With Halloween just around the corner, so begins the countdown to the holiday season. There will be parties and gatherings. Food of every sort, to be had in abundance. In other words, this is the hardest time of the year for anyone trying to lose weight. Well meaning friends and family will tempt you with all manner of tasty delights with the assurance that just a bite won't hurt you. Well believe me it can hurt you. One bite can easily lead to a second and third. Indulging in just a few simple high carbs foods can completely de-rail you. I speak form experience. One simple dessert can send you spiraling into non stop cravings and loss of control. Saying you will do better tomorrow doesn't always work this time of year when sugar filled treats are freely handed out like Tums at a chili cook off. Your best defense is to keep delicious, decadent low carb treats on hand, so you never feel the least deprived.

Where to find such tempting treats? Ahhh, I have the answer for you right here. Jennifer Eloff has saved the holidays for all of us. She's written a cookbook filled with the most decadent, mouthwatering, luscious desserts you've ever seen. There is chocolate candy, cakes, pies, and cookies sure please even the most finicky of eaters. Most of which your high carb friends will never guess these low carb delights.

How can you get your hands on a copy of this wondrous holiday saving cookbook? It's simple just click right here.

Can you imagine your delight as you walk into your next holiday gathering carrying this delicious cake,  knowing full well you can indulge guilt free?

Or how bout platter full

of these yummy little pieces of heaven?

The best part is every dessert in this treasure trove of yummy deliciousness is less than 10 grams of carbs per serving with many being 6 or less. Tell me that is Fantabulous! Now thanks to Jennifer you can make your cake and eat it too… that is if all you non-low carb friends and family don't eat it all first!

It is my opinion that no low carber should tempt the holidays without first being armed with a copy of "Splendid Low-Carb Desserts". So what are you waiting for, get over there and take a look at this and all the other wonderful cookbooks Jennifer has to offer, I promise you will not be disappointed!

"Failing to plan, is planning to fail". It's a favorite quote of many low carbs, especially all of us over at About.com's low carb Diet forum. We have all learned that success is synonymous with planning.

Well let's start with menu planning. It's actually a very important step, but there are many ways of doing it. Some people are very detail oriented and plan out every detail. Some people lead such busy lives if they get both shoes on every morning before they leave the house, it's a good day. But, we all have to plan out what we're going to eat or we will find way to often we have nothing to fix at all.

Like, I said there are many ways of doing this. You can sit down and write out a full week or month's menus at one time. You might even be the kind of person who can actually follow through with that. I do it all the time and we're lucky if we eat 3 things off the menu. You can plan each days meal the night before. Take your meat out the night before and wing the rest. I've done this too, but I end up not having and ingredient I need or eating a veggie earlier in the week that would have gone better with the pork I took out for tonight. I can't say I have found a fool proof method, because I don't wish to lie to you. What I can say is that different things work for me at different times.

For me it's a two step process. I have to plan and prep ahead both. Planning meal and not doing the prep work means, some things are not going to get cooked. Prepping without planning, is that even possible?

First off, don't read this and think you don't have the time. Once you put this to work for you, it only takes 20 minutes a week if that to do the planning. The prep work depends on what actually will be beneficial to you.

Step one: do a quick inventory of what you have in your freezer, fridge and pantry. Once you're in the habit of doing this it only takes minutes

Step two: go through the sale ads and see what's on sale (very important for those of us that have to watch every penny)

Step three: make a quick copy of everyone schedule, whose working late, has soccer practice, whose visiting that kind of thing.

Step Four: Get a list of everyone favorite foods so you can add one to each week's menu.

Step Five: Make out a quick menu using all the above information.

• If meat, fish or poultry are on sale great plan for that, if not plan to use what you have.
• Are zucchini on sale, wonderful add them to the menu.
• Does little Brandon have soccer practice? Well that needs to be an early dinner. Burgers might be in order
• Uncle Jackson and Aunt Audrey coming for a visit, remember Aunt Audrey doesn't eat beef. Sounds like roasted chicken to me
• It's freezing outside, not the greatest weather for salad, maybe a big pot of soup instead.

You have to consider your lifestyle, your family and what's going on in your life right now. It all plays a big part into what and how you feed your family.

Ok, you've sat down, you thought it out and you planned out menus. Whoo hoo! But, how is a piece of paper going to get food on my table you ask. Well, my dear while you're sitting there go ahead and make out a grocery list. Yeah I know it's a pain in the derriere, but it's one of those jobs that has to be done. But remember you already have an inventory list and your menu so it should be a breeze to make a quick list. If you're like me you have a list you print off your computer and keep in a notebook right there in the kitchen anyway. Just check off what you need.

