DIY: How to Hide a Thermostat

Normally thermostats aren't a big concern, in our apartment the thermostat was awkwardly placed off center to the middle of the wall. To top it off, it's crooked. We only have a gas heater, no air conditioning, which means we only use the heat a few months out of the year. The rest of the year we have a crooked off white thermostat in the middle of the couch distracting from any art. Originally I had hung this poster from Ikea off center of the couch because I couldn't hang it over the thermostat.

Low Carb Shrimp Scampi w/ Miracle Noodles

This is a super low carb/low fat version of one of my personal favorites. Lemon and garlic work so well with the shrimp you don't need butter or oil to make it taste great!

Garlic, Lemon, and Parsley Chicken

  A very simple dish that incorporates the same ingredients and flavors from this shrimp recipe. Most likely you have these ingredients on hand, but if you don't they're very cheap and easy to find! I love garlic and lemon paired with chicken, and fresh parsley really is a match made in heaven with canned tomatoes. The no salt added canned tomatoes tend to be a little low on flavor, but adding fresh parsley and course ground black pepper really livens up this dish! 

Baked Shrimp

Oh my goodness, who knew eating "diet" food could be this enjoyable?! This is by far one of the best dishes I've had, and I'm really excited to share it with you!

Chocolate Cheesecake with Peppermint Chocolate Glaze

  These little chocolate cheesecake squares were such a treat for Christmas! My sister is a Winter Solstice baby and she loves peppermint, so I made these as a birthday/holiday treat. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, I'm looking forward to a new year ^_^

Spicy Asian Chicken Stir Fry, under 250 calories

  Oh don't worry, you haven't been redirected to the wrong page. The dish pictured above was indeed 218 calories total!

  The stir fry came out spicy and sweet with a hint of toasted sesame. More importantly it's super filling thanks to the lean chicken breast and Miracle Noodles. Check out Miracle Noodles (shirataki noodles) online if you haven't heard much about them, I bought mine off Amazon.

Fajita Bowls for 200 Calories

I'm back on the low calorie, no fat, no sugar, nothing processed, etc part of my diet. It's been fine so far, and I'm finally in the 140's! My hubby got steak fajitas for dinner the other night and it crushed my spirits just a teensy bit. The aroma of sizzling spicy flank steak paired with creamy sour cream and guacamole is hard to endure! Today I decided I would make a diet friendly version of the dish. I swapped out bell peppers for English cucumber to save calories and sugar, and used ground turkey instead of steak. To top it I used a tablespoon of very hot salsa and a dab of Greek yogurt, served with wedges of lime of course!

No Bake Pumpkin "Cheesecake"

Yummms. This is a great treat for Fall, I love pumpkin spice anything ^_^ This delicious creamy dessert is just under 4 grams of carbs per serving, so the carb and sugar count is much lower than most desserts. The best part? It's a no bake dessert. It never sets up fully so it's best served in a bowl, and scooped out with a spatula =P You could sub whipped cream for the coconut milk and add eggs to make this a regular cheesecake that you can bake! I was just being lazy!

*Updated* Low Carb Pancake Recipe

The first time I made the pancakes I instantly had to blog it. Since then, I've made them 52 several times and I've decided on my favorite way. It's not much different, but it will give you really thin and creamy pancakes versus the first batch which rendered thick and dense flapjacks. If you aren't too familiar with flax meal, keep an eye out for a variety that says "Golden Flax Meal." It looks and tastes more like regular flour; the standard flax meal is darker in color and although the same in nutritional value I swear it tastes healthier . . . I could be wrong, but I love the golden stuff! The main difference here is subbing water for some of the egg whites. I realized when I was cooking this morning that halfway through the batch seemed to shrink up and I was getting small little pancakes. I added a splash of water and ended up giving my hubby 2 amazingly thin and golden, beautiful pancakes (he ate them before I could get a picture).

A Trip to Paradise

A sign I saw in Flagstaff, AZ said we were in paradise. I believe it! It was absolutely beautiful. Hubby and I just got back from a 3+ day vacation in Arizona, where we went to the Grand Canyon!! I had never been, and I must say it was one of my favorite trips ever. It was just me, hubby, and his grandmother. We hiked, quite a lot actually, and enjoyed a lazy river raft ride through Glen Canyon. This was the most beautiful and memorable trip, and I think it's turned me into a mountain woman! I can't wait to hike again and I'm hoping to do some camping sometime soon!