What is?

What is your favorite fat free/low fat recipe?  Send it to:  lori@sinclairinkspot.com

Thanks,
Lori

Ho, Ho, Hey!  What Just Happened?
Holiday enlightenment from an overworked Santa and his testy crew
Christmas 2010

Cheesecake Caramel Apples

Apple Hill

So I took my annual trek to Apple Hill, California this week with my parents. I love Apple Hill. The weather is beautiful, and the scenery beyond description. We walked among the orchards and saw all of the fruit still ripening on the branches. The smell of fresh fruit, warm in the sun is a beauty to behold. I have decided that when I am rich and famous, I am going to buy an orchard and live up there among the fruit trees.

We saw the crafters, smelled the fresh baked pies, saw the presses squeezing the juice for cider, and then my favorite… the Fudge Factory.

Now for those of you who know me, I have been on a strict diet for quite some time now. I have lost 35 pounds, and it should come as no surprise sugar has been off limits for me for the better part of this year. Walking into the Fudge Factory I went onto sensory overload. I didn’t behave shamefully though, after all, my parents were with me. I did, however, walk straight to the corner with the caramel apples and took my place in line. I have two favorites, and with a little shameless flirting, I was able to extract the recipes for Cheesecake Caramel Apples, and Turtle Carmel Apples.

Here they are:

Cheesecake Carmel Apples

Follow your favorite recipe for a standard caramel apple (usually apples dipped in the little melted caramel squares that you buy at Halloween time). Let sit on a tray, sticks up, and let the caramel set. Then as a second layer, dip the apple (over the top of the caramel) in a mixture of half white chocolate and half cream cheese, slowly melted over a double boiler. After dipping, roll the still wet chocolate in some graham cracker crumbs and return to the tray to set. It is DELICIOUS!!!

Turtle Carmel Apples

For the Turtles follow the same recipe for the first step (dipping the apple in caramel and allowing it to set). For the second layer, dip the apple in a mixture of half white chocolate (or dark chocolate if you prefer) and half peanut butter. Roll in your choice of chocolate chips, cookie crumbs, or any assorted candies.

Refrigerate to set firm and enjoy. I gave myself this treat after such a long time of being diligent on my diet. It was my reward for a job well done, with no serious after effects either.

Isaiah 49:4”…and my reward is with my God.”

Welcome to all my new subscribers this week! Especially to those who subscribe on the Kindle Blogs. I am thrilled that you are here.

Enjoy!



Lori Sinclair

Psalm 23:6 "...my cup overflows."

New Release: Ho, Ho, Hey! What Just Happened?

Holiday enlightenment from an overworked Santa and his testy crew.

Coming Christmas 2010

www.SinclairInkSpot.com

You can find me on my web site, Facebook, MySpace, Classmates, Shoutlife, Yahoo, or Twitter.

Bionote: Lori is the author of three business books, numerous church skits, and several articles. She lives in Sacramento with her two children, two dogs, and cat. She loves to hear from her readers, so please email your thoughts and questions

The Schizophrenic Diet

The Schizophrenic Diet


I have tried sssooo many diets sometimes my head spins. Low calorie diets, the hot dog and boiled egg diet, the belly fat diet… you name it and I have tried it.

So, I finally found a diet that works – or so I thought. I tried one of the popular no-carb, low-carb options, and lost 33 pounds. I was so very proud of myself. When I went to the doctor I bragged about it, until my blood work came back. Seems I lost 33 pounds, and gained 40 points on my bad cholesterol! How could this happen? I was eating healthier than I have in years, and the scale proves it. I cried. Then I called the doctor and cried again. “Now Lori,” she said, “it could be genetic.” Even that didn’t comfort me much. My cholesterol is still high, and I now have to change my diet, yet again, from something that works to something unknown. I am Lutheran. We don’t like the unknown. We tell God that all the time.

Low fat was recommended. After a consultation with a dietician, I was armed with the information that I needed to cut the fat from my diet. So, being a bookkeeper, I did the only thing that I know how to do – I made a spreadsheet. I have columns for carbohydrates (out of habit), calories, fat, and one to automatically calculate the percentage of fat from calories, then subtract my exercise for the day, leaving me with a net calorie total at the end of the day. Once I set it up, I never have to think about it again. I also made macros for the food counts of my favorite foods. Now all I have to do is enter things like:

1 tomato

½ chicken breast

2 tsp ketchup, etc.

and the spreadsheet does the rest. I’m still not happy about it, but am willing to give it a try for my health.

Now I know my body is a temple, and that we are to avoid things that will hurt us (I now put blood tests in this category). I wonder what Biblical times people did to lose weight. The federal government says that low fat is the best. What does the Bible say. Then I found it:

Genesis 4:4

‘But Abel brought the fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering.”

We are supposed to give the fat to God, and He is happy. This is mentioned multiple times in the old testament. We are not to eat the fat, but save it for our offerings. Could it be that the federal government is right, and that fat free is the best way to go? I don’t know if I will go that far, but I am willing to try it and see what works.

Stay tuned…

Enjoy!

