tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671275153541165042024-02-18T23:45:49.807-08:00Political NutritionConnecting the food chain with the political chain. We are what we eat.MJ Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13648470316694858238noreply@blogger.comBlogger262125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267127515354116504.post-11237360501362919822019-05-12T16:10:00.001-07:002019-07-04T13:54:02.744-07:00The evolving Brownie.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh02hmV_RnFNoKyUQTT406jnCB_XUEortjDp-46fw7DR-N-wUJrcwOQ2FcHjKHysdLMK0ODLxP7Hh9OwsTaj7TIh0KhKqEEVUauXUwLLbSf4X7pY7TNp6QhXh3n9syjYVQc96L9XAMFcl0/s1600/IMG_20190704_133634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh02hmV_RnFNoKyUQTT406jnCB_XUEortjDp-46fw7DR-N-wUJrcwOQ2FcHjKHysdLMK0ODLxP7Hh9OwsTaj7TIh0KhKqEEVUauXUwLLbSf4X7pY7TNp6QhXh3n9syjYVQc96L9XAMFcl0/s640/IMG_20190704_133634.jpg" width="640" /></a>Update!<br />
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So, here's a tweak for those who enjoy a thicker fudgier brownier. As if that is possible. So borrowing from Alton Brown's technique on baking, here you go. Double the recipe, and lower the temp to 300. Same pan. However, use parchment paper to form a sling, meaning line the bottom and come up on the sides so the parchment hangs over about 2 inches. This will allow you to transfer the whole uncut brownie to finish the cooling outside the pan.<br />
Next change, beat the eggs with a paddle attachment on medium for 3 minutes first, then add all the dry ingredients. Then add the melted butter and vanilla.<br />
Finally, bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven, set for 15 minutes, put them back in for another 30 minutes. Once removed from the oven, go ahead and let them rest for 30 minutes. Then using the parchment transfer to the cooling rack for 10 minutes. Now cut into 16 brownies. Eat one. Just one. Dare you.<br />
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Original Post<br />
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So let's keep this simple. Everyday it seems we're blasted with new products to try that help us in our daily struggle to avoid sugar, gluten, grains and other ingredients that seem to be harmful to us. It's all very personal of course, each of us having our own issues. Mine being diabetes and high cholesterol. And let's be clear. After 15 years I can tell you in my case, it's not the fat in my diet that's killing me. It's sugar. For me, that means sugars found in all kinds of foods, and that includes grains. I also however am human. With all those imperfections, bad habits and irrepressible impulses. Like Chocolate. So every few weeks I try a new brownie recipe. Never quite right. Until now. This time, with the help of Amazon and some amazing finds, I've got it. Not that the others were bad, they were certainly good enough to get me by. But I am simply so pleased with these new ingredients I wanted to share them with you.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9r0oRVMqZoL6f9q-CNqxEHb9k_tUq7f5VqMmCxBUpDkAiHEQyVQ4eNTP5EVBLVT4Q7dnJe05Bhz8oagCMMoPaLwU7XS0OTZNaNl3FBNXeQy4G1ia5V4fNR0ddYJUTdO1jRX2Xa1C5aZ4/s1600/IMG_20190512_145451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9r0oRVMqZoL6f9q-CNqxEHb9k_tUq7f5VqMmCxBUpDkAiHEQyVQ4eNTP5EVBLVT4Q7dnJe05Bhz8oagCMMoPaLwU7XS0OTZNaNl3FBNXeQy4G1ia5V4fNR0ddYJUTdO1jRX2Xa1C5aZ4/s320/IMG_20190512_145451.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
The first new ingredient is Allulose. Rather than being a sugar substitute, it's considered a rare sugar. It is not quite as sweet as cane sugar, but it's impact on our blood glucose levels is nominal. It simply doesn't behave like cane sugar. So it's a sugar we can eat with no glycemic impact. The other ingredient that's critical here is the flour. Most low carb and keto recipes use a whey protein blend to give it texture. I can't tolerate it. So for me the low carb substitute flours just haven't worked. I have to use nut flour, which often adds unwanted flavor, and doesn't quite provide the consistency. This new Lupin Flour is awesome. No funky taste and awesome texture. And it's plant protein, so well tolerated. Lastly I tried a new cocoa, a blend that was phenomenal to work with and tastes absolutely amazing. Now one tip... for a crackly crusty top, go ahead and heat the cocoa and sugar with the butter. I'm simply too lazy.<br />
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I can't wait to try some of my newest creations using the Lupin Flour and Allulose. The brownies are soooo good, I'm thinking everything else will be too. Now, if only I knew how to make homemade pasta. That's next on my list.<br />
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So, here they are, Brownies for those who can't have Brownies.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
1 Cup <a href="https://amzn.to/2ViYE40" target="_blank">Allulose</a><br />
1/2 Cup <a href="https://amzn.to/2W0TLBc" target="_blank">Cocoa</a><br />
1/4 Cup <a href="https://amzn.to/2W2Z56Q" target="_blank">Miracle Lupin Flour</a><br />
2 Eggs<br />
1 Stick Butter<br />
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract<br />
1/4 Tsp Salt<br />
1/4 cup <a href="https://amzn.to/2LG2cxJ" target="_blank">Chocolate chips</a> or nuts<br />
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Preheat oven to 350, or for glass or dark non-stick use 325 oven. Grease an 8 x 8 square pan.<br />
In large microwaveable bowl, or saucepan on the stove if you prefer, melt the butter. If melting on stovetop, remove and let cool.<br />
Stir in the cocoa until smooth and shiny. Add the Allulose (sugar) and mix well. Beat in the eggs one at a time until well blended. Stir in the Vanilla. Add the flour and salt and mix well. Pour into pan and sprinkle your choice of chocolate chips or nuts on top. Banke for 20-25 minutes or less. Do not overbake. Let cool and enjoy.<br />
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<br />MJ Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13648470316694858238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267127515354116504.post-44455269223785366772017-06-03T09:37:00.001-07:002017-06-03T09:44:15.792-07:00Silence is SoylentAnyone remember <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070723/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Soylent Green</a>? Yeah. That's where my mind is going now. What the hell happened to America, land of bountiful harvest and innovation? I haven't been cooking too much lately, or experimenting much. Hard to afford the ingredients anymore. Organic was once a luxury, now it's a necessity. We are back to being hunters and gatherers. We have to hunt for real food. Real ingredients. And pay dearly when we find them. Just creating a simple wholesome patriotic 4th of July dessert has become all but impossible. Listen, when the label on the container of blueberries has ingredients... you're in trouble.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3GJz-8ns9wS_SOxIhdn2YtA3z8EzffaVhlhxa7YqwT3pOxzzrOypnboE1Ad39kEtMx7AcElu28y5ild9Zk1POwardfjaQdAckhsSxvY95iGg33VVsGcIo5PDIYFW0oA_BTPuKI_jF7Zw/s1600/IMG_20140704_150203_855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3GJz-8ns9wS_SOxIhdn2YtA3z8EzffaVhlhxa7YqwT3pOxzzrOypnboE1Ad39kEtMx7AcElu28y5ild9Zk1POwardfjaQdAckhsSxvY95iGg33VVsGcIo5PDIYFW0oA_BTPuKI_jF7Zw/s320/IMG_20140704_150203_855.jpg" width="320" /></a>Feeding billions of people is hard on a planet. But when we are literally destroying our planet in the process of daily existence, it's worse. Way worse. I only mention that old 70's shtick movie because it was so incredibly far fetched at that time, and I realize, we're not far off from all that insanity now.<br />
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Humans have come a long way, made a lot of mistakes. Mostly out of making our lives easier to live. All of it. Energy consumption has destroyed our incredible planet. We figured it out of course, made some changes, some rules, guidelines to ensure our future. And then along came #45. Forget all the dictators that have come and gone before around the world. This one is different. He figured out how to dismantle a democracy, how to appeal to the weakest of human character traits and take advantage of it. While the world watches in horror, we are day by day letting our tomorrows disappear.<br />
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We can put an end to it. It's not as hard as you think. But you cannot remain silent any longer. Silence is Soylent. New slogan. Words are powerful. It was the words of one that led many astray, it will be the words of many that lead him away.... far far away. So the next time you find yourself nodding during a discussion, shrugging your shoulders and saying "hey it is what it is," remember soylent green. And try a new phrase. How about "hey, this is unacceptable, what can we do?" or call your congressional representative (yes representative, they work for you) or your senator. Then there's my personal favorite... when someone you know says "give him a chance" don't roll your eyes. Look directly at them and say "are you batshit crazy?"<br />
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Most of us all love to eat, pretty much. I'd like to continue to eat. Real, nutritious, delicious food. So help me out here and let's save this planet from impending doom. Or worse, the coming of the Soylent Green.MJ Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13648470316694858238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267127515354116504.post-31760427685696901442015-05-24T14:22:00.001-07:002015-05-24T14:22:40.840-07:00Political Nutrition<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jzIGfGWdcNo" width="480"></iframe>MJ Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13648470316694858238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267127515354116504.post-40890416756794046202015-01-18T10:43:00.000-08:002015-01-18T10:47:08.200-08:00Rich Chocolate Gluten Free Cake that's Deliciously low in carbsSeriously. I have had some success lately with chocolate and baking and well, dessert in general. But it was really gnawing at me that if you can make a flourless chocolate cake, then a low carb one should be a natural. Right? Make that gluten free too, grain free and sugar free as well... yeah, I know what you're thinking. Same here. Just wasn't happening. Always ends up more of a torte, and often while I can devour a torte, my friends and family are a bit overwhelmed with superdark chocolate confections. I just hadn't achieved that perfect balance, until now. Per <a href="http://www.djfoodie.com/Decadent-Chocolate-Cake" target="_blank">DJFoodie's</a> recommendation, I took a recipe from <a href="http://www.atkins.com/recipes/decadent-chocolate-cake/231" target="_blank">Atkins</a>... which used sucralose, then I subbed in my go-to sweetener... <a href="http://www.swervesweetener.com/" target="_blank">Swerve</a>. The thing about Swerve is that it acts just like sugar when baking, and doesn't make your stomach feel like a soccer team has taken up habitation in your gut. Best thing? Doesn't have the glycemic spike of many artificial sweeteners. They might be calorie free, but they can still fool your body into thinking it's eating sugar. Just an FYI.<br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Of course I always have to put my spin on things, and some fabulous strawberry coulis was just the thing. </span>Son-of-a-batman there it was.<br />
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I know right? Look at the top crust on this thing. The texture. The absolute it must be bad for me look of this thing. Everyone knows you taste with your eyes first. And this tastes amazing at first glance! Just fabulous. So let's break it down. Gluten free? Yep. Grain Free? Yep. Sugar Free? Yep. Low Carb? Well of course it is. Now for those who avoid eggs, I just don't know on this one if an egg substitute will work, but it couldn't hurt to try. </div>
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First, the cake. Here's what you'll need:</div>
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6 organic brown eggs, room temperature</div>
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4 oz unsweetened chocolate (try for the Organic fair trade)</div>
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1 stick unsalted sweet butter</div>
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2 tablespoons water</div>
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3/4 cup swerve granular sweetener divided into 1/4 and 1/2 cups</div>
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract (you can also use almond or hazelnut)</div>
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2 tablespoons cocoa powder</div>
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Preheat the oven to 325 F and grease an 8" round cake pan. Lay a piece of parchment along the bottom as well for ease in removing the cake. </div>
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Melt the butter, chocolate and water in a microwave safe bowl. I recommend using medium power, and check every minute or so and stir to avoid overheating. You can also melt in a double boiler on the stove if you prefer. Set aside and let cool. Mix in 1/4 cup of the Swerve and the vanilla to the chocolate mixture, then slowly mix in the cocoa until it is smooth and creamy. If need be, transfer batter to a larger mixing bowl to allow room to add the egg mixture.</div>
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Beat the eggs in a medium bowl for about 5 or 6 minutes until they become thick enough to form streams or ribbons when you pull the beaters away. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of swerve and mix well on medium speed. </div>
