A Very Keto Thanksgiving

I've had a lot or requests for the recipes I am planning on using this Thanksgiving.  Here are the ones I have personally tested so far!

Keto Bread

This bread is the best kept bread I have tasted so far.  I adapted from the inspiration recipe by adding yeast for that familiar bread smell and flavor. I plan on using it in my stuffing as well as in roll form on Thanksgiving Day.

Inspired by:

https://www.isavea2z.com/savory-keto-bread-recipe/Savory Keto Bread Recipe Ingredients

2.5 cups almond flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup Kerrygold butter

8 oz cream cheese

8 whole eggs (set out at room temperature)

1 sachet yeast

1 packet truvia

2 tbs warm water

1.5 tsp baking powder

Dissolve the yeast  and truvia in the warm water .In a medium-size bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and 8 oz of cream cheese until it’s a smooth consistency. Add the eggs and continue mixing the batter until it’s smooth. Finally, add the flours, and the baking powder.  The batter will be a bit thick. Grease 3 mini loaf pans.   Fill each pan about 1/2 way with this savory batter.  You can use the bigger loaf pans if you want but they will take longer to bake in the oven. Bake it at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes.  (the large loaf pans take about 50-55 minutes) The bread should be golden brown on top and pass the toothpick test (stick a toothpick in the center of the dough and it should come out clean).

Stuffing/Dressing

This is the stuffing recipe I use every year.  Sometimes I add the sausage, sometimes I don't.  If you leave it out, add some extra butter or olive oil.  My mother does not like a lot of poultry seasoning, so definitely add more if you like it! 

Inspired by:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/apple-and-onion-stuffin-recipe-2119065

1/2 sticks butter, softened

About 2 cups chopped celery

1 meat log breakfast sausage

3 to 4 McIntosh apples, skin on, cored, quartered and chopped 

1 large yellow onion, chopped or 2 medium yellow onions, chopped

Salt and black pepper 

8 cups cubed bread, dried and seasoned with 2 tbsp poultry seasoning

4 to 5 cups chicken stock or hard cider, as needed

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the breakfast sausage and remove from the pan.  Melt the ¼ cup butter and add the celery, apples and onions and cook until the vegetables and apples begin to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the stuffing cubes to the pan and combine. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Moisten the stuffing with the chicken stock until all of the bread is soft, but not wet. Let the stuffing cool either in the pan or in a bowl. Pour into a greased casserole dish with 1/4 stick butter. Add the stuffing mixture to the dish and dot the top with the remaining 1/4 stick butter. Bake until set and crisp on top, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature. 

Pie crust

I've tried a good amount of gluten free pie crusts.  This one is pretty easy so it's the one I am using this year.  It differs from the inspiration in that I used Lakanto and butter.  

Inspired by:

https://www.wholesomeyum.com/recipes/almond-flour-pie-crust-recipe-paleo-low-carb-gluten-free/

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cup Almond flour

1/3 cup Lakanto

1/4 tsp Sea salt (or 1/2 tsp for savory pie crust)

1/4 cup Butter (measured solid, then melted)

1 large Egg 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 9" round pie pan with parchment paper, or grease well. In a food processor, mix together the almond flour, Lakanto, and sea salt. Pulse in the melted ghee and egg, until well combined.  Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. You can flute the edges of desired; if it crumbles when doing this, just press it back together. Carefully poke holes in the surface using a fork to prevent bubbling.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden. (Add fillings only after pre-baking.)

Pumpkin Pie

I substituted Lankanto again, but otherwise I used the recipe below. 

Inspired by:

https://www.wholesomeyum.com/recipes/easy-keto-low-carb-pumpkin-pie-recipe/

Roasted Vegetables

 I love this inspiration recipe.  It's become the basis for all roasted veggies I make.  They always come out perfectly.  The nuts, cheese and cranberries I had make for a very festive dish.

Inspired by:

https://garlicmatters.com/one-pan-roasted-pork-with-sweet-potato-pear-apple-and-garlic-recipe/

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 pear, unpeeled, sliced lengthwise into ½ inch thick pieces

1 apple, unpeeled, sliced lengthwise into ½ inch thick pieces

5 garlic cloves

1 cup sweet potato sliced into 1 inch by ½ inch pieces

1 cup Brussels sprouts

Salt & pepper

Pecans, Dried cranberries and goat cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a roasting pan in olive oil. Slice your vegetables and to bite size pieces and season with salt and pepper. Leave the garlic whole. Roast for 25-30 minutes until tender. Before serving, garnish with pecans, dried cranberries and goat cheese.

