thai-indian fusion chicken soup {paleo soup recipe}

we all battled a nasty cold a few weeks back and i was craving something warming with lots of healing ginger, garlic, and onions.  this concoction grew out of a love for the spices and after i posted a teaser to my facebook page, i was obliged to share the recipe!  enjoy.  :)

Thai-Indian Fusion Chicken Soup

Angela Sackett - March 2012

Ingredients:

3- 4 chicken breasts, cubed

4 stalks celery

Large onion

Three large carrots

Three garlic cloves

One inch ginger, grated

1 carton cherry tomatoes

1 Tbsp olive or coconut oil

Tsp garam masala

Tsp cumin

Tsp coriander

Seasoning blend

Tbsp chili garlic sauce

1 can light coconut milk

32 oz chicken broth

1/4 cup lime juice

2 Tbsp dried coconut

1 lime, quartered

Directions:

Sautee chicken in oil, seasoning to taste.  When cooked through, set aside.  Chop celery, carrots, and onion, and add to pan once chicken has been removed.  Sautee until onion and celery begin to turn translucent, adding garlic and ginger after 3-4 minutes.  Stir in garam masala, cumin, coriander, and seasoning blend and add cherry tomatoes, using the back of a wooden spoon or spatula to "pop" approximately half of the tomatoes; add the chicken back in.  Stir in chili sauce, coconut milk, broth, and lime juice.  Simmer 10-15 minutes and serve in bowls sprinkled with coconut.  Serve with lime quarters so juice can be added to taste.

(Disclaimer: I'm attempting to use my iPhone more for photos, but i won't lie, i'm not the best iPhone shooter.  add to that, this isn't the prettiest dish, and the photos don't sell it.  but trust me on this: if you make it, you'll love it.  it's rich and spicy, hearty and delicious.  leave me a comment and tell me you agree!  :)  )

you know you want some!

enjoy!

Good Morning, Sunshine! {Paleo Breakfast Recipe}

adopting a healthier eating pattern has had the added gift of learning to appreciate what food really tastes like.  i'm prayerfully listening to my body, teaching it again what is truly good, and letting it tell me what, of that, it wants and needs.  (do I sound like a nut?)  one of my favorite breakfasts was inspired by a gorgeous blog post on Left on Amelia. she calls it "the bowl of yum."  i've adapted it to whatever's in the pantry and seeming "yum" to me of a morning.  this morning it was almond butter, bananas, my beloved Chia seeds, raw, unsweetened coconut,  chopped frozen cherries (give them a whizz in your mini food processor or chop with a knife or chopper) and a drizzle of coconut milk.  and hello, happy.

 

for more info on the ingredients i used and why (besides that they taste awesome), leave a comment below and i'll create a post!

The Critical Thinking Company {Florida Homeschool Resource}

For a while we've loved a company called The Critical Thinking Company as a great resource for creative educational materials.  Recently they contacted us to review a couple of their books, and we were happy to do so!  Excitedly we opened our box a few days later (delivered by our favorite Fed-Ex guy) to discover Crypto Mindbenders: Famous Quotations, Crypto Mind Benders:Classic Jokes, and Inference Jones: Beginning.

We couldn't wait to pull them out and try our hand at some mind-benders!  We've discovered that not only our students, but mom and dad love them, too!  We've raced to finish them and see who can best beat the tricky puzzles to find famous quotes and silly jokes.

One of my favorite attributes to the series is that it comes with limited printing rights, allowing us to copy pages to use within our family - thus saving us money and allowing us to grab more Critical Thinking products!

(This one looks focused... he loves the puzzles but hates photos - go figure.  :) )

 

I was especially excited about Inference Jones, a workbook designed to increase students' reading comprehension and allow them to interact with reading selections.  Our third/fourth grader is growing in his reading skill and speed, but I wanted a way to assure that he was comprehending the material, and the exercises are short enough to prevent frustration, and clear enough that it's easy for teacher to evaluate success.

So do I recommend?  Wholeheartedly!  Critical Thinking products are well-priced, easy to use, and both fun and educational.