Friday night snacks

Looking for a fun Friday night treat? 

Low Carb Mozzarella Sticks - Yes please! 

Ingredients

• 6 Mozzarella Sticks
• 1/2 cup grated dry Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 cups pork rinds
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning blend - want to spice it up add a little Cheyenne pepper 
• 1 egg
• 2 tsps water

Directions:

• Cut Mozzarella sticks in half cross-wise and set aside
• Place egg and water in a small shallow dish or pan. Whisk to mix.
• Crush pork rinds with rolling pin or crush in blender. Should make about 1/2 cup pork rind crumbs.
• Place Parmesan, crushed pork rinds and Italian seasoning in a shallow baking pan
• Dip Mozzarella sticks, one at a time, first in egg wash, then crumbs, then repeat both egg wash and crumbs for second coating.
• Set mozzarella on dish or pan that will fit in the freezer.
• Freeze for two hours
• After two hours: heat oven or air fryer to 500 degrees.
• Working quickly cover a baking pan in parchment or grease it.
• Place frozen mozzarella sticks directly from freezer onto pan.
• Spray with a light coating of olive oil. (optional)
• Bake for 6-8 minutes, just till coating is brown and cheese is warm and soft.

Serve immediately with warm marinara sauce, if desired.

Fun low carb snack for all ages! 

Bon Appetite

Margaret

Live, laugh, love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

National Crab Meat Day

Today is National Crab 🦀  Day! 

Celebrate with this tasty appetizer!

Margaret

Live, Laugh, Love 

Be Totallyawake4-life 

Game Day appy’s

Sunday means GAME day over here - where the boys get to enjoy some football and afternoon appy’s! Recipe credit 

JALAPEÑO PUFFS

INGREDIENTS

4 oz. Cream cheese, softened

1 ½ c. Shredded cheddar cheese

1 egg, beaten 

1/4 cup almond flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 Jalapeno peppers finely chopped

6 Slices of bacon, cooked crispy, crumbled

1 tbsp Ranch seasoning

 

Instructions:

In a small mixing bowl, whip the cream cheese until smooth. 

Mix egg into almond flour until well combined. 

Add Shredded cheddar cheese, jalapenos and ranch seasoning to the cream cheese, mix well. 

Stir in almond flour egg mixture until fully incorporated.

Crumble the bacon pieces and place them on a plate.

Form a tablespoon of the jalapeno mixture into a ball, and roll it in the crumbled bacon.

Place on cookie sheet, refrigerate 30 mins. 

Preheat oven to 425.   Bake 10 minutes or until golden and puffed. 

Allow to cool a few minutes before eating.

These are SO tasty - next time I’m gonna double the recipe cause I let the boys wanting more! 

 

Bon Appetite

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

Spinach Riccota Dip

Are you totally missing 'potluck' season thanks to Covid shelter at home and keep in your bubble mandates too? There is no reason we cannot have 'virtual' parties to maintain our traditions  .... make a few of your favorite potluck items in smaller quantities, set up a Zoom or Facebook chat room and grab a glass of wine or your favorite festive beverage and do the virtual sharing of good times! 

 It might be 'different' but in my humble opinion we really need to try to keep our focus on the blessings we have to be facing this world wide pandemic in 2020 vs 1920! We have the benefits that modern technology offer us to remain connected, to access the things we 'need' via online shopping and quick delivery to make sheltering at home more viable! 

100 years ago when the Spanish Flu caused a world wide Pandemic after the war resulting in similar lock downs to help flatten the curve and manage the health care needs of society - they were truly stuck at home ALONE with only those in their households and it was not easy for arranging for the 'delivering' of groceries or supplies and no ability to 'work from home' via Zoom or Internet connections!  

It may not be 'ideal' but we have so many more options today!

Spinach Ricotta Dip

 

Ingredients needed:

1/2 cup of frozen chopped spinach

3/4 cup ricotta

1/4 cup Parmesan

Pinch Red pepper flakes

Pinch Garlic powder

1 tsp Epicure Spinach dip seasoning

 

Instructions:

1.Mix ricotta, spinach and 1/2 the Parmesan cheese in a small baking dish. Add a dash of garlic powder, red pepper flakes, Epicure seasoning. Top with remaining cheese.

2. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes

3. Enjoy with homemade grain free crackers (posting one of my favorite adaptions below) or Whisps or veggie sticks! 

Cheddar Asiago Crackers - adapted from Carol Ketchum's recipe

1 1/2 cups almond meal
1/2 cup flax seed meal
1/3 cup of Epicure Macaroni Cheese Seasoning or add a pop with the Ooey Gooey Queso
1/2 cup finely grated Asiago cheese (could sub Parmesan)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp melted butter
2 egg whites

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 225F.

In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients and mix well.

Add in butter and egg whites and stir until a cohesive dough forms.

On a large cookie sheet, roll out into a rough rectangle between sheets of parchment paper to desired thickness. Can be made very thin, but make sure that it is of even thickness all over so the edges won’t burn before the middle crisps up.

Remove top layer of parchment. With a sharp knife, score into desired size of cracker - craving pita's cut them in triangles for that nice 'pointy dip' option!

Bake one hour or until firm and edges are crispy. Turn off oven and leave crackers in oven another half hour to an hour. 

Bon Appetite 

Margaret

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life

Grain Free Yorkshire pudding!

Hmmm gonna have to get a roast beef so I have a reason to try this grain free Yorkshire recipe from Carb Manager!

 

Do you love Yorkshire pudding?

 

Bon Appetite!

 

Margaret

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life

Doritos Inspired Zuchinni Chips

Doritos inspired Zucchini Chips 

 

The key to a good zucchini chip is getting that thinly sliced uniform 'chip'. Which is why I love having a good mandoline for making home cooking quick - back in 2000 I used to sell Pampered Chef and I LOVE their mandoline!  

I have this baby for 18 years and use it regularly for all sorts of vegetables and it is STILL going strong.

A good mandoline is well worth the investment of going with a company whose products stand the test of time and have amazing guarantees on them is defintiely key to return on that investment! This baby has more than paid for itself in saved time!

I sliced my zucchini x2 in the thinnest setting and than laid out and patted dry on paper-towel - it made a couple layers which I left  to dry for about an hour while I was prepping other stuff and doing some chores.

Making sure that you pull out as much water as possible helps to ensure a 'crispier' chip when you are done. Some recipes I have seen online suggest adding salt to help with this process however I eat a low sodium diet so do not like to add salt to my own cooking and had the time to let them do it at their own pace. 
 Once they’d had some of water pulled out in the towel than you place in bowl and mix with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp creamy ranch dressing, 1 tbsp spicy oregano and chilies and salt and pepper to taste - I did 1 turn salt and 3 pepper with the grinder.

Now if you've read my blog before you know my go to spices are Epicure because as I mentioned I like to cook low sodium and their products are MSG free and low sodium which is ideal for our lifestyle! 

This flavor combo of spices truly gives a nice Spicy Doritos flare but in all honesty you can use ANY spice palette for your chips here - BBQ is tasty as Dill whatever your favorite chip is you can find a spice option to add here!
 
 Mix up well in bowl  to ensure that your chips are evenly seasoned than lay flat on the cookie tray. I love to bake with Epicure silicone baking insert because environmentally friendly as it is non stick and washable.

Parchment paper will also work if you don’t have the baking liner - but seriously I cannot recommend it enough for all your baking and cookie needs.  It is another investment that will save you money in the long run from buying parchment paper and since it is reusable it is better for environment!

Bake 20 minutes at 350 F and than turn down 200 F and continue to bake 45 minutes - flip each one over and put back in for 30 minutes than remove if desired crispiness or return and check every 10 minutes until they are.

Keep a really close eye on them at the end because one minute they can see too wiggly and the next they can move towards burning! 

This is my first batch I ever made and I made that mistake of just giving them one more minute and than got side tracked and they got a little over done - they still tasted awesome but they were like those 'dark chips' you find in your store bought bag that some people love and other people are like um NO! 

If you give the recipe a try I would love to hear your feedback in the comment section! 

Margaret

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
Be Totallyawake4-life 



 

 

 

Spicy Cheese and Jalapeno Bites

Had a craving for deep fried cheese sticks after being out this past weekend for dinner with a friend who ordered some so came home and opted for some grain free Epicure inspired cheese bites! All the flavor and a fraction of the calories!

