VIDEO #3: EZ CREAMY STAWBERRY PIE

EZ CREAMY STRAWBERRY PIE
This luscious strawberry pie is low-carb, gluten-free, and probably the easiest pie you will ever make!

1 (9-inch) Almond Pie Crust, recipe below,
   baked and cooled
8 ounces frozen strawberries (to make 1/2 cup
   of cooked puree)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
10 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
16 ounces (two 8-ounce tubs) whipped cream
   cheese
8 ounces plain, Greek yogurt with live cultures
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/8 teaspoon plus 6 drops (or 42 drops) EZ-
   Sweetz, equal to 14 tablespoons of sugar
A few grains of salt
Whipped Cream and a perfect strawberry to
   garnish, optional

Place frozen berries in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring frequently, until reduced to 1/2 cup and as thick as jam, about 20 to 25 minutes. Whisk or stir with a fork to break up any large berry pieces. Stir in lemon juice and let cool.

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and yogurt until smooth. Beat in vanilla, EZ-Sweetz, cooked berry puree, and salt. Fold fresh berries into cream cheese and yogurt mixture. Spread evenly in baked pie shell and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.

Filled pie can be refrigerated for 24 hours. Store filling and crust separately for longer storage. Top with Whipped Cream sweetened with EZ-Sweetz and garnish with a berry.

Makes 10 servings. Cal: 278; Fat: 25.3g; Protein: 6.2g; Fiber: 2.7g; Net Carbs: 6.7g
(Count excludes some of the sugar in the yogurt that has been eaten by the live cultures.)

ALMOND PIE CRUST
This tasty crust is excellent for any one-crust pie or tart.

Butter for pan
1 1/4 cups almond flour or almond meal (5
   ounces)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
EZ-Sweetz equal to 3 tablespoon of sugar (9
   drops)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan.

Mix crust ingredients together and press into pan. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Remove from oven and let cool.

Makes 10 servings. Cal: 129; Fat: 11.7g; Protein: 3.8g; Fiber; 2.1g; Net carbs: 1.5g

Crust recipe from Nourished; a Cookbook for Health, Weight Loss, and Metabolic Balance, by Judy Barnes Baker

(C) 2012, Judy Barnes Baker; www.carbwars.blogspot.com

VIDEO #2: EZ LIME DRINKS

EZ LIMEADE
Sweetened beverages are said to be the #1 source of calories in the diet of Americans.* Each 12-ounce serving of regular cola contains 10 teaspoons of sugar, usually high-fructose corn syrup. Why so much? Carbonated water tastes bitter and it takes a lot of sugar to counteract it. (Taste a flat Cola to see how sickeningly sweet it is.) Make your own drinks for your family using fresh ingredients and get the sugar and caffeine out.

Per serving:
1 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
EZ-Sweetz equal to 2 tablespoons of sugar (6
   drops) or to taste
Ice to serve

Mix together and serve over ice. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
.
Makes 1 serving: Cal: 6; Fat: 0g; Protein: 0g; Fiber: 0g; Net Carbs: 1.8g

*A study from Tufts University reported that sweet drinks are the main source of calories in the American diet. (Preliminary Data Suggest that Soda and Sweet Drinks Are The Main Source of Calories in American Diet, Science Daily, 27 May 2005. Web. Jul 2012.)

EZ LIME RICKY
This old fashioned soda fountain drink is still the perfect summer cooler.

Per serving:
2 fresh limes or about 1/4 cup lime juice
EZ-Sweetz equal to 1/4 cup sugar (12 drops)
   or to taste
A dash of Angostura bitters
Crushed or shaved ice
3/4 cup carbonated water
A Lime Twist, below
A fresh cherry, with stem, for garnish, if
   desired

Roll the limes on the counter or soak them in warm water for a few minutes so they will release more juice. Squeeze limes. Fill a tall glass two-thirds full of crushed ice. Add lime juice, EZ-Sweetz, and a dash of bitter to the glass. Top with carbonated water. Stir and garnish with a twist of lime peel and a cherry and serve.
.
Makes 1 serving. Cal: 7; Fat: 0g; Protein: 0g; Fiber: 0g; Net Carbs: 3.6g

LIME TWIST
A twist of lime is more than just a pretty garnish; it adds a burst of intensely-flavored citrus oil.

