Dinner Reheated: Low Carb Broccoli Cheese Soup

So, this is one of my favorite recipes.  I had been looking for a great broccoli cheese soup recipe before going low carb.  Finding the best one after, was complete luck.

This one comes from Kelly the Kitchen Kop.

It is super simple.  But before I share this recipe here are a few things.
1- Kelly is very pro not ultra-pasteurized heavy whipping cream.  She has links to her reasoning on he blog (linked above), however, in my home I use the Great Value brand from Walmart.  Maybe it would be better for me to spend more than a dollar for the Land-o-lakes, but we all have to choose our battles, and this one it not mine.
2- My husbands request was to make a soup with Velveeta.  While Original Velveeta does have some carbs, this is a place in our diet I decided to fudge.
This being said, both my sister and cousin have done it using real cheese, and been pleased with the results.

3- We like a thick and creamy soup.  For this reason I use no where near the amount of broth called for in the recipe.  I use about half a can.

4- Speaking of broccoli.  I usually use frozen in a steam bag because this cuts out on steps and dishes.  I just steam it and then add the broccoli very last.

5- If you want your life to be simpler get a submersion hand blender.  I love this baby.  I use it several times a week.  With it, I am able to add the broccoli last and just blend some of the larger chunks of broccoli, right in the pot.
So finally, here it is.  It also freezes up well.  My husband takes it to work for lunch about once a week.  :)

Low Carb Broccoli Cheese Soup:

• 2 T. butter
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 8oz. cream cheese
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or velveeta)
• 2 bunches of fresh broccoli, chopped

Heat broth and broccoli until broccoli is tender. Mix cream cheese, heavy cream, shredded cheese and butter in another pan and stir often. When broccoli is tender, put half in a blender and puree (this makes it a little thicker).  When the other pan is melted, add to broth and broccoli.  Garnish with cheese.

• Add sea salt and pepper to taste.

This is a 15-minute dinner!

Against All Grain's Real-Deal Chocolate Chip Cookies

So, when you go off the grains, there are some things you will just miss.  Like the the yummy, gooey, goodness of a chocolate chip cookie.

I tried a PB cookie that was mostly coconut flour and peanut butter early on.  It was inedible.
I have been a bit gun shy since on paleo/lowcarb/keto baked goods.  My cousin, who is also LC'ing, tried a chocolate chip cookie a week or so herself, and had the same result.

The only reason I gave this cookie a try was because on Against All Grain's facebook page everyone raved about them.  I didn't see any negative comments.

So D and I mixed up a batch for school.  (Lovely way to help teach capacity!)

He was a very proficient "smasher" so our cookies are quite flat.

However, the boys love them!  That is a huge win on it's own.

My thoughts.
One I will have to try again with less smashing.

Two, I am not sure why mine are so much darker and they are nutty, not a bad thing, they just look a lot more smooth and fluffy when you look at those on AAG.  They were not over cooked.  I used Bob's Red Mill Almond Meal/Flour.  It says in the description it is blanched, so I don't think its that?
Three, they were a bit salty for me.  I didn't use grass-fed butter and mine was salted.  Next time I will make sure to use unsalted butter, or use palm shorting or ghee. (Neither of which do I own, or have I ever used before.)
Four, I just used sugar free chocolate chips from my netrition order.  No dark chocolate pieces, this was so they would stay kid friendly.
Final number five, I have never been able to pull off a successful chocolate chip cookie even pre-LCHF, so the fact that mine look goofy now, well that really shouldn't be a surprise.

If you like this get more great recipes by Danielle by following these links to her books.

Danielle Walker's Against All Grain: Meals Made Simple: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, and Paleo Recipes to Make Anytime 

Against All Grain: Delectable Paleo Recipes to Eat Well & Feel Great



Real-Deal Chocolate Chip Cookies

AUTHOR: Danielle Walker - AgainstAllGrain.com

SERVES: 1 dozen

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup palm shortening, ghee, or grass-fed butter
• ¼ cup coconut palm sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1½ cups blanched almond flour
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ cup dark chocolate pieces (just chop up a dark chocolate bar)
• ¼ cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a food processor, cream the palm shortening, coconut sugar, honey, egg, and vanilla for about 15 seconds until smooth and fluffy.
3. Add the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and sea salt and mix again until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed in order to incorporate all of the flour. Pulse once or twice more.
4. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
5. Place golf-ball sized balls of dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a SilPat. Using another sheet of parchment on top of the dough, flatten them slightly with the palm or your hand or a spatula. The cookies don’t spread much so create the size and thickness you want prior to baking them.
6. Bake for 9-12 minutes, until slightly golden around the edges.
   
   *editing to add*
   Right after I made these cookies I got the following in my inbox from Danielle at Against All Grain.
   Maybe my almond flour played into my texture some as well.
   
