11.29.00 :: Product
Recommendation & Review:
We reviewed Irene's Health Bakery
Bread last Summer when we had a
chance to try only a small
amount of it. But we felt this review was worth renewing because we
recently had a chance to use it in a few Stuffing recipes we cooked up
(it works in any traditional recipe you've come to love — just substitute
it for the high carb kind) and we made an excellent bread pudding with it
as well. Here's a repeat of our original review:
For a diet for which the media says we eat no bread, we surely do find lots
of ways to prove them wrong. We've reviewed bread mixes — both quick
breads and yeast raised, and we've brought you some great bread recipes
to make yourself. But the convenience of having a pre-sliced loaf of bread
on hand to grab for a quick sandwich is something many of us miss. Most
of the supermarket breads are very high in carbs — some are as much as 12-17 carb grams
per slice ! That's where Irene's Health Bakery Bread comes in. We found this
bread — baked in Northern Ohio — available online (see link below) — and enjoyed
trying out the three varieties
offered. It comes in White (very like a traditional
"Italian" white), German Rye, and Garlic. Each comes in at 4 carbs per slice
(18 slices to a loaf) and make great sandwiches! The white bread made an
unsurpassed grilled cheese and a tuna melt because it's strong enough to hold
the browning in a buttered skillet. We loved the German Rye made into a Reuben
(corned beef, swiss and sauerkraut), and the garlic was great with melted jack
cheese. We suggest you package 4-6 slice paks in Ziploc bags for the freezer and
thaw a package as needed to keep your bread very fresh.
Irene's Health Bakery Breads are available online
from
The Low Carb Connoisseur Bakery.
11.21.00 :: Product
Recommendation & Review:
Been missing croutons on your caesar salad? That crunch is hard
to replace, isn't it? Been wishing you could still make crouton-based
stuffing for that holiday turkey? Well, you can stop wishing. The
new Better Croutons
from Synergy Diet's Bakery comes in at only 6 carb
grams per ounce (an ounce is a lot of croutons!)
They come in several
varieties — Plain
, Italian,
Garlic, and Parmesan.
We made a sample batch of
Turkey stuffing with a mixture of the Plain and the Italian with plenty of
sage and other traditional stuffing fare and we thought the result was hard
to tell from the high-carb variety!
And the Parmesan are superb on a Steak Caesar
Salad. The Garlic variety are just garlic-y enough to offer a real 'kick'
without being overpowering and we enjoyed these on grilled chicken salads.
Synergy has also formulated easy to use packaged Bread Crumbs.
These are offered
in Plain, Italian, and
Chicken flavors and offer the same
carb count as the croutons.
Their fine crumb makes for a great coating for
meats. We mixed 2 parts oat flour with 1 part Plain and 1 part Chicken bread
crumbs for dusting lean boneless pork chops. What we got were nutty, buttery,
crispy chops that everyone enjoyed. The bread crumbs (especially the Italian)
also make a really great meatloaf add-in, as well as a "filler" (use the Plain)
for salmon patties and crab cakes!
To get these very versatile Better Croutons and Better Bread Crumbs,
Visit Synergy's Low
Carb Bakery
to order!
11.09.00 :: Product
Recommendation & Review:
Just in time for the holidays — 
introduces
their newest variety of
yeast-raised machine bread mix — Cinnamon Raisin! Over the last year,
we've learned to improvise and experiment with many of the new mixes
and have made a pretty good Cinnamon Bread, but this one tops them
all without skipping a beat.
We made three loaves at our last meeting, and here are the results.
The first we made using the directions on the back of the can — word
for word. It made a very good loaf of cinnamon raisin bread and everyone
was pleased.
With the second, we took a cue from a few folks that commented they liked
their bread sweeter and we added 1/4 cup granulated Splenda to the dry
mix. For those wishing more cinnamon, we added an extra teaspoon of that
as well. We also altered the wet ingredients as follows: Instead of using
2 teaspoons of oil or melted butter, we added 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon
sweet almond oil to the bottom of the bread machine pan. Then we beat
1 egg in a small bowl, added it to 9 ounces of 105° water (instead of no
egg and 12 oz water.) We mixed it together well and added 1 teaspoon vanilla
extract and 1 teaspoon butter extract. We then poured it over the oil in
the pan and added the dry mix to the pan (floating on top of the water/egg
mixture.) We sprinkled the included yeast on top and put it through our usual
bread process in the machine.
Everyone agreed that while the "original" loaf was very good, the second
version was phenomenal. The egg in the mix gives rise to a bread so large
that if our machine had had a cycle for a 2-pounder, we would have used
it. The bread top smacked the top of the bread machine window / top. (We
use West Bend Deluxes, but check your bread machine's manual to adjust
your settings and your ingredient addition order as is proper for your
particular machine.)
