Divabetic Baking Party Hightlights

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk?

Do you need a little help staying on track with your diabetes self-care?

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosted a free, fun Mother’s Day-themed Baking Party with special guest, Stacey Harris, known professionally as The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, on Zoom.

The Diabetic Pastry Chef prepared her Sugar-Free Yellow Sunflower Cake recipe, shared her favorite kitchen tool, and answered our baking questions about substituting sugar substitutes and alternative flours in recipes.

Several participants won gifts courtesy of  Arthel Neville DesignDr.’s Remedy Enriched Nail Care, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes‘, and Peak 10 Skin’s Save My Sole Foot Rescue Cream and Splenda

The Holidays are full of surprises— especially after Mr. Divabetic gets a new job as the pastry chef at the St. Nicholas Nursing Home nestled in a cozy Christmas Village. But adjusting to life in a Christmas Village is not all sugarplums and candy canes. Especially when a cantankerous resident, a real-life Ebenezer Scrooge,  named Mr. Pincher almost dies——shortly after eating one of Max’s peanut butter swirl brownies. Despite all of the ingredients for danger, Mr. Divabetic along with our team of amateur sleuths and his overly protective mother — set out to find the real culprit in the hopes that his name isn’t on a lethal naughty list.

Our story was inspired by Kevin Houdeshell’s tragic true-life story. Thanks to the Houdeshell family for their advocacy efforts on behalf of the Emergency Insulin Act of 2019 and the emergency prescription refill legislation. Known as Kevin’s or Howdy’s Law, it allows pharmacists to dispense an emergency supply of a chronic maintenance medication if the doctor cannot be reached – a common-sense act that could save a life.

Starring Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek, USA Best Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Mama Rose Marie, Patricia Addie Gentle, Terri Seidman, MaryAnn Nicolay, Trisha Artman, Catherine Schuller, Chef Robert Lewis, Seveda Williams, and Wendy Radford. Special thanks to the Houdeshell family, and Pharmacist Mandy Reece. Original music by Ivan Hampden Jr., Celine Dion’s vocals courtesy of SONY Music. Produced by Leisa Chester Weir.

In the spirit of Scrooge’s awakening at the end of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, we encourage you to honor Christmas in your heart by living in the Past, The Present, and the Future. Try to embrace the Spirits of all Three and the lessons that they teach.

Divabetic’s Next Baking Party on Zoom – Date Change

Due to unforeseen circumstances, our upcoming Baking Party has been rescheduled for this Wednesday, April 27, 2022, 7 -8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

We hope you are still able to join us for this free, fun Virtual Mother’s Day-themed Baking Party with special guests, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef and Divabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller, on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

During this Baking Party on Zoom, The Diabetic Pastry Chef prepares a Mother’s Day Sugar-Free Dessert recipe, demonstrates one of her favorite kitchen tools, and shares expert baking tips for substituting sugar substitutes and alternative flours in recipes.

The Diabetic Pastry Chef

One lucky participant will win a Divabetic Gift Basket featuring Arthel Neville Design FABULOUS East/West Tote, Dr. Remedy‘s Enriched Nail Care gift set, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes‘s Camper Cozy Mystery, and Peak 10 Skin’s Save My Sole Foot Rescue Cream in our random drawing. You must be present at our Baking Party to enter our gift drawing to win.

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Over 150 people registered for our last Divabetic Baking Party on Zoom, so don’t miss out!

After being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, Stacey Harris (The Diabetic Pastry Chef) taught herself how to make pound cake, pecan rolls, pies, muffins, cupcakes, and other baked goods with about half the carbs you’d get from a traditional bakery item.

“I started experimenting by using almond milk or whole milk mixed with water to cut down on carbs, then tried different flours, incorporating white whole wheat flour, soy flour, oat flour, black bean flour, and other alternatives into my brownies, cakes, and cookies,” she said in a How 2 Type 2 article.

She adds,” To cut back on sugar, I started using all-natural substitutes, like agave nectar, and trying erythritol. I also bake with a store-bought blend of sugars that tastes delicious.”

