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Keto French Toast (Slow Cooker)

Greg and I have started this year doing something relatively new to me. We are now campers! My only camping experiences until lately were terrible. When I was a girl, my parents bought a big tent with all the supplies. We went once and never again. My mother wasn’t cut out for roughing it.

My second camping trip was shortly after Greg and I married. He borrowed a tent, and we set out to Lake Lanier. We arrived at the campground after dark and started setting up. He was doing all the work and had me holding a lantern. The problem was, bugs were attacking me because I was holding the light. It did not take long for my complaining to start an argument. By the time the tent was set up, and we were inside, it commenced to storm. I quickly informed Greg that I was not going to sleep under trees, on top of roots, and in the lightning! We ended up in the back of Greg’s 4-Runner sleeping for the night.

We have had a couple of camping experiences since then. However, it wasn’t until October, when camping in our fixer-upper camper, that we had never fixed up, that we discovered camping was something we could enjoy.

We bought a new camper and picked it up the day before Thanksgiving. After taking her out for the first time, I can officially say that I loved it, and I can’t wait for the next trip!

Now that I’m back home, back to reality, and have no holidays in sight, my diet needs to change somewhat. French Toast is my favorite breakfast food, and you know that’s off-limits on most healthy eating plans. Keto French Toast (Slow Cooker) has the taste without the carbs, so I think it’s the perfect recipe to start the new year! It’s easy and a delicious breakfast that can be made ahead of time and reheated throughout the week. It takes about two hours to cook in a slow cooker, and who doesn’t love a slow cooker recipe?

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Keto French Toast (Slow Cooker)

Course Breakfast, Keto

Servings 8

Author Amye Melton

Equipment

Slow Cooker

Ingredients

12 tablespoons butter softened
12 large eggs
12 ounces cream cheese softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 tablespoons coconut flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
8 drops stevia

Instructions

Preheat the slow cooker to high and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
In a blender, combine butter, eggs, cream cheese, vanilla extract, coconut flour, cinnamon and stevia. Combine ingredients until smooth, then pour into the slow cooker.
Cook on high for 2 hours, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
If desired, sprinkle with powdered Swerve, ground cinnamon and serve with sugar free syrup.

Notes

Macros: (does not include desired toppings)

Net Carbs: 4 g.; Fat: 42 g.; Protein 13 g.; Calories 447

Syrup Sweet Bread

I have heard stories of my daddy’s homemade doughnuts all of my life. He was a cook in the Army before he met my mom. After they married, he would make doughnuts at my grandmother’s house on the weekends for the entire family to enjoy. Apparently, he was tired of making doughnuts by the time I came along because the only doughnut memories I have are Krispy Kreme.

Syrup Sweet Bread is another legend in our family. My mother, aunts, and uncles rave about my grandmother making it. As the story goes, my grandmother would leave the fields in the afternoon and go to the house to make Syrup Sweet Bread. When it was done and still warm, she would take it back to everyone working in the fields. I can imagine that this was a wonderful treat and a welcome break.

I loved my grandmother’s cooking, but I never had the privilege of trying her Syrup Sweet Bread. I think there are a few versions of her recipe, but here’s mine. My version is slightly sweet, and I like to serve it for breakfast. My favorite ways to serve this are warm with a pat of butter and homemade apple butter or simply drizzled with a little syrup over the top for extra richness.

Like all recipes, I’m sure this recipe will not appeal to everyone. I think that maybe you have to acquire a taste for sorghum and cane syrup. My kids don’t care for it, and my friends that were not raised eating it don’t seem to like it. I think my first solid food may have been biscuits with syrup. Greg and I both consider it a treat, and we love this old recipe. I hope you do too.

Syrup Sweet Bread

Author:

Amye

Ingredients

2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
½ c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¾ c. syrup (sorghum or cane)
2 eggs
1 stick butter, melted
¾ c. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet and set aside. (8 x 8 baking dish will work also.)
In a large bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt, sugar and cinnamon, set aside.
In another bowl combine the syrup, eggs, melted butter, buttermilk and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
Pour into the prepared skillet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

Heirloom Carrot Cake

Heirloom-Carrot-Cake

Okay, folks, I have heard, and I have listened. Some of you want a change from keto, low-carb and gluten-free recipes. I have been doing this recipe sharing thing for more years than I even planned when I started. During that time, I have found that change is essential. I love hearing from you, and though I know that every recipe will not appeal to every reader, whether I share keto or not, I want to share recipes that you want to try in your own kitchen. Since I have readers that are enjoying the new recipes I will try switching it up. Let’s see if alternating weeks from keto, low-carb, gluten-free to delicious mouth-watering southern recipes will work. As always, I welcome your comments so please let me hear from you!

