Keepin' it simple... even with snacks

I'm a "snacker". Always have been, always will be.... unfortunately, we tend to snack on foods that are high calorie, high fat, and high carb (chips, cookies...... you know). So here's a couple of my personal favorite snacks!!

• Kroger's carb-master yogurt with ground flax seed. Don't be so skeptical! Each cup of yogurt is only 4 carbs and 60 calories, and mixing in a bit of flax adds a great nutty flavor (instead of topping it with, say, granola). Love flax seed.. only 2 net carbs in 2 T., and because it's high fiber, it'll help you stay full much longer. You'll see flax showing up again in other things.. I use it frequently! I like 
Bob's Red Mill Whole Ground Flaxseed Meal Organic -- 16 oz, available at Amazon and health food stores. (Haven't checked Kroger yet)

• Low-fat string cheese (like Weight Watchers) - Carb free :)
• 1/4 cup of peanuts - 5 carbs
• 1 Pickle spear - Carb free!
• Baby carrots... depends on how large they are, but it's a satisfying crunchy snack, and very low carb
• Sugar-free popsicles (carb content varies)

There's just a few things... if you don't mind going for a few more carbs, I also enjoy FiberOne 90 calorie granola bars (17 carbs), pretzels, and fresh fruit (especially berries!! They're also very low-carb in comparison to apples, bananas, melon, etc.)

Happy munching!

Tortilla Calzones

First of all, a quick apology for my absence of late. School and travelling drew me away....

But meanwhile, I have been capturing several recipes that I'd love to share with you! So let's get started...

I love pizza. What good American doesn't? But as a diabetic, the rules have changed a bit, and the days of mindlessly devouring as much grease and carb-laden crust as I could handle are over. (Yes... I've been known to eat half of a LARGE pizza at a time.) No matter how you choose to bolus it, pizza just is tricky.. and it's one of those that likes to come back and bite you a few hrs later!

So here's my little invention to satisfy my cravings. We'll call it a tortilla calzone. Unfortunately, I don't have an exact recipe, because every time I make it, I just chop up whatever is on hand, weigh it on my super hand Salter food scale that gives me the exact carb count for any food item (available at Amazon.. check out the link!), and then add it to my tortilla.

Basic Instructions:

1. Use a low-carb tortilla ( I like La Tortilla Factory Whole Wheat, with 6 net carbs
2. Place on cookie sheet and use whatever toppings you desire... I did cooked chicken (cubed), green pepper, onion, tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, oregano, and a dash of salt
3. Bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes or until the tortilla and cheese are just beginning to brown
4. Fold the tortilla in half, cut into triangles, and enjoy! I believe that just one of these totaled about 11 carbs! If you desire, serve with marinara, just remember to count those extra carbs :)

Baked tortilla, before I folded it in half

Here's the tortillas I use... love them! I also use them for wraps, burritos.. etc.