Merry Christmas: Happy-House Chocolate Chip Cookies and Travel Tips

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to you!  I am still in shock that Christmas is here already! So excited to be going home to Georgia and spending time with my family!  I thought I would use this opportunity to show you how I prepare for a 10-11 hour road trip and how I plan on eating grain and sugar free while traveling!

1.  Bring snacks for the road!  I have made 2 batches of my Grain-Free Granola, perfect for munching on riding down the road.  I will also be bringing mixed nuts, cheese, cut up apples, boiled eggs and cut up ham (I am cooking it tonight and will cut it into pieces).  I will also bring some beef jerky to chew on. Grain Free Granola Recipe

2.  BYOB- Bring your own bread!  Yes, I have my buns ready to go!  If we happen to stop and grab a burger, I will simply transfer the meat and goodies to my own buns!  I also brought ham and cheese sandwiches and chicken salad sandwiches in the cooler for a quick, grain-free meal! These buns are a new recipe found in the new Satisfying Eats eBook or you can use the  Sandwich Buns recipe on the blog.

3. Stick to meat and veggies when stopping at restaurants.  I learned this a long time ago, even before going totally grain free, stay away from traditional bread while traveling!  It will put you into a diabetic coma and make the trip miserable!  Salads with meat or stopping for a sit down meal of steak, grilled chicken, etc. will give you energy not force you to have to stop on side of the road for a nap!   I enjoyed a nice salad and grilled pork chops at Waffle House.


4. Drink lots of water and try to avoid all the caffeine and sugary drinks that temp you in the convenience store!  I personally stick to one small cup of coffee in the morning, and drink water or stevia sweetened tea during the day.

5. Bring whatever you will need to make eating easy for you.  I plan on bringing my Kal Stevia as well as some all ready prepared bread mixes (and White Cheddar-Garlic Biscuits).

6. Do the cooking for your family and make it taste and look good!  This will ensure that you eat healthy, grain-free food and your family will appreciate the meal!   I plan on preparing Shrimp & "Grits" for my mom's Christmas Dinner along with Cheddar-Garlic Biscuits, salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette  and my Famous Cheesecake with fresh strawberries!  (All Recipes are in the new eBook and spiral bound version NOW available on Amazon.)

Yummy Shrimp & "Grits"

I hope these tips help keep you eating well for the holidays!

As promised, here is a yummy recipe from Satisfying Eats new Cookbook!  The spiral bound version will be available in about 2 weeks but the eBook version is already available on Amazon: Satisfying Eats eBook on Amazon.

I confess, I did "cheat" a little with these cookies.  I used 60% cocoa dark chocolate chips.  I normally would use my Chocolate Chunks recipe or a 85% cocoa chocolate bar (chopped up) but wanted these to be extra tasty since I would be giving them away as gifts (and I was trying to make these quickly).  If you use the Chocolate Chunks, the chocolate will spread and get a little messy but still taste good.

Happy-House Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 12 cookies; 4-6 Net Carbs per cookies (Depending on chocolate chips you use)

 3/4 cup almond flour 

1/4 cup coconut flour

2 tsp baking powder

5 tbsp salted butter, room temperature

1/4 tsp plus 2 servings KAL® Pure Stevia (to taste)

1 egg white (or 2 tbsp egg white)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tbsp raw honey

1/2 cup chopped nuts

3 oz Chocolate Chunks (or 3 oz of chocolate bar, 70% cocoa or higher)

Preheat oven to at 350° F. In medium bowl, mix dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry and blend well until dough forms. Taste for sweetness.

Using a small scooper, make uniform balls of dough and place them on cookie sheet, 3 inches apart. Using bottom of glass or hands, flatten dough into round cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly brown.  (Oven times will vary).  Cool on wire rack.