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Add about 1/3 of the egg mixture to the chocolate batter and mix until well blended and the color is a bit lighter. Fold in the remaining egg mixture, until the batter is well blended. </div>
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Pour batter into the cake pan, and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes until just set on top. I used a Wilton uncoated pan, so if you are using different types of bakeware it will impact the finish time! Don't overbake. Remove and let cool in pan on wire rack. </div>
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Strawberry Coulis:</div>
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8 whole fresh strawberries, sliced up (about one cup dry measure)</div>
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2 tablespoons Swerve confectioners</div>
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Combine strawberries and Swerve in your processor... I use a magic bullet, but use what you have to puree the strawberries with the sweetener. Refrigerate the puree until ready to serve. It will thicken as it cools down.</div>
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That's it. Now grab a knife, slice yourself a bit of heaven, add a little Coulis to the plate, and a dollop of whipped cream (make your own please, no cool whip allowed) and you are all set for the most amazing gggfree experience. </div>
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MJ Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13648470316694858238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267127515354116504.post-64437265541299981872014-12-28T09:38:00.000-08:002014-12-28T10:53:34.342-08:00Holiday Waffles low carb and fabulous for any day!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Low Carb Miller Holiday Waffles</td></tr>
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So I got a waffle maker for Christmas. Yay!!!!! Only where are the recipes? You know, that I can use? None. Only 3 recipes in the booklet, wheat and yeast and sugar. Ugh. I need Low Carb Waffles. That taste like the real deal! Plenty of coconut recipes out there, but I don't like working with coconut flour. Tends to come out dry and more like a cornmeal consistency.<br />
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So I did some research. First, what's the difference between Pancake batter and Waffle batter? I don't know, but I do know how to make fantastic low carb pancakes. So I figured I'd start there and see what google says.<br />
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Google says check the forums. So I checked the forums. Most people say the difference is in the oil and how you add the eggs. Ok. Seems the secret is in the eggs themselves. Separate them, and fold in the egg whites and you have waffles. Seems simple enough.<br />
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Only what's this about oil????? My pancakes don't use oil. I cook them in butter. I'll use butter. Melted. Just a little oil for good measure. Good idea? we'll see.<br />
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Yep. Good idea. So the only caveat to fabulous low carb waffles, I use peanut flour so if you have an aversion or allergy, these aren't for you. You might try almond flour, could work. I find it a bit gritty sometimes. Doesn't bind quite as well as the peanut and chickpea. I'll be working on different combinations now, though I have to say, the first waffle out of the shoot was amazing. I served it to my mother-in-law and she loved it. Hubby loved it too... thought maybe it could use some whipped cream and berries.<br />
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My daughter wasn't as impressed. Oh she liked it all right, just didn't have any appreciation for the work that went in to creating the batter. One that is low carb and has that Belgian waffle softness on the inside.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maple Extract give a darker color</td></tr>
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But I'm impressed with myself! This worked beautifully. Not as crisp as I'd like it, so I think I might recommend a bit more oil. If that works for you let me know! My second go round I just placed the waffles in the warming tray of my oven for a few minutes and that seemed to help. Now working on consistency in browning is trickier. As you can see some came out lighter, others darker, but timing was the same.The darker color appeared when using the maple extract rather than Vanilla. It's a bit heavier and richer so it will impact your results. So it's probably time to get to know my new waffle maker a bit better and keep experimenting!<br />
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Miller Holiday Waffles. Makes 3 full size waffles.<br />
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2 Eggs, separated<br />
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled<br />
1 tsp Oil<br />
2 tsp Baking Powder<br />
1/2 cup Peanut Flour (full fat)<br />
1/4 cup Chickpea flour<br />
1 tsp Vanilla Extract (or try any other flavor)<br />
3 Tbsp Swerve Granular (any sweetener is fine I suppose)<br />
1/4 cup Water (or cream if you really want to splurge)<br />
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Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form in small bowl and set aside. <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Whisk dry ingredients in large mixing bowl. </span><br />
Add melted butter, egg yolks, oil, water and extract and beat until smooth and creamy. Fold in egg whites until all streaks disappear. My new waffle iron is a Waring and uses 3/4 batter per waffle, check your instructions for how much batter to use per waffle.<br />
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Pour your batter into the heated waffle iron, cook, eat, enjoy! If you are using a waffle iron cook the regular amount of time you normally would if no timer or light will tell you. I also sprayed the surface with cooking spray between each batch to keep it from sticking.<br />
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The verdict on these was a resounding success! If your health dictates you avoid gluten, wheat, sugar and carbs, then these will surely do the trick.<br />
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Here's what I'm using, and please note if you do purchase this item, I may be compensated in some small fractional way for promoting it :)<br />
Doubt it, but it could happen and you should know.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=wheisgoitobem-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00F3SA9LO&asins=B00F3SA9LO&linkId=DA3F2SZV75GXRHDV&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
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<br />MJ Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13648470316694858238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267127515354116504.post-18762542492377723542014-09-27T20:06:00.000-07:002014-09-28T09:49:03.213-07:00Saturdays in TucsonSo expecting a dark and stormy Saturday, I put on my baking apron and waited for the sun to disappear behind the angry clouds. And waited. And waited. But alas, it's another happy sunny day with no sign of rain. Yet.<br>
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So what to bake? I've had a few somewhat snippy, possibly angry, messages lately from blog readers wondering why nothing new is coming out. My blog is dry. Just like my surroundings. So I promised myself, a new recipe for today. I just don't know what that is. It'll be healthy, that much I can tell you. Hubby asked "do you have what you need?" Of course I do. </div>
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It's just an idea of what to do with them I don't have. I was thinking Pecans though. I have a whole bagful. Fudge could be in order. Or not. Maybe I should go savory today. Big pot of soup. Or chile. Or some wild new salad combination. Nah. </div>
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I'm just really out of zip. I'm tired. It's sunny. I have no motivation. Hang on. I do have motivation. Today is the day I'm going to try that new pretzel recipe. Yep. I saw someone attempt pretzels that are wheat and gluten free. They looked a little off though, so I'm going to attempt my own. We'll see what we get. Hang on. Wait. Zanthan gum? eeew. OK, let's go somewhere else today. Brownie land. Always a good place. This one from Pinterest... <a href="http://wilmasssrecipes.blogspot.co.nz/2014/04/the-best-paleo-brownies-gluten-free.html" target="_blank">A paleo version of brownies with some modifications.</a> I've been wondering for awhile what would happen if I added a little chocolate to the <a href="http://iwantthelastword.blogspot.com/2013/12/omg-blondies.html" target="_blank">blondie</a> recipe. On top of the chopped chocolate, of course. A little cocoa? Yum.</div>
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Here goes.</div>
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Wait for it. Smells good. That's a good sign.<br>
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Oh yeah. Looks good too. So this isn't my own recipe... nor anyone else's entirely. This one is about, well, trying out other recipes, a little tweaking and sharing when they actually work.<br>
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Chocolate Blondies for lack of a better description....</div>
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Preheat oven to 325f. Prep an 8x8 baking pan. </div>
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In a large bowl, combine the following:</div>
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1 cup almond butter</div>
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1 Teaspoon Hazelnut Extract (or vanilla if you don't have it)</div>
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1/3 cup Swerve</div>
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1/2 tsp baking soda</div>
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1 egg</div>
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1/3 cup cocoa</div>
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2 tablespoons coconut oil or butter (cocoa tends to make the batter a little dry)</div>
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1/4 cup chopped chocolate pieces (I prefer 72%)</div>
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Combine well and spoon into pan. Spread evenly. Bake 20 minutes and remove and place on cooling rack. Makes 16 brownies.</div>
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And yes. it tastes good. Crusty top, chewy center. Just like mom used to make.</div>
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MJ Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13648470316694858238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267127515354116504.post-41826984960469509882014-08-16T08:59:00.000-07:002014-08-16T09:02:24.049-07:00Coffee Cake. So Coffee doesn't have to drink alone.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Normally Saturday morning is Pancakes. All kinds. But today I was inspired to once again try to make a coffee cake. You know the one. With the stream of cinnamon sugar and a few nuts rolling through it along with a hint of apple? But creating that slice of deliciousness without wheat flour has been challenging. I've tried coconut flour.... eew. Dry as a bone. I tried whey protein... not so agreeable with me. So this time, I did a little of this and a little of that. The two ingredients you may not find in your pantry? Full fat peanut flour and Maca Powder. Both available from nuts.com which I freely admit to being addicted to. Love that place. And no, I do not receive any compensation for saying that.</div>
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GGGFree Coffee Cake<br />
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Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8 x 8 pyrex dish.<br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">1 cup Almond flour less three tbsp </span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">1 cup full fat Peanut Flour</span><br />
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon<br />
3 TBSP Maca Powder<br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">2 teaspoons BAKING POWDER</span><br />
1/2 cup sweetener. Use a natural granular that measures and bakes cup for cup like sugar. I used <a href="http://www.swervesweetener.com/" target="_blank">Swerve</a><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">1/4 teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">1 teaspoon vanilla</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">4 large organic eggs</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">1 stick melted (half cup or 8 tablespoons) organic butter, unsalted, or Ghee.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">1/6 cup heavy cream or unsweetened Almond Milk</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">1/6 cup no sugar added apple sauce</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Combine all dry ingredients in mixing bowl. I recommend sifting the almond flour as fine as possible.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Add melted butter, vanilla, apple sauce and cream, and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, blendiing fully with mixture until the batter is thick and smooth. Pour into 8" square pyrex dish.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Cinnamon Topping:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">2 Tabelspoons melted butter</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">2 Tablespoons Cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">2-3 tablespoons Swerve or Splenda (sugar or honey if you are not worried about it)</span><br />
