A new low-carb support thread for 2016

I managed to buy an extra fine almond flour on Ebay, and with the addition of a teaspoon of Xanthan gum, the texture is less crumbly than my first attempts at Pippa's cheesy buns. All tasty anyway! My original almond flour from Holland and Barrett was rather coarse.

Is coffee whitener a no no?

A beef stew is in the slow cooker -I know it is using root veg. But there are no spuds or dumplings or thickener, so I hope that is a sufficient compromise. It smells divine hope DH is too put out with lack of dumplings

Shysal, I have only one source of almond flour here in Cyprus, but I find that putting it through a grinder does make it very fine.

On another matter - I am desperate to find a recipe for light cupcakes, ( I do like afternoon tea [grin[)I have tried several recipes and they are all very stodgy, I have added extra baking powder, Soda Bic and whisked the egg whites separately to no avail, any ideas welcome. I am now on to coconut flour as that is so much cheaper here.

whitewave we have root veg quite a lot. I avoid parsnip and don't have too much sweet potato or carrot, but we eat loads of squash, celeriac and Jerusalem artichokes.
Today we have rib of beef (brought back from England, not enough fat on French beef), celeriac mash and ruby chard from the garden.
I can't get almond flour either Pippa but I just grind up the almonds myself. I do savoury biscuits with chickpea flour but don't think it would do a cupcake. .

I have a recipe for chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. They are flourless, so lightish, but I spoilt mine by using a Stevia granular sweetener which tasted bitter.
1cup cocoa powder, 1 cup artificial sweetener, 5 tablespoons melted butter, 4 large eggs,1 cup cream cheese. 1tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Melt butter and mix in cocoa. Using mixer, whisk eggs. Add half the sweetener and continue to mix until nice and thick.
Combine cocoa and egg mixtures.
Fill 12 paper cases and bake for 15 mins until skewer comes out clean.
For frosting beat together cream cheese, vanilla extract and remainder of sweetener until fluffy.

Just found this which might be helpful to LCHF vegetarians?
www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/vegetarian-diet-forum.71/

Couldn't find any almond flour at local Sainsburys but, oddly, did get peanut flour. Was distracted from trying the recipé by visitors but will try the peanut version tomorrow, after taking Murphy to vet to have his stitches out.

Mamie I love the sound of your bartering! I use the UK Diabetes forum a lot, but mainly the low carb forum. Neither of us are diabetic, but I registered to help support my 81 yr old FiL who is insulin dependent. I needed to get up to speed fast and later found the low carbs forum by chance. It does have some veggies following low carbs, so it's quite handy. Actually we bought a blood sugar monitor from eBay last month and plan on using it to monitor our levels just to see if LCHF makes a difference.

We've not had shashuka for a while, so I might do it for tea this week. We're off to the caravan on Thursday, so I'm hoping DH doesn't want to eat his head off as usual.

I bought almond and coconut flour (and psyllium husks) from

Wholefoods Online

I couldn't believe how expensive these alternative flours cost so spent ages trying to find the best price. Came quickly and we'll package, so would use them again.

PS Anya what happened to Murphy?

Poor old soul developed a sudden and acute glaucoma and the pressure forced the lens to slip in his right eye. He had it removed 12 days ago but he's coping very well and much happier, do that makes me think he must have been in some pain previously.

Thanks for asking Wilma

Aw bless, poor poppet.

Thank you Shysal, I will try that recipe tomorrow as I am just off the my Monday Mah Jong session, or as DH says the weekly Witches Coven meeting

This is very encouraging

I posted it already on on the fatty liver thread, then thought it would be more of interest to those of us who are trying low carb.

It backs up what Mamie has already found through adopting this régime.

Has anyone tried the barenaked rice.? We bought ours in Sainsburys. It says zero fat, low in calories and 0.1g of carbs per 100g on the label.. We are having it with the 5:2 lemon and tarragon chicken tonight. Here's hoping it is as tasty as those cheesy buns.

Thanks for that link Anya, really interesting.
I think it is amazing that there is now so much evidence for the health benefits at ground level for LCHF and still people bang on about the need for carbs.
One theme seems to be that you need carbs for energy, but honestly I feel fitter and more energetic now than I have done for years. I never feel hungry between meals and can do five hours heavy labour in the garden at a stretch which I certainly couldn't a couple of years ago. It may just be the weight loss, but I don't think so. Probably famous last words, but to date neither of us has had a single cold or other illness this year.

Two points worth considering Mamie!

Firstly carbs are much more easily burned for energy, and thus hit the blood stream more quickly giving the illusion of more energy. But, in a healthy individual, the body will release insulin to bring the blood glucose levels back to within normal readings and the extra glucose will be stored (as the body always stores excess - as fat). This having been moped up, the body will use the sugars in the blood stream for fuel then require more.

However fats are much, much harder to digest. Compare washing out a bowl used to make icing sugar with one that's had oil/far/grease in it then you'll get the picture. Fears consequently linger longer in the stomach and the glucose from them (the end result of digestion) released much more slowly into the blood steam.

This means the body doesn't have to call up more insulin, from the Islets of Langerhna in the pancreas, to deal with the surge in blood sugars.

The insulin resistance which is typical of type 2 diabetes is a by product of the body constantly being called upon to produce more and more insulin to deal with raised blood sugars.

This slow release of glucose into the bloodstream is why you don't get tired Mamie - you are not having the sugar dips that carb guzzlers exoerience.

Sorry if this is teaching you to suck eggs.

PS the cheesy buns made with peanut flour were very unusual but quite edible.

No not all egg sucky, that is a really clear explanation.
Just had a fab waldorf salad for lunch.

Not at all....

BB I've read mixed reviews and it seems like this kind of product (there's several brands) is a bit like Marmite - you'll love it or hate it. Interesting to hear Sainsburys are stocking them though because I think the choice was Holland and Barrett or mail order. Please do let us know.

Sainsburys also doing courgetti and spirallized carrot. Word seems to have spread. Will let you know about the rice tomorrow.

Couldn't wait until the morning. Verdict on the rice-- tasteless, and slimy Yuk. Though DH ate all his !

Can I join in? I'm new to LC eating (two days in) have at least 3 stones to lose (disgusting, I know) and am determined this is going to work.
I also have a very sweet tooth, but i don't want to use sweeteners - just to wean myself off crap like chocolate, sweets, gooey cakes and bread.

After two days being very good, today I had a scone at a cafe and now feel ill (sore tummy - could be the hiatus hernia). Had selection of healthy salady things out for lunch - including lentils and cauliflower - followed by red fruits, and plan a light supper of poached eggs and a little spinach.

What do others here do about oats though? My usual breakfast was raw porridge oats with mixed seeds and a few nuts. I thought that was healthy, but it appears the rolled oats are better.... is that correct?

Haven't read the other posts yet but where do you get peanut, coconut or almond flour? Won't ground almonds do instead?