Ken Verheecke's Gifts and Lee Ann's Crab Dip

This is a two part blog post, so bear with me.

The first thing I want to share with you is this talented guy my daughter works with.

Of course, since she works in a music store, there are a lot of talented people around!

Ken Verheecke is a musician and a photographer. Listen to one of his pieces while you read the rest of today's post:

Ken's photographs are fabulous. With his permission, I thought I'd share them with you today. These are from a hike he took last week in our beautiful Black Hills.

photo by Ken Verheecke

Ken said this was "a quick shot" (photo by Ken Verheecke)

And then a couple he took on Saturday -

"Evening Tree" photo by Ken Verheecke

"Beneath a Prairie Moon" photo by Ken Verheecke

Aren't those spectacular? We are so blessed to live a lovely part of the world, both the Hills and the Prairie.


Now for part 2 of this post -

One big change in my life last year was that I switched to a smart phone. I wasn't sure I wanted to give up my trusty flip phone, but the deal was too good. It's a love/hate relationship.  But a couple months ago, I joined a new (for me) social media site called Two Grand by downloading the app. It's a way to keep a food journal by keeping a photo log - but it's also a social site. I've connected with other women who have the same dietary goals I do and we give each other a lot of support.

And sometimes we swap recipes! Now, how cool is that?

Last week, Lee Ann posted a picture of her snack. Right away, I knew I had to have this recipe.

Before I share it though, keep in mind that this is really Lee Ann's Mom's recipe. She said her mom probably compiled it from several church recipe books, and then she was guessing at the amounts...sounds like my kind of recipe :)

Lee Ann's Crab Dip

Ingredients:

About one pound crab meat (I used the fake "crab" meat and it was delicious)
1/3 cup mayo
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons finely minced onion
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
a couple shakes cayenne pepper
black pepper
(small dash of sweetener if you use real crab)

Flake the crab meat and mix with the other ingredients in a medium bowl, and then put the mixture in a greased 9" x 9" square baking dish.

Bake at 450° for about 20 minutes.

Serve with crackers. Or if you're doing the lo-carb thing, make lavash crackers.

Lavash Crackers

Look for lavash bread in your supermarket's deli section. One brand is Joseph's. Lavash bread is a flat bread - look for the lo-carb package.

Take 1/2 lavash bread, and slice it into cracker sized pieces (I use my pizza cutter for this - easy-peasy). Lay the pieces on a piece of paper towel on a microwave safe plate. Microwave for about 1 minute. Crackers!

This is a great snack for winter afternoons - especially Sunday afternoons as you watch the Broncos head to the Superbowl in the playoffs :)

Or as a light supper while you watch the new season of Downton Abbey :)

Happy January, everybody!

Chicken 'n' Bacon Lavash Rolls

I can hear all of you saying, "What in the world is a Lavash Roll?"

This was something I've been introduced to since starting to eat the Trim Healthy Mama way.

These are available at Walmart or almost any other grocery store, usually in the deli section with the other specialty breads. They're great because they're LOW carb, LOW fat and HIGH protein :)

And if you've ever been on a lower carb diet, you know one of the big challenges is finding something close to bread that you can eat and not blow your diet. These can be part of your answer.

I love these as crackers. I take half of a square, cut it into cracker sized pieces, lay them out on top of a microwave safe plate lined with a paper towel or parchment paper, and microwave for a minute. Top each cracker with a smear of peanut butter....

Just a minute - it's time for my afternoon snack. I'll be back in a jiffy!

Mmm.... Peanut butter....

Now, back to the Chicken 'n' Bacon Lavash rolls!

These are super easy.  Preheat your oven to 375°.

First, cut a small chicken breast and two slices of bacon into small pieces, then cook them together with some onion and seasoning until the chicken and bacon are both done.

I used this seasoning -

But you can use whatever you have on hand.

Spread a piece of Lavash bread out on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Pile the chicken and bacon in the middle, and top with shredded cheese. I think I'm going to add some cubes of cream cheese along with the shredded Colby and Monterrey Jack cheeses next time.

Fold the long edges in...

...and roll up, making sure the seam is on the bottom when you're done.

Sprinkle the top with a little cheese... (I forgot to brush some olive oil on the top - it really makes a difference!)...

...and bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes, or until the cheese is all melted and the bread is slightly browned.

Cut in half, and enjoy!

One great thing about this roll-up is that you can use whatever ingredients you want. I also love it with ground beef, cream cheese, onions and peppers to make a Philly-style sandwich.

Or you can use scrambled eggs, sausage, cheese and salsa to make a breakfast burrito.

Or...well, use your imagination (and the ingredients in your refrigerator!). Have fun!