After lots of trail and error, this cheesecake is perfect!
One of the best desserts for people on the low-carb lifestyle is a cheesecake. It's so easy to make this dessert low-carb because pretty much all you have to do is substitute the sugar for an alternative sweetener. Cream cheese is low-carb as are most of the other ingredients in a good recipe. In fact, I shared this no-bake cheesecake recipe a few months back and it was pretty good. But there's something about a baked cheesecake that is so delicious I just had to create one.
In Episode 43 and Episode 44 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube," Christine and I show you step-by-step how we make this recipe in not just one but two videos. It took a while to get this to come out exactly like I wanted it, but this is pretty darn close to perfect. :) I hope you enjoy it!
Watch these videos back-to-back to see this recipe from start to finish:
Here's the recipe in its entirety in case you missed anything:
JIMMY MOORE'S PERFECT LOW-CARB KEY LIME CHEESECAKE
3 eggs whites Pinch of cream of tartar 8 packets of True Lime 3/4 cup of heavy cream 1/2 cup erythritol (or equivalent sweetener) 2 eight-oz. boxes cream cheese 2 large eggs Dash of True Lemon Dash of ground nutmeg Dash of ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl pour the egg whites, cream of tartar and True Lime in it and beat with a mixer for 3-4 minutes until beyond frothy and thick.
Add the heavy whipping cream and beat until thick again. Then add the erythritol or equivalent sweetener and whip into the mixture.
Take the softened cream cheese and slowly incorporate it into the mixture with a low setting on your mixer until this gets really thick. Add 2 whole eggs and mix together. Throw in a dash of True Lemon, a dash of nutmeg, and a dash of cinnamon and beat into cheesecake batter.
Carefully pour the cheesecake batter into a small non-stick pan sprayed with Pam and spread out evenly in the bottom of the pan. Place inside oven and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown along the edges of the cheesecake.
Allow to cool 45-60 minutes before slicing and preferably 4 hours of refrigeration for maximum thickness. Place a dollop of whipped cream on top for a low-carb dessert made in heaven!
Who says you can't have chocolate cake on a low-carb diet?
Just mention to someone that you're on a low-carb diet and I'll bet the first thing that starts rolling off their tongue are all the foods you CAN'T eat. No rice, no pasta, no this, no that--yadda yadda yadda.
Let me tell you something. Livin' la vida low-carb isn't about deprivation, but rather dedication to making healthier choices that will be keeping me around for many more years than my old habits would have. It's all about living better than I ever thought possible while still enjoying some rather decadent treats along the way.
One such treat that you can have on the low-carb lifestyle is featured in a brand new video (FINALLY!) from my friend and fellow low-carb blogger Kent Altena. Kent is like a low-carb brother to me and our stories are VERY similar--we're the exact same age and height, we both love politics, we both started our low-carb journeys weighing 400+ pounds, we read and followed by the book Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, we both lost around 200 pounds on low-carb, we both share about the low-carb lifestyle in our blogs, and we both currently weigh 220 pounds.
Oh, and with my recent foray into the world of YouTube, that's something else we both do now, too. However, after having a quite prolific run of excellent videos in 2006, Kent's been MIA for most of 2007 except for this cheesecake recipe back in January.
But he has a GREAT excuse. Besides working full-time and being a devoted husband and dad, Kent has also taken up marathon running since losing his weight. He's been setting some personal bests as he prepares for the BIG ONE. We're all so proud of you, Kent, and wish you well as you continue pursuing this dream. Go get 'em, buddy!
You'll hear a quick update from Kent at the end of his video today featuring that mouthwatering, flourless low-carb chocolate cake--which has become his wife's FAVORITE low-carb comfort food with a dollop or two of some Splenda-sweetened whipped topping. Mmmm mmm!
In fact, Kent says if you let this recipe cool down, then you can actually cut the cake in half to make a low-carb "Oreo" or ice cream sandwich. As I tell Christine when I eat something like this that's low-carb, "I'm suffering on my low-carb diet!" HA!
Here is the basic recipe that Kent used in his video:
3-MINUTE FLOURLESS LOW-CARB CHOCOLATE CAKE 1 TBS Butter, microwave for 10 seconds to soften 1 Egg 1 TBS Da Vinci SF Vanilla syrup 2 TBS Splenda 1 TBS heavy cream Pinch salt 2 TBS cocoa
Mix together all the ingredients until it is as smooth as possible. It should look similar to cake batter at this point. Microwave for 1 minute. For the special treat, add 1 TBS of whipped heavy cream (sweetened with Splenda).
