I used to love picnics. My favorite things were deviled eggs and a salad my mother used to make with beets and mayonnaise. I have not done a picnic in ages, but often when we are travelling we will buy deviled eggs from the deli in the supermarket to eat as part of our lunch when we are on the road. Maybe I will try to do one this summer with chicken and deviled eggs and things like marinated mushrooms and artichoke hearts (and olives for my husband). And of course yam cakes.

For dessert now for Thanksgiving and Christmas I make sweet potato pie. It has no added sugar and my husband enjoys it too. I get pleasure from knowing that it's a dessert, but also technically a brown. I'm not sure why that gives me so much pleasure, but it does.

I don't feel any loss over things I don't eat anymore either. And I eat so much more of a variety than I did before the program, so my food world has actually expanded instead of shrinking.
Allison

: memory so powerful ! I remember a lot
: of things with nostalgia ! but not
: loss, not now.

: We've discussed making new traditions
: before. I think that's so
: important. I am proud that the
: sweet potato stuffing has been
: such a part of Christmas for so
: long that my kids view it as
: *their* tradition ......... so
: good!

: I'm laughing because one of my
: traditions is packing lunchbox
: travelling food. Or, picnic food.
: It varies, but always must include
: olives, black and green........
: cold chunks of gluten free
: sausage, and roasted red peppers.
: Just thinking of that is exciting