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