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PPPOTD - Something fishy!



"Why does Sea World have a seafood restaurant ? I'm halfway through my fish burger and I realize, Oh my God... I could be eating a slow learner." — Lynda Montgomery.


Ah yes.. the lunchtime snack that you fear will leave you smelling like a jolly old sailor! Sardines.. these, if you like them, are a FAB lunchtime snack.. great on toast or on those little melba toasts and are filling.. You can easily use 1 tin for two lunches (just pop the second part in a sealed lunchbox in the fridge) .. this tin in tomato sauce (which is a fav of mine) is 5 pp! Remember if you're eating them in oil you'll have to point them as they will be higher. These are a good choice too for pizza toppings.. an alternative if you're an anchovy fan... You're getting your fish oils & vitamins in a scrummy lunch, its particularly good for those who like savoury foods as they have that salt edge and we all know that fish is food for the brain... so OBVIOUSLY its the smart thing to eat.. makes a nice change from boring old ham & tomato from the canteen though eh?

PPPOTD - Not so special!



"To eat well in England you should have breakfast three times a day."
Somerset Maugham (1874—1965), British novelist.


So its the weekend... I like to try something a little different on a Saturday morning to break from the usual porridge/fruit smoothie during the week... and that girl prancing about on the Special K ad in her bright red cozzie and floaty dress just bugs me! GROAN... I succumbed! Now there are LOADS of different varieties of Special K... but I purchased this one on the fact cereal is one on my late night snacks and being oats.. its suppose to fill you up more, low GI.. blah blah .. and WHO doesn't love honey... imagine then when I pointed it out to be 5 pp with 125ml of semi skimmed milk (that's 10 pp per 100g!!!) and trust me when you weigh out 30g... maybe its just MY cereal bowl .. ahem.... but you'll be looking for it after a few spoonfuls! Delicious? Oh yes.. worth the points? honestly no... my Saturday breakfast cereal quest continues...

PPPOTD - Pizza Bases .. Belissimo...



"You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I'm not hungry enough to eat six"
Yogi Berra


As you may or may not know I'm on pantry clear out as we prepare to move for our extension.. and these have been lying idle for quite a while (fear not I'd never let ANYTHING pizza based go out of date!)

These pizza bases 8 pp per 100g which means each base is 12 pp BUT.. you can go crazy on the toppings.. tomato puree, some nice peppers roasted in balsamic vinegar, juicy tomatoes, caramelise your onions (tip: sprinkle a half teaspoon of sweetener, I use Canderel, over your onions while you fry them... it takes the edge off them... nice and sweet!) ... Lidl do a great light cheese - 4 pp for the tub, if you "blob" it on it melts into a dream ... (can you tell I love pizza?!?!) and the sky really is the limit .. use as many of your free veg as you can, try different combinations, who knew roasted butternut squash could rock a pizza?! Mushrooms are another great addition.. they are quick to cook and perfect when you've got veg that's on its last legs.... and most important of all is to add your spices.. garlic, garlic salt, thyme, rosemary the list is endless!!! Experiment be the domestic goddess you always knew you secretly were! Sharing one means only 6 pp for the base plus your sneaky bacon and cheese, I know, I know but a Doll's gotta live ... mmmmmmm

PPPOTD - Tesco Melba Toasts...




Another alternative to the cracker/savoury snack or lunchbox. These are from Tesco from their own brand healthy range called "Light Choice" and are scrumptious. At 2 pp per pack they can really stretch a lunch box and be very filling. They are high in fibre so a great choice if you're not a fan of brown bread/rice/pasta etc. The good thing about these is you can go topping crazy and use some propoints to enjoy some nice cheese, something you might avoid with bread at 2 pp per slice. The trick with these is to eat with your eyes! Get yourself a nice plate.. lay them out.. some hommous, ham, goats cheese not forgetting your 0 pp goodies, grapes, tomato, lettuce, spring onions, beetroot.. the list is endless ... it will look SO appetising and with 6 toasts per pack there's LOADS of crunch to satisfy ... and remember the more colour the better! Enjoy Doll x

WEIGH IN #7



Ah yes... magnificent weigh in number 7! More proof that if you track.. properly and follow the rules you lose weight! Down 2 lbs this week and a propoint taken from my daily allowance, which I'm ok with.. being so overweight I've got a few to play with anyway.. I suspect it will get harder as the daily amount goes down.. but its a magnificent day! Back on track with a total loss for February 5.5lbs! Go me!


