Breakfast is Served....Homemade Chocolate Granola

I used to eat breakfast religiously when I first started losing weight last year, but since starting Keto, my ability to wake up in time for Breakfast has dwindled and trying to think of a low carb Breakfast that doesn't consist of eggs is difficult. This morning I woke at 9am - a decent time for me, and by 10am I was starting to get hungry - like I said I don't usually have Breakfast so I had no idea what to make, and eggs were a no go because I plan on making a Crustless Vegetable Quiche later on this evening, so I pondered for some time and then took to the iPad app ' Ketodiet Basic App' - I mentioned this in a previous post for the Fatbombs - I scrolled through their Breakfast recipes idly not expecting to find anything pescatarian/vegetarian friendly when I came across the 'Homemade Chocolate Granola' recipe. I scoured through the ingredients and instructions wondering whether it was simple enough to make at 10 in the morning, but since I had the majority of the ingredients I decided to make the Chocolate Granola - so off to the kitchen I toddled with my iPad in hand and started bringing this recipe to life. 

Homemade Chocolate Granola

Now I have never tried Granola before, not Keto Granola, or any other type of Granola, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect as an end result, which is why I was so dubious about making it - I'm British and we hate throwing away food and wasting money - However, I will say that the Chocolate Granola was not bad. I mean it wasn't awesome - I must make some more next week awesome, but it was edible and that was good enough for me. It also smelled pretty damn incredible when it was cooking - yes you have to bake it for 20-25 minutes, so you need to own an oven - I used my Halogen Wave Oven, as it was easier and more convenient than pulling all the tins and trays out of the of the conventional oven - Don't you just hate that? 

By using the Halogen oven I did need to bake the Granola in two separate batches because this does make ALOT of Granola, but that was easily done while I was enjoying my nice, fresh bowl of Chocolate Granola with Almond Milk. 

You do need quite a bit of ingredients for this recipe - mostly nuts, which meant that I had to substitute some of the ingredients and fiddle with the cup measurements  - I hate cups - which could be the reason why the first batch of Chocolate Granola turned out dry. However, I think the lack of wet ingredients is what made the first batch dry, but more on that later. 

Now for the the recipe

Goodbye Dry Skin. Hello Radiant Goddess.

Well, after my trip to Cardiff yesterday I am officially shattered. Every muscle hurts and I feel like I've done a session at the gym, and I've never even stepped foot into a gym before. On a plus note, I came home with a brand spanking new iPad, after mine slowly lost its life - it was quite sad actually. I also had a bunch of other goodies that make rainy days more pleasurable - Pyjamas and a bunch of lotions and potions from a new skincare range - Botanics.

Here's my collection so far... 

Botanics Skincare Products 

I'm ashamed to admit that I've never been one to use skincare products, if I'm honest I've just never found one that works on my type of skin - quite severe dry patches and an oily t-zone - a struggle to work with I know, but after purchasing a few products over the years from different brands I came to the conclusion that nothing was going to work for me, and I was forever to walk this planet looking like a scaly reptile - until I found Botanics. It was a bit of a happy accident actually, as I had a few quid on my Boots loyalty card that I wanted to use and as I've lost nearly 50lbs in bodyweight, I thought it was about time I started looking after myself and my skin again. 
I decided on a toner, cleanser and face mask, and after browsing online for a few days I finally settled on the 'Botanics Ionic Clay Face Mask' and the Garnier, toner and cleanser. However, when I arrived at my local Boots store the Garnier products were all sold out - a good sign about the product it's self but not for me - I really wanted those products. Thankfully the Botanics Ionic Clay Face Mask was in stock because that is when I noticed the other Botanic products. The Botanic products are quite fresh looking - white bottles/tubs with fluorescent writing in all different colours - I hummed and arrghed as I wasn't familiar with this brand of skincare, but as I had points to use I figured it was worth a go and if all failed, I hadn't wasted any money.

Mini Crustless Asparagus, Mushroom & Leek Quiches.

Exercising isn't for everyone; some love it and look forward to their next workout, others find it a chore and look forward to finishing it - I am one of those people. I hate working out. It’s tedious, monotonous and you sweat worse than a nun in a brothel, it’s awful. So today I woke early and after much deliberation I decided I would do my workout - Day 5 of Ripped in 30 - granted I missed a few workouts last week but I refuse to start the whole DVD again. I drank my Bulletproof Coffee (recipe in my next post) as slowly, as humanely possible and then procrastinated for about 30 minutes. 

In those 30 minutes I came up with a post workout breakfast - Mini Crustless Asparagus, Mushroom & Leek Quiches -as the title says. These were so easy to prepare and were cooked by the time I finished my workout. What more can a hungry girl ask for? Oh yeah, for someone to turn the oven off when the alarm beeped! (Angry face)  However, other than looking a bit....emm....golden, they were still very light, fluffy and moist on the inside. 

