Year: 2017

Big Little Bites > 2017

My Miscarriage & Ectopic Pregnancy

Posted on by biglittlebites

Sharing is a way to let other women know they are not alone. You are not alone.

(I did not sugarcoat this story and I instead shared the reality of the experience. I also will note, everyone’s pregnancy loss is different, but it helped me to read other experiences online when I was going through it)

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A miscarriage in May 2016 and an ectopic pregnancy in September 2016. It was… quite a year. I hope that sharing my story can help other women who are, or who have, experienced the loss of a baby.

We weren’t trying to get pregnant that Spring. We had a plan – next year we’d try for number four! We can’t go getting pregnant this year… we were in the midst of house hunting and were currently living at my parents house with our three daughters. There were other life stressors going on as well – we had to sort things out, and then we would be ready.  But… nothing ever goes according to plan, right?! So, we found ourselves surprisingly pregnant in April 2016, due December 14, 2016! How miraculous – that day would also be our eldest daughters 7th birthday! Surely this was a sign, that God had everything in his control and this was meant to be. While we had our worries about timing, with everything else going on in our lives – that little pink line on the pregnancy test had me out-of-my-mind giddy with excitement – what an awesome surprise! My husband, the logical thinker, was a “cautious” happy, carefully guarding his emotions as he mentally sorted out how we could make this work.  By time you find out your pregnant, you’re already a month along, and by a couple of weeks after that, we were picking out baby names, wondering how to fit four car seats into our SUV, and daydreaming about how excited the kids would be… So, we told them! Why not?! Never have had any pregnancy issues in the past, have had three healthy pregnancies already… I had zero thoughts that miscarriage was a possibility. Our eldest daughter, Lola, was absolutely ecstatic that baby was due on her birthday – she exclaimed it was the best birthday gift ever! Our middle child Minka, was hoping baby would be a boy, so that she would have someone to be the prince, when she plays princess. Our youngest, Gemma, was only 2 years old and thankfully didn’t understand too much, but shared in the feeling of glee that was emanating in the room that afternoon.

Everything about that pregnancy seemed normal for me. As with my last three, I was nauseous and felt exhausted, but was not throwing up and was managing just fine. Around week 6, I had stomach flu symptoms for 24 hours – I was lethargic and throwing up, thinking this must be what “morning sickness” is, but then it subsided and was gone. I ate healthy, organic, clean foods, only took supplements that were geared for the baby’s development and continued house-hunting.

Around Week 10, suddenly my pregnancy didn’t seem so normal to me anymore. I went to the bathroom one day, and discovered a pin-drop sized spot of brown blood. I immediately questioned my mom, my husband, our midwife… my loved ones soothed me: ‘nothings wrong! That’s hardly any blood! Brown means “old” blood!” Some thought it was a sign I may be carrying twins… others thought it was just leftover from when the egg implanted in my uterus, since sometimes that causes bleeding… “every pregnancy is different, don’t stress.” All I could think was, I’d never had ANY type of bleeding in my past three pregnancies… this isn’t right, something is wrong. That was on a Friday, and I was highly aware that my husband was leaving out of town for work that Monday, so on Sunday when it happened again – I insisted on going to the emergency room (ER). It was only another small drop, was I just being negative? Was I sure something was wrong? Yes, my intuition was in full force, telling me I needed to know whether there was a heartbeat and what was happening, so I could move forward instead of stressing about it all day. After all, if there was a healthy baby in there, the stress wasn’t going to help anyway!

Off to the ER we went, anxious for answers. You probably know, nothing ever gets answered quickly in an ER, so we tried to be patient as I underwent a urine test, a blood test, questioning, etc.. They wanted to do a pelvic exam, but I was not comfortable with risking introduction of bacteria or disturbing the peace down there – just in case baby was healthy, and maybe fighting to stay that way. I insisted on ultrasound, thinking if I just see a heartbeat (or not), that will give me an answer to what’s happening. The ultrasound was very different than your typical pregnancy ultrasound – it took 45 minutes, and the entire time, the tech could not tell me what she was seeing, or even let me see the screen for myself. She could not show me a heartbeat (if there was one), or let me hear anything (she wore headphones). My husband wasn’t even allowed in the room with me – I was alone, just her and I. I stared at her face SO hard for those 45 minutes, desperately trying to pick up clues as to whether she was seeing good or bad – but no signs. Finally, she got up and said she would be back with the radiologist, who would want to check her work before talking with me. This didn’t sound good… but maybe she’s just brand-new at her job, and still learning? Then I heard her in the hallway, telling another nurse “is he available? I need him to come speak with her about the results,” and I just knew for sure at that point. I fought tears and frantically texted my husband that I was pretty sure this was it – the pregnancy was over. He came back towards the room, and they finally let him in, so he could be by my side. The radiologist appeared and calmly asked me how far along I was. I was 10 weeks, and I knew that for sure. He seemed perplexed and explained to me that our baby was only measuring at 7.5 weeks. He couldn’t find a heartbeat, but thought maybe that was because it was still early in the term – but now that I confirmed I am 10 weeks along, it means my fears were right. I hadn’t lost the baby yet, but it was inevitable. Miscarriage was coming. Releasing tears at that point, I was reassured there was nothing I did, and nothing I could have done differently. I know that this means that baby wasn’t meant to be, but the loss of your imagined future – that was so hard. My fourth baby was taken away from me, and none of the names we picked out, or the car seat configurations in our SUV we figured out… mattered anymore. Life was suddenly different in that moment, just as suddenly as it had changed in April with the news of a pregnancy.

We waited a while for the OB to come meet with us to discuss our options, all the while wallowing in our sadness and coming to grips with this new information and how our lives would once again be different. An hour or two later, the OB was at my side, explaining the three options I had: I could have a D&C performed, and be on my way, baby-free, I could take a  pill that would induce my miscarriage, or I could simply let my body do it on it’s own. Being that natural birth is important to us, and we birthed two of our three daughters drug-free with no interventions and trusting my body – we felt it made sense for us to forgo medical intervention and let my body do the work when the time is right.

Remember, that ER visit was on a Sunday. It took one week for the miscarriage to actually happen. During that week, life resumed – I was a mom of three girls, with a husband traveling for work. I had to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner, homeschool my kindergartner and get them to their extracurricular activities. All the while, there was a dead baby inside of me. Ouch, right? That was the truth I was living with and it was emotionally painful on a deep level. I did a lot of crying that week – a lot of questioning – a lot of pondering and a lot of searching for answers and finding reasons to blame myself. I couldn’t help but retrace my steps over the past two months, to figure out what I must have done wrong (but I didn’t do anything wrong). During that same week, on Thursday, my grandmother suddenly passed away. I felt completely broken inside at this point. I was extremely close to her, and leaned on her heavily over the years for advice on all things “life.” It felt so unfair that God also took her away from me, just when I could have used her hugs the most. A good friend pointed out to me, that my “grandmother better be ready, because she is going to have a baby to take care of up in heaven!” This made me smile, and helped give me comfort. I still couldn’t help but ask God every night – why? Why were these things happening all at once?

On that Saturday, my cousin was having a bridal shower, and on Sunday would be our grandmothers wake. I just had to make it through the weekend and compartmentalize my happy feelings for Saturdays shower and my sad feelings for Sundays wake, and the impending miscarriage.During the bridal shower, I began having period-like symptoms – uncomfortable cramping and red blood. Using pads, I made it through the next few hours until I got home and could lay down with a heating pad on my stomach, which really helped me feel better.  Around 5:30pm as I sat at the table eating dinner, I felt something “slip” out. Thinking I must be bleeding everywhere, I rushed to the bathroom and discovered a jelly-like blob about the size of a toddlers fist, on the pad. I texted our midwife, I texted my friends who had been through miscarriage – yes, this was probably it, I was most likely done! Mostly relieved, I was happy I could start the process of moving forward. I went to bed that night and slept soundly…  until 5am when I was abruptly woken by painful cramps. It felt like: I was in early labor! What was happening now?! I went to the bathroom and just sat there on the toilet, doubled over, accepting the discomfort and waiting for my body to do what it needed to do. Two hours later, I felt pressure and the feeling of needing to push – and something bigger than the night before, come out. A larger lump of tissue and cells, this was the completion of my miscarriage. After that, I experienced bleeding like a period for a couple of weeks and went to weekly blood-draws to monitor my pregnancy hormone levels decreasing as they should – that took about a month and a half, to get back down to zero. By then, my husband and I felt we’d been teased with that pregnancy and desperately wanted to try for another baby. The doctor told us we could start trying right away, but still very emotional, we waited a couple of months and tried again in August. Here’s what happened:

In early September, on the day I was anticipating my period to start (but hoping it wouldn’t, because we had tried for another pregnancy in August), I had red spotting. Darn, I thought… my period is starting after all, we will try again next time. The spotting was minimal, and I kept waiting for things to “get going,” as they usually do every month. Well, it never did… days went by, and the spotting was coming and going. I took a pregnancy test, which was positive, and I thought, here we go – I am misscarrying again. Again, doctors, our midwife and family all reassured me it is probably implantation, the timing is just right for that – but my intuition was telling me something different. I didn’t want to allow myself to get excited, in case I’m losing this baby, so I tried my hardest to remain neutral. But that is really hard to do! I was stressing and worrying again, and at the same time, praying that this was all in my head and in fact it was a healthy pregnancy. I was due May 15, 2017. The bleeding remained spotty and on some days, wasn’t there at all… but by the time I reached 5 weeks, I was on the phone with the OB begging for an ultrasound. She explained I would not hear a heartbeat that early, and they typically wait until 6 weeks, but she understood my fears and what I had gone through in May and said she would approve that so we can see if it is a viable pregnancy. It was Monday. I called the clinic where the ultrasound would be performed, and even with doctor approval, had to fight for an appointment – the receptionist arguing with me that it was too early and there was no point. It was very frustrating, but I was able to set an appointment for their next opening that Friday, September 16… my middle daughters 5th birthday. The Thursday before the appointment, I had more bleeding, and painful cramping in my left side that had me doubling over. I called the OB on-call, and explained what I was experiencing, but she said she was not concerned by my symptoms and not to worry. This is crazy I thought, I know this isn’t normal! So, I called the ultrasound clinic right before they closed and begged to come in that night. They couldn’t get me in, the receptionist explained, and furthermore, it doesn’t even make sense that they are going to see me tomorrow for an ultrasound, but they’ll do it. Irritated that no one was listening to me or believing me, I slept restlessly, anxious for the test the next morning.

Friday the 16th, my husband and I went early in the morning for the ultrasound. Right there, in my left fallopian tube, was a perfect little egg, perfectly implanted, in the most imperfect spot. The tech explained they would have to rush me to the ER, this was a dangerous circumstance and would probably require surgery, but they may be able to treat it with a chemotherapy drug. He also said, “thank goodness we were able to catch this early – you are lucky!” Say what!? I had to fight for that appointment in the first place, and no one wanted to give credence to my concerns when I insisted something was wrong. I’m lucky? Thank goodness “they” caught it early!? Now I had to process the possibility of surgery and while the tech slipped out to phone the ER, my husband and I googled “ectopic pregnancy” and what to do. It turned out I was a good candidate for Methotrexate (a chemotherapy drug) and could avoid surgery. Neither option sounded good to us, and we were terrified. Now I was texting all of my doctor friends and consulting the internet to understand what Methotrexate was and what it would do to my body. The OB in the ER warned me the risks include hair loss, blurred vision, impaired immune system among others, and in order to administer the two shots into my backside, they had to get two more nurses and the pharmacist and then make sure no one in the room, was possibly pregnant. Strong stuff, huh! My next thought was… how soon can I detox this stuff out!?

