Todays blog post is dedicated entirely to a low carb Thanksgiving Feast! Watch the video above too! I hope this gives everyone some low carb holiday inspiration but more importantly I hope everyone has a joyous Thanksgiving. I know that I have tons to be grateful for! Thank you so much for reading and watching - XO- Kat Hart
Just in time for Thanksgiving! Let me just say- I worked hard on this recipe because I wanted it to be perfect and I am beyond proud to say I think this is just about one of the best ever on my blog. Not only is it an amazing side dish BUT it can also be a great make ahead lunch or dinner for any time of the year. The ingredients are reminiscent of a comfort food classic that you can enjoy with your family and friends for the holidays or as a meal prep lunch at your desk. No matter how you decide to enjoy this one- make it. You will literally be in love... like I am right now... eating this as I am typing. *Bliss*
lil carb Sausage & Cauliflower Stuffing- Serves 8 as a side dish 3 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups cauliflower (about one medium head), chopped
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped - Plus extra for garnishing
1/2 Tbsp fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 lb ground Italian sausage, mild/sweet or hot (I used a combo of both!)
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
3/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
In a skillet with high sides melt the butter over medium high heat.
Saute the onions and celery for 3 minutes.
Add in the ground sausage and cook for another 4 minutes breaking up the sausage as it cooks.
Next, add the chopped garlic and stir for 30 seconds until the garlic becomes fragrant.
Add in the cauliflower with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Turn the heat down to medium heat.
Cook, stirring occasionally for 8 minutes.
Then add in the rosemary, sage, and parsley along with the frozen peas and carrots.
Stir until mixed well.
Then, add the chicken stock to the pan and scrap the flavorful bits off the bottom of the pan.
Cover with a lid and allow to cook for 15 minutes or until all of your liquid has absorbed, stirring every couple minutes.
Then transfer to a serving bowl and top with toasted walnuts and some more chopped parsley. Enjoy!
*Recipe makes 8 - 1/2 cup servings as a side dish for the holidays*
We are vastly approaching the holiday season! I MAY be the most excited person in the entire world for the holidays this year but it's not a competition, right?! JK. But seriously the holidays are literally right around the corner so I thought it would be a good time to start with an amazingly easy, quick, and delicious cookie recipe! By the title you know this is going to be a peanut butter cookie but what you may not know is there are really only 3 ingredients. Ya... I said it... 3. I did add 2 more simple ingredients to mine, vanilla extract and some pink Himalayan sea salt but they really are not necessary and if you're a low carb-er like me then you definitely have eggs, PB, and Trivia in your house. So you can literally, probably, make these as soon as you finish reading my long rant. Cue the recipe!!!!
low carb Peanut Butter Cookies- Makes 12
1 cup peanut butter (use your favorite!)
1/3 cup granulated low carb sweetener (I use Truvia or stevia)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
coarse sea salt (optional) I use Pink Himalayan Salt
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a cookie sheet with some non stick cooking spray and set aside.
In a small bowl combine the peanut butter, egg, Truvia, and vanilla extract.
Stir until all the ingredients are combined together, takes about 30 seconds.
Once everything is well combined use a tablespoon measure and roll the batter into balls.
place on the cookie sheet leaving some room between each cookie.
Then using a fork OR a potato masher (see my video above to see how I do it!), make 2 impressions into each cookie flattening it as you go.
Sprinkle each cookie with a tiny pinch of sea salt and bake for 12-13 minutes.
Watch then carefully towards the end to make sure the bottoms don't burn.
Remove them from the oven and let sit on the cookie sheet for 2 1/2 more minutes then move to a cooling rack until they are cooled to room temperature then devour! And of course- ENJOY!
We have all been there. You eat a few carbs one day and then a couple more the next day and before you know it your "low carb diet" is not so low anymore. You might begin to feel sluggish or see the scale going up so you want to kick your butt into gear and get back on track. Here I have 5 tips to help you out and jumpstart your low carb lifestyle.
If you are new to low carb these tips will also be helpful to get you started and begin your journey!
Just always remember- getting off track is not the end of the world but getting back on track is what will show what you are made of!
Tips: 1. Do your research- Even if you have already researched the low carb diet go ahead and research some more. There might be new information out there. If you are new to the low carb lifestyle it is always good to research and see if it is right for you and if you can see yourself sticking to it. Remember this is a lifestyle and if you are serious about losing weight or changing your life then you should research and find the best plan for you and your body. I recommend the book that got me started on this journey- The 100 By Jorge Cruise. This book has so much information included in it as well as weeks of meal plans- let me be more specific- EASY meal plans. If you are struggling with where to start, want to learn more, or you want to get back to basics and really lose some LBs then I highly recommend this book.
