January is just about over, I don't expect I'll be shopping much more this month...actually I don't need anything, so I know I won't. At the end of this post will be the total I've spent on groceries for the month. If you know people who use the excuse that low carb eating is too expensive, send them here. I feed my husband and I, plus my almost-3YO grandson who is here 4-5 days/wk, and my mom on Sundays. My husband eats 4 full meals in every 24-hour period, plus snacks. I eat regular meals and a couple of mini-meals.
This week our car wasn't working so I asked my daughter to bring me 2 dozen eggs. They were "about 4 bucks" (!) but she said I didn't have to pay for them. But I thought I'd mention it, that I got 2 dozen eggs this week, even if I didn't have to pay for them.
Today I was near Falmouth, MI. In Falmouth is a wonderful store called Ebel's. If you are ever anywhere near Falmouth, this store alone is worth the side trip. This store will bag up a bunch of frozen meats and sell the bagful at a discount. As an example, they put a half dozen packages of boneless skinless chicken breast fillets in a bag to make 10# +/-, freeze it, and sell it for $1.29/lb. Today I bought 9.25# of chicken thighs (our favorite part) for 69c/lb, or $6.38. I bought 9 packages of lunch meat bagged up and frozen (I freeze my lunch meat anyway if I buy a bunch on sale) for $3.00. And a single package of 3 turkey wings for $2.08, for a total of $11.46 at Ebel's.
Then I went back to Merchandise Mart for more unsweetened organic shredded coconut @ $1.29/pkg, and got 3 more packages. They also have organic coconut flour there now for $1.99/pkg (1#) so I got 2 of those. And a liter of coconut water (full of electrolytes!) for 50c and a 2 qt. bottle of juice (mainly plum, also others, plus filtered water and sucralose, no HFCS) for my grandson for $1.59. Total spent at MM $7.94.
Finally I had to go to Walmart, and because I still had some $ left in the grocery budget for the month I went a little crazy, spending $39.06. But for that I got 2# of shredded cheese - can't beLIEVE the cost of cheese now!, (3) half-gallons of half'n'half, 2 frozen pizzas, a jar of natural peanut butter, a big carton of cottage cheese, a pint of chocolate milk (hubby grabbed that one as we walked past it!), a 24-count bottled drinking water, and 2 bottles of low-carb ketchup (Heinz calls it "reduced sugar").
Total for today was $58.46. Add that to my previous total for groceries this month, and we're under $240 for the month, or $60 a week.
This is just one month, I will continue to keep track but I defy anyone to tell me that low carb eating is too expensive.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
One of my Favorite #Lowcarb Suppers. EVER!
I'd originally planned broiled steak with fried onions, a favorite of ours anyway. I started the onions, chopping 2 of them into chunks, frying/stirring them until brown over high heat, in butter and olive oil with some sea salt, then reducing the heat to low, adding garlic powder, and covering them to continue cooking until they got soft.
When they were almost done I started the steaks broiling, seasoned only with some seasoned salt.
Then I spied a can of diced tomatoes on the shelf. After draining them, I put them in a small saucepan with butter over medium heat, added 2 drops of EZSweetz (liquid sucralose), and then on a whim decided to mix in a couple shakes of balsamic vinegar.
Oh. My. GOODNESS!
With a spoonful of the buttery onions and a spoonful - ok, 2 spoonsful - of the sweet/tart tomatoes over my steak, I created the closest thing to heaven on earth, at least in a culinary sense. AMAZING! The flavors came together so beautifully that my mouth is watering again just thinking of it 90 minutes later!
I will eat this every day. OK, maybe not. But I will want to!
Definitely easy, and I'd say for as great as it was, it was also pretty cheap! I got 25 NY strips for $49.something, or @2.00 each. The can of tomatoes was 63c, the onions were $2.99 for a bag of 10, or 30c each. Plus a couple Tbsp of butter, sprinkle of olive oil, a little balsamic, some seasonings...Easily under $3 per serving. And we each got a whole plateful of food, definitely didn't leave the table hungry!
