Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake

So good and so easy!  I've had one of these every day for the last week or so.  I almost never do that as I'm pretty adventurous with food and love to try different things.  The taste will vary and the carb count will vary depending on your brand of chocolate protein powder.  Just try to find the lowest carb one you can.  I buy mine at Walmart and is 2 net carbs per scoop.  You can reduce the carb count in the recipe pretty easily by using only 1 scoop of protein powder.

5 STARS
1 serving
7 net carbs per serving

ice (4 or 5 ice cubes)
1/2 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk
1/2 cup water
2 scoops chocolate low carb protein powder
1 TBSP natural peanut butter (ingredients should only be peanut butter and salt)

Throw it all into a Magic Bullet or whatever blending device you have and blend for 30 seconds or so.

Peanut Butter Coconut Flour Cookies

Peanut Butter Coconut Cookies

Ahhhh...peanut butter cookies.  I love that peanut butter is a yes on the low carb list of goodies!  I wish I could take credit for these lovely cookies, but I pulled the recipe from Your Lighter Side who said she got them from Candice.  All of my kids and my Hubs enjoyed these, without them being wise that they were anything different than "normal" peanut butter cookies.  The cookies were sitting on the counter when my carb-etarian Hubs got home from work.  He plopped one in his mouth and instantly said "These are great, I can't wait to dunk them in a glass of milk."  He was shocked when I said that they were low carb.  Usually I don't cook with straight coconut flour, opting more for a coconut flour and almond flour mixture.  However I was intrigued by these since Candice (through Your Lighter Side) said that she made them with just coconut flour in order to make them more filling so you'll eat less.  I do think the taste might be a tad better if it was a mixture since these were a tiny bit dry (coconut flour zaps moisture out of recipes so that was expected) but they really were more filling than traditional cookies and they tasted really good.  It took my family and I about 4 days to eat the whole batch and I noticed that they got a bit drier each day.  I would suggest eating these within a day or two for best flavor.

4 STARS
(my batch made 40 small bite size cookies)
55.23 net carbs per entire batch ; 1.38 net carb per cookie assuming 40 cookies per batch


1/2 cup coconut flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt (omit if your peanut butter is salted)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp
3/4 cup natural sugar free peanut butter (and salt free if you can find)
3/4 cup granulated Splenda (or your sweetener of choice)
3 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a small bowl mix coconut flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.  In a separate bowl, mix butter & peanut butter with a mixer until combined.  Slowly add in Splenda and mix until fluffy and thoroughly combined.  Add eggs one at a time while mixer is running.  Add vanilla extract and mix until thoroughly combined.  Slowly add the coconut flour/baking soda and salt mixture.  Once combined, mix on med/high until mixture is smooth.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a baking liner.  Using hands (I find it easier but use a spoon if you are more comfortable) scoop about 1 TBSP worth of dough and roll into a ball, approximately 1 inch wide.  Place ball on cookie sheet.  Cookies do not rise much so they can be set fairly close to each other.  Using a greased fork (I sprayed with Pam) press down on each ball left to right, then top to bottom, making peanut butter cookie traditional crisscross pattern.  Bake for 8-10 minutes (I made each batch with slightly different times and preferred the least cooked cookies, at 8 minutes).

Lemon Coconut One Minute Cake

Lemon Coconut One Minute Cake

Oh how I love thee, One Minute Cake.  I'm not very good at planning my meals ahead (I know, I know, shame on me).  Sometimes I stand in the pantry, staring at all the junk food in there for my family of carb-etarians.  The junk whispers "eat me, I'm so good" or "one Oreo won't hurt".  (exactly the reasons why you should have a game plan and decide your low carb meals in advance!)  This is where the One Minute Cake becomes crucial.  I've made a couple of flavors (PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE ONE MINUTE CAKE, ONE MINUTE BREAD, and INDIVIDUAL MICROWAVE COBBLER) but I think this Lemon Coconut is my new favorite.  The ingredients mix is spot on to have a good cake texture, a bit moist and fluffy.  This was an amazing emergency dessert and I enjoyed every bite!

5 STARS
1 serving
4.5 net carbs per serving

1 TBSP coconut oil (in liquid form, put in microwave for a few seconds)
1 egg
1 tsp water
1/2 tsp lemon extract
2 TBSP granular Splenda (or your sweetener of choice)
2 TBSP almond flour
1 TBSP coconut flour
1 TBSP shredded unsweetened coconut
pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients in a mug with a fork until thoroughly combined.  Microwave for one minute (microwave ovens may vary).

