This weeks Darwin Award winner.

And I thought only men pulled these crazy stunts. Eddie

Poached Egg & Avocado on Low Carb Toast : Delicious & Nutritious

I happened across this lovely image and recipe idea for

Simple Poached Egg and Avocado Toast here

Thought to myself this would be good on top of some

low carb seedy bread pictured, with recipe, here

 Sure makes a yummy breakfast, lunch, tea or supper !

Hope you may enjoy it soon

Dear reader, this blog is presented in a magazine style - we hope something for everyone. You will find a variety of articles, studies, thoughts, photographs, music and recipes! 

However, not all the recipes ideas featured in this blog may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

Blue Beautiful Blue ... and some low carb blueberry ice cream !

This fabulous scene was sent to me by one of our sons. It was taken while out enjoying an hours exercise (allowed in the current coronavirus situation) and fortunate to live by the sea ...

Well on such a wonderful blue sunny day, perhaps it was time for a low carb blueberry ice cream delight! Definitely yummy … more details here

Have you seen this related post? It's A Blue (Recipe) Day, find it here

Dear reader, this blog is presented in a magazine style - we hope something for everyone. You will find a variety of articles, studies, thoughts, photographs, music and recipes! However, not all the recipes ideas featured in this blog may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

One more thing! In the present situation I send all readers my good wishes. Please do your best to take what you can from each day … however large or small that may be … I'm just going to enjoy a cuppa, why not virtually join me.

All the best Jan

Vegetarian Stew : Slow Cooker Recipe

" A slow cooker is the pinnacle of low-maintenance cooking. Place the ingredients inside, turn it on, and let it cook. Your only thought is how delicious that meal is going to taste. But some slow cookers have features which make them better suited to your specific needs than other models. To be happy with your purchase, you'll want those needs met. 

The best slow cookers offer a consistent temperature through many hours of cooking. The warm setting must keep your food warm without letting it continue to cook. You'll want a capacity that can accommodate your family's needs, a removable inner pot that is easy to clean, and durable construction that will allow many long years of use. 

Some slow cookers have programmable features that might be of interest. If you'd like a more in-depth look at these appliances, continue reading here" 

Now ... if you are looking for a fuss-free, easy vegetarian recipe, then this slow cooker chickpea and butternut squash stew is ideal. To offset the delicate flavours of the slow cooker stew, it’s served with fresh basil, shavings of vegetarian cheese and creamy pine nuts ...

Ingredients

Serves Four

1 onion, peeled and chopped
360g butternut squash, chopped into small chunks
250g sweet mini peppers, seeded and halved
400g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
400g tin chopped tomatoes
10-12 basil leaves, shredded
75g pine nuts, toasted
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

vegetarian hard cheese or Parmesan, shaved, to serve (optional)

2 teaspoons chilli flakes (optional)

seasoning as required to serve

Method

1. Put the onion, butternut squash, peppers, beans and chickpeas into the dish of the slow cooker.
2. Pour over the chopped tomatoes then sprinkle with half the basil, (the optional) chilli flakes and season well. Stir well then set the slow cooker to low and cook for 4 hrs, until the vegetables are soft and tender.
3. Serve sprinkled with the remaining basil, the toasted pine nuts, a drizzle of olive oil, add more seasoning to taste if required and shavings of hard cheese, if you like.

Tip

Cooking pulses for a long time helps to make them more digestible and gives them a lovely creaminess – in this dish, any combination of beans or pulses would also work well.

Freezing and defrosting guidelines

Once the cooked dish has cooled completely, transfer it to an airtight, freezer-safe container, seal and freeze for up to 1 month. To serve, defrost overnight before reheating thoroughly.

