Tag Archives: Paleo

Sweet and Sticky Orange Ginger Wings

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from Joanna Smith of www.fedandfulfiled.com/sweet-sticky-orange-ginger-wings/

A big, Happy New Year, to everyone. If you’re like most people you are now 25 days into whatever diet you decided to do after the excesses of the holiday season. I have renewed my plan to eat paleo but also, it’s near the end of the month and the Super Bowl is coming so I was looking around for something I could make or serve, that didn’t seem like diet food.

These wings really hit the spot. As the title suggests, they’re sweet and sticky with just a hint of heat from the ginger, so perfect for kids as well as adults. This recipe is already Auto Immune Protocol (AIP) ready but I changed some things up to make it paleo as well.

Sweet and Sticky Orange Ginger Wings serves 4 – 6

Hardware

Cutting Board

Medium Mixing Bowl

1 cookie sheet

1 – 2 wire racks (like for cooling cookies)

Small saucepan

Zester

Large Knife

1 Cup Measuring cup

Measuring Spoons

Large Spoon

Ingredients

For the Chicken Wings

2 lbs of chicken wings, thawed (I used a bag of wings from Walmart which was 4 pounds, so double what this recipe makes.)

2 Tablespoons arrowroot starch (Optional)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon powdered ginger

½ teaspoon sea salt

For the Orange Ginger Garlic Sauce

¾ cup orange juice (use whatever you have but here in Arizona it’s orange season and I was able to juice some lovely totally ripe oranges from a friend’s tree. It took about 4 oranges.)

½ cup coconut aminos (a substitute is soy sauce, but if you’re going for gluten free, use the gluten free kind.)

¼ cup apricot preserves (again, to keep it paleo and gluten free I made my own by finely chopping dried apricots, covering with water, and simmering until the water was just about gone. The result isn’t really jam, but the liquid is thick and sticky and acts enough like the preserves to use as a substitute. No sugar or honey needed, the fruit is plenty sweet enough.)

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon orange zest (removed from one of the oranges before juicing. It will need the whole orange.)

1 teaspoon grated ginger

1 teaspoon powdered ginger

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon raw honey

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon arrowroot starch, to thicken

¼ cup chopped scallions, plus extra for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Grease a wire, oven-safe rack and place it over a baking sheet.

Put chicken wings on a plate and dry with a paper towel.

Mix together arrowroot starch, ginger, garlic, and sea salt and lightly dust the chicken wings. Toss to coat. Place wings in a single layer on wire rack.

Bake wings for 45 minutes, or until cooked through. I flipped my wings once part way through cooking. Turn oven broiler on and broil for 5 more minutes, until skin is crispy.

While wings are baking, whisk sauce ingredients together (except for arrowroot and scallions) in a saucepan and ring to a low boil over medium heat.

Turn down to low and simmer sauce for 8 – 10 minutes, then whisk in the arrowroot starch and allow to thicken for an additional 1 – 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in scallions.

In a bowl, toss baked wings in the orange sauce and top with extra chopped scallions. Note: I thought only half of the sauce was needed. I stored the rest for later use.

It’s a lot of steps but each one is very easy. Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by Chicklets in the Kitchen. Do you have a favorite chicken dish to serve family or guests? Please tell us about it in the comments box below if you feel so inclined.

My name is Connie Cockrell and I write SciFi, Fantasy, Mysteries, and a lot of other things and you can find links to all of my books at www.ConniesRandomThoughts.com.

Cilantro-Lime Salmon Over Cauliflower Rice and Peas: Chicklets in the Kitchen Post

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Cilantro-Lime Salmon Over Cauliflower Rice and Peas

It’s Christmas and if you’re reading this on Christmas Day, you’re probably all set to eat your holiday dinner. Whether that’s a standing rib roast, a glazed ham, the feast of the seven fishes or some combination thereof, it’s probably over the top, heavy on the fats and sugars, and enough to put you in a food coma. The day after tomorrow is left overs, of course. But sometime before the final bingeing of New Year’s Eve, you more than likely want something a little lighter. This may be what you’re looking for.

I was watching an episode of The Pioneer Woman and she made a Cilantro-Lime Rice and Salmon dinner. I like salmon, and in my house, we don’t eat fish as much as we should. This recipe sounded perfect. I modified it to be paleo, and this is what I came up with. Feel free to make adjustments to fit your family’s tastes. This is easy and fast to make and very easy to be made to feed 2 people or a big crowd.

