LOW CARB GRANOLA (GF)

I'd like to pass on a great recipe that I discovered on YouTube recently and tried.  If you've never checked out HomeMade Healthy be sure and do so for some awesome recipes.



I loved this recipe!  I made a larger batch and made some adjustments for myself, just because I always do.  I used what I had on hand and wanted a large batch.  Her recipe is in the notes under her video. I have never really been a granola eater, but I just became one. I had a half cup this morning with a little Cashew milk and it was very filling. I woke up this morning at 4 a.m. before the Rooster crowed and had breakfast and it's 9:30 now and I am not at all hungry.  I plan on heading out to an exercise class this morning at 10:30 so I'm fueled for the morning.

Thank you Lisa and Rob for a great recipe!
Here is my adaptation...
                     
LOW CARB GRANOLA

Serving Size  : 12  

1 cup  slivered almonds
1 cup  pecans
3/4  cup  coconut oil -- melted
1/4  cup  Torani vanilla flavored sugar free syrup
1/4  cup  Pyure (equal to 1/2 cup sugar)
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1 cup  almond flour - Honeyville
1/2 cup  whey protein isolate, Isopure
1 teaspoon  vanilla extract
1 tablespoon  cinnamon

Roughly chop slivered almonds and pecans with a chopper, knife, or in a food processor.

In mixing bowl add chopped nuts, melted coconut oil, Torani syrup, Pyure sweetener, salt, almond flour, whey protein, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Mix together until well incorporated.

Line a large baking sheet with sides with parchment paper or a silicone mat.  Spread mixture out on pan.

Preheat oven to 300F.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes checking after 20 minutes and baking longer as needed until crisp.  It gets crisper as it cools also.

Cool completely and break up into pieces. Store in ziploc bag or covered storage container.

Description:
  "Eat in a bowl with almond or cashew milk as a cereal or use to top yogurt or pudding or ice cream"
Source:
  "adapted from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg4w1Xk6Zkw"
Yield:
  "6 cups"
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Per Serving: 318 Calories; 31g Fat (82.3% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber

NOTES : per 1/2 cup serving (12 servings): 318 Calories; 31g Fat (82.8% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber

per 1/4 cup serving (24 servings): 158 Calories; 15g Fat (82.8% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber

per 2 tbsp serving (48 servings): 79 Calories; 8g Fat (82.8% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber;

CRUNCHY CINNAMON CEREAL

I don't normally want cold cereal, but lately I just had a hankering for some good cold cereal.  I have another recipe for cold cereal that I like but I didn't have time to make all the ingredients for that one or have all on hand.  Decided to try this and see how it turned out.  It turned out wonderful.  It's very crunchy, like cold cereal should be.  It's a good base recipe to which you can add any other things you like, such as nuts, seeds, coconut flakes, dried cranberries, or whatever.

I normally use erythritol and stevia to sweeten most things, but I wanted to use a flavored syrup for this.  If you don't want to use sucralose, You can try a flavored stevia extract.  Erythritol sometimes changes the texture of baked things, and makes them softer instead of crunchy, so I didn't use any granulated erythritol, however I used a liquid stevia extract (GV brand from Walmart) which has some erythritol added.  But the liquid seems to be okay, and the combo of that and the Torani syrup was good.  You could use whatever flavor you prefer.  I wanted vanilla but only had the Smore's flavor and that turned out really good.

                   

  "Talk about a high protein, high fiber, very healthy breakfast cereal!  This is it!"

Cinnamon Cereal Flakes

Recipe By     :Ginny
Serving Size  : 4  
Categories    : Breakfast
(I put the brands I use and that is how the nutrition is derived)

1/2 cup  almond flour - Honeyville
1/2 cup  golden flaxseed meal
1/3 cup  whey protein isolate, Isopure -- (1 scoop)
1 tablespoon  oat fiber (Trim Healthy Mama, Gluten Free)
1 teaspoon  cinnamon
1/4 cup  Smore's flavored sugar free Torani syrup (or vanilla or any flavor you like)
1/4 teaspoon  stevia extract, GV
1 large  egg

Preheat oven to 250F.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray.

In food processor, add almond flour, flaxmeal, whey protein, oat fiber and cinnamon, and pulse a few times to blend it all together.

Add vanilla sugar free Torani syrup (or any flavor), stevia extract, and egg.

Process until smooth.  It will be thick and sticky.  Pour out onto parchment paper and cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with non stick spray and with hands just smooth out to corners until evenly flattened and thin as you can get it.

Bake 30 minutes.  Check to see how done it is, and bake 10 minutes longer at a time, keeping watch on it, until completely dry in the middle and lightly browned but make sure not to burn. Takes about an hour altogether.

Let cook completely on wire rack.  When cooled break into pieces.  Store in ziplock bag in refrigerator.


