Week Seven - Day Two: Temptations!

Hello, Tuesday!

Yesterday I got another email from Closet Cooking, this one being Guinness Braised Onion and Aged Cheddar Cheese Quiche.

Isn't it beautiful and delicious looking?

Needless to say I had to remake it for low carb. Check out his recipe and feel free to make it. It's an amazing recipe. What I did, however, is blend his recipe with my Eggs Mexicana recipe. Following is their baby.

Beer Braised Onion, Cheese & Bacon Quiche

Ingredients

·         4 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces

·         1 pound onions, sliced

·         1/2 cup beer

·         1 tsp Dijon mustard

·         1 tsp spicy brown mustard

·         2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

·         5 eggs, lightly beaten

·         2 tablespoons butter – melted

·         ¼ cup almond flour

·         ½ teaspoon baking powder        

·         8 ounces cream-style cottage cheese

·         2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese (or whatever you wish!)

·         1/8 tsp cayenne,

·         ½ salt

·         ¼ tsp pepper to taste

·         ¼ tsp garlic powder

·         ¼ tsp onion powder

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 400F degrees.

2.  Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy; set aside on paper towels to drain, reserving the grease in the pan.

3. Add the onions and sauté until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

4. Add ¼ cup beer and simmer until the liquid has mostly evaporated, about 15 minutes. Repeat this process with the other ¼ cup of beer.

5. Remove from heat and mix in the mustards and Worcestershire sauce and place in a large bowl.

6. To that bowl add the bacon and all remaining ingredients. Mix well.

7. Pour the mixture in a well-greased 9 inch pie plate or casserole.

8. Bake at 400F degrees for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 350F degrees and bake about 20 minutes more, or until set. 

9.  Let it set about 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Please enjoy!

How did I do? :)

I thought it was fabulous. Bacon and onion is a simple, tasty combination, but then add the subtle taste of beer and it is so good.  I will be making it again, for sure. 

Captain finally got here and we headed off to Happy Viking.  Tonight I decided to indulge a wee bit. He ordered their pizza bones appetizer, which is basically pizza crust baked in the shape of bones, doused in garlic butter and topped with mozzarella cheese. I ate one, he ate the other three. It was just as good as I remember it being. :) I ordered the buffalo chicken wrap with garlic fries. I ate half of the half and about 4 fries. He also gave me one of his onion rings. 

I was surprised at how full I was. Yes, I brought it home with me, but it will go home with Captain. He has food for another day.

Dessert before bed was 2 pieces of Sees Candy. That probably is my downfall. I can eat chocolate until I'm sick.

So I have indulged. It was good, but I can't say it was as satisfying as I thought it was going to be. Since I have revamped my lifestyle there are changes I have noticed: (1) I don't get the munchies like I used to, (2) I am full faster, (3) when I indulge I don't eat like it's my last day on earth, (4) I am satisfied with less.

What have I learned?

Yes, change is a process. It's slow, it can be painful, it can have a beauty to it, and it is an event that can change your life. 

I am embracing my change one step at a time. 

Love,
Lin… 

Week Seven - Day One: Looking Back on Six Weeks...

It's Monday and it's a new week.  I think it's time to look back and do a little reflection - see where I was then and now.

I certainly have posted a lot of recipes, haven't I? Some of them I have made, some I have been saving until a special time. Some were successful, some not so much.

One of the most successful was my spin on the Lighter Lasagna Soup. One of the lest favorites was the Layered Mexican Casserole. 

I also find I'm not snacking as much as I used to. Remember those crispy chickpeas? The crispy green beans? I'm kind of over snacks and trying to focus more on meals. That's not to say I don't snack, because I certainly do, but it is not the focus that it once was when I was trying to figure out what it was I could snack on.

Now I realize that snacks can be something simple like dill pickles and olives, my peanut butter cookies, those ham and cheese roll-ups, or a can of peanuts. Well, not the whole can, but certainly a handful. I don't have to have something elaborate.

Now, how was my day, you ask?  It's been quiet, for sure. We got a little rain overnight and now we have a whole lot of sunshine. 

Breakfast was a Spanish omelet made in my new skillet. Two eggs, cheese, and fire roasted salsa. Tasty!

