The Low Carb of Convenience

Quick Skillet Meals and Organization Make Low Carbing Easy and Convenient

How do you balance the convenience of takeout foods with the nutrition and goodness of eating a low carb, whole foods diet? Easy weeknight dinners can represent daunting feats of strength for many of us working-class dogs. And finding the right balance of time management and good stewardship of your body and those of your mate and children – is hard even for seasoned home cooks.


You work your keester off at the office, the warehouse, the hospital, the outdoors, the factory, the “insert-your-job-here” and you’re pooped by the end of the day. You want convenience. You want to go home and eat a meal set on the table by Mom. How do you balance a low carb lifestyle and healthy whole food nutrition when you barely have the energy to stand up long enough to fix a meal?

Nekkid Potstickers Bring Asian Comfort to Low Carb and Paleo Lovers

Low Carb Potstickers served with Low Carb Chicken Lo Mein
are soy free, sugar free and healthy.

What on earth can we eat on low carb? Navigating through the mine fields of food selection can be tricky for those of us following a low carb or Paleo lifestyle. It’s difficult enough in the grocery store, but dining out makes food choices and food selections even harder.

You might “think” you’re adhering to special low carb or Paleo limits, but because the restaurant may add ingredients of which you might be unaware, it makes dining out dicey.

Making good food choices while dining out gets even harder when expanding your palette to include cuisines with exotic flavors and flare, such as Asian foods. And on top of all that, when you add other health needs such as thyroid disorders, type 2 diabetes or cancer recovery, food selection becomes a very windey, very narrow, steep path - uphill.

For instance, take this edict I received upon the successful completion of treatment for

Tuesday Taco Nights are Low Carb FUNctional Food

Tuesday Tacos Put the FUN back in tacos!

Low Carb Cheese Taco Shells are a FUNctional Food!

At the Fluffy Chix Roost and Sock Monkey Habitat (or as some uncharitably refer to us - the Looney Bin) , the “boys” would choose Tuesday Taco Night any night we let them. It could be Thursday and we’d ask what they want for dinner and they’d reply, “Tuesday Tacos”. They don’t have very large brains and in their minds Tuesday and Tacos are indelibly fused.

Being the true TexMex lovin’, Texas boys they are, they believe TexMex should secede from the food pyramid and form its own pyramid. Barring that, TexMex should at least become the 5th food group. And if TexMex did indeed become a 5th food group, Tuesday Tacos would become the iconic emblem to epitomize said food group.

Leading Low Carb Guide, Carb Smart Magazine Makes SusieT a Contributing Writer

Hey y’all! Watch this!

Fluffy Chix watching this...

I believe Jeff Foxworthy described that command as, "The last words you most often hear comin’ out of a redneck’s mouth." (Ahem, you might be surprised to hear this, but Texas has our fair share of rednecks, and quite a few still perch on the limbs of my family tree…) 

In Texas, you hear those words a lot. I mean a lot. A LOT! In fact, you hear those words from Fluffy Chix Cook, a lot!

You also hear me say, “This is a true story.” Cuz right before a Texan is apt to tell a tall tale, he or she will preface it by informing you in solemn honesty, "This is a true story. I 'Caint' - Texan for 'can't' - MAKE this stuff up!"

But, it is.

A true story. Swearsies.

Hand to heart, I just up and wrote Dana Carpender one day! Yep, just up and wrote her. Turns out you increase your odds of success by asking. You should write that down. It’s important. (Oh, I’ll get to what I asked soon…be patient!)

Okra and Tomatoes a Southerner's Summer Love

A Song of The South...the sweet lure of gumbo and okra 'n' 'maters.

Okra and Tomatoes - a summer Southern Classic!

“Are you a complete idiot?”

“No!” I replied with reason.

“You must be!”

“Why do you say that? That’s harsh,” I continued.

“Because you must be a moron to drive your readers away like you are.”

I instructed, “You shouldn’t end a sentence with “are”. There are better sentence structures.”

“Ok, let me rephrase this for you,” the heckler continued. “Because you must be a moron to drive your readers away like you are, dumbass.”

Salmon Salad Niçoise – IS the Big Salad

Salmon Salad Niçoise embodies summer.

Salmon Niçoise Salad is a graceful and elegant
main course salad.

Ah yes, the “big salad” of Seinfeld fame. I can’t help but think of Elaine every time I build a salad – which is daily.

