It's that time of year again.

The time when our family and friends gather to eat, socialize, and enjoy one another’s company.  That’s right…Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  I’m sure you’re wondering how you are going to make it through this year while being able to maintain Phase 1 of the Ideal Protein diet.  Well my friends, I’ve heard it all over the last few weeks as this time of year has crept up on us.  However, as promised, I’m not going to send you off to family dinner without safe options of treats and dishes that you will be able to eat and enjoy.  My goal is to help provide you with some IP friendly menu options that will allow you to feel like you’re not missing out on the holiday experience.  So, I’ve done some digging around for different ideas and have made them my own.  Over the next few weeks, I will continue to provide you with recipes that you will be able to use throughout the next few months.  Of course these recipes can be altered to fit your taste. It’s all about Shaking it Up and making it your own.  Enjoy your holiday!

Wanting to have Pumpkin Pie just like everyone else?  This dessert is simple and sure to satisfy that craving, allowing you to have two servings of protein in one! 

 

Yours in Health,

Jenn

Cauliflower Stuffing

1 slice bacon, diced

1 leek, diced (white part only)

1 garlic clove, diced

½ head of cauliflower, florets sliced into ¼” thickness

1 tsp freshly chopped rosemary leaves

1 tsp sage leaves

1 heaping tablespoon of Ideal Protein Plain crepe mix

¼-1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

Freshly ground pepper

In a large skillet, fry the bacon on medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes.  Add diced leeks and garlic to the pan and sauté for 3 minutes with the bacon.  Add rosemary, sage and cauliflower.  Sauté for 2 minutes until the herbs are fragrant.  Add 1 heaping tablespoon of Plain Crepe mix, and ¼ Cup of broth.  Bring to a boil and simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally or until the cauliflower is tender but still a bit firm. Remove from heat and check for seasoning.  Add salt and ground black pepper as needed.  Serve hot. 

*Additional chopped mushrooms and celery are also great additions to this dish.  *2 oz.’s ground pork or sausage can be used in place of bacon.

Pumpkin Meringue

Crust

1 Ideal Protein Plain Crepe mix

1 tsp Pumpkin Pie seasoning

2 oz.’s water

Pudding Filling

1 Ideal Protein Vanilla pudding

1 egg

2 tsps. olive oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp Pumpkin Pie spice

½ tsp Nutmeg

½ tsp cinnamon

2 tblsp. Splenda or Stevia

Meringue

1 egg white

3 tblsp. Splenda or Stevia

1/8 tsp cream of tarter

1 tsp vanilla extract

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  In your shaker mix Crust ingredients.  With Olive oil spray, coat 8-9” diameter skillet and pour mixture in. Cook o on medium heat until the crepe has reached a soft pliable texture.  You do not want the crepe to be crispy. In 4-5 inch glass pie pan (These can be picked up at most dollar stores) place the crepe in and shape it like a pie crust.  Next mix Pudding ingredients in your shaker and pour into crust.  Bake at 425 degrees for 9 minutes.  While your filling is baking, place meringue ingredients in a bowl and mix until it forms peaks.  By varying the amount of sweetener you control how hard or soft the final meringue will be.  Remove filling and crust from oven and spread meringue on while hot.  Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake for 9 minutes.  Meringue should be stiff and have golden brown coloring on peaks.  Let cool and chill before serving.

*For an extra added treat, drizzle Walden Farms Caramel Syrup on Meringue

Fall is here

It’s that time again…. the weather is cooling and leaves are turning.  With the change of the seasons, I always find that a warm drink soothes the soul.  Whether it’s a Latte, Chai, or just a simple steamer, there always seems to be a source of comfort that comes… no matter our preference for a good drink.  It’s sometimes difficult to find a replacement for a source of comfort that outlines and sometimes defines our routines.  Many of you have changed habits to improve your health.  With those changes, we often sacrifice comfort foods.  Mind you, that doesn’t mean it’s forever….you can do anything for a short period of time!  However, finding substitutes can be difficult.  I’m here to Shake it Up and offer a wonderful replacement that I have recently discovered.  A nice warm Chai is always a good way to start your day, especially with the new chill in the air.  Until now that has proven to be a challenge for some of you as we have eliminated certain foods from your diet.  It’s simple and will help you start your day off right… or bring your day to a nice relaxing close.  Enjoy my friends!

In the mood for a dessert but still need to get your veggies in? This fabulous treat can be served warm or chilled depending on your mood.  Again I come to you with another wonderful cauliflower recipe!  As I experiment daily to find different options and Shake it Up, this vegetable seems to exhibit amazing flexibility in texture and taste.  It seems as though the uses are endless!  Yet again…another amazing discovery has emerged!  It’s simple and takes less than 10 minutes to prepare.

 

Watch for new ideas and recipes coming up for the Holidays!  Have a happy fall!