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1/4 cup chopped raw, unsalted pecans (or whichever nut you prefer.)</div>
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Whisk Cinnamon and sugar into melted butter, than fold in the nuts. The mixture will be very very thick and goppy. Is that a word? Is now.</div>
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Swirl topping with the edge of a knife throughout the poured batter. I drop in dollops around the top and then gently swirl each one. </div>
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Cinnamon sprinkle:</div>
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1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon swerve. Mix well.</div>
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Sprinkle your cinnamon sugar around the top for an added dose of bistro ambience. </div>
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Bake 35-40 minutes until set, edges begin to pull away from the side and a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy warm from the oven or refrigerate for later. The only thing missing from this particular cake? Good friends to share it with. </div>
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MJ Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13648470316694858238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267127515354116504.post-29184331144162582412014-08-10T08:21:00.000-07:002014-12-27T09:18:24.625-08:00Sure Ive got a Muffin Top. I've got hundreds and I love them all.<div>
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Always trying to improve upon a necessary breakfast food, here's another tweak to the muffin. Some of the ingredients are not ordinary staples in your pantry, I understand that. But if you live a grain free life, and eat low carb foods, these are new pantry essentials that will turn a low carb diet into a fabulous new way to eat. Diet is an ugly word. It's restrictive. It is something you can go "on" and "off" which is awful for you. Just learn to use a few new kitchen essentials and you won't miss a thing.<br>
Except maybe corn. Cannot help you there.<br>
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Remember, if you are unfamiliar with some of the ingredients, send me a note and I'll let you know where to find them!<br>
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Now, muffins aren't fussy. So you can make these in a bowl with a mixing spoon, no fancy electric mixers or dough paddles required. Just a few minutes to whisk and stir.<br>
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1 cup peanut flour</div>
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1 cup less 3 tablespoons almond flour</div>
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3 tablespoons maca powder </div>
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2 teaspoons baking powder</div>
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1/4 teaspoon salt</div>
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1/3 cup granulated swerve plus one teaspoon (set aside)</div>
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1 stick melted butter</div><div>4 eggs</div>
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1/6 cup cream</div>
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1/6 cup bai 5 peach</div>
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1/2 teaspoon orange extract</div>
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1/2 teaspoon mango extract</div>
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1/2 cup fresh blueberries</div>
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Whisk all dry ingredients till lumps are gone. add butter. Mix well. Add Cream, Juice and extract and mix well. Add in eggs, one at a time, until batter is smooth and eggs are well incorporated.</div>
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Use muffin tin liners. fill each equally and then place blueberries on top (push down a little to set into the muffin batter). Sprinkle each with pinch of granulated swerve.</div>
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Bake at 350 for about 17 minutes. Until they're nice and golden on top.<br>
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These muffins will remain light and fluffy without being dry, slightly sweet without weighing you down and have the buttery top without making you feel too indulgent. Now scramble up some eggs and add a little bacon or sausage, get a copy of the Sunday Times and you'll wonder why you ever thought plain old toast was worthy of Sunday mornings.</div>
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MJ Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13648470316694858238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267127515354116504.post-18314910411127929982014-07-26T20:11:00.000-07:002014-07-26T20:53:23.989-07:00Ditch the box and start from scratchSometimes competition gets the best of you. Sometimes you just need to prove you can. Whatever it is, you can. So, in my quest to be this all put together adult member of an ever increasing family preparing for the eldest of the next generation's marriage to another large family I somehow declared that during the chaos of the wedding weekend I would in fact bake a cake for my daughter's birthday.<br>
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There was some nobility behind this. We don't eat traditional birthday cake and I certainly wanted to make things special. But then I realized that what we consider delicious and wholesome and healthy even may not be suitable for everyone else. That whole judgement thing started creeping in. What if my cake sucks? What if someone runs out to the nearest grocery store to get an emergency cake because they think mine is somehow fake cake?<br>
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Well, I figured I better practice. Make sure my cake can be made quickly and easily amidst all the chaos. I know my muffins are good. And my layer cake is good too. But this is not going to be me in my kitchen with all my gadgets and tools. It'll be in someone else's kitchen with bridal mayhem all around. So I adapted my muffin recipe, what some call a muffin cake, and it was beautiful.<br>
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Of course then we had to frost it. Birthday cake must be frosted. So I turned to my version of the Betty in a can frosting. And it was of course just the right touch. I knew then that this birthday cake thing was gonna be fine. I got this. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS75PneEqIl2elTvOcxYDXnQO-UC3R5PsPBWCireewZgqB7ZWS4lawOxkB02R5S24yqdjajK3SNM_19FxOS2V1sVM_cm7NgPjb59hUyoXnmTIPZybwx7d2DD_igCMqdkexr_bGsFViIts/s1600/IMG_20140726_190648_595.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS75PneEqIl2elTvOcxYDXnQO-UC3R5PsPBWCireewZgqB7ZWS4lawOxkB02R5S24yqdjajK3SNM_19FxOS2V1sVM_cm7NgPjb59hUyoXnmTIPZybwx7d2DD_igCMqdkexr_bGsFViIts/s1600/IMG_20140726_190648_595.jpg" height="180" width="320"></a></div>
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Well almost. Next practice is the writing on the cake. That's a bit tricky. But I'm up for the challenge.</div>
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Emmy's Birthday Cake</div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Ingredients:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">1 cup Almond Flour</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">1/2 cup cocoa</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">1/2 cup Swerve granular sweetener</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">2 Teaspoons Baking Powder</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">1 stick melted organic butter</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">4 organic eggs</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">1/3 cup Almond Milk (unsweetened)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">1 teaspoon Hazelnut Extract</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">1 tablespoon instant espresso powder</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Preheat oven to 350 and grease an 8x8 glass pyrex baking dish.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In large mixing bowl, mix all dry ingredients. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Mix in eggs, one at a time, then add almond milk and gently mix until well blended. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Evenly fill baking dish and bake 40-45 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Don't overbake. Let cool and refrigerate overnight for best results. Use your favorite frosting or try my <a href="http://iwantthelastword.blogspot.com/2014/01/oh-betty-i-believe-youve-met-your-match.html" target="_blank">Betty in a can.</a></span></div>
MJ Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13648470316694858238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267127515354116504.post-13535920546569179112014-07-03T20:38:00.000-07:002014-07-03T20:38:01.603-07:00Emily's Lovely Lemon DropsAfter a week of dipping fresh Strawberries in homemade chocolate dipping sauce, we were ready for something totally different. Still healthy of course, just different. Cookies. Buttery, sugary cookies.<br />
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We also thought it was time to break out the new fruit extracts. When you first go low carb you discover that you can dress up anything with a good extract. Not artificial flavors and not sugary syrups. Just a little extract can change up a recipe in a heartbeat.<br />
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Which is what you'll have many more of if you eat right. Lose the grain, lose the sugar... and ultimately gain your health back.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlUQd0-ftTm8Id83Qnwujr6dO6L5EmpR4T_pzoKk1SGtUe8sOpNP3L9UbnUM_ysKirn4GgzUWIkWeiNVtWiGn0KtkN-D_2-erAP9Qwfv8ictBeqMneR5O_iIgGI1PKonbQ8ejWUE5NHk/s1600/IMG_20140703_161821_572.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlUQd0-ftTm8Id83Qnwujr6dO6L5EmpR4T_pzoKk1SGtUe8sOpNP3L9UbnUM_ysKirn4GgzUWIkWeiNVtWiGn0KtkN-D_2-erAP9Qwfv8ictBeqMneR5O_iIgGI1PKonbQ8ejWUE5NHk/s1600/IMG_20140703_161821_572.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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The great thing about these cookies? You can change up the flavor of the cookie, and change up the flavor of the icing. Ultimately there's no end to the combinations you can make. And they are the perfect recipe for a summer day, since they don't take long to bake. Plus, in the summertime when your children are home? You can get them to do the baking. Now mine are grown, but I bet you can hand this off to your tween or teen for a great rainy day project. I know my daughter and I had to spend quite a few minutes on flavor selection alone. Quality time to be sure.</div>
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Ultimately, my eldest chose lemon for the cookies, and peach for the icing. She also did all the mixing, stirring and baking. My favorite kind of recipe! Total yum. And while this was supposed to be a sugar cookie, the cookies themselves turned out more like buttery shortbread, with a touch of added sweetness in the icing. Definitely a refreshing change-up from the everyday desserts we low-carbers suffer through. Yeah. Sarcasm for those new to this game. Low carb today means truly enjoying some of the best baked goods ever. So enjoy.</div>
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Emily's Lovely Lemon Drops</div>
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1 1/4 cups Almond Flour </div>
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3/4 cup Swerve Granular</div>
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1/4 cup softened unsalted butter</div>
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1 large egg at room temperature</div>
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1 teaspoon Lemon Extract</div>
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Preheat oven to 350F and line a cookie tray with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, mix the flour and Swerve until well blended. Add butter and mix until creamed. Add the egg and extract, and blend well until a nice dough consistency is formed. Form small balls, maybe an inch, and place on tray. With the back of a fork, press each ball down to form a round disc. Dough can be sticky, so you might need to press lightly on the cookie with your fingertip while lifting the fork up.</div>
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Bake 8 minutes, and remove from oven. Let cool for a minute or two, then transfer cookies to a rack to finish cooling. While cookies cool, make the icing.</div>
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Icing:</div>
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1/4 cup confectioners swerve</div>
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2 or 3 tablespoons heavy cream</div>
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1/2 teaspoon Peach extract</div>
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Place swerve in a bowl and add cream one tablespoon at a time, until the a smooth cream consistency suitable for icing the cookies is achieved. Add extract and mix well. If the icing is too thick, add a little more cream. Too thin, add a little more Swerve.</div>
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Drop a dollop of icing on each cookie and spread lightly around. Wait a minute. Enjoy one or two. Refrigerate the rest for later. </div>
