Just stopping by to say hi! All is well. Will be back soon. Net problems and time restrictions.

Hope you're all well.
- Mariana.

Auntie - tis the season! Temptation is areound every corner these days. How do you make fudge? I've always been curious - it seems like it would be a hard thing to cook.

Speaking of off-plan eating.... 2 words: rice pudding. Oh, lordy - how could I have forgotten that it tasted so good?

The other day we had to clear out our packaged food section (at work, not home) and we found pounds and pounds worth of expired chocolate, peanuts, cashews, chocolate covered raisins etc... I tried a bit of the chocolate.. and let me tell you, even when expired chocolate looks okay - it isn't.

It always kicks me in the gut a little when we have to throw out massive amounts of food just because the packet is damaged, we aren't selling it etc.

It's illegal for us to keep it or give it away to our 'loading dock buddies' (which is what I usually do) ... it's taken me a while to get over the whole "But, it's free food!" Thing.

I think it's a good mental exercise - to learn how to let go of those old behaviours etc.

Marie, it's so cool that you can ski right near where you live! I've seen snow once - when I was 9, and that was a 6 hour drive away. These days in the city, it's pretty sunny. We were having some weeeeeird tropical weather (raining and windy but humid and hot...ew)..but luckily that has now calmed down. (That weather is also the main reason for my internet failing so frequently... our cable thingy is really sensitive).

Mmmmm lasagne. Only 250cals - that's a pretty sweet deal!

Your knee's gotta hurry up and get better! Maybe its too cold for this - but how about swimming as exercise? Though..the last thing you probably want to do in mid december is get soaking wet in a pool.

Best wishes to all. I can't believe it's already the 17th december. Ok I'd better stop being lazy, peel myself off the computer chair and go to the gym.

Hasta Luego!
- Mariana

Eeeeeek!! Perfectly good books... what a shame.
Best wishes for the orthopedist appointment on Monday, Marie.

NOTE: Before you read my post, I must warn there are some graphic descriptions of diet un-friendly foods!!

Ok don't say I didn't warn ya.

Auntie - I've never tried that fluff stuff. You can only get it in specialty stores around here, and I've never tried it but I imagine that it must taste great... being marshmallows and all. I hope things don't get too stressful - and remember there's a bright light at the end of the tunnel! (The future). Also, this time of year is pretty much the only of its kind (only long holiday season, bigger than thanksgiving/easter etc) so I guess we're lucky the temptation, organisation etc.. only happens once - this intensely. I hope that made sense.. because even I am confused by it...
So - do you know what kinda cake you're making yet?

I just realised I never told you guys what a mars bar was like - I remember having mentioned it a while back. Ok here goes (side note: I can't believe you don't have mars bars!!!!) .. they are very similar to milky ways but in my opinion, better - the nougat is more concentrated and rich, as well as the cream caramel filling. The outside chocolate shell is milk chocolate and thicker than a milky way's outside. Apparently, they have them in Canada, and wikipedia calls them "a sweeter version of the American Milky Way bar" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Bar - the link has a photo of one of these coronary nightmares.

Also, they have deep fried mars bars... oh dear god. I've never tried one, but I'm keen to do so one day before I die. I've heard they have over 700 calories. It's a bar dipped in batter then deep fried.. and all the inside goes gooey and mushy.

If you're feeling curious; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep-fried_Mars_bar

A good day to you two, Auntie and Marie. Have a nice one. Oh..wait. I mean - sleep well. I just realised it's like 9pm there.

...for a few days, at least. My trip was very good, but much more hectic and tiring than I expected. Did I stay on program? On while I was sleeping....not so much when I was awake, especially those days I was in my favorite eating city: New Orleans. I did walk around a lot, and managed to fit in a few light workouts.

I've been trying to catch up on the posts since yesterday, but I'm so far behind that I'm just going to start from a clean slate!

Mariana, we certainly do have Mars Bars in the States, although I haven't had one in years.

Auntie, your DH and I have the same birthday!

Marie, I'm sorry to hear about your knee.