I've tried these mini crustless quiches a few times. The first time they turned out perfect, the last few times they look burnt, which isn't great when all I want to do is take photos of the things and post them to Instagram, or my blog - I mean that's why we all cook in the first place right, so we can take photos? It couldn't possibly be for nutrition. It's all about the photo.

And here they are.

Mini Crustless Asparagus, Mushrooms & Leek Quiches 

Actually, they don't look that bad. I'd still eat them. Actually I still have three leftover for tomorrows Breakfast, which I will be devouring before hitting the streets of Cardiff tomorrow morning - only Bulletproof Coffee and these fatty little things will get me through shopping with shop-a-holic’s. (Sigh)

As I said earlier I woke feeling pretty creative and needed something quick, high fat, low carb and easy to make. I think I did well as these came out with a mere 1g of carbs for each individual mini quiche, and because of all the fat  one was filling enough - 3 nearly put me in a food coma. 

 So without further ado, I present you the recipe for these little beauties. 

Creamy Leek Soup.

Another soup recipe? I know I shocked myself too. Would you believe me if I told you that I'm getting slightly obsessed with the watery slop? Even now I'm thinking of another soup I can make, but soup is fitting for this awful weather we have been having lately, here in the UK. Rain, cold and more rain, makes me want to snuggle up under a thick duvet and stuff my face with lots of gooey cheese and pizza. Mmm....Pizza 

Instead, I went for the next best thing to help warm my cockles. Soup! Considering I had a soup phobia growing up I think I'm doing quite well, as this is the third soup recipe I have tried in the last 2 months, and I am loving all the experimenting and different flavours, that I wouldn't usually try. - Leeks being one of those flavours. Like soup I avoided the vegetable like the plague and I'm not even sure why. Maybe it’s because every time I think of Leeks I think of those smelly vegetables attached to little boy’s waistcoats on St David's Day, and that day is associated with some sort of Welsh stew - Cawl, which stinks! Anyway, back to today's soup.

This soup was amazing and I'm not just saying that because I made it, it truly was amazing. A creamy bowl of deliciousness and I never thought I would ever say that about a bowl of soup. Just take a look at this...

Creamy Leek Soup

Doesn't it just make you want to reach for a spoon and dig in? I still have some leftover for tomorrow's Lunch too and I may actually make it again towards the end of the week. Yes, it really was that good!

Those little beauties balancing precariously on the bowls edge are Cheddar & Mozzarella Crisps, another favourite among the Keto community. I will be showing you how to make those too. They're pretty simple and delicious. 

Also, as you can see from the image I caved on a buttered piece of organic sunflower seed bread which I bought from Holland & Barrett's last week. I will say that I have missed bread whilst cutting out grains and starches - as I am only human, and I thought as sunflower seeds are considered healthy fats that I would try some - not expecting to like the stuff. Well the verdict is that it was pretty darn amazing and only £1.99 - which was on offer.  I can say that I will definitely be buying more when I run out - which probably won't be for a very long time as 1 slice has about 34 of carbs -  I was shocked too, as I totally forgot to check out the carbs before I bought it, and that is why I only had half a piece when I could have easily have devoured the whole slice. It would make a nice treat though for days where you have the carbs to spare. 

Homemade Cheddar & Mozzarella Crisps

It's as easy as that. I used 25g of both grated Cheddar and Mozzarella,  placed on some greaseproof paper and then  popped into the halogen oven (or you can use a microwave) cook until the cheese turns golden. A little side note, these will be flexible when their cooked so you can bend them over your bowl to dip into your soup. Exactly what I did :) 

Ingredients 

• 100g Leek 
• 50g White Onion
• 40g Double Cream
• 40g Cheddar 
• 20g Unsalted Butter. 
• Half, or a whole low sodium stock cube. ( I used half a Knorr vegetable cube)
• 3 Cups of Water 
• Clove or Garlic. 
• Thyme - ( I used lemon thyme, as well as plain thyme, and it really added some subtle flavour to the soup)
• Himalayan Salt 
• Fresh ground pepper. 

Yields - 4

Instructions 

• Melt the butter in a saucepan.
• Chop and peel the onions and garlic, then add them to your saucepan
• When the onion has nearly softened, you can add in the leeks and sauté until everything is reduced and soft.
• Next add the thyme, stock cube and water, and bring the pan to the boil, then simmer for 30-40mins. 
• When the soup has cooked let it sit and cool before adding it to a blender. (You can blend until it’s smooth, or still chunky. I was adventurous today and went with some chunks). 
• Put the soup back in the saucepan and re-heat
• Add the cream. When the soup has heated to your liking remove the saucepan from the heat and add the cheese. (Adding the cheese while the pan is still on the heat will result in stringy cheese, and we don't want that in our soup. 
• Season with salt and pepper, a little thyme and cheese if you like and you’re done. 