The next few days passed by uneventfully – there would be no big loss of tissue like with a miscarriage, just mild nausea from the drug and period-like symtoms. Every week, I went to have my blood drawn again, to make sure my HCG levels were going down – an indication the Methotrexate worked. It took a couple of months for my levels to reach zero, they moved much slower than with the miscarriage – and in the meantime, I was instructed not to do any traveling whatsoever, as the worry for sepsis or internal hemorrhage wouldn’t be gone until my levels reached zero.

By early December I felt I was finally past it, physically. Looking back, I had a hint that something could be wrong from the very beginning of the ectopic pregnancy, so I never really allowed myself to get too excited about it. I still experienced emotional stress related to the fear of something going wrong for those two months, waiting to see if the Methotrexate would work. An ectopic pregnancy is a life-threatening condition, and that fear overshadowed the sadness of losing another baby.

During both of these losses, everyone constantly reminded us how lucky we are to have our three, healthy children. Believe me, we know it! We are so grateful they are in our lives, and they were a big part of distracting me through a difficult time… but it doesn’t make a loss any easier. I’ll admit, previous to my own experience, I’d hear rumors of people having a miscarriage, and I’d think “well, it typically happens so early on, it can’t be too difficult? And you can just try again!” Now that I’ve experienced this loss myself, I know it extends beyond the physical pregnancy and doesn’t just “come and go.” You have 1-3 months of building excitement about a new family member… and then another 1-2 months of physically going through the loss while you’re body handles it… and not to mention the emotional pain which for me, was very hard for an entire year and a half. For a long time, we also wanted to try again, but I experienced a strange mix of emotions, wanting a baby and being too scared to get pregnant – how could I cope with another loss? The answer is to wait until you are not only physically ready, but emotionally ready too – however long that takes, is ok.

2016 was a dark year for us, but my husband and I got through it together through communication, not holding feelings in and supporting each other. We focused on the life in front of us, but we didn’t pretend the pain of loss wasn’t there. We faced it head on, acknowledged it and let ourselves be angry, sad, disappointed and every emotion in between. Then… we picked ourselves up, and forced ourselves to move forward – for our own health. My husband, and my best friend Elizabeth, planned different, little getaways to distract me and spark some joy… I focused on homeschooling the girls (which I’d already been doing anyway and turned out to be a perfect motivator to stay distracted) – and over time, it worked. I felt very connected to the baby I miscarried and although I don’t know for sure… I believe baby was a little boy. I still feel babys soul with me regularly and it brings me comfort.

I have been pretty vocal about my losses, because as I was going through it and people reached out to let me know they’d been through it too – I felt less alone in my sorrow, and I realized it happens more than one may think, but not often is it talked about. For me, talking about it, sharing my story, and hearing others, continues to be my “therapy” and really has helped me understand what my body was going through, as well as my emotions. If you, or someone you know, has been through a similar loss, I hope that sharing my story can help them feel less alone. If you have any questions, concerns or just need to talk woman to woman – you can comment below or reach out to me privately, at biglittlebites@gmail.com ❤️

Peace + Love

Michelle

 

 

Best Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup!

Posted on by biglittlebites

When colds are being passed around the house, nothing heals quite like a steaming, hot bowl of mom’s homemade chicken noodle soup!! With fresh, whole food ingredients and a generous amount of egg noodles – the melt-in-your-mouth goodness of this soup will have you well on your way to never wanting to buy pre-made chicken noodle soup again!

We use stock instead of broth, because it is made from the bones, has more healing properties and has a richer flavor profile.

 

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (evoo)

1/2 organic, yellow onion

3 organic, large carrots

2 organic stalks of celery

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 pkg organic chicken thighs

3 boxes of organic chicken stock

4 sprigs of organic thyme

1/4 bunch of organic flat-leaf (or Italian) parsley, chopped

3-4 c organic egg noodles

 

Directions:

Rinse your veggies, but don’t bother peeling those carrots – you’ll miss out on nutrients! Mince up the onion and dice the carrots and celery -making a mirepoix. Add your evoo to the bottom of a Dutch oven pot and heat on low-medium. Add the onion and simmer for 5 minutes before adding the minced carrot and celery. Once all of your veggies are starting to soften, add the minced garlic and simmer another minute. Trim the fat from the chicken thighs and lay them atop the simmering veggies, adding all of the stock on top of that. Add in your sprigs of thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes is up, remove your chicken to a cutting board and remove the sprigs of time (it’s ok if some of the leaves stay in the pot – yum!) Add the egg noodles into the pot and continue to simmer another five minutes, while you cut up the chicken into small pieces. Add the chicken back into the pot with the chopped parsley, turn off the flame and cover with the lid for another five minutes. Now you are ready to serve it!

Pumpkin Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

Posted on by biglittlebites

This recipe differs from our favorite banana bread recipe, in that it includes flour, but it’s still super yummy! We prefer cooking with sprouted flour because, it’s actually nutritious! The entire composition of flour changes, when the grain is sprouted first – it’s pretty amazing! Want to read more? Think protein and tons of nutrients! We also prefer making our own pumpkin purée over using canned foods. You can learn how, in our how-to section of our blog, but it’s super easy! You probably are already aware of the dangers of BPA linings in canned foods, but no one talks about the fact that the cans are aluminum! Aluminum leaks too, lined or not, and aluminum is linked to memory disorders such as Alzheimer’s. Why add more toxins into your life!? Make a batch of purée and stick it in the fridge to use for our pumpkin bread one day, and for pumpkin pancakes the next 😊 I also love stirring it into my oatmeal, and you’ll see us post about THAT recipe on our Instagram!

We discovered this organic bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup at Costco recently, and can’t get enough of it! It’s honestly hard not to lick the bottle after you pour some out 😆😆 We are not being sponsored by them, we just really like the delicious refined-sugar-free flavor it adds to some of our favorite recipes! If you can’t get this particular syrup, don’t worry, any real maple syrup will work! Just stay away from the wannabe breakfast syrups that are full of artificial flavors, sugars and high-fructose corn syrup.

We’ll have to add a post about healthy cooking oils versus not so healthy, but for now, trust us – if you can sub avocado oil for vegetable/canola oil – you’re doing your heart a favor!

We hope you enjoy this recipe – let us know what you think, in the comments below!

