Cake Roll by Low Carb Kitchen Productions

I like to post good recipes of others and good low carb sites when I find them.  I'd like to introduce another great low carb site that I've been getting some great recipes from.  It's called Low Carb Kitchen Productions. I love her video channel on YouTube as well.  I've been subscribed to her channel for some time and have enjoyed her videos. I just watched her do this recipe for a cake roll that looks pretty good.  I think I'm going to give it a try. The recipe is on her site, and here is the video...

Merry Christmas!

Sorry I have been absent on my blog posts lately.  Dealing with fatigue and just stuff that life brings.  But through all I'm thankful for the Christmas promise!  The promise that God would send His Son to come and bring salvation, and to those who receive that salvation that He would come again for them!  In my own life, that promise has gotten me through much and I always find joy this time of year in the hope it gives.

No new recipes to share today. But I want to share our new member of the family with you. We went to celebrate Christmas with my family in Wisconsin last weekend and brought home a new baby!  He's about 12 weeks old, and his name is Chester, and he's brought a lot of life into our home.  He's a beautiful little tabby.

He discovered the Christmas tree this morning

We lost our two beloved older cats this year, Patches our calico in April, and Goldie our 19 yr. old gold tabby in August.  Our house seemed empty without a cat.  I didn't think we'd get another since with no cats we discovered my husband's asthma also went away.  All those years it was the cats!  But my husband is a true cat lover and neither of us could resist taking Chester home with us last weekend when we saw him and cuddled with him for awhile as he sat on our shoulders purring.  He showed up on my nephew's patio door, meowing to come in and get warm.  They took him in but could not keep him because he did not get along with their cat who was terrorizing him.  Yes, my husband is again having allergy problems but I guess he thinks Chester is worth it.  We'll just have to find a way to deal with it I guess.  

So maybe soon I'll get back to "normal" and start doing some recipes.  Our Christmas dinner was roast beef, mashed potatoes, broccoli salad, green beans and bacon, and a sugar free jello with raspberries.  I made cut out Christmas cookies for all but me, and rather than low carb them I made myself some peanut butter fudge and my mint chocolate chip cookies which hit the spot.  We had a quiet Christmas celebration with our three sons, remembering in our hearts the one who we lost 3 years ago who was not with us.  Life goes on, and His promise brings the reason to go on.  And He blesses us with new things to brighten our days.

I hope you all had a great Christmas and will have a blessed New Year!

Ginny

Spiced Nuts

Found this video on YouTube for spiced nuts from the Food Network by Alton Brown.  I made them yesterday but used Brown Sugar Twin and Splenda for the sweetener, 1/4 tsp. of Cayenne pepper instead of 1/2 tsp. and upped the cinnamon to 1 tsp. cuz I love cinnamon.  I unfortunately burned mine! Watch carefully at the end because they can burn fast, but in spite of burning them they are still delicious!  I was munching on them today.  Very addicting!!!  I am going to make some more to take with this weekend when we visit family in Wisconsin for a Christmas party.

Christmas Cutout Cookies (not gluten free, sorry)

Since I can remember my Mom always made these for Christmas, and when I had my own children I of course made them for my family.  I would make up a tray for each of my 4 boys and lots of different color frostings and sprinkles for them to decorate them and we'd all have our own plate and lots of fun decorating as well.  It was one of my favorite Christmas traditions.  So then came diabetes and low carbing and I had to find a way to low carb my favorite cookies at Christmas, because it was tradition!  Now I have a new challenge... low carb and gluten free as well, which these are not I'm afraid.  I came up with this recipe last year and they turned out so good that all my family enjoyed them and you really could not tell they were not the real thing.  I made a chocolate frosting to go on them as well.  So I'm posting this recipe from last year for all you out there who are not worried about the gluten, but I'm going to have to either come up with a gluten free version this year or use the cookies to do some testing to see how allowing it back in my diet  affects me now.  Maybe it'll be a good time for a test! Ha!  If I do come up with a good gluten free version I'll let you know.


                    

* Exported from MasterCook *

                      Low Carb White Cutout Cookies

Recipe By     :Ginny Larsen
Serving Size  : 32  
Categories    : desserts

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  1/4     cup  Splenda
  2        tablespoons  diabetisweet Sugar Substitute-White
  2        tablespoons  xylitol
  1/2     cup  shortening -- (or butter)
  1        egg
  1/2     cup  half and half -- (or kefir if you have it)
  1        teaspoon  baking powder
  1/2     teaspoon  salt
  1        teaspoon  vanilla
  1        cup  almond meal -- (blanched is best)
  1/4     cup  carbalose flour
  1/4     cup  wheat protein Isolate 5000
  1/4     cup  oat fiber
  1/4     cup  flax meal, Golden

Mix sweeteners, shortening, and egg and blend well with electric mixer.  Slowly add in half and half with baking powder, salt, and vanilla and mix well.

Add flours and mix with wooden spoon until it makes a stiff dough.

Refrigerate overnight or for several hours

Flour a surface for rolling out dough.  Roll out half of dough at a time, and use cookie cutters to cut out shapes.  I just used regular flour for rolling my dough out.  It's such a small amount that I don't think it will be significant.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 10 min. or until done.  Don't let them get too brown.

