I made this dish when we had family coming over for a football game and IT WAS A TOUCHDOWN folks! 

What I enjoy the most about this meal is that I don't have to be in the kitchen for hours preparing a meal.  I let the slow cooker do it's beautiful work and just prepare the sides, like this amazing PURPLE SLAW :) 

The next time you want a gameday feelin' meal or just an excuse to pour BBQ sauce over everything, give this recipe a try! 

INGREDIENTS: 

• 3 lbs. boneless chicken (breasts, thighs or both) 
• 2 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1/2 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes 
• 1/2 tsp. Smoked Paprika
• 1.5 - 2 cups of BBQ sauce (I used Noble Made brand) 

1.  In a crockpot or slow cooker, combine the olive oil, onion, garlic, and spices. Stir to combine.

2.  Next, add the chicken and stir together.  Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

3.  Once done, shred the chicken using two forks. Then add in the BBQ sauce and stir to mix. 

4.  Serve this saucy chicken with your favorite slaw or use the PURPLE SLAW recipe below, some mac-n-cheese and dive in! 

INGREDIENTS: 

• 1/2 Purple Cabbage, cut into strips

SLAW Dressing

• 1/2 cup Mayo (made with avocado oil is preferred) 
• 2 tbsp Lime Juice or Apple Cider Vinegar 
• 1 tsp. Honey 
• 1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped
• Ground Pepper & Salt, to taste

1.  Mix ingredients for dressing together in a large bowl. 
2.  Place cabbage strips into bowl and stir altogether, coating all the cabbage with dressing. 



cheers to health & happiness,

           Jillian 

This soup is going to blow your cozy socks off your feet friend! 

Ya'll know I'm a huge fan of Designated Meal Nights (themed dinners) and this one could fit into two different themed nights, COZY AF Meal Night or SLOW COOKER Meal Night.   Either way you're getting a fan-freakin-tastic flavorful & hearty soup.  

Don't worry, you'll have plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day.  Feel free to get chippy with this meal by pairing your favorite tortilla chip with this soup as well.  

​p.s. the Plain Greek Yogurt helps balance out the spicy-ness so be sure to include that topping before eating :) 

INGREDIENTS: 

• 2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 5 small cloves or 4 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp. Chipotle Chili Powder (use half this amount to make soup less spicy) 
• 2 tbsp. Smoked Paprika 
• 1 tbsp. Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp. Salt 
• 2 lbs. boneless chicken breast
• 2 -14 ounce cans diced tomatoes 
• 3 cups chicken bone broth 
• 2 cups of kale, chopped (add in 10 minutes before serving) 

TOPPINGS:

• Plain Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream
• Fresh Chives, chopped
• Monterey Jack cheese, shredded 
• Avocado, sliced 
• Tortilla chips 

1.  In a crockpot or slow cooker, combine the olive oil, onion, garlic, and spices. Stir to combine.

2.  Next, add the chicken, tomatoes and broth and stir together.  Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 4-5 hours.

3.  Once done, shred the chicken using two forks. 

4.  Add chopped kale into slow cooker 10 minutes before serving.  
​
5.  Serve this soup with all the tasty toppings like Greek yogurt, green onions, avocado and cheese.

Dig in & enjoy friend! 


cheers to health & happiness,

           Jillian 

>>Check out more simple recipe ideas & support inside SIMPLIFY MY MEALS :)

I used to totally suck at asking for help. And on top of that, whenever I did ask or invest in support, part of me felt guilty for not being able to take care of it all by myself.  

Looking back, not being able to confidently ask for support was such an UNHEALTHY & STRESSFUL HABIT for me. 

But about 4 years ago I hit my breaking point, which was naturally also during my fertility treament season. 

At that time of my life I found myself more overwhelmed than happy, and began to lose joy in the simple things. 

This was the time I made a decision to STOP FEELING LIKE SHIT & START INVESTING IN MYSELF, because honestly no one else is going to do it for me.

It was a WAKE UP CALL that I am THE BEST & ONLY ADVOCATE FOR MYSELF. 

Let me first preface this story that INVESTMENTS take TIME, ENERGY & MONEY, and only one of these is refundable.  

All of the investment decisions I have made in my life thus far have been led by my gut and have made my whole body shout, "HELL YEAH" when choosing to pay GOOD MONEY for them. 

I'm faaaaaar from perfect at making the most logical decisions, but I am getting really freakin' good at LISTENING TO MY BODY, which to me is way more important anyway. 

Alrighty, so here it goes...

I first popped my "investing in support" cherry when I made the decision to become a Health coach.  I paid good mula $$ for NUTRITION & WELLNESS CONSULTANT TRAINING so I could learn how to fuel my body to feel great and to help others do the same. 

