Cookie Baking Day...

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Thu Dec 17, 2015 6:20 am

Spinning off the "tasting" thread, I'm baking cookies with my daughter next week. A Christmas tradition. But it won't be an S day when we bake! And with a Christmas Eve gathering & Christmas day...I don't need to make "cookie baking day" into an S day, LOL! With that in mind, give me your best "I survived baking without eating the goods" stories! Or tell me your one-liners that get you through those days when the house is filled with the sweet smell of nutmeg!

ceo418 · Post by **ceo418** » Thu Dec 17, 2015 12:06 pm

When I first started No-S, it was in the middle of Lent and I had given up cookies and pastries for the season. I made a large batch of Easter-themed sugar cookies on an S-day, but I didn't have any because it was what I had given up and I had been successful up to that point. So, I just reminded myself that I had tasted those types of cookies before, and I would have them again at Easter. It helped, but I have to admit that Easter morning I went right to the freezer and took out a couple of those cookies and barely waited until they thawed before I ate them.

So I guess my advice, since it sounds like your baking is really close to Christmas, is to remind yourself that you'll have them soon, so there's no need for you to have them now. And if there's someone around who's willing to taste a cookie to make sure they've turned out right, take advantage of that and be satisfied that everyone will soon be enjoying your baked goods!

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Thu Dec 17, 2015 10:13 pm

I agree you don't need a whole ' other S day but I don't know if you need to torture yourself either. I'd probably pick a limit of 3 or 4 cookies and stick to it. Or sometimes I'll just do an S event and pick a time frame like 3-5 for it and keep rest of the day normal.

Do what'll work best for you!

Gl
Linda

osoniye · Post by **osoniye** » Fri Dec 18, 2015 8:27 am

Chew some sugar free gum while in the kitchen. Something like mint or cinnamon can be satisfying when you are around other food smells.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Sun Dec 20, 2015 8:15 pm

Plus sip peppermint or Good Earth Sweet and Spicy tea.

xara · Post by **xara** » Mon Dec 21, 2015 5:43 pm

If I may say so myself, I am an excellent baker, and also a great appreciator of my own baked goods. I have overindulged in every possible way in my pre-No-S baking days (from licking the spatula, to eating far too many cookies when they are fresh out of the oven, to eating them hard out of the deep freeze when I can't wait). A few months ago as I contemplated baking for Christmas, I planned to bake only on S-days, so that I could indulge. As the time drew nearer, however, I had experienced several times that I had needed to bake on N days, and I'd survived just fine with nary a lick of batter. I realized that doing my baking on N days would be a better idea. Now, due to some complications in life, I am only beginning my Christmas baking today. I will do a lot of baking for the next three days. I expect that resisting eating them will not be difficult, because I've established this habit. I know that I will enjoy the delicious aromas that fill the house. And I will look forward to eating some when we gather with family in a few days. Also (and I could not have imagined that this would ever be true when I began No-S four months ago), I actually feel a sense of relief that I don't 'have to' eat any cookies on these baking days!

RAWCOOKIE · Post by **RAWCOOKIE** » Mon Dec 21, 2015 7:23 pm

That's very inspiring xara - I think I'm at that place too at the moment - it's like a 'switch' is flipped on N days and temptation ceases to be temptation. (not saying I'm totally inviolable but so far, it seems to be working for me)

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Tue Dec 22, 2015 5:40 am

xara wrote:A few months ago as I contemplated baking for Christmas, I planned to bake only on S-days, so that I could indulge. As the time drew nearer, however, I had experienced several times that I had needed to bake on N days, and I'd survived just fine with nary a lick of batter.

