Pecan Pie in Mason Jars!!

Pecan Pies Baked in half pint Mason Jars.

Today is BINGE day on the diet I started a week ago. I can tell you I haven't cheated a bit and decided I wanted one of my favorite pies for the big binge day. But, I do NOT want leftovers!! Since it is just the two of us I thought I would make little pies in Mason Jelly jars rather than a large pie we would not eat in just one day to tempt me with leftovers.

My Aunt June was the pecan pie lady, as I recall anyway, and I have adapted her recipe a bit. I use either of two pie crust recipes and they are both great, depending on how many pie crusts you want to make at a time. The first one is entered under "Cherry Pie" on 7/7/10 and makes 5 crusts. The second is under Pastry for Three Pie Crusts on 10/29/10.

This pecan pie filling will make a large 9" pie or about 8 of the jar pies. I froze a pint of the filling for later use and made 4 half pint jar pies.

1 1/2 C. chopped pecans
1/2 C. soft butter
4 large eggs and 1 yolk
1/2 C. sugar, granulated or I like to use granulated Maple Syrup
1 C. Lyle's Golden Syrup or dark Karo
1/2 C. light Karo
2 t. vanilla
pinch of salt
1 1/2 T. heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Line 1/2 pint large mouth Mason Jelly Jars with pie crusts and trim. Take special care to push the pie dough out into the corners of the bottom of the jars. 

Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat with the sugar, add the syrups and soft butter and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in the salt, cream, and pecans until combined. Spoon into the unbaked pie crust jars leaving 1/8" space at the top. Place a pecan half in the center of each jar of pie. Place the jars on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes until done.

Serve topped with vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.

For giving as gifts or for special occasions or travel, cut a piece of clean cotton fabric in a circle.  Light weight cotton is ideal, just large enough to extend across the top and overlap it about 1 1/2" all the way around.  Place it evenly over the pie jar and screw a lid band over the fabric.  Another option would be to use a piece of plastic wrap instead of the decorative fabric, again securing with the lid band.

I will be making more of these with lots of different fillings for all kinds of occasions!!

Fresh Asparagus with Macadamia, the BEST I've Ever Eaten.

Fresh Asparagus

www://verygoodrecipes.com/side-dish

Asparagus is one of my very favorite foods and I was happy to see it on the diet plan. I have made it with butter and with olive oil both in the microwave and on the stove with good results. This time I used Macadamia oil and the microwave, it was far and away the best I have ever eaten and my husband Brian agreed!!

Here is my recipe:

2 bundles fresh asparagus
Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 T. Macadamia oil*

Rinse the asparagus well and snap the ends of the stalks off where they naturally want to break. Discard or save for soup. Using a potato peeler casually peel the asparagus removing the tough scales.

By casually I mean you don't need to really peel the whole stalk. You want to get the scales and more off at the bottom if it is still a bit tougher than the tops. If there are any large or dry scales at the top snap them off too with your thumb.

Using a glass baking dish with a lid arrange the asparagus in an attractive manner. Lightly salt and pepper the stalks and drizzle liberally with the nut oil. You do not need to add any other liquid. Cover the dish with it's lid and microwave for 8 minutes on medium high, or high if the microwave is a smaller one with less power.

Serve hot and tender crisp. I am going to look for Macadamia nuts at the grocery tomorrow and try this with a few toasted nuts sprinkled just at serving time. I think it sounds divine.

*If you have never used Macadamia oil I invite you to read under "pages" in this blog some information I just recently learned and shared by posting.

The Slow Carb Diet (How to Lose 20 Pounds in 30 Days Without Tons of Exercise

Eggs have about 15mg. protein and Macadamia Oil is the NEW Olive Oil.

Day 3 is here and actually I am feeling quite good. Last night as Brian sat munching Pay Day candy bars I went to the office and posted the pictures and edited yesterdays recipe. When I returned he was fast asleep on the sofa. After he went off to bed I had a yearning for "something," you know, that, I want something but I don't know what thing??? Well anyway, I think it was a craving for sweets so I sliced 2 ripe tomatoes and they tasted grand. That did the trick.

I have decided I am going to really give this my best shot and stay with it. So I am going to share the rules and really jump into this. After all the more I share with you the more I will embarrass myself if I don't have the hutspa, gonads, gumption etc. to stay with it.

Again this book was introduced to me on the DR. Oz show. It is titled, "The 4-hour BODY, by Timothy Ferriss who also penned the New York Times Bestseller The 4-Hour Workweek. (If the diet works at all I will buy it next!) Anyway Oz had his team try to find flaws and disprove this plan and much to his amazement they instead validated the findings. (There are some far out, like, taking ice baths, ideas.)

There are only 5 easy rules to this;

#1. No white carbohydrates. The only exception I have seen to the white rule is cauliflower.

#2. Eat the basic same few meals over again as it is easier. The goal is to construct each meal with one pick from each of the three groups. His basic list is as follows but it is NOT limited to these:

Proteins:

*eggs
*chicken
*beef
*fish
pork

Legumes:

*lentils
*black beans
pinto beans
red beans
soybeans

Vegetables:

*spinach
*mixed vegetables(including broccoli, cauliflower, or any other cruciferous vegetables)
*sauerkraut, kimchee
asparagus
peas
green beans

* He has had the most success with the stared items.

#3. Don't drink any calories. ( Exception up to 2 glasses a night of red wine.)

#4. Don't eat fruit. (Exceptions are avocados up to 1 a day and tomatoes, no limit.)

#5. TAKE ONE DAY OFF A WEEK.

YES, Take one day and pig out on whatever and as much of it as you like. Apparently it does not hurt a thing and in fact it helps keep you from the plateau thing.......Well, who would have thunk it???

As Tim says, "That's all folks!"

The redemption I see is being able to look forward on a weekly basis to baking something wonderful and having all the things I craved in the proceeding week. He says if you follow it 99% it never fails.

Actually he made a good case for just doing the breakfast thing. Which amounts to 30 mg. of protein 30-60 minutes after you get up. He documents that as a slower but noticeable loss rate. The other meals need to have 20 mg. protein.

He has presented enough encouragement for me to get on with it. We shall see. I am looking at my walking shoes and the treadmill.........

One last thing. There is something chemically positive about grapefruit juice. On the "binge" day, you do the normal breakfast routine then, before you eat a dozen or so glazed donuts, you drink a glass of grapefruit juice and then a cup of coffee.

Page 104. "Consume a small quantity of fructose, fruit sugar, in grapefruit juice before the second meal, which is the first crap meal. Even small fructose dosing has an impressive near-flat-lining effect on blood glucose. I could consume this at the first meal, but I prefer to combine the naringin in grapefruit juice with coffee, as it extends the effects of caffeine. "   He also has some supplement suggestions and I will wait and see about these.  Not a big pill taker here.

So I am still thinking about what we will have for dinner tonight....and what goodies for the binge day. More will come later......