gooselace

HOPING EVERYONE'S HOLIDAYS ARE HAPPY AND HEALTHY

We have been pretty much housebound all week with 20 inches of the pretty white stuff that this area isn't equipped to handle. We'd planned to go out for Christmas, but are staying home and having roasted chicken, spinach quiche (have to use frozen spinach but it will still be good) with veggies and salad, plus generous slices of low-carb pumpkin pie. Thankful that I don't keep surgary treats in the house, but had plenty of eggs, cream, and cheeses, and well stocked pantry and freezer.

And, of course,plenty of cat food for the four kitties, who got more presents than we did!

Pumpkin Pie With Pecan Crust

Crust:

Preheat oven to 350

Spray a 10" pie plate with non-stick spray, or butter well.

2 cups pecans

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 tablespoons Splenda

1 1/2 teaspoons sugarfree “maple” pancake syrup

4 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons water

Put pecans and salt in food processor with S blade. Pulse until pecans are chopped to a medium consistency. Add Splenda, syrup, and butter; pulse again until well blended. Add water, pulse again, until well combined into a soft, sticky mass. Turn it out into the greased pie plate, and press into place, all over bottom, and up the sides. Try to get it an even thickness, with no holes. You may want to run a finger or a knife around the top edge, to get an even line, just to make it look nice for company.

Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. Cool.

Increase oven temp to 425

Pumpkin Pie Filling

1 can,15 ounces, plain pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix, which has sugar)

3/4 cups heavy (whipping) cream

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup Splenda

l Tbsp Brown Sugar Twin (may also to use a brown Spenda, but I haven’t tried it)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp (or more) cinnamon (I use a lot more)

l/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp. ginger

OR 1 Tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice ( blend of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, & cloves.

(If, like me, you prefer a really spicy pie, increase the spices and/or add 1/2 tsp Allspice or Cardamom.)

Put all ingredients in a bowl in order listed and whisk together well. Pour into

prebaked pecan pie shell. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes.

Lower oven temperature to 350, bake for an additional 45 minutes. (Or until center is set)

Cool before serving. (needs to be kept refrigerated). Serve with whipped cream.

Enjoy!

This evening I tried the Gooselace hot&spicy with walnuts...YUM!:D I also added three or four dashes of Louisiana hot sauce, so, it really was spicy! I must say, Jean is so right, it is a keeper! Now the problem that I foresee is trying to keep nuts in the house because I am likely to double this recipe next time...thank goodness for the large bags @ Sams!

 

Yes, I have been trying to keep on track, & once again, the science proves the logic of this WOE because my stiks were deep purple after only two days of really being conscientious about eating habits..( my, my, how easily we are tempted to deviate at times...):confused::eek:;)

Glad to hear you enjoyed the nuts. Yes, when I'm making them just for my and my DH, I sometimes add Tabasco for an extra kick. I've been off this board for so long - had a month-long bout with the seasonal flu, right after I had the flu shot - I couldn't even remember which version of the recipe I posted. One thing about the flu, I was too weak to care much about eating, but didn't lose much weight either.

Recovered enough to have a semi-traditional Thanksigiving dinner. Invited a friend to join us and she brought a delish frisee salad, made with crumbled bacon, pecans, and chopped hard boiled egg with a mild rice vinegar and red wine dressing. Frisee is difficult to find in standard groceries here, but well worth the effort ( Wegmans or Whole Foods, maybe Trader Joe's) it makes a lovely change for a special occasion. One of our local restaurants serves it at brunch with a poached egg on top.

Can't remember if I posted the recipe for the low carb pumpkin pie made with crushed pecan crust. If not, let me know. Guess I should invest in a pecan farm.

And for those who can't resist pizza (my DH is one) I'd recommend trying the "LowCabolicious" brand low carb pizza kit. Can order it online from several websites (Google it) or QVC-TV. The flat crust takes a bit of getting used to, but it beats eating the topping only, and we really like the sauce that comes with the kit. I pile on all our favorite meat toppings plus some colorful peppers, onions, and cheeses. A whole pizza has fewer carbs than a single slice of a typical pizza.

