Thank you, Jon… I don’t eat any diet products, anyway, but carb count as I can. I don’t take any insulin or pills, so I have to do it all with diet and exercise. I will try the Sun Butter. I was hesitant, as I’ve had people who say it was yucky, and now you say that it’s yummy… and honestly, I’ve been pretty tempted to try it as I love sunflower seeds… 
Yeah, some people are turned by it but one of my favorite things to eat is sun butter and bananas. It’s awesome. Granted, the taste of sun butter is NOT exactly like peanut butter, so people who expect that must remember that these are two different things. Even so, I love it.
I started this topic with an emphasis on handy sweets as I have an insatiable sweet tooth. Many artificially sweetened foods are not well formulated but those I mentioned in the original post are acceptable. As for bread products, I like crunchy foods. Pretzels are a must for me. I can portion control the amount I eat. They stay fresh. I also love nuts especially walnuts and pistachios. There is a dish “baked cheese” that I sort of duplicate without the baking. I add a really fine quality cinnamon, raisins, walnuts and sweetener to whipped lowfat cottage cheese. Store this in the refrig for an hour or so and the raisins plump while the consistancy of the cheese firms. Also I like to cook and do so from scratch. Boiled and cooled shrimp with red coctail sauce is very easy to prepare, low, low in calories for a sizeable portion and very diabetic friendly. I also buy fresh salmon and smoke/cook it in a stove top smoker. I serve this salmon hot for one meal and refigerate the rest. I use the cold salmon to make a pate’ with raw onion, dill and extra virgin olive oil which I spread on slices of fresh cucumber. This is deemed fabulous by my non diabetic friends. Of course I can also use small amounts of regular crackers or bread with the pate’.
Count me as one who thought Sun Butter was awful. Funky taste. I like sunflower seeds, but not that stuff. Almond butter is delicious, but way too expensive. Glad I’m not allergic to peanuts because I’m addicted to peanut butter.
Walden Farms products taste like chemicals to me.
I found an almond butter at Costco, a quart for like $9. I can’t really argue that some of the walden products taste artificial, but at least they are not made from chemicals derived from oil and dug from the ground. Do check out the costco almond butter.
I’m sorry the thread got away. Be pleased tho that it is still generally on target. Most stuff I get involved with goes totally haywire. I also eat a lot nuts, buying large canisters from costco and almonds in three pound bags. I also eat a great deal of cheese. Dr. B suggests microwaving processed cheese to make cheese crisps, but I just eat it. As to the whole cooking thing, I do a great deal of cooking and prepare basically everything myself, even bringing prepared lunches to work. And please don’t get me started on barbeque. Aaron, those are some great suggest, keep this up and I’ll be ready for dinner.
I’m a peanutbutteraholic too. Always been one. I thought it would be a tough switch from the highly processed sugary stuff to the more natural stuff, but it was painless. I’ve been working my way through different brands over the years but I haven’t tried almond butter yet. Sounds Absolutly tasty though! I’m afraid of getting hopelssly addicted!!
One of my very favorite treats is “Sprecher” Low Cal Root Beer. It is brewed in Milwaukee. It comes in a bottle two servings per bottle, total carbs 4g per serving. It is my “yummy best” when it is very very very cold. Almost frozen inside the botte.
I don’t really like diet soda and typically do not drink soda. But this is a treat.
On hot summer day it is yummy!
Check it out.
bsc,
Any sliced or grated cheese works for cheese chips. Freshly grated parmsean is my favorite. Works in a oven also.
Aaron,
Your salmon pate sounds wonderful! I love smoked fish.
OH how I miss Sprecher. I just moved from Milwaukee. I was up there several years and I loved the Sprecher! Cream was my favorite but I guess I can’t have that anymore.I was eyeing the Sprecher in the grocery store the other day but didn’t have time to check out the carbs. I forgot about the Diet ones though. Yeah! I miss Rooty!
A&W sugar-free root beer is good, but don’t know if it will compare to Sprecher. I’m with dargirl that I don’t drink soda, but a root beer now & then.
Sprecher is more of natural soda but I guess the low carb Root Beer has Sacchrine - other wise all the other flavors have honey and are pretty sweet.
