Caprese Stuffed Avocado

 Where are the avocado lovers at? 

I personally have a love hate relationship with them myself - when trying fresh ones they are either rock hard not ripe or rotten brown inside and that sweet soft pale green spot in between always eludes me 🤣 seriously …

However these Caprese Stuffed Avocados look so tasty presentation wise but I would likely use the frozen avocado chunks thawed and tossed right with the other ingredients cause it’s just easier than trying to time that sweet elusive ripe but no rotten state!

CAPRESE STUFFED AVOCADO ~ Sweet and juicy grape/cherry tomatoes with fresh mozzarella balls are tossed in basil pesto with a touch of garlic, then stuffed into avocado halves! Drizzle with a balsamic glaze.

RECIPE here

Bon Appetite 

Margaret

Live, Laugh, Love 

Be Totallyawake4-life 

 

Keto Fudgecicle

I am so excited to get my Pampered Chef Quickcicle maker I just ordered so I can try this recipe from the amazing All Day I Dream About Food blog 

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup almond or cashew milkunsweetened
• ⅓ cup Swerve Sweetener 
• ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or peppermint extract
• ¼ teaspoon xanthum gum

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together milk, cream, Swerve, and cocoa powder. Bring to a boil and cook one minute, stirring continuously.
2. Remove from heat and stir in peppermint extract. Sprinkle with xanthan gum and whisk briskly to combine. Let mixture cool at least 10 minutes and then pour into popsicle molds.
3. Freeze 1 hour, then push wooden sticks partway into popsicles and return to the freezer (wooden sticks are best for staying in the pops when you take them out of the molds). Freeze until solid, about 5 more hours.
4. To remove from molds, run under hot running water for 30 seconds or so.

Bon Appetite

Margaret

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life

It’s National Vitamin C Day!

In the spirit of National Vitamin C Day here’s a tasty little dessert option to try! 

Keto Lemon Bars 

Recipe credit

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 3/4 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp. Vanilla 
1 cup powdered erythritol
3 medium lemons
3 large eggs

Instructions
Mix butter, 1 cup almond flour, 1/4 cup erythritol, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Press evenly into an 8x8" parchment paper-lined baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F. Then, let cool for 10 minutes.

Into a bowl, zest one of the lemons, then juice all 3 lemons, add the eggs, 3/4 cup erythritol, 3/4 cup almond flour & pinch of salt. Combine to make filling.

Pour the filling onto the crust & bake for 25 minutes.

Serve with lemon slices and a sprinkle of powdered erythritol.

Bon Appetite

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life  

Buffalo Spaghetti Squash Casserole

 Buffalo Spaghetti Squash Casserole.

Video Credit 

Ingredients 
* 2 cups pre-cooked chicken breast, shredded
* 1 large (or 2 small) spaghetti squash, baked in “rings”
* 2 tbsp olive oil
* 1 large egg
* 1/2 cup (or more) buffalo sauce
* Optional: add some ranch seasoning from Epicure
* Sea Salt (to taste)
* 1/2 cup celery/chopped/sliced
* Green onion (for sprinkling)

Instructions
SPAGHETTI SQUASH:
* Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice ends off the squash, then cut into rings.
* Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds.
* Place squash on lined baking sheet. Use hands to coat each ring w/ a little olive oil/salt/pepper.
* Bake for 30-40 minutes, flipping rings about half way. I love doing these in my Air Fryer helps with some caramelization of the squash - nom nom!  
* Allow to cool for about 15 minutes, then peel the skin away and separate the strands into long spaghetti noodles using a fork.

CHICKEN:
* While spaghetti squash is cooking, make shredded chicken. Pan fry on stove, cook in instant pot, or buy rotisserie chicken - once cooked shred/pull apart with forks or hand mixer.

CASSEROLE:
* In a medium bowl, mix together olive oil, egg, buffalo sauce of choice until well incorporated.
* In a large bowl, add cooked spaghetti squash, shredded chicken + buffalo sauce mixture until well combined. Stir in celery or any other add-ins.
* Pour contents in a greased 8×8 glass baking dish. Bake at 400 for ~25 minutes or until starting to lightly brown on the edges. You can broil at the end to get crispy if you want!

This is also tasty with some extra old Balderson cheese shredded on top. 

Bon Appetite

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love 

Be Totallyawake4-life

Friday night snacks

Looking for a fun Friday night treat? 

Low Carb Mozzarella Sticks - Yes please! 

