Coconut oil freezer fudge

I wanted some chocolate, all I had on hand was unsweetened bars, I made some coconut oil freezer fudge adding a few things to it. It's like eating a candy bar! Here they are before going into the freezer.

Coconut oil freezer fudge

1/2 cup coconut oil
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup almond butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup powdered erythritol
4-6 drops ez-sweetz

Melt coconut oil and chopped chocolate in the microwave stirring frequently till just melted you don't want it to hot. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, I poured it into a muffin top pan covered with foil and added toppings, 2 with sunflower seeds, 2 with shredded coconut, and 2 with crumbled bacon... yes bacon, if you haven't tried bacon and chocolate you should!!! Freeze, store in the freezer. Cut up as you like.

It does freeze up pretty quick so you don't have to wait very long.

Beef soup

I made a big huge pot of beef soup, I was eating it for every meal most of the week.

Beef soup

6 pounds chuck roast cut in large cubes
2 or 3 pounds soup bones
3 small leeks chopped saving trimmings for the broth 
handful of garlic cloves
3 large beef bullion cubes
3 turnips cubed
3 small zucchini sliced
half cauliflower cut up
2 carrots 1 whole for the broth, 1 sliced for the soup
handful green beans
2 bay leaves
handful of flat leaf parsley
tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
sea salt to taste
pepper to taste

Brown beef and bones in beef fat (I rendered some earlier) a few pieces at a time, this step takes some time but well worth it. Add all the meat and bones back to the pot, add 8 cups of water, bullion cubes, a bit of salt, handful of garlic, 1 carrot, bay leaves, parsley, leek trimmings, and vinegar, bring it to a boil, turn it down and let simmer until the meat is quite tender 5-6 hours or as I like to do it overnight. Remove the beef and bones to another warm pot, strain the broth through a strainer or cheese cloth. I use a china cap strainer lined with a paint strainer from the hardware store ( you can pick up a double pack for a couple dollars and they're reusable). I put them through the wash like my sponges, but not the dryer.

put back in the same pot, add veggies and simmer for 10-15 minutes add back in the meat, adjust the seasonings if needed, that's it!

Scotch eggs

I haven't made these before so I only made a few to see if I like them. Oh, they're so good.! Here they are before cooking.

Scotch eggs 

5 hard boiled eggs peeled (someone stole one because it was 6)
5 raw mild or hot italian sausages casings removed
1 raw egg
half a jalapeno diced
1-2 tablespoons of parmesan

Mix sausage, raw egg, jalapeno, and parmesan in a bowl, divide in equal amounts to cover the eggs, I allowed one sausage to cover each hard boiled egg. Cover completely each egg with meat mixture and lay on a non stick foil lined cookie sheet. like the above picture. Bake on 350 till browned and done about 20 minutes. Especially good with chinese hot mustard!

 I'm for sure taking these on my first picnic in the spring!

Salmon and cabbage

We went on our monthly shopping trip to Costco yesterday. I picked up a side of salmon so we had it for lunch. Most days lunch is my main meal. I like to broil fish but I haven't replaced my broiling element in my oven yet, it burnt out when I was trying to self clean it for the holidays. I cut the salmon in serving sizes, I sauteed it in clarified butter with a touch of sea salt, the outside got nice and crispy. I made a hot sauce from chili garlic sauce, lemon juice and a tablespoon of sf ketchup. I sauteed the shredded cabbage in a couple tablespoons of butter with a handful of sliver onion, orange pepper, half a jalapeno, and a pinch of sea salt.

A very satisfying lunch!

Salisbury steak

Not really steak, it's so good for a quick lunch!

Salisbury Steak (for two)

1 lb ground beef
1/4 of an onion finely diced
1 clove garlic crushed
2 tablespoons butter
herbamare seasoning to taste
black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon low carb ketchup
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
2 cups water
1 large bullion beef cube
few pinches xanthan gum

Saute onion and garlic in butter on low, you don't want to much color on them. Shape two patties and season with herbamare and pepper, add on top of the onions in the pan saute on low covering with a lid steaming the patties adding a few drops of water if necessary so they don't brown to much. Flip the patties, add in the rest of the ingredients simmering for a few minutes. I served it with diced zucchini. A fast and flavorful lunch!

Hot artichoke spinach dip

Everyone always asks for this recipe!