Ghost Poo aka Cream Cheese Clouds

Cream Cheese Clouds aka Frozen Cheesecake Bites

Ghost Poo (see what I did there since it's almost Halloween?!), aka Cream Cheese Clouds, aka Frozen Cheesecake Bites!  Fun and yummy and a great way to grab a little sweet dessert or snack.  I pulled this off of Linda's page as Cream Cheese Clouds.  My father (also a low carber!) came up with the Ghost Poo because he's funny like that.  I wrote the recipe below as basic Cream Cheese Clouds or Frozen Cheesecake Bites but if you'd like to swirl them to make them Ghost Poo, just spoon the mixture into a sandwich bag and then cut one of the end tips of the bag off to make a home pastry bag.  You can mix up the flavors by using different extracts or adding some unsweetened cocoa powder, a bit of pumpkin puree, etc.  Fun! *INDUCTION FRIENDLY*

5 STARS
24 clouds
1 net carb per cloud/serving

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granular Splenda (or sweetener of choice)
1/2 tsp vanilla (I used 1/4 tsp lemon and 1/4 tsp vanilla)

Beat everything with an electric mixer until fluffy.  Drop by bite-size spoonfuls onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet to make 24 clouds.  (or spoon into sandwich bag, cut the tip off to make a pastry bag)  Freeze until firm, at least 1 hour.  Store in the freezer and eat frozen.

Once frozen, these store in the refrigerator just fine.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Minute Cake

Peanut Butter Chocolate Minute Cake

I gotta say, I'm kind of in love with myself for coming up with this one.  I would enjoy this recipe even if I wasn't low carbing.  It's sinful, decadent, easy to throw together and cooks in one minute.  LOVE.  It's very good without the peanut butter if you feel like having just chocolate cake.

5 STARS
1 serving
7 net carbs per serving

1 tablespoon butter, softened
2 tablespoons granular Splenda (or sweetener of your choice)

1 egg
2 TBSP almond meal 
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch salt
1 TBSP golden flax meal (can replace with another TBSP of almond meal)
2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder 
1 TBSP natural no sugar added peanut butter, softened

Mix all ingredients except peanut butter in a mug with a fork until well blended.  Scoop softened peanut butter on top of batter and blend lightly, just enough to swirl chocolate and peanut butter together but not thoroughly mix.  Microwave for one minute (time may need to be adjusted depending on your microwave but less is more with this recipe or it will become too dry).

Vanilla Coconut Iced Latte

Vanilla Coconut Iced Latte

Oh my this was good!  I'm out of most of my DaVinci Sugar Free Syrups so I started rummaging through my kitchen and decided that extracts might work.  Wow oh wow did they work!  Feel free to mix and match whatever extracts you have available and sound good in a latte.  I thought the vanilla and coconut tasted amazing together.  I sucked this bad boy down in about 10 minutes because it was just THAT good.  The amounts in the recipe fit my 24 ounce cup perfectly so adjust the amounts if you have a different size cup.

5 STARS
1 serving
4.5 net carbs per serving

12 oz pre-brewed coffee, chilled in fridge if you have time
1/4 c heavy cream
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp coconut extract
3 packets Splenda granular
ice


Pour coffee over a glass full of ice (you can use less ice if your coffee is cooled).  Add remaining ingredients and stir.  If you'd like it more like a blended frapp, then you can throw it all in your blender with extra ice.  Yum!

Rum and Toasted Coconut Ice Cream

Rum and Toasted Coconut Ice Cream

Is there really anything better on a hot summer night than ice cream?  My big ole booty would certainly say not.  Just because my booty wants to be less booty-licious by being a low carber does not mean that we have to miss out on such a yummy treat!  I made this recipe exactly how All Day I Dream About Food wrote it since it was my first time making ice cream from scratch.  It was a time consuming process but if you've missed ice cream as much as I have, then it is WELL worth it.  Following her directions, the texture and quality was right on par with traditional ice cream (results may vary depending on your ice cream maker).  The flavor of rum and toasted coconut together was such a great combo that I would never have dreamed up on my own.  I plan on using this recipe as a base and experimenting with other flavors in the future.  One thing I will say, it has a bit of a weird bite in the flavor which I think it from the Splenda I used.  I know there are some other sweeteners or mixture of sweeteners that can be used to reduce that and create a closer match to sugar.  This was still an amazing recipe, just be aware that you can taste the artificial sweetener in it.

