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.

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

Super moist lemon poppyseed muffins make with greek yogurt - topped with a sweet and tangy cream cheese lemon icing.

Serves: 12

1⅓ cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter (4 tablespoons)
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla (or almond) extract
zest of 2 small lemons (or 1 large lemon - about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¾ cup plain fat free greek yogurt
1 tablespoon poppyseeds

icing

2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1-2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 and grease a muffin pan. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.In a large bowl cream together butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon zest and juice, and greek yogurt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in poppyseeds.
Fill muffin tins about ⅔ full with muffin batter. Bake for 12-16 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Allow to cool on a wire rack.
To make the icing cream melted butter and cream cheese for 2 minutes until very fluffy. Add powdered sugar and lemon juice and mix well. Taste and add more lemon juice if desired. Drizzle icing over cooled muffins. (If icing is too thick you can warm it up in the microwave for a few seconds ) Serve immediately or store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days.

Bakery style low carb blueberry muffins

2 1/2 cups almond flour
Sweetener equivalent to 1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp coconut flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
6 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
2 tsp granulated xylitol or erythritol for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325F and grease a standard 12-cavity non-stick muffin tin very well (or line with paper liners, if you’re muffin tin is not very non-stick).
In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, coconut flour, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt.
Stir in eggs, almond milk, butter, and vanilla extract until well combined.Gently fold in blueberries. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups and bake 30 to 40 minutes, until set and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove and sprinkle with granulated sweetener, if using.
Let cool 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Buttermilk Spice muffins

Muffin Batter:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon buttermilk

Nut Topping:
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 and spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.Using your stand mixer, add the sugar and butter. Mix together until light and fluffy. One by one add the eggs in and mix until incorporated.
In a small bowl, add the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and whisk together.With your stand mixer on a low speed and the flour mixture and buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mixture.Fill muffin tin 3/4 full and set aside while you make the topping.
In a small bowl add all the nut topping ingredients and sprinkle 1 heaping tablespoon onto each muffin cup of batter.
Bake immediately, or the nut topping will start to sink in the batter.Bake 18-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let stand for a few minutes, then break away from the pan with a spoon or a knife. Set muffins on a wire rack and let cool for a few minutes.
Serve warm with butter and Enjoy.

Low Carb Pancakes

2 large eggs
1 tablespoon water
2 oz cream cheese, cubed
2/3 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Sweetleaf - stevia sweetener (or 2 tablespoons regular sugar)
butter and syrup

Add all ingredients to blender. Start with eggs and water and cream cheese so you don't have anything get stuck at bottom.
Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides if needed. Let batter sit for 2 minutes.
Heat a non-stick skillet to medium heat. For each pancake, pour 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter onto skillet. Once you start to see little bubbles form, flip and continue to cook until pancake is browned on each side. Continue until you have used all pancake batter.
Serve pancakes topped with butter and syrup!

Lunchbox Granola Bars

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 c flax meal
1 cup shredded coconut (or rice Krispy cereal)
1/4 cup chocolate chips (or mini chocolate chips)

Directions:

In a medium pot, melt together nut butter, honey, and coconut oil over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth (Or microwave for 1 min)
Remove from stove and stir in flax, oats and coconut.
Pour mixture into a greased 9X13 baking dish. Spread into an even layer, sprinkle with chocolate chips, and firmly press down with the back of a spatula.Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm, then slice into squares or bars and remove from pan.
Store granola bars in the refrigerator or freezer, individually wrapped in baggies.
Or if you don’t plan to pack them in lunches, you can simply store them in an airtight container with wax paper separating the layers.

THE Best Pork Chops

1 T each:
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Oregano
Paprika

1/2 T salt
1/2 T pepper
Mix together
BBQ Sauce (opt.)

Start all 4 burners on grill. Rub pork chops with oil & sprinkle with seasonings. Grill pork chops on high heat to sear for 3 min. Rotate 1/4 turn to give great grill marks. Cook an additional 3 min. Turn over & repeat. After 6 min turn off 2 burners & move meat over to burners that are off. Cook on indirect heat for 4 min, baste w BBQ sauce, if desired & flip over for another 4 min. Baste again.

Yummy Cornbread

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.