The third loaf, we decided to make "bakery style". We made the mix
according to directions through the kneading cycle. Then we removed the bread
and laid it out on a counter (lightly oat-floured and covered with waxed
paper.) We flattened it to a long rectangle about an inch thick. We
brushed melted butter across it, sprinkled it liberally with Splenda and
Cinnamon and then rolled it up to re-form a loaf shape. We put it back into
the machine to rise and bake, but I believe it would have worked just as
well to have finished it in a traditional oven too.
The final version came out moist and decadent and reacted like a true bakery
style "swirl" bread. It takes more work this way, and
will cost you a few
additional carbs because of the added Splenda, but it's so worth it.
This is another product so exceptional, we've added it to our
Thanksgiving Menu
recommendations
The first two loaves both made superb French Toast with a cinnamony twist.
The second loaf made the best toast with butter. The third was the best soft
and warm and was great with cream cheese.
products are available from
The Low Carb Connoisseur, The
Low Carb Dieter's Page, and of course
Life
Services.
10.31.00 :: Product
Recommendation & Review:
Pick up an Atkins Advantage Bar and look at the ingredients. Near the
top of the list, you'll find "glycerin." Then check your other bars.
From Doctor's Diet to Protein Revolution, you'll note that glycerin is
a useful and oft-used ingredient. In baking, it can keep cookies and
brownies moist and even gooey. And while it's used often in the food
industry, many home-cooks don't know about it, or understand how to use
it. In fact, when I first pulled the bottle out of the bag at a review
panel meeting, someone asked me, "are we making soap?!"
Because baking while keeping things very low carb requires a little
'magic' in the kitchen, we want you to be able to use all the tools at
your disposal to this end.
Glycerin — derived from vegetables
or coconut, is not actually a carbohydrate
and is not classed as one. For the majority of people, it causes little
or no insulin reaction, making it a useful tool in our low-carb kitchens.
Taste a little on your tongue and you'll see it seems a cross between a
light vegetable oil and a sweetener (and it is moderately sweet.)
However, we do advise you to use it judiciously, as we do with sugar
alcohols. In appreciable quantities it can cause some people to stall
their weight loss (one of the reasons why the protein bars stall some
people — especially if you over-indulge.) However, since in recipes, a
small quantity gives great results, you'll probably be able to use it
to great advantage.
We've posted a few new recipes to get you started and give you an idea
of how and where to use vegetable glycerin. These are the ones we
made — and really enjoyed — at the meeting. They are:
Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies, and
Pineapple Bars!
Vegetable Glycerin can be found in most health food stores. If
you can't locate it, it can be ordered online from Miss Roben's (do
a search for "glycerin".)
10.05.00 :: Product
Recommendation & Review:
There's barely a day that goes by that someone doesn't write
and ask me for substitutions for flour in this recipe or
that. Many people believe there's one magic low-carb product
that is a universal substitute in all cases, but most of you
know that's not the case. In reality, different options net
different results. We use nut flours, alternate grain flours
(from oat flour to soy flour) and then there's the "protein
powders." They are a varied group indeed and can be egg-based,
dairy-based (milk protein), whey-based, or soy-based — or any
combination thereof. They can also be playing fast and loose with
the title, and the ingredients, so you'll want to be a dilligent
label-checker!
I've gotten the best results in the widest variety of recipes by
using either whey protein, or soy protein isolate. They are usually
between 1 carb and 0 carbs per 1/3 cup measure.
Several of the people I cook for often cannot tolerate soy, so
I was looking for a good quality whey protein powder whose ingredients
and carb counts I could trust. I found the
Ultimate LoCarb Whey from Biochem. (the "Natural" flavor) and
brought in a couple of cans
for the group to bake and cook with. We were pretty pleased with it
and felt we got good consistent results. It contains 99% pure whey
protein isolate, plus a faint vanilla flavor (not sweet, just smooth),
plus xanthan gum and beta carotene. It contains no lactose, so those
with an intolerance need not worry.
We found it works best in a mixture with most things — as we expected —
and had good results the following ways: When dredging meats, we mixed
4 parts whey protein with 1 part oat flour and got good browning and
flavor. It was good mixed half and half with crushed pork rinds for
breading meats and vegetables alike for frying. But our favorite use of
it was in making bread. In the Multi-Grain
Bread Machine Bread recipe at the site, it worked exceedingly well.
We also found it to lend a firm "German style" to the Gabi's World-Famous Bread recipe when we
used it in place of the soy flour (and it lowers the carb count too!)
