Some crafty stuff...... p.2

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The "gift" is the placemat; the "bow" is the napkin:

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This is only for the birthday guest. The rest of the party uses the regular placemats/napkins. Stay tuned tomorrow for its natural successor- same thing done in a Christmas theme- only there are enough of those for everyone!

New Rain Gauge

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Sausage and Mushroom Quiche

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1 pound bulk sausage
1 small onion -- chopped
8 ounces canned mushrooms -- drained
8 ounces Cheddar cheese -- shredded

4 eggs
1 cup water*
1 cup heavy cream*
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Saute sausage with onion in a medium skillet. Drain fat if necessary.

Preheat oven to 425F.

Sprinkle sausage and onion in buttered baking dish. Scatter mushrooms evenly over sausage. Sprinkle with cheese.

Beat eggs slightly; beat in remaining ingredients. Pour egg mixture into dish.

Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300F. Continue baking until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean, about 30 minutes longer.

Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

*I used 2 cups Calorie Countdown 2% instead of cream and water.

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Some crafty stuff......

I thought I'd share a few things I'd been working on, while I was computer-less. I have two cats, Kona and *$ (pronounced "Starbuck"). And yes, their last name is Coffey, too. Anyway, back in February, I made *$ a blankie out of yarn leftover from the afghan I gave Lisa for her birthday. It was Ohio State colors: scarlet, gray, black and white. His blankie was made with a Q-hook and 4 strands of yarn crocheted together, half-double crochet throughout. Kona never had her own blankie until now. Hers is a dark heather gray, single strand, and I think I used the G hook. This stitch is new to me and it's called "Fanfare":

It's just a little bitty thing, about 18 x 20". I had just a few yards of yarn left out of a 5-ounce skein when I finished. I made two mistakes, which I can see (and did not photograph), and which I'm pretty sure Kona will be able to overlook. I like this stitch and may do something with it on a larger scale.

WOW! I've been away so long....

I have been without a computer for a while, and there were even a couple days when I was without a stove. We switched out my old electric stove for FatCat's gas stove. I have to re-learn how to make a lot of my recipes now, since it is so different cooking on a gas stove. I have lost all my MasterCook files, among other things, so this recipe doesn't have nutritional info (yet). We made this last night, and it was good. It might look a little involved, but it really comes together very quickly. The only thing I'd do differently next time- add more shrimp!

Garlic Shrimp Pasta

1 whole head garlic

2 Tablespoons olive oil

freshly ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup chicken broth

2 teaspoons ThickenThin not/Starch

1/2 cup half and half*

1 pound Dreamfields penne pasta

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon butter

8 ounces raw shrimp, peeled and deveined**

salt and pepper to taste

2 Tablespoons chopped parsley

1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Cut whole head of garlic crosswise in half. Place each half, cut side up, on a double thickness of aluminum foil. Drizzle each with a Tablespoon of the olive oil and sprinkle with pepper. Bring edges of foil up and around garlic and seal tightly. Roast in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. (I did this Monday night, and did the rest of the dish last night.)

In a small saucepan, cook onion in olive oil until it begins to turn golden. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Slowly sprinkle ThickenThin not/Starch over boiling mixture, stirring until smooth. When all is incorporated, squeeze the garlic out of its skin into the saucepan. (Yes, you're using the whole head of garlic in the sauce.) Add the half and half; do not let it boil. Remove from heat and either take a stick blender right into the pan, or dump the sauce into a standard blender, and blend until smooth.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.

While pasta cooks, heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and the butter in a large skillet. Saute the shrimp until they just turn pink and opaque. Turn heat under skillet down to a very low flame. Drain the pasta and toss with the cooked shrimp. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, parsley and parmesan cheese. Add the sauce and toss everything together until evenly coated with sauce and parsley. Serve hot.

*I used about 3 Tablespoons heavy cream, then filled the measuring cup to the 4-ounce mark with Calorie Countdown 2%.

**Next time, I will use a whole pound of shrimp.

Triple Citrus Cheesecake

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Boujie posted a link to this recipe for Triple Citrus Cheesecake on the Playground yesterday. She was asking how to avoid cracks in her cheesecake, and later posted "Well, it's a huge mess. Crevices all over the top." I rarely get a crack in my cheesecakes, and I think it's because of the low cooking temperature, along with the very slow cooling process.