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<br />MJ Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13648470316694858238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267127515354116504.post-36125620900278975922014-06-08T19:59:00.000-07:002014-06-08T19:59:37.694-07:00Miss Maple MuffinsSo I love all things Maple. Seriously. I would almost trade chocolate for maple sugar candy. Almost. It was a favorite treat growing up. Finding out you are diabetic is hard enough. Learning Maple sugar candy is out? Oh my goodness.<br />
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But wait. What is this I have found on Amazon? Maple Extract? Can it be? Can I make something totally Maple and delicious without the sugar?<br />
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It was a gamble to be sure. Especially with our current houseguest being a native Vermonter with his own affinity for Maple. But my daughter and I had our sights set on it. Well, truthfully, we figured out how to make a Maple glaze icing. You know the kind at the donut shop? We also figured out how to make a Cherry. And about 6 other flavors. What can I tell you, it was mother daughter bonding time. Fill a bowl with powdered sweetener, add a little cream, then divide into little dishes and add different extracts for flavor. The Maple was so good we wanted more. We just didn't have anything to glaze. She did suggest we just eat it out of the bowl, but I believe in responsible parenting. True she's in her 20's and my advise is only taken on a whim... but still. Anyway the Maple was really outstanding. And we had to have some more.<br />
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I thought of icing some Cinnamon muffins, but thy have their own special topping already. And I thought maybe some nice vanilla muffins, but then... why stop there? Why not go totally Maple? Like this?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUHNAqwoGlyEAB5xE7MKaNkS5sWJ9bt-imK0ZQ5XAjherD_IcA4yxcsZ4fQU6NL0evra4x_foOZWuE7jzzCsRnZ1wDg5CDanc0pQDyQHrxEUWYWJgph7I_pDc5ZZy5KcxBGB4mJPiGy-c/s1600/IMG_0352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUHNAqwoGlyEAB5xE7MKaNkS5sWJ9bt-imK0ZQ5XAjherD_IcA4yxcsZ4fQU6NL0evra4x_foOZWuE7jzzCsRnZ1wDg5CDanc0pQDyQHrxEUWYWJgph7I_pDc5ZZy5KcxBGB4mJPiGy-c/s1600/IMG_0352.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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I know. You can just smell the maple can't you? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemFZrzxyTy3n66c6PQDPgZHyoIAKUL5XsoIqlJHw_0JZ-kxmOSIkaokfHkYOUsfKdf1lMheHMNAPHEozUXFByrTFddGYNXEhZ0Wplovldsy6EEQy2Ykx9Y0MVA_vqmjh9dw0MrgobZUE/s1600/IMG_20140608_181444_556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemFZrzxyTy3n66c6PQDPgZHyoIAKUL5XsoIqlJHw_0JZ-kxmOSIkaokfHkYOUsfKdf1lMheHMNAPHEozUXFByrTFddGYNXEhZ0Wplovldsy6EEQy2Ykx9Y0MVA_vqmjh9dw0MrgobZUE/s1600/IMG_20140608_181444_556.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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But when the icing is gone, you still need some Maple don't you?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5xB0A4GKr4XPNbC87rz-LlyjHuWNJM2A8B10zG8y2H1bRhuHpT_07VcAwqs1aWiG23zK9enpU_2108eVmQhzDgX4j4gvA6dE8qJrQYHwKNwFvldLE3vQdECgmTF4kogASsvl-bAn1cpU/s1600/IMG_20140608_170734_202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5xB0A4GKr4XPNbC87rz-LlyjHuWNJM2A8B10zG8y2H1bRhuHpT_07VcAwqs1aWiG23zK9enpU_2108eVmQhzDgX4j4gvA6dE8qJrQYHwKNwFvldLE3vQdECgmTF4kogASsvl-bAn1cpU/s1600/IMG_20140608_170734_202.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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I know, you figured it out, didn't you. The Maple's in the Muffin. There is nothing like biting into a hot fresh maple muffin with maple glaze. Nothing. Trust me. One bite, you'll be hooked. </div>
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Miss Maple Muffins</div>
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1 cup Almond Flour</div>
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1 cup Peanut Flour (not defatted)</div>
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2 Teaspoons Baking Powder</div>
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1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt</div>
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1/3 cup granulated Swerve</div>
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4 Organic Eggs</div>
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1/3 cup Almond Milk</div>
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1 Stick melted unsalted grass-fed butter</div>
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1 Teaspoon Pure Maple Extract</div>
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Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Preheat oven to 350F.</div>
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Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add Melted Butter and stir until well blended. Mix in Almond Milk and Maple Extract. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until batter is just blended and eggs are well incorporated. Divide batter evenly among cups and bake about 18-20 minutes. </div>
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Cool on Rack.</div>
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Icing:</div>
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1/2 cup or so of powdered Swerve (honestly I just dumped a bunch into the bowl)</div>
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1 Teaspoon Maple Extract</div>
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about 1/3 cup cream (again, the amount is based on the consistency you want)</div>
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Slowly add cream to Powdered Swerve in a small bowl while stirring with whisk until a pourable consistency is achieved. Whisk in Extract. </div>
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Spoon onto muffin tops and spread evenly. Eat. Then if you have any left, refrigerate.</div>
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<br />MJ Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13648470316694858238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267127515354116504.post-47494700757720005922014-05-04T08:40:00.001-07:002014-05-04T08:42:31.705-07:00A new twist on an old favorite.<div>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">So I'm not running a bagel shop and I don't happen to poppy seeds laying around. And thinking that's a good thing. I love a good bagel. But way off topic. Back to poppy seeds. I have none. What I do have are Hemp Hearts. The heart of the Hemp seed which tastes pretty much like a sunflower seed. Almost exactly actually. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Now I also have Lemons. It is Arizona after all. And today's a big day for the Millers. Our daughter comes home. Now among all the chaos this brings (suitcases, boxes, all the things she's accumulated over the last 5 years including a significant other and 2 bunny rabbits and all their belongings.. whew. yeah. But I realized the brownies I made the other day unfortunately flopped so I couldn't in good conscience offer them. I used cashew flour mixed with Almond Flour and that's a totpic for an all too different blog.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYDdvuFwm12UNdmDaU56jJP7MTNf2yPTBFQaeb1tDYnfah923mk6NCsudjmFsFS_vu55sbeLjU2It9d2BSxorVxS1p9ewImI13yCTz7AxbA2GBDFRumE1-qc8tSjGdaa1Dwo7m5U4xnGM/s1600/IMG_20140504_075605_885.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYDdvuFwm12UNdmDaU56jJP7MTNf2yPTBFQaeb1tDYnfah923mk6NCsudjmFsFS_vu55sbeLjU2It9d2BSxorVxS1p9ewImI13yCTz7AxbA2GBDFRumE1-qc8tSjGdaa1Dwo7m5U4xnGM/s1600/IMG_20140504_075605_885.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">So I decided I'm tired of Blueberry Muffins and my Mocha Java doesn't go well with the sugar free apricot preserves. What would? Lemon. Lemon muffins. Which of course led me to Lemon Poppy Seed. And this is how I ended up with Lemon Hemp Heart Muffins.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br />Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan (regular size not the wimpy mini ones) or use paper liners.<br /><br />1 3/4 cups Almond flour</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">1/4 cup Peanut Flour (I get mine from Nuts.com)<br />2 teaspoons BAKING POWDER<br />1/4 teaspoon salt</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">1/3 cup sweetener I used </span><a href="http://www.swervesweetener.com/" target="_blank">Swerve</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br />1 teaspoon vanilla<br />4 large organic eggs<br />1 stick melted (half cup or 8 tablespoons) organic butter, unsalted, or Ghee.<br />1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice</span></div>
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<br />I used <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00856TSCC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00856TSCC&linkCode=as2&tag=wheisgoitobem-20&linkId=GIMVGZXFARFW7WVT">Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts Shelled Hemp Seed, 16 Ounce Pouch</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=wheisgoitobem-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00856TSCC" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> </span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br />Add melted butter, vanilla, and lemon and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, blendiing fully with mixture until the batter is thick and smooth. Fold in the Hemp Hearts. Pour into muffin tin cups roughly 3/4 way up.<br /><br />Bake 20 minutes until top is set and firm and a toothpick comes out pretty clean. Don't overbake. Place on cooling rack and if preferred, drizzle a bit of granulated swerve on each muffin top for extra sweetness. </span></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Almond Flour goods should be refrigerated after they are completely cool for best texture and taste. But I have to say, these were fabulous right out of the oven. Total time start to finish? 25 minutes. Breakfast is served!</span></span></div>
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MJ Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13648470316694858238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267127515354116504.post-11371188215637983982014-05-02T21:19:00.002-07:002014-05-02T21:21:30.457-07:00Burnt peanuts without sugar? Oh but of course!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I had this urge for boston baked beans. No, not the kind in a can, the kind in a bag in the candy section at the store. I thought hmmm. How how how????</div>
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So I looked up recipes for them. And found a number of them. Very simple really. Cook some peanuts in sugar water. Except I don't do sugar. I <a href="http://www.swervesweetener.com/" target="_blank">Swerve</a>. And Swerve I did.</div>
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And they were crunchy and crispy and sweet and incredible. I know because my husband, who for those who aren't aware, is as physically fit as you can be. An athlete, he can eat anything. He says these are amazing. You will too. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJk60Jx0z5vCXmRCMgJ3kGPjat39GFjLpyGJ7Oc5wXyprxnR3pu_5gaV2Zsj5OJQW38fAA-35By8HcHkwB6CdcRQWXdMavIWQhGsHzDsmo3hmTC_1sIfEYnacxu5UmTz71PVfvzXFGpk/s1600/IMG_0335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJk60Jx0z5vCXmRCMgJ3kGPjat39GFjLpyGJ7Oc5wXyprxnR3pu_5gaV2Zsj5OJQW38fAA-35By8HcHkwB6CdcRQWXdMavIWQhGsHzDsmo3hmTC_1sIfEYnacxu5UmTz71PVfvzXFGpk/s1600/IMG_0335.JPG" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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So here goes. Use 1/2 cup Swerve per cup of raw spanish peanuts and 2 to 3 tablespoons water and a pinch of salt. Mix the Swerve, water and salt till blended (no heat), then, add the peanuts and heat the mixture till simmering stirring constantly. Keep cooking until the liquid is mostly evaporated, and then spread mixture out on a parchment lined tray. Bake for about 15 minutes in a 300 degree oven, remove and let cool for an hour or so. Don't cheat and taste them any sooner, they'll be soft. Wait. I mean it. Wait for it. The coating will become crispy like brittle and you will love love love it. Candy peanuts. And Carbs? Not a one. </div>
<br />MJ Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13648470316694858238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267127515354116504.post-14647279070104601562014-04-29T19:34:00.000-07:002014-04-29T19:34:12.353-07:00Donuts. Nuf saidToday's blog isn't a blog. Well, it is. But it's not my recipe. It's from a genius named Carolyn Ketchum who turns living a low carb diabetic life into a culinary adventure.<br />
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Today I made her donuts. I was skeptical, sure. I mean donuts without flour? or Sugar? </div>
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So, head over here: <a href="http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2011/07/chocolate-donuts-with-peanut-butter-glaze-low-carb-and-gluten-free.html" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2011/07/chocolate-donuts-with-peanut-butter-glaze-low-carb-and-gluten-free.html</a></div>
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That's where you will find the miracle recipe. She used a peanut butter glaze, so here's my chocolate glaze. Sorry, I'm a chocoholic.</div>
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1 oz unsweetened chocolate</div>
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2.5 tablespoons unsalted butter</div>
