LLVLC On YouTube (Episode 15): Low-Carb Christmas Gift Ideas

Christmas is coming, do you know what to get that low-carb loved one?

The Christmas shopping season is underway and the hustle and bustle of this time of year makes me wanna stay home inside the comfort of my house especially on the weekends when people go bonkers out shopping at the mall and Wal-mart like they're gonna run out of stuff next week! It took me what is normally a 5-minute drive to the post office today a total of 20 minutes to get there! Then there was a line of about 30 people waiting to send off packages. UGH!

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas and the festive attitude it conjures up in people this time of year. But I'm just not the kind of person who likes crowds and traffic. Nevertheless, there are gifts to be bought and that includes for people who are livin' la vida low-carb. So what in the world are you supposed to get somebody on a low-carb diet anyone?

That's exactly what Christine and I address in Episode 15 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube." We tried to provide a wide variety of gift ideas that are applicable not just for Christmas, but any gift-giving occasion for that low-carb loved one in your life. These are gifts that I personally would enjoy receiving and most are practical suggestions that you may not have even thought about before.

Get your pen and paper ready with this YouTube video for low-carb gift ideas:



Just in case you missed any of the gift suggestions or would like to learn more about some of the ones that were mentioned, here are some links for you to check out:

- ChocoPerfection low-carb chocolate bars
- Responsibly Slim Protein Powder
- Living The Low-Carb Life by Jonny Bowden
- CARB WARS: Sugar Is The New Fat by Judy Barnes Baker
- Digital Camera
- Gift Certificate To A Low-Carb Restaurant
- The March 2008 Atkins Diet Cruise

This is by no means a comprehensive gift list for people who are livin' la vida low-carb. But hopefully Episode 15 will give you a few ideas you may not have thought about as you begin searching for that perfect present for your low-carb friend or family member. Don't be bashful about suggesting these and other gifts for yourself as gifts, too! I know the gift giver would appreciate it!

Provide your favorite low-carb gift ideas with us at Episode 15 on YouTube and you could win a FREE GIFT from me and Christine. All you have to do is leave a comment at YouTube for this video by Friday, December 7, 2007 and you'll become eligible to win your very own Cal-Carb Clicker compliments of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube." GOOD LUCK in the contest everyone!

Are you getting behind on our YouTube videos? Watch 'em all right now:

- Promo video--A half-minute promotion of the new video series
- Episode 1--Introduction of Jimmy & Christine Moore
- Episode 2--What kind of fruits can you have on a low-carb diet?
- Episode 3--What kind of veggies can you have on a low-carb diet?
- Episode 4--What does a low-carber do for something sweet?
- Episode 5--Why is fat so healthy for you on the low-carb lifestyle?
- Episode 6--Which restaurants can you go to on the low-carb lifestyle?
- Episode 7--What are the best new low-carb books you need to read?
- Episode 8--Why should you be eating a lot more eggs?
- Episode 9--If you're gonna do Atkins, do it by the book
- Episode 10--What supplements should you take while low-carbing?
- Episode 11--What are some of the foods you eat on your low-carb diet?
- Episode 12--How should you respond when you weight loss stalls?
- Episode 13--What can you do to survive the high-carb holidays?
- Episode 14--Is it okay to ever splurge on your low-carb diet?

Keep up with the latest videos we post at YouTube by subscribing to them like the nearly 200 others who have done so already. With my podcast show still down for likely the rest of 2007 to let my producer Kevin Kennedy-Spaien heal from the injuries he sustained from a car accident, Christine and I are committed to doing more YouTube videos to fill in the gap. THANK YOU for watching and please continue to send your comments and suggested topic for future videos to us at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. We are so happy to be a small part of your life and look forward to continuing to share with you about the amazingly healthy low-carb lifestyle! Merry Christmas!!!

'Picture Perfect' Contest Features Your Healthy Low-Carb Holiday Dishes

Taking a photo of your low-carb holiday foods is a snap!

Have you got your digital camera handy while you're baking up all those delicious low-carb dishes during the holiday cooking season? Then take a quick photo of that delicious, mouthwatering food before you eat it and enter it in my Kodak "Picture Perfect Low-Carb Holiday" Contest for a chance to win a really nice prize--the KODAK EASYSHARE 5300 All-in-One Printer!

