Chicken in the Crock, 4+ meals worth

A chicken fryer goes a lot further these days. I used to used plop a chicken in a pot and make soup. I would use the whole chicken and toss the bones. I also would bake a chicken and do the same thing, toss the bones. 


Not anymore!


A chicken fryer is becoming more... For example, I stretched our last two chicken fryers (whole chickens) into 4 meals and 4 jars of broth.

Just last night we had almost 1/2 if not 3/4 of the chicken left. We are consuming more vegetables (2 or 3 different types) each meal. 


Do not worry, if the boys want seconds of chicken, I will not discourage it but I will encourage more vegetables first! 


The left over chicken (1/2 - 3/4 of a chicken) is used towards lunches and other dinners this week. Plus one less dishes to have to clean. While cleaning up, I dished out enough chicken and leftover vegetables for his lunch. I used 1/4 cup of chicken today on my spinach salad with almonds and walnuts.  


Would you believe me if I told you, I still have a cup (maybe more) of chicken left? Well, believe me! :)


I have a new favorite chicken recipe. 


It is easy and you do not have to do much. I put a clean and patted down chicken into the crock pot. Topped with a little garlic powder, Italian Seasoning and Coconut Oil. Cook on low all day and you have perfect tender chicken.  

Crockpot Chicken

The Ingredients:

1 chicken fryer 

1 TBSP Coconut Oil

Garlic Powder

Fresh or Dried Herbs (Thyme, Rosemary, Oregano)

Lemon Pepper

Lemon Slices (optional)

The Directions:

Wash the chicken and pat dry. Put chicken in the crockpot and top with all the seasonings. 

Cook on low all day. Turn off the crockpot and take out chicken. Let cool before taking out the bones. 

Tip - take out all the bones while the chicken is warm. It falls apart and doesn't take much work to clean out all the meat. 

I also was able to make 4 large jars of homemade chicken broth. 

 

Chicken Broth - This time I cooked the bones with the extra juices leftover from when cooking the chicken. Add water and bones to crockpot, that's right, I said crockpot. I changed up the original recipe. 

This is so easy! I added everything in the crockpot and cooked everything over night.  

We sided the chicken with sauteed Brussels sprouts and steamed broccoli. 


Saute Brussels:


Cut Brussels into quarters. Add a little Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar. Little goes a long way. 


Steam Broccoli:


Steam broccoli until the color comes out. About 8 - 10 minutes. Seasoning lightly with pepper and garlic powder.

Almond Crusted Salmon

Treat yourself...

Every once in awhile it is nice to treat yourself...

But you do not have to ruin your "eating" lifestyle to do so...

Above is a little treat that I gave Joshua today... 

Greek Yogurt with a little sprinkles. Sometimes I even put a little food coloring on it and he is a happy camper! 

Honey Greek Yogurt is our favorite "treat!"

Another delicious treat!!!! Almond Crusted Salmon!

The Salmon was really good!

The Ingredients:
Salmon
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 tsp cumin

The Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour 1 TBSP Olive Oil on a plate. Rub each Salmon filet in the Olive Oil.

In a food processor, pulse 1/2 cup Almonds until the Almonds are in small pieces. You can pulse until the Almond is real fine, almost Almond Flour. The choice is yours! Mix pieces with 1/2 tsp cumin.

Coat each Filet with Almond pieces.

Bake Salmon for 10 - 12 minutes.

The way you can check the Salmon is see if the salmon flakes down.

We enjoyed our Almond Crusted Salmon with saute Asparagus and Carrots.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I am have a gluten intolerance. A lot of people do, just don't know it.

I try to be Gluten Free, well limit the households Gluten but this is a challenge to me. I am not going to lie and say I have been Gluten Free - I HAVE NOT. I know, I need to be and I am working on it. I love bread. I really do... Fresh warm delicious bread or how about cookies!!!!!

I am really going to do this! I am going to research and get cookbooks and read books and I am going to do this.

Dinner is easy to be Gluten Free. I just need to work on breakfast and lunch. I will do this!!!! I am open to Gluten Free recipes!!! Maybe, even a Gluten Free bread recipe! :)

To get me going on this quest, I made these delicious cookies... These are great! Full of FLAVOR!!! These are rough measurements... I am terrible about EXACT measurements! I get too excited! :)

Almost Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

The Ingredients:

1/2 cup pitted dates that you chop into chunks

3/4 cup almonds

1/4 cup macadamia nuts

1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1 teaspoon coconut oil (you can use butter but coconut oil is better!)

1 Egg

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

The Directions:

Put nuts, dates, coconut, oil, and cinnamon in the food processor with the S blade on it. Pulse until nuts and dates are broken down and it resembles loose crumbs.

Pour into mixing bowl and add in egg and raisins. Use your hands to mix together.

Use an ice cream scoop to get uniformly sized cookies. Form into patties like you would burger meat. You should be able to make about 6-8 cookies.

Put on ungreased baking sheet into an oven that you have heated to 350. Space evenly on the cookie sheet.

Bake for about 25 minutes. You will know they are done when they look golden brown and delicious.

Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Nutty Cookies

A week ago, I tried to make pumpkin pound cake, which failed terribly. That recipe had called for coconut milk. I did not use all the coconut milk and needed to find something to make that called for coconut milk before it went bad. (I do not like wasting!)

I do not like to have too many sweets in the house. If they are around, we will eat them! This is a wonderful recipe! The cookies tasted like banana bread but in cookie form!

Both my hubby and 3 year old (even the baby had the filling part) and all loved them!

Beautiful flowers courtesy of JJ&SJ.

The Ingredients:

2 bananas smashed

1/3 cup coconut flour

3/4 cup almond butter

2 TBSP Cocoa Bliss

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/3 cup RAW walnuts

1/3 cup coconut milk

1/4 - 1/3 cup coconut pieces

1 TSBP Cinnamon

The Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl, use a fork to smash the bananas to baby food consistency. Add the coconut flour, almond butter, cocoa bliss and baking soda and mix well. Roughly chop the walnuts. Add the walnuts, coconut pieces, coconut milk, and cinnamon to the bowl and mix in remaining ingredients.

Cover two cookie sheets with parchment paper and spoon heaping tablespoons of the cookie mix onto the parchment paper, placing an inch or two apart. Back for 25 minutes.

Next time I will try to add apples and maybe more walnuts and maybe more coconut pieces!