January 23, 2006

I'm writing this because I have no interest in recapping the last few crappy days.

I wrote out a whole entry and then totally lost it when I hit the backspace button and went back a page. Dammit. Anyway, I'll try again, but don't expect it to be entertaining.

I'm happy to say that this week, I found several new foods that I'm absolutely in love with. I'm sure they're going to be staples in our house, although I'm going to have to be careful to make sure I'm still eating a well-rounded diet.

First, Laughing Cow cheeses. I've been enjoying both the light Mini Babybels, which are 1 point each and great with crackers, with fruit, or on their own, and the spreadable light wedges, which are also 1 point apiece and good on crackers. Yum. It's very nice to feel like I can have some really good cheeses while staying on points.

Second, Trader Joe's own hummus and Apocryphal pitas, which are about 4 inches in diameter. For 2 points, I can have one pita and two tablespoons of hummus. This is probably the best hummus ever for me, because it's aromatic and flavorful without being overpowering (I try to be worldly about food, but let's face it, I grew up somewhere where salt is considered a major spice). I went through an entire container in less than a week.

Third, meringues. I had never had a meringue until the first time I did WW, and at the time, I didn't like them much. Right now, however, I'm loving them. I've had Trader Joe's large lemon and cuppaccino flavors, which are 2 for 1 point, as well as their mini "very chocolate" ones, which dissolve in a completely decadent way and are 13 for 2 points. I went a little overboard on the meringues for a couple days this week, so I'm trying to slow down. I also made some really good meringues in December, but right now I'm waiting for my mixer to get here before I can make more. When I do, I'll post the recipe.

Next, Trader Joe's freeze-dried strawberries. Lauren hates these, as does the cahsier who rang us up. Both of them love strawberries. I, on the other hand, don't really care for strawberries, but I'm really enjoying these. They're not the best thing I've ever tasted, and I will admit that they have a slight cardboard consistency, but I like how they dissolve, and they're very flavorful, which makes having just a few of them satisfying. Also, they're very low point; a 1.4 oz container is only 2 points, so they're great for munching. I tend to grab a few when I need to shove something that it's gum into my mouth and then add on an extra point at the end of the day.

And finally, Better'n Peanut Butter, which truly is almost better than peanut butter. I haven't used it for anything yet, but I tasted it, and it's amazing. I've spent a good chunk of time since tasting it trying to come up with a low-point smoothie recipe that includes peanut butter, just so I can use it. The only thing I can think that someone might complain about is that it's not quite as smooth and creamy as peanut butter, but that doesn't bother me at all. Yummy.

Anyway, it's been really nice to find foods that make me happy already. We haven't had much luck finding meals that I'm enjoying, so it's especially nice to have snacks around that make me happy. I just need to be careful not to neglect other kinds of foods just because I love these so much, and I should be ok. I've been making a real effort to make sure I'm getting some fruit, some dairy, some greens, and some protein every day, and that's pretty major for me.

Posted by eengah at 04:23 PM | Comments (0)