Hot artichoke spinach dip

2 cans plain artichoke hearts drained and chopped
2 packs frozen spinach thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup mayo
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup parmesan grated
1 cup grated cheese jarlsberg or pepper jack are good choices

Mix everything saving half cup grated cheese for the top. Put into a greased casserole dish bake on 350 25-30 minutes. Great with sliced jicama, celery sticks, cucumbers slices, mixed pepper chunks, and daikon radish slices.

Lemon chcken tenderloins

I wanted a taste of chinese takeout so I made one of my favorites.

Lemon chicken

2 lbs Chicken tenders
1 egg beaten
3-4 tablespoons butter
1 clove crushed garlic
tablespoon of minced onion
1 lemon sliced
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
soy sauce to taste
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
tablespoon truvia
couple pinches xanthan gum

Mix beaten egg with chicken tenders saute in butter till just cooked, remove from pan. Add onion and garlic and saute for a minute, add lemon slices, lemon juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, water, and truvia cooking for just a minute add couple pinches of xanthan gum, then add back chicken tenders and serve. I had them with roasted brussel sprouts. It would be good with a bit of sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds too.

New improved low carb fudge

I got some different peanut butter so I decided to make some more low carb fudge. I changed the recipe I used before here a bit to get a more pleasing consistency.

Low carb fudge half recipe

4 ozs unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered erythritol (I used a coffee mill)
12 drops ezsweets
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons softened cream cheese
2 tablespoons softened butter
pinch salt
1/2 cup toasted walnuts

Melt chocolate in the microwave oven, stir everything in, nuts last, put in a small loaf pan covered with plastic wrap, chill and cut.

Beef stroganoff for one

I wanted something a little different so I made this for a quick lunch. I licked the plate it was so good!

Beef stroganoff

6 oz of thin sliced beef (I used flap meat)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
couple slices of sweet onion
1 clove garlic crushed
1 cup beef broth ( I used half a large bullion cup and a cup of water)
2 tablespoons of sour cream

I sauteed the beef in butter then removed it from the pan, then sauteed the onion and garlic for a minute, adding the broth and sauteed beef simmering for a few minutes, then adding the sour cream, heating through.

Merry Christmas!!!

Here we are putting out reindeer chow so the reindeer will be sure to find our house on Christmas Eve!

Here is our tree with Daisy dog.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!!

MIM (Muffin in a Minute)

I don't know who is the originator of this recipe but I can't thank them enough, theses are such a good substitute for toast.

Muffin in a Minute

2 scoops 1/4 cup of ground flax seeds (I prefer the light colored flax)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 drops ezsweets
1 egg
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Mix in a bowl (I made it in a square plastic food storage container to resemble a piece of toast) microwave on high one minute. Spread with almond butter.

Enjoy!

Bacardi rum cake (low carb)

I've been wanting to try this cake in low carb form, it turned out very good.

I made this coconut flour yellow cake recipe here in a spring form pan with a jelly jar filled with raw rice for weight in the middle because I didn't have a bundt cake pan. It worked great!

I substituted 1/2 cup powdered erythritol and 12 drops of ezsweetz and 1/4 cup of poly d for the sugar, rum for half of the coconut milk and added some toasted pecans to the top . I baked it for 30 minutes in a 350 oven. I made this rum syrup to pour over it while it was hot.

Rum syrup

1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup vanilla torani syrup
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup rum


Heat in a sauce pan, pour over warm cake poking holes with a skewer, the longer it sits the better. Here it is with the sauce just poured over the top. It will soak in just keep spooning it on top.

Yummy!

Brussel sprouts with jalapenos and garlic

My hubby asked me to make brussel sprouts with jalapenos and garlic, I must say I had never thought about making them this way but I have to say they were good!

Brussel sprouts with jalapenos and garlic

2 lbs brussel sprouts (I had tiny ones so I left them whole you could cut in half if they're big)
3 tablespoons butter
2 jalapenos sliced
2 cloves garlic crushed
salt to taste

Wrap everything in heavy duty foil and bake in the oven at 400 for 30-45 minutes, open and serve.

Keto balls (cream cheese balls)

Yummy!!! I found this recipe here.

Keto balls

8 oz cream cheese softened
1 stick 1/2 cup butter softened
12 drops ezsweetz
1 tablespoon torani vanilla syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

for rolling balls in
chopped nuts (I used macadamias and pistachios)
chopped chocolate (half a chocoperfection bar)


Mix everything together, stick in freezer till easy to roll in balls with your hands, roll in nuts or whatever you want, then freeze. I made them in teaspoon size balls because they are so rich that's all you need.

