Shaun, We try to keep our sodium between 1000 to 1500 mg/day, so I know where you're coming from! It's tough at first, but we found that after about 4-6 weeks your taste buds start to change and the lower salt food starts tasting much better. So if you've just been doing this for a month or so, there's light at the end of the tunnel. You asked about eating out: that's tough but not impossible, even if your budget doesn't run to higher end restaurants that will essentially cook anything you ask for, from scratch. We've had some luck with Macaroni Grill (but you have to be kind of emphatic with your server about your request.) They may sort of think you're just being picky, not that you have a serious medical need. In our case it is literally a matter of life or very serious consequences. My DH is the one with the restriction, but I follow it, too, for solidarity and simplicity. He usually makes the request, then I follow up with clear statement to the server about how important it is that nothing be pre-seasoned. Or if it has been already (vegetables are a big prob here as they are parcooked in salty water during prep) I ask that the food be rinsed very well in running water then briefly reheated. You also can usually expect that you're getting a bit of left-over seasoning from previous food cooked on the same hot top or grill. We just make allowances for that. We never eat restaurant bread as as it is very high in salt - often higher than other commercial breads. This is because most "restaurant-made" breads are actually from commercial mixes where salt has a role in ingredient shelf life and simplified gluten-handling at the restaurant. If we don't know about the bread, we just ask that it not come to the table. Baked potatoes, though naturally low in salt can be high if they are salt-baked, so ask about that. Pizza and pasta sauces ar pretty much out, too. (Except for homemade, of course.) And almost all sauced dishes are too complex to parse and usually loaded with fats, as well. We save those kind of dishes for at-home cooking where we can control the sodium. For instance, I make Pad Thai at home, but would never risk it in a restaurant. However, grilled chicken breast, or steak, or broiled fish are good bets. Plain salads (sans dressing and croutons) are usually do-able. Vegs. that are not parcooked are OK, too. We don't restaurant desserts for other reasons, so that's not an issue for us. If it was, i think we'd ask for it in a take-away container and eat it at home in smaller quantities. For chain restaurants when traveling, we've had excellent success at Ruby Tuesday's. They are invariably pretty accomodating about our needs and their salad bar is vast and allows one to chose. We also make a point of speaking to the manager after the meal to praise their flexibility; it's apparently a corporate policy to meet low-sodium requests with equanimity. And as a rule that works. Are you aware of the several excellent very low sodium cookbooks? I can post some names of ones I've found useful, if you need them. I'm sure you realize by now that what "normal" people consider low sodium is way over the top when you're on a medically necessary low sodium diet. I am on a nagging campaign to get the big cooking mags to lower their recipes' sodium content. Fine Cooking at least posts the sodium content in the back of their mag. Cook's Illustrated still has their head in the sand and some of the recipes are absurd (even for people with no sodium restrictions.) Are you listening, Cook's Illustrated? Get with the program! I noticed that there was mention of Morton's Lite Salt. Be sure your doc OK's that for you. People on medical salt restrictions often can't use that safely because of the higher potassium levels. Sorry! For household salt, I use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt. It's 290 mg for each quarter teaspoon. About half of what ordinary table or Morton's Kosher is. It's not that it's less salty -salt is salt - it's just that texture makes it fluffier, so less sodium when measured by volume. And the larger volume makes it easier to measure and control. I also use a tiny scooch of Maldon Sea Salt, as a finisher just before serving on some things. Again its crystalline structure makes it different, and I think adds a useful "hit" of saltiness, even at tiny quantities. After endlessly fiddling around with my regular set of measuring spoons trying measure teeny quantities accurately, I found a set of tiny scoops (with silly cute-sy names) that I have calibrated so I can add 25-50 mg of salt accurately. And accuracy is important when you're banging up against a firm limit that isn't just your taste buds. (And as an aside if I know we're planning to eat out in the evening, or while traveling I double down on the salt restriction earlier in the day to make sure we have room for a bit of a splurge later-or restaurant food that isn't what it seems.) Early on I was pretty intensely focused, but after a couple of years, I've relaxed a bit and some very salty things are regularly served here, just in very small quantities and/or well-balanced with other things. Our diet rules are also much more complex than simple salt restriction because of other medical/diet issues, so I have had to learn