Ingredients: 

3 C sprouted white wheat flour

1 tsp (heaping) cinnamon

3 tsp (heaping) pumpkin spice

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp Real Salt

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1/4 C Crown Maple bourbon, barrel-aged syrup

1 C avocado oil

4 eggs

2 C Pumpkin Purée (see recipe:

1.5 C chocolate chips

 

Directions:

Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix wet ingredients together in a small bowl. Transfer wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in the large bowl and stir just until combined.

 

Bake at 350 degrees farenheit for one hour.

 

How to Make Pumpkin Purée

Posted on by biglittlebites

Learn how to roast a pumpkin with these simple steps, and conquer Fall the natural way, like the little baddie you are! 

Kicking the can and giving this homemade pumpkin puree recipe a try, puts the power of healthy living back in your hands. Before you know it, you’ll have loads of your own pumpkin purée for PSL (pumpkin spice latte, duh), pumpkin banana bread, pumpkin pasta, pumpkin pie, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin soup, pumpkin-anything! Really, the pumpkin-possibilities are endless and I want to hear what recipe you can’t wait to make with it, in the comments below!

What Kind of Pumpkin Do You Use?

Making your own pumpkin puree is actually super easy and totally worth the effort. Next time you’re at the grocery store, take a minute to seek out the little orange pie pumpkins, also known as sugar pumpkins. Beginning in early October, you can find this variety of pumpkin  near other seasonal squash in the produce section. Pie pumpkins are much smaller, more pleasantly flavored and contain more pulp than their larger more standout sibling the Jack-O-Lantern or carving pumpkin. Choose a pie pumpkin that is firm and without blemishes. 

Roasting a pie pumpkin takes only 10-15 minutes of preparation time and 45 minutes of uninterruped time in the oven. Scroll down, to see my 7 detailed steps on everything from how to prepare pie pumpkins for roasting to achieving the smooth puree of everyones Fall food dreams. 

I like to have 2 or 3 pie pumpkins roasting at the same time, to make a large batch all at once. After pureeing the pulp in the last step, I measure out 1 cup of pumpkin puree at a time, into individual freezer-safe storage bags to keep in the freezer for future grab-and-go use. While roasting a pie pumpkin is more time consuming than opening a can, making puree in bulk by roasting multiple pumpkins at a time, makes it easier and quicker for the next use.

Is Canned Pumpkin Good for You?

While economical and affordable, unfortunately canned foods are a big enough risk to your health that it’s worth investing dollars into fresh food.

There are multiple schools of thought on whether canned foods are less nutritious than fresh foods, but I’m not getting into that today. What is most concerning to me, are the health risks associated with eating canned foods.

The canning process involves heating the can at high temperatures in order to prevent harmful bacteria from growing, and to keep the food from spoiling. Let’s consider what components of the can, are being heated and leaching into the food in the process.

What are Food Cans Made of?

In order to prevent food leaching, food cans are commonly coated with a plastic lining called bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical associated with hormonal imbalances and health risks like heart disease, birth defects, diabetes and even cancer. Ironically, these linings meant to safeguard our food, have been proven in studies to migrate from the lining of the can, into the food.

I know what you’re thinking. “I’ll just buy BPA-free cans.” The issue here is, BPA-free cans are still being lined with a replacement which is simply  another type of plastic coating. We should not be eating plastic. It should be noted, that there is only one company making the extra effort and taking on the additional expense, of avoiding epoxy liners: Eden Foods. A pioneer for BPA-free can liners, they use a baked-on enamel coating derived from plants and resins.

The cans themselves, made from aluminum or steel, are also a health risk. Aluminum is a naturally occurring mineral in our environment, but many of us are exposed to it most unnaturally, through the way we cook, the foods we consume and even through things we put in or on our body. Aluminum can be found in canned foods, cookware and aluminum foil (obvious, I know), processed and whole foods including baby food, medications like antacids and buffered aspirin, vaccines, baking powder, emulsifiers and anti-caking agents, ceramics, pigments, paints, paper, deodorant and heat resistant fibers, among other items. 

Aluminum is a known toxin to our bodies, however there is much debate on what levels are considered safe. We do know that aluminum toxicity presents as neurological disorders, brain disease, nervous system disorders like memory loss, bone abnormalities and respiratory problems. 

10 years ago, pregnant with our first child, I made a promise to stop purchasing canned foods, and I’ve never looked back or missed it! Making your own pumpkin puree is easy enough to accomplish during the next episode of Succession (is anyone else watching that?) and you won’t even feel the minutes pass!

How to Make Pumpkin Puree

1) Buy a pie pumpkin! Those regular, big, Halloween pumpkins are not what you want to cook with and won’t taste as yummy.

2) Hold the pumpkin steady on it’s side,  and use a big knife to cut the stem off the top. This will result in a safe, flat surface to turn your pumpkin onto before slicing it in half down the middle.

3) Stand the pumpkin up on the cut end. Using a sharp knife and firm, steady pressure, slice it in half down the middle. 

4) Use a large metal spoon to scoop out all of the seeds and fibers from inside each half. I like to put everything into a strainer, so I can sort through and pick out the seeds to roast (rinse them and allow to dry; coat them in olive oil and Real Salt, roast at 200 degrees for 40 min)

5) Set your pumpkin halves on top of a parchment paper-lined or oiled pan, to prevent sticking. Brush the inside and rim of the pumpkin halves with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle some Real Salt.

pie pumpkins face down on a baking sheet for roasting

6) Roast at 400 degrees farenheit for about 45 minutes.

7) Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the pumpkin halves to cool completely. Scoop out the entire fleshy interior with a large spoon and purée in a food processor to get a smooth consistency. 

