Things are looking up around here!
After a night of R&R, Ben and I both finally felt well enough to run errands this afternoon, including a stop at Jimmy John’s for vegetarian subs for lunch. Neither of us are vegetarians, but both agree that JJ’s v-sub is the best thing on the menu. It’s the garlicky avocado spread, me thinks. 
A Costco run was next so Ben could pick up The Help (my copy was a Kindle loan from the library, and he refuses to use a Kindle anyway…) and we could get some dessert. 
A mini sample of Krusteaz’s Salted Caramel Chocolate Cookie Supreme did the trick. Seeeriously, one of the best cookies EVER!!
Ben took a turn for the worse after a hefty kielbasa sample (The Code bit him in the butt,) so I dropped him off at home and went to the gym to crank out this 42 minute, 4.6 mile treadmill routine while watching the Travel Channel’s Top 10 Caribbean Beaches countdown. By the end I was tired, sweaty, and more than ready to move to White Bay Beach!
| Time | Speed |
| 0-1 | 4.0 |
| 1-6 | 6.5 |
| 6-11 | 7.0 |
| 11-16 | 7.5 |
| 16-21 | 6.5 |
| 21-26 | 7.0 |
| 26-31 | 7.5 |
| 31-41 | 6.0 |
| 41-42 | 4.0 |
| Total: | 4.6 Miles |
After a quick change, I got to workin’ on dinner – Chicken Pot Pie Soup.
I knew I wanted to make soup tonight, because a weekend without a batch of soup feels somehow incomplete these days, but also wanted something semi light after a good run. This skinny Chicken Pot Pie Soup recipe was just the ticket.
Thick and totally decadent-tasting, without weighing me down.
Start the soup by slowly bringing milk and water up to a boil in a large soup pot, stirring pretty much the entire time. Make sure it’s slow and low heat, otherwise the milk will scald on the bottom of the pot.
Once boiling, add in celery, red onion, and frozen mixed veggies.
Add a few pinches of black pepper and thyme,
and a couple chicken bullion cubes, then simmer ’til the veggies are soft.
Next add in small diced potatoes,
poached-then-chopped chicken breast, and a quick slurry of water and flour to make the soup uber creamy.
Then watch it go from liquid to luxurious before your eyes. Mmm!
This soup tastes exactly like chicken pot pie filling, but has a fraction of the fat and calories.
Ben said things I cannot even repeat about it!
Since we ditched the calorie-laden pie crust that usually tops a chicken pot pie, I made us Parmesan Garlic Bread for the side. That’s just a piece of bread spread with a little Earth Balance, dusted with parmesan cheese, then broiled ’til golden brown.
Oh-so satisfying! 
In other news…
I’ve decided to get rid of excess sugar in my diet during the week. My sugar consumption is borderline ridiculous, and it’s really just time to get real and stop the madness.
I’m not going completely sugarless – I’ll still eat my Chobani, which has added sugar, and fruit for instance – but from Monday to Friday I’m going to do my gosh darn best to say no to baked goods, CANDY, and the like, saving treats for Saturday and Sunday instead.
Why the change? Well for one, it’s just not healthy. Also, I’m at an age where I can definitely tell things are not bouncing back quite like they did when I was in my lower 20s. Finally, I’m mindful to not eat a lot of pre-packaged, over-processed foods in my everyday life, so why shouldn’t that include the sweet stuff?
The trial run is from tomorrow (I was supposed to start today, but popped that damn cookie at Costco before I even realized what I was doing…oh well, worth it,) until Valentine’s Day – one month.
I’m calling it Sugar Free Jebruary, because half the time will be in January, and the other half in February. Get it?
…crickets…
Anyways, I’ve stocked up on healthy options for when my sweet tooth starts screaming, including:
- Apples
- Oranges
- Bananas
- Frozen bananas –> for banana ice cream
- Green Monster Spinach Smoothie ingredients
- Flavored Tea
- Carrots (these actually do taste sweet to me)
- Pomegranate seeds
I’ll still use powdered stevia from Trader Joe’s in my morning coffee, along with skim milk, but other than that it’s time to practice a little self control. I’ll keep you posted on my progress, and please join me if you’d like!
With that, I’m off to not eat graham crackers during The Bachelor.
Toodles!
~~~~~
Do you feel you eat too much sugar? Have you ever tried to cut back? How did it go?
Good luck with the cutting back on sugar! For me, like previous commenters, it’s a gradual thing. I have found that if I start the day with anything sweet it’s harder to stay on course through the day. Right now I’m nothing sweet before 5pm & I am feeling much better for it. I still crave dessert after my dinner pretty much everyday, but I also find I enjoy it that much more too.
