1 tbsp Torani Black Cherry (optional I just wanted to compliment the watermelon/grapefruit in the Splash and add some colour to them cause alone they were flesh coloured!
4 tbsp Unflavored Gelatin
To make them “adult” I added 40 mg CBD oil so works out to about .5 mg to each gummy that’s an optional ingredient too ;)
Instructions
Melt Keto Nat in 1 cup room temperature water than add 1 cup boiled water (not boiling)
Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine and melt gelatin and mix in oil.
Pour quickly into molds re-stirring as needed to keep gelatin and oil evenly mixed!
Cool in fridge for couple hours until firm and pop out or molds!
Stocked up some more of the fat bombs today .... chocolate almond cheesecake fat bombs! Nom nom!
So easy to make!
1. Let Butter and cream cheese get room temp. 2. Blend room temp nut butter, butter and cream cheese ingredients very well and form into 40 small bite size balls on parchment paper lines tray - roll the balls in coconut or unsweetened cocoa or a mix of both if desired - pop in freezer to chill and firm and than transfer to storage container and keep in fridge or freezer until ready to eat.
One of the biggest
challenges or hurtles to creating a 'new lifestyle' is getting over the
connection we have between memories/traditions and unhealthy food
choices .... normally Friday night has always had the tradition of 'winding down' after a long week of work life balance so we curl up on the couch with a drink in one had and a carbalicous snack in the other! So it is hard when those memories clues of it being Friday night and choosing our movie or in this case Netflix binge option of the series You sets off a 'craving' for popcorn on me!
But not this time cravings .... tonights Friday night movie time is about to begin and I am ready with the “popcorn habit” replacement ... bacon chips with some of my carefully rationing Epicure cheesy jalapeño dip 💕💕
What is your ultimate low carb snack option? Drop me a line in the comments!
Found this share from an Epicure consultant named Denise Byrne in the Epic Life group and wanted to share and this is the easiest way for me as the group is a closed group cannot share posts from it.
What You Need
1 cup each of dates and walnuts
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup hemp hearts
1/4 cup coconut
1 tsp vanilla
Maybe a Tbsp of avocado oil
1 tablespoon Cocoa crunch and Chocolate Truffle
What You Do
Processed it all in the food processor You can soak the dates in some boiling water for a few minutes too.
Press into the perfect petite pan or roll into balls.
Makes 18 bars each bar is 98 calories. 9 grams of Fat 2 mg sodium 3 g carbs 1 g dietary fibre and 2 grams protien If you wanted to double your protien without affecting the calories too much add 2 scoops of Vital Protein Collagen peptide powder than the break down would be 102 calories, 9 grams of fat, 8 mg sodium, 3 g cars, 1 gram fibre and 4 grams of protien per bar. These are awesome for snacks on the go and much healthier than other bars! If you need a little bit of 'sweetener' add in some honey but the dates are sweet on their own! Have an amazing day! Margaret Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much Be Totallyawake4-life
As you know by now if you follow my blog Breakfast is so not my forte - I am typically not hungry when I first wake up and will often skip breakfast as a result. To help with ensuring I start my day off right and keep my blood sugars balanced throughout and avoid those lows that lead to me making poor choices later in the day I have taken to prepping 'easy breakfast' options lately!
This Protein Power petites recipe is one of the ones from the Epic Life challenge this past September and I am in love with it! You can batch cook this recipe because they
freeze amazingly well and just defrost in the microwave for a tasty quick breakfast option!
If you are doing the 'balanced plate' eating you can either have 6 bars on the go or you can
balance 3 bars with a cup of plain Greek yogurt flavored with an Epicure Sweet Dip and some berries and a healthy fat choice of nuts or seeds sprinkled on top!
What You Need:
2 C quick oats or gluten-free oats
2 scoops Protein powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp Cinnamon, or Chai Spice
1/2 C egg whites
3/4 C unsweetened applesauce
1/2 C 2% plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp Epicure Cocoa Crunch or Tutti Fruity Whole Food Sprinkle
What You Do
Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C).
Place oats in a food processor and blend to the consistency of flour.
In a medium bowl, mix oat flour with remaining dry ingredients.
Whisk egg whites with remaining wet ingredients. Fold wet and dry mixes together.
Stir in whole food sprinkle.
Divide batter by heaping tablespoonful among petites or small muffin mold and bake 12–15 minutes. When cool to the touch, flip mold onto rack and twist to pop out petites.
You can easily tweak this recipe by adding in different flavor combos - I sometimes add a wee bit of pineapple puree and than change out the Cocoa Crunch or Tutti Fruity for Coconut Lime sweet dip and add shredded coconut. You can add other dried fruit like Craisins and change the Cinnamon or Chai to a pumpkin pie spice combo - options are endless depending on what you are craving!
While you can make this in any muffin mold I think the petite bar pan from Epicure is amazing and a must have purchase if you do not have one - I love it for perfect portioned brownies and cheesecakes as well cause it allows for that sweet tooth fix without a huge serving temptation. I can freeze them and pull out just one for those days I just need a little something something!!!
This the Christmas season for the start of work and family potluck parties and the enjoyment of tasty appetizers with friends over great conversation ... we are heading to one this weekend with my other half's Civil War reenactment troop and this is one of the offerings we are bringing ... we are well known for our desire to spice up everyone's life so of course it is sometime that has a little heat.
Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs
What You Need
12 large eggs
1 cup mayonnaise
1½ teaspoon vinegar ~ rice or apple cider
¾ teaspoon ground mustard
2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped
6 pieces bacon, cooked, crisp and crumbled
Smokey Paprika
What You Do
Hard boil the eggs and let cool. Peel
Slice the hard boiled eggs in half, lengthwise
Remove the yolks and put them in a mixing bowl
Mash the egg yolks with a spoon
Add the mayonnaise, vinegar, ground mustard to the mashed egg yolks and stir until well combined and minimal lumps
Mix in the jalapenos and bacon
Fill each egg hole with the mixture
Sprinkle with paprika
Chill until ready to serve
Cannot wait to share them with everyone this afternoon ~ like a good cook I sampled one to make sure they were serve-able and just a nice hint of heat to make them a unique alternative .... next time I might try this combo but with avocado in place of the mayo as an option but my other half is not an avocado lover and requested I make 'normal' style and well since this one is a 'his side' party I aim to please!
I was so excited when my friend Lisa told me that Epicure has come out with their own 'quick blend' Chai Jam seasoning ~ allowing for two ingredient jam ready to serve in minutes!
Epicure Chai Jam
What You Need
2 cups of chopped fruit. Fresh or frozen (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, peaches, mango, apples you choose or mix them up)
Prepare your fruit ~ remove stems, pits, seeds and skin as needed. Chop into small pieces to speed cooking and make it easier to 'puree' later.
Cook the fruit until it is able to be pureed with ease using a spoon. Either on the stove top 5-10 minutes or in the microwave ... only needed 3 minutes for the frozen option!
Mash
with a spatula or fork or using a handheld immersion blender to
get your desired 'fruit puree' ~ we like chunks in our berrie jam so
just use the fork to mash but with mango/peach we puree with the handheld.
Add in 2 tablespoons of Chai seasoning blend stir until mixed. Let cool to room temperature and than transfer to a glass storage container ~ keeps 2 weeks in fridge if it hangs around that long! I made a batch today and served it to the crew over our two ingredient ice-cream so will need to make a second batch for the weekend!
Look how yummy it looks served over the homemade ice-cream we made with the daycare crew for a snack this afternoon!
If you are not fortunate enough to have an Epicure rep who can make your life easier and shave off time measuring and guessing in the kitchen ~ here is the 'traditional' from scratch method for Chai Jam ... it is awesome too but sometimes when chasing 5 kids around and trying to eat clean finding ways to shave off a few minutes in the kitchen is a godsend!
Regular Chai Jam
What You Need
2 cups of chopped fruit ~ fresh or frozen (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, peaches, mango, apples you choose or mix them up)
1-2 tablesppons of lemon juice - to taste
1-2 tablespoons of sweetener to taste (I prefer NONE but you can add honey, agave, maple syrup or regular sugar)
2 tablespoons chai seeds ~ plus more if needed
What You Do
Prepare your fruit ~ remove stems, pits, seeds and skin as needed. Chop into small pieces to speed cooking and make it easier to 'puree' later.
Cook the fruit until it is able to be pureed with ease using a spoon. Either on the stove top 5-10 minutes or in the microwave 4-6 minutes
Mash with a spatula or wooden spoon or using a handheld immersion blender to get your desired 'fruit puree' ~ we like chunks in our berrie jam so just use the spoon but with mango/peach we puree with the handheld.
Stir in the lemon and sweetener ~ taste test to get the flavor you desire. Add more sweetener as desired
Stir in your chai seeds let stand 5 minutes on the counter. If you'd like 'thicker' jam add more chai seeds which might be needed with particularly 'juice' fruits. Add 1 teaspoon at a time until you get the desired consistency.
