Cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater

One thing that I have learned in the last 5 years of losing weight is that sometimes you have to give into the seasonal treats. The chocolates at Valentines day, a grilled hot dog on Memorial Day, sweet corn drenched in butter for Labor Day and of course a piece of pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving.

Losing weight can’t be a game of deprivation and if you approach it that way, you will fail. You know that, I am sure as heck, know that now. Food is a part of life and it needs to be enjoyed just like all the other pleasures that come our way.

There are a few tricks that I have learned along the way, portion control being the most important lesson. Have your chocolate just don’t buy the biggest box you can find. Have your hot dog but just have one and savor it. Have your corn right out of the farmer’s field but try it without the butter if you really want a treat. And most of all have your pumpkin custard just forget the crust. When you think about it, how good can fat and flour really taste? It is the rich, smooth, spicy flavor of the pumpkin that you really want. Hey, it’s a vegetable for dessert if you look at it the right way.

My family is used to my healthy eating routine by now. My plate filled with a cornucopia of salad greens is now accepted. I told my mom that I would bring the pumpkin “pie” this year and of course she asked what I was doing to it to make it healthy enough for me to bring. I told her I was going to leave off the crust and just make the custard. I masked the lack of a crust by making a nut glaze with pecans, honey and butter and edged the dish with it. There might be as many calories in my decoration as there is in a crust but this option is healthier and adds fiber.

If you are really trying to be good just spoon out your portion from the middle of the dish, you can’t do that with a pie.

P.S. The custard is the recipe off of the can minus the crust. Why mess with perfection. Enjoy!