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Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Three Cheese Breakfast Puffs

Sometimes I just need some cheese. I love cheese. Did you catch that this new recipe has three different cheeses? Oh yeah! These little breakfast puffs are almost like little cheese souffles. They are puffy and light. Simple to put together and fun to eat. I made this recipe for 2-3.

Three Cheese Breakfast Puffs


4 eggs
1/4 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese

In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs. Stir in the cheeses. Spray mini muffin tins or silicon cups with oil. Fill each cup a little higher than you would with a cake batter. Place into a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. They will puff up and turn golden on top. Let the puffs cool 5 minutes before removing from cups. They will fall just a bit with cooling.

16 mini puffs:  42 calories each  <1 carb per puff
As a breakfast for 2:    335 calories  2 g carb



I didn't add a lot of other flavors to these because I wanted to really taste the cheese. That, I got. Can't help thinking that a few green chiles would be nice. But this morning, they were excellent with my giant cup of coffee. It makes the puffs look small, but they are the size of mini muffins, I promise.

The cottage cheese makes the texture light. I love adding cottage cheese to eggs. It makes scrambled eggs all tender and yummy too. I had a recipe for those in a Diner News last year. The Parmesan cheese is the canned kind. I love fresh more, but this is a staple in my kitchen. It adds flavor and body to the eggs.

I didn't get this batch done before the hubby ran out to work, so we did have leftovers. I tried them cold, and they are even good that way. These don't deflate, so go ahead and make a batch for your brown bag--or road trip or picnic. They will travel well.

Get more great recipes at the Low Carbing Among Friends Facebook Page:               https://www.facebook.com/LowCarbingAmongFriends

 Order any of our great cookbooks at  http://amongfriends.us/24-7-LCD.php

Order my original e-book or the latest version for couples and singles, 
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Sunday, January 11, 2015

Chile Jack's Sausage Bites

My middle boy, Mom and I ventured out in the cold to Sam's yesterday. Pearson was looking for easy lunches to take to work. I was looking for whatever. Sometimes warehouse stores can be an adventure. Especially if you don't go too often. I found a yummy thing. A Southwestern kinda thing.

Hatch Chile and Monterey Jack Cheese Chicken Sausage. Yes, that is the name in full. Brought to you by Daily Chef. Each sausage is pre-cooked and has just 1 net carb per link. There are 5 links per pound. These will be finding there way into our lunch bags. No pre-cooking. No gluten and 160 calories per link. I can do that! I thought they might be too spicy for that Yankee hubby of mine, but no. He said they are addictive.

I thought I might try baking them up in a dough to make them kinda like a cross between my Sausage Roll Bites and a corndog mini muffin. By adding some goodies to the coconut flour based batter, it all worked out nicely. These would be great finger food and lunch box fare as well. Maybe even with some Jalapeno mustard for dipping.

Chile Jack's Sausage Bites

1 pre-cooked sausage
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 tsp Jalapeno salt
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
2 eggs
1/8 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp water

Cut the sausage into 16 even slices. I do this by cutting in half and then slicing each cut part in half again and again until you have 1/16th slices.

In a microwavable bowl, combine coconut flour, jalapeno salt, and baking powder. Add cheese and toss to coat. Stir in eggs, coconut oil and water. If batter becomes thick, warm it for 20-30 seconds in the microwave to warm the coconut oil and thing the batter. Divide the batter among 16 mini muffin cups. (oiled if not silicone) Press a sausage slice into the batter in each cup, causing the batter to rise around the sausage. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before removing from cups.

Makes 16. Each Bite has 48 calories and 1 g carb   4 g fat
As a meal for 2, each serving has 388 calories   4 g net carbs

So the husband loved these. Even though I was planning to pack them in our lunches this week, he we at them all. Bet you will too. The sausage brand doesn't matter, but these are super flavorful with green chiles and big chunks of cheese. Just look for any premium, gluten free chicken sausage and play with the flavors in this dough. It is good to add some flavor to the coconut flour, so the sweetness is more subtle.

Our Diner website is down today. Bummer. The ISP guy, who is a friend, is working on it. If you need to place an order for one of my cookbooks or the Diner News, try back later. In the meantime, head on over to the Facebook groups and see what is up.

