Hi Esnecca, thanks for your information. I wasn’t able to find any ready made seitan, so was saved from going down that path. Only one shop had wheat gluten and it was quite expensive and I haven’t had much time to spend in the kitchen over the last little while anyway. Not much luck with hemp protein either. I can find seeds and oil, but not protein powder. I could probably order it online, but I’m doing a bit better at the moment anyway. I found a protein powder based on pumpkin seeds which only has 2g net carbs, so bought a couple of sachets to try. It’s not bad, but I prefer Vega One. I found out that Vega does offer an unsweetened variety that is available online. I still have 1/2 a tub of what I already have to use up first though.
I am doing a moderate amount of exercise, but focusing pretty heavily on building up core strength at the moment. So three pretty tough strength workouts with a HIIT component for cardio each week with lots of walking and some swimming in between. I have managed to increase my protein intake by about 10g per day, but am probably still 15-20g short per day. So sitting at about 60g per day when I think I would be doing better at 75-80g. When I was doing quite intense amounts of exercise I needed to be getting around 110g per day to not feel run down, but should be able to get away with less than that now that I’m not doing so much.
I’ve been using RBeany’s idea of having lower fat dairy products but adding in healthy fats, and that is working well for me. I might do something similar and use egg whites rather than whole eggs so I get a high quality complete protein but add healthy fats back in. I’ve also decided to not worry too much about my cholesterol for the time being as it didn’t become elevated until I put on the weight, so hopefully just taking the weight off will help.

As you said you need ideas for helping vegans so i would recommend you to check out http://www.beegans.com/ where many ideas and articles related to vegans are available.

I had a similar incident several weeks ago with a small chocolate brownie at a work lunch, SueBlue! Luckily I didn’t have any non-BSD food in the house that evening because I was ravenous. I went way over my calorie limit that day though as a result. The sugar+fat combination seems to be very lethal for me. I have control with 90%+ cocoa chocolate, but not with anything with more sugar in it. A curse on all those people at work that keep bringing in sweets! Well, unfortunately it may catch up with some of them eventually and that would be too bad. When I was away for my work meetings last week, I could not believe how much of the sugar and simple carbs my colleagues were able to stuff away without any apparent ill effects, while I ate a much more moderate amount and ended up with a stomach ache and feeling tired and hungry.

Hi Paloma, and welcome. I am a non-diabetic with a family history of type 2 as well, and I am in week 7 and I have lost 7.5kg so far, or 16.5 lbs, so more than a stone. I had 20kg or just over 3 stone to lose when I started and it seemed like such a big task, but now I’m more than a third of the way there. Sometimes it seems like I’m losing slowly compared with others, but when I stop to think about it, I’ve lost the weight quicker on the BSD than anything else I’ve ever tried. The last time that I lost a lot of weight, it took me 6 months to take off 10kg and that involved a horrendous amount of exercise and I was hungry a lot of the time, and I couldn’t keep it up so I started to put the weight back on again after a few months. Now I’m only doing a moderate amount of exercise and as long as I keep my carbs relatively low I’m hardly ever hungry, so it’s been much easier to cope with and more sustainable for the long term I hope.

Mayo! In my experience, silken tofu doesn’t work at all in applications that require it to retain a recognizable solid state. That’s what firm and extra-firm are for. It is a fantastic low calorie, low carb shortcut to creaminess. Here’s how I make my fake mayo. Drain a 1lb block of silken tofu in a colander or sieve for 10-20 minutes until all the loose liquid drips off. Toss it in a blender or food processor with a clove of garlic, the juice of half a lemon, salt, pepper and smoked paprika (or herbs of your choice). Blend until smooth. I add a half teaspoon of plant gum or konjac powder to thicken it so it won’t separate after a couple of weeks in the fridge, but that’s not necessary. If it separates just give it a quick whisking and it’ll be right as rain again.

A tablespoon serving has 8 calories and .25 grams of carbs. You have to use a quarter cup of it to reach even a single gram of carbohydrate. This is why I bother. I use it as a replacement for high-calorie regular mayonnaise in egg/tuna/chicken salads, but it also makes a great addition to anything that needs a creamy element, like salad dressing and dip.

