Best Beef Stroganoff - KETO friendly

Young Living Beef Stroganoff. (Delicious and less than 20 mg sodium per serving - created for my Dad who has hypertension). If you don't have the Young Living food grade Vitality line of cooking essential oils I've added the amounts for dried herbs in the post.

This was SO good and works for Keto and Low Carb diets, gluten-free (add gluten-free noodles) or vegetarian (use Seitan, Tofu, Gardein "beef" strips instead of the steak though that will add to the sodium content. ) I made it for my husband last night and he gave it an enthusiastic two thumbs up!

Best Beef Stroganoff

Slice 1 and ½ pounds of strip or round steak into thin bite-sized pieces. Put in a ziplock bag with 2 Tablespoons of Balsamic vinegar and 2 tsp. of minced garlic. Seal and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours but no more than 8.

When ready to prepare, remove steak from marinade retaining the marinade in a bowl.

In 2 Tablespoons of butter, brown steak until lightly browned on all sides with 1 drop of Young Living black pepper essential oil. Add marinade plus 1 additional teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and 1 drop of Young Living Basil Vitality essential oil,1 drop of Young Living Nutmeg Vitality oil, 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper, and cook through (but don’t overcook, it will be reheated again) Remove steak from pan, retaining liquids in cook pan.

In liquid sauté medium onion (chopped) for 5 minutes.

Add ½ cup dry white wine
1 and ½ cups button mushrooms chopped

Cook for approximately 5 minutes until mushrooms are softened and liquid is slightly reduced.

Stir in a mixture of:
1 Tablespoons Young Living Einkorn flour
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard. Stir thoroughly until incorporated and smooth.

Add meat back in and reheat on low until meat is warmed through.

Stir in ½ cup sour cream, heat on low for a few minutes then serve.

Note:  If using dried herbs:
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper (2-3 pinches)
pinch of nutmeg

Keto Kream of Chicken Ranch Casserole

I was making dinner for a diabetic friend that also has high blood pressure and wanted to use a  family favorite super easy recipe that calls for Cream of Chicken soup as one of the main ingredients.

So I did a KETO Kream of Chicken and it worked great!

Note:  If making to eat as soup as opposed to a casserole substitute for canned cream of chicken increase heavy cream to one cup and increase chicken broth to 3 cups

4 Tablespoons butter
3 teaspoons jarred minced garlic
1/2 small sweet onion, diced
2 and 1/2 Tablespoons coconut flour + 2 and 1/2 Tablespoons almond flour
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups chicken broth (I used a low sodium chicken bone broth)
1/2 cup finely diced cooked chicken
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon Jane's Krazy Salt (or your favorite low sodium salt or seasoning blend.)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add garlic and diced onion and sauté 2-3 minutes

Whisk in the coconut/almond flour combo and continue whisking as you cook for 2-3 minutes (roux should be slightly golden in texture and thickened),

Add broth, chicken and seasonings.  Increase heat and bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes

In small batches, pour the soup into a blender and blend on low until smooth.  When all the batches are creamed pour back in the saucepan, add the heavy cream and heat on low until heated through.

If using for the casserole recipe, let cool before mixing.

To Make The Johnson Favorite Ranch Chicken

In crockpot place 1 pound boneless chicken breasts.

In a bowl mix :
1 batch Keto Kream of Chicken (cooled)
1 cup full-fat sour cream
1 (dry) package Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning Packet *
pinch of crushed red pepper
3 pieces of chopped cooked bacon (cook six total so you have some for a topping).

Cook on low 6-8 hours.  Shred chicken or serve breasts whole over riced cauliflower. (also great on mashed potatoes, rice, or gluten-free pasta if you are not watching your carbs.)

Top with additional bacon and/or green onion

* DIY Hidden Valley Ranch Dry Seasoning (3 Tablespoons equals one packet, the recipe makes enough for 5).