FatCat thought this sounded good, so he suggested that I make my own Creamy Cheesecake and just add the citrus ingredients to that. I did, and it's in the oven, cooling. (No cracks, so far.) I'm a firm believer in letting a cheesecake cool completely in the oven, then chilling it for a full day before cutting into it, so we won't be trying it until tomorrow after supper.

Triple Citrus Cheesecake

3/8 cup almonds -- finely chopped
3/8 cup pecans -- finely chopped
3/8 cup walnuts -- finely chopped
1 1/8 cups almond meal
4 Tablespoons butter -- melted

3 pounds cream cheese -- room temperature
liquid Splenda equivalent to 1 1/2 cups sugar
1 packet Sweet One AceK
3 eggs -- room temperature
2 Tablespoons ThickenThin not/Sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest -- grated
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons lime zest -- grated
1 1/2 tablespoons orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest -- grated
1 1/2 cups sour cream -- room temperature

Mix the butter with nuts and almond meal.

Pat into bottom and up sides of a 10" springform pan. (Mixture should go at least 1" up the sides.)

Chill the crust in the freezer while you make the filling.

Preheat oven to 450F.

Beat the cream cheese with Splenda, SweetOne, eggs, not/Sugar, vanilla, citrus juices and zests. (A food processor works great for this.) Blend until very smooth.

Thoroughly beat in the sour cream.

Pour into the chilled crust. Bake 10 minutes.

Reduce temperature to 200F and bake for 45 minutes more.

Now turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in for several hours, until completely cooled.

Remove cheesecake from oven, wrap tightly and chill overnight before serving.

Per Serving (based on 16 servings): 483 Calories; 45g Fat (81.6% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 150mg Cholesterol; 309mg Sodium.

Update:
It is now 3+ hours later, and the oven has cooled off. The cheesecake retains some heat, though, so I will let it continue to cool with the oven door closed. Still no cracks.

2008 Darwin Awards

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The Darwin Awards salute the improvement of the human genome by honoring those who accidentally remove themselves from it...

You've been waiting for them, so without further ado, here are the 2008 Darwin awards:

Eighth Place:
In Detroit , a 41-year-old man got stuck and drowned in two feet of water after squeezing head first through an 18-inch-wide sewer grate to retrieve his car keys.


Seventh Place:
A 49-year-old San Francisco stockbroker, who 'totally zoned when he ran,' accidentally jogged off a 100-foot high cliff on his daily run.


Sixth Place:
While at the beach, Daniel Jones, 21, dug an 8 foot hole for protection from the wind and had been sitting in a beach chair at the bottom when it collapsed, burying him beneath 5 feet of sand. People on the beach used their hands and shovels trying to get him out but could not reach him. It took rescue workers using heavy equipment almost an hour to free him. Jones was pronounced dead at a hospital.


Fifth Place:
Santiago Alvarado, 24, was killed as he fell through the ceiling of a bicycle shop he was burglarizing. Death was caused when the long flashlight he had placed in his mouth to keep his hands free rammed into the base of his skull as he hit the floor.


Fourth Place:
Sylvester Briddell, Jr., 26, was killed as he won a bet with friends who said he would not put a revolver loaded with four bullets into his mouth and pull the trigger.


Third Place:
After stepping around a marked police patrol car parked at the front door, a man walked into H&J Leather & Firearms intent on robbing the store. The shop was full of customers and a uniformed officer was standing at the counter. Upon seeing the officer, the would-be robber announced a hold-up, and fired a few wild shots from a target pistol. The officer and a clerk promptly returned fire, and several customers also drew their guns and fired. The robber was pronounced dead at the scene by Paramedics. Crime scene investigators located 47 expended cartridge cases in the shop. The subsequent autopsy revealed 23 gunshot wounds. Ballistics identified rounds from 7 different weapons. No one else was hurt.


HONORABLE MENTION:
Paul Stiller, 47, and his wife Bonnie were bored just driving around at 2 A.M. so they lit a quarter stick of dynamite to toss out the window to see what would happen. Apparently they failed to notice the window was closed.


RUNNER UP:
Kerry Bingham had been drinking with several friends when one of them said they knew a person who had bungee-jumped from a local bridge in the middle of traffic.The conversation grew more heated and at least 10 men trooped along the walkway of the bridge at 4:30 AM. Upon arrival at the midpoint of the bridge they discovered that no one had brought a bungee rope. Bingham, who had continued drinking, volunteered and pointed out that a coil of lineman's cable, lay near by. They secured one end around Bingham's leg and then tied the other to the bridge. His fall lasted 40 feet before the cable tightened and tore his foot off at the ankle. He miraculously survived his fall into the icy water and was rescued by two nearby fishermen. Bingham's foot was never located.


