Category: Dieting

Low-Carb Coconut Macaroons

I’m a total carb girl, which is why I need to go Keto occasionally to make my jeans less tight, but my carbs of choice trend toward the savory: breads, chips, and salty snacks.  But, even a #SaltyGirl needs something sweet & #KetoFriendly once in a while. 😉 #ThisGirlLovesToEat

coconutmacaroons

Chocolate Drizzled Low-Carb Coconut Macaroons

  • 2 Large Egg Whites (Cold)
  • 1 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 1/4 Cup Granulated Stevia Sweetener (like Swerve)
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
  • 2 Cups (loosely packed) Baker’s Sweetened Shredded Coconut
  • 1/4 Cup Sugar Free Chocolate Chips (I use Hershey’s)
  • 1/2 tsp Crisco Solid Shortening

**Note – Because the coconut is sweetened, you can cut the amount of the sweetener down to 1 or 2 TBLS.

Preheat the oven to 325°F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Add your egg whites and lemon juice to your stand mixer bowl (with the wire whip attached).  Beat the egg whites until medium-stiff peaks form.  Make sure you beat the whites until they barely move in the bowl if you shake it – it makes a difference in the end result of your cookies.  Gradually add the sweetener, sea salt, and vanilla while continuing to beat at medium-high speed.

Gently fold in the coconut a little bit at a time.  Be careful not to break down the whites, you want a fluffy batter. Caution: Your cookies will spread out if you break down your egg whites too much.  They’ll taste the same but be flatter and take less time to cook.

Use a medium (About 1 TBLS) cookie scoop to drop the batter onto the lined pan.  I got 15 cookies from my mixture.

Baker for 20 minutes, or until a nice golden brown around the edges and tops of the cookies.  Remove from the oven and leave sitting on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes then move to wire rack to cool.

Melt chocolate chips (with the shortening) in a small bowl or mug in the microwave, in increments of 30 seconds on high until smooth enough to drizzle.  I use a fork to drizzle lightly across the cookies then move them to a plate to finish cooling in the refrigerator so the chocolate is completely set before serving.

Cookies can be stored in a sealed container on a cool counter for a few days, the refrigerator (if they last) for about 10 days, and can be frozen for longer term storage.

Nutrition Information Per Cookie:

  • Calories   –  65
  • Fat   –  3.75 g
  • Sat Fat   –  2.93 g
  • Sodium   –  31.33 mg
  • Carbs   –  2.66 g
  • Protein   –  .53 g

Chocolate Cheesecake Fat Bombs

chocolatecreamcheeseI am a Keto believer, but I have paid little attention to the addition of the fat bombs, touted by Keto experts as a necessity, thinking of them instead as desserts I didn’t need.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Scientists say that, no matter what diet plan you follow, at least 20% of our calories should be from #GoodFats.

  • We need fats to absorb fat soluble Vitamins A, D, E & K
  • Research suggests that monounsaturated fats (from avocados, peanuts & olives) can lower ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and increase ‘good’ HDL cholesterol
  • Fats take longer to digest, keep blood sugar levels stable, and help us to feel fuller for longer.

While I have lost all of the weight I wanted to initially, and quicker than I thought I would, as I came up on my goal weight I realized that I was starting to lose some of my hard earned muscle tone.  If I was burning so much fat with Keto, how was this possible?  Turns out I was wrong about that as well.  Without adding the required amount of fat to my diet, when my body ran out of fat to burn it was turning to sugars/carbs, of which there are few in a Keto diet, and once those are depleted what’s left to burn?  Muscle!  The same applies to those on any other type of carbohydrate restricted diet, like Atkins.  So, this is me jumping on the #FatBombBandWagon!