Cilantro-Lime Salmon over Cauliflower Rice and Peas feeds 3 with leftovers

Hardware

Cutting Board

Medium Mixing Bowl

1 Large and 1 Medium Frying Pan

Zester

Large Knife

1 Cup Measuring cup

Measuring Spoons

Large Spoon

 

Ingredients

Salmon

2 Limes, zested, juiced

1/2 bunch Cilantro, minced

1 1/2 each 12 oz packages Riced Cauliflower

1 cup frozen Peas

1 cup Gluten Free Soy Sauce

Oil for Cooking (I used Olive Oil)

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

Directions:

  1. Cut salmon into serving size pieces. Salt and pepper both sides. (If you’ve purchased your salmon already portioned, even better!)

Check out Chicklets In The Kitchen for all of the directions.

It’s a lot of steps but each one is very easy. Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by Chicklets in the Kitchen. Do you have a favorite fish dish to serve family or guests? Please tell us about it in the comments box below if you feel so inclined.

My name is Connie Cockrell and I write SciFi, Fantasy, Mysteries, and a lot of other things and you can find links to all of my books at www.ConniesRandomThoughts.com.

Mystery at the Reunion, Paleo, Calendar: Monday Blog Post

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Newest News:

Saw a contest for mysteries and thought my cozy, Mystery at the Reunion, might be a good fit. The site is called InkShares and I’ve never used that site. So, I figure, what the heck, right! Anyway, I’m putting chapters from the story up over there and I can win the contest by getting people to read the story. So here’s the link. https://www.inkshares.com/books/mystery-at-the-reunion. I’d appreciate it if you’d go over and have a read. At the end, I’ve been putting up alternative chapters from Dwight’s point of view. It fleshes him out a little better and makes the story a little more interesting. I introduced a new plot line in his voice. We’ll see how that goes.

I also bit the bullet and am reformatting my Gulliver Station box set for Smashwords. Sunday I managed to remove all formatting from the entire set and get the title page, the table of contents, and the first book, A New Start in there and formatted. I’ve linked the TOC with A New Start chapter headings as well. So that’s done. Three books to go and the endmatter. Then I’ll try to get it up on Smashwords again.

Still keeping up with my celery but being kind of hit or miss with the rest of the paleo diet. Those dang candy bars keep calling my name. And, we went to a Halloween party on Saturday, so of course there was wine. Anyway, I’ll keep plugging away at it. How about you? What goal are you working on?

National Novel Writing Month, NaNo for short, starts November 1st. I’m prepping to write in my All About Bob series. I have to finish book 3 then write books 4 and 5. If I stay focused, I can do all of that. The stories are meant to be novelette/novella length, so totally do-able. I’m also leading a write-in for my local chapter of the Arizona Professional Writers. This should be a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to it. That’s scheduled for November 21st.

A reminder that I’ve finished my 2019 calendar. Arizona is such a beautiful place and a calendar of pictures from central AZ fits in so well with my Jean Hays series, I really just can’t resist sharing. Now that it’s completed, you can find the calendar on Lulu. Just click on the link and purchase as many copies as you want for yourself, friends and family. Feel free to share the link, and this post!

Next appearance is in December, the Mesa Book Festival. That’s December 8th. You can find all of the details at https://mesabookfestival.com/.

Giveaways:

The 2018 Halloween giveaway is now open. You can join in the fun at https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/giveaways-and-prizes/. There’s $80+ as a Grand Prize Paypal cash, plus books and other prizes.

 

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on the regular and the SciFi/Fantasy and the Cozy Mystery newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new books are coming.

Don’t forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Book Release:

The Gulliver Station ebook box set released July 30th, 2018. You can buy it at Amazon today. You can also see all my books on https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads. It’s critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Thank you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the recipe I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support this blog.

 

5 Minute Perfect Paleo Sandwich Bread: Chicklets in the Kitchen Post

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Paleo Sandwich Bread

We’re headed into the fall and one of the best things is roasted meat. You know—roast chicken, roast beef, roast pork, all the best things about cooler weather. And after the meal, what to do with the left-over meat? Sandwiches of course!

But if you’re on a gluten free or paleo lifestyle like I am, sandwiches are tough. Of course you can do a lettuce wrap. I like those, especially in the summer. But for cold weather, I like something a little heartier. And this bread fills the bill.