Lucky Legs!

It's March!  That means we only have a few weeks before Spring Break and Easter- or as its known in my house, the week when my legs come out of hibernation.  If you've got big Spring Break Plans, or a new Easter dress, now is the time to shape up those legs!

My fitness friends and I are running an awesome accountability group starting March 7th (also my birthday, so you know it will be fun), focusing on toning and strengthening our lower limbs.  Your legs contain such powerful muscles, lets see what they can do!

How to join:
Visit this link and request to join.
2.  Send me a message telling me you've requested to join, along with 3 goals you have for the group.
3.  Invite 5 friends to join the group with you, or if you are shy about your fitness, send $5 via Paypal to findyourfitplace@gmail.com
4.  Spend the next two weeks sculpting those awesome legs of yours!

Paleo Cereal

If you've followed my Paleo journey, you know that breakfast has been a struggle.  I like eggs and bacon, but I also like easy breakfasts.  That being said, I am not against a little prep, as long as it can be done in advance, and not when I am trying to get out the door in the morning.  This cereal takes a little time in the oven to toast, but once it's cool it lasts forever in the fridge, and is great as a bowl of cereal with your non dairy milk of choice, or as a topping for fruit.  

Ingredients:

3 cups flaked coconut (not shredded)

3 cups raw nuts (I like cashews, pecans, and almonds)

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/4 cup flax seeds

1/8 tsp Real Salt

1 TBSP Raw Honey

1 TBSP Coconut Oil

1 cup dried fruit

Directions

Roughly chop the nuts and place on a baking sheet along with the coconut, chia and flax seeds.  Toss with the coconut oil and sprinkle with the salt.  Toast in a 300 degree oven for 15- 20 minutes until the coconut flakes turn a golden brown and you can begin to smell the nuts.  Remove from the oven, add the dried fruit to the pan and drizzle with the honey.  Toss to coat, and allow to cool completely.  Stir to break up any large pieces and refrigerate.  

To use as cereal, place 1/2 cup in a bowl and top with your favorite non dairy milk.  I personally prefer unsweetened cashew milk.  Note; it can be tempting to pour a large bowl like your favorite pre Paleo cereal.  Let me warn you against that.  First of all, that's a lot of nuts, and way more calories (although clean calories) than your non paleo cereal.  Secondly, that is a lot of roughage.  Be kind to your behind, don't go overboard on this cereal.

 I also really enjoy this cereal as a granola.  I snack on it plain straight from the fridge, or use it in parfaits.  Yum!

Super Awesome Paleo Breakfast Sandwich

Mornings are saved!  I finally have a breakfast I look forward too.  I had found a grain free (but not Paleo) bagel that I loved with some cashew butter (my nut butter of choice), but I really wanted to find a truly Paleo option.  It needed to be something that could be assembled the night before and quickly reheated.  This sandwich fills those requirements and it is delicious as well!

A few days ago, I posted a recipe for Paleo Breakfast Bread.  This is what I used to make the buns for this breakfast sandwich.  They don't have the nooks and crannies of your typical english muffins, but they hold up well to the egg and breakfast meat, without the over whelming coconut/almond taste of most Paleo breads. Even better, I found a whoopie pie pan on clearance so now I can make these breads in bulk! 

To make this sandwich, you'll need a few ingredients and some specialty cookware.  1 egg, the paleo breakfast meat of your choice (I chose sausage), Paleo Breakfast Bread, an egg mold and a skillet.  If you don't have an egg mold, you can use the ring from a mason jar lid or just cook your egg free form as you usually would.  I wanted everything to fit in a neat little stack, so I used the mold.

Place your sausage patty in the skillet over medium heat along with the egg mold.  Brown the sausage on one side, while the egg mold heats up with the skillet.  When you flip your sausage, crack the egg into the mold and stir slightly.  Season with salt and pepper if desired.  I highly recommend lubricating your egg mold with the oil of your choice, otherwise the egg will stick.  Continue to gently stir the egg inside the mold until it is mostly set.  Using a small knife, release the mold, and flip the egg.  

