Some Christmas Cards

Every year I make Christmas cards for myself, my daughter and my sister in law, so I thought I would share some I made this year.  I will be heading off to see my son in a couple of days to spend the Christmas Holiday with him and his family.  Am excited to see my other grandchildren.  It's rough when you only get to see them twice a year.  Wish they were closer.  I wish everyone a Healthy, Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.
Donna

Cauliflower Bake

This is the side dish I made for Thanksgiving.  With all the great food there is to eat on that day it's always good to have a Low Carb choice too.  Eating the LC way I have found that eating tooooooooooooo much cheese does make my weight fluctuate, so I try to keep it to a minimum and only have about 2 oz maybe a couple times a week in my salad.  This is an easy recipe and one worth making.  You could change the veggie if you want.  This recipe is based on a potato recipe I used to make.  Sure hope you give it a try.

Ingredients:
2  heads of  cauliflower cut into  florets
4 oz shredded mild cheddar cheese
4 oz shredded mozzarella  cheese
4 oz block cream cheese, softened
1/2 - 3/4 cup half and half
2 bunches green onions, sliced (1 1/2 cups)
6 - 8 sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 clove garlic chopped
1/2 stick butter
1/2 can cream of chicken and mushroom soup
4 oz velvetta cheese
1 - 1 1/2 TBL Garlic Herb seasoning
Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350° .
Steam cauliflower florets until tender. don't over cook it will cook more while in oven.  Drain to be sure you get as much moisture out as possible.
In a large skillet melt the butter, saute the onion and then add the garlic.  Add the cream cheese , when that is almost melted add 1/2 the half and half and add the rest of the cheeses and the rest of the half and half.  Cook until all melted.  Crumble the bacon into cheese mixture.  Butter a casserole dish and add the cauliflower and then pour cheese over the top.  Mix so it's all combined.  Top with LC pita pieces.

Cover dish with foil or put lid on if it has one   and bake for 25 minutes; remove foil and continue to bake until cheese is brown and bubbly.
Enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by and Remember to Find the Time to Do All the Things YOU L♥ve.
Donna

Fruit Tart

This is the dessert I made for my son's fiance' birthday last week.  I also made the second version for Thanksgiving.  This really is an easy dessert to make and only involves the cooking of the crust.  You could use any fruit you like and best of all this would be great when those fruits are in season.  It's such a refreshing treat.
Sure hope you try it.

Crust:
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened and sliced
Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping:
Fresh strawberries, kiwi slices, blueberries, raspberries
Glaze
1/2 cupUnsweetened apple juice
1 TBL corn starch
1/4 sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the crust: In a food processor, combine the confectioners’ sugar, flour, and butter, and process until the mixture forms a ball. With your fingers, press the dough into a 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, taking care to push the crust into the indentations in the sides. Pat until the crust is even. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until very lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
For the filling and topping: Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust. Cut the strawberries into 1/4-inch slices and arrange around the edge of the crust. For the next circle, use kiwi slices. Add another circle of strawberries, filling in any spaces with blueberries. Cluster the raspberries in the center of the tart.
For the glaze: Combine the apple juice, cornstarch, and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until clear and thick, about 2 minutes. Let cool. With a pastry brush, glaze the entire tart. You will not use all of the glaze.
Keep the tart in the refrigerator  Remove about 15 minutes before serving. Slice into wedges and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

I also made a strawberry pineapple one for Thanksgiving, that also was a "big" hit.

 Thanks for taking time from you busy day to stop by.  Remember to always Find the time to Do All the things YOU L♥ve.
Donna

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing all my family and friends and all that visit my blog a very Happy Thanksgiving.  May your day be filled with laughter and good memories and don't forget the L♥ve.  Be thankful for all you have.  I am so blessed with great family and wonderful and caring friends.
This is the first year I can remember in over 40 years that I didn't cook a turkey today.  We are going to my son in laws family for the afternoon.  Should be a wonderful time, we will all be together.  Wish my son and his family were closer would be wonderful to have the entire family gathered at the table.
My son and his wife have an anniversary, I think it's today. (if it was earlier sorry I missed it but was thinking of you) If you see this Monica and Danny congrats on 19 years of marriage and wishing you many more.  Love Mom
Donna

Eye Round Roast

This is such an easy dish to make and is loved by all.  I just bought a new meat
thermometer and this was the perfect things to try it out on.  It worked perfectly too and the meat was medium rare, just the way we all love it.

