Week Of New Foods

This week, the Atkins man and I stocked up on all the strange new products out there for low-carb dieters. In the tradition of "If Mikey likes it," I urged my Atkins man to try each new thing in the name of science, and to spare you, dear reader, from any misadventures in low-carb dieting.

Here are the results of his attempts: The good, the bad, and the ugly.

The Good:

Russell Stover's low-carb peppermint patties (we found them at Wal-Mart). My Atkins man says these are a little small on size, but they have a good texture. He says you can't tell them apart from regular peppermint patties. He was still pondering the minty fresh aftertaste, when he rushed to the bathroom, hollering "Don't come in!" The patties have 0 sugar carbs, but sugar alcohol, which some people don't react well to at all.

The Bad:

Cinnamon flavored "O'so Low Carb Rolls." My Atkins man says they had the consistency right, but the taste wrong. These were fluffy, light and slightly chewy ... but didn't taste like bread. He buttered them, and took them on the road for breakfast, but said he wouldn't have eaten them if he weren't starving.

The Ugly:

Lowrey's Microwavable Pork Rinds (hot and spicy flavor). This should be under the heading: Don't try this at home. They look suspiciously like microwavable popcorn. They come wrapped in plastic, then you unfold the paper bag. After about a minute in the microwave, the "chicarrones" puff up and (in our case) started smoking. The Atkins man says the taste isn't so bad ... if you can get to eating them. The smell is killer -- potent, like the blistering skin of an animal. He said he could have eaten a few of these, but I wouldn't have it ... the smell was so bad, I rushed the bag to the trash bin, outside.

Tell Us About Your Atkins Moments

As for my diet ... I'm admittedly having a tough time. After the Atkins man and I both lost our honeymoon weight, it's hard to keep up. I suppose one has to rationalize continued weight loss as a lifestyle choice, and that's where I run into trouble. It's hard for me to say to myself "I will be on this diet for my life." I know many people do, and find it to be a wonderful healthy lifestyle. To me, however, it's more like putting aside some of the foods I love, and thinking I may live without them forever.

It's also a hard lifestyle choice for me, since I work in a busy newsroom, where pizza delivery is the norm. So I've been slipping a little, and I am ashamed to say so. I vow, here in this column, to renew my push for low-carb living ... right after I finish this bite of ice cream.

As always, these comments belong to Michele and her alone. She's no medical expert, and she's not on Atkins in the strict sense. But she lives with a man who is. Please keep sending your comments, wonderful recipes, and ideas -- she loves trying them out on her Atkins Man AKA Mr. Guinea Pig.

More great recipe ideas from our readers:

Chicken Dinner

Slice four chicken breasts in ¼-inch strips and pan-fry in olive oil.

Once cooked, add about 1 tbsp. of butter to brown/crisp. Season with a LITTLE salt and pepper (just to taste).

Let drain on paper towel.

Slice and cube 1 large portobello mushroom. Brown mushroom in pan with 1 - 2 tbsp. butter and garlic powder or minced cloves.

Add ½ can of low sodium chicken broth and 4 -6 tbsp. of heavy whipping cream.

Cook down to your desired consistency, toss with the chicken, and serve with a salad!

Deep Dish Pizza, from our reader, Kelly

Egg Crust

4 oz. cream cheese
3 eggs
1/3 c. cream
¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese
½ tsp. oregano
¼ tsp. garlic powder

To finish recipe:

2 c. shredded italian cheese blend
½ c. pizza sauce
1 c. mozzarella cheese

Beat together cream cheese and eggs until smooth. Add cream, Parmesan cheese and spices. Blend well. Sprinkle 2 c. italian cheeses into dish. Pour egg mixture over it.

Bake at 350° Fahrenheit for about 25 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Spread on pizza sauce.

Sprinkle 1 c. of shredded mozzarella cheese. Pile crust with your favorite toppings. Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese. Return to oven and bake until bubbly and golden brown.

Allow to stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Notes: If you want it to be more of a crust than a quiche, use a small cookie sheet/jelly roll pan (about 10 ½ x 15 ½ inches), and bake it a few minutes longer than the recipe says (or until it turns a golden brown). I get a carb count of 16 g for the whole crust ... be sure to count up your toppings -- they can add up! This is YUMMY as cold leftovers, too.