Plus, I can put one together in about the time it takes just to order a pizza from from a carryout place.

Here's hot & spicy pecan recipe for NMCruzzin hubby and Markc4:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a medium bowl mix:

2 TBs melted butter

1 TBs Worcestershire sauce (or Lea & Perrins)

1/4 tso cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder (can substitute 1/2 tsp garlic salt and skip salt)

1/4 tsp. salt

Add:

2 cups pecan halves

Toss with 1 heaping TBs chili powder.

Spread coated pecans on baking sheet, bake for 30 minutes in preheated oven, stirring every 10 minutes or so.

Let cool completely before storing in airtight container - at least that's what the recipe says. Wouldn't know - DH polishes these off before they can be stored.

Here's the spiced pecan recipe:

Spiced Pecans

1 egg white (or equivalent of "Just Whites")

2 Tbsp water

1/4 cup Splenda

Beat egg white with water until foamy, gradually adding 1/4 cup Splenda. Add 3 to 4 cups whole pecans.

In a medium size bowl, combine:

1/2 cup Splenda (spoonable)

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

(for a spicier version I just add more of these, plus a 1/2 tsp. allspice.)

Add the nuts and stir until all are coated. (Or pour the spice mixture over the pecans - seems to work just as well.)

Spread nuts on cookie sheet (lined with Release foil, if you like).

Bake at 250 degrees for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

I also have a recipe for hot & spice Pecans, made with butter and hot spices - let me know if that's what you meant by spicier.

Heeeeyyy!! It looks like this thread is having the same problem as my weight loss, sloooow! :eek: However, I am soo glad to see some old timers here, OMGosh, Gooselace ~ of the famed baked, seasoned nuts! Perhaps you have some new awesome low~carb recipes to share?!! It is soo good to 'see' you, I have read this thread for several years before actually posting, so I do know you are successful in your WOE despite some 'recent' set-backs...;)

Yes, I still make the spiced pecans (friends request them for parties and no one seems to realize they are sugarfree). Don't know what other recipes I shared here - maybe crustless spinach quiche, probably the meatloaf made with crushed barbecue pork rinds instead of breadcrumbs, and halibut topped with ground macademia nuts spiced up with cayenne pepper and garlic or whatever. If anyone doesn't have these, just let me know.

I use the plain pork rinds in place of breadcrumbs in several recipes (crabcakes, breading for chicken "fingers"). But recently, I found that canned fried onion rings make a better topping for macaroni & cheese (Dreamfields pasta, of course).

I've got until April to lose 10-15 lbs, so I can enjoy my TulipTime river boat cruise from Amsterdam with having to count every carb. So new recipes and suggestions are welcome.

Hey!! Where is Everyone!!??

 

I'm back - you and pinkbikini are the only names I recall. If the Search function is accurate, I haven't been here since April, when I was getting ready for my HAL trip to the Norwegian Fjords, Scotland and the English coast. Terrific trip and I kept closely to my WOE.

But in December I decided to stop smoking (again). Figured it was a good time because I was down to 120, 10 lbs under my "just right" weight. Worked fine until recently, even though didn't think I was eating any differently, but found the scale registering 140 and sometimes a bit more.

My friends are no help - most of them either need to lose but aren't trying, or are just naturally thin. So back to this board, where I knew I'd find people dealing with the same issues and pursuing a WOE that works.

Looking forward to catching up, sharing recipes and tips, and encouraging each other.

Have always booked my own flights in the past, but for reasons of little interest here, are using Carnival cruise air, with deviation, for a roundtrip Rome trip Oct. 1. Don't know when I will know what the flights are, but have decided we need to go a day earlier, even though the cruise doesn't depart until 7 p.m. and most flights from IAD arrive in the morning. Will flight deviation apply to the day before? How soon will we know whether Carnival has been able to accommodate our request.

We have to book a hotel separately (pre-cruise packages are sold out), we will need to make our own arrangements for getting to the hotel and from the hotel to the port - a considerable expense - and 60 days before the cruise (when I understand we get our final docs) won't give me much time to find accommodations.

