There was no way I was missing out on lemon posset when my son was set it as his food tech a few weeks ago so I made a sugar free one instead.

If you are new here, I am currently following a low carb diet. I have cut out a huge amount of sugar in the last few months. I don't often make desserts as, quite frankly, I will eat them. However, now and then we all need a sweet treat.

For this recipe my sugar replacement was Pure Via Stevia Leaf Sweet Granules. It is a mix of Stevia and erythritol. Luckily, the packet advises you to use half the amount of sugar you would normally.

I love the combination of lemon and raspberry and so a few fresh raspberries to the side made the dessert complete for me.

This recipe makes 2 small portions.

No Sugar Lemon Posset Recipe

• 150ml double cream
• 37.5g Pure Via Stevia Leaf Sweet Granules
• Vanilla grated ( I have a vanilla grinder and a few turns of this gives a lovely flavour.)
• 2 teaspoons of Schwartz cajun seasoning
• Juice of half a lemon.

1. Warm the cream in a pan.
2. Add the sweetener and vanilla and boil for 3 minutes. This will thicken the cream.
3. Whisk in the juice of the lemon and pour into 2 ramekins.
4. Allow to cool and pop in the fridge for a few hours
5. Top with raspberries.

Have you been cooking more during the lockdown?

A Birthday In Lockdown

So it has been a funny old year hasn’t it? A viral pandemic wasn’t on my radar for 2020 but here we find ourselves slowly lifting lockdown. I have decided that I will be writing a few posts about it, as a reminder of the extraordinary time we have been facing over the last few months. What better way to start than my birthday.

Some would think that a birthday in lockdown, with nowhere to go, would be a disappointment. Worst birthday ever kind of thing. Infact for me, it was the opposite. You see, I normally hate my birthday. It is no different to any other day. It coincides with a “very important pharmaceutical conference” in the states so my husband is usually at that. Therefore, it is me, looking after the boys, trying to find something that will keep everyone happy.

This year I had no expectations. Everywhere was shut, but my husband was not in Chicago! I was happy even if he was not.

As my birthday was on a school night, we celebrated early with some takeaway cocktails. My they were good.

On the day, I started off with some Bodypump in the living room. Little did I know my husbands home gym would come into its own. We had a Burger King takeaway (just for the kids- honest!) a bike ride and a spot of pond dipping. Simple but lovely.

So how was a birthday in lockdown? For me it was one of the best. No expectations and surrounded by my little team. (Note this is the last year that my eldest will be smaller than me - he’s a couple of cm off and growing by the day.)

Have you had a lockdown birthday? How did you make it special?

Meal Planning Monday

I never thought I would say this, but I am getting totally fed up with food. All I seem to do at the moment is prepare food. It is like the only thing there is to focus on other than work. The boys and my husband aren't great with knowing what they want either. Of course they are fine with complaining if it isn't what they want!

I am therefore interested in everyone elses meal plans this week more than norma;. Please give me some new ideas!

Again I will just write a list of meals and it will depend on when the food goes out of date when we eat them.

Sunday roast with keto Yorkshire puddings.
Honestly, I would never have thought you could make anything that even tasted like a Yorkshire pudding without flour. But you can and they taste amazing. I really should write a quick recipe post up on them.

Cod with either cheese sauce.

Watercress soup

Roasted cauliflower soup.

Lasagne or bolognase - really depends on how organised I am.

Chicken Korma
We haven't had a curry for a while as the weather has been so nice, but I think it is a bit colder this week.

What have you got planned?

Meal Planning Monday

So half term is over and it's back to working from home around the boys. Such an odd situation. However, after a week of them playing way too many computer games and not much routine, I am pleased that our days will now have a little more structure. I am also pleased that I have packed the tent away and wont be suggesting any backyard camping anytime soon! It took two attempts to sleep through but we did find out we have a very noisey hedgehog that visits.

So as for meals this week, I will just write down what we are planning to have and the day we have it depends on what I fancy eating and when the food goes out of date. Tuesday is my Birthday and I am going off plan with a Burger King. I have already gone off plan with cocktails delivered on Saturday. Wednesday it will be back to Keto properly.

So what is on this weeks meal plan?

Salmon and avocado with chilli and lime. Still a firm favourite and so easy to make.

Filled pasta and sauce. I will probably have swoodles with bolognase.

Cod and cheese sauce. I will serve mine with celeriac fries.

Chicken and chorizo skewers with salad

Sausage pasta with a creamy mustard sauce. I will probably serve mine with courgetti.

I also need to make some more keto crackers for lunch.

What have you got planned?

