Month: November 2019

Helpful Hints

My experience with staying on track through holidays and events.

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The dreaded holidays are here. I love the holidays, don’t get me wrong, but as most of you know it’s hard to stay on track! This is the first time in my life I’ve been on a diet during the holidays instead of “taking a break” until they’re over. I made this excuse constantly, and looking back now, I realize I was just stuck in my comfort zone.

I would always want to start losing weight after summer, because of all the barbecues and cookouts were over with. So I’d usually start in September, but quit by October because my mom’s birthday was that month, and Halloween. Then I’d usually pick it back up for a bit at the beginning of November, take a break for Thanksgiving, then decide “there’s no use trying to keep this up until after Christmas”.

Then after Christmas, comes New Years, then my birthday in January. By then, the gyms are packed with everyone starting their New Years resolutions , that I didn’t want to go then either. The with February comes more friends birthdays, then with spring comes easter, then pretty soon we’re back in summer and those barbecues are back. A whole year wasted. Year after year of excuses.

When I started this journey, Labor Day was right around the corner. My grandma always has a big cookout, and this year I didn’t go. I figured my family would most likely be upset with me, but I knew if I went that I would be setting myself up for failure. “One little cookie” turns into four or five, and so on. That day, I went to the gym for an hour and went back home. Although, I felt bad for not making an appearance, that was the first holiday that I didn’t cheat.

Then came Halloween. I knew that I’d be passing out candy this year, and I knew I was going to be tempted, but I didn’t realize how much. When I went to the store to buy candy I made sure to pick out candy that wouldn’t tempt me. Whenever I got home, my grandpa bought some candy too, and when I opened the bag, there they were. Reese’s Cups, Snickers Bars, Kit Kats, and Twix. I wanted to have a Reese’s Cup SO bad. All this time, and I hadn’t been that tempted to cheat. I put one in my hand to open it, and I thought for a second. “Is this piece of candy worth everything that comes along with it?” NO. It wasn’t. So I resisted, barely. I thought about it all day.

At the start of November I went to my friends’ Halloween party, knowing full well I’d be tempted there as well. I knew there would be candy, drinks, and food I’d have to ignore. I made a point (because I turn into a garbage disposal when I drink) to pack alcoholic beverages that were keto friendly, and snacks and keto cookies that I could eat when I got to that point. I had the best time, I still didn’t cheat. In fact, I wasn’t even tempted to cheat. If I wanted snacks, I had my own. If I wanted alcohol, I had my own. No excuse to eat or drink anything else. I did indulge in some low carb Jell-O shots my friends made though! But once again, low carb friendly.

Now here we are, two days away from the biggest holiday for eating. THANKSGIVING. I’ve been dreading it a bit, because I know there’s gonna be people in my ear all day, “Treat yourself. Reward yourself. You’ve worked so hard just have a little bit. Just a bite won’t hurt.” Truth is, those to me, are the worst things to tell someone. Why would you want to convince me to fail? Everyone is different. Some people have success with cheating now and again, but I do not.

As soon as I fall off the wagon, there’s no getting back up. Also, I know how agonizing my first week on my diet was like. Withdrawing from carbs and sugar SUCKS. I had a headache every day, felt sick, tired, hungry. I don’t want to go through that again, plus to me, I know I call it a diet, but it is a lifestyle change. That’s the difference.

I will be bringing my own dessert to my grandma’s house Thursday. She always has plenty of food so can have like turkey, ham, salad, deviled eggs, veggies with dip, and she works at a meat place so she usually has some kind of beef too. Friday, I’m going to have my own Friendsgiving, and I’ll be cooking everything. Non keto, and keto friendly stuff for everyone. I am very excited to post my feast along with the recipes and pictures. Thanks for listening, and enjoy the holiday.

