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 12-03-02 - Product Recommendation & Review: I can't help but feel that this particular review should start with a drumroll.. you know, the way all really big announcements do. You see, judging by the email we receive, more than anything else, low carbers want convenience. They want the proverbial "TV Dinner". They want frozen pre-cooked meals that can fill their freezer and be ready in 15 minutes or less. Well, what if you could have a frozen meal that beat the pants off those high carb cardboard-y things in your grocer's freezer that was low carb and gourmet quality? Do I have your attention? |
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Last week, our group spent an evening eating some of the best dinners we'd had in some time. And they
were frozen less than 15 minutes before we were ready to dine! A rather splendid company called
Home Bistro have put their talented chefs Dennis Chauvin and Scott
Stillman to work on creating complete low carb meals that would rival most fine restaurants. They've
been manufacturing USDA quality meals since 1999 selling under the Home Bistro label, so you can be sure
this wasn't an overnight idea.
Was I skeptical at first? Sure. Have you ever seen a frozen meal that ended up looking anything like
the photo on the cover? I never had. But what a pleasant surprise to discover that these really do look
like the company's photos when cooked and plated. And they taste...well... delicious.
Each order is shipped in an insulated cooler with enough dry ice to guarantee its freshness upon
delivery and that it will keep until you get home.
All dinners are separated with each part of the meal in a sealed pouch. Drop your pouches in 3 or 4 quarts of boiling water and simmer for around 10 minutes (each dinner varies a bit, so check individual instructions.) Then remove the pouches (use tongs), and follow directions for serving. Super easy. They currently offer 15 low carb meal choices including 2 breakfasts. From Filet Mignon with Barnaise to Shrimp Scampi, to Roast Pork Loin in a Thai Red Curry Sauce, these meals are exceptional. Our kudos to the chefs. 
While it's hard to pick favorites since each meal was a delight, we did find a few that stood
out as superb. It won't suprise you that the Filet Mignon with Barnaise (an extremely tender filet that
comes out "medium" when cooked for 10 minutes, but can be cooked longer if desired) was a top pick with our group.
But also rating very high was the Grilled Chicken Satay (each of those comes with a generous serving of
pured cauliflower with Parmesan that's to die for), the Fettuccine and Chicken with Peanut Sauce, and their
Bistro Hot Cereal with Blueberries (a maple-cinnamon cereal that's creamy and rich.)
Carb counts vary depending on the meal choice, with some as low as 8 or 9 carbs, and others in the 13 to 15 carb
range. So choose what's appropriate for your plan and level, but for such generous portions and considering these
counts are for entire meals, we think they've done a terrific job of understanding and catering to the low
carb diner.
One last thing... we have to make a special note about the incredible sauces these meals come with. They don't have any "processed" taste, and are unique and rich with flavor. They can be ordered online at Home Bistro's LowCarbMeals site, where you'll find the full catalog with photos, instructions, nutrition info, and more. These are, of course, more expensive than grocery store dinners. You'd expect them to be... they are superior quality meals made with the best ingredients, rather than mass-produced "stamped-out" meals made with cheap starches. I have to say... totally worth it. During these hectic Holiday times, wouldn't it be great to come in from a long day of Christmas shopping and have these waiting in your freezer to save you from cooking? 11-05-02 - Product Recommendation & Review: 
I believe we've received more emails with recommendations for this product than any other this year. We were intrigued from the first time we heard rumors of a new very low carb ice cream that didn't contain sugar alcohols OR aspartame... and comes right in your grocer's freezer case! But for the life of us, none of us was able to locate any in our area. But now that they have national distribution through WalMart Supercenters, most everyone can get this new must-have treat. So, what is it? It's called LeCarb Frozen Dessert . They're convenient little one-pint containers (Ben & Jerry style) sugarfree ice creams that are sweetened with Splenda and use glycerin to stay 'scoopable' and of proper consistency. And they've really done it. This is delicious stuff people. And after a week of staying below 7 carbs a day (and maintaining super dark ketone strips), I found I was able to eat up to 2/3 of a cup of this ice cream without even lightening my stick or slowing weight loss. What a joy! They come in seven varieties: Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Lemon, Cinnamon, Homemade Vanilla, and Chocolate Almond. 
A regular serving is 1/2 cup and it comes in at 6 total carbs, with 3 of them being from
glycerin, so if you're like me and glycerin causes no reaction in you, count 3 carbs. If you
are counting glycerin, 6 carbs is still a great bargain for this delicious and so convenient
treat.
