After Week One - Weight Watchers Simple Start

I've made it OVER a week now!
Doesn't sound like much, but I'm pretty proud of myself.  I finished my first week with 4 indulgence points left and 4.2 lbs down!!!
I lost 4.2 pounds in one week!
Yes, it was the first work and it was immediately following a vacation, but I still lost over 4 pounds.

Making my menu and grocery list for this week was much easier than last week.  I knew what I enjoyed eating, what filled me up, and what wanted to cook with.

My fridge is now LOADED with fruits and veggies.  I've given in and bought a few more low-fat dairy products.  I'm still not sure how I feel about that.  I'm finding the whole-grains and whole-wheat products that I like. And I've chosen my indulgences carefully so that I don't feel deprived at all.

I've also been working on being more active.  It is HOT in the south in June.  Outdoor activities have to happen early in the morning!  But, I'm doing it with a dear friend.

My favorite dinner I've made this week was a nice lemony fish recipe I adapted from the WW app.

Ingredients for 2 servings:

2 tilapia filets

olive oil spray

lemon dill seasoning

salt

pepper

1 lemon

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 450.  Pat filets dry.  Salt and pepper both sides.  Line a baking pan with foil.  Lay filets side by side.  Sprinkle with lemon dill seasoning to your liking.  Lay a slice of lemon on top of each filet.  Loosely tent fish with foil.  Bake for 10-20 minutes until fish flakes.  Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve!

I ate mine with couscous and garlic sautéed green beans.

I'll update you on the next phase!

Weight Watchers Simple Start

If you've ever visited my blog, you know that I've been attempting to be a healthy and fit women for a couple of years now.  Enter: Weight Watchers Simple Start.
I have was successful with clean eating and regular exercise for a while. But, life got in the way.  I had lost about 23 pounds and built a good bit of muscle and then I went to Disney World!  (oopsies)
I started to get back on track and then the Holidays showed up.  (oopsies again)
Once again, got back into some good habits and Mom got sicker and then passed away.
In the midst of her hospice care and death, I lost a chunk of weight quickly because I couldn't eat.  So, when I did start to get any appetite back, everyone encouraged me to eat anything I wanted just so I would eat.  All I wanted was comfort food - bread, mac'n'cheese, and cake!  So, I got back into some bad habits that are super-difficult to break.
I've been on 3 trips since then - a cruise (all you can eat.  and I did), San Francisco - great food, and the beach where my besties and I all cooked our most indulgent dishes!
So, needless to say, time to create some better habits.
So does my Daddy. He is a double amputee and is now alone in his home in a wheel chair.  Transferring to and from his chair on a daily basis is scary when there's nobody around to help if he falls.  It would be much easier if he lost some weight.  Time for us to do this together!

And that's where WW comes in.

I have tried to count points in the past. I've had some success, but found it to easy to "cheat" by using all my points for junk food.  Not a whole lot of nutrition, even if there was some weight loss.
So, now I'm trying the Simple Start method to learn ways to create meals and snacks with healthier choices.

Here's how it works:

• There is a list of "power foods" from which I choose the parts of my meals - fruits, veggies, proteins, and grains.
• I get 7 points per day for indulgences - cream in my coffee, peanut butter with a snack, a pice of chocolate when I'm having one of those days, etc.
• I will follow this plan for 2 weeks and then switch to either Points Plus or Simply Fit - basically the same program.
• During this two week period I am learning how to eat and how to control my portions.  When am I really hungry?

How's it going so far?

• I've already lost over 3 pounds in a little under a week!
• I realized that I actually enjoy some foods that I thought were just "diet food."
• These choices are easy to make and filling
• I'm incorporating exercise again - time to get that heart pumping again!

Concerns I have:

• Fat-free dairy, mayo, and dressings.  After learning so much about eating clean, I do not like having to choose fat-free items. What else is in them that I shouldn't be eating?
• There are no rules to portion control.  I realize that may be by design for now, but I'm not sure.
• Can I maintain this type of eating on vacation? at a restaurant? on a Mission Trip?
• My grocery bill was really high this week!

What I've eaten:

• The plan provides several meal options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even snacks.
• I started off by trying to follow those meals exactly.
• I found a way to incorporate different foods from the list into these recipes to tailor them to my own taste.