Next comes grocery shopping, everyone favorite job right? Once you bring the groceries home it's time to start the prep work. If you have the time and energy start right then, if not make plans to spend the next evening doing prep. Believe me you will thank me later.

Where to start…. First things first.

Lettuce:

Wash and dry well. Ok here's a little tip for you on this, don't have a salad spinner, neither do I. I put my greens in a lingerie bag, pop it in the washing machine and set to spin. That takes care of that. Now gently wrap in a few lengths of paper toweling and slide into a gallon zippy bag. Press as much air out as you can get. It's now ready to use and will keep fresh for at least a week.

Celery:

Wash and string before cutting into 2-3 inch lengths. If you need it chopped in the next couple of days go ahead and do that. If longer than that don't cut or it will get all dried out. Wrap the celery sticks in foil and they will keep fresh and crisp all week.

Onions:

For me I just go ahead and chop 1 or two onions so I have them ready to just throw in a salad or recipe without having to worry about it.

Green or red peppers:

This one is trickier, if your going to use in the next few days go ahead and dice it up. If not just, wash and clean out the seeds, slide them and a folded paper towel into a zippy bag and it will be clean and ready to go when you need it. Peppers tend to get slimy where cut, after a day or two so dicing them up will leave you with a bag of mush by weeks end.

Cheese:

Make a quick task of grating my using your food processor or salad shooter if you have one. Bag it up, get all air out and it read when you are

Need cubed cheese to nosh on; it will do great in a small bowl. Just don't do too much or you will eat it all…giggle

Eggs:

Decide how many boiled eggs you will need for the week and go ahead and boil, shell and stash them in the fridge. Devil them if you like.

If you make mini quiche to carry for breakfast, now is a good time to get those going, after all you have all the veggie right there.

Meats:

Now here is when we get into the real work. If you're like me you like to have a night off from cooking during the week. Why not you deserve it, you work hard. But, don't use that as an excuse for junk food. Oh no, just do some prep work and you will have dinner in the fridge ready to just simply heat and/or serve.

Here are some of my favorite make ahead dishes.

• Put meatballs on to cook in the crockpot for dinner later in the week
• Make up a lasagna and cook half way, then by the time it's heated through it's through cooking
• Grill chicken breasts. Very easy to just cut up in a salad later in the week or top with cheese, sauce, or your favorite topping for a quick dinner or use in a quick stir fry
• Brown off ground meat with garlic and onion. Later in the week sprinkle with taco seasoning, heat for taco salad. Mix with spaghetti sauce and pour over zucchini ribbons. Mix with shirataki noodles, your favorite veggies an egg or two and come cheese for a quick casserole
• Pop a pork roast in the oven on the weekend end and you can get a couple of meals from it. Try adding low carb bbq sauce to meat you have shredded and serving wrapped in lettuce leaves, lc tortilla or wraps. Not bad just plunked down on a bed of that lettuce you have clean in the fridge.
• You can do the same thing with a pot roast.

Don't forget even if you don't want to prep meat at the beginning of the week you can always cook double and eat twice. If you put those meatballs in the crockpot for dinner tonight, make extra and mix a little bbq seasoning and sautéed pepper and onions to them for a whole new dinner later in the week.

Grilling chicken tonight, cook twice as many and you just saved yourself time on stir-fry or make up a bowl of chicken salad. Yummy on lettuce leaves.

This doesn't just apply to the protein portion of your meal. Why not make a double batch of broccoli. Tonight it's broccoli in cheese sauce, later in the week it's added to eggs for a wonderful broccoli Swiss quiche to go with grilled chicken or ham

Cooking cauliflower, double later in the week you can puree the left overs, add bacon and cheese or add a little of my parm/bread crumb mix, chopped onions and some garlic and fry up some cauliflower patties.

It really is all about the planning, thinking ahead, knowing that there is something for dinner tonight and tomorrow night. It's not really hard. It simply take a little time and effort, but you deserve the peace of mind don't you?

It’s a question we ask ourselves everyday.  While I might not have the answers I do have some pretty good tips.  So if you will look down on the left hand side you will find all these tips posted in a file you can easily download if you find them helpful. 

Have a wonderful day!

