Peanut Butter Cup Fudge

     I just love my Lily's Chocolate so much, it really cures my cravings...and for that I'm immensely grateful.  They posted a recipe that really got my wheels spinning and I had to try it out, with only a few minor changes.  These 18 decadent servings literally melt in your mouth.  Each piece is only 166 calories, 11.6g carbs, 6.1g fiber, 4.2g sugar alcohol, 1.3g net carbs, 3.4g protein and 14.1g fat.  This is one to go on the must try list, super fast, super easy, super delish!  Can I hear an amen for stevia sweetened Chocolate...!?  :)

Ingredients for 18 servings~
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream (sub with Coconut Cream for Vegan)
9oz bag Lily's Dark Stevia Sweetened Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup Peanut Butter
6 Lily's Peanut Butter Cups (this is one 3.2oz bag), chopped

     Bring Cream to low simmer, remove from heat and stir in Chocolate til melted, then stir in Seed Butter or Peanut Butter til smooth and fully incorporated, pour into parchment lined 9X5 loaf pan, sprinkle top with chopped Peanut Butter Cups, press slightly into mixture, chill in fridge til set, approximately 2-3 hours.  Slice into 18 equal pieces.  Enjoy  :)

Vegan Roasted Cauliflower Root Stew

     Do you try to do a few meatless meals a week?  If not, try.  This is a tasty favorite in my family, and perfect for large gatherings.  Another beauty is this is super for cold or warm weather fare.  This is a hearty vegan dish that will excite your taste buds,  fill your belly and thrill your soul.  :)

Ingredients for one large pot~
1 large head Cauliflower, cut in florets
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Dash Everything Bagel Seasoning (sub with Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder)
1 large Onion, diced
1 Tablespoon chopped Garlic (more if desired)
Dash Cayenne
1 pound baby Carrots, sliced
1 small piece Ginger, peeled and diced
4 cups Vegetable Broth (more if desired for thinner soup)
2 diced Potatoes
2 diced Sweet Potatoes
1 can petite diced Tomatoes
1 can Tomato Sauce
1 Tablespoon Tumeric
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
2 cans drained Garbanzo Beans
1 can full fat Coconut Cream

     Add chopped Cauliflower to foil lined cookie sheet, drizzle a Tablespoon Oil over top, rub around til fully incorporated.  Season with Bagel Seasoning, or as desired.  Roast at 450 for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, add remaining Oil to stock pot, along with Onion, Garlic, dash of Cayenne til lightly golden.  Add diced Carrots and Ginger, cook til Onions are deep golden.  Add remaining ingredients to pot except for Beans and Coconut Cream, simmer 40 minutes, stirring often.  Add extra Broth if necessary or desired for thinner soup.  Finally stir in Cauliflower, Beans and Coconut Cream til well combined and heated thru.  Garnish with sliced Green Onions if desired. Enjoy  :)

Salted Maple Rosemary Almonds

     Don't you just love the sweet and salty combo!?  Try this recipe on for size and see if it doesn't just fit the bill.  This is perfect for gift giving at the holidays, or just having around for snacking.  Super simple to make, and exceptionally fast to put together.  The other beauty of this recipe is that there are no extra calories added to these extra rich treats!

Ingredients~
2 cups Almonds
1/4 cup Lakanto Maple Syrup ~use code Paige20 for discount at checkout
Dash Rosemary
Dash Cayenne Pepper
Dash Salt

     Add Almonds to parchment lined cookie sheet, bake at 350 for 10 minutes, stir half way thru.  Remove, drizzle with Syrup, and sprinkle with desired amount of Rosemary, Pepper and Salt, stir together and return to oven for 15 more minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, making sure not to burn.  If it starts to burn, remove immediately.  Enjoy  :)

   

Broccoli Bacon Chicken Salad

     Three cheers for a good salad.  My Broccoli Bacon Chicken Salad might even get four!!!  Four cheers for four servings, and each 3 cup serving is only 468 calories, 21g carbs, 8.3g fiber, 12.7g net carbs (8.7 if you omit the Apple), 43g protein, and 24g fat.  Serve this straight up or on a bed of mixed Greens.  Have your friends over and enjoy every bite with gusto...or save it all for yourself just like me...  :)

