Low Calorie Chronicles: Moroccan Bulgar & Shrimp Casserole

This was like a cheap return visit to north Africa, where I went the summer of 2014. All of my friends that went to Tunisia with me should check this one out.

I oddly had even the more obscure ingredients because I had a Spiced Pantry box from Lebanon.

Definitely use the mint. Sometimes I skip the garnish, but it was wonderful. It reminded me of the delicious mint tea there.

The recipe originally calls for pork, but it says you can substitute shrimp, Pacific cod fillets or chunks of skinless chicken thighs. I went for the shrimp.

It serves four and is only 403 calories per serving. It also has all of the other nutritional information (fat, cholesterol, vitamins) in the cookbook for if you actually use the pork.

This comes from the Eating Well One-Pot Meals cookbook.

1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
1 pound boneless pork loin chops or pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup water
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup bulgar (Look for it in the natural foods section of large supermarkets, near other grains.)
1 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers, rinsed
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 375. Coat a 9 by 13 inch (or similar 3 quart) baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Combine salt, cumin, coriander, ginger, chili powder, pepper, turmeric, cinnamon and cloves in a medium bowl. Transfer 1 teaspoon of the mixture to another medium bowl, add pork and toss. Set aside.
3. Add water, lemon zest and juice to the remaining spice mixture; whisk to combine. Stir in bulgar, chickpeas, onion, raisins and red peppers. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Cover with foil.
4. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully uncover and nestle the spiced pork into the bulgar mixture. Cover with foil again and continue to bake until most of the liquid is absorbed and the pork is just cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes more. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes before serving. Serve sprinkled with mint, if desired.

Calabacitas

This is an easy yet delicious one. The only labor intensive part is all the chopping. Jared had this at his cafeteria at work; the employee health person was showcasing it during lunch. He brought the recipe home and we tried it out here.

It does call for cotija, which is a semi-hard Mexican cheese. I tried to find it at the supermarket but did not. The recipe says you can substitute feta or the Mexican crumbling cheese found in the supermarket (which I also did not find).

The recipe states that it was originally from Cook's magazine in 2019.

Note: I should have cut the vegetables into pieces instead of slices, according to the recipe, but it was still fine.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 1 poblano chile, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• salt and pepper
• 1 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 yellow squash, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 ears corn, kernels cut from the cobs
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 oz. cotija cheese, crumbled (1/2 cup)
• lime wedges

Instructions

1. Melt butter in 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add onion, poblano, bell pepper, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook until vegetables are softened, about 4 minutes.

2. Stir in zucchini and squash and cook until just tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in corn and cream. Using a spatula, pat vegetables into even layer and cook, without stirring, until liquid has evaporated and vegetables are lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to platter and sprinkle with cheese. Serve, passing lime wedges separately. 

It serves 4.

Low Calorie Chronicles: Peppermint Bark Fudge

We are not avoiding all carbs right now just mostly. I have added some reasonable desserts into the rotation lately. This one is only 67 calories per serving!

I have to admit that it does not really taste like fudge. I still liked it a lot, though. Jared said that he liked it first after it had just been chilled for two hours. I ended up keeping it in the freezer for a refreshing treat. It is hot out here.

It says it makes 36 servings, and I guess it could if you cut it really small.

I used milk chocolate chips instead of white.

I could have used more peppermints, which means more calories. I like peppermint flavor a lot, though. I already have peppermint mocha coffee creamer in the fridge.

This recipe is from a book I got for free at the Richland County Library Sale because when you do the summer reading program, which I highly recommend, and also has an adult track, you get a free item from the quarterly book sale. This was my last find from there.  It is from the Hungry Girl To the Max! cookbook (author Lisa Lillien); this cookbook seems appropriate because I am mostly hungry, except when I have a sinus issue like I do currently.

Note: This recipe uses pumpkin, which is another one of my favorite flavors, and I suspect brings it the low calorie count, but I can definitely taste it. If you do not like pumpkin, you might want to skip this one.

Anyway, without further ado, here is the recipe.

