Keto Pound Cake

Finally getting around to writing this recipe up. Been working on other projects for the Wednesday night class that I teach. We’re doing an ice cream theme this year and trying plan out and organize minute to win it age appropriate games is a lot harder than you think.

So let’s escape for a bit and talk about something yummy! Ready?!

Picture it, we’re lounging on a mild summer day, no mosquitoes exist, the humidity is low, and it’s not possible to get sunburned. Hey, you’re in my world so this is possible! 😉 And then a tall hunky man with gorgeous hair comes out with a large tray of strawberry lemonade, sugar free of course, and slices of keto pound cake ready for us to enjoy! Can ya dig it?? 😃

Oh right, the recipe…we’ll come back to the tall hunky waiter later!

What you’ll need:

(Yields 12 slices)

1 stick butter, room temp preferred

8oz cream cheese, room temp preferred

1 1/2 c keto sweetener(Swerve, Erythritol, Stevia, whichever you prefer)

8 large eggs

2 tsp lemon zest +1 tsp lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 c super fine almond flour, I use Blue Diamond brand

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Directions:

Set oven temp to 350*F. Prep a regular loaf pan with either non-stick foil, parchment paper, or coconut oil cooking spray. Set it aside.

In a large bowl add softened butter, cream cheese, and sweetener. If by chance your butter and cream cheese aren’t room temp just pop them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Cream the three together until it’s light and fluffy. Begin adding the eggs, two at a time and mix thoroughly. To this, add your lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. (I was half tempted to use orange extract instead of vanilla, you can if you want to for a citrus pound cake). Finally add almond flour and baking powder, mix to combine.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan, scraping contents out with silicone spatula. Bake for 60 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let it cool completely before adding the whipped cream cheese topping.

Whipped Cream Cheese Topping

8oz cream cheese, softened

1 tblsp lemon zest

2 tblsp lemon juice

1/4 c keto sweetener

2 tblsp heavy cream, optional

Directions:

Add all ingredients into a small bowl and combine thoroughly. Spread on top of the cooled pound cake and enjoy! Any leftover cream cheese topping can be used with toasted keto bagels.

And there you have it! You would think with it having 8 eggs it would be super eggy and spongy in texture. Thankfully it’s not, at least to me. The lemon zest helps to brighten up the pound cake, making it the perfect summer treat! You can serve this with some fresh strawberries and blueberries. You’ll get roughly 12 slices and if you’re serving this at a cookout or get together you can slice those 12 into 24 half slices.

For storing, cover with foil or plastic wrap and keep in the fridge. You can store this in the freezer as individual slices and leave out to thaw for a couple of hours. No need to microwave.

The carbs are high because I’m still trying to use up the granulated stevia I have. If you use erythritol/Swerve that will save you on carbs. Highly recommend using something other than the Great Value brand of stevia.

Macros:

Carbs: 11.3g(net)

Fat: 36.7g

Protein: 11.4

Hope you all enjoy and have a great week!

Keto Eggplant Parmesan

I have been making eggplant parmesan for 18 yrs now. I discovered a recipe in a Southern Living cookbook and taught myself how to execute it. This is not a meal that that I grew up on. My mom is not an eggplant fan, let alone eggplant parmesan. Her experience with eggplant parmesan has always been watery casseroles with thick slices, so when I decided to give it a try she was not excited.

The original recipe calls for a cracker coating with flour and seasoning(which is what makes regular eggplant parmesan the bomb), egg and heavy cream, sauce either homemade or jarred, and mozzarella cheese. A handy tip in the sidebar was to salt the eggplant slices and let sit for 20 minutes to remove the bitterness.

It’s also a recipe that you absolutely have to plan for. You can prep ahead and fry up the eggplant slices, freeze them, and when you’re ready to make your casserole just thaw out the slices, get your sauce ready and assemble. Normally when I make this recipe, from start to finish, it takes me 3hrs. Sometimes longer depending on how much eggplant I have to use up.

