Yummy Cornbread Cake

Yield: 18-20 muffins

2 Jiffy boxes of cornbread mix
1 yellow cake mix

Mix cornbread as directed on package. Mix cake as directed on package. Combine both together & pour into greased muffin tins or use paper liners. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 min.

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

2 chicken breasts, still frozen
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can corn kernels, do not drain
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix
1 T cumin
1 t chili powder
1 t onion powder
1 8-oz pkg. cream cheese, cubed

Put the chicken in the crock pot.
Top with the tomatoes, corn, the drained and rinsed beans, ranch dressing, cumin, onion and chili powders.
stir to combine.
Cook on low for 4-6 hours, stirring one or twice.
Shred the chicken into large pieces,
top with the cream cheese & let it cook another 30 min. Stir to blend in the cheese.
Serve over rice.
Can also serve in tortillas or taco shells.
Serves 4
*I always double the recipe.
*I like to add 1 qt chicken broth & make a soup out of it too.

Cranberry Jalapeno Relish

12 oz fresh, uncooked cranberries
1/4 cup green onion
1-2 fresh jalapeño peppers
2 Tbsp. cilantro (optional)
3/4 Cup sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juce
1/8 tsp. salt
8 oz. cream cheese
Ritz crackers

Hand-chop the cranberries. (This process is a bit time consuming, but it is best to not use a food processor to chop these as the cranberries liquify too much. I use my Pampered chef chopper)
Chop green onion, jalapeño peppers and cilantro & add to chopped cranberries.
Add sugar, lemon juice and salt on top of cranberry mixture and stir gently until blended.

Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight (not necessary).

Take cranberry mixture out of the refrigerator and stir all ingredients together. Strain out liquid using a collander with small holes.

Serve by spreading 1/2 t cream cheese on a Ritz cracker & top with 1 t cranberry relish.

Cream cheese frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, softened {not reduced fat}
7 T. unsalted butter, softened
4 c. confectioners' sugar
3/4 vanilla
Pinch of salt

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
2 c flour
2/3 c cocoa
3/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 3/4 c chocolate chips
1/2 c chopped nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in large bowl until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; Add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts if desired. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or just until set. Cool slightly. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.
Yield: about 3 1/2 dozen cookies or 15 jumbo cookies (bake 13 min)

Copycat Campbell's Tomato soup

2 28 oz. cans of whole or diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. seasoning salt
1 tsp. xanthan gum
dash ground black pepper
2 bay leaves

Fresh basil, optional

In a blender, combine all ingredients except for the bay leaves. Blend on high for several minutes, until very smooth and creamy.The xanthan gum will make the soup sort of frothy. Never fear though, it will clear when heated.Transfer to a medium saucepan, add the bay leaves, and heat over medium-low for about 10 minutes, until the soup turns a dark red and the froth goes away.
Serve with fresh basil if desired. Serve hot!

Italian Beef Stew

2 lbs. chuck roast, cut into cubes
2 tsp. + 3 tsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to season meat
2 cans (14 oz.) Beef broth
29 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1 T Italian seasoning
1 tsp. ground fennel seed (optional, but recommended)
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced into thick slices
1/2 lb. (or more) mushrooms, washed and cut in thick slices
3-4 T chopped fresh or frozen basil
(Or Basil Pesto)
good quality balsamic vinegar to drizzle on at the table, optional

Heat the 2 tsp of olive oil in a large non-stick pan and brown the beef cubes over medium-high heat until the meat is browned on all sides. Season the meat with salt & black pepper as it cooks. Don't rush this step; browning the meat adds flavor. 

Add the browned meat to the stew pot. Add one can of beef broth to the frying pan and cook a minute, scraping to loosen the browned bits of meat that stick to the pan, then add that to the stew pot along with the other can of beef broth. Add the petite dice tomatoes with juice, Italian seasoning, and ground fennel. Stir. Turn heat to medium-low & simmer 60 minutes, or slightly longer if the meat doesn't feel tender when you pierce it with a fork.

While the stew simmers, peel and chop the onion and cut out the stem and seeds of the green pepper and chop. Cut ends off the zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, and cut into thick slices. Wipe mushrooms w/ wet paper towel and cut into thick slices or half slices.

