On behalf of the physicians and staff at MacArthur OB/GYN, we would like to wish each and everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and safe traveling for those that will be on the road. Throughout this weekend of celebrating try to remember these tips:

• Be respectful to those who are cooking- eat slowly and savor every bite (make sure you tell the cooks that the food is delicious)
• Don’t increase the belt notches- try to make fat substitutions by using low-fat or fat-free products
• Limit wall climbing and hyperactivity by lowering sugar consumption
• Limit falling asleep in front of the football games after eating by taking a brisk walk
• Keep your cells from shrinking and drink plenty of water
• Sneak in healthier snack choices with traditional ones so as not to put people in a sugar coma

I would like to challenge everyone this holiday weekend and see how many of us can keep the number that shows up on the scale the same. Let me know how your scale held up over this holiday weekend. Please feel free to share your healthier recipes with us on Facebook or in the comment section in the blog. We would love to hear about your holiday successes, and failures, what worked and what did not. All comments, challenge results, successes, failures or recipes can be posted on Facebook or the comment section in the blog. As promised, here are a couple of awesome dessert substitutions. Dr. Livingston sampled the pumpkin soufflé and loved it. I make the apples frequently as a side dish and the kids love it. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Soufflé

2 whole eggs
2 egg whites
1 ¼ cups canned pumpkin
¼ cup sugar substitute
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1/14 cup fat free evaporated milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
Fat-free whipped topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray 8 4 ounce ramekins or custard dishes with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs and egg whites. Add the pumpkin and mix well. Blend in the sugar substitute, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, evaporated milk and vanilla. Fill each custard dish with ½ cup of the mixture. Place the custard dishes in a baking dish. Add enough warm water to pan to cover 2/3 of custard dishes. Bake at least 40 minutes or until knife inserted in the center of the custard comes out clean. Remove from over. Serve warm and top with a dollop of the fat-free whipped topping if desired. Serves 8.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:
66 Calories
2 grams fat
7 grams carbohydrate
5 grams protein

Adapted from www.southbeachdiet.com.

Microwave Cinnamon Apple Slices

8 tart apples (Granny Smith, Rome, Winesap) peeled, cored and sliced
4 tbsp water
3 packets sugar-free apple cider flavored drink mix
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Artificial sugar to taste

Combine all ingredients and place in a casserole lightly coated with nonfat cooking spray. Toss. Cover with waxed paper and microwave on high until tender. Stir every minute or so. Let stand for about 2 minutes before serving. Can be served hot or cold.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:
80 Calories
19 grams carbohydrate

Adapted from www.southbeachdiet.com.

The holiday season is jammed packed with many opportunities to enjoy great food, family and friends. We also tend to break out all those wonderful food items from fundraisers our kids, neighbor’s kids and work-place kids sold at the start of the school year. My freezer has several various kinds of cookie dough, apple strudel and cinnamon braids bought from various fundraisers. Not to mention all the wonderful items I bake during this season; breads, cookies, candies, etc.

So, with all these wonderful items within easy reach or nagging at us from the dark depths of the freezer, how can we enjoy this holiday season without gaining the proverbial 7-10 pounds? Approximately 2/3 of Americans are overweight or obese. Studies show that those whose weight, or body mass index (BMI), is in the normal range gain less during the holiday season than those whose weight or BMI is greater than normal. Regardless, we do not work to lose those gained pounds which tend to accumulate over the years putting us at risk for being overweight or obese in the future.

My family tends to congregate at my house and leaves their left-over goodies there as well, filling my available refrigerator space with items that are just screaming to be consumed. We do have a standing rule: the hostess plans the menu. This gives me some control over what is served. We each, of course, have our special dishes that we like to prepare. I know what each person will bring and I fill in the blanks ensuring the meal is balanced, provides some healthy alternatives as well and making sure there is something for everyone.