Can't wait to fix this meal again!
When they were almost done I started the steaks broiling, seasoned only with some seasoned salt.
Then I spied a can of diced tomatoes on the shelf. After draining them, I put them in a small saucepan with butter over medium heat, added 2 drops of EZSweetz (liquid sucralose), and then on a whim decided to mix in a couple shakes of balsamic vinegar.
Oh. My. GOODNESS!
With a spoonful of the buttery onions and a spoonful - ok, 2 spoonsful - of the sweet/tart tomatoes over my steak, I created the closest thing to heaven on earth, at least in a culinary sense. AMAZING! The flavors came together so beautifully that my mouth is watering again just thinking of it 90 minutes later!
I will eat this every day. OK, maybe not. But I will want to!
Definitely easy, and I'd say for as great as it was, it was also pretty cheap! I got 25 NY strips for $49.something, or @2.00 each. The can of tomatoes was 63c, the onions were $2.99 for a bag of 10, or 30c each. Plus a couple Tbsp of butter, sprinkle of olive oil, a little balsamic, some seasonings...Easily under $3 per serving. And we each got a whole plateful of food, definitely didn't leave the table hungry!
Can't wait to fix this meal again!
Monday, January 23, 2012
More #Lowcarb Shopping!
In the last few days I've picked up a couple of things, and just want to mention them here since I'm trying to be complete in my reporting of what I buy and how much I spend:
Sav-a-Lot:
2.29# boneless chuck steaks (2) @ $3.71/lb = $8.39 (on special)*
4.01# chicken legs @ $0.69/lb = $2.77 (on special)
*I typically don't pay over $3/# for beef but I desperately wanted steak, and it was cheaper than going to a restaurant for a steak dinner.
Walmart:
(2) half-gallons Half'n'Half @ $3.58 ea = $7.16
Steve's (my favorite meat market):
16.6# NY Strip steak @ $2.99/lb = $49.63 (cut free into about 20 3/4"-thick steaks)
4.98# bacon @ $2.19/lb = $10.91
TOTAL = $68.53
TOTAL spent so far in January = approx. $182.00
(January is 75% over, and I've spent less than $200 so far - way less - for 2 adults with big appetites and an almost-3YO boy who eats about half his meals with us. Yes, low carb CAN be Cheap'n'Easy!)
Sav-a-Lot:
2.29# boneless chuck steaks (2) @ $3.71/lb = $8.39 (on special)*
4.01# chicken legs @ $0.69/lb = $2.77 (on special)
*I typically don't pay over $3/# for beef but I desperately wanted steak, and it was cheaper than going to a restaurant for a steak dinner.
Walmart:
(2) half-gallons Half'n'Half @ $3.58 ea = $7.16
Steve's (my favorite meat market):
16.6# NY Strip steak @ $2.99/lb = $49.63 (cut free into about 20 3/4"-thick steaks)
4.98# bacon @ $2.19/lb = $10.91
TOTAL = $68.53
TOTAL spent so far in January = approx. $182.00
(January is 75% over, and I've spent less than $200 so far - way less - for 2 adults with big appetites and an almost-3YO boy who eats about half his meals with us. Yes, low carb CAN be Cheap'n'Easy!)
Saturday, January 14, 2012
A #Lowcarb Shopping Trip
Stop me if I've already told you this...but we get down to Saginaw every so often (at least once a month lately), and there is an Aldi's there. Well, 2 of them, but we drive right past one of them...anyway, as a rule their dairy, some of their frozen foods, and snack foods (for hubby and grandson), canned goods, coffee, spices are cheaper than I can get here in Houghton Lake. So I've started doing more shopping there and less here.
Yesterday I spent $50.06. Here is the breakdown:
(2) 1# butter @ $2.29 ea.
(2) 15 oz. ricotta @ $1.69 ea.
(1) qt. Mayonaisse @ 2.19
(1) 1# ground premium sausage @ $2.69
(4) qt. Half'n'half @ $1.79 ea.