Cut a 1/4-inch slice from the center of a lime. Lay it flat, and using a paring knife, cut around the lemon flesh and remove, leaving a ring of rind with a small amount of white pith. Split one side of the ring and use a spoon to scrape away most of the pith. Roll up the rind and rub the colored side around the rim of the glass and then twist it into a tight spiral and pull on the ends to release the oil. Drop it in the drink or drape it over the side of the glass.

EZ LIME CARDAMOM LASSI
This is similar to India's popular yogurt-based drinks, the perfect cool-me-down, pick-me-up on a hot summer day.

Per serving:
1 cup whole-milk kefir
1 cup cold water
2 tablespoons lime juice
EZ-Sweetz equal to 2 tablespoons sugar (6
   drops), or to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom or nutmeg
A few grains of salt
1/2 cup crushed ice or about 6 ice cubes

Blend kefir, water, lime juice, sweetener, and spice. Pour over ice in a tall glass and serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from Carb Wars; Sugar is the New Fat, by Judy Barnes Baker.

Makes 1 serving. Cal: 60; Fat: 2.7g; Protein: 3g; Fiber: 0.4g; Net Carbs: 6.6g

Notes:
Fermented dairy products with live cultures must list the same number of carbs as the milk that goes into them, but according to Stephan Phinney, MD, PhD, and Jeff Volek, PhD, RD, authors of "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living," most of the sugar has been converted to lactic acid. The amount remaining is about 4 grams per cup.

~~

Cultured dairy products, such as buttermilk, yogurt, and kefir provide "good" bacteria for the digestive system that can often be tolerated even by those who are lactose intolerant. While both yogurt and kefir contain friendly bacteria, kefir also contains beneficial yeast cultures.

~~

Many people with dairy allergies can tolerate dairy products made from goat's milk, Kefir can also be made from coconut milk.



(C) 2012, Judy Barnes Baker; www.carbwars.blogspot.com

Video #1: EZ Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Gourmet, chocolate-dipped treats are the perfect gift for the special someone in your life. Easy to make and not just good, but good for you!

8 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/4 teaspoon (24 drops) EZ-Sweetz, equal to 1/2
   cup sugar
2 drops of another liquid sweetener, such as
   stevia
2 teaspoons no-trans-fat shortening, such as
    Spectrum, or use coconut oil*
A few grains of salt
12 to 16 fresh strawberries (1/2- to 1-ounce
    each for a total of about 10 ounces, with
    stems or caps attached

Chop 8 ounces of unsweetened chocolate into small pieces. Use a rocking motion to shave the chocolate away from the edge of the chunk in thin shards. The smaller the pieces, the faster and easier it melts. Always use high quality chocolate. Inferior brands may substitute soy or cottonseed oil for the healthful cocoa butter in the real thing.

Line a heavy sheet pan with waxed paper or foil and put in the refrigerator to chill. Wash and dry the berries and put in the refrigerator.They should be very cold and very dry when you are ready to dip them.

Heat an inch or so of water to boiling in the bottom pan of a double boiler. Turn down the heat so it is hot but not bubbling. (A bowl that fits tightly over a pan can be used as a double boiler.)

Place sweeteners and salt in top pan of the double boiler and set over, but not touching, the water. Add shortening and stir until it is melted. Continue to stir for a few minutes more to let the liquid in the sweetener evaporate. Stir in chocolate and continue to stir until melted and smooth. Stir the chocolate continuously with a flexible spatula as it melts.

Note: Chocolate melts at body temperature, which is why it has that wonderful, melt-in-your-mouth quality, but it separates or scorches if it gets much hotter than that. A small amount of melted chocolate that sits on the bottom of a hot pan for too long can ruin the whole batch. So be patient; don't be tempted to turn up the heat, and stir, stir, stir, thoroughly and constantly.

As soon as the chocolate is melted, remove both pans from the heat, but leave the chocolate over the hot water while dipping.

