Homemade Flavored Liquid Stevia

Our family uses stevia as our primary sweetener the Sweetleaf flavors are our favorite. BUT I'm finding that I cannot afford them since we go through at least 2 bottles a week. I found a recipe online for homemade stevia and I altered it to make flavored stevia. Here is my recipe:

Flavored Liquid Stevia
1 1/2 Tbsp warm water
1 1/2 Tbsp extract*
1 tsp powdered stevia**
Empty bottle of the flavor you want to make, or relable old bottles to make new flavors.

Combine all ingredients. Allow to sit a couple minutes. Stir well. Pour into empty bottle.

* Here are some of the extracts I've tried: vanilla, chocolate, orange, caramel, root beer, etc. When I run out of English toffee I'm going to try combining chocolate & caramel and see if I can come up with my own version of English toffee.

** Be sure the powdered stevia you purchase does NOT have added sugar. Get a pure powdered stevia. Depending on how strong your powdered stevia is you may need a little more or a little less of the stevia. Just play with the amount until you get the sweetness you enjoy.

"Fried" Egg Sandwhich: Phase 2 Recipe

Ok... by day 52 the VLCD foods are REALLY boring!! LOL! So today I was reading on an hcg forum and they were all talking about "egg bread". Dr. Simeons tells us we can use eggs occasionally, 3 egg whites and 1 whole egg so we get a complete protein with only a little fat. I used them one time my first round and not at all my second and have not tried them yet this round. People seem to have mixed results with them, some gain, some continue to lose well with them. The gals on the forum I was reading said many of them ate eggs often on phase 2 and never saw any issues with their losses. So I decided to give it a try... but was REALLY wanting an egg sandwich so this is what I came up with.

Egg White Buns

3 egg whites
1/8 tsp cream of tarter
pinch of salt.

1. Beat all ingredients until stiff in a clean bowl.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Make 2-3 blobs depending on the size of your eggs.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes until slightly browned.
4. Peel off and use as a "bun" for vegetables, or wrap around your fruit. OR fry your whole egg and put it between these buns for a FABULOUS fried egg sandwich!
5. NOTE: you must also eat a whole egg, so the whole egg can be cooked up with your vegetable for that meal if you don't want it "fried" on top.

Fried Egg Phase 2 style
To prepare the fried egg without oil. Put a nice layer of water in the bottom of a skillet. Heat at medium/high until nice and hot. Crack egg into pan and allow to cook for about 1 minute. Then cover with a lid so the top will cook a little too. I found cooking the egg this way was perfect! The inside was beautifully hot and runny and between the two egg white blobs... I was in egg sandwich heaven... I realized afterwards that I forgot to put mustard on the "bun"! LOL! I had planned to but my egg looked so glorious on top of the fluffy white bun I had to take a bite! YUMMY!

I steamed my asparagus to go with the egg sandwich. So I used the asparagus water to "fry" my egg in... it was glorious! 

Hope you have success with it if you chose to give it a try!

Peppermint Patty Tea -- Phase 2

I have to give hubby credit for this FABULOUS tea "recipe". He made this for me a few nights ago and now I cannot end my evening without enjoying slowly sipping on a hot cup of this tea. As a matter of fact... I HAVE to find more decaf peppermint tea by next week or I'll have to go to bed LONGING for it! :-(

Ingredients:
1 peppermint tea bag (preferably decaf)
Sweetleaf Chocolate Stevia
Sweetleaf Vanilla Cream Stevia

1. Steep tea in water that is heated to the point of just before boiling. Steep for between 3-5 minutes.
2. Add 4-6 drops of chocolate stevia and 2-3 drops of Vanilla cream. Stir and add more of either until you reach the place where it tastes like you are eating a peppermint patty... MMMMMMMM! It is a trip to chocolate mint heaven! :-)

Enjoy!

NEW Favorite Phase 2 Beverage

Many people are addicted to diet sodas. They are VERY bad for you for many reasons but the one that I consider the most prominent reason is that the artificial sweeteners communicate to your body that you are hungry and they make you crave foods. THAT is REALLY bad while on the VLCD.

On one of the yahoo groups I read often someone suggested plain carbonated water with flavored stevia drops. I finally found some seltzer water that had no sodium and no sweetener. It is simply bubbly water. I took it home to chill and have had LOTS of fun experimenting with various flavored stevia's to make my own sugar free, sodium free Soda!