Copyright:
  "1/11/2017" Ginny Larsen
Yield:
  "2 1/2 cups"
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Per Serving: 187 Calories; 13g Fat (53.4% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber

Serving Ideas : You can add slivered almonds, or other nuts to this if you want, or dried cranberries, toasted coconut flakes, or whatever else you want for variety.  You can also use different flavored syrups if you want or extracts.

NOTES : 2g useable carbs per serving, fiber is pure dietary fiber so I do not count it.

MONTE CRISTO SANDWICH, LC, GF

I have good memories of when I was first engaged to my husband of almost 42 years now, of eating at Perkins restaurant and having their Monte Cristo Sandwich.  I was hooked on it.  Many times I've tried to replicate it since being low carb. This was a delightful reminder of it and tasted so much like what I remembered.  Sometimes food brings good memories to us.  We tend to associate food with certain feelings and happy thoughts, so that food somehow ends up sort of a comfort food to us.  This is one of the hardest thing for dieters, or anyone having to change their diet and lose those certain foods.  It's not that I cannot be happy without food, or that I HAVE to have it, but I believe God gave us food to enjoy and even to commemorate certain times in our lives. If not, why did He give us taste buds?  One more proof to me of His love for His own.  And memories are important and should be kept. We had many delightful times of getting to know each other over a Monte Cristo sandwich.

I've made some Monte Cristos in the past but none as good as this one. I hope others will find it a delight to their taste buds and a help to their diet, as I have.  It made a very filling lunch for me, and I needed nothing else.

I used Walden Farms Strawberry syrup which claims zero calories, and carbs both, which I cannot comprehend, but I love the taste of this syrup nonetheless.  If you don't like to use this kind of product you can make your own syrup easily enough by using just frozen strawberries and thickening the berries and juice over heat with either arrowroot powder or xanthan gum. Or just use plain strawberries sweetened with your favorite sweetener.

 

 

 





MONTE CRISTO SANDWICH   

                        BREAD
2 tablespoons  Parmesan cheese -- (fresh grated or from the can)
1 tablespoon  almond flour - Honeyville
2 tablespoons  Pyure Sweetener -- (OR equivalent of 1/4 cup sugar)
1 teaspoon  psyllium husk powder -- (I grind fresh husks in coffee grinder)
1/4 teaspoon  baking powder
1 egg
1 tablespoon  Silk unsweetened almond milk, vanilla -- (Can use any liquid but this gives it the vanilla flavor as well)
                        FILLING
3 slices  chicken breast, Lunch Mate Premium
3 slices  hickory smoked deli ham slices, Lunchmate (aldi's)
1 slice  Smoked Gouda, Happy Farms deli sliced
                        BATTER FOR DIPPING
2 tablespoons  heavy cream
1 teaspoon  vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 tablespoon  Pyure sweetener -- (OR equivalent of 1 tablespoon sugar)
                        TOPPING
1 large  strawberry -- sliced
2 tablespoons  Walden Farms Strawberry Syrup

In small bowl add Parmesan cheese, almond flour, Pyure sweetener*, psyllium powder, and baking powder.  Whisk together.

Add egg and almond milk and whisk until well combined and creamy smooth.

Pour into square microwaveable container and microwave on high approximately 1 min. 40 seconds, but your microwave may vary.  Make sure it is done in the middle but not over done on the sides.  My microwave is 1000 watts.

Remove and let cool.  Slice horizontally in two.  On one half add 3 slices of chicken breast, 3 slices of ham, and top with smoked Gouda slice. Cover with other slice of bread.

In a cereal bowl add heavy cream, vanilla extract, egg, and Pyure sweetener. Whisk until smooth and well blended.

Dip sandwich into batter and let sit on one side for a few seconds to absorb.  The flip over onto the other side and let sit a few more seconds to absorb the liquid.  You will have some batter left, so the exact count will be somewhat different if you don't use all the batter.  I put the full count of the batter in the nutritional information, but you can adjust as you need to.

Melt a tsp. of butter in frying pan.  Place dipped sandwich into frying pan and cover.  Cook on one side about a minute on medium low heat.  Make sure it does not burn.  Flip to the other side and do the same.

Place on a serving plate and top with strawberry topping. Pour a little more syrup over all if desired.  Sprinkle with powdered Pyure or erythritol, as desired or top with whipped cream.

STRAWBERRY TOPPING: In small bowl add strawberry slices.  Add syrup and stir together.

Source:
  "http://ginnyslowcarbkitchen.blogspot.com"
Copyright:
  "© Ginny Larsen, 5/27/2016"
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1 Serving: 530 Calories; 39g Fat (65.5% calories from fat); 34g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber

NOTES : 6g net carbs

*Pyure Sweetener is a combination of stevia and erythritol and is available at Walmart and most grocery stores. It measures twice the sweetness of sugar so if you would use 1 tbsp sugar you would use 1/2 tbsp of Pyure.

HOMEMADE COLD CEREAL, SF, GF, LC

I don't really need cold cereal all that often.  Once in a great while though, I am in the mood for it.  I've been seeing some great ideas lately online, so I thought I'd put them together and come up with my own variation of cold cereal.

