_______ ruins my figure/diet/life

[GraceW]

Is there one ingredient or food that you absolutely cannot "eat in moderation?"

I ask because I am very good about eating all things in moderation, but any time I am present--especially alone--with a jar of peanut butter, I cannot not eat a ton of it. It is absurd because I hardly even like it; I think it is the smell or the fact that I usually never have it that makes it unusual and intriguing to have.

I would be in favor of shipping all peanut butter in the US to other countries.

[Fromageball]

I actually do not have self control when it comes to any junk food I like, so there are several things I cannot buy or make without the intent of giving it away. Most cookies/brownies or cakes - except fake fruit flavored stuff, necco valentine hearts(of course they changed the recipe and now I think they are disgusting...but I will still eat through a bag if it's around), cheetos, cool ranch doritos, these chilean lime potato chips I found, good bread+butter, buttered, salty popcorn, mac&cheese, french fries, many varieties of cheese, etc. I can't resist anything with milk chocolate, but I do like dark chocolate and can restrain myself to having a small amount with no problem. If any of these, among other things, are in the house, I will not stop thinking about them until they are gone. Luckily I can pass any of them up in the grocery store fairly easily unless I am having a particularly bad craving which luckily does not happen too often.

[highforpie]

Cereal...addicted to cereal...and anything in bar form. All types of granola bars.

[GraceW]

Yes, I can no longer buy cereal anymore. It is a waste (for me) since I go through it too quickly and it is processed and expensive.

[jarona]

Oreo cookies. I cannot have them anywhere in my home. There is no way I can eat just one.
One Oreo = One complete package of Oreos + One half-gallon of milk= Bad things for Jarona

[Slowdive]

Yes. Just one. I'm like dearcallie- for me, it's definitely bread, I can eat it until I feel sick if I'm not careful. Especially pita bread (or lavash, or whatever...all those types of breads). I don't know what it is about it because it doesn't even taste very good. But I try not to keep it around because I've learnt that whenever I cave and buy it, I will eat the whole package in one evening. I'm pretty bad like that with good or artisan bread in general (and that stuff is crazy expensive, which makes it even worse). Good thing I'm a distance runner so at least it doesn't do any "damage" but seriously, ugh.
Though apparently I've always been like this. My grandmother has a story she loves about taking me to someone's bar mitzvah when I was about 4 and everyone being astonished that such a tiny girl could eat ten slices of challah with butter!

[jester99]

I love bread and I think the reason i run so much is because I eat a good amount of bread. Bread and cheese is a deadly combo for me or any kind of fresh compound butters like truffle or anchovie.

I have to control myself when I make bread because ill make a bouley round on saturday morning and will finish it by sunday afternoon.

[Vetter]

Cookies. And the sad thing is, I'm gluten free, so I'm making the damn things myself. I don't have any excuses!

[goodhealthgourmet]

LOL! you sound like me with my GF granola - i finally just had to stop making it.

[gryphonskeeper]

I can't open a 6oz bag of shelled pistachios, and not eat at least half the bag. I usually eat so many my cheek lining starts to get wrinkled....lol

[meatnveg]

any cherry chocolate combo

[mickie44]

Wasabi peas! Also around Christmas, PC (President's Choice) had dark chocolate covered caramels sprinkled with sea salt. I'm sure they made them smaller than previous years as I needed more to satisfy. Many more.

[sarahjay]

Living with my parents. They buy food I would never buy because I know I shouldn't eat it. It's much easier to not eat something when it's not in the house. But I'll be here for another couple of years at least, hope not to gain much more weight :(

[trvlcrzy]

Chocolate! In any form...

[brooklynkoshereater]

When I go out to dinner I can watch myself real well through apps and mains, and so long as we don't order dessert I'm okay. But once dessert comes one bite does not suffice. Ever. I will finish the entire thing - and my partner's dessert as well! Hey, you snooze you lose, buddy! Move your hand before I stab it with my spoon.

[goodhealthgourmet]

i've been on a prune kick lately...NOT good for someone who's sensitive to FOS and insoluble fiber.

[tatamagouche]

I love stewed prunes, and I don't care who knows it. Must be the old Jew in me.

[goodhealthgourmet]

ha! maybe it *is* a function of my heritage...tsimmes is the one thing i look forward to around Rosh Hashanah :)

[amyzan]

That's hilarious. Not something I would have admitted without another person saying so first, but yeah, I have a "thing" for prunes. I used to eat them with dark chocolate, which luckily makes one or two so damned enjoyable, I can stop there. Otherwise, the after effects, well, yeesh. Almond paste is also really decadent inside a prune, which has been lovely now that I can't seem to tolerate cocoa solids without getting a migraine.

ETA: I almost forgot, add a little bit of orange zest to the dark chocolate and prune combo--divine!

[goodhealthgourmet]

it's really too bad prunes have such a bad rap. they're delicious and so good for you.

re: chocolate, i use prune puree in chocolate desserts all the time...and speaking of almond paste, have you ever tried tahini? yum :)

you need to do that algae challenge - i'm so curious about your migraines!

[GraceW]

Prunes and figs are so good. I have never tried them covered in chocolate though...

[KayceeK]

I hear you on the figs...good call! Fresh or dried. Nom nom nom!

[sweetTooth]

Ooh! Do you have a Trader Joe's near you? This past holiday season they introduced a box of dried figs stuffed with a boozy ganache and enrobed in chocolate. To die for! I forget what it was called exactly. They are in the boxed chocolate section of the store, 9 to a box, in a flat white box. Some of the stores near me still have them. About $7 for the box here in Los Angeles.

