Coffey To Go

Sausage-Stuffed Banana Peppers

2012-01-02T15:23:00.002-05:00

* Exported from MasterCook *

Serving Size : 12

Categories : Miscellaneous

8 ounces Italian sausage -- crumbled, browned and drained
8 ounces cream cheese -- softened

4 ounces cheddar cheese -- shredded

1/2 medium onion -- chopped

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried chives

1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seafood seasoning

12 banana peppers -- halved lengthwise, seeds and membranes removed

Preheat oven to 400F.

Combine all ingredients except banana peppers in medium bowl. Mix thoroughly.

Stuff each pepper half; place on greased baking sheet, or on a broiler rack.

Bake about 30 minutes, or until peppers are soft and filling is bubbly and beginning to brown.

Source: astray.com

Yield: "24 pieces"

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 184 Calories; 16g Fat (76.3% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 45mg Cholesterol; 262mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Fat.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Creamy Raspberry Jell-O Shots

2011-12-07T06:20:00.002-05:00

YUMM!!

1 small package (4 serving size) sugarfree raspberry flavored gelatin powder

1/2 cup boiling water

6 ounces (1 individual cup) CarbMaster raspberry flavored yogurt

6 ounces (3/4 cup) raspberry flavored vodka, chilled

Combine gelatin powder and boiling water in a small mixing bowl. Stir gently until combined.

Add the yogurt and vodka, and stir well. Yogurt should be well-incorporated, and shouldn't appear in clumps. Mixture will have a creamy pink appearance.

Pour into individual serving cups. Chill until set.

For 6 "shots", each with a whole ounce of vodka, use 1/3 cup of mixture per serving.

For 8 "shots", each with 3/4 ounce of vodka, use 1/4 cup of mixture per serving.

November 12 ALREADY!

2011-11-12T09:00:00.007-05:00

-and I haven't posted here in almost two months! School is really kicking my tail- and I figure I'll be able to post late on my blog without any repercussions, but if I do my assignments late, I'll pay for it. Therefore, I've been neglecting my blogs. Anyway, we're getting ready for the football games, so I want to share what we're making for lunch- because almost all the Big 10 games are at noon.

We're making baked wings, which I normally don't like, because I don't like wings (or any meat, for that matter) that have been baked in a pan, sitting in a pool of grease. So, to resolve that problem, we put a couple of cooling racks over the huge jelly roll pan we have, and the grease drips off. Problem solved! I like hot wings, but FatCat doesn't, so for seasoning, we found a recipe for a dry rub that is perfect on just about any meat you cook. I first tried it back in the summer, and it made a great big batch that has lasted us until maybe a couple weeks ago. So I made some more this morning:

Hugh's Dry Rub

1/2 cup paprika

3 Tablespoons cayenne pepper

5 Tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

6 Tablespoons garlic powder

3 Tablespoons onion powder

6 Tablespoons salt

2 1/2 Tablespoons dried oregano

2 1/2 Tablespoons dried thyme

In a medium bowl, combine the paprika, cayenne pepper, ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, oregano, and thyme. Mix well, and store in a cool, dry place in an airtight container.

It came from allrecipes.com, and you can click anywhere on the recipe to be taken to the page where it is posted. Go read the reviews! This is one awesome rub- and like I said, you can use it on a variety of meats- or anything you season! I think a pinch of this in the yolks would make some delicious deviled eggs, though I haven't tried it yet. I did make a couple substitutions- and I've never made it exactly the way the recipe directs, so I don't know if my changes make it better, worse, or pretty much the same as the original. I've done this both times I've made this, so I guess I should document it here:

For the freshly ground black pepper, I used coarse-ground black pepper from a jar.

For the oregano, I used pre-mixed Italian seasoning.

For the thyme, I used a pre-mixed poultry seasoning.

This is very similar to the recipe for Emeril's Essence, which I have not tried. The ingredients are identical; the proportions are a little different.

Low-er Carb Apricot Habanero Jam

2011-09-25T19:03:00.002-04:00

Oh yeah! That's what I'm talkin' about!

Original recipe appeared here, but this is what I did:

1/2 pound habanero peppers (a pound is 52 peppers, so I just conted out 26)

1/2 medium red onion - chopped

1 cup cider vinegar

2 cans apricots, packed in fruit juice, no sugar added, drained (reserve juice)

1/4 cup juice from apricots

2 drops red food coloring

6 drops yellow food coloring
2 cups Kevinpa's sweetener blend

1 teaspoon liquid Splenda (equivalent to 4 cups sugar)

1.75 oz. pkg. SureJell premium fruit pectin for less or no sugar needed recipes

Cut off stem ends of peppers and blend together with chopped onions, vinegar, apricots, apricot juice, and food coloring. Pour the pepper mixture into a large non-aluminum pan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.

Stir in the sweeteners and the pectin, and bring to a hard boil. Continue stirring. Boil exactly one minute, still stirring, then remove from heat.

As soon as you are able to stir down the boil, pour into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/8" headspace. Wipe down rim of jar and place lids. Screw rings on and leave to cool.

(The original recipe was for freezer jam. You were supposed to pour the hot mixture into plastic freezer containers, let cool, then store in the freezer until needed. My jars all sealed, so I'm just keeping them in the refrigerator.)

I got 5 (8-ounce) jars, with about 2 Tablespoons left over, for a cook's sample.

The recipe called for 4 drops of red food coloring, and that's what I used. I think it's much too red, so next time I will use only a drop or two of red, and the same 6 drops of yellow that the recipe calls for. Other than the color, I'm totally happy with this recipe. I made a grilled cheese sandwich on LC whole grain bread, with American cheese, and used a scant teaspoon of this jam to spread on one of the slices of bread, and that was just about perfect heat. Then we got little packages of cheese-filled snack crackers (not lowcarb) and spread the jam over about half the surface of the little cracker sandwich. Seems the more of these we ate, the more jam we spread over the next one. This might be just a touch addictive.

Where are you going to find hidden carbs?

2011-09-22T14:50:00.002-04:00

Oh wow, where do I start? Well, the obvious ones are protein bars, candy bars, ice cream; basically all the sweet stuff you would find in your store that says "sugar-free" on the label. Even Jell-O has hidden carbs. (It's a sure bet that there are hidden carbs in a product if a label states "net carbs, digestible carbs, impact carbs, effective carbs, etc". If they have to say that, then you know they are trying to hide something.)

Here's a short list of some of the hidden carbs (as well as carbs you may think you don't have to count) that I've found:

1- Cheese-

These vary, but for the sake of simplicity, count 1g per ounce.

2- Coffee-

Count .8g per 6-ounce cup of brewed coffee (keeping in mind that most cups these days are much larger than 6 ounces).

Count .7g per rounded teaspoon of instant coffee.

3- Crystal Light-

Count 1.25g per 8 fluid ounces.

4- Cream-

Count 6.6g per cup of heavy whipping cream, or .4g per tablespoon.

Count 10.4g per cup of half & half, or .6 per tablespoon.

5- Deli meats-

These vary w-i-d-e-l-y. Check the ingredients (most contain sugar in some form; corn syrup is very common) as well as the nutritional panel.

6- Eggs-

Count .7g per large egg, or 2g per 3 eggs.

7- Jell-O-

Count 1.5g per 1/2 cup (prepared).

8- Mayonnaise-

Count .25g per tablespoon of real mayonnaise. Mayonnaise-type salad dressings (Miracle Whip, SpinBlend) are 2g per tablespoon.

9-Medications-

These vary, but most of them use starch fillers, and some of the liquid preparations have sugar. Check out Cheri's newbie site for a link to the carb counts of some of the more common medications.

10- Organ meats-

Beef liver has the highest carb count I've found, with 9g carbs per 4-ounce serving. As far as I'm concerned, this is just a happy excuse to get out of eating it.

11- Shellfish-

Count 2.9g for clams, .6g for lobster, .8g for Dungeness crab, 1g for shrimp, 2.7g for scallops. (All counts are for 4-ounce servings.)

12- Spices-

Red pepper, chili powder and cinnamon have over half their carbs coming from fiber, but most of the spices you use don't have significant amounts of fiber. For 1 teaspoon, count red pepper as 1g (.7g fiber), black pepper as 1.7g, garlic powder as 2.3g, Lite salt as .5g, chili powder as 1.4g (.9g fiber), cinnamon as 2.1g (1.4g fiber), ground cumin as .9g, oregano as .5g. A fresh garlic clove is 1g.

13- Splenda-

Liquid Splenda has 0g carbs, but if you use the packets or the granular variety, count 1g per packet, or 1g per 2 teaspoons (24g per cup) of the granular.

14- Vinegar-

This one surprised me. I would have never guessed that vinegar has twice the carbs of cream! (Well, I knew about the balsamic vinegar, but never thought about white vinegar, cider vinegar or wine vinegar having so many carbs.) Count .8g per tablespoon (12.8g per cup) of white vinegar, .9g per tablespoon (14.4g per cup) of cider or wine vinegar, and 2g per tablespoon (32 per cup) of balsamic vinegar.

Coconut Chocolate Squares

2011-09-05T21:55:00.001-04:00

This was super easy and very scrumptious!

5 ounces unsweetened shredded coconut

1/3 cup water

8 drops liquid Splenda (from the .5 ounce bottle)

2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate

2 Tablespoons butter

1/3 cup Kevinpa's Sweetener Mix #2

This may take a little while, so plan ahead.

First, put coconut in a jar with a screw-on lid. Measure water and add Splenda to water in measuring cup. Add water to coconut in jar and shake well. Let jar stand for a few hours, shaking on occasion, until all liquid is absorbed. At this point, you will have sweetened coconut.

Take about half the sweetened coconut and put in a dry skillet over medium heat. Stirring frequently, cook coconut until moisture evaporates, and coconut turns a toasty brown. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. (This part is optional, but it's what I did, so I'm including it here: dump the toasted coconut into bowl of food processor and process at highest speed for a few seconds until coconut is pulverized.)

Place both squares of unsweetened chocolate in microwave for 30 seconds or so; you don't want it to lose its shape, but it should soften up a little.

If you're not pulverizing the coconut, just find a cereal bowl or something to hold it for a few minutes while you use the skillet again. Melt the butter over low heat, and stir in sweeteners. Keep cooking and stirring until sweeteners are dissolved. Turn off heat, and add chocolate to skillet. Stir until chocolate is completely melted, and everything is blended well.

Return coconut to pan and stir with a rubber spatula until all is well combined and every piece of coconut is chocolate-coated. Pour into a square sandwich keeper and pack down well with rubber spatula. Using a knive or the edge of the spatula, cut mixture into 16 squares.

Chill until set. Remove from refrigerator and serve at room temperature.

