Pumpkin Pie Spice Turkey Wrap and Some Puffins

A fellow foodie on mine has a knack for making delicious foods with some strange combinations. She has not steered me wrong yet, but sometimes some of the stuff raises a few eyebrows, however I happen to be a big believer in don't knock it till you try it!

I channeled some inspiration from her and made a wrap for lunch. I used half of a low carb high fiber GF wrap an smeared some Jif Whips pumpkin pie spice peanut butter down the center of the wrap. Next I added romaine lettuce, oven roasted turkey breast, smashed avocado, red and orange bell pepper slices, cherry tomatoes, two tablespoons freshly grated mozzarella cheese and a pinch of Caribbean jerk seasoning. 

I know it sounds like an odd combination with pumpkin peanut butter and jerk seasoning, but I promise it was so delicious. The wrap was so full when I actually wrapped it I had to use a toothpick to keep it closed! 

With my wrap I had 1/2 cup vanilla greek yogurt, two tablespoons GF puffins and a small handful of fresh blueberries. 

If you have any odd combinations of food please share with me or tag me in your Instagram photos, I'd love to see them and taste them for myself!

Crockpot Turkey Meatballs

This might be shocking but in all of my 20 years I have never had a meatball (GASP)! Strange right? Well maybe it's not that strange. There are a lot of foods I've never tried. And if you think that's weird list off classic childhood Disney movies and I bet I may have see one or two, maybe. 

Anyway awhile back I saw a posting about meatballs and I got an idea. Normally meatballs are made with ground beef, which I don't eat. But why couldn't meatballs be made with ground turkey instead? Even better why not do crockpot meat balls to get a really great flavor!?! I was really really happy with how the meatballs turned out and I promise they won't disappoint! Plus these delicious meatballs are low in calories and sodium, have practically no sugar and are packed with protein.

There are endless ways to enjoy meatballs. I love serving mine over cooked spaghetti squash, but you can eat them with pasta or over a salad (which is delicious!), you really can't go wrong serving them any way. You can even top them off with a little extra parmesan cheese if you'd like. My fridge is now loaded with delicious meatballs for the week and my apartment smells heavenly! 

Turkey Meatballs

• 2 pounds extra lean ground turkey
• 2/3 cup GF bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• pinch of pepper
• 1 medium sweet onion, diced
• 28 ounce can peeled and crushed tomatoes, if you like extra sauce use an additional 14.5 ounce can

Line a large baking sheet with tin foil. 

In a large mixing bowl combine egg, olive oil, garlic, oregano, basil, pepper and bread crumbs. Thoroughly combine.

Add ground turkey into mixing bowl. Use a fork to combine ground turkey and bread crumb/spice mixture. Stir just enough to combine without over mixing. 

Use your hands and roll the meat into small/medium meatballs. I was able to get over 40 golf balls sized meatballs.

Once all meatballs have been rolled spray a skillet with nonstick cook spray and heat to a medium heat. 

Brown both sides of the meatballs, do not cook them all the way through! I was able to brown 9 meatballs at a time so it did not take very long at all. You don't want to skip this step because it really seals in the flavor.

As I browned the meatballs I put the finished ones back on the tin foil. 

After all the meatballs have been browned place the diced onion at the bottom of a lined crockpot. Dump a bit of the tomatoes on top of the onion. 

Layer in the meatballs. Depending on the size of your crockpot you may have to double stack some.

Pour the remaining crushed tomatoes over meatballs. 

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze leftover meatballs and sauce for later use.

Nutrition (per meatball):

Calories: 48

Carbs: 3 

Fats: 2 grams

Protein: 4 grams

Sodium: 57 mg

Sugar: 1 gram

Study Grind

As you have probably noticed I have been MIA for the past week. I had a statistics exam, which I was totally freaked about so I spent a ton of time studying for that. Then this week is also midterms. It's hard to believe the semester is already half over. I am not complaining, but since school has started I have hardly had a minute to catch my breath, let alone blog. I still have posts from Labor Day weekend to put together- talk about slacking!

Yesterday was kind of a crummy day all around. I woke up really early (like 4am early) and could not fall back asleep. I got up, got a quick breakfast and figured I would get a nice long gym session in before studying. When I got over the gym I couldn't get in. I was frustrated not only because I couldn't get in, but the gym on campus doesn't open until 6. I went back to my apartment grumpy. Come to find out no one can get into the apartment gym, the finger print scanner system is screwed up and maintenance won't look at it until Monday (grrr). So, before it was even 5am I was already studying. 

Last night in the midst of studying for three exams, one quiz, and writing two essays I needed a breather. I stopped studying around 5 and called it a night. I broiled some delicious salmon, cooked up some potatoes, green beans and red pepper and made a small side salad. A delicious meal was just what I needed to unwind after a long day.

The salad was a mix of romaine and spring mix lettuces with red and orange bell peppers, avocado slices, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, blueberries, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, a few dried cherries and a two slices of dried coconut broken apart. I love adding fruit to my salad for extra sweetness. 

While eating my yummy meal I watched some TV, which NEVER happens with me. There really was not anything on so ended up watching 19 Kids and Counting. I could make a whole post about that show, but I shall keep my opinions to myself. 

I hope everyone is having a great weekend, stay warm it is chilly outside! And I do have a new crockpot recipe to share with you on Monday, you won't want to miss it!