Snacks are Better In Dixie!

That Nice Boy I Married and I, finding commercial air travel almost as much fun as a colonoscopy, drove to Galveston and back for the cruise. As a result, I added Arkansas to my list of states I've been in. I also discovered that southern convenience stores have snack foods that this Yankee has never seen before!

Like all low carbers, I've snacked on pork rinds, but the only kind I'd ever had are the big, puffy kind that they sell hereabouts. I have now discovered the joys of "pork cracklin' strips." These are strips of pork skin with attached fat, fried until crisp. They have a completely different texture than the pork rinds I'm used to. They're hard and exceedingly crunchy -- not for people with weak teeth! The two brands I tried -- Golden Flake and Tom's -- were seasoned with a nice hit of red pepper.

I find these ultra-crunchy rinds addictive! I have to find someplace to buy these locally, or start ordering them. I like them so much better than the puffy rinds I'm accustomed to. They are, of course, completely carb-free.

Another discovery was Uncle Bud's Deep Fried Peanuts. Deep fried peanuts?! I'd never heard of such a thing, but I knew on sight I had to try them.

Here's the interesting thing about deep-fried peanuts: You can eat the shells. Something about the frying process softens them and makes them crunchy, and they actually taste great. These come in a variety of flavors; we bought just plain salted, and Cajun. Again, addictive. These are not carb-free, but are low enough carb that they can fit into my diet in moderation. 1/2 cup of shelled peanuts has 12 grams of carb with 6 grams of fiber, but when you throw in those shells I'm betting the fiber count goes way up -- and the carb count drops a bit. Can't say for sure.

So my hat is off to those folks down in Dixie. You know how to snack! Just lay off the deep-fried Snickers bars, will you?