Bootcamp - the questions thread

[BIWI]

From experience of past Bootcamps, in the first few weeks the chat threads move really, really quickly and it's difficult sometimes to see/answer everything.

So this is a place to post any questions that you might have. Those of us who are old hands at low carbing will check this thread regularly and make sure that we answer you as soon as we can.

LittleMiss - I believe you, thousands wouldn't. I'm keeping my beady eye on you!

SuzyMoo - I have at least one Avocado a day :)

I left it

And now of course I regret it!

Avocados are very good. I hate two very small ones that have been in the fridge for ages last night.

Can we drink peppermint tea? I find drinking it once a day has gotten rid of the strange breath (DP seems to agree...very enthusiastically!)

Peppermint tea id fine, great in fact as is any of the other herbal ir fruit teas, so long as they are unsweetened and black!
Sayra - I wouldn't have thought this WOE would cause blood-pounding-in-ears, but if it bothers you get it checked by a doctor. Blood pressure is the only thing i can think of that would cause pounding-in-ears...

Ziggie - what did you end up with last night?

Anyone tried turnip / swede chips in fryer?

No - because i don't have a fryer. I havent heard of anyone trying it - I do them in the oven, like oven chips. If you try it Bombero, let us know!

I did them in a LOT of Olive Oil el

They were very nice and went down well with everyone here

Needed a good pat down with kitchen paper though as they can get very oily.

filled the pan so it was 1/2 a chip thick then turned them occasionally.

captain I ended up with one glass of slimline tonic (ordered by friend before I got to the bar) and then switched out to soda water with ice and a slice. I wasn't overly sold on it, but I think it might be an acquired taste!

Stayed away from all snacks and the sugary twats proffering them to me, and left my purse at home when I dropped the babysitter back so I couldn't stop at a petrol station and bug sweets.

Can I have a gold star please?

You could have had one if you'd tidied your kitchen last night, Pistey

Ah

A quick question for a complete newbie.

I do quite a few recipies that will include a tablespoon or two of flour (eg stews, white sauce etc...).
is that OK for a low carbs diet or is it already too much?

And would you have a good book/website that talks about it in more details too?

Lady unfortunately it is too much and not allowed on bootcamp (hopes BIWI will contradict me on this ). I have experimented with ways of thickening sauces and I admit that nothing quite does the trick like flour/cornflour/arrowroot. Depending on the recipe, for stews and gravies you can try using ground almonds or pureed butternut squash to thicken, or reduce the liquid down more to a jus consistency. For a white/cheese sauce I use cream and a variety of cheeses - mascarpone, mozzarella, cream cheese - to get the creamy consistency.

Once I'm on bootcamp light, I must admit I do use a teaspoon of cornflour in wine to thicken the Sunday roast gravy.

Talks about low carb in general, Lady, or cooking sauces specifically?

I am happy to be kept an eye on ChippingIn it keeps me accountable.

Really interesting thoughts on baking, thanks for adding yours Laura. I am a feeder, and looking at the way Gatorade's aunt is behaving on the other thread I can see myself in that. I have worked on it - not letting my self-esteem be caught up in people wanting to be fed, and not being rejected by that either, but genuinely offering something of myself, which people can have if they would like, and my sense of self remaining unaffected. I have to keep it in check though. And I guess giving people 'things I think are bad for them'... maybe when I have more experience I might come to thinking like that too. I think too much sometimes, that's for sure!

I have cupcakes planned for baking Saturday am and leaving the house early afternoon. If it's a disaster, I won't do it next time. It's probably in a few weeks that I will be in more danger - I've lost weight and am committed just now!

Does anyone have a really good cheese sauce recipe using egg instead of flour? I cheated today and had to use cornflour in milk, I was already halfway through the sauce and realised it was basically just liquid fat, and my DSs weren't going to eat it like that!
DIdn't think of using egg until after, but don't really know how I'd do it, so if anyone DOES, I'd be very grateful to know. :)

thumbwitch i don't use egg at all in cheese sauce so is that a requirement?

i do:

dollop full fat cream cheese (maybe 2tbsp?)
sploosh of double cream (maybe 75ml ish?)
large handful grated cheddar

mix together (will be quite stiff) and either melt gently in a saucepan until smooth, or spread on top of whatever it is you're cooking (e.g. steamed cauliflower for cauli cheese) and put in the oven/under the grill

the above would serve 1-2 people depending on appetite

apologies for lack of quantities - i would suggest experimenting to your own taste

Lady if you meant books about low carbing, I'll quote from (BIWI's?) recommendations from here

"Useful books on low-carb dieting:

Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution by Dr Atkins
Escape the Diet Trap by Dr John Briffa
The True You Diet by Dr John Briffa
The New High Protein Diet by Dr Charles Clark
The Harcombe Diet by Zoe Harcombe
The Idiot-Proof Diet by India Knight and Neris Thomas
The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living by Stephen D. Phinney MD and Rd Jeff S. Volek
The Diet Delusion by Gary Taubes
Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It by Gary Taubes"

I've just read Escape the Diet Trap by Dr John Briffa and thought it was really good and informative. :)

No flour in sauces!

If I'm making cheese sauce I do what Willie does.

For things like gravy, most of the time I just use the meat juices as they are. Sometimes I boil them down a bit, to reduce them - but otherwise I don't thicken them.

There's a recipe for low carb gravy on the recipe side, from the IPD book. I've never made it myself, but if you're desperate for gravy it might hit the spot.

No, not a requirement, just a thought that it would be another way to thicken the sauce. I didn't have any other cream cheese than the Boursin and it melted down to liquid; if I'd let it cool/not heated it so much it would probably have thickened up again but I was caught out because I was halfway through cooking it when I realised!

Will get some philly or somesuch and try with that instead, thanks. :)

Thanks. Will have a look at all the books you mentioned.
And thanks for the advice re flour too. I am still trying to get my head around what I can do and can't and what my dcs/DH will be happy to eat. No wYi am going to make two meals forgets that DH has to have some sort of carbs in his meal, preferably potatoes