4 STARS
6 servings
3.5 net carbs per serving


2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup granular Splenda (or your sweetener of choice)
4 large egg yolks
1 cup full fat coconut milk
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut shreds, toasted (400 degrees for 2-3 minutes)
3 TBSP dark rum

Set a medium bowl in a large container of ice water.

In large saucepan over medium heat, combine cream and sweetener and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches 170F on a candy or instant-read thermometer. 

Meanwhile, beat egg yolks until light yellow and thickened, about 3 minutes.  Very slowly whisk ½ cup of the hot cream into the yolks to temper them, then gradually whisk tempered yolks back into the saucepan.  Continue to cook mixture, stirring continuously, until it reaches 175F to 180F.  Do not let it come to a boil.

Stir in the coconut milk and toasted coconut.  Pour mixture into the bowl set into the ice bath and let cool 10 minutes, then cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill until cold, at least 3 hours. 

Stir in rum and pour into canister of an ice cream maker.  Churn according to manufacturer’s directions until thickened and creamy, about the consistency of soft serve ice cream.  Transfer to an air-tight container and press plastic wrap flush to the surface.  Chill until firm but not rock hard, about 2 more hours.   Serve immediately. 

If you will be freezing the leftovers for later use, be sure to let them warm in the fridge or on your counter to make them soft enough to serve.

Chocolate Mousse / Frosting

Chocolate Mousse / Frosting

Chocolate Covered Katie calls these Chocolate Frosting Shots.  I'm a little plain with my recipe titles and thought of these as a chocolate mousse.  This would also make a great chocolate frosting for any low carb cakes or cookies or um...just a lonely spoon.  The original recipe said you could mix with a fork but I wound up with some junks of hard coconut milk so I would recommend heavily whisking or pulling out the mixer and beaters.  I would suggest sticking to the Thai Kitchen brand coconut milk as Katie suggests.  I tried this recipe a few weeks ago with Polar brand and it never thickened up in the fridge. :(  Let's move on to the important stuff:  How it tasted!  It was amazing!  It really tasted like dark chocolate frosting!  I'd love to play with this a bit and add other flavored extracts, maybe mint to have mint chocolate!  OMG I wish I had some mint extract so I could try that right now!  Ok time to get back on track, this really did satisfy my chocolate craving and has some amazing potential to make fun flavors.  The net carbs per serving isn't the lowest there ever was but if you are in a further phase of Low Carbing and really NEED some chocolate, this will not disappoint.  Go out there and buy some Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk today so you can have this tomorrow!

5 STARS
6 servings
7 net carbs per serving


1 can full fat coconut milk (Thai Kitchen brand preferred)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (play with this and add mint, raspberry, etc instead)
sweetener to taste (I used 2 TBSP Splenda but I think 3 would have been better)


Open the coconut milk, and leave the can (or transfer to a bowl) uncovered in the fridge overnight, unless it’s already thick like mousse. (Don’t shake the can before opening.) It should get very, very thick. (If it doesn’t, you’ve gotten a bad can that won’t work for the recipe. I highly recommend Thai Kitchen Organic, because I’ve had the most success with that brand.) Once thick, transfer to a bowl (you can opt to leave out the watery bit at the bottom of the can, if you want it even thicker) and whip in your cocoa, vanilla, and sweetener with beaters.  Stored uncovered in the fridge, the mixture gets even thicker.

Chocolate Raspberry Shake

Chocolate Raspberry Shake

I love shakes to whip up a low carb shake when I'm feeling naughty and think that I NEED ice cream.  It's so thick and creamy while being filling and satisfying.  This is another variation of this BASIC SHAKE (I've also posted a fabulous CHUNKY MONKEY version).  Oh what a nice flavor combination chocolate and raspberry are together.  If you can get your hands on some sugar free raspberry syrup, then definitely try this flavor combo.  If you can't, then you can sub any flavor that you can find but it won't be quite as magical.  I love that you get instant gratification with a shake when you really need that sweet treat.  No waiting for something to bake or freeze.  Just throw in the blender or Magic Bullet or whatever and ta-da!