Lori Sinclair
Psalm 23:6 "...my cup overflows."
http://www.sinclairinkspot.com/

You can find me on my web site, Facebook, MySpace, Classmates, Shoutlife, Yahoo, or Twitter.

Bionote: Lori is the author of three business books, numerous church skits, and several articles. She lives in Sacramento with her two children, two dogs, and cat. She loves to hear from her readers, so please email your thoughts and questions.

Welcome Amazon.com and Amazon Kindle subscribers

I'm back...

First, let me apologize for such a long delay in postings.  Thank you all for sticking with me.  I have been working on, and completed my first work of humor.  It is a short story Christmas collection for adults, called   Ho, Ho, Hey! What Just Happened?  With stories like:

Santa loses his Blackberry which contains his Naughty and Nice List.  He is not eligible for an upgrade, has no insurance on his phone, and gets no reception in his own home.

Santa's sleigh fails its smog inspection because of the noxious fumes from the reindeer.

and,

Santa is fighting with his Homeowner's Association regarding pets generally considered to be livestock.


It is testy, at times obnoxious, and lots of fun.  It says all of the things that we wish we could, but don't dare to.   I hope that it can bring a smile to the faces of everyone that has ever felt stressed at Christmastime.  We also cover the elves learning about the very first Christmas, bringing us full circle back to the reason why we all celebrate in the first place.  It will be available through Amazon.com print on October 1st, and Amazon Kindle ebook October 1st also.

And with that, we have only about 100 more shopping days left until Christmas.  With that depressing thought in mind, we will be starting some holiday recipes that will take us from the fall harvest, through Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

I'll be back soon.  Thank you, and welcome to the world of Amazon blog readers that have just joined us.

Enjoy!


Lori Sinclair
Psalm 23:6 "...my cup overflows."
http://www.sinclairinkspot.com/
You can find me on my web site, Facebook, MySpace, Classmates, Shoutlife, Yahoo, or Twitter.

Bionote: Lori is the author of three business books, numerous church skits, and several articles. She lives in Sacramento with her two children, two dogs, and cat. She loves to hear from her readers, so please email your thoughts and questions.

Hybrid Veg-a-holics

My New Plan for weight loss:


I hate diets. They never work. I am told that your metabolism will eventually catch up to anything that you are doing. So, a new diet will work for a short while, then your body adjusts and it stops working. There’s even a fancy term for it... they call it Plateauing. Personally, I call it stubbornness. My body revolts against anything that it doesn’t want to do. When you tell me I can’t have something, that’s the only thing that I want. At that point my whole world turns OCD.

We all know that too much of anything is bad for you, especially in the red meat genre. One main problem that I have is portion control, and a love for beef. I do love vegetables, though. I have often joked that I could be really happy being a vegetarian. Although not a traditional vegetarian. I am not at all satisfied with a plate of steamed vegetables and a no-dressing green salad. From my childhood I have carried a love for soups, gravies, and sauces. I need texture too; crunch, spice, and above all good flavor.

So, I have formulated a new plan. I call it Hybrid Veg-a-holism. Defined by me as generous portions of my beloved vegetables, flavored with limited amounts of broth, and healthy meat products. I will eat vegetarian several days a week to start, then if all goes well, perhaps increase. I need to take it slow and see what works for my body and lifestyle.

Now I don’t really know that much about it, but I do know there are degrees of vegetarians. I could never make it all the way up to Vegan ( no animal products of any kind). But there are Veg-a-holics that only eat chicken and fish. They also eat cheese and eggs. That’s where I am going to start. I am also not going to give myself any hard and fast rules that I will immediately be tempted to break. So, if I occasionally (and I do mean occasionally) want a fat juicy burger, then I can have one. But, as a general rule, for my eating habits at home, I plan on going healthy hybrid.

Here is my own version of a recipe that I got from a fellow blogger who calls herself the Skinny Chef ( 2010). She recently posted an idea for Lentil Tacos. Here is my own take on it.

Take 1 8 oz. can of chicken broth, combine with 4 oz. water, and 8 oz. of dried lentils. Boil until lentils are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed (approx. 30 minutes). Add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic (remember lentils take a lot of spice) and 1 small finely diced onion. Cook until tender. Add 1 package of prepared taco seasonings, or your own taco spices to taste. Adjust the amount of liquid if necessary. Once the lentils are soft enough and the seasonings are right, use this as a replacement meat mixture, and prepare tacos as normal. I like the crunchy taco shells that you can buy at the store. I put shredded cheese, refried beans, sour cream, lettuce and tomatoes on mine. Top with hot sauce, and enjoy. When I ate them I was so satisfied with the familiar flavor of the spices and the traditional crunch of the taco shell, I didn’t even miss the meat. My daughter (another original carnivore) loved them too. We decided that this definitely was a meal worth doing again. Another idea is to take the spicy lentil mixture and make lentil tamales with it (recipe to come in another blog posting).

If I can get enough good tasting meals that will satisfy me, then this whole hybrid healthy eating thing might just work. Just don’t tell me that ‘I can’t’ have something. It’s all over at that point.

