My commute is about 45 minutes long, which isn’t so bad for the DC area. What is bad is that I have to pass through a veritable gauntlet of junk food. A Dunkin, a Burger King, two Mickey D’ses, a KFC/Taco Bell (that unholiest of fast food combinations)… they’re everywhere.
I’ve learned to pack a “survival kit” of sorts, because I’m usually heading home right in that lull when lunch is a distant memory and dinner seems far away. I keep a baggie stocked with Simply Snackin’ bars, NSNG Ultra Fat packets, Chomps, and MCT oil singles — enough to keep the pangs at bay until I’m safely home.
The morning, though, is a different story. Brekkie is easily one of my top three favorite meals. I think I could happily live on eggs, sausage, and cheese for the rest of my life. And I don’t generally eat anything before I head out in the morning, so when that McMuffin starts singing its siren song, it’s all I can do to keep the car from veering in its direction.
That’s why I was relieved when Starbucks started offering egg bites. Egg, bacon, gruyere… all you ever wanted and more! Unfortunately, it’s the “and more” that’ll get you. I finally got around to looking up these little balls of deliciousness online, and was shocked to learn that a two-bite serving contains 18g of carbs! How could that be? Turns out the list of ingredients — which is as long as my arm, and contains plenty of unpronouncables — includes maltodextrin (aka sugar), rice starch and corn starch, among others.
So on this rainy Sunday, I got my butt in the kitchen and made my own. They contain nothing but eggs, cottage cheese, cheddar, and sausage, plus salt and pepper to taste. This recipe makes 7 bites, so it should get me through the work week no problemo.
I managed to capture this little experiment on camera, so check out the video if you want to learn more. And if you’re interested in trying your own, below are links to the gadgets I used — any of which would make a great gift for the low-carb cook in your life!
If you do give it a try, let me know in the comments how it turns out.