Low-Carbing Among Friends cookbook, what are the recipes you've tried?

[Barbo]

My cousin has the same problem with the metallic taste as you
do. She has not found a sugar sub. that agrees with her taste
buds.

[RVcook]

Originally Posted by Barbo

My cousin has the same problem with the metallic taste as you
do. She has not found a sugar sub. that agrees with her taste
buds.

If I mix it heavily with other sweeteners, I'm good. But if something is sweetened with just Splenda...I look like a cat coughing up a hairball! Not pretty...

[Barbo]

"I look like a cat coughing up a hairball! Not pretty"... Donna
__________________

[Jennifer Eloff]

Haha, Donna! When I first started baking with Splenda, I used to get an aftertaste, but that went away at some point. I now prefer using EZ-Sweetz in combo with erythritol, but I think it is great that people can use what they prefer. There are many different options these days and each author uses his/her preference as well.

That is a great link, drjlocarb! I also shared it with a friend.

Misslatte, glad you liked the wraps. They take a bit of practice and I did mention you could make them bigger. I think mine fitted perfectly inside a small crepe pan. The reason they get easier to roll is that the dough dries out a bit. You may want to add a titch less water next time. It's a fine-tuned balance in order to have the crepes remain flexible. Once you have it down pat - it's simple.

Shunsweets, you could possibly use millet flour instead of oat flour (I need to try that soonish), but Netrition does sell a certified gluten-free oat flour by Bob's Red Mill. The small amount of oat flour in the gluten-free bake mix is very much diluted, but it does make the baking taste less like low-carb baking and gives cookies a better texture. I notice from your name that you're not much into sweets, so at least there are many other recipes that you can enjoy and even the desserts from the other authors who don't use grains at all if you would like something sweet. Barbo, who has to watch her blood sugar carefully was also worried about the oat flour in the gluten-free low-carb bake mix at first, but she seems to be able to tolerate it without problems. I'm very thrilled about that! She has to have my Frosted Pumpkin Cookies in the freezer for her hubby most of the time.

For my section:

Coconut flour - Bob's Red Mill (Netrition)
Almond flour or sliced almonds, ground (which is what I use - almond meal)
oat flour - either regular oat flour or certified gluten-free - again Bob's Red Mill (Netrition)
xanthan gum (Netrition)
cream cheese
Monterey Jack cheese
butter, etc. - normal ingredients as my regular recipes are pretty simple.
granulated erythritol (Netrition)
EZ-Sweetz (Netrition)
I don't use whey protein in more than one or two recipes, but Maria uses it quite a bit and I think she likes the Jay Robb brand.

[christyjo]

First of all, thank you Jennifer for making the book happen. I read 3-4 books per week, but have never actually READ a cookbook, a first for me! There are so many recipes I want to try, and this thread is great with the reviews. I don't think I have used one of my cookbooks in several years (and I have lots of them...) but this one will be broken in but good.

Thanks to all who put in their time and recipes,

christyjo

[shunsweets]

Jen - Thank you so much for the list! Very Helpful! I have chicken in the crock pot to try Kent's Buffalo Chicken Dip(p271) for New Year's Eve tonight. Looking forward to trying lots of others as well. I was afraid to try the oat flour due to diabetes as well as gluten intolerance but after hearing Barbo's sucess I will give it a try, test my bg and let you know how it goes.
Off to palce a netrition order.

[Jennifer Eloff]

You made me smile, Christyjo. You're welcome. It's funny that you read so many books (I'm envious - sounds like a neat hobby and your vocab must be incredible!) and this is the first cookbook you read. We are very honored for sure! Now the challenge is to keep up the pace and do a good job this next year on the new ones. I do hope you will use your cookbook. I think it will be fun! We're also trying to keep up our Facebook for the book and for people to have another place to discuss and view recipes, etc., however, it's hard to beat this thread.

Shunsweets - hmm, that does sound nice for New Year's Eve. Oh I hope you can have the oat flour in the bake mix. That will be nice. My husband is so intolerant of gluten that if he has it his blood pressure soars and if stays off of it, his blood pressure normalizes. It's amazing and we're so happy to have figured this out. However, he can tolerate the garden variety of oat flour from Arrowhead Mills. Apparently there might be contamination that occurs in the facility but usually it is minimal. To be completely safe, it's best to use Bob's Red Mill certified gluten-free oat flour.

[Jennifer Eloff]

Some of the recipes I have tried besides my own:

Carolyn's Low-Carb Milk, page 18. Awesome recipe! Very clever!

Creamy Mexican Tomato Soup, p.21 by Debra Matchell - very tasty!

Donna's Pancakes, p. 27 - currently the only gluten-free, low-carb pancakes that I like.

Spinach Quiche, p. 28 - from my sweet mother-in-law, Kay Eloff - excellent! My husband is not a fan of spinach (using frozen spinach) and he loved this.

Chicken and Broccoli Quiche, p.41 Ginny Larsen of Ginny's Low-Carb Kitchen
Very good. I especially liked it the next day.

Char's Ribs, p.43 - absolutely fantastic! Can't wait to make them again!

Chayote Squash with Bacon, p. 44 - Judy Barnes Baker (author of Carb Wars and Nourished (new one - absolutely awesome! - will do a review soon). Judy will be an author in volume 3. This recipe is a staple in our house. Judy is a fancier cook (more gourmet) than I am for the most part.

Barbo's recipes - all of them fantastic and highly recommended:

1. Low-Carb Scalloped Potatoes, p. 46

2. Barbo's Low-Carb Latkes, p. 47

3. Spicy Apples with Sweet Almonds, p. 73

Dottie's Chunky Cheesy Green Bean Casserole, p. 48 - a family favorite and a favorite at LCF's too.

Dark Chocolate and Strawberry Friands, p. 77 Sherrie from Australia at a Pinch of Health - I really liked this cake and kept it in the refrigerator.

Maria Emmerich, Cream of Mushroom Soup, p. 100 - excellent!

Maria's Beef Stroganoff, p. 122, very good.

Bread Pudding, p. 150 (rhubarb and eggplant in it) - I'm not sure where I read this review, but someone recently made it and raved about it! Could be on Lisa's blog under comments somewhere and Lisa said that Maria is a substitution genius!!

Corn Dog (Maria's recipe) - Lisa Marshall made this for her blog and it looked so good - p. 119. She cut the hot dogs into smaller pieces and found them easier to coat.

Lisa Marshall's 24 hour chili, p. 221 - my sons and husband love this. I've made it several times. It is made in the crockpot and is very easy to throw together. I don't even add the chocolate because dark chocolate gives me migraines and it is still amazing! Lisa says she has many chili recipes, so she knows about good chili!! Cranberry Sauce Three Ways, p. 57 - excellent. My DH wants me to make her Mr. Peanut Sandwich Bread, p. 259 soon. This is the most popular recipe on her blog.

Carolyn Ketchum, Gingerbread Biscotti, p. 203 I have not made it but it looks and sounds amazing (front cover plum spot). To be honest, I would like to try quite a few of Carolyn's dessert and baking recipes, let alone the other author's desserts. Wish I had more time! Maple Walnut Bundt Cake, p. 201 - Lisa Marshall made it and she loved it! Quite an impressive bundt cake dessert as it achieved a good height - Carolyn said she was very proud of the way this dessert turned out. Baked Zucchini Fries, p. 180 - very nice. White Chocolate Peanut Butter Spread, p. 181 - very nice - I actually made a fudge out of this one (excellent!). Tuscan Roasted Vegetables, p. 177 - very nice - had to roast my veggies quite a bit longer though.

Kent Altena, Broccoli Bacon Salad, p. 279 - excellent! Cranberry Salad, p. 278 and Faux Fried Rice, p. 309 - Yum!

I've probably missed mentioning a few recipes, but everything I have tried so far has been very nice.

[SCOTTSDALEJULIE]

Thanks, Jen. Let's keep this going. Julie

[Jennifer Eloff]

We'll try, Julie, to keep it going a while longer.

I have a question. I've been wondering about this for a while. In the next volumes, would you all prefer to see the recipes from talented folks from this board and elsewhere in their own separate mini book section?

[drjlocarb]

Originally Posted by Jennifer Eloff

We'll try, Julie, to keep it going a while longer.

I have a question. I've been wondering about this for a while. In the next volumes, would you all prefer to see the recipes from talented folks from this board and elsewhere in their own separate mini book section?

Great recipes are great recipes no matter where they come from.
Friends are friends no matter where you find them.

I think most people would feel honored to be included in such a wonderful undertaking.

[RVcook]

Originally Posted by drjlocarb

Great recipes are great recipes no matter where they come from.
Friends are friends no matter where you find them.

