Pumpkin Truffle Cake

This is a recipe I came up with a few years ago and it's now a staple around here during the holidays. It has a lot more sugar than recipes I normally make but it's worth it. My husband says it tastes like one of those big, soft gingerbread men dipped in chocolate from Godiva. When I made it to write down the measurements, I would have taken a picture but a wedge came up missing before I could get to the camera. I hope you try it and enjoy it.

PUMPKIN TRUFFLE CAKE

1 box yellow cake mix

3/4 cup sugar or Splenda

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup water

4 large eggs, slightly beaten

1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin puree

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

4 oz good quality bittersweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350°. Using the microwave, melt 4 ounces of chocolate in a medium bowl. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine pumpkin, oil, water, and spices. Mix on low until smooth. Gradually add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add sugar or Splenda and cake mix and mix until thoroughly combined. Remove 1 cup of cake batter and mix with the melted chocolate. Pour 1/2 cake batter into a greased Bundt pan. Add all of the chocolate batter mixture, using a rubber spatula to ensure even coverage. Top with second 1/2 of the cake batter. Bake 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Turn out cake onto a platter and refrigerate until chilled.

Ganache

8 oz. good quality chocolate, semisweet or bittersweet (I use 1/2 of each)

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 T. unsalted butter

If using solid bars of chocolate, chop chocolate into small pieces and place in glass or metal bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook cream, butter, and vanilla until a slow boil forms. Pour cream mixture over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes without stirring. After 5 minutes, stir cream and chocolate together until mixture is thick and glossy. Pour ganache over cake like a glaze. Work quickly because the chocolate will get thicker as it cools. Refrigerate cake until ganache is set.

Note: To reduce the amount of sugar in this cake, use Pillsbury Reduced Sugar Yellow Cake Mix and Splenda. You can also use baker's unsweetened chocolate in the filling but you may need to add more Splenda to the filling mixture as well.

Low Carb Lifestyle

I am constantly fascinated by the quality and quantity of blogs available on the internet. I am also fascinated by the crappy information passed off as fact. Lowcarbblogs.net falls in the area of quality information available. After having weight loss surgery, we were told by our doctor that the best diet to follow to insure weight loss success consisted of high protein and very little carbohydrates. This diet plan worked great for awhile and it was only after adding carbohydrates back into our diet that we began to gain weight. Maintaining a low carbohydrate lifestyle can be challenging when you are bombarded with nutritionists, doctors, talk shows, grocery stores, and commercials that constantly remind you that whole grains should be the basis of and proteins limited in any food plan. The more I read, the more I understand just how wrong this is, especially for those of us with a modified gastric system. Quality blogs like Lowcarbblogs.net are a great source of information and ideas for creating and maintaining a lifestyle that is right for you. No, I am not receiving anything, nor was I asked to endorse this website but after reading the posted articles and blog lists, I felt that it would only benefit all of us if I passed it along. Take a few minutes to check this out. You won't regret it.

I have finally made the decision

Wow, I can't believe I haven't posted anything since May. Wow how time flies. We've had a fairly uneventful Summer except for finding out that there are 35 wineries in the State of Tennessee. Who knew? We have visited a couple so far and plan to visit all 35. I don't know how long it will take but we're going to do it eventually. I'll post some links and talk more about that later.

So what decision have I finally made? I'm going to write a cookbook. I've started on the first set of recipes and the concept is a work in progress. I thought however that I would go ahead and post the first few pages. What I have done is taken a regular run of the mill Oatmeal Cookie recipe and turned it into several variations. I hope you notice that all of these start with the same base and that it only takes a few ingredients to turn a traditional recipe into something your friends and family will ask for over and over again.   All of these cookies contain ingredients for both a regular recipe and a reduced sugar recipe. I have yet to come up with a way to make chewy, indulgent cookies without the aid of brown sugar. If I finally find something that works, you'll be the first to know.

So on with the recipes. Please give me your feedback, I look forward to it.

OATMEAL COOKIES

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 3/4 cup self-rising flour

1 packed cup brown sugar + 1/2 cup sugar or

3/4 cup packed brown sugar + ¾ cup Splenda

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

Preheat oven to 375° In a mixing bowl beat butter with electric mixer until smooth. Add 1 cup flour, the brown sugar, sugar or Splenda, and cinnamon. Beat until crumbly. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until thoroughly combined. Beat in remaining flour, then stir or beat in the oats. Drop by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are golden. This recipe makes approximately 30 cookies.

OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 3/4 cup self-rising flour

1 packed cup brown sugar + 1/2 cup sugar or

3/4 cup packed brown sugar + ¾ cup Splenda

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375° In a mixing bowl beat butter with electric mixer until smooth. Add 1 cup flour, the brown sugar, sugar or Splenda, and cinnamon. Beat until crumbly. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until thoroughly combined. Beat in remaining flour, then stir or beat in the oats. Fold in the raisins. Drop by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are golden. This recipe makes approximately 30 cookies.

