I'm sad, but my guilty pleasure is over - Breaking Bad. I didn't watch it when it was airing. But, since I had heard so much about it, I bought the first season. The weekend before last Christmas, dd was home from school and saw that I had it, so suggested we watch it. DD, dh and I all got hooked!! I forget how many episodes we watched while she was home, but she ordered season 2 and season 3 for me for Xmas. Dh and I continued to watch at least one episode a night and more on the weekend. I ended up ordering the rest of the episodes so we wouldn't have to have a break in watching them. We finally finished the whole thing a few weeks ago. I still want to know what happened to Jesse. DD has to spend her nights studying so is only in the middle of season 4. Poor girl! Oh, then I got hooked on United States of Tara and watched the whole series in 2 weeks. Other then that, very dark chocolate is my guilty pleasure. But, it's definitely not a secret. (I'm also loving the Blacklist).

I'm planning on doing the Alaska cruise in a couple of years, so have been spending a lot of time on the Alaska forum at Cruise Critics. Many people bring their own water and pop. You can just reinforce a flat of water or pop with packing tape and put your tags right on that, or you can pack it all in luggage. I'm definitely planning on bringing my own as I drink stevia sweetened pop and a lot of water. You can also buy bottled water at any of the ports and bring that back on board with you. Also, you can request your room steward bring you pitchers of ice/ice water. If you're flying in, buy your water/pop after you land and before you embark. I'd love to hear your cruise plans/report!! I can hardly wait and I'm only in the beginning planning stages.

We also have this problem and after 5 years of trying to get things to grow in the "soil" I gave up. Instead, last spring and summer I put down pavers 45" wide by the length of 2 sides of our front yard. Then I bought the big resin planters from Costco and filled them with potting soil and arranged them on the pavers. The width of the pavers was wide enough for the planters as well as a walk area. I staggered the planters so they weren't just a stark row of planters. Last year was a test to see what would survive. I planted rhodies, azaleas, lilies, honeysuckle, peonies, lavender, sedums, hydrangeas, blueberries etc. etc. as well as annuals. This year, I'm going to add a couple of roses and see what else I like. I'm really happy with the way this turned out - I was a little nervous going into it. I'd like to do one more long strip of the paver/planters and am hoping to convince my dh to do it for me. He's unemployed and I work full-time. But, what are the chances of getting his help? Another plus to doing it this way is that weeding is much easier. Last summer I loved to just go out on my front porch and watch the flowers. :001_smile:

