I bought a few things that I don't consider "frugal", because I want to take them camping, or because my husband specially requested them. He works so hard that I don't say no to anything, and he isn't extravagant anyway :).
I spent $20.64 at Walmart, for cheese, SF treats (peanuts, chocolate - <$5), and 3 half-gallons of half'n'half.
Sav-a-Lot has gotten a lot of business from me this month, as they were running their 10/$10 sale, plus I got some meats at a good price, so I added to my freezer. (I still have about 1/3 of the meat I bought at Steve's last month.) Today I spent $100.94 there. The 10/$10 items I bought included 5 dozen large eggs, 3 packages of pepperoni, 5 brown'n'serve* links and patties, 4 frozen pizzas*, and five 12 oz. rolls of pork sausage. I also got fresh produce, butter, canned tomatoes, mushrooms, and tomato paste, shredded cheese, decaf coffee, a 24-pack of water for the camping trip, 9# of english cut roast (my favorite cut of beef) for $2.79/lb,, 11# of chicken leg quarters for $0.79/lb, and almost 5# of pork sirloin chops for $1.69/lb.
*These are prepared foods that my husband likes to have on hand. If I'm not hungry or not available to cook or whatever, he enjoys having something quick. The pizzas (1 is a complete meal for him) are less than 60gN carbs, and the sausages are 1-2gN each - it isn't the carb counts that are so important to me, it is the junk that is in prepared foods. But, as I said earlier, there are a few things he likes once in a while, and I don't deny him :).
I also spent $12.19 on 5# of pre-cut and pre-cooked chicken breast strips. These ARE a splurge, and I know it. They just make my life easier, as I can make up a quick chicken salad or sandwich, toss some onto a salad, create a quick casserole around them, snack on them dipped in ranch dressing, or give them to my grandson to tide him over until supper. At nearly $2.50/lb it is expensive for chicken breasts - but maybe not when they've saved me the work of cooking and cutting and are so handy for quick use on busy days.
Our larders are pretty full, although if I see another sale, I'll buy anyway :).
Now I think I'll go toss together a salad for my supper with the marked-down bag of fresh spinach and some of those chicken strips! :)
Thursday, October 6, 2011
CAMPING! #lowcarb
We'll be going camping with some people from our church soon. This is always a challenge, especially when they break out the s'mores, but I'm hoping we can do well anyway. One thing while camping, I don't want to carry a whole grocery store with us, nor do I want a lot of work and time involved in food. So here's the plan:
I'm making a bunch of flatbreads. Last night was the first time I made them, and they turned out really well! (Who knew they were so EASY??? And LOTS cheaper than store-bought, and lower in carbs!) Next time I will just roll them a little thinner and make the dough not quite so stiff, but other than that they were/are great! I'm also making cheese chips, pepperoni chips, hard-boiled eggs, pork rinds, and tuna salad. I'll make up a simple dip for the rinds and chips with salsa and sour cream, we can also put this on our hot dogs and our tuna salad sandwiches. A batch of chocolate cookies for our sweet tooth is a must. And lastly, I'll make some breakfast "muffins" with eggs, spinach, bacon, and cheese. For reheating, we'll have our portable grill (with an warming upper rack) and foil. I have an old-fashioned stove-top drip coffee pot to use on the grill as well. And I'll splurge on a 24-pack of drinking water. Of course I'll have lowcarb ketchup, mustard, cream (for coffee), and a baggie of chopped onions for dressing up everything.
I believe this will sustain us for 2 days, and if we have plenty of easy, grab'n'eat lowcarb options with us we will be less likely to eat carby foods that others may offer us. My goals are easy - not sloppy - needing few utensils - no, or next-to-no, prep time and effort - enough variety and quantity to enable us to fight carby temptations.
After the trip I will post how it went, and what I will change for next time. If you have any ideas, I'd be happy to hear them!
I'm making a bunch of flatbreads. Last night was the first time I made them, and they turned out really well! (Who knew they were so EASY??? And LOTS cheaper than store-bought, and lower in carbs!) Next time I will just roll them a little thinner and make the dough not quite so stiff, but other than that they were/are great! I'm also making cheese chips, pepperoni chips, hard-boiled eggs, pork rinds, and tuna salad. I'll make up a simple dip for the rinds and chips with salsa and sour cream, we can also put this on our hot dogs and our tuna salad sandwiches. A batch of chocolate cookies for our sweet tooth is a must. And lastly, I'll make some breakfast "muffins" with eggs, spinach, bacon, and cheese. For reheating, we'll have our portable grill (with an warming upper rack) and foil. I have an old-fashioned stove-top drip coffee pot to use on the grill as well. And I'll splurge on a 24-pack of drinking water. Of course I'll have lowcarb ketchup, mustard, cream (for coffee), and a baggie of chopped onions for dressing up everything.
I believe this will sustain us for 2 days, and if we have plenty of easy, grab'n'eat lowcarb options with us we will be less likely to eat carby foods that others may offer us. My goals are easy - not sloppy - needing few utensils - no, or next-to-no, prep time and effort - enough variety and quantity to enable us to fight carby temptations.
After the trip I will post how it went, and what I will change for next time. If you have any ideas, I'd be happy to hear them!
