Staying on a Low Carb Diet

The last three weeks have been unbelievably busy between work and family. I haven't had much time for myself. I feel like I'm in a constant state of rush. Somehow I've managed to stay on my low carb plan despite my hectic schedule and added stress. I worked hard during the summer to plan for the school year, but my weekends have been consumed with non stop "go" to the point that my plans have gone down the drain. I've digressed four times: In my rush out the door I drove through Whataburger and had egg, bacon, and cheese taquitos. And twice I've eaten out for dinner, gave in, and indulged in a roll (okay, three rolls last night -my bad).

I've been lucky that my indulgences didn't add to my weight. I'm still in a 3 pound bouncing stall. Sigh...  My lifesavers over the past few weeks has been: grilled chicken salads (fast food versions w/LC dressing), Hillshire Farms precooked grilled chicken breasts (2-3 carbs, but great in a pinch and very tender and tasty), and tuna/chicken salad.

I have a lot of running to do today (just waiting for the clothes to dry), and lots of work to do tomorrow, but I'm determined to take the time to plan out my week. I'm also trying egg creams today. I just made a chocolate egg cream using egg beaters, club soda, heavy whipping cream, Jay Robb's chocolate protein powder, and chocolate DaVinci's (yum and I can't taste the egg). I'm going to try another one for lunch (pumpkin perhaps), then eat a sensible dinner of fish and steamed veggies for dinner. I will stick to this plan for tomorrow as well. My hope is that the egg creams will shake my body up a bit and earn me a visit from the whoosh fairy. I'll let you know how it goes. Have a great weekend!

Low Carb Dinner Menus, August 12-17

It's back to school time! I need to plan and organize in order to get through a very busy week. So here is my dinner menu for August 12-17.

Sunday - pork ribs with Walden Farms Sugar Free BBQ Sauce, broccoli slaw with Walden Farms Sugar Free Cole Slaw Dressing
Monday - bacon cheeseburgers sans bun, salad
Tuesday - chicken breasts with vegetables
Wednesday - grilled pork chops, broccoli and cheese
Thursday - shrimp in Cajun garlic butter (from HEB), salad
Friday - taco pie (using Carbquik)

Low Carb Taco Muffins

Last night I played around with a Bisquick recipe -without the Bisquick. I wanted to try making mini pot pies in a muffin tin, but of course, I wanted to create a low carb version. I used leftovers from taco salad from the day before and Carbquik as my magic ingredient.

Directions:

In a bowl, combine:
1/2 c. Carbquick
1/4 c. whole milk
1/4 c. heavy whipping cream
2 beaten eggs
1/8 tsp. xanthum gum
1/8 tsp. baking powder

Put 6 muffin papers into a muffin pan and spray with Pam. (Next time I'll probably just spray the pan well instead of using the papers.) Put about a tablespoon of mixture into each muffin pan (about 1/3 full).

I confess I didn't measure anything for the next step. I just eyeballed the ingredients.

In another bowl, combine:
cooked ground beef in taco seasoning (I made my own.)
salsa
shredded cheddar cheese
chopped green onion
chopped black olives
salt & pepper

Spoon the taco ingredients into the muffin tins until almost full, but not quite. Spoon the rest of the Carbquik mixture into each tin to cover the taco ingredients. Sprinkle taco seasoning onto each muffin. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. They came out so good that I won't tell you how many I ate by myself! They are approximately 1.5 carbs each.

Low Carb Lemon Cake

My daughter wanted lemon cake, but I refused to bring an entire cake into the house to satisfy her sweet tooth. I bought her a lemon cupcake instead, but that got me to wanting lemon cake...

Mix together the following dry ingredients in a bowl:

1 T. Splenda
1/4 c. almond flour
1/4 c. Jay Robb Vanilla Whey Protein
1 tsp. baking powder
a dash of salt

In another bowl, mix together the following wet ingredients:

1 T. melted butter
1 beaten egg
1 T. whipping cream
1 tsp. real mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. lemon extract
2 T. Torani Sugar Free Lemon Syrup

Whisk the wet and dry ingredients together. Pour the cake mix into a Pyrex rectangular microwavable container. Microwave for approximately 4 minutes (you may need more or less time depending on your microwave). I used a spatula to move the cake to a plate. It pops out easily.

Lemon Cream Cheese Icing

Mix together in a bowl:

1 1/2 T. of cream cheese (soften in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds)
1 T. butter (melted)
1 T. Splenda
1 T. Torani Sugar Free Lemon Syrup
1/4 tsp lemon extract

Spread the lemon cream cheese icing onto the cake. Cut the cake into 6 small pieces. 1.5 carbs per slice. You can return the cake to the Pyrex container, cover it with the lid, and store it in the fridge. You might want to warm it up for 15 to 20 seconds when you decide to indulge in a second piece.