Hey to all you other chickies out there!

judy

Happy Birthday, Judy!!!
Glad you had a good trip! On program while you were sleeping - good one - me too! So, have you felt ripped off over the years by having a birthday so close to Christmas? DH says it was always a problem when he was a kid. I've tried to make it a separate special occasion, but it sure gets harder and harder. And get this, not only is it also a friend of ours' birthday today, too, that he must share with, but DH is also a triplet! The poor guy never gets his own birthday. And to top it off, now my niece's birthday is tomorrow, and as she is turning 5, she naturally gets the attention. It's a good thing that DH is full of himself every day of the year!

Mariana, I made a carrot cake this morning. All these sweets are getting out of hand! It's funny that fluff is a specialty item down there. It's just a cheap grocery store thing here. It is quite delicious on a sandwich with peanut butter (a fluffernutter). I looked at your Mars bar link... in the picture it sure does look mighty tasty! I think I read that we used to have them in the US, but they were different. All I know is that I never had one. I was always a Snickers kind of kid, or Reese's PB cups, or Hershey with Almonds, oh, I better stop thinking about it now. Oh, and I'd stay away from the fried Mars bars. That's really asking for trouble!

Marie, hi! Hope you're keeping warm!

Off to work. Have a great day, all!

Marie, I was in NOLA for the snow. It was funny to see how freaked out everyone was. It didn't last for more than a few hours, but it was startling to see the snow covering the palms and the lemon trees.

My birthday was fun, because we had our staff potluck that afternoon. Otherwise, it was a lot like any other day, which is typical. Although friends around the country were kind enough to call, email or text.

Auntie, when I was a child, I was usually so cranked up for Xmas I didn't worry much that my birthday didn't get much attention. Your poor hubby, as a multiple, that's a whole other problem, poor thing. He has to share everything! Tell him that my annual tradition is to raise a glass of Jack Daniel's to Rolling Stone Keith Richards, as we share the same birthday. I stopped by a bar on the way home and toasted us all--me, Keef, your DH and his brothers .

Now that I'm back home, I can't say that I've done much about my sugar intake, but I am eating more veggies . And sleeping peacefully in my own bed, hooray. I'm supposed to be going to Las Vegas on Christmas eve to be with my mom and grandma, but now they are both worried about the snow storms there. I want to see grandma, but honestly, I'd be relieved to reschedule and have a shorter vacation in Ohio. It would be nice to have a few days totally to myself. Oh well, there's always next year!

judy

Hello all!

Happy belated birthday Judy!

I hope you spent it well

Things have been pretty chillaxed around here (chilled out and relaxed...). I got asked to work today, and I wasn't over the moon about working on a saturday, but oh well - free time next week, big time!
Went for a long bike ride to day and trusty F11 said I burned around 450 calories on my bike. I also got yelled at by not one- TWO crazy people as I rode through Surry Hills (one of the oldest parts of Sydney - located in the central business district)... ironically, not a very affordable place to live.

I ate oreo cheesecake today (saturdays I have a high calorie day - my 'treat' day.. it's not completely out of control eating, but I give myself permission to have a little sumethin' I've been wanting - If I have been wanting anything).

Judy, good on ya with the veggies! It's always nice getting to sleep in your own bed after coming back from travels. It reminds me of how comfortable I really am in my own little nest and how much I do appreciate the privilege of having somewhere warm to sleep at night.

Marie - you go girl! Back up and exercising again. The cold sounds harsh but it also seems like it would be lovely and cozy to be indoors with a mug of hot chocolate, watching the snow fall. I always wondered - is you display photo a shot of where you live? Because if it is - wow!

Auntie, when I read 'fluffernutter' I LOLed ... what an awesome name for a sandwich . So by the sound of it you are quite the baker? Carrot cake... yum. That reminds me of my mum's 'famous' microwave banana cakes she used to make with walnuts on top.

I'm going to sleep soon. Last night it was so hot I woke up and was thirsty and dry. Ooh! And - yay! working from 10-6.30 on a sunday! Should be fun.... {sarcasm}

P.s. you ladies checked out www.freecycle.org ?

Over 500 posts so time to start a new thread. Perhaps you could consider doing this by month?