-Ashley, Not Without Sweetness

Desserts and Breads

Keto Banana Nut Muffins

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Original recipe from Joe Duff. https://www.thedietchefs.com/banana-nut-keto-muffins/

Tomorrow is my three month keto/low carb anniversary. In those three months I haven’t cheated once. I would be lying to you if I said I didn’t think about it though. What got me through, and continues to get me through, are keto friendly desserts. I had no issue getting rid of pasta and bread, but I am addicted to sweets! The first recipes I found were all from Joe Duff. Peanut butter cookies, ice cream, now banana muffins. If you’re not following him, give him a follow on IG or YouTube. He’s fantastic. Anyways, here’s the recipe and instructions:

There are quite a few different measurements in this recipe, so make sure you have a few mixing bowls, and plenty of measuring spoons and cups ready!

  • just short of 1 and 3/4 Cup of almond flour
  • 2/3 Cup confectioners erythritol
  • 1/4 Cup crushed walnuts (I didn’t have, I used peanuts)
  • 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
  • 3/4 Tsp ground cinnamon
  • pinch of salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/3 Cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk (didn’t have, so i used plain unsweetened, and added 1 tsp of vanilla extract to it)
  • 1 stick of melted butter
  • 1/4 Cup full fat sour cream
  • 1/2 Tbsp banana extract
  • 1 Tbsp keto maple syrup
  • 1 Tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F.

Have a bowl for wet ingredients, and one for dry ingredients. In your wet ingredient bowl, add your 3 eggs, and whisk together until well combined. Add your melted butter, and the rest of the wet ingredients (including sour cream) to that bowl and whisk together until combined, and set aside.

In another bowl, preferably a larger size, add your dry ingredients (except walnuts) and whisk those together. I prefer putting my dry ingredients through a sifter. Since almond flour has a fat content, if needs to be froze or refrigerated or it can go rancid. In doing this, it can get lumpy and clumpy. To ensure the best results in baking, always sift those dry ingredients! Trust me.

Once dry ingredients are well combined, add in your wet ingredients to the dry ones, and fold ingredients in. Once a thick batter forms, add half of your crushed walnuts to the batter, then fold again.

Spray a cupcake mold pan with a non stick spray (I prefer olive oil spray) and add batter to the slots. This recipe can make 12 small muffins, or 9 large. Go big or go home, folks! Take the rest of your crushed walnuts amd sprinkle over the tops of the muffins.

Throw them in the over for 25-30 minutes. Let cool completely, and enjoy! Joe recommends keeping them in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days.

These muffins were so close to the real thing, with only 210 calories, and only 1.5 g of NET CARBS holy crap! So moist and delicious! I recommend cutting in half, microwave just enough to get them warm, and spread some butter on them. Great sweet snack, or a good breakfast alternative when you get sick of eggs!

Side DIshes

Spaghetti Squash 101

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Before my lifestyle change I had never tried spaghetti squash, let alone prepare one. I heard it was a great pasta substitute, and with all the chicken dishes I make I thought it would be worth a try. When I googled how to prepare a spaghetti squash, there were all sorts of different directions, so I wanted to share what has been tried and true in my experience.

Rule #1. Cut into RINGS!

After cutting the top off, start cutting into one inch rings. If you’re having a rough time cutting through, make sure the knife you’re using is sharp, and if you’re still having trouble microwave that bad boy for 2-3 minutes to soften it up. There’s a lot of debate between cutting the whole thing in half long ways, or the ring method. The ring method gives you longer “noodles” and a more even cook in my opinion. Also way easier!

Then you want to take a spoon, and scoop the seeds and middle membranes out of there.

Place the scooped rings onto a baking sheet or shallow pan coated in a non stick spray. I used an olive oil spray.

Preheat your oven to 400F, and drizzle olive oil generously onto the rings. Spread it evenly, ensuring all surfaces are coated nicely. Then sprinkle salt and black pepper across the top.

Throw those babies in the oven for at least 25 minutes, if they’re glossy on the top they’re done! (In my opinion) If you like yours a bit crispier, leave in a little longer.

While they’re still warm, (use caution) put the cooked pieces On a cutting board or tray and with two forks start taking the squash away from the skin.