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2 tablespoons Confectioners Swerve.</div>
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Melt the chocolate and butter and stir until smooth. Add the Swerve and stir until creamy and pourable, and then pour it over the donuts. </div>
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I can't say enough about these. Except there's something so appealing about tonight's dessert being tomorrow's breakfast. What could be better.</div>
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MJ Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13648470316694858238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267127515354116504.post-16636406438971500302014-04-26T20:12:00.000-07:002014-04-26T20:12:32.561-07:00A good cup of coffee is only matched by a good slab of pound cake.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Can I just tell you how sick I am of people flaunting their cinnamon buns on Pinterest? If you are gluten, grain and sugar free it's really an impossible situation. </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Oh sure I've seen others with their recipes that require you to soak your hands in oil to prepare the dough and others that ask you to do the impossible... like level 9 baking skills required... it's just not for me. I need something relatively foolproof. I'm not cake boss. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Let's not even talk about walking through an airport and the smell of those cinnamon buns following you everywhere to remind you that life is a bit unfair sometimes.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But wait! It's the smell yes... but that smell is just old fashioned Cinnamon and butter. And HELLO? We can have cinnamon and butter. And Pecans too. </span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hmmmm. I've made Cinnamon Bun Muffins and they were darn good. True. But then I made this awesome pound cake last week and I realized, a few tweaks here and there, I might be able to have something quite astonishing. So today's experiment (yes, I said experiment) will be a challenge for sure. But if I pull it off, I'm going to be in cinnamon cake heaven. Plus I'll have an awesome breakfast tomorrow. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The thing is the pound cake I made is heavy and dense. Dense enough to toast lightly and make french toast. I'm thinking about that as I prepare to explore the depths of low carb baking. So if this is successful, tomorrow morning I'm going to be experimenting some more. But I'm getting ahead of myself.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Let's try making the cake first. First, you will need your ingredients at room temp, so make sure you give yourself enough time on this.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />Preheat oven to 325 and grease a non-stick (dark coat) large 9 x 5 loaf pan. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Maple Pecan Cinnamon Swirl Pound Cake:</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />2 cups Almond flour<br />1 tablespoon Baking Powder</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2 Tablespoons hemp protein powder</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2 tablespoons coconut flour</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1/4 teaspoon salt</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon maple extract<br />4 large organic eggs room temp<br />1 stick softened (half cup or 8 tablespoons) organic butter, unsalted, or Ghee.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 bar full fat cream cheese, softened (8 0z)<br />1 cup sweetener <a href="http://www.swervesweetener.com/" target="_blank">Swerve</a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cinnamon Swirl:</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2 tablespoons cinnamon</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3 tbl melted unsalted butter</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4 tabelspoons swerve</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1/2 cup chopped pecans</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon maple extract</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1/4 cup swerve</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 tablespoon water</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 tablespoon unsalted butter</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2 tablespoons cream</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon maple extract</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1/4 cup broken pecans</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Whisk all dry ingredients EXCEPT swerve together in a medium bowl.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In a large mixing bowl, beat swerve (or preferred granular sweetener), butter and cream cheese till smooth. Add eggs, one at a time and mix well. add maple extract and mix well. Slowly add in dry ingredients, pausing to mix periodically until smooth. Don't flip out over the green coloring from the hemp. it'll go away. I'm not sure I can give all the credit to Hemp... but I gotta say, when you're trying to create a cake that holds together without gluten and wheat flour? Hail to the Hemp people... it works!!!!!</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pour batter into loaf pan and let rest while you make the cinnamon swirl.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In a small bowl, Whisk Cinnamon, butter, swerve and maple until thick and creamy. Gently mix in chopped nuts. Pour mixture in a stream across the top of the cake batter horizontally.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">With a small knife or spatula, gently swirl into the batter. Make sure to swirl downwards (I was in a hurry and didn't) or your swirl will all be at the top! Tap the pan to let the it settle and rest evenly. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Bake about an hour or until set and firm. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack or 15 minutes, then turn out on rack to finish cooling.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When cool, make your caramel sauce. I learned about sugar free caramel from <a href="http://www.alldayidreamaboutfood.com/" target="_blank">www.alldayidreamaboutfood.com</a>. Fabulous fabulous blog, if you haven't stopped by, do so. Carolyn Ketchum has AMAZING recipes. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Melt Swerve over low heat with a tablespoon of water, once liquified, add the butter and continue stirring about 7 minutes until color is darkening to an amber. Remove from heat and add cream and extract. </span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Careful during this process, it will bubble immediately and might splatter up. Once mixed in return to heat and let bubble another minute. Stir in broken pecans and cook on low another minute. Remove from heat and cool until thick and pourable, just 2-3 minutes. Drizzle over cake with the nuts on top and let the caramel drip down the sides and your done. Refrigerate for best results. </span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Truth time. I accidentally made a double batch of caramel. My husband loves it so I used it all. That's why it covered the whole cake. It shouldn't. Trust me it'll be way too sweet to have with your morning coffee. And I will be having this one with my morning coffee. It was incredible. Our wheat flour, gluten glutton friends will never know this is gggfree. It has the absolute feel of a perfect breakfast cake. Or dessert. Or afternoon snack. Just plain Yum.</span></div>
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MJ Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13648470316694858238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267127515354116504.post-61690119456831705442014-04-20T15:35:00.002-07:002014-07-04T15:34:30.853-07:00Strawberry Tallcake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yeah, just to be different. No, it's not really tall. It's short. And fabulous. And quite a learning experience when going gggfree. For example, and this has nothing to do with it being gluten, grain or sugar free, never hold the batter bowl in one hand when pouring into the cake pan. Just saying, it could slip. And the batter could end up well, everywhere. Like I said, just putting it out there.<br />
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It's true however that this is a seriously delicate cake to make. The cake is flourless, in a way. My grandmother would grind up the hazelnuts until they were virtually a flour. Me, I get mine at nuts.com already ground into flour. Then I buy another bag of blanched nuts to chop for the top. Hey, it's Easter Sunday and I don't participate therefore I can be as punny as I want to. </div>
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So. Start with a cake that is fabulously low carb and.. oh this is a biggie... it's Kosher for Passover too. How perfect. </div>
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Cake:</div>
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1 cup Hazelnut flour</div>
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1/2 cup <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html/?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&me=A38K1BU3U4M1C9&tag=wheisgoitobem-20" target="_blank">Swerve</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=wheisgoitobem-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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6 Eggs, separated at room temperature</div>
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1 teaspoon Hazelnut Extract (or vanilla if you don't have)</div>
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Beat the egg yolks and swerve until pale yellow. Stir in the hazelnut flour and Extract. Put aside.</div>
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In a clean bowl with clean beaters, whip the egg whites until peaks form (just past the frothy stage.) For this particular recipe, eggs are better at room temp as egg whites will whip better. The beaten egg whites are key to getting a light cake texture.</div>
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Fold the egg whites into the batter mixture very, very, very gently. You don't want to stir or you'll collapse your beaten egg whites. Keep folding gently until no white appears and the batter is smooth. </div>
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Pour the mixture into a 9" well greased springform pan. Bake at 350 for 22-25 minutes. The cake should be spongy to the touch, and spring back if you touch the center with your finger. </div>
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Remove it from the oven and let cool until you can comfortably touch the pan. Unhinge the pan and continue to let it cool until room temperature and firm. </div>
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Once cool, slice it into two horizontal layers. Carefully. Very very carefully. Place the bottom layer on a cake plate and the top layer on a side plate.<br />
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Meantime back in the kitchen you need to create your whipped cream and strawberry topping.<br />
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1 cup heavy whipping cream<br />
1 cup fresh strawberries<br />
3 tablespoons <a href="http://www.swervesweetener.com/" target="_blank">swerve</a> confectioners<br />
1 teaspoon strawberry extract<br />
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Take 2/3 of the strawberries, clean and chop into smaller pieces. Place in a bowl, and sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon of Swerve. Toss lightly and let set about 15 to 20 minutes.<br />
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While the strawberries are setting up, whip 1 cup of heavy cream with 2 tablespoons Swerve and 1 teaspoon strawberry extract, until firm peaks form.<br />
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Spoon the now somewhat syrupy strawberries onto the bottom layer until it's well covered. Cover the strawberries with a thin layer of your whipped cream.<br />
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Place the top layer over the whipped cream and spread the remaining whipped cream over top.<br />
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Take the remaining strawberries, cut in to large pieces and spread nicely around the top of the cake. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of swerve over the berries on top. Refrigerate for a few hours and serve. The only carbs in this cake are from the Strawberries. And really, do they actually count? :)<br />
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Now, want to freshen it up with a holiday look? Memorial Day? 4th of July? Just add a few blueberries to the mix and you have a festive treat everyone can enjoy!<br />
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Does this not look mouth watering good? Trust me it is.</div>
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MJ Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13648470316694858238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267127515354116504.post-15650504973603223222014-04-13T16:43:00.000-07:002014-04-14T13:01:45.170-07:00Amazing Superfood Pound Cake<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; line-height: 22px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">So there I am, in the store, looking for something new and unusual to bake with. The nice woman next to me was looking for buckwheat. I thought... oh that's it! I'll make buckwheat pancakes. We couldn't find any buckwheat. What I did find was Hemp Protein. Huh? Hemp? Now I did already have some Hemp Hearts from Costco and quite honestly, they were pretty tasty. Like Sunflower seeds. And since whey protein wasn't working out for me, at all... makes a great cake, just hard on the digestive system... I thought what the hell! </span><br />
