Sugar Free Sweetener - Copycat Gentle Sweet

I made this Sugar Free Sweetener a copycat version of  the Trim Healthy Mama Gentle Sweet sweetener and it tastes the same to me.  It was a lovely surprise.  It uses erythritol, zylitol, and stevia.  I found the recipe for it at Joy Filled Eats Sweetener.  I modified her version a little bit.  I found that granulated erythritol doesn't dissolve easily.  I have been buying Swerve's confectioners erythritol and I thought that it would work great in this recipe.  The copycat Gentle Sweet has a cotton candy taste to it, and when added to my ice cream recipes and coffee creamer recipes it is amazing.  There is no funky aftertaste.  I think it saves a little money by making it yourself.  You can buy it for $9.99 per pound from the Trim Healthy Mama Site plus shipping. 

Swerve Confectioners Erythritol 1 Lb $7.85

Xylitol 1 Lb $6.87

Stevia 70 packets box $4.92 

Total $19.64 for approximately plus shipping 2 lbs at I Herb, so the cost is approximately the same. If you order $20.00 there is free shipping which is an added plus.

 The good thing about making it yourself is that you can actually buy the products from Whole Foods if you are in a hurry and can not wait for shipping or even local grocery stores. So that is an added bonus.  It is a little more expensive, but no wait time.

Print Recipe

Sugar Free Sweetener - Gentle Sweet Copycat

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup + 2 TB Swerve Confectioners Erythritol

2 cups + 2 TB Xylitol

2 tsp Sweet Leaf Stevia or 5 packets

Directions:

Put all of the ingredients into a food processor and whirl for several minutes.

You now have 3 3/4 cups of Sugar Free Sweetener Copycat Gentle Sweet.  

*The reason that I put it in the food processor is that I want it to be a very fine powder, not granulated.  I feel like it works better in recipes.  Since xylitol is still granulated, this helps the sweetener to dissolve into your recipes better.

I hope that you like the recipe and that you give it a try.  I comes the closest to sugar in taste that I have ever had, and it doesn't raise you blood sugar levels which is great.

Have a great week.

Debi

"flexoffers"

John 3:16 Meme

John 3:16 Meme

I have been practicing working with memes a little bit and sharing them on twitter, but I wanted to share some of them here also.  Since Christmas is coming up, this is the time of year that people are thinking about Jesus more often,  I wanted to share John 3:16.  I have shared it in the past, but I thought it would be good to share again.

Have a blessed week.

Debi

Dollar Tree Sale 12/7/17

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Dollar Tree is one of the best places to find gift wrap for the holidays.  I have already ordered tissue paper and gift bags and had them shipped to Colorado, so that when I get there, all of my wrapping supplies will be there.  They are also offering $4.95 Flat Rate Shipping At Dollar Tree (12/7 through 12/9), which is a great incentive to buy what you need over the next few days.

I decided to order the gift bags from Dollar Tree this year, because when I was ordering Christmas gifts Amazon and Target they wanted to charge $5.99 gift wrap.  That is ridiculous, I was able to order super cute Christmas gift bags and tissue and have them shipped, so that I don't have to take them on the plane with me or go shopping once I get to Denver.

Here are some examples of what I ordered.

I was even able to order my gift bag tags online and ship them also.

I hope this helps make your Holiday Shopping a little easier.  The great thing is that everything is just a dollar.

Have a great week.

Debi

English Toffee Creamer Sugar Free

I just made this Sugar Free English Toffee Creamer and it came out delicious.  I was so excited I couldn't wait to share the recipe with all of you.  I love sweet, flavored creamers in my coffee, and I have been on a mission the last few weeks to make my own creamers. My first experiment was a peppermint mocha and it bombed.  I drank it, because I wouldn't waste it, but the recipe was a fail, not something I would share with all of you.  I ordered some good extracts last week and a different sweetener.  The english toffee extract came first, so I decided to give a new recipe a try this afternoon and it was a winner!  Yeah!

