Tag: Lunch

Dill Potato Salad

May 24, 2019 3:00 AM May 24, 2019

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For me, nothing screams Memorial Day weekend and the start of summer break like an ice cold, creamy potato salad. The perfect potato salad in my eyes has crunch, tang,…

For me, nothing screams Memorial Day weekend and the start of summer break like an ice cold, creamy potato salad.

The perfect potato salad in my eyes has crunch, tang, mustard (of course) and DILL! Quite honestly the more dill the better! That’s why when I came across Young Living’s Dill Essential Oil I was so excited! Often times fresh dill just doesn’t satisfy the flavor expectations I have in potato salad. Adding Dill Essential Oil makes all the difference – hands down Best Dill Potato Salad ever!

Ingredients

Russet Potatoes
Celery
Dill Pickles
Hellman’s Mayo
Sour Cream
Mustard
Fresh Dill
Dill Essential Oil
Sugar
Salt & Pepper
Onion Powder
Apple Cider Vinegar
Hard Boiled Eggs (optional)

Instructions

Begin by peeling all six potatoes. Once peeled and washed cut each potato into similarly sized cubes. Add potatoes to a large stockpot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil the potatoes for 7-10 minutes or until cooked, not mushy!

While potatoes are boiling prepare an ice water bath. When the potatoes are done remove them from the heat and drain them from the water. Add hot potatoes to the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Allow potatoes to cool completely.

Dressing

In a small bowl mix together mayo, mustard, sour cream, sugar, salt, pepper, onion powder and dill essential oil. Mix until creamy and set to the side.

Dill Vitality™ essential oil provides a fresh, pungent flavor to replace fresh or dried dill in dressings and dips. Its flavor also pairs beautifully with Carrot Seed Vitality and Lemon Vitality as a flavorful ingredient for soups and stews. With fresh dill being a key flavor in many traditional Russian, European, Mediterranean, Asian, and Scandinavian dishes, Dill Vitality can be a great way to lend a rich flavor to a wide variety of cuisines!

–YoungLiving.com

Prepare celery and pickles by chopping into small cubes. Pieces should be big enough to add crunch but smaller than the potato cubes.

In a large bowl add all cubed ingredients. Mix together with dressing until each cube is coated evenly.

Finally, splash with Apple Cider Vinegar, this add of acidic flavor creates the perfect tang to the creamy potato salad. Mix salad up one more time and place in the fridge to chill. I prefer to chill my potato salad overnight for optimal results. Could be served after a one hour chill period if required.

Optional – If you wanted you could add hard-boil four eggs, chop them up and add them to the salad.

Potato Salad or Macaroni Salad?? What’s your vote?

Comment below 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

xo,

5 from 2 votes

Dill Potato Salad

The perfect addition to any BBQ pot-luck. This creamy potato salad is full of flavor with just the right amount of tang, featuring Young Living Essential Oil!

Course Side Dish

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Author Carolyn of Handrafted

Ingredients

6 large Russet Potatoes
6 stalks Celery
7 baby Dill Pickles
4 sprigs Fresh Dill
1 cup Hellman's Mayo
1/2 cup Sour Cream (could be substituted with Greek Yogurt)
1/4 cup Yellow Mustard
1 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
8 drops Dill Essential Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
splash Apple Cider Vinegar
4 Eggs hard boiled, optional

Instructions

Begin by peeling all six potatoes.
Once peeled and washed cut potatoes into similar sized cubes. Place cubes in a large stockpot and cover with water.
Boil potatoes for 7-10, minutes.
While potatoes are boiling prep an ice water bath in a separate bowl.
When potatoes are cooked, but not mushy, remove from heat and strain from water. Add hot potatoes to ice water to stop cooking. Leave them to cool.
Next, prepare your dressing. In a small bowl mix together the Hellmans Mayo, Sour Cream, Mustard, Sugar, Salt, Pepper and Dill Essential Oil.
Prep the pickles and celery by chopping into small cubes. Then mince fresh dill and put off to the side.
Strain the potatoes from the ice cubes and remove from water.
Next mix dressing into the bowl of cooked potatoes.
Finally, add the fresh dill and sprinkle with apple cider vinegar. Stir the mix one more time and place in the fridge to chill.

Recipe Notes

Chilling is crucial to any potato salad. Chill for at least an hour, overnight is even better.

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KETO Cream Cheese Waffles

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April 11, 2019 3:00 AM April 11, 2019

121566 views

4,585 Comments

Let’s be serious, brunch is alllllways a good idea! And to be honest, making the switch to a keto/low carb diet has put a damper on this fun weekend ritual!…

Let’s be serious, brunch is alllllways a good idea! And to be honest, making the switch to a keto/low carb diet has put a damper on this fun weekend ritual! But never fear, these cream cheese waffles keep the carbs low (so you have extra macros for the mimosas 🥂😜).