Lunch Packing Tips

20 lunch tricks to help you get out the door every morning.
There are plenty of good, easy, healthy things to pack in a lunch without being forced to resort to pre-packaged convenience foods that are low carb, quick and easy. And we’re not talking sardine sandwiches, either. Nosiree. All of the following quick lunch box tricks are delicious, tasty and fun; and, best of all, will make you the envy of the lunchroom. Or, at least, let you know your doing something good for yourself.

1. Spread a lc tortilla with cream cheese, sprinkle with chopped raw vegetables, and roll up. Cut into 1-inch (2 cm) slices and pack in a plastic container. Or add a little ham to the mix.
2. Make some delicious (and easy) hummus and pack it in a plastic container. Cut a lc pita up into wedges for dipping along with some carrot sticks, celery sticks, broccoli, cauliflower, green pepper - whatever you like.
3. Cut a lc pita bread in half, and pack it in a plastic bag. Send along assorted things to stuff in the pocket like shredded lettuce, tuna salad, alfalfa sprouts, grated cheese, chopped hard-boiled egg, and a little container of salad dressing to drizzle on top.
4. Cut up some cheese and meat (chicken, ham, smoked sausage, whatever) into cubes and pack in a multi-sectioned plastic container. Use some fancy toothpicks. Or make a couple flax crackers and pack those.
5. Make some delicious devilled eggs! Cut hard boiled eggs in half, remove the yolks and mash with a little mayonnaise and some chopped celery or green onion, and re-stuff the shells. There are dozens upon dozens of different devilled egg recipes to try. Everything from mustard and mayo to salmon and caviar. Make up a bunch of your favs. Pack in a paper towel-lined plastic container (for padding and to absorb any sogginess).
6. Everyone loves salad. Pack the dressing in a separate container to add at lunchtime.
7. Spoon some plain or Greek yogurt, or some cottage cheese into a wide-mouth thermos. Send along small containers of assorted toppings – chopped nuts, a hand full of berries, or lc jam - to stir into it.
8. Grill an extra chicken breast while you’re using the barbecue. Chill it then cut the meat into strips. Pack some containers of dipping sauce (sweet and sour, honey mustard, barbecue) to go with it. Or, if you have some leftover turkey, cut it into cubes and pack it in a plastic container. Send along a container of no sugar cranberry sauce to dip into.
9. Make some salami roll-ups. Spread thin slices of salami with mustard or cheese, lay a pickle spear on top, and roll up. Pack into a plastic container.
10. Spread a lc tortilla with refried black or black soy beans, and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Fold in the sides, roll up, and wrap in plastic. Send along a container of shredded lettuce, and some salsa. Or make a chicken taco instead. Spread some salsa on the tortilla, top with shredded, cooked chicken, and shredded lettuce. Fold up and wrap.
11. Sprinkle shredded cheese on a lc tortilla, fold over and cook on an ungreased griddle until the cheese is melted and it’s lightly toasted on each side. Let cool, then cut into wedges like a pizza. Pack some salsa for dipping.
12. Make some mini-quiches. Pack a couple in your lunch- they’re good cold, you know.
13. Make a flax bread sandwich. Spread homemade flax bread with peanut butter or cream cheese, cut into long fingers, and pack in a plastic container.
14. Stuff celery along the crease with peanut butter or cream cheese. Insert the ants (chopped nuts by the way) into the stuffing, and then squish another peanut butter or cheese stuffed celery on top - trapping the ants inside. Wrap tightly in plastic.
15. Fill a green pepper shell with some tuna, chicken, or cream cheese dip. Wrap in plastic. Or pack that tuna (or whatever) salad into a container, and pack veggie sticks to use as dippers.
16. Make yourself a few meat and cheese kabobs. Slide cubed cheese, cut up pieces of chicken or sausage along with a sweet pepper slices top each off with a pickle or cherry tomato serve with a little ranch dip.
17. Think you can’t have pizza for lunch? Think again. Pizza chips and dip is quick and easy and most of all low carb. Microwave 14 or so pepperoni slices to make the chips, portion out a little lc pizza sauce, some mushrooms, peppers and string or cubed cheese. You got yourself a healthy pizza lunch! Btw don’t forget to pack a tooth pick or two to dip with.
18. Home made pimento and cheese stuffing in celery sticks.
19. Pepper boats filled with tuna, chick or ham salad.
20. Roll it up! Ham or turkey slices spread with cream cheese or mayo wrapped around veggie slices or pickle spears are to die for. One of my favorite treats.

