Archive for July 10, 2015

A Little Weekend Adventure

A couple of weekends ago, I made a trip down to our local Farmer’s Market in San Antonio at the Pearl Brewery.  I have been wanting to to go for months to pick up some fresh eggs, but something always seems to get in the way – usually the kiddo’s sports games:-).

I finally had the opportunity at the end of June, and I was not disappointed.  I grabbed my two youngest, yanking them away from their iPad screens almost kicking and screaming, strapped them into the car, and off we went!

As soon as we got there, my son looked at me and said, “Wow!  This isn’t what I expected! It is like a carnival.”

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I have to admit, he wasn’t too far off.  It was much larger than I remembered from a few years ago.  It is very nicely set up, and there were many foods and vendors from which to choose along with music, an information booth, and LOTS of dogs!

I highly recommend going (EARLY) if you have the chance.  I say early because when we arrived around 9:30 there were many options and plenty of stock.  By the time we left at noon, after seeing everything, I was scraping at the remnants of what was left.  I saw there was plenty when we arrived so I didn’t see the need to purchase anything right in the beginning just to carry it around with us.  My recommendation would be to take a cooler, buy as you go, and then stash your items in the car so you can keep shopping and grazing.

And grazing you can go!  My children tasted everything there you could possibly taste!  Look at these happy kiddos!  These do not look like the same children I tortured by pulling them away from their electronics!  These are my happy children.

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Of course, what is not to like after you have just tasted fresh Greek yogurt from grass-fed cows.  There was no more kicking and screaming.  After a bite of yogurt and some tasty cheese, they asked me if they could come back every weekend.

Like I said, I went for eggs, and there were many suppliers for eggs.  The supplier that I liked the most after talking about the hens only had 2 dozen left at noon so I cleaned him out.  Next time, that will be my first stop!

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While I was in the Wholesome Harvest Farms booth getting my eggs, I picked up some delicious yellow squash as well, to make my yummy squash casserole!

The kids favorite booths were the ones with the yogurt and the many artisan cheeses.  They were delicious.  All were made with milk from grass-fed cows.  You can’t go wrong with those nutrients.  Even though I don’t eat yogurt, I certainly let my children eat this fresh one made with all fresh ingredients.

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Right next door was the cheese lady.  Her products were amazing, and the milk was from a farm in Schulenburg, Texas.  Supposedly the best milk in the Lone Star State coming from Jersey Cows that graze the green grass of our great state!  We bought two of the four flavors and they are devine.  My favorite is the black pepper, but the other one was a cumin flavor that was also out of this world!

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We hopped across to the goat milk people and purchased some jalapeño and artichoke cheese made from goat’s milk that is just incredible!  So fresh and smooth.  I spread it on some parmesan crisps for a crunchy snack.

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Moving on, we made it around to the mushroom farmers!  This may be the best yet, but oh how hard to judge.  I bought some portobellos and white mushrooms, all of which I used for stuffing!  Amazing!

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Then on to the meat…Pork and Beef.  There were two pork ranchers, both of which were organic and grass-fed.  The one lady I spoke with seemed to know all about the different farmers and ranchers at the farmer’s market so she gave me some tips, and I purchased from her.  I ended up going with some pork belly.  I had never cooked the pork belly before, but have loved it as a delicacy in restaurants.  It fulfills our fat intake necessity, and actually turned out pretty yummy.  It is almost impossible to find except directly from those who raise pigs so this was the place to find it.

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Then, on to beef!  I found three vendors, and referred to my nice new friend at the pork booth.  She recommended one cattle ranch that has been owned by the same family for generations.  The meat was fantastic.  It was pricey, but worth it!  I purchased some steaks and some ground beef that were all devoured.

We also did buy some beef sticks and dried sausage from one other cattle rancher that the boys ate in no time for a quick snack.  Those beef sticks are one of their very favorite snacks!

When it was time to go, we still had lots of smiles, and a request to return every weekend!  If not for all the samples, just to watch the puppies tour around the market.  There were many.  This was a great outing not only for healthy food, but for family togetherness – away from those mesmerizing flat screens.  I actually got to see my children enjoy each other, nature, great food, and a little culture all mixed in together.

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If you have a chance, try to get out to your local market on a weekend.  It is quite an experience and a great haul at the same time!

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Happy Friday!

No More Buns!

