In case you haven't yet noticed, Jell-O has introduced a new line of Sugar Free ready-to-eat Puddings sweetened with Splenda (no aspartame!) and Xylitol. We were pleased to see that they're being offered in a variety of flavors — Chocolate Vanilla Swirl, Chocolate, Double Chocolate, Creamy Caramel, and Vanilla. But even better — they're delicious!

Each cup contains 60 calories, 1g fat, 6g NET carbs, and 0g sugar (click here to see nutrition info).

Xylitol is a low impact sugar alcohol that carries little risk of gastric distress. They contain no trans-fat, and while they do contain some food starch, it's little enough that these little gems make very nice on-the-go snacks and desserts when you want something sweet and indulgent.

Find them in your grocer's refrigerated case. Way to go, Kraft!

03.27.05 :: Product Recommendation & Review:
Ready for more ice cream? A classic "comfort-food" ice cream maker, Ben & Jerry’s meets the call with their new low carb line called Carb Karma. (It's not a surprise that low carb varieties would be released, since last August, Ben & Jerry's was acquired by Unilever — makers of the new line called "Carb Options.")

Offering three initial flavors, Half Baked, Vanilla Swiss Almond, and Chocolate, they've hit a perfect "pleasure" mark with very few carbs and very few sugar alcohols. The Vanilla Swiss Almond (vanilla ice cream with fudge-covered almonds) contains only 7 grams of sugar alcohols per half-cup serving and half of those are Erythritol. The Half Baked (chocolate and vanilla ice creams with fudge brownies and gobs of chocolate chip cookie dough) has 2 grams more (of sugar alcohols), but the Chocolate contains a mere 2 grams of them. All contain Splenda.

So how do they taste? In a word... great.  Just what you'd expect from Ben & Jerry's! All three flavors are rich and true, but our panel's favorite was the Vanilla Swiss Almond (listed at 2 net carbs.) The Half Baked (some of you may be familiar with their regular or low fat varieties of this one) came in next at 5 grams of net carbs. But this doesn't mean the Chocolate is least, just because it's last... at 4 grams of net carbs, it's a very good chocolate ice cream indeed. In fact, we feel good giving the Carb Karma line a hearty recommendation.

That said, what about their "No Sugar Added" line? We have to wonder why these weren't included in the Carb Karma line... They are made about the same way with similar net carbs, and sweetened with Splenda.

Ben & Jerry's offers two varieties of No Sugar Added ice creams: New York Super Fudge Chunk (at 5 net carbs), and Strawberry (also at 5 net carbs.) Both flavors of No Sugar Added were delicious as well.

The New York Super Fudge Chunk is a chocolate ice cream with white and dark fudge chunks, pecans, walnuts and fudge covered almonds and is very rich!  And the Strawberry is filled with real berries!

If you can't find the Carb Karma or No Sugar Added lines in your area, Ben & Jerry's has a "flavor locator" at their website.

Last week, our group spent an evening eating some of the best dinners we'd had in some time. And they were frozen less than 15 minutes before we were ready to dine! A rather splendid company called Home Bistro have put their talented chefs Dennis Chauvin and Scott Stillman to work on creating complete low carb meals that would rival most fine restaurants. They've been manufacturing USDA quality meals since 1999 selling under the Home Bistro label, so you can be sure this wasn't an overnight idea.

Was I skeptical at first? Sure. Have you ever seen a frozen meal that ended up looking anything like the photo on the cover? I never had. But what a pleasant surprise to discover that these really do look like the company's photos when cooked and plated. And they taste...well... delicious. Each order is shipped in an insulated cooler with enough dry ice to guarantee its freshness upon delivery and that it will keep until you get home.

All dinners are separated with each part of the meal in a sealed pouch. Drop your pouches in 3 or 4 quarts of boiling water and simmer for around 10 minutes (each dinner varies a bit, so check individual instructions.) Then remove the pouches (use tongs), and follow directions for serving. Super easy.

They currently offer 15 low carb meal choices including 2 breakfasts. From Filet Mignon with Béarnaise to Shrimp Scampi, to Roast Pork Loin in a Thai Red Curry Sauce, these meals are exceptional. Our kudos to the chefs.