To recap the basics of the contest, here's what you need to do:

1. Take a photograph of the most "picture perfect" healthy low-carb recipe or meal you eat during the holidays.

2. Write a description of 50 words or less of what the photograph is along with why it is healthy.

3. Submit your photo, description, name, and mailing address (no PO Boxes please) to livinlowcarbman@charter.net with "PICTURE PERFECT CONTEST" in the subject line no later than Friday, December 14, 2007 at midnight.

4. All photos submitted will be subject to posting on the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog and family of web sites.

5. Show off how healthy low-carb living can be!

Now isn't that easy? And I've got TWO EXCELLENT EXAMPLES from a couple of my readers who knew exactly what they needed to do to participate in this contest. These two photos will DEFINITELY be considered for the big kahuna prize that will be awarded in two weeks. You still have time to enter, but DON'T DELAY! Get me your pictures TODAY!

Here are the eligible entries so far:

Submitted by GAYLE O. from Oregon


"For many, the Thanksgiving star is a turkey, but I prefer a capon. Capons are male chickens that have been castrated. These hormone-free guys don't waste energy showing off for ladies. Instead, all energy goes to becoming meatier and tastier. They have a higher fat content, and far better flavor than any other holiday bird."

Submitted by SHARI W. from Tennessee


"These little Mini-Quiches are tasty and make the 'Picture Perfect' holiday appetizer. Simple ingredients and a simple recipe make for the most versatile of dishes. Remember simplicity is an added plus during the hectic time of the holidays. Just make your basic quiche mixture and then add your favorite veggies, meats, and extra spices to taste. A bonus with these quiches is not only are they 'low carb' but you get the added colors of Christmas on your table."

See how easy this is? Now all you need to do is send me YOUR favorite holiday recipe photo and a 50-word description of what it is to livinlowcarbman@charter.net NO LATER THAN DECEMBER 14, 2007! Hurry and enter because this contest will be gone before you know it! Wouldn't a KODAK EASYSHARE 5300 All-in-One Printer make a great surprise last-minute Christmas present for that photogenic person in your life? Of course it would! So ENTER TODAY!!!

Surprising Low-Carb Gift Idea: A Waffle Maker?

What can a low-carber do with a waffle maker?

Now that it's December, you've probably already graced the presence of a shopping mall, retail store, or even the Internet to find that "perfect" gift for the special people in your life. It's such a shame that it takes a once-per-year holiday like Christmas for us to FINALLY acknowledge our love and appreciation for those we care about through the giving of gifts. But better late than never!

I don't know about you, but I enjoy receiving practical gifts that will help me maintain my low-carb lifestyle in new and exciting ways. The stereotype that livin' la vida low-carb is boring is in my estimation more a reflection of the person who thinks it is boring rather than the actual diet itself. With just a little creativity and ingenuity, low-carb living can be quite enticing for anyone to do.

One of my faithful readers offered an example of this in an e-mail to me this week. She said she was watching one of those television shopping channels for entertainment purposes and one of the hosts of the show was featuring a waffle maker. As they cooked up these big beautiful traditional Belgian waffles with high-carb batter, you'll never believe what they made next!

The host said she doesn't like to eat excessive carbohydrates which are generally found in most waffles, so she uses the machine to make a unique "waffle" of her own using eggs instead. That's right, she beat some eggs and mixed in her favorite omelette ingredients and poured it into the waffle machine. In less than a minute--VOILA!--she had a freshly-made low-carb "waffle" hot and ready to eat! Yummy!

What an excellent idea! Before I started livin' la vida low-carb, I was a BIG FAN of waffles. I have not even touched a waffle iron since because I didn't even think about using it in this way for a low-carb meal. Now low-carbers have a reason to use a waffle maker for an excellent breakfast or anytime snack.

My reader said this was a "really cool thing" for people who have a waffle iron because it gives you the "fun of hacking a high-carb product." LOL! Yes, it really does! Even if you don't have a waffle maker yet, I think you'll find this one will do the trick for you and it comes HIGHLY recommended. I've already told Christine I want one for Christmas! :D

And if you want to make a REAL low-carb waffle, then there are options available out there available to you, including delicious waffle mixes from Big Train, Flax Z Snax, Dixie Carb Counters, and, of course, Carbquik. These all cook up golden brown just like their high-carb counterparts, but with significantly less carbs! WOO HOO!

So, as surprising as it may sound, an excellent low-carb gift idea for that person who is livin' la vida low-carb so faithfully can indeed be a Waffle Maker. Whodathunkit?