Such a great recipe for the whole family or for meal prepping! These cream cheese waffles make breakfast on the go a breeze!

Ingredients

Eggs
Sweetener (of your choice – this is a great KETO friendly option)
Cream Cheese
Almond Flour (I use this one)
Vanilla

Beat together eggs and sweetener in a large bowl.

Next, mix in the softened cream cheese. Mix together until cream cheese is incorporated thoroughly.

To the mixture add the almond flour and vanilla flavoring.

Once mixed allow the batter to rest for 5 minutes before using. During this time make sure your waffle iron is preheated and ready.

After the 5 minutes, add butter to the waffle iron to help with sticking. Then scoop batter into the iron and close for cooking. Once cooking is complete remove from the iron and serve. If meal prepping, allow the cream cheese waffles to cool completely before packaging in an airtight container. When reheating, toast for best results.

Happy Brunching!

xo,

Interested in more KETO Recipes? Click here!

4.75 from 4 votes

Keto Cream Cheese Waffles

KETO, Low Carb Waffles that are extremely satisfying and delicious!

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Keyword KETO, Low Carb

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Author Carolyn of Handrafted

Ingredients

4 Large Eggs I use 3Tb. if desired.
3 tbsp sweetener if desired
1/2 brick Cream Cheese room temperature
1 cup Almond Flour blanched
1 tsp Vanilla if desired

Instructions

Begin by beating the eggs and sweetener together.
Next mix the softened cream cheese and almond flour.
Add vanilla if desired and mix together until mixture is consistent.
Let batter sit for about 5 min. (Preheat your waffle maker)
Pour on waffle maker and close until done.
Remove from the waffle iron and allow to cool before storing.

Recipe Notes

Mini Waffles: 2 g net carbs, 9 g fat, 5 g protein

Belgian Waffles: 8 g net carbs 36 g fat, 25 g protein

If reheating - toast waffles for best results.

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a small commission.

4,585 Comments

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Low Carb (Chip-less) Nachos

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March 21, 2019 3:00 AM March 21, 2019

15667 views

3,954 Comments

Since switching to a low carb lifestyle I have missed nothing more than tortilla chips! The salt, the crunch, the salsa….the gauc! How’s a girl supposed to survive! 🙈 I…

Since switching to a low carb lifestyle I have missed nothing more than tortilla chips! The salt, the crunch, the salsa….the gauc! How’s a girl supposed to survive! 🙈 I found this recipe while perusing one of my favorite blogs HelloAdamsFamily.com. It was love at first sight; low carb dreams in real life! 😍 We tried them for the first time this past week and they were everything I hoped them to be – I knew I had to share!

Ingrediants

Tri-Colored Mini Bell Peppers
Ground Beef
Taco Seasoning
Toppings of your choice
- Cilantro, or no Cilantro?? (Answer below!)

Prepare

To begin, brown your meat in a skillet on medium-high heat. While the meat is cooking, seed and half your mini-peppers.

Arrange the half peppers on a large sheet pan lined and greased before using.

Once meat is browned add taco seasoning and water as instructed.

Scoop taco meat into half peppers and sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Place sheet pan in a 400-degree oven of 8-10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

Remove from the oven and top these low carb nachos with your favorites. I am all about the sour cream and cilantro, while the hubs is all about the jalapenos and salsa🌶.

What are your favorites?

Thanks for reading!

xo,

Interested in other low carb/keto recipes?

Click here for Parmesan Cheese Crisps

Click here for KETO Bread

Click here for Dark Chocolate Toffee Pecan Bites

Low Carb, Chip-less Nachos

These low-carb nachos are loaded with taco meat, cheese and all your favorite nacho toppings! the perfect way to satisfy those carb cravings!

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Pot Luck

Keyword KETO, Low Carb

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Author Carolyn of Handrafted

Ingredients

1 lb Ground Beef (could sub ground turkey, chicken or steak)
1 packet Taco Seasoning
1 tsp kosher salt
1 bag Tri-Colored Sweet Mini-Peppers halved and seeded
1 cup Shredded Cheese
2 tbsp Sour Cream
Chopped Cilantro for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F and line large baking try with parchment or aluminum foil and lightly spray with oil.
Brown meat over medium-high heat. Once meat is cooked add Taco Seasoning and water per packet's instructions.
While meat is browning, seed and cut peppers in half. Arrange on the tray so that they are close together.
Next, fill each pepper with cooked taco meat and top with shredded cheese.
Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Remove from oven and top with your favorite toppings; sour cream, jalapenos, salsa, onion, cilantro or hot sauce.