The Diabetic Pastry Chef shares her recipes in a fabulous book so that people with type 2 diabetes and others looking for sugar-free treats can make their lower-carb versions of baked goods at home. Her customers frequently say, “I don’t even miss the extra sugar!”

How it works: Once you register, we will send you the unique code to sign in to our Zoom Video feed. You will need a camera. We’ll all get acquainted and share niceties before the baking demonstration begins.

Cost: Free.

Donations are greatly appreciated. Paypal Click HERE Paypal

REGISTER NOW

Sugarfree Cake Truffles, Go Red & Big Prize Giveaways at Divabetic’s Baking Party

We hope you had a fabulous time at Divabetic’s Baking Party on Zoom. If you couldn’t join us, here’s what you missed:

During the program, Stacey Harris, The Diabetic Pastry Chef, demonstrated how to make Sugarfree Cake Truffles (recipe coming soon). Stacey also shared her favorite sugar substitutes for pies, cakes, and cookies. Surprisingly, Stacey prefers to use different sugar substitutes for pies, cakes, and cookies. For example, Splenda is her ‘go-to’ sweetener for fruit pies.

Diabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller shared “50 Shades of Red, Okay 5 Shades of Red” for Valentine’s Day. Since there seems to be a new shade of red coming out every day, Catherine created these tips for you to find the perfect shade of red for your skin tone:

 If you have fair skin with cool undertones, mid-tone reds like cherry, ruby, scarlet, and apple would add some warmth and won’t appear harsh against your skin. 

If you’re fair skin with naturally red hair, cool, brighter colors like candy red will showcase your beautiful red hair in the best way!  

A deeper, luscious, darker hue is perfect for warmer skin tones if you have a medium-light skin tone. Think the shade of blood. That rich hue will compliment your skin tone the best.

If you have a golden skin tone, you can really rock various shades from a deep, vivid red such as ruby to a vampy red like a jam.

Suppose you’re a woman with medium skin and have yellow undertones and tan skin with warm undertones. In that case, the orange-ish reds like candy red or other hues with a tiny bit of tangerine will look dynamic on you. If you’re a brunette, don’t be afraid to wear this shade of red. Some women think that brown and orange don’t look good together, but this color pairs amazingly well with brown hair. 

If you have dark skin with warm undertones, then reds like ruby cherry and lipstick will provide a gorgeous contrast to your darker skin.

If you have dark skin with cool undertones, you can pretty much wear any color. Still, a berry would look incredibly flattering against the skin.

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosted a Cake Pop Quiz testing people’s Baking IQs throughout the night. Our Peak 10 Skin Save My Soles Rescue Cream winners included Sandra T. from Las Vegas, NV, Geneva P. from Brooklyn, NY, Elizabeth R from Guelph, Canada, Nancy S. from Marlboro, NJ, and Chandra S. from Blacklick, OH.  

Our Grand Prize winner, Anita from Buffalo, won gifts from Splenda, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Peak 10 Skin, Harlem’s Heaven, and Walden Farms

This year, the ‘V’ in Divabetic stands for ‘VIRTUAL’!! We’ve got more fabulous outreach programs and podcasts to help boost your ability to manage your self-care available than ever before! Also, stay tuned for details about our next Divabetic Baking Party to celebrate Mother’s Day. 

We’re talking about 50 years of living well with type 1 diabetes, alcohol’s effects on blood sugars, sexual wellness, and the Spare A Rose, Save A Child campaign with musical inspiration from Dean Martin.

Dean Martin was born Dino Paul Crocetti and was later nicknamed “The King of Cool.” His big break while performing as a duo with comedian Jerry Lewis, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes later in life at the age of 71.

Guests: Fran Carpentier, Mama Rose Marie, Lynne Steger, and Sex Therapist Janis Roszler PhD, CDCES. Throughout this podcast, we will be featuring music from The Essential Dean Martin album courtesy of SONY Music.

