2014…Think on These Things…

Posted in Ketogenic Diet by ten40s

The Unknown

Many of us faced some unexpected life events this past year – some good-some not so good. Life-changing events…life-ending events. And as sure as the sun is going to come up tomorrow, we are going to face those same unknowns in this upcoming year. I think of our own family. At some point this year, we will start weaning Autumn off the diet…wow…has it really been almost 2 years? And guess what? I know that I don’t know what is going to happen. Will there be seizures? If there are, will we be able to get them back under control? Will she do just fine? What if they come back a year from now? And so on and so on with the “What abouts?” and “What ifs?”

So what to do?

“Do not fret it only leads to evildoing.” (Psalm 37:8)

Why?

Because “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God…for He who promised, is faithful to bring it to pass”(Romans 8:28 Hebrews 10:23).

How?

“Finally Brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue – and if there is anything praise worthy, meditate on these things…and the peace of God will be with you.” (Phil. 4:8-10)

The true, noble, just, pure, lovely and good….think on these things – always – whether rejoicing or weeping. We are going to find ourselves in both camps this upcoming year -either in our own lives or in the lives of those around us.

“For as a man thinketh in his heart…so he is.” (Prov. 23:7)

We need to guard our hearts by staying well-nourished -on anything praiseworthy-in the mind.

May our hearts and minds be fixed on that which is true, beautiful and good so as to walk in steadfast endurance through this New Year!

Chocolates, Chips, Crackers, Nuts and Soda – Party Time!

Posted in Ketogenic Diet by ten40s

Ok, So if you combine the last few blog posts, you can make a great little New Year’s Eve party “snack-meal” plate to enjoy!

You might be able to add a bit of fruit and possibly a bit of cheese also, depending on ratio/calorie requirements:

Of course you can always opt for pizza and milk shakes too!

Oh, the Keto-Joy of it all – Happy New Year’s Eve!

Kale – Not just for Decorating!

Posted in Ketogenic Diet by ten40s

Many (many!) years ago as a college student, waitressing at Pizza Hut, we used kale to cover the ice around all the condiment crocks in the salad bar. It wasn’t until years later that I realized people actually ate it – I thought it was just for decoration! For the last several years I have added it smoothies but it wasn’t until the ketogenic diet entered our world that I had the wonderful delight of tasting kale chips – yes, a delight. I love crumbling them up with buffalo chicken dip! I remember when I first made them for Autumn, most of my kids were pretty skeptical. Now, I have to keep them away from the pans of kale cooling on the counter or there won’t be any chips left for Autumn!

If you don’t already know of all the unsurpassed health benefits of Kale – just google it – you get over 20,000,000 responses! Kale is known for being one of the healthiest vegetables – super high in Vitamin K, A and C – and pretty high in fiber – all helpful when on the Keto diet.

The only ingredients needed are Kale, butter (or olive oil), and salt. (Click on “Recipes” tab for exact measurements.)

First cut the center rib out of the leaves – Autumn and her sisters do that job.

When they are finished, I just melt a few tablespoons or so of butter – depending on how much Kale I am doing – you don’t need much to coat a lot of kale – and then sprinkle desired amount of salt in with the butter (we use RealSalt). If you end up using too much butter or oil, your leaves will be a bit soggy and take a lot longer to get crisp.

I then put the kale in the pan and stir it all around with my hands making sure all the leaves get coated:

I place the kale on pizza pans so that they crisp on all sides. (I do line the bottom of the oven with foil in case any butter drips).

Place in the oven at a pretty low temp – around 200- 225 depending on your oven. Then check every 15 – 2o minutes, stirring/turning over the leaves. Keep doing this until all leaves are crunchy – can take up to an hour or so. Do not over-bake by letting them get brown – unless you like a “burnt” taste.

And viola – you have a great tasting EDIBLE decoration chip! 🙂

Keto Joy!

You Can’t Eat Just One!

Posted in Ketogenic Diet by ten40s

Keto Cheese Crackers – Oh Yeah!

I literally have to put these in a container right after we bake these and put them away before I eat one..and then another…and another!

This recipe comes right out of “The Keto Cookbook” by Dawn Martenz. They are really quick to mix up.

Here are the ingredients you need: Macadamia Nut Butter, Full Fat Cheese, Egg whites and a pinch of salt (Click on the “Recipes tab for exact measurments):

Shred your cheese:

Add your Macadamia Nut Butter, Egg white and pinch of salt and stir:

Place a nickel size amount of mixture on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, bake at 350 for about 10 minutes:

And out comes the lightest, flakiest bite-size morsels of cracker yumminess:

Serve up with an ice cold glass of Keto – soda!

