Life can be awesomely sweet without the sugar

My email is always packed with questions about ingredients. Sometimes it's from my recipes, other times it's from other bloggers. Truthfully, some of the blogger recipes have too many ingredients for my taste. Particularly when they aren't all that healthy. I'm not seasoned baker or chef, I'm just a diabetic mom struggling with food addictions. And I've finally realized, I didn't create them! No, that was our glorious food industry. Feeding us absolutely horrific, addictive foods for decades with the full backing of our government. We're talking grains here. Carbs. Sugar. Don't eat fat, they said. Please it will make you fat, and kill you. Ummmmm. No. Eating Carbs and Sugar? That nearly killed me. But to really really eat well, you have to start in your own kitchen. You have to cook for yourself, unless you happen to live directly above a farm-to-table restaurant with lot's of low carb gluten and grain free entrees. HA! First, here's a picture of our style of food, so you understand the sacrifices that may need to be made.

Chocolate Layer Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate Ganache
This particular recipe came from a fabulous site AllDayIDreamAboutFood.com. The author there is an amazing cook with amazing ways to kick the carb habit. My photo may not do her recipe justice, but taste wise, through the roof! Good wholesome ingredients. Like Cream Cheese and Peanut Butter and Chocolate. Of course Chocolate.

You need chocolate. We all do. Especially for holidays like Valentine's Day. President's Day. April Fools Day.

Just because I gave up sugar doesn't mean I gave up Chocolate. As evidenced by the amazing cake hubby and I shared for Valentine's Day. And had a little more tonight too. Over the top good. For years we lived as many families with working parents do. Fast food, convenience food, packaged everything. So you buy a bag of frozen tasteless carrots for 2 bucks and throw them in the microwave for 10 minutes. Easy sure. But they taste like cardboard. You can buy a bag of peeled organic baby carrots for 2 bucks and throw them in the microwave too. For 10 minutes. And they taste awesome.

Think about that the next time you're in the produce aisle. Which leads us back to chocolate. Chocolate wasn't invented in a factory. Have you ever grabbed a pint of strawberries and, on an impulse (created by the store) you buy the dipping chocolate that hardens with it?

Next time, grab the strawberries and leave the dipping goo alone. Instead, take a square of baking unsweetened baking chocolate and a few tablespoons of butter and melt them, then whisk till smooth and creamy. Add a few tablespoons of powdered sugar or Swerve and a little Vanilla extract. Keep whisking until it's torture not to stick your finger in it. Now, dip those beautiful strawberries in your chocolate and lay on a parchment paper lined tray. Chill in the fridge for a few minutes.

Done. Chocolate dipped Strawberries that are wholesome and awesome all at once. Chemical free. But that's a recipe for another blog. 

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