Nutrition Per Serving

Carbohydrate 35.6g Protein 14.5g Fat 21g Fibre 9.4g

From an original idea here 

Some readers may also be interested in seeing this slow cooker Chicken Casserole recipe here 

Dear reader, this blog is presented in a magazine style - we hope something for everyone. You will find a variety of articles, studies, thoughts, photographs, music and recipes! However, not all the recipes ideas featured in this blog may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

It's A Blue (Recipe) Day

It has been so nice to look out of our window this week and see sunshine and blue skies. Although in the present situation movement for many is restricted, it can and does help boost our mood! Apparently blue is the favourite colour of all people, and it’s nature’s colour for water and sky. But it was seeing this blue sky that inspired this 'it's a blue (recipe) day post' ... if you have a look at the recipes, they all have a blue theme!

Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole : Low Carb / Keto 

more details here

Celeriac & Blue Cheese Soufflés

more details here

Iceberg Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing : Vegetarian

more details here

By the way the first image was taken from google, but it's nice to imagine you are out enjoying a walk... 

I do hope you may enjoy these three recipe ideas. You will find many food and recipe suggestions within this blog, but not all recipes may be suitable for you. Any food allergies, or underlying health issues must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

This weeks Darwin award winner.

The mind boggles ! 

Eddie

Mother's Day 2020

Although many countries do not celebrate Mother's Day until May, here in the UK it is celebrated today. Cards and gifts, perhaps flowers may have been sent, or given, as children take time to say some special words to their mum.

I know for many Mother's Day is not always easy, and this year with Coronavirus (COVID-19) affecting so many of us, Mother's Day may be difficult and different … but I do wish Mum's everywhere a lovely day.

Forever in my heart

Forever in my thoughts
Forever in my life
My mum is always with me
Thank you Mum

I'll always love you

My good wishes to all readers,

and please enjoy the flowers ...

All the best Jan

J.S. Bach - Toccata & Fugue Karim Kamar

Saturday night is music night on this blog. Check out this guy, mind blowing talent I think you will agree. Stay safe everyone and good luck and health to all. Eddie

Oatmeal - Can I Eat It On a Low Carb / Keto Diet ?

Do you like oatmeal? I know many people do, but when you live a low carb or keto lifestyle it doesn't really fit in! So what do you do? Well, you simply find alternatives/substitutes which are lower in carbs.

Let's just re-cap on what is low carb …
Low carb (ketogenic) 0-50g carbohydrate per day

Typical low carb 50-90g (this is what Eddie and I do, typically around 50g per day)

Liberal low carb 90-130g

Moderate carb 130-170g

High carb 170g and more

For comparison, a regular Western diet can easily contain 250 grams of carbs or more in a day, most of them refined carbs, including sugar.

Now, back to oats! While oats may come packed with key vitamins and minerals, the carb count is simply too high for those following a low-carb or ketogenic diet. Even if you were to split the serving size in half and only consume 50 grams of oats in a sitting, it would still make up about 28 grams of carbs. Remaining below a certain carb intake is key in a low carb or keto diet.

This change in diet may be a bit overwhelming at first, which is why it’s recommended to find low-carb substitutes for all of your favourite high-carb foods to make the transition easier. Fortunately, there are several low-carb oatmeal alternatives you can enjoy.

1.  Chia Seed Oatmeal

2. Flaxseed Oatmeal

3. Hemp Heart Seeds

4. Coconut Flakes

Read more about oatmeal, and see the alternative recipes here

Read more about low carb here and here

You may also be interested in reading:
Introduction to Low Carb for beginners, find it here
Just Swap - Doesn't It Make Sense ? - find it here

Dear reader, this blog is presented in a magazine style - we hope something for everyone. You will find a variety of articles, studies, thoughts, photographs, music and recipes! However, not all the recipes ideas featured in this blog may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

Poor little chap! bless him.

Eddie

Avocado Substitutes !

We love avocados in our house, but not everyone does. 

We certainly consider avocados one of our top five favourite low-carb, high-fat foods. They are packed with healthy fat, fibre, and micronutrients. However, even though avocados have so many benefits, they are not for everyone! If you are a person that cannot stand them, then ideally you need to find substitutions that contain similar amounts of healthy fats without the carbs.