If you’re looking for a giant slice of bread, this isn’t going to be it. But taken as is, it’s tasty, holds together well, (especially lightly toasted), and easy to make. So give this a try. You’ll be glad you did.

Note: I took this recipe from the Paleo and Gluten Free Eats website. Find more tasty recipes there at https://paleoglutenfree.com/recipes/5-min-perfect-paleo-sandwich-bread/

5 Minute Perfect Paleo Sandwich Bread

Hardware

Bread Pan, 4.5 X 8.5 inches

Parchment Paper

Mixing Bowl

1 Cup Measuring cup

1/2 Cup Measuring cup

Measuring Spoons

Large Spoon

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cup Almond Flour

3 Tablespoons Psyllium Husk Powder

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

4 Large Eggs

1 Teaspoon Sea Salt

1/2 Cup Apple Sauce

1/4 Cup Coconut Oil

See the rest at Chicklets in the Kitchen

Thanks for stopping by Chicklets in the Kitchen. Do you have a favorite bread to serve family or guests? Please tell us about it in the comments box below if you feel so inclined.

My name is Connie Cockrell and I write SciFi, Fantasy, Mysteries, and a lot of other things and you can find links to all of my books at www.ConniesRandomThoughts.com.

Story Updates, Getting Healthy, National Novel Writing Month: Monday Blog Post

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On our dinner cruise. Laughlin, Nevada

Newest News:

Last week was a mess for me, how about you? I never did get around to any of my writing projects other than getting Friday’s flash fiction story up. Everything else was consumed by doctor appointments and a trip to Laughlin, Nevada. We do, occasionally, do what hubby likes and take the occasional trip. It was fun, and we took mom. She enjoys the casino too. We had river boat dinner cruise, which was nice. Then some gambling before bed. Then we came home the next day. A very quick trip. Check my video at https://youtu.be/dFUhYL62mNg for a complete run down on the projects.

I started my paleo again starting yesterday. It was a constant battle to not get into the candy. Bad habit, that. Anyway, had a good breakfast of a hash with veggies and left-over roast chicken thighs. Lunch was a salad, with more chicken. Supper was a chicken chili that hubby made. It had beans in it which are not paleo, but I didn’t want to disappoint him. It was tasty. He got the recipe from the winner of the Pine-Strawberry chili cook-off winner. So, it had to be good. Right? Oh, and I juiced some carrot, orange, lemon and ginger for a shot of anti-inflammatory, and a whole bunch of celery, for a glass of celery juice. It also has great anti-inflammatory properties that as a hypo-thyroid sufferer, I can use. It’s also high in minerals. Good for chasing down the body’s toxins and getting rid of them. You can check the whole story on celery juice at http://www.medicalmedium.com/blog/celery-juice. Last time I went strict Paleo, I lost 20 pounds. Wouldn’t it be great if I did that again!

National Novel Writing Month, NaNo for short, starts November 1st. I’m prepping to write in my All About Bob series. I have to finish book 3 then write books 4 and 5. If I stay focused, I can do all of that. The stories are meant to be novelette/novella length, so totally do-able. I’m also leading a write-in for my local chapter of the Arizona Professional Writers. This should be a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to it. That’s scheduled for November 21st.

A reminder that I’ve finished my 2019 calendar. Arizona is such a beautiful place and a calendar of pictures from central AZ fits in so well with my Jean Hays series, I really just can’t resist sharing. Now that it’s completed, you can find the calendar on Lulu. Just click on the link and purchase as many copies as you want for yourself, friends and family. Feel free to share the link, and this post!

Next appearance is in December, the Mesa Book Festival. That’s December 8th. You can find all of the details at https://mesabookfestival.com/.

Giveaways:

The 2018 Halloween giveaway is now open. You can join in the fun at https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/giveaways-and-prizes/. There’s $80+ as a Grand Prize Paypal cash, plus books and other prizes.

 

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on the regular and the SciFi/Fantasy and the Cozy Mystery newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new books are coming.

Don’t forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Book Release:

The Gulliver Station ebook box set released July 30th, 2018. You can buy it at Amazon today. You can also see all my books on https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads. It’s critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Thank you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the recipe I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support this blog.

