October Overachievers' Challenge

[SweetSilverBird]

Originally Posted by Buffy45

I'll bet your yogurt is yummy. I used to drain plain yogurt to make yocheese and had fun doing that, before we could easily find the greek yogurt here. I really am enjoying making some of my own things that I have always purchased before, partly the fun of making them and mostly, knowing exactly what is in them.

I'm a 'keep it simple' kinda girl myself too, and I like to make things from scratch wherever possible. When I found out I could make my own yogurt and yocheese and Creme Fraiche, I was really thrilled.

Originally Posted by Shalbrihil

bird. You and I could be sisters in weight loss. I started losing at 350 pounds and now I'm at 270. So glad you found us. How do you make your yogurt? Can you share your recipe?

Nice to meet you too Shalbrihil. It's great to find other supportive people along the journey, isn't it? I'm happy to tell you how easy it is to make homemade yogurt.

First put a 100 watt light bulb in your oven light socket and turn it on. Place a cup of room temp water in your oven and then measure how warm it is after one hour. It should not be warmer than 118 degrees.

If all is well, you can use this method of making yogurt.

buy a one serving size of active yogurt for your starter.
1 half gallon of full fat homogenized milk.

leave the purchased yogurt at room temp while you prepare the milk.
Pour milk into a large microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high for 20 minutes. Cool for 40 minutes. Now, take the temperature of the milk. Try to catch it at around 118 - 115F.

At this point you put your little purchased yogurt into a little bowl and whisk some warm milk into it until it gets quite liquidy. Then you stir the milk/yogurt mix gently back into the big bowl of milk.

Now hopefully you have some nice containers to put the yogurt into. I usually use jam jars with lids that I sterilize in my dishwasher.

Place the filled and capped jars on a tray and cover with towel. Put in the oven overnight with the oven light on. The light helps it keep at the right temperature for the yogurt to be cultured. In the morning place the yogurt into the fridge and chill well. The yogurt will keep for at least 2 weeks, but never make new yogurt from yogurt that is more than a week old. That's the key.

Then you can either eat it as is, or flavour it, or drain it further for greek yogurt. It's yummy.

[JMCM1]

Debby, cute new picture on your avi!

[DebbyL]

Thanks Judy,
I felt undressed in the old one...
Sadly, summer's over!

[Shalbrihil]

Thank you SSB. I have started saving my jars. Will be trying this soon.

[JessBunny]

Bird: I love how you can make yogurt in different ways and it still works. I only microwave mine for about 8 min to get it past 180 degrees, and I stick it in the fridge to cool it down faster because I'm impatient. You're lucky, I can't do the oven method, my last apt and my current don't hold the right temps. I bought an electric yogurt maker last year to make my life easier. But I've tried all sorts of methods, the crockpot, heating pad and the hot water in a cooler method too. I know some would freak out when I say this but I add a heaping spoonful of sugar (the real stuff) to my mix. I find I get a better culture with the higher fat milks or creams with the added sugar. I think the bacteria likes the extra food when first starting out. It also takes the edge off the tangy-ness since I don't always add sweeteners or flavors to my finished yogurt.

Buffy: I love mixing peanut butter and coconut oil with some sweetener! I go half and half with the PB and CO since I like a good strong PB flavor And don't feel bad about taking salad dressings with you to restaurants. I do it all the time now. Salad dressing is one of those sneaky places that can hide wheat. And while most wait staff at restaurants are well meaning when it comes to helping with allergy/food restrictions they don't always understand what can cause contamination. And I have a funny story about that. Last week we went out to one of our favorite Italian restaurants. And I was looking at their seafood alfredo over broccoli but their website didn’t specify if the alfredo sauce had wheat. So I asked if they used any flour when making the sauce since they can be made from a basic roux as the base. The poor girl looked at me for a few seconds and said ‘I think it’s just cream and butter and cheese……oh yeah and of course alfredo, they have to add alfredo since it’s an alfredo sauce right?’ I got the salad instead.

[JMCM1]

[QUOTE=JessBunny;16007064 The poor girl looked at me for a few seconds and said ‘I think it’s just cream and butter and cheese……oh yeah and of course alfredo, they have to add alfredo since it’s an alfredo sauce right?’ I got the salad instead.[/QUOTE]

AWESOME!!

Well they do.
They must add Alfredo, else it would be....??

I love that server without having met her - she was trying!

[DebbyL]

Good morning friends!

[Buffy45]

Originally Posted by DebbyL

I'm still adjusting my thyroid/adrenal meds. My temperature is still not where it should be.

Time to work-out!

That will probably take a while, one of my DD has been hypothyroid and on meds for years and they are adjusting hers 2-3 times per year.