CHOCOLATE OATMEAL COOKIES

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softenedd

3 oz unsweetened Baker’s chocolate, melted

1 3/4 cup self-rising flour

1 packed cup brown sugar + 1/2 cup sugar or

3/4 cup packed brown sugar + ¾ cup Splenda

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

Preheat oven to 375° In a mixing bowl beat butter with electric mixer until smooth. Add melted chocolate and beat just until combined. Add 1 cup flour, the brown sugar, sugar or Splenda. Beat until crumbly. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until thoroughly combined. Beat in remaining flour, then stir or beat in the oats. Drop by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are golden. This recipe makes approximately 30 cookies.

OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 3/4 cup self-rising flour

1 packed cup brown sugar + 1/2 cup sugar or

3/4 cup packed brown sugar + ¾ cup Splenda

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375° In a mixing bowl beat butter with electric mixer until smooth. Add 1 cup flour, the brown sugar, sugar or Splenda. Beat until crumbly. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until thoroughly combined. Beat in remaining flour, then stir or beat in the oats. Fold in the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are golden. This recipe makes approximately 30 cookies.

TWICE THE CHOCOLATE OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

3 oz unsweetened Baker’s chocolate

1 3/4 cup self-rising flour

1 packed cup brown sugar + 1/2 cup sugar or

3/4 cup packed brown sugar + ¾ cup Splenda

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375° In a mixing bowl beat butter with electric mixer until smooth. Add melted chocolate and beat just until combined. Add 1 cup flour, the brown sugar, sugar or Splenda. Beat until crumbly. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until thoroughly combined. Beat in remaining flour, then stir or beat in the oats. Fold in the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are golden. This recipe makes approximately 30 cookies.

INDULGENT CHOCOLATE OATMEAL COOKIES

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

3 oz unsweetened Baker’s chocolate

1 3/4 cup self-rising flour

1 packed cup brown sugar + 1/2 cup sugar or

3/4 cup packed brown sugar + ¾ cup Splenda

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375° In a mixing bowl beat butter with electric mixer until smooth. Add melted chocolate and beat just until combined. Add 1 cup flour, the brown sugar, sugar or Splenda. Beat until crumbly. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until thoroughly combined. Beat in remaining flour, then stir or beat in the oats. Fold in the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are golden. This recipe makes approximately 30 cookies.

WHITE CHOCOLATE AND CRANBERRY OATMEAL COOKIES

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 3/4 cup self-rising flour

1 packed cup brown sugar + 1/2 cup sugar or

3/4 cup packed brown sugar + ¾ cup Splenda

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

3/4 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 375° In a mixing bowl beat butter with electric mixer until smooth. Add 1 cup flour, the brown sugar, sugar or Splenda. Beat until crumbly. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until thoroughly combined. Beat in remaining flour, then stir or beat in the oats. Fold in the white chocolate chips and chopped cranberries. Drop by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are golden. This recipe makes approximately 30 cookies.

TRAIL MIX COOKIES

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 3/4 cup self-rising flour

1 packed cup brown sugar + 1/2 cup sugar or

3/4 cup packed brown sugar + ¾ cup Splenda

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1-1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup milled flax seed

2 TBSP toasted sesame seeds

1-1/2 cup any combination of raisins, dried apricots roughly chopped, dried cranberries roughly chopped, toasted walnuts roughly chopped, dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375° In a mixing bowl beat butter with electric mixer until smooth. Add 1 cup flour, the brown sugar, sugar or Splenda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Beat until crumbly. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until thoroughly combined. Beat in remaining flour, then stir or beat in the oats, wheat germ, flax seed, and sesame seeds. Fold in the raisins, apricots, cranberries, walnuts, and/or chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are golden. This recipe makes approximately 30 cookies.

5 Bean Chili

This is a fabulous recipe for those "chili" nights or just when you need a little comfort. High in protein and you can make it as mild or as spicy as your heart desires.  Enjoy!

1-1/2 lb. ground beef

4 heaping T. chili powder, or to taste

1 T. cumin

1 med. yellow onion, coarsely chopped

1 lg. green bell pepper, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, large, minced

2 27-oz cans Bush's Chili Beans, both mild or one mild, one hot

7 (15-oz.) cans beans, any combo black, dark red and light red kidney, pinto, well drained

2 (15-oz.) cans fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 (64-oz.) bottle V8 or vegetable juice

1 T. salt or to taste

1 dash red pepper flakes or Tabasco Sauce to taste

In a large stock pot, I use an 8 quart, brown ground beef, 1/2 of the chili powder, and 1/2 of the cumin until meat is cooked through. Drain meat thoroughly and put it back in the pot. Stir in onions, peppers, and garlic. Add both cans of Bush's Chili Beans, stir until thoroughly combined. Add the rest of the beans and the Diced Tomatoes. It will be thick but stir as much as possible. Slowly stir as much vegetable juice as the pot will hold. Add most of the chili powder, the rest of the cumin, salt and pepper. Add additional chili powder and salt to your taste. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat to low and simmer for two hours, stirring occasionally. Makes great leftovers for days.