4 STARS
1 serving
5.5 net carbs per serving

3 oz full fat cream cheese, softened in microwave
1/2 cup egg substitute, full fat original flavor (EggBeaters)
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 TBSP Sugar Free Raspberry syrup (I used Torani brand)
1 TBSP granular Splenda
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
4 ice cubes

Blend everything but ice together for approximately 30 seconds.  Add ice and blend until it is a shake-like consistency. 

Lemon Cucumber Spa-Water Popsicle

Lemon Cucumber Spa Water Pops

Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow!  Cucumber and lemon together is oh so refreshing.  Put that on a popsicle stick and you have some magic right there.  A big thank you to Family Fresh Cooking for the recipe.  I've made a couple of popsicle recipes lately but they are always heavy cream based.  Not that creamsicles aren't fabulous, but these melon cucumber pops are just so refreshing and relaxing feeling.  I added just a little Splenda, not enough to make these overly sweet but enough to take the edge off the lemon.  If you can't go to the spa, have the spa come to you with one of these refreshing treats! *INDUCTION FRIENDLY*
-UPDATE- My father (also a low carber!) would like to add that these are amazing with a little cayenne thrown in.  Nothing like the cool of cucumber and the kick of cayenne.  Try it if you dare...

5 STARS
4 servings
2.6 net carbs per serving

1/2 cucumber
juice of one lemon
1 TBSP Splenda
1/2 cup water
1 cup ice


First thing first is to de-seed the cucumber.  Cut the cucumber in fourths, length wise.  It should now resemble pickle spears.  Gently cut down the point of each spear, cutting off the seeds.  Coarsely chop the cucumber.  Throw the de-seeded cucumber along with everything else in a blender and gently blend, just enough to break up ice and chop the cucumber, and form a slush (make a slush before putting into mold helps to distribute the cucumber within the popsicle.  Pour into molds.  Freeze for at least 3 hours.

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

Oh these are SPECIAL.  They are so fabulous tasting, simple to make and beautiful.  To think that we can have something so decadent and still lose weight!  This is the kind of thing that makes me glad to be low carb.  When I saw this recipe on Pinterest from Homestead Survival I knew it was ON!  It only took a bit of tweaking to make it low carb and the results were amazing.  MAKE IT!!!

5 STARS
Approx 16 servings (depending on how many and big your strawberries are)
approx 1.6 net carbs per serving (assuming 16 strawberries)


1 pound large strawberries
8oz cream cheese, softened
4 TBSP granulated Splenda
1 tsp vanilla extract


CRUMB TOPPING:
1 TBSP Almond Meal
1 tsp Splenda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon


With a mixer, blend the cream cheese, Splenda and vanilla.  Spoon into a sandwich bag and put in the fridge to cool (optional, but cheesecake tastes better cold).  Meanwhile, wash and cut the tops off the strawberries.  With a paring knife, hollow out each strawberry.  Take cream cheese mixture out of fridge and cut one bottom corner off of sandwich bag.  Pipe cream cheese mixture into the hulled strawberries, squeezing out from bag through cut corner.  In a separate bowl, stir all of the crumb topping ingredients together.  Sprinkle mixture over each strawberry.  Serve immediately.  Can be refrigerated if not serving immediately.

Mocha Frappuccino Popsicle

Mocha Frappuccino Popsicle

OMG!  Do you miss those sugary, carb laden frappuccinos?  If you do, then I promise that these are a wonderful 3pm snack replacement.  I haven't had a frapp in over a year so I can't swear that they taste exactly the same but they sure are close enough to fool my memory.  I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed, so much that I made more the day after I finished off the original batch.  I rarely make the same thing twice so it says a lot that not only did I make them twice, but as back to back desserts.  They are yummy!

5 STARS
4 servings
2.5 net carbs per serving

1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp instant coffee granules
2 TBSP granular Splenda


Blend on medium until fully mixed together, scraping down the sides as needed.  Pour into 4 popsicle molds (popsicle mold sizes vary but this amount was perfect for mine).  Freeze for at least 3 hours.

