Movie Sunday and Zuchini boats

Spent a very lazy sort of day yesterday. The weather was cold and grey, the morning saw the guys off to church and me home doing coursework, which was fitting for the weather. After lunch I suggested that we go out for a walk , but no one was that ambitious. Including myself. So we wound up watching Fiddler on the Roof- a movie that I used to love and really wanted my son to see. Not a good idea it seems. Perhaps it is because I am older, perhaps it is for other reasons, but now that movie scares the heck out of me.The idea that overnight everything you hold near and dear can change within the blink of an eye is more frightening than any slasher film. As they say, there are so many worse things than death. Perhaps it is a genetic sort of memory involved here. My maternal great grandfather came from that part of the world at that time. The older I get, the more I understand.

Meanwhile, I tried another experiment in low carb cusine- Stuffed Zuchini Boats. This one seems to neded a little adjustment.

Stuffed Zucchini Boats- serves 3

3 zucchini
1 lb ground meat ( I used ground beef)
2 T italian seasoning
1 t garlic powder
1 c shredded mozzarella

Cut the zucchinis lengthwise and remove the seeds and middle with a spoon. Meanwhile , in a bowl combine all remaining ingredients except the cheese and divide evenly between the zuchini. fill the cavity with the meat mixture and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Top with the cheese and return to the oven or 10 minutes.

Next time I think I may swap out the meat for Italian sausage and perhaps add some tomato sauce to flavor the zucchini more

Saturday Night's alright for ....pizza !

Another Saturday night and...time to think something easy and kind of fun for dinner. A lot of times in this house , Saturday Dinner thoughts turn to pizza. With a low carb approach pizza means getting creative , and that is exactly what I did. A few weeks ago I tried a flax crust pizza, and the results were good. Tasty and the proper consistency,but something in me always asks if things could be done better, so I determined to try another alternative. This week was an almond meal crust.

Almond Meal Pizza Crust

2 cups almond flour
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/2 c olive oil
1 c egg beaters
1/3 c water
1/3 c Splenda

Mix well and pour onto a large baking sheet with sides. Bake 20 minutes at 350, remove, add toppings and bake 15 minutes.

I topped ours with homemade pizza sauce( tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, dried onion, garlic , salt ) , cooked Italian sausage and mozzarella. The results were very tasty- almost like a famous chain's Chicago style deep dish pizza crust( their secret is using a lot of oil so the crust has a biscuit like consistency), but more important is what it inspired. My husband commented that if i had cooked it a little bit longer it could have been the perfect consistency to be a terrific short bread cookie. This got me to thinking that if I swapped the oil for butter and increased the splenda to a cup , this could make a great low carb cookie ! Bake it on the cookie sheet and cut into diamonds immediately upon removing from the oven. Then you could frost them with a low carb frosting ( softened cream cheese with heavy cream and splenda) and top each with a pecan half. Not an every day thing but something that would be really nice for the holiday- and most people would definitely eat this !

We went out to look at a new light display, but it seems that they are waiting a week to really fire things up. Son was a little dissapointed, and so was I. Our plan was to walk the display , and the weather was perfect for such a thing. We came back home and decided to watch Handsel and Gretel on Encore On Demand. What a great little jewel ! It is a live rendering of the classic tale with new twists. Cast included Howie Mandel, Delta Burke, Gerald McRainy and Glen Close. Its one where you can safely watch with your kids and not worry about moments that might inspire discussions you don't really wish to have. Then we watched Four Christmases, and both hubby and I thought it was a pretty badly written movie that just failed to be funny or endearing. However, while we were all watching Handsel and Gretel we studdend oranges with cloves to add to the decorations and scents of the house. It was a definite good time !

Weigh in and questions

Black Friday was honestly a lot of fun for us ! I think that the reason it was so was that we do not do any gift shopping till the week before Christmas. When you are not looking for the hottest toy or so forth, you can take advantage of the deep discounts at odd places on the day. We were on a quest for pointsettias, strings of lights, whole cloves and oranges, and so it was pretty delightful getting out and about in the energy of the day that kicks off the Christmas season. For us it is the kick off to Advent- the season of waiting in hope. The house will be decorated slowly, activities will be done a few at a time so that the whole affect will be like living one gigantic advent calendar with a new surprise behind each door. A supposedly non traditional approach to the holiday, but it works for me.

It seems non traditional works well for me in other ways. Weight loss is one. The conventional wisdom says use only healthy fats in minimal amounts, eat high fiber, restrict calories and do a lot of weight bearing and aerobic exercise. It also says that in the holiday season the average person will gain 10 lbs. Then it says weight loss is simply a mater of watching the number of calories in , expending more and the scale will move. I tried this approach for 2 years. Our diet journey began 2 years ago this weekend. It was on the Saturday after Thanksgiving that we went shopping, the bench broke and we instantly changed our lives. At first , following the conventional wisdom resulted in the scale moving, but then it stopped. For me it resulted in playing with the same 10 lbs for over a year. Then I stopped listening to the conventional wisdom and things started moving again. The guys still feel best listening to conventional wisdom, so it is a split house. This morning was our weekly weigh in- the results after Thanksgiving, following our own programs.

Me- DOWN 3.4 ( would have been more but I am experiencing a little constipation this morning)
Hubby - UP 3.6 ( followed his calorie intake, but still eats grains)
Son UP 3.4- also followed his program but is still eating grains.

I got no exercise other than moving some furniture and housekeeping. Son got in a lot of dancing and Wii fit plus. Hubby got in a lot of walking. So if it is a matter of calories in /calories out, why these results ? Or is it more a matter of eating a food substance that is naturally resistant to insect infestation and has been so genetically modified that it is now a substance that our very DNA does not know how to deal with without injury ? Is it due to a diet based on a foodstuff that has been altered to not only survive but yield 500 times more than nature ever intended it to ? I am not a scientist, but simply a mom who has listened to conventional wisdom , seen the results and is really searching for the strand of wisdom in that convention. Grains have been linked to digestive disorders, autism, arthritis, insulin resistance and more. Several have also suspected it is a major cause in obesity as well. It's these unconventional folks that my gut tells me to listen to.