Thanks for the update. 🙂
I’m still trying to find what suits me best, but I’ve habitually ‘fasted’ for 12 to 14 hours for years, as I only get round to having breakfast by late morning. That wasn’t combined with calorie counting until this summer though.

Arcticfox I found this week, to my detriment, that even a small sweet induces carb cravings! I’ve been doing BSD for about 10 months now, and I’ve got used to not eating bread, cakes, chocolate etc. however at work this week, someone brought in a box of chocolates for the team to share, and put them on a shared desk, which is right next to mine. All week ignored them, then on Thursday felt like something sweet after lunch. I thought one small chocolate won’t hurt, I’ll just eat less at dinner. Boy oh boy did I pay for that chocolate! I felt so hungry by dinner time that I was snacking on cheese while cooking dinner and then had garlic bread with my meal – usually I don’t have it, but the rest of the family who are not on BSD do, then I spent the evening absolutely craving sweets, luckily there was no lollies, ice cream, chocolate or biscuits in the house. I dug out some pitted dates & had some of those! The next morning I felt so much hungrier than usual. I couldn’t believe that one small chocolate could send me totally off plan like that! You would think I’d know better after so long on this WOE. Lesson learnt though, and I was back on plan yesterday.

I do a lot of cooking but to be honest, have never had a ton of luck with tofu. It seems like so much work to make it taste like anything!

But my favorite local Thai restaurant has a lovely Tom Yum lemongrass soup that you can get with chicken or, you can order it a la veggie (my preference)….tons of large veg pieces (that goofy ear of baby corn, a slice or two of carrot, a few of broccoli, onion and some ginger), and a couple big cubes of siken tofu. Lots of cilantro tossed on top. It just feels like good health in a bowl. I love tofu that way swimming in a spicy citrusy steaming bowl of broth.

Sorry to be of so little help. Sounds like time for a good Google search.

Hi!
I have just finished the book and am planning on starting tomorrow – anyone else for moral support?
I am not diabetic (although I suspect I am high risk for type 2) – I am mainly doing the diet to lose weight and get back to a healthy weight. Just wondering how muchnothers have lost doing this for 8 or 12 weeks? I know everyone is different but just wondering on average what people have lost. I’ve got a good 3.5 to 4 stone to lose. It feels like such a mountain!!
Thank you!

Verano – well done – your results are so good. You must be so pleased that your diabetes is in remission – hopefully your OH will follow your excellent example.

For over 4 years I injected fast acting insulin after absolutely every meal and snack I ate because my pancreas was so worn out (probably clapped-out is a better description of my poor pancreas). For a whole year I haven’t had to – and it has been a wonderful year.

OK – I do have to keep even the good carbs quite low – but the freedom to eat lovely food without having to work out just how much insulin to inject with each meal is wonderful. They call it fast acting insulin – but it isn’t really because carbs release glucose into your blood stream much faster than the injections of ‘fast acting insulin’ can deal with it.

So you can have massive spikes – and massive lows. It was so easy to miscalculated how many carbs you have eaten and how much insulin to inject. All very stressful.

My Hba1c may never be as low as yours because it is quite likely that I have had undiagnosed diabetes for many many years – but I am really happy with how well I feel and that I will keep my eyesight and my feet for the foreseeable future.

So it is not surprising I stick with BSD friendly foods – to go back to eating bad carbs would send me back into a nightmare scenario. How lucky we are that we have the tools to keep ourselves healthy – the BSD and this forum work so well together.

MnM, that is REALLY disappointing, isn’t it? I wonder what they would make
of me, 10 stone in 10 months…..This is unfortunate, because you made the
story about the unique way in which you adapted this WOL to yourself.
Hopefully, they will reconsider.
Have a great weekend,
Allie

I wasn’t ‘used’, probably because someone looked at my before and after pictures and decided they may get sued if they claim results like my 8 stone off for a six week party dress diet which is how they decided to market the series 😄 I still have the dresses and shoes at the moment as they haven’t arranged collection yet, but they weren’t exactly the most flattering style anyway, even if the long floaty skirt and sparkly bodice of the Coast dress made me feel vaguely princess-like.

