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Karla Vega
It’s My Party & I’ll KETO it My Way……
If anyone knows me, they know I looovvveeee my sweets….And being a gal on KETO, you have to get creative with different ingredients to try to mirror your favorite treats. When celebrating birthdays, I crave the basic cupcake or cake to enjoy, and since my hubby’s birthday was last month and my birthday is coming up (wink, wink), it was only right that I share with you the KETO cupcake recipe I made for him (yes, we are a KETO couple).
Homemade icing, homemade sugar free sprinkles and homemade frosting. Yup, I did that, so we could both enjoy his birthday without the guilt of eating something ‘off track’.
First, I made the sprinkles……I made a small batch since I was making cupcakes instead of a cake:
3/4 Cup Confectioners Swerve
1 Large Egg White, pasteurized
1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Lemon Juice
Food Coloring Of Your Choice
1. Mix all the ingredients in a medium size bowl. Decide how many different colored sprinkles you would like and scoop out that amount into its own smaller bowl. For instance, I wanted three different colored sprinkles: red, green, & yellow, so I scooped one batch of mixture three times into three different smaller bowls.
2. Working with one color at a time, mix in your choice of food coloring. Transfer the colored mixture to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Choose the tip based on how thick or thin you want your sprinkles to be. No pastry bags? Use a zip-lock bag and cut the tip off of one corner. I used this zip-lock method since I didn’t have a baker’s piping bag.
3. After transferring each colored mixture into its own makeshift piping bag, I then laid a couple of sheets of parchment paper to a flat sheet, in this case, I actually used several cookie sheets for easier placement & piped out lines of each colored mixture out to let them dry overnight.
4. The next morning, I broke up each piping line to sprinkle size and put them in a mason jar until I was ready to use them for my cupcake topping.
There you have it! Sugar free Homemade Keto Sprinkles! Very simple with just a few ingredients!
Side note: Don’t worry about the sizing or the way they look….people will get that they are sprinkles by the taste too!
so yummy!
Trip with me and my husband on our adventures together!
A travel guide to help you with tips, places to visit, good global eats and anything else that comes with taking a trip away…. let’s start the trippin’!
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Since CV19 hit the US hard in the last couple of months….all of the trips we had planned this year (and there were several) were cancelled. But, my husband and I always make the best of any situation and on Sundays, when we both have off from work, we take mini day trips to surrounding areas, just to ‘get away’. A few weeks ago, we decided to go to Portsmouth, NH’s downtown area for some outdoor dining on the water. We have been to PM before, but not for the outdoor dining experience. And since NH was one of the states around us that opened up first during CV19 times for outdoor dining ONLY, we said hell, let’s give it a try. It only took an hour from us which the drive is actually very nice and a straight shot on I95. Super easy and convenient and not a ton of traffic which was a total bonus.
PM is a cute little quaint city that has a lot to offer. The heart of downtown or the ‘Square’ (what I like to call it…..actual name is Market Square), has tons of boutiques, restaurants, coffee shops, and unique stores, all with that seacoast-y vibe https://www.goportsmouthnh.com/ . I love little hidden gem cities like this because you literally can shop, eat, & relax within a couple of blocks radius. Win win if you ask me. 
Earlier in the week, I made reservations at Martingale Wharf https://www.martingalewharf.com/ for dinner on their spacious patio deck. Reservations are a requirement ATM due to limited seating, but the view and the ambience is so worth the experience. You literally are sitting on the water, so it does get a little chilly there especially in the shade, but they do offer tables with a fire pit so that’s a very cool feature. The oysters and lobster salad are a MUST here. Reasonably priced, great atmosphere, romantic ambience and top notch hospitality. I give it five stars all around.
For a more lax atmosphere and for delicious comfort food & handcrafted local beer, check out NH’s original brewpub, The Portsmouth Brewery https://portsmouthbrewery.com/. 
