Simple (Gluten Free) Chicken Nuggets~Try these even if your not GF, so easy!

My middle son, Weston, asked if I could make chicken nuggets. I'm not a fan of packaged food and rarely ever pay the high prices of packaged organic food, especially when I know I can make it at home. I looked up some gluten free nugget recipes and found a few but they weren't as easy as I wanted. I finally found a easy recipe that I could sway things around and make it my own.

In the recipe I found they were using corn flakes, and I didn't have those but I did happen to have a box of gluten free chex. Perfect! The chex was a great coating, better then I thought it would be. Evem if your not gluten free this is still an awesome recipe to make homemade chicken nuggets. Make a couple batches and freeze some, for a easy lunch. 

Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets

• 3 chicken breasts or thighs, cut up in 1 inch pieces
• 2 cups gluten free chex, I used the Rice kind
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder

First you will want to turn the oven to 350 degrees. Next cut up your chicken breast or thighs into 1 inch chunks. Using a gallon plastic bag, pour in two cups of rice chex. Use your hands and any helping little hands to crunch up all the chex. Add the garlic and onion powder into the crunched up chex.

 Next, put your eggs into a bowl and mix them up.

I put about 6-7 pieces of chicken in the bowl with the eggs and let them soak about 1 minute. Then, I coated the chicken pieces with the crunched up chex. I placed them on a nonstick cookie sheet. You can also put down parchment paper to help with clean up time. I usually do this but I ran out of my parchment paper. 

Lastly, place in oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until chicken is completely cooked. The chex coating should be browned as well. 

I made a BBQ ranch dip for mine but the boys just wanted some good old fashioned ketchup. We ate along with some garlicky green beans. If I would have had more time I would have made homemade french fries. 

I can't wait to make these again! The boys thought they were awesome! My husband also kept saying how delicious these were. I smiled and said "Good thing you married a chef". We giggled and it was a successful dinner!

Today's Encouragement:

Sick Kids! What Can You Do? 4 Quick Tips!! Great for Adults Too!!

*This is my personal advice, I'm not a doctor just an experienced mom.*

I hear this question so much, especially from new moms when their kids are sick, "I feel so helpless". I used feel this as a mom and sometimes you still do. I was so thankful to learn that we can do our part to help our sick kiddos. Our bodies have an amazing ability to heal themselves. If we give our bodies the right tools it can help it function and heal quickly.

You know when you go the doctor in the middle of the night because your child hasn't slept a wink and neither have you, and the doctor says its a virus and there's nothing we can do but wait it out. Well, there is not much the doc can do, BUT there is a ton you CAN DO!! I can feel the excitement on a new moms face to hear these words!

Here are some suggestions next time your feeling helpless. You can try all, just a few or just one, every little bit helps:

1. Garlic Toast

• Toast
• REAL Salt
• Fresh Garlic, OR Jarred
• Butter or (Healthy Balance for Non-Dairy 

This is so simple, and can be easily overlooked but it truly has helped my kids tremendously!! I will let you know the exact things I use, but you can use whatever you have on hand. I used Ezekiel Bread, preferably grass-fed butter, fresh garlic or jarred garlic, and a dash of REAL salt. For a gluten free version try Ezekiel gluten free bread, or another brand. Personally I steer clear of gluten most of the time BUT Ezekiel Organic Bread is made from a sprouted grain that is a complete protein. Its fair different than regular bread on the shelf. In fact you will only find Ezekiel Bread in the freezer section. Always store in freezer or fridge. My kids like this bread toasted. For Babies pureed garlic can be added to food.

Garlic is naturally antiviral, toast is gentle on the stomach, REAL salt helps to absorb the good nutrients and butter is for taste but if grass fed has wonderful healthy fats.

2. Epsom Salt and Ginger Baths (AKA Dirty Bath)
I learned this from my chiropractor back in Appleton at Appleton Chiropractic, Dr. Kristy Otto. She is wonderful, a great listener and amazing at what she does!

• Bathtub filled with safe level of water
• 2-3 drops doTERRA ginger oil, OR 1/2 cup Fresh Ginger, OR 1 Tsp Ginger Powder
• 1/2-1 Cup Epsom Salt

Fill up the bathtub, use doTERRA ginger oil, OR fresh ginger, OR ginger powder. Pour Epsom salt and let dissolve. Let kids soak for about 15-20 minutes and play :) **They will be sweaty after this bath and will need to drink fluids.**
Epsom salt helps to draw out toxins, relieves stress, helps muscle pain, and can relieve constipation! And much more. Here is a wonderful article for further reading Epsom Salt Uses and Benefits. Ginger contains anti-inflammatory properties, which is great for healing an ailing body. Here is more info on Ginger baths.

