Keto Pancake Recipe and Why You Need Them

       

                         Today we are going to have a little chat about pancakes. That's right,

those light and fluffy golden brown stacks of goodness. They just seem to melt in your 

mouth. Oh, and breakfast is the perfect time to have them. They tend to wake you up

as you take that first bite of pancake. Let's not stop at breakfast, though, you could

have them for lunch or even dinner.

                         Then, we get to the toppings. You could put almost anything on them.

You could put butter and syrup, but why stop there? Drizzle some sugar-free

chocolate sauce on them or some homemade sugar-free blueberry syrup. Dust some

cinnamon and add some honey if you aren't sugar-free. The ideas are endless.

                        By now you're probably thinking that I am totally obsessed with

pancakes. You would be right. I love anything sweet. Since I went on a low carb no

sugar diet I've been missing all of the wonderful foods that I used to have. That's why

I've decided to start developing my own Ketogenic or low carb recipes. Pancakes

were my first choice since my whole family loves them, but think most keto

pancakes are too "eggy" for my husband and I. My goal is to get these foods as close

to the original as I can without compromising and adding not so good for you foods.

Printable Recipe

Servings:8     Prep time: 5 min.   Cook time: 30 min.

Caleries per serving: 118 Total Fat: 10.6g Total Carbs: 3.7g total sugar: 2.2g Protein:3.4g

Here is the recipe. I hope you enjoy it. Leave a comment down below and let me 

know what you think.

Ingredients:

1 cup almond flour

4 oz. cream cheese

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1tsp baking powder

1 Tbs Swerve confectioner's style sweetener

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Pinch of sea salt

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in a blender and mix until well blended.

2. Pour a silver dollar amount into a well-greased pan and cook on medium heat for 

about 1 minute on each side or until golden brown.

note: These pancakes are a bit tricky to flip, so take your time.

3. Top with your favorite pancake topping and enjoy.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been enjoyed sharing it with you all. What 

topping are you going to add to them?

Sugar Free Chocolate Truffles Dusted Two Ways

                                     Oh, my goodness; have I got a treat for you today. They are

velvety smooth and healthy. You're probably thinking, "But how can chocolate truffles

be healthy, Amanda?" Let me tell you; I'm still trying to wrap my brain around that

one myself. They are so good that it's hard to believe they're healthy.


                                    These are more traditional than my usual truffle recipe. The

ganache is the same, but instead of the hard candy coating they are rolled in cocoa

powder or cinnamon. They're made to look like the truffles that grow in the wild.

These are also sugar-free. Since I've started my low carb/ sugar-free journey I've 

missed baking and developing recipes. Even though the recipes will be a little 

different I'll try to give you some options that you can swap ingredients for.

With these lovely truffles, you can swap out the sugar-free chocolate chips for semi 

sweet or milk chocolate if you're going for something really yummy.  If you like 

something that is not as rich my white chocolate lime truffles is a big hit. Alright, 

on to this wonderful recipe.

Printable Recipe

from start to finish: 1 hour and 30 minutes 

Serves about: 12

Ingredients:

1 9 oz bag of sugar-free chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 Tbs cocoa powder

1 Tbs cinnamon

The How to:

1.  Combine chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream in a microwave-safe bowl. 

Microwave at 30-second intervals, until smooth, stirring after each.

2. Refrigerate for one hour or until firm.

3. Roll into balls about the size of a walnut and roll in either cocoa powder or 

cinnamon and place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.

Store in an airtight container for about a week.

Summertime Treats: Root Beer Float Truffles

   
   Root Beer floats are my husband and daughter's most favorite summer dessert. It's like as soon as

summer gets here they are obsessed with it. Now, me? I like them every once in a while, but I have

to be in the mood for it. My all time favorite treat is chocolate. We'll save that topic for another time,

though.

    I love this recipe because it tastes like ice cream and it practically melts in you mouth. They're

summer bbq's in a truffle, a pool party in a ball, a picnic in a.... Well you get the idea. Alright, you

talked me into it. I'll stop building it up and give you the recipe. What's your favorite summer

dessert? Let me know in the comments below.