So, for this keto version I decided to use pork rinds mixed with parmesan cheese, and a little almond flour. I’ll admit that I was concerned about the coating adhering properly. Eggplant isn’t chicken, but after adding the first few slices to the hot oil I could see that the underside was browning quite beautifully! Enough gabbing, here goes…

What you’ll need:

Yields: 10 servings

2 medium eggplant or 1 large, peeled and thinly sliced

Kosher salt

1 pound ground beef, 80/20

6 sausage patties, optional

1 onion, diced

24.5 oz Mezzetta Nappa Valley Homemade Sauce Marinara

13 oz pork rinds, finely ground

1 1/2 c Kraft Parmesan cheese

1/2 c super fine almond flour

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp granulated garlic

5 large eggs, whisked

16oz Galbani Fresh Mozzarella

Directions:

(The following directions are going to be broken down in sections. If you have any questions please feel free to ask for clarification.)

Eggplant:

Peel and thinly slice eggplant. Salt both sides and layer in a large bowl. Set aside for 20 minutes.

Meaty Sauce:

In a large pan brown ground beef and sausage, adding onions and cooking until transparent. Pour in marinara sauce and let simmer for 10 minutes to blend flavors. Remove from heat and set aside.

Pork Rind Coating:

In a food processor, mine is 7qt, add pork rinds and grind down into a fine (oily) dust. This took me about three batches to do. Pour contents into a large bowl and add parmesan cheese, almond flour, granulated garlic, and dried basil. Mix either with a fork or hand breaking up almond flour and parm cheese lumps. Set aside.

Rinse eggplant slices thoroughly under cool water and place on layers of paper towels. A sheet pan some in handy since it offers more surface to place the rinsed slices.

Egg and Heavy Cream Wash:

Whisk eggs together and then add the heavy cream. This way you can make sure the whites get mixed in thoroughly before adding the heavy cream.

Frying Eggplant:

In a large skillet heat up favorite frying oil. Set up dredge station for ease of process. Begin by adding eggplant slices into egg wash and then into pork rind coating. Shake off excess and add to hot oil. Fry until nicely browned on both sides. Continue this process until all the eggplant is cooked.

Assembling Casserole:

Set oven to 375°F and grab a 9×13 casserole dish. No need to spray your pan if it’s nonstick. Thinly slice fresh mozzarella and set aside.

Add 1/3 of your meaty sauce in the bottom of the pan. Spread out evenly. Cover with half of the fried eggplant, 1/2 of fresh mozzarella slices, and repeat ending with fresh mozzarella on top. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil, bake for an additional 10 minutes (if desired) until hot all the way through and bubbly around the edges.

Let sit for a few minutes before serving.

This was a huge success tonight! Tasted as good as ever and you absolutely cannot tell that any pork rinds were used. It’s worth the time it took and leftovers are amazing the next day as the flavors have had a chance to blend. You can make this 100% vegetarian by leaving out the meat, using cassava flour for the coating and substituting the cheese if needed.

Of course, fried eggplant slices are great alone. Serve them up with mashed cauliflower, a meatloaf, baked chicken thighs, etc. You can also use them to make a deconstructed eggplant parmesan. Plate it up with you favorite sauce, top with fresh parmesan cheese, and maybe some roasted vegetables on the side.

Hope you all enjoy!

Sheet Pan Lemon Pepper Chicken

Need a quick and easy dinner? This week I’m pulling out sheet pans for a few meals this week. Everything is low carb, keto, and gluten free. Perfect on those nights when you don’t have time for a big meal.

You’ll Need:

3 large chicken breasts, cubed

2-3 small onions, chopped

2 pounds frozen broccoli, thawed, drained on paper towels

1-2 tblsp Tones lemon pepper seasoning

2 tsp granulated garlic

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper, optional

1 tblsp dried chives

Pompeian Coconut Oil Spray

Directions

Heat oven to 425 degrees and line sheet pan with foil or parchment paper. Spray lightly with coconut oil.