Here are some menu planning tips:

• Make a conscious effort to limit high fat items. Fat and calories are easily hidden in foods such as:
  • [pullquote]
    • Fried foods
    • Cream-based soups
    • Casseroles
    • Cheese-filled items
    • Gravy
    • Baked good
    • Pastries
    • Pies
    • Processed meats such as salami or sausages

  [/pullquote]

• Add steamed vegetables to the menu
• Serve low-fat deli meats
• Serve sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes
• Try a wild rice stuffing instead of cornbread or bread stuffing or the boxed variety
• Serve 100% whole grain rolls in place of the traditional white rolls.
• Watch sugar consumption. When you binge on items high in sugar you crave more sugar and your body slows down.
• Take a walk as exercise burns calories.

I will give you some recipe substitutions in the next posting so watch the website closely. I will also post some recipes for some of our traditional favorites. If you have a favorite recipe, and want to know how to make it healthier, feel free to post it on Facebook. You may wish to ask for a specific recipe as well. Here is a recipe for the traditional green bean casserole. I was pleasantly surprised at how good this was. I used fresh green beans but canned or frozen should work fine as well.

Fresh Green Bean Casserole

1 ½ pounds green beans
2 tbsp. light butter
3 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. dry ranch salad dressing mix
¼ tsp. white pepper
1 ½ cups skim milk
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 ½ cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (1 1/3 slices)

Preheat oven to 375° F. Cook green beans until tender-crisp, drain, set aside. White sauce: In saucepan melt butter. Stir in flour and dry ranch dressing mix, and pepper. Stir in milk. Cook and stir with a wire whisk over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat. In saucepan, that is heated and coated with nonstick cooking spray, cook onion and garlic until onion is tender. Remove half the onion mixture and set aside. Add the mushrooms and cook until tender. In a 2 quart casserole combine the green beans, mushroom mixture and white sauce. In small bowl add the bread crumbs to the reserved onions. Sprinkle over the green bean mixture. Bake uncovered for about 25-30 minutes. Serves 10

Nutritional Information Per Serving:
Calories 107
Total fat 3 grams
Carbohydrate 14 grams

Taken from www.diabeticlivingonline.com.

Our next section in our healthy dietary change resolution for 2010 is accountability. Having accountability helps you keep on track, helps you monitor your progress, and helps to keep you motivated. So, what are some ways we can be accountable?

• Keep track of your progress on paper or other electronic forms
  • [pullquote]
    • Tracking your weight gains and losses allows you to see your progress

  [/pullquote]

• Monitor your resolution with a resolution partner
  • [pullquote]
    • The staff here watch what each other eats for meals
    • I find them getting meal ideas from each other

  [/pullquote]

• Keep a food journal and write down everything you eat and drink
  • [pullquote]
    • If I don’t write down that piece of chocolate I ate, then it is easier to say I didn’t eat it, which invariably ends up in overeating something
    • One of our MA’s discovered that she lost minimal weight or gained weight when she did not write her foods down. Since she has resumed the journal she is again losing weight.
    • This helps you figure out any mistakes you may be making with your foods.

  [/pullquote]

• Keep a food diary and write down what your feelings are when you eat:
  • [pullquote]
    • Cravings
    • Boredom
    • Hunger

  [/pullquote]

Take some time out and plan your menus for the week. I love to cook. I also love to collect recipes and cookbooks. I almost need a separate room for everything I have collected throughout the years! I take a couple of hours one day a week and plan my menus for the week. Try to get your kids involved with the meal choices. I usually try to pick one to two days a week and ask my kids what they want or give them a choice of a couple of meals. I look at the calendar for the family activities occurring that week and how many people are going to be home on that day, then plan my meals accordingly. For instance, I know on Tuesdays the schedule at work is heaviest and at what time I leave the office is always a guess; my husband has band practice after work so does not get home until late; my son gets home late from school; my band booster meetings typically fall on that night. The meals I typically plan are:

• Hamburgers
  • [pullquote]
    • Pre-packaged frozen ground sirloin hamburger patties
    • Whole wheat hamburger buns

  [/pullquote]

• Spaghetti
  • [pullquote]
    • Whole grain for low-carb spaghetti
    • Low sugar, low fat spaghetti sauce in jar

  [/pullquote]

• Left-overs
• Rotisserie chicken or baked chicken from deli kept in freezer until needed

I have older children and all of these meals can be prepared by them. These are quick, easy, and can be stored in your pantry or the freezer until needed. Add a salad, fresh fruit, your favorite vegetable and you are ready to go. A patient told me about the vegetables that you buy in a bag to steam. I tried a combination of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. They were steamed perfectly! I didn’t have to wash them or cut them. I added a mock hollandaise sauce (recipe below) that is quick to prepare.

