Beef Brisket and Tuna Casserole

This week's menu has consisted of Beef Brisket and Tuna Casserole (both recipes are pinned to my Appetite for Victory Pinterest board).

Talk about eating well and not feeling deprived!

Breakfast is always three eggs fried in olive oil and real bacon bits topped with a tablespoon of Kerrygold butter. Coffee, always... Bulletproof Coffee on occasion.

Lunch this week has been a bit different:  Monday I went to BWW; I had pulled pork sliders, sauce on the side and removed the bun and a side of potatoes. Tuesday I went to a local deli: I had a club sandwich without the bread and a side salad. Wednesday I went to the local bowling alley: I had a burger without the bun topped with feta cheese (I L O V E feta) and baked fries. Thursday I went to a local grocer. I enjoyed their home-made pot roast with a double side of their home-made green beans. Today, I dined on the Tuna Casserole.

Dinners have been a combination of the tuna casserole, beef brisket, bunless cheeseburgers, and Boars Head skinless hot dogs.

All in all, I feel satisfied with very little hunger pains.

No Pasta Mac and Cheese Casserole

My husband found this recipe online AND he made it himself!! It is very good!!

1 pound extra firm tofu
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
2 eggs
1/4 cup cream
salt and garlic powder (to taste)
With a fork, mash the Tofu into little pieces.
Whip eggs and cream
Mix in cheese then add to the tofu.
Put the mixture in a casserole dish and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 30 to 40 minutes, or until it is lightly brown and bubbly.
To make it a little more filling he added a 6 ounce can if tuna, drained and then baked.
The possibilities are endless: ham, bacon, veggies, olives, etc. Or serve without additions as a side to your favorite protein... mine would be steak!

Helpful Tip:  Grate that cheese yourself! When you buy preshredded cheese, it is dusted with something that dries it out so it doesn't clump together. For creamier cheese that melts better, grate your own, it takes a little longer but it is so worth it!!

Wednesday 7-18-2012

The usual for breakfast.
Lunch was: triple Decker baconator topped with ketchup,mustard, and a huge dollop of mayo.
Salad with ranch dressing.
Dinner was the toppings off The Works individual pizza.

Day two of Induction redo

Foods today:

Breakfast:

• Coffee with 4T HWC
• 3 eggs with real bacon bits cooked in lard

Lunch:

• 1 cup lettuce
• 2 T LC ranch
• 1 ounce cheddar
• 3 baked chicken tenderloins

Dinner:

• 1 LC Tortilla (gluten free)
• 4 slices of fat free Ham

Snack:

• Coffee with 3T HWC

Net carbs: 20

Just the Plan Ma'am and nothing but the Plan

I work outside of the home. It's a pretty demanding job located about a thirty minute drive each way.  My son and niece go to school near there. So we car pool to save gas. 

Things have been pretty hectic at work lately and there have been some days that I leave the office and come home to finish working on some items. 

My honey hubby works second shift and he's not much of a cook (sorry honey, but you warm things up really well). Before following the low carb diet, I would make excuses all the time for eating out or eating junk food for dinner. From "I'm too tired" to "I don't know what to cook."  AND there's no lie, when I don't have a plan, both of those things are true.  But, when you're eating all natural, low carb, wheat and sugar free - you pretty much have to cook for yourself.  

So I spent my day/evening cooking, planning ahead for the week. Honey hubby liked the spaghetti squash so much he asked for that again.  My niece is going to try low carbing with us so that means her normal breakfast of waffles and chocolate cows milk is a no go. My son, well, he does his own thing because he's such a picky eater.

My niece will have crustless bacon & cheese quiche with stevia chocolate powder in sugar free coconut milk. This will net her about 5 carbs for breakfast. I made this tonight and put it in containers for the week.

For our lunches I made a meat spaghetti sauce and spaghetti squash which will net about 10 carbs per serving, each container is a serving size.

When I have time to cook dinner, we'll have chopped steak or chicken breast & a veggie or a salad. But on those nights when I'm beat or we have errands to run... I know I can just reach into the fridge and grab one of the pre-made dinners.

Planning ahead leads to NO excuses for cheating!!!

Morning Cup of Coffee

Just because I'm doing low-carb, doesn't mean that I have to give up coffee. Coffee alone is carb-free; but, unless you're careful about your choice of additives, the carb count can add up quickly.  I love coffee WAY too much to do without it.  In fact, Saturday morning is my day to sleep in, and I do; but, it's the thought of enjoying that first cup of coffee that is what really pulls me out of bed. I'll lay there and read or catnap for a little while but my mind always drifts to that first cup of coffee. 