Lunch was leftovers of my soup. I still have two more servings and then I will be done with it. It's just as good reheated as it was the first day.

I was starting to get the munchies as the day wore on, but I resisted. It's difficult to have to time your eating to your meds. Ugh! But then I got a message from Megan...

Chili Cheese Fries from Samuel Horne Tavern in Folsom.

 And then I got this from her husband, Ryan...

The Johnny Cash Burger; applewood smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, grilled onions.

My children are evil...

In an effort to stay strong I had two of my peanut butter cookies and a tall glass of my herbal peach tea. What would I do without them?

Finally dinner rolled around. I needed to cook the hamburger I bought the other day, so I tossed it in the pan, crumbled it up, and made taco meat out of it. My tortilla was a big fried cheese crisp. I ate like a pig! It was so good, and just as I took the last bite I realized I didn't get a picture of it.

Frying cheese is easy if you have a non-stick skillet. I just put about 1/2 cup cheese in the bottom of the skillet, even it out, set the pan on medium, and listen to it sizzle. Once it starts to brown on one side, flip it over and lightly brown the other side.

Now that you have done that, you can just eat it as is, fold it in half and use it as a tortilla, or cut it in wedges and use it as a chip for dip. It's amazing! And although these aren't mine, this is sort of what they look like. 

So that is all the excitement for the day. It's been another successful one for me, I am happy to say. I am debating on what I will do at The Happy Viking tomorrow, since it's Pint Night. But I will cross that bridge when I get to it.

I bid you good night and wish you sweet dreams.

…Lin…

Week Six - Day Seven: Just Another Beautiful Day!

Today was just a beautiful day! In spite of the fact that it's now daylight savings time (Why Ben Franklin thought it was a good idea is beyond me!), I got up at 8:00 this morning and out the door at 8:45. I had a date with my grandson! His mommy, too... No time for breakfast before I left, but I did eat a couple of my cookies so I could take meds. Yes, you know the drill! 

A day with Megan and Jalen is never complete without Starbucks, so without further adieu we drove thru! She laughed at me when I placed my order. I will have a grande, breve, sugar-free vanilla latte, please. Very low carb and so satisfying.

First stop of the day was Kohl's. I had to buy a few things, one of which was that non-stick skillet I mentioned previously. I also got another pillow cover and Spring/Easter hand towels to decorate my bathroom. How cute is this?

While I was shopping in the kitchen department, Jalen was shopping in the toy department. Actually he wasn't shopping, but he sure was looking at all the trucks and planes, and especially the Planes! planes. Oh, he loves that movie! As one can never have too many planes, Nanny got him Rachelle, which he did not have. That is one happy boy, let me tell you!

Then it was across the street to the mall. She had to return a shirt for him at the Disney Store. Now it was time to ride the carousel. Not me, silly... Jalen! 

One of his favorite things to do!

Bath & Body Works was our next stop. I needed a few things. They almost always have their "buy 3, get 3 free" deal, but today they also had an extra 25% off! Lucky me. I spent $54, got 6 items and 2 3-wick candles. I saved $75. Score!

And now... {{drum roll please}}

Lunch time! Woohoo! Captain and I wanted to go to Giant Orange a couple of weeks ago with my groupon, but they were closed that Monday. I mean, really? Who closes on Monday? Sheesh! Then it expired, which meant it was only worth the $10 I spent for it, but not the $20 that I could have had available to me. Oh, well... And that is where we went. It was just around the corner from the mall.

I was thinking that I would order a chef's salad, but then I saw on their menu they had hot dogs! You know how I love hot dogs. We were both excited! Mine was the Bronx Dog which had grilled onions, sauerkraut, and spicy brown mustard. Megan had the Good Dog with relish, diced onions, and mustard. She had fries with hers; I was good and had salad with mine. 

Doesn't it look yummy?

My son-in-law Ryan was teasing me about my lunch. "No bun?" he asked. "Nope, no bun!"

I ate most of the hot dog and picked out all the fillings, taking the rest home with me. I am really trying to watch those carb. Best of all, the bill was $14.02, which means we paid $4.02. Well, Megan did since I had paid for the groupon originally. Thank you for lunch, Megan! <3

Time to head back so Jalen can take a nap. He went right to bed, watching Airplanes! as he fell asleep. We sat downstairs and visited, then we watched Frozen. What a cute movie! SPOILER ALERT! Who would have thought the prince would be the bad guy?

