voiceomt2002

You do not have to liberate the meat from an oxtail. Frankly, it would be a major hassle. Yes, I do eat the veggies upon occasion, but most of their nutritional value is now in the broth, not their pitifully mushie remains. (grin)

Okay, call me a tightwad. I hate spending one dime more than I have to. I fell for this recipe while I lived in Denver, where the price of seafood can induce a heart attack for those who are used to seaside prices. Because it uses frozen and canned seafood, it's an affordable indulgence. Personally, I'd rather cut up the fish while it's still half-frozen and firm. It's less of a mess. That's MHO.

This has never survived in my house long enough to freeze, to be honest. I don't see why not, though. Yes, the handwritten numbers are calories and carbs. Sorry!

Yep, that's the calories and carbs I handwrote. This particular cookbook was published in the early 1980's, when carbs and calories weren't that important. I have to flip back and forth between the nutritional info and the recipes when using this cookbook, so I got lazy and started writing it down with the recipe. Wondra can be difficult to find. I can only find it here in Wal-mart grocery departments, and it's not easy even then. That little blue canister is often on the top shelf, and easily missed by anyone under six feet tall. Just wait until you make your first white sauce with this little gem! Oh, the heaven! No lumps, thick, and smooth as silk. Yum! Sure, there are low-carb thickeners out there, but I'm not that fond of running around to health food shops to pay exhorbitant prices for tiny little jars of something I can barely pronounce. Xanthan Gum? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? (Lena waits for the military folks to smile, then winks.)

Imagine how shocked I was to realize this recipe was low carb! It's only 11 carbs per serving. And lookie! You get to use some of the chicken broth I posted on March 2. This is one of those recipes where the setup is essential. I bring home a bag of onions and shred them all in the food processor, stuff them in a freezer bag, lay it flat on the "floor" of the feezer, and let it harden. Then I can stack and store, breaking off a hunk when I need some. I do the same with the carrots, but store the bag in the fridge. That way, I have some for soups or salads as needed. Oh, and that all purpose flour in the recipe? It's used as a thickener, so I just pull the canister of Wondra flour. It's extra fine flour, made for soups, sauces and gravies. No lumps! You can also vary out the cheeses. I've been known to raid the cheese drawer for shredded cheddar, slices of colby, and the remainder of a block of pepper jack instead of plain old American. It's all good!

You're welcome. Yeah' date=' isn't that cover spectacular? (Happy Dance) Yes, that's my upcoming latest release, due out March 20 at Aspen Mountain Press. It's the first in a long series combining unicorns, vampires, werewolves, elves, magic, and dragons. I love this series! I just got a glimpse of the second book's cover and I'm just as happy! The artist is a genius, I swear. It'll be an ebook available for download immediately, and as soon as Amazon processes the order, it'll be available for the Kindle too. Me, I'm happy with the ebook, which works with my PDA, iPhones, and other less expensive devices. Just between you, me, and the fencepost, I prefer reading on my PDA than carrying around a print book. My PDA weighs less, holds 100 books, fits in my smallest purse, and no one can see what I'm reading. Off to the races! My garden won't plant, weed, or water itself! LOL! Lena

Michelle-- I get my recipes from several sources. One is DiabeticCooking.com, another is Better Homes and Gardens Recipes, and the rest come from my cookbook collection. You see, several of my grandparents were diabetic, and both my grandmothers left me their cookbooks. So, I've a pile of resources I keep building upon. (grin) I've also been working to adapt some of our old family favorites into healthier versions, such as the Sour Cream Dessert I posted recently. By using SF Jello, Splenda, and Cool Whip Free, the calorie and carb count were reduced to a very pleasureable and guilt-free indulgence. Another changed recipe is forthcoming this week. Cashew Chicken was a much beloved recipe in this house until I developed a nut allergy last fall, just before surgery. I managed to substitute water chestnuts for the cashews to get the crunch, at least. The biggest discovery was the broths and the Cream of Vegetable recipes I posted. Have you ever looked at the carbs and calories on the back of a commercially available "cream of" soup? (Faint) I use a lot of these broths and soups, and I'm not willing to eat only hot dogs and string cheese the rest of the day to have them! Making my own became vital. I more than halved the carb count, and I'm fairly sure I took a big chunk out of the calories for the minimal amount of time it takes to throw a hunk of useless meat and bones in my crock pot, add water and a few seasonings, and turn the bugger on before I go to work. Not that difficult, or expensive. Well, I've ranted enough. Thanks for the compliment. Your note will keep me going for awhile!

I don't know about you, but Tomato Soup is one of my comfort foods. This recipe allows me to still have it and lose weight. I'm way too lazy to peel my own tomatoes, but it's nice to know I could. I'll also use my food processor. I know very few people besides Ina Garten who own and use a food mill. While I've not tried to do it yet, I may even attempt making this into a Cream of Tomato Soup by adding in a cup of cream just before serving.

It's possible I do need one, but only a couple of cc's. I've noticed a slight tendency to eat more in the past week, and my weight loss has once again plateau'd.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VkKtIXqSUF4/SZ2t_4akIZI/AAAAAAAAA8Q/aJKiJzuWZFU/s1600-h/Mustard+Crusted+Roast+Pork.jpg

Thanks for the reminder! Most of my clocks will change automatically, but there are a couple that need my help.

Okay, call me a tightwad. I hate spending one dime more than I have to. I fell for this recipe while I lived in Denver, where the price of seafood can induce a heart attack for those who are used to seaside prices. Because it uses frozen and canned seafood, it's an affordable indulgence. Personally, I'd rather cut up the fish while it's still half-frozen and firm. It's less of a mess. That's MHO.

