Stacey Harris – Page 6

04/12/201704/13/2017

A ‘Divabetic’ Easter Celebration with the Diabetic Pastry Chef & Karline Ricketts

We know many people in our Divabetic community don’t like to celebrate the holidays because they feel they may disrupt their diabetes care. But with a little pre-planning and guidance from your healthcare entourage you can still enjoy Easter related festivities without failing your diabetes.

“Don’t let diabetes dim your dazzle!”

We asked several experts, Stacey Harris aka ‘The Diabetic Pastry Chef’ and Karline Ricketts, CEO/Master Stylist to share their favorite recipes and hair tips to encourage you to celebrate a Divabetic Easter in style without compromising your diabetes health.

Stacey Harris aka ‘The Diabetic Pastry Chef’ loves to bake! While she was attending cooking school she began creating diabetic-friendly recipes for breads, cakes and other desserts by swapping out the sugar, blending the flour and cutting the milk carbohydrates after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes,. Here’s one of the Diabetic Pastry Chef’s most requested recipes:

Easter Basket Cupcakes Recipe by Stacey “The Diabetic Pastry Chef” Harris

Cupcakes Ingredients

1 1/4 cups cake flour

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup Whey Low D Granular, or dry sweetener of your choice

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup buttermilk

Directions

Combine dry ingredients and set aside. In mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and beat until combined and Whey Low or other sweetener is dissolved.

Reduce mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fill 12 paper lined muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven approximately 20 minutes, or until toothpick in center comes out clean.

Frosting Ingredients

1 cup milk

5 T all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup trans-fat-free shortening

1 cup sugar, Whey Low D Granular, or other dry sweetener of your choice

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

In saucepan combine milk and flour. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils and thick paste forms, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

In mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat butter, shortening, sweetener, and vanilla until creamy. Add chilled milk mixture. Beat at least 10 minutes. Spread on cooled cupcakes.

Please note: a tub of sugar-free vanilla frosting can be substituted for this frosting recipe.

Topping Ingredients

1 bag sweetened or unsweetened coconut flakes

green food coloring

sugar-free or low sugar jelly beans

12 pipe cleaners (can be purchased at cigarette/cigar store or drug store)

Directions

Color the coconut flakes with the green food coloring. Spread on top of frosted cupcakes and press down a little. Scatter several jelly beans on top and gently press down. Bend the pipe cleaners and stick into the sides of the cupcakes as handles.

Stacey Harris has transformed more than 200 desserts into diabetic-friendly delights. COOKBOOK

Is Wearing An Easter Bonnet Harmful to Your Hair?

Topping off your Easter best with a bonnet or hat is as ‘sweet’ as adding frosting to a cupcake but can it damage your hair?

Karline Ricketts, CEO/Master Stylist, opened her first salon in West Palm Beach, FL over 30 years ago to provide an upscale client environment for a growing ethnic consumer market. Karline offers these tips for wearing a hat responsibly:

Style your hair a bit fuller than you normally would before you put on a hat to keep some of the volume when you take it off.

Never put a hat on your wet hair. Doing so may cause tension, breakage and the ultimate case of hat head when the hair is dry.

Give your hair room to breathe. Wearing a tight hat causes the hair to get greasy at the roots but dry at the ends. When the hat rubs against dry hair, it may cause it to break. A tight hat will put pressure on your head (it should feel comfortable and not pressed against your head), crush your curls and make your scalp sweat, making the situation worse.

Wear a satin cap or scarf underneath your hat to prevent your hair from breaking and dryness and to preserve your hairstyle or choose hats with a satin or silk lining.

Don’t miss Fabulous 2017, an evening of extraordinary elegance benefiting Divabetic, presented by Karline’s Salon on Saturday, May 20, 2017, 7 PM. Enjoy magical night of culture and community, colors and curls, and trend-setting fashions in a spectacular runway show. BUY TICKETS

Don’t Let the Parade Pass You By!

I’’ll be raising awareness for diabetes in a fun, new way at this year’s Annual Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival in New York on Sunday, April 16, 2017, 12:30 PM

Tune in to Facebook Live (Divabetic) to catch all the sights and sounds live from the Red Carpet with guests Divabetic Image & Style Advisor, Catherine Schuller AICI, CIP, diabetes advocate, Laura Laria and hat designer, Evetta Petty and more!

03/07/201703/08/2017

Midnight Chocolate Flourless Cake by the Diabetic Pastry Chef

A lot of us experience late night cravings for salty, sugary and starchy foods that can cause havoc with our diabetes self-management.

What and how much you eat can directly affect your blood sugars both overnight and the next morning, especially if your snack choices are mostly carbohydrate foods. Your diabetes medicine may not completely “cover” excessive eating at night and you may be unpleasantly surprised the next morning when you check your blood sugar and find that it’s higher than desired.