Adriana's Pizza Bites

2011-09-02T15:52:00.004-04:00

I ran across this recipe some time ago, don't remember what I was looking for at the time, but I bookmarked it, and actually got around to making it today. This is exactly the kind of food I look for from September thru November (NCAA football season). I did not follow Adriana's recipe, but I don't imagine there is anything any better or worse with the way either one of us did it. It appears to be the basic cream cheese muffin recipe, minus any sweetener, with savory ingredients added. This is Adriana's version, and my changes are in blue and in parentheses:

8 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened

2 eggs

1/4 cup pizza or pasta sauce, the lowest carbs you can find. The one I used had 2 net carbs per 1/4 cup

(I used a ripe Roma tomato from the garden)

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

(I used shredded Italian blend cheeses)

2 fresh basil leaves, chopped or torn into small pieces

(I used a rounded teaspoon of dried "spaghetti seasoning")

2 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated

32 slices of pepperoni, plus an additional 1/4 cup chopped pepperoni

(I did one batch with chopped pepperoni and one batch without)

2 slices of canadian bacon or ham, chopped

(I used 1/3 cup of browned, drained, crumbled Italian sausage)

2 tbsp sliced black olives

(I did not use this- DBF will not touch olives)

2 tbsp chopped green bell pepper

(I used half a hot banana pepper from the garden, seeded and membrane removed)

2 tbsp chopped red onion

1 mini muffin tin, preferably a 24 capacity one

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven at 350 F.

2. Place one pepperoni in the bottom of each mini muffin tin. Press down on them to make them stay.
(Rather than pressing down into the cups, I microwaved them, 16 at a time, for 45 seconds, before I used them. They shrank up a little bit PLUS it got rid of much of the grease PLUS when they cooked, they got a little bowl-shape, so I used that to my advantage in the bottoms of the cups.)

3. In a large mixing bowl, mix the cream cheese and eggs until thoroughly combined. Add the pizza or pasta sauce, mozzarella, parmesan, basil, chopped pepperoni, ham, green peppers, olives and onions.

(I started with the onion, tomato, pepperoni, pepper, sausage, Parmesan and spaghetti sauce seasoning in the food processor. Pulsed it until it was very finely chopped. Then I added the cream cheese and blended that in until it resembled store-bought ham salad, and finally, the eggs. Once that was all chopped and blended, I added the Italian cheeses.)

4. Fill each mini muffin space to the top with this mixture. Be careful not to overfill.

(I used a 1-Tablespoon cookie scoop to fill the cups. It didn't come to the top, but I got 36 snacks out of the mix- BOTH times I made it.)

5. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until lighly golden brown and set.

(Mine baked for 18 minutes.)

6. Remove them from the pan by passing a small knife around the edges. They should pop right out with no problem but if you know your pan tends to stick then add pam before baking.

(I let them cool for 15 minutes before I tried removing them from the pan.)

7. Place remaining pepperoni's in the bottom of the tins and add remaining mixture and bake as directed.

Mmmm, mmmm good!

Black Bottom Buckeye Pie

2011-09-01T15:09:00.007-04:00

Start with a baked 10" pie shell

Black bottom-

This is easy. I am just doing a simple half-and-half and chocolate chip ganache for the bottom of my pie. However, I do not use half-and-half, therefore I don't buy it. Therefore, I don't have any. So, I faked it with CarolynF's LC milk and a little butter.

2/3 cup LC milk

1 Tablespoon butter

6 oz. sugarfree chocolate chips

Heat milk and butter over medium heat until just ready to boil. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until completely melted. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then spread evenly over bottom of baked pie crust. Refrigerate until well-chilled.

Peanut butter crumbles-

3/4 cup of some sort of granular or powdered sugar substitute (something with substance, SA or some blend of various SAs- I used a mix that Kevinpa developed, which does actually sweeten chocolate)

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Place 1/2 cup of sweetener in bowl of food processor. Drop spoonfuls of peanut butter over sweetener and lock processor lid. Pulse several times, until sweetener and peanut butter are well-combined, but still appearing as small peanut butter cookie dough pellets. Remove lid and sprinkle remaining sweetener over pellets and replace top., Process very briefly until pellets break up into much smaller pellets.

Sprinkle peanut butter crumbles evenly over the chilled chocolate layer. Leave the last tablespoonful or so of crumbles in the processor if you wish to sprinkle them over the finished pie.

Puddin' layer-

This is just two (4-serving size) boxes of sugarfree instant vanilla pudding (I used the store brand), mixed with 3 cups of ice-cold LC milk. You pour it evenly over the crumble layer, then sprinkle with reserved crumbles (if you saved them). .

Either way, stick it in the fridge until tomorrow. After it's thoroughly chilled and set, cut into small servings. This is a rich pie!

Enjoy!

Trying a Pie Crust

2011-08-31T19:14:00.007-04:00

Got the original from Cooks Illustrated- this is my first attempt at lowcarbing this recipe. It's probably not complete in its conversion, but this is where I started:

1 1/4 cups Carbalose flour, divided

6 Tablespoons salted butter, ice cold, cut into at least 6 slices

4 Tablespoons solid vegetable shortening, ice cold, cut into at least 4 slices

2 Tablespoons unflavored vodka, straight from freezer

2 Tablespoons ice cold water

2 drops liquid Splenda

Place 3/4 cup flour in work bowl of food processor. Drop butter and shortening slices on top of flour and process about 15 seconds, or until mixture resembles small-curd cottage cheese. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down sides of work bowl and incorporate scrapings into mixture in work bowl with a few quick pulses. Add remaining flour and pulse about 5 times, just to evenly distribute dry flour into the shortening mixture.

Transfer mixture to a medium mixing bowl.

In a small cup, combine vodka, ice water and Splenda. Sprinkle liquid over the flour mixture. Using a rubber spatula and a folding motion, mix liquids in until dough is slightly tacky, and sticks together.

Form mixture into a flattened ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for several hours before rolling out to fit in a pie tin.

At this point, I have the dough mixed, and chilling. I will update this post when I've rolled it out and baked it.

OK, I tried to roll this out, but it's 95+ degrees here, and it's not rolling well at all. Very moist dough. Ultimately, I patted it into my pie pan, and pricked the bottom and baked it (~20 minutes @ 425F). It's cooling now, so no opinions yet on flavor and/or flakiness.

You can see that I didn't get it patted out evenly, by the uneven color:

Jalapeno Poppers

2011-08-22T17:38:00.001-04:00

The jalapeno plant is FULL of peppers, and this is the easiest thing in the world, so why not?

8 jalapeno peppers

8 slices bacon

4 ounces cream cheese -- softened

Slice peppers lengthwise; remove as much seed and membrane as desired. (The seeds and membranes are where the "hot" is.)

Fill each pepper half with cream cheese.

Cut bacon slices in half crosswise, wrap each stuffed pepper in 1/2 slice of bacon. Secure with toothpicks.

Arrange on broiler rack and place in cold oven. Set oven temperature to 375 and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until peppers are soft and bacon is crisp.

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 180 Calories; 16g Fat (80.6% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 42mg Cholesterol; 286mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Fat.

Mocha Cappuccino Brownie Pie

2011-08-08T09:24:00.001-04:00

Not a recipe- but I'll outline what I did here:

I used an Atkins brownie mix- the old ones that are discontinued- I bought a bunch at a discount and froze them. I would imagine that you could use any lowcarb brownie mix that you like. The package calls for 1/3 cup oil, 1/3 cup water and an egg. I used Torani coffee flavored syrup in place of the water and baked it in a greased glass pie pan. The baking time was similar to the baking time for the 8" square, but because I was baking in glass, I reduced the oven temperature to 325F. When it was done, I let it cool at room temperature overnight.

Next morning- I put 1 1/2 cups of ice cold water in a small, deep mixing bowl, sprinkled over a rounded tablespoon of Nido milk powder, and let it dissolve for a minute. Then I put in both envelopes of a package of Sans Sucre Mocha Cappuccino mousse mix, and beat it for 5 minutes. Piled it on top of the brownie base in the pie pan, and stuck it in the fridge until serving time.

Stringy Barbecue

2011-07-20T09:09:00.011-04:00

When I was a kid, we always called it "stringy barbecue", I guess to differentiate it from sloppy joes? I don't know for sure, but this was always my favorite. I think my mom got the recipe from a leaflet published years ago (maybe even before I was born) by Swift and Company, It always felt like an "occasion" when she made this for us:

4 pounds boneless beef stew
water
9 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups ketchup (use Bruce's ketchup here- you will need about 1 1/3 batches, so go ahead and double it)
2 tablespoons horseradish (I have to leave this out- FC won't touch horseradish)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon salt

1 1/2 cups water

(may add liquid smoke, if desired)

Place beef in large kettle with water to cover. Simmer two hours, until meat is very tender. (I simmered it for more than two hours, until the meat fell apart- because that's the way I like it.)

Remove meat from broth ; cut into small pieces.

Place meat and remaining ingredients in kettle with broth, and simmer for 45 to 60 minutes.

* Exported from MasterCook *
Bruce's Ketchup
6 ounces tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
liquid Splenda -- 1 or 2 drops

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
Refrigerate for several hours before using.

Per Serving (based on a two-tablespoon serving): 12 Calories; trace Fat (4.7% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 290mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Microwave Beer Dogs!

2011-07-06T07:46:00.006-04:00

I have been somewhat disappointed with the "beer brats" they sell in the stores; you have to use your imagination to try and find the beer flavor- and I don't like imaginary beer. I've been playing around with this idea in my head for a while- and I decided yesterday to try it. (It works!)

I took a pound of hot dogs (it could be brats or metts or whathaveyou- but I thought it would be better to start cheaper) and put them on a platter and microwaved them for 12 minutes. That's right- one pound of hot dogs in the microwave for twelve minutes! I nuked them three minutes at a time, and rearranged them on the platter every time I went to re-start the microwave, so they all got cooked/dehydrated evenly. My thought was that if you dehydrate them enough, you can re-hydrate them with beer, therefore actually adding beer to the sausage, and you should be able to taste it- no imagination required.

At the end of twelve minutes, they were all shriveled up and dry and just the way I wanted them. They are pretty small too, so it wasn't hard to find a small covered baking dish that would hold them all in a single layer. I poured on a can of beer- just a regular 12-ounce can- I used Pabst Blue Ribbon because it's what was in the fridge. When I drink beer, I like Michelob Ultra, but FC likes his PBR, and I like it for cooking, because it does have a stronger flavor than a light beer.

Anyway, I covered the dish and back in the microwave it went. At this point, I used only 10% power, because I started way too early and FC wasn't due home for a few hours yet. (I think you would only need to heat it until the beer boils and then let it stand until the dogs rehydrate.) Anyway, I kept it at 10% power until about a half hour before he got home, and then removed it and let it sit at room temperature until we ate.

OMGosh!! There was actual beer flavor in there! Even FC said "I think they taste pretty darn good" which is huge- since his most flattering compliment usually comes in some form of "These aren't too bad". These weren't only "not bad"- they were good- and "pretty darn good" at that! Success!

Aunt Deannie's Macaroni Salad

2011-06-30T06:25:00.005-04:00

modifications for lower carbs shown in red

10 ounces frozen mixed vegetables -- cooked and drained

1 cup shell pasta -- cooked and drained
(I used Dreamfield's elbows)

1 cup sliced celery

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

15 ounces canned red kidney beans -- drained and rinsed
(I used black soybeans)

3/4 cup sugar
(I used 1/3 cup DiabetiSweet and 8 drops liquid Splenda from the 1/2 ounce bottle)

1 Tablespoon flour
(I used 1 teaspoon ThickenThin not/Starch*)

2 teaspoons prepared mustard

1/2 cup vinegar

salt and pepper -- to taste

2 Tablespoons butter

Combine first six ingredients in a covered 2-quart bowl.

