Sizzling Slimmers July Challenge

[CindyCRNA]

Carolyn, I did think of a venue for them. Have you ever had Vietnamese spring rolls? A rice wrap with finely shredded carrot, cellophane noodles, shrimp, green onion and cilantro. They have a peanut dipping sauce. They could replace the noodles as the roll are served cold and are a tad crunchy. I have always wanted to make them.

[JMCM1]

Originally Posted by CindyCRNA

Carolyn, I did think of a venue for them. Have you ever had Vietnamese spring rolls? A rice wrap with finely shredded carrot, cellophane noodles, shrimp, green onion and cilantro. They have a peanut dipping sauce. They could replace the noodles as the roll are served cold and are a tad crunchy. I have always wanted to make them.

OH. MY. GOSH.
How can I help you???
Because OH. MY. GOSH. that would be so good...

I'm pretty sure I have already a low carb peanut sauce recipe. Will look for it....

[JMCM1]

Thai Peanut Sauce
INGREDIENTS
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch (no) glucomannan powder? Not sure how much
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce What do we sub for this now we are wheat-free?
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar now - artificial sweetener to equal 1/4 cup
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 tsp. fresh grated ginger
• small minced garlic
• 1 cup warm water
DIRECTIONS
1. Dissolve the glucomannan powder in 1/2 cup of cold water; set aside.
2. Whisk together the soy sauce substitute, peanut butter, artificial sweetener, white vinegar, sesame oil, and 1 cup warm water in a small saucepan over medium heat; simmer and stir until solids have dissolved. Stir in the glucomannan mixture; simmer until the sauce is thick, 1 or 2 minutes. Serve warm.

[JMCM1]

Here - I actually have some of this in my freezer I forgot about until you mentioned the dipping sauce. This is from David Mendosa. It is really delicious and easier than the recipe above. But still contains soy sauce.. Need a substitute for that.

Winter Vegetables with Peanut Sauce
Peanut sauce:

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter with nothing added
• 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (need sub for soy sauce)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root (optional)
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup water

Mix all the ingredients except for the water in a small saucepan
with a wire whisk. Add the water and whisk again.
You can add additional water if you want a thinner sauce.
Heat until warm and pour over the veggies or serve on the side.

Cut about a half-pound of broccoli and cauliflower and steam (or roast!).
Serve with sauce.

[CarolynF]

Yummy..you guys.. The real problem is the "wrap"..How about using lettuce wraps? Or steamed cabbage wraps? That does sound possible, doesn't it?

Dh made it home about 12:30...sitting on the plane at Dallas until the lightening went away..

Did my Wallie shopping for a funeral dinner on Monday..I have done this in the past as some of you know, but the "leader" is in Alaska, so I took the funeral dinner book home.
So, I'm planning the menu..LOL..ham and I have lots of different salads coming..All cold cuz it will be HOT that day. Cookies/watermelon for dessert. Simple, dimple..
I'm making my favorite pasta salad of all time..Way not LC although I could use Dreamfields and sub the sugar in the dressing out for Splenda..It is a pasta and pepperoni salad with cukes/pimento/red onion/black olives made with the 3 color rotini..

[JMCM1]

I'm almost positive I've had your favorite pasta salad - it is indeed delicious.

Ham + cold salads will all be welcomed and comforting in this scorching heat.

I made a delicious Asian cucumber salad. I always think it will last us a week, but in 2 days it's nearly gone. Very simple, so I'm just going to make it again and next time I'll double it!

[CindyCRNA]

Goi Cuon Vietnamese Cold Spring Rolls) Recipe - Food.com - 20445

Here is a good pic and recipe.

[JMCM1]

Well thank you for this recipe. Do you think the calorie count and carb count could possibly be correct? Includes bean sprouts, rice noodles, hoisin sauce and rice paper sheets?

[CindyCRNA]

Originally Posted by JMCM1

Well thank you for this recipe. Do you think the calorie count and carb count could possibly be correct? Includes bean sprouts, rice noodles, hoisin sauce and rice paper sheets?

I saw that. I can assure you it doesn't include the hoisin sauce as that stuff is pure sugar but I like it, don't get me wrong! According to ******, rice wraps are 20 calories and a little over 4 carbs each. I never look at what they claim on the nutrition info. I use what I get off ******.

[JMCM1]

Well then this is DO-able! I'll give it a try one of these days soon. I was wondering what I was going to do with those rubbery noodles!

[TuscanGirl]

Anyway, the sauce sounds wonderful!!

I walked this morning, shoveled mulch, napped and went to a fundraiser tonight for the arts council.
Amazing how me drinking wine helps the council!

[CarolynF]

LOL, Mary Kay...

Well, the cold salad luncheon was a big hit with the family. Only 32 showed up compared to the 60 we planned for, but we gave them all the leftover food to take home. I'm sure I had things with sugar in it today...Very little dinner tonight for this kitty cat..

[TuscanGirl]

[CarolynF]

Hi ladies...

