Pulled Mexican Chicken

OMG!

I promised I would blog this recipe ages ago and haven't been near the joint!

Apologies all round.

No excuses, well mostly because none required.  Real life has been hectic and finding the time to sit and blog has been difficult.

Anyway, one of our fave meals here is pulled beef from the Handle the Heat website.  It is a no fail totally amazeballs recipe and you really should do yourself a favour and try it sometime.

I usually get the biggest and cheapest piece of beef I can fit in my slow cooker and freeze meal portions of it to keep us going for a bit.

But I digress and really want to show you a winner winner chicken dinner I created.

This really was very simple and delicious.

All you need is:

6 large chicken thigh drumsticks

2 large onions sliced

3 cloves garlic

1/4c tomato paste

1tsp smoky paprika

2tsp chilli flakes

1tsp oregano

1/2c chicken stock or water

2tbs apple cider vinegar

In a fry pan fry your onions in the fat of your choice.  I use coconut oil but olive oil, ghee or butter will do.  Sweat them right down then add in all the other spices and tomato paste and fry well. 

  

Lastly add the stock and apple cider vinegr and stir until simmering.  

Pour this mixture over the chicken thighs in your slow cooker, cover and cook for at least 4hrs on high.  

This helps the chicken breakdown and brings the goodness out of the chicken bones.

When you see the chicken falling away from the bone you can pull the bones and gristly bits out of the pot with some tongs.  Then shred your meat.  I do this with two forks and just pull the meat apart.  I let it simmer for another hour or so with the lid half off to help the liquid reduce.

We serve with lettuce, baby spinach, tomato, cheese and big dollops of sour cream.   

Kids love theirs in wraps but I prefer to wrap mine up in big lettuce leaves.

This amount gives the three of us two main meals and I did have some of the chicken with eggs for breakfast the following day, so it is an economical meal too

ENJOY

That Sugar Film

WOW!

Just

WOW!

I had almost decided not to bother going to see That Sugar Film because 

I figured I don't do sugar so what was the point.

I don't do prepackaged 'health' food.

I don't do low fat.

I don't do juice.

But, I do learning. 

So I bought a ticket and went along with my friend Christina from The Joy of the Home 

This is an amazing film.  Truly, I love how it was presented, the information, the humour and that it wasn't bogged down in stats, but still managed to get the important facts out there.

I would love to see this in every school.

I would love to see every doctor going to view it

I am taking my kids next week.

If you are lucky enough to live in Launceston the cinema here will be viewing this for around two weeks.

PLEASE
PLEASE
PLEASE

Do yourself a favour and go see this

if you think you don't eat sugar because 

you don't add it to your cuppa or your cereal

or you don't eat cake or pastry

or if you are just curious as to how you can

damage your liver

gain 10kg

gain 10cm on your waist

in just 60days eating 'healthy' food

then go see this.

If you breath

go see this!! 

Take your kids, your parents, your friends

and go see this.

Galloping Gallstones Batman!!

Following on from  the post  back on the 19th about my gallstones.  

I promised to update you when I had done the flush *cue dramatic music*

Since writing that post I have stuck with the list of foods and fats that are good for bile production and seen great results.  Almost overnight the discomfort in my abdomen stopped, however I am still aware that while it can help prevent further stones and very slowly eliminate existing stones it is just that, a slow process.

This is why I opted to do a flush.

There are many sites that talk you through how to do this.  

Dr Clark

Good Guy

World Wide Health Centre

All will tell you pretty much the same, although I found the first added a few supplements in, that they just happen to sell LOL

What I did was stick to the basics.

I planned a quiet weekend, when my kids were with their dad and demands on me were few.  I actually expected this to far worse than it actually was.
They suggest massive amounts of apple juice or raw apples for around two weeks leading up to the flush.  This is because the pectin helps soften the stones.  I had about 1 cup of juice daily for a week leading up as I figured I wouldn't need the pectin as much since my stones are all gravelly really and not that big.

Ingredients for a weekend of pooing

Epsom salts

2 grapefruit

filtered water

olive oil

Saturday

I ditched the LCHF and had bread for breakfast with a green smoothie. I did have a white coffee even though it said no milk and it didn't seem to impact on me greatly, if at all. 