(1) 11.3 oz can decaf coffee @ $2.79
(2) 16 oz. shredded cheese @ $2.99 ea
(1) 16 oz. sour cream @ $1.29
(2) cans chicken broth @ $0.59 ea.
(2) cans tomato sauce @ $0.29 ea.
(1) 16 slice American cheese @ $1.99
(1) 16 slice Swiss cheese @ $0.99
(4) frozen pizzas @ $1.99 ea.
The rest is the snack foods, such as oyster crackers and peanut butter/cheese cracker sandwiches that my grandson loves, and some "veggie chips" for my husband.
Then we went to GFS, as I needed some big bags of vegetables for a dish I needed to prepare for a large group after a memorial service today. I spent $14.00, used about $6.00 worth for the dish, and got extra for our own use.
Today I stopped in at Merchandise Mart and found Bob's Red Mill low carb bread mix for $1.99. Each package makes a 2# loaf, and will probably cost nearly $3 per loaf after adding in the cream, egg, etc., but it's better than buying "light" bread for $2.99 and not knowing what most of the ingredients are. (I don't know when I'll have enough $ for a netrition order to get more flours for making my own Lovely Loaf.) They also had a variety of "whole grain" chips for $0.25 per bag - big bags, not single servings - that will give me something to put in baggies in hubby's lunches at night. The other bargain was unsweetened organic coconut for $1.29; I bought 2 packages but it's such a great deal that I will probably go back tomorrow and get the rest. (We bought suet cakes for the feeder, a 2012 planner, and some other non-edible stuff as well.) Value of the food items about $13.60.
Total spent is around $72.00 for food this week; added to roughly $41 last week, and we're at $113 so far this month. Still need to buy meats...but no rush, we probably have enough to last another week or 2...
Yesterday I spent $50.06. Here is the breakdown:
(2) 1# butter @ $2.29 ea.
(2) 15 oz. ricotta @ $1.69 ea.
(1) qt. Mayonaisse @ 2.19
(1) 1# ground premium sausage @ $2.69
(4) qt. Half'n'half @ $1.79 ea.
(1) 11.3 oz can decaf coffee @ $2.79
(2) 16 oz. shredded cheese @ $2.99 ea
(1) 16 oz. sour cream @ $1.29
(2) cans chicken broth @ $0.59 ea.
(2) cans tomato sauce @ $0.29 ea.
(1) 16 slice American cheese @ $1.99
(1) 16 slice Swiss cheese @ $0.99
(4) frozen pizzas @ $1.99 ea.
The rest is the snack foods, such as oyster crackers and peanut butter/cheese cracker sandwiches that my grandson loves, and some "veggie chips" for my husband.
Then we went to GFS, as I needed some big bags of vegetables for a dish I needed to prepare for a large group after a memorial service today. I spent $14.00, used about $6.00 worth for the dish, and got extra for our own use.
Today I stopped in at Merchandise Mart and found Bob's Red Mill low carb bread mix for $1.99. Each package makes a 2# loaf, and will probably cost nearly $3 per loaf after adding in the cream, egg, etc., but it's better than buying "light" bread for $2.99 and not knowing what most of the ingredients are. (I don't know when I'll have enough $ for a netrition order to get more flours for making my own Lovely Loaf.) They also had a variety of "whole grain" chips for $0.25 per bag - big bags, not single servings - that will give me something to put in baggies in hubby's lunches at night. The other bargain was unsweetened organic coconut for $1.29; I bought 2 packages but it's such a great deal that I will probably go back tomorrow and get the rest. (We bought suet cakes for the feeder, a 2012 planner, and some other non-edible stuff as well.) Value of the food items about $13.60.
Total spent is around $72.00 for food this week; added to roughly $41 last week, and we're at $113 so far this month. Still need to buy meats...but no rush, we probably have enough to last another week or 2...
