Fourth of July Recap-Feasting and Fun in GP!

Sooooo, Lynn Creek Park was a hot mess. We drove up to the area, only to wait about thirty minutes in a long line of cars who had the same idea we did to celebrate the fourth of July. We knew we'd be waiting at least another hour, so we scrapped that plan and headed right back to the apartment pool. And guess what, we had an even better time. The pool wasn't crowded and we had plenty of space to grill and relax. Here's our day captured in pictures, because you know what they say...a picture is worth a thousand words...so here goes!

~Lex

Fourth of July Menu

Happy Independence Day America! 

I am giddy with excitement. Today we plan on spending some time outdoors at Lynn Creek Park to celebrate. We bought boogie boards from Five Below the other day and have plans to rock those out as well as do some yoga in the sand. After that it's grilling time. We'll probably only be out a few hours, but we'll make the most of it!

Fourth of July food should be simple yet scrumptious...simply scrumptious! I realize that's pretty much an oxymoron, because anytime you're on a specialty diet or eating plan, things might not be so simple. I called the roomie today and blabbered on about how I wasn't making a ton of food for the fourth but after reciting the list, it turns out I am making a lot more than I thought! Here's the menu:

Gooey Cheeseburgers with Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Summer Veggie Salad with Balsamic, Feta, Sun-dried tomato, and Pecans

Homemade Paleo Ketchup (I'm omitting the curry and just making it plain)

Blueberry Lemon Cake (I'm replacing half of the blueberries with cherries)

Ruby Red Ginger and Honey Sun Tea 

I'm also super excited because for the first time in forever....I finally understand! For the first time in forever, we can face this hand in hand! Oops...this isn't karaoke, why am I singing ballads from Disney's Frozen? Love that movie! Okay okay, back to fourth of July menu discussions...for the first time I will be grilling. Me. Grilling. The most I've ever done is grill burgers and chicken using a grill pan and a George Forman. I'm stoked. I have charcoal, a cute little tabletop grill, and I'm so ready. 

What are you doing to celebrate the fourth of July?

Summer Veggie Salad with Balsamic, Feta, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Pecans

About two weeks ago the roomie and I volunteered at Johnson's Backyard Garden in Denton. The original Johnson's Backyard Garden is in Austin, TX, but they've partnered with Earthwise Produce in Denton to start a location in the DFW area. I am so thankful, because one of the volunteering perks is that you receive a free workshare of produce. You sign up for a four-hour shift during the weekday (either 8a-12p or 4p-8p for the summertime), help out in the garden and/or the Earthwise Produce shop, and then the following week you can pick up your workshare on Thursday or Friday. The workshare is very generous-it is the medium CSA box that you see on the website. We were thrilled to get our veggies, and it was a lot of fun meeting new people.  One of the girls we met actually works at one of the companies my organization partners with! Small world. :-) 

One of the garden plots. We picked the basil here!

One of the things we did while volunteering was pick basil, and I was so impressed with how fragrant the basil was. We had to cut the blossoms off of the basil plants, and also cut the leaves that were ready for picking. The next day my right arm was sore from cutting the plants. Who knew! We also got to hear firsthand what it's like running the garden from the guy in charge, Ryan Crocker. He was super friendly and laid back. We are going to try to volunteer again this month. It's a little hard for us to volunteer, because you can only volunteer during the weekdays, so we have to wait until we have off on a Friday or a half day. Since the roomie is off Fridays and I have half-days until the end of July, we've decided to volunteer again. And I plan to go back on holidays that I am off of work. It was such a cool experience.

All that to say, we got a ton of veggies and I looked around the JBG website for recipes using the produce. I made a salad yesterday (which will be our lunch for the next several days), their Summer Veggies with Pecans, Feta, and Balsamic Vinegar. The recipe is great, and is really a starting point. There aren't measurements for the pecans, feta, or balsamic vinegar, so you can play around with it to your liking. I swapped out some of the veggies for others, and decided on some set measurements for my salad. I am so pleased with this recipe. The veggies are crisp-tender and juicy. The feta and sun-dried tomato are rich and add a salty bite. The balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and garlic make a zesty dressing, and the pecans add a slight nutty sweetness. Yum! 