Ingredients

• 6 Mozzarella Sticks
• 1/2 cup grated dry Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 cups pork rinds
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning blend - want to spice it up add a little Cheyenne pepper 
• 1 egg
• 2 tsps water

Directions:

• Cut Mozzarella sticks in half cross-wise and set aside
• Place egg and water in a small shallow dish or pan. Whisk to mix.
• Crush pork rinds with rolling pin or crush in blender. Should make about 1/2 cup pork rind crumbs.
• Place Parmesan, crushed pork rinds and Italian seasoning in a shallow baking pan
• Dip Mozzarella sticks, one at a time, first in egg wash, then crumbs, then repeat both egg wash and crumbs for second coating.
• Set mozzarella on dish or pan that will fit in the freezer.
• Freeze for two hours
• After two hours: heat oven or air fryer to 500 degrees.
• Working quickly cover a baking pan in parchment or grease it.
• Place frozen mozzarella sticks directly from freezer onto pan.
• Spray with a light coating of olive oil. (optional)
• Bake for 6-8 minutes, just till coating is brown and cheese is warm and soft.

Serve immediately with warm marinara sauce, if desired.

Fun low carb snack for all ages! 

Bon Appetite

Margaret

Live, laugh, love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

Low Carb Raspberry Coconut bars

 

Recipe adapted from here: 

Ingredients

Crust

• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1 3/4 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut four 
• 1/3 cup sugar substitute
• 1 egg

Filling

• 1/2 cup sugar-free raspberry preserves (for test purposes I used Smucker's Sugar-Free Red Raspberry Preserves)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar substitute 
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line an 8c8 square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an inch or more to hang over the edge for handles.
• Mix flour, butter, cream cheese, and sugar in a bowl until mixture is crumbly. Alternatively, you can use a food processor and pulse ingredients until crumbly. Add egg and process a few times until egg is incorporated. 
• Press crust mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake 375 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. 
• Meanwhile, add eggs to a medium-sized mixing bowl and beat with a whisk. Add sugar, almond extract, and coconut flakes to the bowl. Stir until incorporated.
• Remove crust from oven and spread raspberry filling evenly over crust. Top with the egg and coconut filling, spreading evenly over the raspberry layer. 
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Allow bars to cool completely then remove from pan and cut into 20 squares.

These freeze well - place parchment or wax  paper between layers in freezer safe container and remove desired serving and let defrost before serving. 

Bon Appetite 

Margaret

Live, Laugh, Love 

Be Totallyawake4-life 

Healthy Valentines Dessert

Low Carb Strawberry Fluff Cheesecake 

Recipe from Keto Mom 

Ingredients:
FILLING
2 - 8oz. packages of Cream Cheese
1 T SF Strawberry JELLO
1 1/2 cups HWC
1/3 cup diced strawberries
2 T Monk fruit 
Splash of Lemon Juice

CRUST
8 T Melted Butter
1 1/4 cup Almond Flour
2 T Monk Fruit 

Instructions:
For crust: Mix butter, flour and monk fruit together. Press into the bottom of a pie pan. Bake at 350 until crust is golden brown. 

For filling: Mix cream cheese ( room temp), strawberry Jell-O, swerve, HWC together until smooth. Add lemon juice and mix in. Lastly, fold in the diced strawberries. 
Once crust is completely cooled, add filling and refrigerate. Before serving make homemade whipped cream and top with sliced strawberries.

Enjoy!!

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life
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Baked Balsamic Chicken

Tik Tok for the win - adding this one to the menu this week! 

3 chicken breast - partially sliced across 

Mix together in bowl:

• 2 tsp olive oil 
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 
• 1 tbsp swerve brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp oregano 
• 1/2 tsp basil 
• 1/2 tsp salt & pepper to taste 
• 2 cloves garlic

Add chicken breast to marinate

Mixed following in baking dish 

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes 
• 1/2 Red onion sliced 
• 1 tbsp Oil and salt 

Mix together well

Layer chicken over top and drizzle with any remaining marinade 

Bake at 430F for 25 minutes 

Remove & Cover chicken

 with 1 cup shredded mozzarella

Return to over until cheese melted and bubbly.

Serve with a side salad 

Bon Appetite

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

Chicken Caprese Casserole

 Drop me a 💗 if you’re a menu planner too? 

Now that the home childcare is closed I am not nearly as anal about it like Monday we are having this but I do sit down each Sunday to plan the 7 family dinners we will be having than I cook whatever I feel like from that list on any given day. 

