My Bone Broth Hack (+ a promotion!)

There is nothing better than comfort foods, am I right?! I'm sure bone broth is not news to you guys, but it has quickly become one of my absolute favorite comfort foods. Plus, the health benefits seem to be endless. Now you guys have heard about collagen at this point I'm assuming. Well, bone broth is probably the #1 source of collagen (and the best way to get it into your diet). Just a cup of this stuff daily, and you're on your way to better immunity, hair, skin, nails, gut, and overall health! Sounds pretty good right? Read on for some of my favorite things about bone broth.

1. It is one of the best sources of gelatin/collagen, so it's got major benefits for your hair, skin, and nails - especially your skin. It helps to banish wrinkles, improve the elasticity, and decrease cellulite. I've noticed a huge difference in my skin since I started using it - my face is clearer, brighter, smoother, and healthier.
2. Bone broth helps to heal leaky gut in a major way. The reason for this is because it builds probiotics and protects the lining of your gut. This also helps to fight food sensitivities. Even if you don't have gut problems, it is still great for overall gut health.
3. Like I said above, it's a major source of gelatin, which means it's pretty darn good for your joints also. Gelatin acts like a cushion for your joints, so for all of you with sore knees, wrists, and elbows, start drinking this and I bet you see a difference.
4. Because it has such a large benefit on your gut, it also benefits your overall health and immunity, as well as your inflammatory response. Inflammation is such a huge problem in our world right now (it's what causes almost all disease), and bone broth can help lower the inflammation levels in your body.
5. I stole this last one from my favorite doctor, but had to include. Bone broth also helps the detoxification process, because it is a source of potassium, glycine, sulfur, and glutamine - all of which aid in cellular and liver detoxification. 

Is bone broth worth the hype? I think it is. I've noticed a big difference since I started drinking it, in my skin as well as my gut, but you do need to drink it regularly. Issue is, it's really not easy to make it in my tiny NYC kitchen (nor do I feel like it's safe to be simmering something on my stove for days at a time). I know I could make it in a slow cooker - which I will try some day when I actually purchase a slow cooker - but I'm all about quick and easy. 

This is where Kettle & Fire steps in. Kettle & Fire is my favorite source for bone broth. It comes in disposable cartons that you can heat the broth in, portioned out so that you can enjoy one full carton at a time. They make it so darn easy to consume bone broth on a regular basis - which you should be doing if you want to see the benefits - without all the hassle of having to make it yourself. Plus, it tastes delicious, and I always add extra ingredients to mine for the additional health benefits. In these photos, I'm drinking mine with some crushed garlic and turmeric. Yum!

I want you guys to reap the benefits also, so today, I'm giving you 20% off Kettle & Fire! Just use code CASUALCLASSIC20 at checkout. Let me know how you like it! xo

Adult Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Because you're never too old (or too healthy) to enjoy a grilled cheese, right!? Sometimes you just need some good, hearty comfort food. These used to be my favorite food when I was a kid - I lived on them. I know, not exactly healthy, but who's all that healthy as a kid anyway?

Anyway, this is the grown up version of the grilled cheese. I like to try and add greens to every meal especially if it's a not-so-healthy type meal, like a grilled cheese. This one is filled with grass-fed mozzarella, homemade pesto, arugula, and gluten free bed. Sounds pretty darn good right? Read on below for the recipe (it's a extremely simple one if you couldn't guess).

Ingredients:

• 2 slices gluten-free bread (I like this kind)
• 2 tbsp homemade pesto
• 2-3 slices mozzarella cheese (or any type of cheese you'd like)
• handful of arugula
• pinch of salt & pepper
• ghee

Direction:

1. Heat a small pan over medium heat.
2. Butter one side of each slice of bread with the ghee (the sides that will touch the pan), and spread the pesto over the two opposite sides of the bread.
3. Add the slices of cheese and handful of arugula to the sandwich and put the two pieces of bread together.
4. Place in pan and cook each side until lightly brown/crispy.
5. Enjoy that ooey, gooey, goodness. YUM!

Paleo Almond Crusted Chicken Tenders

This is a quickie, because you need only 4 things: chicken tenders, eggs, crushed almonds, and almond meal/flour. Nick originally made these, and they were just delicious. We've made them many times since then, and they're just perfect every time. I love them on top of salads too - they're great for leftover lunches!

One note about this recipe: it doesn't matter whether you use almond meal or almond flour. As for the crushed almonds, I threw whole raw almonds in a food processor and ran it until they we're ground up. You may possibly be able to make these with JUST almond meal, but I like the extra crispiness on the outside of the tenders. Also, the ingredient measurements below are just estimates - I usually set up 3 bowls with the eggs in one, almond flour in another, and ground almonds in the third. Then you have a little assembly line to make your tenders!

Ingredients:

• 1 package of chicken tenders (or chicken breasts cut into thin strips)
• 2-3 eggs
• 1 cup (+ or -) almond meal
• 1 cup (+ or -) finely ground/crushed almonds
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

1. Get out 3 medium sized bowls and preheat the over to 450 degrees F.
2. Put the almonds in a food processor and process until they are finely ground. Pour them into 1 of the 3 bowls.
3. Crack the eggs into one of the empty bowls and whisk until they are well blended.
4. Pour the almond flour into the last of the 3 bowls and mix all the spices in with the flour. Now you have a little assembly station to dip the tenders!
5. Rinse the chicken tenders in cold water and pat dry.
6. First, dip them in the almond flour - make sure you cover both sides with a thin layer of flour. Next, submerge the flour covered tender in the egg mixture. Finally, dip into the bowl of crushed almonds. Make sure the tender is coated evenly with the almonds.
7. Do this with all the tenders. If you need to add more eggs or flour to the bowls, do so!
8. Throw the tenders on a greased baking pan, sprinkle a tiny bit more salt and pepper over top of them, and put in the over for about 20 minutes or until golden brown on the outsides and cooked through in the middle.