Frosting - for Breakfast!

Hi everyone!

Thanks for stopping by and catching up, friends!  I have been feeling super busy as of late, but the good kind - where you have a good rhythm going and your to-do list is in check.  That's rare-ish for me, so it's a marvelous feeling!  I'm basking in it - and this new 40+ weather we're having in Chicago!  Today, I walked outside WITHOUT A COAT - for the first time in months!  I didn't need to protest myself from...well, the air.  :)

But I digress.  I'm here to talk about frosting!  Yes, for BREAKFAST!  You read that right.  

I just started a new diet (but really, let's call it a lifestyle because I dislike the work "diet") called the Keto diet.  Some of you might be familiar with this - for those who aren't, it's similar to South Beach, Paleo, or Atkins in a few ways.  It's a low-carb, high-fat diet that focuses on kicking your body into ketosis in high gear!  Ketosis is a natural process that your body does normally - it's basically the method by which your body burns macronutrients for energy.

Macronutrients - or "macros" - consist of carbs, proteins, and fats.  Carbs are the easiest to break down and the most likely to cause spikes in your blood sugar because of the way they convert to glucose.  The body will burn glucose first before it burns protein or fat, because carbs are...well...kind of easy.  ;)  Proteins are less likely to give it up, and fats are definitely not giving it up if carbs are at the party.  The long and short of it is this: if you don't intake carbs, your body will look to protein and fat to burn and fuel your body.  Fat burn = good!  Your liver will turn fats into fatty acids and ketones.  Fatty acids feed your brain.  Ketones become waste.  Ps - if you check out that link I just posted, you'll see that the Keto diet is used to help patients with EPILEPSY avoid seizures - seriously good for the brain!!!

I need to find a way to get lots of MCT oils into my diet - a Keto diet is usually about 5% carbs, 20-25% protein, and 70-75% fat.  I *know*, right???  The great thing about this diet is that I don't really feel like I'm depriving myself, and I am certainly not hungry.  I can't even come close to hitting my 1600 calorie-mark daily because I am so FULL!  And, as you may know, coconut oil is a fantastic commonplace source of MCT oils.  (Oh, MCT = Medium Chain Triglycerides, for the curious.)

OK - So, new diet, you get the basics.

There's a super delicious and sweet/salty treat I've found works really well for me!  It's called Keto Frosting, and it's all I eat it for breakfast.  Jealous yet?  I also get to eat bacon, eggs, cheese, steak with real butter, cheeseburgers, and so many other delicious things that you would normally give up on a "diet".  Yeah.  Now you're jealous.

Don't be jealous!  Join me!!!

Keto Frosting

3 Tbsp Coconut Oil (cold-pressed organic is best)

1 heaping Tbsp natural peanut butter (no added sugar)

1/2 to 1 full packet Stevia in the Raw (I personally use 1/2 packet)

Pinch of sea salt 

Here's how I prepare it:

Measure out coconut oil into a small glass bowl.  Microwave 12-ish seconds until soft and beginning to melt. 

Add peanut butter, Stevia, and sea salt.  Mix well.  

Cover bowl and refrigerate.  

I make this the night before - it's quick and simple, and SO TASTY!!!

Calories: 485 (again, this is *all* I eat for breakfast!) 

Carbs: 3.8 g

Proteins: 4.4 g

Fats: 52 g

Possible variations include: adding cocoa powder, using a bit of cream cheese and vanilla extract instead of peanut butter, adding almond meal and sugar-free syrup flavors, or using different nut butters.  Mix it up to find what works for you!

*Note: I do *not* make a commission from the products sold at the links - I just think it's helpful for those  to see what I actually us in my own kitchen.  I use a lot of the same products I've researched and found work well for many other Keto-lovers, so they are Keto-approved if you'd like to try! 

I started Keto after doing tons of research on diets compatible with PCOS and Metformin - since that's what I've got and that's how I'm treating it!  (Ps - thank you for all your thoughts and prayers!) I've been on it less than a whole week and I have already lost TWO POUNDS!!!  I know, right?!?!?  Fat in = fat out, baby!  I'm so excited to see the changes that is is *already* making in my health overall (not just my weight)! 