Being LCHF I don't do fruit so have to go in other directions - I usually lean towards chocolate. I made a dessert to take to work a couple of weeks ago. It was one I put together using a couple of different recipes, Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake Balls. No one could tell they were low carb. Let me know if you want the recipe. A chocolate mousse would be great in your crust. Here is a recipe I've made several times for non-low carbers. It's very good. * Exported from MasterCook * Tiramisu Cookie Cups Recipe By : Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Christmas Cookies Gluten Free Holiday Holidays Low Carb Quick & Easy Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- Cookie Cups: 2 cups almond flour 1/3 cup Swerve Sweetener or other erythritol 1 tsp espresso powder or instant coffee 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 6 tbsp butter -- melted 1 large egg 1/4 tsp stevia extract Tiramisu Filling: 1/4 cup whipping cream -- chilled 1/3 cup powdered Swerve 1 tbsp coffee liqueur (preferably [homemade sugar-free coffee liqueur) 1/8 tsp stevia extract 6 oz mascarpone -- room temperature 1/2 tsp guar gum (if necessary -- to re-emulsify) (1/2 to 3/4) Cocoa powder for sprinkling Yield: 24 cookie cups Serving Size: 2 cookie cups For the cookie cups, preheat oven to 325F and grease a mini muffin tin (24 mini-muffin capacity). In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, erythritol, espresso powder, baking powder and salt. Stir in butter, egg and stevia until dough comes together. Form by hand into approximately 1-inch balls and place dough balls into prepared mini-muffin tin. This recipe will make exactly 24 so if you've made your balls too big or too small, go back and redistribute the dough. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of each mini-muffin hole. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are lightly brown and cookie cup is puffed up a bit. Remove from oven and use the end of a wooden spoon to gently create a nice well in the center of each cookie cup. Let cool. For the filling, whip cream with powdered erythritol until it forms stiff peaks. Stir in coffee liqueur and stevia extract. Gently fold in room-temperature mascarpone. If it separates and gets clumpy, beat in guar gum 1/4 tsp at a time until comes back together. Spoon or pipe filling into cooled cookie cups. Sift cocoa powder over top and refrigerate 20 minutes to set. Notes Serves 12 (2 cookie cups each). Each serving has 5.5 g of carbs and 2 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 3.5 g. Description: "Creamy tiramisu filling in little coffee-flavoured cookie cups. Tiramisu you can eat with your fingers! Low carb and gluten-free." Source: "http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : Made these for a holiday potluck at work. I made the cookie cups a couple of days ahead of time and then filled them the evening before the potluck. I found out the hard way that it's important to remove the cookie cups from teh pan while they are still quite warm. I had 4 cups crumble trying to get them out of the pan. The filling is amazing. I had absolutely no trouble with the mascarpone and didn't need the guar gum. I whipped the mascarpone into the whipped cream. I used DaVinci sugar-free Kahlua syrup instead of the coffee liqueur. I used a microplane to finely grate some 85% chocolate for the top instead of cocoa. Here's a no-bake cheesecake filling that you could put in your crust: * Exported from MasterCook * No-Bake Cheesecake Cups Recipe By : Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Desserts Low Carb Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1 cup heavy cream Truvia 8 ounces cream cheese -- softened 1 teaspoon vanilla several drops of liquid stevia 1/2 cup heavy cream 6 ounces 90% dark chocolate -- broken into small pieces. Truvia Whip the 1 cup of cream with Truvia to taste until stiff peaks form. Beat the cream cheese, vanilla, and stevia to taste until smooth and creamy. Gently fold 1/4 of the whipped cream into the cream cheese until combined. Continue folding the rest of the cream until all is combined well. Spoon the mixture into 12 muffin cups lined with paper liners. Refrigerate until firm. Heat the 1/2 cup cream in the microwave until it comes to a boil. Add the chocolate and Truvia to taste. Stir until chocolate is melted. Refrigerate until thickened. At this point it can be whipped or not, your choice. Spoon chocolate onto the tops of each cheesecake cup. Refrigerate until ready to serve. - - - - - NOTES : The second time I made these I did them a bit differently. I whipped the cream cheese with the liquid stevia and also some Truvia. I added a few tablespoons of cream to thin it a bit. I whipped about 3/4 cup cream with the Truvia and vanilla until stiff peaks. I folded the cream into the cream cheese and followed the rest of the recipe for the cheesecake part. For the topping, I put a couple of tablespoons of butter, a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil and about 1/2 cup of cream in the microwave with Truvia. I heated it until everything was melted. I then added about 1/4 cup of cocoa powder and whipped it together until all was smooth. I then refrigerated it until chilled. I again whipped it until it thickened and then topped each of the cheesecake cups with a spoonful. Here's an ice cream recipe that uses ricotta. It's quite good. You could use your crust and make an ice cream pie. * Exported from MasterCook * Healthy Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe By : Serving Size : 2 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Ice Cream/Frozen Desserts Low Carb Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1 cup ricotta cheese (part skim or whole milk) 1 fresh organic egg yolk (Egg Beaters if you’re afraid of salmonella) Tiny splash of pure vanilla extract Sweeteners -- to taste For ALL NATURAL sugar-free sweetening: - 2-3 tablespoons erythritol or xylitol - Pure stevia extract (NuNaturals is the best!) 1 Pinch xanthan/guar gum (optional -- for a creamier texture) Jamocha Almond Flavoring: 2 teaspoons cocoa powder -- (2 to 3) 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules sliced almonds 85% cacao chocolate -- grated Mint Chocolate Chip Variation: a few drops of pure peppermint extract 85% cacao chocolate -- grated Blend ricotta, egg yolk, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, sweeteners, xanthan gum, and other flavorings together in a blender or food processor until totally smooth. Stir in nuts and chocolate shavings if desired. Pour into plastic tub with a lid and freeze for an hour, stirring well every 20 minutes to break up the ice so it freezes properly. Serve as soon as it’s frozen enough to be scoopable. If you decide not to eat it immediately, let it sit out for 10 minutes when you remove it from the freezer before serving. ~5g net carbs per serving! Makes two servings Source: "http://healthyindulgences.net" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : I used more cocoa powder and a splash of Toroni's Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup.