[KayceeK]

I do not - I've never been to one actually but feel I am missing out - particularly when I cruise over to the Chains Board. "Boozy ganache enrobed in chocolate" - oh man.

[LauraGrace]

You had me at "boozy ganache."

Hell, anyone could have me at "boozy ganache."

[amyzan]

Yeah, but I have so much else going on right now, that I don't want to risk a migraine. So, the challenge will have to wait for work to slow down. sigh, because that means chocolate will have to wait, too!

[goodhealthgourmet]

believe me, i don't wish migraines on anyone - i suffer from them as well. i've been getting wicked exercise-induced ones lately. they SUCK.

i'll eat a little extra chocolate for you, okay? ;)

[KayceeK]

Someone else already mentioned Medjool dates, but I would have to add dried fruit in general to this. So sweetly good and satisfyingly chewy.

Also, lately, snow peas with chunky blue cheese dressing. The peas are fine - it's the dressing. At 80 cal/Tb - not good!! :(

[dustchick]

French fries
Hummus
M&Ms - plain or peanut
Chocolate chip cookies - fresh baked
Cadbury Mini Eggs

At least the hummus is nutritionally redeeming!

[nojunk]

Without a doubt....salted cashews. Might as well be crack. The only time they're allowed in the house is during the holidays. I'd say, of the 7-8 lbs I packed on this holiday season, probably four were thanks to those salty little nuggets of bliss. Oops, I probably just added another pound just thinking about them.

[chef chicklet]

My worst cravings are:
McDonalds french fries & their little cheese burgers
Buttered Popcorn and Bubble Gum Jelly Bellys
Maple Bars - fresh at the bakery (I've resisted so far, only have eaten one but oh my was it goooood.
Chinese and Mexican Food!

[spinachandchocolate]

Roasted/seasoned seaweed--very healthy but I can't stop eating them. I'd rather have this than chips.

Muffin tops! Get me around broken, crunchy pieces and nobody is around, I'll eat so much. I could care less about cakes or muffin mixes baked into loafs but can't control myself around the muffin tops. Hence, I never buy them!

[gryphonskeeper]

I am with you on the toasted seaweed! I buy the Nori sheets and crumble them in soup all the time.

[majordanby]

trail mix and nuts. people say its healthy. it is relative to cookies, candy and other sweet and sinful treats. but, it's good only in moderation. i can eat bags of it in no time. and 1/4th cup is like 200 calories. one fourth freakin cup is 200 calories??? that's nothing.

[meatnveg]

For me, the list is small but disasterous:

- Chocolate Chunk cookes, though thankfully, only the President's Choice brand (canadian)

- Fruit

- Steak/Roast chicken...pretty much any grilled/roasted/smoked meat, no matter what the portion will, it be consumed if put in front of me (it's why I love BBQ platters)

- Chocolate...but only if it has stuff inside (nuts, fruit) or is a bark with dried fruit, coconut

- Coconuts...the meat, the water..strangley not the milk.

[mickie44]

Jelly beans...old fashioned, not gourmet, jelly beans. The only thing that keeps me somewhat moderate is when all the reds and blacks are gone.

[buttertart]

Those are the best flavors, but you have to eat the black ones after the reds, they kill the taste of the reds. Red is the best candy flavor in general.

[mickie44]

But of course!

[mickie44]

I agree and yet...I think red licorice is the exception. If my friends are any indication, there will be plenty of argument here but red licorice just seems...not right. Licorice is black. Just like chocolate is various shades of brown and not white.

[buttertart]

No, red licorice is a thing onto itself. I love both. Also love white chocolate (not candy coating, the real deal).

[goodhealthgourmet]

agreed. red licorice is its own product. then of course there's the distinction between Twizzlers & Red Vines...

are you going to kick me out of the jelly bean-sharing club if i tell you i used to like "chocolate" Twizzlers when i was a kid?

[buttertart]

They weren't invented when I was a kid as far as I know. I had a chocolate one for the first time ever about a month ago - from Josh Early Candies in Allentown, PA - and was amazed how good it was, quite nicely milk chocolate-y. Their black licorice twists are great too. Re Red Vines - not that crazy about them, we had something called red licorice laces (each one about a yard long - that I really liked that had the most amazingly artificial red flavor anywhere and Red Vines don't come near it. Also don't like cherry Nibs all that much. So redness in a "licorice" product is problematic it seems.

[goodhealthgourmet]