Hi there SJFritz
Tip 4 measure yourself before you start, bust, midriff, waist hips and stomach. Even if weight loss is not great (although it will be) you will lose inches. Look out for inch loss around the waist as that is the important area diabetics carry it.

Yes indeed, MnM, thank you. And enjoy your night off tomorrow. Will look forward to hearing all about it. X

I’ve had a few really good days in a row with relatively low carbs and calories. The hunger that I was experiencing last week as a result of higher carbs has gone back into remission and today I am down a whole kg since Tuesday! I know some of that was water weight as I was retaining water like crazy during the first part of the week and was looking quite puffy as a result, but I think some of it must have been fat loss as well. Yesterday afternoon I actually felt a bit slim for the first time in a long time. I’m now 84kg, so finally dropped below 85kg and my BMI is 28 even today. When I started BSD just over 7 weeks ago, I had a BMI of 30.5. I’m looking forward to getting into the 27’s and getting back down below 25 at some point in the near future.
I had one day this week where I was feeling like something juicy and I went searching in my lunch bag as I knew I had packed a small orange, even though I really didn’t feel too much like fruit. When I looked, I discovered the sauerkraut that I had packed as well and I had that instead and thoroughly enjoyed it. I never thought it would be possible for me to ever want sauerkraut more than an orange! I also had some sugar-free gum this week as I was feeling like something pepperminty, but I found it was too sweet, and I have to echo the comments about artificial sweeteners perhaps affect the body similar to sugar, because although I’m not diabetic and not checking my blood sugar, I had some little twinges of hunger just after chewing it, the only ones I’ve really had this week.
It is encouraging to see how well many are doing on this thread, and I’m finding inspiration from those who are struggling as well as it encourages me to keep going even on the tough days. Well done everyone, and keep up the great work!

Mixnmatch, enjoy your formal black tie affair on saturday night! Just think,
our parent’s generation used to “dress up” every weekend, when they were
young. Did I miss the piece in the Daily Mail on your remarkable success
story? I’ve been looking forward to seeing it online. I hope that I didn’t miss
it! If it hasn’t run yet, do you know when it will be run?
I, too, am really enjoying this thread. Thank you again for initiating it.

Allie

Welcome to the forum, you are doing the right thing and keep coming back to the forum for support and encouragement whenever you have to, someone will always have some useful input if you have any questions about either the diet or others experiences with diabetes.

Tip 3, when you are watching the carbs and drinking loads of water make sure you add some salt to meals. The sodium stored in your body will become depleted and need replacing when the excess carbs and retained water leave your body in the first couple of weeks.

Welcome to the 100 club fatrabbit, 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀 It is lovely to have a new club member, and you have joined at just the right time when the nights are drawing in so we can get a lovely fire going in the clubhouse and drag up the comfy chairs a little closer (at least for those club members in the hemisphere where a white Christmas is actually possible). I am fasting pretty regularly myself as I just feel better that way, although my weight seems pretty stable. Also well done for getting there in a year. My journey took two years to the day, but with a lot of learning how involved which has been so useful.

I’ve been a bit absent lately and missed loads here! Welcome to the 100 club notsofatrabbit, and welcome to the joys of the tightrope that is maintenance. While Allie and Theodora are trying to avoid falling off one side I am wobbling a bit on the other, although still at my target weight, just, with still no wiggle room. Big ‘mindful day off’ tomorrow with the long awaited outing for my ball dress at a black tie dinner in a swanky hotel. I will have the evening eating and drinking whatever I fancy, and Monday’s weigh in will tell me what the damage is. I’m glad to see that our maintenance home is getting nicely busy and full of great discussions. Onwards and upwards or downwards (delete as applicable…)

Hello, Carol, what a wonderful way to start the weekend, hearing from some
of our “silent” friends! I’m glad to hear that you are settling into your new
job. Aren’t red coats fun? I got one for myself this season, after wearing
dark colors for a decade and a half! It’s great to hear from you. 🙂

Allie

Nonna Mary – my mum`s severe psoriasis was made worse by blood pressure pills.

