Monday Motivations: Makin' Pancakes

Yesterday (Father's Day), I made waffles from scratch with fresh homemade strawberry syrup and whipped cream (not homemade) for Doug. With a couple of his favorite poached eggs alongside, they were soooo good. While I was mixing this whole grain goodness, I remembered this story and thought you might like it. 

One Saturday morning six year old Brandon decided to fix pancakes for his parents. He found a big bowl and a spoon, pulled a chair to the counter and climbed up on it. He opened the cupboard and pulled out the heavy flour canister, spilling it to the floor.

He scooped some of the flour into the bowl with his hands, mixed in most of a cup of milk and added some sugar. All the while leaving a floury trail on the floor which by now had a few tracks left by his kitten.

Brandon was covered with flour and getting frustrated. He wanted this to be something very good for Mom and Dad, but it was getting very bad. He didn't know what to do next, whether to put it all into the oven or on the stove, (and he didn't know how the stove worked)! Suddenly he saw his kitten licking from the bowl of mix and reached to push her away. In doing so, he knocked the egg carton to the floor. Frantically he tried to clean up this monumental mess but slipped on the eggs, getting his pajamas white and sticky. And just then he saw Dad standing at the door.

Big crocodile tears welled up in Brandon's eyes. All he wanted to do was something good, but he's made a terrible mess. He was sure a scolding was coming, maybe even a spanking.

But his father just watched him. Then, walking through the mess, he picked up his crying son, hugged him and loved him, getting his own pajamas white and sticky in the process.

That's how God deals with us. We try to do something good in life, but sometimes it turns into a mess. Our marriage gets all sticky or we insult a friend or we can't stand our job or our health goes sour. Sometimes we just stand there in tears because we can't think of any thing else to do.

That's when God picks us up and loves us and forgives us, even though some of our mess gets all over Him. But just because we might mess up, we can't stop trying to "make pancakes," for God or for others. Sooner or later we'll get it right, and then they'll be glad we tried.

This story also reminds me to be patient with others who are traveling this journey with us. We don't always know what others are thinking; they may be trying to do something good and it turns into a mess.

Have a great week, everyone!! For more Monday Motivations Click Here!
To leave a comment Click Here.

Easy Homemade Whoopie Pies

Call them Whoopie Pies or Stuffed Cookies, everyone loves them. And they are so easy to whip together. It doesn't take much longer to make four flavors than it does to make one. A variety of flavors makes an attractive dessert tray and allows you to satisfy different flavor preferences among those you are serving. They also freeze well. It's nice to be able to pull a few out of the freezer on a week night, or to be able to put a quick plate together to deliver to a friend.

Father's Day is a perfect time for Chocolate Bowls For Ice Cream Sundaes and a selection of different flavored Whoopie Pies. Speaking of Father's Day, another dessert that is ALWAYS a hit is this Almost Better Than Sex Cake. In my experience, even guys who aren't huge chocolate fans LOVE this cake...it's like eating a candy bar in cake form. If you are having a crowd over and want variety, make a couple of these super easy Butterfinger Pies. I can always count on these two dessert plates being empty before the day is over. And what are you making for Dad for dinner? Shouldn't it be some of his favorite foods? All guys love Gourmet Mac-n-Cheese...mom will enjoy the creamy, decadent flavor of this one too. 

Back to the Whoopie Pies...I know there are multiple recipes out there, but I like this one because it is simple, quick and delicious! Without further ado...here you go...and Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there.

What you need:
1 Box Cake Mix
1 Stick Melted Butter
2 Eggs

Frosting: Purchase cans of frosting to coordinate with cake mix flavors.


Some great combinations are:
Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Frosting
Chocolate OR Devils Food with Cream Cheese OR Vanilla Frosting
Strawberry with Chocolate Frosting
Yellow with Chocolate Frosting
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Gingerbread Cake with Vanilla Frosting

Technique:

Mix cake mix, melted butter and eggs together.
Scoop rounded teaspoon, roll into ball and set on baking sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes on 350*
Don't overcook. Cookies will continue to cook as they sit.

