Keto Hot Chocolate

FINALLY... Finally, finally, finally cold weather is upon us! Bring on cozy sweaters, tall boots, thick scarves, gorgeous leaves, warm bonfires, and, of course, hot chocolate.

Hot chocolate has always been one of my favorite fall/winter drinks. It's rich, creamy, and chocolate, in any form, just has a way of soothing the soul. I honestly never liked the hot chocolate that you bought in packets and poured over hot water. Every now and then I could get my mama to use milk and cream to make real, authentic hot chocolate--topped with marshmellows and/or whipped cream too!

Last fall, I bought a box of Starbucks' original hot cocoa mix, and I am so serious when I say it tasted exactly like the hot chocolate you could order right there in store. It was an investment in my kitchen, but not to my waistline. I gained about 20 pounds last fall, and drinking so many of these, on top of other bad habits, definitely didn't help. Just one serving of "regular" hot chocolate has about 50 grams of carbs and 43 grams of sugar; these are my carb and sugar allowances for TWO whole days!

So basically I could enjoy one of Starbucks' hot chocolates... if that's all I consume for 48 hours (LOL). We all know that's not happening!

So I did some digging (and Pinteresting) and found several keto-friendly and low-carb hot cocoa recipes. I mixed one up and tailored it to my tastes, as well as to what I already had in my kitchen, and I wound up with an amazing hot chocolate recipe that satisfies my sweet tooth and fits inside my macronutrient goals! I probably wouldn't drink this yummy concoction every night, but once or twice a week is totally doable for my personal goals!

The recipe contains just 5 ingredients, one of which is optional! Keep reading!!

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup unsweetened almond milk (regular milk will work too)
1/2 Cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons Truvia (or your preferred sweetener) This is the ingredient that's optional! I made a second batch without the sweetener and it was just as delicious! I honestly couldn't tell a difference!
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In a small pan, heat the milk, HWC, and sweetener (optional) to a boil then turn on low heat. Stir in your unsweetened cocoa and vanilla extract and whisk until there are no chocolatey clumps!

Remove from heat and serve in mugs after it's had a couple minutes to cool... I actually say screw this part--I like my hot chocolate HOT!!!

This makes 2 servings, about 8 ounces each!!

Nutrition:

For ONE serving, this hot chocolate has:
9 g carbs
25 g fat
2 g protein
222 calories

This is with the Truvia; without it, you save about 4 grams of carbs, so that's something to remember!

If you try it and love it, please comment and let me know!

Low Carb Peanut Butter Cookies

Happy HUMP Day, lovelies! I'm bringing you a recipe I grabbed partially from a Keto group I'm in on Facebook, partially from Pinterest. When I first saw the recipe posted in one of my keto groups, the comments beneath the girl's post ranged from "OMG U SAVED MY LIFE WITH THIS" to "sorry but this is not a keto recipe."

After browsing similar, simple peanut butter cookie recipes on Pinterest (and of course doing a little bit of research), I decided that I would not refer to these cookies as a "keto-friendly recipe." There are all sort of debates over peanut butter and artificial sweeteners (very few in both food categories are scientifically keto-approved). These cookies are, however, low in carbs--I would say about 60% lower in carb count than the average cookie.

Did I mention that they're only THREE ingredients?! I think that's what excited me the most! I baked these last night when I was craving something sweet and just one cookie not only fit my macro count for the day, but it truly hit the spot! Recipe is posted below!!

Recipe yields 10-12 cookies

Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1/4 Cup Truvia. This could easily be 1/4-1/2 C depending on what kind of sweetener you're using. Truvia is really sweet, so 1/4 was plenty!
1 Cup natural peanut butter

Directions:
Using a mixer, mix all of your ingredients together until well-blended. Roll into balls and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes or until the cookies are browned.
Let them cool for about 5 minutes before eating!

Within an hour, half the plate was gone. I had one, and then Eric and Vaught devoured these babies. They really are amazing!!!

Nutrition:
Based on the ingredients I personally used, these are the macros for each cookie in a 12-cookie batch.

Each cookie yields:
131 calories
9.4 grams carbs
11 grams fat
5.7 grams protein

These are the calories and macros for the ENTIRE batch :)

90 Second Bread

I don't miss sweets. I don't miss chocolate or ice cream. I don't miss late-night binges that always left me feeling shameful and gross.

One thing I do miss? BREEEEEAAAAAADDDDDD. I miss it like I miss Vaught when I go more than a day without snuggling him. I miss going into my kitchen and whipping up a turkey and cheese or PB + J sandwich! Although I know that bread is full of sugar and carbs that have no true health benefits to my body, I have to admit that it's the one thing that's hard to go without.

That's why I was SO excited to have discovered cloud bread, which really hits the spot, especially for breakfast sandwiches.

And then... there was 90 second bread... And if you crave that crunch from toasted bread, you're going to love this!!! It is much quicker and easier than cloud bread; you can literally make it in under 5 minutes total!

I was blown away at how delicious it is and for only 3.5 grams of carbs?! Yes, please!

