Whipping Up a Sweet Treat

Well, it's summer, which means I'm on another weight-loss kick. One of my biggest temptations is a Starbucks frappuccino. Calories, calories, calories! So, I'm experimenting at home with stevia drops, a sugar-free sweetener. My first few attempts were okay, but not quite right. Today's effort is the closest yet, and here is the recipe:

Sugar-Free Stevia Smoothie

1 c. 365 unsweetened organic almond milk
1 t. Hershey's cocoa
1/2 banana
1/8 t. Watkins vanilla
6-9 drops Sweet Drops liquid stevia
4 cubes ice

Blend until frothy. On its own, the almond milk taste a little thin. The banana gives it a creamier texture. This may become my morning commute treat!

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Nancy

Ghee, It's Been a Long Time!

Yes, it's been months since I posted. Between family, work, school, and church, I've been on the run constantly. Life has finally slowed a bit, and I took the opportunity to do a tiny amount of cooking yesterday. Mind you, the Resident Dragon is still the primary cook, but, ghee, I was inspired.

I've been wanting to try cooking with ghee for a while and intended to pick up some at the grocery yesterday. Then I saw the price: $13 for 12 ounces. Well, it was grass-fed and organic, but $13! I quickly looked up a few recipes and priced a pound of unsalted butter: $2.50 (not grass-fed and not organic). I decided to take the chance.

My goodness, how easy it was! Ghee is, basically, clarified butter. You melt the butter over medium heat until the water boils off and the milk solids brown. Then you strain it through a cheesecloth. The remaining oil will, supposedly, keep for a month unrefrigerated, but I am not taking any chances.

Of course, I had to try it, so I scrambled some eggs. They were buttery and delicious. Now I'm on the lookout for other recipes where I could substitute ghee. I wonder how sauteed mushrooms would taste?

So, hope this finds you well, and you find this useful.