Hey FFBB…so good to see you again. I have really missed you! Well done on getting the Red coat, and still working on the woe as well as working and walking. You are an inspiration!

Will talk later as I am in the middle of something tonight. So pleased you are ok.

Lots of love
Mary
xxx

Hi Allie….I have been all over the place today! Just read your kind offer. You are so sweet to think of me like that. I have several options available at the moment, so I am going to try a new one every one/two weeks. I should see an improvement in a week I think? Have the most wonderful weekend in Rhode Island. I agree with you that this forum is amazing but only because of the people on it…which of course includes you. Safe travels.

Mary
xxxx

Hello my fellow soldiers.

I am so, so sorry that I have neglected you all since I started my job.

I am still here and still recording and counting calories but I am not really keeping up with the journals. After 7 hours per day staring at a PC screen the last thing I want to do in my off time is stare at a small screen.

I am enjoying the job but it is fucking challenging sometimes and it is not always the customers who are challenging! I dont know if you know this but the modern call centre seems to be sponsored by Metformin! Charity bake sales/birthday cakes/vending machines/buy cake it is for charity/lets order Dominos pizza as it is Thursday and we are on a late (Dominos are responsible for 2 stone of my excess flab…..those delicious, evil pizzas!) anything designed to keep you satisfied and in the office!

I make sure, rain or shine, that I have a 15 minute walk on my lunch break and I stretch my legs every hour by going on a “comfort” break ( I am waiting to be challenged on this but so far so good) I also stretch whilst in my chair as I find tensing my muscles and then relaxing invigorating…no idea why and I get “looks”)

I enjoy my “glug glug woo hoo!” on a Saturday night and I am enjoying my own made 50/50 bread again. On a late I adapt my usual meals and have eggs for breakfast with buttered mushrooms (1 of 5 a day) and I still have almonds. My main meal is adapted into a chunky soup with the addition of chickpeas (which makes it into 4 of my 5 a day) and topped with grated cheese and served with my bread and butter.

90% of the time I avoid junk food/crap but 10% I enjoy myself.

I am pleased that I am now 229 lbs and I bought myself a size 20 coat from Tu @ Sainsbury’s (it is red!!!) and it looks good. I got 2 opinions and I checked I could cross my arms with no straining.

I must mention a weird thing…….before I lost the weight my arms never fell “straight” at my sides but now they do I keep catching my bag on my boots. Which makes me occasionally look like I skipped a step!

I have a distinct wattle and I am trying to slow down the weight loss due to wrinkly thigh skin.

I still salute you all, you fab women.

FFBB (Carol)

I’m signing off for the weekend, my beautiful friends. We’re visiting our dearest
friends in Rhode Island, so I don’t know what the WiFi situation is in their
house. Maybe I’ll get an opportunity to check in. Mary, I left a post earlier
today for you with an offer to check into your psoriasis condition on this
side of the pond. I hope you received it. I know that we’ve been participating
on another thread about the subject of fermented food. Really interesting
discussion, and lots of people are going to try your recipe, not just me!!!
I love this forum, and all the compassionate people who care about you
as much as I do. Between us all, maybe we can come up with something
that might help to alleviate your discomfort with psoriasis. I hope so.

Wishing everyone a peaceful, BSD friendly weekend,

Allie

Hi Jackiem…I have spent today trawling through different websites and I saw one that said about Kefir. I make my own so it wouldn’t be a problem to try it. I have also seen some that say, oats, olive oil, coconut oil and Childs Farm Baby Moisturiser. One thing I did learn is that no two people are the same and what works for one, doesn’t another. I feel a few weeks of experimenting coming on. I will try the Kefir first.

Thank you for thinking of me. You and everyone else on this forum are fantastic!

