Meatloaf and Marinated Green Bean Salad

This was Thursday's dinner. I'm not used to cheese on my meatloaf, but it was like eating a cheeseburger...sort of. It was tender and moist. The green bean dish is originally from Southern Living. I've been making it for years. Below is my modified version.

Meatloaf

2 lbs ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped (~1/2 cup)
1 Tbs. butter
1/3 c. lower sugar ketchup
2 cloves garlic, chopped or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 eggs
1 Tbs. Worcestershire
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs. chili powder
1 and 1/2 c. shredded cheese

Saute onions in butter in a skillet until tender. Combine all ingredients in a big bowl. Spray a lipped baking pan with oil and shape the meatloaf into a 2" thick loaf- flat on top. It should look like a long rectangle. Bake at 375 F for about 45 minutes. Slice and serve.

The fat tends to drain onto the pan, so the edges tend to be the most flavorful and soft. I don't use an actual loaf pan because it would take far too long to cook. Shaping it with my hands on a pan works great.

Nutrition Info:
Per 1/8th loaf: 327 Calories; 23g Fat; 26g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs

Marinated Green Bean Salad

Ingredients:

2 15 oz cans green beans, drained

2 15 oz cans wax beans, drained

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

5-ish squirts of liquid Spenda/Stevia or 3 Tbs. granular Stevia/Splenda

1 small onion, diced finely (optional, you can add 1 tsp. onion powder instead if you don't have onions)

1/2 bell pepper, diced (optional)

2 pimientos, diced (optional)

2 cloves garlic, diced

salt and pepper to taste

Combine vinegar, oil, Stevia, and garlic in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir until mostly combined. Mix onion, beans, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Pour the hot mixture over beans. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Overnight is best. I recommend using at least one of the three choices for pepper/onion. Also, any onion will do: white, yellow, red, etc.

This recipe is really flexible. The original one had lima beans and kidney beans. You could even add some cheese cubes and some pepperoni slices to make this more of a small meal.

Apricot Chicken and Cheesy Cauliflower

So I'll admit that the Apricot Chicken recipe was not from a low carb site or source. I adapted it, and as such may have a few more carbs than Atkins Phase 1 allows. I think though, that for the amount 1 person would eat, it's probably ok. I'll sit down and do the math on this one in a bit. The cauliflower one was advertised as a "mac and cheese" but you and I both know that there really isn't much on the market that mimics the texture or shape of either elbows, shells, or penne well enough to be called "macaroni". It's just cheesy cauliflower. But it's still delicious.

The sauce is super messy but super good!

Apricot Chicken

Ingredients:
4-6 chicken breasts or 2 lbs chicken thighs
1 c. sugar free apricot preserves
1 packet dry onion soup/dip mix
8 oz Catalina or Russian dressing (recipe below)

Russian dressing:
6 Tbs. granular Truvia or Splenda
1/4 c. white vinegar
1/2 c. oil (I used canola)
1/2 lower sugar ketchup
1 1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika

Combine and chill.

Mix up all the sauce ingredients in your skillet or casserole pan well, then add in chicken, coat well, and bake at 350F for 45 minutes.

The sauce ended up more liquidy than I would have liked, but it still tasted amazing. You can serve this over cauliflower rice (cauliflower that has been grated and steamed) if you'd like. The recipe makes a TON of sauce. You could also use the sauce as a stir fry sauce and add snow peas, water chestnuts, mushrooms, a julienned carrot, red pepper slices, etc.

Cheesy Cauliflower

Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
4 tbsp cream cheese
1 tbsp. spicy brown mustard or yellow (any kind)
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (1/2 c. reserved for top)
4 Tbs. heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Steam chopped cauliflower until soft. Once soft drain and return to saucepan. Add cream cheese, cheese and cream and stir until incorporated. Add mustard, garlic powder, and salt pepper to taste. Add mixture to a baking dish, cover with remaining 1/2 c. cheese and top with pepper and then broil until bubbly.
Note: I steamed the cauliflower but it wasn't quite soft enough for my liking. You could boil it for at least a few minutes to achieve a softer texture. I don't have a steamer, so I used a big soup pot with about 2" of water in the bottom, a metal colander with mesh, and a glass lid on top. Worked pretty well.

