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RECIPE: Salted Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

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An all natural, sweet treat that won’t send you blood sugar through the roof

So you are female, hormonal, pregnant and let’s face it… at some point you will to be craving a gooey, sweet, chocolate chip cookie.  You will feel guilty about it.  You will try to eat a piece of fruit to suppress the craving.  It won’t work.  You will anguish on whether or not to give in.  You will give in and have just one chocolate chip cookie (20-40 grams of carbs) and you will worry that your little meter is going to give you an outrageously high number so…. you walk for an hour after eating the little piece of heaven.  Sound familiar?

Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars made with Chickpeas, Peanut Butter and Honey... Perfect after dinner treat if you have gestational diabetes

Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars made with Chickpeas, Peanut Butter and Honey… Perfect after dinner treat if you have gestational diabetes

Gestational Diabetes: Satisfy a Sweet Tooth

Gooey and Delicious… Satisfy a sweet tooth!

I am pretty sure some of you are ready to take a cookie and shove it down my throat right now but I found a little slice of heaven with only 13 grams of carbs and to go along with it 2 grams of fiber and 3.6 grams of protein! Perfect for an after dinner dessert!

Yes it is a treat, but one that is so delicious, reasonably low in carbs and it will more than satisfy the chocolate chip cookie craving!  As my pledge, there are no artificial sweeteners in this or any of my recipes!

You: Ummm, Katie, I looked at the ingredients and there a can of chickpeas listed first… sounds gross…

Me: Trust me on this one… they are absolutely delicious and have been approved my husband and kids.  My 3 year old even did a cookie dance:)  I wish I had it on video!

RECIPE: Salted Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
 
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All natural, flourless chocolate chip cookie bar made with chickpeas and peanut butter!
Author:
Recipe type: Sweet Treat, Dessert, Cookie
Serves: 16
Ingredients
  • 1 can (15 oz) Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans), drained and rinsed
  • ½ c Natural Peanut Butter (Peanuts and Salt are only ingredients)
  • ¼-1/3 c Honey (vary depend on sweetness preferred)
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • ¼ c + 1 T mini chocolate chips
  • sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F
  2. Grease 8x8 square pan or a 9" round pan
  3. Place all ingredients except chocolate chips in food processor and process until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips.
  4. Spread batter in evenly in pan and sprinkle with 1 T chocolate chips and sea salt
  5. Bake 20-25 minutes until the top is light brown.
Notes
Nutritional Calculations are estimated using the brand of ingredients that I used, please adjust according to your specific brands. The nutritional value was calculated based on ¼ c Honey which was perfectly sweet and delicious for my family. For a chocolate chip cookie cake, I have also added one egg which gives it a light and airy cake consistency.... see picture below. Adding an egg will add an additional 0.3 g fat and 0.4 g protein per serving
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 square Calories: 115 Fat: 5.7 Carbohydrates: 13 Fiber: 2.2 Protein: 3.6
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RECIPE: Zuppa Toscana Low Carb

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Soup Saturday Recipes Continue with Zuppa Toscana!

So in my last post,  I introduced you to, what we call in my family, Soup Saturday and shared my recipe for Beef Barley Vegetable Soup.  This week I have another easy soup to add to your collection of gestational diabetes friendly recipes…. Zuppa Toscana!  This soup is my one of my favorites and it satisfies my cravings for potato soup or traditional zuppa toscana on cold winter days!

Zuppa Toscana Low Carb

Zuppa Toscana

To make this recipe gestational diabetes friendly, I replace much of the potatoes with cauliflower.  The cauliflower takes on the role of the potato effortlessly!  Packed with protein, this is a satisfying and delicious dish!

Zuppa Toscana
 
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One of my favorite soups on a cold winter day! Serve with a fresh green salad!
Author:
Serves: 12 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 pound Fresh Ground Pork, Extra Lean
  • 4 Slices Nitrate-Free Bacon, Cut into ½ inch, Cooked Crisp and 1 T of drippings
  • 1 Medium Onion, finely diced
  • 1 Large Carrot, Thinly Sliced
  • 2-3 tsp Fennel Seed
  • ½ to 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
  • 2 T Garlic, minced
  • 7 c Chicken Stock
  • 2 Small (2”dia) Potatoes, diced in ½" cubed
  • ½ Head Cauliflower, Roughly chopped into ½" pieces
  • 3 c Spinach, Rough Chopped (or Kale- remove the hard stems)
  • 1 c Whole Milk
  • Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions
  1. Brown the sausage with a pinch of salt and pepper in a stock pot until crumbly, brown and no longer pink. Drain, remove from pan and set aside.
  2. Cook the bacon in the same pot over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon and grease leaving a tablespoon of drippings in the pot. Stir in the onions, carrots, fennel and red pepper flakes; cook until onions are soft and translucent. Add garlic and sausage and sauté a couple minutes.
  3. Pour the chicken stock into the pot with the onion/carrot/sausage mixture; bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes, and simmer about 10 minutes. Add cauliflower and simmer an additional 10 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are fork tender.
  4. Reduce heat to medium and stir in the spinach and milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
Please remember that the nutrition values are estimated off the brands and ingredients I have used and may differ to your ingredients
Nutrition Information
Calories: 184 Fat: 5.9 Carbohydrates: 14.5 Fiber: 1.9 Protein: 18.4
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RECIPE: Beef Barley Vegetable Soup

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And Lunch for Everyday of the Week

So planning every breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks can become exhausting. One thing that saved my bacon was SOUP SATURDAY!

