I had never even attempted to make Creme Brulee before I came across a great recipe for it in a Crockpot cookbook of all places!  Yes, I’ve adapted this from the wonderful Make it Fast, Cook it Slow cookbook by Stephanie O’Dea of  365 Days of SlowCooking. You can read my review of it here. 

I adapted the recipe (and doubled it) to be free of sugar and low-carb.  Oh, and I didn’t do anything involving a kitchen blow-torch on the top of it, so I guess this is not truly “creme brulee”. 

I used Truvia (a stevia-erythritol blend) instead of sugar.  By the way, I’m not 100% confident that Truvia is the best thing in the world, the jury is still out. I do trust it far more than any artificial sweetner, but if you’re concerned you can simply stick to your favorite form of stevia and add it to taste. There are lots of different Stevias out there, so go with what you prefer. In this household, right now we’re hooked on Truvia. But I don’t always trust things that are made by Cargill and white.

Creme Brulee

2 cups of heavy cream (preferably grass-fed, like Strauss)
5 egg yolks (Coscto now has 18-ct Organic, Cage Free Eggs for a little over $4! Not bad!)
1 Tbs vanilla extract
3-4 packets of Truvia (or your preferred form of Stevia, to taste)

1. Blend all ingredients together.

2. Place in individual ramekins or a large casserole dish. 

3. Place in crockpot. Fill crock with water to come up halfway around the dishes (like a hot water bath).

4. Cover and cook on high for about 3 hours.  Remove and let cool completely.

5. Transfer and chill in the fridge overnight. It will be a little “jiggly” before you chill it. Don’t worry.

6. Serve topped with sliced strawberries (preferably organic) and enjoy!

Check out some other sugar-free recipes at Naturally Knocked Up. Not all are gluten-free or even grain-free, but they are all at least free of refined sugar and look great!

Photo credit

This year, I’m doing more of a meal since her birthday is on a Sunday. After church, we’ll gather at our condo’s community rec room and feast on the following:

*Honey-Mustard Drumsticks
*Green Beans w/ Lemon and Shallots
*Green Salad (courtesy of my in-laws)
*Veggie Tray with Dip (courtesy of my other in-laws)
*Herbal Tea “Punch”
*Wine
*Coconut Flour Cupcakes
*Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
*Homemade Vegan Chocolate-Peppermint “Ice Dream” (made w/ coconut milk!)
Simple, but good. So far I’ve got the ice cream prepped, and Saturday night I’ll marinate the drumsticks and bake the cupcakes. To keep it simple, I’m just going to “frost” them with whipped cream. Yum! I sure hope my daughter likes it! I’ll keep you posted.

As for the party, we’ve got princess on the mind. We’ll have a doll house area set up, a pedicure station, a play-doh table, and a dress-up area. For party favors, my daughter is handing out custom-designed fruit leathers (i.e. she decorates them with stickers for each guest uniquely!).Here’s hoping that by the end of the day we’ll have well-nourished, happy (rather than hyper) children who’ve enjoyed a creative day of play and good food!

Two of my previous ideas for cookbooks have already been written, and I’ve got to say I wish I had thought of the idea first! Thankfully, I can benefit from the hard work that others have put in and save my creative energy for the above-mentioned book. *wink*

The first book I’ve enjoyed (and wish I’d written) is called Simply in Season.

This book comes from the trusted Mennonite World Community cookbook series (including More with Less, another great book) and is written totally by season. The recipe chapters are, simply, Spring, Summer, etc. The book is, above all else, inspirational. Because it’s not completely gluten-free (although most recipes are) I can’t rely upon it for baking or dessert ideas, but that’s OK. I know how to modify. The really great thing about this book is that relies upon simple, whole food ingredients that are fresh and seasonal. Emphasizing local, organic dairy and produce, this book is, as its title suggests, simple!!!

Along with its simplicity, Simply In Season offers a variety of internationally-inspired meals that are indeed very thrifty. Many of the meals can be compiled for pennies per serving. Slight modifications need to be made in order to make the book more in line with Weston A Price principles, (such as soaking flour).

Another great thing about this cookbook is that it offers many tips and resources for converting to a more local, sustainable way of eating. Interspersed throughout the recipes are beautiful lines of poetry penned by various folks who have worked with or contributed to the Mennonite Cookbook effort. I love the appreciation the Mennonites have for the spiritual aspect of food. The Mennonites, in my book, are the original “Real Foodies” (they’ve been green and sustainable all along; before it was hip!) For more information on Simply In Season you can go the the blog.

Another book I recently discovered was The Ice Dream Cookbook , by Rachel Albert-Matesz. Rachel is also known as The Healthy Cooking Coach. A trained chef, Rachel is passionate about teaching others how to incorporate the principles of healthy eating into their lives.

All of Rachel’s recipes are gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and dairy-free. (She supports the use of raw dairy, but since that’s not accessible to everyone she generally supports a dairy-free diet). Anyway, this cookbook is full of delicious, nourishing recipes for “Ice Dream” which is Rachel’s version of ice cream using coconut milk. She has pages and pages of delicious, unique recipes for her frozen dessert, along with a whole chapter on healthy sauces as well as gluten-free treats to round out any delicious dinner party.

This cookbook was given to me by a friend who happened to acquire two copies, and I am so thankful for it! It couldn’t have come at a better time; my daughter’s 4th birthday is a few weeks away and now I have a HUGE resource of healthy, nourishing recipes I can choose from to have for her!

Her cookbook contains all the elements that I use when I make treats: stevia, agave, honey, gluten-free flours, coconut, dark, unsweetened chocolate, fruit, etc. She also has tons of helpful information on the ins and outs of all of these ingredients that may be unfamiliar (agave, agar agar, arrowroot, just to name a few).

For more information on Rachel’s other cookbooks (I’m going to be doing a review on her second book as soon as I receive it in the mail!), check out her blog.