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Everything But The Bagel Parm Cheese Crisps – KETO Friendly

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January 10, 2019 3:00 AM January 10, 2019

16619 views

3,507 Comments

With the start of 2019, we are honing in our self-discipline in our work, our finances and our health. The first step for us on the health front was tackling the KETO…

With the start of 2019, we are honing in our self-discipline in our work, our finances and our health. The first step for us on the health front was tackling the KETO lifestyle. We had heard a lot about KETO from friends that have found success with the plan and were ready to see our own success. After days of research and reading, we decided to purchase a 30-day meal plan to get us immersed in the lifestyle and on the right track. For our meal plan, we chose Ruled.me, with our $ 15.00 payment we were able to download a complete 30-day meal plan. The meal plan was complete with recipes and detailed breakfast, lunch and dinner for each day. The creator of Ruled.me Craig Clark takes the guesswork out by creating daily meal plans that will get you close to your desired macros.

So far on the meal plan, we have really enjoyed the different recipes; we find ourselves satisfied, with increased energy and mental clarity. On occasion, our daily meals do not get us to our macro goals, for that reason we have been looking into recipes we can make to supplement our diets (and satisfy cravings 😋). In doing so I came across this recipe from Have Butter Will Travel for cheese crips and I was in LOVE! Salty-crunch is my number one food craving so this was right up my alley! Paired with Lantana’s Edamame Hummus and I am in pure bliss 🤤!

For this recipe, I did decide to purchase a Whoopie Pie Pan, which I overnighted through Amazon Prime – because who can wait?!? 🙃

I will continue to keep you updated as we progress through the program!

Reciepe

Begin by mixing the cheese and seasoning together in a small bowl.

Then measure each portion into two tablespoons and press into the pie pan (if using a standard muffin pan measure into one tablespoon portions). Work to make sure each crisp is evenly spread in the pan so they cook evenly (and your nutritional value is easier to calculate).

Bake in a 390* oven for 16-19 minutes. Then remove and allow to set on a cooling rack. Once cooled I broke them into pieces and enjoyed! Now let’s say there were extra😂 ….. those I would have placed in an airtight container for storage. 😆

That’s it, so simple! 🙌🏼

KETO Parm Chips with Trader Joe's Everything But The Bagel Seasoning

Everything But The Bagel Parm Cheese Crisps

These easy cheese crisps are the perfect crunch to add to a low carb lifestyle!

KETO Friendly

Course Appetizer, Snack

Keyword KETO, Low Carb

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Total Time 23 minutes

Author Carolyn of Handrafted

Ingredients

1 Cup Parmesan Cheese shredded
1.5 tbsp Everything But The Bagel Seasoning from Trader Joe's

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 390*F
Combine ingredients in a bowl.
Measure out in 2 tablespoon portions in each whoopie pie pan round. If using a standard muffin pan, measure out in 1 tablespoon portions.
Press ingredients firmly into the pan making sure each crisp is even in thickness.
Bake for 16-18 minutes. (If using a silicone mold, place on cookie sheet for easy transport).
Remove from oven and allow to cool on cooling rack.
Serve as is or break into pieces as you prefer.
Store in an airtight container.

Recipe Notes

Serve with low carb, KETO friendly dip options such as Lantana Edamame Hummus, KETO ranch, KETO salsa or KETO guacamole. Also works great for KETO nachos!

NUTRITIONAL FACTS: for crisps made in a whoopie pie pan

Calories: 68g/crisp

Fat: 4g/crisp

Carbs: 0g/crisp

Protein: 5g/crisp

Enjoy!

xo,

3,507 Comments

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Hot Cheetos Mac – Perfect Thanksgiving Side

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November 15, 2018 3:00 AM November 15, 2018

16098 views

3,797 Comments

It is that time of the year again! Time to dust off the old cookbook and look for something new and interesting to bring to holiday dinners. Choosing a side…

It is that time of the year again! Time to dust off the old cookbook and look for something new and interesting to bring to holiday dinners. Choosing a side dish can be harder than you would think; you want a recipe that will please the masses, encourage conversation and most of all be eaten in its entirety – no leftovers. 🙌🏼 If you can achieve these three things your side dish is a complete success. #winning

This recipe is one of those #winning recipes. It is flavorful, creamy and topped with everyone’s favorite Flamin’ Hot Cheetos! The crunchy Cheeto crust gives the Mac a wonderful flavor and unexpected spice.

For this recipe I used whole milk, butter, cheddar cheese, gouda cheese, elbow pasta and of course Flamin Hot Cheetos (crunchy).