Then get the rest of the batch put away as soon as possible!

Keto-Joy!

If it’s Christmas…There Must Be Chocolates!

Posted in Ketogenic Diet, Recipes by ten40s

Well…there must be chocolates AND “Reese’s” peanut butter cups any time of year! I’m back at home and – yikes – all of Autumn’s chocolates are gone, which means my chocolates are gone too! We must have our delectably delicious chocolate treats for Christmas! I think I actually got these recipes out of “The Keto Kid” by Debbie Snyder and just made a few tweaks. They are so good…I actually could eat half the batch while I am stirring it in the pan – even before it hardens! So whether you are a keto kid or just want to enjoy some low carb treats – you will love these!

Here is what you need for the chocolates (Click on the “Recipes” tab for exact measurements):

Measure out the correct ratio of your ingredients, put every thing in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil – whisking constantly.

Chop up your nuts a bit and add to the pan of chocolate and stir:

Next, we place a little bit of chocolate in mini-muffin cups, but you could pour it into any type of mold or pan and divide as you would like. (If you are making “Reese’s” peanut putter cups you will want to set aside some of the chocolate mixture – see recipe directions further down on page.)

We then put this tray in the freezer to harden – it only takes a few minutes. Once frozen, we place in a storage container and keep them in the freezer.

Now, for the peanut butter cups, you will need:

Simply stir together your ratio of butter, peanut butter, sweetener of choice and a pinch of salt, if desired. Because had it on hand, I sometimes have added a few drops of Bickford peanut butter flavoring – but it is not necessary for the recipe.

We then put a small portion of that mixture into each cavity of a candy mold – we make 20 “cups” with this recipe:

We then put these in the freezer to harden just a bit, then take them out and press your thumb in the middle to make a small indentation. Now, I have spent the last 10 minutes looking for the picture I took of making indents with my thumb and can’t find it! But, I am sure you can figure it out :). Next, fill the “indents” with some of the chocolate from the “Chocolates” recipe from above:

Once they are all filled, place in freezer to harden. Once firm, take out and remove from molds. You can then either freeze them or…

…eat them! Let that chocolate just melt in your mouth! Definitely Keto-Joy!!!!

Oh, This is the Life!

Posted in Home, Ketogenic Diet by ten40s

What has the ketogenic diet allowed our family to do? Celebrate new life! Autumn just became an aunt this past week!

Big Brother Kyle and wife Hope had our first grandchild – Maximus!

They live in Colorado, and we live in Indiana but they wanted to have both moms out for the birth. Because of the diet – and because Autumn can – at age 9 – manage the diet with just a little supervision, I was able to make the trip.

I was able to watch my first-born son behold his first-born son…

And then it was my turn…

Oh, this is the life!

At some point I need to get back to posting some more recipes….although looking at Max, it might have to wait till I get back home 😉 Keto Joy!

Cultivating Creativity…From the Heart

Posted in Home, Ketogenic Diet, Resources by ten40s

When all of life seems to revolve around food, how can you divert your thoughts from it? Cultivate some creativity! What does your child (or you) like to do, or what can they learn? The idea is to get away from thoughts of “consuming” something to thoughts of “producing” something. Produce a riveting, heart-stirring song for others to enjoy, put color on canvas that captures expressions of the heart to give as a gift, training for excellence – with all your heart – in a sport, putting pen to paper for captivating poems or stories that stir the heart, or perhaps sewing a stunning item to wear, that thrills your heart! Culinary arts – the gift of making that keto meal look so special – is a great way to put your creativity to use! The girls and I are always on the lookout for special plates, cups and stemware to bring that “celebratory” touch to each meal, that warms the heart.

Autumn and her sisters have learned different skills throughout the years and last year they were working on two different projects – Brazillian embroidery and knitting a new type of scarf with fabric clips. The colors of both seemed so vibrant, refreshing and delightful – kind of how seizure-free days felt like.

Someone suggested we should start an etsy site – so we did! We had one comment that said the scarves were the perfect “go-to” item any time you may need an idea for a gift, and that the bows were a perfect “stocking stuffer.” The site is listed under our “Creations” tab or you can click here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MorningHasBroken For the month of December we have all items 20% off – simply use the coupon code KETOJOY20 when checking out.

Cultivate an appetite for producing extraordinary gifts and talents- that celebrate life – from the heart!