Simply Norma – Page 22 – Living Simply

Life Has Been A Whirlwind

The last two days have been a whirlwind:

Woke up yesterday, went to the bathroom and the toilet was flooding the floor. Ran and got towels and rugs to direct the flow away from the heat vent. Found the plunger and finally stopped the flow. Whew! That would have been a good scene for a comedy skit with me in my pajamas running around like a mad woman.

Air conditioner repairman came out yesterday morning. Will possibly have to replace it ~ it was made in 1989 but the house was built in 1993. Not sure how much longer it will work.

In addition, the heat recovery ventilator needs a new fan or has to be replaced.

Repairman for the refrigerator came out yesterday afternoon and parts have to be ordered or we may have to replace the refrigerator as one section may not be repairable.

Woke up this morning ~ no water. Technician came out and determined that we need a new well pump.

A week or so ago, we came home and a tree in the back had fallen and missed the house but knocked down our fence. Have to hire someone to haul the tree away.

In spite of all this, we are blessed. Our Home Warranty (despite the fine print) may pay for at least a couple of these replacements/repairs.

I keep in mind that these are just “things.” Replaceable. What really counts in this world are people who are not replaceable.

So, love deeply. Forgive ~ we are not promised tomorrow or even later today ~ make each moment count.

Spicy Indian Cauliflower

I’m still craving Indian food and found this nice Spicy Indian Cauliflower recipe that I had to make a few changes on to paleo-ize.

I’m not normally a fan of cauliflower but this was simply delicious. I did cut back on the cayenne from 1/2 teaspoon to 1/4 teaspoon and it still had a bite to it.

Let’s take a look at the recipe ~

Ingredients

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into small flowerets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup shredded onion
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup diced tomatoes (I used canned)
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon Kosher salt

Directions

Steam the cauliflower until just tender, about 5 minutes, then set aside.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat then add the onion, ginger and garlic and cook this through stirring occasionally until it’s soft.
Stir in the tomatoes, coriander, cumin, cayenne, maple syrup and salt.
Add the steamed cauliflower and stir until the cauliflower is coated with the spice mixture. Â (Add a small bit of water if it gets too dry.)
Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until the cauliflower is tender, about 5 minutes.

I served this paleo Spicy Indian Cauliflower with Indian Chicken with Gravy and Grilled Zucchini.

Adapted from the recipe found in the book 1000 Vegan Recipes.

For additional paleo recipes, click here.

Allergy Time

Leaving the house yesterday in the early morning to work in the yard, my mind and heart were set on how much work I could get done. It was an absolutely beautiful morning.

A lite jacket was needed just to take away the initial morning chill but it didn’t take long before it was tossed aside.

Have you ever had so much enthusiasm for a project only to have it dulled by circumstances beyond your control? Â That was yesterday.

As much as I don’t like to use Roundup, the noxious garlic mustard plant was everywhere to be seen and, outside of my gaining Superman strength, there is no way to manually remove each and every plant ~ especially when the neighbors don’t kill theirs.

With a large container of Roundup in hand, I sprayed the plants ~ one by one, two by two, three by three …. arghhhhh! Looking ahead, I saw a whole field of them in the back of the property.

But that was the least of my problems. Suddenly “it” hit me. My nose started running ~ where was it going? Â hahahahahaha ~ and with eyes itching, I headed indoors. It was quite overwhelming and put an end to any enthusiasm I had.

The past few mornings I had taken an allergy pill but they weren’t working. The pollen ruled the day and I made sure every window in the house was closed so I could at least be able to breathe indoors.

After a quick shower I sat down and pondered the ridiculousness of the situation for here I was inside with windows closed to avoid pollen. No fresh air could enter because of it’s mingling with pollen that causes toxicity to the body.

Last year I lamented the 6 month winter yet I had no problems with pollen then.

This year I was thankful for an early spring yet I lament the allergy season.

Can’t win …

A recent articleÂ I read discusses the link between dry eyes and pollen.

Ahhh ~ spring.

Indian Chicken with Gravy

I could eat Indian (from India) food every day if … my husband liked it as much as I do. He’ll go to Indian restaurants with me ~ maybe once a year. I may have to declare myself single for a day and treat myself to lunch all by my lonesome just so I can eat Indian food more often.

That being said, I have found that Indian restaurants tend to serve food in little bowls that seem to cost a lot of money. So ~ sometimes it’s not cost effective to eat there.

This Paleo Indian Chicken with Gravy is scrumptious. The ginger, cumin and garam marsala spices just burst in your mouth with flavor. Yum!

Let’s take a peek at this recipe, shall we?

