Special Thanksgiving/Christmas Dinner Meal Plan

Pumpkin Chocolate Pie, Turkey, Gravy before dinner is served

Oh, my...it's the day after Thanksgiving and while the rest of the world may be out shopping the Black Friday sales, I am in recovery mode from the 2-day stint in the kitchen preparing a Thanksgiving seafood brunch for family, and a Thanksgiving dinner for Alexx and me.  Let me just say, the brunch went well and everyone raved about the meal, but the dinner was more challenging and actually the leftovers became the biggest hit of the holiday weekend for Alexx.

So here is the deal - when you are cooking for a diabetic who has joyful memories of past Thanksgiving meals, do not expect to recreate that feeling with gluten free and sugar free recipes.  No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't do it and I challenge anyone else to be successful at it.  The standard Thanksgiving meal that Alexx has ingrained in his heart, mind and stomach memory is really quite simple: Roast Turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, jellied cranberries (from the can), peas, creamed onions, crescent rolls and chocolate silk pie. Doesn't sound so tough to duplicate does it?  But gluten free bread doesn't make stuffing that tastes like the old fashioned kind.  I could have used cornbread, but corn is still a grain with a high glycemic factor, so that wouldn't work.  I used the left over yeast rolls that I shared in an earlier blog, but the almond meal ingredient makes them break down in the stuffing recipe so it's rather mushy.  The turkey and gravy were fine and there's no change there.  And although tasty, the cranberry gelatin just isn't the same as that canned jelly with the ridges in it.  I happen to love the mashed cauliflower, but Alexx just tolerates it and it certainly doesn't fill the bill for homemade mashed potatoes.  And where are his buttered peas?  Sorry. They just have so many carbs that I thought I could make a substitute for the traditional green bean casserole, that would satisfy him.  This is my menu which I quite enjoyed, but I think next year I will go back to the traditional menu with smaller portions and just call it a cheat day.  If I had served this meal on any day but Thanksgiving, I think he would have enjoyed it, and perhaps you will too...I did.  But I missed seeing that satisfied look from Alexx that I used to get every holiday that I served all his favorites.  
So if you want to try a gluten free and sugar free menu, this is a pretty good one.  Just be ready to let your tastebuds be open to change:

• Turkey

• Dressing

• Gravy

• Mashed Cauliflower

• Green Bean/Mushroom/Onion Casserole

• Sugar Free Cranberry Gelatin Salad

• Chocolate Pecan Pie

 Roasted Turkey

7-10  lb fresh whole cage free turkey

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup chopped thyme

1/4 cup chopped sage

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups organic broth (vegetable or chicken)
1 cup white wine

1.  Preheat oven to 325ºF. 
2. Drizzle oil over outside of turkey. Season liberally with herbs, salt and pepper, covering entire bird inside and out.
3. Place seasoned turkey on roasting rack in a high-sided roasting pan. 
4. Pour broth at the bottom of the pan. Cover loosely with foil, then roast for approximately 2 1/2 hours. 
5. Remove foil and pour wine over the bird.
6. Continue roasting for another hour or so until the internal temperature registers 175ºF in the thickest part of the turkey.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Stuffing 

4 cups yeast rolls cubed

1/4 lb homemade chorizo sausage*, cooked and cooled

6 fresh oysters and broth

1/4 cup organic butter

1 cup chopped red onion

1 cup chopped green pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

1 teaspoon dried sage

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tsp poultry seasoning

1 lightly beaten large egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup organic chicken broth

1. Spread bread cubes in one layer on a large baking sheet.  Bake for about 12 minutes or until cubes are dry but not browned.

2.  Allow the bread cubes to cool.  Place cooled cubes in a large mixing bowl.

3. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat.  Add onions and green pepper and saute for about 10 minutes or until onions are translucent.

4.  Add herbs to vegetables and saute an additional 2 minutes.

5.  Add chorizo sausage, oysters and vegetable herb mixture to bread cubes and stir to mix.

6.  Pour lightly beaten egg into mixture and stir to blend.

7.  Add seasonings and stir to mix.

8.  Add chicken broth and stir to thoroughly combine all ingredients.

9.  Transfer stuffing to a buttered baking dish and bake for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

* I make my own chorizo sausage.  It is grass fed beef mixed with cumin, coriander, cinnamon, oregano, garlic powder, black pepper, chili powder, cayenne pepper and organic apple cider vinegar.  The amount of spice used is depending on your taste.  For every 1/2 pound of meat you should add 1 tablespoon of vinegar.  Mix the spices and vinegar completely with your hands.  Then fry the meat at a medium heat until done.

Turkey Gravy

Reserved pan juices from turkey roasting pan

Cooked and deboned giblets that have been pureed in Vitamix

2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 1 Tablespoon cold water until smooth

1/2 cup coconut milk

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Pour pan juices into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.

2. Add cornstarch mixture to the juices and stir for about 5 minutes until thickened.

3. Add cocunut milk and seasonings to taste.

4. Serve with turkey and dressing.

Mashed Cauliflower
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cups cauliflower florets
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup sharp cheddar, grated + 1/4 cup for topping

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add cauliflower and sprinkle with salt and white pepper. Add garlic and thyme and sauté until cauliflower is lightly golden.
3.Place in oven and roast for 5 to 8 minutes longer.
4.Remove from oven. Spoon off and discard any excess oil. Sprinkle cauliflower with ¼ cup cheese. Return to oven for several minutes, or until cheese is melted. Taste cauliflower, adding additional salt and pepper if needed.

5. Pour all ingredients in Vitamix and blend until smooth.  Place in baking dish and top with remaining ¼ cup cheese.  Return to oven and bake uncovered for 10 minutes.


Green Bean Casserole


1 small bag frozen green beans - about 8 oz. thawed
4 oz mushrooms, sliced or chopped
1/2 large onion, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp Herb de Provence
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup organic canned coconut milk
1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 teaspoon cold water until dissolved
2 tablespoons almond meal
Cajun spice to taste
1 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Chop half of the onion and saute it with mushrooms in 1 tablespoon of oil.
2. Add salt and seasonings.
3. Add the cornstarch mixture.
4. Add the coconut milk and simmer for one minute.
5. Mix the beans with the saucy mixture and place in a baking dish.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes - while baking make the topping:
7. Saute the remaining onion in 1 tablespoon oil.
8. Add salt and Cajun spice.
9. When the onions are soft, remove from heat and toss with almond meal and Parmesan cheese.
10. Add the topping to the baking casserole and return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes or until the mixture browns.

Cranberry Gelatin Salad

6 ounces fresh cranberries
2 ounces unsweetened applesauce
1 ounce crushed unsweetened pineapple
7 ounces Diet Ocean Spray Cranberry juice
1 package (.3 ounce) sugar free raspberry gelatin
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1. Cook the cranberries according to the directions on the package.
2. Place the cooked cranberries in the Vitamix while they are still warm.
3. Add the applsauce and gelatin and puree for 1 minute on high.
4. Add the cold juice and blend for 20 seconds.
5. Pour the mixture into a bowl.
6. Stir in the pineapple and walnuts.
7. Chill for 4 hours.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Crust:
1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup pecans, chopped fine
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. liquid vanilla stevia
2 tablespoons sugar substitute
1/2 tsp. xanthum gum
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt

Filling:
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar free maple syrup
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks or sugarfree chocolate chunks
2 cups pecan halves

1. Mix ingredients together and press into a pie pan - set aside
2. Beat together eggs, syrup and oil
3. Add chocolate and nuts
4. Pour mixture into the unbaked pie shell
5. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees
6. Cool and serve with whipped cream

Tip for Leftovers

The best part of Thanksgiving dinner is the leftovers!  But more than one day of reheating the goodies above is too much for us.  So on the third day, I make soup.  I made soup with and without Dreamfield noodles, but the soup with the noodles didn't test well for Alexx.  But we found he liked the soup almost as well sans the noodles.  This is a great way to finish the leftovers and it freezes really well.
Mix the leftover gravy and turkey (shredding or diced) with chicken broth.  Add the leftover Cauliflower Mash and Green Bean casserole.  Add chopped chili peppers (either Hatch or jalapeno) and 1/2 small onion.  Cook on very low heat for an hour or more.  I like to add a few peas (not many as they are very high glycemic, but a few appease Alexx's Thanksgiving craving that he misses.)  I serve this with the leftover cranberry gelatin and a slice of leftover pie and whipped cream.  It feels like a different meal but it finishes the leftovers and it feels like a night off in the kitchen!

