Great Sugar Free-low carb Chocolate Chip Cookie

It's not always easy to find a good recipe that our kids will like eating. The texture is always off and most of all the flavors just aren't right. But, this recipe isn't too bad. The cookies are quite yummy. 

Some of the recipes I’ve tried were dry, flat and crispy. These decadent cookies however are soft, chewy and moist and not the greasy or under cooked kind. They have a great density, meaning that they’re nice and thick. You can also add pecans or sea salt to really pack a punch.

MAKE IT AT HOME

• Sweetener – Swerve Sweetener
• Coconut Flour – Bob’s Red Mill Coconut Flour
• Almond flour – Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour
• Chocolate Chips – Hershey’s Sugar Free Chocolate Chips
• Cookie Scoop – Wilton Cookie Scoop

• Ingredients:
• 
  
• 11/4 cup almond flour
• 3 tablespoons coconut flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg, room temperature
• ¼ cup butter, room temperature
• ½ cup sweetener
• ⅓ cup sugar free chocolate chips or high % cacao chocolate

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line 1 large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, sift together almond flour, coconut flour baking soda and salt.
3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on low-medium speed, cream butter, sweetener, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
4. Add the flour mixture and mix until evenly mixed. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Drop 1-2 tablespoon size mounds of dough onto baking sheets, spacing the mounds at least 2 inches apart. Using your the palm of your hand or the bottom of a clean cup, flatten the cookies to the desired size and thickness.
6. Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until slightly golden around the edges. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 2-3 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

NOTES

Serving size: 1 Cookie (Total recipe makes 12 servings)
Protein 3.71g, Cals 145, Fat 12.24g, Carbs 7.48g, Fiber 2.28g, Sugar Alcohols 3.09g — NET CARBS: 2.11g 

Baking with almond and coconut flour can be pretty tricky but these cookies are fool-proof and the recipe is nice and detailed. This recipe should be just as easy as baking ordinary chocolate chip cookies, just a lot less guilt at the end.

Diabetes Diary 2/26/15

It's been a better two days. We have had a few lows, but numbers are much closer to his normal ranges. I'm spending this morning organizing his supplies. I found some cute glass containers from Ikea over the weekend that I love for his syringes and pen needles to keep them secure from our toddler. 

Now, I need to start working on our closet that has come over ran with medical supplies that make us look like hoarders. It's back to Ikea this weekend. It's got to be convenient, yet secure. I'll post our updates next week. 

IKEA had very cute baskets as well as sealable containers that may work for this little space. This is my newest organization project to tackle in our little place. I've got to get creative. 

My Petunia Pickle Bottom Boxy bags are still my best friends. Being able to wear them as a backpack and having my hands free to chase a toddler or give an insulin shot makes all the difference in the world. I do change them out to MK or Coach totes just because I need to feel like I'm apart of the fashion world, but honestly being a Type 1 Mom beats out any fashion preference anyday. I just love my little guys too much to care about anything else. Here's to my trusty Boxy Backpacks! Of course, a lot more goes inside than what's pictured, but thank goodness they hold a lot. Thanks Petunia Pickle Bottom for a great product! 

I did receive my Diabetes Necklace this week. What a great way to represent being a mother of a Type 1 Diabetic Child. Proceeds go to the research of finding a cure. And for us Mom's, it's a way to share our pride of our precious children fighters each and everyday. 

It's the true Type 1 Diabetes ribbon with a drop of blood in a ruby to represent the drop of blood our children need to give all day long to check their blood sugar. 

For all the other Type One Mother's who are interested, you can get yours at diabetesnecklace.com 

Diabetes Diary 2/24/15

It's been a strange week with numbers and adjustments. Lantus has been moved after three years to 7am and unfortunately I can't stop the 2am checks because he's been running extremely high and I have to give him a correction. He goes to bed with a beautiful number around 100, but something happens and it hits 350/450. 

Frustration doesn't even begin to describe how I feel. The sense of worry is greater than any other feeling. I am extremely exhausted and find it hard to get the daily routine moving as I feel like a zombie. But, with a couple cups of coffee I'm good to go. 

My alarms are set for night and I lay here trying to fall asleep. I just realized I've forgotten to eat today. Just the normal simple things that get forgotten when your busy caring for your child. 

