Keylani - I never thought about trying the Walden Farms syrup in the mix, great idea thank you! I think you are right about leaving the almond extract out too, I decreased it last night to 1/4 tsp and it was still all I could taste, yuck.

I try to keep my creamy for the evenings, use them around the time I would normally snack on stuff while watching tv and unwinding before bed.

I'm drinking that right now with the blue raspberry HNS in the cran-raspberry La Croix. It's very refreshing.

I tend to only like the concentrated (clear) HNS. The powdered ones have an odd texture and after taste. Plus I'm out and about a lot for work so I don't have to carry a shaker bottle for the concentrated kind. I just add them to whatever water bottle I have going.

I thought I'd like the Cappuccino so I tried that initially. Gag! Same with the Tomato Basil. They continue to sit in my cabinet.

Love the Tomato Basil - one of my favorites! First time I didn't like it so much, but was grateful for something different. Second time I added sea salt and liked it much better. Third time I did just a little sea salt and now I have them as-is and just love them. meazie, do they have a swap bucket at your center? So grateful to have learned about mine - don't have to be stuck with expensive HNS's that you don't like.

I haven't seen a grapefruit option here - is it a concentrate? The concentrates are really yummy with the flavored sparkling waters, and I bet that would help with the aftertaste if you try it again. The powdered lemon and pink lemonade are two of my favorites. They are also my go-to's for taking out and about, since they are the most bearable to me at room temperature if I can't find ice anywhere. I just take my shaker bottle with me and have it in the car.

Walden Farms products are REALLY hit and miss. They are either good or just plain nasty it seems. I was excited to see the caramel dip at Fred Meyers, our local grocery store. YUCK! Tasted like pure chemicals. Tried it plain, dipping apples in it, and spreading on the pudding "brownie". Overpowering chemical flavor no matter what. I had to scrape it off the brownie and wash the top of it off so as not to waste another HNS. Also bought the pancake syrup and it's really good! Yay!

FWIW, the recipe for the coconut almond drink thing in the cookbook has you add 1/2 tsp each of almond, chocolate, and coconut extracts.

I've added 1/4 tsp peanut butter extract to the chocolate pudding and could barely taste it, and yet I think more would be too much. I only tried the vanilla pudding twice - once plain and thought it was just awful, and the next time I made the rootbeer float and it was tolerable but the pudding part just tasted so much like a vanilla SlimFast. I traded the rest in. The vanilla pudding might be better with an extract as the chocolate pudding is such a strong flavor already it's hard to add to it.

The smoothie sounds pretty good! I haven't had any yucks today but I tried sauerkraut the other day and that was definitely YUCK. I tried adding sweetener even and it was still gross. I wish I could stomach it because it is on our vegi list but nope not going to happen for this gal

I tried banana and coconut extract in my choc smoothie this morning...it was pretty good actually! Going to make a vanilla one tomorrow. I also bought caramel extract to try.

I LOVE the Waldens Farms Pancake syrup!!! It's my favorite product they sell. Put your egg and a morning star sausage patty in a bowl all chopped up and pour the syrup over it, mmmmm...one of my favorite treats!! Just fyi..I hate the sausage by itself..yuck!

The other Waldens Farms item that I really love is the Raspberry Vinegarette Salad Dressing!! It's delicious!

Last night I took my 40 cal bread, put a little waldens farms peanut butter and waldens farms marshmallow on it...wasn't to bad. I don't like either of them by themselves...eeew. I like to dream stuff up lol.

I change my apple up too by slicing it up like apples for a pie. Sprinkle cinnamon and truvia on them and put in the microwave until warm..mmmm!!!

The Waldens Farms ketchup is gross!!!

I like sauerkraut but I don't love it however I use it every so often to make a 'Ruben sandwich' for dinner. Here's how I make it...

toast 40 cal bread
spread dijionaise on toast
place turkey burger or sirlion burger (prefer sirlion) on toast
top burger with Walden Farms Russian dressing or WF Thousand Island dressing
place sauerkraut on top (4oz is quite a bit but it does equal out with the meat)

The combination of all makes the sauerkraut not so overbearing.

I'm going to ask my center when I go in next b/c that would be great!

I used my swap bucket to trade those yucky grapefruits for wildberry and pink lemonade. I really wanted some creamies- but I have decided to wait until February. I really want to kick my fat burning into gear.

oooooooh this morning I put caramel extract in my vanilla smoothie...it was really delicious!!!

I've started using lots of ice in the drinks when I can. It makes them much easier to drink. I recently tried the cranberry grape powder and I like it, that and pink lemonade are the most tolerable to me. At my last weigh in I needed more and the consultant asked me which were my favorites and I said "none. They are all gross." haha! I am on the breastfeeding plan and I do get to enjoy the wafers or bars once per day if I choose and I actually really like the chocolate wafers and the chocolate mint bars. They are like eating dessert.

I wouldn't stress about this too much. The difference between a clear and a creamy is only between twenty to forty calories depending on variety and 5 grams more carbs. Consider that many of the recipes in the MRC cookbooks have you cooking with McCormick's low sodium taco seasoning, which contains whey and potato starch. Half a packet (the amount called for in some single serve recipes) gives you 60 calories and 12 grams of carbs. That's way more extra carbs and calories than if you chose a creamy over a clear.

Now you may say, "but I don't cook with that so I'm doing even better - ha ha". I'm just pointing it out. My first few months on program I used to only choose all the lowest fat and lowest carb options off the green menu and not utilize any of the "only 1x a day or 2x per week" or whatever options. Wouldn't allow myself any dessert (the puddings) or diet sodas. Then when I hit my first plateau and was given a plateau buster menu, I realized there was nothing I could change! A visiting consultant told me I needed to utilize those options - the more variety in my diet the better for my metabolism.

Anyway, you gotta do what feels right for you, and I understand being "in the zone" and feeling in super control. Keep up the good work!

Thank you so very much for that thoughtful response!! I really appreciate it! I definitely am going to use the puddings! I hope I like them! LOL. I also think I would die without beef and salmon! Haha.

I really like the idea of "the more variety- the better metabolism." That definitely makes sense!

She is totally right about the creamies! I am very thankful for them because late in the evening I get hungry and want chocolate or something and these really help to stop my cravings and munchies!!I really enjoy the hot chocolate. For the vanilla pudding, I don't like it plain but my consultant suggested to put pumpkin pie spice in it..I do that and add extra cinnamon and some nutmeg and it's really good. My center also suggests to eat sugar free jello if you ever get hungry

So I asked today and they do have swap basket! Yay! And she said if they don't have anything I want then she would open some boxes too. So I will trade in a few next time I go in. . Thanks so much for suggesting it!

Yay!

Hey that's cool they'll open some boxes for you too! I don't understand why they don't tell you about it when you do your first HNS purchase. I learned about mine when there was a bean bag toss for Labor Day weekend fun, and one of the prizes was a pick out of the swap bucket.