Treats for People Like Me

If you're like me, you don't last very long without a sugary, usually chocolately treat. If you're even more like me, you tend to take your treats too far, and turn them into binges. And if you're exactly like me, you allow your binges to completely throw you off your game, convince me you'll never succeed, so you gain 10 pounds (or more) until you decide to star over, this time swearing off treats all together until you (inevitably) binge again.

The solution. Treat yourself. But only make enough treats to last you a couple of servings. Yes, I said make. I find that if I buy treats (say a small bag of chocolates, or a trip through Sonic's drive through for some ice cream), I don't savor it, and it's only a few days before I feel like I need another "treat," (which of course leads me to said binge).

This is my current favorite treat:

These are double dipped strawberries. They're more expensive than a regular Reese's Sonic Blast, but they're healthier, and way tastier. Oh, and you have to make them. But they are super easy to make.

You need: strawberries, 1 1/2 squares of semi-sweet baking chocolate, and 1 1/2 white chocolate baking squares. You'll also need a cookie pan, wax paper, two bowls, and a microwave.

Obviously, you're going to melt the chocolates (~45 seconds in the microwave) and then dip the strawberries. (Though it's helpful to let the first layer harden before your dip the second). And the pretty swirls? That happens when the semi-sweet shell melts into the white chocolately goodness.

I've estimated each strawberry to have right around 37 calories (I use Baker's Brand chocolates), so 3 of these is your 100-calorie snack 0' the day (minus the excess packaging and ridiculous ingredients).

So go ahead, treat yourself.

Confession

I'll go head and admit it; I'm pretty proud of myself today.

I got back in Oxford last night, with my car absolutely loaded with stuff, and my fridge completely empty. But no more.

I came home from the grocery today with no fewer than 11 different kinds of produce: salad, bananas, tangerines, an avocado, a mango, green peppers, zucchini, squash, onions, sweet potatoes, and a russet.

I've made my meal plan for this week, there is absolutely no junk food in the house. And tonight? Craving pizza after organizing my schoolwork, setting up my desk so I'll actually use it, putting together a bookshelf (this makes three, now, and I need a fourth), I didn't order a pizza. I made an omelet out of all those fresh veggies I bought.

And tomorrow? Inauguration day. It's gonna be a good week.

Owie.

I realize I've been a bit inconsistent with the blogging lately- I apologize! I finally got caught up with last week's schoolwork, only to have the kitties chew through the cable to my power adapter for my laptop, so I couldn't use my laptop, even though I had the time.

I did weigh-in this morning, and it's been falling steadily (by .2 lb increments) all week, so I am lighter this week, but by how much, I can't say. I don't remember!

Unfortunately, emotionally, I'm not much better off. I do want to thank Inny, Crystal, Karyn, and Kathleen for the positive vibes sent my way on my last post. I'm trying!!!! I've been trying to stay strong, trying to keep my mind off how much I miss Dustin, but it's not working. In fact, today, I'm pretty much losing it, which I hate to admit. In class tonight, just in passing, a classmate mentioned talking about our assignment with his wife. Seriously, I almost lost it, right then in there. And he only mentioned talking about his homework!

I finally got my new power adapter in the mail this afternoon when I got home from class, so of course, the first thing I do is get on Skype and start a video chat with Dustin. I *REALLY* lost it then. I can't help it! Tonight was his mom's birthday, so their whole family have been enjoying a night of celebration. I want to be there. Or, I want them to be here.

And of course, me feeling miserable means I want to stuff my face. Thank goodness I don't have any more junk in the house, because I could seriously go for some ice cream and Doritos right now. I'm trying to convince myself NOT to go to the grocery store for that junk! It's like I told Dustin tonight, when he asked how eating bad food makes sense to me when I feel bad (oh to not be an emotional eater!), "If I can't be happy on the inside, I want to put happy in my mouth." Which sounds dirty, I just realized. But that's really how I'm operating right now. I feel a little stress, a whole lotta missing my hunny, and all I can think about doing to ease the misery is moose tracks ice cream and cool ranch doritos.

Ack, I grumbled and mumbled again. I promise some happiness for my next post!!!

Snack Time: A Recipe

Today, I am craving nothing but french fries and chocolate. I tried the whole "give yourself a taste of your craving so you won't binge" thing and it didn't work. 4 Hershey's kisses later, and I'm still desperate for Biggie Fries and a Frostie (don't ask me why, I don't know). Despite not even losing a pound this week, I'm THIS close to getting in my car.

In an effort to feed myself (because not only am I craving disgusting food, I'm actually hungry, and even though I had breakfast, lunch, AND those hershey's kisses, I'm still hungry a full 3 hours earlier than I usually get hungry) I decided to make a snack. A healthy snack, one that won't throw me into the "holy shit, I've no points left for supper" range.

The result? Easy Zucchini Parmesan.

Okay, the recipe wasn't mine originally, but from this point out, I'm claiming it.

Here's what you need:
1 you-sized zucchini (by you-sized, I mean the size you want to eat)
~ 1 Tbs grated Parmesan (I used the kind you shake out of a can, as I am not fancy enough to own a block of Parmesan and a grater)
~ 1/2 Tbs butter, light
Non-stick cooking spray (opt.)
This is for a mine-only, no-you-can't-have-any, I'm-not-sharing snack. If you'd like to make some for the other hairy house-apes running around, just multiply this recipe by however many zukes you're chopping up.

Here's what you do:
Line a cookie sheet with tin foil (see? Now you don't have to do any dishes...), then lightly coat with cooking spray (I didn't do this, and had no problems, especially since I don't plan on reusing this tin-foil like my mother used to make us do). Slice your zucchini - I made round slices, but it doesn't matter. You want them to be thin, but not too thin, maybe a quarter of an inch or so? Melt your butter, and drizzle it on your zuke slices (doesn't have to be a lot of butter, so if you want even less, or none, feel free). Sprinkle your Parmesan and broil it in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese starts to get bubbly and brown. Enjoy whilst warm--the zuke, not you. I figured this to be just around 2 points. If you cut out the butter, 1, but keep in mind that today, I am grumpy, and can't do math even when I'm in a good mood (double check it for yourselves).

Here's what you should be listening to:
a zippy pop song with an upbeat chorus and 4-bar bridge. Perhaps "Hard Days Night" by the Beatles. (Yes, all recipes should have a soundtrack. If you have a better suggestion for this snack, please let me know.)