Low Carb Beef Nacho Soup

Here is another recipe I pinned a while back, and decided to give it a try!  It looked simple, and I had the ingredients on hand, so I went for it.  I am SOOO glad I did!!  This is delicious!  Even my tween daughter who rarely likes my low carb/high fat foods loved it!  I'll definitely make it again...but I might try to add something to it. Not sure what...because its very yummy...but just feels like it needs something.  (Yeah, I know...my taste buds are screaming TORTILLA CHIPS!! LOL!)  Here is a link to the recipe:  Low Carb Beef Nacho Soup.

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 cans beef broth (or five cups water and 4 beef bullion cubes)
• 8oz. Cream cheese, softened
• 8oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 small can mild green chiles
• 1 TBSP chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• Salt to taste

Brown ground beef, drain, and add to soup pot.  Add beef broth to beef in soup pot, and turn on heat to medium.  Sauté onion in skillet until translucent (I used the beef fat to sauté it), add to soup mixture.  Add softened cream cheese to soup mixture and whisk until incorporated (until any traces of white are gone).  Add remainder of ingredients and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Ranch Dressing

Ranch Dressing makes EVERYTHING taste better!!  I decided I wanted to eat more salads, but really hate most dressing.  On one of my usual trips to Saltgrass Steak House for lunch, I decided I'd opt for the grilled chicken salad (no croutons or tortilla strips though) with RANCH!!   Their ranch was so good, I ended up eating there like three more times that week.  I decided their probably had some stuff I should not have...so that lead me on this new quest.  Here is my first attempt:

1/2 Cup Mayo
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1/2 Cup Full Fat Buttermilk
1/2 tsp dried chives
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp celtic sea salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

I mixed the liquids first, with a whisk and then added in the dried spices and let it set in the fridge for about an hour.

This tasted pretty good, but I felt it was too "mayo" tasting.  I should not be able to taste that the dressing has mayo in it!  I've done a little more looking around and have some more suggestions of things to try on my next round.  But the fact my 8 year old took down THREE bowls of chef salad with this dressing, means I'm on the right track!!

Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake (Low Carb & Gluten Free)

I was wanting a lemony dessert and thought this one sounded good from one of my favorite bloggers AllDayIDreamAboutFood.com.  Carolyn creates some really yummy low carb food!

I love lemon desserts, but I guess after trying this one, I'm not a big fan of poppy seeds.  I never tried anything lemon poppy seed before going grain free / sugar free, but this dessert didn't taste the least bit healthy, so I know I just don't care for the poppy seeds.  The glaze on this has a very strong lemon flavor too, almost like just eating a lemon.  The consistency of this cake is AMAZING though!  Here is the recipe for the Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake. 

Low Carb High Fat Knock off Cinn-a-stack Pancakes

Well it's been forever since I've posted.  Have been busy moving, and renovating. But I've also been cooking and trying many new recipes, most of them Keto.  I'll get to posting my reviews of those soon.  This one was SOOOO good, I just had to hop on here and post it!

I used two different recipes to make these.  The pancake I used was off of www.ruledme.com.  It was for Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes.  To lower the carb count I used heavy whipping cream instead of the buttermilk.  This recipe made 7 pancakes for me.  On their own I could taste the coconut flour and protein powder, which I'm not really fond of.  But after adding the toppings...holy cow!

For the cinnamon topping and icing I used this AMAZING recipe from Lisa over at 247lowcarbdiner.blogspot.com.  She has some great recipes, but this one blew me away!

This tastes almost identical to the real thing.  I even got a sugar rush from it.  How that is possible, I'm not sure...but I could not even finish half of it.  Check out my pics below for some yummy goodness!

Thanksgiving Day in a Bowl - Paleo Style!

I set out to create my own paleo chicken pot pie.  What I ended up with tasted more like a Thanksgiving Day meal, all in one bowl!  So that is how the Thanksgiving Day in a Bowl was created.  It reminds me of my dad, who is notorious for mixing all the food on his plate into one big mix of food.  I started with Elana's Pantry pie crust and her Herbed Gravy.  I used honey in it, which of became MUCH sweeter when heated, this is where you get a mashed sweet potato casserole taste going on.  I know she has a more savory version, which I'll try another time.  I'll just get to my recipe!

CRUST (I did a bottom and top crust, so double this recipe if you are doing that)
1½ cups blanched almond flour
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, salt and baking soda
2. In a small bowl, combine grapeseed oil, agave and vanilla
3. Stir wet ingredients into dry
4. Pat dough into a 9 inch pie pan or 8x8 square pan

Herb Gravy (tweaked a little)
1 quart chicken stock
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
5 cloves garlic
2 TBs bacon fat
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
Pepper to taste
Splash of cream (optional)

1. In a medium saucepan, heat chicken stock, onions and garlic to a boil
2. Reduce heat and simmer until onions and garlic are soft, about 30 minutes
3. Pout bacon fat into saucepan
4. Blend stock-onion-drippings mixture in a blender until smooth
5. Place mixture back in saucepan and reheat, then season with salt, thyme and pepper

Assembling the Thanksgiving Day in a Bowl!

2-3 Cups Herb Gravy (recipe above)
1 Rotisserie Chicken, meat removed
1 cup of green beans
1 cup of cooked cauliflower
2 pie crusts (recipe above)

Star with the crust in your pie or square pan. 
Mix the gravy, meat, green beans and cauliflower in a bowl.  Then pour into the pie pan.
Use the other pie crust and place on top of the filling.
Bake at 325 for 15 minutes

Eat and enjoy!!

Paleo Honey Biscuits

I found another one of Elana's Pantry recipes that everyone just loves.  I make them once or twice a week, for breakfasts, snacks for the kids, etc.  Here is a link to her original recipe.  I use one more similar to one out of her recipe book called Drop Biscuits.  Here is how I make them:

2 1/2 C almond flour
1 tspn celtic sea salt
1/2 tspn baking soda
1/4 C butter or organic palm oil shortening
1/4 xylitol honey (or real honey - even tried a mix of both with great results)
1 eggs
1tspn lemon juice

Mix all the dry ingredients into one bowl.  Then whisk the wet ingredients in another bowl.  Mix the wet ingredients into the dry.  Using a 1/4 c measuring cup, scoop out the dough and put onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  I pushed mine down some to form the biscuit shape.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or untl nice golden brown.

Here is a picture of the first batch I made.  I pressed them too flat,  but they still tasted yummy!!

German Chocolate Cake

I found a recipe for a revised german chocolate cake on Elana's Pantry .  A lot of her recipes call for oils such as grapeseed which I don't eat.  I subbed coconut oil for it.  She also uses a lot of agave nectar which after eating this cake, I found out impacts my blood sugar too much.  It was like having a carb coma after eating it.  If I ever make this again, I'll have to use xylitol honey instead.  This cake tasted AMAZING, but like I said, it affected my blood sugar negatively.  The Vegan Chocolate Icing on the sides of this cake was soooo good!   I'll have to make it again without the agave nectar and see if its as good.