We were at a block party the other day. The neighbors had really gone all out. Barbecue, salads, desserts, the works.
The cookies looked GREAT. There was one plate that really caught our eye, they looked so luscious. Chocolate chocolate chip, my husband’s favorite. He ate all his other food with enjoyment, but I could see his eye on the cookies the whole time.
Finally, he had cleaned his plate and it was time for dessert. We went over to the dwindling pile of cookies and he took one. His expression of eager anticipation turned to one of total disgust in an instant. He lifted his crumpled up napkin to his mouth and spat out the bite of cookie, then took a looooong drink of his soda.
I stood staring at him, wide-eyed, then broke off a piece of his cookie to taste it. As it hit my tongue, hubby finally spoke. He took the words right out of my mouth as I too spat out the cookie. “Ugh! Splenda!”
Splenda(TM) and other artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes are everywhere these days, and not just in packaged goods on store shelves. People are also buying cake mixes, salad dressings, and sugar with substitute blends with the goal in mind of enjoying sweet flavors, but still watching their weight.
Today’s spotlight title is=Understanding Artificial Sweeteners and Sugar Substitutes
http://tinyurl.com/ArtificialSweetenerSugarSub
to help you learn more about what is really in many of the foods you are eating.
I cook for a lot of people in my large family circle, and one thing I have noticed is that men seem to tolerate artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes a lot less than I can. Maybe we women are so used to them in diet foods that we have a higher threshold for suffering, er, don’t mind the chemical taste as much.
I remember last summer working a charity bake sale, where someone had brought a tub of a popular brand of ready to spread vanilla frosting for anyone who wanted to put it on top of their cupcakes. I touched the tub in order to move it, and got some frosting on my finger. I licked it off without thinking.
The first taste was wonderful, a lovely, warm vanilla flavor. Then the agony began. It felt as though my tongue was being stabbed with red hot pokers. The chemical taste was like something I could only guess toilet cleaner would taste like. For the rest of the day, and nearly two weeks after, I could barely taste anything else other than the underlying chemical flavor of the frosting, and my tongue was numb in that spot for months after.
Taste and potential sensitivities or allergies are of course not the only issue when it comes to food manufacturing. Recent studies have called into question the safety of these chemical creations. In today’s spotlight title, learn more about artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes so you can make smarter choices in the supermarket and make healthier choices for you and your family.
Here’s to making this year your healthiest, safest and tastiest yet!
P.S. Check out Carolyn’s chocolate chocolate chip cookie recipe if this has given you a serious craving for tasty home-baked cookies!
