Paleo Leftover Chili & Chicken Taco Soup & Some Paleo Tips

The full title of this should be:

Leftover Venison Turkey Chili and Chicken Taco Soup

or 

What To Do When The Husband Wants Lunch and You're Too Busy to Cook

or 

What I'm Learning About the Paleo Diet and a Good Recipe All Together in One Blog!

So, just call it whatever you want, here's how it all began:


When my husband asked at 12:30 what we were having for lunch, I knew I had to think of something quick...really quick.

Before I tell you what I came up with, let me say a few things:

I am by no means a Paleo expert, having only been doing this for around six months, but I'm learning.

I'm learning that the best way to do Paleo is to buy the right type of food.

I'm learning that spices play a big role in preparing good dishes.

I'm learning to look at what I have bought and then figure out what to cook. In other words, I don't really plan menus before shopping.

Why?

We've Come This Far By Faith

Chances are you've never thought about the fact that GOD has invested in you. Now, if you invest in something, you're going to do the best you can to keep that thing alive, well and flourishing. If you plant a garden, you've invested in those seed and you're not going to just throw them out there to fend for themselves. You're going to tend to that garden, water and nourish that garden until it brings forth the fruit at harvest.

GOD has begun this work in us, GOD has planted the seed and according the words of the Apostle Paul to the church at Phillipi, GOD will perform this work all the way to the end. Paul urged the church to be confident is that very thing.

Those words, centuries later, are still urging us to be confident in that very thing.

Don't give up in the face of trials and difficulties. GOD has faith in you and HE has invested much in you! HE is your strongest supporter. 

Hebrews 13:5 reminds us "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for HE hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

The Many Benefits of Peppermint Essential Oil and Peppermint Tea

This blog is a re-post of an earlier blog with updated and additional information about the Spark Naturals Oil of The Month, Peppermint Essential Oil.

Oil of the Month

I do love a good cup of tea!

I know what we say down here in The South...if you're from The South,  the only way to drink tea is from a tall glass with ice and lots of sugar. I used to, but for various health reasons, I no longer drink regular black tea and for many  reasons, I try to avoid as much sugar as possible.

So....some things you just learn to do without and sometimes in the process, you discover something even better.

I started buying every flavor of tea that I could find it seems and before long, I had to devote an entire shelf in my cabinet to my teas. However, I found myself choosing the peppermint over all the others over and over.

There's just something so soothing about Peppermint Tea.

I also grow a lot of mint in my flower beds, so I add mint to my lemon water and if I should run out of tea bags, I can just make my own peppermint tea.

How to Make Your Own Peppermint Tea

To make your tea using dry peppermint leaves, if you have your own plant, lay the fresh leaves on a tray and let them dry in the sun for 24-48 hours until they become crunchy. You could also use your dehydrator. You can also make your tea using Peppermint Essential Oil.

Using fresh mint:

• add 2 tablespoons of dried leaves to a cup of hot water(use tea or herb ball if you have one)
• cover
• steep for 10-20 minutes
• strain(if you have a tea ball or herb ball there's no need to strain) a
• add a little honey or lemon for even more health benefits.

Using Peppermint Essential Oil:

• Simply add a few drops of Pure Peppermint Essential Oil, how many depending on the strength you prefer your tea to be, to a cup of boiling water.
• This is especially good with honey as a sweetener
• Add a few drops of lemon if desired

To store fresh peppermint, wrap the leaves in a damp paper towel, place in a plastic bag and keep in the refrigerator. This will keep it fresh for several days.

Now, on to the benefits of Peppermint Tea

For centuries, peppermint tea has been enjoyed for its refreshing flavor as well as used medicinally. It has traditionally been recommended for relief from a variety of disorders. More recently, peppermint tea has been explored by scientific researchers, who are increasingly verifying the evidence of history and recognizing the health benefits of peppermint tea. 

What are these benefits? 

