Still rising

Made a second batch of granola today -- 1 cup instead of 1.5 cups of mixed sweeteners, axed the dried apple, doubled up on the vanilla, cinnamon and cardamon. Came out pretty good, better sweetness level, though a slight bit more spicy in a non-heat kind of way.

The HVS said fruit smoothies would not apply to this challenge, but in the morning I had not gone shopping yet and upon thinking about it, it seemed like the next best thing to NOT eating a fruit smoothie, he he. The actual smoothie is not a "fruit flavored" concoction, it's about 75% whole, raw fruit. Sure it's blended, it's a legitimate processing that even raw-food places use. Applying mechanical processing to a food does a lot less damage to the nutritional value than applying heat or chemical process. No fats were used in processing, and the 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar were more for balancing than for sweetening or hiding off flavors. So there!

BREAKFAST: 8:45am, smoothie, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Banana, frozen cherries, frozen blueberries, frozen mango, freshly ground flax seed, milk, good yogurt, dash of salt and sugar. Tasted good, but a little flat. Maybe a hint of cinnamon or cayenne would give a nice tickle to the nose?

LUNCH: 12:30pm, bucatini with homemade tomato sauce and sauteed spinach, pint of apple cider, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
In honor of the challenge, I quickly sauteed the frozen spinach in olive oil, not a slathering of chicken fat, though I was tempted. Measured out one cup. Sauteed with one clove of crushed garlic and a dash of salt, was a nice earthy match to the deep tomato sauce.

PM SNACK: 2pm, oatmeal chocochip cookie

DINNER: 7pm, garlic & herb pork sausage, roasted broccoli, roasted potatoes, a single Reese's peanut butter cup, water, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
I think roasting was a no-no in the challenge, but all roasting is not equal. The Long Island fingerlings had to be baked for a full hour (and potatoes are low on the nutritional scale), but my broccoli got hit for just 10 minutes, came out nice n' crisp n' bright green, not overcooked. A dash of olive oil, a little salt & pepper, some toasted panko breadcrumbs, a little fresh garlic, and finished with a dusting of Parmesan. It was pretty kick ass n' healthy, if not 100% challenge-proof. But hark, I got some string beans looking to get totally steamed soon....