Original EASY Paleo Recipe--Skillet Chicken

I made the following recipe up...randomly. I do that often. But this was good, to my taste buds anyway.

Need:
2 Chicken breasts
1 Onion, sliced
1 Tbsp minced garlic
Italian seasoning (I honestly don't know how much I used)
Salt (same as the Italian seasoning)
1/2 C. Sun dried tomatoes
1/4 to 1/2 C. Artichoke Heart OIL (as in, the oily sauce that they marinate the artichoke hearts in...I use Costco brand)
1/2 C. Sauerkraut

Pour the oily liquid into a skillet along with garlic. Get it hot. Add Chicken. You can cut the chicken up, or you can keep it whole. I usually keep mine whole, but it depends on how fast I want it to cook. Add onion and tomatoes after the chicken's been cooking a little while. Sprinkle on Italian seasoning and salt. I probably used between 1 to 2 Tbsp of Italian seasoning...maybe more. Depends on my mood. :) Sate all of that together for...I don't know. 10 to 15 minutes maybe? Again, it will go faster if you cut up the chicken. Turn the heat to medium low, cover skillet with lid and let it all simmer up into a sauce type thing. Make sure the chicken is cooked through. Once cooked, add Sauerkraut right before you eat it.

YUM. Call me crazy...but YUM.

You could also add some chopped up artichoke hearts if you want. But those are some of my favorite things in the world, so I often have leftover oil with no hearts to actually use, because I've already eaten them all. :)

Let me know if anyone actually tries this. Maybe I'm just a wacko that likes crazy combinations. Or maybe, just maybe...I created a masterpiece! ;)

Thank Heaven for nieces and nephews

*For their open-mouth kisses when they're small
*For smiling when you play peek-a-boo
*For thinking you're so cool for taking them to get ice cream as they get older
*For never judging you based on looks, social status or job title
*For always being excited to see you
*For wanting to show you their latest drawing, school assignment or doll collection
*For giving you glimpses of Heaven when they sleep
*For melting your heart when they bring you a book and turn around to get situated just perfectly in your lap in order for story time
*For being ecstatic when you agree to have a slumber party on the living-room floor with them

And most importantly for me...

*For giving me someone to love, kiss and hug on while I'm wandering through this single/alone section of life

They keep my heart soft, thankful, positive and happy.

Thank Heaven for nieces and nephews.

Things I've refrained from posting on Facebook

I have a bitter-sweet relationship with Facebook. Part of me loves it...is obsessed with it and its amazing ability to keep people connected. The other part of me hates it, because it sucks you in and gives you a false sense of popularity, companionship, security and attention. When 20 people "like" your status, that just means that 20 people like your status. 20 people can passively, lazily say "Hey...I'm giving you attention, just to let you know I find amusement in what you wrote." It doesn't mean those same 20 people would have thought highly enough of you to actually call you up and say "I really appreciate what you said. Let's talk more about your thoughts." Probably 2 out of the 20 people would actually do that.

So, I've tried...TRIED to limit my posting on Facebook this week. Because I'm just tired of always thinking what I have to say needs to be heard by my facebook gang. But don't get me wrong, I've thought of plenty of things to post throughout the week. And I've even started to write them out to post, and then I've deleted them.

I'm not trying to belittle Facebook or other people who post frequently. And there's nothing wrong with posting something and enjoying the "likes" you receive on a post. Seriously, this is a battle within myself. A battle I fight both in the Internet world and in the real world. When should I stop talking? When is what I'm saying important...not important? Why do I think what I have to say is so special? Why do I feel the need to get so much attention? Why do I want people to think I'm funny? These are questions I ask myself a lot. And sometimes, I just need to stay silent...FORCE myself to stay silent, just to take a break from myself. You know?

With all that said, I need an outlet for all the things I would have posted on facebook this week. Since I have far less readers on this blog than I do in the land of Facebook, I thought it would be a good outlet.

1) I've been known to eat a whole apple on occasion...core and all. Gross? I think not. Just takin' after the cavemen. Try it. What makes the core any different from the rest of the apple? It all tastes the same.
                  Brilliant, I know. That would have gotten a total of...1 like.

