Mmmmm... food

Seems like half of my girlfriends are in that lovely phase of hormone inbalance that wreaks havoc on our diets and creates incredible feelings of longing. Oh yeah - in honor of all my soul sisters who remember there's no "i" in "team" but two in "period," here's what I'm craving this evening.

1. Indian food. My last two roommates were both huge Indian food fans and so were easy to coerce into helping me satisfy this occasional craving. Now that I live alone, it's harder to commit to a naan-filled meal o' daals, curries and vindaloos. Who's up for the weekend buffet at Chola or a road trip to Edison?

2. Chocolate. Not just because Valentines Day is a few weeks away and not just because I'm a girl. OK, that second part isn't true. I have a little chocolate almost every day and think life would be pretty damn miserable without it. Luckily, this is a craving that's easy to satisfy.

3. Chocolate-covered strawberries. I've long since maintained these are my favorite fruit, a close second to mangoes, and infinitely better because they are blessedly kissed with antioxidant-packed chocolate. Or at least that's I tell myself when I'm blissing out. The best present I got for my college graduation was a huge box of handmade chocolate-covered strawberries from a friend of my family's who works as a caterer. Too bad the Godiva store in my town closed.

4. Homemade bread. That fresh-baked smell. Those still chewy, slightly-undercooked parts. Feeling completely comforted by such a completely simple food. Definitely a plus side of winter on the East Coast.

5. Really good Mexican food. As a transplant from the Southwest, I regularly crave food that I didn't eat at home, but grew to love from restaurants in Phoenix, Tucson and Santa Fe. Satisfying this craving might be one pro of my impending high school reunion.

Well, I'm good and hungry now and I hope you are too. Feel free to comment with your latest food cravings!