Your favorite independently-owned pizzeria may be willing to make your pizza for you using your own dough. Usually the only remaining source of sugar would be in the sauce, so ask for light sauce.

Either mix and knead the dough by hand, or use your bread machine's dough cycle for about the first fifteen minutes and then press the stop button.

For a medium 12" pizza: 1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. water 1 Tbsp. extra-light olive oil 1/4 tsp. salt 1 Tbsp. non-fat dry milk 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast 2 Tbsp. wheat gluten

For a 16" large pizza increase to: 2-2/3 cups 3/4 cup plus 3 Tbsp. 1-1/2 Tbsp. 1/2 tsp. 2 Tbsp. 1/2 tsp. 3 Tbsp.

The dough should form into a smooth ball. Not too sticky or a couple more tablespoons of flour may be necessary; not too dry (it won't make a ball) or a couple more tablespoons of water may be added.

A short rest of fifteen minutes is recommended (in the car on the way to the pizzeria). Pizza dough doesn't really need to rise. The small amount of yeast really just prevents the dough from being cracker-like.

The last ingredient is very important, as it is what gives the dough elasticity. It is also known as "vital wheat gluten" or "wheat gluten flour". You may have to check a few different groceries or a health food store to find it. (True whole wheat breads won't rise without it.)

Tell your pizza maker that he may not be able to throw your dough like his regular dough without it tearing, but his experience with dough, in general, will tell him what he should be able to get away with. The dough may just have to be formed by hand on the board.

If you're doing it yourself at home, I would recommend you not attempt the pizzeria "throw".

Enjoy!

Doug's Real Whole Wheat Bread

Most store-bought whole-wheat breads are half whole-wheat flour and half regular processed flour, not good for Sugar Busters dieters. This recipe uses only whole-wheat flour.

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a bowl and knead the dough on a wheat floured board.

4 cups whole wheat flour 1-1/3 cup luke-warm water 1-1/2 Tbsp. extra-light olive oil 1/2 tsp. salt 1-1/2 Tbsp. non-fat dry milk 2-1/4 tsp. active dry yeast (1 packet) 4 Tbsp. wheat gluten

The last ingredient is very important, as it is what gives the dough elasticity. It is also known as "vital wheat gluten" or "wheat gluten flour". You may have to check a few different groceries or a health food store to find it. The bread won't rise without it.

The dough should form into a smooth ball. Not too sticky or a couple more tablespoons of flour may be necessary; not too dry (it won't make a smooth ball) or a couple more tablespoons of water may be added.

Place dough in an oiled bowl and put it in a warm, draft-free place to rise for about 45 minutes, or until it has doubled its volume. In the oven with the light on is a perfect spot. Don't turn on the oven yet, though.

Next, lightly grease a 9" loaf pan and turn the dough into it. Form the dough so that it is evenly distributed in the pan. Doing this will "punch down" the dough. Return the dough in the loaf pan to the oven for a second rise.

When the dough has risen again, pre-heat the (empty) oven to 350°. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove bread from loaf pan and place on wire rack to cool.

This recipe also works in a bread machine although the ingredients must be reduced as follows:

3 cups whole wheat flour 1 cup luke-warm water 1 Tbsp. extra-light olive oil 1/2 tsp. salt 1 Tbsp. non-fat dry milk 2-1/4 tsp. active dry yeast (1 packet) 3 Tbsp. wheat gluten

Use the machine's regular bread cycle. Makes a standard 1-1/2 lb. loaf.

Most store bought barbecue sauces have huge amounts of sugar or molasses in them. This one tastes just fine to me, and is easily made from ingredients typically found in a Sugarbuster's kitchen. Serves 4. Multiply ingredients as needed for larger batch.

1 cup no-sugar-added ketchup (Estee) 1 T. Worcestershire sauce 1 t. fine black pepper 1 T. lemon juice 1 t. Liquid Smoke (optional)

Mix together thoroughly, and heat in microwave 30 seconds. Use as a finishing sauce when barbecuing or grilling, or as a dipping sauce for ribs or pulled pork.

Since you can't eat potatoes on SB, I tend to experiment with sweet potatoes as a substitute. This German-style potato salad recipe, made with sweet potatoes is served warm, and is actually pretty tasty. Serves 4-8.