3 lbs eye round roast
2 cloves of garlic sliced
salt and pepper.

Heat oven to 375°.  Have a pan with a rack ready.
Salt and pepper the roast and then cut little slits on the top of roast and stuff the garlic pieces in the slits.  I made about 6 slits.
In a large skillet heat some oil and brown the roast on all sides.  Put roast on rack and cook in 375° oven for about 1 hour and 20 minutes or until the thermometer reads 140°,  remove roast and let rest about 15 minutes.  Slice and serve with your favorite sides.  We had mashed potatoes, cheesy cauliflower, corn and homemade biscuits.  The dinner was a big hit as always.
Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the time to Do ALL the things YOU L♥ve.
D♥nna

Southwest Egg Rolls (LC)

I saw a recipe on line somewhere for this type of egg roll and thought .....hmmmm I could make those and make them LC.  With all the lc items on
the market now it would be easy.  I bought some Mission LC tortilla's and the filling is induction friendly too.  You could have just the filling and maybe fry up a tortilla and cut them into chips to cut down on the carb count.  But really for 2 of these it's about 7 carbs and the tortilla are 3 net carbs each...so if you are on OWL these would be great too.

2 chicken breasts
1/2 onion chopped
1/4 cup red pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup green beans

1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp cumin
3-4 TBL chopped green chilli
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup cheese.... (Monterey jack or maybe pepper jack)
8-9 LC tortilla's
oil for frying and more for cooking filling

Filled eggroll:   Freeze them for about two hours.  They fry best if you do this step.
In a skillet, heat oil and add onion, red pepper and salt and pepper.  Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.  Remove from pan.  Heat a bit more oil and sprinkle chicken with some chilli powder and cook until almost done.  Remove and shred or cut into pieces, return it to the skillet, add the veggies, the green beans and the spices.  Cook for about 3 - 4 minutes.  Add the cheese a cook for a minute or so.  Remove from heat.  Take about 1 1/2 TBL of filling and put in the center of a tortilla and roll like you would for making egg rolls.  Place in a pan or dish and put in the freezer for about an hour.  Heat the oil to 375° add the egg rolls a couple at a time and cook until golden. 
I served these with Spicy Ranch Dressing (walmart brand) mixed with sour cream.  Delish
Thanks for taking time to stop by, have a great weekend and Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the Things You L♥ve.
D♥nna

Eggplant Rollatini (LC) or not

While I was in NY I had eggplant for the first time.  WOW have I been missing out.  At our high school reunion one of the things on the buffet was this dish.  I had never had it and when I said that sooooooooooooo many classmates were in shock.  There was many kids of Italian decent so this food was a staple for them, and they just could not believe it was something I had never eaten.  So being brave I told them I would try it.  It was out of this world good.  So when we went to NYC to see Motown on Broadway we went out to eat afterwards and I decided I needed to try it again to be sure it was not just a fluke that I liked it.  :)  Again out of this world delicious.  After that meal I decided when I got home I was going to try to make it.  One of my best friends (from HS) helped me with instructions, etc.  Thank you Carole.  So here you have it, and I must say it's a must try.   Now you can make it with regular Italian bread crumbs but I wanted it to be LC so I adapted the recipe and it was just as good....no lie.

Ingredients:
2 eggplant
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup bread crumbs *see below for LC version*
1 15 oz container ricotta cheese
oil for frying
FILLING:

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded  mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Reggiono  cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 cups of fresh spinach finely chopped 
Mozzarella and provolone for topping
SAUCE:
your favorite or you could use this
  3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/3 cup  chicken stock or white wine, eyeball it(she uses white wine)
2 cans fire roasted tomatoes plus 1 can crushed tomatoes (recommended: San Marzano)
Several leaves basil, torn or chopped, a handful
2 tablespoons  butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

Heat a medium sauce pot over medium-low heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil,  garlic, and red pepper and let them cook 5 minutes, garlic will be soft and light golden. Remove garlic. Add stock or wine and stir 30 seconds, add tomatoes and combine. Season the sauce with salt, to taste, then stir basil in and reduce heat to low.