Frost with chocolate butter frosting

                    
* Exported from MasterCook *

                   Sugar Free Chocolate Butter Frosting

Recipe By     :Ginny Larsen
Serving Size  : 38  
Categories    :

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  2         ounces  unsweetened chocolate
  1/3      cup  butter -- softened
  1 1/2   teaspoons  vanilla
  2        tablespoons  cream
  1        cup  Splenda
  1/2     cup  diabetisweet Sugar Substitute-White
  1/2     cup  xylitol

To make powdered sugar: put sweeteners in a blender and blend on slow speed for a few seconds, stir around with table knife, blend, stir, etc. until it has the consistency of powdered sugar.

melt chocolate in the microwave, 30 seconds, and then stir, 15 seconds more until it is melted.

When cooled a bit, with an electric beater, beat together with butter.

Slowly add the powdered sweeteners, vanilla, and cream and beat until it is smooth and creamy.

This will frost about 38 christmas cookies, or a cake.

Description:
  "I usde a mix of sweeteners and powdered them in my blender to make this from a butter frosting recipe."
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Per Servings: 37 Calories; 3g Fat (47.2% calories from fat); trace Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 5mg Cholesterol; 17mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat.

NOTES : 0 net carbs per serving!





Description:
  "made from the same recipe handed down by my grandmother and mother, which I adapted to low carb"
                                    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving: 66 Calories; 5g Fat (59.6% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 7mg Cholesterol; 57mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : 2 net carbs per cookie
with frosting, add 32 calories, but 0 carbs

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is the first of Christmas Cookies I've made this year, and I hope to find more good ones to share.  This was inspired actually by a recipe on allrecipes.com.  It looked so good that I knew I had to find a way to low carb it!  It actually wasn't too hard to do.  So this recipe is low carb and gluten free.

                      

Low Carb Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Serving Size  : 16    

2         cups  almond meal, blanched

1/2      cup  Splenda -- granulated

1/2      teaspoon  baking soda

16       packets  Truvia (or 2/3 cup equivalent to sugar)

1/4      cup  butter -- softened

1         egg

1/2     teaspoon  mint extract

6        drops  green food coloring

5        squares  Lindt 85% Cocoa Bar -- chopped into small pieces

Mix almond meal, Splenda, Truvia and baking soda together in a medium bowl.   Mix in softened butter, egg, mint extract, food coloring, and stir and mix well until it forms a soft dough.  Stir in chopped chocolate bar.

Measure 1 TB. of dough, roll into a ball in your hand, and place on parchment lined cookie sheet. Should make 16 balls.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.  Let cool on pan.  Serve.

                                    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Per Serving: 110 Calories; 12g Fat (70.7% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 19mg Cholesterol; 74mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat.

NOTES : 2 grams useable carbs per cookie

Two Breakfast Ideas, New kitchen gadget

Love this gadget for quick microwave breakfast dishes

Not sure what it is called.  I just call it my egg muffin thingie, ha!  I got it in the microwave section at Walmart. Pretty cheap.  I have two uses for it on my video below.  A 2 min. 30 sec. breakfast casserole, and a 1 min. 40 sec. english muffin.  I'm thinking a person could get creative with it and find some other ways to use it also.  I'm all for simple you know?  Fast and simple.  This is what I need in my life!  And who doesn't?  

The english muffin I make in it comes from Jennifer Eloff's "One Minute Bread, the Next Minute Toast". I use a variation of her recipe on here that works for me.  I've posted it before here.  So I won't post the recipe again.  Only I used 2 tsp. of coconut oil in that one and here I only use one.  I like it with one tsp. better.  One could make a simple omelet with this gadget also and a toasted english muffin and make it into an egg sandwich as well.  

Breakfast Casserole:

1/4 cup (approximately) of low carb stuffing (made from almond bread) 

1/4 cup half and half

1 large egg

dash dry mustard

salt and pepper to taste

1 sausage link (or bacon if you prefer)

shredded cheese (enough to cover)

Put the stuffing in the bottom of the microwave muffin container

Mix half and half, egg, dry mustard, and salt and pepper well and pour over the stuffing.

Top with cut up sausage or crumbled bacon.

Top that with shredded cheese and microwave for 2 min. 30 sec. approximately, or until it is done in the center.

Slide out onto a plate and enjoy!

Nutrition info will depend on your stuffing mix.  I have not figured out the carb count yet, sorry.  If you use the almond bread for stuffing though, it is very low! 

Pumpkin Cheese Cake Revisited

Made my pumpkin cheese cake for our Thanksgiving dinner today, and wanted to repost, since the video I did was a pretty hurried job of making it the first time.  Turned out wonderful!  Very creamy and rich and the topping was just right.  I baked it for 50 min. and let it cool slowly at room temp.  It was done just right.  Here is the recipe for the topping.

Whipped Topping With Spices

2 cups heavy whipping cream

4 packets Truvia (or 1/4 cup sweetener of your choice)

2 TSPs. Vanilla

1 TBS sugar-free vanilla pudding mix

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

2 tsp. cinnamon (or more)

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Mix all together at once in a metal mixing bowl and whip until it forms peaks.  Spread some of it on your pumpkin cheesecake and save some for other pies, cakes, etc. It holds up very well in the frig!  I sprinkled a mix of xylitol and cinnamon on the top.  