Disaster! Sushi Gets the Better of Caroline :(

The best of the best. I used a whole nori sheet for 1 roll. I should have used a half of one.

I've put off posting this cause I'm thoroughly embarrassed by my utter failure Tuesday evening. I attempted to make low carb sushi. I used nori, canned tuna, cucumber, avocado, shrimp, miracle rice (made by the same company that makes the miracle noodles I posted about), cream cheese, and sesame seeds.

On my first few tries the roll got too wet and fell apart due to the rice holding water. It became a soggy mess. No matter how sharp my knife, I ended up squishing the roll when I attempted to cut it. So eventually  I stopped using the rice. It doesn't stick together like normal rice because it contains no starch. Oh, and it goes everywhere! ALL over my countertop! *sigh*

No, I don't have hairy hands- that's my boyfriend. :)

So I gave up on the rice and just used avocado, shrimp, cucumber, and cream cheese in my nori. Those were the only ones that turned out acceptable. The tuna ones would have been edible if I had used real rice and had fried the roll like they do at Hibachi restaurants. So, if you do want sushi, let me warn you that while it's possible, it is not an easy task. You will need:

Sheets of nori, cut in half
1 avocado
1/4 lb cooked, peeled, de-tailed shrimp, sliced in half lengthwise (good luck with that)
1/2 cucumber, julienned, about 4" long
1/4 block of cream cheese
Bamboo mat
small bowl of water
Yum Yum sauce (optional- recipe below this one)
The sharpest knife you own

Lay out the mat and place half a nori sheet on it. On the edge nearest to you, place your fillings so they all lay one way. You may need to wet your hands and roll the cream cheese between your fingers to create a log like shape. Dip your fingers into the water bowl and wet the opposite edge of the nori so that when you roll it up, it will stick. Fold the nori over using the mat while using your fingers to tuck in your fillings. Roll very tightly using the mat. Place roll seal-side down and pinch the roll near the end. With light sawing motions, cut through the nori at one inch intervals. Pinching the roll keeps it from getting squished by the knife. If you've never done this, it's hard. It will most likely take you 2 or 3 times to get the technique correct. Place filling side up onto a plate, drizzle with the Yum Yum sauce, and sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds on top.

Note: Make your Yum Yum sauce first and let it chill in the fridge for a few hours.

Here's a YouTube link that shows you how to roll sushi.

Yum Yum Sauce:

Ingredients:
1 tsp tomato paste
1 Tbs. melted butter
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 and 1/4 c. mayonnaise
1 tsp Splenda or Truvia
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 c. water

Whisk together until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

After thoughts: The rolls pictured were pretty good; they were some of the last ones I rolled.
I think the "rice" would be good instead in a soup with chicken, or even in some sugar free vanilla pudding with tapioca flavoring, since real tapioca is pretty much starch. The rice is small, gelatinous pearls.

Low Carb Staple: Fried Eggs with Chives and Crispy Bacon

Afternoon! This morning I made a quick but filling breakfast of fried eggs and bacon:

I added about a tbsp of Kerrygold butter to a nonstick pan on medium heat. When the butter sizzled, I cracked two large eggs into it. I let them cook until the outside of the whites turned brownish. With a spatula, I flipped the eggs over gently. Try not to break the yolks. Sometimes you have to jiggle the pan to get the egg onto the spatula enough. Then I topped one of the eggs with a 2% milk american cheese slice. When the other sides were done I put the egg with cheese on the plate first, then slid the bare one on top. One slice is just enough. I topped the eggs with some freeze dried chives. The bacon is uncured. I made 4 slices instead of my usual three because these were smaller. I cooked them for 4 minutes in the microwave with just one paper towel on top. If you want the bacon less crispy, do 3 minutes. There is enough salt in the cheese to justify not adding salt to the eggs, but you can if you want to. You can add some salt substitute if you want some extra potassium. I forgot to add some freshly ground pepper, but you can add that too. Anyway, it was delicious and it keeps me full for hours.

