Support and ideas for those on low-carb diet

Yes I think a compromise is necessary. I have done tarts before (square tart tin cut into smaller squares) and even did a Bakewell once, which they had never had and loved. We also did raised veal and ham pies and game pies one year. The things they loved best were Millionaire's Shortbread, tiffin and flapjacks, but I am not compromising that far!
I suspect OH will probably do a focaccia with ham, cheese and spinach.
As you can see, we do anything but French!

DBH needs training up, I was a bit down today and he brought me home a box of pecan and walnut tarts! Luckily they are teeny, and we had one each. This 'low carb' thing really isn't sinking in with him. I wouldn't mind betting there's just as much flour in a pastry tart as there is in a slice of nice fluffy cake. Still, over the course of a day of virtually no carbs it wasn't too bad.

It's the thought that counts, janer

I know, but honestly, I used to think he was deliberately sabotaging my diets at one point. He really hasn't a clue, being the slim type. He thinks if I am on a diet, it's miserable so therefore I need treats! He loves food so cannot imagine why or how I can mostly see it as just fuel.

I have the same problem with DH and alcohol at weekends. Being good and drinking sparkling water all week does NOT mean you can start binge drinking at 6pm on a Friday.

Mamie try this Persian 'tortilla' - herbs instead of potato.

Persian omelette

Merlot do you have a link?

Interesting article in the Guardian about obesity today. Fat good : carbs bad. Sorry can't link, got to catch a ferry!

www.theguardian.com/society/2015/apr/22/obesity-owes-more-to-bad-diet-than-lack-of-exercise-say-doctors

Is it this one mamie?

It is, thanks JaneA.
Good wifi in this ferry port!

A week or so before DBH went back to work, he started buying me gluten free everything, rather than me just go without bread, pasta, couscous etc. If ever I needed proof, that was it. I put on 2lbs. I wasn't eating more, just differently. It was quite sobering really.

My DD has bought the Hemsley and Hemsley recipe book which has some interesting recipes, though some are a bit imo: kohlrabi dauphinoise anyone?
Today I did a casserole of lamb, courgette, carrot, spices and coconut milk which was very nice.

I love kohlrabi, I grow them! They are very like cauliflower in flavour, and like cauliflower stalk in texture. Excellent as coleslaw. I shall have a look at the book, thank you.

I've looked at their website, it's very good, I've passed it on to my DD.

Great website, Thanks, Mamie

Merlot we made our first sausages today ready for tomorrows BBQ. Kept a couple back to test and taste. Very pleased with result. I used oatmeal instead of rusk or bread and added a little ground ginger, nutmeg, black pepper, salt, thyme and sage.

Spurred on by this success have made and frozen 18 beef burgers, some plain, some with onion and some with chillies, for tomorrow too. We will eat ours wrapped in a Cos lettuce leaf.

I'm growing kohl rabi this year and another first, ocra.

Sounds good, Anya. I think I'll send for one.

It'll keep DH busy

Will obviously have to give kohlrabi a second chance. The only time we grew it was nearly forty years ago and we got weird sputnik shaped rock hard things that I sent to the childre's harvest festival .
I love okra though. We will grow our usual achocha too. We also have four magnificent beds of spelt grown over the winter. I keep asking OH what we are going to do with it and he says, "pearl it". But how?

DH is excited about other kinds of sausages he's going to make

We got the cheap, hand-operated one advertised on Amazon (£17 ish) more than adequate for a beginner. I also ordered hog casings and these arrived in a little package a couple of days later. They just needed soaking over night. I used pork mince - wasn't going to all the bother of grinding up meat ourselves, at least not at first.

Never grown spelt Mamie ... perhaps the seeds (grains) are the pearls?

Do you have to mince meat in a different machine, Anya? I have an old fashioned Spong mincer but it does a good job of mincing pork for a terrine.

Your mincer may be absolutely fine, maybe you will just have to put the meat through a couple of extra times using smaller holed discs. We bought ours because it has an attachment that takes the sausage skins, they can be stretched over the mouth, rather than trying to squeeze it all into the skins with a teaspoon.

Kohlrabi needs loads of water, mamie. If it doesn't get it, they are small and hard, as you say, so you then have to eat them when they are very small, maybe between ping pong and tennis ball size, before they get a chance to dry out too much.

I like the idea of sausages made with oatmeal, I shall suggest that to DBH.

Merlot I bought ready minced pork from the butcher. Simples!

If you already have a mincer then you can buy meat and mince it yourself. I may get one at some future date, but this first batch went down a treat at the BBQ.

Trouble is where to store more equipment in the kitchen

Ours is all in the garage! Along with his smoker, his crayfish catching net, his strange little pastry-folding tool, his...

We need two kitchens.

Don't have a garage Jane but I suppose there's always the potting shed?

DH has a smoker in the garage as well. I think the last time we used it was 1980