[BillBlueEyes]

Gotta post this tonight on this week's cookie porn thread so I don't drag this into the next week.

I nabbed the first Brit I could lay my hands on this morning.

Me: "Do you know the word 'Speculoos'?

Brit: "Oh, Yes, it's a Belgium biscuit - or cookie to you."

Me: "When was the last time you heard that word?"

Brit: "Yesterday at Costco. They were handing out samples. Quite good actually. Can't chat now, I'm off to watch Wimbledon - we invented tennis but haven't won in 77 years."

So, my new word is being handed out as FREE samples at Costco. Maybe it's been here all along and I've just missed it.

And by-the-by Congrats to the British and Andy Murray for the first British win since 1936.

[alinnell]

Yes! Congrats to Andy Murray! And I always steer away from the food vendors at Costco--but perhaps if I hunt this particular one out I'll be able to sample without having to buy a whole jar!

[saef]

Trying desperately to bring some abstemiousness and health back to this thread:

Andrea, you mentioned a chickpea-edamame-mint-feta salad the other day, as a thing you might bring to a 4th of July celebration, and my ears pricked up, because someone just gave me mint from her garden & I have the other ingredients on hand.

Is this similar to your recipe, or do you use another one?

http://www.organicsoul.com/roasted-c...nd-mint-salad/

[neurodoc]

Hello everyone. Another weekend coming to a close. I am sad because tomorrow brings with it the resumption of normal workaday life for me (I got home from vaca June 30, but this past week the clinic and office were deserted and the University gave us both Thurs and Fri off, so I had a 4 day weekend).

Saef, the only recipes I follow to the letter are ones for baking, and I usually wing it with things like salad. The chick pea-feta-edamame-mint thing is a concoction I invented myself but I admit the recipe you linked to is fairly similar, minus the roasting. Substitute quartered artichoke hearts for the cranberries, balsamic vinegar (2 tbsp, not 1) for the lemon juice, and add a generous Tbsp of chopped fresh chives to the whole, and I think you've got it.

I love love love almond butter, thus have refused to have it in the house for a long time. It was one of my top binge foods when I was having such a hard time curbing my evening snacking a couple of months ago. For the record, my local health food store makes the stuff freshly ground, along with peanut and cashew butters, all available in smooth and crunchy versions. As for cookie butter, it goes in the same category for me as Nutella - to be used for baking/parties and kid treats, but not for regular consumption.

Still holding steady at 124 on approx. 1500 cal/day. Of course, it's been only a week since I've been able to resume calorie counting, and today was a touch over (had a bowl of oatmeal with almonds and blueberries after dinner, for dessert).

[traveling michele]

Dagmar.... Sometimes I feel quite boring without any vices! I do drink tea and coffee but only minimally. Don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do? Break out in song!

Still struggling mightily with keeping my eating at bay. My daughters are here with all the stress they bring. Dh was trying to fly to Beijing out of San Francisco. I dropped him off at 9:00 am. His flight was delayed and then eventually cancelled. They have rebooked him on China Air and that flight keeps getting delayed. It's after 7:00 pm and he still hasn't left. Hopefully I won't have to go back and get him!

Dd and I are going to Houston on Saturday. She wants to try juicing when she gets there so we are going to both try it. She will probably replace one or two meals a day with a juice...mostly veggies. Anyone try juicing before?

[bargoo]

Michele. Yes, I have done juicing but I gave my juicer away when I moved. I am regretting that decision, now and am thinking about getting another juicer. I most often started with carrots and apples and then added whatever vegies I had on hand, beets, cucumbers, whatever I had. I would usually do it once a day.