OMG!!! I wonder what the chances are of coming up with a low carb version of this? :lol:

I'm not into the Olympics, so haven't done much normal TV watching the last couple of weeks. Dh and I had just finished watching all 5 seasons of Breaking Bad straight through - we watched 1 or 2 episodes a night. Amazing show! I spent the last week watching all 3 seasons of United States of Tara. LOVED it! John Corbett and Toni Collette. Today I watched the first episode of House of Cards. I can see that it's another one I'm going to love. Normal TV shows that I love and watch are Walking Dead, Scandal, Bates Motel, and now I'm drawing a blank as to what else I like to watch. I wish they didn't have such loooooong breaks between episodes. I also really enjoyed watching Hostages. Did anyone else watch that?

I think that the best way to give up sugar is to just go cold turkey and do it. No easing into it. Same with the other carbs. You'll go through a couple of days of withdrawal and then the cravings are gone. I wonder if you'll find that without the carbs, that fat won't cause you digestive problems.

Because my diet is so different from everyone else, I do bring some food that I know I can eat in case there isn't anything else I can eat. I also let them know that I'll take care of a meal or two or three while we're there and bring everything to cook. I also bring a couple bottles of wine and whatever beverages we prefer. I guess I do bring food, but I don't clean out my cupboards to do it. I bring food directly from the store.

I am totally new to Netflix and am watching The United States of Tara right now. It's definitely not for everyone, but I'm loving it. We definitely have evergreens in our yard, being in the evergreen state. No popcorn for me (wish I could still eat it), but occasionally pork rinds or pistachios with a movie or show.

Another good time-travel book is Octavia Butler's Kindred. I finished it a couple of weeks ago. As far as dropping books, I think I've only done that once or twice. But, I'm having a difficult time with the book I'm reading right now and am considering dropping it. It's Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. It was recommended here and sounded like something I'd really like. But, I'm having a hard time staying interested. I hate giving up on books, though. I keep thinking that if I just read a little bit more it will all fall into place and I'll end up loving it (or at least liking it). And, I don't remember who recommended Cinnamon and Gunpowder, but I just finished it a couple of days ago and really enjoyed it. It was kind of a fun romp with some interesting cooking thrown in. It was a nice break after slogging through The Goldfinch.

AWESOME!! I had cataract surgery 4 years ago and did the same thing after I had the first eye done - except I did it during the day. I could read signs, see things on the side of the road, etc. Colors were amazing and clear. Enjoy your new sight!!

Well, shoot, if you have a nanny, give her a call, ask her to pick up some specific groceries on the way over - pbj and bread? and something nice for you - and when she gets to your house, lock yourself in your bedroom with a great book, whatever treat the nanny brought you and a nice beverage. Your kids won't care if the house is a mess, the nanny should understand. Your kids will be taken care of and you can you can relax.

Thanks so much for this thread!! I watched the first episode today and loved it. My only problem is that because it has subtitles, I have to continuously watch the screen. I'm so used to doing something while watching TV or movies (even if it's just doing something on my computer) that I'm finding it hard to commit uninterrupted time to watch. I have a good friend at work who is Korean and always telling me what life was like in Korea. I'm so excited to tell her about this show, although she probably already knows.

