The Sweet Life Sugar Free, LLC

I hope everyone enjoyed their Super Bowl Sunday! We sure did!!

Denver Fans 🙂

Parties and get togethers can seem a bit intimidating when you are trying to change your diet. All the delicious and often not so healthy options and all those people around enjoying them… It can be tough!

But here are a couple ideas to keep you social and on track:

1. Ask the host what they are planning on serving and what are others bringing. Are they doing the main dish and asking for sides? Has some one offered to bring the veggie tray? Develed Eggs? Fill in the blanks with Keto Friendly foods

2. Don’t show up starving! Snack a bit before leaving. It’s better to go to a party with a little something in your tummy. It’s easier to make good choices when you are not diving for the first plate.

3. Consider soda water. Soda water can really fill the void of not drinking (if that’s what you are going for) or can help slow you down if you are drinking. Fizzy drinks can fill you up, give that sensation of an adult beverage, as well as keep the attention off of your lack of imbibing.

4. For those who do choose to drink. Diet Tonic and Soda water are not always found at everyone’s bar or party. Bring your own and enough to share. Oh and don’t forget the Uber! Here is a link if you haven’t tried it!

5. Try to avoid hanging out right next to the food table. After you have eaten STEP AWAY from the table. I know I used to hang out right next to the food. It was so easy to grab another bite or see when the deserts were set out. Just try to make over doing it a little harder or at least out of arm’s reach.

6. Use a plate. Seriously. This will make it more obvious (to yourself) how much you have eaten. If you are grazing without a plate you will have no idea how many jalapeño poppers you have downed. (Yes! Those are usually keto friendly-but share! :))

The keto life style and definitely cutting sugar is creeping it’s way to be more mainstream-think how long gluten free has been a thing and now it’s almost everywhere. It’s really becoming common to see many people pass on cake, so likely most, if any, will not even notice unless you bring attention to what you are (or aren’t) eating.

Truthfully speaking though, if you are great or even really good most of the time, lets say 90%, then having little treat that you can’t find at home may be worth it. But it all come back to you and your lifestyle choices. If you can have a small brownie or a bite of standard desert and not finish the whole plate (I’m impressed) then have that little taste.

Also don’t forget, enjoy the party and the people around. Events are even more fun when you are thinking about more than what is on your plate.

Thanks again Bronco’s! We have been waiting for a little while.

I am a serious coffee drinker!

To me it’s a comfort food; the smell alone makes me happy. Growing up, my mother would brew her pot of coffee, and then proceed to fill her old giant Bill Miller mug with the whole pot, and drink it black. I could be exaggerating, but this is honestly how I remember my childhood mornings.

I brew my own a lot of the time, but I do drink my fair share of Starbucks as well. There are two Starbucks stands that are less than a 10 minute walk from my desk at work!

My typical order is a Venti dark (seasonal) roast with heavy cream and three butters.

That’s right folks, Starbucks has Kerrygold hiding behind their counter.  I know I am not the only one that orders this, but I do get funny looks on occasion. I’m sure if I ordered a pastry or bread I wouldn’t get a second look but… That’s not happening.

Whatever!  Half these people sound like they are speaking a foreign language when they are ordering.  Plus, the amount of sugar in some of these drinks would make even Willy Wonka blush.

I copied the chart below from the official Starbucks website.

Starbucks Nutrition Link

This is for the 16oz Grande:

Chocolate Beverages

So go get your Starbucks coffee (not hot chocolate) and your butter too, and DON’T be ashamed or blush:)  Enjoy every ounce!

This is the time of year when we hope for cooler weather, and start to crave those fall comfort foods mom used to make!  There is something about pumpkin…everything pumpkin, and the spices that go along with it, that just bring back warm thoughts of autumn and the holidays around the corner.  This recipe is a huge treat for the kiddos.  They beg for them.  Serve these with a side of eggs for breakfast or top with sugar-free whipping cream for dessert.  Delicious!!!

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

1 3/4 cup almond flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp cardamom

1/4 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup Swerve granular

3 large eggs

4 Tbsp melted butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line muffin pan with baking cups:

Mix together your flours, baking soda, spices, and salt.

Combine your wet ingredients in a mixer (hand held or stand).  Once combined, add your dry ingredients and mix well.

Using a spoon, fill each muffin cup 3/4 full.  The batter is thick so try to smooth out the top.

Bake for 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!

It really could be any day of the week, but one thing is for sure – it is the kids’ favorite dinner without a doubt.

Going back to what we seem to bring up over and over again…the dreaded packaged foods!  How many of you use the little packet of taco seasoning you find on the grocery store shelves?  You are not alone – I used to be one of them too.  It is so easy to brown some ground meat, throw a packet in with a little water, simmer, and call it dinner!

Have you ever looked at the ingredients?  You will find things like maltodextrin, potatoes starch, sugar, and yellow corn flour along with a lot of other things I can’t even try to pronounce.

What if I told you it could still be that easy, but so much better – and healthier without all the preservatives and seasonings that are who knows how old?  Better?  You bet!

I have blended a combination of spices that will wake up your senses and make the healthiest best tasting tacos ever!

First off, I buy jar and bulk spices just depending on where I am when I need them.  If you find yourself somewhere with bulk spices (Central Market, Whole Foods, Sprouts all have them) – buy them!  They are fresher, easier to measure and a much better buy – a bargain in fact!  You can buy what you need, or buy a little extra.  Label them (name and date) with a Sharpie and discard after a year and refresh.  Fresh spices make all the difference in your recipes!  They don’t necessarily go bad, but they do lose a lot of flavor over time.

For the spices, you will need:

12 TBSP Chili Powder (as fresh as you can find)

6 TBSP Onion Powder

2 TBSP Pink Himalayan Salt

8 tsp Paprika

8 tsp Garlic Powder

4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

6 tsp Ground Cumin

4 tsp Dried Oregano

Gather all your spices, mix well, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

For the tacos:

We are a grass-fed beef family so I have the butcher package all of our ground meat in 3 pound portions for our family of 5.  This gives us plenty for a couple of dinners and lunches.  This is a meal that saves well so make extra!

Brown 3 lb ground meat over medium heat.

Add one chopped onion and 5-6 cloves of minced garlic:

Now, most people at this stage drain the fat, but we add our healthy fat – Kerrygold of course.  You could add bacon grease as well.  Grass-fed beef is super lean so you need to add a little grease.

Lastly, add in your seasoning to your liking.  I used 6 TBSP of the seasoning mix above to the 3 pounds of meat and it was perfect for us!

Now, all you have to do is wash your lettuce and prepare your sides.  My family likes guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and cheese.  Queso and jalapeños are excellent as well!

And that’s dinner folks!  You will have a lot of spices left over, so keep them in the fridge for an even easier dinner the next time!

And…to make it even better…this is how I pack it up for lunch boxes the next day!

Dinner (and lunch) in a flash!

Enjoy!