Best holiday dishes

I have to say , following a low carb approach is infinitely easier than any other approach when attending my family gatherings ! I was able to stay totally on my eating program with no slip ups, had a wonderful; time catching up with my sibs and their children, and spend some time with my mom.Some of the "best dishes" of the day were the following

watching two cousin buddies strengthen bonds that will last a lifetime ( grand nephews Nick and Eric)

watching little ones find joy in the family that loves them ( my grand neice Jada)

and giving thanks for the healing of new ones ( nephew Elliot who was hospitalized after his birth and his mom Christina)

Now lets burn off those calories at the Black Friday Sales !!

More waiting, new spaces and progress perhaps

It has been a short but crazy sort of week here ! We are taking a week break from school, so the focus has been on house things and back to my own studies- or at least that was the plan. Monday evening we get a notice from the complex management that they will come around on Tuesday to put plastic weatherproofing on all the air conditioner units between 9-5 pm and you must remove everything from the wall underneath. In our case, this is a HUGE tv that is HD, but before plasma. I think it weighs about 100 lbs, and the size of it scares me for some reason. Hubby and son had a choir rehersal on Monday evening, so when they got home we had to begin moving furnature.And of course it never winds up just one thing being moved- you always wind up moving 6 other things to accommodate the new thing. However, we all worked together , and the job got done. Which is more than I can say for the management. They never showed up, and the reasons for that can be as many and varied as you could imagine. So this makes for waiting for them to come tape the AC units, PLUS still waiting for them to do the bathroom remodel. Did I mention I HATE waiting ?

The good news is that I now have a corner totally emptied in our house, and the aspiration to do some more serious parting with books.And that corner seems to be screaming for a treadmill. I mentioned this to hubby, and he said last night when he saw a commercial for Bowflex, he was kind of thinking the same thing in that corner. Only caveat he had is that whatever we get we must be willing to move in the coming year. So perhaps this annoying turn of events will work out for something very good in the long run.

In the meantime, I seem to have developed a case of "Induction flu"- something that sometimes happens to people when they switch to a low carb lifestyle ( and no, I am not doing the meat fast. Yet.) Induction flu is something that happens when your body adjusts from being fueled by carbs and starts being fueled by fat. It can be as mild as annoying nausea, but for others it can show up as more pronounced stomach upset and digestive distress.I am kind of surprised that it has taken 3 weeks for my system to switch, but I think it is simply proof of how insulin resistant my system truly is. It will pass in a day or two . Meanwhile I am noticing my stomach is getting flatter and my fore arms have developed skin that looks like it is a little too big for the arm.My pants are also looser and my bra feels like it keeps shifting whenever I turn. I peeked at the scale and is says I am down, but I am not counting it as an official loss till Saturday. My plan for Thurday is to go, have a good time and simply avoid those foods that are a problem for me. There are going to be babies to meet, family to catch up with, kareoke games to play and a lot more. Hope you all have a great holiday !

PCOS

I don't think I ever shared this on this blog. I have PCOS, and have had it since I was 13. It is the reason for my weight problem, the cause of my infertility and numerous other health conditions. There is no cure, and only management of the symptoms is possible. I came across this video that helps to explain the disease to those whom have never heard of it.

And here is another video that describes many of the problems I have dealt with due to this disease.

Low Carb Stuffing and a question

Thanksgiving is Thursday, and we are going to my mom's for the meal. However, I cannot pass up the great deals on turkey at this time of the year ! I buy several , cook them and use the leftover meat in any recipe that calls for cooked chicken, and it makes for several healthy meals that can be made fast.

In the past I have made many healthy , whole grain stuffings involving things like wild rice, wheat berries, quinoa and so forth. Now that the approach for me is low carb, those will not work for our meal plans. So yesterday while I roasted the first turkey of the season, I invented a low carb stuffing that has a mouth feel similar to the traditional stuffing

Low Carb Suffing

9 almond meal muffins, crumbled
3 portions flax meal bread, crumbled
2 ribs celery, sliced
2 medium onions, sliced
1 lb breakfast sausage( I used turkey)
1 cup turkey pan drippings

In a pan combine the onions, celery and pork sausage, Cook till sausage is brown, add the contents to a bowl with the crumbled breads. Place in an 9x9 pan, roast at 350 for 45 minutes

My son decided , after tasting this, that stuffing is his favorite part of Thanksgiving.

In other news, I keep reading about other low carb people who reach a stall or can't get the program going for them and they try a meat fast for 3-5 days. What you do is eat nothing but meat ( with the exception of up to 2 eggs) , drink nothing but water, and it helps to shatter any insulin resistance that you suffer with. Part of me is strongly considering trying this for myself, but the other part of me is saying that I should just sit tight, be patient and let the hormone roller coaster just run it's course. Have any of you tried this ? What was your experience ?

Into the holiday season !

Another week, and another chance to engage in scale warfare ! While my hormones may believe that have the final say in what my body type looks like,my mind is determined that it will have the final say, and I will try again. In some ways , the battle with the scale has been a life long friend. I became overweight when I was about 18 months old, and my grandmother speculated that it was because I have concrete bones. I belive that she may have been right when I was very young. I present proof through this picture, taken of me when I was 5 yrs old. According to the scale I weighed 195 lbs. ( I am on the right)

Incidentally, this was the last time I was under 200 pounds, and it is my goal to get there again .

It is thanksgiving this week, and for the day we will be heading to my mom's house to gather with family, but I cannot resist making a turkey for my own family ! Today I am going to roast one for us and make a batch of low carb stuffing to serve with it. Cranberries made with Splenda, broccoli and cauliflower to compliment and it will be like a mini feast. My son , the budding chef, is instructing me as to how I should treat the bird before roasting. It makes me chuckle to see how passionate he has become about the treatment of food !

On the exercise front I am planning on forgetting that we are STILL waiting in suspended annimation for the bathroom remodel to happen and that I am going to live my life as I desire, not simply as a person waiting for something. Walking and Wii fit will happen.This is real life- not waiting for Santa

That was my next younger sister and I, one of the last times we visited Santa and made our requests. Even after I had been told the reality of Santa, I still believed that there was a force that represented ultimate good and generosity in this world. A force that still grants the most innocent childlike wishes in our hearts simply because we were good children. At one time I felt I really needed the aid of this force, sometimes named as St Nicholas, and I made a request under the Christmas tree that he would bring me the greatest gift of my life. The man in the red suit delivers

and I named him Nicholas in his honor. So this year, as we head into the Christmas season and start making lists and wishes, I present the man in the red suit with another one. Let me get under 200 pounds and send my aggravating hormonal cycle packing ??? Pretty please ????

