Chocolate Lava Cake with Berries...aka Low Carb Dream!

Its been way too long since my last post. It isn't that I haven't been cooking because I have...a lot actually! I just haven't had time to post recipes and talk about my day lately. I am seriously ready for summer! Today has been our first day of Spring Break and it has given me a taste of what is to come in about 2 more months...I can't wait to hit the gym in the mornings around 9 then come home lay out in the sun for a few hours then cook a healthy dinner and dessert! Summer time is the best!!!!
Today I got up and ran tons of errands then came home to cook a meal for my friends who just had a baby. I made them some Baked Ziti, Garlic Bread, Caesar Salad, and for dessert Peanut Butter Snicker Brownies with Peanut Butter Icing. None of which is low carb but all of which is delicious! After I dropped their meal off I came home and cooked a very yummy and healthy meal for Brock and I. We had baked chicken and steamed broccoli....then dessert...to die for amazingly delicious Chocolate Lava Cake!!!!
So I don't have pictures of the Chicken or Broccoli but they are super simple to make and very healthy. For the chicken I just make them in little foil packets. Take a piece of foil and place a chicken breast in the middle. Cover with your choice of seasoning. We really like the spicy chicken seasoning. I sprinkle that on the chicken breast then take a tablespoon of butter and cut it in three slices and place it on top of the chicken breast with seasoning. Seal up the packet and bake on 425 for 30 minutes.
Walmart has started selling fresh broccoli in steamable bags! Its amazing! Poke a few holes in the bag with a fork, place the bag on a plate in the microwave for 3 minutes and bam...its ready! Perfect meal in about 35 minutes! :)
Dessert.....the good stuff! I am obsessed with reading other food blogs. One blog that I am loving right now is All day I dream of food. The lady who write this blog is a diabetic and has to eat low carb/ sugar free.  As sad as it is to have that disease she has totally made lemonade out of her lemons in life and has become an amazing cook for others who are diabetic or that follow a low carb sugar free diet. You should all definitely check out her blog! This dessert is one of her recipes. The only thing I might try next time is adding a little bit more splenda. She uses granulated erythritol and I substituted it for Splenda...I think I should have put more because it was kinda bittersweet. It was delicious but could have been sweeter. :)

Chocolate Lava Cake:

Ingredients:

4 tbsp of butter, plus more for the ramekins

6 squares of Lindt 85% cacao chocolate

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp of granulated erythritol (I'd say 2 tbsp of splenda)

1 tsp of flour

Directions:

Melt butter and chocolate together in a small bowl set on top of a pan of simmering water. Stir until smooth.  On a medium size bowl beat egg, egg yolk, and splenda together until light in color and thickened. Add chocolate mixture and mix until combined. Stir in the flour. Divide the mixture between the ramekins, bake for 6 to 7 minutes. Sides will be set but center will soft. Invert onto plate and let sit for 10 seconds or so. Then lift ramekin. Cake will fall out onto plate! Serve immediately with whipped topping and/or fresh berries.

Sometimes it doesn't go as planned....

Yesterday was Sunday...not just any Sunday it was time change day! Normally it's not a big deal. I really don't ever feel affected by the change but this time was different. Saturday night Brock had to deejay a fundraiser for the Arkansas Museum for Children. It was a nice, fun change from weddings, clubs, and parties. We got all dressed up and had a great time together. The down side to our fun evening was it was a late night. We got home around 1 am. By the time I was ready for bed it was way after 2. Brock reminded me to set the clock back...we had a discussion that went a little like this....

Brock: Don't forget to set your clock back before you set your alarm.
Me: Ok...baby I don't think I have to set this my alarm clock back it does it automatically.
Brock: No babe...your cell phone sets automatically not the bedside clock.
Me: Are you sure???? I don't know that I've ever set this clock. And I can't figure out how to change the time.
Brock: Seriously babe...just hit the hour button.
Me: There isn't one....just a time zone button.
Brock: Well set it on eastern time.
Me: Ok baby.

So not a big deal right?!? WRONG! I woke up, so I thought, late...6:20 on my clock (suppose to get up at 5:45). Ran in, jumped in the shower and I'm running around like a crazy woman. I go back in the bedroom to have this conversation with my sweetheart of a new hubby.....

Brock: Kim turn off the lights and be quiet...
Me: Baby you need to get up and start getting ready we are running late. Its 6:45.
Brock: No its not, your clock is wrong it's only 5:45.
Me: No baby remember the time change....
Brock: Check your phone, your clock is wrong, I am tired and you are making noise...Go back to bed! You are up too early!

