Make Yourself Some Stock

The carrots are for flavor--don't eat them.

One thing we all learn from some time spent on the Ideal Protein plan is that more than ever, what we put in our bodies matters. So much of food today is processed in one form or another that even foods that should be simple, like chicken stock, are not. Preservatives, yeast, coloring and sugar end up being regular ingredients, and they shouldn't be.
The good news is that if you want to create something that is easy, healthy, and works for the whole family, making your own chicken stock takes almost no work, uses leftover chicken parts and can be used for anything from making soups to braising vegetables to a liquid for Ideal Protein meals. So, next time you roast whole chicken, save the bones, grab some veggies and you're good to go!
Just a quick note- I like making mine in the slow cooker because it can cook all day without me watching it, but you can also make this on the stove top-- you just have to be around to watch it.

Home Made Chicken Stock

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken carcass
• 1 or 2 leeks
• 1 parsnip
• 1 turnip
• 3 carrots (optional)
• parsely and whatever collection of herbs you have in the refrigerator, even if they are wilty

Next steps:

Place all of the above ingredients in the base of a slow cooker and cover with water.

Cover and cook on high for 6 hours, or low for 8-9.

At the end of cooking, allow everything to cool slightly. Remove largest pieces of bones and place in a bowl.

For the remainder of the broth, place a fine mesh strainer over a large glass bowl, and place a paper towel over the strainer. 

Pour ladlefuls of the broth through the strainer, don't worry about any vegetable pieces- they will just stay stuck in the strainer. 

 

By the end, you should have fairly clear broth, but feel free to run through the process again to make it even clearer, if there are small tid bits left. 

Discard all remaining pieces of bone, vegetables and herbs.

Place broth in small containers to freeze, or even pour into ice cube trays to use smaller amounts.

Now, you have chicken broth made from chicken, water and vegetables, just the way it should be-- and you can pronounce everything that's in it.

I'll Just Grab This For Lunch....

It happens with minimal warning, and right before our eyes, yet we don't see it. Until.... our favorite jeans don't fit.

Weight Gain.

 

Whether you are busy managing the work/life balance, clearing the last bit of macaroni and cheese from a child's plate, or quickly grabbing a slice of pizza on the run, these little habits add up. The protein-less calories slowly show themselves in our waists, thighs, faces and even feet. Sometimes it's a bad habit, other times, it's because we're rushing, and sometimes it's just having another small piece of cake because today is a day to celebrate.
The problem is that the body becomes so used to eating these types of foods that it learns to crave them. And when the cravings are there so is the hunger-- the feeling that you are starving and need a larger portion of whatever you are eating.  Or maybe you need a snack. Or maybe your day is not complete without dessert.  What ever the cause, the end result is an unhealthy lifestyle that leads to not just weight gain but high blood pressure, blood sugar disorders, and high cholesterol.
If you love your life and want to be healthy, it's time to take control. Even if you can't just drop every bad food or bad food habit tomorrow, start small. Start with only having alcohol on the weekend. Start by cutting pasta, potatoes and rice out of your diet. Eat a salad, or two, every day. These small steps can help you to build and develop healthier habits and prepare yourself for a long term healthier life style. And with that healthier lifestyle, you can find your Ideal Life.
What are, or were, your bad habits? What motivated you to take control?