Southern Shrimp and Grits

Southern Shrimp and Grits

Even though this dish is usually eaten during dinner, it originally was eaten as breakfast. Fisherman in the southeast would cook the shrimp they caught in bacon grease and put it on grits. Over the years it became more and more popular as a southern dish.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
3 cups milk
2 cups water
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup stoned ground grits
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
6 ounces bacon, chopped
20 medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup minced shallots
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup white wine
1/1 cup heavy cream
cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper

Add butter and olive oil to saucepan over medium heat. When butter has melted add onion and cook until soft than add garlic and cook for another minute. Turn the heat to high and pour in the milk, cream and water. Bring to a boil and slowly whisk in the grits. Turn the heat medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. When done, dump in cheese and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Add bacon to a large skillet set over medium high heat. Cook until golden brown and crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Pour out all but 3 tablespoons of the oil

Set the skillet back over medium high heat and when nearly smoking, add shrimp. Cook until pink, about 1 1/2 minutes per side.

Remove shrimp from pan, keep warm. Add shallots to pan and cook until soft. Add 1/4 cup of white wine and 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Add 1/4 teaspoon dried basil. Simmer until reduced to desired consistency.

Add shrimp and reserved bacon to sauce. Add salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste. Serve grits with shrimp on top and drizzle with rest of sauce.

The Connoisseur Recommends:
-Carolina Plantation
-Lakeside Mills
-Yelton
-Dixie Lily

Square Foot Garden

It's that time again at the Connoisseur to fix up our square foot garden. We originally embarked on this journey early last spring with the help of Mr. Mel Bartholomew's wonderful gardening book. We were all filled with the hope of fresh vegetables from our own backyard, but sadly we started too late and it didn't turn out as well as planned. We did manage to get some very delicious, but small, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, onions and potatoes. This time we're more prepared and ready to buckle down and take care of our garden. We'll also be sure to upload photos and keep you updated with how our garden is doing.

What the Connoisseur Recommends:

All New Square Foot Gardening: Grow More in Less Space!

This book by Mel Bartholomew is fantastic! His square foot gardens are perfect with any sized yard, large or small. This book saved us a lot of grief over our garden and gave us some great money-saving tips

9 Piece Gardening Tool Kit with Foldaway Stool with Backrest and Detachable Tote

This tool kit is the coolest thing! It has all you need to garden with, like a trowel, transplanter, and a rake, but then it has a neat collapsable stool with a backrest. So after planting all of your new flowers in your flower bed in the hot sun, you can just conveniently relax and take a break with back support. Can it get any better?

Love Catherine

Sugar Free Mexican Hot Chocolate

It's February and it's freezing outside, so why not warm up with a cup of yummy sugar free hot chocolate?

Chocolate and cinnamon mixed with warmed milk then frothed with a molinillo. A Mexican Molinillo is the Mexican chocolate "whisk" or "stirrer". It is made of "turned" wood and it is used to froth warm drinks such as hot chocolate, Atole, and Champurrado. A normal wire whisk works too. It's great for people who are enjoying a low carb lifestyle!

Ingredients

2 cups Blue Diamond Almond milk or WestSoy Soy Milk

3 Tablespoons Ghiradelli Unsweetened cocoa

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

4 tablespoons low calorie sweetener

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Instructions

Warm the milk, cocoa, cinnamon and sweetener in a saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add the seeds and bean to the milk. Stir with a molinillo or whisk until the cocoa is disolved and the mixture begins to boil. Remove from the heat and froth the chocolate with the molinillo or the whisk. Serve immediately in ample sized mugs and ENJOY!

Valentine's Day is Almost Here!

Have you thought about what are you're doing for Valentine's Day yet? How about cooking a romantic dinner for you and your valentine? The Connoisseur Recommends is here to help with a delicious four course meal that shows your valentine you really care! Start off with Pomegranate Champagne Cocktails and Baked Brie with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and finish with Strawberry Cheesecake Crepes.

For all the recipes of a perfect Valentine's Day Dinner check out our web page.

Valentine's Day Gift Baskets


Show your love with a Low Carb Russell Stover Valentine's Day Gift Basket! You'll get Chocolate Marshmallow Hearts, Conversation hearts, Russell Stover Private Reserve Chocolates and other assorted Russell Stover candies. It's a great gift for anyone who likes to eat chocolate and candy but is still doing a low carb diet. As low as $29.99!

Sugar Free Chocolate Drizzled Caramel Popcorn

Did somebody say sweet and salty? There's something here for everybody to love. This recipe brings together the salty, crunch of popcorn with the savory kick of caramel and the sweet drizzle of chocolate!

All you need is:

2 bags microwave popcorn

1 cup Steel's Powdered Maltitol

1/2 cup Steel's Vanilla Syrup

1 teaspoon vinegar
3 ChocoPerfection Bars

1 tablespoon butter

Makes 10 Servings

Pop the corn and remove the unpopped kernels. Place into a large mixing bowl. Mix the Maltitol, syrup and vinegar together in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring constantly to a temperature of 240°(soft ball). Immediately turn off heat and add the butter. Stir until blended and then pour over the popcorn. Using a long handled wooden spoon, quickly toss the popcorn with the hot mixture. You have to work fast before the candy sets up and be careful not to touch the hot mixture.

After the corn is well coated, spread the popcorn on a buttered baking pan and allow to completely cool.Separate the popcorn into pieces or clumps using your hands coated in a little butter.

Take the ChocoPerfection bars and break into several pieces. Place in a microwave safe glass dish and microwave until melted, heating for 30 second increments at a time and stirring when necessary. When chocolate is completely melted, using a spoon, drizzle chocolate over the popcorn and allow to cool.

Effective carb count per serving: 8.8

See other sugar free Fall Recipes!

Sugar Free Caramel Apples

Halloween is that special time of year when we think of trick-or-treating, bonfires, haunted houses, Jack-o'-lanterns, costume parties, and of course lots of sweets and sugary treats! This is the first in a series of recipes to help satisfy your sweet tooth, while keeping your carb count low!

Sticky, sweet caramel apples are a must have treat this time of year! Enjoy this recipe that calls for brown maltitol instead of brown sugar. Make them extra special by rolling in sugar free chocolate chips, chopped toasted pecans or toasted, shredded coconut!
See the rest of the recipe!

Halloween Pumpkin Peeps - Now in Sugar Free!

Halloween is almost here, and Sugar Free Pumpkin Peeps are back in stock at Low Carb Connoisseur!

If you are a fan of the cute, yellow Peeps that are available at Easter, you'll be happy to know that these ooey, gooey treats are now available year round in a variety of shapes to suit the season.

Purchase them here!

Carb Kruncher Low Carb Brownies

Who doesn't like the rich, moist taste of a chocolate brownie? Carb Krunchers Low Carb Brownies are a ready to eat treat- perfect for the low carb dieter who is looking for a delicious sugar free dessert. Carb Krunchers brownies are pre-packaged in single serving portions, so you won't be tempted to over indulge!

You can choose either the Original or Walnutty flavor with more varieties to follow.

Check out all our great new low carb bakery products at http://www.low-carb.com/cakrretoeatb.html

The Connoisseur Recommends Carb Krunchers Bagels!

I'm excited to announce the addition of a new line of low carb bakery products to our product line-up - Carb Krunchers New York Style Bagels! These bagels are huge - a full 5 inches across and there are 6 bagels per package.

The taste and texture is truly amazing and the net carb count is an incredible 5.7 carbs per bagel. This week we have in stock: Rye, Plain, Sesame and Everything.

Check them out here!