QUOTE FROM A FORMER NFL PLAYER

I am not a football fan so I have no idea where Mike Golic played football. I do know he is a type 2 diabetic whose father was also a type 2 and he has two sons he hopes can avoid diabetes. He makes his diabetes diagnoses and progress a family affair. All of us diabetics know we can slip up at times and see our numbers go up. That is why I like this quote from Mr. Golic: "If my numbers aren't the greatest, I'll take it as a challenge. I physically put that number somewhere, look at it, and say: OK, next time it has to be better." Good advice, Mike!

File photo of Mike Golic, center

WISHING ALL MY READERS A HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

WISHING YOU MUCH HAPPINESS AND GOOD HEALTH IN 2018!

OLD-FASHIONED EGGNOG

3 cups 1% milk, divided
1 1/2 cups fat-free half and half
1 tbsp + 1 tsp cornstarch
3 large eggs, well beaten
2/3 cup Splenda Granular
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp nutmeg

In a large saucepan, thoroughly whisk together 1 cup of the milk, the half and half, cornstarch, eggs, and Splenda. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla and nutmeg until combined. Stir in the remaining milk and allow to cool to room temperature.

Refrigerate until serving time.
Garnish each cup with a sprinkle of cinnamon, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings
Per serving: 100 calories, 11 g carbs, 6 g protein, 3 g fat (1 1/3 g saturated)

Note: File Photo

Note: If you want alcohol in your eggnog substitute 1/2 to 1 cup of rum or brandy for the same amount of the milk. But remember that will change the nutritional numbers.

CHERRY ANGEL TRIFLE

Yesterday I had a sweet tooth so I pulled out a few ingredients and made this tasty trifle. I think it is yummy.

1 sugar-free angel food cake (I buy mine at Walmart)
2 cans (20-oz each) Splenda sweetened cherry pie filling
1 carton sugar-free frozen whipped topping, thawed
Pecan pieces for garnish, if desired

In a large bowl, break up half the cake into bite-size pieces and spread over bottom of bowl.

Top cake pieces with one can of the pie filling, spreading evenly over the cake.

Top pie filling with approximately 2/3s to 3/4s of the whipped topping.

Repeat the process ending with the remaining whipped topping in the center of the dish. Sprinkle the pecans over the topping as a garnish, if desired.

Notes: Nuts are good for diabetics, especially with sweets; so I would not eliminate the nuts. Almonds would also go good with cherry pie filling.
Other pie fillings such as blueberry, apple, etc work well, too. With apple I like to sprinkle a little ground cinnamon on the top.

GUY AND HUNTER FIERI'S CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICH

This recipe is from 2011 when Guy said his son Hunter ate this sandwich three times a week.

2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken, skin removed
1/2 cup diced celery
1/3 cup diced carrot
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup mayonnaise made with olive oil
2 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp granulated garlic
Pinch of paprika
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 whole-wheat sourdough rolls, split and toasted
Lettuce and tomato for garnish

In a bowl, combine the chicken, celery, carrot, onion, mayonnaise, mustard, celery salt, garlic, paprika, and black pepper; mix until combined.

Serve on the toasted rolls with a slice of lettuce and a slice of tomato on each sandwich.

Note: You can eat this on a lettuce leaf to save the bun carbs and calories, if desired.

Note: File Photo

DIABETIC APPLE CRISP

This is one of my old Internet articles I came across in the archives. It was first published in February 2008.I did make one change. I changed the all-purpose flour to white whole-wheat. Today we have excellent white whole-wheat flour on the market. In fact, it is all I buy now. No refined white flour in my house.

If you have a diabetic among your family and/or friends, there is no need to worry about what to serve for dessert. There is also no need to make two desserts, one for the diabetic and one for everyone else. With this delicious Apple Crisp recipe, everyone can enjoy the same dessert and you won't hear one complaint. That is because this dessert doesn't taste like a "diabetic dessert". When you serve this recipe, no one will guess you just served them a diabetic crisp. If you and/or the diabetic don't tell, no one will ever know!

                           

DIABETICS APPLE CRISP

1/2 cup Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
2 tbsp white whole wheat (or almond)  flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 cups peeled and thinly sliced apples (Rome recommended)
TOPPING:
1 1/4 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup white whole-wheat (or almond) flour
1/4 cup Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
3/4 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray an 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
To make the apple filling, combine brown sugar blend, flour, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add apples, tossing to coat. Spoon into the prepared baking dish. Set aside.
To make topping, combine oats, flour, brown sugar blend and nuts in a bowl. Stir in butter. The mixture will be crumbly. Spoon over the apples mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the apples are bubbly and the topping is golden brown. Best when served warm.

NOTE: Yield: 9 servings at 310 calories, 38 carbs, 4 grams protein each. As with all fruits, there is the natural sugar of the apples and a high carb count. However, the oats and nuts counter balance most of that. Enjoy this dessert after a meal that has a good protein count. You would not want to serve this dessert after a pasta or vegetarian meal. And as with all desserts, it is not a good idea to over indulge!
Enjoy!

 Note: This is a file photo.

DIABETIC SNACKING

Everyone snacks from time to time and we diabetics are no exception.  In fact we should eat 5 times a day and a couple of those times will probably be snacks.  The key is to eat something healthy that will keep our blood sugar regulated.  Here are some ideas for snacks you can carry with you even when you are on the go.

• a hard boiled egg
• small package (or a few in a baggie) of almonds (also heart healthy), pistachios, peanuts, or sunflower seeds; unsalted is best for all those treats.  If you can't grab unsalted, a little salt won't hurt most of us.
• baby carrots
• celery sticks (have a negative calorie effect - it burns up more calories to chew and digest them than what we take in!)
• low-fat string cheese
• apple slices

I'm sure you get the idea and can add to the list with other of your favorites.  Skip the candy bars, potato chips, etc whenever possible.

 File Photo for reference only. If you eat the pretzels, eat them with peanut butter. I do that without it affecting my blood sugar. These are ideas. Use what works for you.

WEIGHT LOSS LONG TERM

We diabetics often battle weight problems. If you get discouraged trying to shed pounds, remember this: THINK OF WEIGHT LOSS AS A LONG TERM PROCESS. Successful weight loss is not a quick fix but rather a lifestyle change in eating habits. As we all know, most habits die slowly!

FOR ALL THE MOTHERS WHO FOLLOW THIS BLOG!