By: Ariana Frayer from Cup of Oj

The holiday season is upon us, and as happy as we are to be sipping on our peppermint coffee and smelling our balsam candles once again, it’s impossible to ignore that this year feels a little different. Not only are we constantly managing a chronic illness every single day, but we are also experiencing a year with less socializing, which can feel extra difficult around the holidays when we’re missing our families and loved ones. Whether you’re spending the holiday season cuddled up with a virtual hangout, or are having a smaller household gathering, I’ve compiled some T1D friendly* holiday treats to enjoy while we wait for 2020 to end.

*I like saying T1D friendly because technically type 1 diabetics can eat anything we want as long as we take insulin but I also like to make subtle changes such as using a chocolate with fewer carbohydrates or a diet juice so please enjoy my treats and cocktails with better blood sugars in mind (but technically insulin will still be required for some of them because I like to live my life, ya know?).

I also want to note that I do not give carbohydrate counts in case ingredients differ. However, all of these cocktails are estimated to be under 10g of carbohydrates. The snacks will require some calculation and insulin depending on what ingredients you include and how much you consume, but as very capable diabetics who can do anything we want in this world, I trust that you will properly count your carbohydrates (or at least try) in order to enjoy the yummy snacks that I have created for you.

Enjoy!

Ariana

Cranberry Winter Whiskey

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz of whiskey

• 1.5 oz of diet cranberry juice 

• Juice of half a lemon

• Diet ginger beer

• Cranberries and lemon slice for garnish

Directions:

1. Combine whiskey, diet cranberry juice, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker with ice + shake!

2. Pour over ice and top with diet ginger beer.

3. Garnish with cranberries and a lemon slice

4. Enjoy!

NON ALCOHOLIC OPTION: Remove whiskey!

Blackberry Vanilla Gin Fizz

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1. OLIPOP’s  Blackberry Fizz Sparkling Tonic

2. 1.5 oz of gin

3. A handful of blackberries

4. 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

5. A dash of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Combine gin, blackberries, vanilla extract, and cinnamon in a shaker with ice + shake!

2. Strain over ice and top with OLIPOP’s Blackberry Vanilla Sparkling Tonic

3. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary, blackberries, and a cinnamon stick + enjoy!

NON ALCOHOLIC OPTION: Remove gin and add your favorite sparkling water.

Cinnamon Spiced Vodka Pear Cider

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz of pear vodka (I used Wild Roots)

• 3 oz of homemade pear cider (ingredients below)

For the pear cider:

• 2 cups of water 

• 1 cup of stevia

• 2 peeled pears 

• dash of allspice 

• dash of cloves

• dash of nutmeg

• 2-3 cinnamon sticks

• dash of orange peel

• 2-3 star anise 

For garnish:

• a few sprigs of thyme

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1-2 star anise

Directions:

1. Add pear cider ingredients to a medium pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Remove from heat and let cool.

3. Shake pear cider and vodka in a cocktail shaker over ice.

4. Strain into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a slice of poached pear, cinnamon stick, a sprig of thyme, and star anise. Enjoy!

NON ALCOHOLIC OPTION: Remove vodka and enjoy the cider on its own!

Tasty Treats to Enjoy During the Holidays

Holly Jolly Charcuterie Board

Ingredients:

• A few different types of crackers (I used ak-mak crackers, water crackers, and pretzels)

• A few different types of cheese (I used unexpected cheddar, Comté, and Boursin Gournay cheese from Trader Joes)

• Salami

• Mixed nuts

• Chocolate pieces

• M&M’s

• Mini candy canes

• Cranberries

• Rosemary 

Directions:

1. Arrange on a wooden board starting with your larger items (cheese, meats, and crackers) followed by your smaller items (nuts, M&Ms, Cranberries).

2. Top it off with your rosemary garnish!

Festive Holiday Snack Mix

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of lightly salted popcorn

• 2 cups of pretzels

• 1 cup of paleo granola (no grain = less carbohydrates)

• 1 cup of dried cranberries

• 1 cup of chopped walnuts

• ¼ cup of melted dark chocolate (dark has fewer carbs!) 

• Optional: ½ cup of red & green M&Ms

Directions:

1. Combine popcorn, pretzels, granola, cranberries, walnuts, and M&Ms in a large bowl

2. Melt dark chocolate (I broke up a chocolate bar into in a glass bowl over a pot of water set to low and let melt) then drizzle over the snack mix. Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark

Ingredients:

• 2 bars of dark chocolate (Or use a chocolate with fewer carbohydrates like Lily’s)

• 10 mini candy canes

Directions:

1. Melt chocolate (I broke up a chocolate bar into in a glass bowl over a pot of water set to low and let melt) and pour over parchment paper on a cookie sheet.

2. Crush candy canes into small pieces and sprinkle over melted chocolate.

3. Set in the fridge and let cool for 3 hours.

4. Break apart and serve. Enjoy!

These festive drinks and tasty treats are perfect for any holiday gathering. I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I do!

Find monthly low carb cocktail recipes, low carb starbucks orders, and a fresh take on living with diabetes on my website, cupofoj.com and be sure to follow me on Instagram @arianafrayer. Wishing you the most holly jolly season with manageable blood sugars and festive delights, cheers!