Our favorite was the Chocolate Almond. It's so good, it's a guilty pleasure. Then there's the Lemon... super lemony yet refreshing and just the right creaminess. Third was Cinnamon. It's a heady combination of spice and rich cream. It should be absolute perfection over your holiday pumpkin desserts this season. The Strawberry and Homemade Vanilla (almost a French Vanilla) tied next. The strawberry is nearly identical to Briar's Strawberry. But all flavors are good with not a hint of aftertaste or "fake" taste. We strongly recommend the new LeCarb frozen desserts. It feels like you're cheating. But you're not. Just enjoy! Look for them in WalMart Supercenters, or in Brookshire's Groceries if you live in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, or Mississippi. 03-13-02 - Product Recommendation & Review: 
Believe it or not, warm weather is going to be coming soon (well, for those
of us in North America who have had enough of Winter, thank you...) But warm weather
or not, we are always on the prowl for great ice cream.(I think as a species, mankind just might be addicted to the stuff! I'm almost sure it's not just me...) Until now, I had to drive quite a bit to find no sugar ice cream that was both delicious, and was sweetened without aspartame. 
This week, Richard ran up to me excitedly in the
grocery to drag me over to the freezer case. And there behind the frosty doors, sat
rows and rows of newly released ice creams (made by a dairy in business since 1914)
boasting the Splenda logo on their label. And these were not "ice milks" or fat
free products. These are full ice creams sweetened with Splenda. In fact,
at 7 to 8 grams of fat per serving, these are nicely rich. They are Velvet Ice Cream's new No Sugar Added "Light" line.
These heavenly ice creams come in four
varieties: Vanilla, Dutch Chocolate, Butter Pecan & Cashew, and Cherry Fudge Cordial (made with sugarless maraschino cherries
and sweet ripples of gooey fudge.) It won't surprise you that the Cherry Fudge Cordial
was our favorite, but it's the highest carb, of course. Carb counts (after deduction)
range from 5 carbs per serving to 16 carbs per serving, so the higher carb of the
bunch are best for those on maintenance, a more liberal carb plan, or for special
occasions. It's so good, though, that one day this week I made sure I had no
other carbs all day so I could have a dish of this amazing ice cream after
dinner. Yep, it's that delish. 
Now the others are super-good too, and can be had
much more often. The Butter Pecan & Cashew is exceptionally buttery tasting,
and the Vanilla is super creamy.If you want ice cream really often, it's still probably a good idea to make it yourself from a recipe or with the Keto ice cream mixes (they're lower carb and you can make the flavors you want), but if you want to keep something in the freezer for special times, this is it. I am so pleased to see more and more brands going to Splenda. If Velvet Ice Cream is available in your area, we really recommend you find some! 
One note ... as of this writing, their website continues to show only their old single flavor aspartame sweetened variety. You want the new kinds shown in our photos. UPDATE: Since writing our review, Velvet Ice Cream has come out with a new flavor, "Caramel Crunch" that's simply delicious! And they've begun to update their website with some of the new information. 12-20-01 - Product Recommendation & Review: 
It's hard to find anything about low carbing that stands out more luxuriously than
our abilities to enjoy a great steak. And something that's always been a big hit
with me (and so many others) is having it with a melt-in-your-mouth flavored butter!
I used to spend time making various rolls of herbed butters to keep on hand just for
the occasion. Now that we've discovered the new Gourmet Butters from Dairy Wise, it
all just got a lot more convenient. These are just super. Very creamy, and bursting
with fresh flavors that they 'kiss' the meat with as they melt into it.
But they can be used anywhere you'd use a butter for a savory touch. In sauteing or
baking, and I've found they're just as good on chicken, fish, or pork as they are
on beef. They are available in:
Blue Cheese & Cracked
Peppercorn Butter, Sun Dried Tomato & Basil
Butter, and Scampi Butter (with Lemon Juice and Garlic.)
With only a trace of carbs, all natural ingredients starting with AA Butter, and completely delicious, you'll want to keep these close at hand. Dairy Wise Gourmet Butters are available online at The Low Carb Connoisseur Bakery. 07-02-01 - Product Recommendation & Review: 
Summer time and the living is easy. . . Well, at least easier with the help of some great new summertime products like the cool, creamy, new Sherbets from the folks at  . And these have that frostyiciness with a deeply fruited taste that you will just love. They come in three flavors: 
Just like the Keto Ice Creams, these are simple to make put ingredients
in a blender to mix well, then prepare in any ice cream machine. They are
slightly tart a more "adult" taste than the sherbet "treats" that kids eat,
but if you like them sweeter, just add a bit of Splenda or other sweetener as
you make them in the blender. The directions call for adding "1/2 cup of heavy cream,
1 cup of skim milk, 11 oz. of water and 1 egg yolk." But we found you could get very
different results by altering this. For instance, if you are a fan of "sorbet",
mix with skim milk, water, and an appropriately flavored diet soda. For example,
with the Orange we mixed with Diet Orange Crush (we use the Splenda sweetened
varieties of all sodas.) With the Watermelon we used Cream Soda and with the
Lemon Lime you guessed it, we used Diet Lemon-Lime soda. It's less creamy
and more European, but also terrific, so we consider this a more versatile
product than even they realize.
