Day 8: Delicious E2 Dinner Party!

Hey guys! Wow, we've already passed the one week mark! I really thought I'd slip up more, but am pretty darn stoked at my self-control. I guess that's because it really isn't as hard as I thought it would be. Truly. I don't miss salt and sugar as much anymore. That's kinda mind blowing!

Well, breakfast was another delicious bowl of the 365 Bran Flakes with added raisins and sliced almonds and some unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Mmmm!! I also ate a Granny Smith apple on the way to work.

At snack time, I bought some raw nuts off the trail mix bar: hazelnuts, whole almonds, cashews and some dried cranberries. That held me over until lunch...even if I dropped half the container of nuts. Aw Nuts! (Get it? Hehe)

For lunch, I enjoyed my take on a cucumber sandwich (you know the kind you get at baby showers on the tiny pieces of rye bread?) I bought some Roots brand oil-free hummus and doctored it up. We were out of fresh dill, so I added dried dill to the hummus, along with minced fresh garlic and shallots and a hint of cayenne pepper. I smeared it on an E2 sprouted grains tortilla and topped it with cubes of cucumber! I removed the seeds from the cucumber to avoid making the wrap soggy. And I heard the seeds give you gas. Hehe

I started eating the wrap at work when a co-worker (whose name I finally learned today is Chrissy) picked the grilled vegetables out of her sandwich. I asked for them and they added a great touch to the wrap! And I don't like seeing food go to waste so it was a win-win! Check it out!

The wrap kinda broke a little, however, so I'll figure out a way to prevent that from happening in the future. 

For the rest of my work day, I sipped hot green tea with pure ginger and lemon juice. Yum! The hot liquid makes me feel fuller too, which helps me stay strong when I pass the chicken fried tofu on the hot bar.

I snacked on a piece of the Engine 2 Original Flavor Crispbread with a little peanut butter and raisins when I got home. So good! Then I headed out for some fun!

A regular Whole Foods customer of mine, Amanda, has become my friend and she invited me to a dinner party with her friends and family! She was cooking a vegan feast (requested by one of the guests) and thought I'd enjoy the meal since it'd be Engine 2 approved! She knows all about the Engine 2 Diet and had lots of tasty tricks up her sleeve! And WOW! I'm so so glad I went!! We dined on delicious veggie lasagna packed with sweet potato, spinach, garlic, mushrooms, onion, corn, peppers, tofu,  sauce & more and topped with chopped cashews that totally resembled Parmesan cheese! Gosh! It was so so good! No oil or salt added! On the side, we noshed on bread and a fruit-abulous kale salad with pecans, balsamic vinegar, blueberries and strawberries! I gotta get that recipe! 

If that wasn't enough, she brought out the desserts! Chocolate chia seed pudding, vanilla chia seed pudding and E2 truffles! Gosh! So so SO GOOD!

I real was blown away! And will include some recipes, especially for the chia seed pudding!! It was like tapioca!

I had such a wonderful night. It was great being around such warm and kind people and new friends! And to think I met them in my line at Whole Foods!

That's Amanda, the E2 Master Chef, and her darling daughters!

I still haven't made it to the YMCA, but will weigh myself soon. Either way, I'm feeling like some progress is happening. Yay!!

Day 8: I think my waist is a tad slimmer

Today I felt: Amazed at the flavors in the lasagna and desserts, Thankful for the gifted vegetables at lunch and Blessed to be invited to such a fun dinner party!

Thanks for reading!!!