Monday, October 3, 2011
Ham'n'Eggs with Frosting #lowcarb #recipe
Added 2 eggs to a little hot bacon fat in my mini-cast-iron skillet, then just broke the yolks and spread them around a little. Took a slice of ham and layed it in the middle, pressing down until egg covered it on top. After the bottom was cooked, I turned it to cook the egg on the other side, and put a chunk of cream cheese on top of the lightly-browned egg. Covered it and turned off the heat (the iron stays hot enough to cook the egg!) and let it sit for a few minutes.
When I slid it out onto my plate, the cream cheese was soft; I spread it across and it looks like frosting - lol.
When I slid it out onto my plate, the cream cheese was soft; I spread it across and it looks like frosting - lol.
EASY #lowcarb Cream Sauce, & A Lovely Chicken #Recipe
This sauce is so easy that I will be pouring it over everything now I think! I poured about a cup of cream into a bowl, added a half-cup of parmesan out of the can, about 1/8 tsp of xanthan gum, and whisked it until well-blended but not whipped cream.
Browned bite-sized pieces of chicken breast in some bacon fat, then added a bag of frozen broccoli/cauliflower/carrots, a full Tbsp of onion powder, some thyme, parsley, paprika, S&P, and garlic powder. Stirred it all together and cooked on med-low, covered, for about 10 minutes until vegetables were softened but nowhere near mushy. Poured the sauce over the top, stirred in, and let cook an additional 5 minutes. The sauce thickened nicely and took on the herbs and spices very well. I poured it into a casserole dish, sprinkled more parmesan on top with some paprika and parsley on top of that, and it was pretty - cheap - and delicious!
Chicken was $1.87; vegetables were $1.19; cream was just over $1.00. Bacon fat and spices were negligable but even if I add another $1, it's still under $5 for 4 large servings.
Browned bite-sized pieces of chicken breast in some bacon fat, then added a bag of frozen broccoli/cauliflower/carrots, a full Tbsp of onion powder, some thyme, parsley, paprika, S&P, and garlic powder. Stirred it all together and cooked on med-low, covered, for about 10 minutes until vegetables were softened but nowhere near mushy. Poured the sauce over the top, stirred in, and let cook an additional 5 minutes. The sauce thickened nicely and took on the herbs and spices very well. I poured it into a casserole dish, sprinkled more parmesan on top with some paprika and parsley on top of that, and it was pretty - cheap - and delicious!
Chicken was $1.87; vegetables were $1.19; cream was just over $1.00. Bacon fat and spices were negligable but even if I add another $1, it's still under $5 for 4 large servings.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
The Rest of My September Shopping
I posted my first - my major - shopping trip for the month a few weeks ago; the total from that one was $165. I have in front of me my receipts for the rest of the month:
I've made a few trips to Sav-a-Lot this month. Being just a mile away and convenient for when I just need a couple of things, that's my go-to store most of the time. The problem is - and I admit it's a problem - I go for 1 or 2 things, and see other things I forgot I needed, or see a sale...then I come home with more than I intended! But I did pretty well this month with that, spending an additional total of $94.89 for lots of meat that was on sale (last-day/red-sticker, which I rarely pass by if it's a good price), extra supplies for the large casserole I took to a church potluck, canned goods (mushrooms, tomatoes, tuna), bottled water, porkies, and condiments.
I also made a trip to GFS for the big bags of frozen vegetables that I use. While I spent $55.68 there in September, the food will actually last through October (plus of course we used it the remainder of September). I stocked up on (9) 2# bags of vegetables, plus 24 cans of Diet Coke for my mom when she's here, plus Pete likes to take one in his lunch, and a big package of hot dogs - 40 for $8.99. The last two things I wouldn't buy for myself, but Pete loves his hot dogs, and I paid more for the better hot dogs with fewer objectionable ingredients.
Then while I was at other stores (Big Lots, KMart, Walmart) I picked up a couple of other things that I use and that were a good price, such as a 16oz. can of Parmesan for $4.00, a liter bottle of EVOO for $6.50, a 24 oz. jar of Peter Pan PB (my favorite brand; it contains some sugar but I don't eat that much of it - certainly not enough to worry about - FOR ME, YMMV) for $4.29, and 3 half-gallon cartons of half'n'half for $3.58 each.
In addition, I placed an order at Netrition that came to $98-something. The items in that order will last for a MINIMUM of 3 months: WPI5000, Vital Wheat Gluten, coconut flour, almond flour, polyD fiber, oat fiber, resistant corn starch (1st time buying that), peanut flour, CarbQuik, EZ-Sweetz, and 3 bottles of SF flavored syrups. I still have Carbalose flour from my last order. Many of these were in multiples as well - AND I got a free t-shirt :).
I spent quite a bit more this month because of the netrition and GFS foods, but of course those weren't just for this month, and because of all I bought in September, I anticipate that October will be much much lower. It all evens out in the end :).
So, doing the math in my head (and therefore rounding off), I figure I spent $440 during the month of September, for enough food to get through the month, much of October, and even beyond!