Low Carb BBQ Sauce

Are you ready for some seriously sweet BBQ sauce that will make your mouth water? I made this sauce, then spooned it onto my pork butt roast. I let the roast sit (covered in foil) for one hour. I turned on the oven at 475 degrees and let it warm up for 15 minutes, then I put in the roast, and immediately turned the oven down to 200 degrees. I cooked my roast for 4 hours. I poured the rest of my sauce over Hillshire Farms Little Smokies in a small Crockpot. (Little Smokies have 2 carbs for every five smokies - sad face, right? I made these for my kids.)

Directions:

1. Chop two strips of bacon into small pieces. Fry the bacon in a pan that comes with a lid.
2. Add chopped onion (I threw in two handfuls. I buy the pre chopped onion at the grocery store.) Saute the onion for about 5 minutes or until soft.

Add the following ingredients:

1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 6 oz. can of tomato paste
1 - 12 oz. can of Diet A&W Root Beer
2 T. paprika
1 T. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp. of Frank's Hot Sauce

Stir well, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes. 10 servings, 1/4 cup, approximately 3 carbs.

Low Carb Strawberry Almond Breakfast Cake

Low Carb Strawberry Breakfast Cake

I created breakfast happiness this morning. I decided to take my Blueberry Bliss recipe and tinker around with it to make a strawberry breakfast cake. It was so good I'm chomping at the bit to make one tomorrow morning.

Instructions

Use a fork to mix the following dry ingredients in a bowl:
1 T., 1 tsp. of Bob Mill's Almond Flour
1 T., 1 tsp. flaxmeal
1 T., 1 tsp. Jay Robb's Strawberry Whey Protein Powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. Splenda

Add in:

1 T. heavy whipping cream
1 T. DaVinci's Sugar Free Strawberry Syrup
Whisk the wet ingredients well.

Pour the dry ingredients into the microwavable bowl with the wet ingredients. (I used a 2 cup Pyrex microwave safe bowl). Mix together well.

Dice 3 to 4 strawberrys. Fold half of them into mixture, and a small amount of almond pieces (I broke up several slivered almonds).

Microwave for 1 1/2 minutes (my microwave is old and slow, so adjust accordingly), or until done (cake like). Your breakfast cake pops right out and onto your plate. Top your breakfast cake with the rest of the strawberries, whipped cream topping, and a few almond slivers. Approximately 2 carbs per cake. One cake equals 1 serving.

Hot & Spicy Mock Fried Chicken

I love the version of French Fried Onion chicken that I developed (based on the original), but tonight, I took it to a whole new level. Instead of French Fried Onions, I used Baken-ets Hot & Spicy Pork Rinds. OMG! Prepare each step prior to dredging your chicken.

Step 1: Mix a cup of Carbquik with spices of your choice. I used the Dr. Tea's All Purpose Tea Rub. Dredge each chicken breast through the Carbquik and spices.

Step 2: Beat 2 eggs in a bowl, then add salt and pepper to taste. Dredge your chicken breasts through the egg wash.

Step 3: Pour a bag of Baken-ets Hot & Spicy Tender Pork Cracklins into a large zip up baggy. Use a rolling pin to crush the pork rinds until they are a fine powder. Coat your chicken breasts with the pork rinds, pressing the pork rinds into the chicken.

Step 4: Place your chicken breasts into a greased baking dish. Pour any leftover pork rinds on top of the chicken breasts. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Variation: Use French's French Fried Onions instead of pork rinds.

Whooshie Burger

Perhaps you've heard of Whooshie Pie -the pie that makes low carb dieters go "whoosh". It's kind of huge, and kind of yucky looking and not that tasty, so I did a little reinventing and created a Whooshie Burger with the same whoosh, but a much better taste!

Instructions:

Break off enough hamburger meat for one nice sized patty. Add 2 tsp. of Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 tsp. prepared yellow mustard, and 1/4 tsp. horseradish. Generously sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Mix the ingredients into the hamburger well, then shape it into a patty. Fry it up in a pan. Add a thin slice of cheese, if desired.

You can also try adding a little softened cream cheese and a small egg to your Whooshie Burger.

Blueberry Pecan One Minute Low Carb Breakfast Cake

I've been experimenting in the kitchen again, and this time I invented heaven. Imagine a mouthwatering low carb cake like breakfast treat with blueberries and pecans? OMG! And I made it in a minute (okay, 5 minutes maybe)!

Instructions

Use a fork to mix the following dry ingredients in a bowl:
1 T., 1 tsp. of Bob Mill's Almond Flour
1 T., 1 tsp. flaxmeal
1 T., 1 tsp. Jay Robb's Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. Splenda

In a microwavable bowl, melt 1 T. of real butter in the microwave. Add in:
1 egg
1 T. heavy whipping cream
1 T. DaVinci's Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup (you could possibly substitute vanilla extract)
Whisk the wet ingredients well.

