New Year Low Carb Bootcamp interim thread!

[MrsHerculePoirot]

To continue chatting and preparing for the official start on 7th.

Rules and veg info can be found on the tabs on the old spreadsheet here.

I agree with glessy that batch cooking would probably be easiest, as you could have something that you can all eat whih you then mix and match with veg/carbs according to requirements, and you would only need to do a big cook every two or three days, plus have homemade "ready meals" in the freezer if needed

I also agree that it sounds really tough being so vigilant about the allergies and cross-contamination - I think I would probably have gone down the ready meal route too

OOoohh we have a LC bride When's the big day, littlemisstan?

Mumat39 that must be incredibly hard to deal with, I'm not surprised you stick to the same safe stuff for DD. We'll find a way to make low-carbing work for you. My DCs are being high maintenance at the mo (HOW dare they when I a trying to MN ) but I'll be back with some easy recipe ideas. Cauli cheese springs immediately to mind as something you can all eat that avoids her allergies. It can be made with just cream and grated cheese for the sauce instead of adding flour. Lovely on it's own or with a couple of sausages or chops. do not fear the chop - piece of piss to cook.

Ive got a couple of friends coming round tomorrow evening for a few drinks, should I cancel/postpone? Would it really screw me up/what would be the best option?

Thank you

Is there such a thing as egg-free mayo that's not too carby? Agree with mrshp that a roast is great, plus the leftovers for a few days afterwards is the food of kings (I love cold meat with mayo and salad, whih is why I ask about egg-free mayo as I don't know whether you could have normal mayo in the house)

So it does look like meat and veg might be the best way forward with you and your dd? Cheaper cuts, casseroled in a slow-cook, or roast a whole chicken or two, and use it for several meals, hot and cold. Can you give us an idea of what you usually cook for her?

I think the veg you buy these days is so blasted with insecticide/fertilisers/washed after harvest that its unusual to find any dirt - leeks, as Doshu says, do tend to have dirt in, but only at the ends. Anything homegrown or from farmers markets etc will probably need rinsing.

Oh X-post with everyone!

Willie - there is a non-egg mayo, think it'smade with soya, i've seen it in the 'free from' range at Tesco. Not sure how carby it is tho.

GuyMartin - just drinks shouldn't be a problem. Serve nuts, and olives and squares of cheese? Try making the cheese-crackers - just grated cheese, melted in a heap in a medium oven. Others can have bowls of crisps and biscuits.

hello everyone

I have hit rather a brick wall as have developed horrible tonsillitis. This is entirely my own fault as the other day I proudly boasted that I had never ever had tonsillitis

All I have swallowed is hot lemon and manuka honey. Not very lc. And I have been given an antibiotic so that should bugger up my digestion for a week or so...

Am planning to be entirely better by the 7th so can bootcamp properly.

Thanks Willie, that's really helpful. Your reply isn't rambling at all. It actually makes a lot of sense and knowing what sort of pans you use is really helpful. Thank you.

Mulled wine, I could eat cod in breadcrumbs but the thought of most fish just makes me heave a lot little. Sorry.

I do make a lamb mince basic chilli type thing for the dc which they have with either rice or pasta. I made a beef version yesterday which my dc just won't eat but apart from the tomato purée and onion it's pretty low carb so I'll be eating that.

Thanks again for your help.
Xxx

Hi again Mrs HP

When DD was 8 months old we were oral that she should outgrow her allergies by the time she was 2. at 2 they said 3, at 3 they said 5 and at the appointment just before she was 5 they said she still might? S I've been waiting and waiting. But no such luck so far. In fact I ate a sandwich the other day and I'm always really careful and eat t over the kitchen sink, but when I got DD out of the bath she had a few hives appear. It's a nightmare, literally. I have to think about what I've eaten before I can even give her a kiss. :(

Sorry everyone to make this all 'woe is me' but it's really not much fun at all. On the plus side though we hardly ever eat out so I don't need to worry about temptations like that :)

Thanks again.

Have been easing into LC but did have 5 chips with lunch. Took the kids out to a cafe and had lovely chicken with Greek salad and then a load of chips arrived!
Anyone recommend some scales? Bit broke ATM but want to see progress when I start properly on Monday

Mumat39 - we are here to help! A roast chicken can last 3 meals and make a soup so that's good start.
You have got to find food you enjoy so if you don't like fish don't eat it! Trying to think of options
Have you planned for the next week?

mumat39 that does sound incredibly hard, but you sound like you are doing all the right things.

