Making Boxed Stuff Better

I admit it: sometimes I use boxed mixes. Some of you may have observed the shitstorm that came down on OH (and here, actually) when I mentioned using canned pumpkin instead of oil and stuff in cake mix (dear God, you'd think I held those people down and forced the evil cake mix down their throats...)

Well, here's something slightly better than that, at least. I love Dr. Oetker Organics Muffin Mix. Oatmeal muffin mix, to be precise. It's definitely not low-carb, but also not terribly unhealthy - the ingredient list reads like, well, a recipe (rather than a science experiment) and the mix is made with whole-wheat flour. (as an aside, I'm reading this and thinking, goddamn, I should really make these from scratch if this really is all this $4 mix is!)

So, usually I make them as-is. At 150 cal per muffin, it's not bad. But today, I had a flash of inspiration (as well as a ton of extra Fage in the fridge) and I tossed in a cup of that plus three drops of EZ-Sweetz. Yum! Bonus: added protein! Bonus bonus: It made 18 muffins instead of 12, cutting calories to just over 100 (108, to be precise) per muffin. Each muffin also has 3 grams of protein, a little under 1 gram of fat, and about 22 grams of carbs, most of which are whole-grain. Not too shabby!

Latest obsessions...

What have I been eating lately, you might ask?

Lox: Portlock has a retail store in Seattle and the owner/operator is SO NICE, it's an absolute pleasure to go in. Not to mention, 1 lb packages of "trim" are, like, $8. If you're in Seattle, I'd highly recommend stopping in! I eat it on either Triscuits or Wasa crackers with a smear of whipped cream cheese.

Yogurt: by now, we all know about Fage Greek yogurt. It's by far the best plain Greek yogurt (but if you like the pre-flavored kind, totally try Chobani - it's great!) I go in and out of yogurt phases and I'm definitely IN one now! Sweeten it with a few drops of ez-sweetz (or sweetzfree, whichever you prefer - sweetzfree is more expensive, but about twice as sweet), put in some frozen cherries/berries (hey, it's January - I refuse to purchase fresh berries in January on principle!) and top with a sprinkle of Kashi Go Lean Crunch (yummy like granola, but much healthier).

TJ's whole wheat premade pizza dough (it's possible that this isn't on your plan, if so, just skip this part. I've discovered that it's just not realistic for me to try to eat no/low carb. I just try to make as many of my carbs whole grain as possible): this is so good rolled out into a thin-crust pizza, with a smear of pesto, a bunch of part-skim mozzarella and a sprinkle of parm, and a chopped tomato.

TJ's frozen brown rice (see above disclaimer, low-carbers!): I love to cook a chicken dish on the weekend and warm it up all week. This rice is the perfect accompaniment. And the great thing about TJs is that it's so cheap - I normally hate premade stuff like this because the markup is just horrific, but this is totally affordable!

As always: no one ever gives me free shit in exchange for shoutouts, so you know that this is my real unbiased opinion :) I like to share things I've found that work well for me because I found similar posts so helpful when I was a sleeve newbie.

Just Tomatoes!

In addition to what my sister and I have christened "pumpnies," I discovered Just Tomatoes Just Strawberries 'N Bananas this week. They're a little pricey, but are possibly the best snack I've found yet. It's like eating fruit snacks or gummy bears but without the sugar (or diarrhea-inducing sugar alcohols)! It's freeze dried fruit with literally nothing added. The fruit isn't even treated with sulfur dioxide or the like, like dried fruit. I'm not sure how, but it's also not hypercaloric like dried fruit - a 5 oz tub, which they say is equal to an entire pound of fruit, is only 180 calories. If strawberries and bananas aren't your thing, they have pretty much every other fruit available (think blueberries, peaches, and pomegranate, among others), plus veggies - corn, peas, tomatoes...you get the idea.

I think this is especially good for sleevers - especially early out, when we have such a hard time even squeezing in the protein we need, let alone any extra food that may actually contain micronutrients! I haven't tried the veggies, but I suspect they may also be especially good for reluctant veggie eaters like myself. I bet the mixed veggies would be really good to snack on tossed with some garlic powder or maybe cayenne pepper and salt.

PS: No, nobody paid me or gave me free stuff to do this review. I just found these and think they're great, so I'm sharing them with all two of my faithful readers.