Hopefully tonight's post will be the sushi aftermath!

Monday, Monday

Happy Monday everyone. Hope everyone on the East Coast is doing ok. Winter weather is coming, and depending on where you live, may already be there! I didn't get to make sushi as planned tonight, but that's ok. I played around with the sushi kit, and attempted rolling a tuna and cream cheese roll. There was way too much nori and not enough filling. It ended up tasting like chewy nori and not much else. Oh well, at least I have one bit of experience before I dive headlong into it tomorrow.

I don't think I'll be posting recipes on Saturdays because I usually go out to dinner. Possibly not Sunday either, especially if I'm not home. But weekdays I will try to post something every day. For today, a quick snack idea:

Ingredients:
2 slices Ham, turkey, or roast beef lunch meat
1/3 c. cream cheese
1/2 c. baby spinach
2 oz solid cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, swiss, etc)
1/2 tsp paprika
basil and oregano

Needed: sharp knife, cutting board, toothpicks

Lay meat flat on the board. In a small bowl, mix cream cheese with the spices. Spread mixture onto meat. Take off stems if you want and lay spinach leaves on the meat. Slice cheese thinly, about 1/4 in thick, 1 in wide, and 4 in long (or two 2 in pieces). Lay cheese along the edge of the meat and roll up everything. Stick 4 toothpicks in the top with equal space in between. Use the knife to cut rolls apart and serve. I dipped mine in some leftover pesto sauce.

While you can make this for a quick snack, it will also work for a party. Stay warm and drink your tea!

Birthday + Pizza + Cake = Good Birthday

So yesterday (Friday) was my brother's birthday. And birthdays for teenaged boys call for pizza! And cake. And I ate both! ...of my own special kinds, of course- let's not get carried away here...

Buffalo Chicken with Bacon Pizza

Tonight I made a Buffalo chicken with bacon pizza, a variation of the pizza I posted a few days ago. It was delicious.

Here's the crust recipe again:

Ingredients:
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
2 eggs
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese from the canister
couple of twists of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Bit of rosemary or basil optional

Directions:
Soften cream cheese in the microwave, about 30-45 seconds. Beat cheese, eggs, and parmesan in a mixer until creamy. Add spices. Line a lipped baking sheet with parchment paper and let the paper hang over the edges just a bit. Pour mixture into baking sheet and bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes. Add your sauce, cheese, and toppings and bake 5-10 minutes more, or until cheese is melted.

I added about 1/3 c. lower carb tomato sauce. Classico Tomato and Basil had 6 grams, I've found one that has only 5 though, I think it was Wegmans. I used enough mozzarella to cover, then added pre-cooked chicken slices, 4 slices crumbled bacon, and finally drizzled Sweet Baby Ray's Buffalo Wing Sauce all over. You could add ranch if you want as well.

Cake with Buttercream/Cream Cheese Frosting

(sorry for the messy pictures)

I made cake too! The cake turned out dry, but that might have been my fault. I could have cooked it too long. The recipe said 50-55 minutes, I ended up cooking it for 45 and that seemed to be too much. However, it still tasted good and had the right consistency for cake. I think it would be good soaked in brandy to make tiramisu. When you mess up, find another way to use it! Anyway, here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. Stevia or 1 c. Splenda or equivalent liquid Stevia (2.5 tsp)
5 eggs
1-2 teaspoons vanilla
6 1/2 ounces almond flour (1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tsp extract, optional (could be lemon, orange, almond, etc. I used strawberry)

Beat the butter, cream cheese and Splenda with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and beat well. Pour into a greased cake pan or deep casserole dish. Bake at 350ºF for 35-40 minutes. The cake will be golden brown and firm to the touch when done.