Make time: 1 hour

Wait Time: 1 hour

Make about 15-20 truffles (depending on size)

Ingredients: 

1 bag white chocolate chips (11 oz.)

1 bag white candy melts

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Root Beer candy flavoring

Instructions:

1. Pour white chocolate chips into a heat proof bowl.

2. Warm heavy whipping cream to simmer and pour over white chocolate. Stir until smooth.

3. Add 40 to 50 drops of the root beer flavoring, stirring well. Taste after each addition to make sure 

you have the flavor that's right for you. (mine were lighter in flavor.) You can also add more if you 

like, but be careful, too much flavoring will make the truffles too strong.

4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 min. or until firm.

5. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Roll mixture into balls and place them on the cookie sheet.

6. Place truffles into the freezer for 30 min. Be sure that you don't put them into the deep freezer, The 

extreme cold will make your candy melts crack.

7. Melt the candy melts in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave in 30 second intervals. Stirring 

after each, until smooth.

8. Dip truffles in candy melts and place back onto cookie sheet. Let candy melts set.

9. Place truffles in an air tight container and place in the fridge. Keep refrigerated. Their good for 

about a week. Enjoy!

Dairy Free Blueberry Coconut Smoothie

                                  There is nothing more refreshing in the Spring or Summer than a smoothie.

They are cold and delicious, a lot like a slushy but so much healthier. Smoothies are so easy to make

and so fast to whip up. This Blueberry Coconut Smoothie is not only healthy but decadent and dairy

free. What makes it dairy free you ask? There is no yogurt or animal milk in it. It's made with

almond milk. So, lets get to the recipe and see what makes this smoothie so special.

                              Prep and Blend time: about 5 minutes

                              Servings: 1


                               Ingredients:

                       1 cup frozen blueberries

                       1 1/4 cups almond milk

                       1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

                       1/2 Tb cacao nibs ( the decadent part)

                       1 lemon wedge

                       1 cup ice

                       honey to sweeten (optional)



                            Instructions:

                      1. Add ice, blueberries, coconut, cacao nibs and almond milk into a blender.

                      2. Squeeze juice of 1 lemon wedge into the blander and add honey to sweeten.

                      3. Blend until smooth. To make your smoothie less thick add more almond milk.

                      4. Pour into a fun smoothie glass, add a straw and go to town! Enjoy.


          Now, I want to hear from you. What is your favorite ingredient to put into a smoothie? What

smoothie recipe would you like to see next?  Let me know in the comments below.




                             

                             

Summertime Treats: Orange Creamsicle Truffles

                             Summer is around the corner. I mean, literally, it's next month. How did the school

year go by so fast? Soon backyard BBQ's and cool treats will be in full swing. Are ready for the

onslaught of pool parties and picnics? I don't know about you, but I am always on the hunt for a new

sweet treat during the summer months. Ice cream flavored treat and just ice cream in general seem to

be the most popular choices.

                             Growing up orange creamsicles were one of my favorite treats. the orange outer

shell mixed with the creamy vanilla center. I kinda want one right now. I wanted these truffles to

remind me of those yummy treats and they do! Even my daughter was excited to try them. And if

you like them you will probably like my Blueberries and Cream Truffles too. Okay, here is the

recipe. I hope you like it. Wait! I have a question for you. What's your favorite summer time treat?

Tell me in the comments below.

Ingredients:

1. package of orange candy melts, about 11 oz.

2. 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

3. 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

4. orange candy flavor

Instructions:

1. Heat heavy whipping cream in a small sauce pan until simmering.

2. Pour whipping cream over candy melts in a heat safe bowl and stir until completely melted.

3. Cover bowl and place in the refrigerator for about an hour, or until the mixture is set.

4. Roll mixture into balls and place them on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Freeze until set. About 30 minutes.

5. Melt white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl or mug and microwave in 10 second intervals until smooth.

6. Drizzle white chocolate onto the truffles and place them back into the freezer until set.

Store them in an air tight container in the fridge for about a week. Makes about 20 pieces. Enjoy!

