You might have missed a previous posting in which Linda Lou said she's dealing with some health issues.

Like you I'm thinking of her and wishing her well.

Carol

In addition to those health issues, she's been in the middle of a kitchen re-do. She did post, though, I think today, on one of the Annie's Salsa threads, the one about leaving the sugar out of the salsa.

I hope she's feeling well and comes around more often.

Annie

Someone beat me to asking the same thing. I remember she was dealing with some health problem, and hope she will be back soon. Miss her.

LL - the canner is working like a charm - that gauge seems to be OK. The beef burgundy and chicken taste just great. I sort of wish I could use it for all the fruit I just bought, but I dusted off the BWB canner instead. Now that I've used the other, the water bath seems a bit cumbersome -- but will survive I'm sure.

Can't wait to get more chicken tho - that tasted great and nice to have on hand for "quickie" type meals.

Feel better soon.

Bejay

Wishing you the very best in health and remodel Linda Lou. Thoughts and prayers flying your way.

Yes, Linda Lou, sending good thoughts your way. We've noticed your absence and hope it is temporary. More important, we hope you are well. Your knowledge and wisdom on this forum teach us so much. I really appreciate it.

Brenda in NH

Finding out that you have diabetes is a very big deal when you have never known you had it before. Once Linda Lou had found this out, she has been able to know more about the symptoms, thanks to me. I went through this same thing a few years ago and am now on insulin once per day. When I first had to use insulin it was a yoyo game with blood sugars. Either way too high with a constant dry mouth, or way too low with stuttering, loss of thought, anxiety, and high adrenalin, to a point of almost passing out. Luckily, with testing meters being affordable and testing supplies being mostly free, the days of guessing are gone. Now, with more stable, slower acting insulin and pills the ease at which maintaing stable 120 blood sugar levels are much easier to control. Just the other day, I saw a young kid with type 1 diabetes (since birth) eating (and probably enjoying) a frosted donut. Still usually a no no, but because of the advances in control, he has little worry about a sudden sugar overdose. On the other side, a friend found out he was diabetic (type 2) after a sudden collapes. His sugar was well over 350 when that happened.

I am sure with the kitchen being redone and this most recent health issue setback, Linda Lou will come out of all this soon. She is a very strong person and has been a guiding light in this forum, and will continue to be the strongest voice when it comes to home canning safety and all the help she gives freely. She has taught all of us 'old timers' a lot. I know she is out there, and very busy getting that fancy custom stove and sink put in, just for her canning. Once her busy schedule settles down some, she will be back as helpful as ever.

Lets hope so.. I know that when I was bit by the canning bug last year, Linda Lou, Annie 1992 and ksrogers were the ones who made this place so special for me. I miss canning alot but I think I miss needing to come on here to ask questions even more. haha.... Thanks to you all.

KimmiD, you can come around any old time, not just when you are canning. :-)

I hope you are up and around and back into canning full time soon, and I'm happy if I helped you in any way.

Annie

HAHA... i still am on here whenever i can be, i just dont have any questions to ask. haha

Kimmi,
You could always jump in on the "shelled beans" thread. No questions needed.....

Oh, I am so touched by all of your posts ! Thanks so very much.
I am doing much better than I was. Got my sugar levels down by more than half what they were ! It was 324 the first time I tested, today was 133. Lost a few lbs., too. Been walking on my treadmill, too.
I go to the doctors in the morning. Will see if my blood pressure has dropped.
Besides all of that, my computer modem died ! Had computer problems. I have tons of things to catch up on.
Need to see what you all have been canning.
Hope everyone else is fine !

LL - good for you on the weight loss - keep up the good work.

Bejay

Glad to hear that Linda Lou. I hope the walking is keeping you energized, walking seems to help on many levels. Continued good health to you!

Linda Lou, I'm glad to see you doing so well. And just on time too, I became a Grandmother for the second time today! I got that little boy to match your own Gabie....

Annie

Congrats to both of you!!

Ronda

Linda Lou, if you can afford it, you might want to get broadband. I used to connect by modem, and after a long wait, finally have a cable modem. I probably could have gone with DSL, but after experiencing the internet through work, I had become spoiled. A best friend of mine has also upgraded and was doing without cable TV for his 3 kids for years. Now that he has cable for just a few months, he has found that the kids seem to do much more on the computer than they ever did before.