March’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast guest, The Diabetic Pastry Chef, Stacey Harris who is living with type 2 diabetes wants to help you to have your cake and eat it, too, without sacrificing your diabetes self-care.

Stacey has created recipes for making breads, cakes and other desserts diabetic-friendly by swapping out the sugar, blending the flour and cutting the milk carbohydrates. Here’s one of the Diabetic Pastry Chef’s most requested recipes:

Ingredients:

8 ounces sugar-free or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces and softened
2 whole eggs
4 separated eggs
1 cup sugar or equivalent dry sugar substitute
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Melt chocolate in double boiler or bowl set over hot water. Remove from heat and whisk in butter until it melts; set aside.

In a bowl, whisk whole eggs and 4 egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar or equivalent dry sugar substitute, and the vanilla, just until blended. Whisk in warm chocolate mixture.

In a separate bowl with an electric mixer, beat egg whites until foamy. Slowly add remaining sugar or equivalent dry sugar substitute. Beat until whites form soft peaks and hold their shape but are not quite stiff. Stir approximately 1/4 of beaten whites into chocolate mixture to lighten it. Gently fold in remaining whites.

Pour batter into an 8-inch springform pan that has been lined on the bottom with a round of wax paper. Smooth top of batter and place pan in a preheated 350-degree oven. Bake until top of cake is puffed and cracked and center is firm, approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Do not overbake.

Cook cake on a wire rack. Center of cake will fall as it cools. At serving time, fill center with sweetened whipped cream or sugar free chocolate sauce and dust top lightly with sifted cocoa. Run tip of a knife around edges of cake, and carefully remove sides of pan.

Yields 8 to 12 servings.

BUY NOW: “The Diabetic Pastry Chef” by Stacey Harris (Pelican, $24.95)

LISTEN NOW: Diabetes Late Nite inspired by Gladys Knight & The Pips. We’re taking about sleep apnea, the dawn phenomenon, midnight cravings and a topic that’s keeping some of us awake at night; President Trump’s repeal of the Affordable Care Act with my guests: Stacey Harris aka ‘The Diabetic Pastry Chef’, Tamara Sellman from SleepyHead Central,Mary Ann Hodorowicz, RD, LDN, MBA, CDE, CEC, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach, Poet Lorraine Brooks and Mama Rose Marie.

We’re giving away a fabulous Divabetic Prize pack courtesy of Cabot Cheese, Nu Naturals and Dr. Greenfield’s in our INSTANT WINNER Challenge.

Please take a minute to follow me on twitter, like us on Facebook and donate to Divabetic at divabetic.org your tax deductible contributions are greatly appreciated!

03/07/2017

Join us Tonight for March’s Diabetes Late Nite!

Tonight we’re talking about Nighttime Diabetes Management with musical inspiration from Gladys Knight & The Pips courtesy of SONY Music on Tuesday, March 7, 2017, 6 -7:30 PM, EST.

Gladys Knight doesn’t have diabetes, but the disease is as close to her heart as the memories of her mother, Elizabeth Knight, who died of complications from the disease in 1997. A five-time Grammy award winner, Knight is as busy as ever gracing the entertainment world with her exceptional voice. Yet she never misses an opportunity to voice the message of early detection and treatment of diabetes.

Gladys shares her final words of wisdom: ” Do something about diabetes … Know more, do more!” Knight feels nearly as passionate about spreading that message as she does about the incredible singing career her mom helped her launch some 54 years ago.

Tonight we’ll be discussing sleep apnea, the dawning effect, midnight sweet cravings and a topic that’s keeping some of us awake at night; President Trump’s repeal of the Affordable Care Act with my guests: Stacey Harris aka ‘The Diabetic Pastry Chef’, Tamara Sellman from SleepyHead Central, Mary Ann Hodorowicz, RD, LDN, MBA, CDE, CEC, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach, Poet Lorraine Brooks and Mama Rose Marie.

Plus, I’ll be giving away a fabulous Divabetic Prize pack courtesy of Cabot Cheese, Nu Naturals and Dr. Greenfield’s in our INSTANT WINNER Challenge.

Please take a minute to follow me on twitter, like us on Facebook and donate to Divabetic at divabetic.org your tax deductible contributions are greatly appreciated

TUNE IN: Diabetes Late Nite inspired by Gladys Knight & The Pips tonight, March 7, 2016, 6-7:30 PM, EST.

02/17/2017

Pink Champagne Cake Truffles Recipe by Diabetic Pastry Chef

This year Divabetic is working with teams of experts to show you how to embrace the holidays without compromising your diabetes self-care.

