Chicken Jerk Marinade

Yummy Nummy Jerk Marinade

Anyone who has gone gluten free miss Jerk? Well, to be totally honest. I had never experienced any sort of Jamaican cuisine prior to going on my diet. Soooooooo honestly, I can't tell you how authentic this recipe is. Only that it's very tasty and family pleasingly good. Now, apparently to have good jerk, you need some spice. If your taste buds require a bit of a kick, use 2-4 habanero peppers. Now, being that my daughter and grandpa are not such fans of the tasty little orange peppers, I use roughly 1/4 cup bell pepper. Really, it can be any sort of color. Red, green, yellow, purple, orange. Speaking of peppers, have I told you how much I adore bell peppers? I am currently growing every color imaginable (well....all except for white bells. I have yet to find seeds of that variety....Sooooooon I will have them. Soooooon).

Now to get back to business. The recipe for this tasty little number is as follows:

Jerk Marinade

2 habanero peppers (or, if you do not want the heat, 1/4 cup diced bell pepper)

5 green onions cut into 2" pieces

2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon gluten free tamari soy sauce

1 tablespoon rum

2 tablespoons water

salt and pepper

3-4 lbs chicken pieces (or 4 cornish game hens)

Place the peppers green onions, thyme, garlic powder, brown sugar, soy sauce, rum, and water in a blender and puree until liquidfied. Rinse chicken pieces and place in a large ziploc bag. Pour marinade into the bag, seal, then toss to incorporate evenly. Refridgerate for at least 5 hours or if possible, overnight. After chicken has marinated for the required time, preheat oven to 300. Place the chicken in a baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes. *will not be cooked all the way* Meanwhile, light your grill to medium high heat. Place the chicken in the grill and cook turning occasionally for a total of roughly 20 minutes. Let chicken rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.



MercoBox Review

Now this is a fun review I have been excited to share with you. I recently was offered the opportunity to receive and review a unique and exciting thing. A box. Yep, you heard me right, this box is both an exciting and a great idea.

So here is what the MercoBox is all about. It's a box full of products, gift cards, and coupons that showcase all the offerings available from locally owned businesses. What's even cooler is that you get a new selection of products each month. I can discover companies locally that I most likely would not found otherwise.  I love the idea of supporting local merchants. Keeping dollars and jobs right here locally. Being a small business owner myself, I am 100% in support of shopping locally and keeping my hard earned $$ right here in my community. So it only made sense for me to become a MercoBox subscriber. I have to say, I'm pretty excited to get my monthly box of goodies. To me it's almost like Christmas as each month will include a new selection of products for me to try.

So here is my lovely little box:

And here be my box of surprises:

And here are some of of my favorite things.
Now I really loving these fragrances. I am still deciding on which one I like best.

 Ok, now this is a product I would have NEVER have thought of nor would I have realized this was a Utah company. This little number actually catches hair before it turns into a clog and creates that awful slow icky drain issue us girls so frequently deal with.

 All natural and homemade soap!

 K, so the blush samples combined with a coupon with free shipping made for a total instabuy. I'm a sucker for shiny sparkly things and shimmery makeup is no exception. 

So wanna know how it works? How can you get your hands on a box of your own? It's easy peasy and what's even better is that your box will be delivered to your home with your monthly subscription.

And here is the lovely little hyperlink for MercoBox. Check it out :)

Also, please visit their home website Merco Local for great deals being offered by local merchants. New deals are posted weekly and just like the box....it's all local.

P.S. The opinion on this blog post is non other than my own. I have not been paid or been persuaded in any manner to give a positive, neutral or a negative review.

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!

Spiced Lentil and Tomato Soup

Spiced Lentil and Tomato Soup

Ok, so I do apologize in advance for another lentil recipe. We really do love lentils at the Wilkins home. Even the picky husband and tike enjoy em. It's nice too that they like them because they are little nutritional powerhouses that are packed full of protein and fiber. Not to mention.....cheap! One of my daughter and my favorite snacks are sprouted lentils. So easy to make and tasty. I'm getting off track though....back to the recipe. It's sweet, savory, spicy. Yum. If you are a vinegar freak, drizzle some balsamic vinegar in your hot steamy tasty soup. Did I say YUM?

Spiced Lentil and Tomato Soup

4 1/2 cups vegetable broth (or chicken makes a nice substitute)

4 medium sized carrots chopped

1 medium onion chopped

2/3 cup green lentils rinsed

1 6oz can tomato paste

1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes 

1 can diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried dill

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3/4 garam masala

In a large pot combine broth, carrots, onion, and lentils. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes (or until lentils are tender). Stir in remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes. Or........place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on medium for 4 hours. 

Hi Everyone

Here is a little shout out and an opportunity for a free DVD set on turning your backyard into a food producing paradise.

For anyone on facebook, here is Marjory's page on growing your own groceries. She has some great stuff!
Marjory Wildcraft's Grow Your Own Groceries

And here is the link to the contest. Good luck!


Grow Your Own Groceries DVD Set contest