Raspberry Coconut Whipped Gelatin Dessert

A light and tasty dessert, very simple to make.  If you like raspberries and coconut you'll love this.  I've been trying to incorporate more coconut products in my diet, and I sure am enjoying doing so!  

                    
* Exported from MasterCook *

                        Raspberry Coconut Whipped Gelatin Dessert

Recipe By     :Ginny
Serving Size  : 4    
Categories    : Dessert

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  1      package  sugar free raspberry gelatin, GV -- (I use Great Value from Walmart... no maltodextrin)
  1      cup  Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk
  1      cup  boiling water
  6      drops  EZ-Sweetz -- (or a TBS of other sweetener, or more to taste)
  1      teaspoon  coconut extract
  1/2   cup  heavy whipping cream
          EZ-Sweetz
  1     teaspoon  vanilla extract

Pour boiling water over the packet of gelatin and stir until well dissolved.

Mix coconut milk with sweetener and extract and pour into gelatin mix and stir.  Chill until almost set and whip with a beater until very smooth and creamy. Chill until set.

Make Whipped topping by pouring into a metal bowl, add sweetener to taste, and vanilla and whip until stiff peaks form.  Top gelatin dessert and enjoy.

If you want sprinkle toasted coconut on top.

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Per Serving: 211 Calories; 21g Fat (89.4% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 41mg Cholesterol; 98mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2 Fat.

Chicken Divan Low Carb

Made this for supper tonight.  I had a family favorite recipe that used creamed soups but I didn't want to use the creamed soups so I used alfredo sauce, mayonnaise, and chicken bouillon for the soup replacements.  It turned out really good.  I hope if you try it you'll enjoy it.  the topping is just shredded cheese and Parmesan cheese sprinkled with some thyme, garlic powder, and parsley.  It made a nice crisp topping for it.  In the original recipe I used herbed stuffing mix mixed with melted butter.  I suppose if you want a breaded topping you could make crumbs out of low carb bread added herbs and toss in melted butter.  I've done that too, but this way
it's less carbs.

                    

CHICKEN DIVAN

                         
2 cups  cooked chicken breast, diced
1 pound  broccol florets, chopped
16 ounces  alfredo sauce
2 cups  fiesta blend shredded cheese
1/2 cup  Light Mayonnaise, gluten free
4 ounces  can mushrooms,chopped (or fresh mushrooms)
1 tsp chicken flavored Better Than Bouillon
1/2 cup  parmesan cheese
Parsley, garlic powder, and thyme sprinkled on top

Microwave or steam broccoli for 5 min.  Place chopped chicken in a baking dish.  (I used 7" x 11" or 2 quart).  Top chicken with broccoli.

In a medium pan, place the alfredo sauce, mayonnaise, mushrooms, bouillon, and 1 cup of shredded cheese.  Stir and cook until cheese is melted.

Spread sauce over the broccoli/chicken mixture.  Top with 1 cup of shredded cheese and sprinkle the parmesan chees over that.

Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F. oven for 45 to 55 minutes.

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(8 servings) Per Serving: 346 Calories; 26g Fat (68.6% calories from fat); 20g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber

Hot Bacon Dressing and Salad

This was lunch today.  So good!  This dressing goes good with any salad.  The ingredients in my salad were:

Green Leaf Lettuce

Chopped Roma Tomatoes

Sliced Zucchini

Chopped Artichoke Hearts

Sliced Black Olives

Diced Deli Chicken

                      

* Exported from MasterCook *

     Hot Bacon dressing

Recipe By     :Ginny

Serving Size  : 4    

Categories    : Sauces/dressings/Misc.

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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

  6             slices  bacon

     1/2           cup  sliced onion

     1/4           cup  apple cider vinegar -- (I use Bragg's organic)

     1/4           cup  water

  2            packets  Truvia -- (or equivilent of 4 tsp. of sugar)

     1/2      teaspoon  salt

Easiest way to do this is to just use a scissors and cut up your bacon before cooking.  In a medium frying pan, cook the bacon. Remove bacon and add sliced onions to the pan with the grease. Fry until brown.

Add the bacon back, along with the vinegar, water, Truvia, and salt and stir, bringing to a boil.

Add to salad and toss.  Serve immediately.

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Per (1/4 of recipe) Serving: 60 Calories; 5g Fat (70.9% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 8mg Cholesterol; 419mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat.

Whole recipe:  241 Calories; 19g Fat (70.9% calories from fat); 12g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 32mg Cholesterol; 1675mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Fat.

Low Carb Cabbage Rolls

This is one of my favorite crock pot recipes and so easy.  Great on a cold winter night to come home to a wonderful aroma filling your house like someone was there cooking for you all day, and sit down to a delicious hot meal.  This came from a recipe I've made for years until I started low carbing, and had to do it low carb.  I don't feel like I'm eating something low carbed, but just a nice filling comfort food.  I usually serve it along with mashed cauliflower.  Tonight I had it along with a piece of crustless pumpkin pie, which put me over my carb count, but I'm going to do some T-Tapping as soon as I'm done posting this so I figured I could get by with a bit more.  There are only 3 net carbs per roll.

