One Small Victory

Remember when I gave up Peppermint Patties for Lent?

A better question is, remember why?

How To Make The Best Taco Meat Ever (and lose weight doing it)

Sometimes when I'm low on groceries and feeling adventurous (and, let's face it, lazy), I try to cook dinner from only what's left in the kitchen. This helps me to use up food I have been meaning to finish, and to postpone going to the store for at least another day.

One of my favorite things to eat ever was concocted this way.

And now I will graciously share the recipe with you:

Why I Don't Drink Soda on a Regular Basis (and you shouldn't either)

I went to the movies with some friends recently - something I don't do very often.
Mostly because I am frugal (which is different than being cheap; read a supporting article here).

I don't see the point in spending $15+ to risk my view being blocked, a baby crying, or someone sneezing on the back of my neck.

It's happened.

The last movie I saw in the theater was The Muppets - which was also a fluke, because I had free passes, and still do. I guess even when it's free I'm not that keen on going.

I think the last movie I saw before that was Julie and Julia. That's a better indication.

Anyway, a friend was visiting from out of town, and another friend had a Groupon for 2 movie tickets, popcorn, and a drink for $15.

Of course, that was only for the two of them. 

Peppermint Patties: Gateway Drug?

For Lent this year I gave up Peppermint Patties.

I know, this sounds silly compared with last year,* but my PP consumption was getting out of control (not to be confused with PP).

I started getting them regularly because they’re delicious, obviously. And they're relatively low in PointsPlus Values. I’d take 3 (one serving) to work, usually have one after lunch, and then 2 left to either snack on during the day or have on the way home.

Not terrible. 

Then I started eating 2-3 after dinner.

Also not terrible. 

Then I started bringing the bag into the living room with me after dinner and eating a few more (…and a few more). Then I started going through an entire bag over the course of a weekend.  

Terrible!

Sack of Potatoes

What do you do with a bag of potatoes that’s nearing the end of its shelf life? 

Good question. 

I am notorious for: 

1. Ignoring the question and letting the potatoes go bad. 

2. Making and eating a monosyllabic dinner (ketchup is a vegetable, right?). 

3. Giving up and making a bowl of frosting instead.*

Here’s an inventory of what I did last night: 

Small Packages

In honor of the company's 40th birthday, Starbucks recently unveiled a new logo:

Not really a big deal to most, but I work in the design industry where there is always commotion over rebranding

To celebrate, for a few days Starbucks offered one of their new "Petites" with any drink purchase:

 

  

Basically, they are trendy, bite-sized minidesserts.

Minidesserts seem to be exploding among restaurants, and Starbucks has jumped on the bandwagon. In a recent interview with the Seattle Times, Annie Young-Scrivner, global chief marketing officer at Starbucks, said:

"Our research shows that customers are looking for that little something in the afternoon. They don't want it to be very big. They just want a couple of bites of something to complement their tea or espresso or other beverage."

The reasoning experts give for this growing trend seem simple enough:

1. Money
People are eating out less, and dessert on top of that is a superfluous expense. Minidesserts are relatively cheap.

2. Choices
Restaurant patrons are now able to sample several different desserts for the price of one large dessert, without having to share several plates.

3. Calories
The growing trend toward "healthy" eating and living says that smaller portions are healthier. The Petites at Starbucks are even advertised as being "all under 200 calories."

Let it be known, I do not condone this source

Under 200 calories? Should I really consider that bar low?

A whole bagel with light cream cheese is under 200 calories. So are six cups of popcorn. And what about all those 100 calorie packs full of junk food?

source

Completely by accident, we did end up going into Starbucks during the celebration and getting our free Petites. We chose one Red Velvet Whoopie Pie and one Tiramisu Cake Pop.

Neither was very good.

The cake pop had the consistency of raw cookie dough, and the whoopie pie cakes crumbled in my hand as I ate. They both tasted like your basic, store-bought baked goods (i.e. slightly fake and not as good as it looks).

The nutritional information for all of the Petites is not yet listed on the Starbucks website, but based on my calculations, I think it's safe to estimate that each item they offer is roughly 5 PointsPlus Values.*

Wait, what?

I eliminated 95% of the drink menu trying to pare down my PPV to 2 or less for a drink, and you're throwing in a one-bite treat that is worth 5 PPV??

The worst part is, the same Seattle Times article by Michelle Locke equates the new dessert trend with changing snacking habits:

"People who once packed a bag of trail mix or brought a banana to tide them over the 3 o'clock blahs now may pop into a quick-serve restaurant for a snack wrap or other small menu item."

So instead of a filling 5 PPV worth of trail mix, or a 0 PPV banana, people are buying one bite of cake, on top of the 4 PPV+ drink they're already splurging on, that likely won't keep them satisfied through the end of the day, all of which will likely cost upwards of $5? Seems healthy to me!

Says Kathy Hayden, food-service analyst for Chicago-based Mintel research company, on the snack food trend:

"I don't think anyone's losing weight from them. I think that they're a nice little extra."

Really, Kathy, you think so?

*The Lemon Sweet Squares are probably the best option at 3 PPV.

The full Seattle Times article is here

Find 200 snacks under 100 calories here

All that glitters...

I recently discovered that if you register your Starbucks gift card online you earn one "star" for every purchase you make with it. After 5 stars, you get free syrup and soy milk (usually 60 cents).
After 30 stars you get a gold card with your name on it!

Sign me up!

 

I don't know why, but I really want that card!

I got a Starbucks card for my birthday and transferred the balance onto this beauty:

The (STARBUCKS)RED card, designed by Jonathan Adler

For every purchase made with this card during 2011, Starbucks will donate 5 cents to the Global Fund to help fight AIDS in Africa. So I'm earning stars AND donating 5 cents.

How very First World of me.

The only problem is, while I like the idea of earning stars and getting that golden ticket to exclusivity and perks, I don't particularly like coffee. (Let's be honest, black coffee is just gross.) I do, however, like coffee drinks - lattes, mochas and macchiatos - which can only lead to trouble.

Let me break it down for you with a few of my favorites:

1. Weight Watchers PointsPlus Values (PPV)*

• Tall white chocolate mocha** - 10 PPV (!)
• Tall mocha - 8 PPV 
• Tall cinnamon dolce latte - 7 PPV
• Tall cinnamon dolce latte (no whipped cream) - 5 PPV
• Tall caramel macchiato - 5 PPV
• Tall nonfat vanilla latte - 4 PPV

I won't even bother with any Frappuccinos, am I right ladies?

2. Cash Money

• Tall white chocolate mocha - $3.55
• Tall mocha - $3.15
• Tall cinnamon dolce latte - $3.55
• Tall caramel macchiato - $3.45
• Tall vanilla latte - $3.15

prices may vary by location

3. Conclusion

While not completely horrible as an occasional treat, Starbucks coffee drinks are a waste of money and PointsPlus Values when consumed on a regular basis.

And it doesn't help that Starbucks keeps reminding me to buy, buy, buy:

"Only" 23 stars to go! Doesn't that progress bar just make you want to scream?

Even if I got the cheapest thing on my list, 30 x $3.15 = $94.50, and you know it won't stop there.

(Oh, did I mention that to keep your gold status you must continue making 30 purchases per year each consecutive year? Might be time to rethink my priorities...)

I needed to find a low-cost, low-PPV drink, and fast! And drip coffee is out of the question!***

4. New Drink Options

This is what I came up with:

• Tall skinny vanilla latte - 2 PPV, $3.15
• Tall shaken iced tea - 2 PPV, $1.50
• Tall iced coffee with milk (any kind) - 2 PPV, $1.95

The skinny drinks, while low in PPV, are not any cheaper than their fat counterparts.
I'm not the biggest fan, anyway; I think the syrup tastes like chemicals.

I may switch over to iced tea when it starts getting warmer out, but I find that I drink iced tea much more quickly than coffee, because it's so sweet. The bitterness of the coffee reminds me to slow down and savor what I'm drinking rather than mindlessly sucking down empty calories.

For now I have been ordering the tall iced coffee with soy milk (which is free since I have over 5 stars). Even sweetened and with 2% milk it's still only 2 PPV, and the soy gives it a little extra flavor. And at $1.95 a pop, the iced coffee presents a much more reasonable yearly budget for both my wallet and my waistline.

What is your favorite drink at Starbucks? Do you dare calculate the PointsPlus Value??

*In case you are not familiar with the new Weight Watchers PointsPlus program, participants are allowed a set number of PPV per day, the lowest possible allowance being 29 - which is, of course, MY total daily allowance.
**All drinks built as-marketed unless otherwise specified. 
***Although I find it too disgusting to drink, black drip coffee is 0 PPV. Hooray!