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Showing posts from August, 2015

SUMMER COCKTAILS

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Summer is the perfect time for refreshing fruity cocktails.  These have become a hit with my family and friends and are requested often. Try them and you'll see why! STRAWBERRY LEMONADE SANGRIA Made a gallon of this for a party and it was literally gone in 15 minutes.  Be careful.  This will sneak up on you. 1 Bottle (750 ml) Pink Moscato (I prefer Flip Flop) 2 cups lemonade 3/4 cups to 1 cup Berry Flavored Vodka Lemon slices Strawberry slices Placed sliced lemons and strawberries in bottom of pitcher.  Add wine, lemonade and vodka.  Stir to combine.  Chill and serve. DOUBLE BERRY SPRITZER Cool and refreshing on a hot day! 1 Shot Berry Flavored Vodka 1 Scoop Raspberry Sorbet Champagne Scoop sorbet into a champagne glass.  Pour shot of vodka over it.  Top with champagne.  Garnish with raspberries.  The possibilities are endless here.  We've made it with strawberries, pineapples, peaches... ...

Cheese and Bacon Broccoli Salad

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ADAPTED FROM  The Recipe Critic PREP TIME:    20 MINS SERVES:  4-6 A delicious broccoli salad full of bacon, cheddar, finely diced red onions and almonds. The creamy dressing on top is sweet and tangy and absolutely delicious.  I made it low carb by replacing the sugar with granular stevia and used regular mayonnaise.  My husband loved it and took the left overs to work for lunch (and that wasn't much). INGREDIENTS: Broccoli Salad: 1 head broccoli, cut into florets (about 4 cups) ¼ cup red onion, diced finely 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese 8 slices bacon, cooked and chopped ¼ cup sliced almonds Creamy Dressing: ½ cup mayonnaise ½ cup low fat Greek yogurt 2 Tablespoons lemon juice 1 Tablespoon Stevia or Spelenda ¼ teaspoon salt ⅛ teaspoon pepper DIRECTIONS: In a large bowl combine broccoli, red onion, cheddar cheese, bacon, and almonds. To make the dressing: Whisk together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, lemon jui...

Low Carb Easy Week Night Dinner

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CHICKEN STUFFED WITH CREAMY CHEESE AND FRESH BASIL This was an easy weeknight meal.  It was done from start to finish in about 40 minutes.  INGREDIENTS 6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs     (Butterflied or opened) 3 Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges     (I used the one with garlic and herbs) Fresh basil leaves Good olive oil 1 tsp Lawry’s (divided) 1 tsp Italian Seasoning (divided) 1 tsp Garlic Powder (divided) 1 tsp Onion Powder (divided) ½ tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper (divided) DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a foil lined baking sheet lightly with cooking spray.   Season the baking sheet with half of the seasoning. Place the chicken thighs on a baking sheet. Open 3 wedges of Laughing Cow Garlic and Herb Cheese.   Place half a pack of laughing cow cheese and a large basil leaf inside each chicken thigh. Rub each piece with olive oil. Season the chicken with the remaini...

LOW CARB & LOVIN' IT

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I have put on a few pounds and really need to get them off so I returned to my good friend low carb.  As I’m sure you know there are different variations of this diet from Atkins to South Beach.  It has always been great for me so I plan to stick with it but the major key with low carb (or maybe another weight management plan) is preparation which means I have to cook more and make sure I prepare snacks and everything I need to be successful.  I prepared a menu for the month and have done pretty good about sticking to it.  The upside to that for you guys is that I am going to be trying out different recipes and updating the blog more frequently. I have wanted to make carnitas for a while so I found a recipe and tweaked it and my picky eaters loved it.  Also, I wanted to serve them in some sort of taco shell and found this great tip to make a great low carb “taco.”  My husband really enjoyed this. CARNITAS Adapted from  A Family Feast ...