Days 96-100 and The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe Ever! (Not low-carb.)

Cardamom Sugar Stars
(adapted from ? magazine issue dec'07/jan'08) 
3-3/4c flour
1tsp baking powder
2c sugar
1c butter, room temp
1tsp ground cardamom
2 eggs
1Tbsp homemade vanilla extract


Whisk flour and baking powder together in a bowl, set aside.  Beat butter, sugar and cardamom in large bowl until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  At low speed, beat in flour mixture just until blended.  Place dough on counter, knead just until smooth.  Divide dough into 4 pieces, shape each into flat round.  Wrap well in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, preferably overnight.

Take only one piece of dough out of the refrigerator and let stand until able to roll, though still firm.  Either roll between two pieces of parchment paper, or dust with a small amount of flour, until about 1/8" thickness.  Cover and place back in fridge as the dough will have become too soft to do cut-outs yet.  Do the same for the remaining three pieces.  After dough has chilled again, cut out desired shapes.  Place on ungreased or parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake 8-10mns at 350.  Using a 3" cutter, you are supposed to get 6 dozen.  (We don't ever get as many cookies as recipes suggest...)


While we iced ours, it is suggested that you mix 1/4c sparkling sugar and 1/4tsp cardamom to sprinkle on cut cookies prior to baking.  


Saturday, Dec.17
Breakfast> 2 fried eggs
Lunch> Subway 6" tuna on flatbread (3/2)
Snacks> several deli chicken strips (1/2)
Supper> 1/4c rice, gravy, chicken legs, 2Tbsp corn, diet orange soda (2/2)
Total s/c = 6/6


Friday, Dec.16
Breakfast> coffee
Lunch> turkey soup (1/1)
Snacks> coffee, cookie dough likely equal to 1 cookie 
Supper> 1/4-1/2c mashed potatoes, meatloaf, 1/4c carrots/cauliflower/broccoli (3/2)
Total s/c = 4/3
Count doesn't include the cookie dough, of course.  Not sure where that would've put me.  Above and beyond, even though I had sugar/carbs to spare otherwise.


Thursday, Dec.15
Breakfast> eggs w/mozzarella, 1/4c raspberries, coffee (3/1) 
Lunch> chicken fillet, cottage cheese, few bites salad (1/1)
Snacks> 1 Ezekial toast w/pb&j, few pecans, few raspberries (5/2) 
Supper> 1/2c hamburger & rice dish w/few peas mixed in (2/2)
Total s/c=11/6



Wednesday, Dec.14

We ate at someone else's house tonight.  So today, rather than tomorrow, ended up being my cheat day.  I made a coffee cake for dessert.  I think the highlights of my day though were the bowl of pineapple tidbits at work and the tall glass of milk I had this morning.

Tuesday, Dec.13
Breakfast> 1 fried egg w/ham bits & cheese, coffee, blackberries (4/1)
Lunch> 1/4c rice, 3oz shredded pork, cheese, cottage cheese (0/1)
Snacks> blackberries, coffee, 1 Ezekial toast w/butter & jam (4/2)
Supper> <1/2serving leftover chicken alfredo, 1 slice margarita pizza, 1/4c carrots, 2 roma tomato slices, mozzarella (3/2)
Total s/c = 11/6