You'll need: 8-inch by 8-inch baking pan, nonstick spray, large bowl, aluminum foil
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Chill: 2 hours

Ingredients: 
one 18.3 oz. box fudge brownie mix
2 c. canned pure pumpkin
3 tbsp. white chocolate chips, roughly chopped
1 standard size candy cane or 5 mini candy canes, lightly crushed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8-inch by 8-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, mix brownie mix with pumpkin until completely smooth and uniform. (Batter will be thick.) Spread mixture into the baking pan.

Bake until the edges are slightly firm and top center is dry to the touch, about 35 minutes.

Sprinkle with chopped chocolate chips and crushed candy cane(s). Using a spatula, press down on toppings to help them adhere.

Let fudge cool. Cover the pan with foil and refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 2 hours. Cut into squares and enjoy!

(makes 36 servings)

Low Carb Chronicles: Salsa Chicken

I like salsa. I try to put it on just about everything I can. My favorite thing to put salsa on is hash browns and the spicier the salsa, the better I like it.

This is a very simple recipe that came out surprisingly well. Jared was a bit skeptical when I mentioned it to him earlier, but I let time pass before cooking it, and he liked it just fine.

This recipe is perfect when you do not have a lot of ingredients in your fridge, and we usually have everything on hand to make this. Side note: if you do not have a recipe in mind for a meal and are just trying to figure out what to make for dinner, I highly recommend this site. I just search "in my fridge," and this is the first one that is listed. You put in what you have on hand, and it gives you recipes for what you can make with what you have - game changer. I have been a big fan for years.

Okay, back to the salsa chicken - you can also make this your own with additional toppings (sour cream, chives, green onions, guacamole).

Salsa Chicken for Two
2 chicken breasts
2 tbsp. taco seasoning - I like to make my own. (See previous post about that recipe.)
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup Mexican shredded cheese

Put chicken in a lined baking pan. Sprinkle seasoning on top of the chicken and then pour salsa on top of that. Bake at 350 degrees 25-30 minutes or until done. Top with cheese after chicken is cooked and then add additional toppings if desired. Enjoy!

This is another easy recipe that tastes great. I always appreciate a recipe that does not require a ton of ingredients and a trip to the grocery store!

15 Minute Low Country Boil

I got a pressure cooker for as a wedding present. Thank you, Olivia A.! It also can be used for canning which I am so excited about trying.

The first meal I made in it was fitting since the gift was from one of my SC Alpha ladies - low country boil!

It was super easy. I was not sure I was doing it right because I had never used it, but it did indeed cook. (I first tried to set it up with a rack that did not go in there except for steaming. The set up directions were a little lacking.)

Anyway, this is what we did for our low country boil. The recipe I found called for a pound of mussels and 20 clams, but that is not what I was used to putting in a boil, and I also was not in the mood for it.

2 lb. smoked sausage, cut into 4 pieces - I used spicy sausage.
2 lb. extra large shrimp - Those pretty much fell apart in the cooking process.
1 lb. red baby potatoes
3 corn on the cobs, cut in half
4 cups water
1/2 cup seafood seasoning - the spicier the better
2 bay leaves

1. Place the inner pot in the pressure cooker. Place all the ingredients in the inner pot.
2. Place the lid on the pressure cooker. Lock the lid and switch the pressure release valve to close.
3. Press the beans/lentil button twice until you reach 15 mins.
4. Once the timer reaches 0, the cooker will automatically switch to keep warm. Switch the pressure cooker release valve to open. When the steam is completely released, remove the lid.
5. Serve and enjoy!

Cold Tangerines

I guess you can say I am kind of on a Shauna Niequist reading kick right now. I read a second book from her recently - Cold Tangerines. It is actually her first one, so I am reading them out of order (not that this matters because they are not a series). However, it is was interesting to read about her hopes and dreams secondly and already know how they turned out by reading the later book first. Life usually does not work out that way.

I think Shauna's style of writing is what I aspire to do as a writer. It is so real, raw, and entertaining. There were times that I laughed aloud. There were other times I had to read what I was giggling at to Jared, and he found it funny, which usually is not the case with us.

Like Bittersweet, the book was about the highs and lows of life.  This one focused on enjoying the good times and just savoring life because you do not know how much time you have. Everyday celebration is beautiful.