It also made a tasty and crumbly version of the Basic Low Carb Pie Crust.
And for the holidays, try it in our Christmas Cookies recipe.
Biochem's Ultimate Lo Carb Whey comes in at approximately 2.5 grams per full
cup and is available from The Low Carb Connoisseur.
09.17.00 :: Product
Recommendation & Review:
Yes, it's true ... we're reviewing another bread machine bread.
(new-to-the-diet visitors often comment that we eat a lot of
bread for people that don't eat bread.) This time it's the
Carbolite Bread Mix. We've been waiting a bit
on this one to get some additional testing done before publishing
the review, but now that we're done, we can give it a pretty good
review.
What we discovered is that this mix makes a pretty good "white"
bread, but that it works even better if you add a tablespoon or
two of something "extra" (a little wheat bran, a little oat flour,
some seeds, some sun-dried tomatoes, etc.) It tends to taste a
bit sweet (we think they likely add a little too much Splenda to
their mix), but that one of these additions seems to neutralize it
and makes for a very interesting and different bread.
Their package directions list the addition of yeast (not included)
as "optional". It's not optional. You need the yeast. So remember
to add a packet of rapid rise/highly active yeast. (In every case
we used the SAF Perfect Rise Gourmet yeast (see review here for it),
but I think any good yeast would do.)
Bake the same as all other low-carb bread machine mixes and you
should get between 14 and 18 good slices from the loaf, netting a
3 to 4 grams per slice count depending on what extras you add. (The
package lists 2 carbs per slice, but you have to slice them very
thin for that count and add no extras — adjust your counts accordingly.)
Each box contains two polybags each making one loaf.
The best thing about this bread is that it holds a very elastic shape
after initial kneading, so if you wanted to make hamburger buns or
cinnamon rolls, it would shape nicely (and its natural sweetness would
make it ideal for the later.)
Carbolite Bread Mix is available from The Low Carb Connoisseur or from The Low Carb Dieter's Page.
08.21.00 :: Product
Recommendation & Review:
I wonder how many of us would still count bread among our favorite items even
though we're low-carbing... Doesn't the whole world seem to revolve around it?
In much of the world, lunch means a sandwich ! So as evidenced
by our entire category of bread recipes and large quantity of low carb
bread mixes (most of which we've reviewed), it's apparent that steering clear of
most carbs doesn't have to mean giving up bread! And finding the perfect loaf
that still meets our very low carb requirements is a continual pursuit. The latest
entry is now one of my favorites, and most of the group's
number one favorite (including
my husband's.)
The kitchen magicians at
have come up with two amazing yeast-rasied
mixes made for your bread machine! They offer a classic French Loaf (which is absolutely a true
french bread!), and Sourdough Rye - just what my Reuben sandwich
craving has been needing. We had no problems at all making these loaves high
and perfect. In fact, the French Loaf rose so high, we were worried it might
smack the top of the bread machine top. (It didn't — but we're talking really
high, folks!)
A little experimenting proved
these breads were quite versatile for adding additional
ingredients such as cheese, or Splenda and cinnamon. An herb mix was great in the
sourdough. We also found them to toast nicely and to make great breadcrumbs.
Haven't had fondue in a while? Get out the old fondue pot because this bread held
onto the cheese like a pro. Now I'll have the challenge of finding some new
fondue recipes! Let me know if you have a low-carb favorite!
Don't have a bread machine? While I'd say if anything will get you to buy
one, this will — you'll be pleased to know they include instructions
for making it with conventional oven directions. Each loaf makes 16 slices
and comes in at only 2 grams of carb per slice. The yeast is included — tucked
inside. These breads are so good, we bet they'll have a hard time keeping them
in stock!
products are available from
The Low Carb Connoisseur, The
Low Carb Dieter's Page, and of course
Life
Services.
07.14.00 :: Product
Recommendation & Review:
We love chocolate. We love to bake with it; we love it in shakes, we love
to flavor with it. But many of our "old-days" chocolate options are not options
anymore because they come packed with plenty of sugar. I've found that Nestlé Choco Bake (pre-melted unsweetened chocolate) is really a great
solution. I don't have to worry about melting squares of chocolate and trying to get
ingredients mixed before it cools or while it's too hot.
At 4 grams per packet (after fiber reduction), it's a great carb bargain too, and
since one packet equals 1 ounce (1 square) baking chocolate, it's foolproof for
measuring as well. It doesn't need refrigeration and has a long shelf-life.
It's available in the baking aisle of most groceries.
07.11.00 :: Product
Recommendation & Review:
Well, with all the bread making we're now doing (Imagine that! Making lots of breads
on a low-carb diet!!) we've had to experiment with a lot of different
yeast brands and varieties. We've worked with Fleishmann's, Red Star, Hodgson's Mill,
and many others and we find that we consistently get a better product and better rising
when we use the SAF Perfect Rise Gourmet
Yeast in our baking.
Made by LeSaffre, the yeast comes in Two-Strip Packets, Vacuum Packed
Yeast Bricks, and resealable zip closure Zip Packs. For measuring convenience, we
prefer the 2-strip packets. In or out of the bread machine, this is the best yeast
we've used, so we give it a strong recommendation.
If you can't find it in your store,
visit their website. They even
offer a form to print and give your grocer so they'll know you want them to carry it.
07.11.00 :: Product
Recommendation & Review:
Everyone that reads our entries here on a regular basis knows that I am a fan
of the Gabi's Bread Recipe and make it
often. But I was pleased to discover that the Ketogenics Low Carb Bread
Machine Mixes come in a close second, and since
they sit on your shelf in ready to make boxes, there's a real plus there.
We made several loaves and did a little experimenting. We added cheddar cheese
to the mix and foccacia topping 15 minutes before end of bread cycle. We liked
this cheese bread the best. We also made a loaf with added sweetener (we used liquid
sweetener as part of the water) and swirled a cinnamon/Splenda mix through it. For
the cinnamon bread we finished by adding melted butter and sprinkled splenda on top
of the hot, finished bread. In all its incarnations, it was pretty good.
Our favorite result was when we sliced the cheese bread version, buttered it with
softened butter, a little garlic powder, and freshly grated parmesan - then under
the broiler for 30 seconds or so. This bread is at its best as a base for
getting creative. Slices run between 2 and 5 grams each depending on how you make
it, and are well worth it.
To order online, visit
The Low Carb Connoisseur.
05.23.00 :: Product
Recommendation & Review:
(Review written by Richard):
With the third iteration of their tortilla, La Tortilla Factory has gotten it exactly right. Very
tasty and low-carb, their Whole Wheat Tortilla is really versatile! I wrap all sorts
of stuff in these. Peanut butter and sugar-free jelly, tuna
salad, and many other items can be rolled up to make a great snack or meal. My son (with
much boldness!) takes these into Taco Bell; tells them "he has a wheat allergy" and
can't use their tortillas; and asks them to make him burittos and wraps from these. They
oblige and he gets his food prepared in their steamers — cheese melted and all!
Whether you
have the nerve to do this as well is your call, but even if you take home their steak
gorditas etc and transfer the contents to your LC tortilla, you still have a terrific
treat! Each Tortilla contains 12g carbs and 9g fiber for a net carb count of 3g.
To order online, visit
The Low Carb Connoisseur.
05.19.00 :: Product
Recommendation & Review:
They did it! They made a Blueberry Pancake (and muffin) mix that is
sweet, scrumptious and full of real bits of blueberries. Wow. has outdone
themselves this time! Blueberry was the flavor
of pancakes that were always my favorite and that what I missed most, and these
are not only super-easy to make, but they taste like a trip to IHOP!
We made the entire can worth and did half as pancakes (on which we tried several
flavors of syrup), and the rest as muffins. We decided to make both standard
size muffins as well as the new popular (bite-size) mini-muffins. While both were
great, most of us preferred the mini-muffins. These will make it into a lot of
fast-pack lunches! Spread with sweet creamy butter for a great treat. Yum!
products are available from
The Low Carb Connoisseur, The
Low Carb Dieter's Page, and of course
Life
Services.
05.14.00 :: Product
Recommendation & Review:
This weekend, the Low Carb Luxury test kitchen
baked cookies... lots and
lots of cookies. We started with the newest entry from
called Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.
It's a spicy mix that includes just enough oatmeal to offer the suggestion of old
fashioned oatmeal goodness without the starchy carbs. We made two batches. One — made
according to package directions — came out like soft little English tea cakes. They
were very tasty, but less cookie-like than what you'd traditionally expect. The next
batch we made with a few modifications. We added an extra teaspoon of spice (we used
Pumpkin Pie Spice), and a bit of extra sweetener (we used Keto Sweet), plus a tablespoon
of real butter to offer a bit more crispness. These were more cookie-like and we
preferred them, but both batches were gobbled down by the group. We took several of
the cookies and spread the underside with sweetened cream cheese, then pressed two
cookies together to make oatmeal cream pies. Tasty!
Next, we made two batches of the Keto Chocolate Cookies. I'd had them before — I love them as
cookies, brownies, or mixed with their bread mix to make chocolate cake (see recipe
section), but the group had not had them to review, so away we went. One batch of cookies
was made as-is. The other we added 2 Tbsp of DaVinci Chocolate Syrup and 1/2 cup
chopped nuts. The later were more like a fudgy nut cookie and real good.
