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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!

 

 

 

 

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?

 

Spreading the Word!

Erin and I are super passionate about health and healthy eating!  We have both struggled with sugar addiction and were able to kick the habit.

We love sharing our stories and are super excited about our “Sweet Surprise” discussion tomorrow at Fit Fusion Studio.

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Please join us Thursday, August 27th at 9:00 AM!

Cindy will be sharing both stories about how sugar wreaked havoc in both lives, and how changing your eating habits can change your life for the better!

 

Send your friends, your parents, your kids and your siblings!  It is FREE!

A Dip to Rival Hidden Valley Ranch

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Well, by now, if you have been following us, you know how we feel about artificial sweeteners and those other sneaky names used so you won’t know that sugar is in the ingredient list.

Believe it or not, those sneaky names are in the fine print of many pantry items you never would have imagined.  For instance, my family used to love it when I mixed in the little seasoning packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Dip and Dressing mix with sour cream for a yummy dip to serve with vegetables.  One of the main ingredients I discovered, as soon as I went Keto and started looking at the back of packages, is Maltodextrin.

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A little about Maltodextrin: It is a food additive derived from corn, rice, potatoes, or wheat and therefore a carbohydrate.  It ranks higher than table sugar on the glycemic index – 106 to 136 depending on the derived source and is in a TON of packaged foods!  This means that it will spike your blood sugar levels so beware and read those labels.

It became a mission of mine and that of a few of our followers to find a better way to make ranch dressing and dip.  One of the best parts of Keto is freeing yourself from all of those tasteless, chemical ridden low-fat salad dressings!  You actually get to eat the real thing as long as it is real food.  The Maltodextrin kind of ruined that for us though.  Thanks to one of my friends and fellow ketoers, Kelley, we have found the solution!  This may be even better than Hidden Valley Ranch, and it is a seasoning blend that can be used in other sauces or dressings as well.  I did some minor tweaking, and we all think it is delicious.  We hope you enjoy!

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Ranch Dressing Seasoning

1 1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 TBSP Onion Powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 TBSP dried parsley

1/4 tsp celery seed

1/2 tsp dried dill weed (with a little extra for garnish)

1/2 tsp dried mustard seed

To mix into a dressing or dip, the possibilities are endless.

For a dip, I use the traditional 1 cup mayonnaise and 1 cup sour cream.

If you want to make it into a dressing, you can put all of the above ingredients into a blender and add some half and half or cream to liquify it slightly.

Modifications you can make are to add some fresh parsley instead of the dry, add some cilantro to the dressing, or even spice it up with some jalapeños or your favorite peppers.  This is super easy if you use the blender!  The possibilities for making this your own are endless, nutritious, and beautifully Ketogenic! Have fun with it, and enjoy!

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These are Cindy’s boys!  This dip with mini peppers is one of their favorite after school snacks!

 

 

A Tasty Snack for All Occasions

Family gatherings are so fun, and a great way to pick up new recipes.  At every family event over at Erin’s house her mother would bring these amazing olives.  I finally asked for the recipe and have made them several times now.  Her mom gave us permission to use this recipe in our catalog of many.  They are a great Keto/Paleo appetizer or snack.  Everyone is always looking for snack ideas, and this is a great one you can leave out on the counter after school if you have olive eaters in the house!

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Marinated Olives

2 cans medium to large (not jumbo) black, green, or a mixture of olives (Drained)

2 tsp red wine vinegar

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

8 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried

4 bay leaves

Directions:

Mix together your oil and vinegar.

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Mince or chop your garlic and thyme.  I really prefer the fresh thyme on these.

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Add all your spices to your oil mixture and combine well.

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Drain and add your cans of olives.

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These are beautiful and yummy to serve.  The garlic gives them a nice kick.  Bring them to room temperature before serving.  You can also invert the jar occasionally to let the spices cover all the olives.

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We store these in a mason jar for a couple of weeks in the fridge if they last that long.

 

 

 

What’s Up In The Gut?

