Za'atar!

Sprinkled in my eggs or on top of hummus...mmm...Za'atar. I'm not sure what comprises this particular blend that I purchased, but it's weirdly yummy. It's a Middle Eastern spice mix that I picked up a couple of weeks ago at the North Market from North Market Spices. The seller said it was good on hummus or chicken, so of course I thought it would be perfect for eggs. Usually I sprinkle on some oregano or chili powder (when I'm not dipping them in ketchup).

Speaking of eggs whites, I think I've had 9 of them since the new WW plan started. Thankfully the points for 3 whites hasn't increased! The husband is sick and only wants (canned) soup, so my go-to meal is always egg whites with some sort of vegetable. Tonight it was green beans and mushrooms; the last two have been kale. Mmm...kale. Fresh, maybe drizzled with some Olivier balsamic vinegar...heaven. I need to try making those kale chips that are all the rage in some of the blogs I read. I haven't tried cooking kale at all.

I'm really digging this new plan. I'm not stressing about spending points on dairy, plus I've been able to enjoy the homemade bread (with jam!) I made yesterday without going over my daily points allotment. The online tools are pretty cool so far- I love stuff like that! I used to track all manner of nutritional info on Sparkpeople, so this really isn't any different from that. The only downside is entering in recipes or foods that aren't listed (I entered a TON of stuff in Sparkpeople), but in a way it's kinda good because then I'll know for sure how many points something is...especially when baking. I'll be able to indulge responsibly instead of estimating the cost of deliciousness.

As for my adventure with bread baking, I think it turned out pretty great for a first time! The dough was wetter than I think it was supposed to be and didn't rise as much as I would have thought. In any case, it's pretty delish- even the sick man has had some (with jam!), and he's pretty picky. I was hoping for a lighter/taller bread that he would be okay with for sandwiches. I'll just have to try again! It's been really hard to not sit and eat all of it; I'm so proud there's still some of the first loaf left! Then there's the second one to contend with. How long will this stuff even last before it goes bad?

Sneak peak of what I hope to make this weekend: Pumpkin Focaccia andPumpkin, Fig, & Pomegranate Upside-Down Cake. The last time I was at the North Market, Omega (?) was sampling some pumpkin focaccia that was SO good. I thought about purchasing some, but it was some ridiculous price- I think it was by the pound? And the cake just recently popped up on The Front Burner as Emily's entry into the latest round of Project Food Blog. She's had a lot of great recipes since I started following her blog- I even tried TOFU! Which, turned out to be a major fail on my part.


Ugh, I can't wait for the weekend. So many things I want to do and delicious things to bake!