Easter eggs, egg recipes & scotch eggs

Good evening! I certainly hope that you’ve had a great day so far! The weather here is so much better today. The day started out very overcast, chilly & extremely foggy. Now it’s a beautiful, sunny day. Welcome Spring!
Well, let’s get down to business – I can’t wait to tell you what I made yesterday in my low carb kitchen. My husband was so darn excited, he couldn’t hardly contain himself!
First of all, do you ever wonder how in the world you could eat all of the Easter eggs you end up fixing? When our kids were growing up we explained to them that we would dye Easter eggs and leave the door open so that the Easter Bunny could come inside, get in our refrigerator and take the eggs outside to hide them. We told them that we were helping him out by providing our own eggs and also that he would like to see all the eggs we dyed. Speaking of all the eggs we dyed, we always let each of our kids dye at least 1 dozen eggs and then some more, too. Normally we dye, 3 to 4 dozen eggs. Yes, that may be overdoing it, but our kids, including us adults, are pretty artsy and we really enjoy the “artwork” we create.
The eggs were normally outside for just a few minutes, so we’d put them back in the refrigerator. Then we’d try to eat them all up before we ended up throwing a good majority of them away later in the week. Prior to this year, we’ve mostly used the eggs for egg salad and deviled eggs. But this year I’ve been on a quest to come up with some ways to use all the eggs. So whether or not you dye eggs or even celebrate Easter, I’m determined to share with you some nice recipes for boiled eggs. The first recipe I posted a couple of weeks ago: jalapeno-spiced egg salad for 1. You can double or triple this recipe for more servings.
My next recipe is what I made for supper last night and my husband was so excited! So here’s my new recipe creation - scotch eggs. My husband has begged and begged for me to try to come up with a low carb version of this recipe. So I gave it a shot and the eggs turned out really good – just ask my husband and daughter! So, you may be wondering what in the world is a scotch egg. Well, it’s a hard boiled egg, that is basically wrapped with ground breakfast sausage and baked. I also made a Dijon cream sauce for dipping, that was really good – especially with a few drops of hot sauce. So if you’re looking to try something a little different I would definitely suggest scotch eggs. If you have big plans for the Easter holiday, you could make these eggs ahead of time and warm them prior to serving. They would be great for breakfast or as an additional side dish for a meal.
Stay tuned for more recipes tomorrow. Time for me to get ready to watch American Idol - we can’t wait to see what’s in store this week. I’ll be back tomorrow. Have a good evening & take care!

Spring, Easter traditions & ham

Good evening! Hope you had a great weekend! I’m so glad that spring is finally here as is the lovely spring rain. I think it’s been raining for 2 days, but it’s supposed to be sunny tomorrow. With the new season comes a whole new list of recipes that I’d like to share with everyone.
Since Spring is here it also means that Easter is just around the corner, too. I’m really looking forward to Easter although my [immediate] family won’t be getting together for the holiday. I think maybe we’ll have our own little holiday celebration the weekend after Easter. We’re not getting together this year because my sons’ band is on tour and they won’t be getting home until late in the evening on Easter. But of course, they’ll still get an Easter basket!
When I was a child, Easter was always a big celebration for our family. My mother normally did a lot of sewing of Easter dresses for me & my 2 sisters. I remember the last Easter dress my mother made for me – I was 16 or 17 and the material was a light blue fabric with a tiny raised flower design. The dress was a sun dress and she also made a very short jacket to go with it, which was almost sleeveless. On the Saturday night before Easter we got about a foot of snow! I still have the picture of my mother & I in our new dresses and sandals, standing in the snow.
Speaking of my mother, the first “Easter” recipe I’m going to share with you, I learned from her. Easy baked ham marinated with diet cola. Although my mother always used a regular cola for marinating. It’s very easy and I always get a lot of compliments on the recipe. Whenever someone asks for my recipe, they always look at me funny when I tell them what it is but it is very, very good. I like to serve this ham for Easter and I also like to make this for our New Years Eve party, whenever we get the chance to have one.
Another recipe I’d like to share with you today is strawberries & cream jello dessert. We used to grow strawberries in our backyard when I was very young. My mother always said they had to get rid of them because the kids wouldn’t stay out of them – we’d eat them straight from the plant. I think strawberries or just about any other kind of berries are my favorite fruit, they're also one of the most low carb fruits. This recipe is made from jello, strawberries & heavy cream.
I hope you add these recipes to your recipe collection. Stayed tuned for some more recipes tomorrow. Hope you have a nice evening! Take care!

