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It’s a New Year and I am determined to get things started off right. Although I could have celebrated New Year’s Day eating badly, I found some time to cook a low carb meal. The weather is cold and some comfort food was in order. This meatloaf would have been better with a little mashed [...]
It has been a while since my last post. As some of you may know from my recent Facebook post, I was blessed with a healthy baby girl several days before Christmas. I decided to take a break from the blog due to long hours at work late in pregnancy which left me fatigued and [...]
It was time to dust off my donut pan and make some Sunday morning donuts. With all the summer outings and parties, I have veered a bit off my normal low carb diet. Now that the kids are back in school and the summer has reached an end, I need to get back on track [...]
Although it hasn’t been a good year for zucchini, we got another large one from our garden this week. I was tempted to bake another bread, but decided to try a new recipe using chocolate. I’ve had some really good chocolate zucchini breads, but wanted something that I could quickly grab to snack on at work so I opted to bake muffins. These came out better than expected. Maybe next tim
My search for a good low carb zucchini bread is over. Although I love to eat plain steamed zucchini, I’ve tried a few low carb zucchini bread recipes that just didn’t make a good replacement for the real thing. Using the basic quick bread recipe as a guide, I came up with a recipe for zucchini bread. I only had five eggs so that is all I put in. I’m not sure if adding additional
Here’s an easy way to use up some summer squash if you are getting a bumper crop this year. After picking, I usually cut up the squash, slice it then steam it and keep it in the refrigerator for a quick snack or side dish. I have tried freezing squash for later, but I don’t think it tastes as good as it does when it is fresh. These quesadillas make an easy lunch or appetizer for dinne
Although I have made a mock coconut pie before with summer squash, that recipe here did not have any real coconut in it. I thought the pie would be better with some unsweetened coconut added instead of relying only on the extract for flavor. The summer squash always grows well for us in our garden so I’m always trying to use it for more than just a steamed vegetable side dish for dinner. I
My husband and kids picked nine pounds of blueberries while I was at work last week. A friend has a large area of blueberry bushes and was having trouble keeping the birds out of the nets. So, he invited my family over to pick as many berries as possible. Although I froze a bunch, I still had a lot of fresh blueberries to use up. This is a real simple recipe that doesn’t take much time or e
Although I like different flavors of protein shakes, I only buy the vanilla powder because it can be used as a base to make other flavors. The brand I prefer is Designer Whey because it is sweetened with stevia and naturally flavored. I used frozen strawberries for this shake, but any other frozen or fresh fruits can be used. Print This!
We picked our first ripe green beans from the garden this week. We got things started a little late this year despite the warmer than normal spring weather. Although I usually just steam the fresh vegetables, I made something a bit more on the gourmet side. The white wine gives a nice flavor and the [...]
It has been about a month since my last post and that has been mostly because I have either been eating out or making a quick salad or sandwich at home. I was away for almost two weeks on a business trip and I found it very hard to resist all the temptations at the restaurants. Although I did give in on several occasions, I am ready to get back on the right track. I stayed in Roanoke, Virginia,
Going through our big upright freezer, I noticed we have several large bags of blueberries from last year. Blueberries can be frozen for up to two years, but I like to use them up before then. I’m not sure how the blueberry season will be this year, but the strawberries came in early due to the warmer spring so blueberries are likely to be early as well. To make this blueberry crisp, I co
Lately, I’ve been keeping convenient foods in the fridge for quick and easy snacking. I haven’t been wanting to eat large meals, just more small meals throughout the day. Because of this, I’ve been making salads and cutting up fruit to keep in the fridge for a quick bite. Chicken salad has been a staple for me lately. I like to have mine in half of a low carb pita pocket with ch
Macaroni salad is a usual staple at Memorial Day potluck picnics. Because of the carbs in pasta, I typically stay away from macaroni salad. However, I do miss it and it seems to go well with hotdogs and hamburgers. I found an old recipe for a macaroni salad with ham and cheese. I thought this would be a great addition to the family Memorial Day barbecue. Since I’m usually the one eating the
Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of summer in New England, is finally here. This is a weekend of traditional outdoor potluck parties and cookouts. To celebrate the holiday and the warmer weather, I was looking for an easy vegetable salad that could be kept in the refrigerator for a quick snack. To make it easy, I just used a bottle of low carb Italian style dressing. This is a real flex
Nothing is more enjoyable for me on a Sunday morning than a nice warm pancake breakfast. Although I’ve tried variations of the traditional pancake, this morning I wanted some that were simple and almond flour based. This is an adaptation of Laura Dolson’s Low Carb Almond Meal pancakes. Her version does not bubble and tends to be a little flat. I added some baking soda to the recipe so
My birthday was a couple weeks ago and since I love ice cream cakes, my family got me a Cold Stone birthday cake which is a combination of red velvet cake and birthday cake ice cream. It was not low carb, but I’ve been in maintenance so long, I don’t think twice about splurging to celebrate special occasions. To get back on track after a couple weeks of higher carb eating, I wanted t
Lately, I have been taking a bit of a break from cooking and baking. I’ve just been feeling hungry all the time and getting by on small snacks. However, I noticed we have a lot of frozen blueberries left in our freezer from last summer’s crop so I need to start making room as blueberry season is only a couple months away. I’ll probably make some regular blueberry muffins for my
Mousse is a great dessert because it satisfies a sweet tooth without being too heavy after dinner. Last year, I made a couple different key lime pies. Both were good, but I don’t always feel like making a pie crust. I thought about just whipping up some of the filling and pouring it into a pie plate. However, since it has been a while since my last blog post, I decided to try a new recipe.