<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; line-height: 22px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; line-height: 22px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">And so I present the most awesome pound cake with cherry caramel sauce. </span><br />
<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; line-height: 22px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Gluten free. Grain Free. Sugar Free. And yes, it's really pound cake.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZOHNLo6Y29DtwvEJ0EHW39NRN23QaSaCfB7Lw_BQIKUUDxVXQ4Qsa1Dvb8RLpmy0IuVIaIBMvs2v3ZF5P1jjuRKsSqOD_rx7ce2GJaDKUB9QvNb-IDIbu8gmSWuuAwd0OsJ8q8cOHCY/s1600/IMG_20140413_145640_609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZOHNLo6Y29DtwvEJ0EHW39NRN23QaSaCfB7Lw_BQIKUUDxVXQ4Qsa1Dvb8RLpmy0IuVIaIBMvs2v3ZF5P1jjuRKsSqOD_rx7ce2GJaDKUB9QvNb-IDIbu8gmSWuuAwd0OsJ8q8cOHCY/s1600/IMG_20140413_145640_609.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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I kid you not. I did a little experimenting for sure. And imagine my shock when I opened the bag and it was green. Yes, green. Actually, I opened the Hemp for breakfast. Pancakes! I substituted it for my whey protein in my batter. A little funky, yes, but I was like a steam engine all morning. The energy was amazing. Dr. Oz may be a kook, but on this one he's got it right. Definitely a superfood.</div>
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Back to the cake. Since the pancakes were ok, I figured what could happen. Waste a few ingredients... so what. It'll get eaten. So I made the cake and crossed my fingers. </div>
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Would it bake up green? Would it it explode in the oven? Would the police come knocking when the neighbors complained of the funny odor in my kitchen? Nope. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmPUvZr1niK3YShHIGjJO7Yok5WWF2jiDCBCPEptTU_zYRWuXIKJk-dL0NWGHMLF7LNYH00W9tXkuzLHR1ZdHeFOxGiiHvwbJVIHI6Lv0B75LSHkJneY_0XqQpWCTZcOxfVP0cyKqdsw0/s1600/IMG_20140413_153534_954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmPUvZr1niK3YShHIGjJO7Yok5WWF2jiDCBCPEptTU_zYRWuXIKJk-dL0NWGHMLF7LNYH00W9tXkuzLHR1ZdHeFOxGiiHvwbJVIHI6Lv0B75LSHkJneY_0XqQpWCTZcOxfVP0cyKqdsw0/s1600/IMG_20140413_153534_954.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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It actually baked up beautifully. Hey I had to try it? And though it was delicious as it was, I knew hubby would say it needed something. So I added some caramel drizzle. And yeah, that worked too.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1MHdhvGoYtAg1wf2qnypYVIOHuIcdGgeBkEMmdBAwgCKdIOoG9oztGTOfKP3mWPSQlCj5KfosUAHhvR1K2Kq57WSwXVAlIECGbiFUxeuljFuCAGfi47jFRm0cjM08GrowuZ1QRraRPsc/s1600/IMG_20140413_160453_891.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1MHdhvGoYtAg1wf2qnypYVIOHuIcdGgeBkEMmdBAwgCKdIOoG9oztGTOfKP3mWPSQlCj5KfosUAHhvR1K2Kq57WSwXVAlIECGbiFUxeuljFuCAGfi47jFRm0cjM08GrowuZ1QRraRPsc/s1600/IMG_20140413_160453_891.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Cherry Hemp Caramel Pound Cake</div>
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2 cups almond flour</div>
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2 tablespoons peanut flour</div>
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2 tablespoons Hemp Protein Powder</div>
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1/4 cup coconut flour</div>
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1 tablespoon baking powder</div>
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5 eggs room temp</div>
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8 oz full fat cream cheese room temp</div>
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1/2 cup unsalted sweet butter room temp</div>
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1 cup swerve</div>
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1 teaspoon Maple Extract</div>
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Caramel sauce</div>
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1/4 cup swerve granular.</div>
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2 tablespoons cream</div>
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1 teaspoon cherry extract</div>
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1 tablespoon water</div>
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1 tablespoon unsalted butter</div>
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Preset oven to 325 and grease a non-stick (dark coat) large 9 x 5 loaf pan. </div>
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Whisk all dry ingredients EXCEPT swerve together in a medium bowl.</div>
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In a large mixing bowl, beat swerve (or preferred granular sweetener), butter and cream cheese till smooth. Add eggs, one at a time and mix well. Slowly add in dry ingredients, pausing to mix periodically until smooth. Don't flip out over the green coloring from the hemp. it'll go away.</div>
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Pour batter into loaf pan and smooth out top. Bake about an hour or until set and firm. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack or 15 minutes, then turn out on rack to finish cooling.</div>
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When cool, make your caramel sauce. Thanks to Carolyn at www.Alldayidreamaboutfood.com for introducing me to this fabulous trick! Swerve really does carmelize, but if not for her recipes I'd never have tried it!</div>
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Melt Swerve over low heat with a tablespoon of water, once liquified, add the butter and continue stirring about 7 minutes until color is darkening to an amber. remove from heat and add cream and extract. Careful during this process, it will bubble immediately and might splatter up. Once mixed in return to heat and let bubble another minute. Remove from heat and cool until thick and pourable, just 2-3 minutes. Drizzle over cake and your done. Refrigerate for best results.</div>
MJ Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13648470316694858238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267127515354116504.post-86892084045380267832014-04-03T20:30:00.000-07:002015-01-11T08:23:36.561-08:00Who says chocolate's not for breakfast?I am on my last blueberry muffin to grab for a quick breakfast. I am admittedly tired of blueberry muffins. I want something yummy for breakfast. Something worth getting up for. I also had a terrible need to bake off my stress.<br />
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First up I had to take a break and mix up some Ice Cream batter for dessert tonight. More on that delectable delight later. Yes I said that.</div>
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So back to yummy breakfast. I opened the pantry and blindly started grabbing ingredients. That's the thing about being gggfree. My pantry is stocked with all things low carb and gluten free.</div>
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Almond flour. Ok, but I always use almond flour. I need some variety. Add some Hazelnut flour. I went to grab vanilla and thought... oooh... no.. hazelnust extract too. And cocoa. Lots of it. Swerve for my sugar fix. Hmmm. what else. Coffee. Yup some coffee too. It's breakfast after all.</div>
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Now we need some liquid. melted Butter, almond milk and eggs ought to do it.</div>
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Now we need a pan. Ceramic. Yup. cuts down on stickiness, paper liners and baking time.</div>
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And so it was. The Mocha Java Breakfast Muffin was born. These are just well, flat out delicious. As muffins go, this is probably my best yet. So enjoy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9_Mj1sohyphenhyphen-pRpDyvm04Phg4ZBOiZvukQRzPuMOTQpMwdO3NRJOZuZbK6NB3rme0W6AKsmv9FPlEnpQu3JPRWIp18js8hjMAzcbxC-kBzImONESRrF2UeupxdrayYqMC6uoQ8r6iNJX8/s3200/IMG_0280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9_Mj1sohyphenhyphen-pRpDyvm04Phg4ZBOiZvukQRzPuMOTQpMwdO3NRJOZuZbK6NB3rme0W6AKsmv9FPlEnpQu3JPRWIp18js8hjMAzcbxC-kBzImONESRrF2UeupxdrayYqMC6uoQ8r6iNJX8/s3200/IMG_0280.JPG" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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1 3/4 cup Almond Flour</div>
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1/4 cup Hazelnut Flour</div>
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1/2 cup cocoa</div>
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1/2 cup Swerve granular sweetener</div>
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2 Teaspoons Baking Powder</div>
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1 stick melted organic butter</div>
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4 organic eggs</div>
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1/3 cup Almond Milk (unsweetened)</div>
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1 teaspoon Hazelnut Extract</div>
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1 tablespoon instant espresso powder</div>
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Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a ceramic muffin tin, or, line 12 muffin tin cups with paper liners. </div>
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In large mixing bowl, mix all dry ingredients. </div>
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Add melted butter and extract. </div>
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Mix in eggs, one at a time, then add almond milk and gently mix until well blended. </div>
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Evenly fill muffin cups and bake 15-20 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Don't overbake. Let cool and refrigerate overnight for best results.</div>
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<b>Update. </b>Try this with Dark Cocoa and experiment with the nut flours. In this one, I use Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa, 1 cup peanut flour, 1/2 cup almond flour and 1/2 cup cashew flour. Spectacular. And no refrigeration needed for texture. You might add a drop or two of liquid Stevia since the cocoa is very rich.</div>
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MJ Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13648470316694858238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267127515354116504.post-7528104149673621902014-03-29T13:53:00.000-07:002014-03-29T13:53:50.197-07:00Pancakes. Simple, pure, wholesome and gggfree.I'm discovering that pancakes can be a fabulous low carb, grain and gluten free option. Really. And the more I play around with batters, the more I realize bisquick was just one of a thousand mixtures you could use.<br />
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So here's how to create your own spin on pancakes and invent your own signature recipe.</div>
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Start with equal parts of a variety of nut and bean flours on the market. There are sooo many to choose from. In today's recipe, I used equal parts of chickpea flour (garbanzo/besan) and peanut flour. Why peanut flour? Simple. The lower fat nut flours won't provide the texture or binding you need. So if you use Almond flour it's a little dry. Hazelnut flour a little gritty. So you have to experiment. I've also added Whey protein which is great but seems it doesn't agree with me in larger amounts. </div>
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C'est la vie.</div>
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So, for every 1/2 cup of flour, use one egg and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, along with a heaping tablespoon of sweetener (I prefer Swerve) and 1/3 cup liquid. Water or Almond Milk is great. </div>
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Now, add the fun. A 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite extract for the flavor, and any nuts or berries or even diced fruit. </div>
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Then cook them just like any other pancake.</div>
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Today's flavor of the day was Maple. I just got my shipment of extracts. Hazlenut, Maple and Cherry. Since I can't use Maple syrup in a large enough quantity to taste it, nor would I ever resort to artificial flavors, the extracts seem to fit the bill. Then I wanted to used them!</div>
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I was hesitant to make the protein pancakes again, and I noticed that bag of peanut flour I'd bought for a special recipe from All Day I Dream About Food. I thought, hmmm. It's soft, fluffy and full fat. And grabbed the bag. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSBq_rDoSQ-o5q5YmK7sZMamZ_vh4NMgoBMFqSY5250oSs7aypGYndOimbjVf_32zvic_T4OX7yEMK8sGZxqU7Dik-VUBJ5ohSML-QmST9BxzPC5vbcm54ulMew7ncrN_ZnXfjz8fwhjE/s3200/IMG_20140323_081508_251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSBq_rDoSQ-o5q5YmK7sZMamZ_vh4NMgoBMFqSY5250oSs7aypGYndOimbjVf_32zvic_T4OX7yEMK8sGZxqU7Dik-VUBJ5ohSML-QmST9BxzPC5vbcm54ulMew7ncrN_ZnXfjz8fwhjE/s3200/IMG_20140323_081508_251.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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And well folks... we're just about there. I realize nothing is perfect, but for texture and ease of cooking, this is the batter of choice. Next time I may actually change up the proportions of the flours and do a little mixology For now, I'm a happy pancake eater.</div>