Pour the dry ingredients into the microwavable bowl with the wet ingredients. (I used a 2 cup Pyrex microwave safe bowl). Mix together well.

Fold in 24 blueberries and a small amount of pecan pieces (I broke up 8 whole pecans).

Microwave for 1 1/2 minutes (my microwave is old and slow, so adjust accordingly), or until done (cake like). Your breakfast cake pops right out and onto your plate. Approximately 2 carbs per cake. One cake equals 1 serving.

Butter, Butter, Butter

One thing I love about low carb living is butter! Real butter. Not fake Fabio margerine. If you want to give your vegetables a kick, then try some yummy butter and extract or spice combinations.

Orange Butter
I bought a bag of frozen (steamers) broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots with nothing else added (I check the ingredients). I put the bag in the microwave and half a stick of butter in a pan. About a minute before the vegetables were done, I turned on the stove and melted the butter. Once the butter was melted, I added a teaspoon of orange extract. I stirred the extract and butter together, then added the vegetables. Then I stirred the vegetables (along with some slivered almonds) into the butter until they were well coated and snapping hot. I also topped the vegetables with salt and pepper. The end result was a light buttery orange flavor added to my vegetables, and let me tell you - it was dee-licious!

Garlic-Lemon Butter
This time I stirred up some fresh cut zucchini and squash in butter with a teaspoon of lemon extract, and a heavy dash of garlic salt and cracked pepper. You could also cook a chicken breast in garlic-lemon butter. Yum!

Almond Butter
Add almond extract to your butter, plus some slivered almonds to go along with your vegetables (try it on green beans).

Italian Herb Butter
Melt your butter and stir in Italian herb seasoning and use it stir up whatever vegetables suit your taste buds.

Best Crockpot Turkey Breast Roast Recipe Ever

Sometimes I create something wonderful by pure chance. This is one of those times. I bought a boneless turkey breast roast, but couldn't decide what to do with it. I searched online for a crockpot recipe, but I couldn't find one I liked. In the end, I poured a half cup water into the crockpot, and the generously sprinkled Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning all over the turkey breast, threw it into the pot, turned it on low for 8 hours...

And OMG! I wasn't really looking forward to dinner. I was expecting a tasteless, dry turkey. I blown away at how moist and yummy my turkey turned out. It was so good I ate more than my share! DH loved it too. So simple, yet so delicious. 

Root Beer Float Protein Shake

I've been trying to stay away from diet soda, but once in awhile, you simply need a treat (especially after you talked yourself into going to the gym for the first time in ages). Tonight I made a root beer float protein shake.


Ingredients:
3/4 cup of diet root beer
1/3 cup of heavy whipping cream
1 scoop of Jay Robb's Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
ice

Blend. Pour into a glass. Enjoy! 

Low Carb BLT Wrap

Today, I made the most scrumptious lunch - a BLT wrap!

Directions:
1. Cook 4 slices of bacon.
2. Peel off a large iceberg lettuce leaf, wash, pat it dry with paper towels and lay it on a plate.
3. Spread 2 tsp. of Hidden Valley Ranch Bacon Dressing on the lettuce (1 carb for 2 T.).
4. Spread 2 T. of guacamole on the lettuce (I use either HEB's Natural Guacamole or Wholly Guacamole Classic).
5. Slice a tomato. Cut one slice in half and place both halves on top of the guacamole. Sprinkle salt and pepper on your tomato.
6. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over your tomato.
7. Top with your four slices of bacon. Roll the lettuce wrap and eat!

Approximately 1.5 carbs

Chicken Breasts with Vegetables

Several years ago I was experimenting in the kitchen and came up with this recipe. It's one of my DH's favorite dinners.

Instructions:
1. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and Greek seasoning on each chicken breast. Place the chicken breasts in a greased baking dish (I spray with Pam).
2. Dice up 1/2 cup fresh tomatoes. Place a small amount of tomatoes on top of each chicken breast.
3. Dice up 1 small zucchini and 1 small summer squash. Put a generous amount of each on every chicken breast.
4. Sprinkle the vegetables with Greek seasoning.
5. Bake for 30 minutes at 350.
6. Top each chicken breast with cheddar cheese. Bake for another 5 minutes or until the chicken is melted.

Approximately 2-3 carbs.

Low Carb Breakfast Salad

I've been thinking about how I can get more vegetables into my morning. I came up with this crazy idea of making a breakfast salad! Who would have thunk?

Ingredients:
1 cup lettuce and / or spinach, torn very small
1 boiled egg, diced
2 slices of bacon, crumbled (save the bacon grease)
1/2 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
3 cherry tomatoes, cut into fourths

Toss the salad with bacon dressing.