Good luck on the challenge! I feel that I do pretty well on my sugar intake although being 24/25 weeks pregnant has definitely increased cravings for sweet treats, especially chocolate ice cream. I think I had ice cream Friday – Sunday last week. Sigh. Overall I am trying to balance it out and make nutritious choices but also not obsess about when I do enjoy some sugary goodness (due to my ED history).
Your soup looks awesome!
the no sugar jebruary is amazing idea!! im going to do it too! i have such a bad sweet tooth!! keep doing more posts on it and how to calm our sweet tooth with other things! thanks!
I know I eat way too much sugar – it’s bad!
Chicken pot pie is one of my favorite things. This soup looks absolutely delicious! I am totally making this.
Every year for Lent I give something up that I really, really love. Usually it’s something that is not the greatest for me. Doing this I was able to kick my soda habit about 4 years ago. Haven’t had a sip since. Each year since then I have given up candy and sweets. I am too much of a Willy Wonka groupie to ever give it up entirely, but those 47 days and nights are a good purge every year. (Technical Lent rules allow you to indulge on Sundays, however, once I start, stopping is too hard, so I trudge right through the freebie days.) Good luck! The first few days your body craves it but after that, you are good to go!
Jebruary, bahaha! You are hilarious. Good luck cutting out the sugar!
Good for you for cutting back on sugar! I know it’s tough, but it’s definitely worth it for your health. A couple years ago, I cut back on sugar and found that it gets so much easier after just a week or two. The beauty of it is that, when you do eat something sugary again, it will taste SO sweet and you’ll be satisfied with just a little portion. It’s like a reboot for your tastebuds. You might consider taking it easy on the weekends as well because sugar is one of those tricky foods that you can get re-addicted to SO quickly. Even a couple days of being “on” sugar can set your progress back quite a bit. It’s up to you, of course, but just wanted to share my two cents. After changing my diet a couple years ago, I got really passionate about helping people eat healthier so if you ever want to chat about it, just hit me up!
Oooh good luck! I’ve tried to cut out sugar before, with modest success. It’s still something I worry about, but I try to balance out my sweet tooth by eating a lot more healthy items and having fruit, etc on hand for when those after-dinner snack urges hit.
Good luck cutting out sugar!
I am not good with moderation, so if I decide I need to cut back on something it means I need to cut it out completely. I usually set myself up with clear rules. When I need to clean up my eating habits (like, post-holidays for example) I do better to focus on eating vegetables and fruit instead of NOT eating something like desserts. So I make a rule that I have to have at least one vegetable or fruit in every meal, and that I have to eat fruit every day. (I don’t like fruit, so this can be tough for me.) It also gets me shopping for vegetables that I don’t usually buy, so it gets me out of the shopping/menu rut.
I am a sugar freak as well. I could leave cake, but eat an entire batch of frosting. I have been nursing my baby for 8 months and used that as an excuse to eat anything I wanted, including a third of a package of Oreos in a day.
I also bake as a hobby, so there is always something sweet in the house. Starting Jan 1 I started tracking calories/nutritional info via myfitnesspal app. I would be over my daily sugar by breakfast! Now I cut back the sugar I put in my coffee (do use real, raw sugar as opposed to a sugar alternative), started eating steel cut oats instead of pre-packaged Oat Fit, and watch my sugar throughout the day. Mostly now my sugar intake is natural sugar in fruits (the way I make my Green Monster has 24g sugar just from fruit and peanut butter).
The vegetarian subs at Jimmy John’s are my absolute fave also!
I will be cutting out sugar as well! Thanks for the motivation. It feels good to have someone pulling with me! I hope it will help my training and benefit my health.
I tried kicking diet coke out of my diet once but that only lasted a week or two before I gave in again. At least now I only have one in the late afternoon and the rest of the day stick to water. I could use cutting more sugar out of my diet as well though. I too have a monster sweet tooth!
Right now what I’m into when I get a craving is dunking honeycrisp apples into warmed up sugar free caramel topping. Best combo EVER!
Go girl on the sugar! The first few days are the hardest, but it gets much easier after that…and you feel way better! I’m going sugar free for 6 months and am about 3 (or 4? I forget) weeks in. The 6 months end on June 26th. I have so much more energy and I don’t miss it at all like I thought I would (except for the first week…that was awful). Good luck!
Is it weird that I’m a guy and read your blog?! I never see any guys post comments on your stuff so maybe I’m just a little weird haha! My wife actually got me started on this after she showed me a blog with some delicious looking baked stuff on it! From there I was addicted!
Anyways, I just wanted to say I have given up excess sugars as well, basically in the same way you have/are. No candy, cookies, brownies, blondies, cakes, pies, cupcakes, truffles etc. etc. I’m going on my second week and have to say the longer I go the easier it gets! I still have major cravings, especially when I read your blog, other blogs about baking, and go on pinterest, but I’ve learned to control myself and only eat sweets on Wednesday evenings. This week I’m baking cookies, eating a few, and bringing the rest to work for others to enjoy!
Good luck!
I love that Jimmy John’s veggie sub the best too…Mmmm…minus mayo, add oil&vinegar and oregano!
It’s so nice to read about someone else cutting back on sugar too! I actually started last week on Monday. Mine will last longer though as I am in the process of losing weight. I substitute a little honey now instead. I haven’t had any dessert (excluding a cup of homemade hot chocolate last night) for the past 1 1/2 weeks. It’s not as hard as I thought it would be!
I have the same goal actually-my sugar intake, especially over the holidays, was redic and I’m having a harder than usual time getting back to my “normal” body weight. It’s so hard though, especially in those after dinner hours. I would love to hear more as you go along of what you are subbing out when the sugar craving strikes and how it’s working out. Good luck!
I’m all in for sugar-free Jebruary. Thanks for the motivation!
I’m vegetarian and most of meals are pretty healthy–but I can’t help the sugar. It’s my next goal too–nothing crazy, just to cut back. I do think it helps when I make things from scratch. 1) so I can see how much sugar is ACTUALLY in my food and 2) so I can reduce it when possible.
Good luck!
I can definitely relate. I stay away from fried, processed, prepackaged food but I have a HUGE sweet tooth. We have frozen yogurt places around us (Orange Leaf and the Groovy Spoon) but you still end up consuming too much sugar. If only I could cut out ice cream, chocolate and lattes!
I’m going to try this with you. You’ve definitely helped motivate me.
I keep saying, I’ll start tomorrow, no tomorrow… well – tomorrow starts today. It’s only noon but no chocolate cravings yet
Here’s to staying strong and slowly weeding away from sugar!!
This sounds like a great idea, good for you! Another sweet treat idea is to poke green or red grapes with skewers (8-10 grapes per skewer), freeze, and then enjoy. So good, kind of like a little popsicle bite!
I’m jumping on board! Starting right now. Because my sugar addiction is seriously out of control. So for the rest of this week it’s limited to my coffee and fruit. This could be rough…
I’m pretty new to your blog but have already tried several of your recipes and can’t wait to try this one! So excited you’re cutting excess sugars as that is my plan for Lent this year. I’m already bracing for it – it will be great to have someone else lead the charge and report back. Keep up the great work!
I have an extreme weakness for all-things chocolate. However, I’ve found that when I deprive myself and tell myself absolutely no chocolate that’s all my brain thinks about. So instead, I allow myself 1-2 squares (I like Bliss) of dark chocolate a day. Dark chocolate is actually really good for you in moderation because of the antioxidants it contains, and it isn’t very sweet so you don’t feel tempted to eat one piece after another.
Are graham crackers sugar free?
No, which is sad because I love them so
OMG I love Jimmy Johns..and SO miss it! We moved to CA 4 years ago, from WDM, where we lived for 15 years. Love your blog and your recipes!
Yum! This soup looks delicious! It reminds me of my favorite thing to order at Zoup!
That soup looks delicious, especially for a cold day! I like that your version is healthier.
I was going to suggest pomegranates. I have a sweet tooth too, and love a bit of crunch. They hit the spot for me. In fact, I’m eating them right now, and did a hot pink illustration of them on my blog yesterday. Obsessed!
Good luck on the non sugar Jebruary!
Hello! I am a fellow girl from Iowa who has wound up in the TC area (and stayed). Just recently found your blog via Pinterest and think you do a great job. Love the healthy recipe ideas and all the extra tidbits you add in. I tried the gnochi last night and it was a hit! Going to try the green smoothie and soup this week too! Thanks for sharing!
That soup looks ridiculously delic! Toasty garlic-parm toast has been incorporated into many of my dinners lately- so simple and so satisfying
As you’re going sugar free in the next month or so, i’m attempting to go dairy and meat free. Keep us posted on your progress for needed motivation
That soup looks so simple and tasty too!
Such a great idea to cut out sugar during the week! I have been very concerned about my crazy sugar consumption too. I LOVE chocolate and could not stand the idea of just going cold turkey- what a great compromise. I will start tomorrow. Excited to see how we do!
Thanks for the inspiration,
Karen
JJ’s veggie sandwich rocks. I get it every time!
