Comfort Food-- are their two better words when it comes to cooking dinner?

This recipe for Mini Chicken Pot Pies is adapted from Pioneer Woman's Chicken Pot Pie/Turkey Pot Pie Recipes.

Mini Chicken Pot Pies

(Makes 16 Mini Pot Pies)

Ingredients

2 cans of buttermilk biscuits 
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup finely diced carrot
1/2 cup finely diced celery
2 cups shredded chicken
1/4 cup flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup of white wine (optional)
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup frozen peas 
1 tsp thyme, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

16 ramekins

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in a skillet. Add onion, carrots, and celery, and cook until translucent.

Add chicken and stir. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir. 

Cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.

Add chicken broth, stirring constantly. Add wine, cream and frozen peas.

Bring to a slow boil and allow mixture to cook and thicken for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper and thyme to taste. 

Top with buttermilk biscuits.

Bake until biscuits are golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Thank you, Pioneer Woman! (And thank you Malia!!)

It seems like everywhere I look, someone is trying to sell their "health shakes" or "lose weight fast" pills and supplements.  Whether it's the endless barrage of weight loss ads in commercials or infomercials or my old classmates and friends on Facebook, it seems like everyone is trying a new fad diet, a new shake or a new meal supplement program....and according to them, only their diet works.  Funny how according to the ads, nothing else works but the one specific product the person uses.  Don't get me wrong, I'm sure many of them have really lost weight due to the programs they are on mixed with a diet and exercise regime.  I'm not cutting them down at all.  In fact, I applaud them for making healthy changes for their lives.

As far as weight loss pills, supplements and lose weight fast schemes, I've tried them all.  Some gave me the results I wanted but they were short lived.  You see, the problem with a lot of the diets or supplements is that as soon as you stop doing it or stop taking the pills or drinking the shake, your body goes into shock and you gain some if not more weight back than you lost in the first place.

My most recent flirtation with diet pills and "weight loss systems" left me $200+ short and it didn't work.  To be fair, I didn't do all of the things that the system said to do.  They had pills for 5 times a day, a yucky shake and you can only eat 500 calories today and very few if any carbs.  Yeah.  I didn't know before I bought it that the system was basically the Atkins method with pills.  Honestly, if you're eating only 500 calories a day, you're going to lose weight regardless of what supplements you take.  I stopped the system because it was such a waste of money and time.

I'm what you would call overweight.  Not morbidly obese or anything but I'm a plus sized gal and I don't have a problem with it other than the health risk involved.  I don't come from a family known for their longevity.  I have high blood pressure, heart and other issues on both sides of my family tree so I really have to get it together now while I'm still relatively young so that I can live a long and full life and not leave my son an orphan.

No meal replacement or supplement can make up for good old fashioned exercise.  Getting out there and sweating is really the best way to not only lose weight but to flush your body of toxins as you sweat and get your blood pumping which strengthens your heart and lungs.  You just have to make sure you're well hydrated and working out in a heart rate bracket that's healthy for you.

Anyway, I've gone off on a tangent and I actually had a point.  After my most recent failed attempt to try the newest lose weight fast fad, I was in my kitchen thinking and gazing off in the distance.  I happened upon the Jack LaLane juicer that was sitting in the corner that I never used.  I had all this fruit and all these veggies I was growing in my garden, why not give it a shot?  Turns out, juicing is awesome.  Yes I said it.  I love juicing.  In fact, I've blended some pretty nasty stuff together like spinach, celery, beets, an apple and carrots and it turned out yummy!!  I've actually come up with my own concoctions that I prefer but all in all, juicing is my new favorite thing.  The concoction to the right is a mixture of spinach, beets, carrot, apple, and ginger.  Sounds yucky, tastes yummy.  

I bought a book called "Juicing for Life" which has some good recipes and reasons for why juicing is beneficial to your health.  I don't follow the recipes all that often though.  I tend to take what I like from some recipes and make it my own.  It's so much fun to make use of veggies that might otherwise go bad sitting in the crisper.

The awesome part about juicing is that even though you're not getting the awesome ruffage that you get when you eat the whole veggies and fruits, you're getting all the nutrients and vitamins.  I feel more energetic and am in a better mood.  I also haven't been craving as many carbs as I used to which is awesome because I am a carb addict!!  I actually haven't done much to change my eating habits other than my portions are smaller because I'm full from the juice and my cravings aren't as strong as they used to be.  Win win if you ask me!

