I know it has been a while since I have posted about recipes on here. It has been hell month for November. I don't want to have to repeat that month ever again, if I can help it. One of my family members was diagnosed with an aggressive new form of cancer that can't be treated and in 6 weeks time, it did him in. I was sitting vigil at the hospice for several weeks with family members. I even baked some dressing cupcakes since they were asked for by my family member as a last meal kind of thing. We were trying to make him things that he kept asking for. He really wanted turkey and dressing. So, one day I came home and made a batch of dressing cupcakes for him. I used my Dad's recipe for the dressing and it was a big hit. My sister did tell me later on that he ate every single one of those cupcakes. I am glad that something was able to make him happy in those last moments of his life.
I haven't been in the mood to bake at all. Then it happened last night, I was going through my Aunt's recipe box. I inherited it, I don't even know how I managed to get it. I did though and it has some of her best recipes with the exception of her coconut meringue pie. Oh my word, that pie is so damn good, it can make a grown person cry. I would love to have that recipe, I am going to have to find out who has it. Anyway, I was going through her recipe box since someone wanted the gum drop cookie recipe. So, I knew that if I looked in her box, it would be in there. Sure enough, it is in there and I shared the recipe with my niece. I actually put it up on the family message board. I put several others on there as well and then someone asked that question about that coconut roll. We have been trying to find this recipe for years. I just know what I was told by my Aunt. Coconut, sugar and heavy cream. That is all that she ever told me about it. I knew that it wasn't made with kolache dough. No way, it would never turn out. It is made with strudel dough. Yep. Now to find the time to make one.
The recipe I have pretty much says that the strudel dough will make 4 strudels. Okay. I guess I am going to be rolling dough if I decide to make this thing. The fun part is finding the time. I am cleaning my house since I have the family Christmas here this year. I admit, scrapbooking has taken over my dining room table. Yarn is all over the living room. I am going to try and corral my hobbies. Then I have fabric sitting in a box, it needs to go upstairs to my office. My sewing machine needs to make it's way up there as well. See, fun time ahead for me.
Hubby did make a pizza crust with cauliflower. It was surprisingly good. I was shocked. His faux potatoes weren't good at all. I am sorry, I have to have mashed potatoes, cauliflower just doesn't do it for me.
I did make mashed sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving and it was so simple. I used brown sugar and butter in the water when I boiled them. I had peeled them and chopped them up and threw them into a pot and boiled them until they were soft. I drained the water, added more butter, and then added two teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice. I mixed them up and they were tasty.
I also made a pumpkin pie that was sugar free and it was tasty! I subbed in my Xyla and used a whole can of evaporated milk. Hubby couldn't even tell that it was sugar free. :) Sadly, the crust was carby. I figured that since it was Thanksgiving and I wanted pie, I would have to live with the crust.
Hopefully, I can share some recipes soon. I plan on making cookies that are better for me this year. I will be using my spelt flour instead of the all purpose stuff. The spelt flour gives my baked goods a very nutty flavor. Sometimes that is nice.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Eggplant Pizza
This was a first run for this recipe. I have never made this before. I figured out that it will take 45 minutes end to end to make this. Hubby loved it and I did, too.
One eggplant, I used the heirloom purple, find one that is deep purple with no blemishes. Since one eggplant will give you lots of slices, this recipe will feed many.
We used turkey pepperoni, shredded pizza cheese, and shredded Italian blend cheese.
I used homemade basil garlic pasta sauce. We had a tomato explosion over the summer and canned our own sauces.
Olive oil for brushing down the eggplant slices.
Kosher salt for salting the eggplant slices to give them a more firm texture.
Cookie sheet.
Oven at 350F.
Mandoline or V-slicer.
Seasoning.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Start out by rinsing the eggplant, then slicing off the bloom end and the stem end. I left the skin on mine since I wanted the extra stability for each slice. I used my v-slicer to slice the eggplant lengthwise. We have decided that it shouldn't be too thin or too thick.
Salt the eggplant and lay in a colander or on a cookie cooling rack with a cookie sheet below the rack to catch the water that will be released from the eggplant. Let this rest for about 8 minutes and then rinse the eggplant. Drain water, well. I use a colander to shake out the excess water.
Grab a cookie sheet and coat with baking spray. Place each slice onto cookie sheet. Pour olive oil into a small bowl and brush each slice with olive oil before placing into hot oven. Pre-bake slices for 7 minutes.
Remove from oven and brush again with olive oil. Spoon on the pasta sauce, then add your cheeses, the pepperoni, and more cheese on top. Place back in the oven for 15 minutes or longer, depending on how toasty you want your cheese.
Remove from oven and serve.
The eggplant is neutral in flavor enough to taste like pizza dough. I love the added crunch of the seeds.
Enjoy!
Monday, September 16, 2013
Something New
For those of you who read my recipes on here, I know you are thinking I had dropped off the face of the earth, nope, just busy doing charity knitting and crocheting.
I am still cooking and this recipe is going to be tried out tomorrow for lunch. I love pizza but, I just can't get near it, it totally whacks out my blood sugar. So, I decided that I am going to substitute an eggplant for my crust.
I am going to salt it down and let it sit for about 10 minutes, tops. I will then rinse it, and brush it down with olive oil.
I will do a pre-bake of it in my convection oven or if you don't have one of these gems, crank up your oven to 350F and let them bake for about 5 to 7 minutes, pull them out and then start to make the pizza toppings. Leave the oven on. I plan on using homemade pasta sauce for my pizza sauce, then my cheese and pepperoni.
Pop the "pizzas" back in the oven for 13 minutes until you have a nice melty and brown topping.
I will tell you how well mine turn out when I have them. Enjoy!
I am still cooking and this recipe is going to be tried out tomorrow for lunch. I love pizza but, I just can't get near it, it totally whacks out my blood sugar. So, I decided that I am going to substitute an eggplant for my crust.
I am going to salt it down and let it sit for about 10 minutes, tops. I will then rinse it, and brush it down with olive oil.
I will do a pre-bake of it in my convection oven or if you don't have one of these gems, crank up your oven to 350F and let them bake for about 5 to 7 minutes, pull them out and then start to make the pizza toppings. Leave the oven on. I plan on using homemade pasta sauce for my pizza sauce, then my cheese and pepperoni.
Pop the "pizzas" back in the oven for 13 minutes until you have a nice melty and brown topping.
I will tell you how well mine turn out when I have them. Enjoy!
Monday, July 1, 2013
An Update to the Lasagna Recipe
Hubby and I have changed the lasagna recipe. We are now using zucchini instead of the polenta. It works. No longer do we have to worry about heavy loaded carbs. Instead of using noodles, try the zucchini, you will be pleasantly surprised!
Here is how you do it...
Slice zucchini long wise, we used our mandolin. We used 2 medium ones. After you slice, lay them in a colander and salt them. Put the colander over a bowl to collect the water. Let them sit in the salt for 30 minutes and then rinse.
As you layer in your pan, use the zucchini as you would noodles between the layers. Bake as usual.
As you can see, it turned out great! Let it sit for 20 minutes after you pull it out of the oven. Then serve.
Here is how you do it...
