Blackberry Crock Pot Cake

I don’t know if I’ll ever get the hang of low carb baking.

Hubby has been covering us up picking blackberries.

I have canned jams and covered ice creams. My fingernails are turning that blue color.

Hubby suggested pie but I knew my low carb pie crust would be a bust, so I searched the internet and found this Slow Cooker Raspberry Coconut Cake.

Of course it was raspberry and I had blackberry. I also had a smaller 4 cup crock I wanted to use. How hard could it be to cut the recipe in half to fit in this little crock? Of course this little crock has no temperature gauge. It is full force or nothing.

The original recipe called to cook on low. I tried it anyway.

Well it didn’t turn out too bad but when I dumped the little cake out the sides had browned a pretty color but the top was this yucky wettish blue. So I made a cream cheese and coconut icing glaze to try and hide it

.

My blackberries were a little tart so I could have upped the sweetner but overall it wasn’t bad. I don’t believe I’ll ever be a star low carb baker however.

Blackberry Crock Pot Cake

1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup sweetener of choice
1/8 cup powdered egg whites
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup fresh blackberries

Grease the inside of a 4 cup slow cooker.

Whisk together the almond flour, coconut, sweetener, powdered egg whites, baking soda and salt.

Stir in eggs, melted coconut oil, coconut milk, and vanilla extract. Fold in the berries.

Pour the batter in a prepared slow cooker and cook about 3 hours. Use a tooth pick to make sure it is done. The pick will pull out clean. Turn off slow cooker and let cake cool.

For the glaze
4 ounces cream cheese
Sweetener to taste
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/8 cup shredded coconut

Beat cream cheese, milk, and sweetener with a hand mixer and pour over cake. Sprinkle with remaining coconut.

Sharing this with Let’s Get Real Link Party #99 and Waste not Want not Wednesday

My Garden My Friend

I am having troubles with broken devices and slowed connection so here is a little diddy I wrote back several years ago. It may be all I post for a while. I will have to get things up and running again. 🙂

My Garden, My Friend

My Garden called out to me last week. It is mid February and the soil outside my window , she wanted to converse.

My Garden said not to look at the stark nakedness of her present condition but to remember the lush green foliage of spring. To remember the awesome large fruit in the neat straight rows of summer. She said to look at her rich dark substance.

Of course my Garden is good at half truths because she failed to mention the rocks she keeps vomiting up, or the weeds that pop up in the scorching June sun. Neither did she say anything about the way she abuses me with dirt under my nails or that ache in my back.

You know, I built my Garden a fence and she doesn’t  appreciate  it because her cucumber vines keep trying to get out and explore the yard. She certainly has no respect for the beautiful straight rows I dig in the morning. She has moved them by the afternoon.

As a matter of fact my Garden is a liar, because I remember those molded marble tomatoes last year and that darned rabbit she keeps inviting over for dinner.

My Garden and I are not speaking this week.

Of course by spring we will be friends again. I don’t hold grudges long.
by- Sue Edwards

Oh my, I was nominated

I was nominated for this wonderful award by Suz at Garden to Kitchen.

It is called Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award. Thanks Suz.

It has taken me a while, but here are the rules-
thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to their site

put the award logo on your blog

answer the ten questions they have set for you

make up ten new questions for your nominees to answer

nominate seven people

Now I’m supposed to answer some questions so here goes-
1. Who was your childhood hero?
I didn’t have one. I felt mostly let down by the world.
2. Who is your adult hero?
Jesus Christ
3. What did you want to do when you grew up?
Go into commercial art
4. Did you end up doing this, or how different has your life turned out?
No , I ended up eventually starting my own business
5. What would you do with your life if you could?
Travel
6. How long have you had your blog?
About 8 years
7. What do you most like to do when you are not blogging?
Boating, motorcycle trips, camping, gardening and cooking
8. Where would you most like to blog from if you could choose anywhere in the world?
Italy
9. What has your blogging taught you?
That no one is an island
10. Has your blog achieved what you wanted it to?
Yes. I only blog for the fun of it.

Now for my questions.
1- Did you have a childhood pet and what was it
2- Do you think you will ever intentionally stop blogging
3- What is your favorite food
4- Does your significant other blog, if you have one
5- Do you cut out and use store coupons
6- If you could live in any other time period what year would it be
7- Which one kitchen device could you not do without
8- What one thing makes you happiest
9- How many blogging awards do you have
10- Is there a word that irks you

And I nominate. …..
Super Mom Meals
Homegrown and Homemade
The Hungry Homemaker Blog
I Need A Feed
What’s For Dinner Doc
Cooking For The Fam
Ocean View Kitchen

Sabotage Again

All the times I try to eat healthy is for naught.  It always occurs.

One of the big saboteur is this little voice in my head that forces me to use up leftovers.

Have I said we always use leftovers?  Like 100 times maybe?

Anyway, I had leftover cauliflower mash that needed to be utilized. Since hubby wanted breakfast for supper, he does that often, I decided to use the leftover mash in some Tator Tots to accompany “breakfast”.

This uses about a cup of cauliflower to 3 peeled and shredded potatoes.

Nothing healthy about it. Sabotage.

3 peeled and shredded potatoes
1 cup leftover cauliflower mashed
1 teaspoon Italian herbs
2 tablespoons flour
Salt and pepper

Preheat a fryer.

Put potatoes in a covered microwave container and microwave on high 3 minutes.

