In The Kitchen With Debbie - New Year's Eve Baking

Happy New Year!  Yesterday I did some baking. It was the first time I have had time to do a little recreational cooking in a while. Over the Christmas Holiday I made food for several celebrations, but there was no time to try anything new. I was doing good to get my "tried and true" recipes together and on the table.

I am happy to say that these two new recipes will be on my Christmas table next year and at other times as well!  They are low carb and sugar free since they are made with almond flour, coconut flour and stevia sweetener.   I use Pyure sweetener and love it.

This is how my kitchen looks when I am doing what my husband affectionately calls, "computer cooking".  I don't have a printer at home, so I read the laptop screen while I am cooking.

This one is called Low Carb Jam Thumb Print Cookies and the link for the recipe is HERE.

The recipe makes 28 cookies, but I only ended up with 24, so I probably need to make them a little smaller next time.  Also the recipe called for finely shredded sugar free coconut and I didn't have that available to me at the store where I shop.  They were delicious anyway!  I ate way too many.....

The plaid plates are from Walmart.

The cake is called Gluten Free Cranberry Bliss Pound Cake and the link for the recipe is HERE.

I have never used fresh cranberries, having only ever used canned cranberry sauce.  I love cranberry sauce, but it has a lot of sugar in it.  This cake turned out great!!!  Its delicious and has a very "Christmasy", or fall taste to me.  I'll be cooking it more often than that however.  Cranberries are easy to find at the grocery store this time of year and according to the bag, you just put the bag in the freezer for use later.  I bought 2 bags and put what I didn't use in the recipe in the freezer.

A friend of mine made this cake using blueberries and it was delicious as well.  So, this summer when there are soooo many blueberries around my neck of the woods, I'll be trying that option.

I have discovered that my tummy feels much better when I eat gluten free.  Who knew?  I have always, always eaten a lot of bread.  But now when I eat bread my tummy bloats.  I will still eat bread occasionally, but limiting it seems like something I need to do as much as possible.

In 2018 I plan to eat real food as much as possible and focus more on healthy eating than the number on the scale.  I ate anything and everything I wanted for about a week at Christmas and was feeling very bad by the end of that binge!  Now, after about a week of eating right, I feel so much better.

The 2 recipes I made fit well with the Trim Healthy Mama diet plan, as well.

Here are a couple of affiliate Amazon links for products I love:

How to Menu Plan - Side Dishes

My method of menu planning is to have a list of possible dishes to choose from that we like and that I have ingredients on hand for.  Before going to the grocery store this week, I did a little inventory of what I had on hand and made a list of ALL the possible things I could make for side dishes.

Butter Beans Cooked With Ham Bits

I was surprised at how long the list was and I could have thought of more, but was in a hurry to get out the door.

Here's what I came up with:

Green Beans cooked with ham bits
Butter Beans (Lima) cooked with ham bits
Corn
Three Bean Salad
Fruit with cottage cheese
Black Eyed Peas
Great Northern or Pinto Beans
Chips and Salsa
Broccoli and cheese
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potato Casserole
Deviled eggs
Fruit Salad
Broccoli, rice and cheese casserole
Brown Rice cooked in chicken broth
Tomato Sandwich
Sliced Tomatoes
Fried Okra

Sweet Potato Casserole

Just having things to choose from makes menu planning so much easier.  I put this list to good use for our lunch yesterday.  We had butter beans cooked with ham bits, sweet potato casserole and beef kabobs.  I found the sirloin steak for the kabobs at Food Lion marked down.




Okra, Cherry Tomatoes, Regular Tomatoes

I've been trying to use our fresh vegetables from our small garden as much as possible.  This includes vegetable soup, fried okra, BLTs, tomato sandwiches and more.

Tips:

I buy the little vacuum sealed packages of ham bits, which I call seasoning meat.  Once the package is opened, I separate it into little packs the size needed for one pot of beans and then freeze them.  I wrap each pack in plastic wrap and put them in a freezer bag.

