It would be nice if I could tell you that mine is the only low carb cookbook worth buying. It would be nice - but it would be a big fat lie! There are several good low carb cookbooks out there, and I just found a really wonderful one in my mailbox.

I've already reviewed Jennifer Eloff's Splendid Low Carbing - I think it's terrific - so it's not a big surprise that I'm also giving a great review to More Splendid Low Carbing, Jen's new cookbook. To me, one of the marks of a great cookbook is when I flip through it, looking at recipes and thinking, "Darn! I wish I'd thought of that!" More Splendid Low Carbing is full of things like that. From some great beverage ideas - Ginger Beer! Cranberry Iced Tea! Lemonade Concentrate!, and some neat breakfasts - Mock Danish! Breakfast Burritos! through some killer entrees - Balihai Chicken, curried, with coconut milk, and a hazelnut crust! Salmon with Fruit Salsa! More Splendid Low Carbing is full of ideas I wish I'd had. Higher praise I cannot give.

This is a particularly good book for those who are on Induction, or who have to maintain Induction levels of carb intake - 20 g. or less per day - to keep losing or keep weight off. Every single recipe is below 10 g. of carb, and half are below 3 g. - a truly remarkable feat. Further, it offers some very useful info on the Fat Fast (a great way of jumpstarting ketosis, or knocking off a few pounds fast, or losing that impossible-to-shake final fifteen pounds), including Fat Fast menus.

All in all, More Splendid Low Carbing is a terrific addition to every low carb cookbook library. You'll only find it at Jen's website, www.Sweety.com OR at www.Low-Carb.us Go take a look!

Cooking and creating recipes using Splenda is not new to Jennifer Eloff. In fact, she is most probably the cookbook author with the most extensive experience in using Splenda. Jennifer, a Canadian, began working with the Canadian Diabetes Association 10 years ago, writing low fat dessert cookbooks using Splenda. Her two low fat dessert cookbooks, Splendid Desserts and More Splendid Desserts became bestsellers in Canada.

There was only one drawback to Jennifer's success. After spending years creating and taste-testing low fat dessert recipes, both Jennifer and her husband had gained quite a bit of weight! Luckily, Jennifer began receiving requests from low carbohydrate dieters for low carbohydrate Splenda-sweetened recipes. She'd never even heard of low carbohydrate dieting at that point, but the subject intrigued her, so she rushed out and bought several of the available low carbohydrate books and read them cover to cover.

"I understood for the first time, that my husband and I were severely carbohydrate-addicted and struggling with hyper-insulinism, hence our middle-aged spread," Jennifer told me. After some study, Jennifer and her husband, Ian, decided to follow The Carbohydrate Addicts Diet, and they've been low carbers for almost three years now.

Jennifer and Ian's low carbohydrate plan has evolved over time into a combination of Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution plan and the Hellers' Carbohydrate Addict's LifeSpan Program, in that Jennifer does use artificial sweeteners (which The Carbohydrate Addicts Diet prohibits. And while both Dr. Atkins and the Hellers' Carbohydrate Addict's LifeSpan Program allow snacking, the Eloffs do not snack in order to speed up their weight loss.

But once again, there was a drawback. "Even although we enjoyed the sudden liberation to eat eggs and bacon, nuts, seeds, fancy vegetables, salads with creamy sauces, red meat, cheese, and real whipping cream," Jennifer continued, "we sorely missed bread, pizza, chocolate, ice creams and other old favorites!"

Jennifer turned her creative culinary talents away from low fat recipes and toward low carbohydrate recipes, and Splendid Low Carbing was born. Jennifer began developing low carbohydrate versions of the comfort foods she and Ian missed, recipes for things like low carbohydrate bread, crepes, pancakes, potato skins, lasagna, pizza crusts, tortillas, pasta, chocolate eclairs, chocolate recipes, jams, chutneys, ice cream, and frozen yogurt. And because so many low carbohydrate specialty products which Americans take for granted are not available in Canada, Jennifer also developed a number of recipes for low carbohydrate bake mixes, thickening agents, condiments, and other staples.

