Picadillo Lettuce Wraps

One of David's favorite meals is one of my easiest {gotta love that}.
It's delicious, simple, and healthy.
Had to share it.

Meet the Beef Picadillo Lettuce Wrap

source

Obviously, my camera is still broken and photos from my phone are less than desirable...so I've cited any pics I've used for this post.

Beef Picadillo Lettuce Wrap
Heavily adapted from Southern Living Cookbook: America's Best Home Cooking
Prep: 10 min.
Cook: 15-20 min.
Yield: 6 servings.

Ingredients

• 1 lb extra-lean organic, grass-fed beef
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Olive oil cooking spray
• 1/2 cup organic, no-salt added tomato sauce
• 2-3 Tbsp hot sauce (I used Frank's)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• Romaine or Butter lettuce leaves
• 1 tomato, diced for topping (optional)
• 0% Greek yogurt for topping, in place of sour cream (optional)
• low-fat colby-jack cheese for topping (optional)

Directions

1. Cook ground beef and minced garlic in large non-stick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat for 10 minutes or until beef crumbles and is no longer pink.  Drain and pat with paper towels (the beef I buy is so lean I don't need to drain).
2. Stir in next 5 ingredients and simmer until mixture becomes thickened slightly (you don't want it runny). Serve immediately in lettuce leaves with additional toppings if desired.

That's it!
This recipe is super versatile. You can use ground turkey instead of beef, add veggies to the meat mixture (onions and peppers were suggested), or pair it with a side of black beans and/or rice. I usually just make these with the optional toppings and no sides. It's perfect for us, but feel free to adjust to suit your tastes.

NYC - Day 3

Read about Day 2 here...

Day 3 started bright and early.

We were all feeling the fatigue of full, long days...but it's so hard to let exhaustion beat you on vacation.

We left our hotel and walked a few short minutes to the Doughnut Plant in Chelsea

(they also have a location on the Lower East Side).

Breakfast was a perfect collection of fat, sugar, and carbohydrates.

I ordered the coconut cream yeast doughnut (and a blackout cake donut [chocolate cake with ribbon of chocolate pudding and crusted with chocolate crumbs for later]).

Ania and Megan each tried a few too.

We were not disappointed.

I have to pause to tell you about this sinful indulgence.

This coconut cream yeast doughnut was...well...

the BEST doughnut of my life.

 Nothing average - It was unlike anything I've ever had.

It's ruined my taste for the ordinary, yucky; heavy doughnut found 'round the corner.

I say, if you're gonna eat the calories, make them worth it.

This square piece of heaven was WORTH it.

The dough - light, fluffy, chewy, and filled with perfect little air pockets.

The filling - creamy, flavorful, and perfectly proportioned.

A dream.

Seriously.

If you ever go to NYC...stop here! 

Me in the heart of Little Italy...making my momma proud.

After checking out of our hotel {but leaving our bags} we set off for more exploring before our evening flight home.

We took the subway down to Canal Street in Chinatown and did some walking around.

It wasn't really our scene though. We were 1) pretty overwhelmed by the mass of people and 2) disappointed as every shop had exactly the same {cheap-touristy} items.

And the people...wow. Pushy and creepy about sum it up.

Me and Ania at lunch

We turned down Mulberry Street and found ourselves in Little Italy.

Wow, what a difference from Canal Street!

Beautiful shop fronts, restaurants, and small museums...it was like a whole other world.

It was already lunchtime and we were starved so we stopped in a charming little Italian restaurant on Mulberry Street (those Italians...they are charmers).

My camera died earlier that morning (why me?!) but Ania and Megan took pics of their prosciutto de parma pizzas.

How delicious does that look?

I got regular pepperoni...but oh, oh, oh...

Simple, fresh; authentic ingredients done well make all the difference.

It was SOOOOO good.

Like I-ate-it-all good.

I didn't have that over-stuffed, gross-out feeling either.

After exploring Little Italy a bit more, we decided we'd seen enough so we hopped on the subway for a short ride downtown.  Our subway stop dropped us off right in front of the Brooklyn Bridge. We knew we didn't have enough time to walk it so we snapped a few pics and bolted down to the financial district to see the 9/11 site. 

Directly across from the 9/11 grounds was a little movement called Occupy Wall Street.

