This is Date Night

Ok, who doesn't want THIS once in awhile...?

Or this....?

But mostly likely have to settle for this...?

Along with this....

After racing home from jobs, securing a sitter...

What you really want is....

I fixed burgers and such on the grill for the kids. The bf was working late and I wanted something a little nicer for a later dinner, just us. Wouldn't be a full blown "date night", but we could carve out a few minutes for a quiet dinner and something better than chicken fingers. Fed the kids and sent them off to amuse themselves with electronics...

Started with 2 loins of cod (on sale with a coupon $3), 1 bunch gr onions, an orange pepper, and a lemon.

Laid out a piece of foil, spritzed with olive oil and squeezed on fresh lemon juice. Sprinkled with sliced green onions and pepper slices. Sprinkled with lemon pepper.Folded up like a package and place on hot grill.

Grill for about 5 mins per side. Cod is a fragile fish. The foil is to keep together and protect... just putting on grill while result in fish flakes. While grilling, toss together some field greens, pumpkin seeds, and a dressing. I mixed equal parts white vinegar, water, and olive oil. Added some Penzey's Country French and tossed with greens and shredded parm.

Plated with the greens and some cocktail shrimp.

Easy, grown up food.

Without any of this....

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 Thursdays - Apricot Pork Chops

I had a couple of baked russet and sweet potatoes left over from another meal. Sliced each in half and scooped out the middles. Preheated oven to 350'.

My new love: plain, Greek yogurt. Better numbers on the nutrition data than sour cream, useful in it's place. I mixed about 2TBSP to each bowl of mashed potatoes. Into the sweet potatoes I added some cinnamon, brown sugar and softened butter. To the russet potatoes, I also added butter and garlic powder.

Spooned the mixtures back into the shell halves, sprinkled the russet with cheese and the sweet with pecans.

Rubbed some thinly sliced, boneless pork chops with a seasoning blend, Bouquet Garni.

Put potatoes and pork into oven. Bake pork chops for about 15 mins on one side, then turn over and put back into oven.

After about another @15 mins (depends on thickness), smear a heavy TBSP over each.

Have you tried those new Dole, Chopped Salad mixes? I had a really great coupon and they were on sale... this was the bbq ranch. Really good. We fight over it.

Lots of flavor going on here. The meat is sweet and savory, the potatoes sweet OR savory, and the salad crunchy and smoky.

ICE CREAM... on low carb? YES!

For those of us with a sweet tooth, the switch to a low carb diet is a bit daunting on "I WANT SOME ICE CREAM" kind of days. It feels like the rest of the world is all "I got some ice cream and you don't!" (language... if you aren't familiar with Eddie Murphy...)

SO, before we all have a meltdown, I decided to whip some up. There are some great, cooked, custardy style bases out there... you cook and then chill before adding to ice cream maker...

I want ice cream NOWWWW... or in under 30 mins NOW anyway.... cocoa powder needs heated to dissolve... chocolate bars just need melted. I started with a Trader Joe's and a Russell Stover sugar free.

 Break up the 2 bars into the scored chunks, micro on 1 minute at 50% power. NEVER nuke chocolate at 100%... it will scorch and be nasty, lumpy... and not good eats. Stir a little, put back in for 30 second increments at 50% power until you can stir smooth with a fork.  We're going to be adding about 2 cups of heavy whipping cream total. It is no carb and lower water content. Adding a watery dairy product will result in lumpy, nasty chocolate. Add a 1/4c and stir in. 

Get to the 2 Cups total, adding about 1/2 C at a time, stirring smooth.

 At this point, you have some of the most AMAZING chocolate pudding, EVA.

 Add @1.5-2C coconut or soy milk - unsweetened - has 1 carb per cup. Then add 6 squirts of sugar free chocolate syrup. (Or vanilla. Or even the sugar free "simple syrup".)

 Taste - if it is not sweet enough, add a TBSP or 2 of Xylitol or Splenda (powdered splenda has carbs, so watch that).

 Get frozen liner for ice maker from freezer. You DO have to think far enough in advance, night before, to put liner in freezer... I use, thaw, wash, and return to freezer. I store it in the freezer!)

 Add the chocolatey mixture to the maker

 Add blade and cover, turn on. It is that easy! Like my home improvement project reminders in the background... whoops... I never claimed to be better homes and gardens photo ready.

 As it churns, the mixture thickens and starts to have body. 

 At around 20 mins, it stops churning and the ice cream is thick and luscious!

 Take THAT low carb!!! Take THAT Eddie Murphy! I got some ice cream!

This batch had about 4 carbs per serving (4 servings per this batch), mostly from the chocolate. I don't post exact carb counts, depends on your own ingredients and how you serve it.

I'll take door #2 please....

Love me two times, baby 

Love me twice today 

Started with a pile of steaks, on the cheap

One for tomorrow 

One just for today 

Love me two times 

If you can, marinate them using some leftover bottle dressing in fridge. Any oil/vinegar based flavor works. 

Toss onto screaming hot grill

Work on a couple of sides... Slice up some mushrooms

Saute with butter, garlic and onion powders

Dump a bag of baby carrots into a sauce pan with an inch or so of water, bring to boil. Once tender, drain water and add a pat of butter and either 2TBSP brown sugar or herb of choice.

Check steaks on grill... realize that propane tank has run empty

Finish cooking in grill pan on stove

Serve with mushrooms and carrots. I cheated with a couple of heat and eat mashed potato thingies from grocery store...miscreants are "too good" for instant potatoes.   Camera decided this was last picture before SD card corruption occurred.

Love me one time 

I could not speak 

Love me one time 

Yeah, my knees got weak 

But love me two times, girl 

Last me all through the week 

After dinner, bagged up leftover steaks to use for part II, a few days later... once they forget they had steak already...

Using grilled (even slightly grilled) meat in another recipe adds a level of flavor.

Sliced up 3 bell peppers and half an onion. For flavor, 1 can of diced tomatoes, pepper, and Penzey's Southwest seasoning plus Cumin.

Put tomatoes and seasonings on bottom, stir, then add steaks

And peppers/onions.

Set crockpot for 4 hours on low. Shred meat, which is now very tender, can be done with forks. Add juice of one lime and or a bundle of cilantro if you have it. Meh if you don't.

Love me two times, babe 

Love me twice today 

Love me two times, babe 

Gather usual taco makings: tortillas, shredded cheese, salsa, and sour cream.

2nd easy meal.... they never knew what hit them.

Love me two times, babe 

'Cause I'm goin' away