Although I have an ice cream maker, I don’t use this machine as often as I should. It’s just too easy to buy low carb ice cream at a local store. However, the flavors available are very limited and I usually settle for plain vanilla as the chocolate typically tastes bad with the added splenda. There are a few gourmet ice cream shops that sell low carb ice cream, but these are seasonal
You may have heard of a meat crust pizza referred to as Meatza. It’s basically a seasoned ground beef mix cooked flat to make a crust then topped off with tomato sauce and cheese. You can add your favorite pizza toppings if you wish. I decided to use tomato slices instead of sauce and added some chopped spinach. If you have a favorite low carb meatball recipe, I’d give it a try for th
After several failed attempts at making a low carb yeast bread in my bread machine, I have finally succeeded. Instead of continuing to try things on my own, I went to the internet to find a validated recipe. The Gabi’s World-Famous Low Carb Bread recipe seemed like just the recipe I was looking for. I also used some of Lora’s suggestions in the recipe note by putting the liquids on bo
After making the Almond Joy candy bars, I thought I should make another batch without almonds and make them in egg shapes for Easter. Although that was a good idea, I ended up trying a new recipe for homemade Easter candy. I modified the Land O’Lakes buttercreams recipe slightly by using a low carb substitute for powdered sugar and coating the buttercream filling with the same chocolate I u
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There are several recipes for homemade Almond Joy Candy Bars that I’ve found on the internet. A couple are low carb versions. I’ve had my eyes on these for quite some time. As always, I like to tweak things in the recipes I find to make it my own. This is my version of the famous chocolate covered coconut with almond candy bar. Most regular sugar recipes use sweetened condensed milk
I always have trouble when it comes to baking banana bread. It seems the time needed to fully bake the batter is so long that the outside tends to burn before its done. Therefore, I turned down the oven temperature a little and baked this bread a bit longer. Don’t be surprised if you need [...]
This was such a simple recipe and I found it had a much better taste than the tofu pudding I’ve made. I used regular cocoa in that recipe which isn’t as rich as dark cocoa and I also added some instant espresso powder this this pudding recipe which helps bring out the chocolate flavor. I [...]
I was a little worried when baking this bread because it seemed to take forever to pass the toothpick test for being done. However, once cooled, this turned out to be a nice moist and flavorful bread that was not undercooked. I liked this flavor combination so much, I’m already planning to bake a low [...]
Since I don’t have any time to cook breakfast on work days, I like to cook at least one special morning meal on the weekend. This Saturday, I made cinnamon french toast with the basic quick bread recipe I developed earlier in the week. This bread held together well when sliced and wasn’t soft like many store bought white breads. Therefore, I cut the bread into regular half inch slices
I was very pleased with the results of this recipe. This bread can be enjoyed as toast for breakfast to complement eggs, to make a sandwich for lunch, or as a dinner appetizer. Herbs or seeds can be added to flavor the bread. I also believe this recipe can be used to develop sweet breads [...]
Low Carb Peanut Butter Mousse Have you ever looked in your pantry and gone through to check expiration dates? I try to do this every few months because I tend to stock up on certain ingredients when there are sales. While going through the pantry this week, I found a jar of peanut butter that had an expiration date one month away. I do love my peanut butter and am surprised that I hadn’t eve
Baked Black Soy Beans with Beef This dish looks a lot like chili, but the taste is very different. It has more of the sweet and smoky flavor of baked beans with the addition of ground beef. Although traditionally a summer picnic food, I was craving baked beans in the middle of the winter. To put a little twist on things and add extra protein, I beefed it up. I did like the flavor, but next time, I
Low Carb and Sugar Free Mocha Cheesecake It’s February and Valentine’s Day is just a couple days away. I have a heart shaped chocolate mold, so I used it to make some sugar free chocolates using my chocolate chip recipe for the melted chocolate. While reading my email, I stumbled upon a mocha cheesecake recipe from RightAtHome.com. I am a big fan of mocha and the photo of the cheesecak
Low Carb Green Bean Casserole Although best known as a standard holiday side dish, green bean casserole can be enjoyed any time of the year. Most recipes call for cream of mushroom soup as the base. I don’t always like mushrooms with my green beans and the ingredients in a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup is a little scary. I try to stay away from processed foods as much as possible.
