Low Carb Mock Danish with Cinnamon Glaze - An Alternative for Low Carb Breakfast

Good morning all!
When a some following a low carb breakfast has had eggs the past 5 days in a row, the thought of having eggs for day 6 leaves their faces looking something like this:

D:

So, I've got a low carb alternative for you, low carbers! Enter the mock danish - an easy to cook, mildly tastes-like-you're-eating-desert-for-breakfast treat. I found the recipe here and thought it was so good, that I wanted to share it with you all.

You'll need:
2 ounces cream cheese (I used Neufchatel cream cheese - slightly less carbs (cream cheese has 1, Neufchatel has less than 1. Oooo.) and less calories.
1 egg 
2 teaspoons granulated Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
Pinch of cinnamon

In a small, shallow bottomed glass bowl (I used an Anchor Hocking/Pyrex type bowl), add the cream cheese and microwave for 30 seconds. It should look something like this once mixed:

Now, add the egg and beat until relatively smooth. It's best to do this while the cream cheese is still hot. Add the Splenda, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.

Beat until well mixed.

This is about how shallow my bowl is, which made for a perfect cook up. I've tried this before on a Corelle plate, it doesn't really ever cook correctly.

Once mixed, Microwave on HIGH 30 seconds; rotate the bowl (do not stir) and cook another 30 seconds, unless you have a microwave that has a turntable, then turning the bowl is not necessary. 

If the center still looks too runny, cook another 30 seconds. It may take up to 2 1/2 minutes total, depending on your microwave. The center should be a bit soft for the danish filling effect. Run a small rubber spatula around the danish, then under it to release from the bowl and put it on a plate. It'll probably fall apart a bit like mine, but it still tastes great. :)

Now, if you want to make the cinnamon glaze, melt 1 tbsp of butter, a teaspoon of splenda and a bit of cinnamon together. I wouldn't really recommend it, as I didn't care for the taste, but you might like it!

So there it is! A low carb, mock danish. According to Genaw.com, this recipe has:

With granular Splenda:
Per serving: 283 Calories; 25g Fat; 11g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs

With liquid Splenda:
Per Serving: 279 Calories; 25g Fat; 11g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs

If you use Neufchatel cream cheese, you can knock another half carb off of there. Enjoy!

No Bake Cookies

One of my favorite "go-to" recipes of all time just happens to be a dessert. :) I love to make no-bakes because they tend to be one of those recipes that I always have everything they require on-hand... and they are amazing. The only downside to this recipe and to making these cookies - for "no baking" required, they are FICKLE. You need to boil them for just the right amount of time, or they will either not set up and be a plate of mush (which still tastes great, let's be honest) OR they'll overcook, not taste so awesome and be crumbly. You need to hit that perfect sweet spot of boiling time. I usually cut this recipe in half when I make them, but have greater success in getting them to set up when the whole recipe is made.

So to make these, you'll need the following:
• 1 3/4 cups white sugar (I have not had success with a sugar substitute)
• 1/2 milk
• 1/2 butter
• 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (hint: make them heaping tablespoons for an even better taste)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium-large saucepan, combine the sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa powder. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. You need to time the 1 1/2 minutes from the point you get to a rolling boil, not to where you see one or two bubbles, otherwise they'll be TOO soupy!

While the mixutre is boiling, I usually get my peanut butter ready and oats ready, at least the first cup of oats, as this is a time sensitive recipe.

Once 1 1/2 minutes is up, remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter, oats, and vanilla.

Drop into cookie sized portions onto wax paper. I usually use the same spoon I used to mix everything in the beginning. Let them cool until hardened - which can take a little bit, especially if your kitchen is warm, or if you've undercooked them a little. If you are impatient, you can stick them into the freezer for a little bit!

Thanks for following along!

It's Pinspired Friday {Look for Less}

Ever since I joined Pinterest, I've had a "My Style Board." I've pinned a lot of different looks, and it's been fun to work with what I got to switch up my style. I've learned new ways to wear things, and it's definitely helped me get outside my comfort zone and try patterns and styles I may not have tried before.

I've had this look pinned for 2 years, according to Pinterest (wow!) and yes, it's Kim Kardashian. There is very few things that she wears that I would wear, but this look looked so comfortable and easy to dress up and down, that I knew I had to pin it. It also gives me a new way to wear army green without looking like I joined the army.

I looked through a few places online to gather the pieces for this outfit, and I tried to stick to places that were easily accessible and most of all, affordable. The best part about this outfit is that you probably already have a few of the pieces!

Forever 21 short sleeve tee
forever21.com - $3.80

Charlotte Russe ankle strap shoes
charlotterusse.com - $24.50

Charlotte Russe zip pouch
charlotterusse.com - $29.99

Charlotte russe
charlotterusse.com - $1.99

Stoosh One-Button Long-Sleeve Blazer - jcpenney
jcpenney.com - $24.99

jcp™ Cropped Pants - jcpenney
jcpenney.com - $19.99

Amazon.com: Fashion Jewelry - KNIT BALL FRINGE RUFFLE SCARF- By...
amazon.com - $27.00



Before shipping, taxes, and all of that good stuff, you can get the entire look for $132.26! And you can't beat those aviators for $1.99... :) I think I might have to give this look a try soon!

Got a look you want for less? Send it to me or leave it in a comment and I'll find it for you!

Savory Venison Skillet

Hi all!

Fall is right around the corner (yay or nay?) and that means lots of us will be (hopefully) enjoying venison soon. You might have heard that venison tastes game-y, or that it's tough... well, I had a package of ground venison tonight to use and let me just say, either this venison was not game-y, or this recipe just did a really, really good job of covering up any game-y taste. I think it may have been the later. It was really, really good.

Enter... the Savory Venison Skillet. 

So easy to make... and even though it looks like a hamburger helper dish, I used real cheese (not powder), and the taste is completely different from what it looks like... much less "cheesy" and more savory from the ketchup and Worcestershire. Because this only uses 7 basic ingredients, it's a great "clean out the fridge" meal, using what you most likely already have on hand.

You'll need:
1 pound ground venison

1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Condensed Cream of Celery Soup
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups frozen hash-brown potatoes
3 slices cheese (The original recipe called for process cheese, I call for sandwich slices of reduced fat 2% milk sharp cheddar. Mmm!)


First, cook the venison in a skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, stirring often to separate meat. Drain any fat and return it to the pan. I had very little fat... an awesome venison benefit.

Right on top of the meat, add the soup, water, ketchup and Worcestershire in the skillet, mix together and heat to a boil. 

It looks a bit like glop and eggs, but bear with me here.

Stir in the potatoes. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Top with the cheese and serve! I added a hint of salt and pepper on top of mine and it was delicious!

I really am a fan of venison, and there actually are some health benefits - a few to touch on is that wild harvested deer have no added hormones, it's actually lower in fat than even a chicken breast (only 2% of it is fat... hence why not much of it was in my pan after browning!) AND lower in calories - a 4 oz. serving of venison has roughly 95 calories whereas a 4 oz. serving of pork or beef has well over 300 calories per serving. Check out Michigan Venison for more health benefits. I didn't know most of them before I looked them up for this post!

Did you enjoy this recipe? Or do you have any other venison recipes? I have some venison sausage and venison steak in the freezer that I can't wait to try out!