Each chapter reads like a short story. It is a book you can easily pick up and put down without losing track because every few pages is a story in itself, even if it is divided into four parts. I just used the four parts as a good measure of where to stop off for the night.

It is a quick, easy read. I highly recommend it.

Also, side note: if your public library does not have what you want, check out the interlibrary loan program. That is how I got this book. Thank you, public library system.

Hear the beautiful introduction read by the author here.

Low Carb Chronicles: I Made Zoodles

My lovely best friend, Kimber, got me this beautiful KitchenAid mixer for a wedding gift. It is really gorgeous.

I got a spiralizer attachment and tested it all out for the first time last night.

The spiralizer comes with different attachments. My noodles are probably too thick, but I just picked one and went with it since it was the first time I was trying it out.

I had to cut the zucchinis because they were too long to fit on the spiralizer at full length.

I liked them better than pasta noodles, but I am not the biggest pasta fan, either.

These are so easy. Cut the ends off and make them a length that fits on your spiralizer and add to a pan. Saute on medium heat with a little bit of oil for 4-6 minutes until they become tender and season. (We like to use avocado oil around here.) I did salt, pepper, and garlic powder. The garlic powder came out a bit quickly, so more than I would have put in there came out, but it was still all good.

Do you like zoodles? We do.

Low Carb Chronicles: Fiesta Chicken

This recipe sounded like a fun time. We do eat a lot of chicken around here, even though it is my least favorite meat (besides pork - bacon excluded).

There are a lot of ways to cook chicken, and this one was tasty.

I got it from a slow cooker cookbook. I have been looking through all the recipes that have come with our new kitchen gadgets from the wedding.

Check this out for a fun twist on plain ol' chicken. And it is super easy. I added cheese on top at the end right before serving. It worked out nicely.

As always, be careful with that jalapeno prep work.

1 tbs. oil
3 lbs. boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
3 gloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 14 oz. can Mexican style diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano

In a large skillet, heat the oil and cook the chicken pieces until browned. Remove and drain. Place the onion, green pepper, garlic and jalapeno pepper in the skillet, and saute until slightly cooked. Add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker and stir. Cover; cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

recommended unit size: 4-7 quarts

Low Carb Chronicles: Squash Casserole

This recipe is from the church cookbook that I got as a wedding present. I thought it was a good way to get some vegetables on the table. It also had a lot of cheese, which is always nice.

Right around this recipe we realized for certain that we are having oven problems. I knew I was having to cook everything much longer than the recipes called for to cook them. I cooked this one extra long and was worried about it burning, but the squash and zucchini were still crunchy. Jared put a little bit back in the oven for much longer, and it did soften up. We are currently working on getting the oven back to the right temperature and at least have an oven thermometer to see what temperature the oven actually is.

I admit that eating the vegetables more soft will make a difference.

There are two major notes about this recipe. 1) This recipe makes a lot of food. 2) We would have liked to add some more spices to it to give it more of a kick.

Additionally, I ran out of tomatoes and onions before I did the squash and zucchini in the layering of the ingredients. You might want 2 onions and 3 large tomatoes.

This recipe is credited to Herman Snyder.

3 yellow squash
3 zucchini squash
1 med. onion
2 medium to large tomatoes
2 c. shredded Mexican 4 cheese
2 T. olive oil
3 T. butter
salt & pepper to taste

Slice first 4 ingredients and layer as follows in a 2 1/2 in. deep buttered casserole dish (2 qt.): yellow & zucchini squash, tomatoes (salt & pepper), onions. Dot with butter; repeat layers. Drizzle with olive oil; top with cheese, bake (350 degrees) covered with tin foil for 30-35 min.; uncover and bake for an additional 20 min. Serves 6-8. Note: This is best during summer months.

Bittersweet: A Book and a Season

I went to my favorite library branch that is part historical museum and converted old schoolhouse earlier this summer and instantly was drawn to this book. Maybe it was the piece of chocolate pictured on the cover or the title or the author that I knew through Donald Miller (author of Blue Like Jazz, Scary Close, etc.) because I am pretty sure they are friends. I have seen videos of her speaking, one way or another.