I've made a few trips to Sav-a-Lot this month. Being just a mile away and convenient for when I just need a couple of things, that's my go-to store most of the time. The problem is - and I admit it's a problem - I go for 1 or 2 things, and see other things I forgot I needed, or see a sale...then I come home with more than I intended! But I did pretty well this month with that, spending an additional total of $94.89 for lots of meat that was on sale (last-day/red-sticker, which I rarely pass by if it's a good price), extra supplies for the large casserole I took to a church potluck, canned goods (mushrooms, tomatoes, tuna), bottled water, porkies, and condiments.
I also made a trip to GFS for the big bags of frozen vegetables that I use. While I spent $55.68 there in September, the food will actually last through October (plus of course we used it the remainder of September). I stocked up on (9) 2# bags of vegetables, plus 24 cans of Diet Coke for my mom when she's here, plus Pete likes to take one in his lunch, and a big package of hot dogs - 40 for $8.99. The last two things I wouldn't buy for myself, but Pete loves his hot dogs, and I paid more for the better hot dogs with fewer objectionable ingredients.
Then while I was at other stores (Big Lots, KMart, Walmart) I picked up a couple of other things that I use and that were a good price, such as a 16oz. can of Parmesan for $4.00, a liter bottle of EVOO for $6.50, a 24 oz. jar of Peter Pan PB (my favorite brand; it contains some sugar but I don't eat that much of it - certainly not enough to worry about - FOR ME, YMMV) for $4.29, and 3 half-gallon cartons of half'n'half for $3.58 each.
In addition, I placed an order at Netrition that came to $98-something. The items in that order will last for a MINIMUM of 3 months: WPI5000, Vital Wheat Gluten, coconut flour, almond flour, polyD fiber, oat fiber, resistant corn starch (1st time buying that), peanut flour, CarbQuik, EZ-Sweetz, and 3 bottles of SF flavored syrups. I still have Carbalose flour from my last order. Many of these were in multiples as well - AND I got a free t-shirt :).
I spent quite a bit more this month because of the netrition and GFS foods, but of course those weren't just for this month, and because of all I bought in September, I anticipate that October will be much much lower. It all evens out in the end :).
So, doing the math in my head (and therefore rounding off), I figure I spent $440 during the month of September, for enough food to get through the month, much of October, and even beyond!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Grocery Prices Are Going UP! Now What?? #lowcarb #frugal
It is getting harder and harder to eat low carb meals cheaply. I've never seen the price of food rise so much, so quickly, in the 35+ years I've been buying groceries. On many of my usual purchases the price has doubled in the last year. It is impossible to buy as much as I did when I started this blog, for the same prices. Even while I'm spending more, however, I'm also finding ways to stretch our dollar. Some of things I'm doing now, I've always done - but now it is even more important if I want to continue to feed my husband and myself (and several days a week, my grandson) as well as I always have.
I want to mention that we are big meat eaters. We like a big hunk of meat on our plates, and I typically serve it with 2 veggies. Once a week or so we do have a potato also, which many (most?) low carbers don't do. But we do. On potato days I can get away with a smaller portion of meat, which is of course our biggest cost.
First - and I've always done this, for the most part - I only buy meats that fit in with my budget. I have $/# in my head that I won't go over: $3.25 for beef, $2.00 for pork ($3.00 for bacon), $4.00 for fish, and $1.00 for chicken. Mostly I can get my meats at a meat market in the next town, and they have excellent quality fresh meats there. I usually make a trip there once a month - sometimes more, sometimes less - and then throughout the month if I'm at another market and see meat on sale that falls within, or below, these prices, I buy as much of it as I can afford and it goes into the chest freezer.
Second, in season I buy fresh vegetables, and I shop the "last day" racks at the local markets when I'm already there for other things, then plan the next day's meals around what I buy. What I can't buy fresh, I buy frozen in big bags - 2.5-5# - usually from Gordon's. I've always done this, but never really shopped the "last day" racks so much. Roadside stands are a wonderful way to save on fresh produce, but we don't have many (any?) that I've seen around here.
Third, I'm in the process of learning to make my own condiments and pasta. I bought a pasta maker, and am experimenting until I can get a decent result (which I will post here). Once I can do a decent pasta, that will replace one of our more expensive meals once in a while. Ketchup is nearly $3 for a small bottle (the 1gN kind from Heinz), and mayo has more than doubled in price since last year for a smaller jar. Forget that! I have a blender, I have eggs and oil and I'm not afraid to use them :). But it is typically less expensive - and definitely gives you more control over what goes into your body - to make as many foods yourself as you can, rather than buy processed.
Fourth, shop around, including the internet. If you live in a city where low carb ingredients are available (I don't, our small town has mostly the basics), compare the prices locally with amazon.com, netrition.com, honeyvillegrain.com and others. Watch for free shipping offers (Amazon Prime has saved me a LOT of money...although not necessarily on food) and sign up for newsletters and sale flyers through email. Always figure your price per ounce or pound, and include shipping costs if buying online - but also include costs for your time and gas if shopping locally! If you drive past your local health food store all the time anyway, not a problem; if you have to go out of your way, or to the next town, a low shipping fee (or all for one price shipping, like netrition.com charges) may be less expensive, with gas prices being what they are. Typically I buy my flours and baking products, sweeteners, and some of my seasonings online.