AND THE WINNER IS...
Zookeeper Friedrich Riesfeldt (Paderborn, Germany) fed his constipated elephant 22 doses of animal laxative and more than a bushel of berries, figs and prunes before the plugged-up pachyderm finally got relief. Investigators say ill-fated Friedrich, 46, was attempting to give the ailing elephant an olive oil enema when the relieved beast unloaded. The sheer force of the elephant's unexpected defecation knocked Mr. Riesfeldt to the ground where he struck his head on a rock as the elephant continued to evacuate 200 pounds of dung on top of him. It seems to be just one of those freak accidents that proves.. 'sh*t happens'.


THEY WALK AMOUNG US....

IT ALWAYS SEEMS IMPORTANT TO THANK THESE PEOPLE FOR REMOVING THEMSELVES FROM THE GENE POOL.

Happy Easter-

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-to all my LCFs and ducks!

Easter Dinner

I made Baked Ham, Cauliflower Casserole and a Strawberry Jell-O dessert.

For the Baked Ham, I scored the fat and studded it with whole cloves, stuck it in a roasting bag, and followed the directions on the label, which said to bake it at 325F for 25 minutes per pound. THEN- I turned the oven down to 200F and let it continue baking for the rest of the afternoon (about 4 hours or so). I like my ham falling-apart, like pot roast.

The Cauliflower Casserole recipe was posted on January 12.


Strawberry Jell-O Dessert

1 cup KevinPA's LC Cake or Cookie Flour mix
1/2 cup butter -- softened
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 Tablespoon sugar-free vanilla instant pudding and pie
filling mix (powder)
liquid Splenda equivalent to 1/3 cup sugar

8 ounces cream cheese
liquid Splenda equivalent to 1 cup sugar

2 packages sugar-free strawberry gelatin (4 serving size)
16 ounces frozen strawberries, unsweetened -- chopped
liquid Splenda to sweeten strawberries -- to taste
1 1/2 cups boiling water

Preheat oven to 350F.

Crust:
Combine flour, butter and pecans. Press into 9" x 13" baking dish and bake for 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Cream Cheese Layer:
Whip cream and liquid Splenda until just beginning to thicken. Sprinkle on dry pudding powder and continue whipping until peaks form. Set aside.

Beat cream cheese with liquid Splenda equivalent to 1 cup sugar until smooth. Fold in whipped cream. Spread evenly over cooled crust.

Strawberry Layer:
Chop (halve, quarter, pulverize- mine were pureed) strawberries and sweeten to taste. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water, then stir in chilled strawberries. Chill until partially set, then spread evenly over the cream cheese layer.

Chill until set, then serve.

Per Serving (based on 12 servings): 327 Calories; 30g Fat (80.3% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 82mg Cholesterol; 255mg Sodium.


Edited to add: After tasting the Strawberry Jell-O Dessert, I made a comment to the effect that it would be a good dish to make to take to a gathering. FatCat said, "No, it would be a good dish to make for me." Ummm, that's like his stamp of approval. (He also went back for a second serving of the Cauliflower Casserole.)

Mammograms and Documentation and Incompletes

I don't think many people know this, but I've been taking classes to become eligible to take the Registry in Mammography. (I've been doing diagnostic x-rays for years.) I took these classes online, and when I started, I wasn't sure how well it would work. I mean, teaching someone how to do x-rays is a hands-on job. Well, I signed up for Physics last spring and that went OK. I took the summer off, then signed up for Positioning in fall quarter, and also for Clinicals. The instructor warned me that many times, you won't have time to do all the requirements for Clinicals in a single quarter, so it is recommended that you take an "Incomplete" at the end of the quarter, then finish the following quarter. (There are some tests that are required to be repeated a number of times, to become registry-eligible, but they may be tests that are only done once a year, or twice a year, in a real clinical setting- like a hospital. For example, the darkroom fog test is done twice a year, and you have to do it twice. To pass the course, you can do it once when your clinical site does it, then you can do a simulated test, to get the two that you must document.) Well, I passed Physics, and I passed Positioning, and I took an incomplete in Clinicals. So I was finished with everything but Clinicals for winter quarter. The quarter ended this week and I received an email from the instructor yesterday that said:

I received your faxes and am changing your grade from incomplete to a B. Good luck with the registry.