I usually have some pecans in the freezer and can take out just enough needed for the top of the sweet potato casserole.

For menu planning I don't assign a certain food for a certain day.  I just have a list of things that I could cook.  Usually on Sunday I try to cook a little bit a head for the upcoming work week for suppers and also things to take for lunch.

And I'm always open to that unexpected offer by hubby to go out to eat!  We don't do this too much because its so much cheaper to eat at home, but we do eat out occasionally.

What side dishes do you like to cook?

In The Kitchen With Debbie

What did we ever do before Pinterest?  We used cookbooks and ideas from friends, but looking things up on Pinterest is easier and really fun.

Here are a few St. Patrick's Day Brunch ideas I tried this weekend, even though it was after St. Patrick's Day since I was at work on that day.

Lucky Charms Marshmallow Cake.  Mine was not nearly as pretty as the Pinterest one, but tasted really good!  This is a version of rice krispies treats, using Lucky Charms cereal and a bundt pan.

Green Deviled Eggs.  Turned out really good.  I used my own recipe for the yolks, but used green food coloring for the white part according to the Pinterest recipe.  I think this idea would be good for several different holidays using other colors.  The green ones would also be nice for Easter.

Rainbow fruit tray, complete with clouds (marshmallows) and a pot of gold (Rolos).

We had family over for Sunday brunch and these three foods were accompanied by a breakfast casserole.   I have a wonderful recipe for breakfast casserole that contains frozen hash brown potatoes, eggs, sausage and cheese.  Its very easy to make and its good for making the night before and then you just pop it into the oven the next morning.

Everyone loved our St. Patrick's Day theme brunch!

A day in my life

My pallet flag is hanging out waiting for summer! I actually love winter, except for the short daylight hours.

One thing I love making in the winter, beside chili and hot chocolate, is roasted pecans. I made this pan full Saturday.

One of the great things about where I live: After a few days of temperatures below freezing, Friday it will be in the 70s! I love North Carolina!

Cute Treats For The Child with Food Allergies

I saw this idea on Facebook and since we have one grandson who has food allergies, namely peanuts and beans, I made a few.

They are so easy. All you need are clear plastic cups, grapes, marshmallows, a sharpie and some press and seal or plastic wrap.  You draw the face on the outside of the cups after placing the grapes and marshmallows inside. Then Just cover with the wrap.

Thursday's Trim Healthy Mama Tidbit

I'm always on the look out for easy and healthy side dishes that aren't too fattening!  I really need to limit many of the normal "easy" ones, like baked potatoes, macaroni and cheese, other pastas and bread.

I've already done a post about one that we like and eat often: Cheesy California Blend Vegetables HERE.

Another one we like is Three Bean Salad.  I remember this as being really popular in the past and really the only change to make it Trim Healthy Mama approved is to substitute Stevia sweetener for the sugar.

Here's how I make it.:

Drain a can of green beans and a can of wax beans. 

Drain a can of Great Northern Beans and rinse in a colander.  I like white beans, but kidney beans would work great if you like them better.

Combine in a bowl that has a lid the following:  All three of the cans of beans, about 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar, about three tablespoons of Stevia sweetener, about a tablespoon of finely diced onion, and a shake or two of celery seed.

Don't you love how all my ingredients are in estimates of "about" this or that?  The reason for that is that you can put the amount that suits your taste.  Also, look up other Three Bean Salad recipes and make it the way you like it.  Just use Stevia instead of sugar and you are good to go!

 
Stir the ingredients up and then cover and refrigerate. I like to put mine in this Tupperware bowl that has a tightly fitting seal, so I can turn it upside down and shake it to make sure everything is mixed up well.

The great thing about this dish, besides it being good for weight loss and being healthy, is that it keeps in the refrigerator all week and anyone who wants a little side dish can take out what they want.

As I've said in the past, the Walmart brand Stevia isn't strictly on the plan because it contains a couple of extra ingredients.  I didn't realize this until I'd been buying them for several months and since I successfully lost weight white using it, I'm not too worried about it!  We are currently well stocked up with it, but when this is gone, I will investigate other options.