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons almond flour
1 large egg
1.5 tablespoons butter
3/4 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

Mix together and microwave for 90 seconds.

Yes, that's seriously (almost) it.

I have seen similar 90 second bread recipes circulate that included adding another step, toasting or frying the bread in a pan. After tasting the bread right out of the microwave, I think this final step is crucial; it adds even more flavor to the bread and you get that crunch like it's toasted!

So cut your loaf in half and toast/fry for about a minute on each side in a frying pan.

My next lunch idea using these bad boys is 90 second grilled cheese! I can't wait to see how that turns out!

Nutrition:
3.5 grams carbs
21 grams fat
9 grams protein
242 calories total
Yields ONE serving

Cloud Bread (Low Carb, Keto-Friendly)

Expect more than a few "recipe dumps" on here in the next few weeks! I am obviously loving playing around with all of the fun, delicious low-carb recipes while following the ketogenic lifestyle once again!

I won't chatter too much on this one: the recipe is super simple! The "bread" comes out light and fluffy! I love cloud bread most for breakfast sandwiches in the morning! You can make a big batch of these and freeze them for later; they can even be put in the toaster--just be careful not to toast for too long!

Recipe for Cloud Bread

3 eggs (separate yolks and whites)
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (For some reason, the amount varies from kitchen to kitchen, I've noticed!)
3 tablespoons cream cheese (softened)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300.

Separate your egg whites into a bowl and add your cream of tartar. Whisk on HIGH with a mixer until stiff peaks form. It should look like you've whipped up cake icing, but it will be super soft-not thick like icing!

In a separate bowl, mix the cream cheese and yolks together with a fork. Add the egg whites and cream of tarter mixture until it's all mixed together and continue mixing until blended well.

Spoon out onto a wax sheet or greased cookie sheet (this recipe yields anywhere from 8-12, depending on the size of each individual bread!)

Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes or until browned on top!

Nutrition (for the whole batch):
3.1 grams carbs
29 grams fat
21.5 grams protein
365 calories

Keto Chocolate Mousse

As most of you probably know, I have jumped back into my ketogenic lifestyle in the past few weeks. I used to, and sometimes still do, consider myself cyclically keto, maintaining my diet for several days at a time then eating more carbs for a couple of days. However, in my past experiences with ketosis, I was prone to letting that get a little out of hand and eventually falling completely off the wagon. The good thing about this lifestyle is that even when I do put a few pounds back on, as soon as I revert back to healthy, low-carb eating, I lose the weight (plus some) rather quickly. I honestly can't deny how much better I feel when my body is in ketosis!

I first learned about keto in early 2016 from my friend Britton, who has implemented the lifestyle for a few years now. I got to it right away, cutting out all processed foods, simple carbs, and sugars, and I immediately lost more than 10 pounds. Since then, I have had my rounds with the keto diet, getting really serious about it again in January of this year, falling a little off the wagon around May.

Unlike 2016 however, I didn't let myself gain all the weight back plus more. I reverted back to eating more carbs, but I still kept an eye on my weight and logged my calories and macronutrients in MyFitnessPal. I did gain a few pounds back in August-September, but those babies are now gone!

When my company announced our new product, Keto Coffee, in late September, I got so excited about getting my body back in ketosis! I was blown away at how many of my ItWorks friends were not familiar with ketosis, and I was seriously so pumped up that I already knew all about it! I got to work right away and, as usual, I loved how easily and quickly my body adapted to going back to the low-carb way of life (25-35 grams per day).

Since then, I have fallen in love with Pinterest all over again! When I'm not working my business, I am pinning healthy, wholesome recipes and snack ideas that are low-carb and/or keto-friendly.

I still have days now and then when I'm consuming a few more carbs than my regular ketogenic allotment, but keep in mind that I'm doing really strenuous workouts a few times a week too!

I discovered a keto-friendly chocolate mousse recipe a few nights ago, so that's what I'm sharing with you guys today! I adapted it to fit my needs and diet, so I'm listing the recipe that I personally used (you may prefer a different brand or type of butter or sweetener, for example!)

You're seriously going to LOVE the taste as much as you love how easy it is to whip up! Keep reading for ingredients and instructions!

Keto Chocolate Mousse (makes 3 servings)

Ingredients:
2 ounces cream cheese
2 ounces butter (I will always stick by my original I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!)
1 tablespoon unsweetened cacoa powder
1 tablespoon Truvia (or preferred sweetener)
3 ounces heavy whipping cream (this is just slightly more than 1/3 cup!)

Directions:
Melt the butter (about 15-20 seconds in the microwave) and stir in your sweetener.
Soften your cream cheese and stir it into your butter and sweetener.
Add your tablespoon of cacoa powder and use a blender to mix well.
Add in your heavy whipping cream and continue to blend for 20-30 seconds or until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Divide into 3 glasses and refrigerate for 30 minutes before eating.

Enjoy!!

Nutrition (Per Serving):
4.3 grams carbs
21.5 grams fat
0.7 grams protein
217 calories per serving

This is not even worth a blog post, but...