Weigh in

Just the results

Me UP3.8 lbs
Hubby- same
Son DOWN 0.2

I HATE hormones.

An inspiring story

Another sitting and waiting kind of day, so I thought I would share with you this amazing story.
Woman loses 500 pounds

She's been waiting...

Still waiting for the people to come and do the bathroom here. In their defense it was said , two weeks ago, that it could be next week, the week after that or.... You get the picture. So it is a waiting game with a lot of life put on hold because I don't want to have the remodel happen in the middle of it. Every morning wake up early to get showered and dressed in case today is the day. Every morning we hold off walking or other exercise because we are waiting. Noi serious school projects are happening because they may not be able to be completed because the water is turned off, the crew is dismantling the bathroom and so forth. Grrrrr. Add to that is the fun of hubby working late a lot, being called into meetings most days and then having to complete projects for church when he is home. It's a very frustrating, hurry up and wait time.

I hate waiting.

So as therapy yesterday , since I had to spend yet another morning waiting for all these things, I decided to try to make the Atkins Revolution rolls. Revolution in the fact that they contain no flour

Atkins revolution rolls

3 eggs, separated
1/4 t cream of tartar
2 tsp Splenda
3 T cottage cheese

Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar into soft peaks. In a seperate bowl beat the egg yolks, cottage cheese and splenda till combined and liquid. Fold the yolk mixture into the white mixture and spoon onto a greased cookie sheet into 6 hills. Bake 300 for 45 minutes.

They come out sort of like a flat cream puff shell and taste somewhat similar. If you store them in a ziplock bag they soften up to a consistency of a hamburger bun. Pretty darned tasty, but I don't think I would use them with a really moist sort of sandwich filling.

And along with all this waiting, i wait for the scale to show some kind of progress. It has remained the same so far all week, and I am begining to fear once again that I am at the complete mercy of my hormones, no matter what I do, so I am going to have to wait for menopause to complete in order to have any control over my life.

Color me extremely frustrated !

So what do you eat when you don't eat grains ?

My eating has changed quite a bit since shunning the grains and fruits , Some fruit will come back starting next week and some occasional whole grains, but for now they are gone. So what do you eat when you shun those amber waves ?

Breakfast- mushroom cheese eggs with turkey bacon

Lunch- baked chicken leg and sauteed cabbage

Snack- hardboiled egg and cheese stick

Dinner- Ranch chicken, Parmesan garlic yellow squash rounds, sweet potato fries, red pepper strips and sliced cucumber

Dessert- chocolate mousse ( cream cheese, whipping cream, splenda and cocoa powder). It is VERY satisfying, tasty and I really do not miss grains in the least. I feel more energetic, have no joint pain, am sleeping much better and my skin and hair are looking better. The scale is slowly moving down ( at my age rapid weight loss is not something that happens) , and cooking is a lot easier.

I think I will stick with this .Only change I need to make is to swap my current brand of Diet Soda for Diet RC, which is made with Splenda instead of Nutra Sweet

Thoughts

Something really funny has been happening. The further away I move from eating grains, the deeper my love for meat has grown. (Sorry to those vegetarians out there). It is making for strange thoughts in my head. The other day it was chocolate covered bacon and this morning I woke up wondering if anyone ever put pork sausage in brownies. What the heck is up with a chocolate and pork combo??? I will not actually make it, but the thought keeps crossing my mind and making me laugh.

Another thought crossed my mind- Thanksgiving. We are going to my mom's on the day, but i usually cook a turkey on the day after to take advantage of the sales and have the left overs. We really love leftover turkey, and to miss out is a very sad thing. Turkey in this house does pose a slight problem, and that is the fact that I have two stuffing junkies. Eating the original turkey without stuffing for them is a form of cruelty, but stuffing for a low carb grain free diet is a problem. At least at first thought it is. However, with almond meal muffins, flax bread or the Revolution Rolls, I belive it can be possible.I am looking forward to experimenting.

Meanwhile, my son has decided that he must find a recipe or two for a dish to pass up at the gathering, and he found this adorable appetizer for a turkey shaped cheese ball that I will let him make and take. Other than the crackers, it is a low carb cute thing.

Me vs the buffet

There are weekends when hubby has a full singing schedule, it it becomes almost impossible to do "fun " family weekend things, so we have to get creative. Hubby loves to sing and is a great asset to the congregations he serves, we have chosen to live with one vehicle and do not do the traditional kid's sports kind of thing for several reasons. So weekends wind up a lot of errand running between commitments. One thing that we used to do on the weekends for fun is go out to eat. There are pitfals in that choice, but it was something that we could do on our own time schedule and have other ways of controlling. When we began the weight loss journey we stopped doing this, but the rest of our life kept up in the same way. Result was kind of boring. Everyone needs some kind of psychological break from the routine , or things become kind of cagy. The weather has turned cool and hiking is not very appealing again , so we decided to adopt our old habit of going our to eat Sunday afternoon. We planned to go to Golden Coral, but when we got there it was very crowded, so we decided to head to Old Country Buffet instead.

In my brain, I thought this would be a really good choice for us all. Salad, meats, veggies abounding. The guys could stick to their calorie based program and I could stick to my low carb program, and everyone would be fine. It's funny how you forget specific details with time . It has been over 10 months since I set foot in an OCB. Once we paid and I faced the buffet, I was reminded of a few things.

1. A lot of the meat is breaded (no no)
2. That which is not breaded is often in a sugar based sauce ( no no for me)
3. I have an allergy to fish and seafood ( I have gotten attached to breathing, so a no no)

So I wandered around the tables, considering my options, and settled on some baked chicken, green beans, salad of baby greens and something called Spinach Marie ( other than a bread crumb topping, low carb). It was good, but I felt really limited as to my options. We had considered going to Sweet Tomatoes, but once you finish with the primary salad bar there are no low carb options, and eating salad only on a cold day is not my idea of fun.

I think I need to go back to the drawing board as to fun options. Oriental buffets are not a good choice because of hidden sugar in the sauces and breaded meats ( and the fish thing for me). Normal restaurants are going to be a better option for us in the future it seems. Just another change in life, but worthwhile. expanding horizons is a good thing after all ! Just hold that bread bowl, please ??