Cube chicken, chop onions, and squeeze broccoli gently to remove excess moisture. Add chicken and veggies to sheet pan. Mix seasonings in small bowl and stir to combine. Sprinkle half of the seasoning mixture over the chicken and vegetables, combine to coat. Sprinkle on remaining seasoning mix for extra flavor. Spray lightly with more coconut oil and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Enjoy as is or with a side salad and keto dinner rolls.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Muffins(Muffin Monday)

I could NOT resist! Seriously, I have had this bottle of pumpkin pie spice for a month now and I couldn’t wait any longer to open it. I don’t know about you, but when I opened that bottle it smelled like I was being enveloped in fall goodness! Incredible!

At 1am this morning I decided I wanted to have some muffins for breakfast. Since I have a strict criteria of what I can and cannot have, I knew I had to be mindful and look for the following: they had to be low carb(✔️), keto friendly(✔️), soy free(✔️), gluten free(✔️), grain free(✔️), and if possible dairy free(✔️). I got crazy lucky when I came across Healthful Pursuit’s recipe. The carb count comes out to about 4g net carbs per muffin, which is perfect really! You can have this alongside a scrambled egg and bacon for a well balanced meal. I plan to enjoy mine with a poached egg and some homemade turkey sausage patties.

I did take a little liberty in tweaking the recipe to my liking, here’s what I did.

You’ll Need:

4 large eggs

1/2 c avocado oil

1/2 c lactose free milk

2 tsp homemade vanilla extract

2 c almond flour

2/3 c granulated Stevia sweetener

1 tblsp + 1 tsp baking powder

1 tblsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

a healthy pinch of kosher salt

1/2 c Hemp Hearts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin pan with muffin papers or use a silicone muffin pan. I used silicone muffin cups on a sheet pan.

In a medium bowl mix eggs, oil, milk, vanilla extract until emulsified.

Add dry ingredients, except hemp hearts, and mix till well combined. Fold in hemp hearts gently. Use a muffin scoop and portion out muffin batter. (Original recipe makes 12, I got 15 1/2) Bake for 15-18 minutes(mine were done after 16 minutes). Let cool and enjoy!

♦️Now, you could do as the original recipe and dip the tops of the muffins in coconut oil and then into your cinnamon “sugar” mixture for a snickerdoodle effect. Or you could make cinnamon ghee spread.

You’ll Need:

2 tblsp organic ghee

Granulated Stevia and Cinnamon to Taste(or you can use Pumpkin Pie Spice)

Directions:

Mix these ingredients in a bowl and spread on a warm muffin.

Alternative Spreads:

Low Carb Apple Butter

Low Carb Pumpkin Butter

Almond Butter

Sun Butter

Cashew Butter

🔷If you aren’t a fan of ghee, you can use organic butter instead. Whatever works best for you!

🔶If you would like more info about hemp hearts and their healthy benefits, click here.

Hope you enjoy and have a great Muffin Monday!

September is Here, Grab Your Teal!!

It’s THAT time of the year folks. All things teal, all affected women uniting together for their voices to be heard around the world. What are your plans to help make a difference this month?

For me, certain health issues have arisen that could NOT have been more untimely. Especially when I have certain things planned for this month and now I cannot do them. 😔

My acid reflux and IBS have been going haywire over the last few weeks and last week was the worst. By last Thursday I had made up my mind that I needed to go back on the GAPS Diet and not let anyone or anything deter me. Especially the holidays. One of the things I’ve been reading up on is how the GAPS Diet can help me as a PCOS Warrior.

Initially, the GAPS Diet is low carb. So long as you forgo the fruits and vegetable with naturally occurring fructose. This is the same rule when living a low carb lifestyle/keto, etc. This diet is also gluten free…aces, since I need to give my lower digestive system a break. Goodbye low carb tortillas. It’s also removes sugar from your daily consumption, with exception to raw organic honey. I get that honey is not low carb/keto legal but it is necessary when doing GAPS.

The first thing to help jump start your day is by drinking warm honey lemon water.

It’s not easy to give up the hot cup of joe, BELIEVE me. But after knowing the benefits of what drinking honey lemon water can do for ya, I’ll take a mug every day! 🙋🏻‍♀️ The benefits far out weigh the need for caffeine. Besides, when your gut is unhappy drowning it with coffee, tea, and sodas only makes things worse.