Hold berry by the stem or cap, or spear with a fork in the top where a stem would be if it had one. Dip the bottom 2/3 of each berry into the chocolate. Swirl the berry around and hold it upside down briefly so the chocolate will flow down for even coverage. Set on the chilled pan. Repeat with remaining berries.

Place pan with berries in the refrigerator to chill for at least 15 minutes before serving. Can be stored, loosely covered, up to a few days. Do not cover tightly or moisture will condense and drip onto the berries. (DO cover other things in the fridge so the berries don't pick up any off flavors.)

Recipe adapted from Nourished; a Cookbook for Health, Weight Loss, and Metabolic Balance, by Judy Barnes Baker.

Makes 12 to 16 servings of 1 berry.
Calories: 31; Fat: 2.7 g; Protein: 0.7 g; Fiber: 1.2; Net Carbs: 1.7 g

Notes:

The amount of chocolate coating you need will vary with the size of your pan the the size of the berries. You can double the recipe if necessary.

~~

*Berries covered with chocolate made with shortening will hold up longer at room temperature. Those made with coconut oil will need to be refrigerated and used promptly or the chocolate will melt.

~~

About half the chocolate dip will be left over because it will become too shallow for dipping. Pour it out in a 1/4-inch layer and cut it into chocolate chips when cold or stir in some nuts or coconut and drop by tablespoonfuls onto pan to make candy clusters.

~~

You can melt purchased, sugar-free chocolate chips, such as Nevada Manna, to use for dipping.

"Are wild strawberries really wild? Will they scratch an adult, will they snap at a child?...Or should we make a pet out of something less scary, like the Domestic Prune or the Imported Cherry. Anyhow, you've been warned and I will not be blamed if your Wild Strawberries cannot be tamed."

~~Shel Silberstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends

This is the first of a series of videos I made with the EZ-Sweetz Company. More to come!

(C) 2012, Judy Barnes Baker, www.carbwars.blogspot.com

Disclaimer: I have received product samples from EZ-Sweetz.

GREAT DISCOUNT FROM LC-FOODS

Attention, LC-Foods Corp Shoppers! You can use the code FIVEOFF on any orders you place in the next week when ordering $20 or more to get $5 off your order. That's quite a deal! They also offer reduced-priced shipping with a minimum order of $85. (See banner in right sidebar to place an order.) Offer is good through Saturday, August 9, 2012.

Glen continues to add exciting new products to his already impressive inventory (pastas and and smoothies are the latest to launch). Check out the LC-Foods Facebook page to follow his new releases and to find more coupon codes, recipes, and product reviews, and to see pictures of all the good things his recipe testers are cooking up. You do not have to join Facebook to view the page. www.facebook.com/lcfoods

(C) 2012, Judy Barnes Baker, www.carbwars.blogspot.com

Disclaimer: I have received sample products from LC-Foods Corp.

LOW-CARBING AMONG FRIENDS, VOL 2

 

Now ready for pre-order! Click here to read more.  

This is the 2nd in a groundbreaking new series of cookbooks from Jennifer Eloff and her ever-expanding team of authors, doctors, low-carb experts, and cookbook writers. All the recipes are low-carb, gluten-free, wheat-free, and sugar-free, and all have been cross-checked with a variety of sweeteners so you can use the ones you prefer.

 .

This book, as well as Low-Carbing Among Friends, Vol 1, will be available either perfect bound, or for a few dollars more, coil bound. Coil binding allows the book to lay flat, an especially useful thing for cookbooks. Click on the link above to see the images scrolling across the top of the page for a preview of some of the yummy things included in this unique series. Pre-orders are in effect till around mid-August, and you can save on the book, S&H, coil binding, and multible books by ordering before then. (It's not too eary to start thinking about Christmas gifts!) The preferred order page is http://amongfriends.us/preorder5.php.

Shipping for Volume 2 starts in one week and the first customers in the USA can have delivery by the end of August. Volume 1 sold out BEFORE it was released, so don't delay if you want to be sure of getting your copy as soon as possible. Volume 3 is due to be released in December. (I am hard at work finishing up my "book" that will be part of Volume 3.)

(C) 2012, Judy Barnes Baker, www.carbwarscookbook.com