How a commercial can lead to the truth

Today I want to talk about something that is a non scale victory of sorts. I have to say
first off that dropping almost all grain products has not only gotten the scale moving
in the right direction again, but has made a few really nagging problems totally dissipate.
For one my joint achiness has dissipated, and for another the idea that you need high fiber
grains to be regular has been completely disproved.These two things have gone a long way to
improving my overall outlook on life, and so my brain is free to think about other things.

My husband and I watch a lot of TV during our free time, and we heckle commercials for fun.
Favorite things to pick on are those drug commercials, that deliver glowing reports about a drug's performance and then give a long list of scary side affects. One of my favorite is an osteoporosis drug designed for post menopausal women. Amongst the warnings are statements about it not being safe to take in pregnancy. Excuse me, isn't pregnancy when you are post menopausal a pipe dream at best ???In any case, they make us laugh. And then there are those commercials for male enhancement drugs that simply that having their aid will get you a promotion, a shiny house and all manner of things. I think they appeal to some of the deepest fears in every man, that being that someone else has a bigger toy and therefor is having more fun in life. It's so not true. You do not need a tank to paralell park- you just
need the skills to get it in the right position so as to not smash the other vehicles in the process.My husband, being very much a typical male who is aging, half jokingly said one day that perhaps he should try one. I assured him that there was absolutely no need for such nonsense and that all is fine. And it is. And it has been for all of our 29 years together.

Yesterday we were discussing something ( the upcoming need to buy tires and other things) and something he said reminded me of this previous discussion, and I assured him that I am perfectly and ecstatically happy with him exactly as he is in all aspects of life.I am totally honest- there is not a single thing I would change about him. From the top of his head to the soles of his feet he is absolutely perfect for me exactly as he is. And this made me suddenly aware of the fact that he has said and meant the exact same thing about me throughout all of our marriage. When we were first married and struggling to build our life together, he totally accepted all of my quirks and faults and lack luster skills with finances and homemaking. He accepted my crazy work hours, my strange family and friends and moods. When we were going through infertility he kept assuring me that no matter what happens he loves me the same. When I was at my highest weight ever he still loved, accepted and desired me for who I am, warts and all. When we lost our first son he assured me that he loved me all the same and did not blame me at all. When I had gotten very sick he did things to care for me and loved me the same through it all.Through every moment of our lives his love has remained unchanging and constant, and he has reminded me of it every day. Yet somehow I never believed it. Not because I doubted myself, but I could not wrap my head around how anyone could feel that another human being was such a complete and totally perfect match in every way. So many sources have said that love is a decision and a choice, and that discounted the idea that for each of us there is one perfectly matched soul out there in the universe, and if we are blessed, we will meet them and share a life together.In their presence everything is perfect and balanced simply because they carry the second half of our soul, and when you are together everything is complete. It will never be anyone elses idea of perfection, but it will indeed be perfect for the two of you. I think I finally get that not only can human beings feel that way about other human beings, but I have found one who feels exactly that way about me, and I about him. No matter where I am weight wise, I have this in my life. And having this makes numbers on the scale totally unimportant.

And I have a silly drug commercial to thank for making me realize that this is indeed possible.

Weigh in

Saturday morning, and the contestants in The Shrinking Family amble slowly to the scale.

Me- DOWN 1.0
Hubby- UP 1.4 ( not doing the low carb thing and working insane hours
Son- UP 0.4 ( also not doing the low carb thing)

I cannot help but think grains in all forms are the enemy and have more to do with the health problems we face in the modern world than any other substance. Nothing scientific behind that fact, but a gut hunch.

Off to make the guys their weekly oatmeal and my eggs and bacon.

Fast Food

Fast food- what exactly does the term mean ? In this country it refers to things like a burger or tacos or pizza or chicken purchased from a small resturant that can be eaten while on the run or brought home to avoid cooking. However in China it means foods created by sidewalk vendors that nourish you. In nearly every marketplace in China, so I am told, lies a noodle vendor. Not pasty white flour noodles in plastic packages, but freshly made noodles from things like rice flour, buckwheat, soy cooked in a broth with meats and vegetables. You buy a cup to eat and move along your way. So if a Chinese street vendor can do this, how hard can it be to produce in a modern American kitchen ??


Chinese noodles taste great, are filling, healthy and easy to prepare . Start with 4 oz of meat per person ( I used pork) , and cut it into cubes. Something about the size of dice works well. Then get an onion and slice, a pepper(red, green, yellow, orange- what do you have ?) and cut in strips, about 8 oz of fresh mushrooms and slice, about an inch of fresh ginger and chop and garlic to taste, sliced ( here it is a clove per person as we love garlic). Then get 2 oz of pasta per person ( I used whole wheat because that is what I have on hand), some soy sauce, chicken stock or soup base( I used this) and healthy oil - olive, peanut,grapeseed, safflower ,canola or sesame work well for this. Then a dutch oven for frying and a pot to cook noodles in. Put a teaspoon of oil per person in the dutch oven , and water in the noodle pan and put both on the fire. In the dutch oven saute the ginger and garlic, then add the pork cubes and 1 cup of the chicken bouillon and 1/4 cup soy sauce. Stir fry and cover to steam for about 5 minutes on high heat. Then add all the veggies, give them a stir and put the cover back on for 10 minutes. By this time the water should be boiling in the other pot, so add the pasta and let that cook for 10 minutes. Give it a stir so the pasta does not stick. When 10 minutes are up, drain the noodles and add to the dutch oven. Stir to mix everything well, put the cover back on and cook for another 2 minutes ( the pot will have extra liquid and the pasta will absorb much of it. Remove from heat and serve. This dish, from prep to serving, takes me less than 30 minutes. I served it with cucumbers and tomatoes- two goto veggies in this house !

Not using my noodle, but using my head instead

Okay , show of hands. How many times have you made a quick sort of dinner that involved a skillet, a pound of ground meat, some kind of veggie for seasoning and a sauce ? Be it Hamburger Helper, some kind of goulash, this seems to be a lot of people's goto meal , and why not? It's filled with pantry ingredients, cooks fast, uses one pot and usually contains less than 5 ingredients.Problem is , it is carby, has few veggies and is pretty high in calories. Empty calories at that. How about a healthy alternative ?