What doesn't Jennifer do? "Well," she told me, "I don't do deprivation. I won't settle for quiche or cheesecake without a crust, or breads and crepes that taste like whey protein powder or soy. And I want real pizza. I won't settle for Chocolate Eclairs that don't taste like the real thing. I won't forego Carrot Cake, Apple Pecan Upside Down Cake, Apple Pie, etc. I won't settle for turkey or chicken dinner without traditional stuffing."

"I know what it is like to feel deprived, while others get to eat nice things. I know exactly what that is like. My sister was ill as a child and I had to eat the same way she did, and I had a pretty bland diet for many years. I know what it is like to want ice cream, cake, or watermelon and not be allowed to have it, while my friends indulge in front of me, for instance. I also know what it was like to not be allowed to open the refrigerator and take whatever I felt like eating."

What recipes from her cookbook are Jennifer and Ian's favorites? "If I were to ask my husband, he would say the recipe for Fudge Toffee. He absolutely loves that chewy confection! His favorite dessert is the Pralines 'n Chocolate Cream Cheesecake. If I were to say what I like the most for a treat, it would have to be the Cinnamon-Swirl Egg Bread. It has the taste of rich, gooey cinnamon buns, but only 3.7 grams of carbohydrates per serving (or with cream cheese frosting, 4.2 grams of carbohydrates per serving). I also love the Almond Milk Chocolate Cheesecake and the frozen yogurts, which are a staple for me. Of the regular food, I'd have to say, Bobotie (curried meat loaf native to South Africa), Tandoori Chicken, Crusty Chicken Rolls, Creamy Pollock in Crepes, and Lasagna are a few of my favorite foods."

But, as we all know, the road to becoming a good low carbohydrate cook is not always smooth. Jennifer told me about one of her more spectacular failures. "About 3 years ago now, baking low carbohydrate foods was new for me and my first attempt at making a low carbohydrate bread was a disaster. In fact, my first bread had so much gluten in it, it grew to the size of a huge football in the oven! My poor, brave husband sliced it, toasted it and seemed to chew forever, before he said something like, 'Hmm, not too bad, dear, but was it meant to be this chewy?' So I broke the bread up and put it in the large Alberta Wheat Pool bird feeder outside. Soon after we noticed that a baby raccoon had moved in - apparently permanently! He loved my low carb bread failure. (Hey, at least I had one fan!)"

"We tried to remove that raccoon, because we were concerned he would have a run-in with our little Shiba-Inu, named Happy. My husband used the boys' water guns to try and dislodge the little fellow, however, more determined than ever, he curled into a tight little ball and refused to budge. We had to wait until he left one day after eating every last scrap, after which we took the bird feeder down."

Luckily for us, Jennifer persisted, and Splendid Low Carbing was created. The book not only contains almost 400 low carbohydrate recipes, but an excellent introduction and a good, solid section of helpful hints for low carbohydrate dieters. What are my personal recipe favorites? Well, I echo Jennifer's vote for the Cinnamon-Swirl Egg Bread; it's decadent! The Raspberry Cream Meringues are wonderful, too, and will make a delightful Valentine's Day treat. I'm going to make them again for my family on Valentine's Day, and am going to send a batch or two to the staff at my husband's high school, too. (They'll never know that the treats are low carb!)

I also love the Barbecued Raspberry Spareribs, the Cantonese Walnut Chicken, and Scallops In Alfredo Sauce. Oh my! "Dieting" never tasted so good, and if Dean Ornish were to even read Splendid Low Carb Cooking, he'd probably swallow his tongue.

Even my family of non-low carbing Philistines has enjoyed all of Jennifer's recipes, too. This is a big deal to me, since I hate, loathe, and detest making separate meals for my family. Life is entirely too short to go down this route, so I'm always on the lookout for recipes we all can enjoy so that I don't have to do double time in the kitchen. The recipes in Splendid Low Carbing can be enjoyed by low carbers and non-low carbers alike, thank goodness!

I even like the index of Splendid Low Carb Cooking, which is better organized and more inclusive than those of most other low carbohydrate cookbooks I've seen. I can't stand it when I can't find a recipe simply because I've forgotten the name! I don't have this problem with Splendid Low Carbing, because Jennifer lists recipes in the index not only by their name, but by their category. (This may seem like a small thing, but it isn't to me!)

Splendid Low Carbing is a must for every low carbohydrate dieter. Using Jennifer's recipes will make staying on your chosen low carbohydrate plan much, much easier for even the weakest among us, because with her recipes you'll never ever feel deprived!

