Well....calling all cars, calling all cars! Come in! How ya doing? I noticed this morning in the mirror that I am looking smaller on my tummy and my pants are looser. My weight will now probably plateau for a week or two while my body shifts but after looking in the mirror I am just inspired. My usual lunch treat today at work is a gorgeous fruit salad. My hunger pains are more at bay today, now that TOM is settling down. Going to have half my salad at dinner tonight with added celery and chicken with a lovely hot cuppa broth. Do you like pancakes? Instead of frying them, you could try baking them on a non-stick baking sheet. Lemon Sauce - guilt free A nice lemon sauce would go lovely over the top (you can use 1/2 cup water, juice of 1 lemon and 1 tsp of cornstarch - bring to a boil from COLD on the stove, turn down heat and stir slowly until clear and thick. Remove from heat and THEN add sweetener to taste (not during the heating as it makes the sweetner bitter). This also works making a lovely baked apple dessert...I microwave a chopped apple in a dish and drizzle over the top. You can also use things like 7 UP instead of lemon juice, Apple juice and cinnamon. Just about any juice and sugar free drink would work. Also make great toppings for low fat ice creams, a slice of angel food cake (very low fat and the egg whites are good for you). Have you tried anything new lately? do tell! Calling all cars! McPeg

chi83- I'll post my go-to cookbook titles and favorite recipes in them, as well as a few recipes. You may find copies of these, and other GF cookbooks, at your local library. -Grainlady "The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook" by Elana Amsterdam - be sure to check out her web-site - www.elanaspantry.com -Pecan Shortbread Cookies -Cheddar Cheese Crackers -Banana Blueberry Muffins -Cinnamon Apple Muffins -Date Pecan Muffins (a HUGE favorite) -Zucchini Bread -Eggplant Parmesan -Savory Vegetable Quiche -Asparagus Onion Quiche -Kale Tart with Cranberries "Specific Carbohydrate Diet" \- Erica Kerwien \-Sour Cashew Cream (dairy\-free version of sour cream) \-Zucchini Sticks \-Parmesan Crackers \-Almond Saltine Crackers \-Tabbouleh (made with cauliflower) \-Sandwich Rounds (good sandwich bun substitute) \-Banana Bread (BEST recipe I've tried, and there have been many trials) \-Pumpkin Bread \-Roasted Ratatouille \-Recipes where cauliflower is substituted for high\-glycemic rice: Fried Cauliflower Rice, Roasted Cauliflower Rice "The No-Gluten Cookbook" - Series Editor, Kimberly A. Tessmer, R.D., L.D. -Crunchy Cornbread Squares (Can be used for sandwiches, especially good for grilled cheese sandwiches - as well as cornbread. Makes a 13x9" pan and is freezer-friendly.) "Cooking with Coconut Flour"\- Burce Fife, N.D. (many of these recipes are available on\-line; many have stevia as a sweetener option) \-Coconut Bread (An all\-purpose loaf, good toasted or used for French Toast.) \-Lots of good muffin recipes (make 6 muffins per recipe) \-Cream Cheese Squares (egg\-free) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My version of gluten\-free baking mix (Bisquick substitute) (makes 1\-cup) 1/2 c. almond flour (Honeyville or homemade) 1/2 c. hi\-maize resistant starch OR Jay Robb unflavored Whey Protein Isolate OR Pamela's Gluten\-Free, Wheat\-Free Baking Mix 1\-1/2 t. baking powder 1/4 t. salt 1 T. coconut oil Place in a mini\-food processor, or in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer, until coconut oil is mixed into dry ingredients. (Note: you can use a pastry blender or fork, but the FP or mixer mixes it quicker and better.) I use this mixture for "Impossible Pumpkin Pie" (a crustless pumpkin pie recipe, and many other Bisquick recipes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes (Yield: 4\-6 small pancakes) In a 2\-cup measuring cup place: 1/2 c. quick oats (optional) 1 T. buckwheat flour OR Hodgson Mill Buckwheat Creamy Hot Cereal OR unsprouted OR sprouted buckwheat 1/3 c. buttermilk (or kefir, yogurt) Mix, cover and soak overnight at room temperature. Add and mix in: 1 egg 1 T. melted coconut oil Add dry ingredients: 1 T. palm sugar 1/4 t. baking powder 1/4 t. baking soda 1/4 t. salt Mix well. Add more liquid if the batter seems too thick. Make into small 3\-4\-inch pancakes. I make 4 pancakes at a time on my 11\-inch griddle. PEANUT BUTTER CRUNCH COOKIES 1 stick butter 3/4 c. peanut butter 1 t. baking soda pinch of salt 2 eggs 1 c. unsalted dry roasted peanuts 1/2 c. raw or roasted sunflower seeds 1/2 c. almond flour 1/2 c. palm sugar 1/2 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips 1/2 c. unsweetened coconut 