Being on a diet, a NEW diet at that – it’s natural for your sweet tooth to perk up! Especiallyyyyy when you’re telling yourself something is off limits. You just want it EVEN MORE. Amiright?!
Well. Say goodbye to those nasty cravings, because I have a 100% Keto approved chocolate chip cookie recipe for you to try! That’s right folks – I said C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E C-H-I-P C-O-O-K-I-E-S !! You don’t have to deprive yourself on every diet! These cookies contain all the Keto necessities: coconut oil, butter, almond flour and . . . you guessed it . . . chocolate!!
For the purposes of the Keto diet, we’re choosing a 100% cacao baking chocolate bar, unsweetened. NOTE: By itself it’s extremely bitter, but mixed in with the other ingredients, it creates the perfect balance!
Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
1/3 cup coconut oil, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup golden monk fruit sweetener OR sticky sweetener of choice
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt
3 cups almond flour
3 oz. 100% cacao baking chocolate bar
Directions:
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together coconut oil and butter.
Next, add eggs and vanilla extract
Add sticky sweetener of choice, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt
Slowly, while mixing, add almond flour to cookie mix
In a separate bowl, microwave chocolate pieces until just barely soft. Use a utensil to separate chocolate pieces into smaller bits before transitioning to mix
Pour chocolate pieces into bowl of dough and mix until combined
Form dough into balls and place on cookie parchment paper REMEMBER: Allow room in between cookies for cookies to spread during baking
Bake cookies for 18-20 minutes, until edges are golden brown.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before serving.
For some, odd, I can’t-explain-it reason, I was so intimidated by the idea of making meatballs. I know . . . call me weird. But, it felt like everyone had their own “special” or “secret”recipe, sometimes dating back generations of family. BUT – it turns out, most of those recipes don’t fall within Keto diet guidelines anyway!
While traditional meatballs are not keto, I’m here to help you with an awesome, SUPER easy, Italian Stuffed Keto Meatball alternative.
Typically, meatballs contain bread/crumbs as their main ingredient. This helps the balls maintain their shape. The presence of bread is a direct keto violation, but here’s a solution! (don’t be scared away by the number of ingredients – you just end up combining everything together! 🙂 )
Servings: 4
Split equally into 4 portions
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs Ground Beef
1 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
2 tsp Garlic
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
3 tbsp Tomato Paste
3 tbsp Flaxseed Meal
2 Large Egg
1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Salt & Pepper Sprinkled for Seasoning
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F
Mix meat and all other ingredients together
Form into meatballs
Lay on a foil covered baking sheet
Bake for 20 minutes
Serve over spinach with sprinkled mozzarella cheese on top
Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories 594
Fats (g) 44.8
Protein (g) 36.8
Net Carbs (g) 3.8
Seriously… HOW FLIPPING SIMPLE?!Great for lunches on the go, hearty dinners and for satisfying your favorite Italian food cravings! And these are delicious . . . I PROMISE you!
Give them a try and post your review/comments below 🙂
Okay, okay, okay, so there’s technically no “buffalo” in this recipe outside of the sauce (although there mayyyy be a recipe on that coming soon . . . 😉 ) BUT – in the meantime,who says you have to dine out to enjoy delicious cauli buffalo bites?! Now, you make them in 30 minutes – right from home!!
They’re the perfect 30-minute prep snack you can grab and go all week long, OR an awesome munchable addition to your Super Bowl spread in the coming weeks!
I’ve grown to LOVE what some call the “ghost” version of broccoli, see hilarious meme below. There’s so many ways to get creative using this low carb potato substitute – even in place of noodles/rice. There are only 2.9 grams of net carbs in an entire cup of this clean veggie, making it a clear winner on a Keto diet!
Keto Brown Butter Buffalo Bites
Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower (approx. 3 cups of florets)
1/4 cup Frank’s Red Hot
2 tbsp. Butter
2 garlic cloves OR the equivalent minced
Pinch of salt
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400F
Melt butter in a small skillet on medium heat
Bring to a simmer until browned. Meanwhile, cut your cauliflower into florets.