Hope your blood sugars stay low. I have never been as high as you were, but can appreciate the need for control. I do know that the Lantus insulin I take at night has been really doing a good job at my control. If I test right now, its usually telling me that I must eat dinner, which is when it gets down to about 70 or 80. To make the low/no sugar adjustment, needent be all at once , and you can just deal with the highs by adjusting your sugar and starch (complex carbs) intake at specific times. I do know I tend to snack at night which is not good, so now, if I do snack, its popcorn and that fills the void without adding much of any sugar. Just remember, that you can enjoy breads and starches too, but make the amounts smaller portions. A donut should be a no-no, but if its at a time when sugars are very low, it will get them up at a slower pace compared to a glass of orange juice or candy, which push i up too fast. Sorbitol is a sugar that you can enjoy too, but be careful as it is a larger molecule that isn't absorbed by the body very well, so it can give you some distress. As far as me and orange juice, I must not drink that anymore either as its also high in potassium and I must avoid it, like bananas and potatoes.

Ken, I have broadband. The service has been terrible lately ! We are looking at changing servers if the other one is available in our area. We paid $50 yesterday to get it repaired, then today we had to call them AGAIN as I had no service !
Thank you, Ronda for your congratulations ! Thanks to Melva, Bjay,Ken, and Annie, too.
I have some sugar free candy. They gave us some at the classes I attended. They told us to not eat much at a time.
Today I went to the doctor. I lost 5 more pounds, so total of 7 this month. My blood pressure is lower, but needs to be just a bit lower. My blood sugar fluctuates mostly during the afternoon, when I get a spike for some reason. I watch my carbs. Keep them at about 40 for lunch. It says 45-60. May have to lower a bit at lunch.
At night is the most difficult as I get SO hungry. If I make sugar free jello it helps, with just a dab of Cool Whip. Today I bought low carb tortillas, but they are so expensive.
I found potatoes and bananas make my level skyrocket.
OK, off to see about making those low carb burritos.
Take care, everyone !
I am sure happy for you, Annie !

Hi Linda Lou! Glad that you are doing better. I started low-carbing because the doc told me that I'm pre-diabetic (and I have a LOT of weight to lose). I'd like to share the website below with you...lots of great folks on the forums, but I LOVE the recipe forums! Lots of great ideas and tried and true recipes. I've learned to bake with almond meal, make my own "bisquick" because the Atkins mix is ridiculously expensive, and I lose weight eating this way. I'm never hungry. I am careful about the fats, though. Try some of the recipes, they're very good!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Low carber recipe forums

Monique, thank you for sending the link to the site. I will check it out for sure.
I was told I was glucose intolerant a few years back. Please, take care of yourself so you don't become diabetic.

Linda Lou, its good that you have been able to lose some weight. Here, I always gain in winter and lose in summer. Probably because I am out in the garden a lot in summer and have little time to eat. Popcorn may be a good filler for you as a snack. Those rice cakes, even though kind of bland, do have some flavors like cheese and a few others. My mom used to spread cottage cheese on the rice cakes. To add some flavor, she would mix in some chopped chives. Because your limiting some foods, you may want to consider taking a multiple vitamin every day. I take chromium too, as it helps to get the insulin and oral meds to react better to control the blood sugars. If the diabetes had gone unchecked, many bad things can happen and my aunt had the worst, which was going blind. She hated to see doctors

As to the cable, if you lose service, be sure to call them to get a credit on your bill. Too many times, the service will go dead and we still pay, even though they have problems. That was an issue last week, and so I called them and they credited me for 2 days loss of service. With what we pay, it should be a lot better. My friend had the same thing happen to his cable, which is a different carrier than mine. Some cities can offer more than one choice of cable service, like the neighboring town next to mine. If you make changes to your computer and how its connected, you should also consider adding a small router. These act like 'computers' and hide your computer system completely, so you could have more than one computer connected at the same time. They also have built in fire walls that protect against attacks from other peoples computers or viruses.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sugar free kitchen

You are correct about them crediting your account, I have had to do that many times. Another trick I have learned is that if they are offering a discount for new subscribers, for instance, new subscribers get first 3 months for $19.99, call them up & tell them you want a deal like the new subscribers get. They will not give it to you for that price, being you are already a subscriber, but they will give you a discount on your bill for 3 months. I have done this many times & have saved quite a bit on cable modem.
Ronda

Thats a good idea too. I must remember that part. They do advertise specials all the time for 3 months, so I may call them soon. I think its unfare to give new subscribers free or low cost service, and not give the same to current subscribers. I even work for a retail store that sells Comcast subscriptions, and I don't get any discounts at all..

