Coffee and Cream Cheesecake

Coffee & Cream Cheesecake

This was a little time consuming to make but oh so much fun.  I mean you basically make whipped cream, then coffee jello, then coffee pudding, chill it all then mix it together to make a fluffy coffee whipped cream cheesecake.  I just *might* have licked the beaters while letting it chill. teehehee  I pulled this recipe from Linda and while it was good, I have to say that I agree with her that this is a 3 star recipe.  You might like it better than us if you REALLY like whipped cream or like really fluffy cheesecake.  Don't get me wrong, I ate it like no tomorrow but I prefer a more traditional cheesecake texture.

3 STARS
8 servings
6.5 net carbs per serving


1 packet unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup coffee, cold or room temperature
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
2 cups heavy cream
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup granular Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla


In a medium bowl, whip the cream with 1/2 cup of the Splenda until stiff. Place the whipped cream in the refrigerator until needed. There's no need to clean the beaters. You can use them later for the cheese mixture.
In a small pot, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold coffee and let soften 5 minutes. Heat and stir over low heat to dissolve the gelatin completely. Do not boil. You can also dissolve the gelatin in the microwave by heating it about 30 seconds or so on HIGH. Stir until completely dissolved. Stir in the instant coffee granules until dissolved. Cool to room temperature. Add the remaining 1/2 cup Splenda and the vanilla to the cooled gelatin mixture.
Beat the cream cheese until creamy and smooth. Gradually beat the gelatin mixture into the cream cheese until well blended and slightly fluffy. Chill the batter until slightly thickened, about 20-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent lumps. Very gently fold in the whipped cream a little at a time. Spread in a greased 9-inch pie plate and chill until set, about 5-6 hours. This makes a very high, fluffy pie. 

Pecan Pie Muffins

Pecan Pie Muffins

OMG!  These Pecan Pie Muffins are now my favorite low carb dessert.  Prior to tonight, the reining dessert was my Peanut Butter Fudge but these muffins have won out.  My carb-eating Hubs had previously liked the Individual Cheesecakes best but also agrees that these muffins have won out.  The Hubs actually voluntarily grabbed a second one off the counter after dinner.  That never happens!  Normally I have to make him taste my low carb desserts and he's just like "it's ok" or whatever, but these he grabbed seconds!  I got this recipe from Linda, who didn't think they were quite as great as we did.  Mine seemed to have come out fluffier and more muffin-y than hers even though I followed her recipe pretty exact.  I did two minor things different: a) I only made 9 muffins with the dough as it just seemed to fit the muffin cups better; b) She said hers were done in 15 minutes but mine took 25 minutes.  Maybe it's because I made 9 larger muffins versus 12 smaller and/or maybe because I used cupcake liners and I don't think she did.  In any event, mine turned out fluffy, very moist and delish!

5 STARS
9 servings
4 net carbs per muffin

2/3 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup granular Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda
1/2 teaspoon blackstrap molasses (common ingredient in low carb world to give that brown sugar taste)
1/2 cup Carbquik (Atkins baking mix is easier to find but I'm unsure of the taste or carb count difference)
1 cup pecans, finely chopped, about 3 1/2 ounces


In a small-medium bowl, whisk the butter, eggs, vanilla and sweeteners. The mixture may look curdled. Whisk in the Carbquik until a smooth batter forms. Stir in the pecans. Spoon into 12 greased or paper-lined muffin tins and bake at 350º 15 minutes until golden brown and set in the center. The toothpick test will not work for these. They won't rise much and will be very small. Carefully remove them from the tins and cool on a wire rack.  

Enchilada Salad

Enchilada Salad

This Enchilada Salad was sooooo good, da bomb!  I'm calling it an Enchilada Salad because it's made with enchilada sauce.  However it does have faux tortilla chips so it's kind of a Taco Salad as well.  Call it what you want but you MUST make this.  So simple and easy, it's perfect for a weekday meal.  It has some crunch, it tastes great, it's a winner.  Even my carb-eating "I can't eat a salad for dinner" Hubs loved this meal.  The faux tortilla chips are my Cheese Crackers recipe.  They are easy to make and add a nice crunch.