The lasagna noodles behind the Stevia have been there for months!  I haven't eaten any lasagna for quite a while!

If you are interested in the Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle,  HERE is a link to the original Trim Healthy Mama book and the two new books are HERE and HERE.

Thursday's Trim Healthy Mama Tidbit

One of the recipes that we have enjoyed from the original Trim Healthy Mama Book is the Pizza Casserole.  

Basically this recipe includes all the usual pizza ingredients, except the crust.  Not shown in the picture is the browned hamburger that I used.  Just layer what ever ingredients you like and bake!  I usually start with the hamburger, then the pizza sauce, mushrooms/onion/bell pepper/whatever you like, followed by the cheese and last would be the pepperoni.  There are usually two layers.

For those family members who want their crust, I would suggest serving some garlic bread or french bread with it.  A nice green salad would also be great with it.

Starting to do the layers in this picture.

I think I baked mine for about 30 minutes on 350 and then turned the oven up to 400 for the last 10 minutes to brown the top better.

Ready to go in the oven.

Brown and yummy!

Moments away from my mouth!

If you are interested in the Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle,  HERE is a link to the original Trim Healthy Mama book and the two new books are HERE and HERE.

Thursday's Trim Healthy Mama Tidbits

Here is an easy meal that I like to eat and which helped me to lose weight on the Trim Healthy Mama plan as described in the books.   HERE is a link to the original Trim Healthy Mama book and the two new books are HERE and HERE.

The main dish is Crispy Onion Pork Chops with a side dish of Veggies and Cheese.  This is an "S" Meal.   If I switched over to boneless chicken breasts, I could add some brown rice to the meal and it would become an "E" meal.

These pork chops turn out so tender and delicious!

I do have to mention that the authors of the book do not include pork or shrimp in the their recipes because of Biblical prohibitions in the Old Testament.  So use your own judgment as to whether or not you want to include them.

The French Fried Onions would qualify as a "Franken Food" in the book!

This recipe is similar to the chicken recipe that's on the back of the French's French Fried Onions box, but much simpler and lower carb.  Just don't add the flour.  There are only three ingredients.  Put about a cup of the onions in a small zip lock bag and crush them.  I use an inexpensive sandwich bag.

Then spread the crushed onions on top of the pork chops.  Pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth around the edges.  Bake uncovered on 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until done.

There are 3 grams of carbs in a serving of the french fried onions.  In an S meal, the carbs should stay under 10 grams.  You don't have to include the carbs in non starchy vegetables.  This meal should be well under the limit.

These veggies couldn't be easier!  I buy the Food Lion store brand of the microwave steam in the bag California Blend vegetables.  Cook them according to the instructions and then pour into a dish.  Then sprinkle grated cheese on top. 

I am in no way an expert on the Trim Healthy Mama Plan, and as I've said before, I follow it very loosely and am not strict with myself at all.  But, you will notice that in this meal there are no high carb foods, such as rice, potatoes, bread or pasta.  That's a hard habit to break, after all these years of eating them as a side dish for EVERY SINGLE MEAL.

Luckily, there are ways around this, which are described in detail in the books,  HERE (original Trim Healthy Mama book),  HERE and HERE. (new books).

(This post contains affiliate links . If you click on a link and order an item, I may receive a small fee. Thanks!)

Semi-From-Scratch Lemon Pound Cake

My hubby loves lemon pound cake and so I searched on line for recipes.  I ran across one using a Duncan Hines Cake Mix that has added ingredients.  That wasn't really what I was looking for, but my coworker told me she makes it all the time and that it turns out great.  Easy and delicious... I'm always up for that! 

It did turn out really delicious and I have added it to my list of keeper recipes.

I used my Bundt cake pan.  You can find the recipe on the Duncan Hines Signature Lemon Cake Mix box.  The frosting is the Duncan Hines Vanilla flavor.  But I am going to try the lemon flavor next time.  You just heat a small amount in the microwave for just a few seconds and then drizzle it over the cake.

