Brussels Sprouts and Bacon

If you have picky eaters, or you aren’t the biggest fan yourself, have I got a recipe for you! I used to be the only one in my house that could stomach Brussels sprouts. Now they are a side dish at least once a week. Even my tween loves them!

Between you and me, the secret comes down to this, fresh Brussels sprouts. That’s it! Never again buy the frozen, bitter, and downright gross Brussels sprouts. I used to love frozen Brussels sprouts but I couldn’t get anyone else to eat them.

I decided to buy them fresh and oh boy what a game changer! Just make sure to trim them and peel off any sad looking leaves; you’ll know them when you see them.

Slice the sprouts in half and set aside. I usually prepare four sprouts per person, feel free to make more or less, the steps are still the same.

If you want to use the same knife and cutting board without cleaning them first, make sure to prep the veg before moving on to the bacon.

While a large skillet heats to medium on the stove, slice bacon into bite sized pieces. I typically use two slices per serving.

Place the bacon in an even layer in the skillet.

After the bacon has had some time to cook, add in your halved Brussels sprouts and season with salt and pepper. Depending on how done your bacon is, you can always speed up the cooking of the Brussels sprouts by placing a lid on your skillet.

Keep cooking until both bacon and Brussels sprouts are done. You should be able to easily pierce them with a fork. The Brussels sprouts should still have a vibrant green color and be a bit firm but not hard.

Serve hot and watch your picky eaters devour this! Both my husband and oldest are very picky about their vegetables but ever since I started using fresh Brussels sprouts they’ve enjoyed it! I would say the secret is the bacon but honestly, I’ve sauteed them with just a bit of butter and they are still delicious. Fresh sprouts + delicious fat = happy eaters.

I sincerely hope that if you don’t like sprouts, or you’ve only ever had the frozen ones, you give this a try. This is quite versatile and I would love to hear how you like them! What other vegetables do you turn your nose up to?

Keto Cheese Snacks

Banana Bread

Banana bread was the first recipe I learned to bake on my own. At 6 years old, I was given a Gold Medal kids cookbook. To this day, the recipe is the same. I have tweaked some of the instructions as I gained more knowledge and skills and I also like to add a bit of cinnamon in with my dry ingredients. Be careful not to over bake this, it goes dry quickly and greasing the pan with butter is essential, as the bread will easily release from the pan and keep your loaf looking beautiful!

These can also be turned into muffins, just make sure to reduce the bake time to closer to 25 minutes.

They make great muffins!
Yes! I love these banana muffins!

Keto Personal Pizzas

Friday night’s have always been pizza night in our house. When my husband and I decided to try a Keto lifestyle, we were in desperate search for a way to keep tradition without making every Friday a cheat day.

While the following recipe is pretty standard for a low carb dough, a lot of trial and error has gone in to adjusting ratios and steps. I also discovered that adding different blends of spices to the almond flour before adding it to the cheeses adds a depth of flavor unparalleled by any delivery pizza. Our oldest loves this pizza too and we haven’t ordered delivery since!

Enjoy this pizza with whatever toppings make your mouth water! Just be mindful to adjust cook times depending on how thick you pile it on. When I’m feeling indulgent, I make a personal pizza with a pesto sauce, artichoke hearts, spinach, chicken and feta cheese. The options are nearly limitless!

Chicken, pesto, artichoke pizza
BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger pizza

Scotch Eggs

I am obsessed with reality cooking shows, especially those hosted by Gordon Ramsay. The man loves his Scotch Eggs! So here is my take on the Scotch Egg. They pair well with a light salad, as a quick breakfast bite, or just because!

Featured

Cooking makes us human

Every breathing organism consumes some form of food. Humans are unique in that we cook our food.

This blog is a pet project, something to keep me grounded, a place to be creative, but most importantly, a place for me to stay honest about what I’m eating.

I am a mom of two boys, a Paleontology grad student, coffee fiend, and a hardcore foodie. When I am not digging in the dirt or writing research manuscripts, I’m in the kitchen, experimenting with spices, flavors and techniques.

Here is a collection of recipes, tips, and techniques that have helped my family eat healthier.

“I believe the transformative moment that gave rise to the genus Homo, one of the great transitions in the history of life, stemmed from the control of fire and the advent of cooked meals.”
― Richard W. Wrangham, Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human