With granular Splenda:
Per 1/8: 346 Calories; 31g Fat; 10g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 6g Net Carbs

With liquid Splenda:
Per 1/8: 334 Calories; 31g Fat; 10g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs

Frosting
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1/2 c. heavy cream
2.5 tsp liquid Stevia
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla or flavoring of your choice
1/2 tsp xanthan gum or cornstarch (adds a negligible amount of carbs)
2 oz cream cheese, softened

Bring the butter, cream, Stevia, salt and vanilla to a boil over medium-high heat; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the xanthan gum or cornstarch by lightly sprinkling it over the surface and quickly whisking it in a little at a time. Chill well for several hours. It should look like very thick pudding. Put the frosting in a small mixing bowl; add the cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Store in the refrigerator.

Makes enough to frost an 8x8" cake or 9 servings
Can be frozen

Per 1/8: 148 Calories; 16g Fat; 1g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carbs

*Credit to Linda's Low Carb for the original recipes for the cake and frosting, I have modified them some.*

Toppings: I microwaved some sugar free raspberry jam and poured it over the frosting. It was delicious.This is just a basic cake recipe. You can add anything you want, really. You can make cupcakes, or slice the cake up and soak in brandy to make tiramisu, pour into a bundt pan, or pour into 2 traditional round pans and use some frosting or jam as a filling. If I find a recipe that isn't as dry or I cook it for less time and that fixes the dryness, I will post about it.

Cheesy Broccoli, Cheesy Chicken, Cheesy Everything!

Cheese. It makes Atkins/Paleo/Low Carb feel do-able. I couldn't live without my cheese. Tonight I made a cheesy broccoli casserole that was amazing, and also lemon parsley chicken in a cheesy cream sauce. Everyone loved both dishes because, what's not to love? So here are the recipes:

Cheesy Broccoli Casserole*

Ingredients:
2 large heads of broccoli (about 15 oz)
4 oz (half a brick) cream cheese
4 oz (1/2 c) shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese
3 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
4 oz. green onion
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Chop broccoli into about 1 inch florets and boil for about 4-5 minutes. Drain. In a 2 quart casserole dish, mix cream cheese, shredded cheese, green onion, bacon, salt, and pepper. Add broccoli and stir until coated. Bake at 350 F for 20-30 minutes.
*credit to Linda's Low Carb

Nutrition info
Per 1/4:
278 calories, 22g fat, 14g protein, 8g carbs, 4g fiber, 4g net carbs
Per 1/6:
185 calories, 15g fat, 10g protein, 6g carbs, 3g fiber, 3g net carbs

Lemon Parsley Chicken

Ingredients:
1 boneless chicken breast per person* or 2 chicken thighs per person
3 Tbs. butter
3 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. heavy whipping cream
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 c. parsley
about 3 Tbs. spices such as oregano, basil, thyme, salt, pepper, rosemary, etc
*nutritional facts are for 4 breasts

Directions:
Melt butter in a nonstick skillet. Rub spice mixture on breasts or thighs. Brown chicken in skillet. Move chicken to a plate. Mix cream cheese and cream with leftover butter in the pan. Add lemon juice, parsley, and any of the listed spices desired. Return chicken to pan, coat chicken in the sauce, cover, and simmer for ~15 minutes. Check with a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken is done through. Plate and cover with some of the sauce.

Nutrition Info:
Per breast: 437 calories, 34g fat, 30g protein, 3g carbs, ~0.5g fiber, 2.5g net carbs

Okay, both of these recipes are super delicious, decadent, and filling. The chicken recipe is very versatile though. You can use different spice mixtures to achieve different flavors though. You could add buffalo sauce to the cream sauce instead of the lemon and parsley, or you could replace the lemon and parsley with lime and cilantro, and the spice mixture with a mexican one for a mexican dish. Mexican spice mix would be:
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder or granulated
1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder or granulated
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Mexican seasoning from here 

Tomorrow is my brother's birthday, so pizza and cake recipes will be posted! All low carb. :) Have a great Friday everyone!

Chicken Alfredo Spinach Pizza

Pizza? On a low-carb diet?! You must be out of your mind Caroline! Well, it's your lucky day. This pizza crust isn't crispy but it is amazingly delicious. It's thin, and tastes like a savory, cheesy cake or bread.

