This is a personal lifestyle – public blog that is centered on diabetes. The onset of the pandemic and postal delays caused me to close my sugar-free bakery, The Diabetic Pastry Chef. This, in turn, led me to change the focus of my blog. I now share my personal life, thoughts and musings, sugar-free recipes, informational diabetes-related articles and videos; my spirituality, music, culture, choices, etc. I hope you will find points of interest here as you proceed on your diabetes journey.
In the meantime, you can find many of my items for local Pittsburgh CATERING via www.TaraPeriChicken.com, which is a subsidiary of The Diabetic Pastry Chef. It’s named after my daughter, Tara, a savory chef who formerly worked for Williams-Sonoma in the capacity of chef and culinary expert teaching cooking classes. Tara-Peri Chicken is a catering company in the Pittsburgh area. A lot of my sugar-free desserts are found on that order site as well as savory items prepared by my daughter. Her specialty is peri-peri chicken, a dish prepared with African birds-eye chilis . It’s a flavorful, spicy dish popular in Mozambique, Angola and Portugal.
This blog is, as I just mentioned, heavy on diabetes information, food, art, music, culture, dance and exercise. I have a love for the arts and have always appreciated and dabbled in it, mainly concentrating on writing, food, music, and design. My daughter, Tara, assists me with the blog. The blog has a bit of flair and offers entertainment, as Tara worked in the Los Angeles area for Disney, CAA (Creative Artist’s Agency) a top talent agency, and Nestle. She has also worked for NIH (National Institutes of Health) in the Washington, DC area. And as I previously mentioned, Tara has also worked for Williams-Sonoma in the capacity of culinary expert and chef. Tara and I combine our knowledge, skills, and talents to advocate for diabetes awareness in a manner that will hopefully interest visitors enough to visit and revisit our site to obtain further information about diabetes. We garner information regarding diabetes mellitus with a holistic viewpoint in mind.
I am a recipient of the Parents’ Choice Gold Award for a multicultural, educational storyteller doll that I designed for children. I entered the competition on a whim and was shocked that I had actually won such a coveted prize! I love designing all sorts of things including food, this blog, home interiors, etc. I collect art and books, do a little bit of acting and I love to listen to music and watch and participate in dance, even though I don’t dance very well. Lol! But, I reason, music can lift your mood, and dance and exercise are good for keeping the blood sugar down.
I am a Pittsburgh area UPMC Hospital Patient and Family Advisory board member and am grateful to have recently been given the title of being a Top 50 Global Diabetes Industry Leader by the esteemed UK organization, Aging Analytics Agency, a subsidiary of Deep Knowledge Group.
I enjoy conceptualizing formulas and sharing helpful information that I come upon with others. Diabetes is a tough disease; I want to do whatever I can to help myself and others to navigate this perilous quagmire.
If I had to encapsulate what I am doing as a whole with this blog, I would say I am trying to make some sort of social change here. Through food and health, culture, diversity and inclusiveness, art, music, video, the written word and spirituality. I’m trying to do my small part in improving the health of the people inhabiting our planet. I hope you enjoy your time here!
Author, Stacey Harris
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parents%27_Choice_Award
I teach diabetics and those wanting to eliminate sugar in their lives, how to create baked goods and desserts that will not adversely affect their health. Not only that, but how to create products that actually taste good!
About The Diabetic Pastry Chef™, featured by the American Diabetes Association®
—Top 50 Global Diabetes Industry Leader, Expert, Author & Pastry Chef, Stacey Harris
Watch the cookbook trailer!
NOW OFFERING LOCAL PITTSBURGH BAKERY AND FOOD CATERING VIA OUR WEBSITE TARA-PERI CHICKEN.COM
Sugar-Free Baking Can Be Sweet!
I’m a retired mortgage banker who began a second career as a pastry chef. Shortly after attending culinary school to become a pastry chef, I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Mercy! I was devastated, as I absolutely loved to bake and loved to eat sweets.
I experimented with a lot of artificial sugar free sweeteners and was mainly disappointed with the results.
I thought, there has to be a better way to bake great tasting products from my kitchen that will be enjoyable for diabetics to eat. After all, our love of eating is what got most of us into this mess to begin with!
After many experiments, I developed a formula that consistently turned out delicious confections that even non-diabetics love.
The recipes I have posted are adapted to my preferences and dietary needs; I encourage you to adapt them to yours.
If you do not want to use white flour, I suggest you use the flour you are most comfortable with, such as oat, soy or almond flour. You may prefer to use sour cream in place of yogurt, or stevia in place of sugar, whole milk or lowfat milk, etc. This is all your choice. My recipes are only guidelines as to how to modify recipes to suit your dietary needs while retaining the most flavor.
This blog contains the methods and results of my pastry creations. I am sharing my techniques in the hopes that you will experiment and perform your own culinary wizardry!
The Diabetic Pastry Chef Cookbook
My cookbook is in print by Pelican Publishing (now Arcadia Publishing) and sold worldwide.
There is a point that I find important to address that we occasionally get asked upon first glance:
Why is there sugar anywhere in this cookbook?
The simple answer: Reduced-sugar recipes are more appealing to those who are reluctant to yet go sugar-free; some prefer to taper off of sugar. Not everyone is going to want to adopt a sugar-free lifestyle from the word jump.
Gradual steps ensure success; this cookbook walks you through your journey to being sugar-free.
Or maybe you just want to reduce your sugar intake as a lifestyle; that is an option, too.
Further, diabetics have families; the entire family in the home may not want to go sugar-free. Maybe they’d like to support the diabetic in their life by showing solidarity and try reducing their sugar intake rather than go sugar-free.
This mainly sugar-free cookbook was written with all of the above scenarios in mind; everyone is different with different needs and desires.
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BOOK DESCRIPTION
For the millions of individuals worldwide living with diabetes, indulging in decadent desserts is no longer out of reach.
Stacey Harris, a renowned figure in the diabetes industry, has revolutionized over 200 dessert recipes, transforming them into diabetic-friendly delights that cater to a global audience. Harris generously shares the secrets behind her simple yet effective formula, allowing individuals to effortlessly adapt any recipe into a lower-carb alternative without compromising on taste or quality.
Now, diabetics across the globe can savor the exquisite flavors of Chocolate Truffle Cookies, Pavlova, Crème Brûlée, Coffee Bread Pudding and an extensive array of other delectable treats—because everyone deserves sweets!™
From this groundbreaking reduced-sugar and sugar-free cookbook—which serves as a comprehensive guide for individuals at every stage of their sugar-free journey—Stacey Harris epitomizes a true visionary committed to making a difference.
MISSION OF MY SUGAR-FREE BAKING
The Diabetic Pastry Chef™ does NOT claim to offer the lowest-carb products on the market.
I do claim to use premium-quality, ingredients in my products to lower the carbs, so neither health nor taste are unduly compromised—but are rather enhanced. Best of all, you don’t have to be diabetic to enjoy my sugar-free and low-sugar pastries & confections!
My book, The Diabetic Pastry Chef, is currently available on Amazon or Ebay, or from my publisher, Pelican Publishing. For Catering . . visit https://taraperichicken.com
Photo is of me in 2010
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