Let cookies sit for 5 minutes before transferring to wax paper.
Let cookies cool completely.
Turn cookies upside and and pipe frosting on one half of the cookies, using the piping technique below.
You can also just spread the frosting on the cookies, but piping is so much easier and faster.

Gently press a second cookie on top of frosted cookies while frosting is still soft. For best flavor and consistency, refrigerate for a couple hours before eating. If you need to keep them for more than a day or two, they store very nicely in the fridge. And as I mentioned before, they are awesome frozen! 

Piping Technique:
Stand a plastic baggie in a glass, spreading it over the outside of the glass. 

Using a spatula, fill the baggie with frosting. 

Using scissors, cut the tip of the baggie off. Keep the size of the hole relevant to what you are piping. For Whoopie Pies, it can be a fairly large hole.

Printable Recipe
My two favorites are red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and a Dark Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. Just can't decide which I like best. What is your favorite flavor combination? Can you suggest a new combo for me to try?

To leave a comment, click here.

I'm Ba-ack!

Maybe you've noticed (or maybe you haven't), that I have been MIA for several weeks. I'm not a deserter...I just needed a little time out for surgery. I am now home recovering.

I mistakenly thought that I would have plenty of time to complete the dozens of blog posts that I have started and taken pictures for, while "sitting around" recovering. Turns out that there is very little time left between PT, naps, visiting with friends who stop by and just taking care of every day activities that take me twice as long to complete. I'm not complaining...not at all! Those of you who know me well know that I had this same surgery exactly one year ago on the other side (total hip replacement) and it was a long, difficult recovery.

As I add this to my list of nearly 40 surgeries and procedures, I joke that my purpose in life must be to experience every medical procedure I possibly can. I now need to figure out how I can use those experiences to help others (while making a living). Anyway, I approached this surgery differently by putting together a plan for everything that didn't go as well as I would have liked, or I thought could have gone better with last years surgery. I discussed my plan with the Doctors ahead of time and got their buy in. Among other things, my plan included a different drug protocol before, during and after surgery as well as juicing for intense nutritional therapy before and immediately following surgery. Yes, I prepared my own fresh juice and Doug brought it to the hospital in a cooler.

Let me just say, "Woo Hoo!!" HUGE SUCCESS!! I feel great. I was able to get out of bed BY MYSELF just 15 hours after surgery. (For comparison, last year it was three days before I could get up and then with great assistance.) I felt wonderful immediately. It is still a lengthy recovery for my hip, but I feel good and have great energy. At three weeks after surgery, I would compare my overall strength and energy right now to where I was week seven or eight of last year. The whole experience has been 100% better and overall I am thrilled with where I'm at and the progress I've made.

My hospital experience was super positive. Just a quick shout out to the staff on the 3rd floor, orthopedic wing of Arrowhead Hospital in Glendale, Az. When I arrived in my room after surgery I was thrilled to find that my nurse and CNA were the same wonderful people that had assisted me last year. PT and OT were the same too. It's a good thing they were awesome and I was happy to see them, huh? I guess if they hadn't been so wonderful last year, it would have been a long four days. And my incredible husband, Doug, was beside me in the hospital the whole time. He may hold the record for most days spent sleeping in a hospital room chair! We just don't like being apart. We're still newlyweds...it's only been 11 years. I love that we love being together!


I actually asked my Dr. to take a picture of my hip as they replaced it. He did, and then emailed it to me. I thought about putting it in this post, but don't want to freak anyone out who doesn't have the stomach for things like that. I think it was quite interesting to see what had been causing all the pain.

