My wife and I had a date night last night. We went to a great little Gastropub called Haven not to far from us. We love trying new places and this place seemed like a great place for good cozy foods. My wife got an awesome Shepherds Pie, but I stayed clear of the carbs. Lucky for me they had a Spaghetti Squash plate on the menu. It was outstanding. And the great thing is that spaghetti squash is really low in carbs, Its a great substitute for pasta and the sauce and cheese they used were awesome too. We are definitely going to go back. On top of that I think I may try to make a dish like this myself soon.

The Jerky and Nuts section at my local Albertson's Grocery store.

    Last night for dinner my wife made home made Cobb salads. Lots of ingredients which in my opinion makes for a better salad. The more stuff you can get on it the better. Plus any salad is improved when bacon is involved. Yes, any salad.

Included:
Eggs
Bacon
Chicken
Avocado
Onion
Cheese
Tomato

    If you live in the Midwest then you've probably eaten at Perkins. Its one of those bakery and dinner places like Coco's, or Marie Calendar's only in my humble opinion much better. 

    Anyway, if you go they make pretty good omelettes and you can get fruit instead of pancakes. Here is their Granny's Omelette which is sausage, bacon, cheese, onion, and green pepper.

    Lately at work in an attempt to save some cash I have been trying to bring my lunch. The staple for me has been wraps. They are simple, quick, and easy. I don't really do anything fancy with them either. No weird sprouts or anything. No, it's usually meat, cheese, and a condiment. Sometimes two meats if Im feeling crazy. 

    Anyway This is a ham and cheese melt I made today. Again nothing glamourous, but its low carb, quick, and it sustains me through the day.

    Last night I had to whip up a low carb dinner on the fly. After coming home from vacation I have tried to get back on the low carb train. I have been trying to have a pretty low carb count this week to help kick start things so i wanted something kind of simple. My wife had a bunch of things to do around the house last night so I said I would cook. Trouble is that our house was a little bare in terms of ingredients since we have been traveling. So I decided to be a bit more creative with the cooking. I went for a Garlic Chicken and Broccoli thing as they were two of the few ingredients I had.

1. Cooked up some chicken. Simple enough.

2. Cooked up some broccoli. added some onions that i cooked in butter with garlic. I added some garlic, oregano, and Parmesan cheese.

3. Added the chicken to the veggies and mixed up. Topped it with a few thin slices of Havarti Cheese. 

    It must have been pretty good cause my wife ate it all up with no leftovers. A little garlic to any dish will win her over. Plus I think it always taste better for her when she doesn't cook it. Anyway, the key to cooking is having fun and playing around. Take some low carb ingredients and see what you can make. It may not be perfect, but its a good way to keep things interesting.

    Because of the holidays I recently did a bit of traveling. After seeing my family in Fargo I headed to New York City for a few day to spend New Years with my wife. It's never an easy process to fly, maybe it used to be but not these days. It becomes a full day event to get to the airport, get through security, and simply hop on a plane. While I was traveling I had some down time in a couple airports and I noticed something interesting. Flying will make you fat.

    Let me explain. As I'm sitting in the airport waiting for my flight I begin to do the usual people watching. During this I notice something. Everyone has food. Ok not everyone, but a lot of people. Its everywhere. People slurping coffees, eating cheetos, and scarfing down McDonald's as fast as possible. Now I understand that food is normal and it's all around us, we have to eat after all, but I think it's a little different in an airport.

    Going to the airport is an experience. Unless you are one of those George Clooney Up In The Air types you probably aren't there too often. An airport is a completely new and different environment. We we enter that machine of terminals and walkways and we can't help but feel out of place. We need to feel comfortable and in control. Like its still a world we are in charge of. So what do we do, we eat. I exit the plane and cant help but look around for a treat to reward myself for my hours of travels and help keep me sane. Its actually part of the journey of traveling now. It no longer just food for a meal it's a little something more. I compare it to going to the movies. Sometimes you go and you aren't hungry but you get popcorn anyway. Because its part of the experience and when you enter this strange new adventure you want some comfort with you. 

    These are just my thoughts and observations. Rambling really. I know not everyone is like this, but I am. Discovering this is good for me. Now It's something I can try to be more aware of when I travel so that it will be easier to make good choices the next time.