4 medium sweet potatoes, washed, peeled, and cut into 1/4 inch slices 1/2 medium onion, chopped 4 slices bacon, cooked crispy, crumbled 1/3 cup canola or light olive oil 2 T. cider vinegar 1/2 t. black pepper

Saute onion in oil until translucent. Boil sweet potato slices in lightly salted water until cooked just soft enough to divide a slice against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Drain well in a collander and transfer to a large bowl. Add bacon, onion and oil to cooked sweet potatoes and toss to mix. Splash in cider vinegar while continuing to toss. Add black pepper to taste. Serve while still warm.

Alternately, for more flavor, saute the onion in the bacon drippings, then use the drippings in place of part of the oil.

Just about every country in the Middle East, and well as the Mediterranean, has a recipe for hummus, served as a snack or side dish. Made of ground chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans), garlic, lemon juice and tahini-- which is a ground sesame seed butter-- it's also naturally SB friendly. Serves 4-8.

1 15 oz. can garbanzos (chick peas) juice and zest of one medium lemon 2-3 cloves fresh garlic, peeled 3 T. tahini (aka tahina, tehina)(sesame paste) 1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil 1 T. fresh or dried parsley 1 t. Kosher salt or 1/2 t. table salt pinch black pepper 4-6 whole wheat pita breads

You can do this in a food processor, but it comes out best using a high-speed stick-type hand blender such as a Braun. Use a regular-type blender only as a last resort. My description will assume a stick blender.

Drain garbanzos, reserving half the liquid. Place garbanzos and reserved liquid in mixing jar that came with stick blender. Add garlic, lemon juice and zest, salt, pepper, parsley, and tahini. Blend until pureed. Add olive oil and continue to blend until well incorporated. Warm pita breads in microwave for 30 seconds, and slice each into 6 wedge shaped pieces. Can be served immediately, but also can be refigerated and served chilled. Traditionally served at room temperature on a plate in a broad, shallow mound with the center hollowed out, some more extra virgin olive oil drizzled into the hollow (think hummus moon crater), and a pinch of the middle-eastern spice zatar lightly sprinkled over all.

If you don't want to spend $2.99 on a jar of tehina (spelling varies), subsitute no-sugar-added peanut butter - not quite the same, but still pretty good. If you do decide to get it, make sure the ingredients state "100% ground sesame seeds". There are products on the market with similar sounding names that are essentially a canned version of the dip.

I love good barbecue, and with good barbecue you need coleslaw-- sweet, creamy coleslaw. Having eaten low sugar for years, I thought I would have to live without it, but a recipe I found recently gave me new hope:

1 16oz. package shredded cabbage or slaw mix
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt (may sub. celery salt)
4 to 6 packets Splenda sweetener
1 tsp. Tabasco or Tabasco Chipotle (optional)

Place cabbage in bowl. Mix all other ingredients thoroughly in a 2-cup measuring cup, pour over cabbage, and mix thoroughly. Let sit in covered bowl in refrigerator for best flavor/texture.

(Thanks to Keri Cathey of Tulsa, OK for this one.)

2 large cucumbers
2 cups grape tomatoes (1 pint)
1/2 med red onion
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
4 packets Splenda

Peel and halve or quarter cucumbers lengthwise and remove seeds. Slice into 1/4" slices. Slice tomatoes in thirds. Coarsely chop onion. Place all in shallow non-reactive bowl. Mix remaining ingredients together and pour over cucumbers, tomatoes, and onion. Mix thoroughly and refrigerate for a day, stirring occasionally.

2 15.8 oz. cans Bush's Great Northerns
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 T. pork fat or 2 slices bacon chopped
2 T. Heinz One Carb© No Sugar Added Ketchup
2 T. Log Cabin Sugar Free Maple Syrup with Splenda
1 T. Yellow Mustard
1 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1 t. Your favorite dry rub

Drain one can only Great Northerns. Render pork fat (or bacon) in bottom of medium saucepan until liquified. Add onion and cook until clear. Add drained and undrained beans and remaining ingredients, mixing thoroughly. Simmer low 15-20 minutes.

You can actually oven finish these if you wish, since all sweetening is from Splenda, or serve directly from stovetop. If pork fat is trimmed from barbecued pork butt roast, add 1/3 cup chopped "bark" for extra flavor.