   
   Q. What type of almond flour do you use? Is it the same as almond meal?
   A. I always use a blanched, finely ground almond flour. My favorites are Honeyville Farms and Digestive Wellness. Bob’s Redmill is too coarse and will cause soggy baked goods. Almond meal is different from almond flour as it contains skins and in typically more coarsly ground. I find that almond meal is good for breading things but not good for baked goods. For more information on Almond Flour, Click Here.
   Q. Can I substitute coconut flour for the almond flour in recipes?
   A. No, coconut flour is much more absorbent and will call for a different ratio than the almond flour. I suggest you stick to recipes that are developed specially for only using coconut flour.
   Q. Can I substitute other nut or seed flours for the almond flour?
   A. Yes, as long as they are blanched and very finely ground. I suggest macadamia or cashew flour for the most similar results if you can tolerate nuts. For nut free, I suggest grinding raw sunflower seeds to a fine powder then sifting it for best results. 

My first Netrition order

If you haven't heard of netrition.com yet, you aren't alone.
When I first declared I was going low carb, my mom's friend called me up, super excited to share her tips and tricks.
One of the things she told me about was netrition.com.  She told me about all the wonderful low carb items I could find.
Really, go check it out, who knew there were so many low carb foods out there?  Ccertainly not my local grocery store!

So, I tucked the info away, but it's taken roughly 5 months for me to finally place an order.

Today that first order arrived, and I am super excited to try this stuff, and share what I think.

Here is a run down of what my order contained.

Carbquick is one of the things Sheila told me about. Carbquick is supposed to be similar to Bisquick.

Swerve- If you have been looking for treats on the net, you have likely come across swerve as a common ingredient.  The grocery stores in my area do not carry it, but it seems quite popular.  However, I picked this particular one because it is of the confectioners sugar variety.  If Splenda does that, I've never seen it.  I am really tempted to try it in my very favorite cream cheese frosting recipe first though.  :)
Today at least, Swerve also appears to be $2 off the price I paid, go figure.

Pizza Crust by Great Low Carb Company- This is the one I am most disappointed with right off the bat.  No ones fault but my own.  I misread the description and didn't realize it only came with ONE crust.  At $7.99 each this better be damn good.
The good news is each 9" crust only has 2 net carbs.

Low Carb Bread Mix- Okay, this is brought to you by Bob's Red Mill.  Apparently, I can toss it into my bread maker.  Which means that super fancy bread maker I talked my husband into getting me, no longer has to stay hidden in the pantry.
I myself have moved beyond bread, amazingly.  It and popcorn have been the two things I've missed most since going LC. (I do totally steal popcorn from my kids at the movies still.)
My kids however would go through a loaf a day.  They are kids, and I want them to be kids, but I also feel strongly that they are better off with out a high carb diet as well.  Sugar kills, there is no age limit.
So, I really hope they dig this for their cinnamon toast and PB&J.

Carb Counters Angel Food Puffs- I picked these on a whim, they had great reviews, and I love angel food cake, they were a price that wouldn't break the bank. (*ahem* Unlike some pizza crust mentioned above.)  I think I might whip them up for Mother's Day.  My kids typically are the berry eaters, but every once in a while I have a few too.  These will be perfect, I do believe!

Guy's Award Winning Sugar Free BBQ Sauce- Highly probable bbq chicken is on the menu tomorrow! Hopefully their will also be leftovers to go atop that single pizza crust.  :)  I got both hot and original.  I am really looking forward to trying these.  One of our favorite splurges on a weekend is to order just pulled pork from Good Wood BBQ, now we have a better option than the sugary BBQ sauce they offer.

Low Carb Marshmallows- That's right MARSHMALLOWS!  My kids think marshmallows are a must in their Diet Swiss Miss.  Now we can skip the sugar there too!  Don't tell them, but I also got the Belgium Chocolate ones for me.  Mama needs a treat too!

And last, but not least, Sugar-Free Chocolate chips- I have been dying to try Against All Grain's Paleo Chocolate chip cookies, I have gathered all the indigence except that I wanted these for them.  Now that they are here, I plan to try them out tomorrow.  D can help, he is working on measurements for math tomorrow anyway, so expect a report back on that very soon!

Low Carb High Fat Key Lime Cheesecake

I borrowed this picture from the web because I couldn't find one of my own.  Take a picture of this treat the next time I make it, is now on my to do list!

Lets get started with one of my very favorite recipes.  This one comes from Genaw.com. (you can find the nutrition facts there.)

LOWCARBREDHEAD'S REAL KEY LIME CHEESECAKE
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (you'll need 2 large limes)
1 packet unflavored gelatin
2 cups granular Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda
2 eggs, beaten
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla, optional
1 1/2 teaspoons lime zest (from about 1/2 lime)
1 cup heavy cream

Cookie Crust (optional):
1 batch Butter Cookies, crushed to make crumbs *
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Topping (optional and not included in the counts):
1/2 cup heavy cream
Sweetener to taste

Prepare the crust first, if using. Mix the cookie crumbs and melted butter; pat firmly on the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Put in the freezer until the filling is ready to put into the crust.

Put the lime juice in a 1-quart saucepan; sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the surface of the juice. Let stand 5 minutes to soften. Whisk in the sweetener and eggs. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened or just until it starts to bubble. It won't get thick like pudding and you shouldn't boil the gelatin.