where to be flexible and where to find ways to make food inviting and tasty. After all you'll starve to death faster than hypertension will kill you if you got so bummed out about your food that you stopped eating it with relish. I was too scared to try this at first and probably too rigid about the rules and not in a good way, according to my DH! As for specific (tasty) prepared products with lower-than-expected salt levels: I can share some that I've found, but maybe we should start a new thread so others trying to find the info can access it easily. I spent so much time in my supermarket peering at label after label that I eventually attracted the manager who thought I was doing something nefarious. And I've found that even on familar products that you're used to using you need to re-check the label when you buy new containrs as the companies often reformulate the products and upping the salt level is a favorite trick. If you find that be sure to call and give 'em a piece of your mind about it! We do use some prepared/convenience foods, but we choose them very carefully and often divide an entree into two portions and add it to a big salad and home-cooked veg. to fill out the meal. Some days you just need the convenience factor. Some, but by no means all, of the Annie's brand of lower sodium products pass muster. A few prepared foods have separate sauces that you can add after cooking in the MW. If they've got the sodium levels broken out by with and without sauce, then you will likely find that adding half or less of the sauce brings you in at a "low-enough" level for use. There's one brand of exceptionally tasty canned tuna with only 25 mg of sodium/serving. (Without exception so far all of the no-salt-added tuna we've tried was ghastly.) The problem with our fave brand of tuna is that it's pricier, but then since we cook mostly from scratch I figure it evens out as scratch cooking is sooo much cheaper. Eden makes no-salt added canned beans in many varieties, which are quite good in a pinch (not as good as home-cooked, though.) Muir Glen has an ever-growing line of canned tomato products with no added salt that are great (love, love love the fire-roasted no-salt-added stuff!) Both Pacific and Imagine aseptic-packed soups have low(er) sodium versions that are quite good (still 300 mg/400mg per 1 cup, though). I keep some on hand, always. Try all your available broth and stock options to find one that you like. The quality of the low-salt versions varies, as does how low is low. Try ethnic chinese and oriental markets for the lowest-sodium soy and nouc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce) versions. They are always labeled in comprehensible ways, even if just in chinese or japanese. Don't get too discouraged by the "you can't make bread without salt" common knowledge. Yes, you can, but it usually takes some fiddling around with each recipe to hit the sweet spot. Sometimes a lot of fiddling, and wasted ingredients. I also find that low-salt cheese is not great, so we reserve some of our salt "allowance" for regular, even high salt cheese when it's called for. As an example I often grate Piave Vechio (a very high salt 560 mg/oz, extremely high flavor) cheese over a plain jane salad or soup or pasta. I use a microplane grater and find that a very small quantity makes a huge cheesy taste, often adding only 50-100 mg to the overall dish, but to great effect. Cottage cheese is problematic: the no salt added stuff is too bland, but the regular stuff too high. I solve that by buying both and mixing by volume. Half no-salt and half regular comes in right on the money. (BTW, Nancy's brand makes a fantastic cultured - very tangy - type of cottage cheese. That also can be added to the commoner no-salt stuff to jazz it up.) You also need to watch simple stuff like ordinary frozen without sauce vegetables. Some have silly amounts of sodium added. For instance one big brand (Birdseye???) has has peas with both 90 mg/serving and 0 mg/serving. The 0 mg version is just fine - not sure why you need the extra salt anyway. Finally, I found that it was always useful to keep a supply of tasty, reliable easy to fix things on hand so that a recipe adjustment that flops, or a long day with no thought to dinner isn't a catastrophe. That's my version of convenience foods. L

There are a number of low-sodium members who have a lot of great information and have freely shared it in the past - as posted above. I always suggest sticking to whole foods and skip the processed foods as the quickest way to avoided added sodium in your food. You can instantly cut sodium by using less of something. You can make a grilled cheese sandwich with half of a slice of cheese. Or better yet, find a low-sodium cheese and use grated cheese - about 1/4-1/2 ounce. You can use a stick of mozzarella string cheese (170 mg. sodium) and grate it for topping a 12-inch homemade pizza. Or, grate 1/4 of a stick of mozzarella string cheese (42.5 mg sodium), and that is enough for a grilled sandwich, or as a topping for any Mexican entrée, Italian entrée, salads, etc. A trip to your local library and you will find any number of low-sodium cookbooks if you need inspiration and some new recipes. I also like to have nutritional information