I have at least one “big salad” per day. I admit it. They take different flavors and I would rival any of my big salads against the ones featured at the Seinfeld diner.

I play favorites, too. My current favorite big salads are a chopped salad, which I make almost every evening as part of our supper, and the more artfully arranged, Queen of Composed Salads – the Niçoise Salad, that’s a meal in and of itself.

I call the Salad Niçoise a “destination salad” because you don’t just “happen” or back into this salad. You plan and take measures to arrive at the Salad Niçoise as your main course. And oh my, the scenery in the making is outstanding. It is a deliberate and proud salad.

Low Carb Knock Off of James Coney Island Chili

Baseball, Low Carb Coney Island Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and the 4th of July!

Nothing like a panic, right?

Low Carb Coney Island Chili Cheese Dogs with Dill
Relish, Onion and Mustard along with a side of
Oven Fried Green Tomatoes and Oven Fried Zucchini
makes for a patriotic 4th of July.

Seems I live life like that these days. You know, July 4th, falls on the same date each year. You can see it comin’ down the tracks like an old steam train. There’s no missing it. So how is it I forgot to give you a recipe that takes care of your 4th of July needs?

Panic ensued.

Mea culpa. I will now say 5 Our Fathers and 10 Hail Marys and I shall endeavor to keep that from happening in the future.

Because of the rush, I won’t even bother telling you a long drawn out story from my mis-spent youth, nor regail you with songs of the South. I will simply get straight to it.

Low Carb and Gluten Free - Turkey Meatloaf is Year-Round Comfort Food!

“Meatloaf, smeatloaf, double beatloaf. I hate meatloaf.”  - Randy from A Christmas Story

Low Carb Turkey Meatloaf is gluten free and paleo
and diabetic friendly!

Gosh I just love A Christmas Story and fall out laughing every time I see Randy sitting at the table, picking at his meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Oh my. It could be me all over again!

It's no secret in my family. I hated Mom’s meatloaf.

And I don’t even know why I hated it. It could be a texture thing. You know how funny kids are about textures. Or it could be because Mama thought she invented the use of the holy trinity and used it liberally in her meatloaf!

For those of you out of the loop, the holy

Why Do I Need To Know How Many Carbs My Body Can Handle?

We interrupt this post to bring you a breaking news item!!

Leave It To Beaver a classic 60's sitcom!
Image courtesy of IMDb

Fluffy Chix Cook Turkey Meatloaf will be delayed another day because I’m thinking we need to have a little talk bout ‘trition, Beaver. (That’s Nutrition to those of you who can’t read my colloquial prattle. And that’s Beaver, referencing Leave It To Beaver for those of you who are not children of the 60s and 70s. Poor you. You missed out on an awesome lot and a mostly happy era!) But good news! Apparently Leave It To Beaver, The Movie is coming to a theatre near you, soon!

I’m kinda guilty of tending away from talking about all things Nutrition Nerdville these days. Lately, Fluffy Chix mainly squawk about yummy recipes and silliness. Maybe it’s because of the cancer recovery? Maybe I’ve gotten lazy? Maybe I’m just tired of trying to convince people that this way of eating helps us and in my opinion, should be a preferential method of eating for most people. I’m talking of course, about low carb/controlled carb and paleo nutrition.

I’ve kinda left it up to the professionals and brainiacs in our nutritional world to take care of the education for all humanity on greater Earth. The brainiacs and metabolic

Oven Fried Green Tomatoes a Low Carb Summer Sensation

Tomatoes Make June Heat Waves in Texas Totally Worth It!

Low Carb and Paleo Friendly to many, Oven Fried Green
Tomatoes make a great side for Barbequed Pulled Pork and
Coleslaw!

Summertime and the livin’ is easy! Fish are jumpin’ and the cotton is high.

June in Texas is more than Gershwin tunes and tall cotton! June means triple digit thermometer readings. On the Gulf Coast, June means the hurricane watch begins and will continue into September. But June, means something else in Texas.

June means tomato season busts wide open and between now and about mid-July, it isn’t rainin’ men (thank you to The Weather Girls for helping me continue my musical theme), heck, it isn’t rainin’ much of anything. Texas is in a drought, you know!

Nah, I think this song best describes the affinity I feel towards homegrown tomatoes. Wish I could embed the video but maybe you'll go listen to the link. Apparently there are others who feel as I do! :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-QzLIjL1u4 (Homegrown Tomatoes by Guy Clark).