Mariachi Chicken Flatbread Pizza

Something we became addicted to before going low carb was Donato's thin crust Mariachi chicken pizza.  They are the only pizza place that delivers to our neck of the woods, but I think I might drive an hour just to pick up one of them!  The pizza is topped with chicken breast, roma tomatoes, and sliced jalapenos.  Three simple ingredients that combined with the delicious sauce that Donato's uses create a very divine flavor!  Also, they deliver it with sour cream which gives the perfect cool down to each bite of this spicy pizza.

Although we have treated ourselves to this pizza once since going low carb, it is by no means acceptable on our "diet".  I knew it would be difficult to recreate the exact flavors, but making a lower carb version was a must.  Today I think I came pretty darn close!  Inspired by a piece of leftover chicken breast in the fridge, I grabbed the spaghetti sauce, a fresh tomato, the jar of jalapenos, and shredded cheese.  And of course the bed for all of those delicious ingredients,  the Flatout wrap!  The size and thickness of these wraps makes them perfect for individual pizzas, and at only 6 net carbs, they're totally worth it!

The entire recipe has approximately 15 net carbs, but that will vary depending on the sauce you use.  I sliced the finished pizza into 6 pieces and served it with a tablespoon of sour cream.  You could easily save on the carbs by sharing this so two people would get 3 pieces each and serve a small salad with it (more veggie carbs!).  I, on the other hand, devoured the entire thing by myself.  It looked beautiful and tasted even better!  I will definitely be making another one of these again soon!

Mariachi Chicken Flatbread Pizza

• 1 Flatout wrap
• 1 tsp olive or canola oil
• 1/2 cup marinara or pizza sauce
• 1 chicken breast, cooked and diced
• 1/2 roma tomato, diced
• 1-2 Tbsp jalapeno, diced
• 1/4 cup shredded Mexican style cheese
• dash red pepper flake and/or Italian seasoning (optional)

To prepare the wrap for it to become a sturdy pizza crust, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Brush both sides of the wrap with a little olive or canola oil and place directly on the oven rack for about 5 minutes, flipping once halfway through.  That crips up the wrap just enough for it to hold up well with sauce and all the toppings, even when sliced into pieces.  After the 5 minutes, pull the wrap out of the oven and place on a foiled line baking sheet.  

Assemble the flatbread pizza by spreading the pizza sauce or marinara, whichever you choose, across the flatbread leaving a small edge of crust all the way around.  Next add your toppings in an even layer over the sauce, and finish off with the cheese.  I like to sprinkle a little red pepper flake and Italian seasoning over the cheese as well.  Return the pizza to the oven on the baking sheet for about 6 minutes until all the toppings are warm and the cheese has melted.

Low Carb Journey Update #4

Can you believe it's August already?  I can't either!  I joined a mommy challenge weight loss group on MyFitnessPal a while back and set certain weight loss goals to work with the goals of the group.  One of my goals was to reach 120 pounds by August 1st. Well this past Friday, I did it!  This morning the scale creeped up a bit and said 120.2, but that's close enough for me.  I reached that goal!!  And it feels great.  In fact, today I've felt better than I have in years!  Physically, emotionally, mentally....it's been an awesome day (and it's only just after 2 o'clock!).  The fact that I have some free time to sit down and blog this little update just shows how awesome of a day this really is!

First of all, the reason for this little afternoon break is that I started a routine this morning.  I should have done this years ago...3 1/2 years ago to be exact.  (That's how old Gray is in case you were wondering!)  Anyway, so we'll be sending Gray off to preschool one day a week for him to get some interaction with other kids, learn to listen to instructors, and work on those social skills for just being out in public.  Not to mention, to give Mommy a little break during the day! =)  I decided that we'd start our own little preschool at home so he gets used to the idea (and schedule) of what's going to happen when he actually goes to preschool.  He has been a super student today!  Structure is exactly what this boy needed.  Right now happens to be "quiet time", and although he insisted he wasn't going to take a nap, after 15 minutes of quietly playing on his monkey mat (the one I'll be sending him to playschool with), he passed out!  SCORE!

I got a little workout in, folded a load of laundry, and filled out a daily report of what we did so far for our home "preschool".  Now I get to do my blog.  Best day ever!!

So back to the progress and my goals!  I can't even begin to tell you all how stoked I am about these results. I went shopping on Saturday hoping to find some new shorts or capris because almost all of my clothes are getting too big now.  Most of the stuff I brought into the dressing room to try on didn't fit, but not for the usual reason.  Instead of being too small, everything was too big.  I didn't realize what size I truly am now!  So what I did find was a skirt in a size 2 that fits incredible!  It's a jean skirt and although there's some mixed reviews around here about the fashionability (yes I think I just made up a word) of a jean skirt, I love it!  Mostly because it's a skirt in a size 2, but also because I think it's just adorable.  Four months ago when I started this low carb journey, I was wearing a size 10.  One year ago, after I had Alia, if I wasn't still wearing some maternity clothes, I was wearing a size 12.  I couldn't be more thrilled with the difference from then to now!

Today I'm officially moving on to phase 3 of Atkins.  It's called pre-maintenance , and the mission is to slowly increase your daily net carb limit until you reach the point where you are no longer losing weight (but also not gaining).  I still want to lose 5 more pounds, and I have set a goal of just under 6 weeks to do it.  The wedding and honeymoon are fast approaching, and I plan on rocking my new bikinis on the cruise ship!

Thanks go out to everyone who has supported me and continues to support me on this journey.  Motivation to change is the key.

“You are the embodiment of the information you choose to accept and act upon. To change your circumstances you need to change your thinking and subsequent actions.” ~Adlin Sinclair