This fit the need for sure.  First I saw this recipe of "Frosted Flakes" and I happened to have just bought some coconut chips from my local health food store from a bulk bin.  Then I saw this recipe from Kent Altena about toasting coconut.  I sort of took a bit of each recipe, and put together my own tweaks.

PIN: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/774124909760602/

I also decided to add a few things to the mix to make it stretch farther so I'd have a nice bag of cereal for the week if I want it. So I took the almond thins recipe that is all over the internet, and made it with half flax and half almonds and added some sweetener and some cinnamon and some Capella graham flavor drops.  If you don't have them, and don't want to order them, not to worry.  You can make it without, but I just really like that graham cracker flavor.

So this filled about 3/4 full a gallon sized bag, as you see.  I also added some cashews, but when I saw the amount of calories and carbs I was racking up, I decided to leave them out of the recipe and next time I won't add them. You can if you choose.  I have to say this was really filling and kept me all morning so that even by lunch time I was not feeling particularly hungry.

The dried cranberries in the recipe are from this recipe.

HOMEMADE COLD CEREAL, SF, GF, LC         

COCONUT LAYER:

3 cups  coconut chips

1 tablespoon  coconut oil

1/4 teaspoon  EZ-sweetz Stevia and Monk Fruit -- (OR other liquid sweetener drops to equal 1/4 cup)

Cinnamon -- (I just sprinkled it over all, did not measure, perhaps a tsp.)

GRAHAM CRACKER LAYER:

1/2 cup  flaxseed meal, golden

1/2 cup  almond flour

1 egg white

1/4 teaspoon  EZ-sweetz Stevia and Monk Fruit -- (OR other liquid sweetener drops to equal 1/4 cup)

16 drops  Capella Flavor Drops, graham cracker concentrate -- (optional, but if you have them, it gives it a graham cracker flavor)

1 packet  Truvia

           

1/2 cup  Dried Cranberries, whole, SF

1 cup nuts (optional--not included in nutritional info)

COCONUT LAYER: Preheat oven to 350F.  Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil.  Spread coconut chips out on cookie sheet.  In small bowl, place coconut oil and EZ-sweetz Stevia and Monk Fruit, and microwave for 20 to 30 seconds to melt.  Drizzle over coconut flakes and stir until oil is well mixed over all.  Sprinkle with cinnamon, and stir together again. Bake about 4 minutes.  Remove and stir.  Bake another 3 minutes, or until golden brown.  Be careful not to burn!  Spread on paper towel and let cool.

GRAHAM CRACKER LAYER: Preheat oven to 325F.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. In food processor, add flaxseed meal, almond flour, egg white, EZ-sweetz Stevia and Monk Fruit, and Capella Flavor Drops.  Process until it is mixed well and makes a stiff dough. Place onto parchment paper. Top with plastic wrap, and roll out very thin, especially in the center so that it is evenly rolled out.  Sprinkle with packet of Truvia.  Cut into small pieces with a pizza cutter.  Bake 10 minutes.  Remove any on the edges that are done, and put back in, baking 2 to 5 minutes at a time, checking to make sure it does not burn, removing those on the outside that are done, and putting back in until all are crisp and lightly browned.  Let cool.

Mix cooled coconut flakes and graham cracker pieces together.  Add dried cranberries.  Mix well.  Add chopped nuts if desired (optional).

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About 7 -1/2 cup servings/Per Serving: 343 Calories; 32g Fat (77.8% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber

NOTES : 6g net carbs per serving

Awaken: 30+ Egg-Free and Grain Free Breakfasts

I am happy to introduce a new ebook by Karen Sorenson from Low Carbing One Day At A Time.  If you're tired of eggs for breakfast, or allergic to eggs, or for whatever reason don't want eggs, Karen has put together a great selection of ideas for you.  I was very impressed with the work Karen did in this book and how professional it is.  I loved the pictures along with the recipes, as well as nutritional information.  She has some great tips, and ideas for stocking your kitchen and how to's as well.  All I can say is I don't think you'll miss eggs with all the variety of recipes!  As much as I love my eggs, and I don't have an allergy to them, it's nice to have some options other than eggs, such as Cinnamon Nut Cereal, Blueberry Porridge, Pumpkin Porridge, Smoothies, Breakfast Cookies, Breakfast Sausage, Hashbrowns, and much more. And of course it is all low carb as well.  It looks to me like this book was a labor of love.  I think you'll like it.  You can purchase the book Here: http://lowcarboneday.com/awaken-egg-free-breakfast and there is a coupon code to get 40% off until March 11.
From Karen...

Why is this eBook Helpful?

