Although the texture is nothing like corn, you could replace the potato with sweet potato and get the starch and the sweet at the same time. I found out with curry that I made last night how quick cubes of sweet taters cook up. I used carrots in my curry, and it really does not add a sweetness. Yea, sweet red peppers might help, or orange, and would not up the carbs......hmm let me think on that!

2 Week Carb Challenge
Total Carbs - Net Carbs - Average
11/01 21 ...........14---------14
11/02 20 ...........14---------14
11/03 76 ...........59---------29
11/04 88 ...........71---------40
11/05 15 .............9---------29
11/06 15 ...........13---------30
11/07 24............19---------28
11/08 26............18---------27
11/09 32............19---------26
11/10
11/11
11/12
11/13
11/14

Sandy, I agree with Mikkijoe.....I think Sweet Red Pepper would be a great substitute. I make a dish that you saute chopped red peppers and onion and simmer in chicken broth til soft. Then puree and add cream. Then you add cooked chicken and snowpeas and eat over pasta but I think it would be good as a soup.

Also when I was in England, a friend made us this delicous soup....she just boiled red peppers, onions and sweet potatoes (1 of each) in broth and then pureed when cooked through. Very simple, very healthy and very tasty. I make that all the time now and sometimes add ginger and garlic, or a chili pepper. But it's good on it's own.

I'm rambling......I guess I'm in a cooking mood today!

Thanks MikkiJoe and wildviolets. I will try the sweet potato and red pepper combo!!

Got our first snow yesterday, but the sun is out and bright today. I think we are supposed to have more this week. So.....

Time to get back to the gym. Like the rowing machine. I am also contemplating a Hula/Belly dancing class that some of my cohorts are doing. They "entertain" at Senior centers around Denver, which scares me. I do not want to frighten the old folks

But they practice on Thursdays at 11:00 way down south of Denver and I am still babysitting my grandson on Thursdays so I will have to talk my DH into serving lunch to the little one. I actually want to reconnect to these women as I have been working too much and playing too little.

I picked up my grandkid's hula hoop a few weeks ago and could do nothing with it. I used to be pretty good as a kid. We get so stiff as we age. The hula class will probably be a hoot. Although one woman has all kinds of disc issues, is bent over, and still does it.

I'll send a picture when I get brave enough...which will probably be a longggggg time from now.

I finally lost all the bloat from my Vegas indiscretion. Gosh it takes forever to come down after a carb fest and mine was modest. I think I am becoming allergic to carbs LOL.

Today I really wanted an apple, so I had a half of a Granny Smith which shot the carbs for the day. It will be broth, water and tea for me today. With some meat, of course.

My question to you cooks out there. I bought kale for the Olive Garden soup. I hate kale by itself or even doctored up with bacon and cream. But my husband likes it occasionally. Would it be possible to cook it up and then freeze it in small packets to be added to soups? I just hate to waste food. Our menus always focus on what's getting old in the frig. I waited too long for some asparagus and it made me want to even more focus on taking advantage of foods at their freshest.

Yes, Blanch the kale for about 4-5 minutes in salted water, give it a ice bath then drain. Package in something that gets all the air out, I suppose it could also be frozen in water and sqeeezed out too?

Have you ever tried Kale chips? I hear they are fantastic, basically roasted kale

Perfect....I will do this right away.

Kale chips, I haven't tried. I have done some of the root veggie chips and they were OK but made me long for taco chips.

I have taken YOUR advice, MikkiJoe, and am sticking with basic whole foods until I get to goal. Making pretend cookies and cakes and breads are for when I can consume lots of almond flour etc. Right now I cannot afford the carbs. Gotta get the inflammation down !!!

My current little cheats are 1/2 an apple, a tiny piece of 72% chocolate, etc. My mind set has so changed.... the thought of a donut is not even a possibility for me. 1/2 an apple makes me feel so guilty.....it's crazy but true.

I do want to try all this stuff more when I am under 130 and can transition to 150 carb maintenance. Or whatever it is for me.

Thanks for your help...

2 Week Carb Challenge
Total Carbs - Net Carbs - Average
11/01 21 ...........14---------14
11/02 20 ...........14---------14
11/03 76 ...........59---------29
11/04 88 ...........71---------40
11/05 15 .............9---------29
11/06 15 ...........13---------30
11/07 24............19---------28
11/08 26............18---------27
11/09 32............19---------26
11/10 17............10---------24
11/11
11/12
11/13
11/14

I ate a lot of meat....

Dang Sandy you're good!! Keep up the great work!

But am I losing any weight ... or inches for that matter?? That is the question... I am going to measure myself next Monday to see

My size 12s seem to be falling down. A couple more lbs and I am half-way there.

Thanks Ilene

With the holidays coming I find myself looking for those substitute recipes, and yet I know I will eat too much of them, and THEN I will make the real thing because the fake was not quite good enough and then the madness just continues.

I am going to make a primal stuffing for T Day though, it is made with coconut flour muffins, and has leeks and prochitto. And I am making a flour free chocolate cake (like truffles almost) But other than that I am just going to stick to prime rib, turkey and lots of veggie sides

Thought this was interesting.....my SIL said the weight watchers is changing their point system at the end of November. Apparently you can eat all the fruits and veggies you want (no points) but their new point calculator will focus on carbs. That way if you are choosing between a cup of popcorn or an apple, you'd pick the apple.

Not sure if any of you ever did weight watchers or not but I think this shows that even they are coming around some to a low carb WOE.

Wow that is a huge change! I wonder if they've shifted their view on fats? If I recall correctly the "points calculator" is about a relationship between calories, fibre and fat. It'll be an interesting story to follow, if your SIL is correct.

-Holly

Damn, that sounds good!!! I have coconut milk - need to get some frozen berries!

Hi ladies!

Thanks so much for all the supportive notes about my shingles. I am feeling SO much better but never, ever want to go through this again. Painful!

Sandy, I love kale, and this summer started to make kale chips on a pretty regular basis. I would buy the big bags of kale from store, dump in a huge bowl, and drizzle a healthy amount of olive oil over and add kosher salt. At first I was baking these, but then I bought a dehydrator off of ebay. I found a delicious recipe for a sauce -- made with tamari, tahini, garlic, etc. -- sooo good. So I alternated between the zesty chips and the basic olive oil and salt. I haven't made them a single time since school started, so maybe I'll make them this weekend.

Here is what I'm getting ready to make for dinner -- no rice, though. I'm also going to add brocoli.

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/spi..._coconut_rice/