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I love a good glass of red wine now and then, I mean it's practically a health food, right? ;) But sometimes I just want a cocktail. I'm all for moderation and having a drink now and then, but I'm just not down with the calorie, carb, and sugar counts of some of my favorites. Seriously, have you ever looked them up? Eek. So, I've set to work at converting my favorite cocktail recipes to be more keto diet friendly!

The first cocktail recipe I'm tackling is the keto lemon drop. I used to love these, but haven't had one in years because of the sugar in them. In my early twenties I had a friend who used to make them for me all the time. We would have a shaker full of these, a good dinner, and a chick flick on a weeknight, it was kind of bliss. Her recipe called for so. much. SUGAR though! Looking back I think she may have used a wee bit more sugar than most, but they were really good.





I think my keto-ized recipe comes pretty dang close to those delicious memories! It…

January 1, I embarked on an interesting journey; I decided to start the 75 Hard Challenge (scroll to the bottom of the post for my updated journal on my progress. I've gotten a lot of questions on this program and what it is exactly, what the rules are, etc. So...


What is 75 Hard? It's a mental toughness skills development challenge started by Andy Frisella. (Since first posting this, it is now a book as well.) His premise is that mental toughness is a skill and therefore can be learned, practiced, and honed. Andy designed this challenge to cultivate: confidence, self-belief, self-esteem, self-worth, endurance, fortitude, grit, perseverance, self-discipline, endurance, resilience... and all of the skills inside the scope of mental toughness.  Check out the podcast that started it all for all the info from Andy himself: https://andyfrisella.com/blogs/mfceo-project-podcast/75hard-a-75-day-tactical-guide-to-winning-the-war-with-yourself-with-andy-frisella-mfceo291 Note that if f-bo…

Going keto paleo has me missing one thing: the organic grass-fed half-and-half I'd been having in my coffee. Since going paleo over a year ago I've searched and searched and just never found anything else I love in my coffee. I'd just about given up on a keto paleo-friendly coffee creamer!

I was almost to resign myself to black coffee forever, but then I decided to resort again to trying to make my own. This version is simple and quite delicious. Not only is it keto paleo, but Whole30 and 21 Day Sugar Detox friendly as well.




Keto Paleo Cinnamon Vanilla Coffee Creamer
Ingredients
1 can Organic Canned Coconut Milk(the kind in the carton just won't do it)
1 teaspoon Cinnamon Vietnamese Organic
1 teaspoon Organic Pure Vanilla for 100% Whole30 compliant swap for vanilla powder
2 teaspoons raw local honey or Organic Maple Syrup (optional, leave out for KETO, Whole30, or 21DSD)





Directions
Blend all ingredients well in your blender. Store in the refrigerator (the cinnamon tends to set…

It's just not the holidays for me without a Starbucks peppermint mocha (or white chocolate peppermint mocha, mmm). I generally splurge once or twice during the holiday season with the real thing. Since going keto paleo, however, I'm not sure if I will. Sometimes the sugar just isn't worth it!


Problem is I like them, miss them, and would really enjoy them all season long!
So..... I decided I wanted to tackle the peppermint mocha and come up with Paleo-friendly version. With this simple recipe, I can have a peppermint mocha anytime.


Not only is this recipe Paleo, but it's also Whole30, gluten-free, vegan, primal, and 100% junk-free. Paleo Peppermint Mocha RecipeIngredients:
1 can Organic Canned Coconut Milk(Regular, NOT light. Seriously, ew.)
1/3 cup Organic Cocoa Powder
2 to 3 Tablespoons Organic Grade B Maple Syrup (Optional, leave out for keto or Whole30.)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Organic Peppermint Extract(Depending how pepperminty you like it. I do 1/2 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon Organic …

It's that time of year again. Pumpkin-time that is! Yes, yes, I want all. Things. Pumpkin. Right now. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin spiced everyyyyythingggg.

Sorry, not sorry.

However, I'm currently doing pretty strict Keto Paleo (more on that in another post). So no PSL's for me. Dangit.

Unless....


Paleo Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

Ingredients1 can Organic Classic Coconut Milk - If you do dairy you can use 2 cups of Heavy Whipping Cream here instead. 
1 Tablespoon Organic Pumpkin (YES, it has real pumpkin it it. Seriously, they all should...)
2 teaspoons Organic Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Organic Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Organic Cloves
1/8 teaspoon Organic Ginger
2 Tablespoons Grade B Organic Maple Syrup (completely optional- leave out for a sweetener-free, strict Paleo, 21 Day Sugar Detox, KETO, low carb, and Whole30 friendly coffee creamer. Or swap for Truvia or Monk Fruit.)


Directions
Add all ingredients into your blender and blend well (about a minute). Store in your refrigerator…

There are tons of keto coffee creamer products flooding the market right now. Some are fantastic options. Some chock full of nasty ingredients. But most of them are on the pricey side.