Megan was tired so I decided to head home. As I'm getting on the freeway Captain calls and asks me to stop by Cabana Wines. He is there with Greta and Kalle, listening to the band, Home By Five. I stopped for a glass of wine, which I shared with Captain, then when we left we went down the street to Tupelo Coffee House for an Aztec Mocha. It's a mocha with cayenne and 2 shots of espresso. I had mine half-decaf so I can fall asleep tonight. 

Time for me to head home for real. It's now dinnertime and I had the leftover meatballs and cucumber slices with ranch dressing. I am very happy to say that I don't have much appetite, which I love. So those 6 little meatballs (probably 3 ounces in total) filled me up.

Last night was a different story. I so wanted to eat some of those Ghirardelli Squares that are sitting in my dresser drawer. MMMmmm... Dark & Sea Salt Caramel!

Yes, this is exactly what my bag of candy looks like. 

I resisted.
It wasn't easy, I assure you!

So that is my day, and I'm glad I could share it with you. Thank you for hanging with me. I hope I bring a little bit of sunshine and smiles into your life.

Thank you for helping me get thru another successful day!

…Lin…

Week Six - Day Six: Lazin' on a sunny afternoon...

Yes, the weekend is here in full force! And the weather is just beautiful! What is it like where you live?

We decided to not do anything today. Being so tired from all the winetasting yesterday, and the cost to get into the Celtic Faire (which was ridiculous), it just wasn't worth it. It was going to cost $25 each to get in, and that didn't include the cost of anything else! Besides, we do have one closer to home next month. We can get a 2 day pass to the Sacramento Valley Scottish Games and Festival for less than what we would have paid in Sonora for one day. Besides, Captain gets to see all his friends who are still with the Sacramento Firefighters Pipes & Drums, which he used to be a part of until his injury sidelined him.

Clan Macleod of Lewis
I Shine, Not Burn
(That would be me!)

Since today will be a lazy day at home, I'm still trying to figure out what I will be doing. Breakfast was the chicken fried cauliflower.  I crisped up a big old batch of it in the frying pan. I have come to the conclusion I need to get a new non-stick skillet. PAM doesn't work real well, even with oil added.

I must say, this stuff tastes much better the day after. The flavors have melded and the cauliflower flavor has toned down. With that said, if you don't mind all the steps to make it, it's very good. But it's not conducive to cooking for one, which is what I do most of the time.

Today I am in one of those moods to eat everything in sight. Why do I have days like that? Do you? Please share your stories with me so I know I'm not the only one. And how do you handle it?

"You said to stuff it, so I did. Right into my pie hole!!!"

Remember the One Minute Bread I made that had the overwhelming amount of raw garlic in it? Well, I made them again today, only this time I tweaked the recipe to be a bit more mild. This is what I did:

Lin's 15 Minute Muffins

2 cup golden flaxseed meal 

4 tsp baking powder 

8 large whole eggs 

2 tbsp olive oil 

1 cup cheddar or colby cheese, shredded

1 finely diced green onion, both white and green parts

½ tsp dried thyme, crush in the palm of your hand to release the sleeping oils & flavor

¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp onion powder

1 tsp salt

½ tsp fresh cracked pepper, about 5-10 grinds, depending on how much you like

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Throw everything into a big bowl and mix until all ingredients are combined. Spray a 12 cup muffin pan well with PAM cooking spray. Put about 1/4 heaping cup of the batter into each muffin cup. (I use an ice cream scoop for this to make them uniform.) Bake for 15 minutes. Carefully remove from muffin pan and cool. Now, enjoy!

How did I do this time? 

I nailed it!

There is a ham and cheese sandwich in my future! :)

MMMmmm... Hammy, Swiss cheesy, mayonnaisey, dijony, opened faced yumminess! Yes, it's just as good as it looks. No deprivation here!

My daughter Megan told me about a blog, White House Black Shutters, and they have a 40 day challenge on cleaning up clutter. It's called 40 Bags in 40 Days. Basically the premise is to take one area, big or small, and declutter it, eventually throwing out (or maybe donating to a thrift store) one bag of clutter. I am going to do this, although I can't do it for 40 days straight as I will be out of town for about a week. I will eventually post my blog and let you know how I did.  

