Nutty Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here's a great recipe for Nutty Chocolate Chip Cookies that is even good for diabetics! Just remember though that diabetics need to pay extra attention to the amount of carbohydrates they eat to maintain control of their blood sugar levels.

You can include cookies in your diabetic meal plan - just plan ahead and remember to eat in moderation.

Prep time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

* 2/3 c. light margarine, softened
* 2/3 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
* 2/3 c. sucralose
* 2 tsp. vanilla extract
* 2 eggs
* 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
* 1 tsp. baking soda
* 1/4 tsp. salt
* 3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
* 1/4 c. pecans, chopped


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsius).
2. Cream butter, brown sugar, sucralose, and vanilla extract together in a mixing bowl.
3. Add eggs to above mixture one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
4. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well until blended.
5. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.
6. Place level tablespoon size of cookie dough on a greased baking sheet.
7. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsius) for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Remove from oven and cool on wire cooling rack.

Serves: 36

Serving size: 1 cookie

Nutritional analysis (per serving):

76 calories
1 g protein
4 g fat
1 g sat. fat
11 g carbohydrate
0 g fiber
12 mg cholesterol
78 mg sodium
7 mg calcium
0.5 mg iron

Diabetic exchanges:

2/3 carbohydrate exchanges

Note: Nutritional analysis may vary depending on ingredient brands used.

Variations and suggestions:

Substitute another type of nut if you do not like pecans. Store the leftovers in an airtight container. You can either freeze half the batch or share them with your friends.

Refried Bean Roll Up

Lighten up! You can enjoy great-tasting seasoned refried beans, lettuce and cheese in soft flour tortillas and still keep an eye on the fat.

Prep Time:10 min
Start to Finish:15 min
Makes:4 servings

1 can (16 ounces) Old El Paso® fat-free refried beans
1/2 cup Old El Paso® salsa (any variety)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
8 fat-free flour tortillas (8 to 10 inches in diameter)
1 cup shredded lettuce
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (2 ounces)

1. Mix beans, salsa and chili powder in 1-quart saucepan. Heat over medium heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until warm.
2. Spoon about 1/4 cup of bean mixture onto center of each tortilla; spread slightly. Top with lettuce and cheese. Fold over sides and ends of tortillas. Serve with addiditional salsa if desired.

Nutrition Information:
1 Serving: Calories 245 (Calories from Fat 45 ); Total Fat 5 g (Saturated Fat 2 g); Cholesterol 5 mg; Sodium 840 mg; Total Carbohydrate 44 g (Dietary Fiber 8 g); Protein 14 g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 8 %; Vitamin C 6 %; Calcium 22 %; Iron 20 % Exchanges: 3 Starch; 1/2 Very Lean Meat
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Health Twist
This lighter version of refried bean roll-ups shaves off 70 calories and 7 grams of fat from each serving of the regular recipe.
Purchasing
Traditional refried beans are prepared much like their name suggests. Cooked beans are mashed and fried, often in lard. Check your grocery aisle for equally tasty fat-free refried beans.
Variation
If you like your tacos "loaded," then load these up, too! Bulk them up in colorful, delicious style with chopped or sliced jalapeños, sliced ripe or green olives, chopped tomato or chopped bell pepper.

Addictions...

I often joke about being addicted to chocolate. Sometimes I think that I truly am because I'll feel like I can't make it through the day without some chocolate! I can laugh about it, but in all honesty, you can be addicted to sugar.

Many women who are overweight are in fact addicted to sugar. White refined sugar is not a food. It is a chemical. It can be a drug addiction. Yes, that’s right, an addictive drug and when you remove it from your diet you can experience withdrawal symptoms as excruciating and serious as alcohol withdrawal, including tremors, flu like symptoms, headaches, and mood swings so intense you would darn near kill for a chocolate bar. Some say it is as addictive as heroin.

I'm not trying to make light of those who need substance abuse treatment. Drug addiction is a very serious issue all over the world. Luckily there are places that you can go to get help for addiction recovery. But we also need to be aware of what we are putting into our bodies every day... foods that we purchase right at the grocery store. There aren't any drug treatment centers specifically for sugar addiction since sugar is a very legal and constantly used product in the foods that we eat.

Be aware of what you put in your mouth on a daily basis... try giving up that chocolate bar, and putting down that Easter Egg... your body will love you for it.

Easter Candy!

Ugh!!! I HATE/LOVE Easter Candy! Why, oh why does it have to be so good??? I was doing so well until I bought the girls candy for their baskets.... They each told me they didn't want a lot of candy this year, which was great with me, so I got them a few things, and then bought them some jewelry and gave them each a gift certificate to Walmart so they can get something they want.

But... that stupid candy has just been calling my name!!! We had ordered candy from my nephew and got the delicious miniature chocolate easter eggs today... oh my, they just melt in your mouth! And while I was getting the girls baskets together, wouldn't you know it, there was an uneven number! What's a mother to do??? I can't give one girl more candy than the other, right? So I just HAD to eat it! right? am I right???

Okay, this week is going to be a week of extra exercising, I can see that right now!

Happy Easter everyone!

Down two pounds!

Well, the gym is working! I'm down two pounds this week. Woo Hoo! Jilli and I went three times last week. We didn't get to go over the weekend, but we plan to go at least three times this week.

I've been working hard on cutting out the sweets and I've been trying to eat more protein with each meal. I bought some of the Special K Protein water and I've been drinking that with my meals because I'm not the best at planning protein in with my food.

There are 62 days till our cruise! I'd really like to lose 10 pounds, but 15 would be fantastic! I've got two months to do it, so I should be able to. But it's going to take work and commitment.

Working in the gym....

My daughter Jillian is trying out for the volleyball team. She really, really wants to make it this year, but they have 60 girls trying out for 30 spots, so half the girls won't make it. Jillian has always been a petite girl, but has grown several inches in the past two years, so now she's all legs and arms! lol!

So, she decided that she wanted to start working out to build up her stamina. We have a local Community Center with a really nice gym, so she and I have been going several days a week. I enjoy the treadmill more than anything else, but I also like the stationary bike. Jillian likes the treadmill too but also likes to work out on the weight machines as well.

There are a lot of men and women that come in while we are there... most of them are in very good shape. I can't help but wonder if they use some sort of supplement when they work out... I've heard of being able to purchase cheap supplements online through a company in Australia. They carry Redbak products which are supposed to be the best protein products in Australia.

Jillian finds out Monday after practice if she makes the team or not, so she really worked out hard today, and wants us to go back tomorrow too. If she makes it, she'll have practice every single night after school, or a game, so she'll definitely be in great shape by the end of the season! If she doesn't, she still plans to go to the gym often, so that she's in better shape next year....

I'm very proud of her, either way!

Wonder what her conversation is about?