Desserts, Food

Pumpkin Cheesecake 2.0 (Low-Carb, Keto & Sugar-free)

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Fall has officially arrived.

You know what that means.. Pumpkin everything! This pumpkin cheesecake is a delectable, seasonal treat that is sure to please. It is perfect for Thanksgiving, Halloween or for a chilly, fall evening.
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Ingredients

Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling

  • 500g Cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup Sweetener (I used xylitol)
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup Pumpkin puree
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 tbsp Cinnamon

Crust

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a bowl, mix together ingredients for the crust.

Press crust mixture into the springform pan and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove springform from oven and let cool.

Preheat the oven to 325F.

In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, sweetener, vanilla & pumpkin puree. Beat each egg in at a time. Do not over mix!

Pour the pumpkin cheesecake filling into the springform pan.

Bake for 40-45 minutes.

Tip

Let the cake cool completely before serving or make this cheesecake the day before you plan on serving it.

Drizzle melted 85% chocolate on the top and serve.

This post contains sponsored content. All opinions are my own.

Food, Recipes, Sides

Grain-free Crackers (Low-carb, gluten-free, sugar-free)

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These crackers are beyond awesome! Top them with dips, a simple piece of cheese or eat them plain. They make for great snacks in lunches or part of an appetizer.

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Ingredients

In a large bowl, mix together all dry ingredients.

Add sour cream to the dry mix and form dough into a ball.

Between 2 pieces of parchment paper, flatten the dough with a rolling pin to desired thickness (I like mine very, very thin).

Remove top parchment paper and cut them into squares.

Place on baking sheet.

Bake for 50-60 minutes in oven preheated to 250oF.

Let crackers cool, top with favourite toppings and serve.

Recipe adapted from Low Carb, So Simple’s Sour Cream Crackers

Tip:

If the dough is very sticky when you are rolling it, refrigerate it for 15 minutes.

Season with your own favourite spice blends or leave ’em plain. These are great topped with smashed avocado or with a slice of cheese.

This post contains sponsored content. All opinions are my own.

Blog, Product Review

Review: Primally Pure Skincare

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Today’s blog post is a little different from most that I have written in the past. While I am mainly a food blogger, I thought it important to take some time to discuss the skincare products I have been using of late. What we put on our skin is often overlooked; however, what you slather on your skin is just as important as what you feed your body. Skin is the largest organ of the body and that organ absorbs what we put on it. For this reason, earlier this year, I decided to purge my expensive, mainstream skincare products and opt for something made with real ingredients – the primally pure skincare products.

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The Primally Pure Skincare line is made with toxin-free products that could you even eat if you wanted to because they’re made with all real food.

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Almond & Vanilla body butter

The Vanilla & Almond body butter smells out-of-this-world amazing!! I wish there were some kind of smell application I could embed here for you all so you can get a whiff. It is just the right amount of sweet without being too overpowering. It slathers on smoothly and really moisturizes it. Absolutely love that this product is made of tallow from 100% grass-fed cows along with coconut oil, shea butter and mango butter. Grass-fed tallow is rich in conjugated linoleic acid as well as palmitoleic acid that have anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties, respectively. Moreover, coconut oil contains copious amounts of medium-chain fatty acids (MCTs), which are metabolized differently than longer chain fatty acids. MCTs travel directly to the liver once absorbed by the digestive tract and are turned into ketones. These ketones can have therapeutic effects on neurological disorders such as Epilepsy and also promote the state of ketosis (what we are ultimately trying to achieve by following a low-carbohydrate diet).

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Peppermint & Orange Crush lip balms

I have tried both the peppermint flavour as well as the creamsicle flavour. Between the two, my favourite is definitely the peppermint. Over the course of the last few months, these all-natural lip balms have kept my normally dry, chapped lips supple and nourished. They apply smoothly without leaving any kind of a sticky or grimy residue.

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Flower Bath Salt

My first impression of the flower bath salt was that is smelled absolutely fantastic. It has such a nice, floral smell that isn’t too overpowering. The salts gave my bath a nice pink tinge but most importantly, it made my skin feel incredibly, smooth. This is due to the organic essential oils used in the product.

The organic, flower petals also add a really nice touch that enhances to the relaxing effect (at least for me. I’m a sucker for flowers). Just don’t forget to rinse your bathtub after because the flowers tend to stick to the walls if you don’t.

To find out more information visit primallypure.com

Share your experiences with the Primally Pure @primallypure using #Natureissmarterthanscience

Credits

Photo by: Zara Pardiak

This post contains sponsored content. All opinions are my own.

Food, Recipes

Blueberry Loaf Cake (Low Carb, Keto & Sugar-Free)

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This dessert has quickly become a family favourite. With blueberries currently in season, there is no better time to give this recipe a taste test!