 

Sugar-Free Linzer Torte Recipe by The Diabetic Pastry Chef

The Diabetic Pastry Chef, Stacey Harris, demonstrated how to make her fabulous Sugar-Free Linzer Tortes at last night’s Divabetic Baking Party. Stacey has mastered the art of substituting sugar substitutes and flours in traditional favorites without compromising taste or texture.

Stacey says, ”To cut back on sugar, I started using all-natural substitutes, like agave nectar, and trying erythritol. I also bake with a store-bought blend of sugars that tastes delicious.”

The Diabetic Pastry Chef shares her recipes in a fabulous book so that people with diabetes and others looking for sugar-free treats can make their own lower-carb versions of baked goods at home. The most common thing she hears from customers is, “I don’t even miss the extra sugar!”

Sugar-Free Linzer Tortes Recipe by The Diabetic Pastry Chef

Ingredients
10 tbsp. butter softened
1/3 cup dry sugar substitute
1 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup ground almonds or almond flour
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
2 raw egg yolks
2 hardboiled egg yolks
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 (12.75-oz.) jar sugar-free raspberry jam
1 egg white, beaten
sliced almonds for topping

Directions
In a mixing bowl with a mixer at medium speed, combine butter and sugar substitute until fluffy. Add flour, ground almonds, lemon zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, raw egg yolks, boiled egg yolks, and vanilla. Continue to mix until well combined. Chill for at least 1 hour.

Divide chilled dough into 2 pieces. Roll out 1 piece, and fit it into a greased 8×8-in. pan or springform pan. Spread jam over the dough with a spatula.

Roll out and cut strips with the remaining dough to make a lattice top to cover jam. Brush with egg white and sprinkle almonds on top. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes, or until torte is a pale golden color. Cut into squares to serve.

The Diabetic Pastry Chef

The Diabetic Pastry Chef shares the sweet secrets of her simple-to-use formula that will convert most any recipe into a lower-carb alternative without compromising taste or quality in her book. Now people living with can enjoy Chocolate Truffle Cookies, Blueberry Tartlets, Cream Cheese Cupcakes, Coffee Bread Pudding, and hundreds of others.

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Do you need a little help staying on track with your diabetes self-care?

Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for our next free, fun Virtual Valentines-themed Baking Party with our special guest, Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Wednesday, February 9, 2022,  7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

REGISTER NOW

Sugar-Free Pumpkin Spice Muffin Recipe by The Diabetic Pastry Chef

Thank you to everyone who joined the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for Divabetic’s recent Baking Party with special guest, Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Thursday, September 23, 2021, 7 – 8 PM, EST on Zoom.

During this virtual Baking Party on Zoom, The Diabetic Pastry Chef showed how to prepare her popular Sugar-Free Pumpkin Spice Muffin recipe, shared expert baking tips for substituting sugar substitutes and flours in recipes, and answered questions. One lucky participant received a free Splenda Gift Basket featuring a variety of their products. 

Sugar-Free Pumpkin Spice Muffin Recipe  by The Diabetic Pastry Chef 

Ingredients 

1 cup white whole wheat flour

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, optional

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup pure pumpkin filling

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup water

2 eggs, beaten

1 Tbsp molasses, optional

sugar substitute of your choice, equal to 1 cup sugar

pumpkin seeds, reserved for topping

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together all of the dry ingredients. 

In a separate medium-sized mixing bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients with a whisk.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Whisk just until combined; do not overmix.

Scoop into 12 paper-lined muffin wells. Sprinkle tops with pumpkin seeds. Bake for 20 to 24 minutes.

Note: The Diabetic Pastry Chef does not recommend using Splenda sugar substitute in this recipe unless mixing half with another sugar substitute such as Whey Low or erythritol. 

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Do you need a little help staying on track with your diabetes self-care?

Register now for Divabetic’s next Baking Party with special guest, Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Thursday, December 9, 7 – 8 PM, EST on Zoom.