What you Need:

• Head of cauliflower - washed and broken up into bite size pieces
• 1 tbsp Coconut oil melted 
• 1 tbsp Cheese and Jalapeno seasoning
• 1 tbsp black pepper

What you Do:

• Toss cauliflower in melted coconut oil 
• Sprinkle in seasoning and pepper and toss to coat. Can add more seasoning if you want extra cheesy/spicy. 
• Bake at 400 F on a parchment lined pan for 20-30 minutes until crisps up
• Serve as a side with a meal or as a snack with some marinara sauce for dipping!     

Have an amazing day!


Margaret
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
Be Totallyawake4-life

Spicy Paprika Chicken

We had a craving for pub grub over the holidays but unfortunately most actual pub grub is so not Celiac friendly and well I am frugal paying for a pub drink when we can make a Bailey's over ice at home for a fraction of the cost I would rather just stay home put on some music and have our own pub grub night in ~ so that is what we did! 

These are a tasty hit in the house ~ grain free and totally crispy just like a pub grub wing or in my case drum cause I only like the drums! 

 

Spicy Paprika Chicken

What You Need

• 2 lbs. chicken wings and drums
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon smokey paprika
• 1 tablespoon cayene pepper (adjust more or less depending on your heat preference)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

What You Do

•  Rinse meat well. 
• Mix spices in a small bowl
• Place chicken pieces in a ziplock bag and spices
• SHAKE IT to cover ~ I like to leave it marinade in the spice over night in the bag
• Cook in oven on 350F until internal temp is 160F or we like them on the BBQ for the extra smoky flavor.
• Serve with veggies and dip for a nice pub grub feel! (I tried a new Paleo inspired hummus for mine)

I love these just plain like this and that is how they look in the photo but if you like a 'glaze' for your chicken my spouse loves this Sriracha based sauce brushed on his as they are BBQ and than uses any leftover as a dip while eating.

Sriracha-based sauce

What you Need

• 5 tbsp. olive oil
• ¼ cup raw honey  
• ¼ cup sriracha 
• 1 tbsp. coconut aminos
• 1 lime - juiced 

 What You Do

• Combine in a small bowl and mix well. Let stand at least 20 minutes to blend the flavors.
• If you want to have some for both basting and as a dip divide the bowl into two halfs. Use one for basting on your meat and set some aside the other for your dip
• Can store any leftover dip (from the bowl that was not contaminated with a basting brush or anyone actually dipping meat in it) in air tight container in fridge for several weeks.

I shared this on Instagram before I posted to the blog and got a reader tip of using the spicy paprika and onion powder for a Doritos inspired chicken ~ I cannot wait to try that combo! 

Have an amazing day!


Margaret
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
Be Totallyawake4-life 

Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus with a TWIST

So my family thinks I am crazy for taking the time to 'flower' our radishes but I totally think they taste BETTER when they are sliced like this ... I enjoy them sliced thing in a salad, sliced thin and sauteed with garlic and spices and I enjoy them floral inspired like this but I totally get wigged out trying to bite into a fully intact radish! 

So with trying to reduce my legume intake for a while to heal my gut after years of Celiac abuse I went searching for an option for my beloved hummus that was 'legume free' and found this tasty version from Meatafied  so thought I would give it a whirl with a bit of an Epicure Twist! 

Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

 

 

What You Need

• 1 cup soaked, rinsed and drained organic raw cashews 
• ¼ cup tahini 
• 1 - 2 cloves garlic
• Juice of 1 lemon 
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin or I used a tablespoon Epicure Garlic hummus blend
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 
• ¼ cup coconut milk 
• 8 oz roasted red peppers, roughly chopped. Make sure to drain well if from a jar.
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika 

What You Do

• Pre-soak your cashews over night, rinse and drain.
• Add the cashews, tahini and garlic cloves to your mini food processer or blender and process until the mixture is a thick paste.
• Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and cumin and process to combine.
• Add the coconut milk, roasted red peppers and smoked paprika. Process one final time until the peppers are the consistency you like.

To garnish:

• Spoon the hummus into a bowl. Sprinkle extra with smoked paprika and some extra fine chopped roasted red pepper to finish.