Cook sugar, flour, mustard, vinegar and salt & pepper until thickened.

Remove from heat; stir in butter.

Pour over macaroni and vegetables. Toss to coat.

Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight before serving.

Per Serving (before modifications): 230 Calories; 4g Fat (13.5% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 45g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 8mg Cholesterol; 258mg Sodium.

Per Serving (using lower-carb modifications): 229 Calories; 6g Fat (25.3% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 32g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 10g "protected carbs" from Dreamfields pasta ; 10g Sugar Alcohols; 8mg Cholesterol; 88mg Sodium.

*I'm not absolutely convinced that a thickener is necessary- and Expert Foods went out of business so it's getting difficult (if not impossible) to find the ThickenThin anymore. Dixie Diner has a similar product, available at Netrition, which I have not tried yet.

Posh Squash

2011-04-16T11:23:00.008-04:00

This recipe is the only reason I'm even trying to grow yellow squashes in my garden this year. I have six little squash sprouts from the eight seeds I planted. I found the recipe last summer on helium.com and tried it, and made it a few times. That just doesn't happen with me. I'm not a squash-lover. (Well, I guess I am now.) This is just an amazing combination that really hits the spot.

2 pounds yellow squash, crookneck (see Notes, below)

2 eggs

1 cup mayonnaise

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1/4 teaspoon thyme

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tablespoon butter

salt and pepper, to taste

Cut off stem and blossom ends of the squash. Scrub but do not peel the squash. Cut into 1/2" slices.

Put squash into a small amount of boiling water. Use the salt and pepper to season to taste. Boil the squash until tender then drain and set aside. (see Notes, below)

Beat eggs, blend in the mayonnaise, onion, green pepper and thyme. Stir in the well-drained squash and season to taste if salt and pepper need to be added.

Spoon into 2 1/2 quart casserole, sprinkle with the Paremasan Cheese and dot with butter.

Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. It is done when it is puffed up and brown.

Per serving (based on 8 servings): 291 Calories; 29g Fat (83.3% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 72mg Cholesterol; 331mg Sodium

Notes:

I used 3 big(ger) squashes- sliced from neck down until I started seeing seeds. Then halved them lengthwise, scraped out seeds w/ a spoon, then cut lengthwise again. Continued slicing these lengthwise quarters about the same thickness as the neck.

Also steamed, rather than boiled, the slices.

Comfort Food

2011-03-19T13:16:00.004-04:00

.
I'm feeling lousy- and in need of comfort food. Though this is lower in carbs than it would be using canned soup and regular bread, it is just as good. So I just finished my tomato soup and grilled cheese lunch, topped it off with a couple of cold pills, and am about to pop a cough drop and go lie down in front of the TV (Animal Planet).

* Exported from MasterCook *

Tomato Soup

Recipe By : LCF Recipe Room
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
8 ounces tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 Tablespoons heavy cream -- more if desired
1 drop liquid Splenda
salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup.

Microwave on HIGH for a minute at a time, stirring after each minute, until hot.

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Per Serving : 171 Calories; 11g Fat (55.3% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 41mg Cholesterol; 1387mg Sodium.

I made a grilled cheese with 2 slices of "HealthyLife" LC bread (from Kroger). Yeah! It hit the spot!

Another Cole Slaw

2011-01-13T18:51:00.003-05:00

So, I tried a new cole slaw dressing recipe tonight. It was posted as "Almost Marzetti's Slaw Dressing" and OMG, is it GOOD!! I did mine just a little differently, but I can't get over how good this was- for something that took about a minute to put together. If you're interested in the original posted version of this recipe, just click the link above. Here is how I did it:

1 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
8 drops liquid Splenda- from the .5-ounce bottle

2 pounds cabbage, shredded

Combine dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well.

Stir in cabbage, tossing until all is well-coated with dressing.

Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving.

Per Serving (based on 8 servings): 228 Calories; 24g Fat (86.2% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 10mg Cholesterol; 200mg Sodium.
.

Vegetable Dip

2010-11-21T18:57:00.007-05:00

So, I'm supposed to bring the relish tray as my contribution to Thanksgiving dinner. (When I make a relish tray, I use raw vegetables, as well as the traditional pickles, olives, pickled peppers, etc.) This is a dip recipe that I have made many times over the years, and it always goes over well. I will make this to accompany my veggies. It's from a 1985 cookbook, put out by the Dayton Philharmonic Women's Association, called Mud Pies and Silver Spoons. Never made a bad recipe out of that book. Some copies are still available- at Amazon and other sites.

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon dried salad herbs (I use Mrs. Dash)

1 Tablespoon grated onion

1 Tablespoon chives, or parsley

1/8 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup sour cream

Combine all ingredients thoroughly in a small bowl.

Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Serve with assorted raw vegetables.

ETA- Now I'm thinking about adding some Magic Penguins to my relish tray- I don't think my family has experienced them yet.

This idiot is still stealing images off the 'net...

2010-11-09T06:41:00.029-05:00

Spencer Institute: Food Addiction
scroll down about 1/3 of the page

kk.con version

Whole Foods: Chicken Broccoli StirFry

kk.con version

sheknows: Thanksgiving Turkey Gravy

kk.con version

Restaurant Hospitality: Blueberry Stuffed French Toast

kk.con version

verybestbaking: Lite 'n Easy Crustless Pumpkin Pie

kk.con version

amazon.com: freezer pop molds

kk.con version

skinnytaste: Fruit Kabobs

kk.con version

Life's Ambrosia: Triple Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

kk.con version

Let's Get Twisted: Margarita

kk.con version

Thom LaRussa Photography: Stuffed Poblano Peppers

kk.con version

my.hearthealthyonline: Chocolate Ricotta Mousse

kk.con version

ColoradoMoms: EASY Taco Salad

kk.con version

CuisineOnline: Egg Drop Soup

kk.con version

Friends Eat: Diet Rice Pudding

kk.con version

SouthernLiving: Limeade

kk.con version

(I didn't find this one myself;

it was pointed out to me by jo2621)

For the Love of Cooking: Green Chile Chicken
kk.con version

Tagoror.com: Pizza
kk.con version

skinnytaste: Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps
kk.con version

iFood: Waffles!
kk.con version

Pumpkin and Sausage Soup

2010-11-08T05:49:00.000-05:00

Normally attributed to PhoebeHerself on the LCF bulletin boards, however she picked it up from another board and doesn't remember the original author. This is an awesome soup that doesn't taste anything like you would expect. I use Bob Evans' Zesty Hot sausage- and I usually make a double batch. I have tweaked this recipe a little bit for my own use. For example, I use canned mushrooms, in the liquid, and run them through the blender first. I use water and bouillon cubes instead of chicken broth. And I use CarolynF's low carb milk instead of half-and-half and water. You can find the original recipe here.

15 ounces canned pumpkin

4 cups boiling water

4 chicken bouillon cubes

1/2 cup onion -- minced

1/2 cup mushrooms -- finely chopped

1 cup LC milk

1 clove garlic -- minced

1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning

1/2 pound sausage -- spicy

Combine water and bouillon cubes. Stir to dissolve and set aside.

Brown sausage, drain, and then add the onion, garlic and herbs.

When the sausage is browned, stir in the pumpkin and mushrooms.

Stir in the broth and mix well.

Simmer 20-30 minutes.

Stir in the milk and simmer on low another 10-15 min.

Taste and add salt/pepper as needed.

8 servings.

Per Serving : 163 Calories; 13g Fat (71.4% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 24mg Cholesterol; 590mg Sodium.

Savory Swiss Cabbage Loaf

2010-11-04T18:35:00.000-04:00

3 pounds green cabbage

3 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 dash diced yellow onion

salt and pepper, to taste

3 eggs

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded

1 Tablespoon caraway seeds, crushed

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a standard 5 x 9 x 3-inch loaf pan. Wash, dry, and quarter the cabbage. Slice the cabbage into 1/4-inch strips.

Heat the butter and oil in a large sauté pan. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until the onion is slightly translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the cabbage and stir well to coat the contents of the pan with the butter and oil. Cover the pan and simmer until the cabbage is wilted and has released its liquid. Remove the cover and cook over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes to evaporate the moisture from the pan. Remove the cabbage from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs and cream together. To the cabbage, add the Swiss cheese, caraway seeds and egg mixture.

Place the cabbage mixture into the buttered loaf pan. Place the loaf on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. The loaf should be fairly firm to the touch and golden brown on top. Let stand for 20 minutes before slicing.

Per Serving (based on 8 servings): 299 Calories; 23g Fat (68.3% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 138mg Cholesterol; 180mg Sodium.

Pretty tasty, lowcarb and suitable for Atkins induction. Original version can be found here.

Roasted Cauliflower and Almond Cream Soup

2010-11-01T10:30:00.000-04:00

Minimal tweaks to this recipe from the official Atkins website- but I do use frozen cauliflower, and bouillon instead of broth. Buy 3 10-ounce packages or 2 16-ounce packages of cauliflower. The difference isn't critical.

30 ounces frozen cauliflower

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium onion -- chopped

5 cups boiling water

5 chicken bouillon cubes

8 ounces slivered almonds -- toasted, divided

1 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 450F.

Toss cauliflower with oil, salt and pepper. Arrange on a baking sheet and roast 35 to 40 minutes, until browned, turning once during cooking time. Remove cauliflower from oven and set aside.

Heat butter in a large pot with lid over medium heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes, until translucent.

Add boiling water, bouillon cubes, 1 3/4 cups toasted almonds (reserve 1/4 cup for garnish) and roasted cauliflower. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20 minutes.

In a food processor or blender, puree soup in batches until smooth (texture will remain a bit grainy). Return pureed soup to pot over low heat.

Stir in cream and cook just to heat through.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with reserved toasted almonds.

Per Serving : 362 Calories; 33g Fat (77.1% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 49mg Cholesterol; 509mg Sodium.

Chili Cheese Brunch Casserole

2010-10-31T06:55:00.008-04:00

12 eggs

1 pound monterey jack cheese -- shredded

1 pound colby cheese -- shredded

27 ounces chopped green chiles

16 ounces sour cream

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix all ingredients and pour into 13 x 9" pan.

Bake for 1 hour.

Store leftovers tightly covered in refrigerator; leftovers reheat well in microwave.

Per Serving : 348 Calories; 27g Fat (70.6% calories from fat); 20g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 224mg Cholesterol; 394mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 4 Fat.

A little something from Christin:

2010-10-30T06:32:00.004-04:00

.

Strangely enough, the defense decided that it would be beneficial for their case to put Heidi back on the stand. And as John stated... it was disastrous. She perjured herself on so many counts, I lost track. I think that probably the most telling... and final quote of her defense testimony... summarizes everything perfectly. She had stated previously that she did not know that you could buy stock photos online, and so that is why she had taken the photos from the Russian Bride sites..