Makes 1 serving
With granular Splenda:
267 Calories 23g Fat 9g Protein 11g Carbohydrate 4g Dietary Fiber 7g Net Carbs
You can also access several other alternate versions of this same recipe using liquid versions of Splenda, mayonnaise and other such ingredients at Linda's web site page for this outstanding recipe. If you like this recipe, then you'll be pleased to know that Linda herself is the moderator of my Recipe thread at my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Discussion" forum (sadly, it's been down for a few days, but I hope to have it back up and running real soon!).
In the meantime, WELCOME BACK KENT and I encourage you to keep those videos rolling, my friend. You have such a unique perspective that needs to be heard early and often. If you haven't already, then be sure to subscribe to Kent (bowulf) Altena's videos. Show him your support and THANK HIM in an e-mail for the excellent work he is doing on behalf of livin' la vida low-carb!
I was playing around in the kitchen yesterday and stumbled upon a low-carb chocolate dessert recipe that should fit within ANYBODY'S low-carb plan. If you need a quick chocolate fix on your low-carb diet, then this will do the trick! ENJOY!
JIMMY'S ONE-MINUTE LOW-CARB CHOCOLATE DELIGHT
1 50mL bottle of your favorite flavor of DaVinci Syrups (I used Irish Cream!) 1-2 Tablespoons of Hershey's Cocoa (I LOVE Special Dark!) 1-2 packets of your favorite sweetener (You can use Splenda, but I used erythritol in my recipe!)
Gather all of your ingredients and a small bowl and spoon.
Pour the DaVinci Syrup into the bowl.
Next scoop out 1-2 Tablespoons of the cocoa. Use more to make it thicker or less for a thinner consistency.
Then add your sweetener. Erythritol worked great for my recipe, but so will Splenda, stevia, or any other artificial sweetener that you love.
Stir this yummy concoction slowly with a spoon. If you do it too fast, the cocoa will spill on the counter.
Be sure to break up any bubbles or pockets of the cocoa so that it all gets thoroughly drenched. Otherwise, you could get some unsweetened cocoa in your mouth which isn't very pleasant! :S
After about 30 seconds of stirring, scraping the sides of the bowl often, you should have a nice smooth, velvety chocolate mixture that resembles melted chocolate. Ooh la la!
Oh, man, just look at that--it'll make you slap your momma silly, I'm telling you. But now it's time for the taste test...
Mmmmmm...did I die and go to chocolate heaven or what?! WOO WEE, that's so good! I even got some dribbling down my bottom lip. Hee hee!
What pray tell is the nutritional lowdown on this decadent chocolate dessert? This is the BEST part:
FAT--.5g CARBS--2-3g (depending on your sweetener) CALORIES--40
If you just have to have something quick that's a little sweet and chocolately to eat when you are livin' la vida low-carb, then this stuff is da BOMB!
For a twist on the dessert eaten at room temperature, try microwaving it for 15-20 seconds for a luscious hot melted chocolate or freezing it for a fudge-like consistency. Play around with it using different DaVinci syrups and sweeteners until you find something that suits your tastes.
I promise you it's good. Let me know what you think about it if you try it! ;)
Hot and sweet sticky buns--without the sugar and white flour!
It's a sad fact, but most of my childhood memories are about food.
When I was growing up, my momma used to have a tradition on Sunday morning before we went to church. What did she do? She bought those 99 cent cans of cinnamon buns with the little plastic container of sugary icing that would melt on top of the rolls as they came hot out of the oven in about 15 minutes.
Between my brother Kevin and I, it didn't take long to devour that whole cookie sheet of these in very short order. Is it any wonder how we got to be so morbidly obese as adults? If I had known better as a child, then I would have avoided those unhealthy high-carb breakfast disasters like the plague.
I didn't then, but I do now. But that doesn't mean I don't like the taste of cinnamon buns today. What can I do, though, since I'm avoiding sugar and white flour? Is there really such a thing as low-carb cinnamon buns?
YEP, there sure is! They are the Dixie Carb Counters Glazed Cinnamon Bun Mix from Dixie Diner. I was privileged enough to try these new low-carb cinnamon buns for myself today and the aroma was so nostalgic!
