Yep....I have slipped!

Nope, I have not forgotten about it...but yes, its ONLY at the back of my mind! I have slipped on the 'Getting Fit Business'.

I have become lazy and lazier these past weeks. May be its the Chicago Summer, the continuous BBQ's, the lazy mornings and even lazier evenings, my stupid knee, I really don't know, but I have become lazy about the 'getting fit'

My model is suppose to be simple.... Log your food, go to the gym/ keep a routine and then enjoy the process with buddies who help and encourage. Its not about loosing weight, its about being fit, energetic and happy!

But, I have not been logging on MyFitness Pal at all now. I broke my 74 day streak a few weeks ago,  and now haven't picked up the baton again!
For the gym, in summary, I injured my knee (I think at a stupid but super fun bowling game) and since then doctors orders are no squats, no pivot motions, no pounding of the knee... aka, no gym routine that I had down and was consistent!

Due to my knee injury, I am in the self pity mode and hence not even moving a muscle for any basic workout routine. I think I am being kinder to my knee. I sound like my grand mum, "kinder to my knee", but trust me being in constant dull pain in knee is no fun. And the pain goes from dull to shooting stabs in a matter of seconds. Read: Self Pity :-)

And it shows.... I am dragging my feet by end of day, I cant keep up with the kids soccer games and above all, I am feeling crankier!

Every Monday, I think.... next week I will start.

Please tell me I am not alone...... please leave some motivational messages :-/

Aaah! So, here I am picking up again. But this time..... not the baby steps that I love, I am actually leaping and jumping, since hey, now I know what to do.

So
Step 1: Join the gym THIS WEEK and actually go
Note to self.... if you pay up the monthly fees, its the best motivation
Step 2: Re-start logging on the weight THIS WEEK and actually not exceed the calories
Note to self....it takes only 10 minutes a day to enter in the food consumed
Step 3: Kick my buddies really well, I cant believe they are not helping me in stopping the slide!
Note to them.... be prepared for the kicking!

See it's their fault! ;-)

Buddy System

Ever since we were kids, the concept of 'buddy system' existed. Going to the loo in a restaurant, take a buddy. Getting punished in class for being naughty, a buddy gets out with you. In college, the partying night, have a buddy. And then in life as you progress, the buddy system continues.

And it’s a good system to have. There is someone who is accompanying you, has your back and above all: is there.

Why should the "Getting Fit" journey be any different?

For me, Getting Fit is not about losing weight (though it would be an added plus and it is a good indicator), it’s about being active, doing things without being out of breath and above all, being able to enjoy the food without feeling like a glutton. Considering that I am self proclaimed vegetarian foodie and over 50% of my posts are recipes, the last part is really important for me, enjoying the food

Among-st all-the-things-I-have-tried, MyFitness Pal has worked out for me.

Have I lost oodles and oodles of weight, hell no. But do I feel better, stronger and above all more in control of my body. Hell Yes. But I know I have a long way to go still!

For me, its about small steps, so in order to progress and continue this journey, I am doing a buddy system for different elements of the 'Getting Fit' business...

So now I have a buddy, a friend who I nudge and she nudges to continue tracking, just logging what we eat. Every single day. Simple.

So now I have a buddy, my hubby who is competing with me to get to a particular number by year end.

So now I have a buddy, a friend who is my 'workout partner' and we encourage each other to go for another 10 minutes through the class.

So buddy up,  keep logging, keep moving and keep enjoying the process. 

Above All continue to Get Fit. 

Just for some sweetness: Eggless Banana Nut Bread

A lovely lazy evening and 'mood for something sweet' made us try a new baking recipe: Banana Nut bread...

Of course, I must add: in the afternoon I saw Sumit throwing away some overripe banana and I was like- I am sure we could do something with that... so the last over ripe banana was put to good use! Sumit was laughing so hard, since I am known for tossing things even slightly wilted, however the over ripe banana made me ‘concious’

Now, baking from scratch is not my forte!! However< i must add that with my little helpers, Miss Chatterbox and Little Lady, this turned out FANTASTIC.

Apparently, humility is also not my forte!

So here is the recipe adapted from here. I made a few tweaks to keep it easier for my little kiddos to help out. 