Spiced Cranberry Sauce

This is a wonderful recipe.  I hope you'll try it and not let the cayenne pepper scare you away.  Trust me, you'll like it.  Ok, if you don't you have the option to leave it out, but just try it.  I found the original recipe online here and made a low carb version of it which I've been making for the past couple of years.  In fact I've used it for a topping to a "cranberry delight" dessert that came from Karen's recipe for "Raspberry Delight" on the Bernstein forum which I would post the link to if I could but for some reason it won't let me find it.  Maybe I'll do a video for that one some day.





                    

                    

* Exported from MasterCook *

                          Spiced Cranberry Sauce

Recipe By     :adapted to low carb by Ginny Larsen
Serving Size  : 13    1/8 cup size servings
Categories    : Sauces/dressings/Misc., Side dishes
              

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  1/2        cup  Dry red wine
  6           packets  Truvia -- (equal to 1/4 cup sweetener)
  1/4        cup  Splenda
  1/4        cup  xylitol
  1/2        cup  Davinci Sugar-free Syrup -- Raspberry flavor
  12         ounces  cranberries -- 1 bag--fresh
  1            tablespoon  orange extract -- (or 2 TBS zest of an orange)
  2            sticks  cinnamon
                pinch  salt
                pinch  cayenne pepper -- (trust me! Don't skip it)

In the bottom of a medium pot, place wine and sweeteners. (You can use whatever combo of sweeteners you prefer equal to about 1 1/4 cup sugar). Bring to a simmer and add Cranberries. Bring again to simmer, and add the remaining ingredients.

Simmer approximately 10 minutes or until all cranberries are popped and soft.  Remove from heat, add 2 to 4 icecubes.  Stir until melted and let cool.  Or you can add 1/4 cup cold water instead of icecubes.

The best, tastiest cranberry sauce I've ever had!

Source:
  "inspired by: http://video.about.com/southernfood/Cabernet-Cranberry-Sauce.htm"
                                    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving: 33 Calories; trace Fat (1.9% calories from fat); trace Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 6mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Fruit; 0 Fat.

NOTES : 3 g. useable carbs per 1/8 cup serving

Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Hot Chocolate

We got "iced" in today.  Freezing drizzle over night so we could not go to church, even though my husband was supposed to be preaching the sermon today.  Church ended up being cancelled because of treacherous roads.  Good day for hot chocolate and grilled cheese, and some good reading.

My lunch today

Using the Almond Bread I made yesterday, I cut two slices even thinner and made them 4 slices, and made grilled cheese sandwiches out of them.

My hot chocolate:

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 tsp. cocoa powder

2 packets Truvia

2 saccharin tablets

a couple dashes of salt

a couple dashes of cinnamon

whipping cream

I mixed the almond milk, cocoa, sweeteners, salt, and cinnamon in a small pan on the stove and heated it.  Whip some cream and sweeten to taste, dollup on top and sprinkle with more cinnamon.  Sorry, have not done the nutrition counts yet.  

Almond Bread for stuffing or eating

I made some of this today, and half of it I'll use for bread and half of it will be cubed, toasted, and saved for stuffing this week.  It is inspired by Lois Lang's Lucious Bread recipe out of "Breaking The Vicious Cycle" by Elaine Gottschall B.A., M.Sc.  I changed it a little to fit my own ingredients.  There are many versions of it on the internet on the SCD sites.  It's gluten free.  Along with this I have looked at different versions of low carb stuffing and I think I'll probably get ideas from them but end up with my own.  I never seem to follow anyone's recipe exactly!  I tend to always take from several recipes and end up with my own.

                      

* Exported from MasterCook *

                        Almond Bread

Recipe By     :original by Lois Lang, Breaking the Vicious Cycle, my tweaks

Serving Size  : 16    

Categories    : Bread

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method

--------  ------------  --------------------------------

  1/4       cup  coconut oil -- melted

  8         ounces  fat free cream cheese -- softened (feel free to use full fat, I only used this because it cut down on calories, and the carbs were the same.)

  3         eggs

  1         teaspoon  baking soda

  1/4      teaspoon  salt

  2 1/2   cups  almond meal, blanched

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  (180 C.)

Place first 5 ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix with electric mixer until very creamy and thick.  Or you can put into a food processor and process.

Add the almond meal and mix well.

Grease a loaf pan (about 4" x 8") generously (I spray with non-stick cooking spray).  Pour dough into the pan.

Bake at 350 for about 1 hour or 1 hour and 15 min. until lightly browned on top.   Check by inserting a metal kitchen knife; it will come out clean when bread is done.  Remove from oven and run a bread knife around the edges of the pan to loosen.   Remove bread from pan by inverting the pan onto a cake rack.  Allow to cool thoroughly before you cut it.  Don't cut it while it is piping hot.  It needs to firm up its texture.

Variations: For Bananna bread: 1/2 cup sweetener added, 1 tsp. banana flavoring, and use 1/2 c. flaxmeal and 2 cups almond meal.  Or for lemon bread use 1 tsp. lemon flavoring, 1 TBS lemon juice, and add poppy seeds.

or: add 1 TBS. of caraway seeds with the flour and you will get a bread that resembles rye bread.