To purchase this or any other of Jennifer's excellent cookbooks from 
www.Sweety.com (Jennifer) or from www.Low-Carb.us simply  
Click here: "SPLENDID LOW CARBING" (Recipes sweetened with Splenda)!

OR for overnight delivery, purchase this excellent cookbook from CARBSMART
Click here: "SPLENDID LOW CARBING" (Recipes sweetened with Splenda)!

Review of "More Splendid Low-Carbing" Low-Carb Cookbook by Jennifer Eloff Review by Di Bauer, CarbSmart Editor Posted 5/10/2003 I don't know about you all, but I love cookbooks, especially new low carbohydrate ones. I reap a couple of benefits from new cookbooks, not the least of which is new recipes. But those new recipes also spur me on to create new ones of my own by inspiring me with their innovative approaches to food. Yep, whenever I get in a culinary rut, a new cookbook is bound to pop me right out of it. Jennifer Eloff's latest cookbook, More Splendid Low Carbing, has sparked up the winter meals around the Bauer household. Everybody in the family loves her recipes. I don't tell my husband and kids that the new dishes are low in carbohydrates. Since they don't usually ask, I don't usually tell. And I outright lie to my daughter if she asks. (She is an obstinate preteen with an absolute and unwavering antipathy for anything sugar free. Carbs are her life.) But even Judy snarfed down Jennifer's Sirloin Steak With Lemon Parsley. In fact, the not-so-little wench polished off the leftovers for breakfast the next morning. She even set her alarm for 5 AM to make sure she got to them first. (She's not into sharing.) My 17-year-old son's favorite recipe from More Splendid Low Carbing was Chicken A La Queen. He's recently 'come back' to low carbing, and has been missing chicken and dumplings, and declared that the Chicken A La Queen was a fantastic substitute. He also particularly liked the Barbecue Chicken Pizza and the Jamaican Drumsticks, although when he made the Jamaican Drumsticks he quadrupled the amount of jalapenos. (The rest of us 'normal' human beings liked the recipe as written, but my boy-child likes food that is hot enough to make him break out in a sweat and numb his sinus cavities.) Rod's favorites from More Splendid Low Carbing were, of course, the desserts. (The man would eat a dead dog if you sprinkled sugar on it.) The Black Forest Cake and the Rhubarb Chiffon Pie were huge hits (a love of cherries and rhubarb runs through the male side of the Bauer family), and next in line was the Cinnamon Kuchen With Butter Sauce. Personally, I liked all of the recipes my family especially enjoyed, but I also was impressed with Sesame Strawberry Salad, the Mushroom Mozzarella Bake, and the Oven Zucchini Fries. From Jennifer's famous desserts, I think I'd pick the Gingersnaps. They're not elegant like the Black Forest Cake is, but they hit home as 'comfort' rather than 'luxury' food. Try dipping one in a steaming cup of low carb hot cocoa or a cup of coffee on a frosty winter afternoon and you'll know just what I mean! Not only are Jennifer Eloff's recipes in More Splendid Low Carbing absolutely delicious, but they are professionally written and quite easy to follow. There's no ambiguity or uncertain directions; the recipes are very understandable, and the ingredients easily purchased either locally or online. You won't be disappointed with More Splendid Low Carbing. It will make you want to buy Jennifer's first low carbohydrate cookbook, Splendid Low Carbing, if you don't already have it.

Copyright © 1999 - 2001 CarbSmart, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

To purchase this or any other of Jennifer's excellent cookbooks from 
www.Sweety.com (Jennifer) or from www.Low-Carb.us simply  
Click here: "SPLENDID LOW CARBING" (Recipes sweetened with Splenda)!

OR for overnight delivery, purchase this excellent cookbook from CARBSMART
Click here: "SPLENDID LOW CARBING" (Recipes sweetened with Splenda)!

