Grasshopper Cheese Cake

I didn't have the right sugar to do this for Christmas, so I haven't made it yet.  But I'll be making it soon.

Chocolate layer:
3 sugar free dark choc. bars (about 1.5 oz each)
1/4 c. cream
1 1/2 c. almond flour
1/4 c. vanilla whey protein powder
1/4 c. butter, melted

Grasshopper filling:
3 packages cream cheese, softened  (I use light)
3/4 c. Ideal Sweetener (or Splenda)
3/4 c. sour cream (I use light)
3/4 t. peppermint extract
1 1/2 T. chocolate extract
1 or 2 drops green food coloring (optional)
4 egges

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix almond flour, protein powder and butter in a food processor.  Pulse to combine well.  Shape into spring form pan, building up around sides.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.  Remove from over and let cool.  Lower oven temp to 325.
To make the chocolate layer, melt the chocolate and whisk in the cream until smooth.  Spread evenly over crust and set aside.

To make the filling, use and electric mixer in a large bown to beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Beat in the sweetener and the sour cream and mix well.  Beat in the peppermint and chocolate extracts, food coloring and eggs (one by one), beating until very smooth and creamy.  Pour the mixture into the chocolate coated crust.  Place the cake in the oven and place a pie pan of water onthe over rack below it or on the oven floor.  Bake for 1 hour.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack.  Chill well before serving.

Company Dinner "Rice"

I wasn't sure what my guests would think of this "rice" dish, but everyone raved over it!  I even had 2 people ask for the recipe.  Definately a keeper!

Company Dinner Rice
3 C. cauliflower rice (cooked cauliflower shredded like cheese in blender or food processor)
 1/4 c. wild rice
 3/4 c. water
Put the wild rice and water in a saucepan, cover, and set it over the lowest heat until all the water is gone - at least half and hour, maybe more.  Toss together with the cooked cauliflower rice.
**You can make this portion of the dish the day before.

1 small onion, chopped
1 stick butter, melted  (Next time I may try it with 1/2 a stick of butter.)
6 strips bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese

Saute the onion in the butter until it's golden and limp.  Toss the onion, bacon, salt, pepper and cheese with the cauliflower/wild rice mixture.  Serve.

Serves 8

Prime Rib with Marsala Mushroom Sauce

Okay, this isn't my picture either (the picture is from Kraftfoods.com), but mine looked just as wonderful!  And it tasted AMAZING!  I served it for Christmas Dinner and it was an absolute hit.  The Marsala wine has 16 carbs for the entire recipe, but the recipe serves 16 people, so we are talking minimal sugars or starches per serving.    This may be my new Christmas Tradition!

Prime Rib with Marsala Mushroom Sauce

1 beef prime rib roast (7 lb.),

1/2 tsp.  coarse black pepper, divided

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

2 Tbsp.  butter

2 cups mixed sliced fresh mushrooms (baby bella, shiitake, oyster)

Xantham gum/ guar

2 Tbsp. GREY POUPON Dijon Mustard

1/4 tsp.  dried thyme leaves

1/4 tsp. ground sage

1-1/2 cups  25%-less-sodium beef broth

1/4 cup Marsala wine

HEAT oven to 325ºF.
PLACE meat in shallow pan; sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. pepper and salt. Bake 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until internal temperature of meat reaches 145ºF. Let stand 10 min. (Temperature will rise to 160ºF).
MEANWHILE, melt butter in medium saucepan on medium heat. Add mushrooms; cook and stir 3 min. Stir in mustard, herbs and remaining pepper. Sprinkle a tsp. of xanthum gum/guar on top and stir.  Make sure there are no lumps.  When mixed, gradually stir in broth and wine; cook and stir on medium heat 4 min. or until thickened.
SERVE meat with sauce.

"Red Lobster" Cheesey Garlic Biscuits

I made these for Christmas Dinner and have been making them ever since.  I had them in the basket with other homemade rolls brought by a guest, but these no sugar no starch ones were the first to go!  I even needed to make another batch!

