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Members' Book Reviews
Revised: August 7, 2005
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Your Book Suggestions and/or Book Reviews for GG Members
"The Low-carb
Baking And Dessert Cookbook"
by Ursula Solom
Review written by
Bonny: December 12, 2004
Compared to just a year or two ago, the flurry and availability of both low-carb
specialty products and cookbooks is pleasing for those of us who are able to put
energy into preparing at least a few really worthy treats that stay well inside
our carb-count "budgets".
A lot (ok, most) low-carb "convenience foods" are not all that appealing,
though, and many taste downright nasty. And just like off-the-shelf versions of
any food, low-carb versions rarely taste satisfying when we seek "the real
thing".
The Low-Carb Baking and Dessert Cookbook
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Chef / author Ursula Solom addresses this issue in her recently published "The
Low-carb Baking And Dessert Cookbook" (hardback $24.95, isbn# 0471678325) and
offers 200+ recipes that resolve that longing. Well-known as co-author of "The
Low-carb Comfort Food Cookbook" along with Drs Michael R. and Mary Dan Eades,
creators of the "Protein Power" version of low-carb, Ursula provides
chapters packed with recipes for many breads, cookies, rolls, cakes, and
lots of wickedly not sinful other low-carb treats.
Skim through this book and you quickly
realize how healthy her versions are, too.
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The Low-Carb Comfort Food Cookbook
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She uses many combinations
of nuts, seeds, occasional (small amounts of) grains, and even offers a handsome
variety of gluten-free bread recipes. Reminiscent of health-food junkie
books of yore, this collection will leave you not only delighted with options
but smug with the knowledge that you really are eating smart. Each recipe provides an impressive breakdown of carb and protein counts for each
ingredient, so you can easily sub other preferences and still tally your carbs.
Fiber is subtracted from total carb count, so you know which carbs count... and
each serving is very low in carbs and usually high in protein. Think cookies...
Lots-of-Cookies!!!
These are not quick-and-dirty recipes with only a few ingredients, though. The
recipes look intimidating because the ingredient lists are longer than those of
many basic low-carb cookbooks... but many small amounts can be omitted if spices
and exacting tastes are not important to you. Preparation directions are very
understandable. Ursula explains the pros and cons of using ingredients some find
questionably healthy, such as sugar substitutes and soy, and justifies her
synergistic use of (typically) three sugar subs in most recipes. Yes, she
frequently uses xylitol!
The intro says many people prefer to use less of
them, and the recipes can easily be adjusted "to taste". Splenda has
increasingly mixed health reviews and is not as sweet as xylitol, but xylitol in
large amounts can cause flatulence, and stevia is great but can be bitter in
large amounts...so Ursula uses small proportions of each to create a
more-than-the-ingredients-alone amount of sweetness. You will be frustrated if
you do not have a fair collection of specialty flours, nut flours and other
low-carb baking ingredients, because time must be spent locating and purchasing
them before these recipes can be prepared. So, don't buy this book with plans to
jump right in if you are on a particularly tight $$, energy, effort and/or
patience budget and prefer immediate 3-ingredient results. Ursula's recipes
really are high-end quality and are written accordingly, but only rarely require
more time or effort than "normal" dessert and pastry recipes do.
Mary Dan Eades describes Ursula Solom's talents as "culinary alchemy" because the
terrific results are formulated by combinations of many ingredients in exacting
proportions with particular techniques - and at first glance I laughed with
mirth at the mythic wording. Then, I realized their truth. This woman is
talented and capable, as her collaborative "comfort food" first book proved.
Yes, she lost quite a bit of weight and drastically salvaged her health with
"Protein Power", so she knows the ropes. And flours. And cravings. And
craft.
I won't be making many of these treats soon, but as I heal on guai and further
improve both my energy and low-carb quality WOE (way of eating), this book will be a sparkle in
my eye when I sulk because I shouldn't eat normal versions of X, Y, and Z like
so many people do. It was worth the $$ splurge, and I post this note with the
sincere hope that a few of you will stuff this fascinating book into a dedicated
low-carbing baker's stocking next weekend. A pleasing and enriching gift it
would be. Yeah, I grabbed it like a junkie at full price, but shop on-line and
compare for much lower prices.