Slice zucchini long wise, we used our mandolin. We used 2 medium ones. After you slice, lay them in a colander and salt them. Put the colander over a bowl to collect the water. Let them sit in the salt for 30 minutes and then rinse.
As you layer in your pan, use the zucchini as you would noodles between the layers. Bake as usual.
As you can see, it turned out great! Let it sit for 20 minutes after you pull it out of the oven. Then serve.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Reading is Important with this Disease
I have been reading all sorts of articles about type 2 diabetes, and some of the things I read really tell me that most of the people who write articles about this disease are freaking clueless. Yep, clueless. I read an article about taking food on an airplane, granola, pretzels, juice, etc. I was thinking are you an idiot? What diabetic in their right mind can eat or drink this kind of stuff? One destined to lose their eyesight, feet, legs, etc. My blood sugar would be off the charts if I ate or drank any of this stuff.
No way am I allowed near juice, granola, pretzels, or anything remotely related to sugar or carbs. I wouldn't even begin to subject myself to this kind of torture. It hurts me physically to have high blood sugar, I feel completely awful. Even worse is low blood sugar, the shakes, feeling completely drained and the cold sweats. Not a pretty sight at all, the feelings are worse.
Face it, if you are a diabetic, you are completely complicated and you will have to learn to live with it and read as much as you can about it.
Since I have been controlling my blood sugar with my diet, I am no longer on any meds for it. How did I manage this? Get rid of the carbs and it will happen. Low carb diets do work for us. I have been off of the metformin for 9 months and I feel great. My doctor is very impressed with my A1c levels.
One of my diabetic friends was telling me she ate lasagna all of the time. I was stunned. Uh, you are taking insulin most of the time and you are wondering why? Pasta is an evil with diabetics. It is a big no go. How do you get your fix for your favorite foods? Sub in something else like polenta or as I have discovered...zucchini. My hubby made me zucchini carbonara the other night and I loved it! I am going to sub it in for noodles the next time I make lasagna.
Since this whole disease started with my diagnosis of it, my lifestyle has changed and my hubby is on the same diet as I am and we are both feeling better, not to mention we are both losing weight nicely.
If you are a reader who needs to know more about the disease and your doctor hasn't really explained much, I suggest checking out LEF.org They have very interesting articles and they do sell supplements as well. I loved the one article about metformin.
No way am I allowed near juice, granola, pretzels, or anything remotely related to sugar or carbs. I wouldn't even begin to subject myself to this kind of torture. It hurts me physically to have high blood sugar, I feel completely awful. Even worse is low blood sugar, the shakes, feeling completely drained and the cold sweats. Not a pretty sight at all, the feelings are worse.
Face it, if you are a diabetic, you are completely complicated and you will have to learn to live with it and read as much as you can about it.
Since I have been controlling my blood sugar with my diet, I am no longer on any meds for it. How did I manage this? Get rid of the carbs and it will happen. Low carb diets do work for us. I have been off of the metformin for 9 months and I feel great. My doctor is very impressed with my A1c levels.
One of my diabetic friends was telling me she ate lasagna all of the time. I was stunned. Uh, you are taking insulin most of the time and you are wondering why? Pasta is an evil with diabetics. It is a big no go. How do you get your fix for your favorite foods? Sub in something else like polenta or as I have discovered...zucchini. My hubby made me zucchini carbonara the other night and I loved it! I am going to sub it in for noodles the next time I make lasagna.
Since this whole disease started with my diagnosis of it, my lifestyle has changed and my hubby is on the same diet as I am and we are both feeling better, not to mention we are both losing weight nicely.
If you are a reader who needs to know more about the disease and your doctor hasn't really explained much, I suggest checking out LEF.org They have very interesting articles and they do sell supplements as well. I loved the one article about metformin.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Tomato Salsa
Right now my hubby's tomato plants are producing like gang busters and I have been reaping the rewards. He has been making salsa and I love it. I have noticed something interesting, my fasting blood sugar is perfect and it all started when I started eating the salsa. His recipe uses lime juice as the liquid. He makes it with cherry tomatoes since we have loads of them, garlic, red onion, jalapeno peppers, seeded and de-veined, salt, and dried red pepper, I think he has been using guajillos and cilantro.
I love this stuff and I could drink it. I have been chowing down with my Way Better Tortilla chips, they have lower carbs than the other tortilla chips out there, you know you have the right bag, if it has a sunflower on the front. My grocery store carries them.
Even being bad last night with 4 sugar free Oreos and a huge glass of milk, my blood sugar was normal this morning.
We canned 6 pints of salsa yesterday. If you want the recipe we used for canning, the Ball Big Blue Book of Canning has the recipe. It is the Spicy Salsa. It is fantastic. The heat is mild for me. It might not be for others, I just know I love it hot.
I love this stuff and I could drink it. I have been chowing down with my Way Better Tortilla chips, they have lower carbs than the other tortilla chips out there, you know you have the right bag, if it has a sunflower on the front. My grocery store carries them.
Even being bad last night with 4 sugar free Oreos and a huge glass of milk, my blood sugar was normal this morning.
We canned 6 pints of salsa yesterday. If you want the recipe we used for canning, the Ball Big Blue Book of Canning has the recipe. It is the Spicy Salsa. It is fantastic. The heat is mild for me. It might not be for others, I just know I love it hot.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Cooking with Coconut Milk and Peanut Butter
The other day I had pork tenderloin chops sitting in my fridge and not know what to do with them, I decided to try something out with my wok. I grabbed a can of coconut milk, the chunky peanut butter, and my spices. I used coconut oil as my base, since it is better than other oils on the market. I have a big old jar of it. It is my go to oil for stir fry.
Here are the list of ingredients I used:
Bangkok Blend seasoning from Penzey's Spices
Chili Garlic Sauce by Huy Fong Foods, Inc.
Pork Tenderloin chops
Wok
Coconut Milk
Coconut Oil
Szechuan Pepper Salt Roasted by Penzey's Spices
Bag of frozen veggies, your choice
Bulgur or quinoa instead of rice.
Prep meat:
Season your meat with the Bagkok Blend and the Szechuan Pepper Salt, both sides. Slice meat into strips or cubes, your choice.
Get your wok ready, I use medium high heat, add your tablespoon of coconut oil and wait for it to get hot. Add meat, and cook until done. Now, take the bag of frozen veggies and cook in the microwave until done. Now, add those same veggies into the wok. Add a tablespoon of chunky peanut butter, or if you have smooth, you can use it as well. Add your can of coconut milk and mix. Let it cook for about 5 minutes to get all the flavors to blend.
Serve over bulgur or quinoa for a lower carb experience.
I generally use my rice cooker to make my bulgur or quinoa, it is simple, no fuss. No guessing how to cook it. Always use double the amount of liquid to amount of dry ingredients. It is like cooking rice.
Here are the list of ingredients I used:
Bangkok Blend seasoning from Penzey's Spices
Chili Garlic Sauce by Huy Fong Foods, Inc.
Pork Tenderloin chops
Wok
Coconut Milk
Coconut Oil
Szechuan Pepper Salt Roasted by Penzey's Spices
Bag of frozen veggies, your choice
Bulgur or quinoa instead of rice.