Strawberry Hearts

                        Valentine's Day will be here before we know it. It's the holiday of love, expressing

your feelings to the ones you love and your appreciation of your friends. To me Valentine's Day is not
just for couples. It's for families and friends. To show the ones you love and care for how much you

really do care for them. We give each other flowers, cards, and chocolate. I have something a little

different to share with you today. It's close to chocolate but not technically chocolate. But first story

time.


                        When I was a kid I remember my parents including us kids in a little Valentine's fun.

Besides getting the usual thin cardboard cards with funny sayings and silly characters we would also

get a small gift. I got a few little things, nothing that cost too much, things like pencils and candy.

The one thing that stands out the most and I will probably never forget is a special heart shaped

lollipop that we seemed to get almost every year. To anyone it was just a cherry flavored lollipop

with Minnie Mouse on the wrapper, but to me it was the best lollipop ever. For two reasons; First, I

only got it for Valentine's Day. That made it special in itself. Second, it was a gift from my parents;

the people whom I looked up to the most and I still do. What's your favorite Valentine's Day memory

as a  child?


                     These hearts are yummy and bring back childhood memories. Although they are not

cherry strawberry is the next best thing.



Ingredients:                                                         Makes about 30 candies

1 bag of red candy melts. or white chocolate that you would dye red

sprinkles of course

strawberry candy flavoring

heart candy molds




Directions:

1. Melt candy melts at 30 second intervals, stirring after each until smooth.

2. Add sprinkle the the bottom of each heart mold.

3. Add 10 drops of candy flavoring. Stir well.

4. Put mixture into candy molds tap molds to release air bubbles. This will make the candy smooth

and pretty. And place in the fridge for 30 minutes or until set.

5. To remove the candy just turn the mold upside down and the candy should fall right out. If they

seem to be a little stuck just give the mold a tap or two on the counter and they should pop out.

Enjoy!

Simple Nachos with Grilled Chicken

                                                   

                          I know I said I was only going to post once a week, but I just had to share this with

you. This is how we make our nachos. Now, I know the ones in the picture look a little plain. That's

just how I like mine. You can always add other things and we will get into that on the actual recipe.

First, the story than the recipe.


                         It was game day and. of course, we had to have nachos. What's football without junk

food, fight? Originally, my husband was the first to arrange this wonderful mountain of gooeyness.

He seasoned and grilled the chicken. He also talked me into adding beans. Since then I have taken

over the duties of nacho making. Yes, I realize that bean is usually on nachos, but I never cared for

them until my dear hubby talked me into giving them another try. Now, I can't go without them.


                       The game itself wasn't very exciting to me. I guess I was still a little bitter after my

the team lost horribly that last playoff game. Can you guess which team? I'll give you a hint: Green and

yellow is their colors. That's right. The Green Bay Packers! They were so close and it seemed like

they just gave up that last game. Oh well, there's always next year.


                      This recipe is super simple and very yummy. The kids will love it just as much as the

grown-ups.



Ingredients;

3 Chicken breasts

1 jar of Queso

1 30 oz. can of refried beans

1 can of sliced olives

1 bag of Tortilla chips

sour cream, guacamole, salsa etc. (optional)

garlic salt


Directions:

1. Season both sides of chicken with garlic salt. Cook on grill pan or grill until done.

2. Place chicken on cutting board to cool.

3. Warm refried beans in a medium saucepan until hot. Warm up queso.

4. Cut chicken into cubes and assemble your nachos.

Add any other toppings you would like. Smoked paprika would a nice addition. Enjoy! Serves 4

Not Your Ordinary Cupcake Cupcakes

 

             Who doesn't love a good cupcake? They make great gifts and they're yummy. And perfect for Valentine's Day. There is a slight twist to these cupcakes. There is no frosting.

              Let's get into the recipe, shall we?

       Ingredients:

  1 box cake mix and the ingredients from the the box instructions.

   1 bag of white chocolate chips

    Raspberry jam

    and some really cute Valentine's sprinkles!


