Review: Cocoon CoolMax Blanket

When I went on my trip to Kentucky I realized that I needed a travel blanket and all the blankets I had currently wouldn't fit in my bag... so I headed online to start researching good options. I get either cold or overheated pretty much round the clock (there's not a lot of in between unfortunately) so I have collected a LOT of blankets over the years and found a lot of duds in the process. I needed something to keep me warm for those chilled times but still be lightweight enough that I don't have to devote my carry-on to a blanket. Typically I have a thick sweater I keep with me year round when I am out but I really wanted something that would keep all of me warm instead of just my arms as I was going to be trying to sleep on the plane and shivering doesn't work too well with that goal.
After reading a lot of reviews on travel sites I purchased the Cocoon CoolMax Blanket from Amazon as it seemed a good combination of quality and affordability. The cheapest color option was the 'tree frog' green so that is what I purchased. It ended up being basically a lime color which reminded me of my college dorm room but it wasn't a horrible color like some of the reviews had complained about (I didn't care so much about the color but rather the functionality). The color really isn't too bad but it is quite a bright color if you are opposed to vivid colors for your blankets. I ended up finding the bright color useful though as I could always find it... even when my niece decided it made a better ghost costume or superman cape than blanket and wandered off with it various times on my trip.

 

The blanket is quite large compared to other travel blankets I have had, which is a plus. The description states that it is 55" x 70" but I didn't measure it to verify... it covered me from shoulders to toes completely with a little room to spare so I was happy. Unfortunately, while it is large it is not particularly thick. The thickness is about what I would expect for a thicker bed sheet yet somehow warmer than a simple sheet would be. The warmth of the blanket was enough to keep me comfortable on the planes all but once, when it got particularly cold, but that was only for a few minutes and most people would likely be quite comfortable. 

You can use this, or any travel blanket actually, even when you are not traveling. I keep my blanket in the trunk of my car in case I need it personally. I actually used the blanket today at the office as I forgot my sweater today at the house so I was freezing (why is it that office's are always so cold!?!).

Space-wise I was quite happy with the amount of room this blanket took up as it was able to fit into my already quite packed backpack without issue. One feature that I liked was that it comes in a bag with a drawstring to keep the blanket in. I suggest that you keep the bag if you purchase this item as you don't need to roll the blanket or do anything special with it... just quickly stuff the blanket into the bag, pull the drawstring and you are ready to go, the bag doesn't seem to get much bulkier than when it is neatly folded and rolled. The blanket in the bag is larger than a can of soda but quite a bit smaller than my travel pillow. These are not my hands (and it is not my photo) as I have pretty small hands and didn't feel that you would get a good comparison.

Overall I would say this was a good purchase for me but for some people it might be a little more expensive than they are willing to pay. If you have more room in your bag for a slightly bulkier blanket then there are a lot of other options out there that may work better for you. Let me know if you have found a fantastic blanket as I'm almost always cold so pretty much always looking at potential new blankets for my home or for travel.

Basic Roasted Chicken

Roasted chicken can be quite complex but it doesn't have to be. This staple in the kitchen can be completed in about 2.5 hours with minimal hands-on time and makes a wonderful dinner. I made two chickens at once in a roasting pan with about 10 minutes of prep from start to finish and kept it very simple for this recipe (the recipe and instructions below are for one chicken). I wasn't at home when I made the chickens above which means that I didn't have fresh garlic or herbs... so I just used minced garlic, salt and pepper for the seasoning and stuffed the chickens with onion alone. It was a hit even without the herbs and fresh garlic. Also, since I went very simple I didn't need to tie the legs together but if you are going to be using stuffing you might consider doing so. I'm all about simplicity and using what I have available whenever possible so most of my recipes are easily adapted for a wide range of options, this chicken included.

