Some Major Slaking Going on Here

I admit it, the slacking continues. Today is Wednesday, midweek and I am only now getting back into the good routine that drops blood glucose and weight.

Not that I have been real bad, eating way too much and eating the wrong things. I have been good on that front, mostly, sorta, kinda. I just haven't been focused and I let my goals slip back.

For starters, I haven't exercised in four days. This morning was the first morning back to it. I have been trying to get a bedroom painted and fixed up and that has occupied all of my time. I have some paint issues that have chewed up massive amounts of time and I have been going to be way to late. That's my excuse anyway. I think I can always come up with an excuse.

Eating has been catch as catch can. Too much pizza for starters. We had a birthday lunch for a guy at work on Monday. Pizza was the main course and I admit I ate way too much of that and had way too much on Tuesday as leftovers. Well, it was free. On Monday and Tuesday for dinner it was just a lot of snacking on what is in the fridge, none of it bad, just no disciplined routine. No proper portions of all that I should eat. Add it all up an I eat too much of the bad stuff.

I can afford to let the cycling slip, maybe, for the weekend. Monday morning, though, I should be back at it with a vengeance. This past Monday I slept through the 5 am and 6 am alarms. I had to scramble to get to work on time. Monday night I repainted the walls to smooth out some blotchy color and get everything to blend smoothly. It was late to bed Monday night after getting everything cleaned up. Got up Tuesday with enough energy to make coffee. Went to be at a better time last night, got up at a better time this morning and got on the bike. It did feel good. That's the good part of a good routine, being good feels good. Then why is it so easy to backslide?

The numbers:

1. Blood Glucose: 115 mg/dl Not bad, better in the 90's. Seem to be at this level consistently. Want to get it consistently in the 90's.
   
2. Weight: 205 lbs. Not going down.
3. Exercise: 40 minutes.
   
4. Mood: Renewed determination.

Menu:

1. Breakfast: Oatmeal, banana, a few blueberries and three strawberry halves.
   
2. Lunch: The split pea sauce over potatoes. Very McDougall.
   
3. Dinner: Don't know. Tonight we are getting our taxes done. The tradition is to somewhere for dinner after the taxes are done. Not sure what we will be doing this evening.
   
4. Snacks: Need some yogurt and cheese sticks.
   

First, the numbers:

1. Blood Glucose: 118 mg/dl
2. Weight: 203 lbs
3. Exercise: 45 minutes on trainer
4. Mood: OK. Nothing special

I think I have kind of figured out what is going on with myblood glucose. I have dropped due to what I am eating. I have not dropped it to where I don't have to be concerned about it. From now until the weight completely comes off, I have to control it with diet.

OK, I know that sounds obvious, but there is nothing except diet that I can take for granted in this. I can't have a couple of cookies or piece of birthday cake and expect all to be normal the next day when I wake up. That will come, but only when and if I lose more fat off of my belly and everywhere else it is residing. My fat is "paralyzing" by body's ability to absorb insulin, blocking it. Until I have lost much more weight and have kept it off for a while, I can't expect a more normal reaction to sugar.

That is the level I want to be at.

I am at 203. I would like to hit 200 next week. I hope to be at 150 by years end. The journey continues and I hope I keep a sense of humor about it.

Get a cold, lose weight.

I have a cold and I feel miserable. It really started on Tuesday, blossomed yesterday. I could not get warm for along time yesterday, went to bed and woke up sweating, really hot. I think that is when I started the getting better phase.

No reason to give up on the diet, though. It's been difficult. When I don't feel well I like to eat. This time around I am just content to blow my nose. Eating is more fun.

I did manage to make it up this morning more or less on time, but I did not exercise. I did test and weigh myself.

1. Blood Glucose: 119 ml/dg. Not bad, could be a lot better.
2. Weight: 203 lbs. That's encouraging. Back to the low.
   
3. Exercise: Does feeling sorry for yourself count? No? Never mind then.
   
4. Mood. Bitchy

Menu:

1. Breakfast: Oatmeal and a banana
2. Lunch: Pinto beans, jalapeno cheese bread and an orange.
   
3. Dinner: What ever Mary's company is serving tonight for their open house, in moderation of course.
   

For relief from the cold I have been taking a Kroger version of Alka Seltzer's cold relief medicine. I wonder if there is any sugar in it? It does work.

