Food – Page 2 – Life with the Lawsons

October 23, 2019

Keto/Low Carb/Sugar Free Coffee Ideas

Coffee!!!

I love coffee! I love black coffee, I love lattes, cappuccinos, frappes and more!

What I don’t love is that lately I’ve been gaining weight, so when my pumpkin spice latte craving takes hold, I really don’t need the extra sugar and calories. I’m trying to make some healthier choices and cut back the extra sugars where I can.

I have found a solution! This little mixture is under 50 calories and sugar free! I’m not a big fan of artificial sweeteners because in excess, they make me a little ill, but, ever so often this is a great guilt free treat!

I first start with about half a mug of Premier Protein Shake (Vanilla or Caramel). I heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds.

I then whisk in 2 tablespoons of Skinny Syrup in Pumpkin Cheesecake flavor. While my whisk is still spinning, I pour in black coffee until the mug is full!

The whisk makes it frothy and it is sooo delicious!

Getting ready to make a Pumpkin Cheesecake Latte!

I have also tried the Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll, White Chocolate, Mocha, Peanut Butter Cup and a few others. I have even mixed flavors and it comes out yummy every time!

Have you tried any sugar free flavors in your coffee? Comment and let me know what you like!

October 18, 2019October 19, 2019

Keto/Low Carb Pizza Crust

I’ve been back on the keto wagon for less than a week, y’all. But I’ve seen big changes already! (Which I knew I would…I just let my love/addiction for all things sweet cloud my vision!)

I am already about 75% pain free, my skin looks better, I’m sleeping better, and I’m down 4 pounds since Monday!

One way for me to stick to this way of eating is by always having healthier choices for the foods I love! One of those favorites is pizza!

The crust I use is super easy to make and takes just a few minutes!

I start by preheating my oven with pizza stone in it to 400°.

I then take a glass bowl that is microwave safe and add the shredded mozzarella and cream cheese. I then add Himalayan pink sea salt and garlic powder.

I microwave for 60 seconds and stir.

My microwave only takes 30 seconds more, but yours may vary. This is what I looks like after the full 90 seconds.

I then add my beaten egg and almond flour and mix thoroughly.

Some people use parchment paper to roll this out, but I find it too sticky.

So, I pull my heated pizza stone out and put the ball of dough in the middle and use a spatula to mash it out until it’s thin and even. I then use a fork to poke holes all over.

I bake at 400° for about 8 minutes.

I then flip it over to add my toppings. This part isn’t necessary, but I prefer a crispier crust so this makes sure the bottom isn’t soggy!

Now reduce oven temperature to 350°. Add sauce, toppings and bake for another 8-10 minutes or until your toppings are done!

This is so easy and versatile! We use it for breakfast pizza, BBQ pizza with leftover pulled pork, pepperoni, salami, chicken…whatever your favorites are, just play with it and have fun!

Yummy!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
2 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup almond flour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. Himalayan sea salt
1 tsp. garlic powder

What are your favorite low carb toppings?! Comment below and share your ideas!

October 14, 2019October 16, 2019

Jalapeno Popper Casserole

With extra peppers laying around, my family’s love of spicy foods, and my desire to get back into the swing of eating low carb, I decided to prep one of my favorite keto/low carb casseroles!

This is super easy, freezes well, and makes a yummy addition to your meal prepping stash!

As usual, I prep using steam pans and lids because they stack up well in my freezer and prevent freezer burn so my food stays fresh longer!

First I lay out my cream cheese to soften. I also cut my bacon in to small pieces and start frying it.

I then cook my chicken in the air fryer. I prefer this method simply because it’s way less mess!

Just throw the chicken in, sprinkle with some garlic and some Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning, and crank it up! The chicken can also be boiled, baked, or cooked in the instant pot. I’ve used all of these methods and they all turn out great! Do what’s easiest for you…that’s the glory of meal prepping! The whole point is to make life easier!