So today I served up some leftover hamburger patties for my kiddos.  As I was fixing my lunch and carrying on with my day, I suddenly realized that not one of my three children even asked for a bun!  I had one ask for blueberries, one ask for milk, and the other ask for cheese, but not one asked for bread! What a glorious day!

This is what our hamburger used to look like:

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Hopefully this image doesn’t send you to the nearest burger joint!  Honestly, this image does nothing for me anymore.  As a self-proclaimed carb-aholic, I am amazed that I no longer have cravings for the bun!  The meat – yes!  I could care less about the bun though. I never thought I would say this, so I post in order to bring you hope for a happy bunless forever.

I am so grateful too.  A typical 100% whole wheat hamburger bun has 25-35 grams of carbs, and generally is about 75% carbs or more when calculating macros (Fat, Carbs, Protein).  I’m not even going to talk about the dreaded refined white flour buns!  And…30 grams of carbs is about my max intake of carbs on a typical day so that bun would be it.

I knew I had made it past the carb craving stage, but I also knew it would be a more difficult task for my children. After all, they usually eat what they are served and find themselves in places with many offerings.  In the beginning of this new “Way of Eating” (WOE), I heard a lot of comments like, “How long are you going to do this diet?”, or “Why can’t we have buns?”

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It is hard to explain to children how wheat, something that is grown from the earth, is harmful to them.  I used to mill my own wheat and bake my own bread for goodness sakes. I get the questions!  I used to think I was doing all the right things by giving my children fresh milled whole grains.  Then I read Wheat Belly by William Davis, MD and Grain Brain by David Perlmutter, MD.  Wow!  What eye opening reads!  Being a faithful person, I always believed that anything provided on earth and grown from the ground had to be good for us.  I had no idea how much the wheat we were provided has been changed over the years by human scientists.  It is actually very sad!  I prefer my family eat things from nature, not the product of a scientist.  So, that is why I removed wheat not only from my diet, but that of the rest of my family as well.

I was shocked today when I realized that there was not a comment, not a mention, not a whine for bread!  Even the kids get over it!

At breakfast today, I served grain-free lemon blueberry muffins, and my oldest told me that he just doesn’t really care for the muffins anymore.  When I asked him why he didn’t like the muffins, he told me that it wasn’t these muffins in particular, it was just muffins in general.  He asked for a poached egg instead.

Wow!  Breakfast breads used to be a staple, and now they are turning them away!  What a corner we have turned.

So, I hope that this gives you a glimmer of hope that the whole family can live this Keto lifestyle. I emphasize lifestyle.  This is not a diet for us anymore – it is a lifestyle.  It is the way we shop, eat, cook, and live.  We love it!  It gives us more energy to get through the day and through these years of parenting.  The kids notice the difference too.  Everyone just feels better, which gives us the willpower to get through the choices that used to challenge us.  Now it is not a obstacle for us, and surprisingly our children either.  I do want to say, that I don’t offer the options at home, but if we are out, I don’t tell the kids it is off limits.  I let them make the choice for themselves.  I never want them to feel like the things we choose to eat are “forbidden fruit”.  I try to educate them to make healthy choices so that they have a lifetime of healthy eating, not just the forbidden foods we tell them they cannot eat.  Example teaches what 10,000 words cannot!  Be a great example for the kids, and they will follow suit!

Here’s to healthy eating and healthy teaching!  It is possible!

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The Golden Sauce

There is a golden sauce so delicious, it is worth the price of gold!

It was just yesterday that I mentioned the amazingly delectable Hollandaise Sauce as a favorite of mine on poached eggs.  The best part – it is easier than you can ever imagine!

One of the things we have to be mindful of while living in a state of nutritional ketosis is our intake of protein.  We all know that carbs will take us down, but did you know that protein can as well?

When there is a significant intake of protein, the body converts the protein into sugars during a process called Gluconeogenesis.  This is a metabolic process that makes glucose, a simple sugar, that provides the body with energy from non-carbohydrate sources when you are a carb burner.

This is why it is super important to make sure you are getting ample healthy fats when you are consuming meats and vegetables in order to stay a fat burning machine.  We don’t want those proteins turning into carbs in our body so make sure you have the fat to counteract the carbs and proteins.

And…this is why I love Hollandaise!  You can put it on your veggies, your meat, your eggs – pretty much anything your heart desires!  My favorites are eggs, spinach and asparagus.  It is wonderful tasting, and as long as you are using our favorite grass-fed butter, it is a great source of fat!  You can also ask for it at many restaurants that will gladly bring you a side of this delicious sauce.

