Memorial day

I tried a new waffle recipe today.  SO YUMMY!!!!  It's from passionatehomemaking.com.
You can find the recipe in the recipe index under blender waffles or pancakes.
This recipe was so simple and was met with many "These waffles are SO good!"  I used all brown rice and unsweetened almond milk.  I will for sure make these again!

Spinach artichoke dip

I got this recipe from June 2011 Clean Eating.

Preheat oven to 350°
1 1/2 Cups frozen cauliflower
4 oz less fat cream cheese
9-11 T low-fat milk, divided
Olive oil cooking spray
1 medium onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 10 oz box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove excess water
1 8 oz box frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and chopped
1/4 packed cup fresh dill sprigs, thick stems removed
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper, or to taste
5 scallions, chopped
2 oz reduced fat Monterey Jack or Mozzarella cheese, shredded (1/2 cup)
1/2 tsp salt

Cook cauliflower.  Process in a food processor the cauliflower, cream cheese and half the milk.  Puree until smooth.  Put mixture in a bowl.  Cook onions and garlic and process.  Add spinach, artichokes, dill salt, cayenne and milk.  Puree until mixture is spreadable.  Add this mixture to the cheese mixture add chopped scallions and stir until combined.  Put the mixture in an oven proof dish, top with the cheese cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for 10 more minutes.  (Check out the actual recipe in the magazine.  I skipped a lot of their steps.)


I used a whole brick of cream cheese so the leftover half wouldn't get wasted.  I also used chives instead of scallions and added about 1/2 tsp. more cayenne.  (I probably could have used more.)  I used cheddar and parmesan.  I would like to try it with pepperjack or the monterey jack.  We used tortilla chips to dip, it would be really good with pita chips.

Day blah

Today I am venting.  I did have some sugar today.  I ate lunch at work which was a meatball sub (sugar in the bread and sauce.) It was good!  I also had an ice cream sandwich. 
I don't feel very motivated to be completely sugar free.  I don't have anyone doing it with me so I'm not accountable to anyone but this blog and I'm not sure anyone reads it anymore.  The novelty of having a blog has worn off I guess.  I need to figure out how to load photos and spice my page up a bit, then maybe I'll be more motivated.  I have been reading all kinds of healthy eating information lately and it seems like nothing is good for you anymore.  I know this is an exaggeration but it seems hopeless at times.  My latest frustration is lack of money.  It's hard to eat healthy without extra money.  It seems very unfair that the only people that can eat completely healthy, clean, organic etc. are people with lots of money to spend on good food.  Our society is so unhealthy but healthy is such an unrealistic goal for most people.  I do try to buy as much organic as I can (potatoes always, milk almost always, fruit and veg. sometimes...)  I'm now reading that wheat may not be so good for you.  What am I supposed to do with that information?  I bake!  I bake ALL the time, muffins, cake, bread.....  Grrrrr!  I have decided that all we can do is the best we can do and trust that our Maker and Creator is able to do great things despite our humanity! 
Today I foolishly allowed that little voice of doubt whisper in my ear "you're not good enough".  I wasted the better part of the day being upset about it instead of giving it to God to handle.  I suppose I still haven't completely given it to Him if I'm venting about it now.  I often feel this way and lately esp. with the no sugar thing.  I find myself feeling so unable to catch up with the things of life that I just give up trying regarding food.  It's just easier to eat whatever I can get my hands on than to eat mindfully.  I so desperately want to regain some semblance of control that I sabotage my efforts to eat healthier by "controlling" my food by losing control of what I'm eating.  I don't know if that makes sense to anyone but me, but I know what I mean :)

I think my best bet right now is to pray!  Here's to a better day tomorrow!

do over 7

Breakfast- Chocolate, chocolate chip waffles (no sugar)

Lunch- Chicken stir fry with brown rice noodles

Snack-  Banana, (I had something else, I just can't remember)

Dinner- Brown rice cooked in chicken broth (the rice didn't cook long enough but still tasted good.)