Sure enough my alarm clock does set itself...and since I changed the times zone I lost 2 hours of sleep! Worst night of sleep ever! I only got like 3 hours and that was the first thing that day that didn't go as planned. Some things to know about me are I love plans and following them out and if I don't get enough sleep I am one grouchy girl!

Wondering why I have bored you with the time zone alarm clock story? Well our day Sunday was super busy. We had church Sunday morning and then lunch with our friends the Shane and Mendy Roth (and kids). Love them! We invited them back to the house to hang out while their son, Max, went to a birthday party a few blocks from our house.

We got home and picked up a little before company and I baked cookies. Shane has a gluten allergy and a dairy allergy so he can't eat a lot of stuff. I discovered this recipe back when Brock and I started our low carb lifestyle. These cookies are now Shane's favorite cookie....ever! (So he says!) These Peanut Butter Chocolate cookies are a delightful little low carb, no sugar, no dairy, and no gluten dessert! They are super soft and chewy. We drank an afternoon cup of coffee and ate cookies! So good. We decided to cook burgers and sweet potato fries for dinner. Well that was the plan...but just like my alarm clock problem we had some more bumps in our road. I made a list of things that we needed from the store which included an extra package of hamburger meat, 5 sweet potatoes and some medicine. Lets just say Brock tried and got 1 out of 3 correct. He got the right hamburger meat, but regular potatoes instead of sweet potatoes, and he got me powdered medicine instead of pills. Again he tried. So we just made regular fries instead. I decided to make gourmet burgers with my Italian seasonings with sauteed tomatoes and onions with a special homemade mayo sauce, and fresh shredded mozzarella. So Mendy and I start cooking. Cutting potatoes and making burgers. I go to put the burgers in the pan and start cooking them. All is good until...I go to flip them...7 out of 10 burgers just crumbled to pieces...like it looked like I was browning hamburger meat for something other than making burgers. Disaster!!!! Needless to say dinner didn't turn out as planned. Instead of having hamburgers we has meat blobs on buns. LOL. Oh well....it looked awful but everyone loved them! So I guess that is all that matters! And no I didn't take pictures of the meat blobs and regular fries. I don't have clue as to why the meat fell apart but we had fun and I realized sometimes things don't go as planned but that is ok! :)
I thought I'd share my cookie recipe and pictures of those since they were the one thing that actually went how they were suppose to that day!!!

 Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

(adapted from baking bites)

Ingredients:

1 cup of crunchy peanut butter

3/4 cup of splenda brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp of vanilla

1/2 tsp of baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tbsp of water

1/2 cup sugar free chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl mix together cocoa powder and water. In a medium size bowl mix peanut butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Once well combined mix in chocolate water mix. Stir until all combined. Add chocolate chips. Drop by the teaspoon on a cookie sheet and bake for 9 to 11 minutes. Cool for a minute on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack. Eat them up!!!

Peanut Butter Snicker Brownies!

Tonight was our family bingo night and teacher bake sale at school. Our PTA host a family night with a silent auction of baked goods that the teachers make. The kids get so excited about buy the things their teacher has made or bought. This year it was no different. Tons of delicious baked goods lined the tables in the cafeteria for some friendly biding wars.
Leading up to the bake sale I was racking my brain trying to find something that was going to be some what easy to make but more importantly didn't need refrigerating and could be transported easily. Several months ago Snickers came out with their new peanut butter snickers squares. As soon as I saw them I told Brock not only had I died and gone to heaven that I was more excited to figure out what to make with them! These could be used in so many different baking opportunities! My options were endless! Three days later I was catching up on my favorite cooking blogs when I found a recipe using my God sent heavenly treats....that is right my Peanut Butter Snickers!!!! So hands down I totally decided to use this recipe when making my bake sale item. Needless to say they were a success, bringing in a grand total of $28.00!!!!
So with out farther ado I give your the most delicious dessert treat that has ever been.....well at least one of the best! :)

Peanut Butter Snicker Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting...

aka....a piece of heaven! :)

(Cookies and Cups)

Ingredients:

1 cup of sugar (splenda)

2 eggs

2 tsp of vanilla

1/2 cup of butter (melted and unsalted)

1/2 cup of cocoa powder

2/3 cup of flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat oven 350 and spray muffin tins with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl stir sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Then add in melted butter. Mix well. Sift in cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt.

Scoop brownie batter into muffin tins. Press an unwrapped PB Snickers in the center of the brownie batter. Use the back of a spoon to spread the brownie mix across the top of the candy bar. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes until edges are set and the center is no longer jiggly. Let them cool for 30 minutes before removing them from the pan.

While they are cooling go ahead and mix up the frosting.

Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients:

1/2 stick of unsalted butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter

2 1/2 to 3 cups of powdered sugar

3 tablespoons of milk

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl with a hand mixer beat the butter and peanut butter until smooth. Slowly add in sifted powdered sugar and then milk. Beat until smooth. Fill a piping bag with the frosting and then decorate however you want! Feel free to pipe any extra frosting directly in your mouth....its that good!

Eat and Enjoy!!!! :)

Chocolate Walnut Blondies (low carb! )

I have a major sweet tooth...as if that isn't obvious! I try to keep it in check and not make too many desserts. But today I thought Brock and I deserved a treat. We have been eating healthy all week and I have been craving some chocolate this weekend. So I made these yummy chocolate walnut blondies. They are very nutty and the chocolate gives them just the right amount of sweetness. They are also a quick and easy treat to make. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did! :)

Chocolate Walnut Blondies

(adapted from I dream of Food)
Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of walnuts

1 cup of almond flour

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1 cup of melted unsalted butter

1/2 cup splenda

2 tsp of vanilla extract

10 drops of stevia extract

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup of sugar free chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven at 325 and grease an 8x8 pan. I just used non stick spray. Chop 1/2 cup of walnuts and  toast them. Set them aside. In a food processor take the rest of the walnuts (1 cup) and grind them till they look like course cornmeal. Combine grounded walnuts, xanthan gum, and almond meal in a bowl and set aside. In a medium sized bowl melt 1 cup of butter (2 sticks). Beat melted butter and splenda together till smooth. Add in vanilla and stevia extract. Then stir in the almond flour mixture. In a small bowl beat all 4 eggs then pour eggs into batter. Stir till well combined. Add in toasted walnut chunks and chocolate chips.  Pour batter into prepared dish. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes till edges are slightly browned.  Let cool for 10 minutes in pan before serving.

Chicken Pizza and Cheese Sticks (all low carb!)

I feel like our lives are so busy and we don't even have kids! I shutter at the thought of having to balance our crazy life style with kiddos! Hopefully we won't have any of those for a long long long time! Yesterday was the end of a long week and so I wanted something super easy and little mess but still hardy and full of flavor! So I went with Brock's favorite again and yet made another dish that is low carb for pizza lovers! That is right low carb Chicken Pizza. It was super easy and can be made however you like your pizza just use flattened chicken breast as your dough.

Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

 6 Chicken Breast (flattened to about 1/2 and inch)

butter

salt and pepper

oregano

3/4 cup of tomato sauce (about a tablespoon or so per chicken breast)

onions

peperoni

jalapenos

mozzarella cheese (shredded)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Either grill chicken or cook it in a skillet. I did mine in a skillet with a little butter salt and pepper. Once chicken is cooked place in a oven safe dish. Spoon sauce on top of chicken then layer with favorite pizza toppings. Peperoni, jalapenos, onions, and cheese. Sprinkle with some oregano. Bake in oven for 10 to 15 minutes. 

Mozzarella Sticks 

(low carb)

Ingredients:

12 cheese sticks

1 egg

splash of water

1/2 a bag of original flavored pork skins

Italian seasoning

Directions:

Preheat oven 350. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Take pork skins and crumble them into crumbs. I used my food processor for this step or you could use a rolling pin and place them in a ziplock bag and crush them. Mix egg and splash of water together in a shallow bowl. Take cheese stick and dip it in the egg wash then roll in the pork skin crumbs. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Repeat until finished. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them after 8 so they don't complete melt together. You still want them to resemble a baked cheese stick. Dip in ranch or marinara sauce.

Stuffed Meatballs

Brock and I are back on the healthy low carb eating wagon! Last night we had baked chicken and steamed broccoli. Tonight we had stuffed meatballs and cauliflower mash* (a mock mashed potatoes). These meatballs take a little bit of prep time but are super easy to make and well worth it in the end.

Stuffed Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 packet of dry Italian dressing mix

A handful of grated parmesan cheese

1 1/4 pounds of hamburger meat (I only use 96/4)

Fresh Mozzarella Cheese 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a cookie sheet (with sides) with non-stick spray. 

Take your fresh mozzarella cheese and scoop out about one teaspoon of cheese. With your hands roll it into a ball. Make about 12 balls. Set them aside while you get the meat mixture ready.

In a bowl mix meat, dressing mix, and parmesan cheese until combined. Divide meat into 12 to 15 meatballs. Take one ball at a time in your hand and flatten it out as if you were going to make a hamburger with it. Place one ball of cheese in the center of the flattened meat patty. Wrap the meat around the cheese ball. Place the stuffed meat ball on the prepared cookie sheet. Repeat until all meat is used. You should be able get about 12 meatballs.

Bake in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes.

Look at that yummy mozzarella cheese! Yummo!!!

*The mock potato recipe can be found on the February 13 post (Valentine's Day Dinner).