The Princess Tries Holey Donuts, and if you want to, limited time $4.99 shipping eases the pain

You may remember that I didn't order the widely-praised HOLEY DONUTS because there was a nearly 20 buck shipping cost. Well, I did finally order them when they had their "donuts for five bucks per box" promotion, cause the discount actually turned out to pay for the whole of the shipping cost. :) The images in this post depict the particular items I ordered: the donut hole assortment, a sampler of full size donuts, and the cinnamon buns.

My take: Very nice. For donut lovers, those who simply cannot live without their pillowy frosted or cream-filled or cinnamony treats, this is a lower-calorie, lower-fat, better option. (Though I will not go the hyperbolic route and call these healthy. It's still refined flour and sugar and what-not. This is not health-food, it's simply LESS BAD VERSIONS of junk food that taste nearly as good as the best donuts out there.

One high recommendation for the cinnamon buns created by Holey Donuts came from my hubby. Confession: I only had one bite and thought it was just fine, but haven't had anymore in the last couple weeks since I got my order, since I simply don't crave cinnamon buns/rolls that often. I'm a custard filling lover, myself. Anyway, back to hubby: I served him half of a cinnamon bun for dessert shortly after getting our order. He munched on it and declared, "Hmmm. Nice." I said, "Those are lowfat, ya know?" He said, "You didn't even need to say it. I wouldn't have known." My hubby is a super picky eater. So, a "nice" from him is high praise.

My preferred one has been the Oreo Boston Creme, the rasberry filled with fudge crumb topping, and the raspberry filled donut holes. I did not like the lemon filled donut holes, but then, I've never much cared for lemon fillings in donuts in general. The coconut creme was quite pleasant, with plenty of shredded coconut on top that actually FEELS and TASTES fresh. I hear it's one of their top sellers, and I can see why. I gotta give HOLEY DONUTS their props for making a creme filling that tastes as decadent as any Dunkin Donuts offers. The raspberry filling is very "donut legit." :)

The main drawbacks I find are that 1. barring special offers, it's a high price to pay for low-fat desserts. I think this will be solved as they can distribute them to supermarkets in the future. 2. you gotta nuke these babies, and it's tricky to figure out how to do it best for the varieties of items they offer (ie, times for the donut holes versus full-size donuts, versus half or a whole cinnamon bun, depending on the size and power of the nuker used), 3. they need to solve their delivery issues. It took a while to get my donuts, and I ordered a second one during their last promotion, and I still haven't received a notification of delivery/tracking more than a week later.

But in terms of quality and taste for a modified product (ie, lower-fat, lower-caloric version of a standard donut, bun, etc), these really are tasty and deserve the praise they've been getting.

Still, for those on lower-carb, insulin-resistance, or glycemic index type diets, these are NOT for you. If you're diabetic, these are not for you. If you have had gastric bypass and sugar dump, you know these are not for you. And if you are on a clean diet, these are not for you. These are a sweet treat for those who can afford about 200 or so calories (and only eat half a cinnamon bun at a time) for dessert.

If you have portion control issues, be careful, cause you have to order a minimum of 3 boxes at a time. I will say that the donut holes do offer a smaller diet impact for those who can stick to one or two at a time.

I suspect that once Holey Donuts can get in stores, they're gonna sell a gazillion of these babies. Maybe one day you'll see HD franchises waging war with DD. Who knows?

But with these donuts, you won't miss the extra fat or calories, for sure. Very, very nice. I will only order them when they have specials that counteract the shipping costs, but I definitely would order these for myself and for family events, even at roughly $2 a donut.

If you want to try them, get delivery for $4.99 right now. This special offer expires at midnight EST tuesday,8/25/09.

And an abruptly terminated checkout at Holey Donuts

There's been so much buzz lately in the few "diet" sites I've visited about Holey Donuts, that I went to their site and signed up for emails on specials and such (as part of entering the giveaway that Hungry Girl promoted).

So, in my inbox today, I get a special--get free donut holes and credit of $5 on next order with a minimum 3 assortment order. Huh, sounds nice, I think.

Granted, these are not cheap to start with at a couple bucks per donut, and three bucks plus per cinnamon bun. But the cinnamon buns and the donut holes sounded like good options for the freezer for occasional treats. (I have a freezer UPSTAIRS, and I go up there so rarely, sometimes the treats I have get too old, like some VitaTop muffins. It's a good place to put the tempting stuff, as I have to get dressed, go outside with keys, go up a flight of stairs, go into a different apartment's kitchen if I want the treat. Hubby keeps some snack stuff up there, out of my way.)

I decide that the offer for free donut holes with purchase tempts me to get those buns. I go through part of the checkout process, then see that the delivery fee is over 18 bucks.

Ya know, that just up and killed that transaction.

I understand they need to deliver these by a certain window due to the nature of the product. Totally get it. But, these are pricey donut treats, and when you add price and delivery for the minimum of 3 assortments, well... I can't see paying about SIXTY BUCKS for 8 cinnamon buns and 6 flavored donuts just to get bonus donut holes for free.

If they'd given a credit on shipping, instead of free donuts or a future discount, I'd have ordered the obligatory 3 assortments. Yes, I really like the idea of a cinnamon bun right now. Or a boston creme donut hole. Too bad the speical offer wasn't free shipping or five buck shipping. That would make sampling the stuff less painful, more of a done deal by now.

Ah, well. Maybe down the road they'll be stocked in local specialty groceries or something, the way VitaTops made it to regular supermarkets and Whole Foods. Or maybe I'll get lucky and I'll win an assortment.

I'm curious. Answer me this: Would you pay 60 bucks roughly for 14 reduced fat dessert treats (not counting the special bonus offer now for the holes, which I assume is limited and not usual) without having a chance to sample them first, not knowing if you'll love them, just going on testimonials? Would you?

I think I'm afraid I'll not like them THAT much, the way I hated most of my first order of VitaTops (I only ended up being able to eat the chocolate ones, so ended up tossing a lot of muffins.)

So, have you tried these? Did you think they were okay or great or not-so-great? Did you think the price was commensurate with the quality? And did anyone else do what I did....get through most of the checkout and go, "Oh, no, I ain't paying THAT much in shipping!"?

Well, if you're braver or richer or more donut-obsessed than I am, here's the link to order. And if you want the free donut hole sample and five bucks credit on your second order, then you have to use the code Ldth . (Guessing it's for Lowfat DonuT Holes.) This code is only good for TODAY, the seventeeth.

On the plus side of treats, I ordered organic chocolate frozen bananas made from organic and raw ingredients for my next week's desserts. Hey, fruit and potassium and real cocoa and sweetened with agave nectar. More "whole" and healthful than donuts, lowfat or otherwise, right?

Still, those cinnamon buns looked crazy yummy...sigh. ; )

Why Do We Give Kids Foods We Know Are Bad for Our Own Struggling Selves?

With the holiday season in full swing, I've been a bit concerned about how entrenched unhealthful foods are part of the gift-giving tradition. Fatty cakes. Butter-laden cookies. Sugary treats in huge portions in pretty cans and jars and boxes.

As people fighting the fight against fat, we know that cookies, candies, and cakes are things that ought to be RARE treats (or, in the cases of those with bad triggers, banned altogether or modified significantly into less-dangerous versions).

But what do I see, including from women and men as big as I am (or bigger)? People with kids...

They stuff them with candy, cookies and cakes. Not just once week or once a month, but regularly. And moreso in this holiday time.

With childhood obesity a major health concern (some call it an epidemic) in the US (and other nations), we really need to take a look at this. A good hard no-excuses sort of look.

Imagine if we had grown up with our parents more disciplined about what cereal we ate in the morning (no KABOOM or Cap'n Crunch, but whole grain and no sugar--fruit instead?). Imagine if a candy bar or pack of animal crackers was a special weekend treat, and not a regular afterschool yumsy, if the daily treat was apples and oranges and carrots with hummus or celery with Laughing Cow light or a whole grain role with peanut butter. Imagine if our parents stocked the pantry with stuff that was clean, nutritious, no to low-sugar, high fiber, and fresh.

Would we be where we are?

Maybe. :)

But I think we train kids to like what they like. I love fruit because my parents loved fruit and had plenty of it around and made smoothies before smoothies were a commonly enjoyed commodity around town. They used olive oil and vinegar, not bottled dressings. They offered us beans almost daily, so we were all bathroom regular.

But I was the one who grew up from age 2 in this country, so I got the junk cereals that were mostly sugar and refined grains. I got candy bars after school. Sno-cones daily in summer. Pocket money for potato chips and other crap.

Of all my siblings, I am the ONLY one who got superobese (or even obese, for that matter). My brothers and sisters, who grew up in another country, much more physically active and eating more natural foods and much less junk--they didn't develop the crazy food relationship I did. They didn't grow up with junk food commercials on television sending them off into cravings for Milky Ways and pizza and burgers and fries and Starburst and cupcakes and whatnot.

So, when I see someone, especially a parent with weight issues, struggling, on diets, struggling to lose, that same parent buy candy and cupcakes and sugary cereals for their kids, I wonder about the dissonance. Why give them the taste habits and food issues we have? Why not hand them pears and grape tomatoes and mango slices and low-fat string cheese and almonds and raspberries? Why not end the crazy food cycle NOW?

I've begged a particular family member not to inflict our curse on her own kids. She and I are both obese. She has two kids who are currently normal weight. When I see the kids fed crap, it hurts. When I see kids catered to (ie, they don't want to eat the wholesome fair, and just pick at, say, white bread and then rush to eat a handful of candy), I want to cry.

In 20 or 30 years, they'll be where we are. Oversized and health-impaired.

It frightens me, and I don't even have kids.

I, both my nieces and both my nephews are overweight to obese. (Three of us obese, one overweight.) Five out of five of us born in the sixties and seventies in the immediate family--all too big. I don't want the next generation to have this curse. I want them to radiate good health and love good, clean food and be active and be happy and live vibrantly.

If it's not good for us to eat, big as we are, then it's not good for kids to eat, especially in their formative years, when they need the BEST nutrition to build bones and spare teeth from decay and develop the strongest neuromuscular system.

Junk ain't for us. But junk ain't for kids, either.

Why do we not see that?

Maybe it's long past time to tax the hell out of junk foods and treats. How many cupcakes will a kid buy if they're 5 bucks each? How many candy bars if one uses up their whole allowance? I'd rather tax crap that does nothing for one's wellbeing and use that money to subsidize fruit and veggies, so they're more affordable for a family's budget.

I am vowing not to buy junk for the kids in my family anymore. (This will be sooo hard. Habits die hard.) And I'm gonna work hard to break the holiday junk-food giving tradition. I'll find alternatives--sugarless, low-fat, or just plain better treats--like dark chocolate (I've tasted excellent sugar-free varieties) or dried fruit or nuts.

I want the people I love to be healthy and live a long, long time. And I want to be healthy and live longer, too, so I can enjoy their company for years and years.


~

What I've Been Craving, Eating, Cooking...

BREAKFAST:
I've been making my egg white Greek omelets for breakfast. Lotsa protein, can have up to three veggies (depending on mood and size), and is amazing with fresh oregano and fresh cracked pepper.

Easy as can be, too: I use liquid egg whites (organic) and I use a pan depending on how much veggie I'm in the mood for. If I want to make it normal, with just feta, tomato, and oregano on top, I use a 7 inch skillet. I spray it with Olive Oil organic PAM, pour the egg white, let it cook on one side, flip the circle to cook on the other (I don't fold it), and then immediately put the feta I want on top (to get melty from the hot cooked side of eggs).

Next, I heat the tomato I chop up in the nuker for about 50 seconds. I like the tomato hot, not mushy. While it nukes, I pull the leaves off the fresh oregano. (If there is none fresh, I use dried, and just sprinkle it on the feta after I put it over the eggs.)

Once the egg whites are cooked the way I like (some like it crispier and cook longer), I put it on a plate, put the tomato pieces on top, and grind some pepper on top. If I'm in a splurgy mood, I drizzle EVOO on top (mmmmm).

One of my fave breakfasts.

Other veggies I like to add--spinach, red and green pepper, onions, olives.

FRUIT:
I've been craving papaya. Fresh, cut into chunks, some lime squeezed on top. It's just so fresh and satisfying and it's great for aiding digestion.

I've also been craving and cooking a bunch of sauteed spinach with garlic and EVOO. I dunno why I'm having this particular craving, but it's easy enough to saute this up in minutes and have a lovely snack or side dish.

Clementines! Oh, I'm mad for them right now.

SNACK:
Fage 2% yogurt with cherry topping on the side. This just hits my yogurt spot like mad.

DESSERT:
Homemade apple compote with frozen lowfat yogurt~~~This is a nice dessert that's easy and my husband enjoys, too. You get calcium, not a lot of fat, and the compote can be made sugar-free or with brown sugar, your choice. I slice up a good cooking apple, like Granny Smith, put it in a sauce pot (small one) with a touch of water (depends on how much "juice" you like)and lots of ground cinnamon. I also add some sort of sweetener (Splenda, usually, or brown sugar or honey), and, after it's come to a boil, I just let it cook on low heat until it's a texture I like. (Not very long, for me, about 10 mins).

Spoon over frozen yogurt (vanilla is our choice). Voila, simple dessert that's not bad for you and is bursting with fresh apple flavor. We had this last night. MMMmmmm.

I also like to get those low-calorie crepes they sell already cooked at the supermarket (less than 50 calories each), and fill them with a mixture of low or non-fat cottage cheese (or low-fat ricotta) and a berry compote (or the apple one). That makes for a high calcium, low-fat dessert that gives a serving of fruit, some fiber, and not a lot of damage in the calories dept. (about 200 calories, more or less, depending on how much the crepe is and how much cottage cheese or ricotta you use and which fat % is the dairy product selected).

~~~

Oh, my! Oh, yum! And 100 calories...whoo!

If you're one of those folks who avoids 100 calorie snack packs cause you can't just have one, skip these. Seriously. Skip em.

If you use those 100 calorie packs as your special treat for a bag lunch or with your coffee or tea time at home, then listen up: Newtons fruit crisps rock like nobody's business!!!

I tried the apple cinnamon one, and they are AMAZING. It's like having a crispy apple pie, only much less fat and fewer calories. Delicious.

I love to have something sweet with my afternoon tea and protein, and fruit doesn't always cut it. These do. With tea or coffee, it feels positively self-indulgent. And you get two really good-sized crisps (like 4 inches long) in each pack, 50 calories each. (If you have great self-control, you can have one and it's really a nice fruity/cookie-ish treat.)

Mmmm. Thanks Newtons.

Easter Challenge: Small Progress Continues

Well, I did have a bit of a splurge at my Saturday birthday party. Some healthful stuff--chicken fajitas, organic fresh salsa, organic fresh guacamole, whole grain tortillas (low carb), fresh fruit salad, avocado slices, fresh pineapple juice, red wine Sangria.

But I also had fried corn chips and two birthday cupcakes--one orange, one lemon--that my niece and great-niece made for me. The apple pie I baked up was finished before I could get a slice, so a small mercy for my waistline. :)

Today, Mr. Tanita says:

269.4

It's been really nice seeing the 260's on the scale. Very nice. I can officially say I did lose, and am not just doing maintenance fluctuations.

I have really been enjoying my food. More than ever. I think because I've focused on eating WELL, and really have not obsessed about calories, I am doomed to small losses, but I am blessed by really just having oral Paradise. I'm buying top-notch fruits and just sighing over the juiciness. I'm buying top-notch vegetables, and finding better dressings to bring out the flavors. Yesterday, I munched four organic mini-peppers--raw--and they were so sweet and crunchy, it was a special treat.

My hairdresser (who hadn't seen me in almost three months) noticed my hair was looking better, my eyebrows looked great (no more bald spots, beautifully filled out), and my energy was improved. My hubby is enjoying the rediscovery of my waist, and having three home-prepared meals a day (you have no idea how revolutionary that is in our household, where we used to eat everything take-out or at restaurants, practically, including breakfasts.)

I hope some of my other chronic issues can be alleviated by just eating wholesome foods.

But it's nice to have the pleasure. I think all those pre-packaged, preservative-doused, frankenfoods are convenient and, in some cases, easy to count pointswise, but they shouldn't be the mainstay of a diet. I shudder at some of those WW items (I rarely bought them even when I did WW formally) with a gazillion weird items in the ingredients list that are just not food. FOOD.

Today, I"m craving an arugula salad. I have none, and my car is at the mechanic's (since Thursday, she may be on her last legs), so I'll make do with some nice watercress. But man, I really WANT arugula.

The fact that I'm craving that and not cookies or pie or a pizza is pretty amazing.

Oh, and I was craving pizza Sunday. So, I got an organic whole wheat crust (with flax seed oil and olive oil) and made my own with part-skim mozzarella. I couldn't eat as much as if I'd ordered some large one, but I got that lovely pizza taste.

Yesterday I ate vegetarian: egg white omelette with a sliced organic tomato with olive oil for breakfast (fresh-squeezed juice and a pear on the side). And rice and beans (organic) with steamed vegetable dumplings for lunch (with a whole egg on top for protein). I had a red plum (organic) and organic vegan chocolate-covered raisins and almonds for dessert. I also made a vanilla egg cream with club soda, organic milk, and Starbuck's sugar free vanilla syrup. (Yeah, it's a fake crap food, but it's part of the "treat" factor.) That was one yummy "egg cream."

Tonight we're having cajun pork tenderloins (organic pork, organic spices) for supper. Maybe organic potatoes (mashed with organic oil and milk or baked with organic low-fat sour cream) and green beans and carrots (organic all). I've got gorgeous organic Ambrosia apples and organic Bosc pears that we can munch on for dessert.

And I"m gonna feast and enjoy it like nobody's business.

Onward and DOWNWARD...with joy and the pleasure of real food at all times!

Yeah, Baby! And a bit of a PSA...

Those raw lunches must be helping. Today, the scale said: 268.4

My lowest yet. I won't officially call my mini-goal of 269 met (and surpassed) unless I can stay in the 260's. I'm too familiar with ups and downs due to dehydration, hormonal changes, etc.

I better enjoy it before those salty food fluctuations sneak in. ; ) Especially since it's my birthday week coming up with dining out and feasting in the works. (My party is tomorrow, to facilitate family attendance, but it's not until next week. Still bummed I couldn't get a chocolate banana tiramisu raw cake.)

Just to clarify, btw, because of my previous couple posts: I'm not on a raw foods diet. I simply add raw foods now more consciously to my diet. I've always liked having something raw at every meal, just cause, but now I am doing it mindfully, in order to maximize eating "clean."

I still eat meat, eggs, and dairy. In fact, I am a bona fide cheese junkie. Me loves the stuff. I just eat organic cheese, eggs, and meats now. Although, I really don't like the grass-fed beef, so, I may try to find a "wellness" category beef (ie, humanely raised, no antibiotics or hormones, etc.) I do very much like the organic chicken and pork. Lovely. And I'd been buying (and paying more) for cage free, vegetarian diet, omega eggs for years. I simply now focus on ORGANIC fed ones, too.

I will say that the low-heat pasteurized, grass-fed, organic milk is very nice. It spoils faster (a week in the fridge, pretty much), but it has a very nice flavor, and, hey, happier cows. I'm a latte fiend, so I've been using this organic milk for those coffee treats.

I do notice my appetite is calmer (post period), which is the norm. Crazy hunger pre-period, nice and calm with no chocolate cravings after. I walk right by those truffles and organic choco-covered almonds without so much as a sigh. Give it two weeks and I'll be insane for 'em.

I hope y'all had a satisfying and healthful Valentine's Day. Impress on your loved ones to buy you non-food treats, when possible, on such occasions. Or, if chocolate is in the cards or stars, to buy fair-trade treats and flowers, and organic when possible. Better for communities globally and better for your body, er, locally. :)

I've long supported aid to third world communities via donations, but I figure it's time I buy more consciously, too. I shouldn't support slavery or abusive pricing just cause I want something to eat. I shouldn't support poor farming techniques that ruin the land just cause I want roses in my vases.

Just like I watch my water usage in and out of the house. (I pretty stopped watering my lawn when we got into a drought. I maybe add water once every 8 weeks if the grass is very yellow.) And just like I try to remember to switch off lights, etc. Every little bit helps overall.

It costs more to buy fair trade and organic, but it's easier on the conscience...and the world. And if your budget only allows partial "conscience" buying, then that's better than nothing. (If you eat berries, pears, an any other fruit or veggie where you consume the skin/husk/outer, focus on those. If you have kids, don't give them meats and milk with hormones. It's just really bad for growing bodies. It's not evolution that girls are getting their periods years and years sooner than their grandmas. It's hormones in food.)

PSA over. Let the lunch munching begin...healthfully!

~

MANGO MADNESS: Amazing Raw Fruit Pie!!!

I had bragged in a previous post about the Glaser Organic Farms raw fruit mamey pie.

Well, yesterday I had a delivery of their fresh, raw products (shipped next day in a cooler), and the mango raw fruit pie is UNBELIEVABLE!!! I wish I had ordered a whole bunch to have one EVERY DAY~~~!!!

Mango is my fave fruit. Unfortunately, it's not good every day and the crops seem to be iffy in the past years. Also--expensive. But it was a delight to have it made up in a raw pie. Gosh.

I had wanted to order a raw cake for my birthday party (this Saturday, though my b.d. is during next week), the chocolate banana tiramisu, but it wasn't possible to have it shipped. I'd have to get it at their farmer's market event. Oh, well. Maybe some other Saturday.

I also have tried their chocolate pudding (no dairy, raw, vegan, fabulous, but pricey) and their Spinach Pesto (soooooooo yummy). I wish their farm or farmer's market was close by. I'd be dropping by weekly for stuff. They sell out fast at Whole Foods.

If you're ever in a place with Glaser Organic Farms mango fruit pie (or mamey, or pineapple), try it. Especially if, like me, you go nuts for mango.

Mmmmm.