Nonna Mary
xxx

Hi Joes Nonna

We’ve never spoken before, but I just read about your psoriasis and it sounds so painful and unpleasant for you. I’m absolutely not an expert, but I recently tried a commercial Kefir that claimed one of its main attributes was clearing psoriasis. I wondered if you had tried it – there’s been an recent discussion about making your own on another thread (SunnyB is an expert) or the one I tried is Chuckling Goat – SunnyB’s is nicer and the other is expensive.

Sorry if I’ve missed a discussion where you’ve tried it, just flicking through the latest posts and yours jumped out at me.

Hope the Sudocreme works!

Jackie x

We will only be 10, very manageable, we have veggies and omnivores and me! There’s a well honed kitchen routine I don’t get involved in, led by MiL supported by her children (I go sit with the men!) which is why I like hosting as when we go elsewhere I am mostly redundant!

I know MiL is just being nice, just her way is not my way. One of the inevitable tensions of not being blood, though lots of people manage to have blood-relative tension too, just probably not about towels.

Laundered bedlinen is a slippery slope, it looks so neat on the shelf it’s quite tempting to take all of them. But whereas one is the price of a couple of cappuccino’s, three would be harder to justify to myself on a weekly basis. So I put the children’s in a hamper so I don’t have to look at them 😂😂

What WILL you eat at Christmas? I have got as far as thinking Turkey and brussel sprouts/broccoli, followed by cream for pudding, which whilst balanced and low carb may not cut it as a joyful experience!

Looks lovely…..am putting it on my soup to-do list as I make a different pot of soup each week. I love anything with leeks in it and this combo sounds so yummy.

Luvtcook I will definitely try my cauliflower through a ricer. One of the problems has been the wetness. I often put it in the oven for 15 minutes of so after it’s mashed just to dry it out but this way sounds much bettter

I have tried ‘potato cakes’ but not with much success so may give yours a go.

I used to use cauliflower rice but just didn’t really take to it apart from in the occasional stir fry. Now if I have a Thai curry I serve it over slightly steamed sliced asparagus and/or broccoli florets and I must admit I no longer miss rice but I have been eating this way for quite a while now! We are out for a Thai meal tonight and I have bok choy instead of rice and it’s lovely just takes a little time to get used to rice less meals with Indian, Chinese etc food.

I have a block of organic silken tofu ……. any ideas???

I must admit that the amount of cabbage etc should get stuff moving. I am very sparing with the amount I eat because it doesn’t take much to set me off! I have to say when you open the Jar…it stinks! But it tastes fine.

Nonna Mary
xxx

Nonna Mary: I haven’t found the kefir to affect my rate of digestion….just assume it is good for the overall gut health. However, I certainly do find the kimchi to, shall we delicately say, “stimulate” my digestion. Sometimes excessively so. Although a Korean doctor that I work with says it was from eating to much of the “one day old” kimchi at the particular Korean restaurant I went to. The stuff I have at home I eat more judiciously….not so much at a time. Do not want a repeat of the “stimulation”. Ugh.

CAULIFLOWER MASH TWEAK: this is what works best for me and have served it to folks that could not believe they were not mashed potatoes….come out much denser and not at all watery.

I boil a head of cauliflower in salted water (as you would pasta) with 5 cloves of garlic.

Then the key thing is I put it in a potato ricer. This is usually used to force potatoes thru to give them a fine fluffy texture. But for the cauliflower, it just squeezes out all the water. And I mean ALL the water.

Put “riced/ squeezed” cauliflower in a food processor with the garlic, add 1/4 cup of dried parmesan cheese (like Kraft that comes in the shelf stable carton), 1/4 cup of ricotta (if you have some …I always do), a pinch of cayenne and a pinch of nutmeg. Whiz up. Add salt and pepper to taste & serve.

Leftover mash also makes terrific “faux potato cakes” the size of a burger. “Flour” both sizes with a mix of half ground flax seed and half carton style parmesan cheese with some garlic powder and onion powder, pinch of cayenne. Saute in a nonstick skillet on med-high until golden brown on both sides and just warmed in the middle. Yummy.

