broccoli
-plain unsweetened kefir mixed with pureed carrots/cauliflower/pear (currently we are giving caleb supplements/vitamins so we need an item each meal pureed to mix them in)
-banana
LUNCH -whole milk (organic)
-antibiotic free/organic deli Turkey (we buy applegate brand at target)
-Ezekiel bread toasted with real organic butter and avacado (he wont eat avacado plain so i spread it on his bread)
-broccoli
-pureed carrots/green beans and berry
SNACK -water
-peas
-cheddar cheese
-blueberries (organic if on sale, otherwise cleaned well)

DINNER -whole milk (organic)
-creamy italian chicken (made with my own chicken stock and homemade cream of celery soup)
recipe from: http://onceamonthmom.com/slow-cooker-creamy-italian-chicken/
-broccoli/carrots
-plain kefir/sweet potatoe and apple puree
-we also offer water throughout the day

Sorry this got long, but hope you learned a little something today. If you have any information to share, please feel free to email me at katie.oxborough@gmail.com. I'm always up for learning more about this topic or recipes to try! :) HAPPY EATING!

Amazed

"AMAZED"

       This song has been my all time favorite worship song for years, and was played in our wedding 3 years ago. I've always felt the most connected with God through music, and this song never fails to bring me back to where I need to be. On my 12 mile run this morning God brought me to a place of peace and serenity that I have not felt since Caleb was born 9 months ago... Let me share.
      I rarely run my long runs alone, and even more rare, I chose to run this morning instead of going to church... but this morning Caleb slept until 8 (which is a true rarity), and I felt it necessary to take advantage. :) So I mapped out a random run around Champlin, grabbed my iphone and running gear and head out this morning for a solo run, praying I'd make it the full distance on my own without getting bored, while Adam stayed back with Caleb.
       I was about 6 miles in, tired, sore and complaining to myself when i came across this unexpected beautiful lake in the middle of a very autumn wooded area. Right as I neared this splendid scene, on came this song, Amazed, by Desperation Band. I stopped in my tracks and immediately knew God was trying to tell me something... so why not stop, listen, and take a much appreciated walking break to take it in?
       I was instantly brought to tears, as i started reminiscing of my current life's circumstances.  My dear sweet Caleb was born 9 months ago, 9 MONTHS AGO... and I can honestly say its been the toughest, most wearing 9 months of my entire life. Most parents can agree with this statement, but they would also say... "but its been the most rewarding" or "I wouldn't trade it in for the world"... and i thought to myself... how can i not say that? I have this perfect, beautiful little baby boy. How awful of a person can i really be when i'm stripped down to my core and I am overwhelmed with exhaustion, saddness and discouragement, rather than pure joy as i have begun this journey as a new mom.

      For those of you who know Adam and I, know our life has been extremely difficult with our Caleb. In a nutshell, he is the epitome of a "colicky" baby.  The first 6 months of his life are literally a haze to this family... screaming, crying, a non-sleeping haze.  And yes, i know many of you will say... "oh yes, we had one of those...our baby just didn't sleep", but nobody, nobody knows the extent of just how unique our baby boy has been. The ONLY way to get him to sleep would be with hours, HOURS, of bouncing on an exercise ball. No rocking, bouncing, jumping, stair walking, car driving, swings, baby seats or shhhh'shing would do the trick. just the exercise ball.  but it was something, it was our savior for the first half of his life.  Then SLOWLY starting around 5-6 months, we would be able to set him down for short periods of time, play with him, smile with him and start to enjoy our little guy during the day... but nights... back to the same ole thing. Countless wake ups throughout the night, crying, screaming, arching in pain... but the doctors had no answers. Wasn't reflux, bowels tested out fine, wasn't what was in my breast milk as i changed my diet more times that i can count... he was just a "colicky baby". So we finally gave up trying to find the answer, and tried to enjoy the happy times we got. And yes, there were many many happy times... it was our sigh of relief during the day, because once it hit night fall we knew it was going to be rough. I began getting literally anxious as bedtime came because i knew how tired, sick and upset i'd feel at 12, 1, 130, 230, 3, 4, 415, 430, 5 and 6am. The countless times you'd bounce him and finally get him to sleep, only to lay him down and see him wiggle awake screaming right when you hit your pillow. It was getting so hard and resentment was building in our marriage.  We tried switching off nights so one of us could get a full night sleep, we tried taking late night/early morning shifts... you name it. But exhaustion hits you, and it turns you into somebody you don't even recognize. Adam and I became such bitter people, with only enough energy to be "pleasant" once we were out with family and friends, but at home... we were selfish, unloving, and were just getting by, while focusing on taking care of caleb, and caleb only. 
     Now the point of this post isnt supposed to be negative, I promise... as I was standing staring at the lake, these are the memories I have of the past 9 months and it broke me to tears.  How are they all SO negative. I love my baby more than life itself. He is the cutest, sweetest, funniest little guy, and I wouldn't ever trade him back for life without him. It breaks my heart to have so many negative memories of his first months of life. and it makes it even worse to think of how I handled it so poorly... so selfishly. Yes i have an excuse, I was exhausted... I was, and often still am, averaging probably 3-5 hours of sleep a night. Some nights less, some nights more. for 9 months, that is NOT enough sleep. There were SO many times I'd complain to God... why? why did you give me a son who I can't even enjoy as an infant? but you know what... how awful am I to say this? Some families can't have babies, some families have babies who really are sick. WE are SO blessed. I was reminded today just how blessed I am. I HAVE a son, I HAVE Caleb who IS a healthy (ha!) baby boy, who I get to spend my days with, who i get to care for, nurture and love. And yes its been hard, but from the get go we knew we were going to have a baby boy who was different than the rest, and that's why we named him Caleb. He's a tough cookie, already been through a lot... he's a baby of a different spirit, with courage, strength, and will grow up in a family of faith.

     I dont have the answers, I don't know why God has given Adam and I such "needy" pets and children... but you know what... i'm thankful.  I'm constantly AMAZED at how we've gotten to the point we are at now... and the growth we have ahead of us.  It's not easy, and Adam and I constantly struggle to get through it, but we do. And we have God to thank for that.
       As i listen to this song I think of the many nights I lay crying while bouncing Caleb to sleep, feeling abandoned by God, but all along... He was there. He was dancing around me, ALWAYS there, wrapping his arms around the both of us and trying to say... "I love you, it will be ok". You don't always know what God's plan is... but He will bring you through tough times to grow you as a person and this is one of those times for my family.  I'm constantly and will always be AMAZED by His love for me. At my deepest hours, He is there... Now my job is to remember that, ask for forgiveness, move on and continue caring, loving and praying for my family that I am so truly AMAZED to have.