Today’s Meal Plan
Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs, 2 turkey breakfast sausage patties, coffee with almond milk
Snack: carrot sticks
Lunch: Spinach salad with deli turkey, homemade vinaigrette
Dinner: Chicken, carrots, cabbage
Snack: Green apple with almond butter, herbal tea
Since I’m posting this late in the day, I will give you an update of how I am feeling. I have hot all day, the only one in my household who is hot. I’m sure it’s mind over matter though. I have felt a little “off”. I am hypoglycemic and it has felt that my blood sugar was dropping so that’s why I had two snacks. I have had plenty of water and the blood orange cinnamon herbal tea with no sweetener, of course, was my dessert after dinner (lol). Tomorrow will be interesting because I am volunteering after work and they will be snacks, but I doubt it will be anything I can eat. I will pack a few extra nuts since I won’t need a refrigerator
I have heard of people cooking a whole chicken in the crock pot, so I thought it was time to try it out. I enjoy using my slow cooker on the weekends because I can get it started in the morning, go to church, brunch and then my meal is ready for the afternoon.
The chicken came out flavorful and a little spicier than I thought it would. If that’s not how you like your food, cut back on the cayenne pepper in the dry rub. I will be saving the broth that was produced throughout the cooking process for another dish later this week.
Slow Cooked Whole Chicken
Adapted from The Little Kitchen
Rub Ingredients
4 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2. tsp freshly ground black pepper
Slow Cooker Ingredients
1 cup chopped onion
4 – 5 carrots, scrubbed, no need to peel, chopped in halves or thirds
4 celery stalks, cut in thirds
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 lime, quartered (I forgot to buy a lemon!)
3.5 – 4.5 lbs. roasting or fryer chicken
Directions:
- Combine rub ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Line the bowl of the slow cooker and place all vegetables at the bottom.
- Remove neck and organ pouch from chicken cavity; discard or reserve for later use. Rinse chicken with water and pat dry with paper towels.
- Rub garlic over the outside of the chicken and then place inside the chicken cavity. Put the rub all over the outside and inside the chicken. Add quartered lime to the chicken cavity.
- Place chicken on top of the vegetables. Cover slow cooker and cook chicken on low for 4-8 hours. (The time will depend on the size of the chicken and your slow cooker.I cooked my chicken for 8 hours.) Cook until the internal temperature of the leg is at 160 degrees F or use a pop-up thermometer.
- Remove chicken and place in a 9×13 glass or ceramic baking dish. Place baking dish in the oven under the broiler for about 4-5 minutes. Allow chicken to rest after removing it from the broiler for about 10 minutes.
