Chicken Enchilada Quiche (crustless & low carb)

I haven't actually made this recipe but I want to.  I'm not sure where I found it either so I can't give credit where credit is due at the moment.  Forgive me.  Just know that it isn't my recipe and I haven't made it yet.  

Chicken Enchilada Quiche

4 eggs
1 cup milk (half & half or heavy cream will work also)
1 cup salsa (make sure there's no added sugar!)
1 can (4.5 oz) green chilies
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 can chicken breast in water, drained (or fresh cooked & shredded chicken breasts would be a better option)
pepper, to taste
sour cream, salsa and guacamole as optional toppings

Directions

Preheat oven to 350* F.
Use a deep dish glass pie pan if possible and grease it.
Whisk milk and eggs together until blended.  Add remaining ingredients to the egg mixture and stir well until fully combined.
Pour into pie pan and sprinkle with pepper (or more cheese!) if so desired.
Bake for 55-65 minutes (it's recommended that you put a cookie sheet under the pie pan as original post mentioned they've had this quiche spill over a few times in the oven).
Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.
Add optional toppings if desired.

Once I've made this, I'll be sure to re-post with pictures!!

Chai Almond Cookies (low carb)

If you've tried my Almond Bun / Bread / Base recipe, then this is a sweetened up rendition of that.  

I love Chai spices.  I don't care what form the spices come in...  tea, coffee, sweets, and whatever else they may be in that I've yet to try.  I'll drink it or eat it (to be honest, that pretty much goes for anything!!)  This 'cookie' recipe has more of a texture like cake kind of, so they'd make really good Whoopie Pies, I just haven't tried them that way yet.  I have to figure out a good filling (maybe my Cream Cheese Frosting recipe!!)  Anyway, here's the recipe I came up with...

Chai Almond Cookies

3/4 cup Almond Flour 2 Large Eggs 
5 Tbsp Unsalted Butter (softened works best, in my opinion)
5 tsp Splenda
1.5 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Vanilla Extract (or more if desired)
1 Tbsp Cinnamon (powdered)
1 Tbsp Ginger (powdered) 
2 tsp Cardamom (powdered) - I didn't have this so I didn't use it but the Chai recipes call for it
2 tsp Cloves (powdered)
1/2 tsp Nutmeg (powdered)
1/2 tsp Allspice (powdered)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350* F.
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl
Mix in the eggs
Add the softened butter to the mixture
Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet
Use a spatula to pour out the batter / dough onto the parchment paper into small piles at regular intervals on the cookie sheet (like you would regular cookies).  I think I got about 8 cookies but they were quite large in size.  Keep in mind that they will flatten and spread out some, so you don't want to have them too close together.  However, I also kind of twirled each cookie on the paper to make it a little more round, just to be safe.
Bake for 12-20 minutes (my oven requires about 20 minutes.  I bake it for ten minutes and then rotate the cookie sheet 180 degrees to try to get a more even bake, just to be safe).  They cool very quickly, so you don't have to wait long to eat them.

Chai (Almond Flour) Cookies

I'm sorry that I don't have all the cookies on the plate but we scarfed most of them up right away. 

Almond Buns / Bread / Base Recipe (low carb & actually easy!)

On a low carb diet, you don't get to enjoy bread like you may have once done.  I know I miss it.  I came across this recipe for Almond Buns and messed around with it some and I like what has happened.  The basic recipe has stayed the same, I've just added ingredients from time-to-time and baked it differently.   I've also begun making my own almond flour to try to save a little money.  I've read you can save a lot by doing it yourself but I can't seem to find really cheap almonds so I don't think it's saving me all that much...  it's just hard to find almond flour nearby (I have to order it online).  This recipe calls for 3/4 cup of Almond Flour and I've found that if I take 3/4 cup of whole almonds and grind it up in my Magic Bullet with the low-lying flatter blade, it usually comes out to about 3/4 cup almond flour (not packed!)
(note: supposedly it's easy to make almond butter if you grind too long but I haven't had a problem yet.  I have had to shake my Magic Bullet to get some of the almonds to actually get chopped up completely and even then, they don't always get totally ground.  It's recommended that you use a flour-sifter to get the chunkier bits of almonds out but I don't have one so I kind of just pick them out with a fork.)

Anyway, here is the bread recipe...