Chocolate Cheesecake Fat Bombs

  • 8 oz softened cream cheese
  • 2 oz Confectioners (Powdered) Stevia (Erythritol / Swerve)
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 7 oz Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 5 oz Sugar Free Chocolate

Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments until smooth when stirred.  Set aside.  Place the softened cream cheese in a bowl, mix on medium speed until smooth.  Add powdered Stevia and Vanilla.  Mix on low speed until combined.  Add the heavy cream.  Mix on medium speed until smooth and beginning to thicken.  Add the melted chocolate and continue mixing on medium speed, until all ingredients are completely combined and the mixture is firm enough to spoon or pipe into small/mini paper lined mini muffin pans or prepared silicone candy molds.  Once all of the liners are filled, cover and chill for at least 3 hours.  The longer they chill the better.  Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and freeze for up to 3 months.  #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Keto Friendly – Zoodles Alfredo

filetandZA

I was looking for a quick and tasty, but not boring, side dish to serve with the filet mignon steaks I grabbed from the butcher on the way home tonight and this recipe gave me a great excuse to try out the #ImpulsePurchase of the #SpiralifePro vegetable spiral slicer that I made on Amazon last month.  #WinWin

Zoodles Alfredo

  • 2 Medium Zucchini
  • Freshly Ground Pink Himalayan Sea Salt
  • 2 TBLS Butter
  •  4 oz Cream Cheese
  • 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 3 oz Shredded Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 Clove Garlic Minced
  • Freshly Ground Black Pepper (to taste)

zuccalfredo.jpgUsing a spiralizer or hand held strip peeler, prepare your zucchini, pile onto a cutting board lined with paper towel or a hand towel and salt generously with the pink sea salt to help draw out as much water as possible.

In a small frying pan, heat about 1 TBLS of olive oil and add the zucchini to the pan.  Stir-fry until heated through then turn heat off.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter then add the garlic, the cream cheese and whipping cream.  Stir until the cream cheese has melted and is combined with the whipping cream.  Simmer for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep from scorching.  Sauce will be thick and very cheesy.

Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese.  Adjust the seasonings.

Add as much sauce as desired to the zucchini in the frying pan and toss the zucchini until it’s well coated.  Super thick and satisfying.  Store extra sauce in a covered container in the refrigerator.  #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Keto Chocolate Fudge Mug Cake

Because woman cannot live on “healthy” food alone and must have the occasional chocolate evening treat with her #KetoAllowed glass of red wine:

Keto Chocolate Fudge Mug Cake

  • 1 TBLS butter
  • 1 tsp instant coffee dissolved in 1 TBLS hot water
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 TBLS cocoa powder
  • 1 TBLS coconut flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 large egg

Add one tablespooon of butter into mug, microwave for 10 seconds until melted. Add one teaspoon of instant coffee/water mix, stir well. Add one tablespoon cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon coconut flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, pinch of salt, 1 beaten egg. Mix very well. Add sweetener of choice. I use 1 to 2 drops liquid Stevia. Adjust sweetener +/- before you cook.

Cook in the Microwave for about 60 seconds, do not overcook.

Remove cake from microwave to cool.

To make fudge sauce, combine 1-2 tsp unsweetened cocoa and 1 TBLS water in a ramekin. Mix in 1-2 drops Stevia if desired to sweeten. Warm in microwave 15-30 seconds.

Loosen cake from mug and invert into plate. Pour chocolate sauce over the top. Serve with a few blueberries or raspberries if desired.

#ThisGirlLovesToEat

Treat Week: Christmas Breakfast With A Sweet Keto Twist

pumpkinpancakes

Every year we go out for cocktails, then a five-course steakhouse meal with wine on Christmas Eve that rarely gets us home before midnight. Once we get home I prep #SantasGoodyPlate, pour him a tummy warmer of #KentuckysFinestBourbon, and finally, snuggle down with the labs in my jammies to watch The Pope lead #ChristmasEveMassAtTheVatican.  Just a few hours later, my family insists I make a proper Christmas morning breakfast after we open gifts.