Anyone heard of it?

It was packed with protesters, gawkers, and police alike.

In fact, you weren't allowed to stop moving as you walked by. The police were quick to keep people progressing so it felt a bit hectic and chaotic.

Directly across from the OWS peeps was the 1 World Trade Center building

(formerly known as Freedom Tower).

It's still under construction but was so moving to see.

We wanted to go in to see the 9/11 memorial but the line was ridiculous and time would not allow.

Even though we didn't go in, there was something so special and almost hallowed about that place.

My mind kept replaying what happened that day and the days after.

It was all I could do to hold back tears.

I was moved. Still am.

 One day I want to come back and go through the memorial - something I know that will be both painful and beautiful.

We made it back to our hotel and had about 30 minutes to sit and relax before our shuttle came to pick us up.

While waiting we noticed this sweet guy outside the window.

Ania (a MAJOR animal lover) went out and snapped his pic.

I kinda felt bad for him though.

He looked like he wanted to get out of that van and play, but he was chained in. :(

Another interesting ride to the airport left me feeling tired (and ready for some veggies & a sweaty workout) but so happy.

I had an amazing weekend in New York but couldn't help but get excited about heading home to the land of large cups, open spaces, and friendly faces.

Thanks New York {and my sweet friends} for an incredible trip!

*  *  *  *  *

Tag You're It: My First Award

I'm taking a short intermission from my NYC trip re-cap today to share my first blog award w/ you. If you're dyyyyying to know what happened on our last day though, don't worry, I'll be back tomorrow with the final post.

If you're not reading Erin's blog at His and Hers then you should now. She's hysterical, real, and super sweet. Erin (a teacher) and her husband Rick (a pharmacist) are renovating their gorgeous 100+ year old house one room at a time. Can you say dream?

I was so excited this morning to see she passed along this award to ME {my first}

Ok, truth be told I'm not sure what the rules are. I think I pass it along to 7 other bloggers?

Yes, no? I don't know.

I'll do my best. Here are some of my favorite blogs that (I don't think) have received this award...if you have I'm sorry.

Kathleen @ The Daily Crumb

Sweet, genuine, and honest, Kathleen's blog is full of things I love to read about: family, food, fitness, love, life, and travel.

Vanessa @ Nifty Thrifty Things

Vanessa lives in Germany with her Texan husband (so much to like already). She's super sweet and her blog is full of budget-friendly creative ideas for house and home.

Amanda @ Theologigal

Amanda is a close personal friend and a terrific writer and thinker. If you're interested in deeper ponderings on life and faith then I cannot recommend her blog enough. It's blow-your-mind kinda stuff.

Jessica @ O.Alouette

Jessica's adorable blog is full of terrific inspiration, ideas, and crafts for your home. Just last week she posted a recipe for sopapilla cheesecake (please oh, please try it).

 

-     -    -    -    -    -

Now for 7 random or little-known facts about me. Oh boy.

1. I rarely listen to the radio/music.  I used to drive ALOT so you'd think with all the time I spent on the road that I'd have a Pandora station or music list to help dispel the road rage. In reality though I spent 90% of my drive-time in total silence. It was a brief, but much needed, reprieve from the busyness, noise, and clamour of the day - just me and my thoughts. I still do it now though because 1) most radio stations annoy me after a while and 2) nothing calms me like being able to process my thoughts/pray/etc in the quiet of a car. I know some people get nervous without music or noise but it bothers me naught. Little disclaimer: Music is still great though. 

2. I kinda hate the color red.  Ok, before you stone me let me just say that I can appreciate how it looks in other people's decor and/or in clothing etc. Red isn't a bad color; it just makes me feel weird. Like if I had a house full of red, it wouldn't feel like me. I don't dislike it in other people's homes or feel uncomfortable there, but it's just not a color I want to be surrounded by in my home or closet. Does that make sense or am I a total weirdo? I don't know why this is...my mom's home is cozy and lovely and full of warm reds, ochres, browns, and golds...I love it there...but when I think about my home I'm always drawn toward cooler colors. Beats me.