I can't wait to get active again! Those who know me also know that I'm not the type to sit still for long. I love the outdoors and I crave activity. Even when watching tv I'd rather be walking on the treadmill or riding my bike on the trainer than sitting in a chair. I'm learning to accept that I won't be able to run any more. I'll have to walk/hike the mountain instead of run the mountain. I was training for a marathon when my first knee went out. Now I've had two hip replacements (consequences of a very active life and cancer drugs that destroyed my joints) and have to protect my knees as well. Right now I am working on being able to walk without crutches. That may take a while, but I'll get there. I'm faithful in doing my PT every day

I'm trying to wrap my brain around walking a marathon. Have you ever done that? When I think marathon, I think running. But I'm trying to get to the mindset that it would be just as great of an accomplishment to walk it. If you've walked a marathon, what tips or advice can you offer me?

I'm working on getting a few posts up before Fathers Day: quick and easy table decor and yummy homemade whoopie pies. But let me just say, if you need a killer dessert for Father's Day that never disappoints, try Almost Better Than Sex Cake; even guys who aren't crazy for chocolate love it! Another hit with the guys is Butterfinger Pie.  Mmmmm...good!

It's good to be back; with a little time, I'll be back stronger than ever!

How To Cut A Mango In 90 Seconds Or Less

Do you love eating Mango's, but hate cutting them? If so, then I suspect you are still trying to peel them and then cut them. Aaarrrggghhh! That's enough to make you scream, or... just not eat mango's!

Mango's are super easy to cut and prepare once you know the trick. When they are on sale I love to buy bags of them and make an Incredible Mango Salsa. I'll share more delicious Mango recipes in coming weeks. But right now, let's look at how to cut a mango in 90 seconds or less. Seriously, that's all it takes! Here's how...

First, pick a perfectly shaped, ripe Mango. Okay, any Mango will do!

Next, stand it up on it's skinny side and point it away from you.

The pit of the Mango is long, but only about 1/2 inch thick. It runs right down the middle of the Mango.

Imagine a 1/2 inch strip down the middle. 

You are going to cut a slice off the Mango on both sides of that 1/2 inch strip.

(Wow, this seems way more complicated to  put into words than it actually is!)

Cut one side off and spin the Mango around and cut the other side off.

You are left with the thin center piece of the Mango, which we will come back to.

Hold one half of the Mango in the palm of your hand.

With your knife, make 3 lengthwise cuts, being careful not to cut through the skin.

Turn the Mango in your hand and make 4 cuts the opposite way, creating a grid of cuts. 

Do this with both halves.

Gently invert the Mango half. Now all of your pre-cut pieces of Mango are sticking straight up so you can easily cut them off the peel. Once they are on your cutting board, just cut the Mango into smaller chunks for Mango Salsa.

Or leave them big and eat them just like this.

Pick up the thin center piece of Mango. There is still a lot of good fruit around the pit. At the end opposite of the stem, cut through the peel. Holding it between the knife and your thumb, pull the peel back to the stem. Do the same to the other side, then just cut off the stem with the peel.

Use the knife to cut the remaining Mango off the pit.

Rotate the pit until you've cut all the way around and on both sides. 

You are left with a thin husk-like shell. Inside this is the Mango pit. If you set this on a plate and let it dry out for a few days, you can break open the husk and remove the Mango seed. The actual seed looks a lot like a bean (it is very small). Set it in a shallow dish of water and it will grow. It grows a cool little tree right out of the center of the seed.

Now you have a beautiful pile of ready to eat Mango!

This whole process really takes about 60-90 seconds once you have done it and know exactly how to do it.


Now, take that pile of Mango, chop it up a little smaller and try These Two Mango Salsa Recipes! They are amazing!


What is your favorite recipe for Mango? To leave a comment Click Here.


For more recipes Click Here.

Monday Motivations: Why Women Cry

I wish I knew who to credit for today's writing, but the author remains anonymous. In honor of Mothers Day...

Why Women Cry

"Why are you crying?", a young boy asked his Mom.

"Because I'm a woman", she told him.

"I don't understand", he said.

His Mom just hugged him and said, "And you never will, but that's okay".

Later the little boy asked his Father,

"Why does Mom seem to cry for no reason?"

"All women cry for no reason", was all his Dad could say.