On Sunday Mary made some pork chops using a peach glaze made with peach jam. I don't know how much she used, but since then the blood glucose has slowly and steady risen. For the past three days I have eaten the glazed pork for dinner. Was it the glaze doing the rise? I don't know. I finished the cole slaw yesterday and that was made with honey and lots of raisins. That may not have helped, either.

This could also be nothing more than fluctuations I should expect on a daily basis.

On Sunday the BG was 97, I think. This morning it was 127. Just one of those things? Don't know. I don't know how much day whatever I ate yesterday affects today. I should find out.

The numbers:

1. Blood Glucose: 127 mg/dl. Not really bad, but not where I would like it to be.
2. Weight: 205 lbs. Gained two pounds back in one day? Sigh. Yes, things do fluctuate day to day and I should not get bent out of shape about it. Still down is good. Up is bad.
   
3. Exercise: 45 minutes on the trainer. Well, that is encouraging. I feel really good.
4. Mood: A bit put off.

The menu:

1. Breakfast: Oatmeal and chopped apricots. Out of craisins.
   
2. Lunch: The bean sauce and toasted cheese/jalapeno bread
3. Mary's famous bean salad a la Liberty Bar.
   

The Thrill is Gone. (Lord, I Hope Not.)

This morning was tough to rise and shine. I was tired. Don't know why, but I think it had to do with the chill we had last night. I just did not want to get out of a warm bed this morning. In February I was eager to get out of bed, check the blood glucose and get on the bike. Now I drag myself out, test, get on the bike and start to pedal.

Now, am I getting bored with it? I tested, not bad, not quite as good as a couple of days ago, but in the safe levels. This morning I just wanted to go back to bed, where life is warm and safe. It was cold this morning and once I did get on the bike I didn't warm up seemingly until most the end. I think I just peddled with my arms crossed trying to stay warm. Even when I was starting to sweat, I could feel the chill.

No different than February, really.

Well, it is all becoming a routine now. A good thing to be sure, but a routine all the same.

The numbers this morning:

1. Blood Glucose: 107 mg/dl. In the safe zone. I would like to be consistently in the 90s.
2. Weight: 203 lbs, Down a pound from my previous low. Man would I like to be below 200 by next week.
   
3. Exercise: 45 min on the trainer.
4. Mood: Good, all things considered and in a routine way. I guess I just need some excitement. The good kind.
   

Menu:

1. Breakfast: Oatmeal and an orange
2. Lunch: The McDougall bean sauce I made yesterday over a toast (cheese/jalapeno bread; Might be high in calories, but it sure tastes good and a purple cabbage slaw Mary made on Sunday.
   
3. Dinner: Not sure.
   
4. Snacks: Soy yogurt.
   

Keeping Up the Intesity

Weekend over. I did not get the bedroom completed as I wanted. Everything is prepped and primed, just have to put on the paint.

Sort of the same on the diet. I didn't do much to prepare for the week for the diet. That is how I get things done, plan for it. This morning I did put the ingredients in the crock pot for a McDougall bean sauce, suitable for serving over pasta, rice, toast or potatoes. Great for lunch.

I have figured out that an important of success on a diet is preparation. That is what I mean by the intensity. Gotta keep the focus up, keep my food organized.

The numbers:

1. Blood Glucose: 107 mg/dl. Good
2. Weight: 205: Good
3. Exercise: 45 minutes on the trainer. Damn it was cold this morning
4. Mood: Depressed. The health care vote. As one commenter noted, the bill provides for 17,000 new IRS agents and no doctors. That's government care for you.
   

The menu for today:

1. Breakfast: Oatmeal, craisins and a banana
2. Lunch: Not sure.
3. Dinner: Not sure.
   

See what I mean by planning?

Saturday's Are Hard

It's been a cold, rainy Saturday here in Houston. I managed to get up early enough to mow the lawn to get up the remaining leaves and fertilize before the big rain hit. I get lucky every now and then. It was warm and humid when I got up. There was big rush of wind and rain started to fall and the temperature dropped quickly.

I have been sorely tempted to nosh and nibble all day, not because I am hungry, but because I want to nosh and nibble. It's something to do. I had some Quicken stuff to to, file the paid bills and such. The really boring stuff that always seems so necessary to keep a life organized and in control. So far I have pretty much resisted noshing and nibbling, save for the usual snacks.

