Category Archives: cream cheese
Day 4: A really simple 2-minute low-carb / keto pizza snack
Breakfast – egg/cheese/sausage patty in a bowl
Lunch – leftover cream cheese and spicy sausage mixture in a low carb tortilla
Dinner – here’s where got creative…
I was pretty hungry about 4 pm, but we weren’t ready for dinner. I had some work to do for our web design company, and I wanted to finish it up before I started cooking.
I came up with this delish snack (probably not an original – but it was to me. LOL)
Take some pieces of pepperoni, mound about a tbsp of mozarella in the center of each, put the plate in the microwave for about 30 seconds – and VOILA! tasty hot pepperoni pizza treats. They were quick and delicious and assuaged my hunger until dinner could be prepared.
For dinner, I cooked a pound of ground beef, added taco seasoning and put the mixture on a plate. I topped it with grated cheddar cheese, chopped onions, one half an avocado, and a tablespoon of sour cream. I’ll admit, I do love a taco shell, deep fried flour tortillas and all those other crunchy Mexican carbs, but this meal still tastes good and is a great substitute for carby Mexican meals.
Day 3: Chicken and stuffed jalapeno pepper leftovers
I AM FEELING THE ENERGY!
I even had a coworker notice. She said I wasn’t as groggy in the morning as I usually am. I am reaping the keto bennies already! Why oh why do I ever go off this plan?
I had the usual breakfast at my desk at work: 2 scrambled eggs with cheese and 2 sausage patties
For lunch, I had a small salad and about 6 of the leftover stuffed peppers from last night. I made the rounds at the office, offering my coworkers some hors d’ouevres and the peppers were a hit!
For dinner, Rick cooked chicken and green peppers in a delicious spicy green Mexican sauce. I forgot to take a picture, but I have pictures of the jar. It’s low carb (3 g. per serving) He used the whole jar with 9 chicken tenders, cut into bite sized pieces. I ate about half the jar, or 9 grams of carbs.
It was just the right amount of heat and spice, and tasted really good.
Later, I was still a bit hungry, so I took some of the leftover cream cheese/spicy sausage mixture that I used to fill the peppers and stuffed it into a low carb tortilla. It was quick and delicious. Gotta love leftovers!
I’ve been trying to cut down on the diet pop consumption. Zero carb Sparkling Ice helps a lot. I especially love the black raspberry and lemon lime flavors.
Low carb and keto jalapeno popper quiche – cream cheese and jalapenos never tasted so good!
I adapted this recipe from the Closet Cooking website to reduce the amount of carbs.
Who needs crust? It was a flavorful and delicious start to the day – and I have leftovers so I don’t have to make breakfast tomorrow.
The first time I made this, I didn’t have a glass pie plate
- 1/2 cup cream cheese, room temperature (3 g. carbs)
- 3 jalapenos (one sliced, two diced) [if you’re using sliced jalapenos
from a jar – approx. 20-25] (approx. 1.5g carbs)
- 1 cup heavy cream (6.6 g carbs)
- 5 large eggs, lightly beaten (3g carbs)
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated (optional) (<1 g carbs) (save for top of quiche)
- Put the cream cheese in a microwave-safe dish and heat for 20-30 seconds
- Beat the eggs, mix in the cream, and add the softened cream cheese (I use a whisk and the cream cheese mostly mixes in)
- Add the chopped jalapenos
- Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 25-30 minutes, perhaps a bit more depending on oven and pan size (I place the glass pie plate on top of a cookie sheet for easier handling)
- Remove from oven, sprinkle on grated cheese, reheat for a minute or two until it’s melted on top
- Optional – arrange a few jalapeno slices on top for presentation
I don’t miss the crust.
Total carbs for whole pan = approximately 14 grams. There are only 1.7 grams of carbs per serving! Believe me, you’ll have at least 2 plates.
In the oblong pan
Quiche in a round pie pan
Day 315: Back to work after the long holiday weekend
Total weight loss: 41 pounds? (I haven’t weighed in weeks – Saturday is D-Day)
I still felt a bit under the weather, but it was time to get back to work. I only have a week of vacation left, and I don’t want to waste it lolling about the house in the winter. I foresee a beach in my future.
