Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs

I haven't been home in a while, so I went grocery shopping today. I've decided that I wanted to do keto the cheapest way possible. We're saving up for Africa, so I want to eat out less. Today I made meatballs over roasted spaghetti squash. They turned out amazing. I wish I'd taken a picture, but here's the recipe:

1lb ground turkey
1/2 tbsp fresh sage
1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
ground pepper
a few shakes of grated parm cheese
1 egg

Mash the ingredients and make little meatballs. Pan fry them in olive oil, rotating them to cook them as evenly as you can.

I usually find a lower carb jar of sauce. Silver Palate is a good one with like 3-4g. I ended up using Classico Red Pepper today though. The spaghetti squash you split in half, brush with olive oil, and cook facedown for 45 mins at 375.


I made this with some of the ingredients I bought today. The turkey and rosemary I already had. I grabbed this all at Jons:
20 eggs  $2.50
Flowering purple kale $1.50
Eggplant $.80
Mini Sweet Peppers $1
Spaghetti Squash $1.80
Tuna $1
Classico Red Pepper Pasta Sauce $3.70
2lbs carrots $1
Sage $.70

$13 spent there.

Then I went to Ralphs. I lost the receipt so I'll just try to remember.
Low Carb Burrito Tortillas (Tortilla Factory) $4
8oz Shredded Mexican Cheese $2
Chorizo $1.50
Breakfast Sausage $1.50
Diet Coke with Lime $5

$14 at Ralphs. Not bad. $27 total.

Rosemary Roasted Almonds

Ingredients

• Raw Almonds
• Olive Oil or Butter
• 1/4 tsp Chili Powder
• Salt to taste
• Rosemary

This recipe is super easy, but beats all the expensive roasted nuts at the store. Get over to costco or your favorite cheap nut source. Set your oven to 350. Put a few handfuls of nuts in a bowl and drizzle oil or butter over it. Mix in rosemary leaves, salt, and chili powder to taste. Spread this in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and roast for 15 minutes.

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I've been super antsy and wanting... something. Cookies, really, but this will do. It's been 5 days and I've lost 5lbs (water weight). Hooray! This weekend I'll probably bake something sugarfree. Also, I'm starting to track Los Angeles food trucks with their low carb friendliness here.

Brussel Sprout Snack

Ingredients:

• Frozen Brussel Sprouts
• Olive Oil
• Lemon
• Sea Salt

Set oven to 400°F

Set a piece of foil down on a cookie sheet, and spread some oil around. This'll keep your sprouts from sticking to the foil. Add a couple drops of lemon, and mix it around. Add your veggies (you can really roast any veggie this way). Sprinkle with salt and roast for 30 minutes.

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I resumed keto last Monday. Weight gain damage from holidays and international travel was only 10lbs, but my goal is to lose about 20. This past week I've been eating out a lot; a few protein style burgers, a riceless lobster sushiburrito (Thanks Jogasaki), and a fish soup at Daichan. I also made a huge pan of eggplant lasagna.

Today I've felt pretty terrible all day, so I didn't really make lunch. I snacked on some cheese and walnuts, but by 4:30 I was famished and cranky. Enter frozen brussel sprouts.

I always try to keep a variety of frozen foods around, and it usually consists of spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, chopped onions, and minced garlic. They're all fairly common ingredients in low carb recipes, and can be added to pad out a meal or make it a bit more interesting.

Roasted brussel sprouts is probably one of my favorite snacks. Something special happens when you char a vegetable and it makes my stomach smile.