What's Up Food Challenge Participants?

Paleo is working for me. Lost 5 pounds the first week. Not so much this week...but am feeling stronger and not so tired mid-day. Have tried lots of new recipes. My favorite so far has been the spaghetti squash...but have many more to try out! I can see this easily being my new way of life not "a diet"! Actually went out to eat with co-workers today for Mexican food...was not tempted by chips or tortillas or heavy sauces. Had fajita chicken ceasar salad without the taco shell bowl or the ceasar dressing...substituted salsa for dressing. It was very satisfying...actually brought some home for dinner!

Ditto on Paleo. I'm loving it! I do want to share my personal earth-shattering moment last Friday. I poured myself a nice big glass of Diet Coke with ice, took one sip and went "BLEH!" and had to throw it out. It tasted absolutely gross. And to think I practically drank that with every meal before I started this Food Challenge bizniz. I like eating clean now. It just makes me feel good!

I'm with you all. When I eat junk now, I feel gross almost immediately! I just made the BEST cookies (if you like Snickerdoodles)...try this one out: Base Ingredients: • 1 ½ cups golden flaxseed • 1/2 cup almond flour • ¼ cup of Hazlenut flour • 1/2 cup oat flour • 1 cup (1/2 lb.) unsalted butter • 1 3/4 cups Splenda • 2 eggs • 2 tsp cream of tartar • 1 tsp cinnamon • 1 tsp baking soda • 1/4 tsp salt • 1 tsp cinnamon Topping Mixture Ingredients: • 1/4 cup Splenda • 1 Tbs cinnamon Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift together the flours, cream of tartar, baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon and salt. Set aside. With a hand held mixer or the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter and Splenda for 3 minutes. The color should lighten noticeably. Add the eggs one at a time and blend one minute after each is added. Stop and scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl at any time during this process when necessary to mix thoroughly. Blend in the flour mixture in 3 parts, mixing at least 20 seconds after each addition. For the topping: Mix together the 1/4 cup Splenda and 1 Tbs cinnamon in a small bowl. Using a fork or a wire whisk, blend well to evenly combine the two. Roll the cookie dough into walnut size balls and drop into the topping mixture roll to coat the cookie and place at least one inch apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Makes 30 cookies. Approx. 1.5 carbs per cookie.

Keep the recipes coming!! I'm addicted to Michele's almond muffins. They are sooo good!!! I can't wait to try making them and those cookies when I go home this weekend!!

At first, dropping breads/tortillas was challenging. I didn't realize how many snacks/lunches I put between "whole wheat" bread and tortillas. It's getting easier and more interesting. Josh can't wait to see what we're eating each day, becuase almost everything becomes "hunter's salad" around here. I hunt around in the fridge and throw colors together w/the meat from dinner the night before. Another new discovery. We have always liked spinach, but recently I purchased locally grown spinach (Poteet, Texas) from Central Market, this is by far the best spinach I have eaten in my life. It doesn't disappear when you cook it. It has so much texture and flavor, and bright green! On another note, I am in agreement, that foods I have eaten in the past are not as appealing or becoming easier to turn down...but am I the only one that feels my hormones driving me to want (or give in) to carbs/sugar certain days of the month? (sorry guys) but I just wonder if I am the only one.

What is the name of these cookies?? I must say that watching how much sugar goes into my mouth has seemed to make me want it more. We had a big lunchen today at work and I did have a piece of mississippi mud cake and even though it was great I am with you Tina, it does not take much to make my tummy not feel so great! Why don't they sell 2 or 3 bites of something sweet not the biggest TEXAS size piece you can cut?? Athena I am SO proud of you!!! Terra you are not alone SUGAR,SUGAR!!!! (Make Clayton's goodies and it fills that need)

Terra, I agree with Melisa. I keep a batch of the paleo candy that Clayton made in the freezer. If I feel the need for chocolate...I have on piece and it usually satisfies my sweet tooth. I have made it with regular cocoa and dark chocolate cocoa for variety. I have also added a little cinnamon to the recipe. They are way easy to make...takes about 15 minutes max!

Great ideas guys! I totally need to make some of that paleo candy, yum! Thanks for the samples at the Christmas party, Clayton. I think you have us all hooked...what are you a dealer or something? Terra, I don't think it has to be any particular time of the month, sometime I just have the need for sweets! I have found some good substitutes though. These cookies are doing it for me right now. They are called Snickerdoodles, Melisa, and they are normally some of my favorites. I am SO GLAD they turned out so good with the nut flours. I ordered some new almond flour that I am hoping will be ground more fine, like regular flour, but it has not come in yet. Even with the coarser stuff, these cookies turned out great. You do have to follow the recipe and beat them for a while to keep the mixture fluffy, but it still was not that hard and it was totally worth it! They are nice and crispy on the outside and kind of airy on the inside, yum!

I'm happy to report that the muffins were a success!! Cookies tomorrow!

The first week on Paleo was killer. But I stuck with it and by the second week I was feeling better and my clothes were fitting looser. I've lost almost four pounds. I backslid a bit this past week, but am back on track and focused.

crunchy meal 2nite. grilled buffalo burgers(no bun), grilled peppers, mashed cauliflower, guacamole deviled eggs.

That sounds like a great meal! I loved mashed cauliflower! Are the guacamole deviled eggs all one thing? If so, do tell...sounds interesting!

Yes Tina the avocado deviled eggs are all one thing. It was avocado, egg yoke, hot sauce, I believe something else but I can remember it is on marksdailyapple. You have to eat the fast avocado does not stay pretty long. PS Make the cookies and they are GREAT!!! Next time I will grind the fax seed. I did not find it ground so I used it whole :) Sometimes I am so funny!

Sorry Flaxseed