Day 164 of 365 - Just Desserts
If you have been following my blog, with it's frequent focus on healthy lifestyle choices, you may assume that I stay away from desserts. But, that would not be entirely true.
Our Sunday dinner dessert is already made. I usually cook a bigger meal on Sunday and make some kind of dessert recipe. Today's offering is a berry crumble, gluten and sugar-free along with homemade lemon curd for topping, also sugar free. I use grain free flour options and healthier versions of sugar substitutes in my recipes. It takes a bit of practice, but results can be very good.
We almost always had desserts when I was growing up. My mother enjoyed baking cakes, pies, cookies and squares and was very good at it. They were all delicious, making it hard to choose a favorite.
As an adult, probably my most delicious dessert memory is from a short trip to Boston for a work related conference. My husband made the trip with me. When we went out for dinner the first night, we had the most delicious dessert of brownie topped with peppermint ice cream and fudge sauce. It sounds very simple but it tasted fantastic. I liked it so much, we went back to the same place the next night and had it again. I don't even remember the rest of the meal. So, yes, I do enjoy dessert!
I have not been able to duplicate my mother's baking skills and have had many failed recipes. Pie crust was probably the most challenging dessert option for me, so I tended to avoid those or find simple substitutes or just buy the frozen shells. Then, of course, there was the mostly short lived era of 'baking' in the microwave, which could have, shall we say, interesting results. I have yet to enjoy the benefits of convection oven baking but have heard it to be a very good option.
I don't completely stay away from traditional desserts, indulging once in awhile in bakery purchased cakes for family member celebrations, or whatever is on offer at an event I may be attending. As long as it is infrequent I can stay pretty well on track.
My mom eventually developed diabetes and heart disease, from which she died relatively young. Those are conditions I am trying to avoid as I move into my senior years. So far, so good.
There are lots of different options which satisfy my desire to have a sweet tasting treat. I always have good quality very dark chocolate at home and eat a couple of squares on most days after dinner. I also make myself healthy, small treat items which would be the equivalent of something like a macaroon. And, you may recall that I found some good gluten free and sugar free cookie recipes which I made for the Christmas holiday season. I still make a couple of those occasionally.
Over the years, my dessert experiences have changed quite a bit. I no longer enjoy intensely sweet, sugar-filled items much. However, I don't feel deprived and enjoy my alternatives very much. Aiming for a healthier lifestyle does not mean doing without enjoyment of treats. As a result, I hope to be living for quite awhile yet.
Our Sunday dinner dessert is already made. I usually cook a bigger meal on Sunday and make some kind of dessert recipe. Today's offering is a berry crumble, gluten and sugar-free along with homemade lemon curd for topping, also sugar free. I use grain free flour options and healthier versions of sugar substitutes in my recipes. It takes a bit of practice, but results can be very good.
We almost always had desserts when I was growing up. My mother enjoyed baking cakes, pies, cookies and squares and was very good at it. They were all delicious, making it hard to choose a favorite.
As an adult, probably my most delicious dessert memory is from a short trip to Boston for a work related conference. My husband made the trip with me. When we went out for dinner the first night, we had the most delicious dessert of brownie topped with peppermint ice cream and fudge sauce. It sounds very simple but it tasted fantastic. I liked it so much, we went back to the same place the next night and had it again. I don't even remember the rest of the meal. So, yes, I do enjoy dessert!
I have not been able to duplicate my mother's baking skills and have had many failed recipes. Pie crust was probably the most challenging dessert option for me, so I tended to avoid those or find simple substitutes or just buy the frozen shells. Then, of course, there was the mostly short lived era of 'baking' in the microwave, which could have, shall we say, interesting results. I have yet to enjoy the benefits of convection oven baking but have heard it to be a very good option.
I don't completely stay away from traditional desserts, indulging once in awhile in bakery purchased cakes for family member celebrations, or whatever is on offer at an event I may be attending. As long as it is infrequent I can stay pretty well on track.
My mom eventually developed diabetes and heart disease, from which she died relatively young. Those are conditions I am trying to avoid as I move into my senior years. So far, so good.
There are lots of different options which satisfy my desire to have a sweet tasting treat. I always have good quality very dark chocolate at home and eat a couple of squares on most days after dinner. I also make myself healthy, small treat items which would be the equivalent of something like a macaroon. And, you may recall that I found some good gluten free and sugar free cookie recipes which I made for the Christmas holiday season. I still make a couple of those occasionally.
Over the years, my dessert experiences have changed quite a bit. I no longer enjoy intensely sweet, sugar-filled items much. However, I don't feel deprived and enjoy my alternatives very much. Aiming for a healthier lifestyle does not mean doing without enjoyment of treats. As a result, I hope to be living for quite awhile yet.
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