for recipes printed in cookbooks, and can adjust them accordingly to lower the sodium, if necessary. I'm a big fan of Salt-Free Mrs. Dash seasoning blends and use them for all kinds of things. I make potato chips and sweet potato chips in the microwave - no added salt. I dehydrate zucchini slices with Mrs. Dash Salt-Free seasoning blends on them for a chip substitute. I also use a lot of herbs (fresh and dried) out of my garden. I use Coconut Aminos because it is soy-free and less sodium than soy sauce. In order to avoid added sodium in tomato products, I use low-sodium tomato powder (The Spice House and other sources on-line) and make tomato sauce and tomato paste, pizza sauce, pasta sauce, and can even make ketchup and bbq sauce with a few pantry ingredients. Some commercial low-sodium products just have too many questionable ingredients in them - even if they ARE low-sodium. Better off making your own! Make sure you have some Hain Sodium-free Baking Powder, and ENER-G Baking Soda (double the amount to substitute for regular baking soda) for low-sodium baking. Try making your own vegetable, beef, and chicken broth - they are far tastier than store-bought. I use homemade broth I freeze in cubes to make a quick pan sauce. Melt a couple beef or chicken cubes and bring to a simmer. Add a pat of unsalted butter and heat through. The butter will lightly thicken the broth - no additional thickener needed. Add some herbs or spices, but cracked pepper may be all it needs. For a Type II diabetic, the less high-glycemic foods, like flour, the better. Try using almond flour and coconut flour in baked goods, instead of high-glycemic wheat flour. Go wheat-free..... I try to make 3 new recipes each week, so that helps keep me interested in new dishes and new ways to make old favorites. Another thing.... it's a LOW sodium diet, not a NO sodium diet. We all require some sodium in our diet to function properly. I'd just rather have it naturally-occurring in real food (even if it's just a small amount for flavor). I'd suggest skipping the low-sodium salt products, which can cause a whole bunch of other issues. Get creative.... Can't have celery? Use celery seed for lots of celery flavor. Lemon and lime juice are your "friends", OR True Lemon and True Lime crystalized lemon and lime product which has 0-mg of sodium and lots of flavor. Make low-sodium breads and baked goods - especially those made with coconut flour and almond flour. Good luck on your search! -Grainlady

Elisa, My DH has health problems and we actually have a slightly lower target than your brother's. It seems insurmountable at first, especially when it can't be eased into. If you've got a low-salt diet order, and judging by the ICD implantation, kidney issues, etc., I can guess what you're dealing with, you need to get it in place ASAP. Or your brother will be right back where he started from. The need for rapid change is one of the biggest challenges because it takes awhile for a lowered-salt diet to taste good again. It will get better as you will adjust, but most people eat four or five times that amount, daily. So even thogh 1500 mg/d doesn't sound much less than official ideal for non-impaired people, it's a huge functional and taste change for most people. I know, because we've BTDT. OK, here's some quick tips: almost all prepared food will put you in trouble, unless you only eat once per day. And if he's got diabetes that won't work. By prepared food I mean almost all restaurant food, especially fast food. Almost all canned and frozen prepared stuff, including most stuff marketed as "healthy" prepared food. (There are exceptions, you'll have to read label after label to find the keepers.) Often the lowered sodium product isn't either truly low (300 mg, or less, per portion) or they make it up by loading it with carbs. Here are a couple of good things that are mainstays in our house for fast eats: some of the Imagine Organic aseptic packaged LOWER IN SODIUM soups (corn or sweet potato=140 mg/cup). Other lower in sodium aseptic packaged soups may or may not work for you. (We like some tomato, some roasted pepper, etc. you have to read the labels.) Muir Glen makes a good line of no salt added canned tomato products which are great, esp. the fire roasted ones. Most commercial low or no salt bread sucks, to put it plainly. This is where making your own really is better. But salt has a functional role in bread-making, in addition to its taste role, so you will need to expect to have some trouble adapting "regular" recipes simply by leaving out the salt. Try some of the specifically low-sodium bread recipes for starters. Also if you buy unsliced bread, you can slice it thinner than normal and work the total sodium down that way, at least a bit. No-salt cheese is mostly bad; swiss is naturally low (60-80mg/oz) so it's a my go-to cheese. I do use (sparingly) higher sodium cheeses (e.g. Piave cheddar which can be as high as 500+ mg/oz when all I want is to grate some up as a topping. Then the portion is so small it's OK, and the sharp, rich taste really makes a difference.) You can make good grilled cheese sandwiches with Swiss cheese, too. Use a sharper mustard, for extra taste. For cottage cheese get some no-salt added tubs and cut it 50% with the