Prep meat:
Season your meat with the Bagkok Blend and the Szechuan Pepper Salt, both sides. Slice meat into strips or cubes, your choice.
Get your wok ready, I use medium high heat, add your tablespoon of coconut oil and wait for it to get hot. Add meat, and cook until done. Now, take the bag of frozen veggies and cook in the microwave until done. Now, add those same veggies into the wok. Add a tablespoon of chunky peanut butter, or if you have smooth, you can use it as well. Add your can of coconut milk and mix. Let it cook for about 5 minutes to get all the flavors to blend.
Serve over bulgur or quinoa for a lower carb experience.
I generally use my rice cooker to make my bulgur or quinoa, it is simple, no fuss. No guessing how to cook it. Always use double the amount of liquid to amount of dry ingredients. It is like cooking rice.
Friday, April 26, 2013
A Better Taco Salad
This is a better for you version of the classic taco salad. I know most people think of this dish as something to avoid. Well, it can be made better for you.
What you will need for this dish:
ground sirloin
Pace Picante Salsa, green lid, which is mild, if you can't handle the heat, get the blue lid.
taco seasoning
skillet
bag of salad, I used the Italian blend
bag of tortilla chips, I used a lower carb and better for you, chip.
sour cream, 16 ounce tub
shredded Mexican cheese or Colby cheese
Season your ground sirloin, place in skillet, turn on the heat, brown the meat. Drain any fat, pour in your picante sauce and lower heat, cook for about 10 minutes.
Open bag of salad, place in bowls, open bag of chips, and add 5 chips to each bowl. Place shredded cheese on top of chips, open sour cream, and mix. I used 2 tablespoons of sour cream on my bowls.
Turn heat off of meat mixture, I used a soup ladle to spoon my meat mixture over the sour cream.
Enjoy!
Hubby's reaction...he loved it! He did say that he would have loved a bigger bowl of it.
What you will need for this dish:
ground sirloin
Pace Picante Salsa, green lid, which is mild, if you can't handle the heat, get the blue lid.
taco seasoning
skillet
bag of salad, I used the Italian blend
bag of tortilla chips, I used a lower carb and better for you, chip.
sour cream, 16 ounce tub
shredded Mexican cheese or Colby cheese
Season your ground sirloin, place in skillet, turn on the heat, brown the meat. Drain any fat, pour in your picante sauce and lower heat, cook for about 10 minutes.
Open bag of salad, place in bowls, open bag of chips, and add 5 chips to each bowl. Place shredded cheese on top of chips, open sour cream, and mix. I used 2 tablespoons of sour cream on my bowls.
Turn heat off of meat mixture, I used a soup ladle to spoon my meat mixture over the sour cream.
Enjoy!
Hubby's reaction...he loved it! He did say that he would have loved a bigger bowl of it.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Chicken Enchiladas with Green Salsa
I just made these today and they are completely gone. The hubby loved them so much he finished them off. Don't let the name enchiladas fool you, they are simply easy and will be gone if you do not make enough.
Carbs...forget your diet with these...they are carb laden. They contain flour tortillas and two enchiladas will do it for me.
What you will need to make these...
Chicken shredded from a rotisserie store bought bird.
Flour tortillas, I used the fresh ones from the store.
1 tub of 16 ounce sour cream
1 to 2 packages shredded Mexican or Colby Jack cheese
1 jar of green salsa, I used Native Texan Hatch Chile Salsa Verde, you might buy 2 to be safe
Baking pan
oven
Aluminum foil
Fresh cilantro
Crank up your oven to 350F. Get your chicken shredded, put is aside in a bowl. Get out your flour tortillas, place one flat into your baking pan, grab a spoon, mix the sour cream, open your cheese bag, and open the salsa, this will work well if two people are working on this recipe, or one can do it by themselves. My hubby helped me on this and it went way quicker.
Place the shredded chicken in the flour tortilla, add some cilantro, sour cream, cheese, and salsa to the tortilla, now wrap it into a tube, place the seam side down in your pan. Keep repeating this process until you have as many enchiladas as you want to cook. Be sure to leave some salsa in the jar, or if you are like me, just buy another jar. I always take the left over salsa and pour it across the backs of the tubes of enchiladas. Be sure to spread it almost to the edge of each tube. Now, take some of that lovely shredded cheese and sprinkle this over the top of the salsa. Cover with foil and bake in that preheated 350F oven for 1 hour. Hubby did mention that he likes it a little crispy on top, if you like them this way, then 15 minutes before done, pull off the foil and let it finish baking.
Let them cool a bit before getting them out of the pan, they will come out better than when hot.
Enjoy!
Carbs...forget your diet with these...they are carb laden. They contain flour tortillas and two enchiladas will do it for me.
What you will need to make these...
Chicken shredded from a rotisserie store bought bird.
Flour tortillas, I used the fresh ones from the store.
1 tub of 16 ounce sour cream
1 to 2 packages shredded Mexican or Colby Jack cheese
1 jar of green salsa, I used Native Texan Hatch Chile Salsa Verde, you might buy 2 to be safe
Baking pan
oven
Aluminum foil
Fresh cilantro
Crank up your oven to 350F. Get your chicken shredded, put is aside in a bowl. Get out your flour tortillas, place one flat into your baking pan, grab a spoon, mix the sour cream, open your cheese bag, and open the salsa, this will work well if two people are working on this recipe, or one can do it by themselves. My hubby helped me on this and it went way quicker.
Place the shredded chicken in the flour tortilla, add some cilantro, sour cream, cheese, and salsa to the tortilla, now wrap it into a tube, place the seam side down in your pan. Keep repeating this process until you have as many enchiladas as you want to cook. Be sure to leave some salsa in the jar, or if you are like me, just buy another jar. I always take the left over salsa and pour it across the backs of the tubes of enchiladas. Be sure to spread it almost to the edge of each tube. Now, take some of that lovely shredded cheese and sprinkle this over the top of the salsa. Cover with foil and bake in that preheated 350F oven for 1 hour. Hubby did mention that he likes it a little crispy on top, if you like them this way, then 15 minutes before done, pull off the foil and let it finish baking.
Let them cool a bit before getting them out of the pan, they will come out better than when hot.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
The Lasagna Experiment
Last night, we decided to try completely no carb lasagna and found out some things about it.
First of all, do not use provolone cheese between the layers. It turned out really greasy and gross. Too much cheese. So, we will be experimenting with veggies between the layers, next time we make it.
If you love cheese and think you can handle the whole mess, I used provolone slices in place of polenta and noodles. It was gooey and very rich.
Hubby did mention that if you need a good laxative, this will do it.
I think the next phase of this recipe is either going to be zucchini, or eggplant. We will figure it out. Our goal is to make it totally carb free.
When we find the right combo, I will post it on here.
First of all, do not use provolone cheese between the layers. It turned out really greasy and gross. Too much cheese. So, we will be experimenting with veggies between the layers, next time we make it.
If you love cheese and think you can handle the whole mess, I used provolone slices in place of polenta and noodles. It was gooey and very rich.
Hubby did mention that if you need a good laxative, this will do it.