Description:

  "Inspired from "Lois Lang's Lucious Bread" from the book "Breaking The Vicious Cycle" by Elaine Gotschall"

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Per Serving: 157 Calories; 13g Fat (71.5% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 35mg Cholesterol; 208mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Lean Meat; 1 Fat.

Thinking about Thanksgiving

It's always a challenge to stay really 6-12-12 Bernstein friendly for me at Thanksgiving.  I do low carb, and have several low carb sides for myself (and whoever else wants to try them), but I don't count to make sure I stay at 12 grams of carbs for the meal.  I'm asking myself if I think I can do that this year.  Well, I'm not sure, but at any rate I do have to stay with the no wheat thing.   I'm looking at lots of recipes lately, to see what my menu will be.  I found this one a little while ago which is gluten free--Oven Baked Stuffing.  Looks good.  I do have the book, Breaking the Vicious Cycle and have made the bread and it's great.  I've come up with a few variations for it also and have made it into lemon poppy seed bread, banana bread, and mixed flaxmeal and almond meal together with it.  So I think if I decide to have stuffing for myself I may do this one.  I also made a butternut and cheyote squash dish last week that was a hit at our house which will definitely replace the sweet potato casserole I used to make.  I'll post that one when I make it.  Maybe, if I'm really organized and get it together, I'll make a video.  We'll see.  So I'm still browsing for ideas.  I have a really good recipe I've been using the last 2 years or more of spicy cranberry sauce.  My mouth is starting to water!

I know my day will consist of a long walk after the meal, or if the weather isn't good enough for that, a T-Tapp session. 

My favorite very simple vegetable dish, thanks to my boss, who brought this to a potluck at work last year, is asparagus, which I quick steam for just 3 minutes, then plunge into a ice water bath and let cool.  Pat dry and lay on a cookie sheet, and drizzle with EVOO, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and garlic powder to taste.  I don't have amounts.  I just drizzle and sprinkle to what looks good.  Toss it all together and chill.  Very easy and you can do in the morning and then it's ready to just serve on a nice platter along with some cherry tomatoes or other raw veggies.

So we'll see what else I add to the menu.  I'm still pondering and looking and contemplating.  And one of my requirements for everyone at my table will be that as long as it takes me to put this meal together is how long everyone has to sit at the table and s-l-o-w-l-y enjoy it!  There's much to be thankful for.  Life has had its hardships, and its grief, and there's always something to worry about, but just think what it would be like if every day we thought of all the good things, and all the things we were thankful for, and only one day a year we set aside to grump and complain about all the negative!  Ha!  I think we should practice some thanksgiving every day.  It would keep us all a lot healthier and reduce our stress.

My Leftover Soup

Brrrrrrrrrrrrr... cold windy day and that's always a good day for hot soup!  I had leftover veggies and don't like throwing food out but who wants left over veggies?  So I threw them together this morning and made soup.  You can do your own leftover soup with yours!  Just a great idea for using them up I think!

Pumpkin Cheesecake--Low Carb, Gluten Free

I made this yesterday morning, in way too much of a hurry!  We were about to go visit my brother and his family, and my dad, and I wanted to bring a good low carb dessert.  This is one of my favorite.  Very rich and creamy.  I usually make it on Thanksgiving so that I have something low carb while others are eating the sugar-laden pies.  I don't feel deprived!!  This is a treat for me.  Unfortunately, because I made it in such a hurry, the appearance is not "professional".  If you don't want your cheesecake to crack on top you should bake it with a pan of water under and turn off the oven letting it cool slowly inside before done.  If it cools slowly, you don't get cracked cheesecake.  But none of us cared about the appearance because the taste was wonderful!  I did just the opposite, being in a hurry.  I took it out of the oven and stuck it in the freezer to quick chill.  I had to make this cheesecake, which I should have made the day before but since I spent the whole morning shopping and was exhausted the rest of the day, I didn't.  So I pay.  I had to make it in the morning and had only a couple hours to let it chill before leaving!  Video was taken with my webcam, which does not come out as clear.  I do intend to remake this video, maybe at Thanksgiving time, when I make this again, the day before, like I am supposed to, and between a better camera, and perhaps... just perhaps, my Windows Movie Maker software actually working and not freezing up on me all the time, just perhaps I'll get a better quality video!  But until then, I thought the recipe was too good not to share...

                    


Pumpkin Cheesecake


Serving Size  : 16  

                        CRUST:

  3/4      cup  flax meal, Golden
  1/2      cup  ground almonds -- can use pecans or walnuts, or any other ground meal
  2         tablespoons  Splenda
  2         packets  Truvia -- (Truvia is all fiber--no usable carbs and does not raise bg for most)
  1/4      cup  coconut oil -- melted

                        FILLING:

  1/2      cup  Splenda
  1/4      cup  Torani Sugar Free caramel syrup -- or vanilla
  2        Tablespoons  Truvia
  1         can  pumpkin -- 15 oz.
  3         egg yolks
  1 1/2    teaspoons  cinnamon
  1/2      teaspoon  nutmeg
  1/2      teaspoon  ground ginger
  1/4      teaspoon  cloves
   1/2     teaspoon  salt

                        CREAM TOGETHER:


  24       ounces  fat free cream cheese -- 3 - 8 oz. containers
  1/3      cup  Splenda
  1         egg
  1         egg yolk
  2         tablespoons  whipping cream
  1         tablespoon  cornstarch -- (adds only a trace of cho. per slice)
  1         teaspoon  vanilla extract
  1/2      teaspoon  lemon extract

Combine crust ingredients.  Mix well.  Press firmly into a 9-inch springform pan. (I used a 10-inch)

In a medium bowl, combine the sweeteners, pumpkin, 3 egg yolks, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and salt and mix well. Set aside

In a large bowl, mix softened cream cheese, sweetener, egg and egg yolk, whipping cream and extracts and beat until well mixed and creamy.  Beat in the pumpkin mixture.