Another hot day in Paradise..The deacons and our 2 pastors are coming over here for a meeting tonight..Do I look prepared? I made some sun tea and will have water and decaf coffee if they want. NO food is involved. LOL..

Hope everyone is doing okay..

[sjl330]

Well ladies, a word of caution. I've been playing free and loose with my food the last several days and voila! I was up 5 whole pounds this a.m. from last Monday a.m. Back on track today but this weekend I'm going to my sister's for our family girls' weekend. That probably won't be good. But it's the first time we've done it again since my mom died 4 years ago so I think I might just lighten up for a couple of days then too. It's just amazing how it can creep up soooooo quickly.

[CindyCRNA]

Any of you girls do Pinterest? Devilish little site, I like the recipe section!!

[sjl330]

I started it but realized it was too much of a time eater for me right now. I already spend way too much time on this computer!

[ebeads]

Cindy, I do pinterest with my crafts ... but oh boy sometimes the food pictures are too stimulating and make me want to eat things I shouldn't. If you find anybody specifically doing LC recipes, let me know ok?

[Serena11]

Well, I'm afraid I too have been, as Sandy says, "playing free and loose" with my food choices this week and up 3 lbs. now. Being sick for a few days threw me off. When I have stomach issues I want carbs. I stayed gluten free, but have been eating too much rice and other carby things. I just have lost my taste for protein. I can get the fat in, but not the protein, so it ends up being carbs. Spring rolls sound great!

[JessBunny]

Cindy: I love wandering around Pinterest, such a great place. But I won’t let myself make an account, it would just become way too much of a time suck.

Serena: I’m with you on wanting carbs when sick. When I get sick I always want mashed potatoes, and substitutions will not do. It has to be real mashed potatoes.

My waffle experiments have been going so badly, it’s becoming rather depressing. I’ve tried 9 different recipes now and none of them worked well. Everything is either super dry and delicate so I can’t get it out of the iron before it burns and sticks. Or everything is too wet and it won’t cook the whole way through. I think I may need a break from waffle making, not only is it discouraging but pricey with all the ingredients I’ve gone through.

We are having a work picnic this Saturday and I promised I would make homemade ice cream cookie sandwiches. So tonight I’ll be mixing up a batch of flour and sugar filled chocolate chip cookies and I have to make sure I don’t eat any of it. It will be a battle of willpower in my kitchen tonight. I feel up to the challenge but I’ve never made cookies before where I didn’t eat about half a cup of the cookie dough before they all made it into the oven.

[CarolynF]

Hi ladies..

Free and loose gets us in trouble all the time.. At least for me...But, Sandy
will drop it like a rock after her weekend..That is the beauty of LCarbing..If you are "good" again, you can lose it fast..

Jess: Back away from the cookie dough..It is poison..Repeat that 10 times..
I think waffles are tricky myself..But wait..I think there was a good recipe and an oldie from Sherrie..I'll see if I can find the link for you.

Serena..If you are eating carbs, do lowfat..(think Weight Watchers)..The deadly combo is fat and carbs together.. Hope you are better.

Ice cream Social at church tonight..I made some SF chocolate chip bars..Hmm..doubled the batch, but should have put it in a 9 x 13, so the bars are a little tall..I will save some for my new LC friend..She is the owner of my gym and her bf is going to a LC doctor in town..Tony has lost 10 pounds already..

[Cajunade]

I've been reading over some of your posts, and you all seem to have done so well with this program. I'm really motivated to give it my best shot. I'll be looking for the actual book; but, until I get my hand on it, I've got a question. Is there any type of induction phase for this plan? This is the first I hear of Eat Fat, Get Thin; but, again, it sounds sooo right. I've reviewed the numbers and understand the breakdown, but any list of forbidden foods when you first begin? I'm pretty much sticking with egg white and meat (ham, bacon, etc.) scrambles for breakfast, chef-type salad with blue cheese or ranch for lunch and meat and cheeses for snacks and dinner. Have been on the treadmill pretty much every night. Am I pretty much on track? Thanks for all of your informative threads.

[Serena11]

HI, Cajunade! Unfortunately I am a slacker at the moment, and am still feeling my way with EFGT. To me, your menu sounds much like Atkins induction. It's high protein, very low carb, and with the exercise you're doing I think you will surely start losing. I'm sure the more experienced here can give you great advice.

My acupuncturist laid the law down to me today to get off the sugar, just eat small amounts of rice, and low glycemic vegetables, and a very small amount of fruit. So I am going to try harder now. I think going gluten free and being sick just threw me off for awhile.

Carolyn, an ice cream social sounds like so much fun--what does everyone do at such an event. Is it a fundraiser? You are so right about carbs and fat together, a deadly combo. I have been living on the edge here.

Jess, what a challenge you have before you, stay strong--you can resist the cookie dough monster! The picnic sounds like fun, do you work with a lot of people?

Is it still hot everywhere? Hope you all will have better weather for your events. I live by the beach and there has been a thick fog bank hanging right off the coast so it's breezy and chilly. I used to find the gray mornings depressing, but now I am grateful for them.

