More About ALILDUCKLING

11/2020 Somewhat revised - trying replacing dry white table wine with apple juice. Slightly revised directions.
This reminds us of a filling for a pie or crumble or crisp of some kind. Nice flavor. Had to do a little research of how to know when the pears were ripe -- neck test.
I would also use this as a topping for hot cereal, pancakes, waffles - which is probably just my prejudice for good compotes and fruit. In thinking about it, I think the purity of fruit w/o crust, etc is the appeal for me - sweet and wonderful as a stand alone...

10/21/2020 This is actually a recipe for a "Mirror Glaze Galaxy Cake" , which is actually a 2 layer cake with a buttercream icing under the glaze. I am copying the recipes for the Buttercream Icing and the glaze.

A lot of color ingredients and white couverture were unavailable in Tallahassee and would need need online orders. See tips section.

Melissa - for birthday month - decided to combine this icing recipe with a tube cake - a "Pumpkin Cake" (see MYSPARK recipes).

"Another pumpkin recipe but hey, it is that time of year. This is an easy-to-make and assemble cake that is moist and delicious. Definitely not for the diet conscious! ..... However, this is a great cake just the way it is listed."

10/21/2020 Picked by Melissa for birthday month. She substituted Stevia for sugar.
This did not come out of tube pan in one piece - next time try
bundt pan

Melissa combined with an icing (also in MYSPARK recipes) - Mirror Galaxy Glaze

If I ever made this I would try the original, with sugar, to see what the original sweetness was intended to be.

This is taken from a recipe by same authors that was combined with a "Low Carb Oven Fried Zucchini/Yellow Squash" recipe (see My Spark recipes) Oven Fried Zucchini/Yellow Squash" recipe (see My Spark recipe that I wanted to write separately.
Hard to know if full fat or nf Gk yogurt was originally used in recipe - both work for us, but we prefer the full fat.

Original Name: Keto Cheddar Leek Cauliflower Mash renamed for filing.
4/2020 Very nice flavor. Definitely needs a blender . Our family seems to prefer 2 servings / 3 meatballs with the Meatballs, Shepherd's pie recipe.
"This Keto Cheddar Leek Cauliflower Mash is the low carb side dish of your dreams. It’s cheesy, and leek-y (yup, it’s a thing now) and so very luscious and buttery – it’s everything you’ve ever wanted in a low carb cauliflower puree! This Keto Cheddar Leek Cauliflower Mash is based on a cheddar leek potato mash that topped an amazing shepherd’s pie that I had in London at The Windmill in Mayfair, which was right around the corner from our rental. I snapped a photo, but it was in the evening and the lighting wasn’t great…Now while this photo of the dish doesn’t look super appetizing, it was so incredibly delicious that I knew I had to make a keto version using cauliflower. And so this keto cheddar leek cauliflower mash was born, and if I do say so it’s almost as good as the original made with potatoes...."
MS suggests pairing this with recipe with Meatballs, Shepherd's Pie, see Spark recipes.

4/2020 Renamed from web title of Keto Shepherd's Pie Meatballs for filing purposes. Calories come out as more than shown on website.
4/2020 Calories come out as a lot more than listed on website.
We loved this! The sauce/gravy is wonderful! Nice bigger size meatballs good for meals. Very high fat for Patti.
These Keto Shepherd’s Pie Meatballs contain all of the comforting flavors of a traditional Shepherd’s Pie, in a fun new low carb meatball format! They’re dairy free too! Fun fact: Shepherd’s Pie is traditionally made with ground or minced lamb. Which makes sense, because Shepherd’s work with sheep, not cows. Growing up in New England, my mom made a dish she always called Shepherd’s Pie, but it was made with ground beef, topped with a layer of corn kernels, and then mashed potatoes.

As kids we loved it, but it wasn’t technically Shepherd’s Pie. A meat pie made in that way is typically called Cottage Pie.

Now you know… Because lamb can have a strong, gamey flavor that can be off-putting to some, I mixed the meat in these meatballs with a 50/50 mix of beef and lamb. That gave them just enough lamb flavor to be authentic and delicious, but not so much as to be overpowering.

That being said, if you can get lamb and love the flavor, you can certainly use all lamb in this recipe. And if you can’t get lamb at all, or it’s too pricey in your area to make it worth it, then you can mix pork and beef, or even go all beef if you prefer.

Then I guess they would be Cottage Meatballs ... These Keto Shepherd’s Pie Meatballs are flavored with the classic Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and a small amount of minced carrot for authenticity.

Worcestershire sauce is technically not gluten free because it can contain soy sauce or malt vinegar which both contain gluten. If that’s a concern for you then you can replace it with Coconut Aminos, which have a similar flavor profile and no gluten. The sauce for these Keto Shepherd’s Pie Meatballs gets its red color from tomato paste, and also contains tangy Worcestershire sauce, some ground mustard, and chicken broth – among other things.

**The end result, especially when served over the KETO CHEDDAR LEEK CAULIFLOWER MASH [ see My Spark Recipes],** is comfortingly authentic and ultra satisfying to tuck into. ...These keto meatballs are a fun departure from the typical layered Shepherd’s pie format, and are pretty easy to execute.

Mr. Hungry was a huge fan, and he’s pretty tough to please when it comes to meatballs. So if he’s any indication, then keto or not your family will likely enjoy these Keto Shepherd’s Pie Meatballs too!

“We don’t need to go to London anymore, these are amazing.” – Mr. Hungry

As always, I love getting your feedback on my recipes, so let me know if this one was a hit with your tribe too! "

4/2020 I have changed title somewhat for filing purposes - originally : Isabel de Dargas' Folar da Pascoa - Portuguese Easter Bread With Eggs". I have seen other PEB's on Internet that look intriguing.
The sugar is not killer sweet and I think we could later play with substituting some of the sugar for Stevia or egg substitute for eggs.
This is a very simple yet rich bread - very nice! It got bigger than I imagined. Cooked in springform pan in our smaller oven. Next time, I think I will cook it in larger oven and possibly cover the crust halfway thru if it looks as brown as we like (it didn't burn, but maybe a little overdone). Also,I need to grease pan with margarine or butter. The bread stuck on the bottom in one place and a small hole tore out - possibly parchment? I would like to read other internet recipes for this - possibly find a video. My attaching of the egg with dough needs more help - I think it was inconsistently wide enough and one piece sprang out above the bottom of the bread during the 2nd rise. Yet, the egg held in place!
So far,all the recipes from this book are good!
One more thing - wine or coffee is suggested to have with this. We got regular grape juice (since we don't drink) chilled - and it was wonderful) Imagine coffee will be just as good.
Can also be called pashkwa. Traditionally baked on Holy Saturday. "There is an old tradition [in the Azores Islands - Portuguese] that an angel appeared to Our Lady, telling her that Christ would arise on Easter. To show her happiness and joy, she baked bread to share with her friends. And to make it more special, she put an egg, a symbol of the resurrection on the top. Everybody keeps this tradition."
"Decorated with eggs and crosses, this golden sweet bread from the Azores is served with coffee or sweet wine for dessert on Easter Sunday."

12/01/2019 This was good - I used 3 types of bread I had on hand. Revised directions to reflect need to precook/saute the veggies till tender before putting in stuffing - they were still a little too chewy/raw by end of baking w/o doing this. The servings are extremely "diet" small.
"I put this stuffing together when I was making my very first Thanksgiving dinner. It was proclaimed by all who ate it as the best stuffing. Ever."

11/2019 Melissa overdid a lot - using a large (or bigger than large??) and a medium with butternut squash amounts, which is reflected here in stats, Original amounts shown in Notes area.
Amounts / serving need to be refigured next time as well. I did not like this but it was ok- it might be just a matter of trying proper proportions and canned coconut milk. In ways, I wanted it a little sweeter. But rolls, or bread to go with it help a lot. The recipe as Mel made it was very thick. Some of the proportions of the original recipe site were changed by Yummly and I might try using the original, which is reflected in Notes. i should also add on a positive note that I was inspired watching Mel peel and cube butternut - something I have been afraid to try.


"This Slow Cooker Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Soup is a delicious & comforting dish for a cold day. An easy soup recipe that’s creamy and rich with the addition of sweet potato and coconut milk.
I am a big butternut squash fan and love making various versions of this soup. It’s an easy set and forget slow cooker recipe – no babysitting and no worrying about the pot boiling over.

Along with the butternut squash, I added some sweet potatoes to make the soup extra creamy and filling. There’s also ginger, garlic, turmeric, nutmeg and some cayenne pepper. Pumpkin is another great substitute (or addition) if you don’t have any butternut squash.

And if you like an extra kick of heat, try adding some red Thai curry paste. It gives this an extra layer of flavor – totally optional but SO SO good.

Once the vegetables for this slow cooker butternut squash are all cooked up, use an immersion hand blender to make it all smooth and creamy right in the crock pot.

You can also toss everything into your regular blender or a food processor if you don’t have one. You may have to work in batches if you choose this method.

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Soup is the perfect soup for fall
This slow cooker butternut squash soup is vegan, gluten free and super healthy for you. The best part about this is how easy everything comes together.

Serve it swirled with some extra coconut milk and some pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top. Easy, delicious and comforting. "

11/2019 Uses sugar and hydrogenated shortening. Melissa felt the crust recipe had too much water in recipe and ended up adding a lot of flour to try to correct the problem --She also seemed to insist on using all the crust - too thick and not flaky at all. I don't know how to suggest it, but M could use some mentoring on the double crust making - esp on how to trim excess and crimp -- The choice of apples needed to be tarter. I would like to try substituting the sugar with something like Stevia.
"Of all the pies I make at holiday time, Fresh Apple Cranberry Pie is our family favorite. It’s fresh, tart and sweet. Love the hint of almond flavor. What would Thanksgiving be without PIE? I don’t even want to go there.
You know how I love this holiday weekend. Family, friends, time to reflect on all of our blessings. Throw in football -the UTAH 8-1 (yay!) vs byu 7-2 game, food, the family turkey bowl, shopping. Love it. Making special food for the people I love is my favorite part. Baking PIE is my absolute favorite."

Nothing compares to this Fresh Apple Cranberry Pie! It has been on our Thanksgiving menu for over 20 years and continues to be on the top most requested dishes I make at holiday time. We also have this pie every Christmas as well.

11/2019 I may later try subbing in Stevia or ?
This is a copycat recipe.
6/2019 My best critic, Jayden, liked these! Dave said they are like "real" bread - a little chewier and not so Wonder bread soft. I think they are different from the original in that respect. I had trouble tasting the sweetness, but Davis did and obviously Jayden did -- think it is my own issue.

"Rolls is perfectly sweet, soft, fluffy, and golden brown. ... easy these are to make! Watch the video to learn how.
Taste: Sweet, slightly tropical, and buttery.
Texture: Soft, fluffy, and tender with a golden brown chewy exterior.
Ease: If bread baking overwhelms you this is a wonderful place to start!! Watch the video and read the above recipe notes and you’ll be good to go, promise!
Appearance: Who could resist one of these big beautiful sweet golden rolls? They look just like the store-bought ones!
Pros: Easy, relatively quick, delicious, perfect for a special dinner.
Cons: None except maybe that these are made with white flour.
Would I make this again? Oh absolutely!"

8/2020 Dave likes these. I NEED TO INPUT REST OF NUT FACTS.

"We’ve been pretty pancake crazy lately. It’s hard not to be when you perfect the crispy and soft pancake texture using no white flour or sugar whatsoever!
We purchased a new griddle and it cooks pancakes magically! Something about the even heat distribution and flatness of it produces some amazingly tall and perfectly cooked pancakes. So we’ve been using it quite frequently.... We’ve perfected a few different pancake variations so we decided to change it up and throw in some sugar-free chocolate chips and record the process. We purchased a 3 pack of our favorite chocolate chips made by Lily’s! They sugar-free: sweetened with erythritol, stevia and inulin. Unlike some other brands of sugar-free chocolate chips, they contain no maltitol. Your digestive system will thank you!..."

11/2016 I want to try making up my own Ital turkey sausage, primarily b/c it is so expensive in the store. Also, I am getting into making sausage in general - in order to reduce sodium.

This came out well. Tasted a little hot when made, but when put in a recipe - like Spicy Sausage and Cheddar Stuffing, Low Carb or Egg Muffins (Kayln) -- See Spark recipes for both -- it was good.
"My family's version. Great for any recipe that calls for Italian sausage."
I don't really know for sure about individual servings b/c I am only using in recipes that require a certain amount of pounds.

"Work accomplished under Dr. Clive McKay at Cornell has done much to raise the standard of nutrition for large segments of the world's population. It was discovered that the addition of certain supplements in their natural forms to unbleached, synthetically enriched bread flours increases significantly their nutritive value. Use this formula in your favorite bread, cookie,muffin or cake recipe. " (Joy of Cooking).

3./2019 Temporarily changing to Whipped Salad dressing -- from Regular - as approved by Davis with a Farmshare donation.
Part of an original recipe by KA - listed in MYSPARK recipes -
Low Carb Tuna Cakes (IF)

4/16 Dave likes this a lot and uses it on plain tuna instead of mayo with whatever extra is left over. Melissa also likes this on her version of tuna croquettes if I haven't made a lowfat one.

3/15 Proportions worked out well. A favorite. Really fills a regular muffin pan. Doubled recipe works well and I want to rewrite recipe to reflect that.
"i made a sort of hot cross bun by adapting linda sues flax bun recipe , this is the original FLAX SANDWICH BUNS - Linda's Low Carb Menus & Recipes..."

3/15 Fruit is a guess - experiment
I'd like a muffin top pan.

3/16 Dave likes

11/18 Slightly overcooked, but good. Measured but want to measure total amount cooked, again and see what serving are.
NUT Stats are off in this recipe b/c Spark does not correctly analyze Sugar alchols --Erythritol and liquid Stevia.
2/15 This appears to be our favorite for now b/c it doesn't have sucralose after-taste. BUT, I would not call it a company dish for those who do not use sweetner subs.

Lower fat, no artificial preservatives lower sodium
1/2017 I am rewriting this to try with ground turkey 83/15 and no salt - see similar title in My Spark pages
8/15 See SNAKEY makeover recipe.

4/14! Very good - served our family of 3 well. Very filling! Good, low carb. Used alternative biscuits for Melissa and me, and turkey sausage for all of family.

11/18 Turns out Dave and Melissa like this, too.
Top dog favorite for Patti since at least 3/11
"A sweet aromatic strawberry sauce for topping waffles, pancakes, ice cream, shortcake, cheesecake and other desserts." I like it this way, but it is also wonderful as a a topping for hot cereal. Chunky, not smooth!! 3/11

*****I need to get a total measurement of cooked syrup in order to have a better grasp of measurement size. - pretty sure I'd go with 4 servings 4/13 *****