INGREDIENTS:

• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• garlic- either dried minced garlic or fresh, to taste
• 1 3-5 lbs whole chicken with the giblets and neck removed (if included)
• 1 stick of butter
• 1/2 onion, rough chopped
• fresh herbs of choice, optional

NEEDED:

• roasting pan
• small pan/bowl to melt butter
• basting brush, optional

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Chop your onion and garlic (if using fresh).
3. Melt the butter.
4. Stuff herbs and onion into the cavity of the chicken. I tend to save any that does not fit inside to rub on the chicken after I salt and pepper it.
5. If you are using fresh garlic rub it onto the chicken. If not then you will add your dried garlic with the salt and pepper.
6. Sprinkle salt and pepper onto the chicken and place it breast side down into the roasting pan.
7. Baste the chicken with half of the melted butter.
8. Bake the chicken for 15-20 minutes.
9. Reduce the oven's temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
10. Baste the chicken with the remaining melted butter and continue baking at the reduced temperature for 1.5-2 hours depending on the weight of the chicken. (Do not consume under-cooked chicken. Please check internal temperature of chicken.)
11. Allow the chicken to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving it in order to maintain the moistness of the meat.

Back to Basics: How to Make Ghee

"Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in ancient India and is commonly used in South Asian cuisines, traditional medicine, and religious rituals." -Wikipedia

In today's world there are a lot of people who cannot tolerate dairy, myself included. One of the good things about ghee is that, when it is prepared correctly, the milk proteins are removed. This means that many people who cannot tolerate butter can tolerate ghee. Basically, it is the best of both worlds: the benefits (and taste!) of butter without the casein and proteins that you may react to.

You can find ghee in the store:

... but I suggest you make it yourself if you have lactose intolerance as I have found that it is very easy and a lot more of the milk proteins seem to be removed when I make it myself than when I purchase it at the store. The exception to this would have to be Tin Star Food's ghee. I have heard awesome things about their ghee from people who do not tolerate dairy well. This isn't to say that other brands' ghee isn't great, I just haven't tried it so I don't want to speak to it. The brand of ghee you see above ended up making me decide to stop being lazy and make some ghee at home again. That's good for you guys though because you can now see how I make it!

INGREDIENTS: 

• butter (grass-fed butter is a little more difficult to find but is the best due to the higher quality... more vitamins for one!)

EQUIPMENT:

• small pot
• cheesecloth
• glass container for storing ghee

PROCEDURE:
1. Place butter in sauce pan over low heat. I couldn't find grass-fed unsalted butter so I am using a salted variation.

2. Check on butter regularly over the next 2-3 hours, stirring as necessary. It does take a long time to make but you don't have to stand over it the whole time. I often put it on and then go clean my house or do homework, checking on it about every 20-30 minutes. 

3. When you see the milk solids have settled to the bottom and begun to brown so your liquid butter has become golden in color it is time to remove it from the heat. When it gets close to this point though I suggest you stick close to your pot to make sure you only slightly brown the solids verses burning them. I should have left this batch on the stove for a few more minutes so that the milk solids would brown a bit more but I was running behind. It still came out beautifully though.

4. Strain the liquid through cheesecloth into a non-plastic container (I have melted a plastic one before... oh the mess!). The milk solids will remain in the cheesecloth while your ghee will strain through the mesh to the container beneath.

5. Place your ghee in a container. If it has been prepared properly you won't need to refrigerate it and it will last for months!

The unrefrigerated ghee is on the left but if you do store it in the fridge it will look like you see on the right.


One thing to understand about ghee is that the flavor is more intense than the butter you started with. I would suggest adding a little at a time to your dish when first learning to cook with ghee for this reason. Another, awesome, thing to know is that the smoke point is incredibly high so it is great for high heat cooking like sautes and stir fries! I have heard it said that 'you flavor with it like butter but cook with it like oil' and I find that to be fairly accurate but I tend to use less ghee than butter when flavoring with it due to my personal preferences on taste.

Crock Pot Shredded Chicken

Shredded chicken is incredibly versatile. You can toss it in a variety of sauces for instant wrap filling, burritos, spreads, and more... or just eat it plain on a bed of salad greens with a drizzle of your favorite vinaigrette for a quick and healthful salad. I prefer to make my shredded chicken in bulk when I find a good sale and freeze it up in batches for later use. It's simple, quick, and saves time when preparing last minute meals or bulk cooking chicken meals in later weeks. 

