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A Fast and Delicious Weeknight Favorite!

Posted on November 12, 2015 by thesweetlifesugarfree

‘Tis the season for crazy weeknights! We are all in the thick of school and sports, but add the holidays to the mix, and you are about ready to pull out your hair. Let’s just say, dinner sometimes becomes a hassle, more than a featured event this time of year!

Before I give you the recipe, I need to preface it with the fact that I used to detest salmon. I LOVE fish, but never ever wanted salmon if I saw it on the menu. I don’t know if I had it poorly prepared in the past or if my tastes have changed, but it is now a staple around here. Not only is it perfectly amazing in healthy fats, but it is SO tasty and E-A-S-Y!!! Many are afraid to cook fish at home, but this one is a no brainer. Up until last night, we were a split family on the salmon. Three of us can’t get enough, but the daddy and one middle child (who shall remain nameless) would eat it, but didn’t love it. Things have changed due to one simple addition: Herb Butter! The best news; you can make it ahead, and you can have dinner on the table in less than 20 minutes! I kid you not!!!

Herbed Butter Salmon

Prepare your butter ahead of time and wrap it up for later.

1 cup butter (I used one block of Kerry Gold – yes, it makes a difference)

1 lemon zested (just the zest) you can save the lemon juice for later.

1 TBSP dried dill (or 3 TBSP fresh)

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt

Bring your butter to room temperature. Zest your lemon and mince your garlic. Combine all of your ingredients.

Stir and mash everything together.

Scrape onto a piece of waxed paper or parchment paper.

Form it back into a block on parchment, seal in a bag, and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Now for the Salmon:

I used a wild caught whole filet. There are many many kinds from farm raised to the cold waters of Alaska. I always ask for the fattiest version of salmon at the seafood counter. Just like everything else, the food industry is actually trying to make salmon “low fat” because of our fat phobic society. I figure the fatty one is the most natural since salmon IS a fatty fish!

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

On a cookie sheet sprayed with coconut oil, lay out your filet skin side down.

Sprinkle your salmon with your favorite seasoning. There are several that I love, but this was a favorite last night:

You know how I love my bulk spices! They are such a bargain, and so many from which to choose! This one is the Colorado Spice from Central Market, but take a stab at something new! This is the fun part of grocery shopping!

Once you have your fish seasoned, place in a preheated 425 degree oven. Watch it carefully! Depending on the size, cook for 10 to 15 minutes until the fish flakes. I did this one for 12 minutes. It is always best to ere on the less done side for fish.

I sautéed a box of fresh spinach in butter to go under the salmon while the fish was in the oven, and in under 20 minutes, dinner was served. Top with your fun new herb butter, and it is just perfect!

Enjoy!!!

Posted in Dinner, Kids, Main Course, recipe, Sauces and Dressing, tips, Uncategorized tagged with butter, dinner, easy, Fish, Herbs, Main Course, Quick, salmon, weeknight

What to Do About Those Little Ghosts and Goblins?

Posted on October 29, 2015 by thesweetlifesugarfree

Happy almost Halloween! I have to admit, this is not my favorite occasion. For obvious reasons, the sugar aspect causes issues in our family, but the doorbell that makes the dog go crazy, kids out in the dark, and then the after effect for the next two days isn’t so much fun either. I LOVE fall, but I am always happy when the 31st of October has come and gone, and there is an official start to the holiday season that awaits around the corner.

The holidays are a whole other ball game, but let’s get through Halloween first. Erin posted earlier in the week about how she handles Halloween for her daughter. We do things slightly differently, mainly because we have older children. The age/s of the child/ren in your household can make a big difference. My children are 10, 8 and 5 if that helps at all. They range from being all about Halloween and the candy, to really just wanting to be with their friends.

We are extremely fortunate to be invited to the same party with the same people every year. This helps me because I don’t have to have my internal struggle about handing out candy at my house. I have a voice in me that screams, “How can you hand out candy when you preach about sugar?” Luckily, I get to turn that recording OFF! The kids (and adults) are fortunate because we are all with friends and the focus turns to playing and visiting instead of tracking down the best candy in the neighborhood. Don’t get me wrong, I let the kids trick-or-treat, but that is not our sole focus of the evening. This helps a TON!