I think most people would feel honored to be included in such a wonderful undertaking.

Perfectly stated!

[Tilly]

Originally Posted by Jennifer Eloff

We'll try, Julie, to keep it going a while longer.

I have a question. I've been wondering about this for a while. In the next volumes, would you all prefer to see the recipes from talented folks from this board and elsewhere in their own separate mini book section?

Or what, all recipes listed how? What was a bit confusing for me is the index. For example, if I want to look up muffins, you need to know the exact title of the muffin recipe. Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins are under 'C'. The Mr. Peanut Sandwich Bread is under 'M'. I'm sure making an index is very hard, just a suggestion. My book is so full of tags I am glad I got it bound so it can expand!!!

[RVcook]

Originally Posted by Tilly

Or what, all recipes listed how? What was a bit confusing for me is the index. For example, if I want to look up muffins, you need to know the exact title of the muffin recipe. Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins are under 'C'. The Mr. Peanut Sandwich Bread is under 'M'. I'm sure making an index is very hard, just a suggestion. My book is so full of tags I am glad I got it bound so it can expand!!!

You bring up an excellent point Tilly. I find that I am a bit of a 'purist' when it comes to indexes and really find it difficult to locate things when the index is separated into categories. I thought I was the only one who thought that way...again, being very 'old school.'

Is this what you're talking about?

Muffins
Apple Cinnamon
Blueberry, Ultra Low Carb
Cranberry Pecan

or
Breads, Quick
Cranberry
Zucchini

or
Breads, Yeast
Honey Oat
Rye, LC
Wheat, Sandwich

That is how the index in my 1950 Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook is done and I find that one to be the easiest to use.

But I sure like the idea of creating a cookbook, dividing THAT into sections and having every contributor mixed together...especially now that the original book has introduced many of the main 'players.'

Still...I'm finding my way around the book much easier now that I have read it cover to cover several times... Still amazed at how much GREAT information is in there!

[Jennifer Eloff]

I mean the recipes from friends, besides the atual authors - they could have their own section in the book devoted to them and perhaps each one could submit a few more recipes, so that we'd have about 40 recipes in that section in total (it will cost us more to print but maybe it is worth it in terms of how people will view their cookbook?). If you have a recipe or two that you have developed that you love and are low-carb and gluten-free, you're welcome to join. However, I just want to state that recipes must be well-tested.

I never look forward to doing the index. It's not easy. I remember doing the index. It was horrendous. I had a tooth abscess and was in incredible pain for those last 2 days I worked on the index.

Anyhow, the index is not just by alphabet if you look closely. You can also find recipes by their categories. Muffins and Mr. Peanut Sandwich Bread would also be found in the baking category called Breads, Muffins and More and then also found alphabetically - easier to find muffins by category than having to remember the specific name. So there is cross-referencing to help in that regard. It is admittedly a very simple index and the type I've always adhered to with my other cookbooks (no one ever complained, but this time about 3 people did complain). I will look into making a more complex index next time. I might be able to learn from my friend Judy Barnes Baker. I'm pretty sure she did a more complex index than I did with her two cookbooks. She is an amazing lady and a good friend! I'm so excited that she will be one of the authors in an upcoming volume.

Come to think of it, I think I got away with a simpler index with my other cookbooks because they were so much smaller than this one, Tilly. Someone wanted to be able to search under, say, "blueberries" for some ideas....simply because she had some blueberries on hand. I have to admit that would be handy. Geesh, can you imagine - that will be some index to create.

[RVcook]

Originally Posted by Jennifer Eloff

I mean the recipes from friends, besides the atual authors - they could have their own section in the book devoted to them and perhaps each one could submit a few more recipes, so that we'd have about 40 recipes in that section in total (it will cost us more to print but maybe it is worth it in terms of how people will view their cookbook?). If you have a recipe or two that you have developed that you love and are low-carb and gluten-free, you're welcome to join. However, I just want to state that recipes must be well-tested.

I never look forward to doing the index. It's not easy. I remember doing the index. It was horrendous. I had a tooth abscess and was in incredible pain for those last 2 days I worked on the index.

