Annual Manatee Spotting!

Phew...it's been a while. You'd think since I graduated that I'd have more time to blog right? Funny how that time gets consumed with a lot of other things...life...and life sure is good. Here are some recent manatee photos from our trip down the Ichetucknee a couple weeks ago. Enjoy!

Low Carb Food Post!

What a journey it's been since January 1, 2016! A lot of you know that Clay and I decided on a lifestyle change in the new year. Definitely a LIFESTYLE change - meaning becoming more aware of what we were eating, watching our portions, making better choices whenever possible, doing a little more exercise and more kayaking of course. Don't let us fool you though. I mean, when a new frozen yogurt place AND a new Mexican restaurant comes to downtown High Springs we HAVE to support them! It just doesn't happen on a weekly basis.

Over the past several months I've scoured Pinterest for the best low carb recipes and have learned many ways to substitute vegetables for pasta and potatoes and every single bit of it has been worth it. We both feel great, have more energy, and my digestive issues are not really issues anymore.

We are not scale-watchers but rather go by the way our clothes fit. To me, it's a much more rewarding feeling when those jeans that haven't fit in 2 years suddenly fit like a glove (or even a bit loose!) We do not have gym memberships and never have been too excited about the gym life.  Some people love it...just not us! We did get an elliptical and a bow flex off Craigslist a couple years ago and I have a kettlebell and a couple yoga mats. That's about it y'all. I would much rather have the basics at home and get to be on the water doing what we love more often. So far so good.

 OK enough of that mess...let's talk about some recipes! I've linked to blogs with the recipes in the captions below each photo and made a note when I tweaked them. ENJOY! If you have specific questions, leave a comment at the end of this post and I'll get back to you! Happy cooking and cheers to tight pants fitting again!

Honey-Dijon Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Hummus

For most recipes that call for red, orange, or yellow bell peppers I typically sub in a green one since they are cheaper!



CHICKEN AND ZUCCHINI NOODLE CAPRESE

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

This is a great crust recipe, however IT TAKES TIME. Plan this one out folks. Only tweak is that I use an entire head of cauliflower for one crust and the rest of the ingredients the same. This was one of the game changer meals for me.



spicy shrimp with cauliflower mash and garlic kale

For this one, I followed the shrimp ingredients/directions but changed the rest up a bit. I sautéed the kale with garlic and some water on the stove until it was wilted while everything else cooked. I followed this cauliflower mash recipe which has been my favorite of all mashes.



spicy blackened tilapia, quinoa, and cilantro lime slaw bowls

This was a recipe mash-up! I seasoned the tilapia and blackened in a pan on the stove and then chopped it up. I followed the recipe below for the cilantro lime slaw and cooked the quinoa normally and added avocado, tomato, and limes.  The slaw came from HERE (Pinch of Yum).

For the Slaw:

• ¼ cup oil
• ¼ cup water
• ½ cup chopped green onions
• ½ cup cilantro leaves
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• ½ teaspoon salt
• juice of 2 limes
• ½ cup sour cream, Greek yogurt, or mayo
• 3-4 cups shredded purple and green cabbage

1. SLAW: Pulse the slaw ingredients (in order, starting with oil and ending with lime juice) until chopped/chunky. Add the sour cream and pulse again until just combined (you don't want it totally smooth green - just like an herb-loaded creamy sauce). Toss the sauce with the cabbage. Let it sit in the fridge while you prep the other ingredients.

MUSHROOMS AND TOFU EN PAPILLOTE



Golden Chana Masala



SPAGHETTI SQUASH NOODLE BOWL + LIME PEANUT SAUCE

DO NOT add scallions unless you know what they taste like. I repeat...DO NOT add scallions. Without those, this recipe is on point!

black bean lettuce burgers with mango avocado salsa

Ingredients and instructions are in the pictures & from the book Cooking Light - Way to Cook Grilling. One of the best black bean burgers I've made and the salsa is just YUM!

sorry these are sideways - it wasn't cooperating!

Greek Sloppy Joes - a South Beach cookbook favorite!

Seriously...this page in our cookbook has almost torn out we've made it so many times! We put it over 1/2 cup cauliflower rice instead of the whole-wheat orzo.