                      

* Exported from MasterCook *

                             Cabbage Rolls 

Recipe By     :Ginny

Serving Size  : 10    

Categories    : Crock Pot, Main dish

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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

  10       cabbage leaves

  1         pound  ground turkey sausage

  1/2      cup  mozzarella cheese -- shredded

  1/2      cup  parmesan cheese

  1         teaspoon  garlic powder

  1         teaspoon  onion powder

  1         teaspoon  thyme

  1/4      teaspoon  cloves

             dash of cayenne pepper

   1        large egg

                        Sauce

  1         cup  tomato sauce-no sugar added

  1         tablespoon  lemon juice

  1         tablespoon  Brown Sugar Twin

  1         teaspoon  worcestershire sauce

  1         teaspoon  liquid smoke flavoring -- (optional)

Cut around the core of a head of cabbage with a knife. Place cabbage in boiling water, as it boils peel cabbage leaves off. You may have to use a knife to loosen them at the core.  Using a tong and a fork you should be able to easily peel them away

Let the leaves boil for about 3 minutes.  Place on a towel or paper towel.

Mix the meat ingredients together: ground turkey sausage, cheeses, and seasonings.  Incorporate well.  Measure scant 1/4 cup each to place in the center of the leaf and bring in the sides of the leaf and then roll up.

Continue to roll each one and place in the crockpot.  Should have 10 rolls.

Mix sauce ingredients.  If you don't have Brown Sugar Twin you can use 1 TBS Splenda and 1/2 tsp. of blackstrap molasses.  Pour over cabbage rolls and cook on hi for 4 to 6 hrs. or low 8 to 10 hrs.

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Per Serving: 121 Calories; 6g Fat (48.2% calories from fat); 12g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 44mg Cholesterol; 166mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Added 3/18/2013--another version with 12 servings, more meat:

This is another version that I made recently, that I really liked!

CABBAGE ROLLS                      

12 cabbage leaves

2   pounds  ground Jennie-O turkey sausage (breakfast) -- (or 1 lb sausage, and 1 lb. ground turkey or ground beef)

1   cup  shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup  Parmesan cheese

1  large  egg

1  teaspoon  onion powder

1  teaspoon  garlic powder

1  teaspoon  liquid smoke flavoring

1/2 teaspoon  salt -- (or to taste)

1/8 teaspoon  black pepper

Sauce:

8  ounces  tomato sauce, GV, no sugar added

1  tablespoon  lemon juice -- (OR apple cider vinegar)

4  drops  liquid sucralose -- (OR 2 to 4 TBSP other sweetener)

1/4 teaspoon  blackstrap molasses

1 teaspoon  worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon  liquid smoke flavoring

Cut around the core of a head of cabbage with a knife. Place cabbage in boiling water, as it boils peel cabbage leaves off. You may have to use a knife to loosen them at the core.  Using a tong and a fork you should be able to easily peel them away. Peel off 12 leaves. Cut up remaining cabbage and freeze for stir fried cabbage side dish another night.  (Some people do this another way, by peeling off the raw leaves and microwaving them.  This is great if you can do it without tearing the leaves.  I have not managed to be able to do so.)

Let the leaves boil for about 3 minutes.  Place on a towel or paper towel.

Mix together until well incorporated, the meat, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, onion powder, garlic powder, smoke flavoring, salt, and pepper.  Measure a heaping 1/4 cup each to place in the center of the leaf and bring in the sides of the leaf and then roll up.  You should have enough to fill 12 leaves.  Place in crock-pot.

In small bowl mix together tomato sauce, lemon juice (OR apple cider vinegar), liquid sucralose (OR other sweetener), blackstrap molasses, worcestershire sauce, and liquid smoke flavoring.  If you don't have Brown Sugar Twin you can use 1 TBS Splenda and 1/2 tsp. of blackstrap molasses.  Pour over cabbage rolls and cook on hi for 4 to 6 hrs. or low 8 to 10 hrs. 

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12 Servings/Per Serving: 235 Calories; 17g Fat (66.5% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber

Almost Vanilla Wafers

Almost, because they are not crunchy like vanilla wafers but they have a wonderful vanilla flavor, and the only thing wrong with them is that it is hard not to eat too many!

I used xylitol in this recipe which some of you don't use, just add 1/4 cup of a sweetener of your choice in it's place.  I also used a couple TBS of oat flour.  If you don't have or want to use oat flour, you can put that amount  more of almond meal probably, or flaxmeal.  The whey protein I used was unflavored but if you use vanilla whey protein you may not need to add vanilla since it already calls for vanilla Torani syrup.

                    
* Exported from MasterCook *

                           Vanilla Drop Cookies

Recipe By     :Ginny Larsen
Serving Size  : 20    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Dessert

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  1/2           cup  butter -- softened
  1/4           cup  Torani Vanilla Flavored SF syrup
  1/4           cup  xylitol
  1/2           cup  Splenda
  1              egg
  2               tsp.  vanilla extract
  1 1/3         cup  almond meal
  2               TBS  oat flour
  2/3            cup  whey protein, Jarrow Formulas
  1               teaspoon  baking powder
  1/4            teaspoon  salt

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sweeteners. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

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Per serving: 101 Calories; 7g Fat (55.2% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 26mg Cholesterol; 105mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

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.

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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"
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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"
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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