Thus far my favorites have been:

Vanilla Cream Stevia = Cream Soda
Root Beer Stevia = Root Beer
Orange Valencia Stevia = Orange soda
Orange Valencia AND Vanilla Cream Stevias = Orange Creamsicle Soda

So, if you are really in the mood for a soda treat that would be acceptable for phase 2. Start stocking up on stevia (the top shelf of my refrigerator looks like a stevia store add), and enjoy making your own sensational soda with unflavored, unsweetened and unsalted club or seltzer water! Oh, and when you are in phase 3 and cooking in coconut oil and butter daily making a greasy mess of your stove top. Put some of that plain soda on a sponge or cloth and it cleans up grease lickity split!! I keep plain seltzer water in a spray bottle for cleaning my stove top. It works better than ANY commercial cleaner on grease!

If you are not familiar with stevia, my favorite brand is Sweetleaf. You can purchase it online through Amazon, Vitacost and many other places. I always shop around for the cheapest prices. Some large grocery stores carry it and most health food stores do too. You will NOT find it at Walmart. Oh and please read labels on any other brand of stevia, especially the powdered ones. Some companies like "Stevia in the Raw" add SUGAR to the stevia. You cannot use a stevia product that has sugar added in it's raw form or in the form of maltodextrin. Be sure to purchase stevia that is just stevia.

Remember that when you first start to use stevia you must start with very small amounts or you will NOT like it. Most find it "bitter" at first. It took me a LONG time to learn how much I like on various foods. I used to HATE IT!! Now though I have come to really enjoy it. I think one reason is that my body no longer gets white, pure sugar.... so it is satisfied with fruit sugars and stevia. So do consider that it make take time for you to get used to using stevia and being satisfied with the level of sweetness it offers. Start with just a couple drops then increase little by little until it is just sweet enough but not bitter. If you struggle with the "bitterness" then try NOW Stevia Glycerite. I just bought my first bottle, but love my Sweetleaf flavors so much that I haven't tried it yet. :-)

Hope you are enjoying the Sweet Success of Phase 2!

Apple Crunch Salad -- Phase 2

Do you EVER have a phase 2 day where you REALLY feel like crunching on SOMETHING. The ole' celery stick just isn't cutting it. Well this salad is one of my favorites for those days when I'm in the mood for a crisp fresh crunchy meal. The flavor combination might seem a little weird but it tastes FABULOUS!

Apple Crunch Salad

1 apple cored and diced
6 celery stalks diced
100 g chicken, preferably cooked, cooled, and diced into small pieces.
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 TBSP Truvia or xylitol or stevia to taste
1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1 TBSP cold water
1 plain melba toast or plain grassini (no more than 20 calories worth)

1. Get a BIG bowl, this will not fit into a normal small cereal or salad bowl.
2. Place diced apple, celery, and chicken into the bowl and toss gently.
3. In a small bowl/dish mix the cinnamon, truvia, and lemon juice. Pour lemon mixture over the salad and toss gently.
4. Break up your melba/grassini over the salad, toss gently again.
ENJOY!

Variation: Replace the celery by a diced cucumber. It won't be AS crunchy but it is still VERY tasty.

Phase 3 Variation: Use a LOT more chicken, any part of the bird. Make a dressing out of 1/4 cup mayo, 2 TBSP truvia/xylitol, 1/2 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar. Toss salad in the mayo dressing and enjoy. You must OMIT the melba/grassini for phase 3. Remember, no starch.

Phase 4 Variation: Do all the phase 3 additions including the dressing and add 1 tablespoon of raisins or dried cranberries. Still omit the melba/grassini if you choose to add the dried fruit.

Hot Cinnamon Apple Slices

Today I went grocery shopping and the store had lovely Braeburn and Honey Crisp apples. YUM! I LOVE fresh crispy apples but this time of the year when it is cold and the air is crisp I love apple pie. Apple pie is obviously NOT on the diet. BUT Hot cinnamon apples are!

Hot Cinnamon Apple Slices
1 apple
Cinnamon & Truvia/xylitol OR cinnamon stevia
A small baking dish or mini cookie sheet.

Core & thinly slice your apple in about 1/4" slices. Place in a small baking dish with a titch of water in the bottom. Sprinkle with cinnamon & truvia/xylitol or if using steiva wait to sweeten. Bake in an oven or toaster oven at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until apple are softened to your liking. If you choose to use cinnamon stevia, place the hot apples in a bowl, add drops of stevia to taste, toss lightly. If already sweetened just eat 'em! I used cinnamon stevia and with a honey crisp apple and it was heavenly!

Stawberry Ice Cream - Phase 2

Ok, I know you are saying, common Shirley, ice cream in phase 2, YA RIGHT! :-) I made the most amazing ice cream with my fruit this evening. I sat there... freezing my tooshy, wearing my fleece robe, enjoying EVERY bite! Hubby enjoyed it with me.... he had to go grab another sweatshirt too! Ha Ha!

Strawberry Ice Cream

4-6 Frozen strawberries or whatever your calorie's allow for the day.
1 TBSP whole milk (it will taste great without the milk too if you've already used it for the day)
1 dropper full of vanilla cream stevia or your sweetener of choice
1/4-1/2 cup cold water

Place berries in your blender. Add your sweetener and 1/4 cup water. Blend on high or frappe setting. If the berries don't mush enough add a titch more water... yes titch is an official Shirley measuring term. Tee hee! Dump the strawberry ice cream into a bowl and enjoy! You will probably need a scraper to get it all out of the blender... believe me, you won't want to leave one bit of it in the blender! :-)

Who says this protocol is boring and tasteless??? No way! :-)

Shrimp and Green Onion Soup - Phase 2

This is YUMMY! I had some green onions in the fridge that needed to be used up and I tend to lose better if I eat shrimp or chicken for dinner. I decided to try Shrimp with green onions for dinner. The soup was bright and very flavorful. YUMMY!

Shrimp and Green Onion Soup

100 gram raw shrimp OR 75-80 grams cooked shrimp
Green onions sliced to equal your available veggie calories*
1 1/2- 2 cups water
REAL Salt, pepper and any seasoning that is your favorite (I used French Garden, see my post about spices if you want to know where to buy it)

1. Place all ingredients, spices and salt in a pan. Bring to a boil then simmer for about 15 minutes. Serve in the prettiest bowl you have an sip it like a queen/king! If you have a melba toast available for the day, break it into small pieces and use it like you would crackers in your soup. Remember you only get 20 calories of melba or grassini 2 times a day.


* Green onions are 9 calories per ounce. If you don't want to eat as many as you may have available in calories just use less. Remember, Dr. Simeons says we can eat LESS than the allotted foods for the day.

Hamburger Onion Casserole - Phase 2 with Phase 3 & 4 variations

Hamburger Onion Casserole

4 - 100 g raw burger patties 90-95% lean
4 small - medium sized onions
garlic salt or fresh garlic and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice onions and place them into a 9X9 baking dish. Season with garlic salt & pepper.

2. Place 4 burgers on top, one in each "corner". Season with garlic salt. Add 1/2 cup water to pan.

3. Cover pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

4. Bake for 40 min or until onions are tender. Divide in to 4 portions. The "leftover" portions refrigerate well and are great to take to work!

Phase 2 bulk cooking variation: make 8 patties and place it in a 9 X 13 pan with 6 - 7 onions.

Phase 3 & 4 Variation:
Add:
6-8 pieces bacon cooked crisp, save bacon grease
2 cups diced tomatoes (or 2 cups of salsa)
1-2 cups cheese of your choice
Make the patties larger and use fatty beef no lean

Layer onions, tomatoes, bacon and burgers, drizzle with the bacon grease and a tiny bit of water. Bake for the same amount of time. Remove foil and sprinkle on cheese. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

If I use salsa I usually like colby Jack/Marble cheese. If using tomatoes I love Swiss or hard cheddar.

NOTE: You can make this in a crock pot. Do not add the water if cooking in the crock pot. For all day, put it on low, if only part of the day cook it on high. Add the cheese just before serving.

Cabbage Salad - Phase 2 with Phase 3 & 4 Variations

Cabbage Salad Recipe

6 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
6 TBSP water ( in ph 3& 4 use olive oil)
stevia to taste
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp caraway seed (optional)
1/8-1/2 tsp pepper to taste

1. Thinly slice your cabbage and put in a bowl.
2. Mix the dressing ingredients with a whisk.
3. Pour dressing over the cabbage and toss well. Refrigerate for 1 hour, toss again and serve. Toss before serving. The longer you refrigerate it the better it tastes. Toss often for the best taste.

Variations: This dressing is fabulous on cucumbers. Slice them and cover with the dressing and refrigerate. It is also a nice dressing to serve over lettuce or spinach.