Bacon Dressing: Put 3 T. of the bacon grease (the fat) into a small saucepan. Add 3 T. of red wine vinegar, a dash of salt and pepper, 1/2 tsp. of Dijon mustard, and a few drops of Stevia (or a tsp. of Splenda). Whisk the mixture over low heat until warm. Pour over your breakfast salad! Approximately 3 carbs.

Tea for Weight Loss, The Tea Series, Part 1

I've decided to post a series about tea. I am a bit of a tea connoisseur. I love a good cup of hot tea, or a tall glass of iced tea. I've made a point to educate myself about tea, and I've learned some exciting things. The first and foremost thing I've learned is that tea can help with weight loss!

All teas (white, black, green, oolong, pu-erh) are harvested from the same plant: the tea plant, also known in scientific terms as camellia sinensis. The different types of tea are based on how they are processed. They all have the same properties that help us with weight loss. Tea has three synergistic properties that work together: caffeine, L-theanine, and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG).

Tea has about 65 mg of caffeine per brewed cup (8 ounces). Coffee has about 90 mg of caffeine per brewed cup. But we are comparing apples to oranges. You see, tea has L-theanine, an amino acid that counteracts the negative effects of caffeine. This works to send your brain a message telling you that you are satisfied and full, rather than hungry. So basically, it works as an appetite suppressant. And then there is the EGCG which is an antioxidant that helps kick your metabolism into fat burning mode. How cool is that? Tea by itself won't cause you to lose weight, but it acts as an effective supplement to your low carb diet.

To top it off, tea is much healthier than diet soda. Let's face it -diet soda is chemicals and fake sweetner. Tea is an ancient drink that comes from nature. It's totally safe to drink tea all day long! Now I know what you are thinking: how does the caffeine effect your sleep? Well, I can tell you from personal experience that about a week and half into low carbing and full time tea drinking, I am now sleeping through the night.

In Part 2 of The Tea Series, we will talk about the different kinds of teas.

Cherry Cordial Protein Shake

If you want a real treat in a healthy package, then you must try making a cherry cordial protein shake. It's to die for!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup club soda
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 scoop (or 1 package) Jay Robb's Chocolate Whey Protein Powder
3 tablespoons DaVinci's Sugar Free Cherry Syrup
1 tablespoon flaxmeal (optional)
1 tablespoon chia gel (optional)

Blend. Add ice and chop till fine. Drink up!

Classic Deviled Eggs

My great-grandmother taught me how to make deviled eggs when I was just a girl. I've always loved them. They are a staple of my low carb diet.

How to Boil Eggs:
Place 3 day old brown eggs (they peel better) into a pan. Cover the eggs with water (1 to 2 inches). Bring the eggs to a boil. Allow the eggs to boil for a minute or two. Remove the pan from the heat and place a cover on the pan. Set the timer for 15 minutes. Remove the eggs from the pan and submerge them into a bowl of ice water until the eggs are completely cooled. Crack the egg on both ends. Peel from the top end down first, then around the side of the egg.

How to Make Classic Deviled Eggs (6 whole eggs, 12 deviled eggs):

Boil and peel 6 eggs. Use a sharp knife to cut the eggs in half, lengthwise. Remove the yolk from each egg and place all of the yolks in a small bowl. Mash the yolks well with a fork.

Mix In:
2 tbsp. real mayonnaise
1 tbsp. mustard
1/4 tsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. sugar free relish
dash of salt and pepper

Fill each egg "bowl" with the yolk mixture. Sprinkle paprika on the deviled eggs. If you want to be fancy about it, you can put the yolk mixture into an icing tube and "pipe" it into the egg bowls. Enjoy! 0 carbs, 32.5 calories, 3 protein, 2.5 fat

Weekend Fat Fast Results

I started a Weekend Fat Fast on Friday, July 19, 2012. My beginning weight (as of Friday morning) was 189 pounds. This is naked butt prior to eating or drinking anything weight.