REGISTER NOW

Now people with diabetes, “Divabetics”, can have their cake and eat it too thanks to Stacey Harris aka ‘The Diabetes Pastry Chef’ and her simple four-part substitution system that turns any decadent dessert into a diabetic-friendly delight. Visit: http://www.diabeticpastrychef.com/ Find out more about this book 

We’re Coming Around Again with Carly Simon on October’s Podcast 2021

We’re talking about the new FreeStyle Libre 2 App, Sleep Apnea, CPAP machines, and a new line of make-at-home baked good mixes, TruEats, designed for diabetes lifestyles with musical inspiration from Carly Simon.

  • The FreeStyle Libre system measures glucose levels through a small sensor — the size of two stacked quarters — applied to the back of your upper arm. It provides real-time glucose readings for up to 10 days, both day and night.

https://youtu.be/QKi5T4uTGXk

  • Sleep Apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. If you snore loudly and feel tired even after a full night’s sleep, you might have sleep apnea.

  • Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is a common treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. A CPAP machine uses a hose and mask or nosepiece to deliver constant and steady air pressure.
  • TruEats Baking Mixes have 1g of Sugar or Less + Complex (Good) Carbs for great-tasting, steady energy that’s diabetic friendly. Nutritious alternatives for the modern, health-conscious consumer.

 

 

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A post shared by TruEats (@trueatsbaking)

Grammy winner Carly Simon was one of the most prominent singer-songwriters in the 1970s. She has recorded over 30 albums, won two Grammies and an Academy Award. Her music has given a voice to the experiences and desires of women who came of age in the 1960s. Carly Simon managed to accomplish her dreams by overcoming severe stuttering and painful migraines to achieve her success. When I was a young child,” Carly Simon has revealed, “I had a stammer. And the only time it went away was when I sang. One day, my mother said to me, ‘Don’t speak it, sing it.’ And that’s what I did.”

Guests include Marten Carlson, Surinder, and Daven Kumar, and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES.

October’s Divabetic podcast features music from Carly Simon’s Coming Around Again album courtesy of SONY Music. The title track is in Mike Nichols’ 1986 film Heartburn, and Let The River Run, from Mike Nichols film, Working Girl, won Carly Simon the Best Original Song Oscar at the 1989 Academy Awards.

Tune In to December’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast featuring Holiday Music from Harry Connick, Jr.

We’re talking about ’Eating Right, Being Bright’ during the holidays with musical inspiration from Harry Connick, Jr. and his 16 piece big band on December’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast scheduled for Tuesday, December 8, 2020, 6 – 7:30 PM, EST.

Harry Connick, Jr. is among today’s most successful and multi-talented artists, who has garnered acclaim in both  music and acting. His won both Grammy and Emmy awards as well as received Tony nominations.

Harry Connick, Jr.’s wife, Jill Connick is a breast cancer survivor.  The couple credit timely screening and early detection for her good health and well-being. Together they have teamed up to encourage people 50 years and older to talk with healthcare providers about colon cancer screening, including the modern, noninvasive options.

Podcast guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Lorraine Brooks, Dan Houdeshel, Stacey Harris aka ‘The Diabetic Pastry Chef’ and Pendulum Glucose Control‘s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Orville Kolterman and Diabetes Meal Planning Made Easy Author Hope Warshaw, MMSc, RD, CDE.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from Harry For The Holidays album courtesy of SONY Music. Harry Connick, Jr.’s second Christmas album, Harry for The Holidays is as much a salute to his New Orleans musical roots as it is to the season.

TUNE IN 

Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for this free, fun Virtual Baking Party with special guest, Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Thursday, December 10, 2020, 7 – 8 PM, EST on Zoom.

REGISTER NOW

How To Blind Bake Pie Crust

There’s a good indication that murder might be part of the recipe when Nantucket’s ten time reigning Baking Champion’s last name is ‘Coffin’ in Divabetic’s Mystery Podcast, ‘Kill Me Madam’. The secret to her success is blind baking.

What is blind baking?

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

Blind baking a pie crust is pre-baking the crust, without filling, then adding the filling once the crust is baked according to the King Arthur Baking Company. The pie can then be placed back in the oven for the filling to bake; or the baked crust can be filled with cooked filling, the whole left to cool and set.