So redness in a "licorice" product is problematic it seems.
~~~~~~~~~~
it's the flavor variations. some are cherry, some are raspberry, some are strawberry.

you & i have the same red licorice flavor preferences - i LOVED the laces as a child, and cherry bites tasted too much like cough syrup to me. i had never even heard of Red Vines until i moved out here to CA about 10 years ago - tried one at a friend's house and wasn't impressed.

it's funny how we can make erroneous assumptions about our fellow Hounds. for some reason i assumed you were about my age, and chocolate Twizzlers were certainly around when i was a kid - they were my favorite movie snack! i wish they were gluten-free, i'd love one right about now.

[onceadaylily]

I loved the laces too. The chew they had was far more rewarding than a Twizzler stick. I actually haven't seen them in years. I remember them as being drier than the usual red licorice.

[goodhealthgourmet]

this thread is making me sad. i want some laces so badly right now, and i just can't imagine that the only existing gluten-free option really compares...but i may have to order some and find out.

[onceadaylily]

I was thinking about this issue the other day, about how many foods are stricken from one's diet, and said out loud, "Gluten is so sneaky." My boyfriend was sitting nearby, and to him, this statement was apropos of nothing.

So, it's in the licorice too, then.

[goodhealthgourmet]

yup. licorice is traditionally made with wheat flour! there's one GF brand that makes strawberry laces, i'm seriously tempted to order it online.

re: the sneakiness, you have no idea. toothpaste, tea bags, spice blends, blue cheese...i could go on. keeps me on my toes, that's for sure!

[buttertart]

You could also knot them up into a big wad and jam them into your mouth...they were satisfyingly pull-y too. We had black licorice ones too but I liked the red better as laces. (Had black licorice "plugs" - pieces about 4" x 1 1/2" by 1/8" with shallow ridges on the tops - and cigars and pipes with the red hundreds and thousands on the ends - you either saved them for last or got rid of them first - that had a slightly doughy texture - as well as Twizzlers - the plugs etc were better.) (Any Canadians here? do they still sell licorice plugs?) Nibs then were more like the cigars in texture (and better thereby).
I don't remember chocolate Twizzlers until maybe the '80s? Can't find an introduction date on them. I grew up in the '60's. My mom gave me 10 cents for candy every day on the way back to school after lunch at home, you could buy a nice assortment of penny candy for that much.
PS I was a very VERY picky eater and lived about 50% on candy when I was a kid.

[onceadaylily]

Or you could tie them onto your pigtails, and then get soundly chastised for wanting to eat food that had been in your hair. Or so I've heard.

[buttertart]

There is that, too. Multifarious uses.

[buttertart]

There is that, too. Multifarious uses.

[mickie44]

Two separate clubs -- jelly beans and licorice. Your membership in the jelly bean club is secure in my eyes.

[buttertart]

I'm a charter member of both. Hereditarily as well. On the maternal side.

[goodhealthgourmet]

i'd gladly trade you all my reds for your yellow or green...but i'll keep the black ones. oh, and anyone can help themselves to my pink or white ones. ick.

[mickie44]

And purple are the worst! Flowery.

[buttertart]

Those I rather like.

[mickie44]

I wonder why they don't market them by color...mix and match...or do they?

[buttertart]

Not the regular ones, seasonal mixes sometimes (more red in Valentine's day mixes, hurray!).

[mjhals]

Totally agree on "red" being the best flavor. In fact, one of my favorite "red" candies is coming back into season- those horrible/wonderful red gummy Valentines hearts at CVS. I can eat an entire package in a single sitting, heck, almost in a single handful. Not good.

[buttertart]

Must look for those when I'm getting my cinnamon hearts!

[goodhealthgourmet]

yes! they're *supposed* to be grape, but they always tasted like lavender soap to me :)

okay, so buttertart can have our purples, you two can share my reds, and i'll take some yellow & green from both of you!

[mickie44]

If only world peace could be this easy.

[goodhealthgourmet]

ha! seriously :)

[rizzo0904]

Cake...chocolate, carrot, a coffee cake, any of them.
Brownies - i could eat a whole batch
Dark chocolate

Oh, and a bag of goldfish crackers

[weewah]

Brie.
Secondly, other cheese.

[ncyankee101]

Last time I got an 8 oz wheel of Brie - topped with some sort of caramel/apple concoction - it was gone in 5 or 6 (waking) hours. I only ate a small sliver at a time - maybe 1/16 of the wheel - but it was gone quickly nonetheless.

[mariacarmen]

ahahah, i love "waking hours", as opposed to eating it in your sleep!

[ncyankee101]

Well, it actually lasted 12-14 hours, but I was asleep much of that so it is not indicative of my true lack of willpower.

[LauraGrace]

Crunchy snacks, but I am very particular about the kind of crunch. Rice crackers of any kind, and kettle chips will fit the bill, but other crackers just aren't crunchy enough, and pretzels will only sometimes work. I could seriously kill two packets of 365-brand tamari rice crackers in a sitting. Same with a big back of salt and vinegar Kettle chips. Which is why I never have those things in the house, ever.

[amyzan]

Anything caramel, especially if it's salty caramel. I had to stop making David Lebovitz' salted butter caramel ice cream last summer, because I kept going back for one more spoonful, again, again, until I felt ill. If it tastes of nearly burned sugar, I can't seem to stop. ETA: As an aside, my sweet mother buys me one caramel candy at a time. She knows how I love it, but she also knows I'd scarf down a box in one sitting, and regret it because of the stomachache. Nobody knows or loves you like Mom.

[invinotheresverde]

Mine's definitely processed-junky-sodiumy, but I love the Snyder's Honey Mustard Pieces pretzels. Poof, the bag is gone and I want more.

[onceadaylily]

