My First Bacon Weave

I am so excited!

I made my first bacon weave yesterday for a recipe I was testing out. My recipe is still in the works, I have been in a breakfast coma all weekend after this recipe, it was amazing.

Bacon weaves are definitely a treat, very high in calories but full of taste. This bacon weave uses 5 slices of thick bacon and 5 slices of maple bacon. We love maple bacon but the only brand our new grocer sells is pretty thin and falls apart. I wanted full on maple flavour, so I used half our crappy (but very tasty) maple bacon and half thick cut bacon.

It worked like a charm. I wish I would have taken a photo of the finished product before I continued on with the recipe... next time!

Ingredients:
10 slices of bacon

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. I placed the five slices of maple bacon on the pan horizontally and then weaved in the thick bacon horizontally (over one and then under one).
3. Cook in oven for around 28 minutes.
4. Towel off grease.

Carbquik Waffles

I really miss super carby breakfasts with crepes, pancakes and waffles. After moving and going through a big transition period where it has been easiest to stick to bacon and eggs we finally got out shit together this morning and made waffles for the first time in months. Boy, were they ever good. 

I don't normally like to post about products that you have to purchase that are hard to find but this morning I am just so happy to have had a special breakfast treat that I have to post about it. Carbquik is expensive, but so worth it to have to make things (easily) that you miss while cutting carbs, like waffles. 

Yum.



The best thing about having a box of Carbquick around the house is how easy it is to make all of the Carbquik recipes. I use the waffle recipe on the back of the box and then add a little bit more vanilla and sugar-free caramel syrup (if I have it). Sometimes we add a scoop of protein powder to the mix too!

Bacon Cheddar Cauliflower Fritters

I have a hard time adding cauliflower into the mix in my meals. I am not a huge fan its the taste, but I
love the potential it has for substituting foods like potatoes in my diet.

One potato product I really, really missed was breakfast hash browns. I love them loose and McDonald's style and this recipe is spot on with producing the texture of grated potato hash browns.

Now, this recipe is time consuming. Give yourself a good hour the first time you make it.

It should make twelve fritters.

Ingredients
-5 slices of crispy bacon
-1 medium head of cauliflower
-1 jalapeño
-3 eggs
-1 teaspoon of onion powder
-1 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (I use tex-mex)
-1 tablespoon of shredded parmesan cheese
-3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of almond flour
-salt and pepper
-coconut oil (for the frying pan)

*serve with salsa and/or sour cream

Procedure
1. Prepare 5 pieces of bacon, make sure it is crispy and easy to break up!
2. Steam cauliflower florets until tender. I did this on a frying pan and it took 7-8 minutes.
3. Rinse cauliflower with cold water and mash it like potatoes. Try to break up all of the big pieces.
4. Place cauliflower in a colander let water drain for 10 minutes.
5. Remove seeds from jalapeño and chop it up into small pieces.
6. Whisk together eggs, jalapeño, parmesan cheese, bacon, 2 tablespoons of almond flour and a dash of both salt and pepper.
7. Drain cauliflower and add to egg mixture. Whisk together.
8. Add cheddar cheese and the rest of the almond flour to the mixture. Whisk together well.
9. Heat coconut oil in a skillet or pan, make sure it is covered well.
10. Add batter in your desired size, I recommend a heaping tablespoon.
11. Press each cake down with a fork and fry until golden brown.
12. Flip.
13. Remove and place on paper towel.

Alternatively, you can fry your batter up in a loose fashion. It does not look as pretty, but it is a great alternative if you like it crisper (or with breakfast). You can add salsa to the mix if you make in the loose fashion.


Nutritional Information (per fritter)*
Calories: 170
Total Fat: 14.1g
Carbohydrates: 3.7g
Fiber: 1.5g
Sugar: 1.1g
Protein 8.5g

*This will vary depending on what type of bacon you use and minor changes on exact amounts of cauliflower used. I used very thick bacon, an easy way to cut calories (etc.) is to use a thinner cut of bacon.

Low Carb Mini Pavlovas

These flakey pavlova crusts are very tasty. 

They remind me of the sponge toffee inside a Crunchie chocolate bar. 

You can flavour them, for instance with banana extract or lemon juice. The recipe below is for the basic vanilla pavlova.

These are good with breakfast or as a treat for dessert. 


Ingredients
4 Egg Whites
1/2 Cup of Sweetener
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Teaspoons of Cornstarch 

Prep Work
-Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees (F).
-Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. 


Procedure
-Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, add sweetener in slowly. 
-Beat the mixture until it stiffens. 
-Add in vanilla. 
-Add in cornstarch slowly while beating.
-Spread mixture into six circles on parchment paper.
-Leave a dent in the middle of each blog for filling. 
-Bake in oven for 23-26 minutes. Remove occasionally and press down on the dent to ensure it has room for filling. 
-Turn off heat and leave in oven for 30 minutes. Each pavlova should be crispy, not moist. 


*Add fruit, whipped cream and syrups to taste just before eating. 