Friday, January 6, 2012
#Lowcarb Philosophy - My Own
There is low carb, and there is low carb. There are those that eat only organic and grass-fed and reject every sugar, starch, and sweet food (no matter what the sweetener used) out there. Then there are those who follow the most liberal of low carb plans which allow a couple of carb servings a day but limit total carb intake to 100g. And we're somewhere in-between. We can't afford to go organic/free-range/grass-fed, and I would gain weight if I were to follow the more liberal plans - which is more like what my husband likes to follow.
Since my surgery a lot has changed with my digestive processes and how my body handles food. During my long recovery I ate small amounts of carbier foods (applesauce, mashed potatoes, for example). And since that time I have never gone back to a strict starch-free diet although I don't eat sugars at all. I am limiting my intake of grains - even low carb grain-based foods, though. But baked potatoes are one thing that I haven't given back up, and probably won't. They don't seem to affect me in any way.
Back to grains though...I feel a need to really limit myself more in this department, especially wheat. I use CarbQuik, carbolose, vital wheat gluten, Wheat Protein Isolate 5000, and (rarely) wheat bran in my baking. It seems to be fine for my husband who has no issues with any of it, and for my 32MO grandson who eats white bread and buns and fast food when he's not with us, so at least that's an improvement for him when he's here... But though I can't put my finger on it, I just have a sense that I need to limit my intake of wheat specifically, and possibly all grains - even my oat fiber and flax meal. I will continue to bake as I have for my family, but think I need to do more to provide substitutes for myself so that I won't have to resort to eating what I've made for them, if I just want a piece of toast or something. And, I'm happy enough with my couple of potatoes a week that I don't feel as much of a need for bread-y foods anyway. So that's something I'm working on now.
Prepared foods is another issue I'm thinking about more. I'm not a fan. I like to fix everything - EVERYTHING - from scratch. In an ideal world this is how I would be. In my reality, however, I'm not stressing over a couple of frozen pizzas every month (which my husband loves!), or whatever. Whatever processed foods I buy are SO minimal, that's the only example I can think of! Oh yeah, spaghetti sauce. A single jar of which lasts us a couple of weeks. Looking back on this paragraph, I realize I'd be obsessing if I concerned myself with that, so I can release my concerns that I'm harming my family now - yay! (Sometimes it's good just to write things out...see them in black and white, and they make sense!)
As you can see, I'm pretty far from either end of the spectrum. I have my feet firmly planted in my own reality, the reality that includes strict budgets, unexpected car repairs, illnesses, a finicky 32MO boy who is here for most meals, and - especially since a major, life-changing, serious surgery 13 months ago - the realization that eating part of a frozen pizza will probably not shorten my life or impact my health in any major way. So I eat my 20-30gN of carbs - keeping my fat content high, consisting of meats and lots of vegetables, some dairy, maybe some seeds or nuts as snacks - nearly every day. And I go up to maybe 50gN, or even 75gN one day a week (or less). It's been working well for me all through the holiday season, I've even lost 7# in the last couple of months! :)
Not sure if my philosophy of low carb is evolving or what, but so far so good! Meanwhile, if you know of a REAL pizza crust, that tastes and has the mouth feel of a REAL pizza crust but is low carb, maybe I lied just a little when I said I'd stop obsessing about prepared foods... :)
Since my surgery a lot has changed with my digestive processes and how my body handles food. During my long recovery I ate small amounts of carbier foods (applesauce, mashed potatoes, for example). And since that time I have never gone back to a strict starch-free diet although I don't eat sugars at all. I am limiting my intake of grains - even low carb grain-based foods, though. But baked potatoes are one thing that I haven't given back up, and probably won't. They don't seem to affect me in any way.
Back to grains though...I feel a need to really limit myself more in this department, especially wheat. I use CarbQuik, carbolose, vital wheat gluten, Wheat Protein Isolate 5000, and (rarely) wheat bran in my baking. It seems to be fine for my husband who has no issues with any of it, and for my 32MO grandson who eats white bread and buns and fast food when he's not with us, so at least that's an improvement for him when he's here... But though I can't put my finger on it, I just have a sense that I need to limit my intake of wheat specifically, and possibly all grains - even my oat fiber and flax meal. I will continue to bake as I have for my family, but think I need to do more to provide substitutes for myself so that I won't have to resort to eating what I've made for them, if I just want a piece of toast or something. And, I'm happy enough with my couple of potatoes a week that I don't feel as much of a need for bread-y foods anyway. So that's something I'm working on now.