While it's hard to pick favorites since each meal was a delight, we did find a few that stood out as superb. It won't suprise you that the Filet Mignon with Béarnaise (an extremely tender filet that comes out "medium" when cooked for 10 minutes, but can be cooked longer if desired) was a top pick with our group. But also rating very high was the Grilled Chicken Satay (each of those comes with a generous serving of puréed cauliflower with Parmesan that's to die for), the Fettuccine and Chicken with Peanut Sauce, and their Bistro Hot Cereal with Blueberries (a maple-cinnamon cereal that's creamy and rich.)

Carb counts vary depending on the meal choice, with some as low as 8 or 9 carbs, and others in the 13 to 15 carb range. So choose what's appropriate for your plan and level, but for such generous portions and considering these counts are for entire meals, we think they've done a terrific job of understanding and catering to the low carb diner.

One last thing... we have to make a special note about the incredible sauces these meals come with. They don't have any "processed" taste, and are unique and rich with flavor.

They can be ordered online at Home Bistro's LowCarbMeals site, where you'll find the full catalog with photos, instructions, nutrition info, and more. These are, of course, more expensive than grocery store dinners. You'd expect them to be... they are superior quality meals made with the best ingredients, rather than mass-produced "stamped-out" meals made with cheap starches. I have to say... totally worth it. During these hectic Holiday times, wouldn't it be great to come in from a long day of Christmas shopping and have these waiting in your freezer to save you from cooking?

11.05.02 :: Product Recommendation & Review:
I believe we've received more emails with recommendations for this product than any other this year. We were intrigued from the first time we heard rumors of a new very low carb ice cream that didn't contain sugar alcohols OR aspartame... and comes right in your grocer's freezer case! But for the life of us, none of us was able to locate any in our area. But now that they have national distribution through WalMart Supercenters, most everyone can get this new must-have treat.

So, what is it? It's called LeCarb Frozen Dessert . They're convenient little one-pint containers (Ben & Jerry style) sugarfree ice creams that are sweetened with Splenda and use glycerin to stay 'scoopable' and of proper consistency. And they've really done it. This is delicious stuff people. And after a week of staying below 7 carbs a day (and maintaining super dark ketone strips), I found I was able to eat up to 2/3 of a cup of this ice cream without even lightening my stick or slowing weight loss. What a joy! They come in seven varieties: Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Lemon, Cinnamon, Homemade Vanilla, and Chocolate Almond.

A regular serving is 1/2 cup and it comes in at 6 total carbs, with 3 of them being from glycerin, so if you're like me and glycerin causes no reaction in you, count 3 carbs. If you are counting glycerin, 6 carbs is still a great bargain for this delicious and so convenient treat.

Our favorite was the Chocolate Almond. It's so good, it's a guilty pleasure. Then there's the Lemon... super lemony yet refreshing and just the right creaminess. Third was Cinnamon. It's a heady combination of spice and rich cream. It should be absolute perfection over your holiday pumpkin desserts this season. The Strawberry and Homemade Vanilla (almost a French Vanilla) tied next. The strawberry is nearly identical to Briar's Strawberry. But all flavors are good with not a hint of aftertaste or "fake" taste.

We strongly recommend the new LeCarb frozen desserts. It feels like you're cheating. But you're not. Just enjoy! Look for them in WalMart Supercenters, or in Brookshire's Groceries if you live in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, or Mississippi.

03.13.02 :: Product Recommendation & Review:
Believe it or not, warm weather is going to be coming soon (well, for those of us in North America who have had enough of Winter, thank you...) But warm weather or not, we are always on the prowl for great ice cream.
(I think as a species, mankind just might be addicted to the stuff! I'm almost sure it's not just me...) Until now, I had to drive quite a bit to find no sugar ice cream that was both delicious, and was sweetened without aspartame.

