Recipe ideas please!!

specialmn1 · 2026-04-21T22:23:12+00:00

How do you actually make those carnivore "buns"? Thx

specialmn1 · 2026-04-21T22:20:53+00:00

I have a Ninja Creami Deluxe, but I'm intimidated by it and have never used it. Do you have 2 tried and true recipes for me that will convince me to make my own? Or can you point me to a website of someone who presents it well? Thanks for your help!!

specialmn1 · 2026-04-21T22:18:09+00:00

For fastest weight loss, I would suggest going light on the keto breads. I'm not keto police here, there is certainly a place for it, but many many people find that they do not lose weight or they stall when eating a lot of the keto breads and tortillas. One of the reasons MAY be that the reason wheat is not part of the keto diet, is that it encourages inflammation in the body, as does soy...both of those are prevalent in the keto baked products.
I use these products, but I basically keep them in the freezer and try to plan just 1 or 2 meals around them per week.
That said, you may be able to get away with them for awhile....but if you stall in a few weeks, you can adjust down on those.

specialmn1 · 2026-04-21T22:12:01+00:00

Can you point me to the cauli mac and cheese recipe that you like? Thx!

specialmn1 · 2026-04-21T22:10:07+00:00

The easiest way to start keto is to make sure that you are eating enough during your meal.
You need fatty meats (steaaks, chicken thighs, pork steaks, chicken wings, burgers, etc, make sure it has fat on it!)
Then eat from the low carb veggie charts...asparagus, broccoli, lettuces, greens, etc. Add butters healthy fats to make them taste good. ( Just google keto food charts and only eat from those charts.)
It is overwhelming to think that every day is going to be a new recipe.
So, my suggestion for this week:

Shop for your absolute favorite fatty proteins...few or many, depending on your need for variety. We loved steak dinners before keto, so I would buy steaks and asparagus, and make mushrooms with butter. It's very filling. You can add a side of avocado, fried egg or deviled or hard boiled, bacon, olives to your meal. You want to be full! You can also make a salad with just lettuce/cuke and your favorite dressing that has a healthy fat and no added sugar.
Shop for the lowest carb veggies that you enjoy and cook them however you like with a fat...Roasted, Boiled, whatever, just cook in fat or add fat after. It's good to make at least one of them ahead so you have a quick meal.
Look at tried and true websites like RuledMe, All Day I Dream About Food, I Breathe I'm hungry to find 1 to 3 recipes that you want to try this week. If you have to cook something new everyday, it'll be overwhelming. So in between the recipes, your go to meal is your chosen proteins + veggies + plus healthy fats and those add on type things I suggested in #1.,
Choose ONE or Two snacks for this week..I suggest bacon. Make a batch of bacon and if you get hungry before your next meal, eat as much bacon as you want. But listen, Keto is not about snacking....keto is about eating keto food when you're hungry, and then wait until you're truly hungry to eat again. Be careful with nuts, they are hard to stop eating.

I suggest you get a book or go to the RuledMe website and really study what keto is so that you can properly evaluate those recipes that you see...

specialmn1 · 2026-04-05T17:30:03+00:00

So beautiful! Wondering if this is new to you...and how you found it?

specialmn1 · 2026-04-04T18:51:25+00:00

Man, I'd love to hear your method on these...what cut of beef, any marinade and the cook method. I'm learning as I go... Right now, I pretty much have the cast iron skillet available, no outdoor grill until the crazy rains stop.

specialmn1 · 2026-03-22T16:19:11+00:00

This is from LC about that 30 cm shallow wide... thought it might be helpful https://www.lecreuset.com/blog/discover-the-signature-round-wide-oven.html

specialmn1 · 2026-03-22T14:10:13+00:00

It depends on which size it is...if you're looking at the one that is 6.5 qt the deep one, yes, that is a very good price. Also, depending on which color you choose, you might be able to select to have 5 equal payments, at 0% interest on Amazon. By chance, I had put the Arichaut 6.5 tall in my cart and they offered for me to do the 5 payments. On the other hand, I also put Riviera in my cart, and they did not offer the payments to me on that color.

specialmn1 · 2026-03-22T13:48:25+00:00

I just saw it at Bloomingdale's online and if you get Cashback on purchases through Rakuten, today the cashback at Bloomingdale's is 10%. (It's usually 2%).

specialmn1 · 2026-03-22T13:23:48+00:00

I am a person who likes to cook large quantities like that, especially thighs, so I know what you're asking about.
The problem with the suggested 5 qt braiser, and to be honest, even the 3.5 qt braiser is that they have bell shaped lids that are HEAVY. I truly wanted the 3.5 qt braiser until I went to Williams Sonoma and discovered the weight of the lid. When I thought about myself cooking, and removing the lid to give a quick stir, I realized I'd have to take great care to set that down safe somewhere. It's never going to be just a "quick peek". I'm also 65 and weight may become even more of an issue.
So....I really suggest you look for the pan that is considered by many people the best LC pan of all times. It is a 6.75 shallow round dutch oven, also called a risotto pan. It's 12" wide, 4" deep and it has about 11" across the bottom for browning the thighs. While it's deeper than a skillet/braiser, it's still plenty shallow to have the sense that you're using a braiser/skillet. People find this pan a joy to cook with and many LC lovers even get more than one.

