2 day

quiche
almond milk
iced coffee

thai mix: eggplant, shrimp, satay chicken with peanut sauce
iced tea

smoked salmon, brie, and cucumber "sandwich" (the cucumber is the bread)
iced tea
low carb chocolate chip cookie

Big Train Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix REVIEW

Delicious cookies but they are more coconutty/buttery with a hint of chocolate chip. Personally I think if you're going low carb to drop some lbs this isn't the way to go considering the mix only makes about 15 cookies but sacrifices an entire stick of butter. Its tasty. I'm not throwing them in the garbage but I also don't see myself making these again anytime soon. They would be best relegated to the same realm as real cookies, a rare treat and if I'm going to do that, well then, I might as well have the real thing. 7 net carbs per cookie.

Big Train Pancake Mix REVIEW

Decent but bland pancakes. Not as fluffy as Maple Grove brand but if you minded the eggy taste from Maple, its much less pronounced in Big Train. 1/4 cup of the stuff has 7 net carbs and makes three large plate sized pancakes. Its filling but somehow less filling than the Maple Grove ones. Maybe I was just hungrier :) It also doesn't seem to brown as evenly or beautifully as Maple Grove. I don't mind the slightly eggy taste so I'm sticking to Maple Grove for a fluffier and generally yummier pancake.

Woops missed a week. Restart

quiche
match skim milk shake

Chicken caesar salad

chili
low carb flat bread with cheese (I also had a piece with some PB2 just to try it)
low carb chocolate chip cookie

SB 39

frittata
almond milk
iced coffee

iced tea
pear

seafood stew

SB 38

rotisserie chicken
almond milk

iced tea
fish stew
sugar free fudge pop

turkey chili
sugar free jello

SB 37

frittata
almond milk
iced coffee

iced tea
salad (spinach, grilled chicken, black beans, marinated mushrooms, yellow pepper, avocado, grilled red pepper)
seafood salad
hummus

grilled pork
iced tea

SB 36

frittata
almond milk
iced coffee

grilled salmon
steamed veggie
coffee
iced tea

chicken pot pie
nuts
matcha milk shake

SB 35

frittata
almond milk
iced coffee

tea
salad

chicken pot pie
nuts
iced tea

Chicken Pot Pie Sub

2 roasted chicken breasts diced
1 bag frozen broccoli defrosted and rough chopped
1 can 99% fat free cream of celery soup
1 cup carbquick
1/2 cup skim milk
1 egg

Mix the first three together and pour into baking pan. Mix last three ingredient and pour on top. Bake in 400 degree oven until the top is golden brown about 25 minutes.

Looks good don't it?

SB 34

chai milk shake (sugar free chai syrup + skim milk)
left over duck from my dinner out last night

nuts
sugar free fudge popsicle
apple slices

chicken pot pie

SB 33

low carb hot cereal

iced tea
low carb chocolate cake
roasted chicken

For dinner I went out for my birthday and let myself cheat a lil at Boston's Sibling Rivalry:

Moroccan style lamb wrapped in filo with a cool cucumber salad
Crispy pressed duck with watercress in port sauce
Desert trio platter (shared with friend) of creme brulee, pistachio tart, and blood orange sorbet

SB 32

frittata
matcha shake (green tea, skim milk, sugar free vanilla syrup)

Iced coffee

pear

baked chicken
brussel sprouts

SB 31

frittata
almond milk
iced coffee
low carb molten chocolate cake (Happy B-day ME!)

apple with PB

string cheese

steamed lobster
iced tea
low carb molten chocolate cake

SB 30

frittata
almond milk
iced coffee

sword fish
chicken breast
grilled veggies
tomato soup

soy sauce poached chicken
edamame

almonds
apple slices

SB 29

spaghetti squash frittata
almond milk
iced coffee

grilled chicken breast on salad
iced tea

low carb molten chocolate cake! (157 calories and 2 net carbs)
tropical fish stew
matcha milk shake (green tea, sugar free vanilla syrup, skim milk)

nuts

SB 28

coffee
roast duck breast

roast duck breast
BBQ spare ribs
fudge pop

pan braised brussel sprouts and scallops

SB 27

soft boiled egg
turnip cake
coffee

iced tea
ham & cheese rolls

roasted duck breast
bbq spare rib

SB 26

bacon
soft boiled eggs
coffee

apple
cheese
cashews
iced coffee

pan fried skate wing
spinach
butternut squash mash
slice of turnip cake
coffee

SB 25

frittata
almond milk
iced coffee

burger patty with cheese
iced tea

turkey chili
sugar free fudge pop

SB 24

frittata
almond milk
iced coffee

burger patty with cheese
grilled chicken tender
iced tea

baked miso chicken breast & eggplant
cashews

Low Carb PIZZA!

