Today was his day off...

Here, in Guam, the motto is "Where America's day begins".....so we already had our Friday which we were blessed to have Hubby home. But for this day off, we didn't do anything! Lol Soapy decided we were having Daddy cook dinner. She ordered garlic chicken wings....which Daddy and I can eat too on our new eating plan. But, I was craving something to go along with our wings.......creamed cucumber salad. Now, that's not a Paleo way to eat, well OUR recipe isn't because it contains mayo and sugar. So I looked and looked and low and behold, the Well Fed Cookbook came to the rescue again!!!!! I made olive oil mayo and used cider vinegar and OMG it was delish! Hubby said it reminded him of tazikki sauce you eat with gyros but "we can eat it by the bowl full" he said!!!!!!!  And so there was another winner!!!!!

Also, being a Pampered Chef Consultant, I get lots of goodies!!!  I used my amazing Pampered Chef  Simple Slicer which worked like a charm!  Although.....I do need to remember that they have the SAFETY slide thingy on there for a REASON!!!!!! 

This was after it sat in the sauce in the fridge for about an hour. 

And dinner was served!!!! Want to come over.....oh wait, never mind! Soapy ate the rest of the wings for dessert! Lol

Here is Melissa's link to the recipe from her blog:  http://theclothesmakethegirl.com/2010/06/24/pa-eating-all-american-grill-out/

Mmmm...Chocolate Chili!!!!!

I didn't do as well with this as I thought I was going to.  It seems it took us a year to get use to living here and my health was one of those things that took a good "hit".  So, I will be catching up to all of our shenanigans....but for now, let's go back to......

About 3 months ago, (forgive me it may have been longer or shorter of a time) we went to a retreat for Hubby's work and we learned about Whole 30 eating.  We met the Whole30 author Dallas Hartwig and discussed how changing my diet may help with my health issues.  So, Hubby and I jumped into it.  Now, it was hard at first! You are cutting out ALL the fun stuff to eat, but we made it through.  Hubby lost 15 pounds....I gained it.  Little did we know that the medication I was prescribed helped with that.  So, we started to add the "fun" stuff back into our diet and realized.....it wasn't FUN anymore!  Soda tasted nasty, milk made us feel bloated and fried food...YUCK!  Now don't get me wrong....chocolate is still yummy but I now know it is only a TREAT....not a daily food group!  So, we decided to stay with the Whole 30 "plan" which is basically a Paleo lifestyle change.  No legumes, sugar, dairy.....your inflammatory foods!  Hubby went to San Diego for a class and brought back three new Paleo cookbooks that I was really wanting.  Tonight, I tried a recipe out of Well Fed by Melissa Joulwan.  I've been following her and her blog on The Clothes Make The Girl.  Usually the kids don't eat the newer recipes, but tonight.....they ate two bowls!!!!

So here her recipe.

Chocolate Chili (From my cookbook Well Fed: Paleo Recipes For People Who Love To Eat)

Prep 20 min | Cook 2-3 hours | Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 medium onions, diced (about 2 cups)
4 cloves garlic, minced (about 4 teaspoons)
2 pounds ground beef
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon salt
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 can (14.5 ounces) fire-roasted, chopped tomatoes
2 cups beef or chicken broth, or water (Pacific Organic Chicken Bone Broth is Whole30 compliant)

Directions:
1. Heat a large, deep pot over medium-high heat, then add the coconut oil. When the oil is melted, add onions, stir with a wooden spoon and cook until they’re translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and as soon as it’s fragrant, about 30 seconds, crumble the ground meat into the pan with your hands, mixing with the wooden spoon to combine. Continue to cook the meat, stirring often, until it’s no longer pink.
2. In a small bowl, crush the oregano between your palms to release its flavor, then add the chili powder, cumin, cocoa, allspice, and salt. Combine with a fork, then add to the pot, stirring like you mean it. Add tomato paste and stir until combined, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes with their juice and broth to the pot. Stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat so the chili enjoys a gentle simmer. Simmer uncovered for at least two hours. Do not skimp on the simmer! Serve in deep bowls with big spoons.
Variations:
Try a meat combo by mixing ground beef with ground turkey, pork, or bison.
Make a double batch and freeze half so you have chili-on-demand.
Top with sliced olives, diced onions, and/or avocado slices.

It was AMAZING!!!!  Hubby and I added black olives, chopped onion and avocado to our bowls, while the kids scooped it up with wheat thins.  I am in love love love with her book!!!!!  I'll be posting more recipes as we go along!!!!!

Thank you for reading and again.....I'll be back!