The Code Red Holiday Survival Guide by Cristy "Code Red" Nickel

Author:Cristy "Code Red" Nickel
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thanet House Publishing
Published: 2016-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

6.

Not a Creature was Stirring (the cake batter)

Holiday Baking Tips

Do holidays and baking go hand-in-hand for you? If so, you’re not alone.

It’s the baking-est time of the year!

Chances are you are going to be using ingredients that might not be the best thing for you to be snacking on. Be honest, do half the chocolate chips in the bag wind up in your mouth? Do you sneak the cinnamon drops or crushed peppermints while you’re waiting for the next batch of cookies to come out of the oven? Do you lick the beaters?

If you are worried about eating while you are baking, I've got a great tip for you. Bleach your teeth. Yeah, bleach your teeth. Put the bleach in the trays, put your trays in your mouth, and bleach your teeth while you're baking. You cannot eat or drink anything while the bleaching trays are in your mouth. It takes about an hour to do it. That's about as long as it will take you to bake something start to finish. If you are worried about nibbling, this is a really good deterrent.

You can also keep your mouth occupied with a stick of gum. Or maybe even a toothpick. Just put something else in there that will keep you from nibbling while you bake. (I know, you’re just “testing it”, right?)

How Do You Measure Up?

Another problem with baking, and cooking in general is measuring. Don’t get complacent with your measuring. For butter, oil, or anything else. Use a measuring device and level it off. One level tablespoon of butter is not the same as a heaping tablespoon that you just cut right off the stick.

There may not be a big difference in how your recipes turn out, but there’s a HUGE difference in calorie counts. I’ve seen it over and over with my clients. They completely sabotage their efforts because they’re doubling or tripling their calories with bad measuring. (Once again—the math is working against you.)

The same goes for chocolate chips, sprinkles, and any other holiday dessert decorations. I’m not suggesting that you count the number of chips you use, or that you deprive your gingerbread man of an extra gumdrop button. But be aware that those things have calories. Be honest with yourself. And maybe consider cutting down the amount of decorating you do—or skipping it altogether. Would you enjoy those gingerbread cookies just as much if they didn’t have a sugar glaze? It’s entirely possible.

Great Grandma Would Be Proud.

Another strategy is to change your recipe. I know, that’s sacrilege for some people. That rum cake recipe has been in the family for generations. Well, what about this generation? And the generations to come? How cool would it be if they used your recipe—one that didn’t pack on the pounds every year?

There are some really smart people who have already figured out how to lower the sugar and carbs in your favorite recipes. Just Google them. “Low carb sugar cookies.” Or “healthy rum cake.” It might be as simple as learning how to bake with almond flour instead of the regular all-purpose variety.

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