Onion Goggles and Pig Cutting Boards

I have two favorite kitchen items that get used almost every night when I'm preparing dinner. 

First, Onion Goggles. My eyes are super sensitive to onions and I've tried every trick in the book to keep from crying when cutting up this veggie. One year I received TWO pairs for Christmas! I also like to wear them on my head like a headband during dinner.

Second, Pig Shaped Cutting Boards. These were hand-made and given to use for a wedding gift 10 years ago. This is a set of four awesome boards in different sizes. I use all four every night. I often complain at home that if I just prepared something from a box, there would be much less to clean up at night. No boxed or canned foods for us though. Lots of fresh meats and veggies mean lots of cutting (and cutting boards) for me. This has prompted me to create one-skillet meals as much as possible. (See Katie's Chicken and Ben's Chicken for two started recipes.)

Here's another idea for a one skillet dinner:

Spaghetti Squash & Sauce

1. Cook one spaghetti squash in the microwave or oven. Directions Here. 
2. Brown 1 lb of turkey sausage, ground beef, or other sausage in a large skillet.
3. Add one large jar of low-sugar marinara--hint: the healthiest sauces are the ones that are a bit higher in price. We tried to find sauce with around 4 net carbs per serving. 
4. Add squash noodles to the skillet. 
5. Stir everything together and serve hot! Yum! 
6. Optional: Top with Parmesan cheese. 

Katie's Chicken Recipe

We love stir-fry, Mongolian Grill, and anything Thai/Chinese. However, I'm never as satisfied when I try to cook it at home as I am when we eat at HuHot. (Maybe it's the significantly lower sodium content!) Tonight, I was fairly successful and Ben has named this dinner "Katie's  Chicken". (Ben's Curry Chicken recipe is listed here). I love one pan dinners! 

Here's a fairly accurate recipe (I don't believe in measuring cups/spoons, so this is my best guess.) 

Katie's Chicken

• 2T Olive Oil or Coconut Oil (cover the bottom of the pan)
• 1/2 onion, chopped finely (so little boys don't know it's in there)
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1lb chicken breasts or thighs, cut into small pieces
• Assorted chopped veggies: broccoli, bok choy, snow peas, carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, green beans, peas, water chestnuts, baby corn, etc.
• 1/4 c Soy Sauce (We used Organic Tamari Gluten-Free)
• 3T Sesame Oil
• 2T Rice Vinegar
• Optional: Hot Chili Sauce
• Salt, Pepper, chili pepper (just a little of each)

Directions: Heat large skillet on the stove and then add olive or coconut oil. Sautee onions & garlic until onions are translucent. Add chicken, cover, & cook through. Add the veggies that take the longest to the pan. Add the sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar and cook. When it looks like everything is almost cooked through, add any remaining veggies that don't take long to cook. (You can add in the optional ingredients at any time, but I recommend toward the end.)

Top with sesame seeds or raw coconut and enjoy! 

Just realized I forget to take a picture and now it's gone. I'll make it again very soon and try to get a pic then! 

Tell Your Spouse That Massages Are A NECESSITY.

I am a lucky wife. Dr. Hubby knows how many health problems can be prevented and helped by having regular massage therapy sessions with a licensed massage therapist. I typically get massages when life is just a bit overwhelming or I've had a series of tough workouts which is pretty regularly. We have lots of patients who are on a massage schedule of once or twice a month and book their massages months in advance so they can be sure to have a spot. 

We are very lucky to have such a talented massage therapist on staff, Tiffany. If you need a reason to come see her, check out the picture below. 

Give us a call to schedule your next health appointment with Tiffany! (Everyone welcome, not just current patients.)  515.978.6661.

Natural Childbirth Workshop--January 26th, 2013

Paleo Week 1 Update

It's officially been one week of pretty strict Paleo eating for Dr. Wes and myself. I think the first week was really successful and we have some good motivation to keep going. Here are a few highlights:

1) I lost 5lbs. (Pretty sure that was just water weight, but I'll take it!) Good-bye holiday weight!

2) Dr. Wes lost his bloated feeling and said he feels a lot more "lean". 

3) We tried a lot of new recipes with our favorites being Barbecue Chicken from Paleo Comfort Foods and sauteed zucchini with marinara. 

4) We found some breakfast ideas that don't include eggs or nuts for Dr. Wes. From that same cookbook, he's been enjoying Berry Cobbler made with coconut flour instead of "regular" white flour. (I didn't care for that too much.)

5) I think we've overcome the Sugar Crash that made us both tired and a little nauseous all weekend. I had the blessing of knowing the great feeling that was to come, but this was Dr. Wes' first Paleo experience. 

6) I made really good Ranch Dressing and Paleo Mayo for the first time. 

7) Tough Crossfit workouts at Crossfit 515 were great and we were so thankful to be fueled by clean eating.