 

Blender Hollandaise

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Place in your blender:

2 Egg Yolks

1 TBSP Lemon Juice

Salt and Cayenne to taste

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Turn your blender on low for 5 seconds.

Melt 1/2 cup butter (Kerrygold) in a pyrex glass measuring dish.

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In a very low stream on the lowest speed, gently pour your butter into your egg yolk mixture.

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As soon as it is combined – you have hollandaise.

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I have never had it curdle, but if it does, add two egg yolks on high speed with whipping cream one TBSP at a time.

Enjoy!

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The Easiest Way to Cook an Egg!

So many of us that follow the Ketogenic Lifestyle often eat eggs for breakfast.  It is easy to quickly become tired of plain old scrambled eggs.  We can mix them with chorizo, serve them with bacon or cheese, but underneath, they are still the same old scrambled eggs.  Anytime you eat the same thing over and over again, it becomes tiresome.  So what to do?

Mix it up with different cooking methods.  This one is especially easy and fast with little mess, so it is a staple on busy weekday mornings.  You can also gourmetify it with a little extra effort on the weekend.

Today, I am going to show a family favorite, and it only takes 7 minutes from start to finish with one dirty pan.  By the way, the pan is extremely important unless you are only cooking for one, in which case, you can just use boiling water.

How to cook a poached egg:

Start with an egg poaching pan and great eggs from pasture raised and fed hens.  I have two pans, one with 4 inserts and another with 6, just depending on how many want one or two eggs.  You can buy the larger 6 egg poacher here where I purchased mine.

 

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Today I used the four egg poacher.  I purchased this one years ago from Williams Sonoma.  Lift one cup out and pour about a 1/4 inch layer of water to cover the bottom of the pan to create the steam.

 

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Spray each cup with coconut oil spray.

 

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Place the lid on the pan, and turn your heat to high.  It should start steaming with boiling water in no more than two minutes.

Once it is boiling, turn your heat down to Medium, and crack eggs one at a time, placing them in a cup insert.

 

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Place your lid on, and set your timer for 4 1/2 to 5 minutes.  Depending on how you like your yolk, you may need to adjust your time.  This time gives us a nice somewhat runny center but firm white.

 

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Once the eggs are set, and don’t jiggle if you nudge the pan a little from side to side, remove from heat and empty each egg onto your plates.  Be sure to use a hot pad to protect your finger tips.  I usually run a knife along the outside edge of the insert, but it is not always needed.

 

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My husband likes his plain with salt, pepper and sometimes a little homemade salsa.

 

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I love mine with a little hollandaise.  Stay tuned this week for this awesome recipe!

 

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Poached eggs are so versatile.  Here are a few other ideas that I love to try when we have a bit more time:

Place in an avocado with or without bacon:

 

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Get your greens too by serving over spinach or asparagus:

 

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You can even eat them over a salad!

 

 

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Enjoy your wonderful healthy eggs!

 

Happy Fourth of July!

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Happy Fourth of July!!!  Wave that Red, White, and Blue!  Show off your stars and stripes!  Enjoy your day, and celebrate with friends and family!  We love our Independence Day in the Lutz and Stavros households!

We have been over several recipe ideas to keep your day healthy and low carb!  Here are a few ideas from the past and the ones we have posted the last few weeks to help you compile your menu into one concise spot…right here!  All of these recipes can be found on this webpage on our blog:

Main Courses:

Brisket (You can even pick up or buy a precooked one to bake to make it easy!)

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Ribs – Yum!!!

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With our sugar-free sauce…

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Bunless Burgers (We love our ABC burger – Avocado, Bacon, and Cheddar)

IMG_0785Bunless Hot Dogs or Sausage Links

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Egg Salad

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Sides:

Refreshing Cukes

IMG_2796“Potato” Salad”

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Cheesy Tater Tots

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Broccoli Salad

Broccoli Salad

Appetizers and Snack Ideas:

Stuffed Mushrooms

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Cheese Crisps

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Zucchini Chips

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Guacamole

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Deviled Eggs:

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Dessert:

Stars and Stripes Cheesecake with Berries:

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Drinks:

Refreshing Low-Carb Margarita on the Rocks

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Enjoy a wonderful celebratory day filled with healthy food, healthy sun, friends and family.

God Bless America!

 

 

 

When Life Tosses you Eggs….