For low carb bread crumbs, 

2 -3 flatout flat bread Italian season (lc) can be found at most stores

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup almond flour

1-2 TBL oregano

1 TBL parsley

1 -2 tsp garlic powder

salt/pepper

Leave the flatbread out so it gets hard.  Process in food processor til you get a find crumb, combine almond and coconut flour and seasonings.  Use this to coat the eggplant when frying.

To make rollatini:

Slice the eggplant on a mandolin, place in a colander with some salt  and let sit for about 30 minutes to draw out moisture.  Pat dry.  Heat oil in skillet and then dip slices in egg then bread crumbs.  Fry until golden on each side.  DON'T over cook.  Place on wax paper and then fill each with mixture and roll up.  Place in a 9x13 pan lined with parchment paper  (easy clean up) and add sauce to the bottom.  When all rolled, put cheese on top and then top with more sauce.  You can then bake it or put in refrigerator until ready to cook.  You could also freeze at this point.

If baking then heat preheat oven 375° and bake for 30-35 minutes.  Serve with your favorite sides.  Enjoy.

The family really enjoy this so it will now become a dish that I will make often.

Have a great day and Remember to Find the Time to Do all the things YOU L♥ve.

D♥onna

 

Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Doing Low Carb can be challenging at times.  I have never been a big vegetable eater and there had not been many veggies I would eat.  I had just a small list of veggies which were.....corn, green beans (canned not fresh and not Julianne style) asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower...that's it.  Well last month I had eggplant for the first time and just love it.  Also had some different types of zucchini and so far like all of those.  I'm going to try brussels sprouts again.  I've seen several recipes for them so thought what the hey!  I adapted this  recipe from here.   She has some really good recipes so take the time to look at her many recipes.
I had this with a salad and boy was it filling.  I will make it again for sure.  She has several versions of these stuffed boats so will try adapting them to my taste.

4 medium zucchinis, cut in half lengthwise
1/2 cup mild rotel
1 lb ground beef
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 small onion, minced
2 tbsp bell pepper, minced
1/2 large tomato diced
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used mild cheddar and velvetta mixed)
salt and pepper
chopped lettuce and sour cream for the top

Bring a pot of water of salted water to the boil.  Preheat oven to 400°
Cut zucchini in half then with a spoon or melon baller remove inside of zucchini leaving about 1/4 inch.  Put the zucchini 1/2's into boiling water and cook for about 1 1/2 minutes.  Remove and let drain on paper towel.   Dice the zucchini you removed and set aside.  Put the zucchini boats in a roasting pan lined with parchment paper (easy cleanup).  In a skillet, heat olive oil and saute the onions and garlic, add the meat and zucchini and cook until almost done, add spices, salt and pepper and continue to cook for about 15 minutes until meat is done.  Fill the boats, pressing meat into them so they are filled good.  Top with cheese and cover with foil and bake for about 35 minutes until cheese is melted and boats are tender.  Serve with sour cream and lettuce.  Enjoy
Hope you try this recipe, it's a great change from the norm.  Have a great day and Remember to Find the Time to Do all the Things you L♥ve.
D♥nna

baked stuffed chicken rolls

This is a very tasty dish that the entire family will love.  It's loaded with so  much flavor and you would make it low carb if you like.  My changes for doing it low carb are in red.  These pictures are the low carb version because that's the way I eat now, but feel free to make it your way.  I made the fried green tomatoes that night also, and the pasta is Dreamsfield LC spaghetti and a nice salad.  Very filling meal.

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts (8 4-ounce pieces)
1 cup whole wheat Italian style bread crumbs (*I used low carb Italian flat-bread let it stay out til it was hard then processed to make crumbs)
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
5 ounces fresh baby spinach
1 clove minced garlic and olive oil for sauteing
½ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
⅓ cup beaten egg whites
3 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly slice
1 cup marinara sauce
fresh basil for topping