* Fresh pumpkin puree stores well in the fridge for up to one week and for months in the freezer*

Arroz con Pollo

Posted on by biglittlebites

Family History

This dish holds a pretty special place in my heart, and I can’t wait to share it with you. For me, the purpose of consuming food goes beyond nourishment, and into the realm of the memories intertwined with it. Although my ancestors originally hale from Armenian villages within Turkey, during the Armenian Genocide of 1915 those who survived, fled to other countries. My great-grandfather ended up in Cuba, and so my grandfather grew up with Arroz con Pollo being one of his favorite comfort foods. Later, their family moved to the United States where he would eventually meet and marry my grandmother – an Armenian woman born in America. She learned to make Arroz con Pollo for him, and so generations to come, all benefitted! That just goes to show, you don’t have to be Latin to appreciate the amazing flavors in this dish! 

My grandmother had some great shortcuts to make this dish quicker to throw together. However, I love learning how to make everything from scratch, so I’ve taken her original recipe and gone old-school. I’ve taken all the shortcuts and reverted them to “from-scratch” methods that really shouldn’t be daunting.

Sure, this dish probably takes longer than your go-to chicken dinner recipe – but the steps involved impart a flavor you just can’t deny isn’t worth every minute! 

Let’s start with what you’ll need. This ingredient list may have some items you don’t keep stocked, but I promise it’s worth the effort to get them!

Essential Ingredients You’ll Need

Here are some tips and thoughts on gathering your ingredients:

Avocado oil: I love olive oil, but when pan-searing or frying food, avocado oil is a healthier choice, since it has a higher smoke point. I also don’t mind the healthy fatty acid and antioxidant profile that avocado oil boasts 🙂

Saffron: Saffron is expensive, but an absolute necessary flavor to get this dish right. Please don’t skip it! I’ve found the lowest pricing at Trader Joe’s for saffron (and this isn’t an ad – this is simply based on personal shopping discovery). Guess what? I also buy the smoked paprika at TJ’s!

Tomato sauce: please consider purchasing tomato sauce in jars, instead of in cans. I try to avoid aluminum and plastic-lined products as much as possible. Jars are void of potential system disrupters and chemicals. I buy the jars of BioNaturae organic strained tomatos because they are affordable for a big jar, with absolutely no other ingredients mixed in.

Chorizo: If you can find organic, more power to you! I don’t love buying or consuming meats with hormones and diets laced with pesticide, and can’t seem to find organic, so I buy this chorizo at Whole Foods. 

*When you click on my favorite product links, I may earn a tiny commission from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Big Little Bites blog*

chicken drumsticks in a roasting pan with green olives

First Steps: Setting the Stage

The first few steps of the recipe, are all about “setting the stage” for a beautiful presentation. I’m talking about browning the poultry and sausage on the stovetop before baking it in the oven, and using the animal fats rendered to season the sofrito.”Sofrito” is simply a blend of chopped bell pepper, onion and garlic. When I’m making this dish for a dinner party, I love completing steps 2 – 4 the day before. This way, the chicken and sausage are browned, the sofrito is cooked and I combine it in one large storage container to keep in the fridge overnight. The next day, you simply bring it out from the fridge about an hour before you plan to bake the entire casserole and let it come to room temperature. 

Assembling the casserole

First, I like to stir in the tomato sauce, saffron, cumin, rice and stock in the casserole dish. Next, I add the sausage and sofrito, stirring the pieces into the rice. Finally, I carefully arrange the poultry pieces atop the rice mixture in an artful way worthy of presentation. Bake this dish covered, in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Allow the dish to rest while remaining covered for an additional 10-15 minutes outside of the stove,  then place green olives throughout, and plenty of cilantro. 

chicken drumsticks in a roasting pan with green olives
Print Recipe

Arroz Con Pollo

Course: Main Course

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
  • 4 tbsp avocado oil, divided
  • 1.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 2 chorizo sausages, cut into 1″ slices with casing removed
  • 1/2 c sofrito (1/2 each of green and red bell pepper chopped, 1 yellow onion chopped, 4 minced garlic cloves)
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp saffron
  • 14 oz tomato sauce
  • 3 c brown rice (long, basmati, valencia… any will work! Sprouted is preferred for healthiest option)
  • 4 c chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp green olives
  • 1/4 of a bunch of cilantro

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees farenheit.
  • Remove chicken from packaging and blot dry with paper towel. In a small bowl, combine 2 tbsp oil, paprika, salt and pepper – mixing well. Rub into chicken and marinate, covered in the fridge, for at least 30 minutes.
  • Warm a large pan over medium heat, and prepare your chorizo. When the pan is hot enough, add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil and immediately add your chorizo. Once it’s cooked for a few minutes and nicely browned, remove the meat (leave the fat in the pan) and put it on a separate dish. Add your marinated chicken pieces to the hot pan, allowing them to brown for 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to the dish with the chorizo.
  • Add the sofrito blend to the fat in the pan, stirring well and frying until soft. Move the sofrito, chicken and chorizo into a large casserole dish with a lid.
  • Stir in the tomato sauce, saffron threads (crushing them with your fingers as you add them), cumin, rice and stock. Place the lid on the casserole dish and put it into the hot oven for 45 minutes.
  • Prior to serving, stir in green olives and cilantro.

Favorite Fried Rice

Posted on by biglittlebites

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Can you Make Fried Rice with Brown Rice?

Yes! In fact, I love making fried rice with brown rice instead of white. The texture, the hearty, slightly nutty flavor… and if it’s sprouted rice, even better! If you’ve been following Big Little Bites for a while, you probably already know why sprouted grains are SO much healthier and easier to digest than their common counterparts.

How to Make Healthier Fried Rice

Fried rice feels like an indulgent meal, am I right? Fried in plenty of butter with loads of umami flavor thanks to soy sauce and full of calories! What if I told you that you can put those calories to work for you, by making them count? Not literally… but by choosing ingredients that have health benefits, you are choosing to nourish your body instead of bog it down with empty calories.  Choosing sprouted short grain rice over white rice, is just one way I amp up the nutrition of my Favorite Fried Rice.

Some paleo friends may argue that brown rice is unhealthy due to phytates and lectins (they bind to vitamins and minerals, preventing them from being absorbed) – however, the reason white rice doesn’t contain those anti-nutrients, is because it’s been processed to remove the bran and germ from the grain. So here’s the answer to what’s really the healthier option: sprouted brown rice! The sprouting process removes those anti-nutrients, so you don’t even have to worry about them anymore, and improves the overall nutritional content! 

