Caramel Brownie Ice Cream Sundae

Such an easy, quick ice cream recipe that you don't have to wait long for at all!  It comes right out of the ice cream freezer as a soft serve consistency, which I like.  If you want it harder, stick it in the freezer to ripen for another hour or so, until it is as you like it.  The above picture was 1 hour in the freezer after it came out of the ice cream maker.  I have a scoop on top of a brownie cookie, which I made in my whoopie pie pan.  I was intending on making ice cream sandwiches, which I could have done, but I think next time I'll spread the brownie mix thinner in the whoopie pie pan to make thinner cookies, which would be less calories and carbs to make into a sandwich with the ice cream.  But one brownie bottom with a scoop of ice cream topped with Walden Farm's Caramel sauce which is zero carbs or calories suited me just fine.  It was exactly what satisfied my desire for a sweet, cool sensation on this very hot humid day.  It seems all of this summer has been that way.  You'd have thought I'd be living on ice cream all summer long.  I can't say why I haven't!  Maybe man cannot live on bread alone, but I do think I could live on ice cream alone for the entire hot summer just fine.  

Compare with Dairy Queen's small Caramel Sundae with pecans

QUICK AND EASY VANILLA ICE CREAM                      

1 1/2 cups  heavy cream

1 1/2 cups  almond milk, unsweetened -- (I used vanilla flavored, Silk brand)

3/4 cup  your choice sweeteners -- (I used 12 drops liquid sucralose and 1/4 cup xylitol)

1 1/2 teaspoons  vanilla

1/4 teaspoon  salt

In medium mixing bowl, add heavy cream, almond milk, sweeteners, vanilla, and salt.  Whisk together well.  

Pour into ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer instructions.  

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Makes about 3 cups/6, 1/2 cup servings/Per Serving: 218 Calories; 23g Fat (93.1% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber

Entire recipe: 1308 Calories; 136g Fat (93.1% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber

CHOCOLATE FUDGE BROWNIES

                

2 oz.  unsweetened chocolate

1/3 cup  coconut oil -- or butter

1 cup  sweeteners -- (12 packets Truvia, 1/4 cup xylitol, 8 drops liquid sucralose)

2 eggs

1/2 tsp.  vanilla

1/2 cup  almond meal

1/4 cup  flaxseed meal, golden

1/2 tsp.  baking powder

1/4 tsp.  salt

In medium saucepan, over medium low heat, melt chocolate and oil. Remove from heat and add sweeteners, eggs, and vanilla.  Mix well, and add the remaining ingredients.  Stir well and pour whoopie pie pan to fill 9 cups in the pan. Or spread evenly into 12 cups to make thinner to use for ice cream sandwiches or whoopie pies.  Bake in pre-heated 350 degrees F oven for 10 to 12 minutes.  Do not over bake!  The longer you bake, the more cake-like, the less, the more fudgy, and brownie-like.  

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9 Servings/Per Serving: 169 Calories, 15 g fat, 6 g protein, 5 g carbs, 2 g fiber

12 Servings/Per Serving: 127 Calories, 11 g fat, 4 g protien, 4 g carbs, 2 g fiber

Entire Recipe: 1519 Calories, 138 g fat, 50 g protein, 48 g carbs, 18 g fiber

CHICKEN CURRY COLESLAW

Heat advisory today!  Heat index is 103 and dew point is 70. Too hot to cook at all.  Without turning on the stove, our air conditioner is over working and not keeping up with it.  The temperature keeps climbing in our house.  I get sick from heat, so I'm not liking this at all!  So I bought a rotisserie chicken today and a coleslaw mix and decided to see what I could come up with.  This recipe just evolved as I was putting it together.  Once I got my ingredients together I thought curry would taste so good with it all.  I love the flavor of curry, but never have I heard of or tried a curry dressing before, but why not?  So I started with my usual coleslaw dressing and added curry powder and a bit more sweetener to it, and it turned out to be quite a taste sensation with all the blends of flavor together.  I hope you'll enjoy it if you try it.  It's a main meal dish all by itself, and very substantial.

CHICKEN CURRY COLESLAW                    

1 pound  Marketside coleslaw mix, (any coleslaw mix, but this is the brand I get)
3 pounds  chicken, cooked and chopped (I used rotisserie chicken, already cooked)
15 ounces  no sugar added peaches, packed in water (1 can, drained and chopped)
1 cup  walnuts, chopped roughly
4 strips  bacon, cooked and crumbled (more if you like more bacon)
2 tablespoons  sunflower seeds, salted
Curry Dressing:
1 cup  light mayonnaise (Hellman's), OR regular mayonnaise (Hellman's is gluten free and only 1 g carb)
6 drops  liquid sucralose, OR sweetener equal to 3 tbsp. sugar
2 tablespoons  apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon  curry powder

In large salad bowl, combine coleslaw mix, chicken, peaches, walnuts, bacon, and sunflower seeds.  Toss together.

In small bowl mix together mayonnaise, sweetener, apple cider vinegar, and curry powder.

Pour dressing over coleslaw mix and toss together well, until dressing is evenly mixed in.


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I estimate about 10 servings, but did not really measure out each serving, so I have nutrition info for 10 servings, and for the entire recipe, so however many servings you have, you can figure it out for yourself.  It will also depend on the brands you use.

10 Servings/Per Serving: 394 Calories; 30g Fat (68.2% calories from fat); 22g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber

Entire recipe: 3938 Calories; 303g Fat (68.2% calories from fat); 218g Protein; 99g Carbohydrate; 28g Dietary Fiber

CHICKEN IN GARLIC WINE CHEESE SAUCE AND "PASTA"

It's been hot hot hot here and everywhere in the country this summer it seems!  So it's been cold meals, microwave meals, crock-pot meals, although I found even having my crock-pot on raises our thermostat a couple degrees.  Our air conditioner doesn't keep up with this heat and the least bit of heat in the house raises it.  So as much as I really don't like cooking in my microwave, I'm using it a lot lately.  Hey! We're in survival mode here!  