INGREDIENTS:

• chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
• chicken stock or broth (check the ingredients if you didn't make it yourself)

EQUIPMENT:

• crock pot
• electric mixer (if you don't have one you can use two forks)

PROCEDURE:

1. Place chicken in crock pot. 

• Most people thaw their chicken first as it is safer from a health perspective since you don't have to worry about intermediate temperatures beyond the safe limits. I have been asked previously if the meat really needs to be thawed first, here's my two cents: I have used frozen chicken directly in the crock pot without issue for this recipe and a few others before BUT food safety rules suggest that you thaw the chicken appropriately beforehand to avoid those potentially longer periods at intermediate temperatures... so that is what I do suggest that you do if at all possible. It is better safe than sorry when it comes to the health of your family in my opinion.

2. Add a couple tablespoons of stock/broth per pound of chicken. 

• You could use a little bit of water in a pinch but I prefer the stock so that the resulting meat will be tasty and packed with flavor.

3. Place crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. Ensure that the chicken has reached the correct temperature/if fully cooked before turning off the crock pot.
4. Allow the chicken to cool for a few minutes before attempting to shred. If you are using the two forks to shred the chicken I suggest that you allow it to cook quite a bit as I have been burned quite a few times trying to rush to get it shredded and off my to-do list... its not worth it.
5. Shred the chicken. My suggestion is to use the electric mixer to shred the chicken by simple putting the mixer in the bowl with the chicken and 'mixing' like you would cake batter. The chicken shreds very quickly with this method and you avoid burned fingers. :)
6. Allow the chicken to cool completely before freezing it into portions appropriate to your family's needs to avoid ice crystals forming in the containers and on the chicken itself. 
 

I'm back!

Hi guys! I wanted to do a quick apology for the lack of posts recently and catch up with all of you on what is going on with me. Basically, my computer died (no bueno) which means that I wasn't really able to do much writing until I could get a new one. I was able to pick up a new one this past weekend thankfully so I am working on some new posts to get back up and running shortly. 
On the health front I am pretty much 'post-flare' (back to my 'normal') at this point which is great. I had lingering after effects from the flare that dragged on for a few weeks it seemed which kind of sucked, not gonna lie, but the nearly two week full on flare was killer (and nearly ruined my vacation) and I am grateful it has passed. At this point all that's left most of the time is an elevated heart rate in the mornings/evenings beyond my norm and a longer morning routine as my bp is still too low first thing to get back to my old routine. It's all manageable though and I'm back to living my life.
My evenings are a bit more open as well since Oktoberfest season is over. I don't have practice or shows for another month or two with my folkdance group. I plan on using the extra time to work on writing some extra posts as well as study for my Economics and Finance classes. On that note, grad school is going pretty well this term. So far I have an A in both of my courses but they are more difficult for me than my Education classes the last time I was in grad school (this is my second masters degree).
I think that's pretty much it for me other than the fact that this is Dysautonomia Awareness Month so I'm taking to Instagram quite a bit with posts for that. Feel free to follow me @RealLifeWithHeather if you would like to take a look at those posts and/or see pics of my pups and upcoming posts.

Chronically Ill and Flying... with Dogs, Part Six: Wheels Up!

The morning of travel I was exhausted and my bp was being pretty touchy but I was able to get to the airport. Brain fog had me nearly to the wrong airport before I realized I was going to the wrong one and had to turn around and go the other direction. Luckily they aren't too too far from each other and I was able to get there in the time I had left without issue. I try to always leave extra early in case of long lines, traffic, needing to stop for meds (or sit a spell), or etc. so that the stress doesn't make me more symptomatic. Having that extra time was very useful this trip. My luggage ended up getting checked 1 minute after the cut off time. 1 minute and my luggage wasn't guaranteed on the plane anymore. It was beyond frustrating since I knew that, even with the detour, I would have had no issue getting my baggage checked in on time if I didn't have dysautonomia. Luckily it did get on the plane in time so there were no issues. I made sure to wear compression stockings and added extra powdered electrolyte drink packets to my carry-on as I would be drinking them non-stop for the rest of the day. This trip I had to use a wheelchair in the airport. I don't normally need to when I am not flaring or when it is a milder flare but there was no way I could stand in the TSA line, walk through a large airport, and stand in line again to board the plane just to endure the pressure and altitude changes then walk/stand more at my layover and destination airports. It just wasn't going to happen without serious repercussions. I hate using the wheelchairs even after all this time as I always assume people think I am faking a need for one... pretty much the same as when I had a handicap parking pass and let it lapse because I hated the stares. I only use help when I absolutely need it so I need to get past that... but it is a common sentiment I hear from others like me so I am far from alone on this. On the wheelchair front I will say that having a carry on AND the pet bag was rather more difficult than I imagined it would be even though they escorted me to the gate as not all airports/airlines will let you put a backpack on the back of the wheelchair I found out. 

