Rough Day-

Like I said earlier, today's been a rough day. Hence the reason for 2 posts. It's sad how the number on the scale ultimately sets the tone for my whole day. I was really bummed about the gain this morning and it's just stuck with me all day. Makes me wonder if the "number" is over rated. I felt fat and grumpy all day. And I really can't figure out this hunger thing. Is my HCG no longer workin? Or am I just totally over the whole VLCD?

Tonight I was watching Blaine's Low Carb Cooking on FITTV and got me really excited for food again! So I thought I would share a few of my low-carb recipes that I really enjoyed during the last round of P3. I know there is a lot of different information regarding what you can and cannot have during the maintenance phase but I just try and keep my carbs as low as possible and i was able to maintain just fine... But to each his own- this is just worked for me!

Low Carb Waffles (this was by far one of my favorites!) Just FYI: I 1/2 the recipe and it makes about 4 waffles. I top it with sugar free syrup & butter OR strawberries & whipped cream! It's so delicious! Serve with a serving of sausage if you're feeling really hungry!
Ingredients:
1 cup soya powder (local health store)
2 tablespoons granular sugar substitute
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon sugar-free vanilla syrup
1/4 cup ice water
Vegetable oil spray to grease waffle iron
Directions:
Heat waffle iron per manufacturers instructions. Whisk together soya mix, sugar substitute, baking powder and salt. Add cream, eggs and syrup and stir until well blended (batter will be stiff). Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until batter is easily spoonable and spreadable, about the consistency of a thick pancake batter.Spray waffle iron with oil spray. Place approximately 3 tablespoons of batter in center of a waffle iron. Cook according to manufacturer's instructions until crisp and dark golden brown. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm.

Low Carb Cheesecake (top with fresh strawberries and whipped cream)
Crust: (i kinda made this up)
1/4 cup each of: crushed almonds, pecans & walnuts (crush in food processor until fine)
2-3 TBLS melted butter
3/4 cup crushed low carb peanut butter cookies (see recipe below)
Mix above ingredients together (adding butter last) and line into a buttered spring cheesecake pan bottom and edges
Ingredients:
* 5 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese* 5 large eggs* 18 packets Sweet n Low or Sweet One sweetener or Equal or a combination (Splenda works fine!)* 1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract* 1/2 cup heavy cream
Preparation:
1. Make sure cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Spray a spring form pan with non-stick spray or rub with butter
4. In a large bowl, beat eggs, cream, sweetener and extract.
5. Add cream cheese in 1 to 2 oz chunks for easier beating.
6. After all lumps are gone pour into pan and bake for 50 to 55 minutes.(do not overcook)
7. Let cool and chill before serving. (at least 24 hours)
Serves 6

Low Carb Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar substitute (maybe a little less if you are sensitive to the artificial sweetener taste)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
1mix ingredients in a small bowl.
2drop by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheet.
3bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until set.

Egg muffins(sort of).
I sprayed a standard 6 muffin tin with cooking spray. Preheated oven to 350. Beat 3 ex-large eggs and add salt, pepper and a splash of tabasco sauce(or not)Into each muffin cup sprinkle some onion and ham (or breakfast meat of your choice). Add some shredded cheese -you want the cup almost full. Then carefully pour the egg into the cups to fill (the egg will settle around the filling, so go slow).Pop in the oven for 18 minutes

Devilishly delicious Deviled eggs I have to quadruple this recipe 'cause everyone LOVES THEM!
6 hard-boiled eggs
salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons Miracle Whip or mayonnaise (I prefer mayo)
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
2 tablespoons sugar free sweet pickle relish
pinch of onion salt
horse radish to taste
paprika
Directions
1Peel shells off cooled hard-boiled eggs and slice into halves lengthwise.
2Remove yolks from whites and put into small round bowl and mash yolks with a fork into fine pieces.
3Add 2 heaping Tbsp Miracle Whip, 1 tsp yellow mustard, 2 Tbsp sweet pickle relish, and salt& black pepper to taste.
4Stir mixture until creamy.
5Spoon mixture into a zip-locked sandwich bag, seal bag and snip off one corner of bag.
6Squeeze mixture out of corner of bag into white egg halves.
7Sprinkle tops of filled deviled eggs with paprika.
8Chill in refrigerator 1-2 hours or until cold before serving.

Southwestern 'Breakfast' Casserole a'la crockpot! (another FAVORITE! This got better with each passing day!) again- I cut the recipe in 1/2- do not overcook. Mine was done in about 4 hours on LOW. I recommend making it the day before you want to eat it 'cause it cooks too fast to cook overnight.
1 tablespoon butter
18 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup water
1 small can green Ortega chilies or a small jar red jalapeno chilies
1 pound cooked hot 'n' spicy breakfast sausage (***See note below)
1 pound cooked mild breakfast sausage (***See note below)
2 1/2 cups grated cheddar, Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 cup diced orange or yellow bell pepper (***See note below.)
1 cup diced green onions
salsa (optional) Brown both packages of the sausage thoroughly. Drain and set aside.Beat the eggs, heavy cream, and water together. Set aside.Grease crock with the butter.To layer the ingredients in the crockpot, start with half the cooked sausage. Sprinkle 1/2 the chilies, 1/2 the onion, 1/2 the red bell pepper, 1/2 the yellow bell pepper, and 1/2 the green onions over the sausage, distributing them evenly over the sausage. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the vegetables.Distribute the remaining sausage over the cheese, then sprinkle the remaining chilies, onion, and yellow bell pepper over the sausage. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over all.Pour the beaten egg mixture over the ingredients in the casserole. Sprinkle the remaining green onions and red bell pepper over the egg mixture. (This produces a colorful top to the casserole.)Cover the crockpot, turn it on low, and cook for 7 to 8 hours.Serve with sour cream and salsa.Serves 8 to 10.

Low Carb Stuffed Pizza
3/4 cup olive oil to fry
6 low carb tortillas1 -
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh cracked pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
1 8 oz. bag pre-shredded Italian Blend Cheese
48 slices pre-cut pepperoni
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Stack tortillas and puncture with a fork about a dozen times. Fry low carb tortillas one at a time in about 1 tbsp. olive oil in a 10" nonstick pan over medium high heat until brown and crisp. Repeat adding 1 tbsp. olive oil to pan until all tortillas are brown and crisp. Make sure you cook tortillas on both sides then drain on paper towels. Season tomatoes with Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Put three tortillas on cookie sheets. Spread 2 tablespoons of tomatoes on each tortilla and top with 1/4 cup grated cheese and 6-8 pieces of pre-cut pepperoni. Top 3 made pizzas with 3 other tortillas and repeat with sauce, cheese and pepperoni. You will have a total of 3 stuffed pizzas. Cook on cookie sheets in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Cut each pizza in half and serve.Yields 6 servings - approximately 10 net carbs per each serving

Low Carb 7 layer dip
First layer: Spicy guacamole (I buy the ready made easy stuff!)
2nd: pured re fried beans (optional if you are sensitive)
3rd: Sour cream (I let it sit out to room temp and then put it in a small zip lock, cut the end and drizzel on beans- makes it easy to spread)
4th: Browned ground beef w/taco packet
5th: Mexican Blend Cheese
6th: Chopped tomatoes
7th: Chopped green onions
It's good to serve fresh/chilled but I prefer warmed up! It's so yummers! Serve on low carb tortillas or low carb chips or pork rinds.

So those are just a few of the ones that I like when i'm doing the low carb thing. I found them to be life savers over the holidays 'cause it made me feel like I was actually eating and wouldn't you know it- other people really enjoyed them too! Obviously, you can't eat these kinds of things every day but it's nice to have a "treat" that's not going to throw you into a diabetic sugar coma!

Now my tummy is HUNGRY!... and I also just realized another possible reason for my hunger and crankiness- Stupid AF is due in about a week. : p

Thanks for stopping by to visit my HCG DIET/LOW CARB DIET RECIPE SITE!