Get more great recipes at the Low Carbing Among Friends Facebook Page:               https://www.facebook.com/LowCarbingAmongFriends

 Order any of our great cookbooks at  http://amongfriends.us/24-7-LCD.php

Order my original e-book or the latest version for couples and singles, 
                                                                A Table for Two here. 

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Here's to a Healthier New Year

Aaaah. That time of year again. Evaluation of our successes and failures the past year. Resolutions and promises. I don't know about you, but I am a planner. I need to have goals, something good to work toward. Thus, this month's Diner News is focused on some extra things we low carbers can do to up the nutrition of our meals. The world may think we eat only bacon and eggs, but we know better. The ideas I put forward do not require strict regimens or lots of pill popping. Just some creative and still tasty ideas that just might increase your feeling of wellness. Yes, I tend to make up for the excesses of the holidays this time every year. But for 2015, I don't want it to be so much like a purge.

I could use some of those feelings of wellness myself. Stress is everywhere these days. That takes a toll on our health. My duties at school stress me like never before, both financially and emotionally. I have shed many tears this past year over relationship problems with my youngest son. Life is hard sometimes. I pray a lot. While I wait for that resolution, I know I need to devote more time to counteracting the stress I have been under. For me, it gives me a proactive plan that is positive with high hopes. As busy as I am, it can't take hours and hours!

I have added in a few things that I have dabbled in before, but never practiced routinely. I am taking some green foods powders to add to my meals Granted, that tastes like hay, but there are ways to work around that, especially when you know how much good stuff is in there. So go ahead and pair in with chocolate like I did. I am adding in more easy chia seed nutrition. Trying to buy more organic. I am exploring the benefits of gelatin and planning more bone broths. I am making sure the drinks I have during the day actually have health benefits. Say hello to healthy teas, good for you spices and apple cider vinegar. I am scheduling in some intermittent fasting. There are lots of ideas to include with a low carb diet.

It seems like there are so many things that are out of my control, it is beneficial in more than one way to be intentional about what I put into my body. Not legalistic or judgmental. Just steps in the right direction...more often. For instance, why not have Oolong tea to drink rather than a diet soda? Why not add some greens powder to soup or smoothies? I am really hoping small changes will result in feeling better physically and emotionally. Will it make my problems go away? Not likely. Maybe it will help me face them with a better attitude.

You might have read about Bulletproof Coffee, that insanely delicious creation of Dave Asprey. I love that. Did it often last year until the hot coffee broke my bullet blender cups. I do seem to kill more than my share of blenders. With another new immersion blender, I went back and made some again with butter and MCT oil. Then, to make it even better, I added some Great Lakes Grassfed gelatin. What a fun breakfast when you don't want hot. Or you just want a spoon. I adapted this idea from  Stevia Sweet. You do know that MCT (medium chain triglycerides) are used rapidly by your body as energy rather than stored as fat, right? MCT oil is flavorless and enhances your metabolism. Win. Win.

Spoonable Bulletproof
Mocha Cup
 
1 cup strong brewed coffee
2 tbsp grass-fed unsalted-butter
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp MCT oil
1-2 packets stevia or equivalent sweetener

It’s very simple, put all ingredients into a blender or process with a stick blender until all ingredients are well combined.
Pour into a mug or 2 smaller cups and refrigerate until set.
2 servings:  231 cal   <1 net carb   26 g fat


This sets up really well. If you aren't looking for the intermittent fasting benefits, it would make a great pudding cup for brown baggers.

If you want to see the other health ideas I have featured this month, order the Diner News. It is just $6 for the whole 2015. http://www.247lowcarbdiner.com/html/newsletter.html

The 2014 bundle will be ready soon. Gotta get the hubby on that this weekend.

Get more great recipes at the Low Carbing Among Friends Facebook Page:               https://www.facebook.com/LowCarbingAmongFriends

 Order any of our great cookbooks at  http://amongfriends.us/24-7-LCD.php

Order my original e-book or the latest version for couples and singles, 
                                                                A Table for Two here.