Usually that consists of eggs, spicy Italian sausage and cinnamon rolls or some other type of pastry, but I think this year I’ll slide in one of my weekday Keto breakfast go-tos instead.  Once they pile on the butter and #MrsButterworths, they’ll never know the difference.  😉

Keto Pumpkin PancakeslibbypumpkinNI

  • 1/4 Cup Coconut Flour
  • 4 Large Eggs (I use Eggland’s Best – 60 Calories each)
  • 3/4 Cup Pumpkin Puree
  • 1+1/2 tsp Liquid Stevia
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg

Whisk eggs in medium mixing bowl (or even better, in the bowl of your stand mixer) until frothy.  Stir in the pumpkin puree and Stevia, then add the dry ingredients.  Whisk until well incorporated.

**Note – Coconut flour sucks up more moisture than almond flour that you may be accustomed to using in Keto recipes – if you feel like your mixture is too dry: add a TBLS of water at a time and whisk thoroughly until you like the consistency.

Spoon onto hot griddle greased with butter, or coconut oil if you are using that as your fat.  The batter will be thick but spreadable.  You want your pancake to be 3 to 4 inches.  Cook over medium heat until nice and brown on both sides.  Makes 5 pancakes.

Butter and enjoy dusted with confectioners (powdered) Stevia or sugar free syrup if you need more sweetness.

Nutrition information per pancake:

  • 111 Calories
  • 4.55g Fat (2g Sat Fat)
  • 140g Cholesterol
  • 4.6g Carbohydrates
  • 1.9g Fiber
  • 2.1g Sugar
  • 5.7g Protein

#ThisGirlLovesToEat

Treat Week: Spiced Keto Gingerbread Cookies

KetoGingerbreadMen

I love gingerbread cookies but hate making them.  The dough is a sticky mess and has to be refrigerated for hours and re-rolled before it can be cut and baked.  It’s an all day project that I just don’t want any part of, so I don’t make them.  This Keto recipe changed all of that.  It’s fast and easy, only has to be refrigerated for 30 minutes.  I can do that.  #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Easy Spiced Gingerbread Cookies

  • 1/4 Cup Butter softened
  • 2 Cups granulated Stevia (like Swerve)
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 1 TBLS Molasses (Use whatever strength you like, or none at all)
  • 3 Large Eggs
  • 3 TBLS ground Ginger
  • 4 TBLS Cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground Cloves
  • 1/2 tsp ground Nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp White Pepper (optional)
  • 3 Cups Almond Flour (the finer ground the better)
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 TBLS Psyllium (helps the cookies stay firm & hold their shape)

In bowl of your stand mixer beat the sugar substitute, butter, molasses, vanilla, and eggs together until fully. Next add all the spices. Finally, add the almond flour, psyllium, baking powder and salt to the mix until just combined. Do not over beat.

Roll out the dough with a rolling pin between two sheets of parchment paper.  You want the dough to be somewhere between 1/8 and 1/4″ thick.  Put the dough into the refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes before cutting.

Preheat oven to 325°F and remove dough from the refrigerator.  Cut dough using cookie cutters and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Do NOT use parchment paper or any other type of liner.

Bake 12-15 minutes depending on the thickness of your cookies.  They may not feel like they are done, but they will firm up as they cool.  Leave sitting on the pan for a few minutes and then finish cooling on a wire rack.

Decorate with Keto Royal Icing if desired:

  • 4 TBLS Powdered Stevia (like Swerve) + 1 TBLS Water / Heavy Cream or Milk.  I use 1 TBLS Heavy Cream and about 1/2 TBLS of water to thin it down a bit.
  • You can use a decorating bottle or bag fitted with a decorating tip, or a plastic lunch bag with the corner cut off and the decorating tip slipped inside.

Do You Have an Echo or Echo Show?

I have an Echo Show that I bought on #PrimeDay with the intention of watching cooking videos, but the truth is I rarely use it for anything more than when I need some music to sing along to in the kitchen.  Then it’s, “Alexa play Guns N Roses,” “Alexa play me 80’s (or 70’s) music,” or “Alexa play me 80’s hair metal.”  😉

My dad lives in assisted living and I just bought him an Amazon Echo Show for Christmas. Because this is an interactive device that has educational, entertainment, books, music, TED talks, motivational speakers, video and so many other skills that can fill a lot of empty hours, think about what a wonderful #VoiceActivated gift this would be for an elderly or house bound friend or relative.  The Echo Show even allows you to talk via video messaging using your smartphone & the Alexa app!