CAULI RICE TWEAK: I throw roughly chopped cauliflower in a blender and then fill nearly nearly to the top with water and blend for 2-3 seconds then drain it in a sieve….instant cauli rice. Add some oil (or butter, my favorite is coconut oil) to a skillet and stir in a bit of turmeric for color and for the health benefits. Then add cauli rice and saute a minute to dry it out a bit. Add salt & pepper and maybe some finely chopped green onion. The big revelation was adding 2-3 Tbs of hemp hearts. They add a bit of heft to it and sauces seem to cling to it better with the hemp hearts. They are also high in protein and carb free and good for your digestive health. Enjoy.

I’m with you on the hosting front, Jackie – something else we have in common – never happier than when I have a houseful of family / friends to entertain. And hence, Hotel Theodora – never been decadent enough to even think of sending my bed linen to be laundered though (although I have been known to do it with my late Grandmother’s huge tablecloth that we use for entertaining). But since you’ve planted the idea, and I’m not a billionaire……………………………………………………

I have hosted the entire family for the last 45 Christmases but this year my eldest son and his wife are playing host – not sure they know quite what they are letting themselves in for!! I have very little doubt that I’ll be drafted in to cook Christmas dinner though – we have carnivores, pescetarians, vegetarians and vegans, not to mention a granddaughter with 52 severe food allergies – and now a low-carber thrown into the mix too!!! Should make for an interesting menu🤔

I’m sure your MiL is just trying to save you washing! Be thankful she doesn’t bring a sleeping bag too!😜 (I do hope towels aren’t her only contribution – maybe some nice wine too?😉)

Hi SJFritz1967, I too have a strong family history of T2 and while I managed to stave it off for years even as I piled on the pounds (grotesquely overweight, definitely), my insulin resistance made it impossible to lose weight in any significant way. Then I found the BSD and everything changed. I’ve lost something in the neighborhood of 200 pounds since I began the diet in August of last year. I look and feel like a completely different person.

Tip two: measure, weigh and count the carbs and calories of every bite of food you eat. Get a reliable kitchen scale if you don’t have one. Use a tracking app like MyFitnessPal or Fat Secret to avoid having to do any math. Do not attempt to estimate.

Good luck!

Cornmeal has a GI of 69, the same as whole wheat flour. It is extremely high in carbs and I have seen no persuasive evidence that it aids in blood sugar control. The only reason polenta could possibly be considered not as terrible as other cornmeal-based dishes from a BSD perspective is that it doesn’t have a bunch of added sugar to make it even worse.

Aw, Theodora that’s nice 😊

We are finally, now the children don’t come in anymore, and now I am the smallest I’ve been since our wedding, upgrading to a Super King bed! Not that I am complaining! Lots of lovely white bed linen! My secret indulgence is to take our duvet cover to the dry cleaners for laundering so it comes back all smooth and lovely – even when I iron it myself I can’t get it that good. But I don’t think OH approves, if he gets there first it gets stuffed in the washing machine and left all crumpled after the dryer! I can’t bring myself to take the pillowcases or sheets – seems too decadent!

Also, our son is getting the spare bed double, and ours is going to the spare room, so when the hordes turn up at Xmas (not complaining, I love hosting, they do all the cooking and I buy the pretty decorations!) I just need to be sure we can host without asking them to bring stuff. Not that it matters, I just like being a generous host. My MIL always brings her own towels, which I find v odd – what is wrong with our towels?! I know nothing really, she is being kind, but it still seems weird to me.

Sons bed is a bunk one, with a slide. Now he’s 11 it’s a bit rickety, especially as he runs down the slide still, so I think the sooner we move it the better! This weekend if I can rally the troops.

Oh Sunnyb if Kefir helps move things along…maybe I shouldn’t have it. That is very rarely a problem for me…in fact quite the opposite!
Thanks for the calculations…
Mary
xxx

Thanks for that kimchi recipe, I’m thinking I’ll give it another try and this looks like a better recipe than I used last time.

I found kombucha easy enough to make, but much less pleasant than kefir to drink – it was either too sweet, or too acidic and vinegar-like. Just couldn’t seem to get it well enough balanced and I was concerned about the residual sugars as well. Keeping the scoby happy and alive wasn’t an issue, it was more that I wasn’t happy with the end product.

