Fluffies ... sugar free high protein pancakes

These are AWESOME!!  my mom finds all types of interesting pancakes and usually I am like the kid on "Kid Histories" What else is about it mom?  But she hit the jack pot with these.  they are fantastic.  Im not sure where she got the recipe and I changed it a tiny bit to make it sugar free.  But even still, AMAZING!

Here is the recipe:

FLUFFIES (PANCAKES)

                         serves 4

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 t  stevia or xylitol

1/4 t salt

1/8 t nutmeg (don't omit)

3 large eggs, separated

1/2 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt (or sour cream)

olive oil

1.  Whisk the flour, sugar, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl.  Beat the egg yolks and yogurt in a medium bowl until smooth.  With an electric mixer beat the egg whites in a large owl to soft peaks.  Stir the egg yo8l mixture into the flour mixture until just combines.  (the batter should be lumpy, with visible streaks of flour.)  Using a spatula carefully fold the whites into the batter until just combined.  (Do not over mix - a few streaks of whites should be visible.)

2.  Heat 2 t of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium low heat for 5 minutes.  Drop the batter by tablespoons into the pan.  Cook until the pancakes are evenly browned on both sides, 3-4 minutes.  Repeat with the remaining batter, using additional oil as needed to grease the pan.  Serve

Although these pancakes are at their puffiest when served in batches, they can be kept warm on a cooling rack coated with cooking spray and placed over a remmed baking sheet in a 200 degree oven for up to 20 minutes.  Take care not over beat the egg whites.  Beating the egg white to soft peaks will produce the tallest and puffiest pancakes  

Most fantastic Breadsticks

Luisa's Breadsticks...

My fantastic friend is a fantastic cook.  She gave me this great breadstick recipe.  It came from her husbands college roommates friends aunt.  Or something like that.  She uses the good stuff, white flour.  But I (because of my sensitive tummy to all things processed) use 1/2 whole wheat flour..

SIDE NOTE:  The flour that I use I get straight from the farmer.  It is Hard White Spring Wheat.  It is fantastic for making bread and sooooo good for you! It makes the bread nice and light!  Also, whenever I use whole wheat flour from the store, its yucky.  So just get some very cheap wheat berries from the farms and borrow my wheat grinder.  SOOOO WORTH IT.


So I don't have pictures, sorry.  I need to give this recipe so that I can give the next one.  Stromboli!


So you whisk together ...


1/2 cup of warm water and add, 4 tsp of yeast and 1 T of sugar.  Let sit until its all foamy.


Meanwhile...
Combine
 2 1/4 cups of Whole Wheat Flour and 
1 1/4 cups of bread flour. 
1 T of sea salt. 
1 cup of hotish water.  


then add the yeast mixture.


Knead for 10 min, until all nice and smooth


Let rise for 1 hour
punch down
Let Rise for another hour


Then roll out into a long 18 inch by 12 inch rectangle.  Cut into one inch strips.  


Take one strip, stretch it out, fold in half, then twist.  Pinching the ends roll this into 1 cube of melted butter.  Then lay it on a cookie sheet.  Repeat with all the strips of dough.

(you can sprinkle with salt or parmesan cheese if you want before you bake it)

Bake for 15 min at 425.

Enjoy!

No Sugar French Toast

So, I am starting a NO SUGAR 3 month period.  I have been feeling a bit lousy of late and while I have been improving this will hopefully get me over the bump.  I LOVE breakfast.  And I LOVE french toast.  But usually on french toast we put Nutella, which equals sugar.

SIDE NOTE: A few months ago, My oldest daughter asked for syrup and nutella on her breakfast and we have a strict -1 sugar topping only rule- and so "nope, sorry" was what came out of my mouth.  Kyle was confused.  "I thought Nutella was a healthy spread, I thought that's why you ate it."  NOPE! DANG! I could have kept fooling him and he would have kept thinking so highly of his healthy wife.  I didn't even know that I was fooling him.  Oh Well.

 This morning, (I made my whole wheat bread recipe yesterday)  we had french toast on our healthy bread.  In the french toast batter I put eggs, a bit of milk, 1 tsp of vanilla.  And we put some Cinnamon.  But I am allergic to cinnamon, so it goes in AFTER I make my two pieces of french toast.