Want more ideas? Here's what we did:
06-11-01 - Product Recommendation & Review: 
Summer brings out the kids in us, doesn't it? One of the things many of us enjoyed as children were those kicky little freezer-pops that came in bright colors and flavors and left our mouths blue (or red, or purple...) Of course they were filled with sugar and terribly bad for us, but what remains is the memory of how fruity and chilly they were. 
In the years since I've been low-carbing, I've
come across a number of freezer pops that were sugar free, but they've all been
sweetened with aspartame and like many of you, I try to avoid it in my diet
(especially since it exacerbates my headaches), so my search for a Splenda
sweetened version has been on ever since. A few weeks ago, I finally found what
I was looking for. Mr. Freeze Freezer Pops are indeed Splenda sweetened (with
a smidge of sorbitol too) and come in at about 1 carb per freezer pop. And they're
just sweet enough to refresh and treat! I love grabbing one out of the freezer
whenever I want. They come in boxes of 99 freezer pops Blue Raspberry, Cherry, Lemon, and Grape.
We found these in several discount stores and wholesale/warehouse clubs (like Sam's Club), so look for them. 03-09-01 - Product Recommendation & Review: 
You might have read from a number of my "wish list" ramblings that I've really
wanted to see a ready-in-the-freezer No Sugar Ice Cream, Splenda Sweetened and
NOT FAT FREE. Well, on a recent trip to Canada, I found just that. While in
Windsor, Ontario, we had a chance to try the Chapman's No Sugar Ice
Creams.
And just as I'd wished for, they are sweetened with Splenda (and a bit
of maltitol for ice-cream texture), and still contain about 5 grams of
fat per serving so they don't taste "flat" like fat-free ones do.Now, before we go further let me say that these ice creams are not available in the U.S. (sadly), but we found them much too good to pass up for review so that those IN Canada, or those who can make the trip, don't want to miss this! In fact, it was so delish, we bought a very large cooler and brought it back filled to capacity with Chapman's Ice Cream. And believe me, our group was ever-so-grateful. 
The ice cream comes in Dutch Chocolate, Butterscotch Ripple, and Vanilla. They are creamy and yummy
and I plan to stock up every time we make it up there! They're listed at
approximately 11 carb grams per serving, but that's because unlike our
products, they don't discount maltitol off the total. We figure they work out
in reality to 6-7 grams per serving. Not something you could eat unlimited amounts
of, but surely a serving from time to time is do-able (I eat it often and always
stay in ketosis.)
We purchased ours in the A&P in Windsor, Ontario, but they are available at most major grocers throughout Ontario. You can visit the Chapman's Ice Cream website to learn more or find a grocery carrying it. If you live in Canada, or live close enough to make the drive to get some, we highly recommend you do. 08-21-00 - Product Recommendation & Review: 
In June of this year,  introduced
a terrific low-carb
ice cream mix (see earlier review below.) From everything we've
heard from our visitors and seen from merchants, it was a big
hit. So were the little elves at Keto content with their creation?
No.. they just had to go and do it. They have found a way to
make it even better! They've kept the great taste and the
easy-to-make directions, but now it's so much like traditional
ice cream parlor ice
cream, you probably won't be able to tell the
difference. The key words here are definitely creamy and
scoopable.Coming in three new flavors Coffee, Black Raspberry and Orange Creamsicle and of course the returning favorites Strawberry , Chocolate Fudge and French Vanilla you'll find that batches from the freezer are now easily scoopable to make low-carb sundaes, ala modes, and any other ice cream treat your heart desires. Here are our hints for after freezing serving prep: Before serving, ice cream should be allowed to soften slightly,
a process experts refer to as "tempering." To
soften the ice cream before
serving, place it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Then, serve
immediately. (Freezer temperatures vary, so test first - yours might be
perfect right out of the freezer!) And to get perfect scoops? The best
way to form a round scoop is to start from the back edge and draw the scoop
toward you as you skim the surface. When a well-shaped ball has formed, turn
and lift the scoop away from the container and gently press it against a
dish or cone to release it.Want a couple of quick ideas we found to be exquisite? Try a Coffee Hazelnut Smoothie! Take 2 cups of the frozen Keto Coffee ice cream and add 3 tablespoons sugarfree (DaVinci) hazelnut syrup, 1/4 cup cream and 1/2 cup cold water. Place all ingredients in blender container; cover. Blend at medium speed 30 to 40 seconds or until smooth. Pour into 2 serving glasses. Heaven! We also made a Frozen Black Cow by mixing 2 cups frozen Keto Chocolate ice cream with 1 cup diet Root Beer. After 40 to 50 seconds in the blender, it was a treat that reminded me of childhood. The Black Raspberry is so good, you probably want to eat it as a purist - no modifications or additions! The new formula comes in bigger tins now making 5 Cuisinart batches (or 3 3/4 quarts) of ice cream But they kept the price the same! Yeaah! Still 34 grams of carbs per serving! ice
cream mixes are available at The Low Carb
Connoisseur, The
Low Carb Dieter's Page, and Life
Services.06-14-00 - Product Recommendation & Review: SEE NEW REVIEW ABOVE OF NEW KETO ICE CREAM FORMULATION! The following review will remain for reference. 