          Directions:

       1. Mix cake mix according to the directions on the box.

        2. Bake and cool cupcakes completely.

         3. Fill piping bag with James and fill cupcakes.

          4. Melt white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second intervals stirring after each until smooth.

           5. Spread white chocolate on top of cupcakes as you would frosting.

           6. Immediately decorate with those cute sprinkles. And Enjoy.

Crock Pot Pot Roast

                My family and I love pot roast. It's the perfect meal for a cold stormy day. And that's exactly what we had this week a cold, windy, wet week. You see, there were a series of storms that swept our way and nothing would make us feel better except comfort food. We are on our way out of a drought and the storms have passed, this cluster anyway. Tonight we were still in the comfort food mood and there was an extra roast in the fridge. The only thing I could think of to make was a pot roast. Here's the recipe. Like all my recipes this one is super easy and inspired by other recipes.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion

3 carrots

1 chuck roast, about 3 lbs

3 red potatoes

1/2 tsp garlic powder

seasoned salt

pepper

1 tsp Italian seasoning

2 cups beef broth

2 cups of vegetable broth

Directions:

1. Pour beef broth and vegetable broth into crock pot.

2. Place roast in the crockpot. Season with season salt and pepper.

3. Cut veggies into chunks and add them to crock pot.

4. Add Italian seasoning and garlic powder.

5. Cook on low for 8 hours. Enjoy!

Serves 3 to 4 people

Chocolate Pumpkin Pie Popcorn

So, I've been wanting to make this for a while. The spice blend that I used to make this is called Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Blend by Wildtree. Wildtree is a healthy and non GMO spice and mix direct sales company. Now, this is in no way a review and I'm not affiliated with the company. I just love the products and wanted to share this with you. Let's get to the recipe and at the end I'll let you know how you can get these yummy products.

Ingredients:

1 bag of microwave kettle corn

1 regular sized bag of white chocolate chips

1Tbsp Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Blend

Instructions:

1. Microwave the popcorn and add to a large bowl.

2. Melt white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl until smooth.

3. Add spice blend to white chocolate chips until mixed.

4. Mix popcorn and white chocolate together until coated. Spread the mixer on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper until set.  Keep in an air tight container on the counter.  Will last about a week. Enjoy!

To get this yummy pumpkin blend go to Wildtree Spices with Gena on Facebook.  Gena is an Independent Consultant with Wildtree.

Chocolate Coconut Cups

Another sweet recipe for another beautiful day. This one is made of one of my favorite flavor combinations. I'm not going to talk very much this time. Lets get right to the recipe today.

Ingredients:

18 oz. pink candy coating

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup full fat coconut milk ( the canned kind)

Sprinkles

Directions:

1. Pour 1/3 of the candy coating into a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until smooth.

2. Put candy coating into mini cupcake liners just covering the bottom. Let harden.

3. Add chocolate chips into a heat safe bowl.

4. Heat coconut milk until simmer and add it to the chocolate chips.  Stir until smooth.

5. Add shredded coconut to the chocolate mixture.  Mix well.

6. Cover and chill just until it's cool enough not to melt the candy coating.

7.  Add chocolate mixture on top of the coating.  Make sure to leave enough room for another layer of candy coating.

8. Let set for about 30-45 minutes.

9. Melt the rest of the candy coating and top the cups. Add sprinkles and let set.

Makes 30 cups. Refrigerate in and air tight container.  Enjoy!

Iced Black Tea with Hibiscus

It's probably way too late for a new post for the day but I just had  to post a new recipe tonight.

Lately, I've been stressing out because I haven't posted in a while. I just didnt know what my next post was going to be about. Thanks to this miserable heat I have been inspired to give you a super easy recipe for iced tea.

If you love the tartness of the hibiscus flower then you are going to love this tea. If not don't worry I have added some sweetness to tone it down a bit.

So, lets get to it.

The Recipe:

10oz. Hot water

1 black tea bag

1 hibiscus tea bag

Ice

1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract

Raw sugar to taste

Directions:

1. In 10 oz. of hot water steep the black tea and the hibiscus tea for 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Pour tea into a glass filled with ice.