TSA was no issue whatsoever. I walked, shakily by that point, through the detector then had my hands tested and we were done. They didn't care about any of the food items I had chosen to bring with me and my laptop and liquids bag were easily accessible so we were done within a few minutes. As soon as the pups and I were through they brought the wheelchair through to the other side of security and I gathered my belongings quickly and we were back on our way. My heart rate from that small standing/walking bit was quite high so I was grateful for the wheelchair and didn't even care about the stares at that point... I needed the help and I was glad I had it. Next time I hope I won't need it but if I do then I will make the request just as I did this time. Never judge someone if they use a service such as a wheelchair, handicap bathroom stall or parking placard, etc... you never know what is going on medically with them just by looking at them from the outside. No idea whatsoever.

The dogs know how to travel as they have been doing so for years so they were pretty much perfect the whole time in the airports and on the planes. There was one little tiff where one ended up falling on top of the other (my fault) and the landed upon pup got upset but we were cool within a minute or less. My neighbors on the plane didn't even know I had them with me. One was totally surprised when I let her know that I would let her out and then wait until the plane cleared a bit before leaving as I had the dogs so needed a bit of time and space to maneuver. She asked me if I had to drug them... I let her know that "No, they are seasoned travelers and are likely napping at the moment but will wake up when we land." and she asked a few more questions about cost, their carrier, and about them in general and then it was time to de-board. Once we arrived at my grandmother's house the pups had everything they could want in the world: plenty of people to love on them 24/7, food, toys, a big backyard that they could go out and play in whenever they wanted. They were quite happy to be there.

As for me, well my trip wasn't quite the success it was for the pups. My flare kept getting worse until I was practically hooked to a bottle of Gatorade and a bp monitor 24/7. I couldn't stand for more than a few minutes without issue so I spent most of the trip lounging on a couch brain fogged and symptomatic trying to keep everything in check enough to still interact with my family who was visiting. I *think* I did a pretty good job of pretending to be 'normal' when needed but for the most part I probably just looked pretty lazy and out of it unfortunately. I'm still glad that I went of course but it was sucky not being able to really be up and about and really interacting fully with my family since nearly everyone was there- including my 19 month old niece, most of my aunts and uncles, my sister, brother-in-law, parents, a cousin and both sets of grandparents. I saw a really cute play with my grandparents the last night I was there and it wiped me out but I'm glad I got to spend that time with them nevertheless and didn't just stay home.

Headed back to TX was pretty much the same issues and process... wheelchairs, Gatorade, compression stockings, nausea meds, and sleeping/resting as much as possible. I wasn't quite as symptomatic by that day as I had been earlier in the trip and might have been able to walk the airport on my own but I had parked in long term parking (I know, bad choice... I didn't realize how far it was from the entrance when I parked there. My body hated me by the time I got to the ticket counter on the way to KY. BP was crazy and I was so tachy the room was spinning and I was sick, no bueno.) and I knew I was flying into a storm so I didn't risk it. Worsening my flare was the absolute last thing on my to-do list for that day. It took a few more days for the flare to finish calming down but I am back to my 'normal' more or less now it seems thankfully.

Chronically Ill and Flying... with Dogs, Part Five: Before Traveling

I wanted to write this post as I was preparing to travel and give you a day by day breakdown... but then life happened. I ended up having a flare two days before traveling. Not good, not good at all. So I will write out what I usually do as well as what I ended up needing to do this time around due to dealing with the flare. The unpredictability of flares is exactly why I over plan my life the way I do and why I pack such an intense backpack. Being prepared gets me back on track so much faster and back to enjoying my life. A few minutes of preparation each week can mean an entire week back for me... so worth it!

