Support and ideas for those on low-carb diet

Sorry, can't help with that Anya, think it is Jane Rowena who grows it? We are having a bumper year for squash though. I am in the UK and have left OH making huge quantities of vegetable curries, soups etc
We have had lots of visitors this summer so haven't posted here for a bit, but have found the low-carbing fairly easy to sustain, though sometimes we have had to say to our guests, "today is low-carb, please feel free to collect and cook you own potatoes".
We even pushed the boat out one day and had a chocolate mousse filled gateau from the patisserie. It was very delicious but a small slice was enough!

OK .. need to talk spaghetti squah.

Picked my first from the allotment a couple of weeks ago. Cut it in half, removed seeds etc.. brushed on a touch of oil and baked in oven for 45 minutes as per recipe on Internet.

Using a fork I scooped out the spaghetti threads inside. They were soggy and horrible. Couldn't eat it. Gave it to the chicks.

Now I've the rest of the crop ripening so want to try again.

How do others cook these things please?

We have been eating spaghetti squash with squash sauce - aka ratatouille. I never thought I would get away with it, but with the addition of shelled broad beans or black beans, and a good dollop of red wine in it, the males find it filling enough. I'm just adding things to the ratatouille to vary it, really. A few slices of chopped bacon one night, a bag of frozen seafood another.

We are going away tomorrow and will be eating out every night, so I shall probably put loads of weight on, but as there are at least a dozen more spaghetti squashes still out there at least I know I can lose it again fairly quickly.

Trying to get as much done as we can in advance, but with four children and six adults it will be anything but perfect!
Enjoy your visitors.

(she says, rushing off to put flowers in the guest bedroom- and ready to finish the kitchen floor and tackle the lounge, before cooking dinner ready for guests arriving mid afternoon... having just finished cleaning the patio of all the bird seeds, etc, etc, etc.. hmmm).

So gald to hear this, on both counts Mamie - been wondering how you are today. Take care- and (ahahah I am the worst culprit here... so I know I am probably wating my time) don't go too crazy about making things perfect for our visitors- as said, they are coming for YOU... x

Thanks GJ. The thing is that on Monday she stopped one half of the elements (is that the English?) in the BP tablet I have had for about four years and I doubt she would want to stop the whole thing immediately. The dizziness is definitely better though and I was up to 102/65 this morning! I don't know how long these things stay in your system, but if my BP stays low I shall definitely be asking to come off the medication altogether....
In other news, the duck ragù was delicious.

Don't wait to go and see the doctor- go before the week-end- and don't let family coming put you under pressure- they are coming for YOU, not your perfect lawn. housekeeping or cooking. Take care x

It has gone up a tiddle but still low. I found out from t'internet that dizziness is a common side effect of the tablet the doctor has stopped. I think I had it a bit when I started the tablet so I presume it is having the same effect on the way out of my system.
It is better this afternoon but I felt a bit faint after mowing the lawns.

Perhaps take another BP reading Mamie about now? I have low BP anyway, 110/65 last reading a month or so ago. I do occasionally feel light headed if I bend over suddenly, but I can usually find a cause, such as I've skipped breakfast or am coming down with a virus.

Dinner tonight will be interesting. We wanted to do a pasta sauce with courgetti, but found we had no mince in stock. We were discussing what we could use from the freezer, when I found half a duck breast that had fallen out on the floor and started to defrost while we had been searching. So have found a recipe for a ragù of duck, tomato and cinnamon on the internet. We shall see!
Am struggling a bit on my reduced BP medication. Only three days in but my BP was only 100/60 this morning and I get very dizzy when I bend down. Surely it should be going up? Will give it a few more days and then go back to the doctor, I think.
Have all the family arriving this weekend so need to be on form...

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Thanks Mamie the thoight of trawling through...what is it?? 25 pages was just too much.

Yes, the chicken has to be still hot and best torn apart with fingers. You wouldn't miss the bread now, we don't.

The fish stew was posted on the 24th June on this thread - I had completely forgotten about it! Glad the aubergine thingy worked.
Best cooked chicken I have had is when we bought one from a little market at the coast here. It was still hot and we ate it with fresh baguette and mayo. Would need a substitue for the baguette now, though a swim in the Channel might be enough.

PS welcome to our Exclusive Club Eirel - pay no attention to jingl she's related to Paddington Bear.

The aubergine cheesecake was delicious, and even better next day, cold, for lunch, so thanks for that recipe. Not unlike a recipe I have for spinach gratin.

DH is thrilled to have just bought a 32" waist pair of shorts - the generic ones that are obligatory men's wear for BBQ. He's on the phone as we 'speak' boasting to his BiL!!

One of our favourite easy lunches is to just grab a BBQ'd chicken from our local Sainsbury's and eat it skin and all. Very filling and satisfying and there's usually plenty left (unless 4-year old DGD is here).

Then we experiment with the leftovers for dinner. So far the chicken satay kebabs are our favourites.

PS can someone direct me to Mamie's fish stew recipe as I must have missed that and it sounds very versatile.

It is a glut isn't it! I don't think I have ever seen so many squashes. Think we are doing Iranian vegetable stew tomorrow and minestrone the day after....

I'm struggling for inspiration because we're so busy at the moment and my mind goes blank so I think I'll try courgette dauphinoise tonight as we're having fish.

The weather has been so chilly we're back on soup for lunch.

My weight has gone back up again, having my family at home is proving more of a temptation than I can handle.

Courgette dauphinoise sounds like an ideal solution to the glut, I could vary it a a little with the pattypan squashes as they are really only glorified courgettes.

Just back from doctors. Blood pressure down to 110/60 and medication cut by half as a result!
Tonight we are having cold chicken and courgette dauphinoise.

We are MOST exclusive, dontcha know.

I know lots of people on this diet. My niece lost 8lbs her first week - all I could think was - what on earth was she eating before!

<whisper>. you've got another poster! That'll be six of you now.

#catchingon

You are welcome Eirel - glad it worked!
I think it is one of the nice things about this way of eating that you can experiment and change things around.

Mamie - I did a version of your 24/6 fish stew, using what I had in. No beans, no monkfish and I had not heard before of achocha. It was still delicious and satisfying and I'll certainly do it again. Many thanks!

It is one of those recipes that makes you think - this is a diet???