Transfer to a glass jar with air tight seal when cooled to room temperature and store in the fridge. It will last for about 2 weeks in fridge or 3 months in the freezer.
Have an amazing day! Margaret Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much! Be Totallyawake4-life
Looking for a little pick me up in the morning or afternoon? These nutrition packed perfect petite sized Chocolate Chai Energy Bars from Epicure pack a nice flavor and a lot of punch!
Blend first seven ingredients in a food processor.
Melt nut butter and honey in microwave, drizzle over mixture in food processor.
Pulse mixture until all ingredients are blended.
Divide mixture evenly between sections in an Perfect Petites mold. Press in lightly.
Refrigerate until firm.
Flip petites onto an Baking Sheet or parchment paper and twist to pop out energy bars.
Nutritional Breakdown
Chia seeds are high in Omega-3 fatty acids and Calcium which are awesome alternative for someone like me who is not a big fish lover and is limiting dairy.
I was a little skeptical of the white beans but the goat cheese and Jalapeno's had me drooling so thought I would give this one a try for a recent potluck offering we were invited too.
A #repost recipe review from over at the doTERRA blog
Jalapeno and Goat Cheese White Bean Dip
What You Need
2 cans white kidney beans
1-2 Jalapenos depending on the heat you enjoy
2 ounces Chevre Goat Cheese
1 toothpick of Cilantro essential oils
2-3 drops of Lime essential oils
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp raw honey
1 tsp salt (optional I personally do not add salt to my cooking)
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1-2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1-2 tablespoons of water ~ if desired for consistency
What You Do
Preheat oven to broil 500F or preheat the BBQ if you like. Place the whole jalepeno on a roasting pain in the oven or direct to the BBQ and grill on each side turning when skin starts to blister get brown markings. Cook evenly on all sides and than place in a covered bowl ~ this allows the skin to 'loosen'. When cool remove the skin (should peel off now) along with stem and seeds. Chop finely. If you want to 'skip' this step and are not concerned about your sodium content or other processed food concerns they do sell these 'pre-made' in the Taco section at most grocery stores. Ole El Paso is one brand I have seen.
Place all ingredients, except the Cilantro oil, Olive oil and water into the food processor.
Pulse 5-6 times and than add the Cilantro by the toothpick 'swirling' the toothpick around through it. Essential oil are much stronger a little goes a LONG way!
Pulse 10-15 more times while slowly adding the EVOO a little bit at a time until desired consistency is reached. If needed after the 2 tablespoons of oil than use some 'water' as well to keep the oil content down.
Taste test to check spice level ~ add more cumin, pepper, cilantro or lime if desired
Store in fridge until ready to serve ~ serve at room temperature
Dip goes great with veggies or sweet potato chips!
And for those who like to know the nutritional breakdown of a tasty 2 tablespoons of this for a snack .... high fiber and protein and making the Jalapenos yourself it has a low sodium content. Store bought option will likely drive that right up.
Jalapeno and Goat Cheese White Bean Dip with Cilantro and Lime Essential Oils
2 cans white kidney beans
1-2 jalapenos, depending on your preferred spice level
2-ounce plain goat cheese
1 toothpick Cilantro essential oil
1-3 drops Lime essential oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-3 tablespoons water for desired consistency Health Highlights:
* White Kidney Beans- These legumes are filled with antioxidants that
can help fight off certain types of cancer, heart disease, and other
degenerative diseases. A one cup serving of white kidney beans contains
almost half of your recommended daily fiber needs.1
* Jalapenos- Capsaicin is the substance in jalapenos that gives it
its kick. Additionally, capsaicin can also help raise your metabolism
and diminish your appetite, which can aid in weight loss.2
* Goat Cheese- This type of cheese has significantly less sodium than
most cheeses. Making a switch to goat cheese can help reduce the risks
associated with high sodium diets such as high blood pressure and
cardiovascular disease.3 Directions:
1. Preheat oven to broil (500°F).
2. Place jalapenos on a baking sheet and rub with olive oil. Roast
peppers under the broiler until jalapeno skin is blistered and blackened
(about 5-10 minutes). Turn them with a pair of tongs periodically to
ensure all sides are equally done. Once done, pull jalapenos from the
oven with a pair of tongs and place in a covered bowl. This allows the
skin to steam and loosen. Remove skins (they will peel off), tops, and
seeds, then roughly chop.