B is good; there was one exercise that I did, that I did not submit any documentation for, and one exercise that was required that I completely blew off. I will still have to do this exercise (which involves sitting with a radiologist, watching him/her read and dictate reports on 20 mammograms) before taking the Registry, which I have not yet scheduled. But I am done with school!!

Holiday Jell-O Salad

I am making this for a carry-in at work tomorrow. The theme is St. Patrick's Day (on the 13th??) so they want green food. They also requested that I don't bring any "low carb crap" which I found offensive, and I thought about not bringing anything. There are two diabetics in my department, neither of which eats lowcarb, and three (including myself) lowcarbers, so I figure at least five of us will be OK with this dish. When I make it for myself, I use an 8-ounce can of pineapple, to keep the carb count low-ish, but for this occasion, I used the 20-ounce can.


8 ounces crushed pineapple in juice
water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 packages sugar-free lime gelatin -- 4 serving size
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups cottage cheese
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup celery -- finely diced
liquid Splenda -- optional, to taste

Drain pineapple, set aside. Add water to pineapple liquid to measure 2 cups. Stir in lemon juice.

Bring to a boil; stir in gelatin powder until dissolved.

Fold in remaining ingredients. Taste and add Splenda, if needed. (I add 6- 8 drops.)

Turn into a pretty serving dish and chill until firm.

Or chill in a rectangular cake pan and cut into squares when set and serve on a lettuce leaf

Per Serving (based on 16 servings, about 1/2 cup each): 242 Calories; 22g Fat (80.3% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 28mg Cholesterol; 270mg Sodium.

Per Serving (using a 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple): 255 Calories; 22g Fat (76.1% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 28mg Cholesterol; 270mg Sodium.

Chicken Fingers, Chunks, Nuggets, etc.

Ugh.... I am so far behind. I made this today for lunch, so I thought I'd take a picture and write a quick description of what I did.

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
cayenne pepper -- to taste
garlic powder -- to taste
1/2 cup Carbquik
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (green can is OK)
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
Oil for frying

Cut chicken into desired shapes and sizes. I made mostly strips.

Sprinkle with cayenne and garlic powder. Keep in refrigerator until ready to fry.

Meanwhile, combine Carbquik, almond flour, Parmesan and seasoning in a shallow dish.

Pour in enough oil to cover bottom of large skillet and heat over medium high heat.

Dredge chicken pieces in Carbquik mixture and fry in oil in small batches until breading is brown and chicken is tender.

Remove chicken from oil; drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

Six servings.

Per Serving (assuming the chicken absorbs about 2 Tablespoons of oil): 261 Calories; 9g Fat (32.3% calories from fat); 40g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 90mg Cholesterol; 181mg Sodium.


I ate these without a dipping sauce, but they would have been good dipped in a nice marinara. I think if I'd omitted the Italian seasoning in the "flour" mix, these would have been good with my "restaurant mustard dipping sauce", so-named because you can make it from the packets you find in many less-than-fine-dining establishments.

3 parts mayonnaise
1 part yellow mustard
Splenda to taste

Stir it up and dip right in.

The beauty of this "Chicken Fingers, Chunks, Nuggets, etc." recipe is that you can vary the seasonings and dips to create unlimited tasty combinations.

New Jeans and Wedding Dress Shopping

I was actually able to wear my new jeans today, a size smaller than last month. I not only got them on and zipped, I was actually comfortable. I went wedding-dress shopping with my friend Lisa (gotta hate her- she's under 5 feet tall and less than 100 lbs) and I was comfortable the whole time. I wish I'd taken a picture, but all the pictures I took were of Lisa in various dresses. I was all over the place- getting a new dress, picking up things from the floor, helping her in the dressing room, and I didn't feel like my jeans were tight at all. This is the dress she chose:

I think it's perfect for an afternoon wedding, outdoors, in the middle of August, in Gatlinburg. At least she won't be sweating her butt off. (BTW, it's a size 2.)