Imagine how shocked I was to realize this recipe was low carb! It's only 11 carbs per serving. And lookie! You get to use some of the chicken broth I posted on March 2. This is one of those recipes where the setup is essential. I bring home a bag of onions and shred them all in the food processor, stuff them in a freezer bag, lay it flat on the "floor" of the feezer, and let it harden. Then I can stack and store, breaking off a hunk when I need some. I do the same with the carrots, but store the bag in the fridge. That way, I have some for soups or salads as needed. Oh, and that all purpose flour in the recipe? It's used as a thickener, so I just pull the canister of Wondra flour. It's extra fine flour, made for soups, sauces and gravies. No lumps! You can also vary out the cheeses. I've been known to raid the cheese drawer for shredded cheddar, slices of colby, and the remainder of a block of pepper jack instead of plain old American. It's all good!

Congrats, Nikkisix! I think I'm envious.

I had no trouble with soft foods, Liz, but I lost weight just fine.

I'm still on the free version. One of these days, I'll upgrade to Premium.

Hehehe!! I'm on FitDay.com.

So far we've played with the chicken. Now let's do the same with beef. However, this time we're going to play a trick on the grocery store. You see, all those times you bought beef stew meat, you've been getting the trimmings from the guys back in the back packaging up meat for sale. These trimmings are often the tough and full of gristle parts from other cuts. I call that stuff "butcher's garbage." It's not good for our delicate tummies. Incidentally, note the price per pound of that stew meat. Now look at the price per pound of chuck roast and other roasts. At my grocer, a chuck roast is cheaper! We're going to buy a whole chuck roast and partially freeze it until it's stiff, but not frozen solid. (If you have an electric knife, use it and save yourself some aggravation.) Now cut the roast into small cubes. Remember, it'll shrink a little, so you don't have to do toddler sized bits, just smaller chunks than "butcher's garbage." If you like your beef broth really rich, buy a couple of oxtails. Yeah, I know! Gross, right? Wait until you taste the broth. Oxtails can be had for a buck or two, and they can add flavor like you've never had to a broth. Try it! I always try to snatch a few up when they appear in the meat section and freeze those buggers until I need to make more broth, just because of their delicious flavor, not to mention the superiority of the collagen they bring to the broth. (You don't have to try to break those bones to see if it's done. Just drop them in the pot and cook the devil out of them, okay?) Now for the recipe: I'll be honest. I never bother to clarify the broth. Call me lazy. My DH doesn't notice or care. This is the basis for all my recipes calling for beef broth. This I store in the freezer in one cup increments. I had to make a batch of this while I was still on the liquid stage of my post-op. My mouth watered while I smelled this all day, simmering on my stovetop. When the time came to strain it, I snatched a mug full as my lunch, and I nearly fainted at the pure pleasure. It sure beat bouillion by a mile! Needless to say, I made another batch the next day just for the remainder of my liquid diets stage and turned my freckled nose at those icky bouillion cubes! LOL!

My doc was from Argentina. The poor man manages to keep up with me. Hehehehe!

I must remember never to eat or drink when reading your posts or Wendytips. Twice now I've had to wipe my monitor. Don't you guys come with spew alerts? LOL! What are you going to do? Draw a porthole around the site you want your port at?

Yep, pre-sunburn. LOL! You oughta see me now. I took one look at how gray my hair looked in that pic and ran for the L'Oreal! I'm going blonde. (snicker)

When I go for my next appointment on Monday March 9, I'm going to ask for a small fill --just a couple of cc's. I really don't feel like I need much, but I've noted a small calorie gain overall on my food log at fitday.com. It's very gradual, but it's there nonetheless. IMHO, it's better to have a small fill and stave off any possible problems now than have another serious plateau or worse, gain weight. I've not had much weight loss this month, so perhaps it's time for me to be more stern with my body. A few days of liquids and mushies won't kill anything.

I assume you did read the previous posts and you now have your cooked veggie collection in front of you. I happen to have 2 cups of cooked broccoli. I had two cups leftover from a previous meal, plus a bag in the freezer. I chose to use the leftovers. No matter what, you need two cups of the cooked veggie. I also thawed out my chicken broth I made the other day. I had measured out 10 oz in each container, so I have a little store-bought chicken broth leftover from a previous recipe to augment the homemade to make the necessary amount called for in the recipe. Next time, I'll know to freeze about 12 ounces, not 10. Okay, so I'm not perfect. LOL! Now I can just follow the recipe below: Before serving, I ladled 10 oz into a storage container and labeled it carefully. I stowed it in the freezer. The rest, I'll serve tonight with a sandwich on the side for Dante. I'll have a spinach salad. You might want to make up a Cream of Mushroom Soup recipe. It's the most used recipe in casseroles. It'll keep up to six months in the freezer, and it's a darn sight better than all those calories, carbs, sodium and preservatives in the cans of condensed cream of whatever soups you buy in the store. Tastier, too. Note: I highly recommend using cream or half-and-half for this recipe. Milk is just too weak. A pinch of salt also helps. Go ahead and put it in a mug. If you love it like I did, you'll slug it down. If you need a hand knowing what veggie and what seasoning, here's a link to my chart: http://s516.photobucket.com/albums/u323/voiceomt2002/Recipes/?action=view&current=CreamofVegetableSoup2.jpg The chart is also where I put the calories and carbs for each veggie soup. I'll post some more soups over the next few days for those who still need mushies.

The recipe calls for whirling the cooked mushrooms in the food processor. I had fine bits that would probably easily pass.

I agree, Wendy. LOL.