Sugar-Free Week Day 1

I’m sure you’ve all heard about Kayla’s Sugar-Free Week, right? 

(If you haven’t, click here to learn more.)

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To be honest, when I first heard about this sugar-free week thing, I wasn’t going to do it.  Afterall, I had a sweet tooth, I knew it, and was content with it.  Until I researched it more.  Turns out sugar is some pretty bad stuff if you eat too much of it too often.  Long story short, I’m doing 2 sugar-free days instead of an entire sugar-free week.

Why?

Just because I don’t want to do an entire week of sugar-free.  Plus I’m planning on making a really good full-sugar muffin recipe on Friday and I’m not rescheduling it!

Stubborn much?  Tell me something I don’t know.

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Now let’s let the sugar-free food do the talking!

Breakfast:

1/2 cup oats cooked using the Voluminious Oatmeal Trick topped with Artisana macadamia butter, strawberries, kiwi, and cinnamon

Lunch:

Turkey and TJ’s Roasted Garlic Hummus on Bran Bread, a Braeburn apple and a Babybel

 Snack:

Green bell peppers with TJ’s Roasted Garlic Hummus and a Cinnamon Roll Larabar

Dinner:

Veggie Scramble (Egg, carrots, onions, broccoli, spinach, mustard, cheddar cheese, garlic powder and pepper)

Snack:

 

Last slice of Alex’s Grain-free Sugar-free Banana Bread and an Adora Calcium Disk*

*The Adora Calcium disk was the only exception to the “No Sugar” rule.  I need to get my calcium in and it’s a vitamin so I wasn’t about to give it up.  It only has 2 grams of sugar anyways.

Other than that little slip-up I think I did pretty good on my first day of sugar-free eating. 

I didn’t even miss sugar!

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Now let’s move onto the second part of the post. One of my New Year’s Resolutions - setting monthly goals!

February Goals

1. Do at least one fun thing every weekend! Preferably with friends since I’ve been neglecting my 1st New Year’s Resolution.
2. Eat less sugar!  Remember I’m not cutting out sugar!  I refuse to. I am a strong believer in the phrase “everything in moderation” and love my weekend baking extravaganzas.  I just want to stop sweetening things that don’t really have to be sweetened.  (Ex.  I always add ~1 tbsp. sugar to smoothies and greek yogurt even though they’d be sweet enough without  it.)
3. Stop procrastinating!  I’m a terrible procrastinator. I procrastinate with everything: homework, studying, cleaning, working out, etc.  This month I want to start my homework right away, stop dilly-dallying when I clean my room, and get off my butt and outside to run.  (Yep, that’s right! I’ll be able to run in a few days! I’m healed!)

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Questions of the Day:

1. Sweet or savory?
2. Do you set short-term goals for yourself?  If so, what are they?

Have a great week!  I’m hoping to have off the next few days – we’re expecting 6 more inches of snow!

The Best Bran Bread

At first I just made this because I needed a sugar-free bread for Kayla’s Sugar-Free Challenge, but it’s evolved into something SO much more. It’s love! ♥

I know bran gets a bad rap.  I was actually pretty hesitant to make this bread at first because I was afraid the bran would make the bread too bitter.  I was wrong.  You can barely taste the bran at all! 

For all of you bran-haters out there that weren’t immediately converted when you tried my Applesauce Bran Muffins, try this bread.  You will be changed forever.

Slightly adapted from The Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 1 cup +2 tablespoons bran
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1  1/3 cup hot water (105-115ºF)
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 packet active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a medium bread pan with nonstick spray.
2. In a small bowl sprinkle yeast over hot water, stir, and let sit for 10 minutes.
3. While the yeast is being activated, combine all other ingredients in a large bowl. 
4. Once yeast is activated, add to the bowl with the other ingredients and stir until combined. Knead the dough 20 times, form into a ball, and place in the bowl.  Let rise covered for one hour in a warm place.
5. Once the bread is done rising, punch out the excess air, form into a ball, and let rise again for  30 minutes.
6. Once the bread is done rising for the second time punch out excess air, place into the greased bread pan, and bake for 1 hour.  Enjoy!

Yield:  1 loaf (~12 slices)

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Right now you’re probably wondering what’s so special about this bread.   To be honest, nothing, other than the fact that it tastes good and is extremely versatile.  It can be used in either savory or sweet dishes.

For lunch, I had the bread in the form of a sandwich with roast beef, cheese, veggies, and mustard.

Then, for breakfast I had it in sandwich form again, this time with Cacao Bliss and bananas.

Even my Mom and Dad liked it and they “hate” bran!

So if this doesn’t convert you bran-haters, I don’t know what will.

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Questions of the Day:

1. Do you like bran?
2. What’s your favorite type of sandwich bread?  I like Whole Wheat, Rye, and Bran