The End

... of the Challenge, that is:)
Oh, those mini chocolates will taste delicious ...
but I  don't really need it right now:
just had some fabulous oatmeal with baking chocolate, almond butter, flax/chia seed, a couple of dried plums and a tiny bit  (less than a teaspoon) of maple syrup.
Amazing!!!

(Can you tell I was really hungry?)

A SURPRISE

This morning, as I came in from the cold, I wanted to make a nice Carob drink. I was bargaining in my mind that one teaspoon of honey is not going to hurt me or the challenge...
When the drink was ready I tasted it before reaching for the honey and much to my surprise, it tasted really sweet...

I usually have yogurt in the afternoon or in the evening.
My latest discovery:
Greek yogurt, 0% fat, plain with fresh pomegranates. DELICIOUS!
( I may have posted about this previously)

I've been continuing the challenge, just got really busy to post...

Continuing The Challenge

My worst crime was eating in a Thai Restaurant this weekend. (my first time ever:) )
I tasted the sugar in the dipping sauce, so I stopped eating it after that...
Otherwise, I'm doing fine.
My oatmeal was sweetened by a half banana (from the freezer).
I found a  good recipe link .
Then there is this one:) It looks good...
And, of course - this one. I made this before: excellent.  It's high in calories but each of those are good for you:)

Day 3, A Couple of Slips And Recipes

Not perfect, but not bad either... Yesterday, I accidentally had a cup of coffee with a spoonful of sugar. (My son brought it and he forgot about the sugar free challenge) I'm OK with it. I got over my "all or nothing" attitude.
 Today was another day and, since I made some Quince Cheese on Wednesday which is taking its sweet time to dry (pun intended:) ) I had to check it today, so I gave it a mini taste-test. I think that amounted to about a teaspoon of sugar again... :)
 On a positive note: I prepared Alex's Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Apples.  The only difference:
I peeled both as they were not organic. The result: delicious!

I make a similar "recipe" -

 Butternut Squash With Pears

1 butternut squash - peeled, seeded, chopped
2 Bosc Pears (or more) - peeled, seeded, chopped
1 tbs olive oil
Cinnamon (sprinkle liberally)

My friend tells me, apples are equally good for this recipe.

I just had this urge to try the above with some Carob powder... I think it would be good.:)

Day 1 and 2 -Sugar free

It went well:)
I glanced in the direction of the jar that holds the tiny pieces of Swiss chocolate...  but, never opened it.

Frozen banana slices helped  sweeten my smoothie.
Breakfast was a rush - those muffins really helped.
It's actually helpful to keep sugar out of morning meals as it kind of sets the pace for the day.

I'm going to create a savoury snack today. What?  I don't know yet... but  I'll post.:)

Good ideas:
http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/cuisine/european/english/savoury-mini-muffins-with-two-flavourings.html

http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/healthy-recipes/sugar-free/main.aspx

I tried the Savoury Mini Muffins - Gruyere/Sage version. Very good but next time I'll cut down on the salt.

Another nice treat:
Greek Yogurt (0%fat) - with some fresh Pomegranate. You don't miss the sweetener!

Starting a New Challenge

The Sugar Free Challenge:
No sugar or sugar substitutes for 10 days. Fruits are allowed- life is good:)

I was trying to post the Badge for the challenge but I failed miserably - so
here is the link,

What I hope to achieve?
A pause in sugar consumption. A lesser dependence on sweets during the holiday season.

With any challenge preparation is KEY.
On that note, yesterday, I baked a batch of Low Fat Fruit Muffins -
similar to this recipe
but the butter was replaced with one cup of unsweetened applesauce.
The result is a lovely, sweet and moist muffin.

I'm ok with no sugar in my coffee or tea.

Normally, I take a teaspoon of maple syrup in my oatmeal but a sprinkling of Carob powder or a few pieces of dried plums can make up for it.