The whole idea here was to come up with a recipe that would work for low carbers and paleo/primal folks, both. The only switch needed is to sub real honey and maple syrup for the sugar-free versions. These are mildly sweet; you could add more stevia if you want them sweeter, or even add some Splenda if you like.

I think these would be great in a kid's lunch box. Or bag. Or whatever kids carry lunch in these days.

Cherry-Almond-Coconut Cookie-Snacky Things

2/3 cup almond butter
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons sugar-free pancake syrup

Almost a year ago, I wrote about my attempts to make sugar-free limoncello. As I said at the time, I've never had the sugary kind, so I had nothing to judge it against. It's nice, but really too sweet for my tastes, drunk alone.

Over at the Facebook Fan Page, Susan Fortenberry Winkler expressed unhappiness that she didn't have a low carb meat loaf recipe, so I promised I'd post one here. This one is from The Glycemic Load Diet Cookbook, that I wrote with Dr. Rob Thompson.

This past week our nephew, Henry, and our niece, Halliday, have been visiting us. They're terrific kids, 13 and 10, and we had a lot of fun -- went to the local county fair, did some geocaching, poked around the pioneer village and the old, old cemetery at a local park, watched a few movies (Halliday is a To Kill A Mockingbird fan), and just hung out.

And as of this morning, I have an extra 5 pounds around my middle. Argh.

This is not due to any major Indulgence, but rather to just a modest relaxation of restrictions for the duration. To wit:

Back in May, I gave a less-than-enthusiastic review of Planter's Flavor Grove Skinless Almonds Chili Lime To recap, I found them bland and soggy and uninteresting. Indeed, the remainder of the bag is still sitting, untouched, on the side table behind my desk. I should feed them to the chickens.

I have been very quiet recently, and I want to apologize. It turns out that only part of my problem was sodium deficiency. The whirly head upon standing and the cramps when I pointed my toes went away, but after a few days of feeling much better, I was exhausted again, yawning all day, and barely able to think. Part of that was that my insomnia, usually pretty well controlled, has been acting up, but even on days when I'd slept well the night before I was tired and blank.

Clearly, sodium was not my whole problem.

I've mentioned this on the Facebook fan page and the podcast, but suddenly realized I hadn't blogged about it -- and it's one month from today! YIKES!

Folks, on Saturday, August 13, from noon till 4 pm, we're holding the 2nd Annual Low Carb Meet-And-Greet with me, Jimmy Moore, and low carb blogger Amy Dungan. We'll be hangin' in my back yard, eating low carb food and shooting the breeze.

That Nice Boy I Married, who long since has pretty much taken over the My Total Gym Transformation blog, and mostly writes about our Slow Burn fitness program, has added his voice to the outcry against Hope Warshaw, and her article in Diabetes Health urging diabetics to eat lots of carbs, and take lots of medication. Read his article here.

Found this on a fitness message board. It was from 2006, or I would have pointed out to this poor person that A) this diet wasn't even a teeny bit low carb, B) eating low carb and low fat at the same time is a bad idea, and C) there's no need to restrict sodium on a low carb diet.

My low fat, low carb, low sodium diet

I'm 57 and need a low fat, low carb, low sodium diet. Following is the diet I've been using. Am I missing anything? Does anyone have any suggested changes?

Cheerios (1 cup)
Fat Free Milk
Banana
6 oz can of apple, orange or pineapple juice

Serendipity is often a pleasant thing. It's funny how events just sort of compile themselves in a useful shape, sometimes.

A few days ago, I was annoyed when I opened the freezer on the top of my kitchen fridge, and a bag of steak bones, accumulated over many months, fell out at my feet. I figured that was the universe's way of telling me it was time to make beef broth.

The low carb world has been abuzz with the news that Diabetes Health Magazine recently published an article by a registered dietician and diabetes educator named Hope Warshaw. Ms Warshaw wrote this article, she says, to debunk two what she calls “common old dogmas” regarding diabetes management.

I've been marinating chuck roasts again! This was fantastic. Truly, I'd rather have a well-marinated chuck than a sirloin or filet mignon. Much more flavor!

Marinated Chuck with Chipotle and Sherry

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons Splenda -- or other sweetener to equal 2 teaspoons sugar
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/3 cup dry sherry
1 chipotle chile canned in adobo, minced
2 teaspoons meat tenderizer
2 1/2 pounds beef chuck 1 1/2" thick

Almost the perfect low carb sandwich! Just throw away the ends, and you're set.

Ham, Gorgonzola, and Pecan Salad

1/2 cauliflower head -- a big one
1 cup pecan halves
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon ground dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces ham, in 1/2" cubes
5 ounces crumbled gorgonzola cheese -- or other mild blue cheese -- you can buy five-ounce tubs already crumbled.
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350.