Practically Country Blog Promise

When I first started this blog, I wasn’t really sure about what I was going to write about. I thought about a few things but wasn’t sure which topic to focus on.

Things that I know… I love to cook, I love gardening and growing things (including kids and grandkids) and I am having very good results on Keto (I’m down 25 pounds since February 2019)!

The one thing that I absolutely knew from the start of this blog and I will stand true to it as long as I have this blog, What I Post Will Be Tried And True! I will not post anything that I have not tried myself! I try a lot of recipes and failed at a lot of recipes. I will continue to try new recipes and I promise that I will only post recipes that are good. I will never post something just to fill a blog post. That is the promise I make to you!

Eating Keto While Traveling

I travel a lot with my work, so when I first started Keto I would sometimes have a hard time figuring out or finding what to eat while on the road.There are a couple of options to help with this.

#1 – Pack a lunch. I keep a bag of pecans with me most all of the time. But you can also use a small cooler or lunch bag to pack cheese sticks, olives, sardines, boiled eggs, avocados, etc. I have a baggy with napkins and forks in the cooler, just in case.  I pack it in the morning before leaving and put bottles of water in it as well.  

#2 – Find good meal choices at restaurants.  There are a lot of great choices once you train your brain how to find them.  Chipotle is one of the very best options I have found so far.  I skip the beans and rice and ask for extra lettuce, then top with meat of choice, cheese and the other toppings of choice and finish it off with guacamole.  Yummy!!  Other options for eating out is grilled chicken from KFC, steak and veggies from just about anywhere or buffets like Western Sizzlin so there are plenty of choices.  When all else fails, you can get a salad from almost anywhere just top it with olives and avacados when available.  

The main thing is to think outside the box.  There are times when it seems like there aren’t any options and in very small towns, that may be true.  In that case I just get a cup of coffee with half and half to curb my appetite until a better option comes along.  Coffee is the greatest thing to help with uncontrolled appetite.  

This is how I manage to travel and stay on Keto.  The longer you do it, the easier it gets.  

Keto Friendly Chile Rellenos Casserole

I love Chile Rellenos! I mean, I really love Chile Rellenos!

When first starting the Keto lifestyle, it is a little difficult figuring out what to eat. There are plenty of delicious options but finding them in the beginning can be challenging. This casserole is one of my favorites to make and to eat. It is so tasty that even when my kids that are not living Keto come over and eat the leftovers, they are surprised that it is Keto friendly and so yummy. It has the satisfying taste of a Chile Relleno without the carbs. The best of both worlds and it is super easy to make.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb ground beef, 1/4 onion, 2-cans diced green chilies (4 to 7 oz), 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 2 eggs, 3/4 cups milk, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 pepper.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook the ground beef and onions together until beef is done, drain. Add, cumin, salt and pepper and mix well. In greased 9×9 baking dish, spread 1 1/2 cans of green chilies evenly. Cover chilies with hamburger mixture then top with cheese. Spread remaining chilies evenly over cheese. Mix milk and eggs together (mix very well) and pour over entire dish. Bake for 35 minutes, let set for 10 minutes then serve.

Enjoy!

Keto Friendly Cheeseburger Casserole

While living the Keto lifestyle, my husband and I haven’t had a difficult time finding foods that we like and are Keto friendly. There are times when we kinda crave some of our old favorites that are not so Keto friendly. What to do?…

This recipe is for those times when you just want a cheeseburger. I know it is a casserole and not a dripping down your hands burger, but give it a chance and you just might be surprised at how similar the taste is.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef, 6 slices of bacon, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, 1/4 cup pickle relish, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 3 eggs, 1 cup cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup half and half.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook bacon until crisp and set aside. Cook ground beef, onion, garlic, salt and pepper together until beef is done, drain. Crumble bacon into beef mixture and add pickle relish. Stir and pour mixture into a greased 2 1/2 Quart dish. Combine eggs, half and half and mayo (make sure to mix very well). Sprinkle cheese over beef mixture followed by egg mixture and bake for 35 minutes.

That’s it! Cheeseburger Casserole for the entire family to enjoy.

Keto Chili

Who doesn’t love chili? Especially when the temperature outside is cold, not much warms you up like chili.

Keto chili is super easy to make and tastes delicious.

Things to keep in mind when making Keto chili:

  • Beans equal carbs. Best to make no bean chili for best Keto results.
  • Canned tomato products sneak sugar in. I don’t know why they do it but read the labels when shopping.
  • Cheese, sour cream, chives and onions are all great tasting and Keto friendly.

I make my Keto chili very simply.

  • Ground meat of choice
  • Tomato paste
  • Diced tomatoes
  • Rotel
  • Chili seasoning
  • Onions
  • Green peppers or hotter if desired.

Add toppings and enjoy! It is just that simple. No need to make it harder than it should be.

The most important thing to remember about Keto is read the labels! There is sugar hidden in the most unexpected places.

Keto Pizza Casserole

I love pizza as much as the next girl, but I love losing weight and feeling healthy even more. So I decided to break down what pizza is made of to see what put it on the naughty list.

What is pizza made of…

  • Tomato sauce – not bad on carbs but watch out for those hidden added sugars.
  • Cheese – definitely Keto friendly.
  • Olives – also good
  • Mushrooms – still ok.
  • Pepperoni – low on carbs, but keep in mind it is very processed.
  • Italian sausage – good
  • Other meats – not a problem.

All layered perfectly on a beautiful crust…wait…there is the problem. The crust!

Well, that seemed like a minor problem to overcome for someone that loves to enjoy a good pizza from time to time. After all, the crust is my least favorite part of a pizza.

So I decided to make a pizza without a crust. I simply sprayed a 13×9 baking dish with nonstick spray and began layering up my pizza as if it were on a crust. Then I baked it in a 350 oven until the cheese was nice and melted and served it like a casserole. Simple as that. I got the flavors I desired and kept it Keto friendly.

My entire family liked it and didn’t complain that the crust wasn’t there. I would call that a win.

Dark Chocolate Almond Treats

Attempting to lose weight, I decided to try a low carb, keto-ish diet. Although, this is one of the easiest diets I have ever been on, I find it hard to get enough fat in my daily diet. As strange as that sounds, it is true that more fat equals better results, at least for me. It really helps me when I feel the “keto flu” coming on.

In my search for high fat foods, I found this recipe that is not only easy but very tasty.

Ingredients:

Coconut Oil, Peanut Butter, Dark Cocoa Powder, Whole Almonds, Shredded Coconut.

Melt in microwave:

1 Cup Coconut Oil

1 Cup Peanut Butter

3 Tbls Dark Cocoa Powder

In a muffin tin, place 1 to 3 almonds and cover with shredded coconut. I used a regular size tin but will use a mini tin from now on. I think having them in more of a bite size would be better.

Pour melted mixture over almonds and coconut and place in freezer until solid. Enjoy!!