Well…this was not my intended post for today, but it worked out well!

We have all heard the term, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!”

My theme for today, is “When your eggs won’t peel, make egg salad!”

The intention of the post for today was yummy deviled eggs to finish off the menu for Independence Day!  However, I did not plan well enough ahead!

This was a good lesson!  Anytime you want pretty peeled eggs, plan ahead!  I did not know we were so low on eggs (because I always have several dozen.)  When you do boiled eggs, they are much easier to peel when they are not fresh.  You want to buy them 5 to 7 days ahead of when you need them.  I bought mine yesterday, boiled them, and tried to peel them.  This is what happened:

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Not so pretty!  So…we had a very fast change of plans.  Since we have dinner pretty much planned with Bar-B-Que (with sauce), “Potato” Salad, and Refreshing Cukes, I thought why not make egg salad for a Keto lunch!  It was simple, and we still got to use those delicious and nutritious eggs.

I did get a few of the eggs to turn out, so I will share how to do both just in case you plan ahead better than I, or if you have some eggs stored in your fridge that you want to use.

 

First, start by boiling your eggs.  I have a gas stove, and have had great success by placing my eggs in a large pot, covering with cold water with a tsp of salt, and bringing it to a rumbling boil.  Once it is at a full boil, turn your heat down to a simmer for 1 minute, cover, and turn the heat off completely for 10 to 12 minutes.  As soon as the timer goes off, dunk them in a cold water bath.  Let them cool, and then place in the refrigerator until you need them.

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You can peel your eggs now or later.  For deviled eggs you will want to slice your pretty eggs lengthwise, hull out the yolk and place on a flat surface.

IMG_3077I put the yolks in a bowl, and mash with mayo, dijon mustard, a little lemon juice, salt, pepper, and if you have them, some chopped Refreshing Cukes.  You can also add some fresh dill or dill pickle if you like savory.  If you like sweet, you can add a teeny tiny pinch of Stevia.  Mash it all together and stuff your eggs.  Refrigerate immediately.

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If you get a bunch of eggs that look like they were in a massacre like mine did, just chop them up and no one will be the wiser.

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Add to a bowl with:

 

 

Egg Salad

12 eggs – boiled, peeled and chopped

1/2 lemon – squeezed

1/2 cup petite diced celery

3/4 cup mayonnaise

2 Tbsp dijon mustard

1/2 cup diced “Refreshing Cukes”

2 tsp juice from above

Salt and pepper to taste

Stir everything together until combined and either put in the fridge for later or serve over lettuce.  It was quite a delicious mistake!

IMG_3083 IMG_3086We hope that everyone has a safe and delicious Fourth of July!

Remember those that sacrificed for the freedoms that we hold so precious today.  We are so fortunate to live in a place that allows us to speak and write what we believe and hold true to our hearts, even if not everyone agrees.

Remember on your holiday to plan ahead, drink plenty of water, take your supplements, and stay healthy!  Holidays and parties can be difficult, but with planning you can be strong and live Keto!  We know you can!

Have a wonderful long weekend, and enjoy those fireworks!!!

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Fire Cracker Potato Salad

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It’s real, and it’s Keto!  How can you have a July Fourth celebration without potato salad?  We have found a way, and it involves one of our favorite Keto veggies.

Have you guessed already?  It’s the one that makes rice, mashers, tater tots, and pizza crust.  The incredible, invincible, and transformative cauliflower!  The chameleon of all veggies!  I always have a head of cauliflower in the fridge because it can do just about anything for a meal!  I was wondering if I could slide this past my crew, and it worked like a charm.  You can pretty much use your favorite potato salad recipe by substituting cauliflower for your potatoes.  We prefer a creamy mustard type dressing with a little sweetness. I know some like mayo only, and others like a tart mustard, so take it where you like it.  So many options!

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I still had a few of the refreshing cukes in the fridge, so I thought I would give them a try for the touch of sweet.  Worked like a charm.  So if you are planning on making the cucumbers for your July Fourth celebration, save a few extra to throw into your “potatoes”.

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So here is the recipe along with a few variations for your upcoming weekend:

Keto Potato Salad

1 medium to large head of cauliflower

1 cup of diced celery

1/2 cup diced red onion

1/3 cup diced Refreshing Cukes + 5 Tbsp of the “Pickle Juice”

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup dijon mustard

1 tsp Himalayan salt

1 tsp black pepper

Dash of paprika

 

Other Options:

Vinegar for tartness

Boiled Egg (2-3)

Black Olives

Dill Pickles with pickle juice if you don’t have the Cukes, but like the pickle idea.