PPPOTD - Uncle Ben....



Morning all... as I've mentioned, I'm going through my pantry making some VERY creative dishes to use up all the bits and bobs so I don't have to cart everything to the new house with me... Uncle Ben has been a friend of mine for quite a while.. in college I used his sauces, until I realised they taste much better to make 'em from scratch.. but there are even times when I'll pick up a jar as a "just in case" item for when everyone's working late and everyone's STARVING (not a word that even MILDLY relates to our family!)... I've also used "Uncle Bens" range to try out new flavours, cantonese etc... just to see if its something everyone would eat before I but everything in the asian market only to never use them again!

When I discovered they now do a ready-made risotto I was intrigued... I'd always put Uncle in the asian food category... but this is very good, it is something you can add to a dish you've already made, as I did.. they come is several flavours, and there's also wholegrain rice, basmati rice which are cooked in a matter of minutes for the time conscious (read - just come in the door and would eat a horse!) ... its quite a good range... this particular one is 12 pp for the pack which seems like a lot... I cooked a big wok full of zero propoint veg and some chicken pieces with some spices and added this and I only used about a quarter of the bag as its quite filling... not something I'd recommend everyday but handy to have as a back up .. especially when its late and you're hungry... oh and this bacon version (for the carnivores out there..) is LUSH!!!

PPPOTD - Custard pies!!!!






God always has another custard pie up his sleeve.
Lynn Redgrave


Ahhh... yes the battle of the custards! Since I'm moving house in two weeks.. (finally getting an extension so I can become the domestic goddess that god had intended me to be! AHEM!) I'm now going through my freezer to clear out foods before we move, trust me it's going to be an very interesting two weeks.. and I found some really nice rhubarb! Now, friends tell me you CAN'T have rhubarb without custard (rules are rules!) and whilst I'm happy with my crème fraiche, I thought I'd investigate the custard scene (I know!! how rock and roll is MY life!?) .. SO here's a popular favourite with quite a substantial difference in points.

Birds Low fat custard for 100g = 2 pp
Birds Regular custard per 100g = 3 pp

Now you may think that's only a point but that is per 100g. The little box of ready made is 500g - so 10 pp for the low fat and 15 pp for the regular, which if you're making a trifle or something for a party is a 5 pp saving! I'm sticking with my Crème Fraiche or greek yoghurt but its nice to know that I could have this if I fancied...

Tip for the rhubarb - chop into sizable chunks and stew in 7up or diet lemonade, that way you're not adding any sugar but its plenty sweet!

PPPOTD - Bunnies!


Oh yes.. its closer than you think... EASTER... and there's still all the lent time to give stuff up, if one is so inclined! I picked these cuties up at the petrol station and shared on a little road trip over the weekend.. and I thought they were well worth the 3 pp ... But these yummy little bunnies are 3 pp each! (there's two in a pack so the 6 pp!) The pluses of these are they are CHOCOLATELY.. VERY chocolately.. eat them slowly (tip - stick em in the fridge to make them last longer).. the cons - whilst you will feel satisfied, you'll be little sad to leave one bunny alone... you will eat him/her... so share the pack with a friend or its an expensive propoint treat ..

Fill your life...



...THEN YOUR PLATE!!!

What's troubling me .. isn't in the fridge! its in me! deep inside!!! I need to start filling my life with colour, delight, passion and commitment! I've got to make life more delicious!! including food! I've got to learn to slow down and savour it as a perk of life on earth. Lots to do... think about it though... seriously!

Doll x

PPPOTD - Mushroom, Leek & Gruyere parcels




Life is too short to stuff a mushroom.
Shirley Conran


Mornin' all.. Here's something I found in the vegetarian section in Tesco. Now I lived with a veggie for 2 years in college and ever since I'm drawn to the selection that's available in the supermarkets .. (they're also things I can pop in the freezer in case one of 'em turns up for dinner & look like I've been slaving away!!)... I came across these in Tesco, from the "finest" range, they were part of the "dinner for two" special and they are LOVELY! Big, light pastry, very full of chunky mushroom and cheesey goodness (which I SO miss!) and I even tricked hubby into eating one and even he said they were lush.. a big thumbs up from a meat and two veg man!! Downside.. they are 12 pp so its a lot for a dinner... my advice is to cook LOTS of 0 pp veg, carrots, peas, mangetout all the free winter ones.. and you've got a comforting dinner for 12 pp... you won't need any more carbs than the pastry.. its this kinda thing that would nearly turn me off bacon! ;) Doll x

WEIGH IN #6



Drum roll please.....





