Hm. Not sure where to start with this post mainly because I believe some of my own miscalculations and tweaks didn’t produce the end result I had intended. Nonetheless, I’m posting the recipes because I think — if you followed them more closely than I did– you may have better success. Plus, they are all “no joke, ain’t playin’ around, low carb” options. Please be sure to let me know how they turned out for you so I can learn from my mistakes!

First up: Meat Loaf Muffins from Nomnompaleo.com
My dear friend sent me a link to this website to help me with my gestational diabetes plan: NomNomPaleo.com. Realizing that paleo is an easy and inspiring way to go for the low carb plan (most of the time), I’m excited to have some new inspiration for my weekly meals. This Meat Loaf recipe accomplishes a few things: 1) eliminates bread crumbs, which helps in the carb department 2) includes lots of veggies 3) had a delicious favor 4) bakes much faster than a normal meat loaf 5) automatically helps with portion control because they are…uh…in muffin form. Duh.

Here’s where I went wrong: 1) I left out the mushrooms because I simply didn’t have any on hand. 2) I didn’t have fresh rosemary so I added some dried herbs, but I think the rosemary would have helped give it the punch it needed. 3) I cooked it too long but I also have to point out that the directions on the recipe didn’t include a cook time, so I just made my best guess and it was…wrong. 4) For some reason my muffins did not hold up and I’m wondering if it is because I didn’t have as much filler (mushrooms) as the recipe suggested. Not sure. So, beware! 5) I also didn’t have carrot juice (do y’all have carrot juice on hand? I don’t think I’m the only one here, but who knows…) so I improvised on the tomato paste/carrot juice topping (meaning I only used the tomato paste and water part).

But here’s the thing: The recipe had great flavor. I think if I did this again, I’d add a bit more meat and I would definitely add the mushrooms. I’ll  try them again and am curious to find out how yours turn out!

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On a side note, my husband has been heating them up and adding an egg on top for breakfast. He has been incredibly happy with the results! (That green stuff is habanero sauce.)

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Next up: Crusty Parmesan- Herb Zucchini Bites from AccordingtoElle.Com

I was excited about this side dish mainly because of how beautiful the photos are on the link! I mean here is a no carb option for a side dish that is relatively healthy, covered in cheese, and looks rather filling. Right? Well…let’s just say that I could have done things a little differently.

First of all, I needed fresh rosemary (just like I needed for the Meat Loaf Muffins listed above). I also needed a higher- quality parmesan cheese because I ended up using the pre-shredded kind and we all know that it simply doesn’t melt like freshly grated parmesan. I also cooked them too long, so the zucchini was a bit mushy. Oh, and I could have used some more salt. As you can see, I’m taking most of the blame for this one turning out a little blah. When I asked my husband what he thought, he politely said, ” It tastes really healthy.” Um…not the outcome I wanted. Lessons learned and I will try this one again. Let me know what you think if and when you try it!

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I know it seems weird to post recipes that didn’t exactly make the clouds part in my world, but I think– with a little tweaking– they could be great options for those of you looking for low carb ideas. Plus, I don’t think there is anything wrong with posting recipes that don’t necessarily work. Why? Because that is called THE TRUTH. Yay for truth. And paper plates. And messy kitchens. And everything in between.

Happy Friday!