LOW CARB CRUISE TO THE BAHAMAS

I've been enjoying getting back to normal life after turning in the manuscript for "You'll Never Know What You Are Missing." There will be more work to do once it gets to the editing stage, but for now I'm getting caught up on all the things that I've neglected. (I finally put back the living room furniture that we moved out to make room for the Christmas tree--not this past Christmas but the one before!) One thing I've really been looking forward to is this year's low carb cruise to the Bahamas. Our block of rooms sold out, so we have a larger group than last year. In fact, the whole cruise sold out, an indication of what a bargain these trips currently are.

You may have heard the story about an elderly woman who lives on cruise ships. She reportedly compared the daily rate for cruising to that of an assisted living facility and discovered that cruising, with a large staff at your beck and call, unlimited fine dining, room service, maid service, entertainment, medical care on site, etc, etc, was cheaper. I assumed the story was an urban myth, but I have a friend who vows that it is true and claims to know who she is. (Perhaps there are many now.)

One concern about cruising is the frequency of outbreaks of contagious illnesses. The cruise lines make every effort to make you feel safe. There are hand sanitizers everywhere and now a person handing out hand wipes is stationed at the entry to the dining rooms. Still, instances of hundreds of people getting sick continue to be reported by the media. I am planning to do one thing differently this time. Whenever I am not in a hurry to get somewhere, I am going to have breakfast and lunch in the dining room rather than follow the crowds in the buffet lines. This way, I will avoid the self-serve utensils shared by throngs of people. I'll also get a white tablecloth, individualized attention, and a gourmet menu that can be customized to suit my low-carb preferences. That beats feeding at the common trough and schlepping a plastic tray around while searching for a table. For those times when I do need to hurry, I am taking individual packets of whey protein shake mix. I'll just add water and cream to make a healthful, low-carb breakfast.

Becky Gandy, our hard-working cruise organizer, sent us this article about how to stay low carb on a cruise. It contains some pretty good advice for eating out in general, although I take exception to the notion that you can freely partake of the bread as long as it is whole grain.

http://www.cruisereport.com/crNews.aspx?id=234

(C) 2010, Judy Barnes Baker

"Risotto"

Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to splurge on duck breasts—you only need two servings. I haven’t decided if I will use the Duck Breasts with Raspberry Glaze recipe that I created for the new book or the Pan-seared Duck Breasts with one of the sweet chutneys from Carb Wars. Either way, I will be making my faux Risotto as the side dish. It is super easy, it tastes as good as the labor-intensive ones served in fancy restaurants, and we can enjoy it guilt-free, since it is so low in carbs. It would work equally well alongside a filet steak. And, of course, there will be chocolate truffles or chocolate-covered strawberries for dessert.

There's an old saying, "kissin' don't last--good cooking do." I wish you both!

“Risotto”
Mexican-style hominy is surprisingly low in carbohydrates. I’m not sure why, but it has something to do with the lye process used to make the hominy from dried corn. Juanita’s Mexican Style Hominy® lists just four net grams of carbohydrate per half-cup; most corn products have from thirteen to twenty-five grams in the same amount. Teasdale’s is similar, just be sure the label says “Mexican Style” for either brand.

1 can (1 pound, 13 ounces) Mexican-style
hominy, drained
1/2 cup chopped shallots
4 large fresh mushrooms, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
Back pepper to taste

Process the hominy in the bowl of a food processor until it is evenly
chopped. Sauté the shallots and mushrooms in the butter. Add the
hominy, broth, and white wine, and simmer until liquid is absorbed.
Add cream and parsley and heat through. Add Parmesan and heat and
stir until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Servings: 8

PER SERVING:
Total Carb: 10.3g Fiber: 4.8g Net Carb: 5.5g

(C) 2010, Judy Barnes Baker

AN INVITAION

Great news! A brand new low-carb store has opened in beautiful Mill Creek, Washington. Owners Dan Arnold and his wife, Amber Wester, invite you to join them for a grand opening celebration this coming Saturday, February 6th. (See invitation below.) I will certainly be there to wish them well and to stock up on all my favorite products that, I am thrilled to say, I can now buy locally!

If you live in the Seattle area (Eastside), I hope you will support Dan and Amber in their effort to have a positive impact in our community and to spread the word that there is a smarter way to eat. If you don’t live nearby, take heart, this may be the vanguard of a new trend toward a more healthful lifestyle that will eventually spread across the country.

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Grand Opening Celebration!

Please stop by on Saturday February 6th anytime between 10:00 AM & 8:00 PM to celebrate the opening of Smart Eats!

We will have lots of products available to sample and many items on sale so please stop on by. If you know someone who has a need for Diabetic, Low Carb or Gluten Free products please forward this message to them. Thanks!

We look forward to seeing you!

Sincerely,

Dan & Amber

Where & When:
SMART EATS
15224 Main Street Suite #100
Mill Creek, Washington 98012
Saturday, February 6th
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Smart Eats
P: 425-338-1300
F: 425-645-8036
info@smarteatsusa.com
www.smarteatsusa.com