MacArthur OB/GYN took a poll on Facebook asking about favorite forms of electronic/social media to use for keeping track of your calories and foods. Here are some of the responses.

• iPhone app- Lose It
• Myfitnesspal. com (this updates your iPhone and computer at the same time)
• sparklepeople.com
• everydaythealth.com

Check out these quick recipes.

Parmesan Baked Fish

4 4-ounce fresh or frozen fish fillets
¼ cup light mayonnaise or salad dressing
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. chives or green onion
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, chives, and Worcestershire sauce. Place fish in square pan lined with foil. Top fish with mayo mixture. Bake 8 to 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork. Serves 4.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:
Calories 169
Total fat 10 grams
Saturted Fat 2 grams
Carbohydrates 1 gram

Mock Hollandaise Sauce

¼ cup liquid egg substitute
1 tablespoon Smart Balance spread
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Dash red pepper

In a 1 cup microwaveable glass bowl, combine the egg substitute and the spread. Microwave on low for about 1 minute, stirring halfway through cooking, until the spread is softened. Stir the lemon juice and mustard into the egg substitute. Microwave on low for 3 minutes, stirring about every 30 seconds, until thickened. Stir in the pepper. If mixture curdles, transfer to a blender or small food processor and process on low about 30 seconds. (Because I tend to multitask, mine always curdles). Serves 2.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:
54 calories
4 grams protein
2 grams carbohydrates
4 grams fat
0 grams saturated fat
150 mg sodium
5 mg cholesterol

Source: The South Beach Diet Cookbook by Arthur Agatston, M.

Baked Ricotta Custard

(Here is a dessert that even my kids love!)
¾ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
4 ounces nonfat tub-style cream cheese at room temperature
¼ cup sugar substitute
1 large egg
1 large egg white
¼ cup fat-free half-and-half
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Ground cinnamon for garnish

Heat oven to 250 degrees F. In a large bowl, with electric mixer at medium speed, beat ricotta and cream cheese until creamy. Add sugar substitute and beat until well combined. Add egg, egg white, half-and-half, and vanilla; beat until well blended. Transfer mixture to 4 (8 ounce) ramekins (small custard bowls or cups). Place ramekins in a baking dish. Add hot water to baking dish to a depth of 1 inch. Bake until custards are set, about 45 minutes. Remove from water bath and cool on rack. Serve chilled or at room temperature, sprinkle with ground cinnamon.

Tip:

• Substitute egg with liquid egg substitute
• Buy liquid egg whites and keep in freezer
• Thaw small amounts that are needed for recipes and return to freezer.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:
128 calories
5 grams fat
3 grams saturated fat
12 grams protein
7 grams carbohydrate

Source: The South Beach Diet Supercharged by Arthur Agatston, MD

This week’s tip for a successful resolution is:

Make your resolutions achievable

• Losing 15 pounds in the next 3 weeks to fit into that bathing suit for your vacation to Mexico is not very realistic
• however, losing 1-2 pounds per week for the next 3 months is.

Don’t bite off more than you can chew

• When I go over diet and nutrition for the gestational diabetics, I tell them to first focus on eating the correct amount of carbohydrates at each meal and snack. We will then come back and fine tune the type of carbohydrate at later visits.
• Don’t focus on the 100 pounds you would like to lose but a 5-10% weight loss. This means that if you weigh 200 pounds, then you only need to lose 15-20 pounds. Then lose another 5-10%.
• Don’t try to lose 20 pounds in a month, prepare to run your marathon in 3 months and decide to train for a body building competition at the same time. Keep it simple and focus on one resolution at a time.

MacArthur OB/GYN’s Resolutions for 2010

Here are some of the ways the staff is keeping their resolutions achievable.

