Treats: Reduced-Sugar Oatmeal Cookies

You would never know that these cookies have lots of nutritional value!  My healthy cooking companion, Joshua, and I doctored up a recipe for Oatmeal Cookies so that we would feel a little less guilty about eating them by the handful.  These are the ORIGINAL ingredients:

• 2 sticks of butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 cup cashews
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup butterscotch chips

Sounds delicious, right?  They probably are.  But if you, like me, are trying to avoid sugar as much as possible, you probably become very, very sad as you look at that recipe.  This is why Joshua and I have swapped some ingredients to significantly reduce the amount of sugar in these cookies, yet still make them sweet & enjoyable!  

Here are some of our ingredient swaps:

1. Swap butter for Smart Balance Light with Flax.  It's hard to cut down the fat in a recipe that calls of 1/2 lb. of butter.  However, Smart Balance Light with Flax was the healthiest and most natural product we could find in the grocery store to substitute the butter in this recipe.  Smart Balance Light with Flax is non-dairy, gluten-free, natural, contains no hydrogenated oils, and contains 0g trans fats.  Also, the Flax helps battle heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes.  These are all good things, people!

2. Swap 1 cup Brown Sugar for 1/2 cup Brown Sugar.  Simply cutting down the amount of brown sugar added in your cookie recipe won't hurt your cookies.  

3. Joshua's and my favorite swap: eliminate the 2/3 cup sugar and add 2/3 cup Splenda infused with Fiber! This product contains 1g of fiber per TEASPOON. There are three teaspoons in a tablespoon and 16 tablespoons in a cup.  Do the math: that's 32g of fiber you just put in your cookies! And that is on top of another 8g of fiber you add when you mix in 1 cup of quick oats. Your intestines will thank you! (Aside: Men need about 35g of fiber per day and Women need about 30g of fiber per day, or about 14g of fiber per 1,000 calories consumed.)

4. Swap 2 whole eggs for 4 egg whites.  Joshua and I used whole eggs to increase the protein value in our cookies, but if you are trying to cut down on your cholesterol or fat intake, use 4 egg whites in place of 2 whole eggs.

5. Swap cashews with walnuts.  Walnuts have more nutritional value, including Omega-3 Fatty Acids which help boost your imune system and develop the nervous system in children.  Here is a list of other healthy nuts you can use in place of cashews.

6. Swap your sugary chocolate chips with anything yummy! Raisins, nuts, sugar-free chocolate chips, dried cranberries, or nothing at all are good substitutes for the chocolate and butterscotch.  You can also simply reduce the amount of chips.  Rather than adding the 1 2/3 cup chips like the recipe calls for, only add 2/3 cup. 

So, here is our final recipe for these delicious and semi-nutritious oatmeal cookies with all of the swapped ingredients! After you make these, try swapping other recipes to make them more nutritious! :)

Joshua and Katie's Healthier-than-the-Original-Recipe Oatmeal Cookies:

8 oz. Smart Balance spread, Original with Flax

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2/3 cup Splenda with Fiber

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 whole eggs (OR 4 egg whites)

1 tsp. Vanilla

2 1/4 cup sifted flour

2 cups old fashioned or quick oats

1 cup chopped walnuts

2/3 cup white chocolate chip

1. Combine first 4 ingredients. Add eggs and vanilla. 
2. Slowly stir in sifted flour.
3. Fold in oats, nuts, and chocolate chips
4. Use teaspoon to scoop cookies on to a nonstick baking sheet.  
5. Bake at 375 F for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.  Yields 5 dozen cookies.

YUM!

Peace, Love, and many grams of Fiber,

Katie

Valentine's Day: How to Even-out the Score

Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays (Hallmark holiday or not). It is an opportunity to express to what extent we care about one another, which is why many feel pressured to have extravagant plans for their partners on February 14th. I'm here to tell you why it's OK not to stress over your plans yet still have a meaningful way to say "I Love You."

Don't go overboard for your lady.
Here's the secret: If you really want to impress your lady on Valentine's Day, give her something small every day for the entire week of Valentine's Day.

Here's why: Women and men "keep score" in relationships in very different ways from one another. Women will give one point for everything they consider a good deed, no matter how big or small.  Bringing home a $15 Chinese dinner has the same point value (1 point) as bringing home a $100 steak dinner (1 point).  One accumulates points by doing something small more often to express his or her care. For example, one flower per day for seven days = 7 points. Seven flowers at one time = 1 point.

Go big or go home for your man.
Here's the secret: Make your man feel special when you need to make him feel special: Valentine's Day, his birthday, and Christmas. Take it easy the rest of the year.

Here's why: Men's internal scorekeepers are a little different from women's.  Men are able to give more than one point for what they consider a good deed. Points can then be stored in their internal point vaults to be accessed whenever necessary.  One accumulates points by doing something bigger but less often to express his or her care. This Valentine's Day, making him a steak dinner (50 points), giving him the latest technology (100 points), and planning an intimate evening (or whatever else is very special to him worth 500 points) will probably rack up enough points to last for quite some time.

I'm no marriage counselor, but I've read some books.  Relationship Expert Mark Gungor knows what I'm talking about... Watch his lecture here.

Wishing many love points upon you,

Katie :)

P.S. Related post: Single Ladies' Guide to Enjoying Valentine's Day.  Photo at the top of this post courtesy of Jenn Aycox, Photographer.

Life: My Sugar-Free Diet

Here's my interview with myself about my sugar-free diet.  It's just an introduction, for my own records, if nothing else. Enjoy!

Why would you take sugar out of your diet?
For as long as I can remember, I've had a daily struggle with sinus congestion, chest congestion, and headaches.  After a number of useless doctor appointments, ineffective medications, and even a painful nasal surgery (that may have made things worse), I decided to take matters into my own hands.  I learned in a college Nutrition class that almost all ailments can either be cured or lessened in severity with diet alone.  Thus begun my determination to cure my mild symptoms with my diet.