higher salted product. That produces an acceptable level. Watch frozen veg. products, even some of the un-sauced ones often have baking soda (aka SODIUM bicarbonate) added to preserve the green color, which turns a nearly sodium-free item into something you have to "count". If you need to eat out, go to a restaurant and ask for plain grilled chicken, never seasoned and grilled on a scraped grill. Ask if the veg. were precooked, if so ask that they be rinsed in a hot water and then briefly re-nuked. Most pasta is out because it often has been parboiled in salted water. (You don't need to add salt to pasta if you cook it at home. Never mind what the cook books say.) For nation-wide family restuarant chains when ttraveling, we've had good luck with Ruby Tuesdays. They are usually quite accommodating, and the big salad bar is good, too. There are many, if not most, recipes that you will read in cooking mags and books that will have a sodium content that's way out of your range. But you can always bring that salt way down by not adding it, or adding a lot less. You will have some big recipe failures this way but you will learn what works for you. Your brother's Dr. probably told him this: DO NO USE LITE-SALT or SALT SUBSTITUTES. These usually contain potassium "salts" instead of sodium and they will mess things up on the other end (as well as possibly interfere with some of his meds - ACE/ARBS, diuretics, etc.) These products are meant for people who are just "cutting down" salt, not for people at risk of CHF. It's no picnic dealing with a low-salt, most likely very low-fat, diabetic diet (And maybe also low Vitamin K, as well?). It takes a huge , constant vigilance to put it in place successfully. Your brother will need a lot of help, especially if these are sudden changes, in order for it to not become overwhelming. As JohnLiu says most things that are "too salty" can be made at home. But it's a completely different culinary regimen, because even many certifiably homemade dishes contain ingredients that are very salty to begin with. And it takes a lot more time and effort. Can you give me some idea what you're trying to accomplish, right now? What sorts of meals are you trying to prepare? I may be able to make some specific suggestions. In the meantime, you can't go wrong with broiled chicken or fish, steamed veg, small baked sweet potato and salad for dinner. For lunch a truly lower-salt soup (or big salad), and an egg or tuna or chicken salad sandwich, and fruit for dessert. And maybe regular oatmeal and fruit for breakfast. This would leave you some pretty useful lee-way to add some other tasty, higher-salt add-ons: cheese, lightly salted pop-corn, regular (not homemade low salt for the time being) whole-wheat bread, etc. Possibly some diabetic-OK cookies or icecream; prepared chocolate soy-pudding is a nice snacky-thing, but I'm not sure if it fits with diabetic diets. I remember standing in my supermarket when this was a new thing for me and feeling that nothing I could make would be safe for my husband. I actually cried right in the aisle, I was so upset. We ate pretty simple, even primitive, meals for awhile early on - and I've thrown out a lot of tried-but-turned-out-to-be ghastly recipes. But it does get easier when you learn how to cheat out the excess salt and still go for the familiar flavors. While the prospect of learning a whole new taste-profile can be interesting, in the abstract, familiar tastes and dishes are very comforting and even necessary, IMO for healing. You just need to keep tweaking it until you've got it right. It does get better. L

o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by kathleen_li (My Page) on Sun, Apr 11, 10 at 16:36 I don't know Food, but don't use it if you make this..it doesn't come out nice and creamy... Photobucket Photobucket Crab Spread.. 1/2 lb crab meat 8 oz cream cheese 1 small onion, minced 1 heaping teaspoon horseradish, or to taste 3 TBS cream or 1/2 and 1/2 juice of a half lemon pepper Mix all together. Spread into greased casserole.Sprinkle with crumbled bacon or slivered almonds..Bake till it bubbles and browns lightly..350 deg. Allow to sit a few mins before serving on crackers. Apricot Cheese Coffee Cake Photobucket Photobucket Here is the recipe, from Land O Lakes Country Heritage. Coffee Cake Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened 1/2 cup sugar 2 LAND O LAKESâ„¢ All-Natural Farm-Fresh Eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt Filling Ingredients: 1/4 cup sugar 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 LAND O LAKESâ„¢ All-Natural Farm-Fresh Egg 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel 1 (12-ounce) jar apricot preserves Glaze Ingredients: 1/3 cup powdered sugar 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour bottom and sides of 10-inch springform pan. Set aside. Combine all coffee cake ingredients in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Spread batter on bottom and 2 inches up sides of prepared pan. Combine all filling ingredients except apricot preserves in small bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Spread evenly over batter in pan. Spoon preserves evenly over filling. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cool 20 minutes. Loosen sides of cake from pan by running knife around inside of pan; remove sides of pan. Meanwhile, stir together powdered sugar and enough lemon juice for desired drizzling consistency in small bowl. Drizzle over warm coffee cake. Serve warm or cold; store refrigerated. I am enjoying reading and seeing the recipes. I make the cheese coffee cake that Annt does, my pic isn't as good! :) o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by denise8101214 (My Page) on Sun, Apr 11, 10 at 16:58 Here is a link to the previous cookalongs. I'm sure that we would all appreciate additions to any of these old threads if any one has found great uses of these ingredients. Here is a link that might be useful: All the other Cookalongs o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by mamalou (My Page) on Sun, Apr 11, 10 at 17:11 Caramel Apple Cheesecake I made this recipe for Thanksgiving and everyone said it was a KEEPER!! The whole thing disappeared! 1 cup graham cracker crumbs 3 tablespoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted 2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans Filling 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 3/4 cup sugar 3 eggs 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract Topping 2 1/2 cups chopped peeled apples 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 6 tablespoons caramel ice cream topping, divided sweetened whipped cream 2 tablespoons chopped pecans Directions: 1. Combine the first five ingredients; press onto the bottom of a lightly greased 9-inch spring form pan. 2. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes; cool. 3. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. 4. Add eggs; beat on low just until combined. 5. Stir in vanilla. 6. Pour over crust. 7. Toss apples with lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon; spoon over filling. 8. Place cheesecake/pan in a large rectangular baking pan filled with 2 inches of hot water; place in 350 degree oven and bake for 55-60 minutes or until center is almost set. 9. Remove cheesecake from oven and water-filled pan and cool on a wire rack to 10 minutes. 10. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen. 11. Drizzle with 4 tablespoons caramel topping. 12. Cool for 1 hour. 13. Refrigerate overnight. 14. Remove sides of pan. 15. Just before serving, garnish with whipped cream. 16. Drizzle with remaining caramel; sprinkle with pecans. 17. Store in refrigerator. X-Treme Chocolate Double Nut Caramel Ladyfinger Torte Kathy Specht, Cambria, California Southern Living, OCTOBER 2004 Prep: 30 min., Cool: 5 min., Cook: 5 min., Chill: 1 hr. Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels 2 (3-ounce) packages ladyfingers 1 (13-ounce) jar hazelnut spread (I use Nutella brand) 20 caramels 2 1/3 cups whipping cream, divided 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans 1/3 cup DOMINO 10-X Confectioners Sugar 1 (8-ounce) package PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened 2 tablespoons crème de cacao 3 (1-ounce) semisweet chocolate baking squares 2 tablespoons DOMINO 10-X Confectioners Sugar Directions: Microwave chocolate morsels at HIGH 90 seconds or until melted, stirring at 30 second intervals; cool 5 minutes, and set aside. Split ladyfingers, and stand halves around edge of a 9-inch spring form pan, placing rounded sides against pan; line bottom of pan with remaining halves. Reserve remaining ladyfingers for other uses. Spread hazelnut spread evenly over ladyfingers on bottom of pan. Cook caramels and 1/3 cup whipping cream in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, just until melted. Stir in pecans until coated; spoon caramel mixture evenly over hazelnut spread. Beat 1/3 cup confectioners sugar and cream cheese in a medium bowl at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add crème de cacao; beat until blended. Beat in melted morsels until blended. Beat remaining 2 cups whipping cream in a medium bowl at medium speed with an electric mixer until stiff; fold into cream cheese mixture, and spoon evenly over caramel layer in pan. Shave baking squares with a vegetable peeler evenly on top. Sprinkle evenly with 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar. Chill 1 hour. Yield: Makes 12 servings o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Sun, Apr 11, 10 at 19:21 Neufatchel, which has a little hat on one of the vowels but I don't know how to type that, has 1/3 less the calories than regular cream cheese, so 1/3 less taste. I've read it is not good for cheesecake but I don't make cheesecake anyway. I have seen recipes for cheesecake using it in Cooking Light magazine, but I dunno if the recipes are any good. Probably not good in danish and the like either. I use it mostly to spread on bagels and toast and english muffins, in which case it tastes just fine. I top it with a dab of homeade jam, yum. Great with lox, since that has a strong taste so I don't miss the extra taste for that application. Fine with those dream eggs, because they were flavored with the herbs anyway, and the neufatchel just added a wonderful creamy texture, even with 1/3 less fat. Since cream cheese is almost pure fat, 1/3 less doesn't make it a diet food by any means, but I like it just as well if not