Cooking Smart for Phase 2

Many who chose to take the hcg journey struggle with preparing hcg friendly meals along with having to feed their families. As you know, I have six children. My two teens have struggled with their weight and are doing the hcg protocol with hubby and I. The four younger children eat what I call a nourishing traditional approach to food. They do eat grains and starches, but not necessarily every day. One of my four littles, as I call them, has food allergies. He is autistic and functions best on a diet free of gluten and casein. So when on protocol I am often faced with the challenge of preparing three DIFFERENT meals for one meal time. I have found that if I don't get our protocol foods ready in bulk, so they last several days, I don't have the mind power or energy to cook well for the other children.

This round I am the bulk cooking queen! :-) One day I cooked up over 20 chicken portions, 20+ ground beef portions, 8 french onion soup servings, and 20 shrimp portions. Yesterday I made 30 round steak portions. Today I hope to do about 20 more chicken portions from the 4 chickens I have thawed. This may sound like a lot to those of you who only have one person in your house hold on the protocol, but for us, it will not last long. FOUR of us are on phase 2 right now. That means that I need 8 portions of protein daily. AND the rest of my family needs to be eating nutritious meals.

I believe that cooking in bulk can be advantageous for anyone on the protocol. By doing so you will always have the phase 2 foods you need readily available. Emergencies occur, life happens, schedules change so by having cooked protein, pre-made soups, washed and ready veggies we have a meal ready at all times. If we have to run to a sporting event, to the hospital, or out the door on an emergency, we are able to grab a complete phase 2 meal in a matter of minutes.

Here is how I cook in bulk for phase 2:

Chicken
We have whole organic grass fed chickens. They require that I thaw the chicken, debone the breast meat, weigh, and cook it. I usually do this with 4-5 chickens at a time. I use my kitchen scale to make sure that the chicken portions are 100 grams each. The Legs & thighs are then fed to the littles as Parmesan chicken legs (phase 3 compliant) or honey chicken legs (phase 4 compliant). I will post those recipes some day. :-) Once the boneless chicken breasts are weighed and portioned out I place them on a cookie sheet or stoneware bar pan, season them with salt and other seasonings, then bake them at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until done. I then immediately pour off all the juices. Then I allow the meat to cool for a while. When it is somewhat cool I put each piece in a snack baggie, then each snack baggie into a gallon size freezer zip lock style baggie.

95% Lean Ground Beef
We are blessed to have lean organic 100% grass fed ground beef. I thaw about 10 pounds at a time then I start making 100 gram patties. I cook the patties in a frying pan with water or they will burn because there is so little fat. Once the patties are mostly cooked I remove them to a plate for cooling. Then I package them the same way as I do the chicken. I leave them a little pink so that we can finish cooking them when we warm them up.

Round Steak
Round steak is a lean cut of beef and has worked well for our family. I weigh out the 100 gram portions and cook them the same as I do the beef.

Fish
I like finding wild white fish, not farm raised. According to the research I've done farm raised fish has a lot of toxins, so we do not eat it. For the fish I line a cookie sheet with parchment paper that well overlaps it so I have plenty to fold up. Then I line the parchment with the 100 gram portions of fish. Sometimes I add spices, other times I drizzle it with lemon juice & dill, sometimes I just salt & pepper it, I always add a little water so it can steam and stay moist. I then make a pocket by folding the parchment above the portions and folding it in the middle and on the ends. I bake the fish at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Once the fish is cooled I package it the same as I do the rest of the meat, in smaller baggies then into a larger one.

Shrimp
I have had a difficult time finding fresh shrimp. So I find non farm raised cooked & de-veined shrimp. I then weigh out portions of about 80 grams to compensate for the fact that they are already cooked. I place each serving in a small baggy then all portions into a larger freezer baggie.

This may sound like a lot of work. In reality it takes me about 3 hours to do up 80 or more portions of protein, plus a few soups. If you are cooking for just one person on the protocol, 3 hours would give you enough meals for a complete 40 day round. You then can just take your food out of the freezer in the morning and have the time and energy needed to prepare good meals for your family daily.

Sweeteners for all phases

I am not a fan of artificial sweeteners like aspartame and Splenda. If you wonder why just do a google search for dangers of using these products and you will most likely choose to never include them in your diet for life. Here is one article to get you started:

http://www.westonaprice.org/modern-foods/sugar-free-blues

Stevia is my sweetener of choice. I really like the Sweetleaf brand. It has many flavors and can be purchased from amazon, vitacost, and other places for a reasonable price. My favorite flavors are Vanilla Cream, Cinnamon, and English Toffee. I have also tried the chocolate and chocolate Raspberry they are good too. I plan to make my own flavored soda with seltzer water and the Valencia Orange or Root Beer Stevia's from Sweetleaf. I use powdered stevia from Country Life Natural Foods when I want a plain stevia.

I have tried xylitol and am concerned that it too may turn out to be a nasty "natural" sweetener. I don't think the health food society has really decided if it is good or bad. Here is an article about xylitol and agave:

http://www.westonaprice.org/modern-foods/agave-nectar-of-gods


I have found that if I have too much xylitol in a day it does a number on my bowels. I use it in some of my phase 3 sweet treats, but don't eat it daily.

Many people are pushing Agave nectar as the new healthy sweetener. I will not use it in my house. Here is an article you can start your research of agave with:

http://www.westonaprice.org/modern-foods/agave-nectar-worse-than-we-thought

In phase 4 I hope to be able to incorporate real maple syrup and raw honey. Both of which we harvest here on the farm. During round 1 I was able to have a little each day without any effect on my weight. Round 2 did not allow me to have any at all without a gain. Hopefully Round 3 will end with me being able to enjoy using natural sweeteners in small amounts.

You may have noticed that all these articles are from the Weston A. Price website. My nutritional journey began about 6 years ago when a friend of mine told me about the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. After reading it we started to clean up our diets of the store bought, processed, nutrient deficient but commonly accepted foods our society says is "healthy". If you have not ever read the book, it would be an excellent addition to your library. It is an educational tool as well as a cookbook. There is great info in it on everything from sweeteners, fat, grains, starches, and a proper food balance.

Phase 2 Soup Recipes

Soups are a fabulous way to fill up during your first days of the VLCD. Not to mention that here in Wisconsin soup is a MUST in the winter months.

Most of these soups/chili's below are meat less. You can make them in bulk, divide them into serving portions, and freeze them in 1 quart freezer baggies flat or in those freezable glad containers. When it is time for a meal you can add the protein of choice to the soup. For the plain veggie soups you can eat SEVERAL cups throughout the day if you are hungry. Add the protein only at meal times.

Celery Soup
1 bundle of celery
8-12 cups water or less if you want it more celery than broth
Sea Salt
Spices of your choice: creole, Italian, garlic, chili powder, whatever sounds good to you.

1. Wash & Dice celery.
2. In a pot add celery and about 1 cup of water with salt. Saute for a little while until it starts to get soft. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add spices and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. At meal time add your cooked, cut up serving of protein.

Remember celery is VERY low calorie, 1 calorie per ounce, so chances are you can eat several cups of this soup in a day. It is a great soup to put together in the morning and eat off of throughout the day during the first few days of VLCD. Have a steaming cup any time you are hungry. Be sure to stop eating it 2-3 hours before you'd eat a different veggie for your evening meal. Or just make the day a celery day and eat soup ALL day long.

Cabbage Soup
1 head of cabbage (I prefer green, I made purple once and it was weird to eat purplish black soup)
Sea salt
12-16 cups water
Spices of your choice: creole, Italian, garlic, chili powder, whatever sounds good to you.

1. Wash and slice thinly the cabbage.
2. Put in a large pot with water and spices. Add more water if your cabbage is very large. Bring to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer for about 1 hour.
3. At meal time add your cooked, cut up serving of protein.

Cabbage is another very low calorie soup. Weigh your cabbage before cooking it, it is 7 calories per ounce. You will most likely be able to eat many cups in a day and it will count as only one vegetable. Be sure to stop eating it 2-3 hours before you'd eat a different veggie for your evening meal. Or just make the day a cabbage day and eat soup ALL day long.


Chili

1 16 oz. can tomato sauce (no sugar or starch added)
1 16 oz can diced tomatoes (no sugar or starch added)
4 cans of water
Chili powder to taste
Sea salt to taste
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
dash of hot pepper (or more if you like it hot)

1. Dump all ingredients in a pot. Simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Freeze in 1 quart freezer baggies in serving sizes of your choice. 2 cup portions would be about 58 calories, 1 1/2 cup portions would be about 45 calories.
3. When ready to eat, add 100 grams 95% lean ground beef or 100 grams chicken. Cook the meat then add it to the soup to warm. Enjoy!

Taco Soup
1 16 oz. can tomato sauce (no sugar or starch added)
1 16 oz can diced tomatoes (no sugar or starch added)
4 cans of water
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp chili powder
1-2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp crushed dried red pepper
1/4 tsp oregano

1. Dump all ingredients in a pot. Simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Freeze in 1 quart freezer baggies in serving sizes of your choice. 2 cup portions would be about 58 calories, 1 1/2 cup portions would be about 45 calories.
3. When ready to eat, add 100 grams 95% lean ground beef or 100 grams chicken. Cook the meat then add it to the soup to warm. Enjoy!

French Onion Soup

100 grams 95% lean ground beef or round steak chopped fine
1 onion coarsely chopped or green onions use as many as you are allowed for your calorie intake for the day.
water
Sea Salt & pepper to taste

1. But beef in a small pot with 1/2 cup water. Brown until almost cooked through.
2. Add onion and saute until translucent, add more water to keep it from burning.
3. Add 1-2 cups more water and season. Simmer for 30 minutes.

To make this recipe in bulk. Make 8 100 gr burger patties or however many will fit into your pot in a single layer on the bottom. Add about 1-2 cups water and cook these burgers until they are almost done. Add the amount of onions that would equal the servings of burgers. I usually use 8 small/medium onions if I'm doing 8 burgers. Remember onions are 12 calories an ounce, green onions are only 9 calories per ounce and could be used in this recipe. Cover with 2 cups of water per patty. So if you have 8 burgers use about 16 cups of water. Simmer for a minimum of 30 minutes. Take the patties out and place each one in a quart freezer baggie. Add 2 cups of onions broth to each baggie. If there is a bit extra divide it up between the baggies. Freeze flat. You may want to allow them to cool in the fridge so you don't over work your freezer.

Phase 2 Strawberry Slushy

This recipe is one of my two teens favorite. They usually have it as an afternoon snack. It counts as one fruit and the lemon serving for the day. I encourage the teens to spread out their food intake during the day. This allows them and me to have something to eat when the rest of the family is snacking as well as at meal time. Usually we save our fruits for eating between meals.

Strawberries - frozen with no added sugar
Juice from one lemon or 1-2 TBSP lemon juice concentrate
1 1/2 cups cold water
Stevia to taste

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until slushy. Pour into a glass and drink through a straw... yes, the straw is mandatory. :-) It makes this feel like your drinking a gourmet slushy instead of a diet food! :-)

You can make this with just strawberries, water & stevia if you are using your lemon for something else. I've heard of folks freezing grapefruit and oranges and making slushies out of those fruits too.

Spice it up - Mixes and recipes for all phases

When choosing spices for phase 2 and phase 3 it is very important that you make sure there is no added sugar or starch. Read all labels very carefully.

These are the spices and seasonings we enjoy in all the phases: I cannot seem to get the links to work properly, hopefully once hubby gets home we can get the links working properly. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Homemade Dressing seasoning mixes from amazon



Vegetarian Express seasoning mixes from thevegetarianexpress



From this site I prefer the ranch and Greek seasonings.

Use these in phase 2 by sprinkling them over your meat, salad, or veggies. In phase 3 and beyond you can mix them with sour cream and/or mayonnaise to make a creamy dressing, I prefer the ratio of 1/2 cup mayo, 1/2 cup sour cream and 1 - 2 TBSP seasoning mix of your choice. You can also use them with vinegar and oil in phase 3 and beyond for salad dressings.

I prefer homemade seasoning mixes so that I know they have not added sugar or starch.

Taco Seasoning: equal to 1 packet of store bought taco seasoning
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp crushed dried red pepper
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp REAL sea salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Phase 2 Salad Dressing Recipes

Italian Ph 2

4 oz Apple cider Vinegar
8 oz water (for ph 3 use olive oil)
a tiny sprinkle of stevia or a couple drops
2 fresh garlic cloves or 1/2 tsp powdered
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt.

Shake well, store in fridge.
Phase 3 & 4 variation: replace the water with olive oil.

Tangy Mustard Dressing Ph 2

For the mustard dressing Ph 2 style, I start with about 1/2 cup prepared
mustard give or take and add 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, a bit of stevia and
water to taste. This one is totally open to adding more mustard or acv or water
depending or stevia on how you like it. I just dump dump dump so hopefully these
measurements will give you a baseline then taste it and change it a bit until
you like it. In ph 3 & 4 I add olive oil to this recipe in place of water.