This weekend Ben and I took Lincoln to see his first hot air balloon at the National Balloon Classic!
Neighboring Indianola, IA has had a hot air balloon festival for years now and it’s one of my favorite events of the summer. If you’re a long time reader than you may remember that my Mom and I took a ride in 2010, and just thinking about the experience still gets me excited. There’s nothing like soaring over Iowa’s beautiful countryside from 5,000 feet.
It was approximately 1,000 degrees with no wind, but our sweaty little boy didn’t seem to mind. He loved the “boons” going “up, up, up!”
Obligatory bad pic with Mom!
Since there were a few storms in the area the balloons didn’t end up taking off for their evening flight until 7:30pm or so, but it was well worth the wait. Until next year, Indianola!
Er…24 hours later. Last night we headed to Summerset Winery, just down the road from the festival, for live music and vino, and took our dinners with us. California Turkey and Bacon Lettuce Wraps with Basil-Mayo, which were the perfect light and summery meal to eat in this heat! These lettuce wraps are my new favorite thing ever. They’re gluten free, low carb, totally filling, fresh, and come together in about five minutes (though I speak from experience when I tell you they’ll take under one to demolish!)
Crunchy lettuce leaves replace flour tortillas in this easy lunch, dinner, or hearty snack recipe, which are layered with deli turkey, a 30-second fresh Basil-Mayo, cooked bacon, and thinly sliced avocado and Roma tomatoes, then rolled and sliced. These lettuce wraps are cool, fresh and made extra special by the California-inspired combo of sliced avocado and Basil-Mayo in the mix. The flavors are amazing!
Start by making the Basil-Mayo. Add 6 leaves fresh basil that have been torn into a food processor with 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 garlic clove, salt, and pepper then process until smooth.
Next microwave 4 slices of bacon. Yes I said microwave.
When it’s this hot out the microwave is my go to bacon browner. Layer the bacon on paper towels, cover with another layer of paper towels, then cook for 1-2 minutes. Easy!
Time to assemble the lettuce wraps! You’ll need lettuce, of course – I like a big head of iceberg lettuce. You can use whatever kind of lettuce you prefer, but iceberg will give you the biggest leaves in order to wrap up all the goodies inside.
Lay one or two lettuce leaves on a cutting board then add 1 slice deli turkey, followed by a slathering of the Basil-Mayo — this prevents the lettuce from getting soggy from the mayo. Next layer on 1 more slice of deli turkey followed by the cooked bacon.
Finally, layer on a few thin slices of avocado and Roma tomato, then finish with a crack of salt and pepper on top.
Fold the bottom of the lettuce leaf up, then tuck in the sides and continue rolling like a burrito.
Slice in half then eat up! These California Turkey and Bacon Lettuce Wraps are just the thing for quick lunches and dinners – they’re not only fresh, but filling and satisfying too. Enjoy!
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