Chili in the front, Beef Barley Vegetable Soup in the Back

Chili in the front, Beef Barley Vegetable Soup in the Back

Every week, or every other, I make a batch (or two) of soup, store them in glass pyrex bowls (the 2 cup bowls are perfect for single servings and the 8 cup is perfect for my family), pop them in the deep freeze and pull them out as I need them.  This has become quite the tradition in my house.  I keep three to four varieties of soup in my freezer so I do not feel like I am eating the same thing EVERY day (and to make sure I am balancing my nutritional intake)!  Some days, I make Chicken Salad, make something specific, or eat leftovers from my dinner BUT I do not have to stress about making something for lunch (or even think about it.)   This habit was definitely a lifesaver when I was working… I always had lunch… ready to go!   Here is another great recipe to freeze!  Toscana Zuppa….

RECIPE: Beef Barley Vegetable Soup
 
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Gestational Diabetes friendly, freezer worthy soup for lunches all month
Author:
Serves: 20 cups
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ lbs Ground Beef , browned
  • 1 Medium Onion, diced
  • 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
  • 4 Large Carrots, sliced
  • 4 Celery Stalks, sliced
  • 2 quarts Whole Tomatoes
  • 2 T Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 c Pearl Barley, raw
  • 2 qt Beef Stock
  • 3 large Bay Leaves
  • 1 T Oregano
  • 1 T Parsley
  • 1 ½ tsp Thyme
  • 2 c Green Beans, Frozen
  • 3 c Cabbage, shredded
  • 1 ½ c Corn, Frozen
  • ½ c Green Peas, Frozen
Instructions
  1. Brown Hamburger, Drain. Add Onion and sautéed until translucent. Add garlic, and celery, sauté a couple more minutes and then add carrots, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, barley, water, beef stock, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, and Parsley. Bring to a slow boil and simmer until carrots are tender, add Green Beans and Cabbage. Simmer until cabbage and green beans are tender and then add corn and peas. Simmer until corn and peas are heated through. Salt and Pepper to taste.
Notes
Please remember that the nutrition values are estimated off the brands and ingredients I have used and may differ to your ingredients
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 cup Calories: 145 Fat: 2 Carbohydrates: 24 Fiber: 4 Protein: 11.6
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I am SO Sick of Drinking Water!

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Apple Cinnamon Water…. What the What? UMMM… Delicious

Apple Cinnamon Water

Apple Cinnamon Water- Perfect Change of Pace

I find as fall sets in, I am craving “fall” flavors but it seems as if everything “fall” is carb loaded… AKA you have one bite and then worry about your blood sugar!  I want something that I can have as much as I want garsh darn!

I have heard it over and over again… “I am SO sick of drinking water but I do not know what else to drink!”

One of many things that Gestational Diabetes has taught me is that I need to be adventurous and have an open mind!  When trying new foods/recipes that were friendly to my diet, I had learned to keep the mindset that this is NOT a replacement for another food… it is just another option!  If I thought of the new food or recipe as a replacement to another… I was almost always disappointed and frustrated (and THAT my friend makes Gestational Diabetes even more difficult)… So going forward, I challenge you… when you have a craving, think what ABOUT that food you are actually craving… is it a particular flavor, texture, temperature…. what is it?!

So back to today, I was craving a beverage with cinnamon and found a recipe for Apple-Cinnamon water… sounds interesting… I know I was skeptical!  To my surprise, and I quote my six year old, the water is “Yummy in my Tummy” AND SO simple and easy!

BONUS: Cinnamon is LOADED with antioxidants AND it helps stabilize blood sugar!   OH YEAH BABY! Try this Gestational Diabetes friendly recipe  (recipe at bottom)!

Gestational Diabetes... Try Apple Cinnamon Water

Apple Cinnamon Water- Great alternative to plain water for Gestational DiabetesI have been refilling the pitcher all day!  My boys (6 and 2) cannot get enough of it! It is SO AWESOME!  (PS, it is not sweet, but SO delicious!)

So what new, adventurous, gestational diabetes friendly recipe have you tried?!  Are you eating the same foods over and over again?  Do yourself a favor, try ONE new recipe/ food tomorrow and let me know about it in the comment section below!

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Apple Cinnamon Water
 
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adapted from sistertosister.org
Author:
Ingredients
  • 2 Apples sliced very thin- I use Gala, Fuji, or Honey Crisp
  • 2 Cinnamon Sticks
Instructions
  1. Drop apple slices and cinnamon stick into bottom of 2 quart pitcher, cover with ice and then with water.  Place in fridge for 1-24 hours. Yes it is that easy!
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