I think the next phase of this recipe is either going to be zucchini, or eggplant. We will figure it out. Our goal is to make it totally carb free.
When we find the right combo, I will post it on here.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Kale Chips...What the Heck Are Those?
I planted kale in my spring garden and I found a recipe for Kale chips. Everyone seems to think the things are addictive and they can't be all that bad for a person, can they? So, I was perusing one of my magazines and came across several recipes for kale chips. Since I have a copious amount of kale in my garden, I went picking. I came in with my stems and promptly pulled the stems off like the recipe said and rinsed the leaves.
Here is what I used for the recipe:
1 Misto sprayer filled with olive oil
shredded cheddar cheese
pepper grinder filled with my favorite Tellicherry black peppercorns
cookie sheet
oven
Kale leaves about 1 cup.
Rinse kale leaves, after de-stemming, place on cookie sheet, crank up oven and preheat to 300F. Spray the leaves with the Misto filled with olive oil, place shredded cheese on top, lightly grind pepper on leaves.
Place in pre-warmed oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Mine came out all dry and crispy. I think the baking time should be reduced to about 15 minutes. I over peppered mine and they were extra bold and zesty. My first impression, I need to grow more kale since this could be a really addictive snack. Hubby didn't like them.
I think other flavors are going to be in the works over here. If you have a dehydrator, you can also dehydrate them but, that takes forever. I wanted instant gratification. I did get it.
Carbs 8 grams.
Here is what I used for the recipe:
1 Misto sprayer filled with olive oil
shredded cheddar cheese
pepper grinder filled with my favorite Tellicherry black peppercorns
cookie sheet
oven
Kale leaves about 1 cup.
Rinse kale leaves, after de-stemming, place on cookie sheet, crank up oven and preheat to 300F. Spray the leaves with the Misto filled with olive oil, place shredded cheese on top, lightly grind pepper on leaves.
Place in pre-warmed oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Mine came out all dry and crispy. I think the baking time should be reduced to about 15 minutes. I over peppered mine and they were extra bold and zesty. My first impression, I need to grow more kale since this could be a really addictive snack. Hubby didn't like them.
I think other flavors are going to be in the works over here. If you have a dehydrator, you can also dehydrate them but, that takes forever. I wanted instant gratification. I did get it.
Carbs 8 grams.
Bacon...Need I Say More?
I have been craving bacon lately. I admit, since I am a type 2 diabetic it shouldn't be on my diet. Ha! I love bacon. It is salty, it is crunchy, it is chewy, it is Amazing!
So, what is a girl to do? Cook it, silly! I have been eating it and enjoying myself. How has this affected my blood pressure? It hasn't. Yep, I have been eating it and my blood pressure is normal. I have had it on low carb bread sandwiches, I have had it for breakfast with my egg. I am finding I can't get enough of it. This is usually a bad thing for those of us who are diabetics. I have noticed it fills me up more than my yogurt for breakfast and I eat less.
I still stay away from the uncured stuff since it is loaded with salt. Gack! Check out a package of normal bacon and then the uncured stuff and see the difference in salt. It will amaze you.
I have learned to read labels since this whole endeavor began. I learned that there are some things that might look good until you read that it is completely awful for you. I still buy chips, I know it isn't right but, read the labels and get the kind of chips that are portioned out. I buy Pr$ngles in the snack sizes. They are portioned out and each little container is 11 grams of carbs. This is perfect when I need that little bit of carb in my diet. It makes a great snack with a bag of 100 calories almonds or almonds and walnuts. I don't want to ever go into ketoacidosis. No thank you, it sounds so completely scary from what I have read.
If you haven't had the displeasure of the miracle noodle, I would have to say it all comes down to texture, if you are a texture person, trust me, you won't like the miracle noodle. It was completely awful for me. I am no way a noodle junky, I have learned all because of the miracle noodle. For those people who leave reviews that it is just like pasta, they are unbelievable LIARS! It is not pasta and NEVER will be pasta. My take on it is this...I can have it once a month or even once every 2 months, it is no longer a staple in my household.
I am proud to say that the last bag of rice left my house the other day. My sister called in need of rice, my niece was sick with diarrhea and my sister was completely out of rice. She called and I took her the last bag. I no longer have rice in my cupboards. Yay! I kicked that habit but, good. Slowly I am working on my other bad food habits.
I keep a food log and I write down each day what I eat. I have noticed that if I do not do this, I eat anything and everything. Not a good thing. I also have switched to frozen yogurt instead of ice cream. I buy the Blue Bell individual cups in a big old bag, when I need ice cream. This way, I am limited in my serving size. No more big old bowls of that. I love the individual frozen yogurts that come in a box. They are my go to when I need something a little bit sweet. They work out nicely since their carb count is low.
If you are just starting out as a diabetic, may I suggest...go see a dietitian. It will save your life. I learned how to eat all over again with my dietitian. She recommended to me a book that has helped out so much...you will think again about eating fast food with this book. It grossed me out to see what I was eating each day and the horror of it all. The book is The Calorie King, Calorie, Fat, and Carbohydrate counter. It completely changed the way I look at Fast Food and why I will never eat a burger again at the Golden Arches. No way! Just the amount of fat and carbs. It will blow you away. If I do have a burger, I do go for the kids portions. They are so much better for me. The carb count is way better.
Be aware...if you are reading this book in the car with other people who are not diabetics, you will be called the FOOD POLICE! I didn't realize how bad I had gotten until my sister point blank told me to just STOP! I looked at her in shock. Okay, what was I telling her to get her so upset? I then realized that I was trying to be healthy for myself but, other people do not appreciate it. Oh well. If they want to kill themselves with food, then let them. If you want to eat better, do it.
The best thing I did was go out to a all you can eat restaurant and just sit there and watch. Yep, watch to see what other people pile on their plates, it will gross you out. Just the amount of bread being consumed in this country...amazing! I do not miss it. I find that I now drool in the produce department. It used to be for sugar laden snacks and greasy burgers. No more.
Then it comes down to do I eat it and feel completely awful...the guilt and the ugh feeling...or eat something healthy and clean? Then there is the whole bacon thing...if you really want it, eat it. It doesn't give me the ugh feeling at all. I do not feel guilty for consuming it. Let's face it, Bacon is Fantastic!
So, what is a girl to do? Cook it, silly! I have been eating it and enjoying myself. How has this affected my blood pressure? It hasn't. Yep, I have been eating it and my blood pressure is normal. I have had it on low carb bread sandwiches, I have had it for breakfast with my egg. I am finding I can't get enough of it. This is usually a bad thing for those of us who are diabetics. I have noticed it fills me up more than my yogurt for breakfast and I eat less.
I still stay away from the uncured stuff since it is loaded with salt. Gack! Check out a package of normal bacon and then the uncured stuff and see the difference in salt. It will amaze you.
I have learned to read labels since this whole endeavor began. I learned that there are some things that might look good until you read that it is completely awful for you. I still buy chips, I know it isn't right but, read the labels and get the kind of chips that are portioned out. I buy Pr$ngles in the snack sizes. They are portioned out and each little container is 11 grams of carbs. This is perfect when I need that little bit of carb in my diet. It makes a great snack with a bag of 100 calories almonds or almonds and walnuts. I don't want to ever go into ketoacidosis. No thank you, it sounds so completely scary from what I have read.
