Mac N Cheese Zoodles (aka Low Carb Macaroni and Cheese)

Shannon Harding's Mac N Cheese Zoodles from
The Low Carb Dish

My friend Shannon Harding from The Low Carb Dish, a low carb Facebook Group I belong to reminded me about a one-time-true-love. Blue box macaroni and cheese. Yes, I’m a child of the 60-70s and I adored the blue box as soon as I was allowed to taste it (which wasn’t often—Mama was a scratch-cook). I love the Brady Bunch, Leave It To Beaver, and yes, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Is it any wonder I’m fluffy?

Korokke - Beef and Fauxtato Croquettes Rule School!

Japanese Korokke - Delicious Low Carb Beef and
Fauxtato Oven-Fried Croquettes

It’s a funny thing how life goes. You’re walkin’ along, minding your own beeswax and things fall into your lap in heavenly accord. That’s what happened last week during a FB session. I saw the heavenly of heavenlies. Japanese Korokke.

If you’re like me, you just said, “Runnnhhhh?”

And your next thought was, “What tha hayull (Texan for h-e-double hockie sticks) are Korokke? They sound like some new-fangled Russian food.”

But you and I would both be wrong.

R-O-N-G, wrong.

Roasted Smashed Fauxtatoes

Roasted Smashed Fauxtatoes a great low carb, keto side.

Cauliflower, perhaps the most beloved veggie in the low carb universe, gets prepared soooo many ways in the blogosphere: roast it, toast it, slice it, dice it, send it through a blender…get the picture? Cauliflower is a low carb darling, maybe the poster child! On any given day millions are making mashed cauliflower in their kitchens—avowing it’s resemblance to mashed taters. Swearing allegiance to it!

Atkins Day 13 - The Mighty Juicy Loosey

The Big Nasty = The Mighty Juicy Loosey, low carb,
keto, Atkins Induction-friendly and lovin' life.

First of all I have to apologize to the academy. My pic of the Mighty Blue Cheese Juicy Loosey is an old image. I was too incredibly, PSYCHOLOGICALLY starved at the mere thought of this beauty, there was no way I wasn't gonna sit down and enjoy it piping hot and melti-licious as soon as it came off the fire.

There I said it. By the time these bad boys were off the grill and on our plate, it was as if my tummeh was sayin’, “Get. In. Mah. Belleh!”

NOW!

And who am I to argue with “the man?”

Atkins Induction Day 11 - A Newbie's Guide to Meal Planning!

Well whaddayaknow! We DO eat salads during Atkins Induction!

When you first start out on Atkins Induction, meal planning may feel daunting. How do you count carbs? How do you know you won’t run out too soon? How do you know WHAT to eat!? Oh my! Intimidating! You only have 20g of Net Carbs during Atkins Induction? As I’ve demonstrated on my fasting days (not part of Atkins Induction), it’s easy to eat 20g of net carbs in a single meal! The CHALLENGE is figuring out how to spread those carbs over an entire day – 3 meals and possibly snacks if you need them!

Cranberry Pomegranate Chutney - Easy Appetizers for New Year's Eave

Who wants a bonus recipe for 2012? I love easy appetizer recipes and among my favorites are those types of things that can be thrown on top of a block of warm cheese or room temperature cheese that still look festive and inviting. Cranberry Pomegranate Chutney is one of those recipes and is a hit in the Fluffy Chix Roost.

Tex-Mex Baked Eggs for Breakfast, Brunch or Brinner

Tex-Mex Baked Eggs so easy and so delicious!

Thank God Thanksgiving is over for another year! I don’t know about you, but I look forward to the holiday and work towards the build-up, planning and dashing and cooking and exhausting myself in the bargain. I’m betting you do too.

This year, we had three days of celebrations and that was maybe one day too long, especially in light of surgery just a short 11 weeks ago. By the third celebration, I developed a massive headache that left me feeling sick to my tummy and weak, right at the height of the party, too! Boo sis!!!

In retrospect I should have skipped Saturday to save up for Sunday. But I tried to do it all. Does that sound familiar? We forget limits!

It's Football Season - Party Low Carb Texas-Style

I'm pleased to announce Fluffy Chix Cook and Susie T's latest article is published over at CarbSmart Magazine. The article touches on how to maintain carb sanity during football season when every weekend brings a 3-day party of Texas-sized dimension!

Dr. Richard Feinman of SUNY Downstate and the Nutrition & Metabolism Society fame, helped me understand biochemistry 101 as it applies to alcohol and partying - even low carb style. Thanks Dr. F! (Ahem, any errors in the explanation rely solely on my chemistry-challenged brain and its exceeding imperfection at grasping biochemistry concepts!)

I want to invite each of your to drop by and post a comment or tip with your favorite advice for navigating downfield in low carb success! Hey, maybe you would share one of your TNT recipes for dips and tailgating party food that you and your family love?! Super! I'm hoping we can get a big old long post of recipes to share!!! I started the ball downfield with my family favorite: Queso with Meat.

Thanks in advance and hope to see you there soon! (Oh and if you would be so kind, don't forget to +1 the article!) MUAH! And muchas gracias!

Here's the link:

Scoring a Low Carb Touchdown For The Home Team

Yes, Virginia, You Do Eat Veggies On a Low Carb Diet

Summertime Tomatoes Shine In This Easy Caprese Appetizer Bites Recipe

Caprese Appetizer Bites make a quick
and delicious low carb appetizer!

I always get a chuckle from some of the assumptions made about low carb living. One of the biggest gross generalities about low carbers is that we don't eat any veggies and that we eat SO much protein. People always want to know whether or not I eat veggies at all…and don’t get me started about the questions that usually begin with, “How can you eat all that fat?”

The irony is that I eat way more veggies on a low carb diet than I ever did eating SAD (Standard American Diet). And summertime with its vegetable bounty is one of my favorite seasons. Honest, this is straight from the mouth of a low carber!

*the crowd makes a collective gasp and swoons*

And tomatoes, a summertime superstar, offer great options for quick and easy recipes! From salads to ingredients in main dishes and veggie side dishes, tomatoes brighten the summertime plate. Every spring, my blood starts pumping as I plan recipes highlighting the new tomato season.

I’m going to focus the next couple of posts on quick and easy vegetable dishes that feature some of the summer’s brightest stars, and why not kick this off with the beloved tomato? I want to illustrate that our low carb lifestyle isn’t all about the meat, although it’s lovely to fearlessly chow down

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.