Archive for Groceries

Home Cooking on a Cold Winter’s Eve

I don’t know about you, but getting back into the swing of things has been tough this week.

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We returned from vacation, had another Christmas at home, entertained family, Happy New Year, undecorated, reorganized, and now back to school and after-school activities!  It’s a lot to jump into after a couple of weeks off!

The last thing I always want to do when we return from vacation, is go to the dreaded grocery store.  This means a lot of experimenting and improvisation in our house because my crew expects three hot meals a day out of me, and Mom is pooped right now.

What to do?  The freezer!  This is a word I rarely use because really, all we use our freezer for is ice and meat.  We purchased a half of a grass-fed cow in August, and we still have quite a bit left.  We always crave red meat when we have been traveling which was obviously the case, because I went to the freezer and pulled out stew meat, a roast, and some steaks.  The steaks we grilled right away, but the others required a little more effort.  Not much though.  On undecorating day, I knew I would be busy so I pulled out an old recipe, made a few changes, and prayed we would have something tummy warming good for dinner.

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It was amazing! In fact, my ten year old has asked for stew in his thermos for lunch every day since that he has needed a lunch.  We have had some moist bone-chilling days in South Texas recently, and there is nothing better than good, warm you up from within, home-cooked meals from the heart!

This takes a little forethought, but get it going, and forget about it all afternoon.  Before you know it, it is dinner time and it’s ready to go.  Perfect for those basketball practice nights when everyone is coming home at different times.

Hearty Beef Stew

3 lbs Stew Meat chopped

16 oz bacon

2 cups beef broth

14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained

1 green bell pepper

1 cup baby carrots

1 small onion

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp tomato paste

2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

2 tsp pink Himalayan salt

2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp dried oregano

 

Instructions:

Slice your bacon into small pieces and cook in a large dutch oven.

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Once your bacon is cooking and you have a nice layer of grease, add your stew beef.  Cook until browned, and then add your onion, pepper and garlic.

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Cook these for about 5 minutes.  Add your remaining ingredients, stir, and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce the heat to low.  Cover and simmer for 3 hours or until you are ready to serve.

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My family prefers their stew runny, almost like a beef soup.

If you are used to a stew with potatoes and a thicker sauce, this will not turn out like that.  If your family likes the thicker stew, dust the top of your stew with just a pinch of xanthan gum.  As it sits and you stir, it will slowly thicken.  This will give you a more stew like consistency.

Enjoy!

 

What’s in a Mason? Christmas Giving Continued…

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We are still going along with the theme of Christmas gifting!

My mother always told me, “It is better to give than to receive,” and I truly believe that giving someone a gift from the heart is a tremendous blessing!  It really is better to give!

My problem…What to give when you don’t give sugar or bake?

Since I was a small child, I baked with my mother, and then more recently on my own and with my own children.  It is a Christmas tradition.  I have given homemade cookies as gifts for as long as I can remember.   This will be the first year that I do not hand out over 35 dozen iced sugar cookies for Christmas, and I am already hearing about it!  I am known as the “Cookie Lady”, “the friend that gives us the green trees” and am often told, “My (fill in the blank) looks forward to your cookies all year long.”  So, for those of you expecting cookies from me, I apologize in advance.  I just felt it was hypocritical to deliver something that I know is harmful to your body.  I am on track for a healthier gift this year.

Erin talked about things to give that are not necessarily edible.  I want to talk about things that can be delivered in a mason jar.  Why mason jars?  First, they are practical, stay fresh, and reusable. Second, they can be dressed up with cute ribbons, bows, stickers, you name it – go for it on the creativity!  That is, at least, half the fun.  Lastly, the options are endless!  We have posted many recipes that you can use in a mason jar that I will link you to below. Have fun trying out some new fun recipes that you can give to others to enjoy.

So go get your mason jars, and get ready to get creative!

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I have loaded up on tomatoes, Serrano peppers, cilantro, garlic and onion for some red hot Texas salsa.  This will be my main gift for teachers, helpers and neighborhood friends this year.  You can find the salsa recipe here.

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Another great one is the Refreshing Cukes!

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They look gorgeous in a mason jar!

 

Another favorite is some Sugar Free Bar-B-Que Sauce!  Yum!!!

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Or how about a homemade salad dressing or Ranch Dip?

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One of Erin’s family favorites is the Marinated Black Olives.  They were amazing and gorgeous in a mason jar!