I do have a few ideas for your weekend:

Watch the forbidden food syndrome. Unless sugar is going to have severe health consequences on your child (sort term), let them partake in trick-or-treating. These years fly by, and if they enjoy it, it is one night out of 365.
Give them a time period that candy will be allowed in the house. I tell my kids (you are not going to believe this one), “Eat what you want on Halloween, pick out a few for tomorrow, and on the third day it will magically disappear.”
Find a place to donate the candy. Yes, I know it is bad for everyone, but there ARE people that deserve a treat every once in while like our troops overseas. There are places around that will take donations (Schools, banks, etc.). They collect unwanted Halloween candy and ship it to the troops.
My friend, Mona, recently told me about the Switch Witch. You can give your kids a choice (or not) to leave their pumpkin full of candy on the front porch on Halloween night, and the Switch Witch will take the candy and exchange it for (you fill in the blank – some toy they want, baseball or football cards, dark chocolate, an iTunes gift card just to give examples). Start planning now if you want to use this idea.
Divy out a certain number of pieces for each day – and specify the number of days. Then stick to it!
Use the candy for teaching any number of things. For younger children, it is great for sorting, patterns, and counting. It is always fascinating to people how much sugar is in those little pieces of candy. This is a great time for the older children to understand conversions. Read the labels. Remember, for every 4 grams of sugar or carbs, that equals 1 teaspoon of sugar. This is a great multiplication and division activity for the older ones. You can even make up word problems about the candy. Tina, that one was for you!

No matter what you decide to do with your candy, you, just like I, will get through this day. It is one of my most dreaded, but we always power through. Your kids will be on a sugar high, but then we will be there to catch them on the way down to lift them back up with healthy foods. The best thing you can do is to have a plan in place. Figure out how and when you are going to dispose of that white powdery substance disguised as candy and follow through. Then life returns to normal.

Have a very safe and memory filled Halloween!

God Bless!

Posted in articles, Holiday Dish, Kids, Snacks, special Occasion, Sugar, tips, Treat tagged with Candy, Halloween, Holiday, sugar, tips

Someone I Love Just Diagnosed, Now What?

Posted on October 13, 2015 by thesweetlifesugarfree

There are so many articles and videos about what to and what not to say to certain people- Pregnant women, someone who just lost a spouse, first time parents, stay at home moms, working moms, and the list goes on.

Here is MY version of what to say or do when someone you love has just been diagnosed with cancer. There are actually full books on this topic-but like any thing not 100% universal. I’ve read to not tell a cancer patient they look, “Too healthy to have cancer.” I actually loved hearing that.

Say:

“I love you.” This is universal and easy 🙂 Cancer can feel extremely isolating, but knowing that people are still thinking about you as they carry on with their day-to-day is nice.

“Can I help you with _____?” Be specific, for example: When can I bring over dinner? Do you want me to watch the kiddos for an evening? Can I come over Wednesday afternoon if you want to get out of the house or take a nap.

“Let me know when your next treatment is, I’ll come sit with you.” HUGE! Having that friend or loved one sitting next to you is so nice. You can even Be that super friend and bring a blanket and a trashy magazine. Very few (if anyone) wants to be the alone person in the treatment room. Honestly, you don’t have to stay the whole time or even talk the whole time – just having you there is AMAZING.

Positive stories – DO NOT tell the story of someone that died or got this crazy infection after surgery. Seriously?! We are already scared, even if we don’t say it. Yes, this happens – A LOT!

If you stick your foot in your mouth (SO EASY TO DO) just apologize and move on.

DO:

Pray.

Send a card or a note- I still have all of mine in a box.

Call/text. Even if your reach out doesn’t get returned, try again a few days or week later. Even let them know in your message that the call doesn’t have to be returned, you just wanted to say hi and see how it was going.

Bring over dinner, do laundry. Try to be helpful, but not intrusive.

Please don’t complain about little things that the person getting treatment would be grateful for – needing your hair done was something I overheard in a treatment room once. Grrrrrrr…

Remember the whole family is affected, not just the one getting chemo. Think about the spouses and kids – this is REALLY hard on them too. A book, some golf balls, small toy, coloring book; these things can uplift in a matter of moments.

Do NOT start looking up statistics and diagnosis outcomes on Google – you can, and likely will, end up in some very dark places.

Image result for google no

Cancer is incredibly hard on the person going through treatment and the ones that love them. Being there for your friend or the one you love is really all they want. I was absolutely amazed by the love and thoughtfulness that my family and I received when we went through diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.