Prepared foods is another issue I'm thinking about more. I'm not a fan. I like to fix everything - EVERYTHING - from scratch. In an ideal world this is how I would be. In my reality, however, I'm not stressing over a couple of frozen pizzas every month (which my husband loves!), or whatever. Whatever processed foods I buy are SO minimal, that's the only example I can think of! Oh yeah, spaghetti sauce. A single jar of which lasts us a couple of weeks. Looking back on this paragraph, I realize I'd be obsessing if I concerned myself with that, so I can release my concerns that I'm harming my family now - yay! (Sometimes it's good just to write things out...see them in black and white, and they make sense!)
As you can see, I'm pretty far from either end of the spectrum. I have my feet firmly planted in my own reality, the reality that includes strict budgets, unexpected car repairs, illnesses, a finicky 32MO boy who is here for most meals, and - especially since a major, life-changing, serious surgery 13 months ago - the realization that eating part of a frozen pizza will probably not shorten my life or impact my health in any major way. So I eat my 20-30gN of carbs - keeping my fat content high, consisting of meats and lots of vegetables, some dairy, maybe some seeds or nuts as snacks - nearly every day. And I go up to maybe 50gN, or even 75gN one day a week (or less). It's been working well for me all through the holiday season, I've even lost 7# in the last couple of months! :)
Not sure if my philosophy of low carb is evolving or what, but so far so good! Meanwhile, if you know of a REAL pizza crust, that tastes and has the mouth feel of a REAL pizza crust but is low carb, maybe I lied just a little when I said I'd stop obsessing about prepared foods... :)
Another Month of #Lowcarb Grocery Costs! Jan. 2012 week #1
Today was the first time I bought any food for this month, so I figured I may as well make this another month of food budget "reporting".
Walmart:
18 eggs - $1.75
Juice (for grandson) - $2.88
Drink Mix (their brand of Crystal Light, makes 6 half-gallon pitchers - $1.98
(2) half gallons half'n'half @ $3.58 each - $7.16
quart heavy whipping cream - $3.78
SUBTOTAL - $17.55
Sav-a-Lot:
2.3# chuck roast - $7.57
(2) frozen pizzas @ $2.49 = $4.98
24 pack of water bottles - $2.99
loaf of "light" bread - $2.50
(2) cans diced tomatoes @ $0.63 - $1.26
20 oz. turkey "ends & pieces" - $1.69
5# russet potatoes - $2.29
SUBTOTAL - $23.28
TOTAL for the week: $40.83
A couple of comments:
1 - This is the first time I've bought bread in MONTHS. Don't even remember the last time. I'm sick, and have been for nearly a week, and not up to making bread right now; plus I desperately need to put in a netrition.com order so I can be making loaves again, but with car problems right now every extra penny is going to resolve that. At this point, buying a loaf of boughten bread (7gN/slice) is the least of my concerns. (I don't eat this at all, by the way.)
2 - We buy these frozen pizzas regularly. They are about 100gN per pizza. My husband isn't trying to lose weight, and that is his maximum carb allowance for the day; he eats a whole one, I can eat part of one. I'm kind of tired of messing around with low carb pizza crusts, too, and they'll never taste like the real thing even though some are ok. So without apology we eat these a couple of times a month.
I have some food in my freezer now, a few 1# packages of ground chuck, some bacon, some chicken leg quarters, a pork roast that will be good for several meals, some pork chops, some fish, and lots of vegetables that I've been picking up on sale here and there. We have our big freezer in the garage unplugged, and are keeping only what will fit here in the house now, as another savings measure. (Without the freezer or the big energy hog TV we used to watch last year, we're hoping to see some savings this winter.) So I'm not starting off from bare bones, except in the baking goods department. But I make do, even though I don't have everything I need to make everything I want, I can pretty much figure out a way of creating most things until I can get a netrition.com order in.