Three Ingredient Coconut Yogurt: Chicklets in the Kitchen Blog Post

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Home grown peaches with homemade coconut yogurt

I have to say, the last three to four weeks I’ve pretty much blown off doing my paleo lifestyle. I re-introduced grains in the form of gluten-free bread and pizza crust, have been eating ice cream with homemade chocolate shell, and even gotten into the Reese’s Peanut Butter cups. (Peanuts are a no-no on paleo, not to mention the sugar.) Sigh.

Then I’m also stressed about the upcoming Northern Gila County Fair. I’ve introduced on-line exhibit registration and from what I can tell, it’s not being used. That means it’s going to be a lot of hands-on exhibit registration again this year. But I’ll have to input all of that hand-written stuff again, manually, into the fair database. Another sigh.

Anyway, this month I decided to do a video about this three-ingredient coconut yogurt. You can see from my face the result of eating the grains and dairy and sugar. Ugh. Back on the paleo I go. In the meantime, though, I’ll have lots of this delish yogurt to help me stay on my path. Clear skin, here I come.

 

Three Ingredient Coconut Yogurt

Hardware

Saucepan

Large Pot

2 Quart Measuring cup

1 Cup Measuring cup

3 One-pint canning jars

Tongs

Rubber Spatula

 

Ingredients

1 T/1 package unflavored gelatin

3 Cans (40.5 fluid ounces) coconut milk

4 capsules live probiotic (The more strains of probiotic the better. I used Solaray, mycrobiome probiotic, 30 billion live cultures, 24 strains. Live probiotics are kept in the refrigerated section of your local health food store.)

1/2 cup water

 

I made my first ever cooking video to show you how to do this. The video is hilarious as I made all sorts of mistakes. No matter. I think you’ll get the gist and you’ll have a laugh with me as you watch. See it here: https://youtu.be/0f-E_E41I24

Directions: See the rest here!

 

NOTE: You’ll notice that aside from canning jars, I don’t use any equipment you don’t already have in your kitchen. Canning jars are generally available by the dozen in your local hardware stores, but I know I can also find them in the local thrift shops. ALWAYS use new canning jar lids (the flat part with the thin rubber circled edge.) This is essential to making sure you get a good seal on the canning jar. (This is less critical for the yogurt.) If you’re canning fruit or vegetables or jam/jelly, you have to get a good seal to keep the food safe. The rings that hold the lids are reusable.

Enjoy that fresh tangy flavor. In addition to having it as a snack or breakfast with fruit and nuts, you can also use your yogurt in homemade salad dressings, in place of some of the mayo in your macaroni or tuna salads, as part of your pancake toppings and so much more.

Thanks for stopping by Chicklets in the Kitchen. Do you have a favorite snack or dessert to serve family or guests? Please tell us about it in the comments box below if you feel so inclined.

My name is Connie Cockrell and I write SciFi, Fantasy, Mysteries, and a lot of other things and you can find links to all of my books at www.ConniesRandomThoughts.com.

Ice Cream, Concert in the Park: Daily Blog Post

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Potato Lake

Hey!

So hubby took a handful of hikers on a non-standard day hike today, meaning, we don’t usually do Saturday hikes. However, a hiking friend of ours from Phoenix heard about our Tuesday hike to Potato Lake and wanted to see it. So, he arranged a hike. I didn’t go. I was just there Tuesday and besides, there were things I wanted to do. This blog included.

Anyway, among talking to one of my brothers back east, going to the Farmer’s Market, and watering the garden, I decided to make a paleo ice cream. The base is sitting in the refrigerator right now. Why isn’t it churned and in the freezer? Because while the base of the ice cream maker is in the freezer, where it belongs, I cannot find the paddle or the motor part. Hubby and I have looked everywhere. Even places it shouldn’t be. No motor. No ice cream. Sigh. I can hold the liquid base and go to the store and buy a new ice cream maker, but I’ll have to let that base freeze for 24 hours. No ice cream for me tonight.

Payson concert in the park

Also today is the last concert in the park. The town’s Park and Rec department puts on this concert series every summer and this is the last one for the season. It’s a good band, too, so I don’t want to miss it.

That’s it for today!

Tested released January 31st and I’m pretty excited about it. You can buy it and my other books at: Apple, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords, today! You can also see all my books on https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads. It’s critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Thank you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the recipe I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support this blog.