YAY .... even after a 4 day break, eating bratwurst and drinking pitchers of beer... I'm down! Seeeee the program works... you just gotta follow it!!!! So that's -16 lbs since Jan 1st!! onwards and downwards as they say...

PPPOTD - DO smarties really have the answer?



Ahh .. yes.. you've seen them... in fact you probably saw them the week after Christmas! Eggs.. not the ones that are nestled under chickens bums... CHOCOLATE ones.. I'll be pointing more of these the closer it gets to Easter but I thought it was worth pointing these... my hubby is a chocoholic.. he bought this bag of eggs to eat whilst watching Top Gear.. (don't even GO there!) for 1/4 of this little bag its 3 pp! For 100g its 14 pp!!! I KNOW!!! In my opinion there's MUCH better value in chocolate out there without wasting points on these kinda things! In fact for 3 pp you can have a whole Cadburys creme egg and feel much more satisfied.. these are too easy to pop in your gob and forget and not chocolately enough to fill that craving, there's more candy shell than chocolate satisfaction... So NO they're don't have the answer and what's more they've been banned to the car! Doll x

Bratwurst, Bier and Lederhosen!





Since I've spent the last 4 days dining on beer and bratwurst... my 49 extra PP are a thing in the WAY distant past...I'm going to have a couple of light days to see if I can repair any damage.. ahem... before weigh in ... seriously though.. -2°C and snowing in Hamburg there's not a lot of salad on the menu! So I made the best choices I could, soups that weren't TOO creamy, got rid of the bread basket as often as I could and lots of veg with dinner. Its hard to point things when you're not cooking and every morning there's continental breakfast sculpted out of cheese waiting for you! These next few days, I'm gonna lighten up.. literally! I'm keeping my points as LOW as possible so here's few of my tricks..



Breakfast - Egg white omelet
Don't underestimate this as a filling breakfast, all you need is a bit of extra time and a little planning! Fry some onions (caramelised onions are delicious with this too!), grill some mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers whatever takes your fancy and season, you can even use veg left of from the evening before!.. Seasoning is where this becomes a winner, if you're brave enough a little garlic salt, I'm all for lashing of black pepper, its personal taste, thyme, rosemary a little chilli the list is endless.. but the big trick here.. is to WHISK! Get those eggs light and fluffy... won't do those bingo wings any harm either! The more air you whisk into them the more volume, the bigger your breakfast! We all know we eat with out eyes so the couple of minutes whisking can mean getting a bigger plate out of the cupboard! If you want to have that golden colour but without the added points of the yolk, add a little mustard, it colours it up perfectly! If you feel hard done by, or can't throw the yolk away (my mum thinks its criminal!) then add the yolk, you still have a big breakfast for 1 or 2 pp!




My other 0 pp saviour is Sugar free jelly... this again can be cast aside into the "too much hassle" aisle but hear me out.. First - go get your favourite cocktail/ wine/fancy glasses... see, already you're looking more grown up! I use powdered sugar free jelly and I use only enough boiling water to dissolve the powder and then finish the instructions using 7up free, sugar free lemonade, sprite zero, any of those 0 pp lemonades. Hey presto.. sparkly jelly!! Here's where you add fruit (not pineapple or it won't set!) but berries, satsuma slices, whatever takes your fancy.. get creative! You can even make different flavours and layer them in colours, I've already got my lime jelly in for St. Patricks day! In a couple of hours I guarantee there will be requests! Every time I make this I use different flavour jellies and fruits and hubby looks all forlorn! Followed by the usual "are you allowed to eat that on WW?" bless!



Here's a great blog to inspire called the Jelly shot test kitchen, she's got some great mixes together! And remember there's no great cooking skills required to make jelly, do it before you go to bed and hey presto the next day all ready and waiting!


http://jelly-shot-test-kitchen.blogspot.com/2010/09/ice-cream-redux.html

PPPOTD - Dem bones.. Dem bones...



