Changes in the tide...

I just got home a few minutes ago from a very exciting event...details to follow soon. Anyway, as I walked in the door, I wanted to do something special to celebrate. I walked into my office and selected a stick of my very favorite incense and lit it, and savored the aroma. Ah.

As I sit here, with my stomach complaining big time from hunger, it dawns on me how much my lifestyle has changed. The old me, the 244+ pound Jill, would have immediately scoured the kitchen for something to eat to celebrate my good news, most likely leading to a feeding frenzy binge, most likely with no conscious thought of what I was even eating. Now, I have replaced that desire by rewarding myself in other ways. That is the KEY to long term success for me.

So, on this journey called LIFE, I shall continue to find non-food ways to reward myself and celebrate my victories with. As we venture into a brand new year, I challenge YOU to do the same.

Eat to live, don't live to eat. Trust me, I know how true this sentiment is.

Happy New Year!!!!!

Lower calorie deelish Christmas cookie recipe to try!

I know some of you are probably at the start line of a cookie baking marathon.....so I wanted to share a yummy healthier option recipe, courtesy of Richard Simmons. Meringue cookies are very crispy and can really satisfy a sweet tooth, without sabatoging your caloric intake for the day, plus the red & green appearance makes them very festive for Christmas. So give them a try & hope you enjoy!

Red And Green Christmas Meringue Cookies

 (Serves  12)

  

2 Egg whites
1/8 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Cream of tarter
1 tsp Vanilla
3/4 Cup confectioner's sugar
Red and green food coloring

 

Preheat oven to 250.

1. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. With an electric mixer, beat egg whites on medium until foamy. Add salt, cream of tarter and vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form.
3. Add sugar a little at a time until it is all incorporated.
4. Separate meringue in half and add 1 drop of red food coloring to ½ recipe and 1 drop of green to other batch and mix to combine.
5. Place meringue in piping bag and pipe cookies onto parchment paper. You can use a little meringue in the corner of each sheet to hold it in place.
6. Bake for about 1 hour, rotating and turning baking sheets throughout cooking. They are done when they can be lifted from the baking sheet easily.
7. Test by removing one and cooling a little see if it breaks apart easily and is crisp and dry (it is done). It won't hurt the others to let them cook while you are checking.

Additional Tips

Other extracts work well in this recipe as well, experiment with different colors and tips on the piping bag, as you like. It is very important when you are beating egg whites that there is no yellow and the bowl you are mixing in is very clean and dry. Mixing should be done at room temperature.

Nutritional Information:
32 Calories, .6 gm Protein, 7.5 gm Carbohydrate, 0 gm Fat, 0 mg Cholesterol, 34 mg Sodium