I was just thinking about cutting out sugar last night as I was munching on my second leftover Christmas cookie! I don’t eat foods with added sugar, but I sure do like my sweets! Count me in!!
PS – JJ’s veggie sammies are scrumptious!!
I’m grateful to not have a sweet tooth, so excess sugar is no probs for me. However, excess chips and salsa? There’s my Achilles heel!
I detox every February. I don’t cut out dark chocolate (2 squares a day), beer (in moderation), or yogurt (2 or 3 a week), but I do cut out candy, baked goods, and all refined carbs. It makes a tremendous difference in my mood and athletic performance and I feel a heck of a lot better for it.
earth balance is almost all soy beans. tons of ingredients. still quite a few calories per tablespoon. why not just use real butter (one ingredient) in moderation?
It’s a personal preference!
I actually signed up for WeightWatchers because I wanted to cut out sugar. That sounds weird. But my boyfriend actually NEEDS to lose weight and he’s doing it. Another person doing it with him will help. AND fruit is FREE points. I refuse to eat things with fake sugar in them (or low-fat, reduced fat, fat-free and other super fake-y stuff), so I thought it would be helpful to go on WW and stick to my points by eating a ton of fruit instead of the crap I usually eat.
I’ve still been eating a bit of sugar every day, but decided it’s not worth the points (I figured weening myself off would be better than cold turkey because it’s super easy for me to go into binge mode). I’ve been having some dark chocolate chips (1 tbsp) with an apple and peanut butter for dessert after dinner OR a cup of free trade spicy hot cocoa with 10 mini marshmallows. Still by far limiting my intake, but allowing a bit of leeway.
Just found this on Pinterest and thought I’d pass it along… http://www.sarahwilson.com.au/2011/09/so-ive-written-a-i-quit-sugar-ebook/
i was just about to post a link to this!! i followed this sugar detox & completely cut sugar out for 8 weeks, fruit included. i know fruit is good for you, in small amounts, but at the end of the day it does contain a lot of fructose. now that i have completely kicked the sugar addiction, i can easily have a little bit of fruit.. or a lil bit of honey to sweeten baked goods but it ends there! reading up on sugar (fructose) addiction is a scary thing, it does soo much damage. so glad i am no longer addicted!
I think they way you are doing it is great…trying to cut a little out each day never works. Better to be a little black and white. Yet giving yourself some leeway on the weekends is good too.
[...] I put away the groceries, I began making a soup that I saw over on Iowa Girl Eat’s blog. Chicken Pot Pie soup sounded delicious and I knew Andy would like it since he loves chicken pot pie! I always find the [...]
I made the chicken pot pie soup on Thursday evening. I had gotten some scary news about a family member and a snow storm was heading our way as the temperatures dropped. My husband was out on a call for work, so I needed something to do to keep me occupied. Plus it felt like I was making some “comfort” food! HA! So anyway, I have to say I was impressed with the soup. I’ll try a few things different next time. I used corn starch instead of flour and it didn’t come out as creamy as what I think it should have. I didn’t have the “classic” veggies so I had to use a hodgepodge of what I had (it still worked though). Last I didn’t have any chicken bouillons, so I used just regular chicken broth with a little beef (I ran out of chicken..eek!). It seemed to be lacking a little bit of flavor. Adding salt and pepper helped, but I was hoping it had more flavor as I’m a person who doesn’t necessary like to add “extras”. I like to enjoy my food for what it is. I can’t wait to make it again.
Oh, and Kristin, I love the pictures that you take. When people ask for the recipe, I’d much rather give them your site because of them. But, the amounts are not included on your post! =( Maybe I’ll give them both so they can see what it looks like!
Thank you so much for this post! Knowing that someone else also wants to, and is, quitting sugar for “Jebruary” is inspiring and motivating. I’m taking a trip to LA mid Febraury so this plan is perfect for me too! Thanks!
[...] now that I’ve given up sugary treats during the week, he’s had to think outside the box a little in terms of surprise options. So what did my [...]
Ok so no chocolate pudding???? I’m goimgbto do this also during lent. Please explain . No cookies, candy, cake etc??? Thanks!!!!
[...] I kind of thought today would never come. Maybe it was the fact that week 2 of Sugar-Free Jebruary was a complete and total bee-yotch, that made me feel as though the days were crawling by at a [...]
So like you, my sugar consumption is off the charts! (Working at a coffeehouse loaded with delicious treats makes it difficult to avoid) I challenged myself to 48 hours with no sugar last week. I made it but now I have to go back to work. I’m going to try it for a week. Thanks for the encouragement and challenge.