May I suggest Cabbage Kohaven ?
It is a very simple, inexpensive, tasty, hearty, low carb , few ingredient meal. Take a small head of cabbage ( about 1 1/2 cups per person before cooking) and cut into thin strips. Then take one onion, peel it and slice it thin. In a large skillet, pour 2 T olive oil and saute the cabbage and onion till they get a slight brown tinge. At this point cabbage begins to taste mellow , sweet, and palletable to most people. Place the cabbage in a greased casserole dish, and in the same skillet brown a pound of ground turkey,chicken, beef, lamb, pork- whatever you have on hand.Season as you like - I add garlic powder to mine. Drain and mix with the cabbage, add a jar of alfredo sauce ( I used Newmans Own), mix and sprinkle the top with 2 T Parmesan cheese. Cover and put in a 350 oven for 30 min- if you are in a rush you can skip this step , but the oven time helps the flavors blend better.

We have all been told cabbage is healthy, and cabbage is usually one of those dirt cheap veggies in the store. Most people think cole slaw when they see cabbage, but it can be used for so much more. When it is lightly fried it develops a sweet , mellow taste. If boiled it also becomes mild, but not sweet. Cooked cabbage makes an excellent noodle alternative. Consider the following health facts about this green or red ball of goodness-

Phytonutrients in crucifers, such as cabbage, work at a deep level. These compounds actually
signal our genes to increase production of enzymes involved in detoxification,
the cleansing process through which our bodies eliminate harmful compounds.

Recent studies show that those eating the most cruciferous vegetables have a much lower risk
of prostate, colorectal and lung cancer-even when compared to those who regularly eat other vegetables

Cabbage is nutrient-packed and low in calorie. It is impressive with its high content levels of calcium, iron,
iodine, potassium, sulfur, and phosphorus. In the vitamins department, it is loaded with vitamins A, B1, B2,
B6, C, E, K and folic acid.

1 cup of raw cabbage contains 17 calories,
Protein: 1.01 g
Carbohydrates: 3.9 g
Fiber: 1.6 g
Total Fat: 0.08 g

Compare that to 2 oz whole wheat noodles
197 to 220 calories ( depends on the brand)
37.2 grams carbohydrates
3.9 grams fiber
0.8 grams fat
7.5 grams protein

Green tea and what's to eat

It was a "chained to the computer" kind of morning yesterday. School work involved a lot of internet research, so while my son did his lessons on his computer, I took advantage of the time to do menu planning on my computer. Menu planning is a necessary pain in the butt for me- week after week , diet or not, I sit down to plan 3 meals and 2 snacks for 3 people for 7 days. It started as a money saving move because we were buying too much of some things and not enough of others, and then became a nessisary componant of survival with homeschool. Nothing like standing at the freezer at 5 pm, tired and hungry with other tired and hungry people asking what's for dinner , and not having a clue. So I cringe at the planning but love doing it when I start and then I am glad I did. However, doing this and supervising school at the same time gives me a headache, and in a short time I need a break. How about a nice cup of green tea ?

For me , green tea is one of the best ways to stem off a headache. You hear a lot of people saying it is good for you and you see commercials for products with all kinds of claims for it's benefits. Are they "hooey", or is there something to it ? Well, here are some facts about green tea's goodness

Green Tea
reduces risk of esophageal cancer
lowers total cholesterol level and improves ratio of good(HDL) and bad(LDL)
can be helpful for cancer,rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease and infection
The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells,
it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue.
It also inhibits the formation of blood clots, a leading cause of heart attack and stroke.
It can help dieters, as it helps to burn more calories due to its fat oxidization properties
It is also helpful in preventing tooth decay.
In some people it can cause insomnia due to it's caffeine,
however green tea contains less caffeine than coffee
Green tea can slow down the aging process due to antioxidants

In the case of my stress headache from planning, it is the caffeine in the green tea that works it's magic. Did you know that caffeine is used to cure headaches because of the way it works of the bloodstream ? It's true. Next time you feel a headache comming on reach for a coffee or a green tea and see how well it works.

We got school and planning done, with getting very sidetracked by watching Sesame Street of all things. It was the 40th birthday of the show and we had to catch it for nostalgia reasons. No exercise was had this day , but much was accomplished. And for those of you who wonder what we are going to be eating, here is the basic menu for next week. Snacks and additions will be added according to each person's calorie needs.

Saturday
Breakfast - Pumpkin oats with toppings 400
Lunch- OUT
Dinner-Grilled pork chops 160
Roast Brussels sprouts 50
Spaghetti Squash 50
(260)
Dessert- White chocolate decadence- not sure of the calorie countbut it is made with white chocolate sugar free pudding and heavy cream

Sunday
Breakfast-Crockpot pumpkin grains with pumpkin butter, peanut butter, crasins and flax 435
Lunch- Crustless Spinach Quiche 350 Salad 50 400
Dinner- Chicken breast Alfredo over sauteed cabbage 400 Tomatoes and cucumbers 50(450)

Monday
Breakfast Flax Meal Peanut Butter Cereal 351
Lunch Crust less Spinach Quiche 350 Salad 50 400
Dinner Maple glazed pork chops with Brussels sprouts 323 Cucumbers and tomatoes 50(373)

Tuesday
Breakfast2 eggs 140 ¼ c moz 80 mushrooms and onions 3 slices turkey bacon 100 (320)
Lunch Turkey Burger 120 Cottage cheese110 Salad greens 50 (280)
Dinner Ranch Baked Chicken 191 Easy Zucchini Parmesan 51 Baked Sweet potato fries 102 (350)

Wednesday
BreakfastFlax Meal Peanut Butter Cereal 351
Lunch Low carb egg and cottage cheese salad 148 Flax bread 185 Celery, tomatoes, cucumbers 50 (383)
Dinner Shake and bake pork chops( almond meal, seasoning)280 Roast Broccoli 50 Mashed cauliflower 50
(380)

Thursday
Breakfast 2 eggs 140 ¼ c moz 80 mushrooms and onions 3 slices turkey bacon 100 (320)
Lunch Turkey Burger 120 Cottage cheese110 Salad greens 50 (280)
Dinner Chicken and broccoli casserole 272 Salad 50 (322)

Friday
Breakfast Flax Meal Peanut Butter Cereal 351
Lunch Low carb egg and cottage cheese salad 148 Flax bread 185 Celery, tomatoes, cucumbers 50 (383)
Dinner Crockpot pork chops 239 Creamed spinach 75 Mashed cauliflower 50 (464)

Aw, nuts !