Classy Christmas Gift Baskets For That Low-Carb Loved One In Your Life

Can you believe Christmas is only like three weeks away? Whoa! I don't know what it is about this year, but it has flown right by and we hardly knew ya! I'm looking forward to 2007, but we can't start talking about the new year until Christmas has come and gone.

Do you have your gift picked out for that favorite low-carber in your life yet? December is always extra special for me because I was a Christmas baby born two days after Christmas. Actually, my mom was supposed to have me long before Christmas, but biology had a way of delaying the inevitable. And my mom never lets me live down that I kept her in the hospital over the Christmas holiday in 1971. But I was a delayed Christmas present--all 10 3/4 pounds of me!

So, as you can imagine, I got a lot of those "here's your Christmas/birthday present" when I was growing up. Hey, what's up with that?! My brother Kevin's birthday was in August and he got a ton of birthday gifts and my sister Beverly's birthday was in September with the same thing. Why does Jimmy get the short shrift just because he was born near Christmas? Not fair! LOL! Oh the travails of childhood.

But it would be really nice to get multiple gifts for ONCE--some for Christmas and some for my birthday. Distinguishable and different--that's only fair, right? :D

Perhaps Christine or anyone else who is looking for a gift to give me could get any TWO of the following low-carb gift baskets this year for December 25th and December 27th (hint, hint, hint....hee hee!):

LOW-CARB CHRISTMAS GIFT BASKET


R.W. Garcia Lo's Tortilla Chips
Heavenly Harvest Sugar Free Crackers
Sesame Low Carb Crackers by Smackaroos Diet Treats
Mesquite Pumpkorn 2.75 oz. Resealable Pouch
Chocolate Chip Sugar Free Enchantment Sugar Free Cookies
White Cheddar Just the Cheese Crunchy Baked Cheese
CarbRite Diet Chocolate Mint Cookie Bar
Atkins Advantage Caramel Cookie Dough High Protein Bar
3 Assorted DaVinci Gourmet Sugar Free Syrup 50ml bottle
Jelly Belly Sugar Free Jelly Beans
2 Assorted Peerless Sugar Free Hard Candies 3.5 oz. bags
3 GoLower Snack Bars
Sorbee Zero Sugar Solid 2.8 oz. Chocolate Bar
Sorbee Zero Sugar Creme Filled 3.5 oz. Chocolate Bar
3 Assorted Ross Chocolate Bars
Dreamfields Low Carb Elbows Pasta

KOSHER LOW-CARB VARIETY BASKET


Hi-Lo Low Carb Cereal
Heavenly Desserts Strawberry Meringue Cookies
3 Assorted DaVinci Gourmet Sugar Free Syrups 50 ml. bottles
Fran Gare Chocolate Brownie and Cookie Mix
Big Train Buttermilk Pancake and Waffle Mix
4 Assorted Ross Sugar Free Chocolate Bars
3 Assorted Go Lightly Sugar Free Chewy Candies bags
2 Assorted Sweet'N Low Sugar Free Hard Candy 1.23oz boxes
Wasa Fiber Rye Crackers
Atkins Morning Start Apple Cinnamon Fruit & Grain Cereal Bars
Expert Foods Thicken Thin not/Starch
Regular Size La Tortilla Factory Whole Wheat Low Carb Tortillas
Walden Farms Honey Mustard Salad Dressing Packets
Walden Farms Thousand Island Salad Dressing Packets
Walden Farms Italian Salad Dressing Packets
Dreamfields Low Carb Rotini Pasta

KOSHER LOW-CARB CANDY BASKET


4 Assorted Peerless Sugar Free Hard Candies 3.5 oz. bags
4 Assorted Go Lightly Sugar Free Chewy Candies bags
3 Assorted Sweet'N Low Sugar Free Hard Candy 1.23oz boxes
Jelly Belly Sugar Free Jelly Beans 3.1 oz. bag
Jelly Belly Sugar Free Sours 3.1 oz. bag

