NCKAA: 30 Days Until Christmas!

Today's Christmas Kitchen Advent Adventure comes from the gas station. Sure, it's not exactly my kitchen, but it's great when you're on the road! Kevin introduced me to it last year and it's become a winter favorite. Sure, I can make it at home and save a lot of calories, but part of what makes this special is that it warms you up, and peps you up, on long drives.

Kevin's Hot Choffee

8 oz. Hot Chocolate
4 oz. house blend coffee

Mix together. Enjoy!

Nutritional Info: Calories 200 (This depends on the mix used at the gas station. If you make it at home, then it's more like 80 calories).

For Thanksgiving, Kevin and I drove three hours south to Wichita to visit with his family. His brother is finally home after 5 years in the Army (stationed in Germany and deployed to Afghanistan) so it was the first time for me to meet him and the first time the full family had been together in years.

It was a lovely day full for family, food, and only a little blood. But because of my new part-time job, we could only stay the day and had to leave after the Cowboys game. On the way home, we stopped at our usual gas station to stretch our legs and decided it was definitely cold enough for our favorite winter drink: Kevin's Hot Choffee. No matter how you take your coffee, there is no need for cream and sugar in this tasty winter-time road trip treat! It did the trick and we are home after a long day.

We're stuffed and happy - and I'm thrilled to say I kept my calories at less than 1600 thanks to eating moderate servings, cutting calories where I could, and focusing more on the family than the food. It was a great day!

Unleaded Fuel? I wish!

Um, like, WHOA.

I have a great liking for gas station "cappuccino" - you know, the kind that comes from the machine when you press (and hold!) that magic button?

They tasty, sweet and deliciously affordable.

I've never really known the calorie count or anything, mainly because I couldn't find it online, but today, as I drank one purchased I decided to really hunt it down. OH. MY. WORD.

We are talking between 200 and 500 calories for a 16 ounce!

Why can't my lovely gas station fuel be unleaded? Instead, we're talking premium diet-buster here!

Now, as I stare at my cup o' goodness, I see sinister foam rather than friendly. I have only eaten a banana today and was looking forward to some yogurt as my mid-morning snack. French Vanilla yumminess or Cherries Jubilee? Oh the decisions!

Ignorance is bliss and knowledge is power, I guess.

Totals: 1,381 calories 163 carbs 24 fat 76 protein