OK... as a gal who cut out most of her dairy fun when she joined WW, lets face it butter and Cadburys mousse weren't gonna make the shortlist! A point our leader often makes is "are we getting enough calcium?" ... I'm a huge yoghurt fan, especially now we have free fruit! But sometimes you just gotta spend your points on your health.. this is one way to do just that. Benecol are a range of dairy products that target the bad cholesterol in your body and help with the good (who knew!) ... AND its got a good dose of calcium so its a little bottle of insurance for osteoporosis and healthy bones all for 1 pp. These come a variety of flavours, and are smaller than the usual probiotic drinks, which is good for those who don't like these kind of drinks, for the rest of us... its fond memories of uni and a bottle of José! Try the pineapple! Doll x

PPPOTD - OREO SNACK PACKS




Ah yes.. twist.. lick.. dunk... Those marketing people forgot to add YUM! These handy little snack packs from Oreo are 4 pp per snack pack. Each pack contains 4 small biscuits, well smaller than the original Oreos, but hey we'll take what we can. They are deliciously chocolatey, and the fact that they are sealed in individual packs makes it easy to bring to the office to dodge the apple danish and muffins! So you get your chocolate treat at 11, without the pathetic, "I'm on weightwatchers so I can't live my life... but I'll watch you guys" look and because the rest are sealed at home.. there's no chance to hoover a whole pack! I'm off dunking.. Doll x

PPPOTD - M&S breakfast granola




Scarily, this is a product I picked up one morning on the way to work and thought "Look at me and my healthy breakfast!" Could I have been more smug? Well people, that smug smile was soon slapped off my face when I pointed it out.. I swear I was doing it over and over just to be sure I wasn't still dreaming and the devil had toyed with my calculator! This "healthy" granola and "low fat" yoghurt is 5 pp PER 100g and there's 180g in it! That makes this 9 pp per serving... YES its delicious and YES you will escape the boredom of porridge but it won't fill you up for the morning if that's your aim! In my opinion there are much better ways to spend your 5 pp in the morning! There are two varieties of this in M&S I daren't pick up the other one for fear I might eat the blessed thing! Doll x

PPPOTD - Reggae Reggae Sauce...



Any fans out there of Dragons Den will remember this one... Peter Jones with his sexy socks bit this one and made the passionate home chef millions... I'm all for supporting the small home business and the latest in the range are these new cooking sauces .. This one is Caribbean curry and whilst is spicy is only medium on the chilli scale... its Delicious.. I used half of the jar with a handful of prawns and lots of veg - onions, peppers, mushrooms and a courgette. I added a couple of table spoons of WW crème fraiche just to make it a little more creamy... this with some brown wholegrain rice keeps you full ALL evening.. not a peep out of me at 9pm when the "tea & biccie fairy" came to visit! Its 3 pp per 100g which makes the jar 11 pp (350g) but it would easily make two (fro two people!) dinners, if the domestic goddess in you is up for it.. make the lot and freeze!


WEIGH IN #4




Well .. it had to happen.. 2 engagement parties, a bump announcement and a 30th birthday... all not tracked! Much fun was had mind you but its led to a plus this week.. +1 lb... The clue is above... NOT tracked! As our leader says.. "if it goes in your smacker.. it goes on the tracker" .. many things at the above parties never made it.. hence I was in debt to my extra 40 pp from the off.. I know its not a major weigh gain and the trick here is to stay focused... Our leader was AMAZING! When you step on the scales its the end of the week.. when you step off .. its the start of another.. SO.. with 4 days of traveling ahead of me I stocked up at the meeting on some yummy bars.. and will be WALKING everywhere.. no escalators for me thank you very much.. Next week I WILL BE DOWN!

PPPOTD - In a twist!




Never trust a skinny ice cream man.
~ Ben Cohen


OOOOOoooohhhhhh YEAH! These little beauties are 1 pp... you heard.. ONE PROPOINT... for those of us with comfort food addiction these are terrific!!! With 8 per box, you can have one every night, if you manage your points wisely.. or even two if your saving your ice cream quota for DVD night... Yes, they are MINI in size... but compared to 5 for a MINI MAGNUM, these are a super alternative!