Snack- Girl's event at church.  Mini cheese cake, cheese and crackers, strawberries and grapes

Overall, not a bad day but not completely sugar free.

Do over 4-6

I have not done very well the past 3 days.  Thursday I attended a jewelry party in which the hostess made her yummy Special K. bars (chocolate and peanut butter- hard to pass up!).  Friday we were invited to a friend's for uffda tacos (fry bread tacos).  She only makes them once a year or so, so I couldn't pass them up.  Today we attended a Mother Daughter tea/brunch.  The food was delicious and NOT sugar free.  This afternoon/evening we went to my aunt's house to celebrate my Grandma's birthday.  Lots of goodies (potluck).  Back on track tomorrow!

Do over 3

Breakfast- Cinnamon whole wheat pancakes with oats and flax.

Snack- Grapes and canteloupe

Lunch- Leftover tortilini with beans and corn

Snack- Dried fruit and nuts.  Apple and cinnamon/honey

Dinner- Egg roll and chicken fried rice from David Fongs

Snack- Mango and Coconut ice cream

Pete is doing a cleanse which means he will be eating only certain foods.  I'll try to blog a bit about things I am able to cook.  It's a little daunting thinking about me with no sugar, Pete with only rice veg., meat and eggs (a few other things, Riley not liking any food and Kendra who eats pretty much anything I cook.  Well, here's to new food adventures.

Do over 2

It's my husband and my 14th anniversary today.  He woke up before we did and picked up Brueggers for breakfast so I wouldn't have to make breakfast (how sweet!)  I had coffee with honey and 1/2 of a spinach, egg and cheese on a rosemary olive oil bagel (yum!)

Snack- Bowl of cereal.

Lunch- PB and banana on homemade bread,  homemade cookie and my new fav. ice cream (I ran some errands before lunch and it was kind of melty, I HAD to eat some!)

Snack-  Veg., cracker with honey hummus.

Dinner- Tortillini and brussels sprouts

Snack- Nuts, raisins and string cheese

It wasn't a perfect no sugar day, but it was a good day (despite the awful heat and humidity!)

Do over 1

Here we go again!
Breakfast- Homemade bread with butter and cold cereal.

Snack-  Dried fruit and nuts and a homemade no sugar oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookie.

Lunch- Macaroni and cheese, mixed vegetables and leftover green pasta.

Snack- Chips and salsa, cucumber

Dinner- Chicken tacos

Certainly not a perfect day by any means, but getting back on track.

Do over

I'd like to request a do-over.  It was hard going back to no sugar after eating w/o worrying about it for a week or so.  This second time around I was alone, my girls didn't realize I was starting back when I did.  Once I allowed myself one sugar item I felt I could have just one more or I will start later or....the excuses just keep coming.  I will start up again tomorrow and hopefully not fall off the bandwagon this time!

5

Breakfast- Bowl of cereal with coconut milk

Lunch- We are heading to the Festival of Nations with my sister.  I am so excited to eat Samosas from India!  I don't think there would be any sugar in the ingredients but if there is, I don't care.  They are that yummy.  I would love to get my hands on a good recipe so I could make them at home.  Either that or I need to find a good restaurant that I can get them at during the rest of the year.  I will try to resist desserts today.

I did not resist.  I'm not doing very well this time around.  I will try better!

Dinner- Chicken and potato soup.

I ate way too much garbage for snack-UG!

4

Today will not be a no sugar day :(  We have a field trip to DQ.  I can resist the food, but probably not the ice cream.  I'm ok with that :)

Breakfast- Oatmeal with maple sugar and cinnamon

Snack- Scrambled eggs with ketchup, cantaloupe

From here on out the day was NOT sugar free :(
DQ for lunch with ice cream for dessert,  Snack was veg.,  Dinner was frozen pizza white ch. macadamia nut cookies and 2 sips of wine (Tobin wouldn't stay sleeping and fought with me for 2 hours- ug!)