If you haven't had the displeasure of the miracle noodle, I would have to say it all comes down to texture, if you are a texture person, trust me, you won't like the miracle noodle. It was completely awful for me. I am no way a noodle junky, I have learned all because of the miracle noodle. For those people who leave reviews that it is just like pasta, they are unbelievable LIARS! It is not pasta and NEVER will be pasta. My take on it is this...I can have it once a month or even once every 2 months, it is no longer a staple in my household.
I am proud to say that the last bag of rice left my house the other day. My sister called in need of rice, my niece was sick with diarrhea and my sister was completely out of rice. She called and I took her the last bag. I no longer have rice in my cupboards. Yay! I kicked that habit but, good. Slowly I am working on my other bad food habits.
I keep a food log and I write down each day what I eat. I have noticed that if I do not do this, I eat anything and everything. Not a good thing. I also have switched to frozen yogurt instead of ice cream. I buy the Blue Bell individual cups in a big old bag, when I need ice cream. This way, I am limited in my serving size. No more big old bowls of that. I love the individual frozen yogurts that come in a box. They are my go to when I need something a little bit sweet. They work out nicely since their carb count is low.
If you are just starting out as a diabetic, may I suggest...go see a dietitian. It will save your life. I learned how to eat all over again with my dietitian. She recommended to me a book that has helped out so much...you will think again about eating fast food with this book. It grossed me out to see what I was eating each day and the horror of it all. The book is The Calorie King, Calorie, Fat, and Carbohydrate counter. It completely changed the way I look at Fast Food and why I will never eat a burger again at the Golden Arches. No way! Just the amount of fat and carbs. It will blow you away. If I do have a burger, I do go for the kids portions. They are so much better for me. The carb count is way better.
Be aware...if you are reading this book in the car with other people who are not diabetics, you will be called the FOOD POLICE! I didn't realize how bad I had gotten until my sister point blank told me to just STOP! I looked at her in shock. Okay, what was I telling her to get her so upset? I then realized that I was trying to be healthy for myself but, other people do not appreciate it. Oh well. If they want to kill themselves with food, then let them. If you want to eat better, do it.
The best thing I did was go out to a all you can eat restaurant and just sit there and watch. Yep, watch to see what other people pile on their plates, it will gross you out. Just the amount of bread being consumed in this country...amazing! I do not miss it. I find that I now drool in the produce department. It used to be for sugar laden snacks and greasy burgers. No more.
Then it comes down to do I eat it and feel completely awful...the guilt and the ugh feeling...or eat something healthy and clean? Then there is the whole bacon thing...if you really want it, eat it. It doesn't give me the ugh feeling at all. I do not feel guilty for consuming it. Let's face it, Bacon is Fantastic!
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Herbal Tea
Lately, I have taken to consuming several cups of herbal tea during the day. I noticed a very nice outcome from drinking tea right before I go to sleep. I noticed this several days running, I woke up and took my blood sugar. It was normal. Yep, normal. I know several people who struggle to keep their fasting blood sugar normal.
I have two favorites that I alternate between, I have a moringa blend and a orange red carrot green rooibos blend that I drink. This morning I was craving the moringa blend. I am having a cup now.
I also drink an oolong blend some days but, for the most part, the herbal teas are my go to teas.
I have two favorites that I alternate between, I have a moringa blend and a orange red carrot green rooibos blend that I drink. This morning I was craving the moringa blend. I am having a cup now.
I also drink an oolong blend some days but, for the most part, the herbal teas are my go to teas.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Making the Polenta Lasagna even Lower Carb
My hubby and I have been having a discussion about the carbs in the lasagna. He is trying to go completely no carb. I love carbs and I am trying to do low carbs. Well, the polenta lasagna is a favorite but, he has challenged me to make it even lower or no carb. He suggested I use zucchini, and I said no. Too bitter. He can make it if he wants it bad enough, I refuse. So, I started to think about this...how can I make it completely carb free? Cheese was the answer I came up with.
I am seriously thinking of taking provolone slices and placing the slices between my layers of cottage cheese and meat sauce. This should make it even more tastier than normal. I thought about using buffalo mozzarella slices as well. It would make it over the top cheesy but, this isn't a problem in my home since we love cheese.
My doctor has tried to get me to switch to the low fat cheese but, it is awful. It takes like rubber. My whole goal is to make this taste good, not like the bottom of a shoe. Ugh!
For those of you who are suffering from high cholesterol, I am one of them, start taking your fish oil pills...I sadly take 4 a day of the things. I have the ones that are lemon based...tastes so much better than the fish based ones...that taste will forever haunt my memory when I happened to burp that. NASTY!!!!
If you are interested in the lemon based ones...Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega. I found my bottle at my local grocery store and GNC sells them as well. I had originally ordered them in from GNC but, I was shopping and found them at my grocery store. They have a great health food section.
I also have found that eating breakfast cereal will help with the whole cholesterol as well. I have Cinnamon Life because it is lower carb than the other cereals out there and I refuse to eat those round oat circles. Ick!
I will have a bowl every now and then when I just can't handle having another yogurt for breakfast. I also have found that steel cut oats are wonderful for breakfast and I use my xylitol sweetener in it. Be forewarned, if you are really hungry, it is going to take about 30 minutes to cook the steel cut oats but, they are worth the time and energy.
I will let you know my results with the cheese slices when I make the lasagna again. I am thinking it will work.
I am seriously thinking of taking provolone slices and placing the slices between my layers of cottage cheese and meat sauce. This should make it even more tastier than normal. I thought about using buffalo mozzarella slices as well. It would make it over the top cheesy but, this isn't a problem in my home since we love cheese.
My doctor has tried to get me to switch to the low fat cheese but, it is awful. It takes like rubber. My whole goal is to make this taste good, not like the bottom of a shoe. Ugh!
For those of you who are suffering from high cholesterol, I am one of them, start taking your fish oil pills...I sadly take 4 a day of the things. I have the ones that are lemon based...tastes so much better than the fish based ones...that taste will forever haunt my memory when I happened to burp that. NASTY!!!!
If you are interested in the lemon based ones...Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega. I found my bottle at my local grocery store and GNC sells them as well. I had originally ordered them in from GNC but, I was shopping and found them at my grocery store. They have a great health food section.
I also have found that eating breakfast cereal will help with the whole cholesterol as well. I have Cinnamon Life because it is lower carb than the other cereals out there and I refuse to eat those round oat circles. Ick!
I will have a bowl every now and then when I just can't handle having another yogurt for breakfast. I also have found that steel cut oats are wonderful for breakfast and I use my xylitol sweetener in it. Be forewarned, if you are really hungry, it is going to take about 30 minutes to cook the steel cut oats but, they are worth the time and energy.
I will let you know my results with the cheese slices when I make the lasagna again. I am thinking it will work.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Saying No to Temptation!
