Asiago Muffins

So, after I realized that yoga isn't the devil, and while it is not my favorite way to exercise, it is helping, I decided to try meditation like those doctors suggested (they were right not wrong about yoga).
I down loaded an app on my iPad and went to work.  I sit quietly, with my eyes closed, in a comfortable position, focusing on my breath, acknowledging my thoughts and letting them go without judgement...
Yea, not my thing.
Sometime I have to open my eyes and yell at the iPad, "This is stupid."  Then I close my eyes again and focus on my breath.
So I finished a 7 day intro class and I'm onto a 21 day class and I'm still not loving it.

So there, doctors aren't right about everything.

One thing that is right are these biscuits.  OMG they are packed with flavor and deliciousness.  Dave loved them too.  These come from my new cookbook Craveable Keto, by Kyndra Holley (great book if you're looking for a good keto book).  I've just started working through some of these recipes and so far haven't been disappointed with any of them.
Now these are something I can meditate over.

Asiago Bacon Muffins
adapted from Craveable Keto, Kyndra Holley

4 oz. full fat cream cheese
1 large egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 1/4 cups shredded Asiago cheese, divided
1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup water
6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Lightly grease or line with papers, 8 wells of a 12 well muffin pan (or muffin top pan).

In a medium mixing bowl, cream the cream cheese and egg together.  Add garlic, onion powder, and salt.  Mix with a hand mixer until well incorporated.

Add 1 cup Asiago cheese, almond flour, cream and water.  Mix until well combined.  Using a rubber spatula, fold in the bacon.

Using a large spoon or a scoop, divide the dough into the prepared pan in 8 equal sized mounds.  Sprinkle with remaining Asiago cheese.

Bake 30 minutes, or until golden brown on top.  Place the pan on a cooling rack and allow the biscuits to cool before removing.

Store extras in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.  Reheat in the oven or toaster.
8 servings

256 cal, 24 g. fat, 11 g. protein, 5.5 total carbs, 2.4 g fiber

3 years ago:   Breaking the House Rules
4 years ago:   Potato Sourdough Sandwich Rolls
5 years ago:   Quinoa Blondies and Changing the Clocks


March 20, 2018   Sunrise 7:50 am  Sunset 8:07 pm   Temp.  H 29 /L 6˚F

Oven Fried Chicken

So the fourth doctor has now told me to try yoga and meditation.  I really like HIIT (high intensity interval training) and I loved going to Fairbanks Fit Body Bootcamp, but my age and my body that is falling apart just doesn't allow that any more. 
So, I started yoga.  It is not my favorite.  The saddest thing is that I decided I would try it, after all, those doctors must be proven wrong, so I got up and went downstairs every morning for a week to work through a beginners yoga video.  At the end of the week I felt better, I had more movement in my arm and less discomfort from my mastectomy rebuild...crap...now I have to continue it.  At least I get to look at Rodney Yee every morning.

So, as a reward for my successful yoga practice (it has been a couple weeks now) and the fact that I have to console myself for not getting to tell a doctor they don't know what they are talking about (those darn doctors must go to a lot of school to be so damn smart), I wanted fried chicken.

I don't make fried chicken the way I used to.  I used to soak it in buttermilk, dredge in seasoned flour and fry in peanut oil.  Nope, this is a low carb version that doesn't hurt my stomach and doesn't require frying!  I love this chicken so much I make a double batch and then have cold fried chicken for lunch for the week.  Yum.

And because it is baked, you can practice yoga while it is in the oven...and look at Rodney Yee.

Oven Fried Chicken

6 chicken legs (or thighs or breast strips, what ever you like)
2 Tbsp. coconut flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2-3 Tbsp. dijon mustard
1/2 cup crushed pork rinds (I run mine through a blender to make pork dust)
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
Olive oil or coconut oil cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350˚ F.  Put a wire rack over a parchment lined cookie sheet and spray the rack with cooking spray. 

Mix coconut flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder together in a bowl on or a plate, set aside.  Mix pork dust, parmesan and Italian seasoning together in a bowl on on a plate, set aside.

Coat chicken pieces with coconut flour and shake of excess.  Coat each chicken piece with dijon mustard, then coat in pork dust-parmesan mixture.  Place coated chicken on rack over the cookie sheet.  Lightly spray chicken with cooking spray.

Bake for 30-40 minutes until chicken juices run clear and chicken in nicely browned. 
3 servings, 2 chicken legs each serving

2 years ago:   Cavatappi with Arugula Pesto and Moving Snow Around the Yard
3 years ago:   Home
5 years ago:   The Beginnings of Spring in Fairbanks and Maple Mustard Chicken

March 15, 2018   Sunrise 8:08 am  Sunset 7:52 pm   Temp. H 29/ L 15˚F

Peanut Butter Granola

Well, I'm finally off antibiotics and seem to be healing nicely.  But, considering I've been on antibiotics since the end of October because of this lovely infection I figured I needed to do a little gut TLC and see if I couldn't improve the environment there.  Especially since our immune system lives there.  So, I am eating cultured foods.  I've added full fat Fage yogurt to breakfast, I've not been eating yogurt because of the carb count, but I have 10 days before travel season starts and I don't want to be on airplanes and airports and job fairs without bulking up my immune system some.  And while I do like plain Greek yogurt, adding a little granola sounded good, and peanut butter granola even better.

I was actually craving granola because a friend at work, who is also doing Keto, said she got a sample of granola in a Keto box she gets monthly.  Then she said she has made Keto granola and it was easy, so the thought of granola was percolating and then I saw this posted on the blog 'All Day I Dream About Food.'  It looked and sounded good so I was ready to make it.

This. Is. Fabulous.

Pecans and Almonds - after the blender

I like it chunky

It is as delicious as it looks

Over some plain yogurt or with almond milk, it is so good

Peanut Butter Granola
All Day I Dream About Food, Blog 

1.5 cups almonds
1.5 cups pecans
1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup swerve
1/3 cup collagen
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Line large rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.
In a food processor, process almonds and pecans until they resemble coarse crumbs, with some larger pieces remaining.  Transfer to a large bowl and stir in coconut, sunflower seeds, sweetener and collagen.
In a microwave safe bowl, melt peanut butter and butter together in microwave, stirring to combine completely.  Pour over nut mixture, sprinkle in water and mix.  The mixture will clump.
Spread mixture on prepared cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes, stirring 1/2 way through.
Let cool and enjoy.
Makes about 12 servings
1/3 cup serving (338 calories, 30 g. fat, 9.74 carbs, 5 fiber, 9.4 protein)

2 years ago:   Banana Tartlets with Nutella and a Baby on the Way!
3 years ago:   Lessons from the Road #1: Wear Your Glasses
5 years ago:   Prime Rib and the Secret My Husband Won't Share

March 13, 2018  Sunrise 8:16 am  Sunset 7:46 pm   Temp. H 32/L 15˚F