Lemon Shortbread Candy

I LOVE this recipe. It has become a go-to daily snack! Observant readers will notice that this bears great resemblance to my skinny chocolate recipe, but it is an entirely different experience. It has a great mouthfeel and is so rich and creamy! I hope you'll enjoy it. 

Lemon Shortbread Candy

2T coconut oil

2T coconut butter

2T brazil nut protein powder 

1t Maca powder (this is a supplement that supports hormones)

1/4t lemon flavor (I use Simply Organic brand)

Place a small plate in the freezer (for fastest freezing, leave one there all the time). Combine all ingredients in a small jar or measuring cup. Bring some water to a boil, pour it into a mug; float your container of ingredients on top (I like to do this over the sink to avoid puddles on the counter). When melted, stir. Pour on frozen plate or into a silicon mold (I use 1t per heart). Freeze. Keep cold in the refrigerator or with an ice pack if you're out on the town. Enjoy!

Crustless Pumpkin Pie (GF, DF, Sweetener Free, THM E Meal)

Super zowie. This is the best! I was tempted to name this recipe Fantasy Pumpkin Pie because you can eat the whole pie, as a complete E meal, in one sitting, and still lose weight. If that floats your boat. As I dreamed up this recipe, which is modified from an earlier version my partner developed just for me, I never imagined that it would fill a whole pie plate. But here it is, in real life, with a serving size of one, so it must be true. 

It is easiest if you have already baked the pumpkin and sweet potato before making the pie; otherwise it turns into quite the day-long project. However, if you just pop the well-pierced pumpkin and sweet potato in a baking dish and put them in the oven when you get home one night, and save them in the fridge 'til you are craving pie, it will be a piece of cake. ;) 

Incidentally, Sally Fallon of the Weston A. Price Foundation recommends allowing baked sweet potatoes to rest at room temperature for 12 hours before eating. I find this increases their sweet caramel flavor and makes them more digestable. When I made this pie recipe, after baking the sweet potato and pumpkin, I simply left them in the oven and turned it off. I peeled and refrigerated them the next day. Very easy...much easier than handling piping hot squash and potato!

So, without further ado, here is the recipe you have been waiting for.

Pumpkin Pie

4 egg whites

1/2c lite coconut milk (shake can before opening)

1/2c water

1t vanilla

1/2t salt

4t cinnamon

1 1/2t powdered ginger

1/4t ground cloves

dash nutmeg 

1 1/4c cooked pumpkin

3/4c cooked sweet potato

1/2t coconut oil for greasing the pie plate

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour all ingredients except the coconut oil into the blender. Blend until smooth and uniform. Grease 9" pie plate and fill with pumpkin mixture. 

Bake ten minutes, reduce temperature to 350, and bake until set (thirty minutes more). 

Allow to cool to room temperature before transferring to refrigerator. Serve chilled. 

Even my glutenful, dairyful, non-THM partner loves it! I hope you and your loved ones will, too. 

Nutter Butter Pudding (FP)

(Action shot: adding the ice cubes)

Wowser, that was a good breakfast. Blog post worthy. Yaaay! It's been a little while since a meal swept me off my feet so I'm thrilled. And I cannot believe it is FP! It is so good and so filling!

I've been trying to integrate brazil nut protein powder into puddings for a week or so. Happily, 2T of protein powder and 1T of banana are a match made in heaven. The texture is perfect-- creamy, rich and light at the same time. 

3/4c very warm water

2T gelatin

1t coconut butter

1/4t salt

2T brazil nut protein powder

1t maca powder

1T cocoa powder

Splash of vanilla

1T banana (I just cut off a piece of a frozen one)

4 or more ice cubes

Place warm water in the blender. While running, gradually add gelatin and coconut butter. Allow to whiz while assembling other ingredients. Add salt, brazil nut protein powder, maca, cocoa powder and vanilla. Next, add banana and blend well. Then add ice cubes in short succession. Blend until mixture is thick. If mixture doesn't thicken, it just isn't cold enough yet; add more ice cubes until it does. Enjoy!