Today, I share seven foods that have similar nutrient profiles to avocado to help you keep your low-carb diet/menu plans on track! 

The Nutrient Break Down of an Avocado

Avocados are high in fat and fibre with a small amount of protein. For example, one half of an avocado has about 160 calories and 15 grams of fat. It also contains 9 grams of carbs and seven grams of fibre. The high fibre content of avocado makes it an excellent food for hunger control and your overall health.

How to Find Avocado Substitutes 

You may be wondering why I am sharing the nutrient breakdown of an avocado when this is the food we are trying to substitute. The reason is that when you are looking for a suitable substitute for a portion of food, you want to match its nutrient breakdown as closely as possible. With that said, here are seven healthy foods you can use as an avocado substitute.

Avocado Substitutes

Raw Nuts

Raw Seeds

Nut Butters

Olives

Eggs

Soft Cheese

Pesto

The Bottom Line
To conclude, the seven foods that you can swap with avocados are raw nuts, raw seeds, nut butter, stuffed olives, eggs, soft cheeses, and pesto.
The above taken, with much more to read, from an article by Dr. Becky Gillaspy, DC here

Related Post
Reasons To Love Avocados? Well Here Are Twenty! read more here

Dear reader, please be aware that you will find a variety of articles and recipe ideas/suggestions within this blog, but not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

Chicken Griddled, with Broccoli and Courgetti : Lower Carb Recipe

Replacing/swapping pasta and noodles with vegetable versions has gained popularity in recent years as it is an easy way to cut down on carbs and get your five-a-day. Whether you buy your courgetti ready-made or spiralize the vegetable yourself, there’s a vast range of recipes to use it in.

Courgetti is quick to cook whichever way you choose to eat it. Add it to stir-fries in the last two minutes of cooking time, steam it to serve with a pasta-style sauce, even bulk up soups and broths by adding it in at the end.

This recipe, for simple griddled chicken breast served alongside a broccoli, courgetti, almond and raisin salad is a fuss-free, delicious meal and is ready in just thirty minutes.

Ingredients

Serves Four

4 chicken breasts

2 tsp olive oil
1 ½ lemons, zested
1/2 tsp dried thyme or chilli flakes

For the salad
1 x broccoli head, broken into florets, stalk cut into thin batons
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
25g (1oz) flaked almonds, toasted
50g (2oz) raisins
1 x 250g tub *courgetti / courgette spaghetti (or make your own)

For the dressing
1½ lemons, juiced
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp sugar (or equivalent sweetener if preferred) 

Method
1. To make the salad, cook the broccoli and garlic in a pan of boiling water for two to three minutes, until the broccoli is al dente. Drain and cool for 10 mins.

2. Meanwhile, sandwich each chicken breast between 2 sheets of cling-film on a chopping board. Using a rolling pin, bash until flattened to about 0.5cm thick.

Rub with the olive oil, sprinkle with the lemon zest and thyme or chilli. Season well.

3. To make the dressing, whisk the lemon juice, oil and sugar in a bowl with some seasoning.
4. Put the broccoli, garlic, almonds, raisins and courgette in a bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss to coat; set aside until needed.

5. Heat a griddle pan on the hob. Add the chicken and griddle for 3-4 mins on each side, until cooked through with no pink meat showing.

Serve the chicken with the courgetti. 

From an idea here

Nutrition Per Serving

Carbohydrate 15g, Protein 42.3g, Fat 10g, Fibre 3.3g

Tip

Turn this into an alfresco dinner by cooking the chicken on the barbecue instead. Cook as above and check it is fully cooked through with no pink meat showing before serving.

N.B. *Courgetti is also known as Zucchini Noodles or Zoodles!

We bring a variety of recipes, food suggestions/ideas and articles to this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

Fatty Liver : Low carb is an effective treatment for fatty liver !