If you find it difficult to celebrate the holidays because you’re constantly feeling deprived of the foods you love then check out “the Diabetic Pastry Chef”, Stacey Harris’s wonderful recipes.

Stacey, who is living with type 2 diabetes, wants to help everyone living with diabetes to have their cake and eat it, too, without feeling guilt or unhealthy.

Pink Champagne Cake Truffles Recipe by Diabetic Pastry Chef

Ingredients:

3 cups cake flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons King Arthur cake enhancer, optional

5 large egg whites, room temp

1 cup pink champagne, room temp

2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups Whey Low D Granular, or equivalent dry sugar substitute

1 cup unsalted butter, room temp

a few drops of pink or red food coloring

1 15-oz tub sugar-free vanilla frosting or handmade frosting

bag of dessicated unsweetened coconut

Directions: Sift together the first 4 dry ingredients and set aside. In mixer bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. In separate bowl combine the wet ingredients with the Whey Low or other sugar substitute, and food coloring. Mix well by hand until sugar substitute is dissolved. Alternately add the flour mixture and wet ingredients to the mixing bowl beating just until well combined, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Add to greased and floured 11 x 17″ baking pan and bake until cake pulls from the side of the pan, and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cake cool to room temperature.

By hand, break the cake into pieces and add to clean mixing bowl. Turn mixer to medium speed and beat until cake is crumbled about 1 or 2 minutes. Add about 2 large Tbsps of sugar-free vanilla frosting to the bowl and beat until combined. Turn off mixer and gather the dough pressing it together with your hands until a dough forms. You may need to add a little more frosting. With a small cookie scoop, scoop the dough and roll into balls with your hands. Cover and refrigerate the balls for several hours.

Heat the remaining frosting in the microwave just until melted and add a small amount of champagne a teaspoon at a time just to flavor the frosting. Do not let the frosting become too liquid. Remove the cake balls from the refrigerator, roll the balls in the melted frosting and then in the coconut. The truffles are best kept refrigerated. Yield: Approximately 50 cake truffles.

Stacey Harris has been baking and collecting recipes since she was a teenager. Her cookbook “The Diabetic Pastry Chef” offers a healthier approach to baking for diVabetic.

Don’t miss the “The Diabetic Pastry Chef” on March’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast with music by Gladys Knight & The Pips on Tuesday, March 7, 2017, 6-7 PM, EST. Click on this link to TUNE IN

LISTEN: Diabetes Late Nite inspired by George Michael featuring our first-ever Valentine’s Day Party with Chef Ward Alper aka ‘The Decadent Diabetic’, ‘Rich In Love’ fashion blogger Doris Hobbs, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach, Poet Lorraine Brooks and Laura Laria.

Learning to accept yourself for who you are is the most important step to self-love. Stop comparing yourself to others and learn to embrace the person you are.

02/14/201702/14/2017

Fall in love with your Diabetes Health for Valentine’s Day

This year one of our goals at Divabetic is to encourage our divas to embrace the holidays like Valentine’s Day without compromising their diabetes health.

Celebrate your health and take some time to enjoy your own wellbeing and happiness. Here are some ways you can love yourself this Valentine’s Day:

Love your exercise. Spending some time outdoors, at the gym, or on your yoga mat is a perfect way to give back to you. Exercise will help boost your mood, leaving you feeling happier and more relaxed. Regular exercise will also help prevent or manage a wide range of illnesses.

Love your health. Without health we can’t have happiness, which is why it is so important to take time to look after ourselves. This Valentine’s Day, think about your heart and work on ways to reduce unnecessary stress in your life.

What if, when you make your list of valentines, you include yourself this time? Showing yourself and your diabetes health some love could be your sweetest decision yet….

If we don’t take the time to honor and appreciate ourselves, how can we expect that others will?

With this inspiration, we hope that you feel the love from everyone around you, including yourself – maybe not just today, but year round! Happy Valentine’s day!

‘Love to Me’ by Poet Lorraine Brooks

can I return my love to me

with stems of flowers by the sea

or maybe with a beating heart

that says our paths must never part… READ MORE

Susan Weiner MS RDN CDE CDN, 2015 AADE Diabetes Educator of the Year and author of “The CompleteDiabetes Organizer: Your Guide to a Less Stressful and More Manageable Diabetes Life” offers this advice for Valentine’s Day:

1 – Start the day with some love. Toast up a piece of whole grain bread and prepare a bulls eye egg in a non stick pan with a bit of olive oil. Use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out the middle of the toast, and place the toast on top of the egg, so the heart shape is visible. It will bring a smile to your lovers face!

2 – Use an empty heart shaped box, and small pieces of colorful plastic wrap. Use sliced bananas, melon, and strawberries and drizzle a small amount of dark chocolate on these sweet fruits. Place the chocolate drizzled fruit in the wrap and fill the box. Homemade, delicious and thoughtful. If you choose to dip the fruit in hot dark chocolate, consider adding a few nuts for extra crunch and texture.