Originally Posted by SweetSilverBird

I'm a 'keep it simple' kinda girl myself too, and I like to make things from scratch wherever possible. When I found out I could make my own yogurt and yocheese and Creme Fraiche, I was really thrilled.
.

Ok, now I want to know how to make Creme Fraiche, looked for it at grocery yesterday and no luck.

Originally Posted by JessBunny

The poor girl looked at me for a few seconds and said ‘I think it’s just cream and butter and cheese……oh yeah and of course alfredo, they have to add alfredo since it’s an alfredo sauce right?’ I got the salad instead.

[Buffy45]

Morning.

Have to report back on last night. When I orderd the grilled chicken, it came with a side of grilled veggies which was fine, so I skipped the salad. Had water to drink. I swear, there was something in that dish that really triggered me. I had planned on coming home and having a cup of hot tea and a fat bomb to reward me for staying on track. Got home about 9 and I wanted to binge!!! The first time since I restarted that I really felt like that. I had a piece of pumpkin bake with plenty of whipped cream, my fat bomb and a root beer float, all LC but did go over my planned calories for the day. Fully expected to get up this morning and check my blood ketones to find I was knocked out of ketosis, nope, I tested 1.9, whew, glad about that but not sure what set me off last night. I really have't been feeling great this week, maybe I am fighting off a bug or something. Anyway, the good thing is I battled it the LC way, the bad thing is I love the control feeling I normally having with this WOE, did not like that feeling last night.

[Shalbrihil]

Buffy do you think there could be gluten in something you ate? Sounds like it to me. A preservative of some kind maybe.

Well we had a thunderstorm fly through last night and my poor little Tad came a part like a 3 dollar suitcase. He needed to go outside and thunder struck as he was out there. Boy I never seen a dog come through a doggie door so fast in my life. He is still a bit shaken and wants mommy this morning.

Can you get blood ketone monitors at the drug store? Or do you need to go through your doctor? I'm eating right but would like to know what my readings are.

Our first rain of the season so I know what I'll be doing. Sitting here at my laptop, haha! It's a good day to make some muffins. Take care see you later.

[JMCM1]

Sharon I got my meter (Precision Xtra) on ebay for $15, plus postage.
I didn't look around or shop very hard - I got impatient.

The ketone strips are expensive. I got mine at a Canadian pharmacy for about $2/strip.

If you look at Jimmy Moore's website, he has links to places for the meter (no doc needed) and for strips.

We can't link at this site, but his n=1 experiment is where you should look for those things on his site.

[JMCM1]

Originally Posted by Buffy45

Morning.

Have to report back on last night. When I orderd the grilled chicken, it came with a side of grilled veggies which was fine, so I skipped the salad. Had water to drink. I swear, there was something in that dish that really triggered me. I had planned on coming home and having a cup of hot tea and a fat bomb to reward me for staying on track. Got home about 9 and I wanted to binge!!! The first time since I restarted that I really felt like that. I had a piece of pumpkin bake with plenty of whipped cream, my fat bomb and a root beer float, all LC but did go over my planned calories for the day. Fully expected to get up this morning and check my blood ketones to find I was knocked out of ketosis, nope, I tested 1.9, whew, glad about that but not sure what set me off last night. I really have't been feeling great this week, maybe I am fighting off a bug or something. Anyway, the good thing is I battled it the LC way, the bad thing is I love the control feeling I normally having with this WOE, did not like that feeling last night.

Gotta tell you the same thing has happened to me. I again feel like I am harboring the best-kept secret in America by eating this way, but once or twice I've eaten out or at friends' and eat what I know to be WAY too much. All low-carb, but maybe bingeing on protein and for sure on calories.

And not gained and sometimes lost the next day. Sometimes when I've eaten that way it's before a weight loss. Weird.

[Buffy45]

The chicken breast was skimpy in my opinion, so not to much protein but not sure what all was on it and the grilled veggies. Seasoned to taste very good but who knows? Feel back to normal control today, in fact, have been super busy and have't eaten yet.

Judy, do you ever have any problems with the precision meter? On my Nova max, well, only a couple of times, but I have put in a ketone strip and it tested my BG? Darn it, a waste of an expensive ketone strip, occasional other errors. About to contact the company and see if they will send me some free strips.

I bought my strips for mine at CVS when they had a 30% off sale and also on ebay.

[Buffy45]

Debby, I like you new pic too, you look all cozy.

[JMCM1]

I've never had any trouble with that meter, and I don't have any bg strips for it (yet). I'm starting to read that it's important to keep an eye on that. I did read that it definitely takes more blood than for bg and it does - you've got to bleed well! But I've never had a failure on the Precision Xtra.

I think you should ask for new strips. If you don't ask you have 100% certainty of not getting them.

Did that guy's check ever clear?

Judy <----- nosey

[JMCM1]

That Darin guy on the NK thread is REALLY funny, isn't he?
He's "reddarin" I think.

