Low Carb (LC): Many of my recipes (especially the newer ones that I have been creating over the past year and that I am putting up as of Spring 2015) are low carb or else have low carb options. Generally speaking, when a recipe has the LC label, it means that a serving (or more!) of that recipe would fit well into a low carb eating plan, such as one that is fifty net carbs per day or fewer. Many of the LC recipes are very, very low carb, meaning that they would be appropriate for a twenty net carbs or fewer diet.
Family-Friendly Low Carb (FFLC): Because I have been trying to tweak recipes to appeal to my teenage and college age sons, as well as my husband, some of my recipes have the FFLC label. This means that I am giving an option to up the carbs a little bit (for example, to use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour or Bob’s Red Mill Quinoa Flour or Oat Flour for part of the “flour” {rather than all almond flour, coconut flour, wheat fiber, etc.}) or to add oats to a baked good. Additions or changes to a recipe to make it FFLC often make the product more welcomed by family members who are not used to completely grain-free foods—but still make each serving seventy-five percent—plus less carby than traditional recipes of that same dish (due to partial use of low carb flours, low carb liquids, and sugar free/zero net carb sweeteners).
Store-Bought-Stella (SBS): Some people would never dream of using canned soups or Splenda or sugar-free jello mixes in their kitchens. Others are okay using some non-homemade or “less healthy” products in their cooking and baking. If something could be made easier by purchasing something pre-made, the SBS label will be used, indicating that there is a way or ways to make the recipe given easier with store-bought helps.
Homemade Hannah (HH): There are many healthy cooks who desire to make as many things from scratch as possible—and definitely would not use a store-bought cake mix or sugar-free pudding, etc. When a recipe could be made more “homemade” by doing it yourself or has healthier options, the HH label will be given, along with suggestions on how to keep that particular recipe as homemade as possible.
Oldie Goldies (OG): The Reish family is a family of thirty-plus years of home cooking! Raising seven children on one income for twenty-five years caused me to learn how to cook—and how to cook large amounts in easier ways (whenever possible). Because of all of those years in the kitchen, I have more recipes, menus, and tricks than one can imagine. When a recipe is an old family favorite (or a new family favorite that I think other families would enjoy), the OG label will be given, along with a note or two about how we used that recipe, what we liked to have with it, etc.
Freezer Cooking (FC): I began “mega” cooking via freezer cooking, mix making, cooking sessions to prep fruits and veggies, and more in 1990 while preparing for the birth of our fourth child (who, coincidentally, was “Colic Kara”—and boy was I happy to have so many things made ahead of time!). It is not uncommon for me to have fifty to one hundred freezer entrees, starters, and more in my freezers at any given time. And I love to help Moms learn how to freezer cook since it has been a huge blessing to my family for the past twenty-four years—and has been an amazing way for us to bless and help others through the years too. The FC label will show up when I give an option to “mega” cook something and put a few entrees in the freezer.
Cycle Cooking (CYC): Once my freezer cooking (described above) was well underway, I developed even more shortcuts and helps to get meals in the freezer. My most time-saving method was using what I called “cooking cycles.” In this approach, I would cook up a certain type of meat and make all of my entrees during that cooking session out of that type of meat. This turned out to be such a great help that I still do this type of cooking nearly every week to this day! When you see the abbreviation CYC (along with a link to that particular type of meat prep—crumbled ground meat, shredded chicken, etc.), you will find ideas on how to “cycle” cook that recipe.
Trim Healthy Mama (THM): You would be hard-pressed to be on FaceBook and not find a friend who is eating the Trim Healthy Mama way. This method of eating/weight loss program is a low-grain, no-sugar approach in which the “dieter” eats protein with each meal but then chooses to either have fat OR carbohydrates with that protein (but not both at the same time). Many (if not all) of my low-carb and family-friendly low carb recipes are perfect for the THM eating style. I do not have a lot of E recipes on here because of my carb intolerance/pre-diabetes, but I will indicate if one would fall under an E meal.
Sugar Free (SF): Recipes on this blog will indicate if they are NOT sugar free (such as Oldie-Goldie Chocolate Chip cookies, graduation recipes, etc.). To learn about healthy, low-carb/no net carb sugar substitutes, check out my post “Low Carb Baking & Treats: What I Wish Someone Would Have Told Me.”
Gluten Free (GF): Most low carb baked good recipes on this blog are also gluten-free since they utilize almond flour, coconut flour, oat fiber, golden flax, protein powder, etc. The lowest carb gluten-free flour that I have found is Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour. This flour has under eighty carbohydrates per cup while many others have well over a hundred carbs per cup.
Low Carb Mixes (LCM): I have been working on making over a dozen mixes low carb—trying to re-create my Make a Mix Cookery days but with low carb, sugar-free ingredients. Finally (as of May 2015!), after a year-plus of testing and re-testing my mixes, I am ready to start sharing those! When you see the LCM label, there will be a link to the “master mix” that is used in that recipe. If the thought of making and using mixes is overwhelming to you, just try one of them! Make some things from that one mix, and you will discover the ease of cooking with mixes!
DISCLOSURE: I am an affiliate for these products that I recommend. If you purchase these items through my links, I will earn a commission, but you will not pay more when buying a product through my link. 🙂