If you would like to read more about how the GAPS Diet can help with PCOS, click here!

If you have to pop multiple prescription meds in order to function, honey you aren’t even remotely healthy. Healthy is when you don’t have to take any medication. And it is possible to be in your 30’s, 40’s, heck 80 yrs old and not be on any medication. Hippocrates was ahead of his time, he knew that in order to live a healthy life you have to take care of what you put into your body. Just look at the typical American diet. Sugar. Carbs. More sugar. Gluten. GMO products. Chem lab foods. I’m always surprised when someone my age states that they are now taking cholesterol meds, diabetes medication, etc. I’m in my mid 30’s, what is wrong with this picture? Our bodies are screaming for help and tossing more medication at it is NOT the solution.

The GAPS Diet, as well as other elimination diets/protocols, can be an inconvenience. All the planning, prepping, cutting out the bulk of what’s been touted as “healthy food”, reducing stress…I get it, a lot of people don’t want to be bothered. You have to be at that breaking point of being sick and tired of being sick and tired. The upheaval this kind of diet causes is not for the feint of heart, but I can honestly tell you it’s worth it!

Last year from August to October I felt amazing! Actually started to feel normal again, well normal being the exact opposite of how I had been feeling prior. No more reflux, no more IBS, no more sleepless nights, and as a byproduct I was losing weight. Lost 35 pounds in 3 months. Going for it again and sticking to it. I want to be a healthier version of myself, to be able to eventually help others, and show my results along the way. For now, at least the next two weeks, everything is going to be GAPS driven. Stages 1&2 are brutal, by Stage 3 more variety gets added, so recipes will be shared by then. Hopefully I won’t lose anyone in the process.

I’ll end with this, please look over the 9 signs below and ask yourself…do I suffer from any of these? If you do, please consider looking more into following a healthy gut protocol. I’m here, shoot me a message anytime! Always happy to help.

Have a great Monday!!

LC/Keto Friendly Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole

If you love jalapeño poppers and a good creamy chicken casserole, then I hope you will love this combination! It’s the result of reading through several other recipes and picking favorite parts from each one.

Y’all know I like to keep things simple, easy ingredients and simplified instructions. Whatever makes the cooking experience more enjoyable! That’s why I think this is going to be a hit with a lot of low carb families.

I think the key to this dish is the fresh mozzarella and rotisserie chicken. If all you have is shredded mozzarella or if that’s all you can find then go with it. Use what you can. I chose to use rotisserie chicken. I tend to get two meals from one chicken but this time I used the whole chicken. (TIP: Be sure to save the bones to make stock.) If you can’t find a whole rotisserie chicken at the store or don’t have time to make one yourself, you can use cubed cooked chicken instead. Just make sure the amount you use equals two pounds.

I also opted for pickled jalapeños instead of fresh. I like the ease that the pickled offer, strained half the jar and chopped them into smaller pieces. Simple. If you prefer to use fresh, I would think one to two large peppers would be more than enough.

What you’ll need:

2 pounds rotisserie chicken, deboned and chopped

2-3 small onions, chopped and sautéed in avocado oil*

2 pounds bacon, chopped and fried

1 1/2 bricks cream cheese, softened

1/2 c full fat mayonnaise, homemade stuff works too

1/4 c chopped pickled jalapenos

8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced

1 c shredded cheddar

Directions:

Set oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick foil or use your favorite nonstick cooking spray.

Chop and fry bacon in a large skillet to desired doneness, remove from pan and place on a paper towel lined plate. Remove most of the grease to a heat resistant bowl and add onions to the skillet. Cook till transparent and lightly browned.

In a large bowl combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, and chopped jalapeños. Set aside and slice up fresh mozzarella.

Add deboned chopped chicken to the cream cheese mixture, along with cooked onions and bacon. Pour into prepared baking pan and smooth out into an even layer. Top with shredded cheese and mozzarella cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until everything is melted.