I had planned to finish painting the bedroom, but guy we hired to do the texturing on the walls never showed up.

Not all bad or boring today. I did get the lawn fertilized and I was running pretty well to beat the rain. That's due to my getting on the trainer.

The numbers:

1. Blood Glucose: 97 mg/dl. How about them apples, second day under 100.
   
2. Weight: 205 lbs. Up a pound, but I scarfed too many chips at Tony's last night.
3. Exercise: Lawn work.
   
4. Mood. Could be better. Weather related.
   

Catch as catch can for for meals today. Mary was busy doing laundry and tossing out her mess in the garage. I updated Quicken and took a brief nap. Naps are good.

1. Breakfast and lunch was left over pizza.
   
2. Dinner was a grilled chicken breast, whipped sweet potato and a small salad.

Could have better, could have been worse.

I did have two margaritas last night at Tony's. It was first day at under 100 mg/dl. It didn't hurt. I had the grilled fish with vegetables and too many chips. Oh, well. Can't give up all my guilty pleasures.

Maybe that is the key for me. Maintain a fairly strict routine most days and have day, night to splurge. Yesterday I did have my oatmeal. Lunch was a tofu cacciatore and grilled carrots from Whole Foods. Very good. Have to learn how to make it. Can't be all that hard.

I am now down about 20 pounds. Just 5o to 55 more to go, more or less. Well, it gives something to do this summer.

All of this change in eating habits (OK, dieting) and exercise is paying off.

For St. Pat's Day the numbers were:

1. Blood Glucose: 101 mg/dl. I wonder when it last that low. That is now on the slightly high side of normal.
   
2. Weight: 204 lbs. Haven't been there in a long while.
3. Exercise: 40+ minutes on the trainer.
   
4. Mood. Excited!

The menu:

• Breakfast: Oatmeal, banana and craisins. The usual.
• Lunch: Leftover Pasta Rustica, which is ground turkey, tomato sauce (sorry, marinara sauce, sounds fancier) and an apple. This came from a dish served a fave restaurant of our called the Empire Cafe here in Houston. Tasty, filling, cheap and easy to make after a long day.
• Dinner: Paula Dean's Taco Soup and corn bread. I am so proud of myself. One slice of Mary's delicious cornbread. No butter even.
• Snacks: Soy yogurt when I got home from work and a few raisins, and I had a handful of multi-grain Triscuits at work.

The numbers for today, March 18, 2010

1. Blood Glucose: 107 mg/dl.
   
2. Weight: 204 lbs.
3. Exercise: 45 minutes on the trainer
4. Mood. Happy.
   

The menu:

• Breakfast: Surprise! Oatmeal, a banana and craisins.
  
• Lunch: Not sure yet.
• Dinner, the clean night special: Homemade pizza, toppings to be decided, and watching Heidi Klum on Project Runway. And I am going to have some wine because I want to.
  

Toothache gone.

I am so proud of myself. I did not just lie around in bed and moan, as much as I want to this morning.

Got up early today to get to the dentist to finally get my root canal finished. Since last week it has been in various stages of discomfort or pain. The original root canal on Thursday helped, but not for long. By Monday it hurt. The dentist renewed a steroid prescription and upped the antibiotics to a stronger one from the amoxicillian yesterday. Today he finished up. All signs of the infection were gone and the problem seemed to one of just swelling.

Before I got up for the dentist I got up to do the usual, test and exercise. That is what I am proud of doing.

The numbers:

1. Blood Glucose: 119 mg/dl. Still good and can be better
   
2. Weight: 206 lbs. Still good and can be better.
   
3. Exercise: 45 minutes on the trainer. Still good and can be better. I guess.
   
4. Mood: Still good despite the throbbing. It throbbed as I peddled. I did get better.
   

Food for the day:

1. Breakfast: Cinnamon and cardamom infused oatmeal (oatmeal made with herbal cinnamon and cardamon tea; describing it as infused sounds sophisticated and maybe even exotic), craisins and a banana before getting on the bike.
   
2. Lunch: Left over refried beans and taco meat made into a burrito.
   
3. Dinner: A salad Mary had at the Liberty Bar and Grill in San Antonio, which is just salad greens, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, northern beans, red onions all mixed with a balsamic vinaigrette. Easy to make and clean up. I think we could add some sliced pears and Mary suggested apricots. Either way, we have winner.
   