Monique, I too am pre-diabetic, "insulin resistant", and am supposed to keep my carb intake on the low side, as well as my protiens quite high. The extra protien helps to keep the bloodsugar from rising quickly when you eat carbs, so I'm very interested in the almond meal as it should also be fairly high in protien, where do you get it?

Linda Lou, you may want to check with your dietician before doing this, but maybe an increase in protien at lunch time would help with the afternoon blood sugar spike. My understanding is that the protien will cause the sugars to absorb more slowly into the blood, causing less of an affect on the blood sugar.

Jessica

Linda Lou,

In case you haven't run across it before, David Mendosa's site is very helpful. He's been diabetic for years and runs a very reliable and helpful site which lists all kinds of resources. If you sign up for his emails, about once a month you'll get something from him, usually focusing on latest developments in research.

He's "personal" in his approach, shares details of his life, his journey with diabetes, helpful books he's read, things he's learned, as well as more technical information.

I think even people who aren't diabetic can benefit from learning about it. After all, many of the recommendations for managing diabetes are just the healthy things (diet, exercise, etc.) we all should be doing anyway.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: David Mendosa's Diabetes Resources Directory

I too, am glad to have you back Linda. My son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes 2 years ago...he's 25 now. Big change for a young adult, but we all have benefited from the diet change and the wake up call! He is marrying a wonderful young lady this Saturday. Thanks for all you contribute, I enjoy reading the threads.

Ken, I take a multivitamin and chromium and also calcium and magnesium. The nutritionist asked me if I took vitamins and was glad that I did, especially the calcium.
I am doing better bit by bit. Lost 7 lb. this month. My doctor is pleased with how far I have come in such a short time. My glucose level was 123 at the lowest and is staying about 140. Much lower than 324 that it was. I do eat rice cakes, had some white cheddar flavor ones tonight. Got some low carb pasta and low carb torillas, too. Have not tried the pasta yet. I feel that I have more treats than ever. I have sugar free pudding, sf caramel turtles, even chocolate milk. I feel like I am cheating, but I am not. I count the carbs in it, like the rest of my food. The only things that I can't tolerate still are bananas and potatoes.
Sorry, Ken, but it is Comcast that is giving us trouble ! Been better the past few days.
Jessica, please take care of yourself and stay on the diet. The diet is not bad at all once you figure it out. I am actually enjoying it and find I am not in the kitchen nearly as much. I made some nice burritos with some lean pork and used my green tomato salsa to simmer the meat in, then I also put some of Annie's Awesome salsa on them. Used the low carb tortillas. They were really good !
Carol, I have not had time to check out the website yet, but thank you. I have been sewing now that canning has slowed down. I did buy a 25 lb. sack of beets for $10 today to can.
Kayrae, congratulations to your son on getting married ! Also, congratulations to you on getting a new daughter !Amazing how fast they grow up. Before you know it, you may be a Grandma like me. It is the best thing ever ! Even better than canning, LOL.
Thanks so much for your kind words. I am glad to be back and beginning to be more like my real self again !

Linda Lou, if your planning on making pickled beets, try the Spenda as the sweetener. Instead of adding all that sugar (sometimes 5 pounds or more!) use a very small amount of the Splenda instead (start with just a half cup!). I made pickled beets as small whole, and bigger ones sliced. I also added some sliced onions to them. I used a recipe for making a sweet mixed brine (also Ball mix), but used all vinegar, both white and cider, as well as the necessary spices of clove, allspice, celery seed, corander, mustard seed, and cinnamon. No whole spices in the brine, just brewed them like a tea in the vinegar. The beets are partially cooked and I usually leave a half inch of stems and root on them when they are boiled in water. They peel easily and I trim off the tops as well. Leaving some of the top and root while cooking helps to keep their color from bleeding out. I do love those cheddar cheese rice cakes. They also make some popcorn cakes too.

I was considering using some Splenda in some of the beets. I cooked up a bunch last night and ate them fresh. I will probably can the beets the first part of next week. I use a tea ball for the spices in my brine. Works well. My husband got it for me as a gift.
Will have to look for the popcorn cakes. Sure like the white cheddar rice cake ones !