Ingredients:

Dry Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:

1 medium size extremely ripe banana

1/2 cup yogurt

4 tsp Oil (I used Vegetable Oil)

1 cup brown sugar (Am sure you could use white, I find white super sweet)

1/4 cup Hot water

1/4 tsp lemon juice

Add In:

3/4 cup walnut (Broken into bigger pieces)

Topping:

1/4 cup Cranberry: For adding on top for crisping

2 tsp brown sugar: For adding on top for crisping

Process:

1. Heat the oven at 375 F

2. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients really well.

3. In a bowl, mash up the banana really well. My little lady mashed it up with her fork really well... she loved the mess

4. Add all wet ingredients one after the other to the mashed banana and employ little helpers while you sip on hot coffee

5. Now, Mix until all wet ingredients to the flour

6. Add in the walnuts, save a few for topping on, mix.

7. Now in a bread pan line foil and pour in the batter

8. Shake the pan a little for even setting

9. Now add the toppings of cranberry, sprinkle sugar

10. Bake for about 50-60 minutes or until the toothpick can come out without sticking

Enjoy warm banana nut bread with vanilla ice cream

Travel & Stay Fit: Yes you can!

There are two things that I am passionate about, travelling and food!

If you have been following my blog, know me or even just met me, i could go on and out about these two things. In addition, over the last year, I have been following through with 'My Fitness Pal' Trust me, this is the longest I have stuck to the Getting Fit business and actually seen some positive results

Like my husband says, before we finish a trip, Garima is already thinking of the next one! Sadly work comes in way of 'my travelling adventures'. I am happy to say, the kids have travelling bug and definitely are showing signs of budding foodies.

One of the things that happens with this is: 'Getting Fit' always goes out the window when on a trip.

I want to eat all the local delicacies and my 'calorie meter' tells me I am way over my recommended amount. Of course after a trip, when I stand on the 'Scale of disaster' the truth is revealed. Yes, ignore the jeans fitting tightly, the t shirts being a little snug etc... I ignore it on a trip, until I get home and stand on my 'Scale of Disaster'

Story of my life!

But with this 'Getting Fit' business, I am trying to figure out and learn ways of Staying Fit, Enjoying local cuisines and continue Travelling and exploring.

Here is my simple and doable three point guide , I am hoping to add more 'points' as I travel more and eat more

1. Portion Control:
Eat everything you want, but do manage to have a little portion control. These 'buffets' are very appetizing, I get it, trust me.
May be take more variety and less portions. This way you can thoroughly enjoy the buffet and still not be 'way over the recommended calories'. Start with a salad, always!

2. Water &  Snacks:
Hydrate, any trip you take, be it beautiful Quebec, The friendly Vegas or the serene mountains of Leh, hydrate up. This way, you are snacking lesser during the excursions.
And if you are snack-er like me, carry healthy nuts, cereal bars, apple, banana or a simple sandwich loaded with vegetables.

3. Don't fall in the trap of 'Cheat Day':
Trust me, its hard. Read point 1, manage the portions so you can eat everything you really want. And at the same time skip the extra slice of chocolate cake since its your 'Cheat Day'. Its a slippery slope. I know since 'My Fitness Pal' graph is all over the place since I use this 'Its my Cheat Day' excuse a bit often.

Got You, didn't I: You were expecting me to blabber about use the gym, use the hotel facilities... haha!
In that case, you don't know me. On my vacations, I am lazier than my normal self.
You never know, sometimes just relaxing does wonders to your system! The stress eating goes away and you are eating when you are hungry and not when you are worried

 Enjoy these shows if you are in Vegas, take these beautiful excursions if you are in Vegas, the Sin City, book a hotel and enjoy the spa, the gym can wait, but truly relax!

Check out this amazing Website for Vegas, and I cant wait to book my next trip and explore all their amazing deals, and the only exercise I plan to do, is really thoroughly enjoy the city and follow  simple and doable three point guide: P-S-E (Portion- Snacking-Enjoy)!


But I do believe in really trying to stay fit and not gain the 'travel pounds'. If I come back at the same weight that i left before the trip, I am happy.

Falling off the 'Getting Fit' wagon

I am still kind of doing the 'My Fitness Pal', I am conscious about it, but am not being very strict about it. And it shows, The pounds that were melting away like ice cream in a scorching sun has become more like the stagnant water puddle!

The silver line, the pounds that fell off are almost still off! I have gained 2-3 pounds back. But knowing me, if I don't get serious about it, they will all climb back in slowly but steadily. And there goes my 6 months of effort. 