There are two essential ingredients that lend most of the flavor to fried rice: soy sauce and butter. Did you know that soy is one of the most genetically modified (GMO) foods in the US? If you are wondering what the big deal is, click here for facts about GMO’s.

Choosing organic soy sauce is a great way to avoid GMO’s because genetic engineering is prohibited for organic products, meaning the farmer cannot plant genetically modified seeds or feed genetically modified foods to their livestock. Soy sauce is made from fermented soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and molds and lends the much coveted 5th taste: “umami” to foods. Soy sauce lends plenty of salt to Favorite Fried Rice, so be careful not to add any table salt. 

Another favorite, healthier swap is grass-fed butter for regular butter. How do you know you’ve got the good stuff? Butter should be a rich yellow color due to the cows feeding on grass and absorbing so much beta-carotene from plants. Now, butter isn’t exactly a superfood, and it isn’t even in my everyday rotation. However for certain recipes, such as my Favorite Fried Rice, there’s just no getting around the use of butter because it’s such a part of the flavor profile of the dish! That being said, incorporating grass-fed butter into your diet on a here and there basis is healthy! Yes, grass-fed butter contains  saturated fats like coconut oil, but in small amounts this fat works to stabilize your blood sugar. Grass-fed butter is also significantly greater in nutrition benefits, compared to butter from grain-fed cows. According to Dr. Axe, grass-fed butter is better for your heart, an anti-inflammatory, a great source for vitamin A, contains energy-boosting and appetite-suppressing MCT’s, is high in anticancer CLA, rich in vital cholesterol and a good source of arachidonic acid. If you’re allergic to casein like our middle daughter, or lactose-intolerant, you can substitute butter for ghee in this recipe and others. 

big bowl of healthier fried brown rice with mixed vegetables
Print Recipe

Favorite Fried Rice

A healthier fried rice, rich in flavor but better for your body!
Cook Time20 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 c sprouted short grain rice, cooked ahead
  • 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion, minced
  • 1 large clove of garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 c frozen organic mixed peas, carrots and corn
  • 2 tbsp grass-fed butter or ghee
  • 1 tbsp avocado oil
  • 1/4 c organic soy sauce use shoyu, which is Japanese soy sauce
  • 3 organic eggs
  • 1 tbsp Eden Foods Gomasio seasoning
  • 1 sliced scallion

Instructions

  • Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add toasted sesame oil and the minced yellow onion. Stir occasionally until the onion becomes clear and slightly browned (about 10-15 minutes).
  • Add the minced garlic and stir for another 30 seconds.
  • Stir in the frozen vegetables just until defrosted. Remove to a large serving bowl.
  • Create an open well in the middle of the skillet and crack the eggs into it. Using a wooden spoon, break them up without scrambling, and cook until almost set. Remove them from the pan, placing them atop the bowl of vegetables.
  • Add grass-fed butter and 1 tbsp avocado oil to the now-empty skillet, turn up the heat to medium-high and and give it a swirl.
  • Spread the rice evenly into the skillet, and let fry undisturbed for 2-3 minutes (allowing it to get a little crispy on the bottom).
  • Stir in the sliced scallion and transfer to the bowl of vegetables and eggs.
  • Pour in the soy sauce and mix well. Sprinkle with Gomasio or toasted sesame seeds before serving!

Brown Butter + Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Cookie Skillet

Posted on by biglittlebites

Just TRY not to eat this whole brown butter + dark chocolate hazelnut cookie skillet in one sitting – I dare you! It’s what cookie dreams are made of and there’s not a family member in sight, who doesn’t want a piece of this healthier dessert!

I’ve made this cookie skillet a healthy dessert by using sprouted flour in place of traditional, substituting dairy-free and clean ingredient chocolate hazelnut spread for the alternative… and using coconut palm sugar in place of brown sugar. My husband and one of our daughters are both allergic to dairy, and while we don’t believe in drinking cows milk, we have cut it out of our kitchen completely by dropping all dairy products aside from butter here and there. Honestly, none of us miss it. That being said, you could totally use a chocolate hazelnut spread that is made with milk and get similar results – maybe not AS rich as the dairy-free one I use  (insert drool emoji).

I know that many scoff at ‘substituting’ traditional cooking ingredients – but hear me out: sprouting grains before pulverizing them into flour, literally produces living, vital nutrients – providing more protein, vitamins and minerals than you would get from flour otherwise! It also neutralizes the phytic acid present in wheat, that inhibits nutrient absorption. The process of sprouting (see our post about sprouting) also makes digestion easier, as the starches are broken down into simple sugars, and there is less gluten. But guess what – sprouted flour is also less fattening than traditional flour! So, if you are gluten-sensitive but don’t have celiac disease or a gluten allergy, sprouted grains could be a game-changer for you! Why not try making the switch? It doesn’t change the taste of this drool-worthy, brown butter and dark chocolate hazelnut cookie!

While coconut palm sugar has the same number of calories as cane sugar, it is lower in glucose and fructose. It also contains inulin, which may help reduce the absoption of glucose, and makes it an alternative, for those who are diabetic. It also ranks lower on the glycemic index scale, if you’re watching that. The taste is similar to brown sugar, which is cane sugar with molasses added to it. This cookie is sweet without spiking your blood sugar through the roof.

Sometimes, I like to switch things up by using 1 c whole wheat (instead of white-wheat) sprouted flour and 1 c coconut flour. Either way, this brown butter + dark chocolate hazelnut cookie skillet, will have your tastebuds watering for more.