Of course, while we were at it, we also made a double-batch of the Keto-Sweet "Sugar"
Cookies. (The recipe is here.)
All in all, we were real pleased with our cookie treats, and we do recommend these
mixes.
products are available from
The Low Carb Connoisseur, The
Low Carb Dieter's Page, and of course
Life
Services.
03.22.00 :: Product
Recommendation & Review:
Love the taste of real butter but hate that it's hard to spread and hard to
cook with? Using Plugrá (European butter - see
our review at the bottom of
this page) solves the burning while cooking problem, but I still wished there
was a way to get great butter taste (that really IS butter — not the silly
margarine claims that pretend to "taste like butter") in an easy to use and
cook with form. The answer is Ghee! Ghee, a "fat"
used extensively in Indian cooking for years, is simply melted butter
with the milk solids removed (also known as "clarified butter.") Professional
chefs love it, and with good reason. It contains no oxidized cholesterol or
hydrogenated fat (trans-fatty acids). It has a very high smoking
point (unlike plain butter); and will give delicious flavor to all
kinds of baked goods and sautéed foods. One note — there is a school of thought
that considers Ghee to have especially healthful properties and others that
consider this to be quackery. We're only interested in it as a low-carb
friendly (and really tasty!) food, folks. Anything else, we'll let them
fight it out. (By the way — Dr. Atkins uses ghee in his Atkins Bars and other
products.)
It's carb free of course and comes in glass jars that don't need refrigeration.
It's very concentrated so one 13 oz jar will last a good long time.
To order online, visit
The Low Carb Connoisseur.
03.20.00 :: Product
Recommendation & Review:
The latest entry in the mix-and-bake breads from is Pumpernickel with a rich molasses flavor
that mimics the "real" thing with flair and flavor!
I'm already a fan of their breads — they mix with tremendous speed and
ease — a big benefit for someone who has to budget their time wisely! But
don't feel you're compromising. These breads are just great.
It comes in at just 3 grams of carb per slice. products are available both from
The Low Carb Connoisseur,
The
Low Carb Dieter's Page, and of course Life
Services.
02.10.00 :: Product
Recommendation & Review:
I've already recommended the mix-and-bake bread from (see review of 10/20/99), but now
those creative folks have made two new entries too wonderful not to mention.
Their latest specialty breads are here! First, there's the Old World Rye that reminds you of the soft,
mellow flavor brought to your restaurant table sliced
in baskets. Right out
of the oven with fresh sweet butter, this is an experience not to be missed.
Then for something you never thought you'd have again on a low-carb plan,
it's Banana
Bread!
This little jewel bakes up with a rich banana aroma and color and is even
"glossy" on top like traditional banana bread. And no, they didn't just use
artificial flavor to get the taste. They've used real banana flakes in the
mix. So far, we've tried this with warm butter and with cream cheese; and it's also
super with almond butter! You can add walnuts or pecans to the mix before
baking if you like, too.
They are 3 and 4 grams of carb per slice.
products are available both from
The Low Carb Connoisseur, The
Low Carb Dieter's Page, and of course Life
Services.
10.20.99 :: Product
Recommendation & Review:
If you are still missing bread - despite the Low-Carb crackers and tortilla shells
currently available - but you find the Atkins Bread and most others to be
sadly
lacking (in taste AND the ability to rise up!), you'll want to try Keto Bread Mix! It's very easy to make - just add
melted butter and water to the mix and stir with a fork, pour in loaf pan and bake
35 minutes! It raises, folks! And it has a luscious buttery crispy crust. The
center is very like the sort of bread restaurants serve sliced in the little bread
baskets they bring to your table. The heavy French bread type consistency. And it's
very good. Especially with rich butter or cream cheese. It can be sliced and dipped
in egg and cream to make French Toast. And you can add Splenda and Cinnamon before
baking for a great Cinnamon Bread! It's 3 grams of carb per slice... quite a bargain!
products are available both from
The Low Carb Connoisseur,
The
Low Carb Dieter's Page, and of course Life
Services.
The people at Expert Foods are (pardon the pun) experts
at innovative ideas for cooking and baking. And with the introduction of their
new "Cake-ability", they've hit on another winner.
This amazing mix allows you to mix 1/2 cup of their product with your favorite
nut flour, eggs, sweetener, and liquid (water, soda, DaVinci, etc), and
voila — you have a cake with a texture
that very closely resembles commercial cake-mix textures for an exceptionally low
carb cake! And if the liquid you use is DaVinci Sugarfree Syrup, you may not need
to add the carbs from granulated sweeteners.