• Brings a new look to breakfast for those with egg allergies or want something different
• Perfect for low carb, paleo, primal, gluten free, and grain free diets
• Provides step by step instructions for handling certain recipe ingredients
• Takes the guess work out of stocking your grain free pantry
• PDF format for viewing on your computer, iPad, or tablet
• A printer friendly copy of the eBook is also provided

What’s included in this eBook:

• 30+ egg free and grain free recipes with full page color photos
• Recipes for Morning Meats, Savory Beginnings, and Sweet Starts
• Several quick and easy recipes as well as recipes that can be made ahead of time
• Comprehensive guide for stocking your grain free pantry
• Egg Substitution Chart
• Sweetener Substitution Chart
• “How To” pages with step by step instructions and photos

Nachos

I haven't been blogging much lately.  Just been too busy with, well you know... life.  But, yeah, we're still eating, and I'm cooking and baking and recipe testing.  In fact I'm doing a little too much recipe testing, because I'm eating way more than I'm needing to eat because it all has to get eaten.  We're all on different diets here.  Hubby is on Weight Watchers and my son is on salt-restricted, low oxylate because of kidney stones.  Try to make a menu for the week for a family with all those differences!  It just doesn't happen sometimes.  I cook low carb.  They take away or add to what they want for themselves out of that.

I made these nachos out of the Cracker or Cereal Mix I did a video of some time ago.  I just added some Nacho Cheddar popcorn seasoning to the mix for some nacho cheese flavor.  They turned out pretty good.  My hubby enjoyed them also, but couldn't have too many because he's on WW.  Too bad.  *snicker*  I have to tease him.  When I'm eating my rich cream pies, which just don't fit in a low fat diet, I say, "sorry sweetie, not on WW" with a smile.  Maybe I'll convince him yet that low carb is great.  I don't know.  To each his own.

So anyway, if you need a salty snack, or just want something light, nutritious, and munchy and crunchy and aren't hungry for a whole meal, this is pretty good.

1 serving: 
77 calories
3 g protein
6 g fat
3 g fiber
0 g net carbs

Mini Flourless Chocolate Cake

This was a spur of the moment result of a chocolate craving.  I think I've had too many good low carb sweets lately with all my experimenting and creating and probably need to lay off the desserts!  But this was my last indulgence before I got back to some strict carb counting ok?  It is flourless... that is no nut flours, coconut flours, or any flours.  The only "flour" is the cocoa.  It's soft and very cake-like.  It's very chocolate.  I don't think I had enough sweetener in it though, so I think next time I make it I'll add a couple more packets of Truvia or some erythritol. In the recipe I have the amount I used, so you may want to taste the batter and sweeten to your taste.  It was more semi-sweet.  

In the middle I have Walden Farms caramel syrup.  I liked it, but next time I think I might try it with a peanut butter filling.  I actually made it in my microwaveable egg muffin container.  It worked perfectly.  Just the right size and shape.  You can get them at Walmart.  

Well, I've learned that when I have any cravings, it's usually because I've been eating too many carbs and too many sweets, even though they are sugar-free sweets.  So I know craving sweets is something I'm going to have to withdraw myself from for a time.  When I'm staying in my carb count, I do not get hungry, I do not crave anything, and I don't gain weight.  I've been over-doing the low carb foods and desserts lately and not counting actually how many carbs I'm eating at each meal, not to mention desserts and snacks! Every since Christmas I guess.  I need to back off for a time!  But Valentine's day is coming!  I have a fudge video to make!  Oh me oh my!  Ok, after my fudge video I'm done. 

MINI FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE                      

1/4  cup  cocoa powder

1/4  teaspoon  baking powder

1/8  teaspoon  salt

6  packets  Truvia (or 1/4 cup equivilant)

1  large  egg

1  tablespoon  vanilla flavored sugar free syrup -- (Torani or DaVinci)

1  tablespoon  coconut oil -- melted

                        Glaze

2  tablespoons  heavy cream

2  packets  Truvia

2  squares  Lindt 85% Cocoa bar -- chopped, *see Note

1  tablespoon  Walden Farms caramel sauce

In a small bowl, such as a cereal bowl, mix together cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and Truvia.  Make a well in the middle and add egg, vanilla syrup, and melted coconut oil. Stir together.

Place in microwave on high for approximately 1 minute and 40 seconds, time will vary according to your microwave.  Make sure it is cooked in the middle on the bottom to be done.  

Glaze:  Place heavy cream and Truvia in a small microwave container and microwave for 20 seconds or until it starts to boil.  Place chopped chocolate in cream and stir continuously until melted and thickens.  It will not get real thick. It will be like a hot fudge icecream topping.  

When cake is cooled, with a sharp sarated knife slice in half to make two layers.  On the bottom layer spread 1 to 2 tbsp of caramel sauce.  Place top layer on top and pour the chocolate glaze over all spreading around the sides.  Yeah, it's sloppy but oh so good!  I had some of the glaze left over.  I didn't need it all.  

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2 Servings/Per Serving: 229 Calories; 21g Fat (73.2% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber  (5 g. net carbs)

*NOTE : Lindt 85% cocoa bar does not contain any gluten products but Lindt states that though they use the most stringent cleaning methods their products are made on the same product line as those containing malt barley.  Because of this they cannot guarantee their chocolate is gluten free.  