For those of you that have seen our library of Keto resources, you know that it is extensive.  We read A LOT!  Erin and I are very passionate about diet and nutrition so we literally live, eat, and breathe what we preach!  While we love our books, there is also a lot of information coming out in the news on a daily basis.  In addition to our books, we subscribe to wellness and health magazines, both through snail mail and email, and scour the internet for the latest and greatest information.  Gut health and depression has been in the headlines quite often the past few weeks.  This is an article from Paleo Plan, an online subscription I follow on occasion:

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“Did you hear the good news!? At long last…science is recognizing something that’s been known since antiquity…the interconnectedness between gut health and disease!
Recently researchers have begun to realize how depression and overall brain health are intimately connected to our microbiome (the 3-5 pounds of bacteria living inside our bodies which outnumber our own cells 10:1). Several studies are now linking depression with imbalances in our microbiome. In other words, having too much ‘bad bacteria’ and not enough ‘good bacteria’ in our guts can trigger depression (and a host of other diseases).
While scientists are rejoicing about their ‘discovery’ that the brain is indeed influenced by gut health, this is not breaking news. The father of Western medicine, Hippocrates, proclaimed over 2,000 years ago, “All disease begins in the gut”.
What is more along the lines of breaking news are recent headlines likening yogurt to Prozac for treating depression. Now before you go raid the dairy aisle of your local grocery store, let’s chat about why yogurt is being touted as an antidepressant.
Yogurt is marketed to contain probiotics, which are beneficial ‘good’ bacteria critical for immune function and overall health. These probiotics are also capable of altering our emotional state, and studies have found that supplementation with them can improve mood and act as a mild antidepressant.
There are some problems with most yogurts sold at the market (other than the dairy, sugar and other non-Paleo ingredients they commonly contain). Many commercial yogurt products have been pasteurized at high temperatures after the live bacteria cultures have been added, essentially killing all of the probiotics.
Further, we house hundreds of different species of bacteria in our guts, yet most yogurts (and probiotic pills) contain only a small handful of species. Dysbiosis (an imbalanced gut microbiome) is defined as overgrowth of any one type of bacteria. Unfortunately a ‘good’ bacteria can become ‘bad’ if taken in excess.
While yogurt may not be the best source of probiotics, there are several ways to increase your microbial diversity. Eating dietary fiber from whole, natural foods at every meal feeds the good bacteria in your gut and colon, helping them to naturally populate. Other foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, coconut kefir or yogurt, kombucha, live probiotic drinks, and other fermented/cultured vegetables are packed full of living probiotics. The key is to select a brand that is live or raw, meaning the bacteria haven’t been killed via pasteurization. Better yet, you can make your own raw fermented foods!
Lastly, it’s easy to overconsume any one type of bacteria if you take the same probiotic pills over and over. That’s why I urge my clients to rotate their brand of probiotic supplements and ideally get their probiotics from whole food sources.
Ok, so yogurt is probably not the”new Prozac” as news reports are so eagerly proclaiming, but the message is valid: a happy gut precedes a happy mind! It’s time for us all to quit fearing bacteria, and to embrace the reality that our bodies contain more bacterial cells than human cells…now that’s some food for thought! :)” – Paleo Plan

 

While we do not recommend yogurt for adults on a Ketogenic diet, I do allow my children to have good quality, unsweetened yogurt from grass-fed cows.  It has the quality probiotics as well as the nutrients from grass-fed cows that you can’t get from any other kind of yogurt.  This one in particular is also WHOLE milk yogurt that is almost impossible to find in this day of low-fat everything!  It is the best I have found and a great treat for the kiddos.

 

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I was listening to this same study on Good Morning America this morning and then came across it online as well, so I wanted to share it and put it in line with the Keto diet.  It is written from a Paleo perspective so it does not follow all of our rules exactly, but it does have some good tips about cleaning up your gut!  This is where Keto helps a ton!  Fat is great for the brain and Keto does a great job cleaning up the gut bacteria even alone.  The GMA segment was mainly focusing on carbs causing depression and the great probiotic foods we can use to help it.  We all know we need to cut the carbs, but not everyone knows that there are actually healing foods that can repair some of the damage we have caused.

 

Dr. Perlmutter’s new book entitled, Brain Maker is all about the gut, and the foods you can use to clean it up!  In fact, a large part of the article above is taken directly from his book.  This is on my bedside table at the moment, and about to move to the kitchen to try the recipes he has included in it as well.  Check it out in our Amazon Store!