3. Add 1/2 tsp vanilla

4. Add raw sugar to taste.  Stir well. Also add more ice if need.

And there you have it, a nice refreshing glass of iced black tea with hibiscus.  Enjoy!

Blueberries and Cream Truffles

The truffles a finally ready! And they are so good. If you like blueberries and cream you will love these truffles. They are made with white chocolate and dried wild blueberries,  yum.

I know it has been a while since I've made a truffle recipe. I'm trying to find that balance between the recipes and the other things I post.

Before I get to the recipe I want to thank you all for being patient with me. It would have been up yesterday but I had to take the little one to a doctor appointment.

Alright here we go.

Blueberries and cream truffles

Ingredients:

12 oz. white chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup dried blueberries

2 pkgs white candy coating

Instructions:

1. Place the white chocolate chips in a medium heat safe bowl.

2. Heat whipping cream over medium heat until just boiling.

3. Pour whipping cream over white chocolate chips. Let stand for 30 seconds. Stir until melted.

4. Stir in blueberries and mix well.

5. Place mixture in the fridge for 1 hour or until firm.

6. Scoop spoonfuls of mixture and shape into balls. Place them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.

7. Place cookie sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes. 

8. Melt white candy coating in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds until melted. Stirring after each time.

9. Dip truffles in the candy coating and place back on cookie sheet.  Place in the fridge until it sets.

10. Keep in an air tight container in the fridge.  Should make about 20. Enjoy!

Candy Bark

      So, while I was trying to get this post done yesterday I ended up running out of sun light while taking the pictures and had to finish up today. That's why the post is a little late today. Here it is; the candy bark that I told you about last week. I hope you enjoy it. The recipe is super easy and it makes a great Holiday gift.

     Ingredients:

       2cups white chocolate chips

       7 assorted mini candy bars

       1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips for drizzling, (optional)

     Directions:

       1. Slice candy bars inro 4 to 5 pieces

       2. Melt the white chocolate chips until smooth

       3. Stir the candy bars into the white chocolate

        4. Pour onto cookie sheet lined with was paper until set, about 30 minuts to an hour.

        5. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Let cool

        6. Break the bark into medium to small small pieces

         Serves about 8. Enjoy! Let me know what you think, or if you have any questions ask away.

Marshmallow Popcorn

Hey everyone!  It's been a little while since I have posted a recipe and I'm very excited about it. I hope you are too. I had some things left over from the party and decided to make something sweet. What better way to use extras, right?

Before we get to the recipe I wanted to tell you all about some things that I'll be doing to make the blog more organized. First, I'm finally going to make a schedule so that you will know when to expect posts on the blog. There will be two posts a week. One will be Wordless Wednesday and the other will either be a recipe or a craft. I also have some things going on on my fb page. I have a tip of the day and an oldie but a goodie, posted on Sundays.

Okay, lets get to the fun part; the recipe.  It's great for baby showers, birthday parties, and even as party favors. Here's the recipe. Let me know what you think.

Marshmallow Popcorn:

Ingredients:

2 single serving size mocrowave kettle corn

2 cups white chocolate chips

2 cups fruit flavored marshmallows

Sprinkles

Instructions:

1. Pop the kettle corn in the microwave according to the package.

2. Pour into a large bowl.

3. Melt the white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl until smooth. 20 second intervals, stirring after each.

4. Add white chocolate and marshmallows to the popcorn and stir until coated.

5. Add sprinkles and stir again. Store in an air tight container

Makes avout 6-8 servings. Keeps for about a week. Enjoy.

Readers You Pick Recipe

For the longest time I've been trying to think of a topic that I can do continuously. I finally came up with an idea that, I hope, everyone will enjoy.

Every three months I'll post a new recipe. However there is a catch. You, my wonderful readers, have to come up with the ingredients.  Now, they have to be ingredients that you would find in desserts. You post one ingredient in the comments of the post about the You Pick for those three months. The first 5 ingredients in the comments will be the ones in the recipe.