This is a quick easy meal for one, lunch or supper.  I made it up really quick for lunch today with some left over chicken that I needed to finish up.  

CHICKEN IN GARLIC WINE CHEESE SAUCE WITH "PASTA"

1/2 medium zucchini , made into spaghetti in a spiral slicer (if you don't have one   you can make the noodles with a vegetable peeler). (About 1 cup of noodles).

3 to 4 oz. of left over cooked chicken

Garlic Wine Cheese Sauce:

1 slice Bongard cheese slices

1 tbsp cream cheese

1 tbsp almond milk OR cream or coconut milk (I used almond milk)

1 tsp dry wine (I used Marsala)

1/2 tsp minced garlic

Garlic Wine Cheese Sauce: In small bowl, combine cheese slice, cream cheese, almond milk, dry wine, and minced garlic.  Microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.  Stir together.  If it needs more put it in 10 to 20 sec. longer or until melted, thick, and heated through.  Stir well. 

On dinner plate place zucchini pasta, top with chicken, and heat in microwave 20 to 30 seconds, just until chicken is warm.  Pour cheese sauce over all.

1 Serving per recipe: 337 Calories; 20g Fat (52.9% calories from fat); 34g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber

SPINACH MICROWAVE LASAGNA

It is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to hot to have the oven on lately.  We're having a heat wave and there is no end in sight.  So it's the crock-pot or the microwave for meals.  My sweet hubby even offered to take me out to eat tonight, but when I was trying to find a place with a good enough meal that was both low carb and gluten free and worth the money, tasty and satisfying also, I gave up and said I can eat better at home.  So why not lasagna in the microwave.

This was so simple to put together, and so tasty too!  My son said it was the best lasagna he's had.  I have had a lot of lasagna so I don't know if I can say that, but I will say it was the simplest lasagna I've ever had.  

No noodles, and you don't miss them.  Layers of meat sauce, a spinach/ricotta mixture, mozzarella, and topped with low carb bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.

I actually cooked a pound of ground beef and a pound of turkey sausage and a whole jar of the marinara sauce, but only used half of that, and saved the other half for cannelloni for tomorrow.  Two Italian meals in a row?  We do NOT mind!  Love Italian!  

Good tasting, filling, easy, and low carb as well!

SPINACH MICROWAVE LASAGNA                      

1/2  pound  lean ground beef

1/2  pound  Jennie-O turkey sausage (breakfast)

12 1/4 ounces  Mezzetta Homemade Style Marinara -- (1/2 24.5 oz. jar)

13 1/2 ounces  spinach, canned -- (1 can, water squeezed out completely-or 1 10 oz. box of frozen spinach, thawed and drained.

1 cup  ricotta cheese

1 large  egg

1/4 cup  low carb bread crumbs -- divided (OR 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese divided)

1/4 teaspoon  red pepper flakes

1 cup  mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons  Parmesan cheese

In frying pan, brown ground beef and turkey sausage.  Drain.  Stir in Marinara sauce and let simmer.

While meat is simmering, in medium bowl, mix together spinach, ricotta cheese, egg, 1/2 of bread crumbs, and red pepper flakes. Stir together well.

Spray 9 x 9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Layer 1/2 of the meat sauce.  Top with the Spinach-Ricotta mixture.  Sprinkle Mozzerella cheese on top.  Add another layer of remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle remaining bread crumbs and parmesan cheese on top.

Place in microwave and cook on high for 3 minutes, then cook 12 to 15 min. power level "50".  Let sit for about 3 minutes after removing.  

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6 Servings/Per Serving (excluding bread crumbs): 390 Calories; 29g Fat (67.8% calories from fat); 24g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber

GRAHAM CRACKER FLATBREAD

Ok, these look like graham crackers, and they really do taste like graham crackers, but they do not have the crunch of graham crackers.  I attempted to convert this recipe I found to low carb.  I wanted to also try out my new Capella Graham Cracker Flavor drops.  These turned out tasting wonderful and far from calling them a flop, because they didn't have the crunch, I just call them a new creation.  They make a good flatbread.  They are softer than crackers but chewier than bread.   It also depends on how long you want to bake them as to how hard they get.  You can experiment.  I baked the first batch around 25 to 30 minutes trying to get them crunchy, but when I saw I was going to burn them and not get them any crunchier I removed them and let them cool.  

the second batch I tried a spoonful of in the microwave to see if it would crisp up there, but it didn't work.  So I rolled out the rest as I did the first batch and baked them for about 25 min.  I made the most wonderful sandwich for lunch out of it, that reminded me of my childhood.  I spread peanut butter on top, added some thin deli sliced ham, and a slice of Bongard cheese on top.  Excellent to my child-like taste buds.  Just one of my strange sandwich combos but hey, give it a try! You'll be hooked.  I had to have a second one.  

I'm thinking these would also make a great graham cracker crust, or a base to a candy bar, if you top it with a filling of some sort, such as peanut butter and coat in chocolate.  Oh yeah!  Or any other number of combinations I can think of to tickle my taste buds.  I was unsure of how much Capella drops to use because I'm new to them and still experimenting.  I found 16 drops to be perfect.  You can even smell the graham cracker smell when they come out of the oven. Can you tell I have a thing for graham crackers?  I am still planning on working on the "cracker" part of this, and getting the crisp just right.  Hopefully I'll have the perfect graham cracker for you soon.  Back to the kitchen!   

