I started this diet Oct 7th and have found it very easy, I have lost 12 lbs. I take 2-TBSP Extra Light Olive Oil, in the morning and at night time (No eating for 1-hr before and 1-hr after as required). This is truly one of the easiest diet's I have been on. I do not feel hungry at all and do not hate doing the diet. Usually diets bore me, this one does not...I can litterally eat what I want without restriction! Of course, it helps to count calories if you really want a stronger weight loss, so I am maintaining myself and not going over board, but it's not a big deal...if I want to splurge,I do! I just make sure to continue the oil the next day and go back to counting those calories, it's hassle free. I have not felt left out, food neglected or starved at any point and I can actually go out to dinner with my husband without the guilt of falling off my diet! Also another benefit, my skin and hair look better, my skin appears healthier and my hair seems shinnier as well. This is truly a Bliss diet for me, I have 45 lbs to go...but it will be a piece of cake because of the Shangri-la Diet! I love this diet :)

The decanter is cute but it is a very bad way to store oil if you don't use it quickly, especially in warm weather and doubly so right next to the stove like that. A little bit of oil in a large clear bottle is going to oxidize very quickly, and oxidization means rancidity. Air, light, and warmth are enemies of all food oils. Rancid oils not only taste downright wretched, but are unhealthy to consume. IMO only the amount of oil that you're going to use within a couple of weeks should be stored at room temperature in such a way that it will be exposed to air and light. Food oils should be stored in the dark (or in a dark bottle), at cool temperatures (the refrigerator is ideal), and with a minimum of air space in the bottle. I use mainly grapeseed oil when a recipe calls for "vegetable oil" or "salad oil". I prefer grapeseed for general use because I think it just tastes better and has a nicer texture than other neutral oils like canola and safflower, and it's cheaper than apricot kernel or avocado. Although the unit price is higher I purchase smaller containers so I have a fresher supply - it's not a good value if half the jug goes rancid - since we do not use a great deal of oil in cooking, an average meal for the two of us might use two tablespoons of oil assuming we're not splurging on something like pesto! I absolutely loathe olives too, but we do use quite a bit of olive oil - many olive oils on the market taste nothing at all like olives, thank goodness. Look for the ones labeled "extra light"; that term has nothing to do with calories, it's a description of its color and flavor. Even some of the extra virgin olive oils we've tried don't taste like olives, they have very different flavors ranging from buttery to peppery. A couple of the fancy-pants food stores around me have olive oil tastings from time to time and that's a good way to try different ones out. (Never buy "pomace" olive oil. It's not fit for human food IMO and doesn't even really make particularly good soap.) Cold-pressed or expeller-pressed oils are the way to go whenever possible; the solvents and high-heat processing used to produce cheap oils break down the oil and are not good for you to consume as well as just plain trashing the flavor. We also like to use some of the many unrefined vegetable oils out there because they taste so good, but they must be stored carefully (refrigerator) and the shelf life is still comparatively short. Unrefined corn oil is one of our favorites, sweet and buttery, and especially good for baking. I think I have five or six different oils in the fridge now, because they all taste distinctly different. Spectrum is one of my favorite brands for a wide range of good quality oils and is comparatively easy to find. I find clouding and thickening under refrigeration to be a minor problem and primarily an issue with heavier-bodied and unfiltered unrefined oils like higher-end olive oils. The oil still pours, albeit more slowly, and it cooks just the same. If I'm making a salad dressing or something like that and need the oil completely liquid right this moment, I pour it into a small bowl and set that into a larger bowl of very hot tap water. I never leave the entire bottle out to warm up, but rather pour out what I need and return the rest to the fridge. When I want a butter flavor for sauteeing fish or veggies, I use half butter and half a neutral oil to improve the smoke point of the butter (since I'm too lazy to make clarified butter), and toss in some broth or wine to assist further cooking and boost flavor without using a ton of fat. I almost never cook savory foods with plain water, except for boiling pasta - why throw away that opportunity to augment flavors? We don't use up butter very quickly (DH has gotten me spoiled on Kerrygold butter from Ireland which comes in a half-pound block instead of the usual 1/4-pound sticks, but it can take us weeks to go through a block!) so it does turn in warm weather if left at room temperature. I won't have margarine in my house though, foul stuff... there are two things DH and I will not give up no matter what, we'll rearrange other dietary components to accomodate them but real butter and real mayonnaise are sacrosanct. Oh, here's a trick if your butter is rock-hard and you need it to soften to a malleable texture quickly without risking melting (as often happens if you try to soften it in the microwave or the oven)... grate it on the coarse holes of a hand grater and spread it out on a plate. Set the plate in a warm, but not hot, place. oakleyok, what the heck is "Crisco lard"? Crisco does not manufacture lard (meaning rendered pork fat, and lemmetellya it is dang hard to find unhydrogenated lard!). Do you mean solid vegetable shortening?

rhome, I forgot you were cooking several batches - I probably would add a little more for each batch - depends on whether the wok looked oily or not. If not, then I'd add a little. Someone here, I'm afraid I don't know who, recommended "Breath of a Wok" and I got a copy for Christmas. Really helpful about technique, wok types and styles etc. Interestingly, the author makes it pretty clear that the inexpensive carbon steel woks are the best. I just heat mine until the oil begins to smoke a little. I've never timed it. I use Sclafani extra virgin olive oil. They are a local importer, in CT, and have been in the forefront of a campaign against 'adulterated' olive oils. The consumption of olive oil worldwide has skyrocketed, and the entire production of Italy cannot now possibly account for the amount being sold as "Italian". So CT is now testing oils, and discovered that several are only 10% olive oil, and the balance is groundnut oil - which is pretty serious for those with allergies. So, I'm confident with Sclafani, and their quality and flavour.

scaned these salads they all look good thought that I'd tell you that the Alaskian cole slaw is so good sence I went through so fast wasn't sure if this was in it it also is yummy Spinach and Strawberry Salad 2 bunches spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces 4 C. sliced strawberries ½ C. oil ¼ C. white wine vinegar ½ C. white sugar ¼ tsp paprika 2 T. sesame seeds 1 T. poppy seeds in a large bowl, toss together the spinach and strawberries in a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, sugar, paprika, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds. Just before serving pour over the spinach and strawberries toss to coat. another of my favorites Gabbys Macaroni Salad 12 oz. Bow Tie Pasta, cooked according to direction 12 oz. can of chunky pineapple* 1 C. diced celery* 1 bunch green onions, chopped* 1 C. cashews 1 C. grapes, cut in half* 4 Chicken breasts, cooked and diced Dressing 1 C. Mayonnaise 1 16 oz. bottle of coleslaw dressing Mix dressing and combine with above ingredients, except cashews, and macaroni. When blended, carefully stir in pasta to minimize breakage. Chill in the refrigerator for several hours before serving. Add cashews just before serving. *If you want to make changes, just remember 2 veggies and 2 fruits doesnt matter what, just 2 of each. Also I never seem to use that many chicken breast I'd do it to taste and again maybe experiment wonder how it would taste with say salmon just a thought but again it is a yummy dish as is luck with your event sheila