Low Carb Cauliflower Crust Veggie Pizza

  After two long, painful attempts to make this low carb crust (that I was beginning to think may possibly be an Internet hoax)  I wanted to tell carbs to go F themselves and order a loaf of bread, stuffed with bread, and dip it in mashed potatoes. This recipe took WORK! Like beads of sweat on my brow, thank God I wasn't trying to cook while looking attractive for some date, because I think I had Cauliflower in my eyebrows, and needed to wash my mouth with soap after I cursed the name of "Cauliflower Pizza" repeatedly. But when it was done, it was totally worth it and really great. Sorta like I imagine childbirth would be, but I am just guessing.

INGREDIENTS: 
1 Head of Cauliflower chopped and made into a "rice"
A Cheese Cloth (and muscles and patience)
1/3 Cup  Regular Goat Cheese (Chevre)
1 egg (beaten)
Salt
Pepper
Italian Seasoning
Pizza Sauce
1 bag Mozzarella Cheese
Veggies or toppings of your choice, I used-
Red Onion
Green Peppers
Red Peppers
Sliced Portabella Mushrooms
Wine (To keep your sanity)



Pre-Heat your oven to 400 degrees.



                                              The Cauliflower! The Star of the Show.

Cut the stem off your Cauliflower and the large green leaves. 

I do not own a fancy food processor yet.  It can make some recipes a little more complicated but my  Walmart Blender seems to be grinding food for me fine enough for the time being.

I chopped my Cauliflower by hand but if you are lucky enough to own a food processor throw your Cauliflower in there and sit back and have a Martini for God's Sake!

Meanwhile I'm chopping, and chopping.... and chopping.

A steam tray will help simplify the steaming process a ton! Super cheap and easy to find at TJ Maxx or Target! Add a inch or so of water in the bottom of the pan, add your steam tray and then add your veggies, cover and they are steamed! 

Cover and start steaming your Cauliflower this should only take about 4-5 minutes.

I think I was so flustered I put my Cauliflower in as bigger pieces and then I chopped them more finely after- don't do that. Puree them, or chop them finely, then steam. After they are steamed, allow to cool a while so you do not scald yourself in this next step ( I am sure I am making this recipe REALLY appealing for you to want to make at home..)   

Grab your cheese cloth or thin and clean dish towel and put all your steamed Cauliflower in it and squeeze with all your might over, and over to get all the water out. You will be amazed how much water will come out. When you think you are done squeezing, squeeze again. Trust me there's more water in there to get out!! SQUEEZEEEE!!!!!

Next add the drained Cauliflower to a large mixing bowl, add your 1/3 cup Goat Cheese, Beaten Egg and seasoning, mix well.

On a Pizza pan or cookie tray *lined with Parchment paper* spread your Cauliflower "dough" in whatever shape you want, but keep it about 1/4 thick.  Bake WITHOUT TOPPINGS for 35-40 minutes 

Once your crust is cooked and slightly hardened add your toppings and bake again for 10-15 minutes. Keep a close eye on your pie as depending on amount of toppings and thickness of your crust it may take more or less time!

Toppings have been added and headed into the oven!

Fresh out the oven! Looks and smells delicious!!

Allow to sit 5-8 minutes to firm up a bit more and then cut that bad boy up and serve your hungry guests!

Enjoy! 

I was so frustrated from my first experience I made another pizza again, the very next night with my left over veggies. Turned out great and less frustrating! The key is definitely baking longer before adding your toppings.

The second time was so much easier, I had the chopping down, the squeezing down and it wasn't a pain at all.  Once you've got it down you are set for life, first time may just be a little tricky....but it is worth it and tastes just like pizza!!

What are your secrets to a perfect , stress free low carb pizza crust??

Happy Eating!

xo,

R&S

Halloween Festivities!

 Happy Halloween (Well couple days after)... I had a great one this year. I began the day at work, in meetings with important customers where I needed to look like a normal person. But, as soon as they left I grabbed my bag of tricks and transformed into an Indian Squaw for the rest of the day. I think I really pulled it off (sarcasm). I am really a little bit Cherokee Indian! But apparently everyone from Oklahoma is, apparently they really got around.




 I invited some friends over and we had a great inexpensive, healthy dinner, dressed up like weirdos, dressed my cats up, attempted to watch The Shining for the first time in my life ever but had TV issues, ate white chocolate covered strawberries, accidentally created ridiculously addicting White Chocolate Popcorn that was about as addicting as crack, and I almost managed to completely forget about being dumped in a text message a couple weeks before.

 I made a Fall themed menu of Nutmeg White Cheese Fondue with French Bread, and Maple Acorn Squash stuffed with Autumn Wild Rice. So delicious!  I will post those recipes next week!

Enjoy these pics of me living out my cat lady fantasies...

Sorry I'm not sorry.

xo,

R&S

D & C were really pretty cat versions of The Shining Twins. The movie of the evening (we attempted to watch)

It was very hard for C to not smile, so we let her take a non-scary photo. Just for you Princess.

Imogen was Snow White, and really took one for the team. She was a social butterfly and life of the party, and did not retaliate by eating my face while I slept that night like I thought she might. 

Looking a little uncomfortable (like the rest of us) as we watched The Shining.

Of course I put together some last minute, festive decorations. Sharpy and Pumpkins I already had around the loft= cheap,easy, fast! I rigged a tail from last years costume and made a cat pumpkin (obviously, I would make a cat pumpkin..)

The maple roasted Acorn Squash with Autumn Wild Rice was a huge hit! 

Augustus Gloop on the other hand did not embrace his role as my Bouncer and I will never hire him again as Security for another one of my fete's.   If I was paying him in anything other then catnip I would have fired him on the spot.



The week before I had my friend D over and we painted our pumpkins, drank wine and laughed and listened to great music. So much fun. I loved painting my pumpkin! I had a bunch of paint and supplies left over from art I have made for my place and various craft projects, so it worked out great! No mess, and the pumpkins are going to last forever! (Almost)

We took our finished Pumpkins out in my hallway and the cats were DYING to see life on the other side of the door. 30 seconds later, this is what happened. Babies. They also got fleas. Overall fail exploring life on the other side.





How was your Halloween? Any one else dress their cats up? Anyone? Anyone???....

Pissed off: More budget beauty favs

 Some days are bad days, and some days you wake up in your cats pee and it's a really really bad day. When you're this Pissy (see what I did there?) You don't want to cook. You want to sell your cat to a Chinese restaurant and erase the morning from your mind. Then you calm down and realize he has a medical issue, is the most adorable man in your life and you can always buy new sheets for your bed.

 Trying to feel attractive after you woke up in a cat pee bath can be tricky. Even after a Crying Game shower I felt more certain than ever the cats want me to die alone so they can eat my face. I needed to spend extra QT getting ready to really fight off that old cat lady cliche. "I cannot smell like pee at work, I cannot smell like pee at work." (chanting over and over in my head).
Here are some more of my fav low cost, yet fabulous drugstore buys that can help anyone give the illusion you are F-ing Fabulous, no matter who pissed on you that day.

  I went it to Sally Beauty Supply the other day and was instantly cheered up. They have knock offs of tons of amazing beauty products at super cheap prices! I bought this Moroccan Oil knock off for $9.99 that is AMAZING. Not greasy at all, absorbs in completely, leaves my hair shiny and soft and frizz free. Now that the weather is getting cold I also rub it on my hands to soften them. How is it the minute it gets cold your hands look like you are 90?! Any way...

One 'n Only Argan Oil-$9.99 Sally Beauty Supply

Moroccan Oil- $43.00 

Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream Combination Skin -$10.99

Everyone by now knows that BB Cream has become the hot new wonder foundation, skin perfector, illuminator and  primer all in one. Every brand you can imagine has jumped on this train (Originally started by Laura Mercier who my girlfriends do swear by). I was a little surprised to see a Garnier version next to all the face washes, but I liked the price versus the Sephora versions ($10.99) and loved the SPF 20 and color options, and the anti shine claims. I opted for Medium/Deep since I am always trying to be more bronze then I am naturally and it was in the middle of summer. I totally loved this product! It is super light and easy to apply yet gives great coverage while still looking natural. The anti shine/matifying claims worked well, and my skin looked really even, smooth, and radiant. This bottle has lasted me forever also, so I definitely got my money worth!

Elf- HD Blush-Superstar $3.

Seriously what can you get for $3 anymore?!

I had seen this Elf line at various stores such as Target and Walmart for years but to be honest completely assumed it was crap because of the crazy cheap price tag. I was feeling brave and needed a cheek stain and found a color that looked like a fun bright pink and thought I would give it a try. I love it! Totally similar to a super pigmented cream you would get from a much more expensive brand. You need the tiniest amount. The first time you use it a big pea size amount will come out, and you will look like a clown if you use it all. I finally got the hang of the half push that gives me about as much as a tall pin head (does that visual even make sense?!) and it is the perfect amount to give my cheeks a rosy, youthful splash of color. 

Almay Smart Shade Bronzer-40 Sun kissed $8.99 

The color on this is super natural and I bought it when my budget mind would allow me to buy my Tarte Bronzer anymore. I loved the Tarte because it had a gorgeous subtle bit of shimmer that made you glow not "sparkle" like a 12 year old. The Almay version has the same beautiful subtle shimmer and a really natural buildable color that lasts all day.

Revlon -235 Pink Pop Gloss $6.99

You know how some glosses give you killer shine but make your lips stick together like you accidentally put Gorilla Glue on instead? Not this gloss. The gloss gives super shine, comes in tons of great colors, is slightly sheer and never feels tacky or thick on your kisser. Men appreciate not sticking to your lips as well. Win, win!

John Frieda Shine Spray- $5.99

I have gone through literally 100 bottles of this amazing spray over the years. It does not make my thin hair look like I am a grease ball who refuses to bathe, and also doubles as a perfect body oil to highlight your collar bones, shoulders, or legs. Never sticky or overly slippery. Sometimes hard to find (I always seem to find it at Walmart) so don't give up right away if you can't find it. It is worth the hunt. 

I hope this helps everyone feel as gorgeous as possible no matter what kind of day you are having!

XO,

R&S

Sweet Imogen helping out with the blog process 

The pee culprit, Augustus in his Halloween costume. How can I stay mad?!

Protein Packed Veggie Quiche

 Quiche is such a simple to make dish that you can enjoy for days for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Score! I wanted to pack mine with protein and healthy veggies and eliminate some of the cholesterol, calories and fat. Greek yogurt is the new miracle protein packed wonder food, so why not put some of that in there too to boost my protein punch! It was a learning experience for sure - the new chemistry of my dish made it take WAY longer to cook, and gave it a slightly different texture- but it was worth it! Hope you enjoy it too!

Ingredients:

1 Frozen Pie Crust

3 egg yolks

3 egg whites only

1/2 cup of Plain Non-Fat Greek Yogurt

1 cup Mozzarella or Italian Cheese

1 cup chopped spinach

2 bell peppers 

1/3 Large red onion chopped

2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning 

Pre-Heat oven to 425

Crack 3 of your eggs and add them to a large mixing bowl. With clean hands crack the other 3 and only let the white's run through your fingers into the bowl catching the yolk in your hand and throwing it away. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Chop up your red onions and your peppers and put them in a large mixing bowl. I like to start with all raw veggies so they are a little more on the crispy side once the quiche is done.

Add 1/2 cup of your Greek yogurt to your egg mixture, along with your cheese.  Stir in well until blended. Add your seasoning and your Spinach last. Cover your quiche with foil and cook for 30 minutes. Take off your foil, and cook an additional 15 minutes. Cooking times may vary, so keep a close eye, but I was shocked how long this version took to firm up! 

The finished product turned out beautiful and we enjoyed it for dinner and for breakfast the next morning! The big chunky peppers and onions were nicely cooked but still had a nice fresh crunch to them.

I lost some of my crust in the transport but it still tasted great!

Allow your quiche to rest about 10 minutes before cutting and serving. 

I hope you enjoy!

xo,

R&S

Super Easy Low Carb Pumpkin Mousse with Maple Pecan Granola

We had some friends over the other night and since it is October I wanted a Fall themed, quick and easy low carb dessert. This was SO fast and so easy and super light and delicious! The Maple Pecan Granola adds the perfect slightly salty crunch.




INGREDIENTS:

MOUSSE
30 OUNCE CAN PUMPKIN PIE FILLING
16 OUNCES HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM
2 TABLESPOONS SPICED DARK RUM (OPTIONAL)
REAL MAPLE SYRUP TO DRIZZLE ON TOP (OPTIONAL)


MAPLE PECAN GRANOLA
1/2 CUP CHOPPED PECANS
1/2 CUP GRANOLA (ANY KIND)
3 TABLESPOONS REAL MAPLE SYRUP
1/4 STICK BUTTER
2 TEASPOON CINNAMON
1 TEASPOON SALT


In a large mixing bowl add your entire container of Heavy Whipping Cream. Beat using an electric mixer until you get stiff peaks. Add your 2 tablespoons Rum. Slowly fold in the entire can of Pumpkin Pie Filling, mixing well with a spatula.  Mix again lightly with your blender.

Finished Pumpkin Mousse after folding in the Pumpkin and whipping a little more.

Divide your mousse into your serving dishes. 

Drizzle a small amount of Real Maple Syrup over the top, then add as much Maple Pecan Granola as you like. 

For your Maple Pecan Granola. Melt butter into a large saucepan over medium heat. Add your pecans and toast stirring often about 5 minutes. Add in cinnamon, and salt. Add in your granola and stir to toast. Add your Maple Syrup so it gets a nice sticky consistency. Take off the stove and allow to cool.

There you have it! A super stress free dinner party dessert, that you can sneak off and make quickly that is light , low carb and great has lots of delicious Fall flavors!

Enjoy!

xo,

R&S

And I'm BACK!

Sometimes technology comes into your life and you have no idea it will be of any use to you at a later time. Well, I had no idea or interest in Google+ until now. Without me even realizing it had been backing up and saving ALL my photos from my cell phone and all I had to do was restore them from the sad virtual trash can they had been hiding in. Recipes coming soon! Thanks for your patience!! 

xo,
R&S

Google Plus Saves the Day!!