Chunky Monkey Shake (banana chocolate)

Chunky Monkey Shake (chocolate banana)

Mmmm...chunky monkey.  Sometimes I really miss ice cream.  It's not good for me or for my booty but sometimes that devil on my shoulder just doesn't care.  Luckily, the angel on the other shoulder was feeling a bit adventurous.  We popped into the kitchen and came up with this satisfying replacement.  I started off with my BREAKFAST SHAKE, threw in some unsweetened chocolate powder and banana extract.  Ta-da!  Yummy chunky monkey shake!  Play with the flavors using different extracts or sugar-free syrups.  I might try to make mint chocolate next, maybe chocolate cherry.
P.S. My Hubs liked it better before I put in the cocoa powder, with it just being a banana shake.  If you remove the cocoa powder, the net carbs are 4.7.

4 STARS
1 serving
5.5 net carbs per serving

3 oz full fat cream cheese, softened in microwave
1/2 cup egg substitute, full fat original flavor (EggBeaters)
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 TBSP Sugar Free Vanilla (or chocolate if you have it) syrup
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp banana extract
4 ice cubes

Blend everything but ice together for approximately 30 seconds in your Magic Bullet or whatever you would use for shakes.  Add ice and blend until it is a shake-like consistency.

Peaches and Cream Popsicle

Peaches and Cream Popsicle

OH MY WORD!  These really hit the spot on a warm day.  Talk about refreshing, creamy, smooth and yummy!  I always have my carb-etarian Hubs taste my recipes and when he tasted this one, he straight stole my popsicle!  I had to go back in the house to get a new one for myself.  Obviously he loved it.  The 2 year olds review is "Mommy ice cream is so goooood!" (while rubbing tummy).  I will be making these very often.  I have some sugar free raspberry Torani  so next batch will be raspberries and cream.  Yum!  Make them with whatever sugar free syrup you can find or already have.  I think fruit flavors would be best but I'm betting caramel, chocolate, etc would be awesome too.  MAKE THIS!!!  oh and *INDUCTION FRIENDLY* (just watch your sweeteners intake for the day since this has quite a bit)

5 STARS
4 servings
2 net carbs per servings

1 1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar free peach syrup (or whatever flavor you would like)
(Different popsicle molds make different size and amounts of popsicles so you may need to adjust these amount to fit your mold)

Whisk the heavy cream and sugar free syrup together in a bowl.  Pour the mixture into your popsicle mold (I got mine at 99 Cent Only store).  Put in the freezer for at least 4 hours, overnight preferred.  Run warm water over mold to loosen popsicle from mold.  Eat!

Snickerdoodle Cookies

Snickerdoodle Cookies

These are softer and more cake textured than a Snickerdoodle but I think the taste is there.  They have hereby so been named "Snickerdoodle"!  I have eaten WAY too many of these today.  I don't think it's low carb when you eat 15 or so at a time.  My 2 year old Girl devoured about three and then got upset when I wouldn't give her anymore.  The Boy had a few.  The Hubs said they were a nice little snack.  I'd have to say these are a winner.  They are nice little shortbread cookies with cinnamon and Splenda sprinkled on top.  I found the Torani Sugar Free Brown Sugar Cinnamon Syrup at Cost Plus World Market but if you can't find it, you could just use Vanilla or maybe even a complimentary flavor, Hazelnut might be good.  You might even be able to Doctor something up using a bit of blackstrap molasses and ground cinnamon.  I might try adding those myself next time I make them.  Yum!

4 STARS
36 cookies
1.2 net carbs per cookie

BATTER:
2 sticks of butter, softened
5 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated Splenda
2 egg yolks
2 TBSP Torani SF Brown Sugar Cinnamon syrup
2 cups Carbquik


TOPPING:
2 TBSP granulated Splenda
1 tsp ground cinnamon


Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Mix the butter, cream cheese and Splenda with a mixer until smooth.  Add the yolks and syrup and mix until smooth.  Add the Carbquik and mix until it looks like cookie batter.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  With a spoon, droop balls of dough onto cookie sheet.  They don't have to look good as they will spread and smooth out.  Make sure to leave a little room between each for spreading.  Heavily sprinkle the topping mixture over each cookie.  Use more than you think you need as the topping thins out as the cookies spread.  Bake for 16-19 minutes.  Watch them carefully as the tops never really brown but the bottoms will.  I made 2 batches and preferred the batch that I left in closer to the 19 minutes but ovens vary.  Remove cookie sheet from oven but DO NOT TOUCH the cookies!  They are extremely fragile when first removed.  Leave them be on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes.  Then carefully slide the parchment sheet off your cookie sheet (still don't touch the cookies) to finish cooling.  You can then get a new sheet of parchment paper for your next batch.  Let the cookies continue to cool on the parchment paper for another 10 minutes or so.  They should now be more like shortbread and easier to handle.