Sandwiches
Remember sandwiches aren’t completely impossible. Pack your favorite Sammy ingredients and take along a low carb tortilla or pita. Or stack ‘em up high on a oopsie and top with another.

Drinks
Freeze a bottle of water, it will help keep your lunch cold and give you a cold drink for lunch. If you must add one of the many additives you can find today, like crystal light or true lemon. Just make sure it’s sugar free. Another option is to freeze a bottle of green tea. The antioxidants are definitely good for you and that little bit of caffeine will help keep you going the rest of the afternoon.

Vegetables
Add vegetable to every lunch. Remember they are full of vitamins, minerals and lots of fiber.

• Throw in some carrots or broccoli, but don’t forget the DIP!  Prepackaged dips are now available.
• Jicama sticks are wonderful dip in most any dressing.
• Pepper strips work wonderfully as well.

Snacks
Do not forget the mantra “Those that fail to plan, plan to fail.” You never know what your day may bring so keep plenty of healthy low carb snacks on hand just in case. Keep a few in your desk, glove box or brief case. Pack in small snack bags for convenience.

• An oz. of your favorite nuts. Macs are a power house, but whatever you like will work
• Flax snacks. Flavor them however you like. They are dry and keep for a couple of days easily.
• Cheese stick will keep ok in a cool place such as your office. But I wouldn’t keep them more than a day without refrigeration. And never leave in a hot car
• Low carb chocolate like ChocoPerfection bar not the greatest but will carry well and keep you from snacking on high carb sweets.

Remember food safety:

Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. If your lunch will be unrefrigerated, avoid eggs, yogurt, meat and mayonnaise. A frozen bottle of water will keep your lunch cool, and be ready to drink by lunchtime. Two will keep it cool and give you something to drink on the way home or at your desk.

Spending 30-45 minutes on Saturday to make sure everything is ready for next weeks lunches will keep you from scrambling in the mornings or the night before.

• Cut veggies into stick or for salads and store in zip bags in the fridge
• Cube up a whole block of cheese so it’s ready for lunches or snacking
• Measure out and back up nuts for grab and go snacking
• Mix up ranch or other dips and portion out into small containers for each packing later
• Portion out ham, turkey or other lunch meats for the weeks lunch.
• Fill small bowls with your favorite dressing so salads for lunch are a snap

Foods like chili, soup or stew will need to be either transported cold and heated or be kept hot in an insulated bottle. Before adding hot food to the bottle, fill it with boiling water and let stand for a few minutes. Then empty the water and fill with piping hot food.

Remember to keep it interesting. If you pack the same thing day after day you will soon tire of it and slack off on packing your lunch. You need to eat, so you need to plan and pack.

Plan on cooking extra of your even meals, left overs make an excellent lunch. So take out an extra chicken breast, cook a little extra broccoli. It will save you time and stress later.

Have a little fun with it. Pack in interesting bowls or containers. Pack a little reading material if you eat alone. If you’re packing a lunch for a loved one, add a little note that tells them your thinking about them. For yourself, how bout writing out a scripture or other affirmation. You need a pat on the back too.

Foods you might want to keep prepped and ready to go

• peanut butter
• tuna or salmon salad
• chicken salad
• hummus
• pepperoni
• sliced cheese (different varieties)
• grated cheese (different varieties)
• grated carrot
• tomato slices
• cucumber slices
• sliced green, red, yellow or orange peppers
• alfalfa sprouts
• sliced celery
• lettuce or spinach
• ½ sliced apple dipped in lemon juice
• tomato/pizza sauce
• mayonnaise
• mustard
• salsa

These are just a few tips to help you keep it low carb, keep it simple and keep it easy. I hope it help and I wish you the greatest success! Next “What’s for Breakfast?”

Vikki

We are paying nearly $4.00 a gallon for gas these days and in some places it's higher than that.  When it cost that much for gas the price of everything skyrockets.  So learning to save a few cents here and there has become a necessity.

I've been doing what I can and trying to learn more.  We have been discussing this very subject over at about.com low carb forum and here's another Comparison Shopping

Laura Dolson also wrote an article or two Eating low carb on a budget

Me, I'm back to scouring for coupons for things we use, comparison shopping, price matching, and making my menu based on sale ads and what I have on hand.

If you don't get ads sent to your house or in the paper.  Look up your stores on line and you can usually find any ads they have.  Write down any good prices that you find.  This is easier if you keep a price list or save your recipes ( which is what I do). 