I use my stand mixer to shred the chicken and then cover the bottom of my baking dish

(I add a little extra Cajun seasoning here, but you can skip this step if you prefer less spice!)

Shredded chicken with a little “Slap ya Mama”

Spread softened cream cheese over chicken.

Cap and core peppers and cut in half to layer or you can slice. (I prefer to slice because it’s makes it easier to eat!) Layer over chicken.

Sprinkle with shredded cheese and crumbled bacon.

Now it’s ready to go into the oven or freezer for a later date!

Bake thawed casserole at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Ingredients:

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
4-6 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled
8 ounces cream cheese
4-6 large jalepeno peppers
8 ounces shredded cheese

October 11, 2019October 11, 2019

Yummy Jalapeno Poppers

As you can tell from many of my recipes that I share, my family loves sweets and we also love spicy! We love Mexican food, Cajun food, or anything with a kick!

We have had an abundance of peppers the last couple of weeks and I have really enjoyed using them. They’re colorful, spicy and liven up many recipes!

Yesterday I decided to make some jalapeno poppers. This recipe is always a hit at our house as well as being an excellent choice to take to gatherings and parties! This can be changed up with various meats and cheeses, but this time I used breakfast sausage and a triple cheddar cheese blend. In the past I have used pepper jack cheese and I have even used leftover BBQ for the meat! Delicious!

I also use a variety of peppers. This batch has jalapenos, poblanos and banana peppers because I had these on hand! For people that prefer less spice, bell peppers are great this way too!

First I sat out cream cheese to soften. I then rinsed the peppers, capped them, cut them in half lengthwise, and scraped out the cores.

While I was working on the peppers, I had breakfast sausage browning in my copper skillet! (I love that this thing is dishwasher safe!)

I then drained the cooked sausage and used my stand mixer to combine the cream cheese, cheddar, and sausage.

I stuffed each pepper half with the meat and cheese mixture, and then laid bacon slices over the top. Some people wrap the peppers, but we prefer them this way. It’s easier to prepare and the bacon cooks up crispier!

This go round, I cooked these in the oven on 375 for about 30-35 minutes. I just keep an eye on them and know they’re ready when the bacon is crispy! We have also cooked these on the smoker or in the air fryer! The smoker is my favorite method because of the extra flavor it adds!

Ingredients:

Peppers – any variety
Bacon slices (I cut into 1/4’s)
8 ounces cream cheese
1 pound ground sausage
8 ounces shredded cheese

What is your favorite appetizer recipe? Comment below and share!

October 8, 2019October 8, 2019

Southern Pepper Sauce

With an abundance of peppers from our garden and our neighbor, I decided to make a jar of pepper sauce!

With all the fall dishes coming onto our menu, I NEED some pepper sauce in my life! This is nothing fancy, y’all. Just delicious!

I use this on pinto beans, chili, greens, mix with ketchup to dip fries…so many uses! It is a VERY simple process, but really does take so many dishes to the next level!

I rinsed my peppers, capped them, poked a few holes so the vinegar could penetrate and poked them into this jar.

I used every variety I had! Isn’t it pretty?! In this jar are jalepenos, poblanos, serranos and even a few banana peppers!

Fill with vinegar

Voila! Done! Well, not quiet. The work is done, but this concoction needs to sit for about a week to really incorporate the flavors and it’s ready to go.

I just made one jar this go round, so there was no need to actually can it, but when I make more jars, I will use my pressure canner to seal my jars for indefinite storage!

Some folks add garlic or even peppercorns to their sauce but I prefer just peppers. What do you like in your pepper sauce? Comment below to let me know!

October 2, 2019

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti

In several posts, you have probably heard me discuss budgeting and meal prepping. In our household, those two go hand in hand!

Feeding a large crew like mine can be expensive, but I’ve learned to shop sales and stock up on items that I know can be used in meal prepping. I also know which items are cheaper to buy in bulk, so I take advantage of those items as well.

One of my favorite meals to prepare ahead of time and stock my freezer with is this easy chicken spaghetti casserole.

