Too many cookies before bedtime
I didn’t get home until 8:45 last night. I was a little bit frustrated that my train was late, but all of that frustration washed away when I opened the door and smelled… fresh chocolate chip cookies! Steven decided to try this vegan recipe. How awesome is it to come home to fresh cookies? Steven is such a sweetie. I am so lucky to have a husband who loves to cook and experiment in the kitchen.
They turned out very thick on their own. Steven pressed down the second batch, but I liked the big, thick, chewy ones.
Nom Nom Nom
Steven had to make some substitutions to the recipe. We didn’t have unbleached flour, so he used all-purpose. And we didn’t have raw sugar, so he used half white and half brown sugar. He found out that most white sugar is not vegan, as it is often filtered using bone char – an animal product. I am sure as I continue on this vegan journey, I will discover lots of interesting tidbits like that. I will have to accommodate them when I run across them.
Anyway, he thought the cookies were a little bland, that they needed more flavor. He thought they just tasted like sugar cookies with chocolate chips in them – that they were missing that “buttery” (?) taste. I liked that they didn’t have a overpowering taste, as I generally do not consider myself a chocolate chip cookie fan. As you can see, they weren’t laden with chocolate chips. He only used a half of a cup. I don’t like it when chocolate chip cookies are overloaded with chocolate chips. Blah.
With all of that being said, I scarfed down three cookies. Then went almost immediately to bed. These cookies sat like a brick in my stomach, and had me tossing and turning all night. I don’t think it is necessarily the cookie’s fault. I think it is MY fault for eating too much, too fast, too close to bedtime, on an already full stomach.
I got into a bad pattern for awhile in the end of May and beginning of June where I was eating too much in the evening and sleeping very poorly at night. I’d wake up because I feel so uncomfortable and gassy. I would still feel gross when I woke up in the morning. That’s not a good way to start a day.
And the dumb thing is, I couldn’t figure out why I was tossing and turning all night. I just kept repeating the same actions over and over. It wasn’t until I actually slept well, that I looked back and thought, “Hmm, what did I do differently yesterday?”
So, while I’ve always laughed at the theory that you cannot burn off calories you eat in the evening* (because you go to bed), I think I will be making an effort not to eat so close to bedtime.
*I think the advice to “not eat after 7:00 pm” is meant to help people cut back on mindless snacking done after dinner. But it seems to have turned into this belief that calories you eat after 7:00 pm will never be burned off.
Themocracy
Aww, it would be hard to turn down freshly baked cookies at night. I would have scarfed down 3+ for sure!
those look DELICIOUS…. and it’s often hard to make rich, vegan, desserts, in my experience! while i do enjoy the “buttery” quality of chocolate chip cookies, the idea of chocolate chip SUGER cookies also sounds pretty divine 🙂
Ummmm – those cookies look amazing!! What a sweet hubby you have. 🙂
I tried to do the “no eating after 7 thing” once – I mean, Oprah said not to! But what happened was I ended up being bitchy at night, and then EXTRA bitchy in the morning when I got up. On the FLIP side, I’ve also had a time or two (or, okay, 100) when I’ve stuffed myself to the gills and not been able to sleep that night. Happy medium, anyone? Why do I have trouble with those?!
Does Steven have a brother or a cousin or something?? Haha!
I have yet to have a vegan cookie but since I’m trying, gotta give it a go sometime!
Those look goooood. I bet cookies taste sweeter when your husband bakes them as a surprise : )
I used to be a major before bed snacker, and like you I never really equated the poor sleep and the icky feeling in the morning with it, until I stopped eating so late.
I still catch myself sometimes wanting to munch at like 10pm, but I usually try very hard not to. I think like 1.5 hrs is a good cut-off time, but I don’t like to make too many “rules” so…
That’s so sweet of your hubby to make you cookies!
My last snack is usually between 8-10 pm…no night-time snack means I either go into a major munch fit or wake up during the night and eat half-unconscious! No good!
That was awfully nice of Steven, but now you have me all paranoid about dinner Saturday! Tee hee! I promise I will squeeze the orange juice for the sauce myself. 😉
that is so sweet coming home to freshly baked cookies! I probably would have scarfed at least 5 of them as I have no will power when it comes to freshly baked sweets!
Bone char??? That does not sound delicious.
That is incredibly sweet of your husband…I don’t think mine has EVER baked a cookie, but he is a good cook.
Remind me to never make you chocolate Chip cookies … heavy on the chips (and the butter.) My buddy has a great chocolate cake recipe. Also he makes donuts… drop me a line I am sure he’s willing to share. (Most donuts are not vegan.)
Mica – It was hard to stop at 3 😉
Alice – I thought it was a good combo! Of course, I LOVE sugar cookies. Love love love them. I like the simplicity of them. And the sugar overload, of course
Holly – Are you of the “all or nothing” mindset? I know I sure am. I actually saw an interesting theory on this (the pendulum) over on ali’s site yesterday. Check it out if you have time! http://modhealth.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/the-eating-pendulum-and-intuitive-eating-step-1/ Just thought I’d share 😉
Lindsay – Actually, he does have a brother… hee hee. In Kansas City 😉 😛 I will post other recipes we try in the event that you want to try one!
Gina (Mannyed) – You’re such a sweetie yourself! And you’re right! 😀
Julia – I try to avoid rules too, and be more open about things. The more restricted I get, the more I break my own rules! Last night I ate dinner around 6:45 and that was it. I woke up hungry but am waiting to make breakfast at work. We’ll see how this goes 😉
diane – Don’t be paranoid! You are an awesome cook! I cannot wait to try the cajun rice! 🙂 I wonder if I should just try to have a smaller nighttime snack. I am sure that is what you are doing. You know, the sensible thing to do… 😉
Jamie – I don’t either. If he would have left the room, 5 probably would have been gone by the time he came back 😉
Hotch Potchery – Yeah. Bone char. Weird, huh? Steven usually just cooks too! The baking is kind of new for him. I like it 😉
Nat – Hmm. Homemade donuts? I could at least share the recipe with my non-vegan family. 😉
awww!!!! that was sweet what Gina said about the cookies tasting sweeter when your husband bakes them!!!! Steven is so thoughtful though!!!! and i’m proud of you for only eating 3 cookies!!! i would have probably eaten them all!!!! i did read one time in i think women’s health that a calorie is a calorie no matter when you eat it but i say if it affects your sleep, no good!!! cause sleep is a precious commodity in itself that we don’t need to waste!!!
=^..^=
Baking chocolate chip cookies guarantees I will eat AT LEAST six of them. Filled to the brim with chocolate chips. Oops?
I always laugh when people tell me that they don’t eat after a certain hour because they want to lose weight. I tell them I eat ice cream every night before I go to bed to debunk that myth. Calories in vs. calories out!! Nutrition myths make me angry, haha.
“Don’t eat bananas…too many calories!!” What?? Gotta love it.
CourtneyInControl – A few months ago, a “huge” (mock quotation marks) study came out saying that all people need to watch is calories, not fat, carbs, etc. In the same respect, what you read is right – it doesn’t matter when. I really don’t think it does.
Susan – Nutrition myths make me angry too. Only because those people think it’s “true” and then try to convince you of it, and tell you how to live. I don’t want to hear that. And, where do people hear these myths anyway?!