There are times when my husband will be up first and will get the coffee going.  There's something about waking to the smell of freshly brewed coffee that takes me back in time to a tiny little house on McLaughlin Avenue in Fairborn. My Grandpa Quigley built the house for Grandma when she was pregnant with my Dad. I loved staying the night with them, I'd sleep in the bed that was my Dad's and enjoyed the coziness of the house. Grandpa was in charge of the rail yard for Conrail and woke at 5am. I loved waking to the smell of percolating coffee, the aroma filled the air and mingled with the sounds of Grandma cooking breakfast. I loved helping pack Grandpa's lunch and pouring the coffee into his huge thermos. It's among my favorite childhood memories.

To this day there isn't anything I love more than the aroma of coffee floating through the house... being transported back in time to that tiny little house and the love, respect and care that my Grandparents had for one another brings joy, comfort, coziness and an overall feeling of "home."

There are a lot of conflicting reports out there about coffee and it's benefits or detriments on health. I've learned to limit myself to about 20 ounces in the morning of regular coffee. There are times in the evening when I'll enjoy a decaffeinated cup. But when I started on this low carb journey, I wasn't sure how I could still enjoy it without killing my low-carb goals.

I found balance, and like everything in life, moderation is the key. Anything in excess isn't good for you. So, I enjoy my coffee with a couple tablespoons of heavy whipping cream and sometimes a packet of Truvia or Splenda. It's controlled carbs, two to three.

But what about when you go to Starbucks? Can you control that carb count?  The answer is YES! They have a wide variety of sugar free syrups and sweeteners. They will also make ANY drink with heavy whipping cream instead of milk or half and half. I know, heavy whipping cream sounds super fattening, right? That's because it is. But when you're doing a low-carb diet, fat is your friend. (The science and research behind that will have to come in a separate post on another day.)

So, go ahead, have your favorite coffee, enjoy that Latte, just be aware of your carbs counts:

• 1 Tablespoon of Heavy Whipping cream = 1 carb
• 1 packet of Truvia, Stevia, Splenda, Equal, or Sweet-n-Lo = 1 carb
• 1 pump of Sugar Free Syrup = 1 carb

Be true to yourself when measuring and building your favorite drink. These are what most of us call "hidden" carbs -- the 1 carb here, the 1/2 carb there -- when consumed in quantities, quickly add up and can kick your body out of ketosis and sabotage your goals for weight loss or controlled blood sugar.

Crustless Tomato Bacon Quiche

Grab your cast iron skillet and get ready to enjoy a crustless quiche like no other. You'll be delighted to feed this beauty to your family for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  It is so easy and could be modified to your own tastes rather easily.  I hope you enjoy!!

Step 1:

• 1 cup crispy bacon bits -- you can use bits and crispy them them in your cast iron skillet or chop and make your own -- remove the bits and set them aside but keep the fat in the skillet (this is important) If you made your own bits from raw bacon, you may need to drain SOME of the fat - leave enough to coat the bottom of the skillet.

Step 2:

• Take your cast iron skillet with the bacon fat and put it in your oven - THEN set your oven to 350 degrees. You want your skillet to stay warm and heat up with the oven... trust me... you'll thank me later!

 Step 3:

• Whip together (I use the blender attachment to the Magic Bullet):
• 8 to 10 large whole eggs
• 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 2 Tablespoons dried minced onions
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and Pepper to your taste
• Carefully remove cast iron skillet from oven and pour Step 3 egg mixture into the skillet.
• The egg starts cooking on the outside layer -- and forms a nice crispy outer layer... trust me, it's good and it fries a little in the bacon fat -- which also prevents it from sticking.

Step 4:

• Add the remaining ingredients (make sure each one is distributed evenly throughout your skillet - you don't want everything clumped in the middle)
• 1 cup Crispy bacon bits that you cooked earlier
• 1 can of Diced Tomatoes drained as much as possible (I use Red Gold 14.5 oz because there is no added sugar)
• 1 cup Shredded Cheese of your choice - I waiver between Colby/Cheddar and mozzarella/Romano blends

Bake for 30 minutes or until the middle is firm.  Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Makes 6 to 8 servings depending on how you slice it.  I serve it topped with Salsa, Black Olives and Sour Cream.  Approximately 2 to 3 carbs per serving.