3. doTERRA Essential Oils (Use a little oil, often. One drop every hour or two for a couple days, even if symptoms seem better. Try oils like you would an antibiotic)

I thought this picture of Julian trying to get my oils was priceless, but I was to quick for him!

You can use:

• On Guard protective blend, 1 drop diluted with fractionated coconut oil, rub on feet. Rub on throat if its sore. 
• Lavender for calming/bedtime, 1 drop diluted with fractionated coconut oil, rub on feet, pillow
• Lemon Oil, one drop in 8fl oz of water.
• Breathe, one drop diluted with fractionated coconut oil, rub on back by lungs for help with breathing. 

This list could go on and on. There are SO many possibilities with oils and you just have to find what works well for your family. Consistency is key. If you have questions about essential oils please read Beginners Essential Oils and contact me for any questions, and possible samples.

4. Kids Cold Care Traditional Medicinal TEA

• One cup warm water
• one packet tea
• 1-2 TBSP honey for sweetener & health

Its very important to remember to get kids tea for kids and review the label for correct usage. Kids tea has the proper amounts of herbs suggested for children's use. I always put honey in my kids tea because they like the taste but also because honey has many great health properties. Honey is a great throat soother, and is packed with nutrients to help your body. Tea has antioxidants and offers a calming effect. My kids always feel great after drinking tea.

Don't feel helpless moms, dads, and even grandparents! We can help.

Here is today's Encouragement:

Monday Link Up with The Modest Mom Blog!

I decided to do a link up today! I have been seeing a lot of my favorite bloggers linking up and I thought it would be a great start to the week. I'm sorry I have not been writing, I have been busy with starting my business. I can't wait to share more about that on my blog in future posts.

I saw a link at The Modest Mom Blog and her Monday link up! I was excited to find this link up because modesty is important to me. Modesty is not just about the way you dress, its an entire attitude. When I first learned about modesty it was so foreign to me but with God's help the purpose and meaning grew in my heart and has taken a hold of me. I'm thankful God gave me this beautiful understanding and I'm still learning.

I decided to share some of my favorite modest outfits. I have really come to be fond of long skirts, pretty blouses, girly scarfs and hats. I used to purchase all my long skirts from Maurice's but they have recently stopped selling them. I was so sad, I wrote them and asked why they discontinued this item when SO many of us rely and purchase these long skirts. They had not one good answer. I simply told them I hoped they would reconsider in the future. For now I plan to just make my own skirts and search around at thrift stores.

A friend of mine, Casey, over at Simple Joy Crafting invited me over one day and taught me the wonderful skill of making my own skirts! What a helpful skill to acquire. I have made many skirts out of the old pants I used to wear. It was resourceful and a great way to recycle the old pants.

Here are a few of my recent outfits: (Sorry some are not my full outfit, I realized that I don't take many full body photos, probably because Mom is always taking pictures of everyone else and with the invention of selfies, you can't get the whole picture. I will work on that.)

This is a casual outfit for me. I would wear this going to the grocery store or meeting up for a play date. Its hard to dress down when you always wear a skirt! I remember one day talking to an older woman I respected and telling her how I missed the days I would run out in sweat pants and a t-shirt. Her reply has stuck with me and I doubt I'll forget it. She said "Remember that you are a representative of Jesus Christ". Wow! Its like if you were working for a company and they required dress coats and ties to represent the company in a professional way.

Hat: Target Clearance

Coat: Apt. 9 (Clothes Mentor Resale Shop)

Skirt: Maurice's

This was a Sunday before church. I have been trying different ways to wear head-coverings. I really like this head wrap and felt confident wearing it. The colors weren't too bright and blended well with my hair color.

Head Wrap: Walmart Scarf

Coat: Worthington (JCpenney)

This is my favorite hat. It easily matches almost anything and it has an adorable feminine bow on it. Its easy to just toss a hat on and roll my hair into a bun. I like styles that don't take me long to get ready. Especially with three little ones to help get ready in the morning, I need to be quick!

Hat: Target

Sweater: Target

Shirt: Old Navy (I really like to have some tanks, tees and extra shirts with a high neckline to use under shirts/clothes that may be more revealing. Old Navy has some great shirts for this in many colors.)

Skirt: Maurice

In the winter months I always wear leggings under my skirts to keep me warm. I don't miss that feeling of freezing jeans on my legs in the winter! I also like to wear boots to keep my feet and legs warm and dry. Next winter I need to invest in some better boots because while I was warm this winter, my feet did get wet.

