Cookies and the Good Change

Have you ever noticed that when most people approach change – or even the thought of it – their immediate perception is a negative one?  It’s as though they assume (dangerous word!) that change is automatically bad, something they don’t want. 

Sometimes, though, that’s not the case.  While we may approach change with the fear of the unknown, what it holds for us may be good, desirable, and even rewarding!  (Yes, really.)

Even though I keep learning this first-hand, it IS still something of which I occasionally need to remind myself.  Take cookies, for example. 

Cookies, you say?  Who would change anything about cookies?  They’re yummy, easy to make or buy, and an amazing comfort food for those evening when life just has you down in the dumps.  I’m sure I’m not the only person who’s gobble down a whole bag of Oreos with some wine (or your own preferred beverage).

Unfortunately, there are times in our life where choice is not our own.  This happened to me a few years ago, when I developed an intolerance to gluten and dairy.  In case you’re not sure how prevalent these are, the likely presence of gluten and/or dairy in a food is directly related to that food’s deliciousness rating.  Read:  the more tasty/desirable the food, the more likely it includes gluten and dairy – or at least, based on our North American norms.  A sad example, Oreos are full of gluten and dairy. 

This seemed like an incredibly tragic thing to me.  I love to eat.  I love to bake.  Creamy mashed potatoes, and grilled cheese sandwiches with multi-grain bread and shredded aged cheddar are some of my favourite comfort foods.  I stand firm in my conviction that the heel of a crusty loaf of French bread is the best part, preferably with some fresh softened butter.  …all gone.  (this pic is from https://www.closetcooking.com/perfect-grilled-cheese-sandwich/ who has a perfect-looking recipe for this)

After a couple of months of moping and wondering how I’d carry on (and why I’d want to), I came to a discovery:  there are ways to enjoy some of these yummy things without putting my body into a state of pain.  Wow!  This didn’t mean I immediately went out and purchased a cartload of boxed and bagged super-expensive gluten-free, dairy-free foods.  Speaking generally, I’ve never been a big fan of processed foods and my recent diagnosis didn’t change that.  What I did find was a community of problem-solvers who’ve dealt with this problem longer than I and had ideas – good ones!

I used some of the tools I came across (fave here) and found ways to adapt many of my old recipes using healthier choices which don’t cause me pain.  Plus, they taste good!  I learned that chickpea flour – also called besan, or gram – is an easy substitute for things which don’t need to be light and fluffy, like cookies and brownies.  My peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies and ginger snaps are still delish, and my cherry chocolate brownies remain the hit when I deign to share them. 

I still haven’t found a substitute for Oreos – the “safe” one that some rave about just doesn’t taste right to me.

The lesson here is probably an obvious one:  change isn’t always bad.  Sometimes, it’s an inspiration for us to use our brains to come up with new ways.  Best of all, there are times when those new ways are even better.  If you check out the “fave here” link above, you’ll see why I consider chickpea flour so much healthier!  While this isn’t a choice I wanted or would have voluntarily made, I’m very glad for the new methods and ideas I’ve developed.

Now, which cookies should I make today?