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter or you can use regular butter)
3 chicken legs, skin removed
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
1 small tomato, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1/2 serrano chile pepper, seeded and minced
3/4 cup water

Directions

Heat the oil and ghee in a large pot over medium heat.
Cook the cumin seeds in the oil for a couple minutes.
Add the onion then cook and stir until clear.
Stir in the garlic and ginger then cook until the onions brown.
Stir in the tomato, tomato paste, garam masala, turmeric, serrano pepper, and water then cook another 5 minutes.
Lay the chicken into the sauce and mix it with the seasonings in the pot to coat them.
Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low then cook until the chicken until it’s thoroughly cooked ~ approximately 40 minutes.

And that’s it! The chicken came out so moist and tender and, as I mentioned before, the flavors were delicious.

The original recipe was found at All Recipes and I paleo-ized it by changing the vegetable oil to olive oil. I also decreased the amount of chicken needed and adjusted the rest of the recipe for “just the two of us.”

I served this meal with curried sweet potatoes.

For additional paleo recipes, click here.

An Old Recipe ~ Pinon

I’m not sure what possessed me to think about an old recipe that I learned as a child when I was a Camp Fire girl.

My Camp Fire leader was Puerto Rican and every now and then she would take us to her house and feed us. Â This time, she taught us how to make a wonderful dish with green beans, plantains and beef. It was delicious then and it was delicious now. Â It even heats through well as leftovers.

My Camp Fire leader is one of the most important people in my life. Â My mother was very strict but she allowed my leader, Becky, to take me wherever she chose. Â She would take me shopping for clothes, dinner at the old Marshall Field’s in Chicago and also helped me land my first job.

I have always considered Becky my foster mother because without her I wouldn’t have made it through my teen years “intact.” I was a bit wild, i.e. I would run away from home sometimes, but she was always there when I called her to pick me up.

Being a social worker, Becky had many contacts and she eventually opened up her own business which was a Home Care Agency. She cared for people and gave my mother her first real job.

So, it was with sadness that I learned this past year that she had early onset dementia. Her sister took her home to Puerto Rico so that the family could take care of her. Â Such a beautiful life …

Anyway, I made this Paleo PiÃ±on with Becky in mind. I haven’t had it in years and searched the internet to get the “gist” of it again.

I believe you’ll enjoy it ~ it’s a real treat to have mature “maduro” plantains as they are nice and sweet.

Ingredients

4 large ripe (yellow) plantains
Coconut Oil (for frying)
6 eggs, beaten (3 for the bottom of the dish and 3 for pouring over the top of the casserole)
2 cans green beans (or you could use fresh ones but they need to be steamed and cooked first)
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 lbs ground beef
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion chopped finely
1 bell pepper (color doesn’t matter), chopped finely
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon basil (or another herb of your choice)
Salt and Pepper (to your taste)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350Â°.
Cut the ends off of the plantains then peel them using a knife by cutting a slit down the side and then taking the peel off with your hands.
Slice the plantains into diagonal pieces. You should get about 12-18 slices per plantain.
In a medium sized skillet on medium low heat, add enough coconut oil so that it will coat the bottom of the skillet. When the oil is hot, add the sliced plantains to fill the bottom of the skillet (do not overlap). Once the first group of plantains are golden on both sides, transfer them to a paper towel lined dish. Continue this until all the plantains are cooked then set them aside.
In another skillet set to medium heat, add the olive oil.
When the olive oil is hot, add the onions and cook until they are clear.
Add the garlic and stir into the onions.
Add the pepper to the onion mixture, stir and let heat through for 5 minutes.
Add the ground beef and cook until the meat is cooked all the way through.
Season the beef with the basil, tomato sauce, salt and pepper.
Remove from the stovetop when cooked.
In a pie dish, add 3 of the beaten eggs to the bottom.
Next add the plantains on top of the eggs, then add the green beans and lastly the beef mixture. Â Continue this layering ~ you want to end with one layer of plantains on top.
Lastly, pour the last three beaten eggs over the top of this casserole. (This should give it a nice shine.)
Place the pie dish in the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until the egg is set.

It sounds like a lot of work but really it isn’t.

A lot of Puerto Ricans who make this dish use Sazon for flavoring but it has MSG in it (along with other things I can’t pronounce) and that can tend to give people migraines so I don’t cook with it. You can replicate Sazon if you want to (just Google it).

I chose to keep my recipe simple but you can really add a lot of spices to this dish if you like. Â Cumin might go really well with it.

Hope you enjoy it!

I served my Paleo PiÃ±on with guacamole and sliced pineapple. It didn’t come out with the layered look but tasted fantastic just the same.

For additional paleo recipes, click here.

And, for an article on the benefits of coconut oil, click here.