The Fast
Day One (Friday) - I had to rearrange my meals to fit my day. It's not that big of a deal, but I had to drive across town and knew I'd be out and about for 3 hours, so I made my protein shake on the go. I also woke up late (had to pick up the teen daughter from the Batman premier at 3 a.m.), so I had my scrambled eggs around 9 a.m. I found that I'd get a little hungry at the 2 1/2 to 3 hour mark, which was fine because it was time to have another mini meal. I was never starving, but I can't say I felt completely full either. I kept telling myself it's only 3 days. I can do anything for 3 days, right?
Day Two (Saturday) - I lost 2 1/2 pounds! Yippee! I finally broke past 188 (lowest I've gotten in my 3 pounds on / off game). My Saturday morning weight came in at 186.5. To top it off my morning blood sugar was 156. Now that is still too high, but I've been struggling with this since I started back low carbing (and actually started testing -my bad). Every morning my BS has been 220-230. This is a significant improvement! One things though: I started to have foot cramps. I take a chelated mineral for this reason (low on magnesium). Two a day usually cuts it, although it was recommended I take 4. I think I might be low on potassium with my diet (I am using Morton's Lite Salt). I'm going to go ahead and take 4 chelated minerals (you can't take them at once, so I have to spread them out through the day).
  Saturday started out great, but it was kind of tough. I felt hungrier, and flipped out on DH when it was time for my super Jello. He ate the whole darn bowl! Seriously! The entire bowl! I had to have my protein shake, and make another bowl of Jello. I also had a headache and a toothache (I guess I'm going to have to suck it up and go to the dentist). I went to bed early (without my Jello), but woke up about 10:30 p.m. and ate my 1/2 cup as if it were ice cream.
Day Three (Sunday) - My weight is the same (phew) and my BS came in at 158. One more day to get through eating the same thing in the same amounts all day. It's not horrible, but it's not fabulous either. I felt better on Sunday, so it wasn't too bad of a day. I was definitely ready to eat something different!

The Results
Drumroll please...
This morning my weight is 186.5. I maintained a 2.5 weight loss. I've read that people have lost 5-7 pounds on Atkin's Fat Fast, but would gain half of it back within the week. I didn't lose as much, so I truly hope it sticks. I also lost an inch in the bust. Oh yeah! My Monday morning blood sugar came in at 161. Certainly far from perfect, but much better than it was prior to my fat fast.

Reflection
I knew almost as soon as I started that I should have made 3 days worth of meal plans in order to have a little variety. It takes time to work out the fat/protein/carbs/fiber/calorie intake. DH won't do this fast with me because he hates mayo (sad for him). I need to come up with replacement ideas for the man. I also realize he will need more calories. He could stand to lose 10-20 pounds, but he's not that far over the scale like me. There really is a tiny person under all of this fat. I just need to let her out. Overall, I think this 3 day fat fast did me some good (jumped started my weight loss which was stalled and lowered my blood sugar). It also made me realize that I'm really going to have to count, record, weigh, measure, and track what I eat in order to figure out my sensitivities. What causes me to lose / gain pounds? What causes my blood sugar to go up / down? I tried to do this by estimating and staying away from processed food, flour, wheat, and sugar, but I realize now that I'm seriously sensitive to something. I need to figure out what that something is exactly.

I'm now a bit stumped. What was the cause behind the effect? Was it the upped fat? The lower carbs? The limited calories? Did protein play a role? And what about fiber? I'm going to carefully play with these things over the next few weeks to see which ones my body responds to. Overall, I consider my fat fast a success. If I do it again, I will definitely make a 3 day menu with a little more variety.

Low Carb Dinner Menu, Week of July 22-26, 2012

It's time to get back to menu planning. Life is easier when you plan.

Monday
I bought a bag of crab legs and a bag of cooked shrimp at Sam's. I plan to whip up a salad to go with it. I'll get DH to make some low carb cocktail sauce to go with the shrimp. Of course, you can dip crab into some melted butter. Yum!
Tuesday
I'm going to try making zucchini boats. You cut off the ends of the zucchini, then cut it in half lengthwise. Next, you scoop out the seeds. Brown some ground beef with garlic and olive oil (and other Italian seasonings). Spoon some of the ground beef into the zucchini boats. Top with slice cherry tomatoes or low carb spaghetti sauce (or season tomato sauce) and parmesan cheese. Broil for a couple of minutes.
Wednesday
I love cube steak! Dredge the steaks lightly in Worcestershire sauce and Carbquik, then fry them up in vegetable oil. I'm a bit fond of eating cube steak with reduced sugar ketchup. I'll add a salad for a side.
Thursday
Several years ago, I created a recipe that my DH loves! I call it chicken breast with vegetables. I season my chicken breasts, then add some fresh tomatoes on top, and chopped zucchini and summer squash. Sprinkle the veggies with some seasoning (I use Greek seasoning). Bake for 30 minutes at 350. Top each breast with cheddar cheese, and put it back in the oven for 5 minutes.
Friday
I think I'll make a pork tenderloin, but I need to Google to find a seasoning recipe that appeals to me.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups with Coconut Oil

You don't need me to tell you the benefits of coconut oil. It's rich in vitamins and minerals, and is called the healthiest oil on Earth. If you are a believer in CO, but have a hard time forcing it down your throat, then you must try this recipe for chocolate peanut butter cups with coconut oil. It's a delicious, low carb treat packed with healthy goodness.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of expeller pressed coconut oil (you can also make this with 1/2 a stick of butter)
2 squares of 1-1/2 squares of Baker's Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
1/3 cup Splenda
1 tbsp. heavy whipping cream
4 tbsp. Jif Natural Peanut Butter