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The gut and the brain are more connected than we ever thought.   What you put in your mouth can greatly effect what happens in your brain.  Even more, as ketoers, we know that the brain prefers fat as a fuel, and by replacing your carbs for fat you are already helping.  Now imagine going a step further to feed it healing foods as well!

 

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How do we cause damage?  Many ways, but a BIG one is antibiotics.  We try to limit antibiotics as much as possible.  While they were created for life-saving measures, they are highly overprescribed and frankly abused this day in age.  I only take them and give them to my family if they are absolutely necessary – and by that, I mean a raging ear infection, sinus infection or something we know, without a doubt, an antibiotic can fix.  If a virus is a possibility – I pass.  Another example; I had a severe allergic reaction to a yellow-jacket sting last week.  After two days my foot swelled so badly that I couldn’t get a flip flop on and it was turning colors.  I reluctantly went to an emergency clinic when my foot was hot to the touch.  The doctor immediately wanted to give me an antibiotic to reduce the CHANCES of infection.  I did NOT have an infection, I had a reaction!  I verified this and refused the antibiotic.  There ARE cases when an antibiotic is needed.  Just tell your doctor that if it’s not necessary you don’t want it.  So many doctors today are quick to provide a fix because they think that is what YOU want, when in reality, you may just need to wait a couple of days to shake off a virus.  If, however, an antibiotic is taken, you need to know that it not only kills the bad bacteria, but also kills the GOOD bacteria your body needs for many functions.  I know it sounds crazy, but your body NEEDS bacteria.  There is actually a purpose for it.  So what to do, if you are sick with a fever and NEED an antibiotic?  Take a great quality probiotic TWO hours after taking your antibiotic.  While there isn’t exact science, this seems to have the best results in replacing some of the good bacteria you kill with the antibiotic.  Here are a couple of probiotics we believe are GREAT ones.  I do take these daily and switch them up after I finish a bottle.

These first two need to stay in the refrigerator:

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This one below does not need to be refrigerated so it is great for travel:

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To sum it up…Take care of your gut and it will take care of you.  It kind of goes along with what we have heard for years…”You are what you eat.”  It seems now, that this saying is more accurate than we ever imagined!

Take care of you, yours, and your gut!  Happy Friday!

 

“Mommy, I Love Cabbage!”

Not a typical statement you hear from a picky four year old child!  I don’t think my mother could have hidden cabbage under my favorite foods as a child.  In fact, I don’t remember my mother (who is an amazing cook by the way) even cooking cabbage at all!  I probably would have run the other way.  My children love it though!  I have figured out that it is all in the way you cook your food.  When you prepare foods certain ways (with good healthy fats) the foods we used to cringe over, we suddenly rave over!

Cabbage is an amazing vegetable full of nutrients that we need on a daily basis.  Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. It is also a very good source of manganese, dietary fiber, potassium, vitamin B1, folate and copper. Additionally, cabbage is a good source of choline, phosphorus, vitamin B2, magnesium, calcium, selenium, iron, pantothenic acid, protein, and niacin.  Wow!  That’s a mouthful on it’s own.  You can read more about the health benefits of cabbage here.

As with so many Keto foods that we post, this is another cooked with bacon.  I mean, really, what can be bad when it is cooked with bacon?

Start with your head of cabbage and your spiral slicer!  Yep – you read that right – your spiral slicer.  It looks odd, and I thought Erin was crazy when she told me about this method, but it is a super simple and speedy method for shredding the cabbage.  You could even make fresh cole slaw this way.

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Keep going on the spiralizer until you get to a small amount at the end, and then you can just chop the rest.  I did reach one point when the handle was stuck so I used my hand to rotate the whole head of cabbage until it moved easily again.  One head of cabbage will make enough for two meals for my family of five.

Next, you have two options…1. You can cook some raw chopped bacon in a skillet until it is browned or 2. You can use cooked bacon and the drippings.

I made bacon earlier in the day and saved my drippings, so I went with the second method.  I would recommend 8 to 10 slices of bacon if you are just going to brown it.

Add your drippings to your pan.  Heat over medium heat until hot.

IMG_3639Add a chopped onion and several cloves of minced garlic.

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Sauté until fragrant and the onion is translucent.  Do not brown the garlic.

Add your cabbage.  This will need to cook down for at least 30 minutes.