Lemon juice

Chives

 

Directions:

Chop your cauliflower into bite size pieces like you would eat your potatoes.

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Boil a large pot of water.  Once it comes to a rolling boil, lower the heat to medium and simmer your cauliflower for about 5 to 6 minutes.  Carefully pierce with a fork to check for tenderness.  This is the hardest part…you want it soft enough to mimic the potatoes, but you don’t want it to get mushy once you start mixing your ingredients together.  Once you have it to the correct tenderness, strain in a large colander.  Let it drain and then return to the pot.  If you are worried about the tenderness, (the texture is super important for this recipe) boil them until they are perfect and then immediately submerge in an ice cold water bath to stop the cooking.  Then strain in the colander.

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Add your chopped celery, onion, and cucumber or pickles (along with any other solids you choose to add.)  Toss to combine.

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Now add your mayonnaise, mustard and spices, except for the paprika.

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Mix everything together.  You can taste at this point to see if it needs anything, but remember, the flavors will meld in the refrigerator a little more.

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Refrigerate for a few hours.  When you place it in a serving bowl, sprinkle with a little paprika for color and enjoy with your firecrackers!

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Stars, Stripes, and Cheesecake

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We are posting this one today so you have time to prepare this beauty for the holiday weekend. This is a luscious lemony dessert that you would never guess to be sugar free, and even better, you can make it patriotic as all get out. The entire dessert was devoured and family approved.  It also keeps well so you can make it ahead, and then dress it up the day of your event.

I am getting more accustomed and comfortable using Stevia in recipes, and so far so good. A little goes a long way, and it doesn’t seem to leave that sweet aftertaste like Swerve does with some people. Don’t get me wrong, I love Swerve, but Stevia is great too! I am definitely going to stick with the Trader Joe’s Pure Stevia. It is the real deal! If you are looking for it in the store, you can find it with the supplements.

This dessert is similar to the Key Lime Cheesecake I shared a few weeks ago. I changed up the crust a little to try to create a denser, less flakey crust for easier cutting into bars, and it seemed to serve easier with a spatula. I actually had better luck cutting into bars after it cooled, but before I chilled it in the refrigerator.  This is a great tip for the future, but if you plan to decorate it like I did on this one, it is best to cut after everyone admires your handiwork.

Patriotic Lemon Berry Cheesecake

This recipe will yield a 9×13 and an 8×8 cheesecake.  If you only want one, half the recipe.

Before you start, you will want to bring your cream cheese and eggs to room temperature (a few hours) and preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Crust

1 1/2 cups Honeyville Almond Flour

1/2 cup Coconut Flour

2 Eggs

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking powder

1 cup butter (melted)

1 cup Swerve

1 tsp salt

Combine all your dry ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until you have a sand like mixture.

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Add your eggs and butter.  Pulse until a ball of dough forms.

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Mix well and press into a 9 x 13 and an 8 x 8  pyrex.

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Bake at 325 for 12 minutes.

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Meanwhile prepare your mixer for the cheesecake.

Cheesecake Filling

4 – 8 oz packages of Cream Cheese

4 Eggs

3 Lemons zested and juiced

1 tsp Pure Stevia

Berries

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Place your very soft cream cheese in your mixer.

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Turn your mixer onto medium to cream your cream cheese.  Add your eggs one at a time, and mix well in between each egg, scraping the sides as you go.

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Zest and juice your lemons.

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Add all the juice and zest to your cream cheese mixture.  Add your Stevia and mix well.

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Pour into your pyrex dishes.

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Bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes.

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They actually looked the same, but the lighting was different.

Cool completely to room temperature.  Then place in the fridge to cool.

The next day or later in the day, whip up some whipped cream with heavy whipping cream, vanilla, and Swerve Confectioners.

“Ice” your cheesecake with the whipped cream.

I forgot to take a picture of the flag that I made on the 9×13 cake, but you can do an American flag with blueberries for the navy and do stripes with strawberry slices.

On the 8×8, I did a big star with blueberries and raspberries.  This is so fun to do with the kiddos!

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Let your friends and family ohh and ahh, but don’t tell them it’s sugar-free!  They will be amazed.  I love the way the lemon and fruit taste together for a special treat!

Keep refrigerated.

Enjoy!!!

 

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