A Little of This and That

I've been sugar free for 2 weeks and 4 days now.  It's still going well.  For the first time in my 30-ahem years, I am learning to see food as nourishment instead of as reward, medication for boredom or to satisfy my insatiable need for sweets.  I might actually possess this thing called self-control which alluded me for so long.  I do miss chocolate.  A lot.  I wouldn't say I crave it, I just miss it.  Like I would an old friend I haven't seen in a long time.  That's kind of sad, isn't it?

I have no doubt that I will make it to Easter.  The big question will be, "What then?"  I am planning on partaking of sugar on Easter.  After that?  Do I save it for special occasions?  Can I do that?  Or, do I need to cut it back out and plan on living the rest of my life this way?  I could.  I really think I could.  It would certainly be a whole lot better for me.  I'd like to think that I'd be able to save sweets for special occasions only.  Maybe I can.  I guess I will just have to try it and see.  Can you tell I'm a bit undecided here?

Last week, I consolidated freezers.  A couple days later, I ransacked our pantry, organized the empty jars, made the full jars more visible and pitched the jars that have been there more than two years or had unsealed by accident.  No matter how good my intentions were to use up that Victorian Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce I made two years ago, it just did not happen.  That stuff was no good.  Not two years ago and most certainly not now.  Here is what the re-organized pantry looks like now.

Did you know I love ice cube trays even though I don't like ice in my water (that's all I drink)?  I do.  They're great.  They have so many more uses than to make ice cubes.  You know I use them for homemade baby food.  In addition, I freeze yogurt starter, pesto and those extra few tablespoons in the little can of tomato paste that would otherwise spoil in the fridge.

Clockwise from top: tomato paste, baby food (peas, brown rice and sweet potato), baby food (peaches and rice cereal), baby food (butternut squash, chicken and apples), baby food (carrots and potatoes), pesto, plain yogurt starter

These Sour Cream Pancakes were DIVINE.  I used Deb's recipe from Smitten Kitchen who got the recipe from Ree (The Pioneer Woman) who got the recipe from her husband's grandma.  I wished I would have thinned the batter out a bit with milk- mine was very thick.  If I had, I would've had a lot more pancakes.   A lot of these pancakes is a very good thing.

I made baked onions last week (recipe inspired, once again, by Cooking Light).  It was a first and they were excellent.  You leave the bottom intact, chop off the top 1/3 of the onion, peel it and set them in a baking dish with 1 cup of vegetable stock.  Bake and 400 degrees, covered for about an hour.  Uncover them, turn them over and top them with a feta/breadcrumb/dried thyme mixture and pop them back in the oven (uncovered) for another 15 minutes or so, watching to make sure they don't brown too much.  These were sweet and savory.  Who would have thought- baked onions?

One more thing I will mention.  This whole no-sugar thing (which you all may be completely tired of hearing about, I recognize) has inspired me to tackle something else I want to change.  For the remainder of Lent (and possibly forever) I am fasting from my computer on Sundays.  No email, no blogging, no Facebook until the kids are in bed.  I've found that it helps me set Sunday apart from the rest of the week in a way I had trouble doing in the past.  I've written before about my desire to do this here.

Taking charge of one area in my life has lead to courage to make other changes.  Look out, life.  Prepare to be shaken up a bit.  I'm feeling empowered.