1.5 cup carbquick
1/3 cup warm water
pesto
mozzarella
proscuitto

Mix carbquick and water together with a fork then knead gently until no longer sticky aout 2-3 minutes. Roll out as thinly as possibly. Lay on pizza pan (I used a cookie sheet spritzed with PAM so it wouldn't stick). Brush gently with a thin layer of pesto. Top with prosciutto then loosely with mozzarella. Bake at 450 for about 12 minutes until the edges crisp.

Flax-Z-Snax Hot Cereal REVIEW

I have the strawberries and cream style. Really easy to make up. Mix hot water and cereal, let stand. I found it greatly improved by a touch of milk and agave syrup as its pretty bland. Kind of gritty but with only 2 net carbs per serving, I think its an acceptable option to cream of wheat/oatmeal for a warm breakfast. The grittyness takes getting used to. I might actually try grinding it further to see if I can get a smoother texture. Its a very bland flavor, even with the occasional little piece of strawberry. I highly recommend added some form of sweetner. End of the day, its ok. Not good but not bad either. I might try some other hot cereal brands after I'm done with this bag just to see if they're all the same...

Sb 23

frittata
almond milk

iced coffee

grilled chicken
poached salmon
mushroom and spinach salad
grilled asparagus
iced tea

PIZZA!!!!
edamame
iced tea

SB 22

frittata
almond milk

salad
cheese slices
iced tea

coffee

tropical fish stew
cashews
warm low carb cereal
coffee

Tropical Fish Stew

4 catfish fillets cut into 1 inch chunks
1 leek finely sliced
1/2 can light coconut milk
1 can diced tomato
1.5 cups dried beans
tsp cumin
1.5 tblsp dried parsley
salt
pepper
1 lime cut into wedges (optional)

Sort and rinse beans. Soak beans in enough water to cover 1 inch over night. Drain beans and add to pot. Add enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook 45 minutes to 1 hour until softened adding water as necessary. Drain beans.

Spritz pot with pam and add leeks over medium heat. Cook until softened. Add tomatoes and fish and simmer until fish is 1/2 cooked through. Add all other ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer then add beans. Simmer until beans are warmed through. Serve with a squirt fresh lime juice.

SB 21

iced coffee
almond milk
quiche

iced tea
grilled shrimp, salmon, and zucchini

seafood stew
cashews
chai milk shake

Maple Grove Farms Sugar Free Pancake and Waffle Mix REVIEW

When prepared it makes for a nicely fluffy inside slightly crisp out pancake. More eggy tasting than the norm but just slightly. When drowned in sugar free syrup this is hardly noticeable. To be a little healthier I made it with egg substitute and used olive oil. Next time I might skip the oil entirely as the box says its possible to create a low fat pancake. Two 4 inch pancakes will run you about 9 net carbs and I found 2 to be a very filling breakfast for me. For the bigger eater, add a side of eggs and bacon!

Walden Farms REVIEW

Calorie Free Caramel

Slight caramel mostly fake sugar taste. Its like splenda sludge that's reminiscent of caramel but doesn't actually taste like or have the mouth feel of caramel. Despite the hefty $4.25 price tag for a wee 12 oz jar, I suspect this sucker is hitting the trash bin soon.

Whipped Peanut Spread

Vaguely peanut flavored pudding. Peanut butter is already not very carby if you buy the no sugar added versions. I'm going back to the real thing. Its worth the calories to eat it in moderation.

Calorie Free Chocolate Dip

Don't be fooled by the name! This tastes and feels EXACTLY like ever sugar free pudding I've ever had but its the not so chocolatey kind too. For this kinda price tag I'm going back to Jello pudding cups.