Anyhow, the index is not just by alphabet if you look closely. You can also find recipes by their categories. Muffins and Mr. Peanut Sandwich Bread would also be found in the baking category called Breads, Muffins and More and then also found alphabetically - easier to find muffins by category than having to remember the specific name. So there is cross-referencing to help in that regard. It is admittedly a very simple index and the type I've always adhered to with my other cookbooks (no one ever complained, but this time about 3 people did complain). I will look into making a more complex index next time. I might be able to learn from my friend Judy Barnes Baker. I'm pretty sure she did a more complex index than I did with her two cookbooks. She is an amazing lady and a good friend! I'm so excited that she will be one of the authors in an upcoming volume.

Come to think of it, I think I got away with a simpler index with my other cookbooks because they were so much smaller than this one, Tilly. Someone wanted to be able to search under, say, "blueberries" for some ideas....simply because she had some blueberries on hand. I have to admit that would be handy. Geesh, can you imagine - that will be some index to create.

Jen: let me know if you need help with the index. I would be happy to help out. Editing is one of my 'clerical skills.'

[Jennifer Eloff]

Thanks, Donna, that's very sweet of you. You never know.

[Tilly]

Originally Posted by Jennifer Eloff

I mean the recipes from friends, besides the atual authors - they could have their own section in the book devoted to them and perhaps each one could submit a few more recipes, so that we'd have about 40 recipes in that section in total (it will cost us more to print but maybe it is worth it in terms of how people will view their cookbook?). If you have a recipe or two that you have developed that you love and are low-carb and gluten-free, you're welcome to join. However, I just want to state that recipes must be well-tested.

I never look forward to doing the index. It's not easy. I remember doing the index. It was horrendous. I had a tooth abscess and was in incredible pain for those last 2 days I worked on the index.

Anyhow, the index is not just by alphabet if you look closely. You can also find recipes by their categories. Muffins and Mr. Peanut Sandwich Bread would also be found in the baking category called Breads, Muffins and More and then also found alphabetically - easier to find muffins by category than having to remember the specific name. So there is cross-referencing to help in that regard. It is admittedly a very simple index and the type I've always adhered to with my other cookbooks (no one ever complained, but this time about 3 people did complain). I will look into making a more complex index next time. I might be able to learn from my friend Judy Barnes Baker. I'm pretty sure she did a more complex index than I did with her two cookbooks. She is an amazing lady and a good friend! I'm so excited that she will be one of the authors in an upcoming volume.

Come to think of it, I think I got away with a simpler index with my other cookbooks because they were so much smaller than this one, Tilly. Someone wanted to be able to search under, say, "blueberries" for some ideas....simply because she had some blueberries on hand. I have to admit that would be handy. Geesh, can you imagine - that will be some index to create.

I am sorry and was wondering if I should even have posted that. I KNOW creating an index is probably a nightmare and to do it in pain? I should have kept my mouth shut, I know how much work you put into this book. I am loving it and love everyone's contributions to it. And I read every tidbit at the bottom of each page, marked some of those as well. Sorry.

[Pam]

Originally Posted by Jennifer Eloff

We'll try, Julie, to keep it going a while longer.

I have a question. I've been wondering about this for a while. In the next volumes, would you all prefer to see the recipes from talented folks from this board and elsewhere in their own separate mini book section?

Yes, I love how you put this book together! My only problem is with all the different sweeteners. There are so many different brands and types of Stevia. It would be nice when a recipe calls for Stevia or other sweetener that it indicates a sugar equivalent, too. I hope I'm not being too picky.

[Jennifer Eloff]

Tilly, not to worry. I know you well enough by now to know you mean well. It's a good idea to discuss some of the weaknesses of the book as well, and this way perhaps we have the time and energy to fix some problems next time around.

Pam, I've made a note and will let the authors know. Thank you for your valuable input.

I wish I could oblige with the spiral binding, but I cannot budge the publisher on that one due to costs and problems with shipping and the damage that often occurs in the post offices when they use their machines. However, I came up with a very simple solution that will help out with any other perfect bound cookbooks and subsequent volumes of this one. The bonus for messy cooks like myself with not much kitchen surface space is that the cookbook remains clean and out of harm's way from splatters and messy fingers! The idea is to use an inexpensive perspex holder for the cookbooks. I love mine! I did do a blog post a while back showcasing the idea.

