Lost sauce

I can't find my very favorite sauce recipe - a tangy, flavorful sauce which is divine when paired with bites of filet mignon (or any steak, really). I can't find the paper it's on and I can't remember the actual name of the recipe, which would help with a google search. I call it Bistro sauce, and it's a copy of Kraft Gray Poupon Bistro Sauce. So, I did some internet searching and decided I should have a little sauce taste test with these three contenders:

EPICURIOUS NOT-SO-SECRET SAUCE

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons spicy pickle juice
1 1/2 teaspoons ketchup
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder

BOOM BOOM SAUCE
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp sweet chili sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
¾ tsp Sriracha

FOOD.COM BISTRO SAUCE

2 cups mayonnaise
1 1⁄2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons catsup
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard (Creole) {I use dijon mustard}
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1⁄2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon cajun seasoning {I do not put this in}
1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika {is this why I have Hungarian paprika in my spice rack?}
2 finely minced garlic cloves {I use a garlic press. why mince when you can press?}

FOR ALL SAUCES:  Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.

Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
For best results, make sauce several hours ahead of time. The longer it sits, the better it is.

I suspect the last recipe is closest to my original recipe. I remember it had a depressingly long list of ingredients and that is why I make it so rarely - it is a pain. Also, you can't just "whip it up" when you suddenly decide you want some. It tastes awful at first, because it MUST sit in the fridge for at least a few hours or better, a day. I guess flavor melding is a real thing. Who knew? ;)

V8 juice and sandwich rounds

These paleo sandwich rounds are great! They took me more than 3 minutes to make, but perhaps in time I will get quicker.

Also, finding something to sip on while out, when I'm tired of having water and didn't bring any tea, I found that V8 juice had the lowest carb and sugar content of anything in the convenience store. The next day I found an online recipe and made my own! Iadded finely chopped veg of whatever I had in the fridge, but still not 8 veggies....probably more like V6 ROFL! (celery, garlic, kale, tomato of course, carrot I believe, and parsley) Also, I tried filtering it, but I saw that I would have lost most of the mass of the concoction, so I changed plans and dumped it all back in the container and drank it like that. It's got some significant little crunchies to it, but it's just kind of a thicker version of store bought V8, really. Very filling and my creation has very little salt and no sugar except what occurs naturally in the fruit. I did add some lemon juice, extra Worcestershire, and a few spoonfuls of horseradish. I was going for a virgin Bloody Mary taste, and I got it! Along with the extra crunch! I was very glad in hindsight that I ran the food processor a LONG time. I will probably cook it a bit longer on the next batch, and maybe water it down next time I have some and see how that works out.

Having cooked meat and a big bowl of roasted veggie mix in the fridge is crucial to whipping up a quick meal. Liverwurst, cheese, and boiled and poached eggs also super convenient, along with a loaf of almond meal and ground flax seed bread. I am still motivated to keeping on track with this! I walked through Sam's Club the other day seeing so many delicious things I can't have and just kept saying in my head: "No....nope.......no can do........no, no, no......you look tasty but no......sorry, not right now.......oh yum, I might like you for my 1 free meal a week but not today......no.....nope......not gonna happen...." It was very good practice I think! Also turned down a free cup of ice cream. I mean, is it really worth it? I have so many clothes I want to fit into....and this bouncy belly I want to get rid of....so, no, it's not worth it. YEAH!

Looking Back

What did I accomplish in 2013?

Rode a motorcycle by myself, for the first time. Which turned out to be the only time. LOL!
Broke my leg, got a cast, walked with crutches for a while, all also firsts.
Got addicted to World of Warcraft and leveled a warlock to 90.
Sadly said goodbye to the coolest cat ever, Hector.
Except when laid up with injury or illness, kept working out regularly throughout the year, even got jogging up to over a mile without a walking break and pushed my time down.
I got to play some fun games that won't be discussed on a G-rated blog ;).
Drank too much wine.
Finally stopped smoking, although sometimes I still want one. Briefly. Then a few minutes later it goes away. Eight years it took to say this with confidence.
Hiked lots of mountains and went to lots of Tennessee places I've never been to, or even heard about.
Didn't have enough to put up, but did enjoy some homegrown, organic fruits and veggies.
Learned a lot about egg bound chickens and dog allergies.
Watched my son become more grown up and teach himself how to script (code).
Failed to pass my organic chemistry class, but certainly learned a lot about organic chemistry.
Learned a great many low carb recipes.
Entered a 5K but didn't run in it. Sick!
Almost paid off my credit card then ran it way back up again. Sigh.

