Ken's Ultimate Cauli-Mac-n-Cheese

In September 1995, I came across a recipe in Bon Appetit called the Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese, and for years it had been my go-to recipe for a special mac-n-cheese. Its taste wasn't for everyone -- some either love, love, love it (as did I), or they dislike it (maybe because they're accustomed to mac-n-cheese from a box!)

On LCHF, macaroni's out, as is flour, but neither of those made this recipe special.  Instead, this recipe's magic comes from the various creams, the extra-sharp cheddar, and the spice mixture... all of which carry over perfectly into LCHF wonderland.

Ingredients

3 cups roasted cauliflower, diced (1/2" chunks)

5 oz. extra-sharp cheddar cheese, diced (1/2" cubes)

1 1/3 cup half-n-half

1 1/3 cup heavy cream

2/3 cup sour cream

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

3/4 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

5 oz. extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350º

Combine the roasted cauliflower and the cubed sharp cheddar cheese in a buttered 9x13 pan.

Mix together the creams, eggs and egg yolks, the worcestershire sauce and the dry ingredients, then pour over the cauliflower and cubed cheese.

Top with the grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350º for 45 mins -- the cauli-mac should be set and starting to brown.

Low Carb Chocolate Gravy

1/4 c. Cocoa powder
3/4 c. Splenda
1 qt. Heavy Cream
4 oz baker's chocolate, unsweetened
Xantham Gum
1/2 stick butter

Grandma Row's Coffee Cake

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
2 cups flour, divided
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup raisins
½ cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°

Mix together the sugar, brown sugar, butter, and 1 cup of flour.
Set aside 2 tbsp of the mixture to use later for a topping.
To the main batter, mix in the remaining cup of flour, as well as the egg, buttermilk, baking soda, vanilla, and raisins.
Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9x13 cake pan.
Sprinkle the reserved sugar/flour/butter mixture over the top, along with the ½ cup chopped nuts.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until done.

Grandma Row's Butterscotch Brownies

Ingredients
½ cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs (Note: Grandma's recipe calls for 2 eggs, but an extra egg helps the brownies cook in the center)
1 ½ cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350º
Mix together the butter, sugar, and eggs.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt.
Add to the mix, along with the vanilla and nuts.
Mix together (may need to mix or stir by hand because the batter is very thick).
Spread into a well-greased and floured 9x13 pan.
Bake for 35 minutes.

Grandma Row’s Strawberry Cake

Ingredients
1 box yellow cake mix
1 small box strawberry jello
3 T. flour
¾ c. oil
4 eggs
½ c. water
16oz container of frozen strawberries with sugar, thawed
1 box powdered sugar (1 lb.)
½ stick butter, melted

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350º

Mix together the cake mix, jello powder, flour, oil, eggs, water, and half (8 oz) of the strawberries. Pour into a greased-and-floured 9x13 cake pan.

Bake 30min or until a toothpick comes out clean.

While cake is baking, prepare the icing by mixing together the remaining 8oz strawberries, the powdered sugar, and the melted butter.

When cake is finished baking, remove from oven, poke holes in the cake with a fork, and pour the icing over the cake.

Novella's Banana-Nut Cake

Banana-Nut cake was a specialty of Mikesha’s grandmother, Novella Roberson. Over the past decade or so, Mikesha has taken up this part of her grandmother’s mantle, and Banana-Nut Cake is becoming a tradition at Williams-Row Thanksgiving dinners.

Ingredients for Cake
1½ cups sugar
⅔ cup shortening
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
4 tbsp buttermilk
3 mashed bananas (ripe or overripe)
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup chopped walnuts
2 eggs

Ingredients for Icing
¼ lb butter, allowed to warm to room temperature
1 lb powdered sugar
2 mashed bananas (ripe or overripe)
½ cup chopped walnuts

Cake Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.
Cream sugar and shortening until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, beating lightly.
Stir in mashed bananas.
Sift in dry ingredients and stir to moisten.
Add vanilla and stir.
Bake in two 8-inch round pans at 350° for 25 minutes or until set.

Icing Directions
Make sure butter is at room temperature.
Cream butter and powdered sugar.
Mix in bananas.
If not thick, add more powdered sugar to reach desired consistency.

Note: This icing recipe never does get thick like butter-cream icing, it’s usually pretty runny or “gloppy”.  Meringue powder (from the cake decoration section) can help stiffen the icing somewhat.

Household Police

We had just finished dinner, and Hadleigh, 2 years old at the time, and Karson, 4 years old, were chasing each other through the house. As Hadleigh chased Karson, he ran through the hallway and shouted, "Stop in the name of Jesus," and guess what? She stopped! Nothing like pulling the Jesus card when you want something done.