3. I have a major case of the wanderlusts. Seriously what a great word..."wanderlusts". I've been kind of obsessed with traveling as long as I can remember. My first flight was when I was 6 months old and my first solo-flight was at 4-5 years old (TX to OH). I love flying {which is strange b/c of my insane fear of heights}, I love the adventure of exploring a new place and learning new things {which is funny b/c I'm NOT an adventurous kinda gal}; I love that traveling forces you to push and test yourself in new ways. Most of all I love experiencing the history, culture, and on-the-ground experience of new places. It forces me to see beyond my little world and makes me wrestle with preconceived notions I've held (maybe without realizing) about other places, cultures, people, and yes, even myself.

4. I've experienced lots of heartache.  Debbie Downer here, but it's true. It's easy to only talk about the good parts of your life (or even present them in a way that makes them seem better than they are) but I want to be real and honest. My life isn't perfect.  I've suffered abuse at the hands of others (not parents/family fyi), heartache from the tragic loss of close family members, dark trials in my marriage; and [perhaps most painfully] faced the reality of my own brokenness. I have wounded people I loved deeply, behaved in ways I never thought possible, and lied to myself more than anyone ever has. I see my constant and ever-present need for grace, mercy; forgiveness and pray to be able to extend the same to others when they need it. At the end of the day, I know my heart; I'm full of self-righteousness, judgment, and hard-heartedness. It's ugly people.  

^"But God {emphasis mine}, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved"

Ephesians 2:4-5

5. I use an electric toothbrush. I will NEVER go back. NEVER.

6. I grew up poor.  Boy I'm up-and-down here...haha.

I lived in a trailer house on a little gravel alley for the first 8 years of my life. During the cold months I would yank the blanket off my bed and make a little tent over the floor vents (anyone know what I'm talking about?). Sometimes I'd wake up with metal lines on my body from where I fell asleep over the grate. My mom would freak out when she'd find me in the morning (I think she was afraid of me catching fire or something...I dunno). When I was 8 we moved into an OLD house that was bigger than our little trailer but had NO central heat/air and NO insulation. I lived here until I moved off to college. In the winter I'd sleep under layers of covers with an electric blanket and my letter jacket. The overhead light in my room never worked (we had no idea why) and I only had one usable outlet, so I had to use a big flashlight as my "overhead" lighting.

They were hard times yes, but I am so grateful for that season of my life. It's shaped me in powerful ways and showed me that there are far worse things than not having much (materially). We were rich in many ways: We always had parents that (though divorced) did their best to provide and care for us in incredible ways.  We always had food to eat. It may not have been what I wanted...but our tummy's were full. But most importantly, we always had love. Always.

7. I hate roller coasters. Passionately. Epically. I will weep. I will wail. Do not make me get on one. When I was in high school I challenged myself to ride every "major" ride at Six Flags. I did it knowing full well I'd never like them, but everyone else liked them and I didn't want to be left out. The results were as predicted. Hated them. Then a few years ago Ania, David, and I went back to Six Flags. They both love roller coasters and talked me into getting onto a new kind of ride (the one where your feet dangle). Ania and I both were in tears by the first turn and the water-works didn't stop for me even after we were off the ride. I'm a sissy and a land-lover.

Surprised? Relate?

I wanna know.



NYC Day 2

If you missed Day 1 read it HERE.

Megan, Me, Ania

Saturday morning came too soon but we were excited to get out of bed and cross some more to-do's off our list.

After a stop at City Bakery for some muffins and a hot beverage of our choosing,

(I ordered green tea...got peppermint. Boo)

we began our LONG walk down 5th Avenue toward Central Park and The Met.

It is at this point that I might pause to discuss my disposition.

I was grumpy.

My feet were hurting pretty badly from the previous night.  The walk was long and each step was brutal.

I was hormonal (stupid Flo).

I was tired

(2 nights before trip of next to no sleep finally caught up with me).

I didn't get my green tea.

We had originally decided we were going to walk everywhere.

None of us wanted to pay for a cab (pricey!) or deal with road traffic.

And we were all a little intimidated by the subway system.

Walking seemed like the best option.

At least at this point...

Ania took my pic in front of the New York Public Library...here's her camera/editing

Here's mine...haha.

You can tell who the artist is.

Next we hit Rockefeller Center.

The ice rink was smaller than we expected but the cops were nice and even took our picture.