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Of course you always have mixed nuts or some kind of nut medley.  You can always season a roast your nuts as well.  There are some fabulous recipes out there for roasted nuts.

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You can also season up some cream cheese or pimento cheese and place it in the mason jar.

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Last, but not least, is a touch of sweet!  We can’t leave out the fat bombs!

These are so delicious, it is hard to just eat one.  Best of all, you can tailor these to your needs based on what you or your friends like.

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There really is no going wrong.  Who ever receives your gift will certainly love it, and you will know it is healthy as well.  Enjoy the holiday season filled with miracles, joy, love, and best of all, giving from the heart.  Rejoice in this season of wonderment!

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What’s For Dinner?

It is hard to believe that we already have a month of school under our belts!  Time certainly does fly!  Not only do the months fly, but the hours in the day seem to get shorter and shorter as well.  The best advice I can give you for dinners is to PLAN AHEAD!

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You need to know your busy days – these are my leftover days!

Know the days that you will have an extra hour or two – these are my cooking days!

Lastly, know the days when you have a little extra time to throw something in the oven – these are the days when I usually use something pre-prepared.  Yes!  I said it!  I DO use prepared foods every so often, as long as I know how they are prepared and what is in the package.  Other prepared foods are foods that I have made and previously frozen.  If I make a chili, stew, lasagna, etc., I always double the recipe and freeze one to pull out on a busy day.  It doesn’t take much more effort, but it saves you loads of time in the future for a home cooked meal!

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Planning ahead makes all the difference in the world.  As long as I know what proteins, veggies, and other sides I have in the fridge, (and always have 3 or 4 days worth of all the above) – I know my family will survive, and even better, be full and satisfied.

For instance, I know that Wednesdays are my worst day.  Not only am I in the car for 2 hours in the morning shuttling the kiddos to school, but I am also in the car for 2 hours in the afternoon getting three kids to four different activities.  I couldn’t believe it when I timed it!  I am actually in the car longer driving around the neighborhood getting kids to gymnastics, soccer, and more soccer than I am taking my children to another town for school.  I wouldn’t give it up for the world, but it does take serious planning.  Really, though, there is not another better day in the week to have a leftover day!  It’s the midpoint of the week, and time to clean out from all that weekend cooking!

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Tuesdays are my best day!  It is our only day this sports season that we do not have a scheduled regular activity.  This is my shopping day and big cooking day.

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Mondays I am usually prepared from the weekend before when I hope to have time to prep some things for the week.

Thursdays are always busy so this is usually a pre-prepared day.

Fridays are more relaxed.  We either eat out or I cook something easy.

Saturdays are usually cooking days as are Sundays, but this is a good left-over day to clean out the fridge for the week ahead.  I generally spend a lot of time preparing for the week ahead on Sundays.  This is when I bake for breakfasts, make Keto desserts, my sauces, and my seasonings.  It always feels great to start the week prepared.

Here are a few really simple dinner ideas to throw together on those super tough week nights:

The kids favorite:

Taco night – We always have ground meat, and this is super easy with lettuce as your tortilla!  We make a taco bar and the kids LOVE it!

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This next is a prepared dish: Stuffed Pork Tender (Cream cheese and jalapeño) with a side of zucchini topped with parmesan and bacon brussels.

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This one is super fast…Steamed broccolini with butter, alongside broiled salmon and stuffed mushrooms.

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Beef pinwheels with a side of asparagus:

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Top with queso and you get a thumbs up:

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ABC burgers with a side of squash casserole:

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Stuffed bell peppers with stuffed mushrooms!  Apparently, I was in the mood to stuff!

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Keto spaghetti with zucchini and grilled sausage:

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Grilled skewers with a veggie…we did grilled asparagus.

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I hope that this gives you some easy, quick dinner ideas for your family.  These are some of our favorites along with a host of others!  Happy cooking!

 

 

 

 

Some Angel Cake for My Angel!

Our little angel (youngest child and only girl – say some prayers) just celebrated her fifth birthday.  She was counting down the months until her birthday…”I’m four and 8/12, I/m four and 11/12).  You get the picture.

