SWEDISH MEATBALLS (pg 61)
Cookbook Benefits

Swedish Meatballs is a MUST to make for your family especially if they already like meatball meals.  My family GOBBLED it up!  I actually felt guilty eating this and then when I realized how healthy it was, I snapped out of it!  Will be making again, and again, and again.

What I like about this cookbook
Before THM, I have made intentional purchases of products that I have read that have some positive health benefits if incorporated into your diet.  For example, flaxseed.  I have purchased a bag of flaxseed with the intention of incorporating it into my diet and either forget about it or have just not been confident in my own ability to use it correctly.  My flaxseed pouch had been sitting in my pantry for quite awhile.  That has changed, however, since I am almost running out.

Moving forward, I just want to emphasis that many recipes can be made with no special ingredients (those recipes are indicated with initials "NSI").

With that being said, for the purpose of the blog and my own experimenting, I have purchased a few of their products from Trim Healthy Mama website and picked up the rest at a health store.  Please make reference to my very first blog, "Getting Started" dated January 6 for my personal grocery list which includes photos of my special purchases (My list is saving me from taking many trips to the grocery store). Some of the items you can even find at your local Wal-Mart, but since I was already at the health food store I picked up everything possible at that location to save time from running around.

The reason this cookbook, in particular caught my attention, is the sisters, Pearl and Serene have incorporated some really beneficial ingredients into their cooking.  For example, this recipe calls for THM product, Gluccie, from their website, and nutritional yeast, which can be found in health food store.

Gluccie is actually a nickname the THMs give glucomannan, which, according to their book is a natural thickener that won't add calories or carbs.  It is used to thicken gravies or soups.  I usually use flour as a thickener which adds both.  According to their book, it also helps regulate blood sugar and alkalize the body particularly if you are trying to lose weight. I like the sound of that!

Nutritional yeast is one I have never heard of and at first I thought it was more like baking yeast that you would use for the rising process in bread making.  It is actually an inactive dry yeast that can be sprinkled on practically everything you eat.  I taste all ingredients in their raw form before using and this one tasted exactly the way THMs said it would.  It has a nutty, cheesy flavor, which makes it perfect over popcorn (yes, I tried it).  It is one of those condiments you don't have to run out and buy, but it definitely is worth considering at some point in time.  I am finding myself putting it on everything.

CONCLUSION:

Need I say more?

Stay healthy & strong,

Chris :)