IMG_3645Keep stirring periodically for 30 to 45 minutes.

Add your bacon (if cooked prior) once the cabbage has cooked down some.

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Then add some salt and pepper to taste.  1/2 to 1 tsp of salt and pepper should be great.  At this point also add about one-half cup of KerryGold butter.

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Continue to stir and cook so that all the flavors meld together.

IMG_3653Once it has cooked down to your desired tenderness, it is ready to serve and enjoy!  Hopefully you will be asked for second helpings!

IMG_3657 (1)This is a dish that my oldest asks for on a regular basis!  Hope you love it as much as we do!

 

 

 

 

Let’s Salsa!

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Salsa!

Not just a favorite in Texas, but a STAPLE!

We eat salsa on everything!  It adds an extra punch to eggs in the morning, salads at lunch, guacamole, and many other dishes throughout the day.  The mason jar was running on empty, and my husband just didn’t know what to do!  Tragedy, I tell you!

I whipped some up last night in no time.  It literally takes about 15 minutes, 5 of which are active.

Everyone has their favorite way of making salsa.  I have tried steaming the tomatoes and peppers, sautéing them, browning them, but by far, the easiest is boiling.  I used to use a hot skillet and brown the tomatoes, peppers, and onion, but it would smoke up the house to the point that I would have to open all the doors and windows to air out.  So boiling it is!  This is my newest way, and I’m sticking to it!

I don’t have a specific amount of anything, but I can tell you what I did.  It is a little different each time because the heat of peppers varies so greatly.  Always start small and add in small increments.

These are your basics:

Cilantro (To your liking – about 1 cup)

Onion (I used a half of an onion)

Garlic (5-6 cloves)

Celtic Salt (1 TBSP)

Jalapeño or Serrano Peppers (I only used 3)

Tomatoes (10 for this batch)

 

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Directions:

Wash your tomatoes, peppers, and cilantro well!

Place your tomatoes and peppers (I did wayyyy too many peppers!) in a pan and fill with water not quite covering the tomatoes and peppers.

Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer on medium heat.  Simmer until the skins start to peel back on the tomatoes stirring frequently.

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Remove the tomatoes with tongs and squeeze gently to release any water.  Place in your blender.

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Remove the peppers from the water and detach the stems.

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I started with 3 peppers and it was plenty!  These little things were HOT!  I blended the tomatoes and peppers on high for a few seconds, then added the onion, garlic, and salt.

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Add your cilantro last.  I blended everything together for about 10 seconds on high, and ended up with a large mason jar and medium mason jar of salsa that was some of my best!

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This is a great healthy sauce full of vitamins and antioxidants that will spice up your food, literally!  It will keep in your fridge for about 2 weeks.

 

 

Beautiful Bells!

I had some grass-fed ground beef and bell peppers in my fridge that I needed to use.  I decided to combine the two for some fabulous stuffed bell peppers!  They turned out fabulous so I just had to share.  This was a great main course.  Save your carbs for this one because the veggies are a little higher in carbs than most of our recipes, but it is a super healthy way to combine your veggies and protein for a fairly easy meal.  I changed out the cheese in the picture for mozzarella and it was excellent.

Start with all your ingredients:

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6 Bell Peppers

1 1/2 lb Grass-Fed Ground Meat

1/2 Onion finely chopped

5 cloves of garlic minced

1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

16 oz can of Organic diced tomatoes

1 can of organic tomato paste

1/2 cup sweet peppers

1 small can of diced black olives

1/2 cup cauliflower rice (recipe on site – this is a great binder)

Colby Jack cheese or Mozzarella cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Brown your ground meat.  Add your onion, garlic, and chopped sweet peppers to soften.

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There are a few ways to cut your peppers.  For more stuffing, you want to cut off the stemmed top and leave the rest of the pepper.  Cutting them in half also works for a smaller portion – you just don’t eat the stem.  This is what I do for my children because they just eat the meat and cheese out of the center anyway.  I did both of these with the green peppers.  You can also cut them in half lengthwise and use both halves.  This is what I did for the red peppers.

Make sure you wash well – remove the stem if you are not using both halves.  Remove the seeds and the membranes on the inside of the pepper.

