Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

If you are in need of something a little sweet these cookies will do the trick. Even though this was my first time making the cookies I played around with the recipe a little. Instead of using Splenda or other sugar substitute I used real sugar but cut the amount in half. Now I know the point of the GI Diet is to try to eliminate sugar from your diet but I am not a fan of artificial sweeteners and I find most recipes turn out well and still taste sweet enough if I use just a touch of real sugar. I won't make these cookies all the time, not because of the taste but because I would consider this a special treat and my 10% cheat of the week. (on the GI Diet you are allowed to cheat 10% of the time)


SERVED WITH: A cup of coffee or tea

COOKING TIPS: Don't over bake the cookies. The 10 minutes cook time suggested is just perfect.

RATING: 8. These cookies don't have the chewy texture of a traditional cookie and are a touch dry but still a nice treat.

Strawberry Oatmeal Shortcakes

So very yummy! This stacked up dessert certainly looks impressive. You won't feel guilty eating it either. That creamy looking filling looks like whipped cream but it's not, it's yogurt cheese. Never heard of it? Well me neither. Simply place some yogurt in a sieve lined with a coffee filter or cheese cloth and let it sit anywhere between 1 and 4 hours, covered in the fridge. What your left with is a thick yogurt which you then sweeten with a touch of sugar, only about two tablespoons was needed. I had company over for dessert and this is what I served. They all liked it and I don't think they were just being polite! :)

SERVED WITH: A hot cup of tea or coffee

COOKING TIPS: I substituted the Splenda that the recipe calls for with half the amount of sugar. For 6 servings I used 1/8 cup of sugar. (I am talking about the cookie part of the recipe here, not the yogurt cheese)

RATING: 8. I wouldn't hesitate to serve this again, in fact I plan on doing just that in two weeks when our company from New York arrives.

Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes

I still can't decide which pancake recipe I like the best. This one or the cottage cheese pancake recipe that I posted last month. I was never a fan of pancakes because I found them to sweet to eat first thing in the morning but I now look forward to a lazy Saturday or Sunday morning so I can cook up a batch for breakfast. The left over pancakes are even good the next day as a snack. The thing I like the most about this recipe is the texture and nutty flavor of the flax meal.

SERVED WITH: Fresh fruit, 1 sausage (yes I cheated and had a sausage but they are the slightly healthier Rowe Farms brand) and 1 egg

COOKING TIPS: Make sure to cook over a medium heat, if the temperature is to hot the pancakes will burn on the outside.

RATING: A perfect 10. How could I give it less, I am now a pancake lover.