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Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup Xylitol
  • 1 cup Almond flour, finely ground
  • 1/3 cup Vanilla Whey Isolate LeanFit (plug)
  • 1 Tbsp Baking powder
  • 1/8 Tsp Salt
  • 1/3 cup 35% Organic Heavy Cream
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1 cup Blueberries
  • 1 Tbsp Vanilla extract

Grease a small loaf pan (or cover with parchment paper).

In a large mixing bowl, mix together all dry ingredients. Using a hand beater, incorporate the organic heavy cream and eggs.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan and sprinkle top with blueberries.

Using a spatula, roughly mix the batter just till slightly incorporated.

Tip

Separate into muffin tins instead of a loaf pan for easy, on-the-go breakfasts or protein rich snacks

Food, Recipes

Protein Strawberry Shortcake (Gluten-free, Low-Carb, Keto)

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Mugcakes are so easy and enjoyable. If you’re craving a late night snack, try this!

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Ingredients

  • 4Tbsp Almond flour
  • 1Tbsp Olive oil, light taste
  • 1 Egg, large
  • 1/2 Tsp Baking powder
  • 1 Tbsp Vanilla Whey Isolate LeanFit
  • 2 Tbsp Whipped cream
  • 1 Tbsp Xylitol or sweetener of choice
  • A few strawberries, sliced

Grease a cup.

Mix all dry ingredients together then mix in the egg and olive oil.

Microwave for 1 minute on high. Invert cake on a plate.

Cut in half and layer whipped cream and strawberries.

Tip

Let the cake cool before cutting it.

Blog, Product Review

Review: Keto//OS & KetoKreme

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KETO//OS

pruvit edited

Orange crush 2.1 (Charged)

 This orange flavoured drink really reminds me of Orange Crush without the carbonation.

keto os edited 2.2Ingredients: Beta Hydroxybutyrate, MCT Powder, Natural Flavor, Malic Acid, Stevia, Caffeine, Ascorbic Acid.

Pros: There is a caffeine-free version of this flavour if you are trying to avoid caffeine. I consumed this drink at around 6:30am and was not hungry till 1:00pm (not sure if it can be attributed solely to this drink, however, I did felt more satiated than usual).

Cons: Even though the formulation of Orange crush 2.1 has definitely improved (the first one I tried last summer was far too sweet for my keto-adapted taste buds), I still found it a little too sweet for my taste.

 

Chocolate swirl (Charged)

             This flavour can only be described as 80% chocolate water. It does contain caffeine.

chocolate swirl editIngredients: Beta Hydroxybutyrate, Amino Acid Blend (L-taurine, L-tyrosine, L-arginine, L-leucine), Natural Flavors, Inulin (Chickory Root), Potassium Citrate, Stevia, Caffeine, Ascorbic Acid, Butyrate.

Pros: This flavour was a pleasant surprise. I didn’t expect to enjoy the taste as much as I did. It was also significantly easier to incorporate into my cold water using my shaker. The beta-hydroxybutyrate and MCT oil powder seemed to be finer. This flavour is dairy-free making it paleo-approved.

Cons: One thing to keep in mind about the chocolate swirl, however, is that it has a bit of an off-putting tinge. Once mixed, it had a slight murky water look to it.

Conclusions?

Out of the two flavours that were sent to me, I preferred the Chocolate Swirl. It was easier to mix into the water with my shaker and the flavour was more subtle than the Orange Crush. In my opinion, the Orange Crush flavour 2.0 was still too sweet. However, both of the keto//os drinks did increase breath ketones measured by my Ketonix. I think this would be a nice alternative to coffee on a hot summer day.

KetoKreme

             This is the newest product from Pruvit. KetoKreme is used as a creamer replacement in coffee or your favourite hot beverage.

Ingredients: MCT powder, coconut shortening powder (C8, C10, C12), ceylon and stevia.

Pros: This tastes like bulletproof coffee and there is less prep time. All you have to do is pour this powder in a shaker bottle, pour hot coffee and shake. It has a nice sweet taste to it due to the stevia.

Cons: I found the powder a little difficult to mix into my coffee without the use of a shaker. If you are going to use KetoKreme, make sure to blend it or use a shaker bottle.

 

Food, Recipes

Lemon Poppyseed Slowcooker Cake (Gluten-free, Keto, Low-Carb)

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Slow cooker cakes are one of my favourite desserts because they are just SO easy and satisfying. Just mix, pour and forget about it while it cooks for a few hours.

Edited 3 lemon poppy

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Almond flour
  • 1/4 cup & 3 Tbsp Vanilla Isolate LeanFit
  • 2 Tbsp Baking powder
  • 1 Tsp Salt
  • 1/2 cup Xylitol or low-carb sweetener (quantities may vary depending on what you use)
  • 3 Tbsp Poppy seeds
  • 4 medium sized Lemons, rind & juice
  • 1 Tbsp Vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup Butter or Coconut oil, melted
  • 4 Eggs

Mix all dry ingredients together then combine with wet ingredients (except for the eggs).