Almond Bun / Bread

3/4 cup Almond Flour 
2 Large Eggs (I've used whole eggs and All Whites / Egg Whites)
5 Tbsp Unsalted Butter (softened works best, in my opinion)
1.5 tsp Splenda (optional)
1.5 tsp Baking Powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350* F.
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl
Mix in the eggs
Add the softened butter to the mixture
Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet
Use a spatula to pour out the batter / dough onto the parchment paper and then spread it evenly.  I try to place it near the center with a few inches of empty parchment paper on all four sides to ensure a more even bake.
Bake for 12-20 minutes (my oven requires about 20 minutes.  I bake it for ten minutes and then rotate the cookie sheet 180 degrees to try to get a more even bake, just to be safe).
Once the 'bread' is baked, take it out of the oven and within a minute or so (it cools fast), you can cut it into 6-8 'slices' (about the size of regular bread).  Like this...

After baking & before cutting

Almond Flour Bread after cutting to size

You can store the 'bread' for about 4-5 days (depending on humidity where you live) outside of the refrigerator (in a ziplock bag) but it does seem to mold much faster so watch for that to happen.  That's why it's best to do it in the small amounts called for in this recipe.

This is my "go-to" faux bread recipe because it's fast and easy!  It provides a nice base to mess around with too.  Instead of Splenda, I've added 3 tsp Parmesan Cheese for a more 'savory' flavor.  I've also added more Splenda, Vanilla Extract and Cocoa Powder (unsweetened) to make a chocolatey sweet snack.  Recently I made a Chai Cookie with this base recipe and they were really good.  I'll be sure to post the recipe for those soon.  Let me know if you do anything different.  It's fun to experiment with it!!  Enjoy!!

Remove Marker from Wood! - I did a Pin!

I saw this pin on Pinterest about how to remove permanent marker from wood.  I've had this dresser forever (since I was a little girl) and as long as I can remember, it has had some red marks on it.  (see below)

The dresser is small and nothing spectacular but the red marks have driven me a little insane for awhile now.  There was another one but I tried the pin before taking photos of it, so I don't have both marks to show.  Anyway, I tried the above pin and it worked pretty well!!  Here's what I used....

Rubbing Alcohol 91% (I don't think the percentage really matters)
and...
a cheap 2-in-1 Magic Eraser sponge from The Dollar Tree

I saturated a corner of the white side of the sponge with rubbing alcohol and just rubbed the red marker and within a short while (less than 30 seconds), the marker was pretty much gone!!

After rubbing it, there was white residue left (I'm assuming from the mixture of the alcohol and whatever is in the Magic Eraser)

So, I took some Coconut Oil (probably any kind of oil would work) and rubbed it over the white...

And then I used the blue side of the Magic Eraser to wipe the oil off...

Here's the finished product!!  The marker is still very faintly there but I can totally live with it, versus what it was like before!!!

Ta Da!!  (Almost) All Gone!! 

Layered Coconut Flour Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (low carb)

After making the Coconut Flour Bread recipe, I got more creative.  I've been wanting sweet treats so I decided to play with the recipe a little more.  I've seen some recipes for 'Crepe Cakes' on Pinterest and decided to make something similar.  However, I seem to have a hard time making low carb crepes based on recipes I've gotten off the internet (so far anyway!) so I decided to bake the 'faux crepe cake' this time.

Coconut Flour Cake

4 eggs (I used All Whites Liquid Egg Whites - 12 Tbsp)
4 Tbsp coconut flour
2 Tbsp unsalted almonds, ground into a flour
3 Tbsp protein powder
1/2 tsp Almond Extract (or any kind of extract you want to use in order to flavor your cake.  I just have been craving almond for some reason!)
4 Tbsp butter, unsalted (at room temperature so it's soft)
6 Tbsp Splenda (or granulated sweetener of your choice, add more or less to taste)

Preheat the oven to 350* F.
Combine all the dry ingredients first, then added the eggs, butter and extract.
Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
Pour batter / dough onto the parchment paper in a very thin layer.  If you have a small cookie sheet, you should be able to use it and fill the cookie sheet.  However, my cookie sheets are all average / large sized so I had a few inches of empty paper on either side and about 1 inch on the top and bottom.  Because of possible cooking inconsistencies in some ovens, I baked it about 5 minutes, then rotated the cookie sheet so the side that had previously been in the front of the oven was now in the rear and baked it for about another 5 minutes.  Times may vary.
When the 'cake' was done, I tried to cut it in fairly even sizes and let cool.  It doesn't take long because it's so thin.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. Cream Cheese, brick style, the entire brick
8 Tbsp. Half & Half or Heavy Cream
4 tsp. Splenda (or to taste)
about 1 tsp. Extract (I used Almond)

Soften the cream cheese.  I softened it in the microwave for about 20 seconds.  Combine all the ingredients.  I used a hand mixer in order to 'whip' the heavy cream into the cream cheese better, otherwise it would have been too lumpy and liquid.