I walked around trying to find another book. Looking at the title, maybe that is not what I needed to be reading because that is what I was feeling and have been feeling for months.

I walked around the whole adult section and some of the young adult fiction section and got no where.

This book came home with me.

It had short chapters, was an easy read, and the author was so open and honest in her storytelling.

But I felt this book on a spiritual level almost.

If I had one word to describe the past few years, I would probably say bittersweet.

Really big and exciting things have happened. However, some devastating things that keep me up at night have happened too.

They say the cost of your new life is your old one. And I feel that because everything changed all at once for me this summer, and it was a lot at one time. I was experiencing most of the major life transitions that I talked about in the sociology classes I taught - and all at once.

Another good word to describe this season would just be overwhelmed and almost paralyzed with the indecision of not knowing where to even begin.

I remember feeling this way before. I felt so unsteady when I started being a house director. A lot was changing then. All those changes all at once were a bit much. I look back at it as being such a great decision and the best time in my life, but I did not know that then. I did not know how it would turn out. It could have been my "jumping the shark" moment.

I have tried reminding myself of that time and how it all worked out. But the reality is that nothing in life is certain.

I am a planner and not knowing the next step bothers me to my core.

On top of all the changes, there has been tremendous loss of people and of one pet (and you know how I am about my dogs if you are reading this most likely). I would not say they haunt me in my dreams, but we do meet up in my dreamworld and those dreams are just as puzzling and foggy as the grief.

Even things that should be happy, like getting to have Shrimp back with me, are clouded by the loss of what I lost. I have called Shrimp the wrong name multiple times since I have gotten him back.

Because I lived so far away, it was easy to push things that were going on at the home front away. Since I did not go home much, I still expect those that I lost to still be here because they were always here when I visited.  I still have to chase the thought away that I will run into them at important events, and even as recent as last weekend, I still thought about seeing someone at a party that we recently lost.

It is possible to be happy but still feel the grief of what is lost and not happening in that moment. My wedding was a happy day, but it was a hard day in the sense that I very rawly felt the loss of a few key people that were not there. When you lose someone, dreams of what might have been and future experiences together die too.

And sometimes you lose someone before they actually pass, but that is another subject for another day. I will be writing about that, too, so stay tuned.

And it is not that you are not happy. It is just that you are feeling a loss too.

It is all so bittersweet.

The book described how you can be both happy and sad in the same moment.

One major part it touched on was being happy for others when they are getting what you want - so hard. I've been there, though, so many times. It is all in being a good friend.

Another major thing I got from the book is the concept of a home team. Not everybody is on your home team. You cannot be everything to everybody, even though I really want to. And just because you think someone is on your home team does not mean they would put you on theirs. It just gets you thinking about who you invest in and who invests in you.

Sometimes life is not all good or all bad at a time. Sometimes it is just bittersweet.

If you are feeling some of the same things I wrote about or just are looking for a new read, check out Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist. Also, here is the author speaking about the book.

So here's to weathering all the changes in your life well and with grace.

Frontier Food Fun: Creamed Carrots (Little House on the Prairie Style)

I loved reading the Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder when I was a child. I actually kind of want to re-read them as an adult. And I still want to visit her houses one day.

I saw this cookbook while Christmas shopping last year. I ended up getting it for myself because it has a lot of background information and reads like a fun book. It is also illustrated. I wanted to cook like I was living on the frontier, even though I did not have the same cooking set up as Laura and her family.

Unfortunately, there are not a lot of items we can eat at the moment, but the vegetables were pretty safe. I have heard of creamed corn but not creamed carrots, so this recipe was intriguing.

There are some other recipes I want to try, especially around the holidays. I plan on making pickles for all the mason jars I have at the house soon, and this book has a recipe for some. There is also one for succotash, which always reminds me of my grandmother.

There are snippets from the books that mention the recipe that you are about to make.