Sharing a post from Diet Doctor site:

Groundbreaking study: low carb is an effective treatment for fatty liver
The following is a post by Ann Fernholm, author, science journalist and PhD in molecular biotechnology. She is the founder of the not-for-profit Dietary Science Foundation.

Approximately 25 percent of adults in the Western world have fatty liver and are thus at an increased risk of developing cirrhosis, liver cancer, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Fatty liver is considered a chronic disease, but researchers at the University of Gothenburg have now proven that it is possible to get rid of the liver fat in just two weeks. The medication is called: a strict low carb or keto diet.

Fatty liver – what is that? You might wonder, and perhaps think that this is referring to that fat-rich paté which the French love. But fatty liver is one of the most common HIDDEN diseases in the world. In earlier decades, fatty liver was mostly associated with alcoholism, but in the footprints of the obesity epidemic, the frequency of the disease has sky rocketed. Approximately one out of every ten adolescents in both Europe and the US have the disease today.

A little fat in the liver is not harmful (given that you’re not a goose and thus are at risk of becoming paté), but in the long run the liver risks becoming inflamed and the liver cells can die. A fatty liver also increases the risk of developing cirrhosis, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. To avoid this, people need to get the fat out of the liver.

The advice given to people with fatty liver has been to exercise, count calories and lose weight, but – as we all know – most people fail and the fat remains in the same place. That’s why it is an important breakthrough that researchers at the University of Gothenburg have showed that the fat can go away without substantial weight loss. The participants in the study simply continued to eat the same amount of calories, but swapped carbs for protein. Within just two weeks, the liver was significantly thinner than before.

Surprising discovery: the microbiome started producing folic acid

The study, which was published in Cell Metabolism, included only ten people and is small, but it’s a very interesting piece to dig into as a biochemist like yours truly. It’s an extremely detailed map showing what happens when a person cuts down on sugar and starch in their diet. The liver metabolism changed almost immediately. Instead of creating fat, it started burning it and already in the first day you could see a significant reduction in liver fat. As a great side effect, the participants also improved their cholesterol profiles.

The microbiome also changed. A surprising discovery was that it started producing more folic acid, a vitamin which is important in the liver’s metabolism. Low levels of folic acid has earlier been associated with an increased risk of fatty liver.

Is sugar a worse than starch?

In my Swedish book, Det sötaste vi har (The Sweetest Thing We’ve Got), I write that some researchers suspect that our high consumption of sugar is an important reason explaining the epidemic of fatty liver. Sugar contains the sugar molecule fructose, which is metabolized in the liver. When we consume too much candy, soda and other sweets, our liver starts producing fat and after a while fat appears to get stuck in the liver.

In order to test this hypothesis, researchers at UCSF in San Francisco have earlier let children with fatty liver replace the sugar in food with starch (which contains the sugar molecule glucose). Just like the current study conducted in Gothenburg, the intention was to let the children continue to eat the same amount of calories and maintain their weight.

Despite the fact that the children ate carbs in the form of starch, the liver’s metabolism changed rapidly. Within nine days, almost half of the fat was gone. Some children also lost weight, but the amount of fat in the liver also decreased among the children who simply maintained their weight.

The Dietary Science Foundation invests in a study on fatty liver

So what conclusions can you draw from all this? First and foremost: it’s time to stop counting calories. Different types of calories have different effects on the body. Carbs do more harm than good for people with fatty liver, and there is reason to suspect that sugar is the worst of all carbs.

BUT. Both the Gothenburg and the USCF study are small and lacking a control group. In order to establish a new treatment, a better form of studies is required, randomized controlled trials. The Dietary Science Foundation just invested in this type of study at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, where a strict low-carb diet will be compared to 5:2 intermittent fasting and conventional treatment. If the study confirms the results above, it’s an important step in establishing a new dietary treatment in the medical care. And a chronic disease with over one billion sufferers, might turn out to be treatable in just a couple of weeks. Guess if that would reduce a lot of costs and strain on the medical system? 

