Mary Beth Johnson is a wife and mum to four schooners, as she’s dubbed her children. On a normal afternoon, you would find her in moccasins, skinny jeans and a comfortable tee, camera in hand. Recently moving to the suburbs of Atlanta, Mary Beth spends her days homeschooling, sneaking away to the bookstore, trying to act the part of a southerner, and sifting through recipes in The Vegetarian Times. Food is her love language.

I was a vegetarian when I got married almost 8 years ago. I know non-meat-eaters often get a snobby reputation, but after having lived in that realm for a few years I learned that everyone has their own unique reasons for choosing to live the way they do. Mine was for health reasons, as heart disease runs on both sides of my family. I kept it up for awhile before pregnancy got the best of me and all of a sudden I craved fast-food hamburgers and bacon. (My pregnancies are not my finest moments.) I’ve tried to go back several times but two things have stood in my way of making it a long-term commitment: my energy level and needing to find common ground with my carnivorous husband. I find meat expensive (good meat, that is) to add into our budget, so we mostly buy chicken and fish and sometimes ground beef for tacos on an easy dinner night. We have a modest grocery budget for a family of six, but I am adamant that the meat we bring home is organic. If money is tight one month and we can’t afford it, we just don’t buy it.

When I finally began cooking with meat, our family reached a much better balance and my marriage became richer. I know that that sounds crazy, but it’s true. I am writing this out because I wish somebody had told me a loooooong time ago that pushing a health agenda and severing a relationship in the process, is just not worth it. Have grace. For yourself and for others. And if you’re making steps towards a healthier way of living find a middle ground that is not hurtful towards the people around you.

This amazing balsamic chicken recipe is one of the dishes I started with when I began cooking meat in our home. I had no idea what I was doing and to this day I can’t tell you how to cook a steak or pick out pork in a grocery store. But I can make a killer chicken dish, thanks to Bree! Almost 4 years later, this is still a favorite and it can be made in 30 minutes or less. Who doesn’t need a meal like that in their back pocket?!

//HONEY GARLIC BALSAMIC CHICKEN 

 
Makes 4 servings. 

 4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon pepper 

2 Tablespoons butter 

1 Tablespoon olive oil 

1/2 cup chicken broth 

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 

A couple drops of YoungLiving lemon essential oil or 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 

3 chopped garlic cloves 

1 1/2 teaspoons honey 

 Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Melt the butter over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the chicken to the pan. Cook the chicken until both sides are brown and the chicken is cooked through. It is about 6 to 7 minutes on each side. Take the chicken out of the pan, and put on a plate and cover with foil. Add the chicken broth, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and honey to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes, the sauce will thicken. Use a spatula to get the browned bits off of the bottom of the pan. Slice the chicken on a bias, and spoon the pan sauce over the top. Delish!!! 

 Source: Baked Bree

*All photography is my own.

***  Any suggestions made on this blog are very specific to Young Living essential oils and should not be used with oils from another source. Statements made on this website about Young Living Essential Oils have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products and information are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Anyone suffering from disease or injury should consult with a physician. If you are currently on medication, please DO NOT STOP. This is just how I make & do things. you must make informed decisions for yourself and your own family. 

“We are starting our journey with Essential Oils and have done our own research on the purity of oils.  I am confident in using oils in our recipes because we only use Young Living.  They are  beyond organic and never use pesticides, herbicides or any harmful chemicals. Their soil has never been exposed to them as well.  I don’t suggest ever using any other oil for ingestion because I don’t know of their purity. “