This can be served with a side salad, roasted veggies, or alone.

*You can leave out or reduce the onions, especially if you are just starting to live a low carb lifestyle.

(The nutritional info below reflects the ingredients and amounts I used. Everything was full fat.)

Nutritional Information for 1/10 serving(according to MyFitnessPal)

Calories: 779

Fat: 58.9g

Carbs: 6.6g

Fiber: 0.4g

Net Carbs: 6.2g

This was a hit for the family, they loved the creaminess, thick chunks of bacon, and the cheesy goodness from the fresh mozzarella. I doubt I will have to freeze any leftovers, and dairy tends to not reheat well after being frozen. Any leftovers can be stores in the fridge and reheated slowly on the stove top or in the oven.

Save the Date:

Don’t forget, next month is PCOS Awareness Month. Mark your calendars, I have a lot planned for next month: low carb recipes both savory and sweet, giveaways, live FB videos showing how to make some tasty low carb treats, and more!

What to Eat When It’s THAT Time of the Month 😑

Right off the bat, let’s just get this out there…ladies that time of the month is the absolute pits and the LAST thing you want to eat is a bunch of healthy food. I’ll even admit it, I crave pizza, mac n cheese, Chinese dumplings, ice cream you name it. Over the last few months I’ve been trying to do better, choose healthier options during my “shark week” and I will admit I have noticed a difference. Minute as they are, but it’s just enough to take some of the edge off.

Life with PCOS it’s not always a guarantee that I will have a period every month. Sometimes it’s so light I wonder if I’m having one at all. Other months there is NO doubt it is present. Aside from the obvious, the bloat, acne, cramps, and constantly being cold is at times unbearable. I joke that one day I plan to kick Eve in the shins. 😏

This month I’m trying to do my best to not rely on pain reliever as much. Being dependent on those isn’t as healthy as relying on nutrition. Is it going to be instant relief? No, and the effects aren’t as lasting as pain relievers but in the long run eating the right foods(not just during your monthly cycle but every day) is better for you. No ill side effects and your body will truly thank you!

So here’s a mockup menu on how to beat Aunt Flo’s painful stay.

Breakfast: Pineapple-Carrot-Turmeric Spritzer This is a refreshing and a surprisingly tasty drink. No funky ingredients. If you don’t have a juicer, you can use a blender and strain the juice into a glass.

Lunch: Smoked Salmon on Romaine – Skip the thick creamy dressing, those are loaded with sugar. Opt for avocado oil and vinegar. Keep it light and simple. Add some berries, or almonds with dark chocolate on the side for a sweet treat!

Snack: Greek Yogurt with Berries and Nuts – If you are feeling peckish grab a lower carb snack. The best option is homemade yogurt. If you aren’t brave to attempt it, you can always go for store bought. Personally, I skip the yogurt and go for zesty dill pickles. At 1g net carb per serving I can splurge a little and eat about 3 whole small/medium pickles. Kills the sweet tooth and fills me up without feeling like I’ve eaten another massive meal.

Dinner: Organic Red Meat – I will leave this up to your incredible imagination! I am not a steak fan, however I do love ground beef. During my shark week I tend to eat more ground beef in the form of meatballs, ground beef steaks, and in soups. My favorite recipe is the GAPS Diet soup I make, Roasted Pepper and Acorn Beef Soup. It’s full of good for you stock, vegetables, beef, and is the best comfort food during your period. See recipe here. You can swap out the acorn squash for other seasonally available vegetables such as zucchini, yellow squash, green beans, fresh or frozen okra, even turnips and parsnips are great additions as well!

Dessert: Holy Cow, LC/GF Brownies – these are incredibly easy to make, freeze well, and can be made with peppermint extract for a yummy grasshopper version!

The above two pictures show how you can turn them into Cheesecake Swirl and the Grasshopper version, I was getting ready to add the low carb chocolate ganache on top. They are both low carb and gluten free. These will definitely fix that late night sweet tooth without compromising your waistline.

Hope these ideas will help you, inspire you to try something new, and encourage you to take your health back! Have a blessed Sunday!!

20 Facts About Me!

Good morning everyone! Today’s post should be fun! ☺️ 20 facts about me, nothing security related but things that most people could only guess and get wrong. How many of us can accurately say we know 20 things about our closest friend? Probably not many and even I would fail miserably. So here goes…

1) Any nicknames? Growing up my mom used to call me Amanda panda. In my teen years certain friends would call me Manda Jo, and my Great Uncle Moon(RIP) was the only one to ever call me Mandi.

2) Eye Color? Hazel green or chameleon eyes. They tend to change with whatever I’m wearing. Rather cool!

3) Hair Color? Originally it was dark brown with natural red highlights. I was the closest thing to a redhead that my parents had. And then I started going gray at 15. Now I’m a salt & pepper head. 😉

4) Favorite Color? Teal and the various shades thereof. I love wearing it in support of me and my PCOS Cysters. (Reminder: September is PCOS Awareness Month)

5) Favorite Place: Yankton, SD. Went there on a youth mission trip and absolutely loved it! Gorgeous scenery, the weather was perfect even for the summer. I could easily live there!

6) Favorite Celebrity? Ryan Reynolds. Enough said. (Call me sometime 😉)

7) Favorite Animal? Pit bulls hands down. We have pit/lab mix and because of him I am completely won over. And sloths have a special place tucked away in my heart as well!

8) Favorite Song? I don’t have just one, I have lots! Off the top of my head Cass Elliot’s version of “Dream a Little Dream of Me.” Love her voice!

9) Favorite Book? Sense & Sensibility hit close to home during my teen years. At the time I had a crush on someone and was too sensible to tell him right away. Once I did though, I lost him as a friend. I still love that book to this day among so many others!

10) Favorite flower? Variegated tulips, especially red and white. Not a fan of roses, they’re ok.

11) Chocolate? No. I’m not a chocolate fan. Shocking since I bake a lot with chocolate, thing is I make that stuff mostly for the family. The only time I crave chocolate is during my monthly cycle. Any other time, no thanks. I know, I’m a disgrace to my sex.

12) Favorite holiday? Hands down Christmas. I like getting the Christmas tree up before Halloween, weird I know. 🎄145 Days till Christmas🎄

13) Dream vacation? Well it’s not the beach. I have said for years, since 1998, that I would love to go up to Maine, stay in a B&B for a few days and then take a ferry up to PEI. I love the Anne of Green Gables series and it would be a DREAM to visit “Avonlea” or Cavendish.

14) Favorite Movie? Like the music it’s tough to pick just one for I am a movie hound! Everything from old classics to a few new releases. For a chick flick night I always like watching The Proposal. Seriously, Ryan…call me 😉 LOL!!!

15) OCD? Absolutely, but not about everything. After I became a parent I had to learn that it was ok to not have everything a certain way. Kids are unpredictable. When you’re child is a climber and makes a mess every few seconds you have to learn, for your own sanity, to not worry about every single little thing. Now I’m only OCD when it comes to how I clean, how I organize things, the way I shop, and if I start writing in a notebook with say a black pen then I will only use a black pen for that notebook. Same for journals, doesn’t matter color pen or pencil I use. Whatever I start with that’s what I have to finish with. 🤷🏻‍♀️

16) Allergies? Lactose intolerant and mosquitoes. The LI has been since I was pregnant and my allergy to mosquitoes has been fairly recent, since 2011. I’ve learned how to pretty much reduce my dairy intake, not that I like to but it’s necessary. As for the mosquitoes, I had to give up outdoor activities such as gardening and playing outside with G-Man. Every time I get a bite it swells up into a welt, burns like it’s on fire, and if I have too many at once it’s almost anaphylactic. To get any relief I have to take an antihistamine. Fun. 😒 So any outdoor gatherings from Spring till a hard freeze hits I am indoors. Have had to miss out on a lot of activities and functions simply because showing up in a bubble would be too weird.

