Experimenting and Hodge Podging

I just burned my mouth. On delicious, delicious hot chocolate. In Ireland, they have this brand called Options, which is...zero points (40 cal with no fat and 2g fiber) per serving. And it's so good! My friend who was visiting me there loved it as much as I did, and since it was cool over there, even in June, we ended many evenings with a cup. I also started many mornings with a cup!  It's made by Ovaltine, so I thought it might be a simple matter of my not having noticed it in the U.S., but it turns out it they don't sell it here. Rage. I think I'm going to write Ovaltine a letter and demand my Options! Hands up if you'll join me!

Then, thought I'd mention that I spoke too soon. Last night, I went to bed according to routine. Nothing was different from normal. But I couldn't get to sleep. The stress of the following day got to me. I couldn't stop thinking about what I had to do and what I wanted to say in class. So I slept like crap. Dang it.

Going back to my breakfast post from awhile ago, I tried bulgur for breakfast this week. The quinoa idea inspired me. Turns out it's great. I had it with blueberries, honey, and a little almond milk (yogurt would work as well. I was out.). It's hearty like steel-cut oats, but faster. I made four servings one night when I made some for my stirfry. I saved the three remaining servings in plastic containers so I could eat it either at home for breakfast or take it to work for lunch. It was great!

Speaking of stir-fry, I tried something new tonight. I got some of that broccoli slaw that Hungry Girl mentioned several weeks ago, added a bit of chicken (it felt like a meat day) and some green pepper and onion, mixed in some wasabi teriyaki (almost gone!!). Then I turned it into a wrap! I put it in a whole-wheat tortilla, and it was really great, filling, and low points (four, according to my calculations). I paired that with some sweet potato slices that I baked (1.5 pts), and it was just like a restaurant meal only cheaper and far healthier. I only wish I had some of those crunchy noodles to add. I love those.

Since today is the first day of fall, my next big food-based adventure is to get out my crock pot and try some slow-cooker recipes for soups and stuff. I'm excited for that because I hope it will help me solve the lunch problems. Healthy leftovers will help me survive the coming six months of nasty cold weather. I have a WW book for slow cooker recipes, but there's also SkinnyTaste to the rescue with her list of recipes for the crock pot.

I am going to be gone this weekend, but I've been really good about saving up my flex points so I don't have to worry about watching my diet quite so carefully. I still hope to make as many decent choices as I can, though. We'll see!!

Sorry for the mashed up post. I just had a bunch of little things to say that would never warrant a big entry to themselves. Happy (healthy) weekend, everyone!