Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Low-Carb Friendly Pumpkin Muffin!

Low-carb lifestylers, rejoice! Now you can have your cake and eat it, too. 

Okay, so it's really a muffin, but let's not split hairs. Especially when it satisfies those pumpkin cravings without knocking us off the low-carb wagon.

Best of all, you can whip this up in no time for a luscious afternoon snack.

Here's what you'll need:
  • 1 flat tablespoon 1/3 less fat cream cheese
  • 2 heaping tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon vanilla OR 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons golden flax meal
  • 1 tablespoon almond flour (if you don't have almond flour, you can use 3 tablespoons of the flax meal)
  • 3/4 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 5-6 teaspoons Truvia, separated (you can use more or less, depending on your tastes. If you use another artificial sweetener, adjust according to your personal taste)
  • 1 generous tablespoon pumpkin puree
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil
Put cream cheese, yogurt, vanilla or lemon juice (I prefer lemon juice because it gives the frosting a less intense taste and, to me, tastes more like cream cheese frosting) and 2-3 teaspoons sweetener into a small bowl.

Mix until smooth and set aside. This gives the sweetener a chance to dissolve.

Now grab yourself a nice size mug, crack the egg into it and whisk with a fork.
Then add your flax meal/almond flour, pie seasoning, baking powder, sweetener to taste (I usually use about 3 teaspoons/packets), pumpkin and coconut oil and whisk until everything is incorporated.

Place mug in microwave and cook on high for 60-70 seconds. You can also bake it in a ramekin or divide batter between two holes of a regular size muffin pan and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Those methods would probably make for a prettier muffin, but since I'm an instant gratification kind of girl, I usually go for the microwave. Besides, even in the micro, it still comes out with a nice, cakey texture.
**Note: My microwave is 1100 watts, so if yours differs, you'll need to adjust the time accordingly.

Once done baking, dump your muffin(s) onto a plate...

I like to cut mine in half before topping it with the frosting.
And I love that there's an ample amount of frosting, so that no bite is without.

Sorry I haven't been around the cafe much, lately. I'm still battling that overwhelmed feeling I talked about last week and have been avoiding the computer like the plague. 

I must be craving simpler times, because I've taken to listening to the Traditional Christmas station on Pandora. What could be more soothing than the croons of Perry Como, Bing Crosby and Andy Williams. Just a few of the many reasons I love this time of year. And for the rest of the year, yes, I have the Perry Como station on Pandora, too. :)

I wish they'd air all their old Christmas specials. Man, I used to love those things. Looked forward to them every year. I did see some of the old Andy Williams ones on PBS a year or so ago. What a treat for this sentimental soul.

Did y'all grow up watching Christmas specials? If so, who/what were some of your favorites?

20 comments:

  1. Yum. I am definitely trying this. And I remember the Osmond brothers on Andy Williams. Does anyone remember the Littlest Angel?

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    1. Ah, yes... The Osmond Brothers. Be still me heart.

      You'll have to refresh my memory on the Littlest Angel. Was it a cartoon?

      I was actually thinking of you as I write this post, Julie. Wondering if the flours were ingredients you could have.

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  2. I'm not ready for Christmas! Thanksgiving is coming too soon too. I'm supposed to work Thanksgiving.
    Susanna

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    1. It seems to come quicker every year, doesn't it, Susanna? And I'm not talking about the stores. It seems September and October just fly by and then, BOOM, the holidays are here, ready or not.

      The best thing you can do is just sit back and enjoy them. Don't stress over gifts and decor, simply rest in the season of blessings.

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    2. yep just seems like sept and oct flew right by :-( this whole year flew by it seems like. not really stressing over gifts -and I don't decorate - but no one's told me what they want so can't order anything yet unless I just take a guess.
      Susanna who will probably have to prove I'm not a robot- google will never cooperate with me

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    3. Oh, no. I'm sorry, Susanna. Technology can be so frustrating sometimes.

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  3. This looks yummy and I love that it's a one serving recipe. Very cool. Think I'll try it but I'll have to dig up some of those recipes. Haven't cooked with coconut oil yet.

    We've already had our Thanksgiving up here -- it's the second Monday in October so that gives us some breathing room between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I don't know how you guys do it with two big cooking holidays so close to each other.

    Mmmmm....favourite Christmas movies. I have to confess to loving the old classics best. Miracle on 35th Street, It's a Wonderful Life, Holiday Inn. Current movies seem soooooo....silly, garish...not as emotional grabbing. There's a station up here that's started showing Christmas movies every evening and honestly, some of them are just dreadful. Lame plots, embarrassing acting, cringeworthy romance. Shudder. And I much prefer the cartoon version of The Grinch. Oh...and my holidays would not be complete without watching A Charlie Brown's Christmas. I always cry when Linus explains what Christmas is all about. Sigh.

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    1. Kav, since your Thanksgiving is so early, when do y'all start decorating for Christmas? And yes, we do cram a LOT of baking into one month. ;)

      It's a Wonderful Life is still one of my favorites. As a matter of fact, I just bought the DVD on sale last night. Our old VHS just can't compare. We usually atch it on TV, but my husband hates commercials so that he typically ends up leaving the room. Kind of spoils the whole family vibe. Even my boys like it, which impresses me to no end. A black and white movie with no shoot-em-up, bang-em-up going on. That's what happens when you have a message that transcends generations.

      Yeah, I gotta watch the Charlie Brown Christmas special, too. I grew up on it, so Christmas wouldn't be complete without it. Glad to know I'm not the only one who cries. You know what's even sadder? If they tried to do a new show for kids with a message like that in it, it probably wouldn't make it past the networks. Thank God for classics.

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    2. I'm a huge Grinch fan--both versions. :)

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    3. Oh my gosh, Mindy -- I almost said the same thing -- about a classic like Charlie Brown with the religious overtone not getting the go ahead these days! And so true and so, so sad.

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  4. Oh -- and just saw North Pole on Saturday...did anyone see that? I think it's a Hallmark movie. About a girl elf and a human boy who fight to save Christmas. I thought it was really well -- a current movie that wasn't lame. LOL

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    1. Was it on the Hallmark Channel? I love that channel, but lost it when we switched providers. Sigh. Christmas might not be the same without it. :(

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    2. No, I don't get the Hallmark Channel either. Missing out on a lot of great movies that were inspired by Christian fiction. No fair! This is a kind of alternative Canadian channel that has a mix of everything and decided to show Christmas movies every evening at 8. Sadly -- there aren't that many great Christmas movies deserving of the time slot. :-) But this one was. So if I saw it on a non Hallmark Channel there's a chance you might be able to as well.

      Oh and I forgot to mention the Walton's Thanksgiving. Love watching that movie.

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    3. I need to start scoping out the TV guide to see what's going to be on. Our local newspaper usually gives an overview right after Thanksgiving, so I'll have to look at that with my calendar in hand. :)

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  5. A little pumpkin muffin with that frosting? LOL. I'm for anything pumpkin.

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    1. I know exactly what you mean, Tina. I love pumpkin.

      I think it was IHOP that aired a commercial in October where the mom talked about pumpkin season. The little girl asked when pumpkin season started. The mom scooped up a forkful of pumpkin pancakes and said, "Right about now." :D

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  6. Thanks, Mindy! I can't wait to try this! I love quick and easy and single serving (so I don't eat more than one). :)

    I've been out of town for a week and feel so behind! I've missed all of you!

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  7. I missed this post! And I have to try this today, by all means!

    I had a chocolate muffin for breakfast...mmmm.....

    One great thing about these low-carb muffins is that you can have more than one - or two - a day :)

    And I miss those old Christmas specials, too. In fact, I miss the whole variety show genre. Bing, Bob, Perry, Carol Burnett..... And now we have reality shows. Sigh. No wonder I rarely watch television.

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    1. Jan, I miss the variety shows, too. Carol Burnett was my absolute favorite. Times have definitely changed, though. And not necessarily for the better.

      You know, I should consider making this in the oven, splitting the batter between two muffin cups. That way I could have one for a snack in the morning and one in the afternoon! ;)

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