For St. Patrick’s Day/my birthday, I made car bomb cupcakes, then headed off to my monthly potluck group to share them with friends.
Guinness, whiskey, baileys, and chocolate, what’s not to love? (P.S., that’s St. Patty’s green avocado frosting for the kids.) This is one of my favorite Smitten Kitchen recipes. And with just a few tweaks (1.5x the ganache, double the frosting & use the full bailey’s amount) they are the perfect grown-up treat:
Before heading out the door, I conveniently forgot a couple here so we could eat some on my birthday (one step closer to having a cake than last year) and I savored them down to the very last crumb on the 20th. Then I woke up, on the first full day of spring and said goodbye to sugar. For the next 60 56 days, I am going to ( attempt to) not eat any sweeteners: no sugar, no honey, no maple syrup…if I can make it.
I decided I wanted to do a sugar cleanse for two reasons. First, I think it is legitimately possible that I am addicted to everything sweet. I get real cravings. I think about it multiple times per day. I find excuses to walk past Petticoat Row bakery. And, I don’t really think that normal people bake brownies and cookies and the like nearly every night after they put their children to bed. Let’s just say, some people drink…I eat ridiculous amounts of dessert.
The second reason for the cleanse is that, besides my out of control sugar-seeking behavior, not long after we moved here, I started battling with my skin — specifically with…bacne. (Yes, this is a moment of true blogging honesty.) I’ve changed my soap and done a million other things to try to clear it up, but still it’s like I’m 15 all over again. So I finally decided that I’d stop complaining to Chris about it and see if a diet change will help.
Four days in, I can confirm that: yes, I really am addicted to sugar and am still having regular cravings; tomato soup is definitely less tasty without a tablespoon of sugar; peanut butter and applesauce sandwiches are pretty good; it takes a lot of self control to make hot chocolate for my non-cleansing two year old, but not myself; and I am definitely going to miss baking with Nora.
The addict in me, today, was trying to rationalize the important learning experience that is baking and how that particular kind of learning is more important than a personal dietary goal…right?
If it stays like this, I’m not sure if I’ll make 60 days. Wish me luck.
Janae
I have nothing but total admiration and respect for your sugar cleanse – I, too, am a sugar addict and I was just thinking today how I need to cut it out. I felt like I was reading about myself in your post, as I would most definitely prefer dessert over an alcoholic beverage, and adore the act of baking (it doesn’t help that there are several birthdays coming up – lots of cake!). Good luck on the rest of your sugar-busting. I’m eager to hear how it goes!
Shari
I love the green sock and the striped sock!
Kim
Hang in there Amber, it’s terrible, but totally worth it. If you need motivation google Nancy Appleton’s 147 reasons why sugar ruins your health. Serious motivation right there. We do significantly less sugar in our house than we used to, but there’s always room for improvement! Good Luck!
Meg Glidden
Good for you, Amber! I’m on an involuntary no-baking fast because my oven broke. I’m now eating chocolate chips without. the. cookie. So sad.