That's awesome! If I was baking chocolate chip cookies, the batter would definitely be a challenge. The cookies we'll be doing are one of my favorites--nutmeg shortbread cookies passed down from my Grandma. However, the batter doesn't entice me at all (it has real lard in it), so I think I'll be okay there. When the cookies come out of the oven is another matter--and it's great to know that someone else not only didn't indulge but now chooses to bake on N days! I think we'll be baking tomorrow and then frosting on Wednesday.

xara · Post by **xara** » Wed Dec 23, 2015 2:20 am

These habits become so strong. I made three kinds of cookies yesterday. The final batch was being baked six hours after my dinner, and I didn't experience any real temptation to do anything but wait until Thursday (our family gathering) to enjoy them. I'm quite amazed. When I began No-S four months ago I made sure that I fixed my husband's lunch for the next day right after dinner. If I waited even a couple of hours I would be so tempted to snack at that point. Now I'm BAKING COOKIES SIX HOURS AFTER DINNER AND NOT TROUBLED AT ALL!!!!! This is something I've had to experience in order to believe that it's possible!

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Wed Dec 23, 2015 5:10 am

xara wrote: Now I'm BAKING COOKIES SIX HOURS AFTER DINNER AND NOT TROUBLED AT ALL!!!!! This is something I've had to experience in order to believe that it's possible!

I've had a "taste" of that (LOL!). Today I was picking up movie theater gift cards, and wow, the popcorn smelled great! But then I thought--I didn't "want" popcorn--I was just enjoying the smell.

Didn't end up baking today afterall, so we'll bake tomorrow & frost on Christmas Eve. I don't know if it's good or bad that that's an S day, LOL!

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Wed Dec 23, 2015 5:59 am

Six years in and I still don't bake! My hat is off to you.

Octavia · Post by **Octavia** » Wed Dec 23, 2015 12:07 pm

I have to say that I'm with Oolala on this one - I tend not to bake, as I can't resist the produce. On the other hand, I have been permasnacking on Waitrose (posh UK supermarket) chocolate shortbreads - the daisy-shaped ones. They have coated the walls of their stores with large boxes of these. How daft I am - I'd be better off having a lovely cookie-baking day!

Anyway, it's important to "move on" - I'm now focussing on proper meals and ingredients such as our beloved sprouts.

(Speaking of which...I had a funny incident last week. Had gone up to mum's (4 hr journey) and had planned to cook spaghetti bolognaise for her. I knew that she'd prefer a proper Sunday roast, but I'd been ill and was v. tired, and also wanted to cook something where she wouldn't be able to boss me around (I am 50). Well the night before, my daughter found her in the kitchen preparing sprouts for the meal!!! When I reminded her we were having bolognaise, she protested "well, I don't know what vegetables you want with it..." !!! Sigh.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Wed Dec 23, 2015 3:48 pm

I'll have the sprouts with it.

FarmerHal · Post by **FarmerHal** » Wed Dec 23, 2015 4:26 pm

Merry wrote:Spinning off the "tasting" thread, I'm baking cookies with my daughter next week. A Christmas tradition. But it won't be an S day when we bake! And with a Christmas Eve gathering & Christmas day...I don't need to make "cookie baking day" into an S day, LOL! With that in mind, give me your best "I survived baking without eating the goods" stories! Or tell me your one-liners that get you through those days when the house is filled with the sweet smell of nutmeg!

We homeschool too

My 9 yr old DD is a baking queen. She loves to bake and decorate and design.
Tomorrow is our baking day. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. I think I want to make some wheat belly chocolate chip cookies (very low carb but still yummy) to have on hand, since it doesn't make me as sick as 2 regular cookies do.

I don't have any one liners. Still fighting with my self, but with renewed hope/determination (To prove doctors wrong/right, to prove me right/wrong).

Good luck!! Post here if you need to!

noni · Post by **noni** » Thu Dec 24, 2015 2:33 pm

If it's holiday baking, I do it on an S day so I can sample a couple. Then freeze the rest. If they are not in the freezer a long time, they are the next best thing. Want it warm-like from the oven taste? Zap it in the micro for a few seconds.

My problem is the 9 large trays of fudge I make every year. I do it about a week before Christmas, it takes 2-3 days to finish and another day just to box them, so it will hit N-days. I'm thankful that I'm not a big fudge fan, but it's still tempting. And I do take a very small sample of each flavor and give the rest (corners) to my 4 big fudge fans living at home.

My husband's favorite Christmas years ago was went I was trying to produce a good vanilla fudge. He kept eating my failures..."too soft...too grainy," etc...