One of the nicest things to me about a low carb approach is that nuts are not thought of as "the enemy". If you are counting carbs as opposed to counting calories, snacking on nuts is perfectly okay. A handful of nuts go a long way to satisfying hunger because of their fat and protein content. Nuts are very good for you, and pecans are one of the better choices out there nutritionally, Here's some info on them from the net-

"New research, published in the August 2006 issue of Nutrition Research, shows that adding just a handful of pecans to your diet each day may help inhibit unwanted oxidation of blood lipids, thus helping prevent coronary heart disease.

Research published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry (June 2004) found that pecans rank highest among all nuts and are among the top category of foods to contain the highest antioxidant capacity,

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has acknowledged this and related research and approved the following qualified health claim: “Scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove, that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, such as pecans, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.”

A review of pecan and other nut research, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (September 2003), suggests that nuts like pecans may aid in weight loss and maintenance. The review cited studies indicating that nut consumption may increase metabolic rates and enhance satiety. When used in conjunction with a healthy low-fat diet, nuts also offer increased flavor, palatability and texture that can lead to greater dietary compliance, according to the review.

Pecans are low in carbohydrates, contain polysaturated fats that help reduce LDL cholesterol levels, rich in pyridoxine, Vitamin B6 that is important for the regeneration of cells in the heart, zinc, thiamin, potassium, iron, minerals, and Vitamin E.

Pecans have been the staple food of Native Americans long before the white American settlers.

19 pecan halves contain 195 calories, 3 grams fiber, 20 grams fat and 3 grams protein. 297 mg Omega 3 fatty acids and 5,828 mg Omega 6 fatty acids. They contain 3.9 grams carbohydrates and are cholesterol free. They lower LDL cholesterol and have been show to reduce the risk of heart disease."

One of the nicer way to eat nuts is in the form of sugared nuts. A lot of people make them around the holidays, but if you switch the sugar for splenda, you get a tasty snack that you can enjoy year round without blowing your program. I made a batch yesterday for the house.

To make a batch, you will need 1/2 cup splenda, 2 t cinnamon, 1/2 t salt, 1 egg white and 3 cups of pecans ( you can also use walnuts, almonds or brazil nuts).


Preheat your oven to 350 and spray a baking pan with Pam. Next combine she sugar, salt and cinnamon- I do this in a ziplock bag


Next, whip your egg white into a froth


A Kitchen Aid mixer is such a good friend in a working kitchen ! Next toss the nuts in the egg whites

Then add the sugar mixture and toss to coat. Spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.


Cool, swat away hands seeking out the warm sweet nutty goodness and store in a covered container.Such a snack will find many hands sneaking a piece here and there, but you can feel good knowing that the thieves are getting something that is healthy and filled with essential omega fatty acids for their trouble .



Why are Omega Fatty Acids important? Clinical studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids may be helpful in treating a variety of health conditions. The evidence is strongest for heart disease and problems that contribute to heart disease, but the range of possible uses for omega-3 fatty acids include:

High cholesterol ,High blood pressure ,Heart disease, Diabetes, Weight loss, Arthritis ,Osteoporosis, Depression, Bipolar disorder, Schizophrenia, Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Eating disorders, Burns ,Skin disorders ,Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Asthma, Macular Degeneration ,Menstrual pain, Colon cancer ,Breast cancer and Prostate cancer. Other sources cite these for treatment of Autism, MS, PMS and more.

Aw, nuts indeed !

Pumpkins

I had a morning to myself yesterday , and I was able to tackle some more of my class work, take a walk, and then work on cooking some more pumpkins. Our store had the little pie pumpkins for 49 cents a pound, and we really love pumpkin in hot cereal, muffins and soup. Pumpkin is very healthy for you, once you move it out of the pastry crust and get rid of the sugars and so forth. Many years ago , it was a staple in the households of colonists, as it grew in abundance thie side of the pond. Pumpkin was not found in the British Isles. At Halloween they carved turnips to scare off the bad spirits. If you have ever cooked a turnip, you get a newfound appreciation for just how concerned they were, as a turnip is not an easy vegetable to carve ! When the settlers arrived in new england, the were introduced to this orange hard shelled treasure chest of nutrition, and used it in abundance. It was roasted, dried, and used for medicinal concernes . It was belived that pumpkin cured snake bites, removed freckles, a cure for prostate problems and bladder problems. One of it's folk nicknames was "piss a bed".

Pumpkin Nutrition Facts
(1 cup cooked, boiled, drained, without salt)

Calories 49 Protein 2 grams Carbohydrate 12 grams Dietary Fiber 3 grams Calcium 37 mg Iron 1.4 mg Magnesium 22 mg Potassium 564 mg

Zinc 1 mg Selenium .50 mg Vitamin C 12 mg Niacin 1 mg Folate 21 mcg Vitamin A 2650 IU Vitamin E 3 mg

As you can see, it is pretty darned good stuff ! I cut mine into strips, peel it, cube and then place in my slow cooker for 10 hrs with about an inch of water. Then I mash it, cool it and freeze in 1 cup packages to use in whatever recipes I choose. Why 1 cup ? It is the exat amount needed for one of our grain breakfasts for the three of us. I soak the seeds in plain water to loosen the stringy goop, and then spread on a cookie sheet to roast ( 350 for 20 minutes). If I could find a way to air dry these I would , because they have their optimum nutritional value when raw. Pumpkin seeds have been used to expel intestinal parasites, soothe irritated bladders and support prostate health. They can help to lower cholesterol and are a good source of omega fatty acids. We use them to snack on, as a topping for salads an i have tossed them in a seed and nut mix.

It's a shame you only find them fresh in the market for such a short time !

I worry about rabbits following me home

Another Saturday, another shop and chop day. It seems every time we go to the grocery store, I get stopped by total strangers and asked what some vegetable is, how some vegetable is used or if some vegetable is any good. It's not a new phenomonon, but something that has happened all of my 29 years of marriage. Maybe it is because I have an honest face , or perhaps it is because my cart always looks like this

I guess this would be considered a badge of someone who knows what in the heck to do with a jicama or how to cook a kolerabi !