I'm LCHF and buy everything I can at Costco - butter, cream, eggs, sour cream, meat, avocado oil, coconut oil, cheese, dog food, laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, potting soil, batteries, body wash, nuts, Honeyville Grains almond flour, organic chicken broth, mayo, kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, foil, plastic wrap, garbage bags, roasted chicken, BOOKS, Vitamins, etc. etc. etc. I bought two Samsung Galaxy tabs before Christmas - best price I was able to find. Totally worth it to me. Also, we get a rebate every spring. Edited because I forgot to add BACON! I don't know how I forgot that item. :drool5:

I've only tasted a champagne cake once and don't remember it having a distinct flavor. I was expecting to taste...something...but didn't. A friend made my wedding cake. I found the recipe, bought her all the ingredients and she baked/made it. It would have been a problem to transport, so she went to the venue a couple of hours early and put the whole thing together there. It was beautiful and tasted amazing. Would that work for you? That way, you wouldn't have to worry about fitting the assembled cake in your fridge.

This is what the vertigo I have is called!! It's quite common.

I had vertigo about a year and a half ago. It was very scary. I ended up going to urgent care and found out it was vertigo. It was caused by some kind of crystals in my ear - I can't remember the name of it now. Anyway, I later found out that several people I knew also had had it, so it is quite common. The dr gave me an exercise to do that helped to minimize the dizziness. It shows up every once in a while and I just do the exercise for awhile.

I finished The Goldfinch last night and was...disappointed. I'm not sure why. It started out great, but then didn't seem to really go anywhere, it just plodded along. Maybe I was expecting too much? Maybe I was in the wrong mood while reading it? I don't know. I just put Ice Hunt in my cart. It sounds like something I'd enjoy. While searching for Ice Hunt, Winter's Tale popped up, so I put that in my cart, too. I thought maybe I should read it before the movie came out. I just started Kindred by Octavia Butler. It's one my dd has talked about for several years. She loaned me a copy while she was home for Christmas break, so I need to get it read before she comes back for Spring break.

Another vote for 1776!

Here's one that I really like: * Exported from MasterCook * Healthy Instant Chocolate Cake Recipe By : Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Cakes & Frostings Low Carb Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1/2 Tablespoon unsalted butter** 4 teaspoons half and half cream OR lite coconut milk 1/16 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 beaten egg 5 Tablespoons almond flour -- gently packed 2 teaspoons coconut flour 2 Tablespoons erythritol OR 2 Tablespoons Truvia OR 3 packets good-tasting stevia OR scant 1/16 teaspoon pure stevia extract (if using erythritol) 1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (recommended: Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder) 1/8 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon vinegar Makes 1 large serving **For a dairy-free/paleo version of this cake, use coconut oil or nonhydrogenated organic shortening and lite coconut milk. You can use a tablespoon of honey and the listed amount of stevia to sweeten it. Add butter, half and half or coconut milk, and sea salt to mug. Melt for 30 seconds on HIGH in microwave, or until butter is liquified. Add vanilla and drizzle egg into mug while whisking it with a fork. Add the dry ingredients and whisk thoroughly with fork until batter is smooth and evenly mixed. Whisk in vinegar. Slap the bottom of the mug with the palm of your hand 10-20x to pop air bubbles. Place in the center of the batter a square or two of 70% cocoa chocolate or sugar-free milk chocolate for a gooey, melty center. Microwave mug on HIGH for 1 minute, 15 seconds, or until batter has cooked through. Let cool 1 minute. Top with s squirt of whipped cream or a dab of low carb cream cheese frosting if desired. Eat! 7.4g net carbs, 368 calories (without the square of Lindt 70% chocolate) Description: "This healthy yet decadent spin on the beloved One Minute Muffin is sure to hit the spot when you're crunched for time and craving the sweet stuff" Source: "http://www.healthyindulgences.net/" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : 2012 This makes a VERY large serving, but it's the best cake I've had since going low-carb! I use whipping cream instead of half and half or coconut milk. I made a double batch in 2 mugs so that I could use a whole egg. This really is awesome! The second time I made this I used 1 1/2 Tbs Truvia rather than 2 Tbs. I left out the salt as the butter I used was salted and ithe cake seemed to be too salty with the added salt. I made it in my microwave egg muffin pan that I bought at Walmart. It worked beautifully. The pan was the perfect size and the cake came right out of the pan when inverted over a plate. I frosted it with Cocoa Ganache. I may buy a second egg muffin pan so that I can mix up two cakes at the same time.