We are booking the cruise (don't ask :rolleyes: ) through a TA who doesn't handle air. I feel like I'm between the proverbial devil and hard place and by the time I find out the flights, I won't be able to find a taxi/tour/ and hotel except at highest prices.

Any chance, if one has requested a deviation, and the selected flight is available, that Carnival will tell us sooner than August?

Glad to see you back Donna - and glad to be back myself. Have not been on a cruise, haven't even decided on one, but have been sick with some sort of Kleenex-dependent infection. Only good thing about it, no appetite so have dropped a few lbs. Only thing that had any appeal was the Breyer's sugarfree butter pecan ice cream - especially after a friend brought me a jar of Smuckers sugar free caramel sauce to go with it. SO GOOD.

I'm going to have to put that away for special occasions now that I have some appetite back. Tomorrow I'm planning to make lamb chops with grilled asparagus to celebrate my recovery. My DH finally finished the last of the Easter ham after I made the scraps into ham salad. Don't think he'll want ham again until next year!

Hope everyone is staying well and staying low-carb.

I love Butter Pecan Ice Cream, I guess I never realized that Breyer's had a no sugar added version. That will be something I can check out after my induction or maybe I should wait until my ongoing maintenance at the rate I'm going!:rolleyes:

Probably best to wait for maintenance, a special occasion, or a family gathering, unless you can find it in a smaller size. Only sold in half gallons here - way too temping, so I don't keep it in the fridge freezer, but in the basement one. BTW, It called Breyer's Double Churn No Sugar Added, and there is also a double chocolate one for the chocoholics. Don't have the carton in front of me - fortunately;) - but think they are both about 6 carbs per half-cup serving. I've served it at parties and no one knew it was sugar free.

Great to hear what you all did and ate - or didn't eat - for Easter. I have a terrible cold so only had cup of consomme. DH nuked leftovers from the freezer -Hunt's sugarfree sauce with Dreamfields spaghetti. Was glad to hear somebody had the cruistless quiche - first Easter without it in 7 years. Today I was finally able to bake the ham, and had asparagus and acorn squash as accompaniments. We did have a special treat for dessert - Breyers No Sugar Added butter pecan ice cream. Felt SO good on my poor raspy throat. Guess I should be grateful it's not the flu.

Tammy - glad to "meet" you - congratulations on your great start and determination. And to those who are are stalled or have put back a few lbs. a week or two back on the induction plan can kick-start your system. Especially if you keep up the exercise you're getting - at least when the weather cooperates.

Rumors to the contrary, I'm not on a cruise, but have been spending lots of time trying to settle on one for this fall. My cruisin' buddy and I had decided on the Mediterranean and usually cruise on HAL or Princess, but the dollar-to-euro ratio and high airfares are making us look at other lines. Spending so much money to get to the ship, it doesn't make sense to take a 7 day cruise, the good 10 days are mostly sold out of balcony cabins, and anything longer, considering the cost of shore excursions, etc., is over my friend's budget, not to mention my DH's solo time limit. Our sink isn't big enough to hold two week's worth of dishes.

Anyone who's been - how's the food on Carnival or RCI? HAL has been so good about accommodating my diet. "No sugar added" desserts and sf ice cream available at every meal. Plenty of delicous meat entrees. Costa has some good prices in the Med - cruised with them once in my pre weight gain days and well remember all the great pasta dishes and fabulous sweet desserts. Talk about irresistable! Can't risk that again.

Oooh, NMCruzzin, I've been wanting to go to the Melting Pot here, but am afraid, given the prices, that I would be tempted to eat too much of the wrong things (bread to dip in the cheese, fruit and cake to dip in the probably too-sweet chocolate). Sounds like you handled it well.

Good luck with the ribs. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do. Of course you may have to tweak the recipe to your taste.

Dinner tonight is meat loaf (the one made with pork rinds, cajun seasoning, and salsa). I do use the 1 carb ketchup on the top (the original recipe called for melted cheese), because my DH insists. I just scrape most of it off of mine.