The judge asked for clarification... he asked if she had known that she could have bought the photos is that what she is stating she would have done?

"Yes."

"Yes, you would have bought which photos?"

"The before and after photos, I would have bought them."
[instead of taking them from the Russian Bride sites]

The expression on the judge's face.... PRICELESS

(originally posted here)

2010-10-29T20:47:00.002-04:00

To all Ducks

Today, October 29, 2010, Judge Rick Brown of the Riverside County Superior Court entered a verdict for the plaintiffs in a certified national class action lawsuit. The court entered a verdict against Heidi Diaz the owner of the diet website Kimkins.com for fraud and false advertising. The court awarded the class members restitution in the amount of $1,824,210.39. The court also awarded an additional $500,000 in punitive damages as well as attorney fees. The court then issued a temporary restraining order to freeze all of the assets of Ms. Diaz.
Most notably, the court also imposed an injunction requiring Heidi Diaz to post on all of her websites that: (1) she lied about her weight loss; (2) she lied about her after diet pictures; (3) she lied about testimonials on her website; and (4) she lied about the photographs used with the testimonials to promote the Kimkins website.
An injunction was also issued to prevent Heidi Diaz from contracting, harassing or cyberbulling the plaintiffs and the witnesses. A formal judgment will be entered before November 19, 2010.
The original complaint was filed over three years ago on October 15, 2007. I want to thank everyone who supported the class action lawsuit. The Ducks were wonderful. I met a lot of great people and made a lot of new friends fighting for a good cause. Heidi Diaz lied on her website and made the fatal mistake of lying in the courtroom. You cannot trust Heidi Diaz. I anticipate more legal (illegal) maneuvering by Heidi Diaz to evade the judgment. We will be prepared and I will be relentless. Again, I thank all you.

John E. Tiedt

TIEDT & HURD

Verdict is in

2010-10-29T16:47:00.001-04:00

KIMMER
IS
GUILTY!

$1,800,000 worth

(more details as they become available)
.

Cranberry Surprise Pie

2010-10-10T11:37:00.006-04:00

Another oldie but goodie from CarolynF-

although slightly modified.

You can find the original here.

2 cups cranberries
1/2 cup sliced almonds

liquid Splenda equivalent to 1 1/2 cups sugar -- divided

1 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup sugar-free syrup -- almond flavor
2 eggs
3/4 cup butter -- melted
3/4 cup Carbalose flour

Preheat the oven to 325F. Grease a 10-inch pie plate; set aside.

Wash the cranberries. Combine cranberries with the almonds in a small bowl. Sprinkle with liquid Splenda equivalent to 1/2 cup sugar. Toss lightly, but thoroughly, to ensure Splenda is evenly distributed among nuts and berries. Turn berries into prepared pie plate.

Combine remaining ingredients in blender container. Blend for 30 seconds; stop blender, scrape down sides and blend 30 more seconds. The batter will be thin. Pour over the cranberries.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a tester inserted near the center of the crust comes out clean. Let cool slightly before serving warm, or serve completely cooled, with a dollop of whipped cream on each slice.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (based on 8 servings): 262 Calories; 24g Fat (77.6% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 93mg Cholesterol; 231mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 4 1/2 Fat.

Baby talk and a sweatshirt conversion

2010-03-26T05:27:00.011-04:00

I am a regular reader of the forums at sewforum. I am an avid crafter and always looking for anything new in the world of crafting. They have forums over there for sewing, knitting, crochet, scrapbooking, embroidery, etc. One of my favorite forums is the one where people go in and post their own machine embroidery designs- the ones that they digitize themselves and then put out there to share with the rest of us. Last night I was cruising around sewforum, and I saw a post about a cowpidder. I just had to find out what this cowpidder was all about:

Hello all! It's been a while since I have contributed to the forum. I don't get the opportunity to post most of the designs I create. I recently had a client that ordered a baby blanket with the child's name and a caterpillar. I test stitch several designs that I already had and none really made me happy so I decided to create my own.

I nicknamed him "cowpidder" because that's how my boys (3 & 5 years old) pronounce it and I think it's sweet. I'll probably never pronounce it properly again!

I hope someone can find a use for him. He stitches out very nicely. See the picture of him that will be the front of the baby blanket. I'll post a picture of the final product when I'm finished.

Happy Spring all my talented and generous friends!!!

Dollye

Is that the most precious thing or what??? Reminded me of when my daughter was small- I used to always say "excuse me" whenever I burped her. I mean, from birth, that child heard "excuse me" after every single burp, so she knew that was what you say. Well, the word "excuse" had lots of sounds going on that a small child isn't able to make yet, so when she started talking, the phrase came out "meef me". I had heard other little ones saying "cooze me" but "meef me" was a new one! For the longest time, my best friend (her primary sitter) and I were saying "meef me" just because it ended up sounding right to us!

The other one that sticks in my mind was "piggers". Those are the things we use for typing, pointing, picking up small objects, etc. I didn't know what "piggers" were for a while, but one day I told her to go wash her hands, and she said "Why? Are my piggers dirty?" LOL I finally got it!

~*~*~*~*~*~

I finished this sweatshirt about a month ago. It was easy to do- just took it apart, covered the pieces with fabric strips and sewed it back together again. I didn't have instructions or a pattern or anything- just winged it. This was my first attempt and I learned a lot. I am working on another one right now- and I hope it comes out much better.

These are close-ups of the embroideries that are incorporated into the jacket:

Three Cheese Chicken Bake

2010-03-22T06:55:00.003-04:00

My mom made this for Christmas 2008. Actually, I made it from her recipe. It was easy to make and easy to convert to lowcarb. It's also really good!

* Exported from MasterCook *

Three Cheese Chicken Bake

8 ounces Dreamfields Pasta -- lasagna
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
3 Tablespoons butter
1 can cream of chicken and mushroom soup
6 ounces canned mushrooms -- drained
8 ounces canned chili peppers -- chopped
1/2 cup lc milk
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
2 cups cooked chicken
2 cups cheddar cheese -- grated
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook lasagna according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Cook onions and green pepper in butter until tender.

Stir in soup, mushrooms, chilies, lc milk and basil.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Layer half the lasagna in a 13 x 9" baking dish.

Top with half the sauce, half the cottage cheese, half the chicken, and half the cheeses.

Repeat layers except for the cheddar and Parmesan. Set cheeses aside to use later.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Top with reserved cheeses and bake 2 minutes longer.

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Per Serving (based on 6 servings): 565 Calories; 28g Fat (43.6% calories from fat); 42g Protein; 40g Carbohydrate; 29g Dietary Fiber; 113mg Cholesterol; 1677mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 5 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 3 Fat.
.

Authentic German Pasta Salad

2010-03-16T05:12:00.005-04:00

This recipe was translated and converted to American measurements and given to me many many years ago by a German woman down the street. I used to babysit for her, and she taught me to crochet. Ahhh memories......

* Exported from MasterCook *

Noodle Paprika Salad

3 Tablespoons Bruce's Ketchup*
4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
4 Tablespoons wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
white pepper -- to taste
liquid Splenda -- 1 drop

4 ounces Dreamfields Pasta -- rotini
4 ounces ham -- diced
1 red bell pepper -- diced
1 green bell pepper -- diced
1 red onion -- sliced into rings

Combine first six ingredients in a small bowl.
Mix well with a wire whisk.
Set aside.

Cook pasta as package directs.
Rinse with cold water.
Drain thoroughly.

Combine pasta with ham and vegetables.

Pour dressing over and toss to combine.

Refrigerate overnight before serving.

Per Serving (based on six servings): 204 Calories; 12g Fat (48.5% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 21g Carbohydrate; 14g Dietary Fiber; 11mg Cholesterol; 678mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

*Of course, the original called for regular grocery-store ketchup, but that has too much sugar for lowcarbers. I use Bruce's ketchup, because I'm not a ketchup snob. It's not Heinz, but it's passable as ketchup, especially for use in recipes. You can use commercial sugarfree ketchup if you like.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Bruce's Ketchup

6 ounces tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
liquid Splenda -- 1 or 2 drops

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

Refrigerate for several hours before using.

Per Serving (based on a two-tablespoon serving): 12 Calories; trace Fat (4.7% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 290mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Bacon Ranch Chicken Breasts

2010-03-15T06:58:00.000-04:00

* Exported from MasterCook *

Bacon Ranch Chicken Breasts

8 ounces bacon
4 chicken breast halves without skin
1 can cream of chicken and mushroom soup
1/4 cup liquid (water, chicken broth, lc milk, etc.)
1 packet ranch-style dressing mix

Cut bacon slices into squares. Cook until very crisp. Remove from pan to paper towels to drain. Set aside.

While bacon is cooking, pound chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap to a uniform thickness.

In hot bacon grease, brown chicken on both sides. Cook through.

Remove chicken to a baking dish large enough to hold pieces in a single layer.
Preheat oven to 350F.

In a small bowl, combine soup, salad dressing mix, liquid of choice and bacon pieces. Stir to combine.

Pour evenly over chicken in baking dish.

Bake, covered, for one hour, or until sauce is bubbly and chicken is fork-tender.

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Per Serving (based on 4 servings): 518 Calories; 34g Fat (59.2% calories from fat); 47g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 124mg Cholesterol; 1637mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 6 Lean Meat; 4 Fat.

A Few Mac-n-Cheese Recipes

2010-03-14T07:59:00.008-04:00

First, a disclaimer: When I put Dreamfields pasta into MasterCook, I had to figure out where to put the "protected" carbs, the ones that we don't digest. Well, they ended up in the fiber category. So when these recipes claim to have some ginormous amount of fiber, it's mostly the "protected" carbs in the pasta.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Patti LaBelle's Macaroni and Cheese
(this is the one I'm making today)

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
13 1/4 ounces Dreamfields Pasta -- elbows
1/2 cup butter -- melted
1/2 cup muenster cheese -- shredded
1/2 cup cheddar cheese -- mild, shredded
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese -- shredded
1/2 cup Monterey jack cheese -- shredded
2 cups lc milk
1/2 pound Velveeta -- cubed
2 eggs -- lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350F; lightly butter a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish; set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, add the oil then the elbow macaroni and cook until macaroni is just tender (about 7 minutes). Do not overcook. Drain well and return to the pot.

Stir melted butter into the macaroni.

In a large bowl, mix the Muenster, mild and sharp Cheddar cheeses and the Monterey Jack cheese.

To the macaroni, add milk, shredded cheeses, Velveeta and eggs. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer to the buttered casserole.

Bake until bubbling around the edges, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.

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Per Serving (based on 8 servings): 575 Calories; 37g Fat (55.9% calories from fat); 24g Protein; 42g Carbohydrate; 31g Dietary Fiber; 157mg Cholesterol; 1143mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 5 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

* Exported from MasterCook *

Ronald Reagan's Favorite Macaroni & Cheese
(this is my favorite of the three)

1/2 pound Dreamfields Pasta -- elbows
1 tablespoon butter -- melted
1 egg -- beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 cup lc milk
3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, divided -- grated

Boil macaroni and drain thoroughly.

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a casserole dish and set aside.

Return macaroni to pan and stir in butter and egg.

