It’s starting to FEEL (and look) a lot like Christmas! My favorite season of the year!
We had such a hot fall in San Antonio, I was beginning to think it would never get cooler around here, but ‘lo and behold, we finally had a great cold front! Finally!
The first cold morning around here, the kids were begging for HOT CHOCOLATE!!!
Can hot chocolate be Keto?
Absolutely!
Look at these smiling faces!
There is nothing better on a cold morning than curling up in your cozy chair with a steaming hot cup of cocoa! The kids were cozy, happy, and warm!
So how to?
Keto Hot Chocolate
Do you see that half-gallon of cream???? Oh, yes it is! Sam’s Club!
You can use more cream and less milk for more keto cocoa and thin with some more water, however, for the kiddos, I don’t mind them having whole milk.
Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/2 cup 100% cocoa
1/4 tsp himalayan salt
3/4 cup Swerve granular
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
peppermint flavored Stevia to taste – I used 2 droppers full
The kids especially liked the peppermint flavor added, but you could use any flavor Stevia drops.
In a heavy large saucepan, combine all your ingredients and whisk well. Keep watch as you heat over medium heat. At the end, when everything is combined, it can boil up quickly and make a huge mess, so keep and eye on your sweet treat. When everything is combined and comes to a light boil, pour in mugs and top with sugar-free whipping cream! Yum yum delicious!
I have started hearing some sounds of fall, football, leaves crunching,squirrels scurrying all across my roof, way too early Christmas commercials, and those raspy sniffly coworkers.
That’s right.
It’s that time of year!
Dealing with those under-the-weather-friends is similar to most everything else; meaning that the best offense, is a great defense.
Sorry, I had to throw in some football.
One of the absolute best ways to take care of yourself this time of year is to regularly drink grass-fed bone broth. The vitamins, minerals, and overall good health feeling of this wonder drink can really make a difference in your immune system function.
I usually have a solid stock pile of my broth as well bones in my freezer. I have purchased ‘just’ bones before from a grass-fed farmer as well as buffalo bones from Whole Foods. Yes I am that serious about my broth. But more recently, when Cindy and I had our cow butchered, we had them box the bones for us as well. These bones are AMAZING!
Right now, we have enough bones to last us a very long time. Annnddd provide us with ample to share with friends and family that might need help getting over one thing or another. I love sharing this stuff. Plus, here in south Texas, we are predicted to have a nice wet fall this year, so really you can’t have too much in your keeping healthy arsenal!
Making broth/stock is SUPER simple, and not at all, labor intensive. The hardest part is finding storage space once you realize how great this stuff makes you feel.
Sachet of herbs (parsley, peppercorns, thyme, rosemary, Bay leaf, etc)-you can also omit here and just add to your mug when you drink.
Method:
Roast Bones at 400 for 30 minutes to 1 hour until fragrant
In a large stock or crock pot, place roasted bones, and pour in cool filtered water to cover. Add your apple cider vinegar. Do not heat yet.
Allow mixture to rest for 30 minutes to an hour. This will allow the vinegar to pull the nutrients from bones.
Bring the pot to a boil, and add more water if needed
Reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 24-72 hours – just leave it going!
With about four hours remaining, add the vegetables
During the last 30 minutes of cooking, toss in the herb sachet-or omit and add as you drink.
Remove bones, veggie, and herb sachet (knock out any remaining marrow back into broth)
Pour broth through a strainer or cheese cloth into a glass container
Drink with generous amounts of quality Himalayan or Celtic salt, or use in any recipe calling for broth, stock, or added water.
The broth can be consumed immediately and stored in the fridge up to 5 to 7 days. You can also store in the freezer up to 6 months. We like to freeze into ice cubes so we can pop them in a mug to reheat when needed.
When reheating, bring broth back up to boiling for one minute.
It is hard to believe that school has arrived once again!
I have one that started today and two that start in a couple of weeks. It is funny how that same old routine starts immediately. The one thing that stumps people the most in this rut of a routine is SNACK time! What do you serve for snacks when you don’t eat carbs? This one was tough at first, but it is much of the same foods that I pack in a low-carb lunchbox, so you can use this article as a means for both.
First off, toss the juice boxes – PLEASE! Those are loaded with sugar!
What about just water? If your child refuses plain water, try infusing it with fruit or cucumbers, or see if they like a sparkling water like La Croix. Mine think it is a treat! There are a ton of flavors from which to choose, so your family will never get bored.
Next, go through your pantry (or call us to do it) and toss the chips, cookies, crackers, pretzels, and goldfish – yep, I said it – even the goldfish. They are all carbs and carbs = sugar!
Your body doesn’t even know the difference between the two!
So, what do you feed the kiddos when you don’t have goldfish?
There are a ton of options, many of which we have posted before, but we will remind you!
This is the number one favorite in the Lutz household:
Veggies with Ranch Dip
Obviously, mine love the mini-peppers!
Other great dips to serve with vegetables are spinach dip, artichoke dip and pimento cheese. The later is a great lunch option as well!
Cheese crackers with salsa or guacamole is another favorite in our house.
Don’t forget about the yummy olives we posted last week too!
Sometimes if I want to dress things up a bit, I will do a nice cheese sampler tray. This is great for the little tastebuds too and fancy enough for company!
Another fun snack is the savory fat bombs. I was able to find some great snacks at Costco that were cheese and meat wrapped up together similar to a fat bomb. They are cute and would work great in a lunchbox as well.
A few other great options:
Cheese sticks or Baby Bells
Lunch meat (or the two together!) Choose your meat carefully. Stay away from the pre-sliced – get the quality meat (Such as Boar’s Head) in the deli and have it sliced thinly for wrapping. Watch for Nitrates and other additives.
Pickles
Refreshing Cukes
Celery and Queso
Whole milk yogurt (for the kids)
Jerky or beef sticks
A variety of nuts (w/out peanuts)
Stuffed mushrooms
Celery and nut butter
Deviled or Boiled Eggs
Sausage on a Stick
These are just a few of many options! Hopefully this will get you started in this back-to -school rush time! Don’t be afraid to try new things and push your kiddos to expand their palates a little. We hope everyone has a great beginning to the school year. Remember to be strong and eat right! You (and your children) need to eat healthy to be healthy! Happy Back-to-School week!
Feel free to drop us a note in the comments section if you have a question about lunch or snacks. Chances are, someone else is wondering the same thing! Also, feel free to share some of your favorites!
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!)
Ribs – Yum!!!
With our sugar-free sauce…
Bunless Burgers (We love our ABC burger – Avocado, Bacon, and Cheddar)
Bunless Hot Dogs or Sausage Links
Egg Salad
Sides:
Refreshing Cukes
“Potato” Salad”
Cheesy Tater Tots
Broccoli Slaw
Broccoli Salad
Appetizers and Snack Ideas:
Stuffed Mushrooms
Cheese Crisps
Zucchini Chips
Guacamole
Deviled Eggs:
Dessert:
Stars and Stripes Cheesecake with Berries:
Or, if you are a chocolate person, our chocolate pudding.
Drinks:
Refreshing Low-Carb Margarita on the Rocks
Enjoy a wonderful celebratory day filled with healthy food, healthy sun, friends and family.
Get ready for this Keto friendly, sugar free, refreshing adult beverage. This is my go-to after a long summer week with the kids, work, and errands. It’s really nice at the beach too!
Before we start, let me remind you that we advise alcohol in very limited amounts. Your body will always process the alcohol before it processes your food, so be mindful.
There are options, and I can’t say that I prefer one over the other. The staple ingredients in all three are ice (preferably crushed), fresh lime juice, Stevia, and salt.
Start with your limes. You need a bunch. If you can find fresh squeezed lime juice at Central Market or a local farmers market that makes it easier, but I usually squeeze fresh at home.
Pour about a 1/4 cup of lime juice over your crushed ice in your glass, or even better, a shaker.
Now are your choices: If you want strong, go with Tequila mixed with Topo Chico.
If you prefer a milder spritzer, I really like a summer wine that is low in carbs called Vinho Verde. It is a bubbly Portuguese wine that is very inexpensive and easy to find. There are two I prefer, but these are popular in the summer so get what you can find. I like the Casal Garcia and the Santola. These are refreshing without too much alcohol, and great mixed like a margarita.
Then, add your little sweet if you like. You may not need it, but if you want it to be more like a sweet margarita, I like to add a packet of Sweet Leaf Stevia.
Mix it all together, and you have a great refreshing drink after a long week! Squeeze a little extra lime and rim your glass with salt. You have yourself a sugar free margarita.
Side note, since we have been talking about fruit: Limes contain the absolute lowest amount of fructose of any fruit. It is one of the few I eat (or drink). They still have natural sugar so use in moderation, but it should not effect your blood sugar too much, if at all.