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Maple Pancakes:</div>
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1/4 cup garbanzo flour</div>
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1/4 cup full fat peanut flour</div>
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1/3 cup Almond Milk</div>
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1/2 teaspoon baking soda</div>
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1 heaping tabelspoon Swerve or sweetener equivalent</div>
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1/2 teaspoon maple extract (pure extract not artificial flavor)</div>
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1 egg</div>
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Whisk all dry ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended and lumps are gone. Create a well in the center and add almond milk and egg along with extract. Whisk batter until well blended.</div>
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Use either a 1/4 cup measure, or, just put a heaping large spoonful, one at a time, to form silver dollar size pancakes, or for larger pancakes use more. Make sure your pan is hot and well buttered. Cook until bubbles form and edges are set, just like traditional pancakes! Flip and cook for another 45 seconds and your done. </div>
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I eat them with a drizzle of pure maple syrup and they are wonderful. The thing is, pure, and hear me now on this, PURE maple syrup is low glycemic and ok to use in small amounts for anyone. A teaspoon drizzled on your pancakes is fine. A few tablespoons is not safe for diabetics. Do not ever put artificial syrups or artificially sweetened syrups on the pancakes. Might as well just go over to the local pancake house. </div>
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Make these once, and you'll have all kinds of ideas on pancakes. Once I master these, and while I'm pretty damn good at this, it's still not perfect, I'm moving on to Crepes. </div>
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MJ Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13648470316694858238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267127515354116504.post-4309255068187266932014-03-15T08:46:00.005-07:002014-03-15T08:58:41.317-07:00Pancakes of championsOK, I know I have some good pancake recipes. They are good. Perhaps very good. For grain free low carb. But very good isn't great or fabulous, or awesome. My daughter came home for spring break. I made some pancakes, did a little improvising. She liked them. Said they were good. Polished them off. So I had to make some more.<br />
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My idea was make a batch of these on the weekend and slip them in the fridge to grab and heat in the mornings. So they had to be reheatable in the microwave. And they had to last.<br />
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So I made another batch. Again, they were good she said, perhaps better, and polished them off.<br />
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There's a pattern here you see. I cook she eats. But sadly, yesterday, we said goodby to our young one, school was beckoning. So this morning, I thought, one more try on those pancakes. I am sooo close. She kept saying she wanted fluffier. Too weighed down it seems. Taste was good, texture just not Ihoppy enough. Really? I played with nut flours and protein and water versus almond milk versus cream. I played with the measurements. With and without Blueberries. I'm crazy about blueberry pancakes.<br />
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And ultimately, I got it. It was all about the nut flour. Some are heavier and denser than others. Some have more oils and some less. So my final choice, hazelnut flour. A little odd perhaps, but oh so tasty.</div>
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So for now, anyway, here is the secret pancake recipe that if you should happen upon someone serving, you'll know where it originated. Which requires a name. </div>
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Berry Nutty Pancakes</div>
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Ugh really? Yes. Berry Nutty Pancakes. Better than Gluten Free Protein Pancakes... who'd want those? They are though. Gluten free. Protein packed. But sometimes you want tasty not healthy. You should be able to have both.</div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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1/4 cup Chickpea/Garbanzo bean flour</div>
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2 Tablespoons Hazlenut Flour</div>
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2 Tablespoons Unflavored Whey Protein Powder</div>
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1 Tablespoon Swerve</div>
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1/2 teaspoon baking soda</div>
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1 Egg</div>
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1/3 cup water</div>
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1/2 teaspoon vanilla</div>
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1/2 cup blueberries (or any berry) optional</div>
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This recipe is pretty precise, so be careful with your measuring. Too much liquid, batter runs. No pun intended. Too much nut flour, you'll ruin the texture. It's not a forgiving recipe. Drink your coffee first. Then make the pancakes.</div>
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Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add egg and mix until well blended. Add remaining liquid ingredients and stir gently. Fold in blueberries. Let the batter rest a minute.</div>
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Heat skillet or griddle with a tablespoon each of canola oil and butter, or your preferred fat. </div>
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Add just under a 1/4 cup batter per pancake and let cook until bubbly and the edges are set. Just like regular pancakes, people. Exactly the same. Flip them over, another 45 seconds or so until browned, and you're done. </div>
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These were so good I didn't even need syrup. I'll probably measure out a container of premixed "pancake mix" to have at the ready. Just like all those processed "low carb" mixes filled with crap on the store shelves. Only this is the good stuff.</div>
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This recipe makes about 5-6 pancakes depending on size. I usually eat only one. It's filling, and the chickpea flour does have carbs, not a lot, but more than most of us watching our intake will eat in one sitting. Each pancake has about 3 net carbs with the blueberries. Not bad. Just don't eat a whole stack.</div>
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I've tried coconut flour, but unfortunately I'm not willing to use a half a carton of eggs and the problem was they didn't reheat well in the microwave, they dried out. Probably operator error, but not a fan of dried out leftovers. I want moist, slightly sweet, yummy pancakes not made of lead... or grain. These fit the bill. Plus, they're high protein so you get a good start to the day!</div>
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Throw a few sausage links on the side, maybe some scrambled eggs... breakfast is served!</div>
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<br />MJ Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13648470316694858238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267127515354116504.post-60886603778412948852014-02-28T16:57:00.001-08:002014-02-28T16:57:50.440-08:00chicken again? Oh yeah.So it was chicken night. Again. I thought, well, I can go all out, pull out the Chickpea flour, do a little dredging, a little sauteeing, a little baking.... and voilá.. Dinner is served.<br />
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Except I was tired. Really tired. I needed a shortcut. And there they were. Those fried pork rinds. You may know them as that unhealthy bag of snacks on the bottom shelf at the grocery store. Unhealthy but yummy. Surprise! They are NOT unhealthy. They are perfectly all natural and delicious. And perfect for a great crunchy breading for your chicken. Without the frying pan.</div>
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So, I used my oven fried chicken recipe. Hubby graciously butterflied the chicken for me, so they were manageable and would cook evenly.</div>
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I dipped the chicken in my seasoned egg, rolled each piece until totally coated in crushed rinds, and laid them on a foil lined baking sheet. I thought about covering them with the sauce and cheese and baking... but hubby didn't buy me the rubber cheese that you can bake an hour. He bought the good stuff. That required more thought, and trust me, my brain at the end of this day was hurting badly.</div>
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But I realized I could bake the chicken, almost all the way, and then add the good stuff. So I did.</div>
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This was absolutely fabulous. I mean soooo delicious. Savory sauce and fresh Mozarella, all creamy and browned and a crunchy coating on the chicken that stayed crisp. Holy moly. Word of caution, we had one leftover and I so looked forward to reheating it for today's lunch. I did it in the microwave. NO NO NO. Seems if you put pork rinds in the microwave they become hard as a rock. Hard to chew doesn't begin to cover it. So, don't nuke the leftovers. In fact, just eat it all so there are no leftovers.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQR0r_TmvS_bWyvpoJB5lvlb3GkadK_SmoVyas-QVpVk3LDVKl5-bKTwjxxt6-3mKflthM90tDnCtVVKRsS5PuRnBWxamVcP4Pdl2N1GAr3Ivs6ceSQjAMU0H7GF3tNROXot9pZZ0_XMU/s1600/IMG_0218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQR0r_TmvS_bWyvpoJB5lvlb3GkadK_SmoVyas-QVpVk3LDVKl5-bKTwjxxt6-3mKflthM90tDnCtVVKRsS5PuRnBWxamVcP4Pdl2N1GAr3Ivs6ceSQjAMU0H7GF3tNROXot9pZZ0_XMU/s1600/IMG_0218.JPG" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Looks almost as good as it tasted.</div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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1 egg</div>
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1 tablespoon heavy cream</div>
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1 tablesoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh basil</div>
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2 teaspoons garlic powder</div>
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2 teaspoons Onion Powder or flakes</div>
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3 chicken breasts, skinned and boneless</div>
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1 bag fried pork rinds</div>
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1 Ball of fresh Mozzarella, sliced</div>
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About 1/2 cup Tomato sauce (I recommend a good garlic one)</div>
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Butterfly the Chicken Breasts so you have 6 full pieces.</div>
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Whisk the egg, cream, 1 tb of Basil, and 1 tsp each of the garlic and onion together in a shallow bowl.</div>
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With a rolling pin, and the unopened bag of rinds, smash the bag with the rolling pin until the rinds are finely crushed. This definitely takes the edge off a hard day. Trust me. Pour the crushed rinds onto a large plate and mix in the remaining basil, garlic and onion. </div>
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Line a cookie tray with foil, and grease. Preheat the oven to 350. </div>
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Dip each piece of chicken in the egg, then roll in the crushed rinds until well coated and place on the tray. Bake chicken 35 minutes, then remove from oven, place rack on the level for broiling and set oven to broil. Spoon sauce onto each piece of chicken, and top with cheese. Then place the tray back in the oven and broil about 10 minutes more until cheese is melted and golden brown. </div>
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Serve with something green.</div>
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MJ Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13648470316694858238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267127515354116504.post-61549691801463314352014-02-23T17:59:00.002-08:002014-04-11T15:07:44.848-07:00Funny thing about Funny BonesMy favorite snack cake growing up was a Funny Bone. Wrapped in silver foil, like a Ring Ding, but shaped like a Yodel, and filled with this awesome peanut butter cream. Truth? It wasn't real cream, or real peanut butter, and who knows what kind of crap was used to make the most horribly delicious food ever.<br>
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A few years ago I had an awful craving, actually... more like 10 years ago. I haven't eaten sugar in close to nine years. But back to my story. I went online, and to my utter delight, Gristedes in New York would ship me as many boxes of my childhood obsession as I wanted. I ordered like 7 boxes. I wanted my husband to try them. I wanted my girls to experience the sugary rush of awesomeness. Back then, I had no idea it was so deadly.<br>
