Before I had gotten pregnant I wanted to take some time to get my body in better shape, due to the fact that I had been extraordinarily neglectful of it over the past couple of years (which is evidenced by the herniated disc and the fact that elastic waistbands have suddenly taken hold in my closet). However, before I had a chance to say “fruit not fries” I was pregnant, and not long after the first 5lbs of baby weight applied itself to my stomach I was NOT pregnant. I really thought that after the D&C that 5lbs would just magically disappear — it did not. Heavy sigh. So, I did what all women do in these dire circumstances, I recruited my sister to go on a diet.
My sister, being the kind of woman who always looks out for her baby sister, agreed. Together we have been trying to inspire our families (read husbands) and ourselves to eat healthy and exercise. Amazingly, it has worked. After two weeks of cutting out bread and most of my sugar I’ve lost 5lbs. Okay, not stellar weight loss, but hey it has got to start somewhere. The important thing is that I feel fantastic. Boy, there really is something to this whole “healthy living” thing. I’ve only got one thing I’m struggling with and you readers can help.
I LOVE sweets. Yep, got the sweet tooth – thanks Dad! The hardest thing for me to give up are cookies. That is right, cookies. Not bread, butter, french fries, fast food, ice cream — just cookies. Not store bought cookies – homemade cookies. Any good recipes out there that won’t break my fat/carb bank on a daily basis? Please share your recipes. I promise to make each recipe and highlight my tasty favorites on my site (with accompanying “linky love” to YOUR site if appropriate). Please hurry, the bag of chocolate chips is starting to look really good.
My only advice is to use whole wheat flour instead of white. That helps a little. And you could use some applesauce instead of butter, if you must. But put in a little extra leavening with both of those substitutions.
Good luck! I love cookies too. I usually only cook one batch at a time, because they are so awesome right out of the oven.
Substitute a can of pureed white beans (Great Northerns are best) in place of butter or margarine in ANY cookie recipe. If you’re making something with cocoa, use BLACK beans for great color and flavor. I SWEAR if you don’t tell anyone there are beans in your cookies, NO ONE will know! Scouts honor!
Swap out the sugar for Splenda (or the WalMart brand stuff called “Altern” is good too)
Cocoa powder can be added to anything to make it chocolate. Baking cocoa isn’t horrible at all….it’s usually all the sugar and fat that get added to it in a recipe, so just back off the flour and make up the difference with cocoa (try the Hershey’s DARK! MMMM)
Yep…Jane had two good ones with whole wheat flour (you can even get WW pastry flour…King Arthur brand makes a good one) and applesauce in place of oil.
OH…one other addition to make pretty much anything yummy is to use a big blop of nonfat Greek yogurt (Trader Joes) in whatever you’re making for extra smoothness and a huge pack of protein.
Oats are always a good addition (just cut back your flour a bit).
Egg beaters are almost as good as real eggs in recipes. If you’re ready to eat your own arm off in exchange for a cookie, it’s an ok substitute.
For the coup de grace…those evil bastards at Hersheys have come out with SUGAR FREE chocolate chips! YES, YES I know sugar free does not equal calorie free or fat free…but they’re a HELL of a lot better than the alternative and a bit more of that yummy “bitter” chocolate taste that I personally love (AND the no sugar thing keeps me from the dreaded “dumping syndrome” that is typical of a Gastric Bypass patient!).
Good luck and have fun playing! Let me know how it goes!
I have another one for a really good chocolate fix…..
Pick up one of the new chocolate “reduced sugar” cake mixes (it’s just regular cake mix made with Splenda) and a can of pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling….just regular old pumpkin in a can…unsweetened).
Mix the two together (meaning just powder from the box and the canned pumpkin). DO NOT add eggs, oil, water, NOTHING….just the mix and the pumpkin.
Bake in a 9×13 pan for maybe 25 minutes or so on 350 (just babysit it…all ovens are different) and you have YUMMY brownies that won’t undo all the hard work you’ve been doing!
Good luck!
L.