This is a Short life: Homemade low carb bread + Pizza Soup + Flourless Raspberry Brownies = YUMMO!!!!!

Brock's favorite food is pizza...which isn't low carb. Now I have made a low carb pizza crust using carbquick but I thought I'd try making a pizza soup. I saw a recipe for pizza soup but I thought it needed more added too it. We love a lot of meat on our pizza and Brock isn't a fan of veggies on pizza. So I thought I'd make up my own pizza soup recipe. You can change the ingredients to whatever you chose. You can add veggies or even pasta (macaroni or corkscrew). I would suggest that if you choose to add onions or green peppers (or other veggies), to saute them first in a little bit of butter or oil before throwing everything into the pot to cook.

Pizza Soup

Ingredients:

2 cups of pre-made spaghetti sauce (I used Ragu Meat flavored)

5 cups of chicken broth

1 large can of green chili's (7 ounce can)

The rest of the ingredients weren't measured just added according to what you like:

Shredded Cooked Chicken (about 3/4 of a cup to a cup)

Bacon Crumbles (I used 5 slices)

Diced Pepperoni (I cut up 20 pepperoni's in bite size pieces)

Fresh Spinach Chopped (about 2 cups)

Several dashes of Oregano, Parsly, Onion Powder, and Garlic Powder

Couple shakes of hot sauce and red pepper flakes (you can omit if you don't like spicy food)

Salt and Pepper (to taste if you want to)

Shredded Cheese for garnish (I used freshly shredded Mozzarella...but you can use whatever you like)

Directions:

Put all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. It might take longer if you are using more veggies or pasta. Just cook until it is warm and all veggies or pasta is cooked.

Once you have served the soup sprinkle with cheese! Enjoy!

I served mine with a pressed sandwich on homemade low carb bread. It is super easy to make. I got the recipe from lowcarbdiets.about.com. Of course I added some ingredients to make it more my own and to add a little more flavor to it.

Low Carb Focaccia Style Bread

(adapted from lowcarbdiets.about.com)

Ingredients:

2 cups of flax seed meal

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons of splenda

1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon of Rosemary seasoning

5 eggs (beaten)

1/2 cup of water

1/3 cup of oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Mix all your dry ingredients (first 7) together in a bowl. Combine them well. In a separate bowl combine 5 eggs, water and oil. Mix well. Once all wet ingredients are combined stir them into the dry ingredients. Once everything is mixed together pour on your prepared cookie sheet. It won't fill the cookie sheet. Try to make a nice even rectangle by smoothing it out with a spatula. Bake for 20 minutes. NO LONGER!!!! It will burn and taste gross! Once it is finish remove parchment paper to a cooling rack and let cool. When it is cool cut into pieces for sandwiches. (I used meat and cheese from the deli for our sandwiches. Swiss cheese, turkey, ham, and spicy chicken!) Store the leftover bread in the refrigerator or freezer.

On to dessert! I love chocolate and I know that living a low carb life style doesn't allow for many baked goods. I came across this recipe somewhere a little over a year ago. I can't remember where I got it but it is a keeper in my house! Flourless brownies!!!! This is perfect for the low carb people and the gluten free people! I made these the other day and took them to school and no one believed they were healthy and good for you! I have had several people ask for the recipe so here it is....

Flourless Brownies

Indgredients:
1 cup Splenda

1/2 cup Almond Meal
1/4 cup Splenda Brown Sugar
2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter
3 Egg Whites
1 Large Egg
1 cup Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300. Spray a 9x9 inch pan with non stick spray.

In a bowl melt both sticks of butter. With a hand mixer beat the butter and sugars together. Add in the egg and 3 egg whites and mix well.

In a separate bowl combine almond meal and cocoa powder.

With a spoon add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. If you use the hand mixer it will blow the cocoa powder everywhere...trust me...it happened!

When all ingredients are mixed together pour into prepared pan and cook for 25 to 30 minutes.

For Raspberry brownies (shown in the pictures)....I added 1/4 cup of chopped pecans to the batter before I poured it in the pan. Once it is in the pan I took 1/3 cup of sugar free raspberry jam and used a butter knife to swirl it into the top of the brownie batter before it bakes. When I pulled them out of the oven I melted sugar free chocolate chips and drizzled it on top. Your options with this plan brownie batter is endless. You can add any flavor sugar free jam or nut to it. If you wanted you could chop up some sugar free candy bars and mix it into the batter. So many different variations! Delicious! I made ice cream brownie sundays out of our brownies. Using low carb ice cream and sugar free Hershey's syrup. YUMMO!!!!!!!