I am getting back to, 'Oh its just one spoon of Bhujia, oh it’s just one cookie' However, I know firsthand how harmful it truly is. I want to be able to get back to me: 'It’s one cookie, that I will quarter up and consume throughout the day instead of all at once!' This way, I still eat it, manage the cravings, but don't cave in.

That's what this 'Getting Fit' business is all about: Eat healthy, manage portions, enjoy life but make healthier choices!

So this post, is more like a reminder/ kick in the hind side, whatever you want to call it, but I do need to get back 'serious' about it.

Changes now are going to be a little more drastic, especially since I have done this before.

So yes, my husband is fore warned that I may be crankier....

Change 1: Be within the calorie recommendation for at least 4 days in a week

Change 2: Walk, Walk, Walk: So far I have been managing the intake and nothing else. So now with the weather warming

up, I could do the simplest thing: Walking

Change 3: Snacking, there is no point denying it, i love snacking. At home, I will hover near the snack cabinet and pop a few things here and there. So, I have gotten things like Skinny Pop, Multigrain crackers and my favorite Rice Puffs!

Here in my latest love: ' Masala Skinny Pop' Here is the simple recipe

1. Heat olive oil, add Jeera/ Rai, 1 tsp Haldi

2. Add skinny pop popcorn, add Mirchi + Salt to taste!!

And ta-da a healthier and more delicious version of the plain old pop-corn!

I am truly enjoying how my dresses fall and my 'older shirts' fit me finally. I know I am away from my dream weight and it will stay in my dreams if I don’t do anything about it.

So one more kick in the back side to 'get serious about the 'Getting Fit' wagon. Again!

The journey of 'Myfitness pal' continues

I had promised that i will report back in a week, so here Iam

Progress: I have documented every morsel of food in my mouth in the app. Yes. I have been +10% of calorie intake, which is well ok I guess. My percentage distribution of food sucked. My FitnessPal recommends 50% carb, 30% Fat, 20% Protein. I have been blowing that for sure, it has been more like 50% carb and 50% fat. So though the calorie intake is farely ok, the kind of food I have been consuming is not that great.

What this means, in plain English is: Since protein is not up to the mark, I get hungry more often and I snack more (read unhealthy snacking) and as you know I can't stay hungry since my crankiness is directly proportional to my hunger, I snack more.

So aim for week 2: Well the obvious, continue tracking progress and then this week, may be increase the protein intake and 'try reducing' the unhealthy fat intake.

Plain and simple. Nothing fancy, nothing out of the world. Increase protein so I stay fuller longer.

Weight Wise: I am at the weight I was before my India trip implying, the weight I gained in India is off. So Yay for small achievements!

What's worked for me this week: Home lunches! I know Sumit laughs now when I say that I will carry food from home! He has been nagging me for years now. But definitely brown bagging lunches has helped. Most importantly for portion control. I still take the Kachori and the Mithai for snacking, but even then knowing the exact intake helps.

I keep coming back to why this model of tracking food in an app works for me: I can eat everything I want. I am foodie and for me to 'diet'is the biggest form of punishment!

So last night at my friends place, I happily ate the pizza and the kidney beans and the Bread Rolls. Knowing that I was still at decent 'balance of food intake'. And I think that's the key for a sustainable model: 'Eat everything, make the right balance and this way you can enjoy food and shed some pounds'

I am hoping to re-start yoga (Re-start after 2 years!!!!) next week, so if anything else, I will strengthen myself. Since I have learned, Yoga does zero for weight loss and wonders for calmness!

Foodie turning into Select Foodie

With the whole: 'My Fitness Pal' eating habits are now changing a bit(Finally!). I must commend myself for achieving my last week'sgoal: 'To meet the prescribed calorie intake at least twice a week'

I am happy to report, that I met it 5 days and was even under for one day (only 45 calories under: But hey, every bit of it counts, or I hope it counts)

I continue to have my one cheat day, its generally on the weekend!! I tell myself, it makes me sustain the ' My Fitness Pal'

My friend who nudged me on for this app still nudges me on says: 'It's about making better choices'.

Since I 'document' every morsel of food in my tummy, I better be smart about it. Case in point: At a Birthday party, I skipped on the chips and salsa and chose another vegetable sandwich. No Empty Calories is what I told myself!

The Mini Milano Dark Chocolate cookies are helping me keep me chocolate craving in check. Yay! I am trying to practice moderation. I say 'trying' since it’s really hard to stop at one Mini Milano.  The menu and the content of the dinner plate are changing ever so slightly! Hence the term 'Select Foodie'. It should be Foodie in moderation but then it sound boring!