Is Splenda Really Splendid? Sweetener Gains In Popularity, Spurs Cookbooks and Recipes

by Mary Shomon   of  www.thyroid-info.com/index.htm July 10, 2003 -- If you haven't seen the little yellow packets peeking out alongside their blue and pink friends at restaurants and coffee shops, you will soon. Sucralose (known by its brand name, Splenda) is making waves throughout the nation as the newest, hottest artificial sweetener. Sucralose is derived from table sugar -- sucrose -- but is chemically modified so it has no calories, and so it is not perceived by the body as a carbohydrate. Unlike carbohydrates, sucralose is not broken down during its passage through the body. It can be used by diabetics, and by people who want to control their blood sugar. In determining the safety of sucralose, the manufacturers state that the FDA reviewed data from more than 110 studies in humans and animals. Supposedly, many of the studies were designed to identify possible toxic effects including carcinogenic, reproductive and neurological effects, and no problems were seen. Of course, we've heard this all before with many products -- everything from cyclamates, to saccharine, to aspartame, to HRT -- I think the only way we'll really know if there are problems from sucralose is after years of regular use, or more intensive, long-term studies. For example, some undocumented reports claim that sucralose may be able to cause problems with the thymus gland, liver and kidneys. So ultimately, there is probably still some risk. But from the readers contacting me, I'm not hearing from people indicating that they have any obvious reactivity to sucralose, as many people do with aspartame (which in some people is known to cause headaches, and other neurological symptoms, sometimes within minutes of exposure.) Personally, I tolerate saccharine well, but I don't like the taste. I don't tolerate aspartame at all, and I don't like the taste. Aspartame gives me a major headache, and sometimes makes me feel dizzy, so I try to avoid it as much as possible. To me, sucralose tastes the best of all the artificial sweeteners, in fact, I can't tell the difference from sugar. I have no side effects from it. So, if I have to choose from the yellow, pink or blue, it's going to be the yellow packets for me! Ultimately, you're probably better off with a natural sweetener, such as stevia, than an artificial one like sucralose. But while stevia is great for sweetening coffee, tea, or yogurt, for example, it doesn't really work for baking and as a food ingredient. There, the issue is, are you better off avoiding sugar and replacing it with sucralose than using regular sugar, or one of the sweeteners that have demonstrable side effects, like aspartame? My personal preference is to use the Splenda as a way to stay on my lower-carb, low-glycemic Thyroid Diet. If it allows me to indulge in treats periodically and that helps me eat more healthfully overally, then I feel it's a fair tradeoff. I've switched totally off of all diet sodas that contain aspartame, and have found that even a can of soda with aspartame has side effects for me. I've switched to Diet Rite cola, because it has sucralose and not aspartame, and, additionally, it has no caffeine, so I can avoid that as well. When I want a bit of caffeine, I drink Diet Snapple Iced Tea. Of course, this is all in addition to water (I drink two 32 ounce bottles a day, at least!) My favorite protein shakes, Pure Protein canned protein shakes, have Splenda in them, and they are just delicious. VERY low-glycemic, and make a nice snack or treat. And on hot summer nights, one of my new favorite treats is to take some lemon and lime juice, put it in the blender with ice and a little water, and make a "mock margarita." I serve in a margarita glass rimmed with salt. Almost no carbs, no sugar, almost no calories, but you get the feeling of drinking a frozen margarita! Splenda is used to sweeten many other products including Diet RC Cola, Nestle Nescafe Frothe coffee drinks, Arizona Diet Iced Tea, Kraft Crystal Light ready-to-drink beverages, Ocean Spray Lightstyle juice drinks, Dannon Light 'N Fit smoothies, Breyer's no-sugar-added Fruit Bars, and Swiss Miss cocoa mixes. A complete list of products that use Splenda is available online in PDF format. Taking the low-carb/Splenda thing a bit further, you might want to check out a great new cookbook, More Splendid Low-Carbing, by Jennifer Eloff, a prolific cookbook author and low-carb expert (whis is also hypothyroid). Jennifer has spent years developing low-carb versions of so many wonderful treats, and I know your mouth will start watering when you hear some of the titles of the recipes: Buffalo Wings Mandarin Spinach Salad Cauli-Fried Rice (tastes like Chinese fried rice) Faux Mashed Potatoes Zucchini Fries Wholegrain Bread Caramel Custard Chocolate Mousse Black Forest Cake Homemade Chocolate Protein Bars Gingersnaps Brownies These are just a few *of the many wonderful recipes for everythin from drinks to main dishes to treats that Jennifer has lovingly assembled. More Splendid Low-Carbing is available from Jennifer's site, sweety.com for $16.95 plus shipping.

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