If you frequent Facebook, I am sure that you have seen videos from Natasha’s Kitchen.  I have saved several of her recipes that I intend to try.  This was one of them. I had everything in my pantry except a fresh orange and that was simple enough to obtain.  I let the chicken drumsticks marinate overnight so making dinner was quick and since I used parchment paper to line my pan as suggested, clean up was simple.  

The recipe suggested cooking 5 lbs of chicken drumsticks (14-16).  I purchased one package and it contained 10 drumsticks.  I served our chicken with rice and a salad. Each person ate 2 drumsticks.  They were definitely finger-lickin’ good and we will be making this again.  It was a big hit in our household.  I look forward to trying more of Natasha’s recipes.  Be sure to check out her website, it will inspire you to try something new.  

Prep Time: 6 hrs/overnight      Cook Time: 45 Min Servings:  14-16 drumsticks 

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 lbs chicken drumsticks
• ¾ cup honey
• ½ cup soy sauce*
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 2 Tbsp dijon mustard
• 4 large garlic cloves minced or finely grated
• 1 Tbsp ginger peeled and finely grated
• Sesame seeds and chives for garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together all marinade ingredients: ¾ cup honey, ½ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup orange juice, 2 Tbsp dijon mustard, 4 grated garlic cloves, and 1 Tbsp grated ginger.  Reserve ⅔ cup of marinade and refrigerate.
2. Place drumsticks in a large ziplock bag or food saver bag, pour the remaining marinade over chicken, remove as much air from the bag as you can and seal.  Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight, turning the bag a few times while marinating to disperse the marinade for the best flavor.
3. Preheat oven to 400˚F. Place rack in center of oven. Line a rimmed baking sheet or large roasting pan with parchment***
4. Arrange chicken skin-side up, so chicken pieces are not touching. Add enough of the marinade to just coat the bottom of the baking pan and discard anything left in the bag. Bake at 400˚F for 25 minutes. Turn chicken over skin-side down and bake an additional 20 minutes. If you want your chicken skin caramelized at the end, remove drumsticks from the oven and turn them over again (skin-side-up), and broil on high for 3-4 minutes or until skins are browned.
5. While chicken is baking, pour reserved 2/3 cup marinade into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 7 minutes or until thickened and syrupy. Remove from heat and brush over baked chicken drumsticks. Garnish with sesame seeds and chives.

Recipe Notes

*if using low sodium soy sauce, add 1 1/2 tsp salt to the recipe. Use gluten-free soy sauce like Tamari to make this gluten-free.

***Tip: Trim parchment paper to fit the pan and go up the sides but not hang over the edge (easier cleanup without paper scorching). Make sure you line that pan or you’ll be scrubbing the caramelized honey from the pan.

Well, apparently, I didn’t know.  For years I have worked nights.  This was wonderful because it allowed me the opportunity to work from home, earn a decent living and still be a stay at home mom.  My priority has always been my family.  I had no idea just how much I needed the sunlight.

I should mention that I am lactose intolerant and don’t drink milk ( a great source of vitamin D).  I rarely eat any dairy.  When I do, it is the cheese on top of my pizza or on a taco.  I had noticed that my hair was thinning much more than it had in the past. I have always had extremely thick hair, so I was accustomed to seeing lots of it on my hairbrush.  I didn’t feel any bone pain or muscle weakness.  I was tired, but I honestly thought that was because I worked so much.  I work a lot.  I was taking a multivitamin and I thought that I felt pretty good.  I had absolutely no idea that I had an issue with my Vitamin D level.  It snuck up on me.

Low levels of Vitamin D can cause issues with bone density, renal diseases, liver disease, gastrointestinal issues, and many other potential issues.  Now that I have been diagnosed with this issue, I have learned that you can obtain Vitamin D through the sun, your diet, and supplements.  I already knew that but I honestly never thought about it.  I have olive-colored skin and have found out that people who have darker skin pigmentation absorb less vitamin D from the sun than those with lighter skin. Using sunscreen inhibits the absorption as well.  My physician has placed me on 50,000 units of Vitamin D once a week to get my levels up.  

I have also learned that people who are overweight are more at risk of having low Vitamin D because their body fat can bind to Vitamin D and prevent it from getting into the blood.  This could also be an issue with me.  I am not slim and trim anymore — I am not fat, just a little fluffy.  I could stand to lose some weight.  My work schedule combined with not eating well-balanced meals didn’t help with the weight issue.  Plus, working nights has been known to slow down a person’s metabolism.  Right now I am working on becoming healthier and enjoying my sunny days.