With regards to the kefir, I’ve made mine in both plastic and glass jars and it doesn’t seem to make any difference to the end product or to the health of the grains. I now have a collection of various sizes jars, which I use according to how much kefir I want to make. You can ferment kefir with the jar lidded or unlidded (covered with a cloth, coffee filter or similar and secured with an elastic band) and this does affect the acidity of the end product, as does the amount of time you ferment for and at what temperature. My kitchen is very warm as we have an Aga, so fermentation happens quickly.

I did some online research awhile ago and found a calculation of 96cals/3.2g carbs per 100g kefir made with full fat cows milk, but I have no idea how accurate that is – they’re the values I use for recording my intake though. I’m convinced kefir help my digestive system, which tends towards the sluggish and I think the kefir helps to improve transition.

Happy fermenting everyone!

Welcome, SJFritz1967, and well done on taking control of your health. You can do this – this forum is a testament to the fact that BSD800 works.

Stick with it and you WILL get results. Shout if you need any help, encouragement or support. There are so many helpful people on site and someone will be bound to come running to your assistance.

Tip one:- Keep drinking the water. Drink until you feel you really cannot need to drink any more, and then drink it all again!

Good luck.

Allie, if you are bringing a bottle of Chateau Margaux you’re definitely on!😋 We’ll do this weight stabilisation thing together.

Jackie, well done on resisting the biscuits, and glad the moment has passed. I have a feeling we would be mates too – not a great fan of housekeeping myself, though sadly it is a necessity! And I am thinking of treating myself to new bed linen too! If I was a billionaire, the first luxury I would DEFINITELY install into my life, is clean, freshly ironed sheets every single day, (obviously changed by someone else) – what luxury 😍 And gorgeous, brand new, sparkling white bed linen at least once a year! Sigh…….

Mary, we can just use the numbers on my jar of kimchi: 1/4 c. = 10cal. and
2gm. of carbs. A perfect food 🙂 !!!!

You are very welcome Allie.

xxxx

Mary, thank you SO MUCH for writing this out for me! I now know what I’ll
be doing over the long Thanksgiving weekend while o/h is watching American
football. You’ve answered all my questions, and I have a very good idea
what this will taste like. I’m really excited to try it! I’ve been paying a small
fortune for an excellent product but it will be great to make my own. I even
have fish sauce on hand. I’m off to print it out right now.
Thank you again, my sweet!

Allie

Hi all, no, they are always there – this batch has been there since last Saturday. She bakes all the time, this is the first time I’ve been tempted. Why? Who knows, maybe being a healthy weight makes it harder to remember why we do what we do.

Luckily I wrote to you guys instead, then cleaned out the linen cupboard and got rid of all the yellow pillowcases ready for Christmas. The moment has passed! I am going to have to find a better way of treating myself, although I do like buying new bed linen so there’s a treat to come … unless anyone knows a good way to get those whites sparkling again?! Maybe a pumice stone – that would certainly take up any spare time … (this is definitely a JOKE, I am not a great fan of housekeeping.)

Meanwhile, I am sure I bought Xmas duvet covers last year but can I find them? I can not!

Hi Again Allie, Sorry…didn’t answer everything…I haven’t calculated the carbs in the Kefir…I just go on the same ones that are in full fat milk. I haven’t done the Kimchi either. As I have been fasting and I know my evening meal is not 800 calories I presumed it would be ok. Perhaps I had better do that now. lol.

Mary
xxx

Haha, yes Theo, I’m all in. No time like the present! I’ll be arriving with a
good vintage of Chateau Margaux, one of my favorites 🙂

Hi Allie, the recipe I used is below.