Ingredients for crust:
1 8 oz. package cream cheese (remember to use full fat)
2 eggs
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese from the canister
couple of twists of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Bit of rosemary or basil optional

Directions:
Soften cream cheese in the microwave, about 30-45 seconds. Beat cheese, eggs, and parmesan in a mixer until creamy. Add spices. Line a lipped baking sheet with parchment paper and let the paper hang over the edges just a bit. Pour mixture into baking sheet and bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes. Add your sauce, cheese, and toppings and bake 5-10 minutes more, or until cheese is melted.

Here also is the recipe for the alfredo sauce I made:

Ingredients:
1 stick of butter
1 c. heavy whipping cream
2 c. parmesan
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 tsp. Cayenne pepper if desired

Directions:
In a medium sauce pan, melt butter and mix in parmesan cheese. Add in cream and pepper(s). Stir until well combined.

This sauce can be used on anything: pizza, chicken, cooked spinach, asparagus, whatever you'd like.

I topped my pizza with shredded mozzarella, chicken breast slices, fresh baby spinach, and some pre-prepared pesto. It was a bit salty, but amazing. I think the salt may have come from the frozen chicken breasts I used. But this combo is just one of many I can think of. You can also try:

BBQ Chicken (Here is a link to some delicious sugar free BBQ sauce you can buy)
Buffalo Chicken (most Buffalo sauces contain very little to no carbs)
Meat Lovers (ham, any kind of sausage, pepperoni, beef, chicken, turkey)
Veggie (spinach, tomato, bell pepper, mushroom, olives)
Greek (olives, feta, chicken).

I don't really know of a way to do Hawaiian. Maybe mix in some pineapple extract into the sauce and then just use ham? Let me know if you think of other low carb combinations! Enjoy your pizza!

NOODLES! Oodles of Noodles!

Happy Tuesday! Tonight I made Chicken with "Noodles" in Ginger Soy Sauce. It uses "Miracle Noodles". They are made completely of fiber and as such, contain NO CALORIES. That's right. That's why they call them miracle noodles. Now, they are kind of like tofu in that they have no flavor; they soak up any flavor they sit in. They come packed in a bag, floating in a liquid that kind of smells like squid. But don't worry, when you drain and rinse them, and add a sauce, you cannot taste or smell that anymore. The texture is NOT of a normal, egg & semolina noodle (aka Italian noodle). They are more like rice noodles. They are gelatinous and translucent. But, when you have nothing else, they are pretty great. Here is a link to buy the miracle noodles, also known as "Shirataki Noodles" on Amazon.  I used the angel hair ones, but spaghetti would work too. They come in 7 oz bags. Use two bags for 2-3 people.

Without further ado, here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

2 7 oz. bags of Shirataki Noodles

1/3 c. soy sauce

1 Tbs. fresh ginger (or 2 tsp ground)

1 Tbs. fresh finely chopped garlic (or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder)

1 Tbs. sesame tahini

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. chili flakes

3 packs of stevia

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 c. mint cilantro, washed and chopped (I ended up using fresh parsley)

1/2 finely chopped roasted almonds or peanuts

1/2 c. chopped green onions

1 lb. chicken thighs (can use breasts too)

2  Tbs. sesame oil

Directions:

Drain noodles into a metal mesh colander or one that doesn't have too large of holes. Rinse the noodles with cool water, moving them around in your hands to make sure they are well rinsed. This removes the squid smell. Set aside. In a Ninja/Bullet/food processor blend the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, tahini, chili flakes, lemon juice, and stevia together until well combined. Set aside. Chop raw chicken into either strips or 1-2 inch cubes. Add sesame oil to a wok or skillet and add noodles and sauce. Stir, on medium heat, until the noodles absorb some sauce and turn light brown. Push noodles to outside/one side of the pan and add chicken. It will cook in the leftover liquid the noodles didn't soak up. Add the cilantro and green onions about 5 minutes before the chicken is done. Mix everything together. Plate and sprinkle chopped nuts on top.

