One of the many movie quotes that floats to the surface as I'm shopping is Julia Roberts' line in America's Sweethearts when she's telling John Cusack, "No, no. I don't eat bread. I just dream about bread."
Actually... I don't shun pasta and bread completely. No. I wouldn't be able to get through life without bread; I had a croissant today that was just divine. It's not about shunning foods like bread and pasta. It's knowing your limits. Knowing approximately how much is in a serving and how many calories that food will be (if that's your method of losing weight).
Something I've learned from this whole counting calories thing, is to find a workaround. I adore spaghetti. I do not adore the 220 calories in 4 oz of noodles. How about 5 oz of spaghetti squash for 50 calories, instead? I think yes.
But first - finding it. Do you know how hard it is to find spaghetti squash in Ireland?! I'll tell ya. It's nigh on impossible!! None of the grocery stores carry it. None of the farmers at the market in Dungarvan carried it. Luckily for me, a farmer in Midleton happened to have some, so I bought two today at the market there! I can't tell you how giddy I was walking back to my car with two big squashes.
My friend Emily has a tutorial on her blog which I followed to a T on how to deal with spaghetti squash. It was perfect for someone like me, who has never made spaghetti squash before. Not to mention it was beyond tasty!
*** Nov 2, 2012 - Edit to add - I've gotten a lot of questions as to where I found the spaghetti squash in Ireland! Firstly, I'm sorry if your comment didn't get published - it's probably because you didn't comment through the Intense Debate plugin, or because you shared personal details and I didn't publish the comment because of your privacy.
I got the squash in the Midleton Farmers Market in Midleton by SuperValu. The market is open every Saturday between 9:30 and 13:00, and your best bet is to go in the autumn to find the elusive spaghetti squash.
Best of luck!
