Baked Is Better

Gosh, it feels like it's been a while. I wish I could blame it on being busy with the grad applications, the first round of which are now due in twelve days, and say I've been running here and there frantically trying for last-minute polishing of boasts . . . but to be perfectly honest, I alternate between an alarming panic and a blissful apathy towards applications, and have not really looked at them at all since the last round of personal statement edits. However I feel about them at the given time, busy doesn't really describe it.
It occurred to me I just haven't done much cooking these past two weeks. This is, in part, from knowing that I'd get in from Erie superlate after Thanksgiving, not have the time to cook and so relied on leftovers from the freezer all last week. But this is also in part due to the lame, half-assed effort I've been making to not be so lazy when I get in from work at night. This has resulted in less time in front of the computer, less time at the stove, and more time, ironically, in front of my television, kickboxing and Pilateing my way along with the woman on the screen. This marks an landmark exciting week seven of that, and I've peppered in some changes in eating habits, which has led me to the conclusion that (a) everything I know about food cravings and monotonous diet is absolutely true (b) there are definitely not enough low-fat reduced-sodium soups on the market and (c) reduced-fat mozzarella, especially when it comes in those nifty string cheese forms in perfect pre-packaged one-ounce servings, is really and truly offensive to the dairy industry as a whole.
Happily, I have discovered Hungry Girl, and she is showing me the alternatives that don't suck.
I won't lie to you - I was somewhat intimidated initially. At first glance, the moniker evokes some really awful superhero image I still can't quite get past. At first read, she has Rachael Ray's insane enthusiasm, peppering words like "Whooo!" into reviews of fat-free ice cream and throwing out recipes for mashed faux-tatoes.

But I really have to give it to her on the onion rings. As soon as I saw her description, I wanted them so bad. While they're not quite her version given what I had on hand (and I don't know how that alters them nutritionally), they're still the baked-not-fried and lighter than the usual, so it seems a good start. Usually, baked-not-fried is an awful tease of a food for me, because it doesn't come close enough to mimicking the food to be satisfying. Her replacement and alteration technique I don't think would work for everything (in my mind, there is simply no point to calling it a chicken sandwich if there's no chicken), but she is absolutely right here - these are super-easy, and actually better than the fried ones. I kid you not. I even went ahead and double-dipped some (egg, breadcrumb, more egg, more breadcrumb) but preferred the single-coated ones. Double-dipped look more like typical onion rings, but single-coat is crunchier.
Amazing.