Almanzo ate four large helpings of apples 'n'onions fried together. He ate roast beef and brown gravy, and mashed potatoes and creamed carrots and boiled turnips, and countless slices of buttered bread with crab-apple jelly.
-Farmer Boy

Note: this recipe says it is 6 servings, but the serving sizes must be huge. We had creamed carrots for days and days.  The dogs almost had some creamed carrots, but we managed to finish them in time.

carrots, 3 pounds, without tops
chicken or veal broth (or water), 1 cup
butter, 2 tablespoons, soft
flour, 2 tablespoons
heavy or sour cream, 1/4 cup
salt and freshly ground pepper
saucepan, 2 quart; small bowl

Scrub carrots with a stiff brush and slice them into the saucepan, cutting disks about 1/8 inch thick. Add broth (or water), cover, and simmer until a fork will puncture a slice (about 15 minutes). Meanwhile in a small bowl, blend butter and flour with a fork. Gradually work in cream to make a thin paste. When carrots are tender,  remove pan from heat and stir in paste: blend well with a wooden spoon, but be careful not to bruise the carrots. Return to heat just until the cream bubbles. Turn into a serving dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

A Call for a Return to Civility

I've seen an alarming trend on social media and just in society lately. People seemed to have forgotten how to treat each other later. It is as if those fundamental social skills that were developed and practiced in kindergarten have been forgotten.

Some people just want to get on social media to argue. I would like to believe that social media is a place you can share pictures of what is going on in your life without people tearing you down at every turn, but this is simply not the case.

I have severely limited what I share because I do not want to open it up for argument. I really do not enjoy arguing. This the exact reason I did not go to law school. And I took the LSAT and came close to enrolling. But I digress.

I guess some people just like arguing and trying to bring other people down. Count me out.

Life is hard. Why do we have to make it even harder with all this negativity?

I have never seen one person's opinion ever changed from a Facebook post or argument. It really is a waste of time.

And how about instead of just sharing memes, you get out and volunteer for the causes about which you care? That's where the real change happens. It is not on social media. Your likes on your posts do not elicit real social change.

Here's something else that we have seemed to have forgotten. Yeah, there are in and out groups. The groups you are part of (or identify with) are your in groups and the "others" are your out groups. BUT those out groups are not the devil.

Acting like people that disagree with you are abhorrent is just polarizing the country.

Do we, as a country, need to do this class activity to realize we share common ground?

As a society, it seems like we demonize the others. Just because someone is different, does not make that person bad.

Just because someone votes for a candidate does not mean they agree with everything that politician does or believes. They simply cast a vote. They exercised a fundamental American right. It was their choice in that moment, and that does not mean that person 100% supports that candidate every day. Just because someone votes for a person you view as "bad" does not make that person "bad." You are simply putting that person in one of your out groups and distancing yourself.

It is okay to be different. In fact, you can still be friends with people that are different from yourself.

My best friend and I are quite different.

We do not vote the same.
We have different religious views.
She's on the taller end of the spectrum for women. I am on the lower end.
She is much more tan than me.
She is from the north. I am from the Deep South.
She has been married, and I, until very recently, have not.
She has two kids. I am child free at the moment.
She lives in the most affluent county in her state. I have lived in two of the poorest states of the country.

We are just different. We have had different life experiences. We have polar opposite views.

Yet, we have been best friends for over a decade.

You know why?

We practice civility. At the core of it all, despite our differences, we care about each other.

We celebrate each other's successes. We want each other to thrive.

Do I begrudge the fact that she volunteers on political campaigns that are opposite from how I vote? No. I am happy that she practices her American rights and is civically active. And vice versa.

Does she throw a fit when I work on campaigns for the opposite party? No. She asks me questions about my day. We plan our next trip to see each other.

It can happen. I have proof of it in my life.

Where has all the civility gone in American society?

Can we bring it back, please?

Atomic Bunny Drops (jalapeno poppers)

This is a recipe from the church recipe book I mentioned in yesterday's post.

We love jalapeno poppers around here and have them pretty often. (Just be careful with deseeding them because I had an unfortunate event one time with them and found out a sugar scrub is the only way to stop my hands from burning tremendously.) We keep gloves in the kitchen just for this purpose. We also have a baby fork that works nicely to get the seeds and membranes out.

When I mentioned this recipe earlier, Jared was like, "Keep those pineapples out of mine."

