I can have my cake and eat it too
One of the biggest attractions of the new house is the large kitchen. The biggest attraction of the large kitchen is the center island with granite top that is simply ideal for kneading dough to make bread. Buying the house was a done deal weeks before I went into surgery last month. When I was told that I would have to maintain a low-fat and low-sugar diet, I wondered if the kitchen island would ever be put to good use. My first thought was that baking would have to take a backseat.
But the wonderful thing about my family is how supportive they are especially during difficult times. Speedy has made the new diet dilemma a hundred times easier when he said he’d go on a low-fat, low-sugar diet with me.
But the kids… I’ve been learning how to bake during the past year and the kids have gotten used to home-baked cookies, muffins and cakes. How would they feel about everything? Sam surprised me when, soon after I came out of the hospital, she asked when I would bake again. I told her, “Low-sugar diet, remember?” And she said, “I thought you would just use Splenda instead of sugar.” That was when I realized that even the kids are with me on this. They are not going to make it hard for me.
As a pre-housewarming gift, Speedy gave me a copy of Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook. It’s a wonderful book that truly instructs. I love the straightforward writing and the detailed but no-frills instructions. None of those whimsical prose that Nigella Lawson’s books are filled with. I’ve baked two recipes from the book — blueberry muffins and chocolate marble cake — using vegetable shortening (butter-flavored Crisco) in lieu of butter and Splenda in place of sugar. Save for the usual debates over texture and density, no one raised any issues about the substitutions. In fact, when I mentioned that Crisco looked like it would be a cheaper alternative to butter, Sam was quick to say, “Let’s just use Crisco then.”
There’s a substitute for almost everything but none for one’s family.
If you’re interested in the proper handling of Crisco and Splenda for baking, click here.
IMPORTANT UPDATE on June 24, 2008: New developments in the sugar saga.
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21 Responses to “I can have my cake and eat it too”Trackbacks
Some related discussions...-
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[...] really made up my mind about whether to ditch Splenda or not (if you’re new here, read the related entry). But a few hours after the deadline, Speedy and I had a discussion. It appears that he had been [...]
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[...] – I can have my cake and eat it too [...]
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[...] This is not an ad for Crisco or Splenda. It hurts that I have to buy them. It hurts even more that I am writing about them. They are screaming Artificial!!! right at my face but it’s substituting Crisco for butter and Splenda for sugar or no baking cakes and cookies at all. Hard to argue with one’s blood sugar, you know. The heartening thing is that it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. It’s a matter of getting used to, both in taste and in baking techniques, but I’m learning. And the learning process sometimes yield pleasant surprises. [...]
We feast everyday!
Hi Ms Connie. You probably already know, but applesauce is a great substitute for butter/oil when making cakes. I couldn’t tell the difference and it probably counts as a serving of fruit. I’m not sure how available it is there, but I’m sure you can use other fruit puree also. Good luck!
Zynnie, no, I didn’t know that! Wow, thanks for the tip. I’ll scour the supermarket shelves for applesauce and read up too.
hi connie…
zynnie is right- fruits has natural sugars that gives some sweetness- makes cakes moist too! you can also cut back on the sugar by using natural flavorings- a splash of vanilla extract, almond extract, or a pinch of cinnamon gives full flavor and enhances baked good (gives the impression of sweetness). a little goes a long way
happy baking!
try ellie kriegers recipes (not just for baking). i don’t know if her show makes it there, but it’s good.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/ellie_kriegers_healthy_recipes
happy eating!
low-fat and low-sugar diet? welcome to my world. BWAHAHA.
baka kailangan mo ng dieting tips, mayroon akong “mga alamat ng pagpapapogi” na blog post.
I think it’s great that you have control over what you can eat. My love for sweets will probably get me in trouble some day, but I’m a buyer not a baker, and easily tempted by what’s out there!
Checking out Ellie Krieger’s recipes/show seem like a good idea… I’ve caught her a few times on TV, and her recipes look sensible and tasty.
“mga alamat ng pagpapapogi”
Hahanapin ko yan, Jay. Gagawan ko ng feminine version.
Thanks for the tip, Inna!
Candice, re “easily tempted by what’s out there”. Oh, yes. It’s a hundred times harder when you’re out or eating out. I always feel “safe” when at home but the moment we hit the malls, hayyy… the temptations!
Diabetes runs in my family. I have cousins who developed type 2 diabetes during their 30’s. All of them were told to limit their carbo intake. For us filipinos its difficult because we are rice-eaters. I saw what they have to suffer so I decided to be proactive about my health. I do regular exercises. Dieting is much harder for me because I eat very limited variety of vegetables. Exercising doesn’t mean you have to run to the gym and pay their tremendous fees. When you move to your new house, you’ll have more space to clean and that means burning more calories. But I’m pretty sure what keeps me fit these days is forgetting to bring the stuff I need from the basement to upstairs. I have to go up and down the stairs several times a day.
Carol, re stairs: Oh, my sentiments exactly when I wrote “Health in a shrinking world” two months ago. It is the lack of natural physical activity that is killing us. I am so glad that we’re moving where there’s a lot of space indoors. And outdoors too for walking.
I am with you with regards to substitutions in cooking/baking. Husband & I are both allergic to cow’s milk (not lactose intolerant –there’s a pill for that but ours is allergy to the whey & casein proteins in cow’s milk) so I have leraned to cook/bake using extra light olive oil and rice or soy milk. For sugar, we opt not to use artificial sweeteners, instead we use a little bit of white, brown sugar and molasses. For coffee or tea, we use Stevia (a natural sweetener derived from a plant).
hey connie i’m glad to hear you are well and your family. with supportive family like that, kayang kaya mo. all the best. super congrats sa new house!
In addition to applesauce, prune puree also works as butter substitute. You get fiber and vitamins, I’m sure they count as as serving of fruit. You might even be able to cut down on the other sweeteners because of the natural fruit sugars. Play around with it, find something that works, and make sure you share the results of your experiments with us!
Thanks, Greymom, I’ll check out Stevia. Won’t hurt to know one’s options.
Thank you, Glo! Countdown na. 10 days to go!
JS, re “You might even be able to cut down on the other sweeteners because of the natural fruit sugars”
Exactly what I was thinking when Inna first mentioned applesauce. And natural is still tons better than artificial. Oh, I’ll be documenting my experiments for sure.
awww. that’s so sweet, now I feel so bad because when my parents went vegetarian, me and my brothers and sisters did not go with them
LOL, Mae, if I went vegetarian, I think Speedy and the kids will eat out everyday.
can we use butter instead of Crisco in baking brownies?
Of course. That’s the default shortening.