INGREDIENTS

• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy cream + 1/2 cup chicken stock or water
• 1 cup cheese (grated (cheddar cheese, swiss cheese or mozzarella))
• 2 tbsp parmesan cheese (optional)
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup optional ingredients (See Below)

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS: AS A GENERAL RULE I ADD A COMBINED AMOUNT ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS. (BASICALLY 1/3 CUP OF EACH TO MAKE A TOTAL OF 1 CUP.) HERE ARE SOME IDEAS:

• 1 cup Additional Ingredients:
• cubed ham or crumbled cooked bacon
• chopped broccoli
• chopped tomatoes
• sliced onions or green onions
• chopped spinach
• chopped asparagus
• Sautéed mushrooms

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk together the milk, egg, cheese and salt & pepper.
3. Stir in any additional ingredients.
4. Pour the egg mixture into an pie dish, and bake uncovered for about 45 minutes. Or until the center is set, and not jiggly.

From: The Traeger Kitchen

Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 8 HoursServes: 8 – 12 people

Ingredients

• 1 (12 Lb) Whole Packer Beef Brisket, Fat Trimmed To 1/4 Inch
• 1/3 Cup Jacobsen Salt Co. Pure Kosher Sea Salt
• 2 Tablespoon Garlic Paste
• 2 Tablespoon Onion Powder
• 1/3 Cup Black Pepper

Steps

1. Season the brisket the day prior to cooking. Mix salt, garlic, onion powder and pepper in a small bowl. Season the meat liberally. Place in refrigerator overnight or for at least 8 hours.
2. When ready to cook, set Traeger temperature to 225℉ and preheat, lid closed for 15 minutes. For optimal flavor, use Super Smoke if available.
3. Place brisket, fat side down, on grill grate right in the center of the grill. Smoke brisket for approximately 4 to 5 hours, or until the brisket reaches an internal temperature of 160℉ to 165℉.
4. Remove brisket from grill and wrap in butcher paper or foil. Continue smoking at 225℉ until the brisket reaches an internal temperature of 203℉, approximately another 3 to 4 hours, for a total of 8 to 10 hours smoke and cook time.
5. Remove butcher paper or foil wrapped brisket from the grill and allow to rest for one hour.
6. After resting, slice the brisket against the grain in 1/4 inch thick slices and serve.

Recently I posted a video to my YouTube channel that I started making in the early months of 2016, shortly after starting a Ketogenic Diet. At its inception, it was titled “Fattie”, but I changed it to “TRUTH” shortly before posting. It marks the beginning a weight loss journey that would, unlike many efforts in the past, ultimately see success. I never intended for this little video to see the light of day, but after winning my lifelong battle with fat, it seemed appropriate to share it with the world. It was a little pat-on-the-back I decided to give myself after reaching my goal weight, staying there for two years, then having abdominoplasty to remove the loose skin left behind. I didn’t plan in the beginning to have to need a tummy tuck. Matter-of-fact, loose skin wasn’t even in my lexicon in 2016, but it became what I deemed to be one of the final steps in my transformation from moth to butterfly. I thought it appropriate to share the video with the world, and once and for all let go of the shame.

A friend pointed out that the original title “Fattie” is a shaming word, and I agreed. I decided that “Truth” was a better title, since this was my truth. Thought the fat acceptance movement began in the 1960’s, by the time I was born in the mid 70’s, it had been pushed to the back of the room by health concerns like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. In the 2000’s, it started to make a comeback, and here in 2020 has experienced something of a rebirth.

Personally, I knew nothing of all that. What I did know was that I was not happy as a fat person. I did not want to be a fat person, and I was, in fact ashamed that I could not control my eating or make myself exercise so that I could not be a fat person* I want to make it perfectly clear that I don’t give a flying fig what others do with their bodies. If a person accepts and loves their body in whatever form, then I am happy for them, and will join them in celebrating their self love.

Let’s face it, self love is a difficult thing to accomplish, and I am over-the-moon happy for those that can do it; I am defiantly not here to shame anyone. My role in this world is to be a helper.

I love most things about myself, but there are things I don’t, and I am working on acceptance of those. Though I had surgery to correct something about my body that I didn’t like, I love my body; now that I’m not carrying extra weight. It is folks like myself, the ones that aren’t happy carrying around extra weight, that I am here for.

*One of the first things I learned when researching the ketogenic diet, is that it isn’t as simple as calories in/calories out (CICO), but that is another topic for another post.

The scale is a lying liar that lies, so I don’t put much stock in this metric, but it is nice to look back and see the progression. In the last year I have tried to remember to weigh daily, so there would be more data points. I don’t remember why, exactly, I wanted more data points, but I’m sure I had a very very good reason. Whatever the reason, it’s been a fun project.

If you show an ignorant but honest man the truth, he will either stop being ignorant, or he will stop being honest –Peter Ballerstedt.