WOW Fish Tacos! (low carb friendly!)

Fish Tacos.  The idea of fish tacos always sounded weird to me.  Fish...in tacos.  That couldn't be good, right?  Well that was before I saw how much my husband was enjoying the new Taco Johns fish Tacos.  So of course then I had to try one... and I loved it.  I love it more than my time honored favorites at Taco Johns (this is saying a lot).  But now I am low-carbing it and such lovely things as Tacos are now not on the menu....or are they?

Here is the second part of the story:  We just recently started doing Bountiful Baskets.  So each week we are getting lots of lovely produce and we never know exactly what we are going to get.  On Saturday I got our regular basket plus the Mexican themed basket.  Suddenly we had all sorts of stuff that I just don't buy.  Like Tomatillos, peppers (spicy not green) and limes. 

I swear I heard  Doug giggle like a kid on Christmas morning when he saw what I had brought.  He set to work making a great Mexican chutney:

Doug's Mexican Chutney:
Rough Chop the following:

One white onion
One Anaheim Pepper
One Pablono Pepper
Cilantro
One Tomatillo
and cover with the juice of one lime. 

Refrigeration makes the flavors meld in the most delicious way.

So how does this relate to fish tacos, you might say?  And exactly how are tacos low carb friendly?  Well we got the excellent tip that if you want a "breaded" taste and feel for chicken or fish (probably any other meat you like to bread) all you need to do is dip the item in a raw egg and then roll in Parmesean Cheese.  Then fry or bake (hot) to create a lovely golden crust.

So we decided to try our Parm crust on fish and see how we like it.  Yes Parm cheese and Fish.  I know- crazy you say.  But trust me!  You will never go back to bread again!

We used Tilapia.  It is cheap, mild and did I meantion cheap? 

So combine piping hot "breaded" fish with some sour cream and Doug's Mexica Chutney and you might swoon in delight.  Amazing.  We should probably patent it.  Just don't sue us if you fall out of your chair in amazement! ;)

If you are low carbing in- Use a large lettuce leaf as your tortilla.  It tastes great and gets in some of those leafy greens!

It's seriously amazing and I would share a picture-- but we ate all the evidence!

Whoo Hoo!!

I am officially comfortably wearing size jeans (dryer dried!) no wiggling, no sucking in of my tummy, easily buttoned and zipped!  I am also wearing a size 16 shirt that was known for "love handle creep" "Before".  I have a feeling that I am going to start demarking my life as before Atkins and After Atkins.  I am so glad that I am able to start wearing the other clothes in my closet!  That means I can use at LEAST 2 more pairs of jeans- possibly three.  I would like to drop down on more size before I wear my black legging like pants.  I don't wear them to work- but I like to wear them riding.

I am so excited!  I can't wait to crack the 170's!! :)

Pumpkin Flax Sugar Free Low Carb Muffins

Because I am on Induction with Atkins still I have been playing around with some muffins that don't contain flour.  They have something called a "MIM" or Muffin in a Minute that is cooked in the microwave. I don't much like the idea of cooking something completely in a microwave and their recipe just didn't sound tasty to me.  So I have been working on developing my own recipe.  They still aren't perfect, but definitly better than just plain edible.  Once I get to the next rung of the program where I can add nuts back in I will try some almond or hazelnut flour to provide a softer texture and richer taste.

So here goes my current incarnation of this recipe:

Pumpkin Flax Low Carb Muffins:

One can Organic Pumpkin Puree (Yes- get the organic.  Libby's is watery and the organic brands are nice and thick.)

1/2 cup Splenda
4 tbsp butter
2 1/4 t cinnamon
3/4 t nutmeg
scant 1/4 t ground cloves
2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 cups golden flaxmeal.
3 eggs

Combine all ingredients, dry then wet.  Scoop into muffin tins.  They don't rise much and if the shape you put them in is globular- they bake that way.  They don't smooth out like wheat muffins would.  So I use an ice cream scoop with a sweeper trigger.

Bake at 375 for at least 25-30 minutes.

I like mine after they have cooled a it and with some butter.  Yum.

Facing down the Dragon...

I faced down my own personal dragon today.  Nora wanted to go to the carnival which we promised she could quite a few months ago.  You know- before I decided to be a reformed carb a holic.  The carnival is a perfect opportunity to get foods like elephant ears and funnel cakes. 

So as Nora was running around the house getting ready to go I was waging a war with my dragon.  Do I abandon all the hard work in getting OFF carbs in the first place and gorge myself on funnel cakes at the carnival?  Or should I stand strong and stay the course knowing that in the long run I will be all the better for not induging.