Fifth, buy whole, and make it small for yourself. This applies to big hunks (tenderloins or whole strips) and "family size" packages of meat as well as grains (flax, quinoa) and other dry foods (nuts). MUCH less expensive in many cases, especially when you find a sale! A small coffee grinder from KMart for less than $20 is perfectly adequate to make rough flour and meals out of most dry ingredients. There are exceptions but most of the time, you can get more for less.
Sixth, make adjustments. My husband and I both eat larger meals (although I don't eat as much at a sitting as I did before my fundoplication surgery in December), and I have learned over the years that if I try to reduce portion sizes, my husband especially will go looking for snacks a short time later - and an additional snack costs more than a larger portion. But I will often reduce the portion sizes of the more expensive parts of the meal, and increase the portion sizes of the cheaper parts of the meal. Also, sometimes adding a sauce made from the drippings (the seasoned oil the veggies were roasted in plus the meat drippings, a pinch of xanthan gum and a squirt of cream) which would otherwise go to waste will also add to satiety, enabling me to reduce portion sizes.
Seventh, replace at least one meat dish with a casserole every week. No, not with noodles and rice, as we did before :) but with other filling but lower carb options. My casseroles typically consist of meats - but in smaller quantities -and vegetables, lots of different kinds of vegetables!, with some high-fiber additions (baby corn, water chestnuts) and a fatty sauce to fill us up. (Fat=satiety and we don't have to fear fat when we're eating low carb!) Add some low carb rolls or biscuits from one of the trillions of recipes on the web and in low carb cookbooks, and you've got a great meal plus leftovers for lunch the next day!
Lastly, I have made cuts in other areas of my budget that enable me to spend a little more on food. This is a personal choice, and not one that many would want to make. But for me, making a single tank of gas stretch for an entire week and keeping the thermostat at 62 instead of 65 are acceptable trade-offs. We like our beef twice a week and our fish every week, both of which are more expensive and also more important to us than extra trips in our gas-hog van or walking around the house without a sweater. And as dairy prices have skyrocketed but we aren't willing to give up our cheeses, cream, and butter we need to make a way to pay for those. It's rotten when we have to choose between heat and healthy food but such is our country now, decisions made by leaders who don't have to pinch every penny...but that's a post for another blog :).
Hope some of my changes will help you too!
I want to mention that we are big meat eaters. We like a big hunk of meat on our plates, and I typically serve it with 2 veggies. Once a week or so we do have a potato also, which many (most?) low carbers don't do. But we do. On potato days I can get away with a smaller portion of meat, which is of course our biggest cost.
First - and I've always done this, for the most part - I only buy meats that fit in with my budget. I have $/# in my head that I won't go over: $3.25 for beef, $2.00 for pork ($3.00 for bacon), $4.00 for fish, and $1.00 for chicken. Mostly I can get my meats at a meat market in the next town, and they have excellent quality fresh meats there. I usually make a trip there once a month - sometimes more, sometimes less - and then throughout the month if I'm at another market and see meat on sale that falls within, or below, these prices, I buy as much of it as I can afford and it goes into the chest freezer.
Second, in season I buy fresh vegetables, and I shop the "last day" racks at the local markets when I'm already there for other things, then plan the next day's meals around what I buy. What I can't buy fresh, I buy frozen in big bags - 2.5-5# - usually from Gordon's. I've always done this, but never really shopped the "last day" racks so much. Roadside stands are a wonderful way to save on fresh produce, but we don't have many (any?) that I've seen around here.
Third, I'm in the process of learning to make my own condiments and pasta. I bought a pasta maker, and am experimenting until I can get a decent result (which I will post here). Once I can do a decent pasta, that will replace one of our more expensive meals once in a while. Ketchup is nearly $3 for a small bottle (the 1gN kind from Heinz), and mayo has more than doubled in price since last year for a smaller jar. Forget that! I have a blender, I have eggs and oil and I'm not afraid to use them :). But it is typically less expensive - and definitely gives you more control over what goes into your body - to make as many foods yourself as you can, rather than buy processed.
Fourth, shop around, including the internet. If you live in a city where low carb ingredients are available (I don't, our small town has mostly the basics), compare the prices locally with amazon.com, netrition.com, honeyvillegrain.com and others. Watch for free shipping offers (Amazon Prime has saved me a LOT of money...although not necessarily on food) and sign up for newsletters and sale flyers through email. Always figure your price per ounce or pound, and include shipping costs if buying online - but also include costs for your time and gas if shopping locally! If you drive past your local health food store all the time anyway, not a problem; if you have to go out of your way, or to the next town, a low shipping fee (or all for one price shipping, like netrition.com charges) may be less expensive, with gas prices being what they are. Typically I buy my flours and baking products, sweeteners, and some of my seasonings online.
Fifth, buy whole, and make it small for yourself. This applies to big hunks (tenderloins or whole strips) and "family size" packages of meat as well as grains (flax, quinoa) and other dry foods (nuts). MUCH less expensive in many cases, especially when you find a sale! A small coffee grinder from KMart for less than $20 is perfectly adequate to make rough flour and meals out of most dry ingredients. There are exceptions but most of the time, you can get more for less.
