This is a special day for me. I'm so happy to share the link and recipe for my first episode of The Cooking, Eating, Healing Show!
In each episode, I'll teach you how to cook some of my favorite easy-to-make recipes, but the main purpose of this show is to inspire you to have a joyful, sensual relationship with food and eating, and a peaceful, loving relationship with your body. If you've struggled with an eating disorder, or from the harmful messages about bodies and food perpetuated by diet culture, it is my hope that you'll find inspiration here, along with some tips, tools, and resources, to help you be fully free to enjoy your precious body. And if you are already at this point... enjoy the recipes!
Episode 1: Persimmon Chocolate Chip Cookies
In this pilot episode, I share my famous and up-until-now, mostly secret recipe for my holiday cookies, along with stories and inspiration to make the holidays more what you want them to be. Meaning, figuring out what your needs are and doing your best to make them happen.
Recipe for Connie's Famous Persimmon Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup butter at room temp
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 cup persimmons (Be sure to get Hachiya, not Fuyu, and make sure they are soft. 2 large persimmons make approximately 1 cup)
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cardamon (or allspice)
1/4 tsp cloves
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Set oven to 350° F
Here are the directions with my notes about how I use my intuition to get the cookies exactly as I like them!
- Make sure butter is at room temp - I like to use unsalted butter but you can use salted if you like it better
- Cream butter and sugar until smooth - I am more of a savory person than sweet, so I don't add all of the sugar - probably about a half cup of each instead, so think about your desire for sweetness as you add the sugar - and then use trial and error to adjust for next time - that's intuitive eating in a nutshell!
- Add egg
- Add persimmons that have been blended until runny
- Mix dry ingredients together - I always round the spices in my measuring spoons so I'm definitely adding more spice than listed above. And definitely use cardamon if you have it instead of allspice. And be sure to take a big whiff of the spices as you add them to the bowl - that's one of the best parts of cooking!
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and beat until smooth
- Add chocolate chips - I don't measure, I just add until I think there are enough, and I don't add nuts
- Bake for about 10-12 minutes. You want them to be soft, so when they are a nice golden brown they should be done.
- Be sure to make extras for your friends and know that they will be asking for them every year!!
Send me an email and let me know how it goes! info@conniesobczak.com
Resource Links Mentioned in Video + More
- The National Alliance for Eating Disorders: Here you'll find resources to help if you're struggling with an eating disorder. They also have a hotline.
- 'Tis the Season to Be Squishy: my blog about bodies in winter on The Body Positive website
- Embody: Learning to Love Your Unique Body (and quiet that critical voice!): My book about my work with The Body Positive. The book’s message is rooted in the philosophy that people inherently possess the wisdom necessary to make healthy choices and to live in balance. It emphasizes that self-love, acceptance of genetic diversity in body size, celebration of the unique beauty of every individual, and intuitive self-care are fundamental to achieving good physical and emotional health.
- Embracing Your Critical Voice: The Gateway to Self-Love: my TEDx Talk
- My Website
- The Body Positive website
Please remember that my show is for educational and informational purposes only, and is shared with the understanding that it is meant to complement, not substitute for, professional medical and/or psychological services. Please reach out to the National Alliance for Eating Disorders (link shared above) if you need help.