Warm and relaxing smells of cinnamon filled up my kitchen as this quick and easy mix was baking up hot and fresh in less than 10 minutes. All I needed to add to the mix was butter, heavy whipping cream, and a large egg. That's it!
Of course, the instructions called for rolling up the dough into buns with the cinnamon mixture on top. Too confusing to me! Instead, I just pressed most of the dough in the bottom of a pan, spread the cinnamon stuff on top of that, and then put the rest of the dough on top of that just prior to putting it in the 375-degree oven.
The nutritional label and ingredients are top notch!
I was quite surprised that the texture and taste were just as I remembered it. Thankfully, though, I only consumed 3g net carbs per serving (you get 8 buns from this package!). Yummy to my tummy! The leftovers easily freeze and make a great sweet snack for breakfast or anytime!
With 6g fiber and 3g protein per cinnamon bun, the Dixie Carb Counters Glazed Cinnamon Bun Mix gives you a delicious and healthy version of something you thought you'd never get to eat again on your low-carb lifestyle. Now you can!
For a special low-carb dessert, warm one of these up in the microwave with a scoop of CarbSmart vanilla ice cream on top. Oh my gosh, this stuff's the bomb, baby! Let me know if you try these cinnamon buns. They're amazing!
Columnist James Lileks moans over Kemps removing their low-carb line
I have a confession to make that shouldn't surprise anyone who knows me--I LOVE MY LOW-CARB ICE CREAM!!! I know the anti-chemical, all-natural-foods-only low-carb crowd is reading this rolling their eyes at me as if I'm some sort of freak or something.
But the reality is I'm probably more normal than they are since I still find low-carb living to be a day to day battle. I can never let my guard down if I am going to successfully keep the nearly 200 pounds I lost over three years ago off of my body for good. So far, so good.
If low-carb ice cream can keep me away from the regular sugary ice cream and other such high-carb desserts, then I'm gonna do it. Would NO ice cream be better for me? Obviously. But I can't (or choose not to) do that any more than I could give up my diet sodas. I seriously tried that and I couldn't sustain it as part of my life without adversely impacting my weight control.
What's the real harm in it if it helps me keep my weight off which it has for over three years and counting? With so many people trying to lose weight and then reaching a point in their diet when they don't feel like a success (even despite enormous weight loss success), shouldn't we be promoting the use of products like low-carb ice cream to help them transition from the things that tempt them the most?
Absolutely, we should and I'll tell you why. I've been livin' la vida low-carb since January 2004 and my diet has undergone a major shift since that time. Many of the foods I once considered staples of my diet--a case and a half of Coca-Cola daily, an entire box of Little Debbie snack cakes, a SuperSize order order of McDonald's French fries, a plateful of regular pasta--are now a thing of the past. I don't even remotely want them in my life ever again.
My friend the "Diet Detective" Charles Stuart Platkin describes these alternatives I have chosen instead like diet sodas and low-carb ice cream as "Carb Bargains," which means you substitute a lower-carb food for a higher-carb one you previously consumed to cut calories and start the lifestyle change in earnest.
This makes total sense which is why I have defended the use of certain low-carb products before and feature many of the good ones here at my blog. Granted, not everything that purports to be "low-carb" is, but that's where reading your labels and being smart go a long way in your low-carb lifestyle.
If it comes down to a choice between eating low-carb ice cream and sticking with my low-carb plan versus not eating it and falling prey to the temptation to have a slice of chocolate cake, then I'll choose the former over the latter every day of the week. While there are some who can just suddenly stop eating those foods forever cold turkey, low-carb or not, I'm not one of them. Give me my low-carb substitutes thank you very much.
With that said, many of the really good low-carb products are prone to just suddenly disappear as this Star Tribune column by columnist James Lileks so hilariously details. If you have been livin' la vida low-carb for ANY length of time, then this little ditty will make your day. What a character this guy is as he's low-carbing it for himself.
Lilaks encapsulates the very essence of how cruel this is to low-carbers.
"You give us something and you make us love it and you snatch it away...I always knew you'd yank Carb Promise when the Atkins diet died, and last week I learned that you'd discontinued the brand. Do you know what this means? I don't eat sugar. So you've taken away ice cream from my life. Entirely. And don't tell me 'it's the cows.' I've met cows. They lack the intellectual capacity to make such decisions."