Diet News: One Month Progress Report

Well, I didn't exactly make my 7-pound goal this month, but I did manage to get 14 pounds off in two months. So I averaged 7 pounds a month. There are a number of reasons for this month's five and a half pound loss, which I will work on in March:

• I didn't exercise like I should
  
• I ate breaded fish once
  
• and batter-dipped chicken once
• I'm not consistent with breakfast
• I do better when I bring my lunch to work
• I need to remember to weigh before I eat or drink anything
• I have to keep adult-beverage consumption to a minimum
• March will have 31 days, as opposed to the 29 in February
  

I have new jeans that I bought last month, which were just a bit snug, that I may be able to get into now. I will try them on tomorrow and keep you posted!

Thank you!

A great big THANKS to all the ducks and LCF admins who took time to wish me a Happy Birthday yesterday. I just love you guys!

Happy Birthday from Melly

My birthday isn't until Monday,
but this was delivered today.



Front of the card:





~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~



And when you open it up,
it plays "Super Freak"
(1981, Rick James):

Also included in the package was a cute quilted pocketbook,
in a dark brown and pink fleur de lis print



a matching tri-fold wallet



and a keychain featuring angels


Thank you Melly!

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CarolynF's Yummy Pancakes

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I love CarolynF's recipes, and this one is no exception. It is my go-to recipe when I'm wanting pancakes. If the batter is too thick, add some water or DaVinci syrup to thin it down before cooking. Just remember, the thinner the batter, the thinner the finished pancake. If the insides aren't getting done before the outsides are ready to burn, turn down the heat under the griddle and cook them longer. Stir 2 Tablespoons of fresh or frozen blueberries into the batter (that's how I had mine this AM), or try scattering some chopped pecans on the griddle before pouring on the batter, for a different flavor.

1 Tablespoon butter -- melted
2 Tablespoons Calorie Countdown 2%
1 egg
1 drop liquid Splenda
1/3 teaspoon baking powder -- a rounded 1/4 teaspoon
1/3 cup Carbquik

Combine butter and milk in a small mixing bowl.

Using a whisk, beat in egg and liquid Splenda.

Whisk in baking powder and Carbquik to moisten. (Do not overmix.)

Fry by large tablespoonfuls on a hot griddle until tops bubble and edges appear dry.

Flip pancakes and continue cooking until golden on bottoms.

Serve hot with butter and sugar-free maple syrup.

I'll take a picture next time- the batch I made today somehow disappeared before I even thought about getting out the camera!?!?!

Per Batch (excluding butter and syrup for serving): 308 Calories; 24g Fat (59.7% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 21g Carbohydrate; 16g Dietary Fiber; 246mg Cholesterol; 529mg Sodium.

Awww nuts!

I made up this list several years ago- then I had to re-format my computer and lost it completely. I then decided to post it at LCF so I wouldn't lose it again.

According to the USDA Nutrient Database, these are net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) for one ounce:

Nuts, acorns, dried- 15.21

Nuts, almonds (23 whole kernels)- 2.3

Nuts, beechnuts, dried- 9.5

Nuts, brazilnuts, dried, unblanched (6 kernels)- 1.38

Nuts, butternuts, dried- 2.12

Nuts, cashew nuts, raw- 7.66

Nuts, chestnuts, Chinese, dried- 22.61

Nuts, chestnuts, European, dried, unpeeled- 18.62

Nuts, chestnuts, Japanese, dried- 23.09

Nuts, coconut meat, dried (desiccated), not sweetened- 2.1

Nuts, ginkgo nuts, dried- 20.54

Nuts, hazelnuts or filberts (21 whole kernels)- 2.03

Nuts, hickorynuts, dried- 3.37

Nuts, macadamia nuts, raw (10- 12 kernels)- 1.52

Nuts, pecans (19 halves)- 1.23

Nuts, pilinuts-canary tree, dried (15 kernels)- 1.13

Nuts, pine nuts, dried (167 kernels)- 2.71

Nuts, pine nuts, pinyon, dried- 2.47

Nuts, pistachio nuts, raw (49 kernels)- 5.03

Nuts, walnuts, black, dried- .91

Nuts, walnuts, English (14 halves)- 1.99

Peanuts, all types, raw- 2.17

Seeds, breadfruit seeds, raw- 6.79

Seeds, chia seeds, dried- 1.73

Seeds, cottonseed kernels, roasted (glandless)- 4.6

Seeds, flaxseed- .47

Seeds, lotus seeds, dried- 18.28

Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, dried- 3.95

Seeds, sesame seeds, whole, dried- 3.35

Seeds, sisymbrium sp. seeds, whole, dried- 16.52

Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, dried- 2.32

Seeds, watermelon seed kernels, dried- 4.34



Or, in order, lowest to highest:



Seeds, flaxseed- .47

Nuts, walnuts, black, dried- .91

Nuts, pilinuts-canary tree, dried (15 kernels)- 1.13

Nuts, pecans (19 halves)- 1.23

Nuts, brazilnuts, dried, unblanched (6 kernels)- 1.38

Nuts, macadamia nuts, raw (10- 12 kernels)- 1.52

Seeds, chia seeds, dried- 1.73

Nuts, walnuts, English (14 halves)- 1.99

Nuts, hazelnuts or filberts (21 whole kernels)- 2.03

Nuts, coconut meat, dried (desiccated), not sweetened- 2.1

Nuts, butternuts, dried- 2.12

Peanuts, all types, raw- 2.17

Nuts, almonds (23 whole kernels)- 2.3

Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, dried- 2.32

Nuts, pine nuts, pinyon, dried- 2.47

Nuts, pine nuts, dried (167 kernels)- 2.71

Seeds, sesame seeds, whole, dried- 3.35

Nuts, hickorynuts, dried- 3.37

Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, dried- 3.95

Seeds, watermelon seed kernels, dried- 4.34

Seeds, cottonseed kernels, roasted (glandless)- 4.6

Nuts, pistachio nuts, raw (49 kernels)- 5.03

Seeds, breadfruit seeds, raw- 6.79

Nuts, cashew nuts, raw- 7.66

Nuts, beechnuts, dried- 9.5

Nuts, acorns, dried- 15.21

Seeds, sisymbrium sp. seeds, whole, dried- 16.52

Seeds, lotus seeds, dried- 18.28

Nuts, chestnuts, European, dried, unpeeled- 18.62

Nuts, ginkgo nuts, dried- 20.54

Nuts, chestnuts, Chinese, dried- 22.61

Nuts, chestnuts, Japanese, dried- 23.09


(I really wish I liked black walnuts.)

Toll House Cookie Bars

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This was my first attempt at lowcarbing these. They are good, but a little bit crumbly. Next time, I think I will add some polydextrose to the dry ingredients, and only use about half the salt.

2 1/4 cups KevinPA's LC Cake or Cookie Flour mix
3/4 cup polydextrose -- I didn't use it this time, but it needs it, IMHO
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt -- will cut back to 1/2 teaspoon salt next time
1 cup butter -- softened
liquid Splenda -- equivalent to 3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup DiabetiSweet -- brown sugar flavor
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups sugar free chocolate chips*
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; set aside.

Combine KevinPA's LC Cake or Cookie Flour mix, polydextrose, baking soda and salt in small bowl.

Beat butter, liquid Splenda, DiabetiSweet and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Gradually beat in flour mixture.

Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

Spread into prepared pan.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool in pan on wire rack.

Cut into 48 bars.

Per Serving: 104 Calories; 8g Fat (61.9% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 4g Sugar Alcohols; 19mg Cholesterol; 130mg Sodium.

With the added polydextrose, and half the salt, which I would highly recommend:
Per Serving: 108 Calories; 8g Fat (55.7% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 4g Sugar Alcohols; 19mg Cholesterol; 107mg Sodium.



For the original recipe, using flour, white sugar, brown sugar, and regular semi-sweet chocolate chips, per serving: 129 Calories; 8g Fat (52.3% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0g Sugar Alcohols; 19mg Cholesterol; 114mg Sodium.

*If you didn't hoard the Eat Well Be Well chocolate chips when Netrition had them, I think you could use the Dixie Diner Carb Counters Chocolate Chunkies although I have never tried them. They may need a quick spin in a food processor first to break them up a little?

AnneSD's Peanut Butter Noodles

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I need to make this again soon. In the meantime, you can make it!

8 ounces tofu shiritaki noodles
1 Tablespoon natural peanut butter
1 Tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
liquid Splenda -- equivalent to 1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tablespoon green onion -- sliced
4 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast -- cooked, diced

Drain and rinse noodles in cold water, then drain on paper towels spread over a layer of newspaper. Put noodles in a bowl and set aside

Heat medium saute pan until hot. TURN OFF HEAT UNDER PAN.

Add peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, splenda and scallions into pan (keep heat off) and stir with whisk until totally blended. It might look odd until the peanut butter is completely combined with the other liquids. If it get too thick, add 1 tablespoon of water.

Add chicken and noodles into pan and turn heat on for about 1 or 2 minutes.

Optional: Add a few drops of hot oil and blend well.

Optional: Add sauteed broccoli or snow peas with chicken and noodles.

Per Serving (the whole recipe): 283 Calories; 10g Fat (34.2% calories from fat); 33g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 66mg Cholesterol; 765mg Sodium.

Spinach and Broccoli Casserole

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10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed
10 ounces frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 cup heavy cream
2 eggs
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (green can is OK)
2/3 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated, divided

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish; set aside.

Drain veggies well.

Beat cream, eggs, Parmesan and ricotta until creamy.

Stir in veggies and 1/2 cup grated cheese until thoroughly combined.

Turn into prepared dish; top with remaining grated cheese.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Per Serving (based on 8 servings): 245 Calories; 21g Fat (74.1% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 115mg Cholesterol; 227mg Sodium.

kcduffer's Beef and Cabbage

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I haven't made this in a while, but it's a good recipe- especially for the weather we're having here. It was posted several years ago on the LCF bulletin boards, but I can't find it in a search now, so no link to the original post. I made something similar last night, minus the celery and cheddar, and substituting browned sausage for the beef. It was pretty good that way.

1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion -- sliced
3 stalks celery -- chopped, include the leaves
1 pound cabbage -- shredded
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon salt
4 ounces cream cheese
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese -- grated

Brown the ground beef in large pot. Drain and return to pot.

Add onion and celery and continue browning. Add the shredded cabbage, half at a time. Continue cooking.

Add hot sauce and salt.

Add cream cheese and cheddar cheese.

Lower cooking temperature and cover. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, so it doesn't stick.

Per Serving (based on 6 servings): 402 Calories; 33g Fat (73.9% calories from fat); 20g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 105mg Cholesterol; 632mg Sodium.

Happy Valentine's Day, Hidey!

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Super Easy, Super Fast Afghans

At the top is one whole afghan, folded about 4 times, I think. Beneath are close-ups of the individual stitches, and you can see the colors of the yarns I used. You can click the image to see it larger. The close-up on the left is the shades of beige I finished most recently. The center one is the first one I made, with navy, burgundy, hunter green and ivory. The one on the right is the one I made for Lisa's birthday, last Thursday, in Ohio State colors- grey, red, white and black.

These afghans are crocheted. I don't knit at all. I have no coordination in my left hand whatsoever, so holding a hook with just my right hand suits me. I have a feeling if I ever tried knitting, it would be a bloody mess.

These use the Q-hook, the big blue plastic one. And 4 skeins of yarn at a time. I use 12 skeins altogether, 3 of each color. The yarns don't have to be four different colors, but so far all the afghans I have made this way have been four different colors.

All I do is make a chain as long as I want the width of the afghan, about 60 or 65 chains. Then just half-double crochet all the way across, chain two, turn, half double crochet all the way across, and so on.....

I fringed the one I made for Lisa (never again!) so before I tied on the 3rd skein of each color, I cut the yarn I would need for the fringe. That way I could keep going until I'd used all the yarn, and still know that I had enough in reserve for the fringe. HOWEVER, fringing the dang thing took nearly as long as crocheting the rest of it, so I won't be doing that again.

Keep going till you run out of one of your colors. It's done. Couldn't be easier- or faster! There is no faster afghan. None! (Hehehehehe- couldn't resist)

No-Bake "Creme Brulee"

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Make a special dessert for your Valentine. Start it today or early tomorrow so it has enough time to completely set and chill before serving. This recipe was adapted from one I found on someone else's blog. At 500 calories, and over 90% fat, this is not your everyday dessert. It is also not Kimkins-friendly!

1 cup heavy cream
2 egg yolks
1 Tablespoon Splenda bulk
1 teaspoon vanilla
DiabetiSweet -- for topping

Put the cream in a small saucepan and bring it slowly to a boil. When it's just about to boil, take it off the heat.

Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks with the Splenda at low speed in a blender. Continue blending as you drizzle in the scalded cream. It's important that you don't stop the blender during this process.

Once all the cream is added, pour the mixture back into the saucepan and return to the stove. Stir mixture over a gentle heat until it thickens. A simple test is to run a finger down the back of a spoon and if the mixture stays apart, it's done.