THE I LOVE SUGAR-FREE CHOCOLATES BASKET


Eat Well Be Well Sugar Free Dark Chocolate Bar
Eat Well Be Well Sugar Free Dark Chocolate with Almonds Bar
Ross Chocolates Dark Chocolate No Sugar Added Bar
Ross Chocolates White Chocolate No Sugar Added Bar
Ross Chocolates Milk Chocolate No Sugar Added Bar
Ross Chocolates Milk Chocolate with Almond No Sugar Added Bar
Ross Chocolates Milk Chocolate with Peanuts No Sugar Added Bar
Ross Chocolates Milk Chocolate Cherry No Sugar Added Bar
Ross Chocolates Milk Chocolate Coconut No Sugar Added Bar
Ross Chocolates Milk Chocolate Mint No Sugar Added Bar
Ross Chocolates Milk Chocolate Orange No Sugar Added Bar
Ross Chocolates Milk Chocolate Raspberry No Sugar Added Bar
Sorbee Zero Sugar Solid 2.8 oz. Dark Chocolate Bar
Sorbee Zero Sugar Solid 2.8 oz. Milk Chocolate Bar
Sorbee Zero Sugar Solid 2.8 oz. Milk Chocolate with Peanuts Bar
Sorbee Zero Sugar Strawberry Creme Filled 3.5 oz. Chocolate Bar
Sorbee Zero Sugar Mint Creme Filled 3.5 oz. Chocolate Bar
Sorbee Zero Sugar Peanut Butter Creme Filled 3.5 oz. Chocolate Bar
Asher's 8 oz. Sugar Free Milk & Dark Chocolate Assortment
Marich Sugar Free Bridge Mix 8 oz. bag
La Nouba Sugar Free Chocolate Covered Marshmallows 2.1 oz. bag
Russell Stover Sugar Free Pecan Delights 7 oz. box
Brown & Haley Sugar Free Almond Roca 3 oz. package
Russell Stover 3.5 oz. Net Carb Bagged Peanut Butter Cups
Russell Stover 3.5 oz. Net Carb Bagged Mint Patties
Russell Stover 3.5 oz. Net Carb Bagged Pecan Delights
Russell Stover 3.5 oz. Net Carb Bagged Toffee Squares
Atkins Endulge Peanut Caramel Cluster Bar
Atkins Endulge Chocolate Coconut Bar
Atkins Endulge Caramel Nut Chew Bar
Asher's Sugar Free Dark Chocolate Bar
Asher's Sugar Free Milk Chocolate Bar
Asher's Sugar Free Liquid Caramel Bar
Asher's Sugar Free Mint Truffle Bar
Asher's Sugar Free Peanut Butter Truffle Bar
Asher's Sugar Free Pecan And Caramel Bar
Judy's Candy Co. Sugar Free Caramels
Judy's Candy Co. 1.5 oz. Sugar Free English Toffee
Judy's Candy Co. 1.5 oz. Sugarless Almond Caramel Cluster
Judy's Candy Co. 1.5 oz. Sugarless Cashew Caramel Cluster
Judy's Candy Co. 1.5 oz. Sugarless Macadamia Caramel Cluster
Judy's Candy Co. 1.5 oz. Sugarless Pecan Caramel Cluster

ULTMATE LOW-CARB BEGINNER'S BASKET


Low Carb Ice Cream, Drinks, and Desserts Cookbook by Diana Lee
Easy Living Low Carb Cooking Cookbook
CarbRite Diet Vanilla Smoothie Mix
Heavenly Harvest Sugar Free Crackers (Formerly Heavenly Crackers) Low Carb Crackers
Doctor's CarbRite Diet Chocolate Mint Cookie Protein Bar
Doctor's CarbRite Diet Chocolate Brownie Protein Bar
Think Thin Chocolate Fudge Bar
2 Sorbee Zero Sugar Solid 2.8 oz. Chocolate Bars
2 Sorbee Zero Sugar Creme Filled 3.5 oz. Chocolate Bars
Sorbee Sugar Free FruitBurst Fruit Chews 3.3 oz. bag
2 Sorbee Lites Hard Candies 3 oz. Bags
5 Assorted Ross Chocolates Sugar Free Chocolate Bar
Atkins Endulge Caramel Nut Chew Bar
4 Assorted DaVinci Gourmet Sugar Free Syrups 50ml bottles

LOW-CARB BREAKFAST IN BED BASKET


Dixie Diner Low Carb Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix
Walden Farms Pancake Syrup
Big Train Mocha Mix packets
3 Big Train Chai Tea Packets
DaVinci Gourmet Sugar Free Hazelnut Syrup 50ml bottle
DaVinci Gourmet Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup 50ml bottle
Nutritious Living Hi-Lo Low Carb Cereal
Soy Slender Low Carb Soy Milk
Splenda - Box of 50 Packets
Low Carb Success Cinnamon & Spice Natural Hot Cereal

There are many more low-carb gift baskets to choose from just in time for Christmas by clicking here. Check 'em out!