Sixth, make adjustments. My husband and I both eat larger meals (although I don't eat as much at a sitting as I did before my fundoplication surgery in December), and I have learned over the years that if I try to reduce portion sizes, my husband especially will go looking for snacks a short time later - and an additional snack costs more than a larger portion. But I will often reduce the portion sizes of the more expensive parts of the meal, and increase the portion sizes of the cheaper parts of the meal. Also, sometimes adding a sauce made from the drippings (the seasoned oil the veggies were roasted in plus the meat drippings, a pinch of xanthan gum and a squirt of cream) which would otherwise go to waste will also add to satiety, enabling me to reduce portion sizes.
Seventh, replace at least one meat dish with a casserole every week. No, not with noodles and rice, as we did before :) but with other filling but lower carb options. My casseroles typically consist of meats - but in smaller quantities -and vegetables, lots of different kinds of vegetables!, with some high-fiber additions (baby corn, water chestnuts) and a fatty sauce to fill us up. (Fat=satiety and we don't have to fear fat when we're eating low carb!) Add some low carb rolls or biscuits from one of the trillions of recipes on the web and in low carb cookbooks, and you've got a great meal plus leftovers for lunch the next day!
Lastly, I have made cuts in other areas of my budget that enable me to spend a little more on food. This is a personal choice, and not one that many would want to make. But for me, making a single tank of gas stretch for an entire week and keeping the thermostat at 62 instead of 65 are acceptable trade-offs. We like our beef twice a week and our fish every week, both of which are more expensive and also more important to us than extra trips in our gas-hog van or walking around the house without a sweater. And as dairy prices have skyrocketed but we aren't willing to give up our cheeses, cream, and butter we need to make a way to pay for those. It's rotten when we have to choose between heat and healthy food but such is our country now, decisions made by leaders who don't have to pinch every penny...but that's a post for another blog :).
Hope some of my changes will help you too!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
YUM YUM YUM!!! Pumpkin MiniCakes #lowcarb #recipe #glutenfree #grainfree
Yesterday evening my 28MO grandson and I talked about making bread, which he really REALLY loves to do. But I had sort of a sweet tooth so I was able to persuade him to make cupcakes instead. I didn't know what kind yet, and of course didn't have a recipe (I rarely use them, and even when I do it is just for guidelines), but I sat him on the kitchen counter, pulled out the mixer, and got started anyway. These are pretty close approximations of ingredient amounts, since I do measure when baking with him. He likes using the cups and spoons, and is learning to level off the tops as well. So here we go.
- 4 eggs
Whip with whisk attachment in mixing bowl until fluffy.
- 1/2 of a 15 oz. can of pure pumpkin
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Add to eggs and continue whipping until very smooth.
- 1c pecan meal/flour
- 1/2c coconut flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2c erythritol (or your choice)
- 1/4c brown Sugar Twin (or your choice)
Mix well with fork or wire whisk.
Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and mix thoroughly with paddle attachment. It will be very thick, almost like cookie dough.
- 1/2c melted coconut oil
Drizzle into "dough" with mixer on low speed.
This will help thin it a little but it will still be too thick for cake batter.
- heavy cream
Drizzle into bowl with mixer on low until "dough" becomes batter and reaches desired consistency; I used probably 1/3c (guesstimate); mix until well incorporated.
Grease (or spray) your mini-muffin tins WELL. Bake in preheated 350*F oven about 25 minutes, until a knife inserted into the middle of the largest muffin comes out clean.
Remove from tins to a cooling rack and cool completely.
NOTE: This recipe made exactly 48 mini-muffins, or 2 trays. I did make frosting for these, and once I put it on, they went from superb to SUPER AMAZING! Just did a standard cream cheese frosting, whipping together about 2 parts cream cheese to 1 part butter, with a splash of vanilla, sweetening to taste with liquid sucralose drops, and drizzled in cream while whipping until desired fluffy consistency. Since the frosting needs to be refrigerated we are frosting them as we eat them - I don't want the muffins to dry out in the fridge.
These are SO SO SO SO good, especially with a nice hot cup of coffee!
- 4 eggs
Whip with whisk attachment in mixing bowl until fluffy.
- 1/2 of a 15 oz. can of pure pumpkin
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Add to eggs and continue whipping until very smooth.
- 1c pecan meal/flour
- 1/2c coconut flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2c erythritol (or your choice)
- 1/4c brown Sugar Twin (or your choice)
Mix well with fork or wire whisk.
Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and mix thoroughly with paddle attachment. It will be very thick, almost like cookie dough.
- 1/2c melted coconut oil
Drizzle into "dough" with mixer on low speed.
This will help thin it a little but it will still be too thick for cake batter.
- heavy cream
Drizzle into bowl with mixer on low until "dough" becomes batter and reaches desired consistency; I used probably 1/3c (guesstimate); mix until well incorporated.
Grease (or spray) your mini-muffin tins WELL. Bake in preheated 350*F oven about 25 minutes, until a knife inserted into the middle of the largest muffin comes out clean.
Remove from tins to a cooling rack and cool completely.
NOTE: This recipe made exactly 48 mini-muffins, or 2 trays. I did make frosting for these, and once I put it on, they went from superb to SUPER AMAZING! Just did a standard cream cheese frosting, whipping together about 2 parts cream cheese to 1 part butter, with a splash of vanilla, sweetening to taste with liquid sucralose drops, and drizzled in cream while whipping until desired fluffy consistency. Since the frosting needs to be refrigerated we are frosting them as we eat them - I don't want the muffins to dry out in the fridge.