See, it's that accountablity thing again. I blog about my days focusing on my eating habits (and other things); now I will eventually share with you how I did with my decluttering.

Now, let's get back to that food thing, shall we?

As previously stated, breakfast was my chicken fried cauliflower "rice." (I've now started putting the word, rice, in parentheses because I'm over it! LOL!) Lunch was a ham and cheese sandwich made on those completely awesome muffins I made. MMMmmm... For dinner I made some meatballs, a salad, and a side of cucumbers and radishes.  The meatballs were actually made from a meatloaf mix I got at Tootle's Custom Cutting Butcher Shop. Their meats are so good, and as meatballs they were amazing! If you live close to me I would suggest you patronize them. You will not be sorry!

As I write, the day has ended. The sun has set and I am being serenaded by the frogs. It has been a good day. It has been a successful day. It has been an "I stayed on track!" day. I am grateful to all of you who follow me and give me courage to go on to the next day.

…Lin…

Week Six - Day Five: The weekend is upon us!

Last night I got busy cleaning up the kitchen and I just couldn't help but make those peanut butter cookies. In fact, I made a double batch and used all of my peanut butter. But I am the happy recipient of 46 low carb cookies. :) I am going to have to try making them with cashew or almond butter next.

Captain and I were making plans last night on what to do this weekend. Today I want to go winetasting at The Underground Tasting Room in Old Sacramento. We may be going to the Highland Games in Sonora on Saturday. Plans for Sunday are still up in the air, but I think I will be visiting my daughter and grandson.

So what did we settle on?

We started the day at The Underground Tasting Room in Old Sacramento. It is located on the "original level," which means it's below street level. The original level used to be street level in the 1800s, then the floods came. There are lots of areas in Sacramento that have what you would think is a basement but is really the original first floor of the home or business. They had to raise the street levels to make them levees. Just a bit of history.

One of the three wines they serve is Twisted Twig. We had never tried it before, and we were very pleased! Yvette, our sommelier, was just wonderful. We found out later she and her husband own Twisted Twig.

May I introduce you to Yvette? She was our sommelier.

They have a beautiful hammered copper espresso machine on display.
Too bad they don't use it.

Captain had called Bogle Vineyards that morning to see if he had a shipment to pick up; and yes, he did. So we left Twisted Twig and headed down the river.

What a beautiful day! It was 72 degrees and just perfect weather. Trees have been trimmed back, vines have not yet budded out, and it looks very much like winter at Bogle's vineyards. 

We had some wine, he picked up his shipment, and we headed for the Old Sugar Mill. 

First stop is almost always Merlo Vineyards. Djimi is our sommelier and one of the nicest guys you could ever want to meet. He always greets us with a hug and definitely takes care of us on the wine pours.

Their wines are not very filtered, so sometimes you get the sugar crystals that form in it. Nothing wrong with the wine. He calls them "flavor crystals." We call them "schmootz."

SCHMOOTZ!!!

We had to call it quits. Hugs all around ensued. We were both hungry and really needed to get something to eat. Back on the levee road, we could enjoy the river, the trees, and then head over the bridge to the little town of Freeport.

Starving and not wanting to drive across town, we decided to eat at the Freeport Inn.  It's been here at least 50 years. 

Great food! We have never had anything bad, I can tell you that!

We decided since it was such a beautiful day, why not sit on the patio? What a great idea! They have this huge grapefruit tree that we sat under. A perfect, sun dappled day.

I had fish and chips; easy on the chips. The fish (cod) was moist and oh so good! Hot and crispy, as were the chips!

Captain was in a seafood mood, so he started off with a bowl of clam chowder...

He says this is his smiling face, but I don't believe him. ;)

...and then started in on the linguine and clams. Yes, then he was smiling!

We finished eating and decided to call it a day. He took home 2 of my pieces of fish and all the french fries. He has dinner tonight!

Looking back at the day I can say that I did have a successful day. A bit more wine than I usually have, a few french fries that are not really on my plan, great fish for an early dinner, quiche for breakfast, and a few peanut butter cookies in between.

And now Captain and I bid you good night. Thanks for joining us on our adventure today!

…Lin n Captain…