• Of the MA’s that are losing weight, one has set a goal of 10 pounds in 3 months, the rest are competing with each other to see who can lose the most weight in 3 months
• The MA’s that are eating more vegetables or keeping their carbohydrate servings appropriate are losing weight but much slower, about ½ to 1 pound per week
• We learned today about complex carbohydrates changing our breads, pastas and rice to whole grain

Complex Carbohydrates

I mentioned previously simple carbohydrates. We are now going to start talking about complex carbohydrates or whole grain foods.

Complex carbohydrates:

• Made up of longer chains of sugar molecules
• Enter the blood stream at a steady rate giving you a consistent level of energy
• Help prevent those highs and lows simple carbohydrates can give you
• Contain fiber making you feel fuller longer
• Fruits and vegetables are considered simple carbohydrates, but the fiber in them slows down their digestion

If you are between the ages of 19 and 50, you need 6 servings of complex carbohydrates per day. If you are over the age of 50 you only need 5 servings per day. One serving of a carbohydrate equals 15 grams or ½ cup cooked pasta or rice.

I know this sounds complicated but what I try to do is have one serving of carbohydrate for breakfast, 2 for lunch, and 2 for dinner. I save that last serving for the unknown because I never really know when I’m going to leave the office and what I have originally planned to eat changes. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked in the door at 7:00 pm and one of my kids invariably has a school project that is due the next day and they need a large Styrofoam ball. So instead of preparing the meal I had originally planned, I am now on my way to the nearest craft store.

I may also snack on something during the day that I was not really planning on. For instance, one of the doctors brought in some bagels and I really wanted one. So I enjoyed half a bagel with a little of the low fat cream cheese as a morning snack.

Breakfast

½ cup eggs
1 slice Whole-wheat bread

Snack

Cheese
5 crackers

Lunch

Chicken breast
Salad
½ cup potato

Snack

Yogurt

Dinner

Hamburger
Whole-wheat bun
Salad

So how do you know if what you are purchasing is a whole grain or a complex carbohydrate?

• You must read the ingredient list on the package. Unfortunately, you cannot simply rely on what the
  package advertises. Just because the bread label reads “wheat” bread does not mean a whole grain was used or that it is 100% whole-grain.

• Look for the nutrition list and look at the list of ingredients. What you don’t want to see is “enriched flour”.
  Enriched flour is white flour. In other words, during the
  processing they have removed the outer covering of the grain.
  That outer covering has the majority of the fiber and nutrition
  of that grain.

• Look for key words such as whole wheat flour, multi-grain flour, stone ground

Grilled Chicken with Roasted Vegetables

(This is one of my favorite things to fix. Make this recipe your own by changing the chicken marinades and the vegetables you use).

1 package any grill marinade mix of chicken, pork chops, beef

Your choice of vegetables:

• Eggplant
• Zucchini
• Yellow squash
• Onions
• Bell peppers
• Mushrooms
• Red potatoes
• Asparagus

Your choice of herbs:

• Fresh or dried basil
• Fresh or dried oregano
• Garlic

Balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to season

Prepare marinade per package instructions. Marinate your choice of meat for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cut vegetables in large chunks. Place in 13X9 oven-safe pan coated with non-stick cooking spray. Place vegetables in pan and add basil, oregano and/or garlic and season with salt and pepper if desired. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar if desired. Roast vegetables until tender in oven at 400 degrees. Put chicken on grill and grill until juices run clear.

Serving Size – ½ cup

Nutritional Information Per Serving of Vegetables:
Calories 170
Protein 5 grams
Carbohydrates 15 grams (without potatoes)
Carbohydrates 30 grams (with ½ cup potatoes)

Grilled Salmon with Rosemary

1 pound salmon fillet
2 whole lemons, sliced
Fresh rosemary sprigs, about 20
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
Nonstick cooking spray
Salt

Lay two pieces of foil on top of each other. Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray. Place lemon slices on foil. Top lemon with rosemary sprigs, reserving 2-3 sprigs. Strip rosemary stem of leaves and chop. In small bowl, mix the minced garlic, Dijon mustard and chopped rosemary. Spread on top of salmon. Place foil on grill and cook until salmon is opaque in center, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and salmon wearing oven mitts. Cut salmon into 4 portions.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:
Calories 212
Saturated fat 2 grams
Total fat 12 grams
Carbohydrates 1 gram
Protein 23 grams

Serve with above roasted vegetables, salad and fresh fruit for dessert.