Application:

Take a 'slice' of the cake, place on a plate / platter.  Apply a thick layer of frosting to the cake.  Place another 'slice' of cake on top of that, apply another thick layer of frosting.  Repeat.  At the top layer, you can either apply the layer of frosting just to the top or also down the sides.  I applied it just to the top.  

Layered Coconut Flour Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (low carb)

Depending on the thickness of your layering of the frosting, you will probably have some leftover.  You may want to decrease the quantities some.  If you do have some leftover, you can just dollop some on top of the cake when you serve it or do whatever you want with it.  I ate what was left and it was delicious!!  Here's a photo of my cake.  I shared it with my family and we had 4 healthy servings.  I think it was a little dry (the cake part) so next time I think I'd use whole eggs rather than just the whites to see if that moistens it some.  The nutritional info below is based on whole eggs.

Coconut Flour Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting - Nutritional Information (4 servings)

513 calories, 10 carbs, 46 fat, 17 protein, 3 fiber, 277 sodium

Coconut Flour Bread (low carb)

I found this recipe here and decided to try it, though I didn't follow the recipe completely because I get sidetracked and tend to do my own thing once I get the ingredients together.  The less ingredients, the more appealing it is for me to try a recipe for some reason.  I guess I think it's going to be 'easier' (not always the case!)  This was a fairly easy recipe though.  Here it is...

Coconut Flour Bread

In a frying pan, add 2 Tbsp unsalted butter (or coconut oil) on medium to melt.

In a bowl, mix thoroughly:

2 eggs... I used All Whites - Liquid Egg Whites (6 Tbsp. total)
2 Tbsp coconut flour
2 Tbsp Bob's Red Mills - Unflavored Whey Protein Powder (you can use any kind you want, that's just the only unflavored kind I have in my house)
dash of salt or other seasonings… I opted not to use any

After the ingredients were mixed thoroughly, I poured the batter out (in two separate parts) in the frying pan and 'fried' it like a pancake.  Flipping over in a few minutes.  It didn't take too long and the batter is thick.  (the 'fried' version is to the right in the photo below).  To turn it into a sandwich, I cut one of the 'pancake' style breads in half (horizontally) and put my lunch meat and cheese in the center.

Coconut Flour Bread (low carb)

I then decided to get somewhat creative and try baking it.  I preheated the oven to 350* F.  When it was at the desired temperature, I laid some parchment paper out on a cookie sheet and, after making a new batch of 'dough' (this time with the butter added into the recipe), I poured it out onto the parchment paper and spread it out as thin as I could without being able to see any of the parchment paper through the dough.  This 'bread' is pictured above on the left hand side.  I spread it out based on what I imagined would be enough (once cut) to make two sandwiches with a 'slice of bread' for both sides, if that makes sense.  That's why, in the picture, there are 4 'slices of bread'.  It's a little dry.  I think the whole eggs may make it a little more moist.

With the butter counted as an ingredient, the nutritional information for 1 serving (there are 2 servings with the recipe, according to how I did it, anyway) is as follows (based on information from MyFitnessPal and with using whole eggs rather than the egg whites)...

Coconut Flour Bread - Nutritional Information (1 serving)

235 calories, 5 carbs (2 net carbs), 19 fat, 12 protein, 3 fiber, 106 sodium

My First Post

I had another blog, here, but I forgot the password and can't get back into it.  :-P  There are some recipes and other food rantings there but not much.  Needless to say, I'm having to start a new one with other recipes since I'm cooking once again.

I have to read my old blog but I believe I may have last left you with info about my nausea that I was experiencing...  if not, I'll tell you again...

In August 2012 I started experiencing severe nausea (no vomiting, thankfully!) and ended up having my gallbladder removed (I had a gallstone the size of an avocado pit, the gallbladder is about the size of an avocado, according to my surgeon).  That did not completely get rid of the nausea and I've been dealing with it still ever since.  It has been over two years now.  I've tried tons of over-the-counter medicines, natural remedies and prescription medications and nothing gets rid of it completely.  I've even been prescribed Marinol and that has done nothing for me really.  I've basically learned to live with the nausea and, at times, go lie down for a few hours until it subsides somewhat (it is never totally gone though, it just gets worse and somewhat better).

I took a year + off from HCG and weight loss and was maintaining my weight for most of that time.  Then I managed to somehow gain about 40 pounds of it back.  Blah.  Anyway, I decided it was about time to go back on the HCG diet.  I lost about 30 pounds in the 50 days that I was on it.  I'm going to do another 'round' soon.

In the meantime, I've been cooking a little more and getting a little more creative with my food.  I've been encouraged to record the recipes I've made so others can try to recreate them, should they so desire.  So, here I go!!