Once I have it all scraped out, I usually put it in a bowl with a little bit of spaghetti sauce to give it some moisture and flavor, and I serve it with any number of things:

Made a little under 3 cups!

Last night it was chicken parmesan, you could do chicken alfredo, beef stroganoff, spaghetti and meatballs, etc! The possibilities are endless. Very similar to the size of angel hair, and it has a sweet taste to it. Give it a try!

Desserts and Breads

Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake

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Makes about 8-10 servings depending on your slices. Only 6 grams of Net Carbs per slice!

Oh. My. God. I have been making keto friendly desserts for only like eight weeks or so now, and I’ve made this three times already. It is an absolute hit, even with people that eat real sugar on a regular basis. I forget what recipe I found, and where, but I tweaked what I found, and I think it’s perfect. So, without further ado, here is my first official dessert recipe I’m adding here. The whole reason I started Not Without Sweetness!

Ingredients for crust:

  • 2 tbsp of confectioners swerve (or erythritol)
  • 2 tbsp of grass fed butter
  • 1 cup almond flour

Ingredients for filling:

  • 2 blocks of softened cream cheese (16 oz)
  • 1 cup of confectioners swerve
  • 1 cup of pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling!)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp of pumpkin spice mix, or 1 tsp, and add a shake of each: ground nutmeg, ground ginger, and ground cloves. (this is what I do to give it more flavor)

Instructions for crust:

  1. Preheat your oven to 325F, and spray a 9″ pie pan with non stick spray (I prefer an olive oil spray) set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine melted butter and swerve with a whisk until it has an even consistency. Then add in the almond flour, whisk together until the flour is evenly coated and has a crumbly texture.

3. Transfer mixture to pan, and press firmly into the pan as even as you can get it. I use the flat side of my measuring cup to do so. Then bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool. Keep your oven on, and while you’re waiting for it to cook, you can prepare your filling.


Instructions for filling:

  1. Make sure your cream cheese is all the way softened or it will result in a lumpy texture!
  2. Add pumpkin puree and half of your cream cheese in and beat until smooth, then add in your other half of cream cheese. Once that is mixed well, add in swerve, eggs, vanilla, and spices. Beat until very smooth, and combined.
  3. Pour into previously made crust, spread top evenly, and bake for 40 minutes. Remove, let sit for 20 minutes, then cover, and let chill in the fridge for at least 5 hours. That allows everything to set completely.
  4. Top with whipped topping of choice, serve, and enjoy!
Main Dishes

BLT Egg Salad Lettuce Boats

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Found this recipe via Pinterest and it’s the perfect lunch! I even had it for dinner, and it hit the spot! Once again, everything came from ALDI USA. So yummy, hope you enjoy!

  • 6 hard boiled eggs
  • thinly sliced green onion (about 4) avoiding the ends and tops
  • 1/3 cup of mayonnaise
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1/2tsp smoked paprika
  • crumbled bacon pieces (fresh or store bought)
  • cherry tomatoes halved
  • romaine lettuce leaves

Mash together the eggs as much as possible, the finer the better. Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir. Serve on the romaine leaves (don’t forget to wash them!)

Main Dishes

Slow cooker pulled beef

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Decided to put this together last night, and it turned out AMAZING. I was getting sick of chicken, so I thought I’d dabble with some beef this time. All ingredients were found at Aldi USA.


2 pounds of beef stew meat

1 medium onion thinly sliced

1 cup beef bone broth

1 Onion soup dry mix packet

1 tsp Steak seasoning

1 tsp garlic paste

Pinch of salt (if needed)

Non stick spray (if desired)

-Lightly spray slow cooker with non stick spray of choice.

-Add in meat and sliced onion to cooker.

-In a separate bowl stir together broth, spices, onion packet, and garlic, then add to slow cooker.

-Cover and cook for 10 hours on low. Serve with choice of steamed vegetable, riced cauliflower, mashed cauliflower, zucchini noodles, etc.