What I Usually Do

These days if I am traveling last minute then I won't be taking the pups more than likely (unless it is an emergency) so there is less to pack and less to manage. This makes life a little bit easier. Since I already keep my hygiene kit (and most of my carry-on) packed I can pack from start to finish in less than an hour, in a pinch. I don't like to do this as it can cause extra stress which can make me more symptomatic. Plus, the rushing around will make it a lot more likely that I forget something. For just a weekend away though it isn't usually an issue. 
For the dogs: I just grab the dogs' diaper bag, which stays packed, so that I can drop them at my mom's. Their diaper bag has everything that I usually put in my carry on pet bag as well as almost everything from my suitcase pet list. All that needs to be done is toss in the leashes, a few toys, Isabel's ball, fold down the pet pen and double check that I refilled the food container and they are ready to go. This takes about 5-6 minutes typically which is much faster and less stressful that having to pack from scratch! When I get back from a trip I put away the few things that don't stay in the bag and refill anything that was used so that we're ready to go again the next time.
My bag: I put my hygiene kit, the medicine containers for the days I will be gone (each day's organizer pops out for easy carrying in my purse or carry-on... it's pretty awesome), a pair of PJs and a set of clothing (including accessories, shoes and a handbag) in a dufflebag and I'm pretty much ready to go on this front. 
All that's left is my carry on/backpack. For that I need about 10 minutes as I have to move any liquids to the liquids and gels bag I keep in my closet (if I'm flying, (usually last minute trips without the pups aren't air travel), add my passport and tickets/itinerary to the front pocket and put my laptop in the holder. I might add a set of clothes to my bag as well if I am flying, but like I said, last minute travel for me is rarely flying. Everything else is already in my backpack more or less all the time. If I want to add my travel blanket and pillow that is a quick fix as they are stored away for easy access in my car. You'd be surprised how often a blanket comes in handy in your car... 

Most of my travel isn't done last minutes though, I prefer to plan out travel so that I can enjoy my time off as much as possible. For normal, planned trips here's my routine: 
I will begin to pack a few days ahead of time, if I can. For me this means doing an extra load of laundry, getting some extra chores done each day so that I have a clean house when I leave/come back and pulling out my packing list. Since I keep my hygiene kit pretty much packed it takes only a few minutes to run through it all and make sure that I don't need to refill any of my bottles and jars in the bag as well as make sure I have my meds ready to go for the trip. Doing this a few days before will allow me time to stop off and pick anything up that I may need on my lunch break at work or on the way home which reduces stress.
The dog's 'suitcase' items and my hygiene kit are the first to go into my suitcase as I won't need any of the items in them for the next few days. Other items I am unlikely to need get added at this time as well. Most of the time I try to get this portion of the packing completed on the weekend if it works with my schedule so there is less to do during the week. Clothing I add to the suitcase as the items I need get laundered. Once I have added all of an item (such as shirts) on my list to my suitcase it gets checked off.
The night before we travel I make sure to give the dog's I-Go-2 a wipe down and add in their leashes. I also run down my list of chores to make sure that everything is clean and nothing will be smelly and gross when I come home. This means doing the dishes, cleaning out the fridge, taking out the trash, and running a last minute load of laundry with linens and any random clothing that I need when I return. Hopefully the rest of the chores for the time I am gone will have been handled already. I will then put my suitcase and the girl's carrier in the car. Mornings are not my strong suit. I am kind of grumpy, definitely forgetful and symptomatically worse in the morning. For this reason I try to prepare for the next morning the evening before even when I am not traveling.
My carry on is the last thing to be packed. This is pretty much exactly like when I am traveling last minute except I pack the dog's carry-on bag, the travel blanket and pillow as well as the clothes that go in my carry-on bag (should I be flying) all at once. Isabel's ball and my empty water bottle are pretty much the only things that gets packed (other than potentially putting food in my bag) the morning of travel.
A few days before I travel I push water pretty heavily and make sure to eat more sodium than my usual. This helps bump up my blood volume as well as blood pressure as my bp can drop more than normal during air travel. I also lay off any caffeine that I may have been taking in previously. Sleep is pretty important all the time but when I am about to travel I make sure to be very rested for a few days to not add on to the fatigue travel will cause. Being tired, stressed and dehydrated is about the worse combination for me when stepping into an airport as all the standing, walking, pressure changes, and the air quality of the plane itself will just add insult to injury and likely trigger a flare.