Now I keep a number of biscuts around at home and any time I need something "bread like" I reach for these.  They are packed with protein but have less than 1 carb per biscut.


This picture isn't mine - mine turned out even more Red Lobstery looking.  Yummmers!

1/4 cup melted butter
1/3 cup sifted coconut flour
2 whole eggs, 2 egg whites
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbs garlic powder
1/2 cup chedder cheese
3-4 Tbs. Unflavored Whey Protein


Yield:  12 biscuts
Mix the butter, sifted coconut flour, eggs, baking powder, salt and garlic together.  Add 1 Tb. at a time of vanilla whey protein and mix until mixture is no longer runny looking.  If mixture appears runny, add another Tb. of protein power.  Stir in cheese last.  Drop 1 TB at a time on a greased cookie sheet.  DO NOT FLATTEN.   Bake at 400 for 15 min.

Christmas Cut Out Cookies

From Mariahealth.blogspot.com.  I seriously want to marry this woman. She makes low carb living easy for an overgrown sweet tooth like me!  I made these cookies and throughly enjoyed them.  If you like soft sugar cookie like texture, make them thicker and take them out right away.  If you like them crunchy, thin is the way to go.  Then leave them in the oven as directed. 

Christmas Cutout Cookies
1/4 cup butter or coconut oil
1 egg
1/2 cup Truvia (or erythritol and 1 tsp stevia glycerite)
1 cup blanched almond flour
3/4 cup vanilla whey (Jay Robb)
1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)




In a large bowl cream the butter and sweetener together until very smooth.
Then add the egg and mix until well combined.
Sift the baking soda, cinnamon, salt and whey into the almond flour, then slowly add the almond flour mixture into the butter mixture. Mix until well combined. Form into a tight ball and cool in the fridge to chill.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place the dough onto a non-stick surface (I used parchment paper), then top it with another piece of non-stick surface (again, I used parchment paper) roll the dough out into about 1/4 inch high. Cut the dough with Christmas cookie cutters, and place onto a baking sheet.

Bake the cookies for 7 minutes, or until light brown. Then turn off the oven and leave the cookies in for an additional 10 minutes, this will create a crispier cookie. Set the cookies out to cool and top with your favorite cream cheese frosting! Makes 2 dozen cutouts.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (for 2 cookies):
Traditional Cookie Cutouts = 161 calories, 24.4 carbs, 0.6g fiber
"Healthified" Cookie Cutouts = 101 calories, 2.1 carbs, 1g fiber

Home Made Deoderant

** from http://hcgmommy.blogspot.com/

1/2 c baking soda
1/2 c cornstarch
enough melted coconut oil to make a paste
(you can also add your tea tree oil and/or essential oils, which can be found in many stores and is a natural antesceptic!)

Pour into pint jar while it is liquid. It will eventually harden.

Christmas Dinner!

Well!  So exciting!  I've recently discovered that I will be hosting Christmas Dinner!  I'm so excited about this, as the tradition is always at one of the Grandparents house.  Of course, as I have embarked on my new low carb lifestyle holidays have now begun to freak me out!  But being able to host is exciting as I am now in control of the entire menu.  As you know, my family is NOT a low carb family (my husband weighs 140 lbs with wet clothes on at the end of Thanksgiving Day) and my children's favorite food group is the noodle group.  So in my Christmas menu planning, I need to be sneaky!  The current plan is to have a low carb option for every item on the table.  I am currently planning my menu and will add my low carb items to this blog as I go.


"Red Lobster" Garlic Cheesey Biscuts

Main Course:  Prime Rib with Marsala-Mushroom Sauce

Company Dinner "Rice"



Dessert:  Grasshopper Cheesecake 

Chocolate Birthday Cake

My daughters Birthday is coming up next, and I doubt she'd be "enthusiastic" about a healthy treat for her Birthday.  Well, mariaheatlh@blogspot.com might have the perfect solution.  Shhhhh...  don't tell..... this will be our little secret.  =)

Chocolate Birthday Cake

1 1/4 cup Truvia (or erythritol and 1 tsp stevia glycerite)
1 3/4 cups peanut flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
2 eggs
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (I ued regular milk)
1/2 cup coconut oil or butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

3/4 cup butter
3 ounces cream cheese
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups Truvia (ground in coffee grinder into a powder)
3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9 inch cake pans.

