Sometimes I need a comfort food. (It's rainy and dreary here - and it NEVER is rainy and dreary here!)

My favorite comfort food is tea. Now, don't let this mislead you. I like tea the way the british like tea - with milk and honey and preferably a scone. Problem is, for SOME reason, hot drinks made with sugar subsititutes (like Splenda) give me an incredible, raging headache. Oy!

I have made my own chai tea before but I never get the strength right. It's too strong or too bitter. I'm a huge fan of the Oregon Chai Teas (ready made - add milk and heat). But the sugar content is through the roof.

This weekend I found: Oregon Chai's Slightly Sweet Chai. http://www.worldpantry.com/cgi-bin/n...prrfnbr=178432

21 calories combine with 45 calories of 1/2 of fat-free milk is a nice comfort food for under a 100 calories. And an excellent alternative when nothing else will do.

What about you? Got a comfort food you lightened up?

Wow. Thanks for the link Jessica, I love chai tea. I don't think I have a light comfort food but I will definitely be checking back to see what others mention.

Wow, the slightly sweet chai is a great invention! My son would drink chai like he does water if I let him, so I might need to spring this on him.

My favorite comfort food, lately, has been Wasa crackers or whole-wheat bread with broiled cheese and tomatoes on top, and freshly ground pepper. Maybe it's not a typical comfort food, but it's been hitting the spot for me lately.

Are you kidding? I'd no more ruin a good cuppa with honey and milk than I'd bare my bum in Fenwick's shop window! A slice of lemon is much more to my taste, dahling! I'd rag your hand off for one of those scones, mind!

I used to drink Charbonnel et Walker's Belgian hot chocolate at who-knows-how-many kcals! Now I like a cup of cocoa on a chilly night: 2 tsp. cocoa in a cup of skimmed milk usually hits the spot for me for 102 kcals.

I've actually just this minute had one. I've been light on my kcals today, so I added 2 tblsp. half & half for a bit more luxury. Total count with the cream is 137 kcals.

Jessica -- we must be having the same needs right now. My comfort food, dating back to graduate school in Berkeley, where coffee shops reign and papers are best written in one, is a biscotti, covered in chocolate, and a huge latte. So, on our rainy day yesterday, 1 day before TOM was to arrive, I made my healthy, sparsley maple sugar sweetened, low-carb cookies into the shape of biscotti and then dipped 1/2 of them in melted bittersweet chocolate. I refrigerated the whole thing and we enjoyed for dessert. I have one saved aside for me for today to enjoy when the kids are asleep tonight (as DH will be at a late night meeting) and I can sit and read a book and enjoy.

I don't know about the calorie content. I do know it doesn't set off any of my triggers for me because there is very little sweetener. I can have just one with my coffee and be fine and feel comforted.

I make my own hot chocolate using dry milk, cocoa, and splenda. I'll have to get the exact measurements but it comes out to 17 calories for 1/4 c. of mix (enough for a cup of hot cocoa.)

If I really have a sweet tooth I'll take a handful of mini marshmallows and microwave them until they are really really big and then throw them in the freezer for a few minutes. It hardens back up but yet is still gooey. Yumm.

Jessica, if you only knew how much tea I have on these shelves....

You might try green or chamomile. I admit I add honey. A tsp of honey is 15 calories.

Another low cal treat I like is graham crackers, now they come in low-fat.
http://www.calorie-count.com/calories/item/49.html
120 calories for 2 full sheets.

Dawnyal please post the recipe for your hot chocolate. I love hot chocolate in my coffee it is getting very hard to find fatfree sugar free hot chocolate mix in my area and this saves me I love this treat. Plus it is expensive so if I could make my own and always have it available . Thanks I really would appreciate that!

It's on the back of my powdered milk container and I'll write it down tonight and bring it in tomorrow

Also I meant to add that if you have a sweet tooth, SF Jell-O is always a good stand-by as is the SF pudding.

It's not low-cal, so more of a dinner than a snack. But when it gets cold, I love stopping by Wendy's on the way home for a bowl of their chili. Add a little hot sauce, and yum!

Anxiously awaiting that hot cocoa recipe Dawnyal. I had found some Swiss Miss low calorie ones at 25 calories a pack, but they didn't taste quite as good as some of the ones that were a little higher in calories.

Dawnyal's recipe for hot chocolate sounds a little easier to keep on hand and is lower calories since it uses powdered milk but this is my favorite recipe when I just want to make one cup:

Mix 1-2 T. powdered cocoa, 1 T. splenda and a dash of salt in a mug. Microwave 1 cup of skim milk for about 2 minutes. Add a little hot milk to the cocoa mixture and stir until all dry ingredients are dissolved. Stir in the remaining milk and 1/8-1/4 t. vanilla extract. It is about 110 calories but I justify it because it does help me fit in a serving of dairy. It is really rich so I only have it occasionally but it really hits the spot when I do!

I'm still searching for my recipe. I haven't forgotten about y'all. I've searched through all my powdered milk containers and can't find the one with the recipe.

can't wait for the recipe. I like Celestial Seasoning black cherry tea that is pretty nice can drink it without anything.