I have so much fun creating holiday-themed charcuterie boards! Last year, I made a super fun Bette Midler Hocus Pocus board for Halloween and a cheerful Santa Claus board for Christmas.
This year, my brother Rich asked me to whip up a charcuterie board for his Annual Lighting of the Luminaries party at Lake Davis in Orlando, Florida. I wanted it to be both festive and fun, and I tossed around a couple of ideas: an angel or a snowman.
After checking out Rich’s collection of gorgeous platters, I decided on a large, white one that I thought would be perfect. Rich and I took a quick trip to Publix to gather supplies. I was still on the fence about which design to go for until I spotted some beautiful bags of cranberries. The bright red colors screamed “festive” to me, especially against the white platter!
With the snowman idea cemented in my mind and cranberries in my cart, I raced over to the cheese section. I grabbed some gruyere, cheddar, mozzarella, brie, and goat cheese, picking three different sizes of round cheeses to create the snowman’s body.
Next, I thought I’d need black olives for the buttons and green olives for the eyes. I also wanted a carrot for the nose, so I headed back to the produce section and picked up some peppers.
Initially, I planned to use pretzel sticks for the arms, but they were out of stock, so Rich suggested breadsticks instead—great idea!
Once we got back to his place, I rolled up my sleeves and got to work in Rich’s kitchen. I didn’t second-guess myself, knowing time was short. I dove right into assembling the board, pushing any doubts aside.
I assembled a second charcuterie board with an array of delicious cured meats. I made my salami and pepperoni roses using a shot glass. YouTube offers several tutorial videos . They’re so easy to make and everyone adores them.
When the guests arrived, they absolutely loved the finished boards! It was such a hit and so rewarding to see everyone enjoy it!
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. Tune in to Divabtic’s Christmas Peril podcast.
Divabetic Baking Party prize winner Chandra, living well with type 2 diabetes, is an avid baker and home cook who has lost over 70 pounds.
She is constantly looking for new ways to enjoy my favorite foods with lower carb swaps.
Read how Chandra manages to enjoy life to the fullest without feeling deprived.
In 2014, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I immediately sought out information on nutrition after my diagnosis. Since then, I have managed my diabetes by counting carbs, walking, and adhering to my medications.
The thing that inspired me to lose weight was my family. At the time, having a 4-year-old inspired me to make small changes that make a big difference. More than anything, I want to live a long healthy life and spend it with my family!
A big help was the advice I received from my nutritionist after my type 2 diabetes diagnosis. She said to keep things simple and focus on one thing – counting carbs when getting started. So my weight loss was slow and steady, about 10-12 pounds per year.
My nutritionist also encouraged me to keep a food journal, so I calculated the carbs in everything. I think I drove everyone crazy around me. I always wrote these down in a spiral notebook. Eventually, I got pretty proficient.
I try to follow the recommendations she gave me:
1. If you are hungry, eat.
2. Our brains need carbs, so don’t eliminate carbs completely.
3. Eat 30-45 carbs per meal, 15 carbs for a snack (for women) men are 45-60. If you want to lose weight, stick to the lower end.
4. Get moving. I started walking 10 min a day, then I graduated up to about 45 min. I also recently joined a Pilates club for weekly flow classes.
5. Have regular checkups on A1C- I have had to make a few adjustments.
6. I participate in a wellness coaching program, Newtopia. They have been really helpful in keeping me setting goals and checking in. For example, I weigh myself daily with a smart scale linked to apple health. That is shared with my wellness coach, and it keeps me accountable. He also helps to keep my spirits lifted during challenging days.
A few years ago I read the book The Clean 20by Dr. Ian Smith. My husband and I followed that plan for 30 days. We liked it and continued doing that for probably another 3 or 4 months. We found out what meals we liked and added those to our routine.
Even though I have lost 70 pounds, my blood sugars have continued upwards. Recently my doctors adjusted my medications. Now I take a combination of Metformin, Januvia, and Jardiance.
Just this week, I started wearing a Dexcom g6 Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM). At first, I was super nervous about it. But I really like it. I can just look at my phone to see my sugar numbers. So far, so good on my new treatment plan.
I really enjoyed the Divabetic Baking Party On Zoom. Funny note though, I went out to buy the Pillsbury Sugar-Free Cake Mix and Frosting and was surprised that it had MORE carbs than the regular boxed mix! So, that’s a no-go for me. Instead, I’ll use the regular mix and just do smaller portions!
Recently I started to count my saturated fat grams. The new plan is to try to keep under 25 g per day. I really enjoy cream in my coffee and butter on my toast. Those are two of my favorite things, so we’ll see how that goes!!! I am a work in progress!!
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, hosts 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 Thursday, April 28, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.
Win gifts courtesy of Arthel Neville Design FABULOUS East/West Tote, Dr. Remedy’s Enriched Nail Care gift set, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes‘s Camper Cozy Mystery, Walden Farms Zero Calories, Zero Net Carbs Salad Dressings, and Peak 10Skin’s Save My Sole Foot Rescue Cream during Mr. Divabetic’s random drawings. You must be present at our Baking Party to enter our gift drawings to win.
Over 150 people registered for our last Divabetic Baking Party on Zoom, so don’t miss out!
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?
Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts 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 Thursday, April 28, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.
Win gifts courtesy of Arthel Neville Design FABULOUS East/West Tote, Dr. Remedy’s Enriched Nail Care gift set, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes‘s Camper Cozy Mystery, Walden Farms Zero Calories, Zero Net Carbs Salad Dressings, and Peak 10Skin’s Save My Sole Foot Rescue Cream during Mr. Divabetic’s random drawings. You must be present at our Baking Party to enter our gift drawings to win.
Over 150 people registered for our last Divabetic Baking Party on Zoom, so don’t miss out!