1 1/2 cup dry buttermilk (available at Walmart and other grocers)
1/3 cup dried parsley
1 tbs. dried dill weed
1 tbs. dried chives
1 tbs. garlic powder
1 tbs. onion powder
1 tbs. ground black pepper

Mix and store in a jar with lid in a cool, dry place

Low Gluten Einkorn Pancakes

These pancakes aren't gluten-free but they are about as low gluten as you can get made with a Young Living Pancake mix that's a blend of a small amount of Einkorn ancient grain wheat, brown rice flour, Amaranth flour, Tapioca flour, Sorghum flour, and Dhokla flour (an Indian flour made from chickpeas). There's a recipe on the box but I tweaked it a bit for a taller, fluffier pancake which is my husband's preference.  If you'd like to order some of the mix you can go to the Young Living link on my right sidebar.  You don't have to sign up as a member to order retail (I did though to get the 24% discount, as I use a LOT Of their products).  They ship to 133 different countries.

Buttermilk Einkorn Pancakes (a riff on the Young Living Pancake Mix recipe). Very tall and fluffy!

In a medium-sized bowl mix:

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons Y.L. Pancake Mix
2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
A pinch of Cardamom (or Cinnamon)

In a separate bowl:

add 3/4 cup milk mixed with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, let sit 5 minutes for a "faux" buttermilk.
Add 1 egg at room temperature.
1/2 Tablespoon vanilla
Slowly whisk in 2 Tablespoons of melted unsalted butter.

Combine wet and dry. Let sit 5-8 minutes then cook on an oiled griddle. I served with sugar-free maple syrup and butter.

Makes approximately 10 pancakes.  Each 5-inch pancake is less than 100 calories including butter, milk, and sugar. (this is my husband's stack, mine was a wee bit smaller and no bacon). They also freeze well for re-heating.  Simply put a piece of wax paper between each pancake, wrap in foil and place in a ziplock bag.  Use within 1-2 months.  Microwave frozen pancakes approximately 1 and 1/2 minutes.

Keto Waffles - For Hailey and Zyphod's Mom and Dad

Really good.

5 eggs - medium-sized, separated
4 Tablespoons coconut flour
4 Tablespoons granulated sweetener of choice (I used Spenda)
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla
3 Tablespoons full-fat milk or cream 125 grams of butter melted. 

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. 

In a second bowl:
Mix the yolks, flour, sweetener, and baking powder
Add the melted butter SLOWLY, mixing to ensure it's smooth
Add the milk/cream and vanilla and mix

Gently fold the whisked egg whites into the yolk mixture trying to keep as much of the air and fluffiness as you can.

Use about 1/3 cup in a Swedish waffle maker or follow your waffle iron directions.  Cook until golden. Serve with butter and sugar-free syrup or sugar-free jam.

Healthy English Muffin Sourdough Bread

I love English Muffins (similar to crumpets but made with yeast instead of baking soda, and booked on both sides, unlike crumpets).  But making them from scratch is a bit more work than I wanted to do this weekend.  So I made a loaf of English Muffin bread.  If you use almond milk it is vegan and it makes wonderful toast that has a texture and crumb just like English muffins!

For I do like my afternoon tea.  My Dad who adopted me, is English, though the second generation U.S. born, and my biological mother was a Woodworth (descendant of Walter Woodworth, one of the original colonists in America) so there's more than a small amount of English blood in these veins.

Afternoon tea - just little tradition that means a lot to me.

I made this with my Azure Standard wild yeast sourdough starter but if you just wish to make it without, use the ingredients amounts in the (parenthesis). Adapted from a recipe on the King Arthur flour website, I simply modified it to compensate for the flour and liquid that occurs naturally in the starter.  (I have not tried it without the yeast, just letting it raise overnight in a warm kitchen with the sourdough acting as a leavening might work.)

It's pillowy enough to satisfy that morning bread craving but sturdy enough to toast just enough to stand up to that thick slather of jam.  Plus it has all those little nooks and crannies of English muffins that trap your butter (if so inclined) in creamy pools or just soak up the sweetness of spread fruit. Plus it just slices and toasts, perfect on those extra mornings when an attempt to separate a store-bought English muffin before caffeine might might result in bloodshed..

You will need 2 bowls and a hand or stand mixer. There's no kneading involved and just a short rise time.

No Knead Sourdough English Muffin Bread (with dirctions for no sourdough)

1 cup plus two Tablespoons EACH of King Arthur flour and Young Living Einkorn Flour (3 cups if no sourdough starter)
1 cup sourdough starter (optional but trust me, it's worth it)
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon instant yeast
1/2 cup milk (1 cup if no sourdough starter)
1/4 cup water (add up to 3 Tablespoons more if needed while mixing if it is dry)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
cornmeal, to sprinkle in pan

Instructions

Whisk together the flours, sugar, salt, baking soda, and instant yeast in a large mixing bowl.