Cinnamon Cranberry Coconut Crunch Cereal

I don't eat cold cereal that often, but now and then I like it.  I actually like it more for a snack or a light supper than I do for breakfast.  I did not figure out all the nutrition information for this particular mix here, because I just threw it together without measuring.  The cereal flakes come from my "Easy Cracker/Cereal" mix.  I used 3 servings of that, which is 2 TBS each with a tsp of cinnamon and about 1/2 to 1 Tbsp of Vanilla Torani Sugar Free Syrup in place of water.  Watch it in the microwave because it can burn quickly.  Microwave it for 50 to 60 seconds or until done all the way through.  When it cools it should be crispy.  After it cools break it up into "flakes".

I used dried cranberries that I dried myself in my oven since you cannot find dried cranberries at the store here that are sugar-free.  You can find a good recipe for them here. They can be used in so many ways that it's nice to buy up cranberries when you can get them and stick in your freezer and dry some to keep on hand for muffins, breads, cookies, or cereal, etc.  Sad that you can only get cranberries once a year but when I can get them I get several bags to freeze.  It's really not hard to do your own.  You control what goes into it then.

I also used organic coconut chips, available in your local health food store most likely or online.  I never tried them before but they looked interesting and a good addition to this mix.  If you can't find them use unsweetened shredded coconut instead.

Last but not least I chopped some walnuts to complete the mix.  All very healthy ingredients, full of omega 3's, fiber, vitamins, and filling as well, unlike most dry cereals that you have to have about 3 bowl-fulls to feel like you had anything substantial!  This is one reason I never ate cold cereal for breakfast.  The cereal flakes have zero net carbs because they are high enough in fiber to cancel out the carbs.  You can use So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk in place of milk, and sprinkle a couple packets of Truvia over all.

Happy eating! :)

Two Minute Microwave Coffee Cake

I got up yesterday morning, wanting something more than my usual cheese omelet.  I love my cheese omelet but needed a change.  Coffee cake sounded good.  I had made a pan of coffee cake the week before but that was gone and I didn't want to make a whole pan that takes an hour to wait for.  So I tried an idea from the minute muffin recipes, and did this 2 minute coffee cake.  It turned out really good.

This actually makes 2 nice servings. You can make it in what ever shaped container you have.  I used a cereal bowl and cut it in half. 

Very nice and moist inside, topped with a delicious cinnamon topping.  Not only is it very tasty and sweet, but it is has 6 g protein and 5 g of dietary fiber, and only 3 useable carbs per serving.  And almond flour and coconut flour are both so good for you!  So you don't have to feel guilty about having coffee cake for breakfast.  Just enjoy it!!  You're truly getting a healthy start for your day.


           

             TWO MINUTE MICROWAVE COFFEE CAKE

2 tablespoons  almond flour, Honeyville
1 tablespoon  coconut flour
5 packets  truvia or equal to 3 1/2 tbsp sweetener (edited, 6/18/2014)
1/2 teaspoon  vanilla
1/4 teaspoon  baking powder
1/8 teaspoon  salt
1 large  egg
1 tablespoon  coconut oil (or butter), melted
2 tablespoons  kefir (or buttermilk, or just water)
water, (just enough for consistency)
                        Topping
1 1/2 tablespoons  almond flour, Honeyville
2 packets  Truvia, equal to 1 1/2 tsp sugar (edited, 6/18/2014)
1 teaspoon  xylitol
1/2 teaspoon  cinnamon
1 tablespoon  butter (cold)

In a cereal bowl that is microwaveable, whisk together the first 5 ingredients.  Make a well in the center and add egg, melted coconut oil (or butter), kefir (or buttermilk or other liquid), and whisk together briskly until smooth.  It will be stiff.  Blend in enough water to make a cake batter consistency.

 Topping:  Blend almond flour, Truvia, xylitol, and cinnamon together in another small bowl.  Cut in the butter with a fork or pastry blender until it is crumbly.  Spread on top of batter.

Microwave on high for 2 minutes approximately.  My microwave is 1000 watts and 2 minutes is perfect.  Test for doneness.  Cool a minute or two and serve.

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2 servings (Per Serving): 304 Calories; 29g Fat (81.7% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber

NOTES : 3 net carbs per serving

If you want a whole collection of great recipes, all low-carb and gluten free, buy all 5 volumes here: http://amongfriends.us/GINNY.php

For some food for the soul check out Ginny's Place

Chocolate Peanut Butter and Caramel Sandwich, LC, GF

Lunch and dessert all in one.  I get these ideas sometimes.  I would have added bacon to the mix if I had had any, but I didn't.  Sometimes my mixes aren't what others would care for, but there may be some of you out there like me, so I share them.

Everyone who knows me by now, knows that I like chocolate and peanut butter, and add caramel to that and what could be better?  And sometimes to have a lunch and then add dessert is just too much, so why not make your lunch and dessert all the same?  I think it's a good idea anyway!

