That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles

So how was your December?  Did you have a good Christmas?  Eat too many cookies? Ham? Candy canes? Fudge (yum...one of my personal favs)?  You're not alone!  And guess what?  It's January...December is gone!  You can't change the things that you ate (or didn't eat) in December, but you CAN start fresh (literally) and take big steps toward making yourself the healthiest YOU you can be - today!


We had our share of sweet treats in the Colescott household.  Some of them ended up in the trash...well...some were in the trash b/c they didn't turn out the best (for example my mom's failed caramel corn - sorry mom) and some ended up in the trash b/c they were TOO good, too tempting.  I didn't deprive myself this holiday.  I ate cookies and more candy canes than I should have, but I also ate good things too.  And, unlike other Christmas seasons past, I started over every day - like nothing had ever happened.  I think it's OK every once in a while to have your cake and eat it too...really.  It's not going to make or break you when you look at the big picture.  My biggest obstacle in the past was not my mom's DE-licious fudge, it was the negative self-talk that came after the fudge.  I stuck my fingers in my ears and started humming when I heard that voice this year!


Is all of the indulgence of the holidays GOOD for you?  No. In fact, I woke up the day after "cookie baking day" and had what I am lovingly calling a "sugar hang-over."  Don't laugh.  I'm serious.  My body felt like it had been beaten up from the inside.  I had a blaring headache that intensified with every shrill scream from my kids, felt nauseous, and just wanted to lay on the couch all day.  Sound familiar?  It's been a long time since I have sailed with the Captain but I do remember what that feeling is like...vividly...unfortunately.  *shudder*  Just more proof that sugar is soooo bad for your body. :(  BUT your body is so smart and so resilient that in a matter of days all of that junk is pushed out and sent packing with every bite of a banana or brown rice or any other innately healthy food.  Isn't that amazing?!?


Anyway, I hope that admitting that I also had some Christmas excess helps to encourage some of you who are still ridden with guilt.  It's OK...really!  So let's take a deep breath and get down to business!


Here is a recap of my December/January for those of you who are keeping track: week 1 (12/4): -2 pounds, week 2 (12/11): -0.8, week 3 (12/18): +0.6, week 4 (12/25): -2.8, and week 5 (1/1): -1.0.  This week I lost another 0.4 pounds.  That brings my "holiday season" (Dec/Jan) total to -6.4 pounds! :)  Not even Mr. Gingerbread Man can stop me!  Haha!  My grand total as of today is -90.2 pounds...I am heading straight for that 100 pound mark!  Can't wait to celebrate!  How do YOU think I should celebrate the 100-pound mark? I need some ideas!


I tried some new things over the holiday season that I am really excited about.  Here are a couple of my favorite new finds:


Baby broccoli/Broccolini: Have you had this before?  I have seen them use it on the Food Network, but have never seen it in the grocery store until the other day.  They were actually out of broccoli (something about a shortage?) so I was scouring the shelves for something comparable.  Baby broccoli looks like asparagus (long, thin stems) with the "fuzzy" floret tops.  The flavor was also an asparagus/broccoli hybrid - LOVE!!  My sister bought us some fancy olive oil that is infused with roasted garlic and portabello mushrooms and I used it to saute the broccolini - it was divine!  I highly recommend you give it a try! (the olive oil is from a small store my sister visited in Sedona, Arizona - her soon to be new home - sadness!)


Ideal "confectioner's sugar" sweetener - I have been searching for a powdered/confectioner's sugar substitute.  There have been times that I have wanted to experiment with making a "healthier" icing or glaze for cupcakes or cinnamon rolls.  I found this the other day at Meijer when I was shopping for cookie baking items.  It is made of Xylitol (which is a naturally occuring sugar alcohol found in many fruits and vegetables) and Maltodextrin (a glucose-like substance derived from the starch in either corn or wheat).  It is 84 calories per 1/4 cup so it is popular for people with diabetes.  They also have "brown" sugar and regular sweetener packets and such.  I REALLY was impressed with the flavor.  We made a peppermint glaze with it for some candy cane cookies that we baked.  The cookies were a flop (due to some expired shortening) but the glaze was wonderful!  I'm not saying it is a HEALTHY food, but definitely a great alternative to powdered sugar in recipes!

I have so many things I have been dreaming up to share with all of you.  Keep your eyes peeled for some stellar posts in the next couple of weeks - new recipes and tips and some product reviews! :)  Stay tuned!