Caught ya laughing out loud, didn't I? This guy's a real hoot! While I don't believe "the Atkins diet died" as he claims, I know what he meant. But it's not the end of the world.
If he's looking for low-carb ice cream, then he needs to look no further than the very best brand that has been available for years and is STILL available on supermarket shelves these days (it's all over the place in Super Wal-Mart, too!)--BREYER'S CARBSMART ICE CREAM!
CarbSmart ice cream has been a lifesaver for my low-carb diet
I've been eating this brand of low-carb ice cream since 2004 and wouldn't think of eating anything else. The product contains just 4g net carbs and tastes exactly like sugar-loaded ice cream. Unlike those pretender "low-carb" ice creams, this one has no gritty taste, no funky wang, and satisfies my sweet tooth with a dollop of whipped cream and some blueberries on top every time!
So, James, if you think "dessert is ruined ...FOREVER," then you REALLY need to try CarbSmart ice cream. It comes in Chocolate, Vanilla, Butter Pecan, and (my favorite!) Rocky Road and is absolutely delicious.
You can e-mail encouragement to James Lileks about his livin' la vida low-carb journey at lileks@startribune.com.
Olive Garden ain't exactly a place for "low-carb friendly" meals
If my wife Christine had unlimited resources and was able to buy anything she wanted in the whole world, then there's no doubt in my mind that she would buy her very own Olive Garden restaurant to fill her need for their famous soup, salad, and breadsticks. The woman would literally live off of this meal every single day if she could, although she does admit she'd probably balloon up in weight just as quickly as we'd go bankrupt paying for it! :D
Unfortunately for her, though, the closest Olive Garden to our house has been much too far away for us to visit. So imagine my surprise a few months ago when some new construction started across the street from the Super Wal-Mart along a main road in Spartanburg, South Carolina and we noticed the sign indicated they were building an Olive Garden restaurant. I think Christine did cart wheels inside the car that day!
When the restaurant opened for business about two weeks ago, I told my anxious wife we should wait a few months after the novelty of the "new" restaurant in town had worn off before paying a visit. She wasn't happy with that answer, but agreed it was probably a good idea. So when I returned back from my work as an extra in the "Leatherheads" movie today, I foolishly asked my wife, "Where would you like to go eat and it can be anywhere?"
Boy, was that a stupid question or what?! She said, "We could go to Ruby Tuesday if Olive Garden is busy." Gee, I wonder where Christine REALLY wanted to go. I told her that they would probably be mad busy on a Saturday and since they were still new and all, but we'd check it out. Predictably, when we pulled into the parking lot, it was extremely packed with vehicles and we parked a long way from the front door. But knowing how much the wifey-wifey wanted to eat there, I told her we'd stay no matter how long it took to be seated. Thankfully, it was only about a 15-minute wait because this place was HUGE inside!
While we were waiting for our table, I saw a few friends from church who looked at me almost with an accusatory look of "How dare YOU come to an Italian restaurant being on a low-carb diet." Of course, out of their mouths came the obvious question, "So, what are you gonna eat?" Good question and I really didn't know until we sat down and looked at a menu.
When we got seated and started looking at the menu for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised to notice a section of the menu devoted to people on a diet. There were dishes for people "looking for low-fat options" which included all of their Garden Fare entrées and they even had some options for people who are "watching carbohydrates."
"Savor one of our grilled entreés with fresh vegetables in place of potatoes. Enjoy our pasta entreés with whole wheat linguine."
Hmmm, isn't it interesting the Olive Garden would even acknowledge some people are STILL livin' la vida low-carb in 2007? I like the fact that they recommend grilled meats and even fresh vegetables as part of a low-carb diet. That's awesome since most people think potatoes are vegetables they should be consuming in high quantities. NOT! Plus, this proves that they know people on the low-carb lifestyle can and do eat their veggies. Way to go, Olive Garden!
As for the whole wheat pasta substitute, it may be a better alternative than the regular pasta, but it's still fairly high in carbs. Nevertheless, I had the 5-cheese baked ziti using this alternative for my meal just to give it a try and it was VERY delicious. Christine, of course, loaded up on the basket full of breadsticks, soup, and salad. And, yes, I ate one-third of a breadstick just to give me a little taste. It was okay, but I can DEFINITELY live without it if I had to. That's okay because Christine would keep eating them until they started coming out of her ears!