Next week my husband has an appointment in a city where there is an Aldi's. They are less expensive on many things than Sav-a-Lot, so I will do some minor stocking up and that will be my shopping for week #2 this month...unless I see a great sale on meat that I can't pass up of course :).
Walmart:
18 eggs - $1.75
Juice (for grandson) - $2.88
Drink Mix (their brand of Crystal Light, makes 6 half-gallon pitchers - $1.98
(2) half gallons half'n'half @ $3.58 each - $7.16
quart heavy whipping cream - $3.78
SUBTOTAL - $17.55
Sav-a-Lot:
2.3# chuck roast - $7.57
(2) frozen pizzas @ $2.49 = $4.98
24 pack of water bottles - $2.99
loaf of "light" bread - $2.50
(2) cans diced tomatoes @ $0.63 - $1.26
20 oz. turkey "ends & pieces" - $1.69
5# russet potatoes - $2.29
SUBTOTAL - $23.28
TOTAL for the week: $40.83
A couple of comments:
1 - This is the first time I've bought bread in MONTHS. Don't even remember the last time. I'm sick, and have been for nearly a week, and not up to making bread right now; plus I desperately need to put in a netrition.com order so I can be making loaves again, but with car problems right now every extra penny is going to resolve that. At this point, buying a loaf of boughten bread (7gN/slice) is the least of my concerns. (I don't eat this at all, by the way.)
2 - We buy these frozen pizzas regularly. They are about 100gN per pizza. My husband isn't trying to lose weight, and that is his maximum carb allowance for the day; he eats a whole one, I can eat part of one. I'm kind of tired of messing around with low carb pizza crusts, too, and they'll never taste like the real thing even though some are ok. So without apology we eat these a couple of times a month.
I have some food in my freezer now, a few 1# packages of ground chuck, some bacon, some chicken leg quarters, a pork roast that will be good for several meals, some pork chops, some fish, and lots of vegetables that I've been picking up on sale here and there. We have our big freezer in the garage unplugged, and are keeping only what will fit here in the house now, as another savings measure. (Without the freezer or the big energy hog TV we used to watch last year, we're hoping to see some savings this winter.) So I'm not starting off from bare bones, except in the baking goods department. But I make do, even though I don't have everything I need to make everything I want, I can pretty much figure out a way of creating most things until I can get a netrition.com order in.
Next week my husband has an appointment in a city where there is an Aldi's. They are less expensive on many things than Sav-a-Lot, so I will do some minor stocking up and that will be my shopping for week #2 this month...unless I see a great sale on meat that I can't pass up of course :).
Monday, January 2, 2012
Chocolate Chip Cookies #lowcarb #recipe
Oh yeah, these are great! Nutty and chocolate-y...bad me, though, I didn't measure anything as I was going along, so these measurements are approximate but pretty close! If your dough seems too thin, add more flours; if it's getting too thick as you add your flours, skimp a little.
1/4c softened butter
1/4c softened coconut oil
1/2c granulated splenda
1/4c granulated brown sugar sub
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
dash salt
2-1/2c flours*
1/2c chocolate chips**
* I used 1/2c oat fiber, 1/2c polydextrose, 1/2c coconut flour, 1/2c pecan flour, & 1/2c walnut flour; you could almost certainly use the low carb flours of your choice; I was going for a nutty flavor so I didn't use almond flour which is very mild.
** the package claimed 7gN of carbs per 20 chocolate chips; I used 80, which was just shy of a half-cup.
Followed the usual cookie-making procedures: creaming butter/sugar, adding vanilla, then the next 3 ingredients, then the flours, and finally the chocolate chips.
Baked at 350 until they were done (according to my nose).
These aren't heavy (because I used so much baking powder/soda no doubt); I could have omitted the dash salt because I used salted butter and of course the baking soda is salty, but I like the combination of salty/sweet flavors in my mouth and wanted to make sure I tasted that salty flavor.