I have been using cream and either liquid flavored stevia or a powdered caramel stevia FOREVER!!! At least that is what it feels like, and even though stevia is OK, I have been looking for a different sweetener that just tastes better.  I have tried erythritol,(Swerve), which is OK also, but it is still not as good as real sugar in certain recipes.  I just tried this new sweetener from Trim Healthy Mama called Gentle Sweet and it is delicious in this creamer recipe.  I added the Gentle Sweet to cream first and it tasted delicious all on its own.  It didn't need the extract to taste like a great creamer, so you could just use it in your coffee all on its own, kind of like a Sweet Italian Cream Creamer.

I love coffee, I mean I really love my morning coffee.  I love the whole morning ritual of making my coffee, putting my sweetener and flavoring in my coffee, getting it just right.  I even have specific mugs that hold the right amount of coffee, they have the right handle size, they fit in my hands perfectly, and they even have scripture on them.  One says "Trust in The Lord" Proverbs 3:5, and the other says "This Girl runs on Jesus and Coffee".  I even have one in the trailer that says "This is the day the Lord Made".  

Can you relate?  We all have our little morning rituals that help us start our day out right.  This is how I start mine.  Next up, is my prayer time and Bible Reading along with my coffee.  I have been using BibleGateway for their study guides, and I really enjoy the app.  Anyhoo, that is how I start my day.  How do you start yours?  I would love to hear from you.  

So, onto the recipe.  I hope you enjoy it.  I'll be sharing more in the next few weeks.

Print Recipe

Sugar Free English Toffee Creamer

Ingredients:

16 oz heavy whipping cream

5 TB Trim Healthy Mama Gentle Sweet

1 1/2 Tsp English Toffee Extract

Directions:

Pour the heavy whipping cream into a bowl and add the 5 TB of Gentle Sweet.  Whisk until will blended.  Just a few minutes.  Not too long, you don't want to make whipped cream.

Next, whisk in the 1 1/2 teaspoons of English Toffee extract.

Pour into a jar.

It is ready to use.

Makes 16 oz creamer.

Enjoy.

Debi

Let Them See You In Me - Bible Study

Do you ever get a song stuck in your head?  Let Them See You by JJ Weeks Band has been playing in my head all day.  I am a Big Bang Theory fan and they called a song playing in your head an EarWorm, but I think it is more then that today.  Today I am hearing God.  The song is beautiful, but it also reflects what I want people to see when they see me.  I want them to see Him, Jesus.  I want to be a reflection of Him, Jesus.  

Prayer for the day

"God help me to be a reflection of you to this world, help me to be a reflection of our living Lord. Jesus Christ"

Amen

 Here are the words and I'll also share the YouTube video.  Maybe it will touch a nerve with you also.  If it even touches one of you then He has done His job and I have done mine.

Have a blessed day.

Debi

Let Them See You

JJ Weeks Band

Does the man I am today

Say the words you need to say

Let them see You 

in me

Let them hear You 

when I speak

Let them feel You 

when I sing

Let them see You

Let them see You

 in me

Cinnamon Roll in a Mug - Keto

I started making this recipe for these grain free cinnamon roll Keto mug cakes a few weeks ago. I found the inspiration for this recipe over at A Heart Surrendered  and tweaked it a little to fit my tastes and calorie count.  These taste as good as your everyday cinnamon rolls made with flour and sugar, but they are totally grain free and sugar free.  YUM! I can not believe, not only how amazing these taste, but also how filling they are.  One is truly enough.  So if you are on a reduced calorie, keto diet, these totally fill the bill. 

Print Recipe
Keto Cinnamon Roll in a Mug

Ingredients:

1 TB Melted Butter
1 tsp erythritol
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
pinch of baking soda
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp maple extract
egg yolk
1/4 cup almond meal

Mix ingredients well and put into a mug or small ramekin.

Cinnamon Sugar Mix Ingredients:

1 TB erythritol granulated not powdered
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Mix the erythritol and cinnamon together.