Four 3 cup servings~
3/4 pound finely diced cooked Chicken Breast
10 slices diced cooked Bacon
1.5 pounds steamed diced Broccoli
1 medium diced Fuji Apple
1 1/3 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese (sub with favorite)
7oz 5% Greek Fage Yogurt
1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Lakanto Monk Fruit~use code Paige20 for discount at checkout
Everything Bagel Seasoning, or Salt and Pepper

     Toss Chicken, Bacon, Broccoli, Apple and Cheese in large mixing bowl til well incorporated.  In small mixing bowl mix Yogurt, Vinegar, and Monk Fruit and pour over Salad til fully coated.  Season with Everything Bagel Seasoning, or Salt and Pepper as desired.  Enjoy  :)

Cream of Sweet Potato Soup

      So yeah, it's a little different, ...but who’s counting.  Cream of Sweet Potato Soup is a meatless offering  for lunch or dinner.  Amazingly rich and decadent, it hits all the high notes.  There are many variables on these ingredients, so it was hard to get an exact measure on macros.  But here is a general idea that comes pretty close.  Each of the 16 cups are approximately 135 calories, 11g carbs, 2.6g fiber, 8.4g net carbs, 5g protein and 9g fat.  Since this makes such a generous pot, invite your friends and make a party of it.😊

Ingredients for 16 cups~
1 pound Baby Carrots (or one pound sliced Carrots)
3 large Sweet Potatoes
2~14oz packages Firm Tofu, crumbled
6 cups Chicken Broth
2 chopped Zucchini
1 chopped Onion
Heaping Tablespoon chopped Garlic
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Cayenne Pepper, to taste
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13.6oz can Coconut Milk

     Bring first set of ingredients to boil in large heavy pot for 10 minutes, cover and reduce to simmer for 30 minutes, remove and cool slightly.  Stir in Coconut Milk.  Either use an immersion blender, or pour by batches in your blender and whip til smooth and soup like consistency.  Garnish as desired, I sprinkled mine with sliced Green Onions.  Enjoy  :)

Five Seed Chocolate Chips

     Here's a big shout out to Beyond the Equator for their Five Seed Butter.  Whether you are Keto, Vegan, Low Carb, Vegetarian or just Intermittent Fasting, this all natural sugar free seed spread will fit nicely into your lifestyle.  In fact, you should be proud to declare you are a seed eater~Chia, Flax, Pumpkin, Sunflower and Hemp!  Each of these 40 cookies are only 87 calories, 6.4g carbs, 1.7g fiber, 3.2g sugar alcohol, 1.5g net carbs, 3.4g protein and 7.2g fat.  The next time you want to feel all the feels, and draw closer to Mother Earth, check out Beyond the Equator at www.beyondtheequator.com...where you don't feel like a nut...  ;)

Ingredients for 40 cookies~
Beyond the Equator 14oz jar of Five Seed Butter (I used the no added Sugar, but choose your favorite)
2 Extra Large Eggs
1/2 cup Lakanto Golden Monk Fruit ~use code Paige20 for discount at checkout (sub with Classic if preferred)
3/4 cup Lily's stevia sweetened Milk Chocolate Chips (sub with dark or semi-sweet if preferred)

     Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix til well incorporated.  Drop by Tablespoons onto silpat lined cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Enjoy  :)

Thanksgiving Turkey Cookies

     Don't be a Turkey this Holiday... make some Thanksgiving Turkey Cookies (...if you don't want to feel "stuffed")!  In fact, you are in luck because this recipe can make a nice "flock" (and, anything after one is just "gravy"...)!  Thanks to the festivities, we have many reasons to celebrate these perfect little fowls.  Each cookie with frosting is approx 350 low carb high protein calories.  "Fly" into a Holiday craft project, get your "legs" moving and earn a "feather" in your creative cap, ... then "gobble gobble" these birdies up  ;)  PS  If you are not sure what design to make, just "Wing It"  ...