Roasted Chicken Thighs With Apricots (Paleo)

This paleo recipe is quite flavorful and I enjoyed the spices on my palate and believe you will also.

Although it seems like there are a lot of ingredients it’s really just a tad of this and a tad of that ~ and most things you’ll have in your cupboard already.

The spices consist of cumin, cinnamon, coriander, paprika and turmeric. Then there’s the dried apricots and a little bit of ginger which I grated. This is what gave it the most “kick.”

Everything will be put into a dutch oven and will just bake through. You can also just put it in a casserole dish with aluminum foil over it. Simply enough, no?

Here’s the list of all of the ingredients ~

Ingredients

4 skinless chicken thighs (bone-in)
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 medium yam (or sweet potato), peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped or whole
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Directions

Heat the oven to 350Â°F.
Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot thenÂ add the chicken thighs and cook, stirring occasionally until well browned on all sides
When done, remove from the skillet and set this aside.
Add the onion slices to the skillet and saute over medium heat stirringÂ frequently until they begin to brown.
Add the garlic, stir and cook through another 1 minute.
Add the yam or sweet potato, ginger, spices and the 2 teaspoons of salt then cook through for another minute or so.
Add the chicken stock, the chicken thighs, and all the remaining ingredients and bring this to a boil.
Transfer everything from the skillet to a casserole dish or dutch oven, cover and put it in the oven to bake for approximately 25 minutes.

(You can start this in the dutch oven and simply move that directly into the oven.)

Paleo Roasted Chicken With Apricots — Paleo Roasted Chicken Thighs With Apricots

That’s it! Â Simple as making pumpkin pie! Hmmm … wish I had some pumpkin pie right about now … (laughing)

Delicious! Â I served this with a bowl of steamed broccoli.

For additional paleo recipes, click here.

White Sands National Monument, New Mexico

On a recent trip to New Mexico, we stopped at the White Sands National Monument.

It was mainly a “drive through” visit on what is called the Dunes Drive although we did stop a couple of times and take pictures along with walking on the boardwalk.Â It’s about an eight mile drive from the visitor center to the heart of the dunes.

I’ve been to the Indiana Sand Dunes before but this didn’t compare in the least. Â It felt massive yet there was a serenity about this place.

We first stopped at the Visitor Center and walked around.

White Sands National Monument Visitor Center

The visitor center is very nice and has unique items that can be purchased.

Walking around the corner, I came across a barn swallow sitting on a branch turning this way and that as if it were posing for me.

And this barn swallow just made my day. I felt a connection with nature and just absorbed this “moment” that we were sharing.

I was glad that my friend was the driver and that I was able to sit back and enjoy the scenery. Occasionally I would say “stop here” and he would pull over and I would get out and take pictures and walk around. Both he and his wife are hoping we will enjoy New Mexico enough that we will move there.

So, let me share this beautiful area with you.

The day couldn’t have been more clearer.

The picture below, one of my favorites, shows the San Andres Mountain in the distance. You can see footprints in the sand as people are allowed to walk on it.

The clouds were fluffy white and seemed to hang low in the sky.

There is “life” in this desert and the “green” color on different plants are a stark contrast to the color of the sand.

Below is another one of my favorite pictures. The clouds were simply beautiful.

Wildlife here consists of rodents, rabbits, coyotes, porcupines and other nocturnal animals. I came across a lizard making its way to shade.

Lizard, White Sands National Park, New Mexico

My friend pointed out some tracks in the sand.

Come to find out, these tracks were made by the darkling beetle that was following my friend’s shadow ~ perhaps to get respite from the sun.

Darkling Beetle, White Sands National Park, New Mexico

I’m glad this beetle wasn’t following me around!

People were able to bring sleds and slide down the dunes.Â I found it comical and thought it would be quite hot. I mean, I’ve seen snow sledding, but sand sledding?

Sledding, White Sands National Park, New Mexico

We took a walk on the Interdune Boardwalk. Even though I forgot to bring a hat, it didn’t feel too hot although sunglasses would have been nice to have as it was quite bright (well, bright is an understatement).

Interdune Boardwalk, White Sands National Park, New Mexico

Here are a couple visitors walking on the top of the dunes.Â Hey!Â That’s my husband up there!Â (laughing)

It was a very very nice trip to the White Sands National Park. If you’re in the area, you should definitely stop and visit.

A Trip To New Mexico

Seems like I’ve been gone forever, but in reality it was just a week’s vacation to visit friends in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Â Have you ever been there?

We were fortunate to be able to use our airline miles to purchase tickets ~ 3 legs were first class and one was economy. Flying first class is very different from economy. Â It made me wonder why there are different classes though. Â Why can’t they just have airplanes that have all first class seats?

