Feeding My Emotions

Almost three years ago I lost approximately 35 pounds by following the Glycemic Index Diet. Since then I survived a stressful move to a new town that I’m still adjusting to, but I’ve gained at least half of that weight back. Two weeks ago I decided it was time to start again. It was going well. Until I got a call on Sunday that a very good friend of mine unexpectedly died.

My first instinct was to eat something forbidden. I sent my husband Eric to the store for a can of Pringles, and told him if he wanted any, he needed to buy his own. Surprisingly, I was able to make them last two days. (And with the addition of some wrapping paper, I now have a perfect gift container for cookies.)

Tonight I decided I needed dessert. I never, ever bake for us. Ever. Even before getting back on this GI Diet, baking was always reserved for gifts. So when I told Eric I was making dessert, he just assumed it was for someone else.

I pulled out my copy of Living the G.I. Diet and decided to go with Baked Chocolate Mousse.

1 c. skim milk
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
½ c. liquid egg
1 c. sugar substitute
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Heat the milk, add the chocolate, then whisk until melted. Combine egg substitute, sugar substitute, and vanilla, whisk, then slowly add the chocolate-milk mixture. Bake in a water bath at 325 degrees for 25 minutes. Makes four servings.

I only had 2 oz. of chocolate. Okay, so it won’t be as chocolatey. I can live with that.


Eric turns his nose up at Splenda, so I’d recently purchased a bottle of Trader Joe’s Organic Agave Sweetener. Technically fructose, but made from cactus, not corn, and it’s lower on the glycemic index than sugar, so I felt somewhat justified.

More info about agave here.

Agave nectar is sweeter than sugar, so I used just under 2/3 c., and because I was using a liquid sweetener instead of a solid sugar, I decreased the milk to about 2/3 cup. I mixed everything together, then put it in ramekins and put those in a water bath and placed them in the oven.




25 minutes passed, and it was still pretty fluid, so I gave it another five minutes. And another five. And another five. I pulled them out and let them cool.

An hour later, and they’d firmed up a lot. (I’m sensing a theme. I think I need to follow baking length instructions a little more carefully.) But they were very good -- very chocolatey and very sweet. I will definitely make this again, but I’ll add even less agave and I’ll bake it maybe 30 minutes.



I’m still an emotional wreck, but baking, as usual, was a good dose of self-therapy, and I satisfied my sweet tooth to boot.

I miss you so much already, Joni.