Breakfast:

• Fiber One Ceral, fruit, fat free milk, coffee with cream (1 point)
• cottage cheese, pineapple, cinnamon
• light English muffin, cottage cheese, cinnamon, berries - toasted - so yummy!

Lunch:

• leftovers from dinner
• salad with tons of veggies and light ranch (1 point)
• turkey sandwich on low calorie whole grain bread, fruit, and veggies

Dinner:

• tilapia, couscous, sautéed green beans
• taco rice(my own recipe - see below)
• chicken, couscous, veggies

Snacks:

• sugar-free Jello, cottage cheese, pineapple (it was actually really good!)
• fresh veggies and dip made with lemon dill seasoning, low-cal mayo, and fat free sour cream
• fruit! fruit! fruit!

Taco Rice Recipe:

Ingredients:

99% lean ground turkey

cooked brown rice

fat free salsa

fat free plain yogurt

olive oil

low sodium taco seasoning

grape tomatoes

reduced fat grated cheese

mixed greens

Brown lean ground turkey in 2 tsp of olive oil.  Add taco seasoning to taste with a little water (as directed on seasoning package).  Simmer until water begins to evaporate.  Stir in about 1/2 cup of salsa, 1/2 cup of yogurt.  Remove from heat and sprinkle cheese over the top.  Let sit until cheese begins to melt.  Stir in cooked brown rice.  Serve with mixed greens and tomatoes.  Add any other veggies you desire!

Contest & Recipe Challenge!

I have a dear friend at church who is battling ALS, several food allergies, and a multitude of other health problems.  Bless his heart, he needs some help finding recipes for foods he can eat.

He has requested help creating an oatmeal cookie from the small list of foods that his body can handle.  While I am up to the challenge, I realize that some of you out there may be much more qualified!

So...here's a contest for you!

Rules:

• The ingredients must come from the food list
• The recipe must be simple enough for the already busy members of his family to create
• The cookie cannot be too crunchy, as his body is weak
• The winner will be chosen at random!  We hope to be able to use all of the recipes for variety!
• Food list:
• water
• granny smith apple - limited amount
• banana - limited amount
• lemon
• butter -limited amount
• coconut oil
• flaxseed oil
• eggs
• sea salt - limited amount
• pure cane sugar - limited amount
• raw honey - limited
• baking soda
• garbonzo beans - organic
• oats - organic
• brown rice flour
• light kidney beans - organic

Deadline: Saturday, April 27, 2013 at midnight central time

What do you win?  Three (3)  Bible verse decals of your choice!    One for you, and 2 to give away!

Psalm 23:5 You prepare a table before me...

PLEASE feel free to share this contest far and wide!  I want to provide the best help for my friend.  He has also asked for tips on staying gluten free.  I know there are plenty of web sites out there, but he would like some tips from people who have experienced this need.

How do I enter?  Please submit your recipe in the comments below or by email mandeelion@gmail.com.

Thank you so much!!!

Pizzadilla

Yummy!  Who doesn't love pizza and quesadillas?
Who would love to eat them and not have to run 500 miles to burn all of the calories?
Who would like to eat both of these low-calorie dishes at the same time?
 ME!!!
This one is so fast and easy - and the Hubby LO-HU-VED it!  Kids will love this too!

Ingredients:
2 low carb tortillas
2/3 cup shredded skim mozzarella
12 pieces of turkey pepperoni
sliced veggies such as mushrooms, red onion, and bell pepper
1Tbsp butter
Jar of pizza sauce for dipping

Directions:
Spread 1/6 cup of cheese on half of the tortilla. Pile on half of the turkey pepperoni and veggies and sprinkle another 1/6 cup of cheese on top.  Fold tortilla in half.
Melt 1/2 Tbsp of the butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Place the filled tortilla in the pan and cook until the underside begins to brown and cheese starts to melt - about 3-5 minutes.  Flip it over and cook another few minutes until the other side is brown.
Warm 1/3 cup of the pizza sauce for each pizzadilla.

So quick and easy and tasty!  Seriously takes less than 20 minutes start to finish and each quesadilla with the dipping sauce is less than 275 calories!

Hot Cocoa, Don'tcha Know

I don't know where this recipe originated, but it is pretty amazing!  I got it from a friend of mine several years ago and it has become a staple in our home.

The weather here is still too warm for it, but I know it is cool enough for the hot chocolate cravings to kick in elsewhere.