Very pub like feel to it, but very friendly and welcoming. What I liked about this restaurant is that they offer gluten free and vegan friendly dishes. Try their Falafel Burger with a Guest Beer. Magnificent! For great pizza, live music, and awesome nightlife, check out The Portsmouth Gas Light https://www.portsmouthgaslight.com/. These two PM staple places are no joke side by side neighbors. You can’t miss them, nor, do you want to. 
Need a boost of caffeine after eating all that yummy food? Check out Tuscan Market http://www.tuscanbrands.com/Market/Portsmouth/ for a frothy cappuccino, flavorful gelatos, and authentic Italian pastries and treats. This bakery is literally right in the middle of the square with lots of cafè tables for your use. Sitting at a table, taking in the organized chaos with the hustle and bustle of the streets, all while sipping on that satisfying lattè, one could daydream of being in a European city. I felt like I was sitting in a piazza in Italy. Just amazing & my cappuccino was so good!
Another known coffee joint to check out with a casual feel to it, away from the craziness of the square, is Cup of Joe https://www.cupofjoenh.com/. 
An architectural’s dream coffee shop….very cute but with that rustic vibe inside, they offer anything from Cold Brews to Panini, to Desserts, to Espresso. The baristas are extremely friendly too!
If you are in the mood for some homemade ice cream and/or fudge, you need to visit Kilwin’s https://www.kilwins.com/. Oh My God…..I have entered into SWEETS HEAVEN…..literally. Offering anything from candied apples to chocolate dipped pretzels & nuts, to various homemade fudge and cold treats, this place is the mecca of Chocolate Connoisseurs. In business since the 1940’s, the Kilwin family knows ‘Sweet in Every Sense’. If you like your sweets like me, you have to check this place out. Added plus, they had a no sugar added ice cream that I could enjoy since I am on Keto, so kudos to them for that.
And finally, with all this food talk, what about the shopping you ask? One shop you have to go into for their cute little knick knacks coveting blunt but tasteful (& obscene, but who doesn’t say the ‘F’ word know a days) humor, is Off Piste right on Congress Street near the ‘Square’ https://www.facebook.com/Off-Piste-233938993466386/ . I knew I had to go into this store when I saw the sign on their door that read “Come In, We’re Awesome”….and they are. You can most likely come out buying something from this cute little gift shop. 
PM has a lot of boutiquey shops and one worth visiting is Pretty Little Things http://www.prettylittlethingsnh.com/. Their clothes are adorbs and very trendy for that fashionista in mind. Oh you know I had to go inside this one lol. From cute dresses, to rompers to jeans to stylish tees to accessories, they offer a wide selection to brighten up your closet. Definitely worth a check out.
And after all your walking around you can enjoy Prescott Park https://www.prescottpark.org/, to take in views of the water and numerous boats and to ease your mind of the busy day you had taking in all of downtown PM’s offerings. A perfect ending to a perfect day IMO. 
Side note: Parking is available street side (metered) or off of the main strip there is a parking lot for dirt cheap. I think we spent $5 dollars for a five hour window. 
Hope you enjoyed what I shared with you for our mini day trip series! Until the next trippin’ with us!!
And the Kolor of the Month isssssssssss………P E A C H!
June is here and summer is right around the corner, which means longer nights, warmer weather, mini day trips, barbecues, the beach and delicious juicy fruits like watermelon and peaches. June is also the month I celebrate my wedding anniversary…yayyy!! and the color scheme for our wedding was Gray & Coral, so you know I had to do it up right for this months ‘KMK (Kolor Me Karla) Series’ with everything…..P E A C H. When I think of the color PEACH, I think of happy thoughts & memories, relaxation, fun in the sun & serenity. There is something soothing & calming about the subtle color that eases your mind and allows you to go with the flow of things. Exactly, how your summer should be, right?! Peaceful, fun, and very lax. Giving you all those chill ass vibes. So, seek the PEACH for the month of June and continue it for the rest of the summer……check out my inspo below! (I even threw in a pic of me and my hubby celebrating our wedding anniversary in the slideshow….and I am in a peach outfit of course!)