Those were the only pretzel products I have ever loved (so much better than the nuggets someone pressed upon me, which led to me finding out about the pieces). Loved them beyond reason. I was up to three bags in the cart per shopping trip, and then I cracked a tooth. When I see them in the store now, I experience longing mixed with fear. And anger. I miss having those yellow fingers that made it difficult to turn the page of a book.

[mamueller]

They had buffalo flavored ones - maybe still do, but must not go there

[julesrules]

I like the buffalo ones better than actual chicken wings. And I figure they're way less
damaging, practically harmless ;)

[onceadaylily]

Damaging unless you have my teeth . . . are you two working for my dentist?

[Avalondaughter]

Pizza is my #1. I never have it anymore because I can't stop. I like it with toppings too. Sure a veggie or two is nice, but I also like sausage and meatball and pepperoni and prosciutto....

Doughnuts are another one. Don't put me near the Munchkins. I'll eat the entire box.

Chips and salsa/guacamole. Just plain evil.

Pigs and blankets. God help you if you serve them at your party. I'd even go as far as to say hot dogs in general. I think I could win a contest.

Sweet or spicy chicken wings. See above.

Ice cream - I don't keep it in the house. It's no accident that I live almost an hour away from my favorite ice cream place.

Ice

[mamueller]

I had to go cold turkey on sunflower seeds years ago - the salted in the shell kind.
Salty pumpkin seeds are a very rare treat - will eat them until my mouth hurts
I cannot buy that processed crock cheddar cheese - will eat that right off the spoon til it's gone
Odd items, but there you have it.

[jhopp217]

While I've been good lately, over the years my kryptonite has been potato chips.

[mtngirlnv]

Potato Chips!!! Kirkland brand if available, otherwise anything but the BBQ flavor! I buy them for our football parties, and afterwards, take what is left immediately to the office, because I know I will sit and eat the ENTIRE bag.....

[samj530]

Chocolate dipped plain Ruffles!

[viperlush]

I've found that if I fill a bowl, instead of eating straight from the bag I can usually avoid eating too many. But I still have to resist the temptation to get up and refill the bowl and my bf has to hold his ground when I plea for him to do it for me.

[jhopp217]

Wait, you're allowed to put them in a bowl? HAHAAA!

[goodhealthgourmet]

one of the tricks i teach my clients is to divide up snack foods into individual portions in baggies or small containers as soon as they get home from the store, or at the very least do as you do and pour them into a cup or bowl, put the bag away, and go eat in another room. but yes, it only works if you stop yourself from going back for another...and another... :)

[jhopp217]

I do this with things like chicken cutlets, steaks (if there are two packaged together), sausage, etc. definitely helps. As far as chips, I don't think I could do it. While sorting them, I'd have to eat some to make sure all the bags were even, haha!

[goodhealthgourmet]

ah, yes...quality control ;)

[tracylee]

I used to make snacks hard to get to - downstairs in a hall closet from where I'd be sitting. I made myself get just one serving while I was there and take it back upstairs to eat.

[queencru]

There were these Country Ma'am cookies in Japan that I would eat to excess, and most other people I talked to who ate them had the same issue. The strange thing was that they were not that delicious- the green tea flavor was rather gross- but you just felt compelled to eat them until the whole box was gone. Thankfully, there were only 16 cookies to a box, so it didn't do that much damage.

[gryphonskeeper]

Watermelon. If I crack one open, I will eat slice after slice until I feel almost glutted.

[guilty]

Sounds pretty healthful to me; it is mostly water. after all.

[genuinelady2]

For me, the medication that I am on for Bipolar doesn't help me slim down. I also have problems eating when I first get up in the morning and start my breakfast around 10am; lunch 3pm and dinner at 7-8 pm. Since I quit smoking this New Year's eve, I do not want extra poundage to appear so I have been having my clementines for snacking. Unsalted cashew nuts, mid morning snack for my blood sugar levels, I think I am doing pretty good.

[gansu girl]

good luck! I find that having fruit nicely arranged & accessible on the counter (along w/cut veg in the fridge) helps that "I just need a little somethin'" snicky-snack attack be a much healthier event. great to pair your fruit w/a little protein (like a few nuts - but for me, easy to get carried away w/those, too) to keep you satisfied for longer. apple & an ounce of cheese is one of my go-to's.

GG
http://www.semisweetonline.com

[GraceW]

I love fruit snacking! If you keep blueberries or grapes in the freezer, then you will only be able to eat a few at a time and they are very refreshing to eat straight out of the freezer.

[mariacarmen]

Cheese - caramelly aged goudas, runny triple creams, stinky blues... all of them.
Fries - thin crispy golden salty fries primarily, but i wouldn't toss a steak fry out of bed.
Potato chips - nothing fancy, Lays will do. Plain or BBQ. Love Maui sweet onion chips too.
Liverwurst - Farmer John's is good enough. i can eat spoonfuls, right out of the tube.

[TheHuntress]

Sweeties - especially sherbet lemons and minties, I cannot have one or two and then stop. And hot, crispy, salty fries. Oooohhhh, they are like manna from heaven and I can never get enough. But realistically I know that it comes down to the simple fact that greed ruins my diet (therefore my figure and therefore my life). I am so unbelieveably greedy and I just can't understand those special people who learned restraint. They have a level of self discipline that I sorely lack.

[waterstones121]

I'm a chocolate addict!

[stellamystar]

*Chewy Brownies
*Chips & Salsa (any kind or brand)
*Cheez-Its and/or "holiday" Chex Mix Snack Mix (the Worcestshire..)
*Mashed Potatoes & Gravy

and. sadly.
WHITE WINE.! (Sav. Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, even Prosecco)
If it's open, it's gone. Not sure if this is a *serious* problem, or just my love of drinking white wine. Red wine is where I can moderate myself. White wine - oy vey.

[Ruth Lafler]

Oh yeah: chips and salsa. Whenever I eat at a Mexican restaurant I end up eating so much chips and salsa I have to take most of my dinner in a doggie bag. Sometimes in the summer when I make fresh salsa, I chips and salsa end up being dinner.

[onceadaylily]

Certain crackers and chips, the usual suspects, but also the soy-drenched rice crackers wrapped in nori. I like to find the seam, and then peel the seaweed bit off first with my teeth, and then eat the cracker. Tortilla chips and salsa also are worth noting (when the boyfriend goes out of town, I happily can make dinner out of this).

Pie. I'm a hit or miss baker, but I can make a pretty good pie, and find it suitable for any meal. Or snack. Or *mood*.

Boiled eggs. I like to slice them, and dip them in soy sauce. I could easily eat a half-dozen before I realize what I've done. But I still want more.

Spicy peanut noodles. Once I got my recipe down, I wanted them every night. There are no vegetables in my peanut noodles, unless we can count the garlic chile paste. I don't think we can.

And liquor, just in general.

[goodhealthgourmet]

Pie. I'm a hit or miss baker, but I can make a pretty good pie, and find it suitable for any meal. Or snack. Or *mood*.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
LOL! i love this :)

[onceadaylily]

Pie takes care of all kinds of business.

[chef chicklet]

mmmm I gotta try your boiled eggs and soy, sounds like a winner. Lately I've been dipping them in ranch dressing, I'm sure that's terrible...and I have to slice them up too. As you, I eat them cause I have it in my head they're only boiled eggs....

[fickle]

Pie for me as well. When it's fresh from the oven and not too sweet, I could easily eat half a pie in one sitting and go back for the rest 10 mins later.

[EWSflash]

Cheese.

[ipsedixit]

Ice cream

Granola

Sometimes, if it's ice cream topped with granola, then all hell breaks lose. People start calling 911.

[goodhealthgourmet]

i think most of us could have predicted that your answer would be ice cream, ipse ;) but i didn't know you had a granola addiction!

[ipsedixit]

I prefer my own homemade granola, but I have yet tasted any kind of granola that is truly inedible (at least by my standards).

Even stale granola is lovely. It goes great with a large scoop of ice cream!

[sccrash]

Add maple syrup to granola and ice cream, take a taste, and become the cartoon dog who floats slowly down from the sky when he eats something deliciuos.

[goodhealthgourmet]

or just use my maple granola on the ice cream ;)

[goodhealthgourmet]

well, the only things that could potentially ruin my *life* in terms of food are gluten and soy.

but in terms of things i shouldn't even start eating because of my tendency to get carried away...roasted pumpkin seeds in the shell, or an open jar of nut or seed butter.

i'd say cheese & chocolate - my two other high-cal favorites - but they're too rich for me to really get out of control...i get nauseated before i eat too much.

ETA: ipse reminded me of another one - my homemade granola...which is why i haven't made any in months!

[gansu girl]

GHG, granola in general is a baddie for me - homemade the worst! Another "healthful" yet really calorie-dense food I have to limit access to . . . .

GG
http://www.semisweetonline.com

[westsidegal]

the costco granola that they "homemake" is really addicting.

[goodhealthgourmet]

one of the few benefits to Celiac Disease for me...there's really no packaged GF granola worth eating!

[alanbarnes]

Beer. I owe my girlish figure, charming disposition, and minty-fresh breath to the folks at the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Urp.

[onceadaylily]

Their pale ale is in my top three, and as I type I can hear the incredulous and chastising voice of my boyfriend: "Didn't we JUST buy beer? Did you drink it all?" I tend to counter with something along the lines of: "And have I not been very pleasant?"

[alanbarnes]

If a little is good a lot must be better. Right?

[onceadaylily]

That is exactly what the second beer whispers to me.

[buttertart]

Can't fly on one wing, as my dad used to say.

[onceadaylily]

I'm stealing that. And now I have an excuse to drink two beers, just so I can use that line.

[buttertart]

My dad would be proud of you, were he still here to be.

[LauraGrace]

YES YES THIS. Except that I live alone, and I ask myself that question. I think I will answer that question with your reply as well! LOL!

[samj530]

Even better, go to the Sierra Nevada Tap Room restaurant in Chico, CA. It's only 35 minutes from my house & it is by far my fave place to eat at in Chico. For you CHEESE & BEER lovers out there, try the wood fire oven pizza with a pint of their beer made with local hops grown right across the street!

[alanbarnes]

Oh, yeah. Love the place. It's more like an hour and a half for me, but I was supposed to be in Chico tomorrow and was definitely going to spend some time at the brewery. Unfortunately plans changed... :-(

[linguafood]

Cheese, hands down. Most other stuff I can control. I've really had to cut down. Otherwise, it's a good 5-6 oz. of cheddar around 10 pm with wine -- naturally shaved super thin so you have the illusion of eating very little.... until it's all gone.

Cheetos. Never have them in the house except for poker games.

Also, those pistachio & chocolate-covered toffees from Trader Joe's. A friend from Baltimore brought them over. Killer. Thankfully, we don't have a TJ's where I live, and if we did, I would not buy them.

[sueatmo]

I can't stay out of the cheese. I bought some Tillamook cheddar, and I have been eating it all week. If I were to buy a really nice cheese, I know I would not be able to stay away from it.

The other thing is nuts. I am eating low carb, and so I get to eat nuts. And I do. In abundance.

If I were not eating low carb then I'd say caramel corn. I apparently can't have a moderate portion. I immediately want more, and more, and more. I learned a long time ago not to make it because I ate it!

[YAYME]

Candy, ice cream, cakes, brownies, cookies. AND NOW the store is stocking Cadbury creme eggs! WHY?!

[gansu girl]

I saw the Cadbury eggs yesterday - and Easter is when? I mean, really. I think that in September they should just bring everything out at once - halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's day and just get it all over with. Sheesh. But I'm with you - that weird creme w/the milk chocolate = pretty tasty.

GG
http://www.semisweetonline.com

[dowlf]

Cheeseburgers.

[Isolda]

Any Asian sweet (I have a weakness for sticky rice with mango, buns with sweet red bean paste, and eight treasure rice pudding), Sugar in general is addictive. I don't love super fatty, sweet things like tiramisu, so maybe there's hope.

[mjhals]

I can't go to Costco ever again. Over Christmas I ate almost an entire package of their Marcona almonds along with a tremendous amount of their dried mangoes. Wonderful paired together btw, I just don't recommend the over 1 lb quantities of each that I consumed.

[alwayscooking]

Cheese

Gooey
Hard
Smelly
Sweet

It's all a treat

[annasiam]

Definitely cheese here too.

I could care less about ice cream and would rather eat apples than cookies. But I can't be trusted around cheese.

Also Doritos. Evil, artificial, swimming in MSG, bad for you in every way, but I can't stop eating them. So I never eat them.

[tatamagouche]

+ 2.

Ditto dips of all stripes.

[Peg]

Cheese +3
Any cheese. Even cottage cheese.
I cannot buy it because I will eat all of it.

[Obessed]

+ 4 on Cheese.

All types.

And wine.

I can't have either now cause I'm pregnant....well, I can have some cheese, but not the yummy, gooey, raw milk kind.

[AllNatural]

+5 for cheese- especially the runny, gooey types. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

[ediblover]

Last night I ate about 3-4k calories worth of desserts. I had trouble sleeping and my body was in a funk for most of today (sugar overload!). I'm fairly active, so it doesn't impact my health, but it's still something I need to get a reign on.

On the other things brought up here:
Nutella/Peanut butter: I always keep both stocked, but rarely go for them. Not because I have awesome control, but I don't keep bread often, and I pretty much have to have them on bread.
Chocolate: I eat about 2-4 servings most weekdays.

Right now I have about a quart of ice cream and a few tartufos in the freezer. I'll be content if some still remain by Friday.

[dearcallie]

Good bread... with real butter or olive oil.

I've given up most carbs - because the difference in the way I feel when avoiding them is seriously appreciable - without a pang, and I rarely buy bread... but I am just shamefully weak when confronted with a good bread basket at a restaurant or if I have some left over from a dinner or something.

Crusty sourdough, a chewy whole grain loaf, a real baguette...ahhhgh, I'm powerless over the siren call... my New Year's Resolution is to be fairly stringent during the week, and allow myself a single splurge each weekend day. After all, it's not honestly possible to order eggs over easy without delicious wheat toast to dip in them... is it? Or order a giant thin crust pizza from a local place and *not* enjoy the crispy blackened crust and edges? Not for me anyway... ;-)

[Ruth Lafler]

I love chocolate, but I can ration it into reasonable servings.

I'm not one of those people who thinks a pint of ice cream is a single serving.

But I am powerless before cookies. Seriously. I just took two boxes of cookies to the breakroom at work, because I'd eaten the other box (someone had given them to me) in two days.

[Cachetes]

You and me sister. Cookies. I throw them back like peanuts.

[Ruth Lafler]

What was really bad was then next day I had a craving for cookies. I was headed to the store when I managed to convince myself that it was ludicrous to buy cookies when I'd just given two boxes away so I wouldn't eat them!

[Cachetes]

Ha! It does get ridiculous. Why a cookie, when cake, brownies, cupcakes hold so little allure, I don' t know. My husband tried to throw out some old Christmas cookies and, by my reaction, you'd have thought he was threatening to sell our child.

[Ruth Lafler]

LOL! You could put them in the freezer. I do that when I make a batch of chocolate chip cookies.

I don't understand cupcakes, either, and I rarely eat cake. I do make killer brownies (they also go in the freezer).

[Cachetes]

Unfortunately, I love frozen cookies.....

[Ruth Lafler]

Yes, well, that killer brownie recipe is pretty good straight from the freezer. But at least (1) they're out of sight, out of mind, and (2) you can't tell yourself that you might as well finish them before they go stale.

[julesrules]

Brownies actually age really well. I know because I *once* forgot that I had some leftover. How I forgot that I had brownies in the house is a mystery.

[Cachetes]

That's true - out of the freezer, I'm much more likely to just grab 2 cookies, rather than the 5 or 6 I'll grab from the counter.

[GraceW]

Today I found out something that might help--at bakeries or even at a Whole Foods that sells tea cookies by the pound--you can buy individual cookies. You don't have to buy a whole pound. Therefore, you could go and literally buy yourself just 1 tea cookies and be happy.

[westsidegal]

i'm right there with you if the cookies are crunchy/crisp.

[kellylee]

Those darn chalky valentine hearts. I know, I know, but I can't stop.

[buttertart]

Something so appallingly wonderful about them. Reminds me it's time to get some cinnamon hearts (red hots) too. Another uh-oh candy.

[juliadevi]

+1 red hots

...they stick in your teeth... so you need some more... and more until the packet is gone...

thank god they don't exist on this side of the atlantic

[buttertart]

And if they're a little stale they're even better.

[juliadevi]

too true.... packets bought on clearance after v-day, consumed in april or thereabouts... mmm... dammit now i want some! ;)

[buttertart]

They were the only thing I wanted when my fever broke when I had the mumps as a kid - and it wasn't the season (they only came out at Valentine's Day in Canada, at least then). My mother managed to come up with some finally. What a mom.

[Fromageball]

I love those too(the necco ones)...unfortunately I hate the recipe change :( I guess it's good though because I used to eat them by the bag.

[rmarcoux]

Medjool dates! I guess it could be worse, but I can never eat just one, I go through half of them before I even notice what I'm doing!

[sweetTooth]

>:-) You want to gild the lily? Get some good fresh ghee (make it yourself, preferably). Get it cold enough so it solidifies to say room-temperature butter consistency. Pit your medjool dates and fill the cavity with this ghee. Pop in mouth. Yes, I am evil >:-) Plus I really had to get back at yawl for making me abandon my perfectly healthy rice and sprouted lentils lunch for some trashy crunchies from the vending machine.

[linguafood]

Really? Dates stuffed with clarified butter? Whoa. I think I can live without ever trying that one.

[sweetTooth]

You have to actually like both dates and ghee to like this one. Do you like ghee enough to eat a blob of it straight up? Then this is will knock your socks off. Rich? Oh yes! The ghee cuts the sweetness of dates and balances it.

[linguafood]

I do like dates, but I'm not sure I could eat a blob of ghee straight up. Crème fraîche, on the other hand, I could eat by the (tea)spoonfuls.

[sweetTooth]

Truth be told, the only reason I ever tried this was because I was introduced to it in my carefree childhood. You know, when nothing you eat sticks around to mock you later. And now that I know how awesome it tastes, it is easier to overlook the blob of pure fat aspect. :-)

[HillJ]

Black licorice hands down

[Cathy]

+1

[HillJ]

https://www.licoriceinternational.com...
A CH posted this link...and now I'm a total goner.

[samj530]

Okay, I have a few...

Cookie Tree Diana Sugar Cookies (Basically take a chocolate chip cookie recipe, use all white sugar instead of brown, no butter just vegetable shortening, not chocolate chips & roll it in sugar before baking)
Pepsi & Cherry Pepsi!
San Pellegino Sodas - Limonata & Aranciata
Chinese Food
In & Out French Fries
Carl's Jr. Chili Fries

I am currently on a doctor prescribed diet (no simple carbs, sugar, white flour, white rice, etc.). It sucks!!!

[KayceeK]

Good call on the Chinese food in general. I cannot stop at one plateful. It may also just be the best post-bar food ever.

[gansu girl]

Lately, I've had to not buy the Trader Joe's dried and sweetened green mango - it's tangy, sweet and comes in leeetle pieces that go down easy and quickly. Hard to stop. Also have issues w/marshmallows, bakery goods, Cheetos . . . basically, carbs! My idea of heavenly comfort food is boiled white jasmine rice with butter and salt. Lots of salt. Cannot stop eating that if I let myself start!

GG
http://www.semisweetonline.com

[Isolda]

That green mango is delicious! It actually reminds me of sweetened dried pineapple. But the mango isn't bad as far as an indulgence goes. I don't think it's too high in calories, plus it has fiber and no fat, so a bag (or two) won't add too many pounds.

[goodhealthgourmet]

plus it has fiber and no fat, so a bag (or two) won't add too many pounds.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
depends on the person. some of us would gain weight far more easily from all that concentrated sugar than we would from a couple tablespoons of nut butter.

[gansu girl]

Yes, I suppose as indulgences go it's on the healthier end of the spectrum, but there is a TON of sugar in that stuff and not only to I feel awful when I eat too much (usually a low sugar kinda person) but the number of calories (even if accompanied by fiber & fat free) = extra poundage for this mama if she's not careful . . . . dried fruit in general is tough that way - very calorie dense!

GG
http://www.semisweetonline.com

[spinachandchocolate]

Isolda, from a nutritionist speaking, fat and fiber are not the factor in weight gain, it's calories (from the sugar) and how your body processes that kind. Your statement reminds me of the 90s diet no-fat (more calories) fad.

[westsidegal]

trader joes , in their freezer case, carries frozen prepared organic jasmine rice that can be heated up in a microwave.. . . .

maybe you didn't need to know this)

[Ruth Lafler]

Since you like both butter and a lot of salt, have you tried soy sauce? Soy sauce, butter and rice is one of my favorite simple but great combos (there's more than one discussion on the deliciousness of soy sauce and butter).

[linguafood]

What are the proportions? I've seen posts on the combo (sometimes with balsamic added), but the one time I made it, I musta used too much butter or something.. it was icky.

Obvy, I don't need a recipe, but ... yeah, some proportions would help. Cause I can really see that sauce on a lot of things :-D

[Ruth Lafler]

Uh, I have no idea. Depends on how you're going to use it. Generally, I start with the butter (or buttered rice) and add soy sauce until it tastes good to me. It also depends on the butter you use and the soy sauce you use! If I had to guess, I'd say somewhere in the neighborhood of 3:1 butter to soy sauce.

[linguafood]

Interesting. Last time I made it, I thought there was too much butter in it, and it was maybe 2:1 or 3:1.

[Ruth Lafler]

As I said, it depends on what you're going to use it for. For me, it's basically a flavored butter, but you may be thinking of it more as a flavored soy sauce- type dipping sauce.

[gansu girl]

hey, wait a minute, I don't need SUGGESTIONS on how to FEED this problem, friends! but Ruth, this sounds delicious and no, I haven't tried it . . . yet.

GG
http://www.semisweetonline.com

[Ruth Lafler]

One of our roles here on chowhound is to be enablers for our fellow chowers!

[Fromageball]

When I don't feel like cooking, I just have quinoa with butter and soy sauce. I think it's important to add a small amt of butter and then add more if needed...otherwise it is possible to get too much(ditto with the soy sauce).

[Miss Needle]

Nutella (or some version of it) -- which is why I never have it in the house. I wish I could buy Nutella in small amounts like freshly ground peanut butter.

[Cathy]

http://cudge.net/catering_detail9.htm...

[Miss Needle]

Oh how interesting! But I would have to buy 96 of them! You'd probably find me with 96 empty open containers by the end of the day.

[goodhealthgourmet]

LOL! not to make matters worse, but you can buy single packets of Justin's nut butters too, and they make choc-hazelnut PB, among others...