So I took my microwave coconut bread recipe idea and created a chocolate bread out of it.  I bought some Walden Farms sauces and syrups from netrition.com lately so thought I'd add some caramel syrup to this and the taste was everything I hoped it would be!  You could use this bread recipe as a cake in itself and just frost it if you like.  It was great in both taste and texture!

I know that many do not like to microwave in plastic, and I understand that it has the risk of giving us those xenoestrogens and all that, and I probably should be careful of that, and actually for the most part am, but occasionally I like to use my plastic Wonder Bread microwave container to get that nice bread shape.  So I'm not a purist. But if you are and you are more diligent about that than I am, than feel free to use a container that is not plastic for this.  The shape, after all, is not going to change the taste of the product.

Or if you don't like the microwave at all for any food, you can make this pancake style on a griddle but it won't have the same consistency as when you microwave it, yet I'm sure it would still be quite tasty.




                   
* Exported from MasterCook *

           Chocolate Peanut Butter and Caramel Sandwich, LC, GF

Recipe By     :Ginny Larsen
Serving Size  : 1     Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Bread                           Breakfast or snack
                desserts                        lunch

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
                        Chocolate bread
 1        tablespoon  coconut flour
 2        tablespoons  cocoa powder
 1/8     teaspoon  xanthan gum
 1/4     teaspoon  baking soda
 6        packets  Truvia -- (or sweetener equal to 1/4 cup sugar)
 1        large  egg
 2        tablespoons  kefir
 1        teaspoon  oil
                        water as needed
                        Filling
 2        tablespoons  unsweetened peanut butter -- (I do add Truvia to my peanut butter so it is a little sweet from the jar)
 1        tablespoon  *Walden Farms Caramel Syrup -- (zero carbs or calories)

Mix all the dry ingredients in a small bowl.  Stir together getting out any lumps.

Make a well in the middle and add the egg, kefir, and oil.  Mix together well.

Drizzle water in and stir just enough to make a cake batter consistency.  Mix well with a wire whisk until it is smooth.

Spray a small container, such as a Wonder Bread plastic container, or a square entree container, or ceramic cereal bowl, whatever you have, with non-stick spray.

Add half of the batter, and spread around evenly.  Microwave for 70 seconds (depending on your microwave.  Mine is 1000 watts), on high.  Plop out on a paper towel and do the same with the remaining batter.

Spread the peanut butter on one piece.  You may have to microwave it to soften it so it spreads easily.  I microwaved mine for about 30 seconds since it came out of the refrigerator.  Then add the caramel syrup and spread evenly on top of the peanut butter.  Cover with the other piece of bread and enjoy!

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Per Serving: 377 Calories; 28g Fat (65.3% calories from fat); 17g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fiber

Serving Ideas : I may add some bacon to the mix of this next time!

NOTES : *9 useable grams of carbs

Yet Another Microwave Bread Variation

Using coconut flour, because of how it absorbs liquid, I can use a lot less of the amount for making this bread, so now I've got another variation I, so far, like best of all.  I guess, actually, this is a whole different recipe, so I could post it as a separate one, but there are so many variations of 1 and 2 minute breads on low carb sites, and I have not checked all of them out, so if there is another one like this, sorry... I don't have time to check the entire low carb community to see if there is or not. So if you have already done this or seen it, I'm really not trying to take credit for someone else's recipe!  I just play around and see what I come up with sometimes.  This is my new favorite, and it's a lot less calories, more close to a regular wheat slice of bread, and very low carb, only 2 effective grams of carbs per slice.

I like the flavor better than almond or flax.  I also like the texture better.  It's lighter in the stomach, and doesn't leave me with a heavy stomach like almond flour sometimes does.  It seems much easier on my digestive system. I was actually having trouble gaining weight with all the almond bread.  Regardless of others' experiences with that, I only know mine... I gain weight with too much almond flour.  So I've cut back on the bread and desserts, even though they were low carb.  But making this variation, I am cutting calories quite a bit.  Yes, I do have to watch calories as well as carbs.  If you don't, be very thankful!  Unfortunately, if I eat lots of good low carb food with lots of calories I gain weight or I don't lose any.  We all have our unique set of problems to tackle.

So here is my latest favorite. Just thought I'd share it with you.

                   
* Exported from MasterCook *

                          Coconut 2 Minute Bread

Recipe By     :Ginny
Serving Size  : 2  
Categories    : Bread

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  1         tablespoon  coconut flour
  2         tablespoons  parmesan cheese
  1/4      teaspoon  baking powder
  1/8      teaspoon  xanthan gum -- (optional, but improves texture)
  1/4      teaspoon  splenda
              couple dashes of salt
  1         teaspoon  extra virgin olive oil
  1         large  egg
  2         tablespoons  kefir -- (or other liquid)

Mix all dry ingredients first, getting out all the lumps.  Make a well in the middle and add the liquid ingredients.  Stir the liquid ingredients in the middle and then gradually stir in the dry until all is mixed well and smooth.

In a square or round container, such as a cereal bowl, or a plastic entree dish, pour half of the batter and rap hard on counter a couple times to get out bubbles.

