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When Life Tosses you Eggs….

Posted on July 2, 2015 by thesweetlifesugarfree

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:

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.

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.

I 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.

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.

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!

We 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!!!

Posted in Appetizer, Brunch, Dinner, Holiday Dish, Kids, Lunch, recipe, Salad, Side Dish, tips, Uncategorized tagged with appetizer, brunch, Deviled Eggs, Egg Salad, eggs, Fourth of July, Holiday Dish, July Fourth, lunch, snack

Fire Cracker Potato Salad

Posted on July 1, 2015 by thesweetlifesugarfree

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!

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”.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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!

Posted in Dinner, Holiday Dish, Kids, Lunch, recipe, Salad, Side Dish, Uncategorized, Vegetable tagged with cauliflower, Celebration, Cucumbers, dinner, Fourth of July, Holiday Dish, July 4th, Potato Salad, Salad, side dish

The Finishing Touch

Posted on June 27, 2015 by thesweetlifesugarfree

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.

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:

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:

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.

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

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.

Once mixed, add back to your sauce.

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.

Enjoy with that yummy broccoli slaw!

Posted in Dinner, Groceries, Holiday Dish, Kids, Lunch, Main Course, recipe, Sauces and Dressing, Sugar, Uncategorized tagged with bar-b-que, Fourth of July, Holiday, sauce, Stevia, sugar, Tomato

Refreshing Cukes!

Posted on June 23, 2015 by thesweetlifesugarfree

Last week, a friend of mine showed up at my door with a trash bag full of homegrown cucumbers. He had grown them at his office, and thought I could use them since he knows I like to cook. I had never seen so many cucumbers, and I honestly didn’t have a clue what to do with them. My husband LOVES cucumbers, so I knew I needed to find something quickly! I couldn’t let these go to waste! The search began…

Look at these things…I had never seen anything like them before! They were the largest Japanese Cucumbers I had ever seen!

As you can see, these are huge!

I searched around through cookbooks and on the web. I didn’t find anything that shouted out at me, but I combined a few recipes, changed out the sugar, and came up with a winner! They haven’t even finished marinating, and my son said, “These are amazing…Dad is going to love them…This is my new favorite snack.”

So those of you looking for snack ideas, I have a new one!

You will need:

5-6 Cucumbers (I used 4 of these huge ones, so thinking this is the equivalent)

2 1/2 cups White Vinegar

1 Red Onion

1 Cup Xylitol or Sugar Substitute of Choice (See note at bottom)

2 tsp Celtic Salt

1 tsp Celery Seed

1 tsp Dried Dill

Directions:

In a saucepan, combine your vinegar, salt, and sweetener. Over medium heat, (it’s gonna stink), heat your vinegar until your “sugar” and salt dissolves.

Remove from heat, and add your celery seed and dill weed. Allow to cool a little and place in the refrigerator to cool completely.

While your marinade is cooling, slice your cucumbers in a mandoline. I love my De Buyer! If you don’t have a mandoline, what are you waiting for? It makes life so much easier! I bought mine at Williams Sonoma, but you can get yours here too.

I did adjust my mandoline for thicker slices. I had it set from the zucchini last week, but these needed to be a bit thicker.

Also, slice your red onion into thin rings. Place your cucumbers and red onion slices in a bowl.

Once you have everything sliced and your marinade is cold, you can pour your marinade over your cucumber and onion.

Toss everything together until lightly coated. Cover with Saran and place in your refrigerator overnight. At this point you can’t even see the liquid, but just wait!

This is what it looks like in the morning:

Everything is soaking in the juices! Yum!

Let it sit and soak up the deliciousness for 24 to 48 hours! Enjoy as a snack, a salad, or a side dish! I am thinking ahead to the July 4th holiday!!!

A note on Xylitol: You don’t see us using this one very often. The reason I did on this dish was because it was a cold marinade that also had to be heated so I thought it would work best. There are many that love Xylitol, and there is nothing wrong with it from a Keto standpoint. I have two cautions on it though:

1. It is extremely toxic for dogs! Keep it away from animals.

2. It can cause stomach discomfort in a few.

For the quantity of liquid in these in relation to the amount of cucumbers, I did not think it would have much effect since we are not consuming the liquid on it’s own.

If you try different sweeteners or have a different variation on this recipe, we would love to hear about it in the comments section!

Posted in Appetizer, Dinner, Kids, Lunch, recipe, Side Dish, Snacks, Sugar Substitute, tips, Uncategorized, Vegetable tagged with appetizer, Cucumbers, Cukes, kid friendly, kids, lunch, Marinade, Red Onion, Salad, side dish, snack, Xylitol

Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner Quiche

Posted on May 29, 2015 by thesweetlifesugarfree

What else can I make besides scrambled eggs and bacon? This is in the Top 10 list of questions we receive.

Eggs are great! We know that, but we also get tired of the same old thing every day!

A Quiche is a great way to dress up your eggs in a beautiful way that the whole family can enjoy for any meal of the day. It is filled with all the great nutrients that eggs provide, and anything else you wish to add to give it that special touch. It is also a method to hide vegetables if you have picky eaters! And…best of all, it cooks great without a crust. No need to add carbs to something so savory and wonderful already!

These are great with the end of school approaching because you can prepare it a day ahead, and it reheats quickly and perfectly. It is also delicious as a weekend dish straight out of the oven! Fresh quiche just melts in your mouth. Prepare to be creative and enjoy!

Crustless Broccoli Garlic Bacon Quiche

1 cup chopped onion

10 ounces chopped broccoli florets (approx. 3 cups)

5 cloves garlic

4 Tbsp butter

6 large eggs

1 1/2 cups cream

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I didn’t have so I used a Colby/Monterrey Jack)

6 slices of cooked bacon

1/4 tsp cayenne

1 tsp ground mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

9 1/2 inch deep dish pie plate

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Gather your ingredients, and chop your onion, garlic, and broccoli. This is my favorite garlic chopper!

Sauté your onion and garlic in the butter. Then add your broccoli to soften slightly.

Spray your pie dish with coconut oil spray (you can find it here).

For a Quiche, you want to layer your ingredients. Start with your sautéed vegetables, and then top with bacon. This goes for any type of quiche – veggies on the bottom, then your meat, then cheese, then top with your egg mixture.

Sprinkle the cheese on top of the bacon.

Mix your eggs, cream, nutmeg, ground mustard, cayenne, salt and pepper.

Pour over the cheese.

Place your quiche in your preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat after 15 minutes to 325 degrees and bake for an additional 30 minutes.

It should look puffy and delicious when you remove from the oven:

As it cools, it will sink slightly. Allow to cool for 20 minutes or so if you want to enjoy it right away. If you are preparing ahead, allow to cool completely, cover with saran, and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. This will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in the oven or in the microwave for about 30 seconds a slice.

Be creative with your ingredients. My children have requested ham and cheese for the next one. You can do spinach and parmesan, vegetable, bacon and cheese, or any other combination you can imagine. Just remember to layer in the order above and cook accordingly! Enjoy!

Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, recipe, Uncategorized, Vegetable tagged with bacon, breakfast, Broccoli, brunch, cheese, dinner, eggs, lunch, quiche, savory, vegetable