Luscious Low Carb Meals And CookBlogShare Week 20

Welcome to Cookblogshare Week 20. This week I have a selection of luscious low carb meals to share with you. I started a low carb (dirty keto) diet this year and have so far said goodbye to 8kg. At first I was rather dubious and thought it was really restrictive, but after lots of research combined with trial and error, I am really enjoying it. Whilst I will be enjoying the odd carb here and there when I have reached my target weight, I really do believe that this way of eating is better for me.

If you love cooking then #cookblogshare is a great place to share recipes and ideas as well as commenting on each others tasty posts.

Last weeks link up was over at Lost in Food. There were lots of lovely recipes shared, and a fantastic asparagus roundup.

Lush Low Carb Meals

Whether you are on a low carb diet or not, these recipes look delicious and I am certainly looking forward to making some of the soon.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

I have been meaning to try a cauliflower soup for a while now. This one from Jacqui at Recipes Made Easy looks delicious and is going on next weeks meal plan! I love the idea of the spicy chorizo against the creamy cauliflower.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup - Recipes made easy

Low Carb Bacon And Thyme BBQ Sauce

Amber at The Hungry Mountaineer has a BBQ that I love the sound of. With some warm weather on the way, I am looking forward to some BBQ's this summer and it would be great to have a sauce that we can all enjoy. The downside of keto is that I do a lot more cooking for me, so where possible I try and feed my husband and the boys the same thing. Now I know they love BBQ sauce so this should be a winner.

Low Carb Bacon And Thyme BBQ Sauce From The Hungry Mountaineer

Chicken Tikka Masala Traybake

Now this chicken tikka masala traybake from Eb at Easy Peasy Foodie would be really easy for me to adapt on keto. The family would be happy with the potatoes in the traybake and I could add in some celeriac for me.

Chicken Tikka Masala Traybake From Recipes Made Easy

#Cookblogshare 2020 Week 7

Want to join in with Cook Blog Share this week? Here is how:Link up your recipe, sweet or savoury, or any foodie post to the #CookBlogShare link party.  Just click the blue ‘Add your link‘ button below and follow the instructions.
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Please comment on at least two other recipes. You can also post your recipes on the Cook Blog Share Facebook Page. I’ll visit all the blogs participating in the link party and share your recipes across all the major social media channels. If you tweet a link to your recipe to @astrongcoffee1 @recipescrumbs and @lostinf00d using #CookBlogShare for retweets. Please use #cookblogshare when sharing your recipes on Instagram. Next week's Cookblogshare will be over at Recipes Made Easy. For GDPR purposes, please make note that by joining in you are giving the #CookBlogShare hosts permission to use your pictures in a round up and on social media, if your recipe is selected to be featured! Thank you for sharing your recipes with #CookBlogShare!

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Meal Planning Monday

Another week, another meal plan. I am trying think of some different ideas to shake things up a bit.  After all the baking last week, there will be less sweet treats this week. My youngest made a lovely afternoon tea for us all on VE Day.

So what will be on this weeks menu?

Cheats sweet and sour chicken. A firm favourite of my youngest.

Courgette and feta fritters. I need to go into work on Tuesday so I will make this in advance to take in for lunch.

Fajitas

Chicken in a peppercorn sauce - this will probably be chicken in a cheese sauce for the boys.

Salmon 

What have you got planned?

Low Carb Crackers For Cheese And Biscuits

Thes low carb crackers are easy to make and perfect for a snack or light lunch.

So after a few months on a dirty keto/low carb diet, I have decided to do more baking. I guess that being in lockdown also helps with that.  After a mug cake with coconut flour I have realised that not everything can be made in the same way as "normal"food.

One of the hardest things with this diet is not having pre made alternatives. Many "bread style" recipes can end up tasting eggy or cheesy. Sometimes you are just sick of using almonds for everything. As such I have played around with the amount of flaxseed versus ground almonds in the recipe. Less flaxseed (15g) gives you more of a digestive style biscuit.

However, up the amount of flaxseed and the cracker tastes more like an oatcake. I prefer the latter so here is the recipe I used.

Low Carb "Oatcake" Crackers

• 35g butter 
• 25g flaxseed
• 70g ground almonds
• 1tsp seasoning. I used a mesquite seasoning
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp chia seeds
• 1 small egg

1. Melt the butter in the microwave. 
2. Mix all the ingredients together except the egg. Taste to check the seasoning.
3. Mix in the egg
4. Leave to harden in the fridge for half an hour as this will help you flatten the cracker the harder it is.
5. Place spoonfuls of the mix on some baking parchment and flatten as much as possible with your hand.
6. Bake at 180C for around 10 minutes until they are golden brown.