[crazywoman-n-wy]

Well, since it was brought up, I've had a time figuring that index out too. But with that being said, I think I had just figured out that it is indexed both by alphabetical title name and by category. But it took me a while to figure that out. I thought I was the only one who had that problem. It's by no means the first cookbook that I've had that was broken into categories and probably not the only one I have which does both. I'm not sure why it took me so long to realize it did it both ways. Which I actually liKe. I really like having it alphabatized both by title & category. Maybe they just blend together too much.
I hate/hated to complain too, cause I too know how much trouble it is, and how much work you went to!!! Thanks Jen!!

[Tilly]

Originally Posted by Jennifer Eloff

Tilly, not to worry. I know you well enough by now to know you mean well. It's a good idea to discuss some of the weaknesses of the book as well, and this way perhaps we have the time and energy to fix some problems next time around.

Pam, I've made a note and will let the authors know. Thank you for your valuable input.

I wish I could oblige with the spiral binding, but I cannot budge the publisher on that one due to costs and problems with shipping and the damage that often occurs in the post offices when they use their machines. However, I came up with a very simple solution that will help out with any other perfect bound cookbooks and subsequent volumes of this one. The bonus for messy cooks like myself with not much kitchen surface space is that the cookbook remains clean and out of harm's way from splatters and messy fingers! The idea is to use an inexpensive perspex holder for the cookbooks. I love mine! I did do a blog post a while back showcasing the idea.

Thanks. Hugs to you, too Jennifer, you are amazing. Got to try your new ones you just posted on your blog! I think I will hold off on the wonderful looking cookies until my weight goes back down, but the salad sounds really good. Thanks for sharing!

[Jennifer Eloff]

Tilly... you're welcome.

Billie, I'm glad you figured out the index and that you like the style of it. Everyone always complimented me on the index for my other low-carb cookbooks, however, this one is not as comprehensive and can be improved. Read on to understand what I'm saying.

Here is the thing. The index for all my cookbooks was alphabetical and by category and thereby cross-referencing could be done. It is a simple index but it is one I learned through Centax Books in Saskatchewan, Canada (Splendid Desserts) and also through Macmillan Canada (the largest publisher in Canada at the time) who published More Splendid Desserts - two diabetic-style cookbooks adhering to the old, traditional low-fat, sugar-free diet. Anyhow, I had a look at Better Homes and Gardens and also my friend Judy's book, Carb Wars, and both of those also have the categories embedded in the index. Judy's index is very complex and I think I'd need a degree to figure it out. I would get too confused and make mistakes to be honest.

Here is how I can improve on things for the current index without having a nervous breakdown :

You know, for my low-carb cookbooks, I had broken things down into many more categories, but because of the format for Low-Carbing Among Friends, that wasn't really possible in the book itself, as, for instance, one author may only have one cookie, so why have a cookies section in the mini book in that case. As it is that happened occasionally with some categories. However, I can certainly break down everything into smaller categories in the Index. For instance, Sweet Endings could have about 6 or so mini categories, so that cheesecakes would have their own heading and cakes would have their own heading - that kind of thing. I would separate out Breads....and Muffins and More and separate out Soups....and Salads. Miscellaneous is huge and clumsy - I will separate it out into several mini categories like Frostings and Glazes, Sauces and Gravies, Crusts, Dressings, etc. The Main Courses could be broken down into Chicken and Turkey, Beef, Fish and Shellfish, etc. The best way to find a recipe then would be to go by the category you would expect to find it in. Next go alphabetical if you know the name of the recipe or if you are looking for ingredient-specific recipes. That's still quite possible with the alphetizing but some recipes will be missed and then one would need to look in specific categories again. I don't want to do ingredients by themselves. That is a HUGE job (and mighty confusing! One needs to cross-reference in three places - not just two.) and I really don't want to make writing these books more stressful than what it already is. Let's just say, let me get these books produced before I am too old and before my enthusiasm wanes. Thanks to my low-carbing friends for their help. These days I need it! Phew!

I am going to work on a new and improved index and make it available on the website for download and the second addition of this first volume will have the new index. All new volumes will have the improved index. That's my plan and I think the best I can do considering it is just me doing it and doing an index is obviously not my forte - but even so, I want it to be completely accurate (much easier to do with a simple index) and I believe this index is accurate even although it needs improvement.

[lgpars]

The texture of these were very good but I did not think they were sweet enough. I tasted one which was still warm so maybe after they have been in the frig overnight they might taste differently. They are light and fluffy though and very near the texture of a regular muffin. But next time I make them I will add more sweetener. I used 1/8 tsp. Sweetzfree (which equals 1/2 c. sugar) and the Erythritol measurement she had in the recipe. I really love this bake mix of Jen's though. It makes great baked goods with absolutely no yucky aftertaste whatsoever. A real miracle for low-carb baking.