#SeekthePeach #AtPeacewithPeach
A few weeks ago, my hubby and I decided to take a little ride to Rockport, MA so we can help a local restaurant in TAKEOUT ONLY times (mandatory due to COVID), sit on a beach and enjoy the tranquility of the waves while eating our grub. It was a 75 degree day out and being near the water, it made the weather absolutely perfect. One of those days where you could wear a thin jacket and be comfortable.
For that day, I was feeling all the sun and wanted to portray that sunshiny vibe with my outfit. I wore lightweight denim overalls (is that what it’s called now or a jumper….I don’t know, either way I rocked it) from Forever21Plus http://www.forever21.com, with a tube top type bra but had to double up because that was a little see thru and I didn’t think it appropriate to show of my girls to a quaint little fishermen town like Rockport. I threw on my light, fun and color block jacket from MVGIRLRU, busted out with my colorful and funky platform shoes from YRU and my bright furry fanny pack both purchased from http://dollskill.com, added my teal dangly earrings that I actually got for free from another online purchase and topped it off with my pastel ombré sunnies from http://sunglassspot.com. The perfect outfit for the perfect day! Side note: all the restaurants were closed on Sunday, so no food, but we still enjoyed the scenery. What is your perfect day getaway?
One of the ‘good fats’ allowed with Keto is AVOCADOS and let me tell you, I looovvvveee me some avocado. Not only does it help with your Macros for that fat intake, but it is extremely beneficial to your health because it contains a bunch of vitamins, dietary fiber, potassium, can even lower cholesterol and has nutritional factors for your skin and digestive tract. No wonder it is considered a superfood and a must in the Keto lifestyle. Like I’ve mentioned before in the Keto Mantra, (under my post ‘In the Know with Keto’) I eat one avocado a day….1/2 for two meals. And yesterday, my husband made guacamole which contained everything we can eat…onions, tomatoes, cilantro, etc., so it was only right that I ate some for lunch. For protein, I ‘cooked’ a Beyond Burger (not homemade), a plant based (meatless) burger, that gives you the protein you need for your allowed daily meal intake. It was about four oz. I added a piece of pepper jack cheese cuz I was feeling a lil spicy yesterday so it just matched my mood lol. I then added a scoop of my hubby’s guac on top and then for a little more fat and protein, I added three pieces of extra crispy bacon….(yes that’s how I like my bacon…don’t judge me….the crispier the better IMO) and voilà. Lunch is served!!
Quarantine, Read & Chill
What a change our world has been in for the past couple of months, right? I know some states are starting to lift the quarantine ban but where I live in Massachusetts, we’re still being told to stay indoors. With that being said, I wanted to share some good reads with you to enjoy while quarantined (if you still are like me). The first book that I posted on my business IG, @thepowhercollab was called ‘Radical Self Love‘ by Gala Darling. This author hit it on the money to express what it means to love yourself fully. This book literally changed my life and I have been giving it to everyone I know because to me, it is the holy grail of all things Self Love. You can purchase this amazing book at https://galadarling.com/.
Give it a read and let me know what you think!
And the Kolor of the month issssssss………. Y E L L O W.
May has arrived which means warm weather, in essence, more sunshine beaming down on us. And when I think of the warmth and sun, what best color to think of than the color yellow. Yellow, in all its brightness, exuberates radiance, happiness, hope, clarity, and positivity. And who wouldn’t want those vibes 24/7? It’s also a color that relaxes & clears the mind; giving one peace. According to Google, the color yellow represents ‘personal power & fulfillment, abundance, courage and self confidence.’ Yes please! No wonder I love the color yellow so much! It is all about being a good person with love in your heart and joy in your soul. So, let’s say H E L L O to Y E L L O W for this month’s vivid color inspo💛💛💛
Ever since starting Keto, I overall feel better physically & mentally. It is true what they say, you are what you eat. Being someone who grew up in an Italian household with family businesses with a couple of restaurants and bakeries, ‘bad’ carbs was a given on the table everyday such as pasta, homemade sweets, croissants, cakes, parmigianas, we had it all. Beyond delicious but no boundaries or guilt with intake.