Microwave on high for about 60 to 65 seconds, depending on your watts.

Plop out onto a paper towel and do the same with the second half of the batter.

You can use this to make a sandwich, or you can toast it.  Use just like bread.

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Per Serving (2 servings per recipe): 99 Calories; 7g Fat (63.5% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber

Ham and Cheese on "Rye"

Just a quickie here cuz this turned out pretty good.  It's just another quick microwave bun or bread or whatever you want to do with it.  It turned out very close to a rye bread taste.  But there's no rye flour in it.  The ingredients that make it are coffee and caraway seeds.

It's made with my handy english muffin microwave gadget.

Here's the recipe:


                   
* Exported from MasterCook *

                         Ham and Cheese on "Rye"

Recipe By     :Ginny Larsen
Serving Size  : 1
Categories    : Bread/lunch/Pork

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
                        Rye Bun
  2        tablespoons  almond flour, Honeyville -- (I use Honeyville blanched almond flour.  You can use almond meal if you prefer or that's what you have)
  1         tablespoon  flax meal, Golden
  2        tablespoons  parmesan cheese -- grated (I used the canned stuff)
  1/2      teaspoon  baking powder
              sprinkle  salt -- (I gave it about 4 or 5 shakes... not much)
  1/2      teaspoon  caraway seeds
  1         large  egg
  1         tablespoon  extra virgin olive oil
  2        tablespoons  coffee -- (nice way to use left over coffee from the morning)

                        Ham and cheese filling
  1        teaspoon  mustard -- Or however much you like
  1        ounce  ham slices -- (I used deli ham, low sodium, thinly sliced) I actually don't know how much I used.  Pile on how much you like.
  1        ounce  Swiss cheese slice

For the bun: Put the first 5 dry ingredients in a small bowl (a cereal bowl will do).  Make a well in the middle and add the liquid ingredients.  Mix it well.

Take a microwave english muffin container (available at Walmart in the microwave section), or another microwave container of your choice, and put half of the batter in.  Microwave on high approximately 1 minute.

Plop it out on the counter and wipe out the container with a paper towel.  Pour in the remainder of the batter and microwave again for 1 minute.

Fix the sandwich by spreading on the mustard and adding your ham and cheese.

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Per Serving: 531 Calories; 44g Fat (73.2% calories from fat); 27g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 235mg Cholesterol; 1019mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 3 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 5 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : 5 g. net carbs

Quick Lunch Pizza

When I come home from work around 12:30 p.m. I'm usually worn out from chasing toddlers around a classroom, and really hungry and want my lunch right now!  Unfortunately there are days when I don't prepare ahead for something quick to grab out of the fridge when I get home.  But on those days, this is a pretty quick fix for a lunch pizza, for one serving.  I made this today.  Mine was a Mexican pizza.  You can choose your favorite toppings.  The crust is the part that makes it a snap.  This is a take-off from the easy Cracker/Cereal Mix.

Take 1/4 cup Almond flour (or Almond meal, blanched is best but you don't have to use blanched), 2 TBS. grated Parmesan Cheese, 2 TBS. liquid (I used kefir, but you can use cream, buttermilk, water, or any liquid), add seasonings such as a sprinkle of salt, some onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning (optional).  This is so versatile!  Mix into a stiff ball.  Cover it with saran wrap sprayed with non-stick spray, and spread or roll out with a small rolling pin, or like me, use your can of spray to roll it out.  Peel off the saran wrap and microwave on the parchment paper for 1 min. 40 sec. depending on your microwave.  They are all different so your timing may be different so watch it and test to see if it is done.

Remove from the microwave and spread your toppings.  I spread mine with cream cheese...

And then I topped the cream cheese with some Salsa Verde...

I added to that some Fiesta Blend shredded cheese...

Some left over taco meat...

And some sliced black olives...

Baked it on a piece of aluminum foil sprayed with non-stick spray, in a preheated 400 degree F. oven, for 10 minutes and cut it in 4 pieces.  Very yummy!

I hope you try it and enjoy it!  Have a great day!

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

Easy Cracker/Cereal Mix

Very versatile.  This is from a recipe posted on the Bernstein Forum by Cathy.  I have since used many variations of it and especially like making cereal in the morning with it!  I think you'll love it!  You can do so many things with it and it's so quick and easy to make.  If I need a quick snack, I can throw this together in a minute and have some cheese and crackers.  Really handy when I need to take something with me when I have classes during the school year and lunch comes way too late!