What I Did Due To The Flare

I ended up needing to head in for an IV infusion a few days prior to travel this time around as my bp and heart rate were suggesting I might be dehydrated and was definitely flaring. The IV wasn't enough to stop the decline in my health though. I ended up continuing to salt load with electrolyte drink powders and bottle upon bottle of water for the rest of the week, barely keeping my symptoms in check enough to travel. Luckily, I had already packed quite a bit before this flare hit so it was just a matter of trying to get in a few extra chores every day... not going to lie though, I ended up sleeping in a linen-less bed the last night as I was simply too exhausted to wait for the linens to be done and was in too much pain to sleep on the couch. Such is life, I will just have to put the linens (which are still in the dryer) on the bed when I get home. Other than that, every chore that 'had to' get done was completed. The extras that I would normally do to make the coming week easier didn't get done of course but that's ok. 
Getting everything done came at a cost though. When I am having a flare sleep isn't always easy. I have intermittent insomnia even when I am not having a flare but when you add in a flare it gets pretty bad. I can be lucky to get a few hours a night since I have to get up for work. This usually only makes the flare worse as I am not getting the rest my body desperately needs. If possible I will take a day completely off of work to get in some of the much needed rest. Either way, during a flare I'm exhausted and once I'm asleep I can sleep for 10-12+ hours easily, but getting to sleep... that can be difficult. The pain, nausea and heart issues make it difficult to fall asleep. So... I ended up getting on a plane exhausted and dehydrated despite my best efforts.

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

This recipe is what I call a 'dump' recipe. You literally dump all the ingredients into the crock pot and walk away. It can't get much easier than that. Use this shredded chicken as a topper for a baked potato, a stuffing for enchiladas or tacos, over rice, as a nacho topping, or just by itself as a protein main. Whatever suits you fancy. :)

INGREDIENTS:
1 Jar Salsa (I prefer Medium... just make sure to read the ingredients if you aren't making it yourself)
1-2 C shredded or matchstick carrots
3 lbs Chicken breast meat

PROCEDURE:

1. Add salsa, carrots and chicken to the crock pot.
2. Cook 7-8 hours on low or 5-6 on high.
3. Shred chicken with two forks and allow to cook for a few minutes before serving.
4. If you eat dairy there are a few options for a creamy and/or creamy shredded chicken option:
1. Add 8 oz cream cheese into the crock pot for about half an hour after shredding the chicken for a creamier and slightly tangy version of this meal.
2. Add 1-2 C shredded Cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese about 15-30 minutes before serving, after shredding.

NOTE: For a more tangy meal option sub salsa verde for the medium salsa I listed. With the cream cheese it is a great enchilada stuffer and always a crowd pleaser!

Seasoned Baked Chicken... Taco, Cajun, Italian, You Pick!

Once again we look at chicken. This easy recipe has about 5 minutes of hands on time and is ready before I've finished my evening 'chores' making it a go-to meal when I was married. I've had it on salads, as a protein main with steamed or sauteed veggies, and sliced cold in a wrap... it was pretty tasty any way I tried it. Feel free to mix it up and try this with other spice combinations, the recipe listed below uses Taco Seasoning mix but there are other options. See the "Mix It Up" note at the bottom for two alternate versions that I have already tried out myself.

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs Chicken

Enough taco seasoning to coat the chicken (1/4 C or 1-2 packets of clean taco seasoning or this)

NECESSITIES:

Large bag or deep bowl for coating chicken

Baking Dish

PROCEDURE:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Wash and pat dry your chicken pieces. You can use whatever kind of chicken your family prefers. Since I usually use this on salads I will often use chicken breast for the sake of being easy but that isn't the only cut that this will work with.
3. Place seasoning, home made or a clean store bough variety,  into the large bag. I usually start with half of my seasoning mixture so that I can add in more later and don't use more than I necessary.
4. Add chicken pieces in a few at a time and shake the bag to give them a good coat of the seasoning mixture. Remove the chicken and place it in the baking dish. 
5. Continue this process until all chicken is covered and placed in the baking dish.
6. Bake chicken until the juices run clear when cut. If you are using chicken breasts it usually takes 20-30 minutes but the time can vary depending on what cut of chicken you are using, if it is bone in/out, and etc.
7. Let chicken rest for a few minutes then serve. My favorite way to serve this is on a salad so I will slice up the chicken and add it to a big salad with lots of varied greens and veggies.