busy, quick & easy

Good evening! I don't know about your household, but sometimes mine just seems pretty darn hectic. My sons are getting ready to go on a tour with their band, so they've been trying to practice as much as possible. One of the band members just flew in 2 days ago, they leave Friday so they need to practice, practice, practice. My youngest son lives at home, he always gets a little nervous before they leave. But I think the rest of the band does, too. So they're trying to do a bunch of different things at once - including building a new bench seat for their van & attaching regulation seatbelts.
And then there's my daughter, Lori - she's a senior. Tonight she went with one of her friends to look at prom dresses and to go out for dinner. She's also been applying for scholarships & talking with colleges. She's been studying a lot, too. And planning for spring break & working on a fund raiser - which reminds me, why do they always have to do that darn cookie dough fund raiser at schools? I hate to even ask anyone to by that sugar laden stuff! Oh, but wait they have sugar-free chocolate chip cookie dough this year... that even makes it worse - it's labeled as "sugar-free" but I guarantee it's not low carb.
So, anyway, I'm sure you have times that you're really busy, too, and the quicker you can put together a meal the better. Eating low carb doesn't mean you have to cook a big meat meal every night. In fact, with the warmer months just right around the corner, we tend to eat a lot of meals that are quick and easy. Some require no cooking - like tonight's meal. My husband picked it up on his way home. Peppered turkey breast, cheddar cheese, slaw mix, pork rinds, apples and blueberries - just so that we could have a variety and because he wasn't sure who might be here for supper. So he and I both had peppered turkey breast, cheddar cheese, a quick slaw made from slaw mix, salt & mayo and some pork rinds. Less than 5 net carbs for each of our meals. Blueberries are low carb, too, and if we eat an apple we normally share a smaller one, so that's only about 5 to 6 net carbs per serving.
So, in summary, eating low carb can be quick, easy and require practically no preperation. I hope this gets you to thinking about your preferences and some quick and easy low carb meals that will suit your family.
Now that we've finished our supper, all band mates have left for a bit and my daughter is at church, it's time for a little rest, relaxation and TV watching with my husband. Hope you have a good evening! Take care!

the boys are back in town

So happy tonight:) My sons' band, Be My Doppelganger, is going on tour on Friday. Their drummer moved about 2 months ago - from Evansville, Indiana to Reno, Nevada. We sure have missed him! He flew in yesterday so that they could all practice for a couple of days before heading out on their 2 week tour.
So they all met here this afternoon to get in some practice time. They also brought my favorite daughter-in-law with them. Okay, she's my only daughter-in-law and I love hanging out with her. Also, Dave from St. Louis is here - he's going on tour with the boys.
We love it when the boys come over to practice. I call them boys although the youngest is 21! I really enjoy hanging out and visiting with them and I love to cook for them, too. Normally, in my low carb kitchen, I fix something ahead of time - usually one of their favorites like spicy pork loin - it's cooked in a slow cooker with jalapenos. Between the 4 of them, they can devour a 4 to 5 lb pork loin in a matter of a couple of hours.
But, I didn't plan ahead today, so instead I made easy baked pork loin, sauerkraut, a tossed spinach salad & creamy mock mashed "potatoes" made with cauliflower. I added a couple of handfuls of shredded cheddar cheese to the cauliflower after one of the boys in the band, Ryan Dunn aka Fun Dunn, asked if I was making the cauliflower with cheese - he was so excited. They all loved the meal including my husband and daughter. I think they all went back for seconds.
Now that they're finished eating I better go check on the state of the kitchen and get it cleaned up. Have a great evening! Take care!

corned beef & cabbage - St. Patrick's Day is Wednesday!

Good evening! Hope you've had a good day! What a busy weekend. Saturday was especially fun - got to watch my husband play drums & sing with Natasha Neely. She did a great job. And the band sounded absolutely awesome! One of her backup singers, who also sang a couple of songs by herself, was on the soap opera "The Young & The Restless" when she was a child. How cool is that?
When we came home Saturday night, I headed straight for my low carb kitchen to get my brisket cooking. Oh, I forgot - first we had to stop on the way home to pick up a beer for the recipe. I was hoping to use an Irish beer, but they were all out. So I settled for another dark beer. Anyway, the recipe calls for beer but you can also use a non-alcoholic beer.
So with only 2 more days until St. Patrick's Day - I have finally added my latest recipe in honor of the special occassion. If you're looking for an Irish recipe for St. Patrick's Day I highly recommend this recipe for corned beef & cabbage.
My next series of recipes will be in honor of Easter. Traditionally, my family's main course is almost always ham & I have a great, easy recipe for baked ham. I learned this recipe from my mother. And speaking of my mother, after I got married & my parents were left with an empty nest, my mother started making homemade Easter candy. Solid chocolate eggs, peanut butter cups, white chocolate delicacies, and many more delicious treats. I inherited all of her molds so I'm thinking about trying to use them to create some low carb treats!
I wonder what I'll make... be sure and stay tuned for some treats that will be sure to satisfy your candy cravings! Well, it's time for me to go. Hope you have a great evening!!

