Sierra's Cloud Bread

Sierra's Peruvian Cloud Bread

My amazing niece Sierra sent me this amazing recipe to me from Peru and I LOVE it!  I call it Sierra's "Cloud Bread" because the texture is light and airy, unlike so many gluten free breads that tend to be dense and tasteless.  This is a wonderful, low carb, full of protein substitute for bread, buns or rolls.  Smothered in peanut butter like a sandwich or on the side with a bowl of chili or soup, it's the perfect, low carb, ketone friendly complement!

3 eggs, separated

3 Tablespoons cream cheese

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 Tablespoon honey

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Separate the eggs -in one bowl place egg whites and in a separate bowl, mix together the egg yolks, cream cheese and honey until smooth.

In the egg white bowl add cream of tartar to the whites and beat the whites on high speed until they are fluffy and form stiff "peaks".  Gently fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites. Spoon the mixture into 10 even rounds on the baking sheet* and put it in the oven. Bake for 17-20 minutes on the middle rack. 

*optionally add a dash or salt, garlic powder, 1 Tablespoon Parmesan cheese, or sprinkle with rosemary before cooking. Makes 10 clouds.

Each Cloud has

39 calories

1carb

3 fat

2 protein

0 fiber

Happy Valentine's Day!

With Valentine's Day in just a few days here are a few Ketosis Friendly, Low Car ideas to keep you and your Valentine Happy!  Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Sea Salted Almond Clusters

Coarsely chop 1 cup raw, unsalted almonds

Melt ¾ cup DARK chocolate chips

To melt in microwave , cook on high 1 minute, stir, then 20 seconds, stir, 20 seconds, stir … until chocolate is smooth. Stir in almonds & drop by heaping teaspoon on to a wax paper lined cookie sheet, sprinkle with sea salt if desired, and cool in fridge till set. Then lick the spoon & bowl.

Three clusters contain approximately

153 calories

8 carbs

12 fats

3 proteins

Sweetheart Meringue Cookies

These lovely little low carb treasures are crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. A drop or two of red food color added with the vanilla will make a sweet Valentine treat. Made as follows they are low in carbs but by omitting the chocolate they are just as tasty and have a scant 3 carbs each.  Bet you can't eat just one!

2 large egg whites at room temperature

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup dark chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 350. Using electric mixer beat egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until fluffy. Add the one half of the sugar gradually then add vanilla (& food color if desired). Slowly add the remaining sugar and beat until sugar is dissolved and the meringue is very shiny and mixture holds it's shape.  Gently fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Place one teaspoon of mixture onto prepared cookie sheets leaving 1inch space between cookies. Turn oven OFF and place cookies in oven and leave cookies in oven, undisturbed, for at least 2 hours or overnight. Makes 36 cookies.

Each cookie with chocolate

Calories 36

Carbs 4.5

Fat  2

Protein .5

Each cookie without chocolate

Calories 24

Carbs 3

Fat 1

Protein .5

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cups

If you are a dark chocolate lover, these are the best! Homemade dark chocolate envelopes creamy almond butter to create handcrafted peanut butter cups!

2/3 cups cocoa powder

5 Tbsp coconut oil

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp honey

3 Tbsp peanut butter

Coconut oil for coating muffin tin*

Using a paper towel, rub a little coconut oil on the bottom of 6 muffin tins.  Place cocoa powder into a small bowl.  If coconut oil is solid, measure and heat a few seconds in microwave or on stove top to bring to liquid.  Add coconut oil to cocoa powder and stir till smooth. Add vanilla and honey and stir well. Voila!  You have homemade dark chocolate sauce!  (If you find the chocolate is too dark for your liking you may add more honey, a little at a time, but this will change the carb/calorie/fat content. Personally I LOVED the dark chocolate on these PB cups!)

Place about a tablespoon of chocolate in a prepared muffin tin and repeat with other 5 muffin bottoms.  Place in freezer about 5 minutes or until chocolate hardens.  "Plop" 1/2 tablespoon of prepared peanut butter on top, flattening it to almost the edges of the muffin tin, if needed.  Cover each cup with the remaining chocolate, distributing it evenly over the 6 cups and 'sealing' the almond butter inside. Place in freezer until chocolate hardens, about 5-10 minutes. Remove muffin tin from freezer and turn over on to clean counter and gently tap to remove.  Let it sit for a few minutes or enjoy at once! Keep chilled if being stored.

*I used silicone muffin liners so I did not need to coat them with coconut oil and they 'popped' right out without any coaxing.

Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberries

A decadent, low carb treat!

¾ cup of Dark Chocolate Chips, melted
8 large (1.5”) strawberries, washed and dried

Coarse Sea Salt (optional)

In a wide coffee mug melt chocolate chips in microwave on high 1 minute, stir, then 20 seconds, stir, 20 seconds, stir … until chocolate is smooth.  Stir well in between heating or chocolate may burn.  Starting with largest strawberry, hold onto the leafy part of the strawberry, dip and turn berry till covered. Drain off excess chocolate by holding over the coffee mug a few seconds, then place on wax paper lined cookie sheet.  Every 2-3 strawberries sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt, if desired. Repeat with remaining strawberries, largest to smallest.  Place in fridge to set. Wait about ten minutes for chocolate to set then dig in!

Each strawberry has approximately
75 calories
7 carbs
4 fats
Less than 1 protein

Have a Happy Valentine's Day!

The War On Fat ...Ceasefire!

  "Scientists are now beginning to realize that the entire low fat dogma was based on flawed studies that have since been thoroughly debunked."  

 

See 6 graphs that clearly show how "incredibly damaging it has been to advise people to reduce their consumption of animal fat." See how "Diets That Are High in Fat But Low in Carbohydrates Cause More Weight Loss Than Diets That Are Low in Fat"…Chart 2 is particularly interesting to me. It's titled: "The Obesity Epidemic in The USA Started at Almost The Exact Same Time The Low-Fat Dietary Guidelines Were Published" and one reasons highlighted in Chart 2 is "because (at that time) people started giving up traditional foods like butter, in place of processed “low-fat” foods high in sugar…"

"As people have reduced their intake of animal fat,
many serious diseases have gone up…"

To see more, go to and check out http://authoritynutrition.com/6-graphs-the-war-on-fat-was-a-mistake/