This is the first post. So, go ahead and leave a comment of and ingredient you would like to see in this recipe. The recipe will be posted in December and the next You Pick will be in January. Have fun. If you have any questions please let me know. Have a great week.

Brownies with Sprinkles

These brownies were a hit at our July 4th celebration. They a super easy and a great project to do with the kids.

Ingredients:

1. Your favorite brownie recipe or mix

2. 1 package marshmallow candy melts

3. Red and blue colored sugar

Instructions:

1. Make your favorite brownie recipe, I used Nestle's recipe,  and let them cool completely.

2. Melt the candy melts in a microwave in 30 second intervals until smooth.

3. Dip brownies in melts and place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Sprinkle with colored sugar.

4. Let dry and enjoy.

My daughter had so much fun coloring the sugar. Thank you for stopping by. If you try any recipes please let me know what you think, and come back often.

St. Patrick's Day Cookies

                   Hey everyone! Guess what. I have another recipe for you. St. Patrick's Day is coming up and I wanted to do a festive recipe for you. I took the snickerdoodle recipe and made a different kind of cookie. Here is the recipe, I hope you all enjoy it. It's a great recipe to do with your kids.

                Ingredients:

                 Your favorite Snickerdoodle recipe (with out the cinnamon sugar mixture)

                 Green food coloring

                 1 bag white chocolate chips

                 Sprinkles!


            How to:

               1. Make your snickerdoodle recipe. When it is a dough add 5 or six drops of green food coloring. Mix well.

               2. Bake the cookies according to the recipe instructions. Cool completely.

               3. While the cookies are cooling melt white chocolate chips in the microwave at 20 second intervals; stirring after each time until smooth.

              4. Dip cookies in white chocolate and then dip the top part of the cookie in some sprinkles.

               5. Place the cookies on cookie sheets lined with wax paper until set. Enjoy!

              

Single Serving Cinnamon White Hot Chocolate

               It's been a while since I posted a recipe and guess what! I have a recipe for you today. Like all my other recipes it is super simple. It's rich and yummy, a dessert in itself.

             I've been having some issues with keeping up with my posts( hubby doesn't like that I blog). I am trying to post as often as I can and I have tons of recipe ideas. Ok, enough rambling here is the recipe. I hope you all like it. I also wanted to thank you all for sticking with me.

          Ingrediants:

         1 cup milk

         1 Tbl. white chocolate chips

         1/4 tsp. vanilla

         1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon


         Instructions:

        1. Heat milk in a mug in the microwave for 2 minutes.

        2. Add white chocolate chips and stir until melted completly.

        3. Add vanilla and cinnamon. Stir well and enjoy.

Makes a single serving. If you try this recipe or any of my other recipes I would love to hear what you think. This is a very sweet drink and if you want a milder white chocolate flavor you can always add less white chocolate. Have fun and enjoy.

Day 1: Mint Chocolate Drops

                    Hello everyone, I hope all of you are doing well tonight. The orginal plan was to start the 12 Days on the 1st. but I didn't realize how close we were to Dec. 1st and how much work needed to be done. Because of the date had to be pushed back a little later than planned.
                   Today is, finally, the first day of the 12 Days of Handmade. During these days I am going to show you some of my favorite things to make, some recipes, and some new things I am trying. The First Day is a sweet day and new recipe. It is very simple and very yummy. These little bits of yumminess (not sure if this is a real word) will go great in a festive treat bag and then placed in an even more festive coffee mug. Ok, here is the recipe. I hope you all like it and enjoy these 12 Days of Handmade.

                 

            Ingredients:

              12 oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

              Mint Candy Flavoring Oil

              Green or Red Sprinkles


           Instructions:

 1. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. Stir after each time.

 2. Add a few drops of the flavoring at a time stirring after each addition until the flavor is to your liking.

3. Drop by spoonful onto a cookie sheet covered in wax paper.

4. Sprinkle with sprinkles while still wet.

5. Leave on counter until set. Store in a container.

Makes about 24-36