Pour into greased springform pan with crust.

Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool on wire rack.



Store in refrigerator.  Chill

Garnish with whipped cream, pecans, and berries if desired.

Source:
  "adapted from http://www.post-gazette.com/food/20001012reillys1c.asp"
                                    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving: 162 Calories; 10g Fat (53.0% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber

One Minute Bread

Jennifer Eloff has a great recipe for One Minute Bread, the Next Minute Toast.  Visit her blog for lots of great ideas and variations plus many more scrumptious recipes.  I finally hit a variation of this that really hit the spot for me, especially now that I am going gluten free.  I made some yesterday for my breakfast and microwaved it in a square plastic container so it came out like a slice of bread that was thick enough I could have made two very thin slices but decided I really liked it open-faced with my egg and cheese on it.  It was really good!  For lunch I made it in a cereal bowl bun style and split it for a sandwich...

So here's my variation of this recipe that seems perfect for me.  I intend to experiment with adding seasonings and also in using it to make garlic toast some time.

        

 One Minute Bread, the Next Minute Toast

Recipe By     :Originally from Jennifer Eloff, with my adaptations

Serving Size  : 1     

2 teaspoons  coconut oil

1 large  egg

1 tablespoon  water -- or kefir, or coconut milk (just enough to get the right              consistency, like pancake batter)

1/2 tablespoon  parmesan cheese

1 1/2 tablespoons  almond meal, blanched

1 tablespoon  flax meal, Golden

1/4 teaspoon  baking powder

      Dash  salt

1/4 teaspoon  Splenda (not to sweeten but to bring out flavor)

 In standard cereal bowl, place coconut oil. Nuke 15 seconds. To coconut oil in cereal bowl, add egg, and kefir or water, and ingredients in the following sequence – parmesan cheese, almond meal, flax seed meal, baking powder, salt, and Splenda . Using a metal whisk, whisk ingredients together until well combined. (Or electric mixer with one whisk attachment)

Spread in a sprayed Glad square plastic container, or keep in cereal bowl.  Nuke uncovered 1 minute to 1 1/2 minutes, or until set. The cooking time may vary for different microwave ovens. (I lined a square plastic sandwich container with parchment and sprayed it, and it worked great).  Loosen edges and underneath with a regular dinner knife and invert. Allow to cool slightly and using a sharp bread knife, slice in half horizontally. Toast in a bread toaster (setting should be higher than for regular bread) until browned. Butter crisp toast generously and place breakfast items on top.

Source:

  "http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/lowcarb-recipe-help-suggestions/607310-one-minute-bread-next-minute-toast.html"

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Per Serving: 256 Calories; 22g Fat (76.2% calories from fat); 10g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 189mg Cholesterol; 227mg Sodium.  

Serving Ideas : This can be 2 slices if you cut it in half.  You can microwave it in a square container for a bread, or a round cup or ramekin for something more like an english muffin. 

NOTES : *2 effective g. carbs

Butternut Squash and other good stuff

 Do you like butternut squash and want some great low carb ideas?   Some great ideas here!
http://paleoblocks.blogspot.com/2010/10/butternut-lovin.html

                            

Fall Colors

Ok, I took a break from cooking today! It's my birthday!!  So sorry this post is not about food.  I just have to share this gorgeous day.  I went for a refreshing walk through my nighborhood which has a beautiful park with trails.  Here are my pictures on flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/10965448@N08/sets/72157625136095784/show/

This should open up into a slideshow for you to view.  Enjoy!  :)

The gluten test

Ok, I'm finally doing it!  I'm eliminating wheat for 1 month to test myself and see if that is the culprit in a few unwanted symptoms I'm dealing with. I've had blood tests and biopsies and both showed negative for Celiac disease.  But I know a person can be "wheat sensitive" and it can cause inflammation in the body without showing up on a Celiac test.

Going through withdrawal, my body is like a spoiled child that insists on having its way!  It cries when it sees or smells wheat and can't have any!  I have listened to it too long.  I'm telling it to shut up for a while for its own good.  I'm also telling it, maybe, just maybe, if it stays quiet for ONE month, maybe it can have some wheat back in its diet.  I don't know.  NOT promising anything!!  On the other hand, if it feels so much better concerning these worsening symptoms, then it will way out-weigh the withdrawals.  I keep telling myself, "Self, aren't you tired of not sleeping at night?"