I can speak from first-hand experience that I did lose friends when they found out I had cancer. I get it. Crummy, but I get it. Being a friend or loved one of someone going through cancer is hard. Watching them morph before your eyes is hard. Not knowing if they will be okay is hard. They may, and likely will, be a different person after they have traveled this road.

The reality is – being there for a loved one or friend is not always easy, it’s not always sunshine moments. Sometimes it’s just hot sad tears. But being that solid person that sticks around through the really hard and low times makes those laugh-til-you-cry moments even better.

Posted in Cancer, Health, Kids, Treatment tagged with cancer, chemo, treatment

A New Twist on the Breakfast Casserole

Posted on October 8, 2015 by thesweetlifesugarfree

Today is Grandparent’s Day at my children’s school, which means a rushed morning so we make sure to have a parking space. It is a day for a breakfast casserole to throw in the oven so I have time to get dressed myself!

I was preparing last night…I went to the fridge to get my ingredients, and of course the breakfast sausage that I had checked for before grocery shopping earlier in the day turned out to be expired! Now what to do? I definitely needed a meat to throw in with the eggs, and was DEFINITELY not going to the grocery store with three children at 5:00 PM. Soooo….we are improvising! We all love beef bar-b-que sausage which I had purchased to throw in some spaghetti sauce to serve over zucchini noodles, so what about that? It was fresh, ready to go, and how yummy in eggs!

I did change up the recipe a tad to account for the extra grease from the sausage so here you go:

Bar-B-Que Beef Sausage Breakfast Casserole

1 3/4 pound Beef Sausage

10 eggs

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

3 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 tsp ground mustartd

1 tsp salt

fresh ground pepper

Steps:

Cut and brown your sausage in a pan.

Spray your pyrex or ceramic baking dish with coconut oil or butter. I like this one from Trader Joes.

Add your sausage to your greased dish. It should line the bottom of the dish.

Sprinkle your grated cheese over your sausage. I did the grating the old fashioned way for this one. My kids love to serve themselves slices of this cheese while we have it out in the kitchen.

Whisk your eggs, cream, and spices together.

Once your ingredients are thoroughly mixed, pour this over your sausage and cheese.

Place saran over your unbaked casserole and let it set overnight. Bake this for 1 hour 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven or until it is set in the center. You don’t want any jiggling.

Happy Friday, Y’all!

Here is the outcome:

No complaints about breakfast this morning!

Topped with sour cream and homemade salsa:

Every bite was devoured!

Enjoy!

Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, Kids, recipe tagged with breakfast, brunch, Casserole, easy, eggs, kids, Quick, sausage

Get a Little Sunshine

Posted on October 6, 2015 by thesweetlifesugarfree

When I was diagnosed with cancer in September 2013 one of the very first things my oncologist tested me on was my level of vitamin D.

It was off the charts low. This really should have been no surprise with amount I was working in a cube everyday and making sure to fully coat myself in sunscreen when I (infrequently) played outdoors. I had wrecked havoc on my level of the oh-so-important sunshine Vitamin. I was given a prescription to bring my level up to optimum amounts.

This deficiency is incredibly common. Not just for cancer patients but for most people that spend most of their time in doors and likely too much time in front of a screen.

Vitamin D is incredibly important for basically every cell in our body especially that of our immune system.

Think about cold and flu season, typically during the short day cold weather months where most are covered and bundled if outside at all.

But so many of us are scared to be outdoors or without sunscreen due to the fear of skin cancer. The reality is the threat of skin cancer is very real and very dangerous. I have met several skin cancer patients in treatment rooms getting very significant doses of chemo.

I am not advocating tossing the sunscreen! But what I am advocating is that we give ourselves a little time without it. Enough to satisfy our bodies need for the sun.

Image result for vitamin D

Think about that warm comfortable feeling when the sun first hits your skin. This feeling doesn’t last that long maybe 10-20 minutes (for fair skinned.)The best way I can describe it is therapeutic. Turns out that’s because it is! I am talking about the time before you start to get pink or hot, and definitely well before you burn!

The amount of sun time a person needs varies from person to person, just as our skin tone itself. Pasty folks like me may need as little as 15 minutes to get their vitamin D fix for the day where as darker skinned person may need a couple hours. The Vitamin D Council goes into depth about the variables. This site even has a suggested amount of sun time needed based on your skin tone and location.

I think he’s on to something here.