You may chalk it up to another Hallmark holiday, but there’s no denying that Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to put on a cute outfit and hit the town. Whether you’re going out on a romantic night on the town. Why not ‘Go Red!’ and raise awareness for heart disease in honor of Valentine’s Day?

According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S.

Type 2 diabetes independently increases the risk of heart disease in pre-menopausal women and those in the first years of menopause, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association High Blood Pressure Research Scientific Sessions 2013.

What does the color red say about you?

The red dress effect is a putative phenomenon in which people wearing red clothing, such as a red dress, are perceived to be more sexually appealing than they are when wearing other colors.

Research has shown that wearing red clothes can make women more attractive to men. But do women take advantage of this fact by wearing red when they want to attract a man’s attention?

“A woman’s closet can foster strong relations by serving as a reminder to ones nostalgic roots and past, communicating an authenticity of its own,” says Rich In Love Fashion Blogger, Spokesmodel, Author and fabulous Diabetes Advocate, Doris Hobbs. READ MORE

From style to Chef Ward Alper aka ‘The Decadent Diabetic’, who is living with type 2 diabetes, is determined to show the world how to manage diabetes and still eat decadently. “A diagnosis of diabetes doesn’t have to mean the end of great eating!”, says the Decadent Diabetic.The Decadent Diabetic’s advice for home cooks for Valentine’s Day:

Make it simple and ahead: It is Tuesday and you probably had to work and will need to work tomorrow.

1- Make as much as you can ahead of time. You don’t want to slave over a hot stove and fall asleep in your food

2 – Keep it light. A heavy meal may keep you from “getting lucky”

3 – Make sure it is something the one you love… loves. Nothing can put a damper on a romantic meal like the other person saying : “I don’t eat that.”

4 – Finish with Chocolate. It is Valentine’s day…do I need to say more?

Enjoy Loveable Lamb Recipe by the Decadent Diabetic

Janis Roszler LMFT, RD, LD/N, CDE, FAND author of “Sex and Diabetes” and “The Secrets of Living and Loving with Diabetes” offers this advice to couples for Valentine’s Day:

1 – Hug! Every day, hug your partner until you both feel relaxed. It’s a non-sexual hug that nurtures your emotional needs while it enriches your relationship. When you feel more connected, romantic moments get even better!

2 – Do one romantic thing for your loved one each day – send a loving text, call to say you miss them, place a romantic note in their sink, buy their favorite food, etc. Show that you are thinking of them. Very romantic!

It’s difficult to love yourself and your diabetes health if you’re constantly feeling deprived of the foods you love. The Diabetic Pastry Chef, Stacey Harris, who is living with type 2 diabetes, wants you to have your cake and eat it, too, without sacrificing your diabetes self-care.

Stacey has created recipes for making breads, cakes and other desserts diabetic-friendly by swapping out the sugar, blending the flour and cutting the milk carbohydrates.

Enjoy Mini Rose Heart Cookies Recipe by The Diabetic Pastry Chef, Stacey Harris

Songs have been written about every topic imaginable, but the best ones — from swooning ’50s ballads to contemporary club bangers — have been penned about the ups and downs of being in love. One of our favorite pop stars is George Michael.

Few songwriters from the 1980’s were as capable of writing both heart-wrenching torch ballads speaking to the essential isolation at the core of the human condition, and sugary pop trifles where the only word you needed to understand was “jitterbug.” And the best of his songs usually fell somewhere in between, bold and bubbly declarations of independence and deliverance that still admitted how scared and unsure he was about all of it, a too-rare combination of pro prowess and outsider insecurity that seemed to make him more relatable the more popular he became.

LISTEN NOW: Diabetes Late Nite inspired by George Michael podcast. Enjoy our first-ever Valentine’s Day Party featuring Chef Ward Alper aka ‘The Decadent Diabetic’, ‘Rich In Love’ fashion blogger Doris Hobbs, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach and Poet Lorraine Brooks.

Learning to accept yourself for who you are is the most important step to self-love. Stop comparing yourself to others and learn to embrace the person you are.

Finally, Valentine’s Day offers the perfect excuse to get educated about Heart Health. Your heart isn’t only your most critical muscle — it’s what keeps you alive, after all — but also one of the hardest working. It ticks 24-7 and except for the times when you’re relaxing or sleeping, it rarely gets a break. Below, find fascinating facts about your heart that might inspire you to give it a little more TLC every day.

Want to know how big your heart is? Make a fist. Heart size depends on the size of the person as well as the condition of their heart. Generally speaking, a healthy heart is about the size of the person’s fist.