Unlike they're summer sister (which I always thought were call "Tangle twisters.."? hmmm maybe it was just our family) there's no tang in these... just a nice chocolate creamy taste to satisfy! There only recently out in the shops so look around and don't be afraid to ask your store manager to get them in for you! That's their job!

PPPOTD - Snack'a'Jacks....




Ok.. for those of the savoury persuasion.. I CAN'T recommend these enough... I'm a crisp lover.. and could, in the past, easily have eaten an entire multi pack of crisps without blinking an eye... I SO understand the addiction of that craving for something salty... but these Snack'a'jacks are FAB! They come in a 26g bag and in lots of flavours, for those who really love salt, the Salt'n'Vinegar ones will satisfy I promise! And because they're rice cakes there's more in the bag that ordinary potato crisps! And don't you HATE when you open a bag to find out its mostly fresh air! At 3 pp per bag these are a little ProPoint bargain for the late night munchies! Suitable for coeliacs too! Ingredients below.. Doll x


PPPOTD - Going Crackers!




”My daughter made me a Jerry Springer-watching kit, with crackers, Cheez Whiz, polyester stretch pants and a T-shirt with two fat women fighting over a skinny guy.”

Roseanne Barr



Here's a lunchtime alternative to bread... I, for one, get SO bored eating the same thing over and over till it comes to the point where (much like 0 pp soup) i can't bare to even look at it let alone eat it!

These snack pack crackers are from Jacobs and at 4 pp per snack pack, there's more munching on them than 2 slices of bread and they come is several flavours... PLUS you get a be a little creative with your toppings, Laughing Cow Cheese, Tesco hommous, wafer thin ham, pickle, gherkin, chicken, salami then you can add some sliced tomato and you're a regular Jamie Oliver, bish! bash! bosh! The toppings are endless.. love it or hate it Vegemite (or Marmite depending where you are in the world...) even dipped into soup... they have a lovely flavour and because they're individually packed you know exactly what you're getting for your points, and the temptation to keep going back to a half opened empty packet is gone..

PPPOTD - Oaty bars from WEETABIX




These were quite the find! I suppose you could call them 'breakfast bars', but hey whenever you eat them is what kinda bars they are, and these are PERFECT for that cuppa before bed because they are FULL of fibre so you can safely head of to dreamland on a full tummy! No midnight kitchen raids after these!

They are made by Weetabix, hence the breakfast spin.. and are delicious! Each bar is 2 pp. One big plus is that they are not miserable on the chocolate front... you know how you find these "chocolate" flavoured health bars and you're searching for the chocolate on/in them? ... and believe me I search.. CSI has NOTHING on me when it comes to sniffing out the Cadburys! These bars are not shy on the choccie front .. and have MORE than enough to douse the pangs... and if Chocolate isn't your thing, they also come in a Strawberry flavour for the fruities amongst us.. Remember the Strawberry sauce they put on 99s years ago? The very same! ... again they're only 2 pp and very filling. Enjoy!

WEIGH IN #3




OH YES! A stone!!!! A shiny glittery sparkly stone.. and its NOT made of 14lbs of FAT! A second silver seven this year ... Go me... Last night I weighed in 2.5lbs lighter making a total for 2011 so far of 16lbs!

This Doll might start living up to her name!

A very happy bunny - given Chinese new year and rabbits and all that!

Doll x

Happy New Year!!!! (No really!)



Happy Chinese new year everyone... and 2011 is the year of the rabbit - yes I laughed too.. if all I ate was carrots for the rest of the year I'd be ProPoint free!!! (and probably a light shade of orange!)

A famous Chinese proverb which comes to mind is...



Everyone eats and drinks; yet only few appreciate the taste of food.


... and it is SO true... that clever Confucius!! How many times have I HOOVERED a chinese take out thinking it was the last time I'd ever eat one!!! sigh... Chinese food is delicious and can be a fab treat when enjoyed with friends.. but the trick is to savour it! Take your time and really enjoy the flavours! I also think when it comes to eating out..... Just use common sense.....choose the healthiest option..