Prepare al dente pasta as instructed on the box. Drain cooked pasta and set aside.

Then, begin the sauce by melting the stick of butter. Once melted whisk in the flour to create a nice creamy rue.

On medium-high heat continue to heat the flour-butter mixture until it bubbles and begins to brown. Then add the shredded cheese. Mix constantly as the cheese melts into the mixture.

Once thick and creamy season with black pepper, salt and cayenne to taste. Mix sauce into the cooked pasta and place in a 9×13 baking dish.

Prepare the Hot Cheeto topping by crushing Cheetos with a blunt object. Working to achieve a uniform size.

Sprinkle another layer of cheese onto the prepared mac. Place baking dish in the oven to broil for 2-4 minutes. When the cheese is bubbling and turning golden remove from the oven. Cover immediately with the crushed Cheeto topping. Gently press the Cheetos into the melted cheese and serve.

If you are making this dish ahead of time I recommend preparing the macaroni initially and doing the topping just prior to serving.

I hope your holidays are filled with new recipes, clean plates and overflowing fridges!

xo,

Carolyn

Hot Cheetos Mac

This thick and creamy mac and cheese is topped with crushed Flaming Hot Cheetos giving it a great crunch and exciting flavor! Always a winner amongst the kids!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Author Carolyn of Handrafted

Ingredients

1 box Elbow Pasta
1 stick Salted Butter
1/3 cup All-Purpose Flour
2 cups Whole Milk
1 cup Gouda shredded
1 1/2 cups Cheddar shredded
Black Pepper, Salt and Cayenne to taste
2/3 bag Flaming Hot Cheetos crushed

Instructions

Cook noodles in boiling water until al dente (4-6 minutes).
Drain noodles and place off to the side.
Melt one stick of butter in a large saucepan.
Over medium-high heat slowly whisk in flour to create a creamy rue. Continue cooking until it starts to brown. Stirring constantly.
Slowly add milk, whisking continually.
Once incorporated add the cheese, pepper, salt and cayenne. Continue to stir until fully mixed. If sauce is too thick add small amounts of milk to thin as desired.
Combine drained noodles and cheese sauce in a 9x13 pan.
Sprinkle the macaroni with additional shredded cheese.
In a bag crush Flaming Hot Cheetos. Pieces should be about 1/4 inch in size at the largest.
Broil cheese on the mac until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown (2-4 minutes).
Remove from the oven and cover with Cheeto crust, serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

DANGER -- DO NOT Broil the Cheeto Crust - Cheetos are very flammable 🔥.

If you are making this dish ahead of time I recommend preparing the macaroni initially and doing the topping just prior to serving.

3,797 Comments

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Places I LOVE – Union Bear Brewing Co. – Plano, Texas

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November 1, 2018 3:00 AM November 1, 2018

12714 views

3,901 Comments

Earlier this year Plano, Texas got their first Brewery – Union Bear Brewing Co. opened up at The Boardwalk in Plano. This brewery and restaurant offers a wide range of…

Earlier this year Plano, Texas got their first Brewery – Union Bear Brewing Co. opened up at The Boardwalk in Plano. This brewery and restaurant offers a wide range of house and local beers as well as excellent “chef-driven” menu items. During a visit in late September, my family and I were very impressed – every detail was perfect.

As you enter you are greeted by the warm ambiance of wood plank floors, white subway tile and bronze accents. Everywhere you look there is a new beautiful detail. Their brewing facility is fully visible from the restaurant so you can watch them work their magic. The room was lively with brunch-goers of all walks of life. The indoor-outdoor space at The Boardwalk Plano provides the perfect environment for an enjoyable meal with friends or family!

In addition to a very inclusive beer list, Union Bear offers a full bar featuring craft cocktails and a great wine list.

Now my husband and I are always excited for a new brew, but I’d have to say we were even more excited about the menu. The food was… EXCELLENT! Every item on the menu was described so well, it was impossible to choose – forcing us to make decisions based on the food passing by to the neighboring tables!

Our table ordered the following items – all were unbelievably good!

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

frank’s red hot, shredded iceberg, dill pickles, chipotle mayo, la spiga brioche
Bagel & Lox

smoked salmon pastrami, chopped egg, caper, red onion, créme fraiche
The Honey Pig

spicy salami, fresh mozzarella, basil, chili flakes, local honey
The Honey Pig

spicy salami, fresh mozzarella, basil, chili flakes, local honey

Again, unbelievable! 🤤

If you find yourself in the Plano-Frisco area, please do yourself the favor of stopping by Union Bear Brewing Co. You’ll be glad you did!

5880 Highway 121 Ste 101
Plano, TX 75024
214-297-2337

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