Here ya go!

Ingredients:
8 qt. powdered milk
1 lb can cocoa mix
1 lb box powdered sugar
1 11oz jar powdered coffee creamer
5 heaping Tbsp cocoa
*add a box of instant chocolate pudding for extra creaminess (I like to experiment with different flavors)

You'll also need:
a HUGE bowl
whisk
LARGE sealable container to store it in
1/3 cup scoop

Directions: Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly in a very large bowl.  Using the whisk is the easiest way I've found to do this.  Scoop 1/3 cup of the mix into a mug and add boiling water.  I like to drizzle caramel syrup or add a scoop of marshmallow fluff.  Add a candy cane or cinnamon stick too!
Keep the mix sealed tightly and share!

Nutrition:
calories: 165
far: 2.5g

Name That Slow Cooker Chicken Dish

My method of cooking is to either loosely follow a recipe or dump things in a pot as I go.

Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised.  Sometimes I'm a little sad while I eat dinner.

Last night I was pleasantly surprised!  Here's my very own recipe:

1 lb skinless boneless chicken breasts
3 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp teriyaki sauce
2 1/2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp chili paste (more or less depending on how much heat you like)
1/2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1/4 tsp ground ginger

1. Dump all ingredients into a 2 quart crock pot.
2. Cook on high for 3 - 3.5 hours.  You could probably cook it on low for 5-6 hours.
3. Eat it.

*Serving suggestion: pour the juice into a pan over medium heat.  Add baby spinach and stir until wilted.

I served mine over fresh baby spinach and poured some of the juice over it to wilt the spinach a bit.

I don't know what to call this recipe.  Asian Chicken is too plain for me.  Suggestions?

Nutrition info:
Servings: 2
Serving Size: 1 chicken breast and 1/2 of juice
cal: 238
fat: 3g
sodium: 786 mg
carbs: 30g
protein: 50g

I Heart Green Smoothies

So, I think I'm over my fear.  I've even started thinking about using other green and perhaps other veggies!  Look out!
I made myself a smoothie for breakfast that I found on Pinterest.  I didn't really love it.  I mostly tasted banana and that was pretty much it.  I will try it again and maybe add more PB and chocolate.

Later in the day, I was ready for a fruity snack, so I made another smoothie.  I had some kiwis that I needed to use and a cantaloup that I had just cut up.

1.5 kiwis cut into pieces
1/8 of a cantaloup cut into pieces
1 cup spinach leaves
water
6-8 ice cubes

It was a pretty color and pretty tasty!  I do think I'd go with less kiwi and more melon next time.  The kiwi was just a little too tangy and the texture with all those tiny seeds was a bit odd.  The flavor was still good and it satisfied my craving for a fruity snack!

Elvis Smoothie - click here

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!

Family Cookbook

I saw this bucket list pin on Pinterest and I could say, "I did that!"

My mother has been in poor health for several years.  She has always been the historian and cookbook of the family.  Because of her (and my dad's) medical bills, they are always looking for low-cost, but meaningful gifts for their family members.
After making the same meals for my husband over and over again, I decided I needed to be able to cook like Mom.  I asked her to type up all of the family recipes she could think of for me to refer to.  I wanted to have her skills for Christmas!  Well, she sat down and wrote them all out on a yellow legal pad along with a few stories that she relates to the recipes that have been passed down through her mother and grandmother.
Right after she got the recipes on paper, Dad went through some healthy trials and ended up losing his legs.  The house had to be renovated to fit his wheel chair and that meant everything was packed up in a hurry to make room for the contractor.  The recipes were stuck in a box somewhere and Mom had no idea where.  Needless to say, I didn't get the recipes for Christmas last year.
Fast forward to late last summer.  I get back in the country from a mission trip to find out that Mom is in the hospital.  Her doctor informed us that she is in stage 4 heart failure.  He placed her in hospice care.  This doesn't mean he has stamped an expiration date on her forehead.  She could be with us for several more years, God willing.  It just means that there is nothing else they can do medically to treat her heart.  It will not be cured and the effects of the heart disease cannot be reversed.
Once we got Mom home and came to accept that this is where she is in life, we decided to get some things organized.  She wanted to go through pictures, make sure all important papers were in order, and feel at peace in her home.  During this organizing, we found the recipes!!!   We also found some from my Dad's mother and some of Dad's recipes too. Mom didn't feel that she could type them all up or even get them to a printer to have copies made for my siblings and me.  I took the recipes and told her I would take care of it.
A few weeks before Christmas, there was a Groupon offer for a product called Picaboo.  The offer was for cookbooks!!! I bought the Groupon that would allow me to create 3 books (I have 2 siblings) for the cost of one.  It was perfect!