http://www.justinsnutbutter.com/produ...

[HillJ]

Single packets avail by mail order. I have been unable to find/buy Justin's Nut Butter in single packets locally. And the only way I can enjoy the variety is by purchasing them by the box online. The choc-hazelnut is actually my least favorite, tho.

Have you found a local source for this brand, ghg?

[goodhealthgourmet]

ugh, i hate to give them any business, but Whole Paycheck sells the singles. here's their retail partners page - not sure where you are in Jersey, so i don't know if any of these stores are near you:
http://www.justinsnutbutter.com/shop.php

if you're ever in NYC, i think i remember seeing them at Amish Market or Garden of Eden.

[pickychicky1979]

Our local Voldemart, whoops Wal-Mart has them.

[HillJ]

Our local NJ WF only carries jars and Wal-Mart....well (sorry folks) I don't enter WM.

[goodhealthgourmet]

with you on WM.

WF would probably try stocking them to see how they sell if you ask...i may not have many positive things to say about them, but they're usually pretty good about at least testing out products/options that have worked at other locations.

[HillJ]

Yeah, I'll ask CS next time I'm there. FWIW, the mail order isn't awful but if I can avoid s/h to buy more PB I'd be happier.

[goodhealthgourmet]

Amazon Prime. gotta love free 2-day shipping :)

[HillJ]

nk, Amazon sells it. I'm always surprised by their food section. Next time I place an Amazon order, I'll check it out.

[goodhealthgourmet]

i'm beginning to think Amazon really does sells EVERYTHING.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=s...

[Fromageball]

Yes, and if you happen to be a student the first year is free!

[EWSflash]

I LOVE the Voldemart nickname!

[greygarious]

Voldemart - hah! Stealing that one.

[Pia]

It's easy to make a variation of it -- melt chocolate, grind up some toasted hazelnuts, add confectioner's sugar and a little salt and oil (I like to use olive oil). Google "chocolate hazelnut spread" or "homemade nutella" and you'll find lots of recipes. You can make as little or as much as you like.

[Miss Needle]

Thanks. I should try it at some point. Got a couple of lbs of chocolate lying around (that I can keep around with no problem) and some hazelnuts.

GHG, I'm also a sucker for PB with nutella. I see PB and nutella sandwich in my future!

And ediblover -- unfortunately I don't need bread to enjoy Nutella. If I required bread like you, I would probably also not have a problem with it as I never have that stuff around. But I find that nutella is also great on rice crackers, pancakes, spoon, my finger.

[westsidegal]

my local gelson's grocery store sells an organic, imported Italian brand of Hazelnut/Chocolate that makes nutella seem awful by comparison.
no trans fats, no artificial anything in it.
i ate a couple of jars worth with a spoon before i admitted that i have no control with the stuff.

[goodhealthgourmet]

is it Rigoni di Asiago? that stuff is deadly...and i mean that in the best possible way :)

[Miss Needle]

Yeah, I actually don't eat the Nutella brand. Just used "Nutella" for convenience because I figured that's what most people would be aware of. Kind of like using the word "Kleenex" for tissues.

[la2tokyo]

French fries. Last week I worked out for an hour before my friend's birthday knowing I'd be eating fries that night. We went to a fantastic French bistro, I got steak frites, and I ate a mountain of frites. Then as we finished another bottle of wine I started slowly picking away at the four other half-eaten piles of fries on the table until they were all gone. It was a record low for self control in my life. I think I ate the equivalent of four super-size fries. I hope my workout counterbalanced the meal, but I'm not so sure.

[a213b]

This.

I call myself a French Fry Whore. I will eat all of mine ... even if they are Sysco Frozen Variety Mark I.
And then I will eat yours ... and then anyone else's.

[Fromageball]

Me too! I always get a little thud in my stomach when I'm with someone who mentions not being able to eat all of their fries(a lot of people are like this!)...because I know I will eat them and I am never too full for fries. Sigh.

[jlafler]

Me too. I always vow not to overdo, but once I'm in the throes of a french fry feed, all thoughts of moderation go out the window. This is why I almost never order them for myself -- because I know that if someone else orders them, I will eat as much of their order as I can get away with.

[EWSflash]

The fries where I work appear to be Sodium Free, which makes them not even good to me, but sometimes I get them and when I do I eat every got-dam one of them. They have tater tots, too, either undercooked and mushy or so overcooked they're hollow, but either way I eat every damn last one.
So I have been hitting the salad bar, which is pretty good, and not going to the grill. The salad bar has a ton of fatty snacks but they charge by the ounce- good built-in discipline.
Also I've been taking my lunch a lot too.

[piccola]

I'm like that with some nuts (cashews, walnuts) and, oddly enough, grapes. I make sure to buy only small amounts or else I'd be in trouble.

[KayceeK]

Ditto on the grapes. I can eat a whole bag, no problem. And they're not cheap!

[Ruth Lafler]

I can eat grapes in moderation, but I'll eat cherries until they make me sick (lotsa fiber in those cherries, you know). Maybe because cherries are one of the most seasonal of all fruits (yeah, you can get insanely expensive Chilean cherries year round, but I won't buy them).

[piccola]

I know, right? Although the price does make me think twice before buying, so that's helpful.

[gryphonskeeper]

The price is far lower than one binge on fast food... both on the wallet and the hips, lol!

[gryphonskeeper]

Me as well, I love cold red grapes especially.

[greygarious]

Ditto on the cashews.

[westsidegal]

fresh bing cherries when in season.
fresh lychee nuts.
grapes.

[guilty]

For me, it's pretty much any nut or seed butter. I don't usually buy it for this reason, but when I do, I always ask myself why after the first spoonful, since I know that my waist and my skin will be sorry soon. Tip: keeping it in the freezer makes it harder to eat.