We also walked by the Chrysler Building, Grand Central Station, and St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Once we finally made it to the edge of Central Park by The Plaza, it was time to stop into FAO Schwartz for some refreshments and this sweet thing.

Have you heard about Sophie?

She's supposed to be the best for teething babies...and adorable to boot.

Megan picked Sophie up for her 4 month old baby boy, Fisher. 

{Can you believe Megan is the momma of two precious boys?

She makes motherhood look easy and good.}

Parker

Fisher

So cute.  

I digress...

After {what's that?} mooooore walking (and more grumpy Faith) we finally arrived at The Met.

It's impossible to describe The Met.

I couldn't show even a hint of the treasures we saw.

Suffice it to say, if you love museums, you'll love The Met...so plan on spending a whole day (or 2) there.

It's impossible to see it all in a short time.

Impossible.

And overwhelming.

Tip: Take the elevator up to the rooftop deck. There is a bar where you can purchase expensive drinks (we didn't) but the views of Central Park and the city are incredible.

There weren't many people up there which made me wonder if many people know this exists.

It's a must-see.

After we left The Met we were famished and walked through Central Park...

To this place...

Gray's Papaya on the Upper West Side

where I quickly devoured a hotdog and a glass of papaya juice.

But with no where to sit and rest my screaming feet, my grumpiness was not relieved.

And I was still hungry {one hotdog did NOT do the trick}. 

Favorite picture from our trip!

After some shopping and yummy treats at Tasti D'lite we decided to try the subway.

Honestly my nerves were still pretty raw and I felt like I was gonna cry at any moment.

Hormones were the main culprit but fatigue and the ridiculous amount of pain immenating from my feet we also nasty influences.

I'm typically not one who deals well with changes.

Although I've grown a LOT over the past few years, it's still a challenge for me to be flexible and not rigid.

I'm always worried or expecting the worst in situations where I feel ill-prepared or uncomfortable.

I hate this about myself...but I still struggle.

Taking the subway was a change that I was uncomfortable with (but honestly also relieved once we did it).

Mostly though, I was frustrated with myself and was afraid I was going to ruin our trip.

Having deep gashes on both the heels and ankles of both legs was excruciating and made me miserable company.

I was mad at myself but it ended up coming out toward my friends.

:(

I'm sorry guys.

I was not much fun for a while and I hope you can forgive me.

After a successful subway ride {Megan was our master navigator this weekend} back to the fashion district {and so glad we rode the subway} my mood was much improved! 

Ania has been a french macaron lover for years.

She turned both Megan and I on to these amazing little cookies and we've even made them (or attempted...they're hard) multiple times before.

So, of course, we had to track down a french macaron shop in Manhattan.

Macaron Cafe was amazing!!!

We have some pretty great macarons in Dallas but these were by far my favorite EVER.

I tried the pistachio, vanilla cream, strawberry, and chocolate coconut.

Mmmmm....

Another tip: Macarons are always best chilled. If you get them to-go and don't plan on eating them right away, make sure you chill them before eating. Trust me.

After our much un-needed cookie break, we got back on the subway to Bleecker Street in the West Village.

We strolled down this charming street and enjoyed all the cute and quirky little shops.

By this time it was getting dark so we stopped for dinner at a quaint little restaurant where I had one of the best gyro's this side of Greece {can't top the original}.

And then cupcakes {like we needed the sugar} at Magnolia Bakery.

We actually waited in line for these first because the line was around the corner and down the side of the building. Then we grabbed dinner and then munched on our cupcakes later that evening.

I got the chocolate cake with chocolate icing...and then scrapped the icing off b/c I'm not a big icing fan.

I thought the cupcakes were good but nothing outrageous...but maybe I had a sugar overload that day so my tastebuds weren't functioning properly.

Ania and Megan LOVED them though!

________

See you tomorrow for day 3!!

Have you been to NYC?

What's your favorite place to eat, see, or do?

Have you ever been grumpy on vacation?

How did you get through it?

New York City: Day 1

Me, Megan, and Ania

Day 1 started at 4:30am.

The girls stayed the night at my place so we woke up, packed the car, and headed to the airport {David was off that day so he drove us}.  We were SO surprised by how many people were at the airport that early and because of the congestion security took us forrrrever. 