17) Musical Instrument? I played the flute back in Jr. High and High School. I was a bank geek that then turned into an orchestra geek. After my pregnancy I picked up the Irish Tin Whistle again and play purely for fun. No gigs or tour dates are set any time soon. 😉

18) Art Skills? I love crafting of any kind. Mostly paper crafting, I have dabbled in painting, jewelry making, and scrapbooking. Several years ago I started painting my own Christmas village. Haven’t picked it up again but would like to.

19) Coffee or Tea? Always coffee. I’ll drink unsweetened iced tea, but coffee is life! 😜

20) Donut? Fresh sour cream cake donut from Dunkin’ Donuts. I could easily eat my weight in them…probably have…😬

So that’s me! A few fun facts and favorites! I hope you all have a spectacular Thursday, share your smile with someone who doesn’t have one and enjoy a donut for me!

Low Carb Cheeseburger Salad with LC Burger Sauce

What You’ll Need:

1 whole romaine heart, thoroughly rinsed and dried

1/3 red onion, diced or thinly sliced

1 pound ground beef, cooked and seasoned with favorite burger seasoning

1 small onion, chopped

1 rounded tblsp of fresh minced garlic

1 tblsp coconut oil

For the Burger Sauce:

1 cup full fat mayonnaise, homemade is preferred

1/2 cup full fat sour cream

Dash of hot sauce or 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar(ACV)

1/4 c ketchup, homemade is preferred

1 tblsp Wickles Relish, or your favorite

1 tblsp dried minced onion, more if you want it stronger

2 tsp granulated garlic, mor or less according to your preference

Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish

Shredded cheese

Jalapeños

Chopped bacon

Tomatoes

Pickle slices

Drizzle of mustard

Directions

Clean and dry romaine leaves. Set aside.

In a medium pot brown the ground beef with onions and add coconut oil to keep from sticking. Season with your favorite burger seasoning. I just used salt, pepper, a little cajun seasoning, and some of my dad’s favorite grill seasoning for some extra kick. Add garlic once onions are transparent and cook for another minute before removing from heat. Set aside.

Mix all the ingredients for the burger sauce in a medium size mixing bowl. (You can make this up a day ahead to allow the flavors to blend together.) Adjust the spices according to your preference.

Assembling Salad

Tear the lettuce to your desired amount, usually I use about 4-5 leaves and I like big chunks. Now from here you can “dress” the salad as you wish. Add a spoonful of meat and garnish with the diced red onion, cheese, burger sauce, etc. How you finish this off is up to you! Use your favorite cheeses too. This is why the carb count will vary.

Hope you enjoy, please let me know what you think about this recipe. If you’d like to see more salad recipes like this one, please comment below.

Have a great week!

LC/GF/DF Chocolate Chip Cookies w/Pecans

Pinterest came through with a scrumptious cookie recipe that I have twice since last night! Definitely a keeper 👍🏼👍🏼 Click here to see the original recipe.

Ingredients:

2 tblsp raw organic coconut oil, solid not melted

3 tblsp raw organic honey

1 organic egg

1 tsp organic vanilla extract

2 c blanched super fine almond flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

Pinch of kosher salt

8 tblsp semi-sweet chocolate chips

5 tblsp chopped pecans

Directions:

In a medium bowl add coconut oil and honey. Combine completely working out any lumps. Add egg and vanilla extract, mix again. Add remaining ingredients and use a silicone spatula to combine. Using a melon baller, dole out the cookie dough onto parchment or non-stick foil lined sheet pans. Flatten slightly with palm of hand and bake in a 350-375 degree oven for 8 minutes. (I used a toaster oven to bake my batches and found that 350 degrees worked better than 375. Adjust the temp and time according to your oven(s).) Let cool completely on sheet pans and move to cooling wrack or serving plate.

I was able to get 37 cookies.

Nutritional Info for 1/37 of a serving(according to MyFitnessPal:

Calories: 102

Fat: 7.9g

Carbs: 6g

Fiber: 1.5g

Net Carbs: 4.5g

Definitely a keeper and a must try for anyone needing to satisfy a sweet tooth.

Happy Eating!