Add the eggs in one at a time. Don’t over beat the mixture.

Line the 5 or 6L slow cooker with parchment paper.

Pour the batter into the slow cooker.

Cook on low heat for 2.5-3h.

As always, if you try one of my recipes, I’d love to hear what you think about it/see your recreations. Use the hashtag #jesspaigelchf so I can see :)

Tip

Let the cake cool prior to cutting it.

Blog, Product Review

Review: Montbec Sugar-free Mints & Candies

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Sugar-Free Candies

       While I’m a big fan of creating treats from scratch for my family and I, sometimes time doesn’t permit it. Life as a full-time student with 2 part-time jobs as well as numerous hobbies leaves me strapped for time quite often than not.

         Wandering down grocery aisles, you’ll find little to no real sugar-free, keto approved candies. Most commercially sold “sugar-free” candies are laden with maltitol, a sugar alcohol that many (myself included) cannot tolerate without having digestive issues. Furthermore, maltitol can cause insulin spikes for some people, which is counter-productive as that is what we were trying to avoid in the first place.

        Of the sugar-free candies, there are four flavours sweetened with stevia extract and sorbitol (Peppermint, Wintergreen, Raspberry and Spearmint) and 4 flavours sweetened with Splenda (Cranberry, Cherry, Tutti-Fruits and Menthol-Eucalyptus). Personally, I try to stay away from Splenda as there are not enough longitudinal studies on the effects of Splenda on the body. That being said, I have no issue with sorbitol or stevia and I really enjoyed those sugar-free treats.

My favourite of all the candy flavours was the Citrus Punch. They have a really nice flavour and I also enjoyed that they were individually wrapped.

Mints

       A foul-smelling breath is one of my biggest pet-peeves. While chewing gum is a good way to freshen up stale breath, I’ve never liked the image it gave off. I didn’t want to be that person that was constantly chewing away. These sugar-free mints are a great alternative to chewing gum. They leave a lasting refreshing mouthfeel and come in a variety of flavours. The small size of the mint package is also super convenient and allows you to bring these mints virtually anywhere. One drawback though is that they are sweetened with Splenda.

       In addition to freshening your breath, peppermint oil has been demonstrated to have muscle relaxant properties, which could aid in digestion. Peppermint is also known for its other beneficial properties such as relieving intestinal gas, indigestion and its antimicrobial properties.

For more information on MontBec’s many sugar-free products, visit their website or Facebook page.

Disclosure: While I did receive samples for this post, all opinions are my own.

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Food, Recipes

Cheesy Bread Garlic Knots (Gluten-free & Low-Carb)

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These cheesy bread garlic knots are loaded with protein and are ridiculously easy to make! Nutritious food under 10 minutes? Yes please.

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Cheesy bread watermarkIngredients

  • 2 cup Almond flour (I use Honeyville)
  • 1/2 cup LeanFit Unflavoured Whey Protein
  • 2 Tsp Baking powder
  • 1 Tsp Sea salt
  • 4 large Eggs
  • 1/4 cup olive oil (lightly flavoured)
  • 1 Tsp Garlic powder
  • 1/4 cup Cheddar Cheese, grated

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, mix in all wet ingredients.

Refrigerate dough for 6-12h.

Between two pieces of parchment paper, roll out the dough. Cut the dough into strips lengthwise and twist.

In an oven preheated to 350F, bake for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 5 more minutes at 350F.

Broil 2 minutes until cheese is crispy.

As always, if you try one of my recipes, I’d love to hear what you think about it/see your recreations. Use the hashtag #jesspaigelchf so I can see :)

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Tip

Refrigerating the dough makes it less sticky and easier to manipulate

Roll the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper

Food, Recipes

Tuna Cakes & Spicy Mayo Sauce (Low Carb, Paleo & Gluten-free)

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These tasty tuna cakes are so flavourful. The celery gives them a nice little crunch.

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Tuna cakes with spicy Mayo

Ingredients

  • 6 cans of 170g tuna, drained well
  • 1 1/2 cup mayo (preferably homemade)
  • 1 egg, large
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1 cup celery, finely chopped
  • 1 cup fresh parsley
  • 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
  • 6Tbsp Sriracha
  • 2 Tbsp Basil or Dill
  • Salt & pepper, to taste
  • Coconut oil to fry patties in

Dipping sauce

  • Mayo & sriracha combined

Combine all ingredients (except the coconut oil). Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Form patties using your hands. In a skillet, add the coconut oil and fry patties.

As always, if you try one of my recipes, I’d love to hear what you think about it/see your recreations. Use the hashtag #jesspaigelchf so I can see 🙂

Tip

Patties are quite fragile so wait until one side is crisp before turning.

Refrigerating the mixture makes it easier to form the patties with your hands.