This meal is super easy to whip up in big batches, throw in these awesome aluminum pans with lids, label and stick in your freezer!

When I know we are having one of these casseroles, I try to thaw it during the day so I can pop it in the oven for 20ish minutes and be ready to go, but life isn’t always perfect like that, but that’s no biggie! These casseroles can be cooked from frozen but it takes anywhere from an hour and a half to two hours to finish cooking if it hasn’t been thawed.

I love having this type of meal prepped and thawed for quick weeknight suppers because they can be baked in the time it takes me to bathe the littles and settle in after a chaotic day of school drop offs, pickups, gym class, dance class, Bible study, football games, or whatever else I’m chauffeuring my kids to or from!

These ingredients can be multiplied as many times as you’d like and mixes up very well in large batches.

Creamy chicken spaghetti

1 pound cooked angel hair pasta
2-3 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
8oz sour cream
1 can rotel (I blend mine because my picky kids don’t like chunks of tomatoes)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese
Parmesan cheese

Mix all ingredients except cheese in a large mixing bowl or with stand mixer.

Put into casserole dish and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, then cover with shredded cheddar cheese.

At this point, you can cover and freeze for later use, or you can bake if you’re ready to eat!

I bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, when cheese is melted and bubbly.

(This post contains Amazon affiliate links to help you find items that I find useful and helpful in our home. When you purchase using these links, it helps fund this site at no additional cost to you!)

October 1, 2019

Homemade Cornbread

I’m getting ready to thaw a batch of my Mamaw’s Homemade Vegetable Soup for dinner tonight, but I cannot have soup without cornbread!

And, of course, I have to cook this awesome southern staple in my Mamaw’s cast iron skillet!

Y’all, this skillet means more to me than most any other material belonging I have! It was handed down to me from my great grandmother and she has had it since the early ‘40’s. Ever so often, it needs a good scrubbing and reseasoning, and it holds up just as well as it did for my Mamaw for all those years! (This is a great cast iron skillet that reminds me of the one I use!)

This homemade cornbread is so delicious! It has that crispy outer crust, that yummy moist center, and is perfect with soup, chili, peas, beans….even a glass of milk! Yum!

This recipe is so easy!

I preheat my oven to 400 with my oiled skillet already inside.

By preheating the pan with the oven, that oil and the pan get super hot and helps make that crispy crust on the outside!

While the preheating takes place, I measure out my dry ingredients in a bowl and stir with a whisk.

I then add the wet ingredients and gently stir, just to incorporate. Don’t over mix this, or your cornbread will be too dense. A few lumps won’t hurt!

Note: if you don’t have any buttermilk, you can use regular milk and a little vinegar! Just pour your milk into a glass and stir in about a tablespoon of white vinegar and let it sit while you prepare your other ingredients. The vinegar causes the milk to sour and turns it to buttermilk!

Carefully pull your super hot skillet out of the oven and pour your batter in.

Place back in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the top is golden and the edges look crispy.

Let cool and enjoy with butter or with your favorite meal!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup flour
1 cup white corn meal
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg

Do you like homemade cornbread? Some people even add sugar to make it sweeter. Comment below and let me know!

September 26, 2019September 27, 2019

Mamaw’s Fresh Apple Cake

With the onset of cooler temperatures, rainy and cloudy days, and hints of fall in the air, I have been craving all things fall and all the nostalgia that comes with it!

One of my favorite things to do on cool mornings is enjoy a hot cup of coffee and a piece of my Mamaw’s Fresh Apple Cake. It’s warm and filling and oh, so delicious!

This recipe is a favorite of many of my family members and I get lots of requests for it this time of year!

It’s a very simple recipe and very easy to make, but will impress folks every time.

I start by peeling and dicing my apples into small bits like this. (And saving the peels, cores and egg shells for my chickens!)

Diced apples for our cake, peels and cores for the chickens to enjoy!

In my stand mixer I use the whisk attachment to mix together the oil and sugar, and then add beaten eggs.