better than cream cheese for what I use it for, so that's what I buy for the calorie savings. I don't mind it in party spreads either. If I want them to taste "fatter" I can always add mayo or butter. o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by foodonastump (My Page) on Mon, Apr 12, 10 at 10:48 Thanks lpink - but is there any taste difference between it and 1/3 less fat cream cheese? It looks like Philly makes both, so there must be some difference, no? The recipe I was looking at was artichoke dip. o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by chase (My Page) on Mon, Apr 12, 10 at 15:54 This is a great spread. I especially like to put it in a pretty ramekin and bring it, along with a spreader, as a hostess gift Homemade Boursin With Fresh Herbs 1 lb farmers cheese, or 1/2 cottage cheese & 1/2 Ricotta 8 ounces cream cheese 1/2 cup butter, softened 4 large garlic cloves, minced 2 medium shallots, minced 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped finely and packed tight 1/2 cup chopped fresh thyme OR 2/3 cups fresh dill chopped finely 1/3 cup chives, chopped finely 1 tsp pepper, freshly ground 1/4 tsp cayenne Blend the cheeses and butter, add the remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Store in small crocks or ramekins in the fridge until well chilled. o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Mon, Apr 12, 10 at 17:13 The taste difference is that stuff made with neufatchel tastes 1/3 less rich, and with 1/3 less fat carrying the flavor, neufatchel doesn't have the same "creamy" taste of cream cheese. However, I LIKE the taste of neufatchel better than cream cheese, to me it's slightly tangier. NO FAT cream cheese, on the other hand, tastes "gummy" to me and with almost no taste, it's all gummy texture. The best I can describe it is tastes slightly of plastic. o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by beanthere_dunthat (My Page) on Mon, Apr 12, 10 at 20:16 I agree with Lpink - it's a little tangier and less creamy. IMO, no-fat cream cheese is awful stuff. "Plastic" is a good description for it. I'll do without or make a different recipe before I'd use/eat it. I made this today. Yummy stuff. Miss Verba's Pimento Cheese Ingredients: 1 pound sharp yellow cheddar 1/4 pound cream cheese, softened 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper 3 large red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped 1/2 cup homemade mayonnaise or best-quality commercial mayonnaise 1 teaspoon sugar Splash of hot sauce, such as Tabasco or Cholulu 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) Method: 1. Grind the cheddar in a food processor fitted with the grating disk, or grate it on the small-holed side of a hand grater. 2. Transfer the grated cheese to a bowl, add the cream cheese, white pepper, bell peppers, mayonnaise, sugar, hot sauce, and cayenne, if using, and blend all together thoroughly. 3. Refrigerate and serve chilled. (The spread will keep for several days in the refrigerator, but it usually disappears long before than.) Source: Frank Stitt's Southern Table: Recipes and Gracious Traditions from Highlands Bar and Grill My notes: I used Cabot extra sharp cheddar (so mine isn't really the "proper" color). Normally, I'd cut the sugar, but I was using Duke's mayo (which has no sugar), so this amount was about right. o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by doucanoe (My Page) on Mon, Apr 12, 10 at 21:23 I use Neufchatel almost exclusively these days and have not noticed any real diference in flavor or richness. Funny the difference in what people can taste. I actually prefer "parmesan" over "parmigianno reggiano". To me it tastes better! OMG..I am DEFINITELY going to make that Apricot Cream Cheese Coffeecake! (I feel faint....) Linda o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Mon, Apr 12, 10 at 22:02 I agree with Doucanoe, I think with spreads and highly seasoned dishes neufatchel is good. Even with blintzes or fillings. Where it wouldn't do too good is where the cream cheese is the major fat in the recipe, like a cookie dough or cake recipe, or frosting. o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Tue, Apr 13, 10 at 10:44 Alexa, I'll be making the coffee cake recipe you posted when it's my turn to take a treat to our Knitting Circle at the library. Mmmmm. I'm not a big fan of cheesecake but I often make these when bite-sized desserts are needed. I usually mix up the dough and shape the balls (store tightly covered) the night before but bake them the day of the event. TINY CHERRY CHEESECAKES 1 cup flour 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 cup baking cocoa 1/2 cup cold butter 2 Tbsp. cold water Filling: 2 packages (3 oz. each) cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup sugar 2 Tbsp. Milk 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 egg 1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar and cocoa: cut in butter until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Divide and shape into 24 balls. Place a ball in greased miniature muffin cups; press dough evenly onto the bottom and up the sides of each cup. In a mixing bowl, beat cram cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in milk and vanilla. Add egg; beat on low just until combined. Spoon about 1 tablespoonful into each cup. Bake at 325 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Carefully remove from pans to cool completely. Top with pie filling. Store in the refrigerator. Makes 2 dozen. o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by natesgram (My Page) on Tue, Apr 13, 10 at 10:49 I asked the group last week if I could freeze these and the only problem I've had is that they went too quickly. They are great cold or even frozen! Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies - Martha Stewart's Cookies Makes about 25 sandwiches Ingredients: 1 cup packed light-brown sugar 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 2 large eggs, room temperature 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots, (about 3 large carrots) 1 cup raisins Cream Cheese Frosting: 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature 1 cup confectioners' sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract For the cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with Silpat baking mats or parchment paper, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugars and butter; beat until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until well combined. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger; stir to combine. Gradually add flour to butter mixture; mix on a low speed until just blended. Mix in oats, carrots, and raisins. Chill dough in refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour. Using a 1/2-ounce ice-cream scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies. Transfer to oven, and bake until browned and crisped, rotating pan halfway through baking to ensure even color, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat baking process with remaining dough. Once cooled completely, use an offset spatula to spread about 2 teaspoons of cream-cheese filling onto a cookie. Sandwich together with a second cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Cream Cheese Frosting: Place cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, soften cream cheese. Gradually add butter, and continue beating until smooth and well blended. Sift in confectioners' sugar, and continue beating until smooth. Add vanilla, and stir to combine. Photobucket I'm sorry I don't know the rules on cookalongs but could I suggest all types of beans? o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by kathleenca (My Page) on Tue, Apr 13, 10 at 18:38 Hi natesgram, Beans were the subject of the 21st cookalong - see the following link. :) When it's time for the next cookalong, wizardnm will pull a name from those who contributed to the current cookalong, & that person selects the next topic. I hope you're enjoying it. BTW, links to all the cookalongs are in this link: Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #21 --- Beans o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by natesgram (My Page) on Tue, Apr 13, 10 at 22:51 Thank you Kathleen, so many good recipes and so little time to read them all. I'll check out that link. :) o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by georgysmom (My Page) on Wed, Apr 14, 10 at 10:15 Jezebel Sauce 1 (18 oz.) jar pineapple preserves 1 (18oz.) jar apple jelly 1 can dry mustard (1.12 oz.) 1 5 oz jar horseradish 1 T. coarsely ground black pepper Mix together in blender and pour back into jars......... Refrigerate. Serve over cream cheese with favorite cracker. I prefer wheat thins with this. . o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by cookebook (My Page) on Wed, Apr 14, 10 at 13:14 My Mom's Cucumber Sandwiches in her words: 1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheeseâ€"I always use the Neufchatel 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped fine 2-3 green onions with tops, chopped fine Soften cream cheese, thin with a little milk, yogurt or sour cream and 1 tablespoon real mayonnaise. Add chopped veggiess and season with 1/2 teaspoon each lemon pepper and cayenne pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste. Spread mixture on heavy brown bread and cut each sandwich into 3 or 4 pieces desired shape. Make at least the day before serving. Cover and refrigerate with damp paper towels on top of sandwiches so they will stay moist. Makes 4-5 large sandwichesâ€"maybe 4 because I like lots of filling in mine. o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Thu, Apr 15, 10 at 11:23 OK, better late than never: JALAPENO CHEESECAKE (MY FAVORITE) 8 ounces cream cheese 5 ounces sharp che4ddar cheese, grated 2 cloves garlic 1 egg 8 ounces jalapeno jelly Mix first four ingredients with half of the jelly. Pour mixture into greased 6 inch springform pan. Bake at 350 for 335 minutes. Cool completely and remove from pan, heat remaining jelly and pour over top of cheesecake. Serve with crackers. Note: I made a double batch and baked it in a round cake pan with a "releaser" bar that spins around the bottom to prevent sticking. I just dumped it out and spread the jelly on the bottom, no one notices because it’s covered with jelly!! I use my own home canned Habanero Gold to make this stuff, and I'll be making 8 or 10 of them for that wedding in May. Somehow I just know I'm going to be eating some of them