Next, take a knife and starting at the center of your dough, swirl it out and then pour the cinnamon sugar mixture into the swirl marks and the rest will sit on top of the cinnamon roll.

Microwave for 45 to 60 seconds depending on your microwave.  Mine is normally done in 45 seconds.

I put a tsp of butter on top of my cinnamon roll when it comes out of the microwave and it is delicious.

I hope that you like this recipe as much as I do.  It is soooo very good.  Let me know what you think of these cinnamon roll.  I always love hearing from you.

Have a great week.
Debi

Psalm 150

Blood Moon - 09/27/15

I read Psalm 150 last week and thought is was really beautiful and wanted to share it with all of you.  I love all of the different ways of praising God in these verses.  I hope you love it as much as I did.

Let All Things Praise The Lord

 Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. 

Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. 

Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. 

Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. 

Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. 

Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD. 

Craftsy Sale July 2016

Hey Everyone! I hope you are having a great weekend.  Craftsy is a having a great sale this weekend and I wanted to share it with all of you.  They are offering 50% off of their top classes.   I love their classes and have learned so much from them.  I would love to have you give them a try.  They also offer free mini classes if you want to give them a try to start with.  Just click on the picture below and check out all that Craftsy has to offer.

Have a great weekend.
Debi

This is a sponsored post and I may receive compensation for your purchases from Craftsy.

Low Carb Chocolate Chip Cookies

I started making these grain free Low Carb Chocolate Chip Cookies last month and they are definitely delicious.  I even took a batch on our cruise last month and shared them with my table mates and they were a big hit.  So I can confidently share this recipe with all of you.  The inspiration for this recipe came from Amy's Healthy Baking.  I have tweaked it a little to fit my tastes.  I like cookies with a little bit more texture then the plain coconut flour cookie, so I have added almond meal to the recipe.

One of the things that I have found difficult with any type of a low carb diet is giving up all of the food that we love.  I met an amazing woman on a flight in May and she lives on a pretty restrictive diet.  She pulled out a tupperware of snacks on the flight and shared her story with me.  She was diagnosed with leukemia about 7 years ago and had to have a bone marrow transplant.  The bone marrow came from her sister, which was great.  She had a very aggressive form of leukemia and would not have survived without the transplant.  She is healthy now, and doing great, but the transplant changed her body chemistry, so she now has lots of allergies and asthma, which are things she never had in the past.  They are health issues that her sister has had, so when she had the bone marrow transplant, she now has the same health as her as her sister. (I thought this was very interesting. This was something I never had thought about.)  

Anyway, what I came away from with all of that was that I could do this.  This needed to be a life change for me, and I wanted to come up with a way of making this ketogenic diet work for me.  I would never be able to go bread free and treat free, I know that, so I have been determined to come up with tasty alternatives and fit the way I am supposed to be eating.  I came back from Colorado with a new attitude and armed myself with all kinds of recipes that I found on Pinterest.  The link will take you to my page and I have 6 or 7 different Keto Boards filled with recipes that I have saved.  You are welcome to take a look and see what looks good to you.  I will be sharing different recipes that I have tried with all of you and I hope you like them.

Anyway, back to my delicious Grain Free / Sugar Free / Coconut Flour / Low Carb Chocolate Chip Cookies.  These have a little bit more texture then the original recipe.  This is a soft cookie, not a crunch cookie, so if you are looking for crunchy cookies you will have to wait a week or two.  I have a recipe that I have been working on, but it still isn't quite right yet.  Once I have it down, I'll post the recipe with pictures.

Print Recipe

Low Carb Chocolate Chip Cookies - GF/SF

Ingredients:

1/3 cup coconut flour

2/3 cup almond flour

1 tsp xanthan gum

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 TB butter (I use kerigold, pasture raised)

2 large egg whites, room temperature

1 large egg

1 TB vanilla extract

1 TB Sweetleaf stevia powder

3 TB granulated Stevia (Stevia in the Raw or Truvia)

2 TB erythritol (You can get this at a health food store)

6 TB unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk, or heavy whipping cream (the difference in the recipe of you use heavy whipping cream are the calories, just don't use regular milk)

5 TB Lily's Sugar Free Chocolate Chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with a silicon lining or parchment paper.