Serve Immediately and Enjoy.

Nutrition

1 Serving of Soup

2 Servings of Homemade Cheese Crisps.

xoxo

Ketostyle

Welcome to the Keto Life... My Story!

I realise that I have been posting recipes and haven't even introduced myself, or explained how I came about Keto. So here it goes.

I'm 25 years old and also new to the Keto lifestyle. I have been losing weight and exercising for just over a year, but only recently started Keto a few months ago.  I have so far lost 48lbs, half of which was down to Keto, the other half eating IIFYM ( If It Fits Your Macros) and feeling pretty rubbish most of the time. 

I gained over 50lbs two years ago from binge drinking and developed severe social anxiety, which was mainly down to me worrying about people seeing how big I had got. I'd always had an awful relationship with food growing up,which started in my teens. I was skipping meals, and living off just coffee most days. It was not the way to live and it was getting more and more out of hand. Luckily I found the Myfitnesspal app last year, which saved me from relapsing back into depression and continuing with my ED ways. Whilst I was not completely using the app in a healthy way at the start, I began to eat more and exercise more, and slowly started to develop a healthy relationship with food for the first time in my life.

 I've now been doing Keto since Novemeber 2013 and have developed a passion for the natural, unprocessed way of eating, and the health benefits that I have gained from it. I found that when I am in ketosis for long periods of time, I have loads of energy, I'm less groggy and feel like nothing can touch me. I now want to share what I have learned over the months and the recipes I have created with whomever chooses to read this blog, if anyone at all.  I will also be documenting my weightloss journey and the trials and tribulations it brings along with it, along with anything else that I feel like blogging. 

Something to keep in mind...

"Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals".- Martin Luther King

Until next time...

xoxo

KetoStyle  

Banana & Mixed Nut Pancakes, with Peanut Butter.

I absolutely love Sunday's - make that, lazy sunday's in bed! You just can't beat them! Do you want to know what makes them even better?....You guessed it.... Pancakes!! And these pancakes will blow.your.mind! 

I cook all my pancakes with organic coconut flour - I get mine from here. Its full of; healthy fats and saturated fats, it's perfect for low carb cooking, and smells divine. For those of you who aren't familiar with coconut flour, its a little different to normal flour - OK. Make that a lot different. I mean it is the meat of a coconut and it drinks liquid like a dehydrated camel, which makes it tricky for beginners to use. I don't even know how many times I've had to throw batter out from it being too eggy, or too dry, and it's not exactly cheap to keep throwing away. So after using countless recipes that I found on the internet, and having each and everyone fail. I decided to come up with my own. I would just like to add that I have shared this recipe with quite a few people, both from Instagram and Myfitnesspal, all of which have had success with it. Which I found very appeasing. :)

Firstly, these are not very low carb pancakes. However, I eat about 40g of carbs a day and have fit them into my macro's, whilst eating vegetarian foods. Just saying.
They also weigh in at at a whopping 843 calories for the entire batch. So if you count calories on Keto, these are probably not for you.  Although, you can use less nuts, peanut butter and coconut oil to reduce the calories and carbs,  or unlike me....share the pancakes out, between 2, or more people - that's up to you. For me, that's just not an option lol. 

On that note...

The great unveiling.....drum roll please!!!

Layered Fatbombs

Hands up who loves fatbombs. I know I sure do. 

They come in all different shapes and sizes, flavours and colours, and their an easy, tasty way of getting in those extra grams of fat for the day. But what are they exactly?

Well I'll tell you. 

Fatbombs are basically self explanatory. Their little bombs of fat. Little keto candies, as I like to call them, but without all the added sugar and E numbers. And they're super easy to make.

You can use any form of fat you wish; Oil, butter, cream, nut butters, seed butters, all of the above together. It is completely up to you. 

I however chose to use; Coconut Oil, Organic Butter, Double Cream and Cocoa Powder. 

Amongst the keto community these little, low carb beauties have gone viral, and you will see why when you tuck into one of these delicious frozen sweets. But I warn you, their like pringles. 

Don’t believe me? I dare you to just eat one.

Layered Fatbombs.

Oh So Tired....High Carb Days Are Not For Me.

I have been super tired this week, even more tired than last week which is something. I've lacked motivation for any workout, I've been lethargic and groggy, and I've probably only slept for 10 hours the entire week.

 I think it all started when I incorporated CKD into my lifestyle, because before then I had more energy than a Duracell bunny on acid. I could sleep 2 hours a night and then start my workout within an hour of being awake.  For anyone who doesn't know – CKD is basically a day, or a few days a week where you eat complex carbs and limited fat within a certain time-frame. The glycogen refuels the muscles, therefore benefiting the person in their higher intensity workouts. However, if more carbs are consumed than what is needed to refuel the glycogen levels, then it could turn to fat. 