As soon as it's thick enough, place the pan in a bowl/sink of cold water, add the vanilla, and continue stirring for a few minutes - this will stop the cooking.

Pour mixture into two broiler-safe serving dishes and place in the fridge to chill and set completely.

When ready to serve, lightly sprinkle (about 1/4 teaspoon) brown or white DiabetiSweet over the top of the custard and using a blow torch, brown the DiabetiSweet. You can also do this under the broiler. Repeat this process a few times, sprinkling only thin layers (about 1/4 teaspoon) to build up the structure of the toffee and provide that "crackable" characteristic in the topping.

Per Serving (based on 2 servings): 470 Calories; 49g Fat (92.1% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 376mg Cholesterol; 52mg Sodium.

Greek Chicken

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Quick, one-pan supper to throw together on a weekday evening.

4 Tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 cup tomato -- diced
1/2 cup water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
6 ounces feta cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic -- minced
freshly ground pepper -- to taste
20 ounces frozen chopped spinach -- thawed and drained

In medium skillet, brown chicken in olive oil.

Stir in tomato, water, bouillon cube, feta cheese, basil, garlic and pepper.

Simmer for 10 minutes.

Add spinach and simmer for 10 minutes more.

Per Serving (based on 4 servings): 412 Calories; 25g Fat (53.6% calories from fat); 38g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 107mg Cholesterol; 1033mg Sodium.

A New Favorite Quote

Heard this last week, or the week before,
on BBC America's You Are What You Eat:

"I'm a failed bulimic.
I binge and I binge and I binge-
but I forget to ever throw up."

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Cinnamon Flop

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2 cups KevinPA's LC Cake or Cookie Flour mix
3/4 cup polydextrose
3 teaspoons baking powder
pinch salt

1 1/4 cups Calorie Countdown 2%
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
liquid Splenda equivalent to 1 1/4 cups sugar


1/2 cup DiabetiSweet -- brown
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup butter -- melted

1/2 cup chopped pecans (I didn't use any nuts- but pecans would make this decadent)

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish and set aside.

In a bowl, stir the LC Cake or Cookie Flour mix, polydextrose, baking powder and salt with a whisk to combine well.

In a large measuring cup or small bowl, beat the Calorie Countdown 2%, egg, vanilla and liquid Splenda.

Add liquids to dry ingredients; stir just to combine. Be careful not to over-mix. Some lumps are OK.

Pour into prepared pan.

Sprinkle DiabetiSweet and cinnamon evenly over batter.

If desired, sprinkle chopped nuts over DiabetiSweet/cinnamon.

Drizzle melted butter over all.

Bake for 25- 30 minutes.

Per Serving with nuts (based on 8 servings): 267 Calories; 16g Fat (37.5% calories from fat); 12g Protein; 47g Carbohydrate; 26g Dietary Fiber; 13g Sugar Alcohols; 45mg Cholesterol; 339mg Sodium.

Per Serving without nuts (based on 8 servings): 217 Calories; 11g Fat (29.6% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 46g Carbohydrate; 26g Dietary Fiber; 13g Sugar Alcohols; 45mg Cholesterol; 338mg Sodium

This is a modified version of a recipe I saw on RecipeZaar. The OP claims it makes five or six servings- but even cut into eight pieces, they are pretty generous servings, especially considering the richness of the recipe. It is supposedly one of those recipes that is not better fresh out of the oven (according to some reviewers over there). We tasted a small piece when it had almost cooled (it was very good then), and then let it sit overnight and ate some the next day. It was better the next day!

Just for the sake of comparison, if this was made with nuts, with flour, half & half and sugar (per the original recipe), and cut into sixths, you would count: 578 Calories; 21g Fat (32.9% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 91g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 75mg Cholesterol; 360mg Sodium.

Hehehehehe- So I'm pretty happy with my modified version.

Real Chili

This is not thin, soupy chili. This is thick and hearty and as good as any high-carb chili I've ever made. Black soy beans can be a bit firm, so be sure to cook it at a low temperature for a long time. I have made it the day before I planned to serve it by simmering it for just an hour, then refrigerating and bringing back to a simmer again before serving. My preferred method, however, is the oven-method, which also works great when you have a crowd to feed and too much chili to fit in a stove-top pan or crock-pot. I make it in a turkey roaster in the oven.

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2 pounds ground beef
2