Mix the coconut flour, almond flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt together with a whisk.

In a separate bowl whisk together butter, egg whites, egg, and vanilla.  

Then whisk in the Sweetleaf stevia powder, the granulated stevia, and the erythritol.

Next, add the almond milk, or whatever type of milk you are using.

Add your egg mixture into the dry ingredients, mixing until just mixed.

Next add the chocolate chips.

Roll your dough into 12 to 15 balls and then shape them and flatten them.  These cookies will not spread out, so you will need to shape them the way you want them.  Lay them on your lined cookie sheet.

Cook them for 12 to 15 minutes.  Keep and eye on them, because the almond flour can burn, so start watching them at about 12 minutes.

Let them cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet and then move them to a rack to finish cooling.  I store them in a plastic container in the refrigerator.  They are ok out for a few days, but I find that they last longer in the fridge.

I hope that you enjoy this recipe.  The cookies are delicious and pretty easy to make.

Have a great week.

Debi

Beautitudes for Married Couples

I read these Beautitudes for Married Couples on Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah last month. I thought that it was so beautiful. I wanted to share it with all of you. 

I hope you like them. Have a blessed week. 

Debi

Blessed are the husband and wife who continue to be affectionate, considerate, and loving after the wedding bells have stopped ringing.

Blessed are the husband and wife who are as polite and courteous to one another as they are to their friends.

Blessed are they who have a sense of humor; their marriage shall be much brighter.

Blessed are they who are faithful to each other and mutually helpful. God will surely guide them.

Blessed are the husband and wife who thank God for good things which come to them. They shall receive both good things and thankful children.

Blessed are the parents who recognize their children as gifts from God; their home shall be filled with love.

Blessed are those mates who make their home a place "where seldom is heard a discouraging word." They shall inspire others to do likewise.

Blessed are the parents who attend and support their church. Their children shall develop a strong faith.

Blessed is the couple who are good stewards of all God's gifts; their children will bless them and follow their example.

Blessed are those whose lives are a testimony of faith in God; they shall be the channels through which God's kingdom will come on earth.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow them all the days of their lives and they shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

—Author Unknown

Thai Chicken Meatballs

I made these Thai Chicken Meatballs for the first time a few weeks ago and they were so amazing, I decided to make them again and share the recipe with all of you.  I found the recipe on Pinterest, of course, and it came from Lexi's Clean Kitchen.  I followed the recipe pretty closely, but as usual I normally tweak a recipe depending on what ingredients I have in my house.  I always look at a recipe as a guideline for cooking, and then make any changes to fit our tastes.  It is a delicious, healthy, and the flavors just melt into your mouth.

Print Recipe

Thai Chicken Meatballs

Chicken Meatball Ingredients:

2 lbs ground chicken

1/2 cup coconut flour

1 cup shredded carrots, if you don't have shredded, just chop them in your food processor

1/2 cup chopped green onions

2 tsp cloves garlic

2 Tb fresh grated ginger

2 tsp sriracha sauce

dash of salt

Sauce Ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut aminos

4 Tb sesame oil

2 tsp cloves garlic

1 1/2 Tb fresh grated ginger

2 tsp sriracha sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

Line a cookie sheet with foil.

Mix all of the ingredients together for the meatballs, then form the meatballs.

You will have approximately 24 meatballs.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of your meatballs. Mine are a little bit bigger, so it took mine about 30 minutes.

While the meatballs are baking mix all of the sauce ingredients together in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Bring to a boil, whisk occasionally, and simmer until the meatballs are done. Keep whisking occasionally.

Put the meatballs in a bowl and pour the sauce over the meatballs.

Serve.