This slight change has made a slight change in weight going in the right direction! Slight but hey, every victory counts!

I have a new person joining in my attempt to use this app and improve eating habits. Sumit, he joined the bandwagon and it's been fun to have someone to complain with and to. Someone who gets it.

Honestly, however: having him join in, is good and bad. He has a tendency of really truly following through (Yeah Yeah, I know that is so awesome).

So the Bad: 

1. On Day 3, he stopped by picked up Tofu & edamame and made his own dinner so that the protein content is high! Me on the other hand was eating Kale Paratha with vegetables due to my 'carb overload' issues.

2. He has lost the same number of pounds as me now (I took three weeks to get here and him only 1 week) URGH!!!

3. He manages to go for a run/ a tennis game here and there and me, well I am still lazy about that! URGH!!

And the Good:

1. It’s amazing to have him make Tofu for me before dinner so I can 'snack right'

2. He will happily take my bowl of 'snack' away and pass me edamame!

3. Our dinner conversations are now more like: 'I better eat more tofu and get my protein up instead of pass me another bowl of namkeen'

4. Plus I think it’s really cool to discuss 'Protein-ifying everything' with someone else other than google.

So yeah, the good outweighs the bad!

When I started this, I wanted to follow this through until my vacation in October. With the vacation almost here, I am so happy thinking I did it. I am hoping I can continue at least 'logging the food' for the duration of the trip!

Next Step: Follow through till my big vacation in December.

Remember: It is one step at a time!!

Finding people to share our journey

1 week into My Fitness Pal, I am excited. No, I have not miraculously lost any weight or feel even a tiny bit curvier. It is Business as Usual.

 

But I am excited. I get the general idea of my calories intake for the day. I say 'general idea' since I don’t spend the time to find the 'exact food' I eat. It helps me think about, oh I have this big dinner tonight, maybe I should have a lighter lunch. What I truly appreciate in the app is my graph of nutrients and breakdown by meals.

For the first time, I see how Carb heavy my meals really are.

I always knew I eat a lot of carbs, but when I see that over 60% of my day intake is carbs, I go like Wow. Of course, my roadblock is: my intake of carbohydrates is directly proportional to energy level. Yes, I am aware scientifically it does not make sense, but hey, you can't change a life time of eating habits in one week.

The other cool thing is the validation that dinner is my heaviest meal of the day. I know it should be 'King's breakfast and pauper's dinner'. But honestly, with our lifestyle, it really does not happen. This is the meal I can truly sit down and enjoy with the kids and Sumit!

But here is the shocker, I am calorie counting! I was such a stuck up and always said, 'Yeah not sustainable'. That's why they say, “Never say Never". I think I am still a stuck up and continue to say 'It's not sustainable but I am sticking to at least trying'

My daily calorie intake is still 'way' higher than what is prescribed for me. The good thing is that I have not cheated on the app yet. If I eat it, I log it. If I drink it, I log it. So it's good and bad. I am hoping to make some tweaks in my meals to come closer to my recommended calorie intake.

Aim for next week is first to continue using the app and next to meet the prescribed calorie intake at least twice a week. I am doing this 'One Step at a time'

So I am finding people to share my journey. As usual the first line of support is with Sumit. I think deep down he knows, I will give up soon, but while I am doing this he is cheering me on. His nudge, do it till our next vacation which is only a month away! Second line of support is my friend who got me introduced to this app: 'My Fitness Pal'. I continue to bitch to her about how hard this is. She encourages me none the less. And then of course to keep me honest, log it here and in the app.

Now for the complaint: 'It's so hard, just counting every morsel of food that goes in your head. It sucks!'

And the Update: 'I am still going to try’

Getting Fit.................round 2354346593764

See there is a pattern here, I start this 'Getting Fit' business' follow through for a bit and then let it slide. And then another phase comes and then I start something new. I wonder if it’s a follow through problem or just that I get bored problem.

Whatever the problem may be, the weight is definitely not sliding off on its own. The tiny silver line, its not increasing, but I am over my target weight at the rate of 10 pounds each kid.

See what I did there; blame the kids of extra baggage and not myself!

Getting back to the point, I have tried only salads for dinner 4X a week, Fit Bit, Meal planning, 3X a week work outs, walking, climbing stairs, slight modifications to lifestyle etc. And case in point, I just lose track of it, be it a vacation, a busy phase or just life in general.