In a medium bowl, stir together the Truvia, peanut flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, almond milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 3 minutes with an electric mixer. Stir in the boiling water by hand. Pour evenly into the two prepared pans.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to cool completely.

To make the frosting, use the second set of ingredients. Cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Stir in the cocoa and Truvia (powdered) alternately with the milk and vanilla. Beat to a spreading consistency.

Split the layers of cooled cake horizontally, cover the top of each layer with frosting, then stack them onto a serving plate. Frost the outside of the cake. Serves 12.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving):
Using white flour, skim milk and sugar = 655 calories, 111 carbs, 5.8 fiber
Using peanut flour, almond milk and Truvia = 314 calories, 13.8 carbs, 7.1 fiber

Pumpkin Carmel Cheesecake

I brought this over for our Thanksgiving feast.  It was amazing and no one knew it was sugar free and low glycemic and low carb.  I may do more crust next time as the crust seemed a little light.  Or, I may try a different crust all together.  But even just as it was, it was really wonderful and a huge hit on the dessert table!

Crust:
1/3 cup crushed macadamia nuts
1/3 cup crushed pecans
1/3 cup crushed almonds
4-6 TB butter, melted
2 TB Xylitol


Filling:
4 8oz packages of cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup sugar sweetener (I will use Ideal)
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 15oz can packed pumpkin
5 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Carmel Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup Ideal Brown Sugar Substitute
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350. 

For the crust, combine ingrediants and press firmly into a prepared 10 inch spring form pan.

For the filling, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Add spices, sweetener and pumpkin; mix until just blended.  Stir in cream.  Add eggs, beating until just blended.   Pour batter into crust.

Bake in the center of the oven until cheesecake is firm to the touch and slightly puffy, about 50 minutes.  Let cheesecake cool on a wire rack for about 45 minutes.  Refridgerate for at least 4 hours.

For the carmel sauce, place all ingrediants in a sauce pan and boil over medium heat for 4 minutes, stirring contantly.  Remove from heat.  Let cool for 5 minutes; stir in the vanilla extract. 

After the cheesecake has cooled, pour cooled carmel sauce over the cheesecake, keeping in the center.  Refriderate for 30 minutes until sauce is hardened.  Top with whipped cream. 

Source:  http://blog.yourlighterside.com/2010/10/pumpkin-caramel-cheesecake-recipe.html

(Low Carb) Flourless Chocolate Torte

Chocolate Torte

7 oz unsweetened chocolate

1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter

1 1/4 cup truvia or erythritol

5 large eggs

Filling

8 oz cream cheese

4 TB truvia (to taste)

1 egg

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a muffin tin pan and set aside. Brown the butter in a sauce pan. Once butter is browned, slowly add chocolate and sweetener. Let cool in fridge. Once cool, add eggs one at a time.

Mix filling ingredients. Fill muffin tins with chocolate filling and a dab of cream cheese mixture. Bake for 25 minutes.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Shake

This is just in time for Thanksgiving, and one of my weaknesses are pumpkin shakes from McDonalds.

Pumpkin CheeseCake Shake

1 scoop vanilla whey protein
1/4 c. canned pumpkin
2 Tb cream cheese
1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice
1 packet stevia
about 6 ice cubes
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
tiny splash of vanilla

White Chocolate Almond Bark

Thanks Naz for sharing this recipe!

2 TB heavy cream
2 TB Vanilla Almond Milk
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. stevia (or to taste)
1/3 cup vanilla whey protein
1/2 tsp guar gum/Xanthum gum (optional - thickener)

Mix all ingredients until very smooth. Chill in freezer until set. Top with nuts if desired.

Makes 6 servings

Nutritional Info:
93 calories, trace carbs