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And now I do. But it doesn't mean I gave up my love of Chocolate and Peanut butter cakes rolled in chocolate.<br>
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Carolyn, over at AlldayIdreamaboutfood.com, had this great layer cake with peanut butter frosting and ganache. She also had a fabulous chocolate pound cake. So when I woke up today with a horrible craving for funny bones (I must have had a dream about them) I went to work.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohw5e8NiFH51TXJKNLkmAskpTIZleMpxX9-QQFsPm6sR-707nWYtWnVgwYCak1EssR-ot4-vihyAecUKamuozy92YdfIOyDRpy2Eb1MgLOcdxv7oQcD0skLMJijGaJvQQzBK-kIg_5X8/s1600/IMG_20140223_162559_431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohw5e8NiFH51TXJKNLkmAskpTIZleMpxX9-QQFsPm6sR-707nWYtWnVgwYCak1EssR-ot4-vihyAecUKamuozy92YdfIOyDRpy2Eb1MgLOcdxv7oQcD0skLMJijGaJvQQzBK-kIg_5X8/s1600/IMG_20140223_162559_431.jpg" height="225" width="400"></a></div>
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Step 1. Chocolate Pound Cake. <a href="http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2013/11/chocolate-pound-cake-french-toast-low-carb-and-gluten-free.html">Click here for the recipe.</a><br>
Step 2. Slice your pound Cake horizontally in thirds (3 layers) and set aside<br>
Step 3. Make your filling.<br>
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1 cup peanut butter, natural and creamy is best, at room temperature.<br>
1 cup Heavy Cream<br>
1/3 cup confectioners Swerve<br>
1/2 teaspoon vanilla<br>
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Whip all ingredients together until a thick but spreadable texture is achieved. Depending on the consistency of your peanut butter, you may need more or less cream. The taste is the important part. Should be frosting-like sweet but very strong peanut butter taste.<br>
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Spread 1/3 the filling on the bottom layer and place the second layer on top. Spread half the remainder on the second layer and place the top layer back in place. Smear the rest of the filling on the sides and cover the opening between layers.<br>
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Step 4. Chocolate Ganache.<br>
Again, from Alldayidreamaboutfood:<br>
2 oz unsweetened chocolate<br>
5 tablespoons butter UNSALTED!!!!!<br>
1/4 cup Swerve confectioners.<br>
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Melt butter and chocolate in microwave about 60-75 seconds. Whisk in swerve until smooth and creamy. Pour over the top of the cake in the center and spread out to the sides so it drips down.<br>
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Refrigerate at least a few hours. Serves at least 16. I was only able to eat half a slice... this stuff is rich, heavy, decadent and totally worth every bite.<br>
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<br>MJ Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13648470316694858238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267127515354116504.post-57803839954602723082014-02-15T19:09:00.000-08:002014-02-15T19:09:15.003-08:00Life can be awesomely sweet without the sugarMy email is always packed with questions about ingredients. Sometimes it's from my recipes, other times it's from other bloggers. Truthfully, some of the blogger recipes have too many ingredients for my taste. Particularly when they aren't all that healthy. I'm not seasoned baker or chef, I'm just a diabetic mom struggling with food addictions. And I've finally realized, <i>I didn't create them! </i>No, that was our glorious food industry. Feeding us absolutely horrific, addictive foods for decades with the full backing of our government. We're talking grains here. Carbs. Sugar. Don't eat fat, they said. Please it will make you fat, and kill you. Ummmmm. No. Eating Carbs and Sugar? That nearly killed me. But to really really eat well, you have to start in your own kitchen. You have to cook for yourself, unless you happen to live directly above a farm-to-table restaurant with lot's of low carb gluten and grain free entrees. HA! First, here's a picture of our style of food, so you understand the sacrifices that may need to be made.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjACeZL9SWwacPUp60yn8Il4BZ12goYlesxwjWSg3K9txHHb-59MsnoyNh8IKLIiRRlPixyKjPDe04xWJ-WQTET4Bg-JoHTrxK1xqBV3_XdZM3ZYJrQa7USbf-p43NojNkZN6UP0EP06r8/s1600/IMG_0211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjACeZL9SWwacPUp60yn8Il4BZ12goYlesxwjWSg3K9txHHb-59MsnoyNh8IKLIiRRlPixyKjPDe04xWJ-WQTET4Bg-JoHTrxK1xqBV3_XdZM3ZYJrQa7USbf-p43NojNkZN6UP0EP06r8/s1600/IMG_0211.JPG" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2014/02/dark-chocolate-peanut-butter-layer-cake-low-carb-and-gluten-free.html">Chocolate Layer Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate Ganache</a></td></tr>
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This particular recipe came from a fabulous site AllDayIDreamAboutFood.com. The author there is an amazing cook with amazing ways to kick the carb habit. My photo may not do her recipe justice, but taste wise, through the roof! Good wholesome ingredients. Like Cream Cheese and Peanut Butter and Chocolate. Of course Chocolate.<br />
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You need chocolate. We all do. Especially for holidays like Valentine's Day. President's Day. April Fools Day.</div>
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Just because I gave up sugar doesn't mean I gave up Chocolate. As evidenced by the amazing cake hubby and I shared for Valentine's Day. And had a little more tonight too. Over the top good. For years we lived as many families with working parents do. Fast food, convenience food, packaged everything. So you buy a bag of frozen tasteless carrots for 2 bucks and throw them in the microwave for 10 minutes. Easy sure. But they taste like cardboard. You can buy a bag of peeled organic baby carrots for 2 bucks and throw them in the microwave too. For 10 minutes. And they taste awesome.<br />
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Think about that the next time you're in the produce aisle. Which leads us back to chocolate. Chocolate wasn't invented in a factory. Have you ever grabbed a pint of strawberries and, on an impulse (created by the store) you buy the dipping chocolate that hardens with it?<br />
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Next time, grab the strawberries and leave the dipping goo alone. Instead, take a square of baking unsweetened baking chocolate and a few tablespoons of butter and melt them, then whisk till smooth and creamy. Add a few tablespoons of powdered sugar or Swerve and a little Vanilla extract. Keep whisking until it's torture not to stick your finger in it. Now, dip those beautiful strawberries in your chocolate and lay on a parchment paper lined tray. Chill in the fridge for a few minutes.<br />
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Done. Chocolate dipped Strawberries that are wholesome and awesome all at once. Chemical free. But that's a recipe for another blog. </div>
MJ Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13648470316694858238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267127515354116504.post-15566191358608527442014-02-11T18:34:00.000-08:002014-02-11T18:34:43.821-08:00Look out KFC, there's a new chicken in town <span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12pt;">Can it be? Crispy crunchy fried chicken? From the oven? grain and gluten free? Yes, yes it can.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Start with boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Now, whisk one egg with a few tablespoons of half and half, and add a tablespoon of cajun seasoning. That's your dipping batter. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">For the coating, smash a bag of pork rinds and add another tablespoon of cajun spice. Dip your chicken in the egg, then roll in the spiced smashed rinds. Place on a foil lined baking sheet and bake at 375 for 45 minutes (check timing for your particular chicken pieces). Trust me. This is great even if you aren't eating low carb. Or gluten free. Or grain free. Hell.. this is just damn good chicken.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Oh, and yeah, next day for lunch straight from the fridge? Perfect. </span></div>
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MJ Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13648470316694858238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267127515354116504.post-88677792516517441762014-01-30T07:55:00.001-08:002014-01-30T07:55:10.684-08:00Lemon Meringue PieThis is the story of a great neighbor. With a lemon tree. Who brings you so many lemons you don't know what to do, and lemonade is NOT on the menu. But looking at them, you start to think. And that's when things get dangerous.<br />
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Lemon meringue. Oh yum. I don't know how to make it. Never did. And I have to make it low carb. Ugh.</div>
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But it's that can do spirit in me that screamed... nah. I'm a procrastinator. It was my inner foodie screaming. So I obeyed.<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
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Pie Crust:</div>
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1 cup almond flour</div>
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2 tablespoons butter</div>
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1 tablespoon swerve</div>
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4 oz. cream cheese</div>
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Lemon Filling:</div>
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6 eggs, separated (use only the yolks for filling and reserve whites)</div>
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1 cup swerve</div>
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1/2 cup Cream</div>
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1/3 cup Fresh Lemon Juice</div>
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1 or 2 teaspoons lemon zest</div>
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1 Tablespoon Butter</div>
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1/4 teaspoon salt</div>
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1 cup water</div>
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1 packet unflavored gelatin</div>
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Meringue:<br />
1/4 Cup Swerve<br />
6 Egg Whites<br />
1 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar</div>
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Prepare the crust first.<br />
Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9" pan. Cream the butter and cream cheese, then add the dry ingredients and blend well. Mash into 9" pie dish until evenly spread. Don't hurry or you'll have an uneven crust. If the batter sticks to the spatula, spread a little oil on the spatula to keep it from doing so.<br />
Bake 10 minutes at 350 and let cool. If you are wondering about the cream cheese, I put cream cheese in almost everything made with almond flour. Almond Flour is funny stuff. It doesn't bind. So unless you are using eggs, you need something to hold it all together. And the Cream Cheese adds that original crust flavor. </div>
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Now. This recipe should never be made without fresh squeezed lemon juice. Do not substitute lemon jello or the lemon juice in a bottle. And do not make stupid errors, as I did. First. Zest the lemon BEFORE squeezing for juice. Otherwise, you can't zest it. So you end up zesting perfectly good lemons. </div>
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Anyway, while your pie crust cools, throw all the filling ingredients into a saucepan and whisk together until the egg yolks are well blended in. Now, slowly heat the mixture on low... I SAID LOW... heat... and constantly stir until the mixture begins to thicken and the top begins to separate a little, blanketing the mixture. About 20 minutes if you're stove's inconsistent like mine. Could be 10 if it's a good one. This is the only "cooking" your eggs will get, so if you are nervous about it, use pasteurized eggs. If you're pretty good at tempering eggs, don't worry about it.</div>
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Remove the mixture from the heat and let cool, then place in the refrigerator for at least an hour or so.</div>
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When it's time to make the pie... an hour later... start by making the meringue.</div>
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Easy. Beat the set aside egg whites with 1/4 cup Swerve and 1 teaspoon cream of tartar. Once the egg whites are firm and stiff peaks are forming, you're ready.</div>
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Fill the pie crust with your chilled filling, and top with the meringue. Place in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 325 and finish off for another 10 minutes. </div>
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Remove from oven and cool. Refrigerate overnight, or at least a good 3 hours and you've got yourself a really good pie. Really. It will be slightly different texture than the cornstarch filling you may be used to, but so much healthier who cares. The taste is fabulous. </div>
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MJ Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13648470316694858238noreply@blogger.com0