I got 43 cookies. I didn't do the math, and always recommend people do their own carb counts rather than depend on anyone else's numbers anyway. I know for the chocolate chips alone are about 1.5 per cookie, so I'm guessing around 2gN per, or slightly more...but do your own math :).
1/4c softened butter
1/4c softened coconut oil
1/2c granulated splenda
1/4c granulated brown sugar sub
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
dash salt
2-1/2c flours*
1/2c chocolate chips**
* I used 1/2c oat fiber, 1/2c polydextrose, 1/2c coconut flour, 1/2c pecan flour, & 1/2c walnut flour; you could almost certainly use the low carb flours of your choice; I was going for a nutty flavor so I didn't use almond flour which is very mild.
** the package claimed 7gN of carbs per 20 chocolate chips; I used 80, which was just shy of a half-cup.
Followed the usual cookie-making procedures: creaming butter/sugar, adding vanilla, then the next 3 ingredients, then the flours, and finally the chocolate chips.
Baked at 350 until they were done (according to my nose).
These aren't heavy (because I used so much baking powder/soda no doubt); I could have omitted the dash salt because I used salted butter and of course the baking soda is salty, but I like the combination of salty/sweet flavors in my mouth and wanted to make sure I tasted that salty flavor.
I got 43 cookies. I didn't do the math, and always recommend people do their own carb counts rather than depend on anyone else's numbers anyway. I know for the chocolate chips alone are about 1.5 per cookie, so I'm guessing around 2gN per, or slightly more...but do your own math :).
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
#Lowcarb Squash #Recipe - Another way!
The other day I wrote about making squash pancakes that were more savory, then yesterday I made them differently and LOVED them! Can't wait to have more.
I used the other half of the squash, and added about 1/4c almond flour and 2T coconut flour, plus an egg, a Tbsl of brown sugar sub, 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, a Tbsp of sour cream, 1/s tsp each of baking soda and baking powder. These were pretty delicate and fell apart more easily than the ones with 2 eggs but they were totally delicious just with butter!
I used the other half of the squash, and added about 1/4c almond flour and 2T coconut flour, plus an egg, a Tbsl of brown sugar sub, 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, a Tbsp of sour cream, 1/s tsp each of baking soda and baking powder. These were pretty delicate and fell apart more easily than the ones with 2 eggs but they were totally delicious just with butter!
In A Cheesy Kinda Mood... #lowcarb #recipe
Yesterday I had some leftover ground pork rinds I wanted to use up. I tossed them with an equal part of parmesan out of the green can and 2 parts of grated cheese - colby-jack because that's what I had in the house. (So 1 part ground porkies, 1 part parm., 2 parts colby-jack.) I sprayed my muffin top pan and pressed the mixture into each of the 6 wells. After about 12 minutes in a 325* oven - just until fully melted together and just barely starting to brown around the edges - I pulled them out and let them cool, then removed them from the pan.
My 31MO grandson and I both liked them plain, and today I had one with a little spicy mustard and a slice of ham on top - DELICIOUS! Easy. Cheesy. And did I mention DELICIOUS?? They'd be great with tuna salad, chicken salad, egg salad, or whatever on them too. Really good!
My 31MO grandson and I both liked them plain, and today I had one with a little spicy mustard and a slice of ham on top - DELICIOUS! Easy. Cheesy. And did I mention DELICIOUS?? They'd be great with tuna salad, chicken salad, egg salad, or whatever on them too. Really good!
Friday, December 23, 2011
#LowCarb Sweetening
Is it me, or is the term "artificial sweetener" really misleading? I watch a LOT of cooking videos, especially lowcarb or diabetic, and that term is used frequently, to mean "sugar substitute". Not only are many people turned off by eating "artificial" anything, but many sugar subs aren't artificial at all. Natural sweeteners like xylitol or stevia aren't artificial at all, but are referred to as if they were, and that does them an injustice - as well as the whole lowcarb community. Many, if not most, of us eat mainly whole foods, and don't eat much artificial anything, but those who think we do have another excuse to bash our healthy lifestyle.