2) I'm not going to say where I stand on gay marriage...basically because I just don't want to get into it with anyone. But what I will say is this: I'm tired of ignorant and insensitive people comparing gay marriage to a person wanting to marry their pet or an inhuman object. I hear it constantly..."Next thing you know, people will want to marry their dog." Really? Seriously...really?!? Come on, people! No matter where you stand on this issue, that is just downright insensitive. Two consenting adults who deeply love each other and want to get married is the same thing as a man or woman wanting to marry a dog, cow, chicken or shoe??? That just baffles me beyond belief. I will never understand that comparison, and I refuse to accept it. Let's have a little more respect for each other. You don't have to agree with gay marriage...but we can at least show some consideration of people's feelings.

                 I'm curious to know how ripped apart I would have gotten for that one....

3) Another week has come and gone. And I ask myself, what did I do this week to make a difference? Nothing. I did, however get out of bed and continue to put one foot in front of the other. Why? Because I have faith...faith that God has a plan for me. I'm thankful for Easter weekend, to remind me why I keep pushing forward in faith. Why I live, love, and care. Because Christ lives, loves and cares. Because He cares, I care. I live to share His love. So that's what I'll do. I know Jesus Christ lives. That he has felt our pain, sorrow, loneliness, heart-ache and experienced our mistakes weaknesses and wrong-doings. He's there to lift us up. He conquered physical death, so we can all reunite with each other in the flesh when this life is through. I'm thankful for the plan God created, and I'm thankful the Savior was willing to make that plan possible. I know they both live.
              
                   That one was super long-winded and kind of jumped all over the place. But the overall message came from my heart.

4) The sun is shining, it's warm outside, I just climbed the hill by my house 5 times to get my heart pumping, my roommate just bought baby chicks (free-range eggs, baby!) and I bought tickets for an acoustic Sara Bareilles concert in May! Gooooood Friday!

                    I actually did post this one, and then took it down two minutes later. Again, I say...I have an internal battle about why I feel the need to consistently let everyone know what's on my mind.

I'm sure there were more...in fact, I'm pretty positive there were more brewing in my head, but these are all the ones I actually wrote out, and then deleted. Maybe we can chalk it up to me just being a writer? Wanting to be heard? Not having a companion to talk to? I don't know...but it's worth thinking about.

Thanks for listening. ;)

As a Post Script--after I posted this, I nearly deleted it. Because, once again...why? Why did I post it? But...whatever. It's a blog, and I write. So I'm leaving it. Ah...to be human.

Hi guys

Not much to write about lately.

I've actually nearly forgotten about the land of blogging. Which kind of makes me sad. But happy at the same time, because when I do remember, several blogs have finally been updated since the last time I checked. When I check frequently, it seems like no one is ever posting.

My soul is feeling a little weary right now. Life is making me tired. And I was recently, powerfully reminded of one of my biggest weaknesses...which is very humbling...and a bit draining.

I went from working in a job where people absolutely LOVED me to a job where people act like I don't exist. That's been rough. I've been there for a month...it's getting a little better though.

I go back and forth between enjoying being free and single to longing for companionship. My life is a roller coaster of emotions...but isn't every life a roller coaster? I'm nothing special there.

Things that make me happy...and things I'm thankful for lately include but are not limited to:

1) The steep hill I walk every day
2) Spring is here
3) I live in a cute house
4) I've kept my room clean for a week and a half...like legitimately clean. That's unheard of for me.
5) Free bus pass
6) Good roommates
7) SUPER yummy paleo recipes... I mean, seriously. I eat GOOD food.
8) Cooking
9) My niece, Perry
10) The big body of water I cross every day on my way to work
11) Dancing With The Stars
12) A ward where I consistently feel spiritually fed and uplifted
13) Prayer
14) A sister who takes me to Costco
15) This burger place Kayleen and I found called "A Burger Place"...haha. There's a checklist, and you mark everything you want on your burger. And you can get them lettuce wrapped. Kayleen and I get bacon, egg, avocado and every freaking veggie under the sun on ours. YUM.

Hope you all are happy and healthy.

Fat vs. Skinny

Watch this.