I also have to mention, the first time I mixed the blackstrap molasses in with the dry ingredients first, and didn't like the way it mixed in.  So I suggest in the recipe below adding it to the liquid ingredients.  Or you don't have to use blackstrap molasses if you don't want.  You could use a brown sugar substitute in place of part of the sweetener instead.  This is the way I made it and what I used.

GRAHAM CRACKER FLATBREAD                      

1 cup  almond flour

1 cup  flaxseed meal, golden

1/2 cup  parmesan cheese

1/2 cup  sweetener -- (12 packets truvia)

2 teaspoons  cinnamon

1 teaspoon  baking powder

1/2 teaspoon  xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon  baking soda

1/4 teaspoon  salt

7 tablespoons  butter -- cold, cut into pieces

9 tablespoons  egg whites -- (equal to 3 eggs)

1/2 teaspoon  blackstrap molasses

6 drops  liquid sucralose -- (or stevia)

16 drops  graham cracker flavoring -- (Capella drops) (optional but recommended, this is what gives it that graham flavor)

In medium bowl, mix together almond flour, flaxseed meal, parmesan cheese, sweetener, cinnamon, baking powder, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt.  Whisk all together well.

Using your fingertips, add in the butter and mix until it makes coarse crumbs.  Use pastry blender if necessary to get it mixed in well.  In small bowl whisk egg whites together with blackstrap molasses, liquid sucralose, and graham cracker flavor drops.  Slowly mix into dry mix and stir, until it comes together into a ball, making a stiff dough. Cover and refrigerate dough for 1 hr.  

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  On large piece of parchment paper, (fitted to the size of 1 large cookie sheet), place dough.  Spray plastic wrap equal in size.  Place on top of dough and roll out to a thin rectangle, shaping dough with hands as you go to make a rectangle.  Peel off plastic wrap and cut into squares with pizza cutter.  Pierce all over with a fork and place parchment paper with rolled dough onto cookie sheet. 

Bake 15 to 25 minutes or until lightly golden brown. After 15 min. check for doneness and put back in if necessary and bake until lightly browned and to the doneness you desire. Check often so as not to burn.  A graham cracker taste but not a crisp cracker.  Will be more like a flatbread. 

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16 Servings/Per Serving: 154 Calories; 12g Fat (69.4% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber

NOPALITO TACO OMELET

Sorry my photography is not so good with these, but I was in a hurry to eat it!  Ha! I decided at the last minute to shoot a quick picture and blog it. No careful prepping or anything. But you get the idea anyway.  I hate putting up a recipe without a picture.

I'm really getting to like Nopalitos, even if they don't lower my blood sugar yet.  I'm still waiting to see if they do that.  I guess it can take a few times of eating them, which will be ok with me, cuz I like eating them.  I really liked them last night in my Beef Tamale Pie and I really liked them today in this omelet, which I had for lunch.  You can find Nopalitos in the Mexican section of the grocery store.  The ones I bought were in a 30 oz. jar.  I used left over taco meat.  You can use your favorite seasonings for tacos.


                   
NOPALITO TACO OMELET

2 large  eggs
1/4 cup fiesta blend shredded cheese
1 teaspoon  coconut flour
Salt and pepper -- to taste
Filling:
1/4 cup  taco meat
1/4 cup  Nopalitos (Mexican section of grocery)
2 tablespoons  chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup  lettuce -- (Optional)
1/4 cup  fiesta blend shredded cheese
2 tablespoons  green taco Sauce, Ortega-mild

In small bowl, whisk eggs until frothy.  Stir in cheese and coconut flour until well blended.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Pour batter into frying pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray or greased.  Cook on one side, carefully turn and cook on the other side until done.  Slide out onto plate.

In microwavable bowl, add taco meat, nopalitos, and chopped tomatoes.  Microwave for 1 minute.  Pour out onto omelet.  Top with lettuce and sprinkle with shredded cheese.  Pour Taco sauce on top and fold over.

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1 Serving: 490 Calories; 36g Fat (67.4% calories from fat); 32g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber

BEEF TAMALE PIE

Here's how a recipe evolves in my kitchen.  I started out to make a Shepherd's Pie today and as I was in the process of browning the beef, I started thinking, hmmm... what about a Mexican Shepherd's Pie?  Then I thought, what about a corn bread sort of topping.  Then  I remembered a side dish I made for Low-Carbing Among Friends Vol. 2 that would probably make a good corny sort of topping.  So I ended up with a Tamale Pie, sort of.  I also have been wanting to try Nopalitos, because I've been reading that they have been found to lower blood sugar when added to a meal.  I don't know how much of them it takes to do that, but I did not have that experience with them, unfortunately.

This is a slightly higher than Bernstein friendly carb meal.  It has 14 total g. of carbs and 3 g. of fiber.  I didn't really figure out the carb count until I was finished eating it, or perhaps I could figure out a way to lower them a bit more.  But if you can handle the carbs, this is really good.  It turned out to be just what my taste buds imagined.  Even if the Nopalitos did not lower my blood sugar as I hoped, I found out I like them.  I never had them before.  Add more heat if you like it spicier.  I think I will next time I make it.


BEEF TAMALE PIE

2  pounds  lean ground beef
8  ounces  mushrooms -- chopped
1  cup  nopalitos -- drained (Mexican section of grocery store)
14 1/2 ounces  diced tomatoes -- canned
1 tablespoon  minced garlic
1 tablespoon  chili powder
1 tablespoon  cumin powder
1 teaspoon  onion powder
1/2 teaspoon  garlic powder
Salt and pepper -- to taste
Topping:
1 pound  frozen cauliflower -- thawed (or fresh)
15 ounces  baby corn -- drained
8 drops  liquid sucralose -- (OR 1/4 cup Splenda Granular)
15 ounces  GiA RUSSA Alfredo Sauce
2 large  eggs -- beaten
1 cup  Fiesta blend shredded cheese -- (or cheddar)
1/4 cup  Real Bacon Bits
1/2 cup  Parmesan cheese

In large skillet, brown beef and drain.  Add mushrooms and nopalitos.  Stir and fry until mushrooms are browned.  Add diced tomatoes, garlic, chili powder, cumin powder, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir and let simmer while you prepare the topping.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  In food processor pulse thawed OR fresh cauliflower until it resembles rice.  Pour into medium size mixing bowl.