Oh well …

After a two hour layover in Houston, our friends picked us up at the El Paso, Texas airport and whisked off to Las Cruces.

Although we were only in New Mexico for 5 1/2 days, we had 3 days where the temperature reached 85Â°. Â It really didn’t feel hot though ~ as long as we stayed in the shade. The afternoons brought strong breezes that quickly died down by evening.

I must say ~ it was pretty. Brown, yes, but pretty nonetheless. I had never realized that the desert could have so much color.

We were warmly welcomed by our friends who moved here in September 2014. The back of their house faces the Organ Mountains. It is quite pretty.

Here is a picture of the back of their house ~

And here are a couple of pictures of the view they have of the Organ Mountains ~

The sky was blue most of the time we were there with an occasional almost cloudy afternoon.

I was surprised ~ really really surprised ~ at how much color the desert can have. Perhaps this is during springtime when everything comes to life.

Even the trees were starting to bloom …

The colors ~ so vibrant.

The Ocotillo plant was also blooming. Some believe this is a cactus but … it’s not.

We visited the City of Rocks State Park which is located between the cities of Silver City and Deming. The park is in the Chihuahuan desert region of southeastern New Mexico and sits at an elevation of 5,200 feet. Â The â€œcityâ€ is a geologic formation made up of large, sculptured rock columns that rise as high as 40 feet and are separated by paths orÂ lanes that resemble city streets.

I was intrigued by this camper who set up his tent right in between the rocks with a rock hanging overhead. Â Would you camp here?

I was surprised this picture of a raven in flight came out so well. Â It reminded me of the poem “Quoth the Raven, Nevermore” by Edgar Alan Poe. Have you read it? I first read it in high school ~ so many years ago.

Here’a another picture of the Ocotillo plant.

Here’s the view looking out from the City of Rocks.

We didn’t get out and walk around but chose to drive through the park and enjoy the scenery ~ me in the back seat. It was nice to have a driver so I could just snap pictures.

Every time we returned home the Organ Mountains loomed from every area of the deck. So peaceful and relaxing …

Isn’t New Mexico pretty? Â I’ll post a few more pictures soon.

Coconut-Crusted Chicken with Mango Salsa

Here’s another Rachael Ray recipe that was quite good, and the only change I had to make to paleoize it was to use olive oil instead of vegetable oil. Cool, eh? Â (Hmmm … does anyone say cool anymore?)

Of course, we’ll need chicken. Â I used four (4) skinless boneless chicken breasts.

Skinless and Boneless Chicken Breasts (2 of 2)

Then I prepped the vegetables ~ just a little dicing.

The chicken is dipped in a whipped egg and tossed in the unsweetened coconut to be coated. Â Then it’s cooked in a heated skillet on both sides before baking in the oven.

Coat the chicken with egg and unsweetened coconut flakes

Once the chicken is brown on one side, turn it over and cook it on the other side.

Okay then ~ ready to see this simple and easy paleo recipe?

Ingredients

1/2Â pound frozen mango, thawed and chopped
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Salt and pepper
1 egg, scrambled
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
4 -Â 6 ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees .
In a small bowl, combine the mango, bell pepper, onion, cilantro and vinegar then season with salt and pepper.
In a shallow bowl, beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Place the coconut in another shallow bowl.
Dip the chicken in the egg, then in the coconut. Press to coat. You want to make sure the chicken is coated on both sides.
In a large, ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until golden, about 3 minutes.
Transfer the skillet with the chicken in it to the oven and bake until cooked through, about 12 minutes.
Serve the chicken with the mango salsa on top or on the side.

Paleo Coconut-Crusted Chicken with Mango Salsa

I served this with sliced avocado and a zucchini-carrot medley.

To see additional paleo recipes, click here.

To see the original recipe, click here.

Quilted Table Runner

In my quest to become a better quilter, I ordered two (of the same) table runner kits as I really liked the pattern.

The kits came with all the necessary fabric but did not include the batting (the middle of the quilt) which worked out fine since I had leftover batting from a previous project.

I noticed immediately that I would have a lot of fabric left over so I will actually be able to make three table runners. Â Woohoo!

The first table runner came out pretty good although I’m finding that my lines don’t run completely straight when I’m quilting. Â That may be due to the fact that I am still a little off balance due to a severe bout with vertigo that I suffered back in 1997. Â Residual effects …

In one of the quilting classes I took on Craftsy.com, the instructor suggested using blue painters tape to make sure the lines are straight. You simply sew next to the line. In the future, I’ll have to remember to do that.

This is how it started …

The end result is very pretty.

The table runner measures 15×28 and I used linear quilting.

I like the modern look. Â Do you?

On to my next project ~