Chocolate Chip Cookies for me...Low Carb reinvented

I've always had a little  more success on low-carb diet plans like Atkins or Keto but I also love Whole 30 which, though not quite as fast, does make me feel healthy.   Right now I'm on a low carb quest for some really good chocolate chip cookies and these were pretty good!  I used a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe we've always loved and just tweaked it a bit....they turned out great for a first try and I'll keep working with them until they are the perfect substitution.   Try them and tell me what you think

1 1/3 cup salted butter softened slightly
2 cups of sweetener ( I used half splenda and half swerve)
1/4 tsp of maple flavoring (used to make up for the lack of brown sugar flavor in my original recipe)

Cream the above ingredients together then add
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon of real vanilla
1 Tablespoon of water

Beat till fluffy then stir in

3 1/2 cups almond flour
2 Tablespoons of Coconut Flour (improves texture
2 cups sugar free chocolate chips (I used Hershey's)
1 cup chopped pecans

Drop on a cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes until lightly brown on the bottom then remove to a cooling rack.

Crio Bru Upscaled

This amazing little appliance looks like a coffee-maker but let me tell you it's more than that!!!!    I don't drink coffee...I'm LDS so it's something we've been counseled to exclude from our diet.   However that doesn't mean I don't like a nice hot cup of ... well, SOMETHING WONDERFUL in the morning!   Enter the wonderful world of Crio Bru ... if you're not familiar with it just click the link and read all about what is the most wonderful morning indulgence in the world..... Brewed cocoa beans.

Now, if you read the directions, or have good friends who've shared their crio bru knowledge you know you make it with about 15 minutes of time, some boiling water and a french press.  Perfect.....I thought.

Even though it was wonderful I kept thinking it should be richer, darker, more robust in flavor....and I wasn't thrilled about the way it cooled off by the time I drank it.  It just took so long to brew in the french press.

SO.....I wondered how a percolator would do....I bought the model above for just over $10 on Amazon which was pretty cheap for an experiment and the minute I got it I made a pot.  First of all it takes only about 6 tablespoons to brew a whole pot (8 cups in this model)...that's about half of what it would take in the press.   Second you can brew it as long as you like to get the perfect strength for you.

One other benefit I've found is that the longer brewing time not only makes a darker chocolate but it releases ALOT of the cocoa butter from the ground beans which means it tastes so much richer. I like to brew the ground beans for about 20 minutes...that seems to produce an optimum dark, rich flavor.  Once brewed I just transfer it to the refrigerator in a glass carafe and heat by the cupful in the microwave.

Trust me on this....totally worth the price of a percolator and you'll never go back to the slow, weak, french press beverage of the past! Enjoy!

WARNING!!! This Recipe Will NOT make you skinny!!!

This recipe won't make you skinny....in fact if you eat it you will gain approximately one pound for each slice of pie you eat! Okay, if you're still reading I'll assume you don't give a darn.

Actually this recipe is my husband's (I'm sure it's not original...I think he got it from a newspaper years and years ago). It is my all-time favorite pie and we get requests for the recipe all the time.

Just to save time I thought I'd post it here and just send people a link instead of re-typing the recipe all the time. And to my nephew Nathan......here you go!

PEPPERED MAPLE CREAM PIE
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1/3 cup flour
1 ½ cups maple syrup
2 Tablespoons Butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 9-inch unbaked pie shell

In a heavy saucepan, whisk together the cream and flour until smooth. Add the maple syrup, butter, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring over medium heat 10 minutes or until thickened. Do not let boil. Pour filling into pie shell and bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven 30 minutes, or until bubbling. Cool on a rack, then refrigerate until thoroughly cooled before serving. Personal Note: The more pepper the better and it MUST be freshly ground. MMMMM! I'm so hungry!

Have you seen this site!

And just to prove how good it is....here's a favorite from the site!