I decided to work on some clean, more budget-friendly, keto coffee creamer recipes we can easily make at home! (Check out my Keto Peppermint Mocha Coffee Creamer too.)⠀

This dairy-free Cinnamon Vanilla Keto Coffee Creamer is definitely one of my favorites. I just love cinnamon coffees. They're delicious. Plus, cinnamon is supposed to be good for blood sugar control. Win-win.


Keto Cinnamon Vanilla Coffee Creamer ⠀⠀☕☕☕ ⠀
⠀
INGREDIENTS⠀⠀1 can (13.66 oz) Canned Coconut Cream
2 teaspoons Organic Saigon Cinnamon⠀⠀
2 teaspoons Organic Pure Vanilla⠀⠀
Low Carb Sweetener to taste, generally 5 to 10 packets OR 5 to 15 drops monk fruit (optional)⠀ ⠀
DIRECTIONS⠀⠀Add all ingredients to your blender. Blend, just until combined. About 30 seconds, scraping the sides if you need to. ⠀
Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 to 7 d…

I have gone back and forth with low carb since I was 24. I feel better when eating keto and I definitely have good progress with weight loss when I eat that way, but it can be a challenge to stick with. As I get older I find that the feeling better part of being low carb has become my driving motivation for sticking to it. I'm completely committed to keto now and that has me finding new ways to stick with it!

Ways such as keto pancakes. Say what-what? Yes. Low carb pumpkin pancakes no less. And? They're pretty darned yummy...

Whether you're seriously bored with your egg fast or just a low carb or keto style eater these Pumpkin Pie Cream Cheese Pancakes are for you! With only 5 grams of carbs for the ENTIRE RECIPE they'll fit nicely into your plan. They're a quick and super easy breakfast option. Plus, yes, they're delicious! And oh so appropriate for pumpkin spice season. Oh, who am I kidding, I eat them year-round.

This recipe makes 3 or 4 decent sized pancakes a…

It's that time of year again. Pumpkin Spice Latte season that is! I want all. Things. Pumpkin. Right now. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin spiced everyyyyythingggg. I mean, have you smelled the Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Candle from Bath & Body Works yet? So good. Oh yes, pumpkin obsession is in full force.Just me?Anyway, I'm currently doing pretty strict Keto (more on that in another post), so no good ole PSL's for me this year. Dangit.

Unless....

KETO Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer Recipe Ingredients1 can Organic Classic Coconut Cream
1 Tablespoon Organic Canned Pumpkin (YES, it has real pumpkin it it. Seriously, they all should...)
2 teaspoons Organic Saigon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Organic Ground Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Organic Ground Cloves
1/8 teaspoon Organic Ground Ginger
Truvia Packets or Monk Fruit Drops to taste - I like to use both together. Sweetness is a personal preference, but just as a guideline: I do 10 drops monk fruit and 5 packets Truvia. You can also leave this o…

If you're doing a Whole30 chances are your whole family isn't doing it with you. In the past I've found that this can be a bit overwhelming when it comes to food prep. Making every meal completely separate is just a lot to do. One solution I have found is to make family-friendly Whole30 dinner recipes. That way, at least for one meal, I was just making one meal that everyone would eat. 

I thought I'd share some of the great Whole 30 dinner recipes I've found from my favorite bloggers (and my own recipes are in there too!). 30 Whole30 dinner recipes to be exact! This list should help you cruise through an entire month of Whole30 with great family friendly dinners.


One Month of Whole30 Dinner Recipes
Crock Pot Sweet Potato Chipotle Chili from Cotter Crunch
Ancho Beef Chili Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins from Cotter Crunch
Easy Paleo Tuna Green Chile Zoodle Casserole from Cotter Crunch
Whole30 Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas from Physical Kitchness
Burrito Bowl Stuffed Peppers from At…

Since going Paleo my family has fallen even more in love with our grill. Paleo and grilling just work well together. The past couple of years I've even been stepping outside my grilling comfort zone more and more. Grilling things I'd never thought to have grilled before and trying new flavor combinations. I have to say I'm pretty thrilled with the results of most of my flavor experiments. 

In the past I'd never have thought to grill fruit, but it's amazing. Grilling fruit and adding it to traditionally savory dishes? Brilliant.



Oh yes, and? New rule: every burger recipe for the rest of forever must contain grilled pineapple. OK, maybe more of a guideline. It's a seriously delicious combination though.

This Smoky Grilled Pineapple Burger is always a crowd-pleaser at my house. It's not only Paleo, but Whole30, glutenfree, lower carb, and clean eating friendly. I promise you won't miss the bun! 

paleo, grilled pineapple burger, smoky grilled pineapple burger,…