 

Yours in Health,

Jenn

Harvest Chai

1 Ideal Protein Vanilla Pre-made drink

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg                              

2 Cinnamon Tea bags

4 oz hot water

2 tblsp Walden Farms Caramel Syrup

Directions:

 Fill Ideal Protein shaker with 4 oz hot water.  Place two cinnamon tea bags in water and let steep for approximately 5 minutes.  Remove tea bags from shaker.  Add Walden Farms Caramel Syrup and spices to hot tea concentrate.  Stir until well mixed.  Add Ideal Protein Vanilla pre-made drink to tea mixture.   Stir until spices have dispersed evenly in mixture.  Place shaker in microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds or until desired temperature is reached. Remove from microwave and enjoy!

Vanilla Rice Pudding

1 Cup grated cauliflower

1 cup Silk Almond Milk

1 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Nutmeg

¼ Cup Splenda or Stevia

1 packet Ideal Protein Vanilla Pudding

1 oz water

Directions:

Grate Cauliflower and set aside.  In small pot bring ½ Cup Almond milk to boil.  Add Cauliflower, cinnamon, nutmeg and sweetener to Almond milk in pot. Stir mixture until spices are evenly distributed.  Stirring occasionally, cook on medium for 5 minutes or until liquid has dissipated.  You should be left with a cauliflower mixture that has thickened to a medium consistency.  Remove from stove top and place in a bowl.

Add 1 oz water and the remaining 4 oz’s of Almond milk to Ideal Protein shaker.  Add Vanilla pudding packet and mix.  Pour Vanilla pudding over the top of the Rice mixture and stir.  Sprinkle Cinnamon on top for presentation.  Serve warm or chilled.

Same old recipes?

Tired of the same old recipes? It's time to get creative with something quick and simple. It's so easy to get complacent when we prepare our meals. I've found that working outside of the box just a little bit helped me tremendously to achieve my weight loss goal thru Phase 1.

So here it is my friends! Cauliflower is the veggie of the week! It's become one of my staples in my refrigerator since I've been on the Ideal Protein Diet. I find that it is especially helpful also now that I've been phased off. It's my goal to try and provide you with some of the ideas and recipes that I have instituted to

1. help me lose weight
2. keep the weight off to maintain a healthy lifestyle.


At the end of the day ... or the beginning ... sweets are always welcome! These fun treats are sure to fill you, and not to mention, help you get out of the rut of doing the same thing day in and day out. They're fast and take less than a minutes to prepare. Not only that, they're low in carbs, low in sugar, and taste fantastic!


The best part : they're both completely Phase 1 friendly on the Ideal Protein Diet. I t doesn't get any better than that! So end your day ... or begin your day ... with a shake that's sure to leave you coming back for more.

So as crazy as cauliflower pizza sounds, it is a diet friendly food. It will satisfy cravings while leaving you and your taste buds happy!

Yours in health,
Jenn

Cauliflower pizza

1 cup steamed cauliflower
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
1 egg
1 tsp. oregano or to taste
1-2 tsp. italian seasoning
10-12 pieces of pepperoni
5 grape tomatoes sliced
4 mushrooms finely chopped
1/4 cup diced green peppers
2 TBLsp diced leeks or onions
1 TBLsp olive oil
1/4 tsp real salt
1 package Ideal Protein Plain Crepe Mix
1/8 to 1/4 cup Walden Farm Marinara/Alfredo sauce or a low carb tomato sauce


Directions:
Preheat oven to 425˙

Steam cauliflower and let it cool. Mash cauliflower in food processor/blender or rice the vegetable on a cheese grater for desired texture. Combine egg, half parmesan cheese and spices in a bowl and mix. Add Ideal Protein Crepe Mix and mix. Spray baking sheet with olive oil and spread mixture on pan. Shape into a square or round shape. Spread marinara/alfredo sauce on dough mixture. Chop desired vegetables and mix in a bowl with 1 TBLsp olive oil and salt. Spread on dough mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top of vegetables. Cut pepperoni into quarter and spread over top of the pizza. Lightly sprinkle additional italian seasoning and basil on top for desired taste.

Place in oven and let bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
An alternative is to bake the crust first for the 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Then remove, add sauce and toppings to baked crust. Return to oven and broil until the cheese has melted.

Strawberry Delight

1 vanilla pre-made Ideal Protein Drink
5 ice cubes
1 tsp of vanilla or almond extract
1/2 cup unsweetened silk almond milk
2 TBLsp strawberry Walden Farm syrup

Combine ingredients in blender. Mix until texture is smooth. Drink and enjoy!
(Additional almond milk may be added to reach desired consistency due to texture of ice)

Almond Joy Friscani

1 chocolate pre-made Ideal Protein Drink
5 ice cubes
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp coconut extract
1/2 cup unsweetened Silk almond milk
2 TBLsp Walden Farms chocolate syrup

Combine ingredients in blender. Mix until texture is smooth. Drink and enjoy!