A lot of Chinese restaurants tend serve the meat and sauce in one dish, while the rice/noodles come seperately, pick out the meat and place it with your rice/noodles, then with a spoon dish out 2 - 3 spoons of sauce over your meat. The servers are ALWAYS coming over to ask if everything is to your liking, just ask them to take away the excess sauce. If it's not there....you wont eat it and while your waiting for your food to come out.....drink loads of water... it'll fill you up! Stay away from the prawn crackers!

Split portions too....one meat and sauce portion between two portions of rice...

Every restaurant is slightly different, with different recipes and portions....its just IMPOSSIBLE to point them accurately.

These days restaurants aren't that busy, I'm not even going to START about the recession ....they won't mind you asking how a dish is cooked. Remember you (or someone who loves you, ya lucky duck!!) is paying for it!


Below is a list of some of the goodies you can indulge in... if like me you don't use your extra weekly 49 PPs so you can have a treat or share some with friends...

(these will be listed on the takeout page too! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>)

CHINESE FOOD

STARTERS
Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup = 6 pp
Spring Roll per roll = 9 pp
Seaweed (deep fried) = 9 pp
Hot and Sour Soup = 4 pp
Sesame Prawn Fingers, per finger = 3 pp
Prawn crackers = 9 pp

MAIN
Char Sui Pork = 11 pp
chicken chow mein = 9 pp
Chicken and Cashew Nuts = 9 pp
Chicken with Mushroom = 8 pp
Chicken Balls (portion of 8) = 13 pp
Chips - half bag (210g) = 14 pp
Chips are pointed at 24pp for a whole bag,
I weigh mine out 210g = 14 pp, 400/420g = 26/27 pp
Curry Sauce (per tub) = 8 pp
Egg fried rice = 16 pp
Lemon Chicken = 10 pp
Mushroom Chow Mein = 6 pp
Mushroom Foo Yung = 6 pp
Roast Pork Cantonese Style = 10 pp
Special Chow Mein = 9 pp
Szechuan Prawn with Vegetables = 12 pp
Vegetable Curry = 8 pp


DESSERT
Fortune Cookies (per cookie) = 2 pp
Ice Cream = 9 pp
Lychees (6) = 0 pp
Toffee Banana = 15 pp (I KNOW!!!!)


MAKING IT AT HOME...
Blue Dragon Thai Sweet Chilli dipping sauce 15ml = 1 pp
Noodles - egg, 150g = 3 pp
Mushrooms, creamed 213g can = 5 pp
Rice - brown, boiled, 150g = 6 pp
Rice - brown rice boiled 100g = 4 pp
Rice - white, easy-cook, 150g = 6 pp
Soy Sauce 1 tblsp = 0 pp
Soy Sauce 3 tblsp = 1 pp

I'll add more as I discover them... enjoy!

PPPOTD - Amazin' Raisins

"This wasn't just plain terrible, this was fancy terrible. This was terrible with raisins in it."
— Dorothy Parker


Poor Dorothy clearly wasn't a fan of raisins but they can be a great snack and at only 1 PP per 14g box they can fill a gap instantly! I buy the little boxes which are usually in the kids snack section or the cooking section and I put them everywhere.. I mean EVERYWHERE.. the glove box of my car... handbags, coat pockets, my desk at work and there is LOTS of chewing on them so you do feel like you've had a sweet snack for only 1 PP! YAY ... I've pointed both these brands and they are the same per 14g box.



The Tesco own brand - Toy Story version



Individual 14g pack - 1 pp





Sunmaid individual portions -

ProPoints Product of the Day... PPPOTD!

Here's a daily addition to the blog which might help out some of the WW pointers out there.. Each day I'll be adding a product, which will then be added to the Pro points pages here... there will be comparisons.. and shockers.. but it's a great learning curve for me now that the system has changed, it'll hopefully help me remember how much food costs in terms of my remaining balance in the PRO POINTS bank! LOL .. first up..

TUK Crackers..

These are deceptively sly! They aren't in the supermarket aisle where the other crisps and savouries tend to be.. they are "filed" with the crackers.. DON'T be deceived! They are for all intense purposes a glorified crisp in my opinion.. and they disappear in minutes! I had these for a few friends (to try them out and to point them) and there wasn't enough in the bag for more than two people... don't get me wrong.. They are YUM but an 85g bag like this one is 11 pp.. you heard me... ELEVEN.. there are much better savoury options out there so don't be tempted.. unless you've got the points to spare!

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