Warm Cocoa

This recipe is pretty simple. I drink a big glass (16 oz.) every morning to help me feel full and satisfied. Drinking this along with two scrambled eggs for breakfast is great for the low carb diet and helps so much with hunger pains.  I honestly don't get hungry until two or three in the afternoon.

16 ounces of warm water ( I use tap water at it's warmest)
1 tsp. baking cocoa
1/2 tsp. pure Vanilla
2 Tbs. Heavy Whipping Cream

Since I discovered the dangers of artificial sweeteners I don't add any and don't miss them, some people might like to add a packet or two.

Stir these ingredients together and enjoy!

Chocolate Frosty

I made some modifications to a Wendy's low calorie frosty that is absolutely delicious. This is perfect for an afternoon snack especially in the summertime when everyone else is having a milk shake or ice cream.

2 C crushed ice

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 C whipping cream

3/4 C water

3 Tbl. Dry sugar free chocolate pudding mix

Throw these ingredients together in a blender and let her rip. you may have to adjust the water for your desired thickness. Enjoy! I am right now!

Cucumber Salad

This salad is repeated on the menu several times a month in the summertime. This is super easy to make and has very few if any carbs. Serve this healthy salad to the whole family not just to those who are being careful with carbs.

Peel and slice six cucumbers then let them sit in a bowl of cold water while you put together the dressing.

Mix together in your salad bowl

1 cup sour cream

2 tsp. onion powder

2 Tbl. Dill weed

1tsp. Salt

Some people in the family like more dill weed. Let those favors come together for about 15 minutes then add the drained cucumbers. Mix it together and serve. Enjoy!

Hash Brown 'Potatoes'

This delicious dish helps on those special days that you make a special breakfast for your family and you get stuck eating eggs......again.

Start with 

1 cup of finely chopped just barely cooked cauliflower

1/2 cup of drained cottage cheese

1 egg

Mix this all up with salt and pepper to taste. I wanted them to taste like potatoes so I added about 3/4 of a teaspoon.

Put butter or olive oil in a frying pan and drop a generous spoonful into the heated oil. This browns nicely so watch it closely. It gets done way faster than the actual potato hash browns.

Yum!

Low Carb Biscuits!

Yippee! I can't tell you how often I have been craving any sort of bread while doing this low carb thing. So, usually I cheat and have some anyway. Now I can satisfy the cravings using carb quick. I finally ordered a box, which I wish we're twice as big for the money I spent,and made myself a few Bisquits. These are pretty good. Clearly not as good as my home made Bisquits but they will do. I am still experiencing an aftertaste of baking powder but I got to eat a Bisquits and not feel guilty. I got on the scales this morning after weighing myself for two weeks and I had lost a pound and a half. Just ten more to go. I think the car quick will be a useful tool to put in my belt.

Low Carb Pizza Crust

Ingredients

• 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
• 1 teaspoon oregano or Italian seasoning blend
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Rice the cauliflower in a food processor, place it in a microwave safe dish and microwave for 8 minutes or until cooked.
2. Place the cauliflower in a tea towel and sqeeze as much moisture out as you can.
3. Mix the cauliflower, egg, mozzarella, oregano, salt and pepper, press the mixture onto a baking mat or parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 450F oven until lightly golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

Add your favorite pizza topping on this crust. You should be able to pick it up with your hands.  Try half size unless you have a lot of people are going low carb with you.

Reality Check!

I am going to try to post more recipes with no artificial sweeteners. I had a reality check starting about three weeks ago.  I started having pain in my muscles every so often.  I wondered if my treadmill workouts were getting out of control and then I thought maybe this was happening because I am just getting older. That number 49 is creeping ever closer by the day. Then I had a couple of days where my muscles hurt really bad and even at night that I couldn't sleep even after taking a double dose of ibuprofen. After a while I started wondering if I had MS or some other condition. Then I had an remembered reading an article about body aches and artificial sweeteners. Some people react to them badly and I had been using artificial sweeteners a lot. So... I have cut them completely out of my diet.  I am still trying to do low carb but I will not use the artificial sweeteners anymore.  After a week, I don't have the pain anymore and I feel better.  The weight gain that I feared hasn't come back.  I just need to be more careful about what I am putting in my body.