4. Snacks: Some soy yogurt and a few Triscuits at work.
   

Filling, but I am not stuffed. I wonder what the scale will tell tomorrow.

Best of all, my tooth doesn't hurt. I feel normal again.

Slacking off

I have been slacking off of this for the past three days. No exercise, other than what I got prepping a bedroom to be painted and some gardening work. Toothache that continues to ache, which probably means I will need more root canal work done. Also not sleeping well because I am worring about getting the bedroom patched and painted by Friday. We have guests coming and have to get it done. Not to mention a busy work week ahead.

But enough about me, lets talk about me.

The number this morning.

1. Blood Glucose: 118 mg/dl. Lowest yet. Whaoo.
2. Weight: 206 lbs. Lowest in a long time. Double Whaoo.
   
3. Exercise: 45 minutes on the trainer.
   
4. Mood: Very good. Should be fabulous considering the blood glucose and weight, but the tooth and the bedroom keep it at very good. At least I do have something to cheer about.
   

I am proud that we have been sticking to a diet. I have continued to lose weight. Mary has continued to lose weight. We went to a place late last night for dinner and we both has a fine salad, the grilled mesquite chicken salad at Goode Company Taqueria. I did cheat and have two beers, but it did help me sleep. Weird dreams about the bedroom, though.

The snack thing is getting better. I like this soy yogurt. Also good old V8. They do help keep the hunger down to manageable levels. I have also been eating, but not always, a lot of McDougall recipes. His approach does work, that is for sure.

For instance, I had the fajitas vegetarian on Friday night. It is Lent and beef or chicken were out. So I had the vegetarian version, an oxymoron down here. It was onion, squash, broccoli, mushrooms and carrots marinaded in a fajita sauce and grilled. It was very good. It came with beans and rice and corn tortillas. A little on the oily side for McDougall, but I left full but stuffed. Even had two margaritas, strictly for medicinal purposes. Helped with the toothache and boy, did I sleep well Friday night.

Oh, the Pain, the Pain

Thank Dr. Smith for that line. I have toothache, a good, old fashioned toothache. Started yesterday. Now it is very sensitive to pressure. The cooked and softened raisin in my oatmeal this morning was not soft enough. Looks like a soup day for me.

The numbers:

1. Blood Glucose: 133 mg/dl. Not bad, been better
2. Weight: 208 lbs. Two hundred is in sight. Never thought I would get happy about being 200 lbs.
   
3. Exercise: None, I don't feel like doing it this morning, the tooth throbs that much.
   
4. Mood: Better if the tooth didn't hurt.
   

Breakfast was oatmeal and a cooked raisin could make my tooth squeal. Lots of soup and yogurt today.

Why Did I Have the Mole?

It was just one chicken enchilada covered with mole. One. Well, it was not not fatal.

The numbers:

1. Blood Glucose: 142 mg/dl. Up. That's the damn mole and that's discouraging, mildly.
   
2. Weight: 209 1/2. That's encouraging, mildly.
3. Exercise: 45 minutes on the trainer.
   
4. Mood: Meh.

Mole (the e should have one of those little accent makes above it, but I don't know how to do that). It's a Mexican sauce made from chocolate and pronounced moe-lay. It's delicious and further evidence there is a God because only the creator of the universe could have created chocolate. Divinely inspired though it may be, it is probably not a proper food for someone working to lower blood glucose levels.

Well, no one said life was perfect.

And I think this points out a problem I am having. Poor planning. I started out promisingly enough on planning my meals, yet I have slacked. Time, or lack of it, is something I can fault, but that is weak. I can do better.

Not that I was evil yesterday. I had my oatmeal for breakfast, my dangerous and delicious chicken mole for lunch and some vegetarian red beans and rice for dinner. Not really bad, just not good.

Today I was bit better, more or less. Breakfast was again oatmeal. Lunch was a pasta and bean sauce and an apple. Snacks were a small handful of wheat thins and couple of whole wheat tortillas, dinner was a cup's worth of Paula Dean's taco soup and a cup's worth of cole slaw made with a light vinaigrette. I really hit it out of the park with that vinaigrette. Mary also got home very late and I ate dinner late. I should have had it earlier, but call me a romantic.