As another survivor told me, “It’s hard for cancer to live in a body getting a bunch of Vitamin D.” She has recently celebrated her 5 year cancer free status and throughly enjoys her time gardening outside and taking daily walks.

Here are my suggestions:

Daily get outside and get a bit of sunshine-drink your coffee outside, watch part of your kids game or practice in the sun, roll down the windows, open the blinds
Get your Vitamin D level tested*
Consider taking a Vitamin D3 Supplement
When playing outside all day-WEAR sunscreen/cover up!

As with most of the tests taken at your doctors office-shoot for optimum not for normal. “Normal” doesn’t necessarily mean healthy it’s based on the average person’s numbers including cube dwellers.

Enter (and stay for 10+ hours) at your own risk.

Posted in articles, Cancer, Kids, Treatment tagged with cancer, health, supplement, treatment, vitamins

What’s For Dinner?

Posted on September 24, 2015 by thesweetlifesugarfree

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!

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!

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!

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.

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!

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

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

Beef pinwheels with a side of asparagus:

Top with queso and you get a thumbs up:

ABC burgers with a side of squash casserole:

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

Keto spaghetti with zucchini and grilled sausage:

Grilled skewers with a veggie…we did grilled asparagus.

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!

Posted in articles, Dinner, Groceries, Kids, Main Course, Side Dish, Sugar Substitute, tips tagged with dinner, dinner idea, Main Dish, Sides, tips

Some Angel Cake for My Angel!

Posted on September 17, 2015 by thesweetlifesugarfree

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.

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:

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

This one above is actually frozen – berries and all!

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!

Posted in Dessert, Groceries, Holiday Dish, Kids, recipe, special Occasion, Sugar Substitute, Uncategorized tagged with Birthday, Cake, dessert, Egg Whites, fruit, kids, Sugar Substitutes, sweet, treat, Whey Protein Powder, Whipping Cream

Week Night Dinner Tip-Think Frozen

Posted on September 15, 2015 by thesweetlifesugarfree

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!

Image result for no time food

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.

Image result for vegetable frozen HEB

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!
Image result for kerrygold

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!

Posted in Dinner, Groceries, Health, Kids, Lunch, Shopping, tips, Vegetable

Two Questions Answered…

Posted on September 10, 2015 by thesweetlifesugarfree

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:

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:

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:

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

Colton 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:

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!

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.

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?

Posted in articles, Groceries, Health, Kids, Lunch, Sauces and Dressing, Snacks, tips, Uncategorized tagged with Almonds, Broccoli Slaw, kids, lunch, Lunch Box, School, shopping, Shopping List, Snacks, Trader Joe's

Miss Cereal? Try This…

Posted on September 3, 2015 by thesweetlifesugarfree

The school year is off to a start, and Labor Day is here, which means the official end of summer. There are both cheers and boos, pros and cons.

One of the biggest cons is that, all to familiar, morning rush once again. The days of cereal boxes and skim milk are long gone for many of us. If you have heard us speak in a group, you are familiar with our “Trifecta of Sugar” lecture.

A typical morning breakfast cereal topped with fruit has the glucose from the cereal, lactose from the milk and fructose from your fruit. Bad, bad and more bad leading to a day of cravings and carb loading, no doubt. If you start your day with carbs and sugar, you will crave more carbs and sugar as you go through your day, leading to that downward spiral as the day moves on.

What else can you have for breakfast on those busy mornings when you don’t have time to scramble, fry or poach? Try faux “cereal”! We have tried it, the kids have tried it, and it is family approved. The best part – you can make it ahead and seal it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. It is ready to go for a breakfast in a hurry! Top with some heavy cream, and you are set for half the day if you eat it along side your bulletproof coffee to tea.

It is super simple to make, and you can really make it your own just by adding your favorite low-carb ingredients. Try a little, and let us know what you think!

Faux Cereal

Your ingredients and portions can vary. Mix it to your liking.

1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut, toasted

1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts

1/2 cup chopped pecans

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup finely chopped almonds

2 Tbsp Kerrygold

1 Tbsp Swerve

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp Celtic salt

Directions:

Toast your coconut flakes, watching carefully so not to brown to deeply.

Chop all your nuts finely and lightly toast.

Melt the Kerrygold in a cast iron skillet.

Toss your nuts in the melted butter, and sauté until fragrant. Add your toasted coconut, Swerve and seasonings. Toss all your ingredients in the butter until everything is mixed and coated.