I used my "regular" pumpkin pie recipe for Thanksgiving but skinnied it down by substituting no-fat evaporated milk and Splenda. It still got the same oohs and ahs that it always does and disappeared just as fast. 1 9" unbaked pie shell 1 15 oz. can pumpkin 1 1/2 cup Splenda or equivalent 3 eggs 2 Tablespoons flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 2 cups concentrated skim milk or 1 12 fluid oz. can fat free evaporated milk Combine the pumpkin with eggs, dry ingredients and milk. Stir until well blended. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve with fat free whipped topping. If you eat just the filling, it's really low calorie, low fat, low carbohydrate. You can eat all the crust or just the rim to get a little crust taste.

Bonnie: The hemoglobin A1C test ("A1C" is it's name) is the standard test that we use to monitor diabetes. It gives a really good idea of average blood sugar over the past 3 months. It also turns out that it correlates nicely with the size of your cholesterol particles. The VAP and NMR tests are also measures of particle size. Cholesterol research is currently putting a lot of emphasis on particle size to help understand why not all "high cholesterol" seems to be bad. VAP and NMR are attempts to commercialize that research and it's not clear that they are good predictors. They sometimes contradict each other or have widely divergent results if performed on different days. I only rarely find a use for them. Even if they are good predictors, what do you do with the result? If your blood sugar is high, you go after that, but otherwise there aren't good interventions. Niacin increases Lp(a), but it's a pretty rough ride. Blood sugar will improve with weight loss, exercise and some carb restriction and cholesterol will follow along. Mark's Daily Apple Is an interesting site. My hobby is reading fad diet books (if you have't guessed -- I'm an addict). Some of his advice is pretty good, but some is goofy. For instance, he decided oatmeal was not "paleo" because when he eats he feels "spacey". If you read his book, he gives samples of his daily food intake. An active guy, he eats a fairly low calorie count and maintains a low body fat as a result. If you've got diabetes genetics, it's been my observation that you have a much more, um, "assertive" appetite. Yes, you will have better satiety with some increased fat and protein in your diet and the ADA's low fat guidelines are not good, but I've seen the paleo/Atkins/Taubes diabetics gain weight with too much cheese, meat, and nuts. Additionally, he recommends "play" and condemns "chronic cardio". For those of us who are more fond of sedentary pursuits, establishing a habit of some form of physical activity, even if it's tedious and repetitive is better than never using any body part but our right foot.

Pork Roasted the Way the Tuscan Do This is a wonderful and easy technique for pork roasted inside a baguette with wonderful fresh herbs and of course garlic and olive oil! I'm sure this will become a favorite of yours too - it's great to bring on a picnic lunch! 2 teaspoons fresh chopped sage 2 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 cloves garlic, minced Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon fennel pollen 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 pork tenderloin, trimmed 1 loaf crusty baguette On a work surface, mince the sage, rosemary, pepper, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and fennel pollen together. Heat a frying pan over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Cook the pork, turning occasionally, until golden on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Roll the pork in the herb mixture and set aside. Cut the baguette in half the long way and scoop out the soft insides. Brush the inside of the baguette with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Place the pork on the inside of the baguette so that the pork is completely enclosed. Trim off the excess ends of the bread. Tie, at 1 to 2-inch intervals, with kitchen string. Preheat an oven to 375°F. Place the pork on a baking sheet and roast until done, 155 to 160°F when an instant read thermometer is inserted into the thickest part, 25 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven, let rest 10 minutes. Remove the strings and cut into slices. Serve. Serves 4 Here is a link that might be useful: Tuscan Pork

I'm not doing South Beach but I got this recipe from the book when I read it. It calls for part-skim ricotta but full fat is so much better if you can stand the fat grams. SOUTH BEACH RICOTTA CREME 1/2 c ricotta cheese 1/4 t vanilla 1 pkt Splenda Mix it up and chill. For variations add cocoa powder or lemon or lime zest. Or, for almond, substitute almond extract and add some slivered almonds. Cook's notes: This is quick and easy and satisfies my need for a little something sweet after a meal. I add extra Splenda for my sweet tooth. Teri