Pour florets into a large bowl
Add minced garlic to your melted butter and let simmer
Remove the butter and garlic mixture and pour it over the cauliflower
Add in the hot sauce and gently toss to coat thoroughly throughout
Move the florets to a sheet pan
Bake the cauliflower for 20 minutes
Remove from the oven, transfer to a serving dish. Drizzle with remaining sauce.
Garnish with crispy bacon and serve with ranch or accompanying sauce of your choice for dunking
Today’s new, fun and easy Keto recipe comes to you via Keto Elk Stuffed Peppers With Cauliflower Rice!
If you’ve always been one who is curious to try a more “gamey” meat, this is DEFINITELY your opportunity! Plus, you can be extra healthy while experimenting.
Elk meat is a nutrient-dense food, meaning that it’s low in calories but contains a concentrated amount of many vitamins and minerals. It’s low in carbohydrates and fat but high in protein, zinc, vitamin B12, niacin and vitamin B6. If you are on the keto diet, or just like to experiment with low carb recipes, this keto stuffed bell peppers recipe is for you.
So, let me reiterate in saying I am NO great cook, that these are SUPER easy, and take little to no-prep time (don’t be scared away by the list of ingredients! you just end up mixing everything together):
Ingredients:
4 bell peppers, red, yellow, or green
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup ground/diced cauliflower (this replaces the need for rice!)
shredded mild Cheddar cheese, about 1/2 cup
Directions:
Cut top off of peppers, remove seeds and membranes. Rinse peppers under cold water.
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot.
Saute chopped onion, cauliflower and garlic for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Gently stir to blend; add ground elk, cooked onion & cauliflower.
Divide & stuff all peppers with meat mixture and place in a baking dish. Bake at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes.
Top stuffed peppers with a little shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese just before peppers are done and bake until cheese is melted.
Once peppers are complete, top with a little basil, or any other spice you’d like.
Finally catching up after this past whirlwind of bachelorette activities for one of my lovely besties. And – when I say whirlwind… I mean WHIRLWIND. They weren’t kidding when they nicknamed Chicago “the windy city.” Let’s be honest – I immediately gave up hope of having anywhere near picture perfect hair for the weekend and quickly welcomed my female blowout – literally.
Kicking off the festivities with a bright and shiny 8AM flight, we hit the town upon arrival. First stop – FOOD. Courtesy of our concierge, we were directed to a quaint little spot – Mercadito! Locals raved about their award winning tacos, signature guacamole, killer margaritas and cozy, ethnic atmosphere. Not to mention their expansive mezcal list!! The food was to DIE for and reasonably priced for the mega-Mexican portions you receive!
Psst – my entire outfit is from Amazon! Scroll down for deets & links!
Afterwards, like any typical tourists, we raced to Millennium Park to see Cloud Gate, or as most may more popularly know it – The Bean. This 110-ton egg-shaped sculpture is forged of a continuous smooth surface of highly polished stainless steel plates, which reflect Chicago’s famous skyline and the clouds above. After endless selfies and groups shots, we ventured home to clean up for dinner at 312 Chicago.
312 Chicago was… incredible! Priding itself on its house made pastas and fresh seafood, they also had an extensive wine list with highlighted Rose options (my favorite!) and extraordinarily welcoming staff and atmosphere. I opted for their Ippoglosso, or Roasted Halibut, that came beautifully decorated with cauliflower puree, watercress, red onion, fava beans, roasted cauliflower, pancetta, and olive oil. YUM!! The portions were perfect and left each of us ladies with pleasantly filled tummies.
Fast forward – I can’t even tell you the last time I went clubbing, but we had A BALL at ROOF atop The Wit hotel, where we stayed. Pop the bubbly, cause this beautiful lady is getting married in t-minus 36 days !!! There was dancing, cheersing, dancing and even more cheersing the night away. The staff made it a truly incredible and amazing night for all of us and our bride-to be!
P.S. The theme of the night was navy dresses (as that’s our bride-to-be’s favorite color). I literally panicked because I own nothing navy!! BUT – found this adorbs little satiny number on Amazon – even came with Prime delivery!