During the average human lifespan, the heart beats over 2.5 billion times. The human heart beats approximately 100,000 times per day and 35 million times each year of life.

Every minute, your heart pumps about five quarts of blood through a system of blood vessels that’s over 60,000 miles long, according to the Cleveland Clinic. That translates to about 2,000 gallons of blood every day.

02/04/2017

Raspberry Ice Cream With Frosted Blackberry Garnish by the Diabetic Pastry Chef

This year Divabetic is actively encouraging you to enjoy the holidays like Valentine’s Day! We don’t think celebrating holidays, special occasions and other meaningful moments in life has to mean compromising your diabetes health either. Put the focus on family and friends, fashion and activities and not on food. Enjoy what you do eat. Savor each bite! Most important, remember to include time for exercise, meals and relaxation. The holidays will only be great if you’re in good health to enjoy them.

We’re asking our team of experts to share their best diabetes advice, recipes and fashion and beauty products so that you can ‘glam more, fear less’ with each celebration.

Shortly after attending culinary school to become a pastry chef, Stacey Harris was diagnosed with diabetes. She was devastated since she enjoyed baking and loved to eat sweets.

What’s a ‘divabetic’ with a sweet tooth supposed to do?

Stacey started to experiment with a lot of artificial sweeteners and was mainly disappointed with the results. After many experiments, Stacey Harris developed a formula that consistently turned out delicious confections even a non-diabetic would love. She’s now known as the ‘Diabetic Pastry Chef’ and has written cookbooks filled with delicious recipes for you to enjoy! Here’s one:

Raspberry Ice Cream With Frosted Blackberry Garnish by the Diabetic Pastry Chef

Ingredients: 1 cup milk, 3/4 cup alternative sweetener such as Whey Low D, Truvia or Splenda, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and 1 lb frozen raspberries

Directions: Add all ingredients in order listed to blender container. Stacey uses a Vitamix blender. With Vitamix begin at variable speed 1 , increase to 10, then high. Press ingredients into the blender with tamper. In 30 to 60 seconds the sound of the machine will change and 4 mounds should appear. Stop the blender immediately and serve. The ice cream can of course be frozen. Other berries can be substituted for raspberries.

This recipe can be made with other sturdy blenders following the manufacturers instructions.

Do you love fashion?

‘Rich in Love’ Vintage Style blogger, Doris Hobbs shares her favorite dresses from the he 23rd annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards’ Red Carpet on February’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast scheduled for Tuesday, February 7, 2017, 6-7 PM, EST. Many of our favorite stars arrived looking utterly glamorous to honor their peers for their achievements in film and television

Doris says the first thing she remembered after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes was that she had two options: she could allow it to control her life or find the unbinding courage from within the tragedy; she chose courage.

“The next few days were consumed with perplexed emotions, mostly of denial pooled from the self-belief that I could be a rare case and mysteriously cured,” says Doris. “I was given a new role and lifestyle of living with type 1 diabetes. I immediately chose to not wear it as a sympathy garment; instead I’d rather refashion how others perceive such a life-altering disorder. Aside from a select group of family and friends that knew of my health struggles, I somehow managed, two days after the news was confirmed, to conduct an on-location photo-shoot for my vintage-inspired style blog, Rich in Love Fashion. I knew without a doubt at that moment that I had a purpose on earth and found myself more determined to not allow diabetes to hinder my little girl dreams.”

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic and the Diabetes Late Nite team are honored to participate in the Second Diabetes Podcast Week in support of the Spare a Rose, Save a Child campaign” on February’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast scheduled for Tuesday, February 7, 2017, 6 PM, EST.

“I’m thrilled to support such a worthwhile cause by participating in Diabetes Podcast Week again this year, ” says Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek.”We’ve got a really wonderful show planned featuring guests Chef Ward Alper ‘The Decadent Diabetic’ and Diabetes Advocate and ‘Rich In Love’ fashion blogger, model and diabetes advocate Doris Hobbs along with many of George Michael’s greatest hits.”

The “Spare a Rose, Save a Child” campaign encourages people to buy one less rose this Valentine’s Day and donate the value of that flower to children with diabetes. Donations go to Life for a Child, an International Diabetes Federation program which provides life-saving diabetes supplies, medication, and education that children in developing countries need to stay alive.

Don’t miss Diabetes Late Nite inspired by George Michael on Tuesday, February 7, 2017, 6-7 PM, EST. Enjoy our first-ever Valentine’s Day Party featuring Chef Ward Alper aka ‘The Decadent Diabetic’, ‘Rich In Love’ fashion blogger Doris Hobbs, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach and Poet Lorraine Brooks.

