Some of you loyal readers already know this, but this blog started out as a baking blog. I baked my little heart out, decorated all the cakes and cookies I could get my hands on, and had a lot of fun doing it. It was the perfect creative escape from my day job that was not fulfilling me. The problem was, I always had dessert in the house, and I could never control myself around it. I was always eating the batter, and testing the finished product. And I would just have a bit here and a bit there, not realizing how much I was eating. I would never dream of taking a huge slice of cake all at once…oh no, that would be too much! Instead, I would just stand and eat bites, because that was way less guilt-inducing. Even though, I probably ate double the amount I would of if I just sat down and enjoyed the darn dessert.
{new york times chocolate chip cookies}
Fortunately, I now have a job that I love, so I spend my creative energy on my job, which not-so-coincidentally includes cooking. I still occasionally bake, but I just have a bigger desire to experiment with everyday foods that feed and nourish my body. My need and desire for dessert has decreased because I don’t have a void that I’m trying to fill. But one thing has not changed – I still LOVE dessert. I got my sweet tooth from my mama.
Regardless of how much I’m baking or not baking, that’s actually not the point I’d like to make today. What I’d like to point out is that nowadays, I have learned to cut myself a big piece of a homemade brownie, or order a whole slice of cake JUST for me…and it is so fulfilling. Sitting down with a beautiful dessert that is all mine is a lovely treat and if you watch me eat it, you can see the pure joy on my face.
But it took me SO long to get to this point. I always thought that if I ate a big cookie or whole slice of cake all in one sitting, my diet would be ruined forever. When in actuality, because I felt so guilty eating any amount of dessert, I never was fully satisfied. And because I was never fully satisfied, I would eat more dessert! See the irony in it? It was ridiculous. I spent one too many years splitting cookies in half because that’s all I was “allowed”, when all I really wanted was the whole freaking cookie to myself.
So my point is, when you want a cookie, go get yourself a cookie! Or whatever treat it may be. Remember my 7-steps though, and first take the time to figure out if you actually want a cookie, or if you are using the cookie to fill a void. But, if you realize it’s just a cookie you want, I want you to go find the best one out there and enjoy it all to yourself. No guilt, no shame, just pure satisfaction.
Click on any of the pictures above for some delicious weekend baking! And don’t forget to sign up for the free 7-day challenge starting October 2nd, where we will ease ourselves back on track, without restricting our beloved desserts.