[sjl330]

Originally Posted by Cajunade

I've been reading over some of your posts, and you all seem to have done so well with this program. I'm really motivated to give it my best shot. I'll be looking for the actual book; but, until I get my hand on it, I've got a question. Is there any type of induction phase for this plan? This is the first I hear of Eat Fat, Get Thin; but, again, it sounds sooo right. I've reviewed the numbers and understand the breakdown, but any list of forbidden foods when you first begin? I'm pretty much sticking with egg white and meat (ham, bacon, etc.) scrambles for breakfast, chef-type salad with blue cheese or ranch for lunch and meat and cheeses for snacks and dinner. Have been on the treadmill pretty much every night. Am I pretty much on track? Thanks for all of your informative threads.

I'm sorry to tell you that his original book is out of print. You might be able to find an old copy somewhere but he has a new book, actually a couple of new books. I have not read those but some have and they will chime in I'm sure. I think he has the eating plan in those as well. It's really pretty simple. If you have the percentages correct it should work. He does eat a small amount of fruit but he does not really eat large portions of anything. The high fat takes care of the hunger. He recommends around 40-60 grams of carbs a day, keeping in mind the percentages. Some people keep that lower and some people have to watch their calories closely. I'm 62 and am lucky that I can eat higher calories and lose weight as long as I keep those percentages in the right ratios. Good luck to you and I'm glad you found your way over to this thread to join us.

[JessBunny]

I resisted the cookie dough! I mixed and baked the entire batch without eating a drop. I was so focused on not eating the cookie dough and chugging down tons of water so my mouth would be otherwise occupied that I forgot to eat dinner, lol. My BF was out so he wasn’t there to remind me, as this is not the first time I’ve simply forgotten to eat. I need to make sure I eat a few extra calories today as I only ate about 900 yesterday and if I go too low for more than one day my weight loss locks up on me. Now tonight I just need to stuff the cookies with ice cream and put them in the freezer.

Serena: I actually work with a very small group of people. It’s a non-profit and we employee only 13 people, and just two of us are full-time (myself and another manager) everyone else including our director is part-time. Our office is open about 12-18 everyday so we don't always get to see everyone very often depending on our shifts. We usually have two parties a year (Christmas and Summer) and we bring our families and make tons of food, it’s always a good time.

Carolyn: Yeah I’m learning how challenging waffles are. But I’ve made some decent pancakes already and I feel like waffles aren’t that different of a food. But my pancake batters don’t work well in the waffle iron at all. One day I will figure out the perfect wheat free low carb waffle, but I think it’s gonna take some time.

Cajunade: EFGT doesn’t have an induction phase the same way Atkins does. But it is a good idea to start with the carbs low and slowly increase so you can find your personal carb limit. Some people can tolerate more than others and continue to lose. I personally stick to 30 carbs or less a day, usually less. But don’t be shy on the fat, that should be the main source of your intake. So feel free to eat your egg yolks and cook your foods in butter/healthy oils. Be aware that calories add up quick and for many of us they still do matter. It can take a little time to figure out what works best for you but don’t worry, you’ll get there.

[Cajunade]

Thank you all so much for the advice. I've ordered the "old" book and the new one on Amazon. In the meantime, I'll keep doing what I'm doing. Not many pounds down, but feeling the inches melting! Thanks again for your help.

[CarolynF]

Hi ladies...

Welcome, Cajunade.. I love Natural Health and Weight Loss...by Barry..I know you will enjoy it, too..He is the first one to warn us about overeating protein..

Yup, our ice cream social was a youth fundraiser..It's amazing how many sugary cookies/syrups/ice creams people can eat..If they only knew how deadly sugar was to their system..

I weighed 150 this morning..Now, to break the iron curtain of the 50's into the 40's...That will be a day..

[TuscanGirl]

Packing for vacation!

[Serena11]

Where are you off to Mary Kay? I look forward to hearing about your next adventure!

Congratulations, Jess for your amazing accomplishment! Now on to getting through the picnic after you made the goodies. It sounds like you have a great group of co-workers to have fun with.

Carolyn, I remember how great it felt to break 150. You will do it! It's going to take me awhile to get back down there, but I feel I will make it past that "iron curtain" again.

I did better today, no rice no sweets, just a couple bites of fruit. Had a chile relleno without the breading and it was really good. I just found out that relleno sauce does not have any flour in it, as opposed to some of the enchilada sauces, so yay - I love Mexican cuisine.

[sjl330]

Well I'm off for our girls' weekend at my sister's lake place in Oklahoma. This is the first year we've done it since we lost my mom. There will be 8 of us girls and 2 guys. We need someone to fetch & carry for us, right? Plus drive the boat! It's supposed to be at least 104*!!! Yikes! I'm sure we'll probably stay in the lake most of the time just to stay cool. I dread the drive today and Sunday but I'm sure we'll make it fun.

Have a good one everybody!!