mandycat223 Member

I cook bacon in the oven, one pound at a time, at 375 on a cooling rack placed in a baking pan until slightly browned. You can freeze it and then finish it off in the microwave in less than 30 seconds. Just a suggestion: Whether you're cooking the bacon completely or finishing it off in the microwave, you'll want to cover…

I spent six days in hospital last year being treated for acute pancreatitis. The treatment pretty much consists of starvation, antibiotics and morphine. In six days I had two snacks and one meal, all of which I managed to make reasonably low carb. Net result: three pounds up on the scale. I wasn't allowed to drink anything…

This reminded me of the woman who said she rarely drank because she didn't like drinking in front of her kids and if your kids aren't around who needs it? I stopped drinking completely after retiring, because if you aren't around your co-workers, who needs it? Work do's were worse than work because you were supposed to be…

I have used xantham gum for thickening with success. If you're going to use it on a regular basis, you may want to dedicate a salt shaker to the cause. It's hard to add that rascally stuff by hand in small enough increments that you don't get globs. I've also had success thickening sauces and gravies with pureed…

Not everyone is a fan of artificial sweeteners. (I wouldn't be a fan myself if I thought I could maintain without using them but alas ....) If you have no objection to them, there are a host of sugar-free syrups out there right now and I have about ten different flavors in my kitchen right this minute. My favorites are…

If you make your own pickles using the heat technique versus refrigerator pickles, look for a product with the canning supplies called "Pickle Crisp." Otherwise, your pickles may turn out very not-crisp, which takes away half the appeal of pickled anything.…

It could have been worse: "I'll be so glad when he's back. The butler and the gardener don't listen to a thing I say."

I've had success about 90% of the time with the 15 minute rule: I can have as much of this, where "this" is frequently another bag of mixed nuts, as I want but only if I wait 15 minutes. This gives my fevered brain time to settle down enough to realize I don't really want more of "this" at all. If I fill in the 15 minutes…

I've been waking up very early in the morning (sometimes so early it's not today yet) and conjuring up every worst case scenario for every aspect of my life and, indeed, the whole planet. Not good. For some odd reason, moving from my nice comfy bed to the living room couch, accompanied by two 11 month old kittens and a…

When I started maintenance 18 months ago, I made one good (for me, at least) decision that I've stuck to: eating the exact same things I did while losing. I just enjoy more of them. Once you've started down this road, even small amounts of those cookies, candies and ice creams from back in the day are going to pile on the…

I can't remember who it was who said "I've found it helpful to buy a small bag of cookies and then after one or two spray the rest with Raid and throw the bag away. But be careful; Raid doesn't taste as bad as you might think."

I still remember with a shudder the six weeks I had to be on Prednisone, some 15 years ago. I know those things are invaluable for certain conditions but having read up on the side effects I nicknamed them "Scareoids." At the time I was recovering from an illness that reduced me to a 93 pound weakling but it didn't take…

I have sadly fumbled over the past month, my excuse being that we're in the middle of a home renovation project and doing 80% of the work ourselves. (What were we thinking?) Hopefully we're back in our normal routine in another ten days and I can re-schedule regular fitness activities. Schlepping heavy buckets of water…

Just don't be lured into buying something I ran across that purported to be "sugar free honey." I looked at the nutritional information; it has all the carbs of real honey with, presumably, none of the health benefits. If at all possible, buy locally sourced honey. I don't know if it's true that local honey versus national…

For you die hard corned beef fans, Alton Brown of the Food Network has a recipe for the best EVER. You'll need to get going if you want to try it, however. Some of the ingredients I had to order online and the brining process takes ten days. It is totally worth it. That stuff you buy at the grocery store which shamelessly…

I suspect that a large part of the medical profession's reluctance to go against conventional wisdom stems from the fear of malpractice suits. If you prescribe the same thing as 99.99% of all other doctors, you can't be sued if it turns out to be ineffective or even fatal. Prescribe something unconventional that works for…

For some reason I've always made omelets rather than frittatas. I only recently discovered that they're better than omelets because the non-egg ingredients are more evenly distributed so you get more flavor per bite. They're also much easier to make, with none of that lifting/folding/tearing/swearing stuff. This one sounds…

Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day .... hmmm, that rings a bell. I'm pretty sure I've heard the term used before, although not lately. Full disclosure: I remembered our first and our seventh wedding anniversaries in time to plan something special, completely spacing out on the other 19 until my husband asks if I recall what…

You will inevitably encounter folks who don't understand this WOE and who will try to persuade you that it's too restrictive and difficult to follow. Your crushing one-word response to these nay-sayers; BACON!!!!

What a miserable experience. Be aware that if your problem stemmed from undercooked chicken, you don't want to hesitate about seeking medical help. There's a reason why Chicken Tartar never really caught on. And a call to your local County Health Department might be in order before other folks get sick.

I have the countertop version which works fine, with three different blades for different shapes. I predict that those four little suction cups are going to be the first parts to go; suction cups usually are, no matter where they show up. My only suggestion: if a product boasts "As Seen on TV" my first response is to…

Ray, if it's any comfort to you, America is currently suffering from the lowest supply of bacon in 50 years. WHAAAAA????!!!!!!! Pig farmers apparently can't keep up with demand. We on this Board are no doubt party to blame for this ghastly sequence of events.

We can start a covert underground group of our own. I tried it once and was completely baffled at its popularity. Ditto with coconut oil in anything. I bought a giant tub of the stuff at Costco and now have a lifetime supply of cuticle oil and hair masque. At my age, probably a lifetime plus ten years; I'll have to dispose…

When my husband and I were still dating and I would make dinner for him, I thought "Gosh, that must guy really love veggies. Look at the way he eats them before anything else." It turned out he was just being polite and getting the dreaded ordeal over with. He had always eaten veggies that had been cruelly mistreated,…

Bed Bath and Beyond has a limited number of flavors of Skinny Syrup in their stores. Go to their online site for a larger variety but be aware their online offerings comes in packages of six. I order the six pack of pumpkin spice, pumpkin caramel, caramel pecan, gingerbread, peppermint mocha and cinnamon vanilla. All good…

I have several recipes that I could share and will in due time, assuming I'm alive. Right now DH and I are renovating our master bath, having taken it down to the wall studs and the concrete floor. We're doing about 50% of the work ourselves, which is madness for two people with a combined age of 140. But thrift won out…

This reminds me of the friend who, when I mentioned how happy I was with my LC lifestyle, proudly informed me that she also eats healthy, starting each day with a life-giving smoothie. Based on her description of the ingredients, I later calculated the thing at 150-175 carb grams per smoothie. She did add that for some…

I make a LC BBQ sauce: Diet Coke, low-sugar catsup, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard and two molecules of liquid smoke. The first time I tried liquid smoke, I added so much the whole house smelled like a wood fire. As mentioned, use with caution.

Two cups unsweetened almond milk, one scoop unflavored whey protein (you can find unflavored at GNC), a handful of frozen spinach for fiber and extra body, a half cup of crushed ice (my fridge has both cubes and crushed) and whatever sweetener/flavoring you choose. Whirl the whole thing in a blender until smooth. Those…

I agree with an earlier post: going LC, done right, is a money saver not a budget buster. Processed grocery items, junk foods, restaurant meals, fast food: all add up in a frightening way compared to inexpensive cuts of meat and fresh/frozen vegetables. It requires more planning and effort than mindless munching but not…