Now read the article that goes along with it: http://thinkprogress.org/media/2013/02/11/1573871/adele-kelly-clarkson-fox-weight/

I'm going to go on a rant here...please forgive me.

I find this article ridiculous. Partially because you can slap a suit and tie on a fat man, and hardly anyone says a thing about his weight.

The other thing that bugs me is, our fixation on the health of "fat" people. It drives me NUTS. The assumption that because a person is skinny, he/she is healthier than someone who is fatter...give me a freakin' break. I'm not just saying all this because I am a fat person. I've lost nearly 50 pounds and I'm still going. I understand the importance of being healthy and doing all I can to live a good, long, healthy life. And I'm not saying that people should just stay overweight, especially when it's affecting their ability to function, stay alive, do the things they need to do...so on and so forth. But I get so sick, SO freaking SICK of "overweight" women being the target of criticism.

The only way you can judge if someone's healthy is...oh wait, there really isn't a way. Not unless you have tons of equipment and can know a person's history and crunch all the numbers. Who gave you the right to look at someone, merely LOOK at someone, and presume to know their eating and exercise habits? Seriously, drives me insane.

I believe in taking care of your body. And I believe in being healthy. But do I believe that all the skinny people in America take care of their bodies...and make healthy choices? No. No, I don't. It's so stupid to make that assumption. The obvious, automatic assumption when you see a heavier person standing next to a skinny person is that the skinny person eats "healthier" (and we all have different ideas on what "healthy" is...) and that the skinny person exercises more. Let me just say, this idea is bogus. Seriously bogus.

I understand there's an obesity "epidemic" in America. I understand that there's more processed crap than ever before. I understand that we need to make people aware of health issues and the reality of the situation. But seriously. SERIOUSLY...we ALL need to hear these messages. All of us. Just because I'm an unlucky person, who struggles with weight MUCH more than the average Joe, and has to constantly, CONSTANTLY worry about the physical consequences of what I'm putting into my body, does not mean I deserve to be treated any differently from anyone else. If I choose to eat a piece of pizza, and my skinnier friend chooses to eat a piece of pizza, heck...we're both making the same choice, and I shouldn't be judged harsher just because I've got a little more meat on my bones.

Can you tell this topic gets under my skin?

Thoughts? Agree? Disagree? Argue with me. Please and thank you.

The "hows" to my weight-loss success so far

Okay friends.

After several, and I mean SEVERAL, people questioning me over the last few weeks on my weight-loss success, I'm going to write a blog post about it.

Paleo.

Here's the deal. I have my thoughts, opinions and feelings on food, health and nutrition. And my thoughts, opinions and feelings do not have to line up with yours in order for us to remain friends. Since I have been asked by several people for tips, thoughts, explanations and so on, I'm going to share them here on my blog.

First and foremost, paleo has been much more a mind-shift than a diet-shift for me. It's true, I have shifted the way I eat. But I've shifted the way I see food and the way I see myself, which has helped me shift the way I eat.

I used to be someone who thought I'd never be able to look or feel good. I was cursed with a body that was fat. I had thoughts like, "It sucks that my skinny friend can eat a whole package of oreos, and I eat 3 and gain 5 lbs. It's not fair." I also had the mentality that the rest of the world has, which is..."If I can just lose 'this' amount of lbs. in 'this' amount of time, then...THEN my life will be better and THEN I can eat whatever I want." Everything was centered on time, numbers, and a fixation on the idea that it's not fair that I can't eat crap when other people can. I was obsessed with it. It made me justify everything. "It's not fair that I have to count calories. It's not fair that I have to worry about eating too much. It's not fair...blah blah blah."

Some how, some way, I realized that eating has nothing to do with being fair. Really...REALLY, none of us should be eating processed crap. It doesn't matter how skinny you are...it's not good for our bodies. But the reality is, what you do to your body has nothing to do with what I do to my body. And I finally figured that out.

I started seeing food as fuel...fuel for this God-given body that I've been entrusted with. Food is just like anything else; some things improve our well-being and help us achieve our goals, and some things set us back...and do not help our well-being.

So, one day...I just decided. I decided to stop looking at numbers. To stop comparing. To stop being envious. And I started to focus on my body. MY body. Not the world's view of a perfect body. Not the government's idea of what a perfect body should consume. MY body...and what makes my body feel good.