The Vindication of Fat

I've been following with interest lately the plethora of articles about how American's war on fat (since the 1980s) has actually made us fatter and sicker. It seems like every day a new study is published on how fat isn't as bad as we (simplistically) assumed, and how carby crap (although, don't rush to overly simplify carbs either!) is the devil incarnate. Today, I read an article on slate.com called "End the War on Fat: It could be making us sicker," which I thought nicely brought together so much recent research. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who has had a sneaking suspicion for awhile that the food pyramid might be a little, well, back-assward (and just maybe influenced just a little by Big Food...)

Although I could go on and on about food politics here (I'm still on a anti-Republican tear after an extremely unpleasant exchange on the OH message boards about healthcare reform), I'll spare you. Instead, I'd just like to point out how positive it is that we are actually starting to recognize this and call out big food on their crap.  I sincerely hope that the Obama administration can truly be an agent of change in DC, and continue making laws that are truly in the best interest of the American people rather than corporate lobbies. I mean, sure, allow the companies to keep selling junk food all they want, just like they still sell cigarettes (I'm far from a prohibitionist!) - just make sure that it's actually marketed as such, rather than as health food. I mean, junk food's yummy, right?  And I'd like to be able to make the decision to have a Hostess fruit pie if I damn well want to - but quit saying crap like "a trip to the snack cake aisle can be like visiting a country fruit stand" cuz it isn't. It's more like swimming in the Ganges, minus the potential mystical healing powers.

I predict that we will feel about food in 20 years the way we feel about tobacco today - and the fortunes of big food will have gone the same way as those of big tobacco. Our grandkids are going to shake their heads in pity at us the way we do at our poor cig-addicted grandparents.

Related good reads: Is Big Food as Evil as Big Tobacco?  -  Monsanto's Harvest of Fear  -  Michelle Obama calls out Big Food (I have the world's biggest girl crush on Mrs. O!)

Why does a salad cost more than a Big Mac?

Interesting graphic from Consumerist. Of course, those of us on the low-carb bandwagon do benefit more from the 73.8% of subsidies going to meat and dairy than the average American. Unfortunately, those subsidies are going to feedlots and the like, rather than small, humane farms selling to their local communities.
A more interesting graphic to me would emphasize not only how bad government food subsidies are for our health, but also for the planet. Not to mention inhumane. Any graphic designers around?

Low carb crepe recipe

Although I haven't tried these yet, I love the idea of them so much that I had to post them on here! Thanks to Linda at http://eatingwelllivingthin.wordpress.com/ for creating this awesome recipe.

Crepes

(Low-carb, higher-protein)

I use these in so many more ways than just “crepes”.   In both sweet or savory recipes, as wraps, tortillas, noodles – they are a great way to still make those dishes you love without the unneeded carbs.

Don’t be afraid of making crepes – and you don’t need a special pan.  The first one may flop, but you’ll get the hang of it quickly.   Then you can use them for enchiladas, burritos, lasagna, sandwiches, or just roll up with a sprinkle of Cinnamon-Splenda inside.  They’re a very versatile thing to keep on hand.  (They also freeze great.  Just put a piece of waxed paper, or plastic wrap between each one.)

You can add 1 tablespoon Splenda, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, or sweet spices for a sweet version.  Or herbs and other spices for savory.

These are very tender and will be more moist than regular crepes.  They are what I use in my Chicken Pot Pie with Crepes, which has been very popular.

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1/2 cup ricotta cheese

4 eggs

1/4 cup flour

3 tablespoons milk

Pinch of salt

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In a medium bowl beat the Ricotta with the eggs. Beat in the flour, salt, milk.   Allow to sit for 15 minutes.
Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Coat with vegetable cooking spray when hot. Pour in 2 tablespoons of batter and immediately swirl the pan to coat the entire surface in a thin layer. Allow to cook, without turning, until completely done. The top should be no longer shiny and when you touch it it’s not wet. The bottom will be have a very slight golden color. If it’s too dark, lower the heat.
(These are next to impossible to flip and they don’t need to be.) Gently loosen the edges with a spatula and slide out of the pan onto a plate. Very lightly spray the top with vegetable spray – this way you can stack them on top of each other.
Lightly coat the pan with cooking spray before each crepe. Proceed with above directions until batter is gone. Allow the crepes to cool to room temperature and then wrap the plate tightly with plastic wrap. These keep well in the fridge – unfilled – for several days.
Since these are so moist, letting them sit uncovered for a half hour or so will help them get that dry, ‘lacy’ edge.
Makes approx 12 crepes.
Per Crepe:   Calories 57; Protein 4 g; Fat 3 g; Carb 6 g; Sugar 1 g; Sodium 35 mg