Sugar and Then Some

more sugar....I gave up the battle of eating no sugar last night.  It was all just so good with some yummy flavored coffee.  I had some wheat also with the appetizers. My eyes started itching and so did the rest of my face and body. Was it the shrimp?  or wheat?  or sugar? or a combination of things?  So back today to no wheat and sugar and no more of anything made out of cream cheese.  This takes every ounce of willpower I have.  

It Wasn't Easy.....

I had a few little gingerbread men with my tea; I tasted a few things with one bite; but I have to tell you when the food is in the house; it is downright hard not to eat it.  Nothing like dessert with a cuppa; a cup of tea or coffee.  Oh so hard to resist; especially Grandma H's sour cream coffee cake. I have made her coffee cake since I was first married and haven't made it in ages. It is the best; moist with a cinnamon, sugar, and chopped nuts for the topping.  I did snitch some morsels as I was cutting it up.  That is almost automatic isn't it when you are cutting cake?  The jello cake was a big hit too.  But the steamers in the evening are the favorites.

Self-Control

This Christmas I wish for peace...contentment with the busyness of the holidays.  I pray for self-control so that I can remain healthy and happy. I know what too much sugar does to my body and my health, so I choose to avoid most of it.  Funny thing about sugar, once you start eating all those little goodies, it is hard to stop and it becomes a permanent part of your diet again.  It is going to be hard I know! 
I choose to keep exercising at the pool because it makes me feel better and is good for my body.  Discipline is hard and all of us struggle in different areas.  I have one area of struggle right now that plaques me and I can't seem to get a grip on it.  I am thinking though, that discipline in one area might lead to discipline in another area.  That is my prayer and self-control is under the fruit of the spirit which I have talked about on my other blog.  
Have a joyous, healthy Christmas!

It's All In The Presentation

For dinner here with our friends last night, I decided to get out the Christmas table cloth and napkins and my mom's gold Rosemary depression glass and the gold silverware.  It looked quite festive.  I made the whole dinner; pot roast with potatoes and carrots and green beans with mushrooms.  Everyone seemed to enjoy it.  Then I made the pears. I got very creative and broke some cinnamon sticks in the pears after I put the rum and butter in.  Then, the last five minutes I put a tablespoon of marscapone cheese on the top and served it with whipped cream in a Rosemary dish.  They loved it.  I must say, I do like to be creative in the presentation of serving a meal to company.

A little brown sugar was added in baking

Ah.....the whipped cream; the finishing touch

Believe It Or Not....

I am cooking dinner for our friends tonight.  I know I have mentioned that I don't like to cook anymore, but pot roast with all the veggies is my speciality.  I can already smell it cooking; yum.  I am making the baked pears for dessert and bought some marscapone chesse to dab on top the last 10 minutes they are baking. I bought some fresh flowers for the table and things are shaping up. 
And I know I don't eat sugar and wheat but these Wyoming Whopper Cookies are the best.  They are like 3 cookies in one; peanut butter, oatmeal and chocolate chip. I am going to post the recipe. I can't believe I am posting such a decadent cookie on this blog!  I hope to make them tomorrow. You think I can not eat one?   

Don't Give Up

I have to tell myself that just because it is Christmas, I don't have to eat all those desserts.  To eat is just a few moments of pleasure for what?  Gas?  A sick feeling? a few pounds that are harder to get off than they were to get on?  So, not to feel deprived, I will make my yummy pumpkin pie, and my baked pears, and baked banana's are good also (that one's for you Kath), and I will use my coconut sugar to make them.  Hot sugar-free drinks are good too.  In fact, I have to go drink my sugar-free Chai right now.  And, I have to keep up with the swimming even though most of the ladies will not be there the rest of the week. It's an hour and a half out of my early morning; surely I can manage that.  
Time for my wheat-free blueberry pancake with chopped pecans.  I worked hard for it this morning.    

Baked Pears

It's winter almost and this is when I like to make my baked pears.  I cut the pears in half and take off the stem and cut out the seeds and core.  Then I put a little Rum in the hollowed out space; or you can use rum flavoring.  I put in a half of teaspoon of Smart Balance and some sweetener; a little brown sugar, stevia, or coconut sugar.  You can add chopped pecans if you like them.  I add a little water in the dish and bake them at 375 degrees for 45-60 minutes until they are soft.  You can use Anjou pears or yellow pears.  Serve warm with a little fat-free whipped cream. 
I just read in a magazine where they added Marscapone cheese; that sounded good and I would add it the last 10 minutes of baking.