The ingredients and instructions are in the pictures below:

Broccoli Cauliflower Pizza Crust

 For this one, I had leftover broccoli from a previous recipe so I just riced it up with cauliflower and followed the same crust recipe listed above.

Pesto chicken zoodles

For the above, simply cut up chicken breast and toss in pesto sauce to cook in a skillet. Chop one onion and add to a separate skillet over medium heat with some olive oil and garlic. Add in 1 cup grape tomatoes until wilted. Take 2-3 zucchini to make zoodles and either microwave for 6 minutes to steam or add to onion and tomato skillet.



Pork Chops, creamed spinach (frozen), and cheesy fiesta poppers

This was a pretty basic meal except the cheesy fiesta poppers. These are perfect for parties! 



Roasted Cauliflower, Turkey, Tomato and Goat Cheese Casserole

This casserole was the ultimate comfort health food but we will probably make it again when it's colder. I added ground turkey to the recipe.



Coconut Chicken Thai Curry over Cauliflower Rice

Ginger Chicken Salad with Homemade Tzatziki

This recipe was tweaked quite a bit. I did not grill the chicken on skewers, I made this a salad instead of a wrap, and I doubled the tzatziki sauce. I cooked the chicken on the stove instead and more tzatziki was a good option for the salad since it served as the dressing. 

Asheville Vaycay + Brown Wedding {May 2015)

WOOHOO...this post is going up before Regina and Aaron celebrate their First Anniversary! C'mon people, we have to celebrate the small things in life!  Last May, Clay and I were fortunate enough to take time off work and spend the week before Regina and Aaron's nuptials with friends and family in Charlotte and Asheville. We ate so much amazing food and did a lot of fun things! 

 

Our trip started in Charlotte where we stayed with our engaged friends Jess and Darren (now married)! We spent time celebrating her birthday and I got to meet all the bridesmaids that would be in her wedding. Then we spent most of the following day at the National Whitewater Center where you could choose from a plethora of activities: rock climbing, kayaking, paddleboarding, hiking, whitewater rafting, mountain biking...etc, etc.  SO much fun! 

Clay and I set out on our first divorce boat, aka tandem kayak, and I LOVED it. This was a great experience for me because I wasn't left behind like usual! I think Clay liked it too, judging by the looks on his face.

 

Our trip continued onward to Asheville where we stopped at the Wedge & Jack of the Wood before heading to Jamie and James' house (Clay's cousin and her husband).  

We spent the next few days going on a hike through the Pisgah National Forest, heading down Sliding Rock, and checking out Looking Glass Falls. 

beaver dam

Sliding Rock:

 

This was such an amazing experience! It was FREEZING but we did it anyway.  #yolo 

 

Looking Glass Falls: 

 



 

Wine tasting at the Biltmore Winery: 

 

Jaime & James cooked us dinner every night we were there and I wish I had taken pictures of what those dishes looked like because they were so good!  For breakfast, we had to try the infamous Biscuit Head...and then we ate there twice that week. 

 

One afternoon we met up with our other engaged friends Melissa & Ryan (also now married) and went tubing down the French Broad River with a bunch of their friends. Talk about a good time!   

 

We had the perfect weather while we were there and went disc golfing with Kyle. Fun fact: this was the same course we played the day Clay proposed to me.

Lunch at one of our favorites: Papas & Beer. 

Our self-guided afternoon tour to Wicked Weed, Hi-Wire, and Burial.

 

The day of Regina & Aaron's rehearsal, we met him and a bunch of his family at Highland Brewing Company for a private tour.

 

Then off to rehearsal! Their wedding and reception was at The Farm, a stunning venue in the mountains. It was gorgeous!

Rehearsal dinner at Pack's Tavern

 

The happy couple!

 

Our talented lovey friends Melissa and Ryan of The Moon & You played for their rehearsal dinner. How fun is that? Regina found them when she was looking up musicians in the Asheville area. Check out their site linked above, Facebook, or Instagram for good tunes and entertainment bookings! You won't regret it. Ok...plug over.

 

Day 2 at Biscuit Head was better than day 1. 

 

The Brown Wedding

 



This horse loved Sabrina...or was it her wine? 

my handsome groomsman

 

The gorgeous bride

What a fun week and awesome wedding in Asheville! We love this city.