Zucchini lasagna

I used zucchini for the lasagna noodles in this fabulous lasagna. I sliced a giant zucchini from our garden the long way then roasted it in the oven till softened and brown. If all you can get is small that's great. It's tasty with eggplant too.

Then layering with mozzarella, ricotta, marinara sauce, hot italian sausage, and ground beef.

 I used this marinara sauce, it took me a while to find one without sugar this is the first time I have used this one, it was very good.

Here it is before going in the oven.

Here it is just finished. Thank goodness I put it on a sheet pan because it did bubble over.

We had lots of leftovers and froze some too.

Low carb fudge

I found this recipe here This is so very, very good! I made a half a recipe but added 1 more oz of melted chocolate because it wasn't holding together, maybe because I used fresh made peanut butter which was drier without much oil, I think if I used a bit more oily peanut butter it would have worked fine, next time I'll use better peanut butter. It would be good with some toasted nuts added, like walnuts. You can't even tell it's made with peanut butter, it tastes like real fudge. My son who is very picky about sweeteners has been sneaking pieces and also told me he thinks it's very good. Make sure the erythritol is powdered well so it won't be gritty.

Low carb fudge

4 oz unsweetened chocolate squares (I used 5 oz)
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup erythritol powdered
12 drops ezsweetz
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch salt

Melt chocolate in microwave then stir everything together press in pan, cool, and cut in squares.

Steak and avocado

A quick lunch, I was starving and sauteed this up quickly for lunch. I purchased a couple pounds of flap meat from the mexican store heated a saute pan added some butter and sauteed this steak sprinkled with pappy's 50% less salt seasoning for a couple minutes on each side then topped with a pat of butter, a shake of worcestershire and sliced avocado, inverting a plate over it for a few minutes to let it rest, then devouring with a little tapatio.

Fried walnuts

Easy to make but a bit time consuming, basically keeping an eye on them while they're on the stove. I made these when I was in the kitchen preparing other things. I took two cups of walnuts, rinsed with cool water then into a sauce pan covered with water and simmer for 2 hours, drain and rinse, put into a bowl adding two tablespoons of sugar free honey, a couple tablespoons of isomalt, 1/2 teaspoon of molasses, and a pinch of sea salt, stir and let soak in for a few minutes meanwhile heat some peanut oil in a saucepan to 350, I used a probe thermometer, add walnuts and fry till nicely browned maybe 5-7 minutes be careful not to burn them, the trick is to evaporate the water and brown just enough. Crispy and burnt sugar tasting kind of like kettle corn.

I had a hard time getting a good picture maybe because they're so dark finally I held them in front of the rain stained window.

Buttery deviled eggs

Buttery deviled eggs

1 dozen large eggs, perfectly hard boiled
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon grated sweet onion
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
tabasco or ground red pepper to taste
salt and pepper or white pepper to taste
paprika to sprinkle on the top


Put eggs in a soup pot and cover with cold water a couple of inches above eggs. Heat to boiling and then turn off and let sit for 11 minutes drain water and cover again with cold water to cool eggs, then peel and slice in half. Push the yolks through a fine strainer with a spoon for extra silkiness and add the rest of the ingredients, fill whites with mixture, I eat a few right away but it's good to chill through. You can make so many combinations, great with minced pickles, olives, or minced tarragon if you want green eggs add some mashed avocado.

Blender meatloaf with turnips and cauliflower

I call this blender meatloaf because when my children were small they would complain "Eww, Mom there's onion in here, yuck!" So I went about trying to hide the onion so my children would eat it. Mmm, so I thought what if I blended it in the blender? it worked perfectly! Ever though my children are grown I still make it this way because everyone loves it, and it's so easy!

Blender meatloaf

2 pounds ground beef
few slices bacon
2 turnips
half a cauliflower
couple tablespoons sugar free ketchup
2 eggs
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup chia seeds
half a small onion
about a tablespoon of red and bell pepper
1 jalapeno seeds and all
1 clove garlic
couple tablespoons parmesan
salt and pepper to taste
couple pinches of xanthan gum


Put everything after ketchup in a blender and blend till smoooth, add to ground beef and mix well, shape into loaf in a roasting dish covered with nonstick foil, spread ketchup and top with bacon strips, add sliced veggies around it. Bake at 375 for about 45 minutes. pour off grease, there will be a lot if it's fatty hamburger. Slice, serve veggies on the side. I don't mind the fat but the family doesn't like it.

Here it is just put in the oven.

Here it is done. See all the fat.