The Coffee Shop

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

The Cake Slice Bakers

Hello everybody! As you know... I have the great honor to lead "The Cake Slice Bakers" group! We reveal the cakes we baked every month on the 20th ... this time everybody picked their favorite of 4 options... the options to choose from were:

Manhattan Cheesecake

Strawberry Gateau
Chocolate Glace with Mascarpone Pistachio Filling
Swiss Chocolate Silk

All from the "Great Cakes" book by Carole Walter.

Our "Featured" cake/baker on our Cover Photo for our Facebook Page was Anabel from Oven Delights. She picked the "Manhattan Cheesecake" which seemed to be a big hit for many of our bakers!

Here is her cake... make sure you stop by her blog

Anabel's Cake

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Trim Healthy Mama - Chicken Salad "S"

Hello friends, as you know I have been talking lately about my new eating regime... I am extremely happy to say that even when I haven't lost much weight and have been fluctuating with a couple of pounds lately I am NEVER hungry and I am NOT gaining... In the past I used to gain weight if I ever went over 1200 calories... I would've never dreamed to be able to actually have a healthier relationship with food... In my THM journey I am learning to not hate food nor (love it excessively) I love our Creator and I am trusting HIM with my eating... who would've thought? RIGHT? He was right FROM THE BEGINNING! And here I was trying everything and always feeling deprived in the past! I went from pills to shots, to extreme diets and everything worked for a period of time... but then I would gain it all back and more! ALWAYS! Now... don't be discouraged for the fact that I say I haven't lost much... I have had to admit that age and my crazy dieting have messed up with my system big time and now my metabolism is slow and I have thyroid issues... I have an appointment in April to get my hormone levels checked out and hopefully start to see more results with THM as I continue to improve my health but I am a big believer (now) on whole foods and letting God use them to restore my body that I have put through so much in the past!

I will probably be sharing more about my weight loss journey soon and about how "it all began" but for now I just want to share with you my delicious and healthy lunch I had today... I hope... if you are also struggling with weight and diets that you will give God a chance.... a chance to control every single area of your life including eating... and trust Him and what He made, the way He intended to nurture your body and to heal whatever could be going wrong with it...

Now... To my lunch

Simply Delicious Chicken Salad - S

This is an S Meal (S stands for satisfying in the THM plan... if you're not familiar with this but would like to know more visit http://www.trimhealthymama.com/ )

Servings: About 4

Ingredients:

2 big chicken breasts cooked and shredded (careful if you buy rotisserie chicken from the store, check the label, they usually add sugar to it. No sugar is on plan)
1/4 red onion (chopped)
2 stalks of celery (peeled and diced)
1/2 cup natural almonds (you can also use dry roasted, lightly salted almonds)
1/4 cup real mayo (or to taste)
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika (this is the "secret" Ingredient, smoked paprika has an amazing smokey yes but also sweet flavor that makes it all extra special, I use the Kirkland Brand)

garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Mix it all and Enjoy!!!

Garnish: Up to half an avocado (sliced) per serving, 2 slices of tomato, large lettuce leaf.

I hope you enjoy this meal (as much as I did) you can also serve this salad with 1 Light Rye Wasa Cracker to stay on S mode.

Enjoy!

© Paloma K.

Friday, February 21, 2014

Chile Relleno Casserole

Hello everybody! I know you're used to me sharing desserts... After all I just love baking... What you probably don't know is that I barely ever even taste what I bake... I have this love/hate relationship with food and I used to be focused in a very (VERY) low calorie/low fat/low sugar diet... or so I thought...now I realize how many foods I was eating that were high sugar and I had no idea... yes they were low calories but no they were not low in sugars... and now... I am in a COMPLETELY sugar-free eating plan now... so again... Desserts seem off-limits but it turns out that this new way of eating (The Trim Healthy Mama way) includes a wide variety of desserts that are on plan and allow you to still lose weight... No sugar but yes other natural sweeteners (no Splenda here!) that do not affect your glycemic index and do not make you insulin resistant as sugar would.The Trim Healthy Mama plan just teaches you to not combine fuels when you eat (you pretty much can eat protein and fat OR protein and carbs but never mix fats and carbs as sometimes we do) ... it is not a low carb diet as you can eat up to 45 grams of carbs when eating "E" type meals (Energizing Meals = protein+carbs and very low fat) and you can eat up to 10 grams of carbs when eating "S" type meals (Satisfying Meals = protein+fats and very low carbs).

I know it might seem complicated at first but even when I've been on the plan for only about 3 1/2 weeks I am starting to get it... and even when I have thyroid issues I am starting to see some weight loss! This is great because with hypo-thyroidism I am just amazed to be able to eat and not gain weight! I find it miraculous if I can even lose! even if ever so slowly!

So... you will be seeing me around more as I share the foods I eat with the world... For now... I will share with you the recipe to make a delicious "Chile Relleno Casserole" ... The Trim Healthy Mama Book has a recipe for this dish but I decided to make my own with a "more Mexican flare" of course! I am pleased with the results! Hubby loved it and I think you will love it too! Whether you're trying to eat healthier or not this is a YUMMY dish that your family will enjoy.

Disclaimer: this is obviously not an "Authentic Mexican Dish" but it is not deep fried! Which is a better option... You can choose to add more poblano pepper if you can handle the heat. Most of the heat is in the seeds/veins of the pepper anyway and those are discarded. Customize it to your taste.

Chile Relleno Casserole
Trim Healthy Mama - S Meal
Yield: 4 generous servings

Ingredients:

7 egg whites + 2 egg yolks (you can use about 1/2 cup of liquid egg-whites from a carton)
6-7 Poblano Peppers (Roasted, Peeled, seeded and sliced into about 1"x0.5" pieces) - to learn how to roast/peel/seed them click here
1.5 lb. (or 3 heaping cups) of cooked chicken (cubed or shredded, I prefer cubed) - you can use leftover skinless rotisserie chicken
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup part skim mozzarella cheese (You can omit the mozzarella and just add about 1/3 of an 8oz. block of cream cheese, in small "pieces")
1/2 cup petite diced tomatoes (drain if canned or chop your own fresh tomatoes)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Garlic and onion powder are optional and to taste (they do add a great deal of flavor)

Directions:

Preheat oven at 350F. Grease an 8x8 (or 9x9) baking dish with some butter, EVOO or coconut oil.

In a bowl mix the egg whites and egg yolks with a fork or whisk, season with the garlic/onion powders, salt and pepper, mix, add rest of the ingredients to the bowl and gently fold all the ingredients together until they're all incorporated. Season with some more salt and pepper (careful with the salt especially if using pre-seasoned chicken like the rotisserie kind).
Add the mix of ingredients into baking dish and smooth with a spoon or spatula. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes.

(Update 3/15/15: I reduced the amounts of cheese in the ingredients but you can add more to your taste if desired, I think this is a good amount though)

The first time we had this I served it to hubby with some sliced avocado and a spring mix salad. The second time I gave him a whole wheat tortilla as well to enjoy. If you're following the Trim Healthy Mama Plan remember you can have up to 6 grams of store-bought carbs from breads. with this "S Type Meal"