The recipe can also be found HERE.

Beef Pot Pie

I made beef pot pie for Sunday's lunch. We love chicken pot pie and I kept remembering those little  frozen beef pot pies I used to buy years ago.    They were mostly beef and potatoes, not many vegetables. 

The recipe I came up with starts out in a frying pan looking like this:
  

After being transferred to a baking dish and adding the crust, its cooked in the oven until lightly browned.

After being dipped into a serving bowl, it looks deliciously yummy!

Here's how I made it:

Ingredients:

1 lb of beef, cut into bite size pieces.

Mine was chuck steak.  I think ground beef would be good and I plan to try that next time.   This is a great way to use those small packages of meat you sometimes see marked down at the grocery store.

Small amount of chopped onion
Olive oil for browning the beef and onion
1 can of Vegall, undrained.  ( I sometimes add 1 small can of garden peas, but didn't have any on hand this time.  You could also used frozen mixed vegetables or fresh vegetables that you have precooked.  You can use your imagination and put together any combination of vegetables.)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups beef broth
3 or 4 small potatoes, peeled, cut into bite size pieces and boiled in a separate pot
pepper

Directions:

Brown the beef and onion over medium heat in the olive oil until done.
Sprinkle the flour all over the mixture and stir
Add the can of vegall and stir
Add the beef broth and stir.
Cook over medium heat until it starts to slightly bubble and then reduce heat and simmer for 10 or 15 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly.  You can always add more liquid if you think its too thick.  It will thicken more when baking in the oven.
Then pour it into a baking dish
Stir in the extra potatoes

The crust can be made in many ways.  You can make your own pie crust or use store bought.  I have even made it using a can of crescent rolls.

This time I used this recipe:

Crust:

1 cup of milk
1 stick of margarine melted (butter does not do well in this recipe.  I don't know why, but it doesn't)
1 cup of self rising flour
1 tsp of baking powder

Mix together until just blended.  It will be lumpy, but that's ok.
Pour it evenly over the beef and veggie mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until lightly browned.

You may notice that salt wasn't listed as an ingredient.  There's already plenty of salt in the Vegall and the beef broth.  We try not to add salt to our food if we can help it for health reasons.

In The Kitchen With Debbie - An easy and delicious one dish meal.

Good Monday morning to you!

I've been seeing an easy chicken, green bean and potato recipe on the internet, on Facebook, blogs and Pinterest, called One Dish Italian Chicken.  I'm always interested in easy, yet delicious and healthy meals, so I decided to give it a try.

As usual I changed it up a little bit to make use of what I already had on hand in my pantry.

The original recipe calls for green beans, boneless chicken breasts and new red potatoes.  You sprinkle Italian dressing mix on top and cut up butter on the chicken.  There is a page full of these recipes on Pinterest HERE.

Before adding the fried onions.

I substituted Ranch dressing mix and I only used about half of the package.  I then sprinkled some French's French Fried Onions all over the top.  The potatoes I had on hand were regular potatoes, not the new red ones, so I peeled some of those and cut them up into chunks.

Ready to go in the oven.

We are trying limit our salt intake so I didn't add any salt.  There is enough salt and flavor in the ranch dressing mix and the fried onions to make this dish delicious. 

The finished product.

This recipe is a keeper!  You can't beat it for being an easy to put together meal all in one dish.

Now that's a sandwich!

OK, this is the ultimate summer sandwich.  Its stick to the roof of your mouth, NOT whole wheat bread, running down your chin juiciness, healthy and bad for you all at the same time, goodness.

Gotta love a tomato that's so big, one slice covers the whole piece of bread!

We didn't grow this tomato, but it was locally grown.  Our tomatoes aren't as pretty, but every bit as delicious, if not more so!

Homemade Rolls

I made these rolls using THIS recipe.  I love using the dough cycle on my bread machine and then finishing up in the oven.  I have to say that these were the most delicious rolls and were the easiest to make of my limited  bread making experience.

They are good eaten as dinner rolls and also as sandwich buns for things like sloppy joes and hamburgers.

