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Sweet and Spicy Lettuce Wraps + Weekly Menu

If you follow along on Instagram or Twitter, you likely know that this past week has been an emotional one in our household and hence why there hasn’t been a blog update since Tuesday.

Eight summers ago, we welcomed our first baby into our lives – an English bulldog, Lily. She was our only child for the next 5 years and to say we’re crazy dog people is probably an understatement. When we lived in Tulsa, I would drive 20 minutes in the opposite direction of work just to take Lily to doggie daycare. She doesn’t get boarded when we’re away, she vacations at one of the grandparents’. We freely give kisses – on the lips – and tell her to have a good day and when we can be expected back home when we leave to go to work.

Lily has spoiled us with love and just being the sweetheart that she is. She doesn’t have an ounce of guard dog in her and has never required a leash or fence. She’s the best (except maybe her breath).

A week ago this past Wednesday, Lily fell ill. She was unable to keep down food, was more lethargic (she slept 100% of the time vs just 90%, ha!), and was panting without exertion. Having gone through bouts of upset stomach from time to time with no known cause, we didn’t take her in right away and the symptoms actually let up to the point we were no longer concerned last weekend.

As last week progressed however, we knew we needed to get her in. A bulldog refusing her meals is cause for concern! I got her in on Thursday and the vet ended up doing an EKG that was sent to a cardiologist and some blood work that was sent out for analysis. He had identified an arrhythmia and after the results of the labs and EKG we would know more.

The vet called on Friday to share that Lily’s kidney function had plummeted to 25% and she was in v-tach. It was an emergent situation and she needed to see a cardiologist ASAP. Isn’t it always the case that things like this pop-up on Friday afternoon?

So, we considered our options and decided to have Mark take her to the ER in Southfield, Michigan just north of Detroit, about 3 hours away. Upon arrival, he was told that Lily’s condition was critical and the cardiologist was called in and expected to arrive within the hour. They were able to establish sinus rhythm quickly and she was placed on IV meds to control her heart. We were told she would be hospitalized for 1-2 nights. Mark decided to travel back home and unfortunately, due to some critical pets, was unable to say goodbye to Lily.

When I called Saturday morning for an update, I was told she had had a restful night and no major updates. The internist called just before noon to tell us that Lily had been moved off the IV and onto oral meds and her rate was well controlled. She also said that her kidney function had improved. Lily would be discharged that afternoon and so Mark headed back that way.

While she will need follow-up and a repeat EKG, echo, and labs in a week, we are so grateful for the outcome. All things considered, this was probably best case scenario. Yes, our sweet girl is aging, but hopefully prognosis is much improved after seeing the cardiologist and getting on some heart medications. She seems happy to be home and her appetite is slowly returning. She ate her whole dinner tonight – her first full meal in 10 days 🙂

Needless to say it has been a hectic, stressful, and emotional weekend. While we focus our attention on our Lily girl, I’m keeping this week simple, simple, simple. Less cooking, less dishes, and more time for belly and ear rubs.

I am going to make this recipe again, however…because it was that easy. I can do all my chopping today and this meal comes together super fast for a healthy weeknight dinner! Just no sharing with the dogs because mushrooms could land us in the ER again!


5.0 from 1 reviews
Sweet and Spicy Lettuce Wraps
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6 servings
 
Ingredients
Sauce:
  • 3 Tbsp Thai sweet chili sauce
  • 3 Tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 3 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp sriracha
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1½ Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp ginger, minced or 1 Tbsp ginger paste
Filling:
  • 1 lb ground chicken breast
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 6 green onions, sliced (green and white parts separated)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp ginger, minced or 1 Tbsp ginger paste
  • 8 oz mushrooms, chopped
  • ½ cup canned water chestnuts, drained and chopped
  • 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 heads butter lettuce, leaves removed and washed
Instructions
  1. Prepare the sauce by whisking together ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook until browned, breaking up meat to a crumble as it cooks; transfer cooked meat to a plate and return skillet to heat.
  3. Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil to skillet. Once hot, add the white portion of the green onions, garlic, and ginger; cook for 1 minutes, until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and cook until they soften, about 3-4 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and stir in the water chestnuts, bell pepper, and the sauce. Cook until the liquid is thickened slightly, about 3-4 minutes.
  4. Stir in the green portion of the onions. Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and serve with the lettuce leaves for wrapping.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats
Nutrition Information
Serving size: ⅙ recipe Calories: 257 Fat: 10.7 Carbohydrates: 20.8 Sugar: 13.3 Sodium: 668 Fiber: 2.0 Protein: 19.8 Cholesterol: 40

Weekly Menu: August 6th – 10th

  • Sunday: leftover Chicken Enchiladas with avocado
  • Monday: Sweet and Spicy Lettuce Wraps (^^^)
  • Tuesday: Asiago and spinach chicken sausage with roasted broccoli and sweet potatoes
  • Wednesday: English muffin pizzas and side salads
  • Thursday: French toast and scrambled eggs

Be well,

Share With Your Friends!

2 Comments

  1. Stacey
    August 7, 2017 / 1:49 pm

    So thankful you had a wonderful outcome! Dogs are such loving and selfless creatures — We had to put our oldest dog down 6-months ago last week. Making the decision to schedule the appointment was by far the hardest thing we’ve ever done… and then we still had to actually drive him there. If only God created them to live a little longer…

  2. Mehedi Hasan
    August 31, 2017 / 6:22 am

    Very tasty & healthy spicy item.
    Thank’s for share with us.

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