Add baby corn to food processor and process.  While it is processing add liquid sucralose.  Process for about 30 seconds.  Pour into bowl with cauliflower.

Add alfredo sauce, eggs, shredded cheese, and bacon bits.  Stir together well and spread evenly on top of beef mixture.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over all.  Bake 45 minutes.  Let rest 10 min. before cutting.

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8 Servings/Per Serving: 629 Calories; 48g Fat (69.4% calories from fat); 34g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber

QUARK, FLAX OIL, AND CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Several years ago, when I spent most of my days in bed, exhausted just from getting up and going to the bathroom, I found something that was life-changing to me.  I read of Dr. Johanna Budwig's work with flax oil and "quark" or cottage cheese.

She claimed to have healed many with cancer using her protocol, which is not just the flax oil and cottage cheese or "quark" mixture, but much more.  I did not go on her protocol but decided to give the flax oil and quark a try.  At that time I mixed it with yogurt.  The reason for mixing the two is because one triggers the proprieties of the other to be released. You do not get the benefits of flax oil if you take it alone without mixing it with some milk product such as quark, cottage cheese, yogurt, or kefir.  There are many claims to the health benefits of flax oil, and I'm neither a medical expert or a nutritionist.  I'm only sharing my own experience with it.  I only know how it affected me.  I had my fastest and most notable recovery when I began using flax oil mixed with yogurt or cottage cheese.  I also dropped sugar from my diet, and fought candida with natural anti-fungals and diet.  I recovered.  I actually got back on my feet and was even able to go to work again.  I was suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as adrenal fatigue.

My recovery was slow, but progressive, and the one thing I always go back to when I have a relapse is flax oil.  So I've begun to incorporate it in my diet again. I'm not following the Budwig protocol, which is quite a bit more, but I'm using the flax oil and flax seed more often again.  I've read of health benefits of several types of oils, and tried them, but I have to say flax oil is the one that I've always noticed an immediate improvement from, and a noticeable improvement, and sense of well-being.  So it's what I go back to from time to time.

Yes, I seem to be having a slight relapse in the adrenal fatigue.  I am not bedridden  again, but I do need more rest lately and know the signs.  Emotional shocks, physical shocks, anything stressful, tends to wipe me out and I know the signals.  It's time to take it easy.  Fortunately for me, I have the summer off to do that.  I've had some emotional shocks lately, the kind that leave you feeling like someone came up to you out of nowhere, punched you in the gut, and knocked the wind right out of you.  You don't even have time to process what happened.  I won't bore you with the details of that, but suffice it to say, it's time to get out my arsenal to keep from being incapacitated once again.  I have two things in my arsenal that have kept me from going under, physically that is.  Besides my reliance on the Lord, His Word, and prayer, to keep the body working through the stress and able to deal with it, the flax oil and another help, inositol, has helped my body to be able to function and heal.

Sorry about the blurry picture.  I am revealing things about myself you all didn't know!  I have struggled with panic attacks in my life and inositol has stopped them.  When my son, Ben died, I began having panic attacks again.  I took inositol and did not have anymore.  The two things together give a sense of well-being, and strength, and enable me to physically endure this crazy life and stay on my feet and be useful in it, instead of laying in bed feeling like an invalid.  So I'm passing on to you today some new things you didn't know about me, some private battles, and some things that have helped in the battle.  If they help someone else I'll be blessed.  So without anymore rattling on about myself and my fight, here is a video that shows you how to make quark if you should be interested in trying it, whether or not you want to mix it with the flax oil, it's really good!  Many uses.  Cheesecake, mousse, cream desserts topped with berries, dips, spreads, etc.  I hope you'll give it a try.  Another probiotic food that is great for you!




I hope you'll give it a try. To the recipe below you can add more cocoa powder and/or sweetener to your taste.  This is how I made it:


QUARK AND FLAX OIL CHOCOLATE MOUSSE


1/3 cup  quark cheese
1 tablespoon  flax oil
1 teaspoon  cocoa powder
2 packets  Truvia -- or equal to 1 tbsp.
4 drops  liquid sucralose -- or equal to 2 tbsp.
Other liquid -- (whey from the quark, or cream, or almond milk, etc.) enough for consistency

In small bowl combine quark cheese, flax oil, cocoa powder, Truvia, and liquid sucralose.  With hand held blender or electric mixer, mix until smooth and creamy, adding liquid of your choice until thickness and consistency is as you desire.  Eat right away.  For the flax oil to be of benefit, it should be eaten immediately after mixing. Only make the amount you can eat right away.

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1 Serving: 169 Calories; 14g Fat (71.4% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber

BROCCOLI, PEPPER, AND PEACH SALAD WITH CHOCOLATE FUDGE TART

Threw this together this morning to take to our fellowship meal at church.  Everyone ate it up and my poor hubby didn't even get any by the time he got up to it.  So since it's so hot here and we didn't want to cook a meal, I made it again tonight adding ham to it for supper.

The blend of vegetables, nuts, seeds, peach, and ham all was so very good together!  It was a huge hit with everyone.   I tossed it in a raspberry dressing, which just really made it over the top, I thought.

I also had to bring my own dessert, because nobody else bakes low carb and gluten free at church.  I made a Chocolate Fudge Tart very quickly this morning.  I really should have made it last night, but last night I forgot we were having a meal today.