3

Breakfast-Banana chocolate chip muffins

Snack- dried fruit

Lunch- Turkey tacos at work. I had a tortilla- it had brown sugar in it :(  I also had chips and queso from Don Pablos.

Snack- Fresh Veggies, homemade hummus and chips

Dinner- Chicken and couscous

Dessert- No sugar chocolate cupcakes

Yummus Hummus! (Moroccan Spiced Honey Hummus)

I got this recipe from www.nationalhoneyboard.com

2 15 oz. cans of garbanzo beans drained and rinsed

1/3 cup honey (I used a touch more)

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

a dasy of cayenne pepper

1/4 cup lemon juice (I used lime since I had no lemon)

1 tsp. minced garlic (I used 1/2 tsp. garlic powder)

2-3 Tb. fresh cilantro or parsley chopped (I skipped this.  I didn't like how bitter the cilantro tasted.)

Combine all ingredients except the cilantro in a food processor and process until smooth.  Put in a serving bowl and mix in the cilantro.  Eat with pita chips.  (I used tortilla since I had no pita, but pita would be way better!)

2

Breakfast- Chocolate & coconut pancake

Snack- Ez. 4:9 cereal and milk

Lunch- Spinach pasta and carrots

Snack- Pear, dried fruit

Dinner- Taco salad @ church.  I grabbed a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie to possibly eat during class.  I ended up resisting and gave the cookie to Pete.

Snack-  I had some pea  pods, carrots and celery.  I also made some homemade hummus and tried some.  I've dubbed it "Yummus hummus!".  I will post the recipe!

1

Breakfast- Chocolate chip pancakes (no sugar c. chips)

Snack- Dried fruit

Lunch- Leftover chili

Snack- Honey decaf latte, carrots and a sliver of a brownie (I savored all 3 bites)

Dinner- Wheat couscous, corn, leftover Buca and black bean "burgers"

Snack- Coconut milk chocolate ice cream

Hopefully tomorrow I'll be back on track with Planet Fitness.

Day -1

I will start another 30 day no sugar challenge tomorrow.  I was not even close to being a good eater today.  I started the day with chocolate cake for breakfast-enough said.

Here's the totals for our first 30 day challenge (as best as I can figure):

I had 11 out of 30 complete no sugar days, 16 minimal sugar days (ie. white bread for burgers, ketchup etc.) and 3 days with a full sugar item.

Kendra and Riley had 11 out of 27 (they ended the challenge earlier than me due to Easter.) complete no sugar days.  11 out of 27 minimal sugar days and 5 days that had a full sugar food item of some sort (ie. dessert at Buca's).

All in all we learned a lot about what we are eating.  I have also learned during this past week "off" how easy it is to slip back into bad eating habits and how important it is that I blog (I need that accountability!)  I will say there is a certain freedom that comes with eating whatever you want, but you end up paying the price later on.  I would much rather be mindful of what I am eating and feeding my children than taking the easy/unhealthy road out.  Tomorrow I plan to get back on to the road of healthy eating.

A note about going vegetarian for 30 days.  Riley has decided she wants to eat only chicken.  No beef or pork.  I think I will try to cook more vegetarian meals simply because it is cheaper and I kind of wanted to try some vegetarian meals!  (I made black bean "burgers" Sat. night to be the veg. alt. to homemade chicken nuggets.  Riley ended up eating chicken nuggets and Kendra and Pete inhaled the black bean nuggets.  Go figure!)

It's 9:00 and Tobin is sleeping.  I am going to clean the kitchen and get things ready for tomorrow and hopefully go to bed early.  I didn't post the rhubarb syrup, golden angel food cake, chocolate chip cookies or my sister's yummy bread recipes.  Since I don't seem to have the time, I will post the recipes per request.  Thanks for understanding!