2. Clean out your kitchen & pantry- If you have low willpower for junk food and sweets or carbs in general then you should definitely clean out your pantry and fridge. Anything that is unopened and not expired you can donate, gift to friends, or bring to your work for the break room. Having these items out of your site will definitely help curve the craving for them. If you don't have it in your house then you can't eat it!
3. Stick to it! The longer you stick to a low carb diet the more results you will see. For me it wasn't only about my visual results but also about how my body felt. I had more energy, I slept better at night and I was overall happier in general. I think sometimes we get complacent with our diet and our appearance and we don't realize how great we can feel. I always urge people to be the best version of themselves they can be. It is not always the easiest thing to do but I think it has the biggest payoff to finally feel healthy and comfortable in your body. Make a promise to yourself that no matter what you will stick to your new lifestyle for a certain amount of time. I like the 2 week rule. Say for 2 weeks I will stick to this and I will not cheat or give up. After those 2 weeks not only will you have stuck to your promise but I bet you will have seen results and will be even more motivated than ever. If not, that is ok too! It is all about finding what is best for you and your body.
4. Remember: Detoxing is normal- Depending how many carbs and sugars you eat on a daily basis your body will go through a short detox when you are beginning the low carb diet. This is important to know before you get started because this can sometimes be debilitating. For me it wasn't that bad it was about 4 days in total day one was not so bad, days 2 and 3 had me feeling very "off", and day 4 was better and by day 5 I felt great. If you know this going into it you know it will subside and you will be on the other side of it soon enough. For me detoxing felt like I had a weak flu virus. I was tired, I had a mild headache, I felt warm even though I didn't have a fever, and I definitely didn't feel like myself. Knowing that I was detoxing almost had me welcoming these feelings because I knew I was getting the processed sugar and carbs out of my system and just like that- it was over.
5. Download an app or start a food journal- For those of you that are into your phone and tablets like I am I find it veery helpful to download an app to help keep track of your food intake throughout the day. Often times I think I am doing well and eating low carb but then once you sit down and really track every food you put into your mouth you could be surprised to find you are not as low as you want to be. Apps and food journaling can really help hold you accountable too! Sometimes I would not want to log something so I just wouldn't eat it! Silly yet effective!
I hope this short list of tips helped motivate you to get back on track OR test the waters and see if low carb is right for you! I am an open book as always so if there are ever any questions please leave them below! More tips to staying on track with maybe some meal plans coming up soon!
Watch my video below for the tips on video as well as a tour of my spooky house decorations.
Everyone knows I love my taco dinners but since most of the time it is just Jason and I for dinner we have leftover taco meat. This is just one of the many ways I like to use it so nothing goes to waste! I hope this recipe gives you some inspiration to not only use leftovers in a new way but also opens your mind into the world of breakfast pizzas! If you liked this recipe let me know and I will show you some of my other breakfast pizzas!
lil carb Taco Breakfast Pizza Serves 1 or 2
(Jason can eat a whole one, I can only eat half before I am stuffed!)
2 eggs
1 Tbsp half & half
1/2 cup leftover taco meat
5 slices roma tomato
1/3 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 Tbsp butter
salt & pepper
*Plus toppings of your choice- guacamole, sour cream, taco sauce, etc!
Start by warming your taco meat in the microwave for 1 minute and set aside.
Then whisk 2 eggs with half and half and a pinch of salt and pepper and set aside.
In an 8 inch, non stick skillet melt butter on medium high heat.
Add in the whisked eggs.
To create a perfect egg-pizza-"crust" follow my 3 simple tips (reference my video above too!)
1. Swirl the pan to get the egg moving.
2. Scrape away the egg from the sides.
3. Pull the egg away from the sides allowing the raw egg to get underneath and cook.
Continue to do this until the egg crust is mostly cooked.
Then time to assemble the pizza!
Turn the heat down to medium low and add your taco meat onto your egg "crust".
Arrange tomato slices on top of the taco meat and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and then sprinkle cheese all over.
Cover and allow the cheese to warm and start to melt.
Remove from the heat and run your spatula around the pans edge to loosen the "pizza".
Plate and top with your favorite taco toppings and ENJOY!