The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry.

Finally, he prayed to God, who would surely know the answer.

God answered and said,

"When I made woman, I decided she had to be special.

I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world,

her arms gently enough to give comfort.

I gave her the inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times will come even from her own children. I gave her the hardiness that allows her to keep going and take care of her family and friends, even when everyone else gives up, through sickness and fatigue, without complaining.

I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances.

Even when her child has hurt her badly.

She has the very special power to make a child's boo-boo feel better,

and to quell a teenager's anxieties and fears.

I gave her the strength to care for her husband, despite faults, and I fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart.

I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly.

For all of this hard work, I also gave her a tear to shed.

It is hers to use whenever needed and it is her only weakness.

When you see her cry, tell her how much you love her, and all she does for everyone, and even though she may still cry, you will have made her heart feel good. She is special!"

Don't forget to give your mom a hug this Sunday. Happy Mother's Day to all you fabulous Mother's!

What is your favorite memory of your Mom?

For more Monday Motivations Click Here.

Photo credits: Google Images

Strawberry Angel Kabobs

Don’t you hate it when you're browsing through Pinterest and you come across something that someone else has pinned that is just like something that you have been making forever and have been saving to post?! That happened recently when I logged on and saw something similar to my Strawberry Angel Kabobs (which I had been saving to post this week.) These are a favorite for Mother's Day Brunch.

This is the perfect dessert for Mother's Day that is low-calorie, (what mom isn't always looking for low-cal?) and easy to assemble (see tips for chocolate striping below). It also has an elegant presentation and tastes delicious! What more can you ask for from a dessert? You could even serve Ice Cream in Chocolate Bowls alongside the skewers. 

If you like brunch that leans towards breakfast foods, try these Personal Frittatas, with  Perfectly Crisp Bacon and Roasted Asparagus on the side. They are always a hit and everyone loves bacon! If your brunch is more of lunch food, here's a new and fun way to serve Caprese Salad. And this Sweet Mango Salsa is delicious served as a salad on a bed of lettuce. And Mom will think you are a gourmet chef when you present her with Chilled Avocado Cucumber Soup. 


So, on to the kabobs...

Ingredients:

Angel Food Cake (check your grocery store bakery for rectangle or square cake-it's easier to cut in squares than round cake)

Fresh Strawberries

Wooden Skewers

Melting Candy - Chocolate & Vanilla

Technique:

Cut angel food cake into squares

Cut tops off strawberries

Slide strawberry onto skewers, followed by cake.

Repeat until skewer is full.

Set skewers close together on a tray.

Squeeze melting candy over skewers, either in stripes back and forth or twisting and circling.

Preparing Melting Candy:

Here's a super easy way to squeeze chocolate or frosting for decorating.

Put chocolate in microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, then stir. Keep heating in 30 second increments, stirring in between each until melted.

Stand sandwich baggie inside of a small glass, spreading it open over the top of the glass.

Scoop up the melted chocolate and put in inside the baggie.

Pick the the baggie, using your hand to slide the chocolate down into the corner.

Cut a TINY bit off the corner of the baggie. I can't stress TINY enough, if you want to decorate in thin strips of chocolate.

Once you have finished decorating your skewers with chocolate melting candy, repeat the process with the vanilla melting candy.

Happy Mother's Day!

What is your favorite Mother's Day dessert? To leave a comment Click Here.

Monday Motivations: How To Choose A New CEO

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different.

He called all the young executives in his company together. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you." The young executives were shocked , but the boss continued, "I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, an the one I choose will be the next CEO.

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost, and he planted the seed. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.

Six months went by--still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however, he just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - he so wanted the seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He tool his empty pot to the board room.

When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful - in all shaped and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him.

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"

All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, the CEO knows I'm a failure. Maybe he will have me fired!" When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed, Jim told him the story.

The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim!" Jim couldn't believe it. He couldn't even grow his seed. "How could he be the next CEO?" the others said.

Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds. They were dead; it was not possible for them to grow.

All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!"

The moral of the story:

Be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you you will reap later.

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.

If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.

If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.

If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment.

If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective.

If you plant hard work, you will reap success.

If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.

For more Monday Motivations Click Here.

Weekly Weigh In: I Already Blew It, So It Doesn't Matter What I Eat!

I read something last week that said "If you're tired of starting over, stop giving up!" Well, isn't that just about the most applicable statement you've ever read when it comes to taking care of your health and/or losing weight?!

Change happens immediately, but sometimes progress is slower than others. It might be due to curve balls thrown at us (beyond our control) that knock us off balance. It might be due to our own wavering commitment. The important thing is that we continue to move in the direction of our goal. 

You've heard "Rome wasn't built in a day", or "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!" "A child learns to walk one step at a time." These statements are applicable when we have made a change and are working towards a goal. While the "change" happens immediately, the results take a little longer to show up.

Let me clarify. You don't "ease into" making a change. It doesn't take a long time to make a change. It sometimes takes a long time "decide" to make a change, or to be ready to make the commitment. You can think about it for a long time, but the moment you make the decision to change, you've made a change. The change in our thought process and our actions happens immediately. The results, however, don't happen immediately.


Just thinking about it and telling yourself that you "should" eat healthier or exercise more isn't making a change. Even telling yourself that you "want to" or "need to" isn't making a change. Saying "I will" and "I am" and then taking the required steps is making a change. Here are some ideas for implementing Healthy Habits.


When you decide you are going to change the way you eat by adding fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein and whole grains to your diet, you do it. When you decide to eliminate processed food or fried food from your diet, you do it. You make the change today and your health begins to improve immediately. But it will take a number of days to see the full affect of this change. Educating yourself on the nutritional value of the food you eat is a "step". Each good food choice you make today is a "bite" of your elephant. Each day that you follow the plan that you have committed to is another "day" towards building your Rome.


So you indulged in the fresh apple fritter your husband brought home from the bakery Saturday morning. Or you went out to eat for date night and ate a little, (okay a LOT) too much. Does that mean that the steps you've taken don't matter and aren't helping you reach your goal? Of course not!

When a child is learning to walk, they take a step and fall down. No one tells them to just stay on the floor because it's hopeless and they will never learn to walk anyway! Instead, everyone claps their hands, congratulates them for the steps they did take and makes all sorts of sounds to positively reinforce the child. We then reach down to give them a hand to hold so they can stand up and try again.

So what do you tell yourself when you splurge on something that doesn't fit into your "healthy food" plan? What do you tell yourself when you finish a big dinner and then dessert on top of it and now feel uncomfortable with a full and bloated stomach? Have you ever said, "I already blew it today, so it doesn't matter what I eat the rest of the day!"? (Come on, be honest.)

That's like saying, "I already dropped my phone, so I'll just stomp on it til it's broken!"  Seriously? Don't be ridiculous, you say? I'll just pick my phone up, dust it off and it will be fine.

If you stepped off the curb and then looked up to see that the light wasn't green for you to cross, would you just keep walking into the middle of the street and say, "Oh, well, I'm already off the curb...so what if I get hit."? 

I love analogies! The same principle applies to your goals. So you stepped off the curb of your healthy eating plan. If you stay there you may get run over, and recovery will be a lot harder. Acknowledge that you chose to do it. Then step right back up. I love My Friend Marie's Attitude about running her own race.


In my last Weekly Weigh In I had stepped off the curb and gained some weight. I didn't even weigh because I knew I was up; I didn't care how much, I just resolved to take care of it. This week I lost whatever I had gained, plus another 2 lbs.


I am committed to eating the whole "elephant". I am building a pretty cool "Rome". I am very aware that I am also dealing with some major curve balls being thrown at me right now. But I am committed to my health! I am committed to me! The change is made. My commitment is strong. Each day is a step towards my desired result! Click here for more Weekly Weigh Ins.