Between irritable bowels and a stuffy nose with inflammation--lots of inflammation, and arthritis seeming to develop more in my neck and joints, I want to give it a try.  I've been telling myself that it doesn't matter whether I eat it or not, but I want to prove that to myself.  I may have been fooling myself!  Fooling ourselves is easy to do--especially when it comes to foods we like.  The hardest part for me is my toast in the morning.  I'm sorry but there is NO substitute.  Not in taste and texture anyway.  I've tried all the low carb, gluten free alternatives from the one minute bread, to many others and they just do not make toast with the smell, feel, and taste of wheat.  So I'm telling myself, "Self, shut up! You can't have your toast, and you can't replace it.  You, who have been a creature of habit for so many years, having your toast every morning, will have to say goodbye to it and develop a NEW like."  Trying to replace some things only brings disappointment.  It makes you all the more long for the real thing.  So rather than replace, I am going to have to adjust to entirely new.  They say it takes 7 days to create a new habit.  Who knows.  Maybe by the time I'm done with this experiment, I'll have found new habits and won't care to go back to toast.  And "self" will leave me alone.

Another hard one is pizza crust.  We are a pizza family!  Good pizza crust is an essential part of good pizza! Two that I've found lately that have hit the spot, again, not replacing real pizza crust made with white flour and yeast and all that good stuff, but the taste is so good that I think I have found a NEW taste in pizza once again that I can get used to.  I've done the cauliflower crust and the zucchini crust for pizza and both were very good and I think I will use them often while I make (and smell) the regular yeast dough crust for the rest of my family who still listen to their "self" tell them to eat wheat and are not yet listening to me.  Ha!

Another way I have a quick lunch pizza is to make the microwave almond crackers by doubling the amount for one serving and rolling it slightly thicker, microwaving for 90 sec. and it makes a great thin crispy crust.  Just add your toppings after that and slip under the broiler until all the cheese is melted and bubbly.  Quick and yummy.  Most of the time I just take 4 TBS. of almond meal, 2 tsp. parmesan cheese, pinch of salt, and pinch of splenda (brings out flavor.. not enough to sweeten), and add enough water just to make a stiff dough.  Spray a square of parchment paper with non-stick spray, place it on the paper and using a piece of saran wrap also sprayed on top, spread it out to desired thinness in a square or circle.  Microwave for 90 seconds or until it is crisp.  It will crisp up as it cools also.  If you get it too thin it will break more.  You might have to experiment to get it right.  But it's pretty easy.  In fact, I've used this with an egg on top in the morning in place of my toast sometimes.  Like I said, it does not replace toast, but it is something to put my egg on that is crunchy.

So right now I'm on my third day.  I am noticing that the unrelenting swollen nasal passages are clearing and I'm breathing easier, although I'm still waking up in the night with a blocked nose.  Using a vaporizer is helping.  I have no mucus or congestion, just inflammation that I'm dealing with, which is why I believe wheat could be the culprit, since when I first started low carbing and did cut out wheat, my nose cleared up so good.  When I began getting it back in low carb products with wheat it came back.  So I'm really hoping it's as simple as cutting out wheat.  We shall see.  Of course I'm also using oil of Oregano daily again, so I'm not going to know for sure what is helping, until I am off the wheat for a month and then I introduce it back to see what happens along with continuing the rest of my regimen.  So, we'll see what happens.  I'll report back in a month with results!

Ginny

Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

It's Fall, and it's definitely soup weather! I love a good hearty bowl of soup on a chilly rainy day especially.  I wanted to make a video of this but have had no time lately!!  Working on another video right now that I did actually last week of Bavarian (Apple) Zucchini Torte.  Trying to find time to put it all together and get it uploaded has been crazy this last week!  My husband retired and the ECFE classes I'm an assistant in started, and I'm downright tired and worn out.

But back to the cheeseburger soup.  I love this recipe.  I've posted it before on the Bernstein Forum, but I felt like I needed to get it on my blog.  It's one of my favorites.  The original recipe that inspired it came from Taste of Home.  I've altered it enough to low carb it that it is an entirely different recipe so I feel I can call it my own!  I hope you enjoy it.

                    
* Exported from MasterCook *

                     Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

Recipe By     :Ginny Larsen
Serving Size  : 8  
Categories    :  Beef     Main dish   Soups and Stews

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  1            pound  ground beef
  3/4         cup  chopped onion
  3/4         cup  broccoli -- shredded, or broccoli slaw, or french style green beans
  3/4         cup  diced celery
  1           teaspoon  dried basil
  1           teaspoon  dried parsley
  8           slices  bacon -- fried and crumbled
  4           cups  chicken broth -- 1 32 oz. box
  1           tablespoon  garlic -- minced
  2           bay leaves
  4           cups  turnips -- peeled and diced
  8           oz  shredded cheddar cheese -- or American
  16        ounces  alfredo sauce, (I use Sam's Choice at Walmart... 1 jar)
  3/4       teaspoon  salt
  1/4       teaspoon  pepper

In a 3-qt. saucepan, brown beef; drain and set aside. In the same saucepan.

Saute onion, broccoli slaw, celery, basil and parsley in 1 tablespoon bacon greaser until vegetables are tender--about 10 minutes.

Add broth, turnips, bacon, and beef; garlic, and bay leaf bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Add alfredo sauce, and grated cheese, and stir until cheese is melted.  Remove bay leaves and serve.  Stir in sour cream if desired.
                                    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving: 485 Calories; 38g Fat (71.2% calories from fat); 25g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 115mg Cholesterol; 1255mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 6 Fat.