This really isn't blog-worthy news, but I am so excited because yesterday I had WIFI installed at my house! (ALL THE HEART-EYE EMOJIS!)

A few weeks ago, I received a promotional offer from Xfinity offering wifi for $19.99 per month on a 12 month contract. It honestly sounded way too good to be true, and it took me about a month to finally call, but when I did, I was so excited to find out that the offer was available at my house! We've had experiences with two other internet providers who sent technicians out to my home, only to then inform me that that our street was "maxed out," and I wouldn't be able to get the service.

I still didn't really believe it when a Comcast technician actually arrived and began hooking things up. We did have to get access to a port in my next door neighbor's backyard, but that was our only hiccup. After about four hours (yes, four), I HAD WIFI!

Is it ridiculous how excited this makes me?! Probably.

As most of you know, one of the biggest roadblocks I've run into whilst blogging was no longer having internet service at my house since we switched from Verizon in September 2015. From there forward, I blogged any time I was at Starbucks, school, or just anywhere with WIFI. When I was still in graduate school at Ole Miss, I would purposefully get to class an hour early sometimes just so I could work on my blog.

I'm so excited that I get to throw myself back into something I love. My craft has truly developed over the past few years since I first started, and I'm really excited to you guys back into my life a few times a week!

Fitness, recipes, motherhood, and more, and I truly do love sharing with you guys! I mean it when I say to check back often; I'll be around :)

Do I shut you down, or do I keep going?

"Do I shut you down, or do I keep going?"

That's a question I've had to ask myself a few times lately. About people. Life things. This blog, no doubt.

Hi, I'm Kate, and I'm a recovering blogger, turned network marketer, who literally got her start in networking through this blog (isn't it a cute little website??) and now can't even remember the last time she posted... And I mean truly posted. Not a sponsored ad or a product review,but a real post.

I still get emails all the time about writing a sponsored post, and I turn almost all of them down because WHOOOO has time these days?? Not only that, but I don't feel great about accepting, participating in, and getting paid for a sponsored post when I am hardly documenting my life here anymore.

What I would really love to do is come back to the blog and make it the space it used to be--a place for me to keep you guys updated on me, my journey, my family, my life. At the same time, I know the dedication and time I have to put into this blog in order to keep those updates coming regularly; its a lot of work! And it's a lot of work I feel that, despite being a work-from-home mom full time now, I don't have time for. I still don't have WIFI at my house (it's like we live in 1997 or something) and now when I head out to get work done at Starbucks or a nearby café, I'm typically chatting with new team members, customers, or wrapping people because ItWorks has taken over my life in the best way, and almost all of my ventures outside the home pertain to my business.


So what's been up?!

I am now a Triple Diamond with ItWorks! Global. I started this business on December 29th, 2015, on a whim. Most of you reading this probably remember that I was a teacher before retiring to be with ItWorks full time, and I absolutely hated it. It didn't take me long to discover that teaching was just not what made me happy, nor did I feel as if it was what the Lord intended for me to do with the rest of my life.
I quickly found that I had a passion for ItWorks that went hand in hand with my passion and love for fitness and healthy living. ItWorks has allowed me to share that journey with others and introduce my family and friends to products and a business that is changing lives each and every day, my own included!

At the time I'm writing this post, Vaught is three years old; today is his third birthday actually! Oh my goodness at how time flies and how he's grown. He is the sweetest, smartest, most loving child. He seriously brightens every single day; I am so grateful to be able to stay home with him!

I am still maintaining my weight loss from earlier this year, but I've not really lost anymore. I did gain some back (about 13 pounds), but I quickly lost it. I have to get on the scale regularly, or I will regress without even realizing it. If I'm not tracking my food daily and weighing a couple times a week, I will gain weight back. That's the biggest mistake I made last fall. My scale broke sometime around late October or early November and I avoided weighing altogether. Next thing I knew, I was back at my highest recorded weight since before I was pregnant with Vaught.

I'm working out at Orange Theory Fitness now, which has a studio about four miles from my house. I love the workouts! I'm getting in my weight training, along with some good cardio. I love challenging myself to see how many minutes I can get in the "orange zone" during each workout! And of course I'm obsessed with seeing and feeling my body change week to week. Every workout really challenges and pushes me; I'm always excited to see what the next fifty minute class will bring!

In May, I bought my dream vehicle, a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon (that's a pretty extensive name haha!) Because of ItWorks, I was able to make a five-figure down payment on it, and I also traded in my old car. For the first time in my adult years, I feel as if I made a big purchase the correct way, and I didn't feel as if I'd been cheated the second I drove off the lot. I didn't exactly get the interest rate I wanted though, so I'm saving up and am going to refinance with my insurance company in December or January... #adultingaf

It's that time of year again... FOOTBALL (cue the feels). I am so excited to be back in the Grove this fall, despite a Rebel team I'm not as confident about this year as I was the previous years. But I'm handing them much better than I am the NFL right now, so there's that.

Overall, I'd have to say things are going well. Not perfect, but nothing is. Life's crazy and busy a lot lately, but I'm making it. I hope to get some more updates and recipes posted for you all soon, so keep checking back!