Brown butter dark chocolate hazelnut cookie skillet

Brown butter dark chocolate hazelnut cookie skillet

Ingredients:

1 3/4 sticks of grass-fed butter, unsalted

3/4 c coconut palm sugar

1 mashed ripe banana

3 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 c sprouted flour (regular works just the same, but sprouted is healthier and easier to digest)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp Redmond’s Real Salt

1 c dark chocolate chips (or chop up a bar of dark chocolate)

3/4 c Nocciolata Organic, Dairy-Free Hazelnut Spread (or Nutella, but this other brand is cleaner)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line a 12″ cast iron skillet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a saute pan, add the butter and patiently melt over low-medium heat; when it begins to sizzle, turn it down to a simmer and let it begin to brown – you’ll know it’s ready when you see brown bits on the bottom of the pan and smell a delicious nutty smell! That’s when you turn off the heat, and add it to mixing bowl (I used my stand mixer with whisk attachment); add in sugar and whisk until blended. Now you’ll need to wait about 20 minutes to allow the bowl to come to room temperature again.

In the meantime, take the same saute pan you used for the butter, and without washing it, put it back on low heat and add in the chocolate hazelnut spread – you just want it to get soft and gooey for easy spreading. Once the mixing bowl is cool enough to the touch, add in the eggs and vanilla and whisk in on a low setting just until combined.

Next, add in all of the dry ingredients and mix this just until combined. Gently fold in the dark chocolate pieces.

Rip a new sheet of parchment or wax paper and place it on your kitchen counter. Pour half of your cookie batter into the lined skillet, and the other half onto the parchment paper on your counter. Spread each out gently, making a round shape to the edge of the skillet, and making the other half on the extra parchment, look similar. Now pour the chocolate hazelnut spread over the cookie batter inside the skillet and gently spread the layer. Take the extra sheet of parchment with the other half of the batter spread out, and carefully flip it over on top of the chocolate hazelnut layer in the skillet. Scatter the top with some extra dark chocolate pieces for visual effect, and pop it in the oven for 25 minutes.

The goal for me, is to get a slightly gooey cookie to scoop out of the pan, but if you want it more traditional-cookie style, keep it in the oven for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Perfect Red Lentil Soup

Posted on by biglittlebites

I grew up eating this perfect, delicious and healthy red lentil soup, and it’s now a staple in my home with my family. Lentils are rich in protein (equivalant to a steak!), folate, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc. They’re such a great, nutritious substitute for meat, whether you’re doing a meatless Monday, or cooking vegan or vegetarian meals. This warm, cozy red lentil soup is perfect for lunch or dinner and especially easy to throw together when you’re short on time to get food on the table, because it takes minimal effort!

As with all of my recipes, I recommend aiming to choose organic ingredients whenever possible. I look for vegetable stock or broth made from real foods and free of flavoring, to get the cleanest ingredients into our bodies. When time allows, consider sprouting the lentils prior to using them, as this will ease digestion and enhance the nutrient profile of the soup.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, born from my Armenian heritage, as much as my family does!

How I Make it

What I love about this Perfect Red Lentil Soup, is that it’s flavorful yet super easy. On a busy school night, this takes 15 minutes to prep, 30 minutes to cook and maybe another 15 minutes to cool and puree! I will note, pureeing is not totally necessary, and more of a preference. The photo below, of the finished soup, is how it looks without pureeing. The texture is soft and airy, making the soup almost fluffy!

I begin by sautéing the minced onion in a little olive oil, until the onion begins to turn clear about five minutes later. Next, I add in the cumin, salt and pepper and give it all a good stir before mixing in the tomato paste. At this point, the soup won’t be soup at all -it will just be a clumpy mix of onions and seasoning! Toss in the quinoa and lentils and pour in the broth to make a more soupy mixture (below). Now you bring it to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer and cover, letting it cook undisturbed for 30 minutes. That’s basically it!

When you remove the lid… voila! You are left with this perfect lentil soup, which you can then puree if desired!

Perfect Meatless Meal

red lentil soup in a bowl with cilantro leaves on top
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Perfect Red Lentil Soup

This red lentil soup is excellent for a plant-based, meatless meal, if you use vegetable stock. It's hearty, filling and full of flavor!
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time45 mins
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: lentil soup, red lentils, vegan, vegetarian, soup recipe, meatless, nondairy
Servings: 6

Equipment

  • Dutch oven pot
  • Immersion blender

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, minced
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp cracked pepper
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 c red lentils
  • 3/4 c quinoa
  • 7 c vegetable or chicken stock
  • Optional: fresh cilantro, chopped
  • Optional: sprinkle of cayenne pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat a dutch oven over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
  • Add olive oil and minced onion. Cook the onion, stirring every now and then, until they turn transparent.
  • Add salt, pepper, cumin and tomato paste to onions and stir to combine.
  • Add lentils, quinoa and stock to dutch oven with onion and spice mixture. Stir and raise temperature to high.
  • Once the soup is boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth and creamy.
  • Add another 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, to enhance flavor.

Rich People Chicken

Posted on by biglittlebites

My grandparents were from Provence, so the combination of lavender and thyme is no stranger to me and has always been a favorite in the kitchen. It wasn’t until more recent years, when a friend used it on dark meat chicken in conjunction with honey, and my mind was blown. There’s just something about bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, that work so well with this flavor combo!

Lavender Thyme Chicken smells so good when it’s roasting, your mouth will be watering. Affectionately referred to as “rich people chicken,” it looks even more beautiful than it smells… and you’ll see what I mean, when you feast your eyes on the golden, crispy crust that forms. 

So why and how did lavender thyme chicken become “Rich People Chicken?” It all started when I attended an annual Blogger Brunch here in Atlanta, hosted by my friend Meghan at Donut Worry Be Healthy. I met some amazing new blogger friends that also love to eat (imagine that!) and we were sitting around, each sharing one recipe that we’d love for each other to try making. I started talking about my Lavender Thyme Chicken: “it’s SO good, and looks so delicious on a platter… wait until your dinner guests smell how amazing it is…. they’ll think you spent hours making it… it’s really super easy and is just SO yummy… it’s with lavender, and sounds and smells really fancy…” To which one friend responded jokingly, “oh, so people will think you’re rich if you make it for them?” YES. It’s rich people chicken! You’re super fancy if you make this. Just saying.