I had two tuna sushi rolls for lunch and drank quite a bit of water, taking into account that I wouldn't be able to have any food or drink after 2pm.

At 2pm I mixed up the epsom salts and water, giving a good shake to dissolve the salts and popped them in the fridge.  This gives the impression of vodka cocktails,
don't be fooled.

Now go and relax for a few hours, savour the last moments of un-assaulted tasted buds.

At 6pm I poured myself the first dose of epsom martini.  OMFG!!!!!!!   Can I suggest right now, if you are doing this to source some epsom capsules.

holy mary mother of what the hell is this poison. 

you think I am joking don't you.

Bless you.

So one dose down and three to go.  

At this point I was seriously thinking the olive oil/grapefruit juice combo would be the worse thing on earth and to be honest, after the 'martini' I was a bit scared.

Half an hour later I was still alive (despite those naysayers)

I had a mildly gurgling tummy and a bit of a headache.

This is when I settled in for an evening of utter laziness and couch sitting.

At 8pm I had the second dose of salts *shudder*.  Now this was worse than the first one because I knew what was coming this time.

If you are of a delicate nature I suggest doing this over the sink.  *Just sayin*

Also, use a straw and gulp that mother down as fast as you can.

Around 9.30pm I started preparing for bed. Book, phone in place.  Jammies on and visit the loo as often as you can before the 10pm bed time.

I didn't bother with the supplements listed in Dr Clark's directions.  I just mixed the oil and grapefruit juice (I got enough juice from one).

Pour into a jar and shake it really well.  It goes watery and loses that oily texture.

Try to wee a few more times as it is best if you don't get up again until morning.

Then down that oil chaser!

Talk about a surprise, after the 'martini' this stuff tastes great!

Seriously it isn't nearly as bad as I expected.

I know right!  

You are calling bullshit, but not a word of lie, it really isn't too bad.

As soon as you finish it (I suggest drinking as fast as you can) you need to go and lay down.  Do not pass go or anything.  Just go lay either on your back or your right side and

  DO NOT MOVE for at least 20 minutes.  

Depending on the size of those stones you may feel them passing from the gallbladder.  I didn't feel them as mine were too small,  just some lots of gurgling.

Then sleep my precious.

Sunday

I woke at 7am, stretched and yawned and tried to come alive.... no really, peed and got myself another jar of that fabulous epsom cocktail.   *gag*

Now at this point I probably should advise against farting.   This is the time to remember that the only thing you have consumed for the past 17hrs is pretty much oil and epsom salts, known for it's laxative qualities.

You may feel the urge and that is normal just be aware of the above.

I went straight back to bed and dozed for the next two hours when I had the last of the cocktail.  *insert sad face*

*not really*

I went back to bed again and dozed for another couple of hours. 

During this time there was lots of gurgling and movement in my abdo region.

NO PAIN, or discomfort at all though.

From this point on it is safe to say that an at home day is the best thing.

You will want to be relatively close to the toilet

You won't have violent or painful diarrhea

You will go to the loo often 

The websites all suggest putting a strainer or basket in the loo to catch the stones so you can count them. 

Seriously? 

WTAF!!

I didn't do this. I did grab a couple out to look at, just a disposable spoon and plastic container suffices as they float.

I must say I was surprised as I expected something hard but these were liked a cooked pea in colour and texture.

Just as the ultrasound had indicated my stones were all pretty much the size of rice granules with about three the size of peas.

I passed quite a few in the first 4-5 bowel movements (isn't that eloquent) and after that nothing.

By the late afternoon I was ready to eat and the urge to poo had subsided greatly.

Today, I still feel a bit gurgly but more because I have been cleaned out pretty much.

I don't think the amount of stones I passed were enough to get rid of them all so I will do another cleanse in a few weeks and then perhaps have another ultrasound to see what is left. 

Overall, I feel fine and think it was a great success.

Just as a disclaimer, I am not a medical professional and I am not suggesting this is a cure all for anyone.  IF you think you have gallstones, get it checked out and decide your next course of action with medical support.