5 STARS
2 servings


2 slices Deluxe American cheese (must be DELUXE American)
4oz shredded cheddar cheese ( I prefer to shred myself but the pre-done stuff is fine too)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 pound ground beef
1 10oz can red enchilada sauce
4 cups lettuce (I used an iceberg and romaine blend)
4 TBSP sour cream


Make "tortilla chips" by following the cheese crackers recipe using the Deluxe American cheese.  Set aside.  Brown the beef and onions together in a large skillet over medium heat.  Drain.  Return to pan and add the enchilada sauce.  Heat until sauce and meat mixture is hot.  Build salad on each plate with 2 cups of lettuce, then beef mixture, shredded cheese, 2 TBSP sour cream.  Then place the "tortilla chips" around the edges (they get mushy pretty fast so keep them dry on the sides until time to eat).  Yum!

Bacon and Cheese Chicken

Bacon and Cheese Chicken

I just love when simple, weeknight recipes turn out tasting great.  Then again it is a bacon recipe so it HAS to taste good, right?  Three ingredients and an oven and you are in business with this tasty low carb meal.  You can change out whatever flavor of Laughing Cow you want, but you will probably want to add some seasoning to the chicken as most are blander than the Mozzarella, Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil flavor that I used.  Pair this with some green beans, broccoli or a simple salad and dinner is served! *INDUCTION FRIENDLY*

4 STARS
2 servings

2 chicken breasts
2 Laughing Cow Mozzarella, Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil flavor wedges
6 pieces of bacon


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Pound chicken as flat as you can to have a nice surface to work with.  I use a mallet for this but whatever you have to beat up that chicken works fine.  Lay chicken breasts on a foil lined cookie sheet (make sure to fold up edges of foil to contain the bacon juices).  Spread a wedge of Laughing Cow onto each breast.  Cut each of the six slices of bacon into three pieces, giving you a total of 18 smaller pieces of bacon.  Layer 9 small pieces of bacon over the chicken and cheese.  Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.  Afterwards, carefully broil for 3-4 minutes for the bacon to crisp, watching the entire time as it can quickly go from perfect to a burnt disaster under a broiler.


This chicken recipe is fast, good, appeals to the carb-loaders in your family, easy to make, and not the same ole boring chicken.  Enjoy!

Better than Cool Whip Whipped Cream

Whipped Cream

This really is better than Cool Whip.  Super easy to make and low carb too!  You can add a dollop to any low carb dessert, turn basic sugar-free jello into something amazing, or you know....just eat it by the spoonful. teehehe

4 STARS


2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup granular Splenda


Beat forever at high speed until it turns into whipped cream.  Difficult directions huh?

Fried Chicken Nuggets

Low Carb Atkins Fried Chicken Nuggets

I've made this chicken nugget recipe twice and have yet to manage to get them to look as pretty and crispy looking as Sugar Free Shiela does.  They still taste pretty good so hey...what's looks got to do with it when the taste is good?  This time I tweaked the recipe a bit based on my thoughts from last time.  If you want to try the original, then you can get it from Sugar Free Shiela as the recipe listed below includes my tweaks.  I still just got a generic "it's good" from the whole family so I will probably move on from this recipe next time I decide to make nuggets.  Don't get me wrong as there's nothing wrong with it, I just didn't think the nuggets were amazing. *INDUCTION FRIENDLY*

3 STARS
4 servings
1-2 net carbs per serving

2-3 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
3 eggs, whisked
3/4 cup parmesan cheese (the kind in the green can)
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup canola oil


Immerse chicken chunks in egg mixture, transfer to ziploc filled with parmesan, parsley, paprika, salt and pepper, coating well. Move to pan with preheated oil to medium-high. Move them around every few minutes so chicken is cooked evenly. Chicken is done once golden brown & stark white inside. 

