FAQ-What about substitutions?

This question came up a lot in between Thanksgiving and New Years. It was usually in the form of a text or a phone call. It would go something like this

“Hey Erin”
“yeah”
“So I wanted to know what you thought if I was to make my Mom’s peace cobbler healthier. What do you think if I was to replace the eggs with dates, and the wheat flour with rice flour so it is gluten free and instead of sugar, I found this rice malt sugar online. It’s better right?”

Now, I know when I get a text or a call like this, the person on the other end has the best intentions in the world. It is impossible to create work arounds without one day wanting the real cobbler. The date, rice flour and rice malt sugar concoction will taste strange and you are anticipating your Mom’s peach cobbler, and instead you are super disappointed. The disappointed feeling will morph into frustration and eventually lead to you seeking out the real stinking cobbler.

All of your efforts with the dates/rice flour and rice malt syrup were a waste of time and resources, because it lead to your eventual eating of the peach cobbler. Only now, you are out some money, time, and you ate a bunch of calories on a dessert you are not happy you ingested. Now you have eaten the actual thing you wanted, but your original intention to get eat a healthier dish has been thwarted by the frustration with the workaround dish? So, it is giant wash all around.

I do not do substitutions. I know many people do, and there are many cookbooks on them. They are very popular and people love a life where they can have their cobbler and be healthy and happy. However, I have found it is impossible to have both.

If there is a fork in the road and on the right is a life with joy and laughter and health, and on the left is just food and disease and obesity and fatigue? I hope everyone veers to the right. Yet, I know this might make you frustrated. Why do you have to pick? Why can’t you have the stinking cobbler and be healthy? Because we can’t.

In the same way I can’t fly and there is no amount of throwing a tantrum about it will fix the truth of this reality. If we want Health and Joy and Fun, it will mean it can mean we no longer can eat the way we have always eaten because along with the Peach Cobbler comes Heart Disease. Is that worth it to you? I have found it isn’t but I know this hard truth can take a while to accept.

I will there when you are ready.

xo,

Erin