I'm praying for a better night tonight. God bless all the type 1 families out there tonight. God only gives us what we can handle. 

My precious Daniel. This tired Mommy will make it through. 

The Oregon Trip

I came home from Oregon, so excited to blog about our first trip since diagnosis.
But, as my first week home passed, I began to feel the weight of emotion of coming back into the routines of the Southern California life. The thoughts over the traffic, the amount of people and their diversity, the compacted life will live in the big city. I feel as if I have returned to chaos. Life is so busy. Our vacation was so peaceful and the days just seemed longer. 

I look through photographs taken from our trip and can feel all the wonderful emotions as if they are still with me. I do not ever want to forget these memories. The tranquility of taking a road trip honestly re-charges oneself. You are reminded of the surroundings and of so much more than your little small world you thrive in day to day. The experiences gained through traveling are worth much more than the money that was spent. Our boys have had their eyes opened to so much more and so have we. Reflecting back now on my week at home... We are less shallow, less envious, truly happy with what God has provided us with. It wasn't just a vacation, It was us as a family getting closer, bonding, sharing, loving each other, just the four of us. It was perfect!

We didn't forget about Diabetes, it didn't let us. Our lancet pen decided to break at dinner time on our first night. Hubby to the rescue and bought disposable lancets as the boys and I waited to eat our dinner until he returned. That was a nervous 15 minutes. Then there was the change in Lantus moving from 9pm to 7 am. Each day on our trip was 3 hours sooner and my phone alarms seemed to be going off non-stop. We managed. Daniel had his highs. Maybe it was the excitement or maybe just his diabetes.

We spent our first day in Oregon visiting family. It was Valentine's Day and we headed to the historic town of Jacksonville for the evening. What a beautiful little place. Old architecture, restored buildings, small unique shops, and a unique mix of restaurants. The perfect hidden small town gem in southern Oregon. 

Our Valentine's dinner was spent here in Jacksonville with my sweet little boys. I couldn't be happier. My perfect dates. And the food, was the best Thai food I've ever had. Amazing since we were in such a small town far from a freeway or a large city. When we make it back to Jacksonville, OR I'll be right back at the Thai House. 

We headed to the Oregon coast the next morning and decided to take the long way home. The scenic route was worth all the extra hours on the road. It was breathtaking. Running creeks, flowing rivers, natural waterfalls, forests that suddenly open up to the coastline, and the most untouched beaches. 

Lunch on the beach before heading into the Redwood State Park. The boys had a blast climbing tree trunks and fallen down redwoods. We visited every tourist spot along the coastline that was in the tourist pamphlet. I never knew those little pamphlets in the hotels really are worth picking up and following. This was I believe the funniest part of the trip for us. Daniel tried climbing a fallen tree over 6 feet in diameter, Landon stepped in elk poop while watching them graze in a meadow, the boys played inside a redwood tree trunk, Daniel said he felt like Tarzan as the boys ran along the empty highway thru the forest, and we drove thru a tree. It was off season so we had the forest to ourselves for the moment. It was so quite. Only the sound of the water flowing down the  river. The night sky lit up with thousands of stars. 

Our final spot on our way home was San Francisco. Daniel wanted to see the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. The weather was beautiful and the bay was clear. We made it in perfect timing as the fog rolled back in as we were leaving. We drove down the famous crooked Lombard Street, ate lunch at Fishermans Wharf, walked along the water, drove on the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay bridge. 

It was just spectacular! I'm ready to plan our next vacation. Life with Type 1 Diabetes is just wonderful. I have a completely different outlook now. The vacation did this Mom good.

Diabetes Diary 2/11/15

It has been a busy weekend and start of this week. Daniel's numbers were running low at school and I was fighting highs in the afternoons. Constant carb ratio changes and Lantus doses changing mixed with 2am sugar checks have me feeling like a zombie again. It is taking me extra time just to accomplish the daily routine. Time just seems to be running away from me this week. It has also been a huge adjustment for us as we are moving the Lantus dose to the mornings instead of the evenings. After 3 years, it is just strange and I catch myself wanting to prep for the 9pm dose every night. I am praying we hit his target range soon. 

We have managed to have a little fun this week so I'm posting some pictures of the upside. It might have been a rough few days, but the boys are still smiling. 

A quick picture before heading to the lab for more bloodwork for Daniel's latest A1C.