The above by Ann Fernholm

Related Posts/Information

New study: Can low carb help reverse a fatty liver? - see here

'A Low-Carb Diet for Beginners' - see here

Also our own, 'Introduction to low-carb for beginners' - see here
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), The UK NHS Website - see here

We bring a variety of articles and recipe ideas to this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

This weeks Darwin award winners!

Words fail me. Eddie

There are times when only chocolate will do !

It's quite often said to me … but surely you don't eat chocolate Jan?
To which I answer, yes I do, but only a square or two! I go on to explain that it is the dark chocolate variety and always 70% + cocoa.

Yes, dark chocolate (cocoa), "is loaded with nutrients that can positively affect your health. It's made from the seed of the cocoa tree, it is one of the best sources of antioxidants on the planet.

Studies show that dark chocolate (not the sugary type) can improve health and lower the risk of heart disease.

Dark Chocolate is Very Nutritious:
If you buy quality dark chocolate with a high cocoa content, then it is actually quite nutritious.
It contains a decent amount of soluble fibre and is loaded with minerals.

A 100 gram bar of dark chocolate with 70-85% cocoa contains:
11 grams of fibre.
67% of the RDA for Iron.
58% of the RDA for Magnesium.
89% of the RDA for Copper.
98% of the RDA for Manganese.
It also has plenty of potassium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium."

Above words and much more to read about dark chocolate here

Here are Three Dark Chocolate Recipe Suggestions:

Chocolate Mousse : Made The Low Carb Way

more details here

Cappuccino Cake : Low Carb Recipe

more details here

Mocha Ice Bombs : A Perfect Low Carb Treat

more details here

You may not want to do any baking, so why not just enjoy a square of dark chocolate. Many studies have shown that dark chocolate is incredibly healthy, and may reduce your risk of several diseases.

Dark chocolate is loaded with fibre and antioxidants, as well as minerals such as iron, magnesium, copper and manganese. Plant compounds in dark chocolate have been shown to lower blood pressure, protect against heart disease, improve brain function and protect the skin against the sun’s harmful UV-rays. To make the most of the health benefits, it is recommended to eat dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 70–85% or higher. A piece of dark chocolate is especially delicious when enjoyed with a good cup of coffee.

Bottom line: Dark chocolate contains high amounts of fibre, antioxidants and minerals. It may reduce the risk of heart disease, improve brain function and protect the skin from the sun, read more here 

Dear reader, we bring a variety of articles and recipe/food suggestions to this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan 

Long May You Run The Stills-Young Band

Saturday night is music night on this place, how many noticed I missed putting up a post last Saturday? very few I expect LOL. Anyway, Jan and myself have been Neil Young fans since we were teens, quite a few Neil CD's in our collection. This track dedicated to our readers and followers, may you and yours long may you run.

Good luck and health to all. Eddie

Saturday Supper : Low Carb Pizza Frittata

This Low Carb / Keto Pizza Frittata has all the delicious flavours of pizza … yum!

Serve it for breakfast, lunch or even Saturday Supper, it's sure to be a winner!

Ingredients

Serves Six (adjust as necessary)

12 medium (free range) eggs
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup Pizza Sauce
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
3 ounces Canadian bacon (back bacon), sliced, divided
3 ounces pepperoni, sliced, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 ounces onion, diced, divided
2 ounces green bell pepper, diced, divided
2 ounces red bell pepper, diced, divided
2 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced, divided
5 black olives, sliced

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400°
2. Crack eggs into a large mixing bowl and fork whisk. Mix in garlic, pizza sauce, Parmesan cheese and ¼ cup mozzarella cheese.
3. Chop up half of the bacon and pepperoni. Mix into eggs.
4. Heat a large, oven proof pan/skillet over medium heat. To the pan/skillet, add 2 Tbs. olive oil, half of the onion, green bell peppers, red bell peppers, and mushrooms. Sauté until tender. Mix into eggs.
5. Pour egg mixture into skillet and stir. When eggs start to firm up and set on the bottom and the sides, transfer skillet to the oven. Bake 10 minutes.
6. Remove pan/skillet from oven, top with remaining mozzarella cheese, bacon, pepperoni, onion, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, mushrooms, and black olives.
7. Return to oven and bake 5-10 additional minutes.

8. It's nice served with a salad ...

Notes
Makes Servings: 6 – Per Serving:

Calories: 309 | Fat 22g | Protein 24g | Net Carbs 4.5g

From an original idea here

Need help with weight/measurement conversion, see here

daffodils are still bright and cheerful ...
enjoy your day

We bring a variety of recipe ideas and articles to this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

Ya gotta larf

Eddie

Swedish nutrition students are consuming fewer carbs and more fat

Franziska Spritzler RD CDE writes:

"Study: Swedish nutrition students are consuming fewer carbs and more fat

Attitudes about low-carb diets have continued to shift in a positive direction worldwide. 

In Sweden, for instance, so many people follow a LCHF or keto lifestyle that a few years back it was rumoured the country had adopted low-carb dietary guidelines. 

Although that wasn’t the case, this way of eating has remained popular among Swedes. And according to a new study, this includes college students who are interested in nutrition: 

PLoS ONE: From carbohydrates to fat: Trends in food intake among Swedish nutrition students from 2002 to 2017 

Between 2002 and 2017, university students who were enrolled in a nutrition course recorded everything they ate and drank for two days, including one weekend day. Every student’s intake of calories, carbs, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals was calculated, and the averages for each year were reported. Because there were very few male students, only data from female students was included in the final analysis. 

Over 15 years, there was a steady and significant decrease in carb intake and increase in fat intake among the students. Their protein consumption, on the other hand, increased only slightly during this time. And although the students were eating fewer carbs, their diets remained high in fibre. In addition, vitamin D and folate intakes seemed to go up slightly between 2002–2017, while their intake of other key nutrients remained constant. 

Because only the averages were reported, it’s not clear how many of the students were actually eating LCHF. But the average carb intake of 41% and average fat intake of nearly 38% suggests that several of them likely were. 

Interestingly, this information was originally only intended to be part of routine record keeping for the university course. The researchers made the decision to publish the findings in a study once they realized how much data had been collected. 

This paper could be viewed as pretty encouraging. If young, nutrition-minded people prefer to eat lower-carb, higher-fat diets than their recent predecessors, this may be good news for the nutrition and medical professions —and especially people with metabolic disease who seek their help."

The above from article here

I wonder if some of these students enjoy Flying Jacob (Flygande Jacob), a classic Swedish Chicken Dish, pictured above. More details of this moderate low carb recipe version can be found here 

We bring a variety of recipe ideas and articles to this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

Happy eating - or as I believe the Swedish translation is -

Glad ätande

All the best Jan

No Matter What The Day ... grandchildren are just the best !

As regular readers know we have five wonderful grandchildren, they are just the best, and our three youngest recently celebrated World Book Day. It's lovely to see them all reading and we often share a book together... such special times. 

World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day, or International Day of the Book, is an annual event organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to promote reading, publishing, and copyright. World Book Day was first celebrated on 23 April 1995, and continues to be recognized on that day. A related event in the United Kingdom and Ireland is observed in March...

As you can see from the pictures below, they entered into the spirit of the day  

Where’s Wally (Waldo in the US) by Martin Handford,

and a fairy called Silky from The Folk of the Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton

just love those smiles ...

Augustus Gloop from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

just love the gluttonous look and stance ...

… well done you three, perhaps you may like a cookie biscuit?

These are only 2 net carbs per cookie biscuit,

perfect for those looking for a low carb version of chocolate chip cookies,

if you'd like to give this recipe a try, there are more details here

All the best Jan

Baked Haddock and Eggs : For Breakfast, For Supper, For Anytime !