After our shopping at the various stores we came home and I did all the pre-prep for the veggies for the week. Note- the above is what we go through each and every week and very little is tossed. I often wonder if one morning I will wake up to find us all rabbits ! Veggies are very good for you, but they can be time consuming for meal prep, so I do a lot of it on the weekend, when things are not so pressed. Makes the week a lot easier, but boy does it make for a tiring Saturday. For that reason I try to make Saturday dinner something easy to prepare. In our days before weight loss , the favorite thing to do was order a pizza. Not only is that not the best move health wise, but not so friendly on the wallet. A pizza can be made at home for a lot less than a carry out. Made a lot healthier as well. However, there comes a time and place where some cannot eat a regular pizza because of the crust. Wheat becomes problematic for those with Autism, Crohns Disease, Celiac Spruce , Insulin Resistance and more. In those cases , pizza becomes something very different. Crust becomes things like mushroom caps, cream cheese and eggs, or in our case, made from ground flax ( recipe found here)

You prebake the crust and then add the toppings of your choice. For ours we went very low carb - sausafge, cheese, olives and sauce

What does it taste like ? Imagine eating a pizza made on a rye crisp. It was definitely different, but not unplesant. My two die hard bread lovers ate it and there were no leftovers, so it seems to be palatable to them . I think I like the portabello pizza a bit more, but I would not refuse this one again. I am thinking next time I would like to try an almond meal crust instead of flaxmeal. Which reminds me - I was starting to think about what I will bring to the family Thanksgiving gathering to pass, and I believe a lo carb cheesecake made with an almond or pecan crust would go over very well !

A pudding and weigh in

Yesterday I began to really feel the affects of dropping the carbs and sugars. My brain was transformed into a slug creature, and after school I let my son entertain me with watching Literal Videos on YouTube. What are they ? Imagine if the lyrics to a music video were changed to reflect the actions in the video. Thins like "stare at floating cloth, sing in front of candles " and so forth. I was also sh0wn what a Rick Roll is ( get someone to look at a video clip of Rick Astleys song Never gonna give you up). It just cracked me up and helped me to stay awake if nothing else. I do know from past experience that this is normal with switching to a low carb diet, and it passes in a couple of days. Meanwhile, much of my joint pain has dissapeared in the process. Carbs, even whole grain ones, can really aggravate arthritis and other joint conditions.

In the evening I was looking for something a little different for my snack. Nuts and eggs are okay, but I wanted something a little more dessert-ish, so I tried some flaxmeal breakfast pudding

This one is very easy to make ! Take 1/4 cup flaxmeal, 1/4 cup water, 1 egg(or equivilant egg beaters) , sweeter to taste and mix ins. Stir well, microwave for 45 seconds, stir, microwave another 45 seconds and eat. For mix ins I chose cocoa powder, splenda and coconut. For this you get 1 gram carbs, 9 grams fiber, 12 grams protein, and 243 calories.Why splenda over stevia ? I learned that in people who have insulin resistance, stevia aggravates the condition. Same is true with agave nectar, and it is problematic for people who are going GFCF.

We weighed in this morning, and here are the results
Me- DOWN 1.4
Son - DOWN 1.8
Hubby -UP1.0 ( due to a business meeting where they were fed monster burritos from Chipoltle that had about 2 cups of rice in each) The nature of his job makes it very difficult for him to avoid these things

So begins another week. Tonight we are going to try flax meal pizza crust. It should work out well, as the flax meal bread works for holding sandwich fillings . Pictures to follow.

Bread and me

One of the big challenges to a low carb diet is bread. Theoretically it seems like an easy thing to live without, and today because of so many people living lo carb, there are some amazing ideas out there for bread and "starchy " sides like pasta, rice and tortillas. However, there are some times when you really just want "bread" to make a sandwich.I have tried the alternate breads like rice bread, and frankly I would rather go hungry than eat those dry things. While I was doing some research on low carb options, I can across some new to me ideas for flax meal in bread. What a brilliant idea ! Flax is high in fiber, high in essential fatty acids, high in protien, and something I really love the taste of . So why not give it a try ?

Here is the finished product. It comes out like a great big foccacia, and you can cut it into any shape you desire or any size. I found the recipe here, which has links to many other flax bread ideas. I loved the smell of baking coming from my kitchen once again, and decided it would be fun to try another low carb bread thing, the almond muffin. I also figured this would be a good day to stock the freezer with bread sort of things incase life gets really crazy during the bathroom redo

These are called basic lo carb muffins, and I followed the recipe here, but swapped the butter for olive oil. I was surprised they came out so much lighter than the muffins pictured. Nick and i split one of these to taste test and a smll peice of the foccacia to test. The muffins were good, but had a definite eggy taste to them. The foccacia on the other hand was great ! Will make a good sandwich or sure. I grabbed a piece with my lunch instead of the planned on Arnolds Thin, and I think I can definately live with this.

Finally, while snapping pictures it dawned on me that it has been a while since i had a picture taken of me , so I asked my son to take one. Here I am in my glamerous oversized tee shirt and capri pants ( my mom uniform), and hopefully it will serve as a mental reminder to have some pictures of me on this blog as well. I am the shutterbug of the family- hubby and son think about pictures only once in a great while, and I have not mastered taking pictures of myself.

The taste of success

It seems that my body is adjusting nicely to this lower carb -higher protein approach . A few years back I did Atkins, and one of the first goals to get your body flipped from burning carbs to burning fat had a teltale sign of a strange taste in your mouth. That started yesterday for me- which is a lot faster than it happened in that attempt. I am not rejecting carbs- just limiting them in my intake. I am taking this taste as a good sign that I am indeed making some progress. Another thing that is a sign for me is that I am once again running to the bathroom frequently. When my body flips to the weight loss mode, the potty becomes my best friend !

Two of the dishes I tried yesterday. The first one was my alternate grilled cheese sandwich. I took a handful of button mushrooms, a red onion and about a cup of broccoli, sauted it in olive oil and topped it with a slice of mozerella cheese, then microwaved it for 30 seconds to help the cheese melt.

I served it with sliced cucumbers and tomato- very tasty, simple and filling.