Not a very good picture, but the taste was very rich and good.  This is what was left of it when I got home.  I got to try my graham cracker Capella Flavor Drops again on the crust to see if I could get that graham cracker crust flavor.  It was there, but not strong enough.  I used 10 drops.  I'm thinking it takes a lot of drops to get it strong enough.  10 drops only gave it a hint of graham flavor.  Still learning.  And my little bottle may be gone before I get it down just right.  

I have not had time to figure all the nutritional info for these yet, and I am guessing at the measurements for the salad.  It's been a long day!

BROCCOLI, PEPPER, AND PEACH SALAD

1 large bunch broccoli florets, chopped into very small pieces (save the stem to make vegetable stock or to use in your chicken stock)

1 large red OR green pepper, chopped 

1 - 8 1/4 oz. can No Sugar Added peach chunks (Delmonte)

Approx. 1/3 cup shredded carrots 

1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

1/4 cup real bacon bits

2 tbsp roasted pepitas

2 tbsp roasted salted sunflower seeds

2 cups chopped ham (optional--to make it a whole meal salad)

1 cup shredded cheese 

Dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise (homemade is best)

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp Torani Sugar Free Syrup, Raspberry flavored

In large salad bowl, mix together broccoli florets, red OR green pepper, peach chunks, shredded carrots, walnuts, bacon bits, pepitas, sunflower seeds,  ham, and cheese. 

Dressing: In small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, vinegar, and Torani Syrup.  

Pour dressing over vegetables and toss together.  

CHOCOLATE FUDGE TART


Crust:
1/2 cup flaxseed meal, golden
1/2 cup almond flour
1 scoop (1/3 cup) vanilla flavored whey protein OR isolate
1/4 cup butter, melted
10 or more to taste, Capella Graham Cracker flavor drops (optional)


Filling:
I recipe Valentine's Day Chocolate Fudge (video)


Crust:  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  In tart dish or 10-in. pie plate, combine flaxseed meal, almond flour, whey protein OR isolate, and stir together with a fork.  Add flavor drops to melted butter, if using, and mix in with crumb mixture.  Pat firmly into bottom of dish.  Bake 10 to 15 min. or until done.

Filling:  Make chocolate fudge filling according to recipe directions and pour into prepared crust.  Let cool on a wire rack and then chill for several hours, or if you're in a hurry like I was this morning, freeze for 2 or 3 hours.  Makes 16 very rich servings.

WHY WHOLE GRAIN IS NOT HEALTHY

If you still are not convinced whole grain is something you should maybe reconsider, and you still think you have a healthy diet eating whole grain, please take a look at this...




Even if you think you are not sensitive to gluten, take a look at what modern whole grain is and what is done in the processing.  Pretty eye opening.

Graham Cracker Bread Sandwich

I haven't made a post for a while so I thought I better let you in on what I'm up to.  I decided to try some Capella flavor drops.  They had a deal of 5 samples for $19, which I guess is no longer up there, but I have seen them mentioned on other blogs so  figured I'd give them a try.  Besides, I've been dreaming about things with graham crackers lately.  I wouldn't say craving... but dreaming about it, waking up in the middle of the night with recipes coming into my head with ways of using that flavor. So those sleepless nights led me to search for a flavor for graham crackers.  I really wanted that flavor.

Well, I'm a bit unusual with my food combinations at times, I admit, at least I've been told.  I don't think so, I think they're great.  So the flavor of graham cracker, peanut butter, and bacon came into my noggin today as I was deciding what to have for lunch.

The bread isn't the color of graham cracker, but the flavor drops did the trick.  I would use more drops next time, however.  I'm still learning how many drops it takes to get the perfect flavor.  The bread is my coconut microwave bread recipe

and I just added 5 drops of graham cracker flavor and 2 packets of Truvia to the mix. I think next time I'll add a couple more drops, and some cinnamon, but I really enjoyed the flavor mix of graham, bacon, and peanut butter.  It tasted like graham cracker bread.

Now I'm dreaming of Smore's.  I really want to make Smore's!  I also have marshmallow flavor drops, and a recipe for low carb marshmallow cream, so that's next on my agenda.  I'm thinking Smore's pizza, Smore's pie, Smores cookies... whatever... just Smore's.

So that's what I've been up to, besides just hangin' with my retired husband and dealing with stuff life brings.  School's out.  I have a summer ahead of me.

Orange Cream Cookies

These originally came from Dr. William Davis' recipe.  I used to love Dreamsicles as a kid, especially the orange ones.  That flavor combo of orange and vanilla cream was just so yummy!  So this had an immediate appeal to me.  Check Dr. Davis' blogs, both the Heart Scan Blog and His Wheat Belly Blog about Herbicide-Resistant Wheat and what it has done to America's health.  For myself, all of my health problems certainly did not clear up when eliminating wheat, but my nose did. I found I'm allergic to it, even to the smell of it. In fact if I smell wheat bread, or even the playdough I play with with the preschoolers I work with, it has an immediate effect on me. I get sinus inflammation.  It may be affecting me in other ways I have no knowledge of, but that is one way that I've seen a definite improvement.  I didn't lose weight after getting off it, and I didn't have an energy surge, and I didn't get rid of my IBS, but at least I got rid of the life-long constant sinus inflammation that robbed me of sleep every night!  Yay for that!  I'm totally enjoying my wheat free way of life, and not feeling deprived, and recipes like this help tremendously in making life feel more "normal"--whatever that is.  

You can click the link to Dr. Davis' original recipe for his.  Mine has a few improvisations, (as always--I never seem to follow anyone's recipe exactly), mainly because I didn't want to run to the store so used what I had on hand.  I didn't make that many changes though, and these turned out great.  Mine needed less baking time (15 min.).  The first batch I over-baked.  I tend to like an almost under-done cookie.  I came out with 24 cookies.

The hardest part making these was not eating all the cookie dough!!  I actually think I liked the cookie dough the best, but then I always do.  I may make this some time just to eat the cookie dough.  Who knows?  I didn't have orange zest so I used orange extract.  I didn't have pecans so I used walnuts.  I also did not use the raisins, because I needed to lower the carb count.  What I wish I had done was to add some chocolate bits, that I just made yesterday, with it.  That would have been great!

So here's my version of Dr. Davis' Orange Cream Cookies...

ORANGE DREAM COOKIES                    

2 cups  almond flour
2 tablespoons  coconut flour
1 teaspoon  baking soda
1/2 teaspoon  sea salt
1/2 cup  chopped walnuts
Sweetener equivalent to 1 cup sugar (I used 12 packets Truvia, and liquid sucralose to equal 1/2 cup)
1 large  egg
1 teaspoon  orange extract
2 tablespoons  coconut oil -- melted
1/2 cup  heavy cream -- or coconut milk
1 tablespoon  vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Combine almond meal, coconut flour, baking soda, salt, walnuts, and sweetener  in bowl and mix.

In separate bowl, whisk egg, then add orange extract, coconut oil, whipping cream OR coconut milk, vanilla extract and mix together. Pour wet mix into dry and blend by hand thoroughly.

Spoon onto parchment paper-lined baking pan (or oiled pan) and flatten with spoon to 1/2 to 3/4-inch thickness. Bake for 20-25 minutes (mine took 15) or until toothpick withdraws dry.

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24 Cookies/Per Cookie: 103 Calories; 9g Fat (77.8% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber

My recipe--2 g net carbs per cookie

Avocado Zucchini Lime Salad

PIN: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/774124910781682/

I was just looking through recipes that I had made and came across this one.  I think I only made it once but I remember how good it was.  I don't know why I didn't post it back then, but here it is for now.  I think I have all the ingredients on hand too, so this will maybe be my lunch tomorrow along with  some meat.


AVOCADO ZUCCHINI LIME SALAD                    

1/2 zucchini -- made into spaghetti "pasta" with spiral slicer (if you don't have a spiral slicer, you can just slice ribbons of zucchini with a vegetable peeler).
1 avocado -- peeled and chopped
1 roma tomato -- chopped
1 teaspoon  minced garlic -- (or more to your liking)
1 tablespoon  cilantro -- (or 2 tbsp fresh)
1 shallot -- chopped
1/2 tablespoon  extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon  lime juice

In medium serving bowl, combine zucchini pasta, chopped avocado, chopped tomato, minced garlic, chopped onion, and toss together. Drizzle olive oil over all and then lime juice and toss again.  (I did not really measure for either the oil or the lime.  I'm guessing at these amounts.  If you start with these measurements and add more if you like, you can judge for yourself how much you want.

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3 Servings/Per Serving: 148 Calories; 13g Fat (70.9% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber

PEPERONCINI AND SAUSAGE PIZZA AND CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY ICED TEA

I love rooibos tea, and I love raspberry tea, and I had a chocolate craving, so this drink was put together out of all of them today.  Why decide between one or the other when you can have all of them together in one drink?  So I did.  It went well with my lunch, which was a personal size Peperoncini and Sausage Pizza.

The crust was made out of simple ingredients--Almond flour, egg, and cheese.  That's as simple as it gets.  Quick and easy to make. (That's the only kind of lunch I do after work). 

You can hold it in your hands to eat, just like regular pizza.  I've made a similar crust with coconut flour, which is also on my blog. This time I used almond flour. Both work well, and I like them both.  So it's your choice.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY ICED TEA



2 cups  boiling water
2 rooibos tea bags
2 raspberry tea bags
1 teaspoon  cocoa -- (I used Special Dark)
Sweetener -- to your taste. (I used 2 packets Truvia, 4 drops liquid sucralose)
1 tray of ice cubes


In glass 2 cup measuring cup, place tea bags and pour boiling water over.  Cover and steep 5 minutes.  Remove tea bags and stir in cocoa and sweetener.  


In 32 ounce container, or 2-20 oz. glasses, place 1 tray of ice cubes.  Pour hot tea over the ice and stir.  


Yield:
  "32 ounces"
                                 
Per Serving: 2 Calories; trace Fat (29.4% calories from fat); trace Protein; trace Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber



PEPERONCINI AND SAUSAGE PIZZA

                        

Crust:

2 tablespoons  almond flour

2 tablespoons  fiesta blend shredded cheese -- (or mozzarella)

1 large  egg

1/4 teaspoon  Italian seasoning

Topping:

1 tablespoon  Mezzetta Sandwich Spread--Peperoncini & Feta

1/2 cup  fiesta blend shredded cheese

1 Pork Sausage Patty, precooked and chopped

Crust:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  In small bowl, mix together almond flour, fiesta blend shredded cheese, OR Mozzarella, egg, and Italian seasoning.  Place parchment paper on one serving size pizza pan, or 8 x 8-inch baking pan.  Spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Spread crust evenly to the edges.

Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. 

On top of crust, spread peperoncini sandwich spread.  Top with shredded cheese and pork sausage.  Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and browned to your liking.  

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1 Serving: 595 Calories; 51g Fat (76.6% calories from fat); 28g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE, LC, GF

It's late, and I'm about ready to go to bed, but I wanted to post this recipe first.  This was my dessert tonight.  In fact it was most of my meal tonight.  I like that I can do that when I'm low carbing because unlike desserts in the non-lowcarbing world, low carb desserts are full of nutrition, protein, fiber, and other good stuff.  I wasn't hungry for a big meal tonight.  This gave me what I wanted.  I think it will also be breakfast in the morning.

This is a spin-off of my 2 minute coconut bread recipe, which became a donut bun recipe, which now became a shortcake recipe.  The creamy filling is kefir cheese and coconut cream, both very good for you. The topping has Marzetti sugar free strawberry glaze in it, but if you can't find it, you can simply chop up the strawberries and add a little sweetener to put on top.


STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE, LC, GF            

                        Shortcake
1 teaspoon  coconut oil
1 large  egg
2 tablespoons  hot water
Liquid sucralose -- to equal 1/4 cup
1 teaspoon  vanilla
2 tablespoons  Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon  coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon  baking powder
Dash  salt
                        Cream Filling
1/4 cup  kefir cheese, plain -- (or yogurt cheese, or cream cheese)
1/4 cup  Thai Kitchen coconut milk -- (The cream part without the liquid)
Liquid sucralose -- to equal 2 tbsp
1 teaspoon  vanilla
                        Strawberry Topping
1/2 cup  fresh strawberries -- chopped
3 tablespoons  Marzetti Sugar Free Glaze for Strawberries
1 packet  Truvia

Shortcake:  In small microwaveable bowl, add coconut oil and microwave on hi for 25 seconds.  Add egg, hot water, liquid sucralose, and vanilla.  Stir with wire whisk until blended.  Add Parmesan cheese, coconut oil, baking powder, and salt.  Stir together until well blended and smooth.  Microwave on high for 1 minute 43 seconds or until done in the middle.  Remove and let cool.  Slice horizontally in two pieces.

Cream Filling:  In small mixing bowl, add kefir cheese, or yogurt cheese, or cream cheese, coconut cream, liquid sucralose, and vanilla.  Beat with electric beater with wire whisk attachment until smooth and creamy.

Strawberry Topping: In medium bowl, mix together strawberries, glaze, and Truvia.

Place each shortcake half on a serving plate.  Top with half of the cream filling on each shortcake.  Top each with half the strawberry topping.

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2 Servings/Per Serving: 238 Calories total calories for the whole thing, 7g Protein
1 g carb for the shortcake
3 g carb for the cream filling
4 g carb, for the strawberry topping

CHEESY TURNIP HASHBROWN BAKE

This is what we had for supper tonight along with some really great curry meatloaf from Jennifer's recipe in "Low Carbing Among Friends".  This is the second time we've had that meatloaf and it's fast become our favorite.

I needed a side dish, and didn't want to make a lot, but wanted something substantial to go along with this, and had just bought some turnips so my mind started working and I threw this together.  It came out really good.  My boys do not eat turnips, but I didn't give them the alternative of potatoes tonight, but just served it.  When asked what it was I just said, "hashbrowns".  They liked it.  I'm sure they could tell it wasn't potatoes, but they liked it.  It was really good, I'll have to say.


CHEESY HASHBROWN TURNIP BAKE                    

1 pound  turnips -- shredded
1/2 cup  fiesta blend shredded cheese
1/2 cup  Parmesan cheese
2 large  eggs -- beaten
1 teaspoon  garlic powder
1 teaspoon  onion powder
Salt and pepper -- to taste
1/4 cup  butter -- melted

Preheat oven to 400 F.  In 9 x9-inch glass baking dish, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, add shredded turnips, fiesta blend cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper.  Mix together.  Pour melted butter over all and mix in.  Bake 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

4 Servings/Per Serving: 254 Calories; 20g Fat (71.8% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber;

Chicken and "Rice" Casserole

I made this last week.  I intended to blog about it then, but didn't have time to, so I finally got it entered into my MasterCook software and am able to share it.  I just love casseroles.  They're quick and easy to prepare, most of the time, and you have your whole meal altogether in one dish.  Cleanup is much easier as well, especially if you've prepared some things ahead of time.  I wanted some more chicken stock, so earlier in the week I cooked a whole chicken, so the meat was already for me in the frig and I just needed a way to use it.  This was sort of a "clean out your kitchen" before shopping day casserole that I threw together and it turned out really good.  I had some low carb bread crumbs in the freezer I wanted to use up too, so that made a great topping for this.  If you don't have any bread crumbs handy, sometimes I just sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top of a casserole and bake it that way.

I did not add the nutrition info for the bread crumbs because it will be different for you depending on what kind of bread you use, so just add that to it.  To tell you the truth, I don't know what kind of bread I used for my crumbs and so I guess I don't know either!  But I usually don't have more than 2 to 3 g. net carbs to any bread I make so it's not very much.

                 



CHICKEN AND "RICE CASSEROLE"

3 pounds  whole chicken -- roasted, de-boned, and cut up
1 pound  cauliflower -- shredded into "rice"
14 1/2 ounces  French-style green beans -- (drained)
8 ounces  fresh mushrooms -- chopped
1 tablespoon  minced garlic
1/2 cup  celery -- chopped (optional--trace of carbs per serving)
1/2 cup  onion -- chopped (optional--1 g carb per serving)
 Salt and pepper -- to taste
15 ounces  Gia Russa Alfredo Sauce -- (1 jar)
                Topping
1/4 cup  butter
1 cup  low carb bread crumbs -- (carb count not included--will depend on the bread you use)
1/2 cup  Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon  onion powder
1 teaspoon  garlic powder
1 teaspoon  Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 375 F.  In 9 x 13-inch baking pan, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, add chicken, cauliflower rice, green beans, mushrooms, garlic, celery (if using), onion (if using), salt and pepper, and mix together.  Add alfredo sauce and stir in.

Topping:  In large frying pan, melt butter.  Add bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.  Stir and cook over medium high heat just until lightly toasted.  Spread out on top of casserole.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until bubbly and top is lightly browned.

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8 Servings/Per Serving: 540 Calories; 42g Fat (70.0% calories from fat); 29g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber

Steak, Salad and Blessings upon Blessings

Soooooooooooo... I guess it's been a while since I blogged.  I guess I better get caught up.  What have I been doing lately?  Just life as usual to tell you the truth, but struggling with a few minor health issues, needing more rest, less stress, and so forth, but yes, I have been eating, and to eat one must cook, so yes I've been cooking.  Well, some days to tell you the truth, I haven't.  Some days last week I sent my husband and son out to get pizza or heat up some left overs, or we all went to Hardees.  I needed to make it an easier week, food-wise.  But yesterday, in spite of a day in my PJ's and mostly on the couch, I did get up to make a great supper.  Got a great cut of a New York Strip Steak, marinated it, and while I was at it, cut up some of my favorite veggies and added the rest of the marinade to them.  It was scrumptious!  We don't have steak often because the good stuff is just too pricey for us.  The last time I had steak at home, I really can't even remember.  My BBQ grill got run over in our garage by accident by my hubby, so I couldn't use that but this turned out great under the broiler in the oven.  I topped my steak with some carmelized onions.  (Shhhhhh, don't tell anyone).  I know they're higher in carbs and especially carmelized but they were a great pick-me-up after not feeling so good.  I felt like we were eating out at a fancy restaurant paying big bucks for a nice steak dinner.  It was tender, it was seasoned just right, it was wonderful.

I threw the marinade together in one of those shaker bottles that comes with dry Italian Dressing mixes.  The one with the V line, the W line and the O line.  So I didn't measure... but just put in Garlic Red Wine Vinegar to the V line, water to the W line, and EVOO up to the O line.  I added several shakes each of italian seasoning, garlic powder (lots), onion powder, dry mustard, salt, and paprika.  Sorry I did not measure.  I never really do, unless I'm trying to create and get exact amounts for all you guys.  This I was not planning on blogging actually, but it was so good I had to.  So add seasonings to your taste.  I poured about half of that bottle into a Gallon size Ziploc bag with the steak, which I tenderized by pounding and with a knife criss-crossing it, and let it marinade in the frig all day.  A half hour before I was going to cook it I took it out and let it sit on the counter.  Shook it up a bit, and then when it was time to cook it, I put it under the broiler, which I preheated, as close to it as I could get it, and broiled it about 8 min. on the first side and 6 on the second.  Time would be dependant on how well done you want it.  We like ours well done.  Even well done this was very tender.  I let it sit for 5 minutes, while I nuked some potatoes for my husband and son, before cutting.  Letting it sit and not cutting too soon keeps the juices inside and keeps it more tender.

For the veggies, I added enough of the marinade dressing to coat, and tossed it all together just before I did the steak.  I used:

1 bunch Asparagus, steamed 3 min. and plunged into an ice bath, then cut up

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 zucchini, sliced into strips, like "noodles"

4 smoked mozzarella sticks, sliced into small pieces

parmesan cheese (added last after tossing)

Toss veggies together with the dressing, and then mix in parmesan cheese... amount to your liking.  Again, I did not measure, just sprinkled it in.

This morning we were going to celebrate our church's 10 year anniversary.  The dinner was going to be catered following the service.  Of course I cannot eat anything at a catered dinner.  I didn't know what they were having but I had a feeling if I didn't want to go hungry I better bring my own food.  So I prepared some sandwich buns, which is a recipe originally from this one minute bread recipe that was a tweak from Jennifer's "One Minute Bread the Next Minute Toast" recipe, which after I tweaked it, Jolene tweaked yet again to make it a larger batch you could make in the oven.  I made mine in a whoopie pie pan, much like a muffin top pan, so I was able to actually get 12 out of the batter... each being half of a sandwich bun for me, rather than making 6 larger buns and cutting them in half.  Turned out great!

Just right for a nice Smoked turkey and Provolone cheese sandwich to take along, as well as some of the marinated veggies from last night.  I knew there would be cake, and I couldn't have cake, so I made a quickie batch of Carolyn's No Bake Peanut Butter Bars from "Low Carbing Among Friends" Vol. 1, page 199.

 My mistake was that I did not first check to see if I had all the ingredients before starting.  I was in a hurry.  I had about an hour and a half to make this.  I also didn't read to see that it had to be chilled for an hour or so.  Well, I made this and fast-chilled in the freezer, even though I didn't have the peanut flour it calls for. It still turned out fantastic!  I used 1 cup of almond flour instead of 1 1/2 cups of peanut flour.  So just FYI for those who have the book and would like to try that recipe and don't have peanut flour, it works with almond flour too!  Though I bet it is really good with peanut flour.  I also ended up with different ingredients in the ganache topping.  We use what we have, ha!  I made it from 2/3 cup cream, 6 packets Truvia, 4 drops sucralose, 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, and a tsp. of dark cocoa powder.  It turned out great!  Very rich.  Everyone feeling sorry for me was saying how sorry that I could not have all that great food catered in today, but really, I was totally enjoying my own lunch I brought, which was quite filling and tasty and I felt no feelings of being deprived at all of the broasted chicken, fried potatoes, coleslaw, baked beans, and cake.  I really didn't. (I did take two slices of fried potatoes--JUST 2!!).  I was not tempted or feeling left out.  I was happy, and we had such a wonderful heart-warming celebration of our beginnings as a little church, which began with a handful of people in a house.  We outgrew the house, and though we moved into a building, we still have that small home-church feel among us.  God has blessed us and made us a family unit, that encourages and loves one another.  We've been through deaths, births, marriages, and many ups and downs together as all families have.  So many memories and tears today--way outweighed any of the food to tell you the truth.  We were way too busy just enjoying one another and all the memories.

But good food makes it all the better!!  :)  And good food was had.