Oh yeah, I hear you! First off, I completely agree that sugar is insidious and makes you crave more and more. I do keep the maple syrup in the fridge for a quick hit (a spoonful or two) if it's dire, but honestly, the more sugar you can keep out, the better. I liked the stevia brand called Truvia, but alas I'm allergic. However it's a great taste substitute if DH wants to sprinkle sugar on something like grapefruit or berries that might need a bit of sweetener. I'm down to one or less diet sodas per day and trying to be good. There's lots of Perrier in my pantry and lemon wedges on hand to quench my thirst. I'm sure if you cut your carbs your triglycerides will drop dramatically. A couple we know went on Dr. Steven Gundry's diet and changed the way that they eat. He (the husband) had extremely high triglycerides and some gallbladder issues and now he's a convert! The plan is restrictive, but comes with recipes to help you. Frankly I don't know if a foodie like us could adhere to it completely, but if it's for a reduced time, it's not so bad. Finally, I have sworn off of many sweetened jams and jellies. I enjoy the ones that are naturally sweetened and a spoonful of one of those helps to satisfiy my cravings. I especially like Cracker Barrel's apple butter---ordered six jars after tasting it on our trip to PA! Another arrow in my quiver is Barney Butter, a slightly sweetened almond butter that's delish! I buy the jars and the individual packets (online or at Whole Foods) and if I'm really craving sweets, the sweetened fat in a spoonful or packet can help beat the craving. I keep them in my purse, desk and nearby to help stave off the urge! Good luck girlfriend, it's tough! Here is a link that might be useful: Gundry

Sooo....the "Italian Cheese" cake is exactly the same as the fluffy cheesecake with the addition of a pound of ricotta. I often make cheese cake for Easter.....and serve it with a choice of lemon curd and fresh strawberries. The cheesecake I make is a very traditional New York style cheese! Dense, cheesy....delicious! Like you find at high end restaurants.... Secret Lindy's-Style New York Cheesecake Cookie Pastry Crust 1/4 lb. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 1/4 c. sugar 1 egg 1 1/2 c. flour Beat the butter and sugar in a medium mixing bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 mins. Add the egg and flour and mix until a smooth dough is formed. With your hands, shape it into a ball and flatten it into a disc. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it until it's firm. Remove the sides from the springform pan and press one third of the pastry evenly over the bottom. Place on baking sheet and bake in 400F oven for 6 mins. or until golden. Remove from the oven and cool. Increase oven temperature to 500F. Butter the sides of the springform pan and attach it to the bottom. Press the remaining pastry about two thirds up the sides. Filling 5 8-oz. pkgs. cream cheese, room temperature 1 3/4 c. sugar 3 T. flour 2 t. lemon peel 1 1/2 t. orange peel 1/4 t. salt 1/4 t. vanilla 5 eggs plus 2 egg yolks, room temperature 1/4 c. sour cream Beat the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Gradually add the sugar, flour, lemon and orange peel, salt and vanilla, beating constantly. Add eggs and yolks one at a time, beating well after each egg. Scrape the bowl one or two more times. Add in the sour cream; the mixture will be thin. Pour it into the pastry-lined springform pan. Put it together Place the pan on a baking sheet. Bake it in the oven at 500F for 8 mins. or until the top is golden. Reduce the oven temperature to 200F (don't open the oven!) and continue to bake it for 1 hour or until the center jiggles slightly. When finished cooking, shut off the open, prop the door open, and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for about 3 or 4 hrs. Once it's finished cooling, wrap it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it several hours or overnight. Serve it up! Remove the sides of the springform pan. Now you can add whatever glaze, ganache, or other spread you desire over the top of the cheesecake. Keep it refrigerated until serving time!

bobby, now you say that it does look kind of like an itty bitty sausage biscuit! Tami, we could do a bus tour, he just has to get us to one of the suburbs and we could take the train/bus into downtown, but first he has to drive all over Michigan and pick everyone up. Maybe he could charge bus fare and pay for the gas. Yeah.....that could work! Sol, you can come along, any time. I'd love, love, love to meet with you, just think of the he11 we could raise.....um....fun we could have. (heh heh) Peppi, she's adorable, isn't she? And so happy, she was just having a good time, hanging with all three of the Grandmas and eating good stuff. I also see Linda in her, but I see Linda in Erin too, so it's a third generation of Linda. That could be a bit scary, LOL. It really was a nice time, although too short. How can we be retired and still be so darned busy? I thought retirement was supposed to be slower and more relaxing somehow. Annie

For an evidence-based take on this topic, I recommend the podcast below. The researcher shares solid data that shows we are more influenced by our environments than we realize. Lots of good ideas. Personally, I pretty much avoid having anything in my home that I would happily snack on (outside of meals). And I have developed 'avoid' habits around dh's treats that are always in the house like Hagen Daaz dulce de leche ice cream. I cook lots of meals for the kids that I don't even eat (I skip meals a lot - AKA intermittent fasting), so I have cut the association of cooking=eating. I feel like I can give advice because I've managed to stay size 4-6 for five years (for more than a decade before that I was size 12-14). I don't really have time for elaborate diets or exercise regimes so I am really happy that I have found some lifestyle habits that are working for me. Here is a link that might be useful: 'Slim by Design': Lose weight by changing your environment