I found out sometime within the next 2 weeks our bathroom is going to be totally remodeled in a day , no definate date for it yet, and we will spend the day without water or facilities of our own. While this seems like a nothing, for me it is really stressful because of the weight loss side affects. The are going to give us access to one of the vacant apartments for the remodel, but still I am very anxious about it. So I spent much of the afternoon trying to figure out how to handle different scenarios with this while playing with the Wii boxing. Best way I can handle anxiety is to use logic and get my body to do something productive with the energy.

Dinner was something I am calling "Fakeroni and cheese with Ham

Take one head of cauliflower, break it into florettes and boil for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile make a white sauce ( roux and milk) and add garlic powder , a pinch of dried mustard , a cup of mozerella( or any other shredded cheese) and a cup of ham cubes. Cook till thick, then put the cauliflower in a casserole dish, pout the cheese sauce over and mix. Cover and bake at 350 for 45 min. Serve with a tossed salad- really good !

Today I am going to try the flax meal bread recipe. I had no ill affects from yesterdays Peanut butter flax cereal, so I am good to go .

Flax Finds

I am discovering several interesting things that can be done with ground flax as a substitute for other grains. It can be made into bread, muffins and...hot cereal ! We just tried it this morning for breakfast. You take 1/4 cup ground flax, 2 T peanut butter and 1/4 tsp cinnamon, add 1/2 cup of boiling water, let sit for about two minutes and stir. Here is what you get -

It comes out creamy, thick and pretty darned filling. Nutritional stats for this are 351 calories, 5 grams of carbs, 14 grams protein, 5 grams of effective carbs, 29 grams of fat and 10 grams fiber.

I am going to try to make the flax seed foccacia bread as well, but I will hold off a day or two with that one. I am a little concerned that this level of fiber may be a bit "explosive" . Ground Flax is a time honored herbal remedy for dealing with cronic constipation. Should prove interesting to say the least.

In other news, it seems my body is responding to the lowered level of carbs with an amazing level of brain fog. Yesterday I sat trying to figure out two lunch options for over 3 hrs. Granted, there are a lot of variables I have to deal with, but this is ridiculous ! It will get better as my body adjusts, but till then coffee is going to be an absolute mandate around here. Needless to say because of the time spent in serious brain fog, it was a very bad day for exercise. Today I have to plan lessons for next week's homeschool, and I am hoping I can scape together three brain cells to do the job. They are predicting snow today , so the weather is cold and damp- not good for aching joints. looks like it is going to be a day spent with the Wii Fit Plus !

Intuitive leanings

Over the weekend I was reminded in two ways about something that my body seems to be wired for- that I really do not like starches or sugars. By not like I mean have a physical aversion to.

Some examples- when I was young, my parents would buy these presweetened cereals because , after all, that is what all kids liked. Not me ! I would LOVE it when we ran out of the junk and be forced to eat cereals like Total. Even better those mornings when we would eat eggs and bacon. The sweet cereal always made me feel sick to my stomach. Even wore were the mornings when mom would make pancakes ! To this day, if I eat pancakes it gives me instant heartburn . Oatmeal I can tolerate, as well as polenta. If I eat cold cereal it has to be something like Special K or homemade granola ( not premade variety's)

I was never a fan of candy, until I tasted my first bite of candy with nuts, and then I would eat it strictly for the nuts. I could never be bribed, swayed, tempted or influenced by candy. However, if you tried to do the same with nuts or meat, you would have no problem. It is something about that kind of fat or protein that I CRAVE, and in large quantities.

It was so intense, that as a kid I used to steal packs of lunch meat ( and liver sausage was my favorite) , hide behind the couch and eat the whole thing. If there was ever any leftover meat in the house I would devour it. One year on the day after Thanksgiving when I was a teen , I ate half of a leftover 22 lb turkey. Did not get sick in the least, and felt pretty energetic afterwords. My mother , however was horrified because there went a couple of days planned meals for the family. When we would go to the store and be promised a reward for good behavior, it was always the promise of picking something from the candy rack. Know what I would pick ? Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or beef jerky- never candy. My parents thought I was crazy.

This weekend while we were eating dinner I took a bite of the Bread of the Dead and passed it on to the guys because it was giving me instant heartburn. I mentioned it to Bob and he reminded me that I have always been like this, and perhaps my system is and has been protein deficient for a long , long time. I am begining to wonder if this is not true. With weight loss you have to get your metabolic rate to a level where it burns more than you injest, and this is done through diet and exercise. The more muscle you build, the higher your resting metabolic rate is. If your system does not have enough protein ( the nutrient that builds muscle tissue) , I believe your body fights harder to compensate and an imbalance is created. If you increase protein, there is more supplies for your body to build with.

So this week I am trying to lean a little heavier on protein, lighter on carbs , and we will see what happens. I know it works for me - in the past I did Atkins and lost 70 pounds . I quit because I became severely constipated and I was concerned about eliminating so many potential nutrients in my body.

I am planning next weeks menu today, and I am seeking out some healthy, low carb , high protein options to work into the mix.

Monday and back to the grind

What a great weekend ! Other than the incident with the cinnamon coated pecans, no damage was done. We were planning on heading to the cemetery yesterday but I was just wiped out mentally , and I needed to replace my French Press coffee pot. The little one was a victim of a can falling out of the cupboard, and mornings without coffee qualify as national disasters. So it was off to Meijers instead in search of a pot, a new crocopot and whatever other trouble we could get into for the afternoon.

While there my son insisted we visit the electronic game section, and I noticed two noteworthy new games for the Nintendo Wii- The Biggest Loser Workout and DaisyFuentes Pilates. While I would be very curious as to what the Biggest Loser one does, I think I will buy the Pilates one instead in a few weeks. Reason being that Pilates does not involve stomping- which is a big plus in this third floor apartment ! Till then, I will continue to be content with the Wii fit plus.

Plan for today is workouts, homeschool, the weekly houseclean , dispose of the Halloween items and cook down two pie pumpkins. I may then try my hand at some homemade pumpkin butter- we found some a few weeks back at Trader Joes, love it on oatmeal , but ran out and have not bought more. Sounds like a reason to try to make some !

Just to let you know

I wish to announce that there are such a thing as cinnamon coated pecans in the store. Cinnamon and brown sugar or white sugar to be exact. Furthermore, I wish to announce that these are indeed like crack !

Going down to the cemetary on this bright but cold day to pay my respects to the family and burn off the several handfuls of the above mentioned food. No regrets- whatever damage I did in eating these was well worth it !