Sesame Crackers

Sesame Crackers

Again this recipe is from the Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook. I'm not a cook as I'm too impatient to follow directions but all her recipes come out pretty good even if you just throw things together or cook stuff right on top of the parchment paper (I think you're suppose to move the stuff to a baking sheet). Oh and I never preheat the oven. LOL

Sesame Crackers
3 cups blanched almond flour
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup sesame seeds
2 TBS grapeseed oil
2 large eggs

Preheat oven 350F. In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, salt, and sesame seeds. In a medium bowl whisk together grapeseed oil and eggs. Stir the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Or if you're like me, throw every thing together in one bowl and mix it all up. Divide the dough into 2 pieces. Place 1 piece of dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll to 1/16 inch thickness. Remove the top piece of parchment paper and cut the dough in 2 inch squares with knife or pizza cutter. Repeat with the the other piece of dough (on a different sheet of parchment paper).

Bake 12 to 15 minutes until lightly golden.

Cheese Crackers

Animal Cheddar Cheese Crackers

I tried making these for my kids so I used barn animal cookie cutters to cut them. They are suppose to taste and look like "goldfish" cheese crackers. My son, the pickiest eater in the entire world, didn't like them and my daughter tolerated them. I loved them. 

The recipe if from Elana Amsterdam's book the Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook.

2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese

3 TBS grape seed oil

2 large eggs

Preheat oven 350F. Elana would tell you to combine the liquids, whisk and then combine with the dry ingredients. I don't have the patience. I throw everything together in one bowl and mix (sometimes even with my hand). Hee hee. Divide the dough into 2 pieces in between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll to "1/16 inch thickness". I of course just roll them out on one paper cut them out, re-roll on the side of the paper, cut them out, so on until I get tired and just take a pizza cutter to cut them in "2 inch by 2 inch squares" as the recipe says. 

Bake 12 to 15 minutes until lightly brown. Elana suggests they cool for 30 minutes then serve. Yeah right. LOL

Fried Pickles and Shrimp with Kale

Not the nicest picture in the world but it tasted great. I'm horrible with recipes though because I usually just through things into the skillet. But depending on how many people you are cooking for (I was cooking for 1 adult and 2 small kids) you can just throw the amounts together.

For the Shrimp and Kale

1/3 to 1/2 medium onion

1/3 to 1/2 bunch of kale leaves

2 shallot cloves

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 a TBS of butter

1 to 1 1/2 cups of  raw peeled shrimp (Costco is awesome for this)

salt and pepper to taste

Fry everything together in the butter, put the shrimp in last they only take a few minutes per side.

Fried Pickles

New York Style Pickles

Almond Flour

1 egg

Salt

Coconut oil

I put some almond flour in a plate with a little tiny bit of salt, then dipped the pickles in egg and patted them into the almond flour. I put them in a skillet with a bit of coconut oil turning them until brown.

Coconut Milk

I have to admit I dislike coconut. If you want me to get away from your cake, cookie or pastry desert just sprinkle coconut on it and I'll leave it alone. So I've stayed away from the coconut flour and coconut milk that is P3 safe and usually just used milk. But after a month on my second round of HCG I was so happy to get to drink some milk with my coffee (leche con cafe) and so sad to feel the pain in my tummy from the bloating and g.... well you know... that it gave me. I turned back to revisit the coconut issue. The store milk was way too coconutty for me. So I made my own. This is from Elana's Pantry and I have to say, it's pretty good. I didn't put the Stevia or the vanilla in it. I also noticed once it was in the fridge it made the fat skim up at the top and I was able to skim it off and make "skim" coconut milk which made it even better. I got the shredded coconut frozen at the asian market. That seemed to work just fine. The picture below is from Elana's website, not mine. :)

picture courtesy of Elana's Pantry


Coconut Milk
2 cups shredded coconut (I use unsweetened)
4 cups water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 drops stevia

1. Soak coconut in water for 1-2 hours (do not discard water)
2. In a Vita-Mix (or other high speed blender), combine coconut, water, vanilla and stevia and process on highest speed
3. Strain liquid through a fine mesh paint strainer bag, discarding solids
4. Serve

recipe rom Elana's Pantry: http://www.elanaspantry.com/diy-coconut-milk/

Green Goddess Dressing -Elana's Pantry

Green Goddess Dressing
1 avocado
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon herbes de provence
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
3-5 drops stevia
1 cup water

1. Place all ingredients in a Vita-Mix (or other high speed blender
2. Process on high speed until smooth and cream
3. Pour over your favorite salad greens
4. Store remaining dressing in a glass jar in fridge
5. Keeps for up to 5 days (if it lasts that long)

recipe from Elana's Pantry: http://www.elanaspantry.com/green-goddess-dressing/


I made this recipe with the avocados I got. It is great on baby spinach with feta cheese! All Hail The Avocados!

Round 2 Summary (-15 lbs) and GRAND TOTAL (-39 lbs)

Rounds of HCG: 2 rounds
Total Number of Injections On Second Round: 37 injections
Total Number of Injections on the First Round: 37 injections

Starting Weight Round 1: 170.2 lbs
Last Injection Weight Round 1: 146.2 lbs
Total Loss: -24 pounds

Starting Weight on Round 2: 147.4 lbs
After Loading Days: 151.6 lbs (First Day VLCD weight)
Last Injection Weight: 136.6 lbs
Total Loss (From First Day of VLCD): -15 pounds

GRAND TOTAL FOR 2 HCG ROUNDS: 39 pounds

I Eat Way Too Much

Weight: 138.8 lbs
Yesterday's Weight: 139.6 lbs (Did Steak Day #1)
Difference: -.8 lbs

Last Injection Weight: 136.6 lbs
Over/Under Last Injection: +2.2lbs

Round 2 Phase 3 Day #4

Water Retention Diet #1
I haven't been cheating but I've been eating way too much food even if it's on the protocol. I'm still getting very hungry all through out the day. To my dismay I couldn't reintroduce milk! :( It gave me some very unpleasant side effects. So I ended up making my own almond, walnut and coconut milk. They turned out pretty good. I think I'm so desperate to eat whatever that even the coconut milk was yummy. I hate coconut.

I've also noticed a lot of water retention in my hands and ankles. I noticed that the first couple of days I was getting off the HCG I was really anxious and my fingers were a bit swollen. I also noticed that my left arm (which was the one I broke and is still partially paralyzed) was going numb and falling asleep. Maybe the water rention was causing some swelling along that nerve who knows.

Yesterday I did a steak day and went down about a pound. I did eat a couple of sugar free almond flour zucchini muffins and coconut flour donuts (sugar free home made). So I can't blame the steak day for not taking me back down to the weight I was 3 days ago. LOL I'm still feeling the swelling in my hands and feet and will try a the water retention diet on Dr. S's protocol.

Breakfast:
2 eggs

Lunch
"Huge" steak

Dinner
"Huge" steak plus a helping of cheese

In addition, I"m going to call my doctor for a new prescription on the diet pills. No way I'll be able to stay away from food. I'll try to ween off of them once I'm noticing I can get the hunger under control. Again, I'm not an advocate of a pill popping life and I'm very much aware that's not the way to go. I also don't want to inject myself 3 x a day for my insulin resistance again. It's been under control since I started the HCG protocols and diets.

I finally got some pictures to post up of some of the recipes and will be posting sesame seed crackers today.