Peppermint tea has long been a popular "folk medicine" simply because it was reported to work so quickly and effectively in relieving a variety of disorders, including:

• Headaches
• Sinus problems
• Stomach upsets
• Menstrual cramps

Just the aroma of peppermint tea can help relieve the symptoms of colds or headaches, which is one reason why it is a popular ingredient in aromatherapy. In addition, when applied topically, peppermint, peppermint infusions and peppermint oil have traditionally been used to treat conditions such as skin disorders and arthritis.

It has been discovered that the active ingredient in peppermint, menthol, has an anti-spasmodic effect. This explains why it relieves stomach upsets so quickly. The fact that it is a muscle relaxant may explain why it has been found to help relieve stress. Significantly for sufferers of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), a little known and difficult to treat disorder, peppermint oil, when clinically administered, has shown a great deal of promise in relieving this condition and it is believed that regularly drinking peppermint tea may help relieve the symptoms of IBS. 

Other Health Benefits of Peppermint

Peppermint contains properties that give it a number of other potential health benefits. It is known to have antibacterial, antimicrobial and antiseptic properties, so can be effectively used as a cleansing agent on the skin and to help fight bacterial infections. It is also known to have decongestant properties, so can be a potentially effective treatment for a number of respiratory disorders. A known analgesic, peppermint can help with pain relief.

Peppermint tea may also be an ideal study aid for students and help commuters drive more safely. In one study, just the aroma of peppermint tea was shown to help students remain alert and focused when studying. In another study, peppermint tea helped drivers stay alert and relaxed in traffic. A friend of one of my granddaughters was here one day and we were discussing the benefits of peppermint.  She said she had a teacher that gave the students peppermint before tests.

Peppermint tea can also help with bad breath problems. Some say that it removes the problem permanently.  

Regular use of peppermint tea can also help to reduce appetite. Your cravings for food intake is thus reduced helping in weight loss. It's a good idea to put a drop of pure peppermint essential oil under your tongue before meals also to reduce your appetite.

Peppermint Tea can also help ward off colds and flu. It acts as a great preventative force against catching the common cold or the flu. It has good amounts of potassium, calcium and vitamin B, all useful agents in the fight against colds and flu.

I have a granddaughter who suffers from digestive problems and she often requests a cup of peppermint tea to soothe her stomach. It's a good feeling when you can help in a natural way.

Few side effects of peppermint tea have been noted, though health care professionals caution against its use by those who suffer from gastric problems related to excess stomach acid, such as acid reflux and ulcers. In general, though, peppermint tea is healthful, healing and relaxing. 

Precaution: since infants are still developing their immune systems, peppermint could cause an allergic reaction.

These are just some of the ways that Peppermint Tea is beneficial to you.

Now, go put the kettle on, Polly and we'll all have tea!

All about Spark Naturals Peppermint Essential Oil, the January Oil of the Month. To join the oil of the month club go here: 

Spark Naturals Oil of The Month Club

When you join the OOTM Club at Spark Naturals, for $15.99 monthly(shipping and tax included)you get a 15ml bottle of pure Essential Oil or Essential Oil Blend each month, shipped on the same date each month(your original order date.) 

Peppermint– Mentha Piperita – United States

Description: Peppermint Essential oil is used to help with many things such as liver, digestive and respiratory problems along with irritable bowel syndrome. It also stimulates the mind and increases mental accuracy.

Properties:  Analgesic, Anesthetic, Antiseptic, Anti-galactagogue, Antispasmodic, Astringent, Carminative, Cordial, Decongestant, Stimulant and Vasoconstrictor

Historical Uses: Peppermint has been very effective as a digestive stimulant, it has also has been used to disinfect and treat respiratory ailments. In more recent years studies have shown peppermint to aid in improvement of taste & smell when inhaled and to create a sense of fullness after meals.

Possible Uses:

Rub a few drops of peppermint to temples to relieve tension.

Dilute 2 drops of peppermint in 4 oz of water to aid in digestion.

Apply (dilute) drops on abdomen to help with stomach discomfort.

Diffuse to help with decongestant and to improve taste and smell.

Blends well With: Eucalyptus, Lavender, Lemongrass, Marjoram, Rosemary and Melaleuca

Peppermint Essential Oil Application:

Can be use aromatically

Can be consumed

Can be used topically (Dilute for young or sensitive skin)

I almost forgot the most important use of all for Peppermint.....

it keeps spiders away!

Never, ever let yourself run out of Peppermint Essential Oil!

From Bethlehem's Manger

I woke up around 2:30 this morning singing this old song.

"From Bethlehem's manger, came forth a stranger

Humble and lowly, I'd be like HIM."

From the moment of HIS birth, HE taught us how we should be. HE was born in a barn, not a palace. HIS birth was announced first to lowly shepherds out in the fields watching animals, not to kings or wealthy merchants in their pomp and splendor. HE was humble and lowly in birth, HE was humble and lowly in life, HE was humble and lowly in HIS death. HE was triumphant through that humility and lowliness, allowing SPIRIT to reign over flesh, thereby not allowing death any victory, but in HIS humility, being able to be victorious over death, hell and the grave.

"To be like JESUS, to be like JESUS!

On earth I long, to be like HIM."

Too much pride and not enough humility...if we truly want to be like HIM, we have to learn from HIM and follow HIS example. We have to know that HE is a big enough GOD to take care of ALL things if we will be humble and lowly as HE set forth the example to be.

Merry CHRISTmas from Patti's Place to your place and please remember to keep HIM in the center of your celebrations!

Sunday Scriptures~Merry CHRISTmas Week!

CHRISTMAS Blessings from Patti's Place to your place!

Paleo No Grain Banana Pancakes with Honey Caramel Sauce

This is one of my very favorite ways to have pancakes! They're easy, you normally have all the ingredients on hand and most importantly, they're good!

I actually ran across a recipe for two ingredient banana pancakes using just a banana and two eggs, tried them and liked them, but decided to add a few things to mine and I liked the results even better.

Paleo No Grain Banana Pancakes

1. One large banana, sliced
2. Two eggs
3. One tablespoon coconut flour(optional if you want a thicker batter)
4. 2 drops Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil(see footnote below) or a dash of cinnamon*
5. 1/2 tsp vanilla flavoring
6. Butter or oil for frying pancakes
7. Toppings such as banana slices, pecans, walnuts, etc.(optional)

In food processor or blender(I use my blender for this) whip eggs, then add banana, cinnamon and vanilla. Pulse briefly, it only takes a few seconds for the banana to become very thin. This is where you decide whether you need the coconut flour or not. I did, the batter was way too thin. However, I use a Vitamix blender and it will liquefy most things in seconds, your blender may not. If your batter needs a little thickening, add one tablespoon of coconut flour and pulse briefly. Allow the batter to stand for two-three minutes for the coconut flour to absorb the liquid and thicken the batter. This is important to remember when using coconut flour, it takes a few minutes for absorption!

Melt a small amount of butter or oil in skillet or on grill and pour desired amount of batter in pan. These brown quickly and you have to turn them over gently because it is a thinner batter. This is a good thing however, because many times your grain free pancakes have a heavy texture and these are very light, that's one reason I like them so much!

This recipe makes six small pancakes(some call them pikelets). I just call them little pancakes, I'm a simple person. It's just the right amount for two three people. 

Serve with pastured or clarified butter, caramel sauce(recipe below), almond butter, maple syrup, honey, etc. If you really like bananas, you can top with some banana slices and pecans or walnuts.

Honey Caramel Sauce

3/4 cup natural pure honey(none of that made in China not really honey stuff)

1/2 cup organic heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons pastured butter

1/2 tsp sea salt

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine all ingredients, bring to boil on medium heat and boil around 5-8 minutes, stirring constantly. Lower heat and continue to cook five minutes more until it turns a rich creamy brown and coats the spoon, technically....take it off the heat when it reaches 230 degrees, just before the soft ball stage. The amount of time you cook this will depend on your individual stove. The first time I made it, I followed instructions I had read to cook it 8-10 minutes and mine was way overcooked and I had to thin it down. It's best to use a candy thermometer or at least some sort of cooking thermometer so you don't overcook. If you do cook it too long and it's too thick or even hard, don't dump it out, just add some more whipping cream, heat it back up and thin it down. 