FINAL VERDICT

Walden Farms has an entire line of jams, spreads, and sauces but having tried these three I have very VERY dim hopes for the rest. They have good stats but barely taste like the real thing. If its a choice between having the real thing once a year or this stuff, I'm going to wait for my once a year chance. The price for these jars were all over 4 bucks a piece and they weren't small but they were a long way from huge too. I'm thankful for that as they won't take up much space in the landfill they're about to hit soon. Having tried a lot of diet products over the years I was prepared for some deviation from the "real" product but at least a passing resemblance would be nice. If you read the jars, the only thing it seems to have in it is sodium. Not fat, sugar, or carbs and water is generally listed as the first ingredient. Yeah, I should've known better but I was too excited by the prospect and now its a money waste.

Agave Syrup

I'm not fond of the sugar free maple syrups on the market today. They taste too "fake" for me if that makes any sense. Instead I prefer to mix agave nectar which is basically a low glycemic index natural sweeter made from concentrating the juices of the agave plant (looks a lot like aloe and is used to make tequila!) with maple flavoring (comes in a wee bottle like vanilla would). You get a much cleaner taste out of this. However, agave is MUCH sweeter than regular syrup to use it more sparingly.

SB 20

PANCAKES!!! (Don't worry they're low carb)
almond milk with chai (tea)

seafood stew
tofu pudding
iced tea

apple with no calories caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, and PB (no not all at once)

low carb chocolate mousse

SB 19

almond milk

iced coffee
chicharrones (pork rinds)

ham and cheese rolls
left over eggplant & chicken stir fry
iced tea

tofu pudding (basically soft tofu with a touch of agave syrup)

SB 18

quiche
ice coffee
almond milk

Salad
iced tea

sashimi
oyster shooters

SB 17

quiche
almond milk

iced coffee
egg sub + 2 slices cheese

2 string cheese

black bean & garlic sauce chicken & eggplant stir fry

SB 16

crustless quiche
milk
iced coffee

BBQ chicken
caesar salad
iced tea

turkey patty
mashed cauliflower
jello

Turkey Patties

Just for Derek's edification. I don't know amounts because I kinda did the "damn I have no food in the fridge" double take and just threw together what I had. It was pretty tasty though.

ground turkey
sundried tomatoes (chopped up)
minced garlic
italian spices
grated parm
soy sauce
cooking wine
can of white cannelloni beans

Mix all that up and form into patties. Throw into frying pan and cook up. The beans on the edges of the patties would fall out but where they hit the pan, they formed a nice crisp crust. If I had to do it again, I'd mash the beans a little to get more of that crispy crustness mixed up into the patties.

SB 15

almond milk
iced coffee
crustless quiche

BBQ chicken
boiled green beans
pickle
baked beans (Ok so I only had 2 spoonfuls of this before somebody mentioned you cook baked beans with a ton of brown sugar. Who knew? I figured beans = goodness)
iced tea

turkey patty
asparagus
green tea milk shake

SB 14

soft boiled eggs
coffee
tea
jello

soft boiled eggs
mushroom soup
edamame

Turkey patties
tea

SB 13

quiche
almond milk

coffee
soy milk
chicken/cuttle fish stew

pot roast
guac
jello

Mushroom Soup

20 oz mushroom sliced
1 leek sliced thinly
1 tblsp minced garlic
4 cups chicken stock
1 tblsp thyme
2 tsp tarragon
2 tblsp sherry
1 tblsp truffle oil

Spritz pot with PAM butter. Add leeks and saute until limp. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add shrooms and cook until softened. Add stock, thyme, and tarragon and let come to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cooke for 1 hour. Blend (I used immersion blender) until you get a creamy soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Return to a boil. Add sherry and truffle oil. Serve.

SB12

frittata slice
skim milk, cocoa powder, vanilla shake

mushroom soup
2 soft boiled eggs

pot roast
tea
sugar free jello

SB11

fritatta slice
almond milk
coffee
2 slices of bacon & scrambled egg (New SB book says I can have two slices of bacon per day)

iced tea
2 string cheese
handful of pistachios

leftover shrimp stew
sugar free jello

Black Bean Scallop Stir Fry

1LB bay scallops
2 trumpet mushrooms (about 1/2 lb) sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds
1 lb frozen baby asparagus cut into 2 inch spears
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tblsp garlic black bean sauce
1/4 cup water
1.5 tsp oyster sauce
0.5 tsp cornstarch
0.5 tsp sugar

Heat wok over medium heat. Spray with PAM. Add in garlic and stir until fragrant. Add bean sauce and mushrooms. Stir fry until shrooms get golden on the edges. Add in scallops and asparagus. Stir fry until scallops are cooked through. Create a slurry from water, cornstarch, oyster sauce, and sugar (sub splenda for SB people) and add to wok, stir fry until sauce thickens. Serve.