Mix salt and mustard with 1 Tablespoon hot water. Add to milk. Set aside.

Add cheese to macaroni, reserving 1 cup to sprinkle on top.

Pour macaroni mixture into prepared dish; pour milk over and sprinkle with reserved cheese.

Bake for about 45 minutes or until custard is set and top is crusty.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (based on 6 servings): 407 Calories; 24g Fat (51.6% calories from fat); 20g Protein; 30g Carbohydrate; 25g Dietary Fiber; 106mg Cholesterol; 768mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 3 Fat.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

* Exported from MasterCook *

Stovetop Macaroni & Cheese
(good for when the oven is otherwise occupied-
this is better than mac & cheese from a box,
but I prefer the baked kind)

8 ounces Dreamfields Pasta
2 teaspoons salt -- divided
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups LC milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard -- dissolved in 1 tsp water
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
salt and pepper -- to taste
4 Tablespoons butter
12 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

Bring two quarts water to a boil in a large pot for the macaroni.

Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the macaroni and cook until almost tender but still a little firm to the bite.

Meanwhile, mix together the eggs, half of the LC milk, the mustard mixture, Tabasco, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Set the pot over low heat and stir in the butter until melted.

Stir in the egg mixture and half of the cheddar.

Continue to cook over low heat, gradually stirring the remaining milk and cheddar, until the mixture is hot and creamy, about five minutes.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Source:
"The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (based on 6 servings): 480 Calories; 31g Fat (57.4% calories from fat); 22g Protein; 31g Carbohydrate; 25g Dietary Fiber; 160mg Cholesterol; 1209mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 4 Fat.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

New Icing on Pumpkin Bars

2009-09-30T21:41:00.005-04:00

.
So, ever since I found out about the pumpkin shortage, that's what I've been craving. We just finished up a pan of Jody's Pumpkin Bake a couple days ago, and I made Pumpkin Bars tonight. I changed up the icing a little bit, but man, is it good!!

I used an 8-ounce package of cream cheese, but instead of using a half stick of butter, I used just two Tablespoons and added two Tablespoons of vegetable glycerin. Beat that all together, and added about 1/2 cup sugar equivalent of liquid Splenda and a couple tablespoons of vanilla DaVinci syrup. When that was thoroughly blended, I beat in about 2 cups of sifted powdered erythritol. It tastes like it has a bunch of carbs in it!!

Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-09-12T05:18:00.010-04:00

.

So, FatCat wanted some "crispy" chocolate chip cookies. He said "People always brag about their soft chocolate chip cookies, and that's not what I want. I like them crispy!" Well, I set out to make a lowcarb version of some sort of chocolate chip cookies that would bake up crispy, and I succeeded! I started with the original Toll House cookie recipe, and with a very few tweaks, was able to come up with the cookie he sought. These are a nice size, about 3" in diameter. Go grab a glass of LC milk!!

2 1/4 cups KevinPA's LC Cake and Cookie Flour Mix
1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup Diabetisweet, white
2/3 cup Diabetisweet brown
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups sugar-free chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

Combine KevinPA's LC Cake and Cookie Flour Mix and baking soda in a small bowl.

Beat butter, white and brown 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 by hand.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 12 to 13 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool on cookie sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Per cookie: 88 Calories; 7g Fat (62.2% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 4g Sugar Alcohols from Isomalt; 14mg Cholesterol; 61mg Sodium.

I used a 1-Tablespoon cookie scoop, and even with my tweaks (less sugar, no nuts) I still got more cookies from this recipe than the original recipe says I will get. I ended up with 69 cookies; original recipe says 60. I was expecting about 50. Also, I used insulated cookie sheets; if yours aren't insulated, baking time may vary (start checking at 10 minutes or so).

2009-09-05T10:07:00.003-04:00

Go Buckeyes!!

Buckeye Pie

2009-09-05T06:00:00.001-04:00

.
1 1/2 cups KevinPA's LC Cake and Cookie Flour Mix
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 Tablespoon sugar-free vanilla pudding and pie filling, dry powder
liquid Splenda to taste

2 2/3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 Tablespoons ThickenThin not/Starch
2/3 cup erythritol, powdered

1 1/3 cups LC milk
1 package sugar-free chocolate pudding mix

~*~

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine flour, nuts and butter. Press into 10" square pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool completely.

Beat heavy cream with vanilla pudding powder and liquid Splenda to taste, just until stiff peaks form. Do NOT over-beat; it will turn into butter. Refrigerate until needed.

Beat cream cheese with peanut butter until blended. Sprinkle with not/Starch and continue beating until well-incorporated. Add erythritol and beat until combined. Add half the whipped cream and continue beating until mixture is well-blended and light. Spread evenly over cooled crust.

In a small bowl, combine milk and pudding mix. Beat at low speed for 2 minutes, until pudding gets thick. Spread evenly over peanut butter layer.

Refrigerate until serving time.

Just before serving, spread the remaining whipped cream over the chocolate layer.

Cut into squares to serve.

Per Serving (based on 12 servings): 346 Calories; 31g Fat (68.7% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 23g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 10g Sugar Alcohols from erythritol; 68mg Cholesterol; 260mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 5 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
.

Blueberry Crumble Squares

2009-08-31T06:05:00.008-04:00

1/2 cup Diabetisweet
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 3/4 cups KevinPA's LC Cake and Cookie Flour Mix
1 stick butter
1 small egg*
2 cups frozen blueberries
4 packets Truvia
1/4 cup Splenda granular
2 teaspoons ThickenThin not/Starch

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease an 8" square pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together Diabetisweet, flour mix and baking powder. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into prepared pan.

In another bowl, stir together the Truvia, Splenda and not/Starch. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Per Serving (based on 9 servings): 209 Calories; 13g Fat (47.1% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 12g Sugar Alcohols from isomalt; 2g Sugar Alcohols from erythritol; 51mg Cholesterol; 202mg Sodium.

*If using extra large or jumbo egg, mixture will not be crumbly. After taking half the mixture to make the crust, place the remainder in the freezer while preparing the berry layer. Once chilled, you will be able to crumble the mix over the berries using clean fingers.

Pizza Soup

2009-08-26T05:55:00.011-04:00

4 cups water

4 beef bouillon cubes

1 pound Italian sausage, browned, drained and crumbled*

1/2 pound pepperoni, thinly sliced*

15 ounces canned mushrooms, stems and pieces

14 1/2 ounces canned tomatoes, small dice

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 onion, diced

2 teaspoons oregano

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

13 1/4 oz. Dreamfields pasta, optional (I used Rotini)

Heat water to boiling; stir in bouillon cubes to dissolve.

Place the prepared sausage and bouillon in crockpot.

Stir in remaining ingredients, except the cheeses and pasta.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Before serving, cook pasta (if using) according to package directions; drain and stir into soup.

Top individual servings with reserved cheeses.

*I like to put the pepperoni in with the sausage when I'm browning it; it helps to de-grease it somewhat.

Per Serving (based on 8 servings): 433 Calories; 35g Fat (72.4% calories from fat); 20g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 80mg Cholesterol; 1711mg Sodium

Per Serving (based on 12 servings): 289 Calories; 23g Fat (72.4% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 54mg Cholesterol; 1141mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 3 1/2 Fat.

Per Serving with pasta (based on 12 servings): 395 Calories; 24g Fat (53.1% calories from fat); 17g Protein; 30g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 15g Dreamfields "Protected Carbs"; 54mg Cholesterol; 1141mg Sodium.

Raspberry Vinaigrette

2009-08-24T05:53:00.011-04:00

Perfect on a salad of romaine, spinach, grilled chicken breast, feta cheese, walnuts and maybe a sprinking of dried cranberries. I really like the flavor of this dressing; the seeds- not so much. I also added a tablespoon of lecithin to the blender with the raspberries. I don't know if it would have separated without the lecithin, but it's been 18 hours or so since I made it, and it hasn't separated at all. Although I like this recipe, I will still be searching and experimenting- there might be a way to replace the raspberries and the honey in this recipe with sugar-free seedless jam (would have to sacrifice fresh berries- and therefore much of the flavor, I'm afraid), or just puree the raspberries before putting the dressing together, and run them through a food mill (a lot of messing-around for just a few servings of salad dressing). Oh well, I have a starting point...

1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons sugar-free honey
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup fresh raspberries

Combine all ingredients except raspberries in blender and process briefly to blend.

Add berries and blend until pureed.

Taste and correct seasonings. (This is going to take a lot more salt than you would expect!)

Per Serving (based on 10 servings): 111 Calories; 11g Fat (84.1% calories from fat); trace Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 3g Sugar Alcohol, 0mg Cholesterol; 19mg Sodium

Milk by CarolynF

2009-08-23T06:58:00.000-04:00

I love, love, love CarolynF's recipes!! Soooo when I was craving a Big Train Blended Iced Mocha, I decided to try her "milk" recipe. The Big Train package suggests that you mix the powder with 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup half-and-half and ice. I have always used the Carb Countdown (later known as Calorie Countdown) dairy beverage in place of the liquids. This is no longer available in my area. I happen to have a very good memory, so I searched the bulletin boards at LCF because I knew CarolynF had posted a milk recipe there some time ago. (Yeah, that post went up on 4/10/08- how's that for memory?) I found it, bought the ingredients and tried it.

1/2 cup heavy cream (add more or less, as desired)
4 cups bottled water
1/3 cup Nido powdered whole milk*
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 drops liquid Splenda

Combine all ingredients in bottle with tight-fitting lid. (I mixed it in an empty half-gallon plastic milk jug that I cleaned and saved when the kids were here this summer.)

Shake until thoroughly blended.

Store in refrigerator for several hours or overnight until well-chilled.

I have to agree with a lot of the reviews over there- this is better than the Hood's product!! And less than half the fat, calories and carbs of half-and-half. I'm not a milk drinker (never have been) so I can't say whether it's as good straight out of the fridge as it is in the blended drink, but others on the boards have given it a thumbs-up as a milk substitute. I used it in my pancakes (again, a recipe from CarolynF) this morning and it was perfect in that recipe as well. It is rich and creamy- possibly rich enough to cut the heavy cream in half. That is what I plan to do for the next batch.

For the sake of comparison:

A cup of CarolynF's LC milk (using 1/2 cup heavy cream): 136 Calories; 12g Fat (79.1% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 45mg Cholesterol; 161mg Sodium

A cup of CarolynF's LC milk (using 1/4 cup heavy cream): 101 Calories; 8g Fat (71.3% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 30mg Cholesterol; 175mg Sodium

A cup of half-and-half: 315 Calories; 28g Fat (78.1% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 89mg Cholesterol; 98mg Sodium

*My container of Nido (a Nestlé product) says on the package "PRODUCT OF/ PRODUCTO DE MEXICO". I actually bought it ($5.69) at an Asian foods store, though. Some have reported finding it at Wal-Mart in the Hispanic foods section or the baby foods section. I live in Ohio, so we have Kroger, and I saw it there, in the Hispanic foods section, for $1 less than at the Asian store. That oughta teach me to comparison-shop.