Sugar Free Low Carb Chocolate Chip Coconut Bars My sweet tooth has been out of control. I did give in a little to have birthday cake for my husband. Before going low carb, I made a lot of cakes after taking a class in cake decorating. Although I don’t have as much time as I used to, I did squeeze in the time to bake and decorate a cake for my husband this year instead of buying one from a ba
Dreamfields Macaroni and Cheese It’s a cold snowy day here today and nothing feels better in this weather than some comfort food. Macaroni and cheese is an old favorite that is something that isn’t allowed on a low carb diet because of the pasta. However, using Dreamfields pasta instead of regular high glycemic pasta makes it possible for low carbers to enjoy this classic casserole aga
Low Carb Crustless Asparagus Quiche Since the beginning of the year, I have been following a strict low carb and low calorie diet along with regular exercise. I have lost over five pounds which is the few pounds I gained over the holidays and some extra. Right now, I am the lightest I have been in over twenty years. It could be a coincidence, but I had my thyroid medication switched from Armour to
Sugar Free Low Carb Strawberry Sauce One of my favorite morning snacks is a cup of fruit yogurt. I usually mix in a few blueberries and sweetener, but saw some Florida strawberries on sale at the grocery store and thought they’d be great in yogurt. Instead of slicing the strawberries for each serving of yogurt, I thought it’d be easier to slice all the strawberries ahead of time and mi
Creamy Cheese Sauce Tonight, I was looking for a way to dress up some steamed broccoli. Instead of the usual butter, I thought some creamy cheese sauce would be a nice topping. This is a quick and easy cheese sauce that only uses three ingredients. I used block cheese and grated it so that it would melt faster. Print This! Creamy Cheese Sa
This is a recipe that I haven’t made in a long time. It’s a very simple dish that is great for those just starting out on a low carb diet. Although I like to make it in a pie pan, it can be baked in a square dish or doubled to fit into a 9×13 [...]
Sweet Ricotta Cheese Pie I can’t believe Christmas Day is only a few days away. My husband gave me an early gift this year. Last week, he asked me to pick out paint colors because he was hiring a painter to paint the first floor rooms in our house. So, on top of the busy holiday preparations, we have been moving the furniture around to get everything away from the walls so they can be painte
Low Carb Warm Spinach Cheese Dip One of my favorite appetizers is tortilla chips with spinach artichoke dip. I rarely have this since tortilla chips are a bit too high in carbs for me. So, when I do have this appetizer, I skip the chips and use vegetables or pork rinds instead for dipping. Last week when I was craving some dip, I came up with a recipe without artichoke since I didn’t have an
Low Carb Frosted Ricotta Almond Cookies Now that it is December, I have been busy taking advantage of all the holiday sales to finish up my gift shopping. Christmas is still three weeks away, but I am proud to say that I have just about finished my holiday shopping. There are only a few more gifts that I need to buy. Unfrosted Ricotta Almond Cookies cooling on rack It’s also a time for all t
Low Carb Mashed Cauliflower with Spinach In an effort to eat more vegetables and come up with some delicious low carb holiday side dishes, I modified an old mashed potato recipe to use cauliflower. This recipe is sure to be a crowd pleaser with it’s sour cream and cheese flavor. The spinach adds a wonderful green color that will have people wondering if it’s really a broccoli mashed po
Low Carb Spaghetti Squash Casserole I made this hearty casserole after the holiday leftovers were gone with the spaghetti squash I bought during my Thanksgiving meal grocery trip. I usually cook spaghetti squash by slicing it in half and baking it in a pan with a little water until tender. The strands that come out of the cooked squash make a great pasta substitute. For an easy dinner, I just add
Low Carb Pumpkin Mousse Happy Thanksgiving! I was scheduled to go to work today and was a little bummed that I wouldn’t have time to make a traditional Thanksgiving meal for my family. So, I did some last minute grocery shopping and picked up a turkey breast that I could put in the crockpot before leaving the house. I also picked up some items for side dishes that I could quickly put togethe
Peanut Flour Chocolate Cupcakes Since I’m in the cupcake mood, I wanted to make some chocolate cupcakes this time to satisfy my chocolate craving. Although I have been experimenting with coconut flour, I chose to make these from peanut flour. I plan to experiment with coconut flour for the next batch of chocolate cupcakes. Overall, these cupcakes were light, moist and very tasty. &n
Low Carb Coconut Flour Cupcakes I am still on an abnormal work schedule and miss my long weekends. It’s so hard to believe that the holiday season has arrived. I made a stop at the mall today and was shocked to see all the holiday decorations as well as Santa at his photo spot. Usually, I have at least half my holiday gift shopping already done as I like doing as much as possible before the
Low Carb Dark Chocolate Mousse Pie with Peanut Flour Crust The last month has been very hectic for me. I have been spending most of my time at work, only coming home to eat and sleep. The only enjoyable activity has been watching my daughter play in her high school field hockey games. Things at work are winding down and I expect to only be at work 40 hours this week. Over the last month, I have ma