Next inventory your fridge, pantry and freezer.  After which you can make your weeks menu based on sale prices or foods you already have on hand.

If you find great prices on item buy more than you need.  If it's meat pop it in the freezer.  If it's canned goods stick it where you can. Just make sure you put all overstock together and count it on each weeks inventory sheet.

For that occasional night out.  Watch for coupons and b1/g1 free deals at your favorite restaurant that will cater to your low carb eating style.  My favorite is a steak house that has a different special each week.  This week is grilled pork chops and they will sub out the fries for salad.  So that's a good deal for me.

If  veggie or cut of meat you have never tried is on sale.  Give it a try.  You might come away with a new favorite. 

Remember your freezer is your friend.  Check out this article Tips for freezing to help you get the most from it.  Of if you think you have no more room in your freezer, try this one finding more room in your freezer  I hope some of these can help you lower the cost of your low carb plan.

Use your grill when you can, to save from heating your house up.  Turn off vents in parts of your house you will not be using.  We open our bedroom vents about dinner time.  That way I'm not trying to cool parts of my house no one is using. 

Get your A/C checked out.  It might not be the same everywhere by TXU will provide someone to come check your ducts for leaks and fix them for free.  Check for cracks around windows and doors that might be letting hot air in. 

We are lucky enough to have gotten a sprinkler system put in a number of years ago.  Make sure you don't have any damaged heads on any of the sprinklers and follow your towns sprinkling guidelines.  We normally sprinkle early morning, about once a week.  It's not all the water the yard  needs but it keeps it alive and saves water and my money.  Who can afford a $100 water bill?  I know I can't.

If you have a laundry room off the kitchen like I do, try not to cook and do laundry at the same time.  It's sure to heat up your house in a hurry.  I space out my laundry so it can be done either at night or early morning.  It took a while to get us on the schedule but it has really helped not having the dryer going at the hottest part of the day.  BUT I always do a full load.  I never wash little bits of things.  It wastes water, money and time.  Keep the filters on your washer and dry cleaned out so they work more efficiently.

Try to plan all your errands for one time so you can cut down on gas.  Make lists, so you don't forget something and have to make a second trip. 

At this point in time, with prices like they are, every penny counts.  Planning and paying attention are two of your biggest tools to fight the high cost of living. Good luck and I hope you can have a wonderful summer without going broke.

If you have any tips you would like to share, please do.  I need all the help I can get.

Ok so you tell me you don't have room in your freezer.  One tip that might help is packaging.  When I cook say taco meat, because as we all now know it's the most used at my house, I spoon the meat in quart sized freezer bags, suck out as much air as possible all the while pressing it as flat as possible.  I freeze laying flat and then stand it up on end in my freezer like books or file folders.

My burgers  and hamburger steaks, I freeze 6 to a package,( 3 of use so two meals) placing wax paper between them.  They will all fit nicely in the bottom of a freezer bag, allowing them to stack nicely.

Meatloaf... I wrap each in plastic wrap and flash freeze on a cookie sheet.  That way they are already frozen when fitting into a freezer back and will not become misshapen or messed up.

Meat balls I also flash freeze and store in a gallon zip bag.  That way I can remove just what I need and they will not all be stuck together.  But small bags with dinner portions would work well.  You could even go ahead and pour your favorite low carb marinara over them before freezing.  In which case I would flatten as I removed air.

Clean up.  Roasting a large batch of chicken can be quite messy.  I have found a few tips to make it less messy. 

First off run a sink of the hottest water you can stand.  Add your soap and a 1/8th a cup of bleach.  Now you can wash and sanitize as you go along. 

Rinsing the chicken before cooking makes sure there is no bone dust or icky stuff on the chicken to begin with. Always rinse in cool water not hot.  And wash your hands well with soapy water after you touch raw chicken.

Using the pans with the lips ensures that they juices will stay contained.  Use a baking dish if you don't have a lipped cookie sheet.  Remove from the oven with care so you don't spill.

Mixing a little of the chicken juice in with the "picked" meat will make sure you remove moist chicken from the freezer in the months ahead.  Just don't over fill with juice.  You want moist not wet.

Wipe up all spills and messes as you go.  If you have a dish washer, make sure it's ready for the dirty greasy dishes.  Believe me it will be greasy.

Before freezing the stock that you make.  Let it sit in the fridge a half hour or so and you can skim off some of the fat, if you like.  I freeze  mine with the fat and skim off what I don't want as it thaws.  If I end up using boneless/skinless chicken breast with the stock I will want more fat than if using dark meat.