How to order Low Carb at Starbucks

Low Carb Starbucks

Today I decided to do a PSA (Public Service Announcement) about How to Order at Starbucks.  This seems to be a big concern to many people starting out a low carb lifestyle.  Yes, you can still drink Starbucks (or any other coffee place for that matter).  You just need to know what/how to order.  Let's start with what you should not order and that is a Frapp.  I know they are yummy.  I know that they are a great afternoon snack.  However they are from a pre-made powdered mix and so they can't be tailored the way we need them.  An Iced Coffee is just as tasty, just as yummy, just as cold and you can totally have them (or hot flavored for that matter too).

If you can't read Starbucks-ese, my cup in the photo says: SFCD = Sugar Free Cinnamon Dolce, WC = Whipping Cream, IC = Iced Coffee.  So you've decided you want a hot or cold coffee drink.  First thing you do is walk up and ask them what Sugar Free Syrup flavors they have (each Starbucks always carries different SF flavors).  Choose a flavor from the list they tell you.  Then just tell them to make either a hot or cold latte with the Sugar Free syrup and Heavy Cream or Whipping Cream instead of milk.  Tada!  Not hard right?  As a recap: sugar free syrup and heavy cream are your friends.  Enjoy!

Breakfast Shake (or anytime shake)

Breakfast (or anytime) Shake

This is from Sugar Free Shiela and she calls it a Breakfast Shake so I'm sticking to it.  I had it as a dessert though. :)  It's good.  It tastes pretty much like a melted shake.  You can make it any flavor you want, depending on which sugar free syrup you add.  I have found that some syrup flavors are stronger than others so feel free to add a bit more if you think it needs it.  I made this in my Magic Bullet but you can make it in a regular blender or whatever you would normally make a smoothie out of. *INDUCTION FRIENDLY*

3 STARS
1 serving
4.7 net carbs per serving

3 oz cream cheese, full fat original in the block
1/2 cup egg substitute, full fat original flavor (EggBeaters)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 TBSP sugar free syrup, any flavor
4 ice cubes


Blend everything in your Magic Bullet but ice together for approximately 30 seconds.  Add ice and blend until it is a shake-like consistency.

Root Beer Float

Root Beer Float

This is so easy and so good.  You are going to kick yourself for not making these little treats earlier.  It's about 80 degrees in my part of the world right now and this ice cold "float" is really hitting the spot.  It's not perfect but it's a pretty good substitute if you get a root beer float hankering.  I added the sugar free vanilla syrup with the thought that it would help make the heavy cream taste more like vanilla ice cream but I'm not sure I could tell the difference.  I would say that it's optional.  Better yet, try one with the syrup and one without to see which you prefer! *INDUCTION FRIENDLY* (go easy on the artificial sweeteners during induction though)

4 STARS
1 serving
maybe 1/2 net carbs per serving

16 ounces of diet root beer (I used A&W but any brand is fine)
1 tsp sugar free vanilla syrup (optional)
1 TBSP heavy whipping cream


Fill cup with ice.  Add root beer, then syrup (if using) then heavy cream.  The root beer will foam up just like a real root beer float! 

Swiss Miss Chocolate Mousse

Swiss Miss Chocolate Mousse

After the first bite, the Hubs said "it tastes like whipped chocolate milk".  I don't know about you but that sounds like a pretty good dessert to me.  I would describe it tasting more like what it is, chocolate whipped cream.  I could have used it a tad sweeter and may try adding a tsp of granular Splenda next time but it's very good the way the original recipe is written.  The Hubs thought the sweetness was fine so maybe I'm just crazy.  It was very good for something that doesn't need cooked and can be made in seconds.  I'll probably make again when I'm needing something sweet in a hurry.

3 STARS

4 servings

3 net carbs per serving

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 packets of DIET (not sugar free) Swiss Miss Cocoa

Put everything in a deep bowl and beat with a mixer forever and a day until it gets light and fluffy.

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.