Chicken Thigh, Chicken Thigh

Have you ever heard the chicken wing song? No, I hadn't either until a friend's little brother sang it constantly one day that I went to visit. It goes something like this:

Chicken wing, chicken wing,
Hot dog and Baloney
Chicken and macaroni
Chillin with my homie!

It seems there might be more verses, but I'll spare us all. It's one of those songs that are ridiculously simple, and get stuck in your head on repeat All. Day. And for some reason, it's all I could think of when I was trying to come up with a title for this post.

And now it's stuck in my head again. And probably yours, too. I'm sorry.

To make up for it, I do have two recipes for chicken thighs, because sometimes plain ole chicken breasts get boring.

This first recipe reminds me of Australia. Why, you ask? Because the week that I made this, my dinner-time entertainment was a show called The Koala Brothers (yes, I watch kids shows; don't judge). So, whenever I think of this single-skillet chicken thighs with bacon, brussell sprouts, and apple jus, I think of the hot outback desert and small, adorable animals.

That randomness aside, this really was an easy, delicious meal. And it truly was "single-skillet", unlike some other "one-pan" meals which combine all your ingredients into one pan at the end, but in reality have used every single dish in your kitchen. But, if you're cooking for more than two people, you probably want to do this in more than one skillet. I over-crowded my skillet, and my bacon ended up soft and squishy, not the crispy, crunchy bacon we all know and love so well. Also, make sure to defrost your brussell sprouts before cooking, if you decide to use frozen. =P

My second recipe is for paleo pizza chicken. Now, before you get too excited, let me burst your bubble - this doesn't taste as much like pizza as the recipe claims it does. Trust me, I just had a little pizza at a friends birthday party last week, and this aint it! But, it's still a new and yummy way to cook chicken, so don't stop reading now.

The sauce, pepperoni, and seasonings were reminiscent of pizza, and paired well with the chicken. The skin really did get nice and crispy and yummy! I think next time, I'd add a little more pepperoni, since it kind of got lost after baking under the skin, and I might serve it with extra pizza sauce for dipping. My other problem, what side dish do you put with this? I mean, with normal pizza, you get a side of chicken wings (we've already got chicken) or breadsticks (I could make paleo ones, but I need a veggie!!), or potato chips. What are your favorite more-nutritious-includes-a-veggie side dishes for pizza?

The Crazy Days of August

To be honest with ya'll, I was ready for August to be over on July 31st. August is one of the busiest months at work, and just a busy time for "life". I've got a few really fun things happening this month, but other than those I'd be happy if August disappeared.

So, when it's consistently 90 degrees or hotter, and you're working long days to prep for the biggest event of the year at work, and your man is working 12-hour days and always during your times off, and finding energy seems well nigh impossible some days - those are the times when you have to choose joy, and find things to be thankful for.

Things like lovable animals: Tom the horse, and Elevensies, Teatime, and Luncheon the piggies.

Or your favorite meal waiting for you in the crock-pot when you get home from a long day at work. Pulled pork carnitas with avocado mayonaise over baked sweet potato.

A cold drink in the "I love Florida" mug - dreaming of the vacation we're taking to Florida later this year.

Finally starting in on sewing a dress that you've had planned and prepped since the middle of April.

Something to be especially thankful for is a sweet friend who brings you coconut macaroons because, she gets it.

And, Amazing Grace. Especially the Piano Guy's version of it, because sometimes, God's grace is the only thing that keeps me fighting on every day.

How To Tame Your Dragon

Did you know that you have a dragon? A Sugar Dragon, to be exact. Don't worry, I didn't know I had one either until I started the Whole30. Apparently, though, we all have a Sugar Dragon which causes us to love, crave, and sometimes downright obsess over sugar.

Well, meet Freideborg. She's my Sugar Dragon.

Don't let her big eyes and chubby claws fool you. She can be downright vicious if she's not happy. When Freideborg IS happy, she's cute, cuddly, and pleasant to have around. I mean, who doesn't love a nice sweet treat every once in a while?

But, if I feed her TOO much, she'll wreak havoc on me; stomach aches, head aches, mood swings, afternoon crashes, and wacky hormones. And yet, she is so insistent sometimes that I must feed her sugar, and I must feed her now! I didn't feed her at all for the Whole30 month, and I certainly felt better in many ways; but man, she protested loudly and almost committed mutiny a few times.

Since the Whole30, it's been a tough struggle to maintain a balance between a happy, moderately-fed Freideborg, and an out-of-control, raging, over-fed Freideborg. After all, she's absolutely wonderful when I am feeding her.

So, really, how DO you tame your Sugar Dragon?