Remember to seal up the left over veg and chicken ick from cooking stock in a zippy bag before throwing in the trash.  You don't want it leaking or smelling up your house.

If you can get someone to help you bag up your chicken and broth for the freezer.  4 hands are much better than 2.

Label and date bags before adding meat or stock.

Remember to remove as much air as possible.

First, squeeze out as much air as possible then zip the freezer bag nearly all the way. Then insert a straw (preferably a clear one) and suck the straw to get the last bit of air out. Be careful not to suck up any sauces or juices! Then quickly remove the straw and seal the last bit of the zip on the plastic bag. If you have a vacuum sealer even better. I got one of those new Reynolds' Handi-vacs.  It was about $10 and it works pretty well for me.  I don't have the money or space for one of the big ones, though I wish I did.

Just remember to keep it clean.  No one wants to go to all this trouble only to find they have chicken that has gone bad.  Seal, label, date and keep it clean and you should be just fine.

So you read my  post bout stocking your freezer, and your ready to do the work but you don't have the know how.  Ok here is tip one.

Buy those large bags of frozen leg quarters.  They are cheap and very usable.  First off decide which method you prefer.  I had always poached chicken breasts and still do boneless skinless chicken breasts.  For me it's the best method.  But legs and thighs are a different piece of meat.  Much more flavor, much fatter.  The best method of cooking that I've come up with is roasting them.  Simple wash well. Place on a sprayed lipped cookie sheet. Place in a 475 degree oven until brown, about 20 minutes then turn oven down to 350 and cook another 20 or until the internal temperature is 160.  Remove from the oven and let cool.  Remove skin, fat and bones.  Place the meat in freezer zippy bags in the amount needed for a meal. Date, label and freeze.

Now take those bones, fat, skin and grizzly parts, put in a large pot, cover with water add half a onion roughly chopped no  need to peel.  Break a carrot in half, a couple stocks of celery.  Throw in a little salt, a bay leaf or two and a couple smash cloves of garlic.  Let simmer a few hours, coo and strain.  You now have liquid gold also known as awesome chicken stock.  Bowl or bag up, date and label and pop that in the freezer too.  A bowl of stock and a bag of the chicken will have you well on your way to a great many dishes including tortilla soup.  Yummy.

Just remember date and label, label and date everything and do so with a sharper or other permanent marker.  You do not want to go back to the freezer, only to find you can't tell what' s what.

Now is the time to get ahead of all those hot months of summer, get your lawn mower checked out, check your hoses and get your sprinklers system checked out.  Have the air conditioning guy out to do a thorough check of your system.  Clean out any unnecessary clutter in your home.  Get your plants in the ground, find the perfect patio cover.  Make sure you have fans that work to keep the a/c from over working.  Have your car checked out to make sure it's ready for the on coming heat.  And stock your freezer with foods that keep you from having to stand in a hot chicken for an hour to get dinner ready. 

Start looking for sales on easily grilled cuts of meat and chicken, that takes the cooking outside and keeps your home cool.  Drag out all your recipes for salads, cold soups and slaws.  Look up new ones of the net so your recipe arsenal is full.  If your lucky enough to have a local farmers market new by, start making friends with the venders now.  If they like you and know you will be a regular customer they are more than willing to set aside their best for you or even make a deal with you on the price.

Spend as many weekends as you can now filling your freezer with pre-cooked meats, meal kits and any other short cuts you know of.  The idea is to spend this time getting ready.  When June, July and August roll around you will be prepared.  No going off low carb because it's too hot to cook.  No sir-ee.  Because in your freezer you will have wonderful little freezer bags of goodness.  One bag of taco meat will become taco salad, enough quick and easy tostada.  That bag of roasted chicken meat will before chicken salad or an impossible pie.  Throw it in your cockpot with BBQ sauce and you have a wonderful BBQ chicken ready for a wrap. 

Pull out steak or marinated chicken breast and throw them on the grill.  Fajitas and stir fry's are very quick and easy and lend themselves to any fresh veggie you like.  No one says fajitas can only have strips of peppers and onions, have your tried strips of zucchini or fresh spinach?  You'll be surprised just how good it really is.

So use this time and your freezer to their best use.  Patty out those burgers, make up a few mini meat loaves ( they need to cook less time) make a few stuffed pepper burgers.  Stock that freezer with wonderful food.  You will be much less likely to fall back on take out if you can have healthy food made the way you like it at home.