We tried making the cakes with three different nut flours — almond
(we used a very fine ground blanched almond flour), which gives the most traditional
texture and taste; pecan flour, which gives a rich praline flavor to cakes and is
super with spices like cinnamon, cloves, etc.; and with macadamia nut flour, which gave
us the most moist results, and a sweet nutty taste. You can always mix your nut
flours, too.
When I was a kid, we always knew we'd been very good when Mom
made us waffles. It was more effort than simply pouring pancakes,
and while griddle cakes are great, there's something so "Home Sweet
Home" about waffles. Soft and hot on the inside, and hints of
crispness at the edges of those golden little squares. They hold
melting rich butter in their rows of small pockets and stand up
to syrups, whipped creams, and fruits.
Rudi's breads use no hydrogenated oils. They use instead organic high oleic expeller-pressed sunflower
oil which is cold pressed without the use of chemical solvents.
Hey! More great low carb brownies on the market. This time, it's the
Low Carb Chef's own Aunt Paula's Chocolate Fudge Brownie
Mix! Easy to mix,
and very low carb were the first things that attracted us to these. So when we found
they bake up very chewy and gooey (our favorite way to make brownies), we knew they
were going to make this product spotlight.
We liked them best with nuts added (both walnuts and pecans were good!) They come in
at 1.64 effective carb per brownie (and that's for a pretty big brownie!) They're
sweetened with an effective mix of low glycemic whey sweetener, Lo Han fruit concentrate,
and maltitol.
We just love it that there are more and more quick-and-easy mixes for the low
carber who spent their "learning to cook" years using Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines.
It's great to be able to grab a quick mix when we need to make quick desserts and
don't have time to make them all from scratch.
Okay, with the first product up in this review, let's not mince words... You
need to buy, make, and completely enjoy these delicious brownies. The
new Atkins Fudge
Brownie Mix are
simply out of this world.
Next up, we tried the Atkins Corn Muffin & Bread
Mix. We were anxious
to try them because most of us grew up on cornbread, corn muffins.. corn everything.
We've had some decent luck making cornbread-like substitutes which aren't bad, but
my goodness, this was nearly impossible to tell from the real thing. With a true
corn taste and a rich buttery flavor, these are delectable with warm butter.
I couldn't resist having one with my favorite Yoder's Sugarfree Apple Butter and I
sure felt like I was cheating. Again, we highly recommend them. One note, they
suggest a bake temp of 400°F, but we found 375°F for 5 minutes less worked better.
We also found they worked better with foil muffin cups than paper ones.
By now, we were in a baking frenzy [grin], and went for the yummy sounding
Atkins Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffin & Bread
Mix. We weren't
disappointed, and they are a chocolate lover's dream. Rich with a dutch-style
chocolate flavor, these are light, sweet muffins that don't need any dressing up.
Last month we discovered the wonderful little Low Carb Cookies from
Pleasantville
Cookie Company,
and recently we got the chance to take their bake mix out for a spin.
In their included recipes, they suggest making "Sweet Fried Chicken" with the
bake mix. At first, I questioned how good that could be. But my husband reminded
me that in our high carb days we used to make a crunchy sweet chicken with crushed
Frosted Flakes. So we tried it... and wow, it was unique and delicious.
You can also add some thinly sliced almond to the coating if you make "oven-fried
chicken!"
And now, a new set of pancake and waffle mixes hit the low carb scene! From
Carbsense comes two new mixes:
Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix and
Buckwheat Pancake & Waffle Mix, both in traditional box packaging.
Our favorite way of making these pancakes was to add small curd
cottage cheese, a bit of Splenda, and some vanilla extract to the mix's recipe to make
Cheesecake Pancakes. Top 'em with strawberries and they're divine!
Our youngest (honorary) member, 11 year old Julie, had a suggestion that worked so
well, we have to share it... When making waffles with them, we added club soda instead
of water (and a bit of almond oil) for great Club Soda Waffles (aka
"Angel Waffles".)
Then we broke open the Buckwheat Pancake & Waffle Mix... They made a faintly sweet,
lightly nutty tasting pancake which we enjoyed, but they shine best as waffles.
Our favorite waffle variety we made that day was by far, our Gingerbread Waffles
made with DaVinci Sugarfree Gingerbread Syrup in place of water. (If you can't find
the Gingerbread flavor, try using English Toffee flavor with 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger...
you can find DaVinci Syrups at 
This month, The Low Carb Chef introduced their new low carb
Superb Wheat Bread Machine
Mix. So of course
we got to work trying it. When using their recipe (on back of pouch), we got
a nicely sized loaf of light wheat bread with a crisp crust and medium-soft texture.