Made some new friends....but also lost a few, as well.

Realized and accepted the fact that our species will not stop drilling for oil, burning coal, and trashing our habitat. We seem to be much like the pest infections that eat all the available food and then die in vast numbers. Inevitable? Because I do believe that by now, the global effects of these actions are irrevocable. Consequences.....will most likely be rather dire. I wonder if I will live to see the worst, or if my son will have to face that alone, with his peers.

Living it!

Low-carb staples; some must be available at all times:

Meat salad  ~ this can be eaten heated in a bowl, or cold wrapped in lettuce or romaine.
   -chicken, beef, tuna, salmon, canned or cooked
   - chopped veggies! Mushroom, cuc, cooked broccoli, green beans, asparagus, pickle, capers,   spinach, kale, cauliflower, summer squash
   -shredded brick cheese or cream cheese or goat cheese
   -mayo
   -seasoning or Worchestershire sauce or horseradish, etc

Boiled eggs

Chopped veggies and homemade ranch dressing for snacking

Crustless quiche or baked omelette-type thing with cheese and veggies in it, slightly undercooked so it won't get dry when it is warmed up.

Lunchmeat and romaine leaves for breadless sandwich rolls.

All natural nut butter and fruit

More to come later....

Breakfast Oatmeal, Peanut Butter Style

I can't stand those packets of flavored instant oatmeal. They are often tasty, but not truly filling. I also can't stand plain oatmeal, even when it's cooked with milk (heaven forbid the calorie count on that!) and topped with brown sugar or some such decadence. So I scoured the internet and discovered a baked oatmeal recipe containing, among other things, applesauce and chopped fruit. At last! This satisfied for several years but eventually I started to crave a different option. So after many recipe trials and many, many bowls of oatmeal for breakfast, I am please to share a wonderfully luxurious peanut butter breakfast oatmeal!

Baked Peanut Butter Cookie Oatmeal (my version)

2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup peanut butter (I use creamy, but if you like the crunchy kind, why not use that?)
3/4 cup milk
2 T melted butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Optional:  Banana, chocolate chips, nuts or seeds, and whatever else may strike your fancy

Mix the oats, sugars, baking powder, and salt until well integrated.

Then I make a little hollow in the dry ingredients and add the peanut butter, the melted butter, milk, egg, and vanilla (I'm so lucky to have an egg from my personal chicken, homemade vanilla, and peanut butter my mom made!). Stir it very well. Then, I put the mixture in a  sealable container and keep it in the fridge. Of course you could cook the whole thing right away in a greased, oven safe pan, at a preheated 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or longer if necessary. Personally, I prefer to cook it just before I eat it instead of reheating it every morning, so I preheat the toaster oven, grease a ceramic bowl, and sometimes add 1/4 of a cut-up banana, then 1/2 cup or so of the mixture, and top it with a few chocolate chips and bake if for the same amount of time, about 20-25 minutes, and voila! It's hot, fresh, delicious, and homemade! Sometimes I add the banana after I cook it, instead. If you like nuts or seeds, those could also be tasty toppings. My cousin adds chunks of energy or protein bars to top her oatmeal, I may try that soon too.

As is, for 8 servings in a batch, the nutritional information comes out to about 266 calories, 13 grams of fat, 17 grams of sugar, 8 grams of protein, and 3 grams of fiber, without adding the banana and chocolate chips, and using 2% milk. I'm going to try bumping it up to 3 cups of oats and keeping the rest of the recipe the same, because it IS quite sweet and yummy, and I'm actually trying for a more healthful recipe. But I haven't done that yet, so it may not turn out, although I'm hopeful it will *fingers crossed*!