Creamy Italian Salad Dressing

2009-08-22T12:07:00.007-04:00

I have been looking for this recipe FOREVER. I believe it was on a little hand-out card that we got in home-ec class way back when. I loved this dressing and it was super easy to make. Low carb is just a bonus!

1 c. mayonnaise
1/2 sm. onion
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Place all ingredients in blender.
Cover; blend until smooth.
Cover and chill thoroughly before serving.

Per Serving (based on 10 servings): 162 Calories; 19g Fat (97.0% calories from fat); trace Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 8mg Cholesterol; 179mg Sodium.
.

Some machine embroidery

2009-02-26T06:56:00.005-05:00

These are a couple throw pillows I made recently. I also have a deer that wasn't finished when I took these pictures. I will post that one tomorrow.

I'm back, kinda

2009-02-26T06:44:00.005-05:00

UGH, it's been forever.....

In case you don't know, my kids have been held in a foreign country, against my will, for the past 9 years. In September of last year, I finally had all my support lined up, and I decided that I would get them back. (They weren't in favor of this- they had only known the other culture since 1999. They are 13 and 11, and they were essentially babies when they were taken.) Anyway, it was a lot of work, a lot of tears and a sprinkling of good times. We went to court last week to seek full permanent custody, and the kids objected, so the magistrate ruled that they were to live with their father. He is 500+ miles away. At least they aren't allowed to leave the country, and the court in my town is holding their passports. I will get to see them more now than I did when they were out of the country, but certainly not as much as I'd like.

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

2008-04-30T06:19:00.000-04:00

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

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

2008-04-29T07:15:00.003-04:00

Sausage and Mushroom Quiche

2008-04-20T11:52:00.007-04:00

.
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.

Some crafty stuff......

2008-04-20T07:34:00.003-04:00

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....

2008-04-16T06:38:00.006-04:00

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

2008-03-30T13:03:00.012-04:00

.
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

2008-03-24T05:27:00.006-04:00

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-

2008-03-23T17:31:00.006-04:00

-to all my LCFs and ducks!

Easter Dinner

2008-03-23T16:13:00.007-04:00

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

2008-03-22T06:03:00.004-04:00

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

2008-03-12T17:07:00.002-04:00

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.

2008-03-09T15:01:00.003-04:00

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

2008-03-02T17:37:00.004-05:00

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

2008-03-01T05:38:00.002-05:00

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!

2008-02-26T05:35:00.000-05:00

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

2008-02-23T11:39:00.006-05:00

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!

CarolynF's Yummy Pancakes

2008-02-23T07:14:00.000-05:00

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!

2008-02-20T06:33:00.003-05:00

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

2008-02-18T04:54:00.007-05:00

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

2008-02-17T05:16:00.001-05:00

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

2008-02-16T07:53:00.007-05:00

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

2008-02-15T05:12:00.002-05:00

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!

2008-02-14T17:35:00.001-05:00

Super Easy, Super Fast Afghans

2008-02-14T05:52:00.000-05:00

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"

2008-02-13T05:23:00.003-05:00

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

2008-02-12T05:44:00.000-05:00

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

2008-02-10T09:32:00.001-05:00

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."

Cinnamon Flop

2008-02-08T05:43:00.001-05:00

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

2008-02-07T05:45:00.000-05:00

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.

2 pounds ground beef
2 onions -- chopped
1 green bell pepper -- chopped
4 cloves garlic -- minced
6 ounces tomato paste
14 ounces canned tomatoes -- small dice
30 ounces canned black soy beans -- drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chili powder -- hot or mild
12 fluid ounces Michelob Ultra -- or beef broth
1 teaspoon salt -- or to taste
liquid Splenda to taste -- I use one drop

Saute ground beef until no longer pink. Drain if necessary.

Add onion, bell pepper and garlic; continue cooking until veggies are soft, but not brown.

Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to boil.

Reduce heat and allow to simmer for at least one hour (if not serving right away), or cook in crockpot for 6 to 8 hours on low, or in oven for 8 to 10 hours at 175- 200F.

Per Serving (based on twelve servings): 357 Calories; 25g Fat (61.1% calories from fat); 21g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 64mg Cholesterol; 460mg Sodium.

Gas Price Watch

2008-02-06T19:37:00.000-05:00

I had to go out and buy gas tonight after work (our weather is about to go screwy; it was in the mid-40's after work, so I wanted to fill up before the high is in the mid-teens), but I forgot to check gas prices before I left. So I came home and checked the prices, and found out where I could afford to go. Then it occurred to me that maybe not everyone knows about Gas Price Watch. The site originated in my town, but covers much of the U.S. It's free to use and you don't have to log in, or even register, to take advantage of the info there. Just be sure to filter out all the old prices- I usually only look at the ones that have been updated in the past 4 hours.

Individual Spinach Quiches

2008-02-06T05:27:00.000-05:00

I can't remember where I got this recipe. Someone sent it to me; I want to say it was someone who was doing something other than Atkins (Protein Power? South Beach?). Anyway, if the person who sent it happens to be reading, please leave me a comment and let me give you credit.

10 ounces frozen chopped spinach -- thawed and drained
3 eggs
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese -- shredded
1/4 cup green onion -- thinly sliced
dash nutmeg
Tabasco sauce -- to taste

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan; set aside.

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well.

Divide mixture evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake for 20 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serve warm.

Per mini-quiche: 63 Calories; 4g Fat (62.7% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 63mg Cholesterol; 94mg Sodium.

Don't Forget to Add Carbs!!

2008-02-05T06:05:00.000-05:00

If you're following Atkins, you should be familiar with the Carbohydrate Ladder. This is a list of foods that you add after induction, and the order in which they are to be added. I have just posted nearly a month's worth of induction-friendly recipes, and now it's time to start climbing the Carbohydrate Ladder. Actually, 2 weeks ago was the time, but I personally feel that 3 weeks on induction is optimal, and 4 weeks won't do much damage. It is important, IMHO, not to stay on induction forever, or until you reach goal, which is the same as forever. If you don't add a single carb and don't change anything about your WOE from start to goal, your body will become accustomed to functioning on 20g carbs per day and whatever calories you have been feeding it. You will have a world of difficulty adding carbs without gaining, if you wait until you reach your goal. Trust me on this. Now, the tricky part of this is- you can't just add carbs on every rung of the ladder; you have to cut something out for every new thing you add in. During induction, it is not really necessary to pay much attention to calories, but once you start adding carbs, calories will count for more. The easiest thing to cut will be fat, but you still want to keep your fat consumption rather high (at least 60- 65%), so what is left is carbs and protein. Well, if the idea is to add carbs, you can't very well reduce them. (Yes, you read that right- you don't skip to the 5th rung and give up vegetables and replace them with vodka. Oh, unless you're doing the meat-and-martini diet.) You will be able to find somewhere to reduce your protein consumption, I'm sure. Just don't cut out all of your protein. You need some protein every day- preferably every meal and/or snack. It's good to split up your protein and carbs so you are not consuming the whole day's worth of either of them in a single sitting. Don't worry- you will probably not be protein-deficient, as Americans generally eat more protein than needed. And Americans on INDUCTION are almost surely eating more than required.

Carbohydrate ladder:

More salad and other vegetables on the acceptable foods list
Fresh cheeses (as well as more aged cheeses)
Seeds & nuts
Berries
Wine and other spirits low in carbs
Legumes
Fruit other than berries and melons
Starchy vegetables
Whole grains

Diet News: One Month Progress Report

2008-02-01T05:33:00.000-05:00

Yikes! I have been neglecting this blog! I have a friend who has a birthday on the 7th and I decided to make her an afghan in Ohio State colors. Started Wednesday, should finish tomorrow. I may post a picture of it- and a few of the others I have done. I made one for myself a couple years back, in deep jewel tones (hunter, burgundy, navy) and ivory, then I made this one in red, grey, white and black. Next one will be neutral- shades of beige, tan, ivory, cream. Just looking at the yarns, it reminds me of coffee with cream.

Anyway, on to the diet news. I entered a challenge back in October with some friends on the LCF Century Club. I am not a bulletin board person: I do not enjoy posting because I have to; I do not enjoy watching youtube videos just because someone is bored and can't figure out anything else to post; the whole BB challenge thing is just not me. Anyway, for the 2 months (October and November) that I participated, I lost a total of 18 pounds.

My plan at that time was to try and maintain through December. (If you have seen my blog entries for December, it was almost entirely holiday treat recipes, modified for lowcarb- and someone had to taste-test all those recipes!) I only weigh once a month, but when I weighed on December 1st and again on January 1st, there was no difference. OK, I beat that hurdle.

Now, on to January. My goal for this year is 7 pounds a month, give or take. I figure 10 pounds is a little too ambitious to keep up month after month after month, and 5 pounds isn't really a challenge at all, so I settled on 7 as a monthly goal. Today was my weigh-day, being the 1st and all, so I had to face the scale. Total loss for January= 8.5 pounds!! Yeay me!!!!! So this brings my total to 26.5 pounds since October 1st. I think that is awesome for a 3-month total. (I don't count December as I wasn't trying to lose, and I didn't.) And I didn't eat a single egg white that wasn't accompanied by its yolk, or a single chicken wing that wasn't deep fried (with its skin). I ate pork chops, salads with full-fat dressings, ribeye steaks, cheese, hamburgers, cheesecake, broccoli and cheese casserole, sausage, coconut custard, pizza, tons of veggies, both cooked and raw- DANG!! I ate a LOT!!

For no other reason

2008-01-29T18:09:00.000-05:00

than to help Squeakie annoy "the kimmer":

Yes, this does illustrate what we all know- that "Kimkins" is a dangerous diet- but untold numbers of blogs have already expounded on that. So for no reason other than petty annoyance, I post the new logo here. Nice work, Squeakie!

Main Dish Like Velveeta Rotel Dip

2008-01-28T05:24:00.000-05:00

1 1/2 pounds ground beef, lean
10 ounces canned tomatoes with green chiles -- Rotel brand
10 ounces cabbage -- sliced fine (angel hair)
8 ounces American cheese

Brown beef and drain.

Add tomatoes and cabbage.

Simmer until cabbage is tender, about 15 minutes.

Add cheese and mix well after cheese melts.

Per Serving (based on 6 servings): 460 Calories; 35g Fat (69.9% calories from fat); 29g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 121mg Cholesterol; 817mg Sodium.

Source:
cjack1 from Low Carb Friends

.

Whipped Cream 101

2008-01-27T04:53:00.002-05:00

1 cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons Splenda bulk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream for whipping should be at least 1 day old. It can be kept in the refrigerator in a sealed container for more than a week.

Before being whipped it should be very cold. In hot weather the bowl and beater should also be chilled. Using a well chilled bowl, or setting the bowl over ice, beat cream with an electric mixer or rotary egg beater. As cream begins to thicken, beat in sugar substitute and vanilla. Continue beating until stiff. If not to be served at once, place in refrigerator, where it may be kept 2-3 hours.

The yield from a cup of cream can be increased (with a very slight difference in texture) by adding 1 egg white to each cup of whipped and flavored cream. Beat the egg white until it holds soft peaks. Sprinkle in 1 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar substitute. Continue beating until very stiff. Fold into whipped cream.