Menu planning is especially important for me right now because Paul is still doing all the in person shopping since I can’t keep the mask in long enough to do a full shop so I need to make sure I have added everything I am gonna need cause he doesn’t have the same intuition to have his memory jogged in the aisle that we need something I forgot to put on the list - so if it’s not on the list he’s likely not to get it. Heck thanks to supply issues these days  sometimes even if it’s on the list he’s not likely to get it all …. like apparently slim pickings in the frozen veggie aisle poor Alex is getting so sick of salad as a side cause Paul can’t find some frozen veggies to toss his way 🙁 

If the pandemic had reinforced any skills it’s definitely the ability to learn to accept the things you can’t control and pivot as required to adapt! 

It was a slow lesson for me but I am getting there! 

 

Thankfully he just got home and found everything I needed to try this chicken caprese casserole recipe this week except the fresh Basil but I can add a drop of basil essential oil to compensate and add some spinach chopped for colour! With the no frozen veggies to be found I’ll figure out a side dish! I think air-fried asparagus might go nice!  

Bon Appetite 

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

Game Day appy’s

Sunday means GAME day over here - where the boys get to enjoy some football and afternoon appy’s! Recipe credit 

JALAPEÑO PUFFS

INGREDIENTS

4 oz. Cream cheese, softened

1 ½ c. Shredded cheddar cheese

1 egg, beaten 

1/4 cup almond flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 Jalapeno peppers finely chopped

6 Slices of bacon, cooked crispy, crumbled

1 tbsp Ranch seasoning

 

Instructions:

In a small mixing bowl, whip the cream cheese until smooth. 

Mix egg into almond flour until well combined. 

Add Shredded cheddar cheese, jalapenos and ranch seasoning to the cream cheese, mix well. 

Stir in almond flour egg mixture until fully incorporated.

Crumble the bacon pieces and place them on a plate.

Form a tablespoon of the jalapeno mixture into a ball, and roll it in the crumbled bacon.

Place on cookie sheet, refrigerate 30 mins. 

Preheat oven to 425.   Bake 10 minutes or until golden and puffed. 

Allow to cool a few minutes before eating.

These are SO tasty - next time I’m gonna double the recipe cause I let the boys wanting more! 

 

Bon Appetite

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

French Onion Meatloaf

Well my big sister shared a new recipe and so of course I had to have it too cause you know little sis needs to have everyone big sis has 🤣 

Recipe adapted from the lovely Carolyn over at All Day I Dream About Food

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon butter
• 1 large sweet onion cut in half lengthwise and diced
• 3/4 teaspoon Freshly ground pepper 
• 2 lb ground beef
• 1 cup ground pork rinds
• 2 teaspoon Epicure French Onion seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon Ghost Pepper spice
• 1 large egg
• 4 ounces Gruyere cheese grated

Instructions

• In a large skillet over low heat, melt the butter. Once melted, add the diced onions and toss to coat. Sprinkle with pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. 
• Remove from heat and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350F. 
• In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, pork rinds (the Pampered Chef Chopper is amazing to create quick pork rind crumbs, Epicure French onion seasoning, pepper. Stir in the egg and half of the caramelized onions, then use your hands to thoroughly combine. 
• Transfer into a silicone baking or a loaf pan. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 160F. 
• Top with the shredded cheese and the remaining onions and place back in the warm oven to melt the cheese, about 5 minutes.
  The recipe turned out amazing! 
  
  Bon Appetite 
  Margaret Live, Laugh, LoveBe Totallyawake4-life 
  

Tasty Tuesday

So what did you serve up for dinner? 

I admit I am proud of myself - I had a shitastic day yesterday with the house falling apart around us right before Christmas followed by another less than steller day at the Dr with the test results from the last round of tests trying to figure out what’s going in with my body raising more concerns than answers and with my trauma response to stress I REALLY wanted to eat a shit load of crappy comfort food to drown my sorrows and get those serotonins flowing for that temporary relief  … but I opted for some extra fresh Parmesan on my salad and I am gonna have a Keto Hot Chocolate with a shot of Forty Creek in it bit later and decompress with some PVR CSI catch up! Than tomorrow I am gonna get myself some healthy and longer lasting serotonin working out the stress in the POOL!

Bon Appetite 

Margaret 

Live, Laigh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

Cheesy Low Carb Cabbage Casserole

 Nom nom - saw this recipe on a video on Facebook and had to give it a try! 