Several days passed and I wanted to see what he would say when I actually made them. The pineapples were the most intriguing part of this recipe. (I am also one of those people that like pineapple and Canadian bacon pizza.)

I left the pineapples in, and he thought they were fine.

Try this for a new twist on a jalapeno popper. The two adjustments we would make on this is use a full slice of bacon instead of the 1/2. Also, try to throw some seasoning in that cream cheese before you stuff the peppers.

They were delightful, though.

Oh, I put these in the oven since we do not currently have a grill.

This recipe is credited to Jerry Spann.

jalapenos
softened cream cheese
pineapple chunks
bacon

Slit jalapenos in half & clean out seeds & membranes. Take care not to touch eyes or any sensitive part without first thoroughly washing hands. Fill each half with cream cheese & add a chunk of pineapple. Put the two halves of the jalapeno back together & wrap with a half slice of bacon. Secure the bacon to the jalapeno with a toothpick. Run the toothpick through the pineapple also. Cook on grill until the bacon is done. Be prepared with a water squirt for flame ups. Cooking up depends on the size of your jalapenos but usually 15 to 30 minutes.

Low Carb Chronicles: Key Lime Shrimp

I got a church cookbook for a wedding present, which is one of the best wedding gifts by the way because church ladies really know how to cook some good stuff.

This recipe is credited to Louisa Huebel.

I like key lime pie and shrimp so I was interested to see how this one would turn out.

It tasted a lot like Italian dressing, so if you like that flavor, do try this one. It did not taste like a key lime pie to me, but I might have had the wrong impression going into this one.

It is a super easy recipe. We obviously skipped the roll suggestion at the end.

5 lb raw unpeeled shrimp
1 16 oz. bottle of Italian dressing
juice and pulp of 4 limes
pepper to taste
butter to taste

Preheat oven to 450. Remove heads from shrimp (or buy some without the heads already). Place shrimp in a large baking dish. Pour dressing and lime juice over shrimp. Dot with butter and pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool and serve. Everyone peels their own. Serve with garlic bread or hard rolls for "dunking." 

Low Carb Chronicles: Italian Style Meat Patties

This was another estate sale recipe. I have been missing spaghetti, and this was pretty much spaghetti minus the noodles. Zoodles would have been a great addition. I also wished I had garlic bread with it, which is something we are not eating right now.

This can be low carb if you are careful with the spaghetti sauce. Pay attention to the sugar content.

It was more tangy than I usually have my spaghetti but still good.

It is super easy.

Making the patties reminded me of making them with my grandmother in her kitchen listening to music from the 50s. It made my heart happy. This was the most labor intensive part of the whole process.

Without further ado, here is the recipe.

1 lb. ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon oregano
1 (15 oz.) can Chef Boy-Ar-Dee spaghetti sauce with meat (Note: I did not actually find this in the store. Do your best with whatever spaghetti sauce you want to use.)
1 tablespoon shortening

Mix together first five ingredients. Stir in 2 tablespoons of spaghetti sauce. Mix well. Shape into 4 patties. Melt shortening. Brown meat. Pour off excess fat. Add remaining spaghetti sauce. Cover; cook gently 15 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

Low Carb Chronicles: Herbed Chicken

This was an estate sale recipe.

I had all the ingredients, so it was quick to prepare.

It says it is from the kitchen of Lois E. Williams.

I had a hard time spreading the herb mix over the chicken because it clumped.

The recipe says to cook 25 to 30 minutes or until cooked, but it takes a lot longer to cook in our oven - at least an hour.

Despite the coloring on this picture, the chicken was all cooked, browned actually.  The lighting was just poor in the room.

It had good flavor.

Here's the recipe.

4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

3 tbsp margarine (melted)

1 tbsp onion, grated

1 clove garlic (pressed)

1 tsp dried whole thyme

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried whole rosemary

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp rubbed sage

1/8 tsp dried whole marjoram

1. Rinse chicken with warm water.

2. Mix remaining ingredients together.

3. Coat chicken with mixture and place on shallow baking pan.

4. Bake at 375 for 25 to 30 minutes or until done.

Spinach Balls

This was another estate sale recipe. Although it did have dressing mix in it, it was not excessively carbohydrates-laden, so I tried it.