Please folks, get it right!
Just sayin'... :)
Please folks, get it right!
Just sayin'... :)
Thursday, December 22, 2011
#Lowcarb Squash #Recipe - PANCAKES! + a Tip :)
Free for nuthin', here's a tip: If you want something to rise and you add baking powder, you're off to a good start. But if you want to make that baking powder do it's very best for you, you need to give it an acid: some yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk, kefir... It is something that doesn't seem to be too common in the lowcarb recipes I read, and I see large amounts of baking powder used in baking to try and get a good rise...it's not really necessary to use so much though, if you just add a spoonful of something acidic to give the baking powder some oomph.
Just wanted to mention that while I'm thinking of it...
Anyway, I had a half a dumpling squash left over. I scooped it out into a mixing bowl and mixed it with 2 eggs and about a half-cup of parmesan cheese, about 1/2t of baking powder and about 2t of sour cream, plus S&P, then mixed well with a stick blender, and cooked on my griddle - oiled with coconut oil - like pancakes. Served 'em with butter on top and sausage patties on the side. DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!
I still have the other half left, and for breakfast tomorrow morning I'm going to try it with a nut flour instead of the parmesan cheese, and cinnamon with a touch - just a touch, since it's already fairly sweet - of brown sugar sub. Served with some bacon on the side. I imagine it will be even MORE amazing that what I made this morning, the sweetness of the squash cakes with the saltiness of the bacon...I'm getting all giddy just thinking about it!
Winter squash is cheap, maybe too carby for some, and not induction-friendly if you're doing Atkins (in this recipe the squash is probably only half of the batter in quantity), but very nutritious. I imagine with all the nutrients of the squash, together with "nature's perfect food" the eggs, and when I use nutrient-rich nut flour also, it will be a nutritional powerhouse to start our day!
Just wanted to mention that while I'm thinking of it...
Anyway, I had a half a dumpling squash left over. I scooped it out into a mixing bowl and mixed it with 2 eggs and about a half-cup of parmesan cheese, about 1/2t of baking powder and about 2t of sour cream, plus S&P, then mixed well with a stick blender, and cooked on my griddle - oiled with coconut oil - like pancakes. Served 'em with butter on top and sausage patties on the side. DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!
I still have the other half left, and for breakfast tomorrow morning I'm going to try it with a nut flour instead of the parmesan cheese, and cinnamon with a touch - just a touch, since it's already fairly sweet - of brown sugar sub. Served with some bacon on the side. I imagine it will be even MORE amazing that what I made this morning, the sweetness of the squash cakes with the saltiness of the bacon...I'm getting all giddy just thinking about it!
Winter squash is cheap, maybe too carby for some, and not induction-friendly if you're doing Atkins (in this recipe the squash is probably only half of the batter in quantity), but very nutritious. I imagine with all the nutrients of the squash, together with "nature's perfect food" the eggs, and when I use nutrient-rich nut flour also, it will be a nutritional powerhouse to start our day!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Golly, THAT was a strange #lowcarb lunch!
But it was really good :).
I have really been craving fat lately, and it doesn't get a whole lot fattier than this:
I hard-boiled some eggs, and mixed up some tuna with loads of full-fat mayo. (Can you even BUY tuna in oil anymore? I haven't seen it in ages!) Then I chopped the eggs in with the tuna, and tossed it with a bunch of finely-chopped lettuce that I had to use up before it started to go bad. And I spooned it onto pork rinds. It was surprisingly wonderful - go figure eh?
I have really been craving fat lately, and it doesn't get a whole lot fattier than this:
I hard-boiled some eggs, and mixed up some tuna with loads of full-fat mayo. (Can you even BUY tuna in oil anymore? I haven't seen it in ages!) Then I chopped the eggs in with the tuna, and tossed it with a bunch of finely-chopped lettuce that I had to use up before it started to go bad. And I spooned it onto pork rinds. It was surprisingly wonderful - go figure eh?
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