When we were just about finished with our meal, the waitress came back and I joked with her that she probably doesn't want to ask me if I want dessert since she undoubtedly doesn't have anything sugar-free. She then replied back to me pointing at the menu that they do offer a "no sugar added" dessert for people avoiding sugar like diabetics and low-carbers. That piqued my curiosity, so I checked it out.
Here's a picture of Olive Garden's Torta di Chocolate "no sugar added" dessert:
It certainly looks good with those fresh strawberries dipped in vanilla cream sauce and a warm double chocolate cake oozing with yummy-ness written all over it! But what was it sweetened with? Inquiring minds want to know. So I asked the waitress about it and what kind of artificial sweeteners were used in it. She didn't know, so she went to her manager to find out.
I leaned over to Christine and told her that it probably has some sort of blend of Splenda, ACE-K, maltitol, and/or erithyritol to make the chocolate and vanilla taste palatable as so many of the sugar-free products these days commonly use. But when the waitress came back she declared there were no sweeteners used in the dessert at all and that it has a "flour chocolate" as the sweetening agent.
HUH? What the heck is that? She attempted to clarify by stating the chocolate cake was made of flour (NOT GOOD!) and that there was "no sugar added" besides the sugar used to sweeten the chocolate and vanilla. DOUBLE HUH?! I thought this menu item that is promoted to diabetics and low-carbers was supposed to be "no sugar added?" The last time I checked, if you ADD sugar to chocolate or vanilla, then that makes it ADDED sugar. The sugar doesn't grow with the cacao and vanilla bean! Am I missing something in this equation?
Needless to say, I thanked my waitress for checking on that for me and declared to her that I would pass on dessert today. But can you believe this? If the Olive Garden is seeking to provide diabetics and low-carbers with a dessert they can consume without consequence to their blood sugar and weight, then the Torta di Chocolate just ain't gonna cut it!
What a sham of a product and it makes me wonder how many innocent people with diabetes or cutting their carbohydrate intake see the words "no sugar added" and simply ASSUME it's okay for them on their diet!
$*#$&@*--UGH!--#$*()--ARGH!--E*(0#@--EEEK!
See, it is THIS kind of marketing ploy by companies exploiting people wanting to reduce or eliminate sugar from their diet either by choice or necessity that really gets me fired up. This isn't a game, Olive Garden! This could very well be the difference between life and death for some people battling a terrible disease like diabetes or obesity. Fooling these poor people into buying your dessert that is loaded with sugar carbs despite having the label "no sugar added" is criminal if you ask me.
Of course, if you visit the Olive Garden web site, then you will notice there is no mention of the nutritional information on their menu items anywhere. So we have NO idea how many carbs are in this dessert anyway. Whatcha got to hide, Olive Garden? Are you too afraid of people knowing how many carbohydrates you are actually serving to them? I'm sure it's pretty scary and it would not surprise me a bit if the average dish is well over 100g carbs! Yikes!
How about letting the corporate headquarters for the Olive Garden know how disgusted you are with their so-called healthy dessert option they are promoting to diabetics and people who are livin' la vida low-carb by using this contact page or dialing their toll-free customer service line on weekdays at 1-800-331-2729.
Be polite, but stern in voicing your opinion that a real sugar-free dessert option should be available to genuinely serve the best interests of the low-carb/diabetic customer base who dines at the Olive Garden. Let me know if you hear back from them with a response. If we band together with one voice, then perhaps they'll get the message. We can only hope!
I've had a hand in forty books and written six, but three of my favorites concern food. I love ating, have worked as an assistant chef, and while living in France, came to appreciate good, fresh, well-prepared food like never before. Since I began writing or producing books in 1988, I have always concentrated on the popular reference angle.
I wondered for years why no one covered things like polysorbate 60 the same way we cover wine or cheese, and thought about doing something for a few years. Finally, my kids asked me, "Daddy, where does polysorbate 60 come from?" and I knew I had to get moving on this book. Choosing the Twinkie as an example was great, because the Twinkie ingredient list, which is the table of contents of Twinkie, Deconstructed, is just the right length for a book and covers a wide range of ingredients.
2. I have to tell you, Steve, the title and cover art of your book certainly captures your attention right away which you hope will get people hooked just long enough to hear the message you have to share. I did the same with my book and blog calling them "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb." Have you heard about anyone who accidentally "found" you looking for Twinkies and became convinced they'd never eat one again?