AmazonEchoShowHP

I don’t do many product endorsements that fall outside of tools I use everyday when I am cooking, but this is one time I’m going to.  But, since it IS the main #GiftGivingSeason of the year, I recommend you watch for the discounts & bundled deals on the Echo Show, and the rest of this device series, in Amazon deals of the day.  #ThisGirlLovesToShop

Now, back to the post…..

I was replacing the silicone inner seal for my pressure cooker on Amazon this morning, **TIP – keep an extra one on hand so you don’t carry heavy smells (like garlic) between dishes, when I saw the tab for Alexa Skills.  That reminded me I hadn’t used my Echo Show lately.  I started looking around and found that there are actually some useful things my Echo Show can do to help do things other than just cook in the kitchen, like stick to my diet.  Maybe they can help you too.

If you are following any particular diet plan, there are many great tools that you can access with just your voice when you need some help or reassurance, like:

  • Primal Potential Daily Bites:  A daily, non-preachy, bit of coaching on mindset, attitude, fat loss strategy and everything you need to win the day & reach your goals.
  • Healthy KETO:  Dr. Eric Berg’s Healthy KETO & Intermittent Fasting Daily Podcast
  • The KETO Police:  Ask the KETO Police to tell you if a specific food is KETO or not
  • vegi.style Vegan Guide:  Vegan Search Engine.  Examples – Ask for all vegan restaurants in a particular city or for vegan foods containing certain nutrients
  • Vegan Chef:  Thousands of vegan recipes
  • Is it Paleo?  Ask Is it Paleo? to tell you if a specific food is paleo
  • Mediterranean Diet Daily:  Everyday you will hear ideas for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner to help provide inspiration and motivation for your Mediterranean inspired lifestyle
  • Food Expert by Selectivor:  Always know what everyone can eat and their favorite foods – without the hassle of remembering complex food lists for allergies, most diet plans, etc.

Overall this tool is one that I need to remember I have and put into use more often.  I am loading new skills in as I am typing and will start tomorrow…#ThisGirlLovesToEat

Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing

indexyresolutions

For those who make them, the time to set your resolutions for 2019 is quickly approaching.  If you’re one of the many vowing to lose a few pounds, why wait until after the first of the year to start?  You can get a head start on your goals quite easily.

It’s not hard at all to cut carbs and sugar from your diet while still enjoying the things you like, and making just that small change can make a big impact on your scale quite quickly.  A great place to start, where even guests at your holiday parties won’t notice a difference: Dips & dressings for vegetables or salads.

Avocado Lime Ranch Dressingavcadodipdressing

  • 1 medium ripe avocado
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 1 TBLS mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1+1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • freshly ground pepper (to taste)
  • 2 TBLS olive oil
  • juice from 1 medium lime (about 2 TBLS)
  • 1-2 TBLS shallot finely minced

Add all ingredients to your food processor or blender and process until smooth.  Using a rubber spatula, take a taste.  Adjust your seasonings then scrape all contents into a container with a tightly fitting lid and store in your refrigerator.  Use up within a week.

**TIP:  If the dressing is too thick, pour some into a smaller bowl or cup and add a TBLS or two of milk to thin it down to a better consistency.

This is great on salads, over steamed vegetables, as a dip for fresh vegetables or tortilla chips, and even with Mexican food.

Nutrition information:  Calories 80; Fat 9g; Protein 1g; Net Carbs 1g  #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Sweet Holiday Gifts From Your Kitchen – They’ll Never Know They’re Keto!

truffleboxOnce we get into December the invitations to holiday celebrations, cookie exchanges, progressive dinners, cocktail parties, office parties, and the like start rolling in and that means there will be many times you’ll need to bring a dish, a treat, or hostess gift.