MYO Instant Oatmeal Packets

(Do you KNOW how much I used to spend on these silly little convenience foods?) Oh, and be sure to try the variations!





3 cups Quick-Cooking Oats

Salt

8 Small sized Zip Baggies



Put 1/2 cup oats in a blender and blend on high until powdery. Set aside in a small bowl, and repeat procedure with an additional 1/2 cup oats. If you're using a food processor, you can do the 1 cup of oats in one batch.



Put the following ingredients into each zip baggie:

1/4 cup un-powdered oats,

2 Tbsp. powdered oats, and 1/8 tsp. salt.



Store in an airtight container.



To Use: Empty packet into a bowl. Add 3/4 cup boiling water. Stir and let stand for 2 minutes. For thicker oatmeal, use less water - for thinner oatmeal, use more water.



Variations: Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal- To each packet add 1 Tbsp. sugar, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, and 2 Tbsp. chopped dried apples.



Sweetened Oatmeal- To each packet add 1 Tbsp. sugar Brown Sugar/Cinnamon Oatmeal- To each packet add 1 Tbsp. brown sugar & 1/4 tsp. cinnamon



Oatmeal w/Raisins, Walnuts, & Brown Sugar- To each packet add 1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar, 1 Tbsp chopped walnuts, and 1 Tbsp. raisins.

MMMMMMMM!!! Yummm O!

Well it's almost one year since I posted my last recipe and in honor of recent requests from my fan (that's right....only one) I'm posting another good one!!!
It's Delish!!!


Almost Jamba Juice!

If you've ever been to Jamba Juice you may have tried the Strawberry Nirvahna.....well this is close VERY close!


2 cups of water
2 single serve packets of Crystal Light Sunrise! On the Go
10-15 Large Frozen Strawberries
2 scoops of Vanilla Flavored Protein Powder
1 cup ice cubes (more if you like it VERY frozen and have a good strong blender)

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until totally pureed and somewhat frozen. This is SOOOOOO Good. It makes two large shakes at about 170 calories each!

NOTE: If you prefer you can replace the water and Crystal Light with orange juice or orange pineapple juice.....just add the extra calories to the total.

Enjoy

Breakfast Casserole....NO GUILT!!!

Breakfast Casserole

8 servings @ 2/3 cup

2 cups Frozen Hash Browns
1 cup fat free Cheddar Cheese – shredded
8 oz Turkey Ham – diced
1 can Mushroom slices
2 cups Egg Beaters

Spray 9x9 baking dish w/Pam. Layer first 4 ingredients, beat Egg beaters and add salt & pepper to taste then pour over layered mixture. Cover and let stand over night. Bake @350 for 60 minutes until center is firm..
This recipe has approximately 150 calories per serving with the added bonus of being high protein which keeps you satisfied.

Buffalo Chicken Wraps

This recipe makes approximately 4 servings at 286 calories each and they are just delicious. I got this at a weight watchers meeting and love it for lunches!

16 ounces skinless boneless chicken breast half, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup reduced fat monterey Jack cheese
1/3 cup hidden Valley Light Ranch Dressing
4 don marcos tortillas
1 1/3 cups shredded lettuce
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup salsa

1. Combine chicken, salt & hot pepper sauce tossing to mix
2. Spray skillet with cooking spray & heat over med heat. Add chicken mix & cook 4-5 min until no longer pink & liquid is evaporated
3. Combine celery, cheese, & dressing. Mix well
4. SPoon celery mix on each tortilla to within 1/4" edge
5. Spoon chicken down center of each tortilla, top with 1/3 c lettuce & 1 T carrot 6. Fold to roll up tortilla
Per Serving : 286 Calories; 8g Fat (33.3% calories from fat); 31g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 71mg Cholesterol; 463mg Sodium. Exchanges: 4 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Other Carbohydrates. The Don Marcos healthy style whole wheat tortillas which are 60 calories and 0 grams of fat per tortilla. You may need to adjust the Nutritional information based on the tortillas you buy.