Saturday morning! Rise and… shine?! I dressed in my Saturday pool party best, only to look out the window and see… rain. Rain, rain and more rain. But, that didn’t stop our positive outlook and high expectations for fun. This was a bachelorette party, after all! We ventured off to Shore Club Chicago for cabana brunch! While the rain hindered the cabana festivities slightly, this place made us feel like true celebs! Not to mention, there’s definitellyyyy something in the shrimp in Chicago – they. were. GIANORMOUS!!
P.S. my best kept secret of awesome monogrammed items! I received this lovely little number in my monthly Monobox subscription with i love jewelry! It’s only $21.95/month and you get one personalized, monogrammed item + TWO fabulous surprise items! Check it out here!
Saturday day was the first time we actually got to go out and explore – with NO jackets and NO umbrellas! It was a beautiful day exploring the Chicago Riverwalk, visiting City Winery, having dinner at The Hampton Social, and subsequent bar hopping all around The Chicago Loop to end the trip.
Alright y’all… this post has been long enough (serious props to you if you made it this far !!) … thanks for checking it out 😉
Keep on keepin it real, Chicago. I know us girls had a blast !!!
Tuesday marked the official close of the weekend of The Greenwalds! We spend a long, fun-filled, laughing, celebrating, boating, toasting, cheers-ing, crazy hot and humid weekend in Deep Creek Lake, MD for my baby sister’s wedding.
It was awesome joining our new family for a lovely dinner atop the second story deck outside of the Will O’ The Wisp: Ace’s Run Restaurant & Pub. I mean seriously – check out that view!! Followed by an evening lake walk and lakeside picturesque photos (and much weekend kick off celebrating and bonding 😉 ).
I snagged this cute little romper number from one of my favorites – REVOLVE.
Friday: BOAT DAY! Although we didn’t have a ton of time the day of the rehearsal dinner, it would pretty much be a sin in my family if we didn’t make it out on the boat. I literally never get sick of this place!
Cue Friday evening into Saturday evening: Start the blur… From rehearsal, to rehearsal dinner, to day of, to evening of the wedding, it’s hard to keep up with all the beautiful details. Casey (my sister) and her fiancé (Shaun) could not have picked a more perfect venue. Nestled out in the peaceful, mountain countryside of Deep Creek, sits Chanteclaire Farm. A truly unique, beautiful and intimate setting. From her dress, to her veil, to her shoes and something blue, everything was absolutely textbook!
This past weekend, I joined girlfriends for my very first class at The Bar Method that just opened up locally here in Locust Point, MD. I didn’t know what to expect – I was excited, nervous, anxious and eager, apprehensive and fired up all at the same time for trying something new! Most recently, I haven’t been expanding my workouts beyond our Peloton and mini-gym in our building, so I thought it would be a great time and opportunity to mix up my routine! PLUS – your first class is FREE, so you REALLY have no excuse 😉
When I walked in, I was greeted with bright, smiling faces that made me genuinely feel like they couldn’t be happier I was there to join them for a workout. It was a packed class, nearly 20 girls, so at least I didn’t feel like all eyes were on me. In typical fashion of having no clue what I was doing or getting myself into, I retreated to the back so I could watch what everyone did in front of me. The class started with a warm-up, upper-body exercises and push-ups in the middle of the room, followed by a sequence of leg and seat work at the barre and core exercises on the floor. The class was challenging, yet simple – using your own bodyweight for resistance along with a few basic props – free weights, mats and a ball.
The instructors were immensely helpful, regularly rounding the room and adjusting individuals for proper form and gave frequent encouragement when you were doing something right – they even made it an effort to know everyone’s name prior to the class! A super awesome, personal touch. I really, REALLY enjoyed the class!
I most definitely will be back – ESPECIALY because, for a limited time, they’re offering a new client monthly special unlimited for just $99!!
Long story short, if you’ve been eyeing this new gem, I highly recommend checking it out!! At the very least, it’s a free, fun, productive, and social way to start your Saturday morning with some girlfriends! After all, who doesn’t love a few air humping exercises for your tush first thing on a Saturday?! And, I promise you… the muscles you’re not aware you have in places you never knew existed will thank you!!!
P.S. Who says you can’t look cute during your workouts on a budget? My full outfit here is straight from Amazon and less than $45!!