On the Top of the french toast I put....
The last of my Almond butter (major grocery shopping to happen on Monday)
A sprinkling of Cocoa Powder
and the frozen berries from Costco ( I thawed them first)

IT was FANTASTIC!!!

Enjoy!

Muddy Buddies, healthier style

Soooo....,

I don't have a picture these were eaten too fast. I needed something simple to make!

I/2 cube of butter
1/2 cup almond butter
1 cup of dark chocolate
9 cups of rice chex cereal
3/4 cup of powdered sugar

(next time I want to try powdered coconut sugar)

Melt chocolate and butter and almond butter together in a glass bowl in the microwave in 15 sec increments.

Pour chex into a large bowl and pour chocolate mixture on top. Mix well.

Put it all in a plastic zip lock bag and pour powdered sugar on top. It just does a light dusting of the powdered sugar. Pour it all back in the glass bowl and eat!

Brit

Roasted Red Potatoes

2lbs of red potatoes quartered
4 tablespoons of butter cut into cubes
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
2 teaspoons o natures seasoning
1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 425

Butter the bottom of a 9x13 glass dish
Evenly spread your potatoes in. The baking dish and place your butter cubes sporadically over the potatoes. Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil. Sprinkle seasonings over potatoes.

Bake at 425 for 45-60 minutes (depending on how deep your potatoes piled up)
Stir every 10-15 minutes to get the seasonings evenly spread and to prevent sticking - also it helps the potatoes bake evenly!

Yummy side dish!

Brit

Green bean Armadine

4 cups of frozen green beans
1/4 cup bacon grease
1/4 cup slivered almonds
2 tablespoons crushed garlic
Sea salt to taste

(Optional cooked bacon and crushed into bits.)

Melt bacon grease in a large sauce pan. Add green beans and garlic and sauté on med/high heat. When the green beans are halfway cooked add the slivered almonds. Add salt to taste. Cook beans until they are slightly browned.

I think this takes about 10 min. Depending on the amount of the green beans! You can place in the oven or a crock pot to keep warm.

Brit

Caramel Brownies and homemade whipped cream

Caramel brownies

I got the brownie recipe from my friend at ediblevignetts.blogspot.com. She is one amazing cook!! The caramel part of this recipe my mom got from a friend when I was 10. We recently combined the 2.

The Baked Brownie

1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs dark unsweetened cocoa powder
11 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao) coarsely chopped
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tsp dark unsweetened cocoa powder (the original recipe calls for espresso powder, but I don't do the coffee thing so this is my substitution)
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 c firmly packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

CARAMEL

1lb wrapped Caramel's
1/2 cup butter
1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter the sides and bottom of a 9x13-inch glass or light-colored metal pan.

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, salt, and 2 Tbs cocoa powder.

Put the chocolate, butter, and 1 tsp cocoa powder in a large bowl and set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from pan. Let cool to room temperature.

Add 3 eggs to the melted chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not over beat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the melted chocolate mixture and using a spatula (not a whisk) fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible.

Pour the 3/4 quarters of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 15 min. With the remaining batter, place plastic wrap on the top and put in the fridge.

Meanwhile, unwrap the Caramel's. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan add caramels. Caramel and butter will not blend, but after they have melted remove from heat and add sweetened condensed milk. Mix well. Gently pour caramel over cooked brownies (as you are pouring you are moving your bowl so that you just lay down a thin layer of caramel over the brownies, and then gently spread. Drizzle remaining brownie batter over the Caramel and gently spread. (sometimes this batter gets too thick for the last step- usually if it sits out too long- so you can add small bits of water to the batter and mix it in well so that it is pourable) Bake another 30 min, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cool completely.

(for licking the bowls -after you have cleaned an edge in the chocolate bowl and before you place that in your mouth- dip your chocolated finger into some of the caramel. Place together in your mouth and enjoy!)

Can be made 2 days ahead!

WHIPPED CREAM

2 cups of heavy whipping cream
Whip with electric beater or kitchen aid until fluffy, add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 2 tsp vanilla while continuously whipping.
Whip until firm peaks form. Do not overbeat!

Serve over anything you need some whipped cream with :)

Brit





Brit