To prepare whipped cream a day or two ahead of time-
Soften 1/2 teaspoon granulated gelatin (for each cup of cream to be whipped) in a small metal cup containing a tablespoon of cold water. Set cup in a pan of boiling water or over low heat, until gelatin dissolves and looks clear. Stirring is unneccessary. Beat dissolved gelatin into the cream just as cream begins to thicken. Gelatin will also give whipped cream extra firmness so it can be used for decorating with a pastry bag.

Flavoring whipped cream-

To each cup of whipped cream,

one of the following flavorings can be added:

2 Tbsp. sifted dark, unsweetened cocoa,

2-4 Tbsp. rum, cognac, or other liquor,

1 tsp. instant coffee powder.

Fold flavorings into cream AFTER it has been whipped.

Per Serving (based on 8 servings- not including any "extras"): 106 Calories; 11g Fat (92.6% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 41mg Cholesterol; 11mg Sodium.

How Bitchy Are You?

2008-01-26T05:32:00.000-05:00

You Are 100% Bitchy

Ouch, you've got a heart of steel, and you don't mind throwing out cutting insults or lethal advice to whomever paid you.

Those who know you well are contacting John Tiedt about you. And those who don't know you well are still potential victims!

How Bitchy Are You?

.

Jody's Pumpkin Bake

2008-01-25T05:05:00.000-05:00

CarolynF brought this recipe to LCF about six months ago. The recipe she posted was half of this one, and it claimed to be four servings. Those must have been some HUGE servings!! I get twelve good-size servings out of this recipe (which would be six servings of the original recipe). It's good for breakfast or dessert- and the non-low-carbers like it too (so no problems using up 12 servings in a few days!). CarolynF hasn't posted a recipe yet that I have made and not liked. (If you absolutely, positively must have pancakes- CarolynF has a perfect recipe for pancakes using Carbquik- which I will post later. I'm trying to stick to induction-friendly recipes for the month of January.)

16 ounces cream cheese, softened
10 eggs, room temperature
liquid Splenda equivalent to 1 cup sugar
30 ounces canned pumpkin, two 15-ounce cans
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 13 x 9 x 2" pan with non-stick spray; set aside.

Beat cream cheese until smooth.

Blend in remaining ingredients until well-mixed.

Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until center is firm (doesn't jiggle when you shake the pan).

Cool, then chill before serving.

Serves 12.

Per Serving: 220 Calories; 18g Fat (70.5% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 218mg Cholesterol; 174mg Sodium.

To make six servings in an 8" square pan, use:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
5 eggs, room temperature
liquid Splenda equivalent to 1/2 cup sugar
one 15-ounce can pumpkin
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Potato Ricer

2008-01-24T06:44:00.000-05:00

A potato ricer looks like a giant garlic press- with about a 3/4 cup capacity- as opposed to the approximately 1 Tablespoon capacity of the garlic press. The idea is to drop a cooked potato into the cup, and squeeze the handles, and the potato will be extruded through the holes in the plate on the bottom. (Mine has 2 plates- one has 1/16" holes; the other has 1/8" holes.) Then you can use the resulting potato bits to make hash browns, mashed potatoes, casseroles, etc.

I know, I know... lowcarbers have no use for a potato ricer, right? Wrong! I never had a potato ricer until I started lowcarbing. And I use it for only a couple of things- but I wouldn't be without it. There is no better way, (IMHO) to get frozen (thawed) chopped spinach drained and really squeezed dry, and canned tuna has never been easier to drain. Especially useful when you're trying to do a casserole that calls for 4 boxes of spinach- or 3 cans of tuna.

So if you have one of these things hanging around from your pre-lowcarb days, get it out, and try it for draining spinach and tuna, and anything else that needs to be squeezed dry before going into your recipe. It isn't just for potatoes anymore!

Spinach Souffle

2008-01-24T05:38:00.000-05:00

I usually make this in the crock-pot, but have done it in the oven when the crock-pots were otherwise occupied. I think at 300F it took about an hour, and at 350F it was ready in about 40 minutes. (It's done when it's hot and bubbly, and the top is just beginning to brown.)

2 pounds frozen chopped spinach -- thawed and drained
1/4 cup green onion -- chopped
8 ounces cream cheese -- softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 eggs -- beaten
1/4 tsp white pepper
dash nutmeg

Mix thawed and drained spinach together with onion.

Beat remaining ingredients and blend in spinach mixture.

Spoon mixture into a lightly buttered 3 1/2 quart crock-pot (or souffle dish to fit in a larger crock-pot) and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours.

Serves 8.

Per Serving: 273 Calories; 26g Fat (79.6% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 96mg Cholesterol; 308mg Sodium.

My New Hair Cut

2008-01-23T05:46:00.001-05:00

I'm going to try and post a picture of my hair later, but I'm not used to it yet, and I'm not happy with it most of the time. I have to re-learn how to use my flat iron (and remember how dang HOT that thing gets!) and figure out how to get the top to lay right. If you don't know what my hair looked like before, it was pretty straight, blunt cut, about down to my bra band. Now it's about chin length and a little flippy on the sides. Like I said, I'm not sure how to do the top yet. It's been a week, and the top has been hit-or-miss, and I'm not real sure what I'm doing differently on the "good hair days". For now, though, this should give you some idea of what I look like (especially when it's parted down the middle):

Baked Halibut

2008-01-22T05:34:00.000-05:00

This is the ONLY way we make halibut at home. Of course it isn't halibut season now, which must be why I'm craving it. I think we can get fresh halibut starting in April, or maybe May? I'm in the midwest- it's not like it's a local catch (dang it!). When it's in season, I can eat my weight in halibut- a halibut is a big-ass fish (a 10- to 15-year old female can tip the scale at around 600 lbs)! If you can find high-quality, flash-frozen, vacuum-packed fillets, this might be a good way to cook them, though I've only ever tried it with fresh fillets.

1 pound halibut fillets
salt and pepper -- to taste
paprika -- to taste
garlic powder -- to taste
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
2 lemons -- sliced
1 Tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 375F.

Sprinkle both sides of halibut with salt, pepper and paprika.

Place halibut in a buttered shallow baking dish and sprinkle with garlic and parsley.

Place slices of one lemon on fish and add water to about 2/3 of the depth of the fillets.

Bake uncovered 20-30 minutes until halibut is firm and flakes easily with a fork.

Remove from oven, discard lemon slices and water. Dot with butter. Place under broiler until just beginning to brown.

Garnish baked halibut with remaining lemon slices.

Per Serving (based on 4 servings): 157 Calories; 6g Fat (31.4% calories from fat); 24g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 44mg Cholesterol; 93mg Sodium.

The carb count showing is a little high, as it takes all the lemon into consideration. At most, you would probably use the juice of 1/4 of a single lemon (1.5g carbs) per serving of fish.

Quiche Lorraine

2008-01-21T05:17:00.000-05:00

I've been neglecting breakfast and I know it's the hardest meal for some people on induction. I think part of the reason for my neglect is that I don't eat breakfast foods, necessarily, for breakfast. A boiled egg with Baja sauce is enough for me in the morning, at least to get my vitamins and Celebrex down. If I need something more, some days I have a string cheese; other days it's a scoop of tuna salad. (Yep, in the morning.) Anything you can eat at any other time of the day, you can eat in the morning. My feeling is that because we are carb-addicted, we expect breakfast to be a sweet roll or cereal with sugar or pancakes (or waffles or French toast) with syrup, or any of the millions of other sugar-laden "breakfast foods" that we've been conditioned to eat in the morning. Even the low-carb "product" pushers are feeding us sweet meal replacements in the form of bars and shakes (and yes, there are low-carb pancakes, syrups and cereals as well). I posted a perfectly induction-friendly breakfast casserole recipe on Christmas Eve, but honestly, that's the last time I posted a "breakfast" recipe. It's also the last time I ate "breakfast food" in the AM. Quiche is a good breakfast; it's also a good light supper. This is a quiche that I have made many times. (It's better without crust, IMHO, because when I wasn't low-carbing, and I was making it in a pie shell, the crust would always be soggy by the 2nd day.) Anyway, give this a try- it is excellent fresh out of the oven, and just as good reheated as leftovers.

12 slices bacon -- cooked crisp and crumbled
1 cup Swiss cheese -- shredded
1/3 cup onion -- chopped
4 eggs
1 cup water
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 425F.

Sprinkle bacon, cheese and onion in buttered pie plate.

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

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.

Per Serving (based on 6 servings): 334 Calories; 29g Fat (79.3% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 224mg Cholesterol; 581mg Sodium.

At some point after induction, the water and cream can be replaced by two cups of Calorie Countdown 2%, for a savings of over 100 calories per serving:

Per Serving (based on 6 servings): 227 Calories; 16g Fat (66.1% calories from fat); 16g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 176mg Cholesterol; 618mg Sodium.

Sauce for Grilled Salmon

2008-01-20T04:56:00.000-05:00

2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon capers

Melt butter in small saucepan.

Add lemon juice and mustard.

Stir in cream, a little at a time, until of desired consistency.

Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until hot. Do NOT boil.

Stir in capers just before serving.

Per Serving (based on 4 servings): 157 Calories; 17g Fat (94.4% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 56mg Cholesterol; 123mg Sodium.

Cauliflower Salad

2008-01-19T05:36:00.000-05:00

1 head iceberg lettuce -- in bite size pieces
1 head cauliflower -- in bite size pieces
1 red onion -- thinly sliced
1 cup mayonnaise
1 packet sugar substitute -- Splenda
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 pound cooked bacon -- crumbled

Layer (in order) in serving bowl: lettuce, cauliflower, onion slices.

Spread mayonnaise over top of onion layer, making sure to completely "seal" vegetables in.

Sprinkle with sugar substitute, then parmesan cheese.

Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

Before serving, add bacon and toss lightly but thoroughly.

Per Serving (based on 8 servings): 584 Calories; 53g Fat (79.8% calories from fat); 22g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 62mg Cholesterol; 1188mg Sodium.

Deviled Eggs

2008-01-18T04:14:00.000-05:00

You can make a few, or you can make a bunch. I make 12 eggs at a time, but will include scaled-down ingredients for making just 3. These are very basic, very plain deviled eggs, which is the way I like them. You can add what you like, but this is a basic recipe to get you started:

12 eggs -- hard boiled, cooled and peeled
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
24 drops FiberFit liquid
salt and pepper -- to taste
paprika -- for garnish, if desired

Halve the eggs lengthwise. Remove yolks to medium mixing bowl. Put whites, cut-side up, in a single layer on a tray.

Add remaining ingredients to yolks and beat with electric mixer until smooth.

Using spoon or pastry bag, fill egg white halves with yolk mixture.

Sprinkle lightly with paprika, if desired.

Store in refrigerator.

Per Egg (2 halves): 142 Calories; 13g Fat (80.3% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 215mg Cholesterol; 153mg Sodium.

To make 3 eggs, use:

3 eggs -- hard boiled, cooled and peeled
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard
6 drops FiberFit liquid
salt and pepper -- to taste
paprika -- for garnish, if desired

Shrimp Seasoning

2008-01-17T05:35:00.000-05:00

Reminiscent of Outback Steakhouse.