Low Carb Smoothies
Review written by
Bonny: June 20, 2004
The Coconut
Diet
by Cherie Calbom
Review written by Bonny:
March 27, 2005
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The Coconut Diet : The Secret Ingredient That Helps You Lose Weight While You Eat Your Favorite Foods
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Several books address the positive healing /
weight loss benefits of coconut oil, and now one is available for use with
low-carb diets. The author does write about FMS / CFS as well as other
Illnesses, although I am not convinced coconut oil will eradicate all our
symptoms. Refreshing, too, was a quote from a woman with FMS who endorses
the daily intake of coconut oil... who uses guaifenesin. This book
includes many recipes using coconut oil, of course, but also has chapters
and guidelines / recipes for cleanses / detoxing of various organs and
systems. The cleanses may not be entirely compatible with guaifenesin
use, but they are close enough to be adaptable. Because locating cleanses
appropriate for Guai'ers is difficult, I thought this book may assist some
of us in these areas.
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Review written by
Karyn: April 28, 2005
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Embracing His Presence, Renewing My Strength
This is a relaxing, empowering Christian Meditation CD by our own GG Member,
Sue Jones.
Sue has also written the Book
Parting
the Fog
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Dear Guais: The
benefits of meditation for those of us with fibromyalgia has been discussed
a lot. Most people agree, if they can find the time or the inner resources
to be still, it is very beneficial. I have found a meditation CD I find very
helpful and calming. Our own Sue Jones, the guai'er who wrote "Parting the
Fog," has given us a new resource; a CD called "Embracing His Presence,
Renewing My Strength." It's strictly from a Christian perspective and there
are three parts to it. The first is a meditation to be completed in a quiet
setting, lying or sitting. Soft, hymns play in the background. Sue's voice
is lovely and amazingly soothing and the words are heartfelt. She takes you
through what I would term a session of experiencing your own body through
God's love and asks the listener to do certain things, such as feel their
heart beat and believe that angels are present and extracting harmful
energies from them, to name a couple. Not only is it calming and relaxing,
but it puts a person in a God-frame of mind. The second part can be played
while driving, working, etc., and again Sue's soothing voice and music
choices are wonderfully relaxing. The third part is Christian music with no
vocals. Mostly, it's a piano, accompanied by a cello, violin, and viola at
different times - very soothing. From my perspective, it's extremely
helpful. Sometimes we need a reminder to stop, rest, reflect, and listen to
our bodies and to God. As busy, sick guai'ers, we don't always do this. The
CD is very professional and I think will comfort and help renew you. I do
not have a financial interest in this CD, but thought you might enjoy a
beautifully different kind of meditation tape. |
Review written by Bonny:
January 30, 2005
The "I Can't Believe This Has No Sugar" Cookbook
by
Deborah E. Buhr
For those with
dairy, egg white and yolk, cola nut, yeast and beef sensitivities or
allergies:
This is NOT a low-carb / HG book, although it certainly sounds that way, but
with a bit of twinking ingredients it should fit your new needs well if you
are.
The "I Can´t Believe This Has No Sugar" Cookbook
by Deborah E. Buhr
(ISBN # 0-312-15551-4, $12.95)
(Text from Cover: --- More than 150 sugar-free, cholesterol-free, dairy-free
recipes for great-tasting cakes, cookies, pies, candies, breads and muffins.
Uses only all-natural sweeteners, provides nutritional analysis for each
recipes, including diabetic exchanges, includes alternatives for the wheat-
and corn-sensitive --- and can be adapted for food allergies.)
Ms. Buhr developed these recipes as she learned to address her family´s
special dietary requirements. Published first in 1990, this book is always
prominently displayed in the "special diets" section of a large bookstore I
visit and I suspect it is very popular. She often uses canned UNsweetened
fruit juices that are readily available in grocery stores, then cooks them
down and stores them in the freezer for use as sweeteners, etc. There is
some prep to prepare a few basic recipes that she builds many other
delicacies from, so you will need to consider this extra effort. Or, I
suspect you could sub appropriate portions of liquids / artificial
sweeteners / even "REGULAR" sweeteners, etc., and save steps and energy - if
using "natural sweeteners" is not a priority.
Ms. Buhr includes an extensive "Substitutions" section that has many smart
tips appropriate for special diets, including the suggestion that you
consider substituting equal amounts of soy milk or soy powder mixed with
liquid for regular milk if you must remain dairy-free.
No Cola Nut = No Chocolate. Sorry. And tho this is an obvious flaw of ethics
in the universe as we know it (!!!), the author does her best to appease our
needs by providing very attractive recipes for cakes and pastries using
carob powder.
Alas, she DOES use eggs and egg whites where needed, so... perhaps using egg
substitutes from the grocer´s dairy section or online powdered versions
will solve this last quandary when adapting these enjoyable treats to YOUR
visions.
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