Individual Microwave Cobbler

Individual Low Carb Microwave Cobbler

OMG...this might just be my new favorite dessert.  I still LOVE the Peanut Butter Fudge but this cobbler is excellent for a one serving, super quick dessert.  The only even remotely unusual ingredient is the almond flour. You can find it at Trader Joes, at every online low carb store, Amazon, or even a well stocked grocery store.  You can use any flavor of sugar free preserves that you would like to change up your cobbler flavors.  I used Smucker's Sugar Free Strawberry Preserves.  I don't have a custard dish so I used a glass measuring cup, which worked out excellent.  My preserves are much runnier than the original recipe photo shows but I think I preferred it that way as it was more of a sauce so I could scoop up a spoonful with each bite of "bread".  I think this will be in the regular dessert rotation for me now.  I can't wait to try other preserves flavors!

5 STARS
1 serving
7 net carbs

2 tablespoons LC-Preserves or any sugar free jam
1 tablespoon butter, softened
2 tablespoons granular Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda
1 egg
3 tablespoons almond flour
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch salt

Spread the jam in the bottom of a 6-ounce custard dish. In a small bowl, mix the remaining ingredients with a fork until well blended. Spoon the batter over the jam. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute or until the cake is done. Let cool a few minutes and then invert onto a small plate. Sprinkle with a little granular Splenda or other powdered sweetener, if you like. Serve warm. 

Chicken Fried Steak

Chicken Fried Steak

Mmmmm.....good.  This one was my dads idea and then I forgot to make it while my parents were in town visiting.  Chicken fried steak with a pork rinds (chicharrones) crust intead of the typical flour based breading.  I will definitely be making this one again as the carb-loving Hubby actually said "this tastes better than normal chicken fried steak".  Can't beat a comment like that!  Cube steak is cheap so run, grab some and make this tonight! *INDUCTION FRIENDLY*

5 STARS
4 servings

4 cube steaks
2 oz plain pork rinds (approx)
2 eggs (whisked/scrambled)
1/2 cup canola oil (vegetable oil is a no no when following Atkins)
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp mustard powder (optional)
seasoning salt and pepper to taste


Crush the pork rinds into oblivion with whatever you have to do so.  I put mine in a gallon size zip lock back and crush with a mallot but you can use a rolling pin or whatever you have, just make sure to turn the rinds into a slightly chunky powder.  Pour crushed pork rinds onto a plate.  Add onion powder, mustard powder, seasoning salt and pepper to crushed rinds and lightly mix together.  Pour whisked eggs onto another plate.  Dip your cube steaks in egg then in pork rinds.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Once oil has been pre-heated (test if it's ready by splattering a little water into the oil and seeing if it sizzles) add the pork rind coated steaks.  Cook for 4-5 minutes in oil then flip and cook for another 4-5 minutes.  Remove from oil and serve!

Dollar Tree No Carb Flavored Syrups

Sugar Free Flavored Syrups from Dollar Tree

Check out what I found at Dollar Tree!  It doesn't say Sugar Free on the front label but it's made with Sucralose (which Splenda is the name brand for), has 0 carbs, calories, fat, etc just like Torani and DaVinci.  My Dollar Tree only had Vanilla and Hazelnut so I picked up one bottle of each to try.  I've now taste tested both (as you can see, I couldn't wait to open the Hazelnut before getting a picture) and they are comparable to the name brands.  I'll be running back out to Dollar Tree this afternoon to pick up a few more $1 bottles of sugar free flavored syrups!

