Self Control VS Give me ice cream

I'm pretty sure that Laura Branigan is singing about ice cream...

In the night, no control

Through the wall, something's breaking

Wearing white, as you're walkin'

Down the street, of my soul

At night time, I totally want ice cream... vanilla ice cream is as versatile as it is yummy....

You take my self, you take my self control

You got me livin' only for the night

 I, I live among the creatures of the night

I haven't got the will to try and fight

Creatures of the night... like chocolate... dark chocolate...hot fudge sauce....?

Against a new tomorrow, so I guess I'll just believe it

That tomorrow never comes

Unfortunately, tomorrow DOES come... so I must find some lower carb solutions to those night time cravings.... 

Above, I've mixed 2 melted dark choc bars (nuke at 50% power, first 1 min and stir, then in 30 second increments, stirring til smooth. Slowly add 1/4 c heavy whipping cream. Set aside. for 8 carbs total) For the ice cream, I've whisked:

2 C heavy whipping cream (0 carb)

2 C unsweetened coconut milk (2 carb)

3 tsp vanilla (0 carb)

4 TBSP Xylitol (0 carb)

4 pumps sugar free vanilla syrup (0 carb)

Read your labels for carb counts!! 

Add to ice cream maker til frozen

 First night, hot fudge sundaes with peanuts.... layer spoonfuls of the hot fudge with peanuts:

Freeze remaining ice cream. NOW, I'll admit that once frozen, this concoction loses it's "soft, ice creamy" texture. However.... chunking it into a couple of glasses and pouring diet root beer over doesn't suck.... which is why you need the straws...

 A safe night, I'm livin' in the forest of my dream
I know the night is not as it would seem
I must believe in somethin', so I'll make myself believe it
That this night will never go

Oh Oh Oh... Oh o Oh..... I would cut a bitch trying to take away my self- I mean ice cream...

CBT Carb Back Thurday - Chicken Marsala

It was a dark and stormy night. Well, not exactly, but it was a Saturday and it was raining. I felt like cooking... more than my usual dump and run style. I did a little looking... hmm...Chicken Marsala takes a few minutes longer, but is still easy and so worth the "effort". 

“I had the urge to examine my life in another culture and move beyond what I knew.”

Dump 1 C flour into pan/dish and add ground pepper and either thyme or a spice blend with thyme in it. Either works. Dredge chicken in flour mixture.

Heat a few TBSP of oil in a pan. I used coconut oil. Turn chicken over, cooking both sides, set aside.

I sliced the mushrooms while I pan fried the chicken tenderloins

In another pan, I cooked some spinach angelhair til almost tender. Don't overcook!

“There is no technique, there is just the way to do it.

Now, are we going to measure or are we going to cook?”

Once all the chicken pieces are cooked, add 1/2 stick butter. Recipe I eyeballed called for 1 and 1/2 sticks. i just. couldn't. do. it. I also added 1/2 C of wine - I like the sweeter wines, so I added some Catawba. Let butter melt and mixture simmer for a couple of minutes.

Add mushrooms and cook until almost done; then add 2 or 3 good handfuls of fresh spinach as well as the cooked and drained angel hair noodles.

Add the chicken back to the pan to keep hot.

Toss up a salad and cut up some fresh fruit

Look Look! I made something special!!! 

And get a glass of that wine!

“Life offers you a thousand chances... all you have to do is take one.” 
― Frances Mayes, Under the Tuscan Sun

Austrian Style Goulash

I pay no attention whatever to anybody's praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings.- Mozart

Let's cook something with some Austrian flair

Goulash (slow cooked beef with paprika)

I mixed one small can tomato sauce
2 cups beef broth
4 pkts sweetener (stevia in this case)
1 small onion, sliced
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground pepper (black or color blend fine)
3 TBSP Paprika... I used Hungarian... because that is what I have.
Whisk into a slurry in the crockpot

Add in sliced onion and beef (I used stew beef, 2 @1+lb packages)

Set crockpot for HIGH for 4 hours, rock away

Once it was done cooking, I added 1TBSP guar gum to thicken. You could use a corn starch slurry instead. Serve with noodles, rice, spaetzle... in a low carb house, it's broccoli.

Everyone has a critic.... 2 out of my 3 critics gave it a thumbs up... I think it just didn't harmonize with that one's box of pop tarts before dinner.... 

Pack leftovers into lunch sized containers for "Grab and Go" mornings

CBT Carb Back Thursday - Take Out Chinese is the DEBBLE!

Love the flavors, and the easy factor, of Chinese takeout/delivery. Not always fond of the cost and or salt. I start my Sweet and Sour Chicken with a package of chicken strips. I put these in the oven, according to the directions on the bag. Between the oven heating up and these baking, I get the rice and vegetables cooked up. Dinner in about 30 mins or less.

Start a batch of rice:

2 C rice

4.5 C water

microwave for 5 mins on 100% power

microwave for 15 mins on 50% power

I keep the ingredients simple: red pepper, green pepper, carrots, fresh ginger slices and diced garlic.

Dice and slice vegetables and start cooking in a pan with hot oil. Put in the slices of ginger, they're for flavor. They'll be removed before serving. Stir this occasionally.

I've used canned, frozen, and fresh pineapple. Fresh is my first pick if I have it.

Like my loathing for cutting up cantaloupe and other melons, I dread cutting up a pineapple, but once done, it's worth it.

Slice off the ends, and strips off the sides to remove the rind. Is it pineapple rind? peel? husk?

I then cut into 4 - 6 slices, depending on size and then remove the core. I make 4 cuts, around the core, then it's an easy piece to toss. Cut the chunks smaller if needed.

At this point, the vegetables should be soft, add the pineapple. Turn heat down while making the sauce

Mix up the sauce, whisk together:
2 TBSP soy sauce
1/4 C vinegar - rice wine or white
1/4 C sugar
1 C chicken broth
3 TBSP cornstarch
(Make sure ingredients or room temp or cold or the corn starch will get lumpy)
Stir into pan

Turn heat up, once mixture starts to boil, it will thicken

Chicken should be done, chop into pieces,

and add to pan on stove top.

Serve with the rice

Mama says Homemade Chinese is not the debble... it's for my buddies