Wow! I don’t know about you, but it really snuck up on me this year.
The Thanksgiving menu is not too tough on Ketoers for the most part. We can have turkey, brussel sprouts, swap the potatoes for cauliflower mashed potatoes, and the list goes on. What to do about dessert though?
I have great news! I have perfected the Keto Pumpkin Pie! It is as simple as following the Libby’s recipe on the back of the pumpkin can. My grandmother (who was a wonderful cook) always said to go with the recipe on the back of the can. Why mess with a good thing that professionals have spent endless hours perfecting?
I stick with my basic almond flour and butter crust, and it is Keto perfection for a Thanksgiving treat! Make it even better with Keto whipped cream! Yum!!!!
Keto Pumpkin Pie
Crust:
1 1/2 cups almond flour
3 TBSP melted butter
3 TBSP Swerve Granular
1/4 tsp salt
Melt the butter in a glass pie pan in the microwave.
Combine all your dry ingredients in a bowl and then add to the butter.
Mix with your hands directly in the pie dish forming a crust up the sides.
Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 8 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Now for a Modified Libby’s Pie Filling:
1 Cup Swerve granular
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz) Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 can (12 fl oz) Carnation Evaporated Milk
Mix your Swerve and spices in a small bowl.
In a separate bowl, beat your eggs. Then add your pumpkin and mix well.
Finally add your dry ingredients while whisking and then add your evaporated milk.
Once all your ingredients are combined well, add to your pie shell.
Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 40 to 50 minutes.
Let cool for a few hours before serving or chilling.
Top with whipped cream, and serve warm or cold.
She gobbled this huge piece down in no time! It was delicious!
Yep! You can eat something other than eggs for breakfast!
How about some buttermilk pancakes, for instance?
I know, how is it possible? Well, when you have three kids begging you for something other than eggs for the 21st day in a row, you get creative!
I searched last Saturday for a recipe to make everyone happy. I could not find any recipes that suited our family, so I whipped up something very special! Most of the Paleo or Keto pancake recipes are either flavored or only make a single serving in a skillet. I wasn’t about to make a recipe 5 times to feed all of us, and they wanted plain old pancakes like Mom used to make.
How did they turn out? Fabulous! The children told me that they actually liked them better than the ones I used to make, and I have to admit, they were pretty darned good.
With the long weekend coming up, I thought this an apropos time to hopefully make some other children (or adults) very happy on a relaxing weekend.
Your Ingredients:
We have added several of our staple ingredients to our Amazon store, so you can click on the item and have it delivered to your door if you don’t already have it in your pantry.
1. Combine your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl: flours, soda, salt and Swerve.
2. Add your eggs, one at a time, and mix together to form a thick batter:
3. Mix your Almond or Coconut Milk together with your Apple Cider Vinegar:
4. Pour this into your flour and egg mixture and mix.
5. Add your remaining ingredients, and mix well with a hand mixer.
6. I usually do not have to grease my griddle, but if you prefer to do so, you can use this.
7. I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup to spoon my batter evenly onto the griddle.
8. Just like regular pancakes, when they start to bubble, flip them over.
9. They should be a nice golden brown color when they are ready to eat!
10. I just ate mine with butter, and they were plenty sweet with the added Swerve. I will allow my children to eat a dab of honey, or pure maple syrup. A better alternative is an all-natural sugar free syrup that you can buy here.
11. Enjoy!
Just to give you an idea on portion, we each had three pancakes, and were stuffed! With the coconut flour and eggs, they are very filling! One batch fed 5 very hungry people!
Let’s face it…being on a Ketogenic diet with REAL food is not inexpensive! We are trying to be as healthy as possible, which comes at an expense to our wallets. In fact, today, while listening to a Livin’ La Vida podcast, a nutrition expert and author was discussing the fact that higher income countries are actually consuming less grains now than low net income countries because those packaged foods and grains cost pennies compared to “real food” which is actually nourishing. Very sad! I totally believe it is worth every penny to feed my family well, but at the same time, I try to save where I can! This is where buying in bulk can help, especially when feeding a hungry family of five. I have two growing boys that eat constantly.
