I've gone the cheap route a few times, just getting a head of cauliflower, but it made such a mess of my kitchen -and my poor sore arms- I ended up opting for the ready-made stuff. It's in the same section as the salads, if your supermarket carries it. I know I'm being cheated, as it's just chopped stems (in other words, offal they can't sell otherwise, but charge twice what they would for a whole head), but it just makes my life that much easier. Usually I make whatever meat we're going to have first, take that out of the pan, and toss the rice into the gravy. More often than not I throw in a little curcuma, currypowder, pepper, salt, garlic powder, chopped bacon, and (goat's) cheese. Maybe add some cinnamon and nutmeg, depending on what I feel like having. Or I go for the bacon, cheese, garlic powder and Italian or Provinçe herbs. It's done in no time at all. But you could practically use it for anything. Nutmeg and butter, voila, you've got a basis for mash. And you've already gotten some pizza base ideas.
I tell you, that stuff is magic.
As for the relatively carby weekends, it depends on what you want to achieve. You can slip in and out of ketosis, but fat-burning/fat-adapted mode takes a while to get into (6-8 weeks of strict keto, thereabouts) and you can't achieve nor sustain it if you go out of ketosis regulary. No idea whether you need to lose weight, -90% of T2's are overweight, 10% are slim/"normal"- but if that is the case, you might want to postpone cheat days for a while, until you're at your target weight. If you are a slim T2, which happens, this might not be a concern for you, of course. But it is something to consider. For a lot of us it's not just using ketosis to get bloodsugars down, in a fat adapted state we lose a good amount of weight as well... And with less fat around the rump, insulin sensitivity improves. (Having said that, when I lost weight, the first things to get slimmer were my arms and legs, haha. Gotta love nature's sense of humour eh.) So that'd be a win all over the place. Something to consider, anyway.
Still... You do whatever works for you. After all, this is a diet that needs to be sustainable for life, IF you are a T2 and not LADA. Some people on here try it and just become so miserable it's not doable for them. (More often than not because something else is restricting their food choices already, and there's little left in sense of variety due to co-morbidities). Plus, we're all different: you might need something entirely different than a 40-year old woman with an ovaran cyst needs. Hormones have a ridiculous impact... I have to be stupid-strict or regain everything I lost, weight-wise and in my bloodsugars. Your meter'll tell you what's working for you, as your needs could well differ from mine.
Most people cheat around Christmas, by the way.... I manage to stay in ketosis, but it does mean having a bigger share of meats and fish than the rest of the family! (And cheeses, and olives, and devilled eggs, and unsweetened whipped cream, and, and, and....). It's worked so far anyway.... I'm so stuffed at the end of the meals I don't want dessert.
Well, maybe another double espresso with cream. But hey, that doesn't count.
Mind you, I
may have a bit of whatever my husband's having: just a small bite, for the taste, not to fill up on.
Google Keto Mug Bread. I haven't had bread in 3 years, and after
@briped gently pushed me to try making some, (she actually e-mailed back and forth with me while I was making my first tentative attempt) I've done it a few times... I haven't had anything to dip into my egg yolks for a while, and now I do.
(Just toast it a little when it comes out of the mug and you've sliced it. Wonderful.
). I also made some with erythritol, cacao, walnuts and extra dark chocolate drops. Poured over some cream as well. Yum. I think the next time I'll make it I'll do something with cinnamon. Versatile and filling, so yay for almond flour!