Darlings! I cannot believe it is already April and I cannot believe I have had zero sugar, alcohol, dairy or fats in three weeks. I am feeling so fantastic though and happy to report to you that I am 13 pounds down and have lost several inches in all those places us ladies want to lose inches. I feel like that tummy bloat is finally starting to shrink and I am so ready to welcome a waist line again. My energy is through the roof too. I have been spinning about 4 to 5 days a week and I am increasing my mileage with every ride. I have started strength training too and goodness....my upper body and core need some serious work but I am so up for the challenge. I am so super stoked and plan on hanging tough for a few more months! I am honestly dying for a sweet potato and just the tiniest piece of chocolate. But nope....not yet my dears!

I have really appreciated all of your kind supportive words. Your encouragement means so much to me! So please keep it coming. Somedays are not the easiest. The nights are the hardest as the cravings set in but one plus of that is that I just go to bed early to forget about them. The menstrual cycle was also incredibly tough on me with cravings but I survived and am so glad I did not cave in.

I think one of the best tricks to this is keeping your meals engaging so you do not get bored. And this scrumptious chicken dish was just the perfect way to make me feel like I was being indulgent. I love Indian cuisine so much, especially on a chilly night or a super stressful day. It's just perfect comfort food.

And this amazing recipe is super low calorie and high in protein from the poultry and yogurt. Another amazing perk....you can let the slow cooker do the work for you while you tend to your job, kids, dogs, and all of those daily duties. I mean...give me all the praise hand emoji's right now. I ended up making extra too that I can freeze. This would also be the perfect dinner to serve at a dinner party with a nice green salad.

BUTTER CHICKEN RECIPE:

Ingredients

4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, diced
1 6-oz can tomato paste
2 T. arrowroot flour
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon chili powder, or more, to taste
½ teaspoon ginger powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces
½ cup Greek yogurt
Drop or two of Sweet Leaf Coconut drops, to taste (optional) I personally do not care for artificial sweeteners so I omit.
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
2 cups steamed cauliflower crumbles

Instructions

In medium saucepan coated with a spritz of nonstick spray, sautee onion over medium high heat until translucent. Add garlic and sautee until fragrant, stirring frequently. (Don’t let the garlic burn – this only takes maybe a minute or so). Stir in tomato paste, flour, and spices until well combined.
Place chicken in slow cooker. ( I brown my chicken in a pan prior to slow cooker) Add sauce mixture and toss to coat. Cover and cook on low heat for 5 hours.
Fifteen minutes before serving, mix in ½ cup Greek yogurt with the coconut drops (if using), until well blended.
Serve over steamed cauliflower crumbles, garnished with cilantro.

That garam masala spice was just amazing ! I found it at Whole Foods after a long search.

Ohhhh em geeee....incredibly delicious my loves. Let me know what you think in the comments.

XOOXOOX
SAM

(Also so many of you ask me about the Stove Top in our condo. It is a SMEG 24" Piano Design Gas Cooktop. )