Happy Holidays!

Day 5 Meal Plan

Well the beauty of a blog is the opportunity to think through a project and make changes accordingly before anything goes to print.  Such is the case with this blog.  Alexx and I have been experimenting with recipes for over a year now, trying to settle on the best combination for a rotation of 15 meal plans.  When I first started this blog, we thought it would work to do one posting at a time with a collection of recipes that we felt worked for a full day's meal plan.  But now that we have been doing this for a year, we are finding that based on what is in the cupboard and the refrigerator, it might not be the most convenient approach to have the same combination of meals each time we do the rotation.  So, moving forward...I'm going to be revamping some of the meal plans.

And here is a special treat for you!  We have the full plan outlined now for what the intended rotation will be, but when we print the cookbook, we will have a full index of recipes so if you decide to mix it up you can do that.  We will be testing each meal for Alexx's glucose reaction to the meal and we will provide you a copy of the form we use, so that you can do your own glucose tracking.  If you don't have a good reaction (glucose spikes more than 20 points after 1 hour from beginning the meal) then you can adjust the meal to meet your specific needs.

We have aligned Breakfasts, Lunches, Snacks, Dinners, Side Items and Desserts for each day.  Our meal plans will balance by the end of the day to meet our goal for a distribution of Carbs/Fat/Protein to be 15-20% Carbs/65-70% Fat/15-20% Protein.  If you are following the same plan but decide to mix up the meals than just watch the nutritional values so at the end of the day you are meeting your goal.

So for now, I won't change the first 4 meal plans as they have already been calculated, but they will be changed in the cookbook.  Moving forward, I might have some recipes repeated, and I'll refer you back to one of those meal plans.  Yay for flexibility!!

We have also found that Alexx's glucose numbers tend to be high in the morning when he first awakes. So now we are shifting his eating schedule just a bit.  He now has two snacks and three meals but the portions are all smaller and the times have shifted to accommodate our schedules.

Day 5 Wakeup Snack: 6:30 AM

Almond butter on a cracker.

Day 5 Breakfast: 9:30 AM - Hash and Eggs

 This is one of those breakfasts that Alexx says "Oh, boy!" when I tell him we are having hash and eggs for breakfast.  This is not your typical hash that you would find at a breakfast restaurant.  This has consists only of meat and non-starch veggies.  What brings the excitement to Alexx is what kind of meat I choose for the hash.  You can really choose any meat that you wish, and depending on leftovers it might be ham, chicken, or beef, but usually it is chorizo sausage...and that is his absolute favorite.  If I'm not using chorizo sausage, then I use the spices that give chorizo it's great flavor: cumin, chili, cayenne pepper.  So no matter what I put in the hash, he loves it because of the spices.  The eggs are just fried in olive oil and steamed at the end with whatever cheese I have on hand.  On this particular day it was cheddar, but gouda, provolone and Swiss are also favorite choices.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup cooked and drained (remove as much fat as possible before adding to the cooked veggies)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped onion

2 tablespoons chopped green pepper

2 tablespoons chopped zucchini

2 tablespoons chopped mushrooms

2 drops Franks hot sauce

1/4 tsp Cajun spice 

2 eggs

1 ounce cheese, shredded

1 tablespoon water

Salt, pepper and additional Cajun spice to taste

Saute the veggies until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are tender.  Add the sausage and mix well.  Move the hash to one side of the pan to make room for the eggs.  Crack the eggs into the skillet and when the white of the egg begins to set add the shredded cheese.  Add the water and cover the skillet.  Continue to cook for 2 minutes.  Yolks will cover but should remain soft.  Slide the hash onto a plate from one side of the skillet.  Add the cooked eggs on top of the hash.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

I serve this with Alexx's cocoa.  Since he doesn't drink coffee, he gets a mug of hot chocolate each morning with his breakfast.  I mix in the magic bullet blender: 6 ounces almond milk, 1 teaspoon Truvia; 2 teaspoons dark cocoa; 3 drops Sweetzfree; 1/4 tsp peppermint extract.  I heat the mixture for 1 minute in the microwave and top with a tablespoon Rediwhip.  It brings a guaranteed smile and good morning kiss when served!

Nutritional Values will be added at a later time.

Day 5 Lunch: 2:00 PM - Tuna Salad Salad

This is an easy lunch and it's nice to serve it on a day that I don't serve a lettuce salad with dinner.  

Ingredients:

Iceberg lettuce wedge

Tuna salad scoop: 1/2 can of tunafish mixed with 1 tablespoon mayo, 2 tablespoons avocado; 1 hardboiled egg, chopped; 1 tablespoon green pepper; 1 tablespoon either chopped onion or jalapeno peppers.

Top lettuce with chopped almonds, 1 ounce feta cheese, 1 ounce sliced apple, 1 ounce sliced cucumber, and 2 tablespoons Roka Blue Cheese Dressing

Serve with Kali Parmesan Crisps (http://kalithebakinggoddess.com/creations/original-parmesan-crisps/)

Do you remember Alexx's excitement when we discovered he could eat Culver's Vanilla Frozen Custard without increasing his glucose more than 20 points?  Well, such is the case with his absolutely favorite chocolate candy.  We discovered Mouses Chocolates (www.mouseschocolates.com) when we were traveling through Ouray, Colorado.  Their chocolates are so high quality that we thought perhaps we could test them and see if they spiked Alexx's glucose.  We figured the worse case scenario would be that it is the last time he will ever taste their heavenly dark chocolate toffee.  Well let me just say there were more shouts of joy 1 hour after he consumed a 2 ounce bar of the toffee.  His glucose rose 11 points - well within the safe range.  So for an early Christmas present, we just received a 1lb box of Mouses chocolates.  So this was his dessert for lunch.  More typically it would be 3 squares of Endangered Species Dark Chocolate with Hazelnut toffee as although pricey, it's not as expensive as Mouse's chocolates.  If you really want a treat though - they ship! 

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 654; Carbs: 35; Fat: 50; Protein: 30

Day 5 Dinner: 6:30 PM - Spicy Fish on Veggie Bed, Aunt Bea's Peas & Peanut Salad and The Best Cheesecake

This is one of the changes I mentioned.  You will find this in Day 3 Dinner Meal Plan that I have already posted.  The Day 3 new dinner meal plan will be Barbecue Chicken and Cauliflower Mash. I'll make those changes to the blog in the future.

The dessert however will now be cheesecake.  I have only made this recipe in the large springform pan and it's a favorite every time that I serve it for company.  I am adjusting the recipe now though for a small springform pan that is perfect for serving the two of us.  The topping for the cheesecake can be as simple as sour cream, mashed berries heated, or a melted square of dark chocolate.  But it's tasty enough to eat all by itself.  It lasts quite a while in the refrigerator without drying, but I would recommend the smaller version unless you are entertaining.