Since I had to make the sacrifice of getting out of bed and all, we treated ourselves to breakfast at the diner. I had the onion and cheese omelet. I keep reading that eating the same foods as a habit for each meal is good for you. I hope so, because I do that alot.
Lunch at work was a tortilla with some shredded cheese and a dab of cream cheese. Low-carb tortillas are a pretty good way to stay on keto yet still feel like I’m having my traditional Mexican food. Quick, easy, comfort food, all rolled up in one gooey cheesy tortilla. YUM.
I had some almonds for a late afternoon snack.
Dinner was the chicken with artichoke that I bought from Costco. (I love Costco!) It takes 6 minutes and tastes great with some quick caulitatoes. I know processed food isn’t good for you, but I worked all day, I was tired, and it took less than 10 minutes to have a nice warm meal. So sue me.
Dessert was 2 squares of 70% chocolate (topped with 2 squirts of Reddiwhip! – 1 gram of carbs per 2 tbsp).
Day 303: Home-made chicken salad
Total weight loss: 41 1/2 pounds
We went to the diner for breakfast, again. I had the usual grilled onion and cheese omelet with bacon.
For lunch at work, I went back to an old stand by. I love Mexican food, and I concocted a simple yummy and quick lunch. Two low carb tortillas (3g each), a handful of shredded cheese in each. This time, I also added 3 dollops of cream cheese, just for the heck of it. I microwaved them (open) for about 1 minute and a half, then added a few sliced jalapeno peppers to each and ate with a sour cream garnish. For some reason, I don’t like the peppers as well when cooked inside the tortilla, so I add them last. Quick, a bit spicy, and low carb. Yum.
I worked late and I was famished, but I didn’t feel like cooking. We passed fast food places and restaurants on the way home, but nothing appealed to me. I really didn’t want a sit-down restaurant meal, but I didn’t want a processed fast food meal, either. As we passed Big Boy, I was tempted to order a buffalo chicken salad to go, then realized that I had all the ingredients at home, and the only cooking required was the chicken tenders. I decided to give it a go.
I thawed a few chicken tenders in hot water, then sauteed them in oil until cooked, then sliced it into smaller pieces. I had one of those big plastic bowls of mixed greens that Costco sells, so I tossed some of that into a bowl, topped with chopped onions and chicken, drizzled buffalo hot sauce on top, then ate the salad with a side of blue cheese dressing. Oh, and I had no crumbled blue cheese, so I used feta instead. It was as delicious – or more – than the restaurant version!
It seems to get easier and easier to come up with quick keto-friendly dishes. I guess when you do something for nearly a year (!), you learn lots of tricks. There is no need to pay $8 or more for the carryout version when this recipe is so easy.
Day 289: KFC on Keto
Total weight loss: 41 pounds
Breakfast yesterday was Rick’s sausage, egg, and cheese in a bowl.
Lunch was leftover Keto lasagna.
Dinner was late. I was hungry. We took 31 bags of leaves to the curb and packed up a couple small boxes at the sold rental house. I wasn’t in the mood for a restaurant, so we stopped at KFC and I picked up a grilled chicken breast. I was thinking the cole slaw might be okay on keto. I asked for the nutritional information brochure. Nope. 20 grams of carbs and no fiber. The only side that was keto-friendly was the green beans. EEEWWW. I guess it’s obvious that I don’t care for green beans, soooo…..
Once home, I nuked a package of frozen cauliflower and made mashed “potatoes.” It was a quick and easy dinner and filled the void.
I ate NO Halloween candy, although I watched my granddaughter sort through her bag of goodies, and I watched my husband eat some of those goodies. Of course, polite Beccy offered me some of the candy, but I abstained and ate a few chili lime almonds.
Later, I ate an Adkins coconut chocolate bar, and hit the hay early. The orange frosted Hostess cupcakes that we picked up for our other two grandchildren were sitting on the kitchen island, and I avoided them by going to bed before I lost my battle. I know I don’t even like them that much. It was a totally emotional temptation.
Drank a glass of water, read a little, and drifted off with no cheat meal or snack behind me.
Success!!