Well, that’s the basis of it. You can check out a more in depth explanation in the link above. 

Monday is usually the day which I eat higher carb – It’s my weigh day, so when better to have a ‘cheat day’. Most people don’t understand when I use the term ‘cheat day’ to define a higher carb day, because I still eat healthy foods. I don’t use the day to over indulge in junk food – although I did for the first two weeks of CKD, and felt like absolute rubbish. Now I just stick with healthy carbs; Oats, muesli, sweet potatoes, etc. But even this is slowly wearing me down. I'm not sure if it’s the constant process of being in and out of Ketosis that is making me feel tired all the time, but I can only assume that it is, as I felt great when I was constantly in Ketosis, which is why I have decided to scrap the high carb day this Monday and carry on with Ketosis, to see if I feel any different. Hopefully I can get my workouts back to being more consistent too -  as of lately I have struggled to get passed Tuesday without feeling completely exhausted, and suffering with extreme muscle aches, so I think it’s for the best. However, I will miss all the yummy, muesli and porridge that I've been eating. :( 

xoxo

KetoStyle

Homemade Broccoli & Cheddar Soup, with Mozzarella Crisps.

Growing up as child I was never one for soup. Whether it came out of a tin, or was freshly made by my mother, or grandmother,  I hated it. There was just something about the way the vegetables, or meat, floated in the bowl, and the texture was just horrific. It just didn't appeal to me and I wanted nothing to do with the stuff. 

 I had this vendetta against soup for most of my life, and I would turn my nose up at it whenever I was confronted with a bowl of the vile combination, of un-pureed vegetables. Until I started the keto diet. Now, as most of you know, coming up with different meal ideas on a keto diet is not easy, and its even harder for someone like myself who doesn't eat meat - well land animals.

 I mean the keto diet's main point is to burn pure fat. for energy, which results in weightloss. And to burn fat, you need to eat a lot of fat and very little sugar, or carbs.  Whether that's from eating eggs and bacon every day, that's up to you. Personally, I like to eat a variety of different meals and textures to keep my tastebuds and sanity. Which always has me thinking about food and new meal ideas. That's when I thought of soup. You can make soup with as much fat, or as you little as you like. Takeaway the starchy vegetables and you have yourself a perfect, low carb meal. 

It wasn't easy turning to soup for a meal idea - it was my childhood food fear after all, so the recipe needed to be perfect, and to make it edible for myself, it needed to be smooth. I thought about my favourite vegetables and then eliminated most of them - I just wasn't that adventurous for Brussels sprouts, or spinach in a soup, and then I chose Broccoli. It's perfect with most dishes and even better with cheddar. I took to the internet to find how to even make soup and found this recipe and then adapted it all to my own taste. I'll like to add that like most pinterest recipes, mine turned out NOTHING like the one in the link. Just see for yourself.

Homemade Tomato Ketchup

Until yesterday I had never made ketchup before in my life.  I had eaten a lot of the over processed, sugar laden red stuff but never actually made any, and I just so happened to have a bowl of tomato purée left over from some Aubergine Parmigiana I made last week.

Anyway, this is the finished product. It was very simple to make and smelled amazing when it was cooking. 

Homemade Tomato Ketchup 

Although a little browner than I imagined it would turn out, but I have never seen, nor tasted homemade ketchup before, as I grew up on the processed, red stuff like the majority of the world. 

Before I give you the recipe, I would just like to say that this recipe isn't actually mine, as I found it on an app that I downloaded a few weeks ago. The app is called 'Ketodiet Basic'. I'm not sure how much I paid for it at the time, but it's worth a look. I think the upgraded version is about £2.50 and you do have to pay for some of the recipes, which some people may not want to do. I haven't actually tried any recipes other than the ketchup, so I can't tell you how they are, but they do have a lot of great ideas and also have the macro counts included. This is for the iPhone version. I don't have it on the iPad yet, but it does seem different, or maybe that's just me.

KetoDiet Basic App for Iphone

Cocoa Powder Pancakes, with Strawberry Protein Powder Buttercream

I have been looking forward to posting this pancake recipe ever since I made them this morning, and I didn't even have a blog this morning! It just says it all really.....I created this blog especially for these pancakes! There I admit it, and do you blame me? Look at them, a tower of pure joy.

Cocoa Powder Pancakes, with Strawberry Protein Powder 

 I wasn't even out of bed 10 mins before I started making these, I was that excited to try this wonderful, deliciousness. 

Do you want to know the best part? You can eat these and still lose weight! Shocking right? Well, with a decent calorie deficit of course, but whose counting. 

So do you want the recipe?

Of course you do.