This is one my favorite recent picture of mine. I'm wearing my favorite  hat of course because it matches easily. I am wear a beautiful blazer with lace in the back. I'll have to take another picture showing the pretty back. We had just got back from a long morning of library book hunting.

Hat: Target

Blazer: Cherry Pickers Resale Shop

Shirt: Old Navy

Julain is wearing a handsome button up from Old Navy and sporting a yellow care bear!!




I hope you enjoyed my Monday Link up with The Modest Mom Blog as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Encouragement for today!!

Honest Motherhood Giveaway!

I'm excited to announce that Honest Motherhood is having its first giveaway! 

If you read Honest Motherhood you know that I recently shared a post called "Am I Eating GMO's?" It had three parts to it. I promote non-GMO food and products. Without the labeling of genetically modified food and products its hard to know when you are using them. In my third post "Am I eating GMO's?" I talk about ways we can help and ways we can avoid eating genetically modified products.

I have come up with a recipe for a GMO-free grapefruit body sugar scrub. Grapefruit is known for its wonderful smell, weight loss and its ability to help the skin heal itself. Coconut oil is good for moisturizing the skin, and the sugar is a wonderful exfoliate!

Make sure to enter for your chance to win!

To Enter:
Like Honest Motherhood's Facebook page and share this post so others can enter! If you already like Honest Motherhood's Facebook you can still enter by simply sharing this post for others to enter.
https://www.facebook.com/honestmotherhood7

When Honest Motherhood's Facebook page reaches 100 likes,  three winners will randomly be chosen!

The winners will receive a GMO-Free Grapefruit Sugar Scrub made by Honest Motherhood! I will announce the winners after Honest Motherhood's Facebook reaches 100 likes.

Can't wait to announce the winners!!!!

Homemade Healthier Candy Bars (Gluten Free & Refined Sugar Free)

Once upon a time I used to eat snickers and butterfingers. It was a joyous time of ignorance. That yummy crunchy taste filled with, I had no clue!! Those were the days when I thought that the caramel was actually caramel. And then I awake from this fairy tale land, and realized it corn syrup...YUCK!

Honestly, I might have continued that eating path if I didn't have kids, get sick from eating certain foods and love cooking/baking so much. I count it a blessing to know the truth behind our food industry. I'm thankful that it has moved me to act. After I watched Food, INC. I was so grossed out and disgusted with Tyson. I went straight to my freezer after the movie and threw away the bag of Tyson frozen chicken breasts. I was that upset! And I don't regret that. They treated those animals with abuse and cruelty. And then they fed them genetically modified grain and pumped them with antibiotics to make them grow faster so they can make profit faster. How could I eat those frozen chicken breasts after knowing that?

There are times I do go out to eat and I'm not always aware of where the food is from or everything they are putting in it. I usually stick with something basic like a salad, shrimp or any gluten free options. Half of the labels on food on are so misleading anyhow. I like to shop at a store called Fresh & Natural, they strive to source there meat from sustainable farms, that do not use antibiotics or gm feed.

One thing I enjoy about cooking/baking is there is so many ways to manipulate the ingredients. Each produces a little different taste, texture or flavor so you can choose. I also like that I can substitute unhealthy choices for healthier choices. I can recreate a brownie by using whole foods, with REAL ingredients and getting in my daily dose of food groups. In this case I made homemade candy bar. i would say it tastes like a snickers mostly but I was going for a butter-finger. 

I used easy, simple ingredients that have health benefits. Here is the recipe!

Homemade Healthier Candy Bars ~Gluten Free & Refined Sugar Free~

• 4 tbsp water
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp molasses
• 1 tsp REAL salt or sea salt
• 3/4 cup peanut butter or any nut butter
• 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts chopped
• half a package of dark chocolate 

Measure and pour water and honey in a sauce pot. Bring to a simmer for about 8-10 minutes. It should be bubbling for about 6-8 minutes straight without stirring. Only stir if you think it may burn. 

After the honey is done bubbling immediately add the vanilla, molasses and salt. Remove from heat and stir together, then add the peanut butter and stir until creamy. Set aside.

 Get a small glass baking dish and line with parchment or plastic wrap. I poured the peanut butter mixture and spread it into only half of my pan. Depending on the size of your pan, pour the mixture but allow it to be about 1 inch thick. Spread out the pecans or walnuts on top of the mixture and gently press nuts into the mixture.

Put in freezer for about 5-7 minutes, take out and cut into bars, then set in freezer again for another 8-10 minutes. During that time melt your dark chocolate. You can either melt in a pan on stove or microwave for about 45 seconds, then mix and keep heating at 30 second intervals until the chocolate is melted and creamy. 

