More Low Carb Adventures

I cheated big time for lunch yesterday. Pizza. I know it's shameful. But I tried to make up for it at dinner. I found a recipe for chicken online that has no carbs (according to the recipe anyway...I think it's a stretch...but whatever).

Just take 4 chicken breasts, top them with feta (roughly a 1/3 cup...ish) and then wrap them in a couple pieces of bacon. Stick 'em in a baking dish and then in the oven for 45 minutes at 375 or until they're done (you know, clear juices and whatnot).

Turns out pretty tasty considering the uncomplicated nature of the thing. I'm trying to think of other things I could add to it to jazz it up just a little more. I was thinking about pouring something over it that would just give it a little zestiness but i can't figure out what. I'll think on it and get back to you mom. :)

Shrimp Mock-o's

So I started Atkins (and by that I mean I'm trying to be as Atkins-y as possible but fully accepting that I won't be following it to the letter) and I'm using it as an excuse to find fun new recipes. Today I invented something that was, in my humble opinion, SUPER TASTY, as well as mostly low-carb. Not to mention "meat" free for lent. Trifecta! Since Mom and Dad are also doing the Atkins dance I felt I should share. Brace yourself. And before you get to thinking I'm some kind of culinary genius, know that Pioneer Woman really invented this, I just tweaked it.

First go here and make PW's firecracker shrimp. It's a two parter but if you skip to page two you get the simple, picture free recipe at the end. I added a tablespoon of lime juice to mine which is in my opinion quite nice. Once those tasty little buggers are done, you get to my invention.

You'll just need some guacamole (homemade if you have a minute) and some kind of lettuce. I used butter lettuce because it's folds up nice around other foods and doesn't break apart. It's the soft shell of the lettuce world. Take a leaf of lettuce and put some guac in it and then add a few shrimpies. I was as generous as the lettuce would allow. I recommend it. I ate two and I'm full. These things are pretty dang yummy if I do say so myself.

If you want to make homemade guac, my approach is as follows (I eyeball everything so forgive the inexact amounts just taste it and decide what it needs more of. Just go with a little less than you think because you can always add more!):

• 1 avocado (of average size...)
• 1/2 a tomato (or three grape tomatoes...it's what I had...)
• garlic salt (a good shake)
• lime juice (a good squirt)
• paprika (a dash)
• chili powder (a couple good dashes...or three)
• cilantro (if you are lucky enough to have fresh a small clump, if it's dry... a couple shakes)

Mush up everything but the tomatoes and once it's the consistency you want dice the tomatoes up small and stir them in. Voilà! It only takes a few minutes for a small amount and with good soft avocados. It's definitely worth it to make your own. Much yummier that way.

Also Atkins friendly and a delicious treat and supplement to your mock-o's, a diet Sierra Mist (I like the grapefruit kind). Om nom!

The news as of late

I have had what I thought was some ornery allergies for about two weeks now and it's just getting to the point where I'm tired of trying to ride it out. I want off this ride immediately. I'm going to Lafene this afternoon for a consult to see if we can nip this thing in the bud. Here's hopin'.

I'm writing to you dear reader (Mom) from the OR 1 exam that I am proctoring today. Mom, you must give several tests a month between all the subjects you teach; you must get a lot done while those kiddies are sweating away over their spelling words. This is really boring because I didn't come prepared with anything to occupy me so I'm aimlessly surfing the internet. And writing about it. On the upside Dr. Wu paid for my lunch for springing this on me last minute and let Robbie come along (but since we have to be quiet this doesn't do me much good in the entertainment department).

Also, Mom, you would be so proud of me. I played softball last night with Stacey's fiance's team (because they needed some more ladies to fill out the roster) and I was actually kind of a productive person! I played catcher which people always say is good for someone who doesn't really know anything. I have always thought that it seemed like a scary place to stand--next to someone swinging a metal stick while someone throws a "soft" (not soft at all) ball at you. But I did ok. I got less scared each inning and by the end only a couple rolled by me. This is quite the feat for me. I also hit the ball every time I was at bat. Not well but I got to first base and since I was immediately before the slugger of the team that meant I made it home all but once (he made me go on LONG sprints...). Anyway I'm sort of beaming with pride at having been helpful.

Oh and I made that chicken taco pizza on Saturday. I shared it with Robbie and Ed and they both tell me it was pretty tasty (I thought so too but I can't taste anything really with these "allergies" so I rely on others to confirm). Here's how it goes:

Crust dough: Go to thepioneerwoman.com and find the pizza dough recipe. Make it (at least a day in advance)

Make some chicken. I used two frozen chicken breasts, thawed and marinaded for about 30 minutes in some tequila and lime juice (the kind in the plastic lime)--about a shot of each I'm estimating... Then I just put it in a skillet until it was cooked. Nothing fancy. I had to add a little lime juice in the middle because things were looking a little dry. Do what you want.

Once you have the dough spread out, spoon on

3/4 (ish) of a can of sauce (I used a spicy tomato sauce I found in the Mexican food isle of Dillons. Robbie would have went with salsa. Do what you think is right.)

3/4 (ish) of a can of black beans

1 med-small green pepper (or a large on if you really like green peppers...or none if you don't)

1/2 a small onion (again if you really love onion do more...or leave it out...whatever)

2 frozen chicken breasts, shredded up (or cubed if you like it that way I guess)

1 bag of Mexian cheese (you can do it P-Hut style and put 1/2 the cheese on under the veggies and 1/2 of it on top of the chicken... if you want) unless you really love cheese then you can put more.

Clearly pizza leaves a lot of room for interpretation so go with your gut. Mine was good but I'll probably change it up a bit next time just to keep things interesting.

Nothing else has really happened since I last touched base (we are ignoring the Nebraska massacre of Thursday because it is too painful to recount). We SIM happened but no one wants to hear about that.

So in closing, I'd like to offer a special shout out to my parents, Ed and Anita. On this day in 1986(if I did the math right) they tied the knot-- Happy Anniversary! I hope you get to do something fun! Love you guys!