Makes 24 servings / 6 servings of 4 meatballs

I know that you are going to love these Thai Chicken Meatballs.  I would love to hear what you think of the recipe, I always love hearing from you.

Have a great week.

Debi

Dear God Note 17 - Psalm 23

We are studying Psalms in my Facebook Bible Study Group, and Sue from the group shared this and I thought is was so beautiful that I wanted to share it with all of you.

I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did.

Have a blessed week.

Debi

Psalm 23 Explained:

The Lord is my Shepherd

That’s Relationship!

I shall not want

That’s Supply!

He makes me to lie down in green pastures.

That’s Rest!

He leads me beside the still waters.

That’s Refreshment!

He restoreth my soul

That’s Healing!

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness.

That’s Guidance!

For His name sake

That’s Purpose!

Yea, though I walk through

the valley of the shadow of death.

That’s Testing!

I will fear no evil.

That’s Protection!

For Thou art with me

That’s Faithfulness!

Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me,

That’s Discipline!

Thou preparest a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

That’s Hope!

Thou anointest my head with oil,

That’s Consecration!

My cup runneth over.

That’s Abundance!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life.

That’s Blessing!

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord.

That’s Security!

Forever!

That’s Eternity!

Source Unknown

Easy Chicken Jambalaya - Keto Friendly

Today I am sharing a Keto Friendly recipe for Easy Chicken Jambalaya.  I found the inspiration for this recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens Skillet Dinners magazine and thought it looked delicious, and I was able to make it with cauliflower rice, rather then regular rice. Which makes this a delicious keto friendly, gluten free, grain free, low carb alternative. Yum!!!  It came out amazing and was super simple to make.  It took about 45 minutes total, including prep and cooking time.  The flavors were delicious together, and I love when a recipe has fewer then ten ingredients.  I know you are going to love it just as much as we did.

Print Recipe

Easy Chicken Jambalaya

Chicken Ingredients:
1 pound chicken thighs, boneless, skinless cut into bite size pieces
4 Tb Cajun seasoning
1 lb andouille sausage, cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces (sugar free)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 yellow peppers, sliced thinly and then cut in half
1/2 red onion, sliced into thin wedges
2 14.5 oz cans stewed tomatoes, undrained

Cauliflower Rice ( not counted in the macros)

Directions:

Put 4 Tb Cajun seasoning into a bowl and add the chicken pieces and toss them to coat well.

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium high heat and add chicken and andouille sausage and brown for 5 to 10 minutes.  It took me about 10 minutes.

Next, add the peppers and onion, cook for another 5 minutes.

Then add to stewed tomatoes, stir and cover pan with a lid and cook for 10 minutes.

Serve over Cauliflower Rice.

I know you are going to love this recipe.  I always love hearing from you, and would love to know how you like it.

Have a great week.
Debi

Nutrition Facts
Servings 6.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 393
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 27 g	42 %
Saturated Fat 8 g	40 %
Monounsaturated Fat 7 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 120 mg	40 %
Sodium 1251 mg	52 %
Potassium 573 mg	16 %
Total Carbohydrate 15 g	5 %
Dietary Fiber 2 g	8 %
Sugars 7 g
Protein 25 g	49 %
Vitamin A	10 %
Vitamin C	211 %
Calcium	8 %
Iron	24

Chalcedony, Malayasian Jade, and Aventurine Necklace

I wanted to show you this set of jewelry that I made recently with Chalcedony, Malayasian Jade, and Aventurine.  I decided to use sterling silver wire for the necklace and bracelet, since I was using semi precious stones.  I used for 14 kt gold wire for the earrings, since my ears are allergic to silver.  I also used some silver beads for interest.  I chose the colors for this necklace, because they remind me of sea glass.  Several months ago I was at the bead store, and saw all of the beautiful aqua, green, and yellow colored stones, and thought they would make a great spring and summer collection of jewelry.  Living a block from beach, creates a feeling of calm, and I wanted to reflect this in my jewelry designs.

I really love wire wrapping, and it creates a strong base for these stones which are pretty heavy.  I didn't want anything breaking or coming apart, so wire wrapping is the perfect medium for these beautiful semi precious stones.  My favorite is the center piece, the briolette which is Chalcedony.  It reminds me of the ocean on a clear, perfect day.

I learned how to wire wrap Craftsy's Wire Wrapped Jewelry Making Class. I loved the class and the techniques are not difficult.

Have a great week.
Debi

I order my sterling silver wire and sterling lobster claw clasps from Fire Mountain Gems. You can Request a FREE Catalog for any of your supplies.

This post contains sponsored links from Craftsy and Fire Mountain Gems.

Dear God Note 16 - Jesus' Hands

Dear God,

Thank you for having Jesus showing the disciples His hands.  Mary Magdalene knew it was Jesus when she heard his voice, they believed it was Him when they saw His hands.  Thank you for giving me the faith to know Him without any proof.  

I love you.

Debi

When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

John 20:20

NoOatmeal - Grain Free Hot Cereal Recipe

I made this delicious new recipe for NoOatmeal - a grain free hot cereal.  For those of you on a low carb diet, you like me may miss your oatmeal.  There are times, where I have found it very difficult to stay on the low carb diet, because I miss my carbs "a lot!"  I miss oatmeal "a lot!"  I found the inspiration for this recipe at Real Food RN, and if you are trying to low carb it, this is a great recipe to try.

My doctor put me on a Ketogenic Diet in December for health reasons.  It is not a high protein diet, it is a high fat / moderate protein / low carb diet. So far it is working.  When I went for my lab work in March, all of my levels had gone into the normal range, but I still need to be careful.  I do eat regular food and carbs from time to time, but I try to stick to the Ketogenic diet.

In the meantime, it has been very interesting trying to figure out how to eat.  My diet is high in healthy fats such as coconut oil, avocados, and nuts approximately 100 grams.  I eat chicken, fish, beef, pork, and lamb about 80 grams a day ( I avoid shellfish since it is high in triglycerides). I eat approximately 20 grams of carbs a day, which comes mostly from vegetables.

One of the reasons I have not been writing a lot, is because I have been trying to figure out how to eat in this new and different way.  This recipe for NoOatmeal will work for a low carb or paleo diet also, it is really delicious and full of healthy fats and fiber.

Print Recipe

NoOatmeal - Grain Free Hot Cereal Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups pecans

2 cups walnuts

6 TB Flax Seeds

6 TB Chia Seeds

6 TB Hemp Hearts

Directions:

Put the nuts, seeds, and hemp hearts in a high speed blender or food processor. (I have a Ninja blender which works great for this, its blades are not like a regular blender.)  If you don't have one, then use your food processor.  Pulse all of it on and off, but be careful, not turn your

NoOatmeal Ingredients into nut butter.  You just want it to be ground up, but not stuck together.  

Put it into a container and store in your refrigerator.

Yields about 5 cups of NoOatmeal
7.9 carbs (g)
7.1 Dietary Fiber (g)
.8 Net Carbs (g)
35.1 Fat (g)
8.1 Protein (g)

NoOatmeal Ingredients:

1/2 cup Milk, Cream, Coconut milk, or Almond milk (unsweetened)

1/2 cup NoOatmeal

stevia

butter

anything else you eat with your NoOatmeal

NoOatmeal Cooking Directions:

Bring the milk or whatever liquid you are using to a boil.  Add the NoOatmeal and cook for 1 minute.  Let sit for 5 minutes until thickened.  You can adjust the thickness to your liking by adding a little more or less NoOatmeal to the pan.

I add butter and stevia to my NoOatmeal, but you can add anything that you want, just as you would regular oatmeal.  To keep it low carb, you may want to restrict fruit or sugar.

I would love to hear what you think about the recipe.  I hope that you like it as much as I do. So send me your comments.

Have a great weekend.

Debi