Paleo Honey Mustard Chicken

I found this recipe posted via Pinterest, and tracked it back to GoodLifeEats blog. I altered it a little, and loved how it turned out. Hope you enjoy, too!

Mustard Chicken

1/4 cup of Maile Course Mustard
1/4 cup Maile Original Dijon Mustard
1/4 cup honey
3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small sweet onion, coarsely cut
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken tenderloins
salt and pepper

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the mustards, honey, 2 teaspoons of the olive oil, and rosemary oil (optional).

In a sauté pan or cast iron skillet, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until golden and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional 1 - 2 minutes, until fragrant.

Place the chicken tenderloins on top of the onion and garlic mixture, or if the pan you cooked the onion and garlic in is not oven safe, transfer the onion and garlic to an oven safe dish and add the chicken to it. Salt and pepper the tops of the chicken according to your personal preference.

Pour the honey mustard mixture on top of the chicken. 

Bake the chicken covered at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes. Then remove the cover, baste the chicken with the sauce, and continue to cook for an additional 10 minutes uncovered, or until the chicken is browned on top and cooked through.

15 Signs You're Addicted to Travel

Who doesn't love a good Buzzfeed for a head knodding "oh yes, that's so right" moment about once a week? 

While this week is no exception with their latest "15 Signs You're Addicted to Travel", I have a few more additions I would add as a sign of an "Experienced Traveler":

1. You can get through TSA in less than 15 minutes. 
2. You have a SkyClub membership, and can justify the expense.
3. You're a Medallion/MVP/Elite member & know how to get the best seats (with or without a complimentary upgrade). 
4. You have a GoGo Wifi Monthly/Annual Pass.
5. You know how to board your flight based on your seat (should you wait until the last minute, or board first).
6. You *never* put anything in the overhead bins. Period.
7. You have your rolling bag pre-packed at all times with the essentials you always need on any trip, regardless of destination.

What else would you add to this list? Happy Traveling!

ENFJ

I've taken the Myers Briggs personality test a few times over the years, and I am an ENFJ. What does that mean exactly? Here's a great overview: Psychology Today's Overview of ENFJ

"People with this personality type are often described as warm, outgoing, loyal and sensitive. Psychologist David Keirsey suggests that approximately two to five percent of all people have an ENFJ personality."

Here's what the E N F J stand for:

• Extraversion: ENFJs have an outgoing personality and enjoy spending time with other people. Being in social settings helps them feel energized.


• Intuition: ENFJs like to think about the future rather than the present. They may often become so focused on the larger goal that they lose sight of the immediate details.


• Feeling: ENFJs place a stronger emphasis on personal, subject considerations rather than objective criteria when making decisions. How a decision will impact others is often a primary concern.


• Judging: ENFJs are organized and enjoy structure and careful planning. Sticking to a predictable schedule helps ENFJs feel in control of the world 

Characteristics:

• Prefers harmony to discord
• Outgoing and warm-hearted
• Genuinely interest in the feelings of others
• Often have a diverse range of friends and acquaintances
• Great at supporting and encouraging others
• Excellent organizers
• Seek approval from other people

That last one, I wish I could get rid of that feeling sometimes!

Best Career Choices for ENFJs

ENFJs often do best in careers where they get to help other people and spend a great deal of time interacting with others. The following are just a few of the careers that might appeal to people with this personality type:

• Counselor
• Teacher
• Psychologist
• Social worker
• Human resources manager
• Sales representative
• Manager

I've been in sales for 13 years, now. But, I've always wanted a mix of the first 3 careers above :)

What personality type are you? 

Apple Crisp

Brunch Apple Crisp

4 Cups of Organic Apples, peeled, cored, diced
1 TBSP Coconut Oil (melted)
2 tsp Cinnamon (or more, you decide)
1 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 Cup Honey
3/4 Cup Raw Macadamia Nuts, chopped

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine all of the above really well. Place into a pyrex glass dish and bake for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

I serve this with the house-made pork breakfast sausage that our food co-op makes. I buy it at PCC and form it into sausage balls and saute it in my frying pan. 