Put 15 mini muffin papers into a mini muffin pan (do this first). Spray with Pam. Place the chocolate in a glass measuring cup and put it in the microwave for one minute. Take it out and stir it with a spoon. Quickly dump the rest of the ingredients in the measuring cup. Place the measuring cup back into the microwave for one minute. Take it out and stir it well. If the ingredients need to melt more, place it back in the microwave for 30 seconds. Take it out and stir it until it's well blended. Pour the mixture into each muffin tin (almost all the way up). Place the muffin pan into the refrigerator. Once the chocolate peanut butter cups are set, you can take them out and eat them. Store them in a plastic zip baggy in the refrigerator. 2.6 carbs each (Be careful with these! You don't want to overeat them.)

UPDATE: I just made a batch, but I didn't feel like messing with the mini muffin pan and papers. The batch fits perfectly into a rectangular Pyrex storage container. I'm going to cut it like fudge! I also added 1 T. of DaVinci's Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup to get it a little more chocolaty without the extra carbs. 

Low Carb Strawberry Milkshake

Hold onto your taste buds, because you are not going to believe this until you try it. I did it totally by accident. I created a low carb strawberry milkshake (minus the milk and ice cream). The only thing that is missing is the thickness that comes with the ice cream. I was just throwing stuff into the blender, but I had no idea it was going to taste just like a strawberry milkshake. I even though to myself, "Oh, this tastes familiar" (that's how long it's been since I've had a real one). Then I took another sip, and just about flipped when I realized what I did.

Ingredients:

1 packet of Jay Robb's Whey Strawberry Protein Powder (this will not do it alone)
2/3 club soda
1/3 heavy whipping cream
good splash of Davinci's sugar free strawberry syrup (makes the difference)
1 tbsp of chia gel for good measure

Whip it up in the blender. Add ice and set to chop. Pour in a glass and drink up! 3 carbs

Sneaky Carbs

One of the biggest sabotagers of a low carb diet is sneaky carbs. You've been working hard counting your carbs, but you still can't lose weight. What gives? It's time to sniff out the sneaky carbs. Here are some tips for eliminating unwanted carbs from your diet.

Tip 1: Assume Nothing. Read the nutritional information on the back of every package. Ignore the front of the package, especially packages that claim low net carbs or sugar free. Nine times out of ten it's a bunch of bunk. Personally, I think it should be against the law to call a food item sugar free if it has carbs in it, after all, we all know that carbs break down as sugar in our bodies. Watch out for so-called net carbs too. Food companies (including Atkins) remove xylitol from its carb count. This stuff effects different people in different ways. One person may be fine with it, yet another person may experience blood sugar spikes. Watch out for any ingredient that ends in -ol. Look at the actual carbs on the nutritional label yourself. You can subtract fiber for your net carbs, but that's it. Hidden carbs in packages are sneaky little boogers.

Tip 2: Round up. If the package says less than one carb, round up to one. Less than one carb doesn't equal zero carbs. Round up to avoid over eating carbs.

Tip 3: Factor in the Serving Size. Make sure you look at the serving size on the nutritional ingredients label. You turned over the package, and it says two carbs. But that two carbs is for ONE TEASPOON. Factor in the serving size. Is that all you are going to eat? One teaspoon? Serving sizes can make or break the carb count.

Tip 4: Weigh and Measure. Keep a tight count on carbs by weighing and measuring your food (especially vegetables and fruit). This isn't my idea of fun. I would much rather eyeball it, and I can if things are going well, but if I get stalled, out comes the scale. Write down your carb counts or enter them into an online program, but if you are seriously worried about over eating carbs, you will need a good kitchen scale.

Tip 5: Carry Stevia. Carry a small bottle of Stevia in your purse, backpack, briefcase, or whatever you carry around. Next time you grab an iced tea, skip the Splenda or artificial sugar and use Stevia instead. It's zero carbs (unlike Splenda). This way you don't get caught in a pinch. I hate the taste of aspartame (not to mention it scares me), so I'll use Splenda, but Splenda does have carbs, so I carry a little bottle of Stevia in my purse to sweeten tea and coffee on the go.

Weekend Fat Fast

I've decided to try a hybrid of Atkin's Fat Fast over the weekend. I am not at work on Friday, so I'm going to do a three day fat fast to see how it goes. On the Atkin's Fat Fast, you are supposed to get 90% of your calories from fat, eat 5 to 6 small meals throughout the day, and stick to 1000 calories. I've decided to try 1200 calories with one meal being a protein shake. I'm going to have five mini meals each day. I've worked out the calories (not that I'm a big believer in the whole calorie thing, but I'll play for a weekend), fat, protein, fiber and carbs. If I want to back up to 1000 calories, I can nix the protein shake. I plan to eat a mini meal every 2 to 3 hours.

