I will not diet. I love chocolate. Chocolate makes me happy. I believe in sugar free-dom which for me more often than not means abstinence. Yet when you are a parent who loves to bake with your kids, avoiding sweet treats can be a challenge. Usually I aim to not keep temptations in the house and that is by far the best thing I can do. If it is in the house, I WILL eat it. What can we do to balance the scales when we do have to bake something we find irresistible?
Well, this delicious idea happened yesterday. We decided to make brownies for Memorial Day. I was already achingly aware of missing my husband, a Green Beret that died in Afghanistan in 2014, so what better to comfort us than brownies?! Luckily, I had sugar free brownie mix in the pantry. Unfortunately, we all know now sugar free substitutions are not exactly healthy either and they do not taste quite the same.
Here is the balance: We mixed the batter, then put a layer of frozen strawberries (partially thawed) in the pan. We added semi-sweet chocolate chips and peanut butter chips to the batter and poured the batter over the strawberries. We baked it as directed on the box and hoped for the best. They turned out AMAZING! The chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and strawberries add that extra flavor and sweetness to the brownies without them being overly sweet like they would be if it were regular brownie mix.
What else can I do if I am going to eat a brownie? Eat a protein or fiber-full meal or snack first to help slow the digestion of the simple sugar. Oh, and get them out of the house as quick as possible!
With sweet days,
Nikola Rosa