It says it makes 50-60 balls. I think I made about 50.

This one says it is from the recipe file of Sara Hathcock, but it also says Faith Baptist Church in parenthesis.

This would make a nice party dish, and it is a vegetarian option.

I did think it would have been nice to have crumbled sausage mixed up in these balls, too.

I did wish it had more of a kick, but I usually always want more spice in any food I eat.

Here's the recipe:

2 (10 oz.) pkgs frozen chopped spinach
1 small onion, chopped fine
3/4 c. oleo
1 tbsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 c. herb-seasoned dressing mix
4 eggs, beaten
1 tsp thyme, optional
1 small pkg almonds, chopped - optional

Cook spinach according to directions on package. Drain. Set aside.

Melt margarine, sauté onion, remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients and spinach. Mix well.

Refrigerate about 1 hour or until mixture is still enough to roll into balls. Use about 1 tablespoon for each ball. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 325.

Freeze leftovers. Balls can be frozen before cooking. Freeze on cookie sheet then store in bags until ready for use.

Low Carb Chronicles: 7 Layer Salad

This is another recipe from the estate sale recipe box. I really want to land another one sometime.

I was iffy about this one too, but could it be worse than the cucumber salad? I knew if it was bad, there were some parts of it I could eat.

The mayonnaise was the questionable part. And I was not sure how the peas would taste.

This recipe was surprisingly good!

I actually have a name on this recipe. The card says it is a recipe from the kitchen of Beatrice Uselton.

It says it serves 10-12, and I believe it. We ate it for a while.

The recipe says to put it in a 9 X 13 pan, but I used a big bowl, which worked out fine.

1/2 head lettuce, shredded
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 small green peppers, finely chopped
1 10 oz. package frozen peas (uncooked)
1 pint Hellman's mayonnaise
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 12 oz. package bacon, cooked and crumbled

Put in layers in order above starting with lettuce on the bottom. Do not mix! Cover with Saran Wrap and refrigerate 24 hours.

Serves directly from 9 X 13 pan.

Pineapple Sweet & Sour Chicken

This is another one of the mystery recipe box finds. There were very few things we could actually eat with all the carbs in everything. This is not necessarily super low carb with the sugar in the sweet and sour sauce and pineapples. It also calls for 2 cups of cooked rice. I skipped that.

It was a little soupy without the rice but still pretty good. Cauliflower rice would have been perfect if we had it at that moment.

1 can (20 oz.) pineapple chunks
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium green or red bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 medium onion, cut into chunks
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup sweet and sour sauce (I realized that the bottles often have net weight, which includes the bottle weight. Be careful with that in looking for your size of sauce. Also, Wal-Mart had a disappointing amount of choices for this, and I specifically went to a larger grocery store for this item.)
2 tbsp less sodium soy sauce - (We actually had this in the fridge because we like Chinese food A LOT.)

Drain pineapple; reserve 2 tbsp juice.
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add peppers, onions and mushrooms; cook until vegetables are tender crisp. Remove vegetables from skillet; set aside.
Cook chicken in same skillet until chicken is browned and cooked through. Add vegetables back to skillet with sweet and sour sauce, soy sauce, pineapple chunks, and reserved juice. Heat through.

Serves 6

GIVEAWAY Time: Mother's Milk Tea

I am a certified doula (birth assistant), and sometimes I get samples to share with new and expectant mothers through a sampling program. 

Right now I have two BAGS of Mother's Milk Tea and raspberry leaf tea and two BOOKLETS of $1 off on the purchase of any Mother's Milk Tea coupons.

They are free if you want them. (Note: local mothers only - I cannot ship them.)

Mississippi folks: I am going home a few times in August if you want to meet up and get some.

Let me know. Yay free stuff!

The Worst Recipe/Food Challenge/Can You Finish This?/Cucumber Salad

I told you in the last post how we got recipes from an estate sale in the last post. Well, this recipe was so odd, it was almost calling out to me to try it.