Serves one.

Banana 2g carb

Coconut butter 3g fat 1g carb 

Brazil nut protein powder 1g fat 3g carb 10g protein

Cocoa powder 1g fat 1g carb 1g protein

Gelatin 18g protein

Fat 5g 

Usable Carbohydrate 7g 

Protein 28g

Cafe Mocha Pudding FP (gf, df, sweetener free)

This pudding is in honor of my mom. She taught me that a good meal, made from scratch, can solve just about everything. Thanks to her, I learned how to keep a proper pantry, always eat good food and never run out of eggs. ;) 

This recipe reminds me of her because she loves coffee ice cream, and has had a lifelong love of France and all things French since first visiting there in college. Despite working full-time and raising three daughters she has followed her heart and returned there many times. She has been married to my dad for more than forty years. 

My mom is super creative, and even during the busiest times she had projects going... handknits for us girls, handsewn clothes for herself. These days her medium of choice is quilting. 

And she can teach, and raise kids well. What have I not learned from my mom!? I am SO blessed. 

(I have a wonderful dad too. I'll tell you about him sometime when I develop a great recipe for roasted cashews ;) ).

And now for the Cafe Mocha Pudding recipe. Isn't it pretty? 

It is also packed with protein and ready in minutes. Best of all, though it is FP, it always seems like a big treat!

3/4 c warm prepared coffee (or warm water if using an espresso ice cube)

2T gelatin

1T cocoa powder 

1/2t vanilla

1/4t salt

1t coconut butter (optional; feel free to omit or increase to 1T for S)

Ice cubes (one espresso if not using warm coffee)

Whiz warm liquid in blender. Add gelatin and remaining ingredients except ice cubes; allow to combine well. Add 3 ice cubes in quick succession until only slightly thicker, like a frappe. If it doesn't thicken at all, even after blending for a few moments, add one more ice cube and watch carefully for signs of thickening for a while longer. The more ice cubes you add, the thicker it will be, and it's possible to add too many-- it is better to err on the side of too few. I personally find that I prefer a light, fluffy pudding. Immediately pour into your serving dish as it will set in just a moment. Serve immediately; this dish is quick to make and does not store well. Bon appetit!

Espresso Ice Cubes

2T coarsely ground coffee

I devised this method because I am a clueless non-coffee-drinker and don't own a funnel, filter etc. I'm also thrifty, and want to extract the maximum coffee goodness from my fair trade organic coffee (please buy this!). Put ground coffee in a tea ball. Pour 2c boiling water over the top and let steep until cool. Pour liquid into ice cube tray. Then, boil more water and rebrew the coffee, allow to cool, and freeze that too. You'll end up with some espresso ice cubes and some coffee ice cubes, which is handy so you can choose the best amount of caffeine for you at any given time. 

Cocomint Skinny Chocolate (df, sweetener free)

Whoa. That was some GOOD skinny chocolate. So good, I must post the recipe... and perhaps make more to take a picture. We'll see how long it lasts once I do. ;)

If you can't do sweeteners, and also do not thrive on popular low-carb sugar substitutes, I hope this recipe will bless you.

2T coconut oil, melted

1T coconut butter

dash of mint flavor (I use frontier organics)

2T shredded unsweetened coconut

1T unsweetened cocoa powder

1 t maca powder (sneaky supplement-- I use to balance hormones-- feel free to omit)

First, put a plate in the freezer (I often leave one in for when the urge strikes). This prevents the skinny chocolate from sticking to the plate, and helps it set in a flash. 

Melt coconut oil in a metal measuring cup on the stovetop or over a cup of tea. Meanwhile, measure dry ingredients into a small bowl. As soon as coconut oil has mainly liquefied, remove from heat (if a couple little lumps remain, swirl with a fork). Mash in coconut butter until well combined. Add mint flavor and dry ingredients and stir well. 

Pour onto frozen plate, return to freezer and patiently wait two minutes until it magically solidifies.  Enjoy!! Serves one.