Pink - so jealous of your Panama Canal cruise. I'm still trying to settle on something for this fall, having given up on the Med. cruise because of the airfares. May try a river cruise of the Rhine or Danube. A little worried that from what I read, food is plentiful on the river boats but not the extensive choices of an ocean liner. But probably there will always be some kind of meat, chicken or fish at dinner. Have plenty of experience deconstructing sandwiches, if that is what's served for lunch.

Jocelyn and anyone else who wants to try the ribs with ketchup/sf grape jelly - I wish I could help with exact amounts, but I don't really measure. My advice is to start with equal amounts of jelly and ketchup. As it heats up, if it doesn't turn to a uniformly "barbecue sauce" color add more jam to make it darker, more ketchup to make lighter. Also taste it for your sweetness preference. When I could get low carb barbecue sauce I often added some for added flavor. Haven't been able to find that lately so I add a bit of Worchestershire sauce and garlic. Tweak it to your taste. You may not be able to replicate your favorite rib house sauce, but it will beat naked ribs - or no ribs at all. :) We also like it on beef short ribs.

Haven't tried the liquid smoke, but have some, so may try that next time.

MNCruzzin - sorry TastyKakes apparently aren't in stores in your area, but they are available to order online at TastyKakes.com. Unfortunately, they are mostly sold by the case - not a good idea to have in the house, although the finger cakes freeze well. They do offer two assortments, one large one at $45 and a smaller at $25 (16 packages), probably plus shipping. If your husband is also watching carbs, it might be worth ordering.

Jocelyn - sounds like you are doing good. We usually prefer something spicy on pork but have you tried Smucker's Sugarfree Apricot Preserves (sweetened with Spenda) to glaze your pork loin?

For ribs, after they are nearly cooked, I top them with a mixture of one-carb ketchup (Heinz)and sugarfree grape jelly or jam. I've also used this mixture for meatballs and little sausages that I've taken to potluck parties and people loved them - never guessed what the sauce was, and some didn't believe it when I told them.

MNCruzzin,

There is no reason for you to go hungry. Just keep some cold cuts of meat, a can of almonds or other nuts, some cheese cubes, or other low carb snack on hand - no need to wait for mealtime. EAT Something.

And those chocolate chocolate chip TastyKake Sensables take care of hunger pangs and chocolate cravings at the same time - for just two carbs.

And of course I don't mind having you pull up my history. That's the main reason I drop in on boards such as this to let people know that low carb can be a forever WOE. And not just for young people. Thanks to Atkins and exercise (in my case aquatics) I can honestly say I feel better at 72 than I did at 52 - and, of course, way better than I did at 62.

TastyKake Sensables are usually right next to packaged sweets such as regular TastyKakes, Twinkies. HoHos, and other NoNos in the aisle I used to avoid.

There are also Sensables cupcakes that aren't too high in carbs, but probably best kept for a special occasion or maintenance. The "coffee-cake" ones are so good I could have a "special occasion" every morning. ;)

Check the packages carefully - there are some flat bar ones that have way too many carbs for me.

Go Pinkbikini - you're doing great, especially also having to cope with your hubby's situation. I've been having to drive DH to many eye appointments/ surgeries plus keeping track of several different eye drops to be taken at various times of the day.

Of course, none of the clinics have anything decent in their machines - one day I had nothing but instant coffee and 2 little packages of peanuts all day. I've learned to take along my own snack - Tastykake Sensables, sugarfree and only 2 net carbs in a Chocolate Chocolate Chip finger cake. Sold in box of 8; individually wrapped, perfect for carrying in handbag or pocket.

Donnerpumpkin - Best wishes for your flight - good you allowed that extra time, however. It was 70 degrees today in No. Va., after being cold and rainy for days, so maybe you'll have a change for the better also.

If you "save" your carbs for one or two really special treats, I'm betting you'll do just fine. Have no regrets, or extra pounds. from my conch chowder and a spectacular chocolate "volanco" cake dessert- really more like a mousse. Not terribly sweet, but so rich I gave half to my cruise buddy - only the memory lingers on.

Can't wait to hear all about it when you return.

NMCruzzin - good luck with your online shopping. You find some things that just aren't available in the stores - some really good, many better than doing without, and a few that are horrible!:eek: If you have questions, post here. I've tried many of them over the years.

