Friday, May 15, 2015

Orange Creamsicle Mousse

This is probably one of my most favorite low carb desserts. Even better, it is so easy to make.

Orange Creamsicle Mousse

1 Small Box of Orange Sugar Free Jello
1 Cup Boiling Water
1 Package of  Neufchâtel Cheese*
Whipped Cream (optional)
Hand Mixer

Allow the  Neufchâtel cheese to soften.

In a mixing bowl, combine the boiling water and the jello packet - stir well, you want to make sure you dissolve all of the gelatin. Once it is thoroughly dissolved, add the softened cheese and blend with a hand mixer until well incorporated. I like to leave mine a tiny bit lumpy because I like little pockets of cheese in my mousse.


Refrigerate until set - about 3 or 4 hours
Just before serving, top with whipped cream!

If you serve them in stemware this makes a lovely dessert for company!




*  Philadelphia brand Neufchâtel Cheese has slightly less carbohydrates than Cream Cheese but this can also be made with cream cheese for a slightly higher carb count

Carb Count: 8g of Net Carbs for the entire recipe (not including the optional whipped cream)
Servings: I got four of those small stemware glasses from one batch so I would say about 2g/serving

Asian Inspired Noodles

I am a huge fan of Chinese/Asian cuisine. In fact, it is really my arch nemesis. I cannot tell you how many times I have been on plan, sailing along just fine then WHAM! I am sent flying off track due to an indulgence at the China Buffet. Eeek!

I threw this together to satisfy a craving the other night and WOW they were SO good. I am not a big fan of soy - actually, I am quite a non-fan (PCOS and soy... ugh.. but that is for another post!) but I think in strict moderation it can be forgiven.

I actually paired this with a seafood mix but we (the handsome hubby and I) really didn't care for the mix so next time I am going to just use chicken!

Asian Inspired Noodles

1 Package of Tofu Shirataki Noodles - I found these at Ingles but I actually saw them at Walmart yesterday too, they are in the produce section where all the tofu stuff is. They have a natural ferment-y aroma so you will want to rinse them under cold water in a colander.



2 T of Natural Peanut Butter - I use Laura Scudder's because it doesn't have any added sugar. I only had nutty so I used it and it was fine - I did find the bits of crunchy to be slightly off-putting though so I recommend creamy instead.

Add your noodles to a small sauce pan with a small pat of butter. When the butter has started to melt, you can add your peanut butter to the sauce pan and gently stir it until it melts into the noodles. I then added a teaspoon or two of soy sauce.
And that's it! I tossed it with the seafood mix but next time, I am going to stir fry some chicken pieces and use it instead. I was also thinking about adding snow peas and a little onion next time too. The possibilities are endless!  I felt like we were having Chinese takeout at home. ^_^

This is the nutritional input from MyFitnessPal:
11g total Carbs
- 5g Fiber

6g Net Carbs for the whole dish




Reflecting back...

I found an old unpublished blog post that I wrote about six years ago. I am not sure why I never shared it. I thought I would share it today because I was speaking so openly about my struggles with food addiction (maybe because I knew I wasn't going to publish it?) I wish I could say that I have since overcome them, but I haven't. I think it is always going to be a struggle and a battle for me.

My tumultuous relationship with food started when I was around twelve or thirteen. I don't think it was any one particular thing that triggered it - but rather a multitude of life changes that I was unprepared for at such a tender age. I think it started out as a need to have some kind of control because everything else around me was spiraling so chaotically. It began at the opposite end of where I find myself today. Food was the enemy, not the friend.

I can't pinpoint when the change happened but I know I didn't move from being anorexic to obese over night. It seems to me that there was some point in between, when food didn't play such a big role in my life. Maybe I am wrong about that. Whatever the case, the change happened. Somewhere along the way, food and I mended our differences and developed an intimate friendship. Only now, am I able to look back on the years spent bonding with brownies and see that it was definitely a one sided friendship. The only thing gained was pounds of unwanted fat that in the long run have made me much more miserable then any temporary comfort was ever worth. Now I have the difficult task of severing that friendship so that I can begin my journey toward a healthier, happier me.

I have made the decision to follow a low carb plan. Having tried nearly every diet out there, Atkins was the only one that I ever really had success with. Knowing that, I believe it's the right choice for me and since it is my body and my life I have to do what I feel is best for me even if i don't get as much support as I'd like too.