A new low-carb support thread for 2016

i have a picture in my head of a granny being stuffed in the oven as Avo means grandparent in Portuguese. Was it a misprint or does it have a different meaning in French?

No just being lazy - avocado!

Thankyou Mamie. You salad sounds lovely.

You have probably guessed that I'm a lurker on this thread. I enjoy your and Anya's
recipes and find the thread very helpful. DH and I are more or less low carbers. More for health reasons than weight loss although DH has lost a stone over the last year and I've lost about 10lbs. He has high chloresterol and diabetes type2 and although his doctor thought the diet a bad idea at the beginning he has read up on it and come round to it. My chloresterol levels have gone up.

We had a lazy version of watercress soup (freshly chopped vegetables with extra watercress - from the supermarket) for lunch today with a small piece of Brie to follow. We will be having fresh Turbot fillets with asparagus and probably small whole imported sweet corns for dinner. Natural yoghurt and raspberries to follow.

I don't miss bread, potatoes, pasta or rice at all but I think we have bemused a local restrauranteur by a 'diet' of refusing bread and potatoes but accepting wine! She gave us a look, patted her very flat tummy and said, " I eat lots of bread". Actually the whole family eat very well including bread and potatoes and they are all slim. They are also very active and I've never seen any of them drinking fizzy drinks or eating processed sweet products. Definitely a message there.

Well welcome to the thread proper dustyangel. Your dinner sounds lovely. Are you in Portugal? (I think from reading other threads that you are).
Was pondering that Avo must be ever so slightly related to Abuelo.

Yes I am Mamie and I think you are probably right. I can understand some written Spanish because of the similarities but the pronounciation is completely different.
On the other hand an Abelha in Portuguese is a Bee. Languages are fascinating.

dustyangel what's the weather like there? I'm going to Porto on Tuesday.

Ah well bee is abeille in French and abeja in Spanish so that figures. B and V are pretty interchangeable in Spanish so abuelo and avo also make sense. I speak a bit of Spanish because my son has lived there for years, but most of it is food related. Funny that.
Have a nice time Jing. All those sardines. Yum!

Hi jingl, it's been rainy today but is set to improve rapidly tomorrow. The weather report does say specifically that the Porto region will stay cool and cloudy,
Although that is much better for sightseeing than too hot. I hope you have a good time.

Have a great holiday Jingl!

One language teacher told me that people tend to learn food related things first.

Husband has just made me a Gin & slimline Tonic. Which I will have with some nuts and definitely not low carb dried fruit.

Thank you dustyangel and shysal. Would love a bit of sun so keeping fingers crossed.

Jings. The Portugese little custards, pasteis de nata, are absolutely scrumptious and very addictive........Definitely sugar and carb loaded unfortunately.

Lazigirl Thank you. I am sure I will very soon sniff those out. I have an excellent antennae for things like that. And they do do that sort of thing very well in foreign parts.

sorry for the disgraceful thread hi-jack!

Yes, quite disgraceful.

Don't be bringing luscious Portuguese custard tarts to this thread

Blame that *Lazigirl!

Tagine tonight. Aubergines, courgette, onion, garlic, cauliflower, peppers, chicken cooked with raz-al-hanout, baharat and saffron. Will toss it in a bit of olive oil first, then cook slowly in the oven.

Had four GC staying over Saturday night and made a spag bol. I offered them a taste of the cougetti we adults were having and one opted for that while the others stuck with pasta.

He seemed to think it was cucumber.

I keep looking at tagines Mamie and thinking I should get one - I like the look of them, but is there anything that I can't do another way?

I like the look of them too and there are some lovely colours, but concerned they may end up at the back of cupboard, like the Habitat chicken brick! They do take up quite a bit of room in the oven - are they better than casserole dishes for slow cooking?

Yes I think they are better. The seal is very tight and you hardly need any liquid at all. I tend to chop the veg and leave it in the spice mix for a bit, then you don't really even need to pre-cook any of it. We think you get an intensity of flavour that you don't get in a conventional casserole. We have an Emile Henri one that you can use on the hob as well.

I'm very tempted.

Yesterday's Times had an article on the first page about low carb and type two diabetes, and it was continued inside with reference to our mutual 'friend' Dr David Irving. It would appear that more and more research is backing up this as an effective life style to reduced obesity and type 2 diabetes educator.

There was criticism of certain bodies who are digging their heels in and the usual comments from these institutions.

But it would seem that much of this drive towards less carbs is actually coming out of GP surgeries which I find interesting and encouraging. I wonder if it's because the GP and the practice nurse are on the front line and see these people again and again, and gave to deal with their obesity related illnesses on a daily basis?

Not sure how the word 'educator' popped in....iPad taking control again I suspect.

Been looking at EH tagines ....is the 32cm the best size to buy?

Just popped down to the kitchen to measure it - ours is 26/27 cm (red).