If you are like me, those bunny eggs filled with sweet goo are a favorite this time of year. It was so bad for me today, I could smell how sweet they were today in the store. I resisted temptation and said no, I do not need those. But, man how I wanted them. Sorry to say, no recipe for those on here. I wish there were a sugar free version available because I would have them. Oh yes! I would!
I might have to go peruse the chocolate candy aisle at the store and see if there is a sugar free chocolate rabbit or if I have to just break down and have a sugared up version of one. I really do not want to break my diet for a silly chocolate bunny!
Today I had a taste of a Coke with full sugar and do you know, after not having one for 2 years, it was completely awful! I have no idea how I even drank the things. Ugh! It was caustically sweet. I will stick to my plain tea, no sugar. It tastes good to me.
If I need a little sweet, I put some xylitol in my drinks. It doesn't upset my tummy and it doesn't give a sugar spike or the low. I use it as my sugar substitute and I have had people who aren't diabetics tell me that it tastes like sugar. The pumpkin bars on here are some of the ones I have shared with non diabetics and they loved them.
Last night's recipe of the steak with salsa turned out really well and it wasn't hot for me. Hubby loved it! He said it was tasty and it made it's own juice so, nothing other than the salsa was added. I was hoping we had some guajillo salsa but, sadly we didn't. I will have to buy more. I love how garlicky it is and smoky. That would have imparted a nice flavor into the meat.
I might have to go peruse the chocolate candy aisle at the store and see if there is a sugar free chocolate rabbit or if I have to just break down and have a sugared up version of one. I really do not want to break my diet for a silly chocolate bunny!
Today I had a taste of a Coke with full sugar and do you know, after not having one for 2 years, it was completely awful! I have no idea how I even drank the things. Ugh! It was caustically sweet. I will stick to my plain tea, no sugar. It tastes good to me.
If I need a little sweet, I put some xylitol in my drinks. It doesn't upset my tummy and it doesn't give a sugar spike or the low. I use it as my sugar substitute and I have had people who aren't diabetics tell me that it tastes like sugar. The pumpkin bars on here are some of the ones I have shared with non diabetics and they loved them.
Last night's recipe of the steak with salsa turned out really well and it wasn't hot for me. Hubby loved it! He said it was tasty and it made it's own juice so, nothing other than the salsa was added. I was hoping we had some guajillo salsa but, sadly we didn't. I will have to buy more. I love how garlicky it is and smoky. That would have imparted a nice flavor into the meat.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Easy Salsa Steak, Chicken, or Pork Chops
What you will need for this recipe....
Steak, your choice, or even pork chops, or chicken breast
One jar of salsa, your choice of flavor or heat
Baking pan
Aluminum Foil
Preheat oven to 350F. Take your baking pan, place your meat of choice into it, now open that jar of salsa, pour over the meat. I used Frontera Salsa Chipotle 16 ounces. Cover pan with aluminum foil, bake for 1 hour at 350F. I used the whole jar of salsa for this one.
There is no need to season this one, the salsa does it all for you. The meat comes out tender, and juicy every time.
Steak, your choice, or even pork chops, or chicken breast
One jar of salsa, your choice of flavor or heat
Baking pan
Aluminum Foil
Preheat oven to 350F. Take your baking pan, place your meat of choice into it, now open that jar of salsa, pour over the meat. I used Frontera Salsa Chipotle 16 ounces. Cover pan with aluminum foil, bake for 1 hour at 350F. I used the whole jar of salsa for this one.
There is no need to season this one, the salsa does it all for you. The meat comes out tender, and juicy every time.
Mushroom Bulgur Steak Bake
What you will need for this recipe....
Steak, you get to use whatever cut your prefer, it works well with anything from chuck steak to sirloin.
One can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup
Bulgur
Spices, your choice of what you want to put on your steak.
Mixing bowl
Baking pan
Aluminium Foil
Crank up the oven to 350F.
Grab a bowl to mix your soup, bulgur and water in.
Measure out your bulgur, it should have serving suggestions on the back of the box or bag.
Open the can of mushroom soup, dump it into your bowl, fill the can with water, to the rim. You may need to add more if you have a large family to feed. This recipe with one can of water works well for two people. I even have left overs. Mix together bulgur, water, and soup.
Season steak, cut into sections for as many people as you are serving.
Place steak in bottom of baking pan, no need to grease the bottom. Take soup mixture and pour over top of steak. Cover pan with aluminium foil. Bake for 1 hour.
This recipe was originally made with rice. I have since started making it with the bulgur since I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and white rice is off limits. I tried it with quinoa and it just didn't taste right. The bulgur works out well.
I use Bob's Red Mill 100% Quick Cooking Bulgur Wheat 28oz bag. It has 30 grams of carbs with 7 grams of fiber so, it has 23 grams of carbs total. Serving size is 1/4 cup dry. Remember when cooking it to double your water amount. So, if you are using 1 can of water from the mushroom soup, it will work.
One bag of bulgur will last a while for you.
Steak, you get to use whatever cut your prefer, it works well with anything from chuck steak to sirloin.
One can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup
Bulgur
Spices, your choice of what you want to put on your steak.
Mixing bowl
Baking pan
Aluminium Foil
Crank up the oven to 350F.
Grab a bowl to mix your soup, bulgur and water in.
Measure out your bulgur, it should have serving suggestions on the back of the box or bag.
Open the can of mushroom soup, dump it into your bowl, fill the can with water, to the rim. You may need to add more if you have a large family to feed. This recipe with one can of water works well for two people. I even have left overs. Mix together bulgur, water, and soup.
Season steak, cut into sections for as many people as you are serving.
Place steak in bottom of baking pan, no need to grease the bottom. Take soup mixture and pour over top of steak. Cover pan with aluminium foil. Bake for 1 hour.
This recipe was originally made with rice. I have since started making it with the bulgur since I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and white rice is off limits. I tried it with quinoa and it just didn't taste right. The bulgur works out well.
I use Bob's Red Mill 100% Quick Cooking Bulgur Wheat 28oz bag. It has 30 grams of carbs with 7 grams of fiber so, it has 23 grams of carbs total. Serving size is 1/4 cup dry. Remember when cooking it to double your water amount. So, if you are using 1 can of water from the mushroom soup, it will work.
One bag of bulgur will last a while for you.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Lasagna with Polenta and No Noodles
I am on a low carb diet and noodles are totally off limits. So, if you love lasagna as much as I do, then you know how much suffering it is to watch people have this for dinner and you can't touch it. It sucks. So, I was reading a cookbook and came across polenta in place of noodles.
What you will need to make this recipe:
Ground beef, I use ground sirloin.
Jar of pasta sauce, I use my grocery store brand and it is a garlic and herb
shredded mozzarella cheese, I used 1 package.
cottage cheese, big tub.
spices, I used pepper, salt, garlic, onion, and smoked paprika
Polenta, it is on the pasta aisle at my grocery store. It comes in a tube, looks like summer sausage but, yellow.
Large baking pan or whatever size you will need.
Brown the ground beef, with your spices. Drain off fat, if you have any. Add in jar of pasta sauce, turn heat to medium and let it cook for a bit. I like to get it bubbly hot and then turn down to low and mix occasionally so, it won't stick.