If you are feeling drained, be sure to get checked out by your physician.  Your physician can check your blood work to determine if you have any deficiencies.  Since I have started taking the new supplement, I have felt great, and I believe that my Vitamin D level will return to normal.

I am sure that you have probably seen some of the commercials for Rakuten (formerly Ebates) on television recently.  I decided that I wanted to give it a try and see if it was worth my while. I signed up and started going through their site when I wanted to purchase something online.  It was definitely worth a try, and I will continue to use this service. 

I received a total of $64.11 cashback in just a couple of months.  These were purchases that I would have made online regardless if I were participating in their program.

A good example of how it works is that I just recently purchased a pair of Sketchers Women’s GoWalk Sneakers from Macy’s online.  I received 20% off the regular price and then since I had gone through Rakuten, I received an additional 15% cashback ($6.00) and free shipping,  It was a total savings of $16.00 (plus what the shipping charges would have been). Rakuten will be sending me a check for my purchases during this quarter in November.  The checks are mailed quarterly (February, May, August, and November).  

The percentage that you receive in cashback changes regularly.  When I made the purchase they were having a special of 15% cashback for Macy’s.  The normal cashback amount for Macy’s is usually 3% but they do offer double cashback specials and they also have days where the percentage is more than double.  I have downloaded the app on my laptop so when I go to the store’s site, Rakuten will give me a pop up asking if I want to activate the cashback and it lets me know what the cashback is at the time.  This is extremely convenient.

You can take advantage of this cashback program when you shop online at Macy’s, Kohls, Amazon, Sephora, Walmart, and Ebay, just to name a few. They participate with over 2,500 stores.  They also offer double cash back savings, in-store cashback, discounts on travel and vacations as well as incentives when your friends or family sign up and use the service.  

You have to wonder how they can offer these savings.  It is called affiliate marketing, the stores pay Rakuten for sending customers to their sites/stores and Rakuten rewards it’s customers for going through their site.  I just appreciate saving money.

If you are interested in trying Rakuten and haven’t already,  it’s FREE. Please click the link below and sign up. You will receive $10.00 just for signing up once you have made your first purchase.  Anyone who refers another person will receive $25.00 for each referral. It is their “Give $10, Get $25” referral program. WIN-WIN

https://www.rakuten.com/r/DRAEBE10?eeid=28187

This photograph was taken of the peach blossoms on a tree that I planted in my father’s memory.  It seemed fitting to plant a peach tree because when I was a child, my father planted two peach trees and two apple trees in our yard.  Once the peach trees became prolific, he would make homemade peach ice cream on hot summer days. We would have family, friends, and neighbors gather to share the ice cream and socialize.  This was a time when you didn’t lock your doors when you left your house. We didn’t have security cameras, we had caring neighbors. Everyone looked out for each other. You knew and respected your neighbors and valued spending time with each other.  My father was extremely generous and friendly. He would help anyone in need and give you the shirt off his back.  

My mother would use the peaches to make the most fabulous peach cobbler you’ve ever tasted.  She would just whip it together and she never used a recipe. She would also can the peaches so we could enjoy them during the winter months.  She was thoughtful and shared the harvest with family, friends, and neighbors. My mother was an amazing cook and her abilities weren’t limited to the kitchen.  There wasn’t anything that my mother couldn’t do, fix or make. To this day, I am absolutely amazed at her loving grace and the abundance of energy that she had.

My parents were just like everybody else’s parents.  They loved each other. They were committed to each other and they took care of their family.  They endured hardships but they stuck together and leaned on each other. They were able to celebrate 60 wonderful years together, prior to my father passing away.  I am honored to be their daughter. I can identify where my personality traits and physical traits came from. There are times that I see my mother in my actions and other times, my father.

Interestingly, I have been told that peach blossoms are significant in Feng Shui.  They help attract love and like-minded people to you. While I do not know anything about Feng Shui, I do know that I have been blessed with a loving family and many like-minded friends.  Acquaintances, not unlike the seasons come and go, but I have an amazing family and friends that love me and always have my back. For that, I am very thankful and I count my blessings.

What things in nature remind you of your childhood or make you feel warm and fuzzy when you see or even smell them?  Peaches will always make me think of my father.