Hi ladies and gents,

Thanks for all of the answers to my first questions -- this forum absolutely rocks. I'm in love! Thanks to the moderators for ALL of their hard work. You make this little community possible, and we ALL appreciate it, I'm sure!

First, the question: can SOMEONE please give me a rundown of what's allowed for salad dressings and what's not? I'm SO confused, I don't even know where to start! (PH1)

Second, the tip: Canadian folks have been posting that the DaVinci syrups are hardly available in Canada. Which is true. BUT, we don't have to face the shipping charges by going thorugh Ebay or the DaVinci site! Go to any Second Cup coffee shop -- they sell "Torani" flavoured syrups, which are exactly the same. Mind you, their sugar free line isn't quite as comprehensive as DaVinci (check out the Torani website for the full list at torani[dot]com) but the basics are still there, like chocolate, caramel, strawberry and my FAVORITE: almond roca!!

My new motto: No Excuses -- I eat to live, not live to eat!

Kim
SW 152/GW 120/CW 152
Day 1, Week 1, Phase 1

Oh WOW thank you for the amazing tip. I thought I would never be able to get any since I can't order online (no credit card) That is so great. I have heard Torani is just as good. Do you know how much they cost?

Thanks for the tip for us Canadians, Kim!

Ummm... I'm sorry, my brain is numb... can anyone answer the dressing question?
Kim, you could always do a search... I know there are some threads re: dressings in the FAQ section.

I use Renee's Naturally Light dressings. I found them in the section of the grocery store where they keep the precut bags of salad. Most of their dressings are sugar free and have .04 to .06 carbs except for the Japanese vinaigrette which has a little sugar and 1.4 carbs. I like their spring onion and garlic and thier Ceasar vinaigrette best.

For any Canadians on the Beach - I was at Loblaws today and noticed sever products called "Low Carg Solutions" not sure who makes these products but there were maple syrup, salad dressings and a few other items. I didn't have a chance to take a close look at them though.

Starbucks in Canada also sells a sugar free vanilla syrup but I haven't seen any other flavors.

Torani cost me 4.19 american dollars per bottle, I bought a bottle the other day because it is about 50 cents a bottle cheaper, lol yes yes I'm tightening the budget, I'm such a penny pincher lol.

MIchelle

Damn, I typed an entire reply but the computer just ate it. (grumble grumble) Let's try again.

I saw the Torani at one Second Cup for somewhere between $8 and $10 -- I'm not exactly sure. But since they only had a couple of bottles left, I decided to check out this independently-owned coffee shop called Espresso Junction. I heard they had a big selection of syrups, I assumed they were Torani, and hoped they might have a couple sugar-free.

Lo and behold? They had DAVINCI!! And, better yet, they're going to order in whatever flavours I want! So I'm getting B-52, Caramel, Strawberry and Hazlenut. So excited!

That said, I still want to get a couple of Torani flavours.

Has anyone tried any of the chocolate sauces by these companies? Worth buying?

Kim
Start W 152/GW 120/CW 152 (weighing-in weekly)
PH1/W1/D2

Kim, how exciting! What is the B-52 flavor supposed to be like?

I got the Atkins Raspberry syrup (it was $2.99, so I figured I'd try it) last night. A bit weak in flavor, but otherwise okay. I used it in the ziploc ice cream recipe (1 Tbsp of syrup, 1/8 tsp of vanilla extract) with evaporated skim milk, and it was heavenly!!! Yummm! Can only imagine what the rest will taste like...cookie dough ice cream here we come! :

I have a SF Torani Hazelnut syrup and it is marvelous, so I am sure the Torani is just as good.

Oh, about the dressings. They are supposed to be low in sugar and low in trans fats or saturated fat. For sugar, you want 3g or less. Look at the ingredients to find the fats. You want things like olive oil, canola, oil, soybean oil, etc. Anything that says "hydrogenated" is a no. I love Pfeiffer's Ranch and Bleu Cheese. They have only 1g of sugar and are tasty! I also like Annie's Naturals Tuscan dressing.

Lots of options, just read the labels!

It's sort of like a Khalua... let's see. "A combination of coffee, Irish Cream and a hint of orange flavor." There you go, straight from the DaVinci site.

I used some of the s/f blueberry in "Mock Cheesecake" (1/4 cup cottage ch., 1/4 cup ricotta, 1 egg, sweetner, splash of syrup, blend and bake for 20 mins @ 350 in muffin tins.) Holy hannah, that's beautiful! Irish Creme was ok -- I'm not 100% sold.

But I ordered these primarily so I can make the Ziploc ice cream. How many of those a day are we allowed? (Seriously.)

Do you all have the store, "World Market" by you? [you=those who can't find them and buy on eBay and get ripped off in shipping!]

I bought two bottles of the s/f last night: vanilla and black cherry. I'll use to flavor the ziploc ice cream as well as coffee [once I get a coffee maker]. They were only $5.99!

World Market Link

Sadly no! Not in Winnipeg, anyway. But thanks for the tip!

Starbucks in Canada has a sugar free vanilla syrup but I haven't seen it in any other flavours yet.

Mauv -- I mentioned this above, but if there's a "Second Cup" near you, you can get a couple of Torani s/f flavours. And, check out any independently owned coffee shops near you, as they typically have a wide range of flavours.

I also found Oscar's Sugarfree Syrups (i got caramel) from JAva Moose. And, I only live in a little city. So I suspect most of us would be able to get it locally if you try your gourmet coffee shop..or any coffee shop that sells lattes, etc.

Thanks! I knew I saw them somewhere recently but couldn't remember where - I swear there is a coffee shop every two blocks in this city and I can never remember which one is which