Mini Meal # 1
2 scrambled eggs in 1 tbsp. butter

Mini Meal # 2
1/2 cup Super Jello

Mini Meal # 3
1 -5 oz can of tuna with 1 tbsp. of real mayo (plus a little sugar free relish, Morton's Lite Salt, and pepper)

Mini Meal # 4
2 deviled eggs (from 1 whole egg made with 1/2 tsp. real mayo, a little sugar free relish, a dash of salt and pepper, a smidgeon of mustard, and a dash of paprika on top)
6 macadamia nuts
2 tbsp. HEB's Natural Guacamole

Mini Meal # 5
Jay Robb's Protein Shake (1 scoop of protein powder, 3/4 cup club soda, 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, 2 tbsp. DaVinci's, 1 tbsp. chia gel, 1 tbsp. flaxmeal)

Liquids: coffee, tea, water (sweetened with Stevia)
I am going to drink a lot of Oolong tea throughout the weekend. Oolong tea is delicious and known for helping with weight loss.

I will continue my supplements during my Weekend Fat Fast. My weight today is 189. I will report my results on Monday morning.

Low Carb Book Review: How I Gave Up My Low-Fat Diet and Lost 40 Pounds by Dana Carpender

    I just finished reading How I Gave Up My Low-Fat Diet and Lost 40 Pounds by Dana Carpender. I knew her name based on her reputation for creating great low carb recipes and cookbooks, so when I saw her book, I decided to purchase it. Dana's book is just what I needed to help me get back on track. Here's the thing: the woman has done her homework, explains medical and science stuff in normal speak, and has eight years of low carbing under her belt. She's a walking example of how anyone can live a low carb lifestyle.
Dana is an Atkin's gal, but she recognizes that different people have different bodies, and what works for one person might not work for another person. She does a great job of explaining the reason everyone should eat low carb (based on scientific and medical research studies), but then she goes on to explain some of the different low carb diets out there -the pros / cons, and reasons why a diet may or may not work for a person. She doesn't say, "You have to do this, or you have to do that." Instead, she tells you the various options, and even talks about creating your own hybrid plan. It's all a great low carb experiment to figure out what works best for your body, lifestyle, and weight goals.
I read her book on my Kindle. There were some fabulous recipes (how to make your own yogurt), resources, and references. It was enough to get me to finally figure out how to highlight/bookmark pages (which is really easy btw). If you are new to low carb, or a veteran, I highly recommend this book. It's a great, easy to understand read.

Magic Weight Loss Meal

This is an experiment of the low carb kind (less than 2 carbs). Can a mini magic meal jump start weight loss? Can it help a person become *cough* "regular"? I'm convinced my mini magic meal could do the trick. At the very least, it will give you a nutritious bang for your buck.

Magic Weight Loss Meal

1/4 cup of flaxmeal
1 tbsp. of butter
1 tbsp. of heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp. of chia gel
2 tbsp. of hot water

Pour your flaxmeal in a bow. Cut the butter into small squares and spread it around on top of the flaxmeal. Pour in the hot water and stir until the butter is melted. Add the heavy whipping cream and chia gel. Stir well. It's kind of thick and goopy and okay, it's brown, but it tastes good -very much like oatmeal, and it keeps you feeling full and satisfied.

Note: You might want to try this on a day that you are home for a couple of hours after eating. It's a good idea to see how your body reacts to it first. So far, my body has reacted very well (normal), but rather quickly (the urge to purge comes rather fast if you know what I mean).

How to Make Chia Gel

Mix 1/3 cup of chia seeds with 2 cups of water. It takes about 10 minutes to gel. Store it in the fridge. It lasts for about a week. It's rather tasteless. Mix it into protein shakes or any baking recipes. I've also heard that it help to moisten ground turkey and meatloaf type meals. You can also add chia seeds to your salad. It's the newly discovered (yet, rather ancient) super food! Read more about chia seeds here.

Are Freezer Vegetables Healthy?

Yes. IF you make them yourself.

Let me explain. I like convenience in a microwave package. Just like everyone else, I'm in a hurry all the damn time. Grabbing a bag of vegetables out of the freezer and popping them into the microwave makes my life easier. So I didn't think twice about buying vegetables out of the frozen food section of the supermarket. I just assumed (and we know what that means) that my freezer vegetables were just vegetables (and perhaps EVOO, butter, herbs, and spices).

