Good morning to all my fellow Keto-ers!

It’s Monday morning and I am here to Encourage you on your own Keto Journey.

My husband and I have both mentioned how our Keto journey is similar to our gluten-free journey that we began over five years ago.  It is all about the health results that you want to obtain in your life.

Cancer is a killer that has affected nearly every person in some way.  Whether it is a family member, a schoolmate, a neighbor or someone else in your life – most people know someone who is fighting cancer or who has died from it.

Dr. Colbert says that cancers feed on sugars.  We had also heard this from a reliable source back in 2011.  But you know how it goes.  You hear something and when you are not affected by it directly, it can go in one ear and out the other.

So whenever you start feeling frustration over the loss of some of your favorite sugary foods – remind yourself that lowering or eliminating sugar intake has a direct effect on cancers.

Another point of interest is this:  Dr. Colbert reminds us that today’s grains (wheat, corn, oats and rice) are processed through procedures like hybridization, cross-breeding and refinement.  In many cases, today’s grains no longer have the fiber and nutrients that the unrefined grains used to have years ago.

The Doctor points out that many of his patients realized “immediate improvement after removing gluten from their diets”.  (pg. 8 in Dr. Colbert’s Keto Zone Diet Book).

You might find this helpful as you learn to cook Keto-style for you and your family.  When I cooked gluten-free for my husband and myself, I did quite a bit of experimentation.  I also let myself off-the-hook by realizing that a new diet and a change of lifestyle takes time and patience.  Go easy on yourself.

In the experimentation process be willing to have both time and patience as you prepare and try new recipes.

When it comes to making Keto crackers and breads, follow each recipe precisely at first.  Taste it and get opinions from the rest of your family.  If the resulting product is too dry or crumbly, try adding another egg to hold it together better.  You might also try using less flour to allow for additional moistness in your finished product.  Adding liquids such as water, lemon juice or vinegar should always be done in small increments such as a teaspoon at a time.  This will prevent a dough or batter from suddenly becoming too runny.

“They” say women like to snack. As a woman, I find I cannot argue with that.  So here is a snack recipe for you.  Super simple.  Really good tasting.  And you can experiment.

Parmesan or Asiago Cheese Crispies

You will need:

• 2 standard metal cookie sheets
• Parchment paper
• Olive oil cooking spray
• Garlic salt
• Dry spices like Italian seasoning, rosemary, Cilantro, Basil, etc.
• Shredded cheese (either):

1. Parmesan
2. Asiago (three cheese blend of Asiago, Romano & Parmesan)

To Prepare:

1. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper
2. Spray parchment paper with olive oil cooking spray
3. Take a pinch of shredded cheese and place it in a small pile on your parchment paper. Push it down flat with fingers in the shape and size of a potato chip.  (I find that “proper spacing” allowed for 12 cheese “chip” piles on each cookie sheet.)
4. Sprinkle a dry spice on top of the shredded cheese piles. (the more pungent your spice – the less you might sprinkle)  Note: when we used dried rosemary we first gave it a spin in a coffee-bean grinder to make the “stem-like” pieces smaller and easier to apply.
5. Sprinkle with garlic salt – according to your own taste/desire.
6. Bake at 450 degrees for three to four minutes. (We have two shelves in our oven.  The bottom shelf was “done” to a light brown around the edges in three minutes.  The top shelf took four minutes.)

Try the recipe and let me know how it turned out. 

Share your experience - good or bad – in the comments below.  Also if you come up with additional ideas or ingredients to improve the Crispie, let me know so I can share it with other readers who are on the Keto Journey with us.

Good Day, Good Week and Good Health to You All!

Kat Heil