Happy Valentine’s Day! (and happy third anniversary to my lovely hubby!)
February is for lovers …chocolate lovers… at Dunkin’ Donuts. To celebrate, they have a few new donut specialties including a Reverse Boston Kreme, the Cocoa Kreme Puff, Chocolate Chip Bagel Twist and iced mochas.
It has been almost three weeks since I started my “Eating Restructuring Plan” for 2011. As you can see from the scale shot on the right, I have successfully gone down a few pounds since my last weigh-in. It’s always good when the pounds drop off. But I can’t say that it’s been easy.
It’s especially hard after the holidays to shed those bad habits of nicking a few sweets or eating a slightly too large plate of something really yummy. While I don’t indulge in sodas as much as I used to (both regular and the diet variety), I do like something in the morning that can keep me going throughout the day. So, I turn to a coffee or chai drink. After you end up pouring in those flavored creams and sugars, that coffee or tea (which has few calories on its own) becomes a beverage full of empty calories.
To combat this bad habit, I’ve switched to drinking flavored teas sans cream or sugar. If I do drink coffee and use some flavored creams, I make sure to only use the suggested serving amount. While that French Vanilla or Chocolate Creme tastes fantabulous, it’s best to keep it to one drink per day.
We have a Keurig coffee machine at my office. So, I found some Apple Cider and Chai K-cups that are pretty tasty. But, they still have a lot of sugar in them. I just have to remind myself – only one a day!
There’s this phenomenon in Boston and all of New England. People love them some Dunkin’ Donuts. I’m not just talking the early morning cup ‘o joe kind of love. This is a full-blown passion for all things Dunkin’ Donuts. There are DDs next to DDs – like in the case across the street from my apartment. Because a standard standalone shop just wasn’t enough, they needed to put a drive-thru right next door. On my drive to work in the morning, about 4 to 5 miles, I pass at least five shops that are always busy. You can find them in the Walmarts, the Stop ‘N Shops, the malls. THEY ARE EVERYWHERE!
But the coolest Dunkin’ Donuts of all that I have seen is in Chinatown. Located on Essex Street, this location actually has the signage in Chinese characters.
Well, I am back on the interwebs! Besides a little problem with my mouse, I am back in blogging business. Without further ado, here’s a full-blown gift report!
There are 10 days left (almost nine) before Christmas. If you’re still procrastinating or not quite sure what to get that foodie on your holiday gift list, here are a few of the items that stuck out to me while browsing magazines and store shelves this festive gift-giving season:
Breville Pie Maker at Williams-Sonoma
This Williams-Sonoma exclusive may just help me get over my pie-making phobia. Simply take any crust (even a store-bought one), place one in the bottom, add whatever filling – sweet or savory, then top with another crust.
The machine crimps and bakes four mini-pies in minutes. Now, that is a cool tool for the countertop. Right now, it retails for $79.95.
Eats by Xtina 