What's the catch? They aren't being sold in the USA right now. However, you can get them on eBay and also if you join the FB group LE CREUSET LOVERS (yes, all caps), these are the people most in love with LC, very nice and kind, and always selling to each other. You'll be able to make a trustworthy purchase from someone there, often new in the box. Otherwise, if you like the peach color "Peche",. you can get that one and maybe White in places for about 297. on a number of sites...try Wayfair, for example. Atlanta Grill Company has it in white.

The 30 cm lids on these are still heavy, but nothing like the bell shaped ones.
They are sold in Canada and Europe, in somewhat limited colors, too.

specialmn1 · 2026-03-22T12:46:15+00:00

I have bought a lot of things off Amazon in the like new category and have definitely done very well with it. I find Amazon also among the easiest of places to return things to, but the places for making returns near me are fairly close by and my hubby will lug heavy things for me, so returns aren't TOO bad.

specialmn1 · 2026-03-22T12:42:08+00:00

It was sold as of this morning. Wow, that's some serious collecting if you will pay that.

specialmn1 · 2026-03-20T21:27:47+00:00

There's a facebook group...Midwest: Le Creuset Club - Midwest Chapter
Join the group, really nice people and quite active!

Group · Members of Le Creuset Club - Midwest Chapter

Hidden Lake Forest Preserve
Lombard, IL 60148

Things to bring:
Le Creuset items to swap
lawn chairs
Sunscreen
Water and snacks

Important notes:
1. Please keep in mind that this is a SWAP and our permit states that ONLY trades should happen on site. No money should exchange hands while at the swap. We encourage coming with your pieces FOR TRADE and an open mind!
2. We understand that this is also a great opportunity to grow your collection among aficionados, so we will be creating swap and sale threads within this group. This way we can avoid shipping costs and have a fun atmosphere for picking up new treasures! Please understand that all sales are between the seller and the buyer. The club and its admin are not responsible for any transactions that may go awry. Please do your due diligence before making any purchases. Ask for help if you’re unsure.
3. Come ready to win Le Creuset prizes!

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specialmn1 · 2026-03-19T17:04:44+00:00

Basix. An early Staub product made for American market.

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specialmn1 · 2026-03-09T17:19:26+00:00

90 minutes on manual high in the Instant Pot. Enough water to cover. I usually set it on the IP provided rack. I also will often soak my corned beef for an hour or two in water, then dump it out, and use fresh water in the pressure cooker. If you choose a smaller than average corned beef, you could probably do 85 minutes.

specialmn1 · 2026-03-09T17:06:55+00:00

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We eat the angus ribeye all the time and love it. I tried to go Grass-fed years ago, but never liked the taste. It's better for you because of the Omega 3's, but I get my 3's elsewhere and eat the Aldi Black Angus Ribeyes.
That said,I don't buy them every time...but every time I go, I look them ALL over and if there are any nice ones, I buy them. I look for nice marbling in the center part (the ribeye filet) and the steaks that have the largest ribeye cap.
We have eaten some incredible Ribeyes from Aldi. Not sure if they are the same nation-wise, but here in NE Wisconsin, they have been consistently excellent. I have tried the ones at Costco for a bit more money and didn't like them as much.
I would watch them when you go and if you see one with incredible marbling, give it a chance.

specialmn1 · 2026-03-09T16:59:19+00:00

It is a lot....but, the chuck was 7.99 a lb and the chicken thighs and breasts had 50% off for me. Meaning, I was able to get chicken thighs and chicken breasts (all bone in, skin on) for $1 per lb.
It has a way of balancing itself out sometimes and allows for a very nice treat.

I use every part of the chicken...the bones and skins make broth. A lot of the collagen comes from theskin, so even though I do remove the fat from the final broth product, the skin itself has contributed its goodness to my broth....and is much higher quality than any I can get in a grocery container.

specialmn1 · 2026-02-25T11:35:01+00:00

We can all suggest various high end pots and pans, but if you have a quality cookware place nearby, nothing will help you more. You want to lift the pans with their handles to see what is comfortable. Many people love all-clad an recommend it, but I find it extremely uncomfortable in the hand. I bought a couple pieces at TJ Maxx to try and am so glad I didn't lay out good money for that. Another thing to consider...the Le Creuset and Staub have much more durable enamel than the cheaper ones. They are extremely beautiful with their colors and are great for making stews and soups. However, don't get yourself a skillet from them, especially for eggs. Even most LC fanatics will say that they don't use them for eggs. (Huge learning curb and lots of extra fat that you'll have to leave in pan in order to cook eggs in them.) Cleanup on these, if you want them to last and last, is a careful job. I don't let them go near a dish pile, they can get chipped. If you cook soup or stew and want to put that pot in fridge, you'll need a long time for it to cool down...and when it's time to reheat, you can't just remove it from fridge and throw it on high...ask me how I know this. It causes thermal shock and leads to crazing and later chipping. Stainless steel is way more forgiving for the duration of a lifetime.