I use the Max Burton stove top smoker available at Amazon.com. You will also need a supply of Alder wood chips sold there also. I buy a large salmon filet with the skin. 2.5 lbs fits the smoker. I slice the skin from the fish, cut it into 2" wide portions across the filet and marinate the fish in the juice of one lemon for about half an hour in the refigerator. I put the fish in a low form pyrex dish and cover the plate with plastic wrap while it is in the refirgerator. I have a gas stove. I have never smoked the fish on an electric stove. The smoker pan is a retangular box with a handle and a slide on cover. A tray fits inside on the bottom and there is a wire rack that goes on top of the tray. Place two heaping tablespoons of Alder wood chips in a small pile in the center of the smoker. place the tray over the chips. (I cover the tray with aluminum foil to help with the cleanup). Put the wire rack on the foil covered tray. arrange the marinated fish on top of the rack. the pieces can go right next to each other without spaces. Slide the cover onto the smoker. Set the entire smoker over a low flame so the flame is exactly under the wood chips. It will take about 40-45 min to cook and smoke the fish. When the fish is done it is tender and flakes but it is also cooked through. The cook time varies slightly with the thickness of the filets. The fish is great hot out of the smoker as a dinner entree or chilled. The pate’ is made in a Cuisinart food processor. Use about 3/4 of the smoked fish, one small onion (1.5"), one tablespoon dried dill that’s been hydrated for a few minutes with a teaspoon or so of water, kosher salt to taste (about one teaspoon or less) and fresh ground peper. Start the processor with the onion alone. Add the fish and dill. While the processor is working slowly dribble the Extra Virgin Olive oil through the opening until a thick uniform paste is created. Takes about a half cup of oil but maybe more. I add it until the pate’ comes together and mixes evenly. You can’t overmix the pate’ so don’t worry. Because of the smoking process the pate’ keeps in the refrigerator nicely for up to two weeks. Enjoy. Aaron
Thank you, Aaron! Have you tried smoking other fish?
Can’t wait to make this.
We buy Shoprite’s house brand of popcorn and make it in a heavy sauce pan on the stove. The Shoprite is as good as the expensive premium brands. Try these flavor variations. Add a small amount of Old Bay Spice (famous in Maryland) for a spicey flavor. Sprinkle a mix of cinnamon, sweetener and a little salt for a sweet flavor.
alfred - where did you buy this - we are in the same hoemtown so please let me know. I have been avoiding the sweets aisle for fear of triggering a sugar relapse - . Would love to know.
Also fpr those in Fairfax or who have access to Whole foods (the one in Vienna on Maple and Park street)- you guys have to try the “so delicious” coconut milk - it comes in a box liek the regular milk, and has 1 GRAM OF CARB, 0 SUGAR and makes your coffee taste sublime It has only 10% of the rda for calcium - but if that is not an issue for you, then try this. It is pricey - something like $4.00+ per the 2 quarts.
CARB CONTROL MILK is by HOOD company - Giant stores cariies it in Northern Virginia, also Wegman’s in northern Virginia. Nonfat Carb Cotnrol Milk has 3 CARBS, 1 SUGAR per 8 oz, and is oK for coffee, Tastes sort of like skim milk with less taste if that makes sense, but for those who like milk and is counting carbs and wants at least 30% calcium - this is the answer! I know Jenny Ruhl likes this per her book, but I much prefer the whole milk or the 2% version of Carb Control which Giant does not seem to carry anymore - bummers!
The Smoker will work with any food as long as you realize it cooks the food as it smokes it. So the texture is not like cold smoked fish, ie lox. Also the smoker is a closed system so it holds the moisture. For instance it will not smoke meats the way a traditional smoker will. None the less when you get to understand it you can use it for lots of items. I also make smoked portobello mushrooms for instance.
Aaron
So Lizmari - areyou saying that we can have pasta but by putting it in the fridge for a day - it lowers the glycemic load? Do you reheat the dreamfields pasta before you eat it or do you sort of let it warm to room temperature?
I reheat it… and never once has it spiked my numbers, for a serving size. And yeah, that’s what I’m saying.