How do you think eliminating sugar will help the problem?
You are what you eat!  I cannot stress that enough.  Nearly everything you ingest becomes a part of the make-up of your body.  It sounds trivial, but we seem to forget this concept when sitting in the McDonald's drive-thru with growling tummies. Keeping this in mind, I considered the substances in my diet that could be potentially harmful: processed food and fast food. These foods usually offer little nutritional value (fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, etc.). If they do have nutritional value, they usually also include tremendous amounts of potentially harmful ingredients (hydrogenated oils, saturated fats, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, etc.).  Eliminating sugar from my diet will help me avoid these types of foods and, hopefully, provide me with relief from my sinus congestion.

How do you plan on going about this new diet?
I decided to use a step-system (making a series of smaller goals to achieve a larger long-term goal).  I'm starting by eliminating sugar from my diet.  Or, so I thought. Turns out, EVERYTHING has sugar in it.  Even at work, I had to start packing my lunch because few quick-service restaurants close by that offered healthy/sugar-free options.  Alas, I have decided to begin by eliminating white sugar only and choosing more whole-grain products (whole-grain bagels from Panera Bread are my favorite now).  Fructose and Lactose are acceptable forms of sugar for me.  Visit ChooseMyPlate.gov for information about healthy eating and customizing a diet for your needs.

Isn't it difficult to follow a sugar-free diet? Have you ever "relapsed?" 
I found it particularly difficult to follow the diet over the holidays, while on vacation, and when I'm with friends who aren't following the same diet. Even though I've had a few slip-ups, I feel healthier than ever. By significantly reducing my sugar intake, I have unintentionally tricked myself into drinking more water and eating a variety of vegetables, fruit, and meats.  The longer I go without consuming processed sugar, the less I desire to consume it because I don't want to sacrifice how healthy I feel for a few minutes of indulgence. Here's a great basic guacamole recipe for a delicious sugar-free snack.

How do you cope with cravings?
If you have sugar/chocolate cravings, you probably aren't getting enough to eat during the day and your body has used up all the carbohydrates you gave it for breakfast.  Because you aren't eating enough, your body craves the most basic forms of carbohydrates (aka, sugar) for energy.  This is the reason why many people have night-time sugar cravings.  If you are able to maintain a variety of carbs throughout the day, you can significantly reduce your cravings.  Things like vegetables, whole grain breads and noodles, and fruits will provide variety.  I notice myself getting hungry about every two or three hours, but if I have a healthy snack or meal at that time, I eliminate the desire to eat everything in sight at the end of the day.  Check out WebMD's tips for controlling sugar cravings.

Lots of love and healthy choices,
Katie

P.S. I forgot to mention: I've also lost weight (which wasn't the intention, but it doesn't hurt).  In just a couple weeks, friends have noticed a difference and have been complimenting my appearance. Compliments never hurt! :)

Treats: Guacamole

Here's a basic recipe for homemade guacamole.

• 2 ripe avocados (They should be slightly squishy before you cut them.  Here's a YouTube video on how to cut your avocado.)
• 1/2 cup minced red onion (We use red onion because it's a little less sharp than white onion when raw.  If you use white onion, it's all you will taste in your Guac.)
• 1-2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced (If you don't want it spicy, eliminate this ingredient)
• 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, finely chopped 
• 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• a dash of grated black pepper
• 1/2 ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped

Combine ingredients in a bowl and mash to a dip-like consistency; however chunky or paste-like you prefer.  Serve with all-natural tortilla chips (check the ingredients!).

Yum! :)

Love,

Katie

Treats: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough... Cupcakes!

Here they are, finally! Enjoy.

Cookie Dough:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (or chunks, or mini chocolate chips)
Cupcakes:
One 9"x13" box cake mix & necessary ingredients as listed on the box.  Just follow the directions on the box up until it's time for baking. Or, if you have your own cake recipe, use it!

1. Combine the dry cookie dough ingredients and set aside.  Combine wet ingredients then slowly mix in dry ingredients.  
2. Roll the dough into tablespoon-sized balls and freeze for about two hours to harden.  
3. Meanwhile, mix the ingredients to make the cake portion of your cookie dough cupcakes. 
4. Line pan with 24 muffin cups and fill each about 2/3 of the way.  
5. Drop a frozen cookie dough ball into the center of each cup (see below). There's no need to push it down into the cake mix because the cake will bake around the dough.
6. Bake at 350 F for about 20 minutes, decorate, and enjoy!

Yum! :)

Love life.

Katie

Travel: What Happens in Las Vegas...

To quote a comedian I saw while on vacation (whose name I can't remember. Oops!), "Everyone knows the commercial. 'What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."  Little did I know, they were talking about my money."

To celebrate the New Year and Winter Vacation from school, some friends and I decided to take a five-day excursion to Sin City.  Here are some of my favorite photos from the trip!

The Strip from the top of Paris!

On The Strip in front of Bally's and Paris.

The B.B. King Lounge inside The Mirage. We had some pretty amazing live entertainment with our dinner! :) 

The Luxor from the top of our Open Top Bus Tour.

Las Vegas is definitely a city that everyone should visit at least once during their adult lifetime. Personally, I think I've had my fill! Some of my favorite adventures were seeing the strip at night from the top of the Eiffel Tower replica at Paris, taking pictures in front of the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign, and venturing out to Old Vegas (a.k.a. Fremont Street) to see the oldest casino in Las Vagas. If I go back in the near future, I would really like to see a Cirque du Soleil show and gather the courage to jump off of the Stratosphere! Hmm, maybe I should start making an agenda for my next visit... :)

Love.
Katie