Just Some Thoughts on Thanksgiving Courtesy of Dana Carpender

OK, we all need to pay attention here. The dreaded holidays are coming! And for those of you who were children of mixed marriages like I am, it means more holidays than our strictly Christian sisters and brothers have! We have Channukah, too!  Having been on low carb for a good while (since March of 2010,) I proved to myself I could get through holidays on low carb. I had to seriously readjust my mind set! Holidays and family DID NOT  have to mean overindulgence!  I got through Thanksgiving eating pumpkin custard instead of pumpkin pie- mine was sweetened with Splenda. I ate no dressing- no potatoes, but I pigged out on turkey with a little gravy on it, deviled eggs, celery stuffed with cream cheese, greens (so near and dear to the hearts of southerners,) and anything else I could find low carb. I got through Aunt Judy's Channukah celebration eating low carb and yes, I ate matzoh ball soup without the matzoh balls. I never was truly impressed with matzoh balls anyway.

All this being said, we NEED to plan ahead. And I think Dana Carpender's article about the impending holidays is good advice. I truly believe that if you plan on indulgence, it has to be something you just truly love! Not something you eat "because we always have that on Thanksgiving."


Take time and  read Dana's blog article and start planning. If you don't plan now, it's like a minefield for the next month and a half! Is it really worth it to wake on January 2nd 10 pounds heavier??

http://holdthetoast.com/content/thanksgiving-planning

Boost Your Immune System with Roasted Garlic Soup from Dr. Ben Kim

As most of you know, I take Dr. Ben Kim's newsletter. He is a wonderful man, and I only part ways with his advice when it comes to carbs. I have used this soup base many times. I do not use the garlic bread at all, and sometimes, I add chicken or other veggies to it. It's wonderful, especially when you have a cold or flu. And garlic is a powerful boost to the immune system! Do not be afraid of the amount of garlic- just be sure to roast it- that takes away the heavy pungent taste and turns the garlic into sheer delight. When the garlic is roasted perfectly, you can squeeze it out of the cloves like it was butter. So good! So give this a try! Ignore the garlic toast!

http://drbenkim.com/roasted-garlic-soup-recipe

Tom Naughton on "Low Carb" Foods

I have just caught up on Tom Naughton's low carb blog and I found this little article about so-called low carb foods interesting. I am like many others. When I just started going low carb, I snatched up practically any food labeled low carb. And like Tom and others, I began to have suspicions about whether certain things were really low carb as they claimed. Over time, I have come to believe that mostly "they are too good to be true." Have a read at what Tom has to say. Also there's a video of Jimmy Moore's interview with the chief honcho at Dreamfields Pasta- very interesting and telling!

http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/2011/05/19/low-carb-pasta-in-your-dreams/

Be Very Afraid of Big Pharma! Not Cholesterol!

This morning, as I was eating my lovely cholesterol-laden breakfast of bacon and fried eggs, I tried to catch up on some of me reading to pass on to you. There was a great article by Dana Carpender on her blog, and I am FURIOUS!!  If you are one of the ones that still worries about cholesterol, you need to read this article. Also, read the article by Dr. Duane Graveline on statin drugs and what they do to the human body. Before I became informed about the great cholesterol con, I allowed myself to be put on a statin drug. In less than a week, I had muscle pain and weakness, and went from walking normally to having to use a cane. Some of the side effects have never gone away, but luckily, I got smart sooner than later. If you are taking a statin, this is NOT good! So here's Dana's article and a couple of others that you should definitely read!

http://holdthetoast.com/content/despicable-diabolical-beyond-homicidal

http://www.spacedoc.com/rest_of_my_story.html

http://www.spacedoc.com/statins_a_critical_review.htm

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/the-cholesterol-myth-that_b_676817.html?utm_source=DailyBrief&utm_campaign=081210&utm_medium=email&utm_content=BlogEntry

It's Almost Thanksgiving- Let's Count Blessings

This post on another forum besides Old Fat Ladies was shared by Elaine, one of our newer and faithful members. We all have moments when nothing seems right, but this particular post struck something in me! I hope it will do the same for you!
  