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Thu Dec 24, 2015 4:30 pm

NINE trays? Oh, I can only dream.

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Thu Dec 24, 2015 6:24 pm

oolala53 wrote:Six years in and I still don't bake! My hat is off to you.

LOL, with two teens, I'm pretty sure I'd have a mutiny on my hands if I stopped baking! Plus, making cut-out Christmas cookies with my dd is one of our favorite holiday traditions.

Since there are 4 of us here though, we tend to go through cookies quickly. Since it takes time to roll, cut-out, and later frost cookies (we frost about half, and just do colored sugar on the rest), and since I want to "not be an idiot" on my S days, LOL!, I proposed to DD that we encourage everyone to try a 3-cookie per day limit, to help the cookies last longer. It's so easy for all of us to just graze and grab one or two here and there all day long, and 3 seems very reasonable. Should have done that years ago (though we'll see how well the guys do with it, LOL!)

So far, I've done okay. I didn't taste any yesterday, but did have one today (S day) with tea this morning. It was pretty great--it's amazing how much better treats are when they are actually treats!

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Thu Dec 24, 2015 6:36 pm

FarmerHal wrote: We homeschool too My 9 yr old DD is a baking queen. She loves to bake and decorate and design.
Tomorrow is our baking day. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. I think I want to make some wheat belly chocolate chip cookies (very low carb but still yummy) to have on hand, since it doesn't make me as sick as 2 regular cookies do.

I don't have any one liners. Still fighting with my self, but with renewed hope/determination (To prove doctors wrong/right, to prove me right/wrong).

Good luck!! Post here if you need to!

Aw, our daughters would have fun together!

I hope your baking day is successful and fun. I'm guessing gluten is an issue for you? Thankfully I haven't had to work around that, but my brother's son is gfcf, and I know it can be difficult. (My brother likes to cook though, and does lots of experimenting to make food that follows what his son needs.)

You've probably posted your story somewhere that I haven't seen yet, but I hope you can achieve your goal (proving doctors wrong etc...). Determination is a good thing. Good for you!

I find the clear-cut nature of the NoS rules is exactly, at least so far, what I need. I think in my previous trial with NoS, I just wasn't quite ready to fully commit and make a LIFESTYLE change. Wish I had been, I was 20 or 30 lbs. lighter the last time I tried NoS, LOL! I keep trying to focus on that lifestyle aspect though, and to realize that it doesn't matter how fast or slow weight comes off. My other ways of eating result in nothing but slowly putting ON pounds (or yo-yoing with stupid diets). Maintaining IS progress if I hit that, though for now I do have weight coming off. I know the first pounds are the easy ones though--they are the ones put on most recently and they don't hold on as tightly as the ones that have been established for years (or decades!). I keep thinking...it took time to put them on, it will take time to take them off.

Keep up the good fight!

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Thu Dec 24, 2015 6:40 pm

noni wrote:If it's holiday baking, I do it on an S day so I can sample a couple. Then freeze the rest. If they are not in the freezer a long time, they are the next best thing. Want it warm-like from the oven taste? Zap it in the micro for a few seconds.

My problem is the 9 large trays of fudge I make every year. I do it about a week before Christmas, it takes 2-3 days to finish and another day just to box them, so it will hit N-days. I'm thankful that I'm not a big fudge fan, but it's still tempting. And I do take a very small sample of each flavor and give the rest (corners) to my 4 big fudge fans living at home.

My husband's favorite Christmas years ago was went I was trying to produce a good vanilla fudge. He kept eating my failures..."too soft...too grainy," etc...

Wow, that's a lot of fudge! Methinks your hubby had a good gig going--"It's not quite right, honey, try again, I'll keep tasting it for you...." LOL!

We have a cheater-fudge recipe that actually comes out pretty tasty--melt a can of frosting with a package of chips (any flavor combos you want for each ingredient) in the microwave. Stir and chill.

Of course, when you put it that way....it also makes you think twice about eating a lot of it, LOL!

Everyday Systems

Cookie Baking Day...

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