green dream dessert & no/low carb snack ideas

Good Saturday morning! I hope your weekend is getting off to a great start! We have big plans today - my husband is performing (playing drums & singing backup vocals) with an up-and-coming country artist - Natasha Neely. I'll be going tonight to watch them, along with some of our family and friends. They'll be performing at Goldie’s Best Little Opryhouse in Owensboro, Kentucky at 7 p.m.
For the last couple of days I've been trying to figure out a computer problem, so I haven't spent too much time in my low carb kitchen. The computer problem is finally resolved - yeah! And I have a couple of new recipes for you. First of all, as promised here's my 3 ingredient green dessert that kids young and old are guaranteed to enjoy - St. Patrick's Day green dream dessert. Sugarfree jello, water & heavy whipping cream go together in less than 5 minutes, so there's not much prep time. I hope you give this a try & you enjoy it, too. Isn't it pretty?!
If you're looking for a "sweet" no carb snack, how about jello? I buy a package of 12 premade single serving, assorted flavors, sugar-free jello from my local grocery store. It's normally found in the dairy section. It's a quick, easy no carb snack. During the warmer months, I also use sugar-free jello frequently for other no/low carb desserts. I'll be posting some of these recipes soon.
I don't know about you, but I love jello - eating it kind of makes me feel like a kid again. I don't know if schools still serve jello, but as a child I remember our schools served it frequently. Although, I didn't particularly care for the jello with the shredded carrots in it... I think someone thought up that idea just to get kids to eat their carrots.
Speaking of kids, my daughter Lori, came up with a new recipe last night and it was so good, I've posted it on the website - pork rinds with pepperoni & cheese. Pork rinds are such a versatile no carb snack [be sure to check labels, some flavored pork rinds contain carbs.] When we first started our low carb lifestyle, we craved a crunchy, salty snack! I had never eaten pork rinds before but I decided to give them a try. At first, I'd have them with melted cheese or a dip because I wasn't really a big fan of them. Now, I really like pork rinds and always keep them on hand for a quick snack.
Well it's time for me to get a few things done this morning. I will be posting my corned beef & cabbage recipe later this weekend - just in time for St. Patrick's Day, which is this coming Wednesday. Have a great day!!

like a boy scout (or girl scout, in my case) - [almost] always prepared...

What a beautiful day! I was so excited to get off work a 1/2 hour early today to enjoy the beautiful weather - 70 degrees and very sunny. It was so sunny that I bypassed the kitchen and headed out on a lovely walk with my husband. We only live a few blocks from the downtime area & when the weather is nice, we like to walk.
Speaking of the weather being nice, I'm not sure about you, but when it's nice outside I tend to spend less time in the kitchen and more time outdoors. Even if you typically spend less time in the kitchen when the weather is nice, it doesn't mean you have to sacrifice a nice low carb meal. So I wanted to blog about what I keep on hand so that we can fix a meal in a jiffy!
We keep the following in the freezer - chicken breasts, fish fillets, beef patties & pork patties. Sometimes I have chicken wings & shrimp, too. Tonight, my husband wanted to cook, so he whipped up a really nice meal - fried pork patties & leftovers (creamy coleslaw and Irish heritage cabbage). I like to keep frozen meats & fish in the freezer because that ensures we almost always have something on hand for a quick meal. I know some people never eat leftovers, but I truly appreciate being able to have enough extra for another meal. Sometimes we have our leftovers for another dinner meal or one of us eats it for lunch or a snack.
We also keep the following in the refrigerator for quick meals - fresh spinach leaves, cabbage, cauliflower, cheese, cheese and did I mention cheese? If you keep these items on had you can also fix something from the freezer along with a salad, slaw or maybe even just slices of cheese. We just love cheese!
Because I keep stuff in the freezer & refrigerator, it makes taking my breakfast & lunch to work very easy - in fact, it's much easier than trying to go out to grab a meal. For breakfast, I fix either some type of eggs or my hot milled flax seed cereal. Most of my work lunches consist of a cooked fish fillet (microwaved in the morning, sprinkled with lemon pepper) and a large fresh spinach salad. My version of spinach salad is so easy - parmesan cheese, olive oil & balsamic vinegar - and only 1 to 2 net carbs.
I think you get the idea, the more prepared you are the easier it is to follow a low carb lifestyle. Before we began this lifestyle, I assure you I wasn't very prepared for meals and like many other families, we ended up eating lots of meals outside of the home because either we didn't have anything or enough ingredients on hand to make a meal. Or we ordered pizza because that was so easy! When we started our low carb lifestyle, that curbed our restaurant eating because it was easier to eat at home. That also helped me learn that it's much easier to be prepared than to have to stop at a grocery store on the way home from work - this is one thing I hate to do but I used to all the time before our low carb lifestyle.
I hope these low carb ideas help you! If you ever have any questions, just let me know. Oh, about the low carb St. Patrick's day dessert that I said I'd post tonight - sorry, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow for the recipe. A long leisurely walk with my husband took priority tonight! Hoping you have a nice, relaxing evening...