Playing at the lab and spilling a little water in the process... Oops 

Landon watching his big brother being brave. 

At hockey practice last night. It was a nice escape from our warm Southern California weather. It almost made me feel like we have a real winter. 

My little boy just being a kid. I love watching him participate in sports and not letting his diabetes interfere with it. 

We had a decent bedtime BG75 after hockey practice, but then he woke up this morning at BG348... Sigh... Well, it's another day and this mommy isn't giving up. There's a good blood sugar day coming soon! 

One Pot Pasta

Now this is propbably the easiest pasta dish you'll ever make in your life. There is a 5 min prep then everything gets tossed right into the pan including the uncooked spaghetti. Let the water come to the boil and that's it! How simple is that?  My son loved it and the carb counting was simple it was just the pasta. We chose to serve it with a Caesar salad and garlic bread. It's a great way for our busy family to make a healthy meal and save us from eating out. We hope you enjoy it too!

Ingredients:
1 package of uncooked spaghetti
4 andouille sausage links (may substitute) sliced
3 cups grape tomatoes halved
4 gloves of garlic chopped
1 small onion sliced
1 bunch of basil chopped
4 cups cold water
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan to sprinkle

Place all ingredients into a pot. Bring to a boil and boil uncovered for 10 mins. Once noodles are done add Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately. That's it!

Diabetes Diary 2/2/15

As a parent with a 11 year old son who has had this disease for three years, I've become an expert on managing his blood sugar highs and lows, making sure the tips of his fingers don't turn black because he pricks one more than the other, and teaching him how to take care of himself so he grows up to be a healthy confident adult. But, this isn't the only thing that I'm teaching him. I'm also teaching him how to find ways to have fun in between the not so fun moments.

Below are a few fun ways to make living with type 1 diabetes fun! The little things such as the below has truly made a difference in my son's life. And the smile I get when I do one of them is so worth it!

1. For dinner, eat dessert first. Then eat the meal.
2. For breakfast have a piece of birthday cake or a slice of pizza. My son has been invited to  birthday parties and has been unable to eat the cake because of his blood sugars at the time of day. So instead, we wrap it up, take it home, and he eats it for breakfast.
3. Give a lollipop after your child's plays football, basketball, or other extracurricular competitive game. After every football, basketball, and baseball game, I surprise my son with a different colored lollipop. This keeps his blood sugar from dropping fast and also puts the sweetest smile on his face. It's his special treat after the game.
4. Sneak two pieces of hershey kisses into your type 1 child's lunch box. I usually try to sneak two pieces of chocolate because it doesn't affect my son's blood sugar as much as other treats. And he loves chocolate! Two Hershey kisses are only 5 carbs.

This disease is not always about the downs. As a parent of a diabetic child, I am always trying to find ways to make life fun and a little easier for my son. The little things that can make him feel normal are worth it!

Congratulations on a successful 3rd Diaversary!

Have you ever wondered why people with Type 1 Diabetes talk about the anniversary of their diabetes diagnosis as if it's a birthday or a wedding anniversary? A Type 1 diagnosis is so life-altering, almost no one can forget the day of diagnosis and there is even a slang word for it: diaversary.

I bring this up now because we just celebrated Daniel's 3rd Diaversary. It's hard for me to believe that we have been living with diabetes for 3 years and instead of being upset or sad like one would expect, I feel strangely happy about it. I feel good and I feel like celebrating.

My son would be horrified if we didn't celebrate...he looks forward to it each year like his birthday. We do a big celebration...I pick him up at school and take him out to lunch, he gets to choose what we have for dinner, we have an ice cream cake, and he gets a small gift. It is definitely a "what a great job you do" and not a "yay diabetes" kind of thing. He has so many times during the year when it is like...no, you're low, you have to wait a few minutes to go play outside...or, no, you have ketones, you can't ride your skateboard right now. I think he definitely deserves one day that, BECAUSE he has diabetes, he GETS things instead of losing them or missing out.  This year his day fell on a weekend so we celebrated with a trip to Knott's Berry Farm.

 

The boys rode rides and enjoyed their lunch and dinner at the park. We made every correction as needed. His blood sugar was running high. I am assuming its from all the excitement that day. We laughed a lot and shared memories as we spent the time waiting in lines to enjoy a ride. Even though we had a bad diabetes day, it turned out to be a great day. Daniel deserves to enjoy this diaversary. He has made it this far with only one trip back to the hospital for DKA. We will celebrate every year for as long as he wants to. 