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Pour in the hot juice mixture and beat until well blended and smooth. Beat in the lime zest. Chill 45 minutes or until cool and thick.

In a medium bowl, beat 1 cup heavy cream until stiff. Fold into the cooled lime mixture. Spread in the prepared crust or in a greased 9-inch pie plate. Chill at least 2 hours. Garnish the top with the sweetened whipped cream, if desired.

Makes 8 servings

* One batch of Butter Cookies equals about 1 cup of crumbs.


This is a winner in my house, with the kids and with the husband.
When I don't have limes I use Key Lime Juice, I really don't notice enough difference to buy, zest, and squeeze limes, unless I am feeling fancy.  However, if that works for you, go for it.  :)

As for the crust.

BUTTER COOKIES 
3 ounces almond flour (3/4 cup )
1/8 teaspoon salt
2-3 tablespoons granular Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda *
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg white

Mix all of the ingredients well in a small bowl. Everything should be moist and the dough should hold together. Freeze about 15-20 minutes to firm up the dough. Drop the dough by teaspoons onto a parchment or silicone lined 12x17" baking sheet. Roll each piece of dough into a ball. I used a 1 teaspoon cookie scoop and skipped the rolling into a ball step. Cover the balls with plastic wrap and take a baking powder can, that has about an 1/8" rim around the bottom, and press down firmly over each ball of dough. Be sure to press all the way down to the baking sheet. Peel off the plastic wrap and discard. Prick the cookies with a fork.

Bake at 325º for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Makes about 20 cookies
Can be frozen

* These aren't as sweet as sugar cookies and remind me of the butter cookies my Grandma used to make. You may want to add the 3rd tablespoon of Splenda if you prefer a sweeter cookie. The carb counts were so close whether I used 2 or 3 tablespoons of granular Splenda or liquid Splenda that I decided to go ahead and use the counts for the sweeter, granular Splenda version. Unless you eat the whole batch, you'll only be saving about half a carb or so if you use liquid Splenda.

Personally, I have never made these before hand.  For my crust I mix up a batch and then press it into a pie pan and bake.  It's helpful when you do remember to do this early enough in advance it can cool before you add the cheese cake portion in.
I also am sure it would be helpful to butter the dish before, but I always forget this step and have it stick some.  Maybe next time...

Frosting & Sugar Berries

So I have a new favorite frosting, I've used it a few times on carrot cake and chocolate cake, and more recently on spice cake.  I have decided no matter the cake flavor, you can never go wrong with cream cheese frosting!

So here is the recipe, and it's so easy!

1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 cups powered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Additionally,  I was able to make the cupcakes shown pop, while looking more delicate, by washing black berries and then rolling them, while still damp, in sugar.  The photo doesn't do them justice.  (Wish I was a food photographer!)  But they were so pretty!

Let Us Eat {birthday} Cake!

I wanted to do the Kit Kat/M&M's cake (as you can see HERE from my husbands 30th birthday) with a new twist.  White chocolate Kit Kats, and fun M&M's that D. picked out on our visit to M&M World in Las Vegas. We also tied in Hotwheels, his favorite thing!
My sisters little boy was diagnosed with Burkitt's Lymphoma over Christmas.  Because of his illness he was selected to be a part of Icing Smiles, "Icing Smiles is a nonprofit organization that provides custom celebration cakes and other treats to families impacted by the critical illness of a child."

Brittany, with  Cravin' Cake Bakery, in Las Vegas took on Caleb's cake.  Here it is.

I recycled the bottom layer (that was fondant covered foam, since a 3rd tier would have exceeded the cake needs for Caleb's brithday.)  For D's cake.  It certainly added to the coolness of the "candy coma" cake I made.

To do this cake of your own, all you need is to bake and frost a  2-9inch cakes as you normally would, then place Kit Kats (full sized) split in half, around cake.  I ended up using 10.5 Kit Kats.  Top with M&M's or other favorite candy.  Tie off with a ribbon to keep candies on.  Enjoy!

*To learn more about Caleb, and follow his story you can follow him on, Prayers for Caleb on Facebook.

Scalloped Potatoes and Onions

I love this recipe.  The best part is no cream of anything.  So yummy!  Recipe can be found here, at allrecipes.com. Scalloped Potatoes and Onions

Rated: Submitted By: Dorothy Bateman Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 2 Hours Ready In: 2 Hours 5 Minutes Servings: 6

"Writes Dorothy Bateman from Carver, Massachusetts. 'This creamy potato dish is so delicious. You can prepare it in the morning, than put it in the oven later--just be sure the sauce covers the potatoes so they won't turn brown.'"

Ingredients:

5 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced 3/4 cup chopped onion 3 tablespoons butter or margarine 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 3/4 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons mayonnaise 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper Paprika

Directions:

1.

In a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish, layer potatoes and onion. In a saucepan, melt the butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add broth, mayonnaise, salt and pepper; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thick and bubbly. Pour over potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover and bake at 325 degrees F for 2 hours or until tender.