Saturday and Sunday

Weekend. I slept in late yesterday because I could. Saturday and all. We had a guest over. Like me, she got a bit toasty on margarita's, specifically Tony's margaritas. I has hardly drunk, but I was also feeling pretty good. Happy. Mary and I had a good dinner (mine was the grilled fish and vegetables; Mary had the vegetarian chalupas and good company, Mary's friend Susan. She wound up staying the night.

Margaritas are not on anybody's list of good drinks for a sound diet and I did pay for it a bit. Blood Glucose was up a bit.

Saturday's Numbers:

1. Blood Glucose: 134 mg/dl. Disappointing after Friday's stellar numbers. Still could be worse.
2. Weight: Did not get on the scale.
   
3. Exercise: Did not exercise, day off. Did work around the yard. I don't know if raking and mowing counts for exercise. It is better than watching TV
4. Mood: Real good. Sunny day and warm.
   

Yesterday was not too bad. Breakfast and lunch were a total of three slices of pizza and a banana. I had a few craisins to chase away the hunger and Mary made a very large salad that featured leftover chicken breasts and just about every vegetable in the fridge. I probably had too much Italian dressing on it for diet purposes, but not as much as usually pour on given the size of it all.

Sunday's Numbers

1. Blood Glucose: 134 mg/dl. From Friday's margaritas?
2. Weight: 212 lbs. At least it didn't go up.
   
3. Exercise: 45 min on the trainer.
4. Mood. Still good.
   

This morning I have had three dried apricots, we are out of banans, and one container of peach soy yogurt. Too much sugar there? I don't know.

After I clean up, we are going to Starbucks. I have coupon for some oatmeal there. Lunch I am not sure about. Dinner we are grilling up some salmon. Gotta make some more McDougall style stuff. That really works well on the numbers.

Friday in a Hurry

Up late this morning, so I will be brief.

The numbers:

1. Blood Glucose 122 mg/dl (lowest reading yet!)
2. Weight: 211 (lowest in a long time, embarrassed to say)
3. Exercise: None, got up to late
4. Mood: upbeat. Good reading.

Going to be a difficult proper eating day. Breakfast was oatmeal and a banana. Lunch will be with the Big Dogs. Dinner will be at Tony's with Mary's friend Susan.

Friday Eve's are Better Than Wednesdays

Friday Eve is my hopeful name for Thursday. I have the following to make it so.

1. Blood Glucose: 130 mg/dl. Lowest reading so far.
2. Weight 212 lbs. Whahoo! Next goal, 210.
3. Exercise: 40+ minutes on the trainer
4. Mood: Ebullient.

I was a very good boy yesterday, and it was most not so much what I ate as how much. More portion control yesterday. Tonight is clean night and that means pizza. One slice and a salad.

Breakfast was oatmeal infused with vanilla and blueberry (oatmeal cooked in a microwave with an herbal vanilla and blueberry tea) and a banana before peddling.

Lunch I am not too sure about. See what happens. Probably tuna sandwiches again. Planning is still issue and leaves much to be improved upon. Snacks, gotta work on them.

Wednesday and up late

I had a hard getting out of bed this morning. I got to bed late last night and I guess I need my minimum of seven hours of sleep. I am what you would call getting older. Need more rest, I guess. The first alarm went off at 5:00 am and the next thing I know the second alarm is going off at 6:00a am. Talk about scrambling. Still I managed the following:

1. Blood Glucose: 143 mg/dl. Must have been too much pasta last night. It was whole wheat.
2. Weight: 214 lbs. Stuck
3. Exercise: 38:37 on the trainer. Close enough to 40:00 min. Just ran out of time.
   
4. Mood. Frazzled. Fast shower, fast, but good, shave and out the door.
   

Well, to honest it's more than just a sleep issue. The economy is dragging us both down. Sometimes it just seems best to pull the covers over my head and go back to sleep. Bed is safe, warm and comfortable, right? Nothing bad can happen when you are cozy in bed.

I wish. Must be better tomorrow.

Food was getting to be the usual. Working on getting the portion size right.

1. Breakfast was oatmeal with craisins and a banana.
2. Lunch was two tuna sandwiches. Two because Mary bought some small rolls to be used as a sandwich roll. Also grapes
3. Snack was three small servings of Lays Baked potato chips. I was eating these at lunch time to curb a gnawing craving for some food while I finished some proposals.
   