I thought about typing the recipes and even cooking each dish to get a picture of them to put on each page, but it didn't seem right.  Here I had the words my Mom's hand had written that I know I will cherish when she's not here.  I couldn't bear to type her words and throw the papers away.  So, I took pictures of each recipe (with my iPhone), loaded them on my computer, and voila!  I have a cookbook! I love it and I think my brother and sister do too.

Recipes in Maw-maw's handwriting

My hope is that these books will be handed down to future generations.  These recipes bring back so many fond memories! I can't wait to make more memories with these dishes in my own home.

Let me encourage you - don't wait until somebody is gone to try to capture their memories and their perspective on your own memories.  I'm so blessed to have the chance to really appreciate what Mom has to share with me. There's nothing like your mommy!

I hate coconut

As I mentioned in a previous post, the hubs had a big birthday and requested coconut cake.  Well, I hate coconut cake and so do the girls, but it wasn't our birthday!  I decided to give it a shot WITHOUT the shredded coconut - the texture is really the issue.
I found this recipe on Pinterest that seemed easy enough to try, since I've never even thought about making a coconut cream cake before.  I had a hard time finding the cream of coconut, but I accidentally stumbled upon it in Publix.
Here is the cake I was attempting:

And here is how mine turned out:

K said he really liked it.  I ended up liking it a little too much too.  No, it isn't low-carb at all.  LOTS of sugar in this baby!  I licked the bowl, risking salmonela, it was so good!  I have only had one piece of cake, but Ken says it is even better the next day while it's cold out of the fridge.

That is one thing the recipe didn't say.  It needs to be refrigerated because of the whipping cream frosting.  I didn't love that.  I think a coconut flavored or rum flavored butter cream would have made it even better - very rich - but better.

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!

 

Super Healthy, but Tastes Like a Treat!

I have been going crazy with recipes I have pinned.  Last night I made the Thai Chicken recipe I've tried before and I tried something new too!  I made Simple Perfection Sweet Potatoes.  (And this blog looks like it has more really great recipes too!)

This is what hers look like.

This recipe couldn't have been any easier and it couldn't have tasted better!  I baked them on my Pampered Chef Stoneware for a total of about 45 minutes.  I could have eaten them all! We had them as a side, but they tasted like dessert to me.  It was the perfect ending to a great meal.

I especially enjoyed how the peel just came off in a ring.  It's really the small things, isn't it?

And, if you like my dishes, here's some more information about them!

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:

Crockpot Minestrone

I found a pin from Skinnytaste.com for Minestrone in the crock pot.  I've always liked minestrone.  It's hearty, but full of healthy ingredients.

Well, I think I got carried away when I was dumping things into the slow cooker!  I added WAY too much pasta!  The "soup" had a good flavor, but ended up more like minestrone flavored pasta salad!
Since I'm trying to be as low-carb as I can, I think I'll leave out the pasta and add more beans next time.  Maybe some kidney beans and even some black beans (and probably more celery).  I did add ground turkey this time.  My hubby offered to brown the turkey since I wasn't feeling well.  I was worried that it wouldn't be tasty since he didn't season it, but it took on the flavors from the rest of the soup well.
I'll probably try it my way very soon!

Chicken and Dumplings

Eh.
It was good, but not our taste.  Before I tell you why, let me tell you what it is.
I found a pin with a recipe for Chicken and Dumplings...in the crock pot!  Well, what good southern wife doesn't make chicken and dumplings for her hubby?  I gathered my ingredients and wrassled my giant crock pot out of the cabinet it resides in.  I started dumping everything in before I realized I only had 1 of the 2 cans of cream of chicken that the recipe calls for.  I did have a can of broccoli cheese soup, so I used that.  It gave the dish an interesting touch.
The chicken was very tasty and very tender, but the dumplings just weren't for us.  I prefer Cracker Barrel dumplings!  Plus, using canned soups adds a lot of extra sodium.  Neither of use like a lot of salt, so it was a bit much.
I may make chicken using the recipe, but with my own cream soup base and without the dumplings.  That way it would be low-carb too.  I think it would be pretty similar to my grandmother's chicken stew recipe then.  Hm...maybe that will be on the menu next week!

Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken

Yum!!!
I've been trying to cook only healthy foods lately.  In fact, I've diagnosed myself as insulin resistant and I've cut WAY back on the carbs, especially bad carbs - more on that later.  I've scoured Pinterest for recipes that would satisfy my family.
This recipe from Pipandebby was easy to prepare, easy to find foods to go with it, and impressive to everyone at the table.  I cooked some spanish rice for everyone else, sliced some avocado, and served low fat refried beans with it.
It had a kick to it, but not too much.  The flavor cooked all the way through the chicken (which doesn't always happen) and there was plenty of sauce left to pour over the rice and beans.  The cool and creamy avocado was a great compliment to the spicy chicken.

Pipandebby

A new FAVORITE!

I found this recipe on Pinterest and i piqued my interest.  This blog is so cute too!  Anyway, I've decided that I am insulin resistant, which is also called pre-diabetic.  Scary!  My mother is diabetic and so was her mother.  I'm going to break the cycle and be healthier!  Anyway, this recipe fit right into my plan.
I did break a few of her rules.  I didn't have fresh basil, so I used dry Italian basil.  I'm sure fresh Thai basil would be even tastier.  I also used already ground chicken.  I think I'd like it better starting with whole chicken breasts, but it was so much easier the way I did it.  I also didn't have Thai chiles, so I used jalapeno instead.

K and I both like it.  I LOVED it!  I was easy, filling, and healthy.  I think I will make this often.  I may try out some other ways to use the basic form of this recipe with different flavors.  Maybe I'll try a Mexican theme next time. K can have it in a taco or burrito form and I'll have it over spinach again.

Cajun Kale Chips

So, I've heard for a while that kale is a superfood.  To me, that means it tastes funny and is too expensive. Well, I found a recipe for Kale that included the word Cajun, so I decided to give it a shot.  I used Old Bay Seasoning because it's what my Grandpa would have used!  That smell reminds me of childhood in Slidell!  Tony Chachere's would be good too!  I plan to try other flavors now too.  Maybe a greek seasoning or asian seasoning?

And I'm so glad I did!  It tasted wonderful and was actually pretty filling.  My favorite pieces were the ones that had gotten completely crispy.  I baked mine for 10 minutes because I didn't want to burn it, but I think I will bake it a bit longer next time so it's all crispy.  

Kale is now permanently on my grocery list!

Arnold Palmer Cake

My Mom's birthday is in July.  This year, i wanted to be the one to make her cake.  She loves fruity desserts, especially lemon, so when I found this recipe, I knew it was a winner!

This cake was a hit with Mom and everyone else!  I want to find a way to get more of the sweet tea flavor in the frosting though.  Maybe I'll start with more tea and cook it down a little longer.

The recipe didn't say that it needed to be refrigerated (because of the filling) and I didn't think about it until it was too late.  I was VERY sad to have to toss what was left.

I would make this again!  It's a great summer treat!

 Mom can't have candles with her oxygen, so she blew out her lemon!

Shrimp Recipe

I LOVE shrimp!  It can be cooked quickly and in a variety of ways.  They are pretty healthy too.  I'm always looking for new ways to use shrimp in our meals.  One of the recipes I found on Pinterest was for cilantro lime shrimp.  Ok, so i thought it was a recipe!  I pinned it and clicked on it later when I was ready to make my grocery list. I was so sad to find that it wasn't a link, but just a lonely picture.  I googled several recipes for cilantro lime shrimp and didn't find anything with that picture.  I just used what I found and created my own.  I left out the peanuts and didn't grill it, so I guess it's just Cilantro Lime Shrimp.

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp
1 lime
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
***My husband doesn't like a lot of cilantro or garlic.  These amounts can be adjusted according to your taste.

Directions:
Salt and pepper raw shrimp.  Squeeze all lime juice over the shrimp in a shallow dish and let sit room temperature for about 10 minutes.  While it sits, warm olive oil in fry pan over medium heat.  Saute garlic until it begins to brown.  Add shrimp and cilantro and cook until shrimp are pink.  Serve over wilted spinach, buttered linguine (not as healthy), or rice.

See, EASY!