MIX IT UP: You can do this with a Tbsp of almond meal and Italian seasoning as well. Just add a little melted butter or ghee drizzled over the top for a delicious pairing with zucchini pasta or other Italian inspired meal!

Want a Cajun version of this? Just sub the taco seasoning for cajun spice mix and you've got the beginnings of one of the tastiest ceasar salads I have ever had. Yumm!

The possibilities are endless! :D

21 Day Sugar Detox: Weeks 3 and 4

Hey guys! I realized the other day that I never finished out this post series... oops! I didn't quit and just not tell you guys, I finished it. I even lost a little bit of weight when it was all said and done (yay!). So... here it is, the last two weeks and review of the program.

The third, and what should have been the final, week was pretty easy. Sticking to the meal plan was pretty much second nature by this point so there really weren't any big issues. I did have a bad health day on one day but for the most part my energy level was pretty consistent and I wasn't getting hungry between meals at all. There were days I would easily forget about lunch altogether and end up eating pretty late in the afternoon even. I added a lot more red meat during this week for the iron and there were a few more carbs for energy as this was a week that I needed those things but this is consistent with my normal monthly cycle so it wasn't a side effect of the program.

For the final, fourth, week I decided to add back in strawberries in small quantities. There was a good sale on them and, to be honest, I missed them quite a bit during the first three weeks since I used to eat them nearly every day. I didn't eat many of them and I subbed them for the banana I was allowed to eat on the program so the sugar was limited but I did eat some and strawberries which are not on the program. Just for full disclosure. I ate quite a bit of chicken this week and lots of zucchini (which apparently I love) and ended the week feeling pretty good. At the end of the program I didn't go crazy and binge on sweets but I did get a frozen yogurt which is a super rare treat for me. It was too sweet to finish so my taste buds have definitely been affected in a good way by being on the program.

21 Day Sugar Detox states that it isn't a weight loss program and doesn't want you to limit your carbs or calories necessarily in order to complete the program successfully. With that being said, I ended up losing a little over 5 pounds during the month I was on the program. I'm not sure that it was the program though as I was trying to up my calorie expenditure gradually during this time span.

All in all I liked the program and would likely do a version of it again in the future if I find myself craving sweets or foods that have too many carbs for my body to handle. My digestion felt better by the end, my sugar and carb cravings had lessened considerably, and I felt pretty good energy-wise... I even saw a decrease in my insomnia during the later part of the program. Again, I can't guarantee that it was caused by the 21DSD but it was a welcome change nevertheless.

App Review: Zombies, Run!

I'm going to start this post with saying that I don't use this app like it is intended- to run with. Instead I walk to it. I am getting a little faster (yay!) but I can't push myself too much right now as I could put myself back even further if I do. I was right on the cusp of being able to job for a minute when things went a bit topsy turvy in my life and my health responded by getting worse, of course. I took my time, managed to get off most of most of the medications I ended up back on with the flair and even managed to leave behind some of my supplements over the past year or so. Now it's time to exercise again... slowly. So I pulled out my old standard cardio app and realized they had completely revamped the entire app! That was interesting but pretty cool. I had already paid for seasons 1-3 before they redesigned it to be an annual subscription which was a little sad because new players will have paid less than me when it is all said and done but that's ok... I was there back when it started and supported it's growth so I don't mind too much. The app is called Zombies, Run and is by a UK based company called Six to Start. They have a few other apps that I will be reviewing later this month as well that are along the same lines: game meets radio show meets exercise app. 

The game's website says the following about the game: "Run in the real world. Become a Hero in another. Only a few have survived the zombie epidemic. You are a Runner en-route to one of humanity's last remaining outposts. They need your help to gather supplies, rescue survivors, and defend their home. And you have another mission- one they don't know about..."
That's a pretty general but accurate plot line... at least for the two and a half seasons I have worked my way through in the past. I restarted the series so I am back in season one working my way back to where I was in the story before. There were plenty of details I missed the first time through so feel free to re-run missions. They don't get boring.
If you look in the settings area you will see that you can change the units to Standard or Metric, input your weight, change the volume of the game clips and etc. but there is also a section called 'clip spacing' that allows you to decide how often you would like a story clip to play... effectively lengthening or shortening your run. It is taking me about 20 minutes to get through a mission at 'clips play every 2.5 minutes' so if you want a longer mission then perhaps make it every 5 minutes or so. It is very easy to personalize your runs. I suggest checking this screen out fully before your first mission so that you know what your options are.
Click on the mission and you are brought to a screen that allows you to choose the playlist that you wish to run to from your phone, chose how ZR will track your movement/pace/run, and decide if you want zombie chases (more on this later). When you start a new episode there is a recap to start with, similar to a TV series, and then the new 'mission' begins. For the majority of season one, as I assume that is where you will start, your comms operator is Sam Yao. He briefs you on your missions, warns you of incoming zombies he sees on his scanners, provides humor and generally just watches your six while you are outside the gates. Once you have been briefed you head outside the gates for the day's mission.Your chosen playlist will be interspersed with story clips that keep you in the alternate world of ZR throughout your run... I don't suggest you run at night as those zom noises can get a tad creepy. And there's a reason we don't send scouts out at night... just sayin'. 
If you selected to have zombie chases, which you are also able to customize when it comes to frequency, then you will also hear a warning about incoming zombies throughout the mission at various points. There will be tones that warn you how far away the zombie is as well as a voice that will tell you if you outpaced the zombie or needed to throw an item at it in order to escape. In order to escape you have to put on a burst of speed for about half a minute if I recall (I can't do these right now so have the feature turned off)... basically you sprint as fast as you can. If you throw an item at the zombie then you have lost an item that you 'picked up' on your run. These items can be used to rebuild Abel Township... where your character lives and works. This portion of the game has really grown over the years compared to what it started as. 
That pretty much covers the story missions... there are other types of missions you can chose to run as well. You can use Airdrop mode to retrieve supplies from Mullin's airbase at a location you chose in the real world, run a supply mission that is general and doesn't affect the storyline (so you can skip them or run them again and again... like we used to do in between seasons), do interval training that you customize yourself in the app, run with Radio Abel instead of a mission, or run in race mode. Radio Abel is basically a radio show that takes place within the world of ZR. These aren't missions but rather you just out running but getting to also hear about the world of post zombie apocalypse and learn more about the world your character resides in. They are a good change of pace and I find the hosts quite humorous. Race mode is exactly like it seems. There are 2 sets of 3 races- a 5k, 10k and 20k race with story lines all their own that take place either in the world of Abel Township or New Canton, the militarized quasi-enemy township not too far away. Abel and New Canton's powers that be to not see eye to eye but the runners will generally help each other out in a bind if they can... it is, after all, the fate of the world at stake.
If you want to get really into the alternate world you can go into the game and read about the various things you pick up... some are supplies like water and sports bras (yes, sports bras... it's a running joke actually) and some are 'artifacts' that give you details about the developing story such as a CDC box or a newspaper clip about Netrophil. These items can be read about in the Codex tab. You can also go online and download the Abel Runner's Guide for free to get more into the mythology of the game.
Just recently they have added a store where you can make purchases related to the game on their website if you are interested. There are also fans who have etsy and similar shops for "Runner 5" gear. The big news though is that they just launched the first ZR virtual race. I signed up even though I won't be running it... I'm hoping to get a few short jogs in by then though, we'll see! This was big news in the ZR community and spots sold out fairly quickly. 
Finally, you can sync your runs to the cloud, use health kit with the app to track your workouts and, of course, share your runs to social media. This is by far my favorite exercise app of all time and it doesn't surprise me one bit that it is now an award winning app... it rocks.

(Once I am able to restart and complete the 5k training app that is a companion to ZR I will write a review of it as well but from what I recall it wasn't as in depth as this game is but it was still quite good. It takes place between episodes 1 and 2 of the original ZR game and is a C25K program so you go from walking to running/jogging a 5k by the end if you follow the program.)