We liked our results even better when we used 3/4 cup water (rather than 1 cup)
mixed with 1 well-beaten room temperature egg, and almond or walnut oil rather than
vegetable oil. This resulted in a softer, higher loaf. (Always remember to
follow your machine's instructions for adding ingredients, but never allow low
carb breads multiple knead or rise cycles.) This bread does not come with yeast
packet (hence its lower price), so you'll want to have a good fresh rapid rise yeast
on hand. 
They're good with any of your favorite low carb syrups, of course, but we also found
that with a spritz of sweetener and cinnamon in the batter, they are very good
alone, or with a handful of berries. And they're a good batter base as well...
Put some finely diced cooked cauliflower and onion in the mix with a shake of
black pepper, fry the cakes in butter and top them with sour cream for a great
side dish.
Great news in the world of cookies!! 
You can, if you have the time and want to, play with the mix a bit. For instance,
we made a batch of the Chocolate Chip cookies with coconut added (and used the
coconut oil — which is semi-solid like shortening.) These were very scrumptious.
We also found the Peanut Butter cookies were just as good with Almond or Pecan butter
(we added broken pecans to the latter.)
We highly recommend these cookie mixes and think they're a great idea to keep
(several bags!) on hand in your pantry for when that warm cookie urge hits. Directions
are included and we do recommend using a non trans-fat shortening.
And just so you know they're easy... the 9 year old son of one of our members made
a batch by himself (way to go, Jason!!) and they came out great. (I promised him his
name would appear!) 
So we keep baking and
testing here to give you our feedback on the good ones. The latest entry we
had the chance to try are the new Bread Machine Mixes from diet originator,
Atkins
Nutritionals. They've
introduced three new mixes for bread machine use (though like most, you can make them
without a machine, but we suggest you have a strong arm for the kneading!)
Love Chocolate Morsels? If you're looking for a great Chocolate Chips to
make your favorite low carb baked goods, you'll want to try the Sugar Free Chocolate Chips from
The Low Carb Chef ... They're the semi-sweet variety
just like the famous Toll-House brand in mini-chips. And they bake beautifully.
It's certainly been a season rich with one of my favorite flavors -- Banana. First
DaVinci introduces their Banana Syrup, then Flax-O-Meal's fiber-rich Banana Walnut
mix (see review below), and now it's 
Banana Muffin & Pancake Mix! Make sure you make them both —
both the muffins and the pancakes. First, let's talk muffins: These make very
light (lady finger/sponge cake consistency) muffins. If you like an airy muffin,
these are for you. I personally like a very sweet muffin, so I add a smidge of
extra sweetener (use a liquid if you don't want to add any carbs.) And a couple of
tablespoons of your favorite low-carb fruit spread (like Keto marmalade or Keto
Pineapple Fruit Spread) make for a fabulous mixed fruit taste. Or add walnuts or
flax for extra fiber. Sprinkle a little Keto Sweet or Diabetisweet on the tops of
muffins for a "sugary" crown. As we always say, the best way to keep it interesting
is to be creative when you cook and bake — even with mixes.
As for pancakes, we think these make those great pastry types with a French crepe-like
feel. (And they come in at less than 2 carbs per pancake.) Drizzle with spiced butters,
whipped creams, and flavored syrups. And if
you can spare a few extra carbs, some thin slices of real banana make an indulgent
accent.
Ready for more options in muffin mixes? The new Atkins' Blueberry
Muffin Mix is a winner. Baking up
dense, hearty muffins with a sweet (but not too sweet) taste, they hungrily
eat up butter or cream cheese and can provide quick breakfasts on the go for
a week if you want to microwave a fresh one each morning.
This weekend we also had the chance to try the new Atkins Pancake & Waffle
mix. Like
the muffins, the pancake box contains recipes for additional options — in this
case, two varieties of crepes. The recipe for the "sweet crepes" is better than
either the "savory crepes" or the default recipe, and they're really exceptional.
But we have found another great use for this mix — mix it half and half with
parmesan cheese, add italian spices (and maybe a bit of garlic), and dip
your chicken in beaten egg and then this mix before frying. It's excellent.
If you're a veggie fan, or better yet, a fan of classic ranch dressing, you're
probably going to simply love the new Spicy Vegetable Irene's Health
Bread — we did. 
This past weekend, we made pancakes, cookies, and cupcakes with the new
Soy Creations
High Protein Baking
Mixes, and after a little experimenting
to get the right mix, we really liked the outcome. They come in four varieties:
Blueberry,
Strawberry, Banana, and Apple Cinnamon ! And the best news is that
they are all zero carb!