So we went to the carnival and I saw people eating those lovely fried funnel cakes loaded down with strawberries and whipped cream.  Oh man.  My mouth was watering and I was thanking my lucky stars that it wasn't a hot July day because my will power might have melted. 

Instead, Nora got to ride all her favorite rides and a few new ones that she is now tall enough to ride.  Then we went to Wal-Mart and grabbed a couple movies out of the Redbox and we had a fun afternoon watching movies together.

I couldn't believe it.  I made it out of the carnival without eating Fair Food!!  Either this is a mark of personal growth or there is something wrog with me! ;)

View from my Dining room!

As promised earlier- this is my neighbors garden.  It is in this narrowish strip between out two driveways.  I didn't get the greatest shot- but there is a lovely mixture of tulips, lupin, and lots of other stuff out there as well as some beautiful rocks!

Down 10lbs and a pant size

I have met my modified goal of losing 10 pounds in a month.  I still have two days left so let's see by how much I can exceed it! 

Now her is the really exciting news.  About 6 months ago I was buying new pants because all my others were getting too small.  I knew a certain size and make of the "George" brand at Walmart would work and I wanted nice looking slacks.  I was in a hurry so I grabbed a pair, but did not try it on.  I was ashamed when I realized I had grabbed the wrong size but I didn't have time to exchange them.  So I have been lugging around these size 16 slacks that were WAY too small for me for all this time. 

They were so small that I could not even think of buttoning them and I was having a hard time getting them over my mammoth thighs.  Yuck.  Not a fun mental image there.  Sorry about that.  Then my 18s started to get tight.  Yikes.  This was getting out of control.  Then I hit my heaviest ever.  193.  On a 5 foot frame.  Really not good.

So now I am on the Atkins journey and have lost actually from my heaviest- just shy of 13 pounds in a month and week.

So tonight, inspired by the losses posted by others on the Atkins board I decided to try on my own personal albatross.  And guess what?  Over the thighs.... great I think!  Over the rump- even better!  Can I button (this was where I had had about a 3-4 inch gap before)?  Suck it in...and yes!  Button!  Can I slip buckle?  Yes!  And can I zip?  Yes!

Now to be sure- they are a bit skin tight over the rump and thighs...so they won't be on my wardrobe list for another week or two- but this is the first time EVER that I have actually gotten the darn things on!!  My current size 18s from the same company are starting to get loose and I could pull them down and off without unbuttoning if I really wanted to.  I don't need a belt with them yet but I am SO looking forward to the day when I do!  I have some jeans that have been patiently waiting for me to stop being such a cow that are now going to get to see the light of day again.  I am so so excited!

I am starting my exercise in earnest now.  Horseback riding and working on the Eliptical as well as walking on my breaks.  Do you think I can step up the weightloss and hit 15lbs next month?  That was my goal this month but I didn't quite make it.  I would dearly love to surprise my family with a great loss before my Grandfather's birthday on June 9th.  Lets see- so I am 181 right now so I could be in the 160's before June 9th then I am going to be the happiest girl!  That would put me back to what I weighed about the time Nora was born and I would have to buy new clothes!!  I can't wait until I have to buy new clothes because everything is too big!

I am having so much fun losing weight.  It is so much more fun than putting on the pounds!

Good Morning!

 

This morning is gorgeous here in South Eastern Montana.  The sun is up and I can already feel that it will be a warm, glorious day.   The Johnny Jump Ups are flowering all over the yard and my neighbor has this wonderful garden that I can see outside my window in our dining room.  I am so grateful that she has planted this beautiful space.  It really gives me a lot of pleasure to see her garden.  You can tell that over the years she has added and cared for it with an artist’s eye.  I’ll try to get a picture tomorrow to share.

 

Still plugging away with Induction on Atkins.  You can stay on it as long as you want and I really want to keep losing weight as quickly as is healthy and possible.  Going to the Ongoing Weight Loss is reputed to slow weight loss down a bit so until I am within 15-20 pounds of my goal- I am going to keep on induction.  I think I can still get a 10 pound loss for this month which makes me so happy!   I really need to incorporate some stretches and exercise into my program so starting today, I am going to take all my breaks outside and walk around the building where I work!

 

I am so happy that the warmth of spring is here.  Spring is always such a wonderfully hopeful and renewing time.  As if seeing new grass and plants coming up encourages us to renew our spirits as well.  I am all for a little spring cleaning of the soul… How about you?