How about this rich and creamy classic of baked haddock and eggs. It's studded with mini asparagus spears so you're getting some healthy greens at the same time! Some may like it for breakfast, while others might like it for supper - it could be enjoyed at any time of the day!

Ingredients
Serves Two
2 Tbs. butter
80 g baby spinach
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
250 g haddock/smoked hake portions (bones and skin removed)
100 g mini asparagus spears (or fine green beans or tender-stem broccoli) – blanched for 2 minutes
4 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced
1/2 cup (heavy) double thick cream
zest of 1 lemon
freshly ground salt and pepper to taste
4 large eggs

extra lemon zest and chopped chives for garnish 

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. In an oven proof pot (16 cm), heat the butter and add the spinach and cook until wilted. Remove pot from heat. Sprinkle the spinach with half of the cheese.
3. Cut the raw haddock into bite size pieces and place on top of the spinach in a single layer.
4. Arrange the blanched asparagus between the fish and sprinkle with spring onions.
5. Whisk the cream, zest and seasoning together and pour over the fish and veg.

6. Gently crack the eggs one by one into the crevices between the ingredients. 

7. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan making sure you cover the eggs.

8. Season once more.
9. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until golden and the eggs are just set.

10. Sprinkle with some extra lemon zest and chopped chives. 

11. Serve immediately.

Need help with weight/measurement conversion, see here

From an idea seen here

Have you ever asked yourself, what is cream? Are you confused about the different types of cream available? There is a guide that should be able to help you with cream types and definitions... 

Cream is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-layer of yellowish fatty component that accumulates at the top surface of unhomogenized milk. This is skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. 

The amount of butterfat contained in the cream will determine how well cream will whip and how stable it will be. Higher fat creams tend to taste better, have a richer texture, and don’t curdle as easily when used in cooking.

See the guide and more to read here

Have you seen this recipe for a Breakfast Casserole? It's vegetarian low carb / keto and packed with protein. More details here

A variety of recipe ideas, food suggestions and articles are within this blog, but not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

Diabetic Friendly Courgette / Zucchini Recipes : Lower Carb

Some call them courgettes, while others know them as zucchini ... but did you know this vegetable is a great low calorie, low carb option to include as a regular food choice in a diabetic diet.

 
If you’re already living the LCHF lifestyle, you will know that courgettes are low in carbs, just 2g. carb per 100g, and they are probably high up on your must buy shopping (or growing) list. They may not pack the nutritional punch of other green vegetables (broccoli, kale etc.) but they do contain significant levels of potassium to control blood pressure and vitamin C to boost your immune system.

The courgette’s thin dark skin is high in soluble fibre, which slows digestion and stabilises blood sugar levels – potentially getting rid of those pesky mid-afternoon sweet cravings. Soluble fibre can also prevent constipation and help with those horrible IBS symptoms so many of us endure.

You can buy courgettes from most big supermarkets as well as small farmers markets (when in season). Many prefer to buy locally sourced courgettes as supermarkets can of course ship vegetables thousands of miles despite them being in season a few minutes down the road, but how and where you buy is always a personal choice.

Yes, this nutrient-dense vegetable deserves all the love it can get. Here are some reasons why:

High in fibre and water
Contains significant amounts of vitamins B6, riboflavin, folate, C, and K
Rich in minerals like potassium and manganese
Reduces constipation and other digestive issues
Rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients

Improves eye health due to health-protecting antioxidants 

Here are some recipe suggestions you may like to try to include this vegetable in your menu plans.

Spinach and ricotta lasagne with courgette (zucchini) pasta
see recipe here

Courgette / Zucchini Pizza Boats

see recipe here

Tomato, Basil and Lemon Courgette / Zucchini Pasta

Low Carb : Vegan : Gluten-free

see recipe here

A variety of recipe ideas, food suggestions and articles are within this blog, but not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan