Welcome to one of the sweetest weekly virtual potluck get-together ever! Yes indeed — it is Sugar Free Sunday! We host it every Sunday to exchange incredible sugar free recipes. Inspiration to start the week right? You bet!

If your holidays are turning out to be anything like mine, you’ve already been to the grocery store at least four times this week. Sometimes it’s for that milk that is about to run out. Or maybe to get some fresh fruit to add to an already amazing brunch spread. Or perhaps some sweet cream for the pie your family will enjoy for dessert. Or perhaps it’s just for that perfect bottle of wine.

For some pretty obvious reasons, as the holidays really ramp up, so do the number of trips I make to my local grocery store. Which generally means that my happiness goes up! (I love going to the grocery store.) BUT.. (Yeah – you saw that coming).. It really hasn’t been all that fun these last few days. Every time I walk in, instead of being lured in by season fruits and vegetables, I’m accosted by sugar in every form! Candy Canes, Sugar Cookies, Cakes with ornaments on it, Brownies, Sugary Hot Chocolate, Marshmallows, Caramel Pop Corn and it just goes on. Aisle after aisle! In the name of holiday cheer my friendly store has set up a death trap for yours truly (and let’s be honest — for all of us)! Just about everyone succumbs to the traps. They are everywhere! And what makes it worse is that we’ve gotten to a point where we pardon ourselves by saying — “It’s okay – it’s the holidays.” I’ve done it.

So it got me questioning — Has the holiday season really morphed into a SUGAR SEASON?? Why is it that we’ve started associating the holidays with eating treats.. specifically sugary treats? Our behavior as a society suggests that we think Summer brings watermelons, Fall brings acorn squashes and Winter.. well Winter brings sugar. How can anyone truly stick to their sugar free guns when “holiday” actually is starting to mean “eat sugar”?

My solution after falling off my sugar free diet is to remember what the holidays are really about. It’s about taking time to spend with loved ones; friends, family and pets. It’s about sprinkling a little joy into a strangers day by wishing them happiness. It’s about community and smiles. It’s about giving and sharing. It’s about helping. It’s about happiness. It’s about happiness. It’s about happiness. It’s about happiness. It’s about happiness. It’s about happiness. It’s about happiness. It’s about happiness. It’s about happiness. It’s about happiness. It’s about happiness. It’s about happiness. It’s about happiness. It’s about happiness. It’s about happiness. It’s about happiness. It’s about happiness. It’s about happiness. It’s about happiness. It’s about happiness. It’s about happiness. It’s about happiness.

For everyone.

And happiness does not mean sugar. Not in my world and I hope not in yours.

Sonia and I wish you a holiday filled with endless cheer, warm smiles, mistletoe kisses, cold chasing fireplaces, massive hugs, belly-hurting laughter, finger snapping dancing and yes, delicious sugar-free food.

How do you participate in the virtual potluck?

• Link your recipe post (NOT your homepage) if it does not use refined sugar. Your blog does not have to be entirely sugar free, just the dish you’re sharing!
• Please link back to this get-together somewhere in your post’s text. It’s a great way to invite your readers to the fun!
• Want to make something sweet without using refined sugar? Just check out all the ways to satisfy your sweet tooth without refined sugar here.
• Your link doesn’t have to be to a sweet dish! We love to see your sugar free appetizers, entrees, soups, snacks — well — you get the idea!
• Please don’t link to carnivals or giveaways. This is a party; bring a dish to share!
• In the ‘Name’ field, please enter who you are and what you’re linking. For example Sonia would put: Bean Kale Pasta Soup [Sonia @ Flip Cookbook]
• It’s not a party if no one chats! Please join the conversation by leaving a message in the comments section below. Also make sure you have the ‘Notify Me’ checkbox selected so that you can listen as well!
• Sign up for free to our new venture Velvet Aroma. It’s a visual way to read the blogs you love and really bring their recipes into your kitchen.

We’re so excited to see what you’re cooking….. Sugar Free!

Click on the ‘Add your link’ button below to share.

Tags: Sugar Free, Sugar Free Sunday