Next, came INVESTING IN FERTILITY TREATMENTS to help me get pregnant. Damnnnn did those co-pays add up.  $$$

Then, I sought out help from ACUPUNCTURE to help my brain process all of my crazy feelings and emotions.  At that time I didn't have anyone to talk to about what I was going through and venting to my husband about my hormones everyday wasn't really making me feel better.  I went to acupuncture at least twice a month.  Yup, more money.  $$

After I got pregnant I was then super unmotivated to stay active, so I invested in support from FIT4MOMS to keep me excited about moving my body.  $$

I then realized that I had no f*cking clue what I was doing when it came to birthing a baby.  Plus I wanted to go the unmedicated route, so I hired my amazing DOULA, Brittney Riddick.  $$$

After Lucille was born, my husband and I realized that we had made so many simple & intentional changes in our life that have made us so much happier we thought more people could benefit from us sharing our story.  This is when we invested in podcasting and SIMPLIFIED KHAOS was born!  $$

I also realized during my maternity leave that I didn't want to go back to a full-time job with a long commute on top of that.  I wanted MORE TIME. 

My days felt short & exhausting and I had little time for family and doing the things I enjoyed.  This was around the time I decided to turn my healthy passion into a side hustle, so I could evetually leave my full-time teaching job. 

I made the decision to turn my little food blog into a little business so I could help other busy families feel less stressed and more joy in their everyday. 

A combination of my health coach training & my passion of creating simple & healthy recipes just seemed to blossom organically into a side hustle.  Creating simple dinner plans inside SIMPLIFY MY MEALS for families is SERIOUSLY A BLAST FOR ME :). 

This is when I hired support, my BUSINESS COACH, Michelle Knight, to help guide me in starting my own business because I had no f*cking idea where to start. $$$

Plus, I didn't want to WASTE ANY PRECIOUS TIME or ENERGY doing things that weren't valueable to growing my business.  

It's kind of crazy reflecting back on all of the BIG INVESTMENTS $$ I have made in the past and how they've added up to make me the person I am today.

So as you can see, my INVESTMENT JOURNEY wasn't cheap and it definitely did not happen overnight. 

Every penny, every minute and every ounce of energy I used to invest in myself has been 100% WORTH IT. 

For me, paying GOOD MONEY for GREAT SERVICES is what adds tremendous VALUE to my life (mentally, physcially, emotionally & sanity-sake). ​

All this to say, listen to your gut, trust yourself and...

1. Pumpkin & Kale Pasta Bake 

2.  Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup 

3.  Maple Pumpkin Bread (Grain-free option below) 

4.  Grain-free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread 

5.   Quick Pumpkin Oat Cookies 



​Cheers to staying cozy & healthy this season! 
            Jillian 

My favorite thing about preparing this meal is that you get to BAKE THE SHRIMP!  

I love the simplicity of preparing a meal that I can SET IT & FORGET IT because all I gotta do is throw the shrimp on a baking sheet, set the timer on the oven and BOOM! 

Baking the shrimp gives me 10 minutes of FREEDOM to do as I wish, WHICH IS AMAZING! #momwin 

What you do during the time it cooks is up to my friend.  I usually either play with Lucille, sip a cocktail or dance around like a total goof.

This tasty baked shrimp gets piled on top of a simple spinach & cabbage mixture and served with a cool & refreshing dressing you'll want to put on EVERYTHING! 

P.S. DON'T FORGET THE TORTILLA CHIP CROUTON. Delish :)

INGREDIENTS: 

SHRIMP MARINADE (inspired by Coconuts & Kettlebells) 

• 2 lbs. Wild Caught Shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 Limes, juiced
• 1/2 c. Extra Virigin Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp. Chili Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Salt 

CILANTRO LIME DRESSING

• 1/3 c. Mayo (made with avocado oil) 
• 1/3 c. Plain Greek Yogurt
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder 
• Fresh ground pepper

SALAD FIXINGS

• 2 cups of Red Cabbage or 1/4 Red Cabbage Head, sliced thinly
• 4 handfuls of Baby Spinach, chopped 
• Tortilla Chips, crush on top
• Fresh Cilantro, chopped and sprinkled on top
• 1 lime, cut into quarters and squeezed on top when serving 

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2.  Place the shrimp in a large bowl with all ingredients listed in the MARINADE.  Cover and let sit in fridge for 15 - 30 minutes. 

3.  While shrimp is marinating, prepare SALAD FIXINGS and toss together in a large bowl.  Prepare the CILANTRO LIME DRESSING too by mixing ingredients in a small bowl. 

4.  Line a large baking pan with parchment paper, aluminum foil or a silicone mat.

5.  Take shrimp out of marinade and place on the pan without overlapping shrimp. Bake shrimp for 10 minutes or until pink and opaque. 
​
6.  Once shimp is cooked, place on top of salad mixture and top with tortilla chips, fresh cilantro, and a whole lotta dressing! 

Enjoy! ​


Always craving health & happiness.
             Jillian 

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