Bacon and Onion Green Beans

Bacon and Onion Green Beans

You see that photo up there?  See that lovely bacon grease covered green beans with caramelized onions?  Yup, that is not only Low Carb/Atkins friendly but it is INDUCTION friendly?  Can't beat a diet/lifestyle like that!!  We have this side dish at least once a week because it is easy to make and yummy! (yummy is an official recipe blog term, no?)  All I can say about this one is to try it, try it at least once.  I promise you will be hooked.  Even before I was low-carb-afied I made this regularly, even for company.  It's that good!  Just make it dammit! *INDUCTION FRIENDLY*

5 STARS
4 servings
4.5 net carbs per serving

3 slices of bacon
1/2 onion, diced (sometimes I do long slices instead)
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1/2 pound green beans (frozen or fresh, any cut.  NOT CANNED)
salt and pepper to taste


Cut bacon into small pieces.  I like to use kitchen scissors and cut all 3 slices at once.  Chop onion.  Cook bacon and onion together in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  While the bacon and onion is cooking, we will do a bit of a cheater method to start the green beans going.  If using fresh, wash first.  Put green beans (fresh or frozen) in a microwave safe bowl with about a TBSP of water.  Microwave for about 3-4 minutes to defrost/start the cooking process.  Once bacon looks close to done, add the green beans, worcestershire, salt and pepper to the skillet.  Stir occasionally.  If your green beans look like they are drying up a bit before they have softened, add a TBSP of water or beef broth at a time to keep moist until the green beans are soft.  That's it!

30 Second Microwave Cookie

It's not the greatest cookie ever but it IS the greatest cookie that takes 30 seconds to make.  It tasted ok.  I'll probably make it again but mainly because of the easiness and I usually have the ingredients on hand.  I have both vanilla and chocolate whey protein powder (I use Body Fortress brand from Walmart) but made the vanilla since Linda said it was the better tasting on her page.  I overcooked mine a bit at 20 seconds and it was dry.  I think next time I will stop at the 15 seconds suggested in the original recipe.

3 STARS
1 serving of 1 cookie
2 net carbs


1 teaspoon butter
1/2 scoop vanilla or chocolate whey protein powder, 1/6 cup
2 teaspoons granular Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda *
Water, about 3/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon


In a small microwaveable bowl, heat the butter in the microwave about 20 seconds or until melted. If you're using liquid Splenda, mix it into the melted butter now. Stir in the whey powder and granular Splenda as well as you can. It will be very dry. Gradually add some water, about 1/8 teaspoon at a time, just until you can form the mixture into a ball that isn't too sticky to handle. Keep the dough ball in the bowl and microwave on HIGH 15-30 seconds or until the dough puffs up. Don't over cook it or it will come out very dry. In my microwave it takes about 15 seconds or so. Cool and eat.
If you microwave the cookie for about 15 seconds you'll get a more tender, chewy cookie but it won't be very big. Microwaving it for closer to 30 seconds causes the dough to puff up almost twice as much but the cookie will be pretty dry and crumbly. 

Shrimp in a Garlic Cream Sauce

This was so easy and so good!  My hubs, whose usual response to my meals is a generic "It's good" actually said "Wow, this is great!".  That type of response doesn't happen too often.  This sauce reminded me a bit of a thick Alfredo sauce.  I would recommend serving over pasta for the carb eaters (or even low carb Dreamfields pasta if you are in Maintenance mode of your weight loss journey).  I enjoyed it just how it is though.  So easy with just a few ingredients too!  I will definitely be making this one again. *INDUCTION FRIENDLY*

4 STARS
3 servings (it's very rich so you don't need tons)
2 net carbs per serving

12oz medium (41-60) shrimp, peeled and tails removed
2 TBSP salted butter (margarine is a no-no with low carbing)
5 wedges of Laughing Cow garlic & herb spread
1/4 cup heavy cream
sprinkling of fresh or dried parsley


Melt butter in a large sauce pan.  Add shrimp and cook 2-3 minutes per side until barely pink.  Add the wedges of spread and stir until melted.  It will look a bit curdled and chunky.  Add the heavy cream.  Mix together and a creamy sauce will form.  Remove from heat and sprinkle with parsley.