01/23/201701/25/2017

Mini Rose Heart Cookies Recipe by Diabetic Pastry Chef Stacey Harris

This year, Divabetic is working with a team of experts to show people living with, at risk and affected by diabetes how to embrace the holidays without compromising their self-care.

February’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast encourages listeners to practice ‘self-love’ on Valentine’s Day and also features George Michaels greatest hits.

Valentine’s Day puts the emphasis on love for someone special in your life. But did you ever think that, hey, YOU are someone special in your life?

Why not make this day about loving yourself and your health? You can’t love someone else until your truly love yourself.

It’s difficult to love yourself and your diabetes health if you’re constantly feeling deprived of the foods you love. The Diabetic Pastry Chef, Stacey Harris who is living with type 2 diabetes wants you to have your cake and eat it, too, without sacrificing your diabetes self-care.

Stacey has created recipes for making breads, cakes and other desserts diabetic-friendly by swapping out the sugar, blending the flour and cutting the milk carbohydrates. Here’s one of our favorite Diabetic Pastry Chef recipes for Valentine’s Day:

Mini Rose Heart Cookies Recipe by The Diabetic Pastry Chef, Stacey Harris

Ingredients:

1 16 oz. box sugar-free yellow cake mix
1 15 oz. tub sugar-free vanilla frosting
Mini edible organic rosebuds
Powdered sugar substitute or powdered sugar, to garnish

Directions:

Prepare cake mix according to box directions; bake and cool.
Crumble the cooled cake with your hands a bit and add to the bowl of a standing mixer. Turn mixer to medium speed to fully crumble the cake; this should take 1 to 2 minutes.

Stop mixer and add frosting one (1) heaping Tablespoon at a time. Turn mixer back on and continue to beat at low speed until well mixed. Turn off mixer and add another heaping Tablespoon of frosting.

Turn on mixer again and continue to beat at low speed until well mixed. Continue this procedure just until dough holds together—3 or 4 heaping Tablespoons should do. (You may need to add a little more or a little less. You’ll know when the dough holds together by turning off the mixer, grabbing the dough and pressing it together with your hands until it forms a cohesive ball. This is the same method that is used to make cake balls or cake truffles.)

Remove dough from mixer and place on a floured board. With a rolling pin, roll dough out thin, and cut with a mini heart cookie cutter. Place the hearts onto a greased cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven until lightly browned, about 20 minutes or so. Remove cookies from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. (The cookies will harden as they cool.)

Dab a bit of the remaining frosting onto the center of each cooled cookie. Adhere a mini edible organic rosebud to the frosting and let harden. Sprinkle cookies with powdered sugar substitute or powdered sugar. These cookies can also be sandwiched with sugar-free frosting.

Yield: 43 mini sandwich cookies or 86 mini cookies

Stacey Harris has been baking and collecting recipes since she was a teenager. Her cookbook “The Diabetic Pastry Chef” offers a healthier approach to baking for diVabetics.

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic and the Diabetes Late Nite team are honored to participate in the Second Diabetes Podcast Week in support of the Spare a Rose, Save a Child campaign” on February’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast scheduled for Tuesday, February 7, 2017, 6 PM, EST.

The “Spare a Rose, Save a Child” campaign encourages people to buy one less rose this Valentine’s Day and donate the value of that flower to children with diabetes. Donations go to Life for a Child, an International Diabetes Federation program which provides life-saving diabetes supplies, medication, and education that children in developing countries need to stay alive.

Don’t miss Diabetes Late Nite inspired by George Michael on Tuesday, February 7, 2017, 6-7 PM, EST. Enjoy our first-ever Valentine’s Day Party featuring Chef Ward Alper aka ‘The Decadent Diabetic’, ‘Rich In Love‘ fashion blogger Doris Hobbs, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach, Poet Lorraine Brooks and Mama Rose Marie

Learning to accept yourself for who you are is the most important step to self-love. Stop comparing yourself to others and learn to embrace the person you are.

You have beautiful qualities, both physical and emotional, that draw people to you. You don’t need to look or talk or act like anyone else. We all offer the world something different. That’s what makes it so beautiful.

Let our team of experts show you how to embrace Valentine’s Day without feeling like you’re compromising your diabetes self-care. Don’t let diabetes dim your Dazzle!

This podcast is part of Diabetes Podcast Week in support of the ‘Spare A Rose, Save A Child’ campaign. Please join us! #Dpodcastweek

01/15/2017

Love Your Diabetes Health with a Divabetic’s Valentine’s Day Celebration

This year we’re encouraging you to ‘sparkle’ not just survive the holidays if you’re living with diabetes. From feeling deprived about what you can eat to feeling embarrassed about living a sexual health related complication, diabetes can make it difficult at times to get in the spirit!