Summer Veggie Salad with Balsamic, Feta, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Pecans
Adapted from Johnson's Backyard Garden
Serves 4

1 large pattypan squash, de-seeded and sliced
2 small purple bell peppers, de-seeded, piths removed, and sliced
3 long green sweet bell peppers, de-seeded, piths removed, and sliced
2 long red sweet bell peppers, de-seeded, piths removed, and sliced

1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
4 oz crumbled feta cheese
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Dressing:
2 tspns balsamic vinegar
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
Sprinkle of salt and pepper

~ In an extra large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. When oil is shimmering, add the veggies. Stir frequently, making sure all sides of veggies touch the bottom of the pan and get a little browning. Let cook 5 minutes. 
~ While veggies cook, combine dressing ingredients and set aside. 
~ Remove veggies to a large glass bowl. Let cool to room temperature, about 20-30 minutes. 
~ Add dressing, pecans, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta cheese. Toss gently, being sure to coat all of the ingredients in the dressing. Serve at room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator if you prefer to eat it cold.
~ Enjoy your veggies! :-) 

~Lex

Low-Carb Chicken Parmesan

What could possibly be better than a thin, juicy chicken breast, crisply crusted, and then spread with marinara sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese? If you guessed almost nothing, you are absolutely correct. 

This was last night's dinner. It does take some time to "bread" all of the cutlets, but if you're only cooking for one or two the prep time can be reduced significantly. I served these atop some spiralized summer squash, but this can be served on its own with a colorful salad.

Low-Carb Chicken Parmesan
Serves 5 (2 each) or 10 (1 each)

5 large chicken breasts, halved lengthwise and pounded to a 1/4 inch thickness
2 large eggs, beaten
4 cups plain ground pork rinds (be sure to get the ones without added salt or preservatives)
1 tspn salt
1 tspn ground black pepper
8 oz block mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 1/4 cups marinara sauce ( I made Giada's and added 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves and 1/2 bunch fresh parsley, chopped before simmering)
2/3 cup coconut oil, divided

~ Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. This'll keep the chicken warm and crispy as you cook through the batches. Have a large baking sheet ready for the cooked chicken. 
~ Prepare your dipping station. Add the eggs to a shallow dish or bowl; add ground pork rinds to another shallow dish or bowl. Have a baking sheet with the unbreaded chicken and a baking sheet ready for the breaded chicken. (I know it sounds like a lot, but this'll help cooking the chicken in batches go a lot smoother)
~ Dip a chicken breast (both sides) in the egg, let excess drip off. Immediately dip both sides in the ground pork rinds. Let excess crumble off.  
~ Repeat above step with remaining chicken breasts. 
~Heat an extra large skillet over medium heat and add 1/3 cup coconut oil. When oil is shimmering, add in 4 coated chicken breasts. Cook until golden brown and edges are cooked, about 3 or 4 minutes. Carefully turn over and cook another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove chicken to baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm.
~Add in the remaining 1/3 cup coconut oil, swirl it around the pan, and add 4 more coated chicken breasts. Cook and remove, then add the last 2 coated chicken breasts, cook and remove.
~ Spoon 2 tbsp of warmed marinara sauce over each chicken breast. Top with 2 tbsp shredded cheese (or more if you like it cheesier) and put under the broiler. Watch carefully at this point. It'll take only a few minutes for the cheese to melt and get bubbly. I personally like a little golden-brownness on my cheese, but if you don't take the chicken out when the cheese is melted to your liking. 
~ Enjoy!

What's your favorite way to eat chicken parmesan? 

~Lex