While your egg is setting, I recommend lightly toasting the breakfast bread.  If you are preparing your sandwich the night before, you can skip this step as the bread will warm when you reheat it in the morning.  Assemble the sandwich, placing the sausage on the first piece of bread, followed by the egg.  Enjoy immediately! 

To reheat the pre assembled sandwich, wrap in aluminum foil and place in a 350 degree toaster oven for 15-10 minutes.  You can also microwave the sandwich for 1 minute on high, but I prefer the crispy texture from the toaster oven and I think you are less likely to over cook the egg.  If you do plan on the microwave method, I recommend slightly undercooking your egg.  

I hope you enjoy this recipe!  If you'd like so see more, make sure you follow the blog or visit my Facebook Page to get the latest updates!

Paleo Breakfast Bread

Ever since going Paleo, breakfast has been a struggle.  I am not a morning person, and I like to sleep as late as possible.  This does not leave a lot of time for breakfast making.  I certainly do not get up early enough to make bacon and eggs, and any attempt at "egg muffins" have not been successful.  Did I mention I am really picky when it comes to eggs?  I pretty much only eat them scrambled or in omelet form so hard boiled eggs are out as well.   

Pre paleo days, I would make homemade breakfast sandwiches with english muffins or toast and reheat them while I was getting ready.  Of course, most paleo bread is not great, and english muffins are non existent in Paleo Land.  I've tried numerous variations on paleo pancakes/tortillas/scones/muffins, and this one has been the most successful.  And by successful, I mean it didn't require a lot of weird ingredients and I didn't have to roll out tortillas by hand like a Mexican Grandma (mega props to those grandma's though!)

Ingredients:

1 cup egg whites

2.5 tbsp coconut flour

1/2 cup cassava flour

1/4 tsp real salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

4 tbsp ghee or olive oil

4 tbsp water (add additional water for tortillas)

Directions:

Combine the ingredients in a large measuring cup, and allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes.  The batter will thicken as the coconut flour absorbs the moisture.  It should be the consistency of pancake batter.  Depending on the brand of Cassava Flour you buy, it may need more or less water.  For the purpose of this recipe, I used Blue Rabbit brand.  Transfer the batter into a squirt bottle for easy pouring. Squeeze into egg molds and cook until just set.  Use a small knife to release the mold, and the flip the bread.

You'll know it is time to flip when small bubble form and pop (just like pancakes). The bread should be a pale golden color.  Since I sometimes reheat in a toaster or skillet, I don't over cook mine.  If you were eating these right away, I would let them get a little darker before removing.  

This recipe should make approximately 12 rounds.  I used a standard egg mold to make mine (the same size I'll be using to pre cook some eggs for my breakfast sandwich.  I use 2 rounds per sandwich, but use whatever you have on hand.

These could be used toasted with butter and jelly...

 Or made into a breakfast sandwich with some home made sausage and and egg...

Or if you add some extra water (2-4 tbsp) to the batter, you can make tortillas.  I used about 2 tbsp of batter per tortilla.  Cook in a skillet over medium heat and flip once.  These will keep in the refrigerator about a week, and the hold up better than corn tortillas! Serving size is 1 tortilla.

Spring Clean Up

Did you over do it this winter?  I did.  Somewhere between Halloween and Christmas, I totally lost count.  Then, the stupid cold weather made me want to stay inside and eat bagels and chocolate chips until the sun came out again.  I really tried to stay on track, but winter is my enemy!  However, I am proud to say that since the beginning of the year, I have been really sticking to my Paleo diet (at least they were dairy free chocolate chips).  Around New Years I noticed my hair was falling out and my skin was a wreck.  As soon as I got back on plan, I stopped looking so haggard.  This is the biggest reason I believe in the Paleo lifestyle.  With all the information on the internet, it can be hard to know what is fact and what is fiction.  For me, not having my hair fall out is fact.  Yes, paleo makes me feel better, but I am also a little vain and when I realized what I was eating was causing my hair to thin and fall out by the handful, that really opened my eyes.

