ArcaMax

P Is for Party

I was reading a design magazine recently and saw a party planning feature. The woman was talking about how you don’t need to know how to cook (even a lick), but you can still have a cocktail party.

She said all you need are the 3 Ps.

Parmesan, potato chips and prosecco.

That’s it.

Her idea was that you go out and ...Read more

When I was little, I attended a Catholic grade school. I learned about St. Nicholas Day from the nuns. I brought my new-found knowledge home to my mom and she went right along with it.

I was really into gifts (still am), so when the nuns told me you were supposed to put your shoes by the front door and gifts would appear the next morning, I was...Read more

Hints for Eating Mashed Potatoes on Holidays

When my husband and I are invited to Thanksgiving dinner he insists I bring mashed potatoes. He has to make sure there will be at least one bowl of mashed potatoes on the buffet. Borderline rude. I know, but he insists.

I want to give you low carb hints for eating mashed potatoes.

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Turkey Tips

Most people think the Thanksgiving turkey dinner is the most intimidating meal to make. I never understood that.

For Thanksgiving there was always a crowd at my childhood home. At least a dozen people; often more. My mother would get the biggest turkey she could buy; probably 25# or so. It would barely fit in the oven, (and ...Read more

Thanksgiving Menu

Traditionally, my menu for Thanksgiving gets set this week. Here’s a little bit of the history of Thanksgiving in my family.

I always tell people it was my mom who taught me not to be intimidated by any holiday meal or the size of the crowd. As I analyze it, I realize my mom boiled Thanksgiving down to a minimalistic...Read more

Hints for Eating Mashed Potatoes on Holidays

When my husband and I are invited to Thanksgiving dinner he insists I bring mashed potatoes. He has to make sure there will be at least one bowl of mashed potatoes on the buffet. Borderline rude. I know, but he insists.

I want to give you low carb hints for eating mashed potatoes...

...Read more

The Art Of The Antipasti Tray

The definition of Antipasti: An appetizer usually consisting of an assortment of foods, such as smoked meats, cheese, fish, and vegetables.

Sounds like a low-carb platter of perfection, doesn’t it?

Plan Z dieter Michael offers these basic but tasty ideas of what you could include in an antipasti ...Read more

My husband invented one of the best kitchen innovations of all time.

It’s called The 10 Minute Cleanup.

I’m going to tell you all about it.

This works magically at the end of any dinner party. Any size. And by that, I mean I have done this with dinner for almost 100 people, but it can be done for dinner for four or even six. No number is ...Read more

Fall is my favorite season of the year. Hands down. Nothing can beat it. Nothing even comes close. I am loving this year’s fall – immensely.

What do I love about fall?

First off, I love the temperature...

Read more at PlanZDiet.com

Pumpkin Chiffon

Just in ...Read more

Will exercise help you lose weight? That is certainly what we’ve been conditioned to think. However, evidence points towards a different answer. Exercise is great for your overall health but it won’t help you lose weight. In fact, it may be counteractive towards this goal. Let’s take a closer look.

homeandleisure/recipes/zola/s-3448981">Read more

I went to my naturopathic doctor a couple of months back. I have been dealing with an infection in my digestive tract that I contracted after a series of antibiotic prescriptions. It’s been a nightmare. She had some new test results for me. One of the first things she told me was I am not getting enough protein. I squealed at her, “I eat ...Read more

Crunch!

While developing Plan Z, I never really thought much about what I now call the Crunch Factor. I was never the kid in our family that face-planted in the bag of potato chips. I left that to my brothers. I went for the donuts.

I never wanted to eat the hard candy. I’d rather have a brownie or ice cream for my treat.

After designing ...Read more

The countdown has begun...

And the clock is ticking.

If you’re going to do Plan Z this year, I’m guessing you’ll want to be well into ZReboot for Thanksgiving.

Won’t you?

Plan Z is fast — up to four times faster than “regular” diets. But ZReduction lasts for 50 days. And Thanksgiving happens to fall on November 28 this year.

...Read more

You’ve probably noticed that I regularly try to convince you to eat whole, unprocessed foods. Every recipe I write uses what I consider unprocessed foods (with minor exceptions).

To keep it simple, let’s start off with some definitions:

What are processed foods? Processed foods are anything you buy in a package in a grocery store. ...Read more

Best Food for Kids Before and After School

When I was a grade-schooler my brother and I would walk home from school each day. He was one grade behind me. It was about a mile from school to the house. If we didn’t get any other exercise at least we got that.

I do know that we went out to play after school but when we got home and ...Read more

Enjoy this previously published Zola classic

Have you heard about the spotless giraffe!

Yep, that’s right. She was born a couple of months ago in Limestone, TN. She’s already 6’ tall of gorgeous. I was on my North Carolina mountain vacation when we heard about her. She made the NY Times, The Today Show, and about every other news ...Read more

A lot of people call me a clean freak. My house is pretty spotless most of the time. I have two cats, but I don’t have any small, human children, so frankly, this is not that hard to do. My husband and I split up the household duties pretty evenly. I do the menu, shop for the food, and cook it. Sometimes he chops veggies. He’s a great sous...Read more