It'll be an ASBO next

I have a new love. I've finally, after years of yearning, bought myself a hoodie. It's something I've always coveted, especially as my sister had a lovely grey hooded cardigan once, but never got round to buying. Until now. It's beige - or "mink" if you believe Evans - and very soft with strange ponchoesque tasselly bits at the bottom (click on the word "hoodie" above for it's full glory) . Not sure I'd wear the hood outside my own four walls (unless it was really cold) but it's fun to put it on and snuggle up on the sofa. Now, what has this got to do with food and dieting, I hear you cry? Well, not a great deal I must admit but internet shopping does keep me occupied during the day and away from the fridge. Unless I'm internet shopping for chocolate, that is.

Despite the vast amount of food-related websites on my favourites list, I've somehow managed to shy away from ordering edible goodies online, apart from the occasional weekly shop using Ocado. But I've seen some wonderful chocolates on the L'Artisan du Chocolat site and am lusting after pretty much everything they make, particularly the chocolate-covered ginger and the liquid salted caramel truffles. I'm almost tempted to get some and try to ration myself to one a day but, however gorgeous they are, I'm loathe to spend 70 calories on one chocolate when I can have a small bunch of grapes for that. Or three satsumas. How times have changed!

I had a bit of a blip, or so I thought, at lunch today. We were at Jim's sister Beckie's house and she'd made carrot and coriander soup. All fine and dandy so far. But, instead of the bread we were going to have, she'd cooked some cheese and onion potato skins with sour cream and chive dip as they wouldn't fit in her freezer due to an excess of Christmas food. And I had five. And the soup. So I got home and entered it into my food diary on WLR and, oh dear, 699 calories. So I entered the tandoori chicken, rice and spinach we're having for dinner and even the violet cream from my advent calendar and - ta da! - I'm 23 calories under for the day! Hurrah and huzzah! Okay, I can't have any fruit after dinner unless I want to go over but it goes to show that things aren't always as awful as they first seem. I was convinced I'd gone well over the calories I'm allowed (1717 at the moment) and was going to say "Sod it" and have a glass of wine or three but now I'm not. I'm just off to polish my halo...