Everyday Systems

I'd mentioned in another thread the idea that one should plan treats to avoid S-days going overboard.

I do exactly this and wanted to show people something I do fairly often -- a dessert shooter. The glass is a 2oz martini glass with layers of pudding, chopped chocolate cookie, and cherry pie filling. We'll top them with whipped cream before we eat them.

These are perfect because the layers create a texture and flavor contrast that makes a very small portion incredibly satisfying.

I did have a spoonful of pudding while I was making them, in the interests of disclosure. However, I've had a decent breakfast, and a tasty lunch today and probably won't eat again until dinnertime, where I am very much looking forward to this delicious little dessert. It's not punitive deprivation and it's not going overboard with snacks or sweets.

You can make these things in double shot glasses, too.

When you plan for things like this, I think it helps to cast the specialness of the sweet as something good and nice rather than a furtive binge. Which is rather the point of No-S anyway.

Planning is great! I also PLAN (snicker!) to make certain that my S day stuff is Worthy.

For example, I just got back from town, doing errands. While at the hardware store I saw the local Wendy's. I thought 'oooh, I can go there for lunch for my S day!' Then I thought "Wait a minute! I can go there on N days too! And nothing there seems Worthy of my S day!'

On to the grocery store. I stood in the aisle at the front of the store and tried to think of ANYTHING that seemed Worthy. I finally settled on Cherry Garcia icecream. Yum!

However, in the past it would have been scarfed down the second I got home. Now it is sitting quietly in the fridge until after lunch or dinner. It is lunch time and I'm not particularly hungry, but I will eat preemptively.

I think I need to write down things that sound yummy during the week, and then Plan for them on S days. I plan on having zucchini bread tomorrow for my S-treats. (I will bake it this evening when the house cools off.)

Planning will make things more controlled, and more Worthy.

Cathy

I try to plan but also allow for spontaneity. If I'm working at the weekend I will always have a packet of crisps and a diet coke when I get home, my little end of work ritual. On Saturdays we always share a bottle of wine and hubby is in charge of cooking evening meal, usually with a dessert.

I do try to make sure I don't eat too mindlessly, but not impose too many rules, after all the whole point of S days is that you can say yes!

For example yesterday in addition to my 3 meals I had:

2 bites of crumpet (then decided I didn't like it and threw the rest awa)
1 bite of sausage (as above)
2 chocolates (from a box given as a thank you to all staff at work)
1 packet of crisps
A small portion of seconds of dinner (home-made quiche)
Dessert (chocolate pudding)


Only the dessert and the crisps were planned.

This would be a fairly standard S day for me. I didn't eat anything I didn't truely enjoy, but I didn't deny myself anything I truely wanted.

SkyKitty wrote:I try to plan but also allow for spontaneity.

Yeah, me too. A fair amount of the time, my S days are just like my N days. Occasionally, my S days involve vast amounts of fruit in between meals. Once in a while, they involve a lot of junk (usually because I was at a party).

The dessert shooters look beautiful but I don't have much of a sweet tooth so I don't really plan sweet treats, unless I see something really nice.

I belong to the spontaneous group. I use weekends to enjoy things that come up that I would deny myself during the week...like a second helping of something I really like or a dessert. I do not plan for anything because I think I would go ahead and eat it just because I planned for it..not because I truly wanted it right then.. Thus some of my S days are really N days, but not many. I usually have at least one S event of some sort. Yesterday I had a snack of BBQ chips but the rest of the day was uneventful.

Threadbenders wrote:I think I need to write down things that sound yummy during the week, and then Plan for them on S days. Planning will make things more controlled, and more Worthy.

That is a very good idea. Usually by the time S Days roll around, I just start grabbing and tend to forget the actual cravings I had during the week. Treats would probably be much more satisfiying if I looked forward to 1 or 2 things in particular instead of just grabbing everything that has the ingredient chocolate.

NoelFigart wrote:I do exactly this and wanted to show people something I do fairly often -- a dessert shooter. The glass is a 2oz martini glass with layers of pudding, chopped chocolate cookie, and cherry pie filling. We'll top them with whipped cream before we eat them.

These are perfect because the layers create a texture and flavor contrast that makes a very small portion incredibly satisfying.

When you plan for things like this, I think it helps to cast the specialness of the sweet as something good and nice rather than a furtive binge. Which is rather the point of No-S anyway.

Thanks so much for posting this! This is a very good idea. It reminded me of a luncheon I attended once........the presentation was so NICE that you took the time to appreciate your food while you ate it and were somehow satisfied with smaller portions. It also reminded me of how my husband's aunt always says that, "wine always tastes better in a pretty wine glass". Presentation does have alot to do with it.

I think I will try your dessert shooters. Thanks!

I will try your dessert tooooo...looks great..

Portion control with something yummy and no frosting even better...

As you already know, I do some serious menu planning, so it's probably no surprise that I plan desserts as well. I usually have a few ideas kicking around, but I wait until closer to the weekend, if not the weekend itself, to decide what I will make. Most of the time it's not all that sweet, since i'm not all that crazy about over-sweet things.

This weekend I'm thinking it's likely to be a pie - some kind of chocolate - maybe chocolate chip or fudge brownie. Both of those freeze well, too, so they'll be some for another weekend when I might feel like eating a pie - but not necessarily baking one.

It could happen

I am making apple pie this weekend. I am considering 52 weekends of pie....I love pie. I made a peach pie two weeks ago it was divine!!!!!

LadyJ I made chocolate ganache pie a while back that was crazy rich and crazy good.