Our family loves it, and I make it on weekends when we have more time.

Asian Pork Meatballs

I made these a while back, when we first moved to Seattle. Because I'd hit a "rut" food-wise, I dusted off this recipe and made them again last night. Now, I want to make more!

And I HATE meatballs, usually... just FYI! Here's the original recipe from Health-Bent and the below is my modified version.

Asian Pork Meatballs

1 lb ground pork
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 Cup Almond Flour
1 Jalapeno, diced
1 TBSP Asian Chili Garlic Sauce (check the label for no gluten, lower sugar, etc.)
3 Green Onions/Scallions with the tops
1 TBSP Cilantro Squeeze
1/4 t sesame oil

Preheat your oven to 350º F.

I chop everything and start folding it all together as I go along. There isn't really a science to it.

Use your Ice cream scoop or something similar to form the balls.

Place the meatballs in the oven on an ungreased baking sheet covered with parchment.

Bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Turn the oven on broil and brown the tops of the meatballs.

I dip them with Sweet Chili Sauce, and it's super yummy. Although, not totally paleo ;)

We are a Healthier Family

We moved to the Seattle area last March. Since that time, our little family has had the longest stretch of time where we've all been healthy. 

I realized this, because I have to do some research (finally) and find a pediatrician for Tali here! She hasn't had to even go to Urgent Care, not once.

I started thinking about what we changed, and I've come to a few realizations. 

I cleaned out our pantry of all the JUNK when we left Atlanta:

1. Gluten: we have no gluten in the house, save for a treat here and there for Tali.
2. Oil: I stopped cooking with oil other than coconut oil
3. Dairy: my half & half, otherwise we have no dairy. Coconut Milk, Almond Milk, Goat Cheese-that's it
4. Grass fed: Beef
5. Organic: Vegetables, Fruits, Chicken
6. Local/Sustainable: Wild Caught Fish, Honey
7. Canned Goods: I don't buy them. I buy Pomi for shelf stable tomatoes for sauces, etc. otherwise, I use fresh.

When we were in Atlanta, Tali had a drawer in the fridge with yogurt tubes, string cheese, etc. When we moved, we cut that out. We also cut out a lot of the shelf stable super processed snack foods, too.

Organic non-GMO snacks she eats now:

• Applesauce
• Carrots
• Bananas
• Apples
• Raisins
• Almonds with Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips (soy/dairy/gluten free)
• Berries

As most of you know, Beau is gluten-intolerant and eats a mostly Paleo diet. When we moved, it was a good opportunity for me to selectively "get rid of" a lot of the things that were making us feel bad, adding fats, calories etc. to our bodies and chemicals, too.

I fully believe this change has had a significant impact on our health and immune systems :)

The Company You Keep

A reminder to my teenage daughters and anyone who may need this. A favorite of mine from a few years ago. 

The Company You Keep

Tell me who your best friends are, and I will tell you who you are.  

If you run with wolves, you will learn how to howl.  

But, if you associate with eagles,

you will learn how to soar to great heights. 

 "A mirror reflects a man's face, but what he is really like 

is shown by the kind of friends he chooses." 

The simple but true fact of life is that you become like those with whom you closely associate - for the good and the bad. 

The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve.   

Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity.   

An important attribute in successful people is their impatience

with negative thinking and negative acting people.  

As you grow, your associates will change.  Some of your friends will not want you to go on.  They will want you to stay where they are.  Friends that don't help you climb will want you to crawl.  

Your friends will stretch your vision or choke your dream.  Those that don't increase you will eventually decrease you. 

Consider this: 

Never receive counsel from unproductive people. 

Never discuss your problems with someone incapable

 of contributing to the solution, because those who never

succeed themselves are always first to tell you how.  

Not everyone has a right to speak into your life. 

You are certain

 to get the worst of the bargain 

when you exchange ideas with the wrong person. 

Don't follow anyone who's not going anywhere. 

With some people you spend an evening: with others you invest it. 

Be careful where you stop to inquire for directions along the road of life. 

Wise is the person who fortifies his life with the right friendships.