Hey everyone!!  

I’m sitting here tonight (Sunday), Christmas music playing in the background, Christmas lights twinkling, thinking on a topic to talk about. Then inspiration hit, and I knew I needed to share with you all a little bit about my love of baking. 

Lately I’ve been busy and preoccupied with my decorating, baking for church sales and trying to get my shopping conquered.

You all know the drill, right? Christmas is such a busy time for me because I bake cookies and make candy to sell. The kitchen has been my "Happy Place" since my mom passed away more than 2 years ago. After losing both parents, I was left feeling useless and without purpose. Between working and caring for my mom and dad, I didn’t have much free time. After they passed on, I didn’t know what to do with myself.  Time was long for me, as I was forced into early retirement due to an autoimmune disorder, but now I was bored.

I remember going into the kitchen one day, not long after my mom passed away and I started taking out bowls and ingredients...

The next thing I knew, I had a batch of chocolate chip cookies in the oven. They were delicious but even better, than the cookies I made, was the feeling of doing something constructive again. I felt useful! Baking those cookies gave me something to focus on other than my grief. The next day I made muffins, the day after that, scones....and from then on, I was hooked on baking. Baking evolved into candy making and the rest is history! 

When I started using Nutracelle, I had to learn a new way of thinking, a new way of eating AND a new way of baking for myself. 

I love most all the recipes I’ve tried...the protein treats, cheesecake, muffins.... you name it. I’ve always had a "sweet tooth", it runs in the family, plus, I’m a die hard snacker. It was imperative that I be able to have something sweet without compromising my health and Nutracelle was my salvation. 

The thing I’m finding challenging this time of year, however, is baking the conventional way for the customers that buy my sweets.

This past week has been a bit rough because I spent pretty much the whole week baking and candy making. I sell my sweets, so it’s imperative that I taste everything I make to make sure it is fit to consume. Some of you may think that’s just an excuse to eat something bad for me but the reality is, I would just die if I sold something that didn’t taste as good as I know it should, so therefore I simply must sample the things I make. 

I’ve been taste testing fudge, homemade caramels, as well as several kinds of cookies. I’ve also been feeling a bit "blah" because I’m not used to consuming conventional sweets anymore. I’m thinking that my sugars may have been elevated a bit this week too. That isn’t good as I’m a diabetic.

I must take back control now before it gets too out of hand! 

Normally I would get up Sunday morning and step on the scales. I couldn’t bring myself to do that today. I was scared. I know I’m not alone in feeling like that because we all have times when we cheat and eat things we shouldn’t. I was thinking, I could let this derail my efforts or I could pull up my big girl panties and jump back on track again.

So, this afternoon I dressed warmly and headed out for an hour walk.

Tonight, I’m feeling much better. I’m stronger mentally than I’ve felt all week. I’m going to forge ahead and get in as much walking as I can and next Sunday, I’ll hit the scales again, praying that I haven’t had a gain.  But I know that even if the scale doesn’t show the number I want, I’m still choosing ME and that’s still progress.

I’ve also been hoarding away some of my Nutralean for my own Christmas treats. Once all my orders are out the door, I'll concentrate on some healthy baking to see me through the holidays. Christmas can be a very stressful time for those of us who are trying to lose weight and regain our health. As for me, I'll be taking each day as it comes and be more mindful of the choices I make. 

Here's a list of some delicious-looking recipes from Nutracelle:

• Cream Cheese Cookies
• No-Bake Cookie Dough Balls
• Chocolate Peppermint Bark
• Coconut Macaroons
• Chocolate 'Peanut Butter' Balls

The best part about these recipes is how easy they are. Each of them have just a handful of ingredients and can be prepared in 15 minutes or less.  Nutracelle makes it so easy to stay on track. 

Nutracelle Chicken Fingers & Fries

After my lovely walk today, I came home and decided to have Chicken Fingers and Fries for supper.... sounds bad doesn’t it?  My meal however was a Nutracelle meal of Golden Crispy Chicken Tenders and Turnip Fries!  OMG....SOOOOOO good!!  

I love that I can take an unhealthy meal and give it a Nutracelle makeover!  I’ve made these chicken tenders many times and I still love them as much as I ever did. 

Look at how delicious they are:

I love this recipe because of how few ingredients it requires!

The batter looks sooo yummy...

Frying them to a golden-brown colour

The finished, mouth-watering product:

At this time, I would like to take a moment and extend my best wishes to you all for a very Merry Christmas and a safe, happy and prosperous New Year. I'll be taking a break from blogging now till sometime in the new year. The next couple of months will be busy ones for me and it's going to be a challenge to find the time to write. I'll still be around in the NutraTalk support group posting pics of my shakes and keeping in touch. 

Thank you for all for the support these last few months as well. I have never considered myself much of a writer, but it's been fun.

I enjoyed stepping outside my comfort zone and trying something new, but for now, I’ll say "so long".... See you all in 2019!!!