So in spirit of yet another attempt at "Getting Fit' is using 'My Fitness Pal'. Trust me anyone with a smart phone has this app and people who have tried it swear by it. A dear friend on a lazy Friday afternoon chat session swore by it and said she is only 5 pounds over her pre baby weight. That was motivation enough and of course her nudging me on and saying: Don't do anything just log your food. That's it. Simple enough.

She knows how much I hate dieting since for me it’s not sustainable. I get super cranky! Her punch line was, just do what you do and start noting it down, since the calories of everything you consume are right in front of you, it makes you question the choices.  And so I did, 4 days of using it has made me realize I am eating an average of 600 calories over my target for the day. Hmm.

Its only day 4 and as of yet I have not made any changes to my diet. Small things like: taking the pita on falafel sandwich adds 200 calories, so I skipped the pita. I skipped sugar on my daily coffee mainly so the differential of my target calorie intake and my actual consumption is not that much. One step at a time.

This comes to the next point, is 'One step at a time' the right thing to do? I am young and at a place that I should be definitely more active and fitter than what I am. Do I need the 'Big Bang' approach since the pattern of 'One step at a time' is not really working for me? I wonder.

While I wonder, I start using 'My fitness Pal'

Munch Bunch: Ethiopian: Lentil Sambusa

Another month, another much bunch, another wonderful gathering of foodies to attempt, relish and then cherish

Theme: Ethiopian

I was introduced to Ethiopian food by a colleague then and now a dear friend about 8-9 years ago. She slaved in the kitchen for my roommate and me and made delicious vegetarian food and served coffee the true 'Ethiopian' style. Of course she being Ethiopian made our experience as authentic as possible.

Since that memorable sunny afternoon in LA, I have generally tried Ethiopian food every city I visit in the US. It has become one of those once a quarter cravings, got to go for Ethiopian.

In the last few years, Ethiopia has become a more personal country for me with family connections, stories and fond memories. So Ethiopia means more to me than the Injera and the Coffee. With that as a start, this theme was super special for me. It's one cuisine I love to eat and was so happy to attempt it.

Menu:

Appetizer: Lentil Sambussa

           Collard Greens

Main Course: Red Misser Wat

             Chicken Doro Wat

             Injera

Dessert:  Red velvet cake, nothing Ethiopian about it, but a friends birthday celebrations were so worth it!

Drinks: Fresh Ethiopian coffee, freshly roasted and ground and brewed.

Yup, that's how we roll.

I chose to make the appetizer: Lentil Sambusa: Two types, Beluga lentil and Puy lentil

Recipe:

Ingredients:

1.5 cups Beluga lentil soaked over night (Available at Mariano's / Whole food)

1.5 cups Puy lentils (Stocked at regular grocery stores)

Jalapeno: 4 finely diced

Onion: 1 finely diced

Garlic: 3 cloves finely diced

Cilantro: 1 cup finely chopped

Spices:-

Cardamom Seeds: Crushed coarsely 1 tsp

Cinnamon: 1/2 tsp

Salt: Per taste

Black Pepper: 1 tsp

For Frying:

Spring Roll Sheets: About 10 (Stocked at regular grocery stores)

Vegetable oil for frying

Process:

It is the same process for each type of lentil, so I will explain with the beluga lentil. Repeat for Puy lentil

1. Soak the lentils overnight.

2. Boil the lentils next morning until tender: About 20 minutes

3. Heat Olive oil and sauté the onion, garlic, jalapeno until translucent, about 5 minutes

4. Add spices, sauté: 2 minutes

5. Add the boiled and drained lentil and cook for about 10 minutes gently moving the mix

6. The beluga lentil is very soft, so be gentle

7. Taste and adjust seasoning.

8. Take off stove and let it cool. Add cilantro leaves

9. And now the joys: There is no way I can do justice to explain how to make sambusa: So here is a You tube video of how to 'prepare samosa' and use this as a guideline for wrapping and frying.

Of course using the spring roll sheets is so much easier and quicker

Just FYI- To fry both types of Sambusa's (Total 30), I took about an hour, so start some music and go for it!

Though we didn’t have complete attendance, it was a really fun gathering and a very interesting style of cooking. Just a couple of spices and an abundance of aroma's and flavors. I will definitely try my hand at a few more Ethiopian Dishes.

Tch Tch- This Lazy Business is bad!

I should keep up: Well for both, blogging and secondly and more importantly for my 'Getting Fit' business and its reporting!

Its been exactly a month, since I bought the 'Fit Bit'.