I am pretty sure a lot of these recipes were in the 60s, and they liked Jello. There is even a meat Jello recipe I saw. Anyway, this was listed under "salads" in the recipe box.

This was so weird that I knew it either was super gross or surprisingly good.

The first time I made it, I made a mistake. I mentioned how the recipes sometimes listed odd things. This one said "salad dressing." I searched on the internet to see what a recipe meant when it said this and only got recipes to make salad dressings. I poked around the supermarket to see if there was something I was missing on the spice aisle. I got nowhere.

So I thought, "What goes well with cucumbers? Ranch dressing."

I made the recipe with ranch dressing, and I told Jared that the dog (Buddy) might end up finishing the bowl.

Well, the dog liked it.

I could not let it go. Jared said that they probably meant Miracle Whip in the recipe. I tried it again this way. It was improved, but still the only good part was the lime jello and cottage cheese. And who needs lime flavored cottage cheese?

My nephews and niece all ate a spoonful of it, and I was proud of them for trying it.

I hate wasting food, but after Buddy had a throwing up incident recently I could not risk him throwing up green jello.

So the wildlife in the backyard finished it off.

But I am wondering - is there anyone out there in my readership that can finish this? Please let me know if you try it out and can manage to finish it.

Here's the recipe.

Cucumber Salad

1 pkg. lime jello dissolved in 1 c. hot water (I used the small package. I'd suggest the bigger one.)
Refrigerate until it starts to thicken.
Add 1 cup chopped cucumber.
3/4 c. salad dressing
1/4 c. chopped onions
12 oz. or 1# carton cottage cheese

Mix well and refrigerate.

Low Carb Chronicles: No Name Note Meal

You may or may not know that Jared and I like estate sales. We have gotten some pretty cool stuff. Sometimes you have to get random things included in a lot to get one item you want, but it is fun. Our favorite find so far is a china cabinet we got for less than $30.

Anyway, so one day Jared got this small metal green box of recipes in buying something he actually wanted. These recipes looked pretty old. They used terminology like Oleo, for example. I felt like I was eating in the 60s; I like history and this was the best time travel because you do not have to worry about breaking down and getting stuck there, which would be my biggest fear with time travel.

I wonder a lot about these people whose stuff we buy from estate sales. It is kind of sad to see pieces of people's life up for sale to the highest bidder. Sometimes you can figure out things from people just from clues of what they have - hobbies, occupation, where they are from, what they love, etc. I wonder what my stuff would say about me if it was all up for sale.

Anyway, this first recipe from this little green box is from a note.

This person, whom I imagine was a wonderful grandmother and a great cook, got a note from a friend about a new meal she tried the other night. The note is not signed or addressed, so I have no idea who these people's names were. The note writer did state that the husband probably would not like the meal. 😂

I tried this recipe that had no name from a note. It all seemed so exciting and mysterious. It was also pretty good. I would definitely cook it again. My  nephew really liked it, and we did not have much left over.

It did brown more than I wanted it to, but Jared got home late that night and I was just trying to keep it warm in the oven.

This is a recipe you could really spice up - add onions, more vegetables, toppings, etc.

Take a small pack of hamburger meat (I did a pound.), a can of tomato soup, and a can of whole kernel corn and mix it all up. Put it in a casserole dish, sprinkle with cheese (I used a Mexican cheese mix and just put it all over the top until it fully covered all the meat.), and bake in the oven for 40 minutes at 375, and it is good. Don't drown the meat, let it cook with the rest in the oven.

^ Besides the parentheses notes from me, this is the actual recipe.

Let me know what you think when you try it!

Also, what would you call it? I called it taco casserole in my head when meal planning.

Low Carb Chronicles: Keto Meatballs

This tastes like spaghetti without the noodles. It was a little tangy for me because I grew up adding sugar to spaghetti sauce, which I did not do this time.

It was simple to make, and I would make it again. I would probably make some zucchini noodles to go with it next time, especially since we got this vegetable attachment for our KitchenAid mixer. (Thanks for the mixer, Kimber!)

Check out the recipe here. (We are getting closer and closer to the point when I stopped using internet recipes and went to paper ones. Recipes will be typed out in the blog starting tomorrow!)