There’s no denying that food prices are going up, up and up.  In the short term, it’s devastating many a grocery budget.  In the long term, there’s no telling the impact this can have on our overall health.  More and more families are being pushed into low priced and high calorie convenience (junk) food just to get by, but it shouldn’t and doesn’t have to be like that.  Here are a few ways you can save a few without gaining a few… inches on your waistline.

Shop Around – If you have two, three or even more grocery chains in your area, invest in a plastic cooler so that you can hop from store to store picking up sale items without your cold food warming up.

Map Things Out – We like to sit down every week and plan many of our meals around the weekly grocery store ads.  Think of it like the show Iron Chef, where you have a few set ingredients (the fresh foods with the best sale prices) and you have to mix and match them to make recipes.

Keep It Simple – The best meals are made with the fewest ingredients, it’s a fact (I say it is!).  Simplify your favorites for savings.

Go Fresh AND Frozen –I’ve been known to go crazy and throw eight kinds of vegetables into a stir fry, from time to time—but at two or three dollars a veggie, that can add up.  Try buying fresh green veggies like broccoli or green beans and an inexpensive, frozen bag of stir fry vegetables from the freezer aisle to fill in the blanks.  You’ll have all of the variety, while still retaining the natural vitamins of a fresh veggie.

These are just a few of the tips I’ve found that really help keep my spending under control!

Keep On Low-Carbin’!
George Stella

For tons more low carb recipes, ideas, and support please visit:
www.StellaStyle.com
www.facebook.com/LowCarbingAmongFriends

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mac burger wrapThe “Mac” Burger Wrap
A “Big” Fast Food Favorite, All Wrapped Up

Recipe by George Stella / StellaStyle.com

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Serves: 4
Calories:385 | Fat:31g | Protein:23.5g | Total Carbs:2.5g–Fiber:0.5g = Net Carbs: 2g

We all know the jingle: two all-beef patties, special sauce, cheese, pickles, onions, sesame seeds, in a healthy and delicious lettuce wrap. Okay, maybe that’s not EXACTLY how it goes, but I certainly like it better.

Ingredients

  • 4 (1/4-pound) ground beef patties
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 2 slices deluxe American cheese, cut in half
  • 4 large lettuce leaves, such as Bibb lettuce
  • 1/4 cup dill pickle slices
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced white onion
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
  • Special Sauce
    1/4 cup mayonnaise
    2 teaspoons sugar substitute
    2 teaspoons tomato paste
    2 teaspoons sugar-free sweet relish
    1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
    1/8 teaspoon onion powder
    1 pinch salt and black pepper

Instructions

  1. Generously season the ground beef patties with salt and pepper.
    Grill, broil, or pan-fry the burgers over medium-high heat until your desired temperature, about 3 minutes on each side for medium doneness.
  2. Slice each burger in half to make 2 half-moon-shaped patties. Place 1/2 slice of American cheese in between each pair of the cut patties.
    Lay out 4 large leaves of lettuce. Place a pair of cut burger patties with cheese atop each lettuce leaf.
  3. Top with pickles, onion, and a dollop of Special Sauce. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Roll each lettuce leaf over the filling ingredients like a burrito to finish the wraps.
  4. Special Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together all Special Sauce ingredients, until combined.

Helpful Tips

Toasting Sesame Seeds: Place a small skillet over medium heat. Cook the sesame seeds while constantly shaking the pan, just until seeds are lightly browned and fragrant, just 3–4 minutes.

No Corn Corn Dog BitesNo-Corn Corn Dog Bites

Nobody Has to Know That They’re Actually Low-Carb

Recipe by George Stella / StellaStyle.com

Prep Time: 20 min • Cook Time: 20 min • Makes: 24 • Serves: 8
Calories: 245 • Fat: 11.5g • Protein: 12.5g • Total Carbs: 5.5g – Fiber: 1.5g = Net Carbs: 4g

I feel I need to warn you now; you may want to commit this recipe to memory. Because as soon as you break these little corn-free puppies out at a party, everyone is going to ask you how to make them. You could save yourself the trouble of repeating it by printing a few copies of the directions for your friends. Or…you can tell them about this great book you got it from.

Ingredients

  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar substitute
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3 large eggs, beaten
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon butter extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
  • 8 hotdogs, sliced into 3 pieces each (see tip)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously spray a 24-count mini-muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, sugar substitute, and baking powder.
  3. Add the eggs, heavy cream, butter extract, and vanilla extract, and whisk until completely blended into a batter. Fold the Cheddar cheese into the batter.
  4. Using a tablespoon or 1-ounce ice cream scoop, place a heaping spoonful of batter into each of the prepared muffin cups. Stick a piece of hotdog into the center of the batter in each muffin cup.
  5. Bake for 17–20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the pan while they are still hot. If they do not easily release from the pan, they need to bake for a few more minutes. Serve hot with plenty of mustard for dipping.

Helpful Tips

We buy all-beef hot dogs with “no nitrates.” Regular corn dogs are made with standard hot dogs (a mixture of chicken, pork, and beef), which you can also find without nitrates. There are conflicting studies on nitrates, but our thoughts are that there’s no reason to eat them when alternatives are available!