In a large pot of simmering water, place your clean peppers and simmer for about 5 minutes until just barely softened.  This will take away a little of the bitterness.  Set aside.

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Back to the meat…add all your remaining ingredients except for the cheese.  Feel free to add spices and other ingredients to your liking or subtract those you don’t care for.IMG_2765 IMG_2755

Now scoop out your mixture and stuff inside your peppers.

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Top with cheese, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

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We served ours with stuffed mushrooms – I was obviously on a stuffing kick!

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Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

What is Keto?

We were chatting the other day about keto (of course) and thought it might be a good idea to post a bit about the “basics.” While we we have been trucking right along with recipes and tips we realize not every one has been with us since the very beginning. So today’s post will be a little refresher about what the Ketogenic Diet is about.

This information is also located on the “What is Keto?” tab.

 

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So what are we talking about?


When Erin was diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer, she was immediately given books, journals and studies outlining the tragic effects sugar has on the body. Her father-in-law insisted she remove sugar from her life and start a Ketogenic diet. Upon further research, both Erin and Cindy have come to discover the benefits of a Ketogenic diet for more than just cancer patients. Other than Type I diabetics and alcoholics, the ketogenic diet is good for most people if even just used to power the brain with it’s preferred source of energy…FAT!

Fat is great for our brains and our bodies. Fat was given a really bad name back in the 1950’s, and continued to be beaten out of our diets based on false science until recently. When the fat was removed from our diets, food manufacturers added copious amounts of sugars and fillers to replace the fat that had once given us the natural flavors and textures we all loved in our food. In turn, this made us not only food addicts, but sugar addicts as well! Now, it is time to break the cycle and bring our nation back to the way we were originally designed to eat!

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In a Nutshell – KETO explained


A Ketogenic diet is a diet that consists of primarily fat, moderate protein, and very low carbohydrate intake. Many times referred to as Low Carb/High Fat (LCHF). The percentage of Macronutrients varies for each individual depending on insulin resistance and metabolic panel. For instance, Erin can eat quite a bit more protein and carbs without a negative impact on blood ketones. Cindy, on the other hand, has to have a higher fat intake with fewer carbs and protein in order to keep her blood sugar minimized because of her insulin resistance due to Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). A typical day for most individuals would consist of 72.5% Fat, 22.5% Protein, and 5% Carbohydrates.

Ketosis occurs when your body shifts from burning glucose (sugar and carbohydrates) for fuel and instead burns ketone bodies produced by the consumption of fat. We call this Keto-Adapted.

Ketones are the ideal fuel for the body, unlike glucose, which is damaging, less stable, and shortens your life-span. Ketones are non-glycating, which means they don’t have an aging effect on your body.

The energy producing cells (powerhouse) of our body, the mitochondria, work much better on a Ketogenic diet as they are able to increase energy levels on a stable, long-burning, efficient, and steady supply of Ketones. No drug has been able to mimic the effect of Ketosis because the mitochondria were specifically designed to use fat for energy.

This was the diet of our ancestors years ago, and the way we were designed to live as they were scavengers and hunters. Our brains have evolved to live off of fat. In fact, our brains are primarily composed of fat and prefer such as a fuel.

Babies live on a Ketogenic diet. We were given a gift to provide newborns with the ultimate brain fuel naturally in breast milk. When babies are given breast milk which is primarily fat they are essentially Keto-Adapted and burning ketones for fuel which in turn helps construct and grow their brains.

In a nutshell…Being in Ketosis means your body is burning fat (Yay!). For your brain, it means clarity, less risk for seizures, a better environment for neuronal recovery and repair, plus more energy!

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What does a ketogenic diet treat?


Inflammation of many kinds, including joint pain
Individuals with high cholesterol
Individuals seeking greater mental focus
Obesity
Cancer
Type 2 Diabetes
Epilepsy
Autism
Alzheimers
Lou Gehrig’s Disease
Depression
Stroke and Head Trauma
Parkinsons
Migraines
Sleep Disorders
Schizophrenia
Anxiety
PCOS and Infertiltiy
ADHD
IBS
Cardiovascular Disease
Respiratory Failure
Reflux
Acne
Allergies
Strengths Immune System
Great for Indurance Athletes that want Sustained Energy
Great for Body Builders or Fitness Buffs that want increased definition of their muscles.
Fatigue

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