Peanut Butter Pudding

It's late, I'm tired and needing a quick dessert.  So what do I do?  I scour my saved recipe and find this super quick and easy snack.  This peanut butter pudding is very good, not dying-I-can't-live-without-it amazing, but good.  It really hit the spot on a night that I didn't really feel like cooking anything.  I only had chunky natural peanut butter but I think this would be much better with smooth and the nut pieces really distracted from the pudding/mousse consistency.  Even so, it was sweet, creamy and peanut buttery and it hit the spot.

3 STARS
1 serving
3 net carbs

1 TBSP natural smooth peanut butter
2 tsp granular Splenda
2 TBSP heavy whipping cream


Put all ingredients in bowl and mix the crap out of it with a spoon until it becomes whipped and smooth like mousse.  That's it!  It takes about one minute.

Chicken & Swiss Casserole

There's something about casseroles that my family just loves, especially the boy.  This is a very versatile dish that can be made with whatever you have handy in the fridge.  Whatever frozen veggies you have (that are low carb), whatever cheese you have, whatever leftover meat you have, etc.  I made this to use up the leftovers after I made Bacon Roasted Chicken.  The sauce below is basically the low carb version of cream of chicken soup if you have other recipes you'd like to try it with. *INDUCTION FRIENDLY*

4 STARS
6 servings
7 net carbs per serving (but could be less depending on the veggies you choose)

16oz bag of low carb mixed veggies (I used a deluxe stir fry mix but if you are still in induction, you should probably use broccoli or a broccoli cauliflower mix or green beans)
6oz shredded swiss
1/2 c mayo (the kind made with canola instead of soybean oil is preferred when following Atkins)
1/4 c full fat sour cream
seasoned salt to taste
pepper to taste
1/2 tsp chicken bouillon crystals
2 cups cooked diced chicken (you can cheat and use 16oz of canned white meat chicken, fully drained)

Preheat over at 350 degrees.  Lightly coat an 8x8 or 9x9 pan.  Cook the frozen bag of veggies in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl for 4 minutes with a TBSP of water in the bowl.  Shred cheese (I prefer to buy block cheese then shred myself as it tastes better and isn't coated with that weird anti-caking powder that is on pre-shredded cheese).  Mix together the mayo, sour cream, seasoned salt, pepper and chicken bouillon to form a thick sauce.  Mix together the sauce, cheese and diced chicken and pour into casserole pan.  Cover with foil and cook at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  Remove foil and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes to get a bit of a crust on top.  Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before cutting.

Individual Cheesecakes

Pinay called these the "Ugliest Cheesecake Ever".  I have to agree that they are pretty ugly but they are really good.  It doesn't bother me at all that they are ugly as the taste more than makes up for it.  If you would like to pretty them up and are past the Induction Phase, you can add a thin layer of no sugar added preserves to the top to hide the blemishes.  My hubs (carb lover) said this was the best low carb dessert item I've made so far.  That's saying a lot since I'm still in love with this Peanut Butter Fudge.  The portion control of these is really great versus making an entire cheesecake and having it stare at you in the fridge. *INDUCTION FRIENDLY*

4 STARS
12 servings
3.63 net carbs per serving

16oz full fat regular block cream cheese
1 cup granular Splenda
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp full fat regular sour cream
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 325 and add cupcake liners to a 12 cup muffin pan.  With a mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Slowly incorporate the Splenda, blending well.  Stop using the mixer and switch to a wooden spoon.  Add vanilla, lemon juice and sour cream.  Blend just enough to mix the ingredients.  Add the eggs one at a time, gently mixing after each.  Divide batter into the 12 cups (I like to use an ice cream scooper for this).  Bake at 325 for 15 minutes.  Let sit and cool for 30 minutes then transfer to fridge and cool for at least 2 hours before eating.  Tr to stop at just one!