 

What you need:

• 250 grams cabbage or if your lazy like me Coleslaw mix
• 1/4 of an onion, diced
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 cup spinach, sliced
• 200 grams Cream Cheese, softened
• 50 grams Parmesan cheese 
• 3 eggs, room temperature
  
• 1 tsp Epicure Marinara seasoning or swap for Oregano 
• Salt & Pepper to taste 
• 4 ounces shredded cheese of choice - we like old nippy cheese
  

 

What you do:

 

1. Gather up all your ingredients - you want the cream cheese to soften so that it blends well so I let it and the eggs sit to room temperature first before getting my other items together. Preheat oven to 350F.

 

 

Next chop up your onion, tomato and spinach and set aside.

Mix the cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs and spices until it forms a creamy sauce - than fold in the Cabbage and mix well so it is all covered in the sauce.

Gently fold in the onion, tomato and spinach to mix well.

Grease a baking dish with Extra Virgin Olive oil

Spread mixture into the dish and top with grated cheese of your choice - I did a mixture of the White Fox and 5 year old cheddar for this round.

Bake at the 350F for 30 minutes

Serve with your favorite protien option - or this is so tasty it would be lovely on its own for a lunch size serving.

Bon Appetite 

 

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

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Spinach Riccota Dip

Are you totally missing 'potluck' season thanks to Covid shelter at home and keep in your bubble mandates too? There is no reason we cannot have 'virtual' parties to maintain our traditions  .... make a few of your favorite potluck items in smaller quantities, set up a Zoom or Facebook chat room and grab a glass of wine or your favorite festive beverage and do the virtual sharing of good times! 

 It might be 'different' but in my humble opinion we really need to try to keep our focus on the blessings we have to be facing this world wide pandemic in 2020 vs 1920! We have the benefits that modern technology offer us to remain connected, to access the things we 'need' via online shopping and quick delivery to make sheltering at home more viable! 

100 years ago when the Spanish Flu caused a world wide Pandemic after the war resulting in similar lock downs to help flatten the curve and manage the health care needs of society - they were truly stuck at home ALONE with only those in their households and it was not easy for arranging for the 'delivering' of groceries or supplies and no ability to 'work from home' via Zoom or Internet connections!  

It may not be 'ideal' but we have so many more options today!

Spinach Ricotta Dip

 

Ingredients needed:

1/2 cup of frozen chopped spinach

3/4 cup ricotta

1/4 cup Parmesan

Pinch Red pepper flakes

Pinch Garlic powder

1 tsp Epicure Spinach dip seasoning

 

Instructions:

1.Mix ricotta, spinach and 1/2 the Parmesan cheese in a small baking dish. Add a dash of garlic powder, red pepper flakes, Epicure seasoning. Top with remaining cheese.

2. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes

3. Enjoy with homemade grain free crackers (posting one of my favorite adaptions below) or Whisps or veggie sticks! 

Cheddar Asiago Crackers - adapted from Carol Ketchum's recipe

1 1/2 cups almond meal
1/2 cup flax seed meal
1/3 cup of Epicure Macaroni Cheese Seasoning or add a pop with the Ooey Gooey Queso
1/2 cup finely grated Asiago cheese (could sub Parmesan)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp melted butter
2 egg whites

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 225F.

In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients and mix well.

Add in butter and egg whites and stir until a cohesive dough forms.

On a large cookie sheet, roll out into a rough rectangle between sheets of parchment paper to desired thickness. Can be made very thin, but make sure that it is of even thickness all over so the edges won’t burn before the middle crisps up.

Remove top layer of parchment. With a sharp knife, score into desired size of cracker - craving pita's cut them in triangles for that nice 'pointy dip' option!

Bake one hour or until firm and edges are crispy. Turn off oven and leave crackers in oven another half hour to an hour. 

Bon Appetite 

Margaret

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life

Keto Pizza Crust - nom nom!

Nom nom - tonight we are having a new grain free / keto pizza crust recipe we tried to review!

Ingredients needed:

• 12 oz shredded mozzarella cheese - melted until gooey quickly mix in following:
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp xanthum gum
• 2/3 cup coconut flour
• 2 eggs 

Instructions:

Melt mozzarella either in microwave safe bowl or use a double boiler method on stove top - heat until it is gooey.

Mix together with remaining ingredients and roll out evenly onto non stick silicone baking tray - I used some parchment paper over top to prevent my rolling pin from sticking to the crust.

I also added some Epicure Pizza seasoning sprinkled on top for a little added pizza flavor!

Than bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes so that it is slightly crispy around edges and than take out and add sauce and toppings of choice and bake again for another 10-15 minutes or so to heat those up! 

Review:

The crust was AWESOME and loved being able to pick it up eat like a normal pizza without it being a floppy disc where the toppings all slide off! Definitely my new favorite! 

Bon Appetite 

Margaret

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

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