Brat, green beans and bagel

Brat with 0 carb Walden Farms BBQ sauce
Green bean casserole
Fat head bagel with blueberry cream cheese spread

5 net carbs

Fathead Bagels

These are super-fast and easy to make. The texture is really good. I made a blueberry cream cheese spread to top them. And sweetened it so it's a little frosting-like. Ok, so I really just made blueberry frosting.


https://www.wholesomeyum.com/recipes/low-carb-bagels-with-almond-flour-keto-gluten-free-5-ingredients/

Passion fruit brat with "honey" Dijon dip

Passion fruit brat with "honey" Dijon dip
Grilled Chinese spiced baby cabbage
Grilled sweet ginger & soy zucchini
Steamed sugar snap peas
Rustic faux-wheat bread with cinnamon salted caramel butter

Marinated brats in Henry's passion fruit hard sparking water several hours. Put the whole pan on the grill and boiled about 40 minutes. Then put the brats on the grill for about 5 minutes. Very moist and just slightly fruity tasting.
Made a simple honey Dijon dip using Dijon and Walden Farms pancake syrup.

Marinated zucchini in a little gluten-free soy sauce and sugar-free ginger syrup and then grilled. Used the leftover sauce as a dip.

For your bread... butter, sugar free salted caramel syrup and cinnamon. Whisk well.  

Ribs, grilled zucchini, grilled baby cabbage

Ribs, grilled zucchini, grilled baby cabbage drizzled with melted garlic butter, toasted Rustic Faux-Wheat Bread with cinnamon "honey" butter.

I wasn't sure what the kids would think of the cabbage. Samuel wasn't crazy about it, but ate it. Evie loved it and ate it watermelon-style.

 

 

Mexican

We find Mexican restaurants to work pretty well if you look closely at the menu and choose wisely.

Salad with shrimp, avocado, tomato, olives, cucumbers, grilled onions & mushrooms (we have to do sans onions and mushrooms for Samuel). Sour cream, salsa and cheese dip on the side.

Cannoli in Homemade Pastry Shells

This is easy to make, but it's not something you can throw together at the last minute. Actual hands-on time is only about 30 minutes spread out. The ricotta has to sit in the fridge overnight and drain. After making the cream filling I think it's best to sit overnight again. I make the shells in the morning and we have the cannolis after lunch. These shells aren't crispy like your traditional fried cannoli shell, but softer, more like a waffle cone.

 

Sweet Pastry Cones

These cones are so fun! They're just a little sweet and have endless possibilities. They remind me a lot of soft waffle cones at amusement parks. Fill with ice cream, whipped cream, pudding, mousse, etc.  You do need pastry cone molds to make these.  Very inexpensive on Amazon.

Homemade, Low Carb Corndogs

We've been having lots of fun lately with low carb corn dogs (and other fun fillings).
I most frequently fill with hotdogs, sausage links, fish and mozzarella cheese.   You can make dessert versions by filling with chocolate, jam, or cinnamon "apple" zucchini.  The sky's the limit!

Bread Pan Showdown!

Over the past few weeks I've been doing some serious bread pan testing. Glass, ceramic, metal (aluminum, non-stick), and all different shapes and sizes. My objective was to find a pan that bakes evenly, releases the bread well and was a good size for sandwiches. I narrowed my favorites down to 3 and baked 3 loaves of Rustic Faux-Wheat Bread at the same time, each containing the exact same amount of dough.

1) My trusty old 9x5 non-stick pan.
2) A new 9x4 tall sided non-stick aluminized steel pan.
3) A new 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 non-stick aluminized steel pan.

A few observations:
1) My old 9x5 pan really wasn't non-stuck anymore. I didn't realize how hard it was to get a loaf out until they slid right out of the two new pans. This pan also makes very wide, short loaves. Because I want slices good for sandwiches, this size pan is out of the running.
2) The 9x4 tall sided pan made the nicest, most consistent shaped bread of all 3. The loaf ended up being the 2nd largest, but a decent size. It was also the most expensive pan at $23, but it's a commercial grade pan made in USA.
3) The 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 pan ended up making the largest finished product, but the shape was a bit more "rustic" since it doesn't have high sides. It's almost half the price ($14) of the second pan, but also a commercial pan made by the same company in the US.

VERDICT: it's really close between #2 and #3. I love the shape of #2 despite it being a tad smaller. But for the larger size and price, I think I'll order #3 when I need more.

I posted some size comparison pics below - measurements are from a slice from the center of the loaves. I even compared them to a piece of Bunny bread (that I had to borrow from my neighbor 😜) and a piece of American cheese.

Ketones - Fireplace or Inferno?

Nutritional ketosis is a by-product of being low carb.  It's a very good thing... your body is working very efficiently by converting fat to make it's own energy since cheap energy isn't provided by carbs.

There are two very different scenarios regarding ketones... nutritional ketosis (your body converting fat to fuel) and Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA).  They both involve ketones, but are otherwise very different.  For DKA occur, you have to have high blood sugar, be dehydrated, and have VERY high ketones (usually 10mm+).  It's a formula.... with normal BG and good hydration, DKA shouldn't occur (some say it's impossible to happen; others say "rare".)

I like to use a fire analogy.  Both a fireplace and an inferno contain fire.  A fireplace is very good - safe, useful and beneficial.  A building inferno is also fire, but has additional negative factors (extreme heat, oxygen, time, etc) that cause it to be out of control and unsafe.  Comparing them to say they are the same thing and both are unsafe just because they both are fire would be wrong and just plain silly.  The same is true of ketones.

Here is a chart that shows ketone ranges.  Most people on a low carb diet will fall within the green ranges... nutritional ketosis.  But may even slip into the yellow on occasion (which may be an indicator of not enough protein, but that's another post).

Ketosis is a wonderful thing for people of all ages.  It's our body's working as they were designed to!

Sausage & Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

1) Make sausage & cream cheese gravy from this recipe. I reduce the chicken broth to make it thicker. Let it cool a bit. (http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/sausage-gravy-and-biscuits/)

2) Mix the cooled gravy with chopped spinach and a little hot sauce.

3) Brush top (smooth part) of a large portabello mushroom cap with melted butter. Turn upside down, fill with sausage/spinach mixture. Top with cheddar cheese.

3) Bake at 375° for 15 minutes.

BCG's (Bacon, Cheese, and Guacamole)

These sandwiches are SO good! On Rustic Faux-Wheat Bread, Green beans, and Hot Buttered Sweet "Rice".

6 net carbs.

Chocolate PB Protein Shake

It's 3pm and I realized I didn't eat lunch. Not because I was hungry, but because I was thinking about my protein macros for the day and realized I would be way short. D'oh!

I try not to use protein powders and bars often, but there are times they come in handy. I just threw this together... it's not thick, but it is delicious!

Disclosure: I wouldn't give this to Samuel - he spikes from whey protein, but I decided to still post because 1) some T1's do fine with it and 2) lots of people reading this just choose to be LC/Keto that aren't T1. This would be great for those people.

1 1/2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 scoop LC chocolate protein powder (vanilla is good too!)
2 Tbsp (32g) PB
Pinch of salt
Splash of SF salted caramel syrup
I blended with an immersion blender. Or use a regular blender.

6 net carbs and 36g protein (depending on your PB and protein powder).

Jordan's Skinny Syrups

Sugar-free syrups in a ton of flavors!  

You can find these locally at some store.  You can order online directly from Jordan's, but the best price I've found is from this bar supply company...

Being a Kid

Found a new photo app that's really fun! Photo Grid. For another T1 project... an article that our family will be featured in.

T1 Project Collage

Just a cute collage I made for a T1 project. 

Pork Roast

Pork? Yes please! And enough for leftovers all week. LC made easy.

Fresh ham roast brined for 24 hours and then smoked on the charcoal grill.

Blueberry Hard Seltzer

12 oz lemon lime seltzer (or plain)
2 oz vodka
1 1/2 oz (or to taste) sugar-free blueberry syrup

Gently stir.

Fried Halloumi Cheese Sticks

Halloumi cheese is pretty cool. It's semi-soft like mozzarella, but made from sheep's milk and it has a high melting point which makes it great for frying into cheese sticks. If you can't find Halloumi, look for Bread Cheese - it's made from cows milk but nearly identical and often available in different flavors

Just cut it into sticks, drop in hot oil (I use lard) and fry a couple of minutes per side. The outside gets crispy while the inside stays a little gooey. Great as a side or snack! I make a spicy ranch for dipping or heat up some LC marinara sauce.

Available at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods or other places that carry artisan cheeses.

Hot dogs, green beans and fried halloumi

Grilled hot dogs, green beans and fried halloumi cheese sticks with spicy ranch. 

(I have a post with instructions on frying halloumi. Just search "halloumi".)

6 net carbs.

Library Excitment!

Take THAT library adrenaline!

Corner Pub & Grill in St. Louis (West County)

We tried a new restaurant really close to my kids dentist office (5 minutes away). Pre-bolused as we were leaving the dentist. I set a stopwatch on my watch as soon as I bolus when we're out to keep close tabs on elapsed time. By the time we got there, ordered, etc, the salads were served 33 minutes later... perfect for us! Rest of the food served at 40 minutes. I have to admit this takes some practice to do. And sometimes there is a delay and I have give him a Sweetart or two to buy some time, but it doesn't happen often. I find this works so much better than waiting to bolus at the restaurant.

I bolused just a tiny bit more than I would at home (0.5u of Regular vs. 0.4u) to account for the unknown and he did great. Very pleased for a new restaurant trial. I think Samuel's face shows he liked it... haha.

Pic of graph is from lunch bolus until we got home. 2 small snacks included too.

Meat & Cheese Snack

Found these at Wal-Mart today. I was shopping and hungry (bad combo!), but didn't feel like stopping at a restaurant... I just needed a something to tide me over until I got home.

The sopressata has a tiny bit of sugar, but only 1 carb for the whole pack. 2 carbs for both and 23g of protein. Not too shabby... definitely could do worse when in a pinch while out.

Herb Pastry Cones

How cute are these!?!

This is my Crispy Pizza dough recipe wrapped around pastry cones and baked. They're pretty crispy on the outside, but pastry-like in the middle. I plan to make tuna salad to fill the inside... all kinds of things would be fun though!

Camping food

Truth be told, camping trips are A LOT of prep work and stress me out a bit. Add the fact that we're camping with a 5 and 6 year old and well, it's not necessarily relaxing. But, I know the kids will remember these trips when they're older so I soldier on. 

☆Hot dogs, brats, burgers & T-bone steaks.
☆Cottage cheese, tomato cucumber salad, cole slaw, Greek zoodles, grilled zucchini, pork rinds with gualamole and ranch dip.
☆Enlightened low carb ice cream and German chocolate brownies.

Sweet Bread with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread

A friend modified my Rustic Faux-Wheat Bread recipe to make a sweet bread and made a yummy pumpkin cream cheese spread to go on it. She sent it to me and we tried it today - delicious!

A few differences I noticed between this bread and the original:
 
1) It uses all almond flour, so it's more cake-like.
2) The protein powder is heavier so it causes the egg whites to deflate some. It just makes for a denser loaf.
3) Protein powders vary in carbs so make sure you modify the carb count for the powder you use. I listed what I thought an average would be.
4) This bread is considerably higher in protein than the original. Make sure you count for that when you bolus.

 

 

CGM Experiment #2. Non-D daugher, 15 months younger than my T1 son

After my CGM experiment a month ago, I was feeling pretty good about Samuel's fluctuations because I saw similar on myself. However comparing a 40 year old female to a 6 year old child wasn't apples to apples. So, Evie agreed to wear a CGM and endure finger pricks to see how a child with a fully functioning pancreas works.

Honestly, I was a little bummed about the results. Not because of her results... they're awesome!! But because I realized I'm not as good of a human pancreas as I thought I was. BUT, Samuel is stable - he has the lowest A1c and Standard Deviation that we can achieve and I have to humble myself and remember... I am NOT a pancreas.

So with all that disclosed, here are her results. Remember, she eats IDENTICAL to her brother... 18 net carbs per day.

The first report shows all of her stats for the whole 2 weeks. Black info are actual finger pricks, blue are CGM sensor readings. Data at the bottom shows highs, lows, and standard deviation. Her 2 week average was 83 (finger pricks) /77 (CGM) mg/dL with a standard deviation of 6/10.

As a comparison, Samuel's stats for this same 2 weeks, eating the EXACT same foods, were 86/82 mg/dL with a standard deviation of 23. Interesting overall BG is pretty close, but not nearly as tight of control.

 

Evie's week 1 CGM sensor readings.

 

Evie's week 2 CGM sensor readings.


  
Samuel's 2 week summary eating identical foods to Evie.

  

 

Cheese-stuffed, Bacon-wrapped Hotdogs

Cheese-stuffed, Bacon-wrapped Hotdogs, grilled zucchini and green beans.

▪Slice cheese stick into 4 thin slices.
▪Slice hotdogs almost all the way through not quite to the ends.
▪Stuff cheese in and wrap with bacon. Use toothpicks to hold it.
▪Fry in pan until bacon is done to your taste. Tip: start frying with cheese side down. Turn hotdog to cook on all 4 sides (remove or move toothpicks as you go). By the time the cheese starts melting it should mostly be cheese side up so it doesn't ooze out.

We just eat these as a finger food.

Pepperoni & Cheddar Stuffed Peppers

Split a sweet pepper in half, put 1 or 2 pepperoni inside and top with cheddar. 

Grill or bake in toaster oven for about 5 minutes.

Camp Food

Mother's Day weekend kicked off our camping season. Although I use the term "camping" loosely.

About a year ago we realized we really hadn't taken any vacations since Samuel's diabetes dx and it was really taking it's toll on us as a family. My husband and I decided we needed to find a way to get away without compromising quality LC food and still be cost effective.

Our solution was to make an investment in a 31' RV, so we have a full kitchen- freezer, fridge, microwave, stove so we can take everything we need. We get away about 6 long weekends now and have lots of fun (well, as much fun as you can have with a 5 & 6 yo) and still stay on top if T1 diabetes.

A few foods from this weekend:
Sausage, egg & cheese breakfast sandwiches
Hot dogs, brats, burgers, steak & zucchini kabobs
Egg salad, coleslaw, chips, guacamole & dip
Desserts I pulled from my freezer stash.
Fun drinks like Bai, diet soda, chocolate almond milk

Breakfast On-the-Go!

Sausage, egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches.

☆ I use my Rustic Faux-Wheat Buns, sliced. (Two pieces of my herbed flatbread works well too!)
☆ Make up some large 4oz sausage patties (tip: grill them outside to keep your kitchen clean!)
☆ Top with a fried egg and cheese.
☆ Wrap up in foil and throw in the freezer. Pull out as needed and microwave for a couple of minutes (sans foil, of course).

Great for camping breakfasts too, which is mostly what I make these for. Very filling since each Rustic Faux-Wheat Bun is equivalent to 2 slices of bread.

3 net carbs.

My Non-D CGM Experiment

Thought some might find the results of my CGM experiment interesting. I'm a 40 yo Non-D, but wore a CGM for 2 weeks to see what it was like for my son and see what type of numbers I'd get.

Background: I'm LC at all times (actually Keto). My typical macros for a day are: <20 carbs, 100+g protein, 75g fat. This first report shows all of my stats for the whole two weeks. Black info is actual finger pricks, blue are CGM sensor readings. Data at the bottom shows highs, lows and standard deviation.