With Easter coming up I thought I would share one of my Aunt’s Carolyn’s best recipes. When I was growing up this cake was always on the dessert table at my grandparent’s house. It was one of her specialties, and if you didn’t get a piece of cake quickly, then you might just miss out. Unlike most carrot cakes, this cake has no nutmeg, no pineapple, and it does not have cream cheese frosting. If you are a fan of German Chocolate Cake, then you know what I mean when I say it has that rich, caramelly pecan and coconut frosting that you know so well.

This cake gets better with time. Because of that, I suggest that you bake and assemble the cake 24 to 48 hours before serving.

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Heirloom Carrot Cake

Course Dessert

Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

1 1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 c. granulated sugar
4 lg. eggs room temperature, separated
4 tbsp. hot water
2 1/2 c. self-rising flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 c. grated carrots
1 c. chopped pecans

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour three 8 or 9-inch round cake pans and set aside.
In a small bowl mix the dry ingredients and set aside.
With an electric mixture beat the oil and sugar. Add egg yolks, mixing well. Add hot water and mix.
Add dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Fold in carrots and nuts.
In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold into cake batter.
Divide batter among the three prepared cake pans. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until cake tests done with a toothpick.
Remove from oven to cooling rack. Cool in pans for 5 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely.

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Coconut Pecan Frosting

Course Dessert

Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

3 egg yolks
1 stick unsalted butter
1 (12-oz.) can evaporated milk
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. shredded coconut
1 c. chopped pecans
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

In a saucepan, add the butter, sugar, milk and egg yolks. Cook over medium-high heat until thickened. Stir in coconut, pecans, and vanilla.
Place one cooled cake layer on cake plate and top with ⅓ of the frosting. Top with 2nd layer and top with ⅓ of the frosting. Then top with the 3rd layer and top with the final ⅓ of the frosting.

Mexican Seasoning Blend

Mexican Seasoning Blend 2

We recently moved Savannah home again. She will be doing an internship in January, and it was impossible to find a six-month lease near the college. So, for six-months, she will make the daily drive to college.

I questioned how living together would be after she has been on her own for so long. I’m trying really hard to remember she’s not a child any longer. It is coming with some benefits also. She has become very independent…she doesn’t want me doing her laundry, and she has become an excellent cook!

Fajitas is a specialty of hers, and I am using every excuse I can think of to have her cook them often. Her secret is this awesome seasoning blend that she makes. I even seasoned a roast with it, and it was delicious.

Savannah does not have an exact measurement for the meat and veggies. To feed two people, she typically uses one to two boneless, skinless chicken breast, two green bell peppers, one large onion, and two to three Roma tomatoes.

Savannah seasons her meat with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Then saute’s it in a little oil until done. She then removes the meat from the skillet to saute green bell peppers and onions. Once the veggies are tender, add chopped Roma tomatoes and a heaping tablespoon of the fabulous seasoning, plus the juice of half a lime. Add the meat back to the skillet, stirring to combine and serve.

Try this tasty Mexican seasoning blend on burgers or grilled meats for extra wonderful flavor!

Mexican Seasoning Blend

Author:

Amye Melton

Ingredients

2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. Mexican oregano
½ tsp. ground black pepper
½ tsp. chili powder
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

Instructions

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl until combined. Store in a small jar.

Spiced Applesauce Pound Cake

applesauce-cake

I have always been more of a pound cake baker than a layer cake baker. I’m not sure exactly why. Maybe it’s because they are just so darn easy and they tend to get better with time. My favorite pound cake recipes seem to get moister the longer they sit.

Here’s a wonderfully moist cake that I love making this time of the year. I prefer to use my homemade applesauce but any applesauce will work. It is not only delicious but it is lovely when sprinkled with powdered sugar and would be beautiful on a holiday dessert table!

Spiced Applesauce Pound Cake

Author:

Amye Melton

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
2¾ c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 c. light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 c. no-sugar applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-cup bundt pan well and place it on a large baking pan, set aside.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
In the bowl of an electric mixer beat together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the applesauce, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, being careful not to overmix.
Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Place the baking pan/bundt pan onto middle rack in preheated oven. Bake 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
Cool completely before inverting on a cake plate. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.