I am proud to announce that 2 more staff members have joined our group. Our weight loss for this week was 22 pounds!

Trying to LOSE weight during the holiday season can set you up for failure. Focus instead on MAINTAINING your current weight. This can be hard especially since everywhere you look there are all kinds of wonderful food and snacks. If you are diabetic (gestational, Type 1, Type 2) it is an even larger challenge to keep your blood sugars normal. Hopefully, by following some of these tips we can get through this season and maintain our current weight.

Use a small plate

• This makes the amount of food appear more than it is
• Eat slow and savor the flavors
• Wait at least 20 minutes before going back for seconds
• Before going back for seconds, figure out if you are really hungry or only craving the foods

Catch up on the neighborhood gossip away from the kitchen

• Focus on the conversation or other activities that are going on around you
• This helps keep attention away from the food
• Makes you put out an effort to get food, takes you away from the conversation (which may cause you miss juicy tidbits)

Avoid keeping the extra leftovers on hand

• Package leftovers in portion sizes and freeze for later
• Freezing may get you out of preparing a future meal (especially after a full day of shopping)
• Freezing portions may also provide you with a quick lunch for work later in the week
• Send leftovers home with guests (these make great gifts and they can take a break from cooking)

Review recipes and make healthier substitutions

• Use a low-fat butter
• Use a sugar substitute instead of granulated sugar
• Avoid casseroles (tend to have hidden calories or carbohydrates)

Make healthier beverage choices

• Switch to sugar-free soft drinks
• Try water with lemon or lime
• Try sugar-substitute drink mixes
• Avoid those delicious fruit punches and eggnog
• There are approximately 100 calories per serving of wine, so be careful with drinks containing alcohol

Keep your exercise schedule

• Remember to keep moving
• Walking is a great activity and can be fun for the whole family, including the family dog
• You only need about 20 minutes (great way for the kids to break in that new bike or new pair of roller blades)

Plan ahead for your meals

• Find out what is going to be served before arriving to your destination
• Pack your own healthy food choices such as low-fat/calorie items (I tell my gestational diabetic patients to do this)

Make sure you keep your regular eating schedule especially if you are diabetic

I already know what will be served for our holiday meals and that I plan on enjoying them. I also know that, when it is all said and done, there will be lots of goodies passing through my house. I try to really watch what I eat a couple of days before the feast and am very careful for a couple of days after the feast.  I enjoy the sinfully delicious as well as the healthy. However, in regards to the sinfully delicious, the portions are very small and I really take my time eating them. I don’t have seconds and don’t partake of those leftovers the next day.

Here are some recipes for some holiday cookies and bread that have healthier alternatives. My kids and some of the office staff taste tested several experiments and these were the favorites. Remember that when decreasing the amount and/or type of fat you put in your recipes and when you change to a sugar substitute, the texture changes and your products do not taste as sweet.

Gingerbread Cookies

¼ cup butter
¼ cup 50% to 70% vegetable oil spread (lower fat margarine)
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ cup molasses
¼ cup refrigerated liquid egg product (or 1 egg)
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour

In a large bowl, combine butter and vegetable spread. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves. Beat until well mixed, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in molasses and egg. The mixture will look curdled. Add all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour, beating just until combined. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill for 2-3 hours until easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. On lightly floured surface, roll dough, half at a time, to 1/8 inch thick. Using a 2-3 inch gingerbread cookie cutter or cookie cutter of your choice, cut out shapes. Reroll dough as needed. Place cutouts about 1 inch apart on cookie tray. Bake 4-6 minutes or until edges are firm and set. Cool. Makes 36 3-inch cookies.

Nutritional Information Per Serving

Calories 73
Total fat 2 grams
Carbohydrates 12 grams (1 serving)
Cholesterol 3 mg

Source: diabeticlivingonline.com

Soft Snickerdoodles

1 ½ cups sugar or sugar substitute
3 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened
¾ cup liquid egg product
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup chopped peanuts
1 cup dried currants
1 cup dried cranberries (6 oz.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small bowl combine 2 tbsp. of sugar or sugar substitute and 1 teaspoon cinnamon; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine butter and the remaining sugar or sugar substitute. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Add egg product and vanilla. Beat until combined.