I mix my dry ingredients in my Mamaw’s sifter.

I love using my Mamaw’s tools & utensils!

I then switch attachments on my mixer and fold in the dry ingredients. I do this because this makes a very thick batter, and the whisk attachment won’t mix it well and it will just get clogged up.

Slowly fold in the apples and nuts.

I use a spatula to scoop somewhat evenly into greased bunt pan because this makes a very dense, thick batter. It won’t be perfect, but as it bakes it will even out!

Now it’s time to bake! In my oven it takes just under an hour. I would start checking this at about 45 minutes just to make sure it doesn’t over cook and dry out.

Let cool and dump onto a plate or cake dish.

Enjoy!

Fresh Apple Cake:

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups diced apples
1 cup of nuts (optional, I use walnuts)

What is your favorite fall treat? Comment below and let me know!

(I’m including a link to the KitchenAid Mixer I use. This one is on Amazon and is an affiliate link. If you purchase, I will earn a small portion of the sale at no additional cost to you!)

September 23, 2019

Easy Three Bean Chili

I love chili! I love that warm and filling feeling that it has on my body and my soul, and I rank it as one of my top comfort foods of fall!

On a cold rainy weekend, for a football celebration, or even for a snow day, chili always wins!

I make chili with beef, deer, ground turkey, or ground chicken just depending on what we have on hand.

I brown my meat seasoned with cumin, fresh garlic, onion powder (because my husband had a huge dislike of actual onions), salt and pepper.

I drain the excess fat off of the meat and add in a couple of cans of diced tomatoes with green chilies (blended, of course, for my picky ones). Stir in your favorite chili seasoning and add beans if you’d like, or none if you prefer meat only chili.

My family loves a variety of beans so I will typically add in a can of chili beans, ranch style beans, and black beans (rinsed).

And that’s it! This can be simmered slowly on the stove top for an hour or so to incorporate all of the flavors, it can be cooked in an instant pot to speed up the process, or can be cooked in a crock pot all day.

I usually make a large batch of chili so I can save the leftovers for an easy meal later on. I have canned and frozen chili with success so whichever process works best for you will be much appreciated on a cold night when you want a quick and hearty meal!

I use my food sealer to freeze my chili. I fill the bag and vacuum seal, then lay flat to freeze so it is easier to stack in my freezer! When you’re ready to serve, you can thaw it in the fridge overnight and heat on your stove top, you can put directly into a crock pot to thaw and cook during the day, or you can put into an instant pot and cook from frozen and it will come out delicious every time!

I have also used my pressure canner to can chili and it tastes fresh and delicious when served.

Does your family like chili? Comment below and let me know your favorite ingredients!

Three Bean Chili Recipe

2 lbs. ground meat (turkey, chicken, deer, beef, etc.)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. black pepper
1 clove garlic
1 can ranch style beans
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can chili beans
2 cans tomatoes with green chilis
2 envelopes of your favorite chili seasoning (I use Williams)

September 20, 2019September 20, 2019

Guacamole Live!

I love guacamole!

Anytime we go out for Mexican food, or when my girlfriends and I go out for margaritas, I always order Guacamole Live with our meal!

I have tried multiple times to make a good guacamole, and it’s always ok, just not quite what I want, and now I think I’ve figured it out! I have always bought seasoning mixes and tried various recipes, and they always come out good, just not great.

I really think I was overcomplicating it!

This week on Taco Tuesday, I wanted some good guac, but didn’t have any seasoning packets or special mixes, but I DID have some fresh ingredients I thought I’d try.

I used my pastry cutter to mash the avocados.

I diced up some jalapenos and serranos I grew in my garden, some leftover red onion I had for another recipe, squeezed in some fresh lime juice, and I diced some leftover cilantro from my salsa recipe.

That’s it, ya’ll! I was so easy and it’s my new favorite! I guess I was overthinking and over complicating the whole thing! (I tend to do that!)

Try it and let me know what you think!