This week, Richard ran up to me excitedly in the grocery to drag me over to the freezer case. And there behind the frosty doors, sat rows and rows of newly released ice creams (made by a dairy in business since 1914) boasting the Splenda logo on their label. And these were not "ice milks" or fat free products. These are full ice creams sweetened with Splenda. In fact, at 7 to 8 grams of fat per serving, these are nicely rich. They are Velvet Ice Cream's new No Sugar Added "Light" line.

These heavenly ice creams come in four varieties: Vanilla, Dutch Chocolate, Butter Pecan & Cashew, and Cherry Fudge Cordial (made with sugarless maraschino cherries and sweet ripples of gooey fudge.) It won't surprise you that the Cherry Fudge Cordial was our favorite, but it's the highest carb, of course. Carb counts (after deduction) range from 5 carbs per serving to 16 carbs per serving, so the higher carb of the bunch are best for those on maintenance, a more liberal carb plan, or for special occasions. It's so good, though, that one day this week I made sure I had no other carbs all day so I could have a dish of this amazing ice cream after dinner. Yep, it's that delish.

Now the others are super-good too, and can be had much more often. The Butter Pecan & Cashew is exceptionally buttery tasting, and the Vanilla is super creamy.

If you want ice cream really often, it's still probably a good idea to make it yourself from a recipe or with the Keto ice cream mixes (they're lower carb and you can make the flavors you want), but if you want to keep something in the freezer for special times, this is it. I am so pleased to see more and more brands going to Splenda. If Velvet Ice Cream is available in your area, we really recommend you find some!

One note ... as of this writing, their website continues to show only their old single flavor aspartame sweetened variety. You want the new kinds shown in our photos.

UPDATE: Since writing our review, Velvet Ice Cream has come out with a new flavor, "Caramel Crunch" that's simply delicious! And they've begun to update their website with some of the new information.

12.20.01 :: Product Recommendation & Review:
It's hard to find anything about low carbing that stands out more luxuriously than our abilities to enjoy a great steak. And something that's always been a big hit with me (and so many others) is having it with a melt-in-your-mouth flavored butter! I used to spend time making various rolls of herbed butters to keep on hand just for the occasion. Now that we've discovered the new Gourmet Butters from Dairy Wise, it all just got a lot more convenient. These are just super. Very creamy, and bursting with fresh flavors that they 'kiss' the meat with as they melt into it.

But they can be used anywhere you'd use a butter for a savory touch. In sauteing or baking, and I've found they're just as good on chicken, fish, or pork as they are on beef. They are available in: Blue Cheese & Cracked Peppercorn Butter, Sun Dried Tomato & Basil Butter, and Scampi Butter (with Lemon Juice and Garlic.)

With only a trace of carbs, all natural ingredients starting with AA Butter, and completely delicious, you'll want to keep these close at hand. Dairy Wise Gourmet Butters are available online at The Low Carb Connoisseur Bakery.

07.02.01 :: Product Recommendation & Review:

Summer time and the living is easy. . . Well, at least easier with the help of some great new summertime products like the cool, creamy, new Sherbets from the folks at . And these have that frosty
  iciness with a deeply fruited taste that
  you will just love.

  They come in three flavors:

• Cool Watermelon,
• Luscious Lemon Lime, and
• Frosty Orange

Just like the Keto Ice Creams, these are simple to make — put ingredients in a blender to mix well, then prepare in any ice cream machine. They are slightly tart — a more "adult" taste than the sherbet "treats" that kids eat, but if you like them sweeter, just add a bit of Splenda or other sweetener as you make them in the blender. The directions call for adding "1/2 cup of heavy cream, 1 cup of skim milk, 11 oz. of water and 1 egg yolk." But we found you could get very different results by altering this. For instance, if you are a fan of "sorbet," mix with skim milk, water, and an appropriately flavored diet soda.

For example, with the Orange we mixed with Diet Orange Crush (we use the Splenda sweetened varieties of all sodas.) With the Watermelon we used Cream Soda and with the Lemon Lime — you guessed it, we used Diet Lemon-Lime soda. It's less creamy and more European, but also terrific, so we consider this a more versatile product than even they realize.

  Want more ideas?  Here's what we did:

• Added 3-4 Tablespoons of Sugarless Preserves or Jam to the mix for a great fruit swirl.
• Scooped the watermelon flavor into a watermelon rind wedge for a very elegant serving option! (Think about this one for Summer guests!)

• Hollow out small oranges or tangerines (cut off tops and remove inner orange slices); then fill each with Frosty Orange sherbet and sprinkle with Nutmeg. See photo above for how elegant they serve up!



• Make a freezer pie — inside a pre-made low-carb pie crust (use one of the nut crusts from our recipe area), fill with Luscious Lemon Lime sherbet and freeze until semi-hard. Remove 1/2 hour before time to serve and top with whipped cream and a spritz of lemon & lime zest.

We think the new line of sherbets is another winner from those little elves at Keto Foods.   Keto Sherbets are available from Keto Foods - Life Services or from The Low Carb Connoisseur, or The Low Carb Dieter's Page.

06.11.01 :: Product Recommendation & Review:

Summer brings out the kids in us, doesn't it? One of the things many of us enjoyed as children were those kicky little freezer-pops that came in bright colors and flavors and left our mouths blue (or red, or purple...) Of course they were filled with sugar and terribly bad for us, but what remains is the memory of how fruity and chilly they were.

In the years since I've been low-carbing, I've come across a number of freezer pops that were sugar free, but they've all been sweetened with aspartame and like many of you, I try to avoid it in my diet (especially since it exacerbates my headaches), so my search for a Splenda sweetened version has been on ever since. A few weeks ago, I finally found what I was looking for. Mr. Freeze Freezer Pops are indeed Splenda sweetened (with a smidge of sorbitol too) and come in at about 1 carb per freezer pop. And they're just sweet enough to refresh and treat! I love grabbing one out of the freezer whenever I want. They come in boxes of 99 freezer pops — Blue Raspberry, Cherry, Lemon, and Grape.

We found these in several discount stores and wholesale/warehouse clubs (like Sam's Club), so look for them.

03.09.01 :: Product Recommendation & Review:
You might have read from a number of my "wish list" ramblings that I've really wanted to see a ready-in-the-freezer No Sugar Ice Cream, Splenda Sweetened and NOT FAT FREE. Well, on a recent trip to Canada, I found just that. While in Windsor, Ontario, we had a chance to try the Chapman's No Sugar Ice Creams. And just as I'd wished for, they are sweetened with Splenda (and a bit of maltitol for ice-cream texture), and still contain about 5 grams of fat per serving so they don't taste "flat" like fat-free ones do.

Now, before we go further let me say that these ice creams are not available in the U.S. (sadly), but we found them much too good to pass up for review so that those IN Canada, or those who can make the trip, don't want to miss this! In fact, it was so delish, we bought a very large cooler and brought it back filled to capacity with Chapman's Ice Cream. And believe me, our group was ever-so-grateful.
The ice cream comes in Dutch Chocolate, Butterscotch Ripple, and Vanilla. They are creamy and yummy and I plan to stock up every time we make it up there! They're listed at approximately 11 carb grams per serving, but that's because unlike our products, they don't discount maltitol off the total. We figure they work out in reality to 6 to 7 grams per serving. Not something you could eat unlimited amounts of, but surely a serving from time to time is do-able (I eat it often and always stay in ketosis.)

We purchased ours in the A&P in Windsor, Ontario, but they are available at most major grocers throughout Ontario. You can visit the Chapman's Ice Cream website to learn more or find a grocery carrying it. If you live in Canada, or live close enough to make the drive to get some, we highly recommend you do.

08.21.00 :: Product Recommendation & Review:
In June of this year, introduced a terrific low-carb ice cream mix (see earlier review below.) From everything we've heard from our visitors and seen from merchants, it was a big hit. So were the little elves at Keto content with their creation? No.. they just had to go and do it. They have found a way to make it even better! They've kept the great taste and the easy-to-make directions, but now it's so much like traditional ice cream parlor ice cream, you probably won't be able to tell the difference. The key words here are definitely creamy and scoopable.

Coming in three new flavors — Coffee, Black Raspberry and Orange Creamsicle — and of course the returning favorites — Strawberry , Chocolate Fudge and French Vanilla — you'll find that batches from the freezer are now easily scoopable to make low-carb sundaes, ala modes, and any other ice cream treat your heart desires.

Here are our hints for after freezing serving prep:
Before serving, ice cream should be allowed to soften slightly, a process experts refer to as "tempering." To soften the ice cream before serving, place it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Then, serve immediately. (Freezer temperatures vary, so test first v yours might be perfect right out of the freezer!) And to get perfect scoops? The best way to form a round scoop is to start from the back edge and draw the scoop toward you as you skim the surface. When a well-shaped ball has formed, turn and lift the scoop away from the container and gently press it against a dish or cone to release it.

Want a couple of quick ideas we found to be exquisite? Try a Coffee Hazelnut Smoothie! Take 2 cups of the frozen Keto Coffee ice cream and add 3 tablespoons sugarfree (DaVinci) hazelnut syrup, 1/4 cup cream and 1/2 cup cold water. Place all ingredients in blender container; cover. Blend at medium speed 30 to 40 seconds or until smooth. Pour into 2 serving glasses. Heaven! We also made a Frozen Black Cow by mixing 2 cups frozen Keto Chocolate ice cream with 1 cup diet Root Beer. After 40 to 50 seconds in the blender, it was a treat that reminded me of childhood. The Black Raspberry is so good, you probably want to eat it as a purist — no modifications or additions!

The new formula comes in bigger tins now making 5 Cuisinart batches (or 3 3/4 quarts) of ice cream — But they kept the price the same! Yeaah! Still 3 to 4 grams of carbs per serving! ice cream mixes are available at The Low Carb Connoisseur, The Low Carb Dieter's Page, and Life Services.

06.14.00 :: Product Recommendation & Review:
SEE NEW REVIEW ABOVE OF NEW KETO ICE CREAM FORMULATION!
The following review will remain for reference.

A love of ice cream seems to be universal. It's a part of our culture in all its variations and flavors. It's a versatile treat that just begs to be experimented with — a handful of nuts, a splash of syrup, a smattering of fresh berries. If you've played with the various ice cream recipes for low-carbing, you know that while you can get a good ice cream with a lot of work — it's just that — a lot of work. With the introduction of low carb ice cream mixes, now you can have great ice cream in about 3 minutes mix-time and 20 to 30 minutes total! We highly recommend using the Cuisinart Ice Cream maker (rotating freezer bowl type.) Several members brought their ice cream makers so we could have multiple batches going, but everyone thought the Cuisinart did the best job.

Offered in French Vanilla, Strawberry and Chocolate Fudge, we found they were even better when we added some "extras". For instance — to the Vanilla, we made one batch with cinnamon and brown sugar twin for a spicy swirl, and one batch with a few chopped cherries (from Lucky Leaf Lite Pie Filling — Splenda sweetened.) Both were really good, though we also liked the plain vanilla. Next we made the Strawberry. Of course we could not resist adding 5-6 fresh strawberries diced up to the mix. This was a big favorite with many members of the group.

Last, we made two batches of the Chocolate. One plain (on which I sprinkled nuts), and one with chunks of low-carb chocolate bar added near end of cycle. The chocolate also had plenty of fans. (I have to confess, I have been eating lots of ice cream since getting these mixes!)

Depending on your ingredients choices, this ice cream will cost you between 3 and 5 grams per serving, and worth every gram! Of note — the directions say to use 1 cup heavy cream, 1 cup skim milk, and 1 cup water. We tried this and found we liked the end result better when we skipped the skim milk. We use 1 cup heavy cream; 1 1/4 cups half-n-half, and 3/4 cup very cold water. We also tried it with and without the egg yolk and found very little difference, so if you want to avoid the raw egg yolk, feel free.

Their use of lecithin, xanthan gum and carrageenan like commercial ice creams, means these hold great in the freezer (if you have any left-over!) ice cream mixes as well as the Cuisinart Ice Cream maker are available at Life Services.

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