One suggestion, either use PayPal or a credit card with a low limit that you don't use every day, so you can check the charges easily. I've never had a problem with any of the sites I mentioned (don't recall if I mentioned Low Carb Connoisseur at www.low-carb.com), which I've used from way back. Once I received something that didn't meet my expectations, as described on the site, and when I contacted them, they told me to keep it - instead of sending it back - and sent me a different, more expensive, version at no additional charge. They also have an online newsletter with good recipes.

MNCruzzin - great to hear that your DH enjoyed the macademia crusted first - guess I'll give it a try with white fish myslef, as sometimes good Halibut just isn't available or affordable.

For you and anyone else thinking of ordering the pizza kits, I just found that my usual online source (www.Netrition.com) was out of them and gave "unknown" as the available date. So I ordered from www.Vitacost.com. I also sent an email to LowCarbolicious to be sure the product wasn't being discontinued. Got a nice reply that a big new batch had just been completed. and would be available from Netrition soon. Both sites have been very reliable in shipping my orders at a very reasonable price.

MNCruzzin, you asked about the impact on my grocery bills of the special products I order online. Not bad - checked checked my last order for 6 boxes of pizza mix - $45.16, including the shipping. That's about $7.50 per, and adding generous amounts of hamburger, cheese and chopped peppers (I use the frozen chopped ones) and onion, I figure that's about $12 for a 12 inch lowcarb pizza -about what a carry-out pizza costs here.

Some of the products I order online do cost more than the grocery brands, but we don't buy expensive, sugary treats and desserts like we used to. In any case the results are well worth it. :) We are retired and so far have managed to live nicely on our pensions and SS, without touching savings and 401K. And I go on at least one nice cruise each year, while my DH gets his fly-in fishing trip.

My DH has asked for pizza. And he'll get it: (thin crust and sauce from LowCarbolicious Pizza kit) topping of ground beef, mixed peppers, and lots of shredded cheese. I can put one together and have it on the table faster than the local Domino's can deliver. Fewer carbs in the whole LC homemade one than in one slice of regular pizza.

I'm not a real pizza fan and your game plan sounds delicious - what time are you serving? ;)

How neat that next Friday you'll be in a totally different environment. Don't we live in a wonderful time? The "Connie" is supposed to be a lovely ship and I'm sure you'll have a great time. You are doing so well on this WOE, I'm adding a vote of encouragement for staying with it on the cruise.

Obviously you want to enjoy the meals, but having been on three recent cruises (2 HAL, 1 Princess) and knowing that Celebrity is in the same class, I'll bet that you will find a wide selection of delicious, low carb foods. Plenty of different meat, chicken, fish entrees at both lunch and dinner, interesting salads that barely need any dressing and probably some sugarfree or "no sugar added" desserts.

Sure, you'll want to try some different foods, especially on some of the islands. I had a fabulous bowl of conch chowder on the beach and "never mind" what it was thickened with. Just be sure that the "exceptions" are exceptional - not just the bun on the buffet burger. ;)

Can't wait to hear all about it.

MNCruzzin -As near as I remember, neither the LC tortillas nor the Dreamfields pasta was available - or at least I didn't learn of them - until I was on maintenance (Oct. 2000). I actually started seeking out such products only after my DH was diagnosed with diabetes, and really missed such foods. However, they are low enough in carbs that they could be used, at least in limited quantities, anytime after induction.

For a time, at the height of the Atkins diet revolution - before his untimely death - there were many more low carb/ sugar free products available from major manufacturers and sold in supermarkets. Unfortunately, many of these have been discontinued. Some, like the Low Carbolicious Pizza kit, are only available, so far as I know, online.

That's one of the reasons I mention these products on this board, even tho some of them may not be suitable for the earliest stages of Atkins. If people don't see them in the grocery, they get discouraged and think that they are giving up some favorite foods forever - or just decide that low-carb isn't for them.

Speaking of which, did you all see the excellent article by Gary Taub in the January Ladies Home Journal? It was adapted from an earlier one he wrote for the New York Times Magazine section.