In the wise words of Cookie Monster: “Today me will live in the moment. Unless it is unpleasant. In which case me will eat cookie.”

...i’m eating two cookies.

it's just been that kind of a week.

Let me quickly bust a couple of myths:

#1: Avoid sugar. The end.

Busted: To this I say, everything in moderation. You can enjoy your favorite treats just as long as you plan properly and limit hidden sugars. If you're eating cookies, don't eat half a loaf of French bread, no matter how good it might be. Dessert doesn’t have to be off limits, as long as it’s a part of a healthy meal plan. And I have a French background, so a small square of chocolate after meals is especially my thing. 

#2: Cut down the carbs. 
Busted: I'm guilty of this. I don't count carbs, I just estimate them. But then I realized as my skin lost its glow that the kind of carbs you eat (as well as serving size) is key. Focus on whole grain carbs instead of starchy carbs since they’re high in fiber and digested slowly, keeping blood sugar levels more even. It's true. That's all. 

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My sister Grace-Hope took after Alexandrea, and is the pro baker in our family. Whether it's cookies, brownies, or more cookies, she never fails to disappoint. Cookies just scream Christmas, in my opinion. However, because of dietary needs in our house (Grace-Hope is gluten-free due to a touch of celiac; I'm low-carb/gluten-free/dairy free because of life; Alexa’s vegetarian), it's been a live-and-learn kind of experience with different recipes.  Sugar cookies are traditional for Christmas, but I've never been a huge iced-cookie fanatic, so chocolate chip cookies are always a go-to for us. 

These are paleo and low carb, thus working for all of my family. They're pretty good, if you ask us; but of course, if you're still skeptical, we’ve estimated the nutrition facts below. 

gather: 

• 1 1/4 c. almond flour

• 1 tbsp. coconut flour

• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder (corn free if you can find it)

• 2/3 c. sweetener of choice. Coconut sugar is great for those on a paleo diet, swerve sweetener is low carb. I’ve also been using a lot of dates in my recent experiment with Whole30; but obviously those are not low-carb.

• 5 1/2 tbs. butter (I alternate with vegan butter or coconut oil)

• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 c. paleo chocolate chips or sugar free chocolate chips for low carb.

• optional: 1/4 c. chopped pecans.

• optional: 1/2 tbsp. molasses

go: 

• Preheat oven to 325F. Grease or line two baking sheets.

• In a large bowl, cream together butter and granulated sweetener of choice.

• Add egg, optional molasses, and vanilla to mixing bowl, and combine.

• In a separate large bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flower, baking powder, and optional pinch of sea salt. Stir.

• Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, and mix. Fold in chocolate chips and optional pecans.

• Place spoonful sized cookies across your pre-prepared sheets, approximately two inches apart. These things are gonna grow!

• Bake for 12 minutes, or until cookies are slightly browned.

• Remove and cool for about a half hour, or until cookies firm up. Your cookies will seem underbaked until you let them set. But if you pop them back in the oven, they will burn.

• My favorite step of all: enjoy!

chime in! what is your family favorite holiday recipe? Nachos? Hot chocolate? I want to hear! 

//nutritional facts: 24 cookies, serving size of 1. cal.: 90, carbs 3g, fiber 1g, fat 8g, protein 2g, sugars 1g.//