My son visited our home a little over 2 years ago. So, you can imagine my delight when he announced he would be in the area again and could quite possibly come for supper! My mind started running through the old recipes; a perfect opportunity to bake and enjoy some fun foods and fabulous desserts!

Hold everything, this is still September, right?! Oh well, a little fudging won’t hurt too much. 😉 But I knew I needed to be honest and inform my followers that some sugar slipped into my September Fast! Yes, I had to taste-test before I presented no-bake cookies and chocolate chip pumpkin muffins to the boy (36 years old), just in case I lost my touch and needed to drive over to Stick Boy Bread Co.!

But no worries, the continuation of my fast through the first week of October will persist as planned. At that time, I will end it with a duel birthday celebration: a daughter’s and mine! I plan to bake and enjoy a Black Cake, an annual tradition coming from a recipe handed down from a grandmother. This cake is made with cocoa and the frosting includes cocoa, coffee and peanut butter. And it is an enticing dessert to say the least!

To answer a friend’s inquiry, I’m going to explain in more detail as to how I avoid sugar and dairy for an entire month. I’ll post pictures of some of my favorite items that get me through the month. In addition, I’m explaining why I avoid gluten in my diet as much as possible.

Also, a Google Reminder: Fasting 12 to 13 hours overnight is beneficial for your gut in so many ways:            ~forces your body to tap into stored fat reserves ~which produces weight loss ~gives your digestive system rest allowing your body to efficiently process the nutrients you have consumed throughout the day ~and causes you to sleep better

The benefits to a body fasting 12 to 13 hours a night is huge. Can you imagine sleeping peacefully through the whole night? The reason the first meal of the day is called breakfast, it’s literally breaking the fast.

My first year on the no dairy no sugar fast, I completely stayed away from any sugar. Reading labels on everything. Because sugar is in virtually everything from bread to spaghetti sauce, I was quite limited, but enjoyed baked chicken and seafoods with fruits and vegetables mostly that I had prepared myself. While gluten is a protein and sugars are carbs, eating gluten-free has far less fructose which is what I’m all about these days since my sensitivity was diagnosed earlier this year!

When I can’t turn to sugar or something sweet to fill my craving, I can find one of these foods and/or chips – sliced Pink Lady or Cripps Pink dipped in fresh squeezed lemon juice with salted Virginia peanuts. Coupled with a banana are my yummy walnuts. Hummus and a gluten-free chip save the day so many times! I find that crunching really takes the edge off desiring what I can’t have. Another good chip are gluten-free pretzels that I find at Wal-Mart. Their ingredient list is not healthy or yummy looking, but they have only 1 gram of sugar and no gluten. So, I crunch away, just ask my husband (I think I can be heard through the whole house)! 😉

This year’s fast, I have been using my maple syrup a wee bit in my Double Green Matcha Tea. Just enough to cover the bitter.

I definitely eat more fruits when I can’t have sugar. I focus on a special fruit group until I want something different. Nectarines, mandarin oranges, grapes, cantaloupe, blueberries, strawberries, kiwi and whatever I find in my price range I take home from the grocery store. I enjoy spinach or kale and cabbage salads but find that a bowl of raw cut veggies with some oil and vinegar and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice can be satisfying as well. A favorite is mixing avocados and tomatoes with a splash of fresh squeezed lime juice and chopped cilantro. All have helped curb the cravings for sugar and dairy!

A generation that did not prepare its heart – (Psalm 78:8)

And in their heart, they put God to the test By asking food according to their desire – (Psalm 78:18)

For their heart was not steadfast toward Him – (Psalm 78:37)

Are you faithfully preparing your heart?

So, he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them with his skillful hands – (Psalm 78:72)

So thankful for the steadfast love of the Lord. He remains faithful even when we aren’t!