Grilled Chicken Stir Fry with Veggies

This is another idea for using the angel hair pasta zucchini made with the spiral slicer.  It was very quick and easy to make too!  I had just come home from the grocery store very hungry and wanted something fast!  I threw this together very quickly without hardly thinking.  Just grabbed the stuff in front of me I just bought and made it.  It's easy to overcook the zucchini pasta so be careful to add that last and only just get it warm.  Doesn't take much.  It was really good!  

                      

* Exported from MasterCook *

                   Grilled Chicken and Veggie Stir Fry

Recipe By     :Ginny Larsen

Serving Size  : 1     

Categories    : Main dish

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method

--------  ------------  --------------------------------

  1         tablespoon  coconut oil

  1         boneless skinless chicken breast -- cut in strips

  1/2      small  zucchini -- made into "angel hair pasta" with spiral slicer, or cut into noodles

  1/4      cup  roasted red peppers -- I get a jar of them already cut into strips

  1         cup  fresh spinach -- the baby spinach leaves are good

  1         tablespoon  minced garlic

                        garlic powder -- to taste

                        onion powder -- to taste

                        seasoned salt -- (Your favorite blend) to taste

  1/4     cup  parmesan cheese

In a medium saute pan, melt the oil.  Add the chicken strips, and seasonings, and cook, stirring until cooked through, about 3 minutes.

Move chicken to one side of pan and add the minced garlic.  Add roasted red peppers and stir about a minute.  Add spinach and stirr another minute, until wilted.  

Add angel hair zucchini and stir in just until warmed and then spoon the veggie mixture onto a plate and the chicken on top.  Toss with parmesan cheese.

Description:

  "another recipe using zucchini pasta along with grilled chicken breast, roasted red peppers and spinach"

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Per Serving: 508 Calories; 23g Fat (40.9% calories from fat); 65g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 153mg Cholesterol; 554mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 8 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 3 Fat.

Chocolate Cream Puffs

This recipe was another one with my pancake puff pan.  I used the oat fiber pancake recipe and added cocoa and chocolate DaVinci syrup, and filled with a cream filling.  Make it the same way as the Jelly Filled Donuts


                    
* Exported from MasterCook *

                          Chocolate Cream Puffs

Recipe By     :Ginny
Serving Size  : 6     Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    :

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  2        tablespoons  oat fiber -- (available at netrition.com or honeyville)
  2        tablespoons  flax meal, Golden -- Golden
  1        Teaspoon  Cocoa powder
  1/4      teaspoon  baking soda
  1/4      teaspoon  baking powder
  1         packet  Truvia
  1         large  egg
  1         tablespoon  coconut oil -- melted
  2         tablespoons DaVinci Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup
                        
                        Whipped Cream Filling
 1/2       cup  heavy cream
 1          teaspoon  sugar free vanilla Pudding Mix
 1/4       teaspoon  cream of tartar
1           packet  Truvia


Preheat pancake puff pan on low heat for 10 min. (between 3 and 4 on electric stove).  Melt coconut oil in small bowl. (I use a soup bowl).  Mix in egg and chocolate syrup, stir in all the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Fill each part of puff pan 3/4 full of batter.  It will make 6 to 7 puffs, depending on how you fill them.  Cook 4 min., turn to other side with skewer, and cook 3 to 4 more minutes.

Let completely cool.

Mix all filling ingredients in a small bowl and whip until stiff.  Poke holes in the puffs and fill with injector.

Roll in "powdered sugar" made with 2 parts Splenda, 1 part either xylitol or erithrytol in the blender.  Blend on lowest speed at 10 second intervas, mixing and shaking up in between, until the consistency of powdered sugar.  This recipe I used Erythritol and Splenda.

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Per Serving: 115 Calories; 11g Fat (78.7% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 58mg Cholesterol; 104mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Asparagus Fritatta

Just had to share this link to a video from dLife for this great looking recipe for Asparagus Fritatta!

Keeping cool!

Have sure not felt much like cooking, or baking or anything in this heat and humidity lately!  I'm finding many times a shake is all I want.  Something very cool.

Yesterday I did a milk shake with 1/2 cup of coconut milk (Thai Coconut milk in a can), and 1/2 cup half and half. I added vanilla flavored sugar free DaVinci syrup and about 4 ice cubes in my mini blender and pulsed until the ice was crushed and blended smooth.  It was sooooooooooooooooo good! Hit the spot!  Tasted very ice-creamy and smooth.

Sometimes I'm just making a protein shake.  And I do that with Almond milk and/or coconut milk.

Today I made 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup cold strong coffee from espresso beans in my blender with 2 TBS chocolate sugar free DaVinci, and a packet of Truvia.  That was wonderful!

Right now I'm sitting here with my Bengal Spice iced tea with cream in it.  I may eat supper and I may not.  We'll see.  Sure will be glad when this heat goes away!  Wishing I had a swimming pool or something to enjoy being outside on days like this.

Monte Cristo Sandwich

I used my oat fiber pancake recipe in this sandwich today.  Just one of the many uses for that recipe!