My first time recipe review

While it is not an exact mimic of 'traditional hummus' I actually did not mind this at all the texture if very close ~ and I found the 'leftovers' much taster the next day so think the key might be to make it ahead and let it sit for a day before serving so that the spices can get absorbed into the mix and hide the bit of 'cashew' flavor that I found it had the first day! 

Have an amazing day!

Margaret
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
Be Totallyawake4-life 

Sweet and Spicy Sriracha Bacon Chicken Bites

More party pleasers! This were a HUGE hit on Saturday this past weekend they were literally gone in 60 seconds from being placed out on the table and they were so easy to make but packed a nice flavor and not too much heat for those tender palettes at a party!

 Sweet and Spicy Sriracha Bacon Chicken Bites

 

What You Need

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets 
• ½ cup extra virgin oil
• 2 tablespoons lime juice ~ freshly squeezed
• 2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
• 1 lb bacon
• Honey-Sriracha Glaze for basting while cooking if desired

 

 

 

 

What You Do

• Whisk together canola oil, lime juice and Sriracha sauce and pour into a gallon sized Ziploc bag.
• Cut the chicken into 1 inch cubes and add it to the bag. 
• Seal bag and shake to coat the chicken with the marinade and place in the fridge for at least an 1 hour ~ we marinated ours overnight.
• Take 1 pound of bacon and cut in half down the middle. Wrap the bacon around the chicken pieces and secure with a wooden toothpick seam side down on to a baking tray.
• For extra heat, brush bacon with additional Honey-Sriracha glaze before place in the oven and than few more times while it cooks.
• We prefer to BBQ ours on a tinfoil baking tray on 400F for about 30 minutes. Alternatively you can bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes rack in the middle position and than if needed 'broil' for the last few minutes to caramelize the sugar ~ watching closely that it does not burn.

These were so very tasty ~ I honestly enjoy making them just for dinner and served with a cauli-rice stir fry! They paired great with the bacon wrapped pineapple we brought as well!

Have an amazing day!

Margaret
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
Totallyawake4-life

Sriracha-Honey Glazed Bacon-Wrapped Pineapple

Normally when one attends a potluck gathering they bring one item ~ the joy of having allergies and restricting dietary needs you end up bring a few options to make sure that if nothing else you can at least eat what you brought and still have variety ~ so this weekend we brought Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs as well as these delicious Sriracha-Honey Glazed Bacon-Wrapped Pineapple tidbits and tomorrow I will share the Sweet and Spicy Bacon Chicken Bite recipe we also brought ... so I had a lovely variety of option to share with everyone!

Sriracha-Honey Glazed Bacon-Wrapped Pineapple

What You Need

• 1 fresh pineapple, cut into bite size chunks
• 1 lb thick cut bacon cut in half so one slice will wrap 2 pieces of pineapple
• 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar or brown sugar
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 1 lime, juiced to make 2 tablespoons
• 2-4 teaspoon sriracha sauce 
• 2 teaspoon coconut aminos or if gluten free soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish if desired

What Do You Do

• Preheat  BBQ to 400 degrees F or your oven if preferred.Lightly grease a baking sheet.
•  Cut the bacon in half so you'll have twice as many strips to work with. 
•  Wrap each pineapple chunk in a piece of bacon and place seam side down on the prepared baking sheet and adhere with a toothpick. 
• In a small bowl, stir together sugar, honey, lime juice, sriracha, and coconut amino's. Spoon a little bit over each piece of bacon-wrapped pineapple to glaze or baste with a basting brush. Sprinkle cilantro stems over the top.
• Grill on the BBQ for 30 minutes OR bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until bacon is crispy. I prefer the BBQ only cause the bacon will splatter the sides and well a splattered BBQ adds 'flavor' according to my spouse where a splattered over sets off our fire alarms.
• Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and serve to guests.

 BTW ... the glaze used to create these is also tasty on crockpot meatballs, pork tenderloin and shamefully admitting straight from the bowl with your finger!

Have an amazing day!

Margaret
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
Totallyawake4-life

Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs

This the Christmas season for the start of work and family potluck parties and the enjoyment of tasty appetizers with friends over great conversation ... we are heading to one this weekend with my other half's Civil War reenactment troop and this is one of the offerings we are bringing ... we are well known for our desire to spice up everyone's life so of course it is sometime that has a little heat.

Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs 

What You Need

• 12 large eggs
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1½ teaspoon vinegar ~ rice or apple cider
• ¾ teaspoon ground mustard
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped
• 6 pieces bacon, cooked, crisp and crumbled
• Smokey Paprika

What You Do

• Hard boil the eggs and let cool. Peel
• Slice the hard boiled eggs in half, lengthwise
• Remove the yolks and put them in a mixing bowl
• Mash the egg yolks with a spoon
• Add the mayonnaise, vinegar, ground mustard to the mashed egg yolks and stir until well combined and minimal lumps
• Mix in the jalapenos and bacon
• Fill each egg hole with the mixture
• Sprinkle with paprika
• Chill until ready to serve

 

Cannot wait to share them with everyone this afternoon ~ like a good cook I sampled one to make sure they were serve-able and just a nice hint of heat to make them a unique alternative .... next time I might try this combo but with avocado in place of the mayo as an option but my other half is not an avocado lover and requested I make 'normal' style and well since this one is a 'his side' party I aim to please! 

 

 

Have an amazing day!

Margaret

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much

Totallyawake4-life

Two ingredient jam ~ in minutes!

I was so excited when my friend Lisa told me that Epicure has come out with their own 'quick blend' Chai Jam seasoning ~ allowing for two ingredient jam ready to serve in minutes!

 Epicure Chai Jam

 

What You Need

• 2 cups of chopped fruit. Fresh or frozen  (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, peaches, mango, apples you choose or mix them up)
• 2 tablespoons Epicure Chai Seasoning blend

What You Do

• Prepare your fruit ~ remove stems, pits, seeds and skin as needed. Chop into small pieces to speed cooking and make it easier to 'puree' later.
•  Cook the fruit until it is able to be pureed with ease using a spoon. Either on the stove top 5-10 minutes or in the microwave ... only needed 3 minutes for the frozen option!

• Mash with a spatula or fork or using a handheld immersion blender to get your desired 'fruit puree' ~ we like chunks in our berrie jam so just use the fork to mash but with mango/peach we puree with the handheld.
• Add in 2 tablespoons of Chai seasoning blend stir until mixed. Let cool to room temperature and than transfer to a glass storage container ~ keeps 2 weeks in fridge if it hangs around that long! I made a batch today and served it to the crew over our two ingredient ice-cream so will need to make a second batch for the weekend!

Look how yummy it looks served over the homemade ice-cream we made with the daycare crew for a snack this afternoon!

If you are not fortunate enough to have an Epicure rep who can make your life easier and shave off time measuring and guessing in the kitchen ~ here is the 'traditional' from scratch method for Chai Jam ... it is awesome too but sometimes when chasing 5 kids around and trying to eat clean finding ways to shave off a few minutes in the kitchen is a godsend!

Regular Chai Jam

What You Need

•  2 cups of chopped fruit ~ fresh or frozen (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, peaches, mango, apples you choose or mix them up)
• 1-2 tablesppons of lemon juice - to taste
• 1-2 tablespoons of sweetener to taste (I prefer NONE but you can add honey, agave, maple syrup or regular sugar)
• 2 tablespoons chai seeds ~ plus more if needed

What You Do

•  Prepare your fruit ~ remove stems, pits, seeds and skin as needed. Chop into small pieces to speed cooking and make it easier to 'puree' later.
•  Cook the fruit until it is able to be pureed with ease using a spoon. Either on the stove top 5-10 minutes or in the microwave 4-6 minutes
• Mash with a spatula or wooden spoon or using a handheld immersion blender to get your desired 'fruit puree' ~ we like chunks in our berrie jam so just use the spoon but with mango/peach we puree with the handheld.
• Stir in the lemon and sweetener ~ taste test to get the flavor you desire. Add more sweetener as desired
• Stir in your chai seeds let stand 5 minutes on the counter. If you'd like 'thicker' jam add more chai seeds which might be needed with particularly 'juice' fruits. Add 1 teaspoon at a time until you get the desired consistency.
• Transfer to a glass jar with air tight seal when cooled to room temperature and store in the fridge. It will last for about 2 weeks in fridge or 3 months in the freezer.

 Have an amazing day!

Margaret
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much! 
Be Totallyawake4-life