In a medium bowl, combine all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and the remaining 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Add to beaten mixture, Beat until well mixed. Stir in peanuts, currants and cranberries. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto a cookie tray sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Bake for 78 minutes until lightly browned. Cool. Makes about 60 cookies.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (Sugar)

Calories 96
Total fat 5 grams
Saturated fat 2 grams
Cholesterol 9 mg
Carbohydrate 13 grams (1 serving)

Nutritional Information Per Serving (Sugar Substitute)

Calories 89
Total fat 5 grams
Saturated fat 2 grams
Cholesterol 9 grams
Carbohydrates 10 grams

Source: diabeticlivingonline.com

Walnut-Raspberry Thumbprints

¼ cup butter, softened
¼ cup granulated sugar or sugar substitute
¼ cup packed brown sugar or brown sugar substitute blend
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp ground cinnamon or cardamom
1/8 tsp. baking soda
2 egg whites or 6 tbsp. liquid egg white product
½ tsp. vanilla
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 egg white or 3 tbsp. liquid egg white product, lightly beaten
¾ cup finely chopped walnuts and/or pecans
¼ cup low-sugar or sugar-free strawberry, apricot, raspberry preserves

In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and baking soda. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in the 2 egg whites or liquid egg white product and the vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour as you can with the mixer. Using a spoon, stir in any remaining flour and the oats. Cover and chill dough about 2 hours until easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray cookie sheets lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Shape dough into ¾ inch balls. Roll balls in the 1 egg white or liquid egg product, roll in the nuts to coat. Place on prepared cookie sheets. Using your thumb, make an indentation in the center of each cookie.

Bake for 7-8 minutes until edges are golden brown. If indentations puff during baking, gently press the back of a measuring teaspoon into indentations when cookies are removed from the oven. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute then transfer to wire rack and continue cooling.

Just before serving, spoon preserves into indentations in cookies. Makes about 36 cookies.

To store: Layer unfilled cookies between waxed paper in an airtight container. Cover and seal.  Store at room temperature for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw cookies then fill indentations with low-sugar or sugar-free preserves.

Nutritional Facts Per Serving (Granulated Sugar)

Calories 60
Carbohydrates 7 grams
Total fat 3 grams
Saturated fat 1 gram

Nutritional Facts Per Serving (Substitute Sugar)

Calories 55
Carbohydrates 5 grams
Total fat 3 grams
Saturated fat 1 gram

Source: diabeticlivingonline.com

Squash Tea Bread

(This is equivalent to pumpkin bread. Tastes like gingerbread.)

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
¾ cups winter squash
½ cups sugar
¼ cup honey
¼ cup canola oil
1 large egg or ¼ cup liquid egg substitute
1 large egg white or 3 tbsp. liquid egg white product

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-by-5 inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Whisk all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves in a medium bowl until combined. Set aside. Beat squash puree, sugar, honey and oil in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in egg or liquid egg product and egg white or liquid egg white product.

Turn off mixer, add dry ingredients, beat at low speed until combined. Scrape into prepared loaf pan. Bake about 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes then turn onto wire rack. Cool for about 30 minutes. Serve warm. Serves 8

Tips:

• I like the taste of the spices so I tend to be a little heavy handed with those.
• I used the egg and egg white products

Nutritional Facts Per Serving:

Calories 225
Saturated fat 1 gram
Total fat 8 grams
Carbohydrates 2.5 servings

Preparation of Squash:

I used a large butternut squash and got enough squash to make 4 loaves. Wash squash. Cut squash, with peel, into small chunks, scrape out seeds, and place in large saucepan. Cover completely with water. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until squash is soft. Drain and cool completely. When cool, peel squash like you would an apple. Mash with electric mixer or in food processor. Squash can be packaged in ¾ cup portions and frozen in plastic baggies until ready to use. To use, thaw squash and drain.

Source: everydayhealth.com