1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
2 pounds raw shrimp

Stir dry ingredients together.

Sprinkle over raw shrimp. Grill or broil just until done.

Per Serving (based on 8 servings): 124 Calories; 2g Fat (14.7% calories from fat); 23g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 173mg Cholesterol; 168mg Sodium.

My Version Of Lisa's Broccoli Soup

2008-01-16T04:46:00.000-05:00

My version of a broccoli soup recipe, given to me by my LCF LisaRae.

2 cups boiling water
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 1/2 teaspoons ThickenThin not/Starch
10 ounces frozen chopped broccoli
1 stick butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
white pepper to taste

Add bouillon cubes to boiling water in a medium saucepan; stir to dissolve.

Add not/Starch to cold water, mix until smooth.

Combine not/Starch mixture with bouillon; bring to boil.

Add broccoli and cook for about 5 minutes, or until tender.

Using stick blender, blend soup right in the pan until only a few chunks of broccoli remain. Remove from heat.

Add butter and let it melt into the soup.

Add the cream and stir well.

Add white pepper to taste.

Makes 4 big servings.

Per Serving: 287 Calories; 29g Fat (88.4% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 83mg Cholesterol; 1009mg Sodium.

Spicy BBQ Chicken ~~CrockPot~~

2008-01-15T05:34:00.000-05:00

Way lower in carbs than a tomato-based BBQ sauce:

1 cup Frank's RedHot hot sauce
1 cup sugar free syrup -- pancake or maple
1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup butter -- melted

2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

Combine all ingredients except chicken and mix well.

Place half of chicken in single layer in bottom of crockpot; cover with half of sauce.

Repeat layers.

Cover and cook on LOW heat for 8 to 10 hours, or until chicken is tender.

Per Serving (based on 8 servings): 211 Calories; 8g Fat (33.7% calories from fat); 33g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 98mg Cholesterol; 903mg Sodium.

Tilapia Parmesan

2008-01-14T05:28:00.000-05:00

2 pounds tilapia fillets -- or orange roughy, cod or red snapper
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 Tablespoons butter -- room temperature
3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
3 Tablespoons green onion -- finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seafood seasoning
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
black pepper
1 dash hot pepper sauce

Preheat oven to 350F.

In buttered 13-by-9-inch baking dish or jellyroll pan, arrange fillets in single layer. Do not stack fillets. Brush fillets with lemon juice.

Bake fish in preheated oven 10 to 20 minutes or until fish just starts to flake.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine cheese, butter, mayonnaise, onions and seasonings. Mix well with fork.

Spread fillets with cheese mixture and bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Baking time will depend on the thickness of the fish you use. Watch fish closely so that it does not overcook.

Per Serving (based on 4 large servings): 388 Calories; 23g Fat (54.3% calories from fat); 43g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 136mg Cholesterol; 400mg Sodium.

Per Serving (based on 6 servings): 259 Calories; 16g Fat (54.3% calories from fat); 29g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 91mg Cholesterol; 267mg Sodium.

This fish can also be made in a broiler:

Broil 3 to 4 minutes or until almost done. Add cheese and broil another 2 to 3 minutes or until browned.

Baja Sauce

2008-01-13T05:51:00.000-05:00

This is the best doctored-up mayonnaise I've ever had!! It's excellent on boiled eggs, fajitas, taco salad (as a dressing) and just about anything else you can drizzle it over, or dip in it.

1 red bell pepper -- seeded and chopped
4 large jalapeno peppers
1 small onion -- quartered

1 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
dash garlic powder
dash ground cumin

Using a food processor, puree peppers and onion.

Mix 1 cup mayo and 1/4 cup of the vegetable puree in a bowl. (Freeze leftover puree in small containers for future batches.)

Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Chill for eight hours or overnight to blend flavors.

Per Tablespoon: 99 Calories; 12g Fat (98.4% calories from fat); trace Protein; trace Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 5mg Cholesterol; 78mg Sodium.

Cauliflower Casserole

2008-01-12T05:50:00.000-05:00

Think twice-baked potatoes!

2 pounds cauliflower -- fresh or frozen
8 slices bacon
8 ounces cream cheese -- softened
1 Tablespoon freeze-dried chives
1 Tablespoon freeze-dried parsley
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

Steam cauliflower until very soft. Drain very well.

Meanwhile, cook bacon till crisp. Drain, crumble and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish (or spray with non-stick cooking spray); set aside.

Beat cream cheese with chives, parsley, onion powder, salt and pepper till combined.

Add cauliflower, and beat with mixer until only small chunks remain.

Fold in cheddar cheese and bacon.

Turn into prepared casserole dish.

Bake until bubbly and top begins to brown, about 30 minutes.

Per Serving (based on 8 servings): 282 Calories; 23g Fat (70.4% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 66mg Cholesterol; 662mg Sodium.

Posted on the LCF bulletin board tonite

2008-01-11T22:21:00.000-05:00

.
Posted on the LCF bulletin board tonite:

Ok, im spilling! I was so wishing I had my phone with me, I could have snapped some pictures darn it! No, I didnt call her an ugly name. I just walked down the aisle behind her, staying back about 10 feet, and every time she stopped or turned, I pretended to be surveying the products on the shelf. I think I must have started making her nervous, because she stopped and looked right at me. This went on for a good ten minutes, then she started heading up to the cashier. I resisted screaming out KIMMER YOU LYING FRAUDULENT COOKIE CRUMB COVERED A**HAT!!, but...I couldnt let this occasion pass. So, I got closer behind her on the way to the front, and I started quacking very quietly as I was walking. hehe. As I passed her, quacked louder and faster, and got a very VERY dirty look indeed. Kept heading to the door, turned around, and said DUCKS RULE AND KIMMER'S A FOOL! Then flounced out to mah lil car and went to grandma's house. I have to say, it was one of the MOST satisfying experiences in my life, I think I will start doing ALL my shopping in Corona, although, it is evident they will let ANYONE in there bahahahah.

I remain, the ever faithful undercover duck,
Mysstwalker

Chicken Fajita Guts

2008-01-11T05:32:00.000-05:00

1 teaspoon ThickenThin not/Starch -- optional*
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 drop liquid Splenda
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast -- sliced in thin strips
1/2 green bell pepper -- sliced thin
1/2 red bell pepper -- sliced thin
1 small onion -- halved lengthwise and sliced into half-rings
3 Tablespoons olive oil
*Not really on the induction list; this can be left out, or used, IMHO. It's all fiber, so in my mind, it's not really going to impact your diet any more than say, Metamucil, FiberSure, Benefiber, etc. I didn't use it this time.

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a small bowl.

Sprinkle over sliced raw chicken, bell peppers and onions in a large bowl.

Combine lime juice with liquid Splenda in the measuring spoon; sprinkle over chicken and veggies.

Toss until spices and juice are evenly distributed throughout meat and vegetables.

Cover and refrigerate for 1/2 hour, or as long as 24 hours.

Drain excess liquid and saute in hot oil over medium high heat until chicken is done and vegetables are tender.

Serves 4.

Per Serving: 244 Calories; 12g Fat (44.4% calories from fat); 27g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 66mg Cholesterol; 687mg Sodium.

Serve on a bed of shredded lettuce with shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, lime juice, etc. if desired (not included in nutritional data).

After induction, a lowcarb tortilla makes a nice addition to this meal.

Rich Reuben Casserole

2008-01-10T05:47:00.000-05:00

This could be served with a lowcarb Thousand Island dressing (real mayo, LC ketchup, Mt.Olive or other brand of sugar-free relish, a little dehydrated onion, whatever seasonings you like) if you wish, but I like it plain. And if you put Thousand Island dressing on it, it's no longer "Reuben". I had a child's cookbook back in the dark ages (yes, we had fire to cook on when I was a kid) which explained that a Reuben didn't have dressing on it; if it had dressing on it, it was a "Rachel". May or may not be true. I dunno.

8 ounces cream cheese
2 eggs
14.5 ounces sauerkraut -- canned, well-drained
8 ounces packaged corned beef slices, Buddig brand -- finely chopped
8 ounces Swiss cheese -- shredded
2 Tablespoons caraway seeds

Preheat oven to 425F. Grease a shallow casserole dish or pie plate; set aside.

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in eggs.

Fold in remaining ingredients and pour into prepared dish.

Bake for 15 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 300F and continue baking until beginning to brown around edges and a knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean- about 30 minutes longer.

Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves six.

Per Serving: 391 Calories; 31g Fat (71.0% calories from fat); 22g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 175mg Cholesterol; 1009mg Sodium.

Spinach-Stuffed Cube Steaks

2008-01-09T05:56:00.000-05:00

I don't do many induction-friendly recipes in the crock pot, but this is a good one:

1 1/2 pounds cube steaks -- 4 pieces
1/4 cup pesto sauce
4 teaspoons dehydrated onion flakes
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach -- thawed, drained and squeezed dry
1 cup boiling water
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 clove garlic -- crushed

Pound steaks thin between layers of plastic wrap.

Spread each steak with 1/4 of pesto, then layer with 1/4 of onion flakes and finally 1/4 of spinach.

(Alternatively, combine pesto, onion and spinach and divide mixture evenly between steaks.)

Roll up and secure with toothpicks.

Dissolve bouillon cubes in water; stir in garlic.

Pour bouillon mixture into crock pot.

Add steak rolls in a single layer.

Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.

Per steak roll: 448 Calories; 30g Fat (60.0% calories from fat); 38g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 110mg Cholesterol; 554mg Sodium.

No-Bake "Cheesecake" Dessert for Induction

2008-01-08T05:41:00.000-05:00

Not many desserts qualify as "suitable for Atkins Induction", but this one does. Also useful for those who have trouble getting their calories and/or fat percentages up. Sometime after these two weeks (when I have promised to post only induction-friendly recipes), I will post a similar recipe for no-bake "cheesecake" that uses real strawberries. MMMmmmm...

2 packages sugar-free gelatin -- any flavor (I used strawberry)
2 cups boiling water
16 ounces cream cheese -- softened
Splenda, if desired (some flavors need a little extra sweetener to compensate for the tanginess of the cream cheese- Jell-O brand lime flavor, for one, could use a little extra sweetness)

Combine gelatin powder and boiling water. Stir till dissolved. Set aside, but do not chill.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.

Slowly drizzle in hot gelatin water, beating continuously.

When all gelatin is incorporated, taste a bit and decide if it will be sweet enough. (Remember, this is served cold, so even if it is sweet enough now, it may still be a bit on the tart side after it chills.) If you are adding sweetener, now is the time to do that. Scrape the sides of the bowl and beat an additional one minute.

Pour mixture into 9" square pan and chill until set.

Per Serving (based on 9 servings, not including any additional sweeteners): 183 Calories; 18g Fat (87.0% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 55mg Cholesterol; 192mg Sodium.

After induction, you can do this dessert with yogurt- mix up the gelatin and boiling water and substitute sugar free, lowfat/fat free yogurt (flavored or not) for the cream cheese- for a lower fat/lower calorie treat.