No. Most people who eat them expect Twinkies to be processed food. I think many are surprised at how much of our food comes from petroleum or rocks, though.
3. Can you believe the ingredients people are stuffing their faces with nowadays without a care in the world what most of those words they can't even pronounce really are?! It's really a sad state of affairs we find ourselves in nutritionally when much of what is consumed by the average American is not just garbage, but a bad nightmare food science project where the public serves as the guinea pigs for this junk! When did our culture move away from eating real whole foods and start relying on these highly-processed concoctions made in a food lab somewhere filled with God knows what as the main source of nourishment?
I tell people who are aghast at what's in processed food that if they want healthy food, they should eat their fruits and vegetables. I have tended toward the Mediterranean diet for years, and I stay basically low-fat and low-carb. I do enjoy many welcome digressions to eat sauces, desserts, and beer. I try to eat fresh oranges for breakfast instead of orange juice, etc.
But living in New York City, I can eat all kinds of neat, healthy food--sushi for snacks, fruit from street vendors--nearly any time and any place I want. And Twinkies are sold by most corner grocery stores, too, just in case I need one--for research purposes only, of course!
A lot of people think that I must be coming out with some diatribe against Twinkies, and in fact, they are not what you would want to be eating if you are seriously dieting. However, because they are so clearly a dessert treat I just don't bother with getting up on my soapbox and yelling anything bad about them. That would fall kind of flat, considering that no one ever claimed that Twinkies are good for you.
My angle is that this is truly amazing stuff they use, and all processed foods use. I just think it is fascinating to realize and to think about. And then I go eat my fruits and vegetables!
4. It's bad enough having weight and health-damaging ingredients like trans fats, white flour, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and the like showing up in just about everything these days, but there are other substances and chemicals finding their way into a good number of popular food items like Twinkies, too. Tell us about a few of the biggest culprits and why they are detrimental to our weight and health.
I can see by your question that you need to read my book in order to see that I am not a nutritionist or weight loss advisor, so I'll just answer the ones that I know about and let you deal with the rest.
5. I am planning on reading your book very soon because it reminds me of several others that have come out in recent years. For example, Eric Schlosser's amazing book about the fast food industry called Fast Food Nation. It seems you did what Schlosser did in his book by examining the food line all the way to the source of the actual ingredients that make up processed foods made in the United States. What was the most shocking discovery you unearthed in your investigation and have you personally altered your eating habits as a result of what you learned from writing this book?
I was totally shocked that we eat five kinds of rocks just about any time we eat anything baked! The simple product found on kitchen shelves everywhere, baking powder, is made from three. I was able to actually visit the mines where two of the rocks come from -- phosphate and trona, which is almost pure sodium carbonate.
The other one is limestone. Two other rocks are common--salt, of course, and calcium sulfate, which is essentially food-grade plaster and has been used in bread and tofu making for thousands of years. None of these are dangerous to us but they sure are surprising. I was also amazed to learn that enrichment vitamins are mostly from China.
6. There are some rather repulsive methods used when food companies start processing foods and what you describe as ingredients that are "closely linked to rocks and petroleumthan any of the four food groups" to get the proper consistency for making popular junk foods like Twinkies look like we know them to be. Would you mind sharing some of the major steps that go into the processing of these innocent-looking snack cakes?
Much of this process if discussed at length in my book. But I will say this--that we crack natural gas into methane and ethane in order to make sorbic acid, one of the safest food additives around, still totally blows me away. Sorbic acid is actually a food, a close cousin of olive oil.
7. I'm curious, what does Hostess, the company that manufactures Twinkies, think about Steve Ettlinger exposing their dirty little secret about their cherished American icon? Have they threatened to sue you or do even they realize you are merely sharing the truth?
I seriously doubt they consider this a "dirty little secret," in that their ingredients are listed on every package they sell! I also doubt that typical Twinkie consumers care about this kind of thing. As far as any threats go, please read the foreword in the book. All I'm doing is writing about ingredients used by most processed foods and many pharmaceuticals.
8. Your book is similar to one I reviewed at my blog recently by Michael Pollan entitled The Omnivore's Dilemma. Were you inspired by Pollan's outstanding investigative journalism?
While I have long admired and enjoyed Michael Pollan's work, his book came out after I finished mine (major publishing houses like Penguin have very long lead times in order to sell the book and distribute it to bookstores around the world), The Omnivore's Dilemma did not play a role in my book.