How to Make Easy Lavender Thyme Chicken

Stock up on these ingredients and stash them in your pantry! Lavender Thyme Chicken is such an easy, delicious and savory recipe, you’ll want to make it again. I buy dried, culinary-grade lavender buds here, or from a gourmet grocer (like Whole Foods) in the bulk herbs and spices section. Fresh thyme works well (double up the quantity) but for ease, I stick with dried thyme most of the time. 

I love that this Lavender Thyme Chicken recipe works great with any bone-in chicken. Whether it be bone-in thighs, drumsticks, breasts or the whole shebang – start by trimming any fat and seasoning both sides with salt and pepper. I prefer bone-in to boneless because it yields more flavor and is less prone to drying out during cooking. I love prepping poultry on this butcher tray (pictured below) and has a rim to catch any drippings. The butcher tray also fits perfectly onto a fridge shelf and I also use it to defrost meats or chicken, because the lip catches any packaging leaks as it thaws, preventing contamination in my fridge.

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raw chicken thighs and legs on a butcher tray

If you’re hosting a dinner party, go ahead and prep the lavender, thyme, honey, lemon and oil mixture the day before. Baste the chicken in the marinade, wrap it well and let it marinate overnight in the fridge. The next day, simply transfer the pieces to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and drizzle any juices from the butcher tray, on top. Don’t cook the chicken on the butcher tray! Drizzle the Lavender Thyme Chicken with more olive oil and honey before placing it in the preheated oven, to ensure that crispy, golden crusted skin.

If you’re just throwing together a quick family dinner, it’ll be just fine to make it all the same day! Marinating overnight just allows the maximum flavor to develop.

herb crusted lavender thyme bone in chicken thighs and drumsticks on a butcher tray

I am very conscious of trying to never char our food and I hope you will be too. I know in America, we have this whole thing about blackened grill marks, and extra-crispy food – but guess what? Those black marks? They’re literally chemicals forming, that are carcinogenic! I don’t want you to feed that to yourself, or your littles – so please keep an eye on your food and recognize the exact point to give it a flip, a baste or lower the temperature so you get the perfect bronzed dish, without the char!

herb crusted chicken thighs and drumsticks on a plate

roasted lavender thyme bone-in chicken thighs on a plate
Print Recipe

Lavender Thyme Chicken

Affectionately reffered to by friends, as "rich people chicken," this dish will make you feel and look fancy. Minimal effort. It's a promise.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: French
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 5 lbs bone-in chicken thighs, drumsticks, breasts or a whole chicken (butterflied)
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 3 tbsp dried lavender buds
  • salt + pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees farenheit.
  • Line a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan with parchment paper.
  • In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil and honey, whisking with a fork briefly.
  • Add dried thyme. Working in small batches, roll lavender buds between your fingers to crush them as you add them to the mix. Stir well and let the flavors meld while you trim any fat from the chicken.
  • Arrange the chicken flat in a storage container or bag if you're marinating overnight. If you're cooking that day, arrange the chicken side by side on the baking sheet. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken pieces, and using a basting brush, apply the marinade all over. If it's a roasting chicken, get your fingers up under the skin to loosen it, so you can apply the mixture as a rub underneath (the skin).
  • Prior to roasting, drizzle additional olive oil and a little more honey, all over the top of the chicken.
  • If roasting a whole chicken, stuff the cavity with one lemon cut into quarters and a couple of garlic cloves. Roast for 45-60 minutes.
  • If roasting chicken drumsticks, cook for 45 minutes.
  • If roasting thighs, cook for 30 minutes.
  • If roasting breasts, cook for 40 minutes.
  • * Always check to ensure chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees *

Stuffed Grapeleaves

Posted on by biglittlebites

When I was a little kid, we would pick up my great-grandmother once a week to take her grocery shopping. I have vivid memories of her ordering my mom to pull over randomly on the side of the road at least once every trip, because she spotted roadside grape leaves she just needed to pick ? My little Armenian great-grandmother, kept plastic grocery bags bunched up inside of her little purse, just for these happenstance sightings!

Now, here I am today, a mom of three, picking grape leaves in my neighborhood as Liz and I take the kids on a walk! Hey, they are organic, and they are local! Wild food! ? So… when nature gives you grape leaves, you make dolma, right? I didn’t invent this recipe, it’s centuries old! But try it, love it, and please never order that restaurant dolma again – it just doesn’t compare!

Ingredients: 

About 35 grape leaves (maybe one jar)

1 lb of grass-fed ground lamb, beef or mixture of the two

1 large onion, minced

1/4 -1/2 c uncooked brown rice

Handful of parsley, chopped

1/4 c tomato sauce

Salt & Pepper to taste

 

Directions:

If you picked your leaves fresh, you’ll need to first blanch them – plunge them into boiling water and then rinse under cold water. If you’re using grape leaves from a jar, they are in brine, so you’ll want to give them a good rinse. I usually just dump out the liquid while leaving the leaves in the jar, and then repeatedly refill the jar with water and strain it out about 3x.

Set up a rolling station with a colander/plate to hold your wet grape leaves flat, a small knife for trimming stems, a medium bowl for the meat mixture, a soup/stock pot to cook them in, and a clean plate or cutting board for rolling and a platter of some sort to put your rolls onto.

Make the meat mixture by combining all the ingredients (except for the leaves) in the medium bowl – mix well but don’t get too crazy kneading, or you’ll end up with tough meat.

Once you start rolling, as you go through your stack of leaves, whenever you find one with holes in it, or too small to roll with, use it to line the bottom of your pot (this prevents your dolmas from burning as they cook). Roll your dolmas as the photos above indicate, by folding over certain parts of the leaf at a time. Once you’re finished rolling them all up, line them side by side on top of the layer of castaway grape leaves on the bottom of your pot. Make sure they are all nice and snug against each other! Find a plate just big enough to fit inside your pot, and place it on top of your grape leaves. Now pour in water or broth, some tomato sauce and half a lemon juiced, just to the rim of the  plate. Cover your pot, bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, and reduce to a simmer for one hour.

Serve with yogurt! Yum! By the way, these are just as delicious served cold the next day, right out of the fridge!