I listened to podcasts...specifically Latest In Paleo, which has since turned into less of a paleo podcast, and more of a whole-foods podcast. The producer, Angelo Copola, doesn't follow a strict "paleo" lifestyle. He eats grains on occasion and allows dairy into his diet. He does, however, eat natural, whole foods. The podcast takes a look at all sorts of articles, news clips, documentaries and debates about food...and he breaks them apart and looks at it through a paleo-ish lense. Listening to these podcasts allowed me to form my own thoughts and opinions on what I should be putting in my body...because I was hearing multiple view-points on health, food, nutrition an exercise....all from a wide variety of sources.

When I started the paleo lifestyle, I did it with the mindset that I'd see how I FELT after 30 days. Not how much weight I'd lose...but how I would feel. I didn't put a number on it. I didn't compare myself to any other person's experience with paleo. I just decided to do it, and then to see how I felt.

At the end of the 30 days of following a pretty strict paleo diet, I felt clean, more energetic, and my sleep had improved. So, I decided to keep going. I started August 8, 2011...and I've been living this lifestyle since that time.

So, do I "cheat"? What about wheat? What about "eat meat sparingly"?

First of all, the fact that I've shifted the way I see food means I no longer believe in the term "cheat" when it comes to food. Food is fuel. Some food doesn't fuel my body the way it should. Does it mean I'm cheating when I eat that non-productive fuel? No. I'm not cheating. How is that cheating? I'm just CHOOSING to fuel my body with fake substance that doesn't do much for my physical well-being. It's happy for my taste-buds in the moment. And you know what...that's just fine. I can make those choices if I want. And I do on occasion. It doesn't mean I'm a bad person. It doesn't mean I'm a failure at the paleo lifestyle. It just means I made a choice. And the choice produces some kind of consequence. Sometimes the only consequence is that I get to enjoy something tasty with my friends. Sometimes there are negative consequences, like feeling bloated, not being able to sleep very well, or having my pants feel a little tighter. But I made the choice, and it's the choice I wanted to make. I do not plan "cheat days." I do not calculate when I'll be able to eat certain things. I do not say "Well, because I ate this, I now have to run an extra mile." Nope... I just make choices.

So, yes, I do go off the Paleo beating path on occasion. Sometimes it's once a week. Sometimes it's once a month. Sometimes it's three times a week. The fact is, however...I don't plan and/or calculate those things. I just do what I want. And I can, now that my view of food has shifted. Because, you see, I no longer WANT to fuel my body with crap all the time. So my desire for crap is less frequent than it used to be. So when I do have a desire...sure. Once in a while I'll allow myself to have it, because I know that it won't be my main source of fuel.

Wheat. Eat meat sparingly. (This paragraph is for the Mormon readers out there. You can look up the Word of Wisdom here if you don't know what I'm talking about.) Well, to be honest...I don't care if YOU want to eat wheat. And, I do agree...that meat shouldn't be in every meal every day. But come on....really? Really? You're going to use the Word of Wisdom to keep you from eating HEALTHY? I view the paleo lifestyle as eating NATURAL WHOLE foods. So, really...maybe I shouldn't refer to it as paleo anymore. Over the year and a half that I've been eating this way, my views and ideas have evolved. So, maybe I should refer to it as a whole-foods lifestyle. But here's the deal. Gluten does not make my body feel good: fact. Wheat has gluten: fact. So, I don't eat wheat. Too many grains and starches make ME feel lethargic and cause my body to hold onto unneeded weight: fact. Do I believe grains are beneficial for the body? Yes, I do. So I eat them sometimes. Tell me this. If you're a person who eats lots of fast-food, processed food, and sugary items...but doesn't eat a lot of meat, do you think you're living the Word of Wisdom?

In a nutshell, here's what I'll say to people who are unhealthy, and ask me about how my diet lines up with the Word of Wisdom: Just cut out the processed foods. That's it. If gluten doesn't make you feel sick...GREAT, eat wheat. But make it yourself. Eat things that you could grow and make yourself.