Remove lid and stir to cool a bit. Press down on the potato with a paper towel to remove excess water. Stir in remaining ingredients well using plenty of salt and pepper.

Form into little tot sized balls. If you keep your hands a little damp with cool water they are easier to work with.

Deep fry in a preheated Fry Daddy, or other fryer, until golden. They may not come out perfect “tot” shapes but different is good sometimes.

Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve warm.

Single Serve Sourdough Pretzel

Just who do I think I’m kidding?  I can’t go without my carbs! I can’t even go without gluten.  Gluten and carbs need me. It is good to feel needed.

I was craving a pretzel so bad my arms started to twist into a pretzel shape.

I searched the web for a single serve recipe because who needs that stuff laying around the house calling your name?

I found what I wanted at Top With Cinnamon but I wanted to use my sourdough start. I adapted the recipe to use 2 tablespoons of my start, for the yeast taste, and 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder for the rise. We all know how long sourdough takes to rise. My twisted arms couldn’t wait that long. I also doubled the recipe because who can eat just one pretzel?

Single Serve Sourdough Pretzels

1/3 cup whole wheat flour, plus more for shaping
pinch sugar
pinch salt
2 tablespoons sourdough start
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 to 4 tbsp warm water

For dipping
1/2 cup warm water, 1 tsp baking soda (and 1 egg yolk, if you want it to look shiny which I didn’t do)

In a small bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients. Stir in 3 tbsp of water first. If the dough is dry, then add a little more water

Pour the entire contents of the bowl out, onto a lightly floured work surface and sprinkle with more flour

Knead gently until the dough comes into a ball

Shape the dough into a roughly 20″ rope. Make the rope into a U shape, twist the ends over each other and fold them down over the base of the ‘U’ to make a pretzel shape

In a dish, combine the water and baking soda (from the dipping ingredients). Dip the shaped pretzel into the mixture and coat completely. Transfer to a well sprayed baking sheet. (If you want a shiny pretzel, brush it with egg yolk).

Immediately sprinkle over topping of choice. Leave in a warm place to rise and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F – bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

I am sharing this with Foodie FriDIY #42

And Fiesta Friday by The Novice Gardener

Fiesta Friday co hosting is being done by Safari of the Mind and Ginger and Bread. Check them out and all the fun.

Test

Testing my W Blogger that went beserk

Enjoyment vs. Need

While I love to fashion aspects of my life to old time methods and 1800 technology, I would not enjoy having to do those things on a daily basis, out of need.

I love to imagine that I could survive if need be, but the true test has yet to come.

That is why this years tomato crop has been mostly frozen. Canning my excess tomato crop is more efficient, considering if the power goes out I would loose my frozen vegetables, without the help of a generator.

I also have seen that in times of failing health, ( or perhaps a motorcycle accident)..People might not feel the energy to can vegetables is worth the effort. My 2009 excuse, and I’m sticking to it.

Frozen, Roasted, Tomatoes

Simply wash and cut tomatoes in uniform pieces and spread on a baking sheet. Top with a chopped onion and then spray well with an olive oil cooking spray. Sprinkle with plenty of kosher salt, dried basil, and dried orgegano ( fresh herbs burn ).

Place in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Stir and replace about 20 minutes or however long you feel will consume most juice without a burn. Cool well and bag for the freezer.

To use, just thaw & throw in soups or recipes calling for canned tomato,
or thaw and process in food processor, push through a wire strainer for tomato sauce.

New Camera

Just trying to learn how to use my new Canon PowerShot Camera. It is going to take me a while I think.

Clementis Vine

Pumpkin

Squash Blossom

Wordless In Virginia

A Pie?

Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and file’ gumbo
‘Cause tonight i’m gonna see my ma cher amio
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-o
Son of a gun, well have big fun on the bayou

We had flooding last night in our area. The rain came down in buckets here.

I awoke to see our ponds filled to overflowing, and the creeks rushing like they were late for an appointment.

The dogs were carrying on in our driveway like a pack of wild animals. I am used to having the dogs act like that over a mud turtle that might have strayed from the ponds, or a poor rabbit that got in their way.

I was not prepared for what I saw when I checked out the commotion.

One of the biggest crawfish I had ever seen in these parts! It was snapping and trying to ward off the wild pack of enemies.

I ran to the house and got my old garden gloves to rescue the critter.How in the world the thing got so misplaced is a puzzle. I am sure the creeks could not flow into our driveway.

I placed it in a bucket to show hubby and take this picture. I am going to release it later into one of the creeks. It got me to thinking that I have never tasted crawfish, and didn’t even have a clue as to what that song was written about…Crawfish pie.

It would take a pound of these misplaced critters for one of those pies. Honestly I am glad I only have one.

I am sure I would try someone else’s “pie”, and here is someone elses recipe taken from About.com.

Crawfish Pie

* 1 med. to large onion
* 3 stalks of celery
* 6 to 8 cloves of garlic
* 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
* 1 can light or regular evaporated milk
* 1 pound of crawfish tails
* 5 tablespoons of cornstarch
* pie crust for 2-crust pie

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°. Sauté onions, celery and garlic in butter or olive oil. Add milk and soup; bring to medium boil. Add crawfish, bring to medium boil again then add corn starch. Lower heat and cook for another 10 minutes or until thick.
Grease pie shell w/butter and place pie shell in bottom of pan then add thickened mixture. Put on top shell and bake at 350°
for 20 minutes.