Yes, it's true — we're actually doing a spotlight recommendation of
Atkins Bake Mix ! First, let's get a few things
out of the way — this is not the original formula, and secondly, ignore the
recipes on the can. You won't like the bread you make with it. But unless you
have a sensitivity to soy (this contains it), you'll benefit from having it
onhand in your low-carb kitchen.
and you have a really good batter for frying meats or veggies.
I use it several times a month for our all-time favorite, 
As the low-carb bread machine mixes continue to add to their ranks,
our selections and choices continue to grow. And while we may have
to put in a bit more effort than those that can simply stop at
7-Eleven for a loaf of bread, we now have rich, delicious choices — many
of them far better tasting than those nutritionally striped
high carb versions.
This past week we baked up the two newest entries from
Ketogenics —
their Honey Wheat and their Pumpernickel Rye.
The pumpernickel rye has a more rustic appeal, but still offers up a slightly
sweet flavor that it gets from non-other than a raisin flavor. This bread is
at its best slightly warm (not toasted) with cream cheese. It's also great
grilled with butter and topped with mounds of lean corned beef and swiss cheese.
Don't forget the pickle! 
First up (and the one I consider most valuable), there's Lora Brody's Dough Relaxer. If you've ever used the low-carb
dough recipes (or specialty bread mixes) to make pizza crusts, desserts, or breadsticks,
you know that the elasticity from our extra gluten can get out of hand. That's
where the Dough Relaxer really shines. You can put an end to dough that fights you
back! It's so versatile, we tackled a project we'd been working on for awhile.
We made a heavenly batch of very low-carb warm soft pretzels with Lora Brody's Dough Relaxer
and a can of Keto French Bread Machine mix. (Yes, we posted the recipe — it's
Next on the "It's about time we reviewed these" list is the plethora of
products from Expert Foods ! Many of you are already familiar
with them (or at least with some of them) and will need no introduction to
these little silver pouches. But for the hundreds of you who have written to ask
"What's not/Starch?" when they see it in one of our recipes, let's
give you a quick run down. The most popular products from Expert Foods (makers
of specialty baking ingredients with our low-carb kitchen needs in mind) are
not/Starch, not/Cereal, and not/Sugar.
Next comes not/Cereal, and that's one we use more
often than any other around here. It's easy to mix — add a Tablespoon to a small
amount of warm water and whisk to mix out lumps. Then add the remainder
of liquid (usually about 1/2 cup depending on how thick you like your
cereal) and microwave for 30-45 seconds. Whisk again. Then for an almost
zero carb bowl, add your sweetener (perhaps a Tablespoon of DaVinci syrup?) and
a splash of heavy cream if you like and enjoy. (A 1/2 cup
serving works out to be 1.6g carbohtydrates — of which 1.3g is fiber.) When you
can handle a few extra carbs, you can "add in" some goodies. The lowest carb
add-in is ground nuts. Add 1/4 cup ground walnuts or pecans (favorites here!)
for a nutty, rich cereal. Or add a small amount of regular high-carb cereal.
You can add just a teaspoon of quick-oats, cream-of-wheat, or baby cereal to
get a whole bowl that tastes very much like it was all the high carb stuff.
Just remember, with both the not/Starch and the not/Cereal, the secret's in
the whisking.
But best of all, it made great
cinnamon raisin biscuits. Remember those from Burger King? Follow
their regular recipe but add 1/2 cup Splenda (or the equivalent in
liquid sweetener to keep carbs down) and a full teaspoon of cinnamon.
Raisins can be carby, so buy the unsweetened variety (I get mine at the
health food store) and cut raisins into halves. Add 1/8 cup of chopped
raisins to the entire mix and you'll be surprised how great an impact that
tiny amount of raisins can have. (Of course to keep 'em very low-carb,
just make cinnamon biscuits.) Once done, spread with cream cheese/Splenda
mix for a breakfast pastry you'll really like.
Breaded and
Fried. Sound good? It's kind of
the American way, isn't it? When
we were low-fat dieting, fried anything was definitely out. And when
we started low-carbing, "breaded" fell somewhere between prohibited and "tried-but-soggy."
Well, if your hot button is a plate of super-crispy Southern Fried Chicken, or
Georgia-style pork chops, or just about anything else dropped in hot grease and
fried to decadent perfection, the new 
All were completely delicious and all fry up
without a drop of sogginess. They brown evenly and cook in sync with the chicken.
There's something inherently comforting about Chocolate
Chip Cookies, isn't there? Especially when they are warm
out of the oven. While we've come across a few recipes
for a low-carb version of them (the best we've found is