Why is it necessary to blind bake pie crust?

READ MORE

 

Divabetic’s Mystery podcast cast includes USA Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, MaryAnn Horst-Nicolay MEd, NDRT, Lorraine Brooks, Catherine Schuller, Wendy Radford, Coach The Cure‘s Trisha Artman, Mama Rose Marie, Seveda Williams, and Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek. Produced by Leisa Chester-Weir.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from the Broadway Cast Album of ‘Call Me Madam’ courtesy of SONY Music.

Are you interested in learning how to bake with sugar substitutes? Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for this free, fun Virtual Baking Party with special guest, Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Thursday, December 10, 2020, 7 – 8 PM, EST on Zoom.

FREE REGISTER 

 

 

Hidden Beet Brownies Recipe

What’s lurking under the fudgy chocolate in those brownies ?

Beets.

Many sneaky home bakers who whip vegetable purees into a variety of baked goods have claim that they are the perfect match of sweet and savory.

Thanks to FOODISM360 for sharing their work on Unsplash.

Beets add moisture to baked goods without the addition of oil or butter, and they also add a natural sweetness according to The Kitchn website. Beets work well in chocolate desserts because they add moisture, yet the cocoa powder and chocolate mask any possible subtle earthy flavor

Want to try it? Start by baking the beets, even the day before.  According to Early Morning Farm‘s website the fool-proof way is to chop off the top and bottom of each beet, rub them with olive oil, and then wrap them in foil.  Bake at 350F for 45-60 min or more if necessary.  A fork should slide very easily through the beets when done.  The skins will slip easily off.  Puree in a food processor or with an immersion blender. 3 small to medium beets should yield around 1 cup pureed beets.

Early Morning Farm’s Chocolate Beet Brownies Recipe

Ingredients (Partial List)

  • 2-3 medium size cooked and pureed beets, to equal 1 cup
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs

FULL RECIPE

Here are some beet brownie recipes from Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqqJMIYFuTY/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/B3kQhD7nvLT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/B8VOjq_lHzF/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Register now for Divabetic’s free At Home Virtual Scavenger Hunt & Smoothie Party with Jill Weisenberger on Thursday, June 18, 2020, 7 – 7:30 PM, EST.

REGISTER NOW

Flours To Help Manage Blood Sugars Naturally #4

If you have walked down the baking aisle at your local grocery store lately, you may be tempted to start experimenting with unending varieties of baking flour.

Recently I discovered chickpea flour and felt bored and fearless enough to try it! 

Chickpeas

Chickpea flour or chana atta is a soluble fiber that not only reduces blood cholesterol levels but also aids in the slow absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, causing the blood sugar levels to rise slowly. It’s a great alternative to refined wheat flour, as it’s lower in carbs and calories yet richer in protein and fiber

Expert bakers and bloggers say that chickpea flour provides a sweet, rich flavor that works well in pizza crusts, crackers, and breads as well as desserts with strong flavors such as chocolate cake or pumpkin bread. It can even be used as a thickening agent in soups, sauces, and gravy in replacement of all-purpose flour or cornstarch. 

When using it in a recipe, it is recommended that you replace up to one quarter of the flour with chickpea flour. One-quarter cup provides 110 calories, 18 grams of carbohydrate, and 5 grams of fiber.

Here’s a great chickpea flour recipe off of Instagram!

https://www.instagram.com/p/B70vVEEp_XE/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

We’re talking about Secrets to Longevity & Diabetes with musical inspiration from Dionne Warwick on this episode of Diabetes Late.

Living longer and increasing your life expectancy with diabetes doesn’t have to be a chore. From flossing your teeth daily to getting a good night’s sleep, there are simple things you can do to help you live long, happy and healthy life.

Guests include The Lager Queen of Minnesota and Kitchens of the Great Midwest Author J. Ryan Stradal, Deborah Greenwood PhD, RN, BC-ADM, CDE, FAADE, Fonzi Thornton, Rachel Stahl MS, RD, CDN, CDE, and Lorraine Brooks.