Help me get through this, please. Send me your ideas for your favorite meals that could easily be converted. I will try them all and post the results, good, bad, and ugly. In the meantime, try the lentil tacos and let me know what you think. I would love some feedback.

Today is also Easter Sunday. He is Risen! He is risen, indeed! Hallelujah!

Enjoy!

Lori Sinclair

Psalm 23:6 "...my cup overflows."

http://www.sinclairinkspot.com/

You can find me on my web site, Facebook, MySpace, Classmates, Shoutlife, Yahoo, or Twitter.

Bionote: Lori is the author of three business books, numerous church skits, and several articles. She lives in Sacramento with her two children, two dogs, and cat. She loves to hear from her readers, so please email your thoughts and questions.

What's your favorite pancake?

What’s your favorite pancake?

February 23 is the IHOP-declared national pancake day. They gave away free pancakes to anyone who was willing to stand in line (in the rain here in California) from 7:00 to 10:00 am. I watched on the morning show as hundreds of people showed up. It reminded me of what a wonderful breakfast pancakes are. They are quick, easy, and delicious. Blueberry is my favorite. Here’s my best recipe:

Blue Berry Cloud Pancakes

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, separated

2 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup melted butter

1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

Topping:

8 oz. Cream cheese, softened

½ tsp. vanilla

3 - 4 tbs. sugar

Directions:

In a large bowl sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Beat the egg yolks with the buttermilk and melted butter. Combine the dry and the wet ingredients into a lumpy batter, being careful not to over mix.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gently fold this into the pancake batter. (If you wish, you can skip this step and include the whole egg above).

Heat some butter in a skillet over medium heat. Spoon 1/3 cup of batter into the skillet and sprinkle the top with some of the blueberries (If you stir the blueberries into the batter they will break up). Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown and fluffy. Small bubbles should break on the top of the pancake when it is time to flip.

Topping:

Beat together until blended softened cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar. Top each pancake with a dollop of this delicious mixture and a few more blueberries.

Remember; Don’t over mix the batter, or it will result in flat, heavy pancakes.

Proverbs 27:18 “He who tends to a fig tree will eat its fruit.”
Enjoy!
Lori Sinclair

Psalm 23:6 "...my cup overflows."

http://www.sinclairinkspot.com/

You can find me on my web site, Facebook, MySpace, Classmates, Shoutlife, Yahoo, or Twitter.

Bionote: Lori is the author of three business books, numerous church skits, and several articles. She lives in Sacramento with her two children, two dogs, and cat. She loves to hear from her readers, so please email your thoughts and questions.

A Bouquet of Flours

A Bouquet of Flours  


For you on Valentine’s Day, I have a bouquet of flours. When I began my cooking journey I had no idea that there were so many different kinds of flour. Oh sure, I could read the bags. All Purpose flour I pretty much figured out. You could use it for anything. Cake flour I didn’t buy since my cakes all came in their own boxes with nice pictures on the front. Bread flour I started buying when I got my first bread machine, and whole wheat stayed right there on the shelf at the store. If it was too heavy to carry then it was too heavy to eat. I have rules.

But I have learned that it goes way beyond that too. I have started listening to cooking podcasts and learned a lot more about my flours. Did you know that even among the common types of flour that you can buy in the grocery store, they differ from one part of the country to the other? For instance, flour in the south contains more starch than anywhere else. Also flours in the north east have more protein. I don’t know what my flour in California is compared to the rest of the states, but I figure this may be why I can follow a recipe EXACTLY and still have it come out different than Paula Deen’s does. She has more starch!

I also learned that a lot has to do with the way that flours are measured too. If you scoop your measuring cup into the bag and then level it off, you can end up with about 5 ounces of flour. However, if you gently scoop it out with a spoon and put it into your cup, then level it off, you will end up with more like 3.5 ounces. That’s a big difference when you are making a batch of cookies. My boss has an old recipe for biscuits that has been passed down in her family for several generations. In it, it calls for 3-4 handfuls of flour. We compared hands one day. Hers are very tiny, petite hands, and mine, well, are not. So how much flour is that? I guess the pioneers had to learn that one too. I previously stated that my ex- made better cookies than I did. He is a scooper and I am a spooner. So no matter how much extra flour I put in, it still wasn’t as much as the extra he was putting it. Now it all makes sense. It wasn’t me. It was the flour!

Many people have advised me to practice, practice, practice. Now with this new information, I am armed with I feel like I have more of a fighting chance. Cooking (at least baking) is like a science. All of the ingredients have to work together, in the right proportions.

Wonder what else I can learn?

Happy Valentine’s Day. Or as one of my daughter’s friends texted her today, Happy Single Awareness Day!



Enjoy!

Lori Sinclair

Psalm 23:6 "...my cup overflows."

http://www.sinclairinkspot.com/

You can find me on my web site, Facebook, MySpace, Classmates, Shoutlife, Yahoo, or Twitter.

Bionote: Lori is the author of three business books, numerous church skits, and several articles. She lives in Sacramento with her two children, two dogs, and cat. She loves to hear from her readers, so please email your thoughts and questions.