Oatmeal Cookies- Gluten Free and Refined Sugar Free!

So, after over a week of sugar free, I finally broke down and made sugar free cookies last night.  My husband Dan and I were watching a movie, both had the munchies and wanted a little something.  We had no ice cream (not that I could have had any), or anything else really that sounded good.  So, I made some cookies! 

Sugar Free Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies!  Yum!

These were super easy to make!  I had a couple recipes from a friend to try out- including Oatmeal Cookies.  These were great!  I made a couple changes to the recipe, depending on what I had at home.  Hope you like them too!

Oatmeal Cookies- Gluten Free, Sugar Free
Yield: about 15 cookies

1/3 c. + 1 T butter or shortening (I used tub butter)
1/3 c. + 1 T honey
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. gluten free flour (I used a mix of rice, tapioca, and cornstarch)
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. baking soda
dash of cloves
1/2 t. xanthan gum
1/2 c. raisins
1 1/2 c. gluten free quick oats

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease your cookie sheet.

Mix together butter and honey, until well blended.  Add egg and vanilla: mix until everything is binding together.

Add the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and cloves.  Carefully mix until blended.  Fold in oats and raisins.  Mix until just combined.

Drop by large tablespoon full onto the greased cookie sheet.  I got about 15 cookies out of this recipe. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove immediately onto a cooling rack.

These were fabulous warm!  And the next day.  Got a little crumbly, but still super yummy!

Next time I make them, I want to do add in chocolate chips and craisins, but I know those usually have added sugars, so I will be careful what I add.  Also, the original recipe had a little molasses, and I definitely want to try that too!  I was just out last night.  

Sugar Free: Week One is Done!

So, been doing sugar free for about a week now.  It's actually been much easier than I thought it would be!  I even visited family and managed to not eat any sugar there!  Hooray!

I really think that it helps that I'm gluten free as well, and been doing that for the last 8 months or so.  Already having cut one thing out of my diet, and a major thing at that, I was more prepared and knew what to expect.  I haven't been perfect (I'm pretty sure my bread has sugar in it, plus I had some fruit that was in light syrup, not juice), but just avoiding sugary treats has been my major focus.

Things I have avoiding:

• Soda or pop of any kind (not too hard, I don't drink much anyways)
• Candy and candy bars
• Ice Cream
• Cookies, cakes, sweet breads (like zucchini or banana bread)
• Chocolate (sigh)

Things I can eat!

• Fruit!  Lots of fruit!  Mostly fresh fruit, or fruit I have frozen myself.  I have had some canned fruit, and try to do in fruit juice, not syrup.
• Veggies!
• Honey- gives me the sweetness I crave without the drawbacks of refined sugars.  I've used it in fairly limited doses- a drizzle on toast or on my oatmeal.
• Protein- this has been fantastic.  
• Lots of water!  I think my body has been thirsty forever, and I misinterpreted thirst for desiring sugar.
• Peanut butter.  Watch your peanut butter- look for one that is just peanuts and salt- no fillers or sugar!  
• Cheese- yum!

Overall, this has been fairly successful!  I have felt pretty good.  Light headaches a couple times, but I think I can trace those to other sources, not just sugar crashes/cravings.  A couple times I've had cravings, but as soon as I feed myself something else, the craving goes away. Biggest indication of success for me- I've lost weight!  And not just a pound, I have lost over 4 pounds in a week! Holy cow!  I'm fairly sure that this trend will not continue at that drastic of a rate, but it is so nice to see something happen.  Fantastic!  Even eating late at night this entire week, I have lost.  Hooray!

Favorite snack I've done this week that's refined sugar free (this totally saved me one night that I was starving and craving sugar to the max):

Easy Yogurt Dip:

2 Tablespoons plain yogurt (not vanilla, PLAIN!  No added sugars!)

2 Tablespoons peanut butter (make sure no added sugars)

dash of cinnamon

drizzle of honey

Apple slices (or other fruit!  Would probably go well with pears, celery sticks, berries...)

Mix together yogurt, peanut butter, cinnamon and honey.  That easy!  Serve with fruit!  YUM!