Pour Some Sugar On Me

I love me some sugar. Growing up, I had a serious sweet tooth. When I discovered that I could buy candy from the vending machines and team fundraisers in middle school, I went crazy. As a result, my weight (and, I'm sure, my blood sugar) also went nuts. The tough thing about sugar is that it's hard to break the habit because your body constantly craves more and more. Once you've cut down on sugar in the diet, though, it's much easier to stick with unsweetened and more natural tasties like fruit, honey, and maple syrup.

That said, once you've got a handle on your nutrition choices and how much sugar you're eating, I think it's safe -- and probably quite healthy, actually -- to indulge in a treat every now and then. If you've been reading this blog for any amount of time, you know that the Best Husband Ever and I share regular treat days. This usually consists of visiting a bakery or, during the summer season, the farmer's market, purchasing some decadent baked good and enjoying it together, usually over some coffee or tea and a game of Scrabble. He usually goes for a cinnamon or caramel roll, but I like to shake it up a little more with croissants, muffins, brioche, and the like. That said, check out today's yummy:

Now that the Black Cat Bake Shop's treats are available on a weekly basis again with the return of the farmer's market, I couldn't resist indulging in a repeat of last week's sweet Saturday. It's a whole wheat cinnamon roll with a creamy (perhaps even cream cheese-y) frosting, pecans, and raisins. It's amazing!

Although such treats are delectable, it's not realistic to have one every day. Not only would you probably get sick of its rich flavor fast, but cinnamon rolls -- even whole wheat versions -- are not very efficient nourishers of our bodies. They don't have much fuel in them. But our taste buds don't know that, and often scream for sugar. What to do then?

Thankfully, there are more healthful options that are still dessert-y and indulgent feeling. For example, I love a microwave-baked apple with a spoon of peanut butter glopped over the slices. Two tablespoons of chocolate PB2 with some chocolate chips and diced prunes also make for a sweet snack.

Here's another PB2-based treat. It's simple, low in sugar and fat, and downright delicious. It tastes like a peanut butter mousse, and that's never a bad thing.

Faux Peanut Butter Mousse

1 cup fat-free Cool Whip
1 T PB2 powder

add-ins of your choice (such as chocolate or carob chips, fresh fruit chunks, nuts or trail mix, and cereal or granola)

Briskly mix the Cool Whip and PB2 powder together until the powder is evenly distributed throughout. The texture should be smooth with few lumps. Stir in your preferred add-ins. Some of my favorite toppings are blueberries, sliced strawberries, and a smattering of carob chips. Yum!

Serves 1.