Almond Cookies

I don't think of myself as having a big sweet tooth but I certainly do enjoy sweet treats here and there. I grew up with a mom who enjoyed being in the kitchen with us kids doing all kinds of cooking and baking. Baking treats was something we did heavily at the holidays and I have very, very fond memories of making yummy cookies with my mom circa mid 1970. When Addison was diagnosed all my dreams of baking with my child vanished for a moment and I was just a little bit heartbroken. I couldn't bear the thought of having to bake with artificial sweetners..the HORROR! A year into diabetes, I now know that treats ARE possible. Addison CAN lick the batter off the spoon and he CAN enjoy baking with mama. And I can enjoy baking with HIM!  We have a few tricks up our sleeve in the kitchen for baking that keep the sugar down and help the blood sugar stay in control. We bake with maple syrup and agave instead of sugar. We use whole grain flours when possible. We sometimes pre-bolus our insulin to keep the bs in check. And we only have one treat at a time which, surprisingly, Addison has been pretty ok with. Here is a favorite from Feeding the Whole Family that we make frequently:

Lemon -Almond Thumbprint Cookes (adapted from Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair)

2 Cups Whole wheat pastry flour
1 Cup Almonds (or other nut), ground into a fine meal
2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp sea salt (1/4 tsp if using salted butter or butter substitute)
10 Tbs unsalted butter, melted (I use soy butter since I am sensitive to dairy)
1/2 Cup maple syrup
2 tsp almond extract (could change this to vanilla if using other nuts)
1/2 tsp lemon extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine flour, almonds, baking powder,zest and salt in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl mix butter, maple syrup, and extracts.

Add wet ingredients to dry and mix well, kneading a little. Form dough into balls and flatten to make circles. Place on lightly oiled cookie sheet. Indent each cookie with your thumb or childs thumb. Bake 15 minutes or until edges turn golden.

Carb Factor: .59 

The Long, Long Days of Mugga

For some reason, my son calls nursing  and my boobs "mugga/muggas". When he wants to nurse, he often has a desperate tone to his voice and will tell me he wants some "mugga mugga". I don't know how he came to this pet name but there it is and it has stuck! I never, ever thought I would be nursing a 2 1/2 year old. I remember right before his one year birthday, I would tell friends "Yes, after he turns one, let the weaning begin!" The one year birthday came and went and I felt nowhere near ready to wean and clearly neither did Addison. He has been an intense & frequent  nurser right from the get go. Sometimes I love being so close to him and being able to give him the extra comfort and nourishment he needs and wants. But other times, I just want it to stop because I can't take it anymore. The muggas are worn out. 

Right before Addison was diagnosed last year, I was starting to prepare him for a slight cut down in mugga time. I was telling him daily that soon the muggas were going to retire because they need more rest at night (thinking I would start with night weaning). He seemed like he was catching on and would repeat with a smile "mugga muggas are going to retire soon". Now we are getting somewhere, I thought. Then he was diagnosed and they told me not to change anything I was doing for a while since the adjustment to all the pokes was going to be a big one in and of itself. So, we kept on keeping on. 

One year later, we are still at it. Several times a night and during the day. On days when he is sick or having a high or low day, he might nurse more. I still think of retiring the muggas. Dreaming of it in fact. I am more ready now than ever before to start weaning. But I somehow can't bring myself to do it. I keep coming back to that idea that it somehow helps him especially where diabetes and they way he feels due to highs and lows is concerned. I scour the internet looking for information regarding breast feeding and type one and I cannot find anything out there to guide me. 

So for now, the muggas won't be retiring any time soon.