Linda Lou, I really like beets, I have to make Dad's batch of pickled beets first, before I start eating them, or there wouldn't be enough to pickle. :-)

It's odd, I always plant a long row of beets and Dad always yells at me because "no one else likes beets". Then, somehow, they all get eaten, my aunts want some to pickle, etc. But no one likes them except me, so why do they keep disappearing? LOL

Here it is, after midnight, and you've got me thinking that pickled beets would make a heckuva midnight snack...

I'm glad that you are already feeling better. As everything "steadies" you will just feel better and better, I'm sure. Better get ready, Gabie will be outrunning you soon, or trying too. Gotta get in shape, trust me. I've just spent a week with Makayla. Whew.

Annie

Annie how do you make them for your dad? I know he is also diabetic.
Oh, the changes I feel are amazing ! Down a whole size, too in one month. Woo hooo !
Please let me know the babies name ! Still have not heard.
I know you are tired, but I am sure you had fun spoiling those babies !

Let me know about the Splenda results. I am sure that you will find that very little of it is needed to get a decent sweetness. Even for that, the added spices will help round out any after taste you might notice. I really can't taste much of a difference between the sugared kind and Splenda kind. Only big difference is one has a very sticky juice (of course the sugared one)..
Just made a big batch of date nut bread. I used Splenda and it was great. The sweetness of dates is high, but they only contain 20 calories each. Only problem I have is that they are very high in potassium, so I have to guzzle this awful gritty tasting goo the doctor prescribed. Its called Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate to absorb the excess potassium in my system.

Linda Lou, the new baby's name is David Adam. He's a moose, at one week old he's already into 3-6 month clothes and he has HUGE feet. He's going to outgrow his big sister quickly, but I don't think he'll ever be able to outrun her, she goes 100 miles per hour all the time. (grin) I can almost keep up with her...

I just use my regular old pickled beet recipe for Dad. They are a "treat", not a side dish for him, and he factors them into his diet. For him, it seems to be pasta and bread that makes his blood sugar zoom, along with the apparently constant troublemaker, bananas. He absolutely will not use artificial sweetener, he'd rather do without entirely. He's hoping to get his prosthesis for home pretty soon now, his sugar has gone up because he's getting pretty much no exercise since he had that leg amputated. He's anxious to be up and around again.

I'm so glad you are feeling good and a whole size? Wow, that's really amazing progress. You'll be running races with Gabie before you know it.

Annie

Annie, what a great name ! My dh name is David and I really wanted my dd to use Adam as my grandson's middle name. What a big baby !!! He sounds half grown already. Oh, send a pic when you can ! I am just still so very happy for you, Annie.
Bananas make my sugar levels skyrocket, too. I have basically given them up, tho I do have a really ripe one I need to do something with. May just freeze for now. Potatoes are my other poison. I got the low carb pasta and will cook some tonight and see how I do with it.
Hey, I danced with Gabie last night ! It is just amazing how different I am feeling and looking in one month ! I am starting to feel better than I have in 10 years, since my mother was ill and then later died of leukemia. I think so much of my health has been related to all the stress and grief.
Well, I am up for some strange reason and need to go back to bed.
Probably can the beets tomorrow as today I need to go to the grocery store.
Ken, someone else mentioned using some dates in my food. May have to try that. I like them, my dh doesn't. One reason I don't make some things because I am the only one to eat them. Now that I have some energy back I may start doing some things for myself.
Everyone have a nice weekend !

Linda Lou - wonderful - about the weight loss. I know I always feel better when on the slimmer side. It does take a bit of effort, but with much benefit in the long run.

I used to play 18 holes of golf almost daily in my prime of life, and sometimes wished I could again, but it was also - what I felt to be a big waste of time - productivity-wise. Much prefer to be accomplishing something that saves money, rather than expends it.

Nice to see you posting again.

Bejay

Thanks,Bejay. I got my lowest blood sugar level this morning. Oh, I am happy about it.
I can't believe I have my house all cleaned up, even got some Christmas shopping done and the gifts I bought are already wrapped ! Making some bread for my husband today, too. Now to get those beets canned. I didn't want to make a mess today. I can do them tomorrow. It just feels so good to becoming myself again. The clothes I put on today are smaller size, too. Yeah !!
Ok, lunch time. I try to keep to a shedule so I feel better.