We had just enough time to grab a bagel and drink before boarding the packed plane and heading to New York. 

Once we landed we were picked up by our pre-paid shuttle and enjoyed the interesting drive into Manhattan.

Wow the roads here are bad.

We shared the shuttle with a few other people and ended up being the last to be dropped off {I actually don't think our driver knew where our hotel was since it was brand new}. But we made it and were able to check right into our room...a big relief since official check-in wasn't until 4pm.

We quickly freshened up and then set out to explore the city.

First up, FOOD.

Fortunately our hotel was just around the corner from the original Shake Shack.

The line was long but the food was well worth the wait.

I could go for one right now. Mmmm.

Empire State Building views from the park after lunch.

After lunch we set off on foot to explore more of the city.

We headed up to the Garment District and made a stop at Mood Designer Fabrics

{where I secretly hoped to meet Tim Gunn.}

That didn't happen but if you saw my tweet, we did meet see someone famous...

Yep, Kate Gosselin.

Here's the story:

 Mood is big.

3 stories worth of fabric big.

Ania, Megan, and I were wandering separately around the store.

I was down on the 2nd floor (main entrance is 3rd) looking at upholstery fabrics and, after finishing, I went to see what the girls found.

I began to ascend the staircase on the 3rd floor when I look up and see Ania and Megan at the top. Ania began making huge handmotions, mouthing "the blonde," and pointing downward.

I looked immediately to my right and saw the back of a cute, slim blonde woman at the fabric counter.

Then it happened.

Still uncertain of what the girls were telling me {cute outfit, celebrity, creeper?} I stopped on the stairs.  Slowly, the blonde turned and [as if sensing danger] locked her eyes squarely on mine.

I couldn't move.

It was Kate.

Yep, no doubt. I'm like 5 feet away.

And she had it out for me.

It seemed like 30 minutes before I could break the voo-doo stare and prompt my legs to move up those stairs...but I did it friends.

I did it.

Apparently, Ania and Megan saw her first. Ania, being the cool, collected woman she is, whipped her phone out to snap a pic. Kate {who must have epic Mommy-vision} saw her and although Ania tried to play it cool...the game was up.

Kate was on high-alert. 

I have to say though, I feel for Kate.

She's never been an easily lovable lady {before or after the split} but I wonder how I'd handle her life if I were her.

 8 babies. Jon. TV. Criticism. Divorce. Etc.

She's been in survival mode for so long a part of me understands her guarded, cynical; harsh exterior.

 I might be the same way.

Moving on...

We left Mood empty-handed and set out on the streets again.

I swear we walked like 15+ miles this weekend.

After a little more walking we arrived in Times Square.

It was chaos and light and beauty and grit.

And peddlers...yea, those too.

By this time it was starting to get dark and we were {again} starving so we decided to head back in the direction of our hotel for more exploring and some grub.

spidey Megan in the creepy hotel hallway

We stopped in the hotel to change where I made the fatal decision to put on the flats I packed.

Look at those flesh-cutters.

I should have known better than to pack flats that are stiff...ugh.

Lesson learned.

Within a few minutes of leaving our hotel the back of my ankles were eaten up and oozing.

You're welcome.

So after an emergency stop to buy new flats {thank you Gap} we had dinner at a small pizza place and then strolled down to Eataly's for some Cioccolata (aka Italian hot chocolate).

This stuff was RICH and THICK.

Do you see the skin?

It was more like syrup than a drinkable beverage.

Megan doctored hers with some skim milk and it was much better, so I did the same.

Definitely a fun experience though.

Once we finally made it back to our room we were exhausted and ready to enjoy the luxuries of our room:

Mechanized blackout drapes

{loved pushing a button from the bed and falling into total slumber paradise}

iHome entertainment system

One-touch lighting

Electronic Housekeeping and Do Not Disturb pad/display

etc...

Our hotel was a beautiful retreat from busyness of the city.

And the bathroom...

Although small {hello we're in NY not TX} it was decked out.

TV in the mirror

8 head shower.

Plush linens.

High-end finishes.

Did I mention the shower?

Oh man...divine.

Thank you Moen.

After showers we crawled in bed and were OUT.

We definitely needed some sleep after a long but great day.

Stay tuned tomorrow for our day 2 adventures!!