These are SO SO SO SO good, especially with a nice hot cup of coffee!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Some Good #Lowcarb Eatin' This Week! #recipes
Just a few Cheap'n'Easy Low Carb meal ideas, in case you're interested :).
Pork dinner: I love pork with something sweet! Saturday I made a very pretty and delicious roast pork rib (country style) dinner that was easy prep and easy cook! Got some brussels sprouts out of the freezer, and tossed them in a bowl with a little olive oil and sea salt. Washed 3 small sweet potatoes and put them in the oven to roast, right on the rack. Seasoned my pork (this time very simply - S&P, garlic and onion powders) and put it into the oven. Then I sat with my feet up for about 30 minutes while I checked my facebook and email accounts. Poured the brussels sprouts onto a small baking sheet and added it to my oven for the last 30 minutes or so. Fiddled around for another half hour, then dinner was ready. Beautiful plates of color and nutrition! Served my sweet potato with a lot of butter and cinnamon, and a little brown Sugar Twin. Everything else was perfect as it was. Served 3 of us for about $7.
Fish dinner: While I really love crunchy coated fried fish, I've never managed to get it right. The coating either slides off or sticks to the pan, and I'm not sure why. (Christmas gift idea - a deep fryer that doesn't have a nonstick coating!) So I usually just season and bake my fish. On Monday it was pollock, which is so easy! I coat both sides with butter/olive oil mixture, very lightly sprinkle some coconut flour and seafood seasoning on top, and that's it. I had a couple of small potatoes (most low carbers don't eat potatoes at all; I eat 1-2 small ones/week) so I cut those into chunks, tossed with olive oil and sea salt, and roasted them at 375. Then I put a couple of Tbsp of butter in a saucepan with a couple cupfuls of frozen chopped spinach, covered, and set it on the "vent burner." After the potatoes had a 20-minute head start I put the fish in the oven and let them get acquainted in there for 25 minutes. When it was time to serve I turned the vent burner on and added a splash of lemon juice to the spinach while I pulled the fish and potatoes out of the oven, poured drinks, and so forth; since the spinach was already thawed and warm it only took a minute and a quick stir before it was good and hot. $4 for the meal for 2 of us.
Steak dinner: As I've mentioned, I buy chuck - it is my favorite cut, and it is cheap. And I buy the roasts, which I slice across into 2 "steaks" when I get home. I have grilled these, broiled them, fried them, you name it, and they act and taste like the chuck steaks that cost more. Anyway...I fried a chopped-up onion in plenty of bacon fat, then moved it to the side and added a "steak" that I had cut into big (about 2 oz.) chunks. Seasoned with sea salt and granulated garlic. I turned them until they were nice and brown on each side, but rare in the middle (how we like it). With a salad on the side, this was a great meal for about $4.50.
Chicken and bacon: I put my chicken thighs and bacon into the oven in separate pans (because I save my bacon fat) and just cook them together. I think chicken and bacon go well together, and with a big heaping side of my saucy green beans it makes a great meal. Plus, the next day we get another meal out of a big plateful of greens or lettuce (this week lettuce because I'd gotten it on sale), piled with leftover chicken and bacon plus a handful of shredded cheese and some chopped veggies - whatever is in the fridge at the time. Lots of food, very filling, about $3 for both plates of salad fixed the way we had them this week.
Saucy green beans: Everybody loves these, but they're so simple! I melt some bacon fat in a saute pan, and add the powdered onion (not granulated, it's fine powder, like flour), and it makes like a roux - maybe 3 Tbsp of bacon fat and 1 tsp of onion powder will do it. Once it thickens I add my frozen whole baby green beans, some sea salt, and some granulated garlic and cover. As soon as the beans are softened, I stir it all together and return the cover to let the beans cook well (but not mushy). The liquid comes out of the beans and mixes with the "roux" and makes a lovely light but tasty sauce. So easy but really REALLY great! And cheap - about a buck for the whole panful which serves 4 - or 2 when my husband and I have them :). Add some bacon and it's a light meal!
Simple Stir-Fry: Only it's not really a stir-fry because I don't make it like the Chinese do, in a hot wok, quickly. But I don't know what else to call it. I use an electric skillet, and fry my meat chunks and chopped onion in fat. Then I throw in a package of frozen stir-fry vegetables and a package of cole slaw mix, season with soy sauce, ginger, and sesame oil, toss it all together, lower the heat, and that's it. Ready to eat in about 10 minutes. Depending on what I have on hand I also have been known to add a can of baby corn, water chestnuts, mushrooms...whatever. Sometimes I chop up shirataki noodles and add those too (at the beginning, with the meat and onion). But it is filling, inexpensive (under $5 for 4 portions - and the 2 or 3 of us usually eat it all), fast, and easy.
