Cookie Party! (You Can Do It!)

Over here at the Naturally Sweet Sisters house, we are gearing up to start baking season.  This is the time when we make about ten different kinds of cookies from cut-out cookies to peanut butter kiss cookies. 

While the kitchen becomes an official disaster zone, our final product makes it so worth the mess of flour, butter and sugar everywhere.

It is just old-fashioned fun!

This a great time to figure out how to deal with the dozens of cookies that either you are baking or becoming the lucky recipient of.

Helpful Cookie Tips:

1.)  Recipe websites are popping up all over the Internet.  Some have carb count information already posted at the bottom of the recipe.  Be sure to double check the amount against your own calculations.  A few times, I have discovered inconsistencies that would surely have caused an "off" blood sugar later.

2.)  Keep a binder or a notebook with all of your favorite recipes.  After going through the work of calculating the carbohydrates in the recipe, be sure to write it down by total and per piece so that you can skip that step the next time.

3.)  Don't be shy!  If you are gifted cookies, ask your 'giftor' for a copy the recipe.  You don't even have to explain why.  I can guarantee that the person giving the cookies will be flattered that you liked them enough to ask.

4.)  If you exchange items in your recipe, consider the effect of what you are replacing it with.  For example, sometimes I exchange oil for applesauce in order to have a lower cholesterol product.  By doing so, I am increasing the amount of carbohydrates, which ultimately means more insulin.

5.)  Going to a cookie swap?  Once you get home, pull out your trusty Calorie King book for some examples of cookies that are similar in content.  Write everything down a list and tape to the top of the cookie container.  Keeping the carbs handy helps to reduce the amount of anxiety and stress and really, that is the most important tip.

Enjoy the moment.  The holiday season is seemingly never-ending, but once it is over, it is over.

Well, at least for 364 more days!