INSTRUCTIONS
Prep the chicken: Cut the chicken into 8 pieces and pound the pieces until they are thin (for quick cooking) and have expanded in surface area (for more filling). Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and set aside.
Prep the filling: Chop the spinach and sautee it with the garlic and just a drizzle of olive oil for 2-3 minutes or until just barely wilted. Combine the sauteed spinach with the ricotta, Parmesan cheese, and 2-3 tablespoons of the egg whites. Place the remaining egg whites in a separate shallow bowl and set aside.
Assemble the chicken: Oil the bottom of a large baking dish and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place one piece of chicken on a flat working surface. Put a spoonful of ricotta-spinach filling right in the middle and roll the chicken up so that the edges meet to form a “seam”. Dip the entire chicken roll in egg whites, and then roll it in the breadcrumbs. Place in a baking dish, seam side down. Repeat for the remaining 7 pieces of chicken. Bake for 25 minutes.
Finishing touches: After 25 minutes, the chicken should be cooked through (white on the inside) and browned on the top. Cover the chicken with the marinara sauce and slices of fresh Mozzarella. Bake for another 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melting. Sprinkle with fresh basil.
NOTES
Don’t try to cram all the pieces too close together because if the sides are touching each other, they won’t get crispy. Leaving a little space between each piece allows the breadcrumbs to bake, brown, and get crispy.
Thanks for stopping by, sure hope you try this recipe.  Have a great day and Remember to Find the time to do ALL the things you L♥ve.
Donna

Broiled Lobster Tail

One of our local grocery stores had lobster tails on sale so it was the perfect time to make them.  They are delicious, easy to cook and low in both calories and carbs.  I made this in the toaster oven.  You just cut the shell and pull up the meat, and then put in the toaster oven and bake for about 10 minutes.  The last couple of minutes turn on the broiler and brush with some butter.  YUM.  The green beans are made with bacon and onion.  This was a quick easy delicious dinner.  Oh I might add cheap too, the lobster tails were only $5.00.
Thanks for taking time to stop by.  Have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the time to Do ALL the things YOU L♥ve.
Donna

Roasted Cauliflower and Mild Cheddar Soup

Doing LC can be a challenge at times.  You can eat so many things so your menu can be almost limitless (of course minus the carbs...ie bread, rice pasta)  But I can tell you from experience that you should never be hungry eating this way.  If you are you're not following the plan right and you are not eating enough.
Fall is upon us and the weather is just now starting to change.  Here in Kansas you really don't know what the weather will be like from day to day.  I've seen days where it's 40° and the next day it's 85°.  With the weather being a bit cooler the past couple of days I've been craving soup.  Cauliflower is a good veggie when doing LC....so what better to make than a nice roasted cauliflower and cheese soup.  Cheese is also another yummy food you can have with not guilt but you can't go overboard either.


Ingredients:
1/2 head fresh cauliflower (roasted or boiled)
3 cloves garlic
2 medium sized carrots
1 medium onion
2 stalks celery
1/3 to 1/2 cup shredded mild cheddar (or cheese of your choice)
1/2 and 1/2 (you can use heavy cream)
1-2 slices of bacon
2 large tomatoes quartered (guess you could use canned tomatoes)
salt and pepper

 In a sauce pan put a cook bacon and cook the onion until tender, add garlic carrots, celery and cauliflower, and tomatoes.  Add chicken stock and cook until tender.  Salt and pepper to taste.  With an emulsion blender blend soup until smooth.  Serve with some fresh basil on top.  Enjoy.
Thanks for taking time from you day to stop by and always Remember to Find the Time to do all the Things You L♥ve.
Donna

Off to New York

Well today I am off to Long Island, New York.  I am going to my 50th High School Reunion.  WOW so hard to believe it's been that long.  Three years ago
we had a mini reunion in Florida and there was only about 15 of us but we have double that amount plus some.  Should be such a great time.  I will post pictures when I return.  We have so many fun times planned.  This is actually a 3 day party.
Cya all next week.
Donna

Fried Green Tomatoes

We have had such a bumper crop of tomatoes this year I thought I would try these.  I made these the same night I made the new Stuffed Breaded Chicken.
I must say they are very tasty and something I will make again.  Below is a picture of the entire meal.