The Best Cheesecake

Ingredients:

12 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

3/4 cup sugar substitute

3 Tablespoons heavy cream

1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1-1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2 large eggs

Directions:

Prepare the oven by putting a shallow roasting pan with one inch water in it and place it in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

In the heavy duty blender (Vitamix) combine the cream cheese, ricotta, sour cream and sugar substitute.  Blend on high speed for 30 seconds or until well blended and a fine consistency.  In a separate bowl whisk together the cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and eggs.  Put the Vitamix at low to medium speed and slowly add the liquid.  Turn the blender off as soon as all the liquid has been added so you do not overmix it.  Pour the batter from the Vitamix into a small springform pan that has been coated with coconut oil.  (If you use a large springform pan you will need to double the recipe.)  Put the pan in the roasting pan water bath.  Bake it for 10 minutes (15 minutes for a doubled recipe) and then lower the temperature to 275 degrees. Continue to bake the cheesecake for an additional hour (90 minutes for a doubled recipe) or until the top is lightly browned to a golden color and the cake has started to pull away from the sides.  The center should no longer jiggle.  Turn the oven off and leave the cake in it until the oven is completely cooled (approximately 2-3 hours.)  Remove the cake from the oven and refrigerate it for an additional 4 hours or overnight.

Top with your choice of toppings mentioned above.  

Nutritional Information and photo will be added later.

Day 5 Bedtime Snack: 10:30 PM - Berry Whip

This varies depending on the season as to whether I have fresh berries available or frozen.  I only like to buy organic berries and they are not always available fresh at the market.  During the summer months I can usually always find them in the Farmers Markets, but during the winter months I notice organic berries are either scarce or not available at all in the produce section.  In that case I head to the freezer and I can usually find either organic frozen raspberries or wild blueberries.  I serve the fresh berries either with Cool Whip or Redi Whip if I'm tired.  If not, I will whip heavy cream and add some vanilla stevia.   I also have been known to serve frozen berries without thawing them and topping them with almond milk.  The combination is kind of like ice cream!

Day 1 Blog

Day 1 Lunch (see details below)

So the plan of this blog is to provide 15 Days of Meal Plans that meet Alexx's requirements for a ratio between 20:50:30 of carbohydrates: fat: protein and 15:65:20. This lo-carb meal planning is what keeps his glucose levels at a manageable range of 100-126 and his A1c levels below 5.2. We are continuing to monitor his blood lipid levels every 3 months, with the exception of 6 months in the summer when we are traveling in our RV. Our plan is to create 15 meal plans that we can rotate through the summer keeping meal planning and grocery shopping easy.

We would appreciate your feedback on any of the recipes that are included in the blog. In order for a recipe to be a part of a daily meal plan it has to have received a score of 3.5 or higher on Alexx's rating scale of 1-4. A 3.5 is his "very good, yes, I like this" rating and a 4.0 is "oh, my, I love this!" rating. (Pretty much anytime there is chocolate in the ingredient he rates it a 4.) Eventually, we would like to have all 4 ratings but that may take a while. We'll see how it goes. I have been creating and revising recipes for the past year and now I will put them together into meal plans that meet the ratio and rating criteria.

So check back regularly. It takes a few trials to come up with a full day's meal plan that balances things correctly. Sometimes one meal might be higher in one area and lower in another than what our goal is, but we try to balance things by the end of the day. When we do this, we find his glucose numbers do pretty well.  Alexx only tests one meal a day as he gets tired of pricking his fingers. But which ever meal is tested that day, we will include it in the blog at that time. Eventually, we will have every meal plan tested as we rotate through the meal plans every 15 days.

Day 1 Breakfast - 7:00am

• Breakfast Nut Granola (see recipe below) - 1 servings (1/4 cup)
• Almond Milk - 1/3 cup
• 1 tsp sesame seed oil mixed with 2 tsp olive oil
• Frozen blueberries, thawed - 2 tbsp
• Cottage Cheese, 1/2 cup, 4% fat
• 1 Tbsp flaxseed oil mixed with 1 tsp ground cinnamon

I mix the sesame seed and olive oil into the Breakfast Nut Granola before adding the Almond Milk. The cottage cheese is mixed with the thawed blueberries, flaxseed oil and cinnamon.

Nutritional totals: 518 calories; 32 carbs, 44 fat, 57 protein (This is more carbs than he usually has for breakfast, but he welcomes a change from eggs. By the end of the day, his carbs will be in the correct ratio for his goals.)

Breakfast Nut Granola

• Introduction
• Gluten Free, Grain Free, Low-Sugar, Dairy Free cereal option! 
• Minutes to Prepare: 15
• Minutes to Cook: 30
• Number of Servings: 14

Ingredients:
Shelled pistachios, 1 oz
Raw cashews, 1 oz
Macademia nuts, 1 oz
Sunflower seeds, 1 oz
Sesame seeds, 1 Tablespoon
Almonds, 2 oz
Walnuts, 2 oz
Pecans, 2 oz
Coconut flour, 2 Tablespoons
Flaxseed meal, 1/4 cup
agave nectar syrup, 1 Tablespoon
20 drops vanilla creme Sweetleaf
Ground Cinnamon, 1 Tablespoon
sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon
Liquid Aminos, 1 teaspoon
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon
Sesame Oil, 1 Tablespoon
Fresh Ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon

Directions:

1. Pulse the nuts, flaxseed, and flour until the nuts are rough ground – like big gravel pieces
2. Mix into a bowl with ¼ cup olive oil, 1 Tablespoon sesame oil, 1 Tablespoon Agave Nectar, and 20 drops of vanilla crème stevia, salt and spices
3. Spread the mixture on a baking pan that has been rubbed with coconut oil.
4. When the mixture is evenly spread, spray with liquid aminos and sprinkle an additional tablespoon of olive oil.
5. Roast at 275 degrees for 30-45 minutes, stopping every 15 minutes to toss and redistribute the mixture evenly.
6. When the mixture is evenly roasted and fragrant, shave fresh nutmeg overall. Let cool and then keep in airtight containers. Keeps well in the freezer.

Serving Size: Makes 14 one-quarter cup servings

Tips: Serve with almond milk and berries of choice. A little goes a long way! The next time I make this I will substitute sugar free maple syrup for agave syrup and will be able to lower the number of carbs in the mix.

Nutritional Information per single serving of 1/4 cup:
Calories 112.7; Net Carbs: 17.8g; Fat: 9.4g; Protein: 44.5g

Day 1 Lunch - 11:00 am (see photo at top of page)

• Mission Carb Balance Tortilla Wrap, 1
• Hormel Natural Choice Turkey slices, 3
• Romaine Lettuce, 1 inner leaf
• Egg Salad made with 1 hard boiled egg, 1 tablespoon of peppers (red, green and jalapeno), 1 tablespoon raw onion, 1 tsp. flaxseed oil, 1 tsp olive oil mayo, 1 tsp spicy mayo
• 2 slices Nature's Own no nitrate bacon, center cut

Use the above ingredients to make the wrap.

Serve the wrap with 3 medium strawberries, an additional hard boiled egg sliced in two and topped with spicy brown mustard, and 1 maple chocolate chip cookie (see recipe below.)

Nutritional Information for Lunch:
Calories: 627; Carbs: 22 g; Fat 45g; Protein: 29 g

Alexx likes egg salad and the Mission Carb Balance tortilla is as close as he can get to having bread. The fiber content in this tortilla is very high so the net carb is just 4.