Banana-Loquat Smoothie: Chicklets in the Kitchen Blog Post

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Banana-Loquat Smoothie

So last month I posted a coconut-lemon whip recipe which I made from meyer lemons from my daughter’s back yard tree. She also had, loquats, ripening. A loquat is a cross between a plum and a cumquat. Sweet, yellow, small (1 – 2 inch) oval shaped fruit with anywhere from 1 to 4 fair-sized seeds inside, depending on how big the loquat is.

The loquats are delicious, sweet and succulent. Unfortunately, they don’t travel or keep well so not a commercial fruit as far as I can tell. I was very fortunate, then, to get about a pint of them.

Rather than eat them one by one, I cut them in half, de-seeded them, cut in quarters, and dropped into my blender. This time of year I prefer smoothies for breakfast to juice as with a smoothie you get all of the fiber. Also, I don’t, yet, have a juicer.

Banana-Loquat Smoothie

Hardware

Cutting Board

Knife

Blender

Cup and straw

 

Ingredients

1 pint Loquats, cut in half, seeded, then cut into quarters

1 ripe banana, chunks

1 cup Almond Milk (more or less as desired thickness)

See more at Chicklets in the Kitchen.

 

Thanks for stopping by Chicklets in the Kitchen. Do you have a favorite smoothie to serve family or guests? Please tell us about it in the comments box below if you feel so inclined.

My name is Connie Cockrell and I write SciFi, Fantasy, Mysteries, and a lot of other things and you can find links to all of my books at www.ConniesRandomThoughts.com

Coconut-Lemon Whip: Chicklets in the Kitchen Post

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Finished Lemon Whip

Coconut-Lemon Whip

I apologize for the lack of posts. March and April were extremely crazy for me but I didn’t forget about you. April saw me take an actual vacation, to see my daughter in southern California. We enjoyed the beach (cold!) and Solvang, CA, (hot!), and my daughter’s and her room mate’s new house. It’s small, but the back yard has producing fruit trees. One was a Meyer lemon, the lemons ripe and ready to pick. So of course, I brought home five of them. What else could I do but make a dessert?

I’m still sticking to my Paleo life-style. Whatever your eating style, there’s nothing wrong with whole, fresh food, especially straight from the tree! Fair warning, because of the coconut oil and milk, this isn’t low fat but it is “good” fat. Enjoy in moderation. It makes four 8oz, ramekins of dessert.

Paleo Lemon Curd

Hardware

Sauce Pot

Strainer

Measuring cups and spoons

Knife

Cutting board

Zester or Micro-plane

 

Ingredients

1/2 cup juice: 5 Meyer Lemons (6 or more regular lemons depending on how juicy they are.)

1 T Lemon zest

3 eggs (whole)

1/4 C Honey

6 T Coconut Oil

See the rest at Chicklets in the Kitchen.

 

Thanks for stopping by Chicklets in the Kitchen. Do you have a favorite dessert to serve family or guests? Please tell us about it in the comments box below if you feel so inclined.

My name is Connie Cockrell and I write SciFi, Fantasy, Mysteries, and a lot of other things and you can find links to all of my books at www.ConniesRandomThoughts.com.

Avocado Chocolate Mousse: A Chicklets in the Kitchen Post

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So last month I posted about my new Paleo diet lifestyle and mentioned avocado chocolate mousse. This is a wonderful dessert that you can enjoy yourself or make for a nice dinner with friends and/or family. It’s so delicious I cannot even say. It’s rich, decadent and chocolaty, everything you want in your chocolate dessert. And no, you don’t taste the avocado at all. Even better, it’s no cook!

Serves 4.

Hardware

Blender

Knife

1 cup glass measuring cup

Measuring spoons

Rubber spatula

4 half-cup ramekins

 

Ingredients

2 large or 3 small ripe avocados

3 T cocoa

4 oz dark chocolate

1/4 cup almond milk

1 tsp vanilla (Pictured is a bottle of homemade vanilla my friend Dee gave me for Christmas. It’s almost gone. ☹)

Directions:

Melt the chocolate in the microwave (pictured) or in a hot water bath. If using the microwave, use just short heating times, 15 seconds, until the mixture melts by stirring.

Read the rest here!

 

Thanks for stopping by Chicklets in the Kitchen. Do you have a favorite dessert to serve guests? Please tell us about it in the comments box below if you feel so inclined.

My name is Connie Cockrell and I write SciFi, Fantasy, Mysteries, and a lot of other things and you can find links to all of my books at www.ConniesRandomThoughts.com.