It’s easy to go with a stand by recipe full of sugar and all of the ingredients that many are trying to consciously avoid, myself included, but wouldn’t it be fun to be the person who brings the treat that secretly isn’t quite as #badforthehips as all the others?  Here’s one that’ll let you tuck that secret into a hidden recipe card as the real #giftthatkeepsgiving:

Chocolate Mint Truffleschocolateminttruffles

  • 2 large room temperature eggs
  • 1 stick softened butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 drops (safe to ingest) peppermint essential oil OR 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
  • 10 drops liquid Stevia
  • 1/3 cup granulated Stevia (Swerve or the like)
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Hershey’s)
  • 2 TBLS coconut flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

  1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream butter and both sweeteners until light & fluffy.  Add eggs, vanilla, and peppermint.  Beat again until well incorporated.  Add coconut flour, baking soda, and salt.  Mix until a dough forms.
  2. Spread dough out onto your lined cookie sheet.  It should be about 1/2″ thick. Bake for 15 mins or until set up and starting to get firm to the touch.  Remove from the oven and cool completely.   Once cookie has cooled, break into chunks and put into your food processor.  Pulse until cookie is well crumbled.
  3. In the cleaned out bowl of your stand mixer, put 8 oz block of softened cream cheese and the crumbs from your cookie.  Using the paddle attachment, stir until cream cheese and crumbs form a sticky dough.
  4. Roll dough into about 3/4″ balls and put onto wax paper lined cookie sheet.  When all of the dough is rolled, put into the refrigerator for about 15 minutes while you prepare the chocolate coating.
  5. In a 2 to 4 Cup, microwave safe, Pyrex (glass) measuring cup, combine 2 TBLS Heavy Whipping Cream and 1-12oz bag of Hershey’s Sugar Free Chocolate Chips.  Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds at a time until melted.  Stir between each 30 seconds until chocolate chips are melted.
  6. Dip each truffle into the melted chocolate and put back on the cookie sheet. Sprinkle with colored sugar free cookie/candy sprinkles if desired.  Refrigerate until chocolate sets.  Store in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container between layers of waxed paper.  #ThisGirlLovesToEat

You should be able to make 24 truffles and the nutrition information for each is:

  • Calories:  109
  • Fat:  10.45g (Sat fat 6.5g)
  • Net Carbs:  2.5g
  • Protein:  2g

 

Turkey Day Prep: Keto Friendly, Low Carb Baked Cauliflower Au Gratin

Tomorrow’s all about talkin’ turkey, but tonight I wanted to look at an alternative to the usual sides and came across this recipe for baked cauliflower au gratin.  Anyone who is doing Keto or trying to avoid the bread and potatoes will definitely appreciate your (very limited) effort on this comforting side dish.

Baked Cauliflower Au Gratinlow-carb-baked-cauliflower-au-gratin-photo

  • 1 pound cauliflower cut into florets (or precut/bagged florets) 4 cups +/-
  • 2 TBSP butter
  • 1 TBSP + 1tsp almond flour
  • 1 TBSP + 1tsp coconut flour
  • 1+1/2 cups 2% or almond milk
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/8 tsp pepper
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 oz)

Preheat oven to 375° F and bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Add the cauliflower to the boiling water and cook 5 to 7 minutes until just tender.  Drain well and spread out on paper towels.  Using another layer of paper towel on top, gently press out as much moisture as you can.

While the cauliflower cooks, melt the butter in a medium pan over medium/high heat. Once melted, add in the almond and coconut flours and whisk, stirring constantly, until it just begins to brown, about 1 minute.

Whisk in the milk, salt, garlic and onion powder and pepper until smooth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, stirring occasionally, until VERY thick, about 7-8 minutes.  Remove from the heat and whisk in 1/2 cup of the cheese until smooth.

Spread 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of an 8×8 inch pan. Pack the cauliflower into the pan on top and then spoon the rest of the sauce over top. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.  Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 25-30 minutes. OPTIONAL: broil for 2-3 minutes until golden.  Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.  #ThisGirlLovesToEat