myself, and I'm going to experiment with making one with a fruit jam instead of the hot pepper jam and see how that works, the bride wanted something "sweet", she says "only the guys will like the hot stuff". HUH? I love it and I'm sure not a guy! Annie o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by kathleen_li (My Page) on Sat, Apr 17, 10 at 22:12 You are not late, still one more day! :) o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Sun, Apr 18, 10 at 11:11 Nate, I want to make those cookies! I have a lot of carrots, and today just might be a great day to make cookies with my grandson. "• For an extra-fancy presentation, borrow an old trick from French chef Michele Girard. Serve the eggs in their shells by carefully cutting away the top third of each shell, emptying out the egg, then sterilizing the shell in simmering water. Drain completely. Have egg cups handy. Stuff the hot eggs into the shells, mounding them high. Sprinkle with a little fresh herb for color and serve." ...Yeah, right. But the eggs sound very good. I'll have to try those sometime. Lpink, that kugel recipe looks interesting, too. I've never had anything like it. I'm wondering if I could do something along those lines, varying some of the ingredients, and using that chocolate pasta I haven't gotten around to using yet. I'll think about it and come up with something I hope works. Ann, your recipes and photos are always so tempting and beautiful! David, I want to save that onion dip recipe, too. Everyone's recipes look so good. Great choice. Sally o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by beanthere_dunthat (My Page) on Sun, Apr 18, 10 at 19:01 LOL! Sally, I believe my response to that part of the recipe was "Yeah, I'll do that the day after h_ll freezes over. Sure thing." But since it was part of the original recipe in the newsletter, I figured I should include it. :) Nate's killing me with those cookies. I'm going to have to make them now that I know they can be frozen! o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Sun, Apr 18, 10 at 19:26 OK, I'm still chuckling about Renee cutting the tops off egg shells, sterilizing them and filling them with cooked egg, or anything else. ROFL. I just finished two of the habanero cheesecakes for the wedding so I even cooked along for a change. Thanks, Kathleen, for letting me know I'm not late. I just figured I was, I always am, somehow... Annie o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Sun, Apr 18, 10 at 22:41 Well, I had good intentions, and got started, but ran out of time to meet tonight's deadline. DH and I went out today on a chicken coop tour of East Dallas. (which was lots of fun, but a whole nother topic) Then I had to clean the kitchen in order to cook in it. But, my little grandson (a month away from 3 yrs. old) and I did get started on Nate's carrot cake cookies, but since we didn't finish making the dough until an hour before his bed time, and the dough has to chill at least an hour, it'll be tomorrow before we bake them and do the cream cheese part. It doesn't matter. Both DGS and I had a great time mixing up the batter. He got to taste the flour, the sugar, the butter, and all the other ingredients as they went into the mix. No germaphobes need taste these cookies when they're done! Thanks Nate for the recipe, and the fun time with my grandson! Sally o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Apr 19, 10 at 8:06 Great response, everyone loves to bake and cook with cream cheese. Thank You to all that contributed!! I just pulled out a name for the next ingredient choice..... >>>>>>>>>> Tracey_Oh <<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Please post your ingredient pick here....... Nancy o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by tracey_oh (My Page) on Mon, Apr 19, 10 at 9:25 Whoo hoo! Ok, I think I'm going to go with peanut butter. If I had to pick one food to live on, it would definitely be that. Thanks again Nancy for organizing these cookalongs! o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Apr 19, 10 at 11:33 Great choice! I love peanut butter too. Thanks Tracey! Nancy Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #26 ----- Peanut Butter o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by sherrmann (My Page) on Mon, Apr 19, 10 at 12:08 Gosh, the only recipe I have that uses peanut butter is for Peanut Butter Cookies! I put it under jam and on toast and bananas and apples all the time, but don't use it in "recipes." I can't wait to see what we get here! Sherry o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Mon, Apr 19, 10 at 14:19 Sally, I'm still chuckling over the "chicken coop tour". Now there's something I'd really like! Annie o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Mon, Apr 19, 10 at 15:59 Oh, Annie, it was a blast! I can post over on conversations about it, if anyone's interested. Sally o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Mon, Apr 19, 10 at 17:01 I'm interested, I don't know about anyone else. Deanna, maybe? Annie o RE: Cookalong #25 --------- Cream Cheese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by claire_de_luna (My Page) on Mon, Apr 19, 10 at 17:08 Oh I'm definitely interested in a Chicken Coop Tour! Do tell Sally!