I plan to make another batch and freeze the individual unbaked rolls so that I can take out and bake only the number needed for a meal.  I used Mama's biscuit cutter which made very neat little dough discs.  It only takes about 13 minutes to bake them.

Weekly Menu Plan!

We have really been in a rut with our meals lately.  Do you ever get that way?  Nothing sounds good and we struggle to come up with an idea for our supper meal almost every single day.  So, I made a trip to the grocery store and tried to come up with some new ideas.

Here's this week's menu:

Saturday:  Stuffed Pork Chops, Rosemary Potatoes and Broccoli and Cheese

This is the first time I have made stuffed pork chops and THIS is the recipe I used.  I bought six thick pork chops and already had all the other ingredients on hand, except for the celery.  Although I think the celery would have been good in the recipe, I just omitted it and the end result was delicious.


The Rosemary Potatoes recipe can be found HERE.  These were really good!  My only change is that I wouldn't bother with lining the cookie sheet with aluminum foil.  Even though I sprayed the foil with cooking spray, the potatoes still stuck to it a little and when I tried to turn them the foil tore.    So, my feeling is that it would be easier to just cook the potatoes directly on the pan.


Since we were only feeding my hubby and I, we now have 4 pork chops left to eat this week!  Maybe I should freeze two of them? 


Sunday:


Fried chicken tenders, butterbeans, leftover mashed potatoes and rosemary potatoes.


Monday:

Meatloaf, Seasoned Green beans and rice.


Tuesday:

Leftover Stuffed Pork chops, Leftover green beans and/or butterbeans, and leftover rice.


Wednesday:

Hotdogs, Great Northern Beans


Thursday:  Italian Meatball Soup


Friday:

Small (less than 8 ounces) chuck eye steaks cooked in the frying pan, baked potatoes and what ever leftover veggies are on hand.  We are trying to stop food waste.


Have you planned any meals this week?

Mini Cheesecakes

I made some of these mini cheesecakes for Christmas this year. Aren't they cute?

The recipe makes WAAAY too many!  Next year I will make half or one third as many.

The cherry on top is from a can of cherry pie filling.

Baking in the oven.

Have a great Monday!

In the Kitchen With Debbie - More Saturday Morning Cooking

My new "go to" recipe for pot roast can be found HERE on the Pioneer Woman's Website.

These carrots and onions were browned before going into the pot.  I don't usually like carrots, but I  do like these after they completely cook with the roast.

Here I am searing all sides of the roast.

Here is our lovely roast right before putting it in the oven early Saturday morning.  I love to have time to really slow cook foods such as this roast.   Cooking on the weekend when I have more time, yields food that can be eaten all weekend and during the following work week.

Hints:  If you don't normally buy beef stock, you can use beef bullion cubes. 

Mashed potatoes or rice are a great side dish with this roast because of the wonderful juices that can be ladled over them.

I didn't use the fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs and it turned out just fine. 

Little McDebbie Muffins

Little McDebbie Muffins is what my hubby calls these breakfast sandwiches that I made Saturday morning.  I made ten, with the intention of freezing most of them.  So I had to get organized.

While a small amount of oil was heating in the frying pan, I got out the eggs.

 

I split the English muffins and took the cheese slices out of the wrapping.

I fried the eggs in the hot oil.  If you push the whites of the eggs toward the center with a spatula, they are rounder and fit on the muffins better.  I also poked the yokes so that they would cook.  I didn't want runny eggs in the muffins.

I had Pandora radio going on the computer while I worked.  The station I created was instrumental/piano music. 

Here are the muffins with the eggs on them.

Then I added the Canadian Bacon on top of the eggs.

Followed by cheese.  A couple of them have Pepper Jack cheese for a little bite!

The finished sandwiches:

I put them in sandwich bags.

Eight of the individual sandwiches were put in a gallon size bag and two were put in the fridge for eating right away.

These sandwiches have about 300 calories.  Hubby can take one with him to work to heat up after he gets there.