9. How did you seek to distinguish your work from Pollan's?
Because my book was written before his came out, I did not have to "seek to distinguish" my work from his. This said, we overlap quite a bit: check out his page 17, where he pretty much asks someone to try to figure out where Twinkies' ingredients come from! Surely readers who liked his book will be interested in mine, but his writing is much better. :)
10. THANK YOU, Steve Ettlinger, for joining me for an eye-opening look at the current state of affairs we find ourselves in bowing to the mad scientists in the food industry. So where do we go from here? Based on your newfound "expert" status with the release of your new book, how can Americans like myself and my readers who are deeply concerned about the issue of weight and health take what you have shared and help bring about the necessary changes that absolutely need to happen if issues like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome are ever going to be adequately addressed? Do you think we will see those changes happen anytime soon? Why or why not?
My newfound "expert" position allows me to entertain people with stories about where these ingredients are from and how they are made. Every person I spoke with--engineers, scientists, etc.--does their best to make things that we can eat or chemicals that we can use to make things that we eat. None of the people I spoke with would be proper spokespeople for what is good nutrition.
Chocolate-covered strawberries made with ChocoPerfection bars
You don't need me to tell you how amazingly delicious the fiber-rich, sugar-free, low-carb ChocoPerfection bars are. I've been a big fan of them for over a year now and will use them in all kinds of unique recipes (like my Stuffed Low-Carb Chocolate French Toast recipe) that call for chocolate (shouldn't that be like EVERY recipe?! HA!).
After telling you about how great ChocoPerfection bars are poured over blueberries a few months back for some homemade low-carb Raisinets, did you also know that ChocoPerfection bars can also perfectly complement another low-carb fruit--STRAWBERRIES! Yep, you can enjoy the decadence of rich, mouth-watering chocolate as you dip this juicy and plump natural dessert into a pool of hot melted ChocoPerfection bars. Ooooo, mmmmm, holy cow! Oh my goodness, your mouth won't know what hit it!
Special THANKS to our friends at Low-Carb Connoisseur for providing this outstanding healthy and nutritious recipe to make for your significant other after a romantic dinner, for your co-workers to show them how much you appreciate them, or at your next party. This versatile recipe will hit their sweet spot and they'll never know they aren't eating sugar! Shhhh, it'll be our little secret! :D ENJOY!
1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or waxed paper. Break ChocoPerfection bars into pieces; place in the top part of a double boiler or a metal bowl over (but not touching) a pot of simmering water. Stir one to two minutes, until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat.
OPTIONAL WAY TO MELT CHOCOLATE: ChocoPerfection bars may also be melted in the microwave. Place in a bowl; microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes, checking every 30 seconds, making sure chocolate does not bubble at all.
2. Holding each strawberry by the stem, dip in chocolate, leaving a 1/4 inch border at the top. Gently shake off excess chocolate; place berry on foil. Repeat with remaining berries. Reheat chocolate if necessary.
3. Chill berries 40 minutes, until chocolate is set. May be prepared up to a day ahead.
The Easiest Low-Carb Pumpkin Cheesecake You'll Ever Make
Do you want a quick last-minute low-carb dessert recipe to make just in time for the holidays? Then you will want to try this very easy low-carb pumpkin cheesecake recipe that one of my readers sent to me.
It looks amazing and the directions for making it couldn't be any more simple. Let me know how this works out for you if you decide to do it. ENJOY!
LOW-CARB PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE
1 16 oz can of pumpkin (not the pie filling) 2 cups of Ricotta cheese 1 package of orange flavor sugar-free Jell-o 1-2 Tablespoons pumpkin pie spices to taste Whipped cream
Mix all ingredients in a microwavable bowl until well mixed. Cook in the microwave at full power for 3 minutes. Remove and stir. Cook for another 3 minutes and stir again. Pour bowl contents into a serving dish and refrigerate for 1-2 hours to set. Serve in slices or as scoops with a whipped cream dollop on top.
This tart and tangy key lime pie is a tasty low-carb dessert
Do you like pie? I sure do and it's one of those delicious desserts you pretty much have to avoid when you start livin' la vida low-carb because of the sugar in the pie filling and the white flour in the crust. Well, have I got a treat for you today!
