Thanks to all the folks that weighed their thoughts in on my recent I-don’t-want-to-die-from-artificial-sweeteners dilemma. I was using about half a dozen packets a day of the stuff, sometimes more. Multiply that times the countless years I’ve been using it, and add that number to the preceding countless packets of Sweet n’ Low I’d consumed for decades before that. That’s a lot of artificial nonsense if you ask me.
After doing a ton of Googling scientific research….artificial sweeteners VS. real sugar, and refined sugar VS. unrefined sugar, I decided to hit the shopping isles of my two favorite markets, Whole Foods and Sprouts, and check out some of these products for myself. And as it turns out, the sweetener choices out there on the market can be a bit overwhelming, with each label claiming to be better than the next. After contemplating over each of the different varieties, I honed in on natural, unrefined, cane sugar.
(And as the words cane sugar ran through my brain, I couldn’t help but think back to this, one of my favorite commercials as a kid):
(The part at the end with the little boy hunkering down onto that huge raw sugar cane gets me every time. And don’t even get me started on that addictively catchy jingle. Adam and I have been humming it all morning long since watching that clip. You’re welcome.)
So after all that contemplating and vintage commercial time traveling, I settled on this, Natural Demerara Unrefined Cane Sugar…
So far I’ve tested it out in my hot tea, oatmeal, even my water & apple cider vinegar drink, and they’ve each passed the taste test. And the last one’s especially crucial, cause that ACV has a serious sting in the back of the throat sensation and doesn’t always go down smooth. But I will say it is doable and has a pleasant taste. Another thing I should point out, the granules don't dissolve easily in cold beverages so I just stir often in between sips.
Onto other news, last week my friend Laurie asked me to photograph her friend Rebecca’s kitchen, which was recently remodeled. Here’s how Rebecca’s kitchen looked when they first moved in, circa 1967…
And here’s how it looks today…
There’s actually over a dozen photos that I took in total, this is just a little sampling here in this post. To see the rest of the photos of Rebecca’s gorgeous renovated kitchen, along with sources, costs and the kitchen floor plan, please visit Laurie's blog for all the deets!
Happy Memorial Day my friends : )
That's quite a transformation!
ReplyDeleteBrenda
Omg, the little boy in that commercial is so adorable... i want to take a bite of pure cane sugar now! They make it look so good!
ReplyDeleteAmazing kitchen redo, Wow... and the photos with the green hydrangeas are so striking.
Cindy
Sugar is best!! Aspartame is poison, it is even in kiddies drinks and fizzy drinks. I drink Coca cola because it has sugar in it and not artificial sweeteners.
ReplyDeleteAs for the kitchen make over -- WOW! Lovely transformation!
I am pleased with your choice. My favorite sweetener is C & H organic sugar. I forgot to tell you that there is a great article about sweeteners in a past Mary Jane's Farm magazine. It is written by a woman whom has some sort of degree in the studies of sugars and artificial sweeteners. She says natural sweetener is best in moderation...honey or organic sugars.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous kitchen. I will visit her blog. Great photos.
ReplyDelete- Joy
Wow, the kitchen transformation was well worth the wait:)
ReplyDeleteHi Jennifer! Oh, my goodness - what a transformation. Her kitchen turned out to be gorgeous! Hard to imagine it's the same one. Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeletebe a sweetie,
shelia ;)
Oh look at all the wonderful copper pans in the picture of her old kitchen! I bet that is Paul Revere 1776/1976 set! I wish I had the whole set!
ReplyDeleteHer new kitchen is so nice!I bet it is a dream to cook in!
Gorgeous! Love the colors and the counter tops. Just lovely!
ReplyDeleteSo gorgeous and stunning.
ReplyDeletejust a tip...in the old southern tradition, make a "simple syrup" with the sugar. it can be stored in the fridge and then used in cold drinks. they do this down in the south for sweet tea. just put any amount of the sugar with the same amount of water (say 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water) and bring to a simmer on the stove till it all dissolves. pour into a small pitcher and voila! store in fridge to add to cold drinks. you are welcome! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great info on sugar, Jennifer. It really gives us all something to think about and consider....And WOW on that gorgeous kitchen! What a huge difference! :) Definitely magazine worthy....
ReplyDeletexoxo laurie
Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteI opt for NO sugar. If absolutely needed, I prefer real to substitutes. Have also used REAL maple syrup or honey to sweeten.
I admire you researching all your options.
Your photos of the recently remodeled kitchen are beautiful.
Your Friend,
Deborah
Just wanted to add my results on research of sugar my need to find a balance the artifical ones were killing my joints etc. I found Stevia which is a natural plant native to South America from Stevia they developed Truvia Natures calorie free sweetener available in markets it had been fab for me not only did I lose weight, my joints stopped hurting and I feel great check it out www.truvia.com Your kithen is fab!
ReplyDeleteLol. I haven't even watched the commercial and I am singing the song.
ReplyDeleteMy elementary teacher was from Hawaii. She taught us this song both in English and Hawaiian.
"Pearly shells, pearly shells
From the ocean, from the ocean.
Lying in the sun, lying in the sun.
Covering the shores, covering the shores.
When I see them, when I see them;
My heart tells me that I love you.
More than all, those little pearly shells."
That was a long time ago. I hope I remember the words correctly. :)
Oh, I found a link:
http://www.metrolyrics.com/pearly-shells-lyrics-hank-snow.html
Fabulous kitchen!!!!!
Thanks for the memories.
Holy moley! That is a transformation!!! YES! It is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI need to give that sugar a try - thanks for the review!
Have a pretty day!
Kristin
Hi, Jennifer! It's been awhile, but I wanted to check in and say, "Hey!" Thanks for the SWEET info. Now I'm singing the C & H pure cane sugar song! Hope to hook up soon.
ReplyDeleteJust Breathtaking.. Talk about Inspiration..
ReplyDeleteLOVE THE turn around.. Black looks amzing and love the countertops too
Thanks for Sharing
Karryann
I will not use artificial sweeteners. I've tried and tried to get my mom off them, but she refuses. It doesn't help that her neighbor is an executive at Splenda and brings home the batches that go through quality control and gives half of it to her. When they pull a batch for quality control, the entire batch (hundreds of packets or a case of boxes) can't be sold. They have to either throw them out or give them to the employees. Ack.
ReplyDeleteOnto the kitchen: WOW! That is amazing.
Oh, my goodness - what a transformation. Her kitchen turned out to be gorgeous! Hard to imagine it's the same one.
ReplyDeletemayfair personal trainer
I love your style!!
ReplyDeleteI found this site a while back but haven't ordered yet:
www.justlikesugarinc.com
I don't use artificial sweeteners but being totally addicted to refined sugar isn't the answer either, so just thought I'd share :)