Making Cookies

So, I grew up with the whole making cookies around the holidays and giving away cookie plates to neighbors and friends.  And I have taken that to the nth degree now that I've got my own household.  Everything from spritz (that would be the little green Christmas tree cookies) to Russian teacakes (or as we called them in CA- Mexican Wedding Cakes) to fudge.

But it's sad that over the years, I have fewer and fewer people with whom to share these cookies.  I remember wrapping up the plates with the bargain brand Saran wrap and it not sticking together so we'd have to tape it to the bottom of the plates...and then walking door to door giving cookies to our neighbors, and then our teachers, and then bringing them to the phone company for my mom's holiday party.  (That was back in the day where the kids just came along to the office on the day before Xmas and there was a huge potluck of fattening foods and egg nog...and everyone was happy...and my mother used to get my sister and I a special "busy" gift for that day...but that's another topic).

Anyway, today I finished up four batches of cookies and a loaf of banana bread.  We used to have a cookie exchange party that we'd all bring a dozen cookies to and then trade...that was fun, but it eventually degraded into everyone making the spritz cookies or buying them, so I guess they're not doing it this year.  I guess that's a good thing because, being gluten intolerant, I couldn't eat the cookies...

...or should I say, I shouldn't have been eating the cookies.  And, no, the incurred pain and suffering for weeks afterwards was not always worth it...I definitely became a consignor of gluten foods to gauge which goodies would be worth it.  I would always think that it would be worth it- whatever I was sneaking.  My husband (then boyfriend) would just support my own decision to eat the poison.  It definitely counter-acted the calories since I couldn't absorb them.

So, last year, when I was pregnant, I finally felt that NOTHING was worth eating the poisonous fruit called the Christmas cookie.  And I have to say, I feel better for it.  I've been gluten-free for almost two years now and it's amazing the difference.  And I'm continuing to be gluten-free because I'm breastfeeding.  I find it interesting that I am willing to eat something that will damage myself, but the thought that I could be doing something damaging to my daughter prevents me from going near it.  I didn't even sneak the little scrap of dough around the cut-outs today (which was REALLY difficult not to do).

What scares me is that my daughter is now 9 1/2 months old and I plan on continuing to breastfeed her until she's a year old, then start mixing in the cow's milk.  So, once I'm done breastfeeding, I'm worried that I won't have a good enough reason not to sneak the occasional bread slice again.

Has anyone else faced a similar scenario?

Addicted to gluten