Words of Wisdom for the Holiday LC'ers

[LCCamper]

Hey all.........
Went back and did a search on the Holidays and spent a few hours this morning reading and digesting ideas and tips along with menus, etc and wondered if there any new Holiday ideas, hints and tips for us to try?
The thought of baking cookies sets off my "binge button" so I have put the word out that I am not baking this year and no one had a problem with it! (YEAH!!!) I love the fact that so many posted that they took their old tried and true menus and tweeked them to fit into their WOE. Others decided to take some time off their WOE and just enjoy the holidays (dear heavens I just don't have the discipline to do that myself) and then get back to their LC WOE. I have diabetes so it will always be a WOL for me and not just a means to an end so I have to find ways to work around all of the great cooks who just want me to taste it to see if it is good. Well, if I did that well you get the picture...... :agree: I guess I am just getting excited and looking forward to the holidays and since I am a planner I was looking for everyone's input as to what they are doing this year to stay the course.
Blessings,
Linda

[pennink]

Making myself lc treats (those chocolate macaroons for sure), keeping lots of allowed treats in the house, and remembering each time a goody gets created or eaten that I'm working on a bigger payoff.

[DrH]

Like you, I am a planner and I am worried about the Holidays as I always make a ton of cookies, fudge, and pierogies (Polish ravioli). I am not sure what I am going to do - maybe lock myself in a closet? :lol:



Hey all.........
Went back and did a search on the Holidays and spent a few hours this morning reading and digesting ideas and tips along with menus, etc and wondered if there any new Holiday ideas, hints and tips for us to try?
The thought of baking cookies sets off my "binge button" so I have put the word out that I am not baking this year and no one had a problem with it! (YEAH!!!) I love the fact that so many posted that they took their old tried and true menus and tweeked them to fit into their WOE. Others decided to take some time off their WOE and just enjoy the holidays (dear heavens I just don't have the discipline to do that myself) and then get back to their LC WOE. I have diabetes so it will always be a WOL for me and not just a means to an end so I have to find ways to work around all of the great cooks who just want me to taste it to see if it is good. Well, if I did that well you get the picture...... :agree: I guess I am just getting excited and looking forward to the holidays and since I am a planner I was looking for everyone's input as to what they are doing this year to stay the course.
Blessings,
Linda

[Bat Spit]

Like you, I am a planner and I am worried about the Holidays as I always make a ton of cookies, fudge, and pierogies (Polish ravioli). I am not sure what I am going to do - maybe lock myself in a closet?

There are tons of lovely low carb alternatives. It is possible to make a very nice fudge using cream cheese and cocoa. Pumpkin pie with a nut crust and splenda will fool everyone who isn't low carb. My favorite low carb cookie receipt is made with almond flour and either honey or splenda and can mimic most of my holiday favorites depending on the flavorings used. I even use those to substitute for danish in the Xmas morning ritual of danish and sausage with stockings. Coconut oil chocolates can be pretty and decorative, and again made in several flavors.

Hmmm. Pierogies is a little harder, I don't know anything about low carb pasta subsitutes since I didn't like it to begin with, but check the forums here, or any of the multitudes of low carb cookbooks. You'll find an answer you can live with.

Holidays in every culture I'm familiar with center around food. Its very important to figure out how to adjust your food to live within this cultural imperative, or I don't see how you can make it a permanent lifestyle.

Normally we don't have many treats in the house. My husband loves a certain kind of ice cream bar. I have a 1/2 a Larabar. That's it for sweets. But I have a whole pile of recipes that are part of our 'new' holiday tradition that will keep us completely satisfied when faced with the endless high carb offerings of the season. When I take them to pot lucks, they always go early!

[joesfolks]

My favorite thing in the world is my own lemon meringue pie. So I have promised myself that if I get through the holidays without cheating I will allow myself to make a pie after the New Year. However, as soon as I have had my piece the thing goes out of this house. I don't know if I will send it to work with my husband or send it home with my brother, but I will not let it stick around. This is a lifestyle after all. Wishing you success.

[winterlily]

HOlidays are just a matter of figuring out in advance what to do...in my case, I make low carb stuff I can have - jello adn heavy cream, turkey, gravy made from xanthan gum, turkey drippings and a bit of davinci sugarfree syrup, mashed cauliflower, ceaser salad, spinich bread. There are ways aroudn everything. I also keep a low carb cheesecake around in case I get the urge to cheat.

[DrH]

This is my mother's favorite too! I hope you are able to make that pie and enjoy!!!



My favorite thing in the world is my own lemon meringue pie. So I have promised myself that if I get through the holidays without cheating I will allow myself to make a pie after the New Year. However, as soon as I have had my piece the thing goes out of this house. I don't know if I will send it to work with my husband or send it home with my brother, but I will not let it stick around. This is a lifestyle after all. Wishing you success.

[AlluraD]

Great question! Thanksgiving thru Christmas has always been the most challenging time for me.....I think because there are so many traditions connected to it that relate to special holiday foods made and shared w/ family.I have always lost so much solid ground around this time of year.

I am going to make the lc pumpkin cheescake and the peanut butter cups...also the lemon pinch pie which is floating around here somewhere......I will make all kinds of good lc foods (allow myself legal sweets in moderation) so I don't feel deprived.....that's my game plan anyway.......and to start the New Year lighter than I was when I went into the holidays~

[Donna I.]

I am planning on making lowcarb alternatives and trying to make them into my "new" traditional favorites. In the past I have always allowed myself the 24th (my birthday) and the 25th to eat whatever I want, but I need to focus less on those two days of pigging out and more on enjoying lowcarb foods as my treats. But I am not going to say right now that I will not stray, it gets really hard to resist the constant temptation and if I have to, I will get through most of it if I know that I will be able to have some on those two days. But I can do alot of damage in two days!
Something I would like to find is a lowcarb gingerbread cookie recipe, somthing I can cut out like gingerbread men. Anybody ever seen this?