Oat Fiber Pancakes

These are my favorite pancakes.  They are mostly fiber with omega 3s and goodness from golden flax meal, and coconut oil.  They have a great texture for pancakes and don't have that overbearing flax taste.  If you add apple cider vinegar to the mix they come out very light and fluffy.  You can also make them in the microwave in a small square container for bread, on high for 1 1/2 min.  I also use this in my puff pancakes using my puff pancake pan.  Oat fiber is available online at netrition.com or Honeyville, and you can also get it at Amazon.com.  It is not the same as oat bran and you won't get the same results or carb count if you use oat bran.

 

                    
* Exported from MasterCook *

                            Oat Fiber Pancakes

Recipe By     :Ginny Larsen
Serving Size  : 1     (2 small or one large)
Categories    : Bread, Breakfast or snack

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  2        tablespoons  oat fiber -- (available at netrition.com or honeyville)
  2        tablespoons  flax meal, Golden
  1/4      teaspoon  baking soda
  1/4      teaspoon  baking powder
  1         packet  Truvia -- (or 1 TBS other sweetener)
  1         large  egg
  1         tablespoon  coconut oil -- melted
  2        tablespoons  water -- (or DaVinci Sugar free syrup if making sweeter)
  1        teaspoon  cinnamon -- (optional)

Melt coconut oil in small bowl. (I use a soup bowl).  Mix in egg and water or syrup, stir in all the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Either cook as you would a pancake, on a pancake griddle, or you can use to make puff pancakes, in a puff pancake pan, or put the bowl with the mix into the microwave and cook on high for 1 minute.

Description:
  "Made with oat fiber and flaxmeal, has a soft light consistency, and can be used as a one minute muffin in the microwave also"
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Note: In revisiting this recipe I see that I had the wrong nutritional information!  I'm so sorry for the inconvenience.  It is, however so full of dietary fiber that it is only 1g net carb...
*Edited 9/5/2016: Per recipe: 255 Calories; 23g Fat (56% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 1 Net gram Carbohydrate; 31g Dietary Fiber

Serving Ideas : As a mini cake or muffin, I make these with 2 TBS of DaVinci syrup and cinnamon and cook in a silicon mini bundt pan in microwave on high for 1 minute.  I frost with a quick mix of 2 oz. of cream cheese, 1 TBS of granular Splenda, and 1 TBS DaVinci syrup.  What a treat!

NOTES : carb amounts are almost all fiber... unusable

more with zucchini pasta

Some more photos of how I've used zucchini angel hair pasta   

I wasn't as crazy about it for spaghetti, but I forgot to heat the noodles!  I am used to thicker spaghetti noodles for spaghetti though so I don't think I'll use it this way again.  But you can try it, you may like it.  I heat the noodles in the microwave for a minute is all.  If you want to cook them more than that, try a couple minutes.  It doesn't take much.  

Chicken Alfredo and Spinach Lasagna With Zucchini Noodles

My son invited himself over for dinner one Sunday, which we always enjoy, and gave me a recipe he had gotten from a co-worker and wanted me to make it.  The original was made in the crock pot with no-cook lasagna noodles.  It's become a favorite recipe but of course I cannot do the noodles.  I have done this with dreamfield's pasta also which turned out wonderful, but since I'm trying to be near "perfect" in my diet lately, and I'm discovering zucchini noodles for a lot of things, I decided to make it with the zucchini.  I know next time though, I am going to add garlic to the sauce with this.  I love my garlic, as everyone who knows me knows!  There's not too many dishes I make without it.



                    
* Exported from MasterCook *

        Chicken Alfredo and Spinach Lasagna with zucchini Noodles

Recipe By     :Ginny Larsen
Serving Size  : 6    
Categories    : Main dish                       Poultry

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  2            medium  zucchini -- You may not need all the zucchini depending on the size.  Just use enough to cover the bottom and the second layer.  Save the rest for salad!
  1 1/4      cups  fiesta blend shredded cheese -- (or mozzarella, or swiss, shredded)
  1            cup  ricotta cheese
  1           teaspoon  oregano
  1/4      teaspoon  red pepper flakes -- (optional)
  10         ounces  alfredo sauce -- (1 jar)
  10         ounces  frozen spinach -- thawed and squeezed dry
  1/4        cup  parmesan cheese -- (may want to use more)
  2           cups  chicken -- cooked and diced
               red pepper flakes -- for garnish (optional)

Combine 1 cup cheese, ricotta, oregano and red pepper flakes if using, in small bowl; set aside.

Coat 4 1/4 quart crock pot with non-stick spray, or 7" x 11" casserole dish if baking.  Peel zucchini, and slice with cheese slicer or vegetable peeper to make strips that are flat like noodles.  Lay enough of the zucchini noodles in the bottom of the dish to cover it.  Spread half the ricotta cheese over them. Top with half of the spinach.  Arrange half of the chicken and half of the Parmesan cheese over the spinach.  Pour half of the Alfredo sauce over the top.  Repeat layers beginning with the zucchini noodles, and ending with the alfredo sauce.  Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of shredded cheese on top.

In crock-pot, cook on low 3 hours.  In oven, preheat oven to 350 degrees, bake 45 min. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.  Garnish with red pepper flakes if desired.

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Per Serving: 391 Calories; 29g Fat (67.7% calories from fat); 24g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 117mg Cholesterol; 531mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 3 Fat.

NOTES : I find I want more of the parmesan and more of the shredded on top at the end.  Also will add garlic to the sauce.