SB 10

Fritata slice
almond milk
iced coffee

salad with chicken and brie
iced tea

shrimp/okra/tomato/black bean stew
handful of almonds
tea

SB 9

frittata slice
almond milk
iced coffee with skim milk

Grilled chicken
pickle
basil tomato soup

pistachio
coffee w/ milk and splenda

Stir fried black bean/garlic scallop & veggies
tea
handful of almonds

Crustless Frittata

8 oz cooked veggie (I used broccoli florets rough chopped)
1 cup cooked meat (I use ham or turkey sausage cubed)
1 cup shredded low fat cheese
10 eggs (I used egg substitute equivalent)

in 8x8 dish layer meat, veggie, then cheese. Beat eggs with some salt & pepper to taste. Pour on top of layers then wiggle and poke it a bit to settle egg into the dish and between layers. Bake at 375 degrees for about 25-30 mins until set.

SB 8

almond milk
iced coffee + skim milk
frittata slice

canned chicken with melted low fat cheese
iced tea

pistachios
hot chai with skim milk and splenda

roasted spare ribs
tea

SB 7

almond milk
coffee
oatmeal with PB (yes yes carbs, I was hungry and cold!)

SB 6

Iced coffee
almond milk
soft boiled eggs

Salad with chicken, egg, and ham
iced tea

spare rib stew

Spare Rib Stew

2 lbs chopped spare rib
2 bags frozen okra
1 can tomato paste
1.5 cups navy beans soaked over night
1 tblsp garlic paste
1 onion fine diced
2 tblsp herbs de provence
1 cup chicken broth

Cook onions and garlic in a bit of olive oil in large pot till onions are translucent. Add beans, broth, and 1 cup water and bring to boil then let simmer till tender about 2 hours. Add ribs, tomato paste, herbs, and okra. Simmer until ribs are tender and falling off the bone, about 1 hour. Salt & pepper to taste. Serve as thick soup or if not on SB, over rice in a sort of gumbo fashion.

SB 5

almond milk
coffee + skim milk

iced tea
chicken caesar salad
egg salad
babaganoush

spare rib stew

SB 4

coffee w/ skim milk
egg omlette
almond milk

canned chicken with melted cheese
ice tea

spare rib stew

SB 3

breakfast:
soy milk
coffee with skim milk

Lunch:
pesto and sundried tomato chicken
steamed broccoli
iced tea

Dinner:
oxtail, pinto beans, and okra stew

Stewed Oxtail

2 lbs oxtail chopped
1.5 cup dried pinto beans
1.5 tblsp white miso (preferably the kind with dashi in it)
1 onion diced small
2 tsp crushed garlic
3 cups chicken stock

Soak pintos in 4 cups of cold water over night.
In a large pot add oil and brown oxtail. Remove from pot.
In same pot add onion and garlic and cook till fragrant, about a minute.
Add miso and 1 cup chicken stock. Let boil.
Add oxtail and enough stock to cover bones. Let simmer for 3 hours.
Drain beans. Add to pot with enough stock to cover. Let simmer for 1 hour more.
Cool and stick in fridge.
Next day skim fat off surface. Bring back to a simmer for 30 mins. Serve.

SB return day 2

Breakfast:
crustless quiche
soy milk
ice coffee + skim milk

Lunch:
salad of mixed green, ham chunks, black beans, grilled chicken, yellow peppers, marinated mushroom, grilled zukes

Dinner:
Stewed oxtail with pinto beans

Snack:
roasted pumpkin seeds
steamed edamame in the pod

Return to the ways of SB

*sigh* ok here's to trying again.

Dinner last night:
roasted duck + steamed broccoli

Breakfast:
soy milk
iced coffee w/ skim milk

Lunch:
Eggplant stir fried
Chicken skewer with peanut sauce
mushroom & beef stir fry
garlic shrimp

Dinner:
roasted duck + edamame