Take the bars out of the freezer and gently separate each bar in the pan with about 1-2 inches between them. Pour just enough of the chocolate mixture on top of each bar so it covers the top of the bar. When you have finished this, place the finished candy bars in the freezer for about 20 more minutes.

Place leftover bars in freezer and enjoy as desired!

This made 8 bars for me! They were so yummy and better then eating a store bought candy bar any day. Mostly because I knew what was in them and I made them with love! But they really were a nice treat for the boys and I. The peanut butter mixture tasted much like caramel in snickers! These bars are packed with protein from the peanut nutter and nuts, vitamins from the organic fair trade molasses I used, health properties from the honey and healthy pick me ups from the dark chocolate.

From my kitchen to yours.....Enjoy!

Affirmation of Today

Easy Peasy Oversized Pizza Rolls

When I was younger pizza rolls were one of my top 3 favorite foods. I knew it was a good day if my mom made pizza rolls..lol. I was not very good at being patient though, because as soon as they were ready I was trying to pop one of those little goodies into my mouth. They were so hot I had to bite the corner and let some of the hotness out, then I would blow on it for a couple seconds and try to take a bite. After that my tongue would get burned and I'd be trying to cool it down again. Yet I can't tell you how many times I repeated this trauma to my tongue. Finally, when I was older I realized the smart thing to do was put them in the freezer for a few minutes, so I could actually enjoy eating them.

I honestly can't remember the last time I ate a pizza roll. After I started to feel sick from certain foods and taught myself to read food labels by devouring every book in the library, pizza rolls were banned in my house. I couldn't believe the ingredient list, it was horrid!

There are many foods I have given up over the years, but I also have found or created healthier variations for my of my favorite treats. Pinterest is awesome for giving ideas like this and has inspired me to think outside of the frozen freezer section. My kids have never eaten a pizza roll and I'm so happy they can enjoy one of my childhood favorites. Of course it not the exact same thing, BUT once you start making things healthier and eating it more regularly you get used to the change in texture or sauce flavor. This recipe is so quick and easy too. The time it takes to make them may be a little more then freezer section pizza rolls, but I assure you its no wasted time. Your body will thank you down the road!

Happy homemade pizza roll making!

Easy Peasy Oversized Pizza Rolls

• 24 cheese sticks
• 2 packages turkey pepperoni
• Italian Seasoning
• 24 egg roll wrappers
• olive or any cooking oil
• Jar of original spaghetti sauce OR  can of seasoned crushed tomatoes

Preheat oven to 350.

Lay out a egg roll in a diamond shape, Place 6-7 pepperoni in a line towards the corner near you. Place the cheese stick long ways on top of the pepperonis. Then sprinkle some seasoning on top of the pepperonis. Then start rolling from the corner closet to you. After you roll it just a little, take in the sides and roll. Then before you close it up spread some water at the end corner of the egg roll. The water helps it to stick and stay together. Finish rolling it up! 

Pour a bit of oil over each roll and spread it out evenly

Bake @ 350 for about 20 minutes, then flip them all over and bake about 5-7 minutes. 

Pour some pasta sauce in a little dish, and use this to dip your pizza rolls.

Enjoy! From my kitchen to yours :)

Peanut Butter, Banana, Avocado Smoothie

I was already running a few minutes behind and we still hadn't eaten breakfast yet. I knew I didn't have time to make our usual eggs breakfast. Cereal is more like a treat or snack in our house. In fact, its usually eaten after dinner for a "dessert". Well, that's what it should be I think, with all the sugar in it! I looked at my fridge and thought hmmm, peanut butter and banana is good together but I really need to use up these avocados and that's how this post came to be.

I needed enough protein to keep my energy good until my next meal, some good fat to keep my mind focused, and a natural sweetener to make it all the better. That's what you have when you mix peanut butter, banana and avocado together. Since avocado has a fairly neutral favor, it so easily mixes with just about anything.

Peanut Butter, Banana, & Avocado Smoothie (Enough for 1 person, if  you double makes enough for one and three little people)

• 2 Tbsp Peanut Butter
• 1 Banana
• 1/2 Avocado
• 2 Tbsp Yogurt (I used plain)(Optional) -yogurt adds creaminess
• 2 Tbsp flax (Optional) great fiber addition
• 1 Tbsp honey (Optional) it adds just that extra touch of sweetness
• 1 1/2 c Almond Milk or Regular Milk
• 4-5 Ice Cubes

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until all ingredients are mixed. Enjoy!

Share your favorite smoothie recipes, I'd love to try them!