2 medium to large firm green tomatoes
1 egg
1/2 tsp. chilli flakes
Italian seasoning
2 cloves of garlic
1 lc flatbread ( italian seasoned) leave out to dry then put in food processor
1/4 cp almond flour
1/4 cp  coconut flour
1/2 cup  half and half (or could use milk or 1/4 cp 1/2n1/2 1/4 water)
1/3 cup corn meal
1/2 cup fine bread crumbs *I used the flour mixture again*
1/4 cup veg. oil or oil of your choice
salt

I used the LC flat bread and flours to make this recipe LC.  I left the flat bread on the counter overnight and the next morning is was nice and crispy.  I then put it in the food processor and ground it up with the other flours and spices.
Slice the tomatoes about 1/4 in. or less and sprinkle salt and let me sit for 5 minutes.  In another bowl combine the egg and milk.  Another bowl bread crumbs and corn meal.  Another bowl flour mixture, Italian seasoning garlic and chilli flakes.  ****so I don't dirty all those bowls I lay out wax paper and put the dry ingredients on them...when done wrap up and toss...easy clean up*
Heat your oil in the skillet and when ready, dip the tomato slices in flour mixture then egg and then breadcrumb mixture.  Place in pan and fry on each side until golden brown.  Place on paper towel.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy.  

This is the whole meal, looks so yummy...right??
I had homemade spaghetti sauce and some used it and some ate them plain.  Choice is yours.
Hope you try these, they are worth making.
Thanks for taking time from you busy day to stop by.  Have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the Things You L ♥ve.
Donna  

Retirement Card

My daughter needed a retirement card for the secretary at the school she works at.  I found the instructions for the card  here.   I had the charm (dream) and thought it would go perfectly for someone retiring.  The border above the band is a Martha Stewart and the border around the closure was done with design
scissors.  This project goes together fairly quickly.  Wish I could tell you who makes the papers but I've had them for so long I have no idea.
Here is the card and the inside that slides out for your sentiment. 

 The Happy Retirement was done on the pc and then cut out with a nestie oval.
I have a Wedding card to post next time.  Thanks for taking time to stop by, have a wonderful weekend and Remember to Find the Time to Do All the Things YOU L♥ve.
Donna

Roasted BBQ Cornish Hen

I've been wanting to buy and cook a Cornish hen for some time now.  The other day while grocery shopping they had them on sale so I bought one and made it
the other night.  It's been years since I've had one.  They are so moist and tender and easy to cook.  I didn't do much to this one,  rinsed it, patted dry and added salt and pepper and a 1/2 a lemon to the inside.  I baked it at 350° for about 1 hr and 10 minutes.  The last 15 minutes I basted with my bbq sauce.  YUM
Next time I go shopping I will check to see if they are still on sale and buy some to put in the freezer.

BBQ Sauce (this is my sister- in-law Winnie's Recipe)
1/2 cup ketchup (I used the LC one)
1 lemon (squeezed) *I only used 1/2*
2 Tsp. chili sauce (Hunt's)
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
t tsp. molasses (dark)
salt and pepper
dash garlic powder or salt
Just mix all ingredients and refrigerate for about 1/2 or so.  You can use it right away.  This recipe also stores well for several weeks.  Great on ribs too.
Thanks for taking time to stop by, have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the Time to do all the things YOU L♥ve.
Donna

Lemon Poppy Seed Square Muffins

These are the muffins I made my friends that I barter food with.   They had given me a huge zucchini and so what better to do with it than bake.  I try to make them different things but Dans favorites are the Jalapeno and Cheddar Bread or Rolls and Chocolate Chocolate Zucchini Bread.  This version of zucchini  muffin (or you could make a loaf) is very refreshing with the taste of lemon. 

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons poppy seeds


Preheat oven to 325°. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer   until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.  Stir together flour, salt, and baking soda.   Add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in zucchini and next 2 ingredients. Line muffin cups and then fill 3/4 with batter.  You could also make mini loaves which you can see in the picture below.  Bake at 325° for 18-20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 5 minutes.  Put on wire racks and let cool or eat them while they are still warm.

The other item in this photo is a lc version of Zucchini bread.
Thanks for stopping by have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the Time to Do All the Things YOU L♥ve.
Donna

My Baby turns 40

Well it's now my daughters birthday.  And another WOW, where did those 40 years go.  Don't think I have as many pictures of her to share but will take a small trip down Memory Lane.

I am still on vacation so I don't have access to my photo files.
Happy birthday Laura Jean, hope you have so many more and your coming years are filled with
Love, happiness and good Heath.
I love you soooooooo much.
Love Mom

Wow 21

Today is my oldest grandson's birthday.  He turned 21.....Wow I can hardly believe it.
He's such a good kid.  I'm wishing him all the best that life has to offer and hope that all his dreams come true.  Here are some photo's of him through the years.

Happy Birthday Josh
With all my Love Mammy