Day 283: A really good salad: Big Boy’s buffalo grilled chicken salad
Total weight loss: 39 pounds
Well, I really enjoyed that early morning breakfast Wednesday, so I made the effort to rise early and try it again. This time, we went to the Senate Coney Island, which is a bustling diner even at 7:30 am. I ordered a cheese omelet, asked them to add grilled onions, and skipped the toast. The side of bacon was enough for me to share with Rick. I topped the egg with sour cream (of course) and called it a meal. The service was fast, the omelet was delish, and the bacon was perfect. No extra hash browns to deal with and I just skipped the toast. We’ll be back.
Lunch was on the run, again. More paperwork and banking to do. This house closing is dragging on, and there are still details to cover and items to move from the house.
We went to Big Boy. Since this blog is all about honesty, I had a really difficult time deciding NOT to eat carbs. I love BB fish and chips, so that was hurdle one. I was tired, stressed and hungry (too hungry), so my decision making processes were hampered by the need for some comfort food. I had tried the buffalo chicken salad a while back and decided to try that. The spiciness might make me feel like I was having some tasty treat, and the blue cheese dressing that comes with would be creamy and fill that need for comfort.
It was a hit! I was a little worried that I made a wrong choice when I saw that the chicken had some kind of coating on it, but at that point, I was eating it no matter what. The tangy buffalo sauce was subtle on the small slices of chicken and blended well with the blue cheese. It was filling and delicious.
Again, I forgot to take a picture, so here’s one that looks similar. I will definitely be ordering this again soon, so I’ll get an authentic one on my next visit.
I looked up the nutrition information when I got home and it passed muster. Without croutons (which I removed), it’s 10.2 grams of carbs minus 2.3 grams of fiber, for a net of 7.9. That’s not counting the blue cheese dressing, but after a really low carb breakfast, I knew I’d be able to stay under 19 for the day. It also looks like they have similar salads at Chili’s and other restaurants.
Bad afternoon – I worked until 6:30. At 5:30, that damned Halloween candy bowl at work called my name. I ate a peanut butter cup and 9 whoppers (actual circles of candy, not packages). I have no defense. I do think a salad doesn’t stick with me long enough to ward off the temptations. Whatever. I guess I’ll just have to plan ahead in case I’m tempted again tomorrow – drink a lot of water and eat almonds in the late afternoon?
Dinner – home late again. Rick didn’t feel like cooking, so we stopped to pick up a rotisserie chicken. Again, I was tempted. I had already eaten candy, so how about some macaroni salad on the side? NO NO NO. Rick didn’t buy it, and I made cauliflower mashed potatoes instead. Wonder why this is so difficult lately.
Oh, here’s a tip I figured out in the past few months. I really like the cauliflower mashed potatoes, and I really don’t like cooking very much (in case you didn’t figure that out). I now buy small frozen packages of cauliflower and have about 4 on hand. I use the same recipe as I have posted here, but here are the amounts of the ingredients I use with this size package….
Easy peasy cauliflower mashed potatoes – open one bag of cauliflower, pour in bowl, microwave 5 minutes. Put the cauliflower, 3-4 tbsp of cream cheese (definitely less than half a package), and one tbsp of butter into a food processor. The cauliflower should be steaming hot to melt the cheese easily. Process and eat. One package makes a little more than 2 servings. If Rick doesn’t eat his, it warms up well the next day.
Well, that quick recipe was a life savor, and I avoided the carby macaroni salad. I ate about 6 ounces of chicken with the “caulitatoes.” Dessert was 2 squares of chocolate with natural peanut butter.
Day 282: Back in the saddle again
Total weight loss: 39 pounds
Well, I’m getting back in the swing of things. Here’s yesterday’s recap:
Breakfast – Rick and I went out to a diner! Yes, mid-week, which is highly unusual. We’ve been under a lot of pressure selling our rental house, money leaving our pockets faster than we can make it, working on a few client sites all at once, and then both of us got the flu. usually, I go to bed late, wake up late and shower and fly out the door. On Wednesday morning, I just wanted to relax a bit before rushing off to work.