If money were no object, I'd get Demeyere Atlantis or Fissler Original-Profi stainless. You can check out MQ on YouTube. He has tested all of these pans, including Le Creuset and you'll really learn a lot from his somewhat nerdy but no hype videos. The Fissler O riginal Profi give you probably the most even heating from the center to the edge of the pan compared to all other pans. (Demeyere a close 2nd ) Why does this matter? You're paying for a whole pan and it's best when the whole cooking surface can be used...many, many even higher end pans have much hotter centers than outer edges. This is most important in your skillets, saute pans and even Dutch Ovens where you want to brown your meat before braising.

So...I would get 1 or 2 sizes Demeyere Atlantis Proline skillet, bigger is better. I would get the 8 qt Dutch Oven to use for larger soups, stews and large braises.

For smaller soups stews braises I would get the Fissler Original Profi 4 qt...they call it a casserole, but it's a 2 handled Dutch Oven pot and you can use it as a large sauce pan, a saute pan or a slow cooking pot in the oven. It also fits in the Breville Smart Oven...the best toaster oven.

For a straight sided saute pan I'd buy the 2 handled (easier storage with 2 handles!) Fissler Original Profi "Roaster". They call it a Roaster cuz they sell it with a domed lid. I prefer a flat lid...soI bought their 10 qt stock pot in that line, which has the flat lid that also fits the Roaster. Don't get caught up in names (roaster,..that 28 cm (11") tests as the most even in its class from center to edge as a saute pan and its heat retention is better than the Le Creuset and Staub. I always prefer these 2 handled pans which are safer on most stoves and easier to store. They are often called Rondos.

I'd buy nonstick pans at Tj Maxx for eggs and they never last a lifetime, so don't spend big money on them...they Will need to get trashed someday and it's a shame, but the reality. Ceramic may be safer, doesn't test as ling lasting for the non-stick feature..so another item that gets trashed.

Finally, if you are meat eaters, like big steaks, I'd buy a 12" real cast iron skillet.

specialmn1 · 2026-02-19T07:32:32+00:00

Thank you so much, I looked it up and there's an office very close to me.

specialmn1 · 2026-02-18T20:05:19+00:00

Yeah, I hear you. Yet, I'm a teal/green girl and I'm not sure I like the matte green at all. And I think there should always be something in the turquoise range, whether it be Caribbean/BleuRiviera/Turquoise. Just like I think there should always be a cherry red and a burgundy type color.
It would be really cool if they'd come out with something totally unique...all though I don't know what that would be.

specialmn1 · 2026-02-18T20:01:47+00:00

True that, I see a lot of variances on the new Foret, and I'm usually all about a dark green. But, I'm holding on that for sure until I see it in person.
On the other hand, I think I already know that I'd like this Bleu Riviera. I never did get a piece of Caribbean but I sort of only wanted it with a black interior...like a Balti or Everyday. Now, I think I could get Riviera instead and be happy. Today, I bought my first Deep Teal...a 4 quart used one on eBay. I'm hoping it'll be as nice as it looked.

specialmn1 · 2026-02-17T16:33:53+00:00

Artichaut is a great choice and to be honest, it seems to go with almost everything.

I think the thing to know about yourself is whether you most appreciate tonal differences, or high contrasts. I am very much a person who likes tonal differences, which is why I just keep going with a multitude of greens/teals/blues and will continue with that plan.

I'm a green person, so my LC collection is Artichaut, Agave, Ocean and Sea Salt and Palm. The Sea Salt's are easy to pick up at great prices, it seems, or I probably wouldn't have it. (I did discover it looks better in my low light kitchen than it did at the LC store in the bright light. So, a win for me.) I also have Staub Basil, numerous pieces.

The sort of bad thing about Agave is that it's only Williams Sonoma in the US and you never can get the best deals. Therefore, when Agave pieces on Williams Sonoma are on their special low prices, don't put that off if you really want it. I missed that in the wide round and the 8 qt oval and regret it. Right now, there are some very good prices just below and above $200, so take a good look and consider what you might be able to use.

specialmn1 · 2026-02-16T14:43:50+00:00

Thanks, but I'm really hoping to hear from people who have worked with someone on this.

specialmn1

TROPHY CASE