Great Health Gifts

This was quite the season for giving (and receiving!) health-themed gifts. Here's the list of what was exchanged during our family holidays this year:

Aquazinger

• Garlic Press
• Paleo Comfort Foods Cookbook
• Reusable Lunch Sacks (the fabric kind with zippers)
• Weight lifting gloves
• Dark, healthy chocolate (Organic, 72% or higher, fair trade)
• Fair trade organic coffee (Gateway Market is a great source!)
• Cuisinart Juicer
• Fancy Tea Kettle
• Automatic Soap Dispenser (for little boy germs in my house!)
• Massages for use at Waukee Wellness! (Our families' most requested gift!)
• Athletic Compression Socks
• Heat Pack
• Neck Massager
• AquaZinger Water Bottle with Fruit Infuser--this is cool!
• Norwex
• Hot Water Bottles

Returning to the gym. Not good.

I took a few weeks off from going to the gym (Crossfit 515) for a few weeks over winter break while the boys were home. Between bad weather, new babies, and kids at home, I decided home workouts would be the way to go. I tried a few of the workouts on our Pinterest Page and decided that was good enough. Yesterday I returned to the gym for the infamous Crossfit workout called Fran.

The fastest Fran times are under 3 minutes for the entire workout. It's a seemingly simple workout of 21-15-9 Thrusters and pull-ups. And it's fast and short for a workout. I was a WRECK. I tore open my hand, had to use more help with pull-up bands than I've used in a LONG time, and am incredibly sore today. I'm a pretty optimistic person, but that workout was really tough for me and I hated it. My time--10:21. Ick! 

This seemed to fit my feelings of the workout.

However, here's why I vowed to go back to the gym and not workout at home:

• I work harder and push myself more at the gym. 
• I like the challenge of a different workout at the gym. 
• I can lift weights at the gym. Heavy weights. Over my head. I LOVE that! 
• Not making any excuses. At home--lots of reasons/excuses to not work hard. At the gym--none. 
• Motivation from my fellow Crossfitters. 
• RESULTS. Big time results & improvement in overall strength & endurance. 
• Talking to other people besides my kids.
• Being motivated to eat healthy by healthier people than me. 
• Seeing a really cute baby there. I was his doula. :) 

This is why I go back to the gym. I still gained muscle strength and had a great workout. 

I wish I was a person that could workout really hard at home religiously. I'm not that kind of person (I don't know many people who are). I like short, intense workouts and I've found a place that works for me. I need to go to a gym and have accountability from others. I need to have motivation from others to keep me going. Most important, I NEED results. 

Did you know that YOU can workout at Waukee Wellness--even if you're not a current patient? Check out our info on fitness classes, personal training, and 8 Weeks to Wellness! We'd love to help you with your fitness goals, provide a supportive exercise environment, and set you up for impressive RESULTS too! 

Walking/Running at home is not enough. Men AND Women need resistance and weight training. (Another blog post for another day.)  What are YOU doing to get your exercise in regularly? What is working for you? I'd love to hear your ideas too!

--Katie

Balsamic Mustard Chicken--Dr. Jason Style

Look What Dr. Jason Cooked Up!

Balsamic Mustard Chicken and steamed veggies. Cooking healthy never tasted so good!

Want to make this yourself? Check out this link! Balsamic Mustard Chicken and Veggies

New Year, New Food

I think I finally convinced Dr. Hubby to give Paleo eating a try. He is definitely stronger and leaner than ever, but he wants to get some more muscle definition and I think it will help with his allergies as well. We are usually pretty "clean" eaters anyway, but we are going completely grain-dairy-soy-processed food-free for 21 days based on the book "The Primal Blueprint" by Mark Sisson. 

We are trying not to use the phrase New Year's Resolution in regards to eating Paleo/Primal, but we certainly could use a strict eating plan for a few weeks since we indulged quite often over the holidays. One of my favorite Christmas presents was a new cookbook from my father-in-law called "Paleo Comfort Foods" by Charles & Julie Mayfield.  I thought it would be fun to start with some of our favorites like Barbecue Chicken and Veggies. 

I can never make a recipe exactly the way it says in the book, but I tried to stick pretty close to the recipe today. Sometimes I deviate because I don't have or like a certain ingredient, other times I'm too lazy to measure things out. :) 

I taught myself how to cut apart a whole fryer chicken today (we get ours from Prudent Produce) by watching a YouTube Video. I cooked the chicken pieces in the crock pot today and will pull off the chicken later. I took the carcass and some leftover veggies like celery, carrots, and onions, and put them in a stock pot filled with water. I simmered the stock pot for a few hours and then strained the liquid into a dish for Chicken Stock/Broth. Yum!! 

I made the BBQ sauce from the cookbook, and it smells WONDERFUL and a bit spicy too. It's nice to be able use fresh ingredients and spices to make something we love without all of the preservatives from the store. I also tried making Paleo Mayo, and it was a HUGE success too! I've never tried making mayo from scratch, but it was quite easy. 

So far, we're off to a good start! Have you found a new recipe that will help you stick to your health goals? If so, share it with us!!

Happy New Year!

--Katie