When you're ready to finish the stew, heat 1 tsp. olive oil in the frying pan, add the onions and green peppers and cook a few minutes over medium-high heat, then add them to the stew. Heat the second teaspoon of olive oil, add the zucchini and cook until it's slightly browned on both sides, then add to stew. Then add the mushroom slices, cook until they have released their liquid and are starting to brown, then add to stew.

Simmer about 15 minutes, then add the chopped basil and cook a few minutes more. Serve hot, with good quality balsamic vinegar to drizzle on at the table if you'd like.

*Crockpot version:
Add browned meat to the crockpot. Cook 4 hrs on high or 6 hrs on low or until tender. Continue with remaining steps, cooking vegetables & adding them to crockpot. Cook a few more minutes in crockpot then stir in basil.

Easy caramel sauce

1 can Sweetened Cond. Milk

Remove label from jar. Place the unopened can in the crockpot & cover can with water. Cook on high temp for 5 hrs.

Homemade Caramel Sauce

1 cup brown sugar

8 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes

10 tablespoons heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan over low-medium heat, combine all the ingredients together (except vanilla) with a wooden spoon or silicon spatula. Once the mixture boils and bubbles, allow to simmer and thicken for about 5 to 7 minutes until it reaches a caramel like consistency (stir only once or twice in between). Stir in vanilla. Be patient and the caramel will come together eventually.
Remove from heat immediately once it comes together and allow to cool. The mixture will get thicker as it cools. Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Marshmallow frosting

4 large egg whites (not from a carton)

1 Cup granulated sugar

1 pinch of salt

1/4 t Cream of tartar

1 tsp vanilla

Add egg whites, sugar, salt & cream of tartar to a double boiler until hot. Pour into a mixer bowl & whip for 6-7 minutes adding vanilla. It will become nice & fluffy. Frost cupcakes. Will hold up for about 1-2 days.

Basic vanilla frosting (LC)

1 Tbsp 1/3 less fat cream cheese
2 heaping Tbsp 0% Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp THM Super Sweet Blend

Mix well until smooth.

Cream Soda GGMS

1 cup water (plus more water to fill the quart jar when done mixing the ingredients)
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp THM Integral Collagen
3 doonks THM Pure Stevia Extract Powder
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp caramel extract
1/2 tsp THM MCT oil
1 small pinch mineral salt 

Maple & Pecan fudge

C

Recipe from: https://ketodietapp.com

• 3 cups pecans or walnuts 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp sugar-free maple extract
• pinch salt
• ¼ cup powdered Erythritol or Swerve
• ½ cup unsalted butter or coconut oil
• 1 ¼ cup chopped pecans + 16 pecan halves
• 10-20 drops liquid stevia (I like NuNaturals or SweetLeaf)

Mix all together in food processor except additional chopped pecans & pecan halves. Stir in chopped pecans. Spread in 8X8 pan & place pecan halves on top in 4x4 rows. Chill & cut into 16 bars.

Low Carb Sweetener Conversion Chart

I like to use this chart when converting regular sugar to natural low carb sugars.

Keto Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

Recipe from alldayidreamaboutfood.com

3 Tbsp coconut flour 
1 t pumpkin pie spice 
1/4 t baking powder 
1/4 t baking soda 
Pinch salt 
1 c pumpkin puree 
1/3 c Swerve Sweetener  (I use 2 T THM Gentle sweet-erythritol, stevia, xylitol blend)
1/4 c heavy cream, half and half, or full fat coconut milk 
1 large egg 
1/2 t vanilla 

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line 6 muffin cups with paper liners.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk pumpkin puree, sweetener, cream, egg, and vanilla until well combined. Whisk in dry ingredients. If your batter seems very thin, whisk in an additional Tablespoon of coconut flour.
4. Divide among prepared muffin cups and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until just puffed and barely set. Remove from oven and let cool in pan.
5. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Dollop whipped cream generously on top.

These are probably one of my favortite low carb desserts! Tastes just like pumpkin pie! Next time I might try to make it as a regular pie.

  Total NET CARBS = 3.43 g.

I also added 1 T sugar free  Café al Fresca vanilla syrup