Have you committed to change in your health? Do you know what steps you need to take to achieve your goal? To leave a comment Click Here.

Monday Motivations: Who Makes A Difference?

Do you ever feel that you haven't done anything of importance? Don't have a bunch of awards and achievements to show for your efforts in life? See if the following philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip gives you new perspective.

You don’t have to actually answer the questions. Just read through to the end...you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2 Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.

4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

2 Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

6. Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.

Easier?

The lesson:

The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia." ~Charles Schultz

Who has made a difference in your life that will never be forgotten? To leave a comment Click Here.

The Truth About Sugar In Your Food!!

If someone told me that my food contained 4.2 grams  of sugar, I wouldn't have a clue how much that was. If you told me it had 1 teaspoon of sugar, I would know. But what if you don't cook or bake much and can't reference a teaspoon easily? If I told you it had 1 sugar cube in it...now you have a reference that makes sense, right?


I'm sure you've been told that all the packaged food you eat has sugar in it. But what does that mean? Do you have any idea how much? Do you even want to know? Or is it easier to ignore it and keep wondering why you "can't lose weight"?


So now I will tell you that 4.2 grams of sugar is EQUAL to 1 teaspoon of sugar which is EQUAL to 1 sugar cube.

Okay, so what? Let's put that into perspective...

Ever wonder why you get such a rush when you drink a coke?

 Or a mountain dew...(not to mention the caffeine!) 

Or a few red bulls... 

Well, it should be okay to have a little cup of iced tea 

or lemonade. 

But orange juice is healthy, right? 

And they sure wouldn't overdo something I give to the kids with lunch, right before nap time.... 

How about that mid-afternoon snack?

 

Which one to choose?

 Or that after dinner snack. Hmmm...wonder if that affects how I sleep? (and it's not even ice cream! It's sorbet!)

 Maybe I'll just have a glass of milk and a few cookies.

 But Bill Cosby promoted Jell-0 for kids, it's gotta be okay! 

 Are you making an effort to cut out sugar? Don't forget condiments.

   

Quick trip to the mall - have to grab something on the run? Seriously, 14 sugar cubes in my cinnamon bun?? 

So you were strong enough to walk past Cinnabon; you'll just stop by Starbucks on the way home...

Seriously, would you ever purposefully add 12 sugar cubes to your coffee or 15 to your smoothie? Do you ever feel like it MUST be a good choice just because it's called a smoothie?

Are you kidding? More than 1/2 CUP of sugar in a milkshake!?

Smaller doesn't make it any better.

 I know the cereal is pre-sweetened (then why do so many people sprinkle sugar on top of it?)

I thought Cheerios were okay. Oh, they ARE!! Now that's an acceptable amount of sugar in your cereal.

If you like sweet, and want the energy boost of sugar, there are ways to get it naturally.

This is why I recommend eating fresh fruit first thing in the morning.

The natural sugar provides instant energy.

Pick whatever fruit you like.

Want to give your kids an energy boost in the morning?

Fresh fruit will do it and jump start their metabolism without giving them a sugar crash 2 hours later.

Cut it up on Cheerios...

Or even better, on Not Your Mothers Oatmeal or Gourmet Overnight Oatmeal.

Let them think they are getting a treat for breakfast.

Throw some baby carrots in their lunch...high in fiber, low in sugar, will help keep them level all afternoon.

Fresh corn, cooked when ripe is very sweet on it's own...needs no toppings.

Sure makes you think about what you're eating, doesn't it. Take a look at the label; it will show you (in grams) how much sugar it contains per serving. I now know that my favorite hot fudge contains a little more than 4 sugar cubes (17 grams) per 2 Tablespoon serving...ouch!! I'm not sure I want to know how much is in the ice cream I would put it on and the caramel and whipped topping that go with it. What I do know is that it is more than I want to ingest. I think I'll have a bowl of pineapple instead!!

Is there a food that you will cut back or cut out now that you know how much sugar it contains? You may leave a comment by Clicking Here.