Coming soon our favorite experts, Stacey Harris aka the Diabetic Pastry Chef, ‘The Decadent Diabetic‘ aka Chef Ward Alper, Wine & Spirits Expert Samantha Shaken Baker, Certified Diabetes Educators, Patrica Addie-Gentle RN, CDE and Janis Roszler, LMFT, RD, LD/N, CDE, FAND and Rich In Love Fashion style Blogger, Published Writer, Diabetes Advocate, and Spokesmodel, Doris Hobbs share their advice on loving the holiday without compromising your diabetes health.

Look for our Diabetic Valentine’s Day Celebration’s diabetes self-care advice, healthy and delicious recipes, beauty and fashion tips and favorite love songs on this blog and our upcoming February Diabetes Late Nite podcast inspired by George Michael on Tuesday, February 7, 2017, 6-7 PM, EST.

Did you know that Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, though written Valentine’s didn’t begin to appear until after 1400?

The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. (The greeting is now part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England.) Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.

Did you know that Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s?

In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began selling the first mass-produced valentines in America. Howland, known as the “Mother of the Valentine,” made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as “scrap.” Today, according to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year!

TUNE IN: February’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast featuring music by George Michael on Tuesday, February 7, 2017, 6-7 PM, ESt. Guests include Chef Ward Alper aka ‘The Decadent Diabetic’, Rich In Love style blogger Doris Hobbs, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach, Mama Rose Marie and Poet Lorraine Brooks. Hosted by Mr. Divabetic.

12/25/2016

The Perfect Cookies, Cuticles & Coverage for a Divabetic Christmas Day Celebration

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This holiday season Divabetic is championing a ‘sparkle not just survive’ attitude about living with diabetes.

We know for many newly diagnosed people that managing diabetes can feel complicated and overwhelming during the holiday season. The secret is to discover the little changes that make things just work for your diabetes self-care management.

Are you frustrated trying to figure out how not to feel deprived during the holidays?

We assembled an all-star team of beauty/fashion experts, diabetes educators and chefs to help empower you to enjoy a “Divabetic Christmas Day Celebration” on your terms.

Our chic “Divabetic Christmas Day Celebration” starts with licensed nail technician Jennifer Dye‘s perfect Christmas-themed cuticles. Jennifer says, “your nails are an expression of who you are, so make them count!”She focuses on enhancing your natural nails you minimize your exposure to the abrasive or harsh chemicals necessary in artificial nail treatments.

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Jennifer enjoys showing people how to care for their nails in the best way possible, and emphasizing your own natural nail beauty. She used all Essie Nail Polish shades to create this festive look. Essie is the ultimate color authority offering a line of superior nail polishes. The fashion-forward shades with an exclusive award winning formula are always classic, chic and elegant. Essie polish provides flawless coverage along with outstanding durability, a chip-resistant formula and whimsical names in the most up-to-the-minute colors. All Essie nail polishes are DBP, toluene, and formaldehyde free.

Divabetic Tip: Eat slowly, and really enjoy the foods that you may only have once a year. If the meal will be served near your usual meal time, try to eat the same amount of carbohydrate that you normally would for a meal. If you plan to have a portion of dessert, cut back on another carbohydrate food during the main course.

Next up, is the perfect cookie for a “Divabetic Christmas Day Celebration”!

Type 2 diabetes doesn’t stop The Diabetic Pastry Chef, Stacey Harris from celebrating the holidays. Stacey says, “those of us with special dietary restrictions can still treat ourselves to the bounty of the fall and winter holidays. We just need to be a bit more mindful of our preparation and consumption.”

From her tasty treats to her outlook on life, this pastry chef keeps things as sweet as can be! Her flavor combinations and attention to detail make Stacey’s treats so craveable, while her soft voice and gentle smile make this pastry chef just so lovable reports Diabetic Living magazine.

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Oatmeal Cookies by the Diabetic Pastry Chef Stacey Harris

Ingredients

1 cup raisins

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

3 eggs, well beaten

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2/3 cup white whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking soda

2 cups oats

¾ cup pecans, chopped

1 cup butter or canola butter

2 cups Whey Low D Granular, sifted

1 tbsp. molasses

Directions:

Combine and let stand the raisins, vanilla and eggs.

In separate bowl, sift together the flours, salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Add the oats and pecans.

In mixer bowl, cream together the Whey Low, butter and molasses. Alternately add the egg mixture and the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and beat until incorporated. Drop by tablespoons onto greased baking sheets and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Yield: 22 cookies. Glaze with powdered sugar glaze and pecan halves if desired.

The Diabetic Pastry Chef, Stacey Harris’s recipes are featured in this year’s Diabetes Mystery podcast, “Suspect Boulevard” .