Combine the milk, water, and oil in a separate, microwave-safe bowl, and heat to between 120°F and 130°F. (about a minute and forty seconds in my little microwave).  Stir and take the temperature with a meat thermometer or check with your finger - it should be hotter than lukewarm but not so hot you couldn't take a bath at water that temperature).

Pour the wet into the dry ingredients and beat with the mixer on HIGH for 1 minute, scraping down the sides with a spatula.  You will see little threads of gluten forming at the end of a minute. That is good!  The dough will be very soft, thicker than cupcake batter and thinner than traditional muffin batter.

I ended up adding 3 tablespoons more of water as my batter was fairly dry - that's dependent on the liquid in your sourdough starter.  You don't want a runny batter but the mixer should be able to mix it on high without it bogging down.

Lightly grease an 8  and 1/2" x 4 and  1/2" loaf pan, and sprinkle the bottom and sides with cornmeal, shaking it around to coat bottom and sides.

Scoop the soft dough into the pan, leveling it in the pan as much as possible.

Cover the pan, and let the dough rise in a warm spot until it's just barely crowned the rim of the pan (no more than 1/4 inch over).  For my loaf it was about an hour and a half rise time.

Bake in 400 F preheated oven 22 to 28 minutes, till it's golden brown and its interior temperature is 190°F.

 Let cool 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack.then carefully work  knife around the edges to loosen it

Remove from pan, slice and toast while you get the rest of afternoon tea put together.

Weighted Blanket - The Comfort of a Hug

Many of us, especially as we get older have trouble falling and staying asleep.  I'm no exception.  I tend to be a "restless" sleeper often waking up my husband tossing and turning and I usually steal the covers, even in warmer temperatures.

So I thought I would try out one of the ever-popular "weighted" blankets that are said to help with sleeping issues.  They have a number of benefits, but rather than type them out here I'll provide a link.

https://www.sensacalm.com/blogs/news/benefits-of-weighted-blanket-therapy

So I bought one.  I first purchased one from Mosaic who has one of the more popular blankets and a wide selection of fabrics.  They recommend getting one that's 10% of your body weight so I bought the 15-pound one.

It was really pretty, and the construction was tight, but I ended up giving it to a shelter because
(1)  15 pounds was just too much for me, I weigh what I do because I'm really tall, not because I'm large so I found it too heavy and too hot
(2).  The "beads" inside made WAY too much noise if I moved around.
(3)  The squares the housed the pockets were pretty big and not baffled so if I wanted to sleep on my side the pellets would all go to one end and not provide even weight distribution.

However, I WILL say, if you aren't a light sleeper that small sounds will wake you up and you start with a lighter weight you'll probably love this blanket - it was very pretty and very well made.

So I purchased another brand.

This was the Calming Comfort Blanket by the Sharper Image.  It was a LOT cheaper than the Mosaic blanket.  It was also a lot smaller. It worked for me but if you are over six feet tall, it will not cover your feet. On purchasing through Amazon I was also able to order a washable duvet cover for it since this brand requires hand washing.

I placed it on the bed in the small second bedroom in the back of the house (we turned the master bedroom into an office/den, with all the windows it was always warmer or cooler than the back bedroom, and being in the front of the house we had the traffic noise.)

So even though it was smaller than the Mosaic blanket it was enough to keep me snug overnight, even if my husband had to just deal with his old quilt (and yes those are Tardis pajama bottoms).

On the plus side, the material of the covering was SUPER soft and snuggly, almost velour-like, perfect for using it to lounge in front of the TV and the "beads" inside were considerably quieter than my first blanket. Night one, I fell asleep much faster and when I woke up my husband said I didn't toss and turn near as much. Night 2, I slept so sound I actually woke up an hour earlier than normal, totally rested. This one is a keeper.

The blankets run in the $100 - $200+ range, and may have to be hand washed, but if you suffer from sleep issues I'd certainly recommend one (though they say not to use one if you have sleep apnea or serious snoring as the compression on the chest is not good).

So go give yourself a hug!