This is a good dipping sauce for fruit, it's good in hot apple cider and it's good on these banana pancakes. It's also pretty good just straight out of the pan with a spoon, but I don't know who would do such a thing, do you?

*You can find quality Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil at Spark Naturals. Use coupon code PATTI for 10% off!

Breakfast blessings from Patti's Place to Your Place!

A Tribute to Veterans

My Tribute to America's Heroes

I am proud to be the wife of a Vietnam Veteran and the daughter of a World War II Veteran. This blog is intended to be a small tribute to them and the many others who were willing to fight for the freedom I am so richly blessed with today.

Thank You Veterans!

"I could not love thee, deare, so much,
loved I not honor more." 
To Lucasta, On Going to War
Richard Lovelace 1618-1658

I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze
A young Marine saluted it, and then
He stood at ease. 

I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd. 

I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years? 
How many died on foreign soil? 
How many mothers' tears? 
How many pilot's planes shot down? 
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves? 

No, Freedom is not Free

I heard the sound of Taps one night,
When everything was still
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill
I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant "Amen"

When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend
I thought of all the children
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives

I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington
No, Freedom is not Free!!Copyright 1981
Lcdr Kelly Strong

My husband is....

Billy Joe White
Viet Nam 1968

While my biggest worry was what to wear to the Senior Prom, many young American heroes were in the middle of the most terrible period of the Vietnam War, Tet of 68. Many didn't make it home. My future husband was one of the blessed, he did. The following poem is a small tribute to him.

I Wish I'd Known You Then

I wish I'd known you then...
When you were young
And you stood so proudly
So brave and strong.

I wish I'd known you then...
When for freedom's sake
The ultimate sacrifice
You were willing to make.

I wish I'd known you then...
With your medals on your chest
An American Fighting Man
Courageous and blest.

I didn't know you then...

But I know you now...
And an honor it's been
For in your heart you're still
An American Fighting Man.

Patti Page White

Getting a rubbing off the Viet Nam Veterans' Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.

A Memorial for War Heroes at our Angelina County Courthouse

Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; 
thy walls are continually before me. 
Isaiah 49:16

THE SOLDIER

They shall not die, so long as we remember they lived…

The Flag's been folded, and passed to his wife,
All that is left, of a soldier's life.
The casket is lowered, and a prayer is said.
But wait a minute, he can't be dead.
He's much too young, to be lying here,
He goes to college, in one more year.

We knew this soldier; he was our friend,
He defended us, through thick and thin.
We trusted him, in moments of strife,
He honored that trust and gave his life.
At least he gave up, this mortal clay,
But his spirit lives on, from day to day.

He lives in our minds, and in our hearts,
And though we miss him, though we're apart,
The ties that bind, will not be shattered,
If we always remember, how his life mattered.
He loved his country, so proudly he served,
He was sometimes scared, but never unnerved.

He fought our battles, far across the sea,
And kept us safe, in this land of the free.
So keep the vigil, in this home of the brave,
And remember the life, he so gallantly gave.
He loved the Flag, the Red, White, and Blue,
Keep it flying high, It's your flag too.

When the trumpets sound, with the final call,
When Taps is played, for one and all,
When peace shall reign, and we give thanks,
When there's no more guns, no shooting tanks,
When we come to the day, when we shall meet
And see him again, on that golden street.

Al Gamel USMC
1999

A Prayer For The POW/MIA

What if it were my husband.. daddy.. brother.. or son... would I forget?
Dear GOD, let me pray each day just as fervently for those I've never met as I would if it were those near and dear to me. Remind me, GOD, that there will be an ache in the heart of each loved one until the day they come home to stay. Remind me that the freedom I enjoy each day didn't come without cost. Dear GOD,don't let me forget.

My daddy, Eulon Adron Page, US Navy, WWII

My husband's daddy, Marshall Charlton White, US Army WWII

Many women are also heroes

Thank you once again!