My Favorite Low-Carb Breakfast... Mmmm Eggs And Cheese!

Easy peasy.  Spray non-stick cooking spray in a microwave-safe bowl.  Crack three eggs into the bowl.  Don't be like me... remember to pierce the yolks so they don't explode on you later.  Pour 1/3 to 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream over the eggs and lay 3 or 4 ounces worth of cheese on top. I like to slice pieces of a good slab of mild cheddar into my eggs.  Sprinkle salt, pepper and dried dill over the top.  Do not stir this at any point, it's not necessary.  Somehow the cream and eggs combine into a cross between a souffle (that didn't rise) and an omelet. 

Cover with waxed paper and microwave for two minutes.  If it's runny, microwave at 30 second increments until it's no longer runny.  Allow it to cool for a few minutes and then dig in.

Shrimp And Spinach Soup With Cilantro And Lime

This soup is fat-free, low-carb and my new favorite for Phase Two of the HCG Diet.  If you're on Phase Three or Atkin's, start out by sauteing the garlic in a pat of butter.  Then add the broth and go from there.

Ingredients (one serving):

1 cup broth (I used salt-free chicken broth because I didn't have any veggie broth on-hand)
1 garlic clove
1 lime
100 g frozen shrimp
3 cups spinach, chopped
2/3 cup cilantro, chopped
Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle Blend
salt and pepper

Crush and chop the garlic clove and saute it in the broth.  Add the shrimp and juice the lime into pan.  Let the shrimp warm up, then add the spinach and seasoning to taste.  Once the shrimp is heated through and the spinach wilts, remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro.

I like my flavors bold and bright.  If you don't, you might want to halve the amount of lime juice and cilantro. 

This soup is a snap to make but no one has to know.  Serve it at a family dinner and tell them you spent hours in the kitchen.  For a non-dieting crowd, saute the garlic in butter as a first step, reduce the amount of broth, skip the spinach, and serve over brown rice.  And don't forget to give them some healthy veggies on the side.

Small Progress is Better Than No Progress!

I just started weighing on Fridays.  It's easier for me to stick to plan during the week, so I figure that will be my best day to see some progress and keep me motivated.

This week I made big strides toward staying on plan.  I had probably one misstep each day, except Wednesdsay.  Wednesday  I rocked!  I think it was because I was focused on trying a new recipe, the steamed dumplings that I posted Thursday.  Yesterday was just a disaster.  I had a doctor's appointment in the afternoon so I left work early enough that I would have time to make myself lunch at home before heading on to the doctor's office.  And I had been running at top speed all morning at work, trying to get things done.  Well, just as I got home the doctor's office called and asked me to come early, so I had to leave right then!  More running.  I finally had lunch at 4:00 and by that time I was starving and caved in and had a regular (with bread) cheeseburger and fries.  The bread and fries are not on plan!  Sigh.  I did have one victory though... all day long I was thinking about pie.  Boy, did I want pie.  At one point I was near a grocery store that sells slices of Tippin's pie.  But I didn't do it, I didn't cave. 

Last night I tried to conconct a recipe for lowcarb chocolate cupcakes to appease my pie-craving sweet tooth.  They weren't that good but no worse than some of the other healthier versions of treats that are out there.  So if you want to give it at try, here ya go: 1 cup grated pork rinds (I used the blender), 1 egg, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/4 cup water, splash vanilla, 1/2 cup splenda, 1/2 cup cocoa, genereous dash cinnamon.  Mix by hand.  Use those little cupcake papers when you put the batter in the muffin tin... I can't for the life of me remember what they are called right now.  But I didn't use them and just greased the tin, and the cupcakes stuck.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Anyhoo, I lost 1.2 lbs this week.  I wasn't sticking to Atkins so that wasn't Atkins weight loss.... you have to stick entirely to plan to see losses with that.  So I'm attributing the loss to eating more whole foods and less crap.

I hope everyone has a fab Friday and an even better weekend!