So, moral of this whole story is....I don't really put numbers on things. I haven't given myself a time limit. I make goals based on physical things I want to accomplish. Like: I want my body to have enough energy to run a 5K. Or: I don't want diabetes. SURE, I do have sizes I'd like to see. But I don't center my whole world on those sizes. And I DON'T put a time-limit on when I should fit into those sizes. My main goal is PROGRESSION. I want to be healthier at the end of this year than I was at the end of last. If that means I'm another size down, then WOOOHOOO.

One more thing. WALK. I believe in walking. Walking will keep you alive. Sure, I've bumped my walking up to running. But I still walk every day as well. And I'm still progressing. Some day I want to add weight training into my exercise routine. Baby steps. I mastered walking first. Then I added running. I just don't believe in diving in the deep end when it comes to exercise...because if you're like me, you'll drown. I'm working my way up...slowly, but surely. With no time limits or restrictions.

The secret: Mind-shift before diet/exercise-shift.

If you made it all the way to the end of this post...wow. Good for you. I'm no expert. Not by ANY definition. I'm just telling you the mentality that's worked for me.

More links I've used throughout my year-and-a-half journey:

Favorite recipe blog: http://everydaypaleo.com/

Informative blogs:
Strict paleo: http://robbwolf.com/
A little less strict...defined more as "primal" living: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/
Whole foods living: http://www.westonaprice.org/basics/dietary-guidelines

Favorite podcast, which I linked to in my "novel" ;) : http://www.latestinpaleo.com/

Hey, so...listen.

Hey. So, I have this roommate who starts every sentence with "Hey, so" or "Listen." Once in a while she'll start it with "Look." But "Hey" and "Listen" are her most common and favorite. I've started to pick up on the isms...as I often do with whomever I'm around a lot.

Can I just say, I really enjoy my roommates. And currently, at this present time, they're filling our house with delicious smells of things I probably can't eat. :)

I would like to testify of the power of service for just a moment. This is not a story of where I served someone and it was a magnificent experience. NO. This is a story of someone serving me.

Once upon a time, I didn't know *insert person's name here* very well. She had little quarks...and because I didn't know her very well...those quarks kind of bugged me sometimes. I had no desire to get to know her...or try to be friends. Then one day I sprained my ankle. And *said person* took care of me. Beyond the normal care one gives a stranger when she sprains her ankle. She propped pillows up. Took my sock off. Observed the swelling. Put ice on it. Went to the store to buy more ice. Bought me dried fruit as a treat since she knows I try to stay away from processed food. She cleaned my nasty scrapes on my knee (spraining my ankle just wasn't enough that night...had to scrape up my knee and put a hole in my brand new workout pants) and applied healing jell stuff to it. She went to my room and brought everything down to the couch that I needed/wanted...backpack, computer, phone, charger. She made me delicious soup. And then she put on a movie and watched it with me as I stuck my foot in a bucket of ice/water. It actually wasn't a bucket...it was a big pot. And she's the one who prepared it for me.

Due to this one night...this one event...and these many acts of service, I have since gotten to know *said person* and I absolutely love her. I do. She's a tender, caring, thoughtful, good person who's just trying to make it through this life in one piece. We're buds now. And I'm so thankful to have her in my life. And that is the power of service. Pure, heartfelt, Christ-like service. It softened heart and removed my stupid, horrible pride...and now I have an amazing friend.

The other thing I wanted to say in the post is this. I post way too often on facebook. I need to disconnect from the world more often. My anxiety has been hitting full force the past couple of days...and I really think it has a lot to do with the fact that I'm always plugged into the whole freaking world. So, I've decided to try leaving my phone at home when I go places...and ah. Sweet freedom. The anxiety has subsided...somewhat. I left it at home last night when I went to dinner with my roommates. And I left it at home today when I went to church, and I actually took my HARD BACK scriptures...the physical ones that you actually turn pages instead of scroll through a little screen. And it was bliss. No temptation to check facebook. No temptation to text. No temptation to tweet. No temptation to play tetris. Just me, the Savior, the Spirit, Heavenly Father, the people I was worshiping with and the good books of scripture. The Spirit didn't have to fight for my attention. Peace. I need to disconnect more often.

But...don't be surprised if I keep posting on facebook often. I can't help it. I like to be heard. I just do. Whatev.