Cooking More

"You cook more now since you've lost weight."  An honest observation and comment from CME.  Trying to think of the reason behind it, I suppose it could be the fact that I want to actually work on a HEALTHY lifestyle...and I suppose cooking is part of that.  I mean, it makes sense, after all.  We all know that fast food isn't healthy.  But why do I really cook more now?  

Martin's Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Apple Pie Baking in the Oven

I'm experimenting with recipes, for one.  Our youngest son's birthday was celebrated today and he asked for Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake.  I've always used 1/3 less fat cream cheese when I make this and I was too nervous to try to substitute anything since it's what he requested.  However there are three family members who don't like pumpkin and I chose not to have cheesecake.  I'm not sure how to calculate sugar grams in a recipe and I didn't want to ruin the night (or my Onderland) by attempting to eat a piece of one of my favorite desserts.  Plus, though it's not particularly unhealthy (in the right serving size), I just couldn't see the benefits for me to have some.  Instead I decided to make an apple pie to use up some apples that were recently given to me.  I substituted both the regular sugar and the brown sugar with Splenda versions of both.  I'm 44 years old and this is the first time I have ever even attempted to make an apple pie!  Seriously!  It actually turned out REALLY good!  Personally, I didn't eat the crust, instead I measured out 1/4 c. of the baked apples, but everyone said it was yummy and at the end of the party I had an empty pie pan to prove it.  

Secondly, I think I'm cooking more because it saves money.  We added a lunch option to our eMeals Plan so I'm now fixing the boys' lunches too.  Great thing about it is that it provides a variety of healthy choices for the boys.  They're not stuck eating the overly-preserved/processed food that the schools serve and they get more time to eat which is a bonus!  We're lucky too that the boys aren't shy about trying something new.  

I'm not sure what other reasons may be out there... family time around the table, substituting low-fat options, etc.  But CME's right, I have been cooking more.  Does that seem totally odd to you?  I think it should seem odd to me, but it really doesn't.  It seems more like, "I should have been doing this all along."   Either way, I take it as a good thing.  I'm able to cook for the family, have some say in what's going into their bodies and not be "fretting" over how much (or little) I will be eating.  It's becoming so much more than a measuring cup...it's becoming a way of life.

Once again, I find myself thanking God for the perseverance and strength he's giving me every day to make wise choices for me and the family.
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"I praise you [God] because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." ~Psalm 139:14