1/2 c. cacao nibs (optional) Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Place parchment paper on 2 baking sheets. Melt butter and peanut butter together (microwave or stove-top). Cool slightly, if hot, and place in large mixing bowl. Add eggs and mix well. Add remaining ingredients and blend using an electric hand-held mixer. Using a #50 portion scoop, place the dough on the baking sheets and slightly press to flatten. Bake for 12-minutes. Makes about 40 cookies. Place on wire cooling racks to cool completely. MICROWAVE GLUTEN\-FREE CURRANT BREAD (This is adapted from a recipe I found on\-line and reminds me of an Irish\-style currant bread I made before going wheat\-free, and what we use for toast for breakfast.) Mix well in a 2\-cup measuring cup, or small bowl, using a hand\-powered rotary egg beater or with a fork: 1 lg. egg 1 t. water 1\-2 t. agave nectar OR low\-glycemic coconut nectar\* (or other sweetener of choice) 2 T. buttermilk (kefir or yogurt will also work) pinch of salt Add: 2 T. all\-purpose GF flour (Pamala’s, Bob’s Red Mill, etc.) 2 T. almond flour 2 T. quick oats (or other gluten\-free flakes) After batter is mixed, add 2 T. currants and stir to blend then into the batter. Place the batter in a prepared dish (spray with PAM) \- use a ramekin, mug, or glass bowl that easily holds at least 8\-ounces of liquid. Straight sides work better than rounded sides (I use a ramekin.) Microwave for 2\-minutes on HIGH (more or less time, depending on your microwave \- you may need to adjust it 15\-seconds one way or another). Flip out of baking container onto a wire cooling rack and cool completely. When cool, slice the bread into rounds using a long serrated bread knife. TIP: I place the muffin in a shallow lid, like a cottage cheese container lid or other lid that will accommodate the bread \- anywhere from 1/4\-inch to 1/2\-inch deep. Use the lid as a cutting guide so you get slices about the same thickness. Toast the slices for serving. \* Coconut Nectar \- le$$ expensive homemade version: 1\-1/2 c. palm sugar, ½ c. water. Heat over low heat until dissolved. Store in a jar in the refrigerator. Almond Flour Bread (source: somewhere on-line, with my changes) 2-1/2 c. almond flour 1/2 c. oat fiber (I use hi-maize resistant starch, or spent rye flour or buckwheat flour) 1/4 c. unflavored whey protein powder 1 T. granulated erythritol (I use Swerve) 2 t. baking powder 1/2 t. baking soda 1 t. xanthan gum (do not omit) 1/2 t. salt 6-oz. Greek yogurt (I use drained kefir curd) 6 T. butter, softened (I use coconut oil) 4 lg. eggs 6 T. almond milk (I also use coconut milk or milk kefir or coconut kefir - whatever I happen to have) Preheat oven to 325-degrees F. Grease a 10x4-1/2 loaf pan. In a medium bowl, whish together the almond flour. oat fiber, whey protein, erythritol, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt. In a large bowl, beat together yogurt and butter until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time and scraping down bowl and beaters as needed. Add almond flour and beat until combined. Beat in almond milk until thoroughly combined. Spread batter in prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top. Bake 45-50 minutes, or until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 15-minutes, then flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely. [Note: Slice in thin slices.] QUINOA PANCAKES (adapted from a recipe found on\-line) 1 c. soaked quinoa (or quinoa sprouts \- raw) made from 3/4\-cup of dry quinoa\* 1\-2 T. raw honey (agave nectar or coconut nectar) 1\-1/2 T. coconut oil 1 egg 1/2 T. coconut flour 1/4 t. cinnamon 1/2 T. baking powder 1/4 t. salt \*To make quinoa sprouts: Using 3/4 c. quinoa, thoroughly rinse in a strainer and soak in a bowl with enough water to cover the quinoa by an inch or two, overnight. In the morning drain the water (use a fine\-mesh strainer). Measure out 1\-cup and use with the following directions. 1\. Process quinoa sprouts in food processor or blender until a wet batter is formed, 3\-5 minutes. 2\. Add wet ingredients and process until blended. 3\. Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add dry mix to batter and mix well. 4\. Heat greased skillet or griddle on low/medium heat. 5\. Using 1/4 cup of batter at a time, place on skillet/griddle. 6\. Cook for about 2\-minutes or until the pancake is golden. You should see bubbles form and then pop around the edges. Flip pancake and cook for a minute or two. \[Grainlady Note: Make the cakes small \- more like pikelets \- and cook slowly on LOW heat for best results.\] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SUPER\-SIMPLE BANANA COOKIES 2\-3 mashed bananas 2 c. oats 1 c. chopped dates (or other dried fruit \- cranberries, cherries, blueberries, apricots snipped into 1/4\-inch cubes using kitchen scissors) 1/3 c. coconut oil 1 t. vanilla pinch of salt Preheat oven to 350\-degrees F. Mix ingredients well, drop by teaspoonful onto parchment\-lined baking sheets (I use a \#50 or \#70 portion scoop). Press the dough until about 1/4\-inch thick. Bake 20\-25 minutes until golden brown. Options: use 1/4\-1/2 c. mini semi\-sweet chocolate chips, chopped nuts, cacao nibs..... \[I usually make this recipe using 1 banana, 1 c. oats (I use sprouted oats I dehydrate and flake), 1/2 c. dried fruit/nuts/chocolate chips/nibs....or a mix of those, 2 T. coconut oil, 1/2 t. vanilla and pinch of salt. Makes 1 baking sheet of cookies \- or about 20 small cookies. I bake them on a parchment\-lined pizza pan in my Convection/Microwave oven or solar oven.\]

Stevia is suseptible to a couple of mildew diseases; often by the time a plant arrives, it already has some die-back on it, and this will lead to the demise of the plant, though sometimes they manage to regrow from below ground even after this problem. I have been growing them for a while and haven't watered it much this year even through the drought (i watered it on maybe 3 occassions when it wilted somewhat, but it has been small until recent rains. It had seeds last season, but they never germinated; said to need 30-35oC and are notoriously difficult. The plant prefers average moisture, not too high humidity, and it is even grown in Canada as an annual, and replanted each year. Here it goes underground for winter, but without fail regrows again in spring. I have divided the crown once, but it is a less then acceptable form of propagation, the divisions kinda sulk and just sit there. Haven't had much luck with cuttings so far, though i used potting mix, so I might try again with sand and dirt as two separate mediums. Have you all tried Aztec Sweet Herb?, its not quite as nice, but is still fairly sweet, and is easier and faster to grow (it could become a weed if not managed)- good in a hanging basket in light shade. I gave some to a friend, who inturn passed some on to a friend of hers who is a diabetic; he uses it to sweeten his tea, though stevia is better for this as it is very low in calories.

Diets work best when you time them well. Your brain and liver work together to regulate your weight. The most effective "diet" I know is the leptin diet. Try either book, the leptin diet by Byron Richards or his more detailed book Mastering leptin. When leptin is not being understood by the brain, no diet is going to help. Ann louise gittleman's books including fat flush plan give you more eat this instead advice but everyone could use some liver support when they are losing weight. Lastly, diet foods with artificial this and that cause weight gain. That's been proven for a while now so just eat real food without chemicals your hard workin liver has to filter out. The less chemicals your liver has to deal with, the more it can focus on weight loss. Everyone trying to lose weight should see their livers as the magical solution that they are. ................................................................................................................................................................. Tips from the books Don't eat right before bed. You need to be repairing and losing weight, not digesting. Eat lots of fiber. Your body attaches fats to fiber when it wants to let it go. This is also how your body lets go of toxins. You NEED that fiber at dinner. Sleep at least 7 hours. Most weight loss happens after the repair cycle while you sleep. Your body will always repair first so don't shot yourself your weight loss hours. Give your liver a few hours rest between meals ( no snacks! ) Eat as pure as you can without added chemicals, artificial lab created whatevers. Be positive, don't put yourself down. Weight loss is a gradual journey. Doing it too rapidly is hard on your body. Move around every day. Jump on a trampoline or jump rope to circulate your lymphatic system. Your lymph doesn't have a heart to keep it moving and you need to when you're losing weight. If you're gonna have a treat, eat it with a meal. Makes life so much easier for your liver. Turns out, the old 3 meals a day was the right way to go. Start off with a good protein at breakfast and a palm sized portion of carbs plus as many fruits and veggies as you want. You get enough sleep, didn't eat right before bed so you have a good breakfast. That's half the battle already won!