So here's the video and the base recipe with nutrition info is below:




                    
* Exported from MasterCook *

                        Easy Cracker (Cereal) Mix

Recipe By     :Ginny's variations of original recipe from Cathy on Bernstein Forum
Serving Size  : 20 (2 TBS each)   Preparation Time :0:60
Categories    : Bread                           Breakfast or snack

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  1              cup  flax meal, Golden
  1              cup  almond meal
  1/2           cup  parmesan cheese

The ingredients are a base recipe that I start from.  Just mix all together and keep in a container.  Add seasonings of your choice or make them sweet by adding cinnamon and more Splenda to make into a cereal. Experiment with other flours or meals.  You can store this in a ziploc bag or plastic container in the freezer or frig, and when you want to use it just scoop out 2 TBS of the mix, add just enough water to make a ball of dough you can spread out.  You spray a piece of parchment paper, put the dough on it, spray some saran wrap and put on top and spread with your hands or roll it, until it's very thin and flat and then microwave for 1 minute.  Time may vary, but every time I do it, 1 minute works for me for them to come out just right.  This is different than the original recipe I got this from, so you will have to find which works for you.  I found that 2 TBS of water was way too much, and that 2 to 2.5 min. was way too long, so try the least first and add more if need be!

Description:
  "You can do many variations of this mix changing seasonings, doing half flax and half almond meal or other meal.  Can also use as cereal when sweetened and add cinnamon to it rather than savory seasonings."
Source:
  "http://www.diabetes-book.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1270832525/0#14"
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Per Serving: 69 Calories; 4g Fat (52.1% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 2mg Cholesterol; 40mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Fat.

NOTES : Each serving is 2 TBS of mix.  If you add anything else to it add the carb count to that also.

Changes

I haven't had a lot of time to post any new recipes lately.  Hopefully soon I will do that again.  I've been struggling with my blood sugar going higher than it used to, and my morning fasting blood sugar being higher which bothers me.  I guess I've been getting lax with actually counting my carbs and eating more than I should especially at family gatherings, eating out, pot lucks, etc.  I've decided that I need to go back to Dr. Bernstein's 6-12-12 and strictly count my carbs again.  I haven't done that for a couple years.  I guess it's catching up with me. I also have gone through the loss of a sister and a son (2006 and 2007), and after that it seems my motivation for strict control has diminished and I did good to control it as much as I did.  Fortunately, for me, cooking is therapeutic, so that helped me greatly.  If not, I probably would have eaten whatever was there, low carb or not.  My a1c has gone up from 5.5 to 5.7 since I last had it checked, which was in Ocotober, and I think if I had it checked today it would be higher than that.  I've had a lot of swings in the 300s lately after eating out.  I keep telling myself I just can't keep doing this to myself!

So for now I'm cutting out all wheat products for the most part, and even toying with the idea of fasting. I've been reading more about the intermittent fasting and it sounds interesting.  I'm wondering how much fasting has an effect on beta cells, insulin resistance, etc.  I'd like to find more info on this.  I'm wondering how long I can safely fast and what effect a long fast has on Type II diabetes.  I really hate diabetes!  But then, it probably has actually made me healthier in the long run since I've been forced to eat in a healthier way and keep my weight down etc.  Speaking of weight, I've been satisfied with my weight but I am also thinking maybe a 5 to 10 lb. drop would help lower the bgs too?  I don't know.  I've also been reading up on Mody on Jenny Ruhl's Blood Sugar 101 site.  I don't know if I have that type, some things make me think maybe, and other things make me think not.  I guess either way all I can do is stick to the low carbing!  I have remained low carb, but even in low carbing, you can eat too much!

I'm doing my T-Tapp walking DVD almost every day now and walking 1 to 2 miles once or twice a day also.  I notice it takes a lot more to bring down my bg after a meal than it used to.  T-Tapp used to bring me down pretty quickly and in fact almost too low sometimes.  Now it only brings me down half as much.  So I will be working on changing things again.

I'm taking my bg more often now again also, which I also was getting lazy at.  I need to see exactly how foods are affecting me at 1/2 hr. 1 hr. and 2 hrs. later.

I do have a recipe that has been a life saver to me, especially since I've finally given up my toast in the morning with breakfast.  For many years of my life my breakfast has been toast and egg with bacon bits and cheese.  I guess I'm a creature of habit. I never wanted to change it.  I like it.  When I went low carb I simply found a low carb bread (Brownberry's Carb Counting Whole Grain bread), which I cannot get anymore.  That seemed to do ok with me.  Not anymore rise than with anything else low carb.  But suddenly it is not in any of the stores anymore.  :(  Why do they do that?  So I went to a "Light" wheat bread that had the same amount of carbs and fiber, yet that one raised my bg higher.  So I have been making a cold cereal out of flax and almond meal that is so delicious!!!  Crispy, like any other cereal flakes, nutritious, and delicious.  I eat that with a one egg omelet with bacon bits and cheese, and no toast.  Or I make the same mix into a cracker which is nice and crunchy and put my egg and cheese on that which gives the same crunch satisfaction as the toast.  This same recipe I've used in different variations and it is so good!  Quick sandwich?  Just make a quick cracker out of it and top with deli meat and cheese.  Only a couple g. of carbs.

I have lots going on right now so as soon as I get a break I'll try to get a video up.  My other website needs some major work since I accidentally wiped out my home page on Saturday!  ARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!  So I need to give that some attention also.  Also need to enjoy the beautiful weather while it's here!