Food Cravings

As I've posted about 20 times already, I am getting ready to leave for vacay to the Caribbean in a few days for the U.S. and British Virgin Islands.  In connection with that, I've been on a pretty hard core, low carb diet and have been exercising my butt off so I can look half-way decent in my bathing suit. I lost weight before my trip to Jamaica last November but then the Xmas and New Years' holidays found my fat ass and I packed a few lbs back on.

 I'm not weighing myself again until this Friday when I have my last workout session with my trainer before leaving as that is when I will declare this diet to be officially OVER but as of last Friday, I was down 7 lbs to 122lbs.  That's the thinnest I have been in almost 2 years, sad to say (I mean sad as in I have been too lazy to work out enough and say no to things I shouldn't drink eat for two years).

The good news is that I pulled my shorts and beach wear out of storage last weekend and tried a few things on.  Several pairs of shorts that I didn't even wear last summer b/c they were too tight (but I was unwilling to concede defeat and give to Goodwill) either fit perfectly now or are actually loose.  What a great feeling that was!!!

However, over the course of this diet (3.5 weeks), I have had food cravings out the wazoo.  My evenings usually consist of me drooling over Pinterest food porn photos after eating my lame-o dinner of  5 oz of plain baked salmon and 1 cup of green veggies with no salt or butter.  Here are a few of the things that I have been saying I would kill someone for one bite of craving the last few weeks.

1.  Conch Fritters

I love conch.  I especially love it when surrounded by spicy dough and fried.  I'm actually not a huge fried food person as the smell of grease turns me off but I can eat these babies like they are going out of style.  Will be one of the first things I order when I hit the beach.

Fried balls of dough with conch?  Bring it.

2.  Margherita Pizza from Il Cane Rosso in Dallas

Il Cane Rosso makes the most amazing pizza in Dallas, IMHO.  It's classic Neapolitan style pizza - super thin crust and awesome, organic, high quality tomato sauce and cheese.  Jay Jerrier's pizza is actually certified as authentic Neapolitan pizza by the Associazone Verace Pizza Neapolitana and the brick oven is ordered from Naples, Italy and shipped over.  Carbs and cheese...tomato sauce...cheese...basil....did I mention cheese?

You will be mine.  All mine.

3.  Cheeseburger from The Lakewood Landing

Ahhh...the Lakewood Landing.  What a dump.  An old Dallas bar that probably hasn't been cleaned in over 25 years.  The blinds are covered in thick dust and the smell of stale cigarette smoke is something they will never be able to get out of the walls even though no one has smoked inside in years.  The outside isn't much better (see photo below).  However, it makes my favorite cheeseburger in Dallas.  I haven't had one in months and I really don't think about it very much but I swear that this burger has crossed my mind every day during this diet.  It's perfect b/c it's only a 1/4 pounder and has the perfect ratio of bread to meat.  The hand cut fries are pretty good too.

Landing Burger...come to me, my love

Lakewood Landing, Dallas.  Dive? Yes.  Upscale?  No.

4.  Painkiller Drink

The Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke is supposedly the home to the Painkiller Drink and is where it was invented back in the 1970's.  It's a wonderful mix of orange juice, pineapple juice, cream of coconut, dark rum and topped with freshly grated nutmeg.  Fortunately, the Soggy Dollar is actually part of the hotel we stay at on Jost, The Sandcastle Hotel.  So, I can have as many as I want and they just charge it to my room. Very dangerous...

Mic, the best bartender ever, making up a batch of Painkillers.  All for me??

5.  Coconut Cream Pie or Key Lime Pie

Speaking of coconut...I only discovered my love for it a few years ago.  Up until my early thirties, I hated coconut.  Not sure why.  I think the texture of it always bothered me.  I still don't like pina coladas but my two favorite pies are Coconut Cream Pie and Key Lime Pie.  I love them both equally now.  Steve and I went to Key West for our honeymoon (almost 11 years ago) and we split a piece of Key Lime Pie everyday we were there...it was the best.  Last year, the new chef at The Sandcastle came up with his own recipe for Coconut Cream Pie and Steve and I split a piece.  We almost died, it was SO good.  We had a fork war over the last piece.  Steve said it was as good, if not better, than the Coconut Cream Pie his East TX grandmother used to make and that is saying a lot.  This year, I am bringing a UT baseball hat as a gift for Dwayne, the chef, but he can only have it if he makes his coconut cream pie.

Coconut Cream Pie...Hell to the yes.

Boo-ya.

BTW, Key Lime Pie should be pale yellow.  If you see one for sale and it is leprechaun green, run away b/c that is just wrong.  On all levels.

Just 3 more days of torture and then my inner fat girl demon can be released to begin feeding once more.