The journey has been 'up and down' and sadly 'more down than up'. Ok, let me elaborate.

The first two weeks, the novelty of it was awesome. I was keeping up with it, increased my target to 10000 steps and doing good. I didn’t meet it every day, but met it 5 out of 7 days. Yay!

But in the past two weeks, I have been BAD. Last week, I met my target of 10K steps only ONE day. Yes NOT GOOD.

And on top of it, I relished food way too much and in my case it SHOWS, everywhere and more importantly my jeans are more snug than I want them to be.

So another Monday, another resolution!

Well. My aim for this week is simple- I want to meet my target EVERY SINGLE WEEK DAY!

That's it.

Just meet my target and I promise come next week, I will 'display' my weekly report that Fit Bit sends me and puts me to shape.

 Sumit bought a Fit Bit for himself as well. So its two of us now. Our cousins, who introduced us to this, have been insisting we join them for 'Group Tracking' and I am not up for that YET. So the struggle continues.

I think the best and the worst part of Fit Bit is- It really shows how LAZY your day to day life is. If we cant do 10K steps in a day at the age we are, the future looks a bit well 'podgy'. Yes my initial target was 8K which I meet comfortably, but I want to push myself, just a little at a time.

So wish me luck> I want my 10K badges!!

Late Twenties!

This is probably the last day that I can say, I am late twenties when someone asks- How old are you?
Simple. Last day that I can say- Not yet thirty!
Simple. Last day I could possibly tease most of my friends... haha.. Not thirty yet!
and... Sooooooooooooooooooooob....
One, I know all those friends whom I troubled when they turned thirty, will come back to haunt me. And second, flip... I am no more.. Late twenties.
Flip..
I always said, I will be 25 till I turn 30 and then stay 30 until I turn 40! Holy crap, I have no idea, what being 30 equals. In my mind, I am still a kid, the pampered one of the family. Yes, I am a mother of three year old.. and even that does not make me feel old- I keep repeating, Being younger parents is fun.
Suddenly as I am almost freaking thirty... saying 'being younger parents' just does not seem right. I am definitely not middle aged! Today, I am definitely twenty something, But tomorrow I will be thirty. Woah!. I don’t know how to deal with that!

I know age is a number, it’s in the mind. I know a few 55 year olds who can rock the floor dancing and a few 22 year olds who don’t get off the couch. It's about perception and being young, fit in the mind. I get all that.
But shit, now I have to practice it!
Yes, I am kinda, sorta freaking out.. ..wait a min.. should 'thirty' years old use words like "kinda sorta" hmmmmmmmmm... well screw this. I will! Deal with it.

Happy Birthday to me... its 3-'oh' time!

Whats in your snack drawer??

Come on... spill it. I know you have one.. A secret stash in office, a special place in home pantry where the 'snacky' food is kept. Something which you will just pop in your mouth, every time.. hmm ok sometimes when you open the drawer or pantry! Tell me?

For me, when I was pregnant. It was filled- with snack size khakhra (Like toasted Indian Bread), Cereal Bars, Candy, Peanuts, Nuts, Tazo Teas, Small M&M's, crackers/biscuits, cream filled biscuits, ready to pop-pop corn for sure and never can go wrong with the Hide & Seek Chocolate biscuits! Pretty much all these things. My team knew about it. They were kind enough to let me know what is almost run out and what they want as well- This way we all are covered.
Slowly and surely I am happy to report my snack drawer has reduced contents now. You can still always find, teas, crackers, cranberries, occasional candies, ready to mix- hot coco, occasional sun flower seeds (which I force myself to eat!!!). Sadly along with this, you can find all my coins, with which I occasionally satisfy my sweet cravings- thanks to the vending machine. But I climb five floors in order to get to the vending machine- hoping a. I burnt some calories to justify the chocolate and b. while climbing the floors, my sugar craving has died and I can happily just buy some peanuts instead!
In my pantry however, its a snackers paradise. Ask any of my friends, they'd attest. Our pantry is lovingly called a "Mini Indian Store". I blame my Marwadi tongue to justify the abundance of snacks. At home, I open the pantry to say, take out onions for dinner, the sev/ bhujiya is staring at me lovingly. I only happily oblige! :-(
I half wish, there can be a mini fridge with a transparent door in my pantry. This way, the fruits start back at me accusingly and I occasionally them up instead of hmmm the other fully fried snack galore I tend to munch on!
So that's my secret stash... what's yours?