Through the Lens...

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Mexican Lasagna

Well I have kind of been sucking at this diet thing for the last several days (which is, coincidentally, also why I haven't been blogging). So, I took to Pinterest and found some new recipes to try and was reminded of some old favorites! Saturday morning I made a meal plan for the week and took to the grocery store...

Last night was some delicious spaghetti squash. If you haven't tried this stuff yet, you're missing out! Maybe I'll do a post on that in the future. But, first... On the menu tonight was Mexican Lasagna. I haven't made this stuff in YEARS and forgot just how yummy (and easy) it is.

Ingredients:
1lb ground beef
1 package of taco seasoning
3 large low carb tortillas
Shredded cheese (I used mexican and shredded some salsa jack on the top)
Taco sauce (I like medium heat)
Diced onions
Sliced black olives

Directions:
Brown, drain, and rinse ground beef. Prepare according to instructions on taco seasoning packet. I just used a pan that's about equivalent to a 9x9 but it's a weird sized rectangle. Spray with cooking spray. Pour some taco sauce on the bottom to keep it from sticking and to keep it from being too dry!

Cut the tortillas into thick strips (think lasagna noodles) and layer on top of the sauce. This is the point where my friend dropped by and I got caught up in talking with her and forgot to keep taking pictures. I'm confident you can take it from here!

On top of the tortillas layer 1/3 of the meat, cheese, olives, and onions to taste. Next add tortillas and layer again until you have 3 layers of meat! Top with cheese and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes until bubbly on the sides and hot in the middle.

Notes: You can really alter this recipe to be whatever you want it to be! I left the quantities pretty open because I think it's a personal taste thing for how much cheese, onions, and olives to include. You could also add jalepenos, tomatoes, or whatever else sounds good! I also served mine with a bit of sour cream (no carbs, woot woot).

I prefer the mission brand carb balance tortillas. They vary in carb count by size, of course, but they taste pretty normal and are soft and yummy! Metabolism Miracle figures carbs by subtracting dietary fiber from total carbohydrates. The ones I used were 5g/ tortilla so the whole dish had 15g of carbs. Awesome!

I'm so excited for tomorrow night when my friend Sara comes over! We've been friends since high school and she is simply AMAZING. I will be introducing her to mashed cauliflower. Well, that's assuming she hasn't ever tried it before! Until next time...

P.S. I've heard that comments weren't working so if someone would be so kind as to give it a try, that would be great!

Monday, March 4, 2013

Slow and Steady...

It's a life lesson we learn early in our lives... Slow and steady wins the race. When it comes to weight loss, slow and steady sounds like a load of crap! We all want to be slim and trim by tomorrow. Or at least next month. That's not asking too much, is it?! This just doesn't seem to be the route I'm on here. I'm currently hovering right around 20 pounds lost, and have been since Christmas. Please ignore that it's March and I'm still blaming it on the holidays. So according to the app on my phone I am averaging .5 pounds a week. Half a pound is not terribly impressive.
On top of that, I have taken to watching The Biggest Loser again this season. I torture myself by watching these girls (who now weigh less than me) lost 6 or 10 pounds IN A WEEK! Now I do understand the difference in our situations and I understand that weight loss like that is not a realistic expectation. Of course, that doesn't stop me from wishing for it!
I did lose 1.4 pounds this week. Yes, I count the "." and actually find it to be extremely important for my morale sometimes. I am working hard to have a bit of a mental shift. I'm trying to embrace the "slow and steady" mentality and acknowledge that any amount is hard earned and something to be proud of!
Speaking of slow and steady... I love to cook. It's not generally anything very exciting, but it does usually taste super yummy! My Mom and Dad just returned from a work trip to Wisconsin. My souvenir was lots of cheese- the perfect addition to a low carb diet. Very yummy cheese, might I add! Thanks Mom & Dad!

I have also discovered a tasty low carb bread- not necessarily an easy task. Most of them are super dry and not especially tasty. I had been eating some made by Wonder and we all know that the economy got the better of that company and that bread is no longer. Now I eat this Sara Lee bread...

I don't know why this pic is sideways and can't figure out how to fix it!

Put these together with a couple slices of bacon and I had the most delicious grilled cheese for 14g of carbs. Delicious lunch! As with weight loss, the key to a fantastic gooey grilled cheese? Slow and steady! Who knew grilled cheese could mirror real life so closely! :-)

Now I will go spend the rest of my day off remembering how much I love Casmir Pulaski and maybe I'll even figure out what he did to give me this day off!

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Going Public

I've decided to go public with something I usually keep private... My weight loss journey. I've always convinced myself that if I don't point it out no one will notice that I'm overweight. Who do I think I'm kidding?! So, there it is... Whew, what a relief to get my secret out there for the world to see.
In all seriousness, this is a battle I've been fighting nearly all my life with little success and lots of frustration. I have all the tools I need. I know what I am supposed to do. I just don't do it. I am hoping this will be an outlet for me to share my thoughts and hopefully gain your support. I will admit that I am incredibly nervous about sharing myself through this blog. It's embarrassing in some ways but empowering in others. So, I ask that you check in on me regularly and share some encouragement if you feel inclined!
To kick off this new side to my (previously neglected) blog I will share a recipe from my experiment today, but first a little back story. This summer I discovered a book called "The Metabolism Miracle". The name didn't do much to grab my attention but the content did. I won't go into details (unless you want them) but it seemed like a perfect fit. In its simplest form it's a version of a low carb diet and has worked wonderfully for me when I've been committed. One thing I love I that I can eat peanut butter. This, of course, does not allow me to eat the delicacy that is (sugar-filled) Peter Pan. It does allow for "all natural". Let me just say, it's not the same.... So today I took it upon myself to make some peanut butter of my own! Seriously folks, this stuff is pretty darn good! I did some research to find a recipe and ingredients that would work for me and can't complain about the end result.
Ok, so I just spent 30 min trying to add a pic from my iPad with no luck so... Just imagine it. It looks like peanut butter in a glass jar!
Here's how I made it...
Roast 2 cups of peanuts on a baking sheet at 350 for 6-8 min. Shake the pan every couple of minutes so they don't burn. Let the peanuts cool. Toss the cooled peanuts and 1 1/2 tsp of coconut oil into the food processor. Let it rip for 2 or 3 minutes and then scrape the sides and bottom with a spatula. I added a bit of Splenda and a tiny bit of salt to taste and then pulverized it til it was super smooth. Store in an air tight container for up to a month in the refrigerator.
Let mBe know if anyone tries it out or if you have questions and I'll offer any advice I can.
Now for a super important question... Jif or Peter Pan?