[Tilly]

Originally Posted by Jennifer Eloff

Tilly... you're welcome.

Billie, I'm glad you figured out the index and that you like the style of it. Everyone always complimented me on the index for my other low-carb cookbooks, however, this one is not as comprehensive and can be improved. Read on to understand what I'm saying.

Here is the thing. The index for all my cookbooks was alphabetical and by category and thereby cross-referencing could be done. It is a simple index but it is one I learned through Centax Books in Saskatchewan, Canada (Splendid Desserts) and also through Macmillan Canada (the largest publisher in Canada at the time) who published More Splendid Desserts - two diabetic-style cookbooks adhering to the old, traditional low-fat, sugar-free diet. Anyhow, I had a look at Better Homes and Gardens and also my friend Judy's book, Carb Wars, and both of those also have the categories embedded in the index. Judy's index is very complex and I think I'd need a degree to figure it out. I would get too confused and make mistakes to be honest.

Here is how I can improve on things for the current index without having a nervous breakdown :

You know, for my low-carb cookbooks, I had broken things down into many more categories, but because of the format for Low-Carbing Among Friends, that wasn't really possible in the book itself, as, for instance, one author may only have one cookie, so why have a cookies section in the mini book in that case. As it is that happened occasionally with some categories. However, I can certainly break down everything into smaller categories in the Index. For instance, Sweet Endings could have about 6 or so mini categories, so that cheesecakes would have their own heading and cakes would have their own heading - that kind of thing. I would separate out Breads....and Muffins and More and separate out Soups....and Salads. Miscellaneous is huge and clumsy - I will separate it out into several mini categories like Frostings and Glazes, Sauces and Gravies, Crusts, Dressings, etc. The Main Courses could be broken down into Chicken and Turkey, Beef, Fish and Shellfish, etc. The best way to find a recipe then would be to go by the category you would expect to find it in. Next go alphabetical if you know the name of the recipe or if you are looking for ingredient-specific recipes. That's still quite possible with the alphetizing but some recipes will be missed and then one would need to look in specific categories again. I don't want to do ingredients by themselves. That is a HUGE job (and mighty confusing! One needs to cross-reference in three places - not just two.) and I really don't want to make writing these books more stressful than what it already is. Let's just say, let me get these books produced before I am too old and before my enthusiasm wanes. Thanks to my low-carbing friends for their help. These days I need it! Phew!

I am going to work on a new and improved index and make it available on the website for download and the second addition of this first volume will have the new index. All new volumes will have the improved index. That's my plan and I think the best I can do considering it is just me doing it and doing an index is obviously not my forte - but even so, I want it to be completely accurate (much easier to do with a simple index) and I believe this index is accurate even although it needs improvement.

Jennifer, if I were you, just do what you can and focus on those wonderful recipes, don't stress on the index. Sorry for bringing it up. Just enjoy doing what it is you do, which is making those wonderful LC (and mostly gf) recipes. As for getting too old, we are all 29, right????!!!!!!!

[TBipp]

Originally Posted by Jennifer Eloff

Tilly... you're welcome.

Billie, I'm glad you figured out the index and that you like the style of it. Everyone always complimented me on the index for my other low-carb cookbooks, however, this one is not as comprehensive and can be improved. Read on to understand what I'm saying.

Here is the thing. The index for all my cookbooks was alphabetical and by category and thereby cross-referencing could be done. It is a simple index but it is one I learned through Centax Books in Saskatchewan, Canada (Splendid Desserts) and also through Macmillan Canada (the largest publisher in Canada at the time) who published More Splendid Desserts - two diabetic-style cookbooks adhering to the old, traditional low-fat, sugar-free diet. Anyhow, I had a look at Better Homes and Gardens and also my friend Judy's book, Carb Wars, and both of those also have the categories embedded in the index. Judy's index is very complex and I think I'd need a degree to figure it out. I would get too confused and make mistakes to be honest.

