Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener

This would have been Bear and my 35th Valentine's Day—if you count our courtship. His passing on February 8, 2018 understandably made this year's celebration an obstacle course of melancholy emotions.

In anticipation of Valentine's Day, I had pre-ordered a fresh installment of Harney & Sons "Valentine's Blend" sachets. With chocolate and rosebuds, it is the perfect beverage for romance and tea lovers. Although I never got to share it with Bear, I did brew some up for myself, adding heavy cream and a teaspoon of Lakanto Monkfruit (lo han guo) Sweetener. It was amazing!

As someone who no longer craves white sugar but is not particularly fond of the stevia aftertaste, I found monk fruit sweetener to be a delightful substitute. There was nothing unpleasant about monk fruit. In this combination, it tasted like the real thing! 

Monk fruit is 100-250 times sweeter than sugar, so not much is needed. It is ZERO GLYCEMIC, NON GMO, VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE and it has ZERO CALORIES and ZERO AFTERTASTE. It also has a 1:1 replacement ratio. Still, the product has 4g of carbohydrates per teaspoon, so I am cautious about how much I ingest.

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Enjoy,

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Lucious Low-Carb Eggnog

My husband, Barry, was once a milkman in Southern California. He delivered to many Orange County cities, including the Newport Coast, where he got to watch the world wake up. He also represented one of the finest dairies around: Alta Dena Dairy. 

Barry is a confessed eggnog hog and Alta Dena Honey Sweetened Eggnog is amazing! After New Year's Day, Barry was already looking forward to the following fall. He introduced this eggnog to our 3 children and me. We were all gaga for it!

Before embracing a low-carb lifestyle, I cut back on eggnog due to the enormous calories. Just one cup of Alta Dena Honey Sweetened Eggnog is equal to 980 calories and 38 carbohydrates! I would add a smidgen to coffee until I stopped drinking it altogether.

So, it was time to adopt a healthier nog. Especially since sugar is no longer in my life, I find this recipe quite pleasing.

LUCIOUS LOW-CARB EGGNOG

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ cup almond milk
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons of Swerve or liquid stevia drops to taste
• 1 teaspoon maple flavoring
• 4 eggs
• Freshly ground nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small saucepan, whisk all ingredients until smooth.
2. Heat up the ingredients over very low heat.
3. Whisk continuously until the eggs have just cooked. The eggnog should be thickened enough to coat the backside of a spoon.
4. Serve warm or refrigerate.
5. Top with whipped cream and ground nutmeg.

Servings: 2 to 3
(Nutrition information not available.)

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Creamed Bai-Bai

It was 102° today in the Treasure Valley of Idaho. Happily, our temps will begin to descend into the mid-to-high 90's. I am not alone. Many of you are coping with harsh heat, along with humidity!

Refreshment is more than AC, an ocean, lake, or swimming pool. Icy beverages provide a speedy path to relief. Of course, water is a mainstay, but who wants to nix sweetness and flavor?

In years past, lemonade, sugared tea, Italian sodas, and Dr. Pepper were my summer go-to's. Now, I favor unsweetened Tejava; loose leaf refrigerator tea; iced coffee; Starbuck's iced unsweetened passion tea; and Bai Antioxidant Infusion. 

Costco carries this Bai® Sunrise Variety Pack™ which contains 15 18-fluid-ounce bottles of Antioxidant Infusions, with only 6g of carbs per 8-ounce serving! The sweetener is a blend of stevia and erythritol. It hits the spot and my family loves it!

I pour about an inch of heavy cream into a medium sized glass, followed by 8 ounces of a Bai flavor, and then add ice. It is a welcome imitation of an Italian soda—without the sugar and carbs.

Stay cool,

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