Linda Lou,
You will be experiencing many high and lows in sugar readings for the next few months, due to medication and dietary changes. You probably already know the highs with the dry mouth as being the worst of the symptoms. The lows are scary though as you start to get very anxious and the adrenal gland overworks causing you a lot of anxiety. I start to shake a little, lose my train of thought and cant talk well once the sugar level drops to about 55 or so. I grab the first thing I can find thats high in sugar, and that could even be a candy bar or some fresh fruit. It could be that the bananas you enjoy are raising your potassium level too. For me, the dates are high in potassium too, but thats for my kidney issues as far as I know. This is the reason I have to take that awful gritty stuff if I eat the dates or other high potassium foods. Even regular orange juice contains a high amount of potassium, but is also used to help raise very low sugar levels. For that overripe banana, you can freeze it in little small pieces, and use a few with a breakfast cereal. Oddly, Special K with red berries (strawberies) tastes very sweet to me, but doesn't raise my sugar level as much as regular Total breakfast cereal. Both are eaten with Lactaid milk as I also have that problem.

Linda Lou,

Congratulations! It's so nice to hear you're feeling better and more like your old self.

Greener bananas will have less of an effect on blood sugar than riper ones. You might see if you can tolerate a small amount that way.

Carol

I love the Special K with redberries ! Will have to see how many carbs it has. I try to eat a smaller amount of carbs at breakfast than allowed on my plan as I see to do better. I ate half of the banana and seemed to be OK this time. Probably also depends upon what I eat with it.
I need to buy more of those white cheddar rice cakes. I like them better than popcorn. Still all of the sugar free jello is my friend. Was going to buy some unflavored gelatin, but is so expensive. Maybe I can get bulk online cheaper. I spent so much at the store yesterday that I decided to wait on the unflavored gelatin. However, I did put in some kitchen towels and drinking glasses they had for a good price for Christmas gifts.

I cooked my amount of pasta, still doesn't look like much, and the sauce has to be counted as carbs, too. Guess I will fill up on salad and beets. I made some raspberry vinagrette with the raspberry vinegar I made. I suppose blueberry vinegar would be good, too. I should make some.
How do you all make your vinagrette from scratch? I just kept adding this and that. I hope it is good. I put in some celery seed,too, since I read it online from some chef. Will see how it tastes.
The dilly bread is almost done baking. Smells nice in here. Oh, spoke too soon, the timer is going off now !

Linda Lou, I'm glad to hear you sound so happy and energetic and excited again.

Welcome back.

Annie

Linda Lou, The pomona pectin comes with directions for making "sugarfree jello". You could use fruit juice or whatever else you think would work. I don't know how that would compare price-wise v. using unflavored gelatin. It says to use 4 cups juice and 4 teaspoons of the pectin.

Melly, thank you for the tip on using Pomona's. I have some in the cupboard already. I thought maybe making up some flavors would be fun.
I saw some Hispanic ones that are sugar, but they had mango, coconut, all kinds of good flavors. I should get some for my daughter.
Annie, thank you ! Yep, I am more like myself these days. My levels today have stayed right around 120.
Ok, back to canning my beets. Two jars wouldn't fit in the second batch, so I am debating whether to just eat them or can them.

You are welcome. Oh, it said to use 4 teaspoons calcium water also.

I found bulk gelatin from Tones, in those big warehouse (I think Sams Club) plastic jars. I use Crystal Light drink mixes for the flavors. You can use most any generic brand of diet drinks too, including diet sodas. The source below has gelatin as a bulk product in different sizes. They also sell the bulk version of the Pickle Crisp product (Calcium Chloride).

Here is a link that might be useful: Bulk Gelatin

I will check Costco for the gelatin. I have Crystal light. Hmm, root beer jello ? I think Dr. Pepper may be good.
We got samples of some new product out today at our Food Safety Advisors meeting. It is a drink mix, no sugar, but added calcium carbonate and fiber. There is no grit or thickness to it. The lemon flavor is good, and we put it in hot water. We tried another flavor, but it was not so good. There is a plain one,too, that you add to your beverages for added calcium. I have a few extra packets that I can keep in my purse.
Thanks again, Melly.

Costco and BJ's around here used to carry the Tones products, but for some reason they switched to McCormick and they don't offer as many choices. One other favorite of mine was the Alfredo sauce powder. I have to order these direct from the maker now. As to your concern of added carbs with pasta, tomatoes don't add any carbs as a sauce, unless there is stuff like lots of oil in it .

Just Just found out that the alfedo powder is no loger made by McCormick. Too bad, it was the easiest way to get a decent cheese sauce. BTW,
This link was actually listed as the forth choice when doing a web search fo collapes of bread during baking.. I was curious about this and want to see more info about the problem.
A really old thread here..