MEET SOURY DUCKSON aka @KAWAIITREATSANDEATS & @MY_KETO_JOURNAL

Soury is the owner of Kawaii Treats and Eats, which sells keto friendly pancake, brownie, cookie and cake mixes! The mixes are sugar free, gluten free, and don’t contain anything artificial. She has always been a baker and a candy maker of the "carby" kind, but it wasn't until Soury started living a ketogenic lifestyle that she realized there was a great need.  A need for low carb mixes with clean ingredients, where taste wasn't compromised. This is how Kawaii Treats and Eats was born!

How long have you been keto?

2 years , yay!

What led you to this way of eating?

Honestly, I was tired of being embarrassed to have my photo taken, tired of shopping in the plus size section, and tired of feeling uncomfortable in my own skin.  Each year the pounds were slowing creeping on, and each year I’d go up a pant size.  A friend of mine mentioned the keto diet and said she was having good success on it, so I researched and decided to give it a try.

What are some of your go-to meals at home?

I LOVE stuffed poblanos! It doesn’t matter with what, it if sounds remotely good, I’ll try it, haha. I also love stirfry and curries, and incorporating miracle noodles into my meals.

What about when you eat out?

Chipotle or five guys are my favorites!

Favorite keto snack?

Crackers and cheese, yogurt with granola and jam, People’s Choice Beef Jerky

What is one thing that has helped make your keto journey a little easier?

Definitely at the top of the list, the keto community!  I’m not sure if I would have last this long without their support and other sharing their knowledge and journey. 

Do you have any tips for people who are just starting keto?

Keep it simple, your food and your approach. Research the basics and ease into it, don’t get overwhelmed by all the “extras”.  At its core, keto has some very basic principles, the rest will come with time.

KETO RECIPE: Cheesy Poblano Beef Bake

Taking my poblano pepper obsession to a whole new level! This is now one of my new favorites because it's creamy, cheesy, comforting and is a cross between 2 foods I really love - lasagna and meatloaf ;)  If you've never had a poblano, it's a fairly mild pepper, just make sure to remove all of the seeds.

Here's what you'll need 2 large servings (or 3 smaller servings).

• 1/3lb ground beef

• 1/4lb spicy ground sausage, or breakfast sausage

• 3 TBSP finely ground pork rinds (I used @porkkinggood)

• 1 egg

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

• 1/4 tsp onion powder

• 1/2 TBSP italian seasoning

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

• 1 large poblano, the flatter the better

• 1/2 cup low carb marinara sauce (I like Rao's or Bello Organico)

• 1.5oz cream cheese

• 4 slices of sharp cheddar cheese

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees and line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine the first 8 ingredients (beef thru sea salt).  Blend well with hands, you're basically making a meatloaf.  set aside.

3. Carefully slice the poblano in half, lengthwise. Remove all of the seeds, trim off a little towards the top edges if you need to, to make it flat, like a sheet of pasta.  A little extra isn't a problem though. Lay pepper halves in pan, skin side down.

4. Wash hands with soap to get pepper oil off!

5. Dollop meat mixture over peppers, then press evening into pan.  Basically, a large sheet of meat mixture.

6. Spread marinara sauce over all the meat, dollop cream cheese all over, top with the sliced cheese, cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.

7. Check to make sure meat is fully cooked at 35 minutes, if so take foil off and broil for a few minutes to finish of the cheese on top.

8. I cut mine into 4 (or 6) squares, and stack them on my plate to get the 2-layered look.