Ingredients for Turkeys~
Quest Nutrition Peanut Butter Protein Cookies (sub with favorite Quest Cookie flavor)
Quest Peanut Butter Cups
Edible Eyes
2 Tablespoons Butter, room temperature
1/2 cup/4oz Cream Cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup Lakanto Confectioners Monk Fruit~use code Paige20 at checkout for discount
Food Coloring, as desired

     Unwrap Quest Cookies and lay flat.  Mix together Butter, Cream Cheese and Confectioners til smooth, add coloring to different portions as desired (should be enough frosting for 4 Cookies) .  Use a dab of frosting to glue Peanut Butter Cup to Cookie, and Eyes to Peanut Butter Cup.  Use colored frosting to pipe feathers, hair, smile and feet.  Spread your wings of creativity and fly away into the Holidays!  Enjoy  ;)

Olive Oil Pumpkin Cake

     Have you ever tried Olive Oil in your cakes!?  Sounds crazy right, but guess what...it's GOOD!!!  This is one not to be missed, and it goes without saying that it is moist beyond compare.  Each of the 18 servings are only 259 calories, 17.6g carbs, 1.7g fiber, 14.2g sugar alcohol, 1.7g net carbs, 5.2g protein and 25g fat.  This is a perfect option for a large gathering, and would be a great addition to any Fall shindig.  Put this on your short list for trying very very soon!!!  :)

Ingredients for 18 servings~
5 Extra Large Eggs, beaten
1 cup Olive Oil
1 cup Lakanto Monk Fruit~use code Paige20 at checkout for discount
1 cup Pumpkin
2 cups Almond Flour
1 heaping teaspoon Baking Powder
Dash Pumpkin Pie Spice (sub with Cinnamon)
Dash Vanilla
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4 Tablespoons Butter, softened to room temperature
4oz Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
1/3 cup Lakanto Confectioners Monk Fruit~use code Paige20 at checkout for discount

     Add Eggs to mixing bowl, whip with beaters, add in Oil, Monk Fruit, and Pumpkin til well blended.  Add Flour, Powder, Spices and Vanilla til fully incorporated, pour into parchment lined 9X13 (or just coat with cooking spray), bake at 350 for 33-35 minutes, or til set.  Meanwhile, mix second set of ingredients, and after cake has cooled and while oven still warm, set frosting in oven to soften, spread on cake, garnish with a sprinkle of Cinnamon or Pumpkin Pie Spice if desired.  Store in fridge.  Enjoy  :)

Sour Cream Pumpkin Donuts

     Donuts seem like a decadent treat for breakfast, but what if they were sugar free, gluten free and oh sooooo good!?  All you need is one of these new silicone Donut pans and you are half way there.  My Sour Cream Pumpkin Donuts will make any tummy smile.  Each of the 10 Donuts are only 181 calories, 13.8g carbs, 2.1g fiber, 9.6g sugar alcohol, 2.1g net carbs, 6.5g protein and 15.5g fat (macros do not include toppings).  Then decide to garnish to your hearts desire.  These even freeze quite nicely...if there is any leftover!  ;)

Ingredients for 10 Donuts~
1/4 cup/4 Tablespoons Butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup Lakanto Golden Monk Fruit~use code Paige20 at checkout for discount
2 Extra Large Eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup Pumpkin
1/4 cup Sour Cream
1.5 cups Almond Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
Dash Pumpkin Pie Spice (sub with Cinnamon)
Dash Vanilla
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Lakanto Confectioners Monk Fruit~use code Paige20 for discount at checkout
Lily's Stevia Sweetened Chocoate
Whipping Cream
Chopped Nuts

     Mix Butter and Monk Fruit with beaters til fully incorporated, blend in Eggs, and then add in remaining first set of ingredients.  Coat silicone Donut Pan (metal will work as well, but the silicone is a game changer) with cooking spray and fill 10 wells with dough, bake at 375 for 20 minutes, let cool completely and flip on wire rack.  Garnish as desired.  I mixed Confectioners Monk Fruit with Whipping Cream to desired texture, or melted Lily's Chocolate with Whipping Cream til smooth and to desired texture, add to baggie, snip corner and drizzle on top, add chopped Nuts if desired.  Enjoy  :)