Candy Burn Prevention and Preparedness

I've been working on some candy recipes. Hot candy can cause a really nasty burn; I know, because I accidentally splashed some on my arm while taking notes. Here are some tips I follow for prevention, and preparedness if a burn occurs:

Maple Syrup Dex+

Maple syrup is an amazing thing; except that it has a lot of fructose in it. Use the darkest maple syrup you can find, and this syrup blend packs a great flavor. We find it delicious, and a bit less intensely sweet than 100% maple. It beats any "maple flavored pancake syrup" available at the grocery, no question. And it's Dex+, which means less fructose, with fiber.  :)

Waffle of Insane Greatness Dex+

These waffles really are great! The outside had a crispy crunch, inside was creamy, overall they were light and wonderful. The first waffle was actually a tad lighter brown than the rest, but was still good. They were flavorful and delicious. Butter, a light dusting of dextrose, a drizzle of Maple Syrup Dex+, and maybe a handful of fresh berries... mmm... One Dex+ waffle will leave you happy until lunch time, if not later.

(Left) Waffle topped with dextrose and Maple Syrup Dex+, and (Right) a waffle sandwich, with ham, smoked gouda, and Jam Dex+ 

The recipe is also pretty simple, not requiring anything fancy like separating eggs and beating the whites. Between this and the pancake recipe I found earlier, we will not be buying any more mix. Allow any extra waffles to cool, then wrap, freeze, and reheat in the toaster. If we don't have buttermilk, we make Good Old-Fashioned Pancakes instead; substitutes aren't worth the effort.

Chocolate Chip Cookies Dex+

Today, I hit a home run! This is perhaps my eighth try at a Dex+ chocolate chip cookie. We have high standards for this, our favorite cookie. To be right, the cookie needs to have the signature buttery, caramel flavor. The texture is not cakey; rather it is crisp at the edges while lightly chewy in the center.

Chocolate Ice Cream Dex+

Honestly, we don't always eat sweets. A pan of oiled and salted veggies roasted until tender are really good, as are many other naturally low fructose and higher fiber foods that don't require any adjustments to be Dex+.

When you want chocolate ice cream (left), this pan of delicious vegetables (right) just doesn't satisfy.

However, when on the way home from a football game with a hot, tired, triumphant marching band member, a potato just doesn't do the trick. The request is "Please, please, can't we have ice cream? There's a shop right there on the way home..." Last year I was ready; with an ice cream cylinder in the freezer, and Greek yogurt in the fridge, frozen yogurt was just a few minutes away at home. 

Then here it comes, "Mom, I want chocolate this time, and tangy yogurt doesn't go with chocolate....."

Crystallized Ginger Ale Dex+

I needed dex+ ginger ale this morning! I've attempted it before with fresh ginger, but wasn't satisfied with the result. This morning, when my youngest daughter woke up sick with a stomach "bug", I knew the time had come to give it another try! We didn't have fresh ginger, but I found a bag of crystallized ginger. About an hour later, I was able to give her a very nice glass of ginger ale. She only drank one sip, and that only because I told her to. Not exactly a rave review. About 15 minutes later, though, she was feeling much better, and was asking for some crackers. Success! And now I have a ginger ale recipe to share; bonus!

No one says "Easy as Brownies"

How is it that most things are better home-made from scratch, except brownies? I've had a hard time ever finding a recipe that really beats a good box mix; equal, yes, but not really better. Maybe I'm alone in this, I don't know. Well, sometimes you just need a brownie, so I've been trying to make a Dex+ version. I think this is about try #7. While these have not met my standards of brownie perfection, they definitely satisfy that "I really need a brownie" feeling.

Mousse au Chocolat Dex+, in progress

This is my third attempt at a Dex+ version of my mom's Mousse au Chocolat recipe. It came out very rich, thick, and tasty. The chocolate and egg yolk mixture was a bit too thick though; I had to stopped folding to prevent deflating the egg whites before the mixture was smooth. That left soft chocolate pockets that were actually enjoyable, if not true to the recipe standard.

I topped it with whipped cream, flavored with a little dextrose, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. They looked elegant in the Margarita glasses. After a steak dinner, the portion size was actually a bit large. Next time I'll reduce the size, and adjust the thickness to get a smoother mousse. But, we sure did enjoy it.

Trifecta: Fiber is a beautiful thing!

What is beautiful about fiber? With Benefiber or similar, I can add a spoonful of powder to anything liquid. It becomes invisible, doesn't thicken, and has only the barest hint of taste in straight water. It disappears in my food.

Fiber in a blue glass jar.

Lemon Lime Soda Dex+

Sweetened drinks. They are everywhere. We all love them. When I talk about Dex+, I see the pained look on faces after I mention not drinking sweet drinks, whether sugared, natural juices, or artificially sweetened. The kids struggle with it too. 

We have a Soda Stream, and Simple Syrup Dex+. I've tried to re-create Dr Pepper, and so far failed. Colas are mysterious. Then it struck me: lemon lime soda. We usually have both. How hard can it be? Turns out, not very!

Thermogenex: it's bonafide!

I love this photo! I feel this way for a moment every shower, when the first cold cycle hits. Ray, your Thermogenex / Hypothermics is indeed the perfect complement for my Dex+ food hack!

I've said it before; I love steamy showers. I don't like being cold. But I lost over twice as much weight last month because I tried Ray's crazy cyclic showers. Seriously. 

Of cabbages and kings... Cashews, BP, maple syrup, et all

I've been pretty busy lately, dabbling with multiple things. I've made a Dex+ ketchup, which my daughter says tastes too much like tomatoes (?!); it does need a bit more zing. Not ready for prime-time yet, but it's promising. It tasted better warm than it did after chilling down. I'm close on some other new recipes too; wish there was more time in the day!

A montage of thoughts...