Daniel even got over his fear of roller coasters and rode more rides than I imagined he would. What an exciting day it was for all of us. Even little Landon enjoyed his time in Camp Snoopy. He's a little thrill seeker. He loved all his rides and says "again" when it ends.
 

Good luck to all the other families celebrating a diaversary with whatever you do. I think it is a day to reflect and celebrate how far you've all come and how you haven't let diabetes rule your lives. So, congrats again!

Potty Training Take #3

They say the third time is a charm. We have made progress and Landon has gone "pee pee in the potty". He is still afraid of the idea. He isn't quite sure why I continually ask him if he needs to use the potty and he cries every time I place him on his potty chair. He has three options to use and he doesn't seem to like any of them. These are the moments I cherish, yet find tough at the same time. I enjoy every milestone we reach together. I love to see the joy in his eyes when he accomplishes something and to see him raise his arms in the air and say "I did it!" in that cute little voice.

As I write this post, I look over and Landon is doing flips, hanging upside down, or laying with his feet over his head.

 

So, while Daddy is at work and big brother is at school, we are about to go bottomless for the day. YIKES! Keeping my fingers crossed! Time to run to the potty...

Diabetes Diary - 1/13/15

 

"I hate that my son has diabetes.”  These were the words that came out of my mouth as I sit down on the couch this morning.  This is first time that I have actual said this out loud and finally been able to talk about the effect this disease has had on our lives. I feel as though the reality of this diagnosis has been weighing fairly heavy on me lately.  I am still at that stage where I can think back to this time 3 years ago, the focus was on my pregnancy and planning the birth of our new child and the joy that surrounded that.  Not knowing what was brewing in my poor son Daniel's body.

We will celebrate our 3 year anniversary on Saturday, January 17th and I wonder how long it will take for myself not to carry with it the sting of sadness.  It is nice to read other parents feelings on the matter, with our hectic schedules our family doesn't always have the opportunity to discuss how we are effected by all of this. We spend our energy and time making sure that our children are coping, especially Daniel.

For an instant, it was a welcome relief to realize that I am not the only one carrying the burden of Type 1 Diabetes, and affirmation that being only a few days away from the anniversary of our son’s diagnosis, I am not the only one still angry.  Continuing to remind myself that grief is different for everyone and that given the fact that I still don’t look upon Type 1 Diabetes with a comfortable recognition doesn’t mean I haven’t accepted the responsibility willingly.

There are many days I hate Diabetes, most days I do.  Me and Diabetes are not friendly by any means, we tolerate each other because we have to.  If given the opportunity I would do away with Diabetes and make it so that he couldn’t pick on an innocent child ever again.  But, for now we must remain in survival mode when it comes to Diabetes and when frustration strikes we push forward and fight back harder.

Daniel, who endures the pokes and blood draws and burning of insulin injections with a bravery I could only hope to have, has taught me the greatest lesson in life. It is time to slow down, take each day as it comes, one moment at a time, and be willing to change and adjust at a moments notice. I feel for all the families afflicted by this disease. It doesn't get easier to see your child get poked and hear them say "ouch" or "it burns". It is something that just has to be done and the maturity the children have in coping with their disease amazes me every single day.

I love the positivity that the community has as it pertains to the manageability of Type 1 Diabetes, but at the end of the day, forgetting to release the negative isn’t the answer. There are many, many days when living with and managing this disease are exhausting and no matter what I do, there is always an element of failure attached to certain outcomes. Today is one of those days. But, tomorrow will be better. Embracing the negative realities while projecting positivity can be a delicate and difficult balance. There is so much pressure to promote normalcy, which I believe is easy when children are young and believe that everyone gets poked in order to eat, it’s when they get older and realize that they are different that the true fight begins. Our toddler son thinks it is completely normal that his older brother gets his finger poked or get injections and always asks for his turn. But, for Daniel, he is a tween, in 6th grade, preparing for junior high, hormones from beginning puberty have begun, and he is beginning to share his frustrations.

For now, I am geared toward allowing my son to have days when it’s OK to say Diabetes sucks, but when we have good days, with amazing numbers and wonderful outcomes, we celebrate those and live as long as we can in those moments. 