Crank up your oven to 350F. Slice your polenta in whatever thickness you are comfortable with. My goal was to go as low carb as possible, and I chose to use thinner slices rather than thicker.
Use a large baking dish with taller sides since it will be very juicy!
Start the layering process like you would do with regular lasagna. I chose to put the meat sauce on the bottom, then I added the polenta slices, then the cottage cheese with mozzarella cheese, then polenta, and so on. Cover with aluminum foil.
Bake in a 350F oven for 1 hour.
Serve!
My hubby loved it and asked me to make it again for us. We are both eating low carb and hopefully, this recipe will become a favorite of yours as well.
What you will need to make this recipe:
Ground beef, I use ground sirloin.
Jar of pasta sauce, I use my grocery store brand and it is a garlic and herb
shredded mozzarella cheese, I used 1 package.
cottage cheese, big tub.
spices, I used pepper, salt, garlic, onion, and smoked paprika
Polenta, it is on the pasta aisle at my grocery store. It comes in a tube, looks like summer sausage but, yellow.
Large baking pan or whatever size you will need.
Brown the ground beef, with your spices. Drain off fat, if you have any. Add in jar of pasta sauce, turn heat to medium and let it cook for a bit. I like to get it bubbly hot and then turn down to low and mix occasionally so, it won't stick.
Crank up your oven to 350F. Slice your polenta in whatever thickness you are comfortable with. My goal was to go as low carb as possible, and I chose to use thinner slices rather than thicker.
Use a large baking dish with taller sides since it will be very juicy!
Start the layering process like you would do with regular lasagna. I chose to put the meat sauce on the bottom, then I added the polenta slices, then the cottage cheese with mozzarella cheese, then polenta, and so on. Cover with aluminum foil.
Bake in a 350F oven for 1 hour.
Serve!
My hubby loved it and asked me to make it again for us. We are both eating low carb and hopefully, this recipe will become a favorite of yours as well.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Some Observations
I made the pumpkin bars with the quinoa and used whey low for my topping base instead of the xylitol that I had planned to use. I couldn't find the xylitol in my pantry but, I had bought the whey low a few months ago. The whey low is super sweet and had I realized this, I wouldn't have used it.
The quinoa flour just doesn't do it for me. I am a spelt flour girl. I love the texture of the spelt flour and the taste is way better. The hubby did say that he liked the quinoa flour pumpkin bars. I just know that my sugar went off of the charts after having one of the things. I can't eat them. Realize that I am not on my metformin right now so, it won't help me any to have one of these things. So, I have to stay away from them.
I am also being good and staying away from white rice...crack to diabetics and I am staying away from pasta and breads. I am on a low carb diet and it is helping me keep my sugar in check. I also exercise which helps out so much with keeping the sugar low. I drink de-caf coffee with some half and half with a tsp of Xyla.
I have added oolong tea into the mix and it helps to get the sugar to normalize. It is good when I need a nice pick me up.
I have a book that helps me stay on my diet when I am out with my sister, shopping and I can't get to any veggies, it has a list of calories, fat and carbs. If you read it, you will never eat at Mickey D's again. Just the amount of carbs and fat! One thing that has happened since I started on my diet, I used to watch Food Network and just drool over the fatty hamburgers and crud foods. Now I am not even interested in Food Network and the crud foods, fatty hamburgers make me nauseous. I drool in the produce department at the grocery store. I noticed it one day when I went grocery shopping. I was in the lettuce section and I noticed my mouth just watering. I realized then that my diet is working. I learned to eat right and as long as I stay away from sugar, white flour, and carbs, I can do anything.
This coming weekend, I will be out in my garden planting vegetables. I have 10 furrows this year for my crop. I have plans to put in kale, radishes, lettuce, carrots, and broccoli. I am excited since my dill came up and my cilantro came back. I love fresh veggies out of the garden. My garden isn't big, it is little but, it does produce enough food for just the two of us. Hubby is taking the back flower bed behind the pool and turning it into a sunny spot garden bed for tomatoes and okra. I love grilled okra, it is so good!
Gardening does count as exercise for those of you who don't want to walk or ride your bicycle or head to the gym. Manual labor will work off the pounds. It also will give you a nice sense of accomplishment and if you can grow your own veggies, something nice to put in the fridge and on the table. Plus, you will know what was used on it since you grew it. Nothing funky or genetically modified.
I have to look on my chart to see when green beans can be planted since I am fond of them. I have to head to the home improvement store for onion sets. Those are going to be planted, too. :)
The quinoa flour just doesn't do it for me. I am a spelt flour girl. I love the texture of the spelt flour and the taste is way better. The hubby did say that he liked the quinoa flour pumpkin bars. I just know that my sugar went off of the charts after having one of the things. I can't eat them. Realize that I am not on my metformin right now so, it won't help me any to have one of these things. So, I have to stay away from them.
I am also being good and staying away from white rice...crack to diabetics and I am staying away from pasta and breads. I am on a low carb diet and it is helping me keep my sugar in check. I also exercise which helps out so much with keeping the sugar low. I drink de-caf coffee with some half and half with a tsp of Xyla.
I have added oolong tea into the mix and it helps to get the sugar to normalize. It is good when I need a nice pick me up.
I have a book that helps me stay on my diet when I am out with my sister, shopping and I can't get to any veggies, it has a list of calories, fat and carbs. If you read it, you will never eat at Mickey D's again. Just the amount of carbs and fat! One thing that has happened since I started on my diet, I used to watch Food Network and just drool over the fatty hamburgers and crud foods. Now I am not even interested in Food Network and the crud foods, fatty hamburgers make me nauseous. I drool in the produce department at the grocery store. I noticed it one day when I went grocery shopping. I was in the lettuce section and I noticed my mouth just watering. I realized then that my diet is working. I learned to eat right and as long as I stay away from sugar, white flour, and carbs, I can do anything.
This coming weekend, I will be out in my garden planting vegetables. I have 10 furrows this year for my crop. I have plans to put in kale, radishes, lettuce, carrots, and broccoli. I am excited since my dill came up and my cilantro came back. I love fresh veggies out of the garden. My garden isn't big, it is little but, it does produce enough food for just the two of us. Hubby is taking the back flower bed behind the pool and turning it into a sunny spot garden bed for tomatoes and okra. I love grilled okra, it is so good!
Gardening does count as exercise for those of you who don't want to walk or ride your bicycle or head to the gym. Manual labor will work off the pounds. It also will give you a nice sense of accomplishment and if you can grow your own veggies, something nice to put in the fridge and on the table. Plus, you will know what was used on it since you grew it. Nothing funky or genetically modified.
I have to look on my chart to see when green beans can be planted since I am fond of them. I have to head to the home improvement store for onion sets. Those are going to be planted, too. :)
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Building a Better Pumpkin Bar
I grabbed a cookie book and found a recipe. I looked at the ingredients and decided to do some substituting, it does make life interesting to try new things.
First time I made this recipe, I used spelt flour. It gave it a nice nutty flavor, which works well with the pumpkin. It has 22 grams of carbs per 1/4 cup. It also has 4 gram of dietary fiber. Think of fiber as being your friend, it is wonderful in keeping everything in balance.