Here's what he wrote in response to Buffy noting she had not yet had a flu shot, but felt a little flu-ish:

Originally Posted by reddarin:

I see it falls to me to point out that most zombie apocalypses start with a flu shot.

[DebbyL]

Originally Posted by Buffy45

Debby, I like you new pic too, you look all cozy.

Thanks!
Yep, in my motorcycle clothes, with helmet-hair... see the white in the back-ground? Its a huge glacier! We go to a lot of remote place on our GS.

[JMCM1]

Originally Posted by Buffy45

Ok Judy, your chocolate recipe has evolved at my house to just this. 2 oz cream cheese, 2 T sour cream, 1 really heaping T of cocoa, 1/2 t vanilla and sweetezz and or swerve to taste. Just mix up good and keep in fridge. Yummo. Tonight, I am going to fix a bigger batch using 8 oz of CC and put into 4 little bowls to have it ready.

Took me 10 minutes to find this again!

So we don't need to cook this, right? It's mixed up and refrigerated?
About how much Swerve do you use, do you know?

And of course I'm going to run into the kitchen to make this before getting your answer!

[Buffy45]

Originally Posted by JMCM1

That Darin guy on the NK thread is REALLY funny, isn't he?
He's "reddarin" I think.

Here's what he wrote in response to Buffy noting she had not yet had a flu shot, but felt a little flu-ish:

Originally Posted by reddarin:

I see it falls to me to point out that most zombie apocalypses start with a flu shot.

He is really a lot of fun to joke around with and is extremely willing and helpful when people ask him for help in getting them started or to tweak things. He is really having great success on NK.

[Buffy45]

I don't know how much swerve I used, just used a mixture of that but stevia drops/liquid splenda work just as well. Also, this is better if you set it our a little while before you eat it, so it gets nice and soft. And, 1 heaping T of cocoa is pretty chocolatey, you might want to experiment with a little less. Think it will be really good with a good lemon flavoring too. I tried it with a nut crust but it really didn't add to it enough to warrant the extra calories.

[JMCM1]

Thank you!

Wow - just licking the spoon I like the taste of this better!

[CindyCRNA]

Originally Posted by Buffy45

Ok, now I want to know how to make Creme Fraiche, looked for it at grocery yesterday and no luck.

Here is a recipe: Creme Fraiche Recipe - Food.com - 171932

[SweetSilverBird]

The way I make creme fraiche is to innoculate warm creme with, room temperature, live yogurt, at about the rate of 1 TBL per quart of HWC. I usually keep it warm overnight and then let it drain through coffee filters and a sieve. Then I whip it. That is Creme Fraiche. It's incredible! It keeps in jars for about a week as well.

[Buffy45]

Originally Posted by JMCM1

Thank you!

Wow - just licking the spoon I like the taste of this better!

Great, me too. So creamy, just right!

[JMCM1]

Originally Posted by Buffy45

Great, me too. So creamy, just right!

Wow - I have a brick of cream cheese sitting out getting to room temperature so I can make 4 servings because that is just good.
Jess it is like thick pudding. V good.


Carolyn hang on - maybe some tornadoes tonight! Wild weather (maybe).

[Buffy45]

That's what I did Judy, then put it in 4 little ziploc bowls. That's why I said to let it set out just a little before you eat it if you like it a little soft. Yummo stuff.

Are you the one who tried Barbo's onion rye bread? I know Carolyn has, wow, is it ever good. I made in muffin top pans and unfortunately baked the first batch too long, so they aren't as good as the 2nd batch but this is something I will make a lot. Had it with my homemade cream of chicken soup tonight, very good.

[JMCM1]

Yes I made it in a loaf pan - IT IS ONION/RYE BREAD.
My dh and I are making tiny little slivers - I made it Sunday and we still have about 1/4 of the loaf. It is delicious!

[DebbyL]

Hi y'all
I'm finally getting my temperature stabilized. Today's the first time its been up to 98 degrees. I'm hopeful that I found the right dose of natural thyroid. I also found the right dose of Isocort a couple days ago.

[JMCM1]

Originally Posted by DebbyL

Hi y'all
I'm finally getting my temperature stabilized. Today's the first time its been up to 98 degrees. I'm hopeful that I found the right dose of natural thyroid. I also found the right dose of Isocort a couple days ago.

I hear it's a balancing act! Well done you!

[DebbyL]

Thanks Judy,
It really is! But with this temperature test, I didn't have to wait months & months to find out what to adjust! Yippee!
Now, I'll keep an eye on it, in case the thyroid is still on the rise.
I go in to see Naturopath next Tuesday, will take her a copy of that page in the stopthethyroidmaddness, so she can see what I've used & maybe she'll use it for other patients.
Won't be getting another blood test till some time in November.