Diabetes Diary - 1/12/15

I think most parents of children with diabetes can relate to me when I say that managing type 1 is a roller-coaster ride. Sometimes you’ll have those magical days and weeks when everything seems to be going beautifully. When Daniel’s in range after every meal, he stays stable through the night, and you pat yourself on the back for balancing on the diabetes roller coaster ride so well. Then just when you think you have it all figured out, something changes and the numbers start going haywire. Back to the drawing board — it’s time to make adjustments once again.

As we approach his 3rd DIA-birthday, we hope to be on an insulin pump this year. We are working closely with his doctor and nurses to help manage his blood sugars. We faithfully have been faxing in his blood sugars weekly for four months now as our insurance requires that we prove we are keeping logs of his daily numbers to consider our application for a pump. I had no idea when this adventure began on January 17, 2012 that we would be three years into this and still making adjustments. All the classes are informational, but I don't think you truly absorb the new lifestyle until you are living it. You learn the new normal. You learn as you go what your insurance will and will not cover. All are lessons you don't pay attention to when you have healthy children.

There always seems to be something happening that affects his blood sugar levels or insulin needs — a growth spurt, an illness, a change in exercise habits, emotional stress or who knows what else.
A couple of nights ago, on the menu was spaghetti with garlic bread and, of course, it's Daniel's favorite. Even though he was at his target range right before dinner, the carb-heavy meal threw his numbers way out of range. Before he went to bed, Daniel was very high and even with consistent checking and corrections, it took us all night to get him back in range.

These kinds of experiences are hard, but in the long run, I think it’s actually helping us become closer as a family. We’re all learning to be a little bit more flexible, a little more patient, a little less selfish, and a little more sensitive to what our Daniel goes through on those less than perfect days. Even our toddler understands his big brother needs to check his sugars often and will even ask for his turn to check his little fingers or for his insulin shot like his big brother.

We have decided this week to return to bringing lunches from home, skipping high carb meals, and ensuring he has plenty of options for free snacks to get him through the day. His numbers have been within his target range this weekend. Fingers crossed for a better week this week than last. He has been suffering lows at school which have just been difficult for us in the afternoons to get him back into target range after his corrections. His highs last week when he is home was very frustrating. It's a daily balancing act. But, I have hope this will be a better week.

Rainy days lead to organizing

It has been a wonderful weekend of cloudy and rainy days here in Southern California which is rare and I am glad I took the time to enjoy it. Time simply slowed down as the rain drops fell playing a wonderful song and the weekend seemed longer. There was no rush to get anything done. No rush to head out the door to a football game or a birthday party, no rush to spend the day shopping for the holidays, or to even head out of town. It made for a cozy weekend at home, organizing closets, doing laundry, packing up our donations for Goodwill, renting movies, home cooking, and just hanging out. I feel refreshed not only for the new week, but for the new year.

When we downsized from our house to our apartment, we placed numerous boxes into the closets to eventually unpack. After living in our little place for a few months, we realized how much we didn't use and therefore didn't need. I mean honestly, if it has been in a box for months and we didn't look for it, do we really need it? This was the question that continually came up as we began our unpacking and organizing journey. I have to admit it was nice to find things I presumed were lost in the move. Sharing memories with the boys along the way of their outgrown clothes, school projects, pictures, toys they had forgotten they had and watching the boys decide what they wanted to donate to another child to enjoy simply made us proud. I am very thankful my boys can appreciate what they have been given and selflessly share what they are ready to give away. The simple virtues we instill in our children will guide them through their lives. It isn't always what your given. It is also about giving. So, as we organized our home, we organized our lives.

We did find time to take our toddler to the park when the rain seemed to slow to a sprinkle. He chased squirrels, rode his tricycle, climbed his little heart out, and giggled along the way. It was muddy, his pants got dirty, he got wet from the small puddles on the slide, but he continued exploring and experiencing all things wet. He couldn't figure out why the leaves kept sticking to himself or his tricycle. All he cared about was wiping his wet hands, getting the mud off his shoes so he could climb, and yelling at the squirrels to stop so he could get a closer look. There were no other people at the park. It was Landon's park for that moment and we enjoyed every minute of it.

 

 

A little rain never hurt anyone. The little things...