I usually have a juice for breakfast (sometimes with some oatmeal yum!) and then a regular lunch and juice for an afternoon snack which keeps me full so I eat less dinner.  Sometimes I even juice in lieu of dinner and I wake up feeling awesome the next morning.

Do any of you juice?  Have any of you tried it?  What are your thoughts/opinions on juicing?  Have you had any positive or negative experiences?  Share your experiences with me!!!

I hope you all are having a wonderful Wednesday.   xoxo

I was spending the day with my mom after a long, hard week back at work. She treated me and Alaka'i to a late lunch at Neiman Marcus Mariposa restaurant. Thanks mom!

After this delicious meal I had an illy cappuccino with just the right amount of foam and my mom and I shared a rich and decadent four layer chocolate cake with ice cream and cherry syrup on the side. I only had a few bites because it was so rich yet utterly delicious.

Alaka'i had spaghetti and an ice cream sundae which I didn't have the chance to snap a shot of with my iPhone because he ate it up before I could take a picture.  When my boy's hungry, there's no stopping him to take a snap shot.  He wants to eat!! 

It was a nice break from the hectic work week I've had.  I know Alaka'i enjoyed his lunch and treat after having a long few days back at school.  (Yay for winter break being over!!)  

I don't really shop at Neiman Marcus except for  makeup and perfume but it's such a pretty store.   I have always loved the long strings of gilded butterflies (fake ones of course), strung from the 3rd floor ceiling and dangling down to the 1st floor.  Very pretty and delicate.  I like how they seem to sparkle and catch the light.  I think they're actually made up of feathers pinned together and spray painted gold.  Gorgeous nonetheless.  

When Alaka'i was really small we'd come in here once in awhile and he liked to blow the butterflies as we went up the escalator in the store.  When they moved, he used to think they were flying. So cute.  Even today, I caught a glimpse of him blowing them with that same wonder in his eye.  He's so precious to me.  

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all have a lovely weekend.



All pictures taken with iPhone 4S and Camera+ app.

The word Aloha (ahh-loh-ha) has over time, become synonymous with saying "hello" and "goodbye" but it's much more than that.  Aloha also means to show love, compassion, mercy and kindness.  It is a Hawaiian value that when practiced properly, exudes pure and welcoming love and warmth to everyone you meet.  In my nearly 30 years of life I've watched the true Aloha spirit dwindle and fade as greed and stress have monopolized so many peoples' lives.  There is one place though that truly maintains, exudes and shares the true aloha spirit and that's Uncle Clay's House of Pure Aloha.  Tucked away in the newly renovated and growing Aina Haina Shopping Center, HOPA has become a regular stop on my daily jaunts to and from work and home.  Once known as "Doe Fang", Uncle Clay's House of Pure Aloha has not only been newly constructed, but the focus has shifted in a positive direction.

What is Uncle Clay's House of Pure Aloha?

My son and niece absolutely love going to HOPA to get fresh shave ice whether it's hot or breezy outside. The shave ice is light and the dozen or so syrups are made from all natural, locally grown ingredients.  I'd be lying if I said that I didn't enjoy it as much if not more than they do.  I love this place.  The fact that they use all green and recyclable packaging really adds to it.  It's so refreshing to have an ecologically sound business that not only says they care about the environment, but they live it.  

The fact that all of the syrup is all natural is one of the big winners for me.  I have a 10 year old and I appreciate the fact that he's not getting a stomach full of high fructose corn syrup when he has a shave ice here.  They also give a lot of shave ice for the money.  Bottom line, the shave ice is healthy and delicious and you get a good amount for the money.  It's all natural and I don't have to worry about my son's blood sugar level when he eats shave ice here.  Add to that the fact that it's a family owned and ran business and they're always friendly and welcoming, and you have a real winner.  Added bonus, they support LOCAL farmers!!!  

The syrup they use for their shave ice at Uncle Clay's is all natural and made with ingredients from Hawai'i farmers.  I appreciate that I'm getting fresh ingredients and it's supporting the local economy.  I'm all about supporting local businesses. 

Whether you're in search of a healthy treat or looking for something to cool you down on a hot Hawaiian day, I suggest you take time to come visit Uncle Clay's House of Pure Aloha.  Uncle Clay and his nephew Bronson really had it right when they came up with this idea.  It's a great place whether you're a local or you're visiting Hawai'i on vacation.  They're always welcoming and kind.  If you're like me and you're trying to watch what you eat and limit the sugar and processed food you intake or you're a parent looking for a sweet treat that won't have your children bouncing off the walls on a sugar high, HOPA is somewhere you have to visit.  You and your kids, will leave very happy!!