Today I am trying quinoa flour, it has 18 grams of carbs and only 2 grams of fiber, not good but, it is a test batch.
What you will need for this recipe...
2 cups spelt flour, this can be found at most grocery stores, I tested with Bob's Red Mill brand.
1 cup Xylitol, I use Emerald Forest Xyla, which can be found at Amazon.
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
4 eggs, beaten
1 fifteen ounce can of pumpkin
1 cup olive oil
Get a big bowl and mix all the ingredients together. If you own a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, put it in there and turn it on to medium.
Preheat your oven to 350F. Pour your batter into a large baking pan, I used a 4 quart pan. The recipe suggests a 13 x 9 x1 inch pan. Bake your bars for 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick poked into the center of the bars comes out clean or if you touch it and it bounces back in the center. Let stand for 2 hours on a metal rack or until completely cool.
This recipe comes with frosting and yes, it too can be made without sugar and taste fabulous.
Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
In a medium mixing bowl, take 4 ounces of cream cheese at room temperature, add to that 1/4 cup softened butter, don't use margarine, it won't turn out, 1 teaspoonful of vanilla extract. Mix together with your electric mixer at medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add powdered xylitol to the mix, gradually. You are going to need 2 and 1/2 cups. When it is frosting consistency, then it will be ready for spreading on your cooled pumpkin bars.
Where do I find the powdered xylitol? I found mine at Nettrition.
I love xylitol since it doesn't spike blood sugar. It does have a laxative effect at first but as I have been using it for a while, no problems. The best part of this recipe, it doesn't taste sugar free. It is yummy!
I have served this recipe to friends who aren't diabetic and they couldn't taste the difference. My best friend loved it so much she refused to share them with her boyfriend.
To be fair, the recipe I used came from Better Homes and Gardens: The Ultimate Cookie Book. I just made it sugar free and with quinoa flour, gluten free.
Since Xylitol tastes sweeter than sugar, I cut down on the recipe, which is how it is written here. The xylitol is measured like sugar, 1:1 ratio.
First time I made this recipe, I used spelt flour. It gave it a nice nutty flavor, which works well with the pumpkin. It has 22 grams of carbs per 1/4 cup. It also has 4 gram of dietary fiber. Think of fiber as being your friend, it is wonderful in keeping everything in balance.
Today I am trying quinoa flour, it has 18 grams of carbs and only 2 grams of fiber, not good but, it is a test batch.
What you will need for this recipe...
2 cups spelt flour, this can be found at most grocery stores, I tested with Bob's Red Mill brand.
1 cup Xylitol, I use Emerald Forest Xyla, which can be found at Amazon.
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
4 eggs, beaten
1 fifteen ounce can of pumpkin
1 cup olive oil
Get a big bowl and mix all the ingredients together. If you own a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, put it in there and turn it on to medium.
Preheat your oven to 350F. Pour your batter into a large baking pan, I used a 4 quart pan. The recipe suggests a 13 x 9 x1 inch pan. Bake your bars for 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick poked into the center of the bars comes out clean or if you touch it and it bounces back in the center. Let stand for 2 hours on a metal rack or until completely cool.
This recipe comes with frosting and yes, it too can be made without sugar and taste fabulous.
Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
In a medium mixing bowl, take 4 ounces of cream cheese at room temperature, add to that 1/4 cup softened butter, don't use margarine, it won't turn out, 1 teaspoonful of vanilla extract. Mix together with your electric mixer at medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add powdered xylitol to the mix, gradually. You are going to need 2 and 1/2 cups. When it is frosting consistency, then it will be ready for spreading on your cooled pumpkin bars.
Where do I find the powdered xylitol? I found mine at Nettrition.
I love xylitol since it doesn't spike blood sugar. It does have a laxative effect at first but as I have been using it for a while, no problems. The best part of this recipe, it doesn't taste sugar free. It is yummy!
I have served this recipe to friends who aren't diabetic and they couldn't taste the difference. My best friend loved it so much she refused to share them with her boyfriend.
To be fair, the recipe I used came from Better Homes and Gardens: The Ultimate Cookie Book. I just made it sugar free and with quinoa flour, gluten free.
Since Xylitol tastes sweeter than sugar, I cut down on the recipe, which is how it is written here. The xylitol is measured like sugar, 1:1 ratio.
How It All Started
I decided that people other than myself need help, especially if you are suffering from type 2 Diabetes. I was diagnosed on December 27, 2011. I wasn't happy about it but I knew it was coming. I had a grandparent with the disease and knew it was coming sooner or later, I hoped later. So, with the help of one husband who is wonderful and one dietitian, I was on my way to the fight of my life. Several family members have had the disease for years and the effects on a body are seriously damaging. My goal, to keep my feet, legs, eye sight, teeth, and heart intact. I had a long hard battle with MRSA, should have known this would have been the start of the whole diabetes saga.
So, after many months working with my dietitian and doctor, taking my meds, exercising, and just trying to stay positive, I went in for blood work and after my follow up, I found out that I had kicked it. How did I do this? I learned how to eat all over again and I also learned the sugar is awful stuff. Yes, it is very tasty but, is it worth it? No!
It took me two long weeks to kick sugar. I shook, I was constantly hungry, I craved it, it was like someone trying to kick alcohol. It was sugar. That lovely grainy white stuff that I had been eating since I was a child. Then when it is combined with all purpose flour...holy smoke, that is a major ticking time bomb. It can really do devestating things to our bodies.
Then there are carbs...I admit it, I was a serious carb junkie. Those chips that call your name in the middle of the night...yep, that was me. I was a serious wreck.
Here is how to stop yourself from turning into a serious wreck. If you are diagnosed, please tell your doctor that you really want to see a dietitian, it will save your life.
I decided to share my recipes for everyone who needs to lose a few pounds without losing taste. I researched like crazy to find what I could about several different sugar substitutes and their effects on the body.
Don't take the disease lying down, do what you can to research and find out what information you can to help save your life. It is your fight and yours alone.
So here goes....
So, after many months working with my dietitian and doctor, taking my meds, exercising, and just trying to stay positive, I went in for blood work and after my follow up, I found out that I had kicked it. How did I do this? I learned how to eat all over again and I also learned the sugar is awful stuff. Yes, it is very tasty but, is it worth it? No!
It took me two long weeks to kick sugar. I shook, I was constantly hungry, I craved it, it was like someone trying to kick alcohol. It was sugar. That lovely grainy white stuff that I had been eating since I was a child. Then when it is combined with all purpose flour...holy smoke, that is a major ticking time bomb. It can really do devestating things to our bodies.
Then there are carbs...I admit it, I was a serious carb junkie. Those chips that call your name in the middle of the night...yep, that was me. I was a serious wreck.
Here is how to stop yourself from turning into a serious wreck. If you are diagnosed, please tell your doctor that you really want to see a dietitian, it will save your life.
I decided to share my recipes for everyone who needs to lose a few pounds without losing taste. I researched like crazy to find what I could about several different sugar substitutes and their effects on the body.
Don't take the disease lying down, do what you can to research and find out what information you can to help save your life. It is your fight and yours alone.
So here goes....
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