How to Make Cabbage Kimchi
Makes 1 quart

What You Need
Ingredients
1 medium head (2 pounds) napa cabbage
1/4 cup sea salt or kosher salt (see Recipe Notes)
Water (see Recipe Notes)
1 tablespoon grated garlic (5 to 6 cloves)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
2 to 3 tablepoons seafood flavor or water (optional, see Recipe Notes)
1 to 5 tablespoons Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
8 ounces Korean radish or daikon, peeled and cut into matchsticks
4 scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Equipment
Cutting board and knife
Large bowl
Gloves (optional but highly recommended)
Plate and something to weigh the kimchi down, like a jar or can of beans
Colander
Small bowl
Clean 1-quart jar with canning lid or plastic lid
Bowl or plate to place under jar during fermentation
Instructions
Slice the cabbage: Cut the cabbage lengthwise into quarters and remove the cores. Cut each quarter crosswise into 2-inch-wide strips.

Salt the cabbage: Place the cabbage and salt in a large bowl. Using your hands (gloves optional), massage the salt into the cabbage until it starts to soften a bit, then add water to cover the cabbage. Put a plate on top and weigh it down with something heavy, like a jar or can of beans. Let stand for 1 to 2 hours.

Rinse and drain the cabbage: Rinse the cabbage under cold water 3 times and drain in a colander for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse and dry the bowl you used for salting, and set it aside to use in step 5.

Make the paste: Meanwhile, combine the garlic, ginger, sugar, and seafood flavor (or 3 tablespoons water) in a small bowl and mix to form a smooth paste. Mix in the gochugaru, using 1 tablespoon for mild and up to 5 tablespoons for spicy (I like about 3 1/2 tablespoons).

Combine the vegetables and paste: Gently squeeze any remaining water from the cabbage and return it to the bowl along with the radish, scallions, and seasoning paste.

Mix thoroughly: Using your hands, gently work the paste into the vegetables until they are thoroughly coated. The gloves are optional here but highly recommended to protect your hands from stings, stains, and smells!

Pack the kimchi into the jar: Pack the kimchi into the jar, pressing down on it until the brine rises to cover the vegetables. Leave at least 1 inch of headspace. Seal the jar with the lid.

Let it ferment: Let the jar stand at room temperature for 1 to 5 days. You may see bubbles inside the jar and brine may seep out of the lid; place a bowl or plate under the jar to help catch any overflow.

Check it daily and refrigerate when ready: Check the kimchi once a day, pressing down on the vegetables with a clean finger or spoon to keep them submerged under the brine. (This also releases gases produced during fermentation.) Taste a little at this point, too! When the kimchi tastes ripe enough for your liking, transfer the jar to the refrigerator. You may eat it right away, but it’s best after another week or two.

Recipe Notes
Salt: Use salt that is free of iodine and anti-caking agents, which can inhibit fermentation.
Water: Chlorinated water can inhibit fermentation, so use spring, distilled, or filtered water if you can.
Seafood flavor and vegetarian alternatives: Seafood gives kimchi an umami flavor. Different regions and families may use fish sauce, salted shrimp paste, oysters, and other seafood. Use about 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, salted shrimp paste, or a combination of the two. For vegetarian kimchi, I like using 3/4 teaspoon kelp powder mixed with 3 tablespoons water, or simply 3 tablespoons of water.

Jackie, I think Allie is right – it’s because they are THERE. Get rid of them, get the kids to eat them, feed them to the dog, whatever, just don’t eat them! Have a glass of water instead😝

Allie, I’m liking the sound of that, too. I’m sure we would be great pals (but may lead each other astray, somewhat😜) in the flesh as well as in the ether, given the chance. I don’t need much excuse to open a bottle and have a giggle with friends! We are exceedingly lucky inasmuch as we have a summer house and a winter house, so atm you can imagine yourself snuggled up in my winter sitting room, in front of my log fire, glass in hand, bsd measured snacks to your left, rest of bottle to your right, just so you don’t have to wait until Hotel Theodora opens it’s doors again next summer😋

Hey, Mare! I guess my jars are too big for kefir production. I have some clamp
top jars in a smaller size though…..Do you know how to count the cals. and
carbs for a homemade product? Also, what type of heat do you add to your
homemade kimchi, and how long does it take to ferment? I really like the
product that I order from Gold Mine foods here in the States. Raw, organic,
and contains napa cabbage, sea salt, carrot, scallion, garlic, ginger, cayenne
pepper and chili pepper. What do you use in yours, my friend?