With Keto, I have learned to be in control of what I am eating which then controls what I am feeling. For example, when I would eat a lot of ‘bad’ carbs, I would feel tired, lethargic, bloated, short tempered & overall blah. Now, I find myself having more energy, being more active, sleeping better, more focused and feeling more ‘alive’, if that makes sense. So, since my husband and I have had such great success with this lifestyle change, I wanted to share it with all of you in case you were thinking of trying out Keto!
The Keto Mantra:
First off, I use an app on my phone called My Fitness Pal (a godsend IMO) by Under Armour which helps me plug in my food by meals/snacks and keeps me on track for my daily intake (with calories), water and exercise. It is a free app….don’t pay for anything…unless you want to, but I don’t think it is necessary. FitnessPal will offer you to go premium for like $70 bucks annually but, personally, I don’t think you need that, unless again, you feel like you could benefit more with the premium package. My husband and I have been doing Keto for seven months now and we use the plain old app, without paying for premium, so you can get by without it. The numbers we plug in for the Keto guidelines are Carbs-10%, Fats-70% and Protein-20% (MACROS). You can add these percentages when you set up your profile.
The good thing about the Fitness Pal app is that it will tell you when sodium/carbs/saturated fat levels are getting close to your allowed daily amount so that you can see what you are working with for the rest of your daily food intake.
I’ll break it down into food groups:
*Meats/Fish
ALL Meats with skin on–eg: chicken thighs with the skin etc.
ALL Fish–Salmon and Mackerel are HIGH in good fat & protein that will help you out with your Macros fat/protein percentage.
*Fruits
ONLY berries—strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, goji berries etc.
*Vegetables
ALL green veggies—THE GREENER THE BETTER
Avocado is a KETO essential—I usually eat a whole avocado each day (1 half for any two meals…breakfast, lunch or dinner)
NO veggies grown underground–eg: potatoes, carrots, beets etc.
*Dairy
ALL dairy is ok in moderation…I also like using Almond or Coconut Milk for baking or just to have a glass of it
*Nuts
(the best nutritionally in order):
1) Almonds
2) Walnuts
3) Pecans
4) Cashews
*Oils
Coconut (either solid or liquid form–be careful–measurements are different for each one…if in solid form, you have to melt it done to equal liquid form ratio) and avocado oil are awesome to cook with. And of course, you can’t go wrong with good ole’ EVOO!
And my all time favorites but ……
Be very careful with your sodium intake. For eg: I love dry salami (again, I’m Italian and we love that s***) but it is very high in sodium—its ok to have but in moderation.
If you have a sweet tooth like I do….(I mean I grew up in a bakery, what did you expect? lol):
Fat Bombs—these are keto friendly and you can find recipes anywhere….some are easier to make and others are a little more complex but they are yummy and totally satisfy that sweet craving!
Almond Keto Bites—ahhhhhhh—the sweet Keto gods have answered my prayers—you can get these @ Costco…there is 4 pieces to a serving and they taste like cake…no really, they do. My all time fav snack.
Dark Chocolate is ok in moderation—70% cacao or higher is good like Lily’s brand that you can find at your local grocery store. 
If you like to have a drink, let’s say for holidays or parties etc, you can drink clear alcohol so yayyyyy to Tito’s Vodka….and a glass a wine in moderation is ok too as long as you plug the alcohol in to see how many calories you can work with. Again, I don’t advise doing this everyday but once in a while is ok.
Walking and exercise is key also to seeing the best results with Keto. Even if it is just around the block for fifteen minutes a day, that will help!
Hope you liked what I shared with you! Any questions, advice, pep talk you need, I am here to help you!! Here’s to that Keto Flow & Glow!! You got this!💪