It's early and I couldn't sleep. The past year has been excessively stressful. First, my grandma broke her arm, then my Dad had a heart attack, same day as that I was having a biopsy for a mass. My mass was benign, but my Dad had to have a 5-way bypass. Then I had my surgery to remove my mass. The everyone got an uber cold/flu and was sick for about 5 months, I had 6 or 7 rounds of antibiotics.
We had just gotten to the point everyone was good. Then my Hubby got sick and had his gallbladder removed. Same day as that, my grandma fell again and broke the same arm. We had to stay with her 24/7 while she recuperated. Then in August, a branch fell on my Mom, and a stick punctured about 4 inches into her brain. She is doing a lot better now, but has a long recovery ahead of her. Things were just starting to even out, when we got a call that our nephew was killed in a car accident.
It is just one of those mornings where it all really hit me, weird dreams I guess. And while it all sounds like a bad soap opera, I keep thinking of all the good things that can be found in it all.
My dad not only survived his heart attack and surgery, but is taking better care of himself.
My Hubby feels better than he has in years after having his gallbladder removed.
My grandma, she has broken that arm 4 times, this time she allowed it to be plated and has less arthritis pain in that wrist now.
My Mom, she didn't lose her eye, still has brain function, and while she needs a reconstructive surgery so the eyelid will close properly...her guardian angel was working overtime.
My nephew, his kids were always with him. But not when he had his accident.

Even though all of that has happened, look at all of the things I have to be thankful for. So, can everyone take a moment please, and list something you are thankful for?

 

Omelet Making for the Omelet Impaired

In culinary school, I had to learn to make a proper omelet and be graded on it, but I didn't LIKE it! Let's face it- flipping an omelet can be hard. I know- some people can make the perfect omelet every time- sigh...I passed that phase of my course, and really never did it again. After that, I cheated! Here's how I do it now.

For a two egg omelet, first begin with a non-stick skillet. It absolutely doesn't have to be expensive. I have used the best cookware over the years, and finally discovered that a non-stick skillet that costs seventy dollars and has a designer name on it really lasts no longer than one that you buy for six bucks (that is, the non-stick part.) That part all wears off eventually. So, now, I go to the Dollar store and get one for six bucks. The non stick part lasts just as well and the pan does the job I want.

So, for a two egg omelet, first liberally coat your skillet with olive or coconut oil. Put it on the burner over medium heat and let it heat while you are getting your eggs ready. Break your eggs into a bowl that is deep enough for ferocious whisking, add 1 teaspoon olive oil and really whisk till the eggs are a lighter color and very frothy. Pour the eggs into the heated skillet and let them sit and slowly cook. As the bottom just begins to set, take your spatula and go around the edges, releasing some of the egg beyond the borders of the omelet. Let it cook a little while longer, and then flip. To flip, take a really wide spatula and put it under one edge and gently turn that side to the middle of the omelet. Then, go to the opposite side and repeat, but this time, flip that side onto the omelet side you have already cooked. Let it slowly cook till set and scoop it out onto a plate with that really wide spatula.

I buy a non-stick appropriate spatula that is about five or six inches wide. This helps control the omelet when flipping, and also makes it easy to get the omelet out of the pan without breaking.

Note: if you are using veggies for fillers, you must cook them prior to putting them in the center of the omelet. If you use veggies or cheese, place them in a line along the center of the omelet before beginning the flipping. I usually saute my veggies in the same skillet and when they are done, scoop them into a bowl, add a little more oil, and then begin the omelet.

Also, eggs are much more tasty if they are cooked slowly. Don't use high heat.

This method works every time, and it doesn't make me irritable by breaking before I get it out to the plate. Give it a try- it really works!.

I Couldn't Resist- Another Picture is Worth 100 Words by Jimmy Moore

This one says it all. I just don't know where Jimmy finds all these, but this is one I LOVE!!

And finally, I could “bear”ly contain myself when I saw this cute cartoon about a big grizzly lamenting being on the Atkins low-carb diet: