FRUIT AND NUT TREATS

I’ve been making my own snack foods since cutting out all the likely sources of allergens. Most purchased low-carb snacks and bars contain whey, egg, chocolate, and/or almonds. I found several raw, vegan, and Paleo brands, but most of them use dates and flax to hold everything together. Chunks of Energy, pictured above, are pretty good and the Chia Orange flavor has no flax, but lists dates as the first ingredient and also contains raisins. They have 12 net grams of carbs per ounce (two small squares). I thought I could do better. I kept the…

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WHITE CHOCOLATE PECAN BARK

    I made low-carb Christmas cookies for my husband but I’m still on an elimination diet trying to figure out what I’m allergic to. Chocolate, dairy, almonds, eggs, gluten, sugar, and foods that are high in Chromium (which includes almost everything, animal, vegetable, and mineral!) are off limits for now. This is the most innocent treat I could come up with that I could eat. I’ve only made it once, but it was very good. Ingredients:1/3 cup coconut oil1/3 cup coconut manna (may be…

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BULLETPROOF® CHOCOLATE BARS

Unless you’ve been living under a rock (one not shared by a Paleo cave dweller) you have probably heard about Dave Asprey, The Bulletproof Executive, and his magic coffee. Dave is the computer genius and entrepreneur who hacked his own biology, upgraded his brain by more than 20 IQ points, lowered his biological age, and lost 100 pounds without exercise while eating over 4,000 calories a day. Dave’s recipe for Bulletproof® Coffee is here. He says, “Try this just once, with only 2 tbsp. butter, and have nothing…

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A TRAGIC EPIDEMIC AND CANDY FOR CHRISTMAS

Another day, another mass murder, this latest one in Longmont, Colorado. There were only four killed, and they were adults, so it didn’t get the media coverage devoted to the horrific massacre at Sandy Hook in Connecticut, but it is now more apparent than ever that we are dealing with another epidemic. Everyone is asking “why did this happen?,” and, “what can we do?” Investigators are looking into the lives of the shooters to try to find the commonality between them. Gun control is being…

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CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE

Chocolate Peanut butter Fudge by Judy Barnes Baker

Here’s my new, favorite fudge recipe. I love to eat it straight out of the freezer.  Ingredients: 1/2 cup of butter or part coconut oil 1/2 cup natural peanut butter, plain or chunky 2 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Liquid sugar substitute equal to 1 cup sugar (I used EZ-Sweetz) 1/3 cup vanilla whey protein powder, such as MRM brand 1/3 cup cocoa powder Dash of salt 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional) Directions: Butter a 5×7-inch baking dish or pan and line…

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CHOCOLATE FOR YOUR VALENTINE

I got a lovely box of sugar-free chocolates and an extravagant card today, but I’m sad to say that my Valentine got an I-O-U instead of the cherry pie he usually gets on his birthday and for Valentine’s Day. I’ve been working very hard and just forgot what day it was. Luckily, his second favorite treat, after cherry pie, is anything chocolate, and I have a lot of it around since I’ve been experimenting with some new chocolate recipes. His pie will show up eventually,…

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NEW PHILLY FUDGE

Cream cheese is an indispensable ingredient for low-carb cooking. It provides the missing bulk in sugar-free recipes and adds a smooth, creamy texture to faux potatoes, frozen desserts, cheesecakes, frostings, and baked goods. William Lawrence of Chester, N.Y. accidentally invented cream cheese in 1872 while trying to reproduce a French cheese called Neufchatel. He wrapped his cheese in foil wrappers and sold it under the brand name Philadelphia Cream Cheese. Kraft Foods took over the Philadelphia brand in 1928 and began promoting the use of…

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

PUMPKINS (©) 2007, JUDY BARNES BAKER

We made a quick trip to Costco yesterday with Trick or Treat goodies on the shopping list. I am always conflicted about the ethics of giving away things that I wouldn’t eat myself, but just turning out the lights seems a bit Scrooge-ish and not likely to endear us to the neighborhood urchins. We don’t get many, since we live in a rural area, but I just can’t bear to disappoint them after they walk up the long, dark driveway to our door. Most parents…

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N’AWLINS FOOD, PRALINES AND RED BEANS, AND GOOD NEWS ABOUT SUGAR SUBSTITUTES

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So much to blog about, so little time! I got back from New Orleans late Monday, full of enthusiasm and eager to get started on all the projects that the trip inspired. On Tuesday I was off looking for fresh, raw, head-on shrimp to try to duplicate the fabulous New Orleans BBQ shrimp that I had at Jacques-imos. Much to my delight, I found the shrimp at my local Central Market and the dish turned out messy, buttery, spicy, and absolutely glorious on the first…

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DON’T BANISH THE BUNNY

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Don’t banish the Easter Bunny, just have him hop over to fill your baskets with sugar-free treats. * To make Chocolate Peanut Butter Easter Eggs, shape my Peanut Butter Balls into ovals before dipping in chocolate. * Roll Chocolate Dipped Strawberries in pastel tinted coconut after dipping. Link to recipe: http://www.carbwarscookbook.com/choc_dipped.html * Make individual Sponge Cakes in egg-shaped cupcake pans. Frost and decorate with Confectioner’s Icing. (Recipes in bold are from Carb Wars; Sugar is the New Fat.) * Chocoperfection and Livin’ La Vida Low…

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Too Good to be True? Chocolate is Good for You!

Can a gift of silky, sensuous, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate possibly get any better? How about if it were good for you, AND IT HELPED YOU LOSE WEIGHT? It’s not science fiction; it’s not fantasy—it is a dream-come-true called Chocoperfection. These unbelievably tasty chocolate candy bars were the brainchild of Mary Jo Kringas. Mary Jo started working in her father’s candy store when she was five years old, so it’s easy to understand why she struggled with her weight. Since chocolate was the one food that she…

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