3. Place all ingredients, except Cilantro essential oil and olive oil, into the bowl of a food processor.
- See more at:
http://doterrablog.com/jalapeno-and-goat-cheese-white-bean-dip-with-cilantro-and-lime-essential-oils/#sthash.ZyY8T4VR.dpuf
I will admit that as a child and even into adulthood 'Candy corn' was always been one of those Fall / Halloween candies that I thought was icky and would avoid at all costs ~ at least until a few years ago when I came across a recipe online for Homemade Butterfinger bars ~ and while iti s not hte 'cleanest' of treats it is a great way to make use of these often abandoned candies from the kids Halloween stash. Also my apologies but I do not remember the initial 'source' of this amazing little treat cause it was before my introduction to Pinterest when I would just 'write down' recipes!
Homemade Butterfinger Bars
Homemade Butterfinger Bars
What you Need
3 cups of candy corn ~ Celiac Disease association has a great list of GF candies here
1 cup of all natural peanut creamy peanut butter
10 ounces high quality melting chocolate ~ milk or dark you choose
What You Do
Using medium heat in a large pot on the stove or if you prefer a bowl in the microwave melt the candy corn stirring often until it is smooth and lump free.
Add in the peanut butter and stir until well combined.
Using either a parchment lined bar pan OR the handy dandy Epicure Petite Bar pan that is little sprayed with some coconut oil pour the melted candy corn / peanut butter mixture and spread until about 3/4 inch thick allow to cool in the fridge until solid enough to keep its form.
If using a bar pan cut the mixture into bite size bars about 1 inch x 2 inch while it is still soft enough to cut but firm enough to keep its shape once sepeated by the knife and than return the cut pieces to the fridge until HARD all the way through. If using the Epicure bar pan skip this step and just leave bars in the fridge until HARD and than pop out the bars onto parchment paper lined flat cutting board or bar pan.
When the bars are cooling melt the melting chocolate in a bowl over medium heat either on the stove or in the microwave stirring to keep it smooth.
Using a fork dip the 'bars' into the melted chocolate and return to the parchment paper and continue process until all bars are dipped in chocolate.
Return bars to the fridge to allow chocolate to 'set'.
Store in an airtight container until ready to serve or FREEZE and take out one bar at a time to have as a little treat!
For those who need to know the calorie and nutritional breakdown here it is when the recipe makes 24 bars ~ if you make your bars bigger or smaller it will affect the outcome. They are definitely a 'treat' when you take in the size of the serving and the caloric and carb intake in comparison but they are such a very TASTY treat!
Here is a cool little video about the Epicure Bar pan that shows why it is a staple in my kitchen ... it makes the perfect size servings for 'little hands' or those of us who are watching our caloric intake ... we use it for muffin bars, pancakes for on the go, crust-less quiches, pizza muffin bars, granola bars and so forth ~ IMO it is a must have in the kitchen!
Have an amazing day! Margaret Life Well, Laugh Often, Love Much! Totallyawake4-life
Bread sticks are always a staple with Italian food ~ so this weekend when the boys wanted 'lasagna' this recipe which has long been a favorite with the daycare crew was a perfect option to pair while trying a Zucchini Lasagna for myself as well as the Cheesy Cauliflower sticks for our side instead of the traditional bread ones!
My spouse and I both really enjoyed them but the teenager turned his nose up and would not even give them a try ... one day hopefully we will stretch his palette to love his veggies too but cannot fault him because at his age I only ate corn, lettuce and ketchup as my veggies of choice!
Cheesy Cauliflower Sticks
Cheesy Cauliflower Sticks
What You Need
1 large head
of cauliflower
2 cups of shredded cheese ~ we like a mix of mozzarella and old cheddar
4
large eggs
1 tablespoon Epicure Herb or 2 gloves garlic minced and 2 tsp oregano
What You Do:
Wash and chop cauliflower and than place in a blender and pulse until it is a 'rice' consistency
Steam in microwave for 8-10 minutes
In a bowl beat eggs until well mixed, stir in spices, steamed cauliflower nd cheese and mix well
Line a baking stone or pan with parchment paper and spread the mixture evenly in a square shape
Back for 30 minutes at
425F and than sprinkle with 1 more cup of cheese and put back in until
its melted
Slice into garlic bread sticks.
Bakers Notes
You can use this as a pizza crust base as well ~ either a square pizza or shape it 'round' when you are spreading it out evenly.
Bake for the 30 minutes as normal than add sauce, pizza toppings and cheese and bake again for another 10-15 minutes until toppings are hot and cheese is melted.