Nutritional Information (per pavlova):
Calories: 30
Total Fat: 0g
Carbs: 3.2g
Fiber: 0g
Sugars: 0.2g
Protein: 3.9g

The Glory Of Eggs

"Messy Eggs"

When living a low carb lifestyle, one of your staple foods will be eggs. You can add eggs to many meals or have it has the main part. Eggs are amazing, they have incredible filling powers and can help you feel full for long amounts of time. Every time I have experienced periods of weight loss I have consumed eggs regularly.

One of the first ways I started integrating eggs into my diet further was to ensure I had a breakfast style meal everyday. The picture to the left is what I call 'Messy Eggs'. These eggs are fried, seasoned with cajun spices and chilli peppers and topped off with cheese.

"Chipotle Loaded Chicken Breast"

This meal was consumed as part of supper. I ate fancier sausage with bacon and "Messy Eggs". The seasoning is what helps make the meal versatile and more than just a breakfast style meal. 

Another one of my favourite ways to add eggs to my meal outside of breakfast is to add one to my burgers. Just like bacon, you can use a fried egg as garnish for a burger. Why not add cheesy scrambled eggs as a side too? 

 An egg is the prefect way to add a little something to a meal when you are really hungry but do not want to eat two servings. I recently added a fried egg to one of my favourite entrees, "Chipotle Loaded Chicken Breasts" (right photo).

"Loaded Chicken Breasts" are simple supper entrees. Cook a chicken breast in the oven, season to taste. I stick with Chipotle because I have a great PC 0 Carb sauce (left) and I season with a little Italian seasoning, grated parmesan cheese, chilli pepper and sometimes I throw a little bit of almond flour breading on. When the chicken breast is finished add a slice of bacon to the top and grate cheddar cheese on top. Above, I simply added a fried egg underneath. 

Do you have any secret egg additions you live off of? 

How To Start A Keto Lifestyle

I thought my boyfriend was crazy when he cut the carbs. My university roommate was a nutrition major and she also did not recommend eliminating carbs. After watching him drop weight quickly I changed my mind. 

1. I cut carbs completely. When I changed my eating habits I did not ease into it as some people do. The main reason I made the clean cut was because I know some people go through withdraw and have cravings if they continue to eat carby foods (even if they eat smaller portions). 

2. Throw out (or give away) all sugary, gluten packed foods. The basic (and I mean very basic) conversion I started to live by was subtracting fibre from carbs. I lived by on the notion that fibre carbs are good carbs, stay away from sugar and other avoid sweeteners. I aimed to stick under 20 grams of carb everyday, without any exercise. 





3. Check out the nutrition info on everything you buy. Some things vary in carb content. Chicken wings are a good example of a food that change depending on the brand. Honey ham may also surprise you, depending on the brand. Fresh meat is always better than processed meats. Go to the grocery store with a list of theses key items:
-Eggs
-Unsweetened Almond Milk
-Nuts, I prefer almonds (they are perfect to grab by the handful for a snack.
-Heavy cream
-Cheese
-Boston lettuce (you can use this instead a bun)
-Your favourite fresh meats: chicken, pork, beef, turkey
 -Favourite specialty meats: bacon, sausage, certain chicken wings
-Salad Dressings
-Mustard (a core part of my first few weeks of keto)

4. Treat yourself. Find recipes online for things that match your cravings. Jump in, learn new keto recipes and keto treats you can eat from Day 1. Don't deprive yourself. Set your carb limit per day and then stick within it, eat as much as you want of foods with little to no carbs. If you want ice cream, make it. If you want cake, figure it out. There are a tonne of great resources online to help you make something that will satisfy your dessert cravings.

5. Pack your lunch everyday. Have one special lunch a week. This will save you money. Pack leftovers in your lunch from the supper you make the night before. This way you control what you have to eat, the temptation to grab a slice of pizza won't be there.  

Another thing I did when I started keto was drop breakfast. I make a protein shake in its place and have two big meals. I eat "breakfast foods" (eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, omelettes) as main courses now. I make meals now, not just food. I don't scramble to eat the quickest, easiest foods now and put love into the meals I make. 

I think it would be interesting to see how other people got started and what they recommend for newcomers, please comment below and let me know what you did to get started and any tips for newcomers. Let me know what your thoughts are! 

Keto Pancakes

I never post recipes that include Carb-Qic and special foods. In one of the pictures my pancake does have 0 carb maple syrup as a garnish. I recommend finding something like this or using raspberries and blueberries to garnish too.  

Ingredients
1 Cup of Almond Flour
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons of Coconut Oil
Dash of Cinnamon 
1/4 Cup of Water
1 Tablespoon of Vanilla 
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Sweetener


Prep Work
Heat oil (I use coconut) on medium high in pan.

Procedure
-Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
-Scoop mixture out into hot pan. The mixture makes four pancakes. 


Nutritional Information (Per Pancake)
Calories: 245
Fat: 23.1g
Carbs: 6.3g
Fiber: 3g
Sugars: 1.3g
Protein: 9g