Here is how I can improve on things for the current index without having a nervous breakdown :

You know, for my low-carb cookbooks, I had broken things down into many more categories, but because of the format for Low-Carbing Among Friends, that wasn't really possible in the book itself, as, for instance, one author may only have one cookie, so why have a cookies section in the mini book in that case. As it is that happened occasionally with some categories. However, I can certainly break down everything into smaller categories in the Index. For instance, Sweet Endings could have about 6 or so mini categories, so that cheesecakes would have their own heading and cakes would have their own heading - that kind of thing. I would separate out Breads....and Muffins and More and separate out Soups....and Salads. Miscellaneous is huge and clumsy - I will separate it out into several mini categories like Frostings and Glazes, Sauces and Gravies, Crusts, Dressings, etc. The Main Courses could be broken down into Chicken and Turkey, Beef, Fish and Shellfish, etc. The best way to find a recipe then would be to go by the category you would expect to find it in. Next go alphabetical if you know the name of the recipe or if you are looking for ingredient-specific recipes. That's still quite possible with the alphetizing but some recipes will be missed and then one would need to look in specific categories again. I don't want to do ingredients by themselves. That is a HUGE job (and mighty confusing! One needs to cross-reference in three places - not just two.) and I really don't want to make writing these books more stressful than what it already is. Let's just say, let me get these books produced before I am too old and before my enthusiasm wanes. Thanks to my low-carbing friends for their help. These days I need it! Phew!

I am going to work on a new and improved index and make it available on the website for download and the second addition of this first volume will have the new index. All new volumes will have the improved index. That's my plan and I think the best I can do considering it is just me doing it and doing an index is obviously not my forte - but even so, I want it to be completely accurate (much easier to do with a simple index) and I believe this index is accurate even although it needs improvement.

Wow, Jennifer, that is awesome to create a more detailed index for the first book and make it available online-very clever also! Thank you so much. Creating such an index for the 2nd and 3rd books is also very much appreciated.

[Jennifer Eloff]

Thanks, Tilly. Haha, 29...I wish...my son is almost that age! Seriously, am wondering how I got to be this old? I'm still me but wow! So realistically, at this pace, I probably only have a few more years left of writing cookbooks. I'm grooming my son to take over the publishing and editing side of things, so that I can semi-retire (my blog and LCF's participation will continue for much longer), but Jonathan can still continue if need be with younger authors and continue to produce helpful books. Let's face it, low-carbing is not an easy diet to follow unless one has a few cookbooks in one's arsenal. It can get very boring otherwise.

It even happens to me sometimes. The other day I opened the fridge and closed it and opened it and closed it! What was I going to eat? It sounds hilarious coming from me, but I'm sure some of you can relate. Necessity is the mother of invention as they say. I made a fabulous gluten-free Minute English muffin. Seriously crispy-good and I felt like I was cheating. Before I share it, I want to see how nicely it goes with eggs benedict. It is little recipes like this that can really save a diet in a pinch when one doesn't have much around, but also make one feel enormously satisfied because it tastes major-league carby and like an English muffin - even more so, if you have not had one for a while! This is why it is good to have lots of recipes at one's fingertips, as well as simpler ones.

TBipp, you're welcome. I'll be working on it soon and let you know on this thread when it is ready. Next week is crazy due to company but after that I'll start work. It shouldn't take long.

[Jennifer Eloff]

Linda, thanks for the praise re the bake mix. It's such a relief to have one that works, but more than that ... one that others approve of as well. You're obviously not into tasting the batter to check for sweetness. I'm very naughty - I often do that so that I get the level of sweetness that I prefer. You can always butter your muffin and put some sugar-free jam on it.

[lgpars]

Originally Posted by Jennifer Eloff

Linda, thanks for the praise re the bake mix. It's such a relief to have one that works, but more than that ... one that others approve of as well. You're obviously not into tasting the batter to check for sweetness. I'm very naughty - I often do that so that I get the level of sweetness that I prefer. You can always butter your muffin and put some sugar-free jam on it.

I did taste the batter, Jen, and it seemed like it would be sweet enough so I did not add more sweetener. I'm still eating them though. I only have four left.

[litehousepat]

For dinner tonight I made Lishele's Coconut Shrimp Pg 218 & for dessert I made the Meyer Lemon Curd Bars. I thought the Shrimp were very bland. I think they would taste better if they were fryed in coconut oil and maybe a little salt to bring out the taste.

The lemon bars were good but it was another case of the crust being bland & I couldn't taste the ginger at all. I wonder what would bring the flavor out?? Any suggestions??

I hope it isn't my 76 yr old tastebuds!! My DH thought the same.

Pat