So in other words, I think Paleo is the cat's pajamas.  Unfortunately though, if you don't watch it, you can really over do it with the calories.  Yes it is so much cleaner, but when you snack on nuts and bacon all day, your calories go through the roof! Additionally, like the Atkins diet of my collage years, all that animal fat is murder on your cardiovascular system.  What is the point of getting healthy if you have a heart attack later due to high cholesterol?  Because of this, I do a modified Paleo plan that limit animal fats and makes sure I still get a balance of nutrition.  Also, while many believers of the Paleo lifestyle don't think you need to count calories, I know that 2,000 calories of salad is still 2,000 calories, and that is too many calories for me in one day.

How do I do it?  Before I found the Paleo way, I fell in love with these awesome little containers. They serve as my measurements for specific foods, and I get a certain number of them per day based on my calorie requirements.  The original plan that accompanied it allowed for grains and dairy (big no's for me).  I have simply removed those categories, and adjusted it for my needs. The red is for my protien which, if I am being honest, always involves eggs or bacon and chicken at some point in the day.  The purple and green are for my fruits and veggies.  The blue is for my healthy fats like avocado and coconut.  The oranges are for dressings and nuts.  The yellow is my favorite, and I use it for my paleo carbs.  What are Paleo Carbs?  They are the starchy veggies and flour substitutes (almond, flax, cassava & coconut) that have taken place of my grains.  These include squashes, sweet potatoes and other roots like yucca and tarot.  Lastly, I also consume teaspoons of cashew butter throughout the day- because it's delicious and its my favorite part of any meal.

Do I stick to the containers all the time?  Absolutely not.  Life gets in the way, and I am not going to measure all my food at a restaurant.  I will usually follow this plan for 21 days, and then take a few days off.  A few days don't derail any progress I've made and the longer I've done this, the more I am able to eyeball servings.  Additionally, the containers are always in the back of my mind, so before I make a food decisions, I am thinking about the number of servings I have had of any particular food.

If you'd like more information on my meal plan, or if you'd like to join my friends and I in our online accountability group, please comment below!  We'd love to have you, and you don't have to follow the Paleo lifestyle to join us.  There are vegans, vegetarians, meat eaters, grain eaters- you name it, we all support each other!  Our next round starts February 29th and is run completely on Facebook, so if you have a computer, you can participate!

21 Days of Fitmas

Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. I take huge pride in picking out special things for the people I love and spending time enjoying special moments with my family and friends. It is a season where I am reminded why I do what I do.  I love giving of myself to people.  I love sharing my passion for health with others. I love helping others make their lives a little more healthy and a lot more enjoyable. But more than that, I love working on my overall health and longevity so that I can spend more time with my future kids, grandkids, great-grandkids...

This is also a season where people tend to throw caution to the wind and over-indulge. Heck I’ve done it. I’ve been guilty of “sampling” a few too many cookies AND sipping hot cocoa each afternoon AND cozying up instead of moving more. But not this year! Did you know the average American gains between 5-10 pounds during the Holidays. Ugh. When I think of erasing all of the hard work that I put in this year...

My friends, I will stay the course with some careful indulgences AND I wanna share the gift of fit with YOU! I have created an epic accountability group that will help you stick to your goals PLUS I will give fitness gifts EACH day- just for sticking to your goals!!! You can keep it for yourself or gift to someone else YOU love. << I LOVE giving gifts!!!! And I give you full permission to re-gift!  I am partnering with some  amazing brands like Bolder headbands, Limelight by Alcone, Kast Fitness, Whole Foods, Fitbit and more to bring you fitness-y gifts EVERY single day of our challenge. And they are so fabulous…I kinda wanna keep them all myself!

AND the big winner…Are you ready for this??? They will win a pair of NikeID that they get to customize!!! Custom kicks, just for sticking to your goals? What!?

Let’s avoid being average. Let’s be Holiday Extraordinary. I’ll hook you up with a solid nutrition and fitness program and then all you have to do is stick to it, post each day and you are eligible to win that day’s prize! Motivation and stick-to-it-ness all rolled into one!!!

AND because I believe in balance, we will also give you some tips on how to build in some treats of the season without falling victim to the average 5-10 pound weight gain during the holidays!!! Join me on my Merry Mission and you can not only stay true to your health and fitness goals but also have the chance to win all this good stuff!!! 

There are only 20 spots available, so let me know today if you are interested! Comment below with "Fitmas Fun" or find me on Facebook and I will get you more information!