Glucose testing on this lunch was 104 at the start and 110 after 1 hour.

Maple Chocolate Chip Cookies

• Easy to make and so tasty!
  
• Minutes to Prepare: 5
• Minutes to Cook: 10
• Number of Servings: 21

Ingredients:
Dry Ingredients:
Honeyville Blanched Almond Flour, 1+1/4 cups
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp soda
1/3 cup chopped raw walnuts
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Wet Ingredients:
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup Walden Farms Pancake Syrup
1.5 tsp pure vanilla extract (sugar free)

Directions

1. Blend the dry ingredients in a small bowl. 
2. Blend the wet ingredients in a 1 cup measuring cup. 
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until evenly blended. 
4. Prepare a small cookie sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven at 350 degrees. 
5. With a teaspoon, measure evenly 7 scoops of dough on the sheet. 
6. Press each scoop flat. 
7. Bake for 10 minutes. 
8. Repeat for next two batches of cookies. 
9. Let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They also freeze nicely.

Serving Size: Makes 1.75 dozen small cookies
Tips: A sugarfree maple syrup can be substituted for the Walden Farms Pancake Syrup but will slightly alter the nutritional components. I use a small cookie sheet in the RV stove, but a large cookie sheet could easily be used and accommodate more cookies at one time. I have also successfully made these on a pancake griddle when I don't want to heat up the oven in the RV!

Day 1 Snack - 2:00pm
Alexx is not a great fan of vegetables but knows he needs to include them in his diet.  He goes by the "old boot" philosophy...if you put enough cheese and bacon on anything it is tolerable...even an old boot!

This is the mixture in his salad bowl:
Iceberg lettuce, chopped, 1 cup
Kale, 1 leaf, chopped small, approx 3 grams
Green onion, chopped, 1/4 cup
Green peppers, chopped, 1/4 cup
Cucumber with peel, chopped, 2 tbsp.
Feta Cheese, crumbled, 1/4 cup
Hormel Natural Choice, no nitrate bacon, 1 slice crumbled
Blue Cheese Dressing, 2 tbsp.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 353; Carbs: 11g; Fat: 13g; Protein 10g

Day 1 Dinner - 6:00pm
Pancakes are usually saved for a breakfast entry and Alexx's favorite pancakes will be shared on a different meal plan day.  On this day, we have our version of Pigs in a Blanket.  I used to love to make Swedish Pancakes, but since flour has been eliminated from our diet, I had to find an acceptable substitute.  This is as close as we have come so far and we are pretty happy with the result:

• Beefy Blankets (see recipe below)
• 1/2 cup sliced strawberries
• 2 Tbsp whipped cream

Total Nutritional Value for the meal:

Calories: 611; Carbs: 17g; Fat: 51g; Protein: 20g

Beefy Blankets

Minutes to prepare: 15
Minutes to cook: 20
Number of servings: 2

Ingredients:
Ricotta Cheese, whole milk, 2 Tbsp.
Egg, 1 large
Sugar substitute, 1 Tbsp
Vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon, ground, 3/4 tsp
Organic Butter, 1 Tbsp
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 3 tsp divided
Open Nature Uncured Beef Franks, 4 franks
Sugar Free Maple Syrup, 1/4 cup

Directions:
1. Saute the franks in 1 tsp olive oil on medium low heat.
2. In small blender pulse together until blended: ricotta, egg, sweetener, cinammon, vanilla
3. Stir in the remaining 2 tsp of olive oil to the batter
4. Heat a crepe pan or skillet to medium heat and add the butter to melt.
5. Make one crepe at a time with 1/4 cup of the batter.  Tip the pan so the batter spreads evenly.
6. Cook the batter for approximately 1 minute.  You will see the crepe setting.
7. Turn the crepe carefully to cook the other side.  (If you are confident the crepe won't land on the floor you can try flipping it!)
8. Repeat until all four pancakes are made. (If you can keep them warm in the oven that is nice.)
9. Roll one frank inside each pancake.
10.  Top with sugar free syrup and serve.

Nutritional information for a serving of 2 Beefy Blankets:
Calories: 572.5; Net Carbs: 9.9g; Fat: 49.2g; Protein: 19g


Day 1 Late Snack - 10:00pm
Alexx absolutely loves dessert and when he was diagnosed with diabetes he sadly said goodby to his favorite eating establishments of Dairy Queen and Baskin Robbins.  We never dreamed we would be able to add desserts into his meal planning, but with a little bit of research and trial and error in the kitchen has resulted in some very nice options.  Consequently, we are including 15 desserts in our meal planning so every day there is something to look forward to for sweetness.  Sometimes a recipe will make a larger portion than for the two of us, and sometimes I don't care to have dessert (that is a hard concept for Alexx to comprehend) so he will have the remaining portions on the following day(s).  Despite that, we have included 15 different recipes for desserts.  All our desserts have been tested on friends too so they work well for entertaining too. It's such a treat for Alexx to be able to eat the same food that everyone else is eating and all enjoy it.
All the desserts are tested so that we know they don't spike his glucose numbers.  But that's just Alexx. Everyone does not respond the same to ingredients, so if you are using our recipes for a diabetic person, please be sure to have them test the foods to see how they react.  Hopefully, it will be as successful as it has been for Alexx.  (Oh, by the way, I don't like to cook every day so sometimes he just gets a Carb Smart ice cream bar.  They are only 9 net carbs per bar and they fill the bill quite nicely.)

• 1/2 cup frozen vanilla custard
• 1 Tbsp. Smuckers Sugar Free Fudge Topping mixed with 2 tsp walnut oil
• 5 halves chopped walnuts
• 1 Tbsp Redi Whip topping
• fresh berries for topping

Nutritional Information for the snack:

Calories: 302; Carbs: 14g; Fat: 27g; Protein: 4

Low Carb Frozen Vanilla Custard

Minutes to prepare: 5
Minutes to cook: 20 plus overnight to chill custard and 30 minutes in the ice cream maker
Servings: 4 scoops of 1/2 cup each

Ingredients:
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 egg yolks
3 Tbsp. powdered stevia
1 Tbsp. sugarfree vanilla syrup
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Directions:
1. In a small saucepan mix the cream and milk and stir over medium-high heat until foam begins to appear.
2. Remove pan from heat.
3. Beat egg yolks and sweeteners until light and fluffy - about 2 minutes.
4. Gradually pour the cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture and whisk constantly so there is no curdling.  If any lumps form, remove them.
5.  Place the bowl with the combined mixture over a saucepan of simmering water and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, cooking until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon.
6. Remove the bowl from the heat and continue to stir the custard for 2 minutes.
7. Stir in the vanilla extract and syrup.
8. Cover the bowl and let it cool to room temperature before placing it in the refrigerator.
9. Chill overnight in the refrigerator.
10. Transfer the cold custard to the ice cream maker and use as directed.
Nutritional Information for one 1/2 cup serving of ice cream:
Calories: 88; Carbs: 8g; Fat: 8.1g; Protein: 1.8g

Total Nutritional Information for Day 1 Meal Plan:
Calories: 2401; Carbs: 94g (15%); Fat: 198g (67%); Protein: 121g (18%)

Day 4 Meal Plan

Breakfast - 7:00 AM

• Chocolate Chip/Raspberry Pancakes
• Chicken Andoulie Sausage
• Alexx's Cocoa

Some days it's nice to just look at the cookbook and say, "It's Wednesday, Day 4 - it's chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast today" and some days I just want to create an omelet out of what is leftover from last night's dinner.  So don't feel tied to the seemingly structured approach to this cookbook.  You can definitely change things up when you feel like it, and know that I do too.  But if I ask Alexx on ANY day - "What would you like for breakfast?" you can be assured he will respond, "Chocolate Chip pancakes!"  And this is from someone who never cared for pancakes.

Really?  Pancakes for a lo-carb diet?  Yes, because remember, I use almond flour instead of wheat flour. And these pancakes are tried and true (with the Alexx taste buds) and I would match them against any IHOP pancakes that are reported at 720 calories, 103 net carbs, 23 g fat, and 20 g protein for 4 pancakes. The key is a little goes a long way.  By adding just 3 dark chips per pancake, Alexx gets a hit of great chocolate that satisfies his craving for chocolate and my using dark chocolate chips he gets the advantage of anti-oxidents to boot!

I use my little blender to mix the egg, oil, and milk and then stir it into the dry ingredients.  If you make these ahead of time, you will need to add some liquid before pouring the batter on the griddle.  I just add about a tablespoon of water so the nutritional value doesn't change.

Chocolate Chip/Raspberry Pancakes

Ingredients:
Mix in the small blender:
4 Tablespoons almond milk
1 egg (any size is fine - if not a large just add enough water to make 1/4 cup.
1 Tablespoon grape seed oil

In a separate bowl mix:
1/2 cup almond meal
2 tablespoons raspberries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

Need 14 dark chocolate chips

Mix the liquids and solids together gently and pour onto a heated and greased griddle.  (I use about a teaspoon of coconut oil to a griddle heated to 375 degrees.)
Make four pancakes with the batter and bury 3 chocolate chips into each pancake.  When bubbles begin forming on the pancake (approximately 2 minutes), flip the pancake.  Let the pancake cook for at least another minute or two before sliding it onto the serving plate.  Top with a few raspberries and a couple chocolate chips for garnish.  Serve with  1 tablespoon organic butter and 2 tablespoons sugar free syrup.
3 pancakes of the 4 it makes (I eat the 4th for my breakfast):
Calories: 472; Net Carbs: 17g; Fat: 45 g; Protein: 8 g

The breakfast also includes a cup of Alexx's cocoa and a Chicken Andoulie Sausage.  Yes, it clearly makes a happy way to start this chocoholic's day despite being a diabetic.

Nutritional Information for the full breakfast:
Calories: 409; Net Carbs: 27g; Fat: 31 g; Protein: 19 g

 Lunch - 12:00

• 2 oz Cheese divided
• 6 oz Ham slices
• 1 slice nut bread

     By now you know we enjoy going to the local Farmer's Markets for fresh produce, eggs and meat.  But what I forgot to mention is the fabulous array of goat cheeses that we have found in our travels.  There are all kinds of reasons to eat goat cheese over cow's milk cheese, such as it is lower in saturated fat and higher in protein as well as lower in calories than cheese from cows milk.  But frankly, we love the taste of it!  Besides making a good lunch, I love serving goat cheese and crackers with a drink before dinner.  Depending on the aging process, goat cheeses vary so if you try one and don't like it...try another.  The vendors at the Farmers Market usually have samples available.  In Montrose, UT, we found a wonderful vendor that had a 6 month aged cheese that was more like a Parmesan texture, a blue cheese, and a soft cheese.  I could easily have bought all three, but due to the expense we just opted for the soft cheese as it works best for spreading on crackers or bread.
     For the meat and cheese portion of the meal, I just spread the cheese in two Hormel's Natural Choice turkey or ham slices and roll them up.  They are easy to eat and a perfect complement with the bread.

     So this is a quick lunch and easy to prepare if you have made the nut bread and brownies in advance. Neither of them take long and they both are quite delicious.  I have made the nut bread with zucchini, pumpkin, and squash depending on the time of year.  My sister uses zucchini and adds raisins.  Alexx doesn't care for raisins and doesn't need the added sugar, so I skip them.  I know people who have tried this with carrots too, but again, the glucose value in carrots is too high for Alexx.  I tend to like the texture of the bread best when I use acorn squash or pumpkin.  

     The key is to roast the vegetable yourself instead of buying canned.  The flavor is richer and the texture is better - plus there are no additives in fresh vegetables.  (I quickly cook the squash in the microwave.  I buy the smallest size I can find and cut the gourd in quarters.  I place the quarters upside down in a microwave safe pan with 1/4 inch of water.  Microwave for 15 -20 minutes until you can easily stick a sharp knife through the skin.  Scrape the pulp away from the skin and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.  It usually will make about a cup and I can make two loaves of nut bread with it.  If I don't have enough squash or pumpkin I use pure applesauce to fill in.)

Nut Bread/Muffins

Dry Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. soda
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. mace
• 1/4 tsp. stevia (I use Truvia)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Wet Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup roasted acorn squash or pumpkin
• 1 Tablespoons organic blue agave nectar
• 1 Tablespoon sugar free maple syrup
• 3 large eggs beaten
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls until evenly blended.  Combine the wet and dry ingredients in one bowl and mix with a large fork just until blended.  Do not over mix. (I like to use a Foley fork to do this instead of a mixer, but the wet ingredients can be mixed in a bullet blender before mixing with the dry ingredients.)  Line a small loaf pan with parchment paper and grease with coconut oil. (You can also use muffin cups if you prefer.  It will make approximately 10 muffins.)  Bake the loaf for 35 minutes or the muffin cups for 25 minutes. (Sometimes I double the recipe and do both muffins and a loaf.  The muffins freeze well.)  Serve the bread after it has cooled at least 30 minutes but is still warm.  Add a pat of organic butter if you wish.
Nutritional Info:
Calories: 236; Net Carbs: 4.9g; Fat: 21.2 g; Protein: 7.5g

Nutritional Info for the full lunch: Calories: 563; Carbs: 11; Fat: 40; Protein: 42

Dinner - 6:00 PM

• Salad
• Cajun Chicken Lavosh
  
• Best Brownie 

Perhaps the hardest food item for Alexx to relinquish has been pizza.  Actually, he hasn't given up trying to find a pizza that doesn't spike his sugar.  We have found a few - Grimaldi's New York Pizza and Paul Newman's frozen pizza are two we have discovered. I have tried to make homemade pizza with gluten free crusts and cheese crusts, and just about everything I could think of, but none of them satisfied his taste for pizza, until we tested Lavosh cracker bread as the base for his pizza.  Bingo!  It doesn't spike his sugar and the topping is exactly what he loves.  So now we have a dinner "pizza" that he can count on every 15 days which makes him very happy.  And when we are fortunate enough to land in a town that has a Grimaldi's he also get's to indulge then!  (There actually are quite a few and they seem to be opening more of them around the country.)  The key to making the lavosh is finding the cracker.  It's usually in the international foods section of the grocery story, but sometimes it's in the bakery.  You just need to ask.  If the grocery store doesn't carry it, you might find a Mediterranean market that carries it.  This is the one I find most often: 

It has three crackers to a package and each one makes a large "pizza" that is usually enough for dinner and lunch the next day or an evening snack.  The cracker keeps well, but if you don't think you will use all three within a month, then you might want to invite the neighbors over!  It's a great party meal!

Cajun Chicken Lavosh

Ingredients:

1/2 lb chicken breast

1/4 cup olive oil separated

2 T lime juice

1 tsp jalapenos

salt

1 cup mozzarella cheese

1 cup Havarti cheese

1 cup Swiss cheese

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1 cup chopped green peppers

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons cooked and chopped bacon

Directions:

Mix 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons lime juice and 1 tsp jalapenos with salt and chicken breasts.  Refrigerate for 1 hour.  Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a skillet and saute marinated chicken breasts until slightly pink inside.

Layer remaining ingredients on lavosh in this order: Mozzarella, Havarti, Swiss, onions, peppers, Parmesan and bacon.  Drizzle olive oil over the top.  Bake at 475 degrees for 15 minutes and edges of lavosh are browned.  Serve immediately.  This keeps well in the refrigerator for lunch and snack leftovers.

Nutritional Info:
Calories: 515.4; Net Carbs: 24.5g; Fat: 34.4g; Protein: 24.8g

Best Brownies - from Elana's Pantry Blog

I have tried many different brownie recipes and adapted many as well. But none have been as good as the recipe I found from Elana's Pantry.  I change her recipe only in the area of the sugar and chocolate so I can reduce the carb count.  She uses regular chocolate and honey but I have used substitutes.  Grain free brownies can often be dry.  These are not!  They are moist every time and topped with a bit of no-sugar-added ice cream they have become one of Alexx's favorite desserts.  (Dreyer's mint chocolate chip is his favorite but he only gets about 2 tablespoons to keep the carb count down.) They freeze well so I can always have some on hand.

Ingredients

• 16 ounces creamy roasted almond butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugarfree maple syrup
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup dark cacao powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup sugar free chocolate chunks

In a large bowl, blend almond butter until smooth.  Add eggs, agave, maple syrup, and vanilla.

Blend in cacao, salt and baking soda, and then the chocolate chunks.

Pour batter into a 9x13 baking dish.  Bake at 325 degrees for 25-40 minutes.  Makes 24 brownies.  I freeze them in 6 packages of 4.  (When I'm in the RV I make 1/2 the recipe and use my small baking pan.)
Nutritional Info per brownie:
Calories: 199; Net Carbs: 7.8g; Protein: 4.1g

Nutritional Info for the full dinner:

Calories: 1,430; Carbs:74*; Fat: 99; Protein: 66
*This is a very high carb count for a typical meal for Alexx, but for whatever reason, this meal does not raise his blood sugar more than 15 points for the meal.  So we keep it on the list as a special meal - he loves it so and the numbers don't always tell the whole story.

Snack - 10:00 PM

Alexx only needs to eat something light to get his pills down at night.  Smoothies fit this bill quite easily.  I like to use whatever I have on hand, but I also always have frozen fruit available in case the refrigerator is low on fresh fruit.

In a small blender add and pulse:

1/3 cup Diet Cranberry Juice

1/3 cup Almond Milk

3 frozen strawberries or 1/4 cup frozen berries

1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast

1 Tablespoon flaxseed oil or meal

2 ice cubes

Nutritional Info for this single serving:
Calories: 180; Net Carbs: 6.1g; Fat: 14.8g; Protein: 4.5g

Nutritional Information for the entire day:

Calories: 2,582; Carbs: 121; Fat: 185; Protein: 131

18.12% Carbs - 62.26% Fats - 19.62% Protein

Extra - Cooking Out with Friends

Keeping it simple!

Some of the best evenings are those that we spend outside the RV with friends.  Of course the happy hour is a great warmup to the cookout and we were happy to find out that the sugar is typically distilled out of alcohol, so as long as the sugar that is added back into the drink is minimal, then Alexx can enjoy a drink.  This is his new favorite:

Raspberry Margaritas

I use a small smoothie blender to make his drink - a $12 item at Target or Walmart and it's great for smoothies or mixing pancakes too.
Ingredients:
2 ice cubes
2 packets True Lime (pure lime with no sugar - find it in the baking section at Walmart.)
1 shot Tequila
1 shot water
4 drops liquid spenda
4 fresh raspberries (2 large strawberries also are good)
Blend and serve in a chilled glass!

Chips and Spicy Dip

As long as you have some fresh raspberries out, mash up a few more and mix them in with cream cheese and some fresh or refrigerated jalepanos.  I add these with high fiber crackers.  I also frequently mash avocados and salsa for another easy spicy dip.  The high fiber crackers are a good substitute for corn tortillas and have a lot less carbs.  Enjoy every morsel and you don't need many chips!

Farm Fresh Sausage and Mustard

One of our favorite things to do (well mine anyway - Alexx is a good sport about going along with me) while we travel from town to town in the RV is to go to local Farmer's Markets.  I have a great ap on my Iphone that tells me where all the Farmers Markets are in the country and even zones into where we are currently located.  It's free and available through ITunes.  It's called Farmers Market Finder.  We try to buy our cage free eggs, produce, cheese and grass fed beef and no nitrate pork locally each week.  I can even plan ahead so if I know we won't be near a Farmers Market for a while, I buy extra meat or poultry and freeze it.  One of our favorite things to purchase are homemade brats or kielbasa.  I put them in my 1 quart slow cooker with a can of beer and let them gently precook for a couple hours.  Then they cook quickly and evenly over the grill to just add a nice edge.  Serve them with mustard!

Grilled Veggies

See my notes on Day 3 for Meal Plan for grilled veges.  For the cookout I just wrap the veggies in tinfoil and toss them on the grill.  If you want extra flavor, marinate the veges in 1/4 cup olive oil and 1 tsp each of your favorite savory spices like garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, basil, lavendar, herbs de provence, and 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.  I vary my mixture depending on what I have on hand and often add a few drops of Tabasco.

Broccoli/Bacon/Cheese Crunchy Salad

Every now and then I find something at the Farmer's Market that is not on my shopping list and it just cries out for me to buy it.  I was planning to make this salad for dinner and to purchase a broccoli at the market, but when I got there, I found no brocoli - but instead this beautiful lavendar cauliflower!  I've never seen such a beautiful head of cauliflower so I had to buy it!  Instead of using broccoli in the salad below I substituted this beautiful cauliflower and it worked just fine!  Don't be afraid to try substitutions as long as the carbs are still low.  My general guideline is to stick to veggies that are grown above ground. (Doesn't work with peas, but for most everything else.)

Lavendar Cauliflower from the Santa Fe Farmers Market - Sept., 2013

Mix together the following ingredients:
1/4 head broccoli chopped fine or shredded
2 strips no nitrate bacon, cooked to crisp and broken into small pieces
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup slivered almonds
2 hard boiled eggs, shelled and chopped finely
1/2 green pepper chopped fine
1/4 cup red onion chopped fine
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
salt and pepper to taste
Pile the mixture into a serving bowl.  Top with grated cheese (cheddar, feta, Gouda are all nice choices) and chill for at least one hour before serving.  It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Berries and Jello SaladGrilled Chocolate Chip Cookie

For dessert, I keep it simple and Midwestern style.  I mix up a fruit flavored jello in the morning and chill it all day.  The recipe for chocolate chip cookies that I posted in Day 1 Meal plan is the same cookie recipe I use for the cookout, but instead of baking the cookies, I make them on the griddle.  They aren't as pretty but they are very tasty.  Drop a dollop of whipped cream a few of those fresh berries on the jello and add a cookie that is fresh off the griddle for an easy and tasty dessert!

This is a low carb cookout that everyone enjoys!

Day 3 Meal Plan

Summer is over and school is back in session!  Wow - where did the time go!

Alexx and I have been traveling around the country in our RV and as promised, I have continued to keep track of his meal plans so that I can share them all with you!  Some alterations have had to be made due to some limitations of the RV, but not too many.  For instance, as I suspected, the ice cream machine wouldn't fit in the RV freezer so we left that behind.  However, we found that both Breyer's Carb Smart vanilla ice cream and Blue Bunny No Sugar Added ice cream do not spike his glucose count and keep him in his expected range.  Also, thrills upon thrills, we tested one scoop of Culver's vanilla frozen custard and it raised his blood sugar only 11 points after 1 hour.  We tried chocolate too but that didn't work out so well.  So now on occasion, we do stop at Culver's and Alexx is one happy fella!

Alexx praying to the frozen custard gods that he passes the glucose test!

 (Culver's reports the nutritional makeup as 30 carb/18 fat/6 protein for one scoop of vanilla frozen custard.)

But most of our meals on the road have been at "home" in the RV.  We do take advantage of some of the eating establishments along the way - especially after a day of travel when I just don't feel like cooking - but we find it relatively easy to find grilled chicken or fish and roasted vegetables and a garden salad on most menus.  What has been the most fun for my cooking adventures this summer is going to Farmer's Markets.  I got a great phone app that is free called MARKET FINDER.  It's been a great way to get the freshest produce as well as no nitrate, grass fed meat from local ranchers.  This app is the first thing I check when we land in any town.  I think my favorite purchases have been Michigan Blueberries, Grass Fed beef from Holland, MI, and fresh roasted coffee beans in Memphis.  Alexx's breakfast hash varies every day depending on what we had for dinner the previous night and what I found at the market that week, so keep that in mind in the recipe below.

Now on with the meal plans!  They will be coming regularly now as I need to complete all 15 meal plans by the end of November.  Please try some of the recipes and leave your comments!  It will really help me as I refine them and get the book ready for printing in the spring!

Breakfast - 9:00 AM

Oh, yes, the breakfast schedule got pushed back a bit on the road.  As we leisurely get into our day I usually get breakfast on our table by 9:00 and then after the paper is read, email and Facebook are checked, we are off to see the area where we are staying.  For today's breakfast we have another one of Alexx's favorites.  I like to make this on days we are driving to a new location or when we are in Phoenix on days that Alexx plays softball as he likes a lighter meal.  We call this...

Green Eggs and Ham

Today's breakfast includes:

• Green Eggs and Ham (see recipe below)
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 pkg Pro/Grade Genesis mixed with 8 oz. water and 2 ice cubes (Alexx is getting tired of drinking this every day and decided less water and colder makes it better.)

Recipe for Green Eggs and Ham

2 Whole Peeled Hard Boiled Eggs
1 T. Kraft Mayo with Olive Oil 
3 oz. sliced fresh Avocado - Fresh
1 T. Bell Pepper 
1 T. Red Onion Raw 
1 T. Cream Cheese
1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
dash of salt
4 slices Ham, Hormel, 97% fat free, Natural Choice 100% Natural, Smoked Deli Ham 

Slice eggs and remove the yolks.  Mix the yolks with the mayo, 2 oz. of the avocado, bell pepper, onion, tabasco sauce and salt.  Stuff the empty egg white shell with the avocado mixture.  Spread 1/4 teaspoon of cream cheese at the center of each ham slice and place the stuffed egg in the center of each ham slice.  Curve up the sides of the ham slice and top each with a slice of avocado.  Arrange on a plate and chill until ready to serve.

This breakfast scores a 4 out 4 points on his rating scale for taste!  Hope you enjoy it too!

Breakfast Nutritional Totals: 
• 464 calories
• 19 grams carbs (16.4%)
• 32 grams fat (62.1%)
• 25 grams protein (21.5%)

Lunch - 1:30 P.M.

With the later start to our morning we have eliminated the late morning snack and now go with three meals a day.  Eating four times a day works when we are in Phoenix and we are at home most of the time, but as we travel on the road we are frequently gone mid-morning with site-seeing and stop back to the RV around 1:30 or 2:00.  We try to plan our meals about 4.5 hours apart.

When the weather is cool, Alexx enjoys hot chocolate and used to drink it every day before he was diagnosed with diabetes.  Since then we have switched to Swiss Miss Diet Hot Chocolate on occasion, or Amberlyn's dark chocolate sugar free cocoa.  But Amberlyn dropped their line of cocoa and because I try to limit Alexx's intake of Splenda, and use natural foods instead, I have come up with this recipe for hot chocolate that he enjoys.

Alexx's Cocoa

• 6 ounces almond milk (unsweetened original by Silk or Almond Breeze)
• 2 tablespoons dark cocoa (Hershey's Dark Unsweetened Cocoa)
• 2 teaspoons coconut sugar
• 4 drops vanilla creme stevia

Mix the ingredients in a blender.  Heat in the microwave for 1 minute.

Nutritional information: 57 calories; Net Carbs: 8.3 g./ Fat: 5.8 g./ Protein: 2.8 g. 

Peanut Butter and Bacon on Grain Free Bread

Jif and Skippy peanut butter were mainstays in our house pre-diabetes diagnosis, so when Alexx realized that sugar was added to most jars, we took them off the shelf.  But once we started grinding our own peanut butter at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, we added it back to our menu.  All I needed to do was find a bread he liked and add the no-nitrate bacon we found from Hormel Natural Choice and he was back in heaven.  If I haven't made a loaf of fresh bread, we will spread it on one of the Carb Balance tortillas.  We have found another wrap since traveling that we enjoy and has more fiber and less net carbs that is made by La Tortilla. Most Walmart's around the country carry them.

We have tried a number of gluten free and low carb breads from various bakeries including Julian's, sand a local Phoenix bakery called Chompies, but they all are pretty flavorless and chewy.  After many trials this recipe rates a 3 out of 4 stars on Alexx's flavor scale.  We will continue to do trials but so far this is fitting the bill.  

Grain Free Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup nut butter (I've used both almond and cashew butters)
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 tablespoon raw honey
• 1/2 teaspoons organic apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line an 8.5" x 4.5" loaf pan with parchment paper.  Spread a thin layer of coconut oil over the paper.  

Using a hand mixer, blend the nut butter, egg yolks, honey, vinegar and milk.

Beat the egg whites separately until peaks form.

Combine the flour, soda, and salt in a separate dish.

When the oven is preheated, pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix quickly, before adding the egg whites and then blend everything.  Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and put it immediately into the oven.  Working quickly and efficiently will give your bread a better chance of rising nicely.

Bake for 45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Remove when done and let the bread cool for 20 minutes before removing the loaf from the pan.  Then cool the loaf for an additional hour on a cooling rack.  

Slice the loaf into 12 equal pieces and store it wrapped in the refrigerator.

Toast the bread before serving with a spread or using as a base for an open face sandwich. 

Nutritional information per slice: Calories: 179/ Net Carbs: 5.0 g/ Fat: 13.9 g/ Protein: 5.9 g

Total Lunch Nutritional Information:

Calories: 462

Carbs: 22 g (19%)

Fat: 34 g (66.2%)

Protein: 17 g (14.8%)

Dinner - 6:00 P.M.

We try to include fish in our diet a couple times a week.  Our rotation is typically shrimp, grass fed beef, salmon, chicken, sausage and occasionally pork.  (Other than a pork tenderloin I never have mastered cooking pork so we only have pork listed once in our rotation.)  But I do watch for sales and if any of these meats are on sale or available at the Farmers Market, I purchase them and freeze them.  Occasionally I will purchase a fish other than salmon but typically that's the only fish Alexx likes.  So when I saw talapia on sale for a great price, I bought it.  This recipe can be made with any fish really, but salmon has such a strong flavor of it's own that I typically don't spice it.  If you are like Alexx and can't tell one white fish apart from another, I recommend this spice rub.  It's easy to make and a lot less expensive than buying a pre-mixed spicy blend, but for ease, you can also just use a Cajun or jerk blended spice.  I use it to spice egg scrambles and to make pork fajitas too!  This recipe is enough to cover 1-2 pounds of fish, depending on how thickly crusted you want the fish.

Spicy Rub for Grilled, Sauteed or Baked Fish

• Spice Rub Mixture:
• Combine the following in a plastic sandwich bag and shake until well blended
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon fennegreek powder (available at Mediterranean or Indian Markets)
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon oregano 
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon stevia or sugar substitute
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Mix the spices together and put in a shallow bowl or plate with edges.  Wash 2 6-8oz. fish fillets and lay on a grill or cooling rack over a piece of paper towel.  Gently coat the fillets by dipping them into the dish of spice and spreading the rub over the fish.  Coat your baking dish, saute pan or grill with coconut oil depending on how you plan to cook the fish. (All methods are great.  The method varies for us depending on the time of year and whether we want to use the RV oven or not.)  Cook the fish according to your preferred method.  Do not overcook it though.  It will take anywhere from 6 - 20 minutes depending on the method used.  Check the fish for flakiness after 6 minutes and determine how much longer it will need.
Calories: 193/ Net Carbs: 2g/ Fat: 9.7g/ Protein: 25g

To complement the fish I also do a vegetable mix of which ever veggies are available at the Farmer's Market. On this occasion we had zuchini, onions, peppers and mushrooms and whenever possible, I add asparagus - it's one of the best veggies for lowering cholesterol and helping to efficiently use the insulin in the body.  A fresh veggie mixture is a perfect complement to spicy fish and it's simple to do either roasted in the oven, sauteed in a pan on the stove, or wrapped in tin foil and put over the campfire.  Depending on how done you like your vegetables, you might want to do a one minute microwave of the stalk vegetables to have them cook at the same degree as the onions, peppers and mushrooms.

Mixing 1/4th cup of each vegetable with the addition of one garlic clove serves 2 people nicely.  I like to saute it in 1 Tablespoon olive oil and 1 tsp sesame oil with 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.  Salt and pepper to your taste.

Calories: 140/Net Carbs: 6.5g/ Fat: 9.4  g/ Protein: 1.9g

Typically, I will add a green salad to the dinner, but if I have lots of fresh veggies than I will do a mildly starchy salad instead.  Aunt Bea's Salad was a favorite of mine growing up (not the Aunt Bea from Mayberry - my dad's sister's name was Bea so I really had my very own Aunt Bea!) and now it's become one of Alexx's favorites too.  However, I think any time I add peanuts to a dish it automatically becomes a "4" in his book. I'm sure I have added much more to the salad than she had, but she was generous with the peas and I use much less because the carbs in peas are very high.  The first time we tested Alexx on the original recipe his glucose numbers sky-rocketed, but the recipe I have now he can tolerate with no problem and the peas are still represented.  I have fond memories of Aunt Bea whenever I make this.  She always had great hugs for me when I visited and we loved to talk food.  She, my dad, and their older sister all died within months of each other.  They were all great cooks and absolutely loved good food.  I'm sure they are all dining together now and their influence will probably sneak into this blog again.

Aunt Bea's Salad Deluxe

•  1/4 cup frozen peas microwaved for 1 minute
• 1/4 cup Spanish peanuts
• 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
• 1/4 cup green onions chopped
• 1/4 cup diced cheese (I use whatever I have on hand - sharp cheddar is a favorite)
• 1/4 of a whole avocado, chopped
• 2 strips of cooked bacon diced into small pieces 
• 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
• dash of pepper
• a few sprigs of fresh basil for garnish
• 2 lettuce cups or leaves of any green
  

Place all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl except the mayo, pepper, basil and lettuce.  Mix gently.  Then fold the mayonnaise into the mixed ingredients.  Scoop the mixture into lettuce cups and garnish with pepper and fresh basil leaves.  Chill for at least one hour before serving.
Calories: 360/ Net Carbs: 4.7/ Fat: 29.2g/ Protein: 16.3 

Strawberry Chocolate Pie

     For desert, I made a strawberry chocolate pie.  This is easy to make, but the trick in the RV is to make sure I have enough room in the refrigerator as it's not a standard size.  So pictured here is the pie I make when we are home and I can use a regular size pie pan.  For the RV I have miniature pie pans complements of  my sister-in-law, Linda. (I have to clarify as both Linda and Lisa are great cooks - I think it was a criteria for my brothers so the the Diederich tradition of "foodie" that we learned from Dad would live on.)
     Linda and I share lots of recipes.  In fact you'll see some of her contributions in future posts...but I digress.  Linda was worried that I would have trouble continuing to bake in the RV with such a small space and small oven, so as a "housewarming" gift when we bought the RV she gave me a set of  little baking pans.  I think she found them at salesman samples stores and later I found some like them at the flea market in Shipshiwana, Indiana. If you are baking in an RV, I highly recommend them.  I just cut my recipe for pie in half and use two of the small pie pans to adjust this recipe.  This recipe is also great with any fresh berries. I've made it with a blend of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries with equally great raves.  I haven't tried it with frozen berries yet though I anticipate they would also work well.

Pie Crust:

Mix the following together:

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon soda
• In a separate measuring cup combine:
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 36 drops sweetz-free liquid sugar substitute or equivalent of 3 tablespoons sugar substitute
• 3 squares melted unsweetened chocolate
• 1 Tablespoon sugarfree vanilla syrup
• Blend the liquid ingredients with the dry ingredients and press into a pie pan that has been slicked with coconut oil.  
• Prick the pressed pie crust with a fork
• Bake at 350 degrees in a preheated oven for 8 minutes and then cool.

Pie Filling:

• 4 oz cream cheese
• 4 oz sour cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar free vanilla syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract
• 8 ounces whipped topping or sugarfree sweetened whipped cream
• 1 quart fresh strawberries sliced, that have been refrigerated for an hour and sprinkled with 10 drops of vanilla creme stevia

Beat together the cream cheese, sour cream, vanilla syrup and strawberry extract.  Fold in the strawberries and whipped topping.  Pile the mixture into the prepared and cooled pie shell.  

Freeze the pie for at least 2 hours.  Let sit about 15 minutes before serving.  Garnish with sliced strawberries. Calories: 280.3 /Net Carbs: 7.8g / Fat: 26.1g/ Protein: 5.0g
 

Nutritional Totals for dinner:
Calories: 951
Net Carbs: 21g (8.8%)
Fat: 75g (71%)
Protein: 48 (20.2%)

Late Night Snack - 10:00 PM

Because Alexx has to take Metformin medication in the evening as well as his long term insulin shot (9cc a day) he has switched his afternoon snack to an evening snack.  This usually consists of something light and easy and rounds out his day of whatever he might be lacking in carbs, protein or fats.  He likes something light as he usually goes to bed between 11 and midnight and doesn't want to be full.  On this particular evening he had:

• 1 scoop Bonnie Bell No Sugar Added ice cream
• 1 tablespoon heated sugar free chocolate syrup
• 1 tablespoon Redi Whip or Cool Whip topping
• two fresh raspberries

Nutritional Value: Calories: 77 / Net Carbs: 11g (56.8%)/ Fat: 1.5g (17.4%)/ Protein: 5g (25.8%)

Not a bad way to end the day!

Nutritional Values for Day 3
Calories: 1955
Net Carbs: 73g (15%)
Fat: 142.5g (65.6%)
Protein: 95g (19.4%)