Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Here is the first healthy recipe I have to share...

1 head of iceburg lettuce (* I used this & was good, but also cabbage would be great)
3 T hoisin sauce
2 T soy sauce
2 T water
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 t grated fresh ginger
2 t + 2 T peanut or olive oil
1 lb ground chicken
1 red bell pepper, diced
8 oz can water chestnuts, drained & chopped fine

Remove 8 large, bowl-shaped leaved from head of lettuce. Whisk hoisin sauce, soy sauce & water together in small bowl. Combine garlic, ginger & 2 t oil in seperate small bowl.

Heat 1 T oil in skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken, stirring to break up clumps, until just cooked through. Season with salt & pepper and transfer to another dish.

Add remaining 1 T oil to same skillet & heat until just smoking. Add red bell pepper, water chestnuts (*I did more then chop, I put mine in food processor) and cook until peppers soften, about 3 minutes. Push that mixture to the side of the skillet and add the garlic mixture to the center of the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then add chicken and sauce to skillet and mix everything and stir until thickened, about 30 seconds. Spoon mixture into lettuce leaves & serve.

**I hope you enjoy!

Day 2 & Still Alive

Okay...Day 2 and counting. I successfully complete Day 1 without cheating, but ending the day with quite a headache which I am sure was due to lack of D.P. But still walked 2 miles and ate a sugar free popsicle (They are allowed!). Then took 2 Tylenol PM and went to bed! But woke up without a headache so that was a bonus!

Last night's Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps were SO yummy! They had great flavor...so it made me think I need to be sharing these recipes if they are really good. I forgot to bring to work today, but I will post it tomorrow...so if you want some good, healthy recipes keep checking back!

Thanks for all the sweet words of encouragement!

South Beach Here I Come...

You might be thinking...oh I'm jealous...she's going to Florida. Well...you'd be wrong. I assure you no jealousy is deserved. Today is my Day 1 of the South Beach Diet. I've known for some months now that I need to do something...but I was lacking motivation I suppose. Then in the last week I had decided to do the South Beach, but wasn't really going to follow it exactly what it said...but I woke up this morning with a fresh attitude, so I'm going for it 100%. For those of you unfamiliar, Phase I is the initial 2 week "cleansing" period. For 2 weeks, I will not have Dr.Pepper (or any other soda), bread, pasta, potato, fruit or sugar. Yes...you heard me right...even fruit! But that's only for 2 weeks so my body can reset how it digests food. After that in Phase II, I can have as much fruit as I want and a balance of the other things... South Beach is all about the glycemic index and wants you to focus on eating food with a good protein/carb balance and foods that take longer to break down, etc. Anyway...so I am guessing, I'm in for a VERY long day...I can't remember a day without D.P...that is going to be the hardest for sure.

Thanks to Jackie...although she doesn't realize that after lunch with her last week and her sharing how it's worked so well for Jeff...it gave me that final push of motivation I needed!

If anyone has any yummy recipes they want to share with me consisting of only meat & veggies...I'd love them. I'll be making Asian Lettuce Wraps tonight...

So...may the power be with me!

Annie's Wedding

Well this past weekend was a wet, chilly, a "wake-up" call and full of LOVE, FRIENDSHIP & MARRIAGE. Back in the day, while I was in college God put the Moore Family in my life. I, not only, got to babysit there kids, but gained a home away from home while I was there. My love for them is still just as strong although the physical distance has made it hard seeing each other often. So...when I was started, there were 2 children...Annie was 8 and "Bear" was 5 and little Luke was still in the womb. I babysat them my sophmore through senior year and then passed on the baton to my close friend Sheridan from Tulsa, then she passed on the baton to her sister Kelcy later on. All that to say is this....Annie's all grown up, well they all are, but sweet Annie with a smile like noone else I've ever known who can light up the darkest room got married.

Let me explain my first sentence up there...

wet= ridiculous amounts of rain that caused flash flooding warnings and turned an sweet outdoor wedding into a lovely indoor wedding

chilly= well compared to Texas it was chilly, I think mostly in the 60s maybe and I did not pack a jacket or anything!

wake-up call= just a reminder of my ever increasing age...seems I get older year after year!

LOVE, FRIENDSHIP & MARRIAGE= Annie & Caleb committing themselves to each, my love for the entire Moore clan as they each played a significant role in my college years...Jeff, Dea, Annie, Bear & Luke, my love for Sheridan who has been a friend since 7th grade who has always been a solid rock in my life & who her family I will always love & cherish all of them

Okay...enough of all the blubbering...unfortunately when I downloaded my pictures I realized the setting somehow got changed and the photos were terrible...but I did find 3 that was decent enough to share.

A Little Nature

It's been so beautiful outside these days, so Dexter & I have really been taking advantage of it when we can. Yesterday, I was inspired to take some nature shots, God's beauty surrounds us in every direction and I've been much more aware of it lately. I love these little wild purple flowers that grow..technically, I believe they are a weed, but even weeds can be beautiful. The other day I mowed the lawn and took extra special care to go around all the purple flowers that were in the yard! I also tried to capture a beautiful butterfly, but you'll see by the pic, I wasn't able to get very close to get a good shot. And I'm throwing in a great shot of my Dex too.

Easter Sunday

Well this year, I decided to make a bunny cake. My mom made this a few times when Shell & I were kids and I believe she's made it a few times when Wes was younger. Anyway...it was fun and the way I did took way too much icing!

Sunday was also Dexter's 3rd birthday so I tried to give him some cake, but he wanted nothing to do with it!

Instead of doing a "fancy" or traditional meal this year, we went with a true brunch and had a breakfast type casserole, waffles & fruit! Very yummy!

Then it was time for the great outdoors and some egg hunting. Along with a very obnoxious squirrel who just wanted some bird seed.

My Little Fella

Could he be any cuter in our new pics! Love sweet Dexter! Hope you enjoy the new blog header!