A love of ice cream seems to be universal. It's a part of our culture
in all its variations and flavors. It's a versatile treat that just begs
to be experimented with - a handful of nuts, a splash of syrup, a
smattering of fresh berries. If you've played with the various ice cream
recipes for low-carbing, you know that while you can get a good ice cream
with a lot of work - it's just that - a lot of work. With the introduction of
low carb ice cream mixes, now you can have great ice
cream in about 3 minutes mix-time and 20-30 minutes total! We highly recommend using
the Cuisinart Ice Cream maker (rotating freezer bowl type.) Several members brought
their ice cream makers so we could have multiple batches going, but everyone thought
the Cuisinart did the best job.Offered in French Vanilla, Strawberry and Chocolate Fudge, we found they were even better when we added some "extras". For instance - to the Vanilla, we made one batch with cinnamon and brown sugar twin for a spicy swirl, and one batch with a few chopped cherries (from Lucky Leaf Lite Pie Filling - Splenda sweetened.) Both were really good, though we also liked the plain vanilla. Next we made the Strawberry. Of course we could not resist 
adding 5-6 fresh strawberries diced up
to the mix. This was a big favorite with many members of the group. Last, we made
two batches of the Chocolate. One plain (on which I sprinkled nuts), and one with
chunks of low-carb chocolate bar added near end of cycle. The chocolate also had
plenty of fans. (I have to confess, I have been eating lots of ice cream since
getting these mixes!) Depending on your ingredients choices, this ice cream will cost
you between 3 and 5 grams per serving, and worth every gram! Of note - the directions
say to use 1 cup heavy cream, 1 cup skim milk, and 1 cup water. We tried this
and found we liked the end result better when we skipped the skim milk. We use 1 cup
heavy cream; 1 1/4 cups half-n-half, and 3/4 cup very cold water. We also tried it
with and without the egg yolk and found very little difference, so if you want to avoid
the raw egg yolk, feel free.Their use of lecithin, xanthan gum and carrageenan like commercial ice creams, means these hold great in the freezer (if you have any left-over!) ice cream mixes as well as the Cuisinart
Ice Cream maker are available at Life
Services.06-12-00 - Product Recommendation & Review: 
Remember those hot summer days at the beach as a kid? Remember finding a snowcone stand and getting a paper cone filled with brightly colored sweet frozen treats? Those don't have to be distant memories. Even when you're low-carbing, we've found such a treat in the sugar free syrup flavors of Hawaiian Shaved Ice! They offer a long-list of sugar free flavors that are bursting with sweet exotic tastes! From 
Strawberry Cheesecake
and Pina Colada to Blue Hawaiian, Bahama Mama, and Granny Smith Apple - the list goes
on and on. Nearly every flavor they make is available in the sugar-free variety.
And you'd never guess they were sugar-free. Big generous bottles of syrup at
a reasonable cost. If you don't own a shaved ice machine, they sell them there as
well (these are very inexpensive appliances.) Our panel tried a myriad of their flavors and liked all we tried, but we confess to a few true favorites -- our picks were Banana, Dreamsycle, Cotton Candy and Cherry Cola. What a great idea to serve a group of friends after a back-yard barbeque on a hot summer day! To purchase online, visit the HawaiianShavedIce.com website. 02-10-00 - Product Recommendation & Review: 
Now, here's something that was
a delight to find! If you are a lover of spicy Buffalo Wings, you'll really appreciate that the
TGI Friday's Restaurant chain now offers a frozen
grocery store version that are just as good. They are 1 carb per serving, and
with three servings to a box, if
you went a little nuts and ate the whole box well, that's an entire 3 grams! :)
Seventeen minutes in the oven (or thirteen in a convection, or just a few in
a microwave) and you have restaurant style wings that beat all the other frozen
types I've tried. A little Bleu Cheese or Ranch for dipping, and you're all set!
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