Now, I do have to say, a high fat, real food diet, keeps you full much longer that the recommended, low fat Standard American Diet (SAD), so in terms of food, you are not eating the same quantity. There are certain foods that we consume more often than others, so using a store like Costco or Sam’s can help you. One of the more frequent questions we receive is where we buy our groceries. The answer is…everywhere, but I don’t shop at every store every week. I probably make a Costco run every two weeks, so I thought I would share the basics I keep on hand in bulk.
From left to right:
1. Almond Flour: I have said this before, but do not even try the other brands…Honeyville is far superior to any of the others. I have tried all of them, and hands down, Honeyville bakes the best with the least amount of heavy texture. Costco saves you a ton…you can’t find a lower price even on Honeyville’s own website!
2. Berries: (On both sides – All organic!) While we do not recommend a large amount of fruit on a Keto diet, berries are by far the best choice. They are the lowest in fructose and have a high amount of anti-oxidants. These are primarily for the children, but every once in a while, I will have a small handful in a bowl of sugar-free whipped cream (homemade) with Swerve and vanilla for a sweet treat. Remember to always eat protein and carbs with lots of fat so you stay a fat burner!
3. Avocados: Costco usually has bags of five or six avocados. I use these for lunch filled with shrimp salad or plain with salt and lime or on salads. We ALWAYS have guacamole in the house. We use it on eggs in the morning and meat in the evenings. You can never have too many avocados.
4. Cheese: One of the biggest differences between the Ketogenic diet and the Paleo diet is the allowance of dairy. We love cheese! I bought the blocks of cheese because many of the shredded cheeses use potato starch to keep the cheese from clumping. I use my food processor attachment to shred the cheese for large quantities. I DO cheat, and buy shredded cheese on occasion to keep in the fridge for morning eggs and a quick grab, but the blocks are better as well as cheese sticks. All are a great buy at Costco or Sam’s.
5. Organic Ground Meat: I keep these in the freezer for an easy throw together dinner. You know we prefer the Grass-fed beef, but in a pinch these are great to have stored. While not as great as Grass-fed, it is a better alternative than your antibiotic and hormone ridden meats.
6. Kerrygold Butter: Need I say more? I think you all know how we feel about Kerrygold. It is delicious Grass-fed butter from Irish cows! It comes in packs of 3 at Costco, so I always pick up a couple when I am there!
7. Sausage: My kiddos love sausage. My husband grills it, and we serve it over zucchini noodles or eat it plain. Kiolbassa is also made in San Antonio so you are supporting a local business if you live here!
8. Daisy Sour Cream: I always have sour cream and cream cheese (I buy cream cheese at Sam’s) on hand for sides to add more fat. Remember, you want full fat. The low fat and fat free versions are NOT REAL FOOD! They are filled with chemicals and additives. Stick with the good ingredients our great-grandparents used, and their ancestors before them!
9. Veggies: We LOVE veggies…We are fortunate that Costco has many organic vegetable options. Not all of them are organic, however, so please wash well! A friend was over recently, and I was washing fruit with soap and water when she questioned me about it. Water alone will not wash off the chemicals. You really need to wash in a fruit and veggie wash or use a soap. I make a bath of soapy water and soak them in the wash and then rinse in a colander with cold water. This still does not guarantee the removal of all chemicals, but it is a better bet. I love the cauliflower, spinach, and mushrooms at Costco. These are always on my list. I also stock up on limes in the summer to make infused water and iced tea. I must admit, that I also like a cocktail on the weekends made with a lot of fresh lime juice mixed with vodka and soda, or dare I say, tequila, for a homemade sugar-free margarita! One drink usually takes 4 to 5 limes (or more) so that explains the bulk on these. Broccoli and celery were also on the list this week. Please make sure you wash your celery VERY well. It can be a really dirty one!
10. BACON: Who can have too much bacon? Always on the list. Try to buy bacon as naturally as possible without a lot of curing ingredients. Each Costco carries different bacon I’ve noticed, so look at your labels.
11. Coconut Oil: It is not in the picture, but another staple that we all buy at Costco is Coconut Oil. This makes great Bulletproof Coffee for all of us each morning! A definite staple, and a much better buy at Costco or Sam’s.
Any questions or comments? Leave us feedback. We would love to hear what Low-Carb High-Fat foods you like to buy at Costco or Sam’s!