Cucumber salad: Did I already write about this? I take 4 cukes, peeled and seeded and cut into bite-sized chunks...4 tomatoes, de-seeded and cut into bite-sized chunks...1 onion (red is pretty, sweet yellow ones are tastiest, sometimes I use both!) sliced into thin slivers...toss with balsamic vinaigrette and a little sea salt. The longer it sits in the fridge the better it tastes - next-day is excellent! We paid 49c each for the big cukes, the tomatoes were from our own plant, and the onion was about 50c ($1.29/lb, less than 1/2#). The balsamic vinaigrette was $1.79 for the bottle, I used 1/4 of the bottle. So the salad, which feeds both of us for several meals/snacks (8 servings?) cost $3 with the free tomatoes. I've taken this to church potluck and gotten rave reviews, and it is colorful and beautiful as well!
This is what we've been eating the last few days. Of course we've also had breakfasts and other things, but we've had some great suppertime meals using the bounty of groceries I purchased on Saturday morning!
Pork dinner: I love pork with something sweet! Saturday I made a very pretty and delicious roast pork rib (country style) dinner that was easy prep and easy cook! Got some brussels sprouts out of the freezer, and tossed them in a bowl with a little olive oil and sea salt. Washed 3 small sweet potatoes and put them in the oven to roast, right on the rack. Seasoned my pork (this time very simply - S&P, garlic and onion powders) and put it into the oven. Then I sat with my feet up for about 30 minutes while I checked my facebook and email accounts. Poured the brussels sprouts onto a small baking sheet and added it to my oven for the last 30 minutes or so. Fiddled around for another half hour, then dinner was ready. Beautiful plates of color and nutrition! Served my sweet potato with a lot of butter and cinnamon, and a little brown Sugar Twin. Everything else was perfect as it was. Served 3 of us for about $7.
Fish dinner: While I really love crunchy coated fried fish, I've never managed to get it right. The coating either slides off or sticks to the pan, and I'm not sure why. (Christmas gift idea - a deep fryer that doesn't have a nonstick coating!) So I usually just season and bake my fish. On Monday it was pollock, which is so easy! I coat both sides with butter/olive oil mixture, very lightly sprinkle some coconut flour and seafood seasoning on top, and that's it. I had a couple of small potatoes (most low carbers don't eat potatoes at all; I eat 1-2 small ones/week) so I cut those into chunks, tossed with olive oil and sea salt, and roasted them at 375. Then I put a couple of Tbsp of butter in a saucepan with a couple cupfuls of frozen chopped spinach, covered, and set it on the "vent burner." After the potatoes had a 20-minute head start I put the fish in the oven and let them get acquainted in there for 25 minutes. When it was time to serve I turned the vent burner on and added a splash of lemon juice to the spinach while I pulled the fish and potatoes out of the oven, poured drinks, and so forth; since the spinach was already thawed and warm it only took a minute and a quick stir before it was good and hot. $4 for the meal for 2 of us.
Steak dinner: As I've mentioned, I buy chuck - it is my favorite cut, and it is cheap. And I buy the roasts, which I slice across into 2 "steaks" when I get home. I have grilled these, broiled them, fried them, you name it, and they act and taste like the chuck steaks that cost more. Anyway...I fried a chopped-up onion in plenty of bacon fat, then moved it to the side and added a "steak" that I had cut into big (about 2 oz.) chunks. Seasoned with sea salt and granulated garlic. I turned them until they were nice and brown on each side, but rare in the middle (how we like it). With a salad on the side, this was a great meal for about $4.50.
Chicken and bacon: I put my chicken thighs and bacon into the oven in separate pans (because I save my bacon fat) and just cook them together. I think chicken and bacon go well together, and with a big heaping side of my saucy green beans it makes a great meal. Plus, the next day we get another meal out of a big plateful of greens or lettuce (this week lettuce because I'd gotten it on sale), piled with leftover chicken and bacon plus a handful of shredded cheese and some chopped veggies - whatever is in the fridge at the time. Lots of food, very filling, about $3 for both plates of salad fixed the way we had them this week.
Saucy green beans: Everybody loves these, but they're so simple! I melt some bacon fat in a saute pan, and add the powdered onion (not granulated, it's fine powder, like flour), and it makes like a roux - maybe 3 Tbsp of bacon fat and 1 tsp of onion powder will do it. Once it thickens I add my frozen whole baby green beans, some sea salt, and some granulated garlic and cover. As soon as the beans are softened, I stir it all together and return the cover to let the beans cook well (but not mushy). The liquid comes out of the beans and mixes with the "roux" and makes a lovely light but tasty sauce. So easy but really REALLY great! And cheap - about a buck for the whole panful which serves 4 - or 2 when my husband and I have them :). Add some bacon and it's a light meal!
Simple Stir-Fry: Only it's not really a stir-fry because I don't make it like the Chinese do, in a hot wok, quickly. But I don't know what else to call it. I use an electric skillet, and fry my meat chunks and chopped onion in fat. Then I throw in a package of frozen stir-fry vegetables and a package of cole slaw mix, season with soy sauce, ginger, and sesame oil, toss it all together, lower the heat, and that's it. Ready to eat in about 10 minutes. Depending on what I have on hand I also have been known to add a can of baby corn, water chestnuts, mushrooms...whatever. Sometimes I chop up shirataki noodles and add those too (at the beginning, with the meat and onion). But it is filling, inexpensive (under $5 for 4 portions - and the 2 or 3 of us usually eat it all), fast, and easy.