Just had a snack of corned beef lettuce and mayo "sandwiches". Really hits the spot. Also had a handful of walnuts. Am finding I am still getting hungry, but then again lunch wasn't huge. Be better when I'm out and about more back at work rather than hanging round the house feeding my face. Am also trying to stave off the desire for salted peanuts I know I will have as soon as I get to the pub tonight with my family, particularly as I am not drinking!!! [booooooooooriiiiing]

Thanks everyone so so much. You're all lovely and very kind.

I really think this woe could work as apart from eggs, the meat and veg and few fruits sounds perfect. Dd wasn't on dairy until recently as it used to make her skin worse and that would make her more sensitive to her allergies, but she has recently gt into eating cheese so the cauliflower cheese recipe sounds lovely.

I'll start adding salt back I to the dishwasher. I find it's the bottom of upturned cups that collect water so I do try and place things so they don't but hadn't thought that they may get flipped during the wash.

Re the mayo, I think that the egg one should be okay. It's just the cooking of eggs that I think would be the problem.

Re the cooking thing, DD is actually allergic to the diet I had growing up. I'm Indian so grew up on chappatis, lentils, mung beans etc sothe things I grew up learning to cook were those foods, so in a way I do have to learn to cook again. The roast idea sounds great and simple. DP has a big appetite so will have to train him so we do have leftovers. Cooking evey 2 -3 days sounds doable.

Could I use mashed swede instead of celeriac for a shepherds pie topping? Celeriac is the root of celery which I didn't know until today? Could I also use swede to make chips and crisps?

Thanks again everyone. Xxx

Thanks for the recipes mulled thats amazing!

I had fried bacon and egg this morning at 8 and by 11.20 my stomach was rumbling , had salad and salmon.
Going to have chicken and beansprouts tonight.

Question sorry if I was to make a simple cheese sauce could I just grate cheese into cream? Do I have to keep stirring it?

mumat39 what a nightmare for you all! No wonder you're at a loss when it comes to cooking.

I was just thinking, might it be useful to start a separate thread and we could help you meal plan? Just so that you don't have to read through all this guff to refer back to information you need?

Although you are most welcome to discuss it here too of course!

I've just had a slice of pork belly (quick roasted, I like it chewy!) and low carb cauliflower cheese. It was quite rich actually...

Thankyou should I stick to vodka and diet something, or could I have red wine instead?

Ooh Rooobs I could go for that now! Yum! I dont know what Im having tonight, not sure what I fancy just yet and dont have a lot in until dh does the shop later!

Cocolepew - if the cream is hot when you add the cheese it should melt into it. No stirring needed, albeit a final one to make sure it's all mixed together. You could also just dump the cheese into the cream and put the whole lot in the microwave?

mumat39 - glad to see others have got here first to help you! Sounds like it's not easy for you or your DD. Cauliflower makes a good mash, as does swede - perhaps they would also work well mixed together?

cocolepew I've just done this with cauliflower for the first time.

I heated some philadelphia (full fat) then slackened it with a dash of cream. I then added some ricotta and grated gruyere and I think the gruyere made it seize up a bit, though it did add flavour.

I think next time I might try philly, cream and mascarpone and maybe grate cheese on top for browning. Trial and error for the right texture/flavour combo.

Hi again Mulled.

I'm just trying to get my head around how to do things at the moment. I haven't planned for next week, but I will do a shop tomorrow and stock up on some cabbage, cauliflower, pâté, cucumber, chicken for roasting, sparkling water, crem cheese that is okay for nut allergies as I don't think she can have Philly, and some other meat.

Should I be aiming. Plan exactly what to eat each day? Is that what you mean by planning?

I think with all the issues you are dealing with, planning each meal per day would be a good way to start, mumat39 - even though it may sound painful/boring, it will mean that you have everything to hand and will know what you're doing. It's always important on this WOE to make sure you are prepared, anyway, so it's a good discipline to get into.

Thanks Roobs. I think the recipes I've seen s far will probably keep me going for a good few days. I'm hoping once I get a plan sorted for a week I can just follow it weeke after week for forever.

BIWI, I don't do thinking of obvious things very well. The cauliflower/swede mash sounds yummy. Thanks.

BIWI, thanks. Should I start another thread to ask for help about that?

I plan on a weekly basis, because I shop on a weekly basis. I shopped yesterday, so for this week:

Thursday: slow cooker stroganoff
Friday: salmon cooked in butter with salad and mayo
Saturday: low carb moussaka
Sunday: left over moussaka
Monday: cook chicken pieces in butter, to have with salad and mayo
Tuesday: leftover chicken with salad and mayo
Wednesday: same as Tuesday (I don't mind having the same meal several times, but I know others would get bored!)

Dp is actually allergic to chicken (!) but not so badly that I can't eat it myself fortunately. I will cook it when he is out on Monday, then on Tuesday and Wednesday he will probably have omelette or pasta, whatever he fancies