We went to a diner we hadn’t tried before. The only omelet choices had hash browns and toast with them. They also only had cheese, and I wanted to add grilled onions. I am NOT a morning person, and I had a difficult time conveying what I wanted. The cheese omelet special, add grilled onions. Hash browns also with onions, but to-go (for Rick’s next breakfast). No toast. Side of crispy bacon. This really perplexed the waitress.
My meal came: a huge plate of cheese and onion omelet, with a giant portion of hash browns and toast and a side of bacon (that was “middling” crispy). SIGH. I ignored the hash browns and toast, and enjoyed the omelet and bacon.
We probably won’t go back. There weren’t a lot of patrons, which is a sign that it isn’t a real popular breakfast spot. It seemed pricy and didn’t have a lot of options. However, my NYT crossword was completely finished in a half hour and I was relaxed and ready to greet the day.
We had some running around and paperwork to attend to on lunch, so I had lunch out, too. This time, we went to Bigg Burger. You know, I’m not a real meat eater, but when you order a burger and the bun is gone, there isn’t much left on the plate. I was really really hungry (breakfast was at 7:30, and by now it was 2:30!). I ordered a TRIPLE cheeseburger, no bun. They have lots of free toppings to choose from, so I chose mayo, grilled onions, and grilled mushrooms. They served up a great-looking presentation and I was really full when done. (where’s the picture? I AM out of the blogging habit – I forgot!). Here’s a simulated picture. LOL. Wait, you KNOW I didn’t eat that bun!
Since I took a long lunch, I didn’t get home from work until late. I was barely hungry after the “pounds” of meat I consumed at lunch, and also didn’t feel like cooking. I grabbed 4 thin sliced pieces of ham, put about 1 tbsp of cream cheese in the center of each and rolled them up. I tossed some chili lime almonds on the plate and called it a meal.
For dessert, I had 2 squares of 70% chocolate with Smucker’s natural peanut butter on top.
Day 104: Pizza buffet on keto
Total weight loss: 24 pounds. Next weigh-in: Saturday, April 28th
Sunday morning, and I wasn’t hungry for breakfast. I worked on gathering 2012 business expenses into an organized binder. Yes, I can learn from last year’s tax mistakes. LOL
After bills, budgets, design jobs, and other fun paperwork, it was time to go work on the rental house. For brunch on the way, we went to Papa Elias’s Pizza Buffet.
I had a huge salad with Ranch dressing and about 5 pieces of pizza TOPPINGS. I felt really bad when they came to clear our plates and there was a pile of crusts on mine. It looked so wasteful, but a woman’s gotta do…etc. If anyone ever questions my behavior, I plan to tell them I have a flour allergy. LOL
We worked on installing doors again. What a pain.
Afterwards, we headed home. I wasn’t hungry because of the huge brunch, so I headed back to my office to list ebay items and work on catching up on this blog.
In the evening, I decided to try the hamburger/broccoli alfredo casserole recipe Brandon tried last week from Linda’s low carb recipe site. It wasn’t too complicated, although Brandon recommended using more heavy cream and 1 1/2 times the cream cheese. I did, and it was very tasty and I ate 2 servings.
I’ll take a picture of it when I heat it up for dinner.
For dessert, I made some chocolate mousse.
Day 103: Let the weekend begin!
Total weight loss: 24 pounds. Next weigh-in: Saturday, April 28th
Saturday morning began with a small breakfast of leftovers: the pizza squasherole with some almonds. I worked at home on the budget and some web design.
For lunch, we went to Del Taco. I must admit, after my bad weigh-in, I was a little frustrated. I ordered the mucho burrito and tossed the tortilla, but I was really really tempted to buy a churro. I thought about it, but decided that eating a cheat meal after a bad weigh-in is a bad idea. I need to thoughtfully, carefully, plan a cheat meal, or even a cheat day, not do it emotionally. I did have 4 of Rick’s french fries.
We worked on installing doors at the rental house, then went to visit my dad. It was late when we arrived home, and I, of course, had nothing planned to eat. I got out 3 pieces of sliced ham, spread cream cheese on them, and topped them with onion. I rolled each into a loose sandwich and that was dinner. Oh, I had some almonds as a light accompaniment.
Dessert was 2 pieces of 70% cocoa bar with peanut butter.