So in my quest to go very low carb again, I decided to take a look at the carbs on the frozen vegetables I have in the freezer - you know, just to make sure. SHOCK! Why didn't I look before now? Fourteen carbs for a half cup serving! Say what? How is that possible? There's a smidgeon of carrots in there, but really, FOURTEEN carbs? Really? So what gives?

The words "fructose, corn starch, and modified" were enough to have me running for the hills. And that's just the beginning of the list. What possessed the food companies to load a bag of healthy vegetables with a bunch of unhealthy crap? And how dare they put the word "healthy" on the box when clearly it's not!

Moving on to plan B: I'm going to make my own freezer bag vegetables (as soon as my Foodsaver arrives). I'm dreaming up vegetable combos, and searching for herbs and spices to complement my healthy freezer vegetables. This is how I see it: one day, lots of veggies, chop, bag, add spices (and EVOO or butter), suck out the air, freeze (in a steamer bag). Who needs Green Giant? I can spend one day making a month's worth of vegetable freezer bags. The end result: a healthier, happier me. I'll post my vegetable combos soon, so stay tuned.

Super Jello

Do you need to add some fat to your diet? Are you looking for a very low carb snack to keep you from going on a carb binge? I tinkered around with sugar free Jello until I came up with a creamy sensation. A little Super Jello goes a long way to satiating hunger.

Ingredients:
1- 0.30 OZ box of sugar free Jello (any flavor of the smaller box)
1/2 package Philadelphia Cream Cheese (4 carbs)
1 cup of boiling water
1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream

Directions:
(1) Boil one cup of water.
(2) Cut the cream cheese into chunks and place in a microwave safe glass bowl. Place the cream cheese into the microwave for about one minute. Stir the cream cheese until all of the lumps are removed and the cream cheese is smooth.
(3) Pour the Jello into a bowl (I used a plastic bowl with a lid, so that I could put it straight into the fridge). Pour the hot water into the Jello and stir quickly until all of the gelatin is dissolved.
(4) Pour heavy whipping cream into the bowl and use a hand whip to stir until well blended.
(5) Use a spatula to pour the cream cheese into the Jello mixture. Use the hand whip to stir the mixture until well blended. Put the lid on the bowl and place it in the fridge until it's completely gelled.

1/2 cup per serving, 4 servings, 1 carb per serving

Kick It Up a Notch:
You will quickly find that this rich and creamy treat is very satisfying. You probably won't be able to eat an entire half cup serving at once. I spoon out two to three spoonfuls and I'm a happy girl. But perhaps you want to kick it up a notch on the nutrition ladder? Add a couple of tablespoons of chia gel to your Super Jello to make it super nutritious!

Return of Low Carb Underground

I'm back! If you read my last few posts, you will see that after losing 50 pounds, I hit a stall wall. I couldn't find a way around, under it, over it, or thru it. After months of seeing absolutely no results, I began to slip down the slippery slope of carb eating evil. I gained it all back, plus some! Not good, right? After a year of going back to the devil, I began to lose weight eating anything I wanted. Oh, I would have a low carb day here and there. I even avoided flour and sugar (most of the time), but I didn't pass up the desserts on goody day at work, or miss out on a bowl of ice cream when I was in the mood for it. But I was losing weight!

You guessed it. High blood sugar = unhealthy weight loss. My vision went wonky again. I was tired, sick, and suffering from recurrent yeast infections. I lost almost all of the weight I gained, but not in the right way. My blood sugar is officially out of control. And here I am again. I now resolve to eat low carb even if I stall! It's not just about weight loss anymore, it's about my health. Sugar is the devil incarnate. It's evil. It's toxic poison and I'm determined to get it out of my system. So here I go again, but this time, it's for a lifetime.

Low Carb Revival

Confession time: I fell off the low carb wagon. Lift just got in the way. Let me tell you what happens when you are diabetic and you stop eating low carb:
1. You get fat.
2. You get sick with infections.
3. Your vision gets wonky.
4. You feel tired all the time.
5. Your quality of life goes down hill.
How did I let this happen? Well, it didn't happen overnight. It was a slow burn to hell. One day I woke up, and was startled to realize how bad I felt, how much weight I gained back, and how I couldn't see small print anymore. A trip to the doctor confirmed that my sugar levels were up (not that I didn't already have that one figured out).
So it's time to pull myself together and recharge my low carb batteries. It's time to go back to planning and cooking. It's hard, because really, DH whines about the lack of variety (no matter how hard I worked to make sure we had variety). And the kids refuse to eat what we eat (so the work doubled for me). I need to find a compromise. I also need to find quick, satisfying meals. We are on the go a lot. I don't always have time to cook an elaborate meal. I need quick, easy, and satisfying. I think I also need a month long menu to keep variety in our diet.
I also need to revive this blog. It keeps me accountable. Please come by and whip up on me if I don't post. Life is too precious to lose it over a cherry filled donut.