My 2 week average was 98/95 mg/dL. This is consistent with my last A1c of 5.0% too.

 

First week of CGM sensor readings per hour. (Ladies - this week also included my monthly cycle.)

(Note regarding CGM lows... I think they were all compression lows. I never experienced a finger prick as low as the CGM showed at times. The longer I wore it, the less compression lows I got... probably just a learning curve.)

 

Second week of CGM sensor readings per hour.

  

CGM Experiment #2 Underway!

Samuel's Non-D little sister is only 15 months younger than him. In theory, she is our best example of what his body would/should be doing if it weren't afflicted with an autoimmune disease - Type 1 Diabetes.

The day my husband and I finished reading Dr. Bernstein's book Diabetes Solution, we knew we had a long term goal. That goal was to give Samuel normal blood sugars mimicking his sister as closely as we could. We've gotten close... her A1c is 4.4 ... his is 4.5. But we don't know what happens with her blood sugar on an hour-by hour-by basis. We don't know what her standard deviation is. There is a lot we can learn from her.

After much discussion and waiting (and after seeing me wear a sensor for 2 weeks recently) she has agreed to wear one to help us learn more about what bloood sugar activity looks like on a 5 year old with a perfectly functioning pancreas.

I'm really excited to see the results of this experiment and for her to experience a tiny bit of what her brother has to deal with each day.

She can be a bit of a drama queen (go figure!) so I'm hoping she'll keep this sensor on for 2 full weeks. Wish us luck! 

Local Cafe

I've been wanting to try a new restaurant in our small town (Black Bird Cafe). I looked at their menu online and found a few things that looked promising. I called and explained my son is T1 and we don't eat sugar. I asked about their burgers (do they contain bread crumbs?) and their grilled chicken (is it brined/marinated in sugar or orange juice?) And they assured me they didn't, so we tried it.

I pre-bolused Regular as we were leaving the library (5 minutes away) and headed there. We each got 1/3 lb double cheeseburgers with no buns and a grilled chicken salad that we split. 

Lunch was delicious and the restaurant is adorable like a cottage tea room. I was a little worried he'd get a protein spike a few hours later, but all was well. The graph at the bottom shows from the time I bolused for lunch until I bolused at dinner. He averaged 78 all afternoon. He had a brief rise to 92, but then came down on this own. I ❤ having new restaurant options!

Smoked sausage lunch

Smoked sausage (with Walden Farms 0 carb BBQ sauce), Grilled Zucchini Caprese Roll-up's, and Hot Buttered Sweet "Rice".

6 net carbs.

Grilled Zucchini Caprese Roll-up's

These were really good! I used jalapeño cheese snack sticks and just cut it into little bits. I also added salt, pepper and herbs to the zucchini before rolling it up (I like veggies REALLY well seasoned). I didn't make a dipping sauce and didn't think it needed it... zucchini stays really moist when grilled.

Recipe and a video!...

http://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/2015/06/grilled-zucchini-caprese-roll-ups.html

Huddle House

I have to admit I've always had this thing against Huddle House. I always has this idea in my head that the place would be full of chain smokers and I'd slip and fall from greasy floors. I have no idea why I thought this.

The kids and I tried it for the first time about a month ago because it was a last resort. And while they don't have a lot of LC items, we did find a few. And the staff (at least at ours) is super friendly and accommodating!

This is 2 Grilled Chicken Salads - no onions and tomatoes on the side so I could portion out - that we split 3 ways (staff did this for me!). And 2 sides of bacon (but they gave me 3 because the waitress said the pieces were too small, lol). And yes, I really did bring my own dressing into the restaurant. They have packaged Italian that is pretty LC though (4 carbs).

If we had this at home, this would be a 4 carb meal, but here I have to bolus more... approx 8-10 carbs. But it works for us and the meal is simple, but really good!