This recipe compliments of our friends at Low-Carb Connoisseur and Low-Carb Luxury is a beautiful pie to serve to your low-carb and non-low-carb friends and family alike. This one will hit the spot anytime your sweet tooth hits! ENJOY!
Melt butter in a small bowl. Add almond flour and Splenda. Mix well. Press firmly into bottom and up sides of 8 or 9 inch pie plate and refrigerate until firm.
Combine coconut milk, heavy cream, not/Sugar and Splenda in a small saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until well mixed and slightly thickened. Set aside and allow to cool.
Combine milk/Splenda mixture, egg yolks, lime juice, and green color. Blend until smooth. Pour filling into pie crust and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before refrigerating. Just before serving, top with freshly whipped cream or meringue topping, and garnish with lime slices.
Pastries are BACK for low-carbers with these delicious treats
Are there some mornings you are sitting at the kitchen table or at your desk at work with your cup of coffee and wish there was a low-carb doughnut or other pastry that you could dip in it?
Come on, you know you've thought about it, haven't you? Sure you have and that's perfectly natural. It's nothing to be ashamed of. But as long as you resist the urge to splurge on something like this, you are doing great on your low-carb lifestyle.
Now it is time to reward that steadfast commitment and dedication to livin' la vida low-carb by enjoying the perfect low-carb coffee cake and anytime snack. It's called Sweets For You Sugar Free Tasty Twists French Pastries.
These delectable low-carb pastries are an excellent sugar-free alternative to the high-carb, sugary pastries that dominate our society. Buck that trend by feasting on these truly remarkable treats that have a mere 3g carbs per 1-ounce serving. That's about a stick and a half of the most delicious pastries I have eaten since I began my low-carb lifestyle in 2004.
If you are a fan of pudding and mousse and are livin' la vida low-carb, then you would be doing yourself a great disservice if you did not at least TASTE these incredible products. Sweetened with Splenda, these delightful treats contain less than 25 calories per serving, 3g of protein, and less than 2g net carbs. WOW! Best of all, they are SUPER EASY to make with heavy whipping cream and an electric mixer.
The Carb Counters Pudding whipped up into a very thick dessert ready to be eaten within minutes. In fact, the vanilla pudding I made actually looked like ice cream it was so thick. The rich taste of these puddings is unmistakable. Comes in the flavors chocolate, vanilla and raspberry.
The Carb Counters Mousse was a bit different inasmuch as it was much lighter with a melt-in-your-mouth whipped cream texture. I literally thought I had died and gone to heaven when I ate this dessert because it was sooooo good! Comes in the flavors chocolate, vanilla and tapioca.
Someone e-mailed me about the caramel vanilla pudding I ate. That was the Carb Counters Pudding except I added some DaVinci caramel syrup to it for flavoring. Mmmmm, it was AWESOME! The combinations are endless and I hope you give these a taste for yourself. They are as good or better than the name-brand puddings with all that sugar, except these are perfect when you are livin' la vida low-carb!
Macadamia nuts and cream cheese make this Fat Fast dessert delightful
After discussing the Fat Fast the other day, my friends at Low-Carb Connoisseur sent me a recipe to share with you that goes great with the Fat Fast plan. Although you are only on this diet for a few days to kickstart lipolysis, this recipe can "make doing the Fat Fast much easier and more enjoyable!" I CERTAINLY AGREE!
If you are a fan of macadamia nuts (and I am!) as well as cream cheese, then this Fat Fast Parfait recipe will tickle your tastebuds and give you a pleasurable and filling treat to get you through to the next meal. Whether you are on the Fat Fast or not, this is a healthy and delicious way to be livin' la vida low-carb. ENJOY!!!
1. To make the nut layer: Crush the Hula Princess Macadamia Nuts to a medium fine consistency.
2. To make the cream cheese layer: Whip package of cream cheese with an electric mixer and slowly add heavy whipping cream until you reach a mousse-like consistency. Stir in choice of sweetener and Singing Dog Vanilla extract to taste.
3. To make the whipped cream: Combine 1/4 cup of whipping cream with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and sweeten to taste. Whip until it doubles in volumne but is still soft. Add 2 teaspoons Expert Foods Mousse Mix and whip untill thick but not stiff. Thin if neccessary with a little cream.
4. For each serving dish, start with a layer of crushed macadamia nuts in the bottom of the dish and alternate with the cream cheese mixture. Top with whipped cream and a few whole macadamia nuts. Chill thoroughly!