This was really good, although I did use parsley instead of cilantro because cilantro is so strong. If you don't like it you don't have to use it, or you could use 1/2 a cup instead. All up to you. 

Spinach Beef "Lasagna"

This was one of the first casserole type dishes that I tried. It is a spinach beef bake that is layered like lasagna. It got rave reviews from my whole family, and my boyfriend even went back for seconds! My younger brother, who's usually very picky, liked it. So I'd say it's a winner. The recipe is originally from the book "Low Carb-ing among Friends: Volume 2".

*Picture from Linda's Low Carb Menus and Recipes

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons onion, chopped
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
8 ounces cream cheese
1 egg
1/8 teaspoon pepper
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded or "fresh"
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, fresh shredded or canister grated.

Directions:
Brown the hamburger with the onion. Mix in the garlic powder and spaghetti sauce; season to taste and heat until bubbly. Meanwhile, soften the cream cheese in a medium-size microwaveable bowl for about 40-60 seconds. Stir until creamy; beat in the egg and pepper with a spoon until well mixed. Blend in the spinach. Spread half of the meat mixture evenly in the bottom of a greased, 8 x 8" glass baking pan. Spread the spinach mixture over the meat; top with the mozzarella, then the rest of the meat. It may not completely cover the top, but that's ok. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350º F (~175 C) about 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Microwave:
Cover with plastic wrap and vent one corner then microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes; then reduce to MEDIUM (half power) and cook for another 7-10 minutes until hot and bubbly. Let stand a few minutes before serving.

Notes: If you don't have some extra bit of onion lying around or just don't want to use fresh, a bit of onion powder will do. I used fresher mozzarella, the kind that comes in a ball and is very moist. If you can get it, it's delicious.

This dish is fairly easy; the part that takes the longest is the layering. It tasted amazing and reheats very well. I know there is a bit of spaghetti sauce, but split between a family it isn't many carbs per serving.

Nutritional Info:

Per 1/6 Recipe:
368 Calories; 28g Fat; 23g Protein; 5.5g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 3.5g Net Carbs

Per 1/8 Recipe:
276 Calories; 21g Fat; 17g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs

Per 1/9 Recipe:
245 Calories; 19g Fat; 15g Protein; 3.5g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 2.5g Net Carbs

Welcome to my blog!

This will mostly be about low carb food and the challenges that go along with the low carb lifestyle. I plan to post recipes that I try in order to rate them or share tips about them. I decided to name it "Ghosts of Pasta Past" because I was a terrible carb addict. I loved chips, popcorn, bread, baked goods, and especially pasta. I could eat pasta every day. I loved fettuccine, spaghetti, orzo, farfalle, rotini, capellini, penne, and everything in between.

I've been on a low carb diet since the first of the year (2015) and I don't plan to cheat or give up. I've been overweight my whole life, and this is my first foray into any sort of "diet" besides simple calorie counting. I have lost 10 pounds in 19 days, and while this diet may be challenging, it's worth it. Cheating just makes you feel like crap, and you always instantly regret it. I've found that making delicious homemade food helps 100% when it comes to feeling satisfied. I refuse to eat stuff that tastes like cardboard, so you can be assured that nothing bad-tasting will ever be posted by me. Cooking with dietary restrictions is definitely a challenge, but it is a fun one. I love a good challenge. It's what makes a good cook a great one.

If anyone is interested, here are my "stats". I'm 5' 2", 21 years old, and right before beginning this diet I was 165 pounds. Now that may not seem like so much, but I'm short, and it shows. A 5 lb. gain or loss shows on me fairly easily. I've lived a mostly sedentary lifestyle; never really been into sports (watching or playing). My bad cholesterol (LDL) is high, and my triglycerides are elevated. Luckily I have high HDL, or good cholesterol, to balance it out but it's still not acceptable. I was tired of being tired, sick of having aching joints and a hurting back, and fed up with being fat. It creeps up on you. Often you don't notice it until you can't fit into half your wardrobe, especially if you wear loose clothing. So, if this sounds something like you, please join me on the journey to health. We can do it one yummy recipe at a time!