Have you ever tried Keto?  If so, I'd love to connect and learn from your experience! 

Nom nom for now,

Amanda

Busy as a Bzzz-Bee Broth and my Local Grocery

Hi friends!

Sorry - I've been away too long!  There's really no excuse for leaving you hanging for so long; I won't try to make one.

In the weeks since I last posted, we've been *quite* busy at the Colbert Nest.  We started a few interior projects - like painting and assembling a new computer desk for the Mister, re-organizing our bathroom, and adding a new couch to our home!  Ps - I *love* the couch.  It really was a steal - $40 at Goodwill and the previous owner said it cost him $1200!  I believe it - the leather is really well-cared for, and it's a convertible futon on a solid wood frame.  Very classy for two young adults on a not-so-fancy budget.  :)

I will definitely update you on some of the design updates to our home in a post later this week - promise!

For now, I'd like to share what's cooking in my kitchen today!

I'm meal-prepping for the whole week - and let me tell you, it is *such* a time saver.  I've got a jam-packed schedule this week, and I really don't know how anyone gets by without making the whole week's lunches and dinners ahead of time.  Honestly, if you do - you're a saint.  A magician and a saint.


On the menu:
Steamed sweet potatoes  (4 servings)
Fresh carrots, celery, and cucumbers (8 servings)
Side salads for each day (5 servings)
Healthy Chicken Salad (4 big servings, or 6 sides)
Smoothies for breakfast! (5)
Dahl with Basmati Rice (3 servings)
Turkey Meatloaf Muffins (12 muffins, I usually do one per meal)


So, that's like....a lot of food, yo.

AND I'm making my favorite lazy-day frugal food - Homemade Chicken Broth!!!

Or, as I like to call it - busy broth.  Because I make this broth in my crockpot, I can buzz around the house or run errands while it simmers.  Multi-tasking for the win!

I'm sure you know that a lot of the foods we eat these days are processed beyond belief!  I know it - I still eat it.  No guilt-shaming here, friends!  Still, I notice a serious difference in my body - my mood and energy levels, especially - when I eat whole, natural foods.

And my wallet notices, too!

Here's why:

First, I gotta give it up for my local
grocery store.  They stock a huge selection of produce at really great prices (with *amazing* specials).  Plus, the manager is maybe the friendliest dude ever.

Because I am blessed with just enough "free" time to prepare my veggies, I buy them whole.  That means:  no baby carrots, no pre-sliced whatever, almost nothing from a bag.  I buy whole heads of lettuce (this week: kale and leaf lettuce, and a bag of curly spinach), unpeeled carrots and whole celery (.79 and .59 special respectively), a red pepper (.42/lb special), sweet potatoes (1.95), 3 pounds of yellow onions (.69), cucumbers (.59 each), and a bag of Cuties (1.49).  I could go on - but I think you get the point.

Even better:  when produce is nearing expiration, my store bundles them into discount packs.  Five small zucchini for .59, three ears of corn for .89, shallots for .59.  I buy these up when I am making broth to supplement my mix.

Nothing - and I mean NOTHING - goes to waste from these veggies.  My carrot and potato peels, my celery scraps, my onion skins - they all go into my busy broth!

There's really no exact recipe to follow, so I'll just give you the rundown of what's in my crockpot today.

Busy Broth

Leftover green pepper
Fresh Corn
Shallots
Carrots (and peels from my meal prep)
Celery (and scraps from my meal prep)
Sweet potato peels
Purple kale ribs
Bones and cartilage from two whole chickens
Water to fill

Sometimes, I buy a rotisserie chicken to put into my soups or salads.  Other times, I buy a whole chicken raw and roast it or cook it in my crockpot.  Either way, I *always* save and freeze the bones/cartilage/skin.
This way, nothing goes to waste.  I basically get to make about 64 ounces of broth for free!  One man's trash, as they say.

What tricks do you have for saving at the grocery store?  Any resourceful recipes you use to stretch your budget?  I'd love to hear from you!

Nom Nom for Now,
Amanda