smells like cupcakes!

There's nothing better in this world than figuring out exactly what you want to eat. Most of the time, I feel like I'm vaguely craving something, but unsure as to what, exactly, that might be. Once in a while, however, I manage to isolate my true desire and it seriously feels like a light bulb is going off over my head. I was lucky enough to have just such a moment today. On Saturday night, I went out to the venerable Sake Bar Hagi, where I ate a meal so decadent that I needed to walk from Times Square to the East Village afterwards. Today, I had a major food hangover (FYI: if you've been on Weight Watchers for a month, chowing down on greasy food might make your tummy want to die, just a little bit). This afternoon, I knew that I wanted something sweet...and I'm not talking fruit. I ran through the list of my usual suspects. Did I want a miniature whoopie pie from One Girl Cookies? Eh, not really. Was it a 100 calorie Three Musketeers bar I was craving? Not so much. Finally, as I was passing the bakery on my corner, I realized just what I wanted: a cupcake. Not a fancy cupcake, but a plain, sugary vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting. I got one and it was a point splurge, but I swear to god, eating it on the stoop was one of the happiest moments of my recent life.

Listen. I believe firmly in giving in to your cravings. If you can't stop thinking about a cupcake, you should eat a damn cupcake. If you don't, you're going to eat a dozen different things that you don't want as much. This afternoon's cupcake was a point splurge, to be sure, but I could manage it and anyways, if you're losing weight for yourself (which I am), you should be able to do it on your own terms and your own schedule.

My other big craving of the weekend? Bolognaise. It's been cold in New York, and there's nothing I want more in the winter than pasta with a great meat sauce. The Weight Watchers recipes for Bolognaise look awful (guys, tomato paste is so rarely necessary and have at least seven points. Eh! We can do better! Because I love you, here's my recipe for six-point Bolognaise.

Ingredients
1 box Barilla Plus penne
1 tbsp butter
1 shallot, peeled and chopped
5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
7 tiny carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 lb. leanest ground beef
1 serving red wine
1 large can diced tomatoes
As much rosemary as you like

Instructions
1) Melt butter in saucepan
2) Add shallot, garlic, carrots, and mushrooms and saute until carrots start to soften, shallots are translucent, and garlic is golden
3) Add ground beef and cook through
4) Add wine and cook until mostly reduced
5) Add tomatoes and rosemary and continue to cook, stirring frequently until the consistency is appropriately sauce-like.

Makes 8 servings.