Eating LCHF your cholesterol will naturally come down. Stay away from vegetable oils other than some olive and avocado. Coconut oil is an excellent choice. I eat a ton of butter, bacon, etc. Animal fats are actually good as long as you are low carb. My cholesterol was never really high but it keeps coming down. When making the switch to LCHF, I started eating beef again after not eating it for over 25 years. Now, I eat quite a bit of beef, the fattier the better. I also eat a lot of eggs - more than I ever did before. You might consider a ketogenic diet.

Mango, just wanted to mention that I was diagnosed as diabetic almost 2 years ago and have been eating LCHF ever since. I also stay under 30g carbs a day, probably closer to 20. Right now my favorite meal is a beef patty (frozen, from Costco), cooked in butter in a skillet. When I flip it over I top it with cheese and I fry an egg in the other half of the skillet. When everything is cooked, I top the patty with the egg and eat. This has really helped me to keep my bs levels down. It must be the right combo of fat to protein.

I'm LCHF. When I want something crunchy, I have pork rinds and dip (made from a combo of mayo and sour cream and whatever herbs/spices you like) or pistachios or macadamias (I know you said no nuts). I also like pepperoni. Another great snack (I have it mid-morning as part of my breakfast) is bullet proof bone broth. I usually have chicken broth and just add cream and Kerrygold butter to it. It's awesome! I have been drinking this every weekday morning since last spring and still crave it. I keep cream and broth in the fridge at work, and just put butter in my mug every morning at home and take in to work. I add the cream and broth to the mug, heat in the microwave and I'm good to go. I used to make coconut oil fudge, but I've gotten lazy. When I want a chocolate fix that is more than just a small square of dark chocolate, I combine cream, a bit of butter, 90% cacao chocolate and a drop or two of stevia glycerite. I heat it for about 45 seconds in the micro, take it out and stir until all is combined and its thickened a bit. YUM! You can either drink it like a very decadent hot cocoa, or eat it with a spoon.

I made this for Christmas and it was wonderful (it's got bacon in it, too) * Exported from MasterCook * Hot Cheesy Chicken Artichoke Dip Recipe By : Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Appetizers Low Carb Potluck Poultry Quick & Easy Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 2 cups cooked chicken 1 jar artichoke hearts -- (6 oz) chopped 1/2 cup cooked bacon -- chopped 1/3 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1 cup alfredo sauce 1 cup mayonnaise 2 Tbsp grated purple onion 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese -- grated 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese -- grated 1. Preheat oven to 400 degree F. 2. Combine ingredients except cheese. Toss lightly.3. Pile into 4 individual baking dishes (1 cup ramekins). 4. Sprinkle with grated cheese. 5. Bake for 10 minutes.Makes 4-6 servings. Description: "Featuring sexy, healthy ingredients, you can be sure that you’re not only enjoying comfort food, you’re also feeding yourself healthfully to boot." Source: "http://yourlighterside.com" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : I combined everything, including the cheese, and put it into a casserole dish. I topped it with shredded parmesan. I baked it until beginning to brown on top and then reheated on Christmas in the microwave. Very good! I served it with pita chips, and pork rinds for me.

This is also really good with shrimp.