Lettuce Wrap Recipe x 3

Today has been a BUSY day!  It started at 6am with the youth group yard sale at church.  I was a huge success and a lot of fun.  We just had to help out the youth group and purchase something, so I bought a baker's rack for the kitchen.  It was a lovely shade of green, so I spend the afternoon and early evening painting it Aqua Mist...more on that in another post.
After the yard sale, we went to a birthday party for a brother and sister who are turning 3 and 5.  It was so much fun!  I had a slice of pizza and fruit, but then I had to eat cake.  It would have been rude not to...right?
Then we had to deliver some furniture that was bought at the yard sale.  We stopped at Wal-Mart for some paint so I could get started on that baker's rack.  As soon as we got home, I changed into my workout gear so I could Shred as soon as I was done painting.  Well, an hour of painting turned into four!!!  So, I was starving at 6:30.  I didn't want to cook a big meal after the long day, but I knew I probably wont' be working out today, so I had to do something healthy.

Healthy + Easy usually seems impossible, but I had a stroke of genius! (Honestly, I had a bunch of produce that needed to be eaten very soon).  I had found a pin on Pinterest from Sheer Luxe for Clean and Lean Lettuce Wraps.  I had made them last week for lunch and really like it.  I do love tortillas, but one flour tortilla is 210 calories.  By swapping the tortilla for a big piece of lettuce, you save over 200 calories!

I decided to get creative...here's what I came up with.

Left to right: Greek Lettuce Wrap, Wickle Wrap, Avocado Bacon Ranch Wrap

Greek Lettuce Wrap:

• 1 large lettuce leaf
• 1 Tbsp Edemame hummus
• 2 slices Deli sliced roast turkey
• 1 tsp Greek Seasoning from Pampered Chef
• 2 slices each of green, yellow, and orange bell pepper
• 1 tsp feta cheese

Wickle Wrap:

• 1 large lettuce leaf
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 slices deli sliced roast turkey
• 3 Wickles

Avocado Bacon Ranch Wrap:

• 1 Large lettuce leaf
• 2 slices deli sliced turkey
• 1/4 avocado sliced length wise
• 1/2 Tbsp light ranch dressing
• sprinkle shredded cheese
• sprinkle bacon bits

What to do:

It isn't rocket science and it doesn't really matter how closely you even follow direction.  I lay my lettuce leaf out lengthwise and then add my ingredients width wise.  That way, you get a little of everything in each bit.  Just roll that baby up bottom to top and enjoy!  I have found it easier to eat them if you cut them in half and start from the middle. 

Seriously, I'm full!  

AND it tasted so good, I felt like I was being bad.

AND it was ALL only 278 calories.  AN ENTIRE QUICK AND TASTY, LOW CARB, NUTRIENT RICH, ORGANIC MEAL UNDER 300 CALORIES, PEOPLE!!!

Pardon me for yelling.  I'm just excited.  This will rotate through my menu OFTEN!

What ideas do YOU have for lettuce wraps?  I'd like to try yours!

I'm Back!

I just spent a week in Honduras building houses in the mountains with a bunch of college kids.  Sound miserable? It was one of the best weeks of my life!
My husband and I, along with several members of my church go to Mission Lazarus in Jayacayan, Honduras pretty often.  This was our first time to go during March, but we wanted to take our youth minister there for his first time without teenagers.  It was a blessing for all of us.
Before we left, I really worried about how I was going to keep up with my low carb diet and 6-day-a-week exercise.  Every meal is made up of mostly carbs - bread, tortillas, rice, potatoes, chips, and cookies.  I planned ahead and packed a lot of nuts, jerky, and other low carb snacks.  Turns out, I worked so hard that I really needed more carbs.  I was just smart about it.  No chips or cookies and I ate fruit for breakfast when pancakes or french toast was served.  I also gave away all of my tortillas.  I did eat some ice cream though - and it was really yummy!
I had nothing to worry about as far as exercise was concerned also.  The first day, I dug ditches for a foundation.  My arms and back got some SERIOUS exercise that day!  The next 3 days, I had to walk a mile and a half through the mountains to get back and forth from the site.  I was attempting to lift 60-80 lb bricks and sling mud while we were working.  I'd say I got my work out.

That's my ditch!

About halfway through the mountains to the site.

I skipped about 3 days of exercise between travel days and resting yesterday.  Today I started Jillian Michael's 30-day Shred.  I kind of hate her already.  But, it feels good to be getting back into a routine.  My scale says I've put on a pound and a half, but I'm hoping most of that is muscle.
I have a lot to share about the mission part of our trip, but I'm still meditating on it.  I'll share more soon!

The Pancake Quest

I heart pancakes - all of them: buttermilk, whole grain, blueberry, banana, German, you name it!  Pancakes love me so much that they stick to me when I eat them.  So, I've had to say goodbye to them.  I may have cried a little.
Since our tearful parting, I've been on a quest for a low-carb pancake recipe that doesn't require strange ingredients and might just actually taste pancakey.  Well, I've pinned a few on Pinterest that sounded like they could be contenders.  I've even tried a few.
This one from Delighted Momma was ok.  Mine were not as pretty as hers and neither of us could get over the mealy texture the almond flour gave it.  Several of her readers commented that they loved them.  Maybe it takes time to get used to it?  Maybe I did something wrong?

Her's were so pretty!







Low Carb Pinay shared a recipe from Sugar Free Sheila (who I am learning more from) for a pancake made with cream cheese.  Well, who doesn't love some cream cheese?  I tried it and I'm convinced!  These pancakes remind me of German pancakes...very eggy. Just my style!  I just have to find some egg rings to cook them in.  I haven't tried them on the hubs yet, but I will soon!
I really can't say enough about this recipe - try it yourself!  I wouldn't use syrup on these, but I put a pat of butter and some cinnamon on top - PERFECTION!

Hers:

 I don't have egg rings, but I did have a heart one!

 The finished heart!

Grapefruit...my bathing suit

No, this isn't actually a blog about Jimmy Buffett, but I can't say grapefruit without singing that song!  Anyway, the hubby is a big fan of Saturday morning breakfast and he's had to suffer through my attempts to make them healthier and lower in carbs.  So far, he is not a fan.
So, I decided I'd make him REAL bacon and REAL biscuits with his scrambled eggs today.  Oh, how I love a biscuit, but I didn't want to blow the low-carb streak again this week (had more carbs yesterday, but not too bad).
Instead of having biscuits, I had grapefruit.  I know that sounds like a really unfair trade, but you've got to try this recipe that I found on Pinterest!  While you're checking out the recipe, browse the rest of her blog - it's pretty great!

Yes, there is sugar involved, but it is a fairly trivial amount and far less than the 29 grams in one biscuit.  It probably won't even use that much next time.  It doesn't really need it, in my opinion.  I added a bit of cinnamon to mine too.  What a great flavor!  I will do this often, I'm sure...very simple and satisfying!

 

Positive Thinking Thursday

Why is it that I always need an adjustment on Thursday???  I guess it works well with my decision to blog about it every Thursday!
Anyway, the hubs had a BIG birthday on Tuesday.  When I first started this trek into health and fitness I told myself that I wasn't depriving myself, I was just choosing not to eat unhealthy things unless it was really a treat - a special occasion.  Well, I asked him what he wanted to do.  He didn't want to go out, he wanted the girls here and for me to make a nice quiet dinner.  He requested steak, rice, green beans, "good bread", and a coconut cream cake.

I thought that was great because I don't like coconut - then I wouldn't be tempted to eat it!  Well, the kids don't like it either, so I made it without the shredded coconut on the outside.  Turns out I do like the flavor of coconut.  So much so that I couldn't resist licking the batter bowl - here's hoping I didn't give myself salmonella.
Anyway, I grilled the LEAN steak - good.  I didn't eat the brown rice - good.  I had a few butter bacon green beans - good.  I ate a super scrumptious buttery crescent roll - not good.  I gorged on a large piece of cake - bad!
Good news - the cake has been in the fridge since Tuesday and I haven't touched it again.
Bad news - I felt AWFUL Tuesday night and Wednesday all day.  I was sluggish, cranky, bloated, and craving sugar.  It was so not worth it!  Have I been away from sugar long enough that I can feel its affects?  If so - great!  Aside from the irrational cravings, I have no real desire for sugar now. Or simple carbs, for that matter.
I have stuck to my exercise schedule, which was really hard when I was feeling sluggish yesterday.  My pace was almost a whole minute slower this time, but I did it!  I'm back on the wagon again and my weight has not gone up from that night of abandon!

So...here's the positive stuff:
1. One mistake or off day does not change my goal.
2. I can have a treat here and there, but the treats can rule me.
3. I'm kind of happy that the carbs made me feel so bad.  It helps me see that they are not what I really want.

FAT Tuesday

Happy Mardi Gras!  I wish I was in NOLA with all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins celebrating today.  Instead, I'm at home feeling FAT on this Fat Tuesday.
I've been so proud of myself lately for sticking to my low-carb diet and exercising 6 days a week.  I even went on a retreat in the mountains this weekend where I was locked in a cabin for 4 days with M&Ms, chips, muffins, and all kinds of other carbs.  I didn't cheat on my diet once.  I'm on Day 13 of an exercise program and I haven't missed a work-out yet.  I've had more energy and felt stronger.  It has been a great 2 weeks.

Until today...

For some reason, my weight is up, I feel bloated, I want to eat a giant bowl of cereal and follow it with a loaf of french bread.  I'd also like to eat an entire King Cake, including the baby.

What's up with that???  I'd love to hear from other people who have done the low-carb route.  Is it normal to go up in weight after a couple of weeks?  Is it normal for cravings to return and the "carb bloat" to come back?  Is there something I'm eating that is sabotaging my work???
Help!

Low Carb Pizza

I'm trying to make low-carb eating my new way of life, but there are some things I just don't want to give up...and neither does the hubby.  I found a pin for this low-carb pizza recipe that looked interesting.  The crust consists of cream cheese, eggs, parmesan cheese, Italian spices, and mozzarella.  Sounds weird?  I thought so too.  But I'm willing to try things that sound weird in these early stages of my new culinary lifestyle.

I followed the directions for the crust carefully and this is what it looked like out of the oven!  Isn't she pretty?  I wish I had started sooner so I could have let it cool completely and dry out a bit before adding my toppings and baking some more.

I had forgotten to pick up pizza sauce at the store, so I used a jar of pesto I had in the pantry. I don't recommend that on this crust.  It was way too oily and the flavor of the crust would be better complimented by plain pizza sauce.  I topped it with turkey pepperoni and canadian bacon.  I added some olives to my side too and then covered it with cheese. 

The hubs ate half of this!  I loved the crust, but not the toppings I chose.  I think I'll go with pizza sauce and more veggies next time.  

I WILL be trying this again!

Here is what the recipe picture looked like: