Harvest Salmon Casserole

Harvest Salmon Casserole
This is not dairy or egg free.
Serves 8

Cook about 1 pound of bacon in a medium sized skillet over medium heat until it is done. Break the pieces into 1" bites (this could be done before cooking with a pair if kitchen scissors.) Sprinkle the bacon across the bottom of a 9"x13"x2" pan.

Sprinkle about 1 cup flaked and boned smoked salmon over the bacon.

Cook 1 whole sweet onion, chopped, in about 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings over medium heat in the same skillet as the bacon. If you have fresh herbs on hand, add about 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs. I had basil, lemon thyme, oregano and chives. When the onions are cooked to translucent and just beginning to brown, pour them over the bacon.

Cook about 2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms in about 2 tablespoons bacon drippings in the skillet as before. Season lightly with lemon pepper. When they are cooked, put them over the onions in the baking dish.

In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium-low speed, mix 8 eggs with about 1/3 cup half and half. Add 2-8 ounce packages of cream cheese, 2 cups shredded zucchini (drained), 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan or asagio cheese, and about 1/2 tablespoon seasoning salt. Mix well and pour over the meat and veggies in the baking pan.

Bake the casserole in a 350 F oven for about 30 minutes, or until it is just setting up, then sprinkle about 1 cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese over the casserole. Continue baking the casserole for about 10 more minutes or until it is set up and can be pierced with a knife and come out clean. If possible, let the casserole rest about 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

PS: This would work just as well with cooked cubed chicken, turkey, sausage, etc. or even no extra meat at all. You could even leave out the bacon and add cooked broccoli and make it entirely meatless.

CSharron Long, Adams Media Corp, all rights reserved.

Potassium! & Smoked Salmon Mousse Spread

I've increased the potassium in my diet because all my reading says I need to if I have high blood pressure. When I was in the hospital back in May and June, I was very low in potassium and they fed me 3 huge pills of it 3 times a day.

I've started eating a lot more fruit because that is what is high in potassium... particularly bananas. The other day, I had a banana and some bologna (separately, not together -- ewww!) and slept better than I have for a while. I've been waking up every 45 minutes to 2 hours, tops. I didn't know if it was just a coincedence or had something to do with it, but yesterday, I ate the same snack before bed and slept for almost 3 - 3 hour stretches!

New Recipe:  It can be gluten and wheat free if your fish is.

Smoked Salmon "Mousse" Spread

1/4 cup smoked salmon, boned and flaked (check ingredients!)
1 - 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika

Place all of the ingredients into a food processor (a blender won't work, trust me!), and process, gradually increasing speed until it is on "high." This will whip the cheese, making it light and fluffy. Serve on crackers or veggies. Makes about 8 servings.

c2008 Sharron Long, Adams Media Corp. all rights reserved.

More pretties, a salmon dip recipe, and great Blood pressure!

Hi,

Here's the latest "vintage-style" necklace set we've done. It is 16" long and the gemstones are hematite (gunmetal). It has aquamarine and clear crystals. I just love the fishy and the "clamshell" clamshells!

Also, my blood pressure was the best ever -- 133/72!! Woop Woop!!

Hubby caught another salmon -- that makes six as of tonight. It's been a real blessing since we've been so short on grocery money.

Here's another salmon recipe.  It is gluten free:

Creamy salmon dip

2 packages cream cheese (8 ounces each), softened

about 1 cup cooked salmon, smoked is great, but not required

1/2 cup montery jack cheese, shredded

about 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon minced garlic, dried

1/2 tablespoon minced onion, dried

1/2 teaspoon dill, dried

1 teaspoon worchestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (if the fish isn't already seasoned with it)

1/2 tablespoon lemon pepper

2 to 4 tablespoons cream or milk

Mix all of the above ingredients in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until they are smooth, adding more cream if necessary.

Spread the dip into an 8" square pan and top with an additional

1/2 cup shredded montery jack cheese.

Sprinkle the top with

dried parsely

and bake at 325 F for about 20 to 25 minutes or until it is heated through.  Serve with celery sticks, rye crackers, etc.
Enjoy!

cSharron Long 2008, author of Extreme Lo-Carb Cuisine, published by Adams Media Corp., available where books are sold.

Oooo Pretty!

I had some jewelry I needed to repair for a friend. One piece was an antique -- it had fire polished faceted round, ovals and rondelles as well as gemstones in it. Once I got done with the re-design, I liked it so much I just had to continue! This is the first piece that I designed after re-designing my friend's piece. It has royal blue 8mm fire polished rounds, crystal clear rondelles, beautiful big "amazonite" focal beads and genuine gemstone cat's eyes all around. It is 16" long. I think I'm going to post it up on EBay and see if I get any takers.

I also did a lemon yellow and golden topaz one, but the earrings are not put together yet. I'll post pics when it is done.

I love making jewelry :)

No Sugar Added Apple Fritter Recipe

Oh Yum! My 10 year old said, "These remind me of the fair and 'elephant ears' only they are all apple-y and round."

Definitely NOT low carb, but they are no sugar added.

No Sugar Added Apple Fritter Recipe
This is definitely NOT gluten free.

In a large mixing bowl, combine:
3 1/2 cups, or about 5 small to medium sized apples, chopped & peeled, 1/4" to 1/2" dice
1/2 cup granulated fructose (honey would be great, just decrease the liquid by 1/4 cup)
2 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In another bowl, combine:
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk

Pour the milk and eggs into the flour and apple mixture, and mix the batter until it is combined.

Prepare a small bowl with:
3/4 cup granulated fructose
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mix the cinnamon and fructose, and set them aside. Have ready a large platter or baking sheet lined with paper towels for cooling the fritters.

Heat some cooking fat about 2" deep to about 375F. Using 2 spoons, scoop up about 2 tablespoons of batter with one spoon. Use the second one to push the batter into the hot fat. Cook the fritters, a few at a time, turning them over when the bottoms are browned. Cooking time will be about 2 minutes for each batch. As each fritter comes out of the fat, drop it into the dish with the fructose and cinnamon, turning them using spoons. Transfer the coated fritters onto the paper towels to cool enough to handle. Continue in like manner until they are all cooked and coated.

Note: They have a tendency to not cook all the way through the middles if they are too big. Play with it and have fun!

Serve warm. Makes about 20 to 25 fritters.

c2008 Sharron Long

Salt & blood pressure & my regimine

Yesterday I had a lot of salt -- salted sunflower seeds, lunchmeat & soy sauce. I had carbs, but I think the salt was the bigger issue. My blood pressure was up 159/90 this morning and I was bloated again.

I took my apple cider vinegar, molasses, cinnamon & honey and also dug out a "natural water pill" I had in the drawer and took one of those. It has asparagus and other stuff in it. I tried to get more fruits and veggies into me and watched my "table salt" (not sea salt or apparently soy sauce -- they seem to be ok. It is the refined stuff that is bad!) All worked together because my blood pressure was down to 137/75 this evening again. Woot woot!

I fixed some delicious Barbecued Smoked Salmon this evening. Here's what I did:

I seasoned 1 salmon, filleted with lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, my special seasoning salt, lemon pepper and dried minced garlic (fresh would have been great!)

My husband had the charcoals nice and hot and I put 4 sprigs of fresh Rosemary on the coals just before we put the fish (skin side down) onto the BBQ grilling rack.

I also had some fresh asparagus. The ends were snapped off and the stalks were sprayed with cooking oil spray. Then I generously seasoned them with my seasoning salt and lemon pepper. They went onto the grill at the same time the salmon did. Note: Be aware of which direction the slats are on the grilling rack! I accidentally lost a couple of asparagus because I put them on the wrong way -- Du-uh!!

Cook with lid closed.

The salmon was about 1" thick, so it was done very quickly -- about 15 minutes. We served it with tartar sauce. The tartar sauce is simply mayonnaise, chopped dill pickles, dried minced onion and lemon pepper.


It was all very tasty and nutritious too!!

Blessings,
Sharron Long
author of Extreme Lo-Carb Cuisine available where books are sold, CAdams Media & Sharron Long 2008

Wow! Cinnamon & Honey!!

Hi!

I added cinnamon and honey (1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in 1 cup boiling water, covered & steeped. 1 tablespoon honey added in morning.)

I was able to skip any pain medication until after my Dr. appointment -- he made me bend backwards and I don't do that! Ouch!! I got some hydrogen peroxided and applied it topically to my lower back and neck and within moments I felt better. Yay!

The biggest thing, though, is my blood pressure this evening. I ate badly today -- can you say burgers and fries?! Yet, even with that, it was:


137/75

It has to be the added effect of the cinnamon. I also increased my potassium and ate extra celery today. Whatever did it -- I'll take it! Woo Hoo!

Lowest blood pressure reading to date

Sorry, been so busy. I'm disgusted -- I'd lost that weight then we came back from vacation and we didn't have any groceries. I was forced to eat mac n cheese and biscuits and gravy, etc., till pay day. Gained it back. Still don't have any grocery money, sigh...

Hubby has caught 3 salmon fo us. We used the first one on our vacation (weekend away to my sister's place.) The other two we still have. He froze part of the one he caught yesterday, and I'm boiling the bones. We're going to have LC salmon chowder for dinner tonight. No potatoes -- cauliflower instead.

My BP is coming down nicely, though. Yesterday was my lowest reading so far! It was 140/80 -- YAY! Thank the Lord and apple cider vinegar!

Blessings,
Sharron

PS: Tonight's BP reading -- no "preparation" just took it -- was 145/74. Woo Hoo!! I'm up to 5 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar a day.

Blood pressure reading & supplements

My blood pressure yesterday evening was 145/81! Again, this was without any "preparation" on my part. I simply reached over, grabbed the cuff and took it. If I had done some deep breathing and gotten into a better position, it surely would have been lower.

I'm currently taking 1 tablespoon "full strength" Brer Rabbit Molasses, 4 tablespoons (divided) Bragg's apple cider vinegar, 2 magnesium tabs, 2 potassium tabs, 2 "multi mineral" tabs + 2 "multi vitamin" tabs from Melaleuca, 1 kelp capsule, 2 100mg co-enzyme Q-10 tabs, 2 garlic/parsely tabs, 2 Replenex tabs (glucosamine formula), and sometimes a licorice capsule. This is "for the record" so I can check back later if need be.

Blood pressure down

I haven't had time to check it again, but it looks like the apple cider vinegar is doing its job. Yesterday morning my blood pressure reading was 144/82 -- a 5 point drop both sides from what its been reading.

Sharron

Wow!

Hi,

We are home from our little trip to my sister's place. It was neat -- we got to see an old friend for the first time in several years! She and her son met us at a local park and the kids played while we got to visit. What a special treat!

On the scale -- mine still thinks I'm a ding-bat -- every time I step on it it says "BATT"!! My son says it just means the battery is low. I know otherwise! He he he... Anyway, I weighed at my sister's house. Even if her scale is 5# off, which we think it might be, I've lost between 12 and 17 pounds this week because of my change in supplements!! I'm a bit bloated right now because of what we ate yesterday (can you say white bread and potatoes?!), but I'm still way down. I'm so pumped! I am eager to get my scale to stop calling me batty and tell me my weight.

My sister was so excited about my changes that she started taking the apple cider vinegar while we were there. It had an immediate effect on her blood sugar -- it came down quite a bit when there was no reason for it to do so because of what she ate. She's hopeful it will help her lose weight, as well. Her husband said he used to take apple cider vinegar years ago and he lost weight with it, so they are both going to be giving it a go. I'm hopeful it will help her stiff joints, too. She's going to get some molasses and start that very slowly next week.

Blessings,
Sharron