Author: Megan

It’s officially after the Holidays and for many the New Year brings new resolutions.  Many people scour the web for not only healthy recipes but recipes that taste delicious; recipes that don’t appear as though you’re trying to eat healthy especially if you have picky eaters in your house, recipes that actually taste amazing with little effort in prep time.  This recipe has many fan favorites that are sure to be enjoyed by even the pickiest of eaters; like smoked bacon or pancetta, apples, and other herbs and spices to add flavor not fat.

When I am preparing any type of meat I always choose healthier and leaner options so the overall fat content is relatively low.  For this recipe I marinated the chicken overnight.  Now, most of you may see this and say ‘I don’t have time for that!’ That’s’ perfectly fine if time is of the essence then marinate 15-25 minutes.  Also, make sure your chicken is cut in thicker pieces so it does not dry out baking in the oven. In preparation for the marinade I used a large bowl because I wanted to make sure the chicken was submerged in the bowl to properly marinate.  I used a mixture of olive oil, Himalayan sea salt, paprika, garlic, thyme, lemon zest and lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar. 

As the chicken is marinating you then have time to cut the apple slices, Brussels Sprouts, and bacon to the mixture.  I also used pre-cooked bacon since I had it available in my freezer.  On a side note I personally, did not add the bacon the second time I made this meal and it turned out fine.

Once everything was cut I placed and spread out the Brussels sprouts, Apples, and Bacon on the largest baking sheet I had that was lightly sprayed with cooking spray.  I then strategically placed all the marinated chicken with the marinade over the sprouts, bacon on the baking sheet.   Finally, I added additional fresh thyme, lemon zest, and craisins for more color and flavor!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken breasts of medium thickness boneless and skinless
• 5-6 strips of bacon
• 1 lb bag of Brussels sprouts sliced
• 1-2 Granny Smith apple peeled, cored and sliced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp Himalayan sea salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 large cloves garlic crushed
• 1/2 lemon squeezed
• ½ tsp lemon zest
• 6-8 sprigs of fresh thyme stripped from the stem

• Directions: 

1. First you prepare the marinade for your chicken.  In a large bowl, combine the ¼ tsp Himalayan seas salt, ¼- ½ balsamic vinegar, 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice 4 cloves of garlic chopped, and fresh thyme and mix together. 
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
3. If chicken is already cut then place it in the marinade, but if you do not have the chicken pre-cut, cut the chicken breasts into smaller but thicker chunks.
4. Marinade the chicken for the 20 minutes
5. Spray your largest cookie sheet with cooking spray
6. Start slicing your Brussels Sprouts an apples and place on cookie tray
7. Cut your 5-6 pieces of pre-cooked bacon (if you have raw bacon cook then cut) and place on over you Brussels sprouts and apples.
8. Finally, once chicken has marinated place with the marinade juice over mixture on cookie tray
9. Bake 25-30 minutes and check chicken to make sure it’s cooked thoroughly.

**Optional, you could place the cookie tray of Brussels sprouts, Apples, and Bacon in the oven to bake for 10 minutes before you add the chicken, allowing the vegetables, apples and bacon crisp up for further flavor.

When my husband and I were in Chicago this past summer visiting family, my sister-in-law and I went grocery shopping to pick up necessary items for the fourth of July holiday and she picked up a container of candied pecans. 

I knew I could make these sweet treats, but I wanted to make them according to stricter food preferences and I wanted to see if my version of candied pecans, tasted just as good or better than the store-bought version.

Game on!

I must say I am by no means a baker, but I enjoy baking especially for special occasions or if we are having company over.  These candied pecans were seriously, the easiest sweet treats or anything actually I have ever made.  Now, it made my life a lot easier because I already had all the ingredients in my pantry so that was very convenient!

If you do not have the ingredients it’s not hard at all finding them in the health food section of the grocery store. And really the only ingredients that might not be with all the other baking ingredients would maybe be the coconut sugar and coconut oil.  However, the other ingredients should already be located in the baking aisle.   On a side note, when I was making this recipe it not only doubled as a sweet treat and but also as a festive holiday air freshener!!

I actually made a double batch and froze the majority of the pecans and took some home for Thanksgiving and kept the other batch in the freezer.  These candies will last about a month and are great to make ahead of time for any parties or to use in a cookie/candy gift exchange!

Enjoy!!!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Ingredients:

• 1-2 Tablespoons coconut sugar
• 2 Tablespoons 100% pure Maples Syrup
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt (I use Pink Himalayan sea salt)
• 2-2 ½ teaspoons coconut oil
• 2-2 ½ cups unsalted pecan halves

Directions:

1. Before you begin lay parchment paper on your counters or separate cookie sheets
2. In a bowl mix together coconut sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt
3. In a larger pan, preferably non-stick add your coconut oil over medium heat, and sugar mixture from the mixing bowl.  Stir this mixture until oil is melted and smooth.
4. Add your pecans and stir until all the pecans are thoroughly coated.  Keeping stirring, careful not to burn the pecans, for 3-5 minutes making sure the pecans are saturated in the mixture.
5. Pour the coated pecans on the parchment paper and scrape out any excess sugar mixture over the pecans trying to keep an even layer.  Allow pecans to completely cool.
6. Store any pecans after they have completely cooled in an airtight container.

O’ the weather outside is frightful…. but the kitchen is so warm and delightful and since we have NO place to go let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!

In between this wonderful time of the year, the hustle and bustle from Thanksgiving to Christmas have always been magical. I am not trying to be cliché, but this time of year has always been enchanting, to say the least. From attending Christmas parties to buying and wrapping presents, making Christmas cookies, spending quality time with family and friends, and above all celebrating the birth of our Lord, Jesus. These moments help us to detach from the daily grind and remember what is truly important in our lives. In the end, it’s these moments in time we reflect back on and remember the good times.

And isn’t that what the Holidays are really all about anyway???

With great memories being made, food is always front and center for any holiday party or get together you are invited too. Sometimes ‘all of this amazing food’ can be a bit much to handle over the holidays. And sometimes you want comfort food that is both hearty and healthy. My husband and I love to make a large pot of chili, freeze most of it and pull it out during this time of year to warm the soul.

Chili is one of those versatile meals and can be tailored for even your pickiest of eaters. You can make it any which way you want; from white bean chicken chili to a vegan chili. The possibilities are endless but sure to be absolutely delicious!!
So today, I’m sharing my chili recipe with lean ground beef.

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs. of ground beef
3 cloves garlic
1 medium to small onion
2 large diced tomatoes (keep juice)
2 cans of tomato paste
2 cans of beans (chili beans or brown/black kidney beans)
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 tsp. Sea Salt
¼ tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Black Pepper

Directions:
1.Cook ground beef in a separate pan. This can help cook off additional fat from the chili before it’s all combined.
2. In the actual pot you will be using for the chili; add chopped onion and garlic and chopped celery to the pot and sauté.
3.Drain any excess fat from the meat before adding it to the onion, garlic, and celery mixture.
4.Add your rinsed cans of beans, tomato paste, water, and tomatoes and turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or longer allow the flavors to blend and heat up.
5.Add salt, pepper, and chili pepper and continue to allow the chili to heat up.

**Optional you can add other ingredients to your chili like corn or make macaroni to add to your bowl and scoop a cup or two of chili on top of the noodles.