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When her week finally rolled around, I asked her what kind of cake she wanted for her birthday.  You may remember, I was quite the baker before my Keto days, so birthday time is always fun!  In actuality, Keto baking is just as fun as regular baking once you get the hang of it.  For birthdays, I let the children choose what ever they like for their one special day of the year.  Keto or not!  Low and behold, she said she wanted Angel Cake, which to the rest of us is Angel Food Cake.  I was ecstatic!  This is one recipe for dessert where Keto style tastes just like the real thing.  In fact, my parents had no idea that it was sugar and grain free!  That is the ultimate test in my opinion.  It is also a great dessert for warm weather because it is quite refreshing.  Even though it is September, in South Texas, it feels like July!

Save this cake for a day when you have time, because just like any other Angel Food Cake, the whipping of the egg whites is time consuming.  This is not a difficult cake, but it is a little different from typical baking and patience is a must.

 

Keto Angel Cake

(Carolyn Style)

Ingredients:

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Yes, this is correct!  It is much different from traditional cake.

Start with 12 very cold egg whites or the equivalent of such (like I did) which is about 3 cups.

I Cup Jay Robb Protein Powder (Vanilla or Strawberry)

1 1/3 Cup Swerve Confectioners

1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp salt

1 TBSP fresh lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla (or lemon, strawberry or flavor of your choice)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Sift your Protein Powder and Swerve Confectioners together 2 times.  Set aside.

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3. In a large, very clean, cold bowl (Preferably a Kitchen Aid mixer bowl) whip your egg whites, cream of tarter and salt.  Beat on medium-high to high speed until stiff.  Once fairly stiff, add your lemon juice and flavoring.  Continue mixing.

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I didn’t time this, but it was at least 15 to 20 minutes of whipping.  Just let it go.  You should be able to turn the bowl over without the egg whites moving.

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4.  Remove the egg white mixture from the stand and slowly and carefully FOLD in your protein powder mixture.  Gently fold until completely combined.

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5.  After all of your ingredients are mixed, pour into your angel food tube pan – DO NOT GREASE the pan!!!  This is super important and you will see why!  If you don’t have one, make sure you purchase one with a removable bottom.  It should be a two piece pan.  This was my grandmother’s pan, and all of the old ones are like this, but you have to look on the new ones.

 

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6.  Place in your oven and watch.  I had to turn my heat down to 325 degrees because it was getting too brown.  It needs to cook for a good 55 minutes so if it is getting too brown after 25 or 30 make sure you turn down your heat.  I did another cake afterwards and turned the dial down to about 335 degrees after I placed it in the oven, and it was about right.

7.  Now you will see the “why”.  When the cake is super fluffy, high and browned, remove it from the oven, and immediately invert onto a bottle at room temperature. This will keep the cake from sinking.

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8.  This is why you don’t grease the cake!!!!  Otherwise it would be on the counter.  Let it cool completely like this.

9.  After it is cooled, use a sharp knife to go around the edges, and then push the bottom out of the pan.  Place on a cake stand, and it is ready to serve with whipping cream and berries.

I also made a prettier one that I iced with whipping cream and arranged berries on top.  My kids like it this way frozen.  You can do it either way.

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You can see in the above picture; I removed the super brown top which basically popped right off.

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This one above is actually frozen – berries and all!

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That was one happy birthday girl and every bite devoured!

All the whipping in this recipe can be time consuming, but it is so rewarding!  Don’t give up, and enjoy every bite!

 

 

 

 

Week Night Dinner Tip-Think Frozen

School is officially in! I am working basically full time and at multiple doctor appointments during the week as well. I’m healthy, but doctors don’t place a whole bunch of stock in changing diet as a means to keep me cancer free. (I COULD GO ON FOR HOURS ON THIS!)

 

Getting dinner on the table is still important to us! I have very little time to get something on the table after finishing work, getting the kiddo from school, the hubs usually works out for an hour or so, mail, dogs, life…you all know!

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So our meals are less than creative but still have to be Keto.

 

I am working on mixing it up, but for the most part, fall into a pattern. Veggie and protein with a cream sauce or butter.

 

 

I am a huge advocate for the organic frozen veggies at HEB and Costco, I buy them at almost every trip to the store. They are cost effective, stay fresh, and can be ready in minutes.

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Frozen veggies are typically flash frozen right off the plant and can often be just as good for you or even better than items found in the produce section. Top with KerryGold some pink salt, pepper and you are set!
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So next time at the store, toss in a few bags of the frozen cauliflower, broccoli, and chopped spinach! It’s one of the easiest and fastest ways to get a veggie on the table, and keep your weeknight sanity!

 

Two Questions Answered…

When we meet with clients, we most often hear, “Where do I buy that?” and “What can I pack in the kids’ lunch boxes?”

These are both very good questions, and ones that we struggled with for quite some time.  Like everyone, we get stuck in our ruts with our favorites, both grocery shopping and lunch planning.

I have posted before about Costco, but after the children started back at school, I decided to go on a little adventure at Trader Joe’s.  They have some fantastic deals there and some fun and different items.  This is my most recent haul from TJ’s:

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From left to right:

Organic Broccoli Slaw (you can find the recipe on our blog – the dressing is Keto fabulous!), Tomatoes, Seaweed “crackers” (these are great for soft cheeses – just spread and wrap), Coconut Milk, Aioli Garlic Mustard Sauce, Organic Heavy Whipping Cream, Mushrooms, Sliced Brussel Sprouts, Crunchy Salted Peanut Butter with Flax and Chia Seeds (for the kids), Artichoke Antipasto, Marinated Olives, Whole Milk Yogurt, REAL Stevia, Basil (their spices are a bargain), Whole Brussel Sprouts.

The whole reason I went to Trader Joe’s was to get our favorite snack though:

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YUM!!!!  The Rosemary are our favorite!!!

 

Other great finds at TJ’s are produce, meats, cheeses – lots of cheeses – we especially like the marinated fresh mozzarella, other nuts and seeds – love the pumpkin and sunflower seeds, other items I have yet to find!  Please share your favorites with us!

 

All of my kids are back in school!  It is a jolt after a long summer, but we all love to be back in a routine.

Here are our first day shots:

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Carolyn is doing her first round of Kinder this year, and loving every minute!  She just turned 5 years old.

IMG_4499Colton is on the left – he is our middle child (and loves to tell us about it).  He just started third grade, and is 8 years old. Chaz is now in 5th grade (where does the time go?).  He is 10 years old and our most Keto-adapted of the three.

I only share them so that you know, I am, where many of you are, in this adventure and blessing of parenthood.  It is a challenge, but oh so rewarding!  They have adapted very well to our Keto lifestyle, although I do not force it on them when they are not under our roof.  Generally, as their mother, I can control most of what they eat, but it is important to us (my husband and I) that they do not feel singled out, denied or forbidden.  We do not want to create that “forbidden fruit” syndrome where as soon as they are away from us they run to the nearest donut or candy shop.  They know how they feel when they eat healthy, and the they know how they feel when they eat sugar, so we advise – not demand.  Our hope is, that through our constant example, they will learn to make healthy eating decisions on their own.  I have not heard one complaint about the lunch box yet!!!

 

I thought it would be helpful to share how we have been packing lunch over the past week since we started back to school.

Staples in the lunch box always include:

A Protein – Steak, Fajita Meat, Pepperoni, Salami, Nut Butter, Lettuce Tacos, etc.

Cheese – Mozzarella Cheese Sticks, Baby Bels, Sliced Cheese, Cheese Cubes

Nuts – Mixed Nuts, Cashews, Almonds, Macadamias

A Drink – Milk, Water, Sparkling Water

Other Add-Ins: Olives, Whole Milk Yogurt, Chia Squeeze (a little high in sugar for everyday, but good fiber and a treat for the kiddos), Dark Chocolate (85% or higher), Berries.

Leftovers are great, and often their favorite.

I suggest a quality thermos and decent ice packs.  I always warm the thermos for hot food items by filling the cavity with simmering water for about 5 minutes.  Discard the water and fill with hot food.  It will stay hot until lunch this way.

This is what lunch looked like for my children today:

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The blue ice pack is on the bottom.  The white foil is a cup of sliced salami, mixed nuts, water, leftover steak, and blackberries.  There is some cheese in there too!

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This is the Thermos I use above, and the two types of cheeses I packed.  They will usually eat one for lunch and save the other for snack on the way home.

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The last of the lunch boxes – this is the whole milk kefir on top (yes – it has added sugar, but is a treat filled with great healthy fat just for the KIDS), blackberries, and yummy hot leftover chicken curry in the thermos!

Each child is a little different, and we are always coming up with new things we like and they like.  Stay connected, and we will try to send out our newest, greatest ideas.  We would love to hear from you too!  What low-sugar healthy foods do your kids love?

 

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!

The Finishing Touch

A great Bar-B-Que Brisket or Ribs is perfectly Keto, and one of our very favorite weekend or holiday treats.  The question becomes, how do you finish those beauties off?  That wonderful tangy sauce out of a bottle is gone for more reasons than one, but the main problem is all those added sugars in the bottle.  Oh, and don’t forget the hidden sugars.

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I am putting it lightly when I say, my hubby is a sauce fanatic!  He concocts all types of sauces, and combines things I would never think of placing in the same bowl.  Some are good, and some not so much.

He left it to me to find a good recipe for a Bar-B-Que sauce though.  The best one, meaning lowest in carbs, out of a bottle, we could find was Stubbs Original with 5 Carbs and 4 grams of sugar.  The serving size is 2 Tbsp.  Let’s be honest – who just eats 2 tablespoons of Bar-B Que sauce?  Here are some of the ingredients:o-STUBBS-BBQ-facebook

Sugar, Molasses, Tapioca Dextrin, Brown Sugar, Corn Starch, and Corn Syrup!  And this was the best we could find!!!!  Let’s see…sugar, sugar, carb/sugar, sugar, carb/sugar, and oh, sugar!

There is a reason we always say to read labels, and we don’t just mean nutrition labels.  You HAVE to read those ingredients too.  It sends my blood sugar soaring just reading them!

So this is the REAL food ingredient list for my new Bar-B-Que sauce:

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3/4 cup White Vinegar

2 Cans (30 oz) of Organic Tomato Sauce

5 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

3 Tbsp Yellow Mustard

1 Tbsp Tabasco or other hot sauce (I used 2 Tbsp and it was SPICY so do to taste)

1 Tbsp Pink Himalayan salt

1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

2 Tbsp Liquid Smoke (The one pictured is made in the great state of TEXAS)

1/2 Large Lemon (4 tsp squeezed)

1/2 tsp Trader Joe’s Pure Stevia

Directions:

Combine your tomato sauce and vinegar.  Bring to a simmer.

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Add your Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, and Liquid Smoke.  Combine.  Add all remaining ingredients except the yellow mustard.

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You need to temper your mustard like you would an egg.  Place your mustard in a heat safe bowl.  Add a few spoonfuls of your hot tomato mixture and stir well.

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Once mixed, add back to your sauce.

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Whisk until you have a smooth sauce.  Use immediately or store in a mason jar.  This will keep for a few weeks in the refrigerator.

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Enjoy with that yummy broccoli slaw!

 

Dress It Up!

We are thinking ahead to fireworks and celebration!  It is hard to believe that July 4th is right around the corner.  The other day I posted the “Refreshing Cukes” recipe which would be a great side dish for any Fourth of July celebration.  By the way, they just got better in the fridge for a few days!  The cucumbers were definitely a hit in our house!

Today, I have another side that is easy because all you need to do is prepare the dressing ahead, pour it in a mason jar, throw it in the ice chest, and you have a great nutritious side wherever your travels may take you!  Even better, you can use this tangy dressing as a dip or on any salad with what you have left over.

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Keto Broccoli Slaw Recipe

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Cup Mayonnaise (I used Hellman’s, but homemade is better)

3 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Heaping Tbsp Dijon Mustarrd

1/8 tsp Trader Joe’s Pure Stevia

1 1/2 tsp Celery Seeds

1 tsp Himalayan Salt

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

2 Bags of Trader Joe’s Organic Broccoli Slaw (I just use one at a time.)

Directions:

Start by combining your Olive Oil and Mayonnaise.  Then add your Apple Cider Vinegar and Mustard.

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Stir well.

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Add your Stevia: This is the best one I’ve found so far:

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Then add the rest of your ingredients except for the slaw.

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Whisk well, and pour into a mason jar once it is completely combined.

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Now it is ready for packing or serving.  Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.  Also, shake well before each use to distribute the celery seeds.

When you are ready, empty the packet of broccoli slaw into a large bowl.  It will make more than you think, so pick a large enough bowl.  Pour about a half cup of dressing over your slaw and mix well.  You can always add more if you like.

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This is excellent served with Bar-B-Que, or served on its own.  Enjoy!IMG_2862

 

 

 

Sweeteners; How to Choose the Right One

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We know sugar is BAD!  The sad truth is that many “No Calorie Sweeteners” are also bad. The choices are plentiful!  The health consequences of these are also plentiful!

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My first choice of sweetener when we decided to go Keto was Splenda (Larger name is Sucralose.) because that was my husband’s sweetener of choice, and you could bake with it in equal amounts.  Then…I heard the story about how Sucralose was invented.  It was invented by a group of chemists looking for a new formula for pesticide.  Yes, I said pesticide!  When you eat Splenda or other versions of Sucralose you are eating the mistake of chemists looking for a new improved pesticide.  When Chemist A said to Chemist B, “Have you tested it?”, Chemist B responded, “It tastes sweet!” Obviously mishearing, taste for test, Chemist A was horrified that B actually put this poison in his mouth.  But, the formula for a new product began at this point.  Let’s see when you put that stuff to your lips again.

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There are many other choices…We are all familiar with the blue stuff, the pink stuff, and the list goes on.  Then you have honey, agave, and maple syrup.  Granted, these are natural sweeteners, but have an effect on blood sugar.  Honey, agave and maple syrup can all have a dramatic effect on your blood sugar, and leave you craving for more.  Honey?  I know, but just like everything else, it has become highly processed, and basically “all the good stuff” has been removed.  The only exception I would find, would be a good local source that you know has quality honey from the area in which you live.  I still would not eat it, but I would use it to sweeten things such as grass-fed plain yogurt and other quality foods for my children.  If you can find good LOCAL honey, it is great for allergy resistance for your children in very small amounts – I emphasize SMALL.  Please use with caution because it still will spike blood sugar.  If you are trying to lose weight or have insulin resistance at all (which over 70% of our adult population does) stay away and stick to the others mentioned next.  To read more about the worst and best sweetener, check out this article, The 4 Best and 3 Worst Sweeteners to Have in Your Kitchen, written by Dr. Mercola.

Natural sweeteners that do not have an impact on blood sugar are Swerve, Stevia, and Chicory Root, and every once in a while, Xylitol for certain foods (be careful with Xylitol – toxic for pets).  These are the ones that we choose to use.  You can purchase Swerve at Whole Foods, Sprouts, or in our Amazon store, here.  There are many different forms of Stevia on the market.  Be careful, and READ your labels.  I have found all sorts of added ingredients.  This is the Chicory Root powder sold by Chocoperfection:

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This is granular swerve, good used on anything that is NOT cold, such as coffee or baked goods.  Choose the purple confectioners for cold items, such as puddings or custards.

 

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We do all need to try to be as sugar free as possible for so many health reasons.  The problem is, any time there is a good thing, the food industry can take it and make it BAD!  Take for instance, Stevia.  Stevia is a great product, used for centuries in South America.  It is all natural, has a low glycemic index, and a little goes a long way. The food industry in America saw that this was an up and coming sweetener, and has come along and ruined it in many ways.  For example, Pure Stevia used to be the only thing you could buy.  Now you have huge food and beverage companies coming into the market, and adding other ingredients, such as sugar (yes, sugar) maltodextrin, and a variety of other ingredients we do not want inside our bodies.  My point of this post is to tell you to be careful when choosing sweeteners and reading labels.  We need to cut down on the “sweet” period!  That is, teach our tongues not to crave the sweet.  If you do need a little sweet every once in a while, choose carefully by doing your research, and reading your labels.  Do not go by what you see on the front of a box!  At the moment, I buy the Sweet Leaf packets:

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And Stevia Drops which come in a variety of flavors and you can purchase at Whole Foods, Sprouts, or our Amazon store here:

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Sometimes as a treat, I use these drops to sweeten plain unsweetened almond milk for the children.  When I use the chocolate drops, it magically turns into a chocolate milkshake!

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Stevia measures VERY VERY differently than any of these other sweeteners which more or less can be measured cup for cup just like sugar.  This website is a great resource for conversions if you have any questions.  Just click here for a conversion chart!  This works for PURE Stevia only.

I ordered a “Pure Stevia” off of Amazon last week, and was livid when I received it to find that the “other ingredient” was Malodextrin which has one of the highest glycemic index values out there.  It is BAD stuff! Needless to say, it is going back, and I will continue to do my research to find an actual PURE stevia with no other added ingredients.  It is becoming harder and harder to do this.  The one place I have been able to find actual pure, organic, non-GMO stevia for baking is Trader Joe’s.  While there, pick up some coconut cream, ghee, nuts of many varieties, and some Creme Fraiche!  Yum!!!

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So the take away of this article is to READ, READ, READ you labels!  There are new brands of Stevia, especially, coming to the market daily because it is a HOT item.  To make them better, companies are making these sweeteners worse for us.  Take care and sweeten carefully!

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