Divabetic Tip: Follow the simple ‘Rule of 15’ to properly treat a low blood sugars. Eat 15 grams of carbohydrate and wait 15 minutes, repeat if necessary. The following foods will provide about 15 grams of carbohydrate: 3 glucose tablets.

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Divabetic Image & Style advisor, Catherine Schuller’s motto is to “get up, dress up, show up and never give up!” Her “Divabetic Christmas Day Celebration” fashion choice for women concerned about their bare upper arms is Sleevey Wonder’s Bandeau 1/2 Sleeve White Jersey Sleevey Wonders – Plus Size (retail $51). Sleevey Wonders’ reversible slip-on sleeves are made to wear under all your sleeveless strapless tops and dresses, magically transforming your outfits into something new! Sleevey Wonders offers under sleeves in a variety of different styles to pair perfectly with any top or dress. From long sleeved mesh, to 3/4 sleeve jersey, you can find a style to perfectly match your fashionable choices.

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Why not dress up your diabetes self-care? The Clearance Prestige Medical Compact Carrying Case is only $5.00 and makes the perfect Divabetic fashion statement. 6″ x 9″ nylon carrying case is a colorful, inexpensive way to store and safely transport your sphygmomanometer. Features include a hook and loop closure side pocket, nylon carrying strap, water resistant lining. Many colors and prints to choose from with themes including Pink Ribbon, florals, paisleys and Betty Boop.

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My pick for the perfect soundtrack for a “Divabetic Christmas Day Celebration” is Leona Lewis’s “Christmas, with Love” album. I’ve been playing all month long and I can’t get enough! “Christmas, with Love” offers seasonal classics and 3 brand new original holiday songs including ‘One More Sleep’ and ‘Mr. Right’. Packed full of fun and festivity interpreted by the multi-platinum singer and songwriter Leona Lewis. She took the music world by storm with her 2008 debut album Spirit, which featured the best-selling #1 “Bleeding Love” and was nominated for three Grammy Awards. Leona has sold over 20 million albums and singles combined worldwide.

Divabetic Tip: Soluble fiber (the kind found in oatmeal, beans, and apples, among other foods) helps to slow your body’s breakdown of carbohydrates and the absorption of sugar, helping with blood sugar control. Insoluble fiber, found in foods like dark green leafy vegetables, green beans, celery, and carrots, does not dissolve at all and helps add bulk to your stool.

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Finally, what’s Christmas without a fabulous special offer?PEAK 10 SKIN® founder, Connie Elder offers discounts to our Divabetic community on her skincare line.Simply use coupon code: friendsandfamily (no spaces, lowercase) at CHECKOUT to receive 30% off. www.PEAK10SKIN.com

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Connie says, “winter skincare is so important, especially to people with diabetes. Healthy, hydrated skin is stronger skin! Skin integrity is so important to keep from having open wounds.”

On Christmas Day if you eat more carbs than you planned for, don’t think you have failed. Get back on track with your usual eating habits the next day and include extra exercise and don’t forget to monitor your blood glucose levels. GLAM MORE, FEAR LESS!

11/23/2016

Baked Rice or Quinoa Pudding by the Diabetic Pastry Chef

The Diabetic Pastry Chef, Stacey Harris’s recipes are featured in this year’s Diabetes Mystery podcast, “Suspect Boulevard” featuring Best-Selling Author, Tonya Kappes, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach and Mama Rose Marie.

Millions of people with, at risk and affected by diabetes read mystery paperbacks and there’s a huge collection of books featuring super indulgent recipes that really bug me. I think it’s high-time someone wrote a mystery featuring healthy and delicious recipes so I asked Stacey Harris, The Diabetic Pastry Chef to contribute some recipes for this year’s diabetes mystery podcast.

Type 2 diabetes doesn’t stop Stacey Harris. From her tasty treats to her outlook on life, this pastry chef keeps things as sweet as can be! Her flavor combinations and attention to detail make Stacey’s treats so craveable, while her soft voice and gentle smile make this pastry chef just so lovable reports Diabetic Living magazine.

Baked Rice or Quinoa Pudding Recipe by the Diabetic Pastry Chef Stacey Harris

Ingredients

2 cups milk or unsweetened almond milk

3 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

½ tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

¾ cup cooked brown rice or quinoa

1 cup Whey Low D granular

3 tbsp. melted butter

½ cup raisins

Directions

Combine all ingredients mixing well. Pour into an ungreased 1 ½ quart casserole dish or individual ramekins. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes or until center of pudding is firm and does not shake. Can be served warm or cold. Refrigerate any leftovers.

LISTEN NOW: Diabetes Late Nite inspired by Ella Fitzgerald podcast hosted by Mr. Divabetic. Throughout the podcast we will be playing music from the album, Columbia Jazz; Ella Fitzgerald, 1973 courtesy of SONY Music.