4. Dinner was carrots, pasta (whole wheat again) and a McDougall style bean sauce poured over the vegetables and pasta. Half the plate was veggies and quarter was pasta, sauce poured everywhere. The sauce was good, mostly.
   

I say mostly because I sort of burned the beans. The dish is a simple to make. It's just split peas, lime beans and great northern beans, water and some seasoning. Let it cook eight to ten hours, done. Simple. Pour over stuff and enjoy. Nine hours after I started it, the water had all been absorbed or evaporated and the beans were burning around the bottom of the pot. It left a bitter taste that I sort of doctored with some balsamic vinegar. Helped, but not enough. I want to make right the next time so I have to remember to add more water.

Just Another Tuesday

Valentine's Day, birthday, anniversary, get away weekends, first day back and now just another Tuesday. Getting up this morning was a bit difficult. I had no real enthusiasm for getting on the bike. Yet, I did it. I am making all of this a new routine. I liked the old because it was easy. My biggest project on the Tuesday morning was to take out the trash for pick up. Now it's the last thing I do in the morning before getting ready for the day. As the old saying goes, change can be hard...and eventually good.

The numbers:

1. Blood Glucose: 135 mg/dl. Not bad and can be better. Didn't go up, at least.
   
2. Weight: 213 lbs.
3. Exercise: 45 minutes on the bike
4. Mood: Pretty good for a Tuesday

Lunch yesterday was some cornbread with peanut butter and an orange. For snacks I had a small handful of baked potato chips and some baby carrots. It helps I found to also drink some water. Dinner was some grilled chicken with broccoli and a salad.

This morning it is oatmeal infused with vanilla and blueberry flavers (thanks Madhatter's Teahouse and Cafe ) and a banana before I exercised. Lunch will again be cornbread and peanut butter and an orange. Dinner will be Mary's zucchini and tomatoes over whole wheat pasta.

Still have to work on the snack issue.

Back From a Long Weekend. Damnit.

No, really, it's good to be back. It's also good to be gone, at least for a while. We went to San Antonio and I think I mentioned in my last post. We tried to get away from everything, work, current events, house, bills, anything that is a worry, we tried to avoid it. Now it is Monday morning and time to get back into the rhythm of everyday life. Everyday heroes, that's us.

The numbers:

1. Blood Glucose: 139 mg/dl
2. Weight: 214 lbs.
3. Exercise: 45 minutes
4. Mood: Good. Not great, but good. The numbers could have been worse.
   

The one thing we did not try to avoid is eating at not badly if not goodly. We brought a cooler with some soy and milk yogurts, some low fat Triscuits, sliced cheese and fruit. We made breakfast and lunch with stuff and usually bought dinner somewhere. We even tried to sensible there and we did OK. We were not our usual stuffed selves three times a day.

I was the worst one, having four beers, very delicious IPAs actually, at the Blue Star Brewery where we saw a fine show put on by Bobby Aragon. He sang standards from the Great American Songbook and worked with a small combo behind him. He was good. It was more than a bit of serendipity that we watched him, just being in the right place at the right time because I was nice enough to put with Mary's shopping expedition to some Mexican Junk Mart or something like that. We did cheat somewhat by having a very late lunch at the Liberty Bar, two salads, mine being a sliced pear and Stilton salad. Dinner was very late, Fish tacos at La Fogtto, where I continued the being bad by enjoying a margarita.

The next day we went to Fredricksburg to do some dinging around. We had a snack at the end of the day at the Fredricksburg brewery. I had two glasses of a delicious ale and we each had an appetizer. Mary had a small salad. I had something that was a sausage, a couple of squares of cheddar cheese and a roll made from beer with small bowl of roasted vegetables. We again had a late dinner at a favorite Italian restaurant there, called La Foccacia. We both had fish, no appetizers, no dessert. Mary also had a caesar salad and I had one glass of red wine. We left satisfied and not stuffed.

I can get used to eating sensibly stuff.

The one big surprise was a place called the Mad Hatters in the Prince William area, very close to La Foccacia. I was good and resisted the three scrambled egg dishes and had the cinnamon and cardamon infused oatmeal, which is just oatmeal made with a herbal cinnamon and cardamon tea. This place did the impossible; they made oatmeal interesting! I tried it this morning with a vanilla and blueberry tea this morning. Nearly sublime. Oatmeal and sublime are usually two words that do not together.