Cucumber salad: Did I already write about this? I take 4 cukes, peeled and seeded and cut into bite-sized chunks...4 tomatoes, de-seeded and cut into bite-sized chunks...1 onion (red is pretty, sweet yellow ones are tastiest, sometimes I use both!) sliced into thin slivers...toss with balsamic vinaigrette and a little sea salt. The longer it sits in the fridge the better it tastes - next-day is excellent! We paid 49c each for the big cukes, the tomatoes were from our own plant, and the onion was about 50c ($1.29/lb, less than 1/2#). The balsamic vinaigrette was $1.79 for the bottle, I used 1/4 of the bottle. So the salad, which feeds both of us for several meals/snacks (8 servings?) cost $3 with the free tomatoes. I've taken this to church potluck and gotten rave reviews, and it is colorful and beautiful as well!
This is what we've been eating the last few days. Of course we've also had breakfasts and other things, but we've had some great suppertime meals using the bounty of groceries I purchased on Saturday morning!
Monday, September 12, 2011
Another #LowCarb Shopping Trip - MEAT!
We like to buy our meats at Steve's in Harrison, MI for the most part. It's about 20 miles away but I have found their meats to be far superior to what I can buy for a decent price in Houghton Lake. We have Glen's, who have good meat, but unless it is last-day-marked-down or part of a super-sale, it is just out of our budget. Sav-a-Lot has decent meat. But it's nothing like Steve's. So once a month we drive down to Steve's and stock up for the month. I plan on spending about $100 each time - we are big meat eaters.
This month we did it for just $80 and change. And here is what we got:
3.84# of Pollock
6.55# of chicken thighs
13.38# of pork (steaks, chops, country ribs)
11.87# of chuck roast, which I usually slice across and broil as steaks
We averaged $2.24/lb for our meat. Last year I would have been disappointed in anything over $2/lb but this year, considering many prices have almost doubled since last summer, I consider this excellent!
After rewrapping the meat for the freezer, I ended up with 8 chuck (my favorite cut!) steaks, 9 packages of pork, 5 packages of chicken, and 3 packages of fish. Easily a month's worth, considering we go out for our fish dinners once a week, and sometimes we have dishes that don't involve much meat...
Then I went to Sav-a-Lot to stock up on $70 of other stuff, like dairy, eggs, tuna, and other canned goods. I haven't shopped as much as usual this summer, so we'd use up all of the meats and veggies in our big freezer. I don't have my usual "stock" on hand at the moment (except baking supplies), so we're eating what we're buying. This is a great chance to have a more realistic picture of what we are actually spending each month.
So far this month I have spent $165 on groceries. We will probably need some more dairy and some more produce, and I will place my monthly amazon.com and netrition.com orders...but we'll still be under $300 for the month for food. YAY!
This month we did it for just $80 and change. And here is what we got:
3.84# of Pollock
6.55# of chicken thighs
13.38# of pork (steaks, chops, country ribs)
11.87# of chuck roast, which I usually slice across and broil as steaks
We averaged $2.24/lb for our meat. Last year I would have been disappointed in anything over $2/lb but this year, considering many prices have almost doubled since last summer, I consider this excellent!
After rewrapping the meat for the freezer, I ended up with 8 chuck (my favorite cut!) steaks, 9 packages of pork, 5 packages of chicken, and 3 packages of fish. Easily a month's worth, considering we go out for our fish dinners once a week, and sometimes we have dishes that don't involve much meat...
Then I went to Sav-a-Lot to stock up on $70 of other stuff, like dairy, eggs, tuna, and other canned goods. I haven't shopped as much as usual this summer, so we'd use up all of the meats and veggies in our big freezer. I don't have my usual "stock" on hand at the moment (except baking supplies), so we're eating what we're buying. This is a great chance to have a more realistic picture of what we are actually spending each month.
So far this month I have spent $165 on groceries. We will probably need some more dairy and some more produce, and I will place my monthly amazon.com and netrition.com orders...but we'll still be under $300 for the month for food. YAY!
My Produce Haul - Yes, REALLY This Time! #lowcarb
So I uploaded a photo directly to this blog from my DroidX the other day, thinking that it posted...but I see that it didn't, so here it is again WITH the photo.
Just $15 and change...that's all I paid for ALL THIS yesterday! I also got more fresh produce today...more about today's shopping trip later, but isn't this just BEAUTIFUL??? I bought a lovely eggplant, a butternut squash, a spaghetti squash, 3 small sweet potatoes, 2 heads of iceburg lettuce, a MASSIVE cantaloupe, 4 big cukes, 2 big red onions, and 3 bananas. (only 1 shown - my grandson ate the other two!)
Doesn't it just make a wonderful picture?
Just $15 and change...that's all I paid for ALL THIS yesterday! I also got more fresh produce today...more about today's shopping trip later, but isn't this just BEAUTIFUL??? I bought a lovely eggplant, a butternut squash, a spaghetti squash, 3 small sweet potatoes, 2 heads of iceburg lettuce, a MASSIVE cantaloupe, 4 big cukes, 2 big red onions, and 3 bananas. (only 1 shown - my grandson ate the other two!)
Doesn't it just make a wonderful picture?
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